Okay, so perhaps I lied. Chapter Three came to bite me in the ass, and practically said "WRITE ME!" So, here's the third chapter, hopefully written to expectation.

SM owns everything but Alyssa and the plot line. They're my own babies.

P.S. I highly doubt anyone's going to want to, but for the sake of now, I don't plan on letting anyone translate the story into another language, like I've seen on some other profiles. I wouldn't know whether it had been changed without my permission. Please don't take without my written authorization.

And with that, I give you Chapter Three.

See you at the bottom!

Chapter Three: Beast

"Charlie?" Bella looked up at me and I realized I was still holding her in my arms. Quickly I set her back down on the ground and she moved forward towards the door to give her father a hug.

"What are you doing here? Where's Alyssa?"

"Hey Bells." He paused to hug her and as he did he took a good long look over her shoulder at me.

Gulp…

They pulled away and he looked back down at Bella. "She's downstairs with Billy, with some things we brought from the house and I figured you'd need to get the beds put back together since I'm sure you've been sleeping on the couch all week. We wanted to surprise you. Looks like the surprise is on us. You gonna introduce me, Bells?"

Bella looked back at me with a raging blush.

"Dad, this is Edward. Edward, this is my dad, Charlie."

I walked forward and shook his hand, which grew stronger on his end, as he sized me up.

"Sir."

He grunted in response, to which Bella smacked him in the shoulder.

"Be nice."

"Sure, sure," he responded back to her, but he never took his eyes off me.

"Well, we best get downstairs and get my granddaughter, and those things from the house."

I could tell he was trying to get a rise out of me when he stressed out the word granddaughter, but being I already knew about her I didn't make much of it. I think that just ticked him off even more.

We both walked downstairs rather than take the elevator out and opened the door to see a police cruiser sitting out front, with a man in a wheelchair, and a little girl sitting in his lap.

I leaned over towards Bella and whispered in her ear.

"You're father's a police officer?"

She winced as she looked back at me. "Police Chief actually. Back home."

Double GULP!

The little girl jumped off the man's lap and ran into Bella's outstretched arms.

"Hey buttercup, you behaving for Pop Pop and Poppy?

The little girl, Alyssa, looked almost a spitting image of Bella, except she with a darker complexion. Her hair was pulled up into two messy pigtails and she was wearing a tiny navy blue "Property of Forks Police" t-shirt with a pair of bright pink jeans and purple sneakers that lit up in the back. You could tell she definitely got dressed herself today.

"Yes, mommy. Pop Pop said we was coming to surprise you. SURPRISE!" She waved her arms out in the air and practically shook with the excitement. Bella giggled and gave her a big kiss on the cheek before turning to her father with a sharp look.

"Alyssa, baby, did Pop Pop and Poppy take you out for ice cream before you surprised me?"

I glanced over at Charlie and saw his chagrined face before I heard a deep hearty laugh belt out from the man in the wheelchair.

"Charlie, I told you she'd figure it out! She's too hyper man, and you know she only gets like that with sugar, or if she's with Alice."

"Mommy, how did you know I had ice cream?"

Bella looked back down to her daughter and rubbed their noses together.

"Well, like Poppy said, you're just too hyper. That… and I could taste the chocolate on your cheek."

Alyssa put her tiny hands over her mouth and giggled, sounding like little tiny bells. "Ooohh, Pop Pop, you is in trouble!"

The man in the wheelchair laughed loudly again as Charlie started sputtering. He wheeled over to me and held out his hand.

"Hey, I'm Billy Black, Alyssa's other grandfather."

Shaking his hand, I answered back. "Edward Cullen. Nice to meet you. My condolences for your son."

Billy nodded before looking down at his granddaughter who was telling her mother everything that had she'd done while staying with her grandfathers.

"I look at that little girl, and I know my son's watching down on her. He passed on three years ago, so really he only got to know her for about three years… but I know he's up there keeping her safe."

"If you don't mind my asking, why'd Bella leave home? I mean, she told me she moved up here after her house sold, but I'd have figured she'd want to be closer to you and Charlie."

Billy looked at me for a while before taking a deep breath and sighing.

"Bella's very independent, I don't know if you know that or not. After Jake died, she tried to scramble to make ends meet to keep the house, but even with the checks from Jake, she wasn't able to. Both Charlie and I tried to help her, but she's so stubborn." He chuckled as I watched him with a far off look. "Anyway, she had her nursing credentials from before her and my son married, and when she heard of the shortage here in Seattle, she sold the house and decided to try it out here. She wanted to do it before Alyssa started school, so she wasn't uprooting her just as she was getting settled. I understand it, but well…" He shrugged, but I understood his meaning.

