I push Charlie back into the living room, and then take a seat in between Bella and Jennifer.

"Everything okay?" Bella whispers.

"Everything is fine, Doll," I whisper back to her. Her eyes meet mine and I feel my heart beating faster yet again. I am hit by how beautiful she is, how soft and pink her lips look. My inner voice starts to chant for me to start kissing her. Thankfully, she looks away before I can act on impulse.

I frown and look round when I hear a bell ring. "It's Sue, we all need to help set the table now," Bella tells me with a giggle. She holds out her hand and I grin as I take it as she pulls me up.

I pick up the potatoes and turn to see Charlie looking at me. "Set them on my lap, son."

"Charlie?"

"We all help, I need to help." I bob my head at him, placing a towel down first then the potatoes. I quickly pick up the peas walking next to Charlie.

As I place them on the table I look around to see everyone seems to be smiling. There is no complaining or moaning, even Alice seems to look calmer. She must have felt my eyes on her because she looks up at me. She gives me an odd smile and I return with a wink.

"Come on, sit down, Dad." I look down at Jenny and smile at her. I am not sure if it was because she spoke out loud or the fact she called me dad again.

"I'm sitting," I tell her.

"Edward would you carve for us?" My eyes move to Charlie who seems to look ashamed and sad.

"How about you carve and I'll help?" He gives me a side glance. "I've never done it before," I carry on as he gets a good chuckle.

I sit up taking the Chicken over to Charlie. I hold the chicken still as he uses the carving knife to cut. With the help of Sue and Bella, we dish it all out.

I sit back down as the others pass the vegetables and potatoes to each other.

"This is lovely, Sue, thank you," Bella says making everyone say their own thanks.

The meal goes by with us all talking and laughing. Yet again I feel slightly odd about how relaxed everything seems to be. There's no feeling of being rushed or tension in the room.

When dinner is over, Sue stands up and starts to clear away the dirty dishes.

"Sue, I have this, you have a seat," Bella tells her sternly. "She's right, Sue. You cooked and now we will clean," I quickly say wanting some alone time with Bella.

"I'm having a really good time, thank you for inviting me," I say as Bella starts to wash the dishes.

"I'm having a good time too, more importantly, my dad has smiled more today than he has all year. I think it's good for him to have a guy around, a guy that's also a father."

"It's good for me to have him around as well. He's done a great job of raising you, so I'm hoping he'll help me do just as good with Jenny."

Bella rolls her eyes a little. "Jenny's a pretty great girl, and you are doing well on your own."

I chuckle but bob my head at her. "I know she's great, but I still want to be the best father I can be for her; she deserves someone great."

Bella turns with narrow eyes before they grow large. "Oh Edward, you're the best father in all the land."

I slap her arm playfully shaking my head. "I wasn't fishing for complements."

"I know, and being serious, you are a good father. There's still things you are learning, but the fact that you want to learn, that you know you have work to do, but yet you keep working on them, makes you light years ahead of a lot of fathers that are blood related to their child."

I give Bella a smile and a short nod. "Just keep talking and sticking your noise in my business and yell at me when I am screwing up."

"I will, don't worry about that."

There are a few minutes of silences as we work together. "What's your plan for tomorrow?"

I sigh as soon as Bella starts to ask her question. "I'm dropping in at my parents' for dinner, but as you know I am on the night shift, so it sort of gives me an excuses to leave if my mom starts her shit."

"Has your dad said how she's doing?"

I shake my head at her as my brain starts to think over what has happened since I got here. I am struck over the fact I haven't checked in on what is happening.

"Have you asked?"

My look must have told Bella what I was thinking.

"I haven't."

"Ah, still upset over what she's done?"

"Bella, you're making it seem as if I should just dismiss everything."

"No, not to dismiss it, but it must be hard to have your brain tell you and make you believe things so strongly, that it consumes you until you take action. I don't hate Esme, I may call her an old hag, but I feel sorry for her more than I hate her … well most of the time."

"When did you get so forgiving?"

"You have to be, life is too short to hold on to any hate. I am not saying your mom and I are going to be friends, or even like each other for that matter, but liking someone and respecting them are two different things. Beside I have too much respect for my father not to treat everyone with respect like he taught me to do when I was younger."

"You always seem to surprise me."

Bella just grins at me. "Come on, time to open the gifts."

As she walks past me, I catch her hand and pull her back. My hand goes to her face and strokes her face with the back of my hand.

"I think I am falling in love with you," I whisper to her. For the first time I see worry in her eyes, but there is also fear.

"I swear I will not hurt you," I whisper. I clasp her hand and place it over my heart. "When someone gets in here, I don't let them out. I know you have been hurt, and we still have some time before we can even talk about us, but I just wanted you to know how I am feeling."

Bella just looks at me. I feel like I shouldn't have said anything until her lips are on mine, and right away I return the kiss. As we hit the counter, I pick her up and place her on top off it.

"We can't do this," she whispers, but her legs wrap around me.

"I know, Sweetheart, but you seem to make me lose my mind."

I pull back from her and let out a shaking breath. "Edward," she whispers out at me.

