Warning: Although almost every part of my story is appropriate for children, this chapter contains conversation about more mature concepts such as self-mutilation and eating disorders. It is not graphic and does not occur, but there is a conversation about it.

Chapter 12-

Natalie's Point of View

A few days had passed since I first stepped foot into my father's secret mansion. I had tried to keep his fortune very low-key for Katie, but of course that failed. I couldn't help it, she was my best friend. Also, it was extremely easy to tell the first time she came over, I simply confirmed it. She was in my room now; we were talking as I finished unpacking the last few things. I had really taken my time. I don't know why, but I felt like any day now, my dad was going to come in and tell me to leave again. I don't think he ever would, I just wanted to be cautious until the feeling had passed.

"Really, Natalie. What has been bothering you so much? Don't tell me 'nothing' again because it's so obviously something. It would be more discreet to write it on your forehead in sharpie."

She had me there; I hadn't plastered a fake smile on my face to try to cover it up like I usually did. "I just feel like, I don't know, like one of these days he's going to decide he didn't want me after all and I'm going to be hurt over it so I'd just rather just not get close to him…but I really want to. I want to tell him all my problems and let him comfort me; I just don't want to put all my faith in him until I know he wouldn't ever give me up." This was hard to admit. It felt like I was a drama queen all the time, but it was true. I had already been down the self-loathing road once and it was next to impossible to get out of, sometimes I still felt that way, I didn't want to risk it unnecessarily.

"Oh, come on, Natalie. I know this is hard for you, but he can't help you if you don't tell him. Have you told him anything?" she asked, grabbing my arm and moving my sleeve to reveal the scars of the wounds that had long healed but left their mark.

"No." I said quietly. Why should I? It would just be more drama caused by me. Plus, I was worried that if I told him, he would assume that the scars were his fault, which they somewhat were, but barely.

"Natalie, how often do you think of trying that again? Any of it?" Not this again. A lot of people had already gone out of their way to make sure I was not going to jump off a cliff or do anything irrational, but she couldn't help it, she did think of it quite often.

"Never." I answered quickly before I realized that it probably sounded like a lie.

"Really, so if I were to read this book…" she snatched up my diary too quickly for me to block her way. I almost knocked her over fighting for it back. I would have, if it had come to that. "Calm down, I wasn't going to read it, you just proved what I had guessed."

"Not really!" I said back, more like yelled. It was a good thing no one was home. "Maybe I just like to keep my private thoughts private."

"That's a lie and you know it Natalie Cullen! We've already shared everything together except you've kept back one huge detail! You still think about cutting and anorexia and suicide! You still think things that would ruin everyone that loves you!"

All I could do was cry. I wasn't mad at her for making the connection, she was my sister and deep down I knew she was only saying those things because she cared about me.

"Natalie, you know I would never do anything to hurt my sister, especially blackmail, but if you don't tell him in three days…I will. You at least need to talk to your father of all people. It hurts to know you still feel those things sometimes, and I don't get why you do."

We just sat hugging on my bed while I cried for a few minutes longer. After a little while I whispered okay and Katie just smiled at me. I went to go wash my face and then we went to go watch television. By the time Esme and Alice got home, I was back to feeling fine. Everyone but Carlisle and Edward was home when Beth came to pick Katie up at 10:30.

"Just remember what you promised, okay?" she whispered before heading out. I wouldn't, she was right. I would never have that father-daughter relationship with Carlisle if he didn't know about my past.

After she left, I looked at Esme who was giving me a questioning look. Actually, everyone in the room was giving me a weird look, oh yeah, vampire hearing. "It's nothing." I said, "But do you, by any chance, know when Carlisle is going to be home?"

"Any minute now" she smiled. But the curious look in her eyes never left. Darn vampires with their super-sensitive hearing! How would I ever talk to my father about these things if they were around!

Just as she predicted, headlights flashed in the window only a few minutes later and I sat on the couch, twiddling my thumbs in anticipation. This was going to be an interesting night.

My father walked in with a smile on his face with Edward walking right behind with a twin expression. My father came to sit next to me on the sofa, "How was your day?" he asked.

I did not want to do this right now! Curse Katie and her awesome sense of feelings! The last thing I had ever planned to tell my father was that I actually was a messed up teen with all sorts of emotional problems! Maybe those adults were actually right…but that wasn't the point right now!

"Actually, Carlisle, I was wondering if I could talk to you alone for a little bit." He nodded while the others immediately left through the back door. I wonder if they are going far enough not to hear this. Oh, well, my father had to know and Katie was not going to be the one to break it to him.

"What did you want to talk about, sweetie?" he asked in a soothing voice. It was almost soothing enough for me to calm down, almost.

"Well, I figured that for us to be really close, you would have to know everything that happened to me in the past…" I stopped, how do I say this? How do I tell my father that I hated what he loved so much?

"And?" he urged. There was just a hint of worry in his voice.

I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt and started to trace the scars, the word love that overlapped them seemed invisible right now, and my father gasped beside me. I was ashamed in a way, but even after my limited death, the scars never disappeared.

"Honey, what all happened?" there was obvious worry in his voice, but I could also pick up what I could only think of as grief.

"Well, there was a time a little while ago, when I...when I…"I couldn't go on, my voice cracked and my breath caught. I had never wanted my father to know about these things.

"When you…" he prodded.

"Hated myself." I cried, I could not hold the tears back. "I thought that I wasn't good enough for you, or anybody. I thought no one had ever wanted to adopt me because I wasn't pretty enough. So I stopped eating, but then I was so hungry I'd binge, but then I was mad at myself so I'd cut and…and…" I had said this all in one breath, hoping to get it over with quickly, like ripping off a band aid. It was clear now that this was going to be nothing like that.

"Hated yourself?" He sounded as if he were crying, "Honey, believe me that if I had known you were out there somewhere, if I had even thought that there was a possibility you were still alive, I would have gone looking for you and not stopped until I had found you."

"Really?" I asked through the tears.

"Really." He said looking at me with a smile. "Honey, every year, on your birthday, I would grieve, wishing that I could see you again. Now that you're back in my life, I will never give you up. Ever."

I cried tears of joy then because I felt sincerity in every word he said.

"Just out of curiosity," he continued, "why did you tell me now? You don't still feel that way do you? You would never—try anything right?"

"Sometimes I do, but no. I would never go back there, at least, not as long as I could help it."

He just held me tight for a little bit while I let the tears that I had been holding back out. I felt so happy that he knew everything, so free. I felt like I could finally have that perfect relationship I'd been dreaming of since day one.

"Thank you, Katie" I whispered before I fell asleep in my Daddy's arms.

A/N: Like I said before the chapter started, I'm sorry if it was not all fluff and stuff like that, but I felt like the fact that Natalie had some "issues" before had to be addressed with her father and would also make her and her father grow closer. Plus, it made Natalie seem a little but more like she needed some guidance, which was perfect since that's essentially why Carlisle is there. I don't think I'll be posting more chapters until I get at least a couple reviews since I want to be sure people are enjoying what I write. Also, if there is a moment you want to see between Carlisle and Natalie, comment below and I'll try to find a spot for it, of course you will be given credit(: Love y'all!