A/N: Cue Bella's old man...

Chapter 41

The General

Bella's POV

I was exhausted. Physically my body ached while I was plagued with a sleep deprived weariness. But at the same time, I was literally overflowing with an magnetizing energy that was coursing through my veins.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept a full night, and over the last two weeks I'd barely slept at all. But at the moment, ten hours into the flight back to the United States, and after no more than three hours sleep the night before, I felt like my entire body of skin was buzzing. I was desperately craving sleep, but I couldn't throw off the adrenalin and succumb to it.

Edward on the other hand was mellow, and he looked like he could sleep for a week. This was despite the fact that he was obviously struggling with his fear of heights. It was evident to me now that he wasn't too keen on flying, but at the moment he was disguising it well.

Actually, it was kind of strange to see him so relaxed. Over the last couple of weeks he'd been almost as tense and as on edge as me. I don't think I'd seen him go an hour without reefing his fingers through his hair, or having a very obvious internal fight with his emotions. Then, for such a short time of being a couple, I'd put him through an awful lot. But he'd remained rock solid, and right then I didn't think it was possible to love anyone more.

It was hard to believe that just a few short months ago I'd honestly believed he was completely wrong for me. Back then, I would never have believed I would come to depend on him for so much, that he was such a selfless and caring person; or that he would be the only person who could look into my eyes and erase seventeen years' worth of irrelevance with just a single smile.

He sat in the aisle seat resting his elbow on the armrest with his hand cupped around his chin, listening to me chatting with Alice with a warm, sleepy grin on his face. His eyes were bloodshot, and he kept closing them as if he was going to doze off. Instead, he'd take a deep breath and release it, almost groaning to himself with exhaustion before the smile would slowly return to his face.

Alice, on the other side of me, could barely look at him without openly rolling her eyes, while simultaneously trying to prevent the smile from twitching at her lips. She wasn't successful, and it soon turned all knowing. Edward eventually scoffed at her, good-naturedly, before wrapping his arm over my shoulders and drawing me against him.

Resting my head against his chest, I took a heavy breath, before looking up at him. He was rubbing his eyes with his fingertips, his brow heavily creased.

"Try and get some sleep, Edward," I said with a sigh. He looked terrible.

"Believe me, when I get home, I'll sleep for a year," he replied with a croaky, husky voice.

I snuggled further against him, grabbing his hand and threading my fingers with his, idly playing with them. "Hmm…" I mumbled in agreement. "So long as you jump on your tricycle and come and visit me from time to time," I teased him.

He exhaled shortly into an exhausted kind of chuckling. It reverberated from his chest, rocking me as I lay against him. "Bicycle shame, still, Bella?" he replied, pressing his face into my hair and taking a deep breath.

"I kind of always wanted a ride in your car," I turned and whispered against the heated skin of his neck.

He released his breath, humming along with it. "It's scrap metal."

"Yeah … it was my failed attempt to kill you," I replied lightly, before pressing my lips to the soft skin of his neck and closing my eyes.

He chuckled again, muffling it against the top of my head as a wave of exhaustion washed over me. I slumped heavily against his chest, trying to throw it off with a frustrated groan. A moment later I pulled out of his arms, knowing the warmth of his embrace would eventually lull me off to sleep.

"You can sleep, baby. I'll watch the movie," he offered.

I smiled at him warmly and shook my head. "No … I'm okay."

No matter how exhausted I was, I refused to entertain the thought of sleeping while Edward was unable to. He'd been there for me every moment of every day while I was struggling to deal with Kel's death. I was determined to pay it all back to him and more.

. . .

After a further five hours, three inflight movies, while adding fifty minutes of circling the landing strip while the rain abated—totalling almost sixteen hours in the air—we arrived at Los Angeles airport. Amazingly, Edward and I both managed to stay awake, though with Alice beside us snoring loudly, it wasn't that hard to fathom why.

By the time we made it into the terminal, I wasn't sure if I was holding up Edward, or he was holding up me. He held me against him tucked under his arm, but he was quickly becoming heavy, and as I endeavoured to keep us both on our feet, my knees began buckling.

Alice, who was annoyingly full of energy, led us to a Starbucks café. As we approached, I just stared at the sign with one huge sense of déjà vu. It was the very same café where Jake and I had sat, reconnecting with each other the previous March. It seemed so surreal at that moment. I felt like I had lived six years in the past several months and I was still only half way there.

