Chapter 33

"You're okay Bella?" Elena asked her, bringing her biological mother's best friend some more hot chocolate after the Cullen's had left the Grill.

"Yes, I'm fine, don't worry. He seems pretty mature about this. We'll see how it turns out in the long run, but I'm confident that things will be fine." Bella reassured her.

"Good. I was worried when Alaric said that Edward was outside with you." Elena confessed.

"Don't be. What about you, did you have a nice day with John?"

"Yes, I did actually. You were right, when I gave him a chance, I realized that he was not a bad guy. He just needs someone to open up to him." Elena nodded.

"I'm glad you had a good time and I'm sure Isobel did too." Bella smiled.

"I actually imagined her with us, you know, like a family..." Elena replied before she hugged Bella and went back to talk with Caroline and Bonnie.

.

While Bella enjoyed her free time with her friends and family, she wasn't aware that another of her suitors from Forks was watching her from afar. He had arrived just in time to see Edward apologize and following her inside. He listened for a while and when the Cullen's left, he knew that Bella was safe, surrounded by her vampires, so he stayed in the shadows, doing his best to avoid the Hybrids that were patrolling the town. It had been hard for him to resist his want to follow Edward and kill him later but they still had a treaty with the Cullen's, even if none of them where in Forks. He didn't want to start a war for his people and since Bella had made peace with him, everything was fine.

"Finally, I knew I'd find you eventually!" Leah exclaimed, coming up behind Jacob as he watched Bella going to eat lunch with her boyfriend's family the next day.

"Go away Leah." He complained, not even turning around to speak to her.

"Does she even know you're here, watching her like a creep?" She asked him.

"I haven't seen enough yet." He replied, not really answering her question.

"What else do you want to see? Her coming to the window in her underwear? Her stripping in front of the open window? Seriously Jacob, you're being creepy. Imagine how she'll react when she finds out you've been spying on her from afar for the past few days." She told him, trying to reason with his stubborn mind.

"She won't know." He assured her.

"If you don't start being reasonable soon, I might just tell her." Leah warned him.

"You don't like her, you won't speak to her."

"I don't have to, I can always tell one of her many bodyguards, but then again, if it's to force you out of your stalker phase, I'll do it." She assured him, nodding.

"Just leave me alone, this doesn't concern you." He shook his head, his eyes never leaving the Mickealson's house.

"Are you really going to let your father celebrate Christmas alone Jake?" She asked him.

"Are you going to stay here and bug me the entire time, letting your mother celebrate Christmas alone?" He replied, rolling his eyes.

"Seth's with her." Leah growled.

"Yeah, well, my dad will probably go and celebrate it with Charlie anyway. He won't be alone." Jake told her.

"I doubt it, Charlie is coming here to celebrate Christmas with Bella and to meet her new friends. He wants to see where she lives." Leah informed him.

"She's letting Charlie come here? In a town filled with supernatural being that could kill him in a minute?" Jake exclaimed.

"It's not like he'll be in any danger." Leah rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, my dad can spend Christmas with my sister and Paul, I'm staying here."

"Fine, then I guess I'll be staying here too." Leah decided.

"I don't need you here." He growled his complain.

"Nobody needs me anywhere. I don't care. I'm a free woman, I can do what I want and if I want to stay here, I'll stay here." Leah replied.

It took Jacob a few minutes to think about the fact that Leah wasn't hiding her scent with vervain and that the hybrids or even the Cullens, once back, would be able to smell her so he quickly sprayed her with some of the vervain perfume he had stolen from a council member. Of course she complained, but he couldn't allow her to have him found out. He'd even sedate her if he had to. She didn't understand his reasons, but if she insisted on staying around, he'd have to do something to keep her quiet. He'd apologize later.

.

"Everything alright Bella?" Rebekah asked her right after they left the dinner table.

"Yeah I… I'm not sure. For the past few days I've had the feeling that someone was watching me and I thought it was Edward, when he showed up I figured the feeling would go but it's still here." Bella replied.

"Do you feel like you're being watched now?" Elijah asked her with concern.

"Not really. It stopped when I came inside but when I walked in front of the window, I got it again… maybe it's the pregnancy making me paranoid." She shook her head.

"Maybe you're paranoid, but we should still be careful, especially after what Edward said he saw." Klaus declared before he dialed his phone and asked a couple of his hybrids to patrol around the house and to look for any sign of someone being there.

"Klaus is right, Bella. Other people will try to harm your babies, especially since we still haven't dealt with our Aunt Dahlia." Finn reminded them.

