Set Fire to the Rain

As we wind this story up, I would like to take the opportunity to say a massive THANK YOU to Dollybigmomma without whose help this story would not be as successful as it is. I would also like to thank all the readers, and hugs to all of those who review, too.

Don't rightly know how many chapters are left, but I would say maybe two or three at the most after this one. In the meantime, if you haven't been over there, I invite you to check out my other on-going story, Life Is So Unfair. Dolly has been working her magic on it and things are about to start getting good in that one!

Grateful thanks to SM who introduced me to these wonderful characters.

Chapter 28

BELLA

I got the all clear from Angela after a gruelling fifteen minutes of step-ups, walking in a straight line, and riding on an exercise bike. When she finally proclaimed me fit and well enough to travel, Edward and I both breathed a sigh of relief. I would miss Angela, of course I would, but we needed to get out of here. Too many bad memories now clouded what would have been a wonderful experience for me. Glancing over at my hero, a smile crossed my face remembering when he had burst through the door at the outpost where we had been kept miles away. If there was a moment when I thought I might have fallen in love with him all over again, it was probably then.

"Come on, Swan, we've got a date with the U.S. Air Force," he said motioning me over to him.

Wrapping his arm casually around my shoulders, we headed back to the tent to pick up our bits and pieces. Our luggage had already been collected earlier on the off chance that I was given the all clear. My handbag and laptop were all I needed to pick up. Edward had his laptop and a small holdall carrying his favourite chef's treats for our journey as well. I rolled my eyes as his eyes lit up when he saw the food his new best buddy had prepared for him.

"I'm really going to have to try harder and persuade him to leave the forces and join us back at Cullen," he muttered mostly to himself.

I had a new weapon now; Edward's stomach and his love of good food. Now that bit of intel I would retain in case I needed it in the future.

We refuelled in Germany again, but this time we didn't even get off the plane; we were too wrapped up in each other, our hands entwined the whole time and our eyes never dropping from each other's.

Tired beyond belief but also relieved, we finally touched down on U.S. soil. I said a silent prayer, thanking God for Edward, home, family, and friends.

After a very short but formal debriefing, we were allowed to go home. Emmett had arranged for the company limo to pick us up. We were going back to our separate apartments and I guess he wanted to give us the chance to say our temporary goodbyes.

My phone rang the minute I turned it on. Charlie.

"Hi, Dad."

"Bella, where are you? Are you okay?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, Dad, I'm fine. We're on our way from the base now. I should be back in an hour or so, depending on the traffic."

"You should have let me come and get you."

"No, it wasn't necessary; Emmett arranged a car to pick us up. Look, Dad, I'll see you soon." I wanted to get back to Edward.

"Bella, I've been worried sick and you want to talk to me later?"

"Dad, we'll talk all you want when I get there, right now I'm in a car and have company and don't want to be rude. So I'll see you soon, love you," I said and hung up.

"He's just worried, Bella. His little girl has been gone a while and he didn't know if she was safe."

"I know; it's just that when we get there, you and I will..."

"We'll get our time, I promise," he added quickly cutting me off. "For now, be with your dad. I get the feeling he needs you more than I do right now. At least I've had you to myself for a while. It's his time for now. I'll be coming by to claim you again soon."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

He pulled me into his arms and held me tight. "I'm going to miss you like crazy," he whispered into my hair.

"Me, too, don't stay away too long, will you."

"I won't be able to."

"Good to know."

For once, the traffic was kind. Today I had been hoping we would be stuck for hours, giving me more precious time with the man I loved more than life itself. We seemed to glide through the roads and soon were only a few streets away from where I lived. I could feel the tension in the car rise. Neither of us wanted this to end, but what could we do? I needed to see my dad, Edward needed to see his family, and we both need to sleep.

Hmm, the thought of sleeping in a nice big soft bed, with smooth cotton sheets and a thick down duvet made me smile. My only regret was that I would be alone in that big bed when I would much rather be in there with Edward.

