A/N: Not mine, well, the plot is, but the characters, unfortunately not!

Let's see what happens with the parents, shall we?

Chapter 4

The rest of the ride home was spent in silence and the tension was thick. Once we passed the sign, welcoming us to our hometown, I pulled over at a turnaround used for logging trucks and turned to face Bella.

"So, what are you telling your father? That way I'm not surprised by anything," I explained.

"I'm telling him we made a mistake and are going to be adult and own up to it. Then, we'll go from there," she said.

"What about school? Are you going to stay at your father's?" I asked and Bella shrugged.

"I don't know Edward. All I know is that the baby isn't due until mid September and we have time to figure out the fine tuning. I want to finish out this semester, but the fall is doubtful. I'm just tired and cranky and I really just want to get this over with, okay?"

I nodded, put the car into drive and drove us to Bella's house. When we pulled up, the Chief was standing on the front porch, staring at Em's Jeep with a questioning look on his face.

"Your car okay, Bells?" He called out.

"Fine, Edward just wanted to drive," she explained. I let her go first up the walk, watching as her father pulled her in for a hug, then he turned to me and shook my hand.

"You're the other Cullen boy, right?" He asked.

"Yes sir," I answered.

"Huh, I thought your father said something about you going to school out east," he mused.

I nodded. "Yes sir, in New Hampshire, but I am visiting my brother at U Dub for my Spring Break."

The Chief nodded, then nodded toward the Jeep. "Well, thanks for bringing Bells home. I'll have her call when she's ready to head back."

"Actually Dad, can we talk? All of us?" Bella asked hesitantly.

I watched the Chief look first at Bella, then back at me and his lips tightened into a frown. "Everyone inside," he said and moved aside, letting us walk into the house before him. Bella led the way, walking into a small living room that housed a well-loved couch, a recliner and a LCD television. Apparently, this was the home of a man who loved his sports and the television let all who enter know it. Bella sat on one end of the couch, so I took up the other, leaving the recliner to her father. He sat down and looked back and forth between the two of us for a few minutes. His gaze was intimidating, I could see that if he had been a police officer in somewhere with more crime, he would have been just as successful as he had been in Forks.

"So, let's talk," her father started. He looked first at me, then redirected his attention on Bella. She caved almost immediately.

"Dad, I'm pregnant," she blurted out.

The Chief nodded and still while looking at Bella, tossed a thumb in my direction. "I'm assuming he's the father?"

Bella nodded and a loud sigh filled the room. "What happened to Jake? I thought you two were going to get married, to have kids once you were done school, that's what you've been telling him all along."

I turned my head and looked at Bella, wondering what her father was saying. "I thought you and Jake broke up?"

Bella quickly glanced at me, then down at her hands. "We are, we just talked about taking a break while I was away, since the distance was so great and all."

"So, you planned to get back together?" I asked, trying to make sense of all of this in my head.

Bella bit her lower lip and nodded.

"Well, you can still do that. Have you told Jake yet? Are you sure it's his?" Her father asked, glancing at me again.

"I am positive of that," Bella said with certainty.

"So, what now?" The Chief asked.

Bella looked up from her hands and took a deep breath. "Well, I want to finish out the semester, then move back here?" Her voice rose at the end, making what should have been a statement into a question.

The Chief looked uncomfortable, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. "Bells, I'm not here a lot of the time and with you being in such a delicate condition," he hesitated and I jumped in to break up the awkwardness.

"It's not a problem. My parents have lots of room and my dad is a doctor. They'll be happy to let Bella stay there," I blurted out.

The Chief looked at me and gave me a relieved smile while Bella looked like she wanted to string me up alive.

"You, we, how can-," she sputtered angrily and I shook my head, hoping that she would stop.

"Have you told your parents yet son?" The Chief asked, turning to focus on me.

"We are headed there next, sir," I explained.

"Call me Charlie, we're apparently gonna get to know one another for the next several years," he offered with a small smile.

I had to admit, the Chief, uhm, Charlie, was taking this better than I had expected. Maybe he was still in shock, or maybe he just wasn't that much of an emotional man, but we had told him, I was still alive, no one had yelled and Bella was coming to live with my parents. Not what I was expecting at all.

