A/N: Welcome back guys! Hope you're all doing well. I've been having a hard time finding the time and energy to write... I'm not really sure what my issue is, but I'm gonna try to push through, because I'm almost finished! Maybe just a handful of chapters left. Plus, I really do like this fic, I think it's just I have so much going on it's hard to get my head in the right space. But honestly, you guys give me a lot of motivation too, I love reading your reviews, so I'll try to pull some inspiration from you all. Anyway, I'm done rambling, hope you're all staying safe. Please enjoy!

The next two weeks go by uneventfully. I had trained every afternoon with most of Edward's family. Rosalie continued to pretend I didn't exist, although halfway through the first week, she'd given up avoiding the house altogether and eventually found that simply staying on a different floor than me would suffice.

My only run-in with her was a complete accident when I had tripped up the steps on the way to the bathroom and she'd decided I was worth saving. However, the act must have been too taxing for her as she'd practically hissed at me to watch where I was going.

At first, I'd been bothered by Rosalie's hostility, but after both Emmett and Edward vouched for her and some girl talk with Angela, I decided to give the same amount of energy Rosalie had. Which was none. So, I didn't go out of my way to look for her whenever I walked into the Cullens' home. I stopped offering smiles when I'd see her pass by and I didn't dare let those butterflies flutter in my stomach when I felt her eyes boring into my back as she watched us from her room as we trained by the river.

Next to the Calawah River is where I stand next to Jasper with his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, totally unfazed by the forty degree weather. I feel almost overdressed in my fleece and sweatpants and fight a shiver as the draft from the river bites at my neck.

"Bella?"

I'm startled from my thoughts as Jasper calls my name.

"Do you want to try?" he asks.

I shove my hands deeper in my pockets, desperate to get some warmth in my fingers again. "I'm not sure that I can. At least not on you guys."

He'd spent the past few minutes trying to show me how he can control others' emotions in hopes that it would help me find my own way to influence another's thoughts. I hadn't even thought about trying it again since it happened the first time to that drunkard I ran into in the backstreets of Port Angeles.

"You vampires seem to be immune to my kind of crazy," I remind him.

There's the slightest twitch in his jaw that I almost miss. His skin is slightly thinner where his scars are and it's the only reason I'm able to see the muscles move underneath them.

I'm certain I hadn't imagined it when Edward says from beside me, "That's an interesting thought."

Jasper's eyes meet Edward's and I turn to him questioningly.

"What?" I ask, impatience flooding into my voice. I'm still coming to terms with being outside of the loop. "What is it?"

Jasper, not unexpectedly, is the first to pick up on my concern and gently pushes out a wave of calm. "I was thinking of Angela."

Lifting a brow, I feel the beginnings of suspicion simmering in the pit of my stomach but Jasper continues to keep me calm. Whether he does it for the lesson or some other reason I'm still unsure.

"What about Angela?" I finally ask.

"Well," Jasper starts, "she is the only human who knows of your gift. If you ask, I'm sure she would—"

"Absolutely not."

Alice places a hand on my shoulder. Her eyes, like the rest of her family's, are fading to a dark brown. They're due for a hunt soon. "You won't offend her if that's what you're worried about. I've already seen it. She'll be happy to help."

"Of course she would," I say almost bitterly. "Which is exactly why I won't ask her to do this. If you had seen that guy after I touched him…" I sigh audibly as I remember the way that man's face had gone completely blank, as if I'd completely wiped his memory.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, he was a total dilweed, but this is Angela we're talking about. What if something goes wrong? I won't do that to her." Shaking my head, I finish, "I can't."

"We understand," Edward says, taking my hand.

"If you want to get better—"

"Alice," Edward interrupts harshly and I watch awkwardly as the two of them share a silent conversation.

"Okay, stop it." The two of them let me push them apart, but their eyes don't leave each other's and I'm forced to step in the middle to be heard. "Whatever you're thinking at each other, just say it. I'm a big girl, I can handle it."

