Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Chapter 4 Charlie

Charlie POV

"Charlie is coming on Friday, love, I don't know about Sue. We can call him back and invite her if you want and I haven't invited Phil or Renee - but that's a great idea if you want to call and invite them up!"

~oo0oo~

"So it's all ready then?," I asked Sue as I came into Bella's room.

"All cleaned with fresh linens", Sue turned to look at me, "but I don't want you to get you hopes up, Charlie! She may not want to come back here at all!"

"Sue, come on. She has been gone six months. She's been there with him for over two months, you know she has to be homesick and missing her room! He has had to wait on her hand and foot what with her injuries and her leg in that cast and all. Carlisle says that Edward hasn't let anyone else help very much, so you know he is getting sick of tending to her!"

"Charlie, he may love her and want to take care of her, and she . . . "

"Sue!," I interrupted,

"No, you listen to me Charlie Swan, she MARRIED him. She loves him, and it just may be that he loves her and WANTS to take care of her!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Sue. The boy is 18. No eighteen year old wants that, and even though they're married, you know when she has so many broken bones and that cast on her leg, he can't be . . . um, you know . . . he can't be getting anything out of it . . . not yet! I want her home before that happens. She is just a kid, Sue. She needs a chance to be a kid, grow up, she hasn't even gotten her diploma from high school yet for goodness sake!"

She walked over and put her arms around me, "Charlie, I just want you to realize that it may not turn out the way you are thinking!"

"I'm her dad, Sue," I told her, "It will be fine!"

I grabbed my bag from my room and started down the stairs to set it by the front door. Sue was driving me to the airport in Seattle this morning, she had been there for me during this entire ordeal ever since Billy had died and Bella had left. Even before that really, I had been there for her when Harry had died last year. I was real glad to have her around, it had been a long time since anyone had taken care of me, well, other than Bella. I had to pick up my ticket at 'will call' whatever that was and Sue and I were going to sort that out together.

It was kind of a tense ride. Sue seemed to think that I didn't have a good grip on the situation, but I knew my daughter. She could be head strong, and she had always seemed irrational when it came that to this boy, but surely in this length of time she would have seen through him, seen the light and I was sure she would be willing to do the right thing now that she had plenty of time to think it over! I had told everyone here that she was in a rehabilitation hospital, so her story was covered here, she wouldn't have to explain anything to anyone.

We arrived, parked, and found the 'will call' with not a lot of effort. I gave them my name, showed them my id, and the agent cheerfully handed me my ticket. It as a first class ticket. FIRST CLASS. Well, that certainly wasn't Bella. Bella was tight with money, just like me, partly out of necessity and partly because she was raised to not waste money. Sue looked at the ticket and starred at me, shrugged her shoulders,

"Just enjoy the time with your daughter, Charlie! Just try and reconnect with her and have a good time!"

I hugged her and got on the plane. Sure was different to be in the front of the plane. Drinks and food were offered right away, well, it was a long flight and they were serving a meal as well. I was anxious about seeing Bella. I talked to her almost every day but seeing her was something else entirely. I leaned back and tried to take it easy. I guess we would just see how things were when I got there and then figure it out.

As I went to collect my bags, I saw Bella standing just behind the short wall, waiving to greet me. He was there, his arm around her as she waved enthusiastically to me. I grabbed my bag and went to meet them -

This might be more difficult than I thought.

BPOV

I was so excited about my dad's visit! Edward always seemed to think of everything! I was walking on cloud 9 lately. Edward was everything I had ever dreamed of and more. His family had lovingly excepted me into their midst, and I already thought of them as my family. We had our own absolutely gorgeous home and Edward and I had spent the last week decorating the upstairs bedrooms to prepare for our visitors.

I sighed as I remembered the reason we had to replace the bed in the guestroom. I hadn't noticed the afternoon it had happened, and Edward had moved us to our bedroom to sleep for the night, so I had not woken up there. When I had gone in the next day to change the sheets and spread, I was horrified at what I found. Well, not so much at what I found as at the fact that I had not heard or noticed it when it happened. The thick wood sleigh bed had chunks torn out of the headboard. It appeared as though someone had simply ripped the two inch thick wood apart with their bare hands. Chunks were missing, places that were gripped as though to pull up on and too much pressure had been applied, splintering chunks off of the once beautiful headboard. It had to have made noise . . . it would have been terrifying to see. I had been so focused on what I was doing, I hadn't seen or noticed the full effect that putting my mouth on Edward had elicited.

I am apparently exceptionally unobservant when I am otherwise occupied.

I heard his moans, of course, I felt him writhing beneath me and I had known that he tried to pull away from me, but I had crawled up him as he moved, not allowing him to escape before he found his release. I loved the way my husband tasted and I loved that I could drive him that crazy. Edward had always held his physical reactions in check around me, making me wonder if he even wanted me physically at all. I was wrong. My husband was an extremely passionate man, and an even more passionate vampire!

