A/N: We've reached chapter 20 (I didn't think I could get this story past chapter one but I was wrong…).
This is unedited because I wanted to get it up as soon as I saved it.
I know I'm about a month late on this chapter but I've had ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence, yeah we laughed too. Who need a driving licence for a computer?) tests every Thursday for the past couple of weeks (woo got my certificate!), Christmas rehearsals, exams, projects, the movie, an ice-skating trip and planning the eventual murder of Alex Reed (seriously he got Coldplay tickets for the gig in Phoenix Park and tickets to see FOB and Boys Like Girls in London).
Please remember that I have had a ton of work to do recently and with Christmas coming up my mind has gone mental so this chapter isn't as long as other ones.
Spider-monkey e-cookies to:
Horsefreak01
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kakakasi
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twilight-is-lovee
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Emily
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Tear of Mist
Thanks to Shining Eclipse for betaing most of my chapters, I'll send this one to you soon to fix
I might be able to get rid of that great big list soon if I can get the review reply links working. I switched my email over and hopefully it will work now.
But remember the time I told you the way that I felt
That I'd be lost without you and never find myselfLet's hold onto each other above everything else
Start over, start over
I'll do whatever it takes
To turn this around
I know what's at stake
I know I've let you down
And if you give me a chance and believe that I can change
I'll keep us together whatever it takes
'Whatever It Takes' by Lifehouse
Dec 23rd
Edward Cullen
"Come on… come on," I muttered impatiently, tapping my fingers against the leather steering wheel of my Volvo.
I was stuck behind Mr Brooks' truck, filled with last minute Christmas tree orders. He was crawling along at a speed easily surpassed by the brave cyclists that zoomed by us.
"Dude, just pass him already," Emmett yawned from behind me. Both he and Alice had tagged along for the day. Charlie did say I needed company while with Bella and they wanted to see her so I was killing two birds with one stone by agreeing to their demands.
"We're gonna miss Christmas at this rate," Emmett moaned, hitting his head repeatedly off my headrest.
"Cut that out," I snapped, swatting at his hair. With his strength, and stupidity, he could very well end up breaking my seat.
He leaned back and grimaced when his head sit his seat. "You try staying out all night, coming home to that," he pointed to a very chipper Alice, "and having a massive hangover from staying out all said night."
Alice turned in her seat and glared at Emmett. "I can't help it if I'm excited to see Bella and it's your own fault for not coming home earlier."
Emmett stared back at Alice until his eyes snapped shut and he let out a loud groan. "Pixie. Annoying. Head. Pounding. Too. Much. Alcohol."
The truck finally pulled into a yard and allowed us to pass. I passed it quickly and gunned it to Bella's house. We were twenty minutes late already and we had only covered a quarter mile.
"Excited much?" Alice muttered, her hands clenching on her seat from the speed I was travelling at. The girl drives a Porsche at reckless speeds and can't even handle my driving.
We pulled up onto Bella's street only to see Charlie sitting outside the door staring at our car as it approached. He had his coat on and was visibly annoyed.
"Edward," he said curtly as I got out of the car. I nodded and smiled, running over to let Emmett out because he was having trouble opening the door without the use of sight.
Alice hopped out of the passengers side and grinned at Charlie. The change in Charlie's emotions was instantaneous. "Alice! It's good to see you again."
I pulled Emmett's door open roughly and he tumbled out into the snow that had gathered on the curb.
"Cold, good," he sighed, nuzzling his face into the subzero mush that covered the grass. I grabbed his shoulder and yanked him up off the ground. "No need to act like Scrooge dude, that part was already taken in the movie we watched yesterday by that guy, what was his name…"
Emmett trailed off in his sentence and stumbled towards the door, almost falling twice on branches that were strewn across the ground. Alice helped guide him into the house as I went to talk to Charlie.
The sun had barely risen even though it was gone twelve and the eerie glow that crept through the trees shone on Charlie's face making him look more sinister than need be. I tried not to glance back to Bella's window or to the door.
Charlie stood as I approached him, making it clear that I was a good three inches taller than him but he was the one with a license to carry a gun and shoot me if he wanted to.
