A/N for 2019-04-27: As always, many thanks to Eeyorefan12 for the excellent revisions and edits. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

~ Erin

Bella had explained away Marsha's presence to Charlie with, "Some help seemed like a good idea." She'd already told Marsha not to mention Dr. Cullen. She didn't need the inevitable implosion the dropping of said name would bring.

"You fell and broke your hand?" Charlie asked her.

"Yep."

"Man!" Joshua piped up.

They were seated around the table, eating the dinner Marsha had left. This, in and of itself, was a minor miracle. "Yummy," Josh had pronounced, looking at the bubbling cheese on top of the casserole.

Charlie took another bite of food. He wasn't a man to spurn a good meal, despite his clear suspicions about Bella's answers to his questions.

Marsha had promised Bella she'd be back early the next morning and had left a card in case Bella needed help through the night.

Once the children were in bed, Charlie's questions became more pointed. "Are you seeing your psychiatrist?"

"Yes, Dad," Bella said, looking through the mail that had arrived.

"Have you told her you fainted?"

"No." Dang. She was overdue on the gas bill.

"Bella—"

She slapped the paper down on the coffee table. "Dad, it just happened this morning. I didn't sleep well last night and hadn't eaten much. It's just the strain, adding up."

"Then you should take something, so that you can sleep. You know that lack of sleep is one of your triggers, and on top of—"

"I know, Dad," she bit out, jaw tight. There were too many feelings to name roiling around her and she didn't want to prove Charlie's point even more by lashing out at him.

He seemed to sense this, clasping his hands together. They'd been sitting in the living room, each with a cup of tea that neither had touched. Charlie had made it, the choice of chamomile another clear sign of his worry.

"Did you see something?" he asked quietly.

"No. Why would you think I had?"

Charlie furrowed his eyebrows. "You used to get pretty worked up. Hit people. Things."

She wanted to defend herself. It had only been one orderly, and he'd surprised her after all. Treading over that old ground would only alarm Charlie more.

"I didn't try to hit a delusion, Dad."

"Then you won't have any problem taking something to make sure you sleep well?"

"Sure. Let me go get my pills. I'm assuming you want to see me take them as well."

The last line was a cheap shot, and she knew it, but her new-found anger around Edward was large, wild, and about as indiscriminate as a bomb.

Charlie didn't visibly wince, but she caught the twitch in his eye.

"I'm sorry," she said, turning back to him. "I know you love me. I know you're trying to help. I'm just—"

"Grieving, honey. You're grieving, and you're allowed to be angry. And I can take it."

"You shouldn't have to," she sighed. "Okay, I'll—"

The doorbell interrupted her for the second time that day.

Charlie glanced at his watch. It was just after nine. Late for a visitor.

"You expecting someone?"

"No. Maybe Marsha sent someone to check on me?"

Charlie moved to the door, "Sit down. You shouldn't be getting up too suddenly anyway." Then he opened it.

Bella's view of the front entrance was blocked by Charlie's form, and she wondered at his silence. "Dad, who is it?"

"No one you need to see," he announced.

She stood up, alarmed by his tone, and then understood why he'd spoken that way.

"Hi Bella, I came for the twenty-four-hour check on your hand."

Charlie stared first at Edward, then at Bella.

"You wanna explain this?" he asked her.

No, not really, Bella thought.

Edward did it for her. He handed Charlie a card. "I work for the Portman Clinic. We offer at-home medical care. I happened to be the doctor on call last night."

Charlie turned away from him and stared at Bella. She could feel the deep, red flush on her face as he quirked an eyebrow up.

She nodded dumbly, feeling like she'd shrunk halfway back to her eighteen-year-old self.

Edward's voice was cool. "May I come in and check on your hand?"

Charlie wasn't letting him off so easily. "And you just happened to be on call tonight, too?"

"No, but we follow our patients as much as possible. Continuity of care is a priority for us." Bella marveled at Edward's ability to maintain a professional demeanor in this increasingly awkward situation.

She watched Charlie's jaw working, as if he was chewing on something better left unsaid. She didn't doubt Edward was hearing it anyway.

