A/N: Hey there! Thank you for your reviews for the last chapter. We've now crossed 300! Yay!
Dazzled Eyes22 and Melissa... Thanks so much for all your help, ladies.

Most of you were right on target with your guesses! I grinned each time I read your passionate comments about a certain someone who might have tattled to Charlie.

Happy reading xx

"Dad!" Bella yelled, rushing into the room. "Let him go!"

It caused Charlie to step away from me so swiftly, as though he'd been burned. I turned to see my parents place their bags against the wall. They came to stand by my side, while I looked on, confounded at the turn of events.

What the hell was going on? What were they doing in New York?

"You're here?" Charlie looked at her in disbelief.

"Uh yeah," she mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Thankfully, she'd changed into the one that she had worn to school. If she came out in the one that had led to our activities prior to our parents' arrival… I didn't even want to imagine Charlie's reaction if he saw that. "Wait… if you didn't know I was here, then why did you come?"

"I came here to get some answers from him," he pointed at me. "I got a call from a very concerned Jacob that you-"

"Oh for the love of God!" Bella threw up her hands and groaned.

Charlie was not deterred. "He was right, wasn't he? I tried and tried to convince myself throughout the flight that he was mistaken and here I see you in his house at this time of the night, which-"

"You're telling me that you flew across the country just because Jacob called and ranted about Edward and me? I can't even- that's ridiculous, Dad!"

"Now, you listen to me-"

Mom stepped forward and interjected. "Charlie, Bella, please. Let us all take a deep breath, calm down and talk this out. Yelling at each other is not going to serve any purpose. Bella, would you come with me, dear?"

I looked on, still bewildered, as Mom and Bella made their way into the kitchen. One minute, I had my girlfriend writhing and moaning in my arms and the next moment, her father had pinned me to the wall. Dad nudged me toward the couch and gently pushed me down on it, probably recognizing that I owed my state of immobilization to the utter shock that swamped my limbic system at seeing all of them here. His request to Charlie to take a seat was waved away. The fuming father just threw me a scowl and continued pacing across the carpet of my living room.

Bella returned with a glass of water and offered it to me, as my Mom did the same for the others. I took it as though it was the answer to all prayers and downed it in single gulp. I shot her a grateful look, and she returned it with a tentative smile. She sat down beside me and my eyes instinctively flew to Charlie, and right on cue, he glared back.

A loaded, tense silence suffocated the atmosphere in the room and I finally found my voice.

"Mom, Dad, what are you guys doing here?" I figured that was as good a place to start as any.

My parents exchanged a look before Mom answered my query. "We wanted to surprise you. We hadn't seen you for over a year, Edward. When you didn't come home for Christmas, I had Carlisle promise me that as soon as he could get a few free days, we'd come visit you." She hesitated before continuing. "We tried to call you before coming over, but, uh, there was no reply on your cell. Maybe you silenced it?" She looked at me pointedly and I quickly took the hint.

Bella shifted beside me, and without thinking, I grabbed her hand. The last thing we needed at this point was her father wondering about why I had not been available to receive their phone call.

"Yeah, yeah. I must have forgotten to turn the ringer on."

Mom nodded. "Right. So, we came up to the lobby, and your doorman recognized us and buzzed us in."

"That doesn't explain how you landed here, Dad," Bella piped up from beside me.

Charlie stopped his manic pacing and sat down with a growl. "We happened to be on the same flight," he muttered.

"It was a very long flight," Dad leaned in and whispered to me. His voice was not low enough because Mom's glare had him retreating without another word.

"Charlie said he was informed that you two were, uh,-"

Mom trailed off helplessly and Charlie interjected, "Having an affair?"

"Are you serious with this? Affair? This isn't an affair, Dad. Edward and I are in a relationship. Now, I'm sorry you had to hear it through Jacob Black, but, I would have told you soon, if you hadn't come charging in here like this."

"Relationship?" Charlie almost sneered. "With a man twice your age?"

"He's not twice my age! He's thirty-four." Bella grumbled.

"Right," her father replied with an eye-roll. "Because that is so much better." He turned to me and I steeled myself to meet his stony gaze. "I trusted you to take care of her and the next thing I hear is that you have deluded my young daughter into believing that she feels something for you, when it's just-"

"Dad, please," Bella interrupted. "I'm not a little girl and Edward did not delude me into anything."

