Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.

Chapter Thirteen

Sam's POV

"Are you sure you got everything, sweetpea?" Emily asked as Bella finished packing.

"Yeah. Besides, it's not like I won't be back," Bella smiled weakly.

"That's right. You better come back soon. I'm gonna miss having you around," Emily pouted, hugging the smaller woman.

"Of course. I'll miss you, too," Bella assured her, patting her back.

I smiled, leaning against the doorway as Emily fussed over Bella, making sure all her bags were packed correctly and quadruple checking all the drawers for forgotten clothing. Bella glanced over at me, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. I shot her a wink in return, knowing the two were just trying to put off the inevitable.

"Is she ready?"

I looked over my shoulder to see a nervous Paul shuffling his feet in my hallway. I knew the wolf in him was howling to get out, to stop Bella from leaving, but the man knew she had to return to Forks. Charlie was finally home from his court case and very anxious to see his little girl. We were expecting him to show up any minute to take her home.

"Almost," Bella answered him from within the bedroom.

Paul tensed momentarily, as if the soft sound physically affected him. I knew the feeling well and I worried about how he and Bella would deal with this separation. Emily's theory of their bond had been accepted by the pack and the Elders to the point where Bella was now looked upon as an imprint, just like Kim and Emily. It also meant that Paul couldn't stand to be away from her for more than twenty-four hours and she him. It was going to be difficult coordinating their relationship and I only prayed that Charlie wouldn't mind Bella coming to spend some nights at La Push with me and Emily.

Paul suddenly jerked towards the front of the house, a pitiful whine escaping his throat a second before I heard the sound of gravel crunching in the driveway.

"Come here, Em," I murmured, holding my arm out for her.

She smiled warmly at Bella as she ducked into my embrace, walking with me to greet the Chief. Paul darted into the bedroom, shutting the door softly behind him.

"We need to keep Charlie busy for a few minutes so they can have a proper goodbye," I whispered to my mate.

"Okay," Emily nodded, kissing the bottom of my chin.

I growled softly at her teasing, tightening my arm around her shoulders affectionately as we went to greet our guest.

Paul's POV

I closed the bedroom door behind me, my eyes following Bella as she packed up the last of her things. I knew she was aware of my presence, but she refused to meet my gaze. When she shoved the same shirt into the suitcase for the fourth time, I finally stepped forward.

"Swan."

Her watery brown eyes looked up at me and she sobbed when I held my arms out for her. She rushed into my embrace, clutching me tightly to her as she cried.

"I don't want to go. I want to stay with you and Sam and Emily," Bella sobbed.

"I know, Swan, but you have to go home. Charlie has missed you," I told her, rubbing my hand up and down her spine in an attempt to comfort her.

"But I'll never be able to see you," Bella declared.

"Sure you will. Nothing could keep me away from you, Swan. Nothing," I vowed harshly, nudging her wet cheek with my nose.

She turned to meet my lips, opening herself to my searching tongue. Her tears moistened my own cheeks as I shared her fear and sorrow. I knew she was terrified that I wouldn't come for her, that I would just let Charlie take her home and move on like she'd never been here. Our bond was so strong, but I knew she didn't completely trust it just yet. She's been through the same thing with that fucking leech, but this was different. Leaving her alone would be like signing my own death warrant.

I couldn't… wouldn't survive without her.

Charlie's POV

Bella came out of the house about ten minutes after I arrived, her eyes puffy and red from crying. I instantly thought to accuse Paul of hurting her, but the way Bella clung to the boy's arm dismissed my assumption. The way Paul positioned his body slightly in front of hers showed just how protective of my Bella he had become in the past month and a half.

"Hey, Dad," Bella greeted me softly.

To finally hear her voice in person nearly sent me to my knees. My biggest fear while in Seattle was that she wouldn't be able to talk to me in person, that the phone was what had given her the ability to talk to me. I had to clear my throat a few times before I could answer her back.

"Hey, Bells. You ready to go home?" I asked gruffly.

She seemed to turn into herself at my question and, for a second, I was terrified I'd set her back, but Paul brought her hand up to his lips, kissing her fingers softly and she was able to get a hold of herself. Looking at the spot in front of my feet, she nodded her head.

I watched as Paul bowed down slightly to whisper in her ear. A tear ran down her cheek as she leaned into him, but she managed a weak smile when he kissed her temple. The tenderness Paul showed my daughter told me more than words ever could. The supporting arm around her shoulders, the gentle way he touched her, even the warm way he looked at her spoke of a man in love. It didn't escape my attention that this was the boy who had helped Bella heal. I knew there was a connection between the two of them that went deeper than anything I'd seen previously.

"Paul, why don't you join us for dinner? I was going to take Bella to the diner so she didn't have to cook our first night back at the house. Not like there's anything at the house to cook," I chuckled.

Paul looked down at Bella, smiling slightly when he noticed her hopeful expression.

"Sure, thing. Thanks, Chief," Paul grinned, squeezing Bella's shoulders affectionately.

"Mind helping me put these bags in the car?" I asked, indicating Bella's luggage.

"I've got them," Paul brushed me off, taking two bags towards the trunk.

Bella walked forward, wrapping her arms around my waist and hugging me tightly.

"Thanks, Dad," Bella murmured into my chest.

"Welcome, Bells," I coughed, patting her back awkwardly.

She turned back to Emily and Sam, moving to hug them both. Sam came forward and shook my hand while Emily and Bella said goodbye.

"Anytime you need to work overnight or a long weekend, you let us know. We'd be happy to have her again," Sam offered.