Recovering from the shock of seeing Edward again, Bella said, "Why don't you come through to the kitchen?"

Charlie looked like he wanted to object, but instead looked down, shaking his head at the floor. "You want me to stay, Bells?" he asked finally.

"I'm good, Dad."

"Okay," he said, letting out a heavy breath. Then he looked squarely at Edward, his features painted with suspicion and anger. When he spoke again, his words were directed only to Bella. "I'll be back in an hour. Do me a favour and don't leave the house with this one. And call me if he does anything stupid."

An awkward silence stretched between them all until Bella cleared her throat

Charlie picked up his jacket and walked out of the front door, not quite slamming it.

As soon as he was gone, Bella turned on Edward. "Why are you here? Really?"

"To check on your hand."

"Bull. Why?"

Edward didn't break eye contact, but she could see him thinking. Then he said, "Because I needed to be."

She meant to huff in frustration, but the air seemed to catch in her throat. "Is my Dad safe right now?" she asked instead.

"Yes."

"Is it Victoria?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"I said I would protect you, and I will, from any danger."

Relieved, and now astonishingly annoyed, Bella snorted derisively.

"Did you faint today?" Edward asked.

"You can leave, Edward. I'm fine." She turned to walk into the kitchen, but he was in front of her before she could move.

"Did you?" he asked.

"It's none of your business."

She watched his jaw tighten.

Good, she thought. It was about time he enjoyed some of what he'd so expertly served to her.

"Charlie will check my credentials, and I wouldn't put it past him to see if I'm actually here to conduct a medical exam."

Bella paused. This was true. Charlie would. If she wanted her children safe, she would need to play along to keep her father from being even more suspicious about Edward's presence.

"Fine. You can check my hand. Then you can go."

He was professional. She gave him that, watching him take her vitals.

"Your blood pressure is a little low," he said, frowning. "Did you faint?"

"Yes."

"How long were you out?"

She hadn't asked. She'd been so mortified by being the centre of so much unwanted attention. "I don't know."

"A few minutes? More than five? Ten?"

"Under five, I think."

"Are you taking any medication?"

"No."

"None at all? None prescribed?"

"You haven't gone through my medicine cabinet already?" she asked levelly, arching an eyebrow.

"Are you currently taking any medications?" he repeated, ignoring her snarky tone.

"Yes." She rattled off the names, watching as Edward wrote them down.

"It'd be best to avoid those if you've fainted, especially since your blood pressure is low. Are you taking anything for the pain in your hand?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Habit."

"And why is that a habit?"

Screw you, she thought.

"Something about having people force you to take pills, or shove needles into your arm, while an orderly holds you down—somehow that makes pills less than appealing."

Edward's hand paused, mid-note. "I'm so sorry for what I caused."

"You can be sorry all you want. Not my problem."

Edward kept his eyes on the paper. "Any other pain?"

"Why does it matter?"

"You had a car accident, and you anticipated the impact. You probably have soft-tissue injuries."

She reminded herself that the sooner she answered his questions, the sooner he would leave.

"Yes. Back and neck pain."

"Have you seen someone about it?"

"No."

"You should. Can you stand up?"

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"So I can assess your injuries."

"No." She'd had such assessments before, and the very last thing she wanted more of, was to have Edward Cullen touch her. As of yet, he'd barely made contact, and there was no need to change that.

He put his pen down and paused before he spoke. "I will do everything I can to protect you, and to eliminate Victoria. There are always two of us nearby, making sure you're safe."

Bella's gaze flicked up at him. Two of the Cullens? Here?

"But even with all that, there are three of you we're protecting, and despite us working to . . . remedy this situation, having you be able to physically pick up your children, and carry them, it might be essential. It might be. I need to make sure you're well and that you're able to do that. So can I check your injuries and make sure you're getting the help you need, for your children's sake?"

The bastard. The absolutely effing bastard.

That was her first thought.

But the reaction that followed was more instinct than reason, and was probably just what he'd intended: she wanted to pick up her children and run. And she couldn't. Not while she was hurting the way she was.

"Fine."

