BPOV

I drove Renee's car through the small streets of La Push and ignored the looks of curiosity from everyone that watched me pass by. A couple waved, recognizing that I was Charlie Swan's daughter, but those only came when I got closer to their house. When I pulled into the driveway my father was already there, leaning against one of the wooden columns on the porch, waiting for me. I waved while putting the car in park.

"Hey, kid." Once I was close enough he pulled me into a hug. After a few seconds he dropped a kiss against the top of my head and released me. "Hungry?"

I could smell whatever Sue was cooking and nodded. "Starving."

Charlie held the front door open for me while shouting, "Look who I found wandering around outside, Sue."

I let the two of them fuss over the fact that I kept declining their offer of second helpings and dessert. Finally, once I'd helped clear the table and wash the dishes, we were all settled back at their kitchen table. I absently turned my glass of water in circles as they made idle conversation about their plans for next week.

"So," Charlie draped his arm across the back of my chair. "Bella, you wanted to talk to us?"

I shifted uncomfortably. I knew this was a touchy subject for all of us. "It's about mom."

Sue and Charlie's eyes met for a brief second before my father nodded. "What about her?"

"Did she ever apologize to you?"

I had expected that Charlie would laugh at the ridiculousness of my question but he gave Sue another glance before muttering, "I wouldn't exactly call it an apology."

"What?" I asked, completely surprised by his answer.

Now it was his turn to uncomfortably shift in his chair.

"Dad."

Finally, he let out a huff of air in a frustrated sigh. "I don't like to talk about her, you know that, but- I guess you deserve to hear the story." He brought his glass closer and copied my earlier actions- spinning it in a circle. "Carlisle had called me, it was only a few weeks before Renee passed, saying she was asking to talk to me.

"I didn't want to go." Charlie nodded towards Sue. "But she thought it would be good for me. Healing or whatever."

My dad rolled his eyes but Sue's lips broke into a small smile.

"Your mother was…" his voice trailed off as if he was looking for right words. "She was bad off, Bella. The medication made her so out of it. Carlisle told her I was there but honestly I don't think she recognized anything around her. The only thing she was 'thank you for Bella' and then she fell back asleep."

My face had to look utterly confused because Charlie only gave me an exaggerated shrug when he looked at me.

"Thank you for Bella," I repeated. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Bells," Charlie rubbed my shoulder- moving me side to side as he did. "She was out of it. Who knows what she meant."

Leaning my elbow against the table, I rested my face against my palm and tried to make sense of what any of that could mean. What the hell was she thankful for? That he'd been the one responsible parent in my life?

"Did she ever mention Hope House?"

Charlie shook his head while shaking a piece of ice out of his glass.

"We'd heard rumors that she was involved," Sue elaborated for him. "But La Push and Forks have very different social circles. And, honestly, who would have ever believed it?"

"I sure as hell didn't," my dad chimed in. "Not until she was gone anyway."

"In her will she requested that I take her place on the board of trustees." There was another shared glance between Charlie and Sue. This one was easier to understand because it matched my own feelings- suspicion. "They meet in two weeks and I either have to accept or ask them to find an alternative."

"And… what do you want to do?" Sue asked, her voice quiet.

I shrugged because I still didn't have an answer.

"How can you be on the board if you're going back to Phoenix?" My dad's voice sounded a little too hopeful. "Would you stay here? Obviously we would love for you to be closer but what about your job? And Jacob?"

The guilt I'd carried for hiding the truth of what had happened before coming back to Forks sat uneasily in my stomach. I didn't like to lie to my father, or Sue for that matter, and even if it was more of an omission than a flat out lie, I knew I had to come clean with both of them.

"There isn't much left for me in Phoenix, Dad."

They listened, seemingly more surprised than disappointed, while I explained.

"So, even if I did go back what would be there waiting for me? An overpriced condo?"

"You know you can stay here," My father repeated himself.

I rubbed my forehead, even more confused now than I had been before. "But that's exactly what she wanted, Dad. I can't stay in Forks."

We all fell quiet for a few moments.

"Why would she do this?" Sue finally asked.

I signed before sitting up straight again. "Edward said that Mom did all of this as some elaborate way to get forgiveness and-"

My father's eyebrows were raised in surprise- so much so that they were partially covered by his shaggy brown hair.

"What?" I asked while looking between the two of them. Sue's expression, while not as exaggerated, was the same as Charlie's.

"So you and Edward… you're speaking? To each other?" His voice came out in a garble of feigned normalcy.

