I'm so sorry for the delay. My only excuse was the end of year is absolutely brutal for me. But it is now the summer hols and I'm free once more! So let's jump back in!

This chapter is unbeta'd. Thank you to Jill for prereading.


Chapter Five

"What's up, Charlie? You look like crap."

Charlie looked up from his desk as his best friend Billy Black wheeled into his office. Charlie let out a tight breath, reaching up to rub a hand against his chin, then carefully brushed over his mustache to make sure it was flat.

"I feel it," he muttered as Billy moved into the vacant spot on the other side of Charlie's desk that Charlie kept open for him.

"What's going on?"

Charlie looked up at Billy. They'd been friends since they were in diapers, and had gone through much of life together. Charlie had been there for Billy when his wife Sarah died, leaving him with three young kids, and likewise, Billy had always been supportive of Charlie when he felt lost raising his girls. They were both leaders in their community, and their friendship had gone a long way in brokering much-needed peace and open communication between the town and the tribe.

There wasn't much that Charlie wouldn't tell Billy.

"Bella came back," he said, scratching at his jaw. He watched the dark eyes of his friend widen fractionally before the man smirked.

"Brought the boyfriend back too, I'm guessing?"

Charlie grunted. "He just… They are always…" Charlie trailed off, and Billy snickered.

"Bella has always been spirited," he said, nodding once. "Frankly, I'd be impressed with any boy who could keep up with her."

Charlie grunted.

"They're here for the summer."

Billy's eyes widened, and Charlie winced realizing how long it had been since he'd had a chance to talk with his friend.

"You don't say. Moved right back home?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

Charlie nodded. "I guess something happened, some guy gouged his parents and their whole business crumpled under the financial strain," Charlie provided, not exactly gossiping since he wasn't a gossip... not like his wife.

Billy's eyes widened further. "Son of a bitch," he muttered. "So the kids decided to move back here?"

Charlie swallowed. "They all came. Bella, the boy, and his parents. They had nowhere else to go. They are down to virtually nothing."

Billy gaped at him. "I'll be," he muttered after a moment. "You're back to quite the full house, Chief."

Charlie grunted. "I was just starting to enjoy the silence," he groaned, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

Billy laughed. "Well, from what I recall, his parents aren't too bad, right?"

Charlie moved his hand, looking at his friend. He tried to recall when he'd talked about the Cullens, but then realized Billy had been at Kate's wedding. He'd likely even met them at that point.

"They are…" Charlie's voice trailed off, his eyebrows furrowing. "Weird," he said finally.

Billy snorted. "Weird, how."

Charlie shrugged. "They were going on last night about how they only eat weeds or some shit."

"Weed like cannabis or weeds from the garden?" Billy asked, interjecting.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Probably both." Billy flashed him a smile and Charlie sighed. "They're just so… different."

"You've never had a problem with different before," Billy reminded him gently. Charlie focused his gaze on his friend. It was true. Charlie had always been open-minded and accepting of people. It was what had made him such a good choice for mayor, everyone trusted that he would make judgments on facts, not bias.

He wasn't sure when that had started changing.

"It's the boy," he said finally, shaking his head. "He's too handsy."

Billy let out a loud guffaw.

"Charlie, I love you, but I think you and I both know it has nothing to do with that boy and all to do with your little girl. Don't you remember when she and Jacob dated? The number of times I caught her…"

Charlie winced. "Okay, stop, please." He brought his hands up to rub his eyes, as if he could rub away the image Billy was painting for him.

"Sorry," Billy chuckled, not sounding repentant at all. "But you know what I'm talking about. Bella's a spitfire, and dare I say, a little bit of a ring leader. If those two are getting caught up in shenanigans under your roof, it's most definitely Bella's idea."

Charlie groaned. Bella was a spitfire, and most definitely a ring leader. She actually reminded Charlie a great deal of Renée, though both seemed determined to deny any similarity. It had amused him when she was younger, but now… Now it was coming back to haunt him.

"Do you remember when Renée dared us all to go skinny dipping out at the lake?"

Charlie looked up at Billy smirking. He'd been mortified, as had Billy and Sarah, but in the end, it had been quite a memorable day.

"Renée used to get us into so much shit," Charlie groaned, rubbing a hand over his mouth.

Billy snorted. "Wildest girl in town." He confirmed. "Sarah always loved that about her."