"I… I don't know how to do this. I don't want to get used to this and be left again, twice is too much. If you do what they did, it will break me. I can't break. My father, Sue, Alice and more so Jenny needs me."

"You need to tell me what they did to you, and I'm not going to use you," I tell her hating that she has been hurt so deeply.

Bella bobs her head. "For what it's worth, I want to fall in love with you, but I can't, not yet, not when you have so much to lose."

"I will not lose anything, not if I have you and Jenny."

Bella shakes her head at me. "I need to keep myself in check, because if I let what my heart feels takeover, I will not be able to keep myself from not showing what you mean to me. They can't know, it will bring too much on both of our heads, and this town hates me enough. I will not give them any more reason than what they have right now."

"I know, but remember you have me now, and I will fight everyone for you."

Bella just smiles and then slides off the counter. "Come on, we should get in there before we miss everyone opening their gifts."

I hold her hand and link our finger as we walk into the living room.

We sit side by side and as my eyes glance around the room, I see everyone is sharing the same worried look, well, everyone but Jennifer who looks happy.

"Can I give papa Charlie his gift and you can give Bella hers?" I just stare blankly at Jenny, did she really just call Charlie papa?

"Can I?" she asks sounding irritated at me.

"Papa Charlie?" I question instead of answering her question.

Jennifer bites her lip and looks to the floor. "I didn't mean to call him that, sorry."

"What? No, Baby Girl, it's okay. You just caught me off guard because he doesn't look old enough to be a papa."

"That's because you're too tall to see his grey hair," Jennifer says without missing a beat making everyone laugh.

"Okay then," I say with a look at Charlie who looks happy. "Here is Papa Charlie's gift," I say handing it to her. "You'll need to carry it with both hands," I tell her and she gives me a look saying I am irritating her again.

I watch her walk carefully to Charlie and hand him the gift. "Happy Christmas," she sings out. I can't help but smile as she helps him keep his gift steady as he unwraps it.

Charlie's mouth drops open as he sees a black guitar. "I can't take this," he mumbles out, but his hand it touching it softly.

"You can and you will, I need a jamming partner." Charlie's eyes move to mine and he gives me a quick nod of his head.

"Thank you."

"Excuse me," Bella whispers out as she dashes out of the living room.

"I'll be right back," I quickly say and move after her.

I frown wondering why she seemed to have run out the back door. "Doll!" I yell. "Slow down." I carry on clasping her arm and pull her around to face me.

"What's this?" I ask as my hand goes to her face wiping her tears. "Why are you crying?"

"He missed playing the guitar. I was trying to save money to buy him one…" I hiss out a fuck having not thought about stepping on her toes when I bought it. "No, that's not it, it's just that… well I keep screwing up and most of the money that I saved had to go to other things. Thank you."

I keep my frown in place as Bella wraps her arms around me hugging me tighter than she has ever before. I place a soft kiss on her head as one hand threads into her hair and the other keeps a firm hold on her back.

"I wanted to get him something he would love, I just didn't expect you to act like this, so I am sorry."

Bella shakes her head making me smile. "Baby, I should have told you, or at least asked if it was okay, so I'm more sorry."

"Do you think you can help me teach him how to do it with one hand?"

I frown for a few second over her change of tone. "I will." She gives me a smile, but there's still a sadness in her eyes, a sadness I know that I have put there.

"It's really okay, I am happy he got one, I just wished I could have gotten one for him sooner."

I sigh out hating the fact she carries so much guilt and worry on her shoulders. "It wasn't your fault."

"Maybe, but I didn't help matters with me so pissy at times."

"I liked you pissy," I joke.

"Yeah, sure you did."

Bella bit her lip and her face flushes with a red tint. "It also sort of turns me on."

I tilt my head to the side giving her a look as if I am asking her to explain.

"You've been so sweet, giving my dad something like that, just made my heart feel more." I snort but nod in understanding. Feeling more is something I have felt many times these past weeks when I have seen her and Jennifer together.

I kiss her lips softly. I pull back from her, looking in to her eyes. "Just six more weeks then we're free, and I am taking you on a date."

"Shouldn't you ask me out?" I snort shaking my head at her.

"Don't make me kidnap you."

"That may be something I would enjoy?"

I smirk at her. "Is that so?" she bobs her head as she grins looking up at me.

"Edward," I sigh hearing my name being called. "Bella," Sue carries on lightly.

"I think we've been gone too long."

I nod in agreement with her. "Yes and you didn't open your gift yet."

I link our hands as we walk back in. Sue gives me an apologetic look, but I know she was just looking out for Bella and me. I give her a wink to let her know it's okay and that I understand.

Bella opens her art kit and loves it. I felt a little sad knowing what I truly wanted to get her, but that was all I was able to give her.

From her I got some ties and Jennifer got an art starter kit and Bella gave her a made up coupon for art lessons.

From Charlie and Sue I was given fishing gear which made Bella frown and narrow her eyes at her father, and Jennifer was given a book, one that Charlie said Bella enjoyed when she was her age.

At the end of the night I am sad to leave, knowing I will not see Bella again till tomorrow night and that will only be for a short time before I have to go to work. But there's also the fact I am having dinner at my parents' home which is something I am still not looking forward to.