"Hold still. I'm nearly finished."

Bella didn't move as I carefully finished applying salve to the bruise on the side of her face and then I carefully took her arm and turned it over in my hand.

"What did happen to your face?"

I saw her considering not telling me as I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye before going to work covering the handprint bruise.

"Taylor shoved me into a bookshelf and then grabbed my arm. It was their way of announcing their presence."

She said it so simply it was hard not to look up at her as I finished with her arm and lifted her off the counter where she was sitting.

"You might want to get changed. Charlie will be here soon. I'm not one to condone keeping secrets," she smirked and I gave her a half-amused reproving look, "but you might want to put a long-sleeved shirt on. Cover that arm."

"And my face?" she stressed.

"Well... I suppose Alice might have left some of her makeup in the bathroom. I'm no professional, but I can try and do something about it."

She gave me a shy smile.

"Would you do my hair again?"

"Of course."

I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and lead her up the stairs to Alice's bathroom. My hyper daughter had, in fact, left some concealer in the medicine cabinet and I made a neat job of covering the bruise and blending it in with the rest of her skin. When that was complete, I sent her to get changed and meet me in the living room. I pulled a brush out of the top drawer and went to wait for her downstairs.

She came bounding down the stairs a few minutes later, tripped multiple steps from the floor, and I sped over to catch her, placing her cleanly on the ground. I looked her over for additional injuries and then at her outfit. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a moss-coloured long-sleeved shirt that had ruffles on the hem of it.

"You got that from Alice's room." I smiled.

"Do you think I would have ever bought this for myself?" she replied with a grin of her own, "Now for my hair!"

I brought her to the couch and had her sit down with her back to me so I could brush her hair out, more sure of myself this time. It gave me a chance to consider how I was going to make it through dinner. I decided to use my speed to my advantage and make the food on my plate disappear every time the chief was focused on Bella. I had made steak, potatoes, and broccoli for dinner. Bella had said Charlie liked steak. I did too: the extremely rare kind, but I understood why our police chief might find that more than a little disturbing.

As I was securing half of Bella's hair back, there was a knock on the door. I reached for Bella's hand to hold the hair in place as I went to the door and opened it.

"Charlie. Come in. We're almost ready for dinner here."

I closed the door behind him and quickly returned to Bella to complete her hair. Charlie watched, mildly shocked as I did his daughter's hair and then helped her to her feet. She gave me a bright smile and then skipped over to give her father a hug. I felt a pull at my heart. What I would have given to be in his place. But I put on a smile for her as she lead her father toward the dining room.

Charlie paused before passing me and looked at me for a long moment.

"She's almost an entirely new person!" he breathed.

I gave a single nod and then moved to follow Bella, catching her as she predictably tripped on the flat ground. She laughed as I released her and pulled out her chair for her before going to serve dinner.

"You seem better," I heard Charlie note after I had left the room, "Are you happy here with... him?"

"Carlisle's great." I heard Bella reply, "We've been moving back into the house. It gives us something to do, and gives us a chance to talk."

"Talk about what?" Charlie pressed.

Bella seemed to stutter over her words, not wanting to offend either one of us, it would seem. To spare her having to reply, I quickly returned with Bella and Charlie's plates and, with a sympathetic smile toward the girl, went back to get mine. I didn't give him enough time to upset Bella and returned a minute later to take my seat.

"So," I started, glancing over to Charlie, "How's work been lately?"

Charlie took a bite, swallowed, and then replied, "Busy. Hikers keep disappearing in the forests, and all we can find is blood. We've also had sightings of massive wolves. We think they're related, but we also found a single human footprint near the lake. We just don't know at this point. Nothing makes sense."

I let my right hand fall to my lap and discreetly reach toward Bella's chair, but it did not have to go far before I felt her fingers brush against my skin. I captured her hand in my own and held it tightly, running my thumb across the top of it.

"Harry Clearwater had a heart attack a few days ago," Charlie went on, although I seriously wanted to tell him to shut up, "It was fatal. That actually happened the exact same day you came back, Doctor Cullen."

Bella squeezed my hand. She wanted to change the subject, I knew. There seemed to be no good topics to talk about, and there was no way I would allow a conversation that upset her.

"When do you go back to school, Bells?" Charlie asked abruptly. I felt Bella's fingers twitch: a slight start. I squeezed her hand again, bringing her back to reality.

"I have one more week left," she said quietly, "And then I only have a couple weeks left until graduation."

"Yeah..." Charlie said, smiling at her proudly, "It's a shame you don't have any friends to graduate with you, though."

The words echoed around my mind, filling me with anger. What a thoughtless thing to say to an emotionally unstable child! Charlie seemed to understand that what he had just said had hit a nerve, hard. He jumped to try and apologize, but I felt Bella's hand wrench out of mine and she stood up, pushing her chair back with such force it tipped over.

"Bells, I didn't mean it that way," Charlie insisted, "It's just that-"

"Isabella!" I called as Bella fled the room. I heard her footsteps disappear up the stairs. I didn't move for a full minute, and then, with a sigh, I pushed my chair back and stood.

"I really didn't mean to upset her," Charlie said quietly.

"I know you didn't," I told him quietly, "But you do need to be careful around her. Were you aware she's bullied at school?"

By the look on his face, I assumed he hadn't. Without another word, I slowly walked toward the stairs and started mounting them.

"Bella?" I called softly, painfully aware of the fact that Charlie could still hear me, "It's alright, Sweetheart. I promise."

I reached the landing and glanced behind me to find Charlie standing at the foot of the staircase. I heard the top stair squeak and turned back towards the top where Bella was standing with a tear-stained face. I opened my arms to her and she came down the stairs to enter them. I held her tight to me and tucked my chin over her head, swaying slightly to the side.

After a minute, I tucked her under my arm and turned her toward the remaining stairs.

"It's been a long day. Let's get you to bed."