A/N: I've always loved the kind of love a great dad has for a daughter. And there's no denying that I love the awesome dads in this story )

Chapter 55

Charlie had always felt a little out of place, and yet strangely like he belonged, whenever he was with the Cullen's.
They were a welcoming bunch; so much so that he never had time to feel the usual amount of awkwardness he might encounter in a social setting. These were genuine people—the type of family he was happy to have his daughter be around, and the type of family he'd wished for himself, once upon a time.

Sitting in Esme's kitchen this morning had been as easy as if were his own, and yet he'd never seen so much activity and conversation take place around a breakfast table. He would never deny that curiosity had compelled him to come here and be a part of this today, but he was quickly learning to just enjoy it for what it was—an opportunity to share in the type of life his little girl seemed destined to become a part of.

"So the furniture delivery is scheduled to arrive between nine and eleven." Esme informed the table as everyone was preparing to eat the vast array of offerings laid out before them.
There were bagels, muffins and toast, a heaping platter of sausage and scrambled eggs, a bowl full of cut fruit; and if that wasn't enough, there were at least four boxes of cereal set to the side, just in case.

"At least that'll be a few things we won't have to lug inside. Will the delivery guys take care of the assembly as well?" Jasper chimed in around a mouthful of toast while passing the plate of eggs over to Carlisle.

"That reminds me, I've still got the bedding and towels I picked up last week in my car, and I took the liberty of getting some bathroom accessories too," Alice volunteered before anyone was able to answer her fiancés question, "you know, just functional stuff Edward can use till he decides how he'd really like to decorate."

Charlie recognized that there was an oddly apologetic tone to her voice that went with a look she was sharing with Bella as she spoke. Bella just smiled at the acknowledgment and kept on buttering a muffin without a word. He didn't have too much time to think on what sort of meaning that glance had held or why Alice was feeling guilty for helping out, since between bites of food and a sip of coffee Carlisle also added that, "The technician from the security company is coming out sometime this morning too, so that should work out well. You know Kevin Johnson, don't you Charlie? He's from Forks originally."

He chuckled a bit as his daughter reached over and added some fruit to his plate with a little grin before turning to address Esme, who was saying something about waiting for Edward and Bella's return before ordering anything other than the basic necessities—a bedroom set, that apparently Bella had approved, and a sofa that Edward had liked the look of. He didn't want to consider everything that this information seemed to be adding up to, so instead of dwelling on all of these side-conversations Charlie turned back to Carlisle, ready to respond to his earlier question.

Indeed he knew Kevin well. They had gone to school together and still saw one another around town occasionally. In fact, Kevin had installed Charlie's own home security system shortly after the ordeal that Bella had gone through.
It had never occurred to him before then that the town's own chief of police would have to worry about someone being dumb enough to target his home or family, but with Bella's safety and peace of mind to consider he'd been all for taking a few extra precautions. And though it hadn't occurred to him before, he was certainly pleased to learn that Edward was of a mind to do the same.

Having been given a subject to discuss that was of interest, Charlie was easily caught up in conversation by the time Edward had returned from his morning shower, but that didn't keep him from observing the way Bella had followed the boy's every move from the moment he'd reappeared.

He wasn't sure why it intrigued him so, but seeing Edward and Bella together again had somehow reassured him that he wasn't crazy after all. The chemistry between the two of them had been obvious right from the start, but Charlie had tried to rationalize his observations by remembering that their relationship was still so new, and that neither one of them had ever experienced anything like what they were now a part of. He had his concerns about Bella dating, but if he'd had to choose someone for her, Edward certainly seemed to embody the traits he would have looked for. It bothered him a bit to know that his fatherly instinct was so easily overthrown, but he'd never been one to ignore the obvious. And the fact that Edward saw Bella as the most precious thing he'd ever encountered was beyond obvious. Knowing his family had definitely helped to ease his anxiety, but seeing them together again had only served to validate his approval.

Bella had seemed perfectly content before, but her smile had managed to brighten significantly once Edward took his seat beside her. They whispered what Charlie had to assume was some sort of greeting, their heads bent together briefly, before Edward started serving himself and Bella resumed eating. The interaction was as mundane as it was intimate, and while sharing a quick glance with Esme, Charlie became aware that he wasn't the only one to notice or appreciate the simplicity of it all.

