A/N: Hi, remember me? I'm Twific Lovah. You know, the one who wrote CDTH for the M2D Romance then fell off the face of the earth? Yeah, that's me. So, anyway, I finally have a chapter for you.

Thank you to Ipsita for pre-reading. And a HUGE thank you to my beta, Geeky. She is all kinds of amazing. She didn't even get annoyed when I changed this chapter 987654321 times. Well, she didn't tell me it was annoying anyway. See? Amazing! Lol. Also, I like to tweak, so any and all mistakes are mine, and has nothing to do with Geeky's beta'ing. Trust me, she doesn't miss anything.

I think you have waited long enough, so here is chapter two.

Oh, wait, I don't own anything Twilight. But I do own this plot.

Ok, now, chapter two.

Mayor Charles Swan sat in his home office, one hand holding his face, the other cradling his whiskey on the rocks. It was how he had spent every night for the last month.

His head at war with his heart.

His political career on the verge of being over.

If he listened to his head, he would be the laughing stock of Seattle. The man who prided himself on his family policies no longer had a family of his own.

If he listened to his heart, he would be a joke to himself. What kind of a man stays with a woman who doesn't love him, who never loved him? How could he ever have self-respect again?

But he had—no, he did love his wife, Renee. They'd met at the tender age of fourteen, and she'd been beautiful. God, she was so beautiful—long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and the face of an angel. He'd known the moment he laid eyes on her that she was it, and they'd been together ever since.

He'd always given her everything she ever wanted, though now he saw that as his downfall. Maybe she wouldn't be so materialistic if he'd just lived the simple life with her. Maybe she wouldn't have become so greedy, or maybe she always was, and he was too blinded by his love for her to see it. He had no idea, and he never would. And that not knowing hurt, too.

But the fact was, he did give her everything she ever wanted, and in turn, he got everything he ever wanted—a beautiful family.

A family he thought was strong. Unbreakable.

A family now barely holding together, waiting on his word.

A light tap at the door broke his train of thought.

"Come in," he called, and through all his torment, a smile automatically appeared as his daughter entered his office.

"Hi, Daddy." Isabella sat in the chair across his table.

"Hi, Princess."

"I'm going to bed soon, but I... Well… I… I wanted to talk to you first." The way Isabella fidgeted, he knew it was serious, so he waited for her to continue.

"I know you're going through a hard time, and I want you to know that I support you, no matter what. But…" Isabella took in a deep breath, trying to find the courage to say the words she had wanted to say for a month.

"It's okay, Princess. Just say it." Charles' mind was going crazy with all kinds of thoughts. Was she pregnant? Had she been hurt by someone? He hated that his career choice put his family in the grips of the media, no matter how hard he tried to keep them separate.

"I think you should leave Mom." The words rolled off her tongue more easily than she thought they would, and a lot easier than they should have.

To say Charles was shocked was an understatement, but he stayed silent as he took his daughter's words in.

"Now, don't get angry. I love Mom. I do. But Daddy, she hurt you."

"I know, but unfortunately, it's not that simple, Isabella." If only she knew the turmoil he'd been putting himself through over this very issue.

"But it is, Daddy. All you have to do is tell her to leave. You don't deserve to live like this." Isabella wished she could be talking to her father about anything else, but mostly, she wished hurt weren't still the prominent emotion in his eyes.

"I have a lot more to think about than myself here, Princess."

"You mean work?"

Charles only nodded as he took a sip of his now slightly watered-down whiskey.

"Daddy, I understand. You're the family man of politics; your every decision is based on what is best for the hard-working families of America. You love being the one this country can trust for support. But sometimes, you need to do what's best for you." Isabella paused to let her father speak, but he chose not to. Whether it was out of shame or guilt, he wasn't sure.

"And this," she said, gesturing to her father and the drink he was nursing, "isn't the best thing for anyone."

Again, he took his daughter's words in. How had she become so grown up? So wise? He wished he could take credit for it, but the truth was, he barely raised her. Sure, there were family vacations and shopping trips, but the daily grind of growing up was spent with her nanny. He now found it sadly ironic that his career of helping American families often took him away from his own.

It was another thing which made Charles feel like a failure. How could he put into words all the things he was feeling? He couldn't. Instead, he walked around the table and really hugged Isabella, wishing he had spent more time tucking her in at night.

He wanted to ask if he could tuck her in one last time—if she would humor her old man and let him read her a story, but she was too old for that now. A beautiful young lady offering her dad advice.

The sad truth was, she would have let him.

Instead, she kissed his cheek, whispered that she loved him, and tucked herself into bed.

