A/N: I know this has been a shitty, angsty story at times, but I promise after three years in the making it WILL be a HEA.

Chapter 44

Misconceptions

Bella's POV

Edward made his intentions for the dinner clear immediately; he did not like my father and he was determined to make him, and everyone that was sitting around the dining table, aware of it. But what wasn't so apparent to me, and infinitely worse than Edward just not liking him, was the fact that he also blamed Charlie for my upbringing, for Renee; for all of it...

And he didn't shy away from telling him so.

To be fair, I knew Edward didn't like my father. I wasn't completely naïve, and as much as I wanted to keep my head safely buried in the sand, I knew Edward felt this way from the moment he saw Charlie at Port Angeles airport, but that's as far as it went. I had no idea just how deeply his feelings, or misconceptions, went.

In hindsight I should have known. The look he'd given Charlie was identical to the one he'd given me on my first day at Forks High when he thought I had wrongly attacked Alice. Only this time it wasn't Alice he was protecting, it was me. That I was aware of, and yet I did nothing; I said nothing. I didn't know how to bring it up without ruining this deluded, post-Australian-Edward utopia that I was desperately trying to hang on to.

Just like I had always done when I didn't want to confront something, I pretended it wasn't happening. If only I'd had the spine to resolve it before it reached boiling point, it all could have been avoided, but my cowardice had aided and abetted every disaster with Edward since I'd met him; from the afternoon after condom testing, to Edward's accident, and to finally what had happened between Edward and my father tonight.

The more things changed, the more they stayed the same…

I'd felt sick all day. I knew Edward; I knew how he would react.

He didn't contact me all day, and if it wasn't for one of my failed attempts at bringing the issue of my father up with him on the eleventh hour, I wouldn't have been sure he was even aware that the dinner was taking place.

See you tonight, I had texted to him after deliberating for forty minutes on the idea of pleading with him to let whatever was fuelling him go—if just for tonight.

Yeah, was all he had replied with, and from that moment on I knew it was going to be bad.

Bad? I wish it had gone bad. Bad would have been a success story next to the complete disaster that had taken place.

. . .

Well, at least you now know my two dumbass middle names, Edward messaged me as I rode home afterwards with a murderous looking Charlie.

"Fuck you!" I blurted aloud in response, earning a glare from my father in the process. I ignored him, and while trembling with anger, I attempted to relay it through text message back to Edward. Of course, my stupid phone auto corrected it to read "Duck you".

I switched it off.

Yes, I now knew his two middle names. Esme had hollered them across the table at him. "EDWARD ANTHONY MASEN CULLEN, you are so grounded, Mister!"

I knew it was one of his lame attempts to appeal to me, but there would be no appeasing me, nor would groping me and teasing me about my accent gain him any leeway; not this time.

I felt absolutely wretched. As much as I felt burdened by at least half the blame, I was so irately mad at Edward that I was physically shaking. But, at the same time, I knew it was everything my heart and lungs were doing to prevent me from bursting into tears. I fought to stave them off at the bare minimum, and only because I refused point-blank to cry in front of Charlie.

In the end, the sheer force of emotion I was struggling with overpowered all my resolve, and as I sat in the steely tense company of my father, tears silently streaked my face.

"What is the matter with you, Isabella?" he suddenly barked out in the small confinement of my truck. He wasn't enquiring about the obvious presence of my tears. In fact, I doubt he was even aware of them.

When I didn't answer he continued, "You left Australia to get away from the negative influence of your mother, and I send you here and you automatically find the most destructive person in town."

I opened my mouth impulsively to immediately defend Edward, when I promptly closed it again.

Destructive? Was that what he was? I wouldn't have used that exact word to describe him. Unpredictable, volatile and irrationally over protective—that's how I'd describe him.

But he was also sweet, caring and incredibly selfless.

Fresh tears spilled down my face, blurring my vision and plunging me headlong into complete misery. I didn't fight them or try to conceal them from Charlie, and this time he was well aware of them. It only seemed to incense him more, and so, for the short drive home, I listened to him rage on about Edward, letting his words sink in and cement in my mind. It destroyed all my anger, and filled me with an inevitability. As much as every fibre within me wanted to defend Edward, to tell my father about the Edward in Australia and what he'd done for me, I didn't. Because I feared that Edward didn't exist any longer; that he never had.