When Edward had met him at the door to his parents' house this morning, he'd looked sleepy and disheveled. It was only seven o'clock so Charlie was under the impression that he'd probably just awakened. His rumpled clothes and unshaven face certainly pointed in that direction; so it was a bit of a surprise to see him return looking only marginally better. He could tell that some of the others had noticed as well, but he was unsure as to why his mother had smiled or why Alice was rolling her eyes. More to the point, he wasn't sure why Bella was looking at him with such pride and admiration.
Little did Charlie know that his daughter was seeing in Edward's appearance something remarkably meaningful.

Bella had always had a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Edward. Despite his shyness and persistent anxiety he possessed an inner strength that few could match; and though many people might overlook such a trait in favor of focusing on his more prominent and socially limiting characteristics Bella knew that this inner strength, or what Alice might want to call stubbornness, was what really made him who he was.

She was never more aware of his strength than on a day like today. They'd been away from the rest of the world for so long, free to speak candidly and interact in any way the moment might warrant. But now they were back and surrounded by the watchful eyes of his family—and dare she recall, her father. The level of comfort she'd come to enjoy when it had been just the two of them had spoiled her, making it increasingly difficult to behave appropriately in the presence of others. This realization made her appreciate just how difficult Edward's struggle to integrate himself within this new lifestyle truly was. If it was this hard for her to come back to the life she'd always known after such a short time away, than she could only imagine the type of mental trauma Edward had initially been made to suffer when faced with the idea of doing so after so many years of solitude.
He seemed to be doing incredibly well now though, his latest push towards conquering his fears apparently still intact.

Not only had Edward awakened her with a kiss that made her thankful she'd been lying down at the time, but he'd proceeded to answer the door to his parents' house this morning without a moment of hesitation, greeting her father with a surprisingly confident smile.
Additionally Bella had noticed the way he'd stood in kitchen, leaning against the counter with his coffee in one hand and his other arm wrapped loosely around his mother's waist as everyone else shared their morning hellos. It was as if he could sense how much she'd missed him and how much she needed to feel his presence again.
It pleased Bella, to see that he was trying to make Esme's happiness such a priority, especially when she knew the kind of inadequacy he'd always felt in regard to such an undertaking. But that was hardly the extent of his morning's accomplishments.

Though she was feeling a little uncertain as to how they should now act around his family, Edward had managed to seamlessly censor his affections. No one would doubt that Bella was at the forefront of his attention, but his innocence was as undeniable as it was endearing.

As the others started assembling breakfast, Edward had given his mother a kiss on the cheek before reaching to take Bella's hand. He'd said nothing but shared a look that promised he'd be right back, while giving her fingers a little squeeze. He then went off to retrieve some of their things from her truck parked outside, and upon his return he'd offered to let Bella use the shower first, taking his turn after she'd been able to clean up and change.

Like her father, she'd been expecting a clean shaven, put together, version of Edward to rejoin them, since this was quickly turning into a family day. However, she was pleasantly surprised when he'd returned, seeing that he'd bothered with nothing more than his usual morning routine. His hair had been toweled dry and left to do as it pleased otherwise. His beard remained, looking especially soft and touchable, which only served to make Bella somewhat uncomfortable considering their company; but she appreciated his silent gesture nonetheless. And naturally, he wore an old pair of jeans and a faded t-shirt that made Alice roll her eyes in distaste.
He'd obviously known what he was doing though, whether anyone else might have caught on to the bigger meaning behind his choice.

He was asserting himself for once.
His sister might want him to dress a certain way, and his mother might prefer a more groomed appearance, but this was the real Edward, the way he wanted to be. If he was going to be here long term, and if he was going to attempt this new lifestyle, then it was important for everyone else to understand that. Bella was always proud of everything he managed to accomplish, but seeing him take such a subtle stand on his own behalf was a particularly wonderful thing to witness; and so was the easy acceptance that came from those who cared for him.

"We should probably head on over and get started soon." Bella reminded everyone when she felt Edward's hand come to rest on her leg beneath the table.
It appeared that everyone had finished eating by then, though they seemed content to linger around the table and chat. Despite his progress, Edward didn't have it in him to speak up in such a way, but Bella could tell that he was ready to get going already, and that his touch was his way of asking for a little help.

