Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Shadows
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Prompt: Target

"Bella?" Edward's voice broke through the darkness of my mind, pulling me from sleep. "Love? We're about to land, you need to wake up."

"Don't wanna," I said, snuggling down into his shoulder. Sleeping on his lap was like sleeping on a rock that perfectly conformed to my body. Hard yet yielding, it was much better than any mattress.

His cool breath blew over my face when he chuckled. "I know you're safer in my arms than strapped to a seat, but they have rules," he said as he shifted me, settling me into my seat. I glanced out the small window and could see the lights of Seattle below, the top of the Space Needle blinking brightly.

We would spend two days with my dad before flying back to New Hampshire. Charlie said it was ridiculous to fly from Europe to Seattle then back to the east coast, that we should save ourselves a trip, but I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could.

"How much longer?" I asked Edward in a voice low enough to be sure any humans couldn't hear.

"Until we land? Until we get back to school?"

"Until I lose my father," I said, swallowing down the hitch in my throat. Talking with the Romanian coven made me feel like the entire world was watching me now. Vampires everywhere knew I had confronted the Volturi.

"I don't know," Edward whispered in my ear. He paused for a minute then asked, "What are you really worried about?"

"The Volturi coming back. I feel like there's a huge target on me now. I'm worried they think they have to take me out in order to continue being in charge." Turning from the window I could see he was troubled as well. "I'm right, aren't I?"

He reached out his hands and grasped both of my own. "If I understand Stefan and Vladimir correctly, we won't stand alone. I wouldn't be surprised if many come to our side. As yet, the only law that has been broken is that you know too much, but they know why we're waiting." He pulled my head over onto his shoulder. "Don't worry about it now, love. We have time. Instead, enjoy your visit with your father."

When we met Charlie outside the terminal Edward took one look at him and asked for the keys. "I'm not about to let you drive the cruiser," my father said, looking at Edward as if he'd lost his mind.

"You look like you don't feel well, Charlie. You're squinting, is your head bothering you?" Edward asked, still holding out his hand for the keys. "If it is, I can drive and you can close your eyes."

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at Charlie. Edward was right, he did seem to be squinting. "It's just some silly headache that won't go away," he complained. "I drove down here just fine."

"But the lights are hurting you," Edward countered, gesturing to take the keys once more. Charlie rolled his eyes but handed them over. That one act, more than anything he might say, convinced me he must be in serious pain.

"How long have you been getting headaches, dad?" I asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

"It's just a headache, Bells," he grumbled. "I just need to take a nap." My eyes met Edward's in the rear-view mirror. A small shake of his head had me sitting back in my seat. Five minutes later my father's even breathing let me know it was time to talk to my husband.

"How bad?" I asked.

"He's been getting headaches for a few months. He didn't have one within a couple weeks of our wedding, but this is his second one since," he told me. "They're getting progressively worse."

"It's a good thing you're a mind reader," I said. "Otherwise I'd never know."

Edward's body shook with silent laughter. "He's almost as hard to read as you. It's where you got your silence, I'm sure. This has him a little worried, though. It seems his mother's father had bad headaches and died in his fifties, but it wasn't a stroke." Edward's voice was solemn by the end, looking at my father. "We'll come out for Christmas. Carlisle can examine him then." Knowing my father it was the best I could hope for, so I nodded.

The next two days flew by. Edward demonstrated his prowess with a hammer by fixing some loose shingles and a hanging gutter. "I swear that boy is part monkey, the way he goes up and down that ladder," Charlie said with a laugh. "Good thing he's handy. Makes life easier around the house for you."

"Oh, he's handy all right," I said, thinking about how Edward seemed to touch me everywhere last night after Charlie had gone to sleep. I could feel my face flush at the memory.

Charlie groaned, making my eyes snap up to him with concern. "Bella, I know you're married now, but there are just some things a father doesn't want to know about, okay?"

Relief flooded my system that it was only the slip of my tongue that caused him to moan. "Sorry, dad."

I expected the strong hug he gave me when he dropped us off at the airport for our trip back to school, but Charlie surprised me when he pulled Edward in for one. "Thank you for taking care of my little girl."

"Thank you for giving her to me," Edward replied. "She's my greatest gift."

"Mine too, son. Mine too." With a slap on his back Charlie waved us off.

As the plane took off for New York Edward leaned over. "Alice called. She said plans are in place for visiting your father at Christmas. She also said she hopes you like the renovations to the cottage."

"What did she do?" I asked, worried. I loved my room the way it was.

"She moved me in," he said, his eyes twinkling. I knew he was hiding something from me, but decided to play along.

"Well, that's one renovation I'm looking forward to seeing," I said before pulling him down for a kiss.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!