A/N: Hi ladies. I hope 2014 started well for all of you.

So, it's the first Tuesday this year and there's a new chapter for you. Thanks to my betas EdwardsMate4ever and evelyn-shaye it's remotely worth reading. I also want to thank my friend and prereader Vampgirl79 for always being there for me and really having my back.

Now, enjoy Edward meeting Charlie and Sue. I'll see you at the bottom with an announcement.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight this year any more than I did last year.

******POMH******

Chapter 17 – Meet the parents

Wednesday night, we were on our way to Forks.

"What did you tell them about me, again?" Edward asked when we were just a few miles away.

I had answered that exact same question at least ten times already. "That you are a good friend who can't spend Thanksgiving with his family, so I invited you to be with us." He was uncharacteristically nervous tonight.

"And what else do they know about me?" His forehead showed distinct lines of worry.

"Not much. That you're from Chicago and that you work with Jasper." I didn't think that there was much more they needed to know.

"So, you didn't tell them …" He paused, unsure about how to go on.

I smiled with amusement. "If you're asking whether they're aware of the fact that we know each other in the biblical sense, then the answer is no. I don't share stuff like that with either of them." Every time I came for a visit, Charlie and Sue hoped for some news about my love life, but I always answered evasively. "Relax. They don't bite. My dad can be difficult sometimes, but Sue's really nice. And you two have something in common."

Edward raised his brow questioningly. "And what might that be?"

"Who do you think introduced me to Elvis' movies? Sue knows every line spoken in every movie by heart." It was true. When I was a child, I'd spent many hours keeping her company while she watched her celebrity crush act and sing.

"Well, that's a good starting point. You should have told me before. Then maybe I would have bought her something other than flowers."

Edward had insisted on bringing Charlie and Sue presents as a thank-you for inviting him. For my dad, he had bought the latest issue of some guide to fishing in Washington I couldn't remember the name. And for Sue, he had purchased a ridiculously big bouquet of flowers that was lying on the backseat.

"So, this is it. The hick town I was born and raised in," I informed Edward as we left the 101.

He took an exaggerated look around. "This is really something. I didn't know places like this still existed," he teased when we drove into town.

"For someone who has been living in Chicago most of his life, it must seem quite dull. When we were teenagers, we considered it very boring, but it's my home, and I love it."

Edward smiled at me heartily as he pulled into the street where my father lived. "You should. It's lovely in its own way."

After getting out of the car, he insisted on carrying both our bags as well as the flowers and the gift bag with the book for Charlie.

"Hello, anyone home?" I asked as I entered the house with Edward in tow.

Sue greeted me, coming out of the kitchen to hug me hello. "Hi, honey. I didn't think you'd be here so early."

"Sue, this is my friend, Edward Cullen," I said when we parted, gesturing toward the man next to me.

Sue's eyes opened a little wider as she looked at him, taking his extended hand and shaking it. "Hi, Edward. Nice to meet you. I'm Sue. You're very welcome here in our home."

He smiled his lopsided smile when he replied, "Nice to meet you, too, and thank you for inviting me. I brought you a little something as a thank-you." He was handing her the flowers, and just that minute, Charlie came down the stairs.

"Hey, Bells. You're early. I hope you didn't speed again," he teased as he wrapped his right arm around me. I hugged him back, saying, "No, we didn't speed. Edward drove, and he's a very safe driver." As the words were out, images of our drive from the movie theater to his apartment Sunday night appeared before my eyes, and I had to hold back a nervous giggle.

"Then you must be Edward, I guess?" Charlie asked gruffly, staring at Edward.

Again, Edward extended a hand, this time for Charlie to shake. "Yes, Chief Swan, I'm Edward Cullen. It's nice to meet you. I've already heard so much about you."

My dad narrowed his eyes at my friend, then eyed his out-stretched hand suspiciously before he shook it reluctantly, mumbling, "Well, oddly enough, we haven't heard anything about you until earlier this week."

"Dad, that's because Edward only moved to Seattle a few weeks ago. And I was very busy. Didn't have a lot of time to talk to you recently." Of course, he had to be difficult. I didn't want to imagine what would happen if I ever were to bring a boyfriend home to meet him.

