A/N: Hi there :) Here's an earlier update to thank you for all the support you've given this story! Thank you for the follows, favorites and especially, the reviews... They mean a lot to me.

On that note... Can we get to a 100 reviews with this chapter? It'll be my first time! *fingers crossed*

Big thanks to Dazzled Eyes22 and Melissa for all their help!

DISCLAIMER- Stephenie Meyer owns The Twilight Saga and it's characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

CHAPTER 4

It'll be okay. It'll be okay. I chanted in my head. If Bella hadn't told Alice, she definitely wouldn't have told Charlie. She'd told me they didn't talk about personal stuff.

I should go in there. Charlie wouldn't be waiting with his gun loaded and aimed at my head for hurting his baby girl.

Would he?

He must have flown here, right? He couldn't have carried a gun.

I'd been waiting outside for about fifteen minutes now, my thoughts running at a million miles an hour. Alice was now sitting at Bella's side and Charlie settled in on the couch with Ass-uh, Jacob. They were chatting comfortably, obviously having known each other for years. Every few minutes, though, Charlie's eyes would flicker over to Bella and he'd smile and breathe a sigh of relief.

"Planning on making an appearance in this century, Cullen?"

I let out a huge breath as Jasper came to stand beside me. "That's Bella's father."

"So? Oh shit! He knows?" Jasper's voice rose an octave and I shushed him frantically.

"I don't think so. She hasn't told Alice anything, but she has an inkling and chewed me out pretty good. I can't imagine what Chief Swan would do. But this is not something a girl would talk to her father about, is it?" I questioned anxiously.

"So, she's protective, huh? Loyal. Cute too. Tiny little spitfire. I wonder if—"

"Jasper Whitlock! Can we fucking focus on me for a minute here?" I fumed.

He shrugged casually. "What do I know of girls' relationships with their fathers? There's only one way to find out." With that he turned to go in and I pulled him back. "Dude! What the hell?"

My face must have been fucking terrified, as Jasper's expression softened and he spoke in a much more serious tone than before. "Edward, you can't hide from him or this situation. It is what it is. Even if he knows, you gotta go in there and face him like a man, a good man who's in love with his daughter and will do anything to gain her forgiveness. You've got to prove your worth to him and to Bella. Remember Emmett's golden words from last night?"

A wry smile broke out on my lips. "Stop acting like a pussy?"

He grinned. "Exactly. That's the mantra. It's crude, but it works. Now, come on."

We walked in and all eyes turned to us, but I could only focus on was Bella. The world seemed to fade away as she looked at me for a moment, then averted her eyes but not before a rush of color had made its way to her cheeks.

"Hello, Isabella. I see you have a lot of visitors today." Jasper smiled, his gaze lingering a little longer on Alice.

Jacob and Charlie stepped forward to make introductions, before Jasper went on to examine Bella.

"Everything okay, doc?" Charlie asked him a minute later.

"Yes, the incision is fine," Jasper commented, once he was done. "Just a couple of tests I want to repeat to make sure everything is in order on the inside too. We'll get those done tomorrow. And if you continue to recover this way, we'll have you home in a week or so."

Bella smiled. "So I won't be stuck here for Christmas? Thank you."

"If you have any complaints, ask the nurse to page me anytime, okay? Don't hesitate."

Bella's eyes flickered to me for just a second, then she nodded.

I'd been standing unobtrusively in the corner, but now that Jasper was done, Charlie's attention focused on me. He looked at me, a frown of concentration on his face and I assumed he was trying to figure out where he'd seen me before.

I stepped up to him and held out a hand. "Chief Swan. I'm Edward Cullen. We, uh, met in Forks—"

"Oh yes, of course. I remember now. Carlisle's told me a lot about you, son." He greeted me with a firm but warm handshake. "I didn't realize you worked here, though. You know Bella?"

Son.

Bella didn't tell him.

"Uh, yeah. We've met," I stammered. "She used to come by the hospital during the summer."

"Right, right. Always working too hard, this one," he chuffed. Charlie's tone was teasing but his eyes shone with unmistakable fatherly pride. "Well, it has paid off."

"It sure has, Chief Swan."

"Please, call me Charlie." His mustache twitched as he smiled.

Jasper finished making notes in the chart and said, "I'm sure the nurse will be here to inform you later, but I thought I should let you know that visiting hours end at four. After that only one of you can stay back here."

"That's fine, Dr. Whitlock. I'll stay," Charlie said.

"No, Dad. I'm fine, you should go and get some rest," Bella protested.

"Bella—"

"Dad," she mimicked. "Look, I know you must have rushed straight from the station. You still in your uniform, for God's sake! You can stay with me right now, but you're going back to Jake's at night."

"I can stay, Bells," Jacob volunteered, his voice much too hopeful for my liking and I tensed.

Bella looked slightly uncomfortable at his suggestion but I couldn't relax fully until Alice piped up, "Boys, please! Take a hint. There are a few things only I can help Bella with, you know. It's settled. I'll go now, take a nap and be back in the evening to take over from you. That's final." She sealed it with a decisive nod and the knot in my chest loosened some.

"Okaaay then," Jasper nodded at her and she smiled back, pleased. "Edward?" He nodded toward the door and I said a quick goodbye before leaving.

"She's doing good, right?" I asked him as we walked down the corridor.

"Yeah, Ed. She's recovering perfectly fine," he reassured me with just a hint of impatience, but he masked it well.

"Thank you for putting up with me, Jazz, I just…"

"I know, man. I know."

It was almost six when I made my way back home. Alice had come back re-energized and shooed Charlie and Jake away despite their protests.

