By the Goddess, I did not want to have this conversation. Just the thought of it made my stomach churn, but unfortunately, I didn't really have a choice. I had… questions, and I was hard pressed to find another source of information. So, regrettably, that led me to having to go to my dad and ask him questions about… sex.

I was going to die from embarrassment.

And, okay, I could have gone to Rosalie, or Alice, or even Esme, if only my questions were just about sex. But I had questions that the vampires couldn't answer.

Sometimes I really hated my life.

"Hey, dad." I chirped happily as I waltzed into his office with a confidence I didn't feel. "Whatcha up to?" As I walked by I glanced at the mess of paper work that was spread out across his mahogany writing desk, I was being nosy, as I often was, but most of the hand written notes that covered the wine-red leather inlay of the desk was written in some bizarre code that I couldn't decipher.

"Just helping Jasper tie up some loose ends with the Cullen's new papers." Charlie responded as he shuffled the paperwork into a neat stack and closed the lid to his laptop. "My guy is gonna do the dead-drop this week, all Jasper has to do is go pick it up."

"What's a dead-drop?" I asked as I sat down on the obnoxious sofa that sat near the fireplace. The frame was carved mahogany with gold leaf inlay placed in a delicate filigree pattern while the cushions were a pale powder blue with a few 'tasteful' mint coloured throw pillows – I was liking most of the things Esme was buying for the house, but occasionally a piece of furniture would arrive that looked like something out of Downton Abbey. I thought it was a bit much, but each new acquisition seemed to make Esme happy so I wasn't going to be saying anything any time soon.

"It's a way to communicate and pass information and items without having to meet in person." Charlie explained. "My contact will put the ID's in a predetermined secure location, and then Jasper will go and retrieve them. Simple."

"God it's like a cheesy Bond film." I teased. "Do you all have secret code names as well?"

Charlie smirked, his eyes crinkling in amusement. "Yes, now that you mention it. But enough about that. What do you want?"

"Who says I want anything?" I hastily replied.

"Bella, you're my daughter and I love you, but you're as transparent as a sheet of glass. You have no poker face whatsoever." Charlie deadpanned as he leaned back in his chair.

I frowned, my eyebrows scrunched up as I slouched down on the sofa, the angle of the sofa somewhat hiding me from Charlie's view from his chair behind his large writing desk. "I don't really want anything." I pouted, "I just wanted to talk. Ask some questions."

Charlie sighed and I heard him stand up and move across the room before he came into my field of vision, he sat down on the matching armchair nearby. Charlie leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together, he ducked his head to try and catch my eye. I glanced up at him anxiously and he met my eyes with a supportive smile. "What would you like to talk about?" he asked kindly.

My heart skipped a beat and my stomach lurched violently, only to become stuck in my throat. I felt my face heat up as I blushed with embarrassment. It was now or never. Man, I really wish I could pick never. "Sex." I blurted out.

Charlie visibly baulked, flinching back in his chair. "Uhm… alright. Uh- what did you want to know?" he asked cautiously.

"Okay, well, you see- uh…." I shifted uncomfortably. Charlie looked just as uneasy and embarrassed as I felt, but to his credit he didn't interrupt my awkward rambling and just waited patiently for me to speak. I breathed deeply, taking the air deep into my lungs before letting it out in a noisy rush of air. "Edward and I have been uh… fooling around a little bit." I admitted, my voice weak and my face flaming.

"Alright," Charlie drew out the word, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth turned down into a concerned frown. "And what seems to be the problem?" he tentatively asked, and I could read my dad's emotions like he was an open book. While he's face was a perfect mask of unshakeable calm, his emotions betrayed his stalwart composure. Charlie's homey scent was tainted with the sour scent of embarrassment which mingled with bitter worry, and the growing heat of sharp and violent anger. I didn't have to be a mind reader to know that the anger wasnotdirectedat me.

"There's no problem!" I hastily exclaimed. The last thing I needed was for Charlie to hunt Edward down because he thought Edward had hurt me. Charlie's eyes narrowed as his lips pressed together in a thin line, but he didn't interrupt so I quickly continued. "So, here's the thing, we were fooling around and things got a little heated, okay maybe a lot heated, and then just as Edward… uh… ya know, he bit me." I rambled out quickly, the words came spewing out of me without my control.

"He what!?" Charlie seethed, he didn't raise his voice, but he didn't need to in order to express his wrath. Charlie's eyes smouldered with rage and his entire body tensed with the effort it took to restrain his fury.

Fuck.

"I asked him to!" I yelped. How the hell did I fuck this up so badly?

"Why in the Goddess's name would you do that!?" Charlie bristled. He surged to his feet and began to pace angrily in front of the fireplace – back and forth, back and forth he went, his hands clenched into tight fists at his side and all but foaming at the mouth.

"I don't know!" I squeaked nervously. I pulled my legs up to rest on the sofa and curled my arms around them, I felt like a small child being chastised by my father and I didn't like it at all – but where I would usually rise up and bite back, instead I began to draw into myself, trying to become as small as possible. "Everything just… it was a lot, and it felt really good and in that moment, that was all I could think about – it was all I wanted, it was like-like I needed it."

