Summary: Isabella lived a perfect life with her husband until the abuse started. With the death of her mother, she may have just been given life changing gift: a way out. But with it comes a whole new world that she may not be ready to face. Maybe with the help of her green-eyed savior. Mafia, Crime, Abuse, Hurt/Comfort.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Stephanie Meyers owns characters but the plot is of my original work.

Enjoy!

Chapter 12: Clan

By the time Christmas Eve came around, Charlie and I had spent more time together. We told each other stories about Mom's past and about my childhood. I was genuinely enjoying my time with him, because in the end, he is still my father. Although he was gone for the majority of my life, we will spend the rest of it making up for time lost. I never knew what having a father was like.

He told me more about FSC and even though he didn't pressure me into taking over the family business, he did mention that someday he wanted me to be a part of it. If Edward were to become CEO of FSC, I would let him. Charlie knew him better than me, and he's been training for that position his whole life.

I didn't know anything about the business. All I had was a teaching degree; so, by default, I was ineligible to be the next heir. Plus, being the CEO of such a huge company seemed so stressful and confusing, and the thought of it gave me anxiety.

Alice and I also hung out a couple more times. We talked about everything, and I felt so much closer to her than ever before. Esme doted over the fact that I was planning on staying for a really long time. Even though Charlie dealt with dangerous and illegal businesses, I felt safe here in his presence.

Charlie became my rock.

Tonight was the annual, Christmas Eve dinner at Charlie's house. The dinner was only for close family, which meant that there would be less than ten people attending. I would have expected some grand party with hundreds of guests, but Charlie and the Cullens preferred a small get together for Christmas. It was during the New Year's celebration that they held a bigger party for the rest of their friends and relatives.

Alice called me early in the morning and told me to be ready in thirty minutes. We were going to get our hair and nails done. I asked her if a salon would be open on Christmas Eve but she laughed and said goodbye. It turns out that Alice had arranged a home service salon at Charlie's house for us, and together we spent a majority of the morning being pampered. Esme wasn't getting to the house until later because she was helping Rosalie, Emmett's pregnant wife who was due very soon.

Alice refused to let me see the dress until I was done with everything. I made it clear to Alice that I didn't really want to put on heavy make-up. She reassured me that I would still look like Bella by the end of the night. True to her word, once the make-up artist was done with my face, I didn't look like…Marie. I feared I would look like her with make-up on my face.

"Didn't have to do much, honey," Shannon, the make-up artist, told me. "Just emphasized what was already there. You're naturally beautiful."

I blushed, and they all giggled.

Finally, Alice produced a dress bag out of the closet. It was the dress she worked hard to make in time for the party. It was a navy blue, halter chiffon gown. Even though it was modest, it was form fitting with an open back. My hair fell down in loose curls, and Alice put me in matching Louboutin pumps. I felt so beautiful, and I was in awe of Alice's talent. When I looked at her, she looked so incredibly happy with my reaction.

"Blue fits you well, don't you think?" She beamed at me when I nodded.

"This dress is precious, Alice," I breathed out.

Alice had made dresses for all the ladies tonight. Rosalie, especially, needed a custom-made dress since she was apparently so big. Although I still felt nervous meeting them, I was more anxious to see Edward again.

I haven't seen him since the other night. After I had eaten breakfast with Tammy, I was finally able to sleep. When I woke, he was gone. Tammy didn't even know he spent the night at the house until she questioned me about the bloody bandages in the trash. I don't even think he knows that I helped him unless Jacob mentioned it.

I didn't know how to feel about Edward.

When it was almost time for dinner, Alice and I made our way down to the bottom floor of the house. Jasper was already there with Charlie and both men stood up when we entered the sitting room. He whistled when he saw us.

"You both look gorgeous," he said as he wrapped his arms around Alice.

I blushed and said thank you.

I walked over to Charlie, and he gave me a hug. "You look beautiful, Bella," he smiled down at me. "You too Alice."

"Thanks, Uncle," she smiled brightly at him.

Voices came down the hall as Esme and Carlisle rounded the corner. They were matching, with Esme's gold dress and Carlisle's gold tie. They looked so picture perfect. Behind them followed Rosalie and Emmett. This was the first time I have ever seen them in person. Alice had shown me pictures before but looking at them now, they didn't do either of them justice. Everyone here lucked out on the gene pool, it seems.

Rosalie, even eight and a half months pregnant, still looked like a Victoria Secret model. She had glossy, blond hair and twinkling, baby blue eyes. She looked beautiful in her red satin gown that blended perfectly against her complexion. Standing beside her was Emmett, a man bigger than any of the suits that I've seen. He had wavy caramel hair, dimples, and green eyes like Esme and Alice.