I dropped in a couple of times to check on Bella. Thankfully, Charlie didn't seem suspicious and talked to me freely about Forks and my parents. Bella didn't say much, just politely answered my questions about pain and such, but she didn't look upset either, which gave me some measure of relief.

In the afternoon, she seemed tired and fell asleep just minutes after Alice arrived, so I left her in peace.

I was hanging up my coat in the living room when my cell rang with a familiar ringtone.

"Hi, Mom."

"Edward, what's wrong?"

Damn it, was I that obvious?

I sighed. "Just tired, Mom."

She actually snorted. "Sweetie, I've been married to a doctor for 35 years. Trust me, I know tired and that's not it. You sound strained, sad."

"Mom, it's nothi—"

I jerked back in surprise as she hung up. A few seconds later, my phone chimed with a Facetime call and the screen lit up with my mother's concerned face.

"There! I knew it!" she exclaimed immediately. "What's wrong, sweetie? No, don't try to deny it, Edward Anthony, I can see it in your eyes."

"Just something to do with a patient, Mom. It's not something I can tell you about," I deflected. Half-truths would have to do till I figured out what exactly to tell my parents about the situation. And until I'd talked to Bella, figured out what she wants, there wasn't anything I could do about it.

Her features softened immediately. "Oh, Edward. I'm sorry. I know it's hard for your father too sometimes, even after all these years. It's what makes me so proud of the two of you, though. You both truly care about your patients. Doctors having that quality are hard to find these days."

I suppressed a wince at the pang of guilt I felt for lying to her, willing my lips to stretch into a smile. "I'll be okay, don't worry. What did you call for, Mom?"

"I almost forgot! You haven't told me when you're coming home. Have you still not booked your flight? Christmas is just a week away!" she chided.

A jolt of panic shot through me at the thought of leaving the city now, leaving Bella. I couldn't leave. Not now, not when I'd just found her.

"I, uh, I can't make it this time, Mom."

Her brow furrowed. "What? Why? It's Christmas, baby. We always spend it together."

My mind raced to make up plausible reasons that would convince her. "I know, Mom. But, I can't leave this, um, this patient of mine. I need to stay here. I've been treating her for a long time and it's crucial that I monitor her myself right now."

She sighed. "Are you sure there's nothing you can do? We can't come up this year, either. One of Carlisle's colleagues is retiring, so they have a huge farewell-cum-Christmas party planned for him at Town Hall."

I chuckled. "Forks Town Hall, huh? Wow, it's bound to be a big celebration, then."

"Indeed! That's the only place in town large enough to fit everyone," she chortled. "Dr. Snow has been serving the people of Forks all his life, I'm sure there will be a huge crowd in his honor."

"Well, you guys have fun. I'm really sorry about Christmas, Mom. I promise I'll make it up to you soon."

"I understand, honey. It's okay. I'll hold you to that promise, though."

"Count on it."

"Alright, dear, I'll let you go, then. Be sure to catch up on some rest, okay? I know your patients come first, but you're no good to them if you're tired."

"Will do, Mom."

We chatted for another minute before bidding goodbye. Running a frustrated hand through my hair, I sat there for a while, contemplating the mess I'd made.

At this point, I could only hope that Bella would give me another chance to prove my worth and the depth of my feelings for her. Jacob's face flashed in my mind, but I pushed that thought away. No point in torturing myself further with questions I had no answers for.

I switched on the TV and watched a few mindless sitcoms while I had my dinner. The endless thoughts swirling in my head didn't allow them to hold my interest, so eventually, I gave up and headed to bed early.

The next morning, I reported at the hospital at seven and rounded on my patients first. When I walked to Bella's room, Charlie was there.

"I cannot believe the nerve of that woman!" he fumed, pacing around the room.

"Dad, calm down. It's alright," Bella said to him softly, before her eyes flickered to me. "Oh!"

"Good morning." I smiled hesitantly. "Everything alright?"

The sound of a ringtone interrupted whatever Charlie was about to say. He fished out a phone out of his pocket and excused himself, walking out of the room.

I looked at Bella expectantly and she sighed. "It's my mom. I visit her every Christmas. Since I obviously can't go this time, Charlie asked her to come here instead. He can't stay, they're always short-staffed at Forks and the others have families to spend holidays with. He's already taken a week off to visit now, he needs to back after that."

"Okay, so?"

She grimaced, rolling her eyes. "Mom can't make it either. Phil has… something, some event, I don't know exactly. But the point is that Charlie's freaking out about me being alone."

I frowned. "What about Alice?"

"I don't need anyone to babysit me, Edward," she snapped. "Alice's parents are celebrating their twenty fifth wedding anniversary on the 27th of December. I am not allowing her to stay here and miss out because of me!"

I held up my hands. "Okay! I'm sorry," I said, making my voice as soothing as I could. "I didn't know that."

"Dr. Whitlock said I'd be home by the 23rd anyway. After that, I only need to come in for a check-up a week later. It's not like I'm handicapped. I can manage myself at the dorm."

Charlie had come in by then, and he frowned, listening to the end of her statement. "I'm just worried about you, Bella. You've had a major surgery, you need someone here. Just in case."

"Dad, by that time, it'll ten days post the surgery and you heard Dr. Whitlock, I'm recovering well enough to be-"

"I'll help."

It was only when two pairs of startled, brown eyes turned to me did I realize that my lips had moved and formed the words without any conscious knowledge on my part.

A/N: So...? What do you think about Edward the Babysitter? And Charlie... as you expected or did he surprise you?

I'll have chapter 5 posted this weekend, then Chapter 6- the eagerly awaited "Talk"- next weekend.

Enjoy the rest of the week!

~ForeverRobsessed