For Your Eyes Only

Chapter Twenty One - When He Met Her Father

"Argh! Holey moley, Edward!"

I shot upright suddenly from the piano after glancing at my watch. He looked up at me in alarm, clearly surprised by my somewhat random outburst, and promptly stood up, placing his hands on my shoulders in what I assumed was meant to be a calming gesture; it wasn't really working. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm late," I told him with a groan. "I was supposed to meet Charlie ten minutes ago... he's getting out of the rehab centre today and it's really not a good time to be late! Gah!" I absolutely hated being unpunctual; it gave me a horrible light feeling at the bottom of my stomach.

"Oh," he said, frowning a little.

"Yeah," I mumbled distractedly, "we must have lost track of time."

"I'll take full responsibility for that."

After a few more moments of hurrying around like some kind of mad woman, I finally found everything I needed, had said goodbye to Carlisle, and was making my way out to the truck with Edward.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" he asked once again, having offered several times before.

I chewed on my lip nervously, feeling the sting of my teeth causing some blood to be drawn. "Um... perhaps it's best if we left it for a few days. He needs to get back to the normal environment, and something like meeting my boyfriend might tip him over the edge. Sorry."

To my surprise, he was smiling. "'My boyfriend," he repeated, almost as though he was trying the taste on his tongue. "I like the sound of that."

I smiled, leaning over to give him a quick kiss. "I'll ring you tomorrow or something."

"And I will look forward to it. Good luck, I hope he's alright."

"Thank you."

After I'd climbed into my truck and driven off, I suddenly had a very strong feeling that hit me. Charlie was coming home.

It had been so long that I'd just grown accustomed to being alone in such a big house. It would be a change for sure, but most definitely a good one. Now, he would live a healthier and better life without alcohol, and maybe he'd settle down and find a new partner.

Of course it'd be hard, what with his past that everybody seemed to know about, but maybe he could really find some happiness. He'd prove them wrong, showing what he was really like.

The future could potentially be just like the good times, when everybody was happy. Before Mom caused all that pain and lead Dad towards alcohol.

Because of these thoughts, I arrived at the place with a smile on my face. It might have been selfish of me to think so, but I was now going to be surrounded by people very close to me; Charlie, Edward, Carlisle... it was completely different to before and it gave me something to be incredibly happy about.

I walked inside with a new spring in my step and seeing Charlie waiting there for me was one of those moments I'd never ever forget.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I ran over to him and we hugged each other tightly. We always did so, but this time was a little different; he'd be home afterwards - I wouldn't have to wait a whole week to see him again. In fact, I never wanted to let go of him, I just wanted to savour the moment.

He seemed to be thinking similarly, because he mumbled, "Finally, I can go home," into my shoulder.

I smiled widely, glad that I hadn't started crying. Yet. Pulling away to face him, I said, "Let's not waste anymore time here. We're most definitely done with this place."

"Definitely," he agreed. "I'll never be coming back here again."

And so we left, stepping outside into the fresh air and away from the place that had saved my father, but brought so much pain at the same time.

"Goodness," Dad breathed, standing still on the spot and looking around the lounge, apparently in a daze. "It hasn't changed one bit. In fact, it's just as I pictured it back in my room." He paused, taking a few more glances. "And," he added in a lower voice, "it's been kept tidy, which is a surprise."

He was teasing me, I knew it. My room was never usually particularly tidy, and the only reason the house was immaculate is because I'd spent a few hours frantically tidying last night.

But he'd never know that...

"I've turned over a new leaf," I answered, putting on the kettle.

"We both have."

He smiled towards me and dumped some random white bags on the kitchen table. I watched as he fiddled around with the contents. "This is my medication, apparently. The people said it'd help," he added with a shrug.

"Hmm," I replied. "You'd better take their advice, then. How often do you take it?"

He squinted towards the packet. "I think I need glasses... my eye sight's getting worse every day," he muttered. "Um, two every morning. They're big buggers, too."

I gave him a look and he sighed. "Don't worry, Bells. I'm sticking to this plan, for both our sakes."

Handing him his drink (obviously non-alcoholic), I couldn't help smiling. "You've made me real proud, Dad. I can't wait for the people around here to see you, mainly because you can show them how well you've done."

"They've been gossiping, then?" he asked, taking a seat.

"Um... sort of," I answered, wincing internally. "But..."

"Don't worry. It's what I expected, really."

We sat in a comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the peace. Charlie must have had a hard time staying in his room alone for all that time and I couldn't really imagine what it'd be like having all these freedom suddenly given back to you.

"So, has anything happened in the last week that I should know about?"

Dad's voice brought me out of my thoughts and, for one scary moment, I thought he already knew about Edward. But then again, that was just impossible... surely?

I didn't answer for a while and he looked at me strangely, clearly waiting for my reply. It was now or never...

