AN: At this rate, I shouldn't even bother apologizing. It's all the same excuse. I should be able to get the next one out in less than a month, though, since my last paper is due in two weeks (I should get to work on that...). After that, I will have way more time to write. Hopefully the two teasers I gave you helped ease the time a little. There was a grand total of 12 reviews for the last chapter, which is amazing. Thank you guys so much!! :) And thanks to my beta, SwallowedxInxThexSea, once again for being an awesome beta!
And without further ado, Edward and Charlie will finally meet....
Chapter 16 – Drill Sergeant Swan
EPOV
She looked so happy.
I gazed down at Bella, her head resting on my chest and a smile emblazoned across my face. Seeing her so comfortable sleeping with me, pulling me closer, and simply wanting to be with me was mind-blowing. She had asked to stay the night with me for the first time and I was not in any position to deny her.
My gaze kept shooting to her left hand, noting with no small amount of satisfaction the lack of a ring on her third finger. I gently kissed her knuckle as I caressed the hand that was resting on my chest. It was still early and she needed the sleep, so I didn't want to chance waking her.
The other night had played witness to a whirlwind of emotions, especially for Bella. When the realization finally set in that her entire life had changed, she completely broke down in my arms. I knew it was mostly relief and the expression of pent up emotions, but it killed me to see her like that. I held her for almost an hour before she finally calmed down enough to apologize. By the time I'd gotten her to realize that this was all a good thing and that I didn't care if she cried all over my shirt, she was sufficiently tuckered out.
We'd spent a lot of time together over the past few days when I wasn't at work. Bella was working on trying to get her life in order and looking through college pamphlets and finding job opportunities.
Saturday morning she was safely tucked in my bed and wrapped in my arms. There was nothing better in the world.
Her cheek nuzzled into my skin some time later and her breathing pattern changed enough to let me know that she was waking up. I ran my hand up and down her back and kissed the top of her head.
"Good morning, love," I whispered.
"No, still dark," she muttered. She pulled my hand up and over her eyes to block out the minimal light that was peeking through the thick blinds. "Dark means sleep."
"It's almost noon," I countered. "We need to get up, Bella."
Her hand flopped around until she found my face. She covered my mouth with her tiny hand and shushed me. "No moving, Edward. Too comfy," she mumbled into my skin.
I chuckled and kissed her palm before removing her hand. "I need to go into work today," I admitted. "So even if you don't get up, I need to."
That finally got her attention. Though it wasn't the reaction I was expecting.
She looked up at me with wide, pleading eyes. "You're going to leave me all alone in this nice, big bed?"
My jaw dropped and my train of thought took a detour to the seediest, darkest, most creative area of my mind. That one question – and the tone of voice in which it was spoken – led to fantasies I'd been working to repress for a few years. I blinked a couple times before I was able to process that it had been a simple, innocent question.
I cleared my throat quickly and composed myself before she could notice that I'd gotten slightly carried away. "Well, I was actually hoping that you'd spend the day with me before we meet up with your dad," I asked hesitantly. "I know Rose would love to have another girl in the shop. We can even teach you the basics of running the counter so you don't feel like you're doing nothing all day."
Bella smiled up at me and kissed my chest. "That sounds like a great idea. Just let me jump in the shower," she said. She started to get up, but I held her in place. "What?" she sighed.
I smirked. "You forgot something," I said.
Her smile told me she knew where I was going with that, but she decided to play coy. "How can I forget something when I haven't even gotten out of bed? Pray tell, Mr. Cullen," she teased.
"This," I growled softly before leaning down and capturing her lips between mine.
She responded with more enthusiasm than I had expected for someone who just woke up. Her fingers threaded into my hair and she squealed a little when I flipped her over. A smile lit up her entire face.
"This is nice," she murmured between kisses, "waking up like this…"
"Get used to it, baby," I smirked. "There will hopefully be a lot more mornings like this."
She groaned and turned her head to the pillow. "There might not be," she grumbled.
I sat up abruptly, my face contorting in confusion and worry. Her eyes widened when she took in my expression and she sat up as well. She cupped my cheek in her hand.
"Not like that, Edward," she quickly assured me. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. What I meant was, now that my dad knows I've been staying over here, he might not want me to do it very often…"
I thought about that for a minute. If her father was willing to meet me, doesn't that automatically mean that he is okay with this?