Edward and I sat slumped against one another in a corner booth while Alice ordered our coffee, making a loud, enthusiastic phone call to Jazz while she waited. But by the time she skipped back over to us, carrying three tall cups of coffee, Edward was out cold and I wasn't far behind him.

"Bella, you've killed Edward," she teased me, shaking her head to herself as she placed the coffee on the table.

I laughed, it sounded delirious in my exhaustion. "I finally succeeded." And with that, my head fell into my folded arms and it was lights out.

My recognition kicked back in as we were about to land at Port Angeles. I woke up in Edward's toasty warm arms, flustered then angry with myself that I'd fallen asleep, while having absolutely no memory of getting on the plane.

"We're almost there, Bella," Edward spoke, and I had to look up at him to make sure that the exhausted, croaky voice had come from him. I didn't recognize it.

I met his gaze, and the concern I felt for him gushed out of me into a deep sigh. His eyes were burning his irises an intense, emerald green, while I could barely see the whites of his eyes through the maze of blood vessels.

"Sorry I fell asleep," I said softly, tugging him into my arms as my heart weighed down with guilt.

He chuckled, or more made an exhausted, breathy sound against the side of my neck as he laid his head on my shoulder. "It's okay; you can distract me for the landing. I hate landing."

So I did, gladly, willingly, murmuring future promises into his ear, making his eyes widen and his skin burn hotter, until the plane came to a complete stop and the seatbelt sign flashed above our heads.

. . .

I had spoken to Jake before we'd left for Sydney airport, and he'd told me he was going to meet me at Port Angeles. He'd left it at that, and I had taken no notice of the overly enthusiastic tone to his voice; that's how he always sounded. So, as I walked into the airport lounge with Edward's sultry hand wrapped around mine, and with my energy returning with the excitement of finally being home, I glanced eagerly around for him.

"JAZZY!" Alice suddenly squealed beside me.

I glanced over to see her leap straight into Jazz's out stretched arms, and kiss him repeatedly, while Jazz laughed and tried to intercept her lips with his.

I felt the smile warm my face before it turned into a full-blown grin as my eyes met with the unmistakable sunny face of my hulking cousin. But with his hand still clutching mine, I felt Edward notably tense and his grip squeeze tighter around my fingers. I glanced up at him; he was staring straight ahead, his expression hard and darkening. I gazed at him for a moment, feeling my confusion begin to turn to impatience as he continued to stare fixedly, the muscles in his jaw set.

I thought all the crap with Jacob was over.

"Edward?" I asked, my tone rising higher, while I sought out Jacob again. I wasn't sure whether I was misreading Edward or if Jacob was provoking something, but when I met Jake's gaze again, I realised he wasn't looking at Edward at all; his eyes were on me and his bright, sunny expression had not wavered.

Grinning back, I sighed a little with relief, before my eyes met with a second pair of dark eyes that I initially thought were Uncle Billy's. I grinned back broadly, taking in the face that warmly returned it, when I froze, the air squeezing from my lungs.

It … it wasn't Uncle Billy; it was The General!

Something like a half gasp, half sob rose up from my throat, and in the next instant I was running toward him, where he immediately engulfed me into his huge, bear-like arms.

"Charlie…" I whispered in disbelief, tightening my arms around him. "You're here."

He cleared his throat before planting a gruff kiss on my cheek and releasing me from his arms. "How are you, Isabella?"

"I'm … I'm fine," I answered softly. I was about to crumble; my heart was hammering, and I could feel the build-up of tears burning behind my eyes.

His smile turned tender before he reached out and caressed my cheek. "Let's get you home."

Home…

I nodded, hastily swatting away my tears, and trying to calm my heart, when I was literally heaved off the ground by Jake. "Jeez I missed ya, Bells!" he exclaimed. "It wasn't the same without ya!"

I laughed, struggling to catch my breath. "You too, cuz," I replied warmly. "Just let me get my bag from Edward and we can catch up."

When Jake released me, I turned to find Edward, quickly spotting him with Esme and Carlisle; he was still carrying my suitcase. As I approached him on shaky legs, he met my gaze, a gentle smile curving on his lips. All traces of that previous hostility had vanished, I noticed with relief, telling myself I'd obviously misconstrued it.

He took me into his arms, engulfing me. "Get lots of sleep, Bella." The words came out as a breathy murmur as his lips gently brushed against my cheek.