Charlie frowned. Billy didn't bring up Sarah very often. Though she'd passed almost twenty years ago, the loss of her still felt fresh sometimes.

"I think Sarah would have loved Bella," Charlie said after a few moments of heavy silence. "She would have loved pointing out to Renée how similar they are."

Billy grinned. "No question, she would have gotten a kick out of it."

Charlie let out a breath, his smile slipping from his face.

"How about this," Billy said, leaning forward. "Have everyone come on down to my place this weekend. It's supposed to be beautiful weather. I'll barbeque, invite the kids, it'll be a little party and we'll get the Cullens socializing, get them out of your house and making connections with people."

It was a generous offer, and since Charlie wasn't sure how else to go about doing such a task, he nodded.

"That would be great, thanks, Billy."

Billy waved him off. "It'll be my pleasure," he insisted. "This'll be good, Charlie. You'll see. A barbeque is just what we all need."

Charlie let out a breath, silently hoping Billy was right.

"Oh, Carlisle look! That looks like it might be some sort of epimedium!" Esme exclaimed, pointing to a plant off the trail. Carlisle nodded in agreement, and Esme turned to her son.

"You know, that plant is very useful," she said with a coy smile that Edward wasn't sure he understood. "It can increase blood circulation, and is excellent for creating strong and rigorous erec—"

"Oh, I got it!" Edward nearly shouted, cutting her off.

Esme smirked at her son. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Darling. Dare I say this is something we'll have to talk about when you and Bella are ready to have children."

Edward let out a tight breath, regretting coming with his parents on this hike.

"When we're ready, we'll figure it out," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Hm," Esme hummed. "Well, if you ever need it, we have some dried in our supplies, though I believe you can find it in stores as well. It usually is labeled by its common name, Horny Goat Weed."

Edward wondered if he'd survive falling off the nearest cliff. Surely that would be better than this conversation.

"Es, stop teasing the boy," Carlisle said mildly. Esme grinned and linked her fingers through her husband's, turning back to the trail.

Edward let out a tense breath. "I actually wanted to talk to you both about this," he said slowly. Both Carlisle and Esme turned abruptly to look at him.

"Is Bella pregnant?" Carlisle asked while Esme's eyes bugged so hard, she looked like she might faint.

"No," Edward said quickly, shaking his head. "No, not that."

He couldn't help but note the disappointment on his parent's faces. He wanted children, certainly, but one day, preferably when he and Bella were a bit more financially stable.

"What is it, Darling?"

Edward looked back at his parents. "Do you think you guys could…. Tone it down?"

He winced as he asked, immediately feeling guilty. His parents gave him blank looks, which he frankly, expected.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked, unsure.

Edward let out a breath and motioned to both of them. "This isn't London, or Los Angeles," he said, hands waving in the air. "This is Forks, and people here…" he trailed off, not wanting to speak ill of anyone in town, but not sure how to phrase it. "They don't understand… this," Edward said finally, gesturing to the space around them.

"Darling, I'm confused. Are you saying people here don't come on hikes?"

Edward shook his head, internally wincing as this conversation got further from the point he was trying to make. "No, it's not…"

"Do you feel we've offended people?" Carlisle asked, genuinely concerned.

Edward let out a breath.

"Forks doesn't have tofu," he said finally. His parents gave him blank looks. "They don't have a yoga studio, the neighbors aren't out smudging each other each morning on the terrace. They don't understand."

Esme and Carlisle exchanged glances. "Darling, are you ashamed of us?"

Edward sighed. "No, of course not."

"I think it's rather underestimating this town," Carlisle said, his handsome face pulling into a slight frown. "To assume they would not be interested in our lifestyle."

Edward swallowed hard. This conversation wasn't going at all the way he had wanted it to. All he'd meant to do was tell his parents that the Swans might be a bit more receptive to their guests if they could bloody understand them.

"I'm not saying that," Edward said, shaking his head.

"Well darling, what are you trying to say?"

Edward opened his mouth, then shut it several times. It was a pointless conversation, really. His parents were who they were, and no amount of trying to reason with them would change them.

Finally, he reached up, tugging on his hair. "Nothing," he said, giving up. "Nothing at all."

His parents gave him skeptical looks, but eventually, turned back around to continue their hike. Behind them, Edward trailed along, hoping that somehow, his parents would manage to find common ground with Forks.