Uh, wrong, I realized. It only means that he wants to size you up and take notes on reason to keep her from you.
Shit.
"Are you sure he doesn't hate me on principle?" I asked in defeat.
Bella grimaced. "I think the only things you have going for you right now are the night we met and the fact that I love you," she said.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Well, hopefully that's enough. Somehow I doubt it…"
"I love you," she replied with a smile.
"I love you too. Now go get dressed," I said, getting off the bed.
The shop was busy with coeds even though the school year was over. They probably had internships in the city. Drew was working the front and visibly relaxed when he saw Bella and I walk in.
"Thank god you're finally here. It's been a freakin' madhouse," he said frantically. "There's a wait about ten people long and we've been trying to fit piercings in between tats and it's not working."
I chuckled. "Calm down. Everything will be fine. Are Rose and Pete both doing ink right now?"
"Yeah, Rose is in the back with an appointment and Pete's got a frilly butterfly over there," he said, pointing to one of the visible tattoo stations in the front.
"Great. You take over the piercings for now and I'm going to show Bella the ropes up here for a little while," I said.
He looked hesitant. I didn't normally let him do anything beyond manning the front since he didn't have much experience, so I could understand his reaction.
I just chuckled and pushed him out of the way. "Go. You'll be fine," I said, giving him a reassuring smile.
He beamed and ran off to deal with the people who were waiting for piercings. Bella and I settled into the area behind the front desk. I started calling people over to sign them in and discuss what they wanted done.
Bella was enthralled with everything. She was really interested in what everyone had to say and what information they gave freely. There were a few regulars that I chatted with whom she seemed even more interested in. Her eyes just lit up if they told the stories of their body art and what made them have it done.
"Bella!" Rose called when she finally finished the design she'd been working on. "Edward didn't tell me you were coming!"
"Hey Rose!" Bella answered excitedly. "I didn't know I was coming until this morning. We're meeting up with my dad later tonight."
The two girls started chatting animatedly. It was good to see that they got along so well. Rose needed someone other than me to talk to when she wanted to get away from Emmett. Bella needed someone other than her two fairly-newlywed friends. They would be good for each other. I kissed the top of Bella's head and left to take Rose's place.
Working helped to take my mind off the coming introduction that night. I'd never admit to Bella how scared I was to meet her father. Even though he had seemed to be a minor part in her life for so long, he was finally starting to actively take back his role as a father.
At five-thirty, Bella found me in the back room and said she was leaving to go back to her place to get her dad. Rose had offered to drive her back. Pete and Drew assured us that they could handle the store alone for a half hour until Rose came back.
"So, we'll meet you there by six-fifteen, okay?" she asked, holding onto my hand and looking reluctant to leave.
"I'll be there," I told her, "in our usual spot. Although I'm thinking I should probably go home and change, huh?" I didn't want to meet my possible future father-in-law in holey jeans a grungy tank top.
"Good idea," she laughed. "So I'll see you soon, then?"
"The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll see me again." I stood up and gave her a tender kiss. "I love you, Bella. Nothing that happens tonight will change that. I promise."
She smiled and gave me another kiss. "I love you too."
I hurried home after letting Pete and Drew know they were on their own for a while. Drew looked a little apprehensive about being given so much responsibility in one day, but he knew what he was doing and Pete was more than capable of handling any issues that might arise.
To be perfectly honest, I half-expected Emmett to be waiting in my apartment when I got there because of Rose telling him how nervous I was for this dinner, but my place was thankfully empty and silent when I got there.
The volume level changed quickly.
I tried to find a suitable outfit to wear, but nothing seemed right. By the third time I changed, I was swearing at the top of my lungs. In the end, I settled on a navy blue button down shirt with faded jeans and a clean, white undershirt.
The nerves finally hit me when I pulled my shoes back on. This was Bella's father that I was about to meet. I needed to make an exceptionally good impression and, even then, he might not accept me as a part of Bella's life.
But I still needed to try. I needed to do this for Bella. I couldn't give up just because I was intimidated by her father.
I headed over to New Moon pizza and got there a few minutes before six. Jake spotted me as I walked in and hurried to the front to meet me.
"Hey, where's our girl?" he said with a smile.