"Bonnie is working with Joe on the plan. They have a way to block Dahlia's magic and Joe's father has agreed to help us with the promise that we keep his son Kai in his magical prison." Kol replied.

"Didn't you say you were working on something else?" Bella asked him.

"Exactly, I wasn't done explaining! You see, that was only the first proposition. Joe's father had another set of Twins and they're now in contact with Joe. They don't want to do the merge ceremony because it will mean that one of them will die. Instead, they're going to bring Joe her powers back. She'll train in fighting while channeling her father and siblings. Then she'll fight her twin brother with my blood in her system to make her even stronger and she'll win. She'll be the next leader of her coven and she'll take care of Dahlia with us." Kol explained.

"How long do we have to wait for this plan to be doable?" Klaus asked his younger brother, worried for the woman he loved.

"Mid-January. On the 15th, at midnight, they'll free Kai and do the merging ceremony. The next day, she'll help us." Kol replied.

"When were you going to tell us about this?" Finn asked him.

"Today actually. It was all decided this morning, I was waiting for the right time and in the middle of our dinner didn't seem like it." Kol replied.

"So Bella, on to another, lighter, subject. When is your father arriving?" Sage asked her.

"Tomorrow, in the middle of the afternoon." She replied.

"Do you need one of us to pick him up at the airport?" Elijah asked her.

"No, he's going to rent a car to come here from the airport, he wants to be able to drive himself around during his stay here." She replied.

"Is he aware of the supernatural world?" Finn asked her.

"Nope. To him, I'm just a psychologist and supernatural was a weird hobby I picked up that allowed me to meet Isobel." She smiled.

"So we're just normal humans then?" Rebekah asked her with a frown.

"Yes, you are. Though I've been considering telling him everything about the supernatural world he lives in… I guess I'll see, depending on how things turn out." Bella informed them.

"Well, I have to go and meet with my hybrids but if you need anything Bella, just give me a call alright, Love?" Klaus asked her.

"Of course." She smiled.

"Okay, I'll see you all later, I love you. You two behave for mommy, okay?" Klaus added, saying the last bit to Bella's baby bump, making her smile widely

She always loved it when Klaus talked directly to their babies, even though they weren't born yet.

.

Bella had shortened her hours for the duration of her father's visit. She was only open for a couple of hours some afternoons and she didn't take appointments but emergencies only. She wanted to have time to spend with her father and to show him how great her life was in Mystic Fall's.

"Do you have everything you need Bella? Are you sure I can't do anything for you before I go?" Rebekah asked Bella.

"Everything is fine Rebekah, thank you. You do know that you don't have to leave while he's here, right?" Bella asked her.

"I know, but you two should have your privacy. Plus, Finn has been bugging me about spending more time with Sage to bond, now is as good a time as ever to do it, right? And if I want to move back in with my brothers, I have to get used to it again." Rebekah replied.

"Okay, but remember that you're welcome anytime you want to come by. Even after the holidays, once i've moved in with klaus, if you ever need some time away from them, you'll be able to come here." Bella smiled.

"Thank you. Did you finish your Christmas shopping?" Rebekah asked as she grabbed her bag on the floor.

"No, I'm going tomorrow afternoon with Elena while Charlie and Klaus get to know each other doing… Well, I don't know what they'll be doing, but they'll do it without me." Bella replied.

"Aren't you working?"

"No, I settled special hours for the duration of the holidays, mainly emergency hours and tomorrow is one of the afternoon's off. I'll still be reachable through my phone though, just in case." Bella replied.

"You don't know what time off really means, do you?" Rebekah chuckled.

"I've never been one to sit in front of the TV all day but don't worry, I'll rest too." Bella smiled.

"Good. Well, I'm going. Do you mind if Sage and I join Elena and you tomorrow?"

"Of course not, you're welcome to come. Jenna will be there too. Caroline and Bonnie might even come. We'll all finish our shopping together." Bella welcomed her.

Rebekah thanked her and hugged her quickly before she left, preparing herself to spend a lot of time with Sage, a woman who was now a member of her family that she never really cared much for.

.

Charlie found his daughter's office quite easily. She was right, it was easy to find and he was impressed by its location at the center of town.

He parked his rental car in one of the free spots, right next to the car he recognized as hers and got out, grabbing his bag.

Before he went inside, he took a few seconds to look around him. The weather was much warmer than it was in Forks and the town seemed very peaceful. No wonder his daughter loved the place.

Charlie walked up to the front door, prideful smile on his face when he saw his daughter's professional sign and he rang the doorbell.

"She's closed today sir. Doctor Swan. She's closed for the duration of the holidays. She has a few spots open for emergencies only." A blond young man, probably a high school-er, told him when he walked past him.

