N/A: This next chapter is dedicated to…..twilightLover121!!! Thank-you sooo much for your kind review and it may take a little time for me to reveal Bella's powers, but they will be revealed….eventually!!!

Chapter 3: Charlie's.

I sighed again, all my frustration at Jacob's pig-headedness and behaviour finally seeping through my well masked feelings.

"Are you okay Bella? I know Jacob's reaction must have been hard on you, but he'll come around. Trust me." Edward looked at me sympathetically.

I did trust him- that wasn't the problem. I didn't really know what I was expecting- some kind of miraculous 'welcome home'? We would never be as good friends as we used to be, not now, but I was hoping we might find some common ground. Something we could at least agree on. It would appear I was mistaken.

"I know. But I just can't help feeling we're never going to be the same as we used to be." I glared out the window at the steady rainfall.

Edward laughed his musical, whimsical laugh.

I often wondered whether I sounded like that- whether my new laugh, my vampire laugh, would ever be as wonderful as his. I didn't see how that could be possible, but a lot had changed.

My walk had become more graceful, yet my constant accidents seemed somehow inescapable. Even I had noticed a visible difference in my already pale skin. And then there was my hair. What had before just been dark brown was now a shiny, thick mass of auburn curls with the faintest hint of golden blond when I moved my head. Even I admitted- my looks had improved. I finally felt I could be good enough for Edward.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

"Edward? You know how you said the thing that first attracted me to you was my…aroma? Well…I was wondering whether that still applies, as it were." It was a slightly weird question, but Edward was used to that by now…or at least he should be, considering.

He hesitated for a moment, obviously weighing up his answer.

"Well….there's no doubt that you smell different, but even now you're smell is stronger than that of an ordinary vampire. You smell almost as good as you did when you were human- almost the same." He smiled lightly, but there was a tension behind his eyes.

Almost, but not the same. Almost. One word that could hold so much meaning. Almost.

"You still love me though, right?" There was an unsuppressed panicked edge to my voice, and I could hear the desperation.

The car suddenly screeched to a halt. I turned in my seat to Edward, wondering the reason for the sudden stop. He sat there glaring daggers at me, his golden eyes blazing into me.

"Don't you ever ask that. Don't you ever dare ask that. Of course I love you! I always will. It doesn't make a shred of difference to me whether you're stupid enough to sacrifice you're soul for me- you're still Bella. I still love you. Do you understand me?" His liquid topaz eyes, impossibly beautiful, bored right into my soul…or whatever it was that vampires had.

I nodded mutely, my mind completely blank. All I could think about were his perfect eyes.

His expression softened.

"I love you Bella, more than you could possibly comprehend. I. Love. You." He enunciated every syllable clearly and precisely, his marble face grim.

"I'm sorry."(Although I didn't really know why I was apologising- I just couldn't remember) "I just forgot how someone as perfect as you could ever love someone like…well…me."

His expression flickered indecisively between anger and humour, his eyes still boring into me.

"Have you seen yourself lately? You're not too far off perfect yourself." A wry smile broke through his lips, humour obviously winning the battle between the two emotions.

I smiled, but I could feel it didn't reach my eyes. An impatient sigh escaped my lips. I wasn't quite sure why I was so desperate to reach Charlie's house- he would have aged so in the twenty years I had been gone. I often forgot how human's aged- being around the "eternally damned" has that effect. I winced as I thought of how badly I had hurt him when I left- I would never be able to wipe his expression completely from my memory.

Speaking of Charlie- as I thought those very words, Edward turned left into the driveway of the little house that was my father's home. I sighed again, and wondered how I would explain my appearance.

"Chin up. Remember, he's your father. He still loves you." Edward gripped my arm possessively as we walked up the drive. After my transformation, I never thought I'd come back, but Edward had insisted that I do- I had spent years mourning the fact that I would never see my friends, my father, or anyone I had known before Edward Cullen, until Edward half dragged me back here. Initially, I was excited by the prospect of seeing my father again, but now, I was having serious doubts. I wasn't sure if I wanted to see my father so frail, as I was sure he would be now.

Edward walked me confidently up to Charlie's front door, and, as usual in these situations, I was infinitely grateful for his presence. Edward knocked loudly on the door. How was he so calm?

There was no answer.

"Dad? Dad, are you home? It's me, Bella." I called tentatively through the door. I was sure Charlie was home- his car was out front.

Ever since his retirement, Charlie had taken losing his cruiser very hard- the occasional phone calls made this all too apparent. Charlie was very critical of the new police officer- he was too young, too reckless e.t.c…

But as a leaving present, the force had gotten him a new ford moneo. He guarded the thing with his life.

"Bells? Bella? Oh Bella! It is you! And…Hello Edward." Charlie nodded curtly towards my husband.

"Good afternoon sir." Edward smiled warmly in return.

"Bella….You're so…Different. You haven't aged at all!" Charlie looked with some confusion at me.

I laughed easily.

"Must be the Alaskan air! But dad, I wanted to drop by to tell you the good news! Carlisle has given Edward and me the Cullen's house, so we'll be moving back to Forks."

I'm not sure what I was expecting- laughter, a smile, a congratulations? But Charlie's reaction was not at all what I had in mind. He scowled at me, at Edward. I was completely offended. Didn't he want me back?

"Don't say that…person's name around me again, do you hear Bella?" He spat the words at me. I was completely shocked. Charlie had never had anything but the utmost respect for Carlisle Cullen. Why the sudden hostility?

"Dad, what happened? You used to love Carlisle!"

Charlie cast his eyes quickly around the drive. My eyes strayed uncertainly to Edward. He was scowling, but he didn't look angry, or anywhere near as angry as I felt. I guessed he must know the reason for Charlie's sudden hatred of the doctor, or else I had a feeling he would be at Charlie's neck right now.

"I think you'd better come inside."