"She's coming in soon," I said. "But it's dinner for three tonight, so be prepared."
"I didn't think you guys were into that stuff!" Jake accused. His eyes were bright as he considered the possibilities, which I didn't even want to think about, knowing it was her dad that would be joining us. "You should have told me first! What happened to loyalty?"
"It's not what you think, Jake," I said calmly. I didn't want to get him too riled up and then leave Bella to deal with it. "Seriously, don't mention it in front of them."
"Alright, alright, I won't," he said, holding up his hands in surrender.
"Thanks." I walked toward the back of the seating area and our usual table.
"Don't I get to know who it is?" he whined like a little girl.
I just laughed and didn't answer him.
Ten minutes later, I heard Bella's voice carry through the restaurant and a smile found its way onto my face immediately. Jake gave her an overly enthusiastic greeting, but his voice cut off seconds later. She must have told him that the man with her was her father. What I wouldn't give to have seen the expression on that flamboyant boy's face….
But I stayed at the table, nervously running my fingers through my hair.
It didn't take long for Bella to appear around the corner. Her face lit up in a smile when she saw me and she abandoned the poor man next to her.
"Hey," she said happily, throwing her arms around my neck when I stood up to greet her.
"Hi," I answered, my hands automatically going to her hips before I remembered that her father could see me. "Should you be making the introductions, love?" I whispered.
"Right, sorry," she said.
Her father made it over to the table then. He stood a few feet away from us, awkwardly trying not to interfere with our displays of affection. He was taller than I'd expected and didn't looked like he fit in with the higher society folks, though the flannel shirt and work boots may have been a ploy to blend in around town.
Bella turned around, making sure to keep hold of my left hand. "Dad, this is Edward Masen, my boyfriend." She looked so happy saying that. "Edward, this is my father, Charlie Swan."
"Good to meet you, sir," I said, holding out my hand.
In that moment before he shook my hand, Charlie Swan reminded me of an old, stereotypical drill sergeant. He was intimidating as hell and looked about ready to scream in my face if I did one thing wrong. When his eyes glanced down at our hands and then his daughter's face, however, his expression softened.
"You too," he said simply, clasping my hand in his.
"Jake!" Bella called. The overgrown three-year old stuck his head around the corner in response. "Can you throw an extra large pepperoni in with our usual?"
"Sure thing."
"Thanks!"
Drill Sergeant Swan shook his head in reaction to Jacob. "That boy is a lot to handle," he muttered.
"Aw, Dad, be glad he didn't do the same thing he did to Edward the first time," she said sympathetically.
I groaned. "Bella, why do you have to bring that up?"
"What did he do? Flirt with you mercilessly?"
"Worse," Bella giggled. "Practically jumped out of his pants at first glance."
"And now I'll never live it down," I finished.
Her father laughed at that and I realized the ice was broken. We all sat at the table, Bella across from me and her father next to her. She sneakily tangled her feet with mine underneath the table. Charlie looked around the whole place and nodded approvingly.
"This is a nice establishment," he said.
"We like it," Bella said proudly. "I've been coming here for about five years or so. Edward has been joining me for the last few."
"So this is where you've been running off to," he said.
She blushed and nodded. "It may or may not have turned into my escape from crappy dates too," she admitted.
Drill Sergeant Swan cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh, really?" he held that expression for almost a full minute before Bella looked away. Then he shocked us both by laughing. In that moment, he looked like a carefree man and I imagined that's how he might have been when he was younger. "Oh, Bella…. Here I was, wondering how you could even stand going on those dates, and you were too busy running out on them. That is perfect."
"Gee, thanks, Dad," she said sarcastically.
"So how did you get dragged into all this, Edward?" he asked me when his laughter died down.
I cleared my throat in an attempt to hide my surprise at being addressed directly. "Well, I believe Bella told you about how I… how we met. After that, she wanted to show her gratitude and it just became a continual thing," I explained with a shrug.
"And then he decided that I needed to learn self-defense," she added. "And by learning self-defense, I mean that he taught me how to beat the crap out of him."
Her father's eyes widened. "Bella? Fighting?"
"Yeah, Dad," she rolled her eyes. "I'm like Bruce Lee. Jackie Chan. Any one of those guys."