"I have been very lenient with your relationship with Bella in the past, Edward, but I think I have to play a bigger part this time," he started walking to my side, effectively blocking my escape route.
"From now on I want to know where my daughter is, what she is doing, who she is with and when she will be back. I am not allowing you to take him on any unscheduled trips and all parties or 'afternoon study sessions'," he used air quotes to make his point, "must be supervised by a reliable parent. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal, sir," I tried to mould my face into what Emmett described as the 'I will lick your dog's ass if you ask me to' expression.
Charlie observed me for a moment before stepping aside and allowing me into the house. I caught a glimpse of Emmett in the front window using air quotes and gesturing to Charlie all while mouthing 'whipped' to me. Hopefully Charlie won't see him.
Inside the house it was much warmer than outside. Shrugging out of my coat, I made my way into the sitting room where Alice's and Bella's voices drifted through the hallway. Everyone went quiet as I walked in. Alice grinned at both Bella and I while Emmett sat into a chair and looked as us as if it was time for the show to begin.
I turned to see Bella sitting beside Alice, her face hidden by her hair. She was fidgeting with a string on her top and looked extremely uneasy.
"Hey Bella," I said as softly as possible. Bella's head snapped up and she gaped at me like a deer caught in headlights. Her face was bright red already and I could feel the blush creeping into my own face as well.
"Are you guys going to stare at each other all day or are we going to go?" Emmett said from his chair. Alice shot him a death glare and smiled at Bella and I. I noticed Bella sending Alice a look when she broke our gaze.
"What?" Alice muttered to Bella, putting on her fake surprised look. It had taken me ten years to understand what her real surprised look was and what her fake surprised look was.
Charlie picked that moment to come in. In one way I was thankful, he had just interrupted what could have been a very awkward moment between Bella and I or a very nasty fight between Alice and Emmett.
In another way I wished he would have waited. I needed to talk with Bella. Not get occasional sentences exchanged in sessions with Dad, but have a proper conversation. I would even settle with a discussion on the weather at this point.
I had planned to see if Bella was okay being on her own with me. If she was then I would dump Alice and Dumbett in the nearest mall or IHOP and spend as much time with Bella as possible. If she wasn't then I would have to settle with having Alice and Dumbett in the car with us.
Charlie swatted Emmett out of his chair and sat down across from us. "So what's the plan?" he asked nonchalantly, all while sending me looks as if to remind me of our previous conversation.
"We were planning on basically reliving Bella's first few months here. Starting from her first day at school and continuing on to the mall in Port Angeles, the diner and our house," I explained, inserting in quickly, "Dad and Mom will help us as well when we get home."
Emmett doubled over behind Charlie's chair, silently laughing at my idiotic mumblings. Charlie felt the vibrations caused by Emmett and turned quickly to look at him. Emmett quickly straightened up and pretended to cough violently to conceal his remaining laughter.
Charlie nodded briefly, as if agreeing to this was like he was agreeing to torture. "Have fun."
Alice hopped off the couch and grabbed Bella, dragging her out of the door. Emmett trailed after them, jogging into the kitchen to get a glass of water because he was currently choking on his own spit.
I gave Charlie a quick nod and hurried after everyone. I never thought the harsh cold air could be so refreshing after being interrogated by… Dammit, what was Charlie to me now?
I mean it wasn't like Bella was my girlfriend before, although I wanted her to be. It's just that now, she was something of a forgetful other half.
I shook my head and hurried after Alice and Bella who were standing at the car waiting for me to open it.
"Come on, Edward," Alice moaned, hopping up and down to help herself keep warm. Bella stood beside her, teeth chattering after leaving the warm house and entering the frigid winter air. I noted with a groan that she had forgotten her coat.
Throwing my keys at Alice, I ran back inside to grab her coat before she froze. I stopped dead when I heard Emmett and Charlie talking.
"… I know but you have to give him some credit, he's only doing what's best for Bella."
Charlie sighed and seen him slump against the door frame in the kitchen. "I know but she's my daughter and as much as I want my Bella back, I'd rather that she stays like this than if he pushes her too hard and she breaks. Just tell him to take it easy."
