*EPOV*

"Sorry about your shoulder, Dad," Bella grimaced after Charlie returned from the hospital, his left arm in a sling. His eyes were the size of saucers as he sat down in front of the enormous spread of food Esme had prepared in preparation for Charlie's arrival, with Bella's help.

"What in the world are you apologizing for?" he said around a mouthful of roast chicken. If you hadn't…ejected us from the car the way you did, I'd probably be shark food right now. A dislocated shoulder and a couple of cracked ribs are getting off easy.

"Did you see what the Volvo looked like when they pulled it out? I shouldn't have lived through that, Bells," Charlie replied in a grave tone, a disturbed expression on his face.

I noticed the way Bella's jaw tightened when Charlie had uttered the phrase "shark food." It wasn't hard to imagine where her mind had gone when he'd said that.

Charlie had very nearly been preyed upon by a dangerous predator, alright, but sharks were the least of his worries.

I'd spent the better part of the afternoon trying to reassure Bella that by running away before she lost control of herself, she'd done the exact right thing. She'd saved Charlie, not once but twice.

"What a load," she'd snorted derisively. "Is that how you felt whenever you struggled with your control around me?" Bella fired back, one perfectly-arched brow raised all the way up to her hairline in an unvoiced accusation.

I sighed in frustration. Not with her, never with her, always with myself.

I never could have imagined back then, when the idea of a forever with Bella seemed so inconceivable, that my early reactions to the call of her blood would come back to haunt me this way.

All of the times that I'd shrunk away from her, hating myself for my weakness, for my own nature, I had been inadvertently teaching Bella how to feel about herself when she would inevitably have her own lapses in control.

I felt ashamed. Like a parent who had passed on a bad habit to their child, despite their best intentions. The shame multiplied when I considered how much better of an example Carlisle had set for me and the others compared to the one I was setting for Bella.

The entire time that I was running through the forest to get back to Bella after my tire blew out, I was planning all of the things I would furiously tell Alice, knowing that was as good as saying them to her face.

She could have prevented the whole disastrous afternoon from happening if she had just been watching. Maybe not the accident, since that was a last-minute decision on the part of the other driver, but certainly, all of the other setbacks could've been avoided.

In short order, Alice replied in the form of a colorfully-worded text message that I wouldn't see until I got home and read it off my phone, telling me to blow it out my rear end.

That, "sorry not sorry," she couldn't have watched for my future when she was focused on making sure Jasper didn't kill a bleeding Charlie on the way to the hospital.

She signed off with a quip about how "Maybe next time you'll slow for the cone zone," followed by a winky-face emoji with its tongue sticking out.

As I drew within hearing distance of our new home, I was mildly startled to hear two voices coming from our cottage, one of them Bella's. The other bassy rumble I instantly recognized as belonging to my brother, Emmett.

I could hear the tail end of their conversation as the cottage came into view.

It should've been me there, consoling Bella, comforting her, but instead, it was Emmett. Emmett who managed to stay unruffled in the bleakest of circumstances and never took anything too seriously.

When I burst through the door and saw her there, curled up on the couch in sweatpants and one of my t-shirts, her wet hair wrapped up in a towel and looking almost as relaxed as my brother did, I had to wonder if Alice had seen this, too.

I felt my ire towards Alice begin to wane. If she had choreographed my turbulent afternoon so that Bella could have this moment with Emmett so that she could be smiling instead of miserable, then I would be grateful, ego be damned.

Maybe what Bella would glean from this experience was Emmett's admirable ability to take everything in stride instead of my own tendencies to internally rake myself over the coals until the next mistake I make, rinse and repeat.

It rankled to know that in Bella's time of need, perhaps my intervention hadn't been the one she needed. And Alice was either too kind or too cowardly to tell me as much. Knowing my sister as well as I did, it was probably a bit of both.

"Have you talked to Sue yet?" Bella asked, wearing an abashed expression as if worried that her stepmother would somehow blame her for Charlie's condition.

"I will once I get back to my hotel. I didn't want to worry her calling her from the hospital. She's got enough on her mind," Charlie shrugged uncomfortably, then winced at the pain the movement had caused him.

"When you do talk to her, be sure to tell her that the driver of the car that hit you is behind bars where he belongs. I called in an anonymous tip about the meth stashed with the spare tire," I sniffed scornfully.

"Good," Charlie and Bella growled at precisely the same time, with the same stony expression. The only other sound in the room was the scrape of Charlie's knife and fork against his plate as he somewhat awkwardly polished off the rest of his food and went back for seconds.

When he looked up from his plate again, his fork froze in midair halfway to his face as he realized that he was being watched by the four other non-eating vampires in the room.

Not wanting to make our guest uncomfortable, we all looked off in different directions. Bella turned to me and asked me something inconsequential as Carlisle and Esme refocused their efforts on the crossword puzzle they were bent over at the far end of the table.

It was just the four of us at the main house. Alice and Jasper had gone for a hunt to relieve the burn after the bloody events of the day. Emmett and Rosalie joined in, probably to give my father-in-law some breathing room.