Charlie pulled my truck to a stop beside Jacob's Volkswagen, switched off the engine, and turned to look at me. "Your uncle told me that not long ago this boyfriend of yours got drunk and almost killed himself, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt, believing that people make mistakes and you were a smart girl. Now, I find out that this kid is the same kid that put your cousin Jacob in the hospital. So, what I'm wondering now is what exactly have you been thinking these last several months? Is this some kind of psychology for you?"

Again, I opened my mouth, but I had no words. Instead, inhaling back my tenuous emotion, and attempting to wipe my face dry, I turned my head and met his razor-sharp gaze. His hard intimidating eyes held mine, resonating with an unforgiving disappointment, and I was immediately engulfed by a sense of shame.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. It was all I knew what to say, but it was true. I was so sorry that my boyfriend had treated him so terribly.

"You're smarter than this, and you're better than that wise ass, disrespectful little punk! If I ever see him again I'll knock that chip off his shoulder whether his mother is there to protect him, or not!" Were Charlie's last seething words before he got out of the truck, slamming the door so hard that the entire cabin shook violently, making me fear the windscreen would shatter.

I followed meekly behind him, feeling my blood run cold by his last admission. If truth be told, I really thought he would do something to Edward tonight despite both Esme and Carlisle's presence. Instead, in the face of Edward's tirade of accusations, Charlie slammed both of his fists down on the table, startling the whole party into silence, before he rose deliberately to his feet. He glared at Edward with so much disgust and anger that I held my breath in fear.

"I think you've said quite enough, young man," Charlie spoke lowly, his jaw muscles clenching, making it obvious that his words were also a direct warning.

And Edward being Edward only blatantly snorted. "I haven't said even half as much as you deserve."

"Edward—STOP!" I yelled, interjecting what I was almost certain was going to be a physical retaliation on my father's part. "Just, please … stop!" My voice broke, and I took a hasty breath in to prevent the tears I could feel building.

An emotion had flickered across Edward's face and immediately his trajectory changed. It was as if he'd suddenly realized the enormity of his actions. His eyes widened, and he blinked and opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to stutter. I tore my eyes from his, not wanting him to see how vulnerable and defeated I was feeling, when The General grabbed my arm.

"I think we'll call it a night," he spoke in a rough, hostile tone to Mrs Cullen—making me want to cringe—before he began pulling me along with him as we left the room, and eventually the house.

Before we were out of earshot Esme let loose on Edward, and the response from him startled me. "You have no fucking clue—none of you do!"

As my father continued to pull me through the door and towards my car, my heart began to quicken in a fearful disbelief. This was not the Edward I knew, but then maybe I didn't know Edward at all.

. . .

Charlie entered the house several steps ahead of me and slammed the door behind him, leaving me remaining outside. So, wanting nothing but to avoid the inquisition I was sure to face the moment I followed him in the house, I sat down on the doorstep, buried my face in my hands, and surrendered myself to the absolute inevitable.

This façade of a new beginning that I had been so careful to create was well and truly crumbling around me, and again on the other side of the world, thousands of miles from Renee, I was still the same person making the same mistakes, having learned, seemingly, nothing. And the one person who helped me conquer the syndrome of my mother was now the one turning my life into turmoil; the one hurting me most.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed when I realised Jacob was sitting beside me; I was too lost in misery and with it, the pitiful realisation of deja vu. After all, how many nights had I spent in this same position, pathetically fetal and feeling like everything was beyond my control, back in Australia?

"Jeez, Bells, you know I'm gonna have to kick his ass, don't you?" Jake said with a pitiful tenderness towards me as he slung his giant arm around me, pulling me close to him.

I couldn't respond; I didn't know what to say. I was torn down the middle between Edward and my father, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find a neutral place to comfort me; not without tearing my heart in two. It was a hopeless situation, and one that was destined to cause me heart ache and not much else.

I nodded pathetically, incoherently, and pressed myself further into the warmth of his arms, noticing only the fact that his skin wasn't as warm as Edward's, and feeling emptier because of it.

"In a way I kind of understand, even Uncle Charlie does, you know. I heard him tell Dad that he thought Cullen had—"

"Edward," I immediately corrected him. It was more of an impulse than anything else.