"If you want to get better," Alice starts again, daring Edward to stop her again, "you need to practice."

I want to feel annoyed, but I'm still forced to be calm. Pausing to look at Jasper, I ask, "Can you stop that now?"

Smirking, he nods. "Sorry."

Turning back to Alice, I say, "I already told you, Alice, I want to be normal. I can't stand feeling like this— like I'm completely out of control!"

Alice, never one to back down, shakes her head. "But I've seen it."

"What you're seeing is based off of Angela's decision," I point out to her, "not mine. This is my line. Please don't cross it."

I have to elbow Edward in his side to get him to wipe that smug look off of his face while his sister pouts and begrudgingly lets go of the fight.

"Okay, fine. No asking Angela."

I offer a hug and laugh when she wastes no time crushing herself against me. "Thank you."

Soon after that, we head back inside where Esme serves me a cup of hot chocolate to help warm me up. No matter how many times I insist that she and Carlisle don't need to go out of their way, they always go above and beyond to see that I'm comfortable.

"I should head home," I announce after finishing my cup. "Thank you for having me."

Esme gratefully takes the mug in her hand and places a gentle kiss on my cheek. "You're welcome, dear. You know you're always welcome."

Edward takes my hand again and interlaces our fingers. Now that I've shaken off the chill from the weather, his cold hands don't bother me and I revel at the feel of his skin on mine.

He easily matches my pace as we leave through the front door and descend the small steps to the driveway.

"So, what did she say?"

He opens the passenger door of the Volvo for me and waits for me to climb in before shutting it and speeding into the driver's seat. "Who?"

"You know who," I chastise him playfully. "Alice, what did she say to you that I couldn't hear? Do you think she'll let it go?"

Edward reaches his hand over the console and places his hand over my knee. "I think you know her well enough to know the answer to that."

"So, no." I laugh softly. "Figures."

"I'll talk to her tonight," he promises.

"I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?"

Edward glances at me for a moment and suddenly, I'm overwhelmed with dread.

"Oh, God, what is it? Be honest."

His thumb traces small circles into my leg as he shushes me quietly. "Relax, love, there's nothing to worry about. My honest opinion is there is no right or wrong answer here. Whatever you feel is the best way is what I'll help you do."

I can't help but roll my eyes. "You know, I hope you see how astoundingly unhelpful a statement that was. Why can't you just tell me what to do?"

"You'll figure this out, sweetheart." He grabs my hand, lifting it slowly to press his lips against my knuckles tenderly. "We have time. There's no need to rush."

Too soon, Edward pulls up in front of my house. I see Charlie peeking his head through the curtains. He stopped being discreet about a week ago, and since has decided to blatantly watch until I step out of the car.

"Will you meet me up there?" I ask before opening the door.

He leans over the console, planting a slow and controlled kiss onto my lips. "As soon as Charlie goes to bed."

Stepping out of the car, I grab my bag and hustle into the house as it starts to rain again. Charlie is already there opening the door for me and I hang up my jacket in the small closet and toe off my shoes.

"So, when are you going to introduce me to this kid?"

Fighting a smile, I look at him from over my shoulder. "Huh?"

Charlie shifts his weight uncomfortably, and scratches at the nape of his neck. "Alright, alright, fine. Edward. When are you going to introduce me to Edward?"

"When you stop picturing him at the end of your shotgun." The words come out without thinking and I freeze, as I listen to his thoughts, looking for anything that tells me he's suspicious.

That girl knows me too damn well. Well, she is your daughter. You ought to be proud.

Deciding there's nothing to worry about, I turn around and watch his face go bright red. He shoves his hands in his pockets.

"Now, wait a minute, I would never...well, maybe I thought about it once—"

I bark out a laugh, interrupting him as I'm caught off guard that he actually admitted to it. I start up the steps and let him follow me as I continue to chuckle.

"That doesn't mean I don't deserve to meet him, Isabella! I'm your father and I—"

"Dad, chill out." I lean against the frame of my bedroom door and swallow more laughter as his face reddens father and his mustache twitches. "I'll introduce you."