After all, It was his first time being around all of us knowing what we are. I wondered what it was about the Swans that made them so brave.

Charlie patted his mustache with his napkin and shoved his plate away.

"Thank you, Bella, Esme. That was a real feast! I feel like a pig being fattened up for the slaughter," he chuckled, and then his laugh choked off as if he realized what he'd just said and who he'd said it to.

Carlisle and Esme laughed politely, if not a little awkwardly, and Esme instantly set about clearing all of the dishes away. Charlie tried to make himself useful but was shooed away by an insistent Esme.

"Don't you dare," Esme chided him in a motherly tone and relieved him of the casserole dish still mostly full of scalloped potatoes. He held up his hands in a placating gesture, or rather, the one good hand that wasn't in a sling.

"Better let Esme, Charlie. The last person who tried to clean in Esme's kitchen was never seen or heard from again," Carlisle teased, earning himself an exasperated eye roll from my mother.

"Now don't you go anywhere until I pack you up a plate to bring with you back to your hotel. In case you get hungry later. " Esme instructed Charlie, ignoring Carlisle's ribbing.

"Pretty sure there's room service at the Ritz, mom," I chuckled.

"The Ritz? That's a joke, right?" Charlie asked gruffly, looking back and forth between me and Esme.

"It was Bella's idea," I shrugged, fighting a smile.

Bella scowled at me and kicked me under the table for my traitorousness. I could only snicker into the palm of my hand in response.

"Now, Dad, before you get all worked up, you should know that I arranged with the concierge a deep-sea fishing trip for us to go on bright and early tomorrow morning. If you think you're up to it," she tacked on, nodding to his slinged arm.

"Well, it's a damn good thing I didn't bust up my casting arm," Charlie said, easily appeased. "What time do we have to be on the boat?" he asked eagerly.

"6 a.m." Bella answered. "I hope you don't mind not getting to sleep in on your vacation, but I didn't think you'd object if fishing was involved," she added with a little teasing smile.

She looked so beautiful just then. If that smile had been meant for anyone else but her father, I would've been seething with jealousy.

"And you would be right," Charlie grinned, and then his eyes darted to the oversized wall clock mounted above the dining room table. "Well, I sure hate to eat and run, but if I'm waking up before the sun, I'm gonna need to hit the sack pretty soon. Think I could get a ride back to my hotel?"

"I wish I could volunteer, but I'm heading back to the hospital for an overnight shift," Carlisle frowned regretfully.

"You're obviously welcome to take him in either one of my cars, love," I offered at once.

"Your cars?" Bella balked. "I've never driven the Ferrari or the Vanquish before!" she exclaimed in a half-shout, her golden eyes widening in alarm. Her tone made it clear that she didn't intend for that to change anytime soon.

I chuckled in amusement. She was so brave, fearless as a lion, and yet still so intimidated by a little horsepower. "C'mon Charlie," I said, reaching for my keys. "Let's get you back to your hotel. Do you have a preference which car we take? I would offer you the keys if you weren't injured," I added, nodding to his sling.

"Uh..well…I guess I've never ridden in a Ferrari before," Charlie admitted a bit sheepishly. He was imagining the looks of envy he'd receive when he bragged about it to the guys at the station when he went back to work on Monday morning.

"Excellent choice! Did Bella tell you that she surprised me with it for my birthday?" I asked pleasantly.

"No, she didn't. But I guess it shouldn't really surprise me," he muttered, thinking of all the other uncharacteristic things Bella had done since she'd gotten involved with me.

"Sleep well, Dad," Bella interjected before that conversation could go any further. She wrapped her arms around his uninjured side and hugged him gently. "I'm really sorry about everything that happened today, Dad. But I'm so glad you're here," she whispered as she pulled away.

"Me too, kiddo. Me too.," Then, directing his words to my parents, he said his farewells. "Thanks again. Have a good night, Carlisle, Esme. I'll see you all tomorrow," he waved and headed for the door.

At the same time as Carlisle was kissing Esme goodbye, I pulled Bella into my arms for a quick but thorough kiss on the lips. I didn't care that her father was watching. I wouldn't have cared if the pope was watching. Nothing and no one could have kept me from kissing my wife goodbye before leaving her side, even for the shortest duration.

"Back in a bit, love," I murmured, lightly grazing the back of my fingers across her cheek before releasing her and joining Charlie at the door, pretending not to notice his blush.

Try and keep it under the speed limit, hmm? He doesn't need a heart attack on top of his other injuries, Bella thought with a knowing smirk.

I just smiled at her devilishly and winked before shutting the door between us.

Charlie whistled when saw the inside of the garage. Two of his houses could have fit inside its spacious walls. It had enough room for all the cars, plus Rosalie's hydraulic auto lift, which she only used when Emmett wasn't around to help.

Taking in the gleaming row of cars and motorcycles with unveiled fascination, Charlie muttered, "I don't even want to think about how much it costs to insure all of these."

