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Thanks for the reviews, you guys! Here's a longer chapter for you. Sorry about the somewhat late update.

Learning To Fall
A Twilight fanfic by Starfire Star

Chapter Nine: Like Father, Like Daughter

"Bella, do you think these plates are a bit too plain? How about these floral ones? Too girly?" Alice asked me with the slightest hint of panic in her voice. I looked them over for a moment, and then stared at the price tags attached. "Please, don't get either."

Alice looked at me in disbelief. "Are you serious? These are the only two plates I found decent in the entire store."

"Have you seen the price tag?" I asked her dryly. "You can get something equally as nice for, I don't know, say, 100 less?"

We were in one the only china and glassware store in Forks. By the looks of it, we were also the only customers in the store on that bright and early Monday morning. It had been just over a week that I had come to Forks, and I began to feel comfortable. I'd hardly interacted with the townsfolk, but now, with Alice, it was practically unavoidable. They had already established me as Charlie's quiet anti-social daughter, but that didn't stop them from trying to get me to spit a few words out. In truth, I would much rather prefer if they'd just leave me and my anti-social self alone.

Charlie, strangely enough, was only too happy to let me stay at the boarding house for awhile longer. He seemed pleased that I had started to make some friends. I also sensed that he wanted to let me stay at the old house for sentimental reasons, or that I was still sensitive about his choice. There also seemed to be another reason, but I just couldn't quite put my finger on it…

I didn't have much time to think about it throughout the week. Alice kept me on my toes, buying new bedspreads, pillows, bath towels, silverware, all for Mrs. Whitlock's arrival the following week. Alice was trying so hard to please her, I felt bad. I wasn't even the greatest shopping companion, and I wondered why she hadn't asked Rosalie along. But Rosalie's thoughts were filled with nothing but Greg, and I was glad for something to do, anyway.

"Oh, come on," Alice protested as she held up the floral plate, waving a hand as if to dazzle me with its greatness. "These match the forks and spoons exactly!" I rolled my eyes. "The forks and spoons are silver, Alice."

"I know. They're neutral. Aren't they perfect?"

I learned now that Alice was the shopaholic—she had special discounts and memberships with practically every store in Forks and Port Angeles, and she had connections to a few noted designers. She had told me all about it when she suggested 'shopping therapy' the day after my break down. I refused the shopping therapy, but agreed to help her with preparations for Mrs. Whitlock's arrival after I saw the look on her face.

I sighed. "Alright, if you think they're worth it, I can't stop you." The truth was I wanted to get out of that store. I couldn't stand Mrs. Stanley's eyes boring holes in the back of my head any longer.

Alice looked at me, then back at the plates and silverware in the basket she was carrying. "Maybe we should go to Port Angeles. They have a larger selection there," she whispered so that Mrs. Stanley wouldn't hear. "Plus, we can visit Emmett and Edward and Rosalie! Maybe we can even stop by home so that we can pick up Jasper." She smiled at me as she began putting the plates and silverware back.

On the way to the door, Mrs. Stanley raised her eyebrows at us. "Having trouble making a choice, ladies? Would you like me to help you?"

Alice flashed her cute smile at her. "No, I just forgot my wallet at home," she said in a believingly apologetic tone. "We'll come back later."

Mrs. Stanley stared at me for a long moment. I looked anywhere but at her. "I'm glad you're here, Bella," she finally spoke. My eyes met hers for a brief moment, confused. "I'm glad one of his family members will be witnessing this beautiful time in his life," she continued with a knowing smile. I almost frowned, but quickly covered it up.

What was I supposed to say, thank you? You're welcome? Was it actually such a big deal that Charlie had turned the house that I had first lived in when I was born into a boarding house? That he seemed to have finally let go of my mother in that aspect, by buying a new house?

Alice nudged me in the ribs. I gave Mrs. Stanley a weak smile and nodded. "See you later, Mrs. Stanley," Alice called over her shoulder as she shoved me out the door. I opened the passenger door of her Porsche and slid in. "What was that?" I demanded as she and I fastened our seatbelts.