"Maybe," my father spoke in a mild tone, which was in sharp contrast to the almost overwhelming tension that saturated the room. "Maybe we should give Bella and Charlie a little privacy."

I was about to protest- I needed to own up to my actions and respond to Charlie's accusations- but Bella thwarted my plans by squeezing my hand. "I think that's a good idea," she told me.

"Bella," I said in a low voice.

"Let me talk to him. I should tell him the truth and sort out the matter regarding Jacob. I know he'll want to talk to you too, but let me smooth things over first."

I couldn't say no to the entreaty in her eyes. "Okay," I sighed in defeat.

Without another word, I led my parents into the guest room. Once we'd situated ourselves, I began talking before they could voice the questions.

I started with the summer in Forks, the friendship I developed with Bella and eventually told them about the day in the meadow.

"That's why you left so suddenly?" Mom whispered, realization flashing in her eyes. "Oh, Edward. Why didn't you say something? You could have talked to us."

"Esme, sweetheart." Dad wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Let him finish." He looked over at me. "What happened after that, Edward?"

My voice was flat as I conveyed the events that led Bella back into my life. I didn't particularly want to relive the memories of my utter despair while Bella was fighting for her life, but I had no choice. The days following her hospital stay were easier to look back upon. I didn't divulge the specifics- it didn't feel right to discuss our private moments- but I quickly relayed the important details that led us to where we were now.

"So, this is serious, huh?" Dad smiled slightly.

I exhaled in a gush and nodded.

Mom cupped my face in her hands, just like she'd always done since I was a little boy, and looked intently into my eyes. "You're happy, aren't you?"

"I am, Mom. She makes me happier than ever."

"Then, I'm glad that you found each other, honey." She kissed my forehead. "Though, I am very disappointed that you didn't say anything for all this time. You were across the country, all alone and miserable. We could have helped, Edward. That is what families are for."

"I wouldn't know what to say. I mean, a middle-aged man falling for a high school girl? In the eyes of the world, that's got perversion written all over it, Mom," I muttered, raking a hand through my hair in frustration.

She scowled. "I don't care about what the world thinks. I only care about the fact that you were hurting, and there wasn't anything I could do about it."

I placed my hands on hers. "It's not like it's your fault. You didn't know."

"Yes, I didn't." Her mouth flattened into a stern line as she dropped her hands. "You didn't tell me then, and I think I can safely assume that Bella was the patient you didn't want to leave for Christmas?"

I gave her a sheepish grin.

We fell into silence, and I couldn't help but strain to hear something from the direction of the living room. I could hear the murmur of conversation, but could not discern the words, or even the tone of their voices.

"Edward," Dad said, and I frowned at the hesitancy that laced his voice. "You're sure about this, aren't you? About Bella? Now, wait, don't get defensive. I am only asking you this because there is a very irate father in your living room, and he will have a hard time accepting that his little girl is now old enough to make her own decisions, especially those that he would not agree with. It is not going to be easy to gain his trust and his approval. That is why I want you to think about your answer carefully."

"She's… she's it for me, Dad," I whispered. "She's not the typical teenage girl, you know that. She never has been. She is strong, kind, warm and so, so beautiful. She astounds me every single day and I consider myself very lucky to be a part of her life. She is what I want, Dad. She walked into my life when I wasn't even looking for her, and carved a perpetual place for herself in my heart. That's all there is to it."

A slow smile spread across my father's lips. "Well then. That sounds about right to me, son." He reached out to clap my shoulder. "Let us hope it is enough to persuade Chief Swan."

"That's the plan, Dad."

A few minutes passed, and then a soft knock sounded at the door. I almost flew across the room to open it.

"Hey," Bella whispered. "He wants to talk to you. Alone."

"Okay." I turned to my parents, who were giving me encouraging smiles, and took a step toward the living room.

Bella grabbed my wrist to stop me. She came to stand before me and before I knew it, her lips were on mine, unrelenting and desperate.

"I just want you to know that I won't be swayed by what he says," she told me in a resolute, earnest voice. "He doesn't have to understand or accept our feelings for them to be validated. I know what I feel for you and I know that it won't change based on my father's prejudice."

