A/N Yes.. Yes... I know this is late. But I wanted to get this right (as I always do) but I am really excited for this chapter. And I really enjoyed writing it. I hope you guys enjoy reading it too. :D Plot belongs to Zemrocku.

Dr Cullen's POV:

The first thing I hear as I make my way up the drive to my home - even with the house windows shut and my car windows rolled up - is my children arguing, and my wife attempting to mediate.

Had I known this is what life would be like if we moved to Forks... Well, I'm not sure if I would still move here or not. Life has certainly got interesting in the past few months, if not more difficult.

I hear something smash. I've never been more afraid to walk into my own house.

As I walk in, setting my brief case by the door and hanging up my coat (a prop, of course. I have no need for it), it becomes clear to me that Edward and Rosalie are at the centre of the argument. This is no surprise. Those two have always argued, and since Chief Swan's daughter moved here it has only got worse.

"What is going on?" I ask loudly, and for a moment everyone stops shouting and turns to look at me. But then the shouting starts again, but this time about each other and to me. It seems the other children had decided to take sides. Alice is standing next to Edward, while her husband is standing just behind Rosalie. Emmett is standing beside Esme, looking very uncomfortable. I get the feeling he is in disagreement with his wife, but is unwilling to go against her. "One at a time!" I amend, as they continue to scream, finally turning on each other as insults are thrown through the living room.

"Edward's being an idiot!" Rosalie accuses immediately.

"Rosalie's being irrational!" Edward shouts after her. I see Esme sigh across the room the shouting begins again; Rosalie and Edward turning on each other.

Those are the answers I've had for the past few weeks. Today seems different.

"What's different about today?" I ask, and the shouting stops again.

"Bella spoke to Edward today," Alice informs me, and I nod in understanding. Edward has been talking to Bella for weeks, but she hasn't paid him the same attention. As I look over I notice that Rosalie looks murderous.

"Which doesn't change anything," Rosalie snarls, taking a step towards her brother. Edward rolls his eyes.

"I can talk to her if I want to," Edward tells her, and Rosalie bares her teeth at him.

She turns to me. "Can't you order him to stop talking to her? It's too dangerous!"

"Rose..." I begin, unsure how to word exactly what I want to say.

"No!" She exclaims, somehow becoming angrier. I feel Jasper's power wash over us, but it doesn't affect my daughter at all. "Don't you dare say some crap about how we can trust him! He's already put her in the hospital once! And she's told him to stay away from her! He's being selfish!"

"That was different!" Edward implores, looking slightly desperate now. "I wasn't exactly expecting her to be in the forest while I was hunting!"

"What if one day Emmett or someone isn't there to restrain you, Edward?!" Rosalie shouts, and the others sort of step away from them, hoping I'll sort it out.

"It won't be necessary again!" Edward shouts back, growing angrier by the second. "I'm sorry I wasn't expecting her to be in the middle of the woods while I was hunting, okay Rose?! And I think you'll find that I didn't put her in the hospital as I'm not the one who threw her!"

"Emmett wouldn't have had to throw her if you hadn't been hunting her!"

"I didn't know she was there!"

"What kind of vampire are you if you can't detect one little human?"

"What kind of vampire - I was in the middle of a hunt!"

"You could have scouted the area first!"

"Since when did this become an argument about how good my senses are?!"

"Since you brought it up!"

"I did not!"

"Yes, you did! With your, 'I'm not the one who threw her!' and your, 'What kind of vampire are you?'"

"... You said that!"

"You repeated it!"

"Oh will you just-"

"Enough!" I decide to end it there; I'm afraid that if it goes on much longer the argument will get physical, and that wouldn't be good for either of their physical health or for the family. "Now," I continue, in a much calmer tone, making eye contact with both of the two in turn. "We are going to go to the dining room and discuss this like adults." I watch as they walked into the dining room, some of them sighing as they go. In just a moment, Esme and I are alone. She smiles at me weakly, and gives me a reassuring look before taking my hand and kissing my cheek. I sigh exasperatedly and she laughs quietly.

"Let's get this over with," She whispers, and I smile at her, kissing her cheek and walking into the dining room.

Esme and I take the remaining two seats at the head of the table. Esme, Edward and Alice are seated on my right, with Rosalie seated on my left. Jasper is standing against the wall behind her, studiously avoiding Alice's eyes. Emmett sits dutifully next to his wife, but keeps sneaking glances at Edward and Alice, almost apologetically. "Now," I find myself saying again. "What's going on? One at a time, and without shouting. Please say your side of the story. No one is to interrupt. Rosalie, you can go first."

