I am so proud right now, it has only been three days between updates! Come on people let's hear a cheer for that one! Hopefully I should be able to keep this up, and get most of this story completed before I have to return to school in the fall.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, it is actually one of my favorites both to read and to write. It is not as happy go lucky as other chapters, which may be why I like it. It is a definite break from the fun, don't worry though the fun will return in future chapters.

I want to dedicate this chapter to everyone who has read, favorited or reviewed XD

BPOV

Today was the day, the day I thought and hoped would never come. That's right today was the day I had to phone Renee and I had decided to procrastinate, which might explain why Charlie was currently stomping around upstairs. He confirmed my thoughts as he came down to the kitchen where I was cleaning up our breakfast things.

"Bells you need to ring your mom." He said simply from behind me, I hung my head over the sink seemingly intent on the mug I was washing even though it had to be clean by that point. "Bella, please, do you hate her that much that you have to put off phoning her thinking I'll forget?" He asked quietly as if afraid of my answer.

"I don't hate her dad," I began to answer as I moved the mug to the side board to dry. I rinsed the soap off my hands before drying them and turning to meet his confused and incredulous gaze. I knew he wouldn't understand. "I'm telling you the truth dad, I don't hate her. Don't get me wrong I used to, more than I thought possible but I have gotten past that. It's just..." I trailed off unable to find the right words. As I was speaking I had watched as Charlie's gaze never moved from my own as he came to understand my thoughts, personally I think a part of him still loved Renee and always would despite what she had done to him.

"You don't know what to say to her." My dad supplied helpfully, smiling slightly.

"Exactly, how can I have a conversation with someone I haven't spoken to in years?"

"Bells, baby it's not going to be easy but if you phone her now then you can set the precedent. You're a good person Bella and I'm prouder of you than I can say, but she is your mother and despite what she may have done she deserves to know you." Charlie hardened at this comment and sighed heavily before continuing, "even if she hasn't wanted to until now. What time is Alice due to arrive?"

I glanced up at the clock before turning back to him to answer, "An hour or so." He nodded before picking up the phone and handing it to me.

"Phone her now, then as soon as Alice arrives we can go to Jake's and you can forget all about your mom for a day."

"Fine," I growled as I snatched the phone out of his hand and stalked over to the kitchen table. I turned my back to him before shooting a glare over my shoulder; he smiled as he raised his hands in surrender and backed out of the kitchen to put his fishing gear in the back of his cruiser. I slipped my cell out of my pocket and searched for the number she had dialled me on earlier in the week, punching in the numbers I waited with bated breath for the call to connect.

"Hello?" She posed the greeting as a question when she answered. It annoyed me that she didn't even know it was me until I realised she had phoned me on my cell last time.

"Hey mom," I answered after a moment's thought. It was still uncomfortable for me to say that word, though it seemed to please her.

"Bella, oh my god is it really you? Of course it is I can't believe you phoned me back. How are you?" She gushed clearly excited and happy that I had phoned her back. Despite my feelings towards her I smiled slightly myself.

"I'm okay, how's everything in Jacksonville?" I asked politely, silently hoping she wouldn't bring him into the conversation.

"Good, hot I mean really hot. You would love it; it's completely different to Forks."

"I already explained that I am not coming to stay anytime soon, I'm not ready for that yet."

"I know, sorry for hinting. How's school? Do you have a boyfriend?" Renee asked and I was glad she had avoided his name, maybe like me she was still remembering the conversation in the week and the reaction his name had brought out in me.

"School's good, English is my favourite lesson mostly because I love to read. No I don't have a boyfriend, there's one boy I like but that's all. What are you up to now?" I asked effectively steering the conversation away from me and my love life which, if I do say so myself, was becoming more complicated by the day.

"Well I'm teaching second grade which I love and Phil is teaching gym at the high school." I had sucked in a deep breath when she said his name; I tried desperately to get my temper back under control before I spoke again.

"That's nice," I said through clenched teeth. "Dad is chief up here." I stated simply, after all when she had left he had been in the process of getting elected.

"He told me, I'm happy for him. Has he found anyone else?" She asked quietly, so quietly I was sure I had heard wrong.

"Did you just ask if he had found someone else?" I could feel the anger rising in me again.

"Yes, I want him to be happy Bella."

"If you wanted him to be happy you shouldn't have left should you. In answer to your inappropriate question no he hasn't found anyone else." I spat out through tightly clenched teeth.

"Oh..."she trailed off.

"What are you upset now because he is alone? Have you ever thought that what you did destroyed his faith in his ability to be enough for someone else?"