Bella had no idea the type of reward she would be granted for her assistance, but it came in the form of Esme's immediate agreement. And then again when she'd stood up from her seat at the table to Edward's left so that she might entice the others to get a move on. That was when Bella saw Edward's mother playfully ruffled his messy hair making it appear even more disheveled than before. The affectionate gesture made Edward chuckle, which in turn made Bella's heart sing.
She glanced over at her father and saw that he was still happily in conversation with Carlisle, and she noticed that Jasper and Alice were also caught up in their own little world as they'd started the process of clearing away dishes. Honestly if this day could get any better she wasn't sure how she was going to handle it.

But inevitably she would.

"Come on, Alice. We should have already been back by now."

They'd been wandering around the store closest to Edward's new place for over half an hour now. She'd initially made an efficient circuit of the store and come up with all of the ingredients they'd need for supper tonight, along with several kitchen staples to supplement what they'd been able to bring with them from Edward's cabin. There were also a few items he'd specifically requested along with a few others Alice had deemed necessary, so Bella was now itching to checkout and head back to the house so they could get started on the kitchen finally.

"Oh relax. We left Edward and Jasper bonding over computers and architectural software, our dad's parked in front of Edward's ridiculous TV, and Mom was having the time of her life envisioning flowerbeds. No one's going to miss us if we're gone an extra ten minutes."

Bella knew that she was probably right but she was still eager to get home and be with Edward again. The trucks had been unloaded and the furniture delivered, but there was still quite a bit of unpacking to take care of; and though Edward was doing extremely well with everything today…

Home?

She hadn't meant for the word to come to mind, but it had and it certainly felt right. In fact, with that very thought she suddenly found herself staring at the very opening she'd been looking for so that she might discuss the prospect of she and Edward's pending agreement to move in with one another. That is until Alice had actually beaten her to the punch.

"I forget. Which one of these do you usually prefer?"

Bella looked up to see that they had somehow made their way to the hygiene aisle and that Alice was holding up two different bottles of shampoo. Her confusion was short-lived as Alice read the labels aloud for her benefit, going on to say that it was probably wise to keep a few things over at Edward's in order to make her life easier in the future. As she was busy saying so, Bella noticed that not only had Alice picked out shampoo but there was also a new toothbrush, deodorant, mouthwash, and even a box of tampons already in the cart, all of which were Bella's preferred brands.

"I've practically taken over half of Jasper's closet, and we rarely stay over at his place. It's just so much easier to say I'll stay the night when I know that my stuff is already there though."

"You trying to get rid of me?" Bella chuckled a bit.
Her nerves were obvious and Alice could see by the color staining her cheeks that she'd not so subtly hit on a topic that her dear friend had probably already considered.

"Not a chance in hell. But…things are changing Bella."

The kindness in her voice matched the hesitation in her words. This was a conversation they were going to have to have eventually and yet they'd never expected that the opportunity would present itself here, or now. With all that had happened over the past couple of days they hadn't really had any time to themselves, short of their brief chat last night after Edward had fallen asleep on the couch; and like Bella, Alice had been thinking a lot about the implications that came along with her engagement, and the fact that Edward was currently moving into his own place.

"It's a lot to think about, isn't it?"

"More than my little brain likes to deal with at once, that's for sure."

The two friends stood looking at one another, an overloaded shopping cart between them, and they had to smile. There was a lot about their friendship that Bella loved, Alice's uncanny ability to understand her and her needs being at the top of that list. But there was more. They'd always been able to talk and they'd rarely if ever had any significant difference of opinion. They were of drastically different personalities and yet they were of the same mind on many things, insuring the other's happiness always remained a priority.

"What am I going to tell Charlie?" Bella worried aloud; no longer fearing that Alice would have anything negative to say about her desired living arrangements.
It made sense after all. If Alice and Jasper were getting married, she'd not be comfortable continuing to share a house with them after the fact. It was one thing for Jasper to stay over from time to time, and she'd always respected their privacy, but it would just be weird if she were still hanging around all of the time once they were wed.

Alice laughed at her friend's shift of concern. She knew that this was an odd situation for them to be in and that Bella would worry over her place in all of this. What she wanted to tell her wouldn't go over very well, since Alice already knew that Bella would always consider the feelings of others before her own, but it was time for everyone to accept that Bella had every right to want more out of life. And the first person that needed to understand that was Bella.