"Well, I... um," I trailed off stupidly. "I've... met someone."

His eyebrows raised suspiciously. I guessed he'd probably been waiting for this moment for a long time, considering I'd never really introduced any boyfriends to him, mainly because I hadn't had any. But now was his moment... he could have a rant if he pleased. It was just one of those experiences that came with being a father.

"Oh really?" he replied. "And how did you meet this 'someone?'"

I took a deep breath and explained everything about his accident, feeling worse as the story got more and more detailed. I hadn't told him any of this before and it was one of the few major events in my life. It was a lot to keep from him and I felt awfully guilty.

"And, um... we just," I shrugged, finishing rather lamely. "We got together, I guess."

He stared at me wordlessly for a few moments. "Bells, why didn't you tell me about all of this?"

"I didn't want you to worry," I replied honestly. "You already had enough to deal with being in that rehab place, and I didn't want to add to your worries. Besides, I dealt with it on my own."

"And how is he now? This Edward of yours?"

"He's good," I said with a smile. "He lives just down the road with Dr Cullen. They're related. Uncle and nephew."

He nodded slowly. "And he hasn't been messing around with you or anything?"

"No, no," I told him quickly. "He's the nicest person I've ever really met. Of the other sex, that is. That sounds pretty lame," I added with a half hearted laugh.

"I'd like to meet him sometime," he continued, taking a long drink of his coffee. "I'll see if he's worthy of the Charlie Swan stamp of approval."

I looked at him with a new found fear, but he suddenly smiled widely, nudging my arm. "I'm joking, Bells. If he's made you happy, which he looks like he has, then he's fine with me. I'd just like to see him for myself, in case he's your future husband or something."

The shock made me almost choke on my drink and I coughed violently, hitting my chest. "Gosh, Dad," I gasped. "Talk about jumping the gun!"

He grinned. "Well, you never know. Any excuse to get my old suit out."

"Well I don't think you'll have to worry about that just yet."

2 days later

Sunday morning was a day of reckoning. I woke up feeling quite sick and, remembering that today Edward would meet Charlie, I was overcome by a powerful wave of nausea. It was stupid of me, because I knew deep down that Edward was a good person, and he'd even promised to be on his, quote, 'best behaviour.' We had nothing to hide.

"I'll be bringing my Dad over tomorrow, if that's alright with you and Carlisle," I had told him last night on the phone, biting my fingernails along the way.

He paused, calling for him. "Yeah, Carlisle says that's okay. It might just be me, but you sound a bit... scared, Bella."

I scoffed. "I'm terrified."

"Why? Are you ashamed of me?"

I knew he was teasing, so I played along. "Obviously. I just know Charlie is gonna despise you."

He laughed. "Thanks, Bella. But seriously, it'll be fine."

"You don't know that," I said, fiddling with the buttons on my shirt. "I just don't know what would happen if-"

"Bella. I'll be on my best behaviour. Don't worry about a thing."

"I'll try. See you tomorrow."

And I did try. I did everything to distract myself; I read a few pages of a random old book, watched TV, cooked some food, did some schoolwork (although that didn't last long; my academic efforts had declined a lot lately) but everything seemed to move me back towards thinking about tomorrow.

And now, tomorrow is today, and my stomach feels like it's full of fluttering butterflies.

I didn't even attempt eating some breakfast, knowing I'd probably see it again if I did. Charlie noticed this and he chuckled at me.

"Bella, you look frightened to death. It's no big deal, really."

I didn't reply, just made him some more bacon and eggs. "How are you feeling today?" I asked after a while, wanting to reflect the attention onto somebody other than myself.

"Good," he said briefly.

"Any cravings?"

He paused. "Well I can't say there haven't been any, but I'm coping." He turned towards me with a small smile. "I just need your support."

"Good thing that's what you'll be getting, then," I replied, returning the smile weakly.

A few painful hours later, we pulled up outside Carlisle and Edward's house in the truck and, catching my reflection briefly in the mirror, I could see that I was even paler than usual.

"Let's just get this over with, before you collapse from the pressure," Charlie joked, once again teasing me. No one else seemed to feel as anxious as me, and I took a few deep breaths, before stepping out the car and towards the place.

"Nice," he nodded in approval. "Being a doctor clearly has its benefits."

I laughed humourlessly, knocking on the door.

Carlisle answered after a few seconds, mainly because Edward was upstairs and it'd probably take him too much effort to hobble downstairs with his crutches.

"Hello," he said politely and enviably calmly. "I'm Dr Cullen."

"Yes, I know you," Charlie replied with a smile. "Everybody knows the best doctor in town."

Carlisle laughed. "Thank you, but I'm not sure that's completely true. How are you now, anyway, Mr Swan? I don't mean to be rude, but I heard about your..."

"It's fine," Dad said. "And I'm feeling pretty good."