We had the driver pull up a little ways away from my building. I knew Charlie would be on the lookout for the limo and I wanted to say a proper goodbye without my dad watching.

"So, Mr Cullen, back home at last, safe and sound. Thank you, Edward, for not giving up, for coming for me, for everything really. I'm going to miss you being around twenty-four-seven, I've kind of gotten used to it. Kind of like it, too."

He lifted my chin which was resting on my chest, a little embarrassed after my speech. His eyes were full of love and tears, and I wanted to dive into them because I knew it would feel like home.

"Hey, I'd follow you to the ends of the earth if I had to. But please, promise me that you'll not go off on some wild adventure again without me. I had to come for you, Bella; I can't live in a world where you don't exist. I love you. Now go on up and see your dad, spend some quality time with him, and I'll call you later. We'll talk then, okay?"

Tears poured down my cheeks and bless him, he did his best to kiss them off, but they were flowing too fast.

"Stay with me, Edward? I don't want you to go. I need you like I need air to breathe."

"Not now, love, Charlie needs to see his little girl. Let him have the rest of today and tomorrow, too, and then we'll see how he feels about letting you out of his sight. I'll only be a phone call away, you know that. I'll ring you later and we can email and Skype, too. Do this for Charlie, love, we'll have plenty of time later, I promise."

Our kiss goodbye took my breath away and I never wanted it to end. Thinking about it, I could quite easily live the rest of my life in Edward's arms being kissed to within an inch of my life. There was nothing sexual in our goodbye kiss, it told of love, a promise to be kept, a deep, deep caring. An, "I'll see you again soon," an, "I'll miss you until we can do this again," a, "We have a future together." When we finally broke apart, neither of us spoke. I was not sure if either of us was capable.

The car pulled up to the front of my building and we got out slowly hand in hand. Edward was right; Charlie appeared about thirty second after we got out. I was pulled unceremoniously from Edward and wrapped in my father's arms. I hugged him back; he felt good, but I wanted Edward.

Eventually, he let me go, holding me away from him and looked me up and down.

"You're far too thin, my girl. Why don't we go back to Forks and get you fattened up."

"No!" I screamed and he looked pained at my response. "I just want to get back to normal, Dad, sleep in my own bed, go back to work. Please understand that."

"Okay, we'll talk about it. Thanks, Edward, for bringing her back to me. You can go now, I've got her," he dismissed Edward coldly.

My poor dad looked a little stunned when I walked around him and up to Edward, wrapping my arms around his waist. We didn't kiss again; I was still reliving our goodbye from moments earlier. He dropped tiny kisses onto the top of my head and hugged me to him.

"Okay, so get inside, it's colder here than where we were. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay, I guess I'll see you later then. I love you, Edward Cullen," I whispered as he let me go.

I was glad to be home, but it all felt a little strange now compared to the sparse living I had been doing for the last however many weeks.

"So, Bells, you want anything to drink? Tea, coffee?" dad asked.

"No, I'm good, Dad. I'm going to have a nice long bath. You don't mind do you? I've missed soaking in a hot bubble bath."

"No, I'll still be here when you're done. I'll get us something to eat, too."

My ears must have been deceiving me, my dad cooked? When I raised my eyebrows in question, he laughed and told me he had placed an order for food to be delivered.

I soaked for what seemed like hours, reliving that kiss, Edward's touches, all the time we had been away. We may not have had sex, but we might as well have done because Jesus, everything we did shouted 'fuck me' now. When my toes and fingers became too wrinkled, I knew it was time to get out. Relaxed and dressed casually in comfy sweats and a soft jumper, I headed into my lounge to see what my dad had been up to.

He looked up and smiled a huge smile when I walked in. I immediately felt horrible for not wanting him here and wanting to be with Edward.

"Sorry I was so long. It was lovely relaxing in a hot bath, I've missed it. So, what have you been up to?"

"Never mind about me, come over here and sit your skinny arse down. I need to see you, talk to you about what happened over there."

"Dad, I'm back and I'm safe, thanks to Edward. Can we not do this now? I'm starving and beat."