Alice shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. I wasn't surprised, though. Mrs. Stanley acts like she knows everyone's business. She's the town gossip; I wouldn't expect any less of her." I nodded and could only stare out the window.

"Hello?" Alice responded to the ring of her cell phone as she backed out of the parking space. Why parking spaces were needed for a small china shop was beyond me.

"Oh crap, that sucks," Alice continued, throwing a quick glance at me before staring back out the windshield. "It's so typical Emmett and Rosalie. They're acting like two year-olds; this is just ridiculous."

"Alright… I think so… I don't think my Porsche can handle it, Jasper! Let me ask Bella," Alice covered the mouthpiece of her cell and turned to me. "Bella, quick question: you own a truck, right? Do you mind if we use it for one of Jasper's deliveries? Edward left early—I didn't think he'd be able to stand Emmett and Rose's bickering any longer. Plus they left in their own separate cars, and Jasper usually uses Emmett's jeep…"

"Sure," I agreed. "But I warn you, my truck doesn't go very fast… it's pretty old." Alice waved it off, saying that it was no matter. She agreed to drop me off at Charlie's new house while she drove back to the boarding house. She and Jasper would wait for me there.

As we pulled up the curb, I examined the house. It was more modern, but seemed tinier somehow. The police cruiser was parked in the driveway, and I wondered why Charlie wasn't at the station, which practically was his home. There was a garage next to the house, in front of the cruiser, and I assumed my truck was in it.

Alice drummed her fingers against the steering wheel as I sighed. "I guess I'll have to go ask Charlie to open the garage. I'm amazed that he kept my truck and didn't sell it for parts by now," I joked. Alice didn't seem to be amused. In fact, she looked distracted.

"Alice?" I said, waving a hand in front of her face, her expression glazed over. I glanced in the direction just as Alice broke out of her trance. "Wait, Bella. Don't look." Of course I just had to do the opposite of what she told me.

Standing on the porch was my father and a woman with shoulder-length black hair, holding hands. My eyed widened in shock as Charlie leaned in, kissing the woman. After they broke away, she threw her head back, laughing. Charlie smiled at her, still holding onto her hands. My entire body went numb, and suddenly my throat felt dry.

I couldn't deal with confrontation (with the exception of the truth of the boarding house) especially not with Charlie. It had been an uncomfortable experience discussing anything remotely serious or problematic. We tended to steer away from those topics. Now, from what I had seen, it seemed unavoidable. But I was never good at holding up arguments; I usually broke down and cried through the middle of it. And I wasn't about to embarrass myself. I wasn't about to be a brat.

Alice glanced at me, her face sympathetic. "Bella? Are you alright?"

I sighed, my eyes filling with tears. I blinked them back quickly, trying to avoid a tear-fest. Alice's hand automatically reached for the tissue box, but I stopped her. "Don't, Alice. It's alright. Listen; can we just come back later? I'm so sorry; I hope Jasper won't be mad."

Alice shook her head. "Don't worry; the delivery isn't due until tomorrow. Jasper just likes bringing his early; he loves seeing the looks on peoples' faces when they get their things sooner than they expect it," she smiled, as she started to continue down the street. As we sped past the house, I looked back, wondering if Charlie and the woman were still there.

They were, and they were still holding hands. Charlie looked so happy. Why couldn't he tell me about this woman sooner? They definitely didn't seem like a new item. Why did he have to hide it from me?

Of course he wouldn't have told me. He didn't think I was coming back. I had avoided all talk about coming back during our rare phone calls. I had skipped out on meeting with him because I wanted to be with Jacob, to have nothing separate us. I was afraid that while I was off visiting, Jacob would find some new girl, someone better to be with.

No matter how I looked at it, it was kind of a mirror reflection of me. I had avoided telling Charlie about Jacob and what he did to me; why couldn't I just come out with the truth? Why did I have to hide it from him? These were certainly questions that applied to both of us.

We were both keeping secrets. I guess I took after Charlie more than I ever thought I did.

-

"Huh," I said when Alice and I got back to the house, the sun creeping just above the horizon. "So that was what Mrs. Stanley meant about this beautiful time in his life," I said to Alice, a questioning look on her face. "She knew that Charlie was going out with that woman, Alice. But I don't understand—this is a small town, how could this not have gotten around to you?"