"That's great to hear." Carlisle briefly met my eyes and smiled, in what seemed to be a soothing gesture. "Please, come in."

He led us up the stairs and I started to really panic, knowing Edward was just behind the doors. Carlisle seemed to notice my anxiety, because he gave me another smile and touched my shoulder briefly.

After this, he slowly opened the doors and everything happened in a blur from then on.

Edward smiled widely as soon as we were in his view and I couldn't help being shocked at what he was wearing. He'd pulled together a short sleeved white shirt along with a loosely done tie, clearly showing his rather muscular arms. I'd never noticed those before...

He'd gelled his hair a little and tried to tame it, but it was still wild and stuck up in various different directions. He'd also shaven and I wanted to run my fingers over the newly smooth skin. Normally there was a bit of stubble.

In general, my reaction was one of awe. I thought he was beautiful before, but now... now he was just beyond words.

He met my eyes and gave me a small smile, walking confidently over with his crutches and placed his hand in mine. I couldn't help wincing, knowing my own hand was probably clammy from the sweat, but he squeezed it reassuringly.

"Hello Mr Swan," he said, turning towards my father. "I'm Edward Cullen."

He briefly removed his hand from mine to shake Charlie's but, as soon as he was done, his hand moved back to mine, where it belonged.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Charlie replied and, from what I could hear, he sounded genuine. I glanced at him and he seemed to be fighting a smile. "You've scrubbed up well."

Edward laughed. "Thank you. I thought I'd make an effort."

"How's your leg? Bella told me all about what happened."

"It's a bit sore, but nothing I can't deal with."

Charlie smiled. "A good attitude to have."

"Do you want something to drink, Mr Swan?" Carlisle asked suddenly, interrupting the conversation.

"Uh, a coffee would be great, thank you," he replied. "And please call me Charlie." He turned to Edward. "Both of you. It'll sound too formal otherwise."

The people he addressed both smiled, looking eerily similar, and Carlisle soon left, the sound of the kettle quickly following.

"This is a pretty impressive house," Dad said, looking around constantly. Edward met my eyes briefly and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm really lucky to live here."

Charlie's eyes were fixed on the television in the corner, something which didn't really surprise me. "Nice TV, too," he murmured.

Edward nodded. "Great for watching the sports on."

Oh no... not a sports-related conversation please...

"You watch baseball?" Dad asked.

Oh fantastic. Time to zone out...

"I saw the match the other day, yeah," Edward grinned. "Do you think-"

I stared ahead then, waiting for them to stop talking about players and details that sounded foreign to me. When they spoke, though, I took in just how enthusiastic they were with each other, and how their chat seemed alive and bright.

That was certainly hopeful.

Carlisle returned quickly with the drinks and we all sat down, Charlie and Edward still busily chatting with each other. Their topics moved from sports to hobbies, to music, to Forks in general... it seemed to never stop. I met Carlisle's eyes after about half an hour, mainly because we'd only been able to fit in a word or two here and there, and he grinned at me, giving me the thumbs up.

This was probably going to be a long afternoon.

My presumptions from before were actually wrong, because the hours actually went by surprisingly quickly and, before I knew it, I was saying goodbye to Edward and heading outside.

"It seemed to go well," he murmured quietly in my ear, causing goosebumps that weren't just from the early evening chilly breeze.

"Yeah," I replied happily. "But did you have to talk about sports?"

He smirked playfully. "It's nice to have a common interest. When your father gets going he can really talk. I like him."

"Good." I let out a long sigh. "Seems I got worked up over nothing."

"Isn't that always the way with you?" he laughed. Before I could protest, he pressed his lips gently on me, kissing me softly and making everything around us seem to disappear into a a strange blur.

That was probably the reason why we both jumped wildly when my Dad suddenly spoke from behind us.

"Bella, let the lad breathe."

We pulled apart and I stared at the floor in embarrassment, my face now burning. Charlie walked over with Carlisle and he smiled at Edward, patting him on the shoulder.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Edward. You seem like a genuinely good person."

He smiled. "Thank you, sir. The feeling's mutual."

Dad turned towards Carlisle. "I look forward to seeing you both in the future, if that's alright, I mean."

As Carlisle opened his mouth to talk, I interrupted. "You mean you'd like to come over and watch the baseball on that huge TV?"

He raised a finger to his lips. "Ssh, Bells. You'll ruin my plan."

We all laughed lightly, and Charlie and myself headed towards the truck. "Thanks for tonight," he said, waving once more before sitting in the passenger's seat. I gave Edward a final kiss and waved to Carlisle, trying to show my appreciation, before getting in the vehicle and starting up the engine.

I waited until we were out of sight before tentatively speaking to Dad. "So?"

He sucked in a deep breath, making me nervous. I caught his eye and he laughed. "I approve, Bella. I most definitely approve."

That was all I'd really wanted to hear and I smiled goofily all the way home.