"I...I don't know what to say. Bella I'm sorry, there's nothing else I can say. I want to know if you'll ever forgive me." Renee begged unashamedly down the line.

"I don't know mom, maybe at some point I will. At the minute how about we settle for sticking to neutral subjects and get to know each other?" I asked, calming down slightly.

"I'd like that, what's your favourite book? I remember it used to be Cinderella but I assume it has changed since you've grown up."She asked, sounding genuinely interested in what my answer would be.

"I love the classics, Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourites but I also really love War and Peace." I answered, for the first time actually excited to be talking about something I was passionate about, even if it was to my mom.

"I love Pride and Prejudice as well, but I never really got into War and Peace it was too...jumpy for me."

"I know what you mean, there is a lot which could be taken out but that's one of the reasons I love it. What about you, do you read?"

"Yeah mostly to my class, currently we are working our way through the Dr Seuss books." She explained and I could imagine the bright smile gracing her face as she spoke. It pained me that I could remember it so well.

"I used to love it when you read them to me." I sighed, my eyes filling with tears at the memory.

"I know, I think that's why I chose them a way to link me with you." She responded sadly.

"I missed you, every birthday and Christmas. Hell every day for a year I woke up thinking you would come rolling back into town a sheepish smile in place and move back in with me and dad. Every day that passed where you hadn't returned was like a knife in my heart, I actually thought it was about me. Then the divorce papers came and I knew you would never be back, that was probably the only time I ever saw dad cry. He was devastated, I never realised until recently how much he loved you. It's because of him that I phoned; honestly if it was left up to me I probably wouldn't have phoned you back. Despite what he may say I know its killing him that I'm talking to you for a whole lot of reasons I don't really understand, mostly because I won't ask and he won't tell. But he is everything to me, I know he thinks I missed out on things but I think he did a great job." The tears had started running freely down my cheeks, as the words I had never intended to say to her came flooding out of my mouth. I felt bad for laying Charlie's hurt out for her which only made the tears fall faster, luckily for me though my voice held strong and I suspected that Renee wasn't aware that I was crying.

"I'm truly sorry; I never thought it would affect either of you so much." Renee said sounding a lot like she had a bad head cold; obviously my words had had some affect on her.

"You just didn't think," I whispered. I picked up my cell which I had laid down on the table and checked the time. "Look mom I have to go, I have plans with some friends but I'll phone you next Sunday if you like." Hey it was an olive branch, at least this way I wouldn't be caught off guard during the week and I could forget this conversation ever happened.

"I'd like that. I love you Bella," my mom said from the end of the line.

"Yeah, same I suppose. Bye," I hung up before she had a chance to say anything else. Even though I had told her I loved her in the week, I couldn't bring myself to do it now. Putting the phone down on the table I swiped my hands across my cheeks to remove the tear tracks, and pushed away from the table to remove any remaining traces of my crying before Charlie appeared. I turned and stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted my dad leaning in the kitchen doorway looking down at the floor looking decidedly morose.

"How much did you hear?" I asked, praying he had come in as I rang off but knowing better from the look on his face alone.

"Enough, I'm sorry Bella." He responded, looking up to meet my gaze. Okay now I'm confused what the hell does my dad have to apologise for?

"What are you sorry for? It's me who should be sorry for telling Renee that stuff about you." I argued quietly ashamed I had let my mouth run away from me.

"For listening in, for not being enough for you or your mom. Mostly though I'm sorry you saw me after the divorce papers arrived, I never knew you had witnessed that."

"None of that matters dad, I never said anything either and I probably should have done at the time. It's just you were always so quiet and I didn't want to hurt you more than she had already done, so I kept quiet. As for you not being enough for me, did you not hear me when I said you were everything to me or did you think I was saying that to hurt her?" I questioned pointing at the phone to indicate Renee.

"I don't know, I know we don't do enough together though, we never have. It's just I don't know how to be around you anymore, you look so much like her." He said as he stood up from his position and walked over to the table and pulled up a chair. I remained rooted to the spot as I absorbed his words.

"That's ridiculous and you know it! No you may not be around much but I like being alone, and anyway I used to spend a lot of time out with Alice and Esme remember?" I shot back, smiling as the memory of numerous girls only days took over my mind. Clearly Charlie had similar thoughts because I noticed his cheek lift in a brief smile before it slumped again.

"Esme was fantastic when she moved here, but before that you were always up on the reservation left with Sue Clearwater while I went off fishing with Harry and Billy."

"I never minded that dad, Sue was an amazing cook and I liked spending time with Jake, Rachel and Rebecca." It wasn't even a lie; I had loved my time up there even if it had only been for a couple of years. When I stopped going up there, Rachel and Rebecca had gone off to the same school Jake was attending now and Jake had become close to the boys on the reservation.