"She's never needed to use it," I quickly explained. "I just wanted her to know just in case something else was to happen."
"Well, thanks," Charlie said awkwardly.
That led into an awkward silence that lasted until Embry cheerfully brought out our pizza. I gratefully scooped up two slices before Bella or her father was able to get near it.
"This is so good," I mumbled as I practically inhaled the first piece.
"That's right; you didn't get a real break today," Bella mused.
"Don't worry about it," I said. "It's not the first time it's happened."
"What is it that you do for work, Edward?" her father finally asked.
"Oh, I own Twilight. It's a tattoo parlor down on third," I answered. It occurred to me that he might not take it well, learning that his daughter was in love with a tattoo artist, but I was proud of what I'd done for myself. "It's been a small place for a long time, but it's finally starting to take off."
His eyes widened at that and confirmed my suspicions. My glance shifted to Bella quickly and anxiously, but she was smiling back at me like nothing was wrong. I turned back to her father and saw that he'd managed to compose himself and cover his surprise.
"Is that a… lucrative business?" he asked carefully.
I decided the best way to deal with that particular line of questioning was honesty. "Well, it really depends. There are weeks when we pull in almost nothing, but then the next week we could have an influx of people," I said. "Some shops are also more popular than others. It's more about luck than anything else, really."
"So you're living based on inconsistent commission?" he continued nonchalantly.
"Dad," Bella hissed.
"No, it's fine," I assured her. She sighed and slouched down in her chair a bit before I continued. "It is a little hard to live on that, but I've also got…. Well, I have a good deal of money from my parents. I never really felt comfortable dipping into that, so I've been living off of what I get from the shop."
"Ah," he replied skeptically. Apparently he didn't like my answer.
"Dad," Bella repeated quietly. "He's got a good apartment, a good family, a stable job, and the money is getting better. Don't judge him on his income."
"No, no, don't get me wrong," Charlie quickly backpedaled. "I don't mean to judge you based on the money. I'm just… trying to make the picture fit in my head. The way Bella describes you is a lot different than what I see, but not in a bad way. Frankly, I'm amazed that you aren't just relying on your parents' money. So many people would just use that right off the bat and shoot through it."
"Well, sir, I've never really been one to unnecessarily spend money," I said, quickly running my fingers through my hair. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and pulled it out to see a text from Emmett.
Sox r dwn by 1 in the 3rd –Em
"Damn," I muttered.
Bella must have heard me because she glared at me from across the table. "Was that Emmett?"
"If I say 'yes', are you going to hurt me?" I asked cautiously.
"That depends. If he's sending you the score of the game, then yes."
"I think I'll keep my mouth shut then."
"Wait, the Sox game?" Charlie asked, looking excited.
I nodded. "Down by one in the third," I admitted.
"Edward!" Bella groaned.
"I didn't ask him to do it," I protested.
"Who are they playing tonight?" her father asked.
That was the key to his acceptance. If it wasn't for baseball, there might have never been a civil conversation with that man. He easily diffused the Drill Sergeant Swan behavior and became like any other Red Sox fan, committed and vocally responsive at the loss.
Eventually we convinced Embry to keep us posted on the score. We all knew he secretly kept a TV on in the back. Bella was not happy about the distraction – though I could tell that she was overjoyed that her father and I were getting along. I held her hand across the table, kissing her knuckles lightly every now and again to remind her how much I loved her.
The conversation moved from baseball, to other sports, and eventually back to my life. I ended up telling the shorter, less painful version of my past, glossing over the addictions and other excruciating details. Bella clutched my hand in hers, knowing how much I wished those memories would just disappear from my memories altogether.
Charlie took it much better than I expected him too. "You could have done worse, kid. Back in my day, I lost more friends than I care to admit to things like that. They got sucked in and couldn't get themselves out. It seems you always had the support system to get out, though."
"Yeah, they've been great through everything," I said.
He nodded and Bella was beaming beside him. "Well, I've monopolized enough of your time tonight, so I think it's time for me to take my leave," he said. "Bella, I believe your mother expects you home for dinner tomorrow, but that's all I've heard. Feel free to spend your time elsewhere until then."
My jaw dropped at his last sentence. Was he actually giving her permission to stay with me?
Bella handled it a bit better than I did. She grinned and got up to kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks, Daddy. See you tomorrow."