I looked back over at Bella and I could feel my heart threatening to beat out of my chest at the love I saw in her eyes for her daughter. She was blowing raspberries into her daughters neck and Alyssa's laughter was so musical, it made my heart ache for her loss. At three she probably never really understood the idea of her daddy going to heaven, wondering when he was coming back, to find out that he wouldn't be. I wanted… no I felt a giant need to protect that little girl, along with her mother, with every fiber of my being.

"You better take care of my little girls Edward. Or so help me, not even the dogs will find your scent."

The words shocked me out of my thoughts as I looked over at Charlie. I hadn't even realized he had moved to come stand over beside me while Alyssa was showing Bella the things they pulled out of the cruiser.

I stared back at Charlie as he looked directly into my eyes to make sure I understood his threat.

"With everything, sir." I told him sincerely. I knew I had only known Bella for… well not even 24 hours really, but the primal urge to protect them both swept me over like a ton of bricks falling on my head. In one part of my brain I couldn't possibly understand what the hell was going on with my emotions. I barely knew Bella, and I hadn't even been introduced to Alyssa yet, but here I was declaring my protection over both these precious people with everything I had inside me, and I meant every word of it.

Seeing the sincerity in my eyes, he held his hand back out to me and I shook it firmly in his grasp.

"Alright, well Billy and I are gonna hit the road Bells." He walked back over to the girls and hugged them both. "You be good for your momma," he said to Alyssa before picking her up and giving her growling kisses all over her face.

"I will Pop Pop." Charlie set her down and she ran over to Billy. "Bye Poppy!" They hugged and Charlie helped Billy get into the cruiser after letting Bella get a hug in first.

"Don't forget to call me Monday Bells," Charlie said before putting the wheelchair in the back seat and getting into the front with Billy.

"I won't." Bella waved as Charlie pulled away from the curb and looked down at her daughter.

"How about we grab our stuff and head inside?" Bella picked up the two duffle bags while Alyssa picked up a hot pink back pack and slipped it on her shoulders.

"Edward, could you grab the box please?" she asked me while biting her lip.

"Sure." The box wasn't overly heavy, but was slightly bulky. We walked into the building and took the elevator, rather than the stairs. Once back to their apartment, she unlocked the door and let Alyssa and myself through first before closing and relocking the door. She stared at the door for a few seconds before turning around and looking back over at me.

"You can set the box anywhere, it's for Alyssa's room."

I set the box down while Bella grabbed Alyssa's hand and we all settled in, in her living room.

I watched Bella take a deep breath before she looked back over to Alyssa.

"Alyssa, baby, I want you to meet a good friend of mine." Bella brought her over towards me and I knelt down so it would be easier for her to see me.

"Alyssa, this is Edward." She looked down at me into my eyes, and I could see the nervous look as she bit her lip. Whether it would be nerves for Alyssa to like me, or for me not to run away, even though I told her I wouldn't, I had no idea. "Edward, this is Alyssa, my daughter."

Alyssa looked me over and I could see the little wheels turning in her head. I reached my hand out for her to shake. "Hello, Alyssa. It's wonderful to finally meet you."

She took my hand and I swear I felt a jolt of electricity shock right through my hand, but when I looked at Alyssa, I don't think she felt it. The jolt went from my hand straight up my arm into my chest and radiated throughout my body.

"Hi, Edward," Alyssa whispered softly as she continued to stare at me.

I smiled at her softly, and not two seconds later a blush that could rival her mother rose to her cheeks.

She let my hand go to look up at her mother.

"Can I go see my room now mommy?"

Bella nodded and ran down the hallway towards her bedroom. We sat down on the couch and I didn't know if it was in a comfortable, or uncomfortable silence.

"She's practically the spitting image of you. Everything but the tan." I smiled over at Bella. She looked down with a small smile and nodded her head before looking back up at me.

"That would be Jake. He was part Indian, the Quileute tribe on the La Push Reservation in Forks. Billy's one of the tribal leaders. Jake was to take over before…"

She stopped and cleared her throat before continuing.

"Anyway, I'm sorry for the interruption earlier. Charlie is hard to handle sometimes. I hope he didn't scare you off."

I shook my head. "He's your father Bella, it's obvious he cares about you." She looked down and started biting her lip again. I reached over and softly pulled the lip away from her teeth before cupping her cheek.

"And he didn't scare me off." I whispered.

She started blushing again. God, that was so perfect on her. I loved her blush. I told her as such but she rolled her eyes and told me she hated it, while blushing even harder.

I laughed and told her I hoped it never went away. I was still cupping her cheek softly and I felt her lean her head slightly into it. I leaned forward slowly to kiss those soft lips. It had felt like eons since I'd last tasted them. Just as we were just about to touch we heard little feet barreling down the hallway. We jumped apart faster than lightning, causing Bella to, once again, blush. I chuckled as Alyssa came around the corner and jumped into her mother's lap.

"Mommy, my bed's broken."

Bella let out a nervous laugh. "No, baby, we just have to put it back together."

