Three chapters in as many days! :D Feeling awesome over here, and I'm glad you are all so appreciative. Much love!

Charlie was carrying a pizza box and a case of beer – it was clearly a celebratory night for him, with me being home. He was dripping, and I noticed that the rain had started pouring harder outside. Jacob flew up to help unload him, and the boys chatted while Charlie took off his coat. Jacob seemed relieved for the intrusion, relieved that we would now not be discussing such dire circumstances, and that he had a way out of the awful mess Billy had forced him into. I certainly would not be revisiting that topic tonight.

"How are you doing Bella? Glad to be back?" Charlie asked.

"Very much so. No more hospitals for this year please. I think I've filled my quota." I leaned back too quickly and strained my ribs. A sharp inhale of breath and a readjustment of body placement, and I was right about ready for dinner.

Charlie and Jacob catered to me, which I found a little ridiculous, although I wasn't going to actively complain about it. I got two slices, and the boys finished the rest of the pizza. Jacob and Charlie continued to talk, and I'd tune in every now and then, but for the most part, I was just glad to be home, and watching the interaction.

"- take Sue down to Seattle at some point-"

"-yeah with the hiking season closing she'll be less busy at the reserve -"

I looked out of the window again, wondering where my truck, and Edward, were. Did he kill it? Did he finally decide he was done with my tank and its slowness and just end its poor life? The sky was dark and angry looking, but it seemed poetic and beautiful. I wondered if the artistically inclined Cullens had ever taken the time to paint in the beautiful greens, grays, and purples of Forks. Suddenly I got a napkin thrown at my head, which brought me back into reality. I snapped my head over at Jacob – the napkin throwing offender. Charlie was watching a football game, Jacob was watching me.

What? I signed with my free hand.

"I asked you if you were going to come back to La Push any time soon? We've got warmer water coming in, so it's nicer to surf."

I waved my cast at him, sarcastically.

"Well yeah – you can't surf. But I figured you wouldn't be athletically inclined anyway. I'm just saying it'd be nice to have you down. I'm a little low on the friend group recently."

"I thought you had Quil, and Embry, and…." I fought to remember names.

"Paul and Jared." He filled in. Can we talk? He signed. I looked over at Charlie. With a beer in his hand, his stomach full, and the game on, he'd be pretty content for a while.

"Hey Jake, come help me hike my homework to my room would you? The bag's heavy."

"Sure, sure." He chimed. Charlie didn't bat an eye.

We walked upstairs in silence, and then I settled onto my bed. Jacob took my fancy new leather desk chair.

"Shit Bella. Nice chair."

I screwed my eyes up, remembering that it had been a donation, courtesy of the Cullen family and something I still intended to pay for.

"Thank you. Edward helped me get it." I always told the truth if I could.

"What is he – like a sugar daddy?"

"Edward's seventeen. So I'm older than he is – biologically." I amended, laughing at Jacob's ignorance.

"Well what would you call it then?" he chuckled.

"First off – none of your business – and I'm kind of offended that you think I'm only with him for his money."

"Hey now…" Jacob held up his hands defensively. "I didn't mean that. It's just a nice perk. That and the cockatoo hair."

I sighed and shook my head at him. Edward's hair was not cockatoo hair. It was…. Amazing.

"Enough prying into my boyfriend, alright? How about you? Shouldn't you be partnered up by now?" I pried off one of my socks, and started on the other one.

"Well no one's caught my attention yet. I have high standards, clearly." He laughed at himself, putting his feet on the desk. "I dunno – I'll figure it out."

"And the friend situation? What was it that you didn't want to say in front of Charlie?"

Jacob stopped swinging his arms, and took his feet off of my desk. He folded his hands together, and then started speaking, and substituting with sign when he could, slowly.

"Paul and Jared have been weird lately. I don't know. At first they kind of hated Sam, all superior and grown up and shit, but then they got sick – within like a week of each other. I didn't see them for almost two weeks they were that sick. And then all of a sudden, it's like they've had some kind of brain surgery. They're running around with Sam, having important meetings. Hell, I think they even got matching tattoos. Who does that?" He started ripping up idly at a piece of post-it he'd found on my desk. I had nothing to say to him. It seemed like he had to vent, and he needed an ear, so I listened – as best as I could.

"They also keep looking at me weirdly. Like they're waiting for me to wake up, get this mental revelation, and start following them around like I'm a puppy."

"And they aren't hanging with you anymore?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Am I being stupid?"

"No Jake." I comforted. "They're probably just feeling more superior. You're all going through puberty right, so maybe they're just in a phase. Just keep Quil and Embry close, you know? And me. We'll work on the whole visitation thing. I think I've been in and out of hospital so much that Charlie wants some visitation with me."

"Not to mention mister playboy." Jacob winked. I rolled my eyes dramatically at him. His head perked up as he looked towards the window.

"Jeez. I'd forgotten how loud that truck is."

"Well I blame the mechanic." I chided. My chest relaxed a little. I hadn't realised I'd been so worked up about how long Edward was taking.

"Ouch. I guess I deserve that, after the boyfriend quips." He stood, and looked pensively at the truck. "It's old. What can I say? I'm amazed with myself that it's even still running."

"You've got mad skills." I pushed myself up to standing, forgetting my cast, and winced at my wrist. I headed to my door, indicated that Jacob should follow, and we set off back downstairs. Jacob looked quickly at Charlie.

"Alright, I'll head out while the cop's too off-duty to be mad at my driving. It was good to see you Bella."

I didn't hear Charlie's response, but it got Jacob laughing again, so it had probably been something along the lines of "I can still be mad later Jacob."

Jake slid on his boots, and coat, and pulled open the front door. A splashes of rain started glimmering in his hair as he retreated. I waved Jacob goodbye, and propped the front door open. Jacob almost bolted to his truck, and slid in, driving away quickly with a joyous wave. My eyes walked back to my truck, and confusion filled me.

Edward was not sitting in my driver's seat.

Esme was.

My mouth fell open with a little pop. I looked down at my disheveled appearance. I'd really rather look better for my second meeting with Edward's mother. My hair was messy, and greasy, my socks were still upstairs on my bed, my loose sweater was bundled up over my cast. Esme slid out of the cab of the truck, looking absurdly like a supermodel. She hurried over, at a human pace, ready to get out of the rain. I stepped back and smiled.

"Uh… Ch – Dad."

"Yeah Bells?"

"We have company again." Charlie didn't move, maybe he hadn't heard me. Esme stepped inside the door, , shrugging off her jacket quickly, and rested her hand lovingly on my cheek. She looked very relieved to see me in person.

"Good evening Bella," she smiled. "I've come to kidnap you."