I waved wildly when I saw my dad reaching for his luggage on the turnaround in the airport. He smiled at me, then seemed to scowl when he noticed Edward with me. I would have a talk with him. He would see just how wonderful Edward was, and how happy I was.

Charlie POV

"Bella! Um I'm so glad to see you! You look great!", I said as I hugged her tight.

"Edward", I nodded my head in his direction as he picked up my bag and gestured that we should head for the car.

"Glad you could make it, Chief Swan. How was your flight?"

"Good, it was good. Really something that first class, you didn't needed to do that."

"Dad, I made the reservation for you! I'm so excited to see you! Mom and Phil will be here in a couple of days, they had to wait till after Phil played in a weekend game, and they wanted to drive.

"Bella, you don't need to be spending your money like that on me. Back of the bus gets here just the same time as the front. Besides, I didn't know drag racing was so profitable!", I said as we approached his car. It was the same Volvo that he had in Forks, and the same car he had driven her away from the hospital in. I started to say something about the blue car he had left in my driveway six months ago, but I decided that discussion was better left for another time!

"Dad, I had not given that any thought! I think Jake said something about money for me, or racing pay, but I just told him to hang onto it till I saw him! I told him we would talk about all that, and the wreck when he came for a visit. I haven't discussed racing with anyone yet dad, even Edward. Everyone has been kind enough to not ask questions and let me just start to talk about things in my own time."

"I have just concentrated on my husband and recovering from the wreck, and now my new house! Can you believe it, dad! Edward built me a house while i was recuperating! Wait till you see it!" She was so excited and so happy. She looked good and the boy still could not keep his eyes off of her.

Getting her to come home with me might just be harder than I thought.

Bella insisted I sit in the front seat with Edward so that I could see the scenery on the way to the house. I think it made the boy just as uncomfortable as it made me. She slipped into the back seat behind him and put her arms around his neck.

"Fasten your seat belt, Bella, no need in not being safe!", I said in an effort to get her to let go of him.

I have to admitthat the ride was really pretty. Tall majestic oaks with their canopies covering the rolling hills that seemed to steadily get taller and more pronounced the further North we went. A couple of hours out of Atlanta and we were surrounded by the beginnings of the Appalachian Mountains. We headed up a small two lane curvy road for the last few miles, then turned off on a gravel drive. Before me was a beautiful new two story white house with a covered front porch and enclosed breezeway to the garage. It was the perfect compliment to the surrounding forest. The front yard was actually a long expanse of field with what looked like about a three acre lake on the far end bordering the forest. The house itself sat nestled in tall old oak trees on a slight rise so that the front field and lake looked like they were in a valley, spread out before it.

After helping Bella up the few steps to the front porch, Edward disappeared inside with my bag and headed up the stairs leaving me alone with my daughter. I looked around the downstairs. Leather sofas and recliners were tastefully grouped facing the fireplace, bar style counter top separating the kitchen area and dining room and what appeared to be a study or library off of the other side of the room. Bells was so excited, just waiting for my response.

"You are our first guest, Dad! Let me show you the upstairs!"

"You don't need to do that, Bells, how's the leg coming along anyway?"

"It's fine, Dad. Carlisle changed my cast just last week to this smaller one. I can even get it wet in the bathtub with me . . . so much easier than wrapping the cast in plastic and worrying the whole shower that you are going to get all the padding in it wet and have to have a new one put on or worrying Edward that I am going to fall!"

She headed up the stairs, determined as ever. Why should that surprise me, you would think I was used to that about her! My suitcase was in a large room with a four post bed decorated in cream and light blue.

"This is really pretty, Bells!", I told her.

"You really think so, Dad? Esme did the decorating downstairs and Edward picked our our furniture as a surprise to me, but I picked out the furniture and the colors in here! Well, Edward and I did. I had you in mind when I went with blue! I'm so glad you like it!", she said as she threw her arms around my neck and hugged me.

The other guest room was pretty, pale beige and creams with a little green or rust color added as an accent, but what was stunning was her room. My daughters bedroom was the size of my entire upstairs and then some! The huge canopied bed that covered one wall was amazing, looked like it was made of wrought iron, the four posts covered in trailing vines of roses, all of wrought iron and all painted black. Real pretty, but not what you would think a man would choose. The bathroom was huge, complete with jacuzzi tub and I glanced into what appeared to be a closet on the way out. It was filled with women's clothes, huge amounts of clothes! All this was a lot to take in but as I came back into her bedroom, I stopped cold.