"We…" I looked down at the table, feeling my face burn with a familiar blush. "Umm…"

My dad looked entirely too optimistic and it made me smile. Regardless of our past, Charlie had always liked Edward and vice versa. He'd been friendly with Jake but I could tell he wouldn't ever have the kind of relationship with him that he'd had with Edward. After all he'd known Edward since he was three and was close to Carlisle and Esme. Alice had practically been a permanent fixture in his house while we grew up. The Cullen's, regardless of my relationship with Edward, would always be considered as family as far as my dad was concerned. The only time that he'd put those feelings aside was when I'd left. Charlie had honored my wishes and kept his word- other than a small slip with Alice- he'd never told them anything.

"We're trying." That was as far as I was willing to admit to them right now.

"Trying?" Charlie nodded encouragingly. "Trying is good. Right, Sue?"

We both laughed at his enthusiasm.

XXXXX

"My father said to tell you hello."

Edward smiled from the closet. He knew that meant I'd told him something about us.

"Do you feel better after talking to them?" He asked, roughly pulling at his tie.

"Not really." I sat up on his bed and folded my legs underneath me. "Did you know Renee asked for him before she passed?"

Edward was now pulling his shirt from his pants- untucking the crisp white material. I watched him- hoping the more clothes he took off the more distracted I would get. He shook his head as he started to undo the buttons down his chest. "No. Did he go see her?"

I sighed when he moved further back into the closet and I lost sight of him. "He said he went but that she was so heavily medicated nothing she said made sense."

"What'd she say?"

"Dad said that all she told him was, 'thank you for Bella.'"

Edward reappeared while pulling a t-shirt over his head. I frowned until I noticed he hadn't added pants and was just in his boxers. "Thank you for Bella?"

I moved over to make room for him on the bed. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Well unless she…" his voice trailed off. When I nodded for him to continue he laid back against the pillows. "What if she was saying thank you for giving me Bella. Like she was grateful that they'd been able to create you?"

"Then I'd call her a damn liar."

"Bella." He put a hand on my back and I looked at him from over my shoulder. "I don't think you understand exactly how much she… changed at the end. I'm not defending her, and I totally understand why you believe what you do, but Renee wanted you to come back. She told me herself that she wanted your forgiveness. She died an incredibly sad and lonely woman."

"And I grew up a very sad and lonely child."

"I know." His fingers slipped under the back of my shirt and he gently scratched his nails against my skin. "Her apology meant very little me and I told her that. If she was semi-coherent when she spoke to Charlie, then maybe she knew an apology wouldn't cut it with him either."

"Did she apologize to your parents?"

"I know they spoke but I don't know about what. They had no clue Renee was involved in Hope House until I told them. Like everyone else they had only ever dealt with Jason Jenks up until that point. When Esme found out she was… beyond angry."

I turned around to look at him again.

"She felt like we'd all been lied to which really wasn't far from the truth."

"But, like you, she stayed?"

"She stayed because we were halfway through building the rec center and if she'd left it would have delayed the completion by months. And because… I begged her to. Remember, we were close to four years into it at that point- we were all emotionally invested."

I didn't blame them anymore. Like Edward his parents held on to some sort of Norman Rockwell-ish ideas when it came to civic responsibility. They had to watch as I was dropped between the cracks of the Department of Human Services, which wasn't uncommon during the eighties and nineties, and now had an opportunity to help create something that would give children like me a place to go to get help.

"It's okay for you to say no to her request."

Lying back, I let out a restless sighed before looking up at the celling. "If I say no then what happens? Who gets put forth as an alternative?"

"If your answer is no then I will have to tell them and then come up with a list of people for them to vote on. I'd probably get the opinions of some other people already involved in the day-to-day operation."

"Does this put you in a bad position?"

I felt him shake his head against his pillow. "No, it's just…"

"What?" He didn't continue so I turned on my side to face him. He looked at me, wearily, but finished his thought once I'd laid a hand on his chest.

"Replacing your seat doesn't worry me near as much as the idea of replacing mine. Having two brand new board members in such a short period of time-" Edward took a deep breath and then slowly released it. "The idea of that much change makes me anxious."

"You don't have to leave. We could find a way to-"

He turned to his side, facing me. His movements made me bounce against the bed because they were so rushed. "I will not ask you to stay here, Bella. When you leave then I'm going with you."

"But-"

"No." Edward's lips pressed against mine, cutting me off. "You don't get to feel guilty about this because it is my choice, not yours. I choose to go. I choose to be with you."

"I don't even know where…"

"And I don't care where."

"But your parents."

"They love to travel-if only we can get Carlisle to retire."