"You were right you know." Charlie all but whispered.

"About what?" I questioned, confused again.

"I hate that you're talking to her, mostly because I'm afraid she'll convince you to run off and live with her eventually." I smiled at the ridiculousness of his fears and moved over to him until I was standing behind him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders in a hug and rested my chin on his head as he patted my joined hands.

"You have nothing to worry about there; I love it here too much. So you are stuck with me at least until I move away for college." I said before placing a kiss on the top of his head and moving away, "now we had better hurry because Alice will be here shortly." I watched as Charlie stood and turned to me smiling.

"Okay, I just have to get my spare reel. Are you ready?" He asked as he headed towards the kitchen cabinets.

"Just have to grab my purse from my bed," I said as I walked upstairs to get it. I had accepted that no matter where I was going Alice would expect me to have a purse or bag which matched the rest of my outfit. When I came back downstairs I stopped on the bottom step and waited for Charlie to stop rummaging in the drawer. Once he had found the reel he was looking for he walked towards me and stopped in front of me preparing to speak.

"I love you kid, you know that right?"

"Of course I know that, I love you too." I responded with my first genuine smile in what felt like hours. With that statement Charlie matched my smile with one of his own and placed a kiss on my forehead before opening the front door.

"Let's get going then, Alice is already here." I walked out the door and saw that Alice had indeed just arrived, but to my annoyance she had been dropped off by Edward who was stood beside his car talking to her. I marched over to the pair, and watched as Edward spotted me coming causing him to straighten up and rake his eyes over my outfit.

"You ready to go Ali?" I asked, ignoring her brother.

"Sure, tell mom I'll be home later." Alice smirked at her brother, who removed his gaze from me in order to glare at his sister.

"What about what I just suggested?" He said, trying not to give anything away about his and Alice's discussion.

"That's up to Bella." Alice responded, turning to me for the first time and pinching her eyebrows together as she frowned at my undoubtedly still red eyes. I shook my head discreetly, begging her not to ask yet but indicating that I would tell her later on. I waited until her eyebrows had returned to their normal position before speaking.

"What's up to me?" I asked the pair, moving my head between them both waiting for one to answer.

"Well I was wondering if maybe you would want me to give you and Alice a ride to school. It makes more sense because otherwise Emmett has to drive around half of Forks."

"All about saving the environment now are we? Won't your girl of the day miss her free ride and grope?" I spat at him, with more venom than his suggestion warranted.

"Whatever Swan, I was just trying to be polite. If you didn't want to accept the offer you should have just said so." He shot back at me looking genuinely hurt. I looked back at my dad who was waving me and Alice over to the cruiser in order to get going.

"I would like to accept the offer if you are not withdrawing it." I said quietly returning my gaze to his. I watched as he nodded and smiled at Alice before speaking.

"We'll pick you up at half past, have fun with Jake today. Phone Em when you want picking up," he said, it didn't pass my notice that he had spat Jakes name out as if it was something poisonous. It took me all of half a second to remember that he had been listening to mine and Tyler's conversation yesterday, I was just shocked he had remembered Jake's name. Maybe, just maybe Tanya was right.

"We will don't you worry, hadn't you better get going you don't want to keep Lauren waiting do you? Speaking of which we had better get going Bella, Jasper is going to meet us there." Alice said, hinting at a double date status. I smiled brightly at her making a mental note to enquire about her and Jasper's date yesterday. With that I flashed a brief smile at Edward who smiled tightly back before storming around to the driver's side of his silver Volvo and with a bang of his door he drove away at the speed limit, only because Charlie was around I'm sure. Alice and I turned together and made our way towards the cruiser, both of us slipping into the back seat behind the glass.

"Why have you been crying Bella?" Alice asked, turning to me in her seat. I noticed Charlie grimace in the rear view mirror before I gave her the one word answer knowing she would reach understanding quickly.

"Renee."

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. Now one of the lines in this chapter contains a partial quote from my favorite Will Smith movie Hitch, whoever spots it will get a sneak preview of the next chapter!

I have two ideas for the next chapter I can either:

1) Write about Alice, Bella, Jasper and Jake on the reservation or

2) Skip to Monday at school.

Let me know which one you would prefer, I promise that both will be fun because I know what is going to happen and let me tell you I am most definitely looking forward to writing about Monday at school. Especially as I am sure there are some readers who think I have bypassed Lauren and Jessica in past chapters, well not true and someone people like will also have a part to play, but maybe not in the way you would think!

Until next time, which will hopefully be Wednesday.