There was a large framed photo, no, it was a painting, of my daughter and Edward. It hung over the fireplace in their room. They were just sitting on a bench looking at each other, trees and a river in the background - probably in the backyard of the Cullen's house in Forks - but it was the look on their faces that had caused me to freeze. Why had I not noticed it a year ago, almost two years ago. There was no mistaking the fact that the two people in the picture were in love.

Getting her to come home with me might just be hard to do.

Edward walked into the room, encircling my daughters waist with his arms and kissing her on the neck before looking at me. "Do you like it, Chief?", he asked politely.

"It's something, I'll say that for you, it is really something!"

"Dad, do you need to freshen up? I have diner cooked and I thought we could eat, then go up and say hello to Carlisle and Esme. Is that alright with you?", she asked as she held his hands in hers.

"Sure, Bells. I'll be down in a minute, ok?"

I washed my face and hung up a couple of shirts and slacks to make sure they were not too wrinkled for her birthday party in a few days and sat down on the bed. It was a really nice room. It was a REALLY nice house. The boy was in love with her, he wore it on his sleeve. You'd have to be blind not to see it.

Yea, getting her to come home with me might be really hard to do . . . but I had to try.

EPOV

"He hates me!", I said into her hair, her arms wrapping tightly around me.

"Sweetheart, he doesn't even know you. He just sees you as the guy that took his little girl away from him and he thinks we're too young!", she kissed my neck and up my jaw, reaching for my lips. I bent my head and kissed her lightly, sighing into her hair.

She cocked her head to one side, "We could tell him you're 110 and see if he still feels you're too young!", she said with a sparkle in her eyes, teasing me.

"Lets do that! We can also tell him that I'm an immortal vampire and you will be too one day and we will live happily ever after forever!"

"Edward! Maybe we shouldn't spill ALL of that, not all at one time!", she laughed, going along with the humor in my words, "Alright, we will just tell him that we will live happily ever after . . . forever!", she stated matter of factly.

"What's that about happily forever?" Bella turned to see her father standing at the door to the kitchen, glaring at us with our arms around each other by the table that Bella was setting.

I stroked her back and quickly dipped my head to whisper in her ear, "It's okay, that's all he heard, not to worry!"

"Just Edward and I, Dad. We were just talking about how we got our happily ever after, after all."

Charlie's mind raced as she said that. His mind immediately started going through images of how bad off Bella was the last time I left her and thoughts of how bad it would be when it happened again. There was a time and not too long ago when these images would have sent me crumbling to the ground, my knees giving way. I had to remind myself that she was here, safe with me and that the pain was in the past. She had forgiven me for it and we were past it!

He seemed to have no doubt that something would happen to break us up. I concentrated on his thoughts. Charlie had always been difficult for me to read for some reason, maybe in part it was what led to Bella being totally unreadable for me. The predominant thought in his head right now was his intention to take Bella home with him.

With him.

Without me.

My wife was standing in our kitchen, in our home, telling her father that she had gotten her happily ever after and his thoughts were of how to take her home with him, away from me.

I filled with rage. The hair on my neck stood up, I tightened my arms around Bella as she stood by me . . . I was certain my eyes were black. No one would ever come between Bella and me again, no one. I needed to respond to his spoken word, not his thoughts. I had to try hard to remember that as I spoke.

"We got our happily ever after and we will NEVER be apart from each other again. It almost killed both of us", I said directly to Charlie as I starred at him.

His thoughts momentarily blanked. He saw something in my eyes at that moment, something that even he did not want to argue with. Good.

Bella moved to loosen my grip on her so that she could finish moving the food to the table. As we sat down to dinner Charlie's thoughts shifted to something a little milder, his missing Bella's cooking, how good dinner smelled, how much better Bella looked . . . Bella brought plates of spaghetti to each of us and put garlic bread on the table. She had placed half a piece of bread, hidden under spaghetti on one end, so that it would look like I had eaten half of it, as soon as I moved the sauce off the top. Inventive. It also served to make it look like I had more spaghetti than I really did. She had been kind, I really had very little on my plate! I really loved this woman.

I moved the food around on the plate and even chewed and swallowed several bites as we made small talk.

"Seems nice here, warm in the days and cool evenings. Not raining all the time like at home, huh Bells! I bet you miss home don't you!"

"Right, Dad, you know I hate the rain!", Bella frowned, "Actually, it rains here almost every afternoon during the summer, but it is only for an hour or two then back to sunshine. The southern Appalachian mountains are actually a temperate rain forest, Dad!"

"That so, well, at least you are used to the rain!", Charlie offered, "This is real good, Bells, real good."