"Don't you mean Edward and Emmett? I thought they both were there?"

"Yeah, well Emmett was for a while, but he needed to come back before I was well enough, for Rose and the business."

"So, you were with Edward Cullen alone for a period?"

"Hardly alone on a military base, but yes, it was just me and him most of the time. Why?"

"Well, before you went, you were kissing him and all, so I kind of wondered..."

"Wonder all you like, Dad, but my lips are sealed. So, is the food coming any time soon or do I just go to bed now?"

"It's on its way; Italian, your favourite. Ten minutes they said, so it should be here..."

Someone ringing my doorbell broke him off. Dad went to get the food while I got out two plates and got us both a couple of glasses of water.

The salad and lasagne was good and I ate it all. Dad's eyes kept on me the whole while. It made me feel very self-conscious.

"I'm off to bed, Dad, I'll see you in the morning. Just leave me to sleep and I'll get up whenever I wake. I just want to relax in my own bed if that's okay?"

"Of course it is, love, no pressure. I just want you to be okay. I need to make sure my baby girl is doing well."

Crawling under the heavy duck down duvet felt wonderful. My eyes started to drift when I realised that I hadn't spoken to Edward. Finding my phone, I saw I had three missed calls, all from him. "Shit!" A text message was also waiting for me.

Sorry I missed you, I guess you either crashed or are talking to your dad. Don't sweat it. I'll talk to you soon. Remember, Bella, I love you! Always x

I needed to speak to him sooner rather than later, just to hear his voice if nothing else. It was late now, almost midnight, and I knew that he would be as knackered as I was, but I still pressed the button that brought up his number.

He sounded sleepy when he answered on about the third or fourth ring. "Bella, baby, are you okay?"

"I am now that I'm talking to you. God, Edward, I wish you were here, I miss you terribly."

He sighed and said quietly, "I miss you, too. So what have you and Charlie been up to?"

"Nothing much, I had a luxurious bath, soaked for ages and came out all wrinkly. It felt divine. He ordered us some food and we talked a bit, then I came to bed. What about you? Seen any of your family?"

"Yeah, Mum and Alice were here when I got back, fussing and all. Mum made me a casserole and force-fed me, and then they left. I had a quick shower then collapsed on the sofa so I decided it was time for bed. I was just dozing off when you rang."

"Sorry."

"Hey, never be sorry for ringing me. I needed to hear your voice, too. Where are you now? Does Charlie know you're ringing me?"

"Nah, I'm in bed, I left my phone on charge by the side of the bed and saw that I'd missed your calls. I wanted to say goodnight properly. Thank you for the text, the words were lovely. I love you, too. So, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Bella, Charlie needs to spend time with you on his own. He already hates me for kissing you. We'll talk tomorrow; see how the land lays, eh?"

"Nope, I'll tell him you're coming over, and you will, right?"

"If that's what you want then that's what I'll do. I'm done not doing what's best for us, Bella, you know that. Look, you sound about all in; get some sleep and I'll speak to you first thing, say good morning to my beautiful girl. How does that sound?"

"It sounds perfect. Goodnight, Edward, sweet dreams." I hung up happier and with a smile on my face.

When I woke up, I felt a little stiff and noticed that I hadn't moved one inch. I must have slept like the dead. Stretching, I sat up and looked at my phone. It was a quarter nine, just about the right time to get up and start the day. Today, I would see him again and I couldn't wait.

I wanted to look at least half decent for Edward today, so after a quick shower and then dressing carefully in jeans and a blue casual/smart blouse, I slowly wandered into the kitchen where Charlie was sat nursing a cup of what smelled like coffee.

"Any left for me?"

"I just made a fresh brew. You look nice, going somewhere?"

"No, not that I know of, unless you have plans of course."

"No, no plans for me. So what do you want to do today?"

"Well, Edward will be coming over at some point later; he'll probably go into the office first, though. So, whatever, I'm easy."

"Why is Edward Cullen coming here today?"

"Why not?" I answered in a snippy voice.