"Rosalie, Emmett," Charlie greeted them. He gave Rosalie a kiss on the cheek and Emmett a hug. When he was done, he turned to me and motioned for me to come forward. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and said, "This is Bella."

Rosalie smiled at me and reached out for a hug.

"Nice to meet you, Bella," she said as she pulled back.

"She's my daughter," Charlie smiled at them.

Shock registered on both their faces, and as expected, questions were asked. Charlie and I agreed that we could tell them about Mom and that she left him a long time ago. To sugarcoat the story, we told them that after her death last year, Charlie finally introduced himself to me and we've been trying to build a father-daughter relationship since. We left out the details I was too embarrassed to discuss, i.e. James.

"She must have gotten Renee's genes, Uncle," Emmett joked as he came over and hugged me. "Welcome to the family, Bella."

Rosalie laughed and slapped Emmett's arm. "You'll have to get used to my husband. He thinks like a five-year-old."

"Oh, I second that," Esme chipped in, and we all burst out laughing.

"Where's Edward?" Alice asked.

"He's coming," Jasper told her. "He was at the factory."

It was weird knowing what the 'factory' meant. This was the warehouse in which they produced the weapons. Charlie told me that this was the facility in Kingston he was visiting when Esme called to let him know Mom was in labor. There had been a problem there that day, and they needed Charlie.

While waiting for dinner to be served, we sat and talked. They asked me questions about myself and how old I was. Emmett kept making jokes about how it was good that I didn't look much like Charlie. Charlie threw a pillow at him but laughed in return. I marveled at the close relationship he had with the Cullen kids. I was getting close to Charlie, but I wasn't at their point of comfort level yet.

Before long, Tammy appeared through an archway and informed us that dinner was ready. We all stood and headed for the dining room. Esme fussed about Edward being late, but Carlisle reassured her that he had just texted saying he arrived. When he said that, my stomach flipped. Charlie sat at the head of the table, and I sat in the seat closest to him. All the couples arranged themselves accordingly with Carlisle at the opposite end of the table. The remaining seat for Edward happened to be the one directly in front of me, and I glowered.

Tammy had arranged a beautiful layout of food before us. She had casseroles, pasta, honey ham, mashed potatoes, veggies, and salads. The table was arranged with fine china and elegant silverware.

I laughed as I watched Emmett look at the food with wide eyes. "Tam, you make the best food in the entire world," he hummed.

"Thank you, Emmett," she smiled as she patted his shoulder.

"Sorry I'm late," a deep voice said. Edward came into the room wearing a navy blue satin suit with a black tie and shiny leather shoes. He looked a lot healthier than a couple of days ago. Or at least the bruising on his face looked a lot less grotesque. Nonetheless, he looked as handsome as ever. After he had finished buttoning his sleeves, he looked up and made eye contact with me. I swallowed thickly.

"That's okay," Esme said as she stood and kissed his cheek.

Edward quickly averted my gaze and greeted everyone in the room. Then finally, he made his way over to the only available seat.

"Merry Christmas, Isabella," he nodded at me as he sat down.

"Merry Christmas, Edward," I replied.

I turned my head away from him and saw Alice's face. She was scrutinizing us carefully before she asked, "You two have met?"

There was an awkward silence before Esme chimed in.

"They met about a week ago in my kitchen," she said. "But let's say grace first and get dinner started, shall we?"

Throughout dinner, I tried very hard to avoid Edward's gaze. I could feel him boring a hole in my forehead, and it made eating difficult. I couldn't figure out what his problem was. Since we first met, we've only exchanged a handful of words to each other. It was my attempt to seem polite in front of Charlie.

Most of the conversation was centered on the New Year's party and Alice and Jasper's wedding. The date had already been set for April in Long Island. Alice asked me to be a bridesmaid, and I cried. I didn't think Alice would ask me considering how short a time we've known each other. But she quickly said that it was rare to find people like me who didn't befriend her based on money and social status. Instead, I had shown that I genuinely cared for Alice and that I was someone real.

"You live here now, Bella?" Rosalie asked.

I nodded my head. "I moved in with Charlie a couple of days ago," I said.

"Do you plan on staying in town for a while?" she asked again.

"For the most part," I answered. "Although, Alice and I did plan on a trip to Japan after New Years. Which, I would invite you, but I assume you're due very soon."

She practically glowed at the mention of her baby.

"He'll be coming anytime soon," she gushed.

"He?" Esme gasped at the same time Carlisle exclaimed, "It's a boy?"

"Rosie wants a boy," Emmett said. "But I want a girl."

"You're keeping it a surprise?" I asked and Rosalie nodded her head.

"Would you want children someday, Bella?" she asked.

I felt myself hesitate before I turned my head to look at Charlie. He smiled at me sadly and patted the top of my hand. "Someday," I answered.