"So, what are your plans for the rest of the day because right before you got here, I got called into the station," Charlie explained.

"Oh, I was hoping to have lunch, but go to work," Bella said in a small voice. Charlie jumped up from the recliner, walked over to Bella, giving her a hug, then he turned to me and held out his hand. When I took it, he pulled me close to him and talked low into my ear, so Bella couldn't hear.

"You hurt her and you won't have to worry about anything ever again, understand?" He threatened. I nodded, swallowing hard. Charlie let go of my hand and backed away, leaving the two of us staring after him as he departed. Once the door shut, Bella sank back down onto the couch and buried her face in her hands. From the way her shoulders were shaking, I could tell she was crying. I moved closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, only to have it thrown off when Bella shrugged violently.

"Get off of me!" She snapped. I moved back slightly and looked at her. She was glaring at me, angry obviously, though I wasn't exactly sure what I had done to earn it.

She wiped furiously at her eyes, pushing the lingering water off her cheeks and she pushed a fast breathe out of her mouth.

"Let's go to your parents and get this over with. I really just want to get back to school already," Bella told me. She stood and headed out of the living room. I followed and found her standing next to the door, waiting for me. Without saying anything, I walked outside and Bella locked up behind us. Once we were both back in the Jeep, I headed toward home.

The drive didn't take long, but I knew exactly the distance and the time it took, I had done it so many times over the years. On foot, it would take 15 minutes 22 seconds to get from my house to hers. On bike, it was half the time on foot and once I started driving, I had it down to a mere 5 minutes.

"Nice house," Bella remarked when we came to a halt in the driveway. I nodded and quickly moved around the Jeep to help her out, but she was on the muddy ground before I reached her.

"Careful, the drive is an ice rink when it's wet," I warned her, earning me a roll of the eyes. Bella started forward quickly, disregarding my advice and hadn't gone more than 5 steps before she was slipping. It was like the world slowed down, I know that sounds terribly cliché, but that is what I thought as I watched Bella starting to fall. I moved quickly but was unable to prevent her from falling, though I did catch her head before it hit a rock.

"Oh my goodness! Are you two alright?" My mother's voice rang through the air.

"Get Dad Mom," I said urgently. I could hear feet moving on the wooden porch, then Mom's voice calling for my father somewhere in the house.

"Are you okay?" I asked, looking down at Bella. She frowned at me, struggling to move but I had a tight grip on her head, she couldn't go far.

"I'm fine Edward, let me go so I can get up," she grumbled.

"No, you might be injured or worse, the baby," I reminded her. "Wait until my father checks you out, then you can-," I tried to tell her but my mother's loud gasp cut me off.

"Baby? What? Carlisle, grab your bag," Mom called and rushed over to us. She knelt down at Bella's side and looked back and forth between the two of us, silently telling me that I was going to be giving her more information sooner rather than later. She then focused on Bella and her entire demeanor changed. "Bella? I know it's a pain and you probably feel fine, but let Carlisle take a quick look before you get up, okay? Women have lost babies for less than a slip on a muddy driveway."

Bella nodded, as much as she could with me still holding her head and then my father reached us. He looked at me, arched an eyebrow in question, then turned to look at Bella. "Well, well, if it isn't my favorite patient. I've missed our times together in the ER Bella," Dad said with a laugh.

"Me too, Dr Cullen," Bella said with a small smile.

"Well, let's make sure everything is working properly, then we'll get you into the house and some clean dry clothes, okay?" Dad's hands started moving over Bella, tugging and pulling on different parts of her, making sure they were functioning properly. Once he was satisfied, he helped her sit up and I reluctantly let go of her head. Dad pulled her up to stand and then rose himself. Mom, who had been hovering in the background, swooped in and wrapped an arm around Bella's waist and led her into the house, leaving Dad and I outside, watching them go.

"Yours?" Dad asked and I nodded. He sighed, then grabbed his bag and walked over to me. "Plan on doing the right thing?" I nodded again and he seemed satisfied with that. "Okay, go get cleaned up and we'll talk it out after your mother is done fussing over Bella."