"When?" he demands.

"A few weeks."

"Weeks?!"

"What?" I feign innocence. "Edward and his family are going camping this weekend."

Charlie raises his arms and lets them drop against his side audibly. "Okay, well, what about the weekend after?"

"Alice is throwing a Halloween party," I answer easily. "Don't worry, it's not a big thing, just their family and a few friends."

"Wait, woah, woah, slow down." I immediately regret using the word party, the second I hear where his mind is going. Of course, party would send him down this rabbit hole. I could've said anything else. "Who is Alice and what party are you talking about?"

"His sister, remember?" Get together, gathering, function. "It's not a big deal, I promise."

"You didn't tell me about this, Bella. You know how I feel about parties!" He rests his hands on his hips and I groan.

"Yeah, I know." Festivity, social event. "But I'll be fine, I swear. I've been feeling great."

"Because we've been careful!" His voice is rising and I can feel the anxiety waving off of him. I take a small step back to compensate. "You need to understand that these seizures can happen anywhere! You can't just go waltzing into something that'll trigger you. You need to be smart about this."

"I am!" I stomp my foot like a child, internally ugh-ing at myself. "There won't be any loud music or any flashing lights, I promise. It's just Edward and his family, plus Angela in the living room wearing a bunch of stupid costumes, okay? Maybe throw in a board game or two and that's it."

Charlie looks down at me over his nose and I roll my eyes while I wait for his thoughts to make a decision. "Will there be adult supervision at this party?"

"Edward's parents are there, yes."

Another long minute. "Alcohol?"

"Please, as if anyone in this town is stupid enough to share it with the Chief's daughter." I have to smile at him when he starts grinding his teeth to let him know I'm only half-joking. "Relax, Dad, of course there's no drinking."

He squints his eyes at me and I scoff, losing my patience.

"If you're telling me I'm not allowed to go, I wish you'd come out with it already," I snap. "Just say it, Dad."

"I'll let you go under one condition," he says, finally.

"Fine," I agree bitterly.

"You introduce me to your boyfriend."

Glaring at him, I retort, "I already told you I will."

"I mean it, Bella."

Closing the door in his face, I throw myself onto my bed and shake my head when I hear him laughing to himself through the door. "Whatever, Dad."


The next morning, Angela calls me to cancel our morning run due to the storm that thunders outside.

"We can go later today, if you want," she offers through the small speaker of my phone. "I can give you a ride home from school? You know, like old times."

"I actually have plans with Edward tonight," I respond automatically. I'm so wrapped up in my excitement for seeing him again, I almost miss her disheartened tone.

"Oh, alright then." I hear her clear her throat. "You two sure have been spending a lot of time together."

Feeling like the biggest jerk in the world, I slouch against my headboard and sigh. "I'm sorry, Ang."

"No, no that's okay, I understand." Her voice doesn't lead me to believe she's being untruthful, but I wish I could hear her thoughts to make sure she's not sparing my feelings. "I'm glad you're happy, B. You deserve it."

"I appreciate you saying that," I begin, "but you're right, it's been too long since we've had a day to ourselves. How about a girls' night?"

"Really?" There's no mistaking the excitement in her voice.

"You, me and Alice. Friday night at my place?"

"Looking forward to it, Bells." She giggles like a schoolgirl. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Ang." Smiling already at the idea of spending a weekend with her, I promise to meet her in class before ending the call.

I'm too wired to go back to sleep, so I use the extra time to head downstairs and make a real breakfast for myself and Charlie instead of my usual bowl of cereal.

Just as I'm about to fry some bacon, I hear Charlie start to rise. I listen to him shuffle his feet from the bedroom to the bathroom and then eventually down the steps.

"Morning," I greet as his figure sluggishly moves into the kitchen. "How'd you sleep?"

Charlie blinks slowly at me. "Aren't you supposed to be running?"

Clearly he's not completely awake yet. His thoughts are still foggy with sleep. "It's raining, so we stayed in. You hungry? I'm making eggs and bacon."

