Hey guys!

Sorry I won't be getting very chatty right now because I am absolutely swamped at the moment.

I have exams coming up and assignments to spew out and it's going to be a hectic month for me.

As for the chapter, since I will not have enough time to properly write out another chapter in my schedule I am cutting Advices into two parts. I wrote this on my Notes and Emails so it's going to seem a little disjointed but this was basically a filler and character development chapter so please don't be too pissed. There's no action is this chapter that you'll miss out on.

Reviewers:

Nellyblue11 - Thanks for letting me know, dear *blow kiss*

M - Thank you!

Kat Smith - Yes, Edward is just...too off tracks right now...in comparison Alec would seem like the better choice. Yeah my college started and hence I am swamped.

*heavy crying*

Love you and puppies!

"Italy sounds like a really fascinating place," Bella said wistfully.

Bella and I had been lying in my bed, head to head in the opposite directions as I recalled the lies Edward and Alice had made up to tell Charlie.

"It is," I murmured, my eyes closing as I breathed in slow and deep, trying to reconstruct the way Alec had made my heart pound. The only thing I managed to recreate was a whole lot of sleepiness.

I was slowly dozing off.

"Are you falling asleep?" Bella teased gently and I grunted a refusal as I blinked my eyes open.

"So, did you and Edward do anything romantic in the exotic college?" she asked.

I knew she was still teasing but it still made my throat clench up as I swallowed.

"Uh…no, we were busy…" I muttered, my voice lowering for reasons other than exhaustion.

Bella was silent for a while before I felt her turn to look at me. "Are you ok, T? You seem so tired. Are you jet lagged?" she asked.

"Maybe," I said, rubbing my eyes.

She swatted my hands off to give me another concerned look.

"You should sleep. You don't look too good." She whispered before she placed a chaste kiss on my head and slipped out of my room, the click of the door the last thing heard as I drifted off to sleep.

Coming back home had brought about a lot of changes in some aspects while there wasn't much movement in others. When I'd come back, Bella had been ecstatic that I'd come back before she left for college and Charlie was glad because now he could grill me himself.

He'd asked me questions about the Italian 'university' I'd been to and I'd tried to answer as best as I could before Bella had gently reminded him that I was not a murder suspect. He'd let up at that but I knew he was still miffed about being kept in the dark. I understood that but I wished that he wouldn't turn against me.

I'd called Stephen and Jacob up, letting them know I was back and both parties had been enthused about getting the chance to tell me off. Jacob promised to take me for a ride to the reservation, one that I took up happily because I didn't have much to do except sit around at the house.

Bella was over the moon about Florida, finally happy that she'd get to leave Forks. She'd been smiling more, color blooming over her cheeks as she gushed about the campus and sun. I'd been happy for her too, except one thing that none of us mentioned.

She was worried about Stephen.

It was so obvious. She'd be recounting plans when she'd suddenly stutter over her words at a time and I'd look up questioningly before she'd resume with a shaky laugh, continuing to fold clothes.

It wasn't like we didn't have plans.

Even with everything going on, Stephen and I did have acceptances to colleges. The question was…would we go or not?

I tried to explain this to Bella as subtly as I could but I doubted I got through to her.

It wasn't until her bags were packed and stacked near the bed room door that I realized that Bella would soon be leaving me behind…it was my turn to stutter in my words and as she looked back at me with her big dark curious eyes, I glossed it over with a laugh.

Edward hadn't bothered to reach out to me and neither had Alice. It was reasonable, given our behavior in Italy but now without the compelling presence of Alec I was more willing to critique my side of attitude.

So when Stephen showed up to take Bella out for one last time before she left, I was completely abiding of his dressing down of me.

"Are you ok?" he asked finally, slowing down in his tirade of dealing with vampire, wolf and human.

"Yeah…?" I said.

Stephen snorted, rolling his eyes.

"You're not supposed to answer that question with a question, you know." He sighed.

"I know," I said, pausing for a bit before telling him about Alec.