Charlie spoke without looking up, like he wanted to compliment her, but he didn't want to do or say anything that would make her think that he approved of her being here. It was a tough place he had put himself in, on the one hand, he wanted his daughter to realize that she needed to be home with him and leave this madness, but on the other he needed her to know that he was proud of her, thought she was amazing, loved her cooking, and he even thought the area was beautiful, along with the weather. Actually, he could find no fault with anything that he had seen yet, and it was driving him mad.

"Let's go out on the porch and have dessert, Dad", Bella said as she got to her feet.

"I'll clean up here, sweetheart, if you want to go and sit with your dad," I told her as I got to my feet and lightly kissed her lips. They disappeared through the door and I had everything cleaned and put away in moments.

I just couldn't believe her Dad! I waited a few minutes then stuck my head out the door, "Ready to go see Carlisle?", I asked both of them. We used the car rather than my carrying her up the trail and raising suspicion as to how I could do that and not even break a sweat.

Carlisle and Esme were on the porch as we pulled up and welcomed Charlie to their home. Bella and I waited downstairs as Charlie got the grand tour of the house. The furniture that Bella and I had used downstairs had been moved upstairs to the bedroom that was originally intended for me, and the room that had served as Bella's room to recuperate in had been returned to a dining room, for show.

"Eddie, how's it going with the in laws visiting?", Emmett laughed as he asked. Bella and I sat on the sofa in the den. Jasper noticed my tension and tried to calm me, as Rose smirked.

"Everything is fine, Emmett, just fine.", Bella answered as she looked at me, her eyes insistent. She was determined to make it fine. Emmett's thoughts betrayed him. He didn't buy it for a minute. He saw my face and read the tension there.

"Don't worry", Alice added, "Charlie will come around in time!"

"I hope so Alice", Bella sighed, "he just seems so tense and like there is something he isn't saying. Edward says he still hates him and I'm really hoping to change that!"

"Don't hope for too much change there, Bella. Charlie still sees Edward as having taken you away from him. It may take time for him to come around, even if Edward is putting his best foot forward and trying to make himself likable."

We all watched the sunset from the back porch. It was absolutely beautiful, as always. The last rays of the sun danced across the valley floor as the peaks of the distant mountains slowly blocked out it's rays.

I stood and turned to Bella, offering her my hand, "Let's go home, sweetheart, it's getting late!"

We stood and headed toward the door, Charlie saying his goodbyes and following us to the car. I pulled into the garage and we entered the house.

"Charlie, is there anything we can get for you before we go to bed?", I asked him politely, "Please help yourself to anything you want and make yourself at home!"

He glared at me momentarily, wiping the look off his face before Bella noticed it. His thoughts were clear. The only thing he wanted from me was my absence.

"Well, you remember where your room is I'm sure, Dad, and the TV remote is on the table if you want to watch a game or the news or something." She walked over to him and hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, "Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Chief", I said as I put my arm around my wife and we headed toward the stairs. At the foot of the stairs, I lifted her bridal style, kissed her and carried he to our room. I smiled, knowing he was watching and fuming over it. He still just didn't get it. She was about to celebrate her 19th birthday. We were young, from all appearances, but we were married and he needed to accept that we were going to STAY married . . . and together!

BPOV

I was overcome as the door closed, desperate with my desire for him. My hand grasped his hair as I pulled him to me with all my might, kissing him as passionately as I was able. He carried me to our bed and put me down beside it, never breaking our kiss. When I needed air, he trailed kisses down my jaw and toward my ear.

"What's all this about, love", he whispered into my ear.

"I just really, really love you!", I cupped his face in my hands and said it again, "I really love you, Mr. Cullen! Thank you for finding me!"

"I would have searched to the ends of the earth for you, Mrs. Cullen," he said as he stood and gently removed his clothing and mine. He wrapped his arms around me and gently pushed, causing me to fall backwards into our bed in his arms. "Goodnight, sweetheart", he said as he snuggled my head against his chest.

I waited.

"Edward, what are you doing?"

"Letting you get some sleep, love. Why do you ask?"

"Edward. You have made love to me every morning before we have left this room and each evening when I went to bed, every day since you first showed me this house over a week ago. What's different today? Are you alright? Have I upset you in some way?"

"Love, no, of course no", he propped up on one elbow, his head in his hand and the other hand gently tracing circles on my chest and playing with my breast. "You have done nothing wrong and I'm not upset with you at all. I just figured that with your Dad so close by you wouldn't want him to hear us", he starred down at his hand rather than looking into my eyes.

"You're absolutely right, sweetheart . . . ", she said as she rolled over onto me, "Better be kinda quiet!"

~oooOooo~

Charlie wandered around the downstairs for awhile, admiring my new house and looking in the library before he climbed the stairs to his room. As he looked around the room and noticed what good taste his daughter had and remembered the glow on her face tonight when she was with him. Yea,

Getting her to come home with me might just be harder than I thought.