Hello everyone!

I apologize for going MIA on you last week. I had some family stuff going on that resulted in waiting in an airport for four hours for a delayed flight that eventually got canceled, then throwing two kids in the car and driving through a couple of states. Needless to say, I'm happy to be back home!

So, this chapter is for you guys. It wasn't in my original outline for The Alias, but I had enough people tell me they wanted to see Edward's family react to his return that I decided to add it :) Enjoy!

BPOV

My father's brows scrunch in confusion when I greet him at the Cullen's front door. "Bels? What on Earth are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," I say, going in for a hug. "But we will tell the whole thing over dinner."

"We?" he asks, pulling back. I just smile and usher him inside.

Alice is already here and has let loose on Edward with question after question. Jasper finally had to interfere when her tiny fist balled up, and it looked like she was about to beat information out of her brother. Jasper claimed Esme required help in the kitchen, and I reminded her that the faster dinner gets on the table, the quicker she will get the answers to her questions.

A Jeep Wrangler pulls into the driveway before I shut the door behind my father, so I wait as Emmett rushes from the car.

"Bella?" he asks, just as stumped at my appearance as the rest of the Swan-Cullen clan. "What's going on." There's an edge to his voice, like he's assuming the worst.

"Everything is fine. I promise we will explain over dinner."

He cocks a brow at the word "we," but unlike Alice and my father, he doesn't pry. It isn't until he's in the living room that he starts in on his questions.

"Holy shit. Holy shit!" Emmett cries as he spots his brother. "Ed! You're back!" I have to blink away tears as he crosses the room in two giant steps and unabashedly throws his arms around Edward.

"Hey, Em," Edward chokes out as he holds Emmett just as tight.

"So, where the fuck have you been?" Emmett demands as he steps back.

Edward drags a hand through his hair and lets out a light chuckle. "Uh, I've been in Chicago."

"Chicago?" My father pipes up from the corner where he's surveilling the interaction. "Huh." He glances at me, and I make myself busy rearranging the cracker and cheese boards Esme put out.

"Fucking Chicago?" Emmett's brows raise as he crosses his arms. "You mean all this time, I could have taken a three-hour flight to see you?"

"Not exactly," Edward says. "I promise I will explain everything, but I think you should all hear it at once."

"And he can start his explanation soon. Dinner's ready," Esme announces as she glides through the room, transporting a bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Chicago…" Emmett grumbles as we all migrate into the dining room.

Edward sits at the head of the table opposite his father, taking a deep breath and scanning the group gathered around. We begin to pass the platters of food before he starts his story.

"I'm going to ask you all to hold your questions until I finish, okay?" Edward looks pointedly at Alice, who huffs but nods in acceptance of his rule. "I'm going to do my best to cover everything, well, everything that I can."

"Get on with it already!" Emmett says, his fork and knife hovering in the air as he impatiently waits.

"Five years ago, I left the military and accepted a position with the FBI." Edward pauses, allowing the new information to sink in with his siblings. "I was waiting until after I completed my training to tell everyone. I wanted to surprise you with a badge in hand."

Despite her promise, Alice begins to speak, but Edward holds up a hand halting her question.

"Before I finished training, I was approached about doing undercover work. At the time, they told me that the case I would be assigned should take no more than a year or two. That didn't seem like asking too much, so I accepted. Obviously, my supervisors were off on their time estimate."

"What was the assignment?" Alice blurts, then throws her hand over her mouth before miming zipping it shut.

"I was to infiltrate the Volturi crime organization. I spent four years working as a Volturi associate, collecting evidence against them and other gangs they did business with. I worked my way up to the top levels of the organization and was eventually trusted with information that could be used to put them away for good. Last week it all came to a head in an unfortunate incident that ultimately resulted in the arrest of Aro Volturi and his top associates."

My father's mustache curves down as his eyes narrow, and he leans his elbows against the table. "Exactly how did my daughter get involved?"

"Um…" Edward glances at me, and I give him a smile urging him to continue. "There were certain things expected of me when I was undercover. Sometimes I was an enforcer, and they ordered me to use violence as a way of intimidation." He sends his parents an apologetic look, but Esme waves for him to continue. "One of those times, I was in a bar fight and got pushed into some glass. I cut my forehead and ended up in the ER."

"Let me guess, Bella was your doctor," My father grumbles.

"Yes. She did a great job stitching me up, by the way." Edward points to the faint scar above his eyebrow. "Halfway through the visit, I realized that I knew her already. The encounter prompted me to look her up online. I found that she was Facebook friends with one of the criminals from another group the bureau was investigating. My supervisor told me to contact Bella and see if she had more information on this individual."