O0o0o0o0o

Isabella's leg jittered as her thumbnail got shorter in her mouth. As sure as she'd been of the words she'd spoken to her father last night, she was now nervous.

Over the last month, Isabella and Edward had spent every chance they had together. There'd been dates at the beach, movie nights at his house, and so much time getting to know each other. Isabella thought it was strange that they spent so much time on their getting-to-know-each-other talks when she felt she'd known him her entire life. But she had never imagined this moment would come so soon.

Edward gently pulled Isabella's thumb from her mouth and placed his hand on her leg. "I told you, it'll be fine. You have nothing to be nervous about."

Isabella snorted. "Ha! Says Doctor Golden Child, who can do no wrong."

They were on their way to Edward's parents' house, and Isabella was finally meeting the people who raised the boy into the man she loved.

Yes, it may have been a short time since they'd met, but she knew she loved Edward, as he did her. Though, neither of them had said it yet.

She had never been this nervous before. Not even for what she thought was her inevitable wedding.

"I told you, they only want me to be happy, and they will see you make me happy and love you. Besides, they always favored Emmett," he joked to lighten the mood. It didn't help.

"You're Dr. Accomplished, who was, to them, happily married. All I'll be is the eighteen-year-old homewrecker who you fell for because I convinced you to meet me at a hotel room for a quick cherry-picking fuck. Oh, yeah. They'll adore me."

Edward tried and failed to keep his laughter at bay. "First, I told them Kate was cheating on me." Edward took his eyes off the road to quickly glance at Isabella, who was rolling her eyes, before turning his head back to the road. "Secondly, only Emmett knows how we met, and he will never tell a soul. So unless you tell them, they'll never know. And lastly, all they need is to see the way I look at you because I know they'll see how much I love you, and nothing else will matter."

Silence fell over the car as they both realized what Edward had just said. They both felt it, but actually saying it made a huge difference.

Isabella wasn't sure if she was ready to say the words, but she knew she couldn't let Edward sit there, being the only one with his heart on the line. So she decided to be honest. "I love you, too."

The strangest sensation ran through Edward at once. He felt like his heart stopped but also like he was finally able to take a deep breath. He didn't reply; he didn't know how. He wanted to show her, to hold her, and as he pulled up to the stop sign, he took his chance.

He turned to her and placed his hand on her face before connecting his lips with hers. "I love you so much, Bella."

Isabella responded by putting her arms around his neck and kissing him back. "I know. I can feel it. I love you more than I thought was possible."

A horn blaring behind them brought them back to reality, and Edward gave Isabella another quick peck on the lips before turning back to the road and hitting the gas.

"Did we really just say our first I-love-yous in the car on the way to your parents'?" Isabella laughed, and Edward joined.

"It seems we don't do anything the normal way, beautiful girl."

While her nerves had settled a little, Isabella's heart was racing for a completely different reason. They had finally said those words she'd felt from the first moment.

"Normal is overrated."

"Yes. Yes, it is." Edward agreed as he wrapped his hand around hers.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Isabella, it's so wonderful to meet you."

As Isabella stood at the front door, her nerves dissolved at Esme's warm smile and open arms.

Esme Cullen, the face of sophistication, was dressed in a knee-length black dress and black heels. Her husband, Carlisle, who was standing with his arm around his wife's waist and was just as welcoming, wore black pants and a white shirt.

Isabella hugged Esme before Carlisle pulled her in for a hug. "It's lovely to meet you too, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen." Isabella's voice came out less confident than she felt at their warm welcome.

"No need for that, dear. Call us Carlisle and Esme," Carlisle assured, and Isabella told them she preferred Bella.

"And my boy, how are you?" Esme wrapped her arms around her son as if she hadn't seen him in months, but Isabella knew he'd seen his parents a few days ago.

"I'm good. Hungry."

"Of course. Growing boys always are." Esme pulled away as Edward and his father embraced.

"He's thirty-eight, Esme. I think he's done growing." Carlisle and Edward laughed.

"Oh, shush, you." Esme swatted his arm before turning to Isabella. "They act as if Edward and Emmett won't always be my babies."

The interaction between the family was strange for Isabella. She had never known a family to be close like this, but she liked it.

"Now, come and have a drink while I set the table." Esme wrapped her arm around Isabella's shoulders, leading her to the dining room.

"You sit with Bella, darling. Edward and I will set the table."

Suddenly, Isabella was uncomfortable. Had Edward told them her age? She wasn't allowed to drink legally. Would they make her drink juice? Should she say anything at all?

Sitting at the table, Esme poured herself and Isabella a white wine. "I know you're eighteen, but I say, if you're old enough to vote on who you want to run our country, you're old enough to have a few drinks."