Emmett walked past Charlie and nodded at me. He knew I had caught the last of his conversation and looked a bit sympathetic.
I spotted Bella's coat hanging by the front door and pulled it off the hook. Charlie turned and looked surprised at the sight of me still in the hall. I held up the coat and nodded before turning on my heel and leaving.
Alice had climbed into the front seat and had the heater running full blast. I handed the coat back to Bella. She mumbled a thanks and slipped it on. My nose started to burn as I belted up. Emmett reached forward and slammed on my radio, turning the station to some hip-hop/festive crap.
"Let's hit the road! We have too much to do and we'll be here until Christmas if Eddie doesn't get moving," Emmett boomed.
Alice rolled her eyes. "Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, you idiot."
I glanced in the mirror only to see Emmett counting down the days with his fingers.
"23rd…24th… oh yeah! Well we'll be here from now until… What would happen a long time from now?" he asked.
"You acing Trig?" Bella suggested.
All of us burst into laughter, including Emmett. I glanced back again to look at Bella. She seemed to be relaxing.
"Right, first stop: school," Alice stated. "Then Port Angeles, the diner…"
I blocked her out as I turned off Bella's road only to see a police cruiser flying past, siren's blaring.
"What the hell?" Emmett muttered. We watched as it pulled into Charlie's drive, two officers getting out and running up to the door.
"Turn around," Bella whispered. I slammed the car into reverse and pulled up in front of the house. Both Bella and I got out and raced up to the door.
"What's going on?" Charlie asked the officers, looking at us as well. The officers noticed us behind them and one mouthed something to Charlie. He nodded and looked back at us. "Go back to the school and continue what you were doing. Nothing's going on, they just heard of some supposed gang presence up in the next county."
Bella smiled at Charlie and turned. I knew something wasn't right but followed her anyway.
"False alarm, just an attack or something in the area," Bella told Emmett and Alice as we got back into the car.
Alice stared at me for a few moments and knew something was going on. Thankfully she didn't say anything.
The ride was quiet aside from Emmett singing along to some song on the radio. We got to the school later than we expected because of holiday traffic.
"Right, here we are," I said, switching off the engine and opening the door.
The school looked ominous with no activity going on inside or out. A thick layer of snow had gathered along the sidewalk and ice covered the roof.
We picked our way carefully throw the snow, making out way towards the main office.
"Do you remember any of this Bella?" Alice asked, hopping gracefully around various obstacles and ice patches.
"Kind of," Bella replied, her eyes glued to the ground as she carefully made her way over to where Emmett was now standing. I dropped back behind her so I could catch her if she fell.
Emmett's cell rang and he reached into his pocket to answer it.
"Hey Charlie… No, I don't think so… Yeah, he's here. Edward, it's for you!"
He threw the cell like a miniature football and I had to step back to catch it.
"Hello?"
"Edward!" Charlie shouted frantically, "Get Bella back now."
"What's going on?" I asked, wondering what could have gotten him so worked up.
"Phil's back."
Phil
I had planned everything out for weeks, but it was too easy in the end.
I had spent every possible day watching where they went, what they did, and now it was finally paying off.
Everything had fallen into place like a simple puzzle.
They were bringing her around to their 'hang-outs' and I knew every single one, and the order they went in.
I knew they had heard about me when the protective boyfriend bundled the brat into the car and sped off but that didn't bother me.
They would be back, and I would be ready and waiting.
Gun in hand and revenge ready to be served.
A/N: Again I'm so sorry for the delay, I'm hoping to keep the momentum going over Christmas and write more chapters if possible. I hope everyone has a good Christmas/New Year/etc etc.
Anybody else excited over the supposed Valentine's Day DVD release day?? The best news for me is that I'm going to New York that day for a school trip…. Anyone in the city who sees about 100 crazed Irish teenage girls running into the nearest stockist screaming should just ignore our madness (we'd be hyper on sugar and jetlag and caffeine and Diet Coke and chocolate…. You have to love school trips!). I feel so sorry for the Aer Lingus cabin crew on our flight.
Nollaig shona duit!