"As soon as we get married, we're trying, Jasper," Alice changed the subject, for which I was thankful. "I want a houseful."

We all laughed at Alice's excitement and at Jasper's ashen face. When my giggles subsided, I mistakenly looked in Edward's direction and found him staring at me. Normal people would have looked away when being caught, but Edward just kept his eyes on me. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and looked away.

I was pleasantly surprised that I got along very well with the Cullens…well, minus one. They were all very easy to talk to, and thankfully, Rosalie and Emmett seemed to like me. They asked me about my travels, in which Rosalie seemed very interested. She was the daughter-in-law that Esme told me about, the one who liked to rock climb. When I told her about Machu Picchu, she practically screamed with envy.

"For someone so young, you seem well traveled," Edward spoke up. The entire night, he had said very few words. Mostly, he just focused on eating his food.

There was another awkward silence that followed after he spoke. Then Carlisle cleared his throat and used his napkin to wipe his mouth.

"Dinner was absolutely delicious," he said. "Tammy never fails."

"I agree," Emmett hummed as he finished eating his second helping of casserole.

"Bella," Alice turned to me as she spoke. "It's our tradition to stay up until midnight to open presents. That's how it's always been, and since you're family now, it will be your first year with us."

My heart swelled with joy.

After dinner, the family moved back to the main room where the Christmas tree was set. It overflowed with presents and looking at it now, mine seemed so small and inadequate. I forgot to factor in the fact that these people had money. Their presents are expensive and grand. There were boxes taller and wider than me. I felt embarrassed that my gifts seemed cheap in comparison.

Fortunately, the rest of the conversation was centered on Rosalie's pregnancy. Rosalie told us she had the nursery room painted a pastel hue of green so no matter what the gender of their baby was, it fit. Alice gushed at how twin genes ran in the Cullen blood, and although Rosalie wasn't having twins, she hoped to carry a set next time.

I excused myself to the bathroom after an hour of that.

I wanted to rinse my face with cold water to alleviate the heat I felt on my cheeks. Then I remembered if I did, Alice would kill me for messing up the makeup Shannon worked hard to apply. So instead, I gently dabbed a cool, damp towel on my face.

The subject of children made me feel uncomfortable, and Charlie understood why because we've talked about it before. While being married to James, he had started discussing children. I feared bringing a child into the marriage, but luckily, my body at the time was unable to conceive a child. I was too thin and malnourished to get pregnant and that frustrated James. He beat me because I wasn't the 'perfect' wife—who should be able to give her husband a child.

I would like children someday. But right now, I don't see myself getting involved with anyone at any time soon. I feared too much when it came to trusting someone the way I trusted James. I would like to focus on getting everything back in order before I have to take care of someone else. My life is still a mess, and I'd be stupid to jump straight into another relationship before I'm even ready. It's also too dangerous to start a family while I'm still hiding from James. I hope one day I'll be free from his shadows.

Instead of running back into the conversation about pregnancies and children, I decided to put on a thick coat and step out on the balcony to get some fresh air. Luckily, Charlie had some heat lamps set up outside, and the seats weren't covered with snow thanks to the awning. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I enjoyed the quiet.

"Didn't want to join the party?"

My eyes snapped open, and I found Edward coming out through the doorway. He shut the door behind him and headed in my direction. I eyed him carefully as he sat in the seat furthest from me. "Nope," I answered simply.

A few moments of silence had passed between us before he said something again.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me the other night," he said.

"It's no problem."

"Don't worry, I didn't tell Charlie."

"And why is that?"

"You want me to tell Charlie?"

"I don't see why that's a problem, Edward," I rolled my eyes.

"I gotta ask," he said, and I guarded myself instantly. "Don't you think you're a little too young for Charlie?"

My jaw dropped open, and I sat up straighter in my seat.

"Excuse me?"

"Let me guess, you're twenty-two or twenty-three years old. You dropped out of college, and now you need a sugar daddy to pay for you for the rest of your life," he said matter-of-factly.

"You're delusional," I spat at him. "You think I'm Charlie's girlfriend?"

"I figured 'whore' might be a little too harsh, so yes."

I stood up in my seat and walked over to him.

"First of all, I am not Charlie's girlfriend," I seethed. "Second, of all, you come out here to thank me for helping you the other night but right after that, you accuse me of being some high-class slut? Well, buddy, for the short amount of time I've known you, you've been a complete ass. You would think with Esme being your mother, you'd have more respect for women. She'd be disappointed if she heard you just now. You don't know anything about me, and I certainly have had my fair share of dealing with men like you. But let's make one thing clear: I'm Charlie's daughter, and you will respect me."

Then I slapped him.

This chapter was edited by SunflowerFran. Thank You!

4/11/2018