Isabella laughed a little. "I bet you were a hit with your sons' friends."

"Well, I only came to that realization after the boys turned twenty-one. Funny how things work."

"Mom, why did you cook so much food?" Edward asked as he brought in another side dish.

"Oh, I decided to invite Emmett and Rosie. I thought I told you. They'll be here in a minute."

Edward automatically looked at Isabella, whose face had gone whiter than usual. Emmett knew how they met. Edward said he wouldn't tell a soul, but what if he slipped up? Isabella didn't know him from a bar of soap. What if he didn't like her and thought telling how they met would make sure they broke up?

Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.

"What up? The party has arrived." Emmett's voice boomed through the house as he embraced his brother.

"No, the garbage disposal has arrived."

"Rosie, how are you?" Edward kissed her cheek.

"So, this is Bella," Emmett said as she stood. "It's so good to meet you. I didn't think Eddie would ever let us meet."

"I didn't plan on it. Mom just now told me you were coming. And it's Edward." He sighed.

"I don't know. I kinda like Eddie," Isabella teased.

"You can call me anything you want, beautiful girl." Isabella blushed and sat back in her seat.

"So Bella, tell us about yourself," Carlisle said as they all started to put food on their plates.

Isabella's cheeks warmed with her blush. "Well, I'm eighteen, and I'm Charles Swan's daughter..."

"Oh, dear, we don't want to know the facts we could learn from a magazine. We want to know about you," Esme said warmly.

"Oh, umm, well, I love to read. And cook. I love cooking. Our chef at home, Maria, she would let me help as a kid. Little things at first, like mixing the food, but more as I got older."

"That sounds lovely."

"It really was, Esme. And when I wasn't in the kitchen, I was in our home library. Reading has always been my one true love. I find it amazing that all the books I've ever read consist of only twenty-six letters, just placed in a different order to take me on a different journey."

"Who's your favorite writer?" Carlisle asked, intrigued at how mature she sounded for an eighteen-year-old.

"Favorite writer? Oh, I couldn't answer that. Some I love for the story they tell, some for the way they tell the story. I have so many."

As dinner continued, there was so much laughter at the table, and Isabella was getting along with everyone.

After eating, they all sat down to watch a football game. It was different from her watching a game with her father, which was mostly in silence. Edward and his family cheered and screamed at the TV; Emmett even threw something, hitting Rosalie accidently. All she did was roll her eyes before going back to yelling at the screen.

"Well, we'd better get going. I have to work in the morning." Edward stood as he grabbed Isabella's hand.

"Oh, I wanted to help clean up," Isabella said, but the truth was, she didn't want to leave. The last few hours had been spent surrounded by a loving family, who truly supported each other, no matter what. Isabella had enjoyed every moment of Esme scolding the boys, all their stories of mischief growing up. She loved Esme telling Edward he needed to get more sleep, and she adored the way Edward and Emmett gave each other shit all night yet looked at each other with so much respect in their eyes.

"Don't be silly. That's what the dishwasher is for," Esme interrupted. "And by dishwasher, I mean Carlisle." She lovingly placed her hand on her husband's arm before standing to walk Edward and Isabella out.

As they were leaving, Esme pulled Edward to the side. "Oh, Edward. She is lovely. I've never seen you this content within yourself. I know you thought we would have an issue with her age, but she is a keeper. And maybe this one will give me some grandbabies."

Edward ignored his mother's last comment and kissed her cheek before leaving.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so," Edward gloated as he drove Isabella home.

She rolled her eyes. It seemed like she'd done that a lot today. "Okay, you were right. But you can't blame me for being nervous."

"No, it's always daunting meeting the parents."

"I really did enjoy myself. Your brother is hysterical, and your mom is so lovely."

"That's what she said about you."

Isabella couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. But as they pulled into her driveway, Isabella slumped in her seat. "I don't want to go in."

"I know, and if I didn't have to work..." Edward smirked.

"No teasing. Okay, I love you." Isabella kissed his cheek and got out of the car, her giddiness that she could now say those words freely overriding her bad mood at being home.

"I love you, too." He waited until Isabella was inside, then drove home.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Isabella walked through the kitchen on her way to her room and found her mom sitting at the table, nursing a glass of wine, with the bottle next to her. Isabella was still so angry at her mother, but she looked so… defeated, and Isabella had to know if she was okay.

Sitting on the chair across from her mother, she spoke.

"Are you okay, Mom?"

Silence.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

More silence.