"You too," I replied, turning my face to press my lips against his skin and sighing. "Edward … thank you … so much for coming with me," I spoke softly as my voice threatened to break.

"Wherever you go, Bella, I'll follow," he said, his tone dropping gently, before his lips found the side of my head.

Pulling from his arms, I grabbed his hand. "Come and meet my father?"

He tensed again, his lips pressing together as an unmistakable frown darkened his features. "No …" he shook his head lightly, "later—o-kay?" His tone was harder, made obvious by the fact that he had to clear his throat to soften it again. "I'll call you soon."

He handed me my suitcase, and I took it, my eyes not deviating from his. I felt my brow crease so heavily in confusion that it ached. I opened my mouth to reply, to ask him what the hell was wrong, when from the corner of my eye I spotted Esme.

"Bella, sweetheart…" was all she said as she took me gently into her arms.

"H-hi, Mrs. Cullen," I stammered.

Next it was Alice that was embracing me, then it was Jasper; effectively distracting me from what was happening with Edward.

"Bella, I got one for ya?" Jazz said to me with a huge toothy grin.

"Huh?" I replied blankly.

He elaborated, "Two Aussie cattle drovers are standing in an Outback bar.
One asked, "What are you up to, Mate?" He was completely hamming the accent, making me internally cringe. "Ahh, I'm takin' a mob of six thousand from Goondiwindi to Gympie."
"Oh yeah ... and what route are you takin'?"
"Ah, probably the Missus; after all, she stuck by me durin' the drought.""

"I … I don't understand that?" Esme spoke up puzzled, just as Alice burst into laughter.

"That's actually pretty good, Jazz. Have you been googling?" I asked, wryly.

"Bloody oath!"

I only shook my head with an easy going grin, when Alice suddenly exclaimed, "Bella, is that your dad? Holy hell, you look exactly like him!"

I turned back to the General, feeling my chest swell with pride. "Yeah…"

"We'll let you catch up with him. I'll see you soon." Alice turned her gaze back to me, her face warming with affection.

I grabbed her impulsively, wrapping my arms tightly around her slim shoulders. "Alice—I don't know what I would have done if you and Edward hadn't come with me. I don't know how I'll ever thank you."

My emotions were all over the place. I felt completely overwhelmed by everything, yet still unable to properly comprehend it all.

Alice only hugged me back earnestly. "It was so my pleasure, Bella. You are my best mate, after all."

I half chuckled, softly, trying to prevent myself from falling apart. When she released me, I turned around to look for Edward; he wasn't there. I felt my stomach tighten with nervous energy before I exhaled heavily, my shoulders falling with it.

I hated feeling so panicky again where Edward was concerned. I thought we were past all that.

Picking up my suitcase, I headed back to where my father and Jake were waiting for me.

. . .

It took longer than it should have to nod off in the car back to Uncle Billy's—even after Jake stopped chatting to me. I couldn't throw off the uneasy feeling about Edward's sudden shift in behaviour, and the more I went over it in my mind, the more I became convinced that it was because of The General.

But Why?

Eventually sheer exhaustion and nothing else won out. When I woke up, I was snuggled in my bed with only vague memories of being carried from the car.

It was the rap song blasting from my mobile that woke me. I pulled myself groggily from under the covers, rubbing my eyes heavily, and retrieved it from inside my bag, glancing absently at the time on my clock radio.

It was almost midday. I'd slept twenty hours!

I clicked open my messages to see Edward's name.

Hey, baby. Hope you slept well. Take it easy, I'll see you tomorrow. Love you x

My grin had taken over my expression before I could even properly read his message; with all the previous uneasiness completely erased. I found it so hard to comprehend anything from the night before, that I doubted my take on things could be reliable anyway. And I was more than happy to let it go.

I slept like a baby—so not like me. How about you? Love you too. Bella xoxo, I hastily texted Edward back, smiling to myself like a loon while my fingers spelled it out.

He replied not a minute later, OK, but I kind of missed you waking me up 10 times a night.

My grin turned affectionate; I shook my head lightly to myself.

I missed it too.

It had been almost two days since that hotel room in Sydney, and despite the tender, aching feeling that had plagued me ever since, my skin was still alive with him. It tingled with the memory of his touch, while the scent of him was seeped into my pores. My hands, my hair, my clothes still held Edward's smell and I didn't want to erase it. I knew we'd make other memories together that would remain with me, but my last night in Australia with Edward was something I wanted to hold onto forever.