She stood up, and went through the simple movements, feeling him press gently into her neck and back, asking her to rate the pain.

When he was done, he finished his notes. "You need to see a physiotherapist. There's one at our practise. I'll ask her—"

"Your clinic is real? I mean, I thought it was just another Cullen front."

Edward hesitated briefly before answering. "The clinic is real. I applied for a job with them, just like anyone else. I'll have the physiotherapist call you—"

"I can't afford that, Edward. I don't have benefits—"

"It won't cost you anything."

"You've done a lot already." Her face flushed. Taking his help was embarrassing enough. She didn't need more.

He was very quiet when he spoke. "Considering what I've cost you in your life, I've only begun to address some of that debt."

She wondered if he knew how bang-on he was with regard to finances. Her treatment hadn't been cheap, and while Charlie's benefits had been good, they hadn't been that good. There'd been a new small mortgage put on his house, and while he'd waved her worries away anytime she asked, she still fretted over him. She suspected that he was still paying off her medical bills too, though he wouldn't talk about it with her.

"Okay, but I'll cover half."

Edward opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, nodding. He suddenly stopped moving, in that manner she recognized. He was listening for, or to, something.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

"What is it?" she asked, ready to run for her children, sore back and broken hand be damned.

"Nothing bad," he said quickly. "Joshua's awake, and I think he's heard me." He paused a moment longer. "Yes, he's heard me."

A set of little, clearly audible steps announced her son's running down the upstairs hall.

Bella groaned. Bedtimes were never easy, but they'd grown increasingly difficult since Matt's death.

"What is it?" Edward asked.

"Nothing you'd understand," she mumbled, standing and moving to meet Joshua at the foot of the stairs.

"Hey buddy, what's up?" she asked.

"Man?" he asked hopefully. His little fingers fluttered over the stuffed pig under his arm.

Bella's face fell. She'd hoped he'd come looking for Charlie. That Edward had been wrong.

"It's bedtime, Josh. Let's take piggy back to bed."

"No." Josh said, eyebrows furrowed. "Man."

Sighing, Bella said, "Sure. Let's go to the kitchen."

Edward sat where she'd left him. He looked up at both of them as they entered.

"Man!" Joshua said, this time with a grin.

"Hi Josh," Edward said softly. "I came to look at your mom's hand. Yes, her ouchie." He grinned as he used the term.

Joshua sat down across from Edward, looking intently at him. "I don't know," Edward said. "Do you want me to ask her?"

Bella looked at Edward sharply. She wanted him out of her house, and out of her life as fast as possible, but the lure of his ability to hear Josh was both powerful and maddening.

"He's wondering if you're upset," Edward said to Bella.

"No, Mommy's fine," Bella said, addressing Joshua.

Edward tipped his head, the tiniest of smirks passing over his lips. "He doesn't believe you."

Bella could have sworn there was a silent, 'and neither do I,' tacked onto this.

"I'm a little upset, but I'm okay," Bella said softly.

"He still wants to know why."

Her patience snapped. "And he can keep wondering. I think we're done, yes? I need to get my son back to bed."

"Man!" Joshua said, smacking his hands on the table and bouncing on his bum.

"You should go," Bella said. "Unless you want to explain to Charlie how you can hear his grandson's thoughts."

Joshua was emitting high-pitched moans and grunts, his movements becoming more animated.

"He's upset," Edward said.

"No shit. Good thing you were here to tell me. Please go."

She didn't watch him leave. She was too busy, giving her whole attention to Josh, who had moved his protest to the floor when Bella prevented him from following Edward.

Charlie found them this way a half hour later. With his help, Bella was able to convince Joshua to go back to bed.

"I'm gonna get to sleep, Dad. You got everything you need?"

"I'm good, but can we talk, before you go?"

Bella paused, eyes wary on her father. "Is it about Edward?"

He nodded, his expression just as watchful.

"Then no. Not tonight. After work tomorrow, if you want. Before the kids get home."

She beat a hasty retreat up to her own bed in an attempt to stave off the conversation he wanted to have. It was just too painful to imagine.

DISCLAIMER: S. Meyer owns Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.