This is a bonus chapter I wrote especially for my devoted reviewers over on , but I decided to post it here so as not to deprive my readers! Here's an example of what leaving reviews for me makes me do...

Bonus!

Charlie's point of view

Once I was out in the backyard, I had to wait a few moments before Edward followed me. No doubt, he had been "talking" to my daughter – not that I wanted to think about that too much...

Edward looked like he was trying to suppress a smile – not at all the expression I would expect from a kid in his position. But of course, Edward (or any of the other Cullen kids, come to think of it) was not your typical teenager. There was just something completely 'other' about him... not anything concrete that I could put my finger on, but something not quite right nonetheless. I am a good cop with good instincts, and I notice more than I let on to. Is that damn kid smirking again?!?

"Chief Swan, thank you for allowing this opportunity to speak with you," Edward said politely. Why does he always sound like he's stepped out of some corny old movie? Carlisle and Esme Cullen must have spent a mint on elocution lessons for these kids!

"No problem, Edward," I said in reply. It's nice to be nice, and all that... Still, I wasn't going to make this easy for him. Edward's calm, unflappable exterior really got to me – a big part of me was curious to see if it was all a front. After all, no kid of 18 should be this at ease all the time.

"I suppose you are wondering what this is all about, Chief Swan," Edward continued smoothly. "It just occurred to me that I never took the time to speak to you formally about my intentions towards your daughter."

I repressed a shudder. I really didn't want to consider what this kid was intending on doing to my little girl...

"Sure, Edward, it's probably a good idea," I replied. I might not like the kid particularly, but I did have to respect him wanting to speak to me man-to-man, so to speak. It was the kind of thing that I had been brought up to do myself, but I knew that it wasn't that common nowadays. Of course, trust Edward Cullen to buck the trend!

Edward smiled at me, and for a moment I could almost understand what Bella saw in him. "Let me start by thanking you once more for agreeing to this conversation. I know that things are, well, a little fraught this morning, and this might not be the best time for you, but I thought that it might perhaps be better to get everything out in the open once and for all. Then, we can make a fresh start and move onwards."

I nodded. So far, the kid was making sense to me. "I agree. Whether I like it or not, Bella seems pretty attached to you. I guess we should try to get on as well as we can."

Edward nodded. "I couldn't agree more, Chief Swan."

I shook my head. "There's no need to keep calling me 'Chief Swan', Edward. You're making me feel like I'm at work! I'm off duty – it's Charlie."

"Thank you, Charlie," Edward said.

"So, what do want to say?" I asked.

Edward ran his fingers briefly through his already messy hair. "Where do I begin?" he said.

"You can explain to me what possessed you to propose to my teenage daughter to begin with," I replied. I figured we might as well get the issue out of the way as soon as possible.

Edward's face broke into a genuine grin. "That's simple, Charlie. I asked Bella to marry me because I love her very much, and I want to spend the rest of my days with her. I have been raised to believe in marriage, so naturally I want Bella to spend that time with me as my wife."

I nodded, taking in what he was saying. I could see clearly how much Edward loved Bella, but I still found it hard to see the need for them to get married now. Surely that could wait a couple of more years? I knew that they were going away to college together, and I didn't particularly want the two of them 'living in sin', so to speak, but I had to admit that the prospect seemed more appealing than the idea of my Bella married so young.

"Very well, Edward. I can see that you love Bella, but why are you getting married so soon? You believe in marriage, fair enough, but what's wrong with a long engagement? I mean, if you still feel like you do now when you finish college, by all means get married then. You'll both be older; you'll have seen a bit more of life..."

I trailed off. Edward's eyes were far away, as if he was imagining all the things he had yet to experience. God, he's so young; they both are!

Edward's intense focus snapped back onto me. "I know Bella and I seem young to you, Charlie, but that doesn't mean our feelings are any less valid or less certain for that matter. My life has changed entirely since I met Bella; the years before I met her seem now to have been utterly dark and dreary... I'm a different person than I was before I fell in love with your daughter, sir."

The kid obviously had a taste for melodrama. True, he had always seemed the quietest of the Cullens before Bella came to town, but then again, I had never really interacted much with him then. Of course, he was adopted, so perhaps he'd had a tough life before being taken in by the Cullens. As a police officer, I'd come across some sad cases before; maybe Edward had been through a lot in his past. Still, the feelings he was admitting to having for Bella gave me cause to wonder. Is it healthy to feel so strongly about someone at this age? Do I like the fact that it's my daughter he's so taken with? A new thought suddenly burst into my awareness. If he loves her this much, how was he able to leave Bella before?!?

Edward tensed up and his smile disappeared. Obviously, the kid was perceptive, and had noticed the change in my demeanour.

"Fair enough, Edward. You say you love Bella, but when it comes down to it, you've hurt her before and I'm damned if I'll let that happen again! If you love her so much, how were you able to leave her last year?"

Edward looked like he was at a loss for once in his life. "I didn't want to leave Bella," he said softly, glancing up at the house. "I felt that I had to make a clean break with her."

Hell, the kid looks like he's in physical pain!

"As I'm sure you have thought yourself, Carlisle and Esme thought that our relationship was too intense for two people so young. To a certain extent, I had started to believe myself that my relationship with Bella was not...healthy. That maybe my feelings for her were too strong. So when we all moved, I thought that it would be easier for everyone concerned if Bella and I broke up."