He walked into the house at that point, leaving me alone. I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked into the house. I kicked off my shoes, then headed up to my room to grab a shower and change. I could hear Mom and Bella talking from the guest room that sat across the hall from my room, but I didn't stop to listen. I figured whatever they were discussing, I would find out about it sooner or later, if they wanted me to.

I threw off my muddy clothes, then walked into the bathroom that was attached to my room, getting a quick shower. My hands stung and when I looked down, I found them all scratched up. I guessed the rocks had done me in when I was trying to prevent Bella's head from hitting the ground. Once I got out of the shower, I bandaged the scrapes, threw on some clothes I had left at home, then headed down to the kitchen, knowing that is where I would find my parents and Bella.

There they were, Mom was moving around the kitchen, grabbing things as she was cooking while Bella was sitting on one of the stools at the counter and Dad was following Mom's directions. I walked over to the other stool and sat down, making Bella jump.

"Hey, relax, it's just me," I told her. She looked over at me and I could see that she had taken a shower as well. Her dark hair was still damp, making wet patches on the shirt that I was sure was my mother's. "You okay?" I asked, trying to keep my voice low enough that Mom couldn't hear. The woman has super hearing however and before Bella could answer, Mom did so for her.

"She's fine, better now that she's clean," Mom assured me. "So, I didn't know you two knew each other." Mom was about as subtle as a train wreck and I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Mom," I said in warning.

"Edward," Mom replied, turning to look at Bella and I seated at the counter. Her hands moved to her hips and her eyes moved back and forth between us, assessing and calculating. It was Mom's manner. She never missed much, much to Emmett's displeasure several times as we were growing up.

"We, uhm, well," Bella stuttered, trying to figure out how to explain how we came to be sitting in the kitchen together. This has gone much smoother with her father, I wasn't sure what had changed but now, it was really uncomfortable.

"You're going to be a grandma," I blurted out. Mom glared at me and shook her head.

"I figured that out on my own Edward, but thank you for confirming it," Mom said. She turned to look at Bella, who seemed to have shrunk into herself. Mom turned back to Dad, whispered something, then walked over to Bella. Mom wrapped her arms around her and it was then I realized Bella was crying. I watched as Mom comforted her, rubbing Bella's back and whispering things that I couldn't hear, but seemed to be what Bella needed to hear.

"I think you two should stay the night," Mom declared once she had calmed Bella down.

"No, we really-," Bella started.

"We didn't plan on-," I said at the same time.

"Nonsense," Mom said in a firm voice. "It's only Saturday, no need to rush back. You can leave early in the morning if you must get back to school. For right now, Bella needs to rest more than anything and the guest room will be perfect for that. Let me go get it ready." Mom flew out of the kitchen, leaving Bella and I to stare after her and Dad to finish up lunch. He placed plates in front of us and I blindly started eating, not really taking note of the pasta he gave me.

"Thank you," Bella replied, making me come out of my haze and return to the kitchen.

"Yeah, Dad, thanks," I chimed in. The three of us ate in silence, the only noises coming from the forks hitting the plates. Hurricane Esme blew back in when we were almost finished.

"Okay, everything is set up," she told us. "Bella, you are in the room across the hall from Edward, just in case you need anything tonight."

Bella nodded, placing her fork down on the plate. "Really, it's not a big deal if we go back tonight," Bella tried once more. Mom wasn't having any of it.

"Bella, please, let me take care of you, at least for today. I don't know if I'll get the chance later, but for today, let me pretend that everything is normal and let me spoil my unborn grandchild and its mother, okay?"

Bella nodded, tears forming in her eyes once again and I wondered how much one person could possibly cry. I would think at some point, you would get dried up or something, wouldn't you? Mom led Bella from the room and I looked at Dad in wonder, confusion on my face.

"Is it always like this?" I asked.

Dad laughed and shook his head. "No, not always. In fact, it's pretty much a crap shoot, but it can be one of the best crap shoots ever." I didn't quite know what he meant but I wasn't worried. I guessed I would learn sooner or later.

I gathered the dishes, taking them to the sink to wash up. Dad helped me and after a few quiet moments, I started talking.