I smiled recognizing the familiar financial pragmatism he had clearly instilled in his daughter.

I didn't bother mentioning that Emmett's Jeep and Alice's Porsche were missing from the queue.

"Our State Farm agent sends fruit baskets on all major holidays," I acknowledged with a grin. "It also helps that we all have perfect driving records…Or at least we did until today," I amended, still grinning as I heard Bella's irritated snarl coming from the other side of the door.

Bella had shown me in her head with her perfect recall how the accident had transpired and I knew full well that she wasn't to blame for the collision. However, I still planned on teasing her about the demise of the Volvo for at least the next decade.

I opened the passenger door of the sleek champagne-colored luxury car and gestured for him to get in. I patiently waited for him to lower himself down onto the beige leather bucket seat and shut the door for him so that he wouldn't have to strain his injured ribs reaching for it.

Showing off for the human just a little like I used to do for Bella when she was first immersed in our world, I blitzed around to the driver's side at vampire speed and slid behind the wheel.

Still unused to my supernatural speed, Charlie jumped a little at my sudden reappearance and then groaned, favoring his injured ribs. I frowned guiltily and resolved to be on my best behavior.

"Sorry about that," I murmured, shooting him an apologetic smile. He grunted in response and reached for his seat belt, exhaling sharply as he was struck by another sharp jolt of pain by the twisting of his torso.

"That's going to get annoying," he huffed under his breath.

"Let me," I offered. Before he could stubbornly protest, I leaned over the center console and reached for the belt, buckling him in with a soft snick. Charlie huffed again, clearly uncomfortable being in the position of needing help doing such a simple task. Or maybe it was just because it was me.

Struggling to keep a straight face, I pretended not to notice the indignant scowl he was giving me. It was the same one Bella had worn when I'd buckled her into Emmett's Jeep that first time on the way to the baseball field.

It was easy to see where Bella had gotten her fiercely independent streak from.

"So the tribe must be in good spirits with our family being gone," I said lightly as the powerful engine growled to life. Throwing the gear shift into reverse, I backed out of the garage, hearing the tires crunch onto the long, gravel driveway that would lead us out to the main road that went into town.

"Most of 'em," Charlie agreed. I could see in his mind the fuzzy shape of a dejected-looking Jacob Black. He was remembering a recent conversation with Billy in which his oldest friend had shared with him his concerns about my former rival's mental health.

Jacob was having a hard time moving on after Bella. He was sullen and depressed and flunking out of high school. The rare times he returned home in his human form, he barely spoke to anyone and kept himself locked up in his room sleeping the day away.

Even in Charlie's fuzzy memories, I could recognize the pained look of torment that seemed to be permanently etched across the boy's bronzed, downturned face. I knew it well. It was the look of a man who had lost in love.

Though I didn't feel a shred of fondness for the cad, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. The agony of losing Bella wasn't something I'd wish on anyone, not even my sworn enemy.

"Sam doesn't know what to do with Jake. The other wolves are miserable when he's around but they'll never give up on him. Jared and Paul have been trying to get him out and around people.

"Imprinting seems to be his only chance of getting over her anytime soon. but that will never happen as long as he's holed up at Billy's," Charlie explained with a sigh. He had mixed feelings about the whole imprinting business.

He knew it was involuntary, but he was also the father of a daughter who'd been latched onto by the supernatural. He knew what it was like to sit helplessly by as strange magic turned his beautiful daughter into something cold, hard, and strange. That was a fate he wouldn't wish on his sworn enemy.

As much as Charlie staunchly supported his wife's position when she fiercely defended Seth's honor against the snide remarks made by Sarah's mother at tribal council, he secretly sympathized with the woman.

And as much as he loved Seth like his own son and accepted him for what he was, he'd seen Emily Young's scars. He wouldn't want his daughter around that sort of danger either. Not that he'd ever tell Sue that.

"I hope Jacob finds peace, soon," I finally said in a voice that sounded strange to my own ears. It was true. I did hope that. I hoped that he found it facedown in a ditch, but I didn't say that part out loud.

Charlie shot me a skeptical expression. "I'll just bet you do," he snorted and turned to look out the window as I pulled onto the road, obediently abiding by the posted speed limit. In true Charlie fashion, it was a quiet ride back to the hotel.

A/N So I've been picking this chapter apart and not wanting to post it because it's not terribly eventful, but then I decided it's not really supposed to be. The point was to highlight the awkwardness that still exists between Charlie and the Cullens. How the Cullens are sort of testing the limit to see how authentic they can be around Charlie without alienating him.

And how the closer Charlie stays to his daughter, the harder it is for him to ignore the realities that he doesn't want to examine too closely. Charlie has very mixed emotions about the supernatural. He leans toward acceptance because everybody he loves is so deeply embroiled in it, but he has lingering resentment about his simple, predictable life being turned upside down by forces he doesn't understand.

And lastly, it was in a small way inspired by my hubby who always finds himself chuckling over the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) similarities between me and my mother whenever she visits. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Until next time, lovelies!