Alice sighed. I hoped she wasn't getting sick of my ranting. "Seriously, Bella, I don't think that anyone else in the town knows. Mrs. Stanley knows everything about everybody, so I'm sure the news will get around soon enough. I'm almost as shocked as you are—I thought Charlie would forever stay a bachelor."

She gave me a small smile as we started up the steps. "Don't you feel even a tiny bit happy for him?" I hated to be selfish. But I couldn't lie anymore. I shook my head. "I don't know, Alice. In these circumstances, it's hard to say."

Alice shrugged. "Fair enough." Jasper frowned as we walked in the door. "I guess it wasn't possible to get the truck, was it?" he asked, peeking out the door at Alice's lone Porsche.

"Nope," Alice replied as I followed her into the living room. Rosalie and Emmett were there, Emmett lying lazily on one of the sofas while Rosalie wore a pair of sweat pants and a tank top, laying upside down, her legs on the back of the couch and her head barely dangling from the edge. She held a nail filer in one hand.

"They let us off early," they said in unison, looking uninterestedly at the both of us as Alice leaned against a wall. "We were told some kind of big storm was coming, and they didn't want us to get caught in it," Emmett explained, his fingers intertwined as they supported his head.

"I don't understand," Rosalie grumbled. "The weather is perfectly fine." Alice coked her head to the side and raised her eyebrows as thunder crackled and lightning lit up the dim room. She walked across the room to turn a large lamp on.

The weather just about matched my angry mood. I was still confused as ever about how to talk with Charlie about the current predicament; what had happened that day. I felt a level of hurt, discomfort. Charlie and I always had comfortable, unspoken agreements. But I wasn't ready for this. I always counted on Charlie as the one thing that wouldn't change. Now things would never be the same.

I started to walk out of the room, rubbing my temples as I did so. "Bella, are you alright?" Emmett asked. I managed to nod weakly, not looking back. "I'm just going up to my room," I called over my shoulder, just so they wouldn't worry about me.

I went to lie down on my bed. I stared at the ceiling, trying to picture the good things in life before they became so complicated. After awhile, I got tired of doing it, so I tried to fall asleep. But that certainly didn't work—something was missing.

Strangely enough, I had the urge to play Edward's piano. I was never one to keep up with lessons, so of course I didn't know how. But just to hear the soft, beautiful keys was all I needed. Edward was the only one who played, as far as I was concerned. But he wasn't here, and trying to match keys wasn't that hard, was it? I decided to go up for the heck of it.

I ran my hand along the piano before I finally sat down on the bench. I paused for a long moment, knowing that all the racket I caused wouldn't exactly be appreciated. Maybe I could play as soft as possible.

I started off slow, one key at a time, before taking on two, and then using both my hands. What I was playing didn't make any sense, but it was helping. Every key I pressed down on, I thought about how Edward's fingers swiftly moved from key to key, producing the beautiful lullaby I had once fallen asleep to.

Soon enough, my playing grew louder, some of the keys even hurting my own ears. But I began to enjoy it; maybe it was my own, weird way of letting loose. Besides crying, that is.

I heard a musical chuckle from behind me. "If you wanted to make dogs howl, all you had to do was ask," he said, his velvety voice soft but yet audible from behind my noisy playing. I stopped abruptly, letting my hands fall to my sides. I knew exactly who it was.

"I'm sorry," I whispered apologetically, my back still turned to him.

"The others were wondering what was going on up here," Edward replied. I could hear the amusement in his voice now. I pictured the crooked grin on his face. I wanted to turn around and look, but I felt paralyzed, frozen. "I was the only one brave enough to investigate," he teased, taking a step forward.

"Is that so?" I said shakily. His scent was becoming stronger now; it smelled too good to be cologne.

And suddenly his lips were barely an inch from my ear. I could feel his breath as he murmured, "What are you doing up here?" My heart started thumping loudly in my ears—or was that just the rain pounding on the window? Calm down, idiot, the voice in my head said. It's just Edward.