"Edward," Jake repeated, and I could hear the eye roll in his tone before he continued, "he said he thought Edward had guts and that he obviously loved you, but surely he knew about your dad, Bells?"

It was a question that immediately snapped me out of my stupor.

What did Edward know about my father? I had let him know all about my mother, but my father?

"I-I didn't really talk about Charlie with Edward…" I let the sentence fade away as my mind quickly raced over every conversation I'd had with Edward in Australia.

We hadn't had a single conversation where The General was concerned, so where had Edward come to his conclusions?

With sudden resolve I pulled myself from Jake's arms and stood up. I had to fully understand Edward's mindset. I had to fix this.

I walked inside and quickly scaled the stairs to my room. Charlie and Uncle Billy were in the kitchen, no doubt discussing me and my abysmal choice of boyfriend. While I couldn't change the events that had taken place tonight, I knew there was a way I could redeem it—if it was still salvageable. The General might never like Edward, and Edward he, but if I could get them to both understand each other's perspective…

I closed my bedroom door behind me and hastily turned my phone back on. It immediately alerted me to five missed calls and ten text messages from Edward, and three missed calls from Alice.

Alice.

Ignoring Edward for the time being, I quickly called Alice back.

"Oh my God, Bella—I can't believe Edward! Mum is going ballistic, and he—he's gone off the rails. Oh my God, are you okay? Bella, I'm so sorry—are you ok? I'm so sorry!" Alice gushed out hastily before I had a chance to speak, sounding genuinely rattled. This was just moments before I heard the muffled voice of Edward in the background, and Alice holler in reply, "Edward, NO—I won't give you the phone!"

In a panic, I hung up.

I called back a couple of minutes later, when my heart had calmed down to a point where I was functional again.

"Hi Bella—I locked my door. I'm sorry about before. Are you okay?" she was whispering this time, her voice remaining full of uneasiness.

"I'm okay, Alice. Sorry I didn't call you back earlier; I turned my phone off," I explained, letting out the breath I'd been all but holding in when there was no repeat of Edward in the background.

She scoffed, creating a static, white noise sound over the phone. "No need to apologise. I completely understand."

"Alice—I have to know—what does he know about my father? We barely talked about him. Did Nummi or Rach say anything to him?" I asked.

There was a pause before Alice answered, sounding unsure, "He was mentioned more in passing. Like, for example, I asked if he'd ever come to visit you, and Carol mentioned that he had a couple of times. Bella, like usual, Edward has presumed everything and acted on impulse, but I think this time he realises…" Her voice turned soft, remorseful, as usual. It seemed to be a prominent emotion whenever Alice referred to Edward.

I shook my head to myself. "I should have brought it up. I could see he was stewing over it," I mumbled, massaging my brow with my fingertips.

If I'd just spoken to him! Communication—we were supposed to be working on it. Every disaster between us was due to the lack of it.

I groaned out loud.

"Bella, Edward isn't a little boy, he has to learn to frigging think before he acts"—Edward's obscured voice suddenly interjected again, and Alice immediately responded—"Yes, I'm telling Bella exactly what a blowhard you are, Edward!"

Oh God…

"Alice, I'd better go." I sighed. No matter what the circumstances were tonight, my defence mechanism regarding Edward was starting to kick in, but I knew I couldn't speak to him until I could start thinking rationally—without letting my emotions get the better of me.

Alice breathed brashly into the receiver. "Mum told him that he wasn't emotionally mature enough to be in an adult relationship with you, and he lost it. He's so angry, but he's also upset. I know he's completely freaking out of control, but his sense of protection for you, Bella, is what's fuelling him."

Her words were like a blow straight into my chest that quickly began burning through me. I nodded, struggling with my emotion. "I know ..." I spoke in a fractured whisper that immediately broke.

"Oh, Bella, please don't—I could kill him!"

But it was too late. I was sobbing.

Before I hung up, Alice had insistently decided on coming over to spend the night with me, and I was secretly relieved. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink with the weight of this on my mind, and Alice knew Edward better than anyone else. She could help me decide what the hell I was supposed to do next.

After hastily washing my face in the hall bathroom, I went back downstairs where I found Uncle Billy and Charlie still in the kitchen speaking together lowly. They both looked over to me when I entered the room, and as Charlie's eyes fixed on mine they were continuing to burn with anger and disappointment. Shying reflexively from him, I met the sedate, sympathetic gaze of my Uncle.