Her impassioned words empowered me more than anything else could have and I smiled in gratitude, kissing her tenderly.

"But, it would be nice to have his seal of approval, right?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

She pouted adorably, but nodded.

"I will do my utmost to make him believe that I am worthy of you. First, I should know, how much did you tell him?"

"I told him that we got together only after the accident, but that we had feelings for each other since we met in Forks." She bit her lip. "I didn't mention the kiss, though."

"Wise decision."

"What did, um, your parents say?" she asked me, throwing an apprehensive glance toward the room where they were.

"They're happy for us," I assured her and she exhaled in unbridled relief.

"Really?"

"Really. You've gone through the hard part. Now, it's my turn and meanwhile, you can go and chat with my mother, who is very excited to get to know you."

She smiled and sent me off with a good luck kiss.

I summoned every ounce of determination in my body and trudged ahead.

Charlie turned immediately when I walked in. I noticed that his gaze had lost some of his malevolence. He had been standing by the window, looking out at the deep purple hues of the night sky. He turned back toward the scenery, as he began to speak in an unmistakably unrelenting tone.

"I trusted you to take care of her when she was recovering because I had heard good things about you from your parents, as well as some people at the hospital who were treated by you when you came by in the summer. Never had I imagined that you would end up abusing that trust to get close to Bella and turn her into a phase of your mid-life crisis."

Mid-life crisis?

I breathed deeply to compose my voice. "With all due respect, Chief Swan, please do not belittle my relationship with Bella by calling it that." He pinned me with his glower, but I kept talking. "What I have with Bella is not just a passing phase or a casual fling. Your daughter has a good head on her shoulders and I ha—"

"You do not have to tell me anything about her. I know my daughter very well."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply otherwise. What I meant was that Bella is mature enough to recognize that my feelings for her are absolutely genuine and she would never have agreed to give me a chance if she doubted them. I- I love her, Sir."

I don't know exactly what reaction I had expected from him at my words, but all he granted me was an intense, speculative stare. I resisted the urge to fidget. It was exactly what he wanted- a sign of weakness or wavering- and I would not give him that satisfaction.

I met his stare with a composed one of my own and continued. "I love Bella. I fell in love with her during that summer in Forks, but I refused to acknowledge my feelings for her back then because of the very reasons that have made you opposed to us being together now. When she was in high school, our relationship had no future. We were thousands of miles apart and being bound to me then would have only hindered her, not to mention, the social repercussions of dating a man who has over a decade on her."

Charlie pursed his lips. "If you know about everything that could go wrong, why the hell are you with her now? Why do you want to subject her to the pain that you apparently saved her from last year?"

"Because everything has changed. She's no longer a minor, she lives in the same city as I and she has taken the first stride toward the career she wants. I have not been a firm believer in fate and its tactics ever since I walked in on my wife cheating on me, Chief Swan. It was impossible for me, however, to ignore fate's workings when it brought Bella back into my life. When she told me that she had always felt the same for me, even though I left her to squash those very feelings, I just couldn't let her go once again. I couldn't repeat the same mistakes that made us both miserable when all I had to do was take a leap of faith."

With his arms crossed across his chest, Charlie leaned back against the wall, facing me fully. "All that flowery language sounds well and good, but this is the real world, son. Why wouldn't a guy of her own age be better suited for Bella? Someone who has known her since childhood, someone who has always been a good friend and someone she can trust-"

"Someone like Jacob Black?" I suggested and he exhaled sharply. "He is the guy who camped out in front of Bella's apartment even though she repeatedly refused to go out with him and refused to give up until she was forced to agree to his demands," I pointed out, and the frown on his face told me that it was the first time he had heard of this. "He is also the guy, who yelled and cursed at her and embarrassed her in public for having refused him to be with me, simply because he has this notion affixed in his brain that she belongs to him, regardless of her feelings in the matter. Did he not inform you of this incident when he talked to you last?"

Once the words were out, I realized how snide they sounded, but Jacob Black had the tendency to get under my skin and throw me for a loop. It didn't matter much because Charlie was lost in thought, probably pondering the information that Black had not shared with him.