"Charlie, ease up. You're acting as if Bella were bringing a criminal into your house. Edward's her friend, and he's welcome here. By the way, thank you for the beautiful flowers. But you shouldn't have. We're happy to have a friend of Bella's here." She smelled the flowers, smiling at Edward. "Guys, we don't have to stand in the hall. Go into the living room and make yourselves comfortable." With that, Sue urged us out of the hall and vanished to the kitchen again, leaving us with Charlie.

"So, can I get you anything, Edward?" my dad asked awkwardly.

Edward took the offered seat on the couch. "No, thank you, Chief Swan. I'm fine."

"You can call me Charlie." I exhaled, relieved that he seemed to be done scaring Edward.

"Thank you, Charlie," he said, sounding relieved, too. "By the way, I brought you something, too. You know, for having me here." He handed Charlie the bag with the book. My dad took it, furrowing his brows, before he decided to take a look inside.

"Wow, Moon's Washington Fishing, the latest issue. Thank you, Edward. How did you know … "

Edward beamed at Charlie's obvious joy. "Bella told me that you loved fishing. So I thought you might not have it yet, since the new issue was only released last year."

"Well, thank you. This wasn't necessary, though. You're the first guy Bella ever asked to bring home. How could we deny her?" His words were sincere and genuine but made me feel quite uncomfortable.

"Dad, you know that Edward's not my boyfriend, right? I told you that." I knew Charlie would turn everything around and silently wait for Edward to ask him for my hand in marriage. This was totally embarrassing. We were friends, and Edward had assured me on more than one occasion that this was exactly what he wanted, too.

"Yes, Bells, that's what you told us. But what I said is true, no less."

"Guys, dinner's ready, and the table's set. Are you coming?" Sue's voice sounded over from the kitchen.

Charlie and Edward simultaneously rose from their seats.

"After you," Charlie told us, smiling at Edward and me.

****POMH****

Sue started her inquisition as soon as she and I were alone in the kitchen, washing the dishes. "He's really nice."

"Yes, he is," I simply answered.

She handed me a plate to dry. "He's a friend of Jasper's, you said? Why didn't you meet him before, then?"

"He'd never been to Seattle before he thought about accepting the job offer. And I've never been to Chicago. Alice has known Edward for a while, though." I put the now-dry plate in the open cupboard, taking the next one to towel it.

"And there's really nothing going on between the two of you? I mean, he's handsome and sweet. He was a total gentleman tonight. He even pulled out your chair for you. Normally, women love that." Sue put a handful of washed utensils down next to the sink.

I frowned, having to explain everything again. "No, we're friends." She was right, he was everything she'd just described, and he was really very attentive toward me. But still, just a friend.

"I thought maybe it was he who gave you that hickey you're trying to hide." Sue smiled at me knowingly.

My hand flew up to my neck that was covered by a black turtleneck. How could she know? It wasn't even that visible anymore. For tomorrow, I had planned to wear a simple shirt, not hiding my neck anymore.

"Uhm, no. There's nothing," I lied, completely aware of the fact that Sue would see through it, but instead of digging for further information, she just let it go.

She sighed before she pulled the plug in the sink, saying, "That's sad. He's so nice."

A few minutes later, we were done with the dishes, and I strolled over to the living room, expecting to find Charlie and Edward watching a game on the flat screen. But instead, Edward stood in front of the mantelpiece, looking at Charlie's family photos.

"You look a lot like your mother," Edward stated as I came to a halt next to him. "Only with your dad's eyes and hair color."

He was looking at my parents' wedding picture. I didn't understand why Charlie still kept that one. As long as I'd been living in this house, it kind of made sense. He always supported every contact between Renée and me and didn't want to make me feel like my mother wasn't a part of our lives. But since I'd moved out, I thought he could finally get rid of it.

"I've heard that before," I answered him, my tone less annoyed than usual when someone expressed similarities between my mother and me.

"She's a really beautiful woman. Or, at least she was. I guess that picture was taken about thirty years ago." He was still looking at the photo. "Who are all the other people? Well, I'm sure that's you." His finger pointed at a picture of me and Charlie's parents.

I smiled to myself. "These are Grandma and Grandpa Swan."

"You seem to be very close to them." His voice conveyed genuine interest.

"I was," I started a little sadly. "Grandpa died when I was seven, and Grandma followed him when I was twelve."