I snapped out of my shock and stood to shake his hand. "It was great meeting you, sir," I said.
Taking my hand, he smiled in return. "Likewise, Edward. Thank you for taking care of my little girl. I imagine I'll be seeing you around more often now, of course. Please feel free to come over for a game whenever you want."
I chuckled. "I'll let you know when I get sick of Emmett and I'll head right over. Although there is a much better reason to spend time over there," I added with a grin.
Bella rolled her eyes and hit my side. "Cheeseball," she muttered bitterly, but she was smiling.
"Okay, did anyone else think he was going to flip his shit when he realized I was about to hit on him?" Jake asked pointedly when Charlie finally walked out.
"Honey, you do come on a bit strong," Embry called from the kitchen.
"Says the one who walked into the bedroom last night in only assless chaps and a cowboy hat demanding that I-"
"And that's our cue to leave," I said, grabbing Bella's hand and hurrying out behind her father. "See you guys later."
We didn't stop for breath until we made it back to my apartment. After closing the door, I made eye contact with Bella and we both burst out laughing. She fell into my arms as she lost her balance trying to get to the couch in her laughter. We calmed soon enough as I held her in my embrace.
She looked exquisite. Her smile was breathtaking, her eyes shining with happiness. Her cheeks were a light shade of pink from the quick run back to the apartment and her hair was slightly tousled. There was no makeup to be seen, but it didn't matter.
She bit her lower lip when she noticed my staring and I had to hold back a groan. I reached up and pushed a bit of her hair out of her face. She tensed under my light touch and it was clear that she was nervous about where this might lead.
We still hadn't discussed what had happened the night of my birthday party, not to mention the morning after. There had been very few opportunities to delve into such topics and I didn't want to start now. I knew tonight wouldn't be a night for exploring more either.
I just wanted to be with her, hold her in my arms, and know that she was with me.
"I love you," I whispered. My thumb stroked her cheek as a small smile graced her lips before she met my gaze.
"I love you too, Edward," she said.
I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers. There was no urgent frenzy with this kiss. It was a passionate blend of want and contentment that never peaked. Her tiny hands rested on my chest, slightly fisting in my shirt. My fingers found purchase in her hair and on the side of her waist.
She felt perfect in my arms. Her skin was creamy and soft under my hands, and her hair was smooth and silky. She only had to emit the tiniest noise or move a certain way to let me know exactly what she wanted.
I murmured my love for her between kisses and she relaxed further into me. She repeated the sentiment more than once in her wonderfully breathy voice.
Neither of us wanted it to end. Eventually, though, we were panting into each other's mouths and I decided that it was time to stop. I gave her one last chaste kiss before leading her over to the couch.
"Come on, love," I said. "Let's go watch a movie or something."
We spent the rest of the night curled under a blanket on the couch, watching whatever we could find on TV and enjoying our time together. Bella curled into me as she fell asleep resting her head on my chest. When I started nodding off, I shut the TV off and carefully carried Bella to my bed and stripped to my boxers before climbing in beside her.
I fell asleep quickly, barely registering the fact that I was becoming dependent on having Bella with me to sleep.
Morning came much earlier than I expected. I heard Bella's phone ringing as she struggled to get to it around my arm resting over her hip. It was still in her pocket since I hadn't undressed her the night before.
"Hello?" she said sleepily when she finally got it free. I couldn't tell who it was, but they sounded either excited or scared. After a second, Bella suddenly sat up, instantly more awake. "Wait, what? Back up a bit."
She continued the conversation for a while sounding excited, but nervous at the same time. When she finally hung up the phone, she sat stunned in place.
"What is it, love?" I asked carefully.
"She's pregnant," she whispered. "And hurt."
AN: Was it worth it? Was the cliffhanger evil? Go press the newly improved review button and let me know what you think. And I would especially appreciate feedback on the teasers being put in my profile. If there is a thread on Twilighted or anything for this, I haven't seen it and I don't have a blog for it. If it would be better to start a blog, please let know.
Next chapter: We find out who "she" is and what the hell happened.
For a teaser this time, I'll stick to the double digit rule. But for a better teaser, you all need to break the review per chapter record. That bar is currently set at 15. As always, check my profile for updates! :)
-Kaylee