"Starvin'," he mumbles while taking a seat at the table. "What kind of bacon?"

"Don't worry," I say as I toss a few strips onto a plate and pass it to him. "It's turkey."

A few moments later, I fill both of our plates up with scrambled eggs and some toast before sitting next to Charlie at the table.

"Are you doing anything this weekend?" I ask as I shove a forkful of food in my mouth.

"Wasn't planning on it," he says, eyeing me warily. "Why?"

Stifling a laugh, I playfully roll my eyes at him. "Don't get your panties in a twist. I'm only asking because I invited Angela and Alice over for a sleepover on Friday. Is that okay?"

"Oh, alright then." He pauses to swallow. "I guess I'm okay with that."

"Great, I'll let them know." Checking the time, I shovel the rest of my plate on my tongue and place it in the sink. "I gotta shower and get dressed. You need anything?"

Charlie waves me away, too busy chewing to say anything. Not that I need him to speak to know he doesn't want me worrying about him. I take the opportunity to dismiss myself and head back up the stairs to get ready for school.

After a rushed morning routine, I see Edward waiting outside through my bedroom window as I throw my textbooks into my bag. We have plenty of time to get there, but seeing him smiling up at me from his Volvo makes me eager to see him.

It's still raining out, so I snag my jacket off the hanger in the closet before saying goodbye to Charlie. He chastises me on my way out as I nearly slip on the wet steps just outside the front door, but I assure him I'm fine and race to Edward's car.

"Good morning, love."

"Good morning to you too." Beaming at him, I find myself surprised when I see his eyes are a bright topaz today. "I thought you weren't going hunting until this weekend?"

"We decided to take advantage of the storm," he replies, shifting the gear shift and pulling off down the street. "Besides, Jasper was getting a little restless."

"He seemed okay when I saw him yesterday," I mention casually. "I hope I didn't make him uncomfortable."

"You don't need to worry about that," Edward promises. "We're just taking some precautions."

"If you say so. Just make sure not to run into my dad," I warn him. "He's getting antsy to meet you and I told him you and your family are going camping this weekend."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're stalling."

Chuckling, I respond, "Well, I'd say you're right."

"You don't want me to meet your father?" I recognize the doubt in his voice and immediately regret my choice of words.

"That's not what I meant," I spit out quickly before he gets the wrong idea. "Of course, I want you two to meet."

"Alright," he says quietly. "What is it?"

"You're the mind reader," I say with a laugh. "I know you've seen him daydreaming about blasting you with a shotgun."

I catch the smallest upturn at the corner of his mouth as he chuckles to himself. "I can't say I'd do any different if it were me."

Scoffing at him, I retort, "Well, someone's going to have to explain why you're bulletproof. So, if you're up for it, then be my guest."

"You know, back in my day, I'd be doing things differently."

"Yeah?" I lift my brow up at him, wishing I could read the meaning behind that grin he's wearing. "How so?"

"Well, first and foremost, I would have asked for your father's blessing long before I even thought about planning a date with you." Edward glances at me from the driver's seat, his eyes burning with an emotion I'm not familiar with. "I would have courted you with iced tea on the front porch. A night at the theatre, even."

"Well, the good news is, I prefer hot tea, anyway." I laugh at my own lame joke. "So, you're not missing out on anything, I promise."

"I'll keep that in mind. When do you think it is a good time to officially meet Charlie?" he asks.

"Soon, probably. Honestly, I'm just not ready to share you with anyone yet."

"Speaking of sharing," he starts, "what's this about a girls' night?"

"How did you…?" Before I finish, I already know it was Alice. "She must've seen it already."

"Now, you're getting the hang of it."

"I haven't had time with Angela in a long time," I explain. "As much as I love spending all my time with you, I can't just pretend that the rest of the world doesn't exist."

"Does this mean I'm not invited?" he teases as he pulls into a parking spot.

"Sorry," I say with a laugh. "No boys allowed."