I mainly allow Rosalie to go first just so someone doesn't start another argument about how Edward is my favourite. It's an ugly and untrue accusation that reflects badly on both Edward and myself, and I have no patience for it. Also, the time will give Edward to calm down and think about his side of the story and his answer so Rose can't contradict him. Sometimes Edward's temper is worse than his sister's.

Rosalie starts with, "Edward put Bella in the hospital." It's a fair argument, but we've been over it so many times I don't see how we can go over again and come to any other conclusion than it was an accident. Rosalie continues, "The day after, she spent the day here. Esme says she was really uncomfortable and we saw proof of that ourselves when we got home."

"Because you shouted at her for no reason," Alice interrupts and I give her a warning look. She slumps down in her seat.

"I know you have already said it's a natural human reaction to being in a house full of vampires," Rosalie states, frowning slightly. "But it's not. Not with her. You can see it in her eyes that she doesn't want to be around us, that she sees more than the normal human. I'm not saying that she knows what we are, exactly, just that while Edward was talking to her, or standing near her, you could see it in her eyes that she didn't want him there, and yet she wasn't afraid of him. Being around her is dangerous for us, but I also think that it's unpleasant for her in a completely different way than all the humans."

I'm just about to open my mouth to ask her to elaborate when Emmett begins to speak. His voice is a lot quieter than usual, almost subdued. "Basically, what Rosie is trying to say is that Bella looks like Jasper. Jasper left his old life to have a normal life, or at least to escape the pain and the violence. Then he fell in love and was brought here and he thought he might finally have a normal life with us - a family. But then finds out that we already have a talented vampire that is already wary enough of him because of his scars without reading his mind, and then finds out that the rest of us are basically insane, and that he can never ever have a normal life whether he stays with is or not. The look on Bella's face is one of someone who doesn't have a way out, but wants one desperately, and worries that the situation they're currently in is the way out but ignores that possibility because it's not the situation they imagined when they left the old one."

Emmett goes silent as everyone stares at him. Some are surprised he has indulged his more serious side, as he so rarely does, but the only ones who look genuinely shocked are Alice and Jasper. Clearly they still don't know him as well as the rest of us do; Alice must not have seen that coming. From years of listening to Emmett's thoughts, I'm not surprised that Edward also isn't shocked, and of course Rosalie knows everything about her husband just as Esme and I know everything about our son, just because he is our son.

"Thank you, Emmett," I say, smiling at my son who is looking uncharacteristically shy. "That was very insightful. Rosalie, you may continue if you want to add anything."

My blonde daughter shrugs. "Emmett summed it up. I just think it's best we leave her alone. It'll be safer for us, and for her, and she will get the life she deserves. This situation she's in - surrounded by vampires - doesn't have to be it for her. If we leave her alone, that expression will never have to grace her features ever again. and there won't be any risk of Edward killing her and forcing us to move."

I nod as she finishes. Over the years Rosalie has got a lot better at calmly putting her point across, but will often snap at anyone who interrupts to contradict her. Thus the 'no interrupting' rule. "Edward," I turn to my son, who is sitting low in his chair, one hand on the table and the other on his knee, grating harshly against the fabric of his jeans. "Your turn."

He looks up at each of us before beginning. He starts similarly to Rosalie. "I put her in the hospital." He looks up at Emmett specifically. "It was an accident, but I will be forever indebted to Emmett for being there and restraining me. Because if I killed her..." He trails off, looking tortured, and I notice Jasper flinching out of the corner of my eye. I wonder what Edward must be feeling to cause that. My son looks up, looking at me this time. "I tried my best," He tells me, and I don't have to be Jasper to know he is being honest with me. "I tried my best to stay away from her. I did. But I can't do that anymore. I don't... I don't know what it is... I just..." I don't believe I have ever seen my oldest (and yet youngest) child so lost for words. I exchange a glance with Esme; it's worse than we thought.

Alice speaks from her chair. Like Emmett, she is much more subdued than usual. This argument is clearly taking it's toll on my family, and I do not like it. I hope it ends soon. "Bella's going to good to be good for us," She states, smiling slightly. "I can't quite see how yet, but I know that's something good is going to come out of it if we just stay as we are. Keep going as we are, and allow Edward to keep talking to her." She pauses, choosing her next words carefully. "I don't think any good will come out of it at all if someone," She glances up at Jasper nervously, "does anything to her, even if it's in the name of protecting our family."

"Well said, Alice," I commend her. "Edward, do you think you can elaborate on your feelings for Bella?"

He takes a deep, shuddering breath and takes a moment before answering. "I can't," He finally answers in a whisper. "I can't explain it. I... I just... She's..." I nod, and reach across Esme to place my hand on his. I'm sure the rest of the family understands exactly what is happening to their brother, even if they are adamant on denying it and Edward is blind to it.