He was trying to lighten the mood but this had to be said.

"It will kill Alice, Edward."

He didn't have a quick response this time. His eyes clouded with sadness and line of worry settled between his eyebrows.

Although I'd known both of them since early childhood there was still so much about their relationship that I didn't understand. I wondered if Jasper felt the same way. I'd always called it their twin thing. Alice was Edward's best friend, and he was hers, in a totally different way than Emmett and I were best friends with either one of them. They'd been together from the very beginning- only ever separated by a few miles at the most. How would they possibly function without each other?

"Alice has her own family." We both knew his response wasn't really accurate. Yes, she had Jasper and the kids, but without Edward a huge part of her heart would be missing. He swallowed before continuing. "And more than anything she wants me to be happy."

"But would you be?"

Edward leaned closer, brushing the tip of his nose against mind. "If the choice is staying without you or leaving with you- which do you think would make me happy? I'm not repeating the last six years, Bella. My decision is forever."

"I love you," I whispered, kissing him softly. "You know that, right?"

He nodded, pushing into me so that I'd roll onto my back, and completely covered my body with his.

XXXX

"You're hiding something, Bella."

"What do you mean?" I feigned innocence with my voice but smiled up at Edward. He was leaning against the edge of my desk listening to my one sided conversation with his sister. "All I did was take you up on your offer for dinner."

Alice gave a short little huff of annoyance. "You hate the idea of anyone even possibly being put out by your presence. So the fact that you're actually willing to let me cook, without even haggling over the idea of going out instead, gives you away. Spill it."

"Can I just talk to you about it tonight?"

She was quiet for a moment before answering. "Be here at six."

I hung up the phone before looking back at Edward. "Your sister knows something is going on."

He grinned, almost slyly. "She'll survive for a few more hours."

She might survive but I doubt she liked it very much. I could just imagine her fuming as possibilities ran through her mind.

Edward leaned over, kissing me once. "Have a good day."

"Hey," I pulled at his hand before he could walk away. "I need to talk to you about Emily."

"Ok."

"I found an attorney, who is actually from the same tribe- he has done a lot of advocating for violence against women within the tribal communities. He lives up Marysville. I wanted to make sure you were okay with me meeting him and possibly bringing him on to help."

Edward thought for a moment before nodding. "I don't see a problem with you talking to him but he would need to sign a NDA and privacy agreement before you could give him any specifics about her case."

I nodded, expecting his answer.

"I also wanted to see if he could help, or had any ideas, about how we could offer more services to the people in La Push. It shouldn't be this strained, Edward- for any of us. Maybe we just need a mediator or something to help both sides."

"We?"

I threw a pen at Edward's smug smiling face. He easily caught it and tossed it back down onto my desk.

"I would have no problem with meeting him to at least hear what he has to say. Were you thinking of going up there?"

Nodding, I pulled up my most recent email with him. "He is available this weekend actually- Sunday afternoon."

Edward read it over my shoulder nodding as I scrolled down with my mouse. "Okay."

"We could leave on Friday morning and make a whole weekend of it if you wanted to."

I saw him making a quick mental inventory of the upcoming days to make sure he didn't have anything that would interfere.

"Okay." He nodded and then leaned down to give me just one more chaste kiss. "You want to make the plans?"

I grinned up at him. "Sure."

"It's date." He gave me just one more kiss before walking away.

Our offices were only a few feet away from each other, something I'd hated not very long ago, but it still seemed too far away.

I tried to focus- answering emails and working out plans for the upcoming weekend. But eventually I gave up.

Pushing my chair away from the desk with my feet I rolled towards the small table that sat in the corner. I leaned further to the side, smiling when I was able to see Edward focusing on his computer screen.

Eventually he caught sight of me and smiled that same little boyish grin.

"Hey, Bella."

My view was suddenly blocked by Jasper standing in my doorway. He gave me a curious look when I tried to overcome him startling me and then rushed forward when I accidentally tipped my chair over.

"Bella!"

"Are you okay?" Edward had rushed into my office as I was helped up from the floor. His hands were anxiously moving around my face and body- lingering a little too long in certain places- after he'd shoved Jasper out of the way. "Did you hit your head?"

I shook my head, telling him I was fine, before catching Jasper watching us in pure amusement.

"Don't mind me." He grinned. "Please."

Edward simply took my hand, lacing our fingers together.

"We're telling Alice tonight." I really didn't need to explain what I was referring to- everyone in this room knew what was going on. "So just keep it to yourself."

Jasper took a seat across from my desk and then straightened his tie. He tried, and miserably failed, to keep a smile from forming.