Clearing the lingering emotion from my throat, I spoke up sounding meek and pitiful, "Uncle Billy, would it be okay if Alice spent the night?"

"That's fine, Bella," he replied using a tone that emphasized tenderness, giving me a small smile.

After saying goodnight to them both, I retreated back to my room, hearing The General ask as I was half way up the stairs, "Is that girl anything like her brother?"

I closed my door, resting my back against it and sighing heavily. My father had this incredible ability to make me feel like I had failed in every sense of the word, and embed in me this horrible shame that felt like it was eating me from the inside out.

My phone buzzed, and reluctantly I dragged myself to my bed and picked it up. I had seven missed messages from Edward; in the five minutes that I'd been out of my room, Edward had messaged me a further seven times.

Taking a dejected breath, I clicked open his messages before I could talk myself out of it.

Bella, please call me. We have to talk about this. Please don't let this end us. Please, baby.

It impacted me immediately, and I switched my phone back off, rubbing my forehead roughly with the heel of my palm to hold off the emotion that was suddenly aching in my forehead again.

"Bloody hell, Edward…" I muttered bleakly to myself.

I couldn't respond to him until I was positive my head was controlling my heart and I could remain rational, but the notion of "ending us" over what had happened hadn't really crossed my mind. As much as I was angry with Edward—lividly angry with him—I knew deep down his actions weren't an attack on my father as much as they were about his brand of gallantry. He loved me enough to stand up to my father—even if his preconceptions regarding him were stemmed from his experiences with my mother. Still, the only person who had ever stood up for me like this before was Kel, and as much as I loved her, it was as much as I loved Edward…

. . .

By the time Alice arrived, I wasn't as affected by the night's events as much as I was determinedly resolved to fix it. But with Alice came the reality of the situation, of the validation of Edward's unpredictability; and of how much our relationship was lacking

"How can I hate him, Alice? Everything he did was in defence of me," I burst after the verity of Alice's assertions began to put me in a melancholy mood.

"I know!" she agreed passionately. "He does it all for you, and it makes it so darn hard to be angry at him!"

I released my breath in one long, drawn out, wavering sigh. "It seems like a hopeless mess. How am I ever going to get The General to understand things from Edward's point of view—or Edward from his?"

Alice made a soft nasally sound, and when I looked up she was smiling at me. "It's so cute how you call him The General, Bella." I felt my cheeks tinge, but before I could elaborate on it, Alice continued—in a more delicate tone, "I've heard you call him The General and Charlie, but never … Dad…"

I opened my mouth to answer but closed it again as I contemplated it. I shrugged. "I guess that's because he isn't really—in-in the organic sense."

Alice nodded and then breached gently. "I think Edward picked up on that, too."

My breath caught at the back of my throat; it was a revelation that almost physically jolted me. "Of course he would…" I agreed in resignation, groaning, before I dropped my head into my palms. "Oh my god … this is all my fault."

"Of course it isn't, Bella!" Alice snapped sounding suddenly impatient. I looked back up and into her blazing eyes. She looked genuinely pissed. "Just because you chose not to disclose everything about your father doesn't mean Edward had the right to make his own conclusions and act upon it. This is all his fault, and he's got to start realising the consequences of his actions. And you, Bella, have to stop taking responsibility for everything he does!"

I shook my head as a nervous energy began to grow in my chest. "At the prom we agreed we'd work on our communication, and I know for my part I haven't."

Alice sighed and shook her head more or less to herself. "Bella, come on. He could have easily asked you about your father. That's the sort of thing you do to work on communication."

I gripped my forehead in frustration, feeling the ridges that were creasing it with my fingers. "I knew, Alice—all along, I knew. I knew he had come to his own conclusions about my father, but … but … things were starting to creep back."

Alice's brow puckered in confusion. "What was creeping back?"

"Old Edward, unpredictable Edward; the Edward from before the accident, who you never know how he'd react to something at any given minute." And pathetically I broke down again, managing to get out the rest between sobs. "The Edward that scares the hell out of me."

"Bella," Alice hedged with a gentle—almost pitifully so—tone, "that isn't old Edward. That's Edward."

A/N: MWAH for reading. You're doing better than me; I've flounced this fic multiple times.

I'll shut up now.