As I showered, reluctantly washing him from me, memories of that night replayed repeatedly in my mind. The physical energy residing beneath my skin because of him continued to flood me, while the emotion I felt over it kept me completely charged. Every particle of me was alight, and my heart felt almost literally engulfed. With everything that I'd experienced over the last two weeks, it was beginning to feel overwhelming, and I had a very strong urge to succumb to tears.

It was 1:00 pm when I finally retreated downstairs. Uncle Billy, Jacob and my father, who were all in the living room watching TV, collectively looked toward me as I approached.

"You're alive, Bells," Jacob exclaimed with a broad grin as The General rose from his chair.

I turned to my father with the same intense and inundating emotion as I had the night before. It simply seemed too unbelievable that he was here. Even as he walked over and took me in his arms, I fought the reality of it; finding it so hard to fathom.

"Did you sleep well, Isabella?" he asked, planting a kiss on the side of my face.

It was a strange kind of affection that he expressed; even a hug to Charlie was a formality. But as I laid my cheek against his chest, feeling the emotion begin to chip away at me, I wasn't going to complain. My father was here and just then life for me was as complete as it was ever likely to get.

"Yes," I replied softly.

"It will take time," he added in a gentler tone before he released me.

I nodded hastily, feeling for a moment that I was going to crumble behind the swelling of emotion. I was both so immensely happy, overwhelmed, yet still so crushed by Kel's death that it felt like my heart was torn and drowning under the weight of it.

I was just collecting myself, when Uncle Billy pulled me into his embrace. Unlike Charlie, he was openly affectionate, expressing his delight to have me back and kissing my brow as a physical validation of it.

I held myself together by the bare minimum, but in all honesty I wasn't sure if I had anymore tears left to cry.

. . .

Charlie took me into Port Angeles for lunch—or more a late lunch, since it was early afternoon by the time we arrived. He was staying for seven days, he informed me, which made my stomach knot with a sense of panic. It was too short, but it was all the leave the navy could allocate for him. I tried not to appear too disappointed in front of him and concentrate on the time I had with him, but it was never enough. My father was always the missing piece of who I was; the person I got half my genes from but never really knew. My one willing parent, but with restrictions regardless. It always seemed cruel to me that Renee wouldn't be my parent and Charlie couldn't.

As he sat across from me, I absorbed and committed every word he spoke and every expression to memory; not knowing when I'd be with him again. He asked me a multitude of questions about my life from the moment I'd arrived in Forks, evading the obvious topics of Edward and Australia.

It wasn't until I received another text message during lunch that he breached the topic.

"Edward…" I explained a little awkwardly, clicking it open as a huge smile completely monopolized my expression.

Miss you, beautiful. I'll call you tonight.

I guess my face was pretty telling.

The General just sat gauging me for a few moments, an edge of distrust sparking in his eyes, before he cleared his throat. "Is that the young man who went to Australia with you?" It was obvious he wasn't happy about it; though he made an effort to keep it from his voice.

I nodded my head, trying to rein in the extent of my smile. "Yeah, he's my friend Alice's brother."

Charlie took a sip of his coffee, nodding before he asked a little stiffly, "He's your boyfriend?"

"Um … yes," I answered, feeling my face begin to prickle. I suddenly felt incredibly exposed; as if my father knew exactly what had recently happened with Edward and me.

"He treats you well, then?"

I nodded my head emphatically. "He does—I, I …" I let it go, shaking my head softly to myself. There wasn't enough words to express what Edward had done for me, after all.

Charlie cleared his throat for a second time. "Well, I guess you'd better bring him around so I can meet him," he spoke formally which scared me a little, and I began to recall the strange way Edward had behaved at the airport. Behaviour I was convinced at the time had something to do with my father.

I nodded, trying to ignore my heart as it reacted, setting off a nervous energy within me.

Charlie flashed me a quick, warm smile before he turned his attention back to his lunch. I picked up my utensils and shovelled a forkful of salad into my mouth, telling myself I was being paranoid and dropped it.

I replied to Edward's text when The General made his way to the rest room, just before we were about to leave.

I miss you too, you big sap.

I'm not allowed to be a sap? Was his reply. How am I supposed to crack onto my girlfriend then?

I laughed softly to myself and replied, Start by not mocking me.