"Haven't you spent more than enough time with him lately?"

"No, I don't think any amount of time is enough with Edward." Shit, I didn't mean to say that.

His head snapped up and in a slightly raised voice he said, "What? Surely you're not going to put yourself through that again."

"What are you on about, Dad?"

"I saw how he treated you when you went to New York. He ignored you, treated you like dirt, and flaunted his other women in front of you. He's not good for you, Bella, he's proven that."

"What do you know about when I came to New York?"

"You think I didn't know that you two were running around, sneaking off for weekends together? I didn't like it, but you were old enough to know your own mind so I kept my thoughts to myself. Look, I know you love that whole family, and Alice is like a daughter to me, too, but they're just too close, what with you working for them, too. You'll end up getting hurt."

"Look, Dad, I know you're worried about me and all, but there's really no need to be. Edward and I are all grown up now and we aren't going to do something without talking about it first. And how come everyone knew about Edward and I back in Forks and yet we thought we were a secret?"

"Bella, you two only had to be in the same room and the sparks flew. Heck, I hated being in the same room as you two because you made me feel so damn uncomfortable. Not a nice thing for a dad to know his only daughter is having...well, you know what I mean."

He was as red as I was, but I needed to make it clear that I wanted to see Edward today.

"So, Edward will come over for dinner, say about half six, you can stay or go out. It's up to you."

"I'll stay, there's no way I'm leaving my only daughter alone with someone like Edward Cullen. I'll chaperone."

"We don't need a chaperone, Dad. We just spent quite a while alone in a land far away and managed to control ourselves. There will be kissing and touching, though. Can you handle that?"

"Oh, please, not in my presence, Bella!" Charlie whined.

The rest of the day went smoothly. Edward had agreed to come over for dinner; reluctantly, though. I think my dad might have rung him and warned him a bit. I was so looking forward to seeing him.

I cooked and it felt good being back in my own kitchen. I decided a roast beef dinner with all the works was in order. I giggled to myself, remembering that I could get to Edward through his stomach.

He arrived right on time and Charlie actually gave us a little privacy at the door.

"Hey, I missed you," I told him leaning in for a kiss.

"Me, too. Jesus, Bella, you smell so good. How the hell am I supposed to keep my hands to myself tonight?" he groaned, kissing me with a passion I could feel. Someone clearing their throat behind us made us break apart.

"Charlie, how are you?" Edward asked trying to keep his face straight.

"Edward, Bella, can you come in here please where I can see you?"

"Pardon me?" I asked incredulously.

"You know what I mean, young lady," he walked in front of us, making me feel like an awkward fourteen year old that had just been caught doing something naughty. Edward and I followed, feeling like we had been told off. Our hands stayed entwined, though, and it was nice. It told me that Edward wasn't scared of my dad and intended to pursue us.

We all sat awkwardly; dad had chosen to sit in the middle of the sofa, making sure that Edward and I could not sit side by side. Edward smirked knowing exactly what Charlie was doing. We all sat fiddling with our hands on our laps. When I moved to see to the dinner, Edward offered to help. When we both got up, my dad automatically followed.

It was like having a faithful Labrador pattering around after you. How I kept my temper I really did not know. Every time Edward and I tried to strike up a private conversation, Charlie butted in and changed the subject. It was pathetic really, and when he asked Edward, "So, Edward, are you still dating that Tanya Denali?" I was floored. What the hell?

"Charlie, I was never seeing Tanya Denali. We're nothing more than friends, I can assure you. Bella knows there are no other women in my life other than my mother and my sister."

I was almost glad when Edward decided to call it a night. It was still early, but if I were able to leave, I would, too. No amount of me scowling at my dad helped. He seemed to grow in confidence the more he was making poor Edward and I uncomfortable.

He actually allowed me to walk Edward out. I was beginning to think he would escort Edward down to his car, but thank god he didn't. As I closed the door behind me, I heard a quiet chuckle.

"Don't you dare laugh, Cullen! I'm so embarrassed. Here I am a grown woman and still my dad scares potential suitors off. I'm sorry he behaved like that towards you."