I shake my head, stopping him. "That's why you asked me out?"

My father balks at me. "You were friends with a criminal and a man posing as a criminal?"

"Bella, I probably would have asked you out without Mike's orders," Edward says, skipping over my father's concerns for the moment. "He gave me an excuse. Honestly, I should have walked away once I knew you didn't have information we could use, but by then, I was completely enamored with you."

"Aww!" Alice coos, sharing a look with Esme.

"My only regret is letting you stick around after you figured out my real identity."

My father cuts in again, now glaring at Edward. "And how did she figure that out?"

"It was the pictures on Esme's refrigerator," I explain. "I saw them on Thanksgiving. I didn't recognize Edward while we were in Chicago because we hadn't seen each other in so many years."

"Of course!" She snaps, the memory coming back to her. "I thought you may have a bit of a crush on Edward based on how you studied him in the photos. I was planning to reintroduce the two of you when he returned home."

Edward grimaces, slightly horrified that his mother was planning to set him up. "Uh, thanks, Mom."

"I heard about the arrest of Aro Volturi," my father says, slipping into interrogation mode. "From my understanding, it was a very abrupt decision to arrest him. Something about a kidnapping gone awry."

"Yes, sir- Chief," Edward stutters. I hold back a laugh. Mister I-arrest-mob-bosses is going pale over a Charlie Swan questioning. "It was not planned."

"Care to elaborate, son?"

"I'm not sure I can. It's still an ongoing investigation."

"I'm sure I can make some calls and get the details. Like the fact that there was a civilian female involved." My father's jaw ticks, and I fear Edward may sustain bodily harm after all.

Edward glances toward me. "That information already spread?"

"I keep close tabs on happenings in Chicago. After all, I have a single daughter living in the city, who apparently has horrendous taste in men."

"Hey!" I snap. "Edward is one of the good guys!"

"Yes, but who did you think he was when you started dating him? You said you didn't know he was Edward Cullen until you were here on Thanksgiving. He was undercover, so he must have had an Alias."

"She thought my name was Tony Masen, and I told her I was in construction," Edward explains.

"Construction," my father scoffs. "Bella, that's the stereotypical mafia cover!"

"Well, how would I know that?"

I swear I hear my father growl before he addresses Edward again. "Back to the day of the arrest."

"Bella and I were at breakfast. A few Volturi associates tracked us down. My cover was blown, but I wasn't aware. Unfortunately, they took us hostage," Edward sighs but doesn't break eye contact with my father. "Chief, without Bella's quick thinking and ability to stay calm under pressure, things would have escalated in a very different manner."

"How comforting."

"I never meant for her to get involved. I take all of the blame."

My father nods, thinking for a moment. "You going back undercover?"

"No, sir. My undercover days are over."

"You ever going to put my daughter in danger again?"

"Absolutely not."

"You do, and I'll hunt you down and make it look like an accident. Am I clear?"

Edward swallows hard. "Crystal."

Losing patience, Emmett drops his fork and joins in. "So, let me get this straight, my baby brother and Bella, somehow, are responsible for taking down a notorious mafia organization?"

"That's the gist of it." Edward shrugs.

"That's badass!"

"What comes next?" Alice asks.

"The bureau is pushing for a speedy trial for Aro and his top men. The case is huge, and we need to cut the organization off at the top while we compile evidence against the capos and some peripheral suspects. Both Bella and I will have to testify."

Alice glances down, fiddling with her napkin. "Edward, I'm getting married in May. Will you be there?"

He waits for her to look up before giving a bright smile and a promise. "Alice, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Plus, I've already got a hot date."

"Oh, yay!" She claps joyfully before jumping up to rush over and throw her arms around his shoulders.

"How long are you two in town?" Emmett asks.

"We have to go back at the end of the week, but until then, we don't have anything planned other than bothering all of you until you're sick of us."

"Oh, Edward, we'll never be sick of you," Esme scolds.

"Hey, tomorrow, you want to come over and meet Charlotte? She's heard all about her Uncle Edward," Emmett says hopefully.

Edward grins. "Not even Aro Volturi could keep me away."

"We've got a softball practice Saturday morning," Carlisle leans forward with a twinkle in his eye. "What do you say?"

"I say… did you save my old baseball mitt?"

I sit back and watch as the Cullens seamlessly become a complete family. A family that, over the past few years, extended its membership to include my father. I realize, when Edward reaches over and takes my hand, his expression glowing with love and wonder, that today marks my initiation into the Cullen clan as well.

A/N: I think that was the welcome home Edward needed. Next up, we're going to trial! Let's bring the Volturi down!