"I'm not looking for an appointment. I'm her father." Charlie replied.

"Really? Wow, nice to meet you Mister Swan. My name is Matt Donovan, I work for Bella sometimes and I also work at the Grill. Tell me if you need anything. We love having your daughter her!" Matt greeted him, shaking Charlie's hand before he walked away in the direction of the Mystic Grill.

"Dad! I'm so happy to see you! Come on in!" Bella exclaimed after she opened the door.

"Wow Bella, you're pregnant!" He exclaimed back, hugging her awkwardly with one arm.

"You knew that." She chuckled, closing the door behind him.

"Yes, but I didn't know you'd be THAT pregnant. I wasn't expecting it to show that much." He replied.

"That's what happens when you're carrying twins and you're about to enter your 7th month of pregnancy. Plus, I'm pretty sure they have a football field in there that's not showing on any of the sonograms." She smiles, showing him the way upstairs.

"Isn't it tiring to go up and down the stairs?" He asked her.

"Oh, please don't you start too! Klaus and his brothers wanted to install one of those automatic chairs on the stairs, you know, the ones initially made for old people." She rolled her eyes.

"Not a bad idea considering your state." Her father replied.

"I'm fine, don't worry. I'm planning on moving in with him after the New Year anyway. I'm ready and so is he. I'll leave this place free in case one of his siblings needs some privacy." She replied, showing him her apartment.

"You'll sleep in here, in this guest room." She showed him.

"What's upstairs now?" he asked her curiously.

"Rebekah's room and bathroom. Matt is working on it, trying to make more rooms livable whenever he has time. A couple of smalls bathrooms as well, to make it easier. I know I won't live in here anyway but I figured the people working for Klaus will be able to stay here this way, or the family visiting and wanting intimacy."

"Wouldn't it be faster to hire a professional?" Her father asked her.

"It would, but it's not urgent and Matt needs the cash, or the sessions, it depends on the moment. He needs the work and I feel for him, I want to help him any way I can, while I can."

"I saw him before you opened the door. He warned me that you were closed during the holidays and when I introduced myself, he told me who he was and that I could come find him if I needed anything." Charlie replied.

"He's a good boy, he's just been incredibly unlucky in his life and has the worst family ever."

"What do you mean?"

"He doesn't know who is father is, his sister died a while back because of her use of drugs and his mother is never around. She came back at some point last year but she left again after his sister was found dead. She's not even sending him money to live, he has to do it all on his own." Bella shook her head.

"And you feel like you need to help him?" He guessed.

"It's more like, I can help him, so why not? He's very nice, you'll see. When I had my peach pie cravings, he always kept some aside for me, just in case and if I want some food from the Grill, I just have to text him and he'll bring it by during his break, even though the Grill doesn't usually deliver." She smiled.

"I look forward to getting to know him then." Charlie smiled back.

"I was actually hoping that you'd take him fishing or something, you know, so he can feel like he has someone other than me that cares about what happens to him. He's thinking of giving up on school and just spending the rest of his life working at the Grill when I know he could do so much more… I figured maybe some masculine authority could help him." Bella suggested.

"Well, I don't know if I can do much but if you want me to try, I will. Isn't there anyone here who could do it, someone he knows and trusts?"

"There's Alaric, you know, Isobel's ex husband. He's a history teacher here but he failed. Matt didn't really connect with him. I figured he might listen to yours."

"Why me though?"

"Because you're a normal guy, in a good way I mean. You're a cop, you fish, you drink beer and you watch sports on TV with your buddies. I'm sure he'll like you and I have a feeling that you'll connect well with him." She argued.

"Very well then. You seem to care a lot about him."

"I know… I don't know why but I feel like he's family. He'll spend Christmas Eve with us and the Mickealson too. You don't mind, do you?" She asked him.

"Of course not Bells, if it's important to you, it's important to me." He smiled.

They talked for a few minutes more before Charlie went in his room to unpack his bag. He was happy for his daughter and for a minute, he stopped to look at his reflection.

Should he tell his daughter that he knew that the supernatural world was real or not? Was she really safe in this town? If he told her, wouldn't it just bring more questions and worries for her?

"You're okay dad?" Bella asked him, standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, I'm fine Bells. So, what's for dinner?" He replied, brushing his thoughts away for now.

He'd decide later, there was no rush. He was here for a few days and this way he'd be able to observe everything.

What did you think?

For some reasons, I can't answer the review again, hopefully it won't last long. In any case, thank you for reading and reviewing.

Lorelei Candice Black