"I might have to take you up on that. I have a feeling the department will be busy with the closing of this case. We have a lot of work to catch up on," I sighed, not looking forward to the piles of paperwork awaiting me come Monday.

"Just give me a call. I'll even come pick her up," Sam grinned wryly.

"I appreciate it. I'll let you know," I nodded in thanks.

Bella came to stand by my side, smiling happily as Emily slid under Sam's arm.

"Ready to go, Bells?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm sure Paul is starving. He skipped lunch," Bella giggled, casting a fond glance in the boy's direction.

"Well, let's go then. Something tells me that boy needs to be fed pretty often," I chuckled, waving her towards the cruiser.

She climbed into the backseat, Paul sliding in right behind her. I frowned, not sure I liked the seating arrangement, but I didn't want to make Bella uncomfortable by having one of them move. Holding my tongue, I climbed in the front seat, waving to Sam and Emily as I drove off.

"How was your trip, Dad?" Bella asked, surprising me.

I had expected them to remain wrapped up in their own little world. It was nice to know Bella wasn't going to pretend like I wasn't there.

"It was good. Light traffic the whole way, which was nice. The hotel I stayed at was really nice, thanks to the prosecuting attorney. Real nice lady. We had dinner a few times," I told her.

"Really? Any chance of that continuing?" Bella asked slyly.

"Ehm. Well, she did say she had a local case the next town over and that she wouldn't mind getting together," I coughed, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks.

"Leave your dad alone, Swan. He doesn't need his daughter cramping his style," Paul insisted.

I glanced in the rearview mirror to see him tap her nose, making her scrunch up her face. It struck me as odd that he called her by our last name and I made a mental note to ask Bella about it once we were alone.

I pulled up to the diner before Bella could respond to Paul's teasing comment and we all piled out of the cruiser. Bella gave me a smile as she came around the cruiser, Paul close behind her. He looked around the area as we walked into the diner, then looked around the diner as we walked to our table. His eyes seemed to take in every detail as he smoothly maneuvered it so that Bella was always between me and him, showcasing his instincts as a cop.

"So, Paul. You ever think about going into law enforcement?" I asked after our drinks had arrived.

Bella snorted, nearly spraying water everywhere. Paul patted her back roughly as she started coughing.

"Jesus, Swan. Be careful, will you?" Paul frowned.

"Sorry," Bella gasped, taking another sip of water.

Paul watched her for a few seconds, I suppose to make sure she wouldn't choke again before turning back to me.

"I actually do a little work for La Push law enforcement, Chief. Sam, Jared, and I all work minor security details. We help patrol the area when things get hectic. It doesn't pay much, but that's not really why we do it," Paul grinned.

"You've got that instinct. I noticed it when we came in. It's always good to be aware of your surroundings. That's something I've tried to teach Bella, but she has absolutely no sense of self-preservation. I have to force her to carry that mace when she leaves the house," I told him, causing my daughter to huff indignantly.

"Hey! At least I carry it. It's not like I've ever had to use the thing, though," Bella grumbled.

"And I pray that you never will, but at least it gives your old man some peace of mind," I said.

"Trust me, Chief. I'm well aware of Bella's inability to sense danger. Not only can she not sense it, but she seems to attract it in hordes," Paul chuckled.

"It's not my fault I'm a danger magnet. And stop ganging up on me! It's not fair," Bella insisted, pouting slightly.

"Tough, Swan. Get used to it," Paul smirked, tapping her nose again.

Bella playfully snapped at his finger, making Paul and I laugh at her attempt to be ferocious.

The topic of conversation shifted then, turning to sports and what they had done in La Push while I was in Seattle. I listened as Paul proposed having Bella finish out her senior year through the community college, liking the idea more and more as he went on. It was the perfect solution seeing as Bella had missed so many weeks of school. There was no way they'd let her graduate on time. Taking classes through the community college would not only let her graduate on time, but would help with her college credits after high school. While Paul and I talked, Bella seemed to be content to just sit quietly, offering her opinion occasionally. She smiled freely at both of us, clearly pleased we were getting along.

I had worried when I'd first arrived at Sam and Emily's that Paul would turn out to be another Cullen, but from the way Bella was acting, I could tell it was as different as night and day. Clearly Paul would not be keeping Bella away from me or all to himself, like Cullen had. Not only had she managed to make friends in La Push, she was obviously making an effort to include me in her life. Unlike with Cullen, she didn't ask me to be nice to Paul or to even give him a chance. Paul was earning his position in my daughter's life all on his own, as he should.

Looking at the two of them, it was clear to see that he adored her just as she seemed to revere him. Yet, at the same time, they were two separate beings. Cullen had dominated the relationship between him and Bella, but Paul was content to just be near her. Instinctively, I knew he would protect her till his last breath.

It hit me that in a few years, I would probably be sitting in this same spot with a grandkid or two sitting beside me. The thought of Bella having children had never occurred to me before, but I could easily see the two of them taking on life together. They were so different from Renee and me, they could actually make a go of it and make it work. My little girl… was becoming someone else's.

"Dad?"

I blinked, surprised to have become so caught up in my thoughts that I lost track of the conversation.

"What was that, Bells?" I asked.

"I asked if you wanted desert," Bella repeated.

"I don't think so, honey. I don't need to sugar keeping me up tonight," I answered.

"We can go, then. Paul promised to help patrol La Push later tonight. His shift starts soon," Bella told me.

"Alright. Let's get you back, then," I grunted, rising from the table.

"Thanks for dinner, Chief Swan," Paul nodded, shaking my hand.

"Anytime, son. Thanks for keeping an eye on my girl," I said.

I savored the words, knowing I wouldn't be able to call her mine for much longer.