"Mom…"

Isabella paused as her mother looked up, showing that Renee had been crying. But that wasn't what caused Isabella to silence herself. No, that was the pure hatred she saw coming from her own mother's red-rimmed eyes.

"You, Isabella. You are what is wrong."

Since calling off her wedding, Isabella had been on the receiving end of a few of her mother's verbal rants, but they had never felt like this. Her mother's voice had never been so emotionless, so calm.

"Why didn't you just marry him, Isabella? Why didn't you live the life I planned for so long for you to live?"

"I've told you a thousand times. I don't love him, and I never will," Isabella said as calmly as she could, while her heartbeat increased rapidly. She knew tonight was different.

"I never loved your dad, but I knew he would be able to provide the life I wanted. Though, I didn't plan on him wanting kids. God, the amount of times I told him we didn't need kids. The amount of times I would fuck him in random places, just to tell him that we couldn't do that if there were kids running around."

Her mother's words cut through her heart. She knew her mom didn't like her, but to hear she'd never actually wanted her hurt.

"Where is Dad?"

"He's not saving you tonight, Isabella." Renee took a mouthful of her wine, finishing it before filling it up again.

"Where is Dad?"

"He's given me two days to get out of the house. He's at a hotel until then."

Tears started to roll down Renee's cheeks, dripping into her wine. She didn't care, drinking it anyway. "You did this. You ruined me."

"I did nothing except fall in love."

"With a nobody."

"Say what you want about me, but don't you dare talk about a man you refuse to get to know. Though, I would be ashamed for him to know the person you are anyway."

Anger crossed through Renee's eyes. "How dare you say that. I am a classy woman, not some kid from the suburbs whose parents sent them to some public school because they were too poor to get their kid educated properly."

"You're right, Mom. They didn't have a lot of money, but they both worked their asses off so their kids could go to college and get degrees. And they did. Emmett is an architect and Edward is a doctor. Edward worked his ass off to get where he is, all on his own—his own work ethic. That tells me that he is a hard-working man.

"When they were both financially stable, Edward and Emmett paid their parents' house off. That tells me he respects family."

"Firstly, Doctor Perfect has told me all this, Isa—"

Isabella was not finished and spoke over Renee's calm voice. "When I was begging him to fuck me, he wouldn't because he wanted my first time to mean something. That tells me he respects women. HOW CAN YOU NOT WANT ME TO BE WITH HIM?"

"And secondly," Renee continued when Isabella had finished, "you will not speak to me like that, Isabella."

"Like what, honestly?"

"Like I'm one of those people you associate with. I am not your friend. I am your mother. You will treat me with respect."

Throughout their whole interaction, Renee had been calm, her hate-filled eyes never leaving Isabella's. Inside her, though, she didn't know if she was desperate or furious or both. Or if there was even a difference between the two.

"You've never done anything to earn my respect."

"I raised you."

"Maria raised me. You had me cut out of you. You know, too posh to push." The sarcasm in Isabella's voice was thick, and Renee couldn't believe the way her daughter was treating her.

"Stop with the smart remarks, Isabella. I mean it. Isn't the fact that you have ruined my marriage enough? I now have to go live like some middle-class person." Renee shivered at her words. "In a one-level house, probably without an ensuite because lord knows Alice won't allow Jasper to let me live with them. I should have known I was doomed the moment she entered our lives."

Isabella had had enough. "Stop, Mom. Just stop. You did this. You married a man you didn't love; you had kids you clearly didn't want. You made these choices, no one else."

"And until that mutt came along, I had it all sorted to suit me fine."

"That's it." Isabella stood up, her fists slamming the table, startling both of them. "You will not disrespect the man I love. I will not allow it."

Renee stood too, and before Isabella could react, she had her pinned against the wall.

"I could have dealt with you and the mutt eventually. Truly. I wouldn't have liked it, but well, I allowed Alice into the family. I just needed time. But you couldn't stay quiet, and now your father knows the truth, and I have nothing. Everything I ever worked for, gone. You ruined me, Isabella." She smashed the wine glass in her hand against the wall, the red wine spilling all over the white walls and tiled floor, and held it to Isabella's throat. "And now, I am going to ruin you."

Fear rose in Isabella like she had never felt as Renee gently slid the broken glass down the side of her neck. With her other arm against her throat, Isabella had no way to move at all.

A/N: Don't hate me, Geeky and Ipsi made me do it. No, that's a lie.

Only Ipsi made me do it. Ahh! That's a lie, too. In fact, Ipsi yelled at me. Lol.

But the good news is, you won't have to wait long for the next chapter.

Lastly, But certainly not least, I want to thank YOU for reading. You're awesome, and I can't explain how much it means to me.

Twific