"I-I don't know," I replied, sighing. "I've had a rough day; I just wanted to unwind." Good, Bella. The only way you'll be able to form coherent sentences is if you go slow and steady.

"So you took it out on the poor piano?" Edward laughed, now sliding onto the bench next to me, his arm grazing my own with an electric touch. He was close now, and the scent of his cologne wafted all around me. I blushed, staring down at my hands.

"Oh, I've done much more damage to other things and people," I muttered as I finally turned to look at him, his green eyes locking with my own. And at that moment, I felt a wave of electricity run through my body. I felt almost an adrenaline rush as he laughed, smiling at me.

"Here. I can show you how to play that lullaby you keep bugging me about," he grinned as he took both of my hands in his. The blush on my face deepened as I let him guide my fingers to the keys.

"I only asked you that one time," I said to him in protest. "And I wouldn't have to do this if you just told me the damn name of the song." He chuckled again. "Then I guess it's a good thing I didn't tell you what it was," he said to me as he lightly pressed down on my hands, making me press the keys in response.

I didn't know what to make of what he said. I could only sit there as he guided one hand, then the other, pressing each key carefully. Each note began to come together to sound like the lullaby I heard on the night that seemed like yesterday. I stifled a laugh of surprise.

"It's not that difficult, is it?" Edward murmured, his face a mere inches from mine since he had to move closer in order to help me. "Feeling better?" he asked. I looked at him in relief and slowly nodded. "Thanks, Edward. This is really, um, nice of you to do." I closed my eyes as I listened to the lullaby, and I felt his hands press against my own as the music continued to play.

He stopped, letting the last note linger. I frowned, opening my eyes. It didn't seem like the song was over yet. I turned to look at him, to demand why he had stopped so abruptly. Instead I found his green eyes locked with mine, his cool breath on my face as he stared at me, an unfathomable expression in his eyes. His hands dropped quickly to his sides, leaving my own resting on the keys.

I felt myself being magnetically pulled toward him, my arms shaking as they tried to reach toward him. I felt my eyes close and my body moving forward. I wanted to intertwine my fingers on the back of his neck, pulling him closer to me. I didn't feel like I had the strength to stop it, nor did I want to try. Suddenly my eyes opened as I realized what I was doing. The expression on his face was gentle, then embarrassed as he looked away. He touched his hand to my arm but swiftly took it back.

I was snapped out of my trance, feeling my face flush in embarrassment as he coughed, clearly uncomfortable. He stared straight ahead of him as he spoke. "So what had you down this time?" Edward wasn't one to pry, and I knew this question was merely chosen to change the subject and ease the tension and awkward feeling in the room.

I sighed. "When I went to the new house to get my truck for Jasper, Alice and I saw Charlie with a woman," I said softly, angling myself slightly toward him. He shook his head. "And I'm guessing you're upset because he never told you about this?" Either he was reading my mind, or he was just very good at guessing.

I nodded slowly. "That's part of it."

"Enlighten me with the other part, if you will."

"I'm thinking maybe that's why he agreed so easily to let me stay here," I explained, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. The corners of his mouth twitched. He was clearly amused. "And that's a bad thing?"

"No," I said, becoming frustrated. "I meant that… the old Charlie would've told me to come home. He would've at least tried to act like he wanted to spend more time together. He's changed."

"Change isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Whose side are you on?" I said, my eyes narrowing. Edward shook his head, still amused. "There are no sides. Bella, don't you think it's a good thing that he's changed? He wants you to be happy. This woman is probably doing wonders for his mood." I shrugged.

"Look, why don't you just ask Charlie if you can move in? Tell him that you know about the woman. Confront him," Edward suggested. "Just be calm and rational. Show him that you can be adult about it." I shook my head. "It's not that simple."

"Not everything has to be complicated, Bella," he murmured, staring straight into my eyes. I stared back into his, showing that I wasn't about to argue about it. But I was going to be stubborn.

"I've never been good with confrontation," I finally said to him as he broke away from the gaze. "If I get upset about the secret that he's been keeping from me, I'll feel guilty about the whole reason why I didn't visit him—Jacob. And then I'll have to tell him everything… I don't want to hurt him that way."