"Charlie is a policeman, and a trained investigator. His job is to read people and see the things that aren't being said."
Alice watched as Bella fiddled with a package of cookies they'd chosen to go along with the ice cream they'd picked out for dessert, thanks to Edward's request. When she didn't look up, Alice went on to say, "He can totally see how you and Edward feel about each other, and so far I haven't noticed him freaking out over anything."

"You're right. But dating your brother and actually living with him are two different things."

"You're already living with him—technically. And if you're being honest what you really meant to say is that dating my brother, as in going to dinner and a movie or hanging out with friends versus sharing a house and a bed and having the ability to fornicate whenever you please, are two different things."

"Alice!" Bella tried to keep her voice down, but the volume of her protest was impressive nonetheless.

"What? You think I can't tell you two have been at each other like rabbits for the past week?"

It was pointless to deny it, and even if she'd felt the effort was warranted Alice's laughter was too prominent to try talking over anyway. So with a heavy sigh, Bella began pushing the cart towards the front of the store. She could tell that Alice was right behind her thanks to her continued giggles.

"You'll have to forgive me." She finally said once her giddiness had calmed a bit. "I just couldn't help remembering that little moment in the bedroom before we left. I know it's not fair to be so blunt, but whereas Edward's been pretty discreet, even though he can't keep his eyes or his hands off of you today, you look like you've got this invisible force field around you whenever he walks into a room, like you're about to pounce and then you suddenly realize you can't."

Bella didn't want to smile at her friend's analysis of her less than subtle desire to be with Edward, but with his sister's reminder she'd begun to think about that same moment as well, and as a result the smile had become uncontrollable.

She had been kneeling before the beautiful mahogany chest that had just been delivered along with the rest of the furniture that she had helped Edward approve for his mother to purchase during their absence. Alice was across the room, busy unpacking and sorting clothes, idly rambling on about colors and fabrics and how jealous she was of the space available in Edward's new closet. She'd been lost in thought and was only half listening to her friend fuss about the condition of her brother's limited selection of shoes, while she went about tucking his last pair of socks into the bottom drawer. It was then that she'd felt his familiar touch upon her shoulder.

The day had turned off to be a warm one, and with all of the activity Bella had removed her over-shirt in favor of the tank top she'd put on beneath it this morning. Even though the contact was unexpected she never flinched as his cool fingers moved along her skin, his thumb tenderly caressing the side of her neck.

This day had always been slated to be both exciting and potentially difficult in her mind, but she hadn't considered how much she would miss these little moments and the freedom to appreciate such an affectionate gesture. She'd done a wonderful job of keeping any surprise hidden, but when she'd seen Alice valiantly trying to mind her own business but grinning nonetheless from her position across the room, she knew that she'd not done as good a job of disguising the pleasure she'd felt.
Beyond that however, she had no way of knowing what Alice had made of their brief interaction, because Edward had crouched down beside her and whispered that they were done with her truck if she wanted to go ahead to the store as they had discussed earlier in the day. Their proximity had suddenly become too tempting to avoid it, and after a long morning in the company of others Bella was not prepared to squander the opportunity.
Her hand had found the side of his face, her palm appreciating the soft tickle of his beard, and her lips had claimed his. The kiss was brief, but necessary; and when the couple had parted they'd managed to share a look that was full of promises.

Alice hadn't said anything about it at the time, but had eagerly agreed to accompany Bella to the store, seeing that her brother had generously handed over a fistful of cash to pay for whatever they might decide to buy.

"A hundred and forty dollars' worth of ice cream?" Bella had teasingly inquired after hearing Edward's one request.

"Maybe some cookies too—chocolate chip." He'd winked, before giving her one more kiss.

Alice recalled thinking that she'd never seen a simple peck on the cheek look so passionate. But that was her brother for you. Maybe it was because he'd never been prone to showing such affection until recently, but it was obvious that he put his soul into every moment he shared with Bella. And Alice loved him for it. It made sense that Bella would have to restrain herself when he'd turned away, but it was comical to see the play of emotions that crossed her dear friends face in that moment—everything from simple longing to unbridled lust had seemed to surface in an instant.

