I carefully closed my bedroom door and breathed out, checking my watch. I'd give her fifteen minutes before the nightmares started, but I knew I had to take that chance. Charlie needed some straightening out.

I descended the first flight of stairs at my own speed and then slowed down to human speed for the last one. Charlie was sitting on the sofa, but he quickly stood up when I came down the stairs.

"She was so good when I got here. What happened? Is she okay?"

I sighed as I made my way over to him and put a hand briefly on the side of his shoulder before sitting down across from him and leaning forward. He took a seat and watched me apprehensively.

"She is better, Charlie," I started, "But she's prone to relapses. I typically warn her before mentioning a touchy subject, and that works well. It normally leads to me finding out even more than I was looking for."

"She trusts you, Carlisle," Charlie admitted quietly, "She's different when she's with you: more real; more herself. Why is that?"

Probably because I had over three hundred years of experience.

"I've had foster and adopted children for over ten years," I said carefully, noting to myself that "over ten years" could mean anything, "I hate to remind you, but she didn't have you in her life much at all until just about a year or two ago."

Charlie sighed and leaned back on the couch.

"Bullying? What's that about?"

"Yesterday, I sat down with Bella to talk over her recent medical history before I looked her over. Part of what she admitted to was having been shoved over at school and said someone put something in her food that made her... sick."

"I knew she had fallen and was sick. You're telling me that someone was responsible for those occasions?" Charlie questioned.

"Yes," I said quietly, "Today, we went to the bookstore. I let her go to the classics section on her own, because I would only be a few sections away. I went to check on her a little later and she had been confronted by three girls from her school. I'll be calling the principal tomorrow to report it."

"Was she alright?" Charlie quizzed me.

"She was shaken," I admitted, "But I calmed her down. She knows everything they said wasn't true, and she gave me their names after minimal trouble."

"She wouldn't have done that for me."

"I know," was all I could respond.

"Have you talked to your family?" Charlie asked, "Are they coming back?"

"Esme's coming back tomorrow. She missed Bella a lot. It'll be hard to let her go when the rest return."

Charlie shifted in his seat slightly.

"That's what I was getting to," the chief said quietly, "Bella would have the final say, of course... but if she's happy here, and she's taken care of, and loved and comforted..."

I realised what he was trying to suggest.

"You think she should stay here..." I finished.

Charlie sighed.

"I love her, Doctor Cullen. I really do. But I'd rather not have her all the time than have her an empty shell. It killed me when she shut down. She'll be like that again, I think, if I take her away from you again."

I didn't say anything, simply watching him... and then I nodded once. I was forming the next thing to say when I heard a cry from upstairs and quickly turned towards the staircase. But Charlie hadn't heard anything and only looked on, mildly confused.

"You can stay here tonight, if you like." I told him, standing up, "There are some blankets in the hall closet. Bella's having a nightmare. I need to be with her."

Charlie nodded mutely and I stood up and walked quickly toward the staircase.

"Goodnight, Doctor Cullen." Charlie called.

I pause with my hand on the railing and glanced back to the couch with a nod.

"'Night, Charlie."

I slowly made my way up the first flight and then flew up the second before going to my door and opening it. Bella was laying in the bed, the covers tangled around her. Her hands were tight fists and her sweaty hair was stuck to her forehead. Tears were running down her face.

I closed the door behind me and sped over to the bed, sitting down on it beside her pillow and reaching out to touch her face. I ran a hand over her hands until they relaxed, and then I carefully laid down beside her and slipped my arm around her shoulders until her head rested on my chest. I untangled her blankets and settled them back over her until she was sufficiently covered.

"I'm here, Sweetheart," I spoke into her hair, "Daddy's here."

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Hello, Readers! I think I'm going to do the next chapter from a different POV. This won't be a permanent change, but the next chapter is the first one with Esme in it, so I want her insight in this situation.