"It was a mistake, but I would do it again if the circumstances were the same," I told him quietly.

He nodded, drying a plate with a thoughtful look on his face. "Does she feel the same?"

I shook my head and rested my hands in the soapy water. "Doubtful. She didn't even know it was me until I told her yesterday."

Dad paused and looked at me. "Are you sure it's yours?" There wasn't a trace of judgement in his voice, which didn't surprise me. My father was the type who could picture many different scenarios. I guess it came from being a doctor for so long.

"Positive," I assured him.

"Okay, well, what are your plans?" He asked as he placed the last plate in the cabinet. He dried his hands on the dish towel, then leaned back against the counter and watched me.

"Finish out the semester, we both agree on that," I started.

"You at Dartmouth and Bella here?" He clarified and I nodded. "And then?"

I shrugged. "Obviously Bella won't be going for fall semester since the baby is due right about then."

"And you? Do you plan to be here for the birth? To support her, them?" Dad questioned.

"I want to be, I think," I confessed. "I don't know what she wants though."

"I think you need to figure that out, don't you?" Dad asked.

I nodded. I turned to face him, copying his pose identically and this was how Mom found us when she came back into the kitchen. She kissed my cheek, then Dad's before wrapping her arm around his waist and resting her head on his chest.

"Bella needs a place to stay, once the semester is over and apparently Edward offered us up," Mom told him, flashing me an arched eyebrow.

My hand flew to the back of my neck and I rubbed it in frustration. "Yeah, well, you didn't hear what Charlie said, it was so uncomfortable," I explained.

Mom laughed and shook her head. "It's okay sweetheart, really, if you hadn't done it, I would have myself. Charlie Swan is a nice man and a fair police chief but he's not the type that would do well with a pregnant daughter. He'd find reasons to never be around."

I nodded, remembering that was essentially what Charlie had told Bella.

"And what did Bella say about that?" I wondered, since she hadn't commented on it at her father's house, but had obviously mentioned it to Mom.

"She's not sure," Mom said. "The poor girl is so lost right now. Her life is changing in so many ways and not any of the ways she expected it to."

I nodded. Bella had it much harder than I did. I didn't have to go through the changes that she did but eventually, I would have a child to help raise and I needed to start focusing on that.

"I think I need to talk to Bella," I told my parents.

"She's napping now. Let her rest, I'm not sure she's been doing much of that lately," Mom told me.

I nodded and walked out of the kitchen. I headed to the back yard, finding the old tree swing Dad had installed when Em and I were small. Why he had kept it once we got bigger, I wasn't sure, but sooner rather than later, another generation of Cullens would be playing on it.

I had a perfect view of Bella's room from where I sat and even though I couldn't see her, I knew she was in there. I stared at the window as I thought, recalling what I had told my father earlier. I would have done the same thing, given the same set of circumstances. Granted, I probably would have worn a condom, but who knows? I had been presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I had grabbed it with both hands. I was paying for that mistake now, but was it really that horrible to pay?

I pushed myself back and forth with one foot and continued to think. Bella and I were now forever linked to one another. For the rest of our lives, we now shared something that no one could ever tear apart. We had created a life, half her and half me, and even if we wound up not together in the future, we would always be joined, thanks to the baby.

My mind wandered, thinking of all the different scenarios that could happen. Bella could marry Jake, I could marry Tanya and we could share time with the baby. Not the ideal situation, but I did my best to avoid thinking of that. I didn't want to get my hopes up only to have them crash and burn horribly. Though it was only my imagination and imaginations were for the craziest of crazy right, even if they were highly unlikely?

I pictured us in the yard, a small one toddling over the grass. Bella was happy, laughing at something that had been said, while I was chasing our little one around. Finally, we wound up at the swing, the three of us. Bella seated, with the baby on her lap and me behind, pushing them slowly. As the swing would move back toward me, I would lean in and sneak a kiss on Bella's cheek, the baby's head, where ever I could reach. I could see Bella's stomach swelling slightly again, another baby we had created, this one created knowingly, on the way. The picture in my head made my chest ache, I wanted it do badly.

I halted the swing, stared at Bella's window once again and decided at that point, I would do whatever I could to make that image a reality.