I fixed my gaze on Edward's agonised face. "It didn't work out that way though, did it? Bella was devastated... For months afterwards, it was as if she was a shell of a person, not living, just existing! I didn't know what to do for her..."

Edward nodded slowly, his expression agonised. "I know... Charlie, please believe me that I would never have left if I had realised that Bella's feelings were as strong as my own. I was miserable the whole time we were apart too... There was plenty of times I debated just running back to Bella. It was only the thought that she might have moved on that kept me away."

I had to smile. "As if. I mightn't be too keen on the idea, but you're the only one for Bella. I have to admit it, Edward; you coming back saved Bella. I honestly don't know what she might have done if things had continued the way they were... The thought still haunts me...

"Me too," Edward murmured softly, his gaze faraway.

"Excuse me?"

"I... I would have been worried for Bella too if I had been in your position, Charlie." Edward said quickly.

We stood in silence for several long moments, both of us lost in our thoughts.

"You understand why I'm afraid of you hurting Bella again?" I asked suddenly.

Edward nodded. "Yes sir. All I can do is promise that it will not happen again, and hope that in time, my actions will convince you of the truth of my words."

I nodded. "Fair enough. Marry her; treat her the way she deserves to be treated. Just bear it in mind though, Edward, I will be watching." I meant it too.

Edward inclined his head in agreement. "That doesn't surprise me," he said. "One thing we have in common in that we both want what's best for Bella. I would expect nothing less from you, sir."

I had to smile at his point. It seemed that Edward and I had reached an understanding on the issue of marriage, but we still had a whole lot to discuss. Bella's failure to return home last night for starters...

"Edward, now it's my turn to speak about something that is important to me," I said firmly. "I trust Bella; she's a responsible girl, probably as trustworthy as any girl of her age can be. Because of this, I let her be fairly independent. The thing is, I don't like it when Bella fails to live up to the level of trust I have in her, you know?"

"Like last night," Edward said. It wasn't a question.

"Exactly. Now don't get me wrong, what you and Bella do when you're alone is no one's business but your own. I certainly don't want to know about it! But when my daughter doesn't come home at night it becomes my business," I said seriously. I needed Edward to know where I was coming from. It was true, I had no interest in Bella's sex live – beyond hoping she didn't have one – but I did have serious issues with Bella breaking my trust by staying in Edward's house without permission.

Edward nodded slowly, and I could see that at least he was taking my views seriously. "I appreciate your candour, Charlie," he said after a few moments of consideration. "As for last night, I can only apologise. Bella fell asleep, and I was loathe to wake her. I realise that it would have been better if I had contacted you at this point, but I... well, I suppose a part of me just wanted to keep Bella there with me."

At least he's being honest with me...

"Thank you, Edward," I replied. "I admire how honest you're being; I can't imagine this is the easiest conversation you've ever had!"

Edward shook his head, a wry grin curving his lips. "No, sir, it's not. This is all new territory for me."

"Me too, Edward. Me too," I acknowledged, returning his grin. We smiled awkwardly at each other for several long moments.

An idea came to me then, and I decided that I might as well go along with it. Bella and Edward were due to be marrying in a few short weeks, and I really did not want to spend those last weeks arguing with Bella over her spending time with Edward.

I cleared my throat. "Edward, I have a proposal to make to you."

Edward's strange-coloured eyes locked on mine, and I swear I saw a hint of excitement simmering there. "Yes?" he said casually.

I steeled my jaw. This was going totally against the grain for me, but I realised that sometimes, it is necessary to adjust your mindset to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. I could do that...

"Edward, if you and Bella want to spend time together, I'm not going to stop you. I'm not going to force her into lying about it anymore." Alice's sleepovers come to mind... "If Bella wants to spend the night in your house, she can – assuming she asks my permission first." At this stage, I figured I might as well go all out. "And if Bella wants you to stay the night here with her, well, I guess that's okay by me. You'll have to ask your parents first though!" I added hastily. The last thing I wanted to do was bring down Carlisle and Esme Cullen's ire down upon me. For all I knew, they could be completely ignorant of Bella and Edward's night time adventures.

Edward nodded enthusiastically, reaching out to shake my hand. I took his hand in mine and grasped it firmly. God, that's cold!

Edward smiled bashfully as he withdrew his hand. "My apologies – Reynaud's disease," he said by way of explanation. "Thank you again, Charlie, for placing this trust in me."

I nodded awkwardly. I had never been one for big displays of emotion. "No problem, Edward. Just be straight with me in future, and we'll get along just fine," I said.

He nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure you want to go and tell Bella you've survived," I said. I definitely could hear my beer calling me from inside the kitchen. I've earned a shot of Vitamin K today!

Edward smiled, and glanced meaningfully up at the bathroom window. I briefly caught sight of a mane of chestnut brown hair before it disappeared from the window. "Bella!" I muttered. "Was she there long?"

Edward shrugged. "Long enough. I'd better go fill her in – I doubt she could hear much from up there."

I agreed. "Off you go, oh, and Edward?"

As he turned to go back inside, Edward spun around in response to my call. "Great talk," I said. "Let's never do this again."

He smiled, then disappeared inside to do God knows what to my little girl.

I really need a beer!