"Maybe you won't hurt him. Maybe he'll be happy knowing there was a reason for everything," Edward replied, running a hand through his bronze hair.

"He wouldn't understand," I said stubbornly, shaking my head.

"I think he'll understand better than you think," Edward said, and I could tell he was struggling to keep it soft, controlled. "Don't forget, Isabella Swan, that he had someone he loved walk out on him as well. Don't forget that he's probably gone through the same thing you have, all the pain and hurt. He didn't have anyone there to talk to, Bella. He didn't have anyone there for him. Maybe he'll be happy that he can be there for you."

I stared at him, speechless. I had given him the gory details on my parents' divorce a couple of days earlier, when I had the chance to talk to him. I didn't know he'd use them in this way.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Edward interrupted me. "You should be happy, Bella. He's moving on—he's found someone new. You need to be happy that the people you love are happy. When you don't… that's when you lose who you are." He got up, his hand grazing up my arm to my shoulder. He turned away, taking a few steps before stopping.

"Edward…" his name came out in a shocked whisper. I felt my eyes brim with tears as if I'd been slapped in the face. The more I thought about his words, the more sense they made. He was right. I should give Charlie a fair chance to speak. But why was I crying? Why did his words hurt so much?

Could Charlie really understand?

I wasn't sure if Edward had left already or not. I stood up, blinking back a few stray tears. I turned to see him standing at the top of the stairs, staring at me with those piercing green eyes. For a long moment, I stared back, a questioning look on my face. But his face held its own questions, questions for me that I knew I didn't have answers for.

-

"Tanya's coming over," Edward announced as he flipped his phone shut. For a second, his eyes flashed to me, but as soon as I looked at him, he swiftly turned his head. Alice, sitting next to him, clapped her hands in obvious enthusiasm.

"Great! Just in time for dessert," she squealed as she jumped up to bring the rest of the plates to Emmett and Rosalie, who were doing the dishes. I watched as Emmett succeeded in splashing Rosalie with soap suds and water. Rosalie rolled her eyes in disgust, but she seemed to enjoy it.

"Are you two going out again? It's pretty late for you kids," Jasper said as he sat back in his chair, closing his eyes for a brief moment. Edward shrugged. Alice looked at him. "What's wrong, Edward? Not getting any?"

My mouth dropped open. Emmett dropped a plate in the sink which clattered nosily and hit a glass before falling into the soapy water, splashing the front of Rosalie's apron. She glared at him. We all stared at Alice in shock.

"What? It's just a question," Alice said, looking as innocent as if she'd asked him how work went that day. "I don't know what you're talking about, Alice," Edward snapped. "She's been working a lot lately. I haven't had the chance to see her in a few days."

"What, like, two?" Jasper chimed in, defending Alice. I sensed a fight brewing, and I didn't want any more tension to build up in the house than what I'd already created. They needed a distraction, and quick.

"I guess I should call Charlie now," I sighed. That was the first thing that popped out of my mouth. I couldn't say that I was surprised, since that was all I could think about after the talk with Edward.

Emmett and Rosalie seemed to catch my drift. Or maybe they just wanted to know about the latest drama that was going on with me, the infamous drama queen. "You're leaving, Bella?" Emmett demanded. I shook my head quickly. "I just need to call about something," I replied, keeping my answer quick and general. I saw Alice, Jasper, and Edward's heads turn toward me. Alice looked concerned, and I couldn't figure out Edward's expression. Jasper stared at me in interest as well. There was no doubt that Alice had already told him what had gone on earlier in the day.

Throwing a quick glance behind me, I walked out of the room just as I heard a car pulling into the driveway. I crossed the living room to peek out the curtain, and sure enough, Tanya was idling in the driveway. She had a perfect car, perfect hair, and perfect looks. I had no trouble understanding why Edward liked her so much.

I pulled back the curtain as she got out of her car. I stood there for a moment, trying to work out the pros and cons about calling Charlie. After seeing that there were less cons, I decided to call him. It was like ripping off a band-aid. Doing it quickly would make it as painless as possible.

