Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Shadows
Disclaimer: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.
Prompt: Shell

Christmas went pretty much the same as the year before, with one major change. Charlie replaced my full-sized bed with a queen-sized one. He explained that since I was married now, he figured I'd want to be with Edward, but he wasn't quite willing to have me be gone when I was home such a short time.

I gave him the biggest hug ever. "It's just a bed, Bells," he said gruffly as he patted me on my back.

Shaking my head against his chest I disagreed. "No, it means you love me."

"Like that was ever in question," he said, rubbing his mustache and surreptitiously wiping his eyes as well. "Besides, I got a good deal, since I was replacing my bed as well."

That made me take a step back. "You did?"

Charlie extemporized. My father, the man who was as forthright as the day is long, hesitated. "Well, I've kind of been dating Sue Clearwater these last few months, and things have been getting pretty serious."

I felt my eyes grew wide. "How serious?"

"Serious enough to consider the need for a new bed," he said, shuffling his feet.

I couldn't help it, I laughed. I blame it on shock. "Dad, do we need to have the safe sex talk?"

Charlie's face grew beet red as his eyes flew open wide and his jaw dropped. "No!" he shouted.

"It's just not like you to shell out money for something you don't need until you need it is all," I said, still surprised.

"I wanted you here, that's why I went shopping. Then I got to thinking, because there was this multi-room deal going on, and, well, what would you say to another wedding this summer?" he asked, back to shuffling his feet, this time with his hands in his pockets.

Warmth spread through me. A happy glow of peace at the thought of someone caring for my father. "I think that would be a great idea."

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah," I replied, hugging him hard again. "Have you gotten her a ring yet? You could give it to her for Christmas."

"No, I want her to pick out her own," he said, waving me off. "I'll ask her after the holidays, when things have calmed down."

I'd never been so anxious to get back to school because I knew he was taking Sue out the day after we left. The entire Cullen clan gave him pointers on how to propose on and off throughout the holiday, but he never made a decision. We set Alice to watching him, but apparently Sue's son Seth was a wolf, and threw off her sight because he was too close.

It was two weeks into January when I got a call from an unknown number in Washington. Excited that it might be Sue, I grabbed for my phone, ran out of class, and said hello.

"Ah, Bella," an eerily familiar voice came over the line. "It seems your father has encountered the supernatural."

Long, white fingers reached around me, grabbing the phone from my hand. "Demetri, what are you talking about?" Edward said. I'd been so wrapped up in the call I didn't notice him outside the classroom.

"Mmhmm, I see," Edward said, all but grinding his teeth. "No, it doesn't change anything. Knowledge of the wolves doesn't translate to knowledge of," he hesitated and glanced around before lowering his voice, "vampires. Aro wouldn't be happy to learn that you've exposed the secret."

I stuck my hand out, silently demanding the phone back, but Edward shook his head. Holding up one finger he asked me to wait.

"I'm sure you can understand why we don't see it that way," he said, his voice ice cold. "Aro will have to wait. We made an agreement. The actions of others have no impact."

Another pause, and I noticed a student switch sides of the hallway as he glanced at Edward warily. Taking a deep breath, Edward forced himself to calm. "If he believes that then he'll have to tell me himself. You'll forgive me if I don't take either your or Jane's word for it." With that he hit the end call button with such force the screen shattered.

He stared at the pieces. "What happened?" I asked as my heart raced.

"Charlie proposed. Sue thought it would be a good idea to let him in on a few family secrets before saying yes, to give him an opportunity to back down," he told me, still staring at my destroyed phone.

"Did she share any of yours?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yes, and no. She told him the purpose of the wolves, but not that we are part of that purpose." Students were streaming out of the classroom now, giving us odd looks as they passed. "Come on, we need to call a family meeting." He grabbed my arm firmly, not hard enough to bruise but in an unbreakable vise.

"Why?" I asked as I stumbled after him, his long legs outpacing me.

"Because Demetri is making threats. He insists if Charlie knows about the existence of vampires, then you need to be turned now." We reached his car where he all but threw me into the passenger seat before sliding across the hood to his side and sitting beside me. The key was in the ignition and we were backing out before my seatbelt was halfway out.

"Why is that bad?" I asked, grabbing the handle above the door to keep upright as we swung around a corner.

"Because then you'd have to drop out of school. Because I'm afraid that he'll insist on changing Charlie next," he said as he floored the gas, "and because he threatened to go after Renee next."

xoxo!