At the end, Stephen was leaning over the couch, a low whistle emitting from his teeth. "Wow, you had an eventful week." He said, narrowly avoiding a cushion to the face as he ducked down.

"Do you want me to talk to Edward?" he asked.

There was a pause as we both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

When Bella and Stephen left for their date, I was surprised to find Charlie in the kitchen, stirring a cup of coffee as he watched Steph's car pull out of the driveway.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked.

He jumped a little as if he was caught doing something wrong before giving me a guilty look.

"Nothing…nothing's wrong…" he murmured.

"Okay…" I said slowly, suspiciously, looking at him as I inched around him to get a glass of water.

"Ok, fine, I'll just…spit it out then." he burst out suddenly.

I put my glass down as I looked at him expectantly.

"Bella gave me quite the dressing down about how I was treating you lately." He said gruffly.

I frowned.

"You haven't been treating me like anything, Charlie. It's all fine."

"Let me finish, I know I was a little too harsh about the way you left for Italy and…mind you, I was right to be angry about it. You should've let me know first. But I also know that a college prospect like that would've been exciting and very tempting – especially if the scouts were insistent. I don't grudge Carlisle playing father, but I'm your guardian, Tulika." He said.

I nodded, looking down.

"Yeah, so now that we've got that out of the way, there was a conversation I wanted to have with you for a while." He said. He scratched his head.

"I already had it with Bella, so don't think I'm being pushy towards you…" he paused again, shifty eyed and jaw clenched.

"Charlie…you're scaring me," I whispered.

"I'm scared for god's sake." I heard him mutter before he sighed resignedly.

"Seeing as you and Bella told me once that when you'd get boyfriends you'd let me know…I'm glad you brought them over and everything but I was just pondering over a few things and decided that we should go over a few…cautionary measures." He said.

"…what?" I asked dumbly.

He grunted in frustration.

"Well, I don't want to speak about Stephen and Bella but it does seem like you and Edward are pretty serious about each other…and don't think I am stupid enough to believe that only homework goes on around here when they come over." He waged a finger at me.

"Charlie…only homework went on here while they came over." I said.

Except for the occasional make outs between me and Edward and the ones that I had walked in on with Bell and Stephen…and also the occasional spending of the night due to my vampire boyfriend's over protective tendencies.

Charlie rolled his eyes.

"I was a teenager once too, T. so I just want to know if you're being careful." He said.

I shot off the counter.

"Whoa…are you…are you implying that I'm having…that…are you giving me The Talk, Charlie?" I asked before I burst out laughing.

His ears went red.

"I'm just…I was just being responsible." He snapped.

"I know I'm sorry I laughed. It's just…you don't need to be worried about Edward…I mean, have you seen him?" I asked.

"Yes, I know, I know. Anyway, Renee asked you to come with Bella to Jacksonville for a visit. I think she wants you to pick Florida too." He said.

His voice lowered as he contemplated my leaving Forks too.

"I didn't apply for Florida." I said softly.

He didn't answer back.

Jacksonville was sunny, bright, hot and a complete distraction. When I'd first woken up in the Twilight world, I'd been in Phoenix, but there were distinct differences between the two cities.

Phil was on his baseball tours so Renee had been alone in the house which is why she must've invited us over. While Bella took care of her college, she spent more time with me.

It felt nice, having a mother figure who wasn't a vampire to talk to.

"So Bella tells me you and Edward fought again," She said.

I sighed, removing my glasses to look at her in the deck chair.

"That little traitor," I spat, making Renee laugh.

"She is my daughter, T. You're like my child too, especially since your mom can't be here." she offered softly and I nodded distantly.

"What did you fight about now?" she asked.

"Just silly Edward things Renee…you know him…he gets protective and I tend to rebel." I smiled sadly.

She smiled back.

"Just be careful, T. sometimes too much rebellion can destroy a beautiful thing." She said.

I looked over at the setting sun as my smile slowly faded away.

There it is. Part One!

I'll try to get Part Two up so I can move on to the more...interesting chapters ;)