"We'll find time to sit down with Edward in the next day or so and see how he'd like to handle this, but I'd be willing to talk to Mom and Dad if it might be easier for you guys. Unfortunately, Charlie's all yours."

Bella appreciated Alice's offer and her easy acceptance of the situation, and though she wasn't looking forward to a conversation with her father about moving in with a guy she'd known for barely a month, she knew that somehow it would be okay. Alice was right. Her father seemed to genuinely like Edward and he'd always thought highly of Esme and Carlisle. If Edward weren't the first and only boy she'd ever shown any interest in perhaps this wouldn't seem like such a big deal. She was an adult after all; but in terms of relationships she still felt like a fledgling teenager who would require permission for just about everything. Foolish, but true.

As a sign of her thanks, Bella had taken time to hug her hyper little friend and promise that she would do her very best to keep Edward happy—always. She also promised that she would talk to Charlie before too long and seek his blessing, since she knew that it would make Edward feel better about the situation as well. No matter how much he wanted Bella to share his home, he'd never consider going against her father's wishes if it could be helped, making her all the more motivated to insure his approval.

The ride back had been fun and full of laughter, the two friends busy catching up on any number of less stressful topics now that so many of their lingering concerns had been addressed. That is until they'd pulled up to the house and Alice had seen what Jasper had gotten up to while they were away.

"Jasper Whitlock, what the hell are you doing?"

"Working, Sugar. Working." He'd nonchalantly responded despite the panicked sound of his fiancé's voice.
He was in fact hanging from some type of makeshift rafter that he'd attached to the backside of the house like a monkey, swinging back and forth some twenty feet off the ground.

Before the girls had left to go to the store Edward had managed to hook up one of his computers, and Jasper had been busy uploading some software that would allow him to show Edward the ideas he had in mind for the terrace Esme had asked him about designing. Apparently while they were away the pair had decided to take things outside for a better perspective and now Jasper was about to give Alice a heart attack.

"I swear, if you kill yourself before we get married, I am so going to kick your ass!"

"I'd gladly let you, love." Jasper shouted back, while climbing even higher so that he could get a better look at the buildings support structure.

Although Emse was missing, it seemed as though everyone else had managed to come outside for a look at what was going on, and Bella found it rather amusing to see Charlie and Carlisle leaning against the back of her father's police cruiser, sipping lemonade and chatting, while Edward stood a short distance away keeping an eye on Jasper's acrobatics. However, once he'd heard his sister shouting and seen that they were back he'd abandoned his post and come to greet her instead.

He touched the side of her face and grinned for her when he saw how much she wanted to reach out for an embrace.

"Did you get anything for me?" he playfully asked, hinting at the list of junk food he'd requested, or maybe more.

She blushed slightly thanks to the nearby audience and Carlisle's interruption, asking if perhaps she'd thought to pick up some first aid supplies, "Just in case," he'd chuckled, inclining his head towards Jasper who now had Alice standing directly beneath him with her hands on her hips.

Edward had taken hold of her hands and had leaned in to kiss her cheek, seemingly oblivious to his father's words or the fact that Bella's was also sitting only a few yards away. Thanks to his boldness Bella found the courage to give in and wrapped her arms around him, her face turning up to kiss his neck and then the underside of his jaw.

Carlisle smiled at the sight and noticed Charlie watching them as well.

"It's hard having the daughter, huh?" He sympathetically mentioned.

Charlie sighed and turned to look at Edward's father. He didn't know what to make of that comment, but he knew that it was true. He didn't like to think about everything his daughter's relationship would, or had likely already come to involve.

"And before you even think about giving my boy a hard time, just remember mine's marrying that."

Watching Dr. Cullen gesture at the idiot hanging upside down from a hastily hung bit of timber, taunting poor Alice with his antics, had gotten Charlie laughing. He didn't really laugh all that often but when he did it was a joyful sound.
If Carlisle had been hoping to deflect any negative thoughts Charlie might have been thinking in terms of Edward or Bella, it hadn't been necessary. Still the comment had made him realize the truth of what they were dealing with.

"They're good kids." His eyes strayed once again to where Edward and Bella had gone off, hand in hand, to begin unloading the truck full of groceries.

"All of them." He added then seeing just how happy those two were when they were together.