"For now," I begin carefully, aware of everyone's eyes on me. "We're going to keep going as we are. Edward, you are welcome to talk to Bella, as long as-"

"Are you serious?!" I'm cut off by my daughter's angry screech. I look over and find Rosalie's eyes murderous, and her posture dangerous. Esme looks at her reproachfully, but she pays no mind. "I don't believe this! I delivered a perfectly good argument that clearly showed being around the Swan girl is on good for us or her, and this jackass barely says ten words and your siding with him?!"

"Rose," I try to calm her, but she is having none of it.

"No!" She shouts. "I'm sick of this!"

"Rose," Emmett murmurs, having an idea about what she is going to say, and not wanting to let her finish.

"You and Edward, always the perfect team!" She continues, disregarding her husband entirely. "Just because you changed him first, just because he's alone and your little golden boy-"

"Rosalie!" Jasper shouts now, shaking his head at her. I know where this argument is going, but I'm not going to interrupt further. Either she digs herself in deeper or she realises her mistake and calms herself.

"Just because he's your favourite - " And there it is, the thing everyone was trying to avoid. Now we just sit back and let her vent. "His opinion, and what you perceive to be best for him overshadows what's best for us, or even for the whole family! It's sickening, and I'm tired of it. He's not perfect, you know, Carlisle. In fact, he's a lot less perfect than a lot of people in this table. Just stop. For the good of the family. Just stop."

The room is silent after she finishes, and I look down at the table. "Rosalie," I sigh, shaking my head slightly. "You know I have no patience for this argument. You know I do not tolerate it. It is inaccurate, completely untrue, and a pathetic argument at best. Please hand you credit cards to Esme -" I keep going despite Rosalie's protests, "-you will not be going shopping for a week. The next time you try and use this argument when I side with Edward, or any of the others, or you simply don't get your way, I will triple that time, and ensure Emmett is not allowed near you for a week, which is not something I want to do as it is as much a punishment for Emmett as it is for you. Now, hand your credit and debit cards to Esme and make your way upstairs. If I find out you have been shopping online I will also take away all electronics from you, which would include disconnecting the internet for the entire house, which wouldn't be fair on your siblings. If I were you I would think carefully about my actions from now."

With a murderous expression, she pulls out her purse and removes each of her cards and hands them to Esme. Alice helps ensuring that Rosalie has handed over every card and then allows herself a small grin as Rosalie heads up the stairs on her own. Even if I had dismissed Emmett I'm not sure he would follow her at this point, as he seems quite interested in what I'm going to say, or what I was going to say before I was interrupted. I wait until we hear the door to Rosalie and Emmett's bedroom door slam before speaking. One of the good things about being a family of vampires is that if i have to send one of the children out of the room for losing their temper they can still hear everything that's being said.

"As I was saying, Edward, you are allowed to speak to Bella, as long as you are careful. Check your thirst regularly, and mind what you say. Don't give anything about is away," I instruct, watching as Edward struggles to keep a smile at bay. After a moment he nods at me, as if realising he hadn't acknowledged me. Soon after, I tell them all to go, although Alice and Jasper stay in the dining room, and I can tell they will be having a serious discussion about their opposing views.

Later that night, Esme and I are lying in our bed, simply enjoying each other's company. I can tell Esme is aware there is something wrong, but she simply allows me my time to work out what is troubling me before voicing it to her. Finally, I do. "Do you think I was too harsh with Rosalie today?" I ask, and turn my head to look at her, lacing my fingers through hers. She smiles at me, caramel waves spilling across the snowy pillow, and shakes her head slightly.

"No, I think you did the right thing. She was getting out of line, and has used that argument about you and Edward one too many times. You are right to not tolerate it, as it is rubbish and uncalled for," She reassures me, smiling again and sending a burst of warmth through me. Once again I find myself questioning how I got so lucky to have her. We are silent once again after that, until Esme speaks. "It's wonderful about Edward, isn't it?" She whispers, as our telepathic son is hunting at the moment, but we don't know how close to the house he is or even how large his range is. "I've tried so hard not to think about it; he needs to work this out on his own, but it is so wonderful! I've waited for this to happen for almost a century. I just wish it wasn't taking such a toll on the rest of the family."

"Me too," I tell her with a sigh. "I also wish it wasn't so complicated."

I look back up at the ceiling then, and I hear Esme sigh next to me as she relaxes deeper into my side. "I love you," I murmur, turning my head to kiss her hair.

She grins and laughs quietly. "I love you too." She turns so I can pull her into my arms properly. "You've done the right thing," She reassures me, then in a quieter voice, "I just hope Edward will too."

I can't help but agree.