"But why is it in pieces?" Alyssa looked so cutely confused.

"Well, if we didn't take it apart, it would have never fit through your bedroom door."

Alyssa thought the answer through and figured it was good enough for her. She reached over and grabbed my hand before starting to pull me off the couch.

"Edward, can you put my bed back together, pretty, pretty, pretty please?"

I grinned widely while she led me off to her bedroom. "I'd love to Alyssa." I looked back at Bella before entering Alyssa's bedroom and saw her staring at me with a small smile across her face.

After having put both Alyssa and Bella's beds together while Alyssa went through a few boxes placing stuffed animals around her room, and clothes into her dresser drawers, Alyssa had me in her room showing me each of her stuffed animals while I sat on her bed.

"This is Jingles, this is Teddy, and this is Wolfy," she finished off before taking them back to their respective spots.

"How on Earth do you remember all their names? There's so many of them," I asked her. She had to have at least fifty or so all piled around her room. She looked back at me like I was nuts but jumped onto her bed thinking her answer through.

"Do you have a mommy?" Her question took me off guard but I nodded.

"And a daddy?" Again, I nodded.

"Do you have any brudders or sisters?"

"I have a brother, Emmett. And he has a wife, Rosalie. That makes her my sister," I replied.

She looked at me and grinned before proving just how smart this little girl is.

"And how do you remember all their names?"

I was shocked honestly. I mean, really, really shocked. I laughed loudly, before tickling her sides causing her to giggle.

"You are a very smart little girl, Alyssa. How did you get so smart?"

She looked up at me after I stopped tickling her, breathlessly answering "Mommy."

I smiled sweetly at her and nodded, "Yes, your mother is very smart."

I looked up and just happened to see Bella standing in the doorway behind Alyssa, leaning against the doorjamb, staring at her little girl.

Alyssa turned around and ran over to Bella, hugging her legs. Bella placed her hand on top of Alyssa's head and ran her fingers through her daughter's pigtails.

"Mommy, is he your Beast?"

My eyes widened and I looked over at Bella confused. Bella's face turned beet red as she looked between me and her daughter stuttering as she couldn't figure out what to say.

"What do you mean Alyssa?" I asked her.

I almost wanted to laugh out loud at the look that came across Alyssa's face. It was almost the 'boy, are you stupid' look. She ran back over to me and stood directly in front of me, looking at me completely serious.

"Yooou know. Beauty and the Beast.. Pop Pop always says Princess Bell reminds him of mommy. I wanna know if you're my mommy's Beast?"

Understanding, I brought my eyes back up to Bella who had placed her lip back between her teeth, waiting for me to answer her little girl. I smiled up at Bella, who seemed to let a breath out before smiling back at me.

I looked back down at Alyssa before nodding my head and smiling at the little girl.

"Yeah, Alyssa. I'm mommy's Beast. Is that okay?"

Alyssa tilted her head to the side before nodding, "Yeah, that's okay."

Jumping over to a box she began pulling other things out for her to put away. I looked back up at Bella who motioned for me to follow her. I stood up off the bed before quietly walking out the door and walking down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Almost too fast to see Bella turned around and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down to her soft lips. I moaned at the taste and feel of them, placing my arms around her waist, bringing her as close to me as possible. We stood there for a few seconds letting our lips and tongues taste each other, relearning the feel after so long of not touching. Slowly we pulled apart and I placed a few chaste kisses along her cheek and jaw before she pulled further away.

"What was that for?" I questioned.

"For just… gah… for being you. You're too good to be true, I feel like there should be some flaw or something that will make me stop placing you so high on that damn pedestal."

I chuckled before placing my forehead against hers. I slowly shook my head before pulling back slightly.

"Sometimes I forget to throw my socks in the hamper."

She started giggling while we stood together.

"Edward…"

"I sometimes forget to turn the fountain off on my bathroom sink causing it to soak me completely when I turn the water on."

She laughed outright at that admission. "Go on."

"I've been known to be late on returning library books."

She gasped teasingly, "Oh stop right there, I just don't think this will work if you can't remember to turn your books in on time." She laughed as I started tickling her sides but before it could escalate she brought my lips back to hers softly for a few moments. I broke the kiss and asked her a question I'd been wanting to ask all day.

"So, does this mean you'll be my Bell?"

She looked up at me through her long beautiful eyelashes before whispering, "Only if you'll be my Beast."

I looked down at her, not being able to take the grin off my face.

"I'll always be your Beast," I told her before claiming her lips against my own one more time.

Awe, isn't that just the sweetest? I liked it...

Okay so there's Chapter Three. Don't forget to review for me. I don't have Chapter Four written yet, but being this one decided to jump me when I wasn't looking, I'm sure it won't take long.

Until then, leave me some love. Pretty, pretty, pretty, please?