It was enough to completely erase any concerns I had about Edward and Charlie—whether I thought they were valid or not—and a smile remained fixed on my lips.

The general took me shopping, buying me a summer wardrobe that I was still convinced I'd never be warm enough to wear without a cardigan. But I was soon recalling how I'd often woken in Edward's arms, sweltering hot from the degree of his body temperature, and suspected they might not go to waste, after all.

By the time we arrived back home I was exhausted again. I was still hung over from jet lag, not to mention being weighed down by the avalanche of emotion that was still flooding me. Trying to comprehend it all had tired me out, and I still felt that at any moment I'd start crying.

Skipping dinner, I crawled into bed with the sound of the rain against my window; rain that I had missed so incredibly; rain that told me I was home at last.

I slept all night without waking once, completely forgetting that Edward was supposed to call me.

I dreamed about the night in the hotel, of Edward's warm, tender hands running over my body; of his silken chest pressing against mine; of the sensation he'd awoken within me. Both pain and desire. Even in my dreams, the magnitude of it engulfed me, and when my eyes opened next morning, my entire body was alive, while my chest felt swollen, almost weighed down by it.

I climbed out of bed in the same emotionally overwhelmed state that I had before; with a giant smile, a hammering heart, and the compulsion to surrender to tears.

I hadn't taken two steps towards the door when I realised I'd missed Edward's call. As I hurried over to my bag to retrieve my mobile, my heart was sinking—as silly as that was. Edward had been the very reason that I was able to breathe in Australia, and I was feeling the absence of him incredibly.

"Bugger," I muttered to myself, realising my phone was dead. I plugged it in to the power point, before heading into the hall for a shower. When I was back in my room twenty minutes later, Edward's toothy-grinned smile was alerting me to three missed phone calls and one voice message.

Sighing guiltily, I called my message bank.

"Hey, Bella," Edward's deep voice spoke, sounding despondent almost. "I guess you've fallen asleep. I'll call you in the morning."

My chest tightened with just as much disappointment as Edward had sounded, and I immediately called him back.

It picked up after the forth ring to Edward's rustic, sleepy sounding voice. "Hey, baby."

"Hey," my voice immediately turned tender, "sorry about last night. I was buggered; I slept like the dead," I confessed.

"It's okay, I was buggered too," he teased me gently, and the rigidness melted from my body instantly. "You okay?" he asked me a moment later.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Mmm well, can I be a selfish asshole and kidnap you today?"

I chuckled softly. "You coming on your tricycle again?"

He laughed his light, smooth sounding laugh as I grinned moronically along with him. "I'm sure I could persuade the little rat to come round and get you."

"I'll come there sometime today. I'm not sure what's happening yet," I explained apologetically.

"Okay."

We chatted for a further forty minutes, until the sound of his voice began to unburdened me, and I walked down stairs smiling broadly and feeling carefree for the first time in months.

"Hey, Jake," I said brightly to my cousin as he sat dwarfing the chair he was sitting on, messily eating cereal.

"Hey, Bells," he replied, flashing me a bright smile, while munching his breakfast.

Pulling the cornflakes out of the cupboard, I poured myself a bowl, and sat beside him. "Where is everyone?" I asked taking a mouthful.

"Our dad's had to go out for—business, I guess. I'm not sure." Jakes grin deepened teasingly, before he continued, "They'll be home in the afternoon."

I smiled back in reply. "Righto."

"By the way, Bells, your princess called last night. Jeez, you sure turned him into a needy S.O.B." His grin turned into a sly smirk, before he hid it behind a giant spoonful of Count Chocula.

I swallowed, groaning. "Jake…" I complained with a sigh. "Can you let all that crap in the past with Edward slide? He apologised, remember?"

"Yeah … but I still say he only did it to get into your pants," he mumbled as he munched his cereal.

I folded my arms across the table, gazing at him cynically. "I can tell you for a fact that's not true," I insisted. "Please, Jake? I kinda like him." I pouted lightly, and his mouth twitched before he rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay—only for you, Bells. Anyway, your dad wants you to ask him over for dinner tonight." His grin turned shrewd this time.

I whacked him with my wet spoon, forgetting for a moment that the prospect of inviting Edward to meet my father still made me uneasy.

I washed mine and Jake's breakfast dishes, before I sent Edward a quick text, telling him I was coming over.

A/N: Thanks for reading MWAH