"Bella, it's fine, actually. I'm glad he wants to protect you. So, tomorrow? Shall we try again?"

"I was planning on coming into the office."

"Really? Does Charlie know?"

"It's my decision, not his. You go on home before I change my mind and take you back in to my bed."

A long goodnight kiss followed and I ached for him to pick me up in his arms and carry me to bed, mine or his, I wasn't fussy. He didn't, though. With a deep sigh, he pulled himself away and walked slowly towards the exit.

Unable to speak to my dad civilly, I gave him the stink eye and went straight to bed.

For five whole days and nights, he carried on like this, cockblocking us at every turn. He came with me to the office, accepted Esme's invite to dinner, and stayed glued by my side, even when I'd screamed at him to go away, all for the purpose of keeping Edward at bay.

I could feel Edward pulling away emotionally. He still kissed me with all he had, but verbally he was running for the hills again. Damn Charlie, damn him to hell. I had to take control of my life back before I lost Edward again, this time for good.

"Dad we need to speak. Please sit down and listen. I don't want to hear from you until I'm done."

He sat down reluctantly. "Okay, Bells, what's up?"

"Dad, you need to go back home. You're driving me mad, you're driving a wedge between Edward and I and I will not allow that to happen. Please, if you love me, you'll let me deal with my relationship with Edward. Please, Dad, I love him and we need to talk, sort us out once and for all. We can't do that with you hanging round like a bad smell. I can feel Edward backing away from me emotionally the more time we spend disconnected."

"Then he's not worthy of you, love."

"Dad, he's scared of confronting his emotions. Back in Afghanistan, we were thrown together twenty-four-seven and he had to face up to his feelings for me. He was able to talk things through quite well over there, we were really quite close. But here, with you obstructing him at every turn, all the confidence he gained in Afghanistan is fast slipping away. I don't want to lose him again, Dad, please understand that."

"So your mind is made up about him then?"

"I love him; always have, even when I was mad at him. It's always been him. We have a lot to talk about, though, and that's what we'd planned to do when we got back. You being here and hovering like this is causing us a real problem right now."

"Okay, I'll go home if you're sure that's what you want."

"I'll come see you when I know what's going on, once I know if Edward and I are going to be together."

It was a relief an hour later when I waved Charlie goodbye. I didn't feel sad, six days of my dad being a pain in the arse was enough for anyone. As I walked back into the apartment block, I sent Edward a quick text to let him know I was free and waiting for him when he was ready for our talk.

Anxiety crept up on me as I realised he hadn't replied. Shit, last night he'd been cool, much cooler than previous nights. Although I had noticed him talking less and less, even though he still held my hand and kissed me thoroughly goodnight. My getting rid of Charlie had come at just the right time.

Brewing a fresh pot of coffee, I was surprised when my apartment buzzer sounded. It was him, he was here. I heard the door open and continued to keep busy in the kitchen.

Arms snaking around my waist startled me. He was close behind me with his lips in my hair. I turned to face him, and he looked tired and pale.

"You feel so good. I've missed you so much since we got home," I said hoping to draw him into confessing his own frustrations.

"I've missed you, too. How was Charlie when he left?"

"I told him to go, Edward, and I told him why. He was okay, I think he understood."

Pouring him a coffee, we walked slowly into my lounge and sat side by side on my sofa. I felt a little embarrassed now knowing that tonight could be the beginning of the rest of our lives, or the end of something that could have been wonderful.

"So, you've been pretty quiet the last few days, are you okay?" I asked not really wanting him to reply.

"I'm okay, a little tired maybe. I've not been sleeping well. So, Ms. Swan, finally we get the chance to have that talk. Do you want me to start?"

"If you want to, I don't mind. I think you know already just how I feel anyway."

He was quiet for a long time and I was scared to look at him. What was he waiting for?

Sorry to leave it on a cliffy, but I wanted to give a whole chapter to their talk and first I had to get rid of meddling Charlie!

Let me know what you think.