I quickly dialled Charlie's new number on the land phone. Just as I had suspected, he picked up. There was no use for him working overtime at the police station now that he had a girlfriend. Of course, the times before, when he made that excuse, he probably was with this new woman.

"Hello?" came Charlie's voice, uncomfortable and rushed.

"Dad, it's me. I mean, it's Bella," I stumbled, closing my eyes and shaking my head, wondering what to say next. I heard a door open and close, my back turned to the sound.

"Oh ," Charlie said, sounding surprised. "What is it, Bells? Are you ready to come home? How's everything going over there?" He sounded sort of eager.

"Everything's fine here…" my mind was telling me to stall, but my instincts told me to just jump right into it. I put a hand to my forehead, smoothing back my hair. I sighed before continuing. "Actually, no, it's not."

"What's going on?" Charlie demanded, his voice becoming serious. I looked toward the ceiling.

"Dad. There's no use hiding anything from me anymore. I know about her, alright?" I said to him, my voice surprisingly strong. I waited for his response. Charlie was silent for a moment, but then said, "I'm not hiding anything from you, Bells."

Bullshit, I wanted to say. But I knew it would just get me in trouble. "There's no point in denying it, Dad. I know you're seeing someone," I replied. Charlie was silent for another moment.

"Bella—"

"Why did you have to hide it from me, Dad?" I demanded, my voice getting high-pitched and more upset by the second. "Is there some kind of problem? Will she not like me or something?"

"Bella," Charlie said, his voice soft, still shocked. "No, that's not it at all. I was planning on telling you when you moved back to the house, but you delayed it, so—"

"So you decided to delay it?" I finished for him. "That's just great it. Nothing says fatherly love than lying." I knew I sounded like a brat, but I had felt like I had enough.

"I never lied," Charlie replied, suddenly defensive. "And don't you talk to me like that, young lady. Helena has no problem with you. I never dreamed that you would act like such a child about this. You were always so mature, so adult, but now—"

"Now what, Dad?" I asked him, and I felt the tears, once again, fill my eyes. "Now I've changed, right? You're not the first one to notice." I walked to the corner of the living room now, sitting on one of the chairs. I kept my voice low so everyone couldn't hear me in the next room.

"What's going on?" Charlie said sharply. "You've never acted like this. I haven't seen you in more than a year, now you're different. What happened?" I felt a lump form in my throat. I wasn't about to hurt Charlie. Not like this.

"Everything's happened," I whispered to him. "I can't talk to you about it, Dad. I'm not ready. Okay? I just need time." It didn't take me long to spill my guts to everyone in this house.

"I'm worried, Bella," Charlie's voice was soft again, as if he had given up. "I'm not going to let you get away with this."

"I just need time," I said again, angrily this time. "You can't force me. I just need time to collect my own thoughts, especially about this woman, Helena. Everything is so new; it just needs time to sink in. I don't want to talk about it. I'll talk to you when I'm ready."

"I understand," Charlie's voice was low now, disappointed.

"I'll be staying here until I'm ready," I sighed, putting my head in my hands. "If that's okay."

"Take as much time as you need."

"Bye, Dad." I hung up the phone, my eyes still filled with tears that didn't spill over. Not yet. I sat there for another moment. I never dreamed this would get out of control—everything was messed up. I felt weak now, as if I had drained all my emotional energy. I made my way back to the kitchen, where I found everyone, including Tanya, playing Texas Hold'em.

"Hello, Bella," Tanya smiled at me. I smiled weakly back. "Come join us, Bella," Alice said excitedly, patting the seat between her and Rosalie. "Are you any good?"

"Not really," I admitted. "I almost always have to fold."

"Well, it is a game where you have to take chances," Edward spoke up, staring straight at me. He lifted one arm to put it around Tanya's shoulders. I sighed. "No wonder I suck."

Everyone laughed. But I wasn't joking.

-

So what'd you guys think? And I hope a lot of you aren't getting impatient for Bella/Edward fluff, it'll come soon! Thanks for the support. Reviews are appreciated as always!