His face fell slightly before he took a closer look at the picture in question. "What is it you're holding in your hand there? You seem to be very interested in that." He was really paying attention.

"It's Grandma's locket. She had a wonderful Victorian gold locket with emeralds and pearls on the lid. It was about a hundred years old, a family heirloom. Inside, she had two pictures, one of Charlie when he was a baby and one of me. I loved that thing. She always promised me that, one day, it would be mine." The smile that had spread across my face at the memory of my grandparents faded.

Edward's eyes were on me now. "Did you inherit it when she died?"

My heart sank, and I felt tears well up in my eyes when I remembered how much that piece of jewelry had meant to me and how hard it had been for me when we found out that someone stole it. I swallowed them back before I spoke again. "No. She had a stroke and was in the hospital for two weeks before she died. When they gave us her belongings, the locket was gone. I'm not sure if it was worth a lot, but it was very special to me." I met Edward's gaze, and there was a lot of sympathy in his beautiful green eyes.

"I'm sorry about that. I wish there was a way to get it back for you." He paused a second before he looked at the mantelpiece again, changing the subject. "Who are the people in the other pictures?"

I showed him my mother's parents I hadn't been as close to, my Dad's friend, Billy Black, and I explained Sue's pictures as well — her late husband, her parents, the dog she'd had when she was younger.

"What are you two doing?" Charlie asked loudly as he entered the room.

I turned around and smiled at him. "I'm showing Edward our portrait gallery."

"Huh. That's nice." Charlie's brows lifted, showing his surprise while his lips curled up into a smile. "But what about the game we wanted to watch, Edward? Are we still on?" Without waiting for Edward's answer, he turned the TV on and placed two cans of Rainier on the table.

"Of course we are," Edward replied, sitting down on the couch, taking one can and opening it. I knew that he wasn't that much into sports, but he was doing this to humor Charlie.

Sue walked in holding a bottle in her hand. "What about us girls? Bella, would you like to have some wine with me?"

"Yes, sure." After taking two wine glasses out of the cupboard, I went to sit down on the couch next to Edward. I wasn't interested in sports at all, but what else was there to do tonight?

****POMH****

"This is the bathroom," I explained as I showed Edward the upstairs rooms. "Fresh towels are in that closet over there. If you need anything, there's my room, and over there, that's Charlie's and Sue's bedroom."

A second later, I was pinned against my bedroom door with Edward nibbling my neck. "So, everything I'll need will be in this room," he whispered huskily.

"My dad could come up here any minute. Now's really not the best time," I breathed, actually unwilling to stop him.

Suddenly, his lips were gone from my neck as Edward was grinning at me mischievously. "Well, then we have to postpone that."

Reluctantly, we went back down the stairs and into the living room.

"Edward, I'm sorry we only have this old couch for you to sleep on. I'm afraid you may have problems with your back tomorrow," Sue apologized as we came through the door. She had put some sheets and blankets on the old sofa.

"Thank you, Sue. I'm sure I've slept worse. It'll be fine," Edward assured her, smiling his brilliant smile.

"Then we'll leave you alone. Bella, are you coming?" Charlie demanded as he put his arms around Sue and they were about to walk up the stairs.

I turned around to follow them as Charlie expected. "Yes, Dad. Good night, Edward."

"Good night," Edward bid all of us before he remained alone in the living room.

********POMH********

A/N: How did you like the Edward-Charlie encounter? I love how Charlie's so suspicious but at the same time thrilled that Bella's finally bringing someone home. So, what's your guess, will Edward sleep well on the couch? Will he sleep on the couch at all? Here's the weekly teaser:

… It was quiet for some time before Edward spoke again. "What happened so many years ago is still haunting you, isn't it?" His voice was soft and sympathetic just like his light caresses. …

What is he talking about? I can tell you that Bella will finally making some progress next week.

Before I leave you to hopefully review ;), I want to make an announcement. After pondering on the idea for some time now, I decided to create a Facebook group for my stories. There will be teasers, pictures, and I hope there will be some interesting discussions, too. For starters, if you're interested in Bella's grandmother's locket, there's a picture posted in the group. If you want to join, the group's called Payton79's Fanfiction.

That's it for now. Hope to see you all again next week.