"Sir, Bella does not see Jacob as anything more than a friend. In the last few days, he has hounded her repeatedly about why she won't accept him, and she is fed up with his relentless pursuit." I paused for a moment. "As far as anyone else of Bella's age is concerned, maybe you are right. I am not blind to our age difference, but I am willing to do anything it takes to make this work. I realize that she is just starting out in life, and I have no intention whatsoever of rushing her into anything. When Bella shared the story of her Nana with me, there was fierce determination in her eyes, immeasurable love in her voice and the willingness to do whatever it takes to carry on her legacy. That is the girl I fell in love with. I won't ever hold her back. I want to be by her side- supporting her, encouraging her, guiding her, and loving her- as she fulfils her dreams."

"She told you about Marie- I mean, her Nana?"

"She did. It was in Forks, on the day of her death anniversary."

"Hmmm."

That was all he said, while his eyes roamed around the room, and settled back on me. They were the same deep shade of brown as Bella's, the only difference being that I could not read the emotion in his eyes at all.

It was the end of our conversation for the night. The persistent frown on Charlie's brow and the set of his jaw indicated that he had a lot brewing in his mind. Whether or not it would work out in my favor remained to be seen.

The sound of bare footsteps announced Bella's arrival about five seconds before she appeared.

"Everything… okay, here?" Her gaze flickered between her father and me uncertainly, finally settling on me.

I smiled as reassuringly as I could and it had the desired effect. Her eyes softened considerably before she turned to Charlie.

"It has been a long day. I think we should get some rest," he said. "Carlisle and Esme must be worn out from the journey too."

"I told them to go ahead and catch up on some sleep and got them settled in their room." She looked to me, as if to ask if that was okay, so I nodded.

"We should get going," Charlie said, making a move toward the door.

"Where-uh, where are you going?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "I thought I could drop you at your dorm, and I'd stay at a nearby hotel."

Bella threw me a glance that screamed "Help me!" but I shrugged weakly.

What could I say? Handling her father was her department.

"Alice, um, Alice has a friend over at our apartment. We can't go there," she managed to stutter.

"A friend?"

"Yes."

The father and daughter duo were engaged in a stare-off, trying to read each other's minds while I stood to one side, watching like a spectator in a tennis match.

Finally, Charlie sighed and shook his head, muttering something about the newer generation. If the tone of his voice was any indication, they were not good things.

Bella looked over at me pointedly, so I chimed in. "You could stay here?" I posed it like a question. "You can take the other guest room, Charlie."

"If you're sure?" he questioned.

"Positive."

He nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate it." He picked up his bag, declining my help. "Where will you be sleeping, Bella?"

I knew, I knew, she was going to say something inappropriate with the way her eyes narrowed.

My intuition was proven right, when she lifted her chin and replied a tad defiantly, "In Edward's room."

"Yeah, and I'll take the couch here," I said immediately, before the pulsating vein on Charlie's forehead burst. "It has a foldable bed underneath the seats, so… yeah."

Bella's eyes snapped toward me, and I silenced her protest with a death glare.

Charlie nodded once, and left the room without another word. Bella followed and guided him.

I fell on to the couch and blew out a huge gush of air. My hands rubbed over my face as I groaned. It had been a long, long day. The conversation with Jasper seemed so far away as if it had been in another lifetime. I recollected the thought I had two hours ago, at this very place, about getting comfy under the covers on my bed with Bella in my arms.

Instead, I had now been delegated to the couch in my living room, with Bella in the same house and yet unattainable to me. My parents were sleeping down the hall, and the room next to the library now housed Bella's father.

How the hell did that happen?

I was shocked when a bark of laughter slipped out from my chest at the sheer absurdity of the entire situation.

Well, it had happened and all I could do now was try to get a good night's sleep, so that I could wake up refreshed and ready to fire on all engines to face Chief Swan again tomorrow.

A/N: Well, there you have it! What do you think? Did Edward make himself clear enough? The ball is in Charlie's court now ;)

On a side note, I had a couple of you tell me that you'd like to wait to read Curveball until after it's complete, and now it is finished. It has been nominated for the Fic Of The Month for September over at Twifanfictionrecs dot com.

It is up against some SPECTACULAR fics, so go leave a vote for the underdog, won't you? You can vote once per day throughout this month.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next weekend!