Charlie stopped pacing and braced one hand on the mantle of the fire place as he scrubbed his other hand down his face. "Show me." he mumbled into his hand.

"I can't."

"What? Why?" Charlie turned to look at me, "Where…?" his eyes flickered over my body, "Goddess forgive me, I'm not sure I want the answer to this question, but… where did he bite you?" Charlie's voice was strained and his dark olive skin was tinged with a rosy blush, I didn't know whether it was because of his anger or his embarrassment.

"No-no it's – God, it's not-not like that." I stuttered, resolutely avoiding making eye contact with my dad. "He bit my neck, but there's no wound, no scar."

"Really?" Charlie murmured, clearly intrigued. I nodded silently and he slowly came over and sat down next to me on the sofa. "Huh."

"Huh?" I repeated, "That's it? That's all you have to say? Cause I have questions, like so many questions!"

Charlie chuckled he shook his head as he relaxed back on the sofa. His anger and worry seemed to slowly bleed out of him, now that he knew I wasn't hurt – either physically or emotionally – Charlie's mood greatly improved. "So do I, Bells." he quipped, "For starters, just how far have you and Edward gone?"

"Dad!" I shrieked, grabbing a nearby throw cushion and whacking him over the head with it.

Charlie guffawed, catching the pillow with one hand and bracing the other over his stomach as he roared with rambunctious laughter. "It's a valid question," he chuckled as he put the cushion aside, "I need to make sure no one is taking advantage of my daughter." he added with a more serious look in his eye.

I sighed and let go of my legs, letting them fall back to the floor. "We haven't done much. Edward's… he's got some old fashioned ideas about sex." I paused for a moment, and when I realised Charlie hadn't understood what I was hinting at I added, "As in, not having any until marriage."

Charlie baulked slightly but then nodded, "Well, that's-that's fine then." he nodded seriously.

"But what I was wanting to know was, why that happened? Why did I want him to bite me?" I cocked my head to the side and studied my dad, waiting to see if he would answer me honestly or if he would try and sell me a half-truth.

"Well, Bella I honestly don't know." Charlie murmured sadly, and I instantly knew he was telling the truth. "I've never met a werewolf who had a vampire for a Mate, and when I was a child it was only talked about as if it were a myth."

"Great." I snarked, crossing my arms over my chest and slumping down on the sofa.

Charlie placed a comforting hand on my knee, "What I can tell you, is that when werewolves meet their Mate, there is usually a ceremony to officially announce the union, it's similar to a wedding, I suppose, and it also acts as a festival of sorts to allow both Packs to meet each other. And well…" another scarlet blush filled Charlie's face and he smiled bashfully, "When Mates consummate the union for the first time, they bite one another, to show everyone else that they have found their Mate." Charlie saw my scandalised expression and chuckled lightly, "Wedding bands weren't really a common tradition back then, and besides, constantly removing rings becomes tedious when you want to transform."

That, I understood. While I adored the promise ring Edward had gifted me, I was constantly worried I would lose it when I took it off to transform into my wolf form. "But… Edward's bite healed?"

"He's also a vampire." Charlie snarked, "I can only guess, but perhaps it's because you didn't actually…" he let the sentence hang, and raised his eyebrows as he looked at me expectantly.

"Right. Cool, good to know." I nodded quickly, not wanting Charlie to finish that sentence. My god, I was never going to recover from this conversation. I was traumatised – I was going to need therapy to deal with the emotional fallout. Yes Doctor, this right here, this is what sent me over the edge.

Charlie smiled warmly, "I'm really glad you felt comfortable enough to come talk to me about this."

"Oh believe me, dad, I am anything but comfortable right now." I muttered sarcastically.

Charlie laughed, "You know what I mean. Do you have any other questions?" he probed, "Because if you do I don't mind answering them," A mischievous smirk curled his lips, "I do have quite a bit of experience in this area."

"Nope!" I cried out as I shot out of my seat, "Nope. No. No way. I'm good, everything is aaaall good!" I rambled as I hastily made my way towards the door.

I could hear Charlie's loud laughter follow me out the exit, "Well, if you ever change your mind!"

"I wont!" I shouted over my shoulder as I scurried away.

Now that I had the answer to my werewolf problems, I was planning on never talking to my dad about sex or my physical relationship with Edward, ever again.

If I had any other questions, well… I had my sisters for that.

XxXx

I walked through the house, looking for one vampire in particular, I popped my head into each room I passed, waving at the occupants before I continued my search. I found him in the den of the north wing.

"Emmett!" I crowed.

The burly vampire looked up from the construction plans he had scattered on the floor in front of him, his face lighting up in a beaming grin. "Bella!" he boomed in reply. Emmett stood up with startling grace for a vampire of his size and rushed to my side in a blur of speed, he scooped me up in a bone crushing hug that lifted me off the ground as he swung me around.

I giggled and pushed at his tree-trunk arms until he released me. Once my feet were back on solid ground I looked around conspiratorially, as if checking for any witnesses before I whispered slyly, "Wanna see something cool?"

"Always." he replied fondly.

I grinned, "Follow me."

I curled my hand around Emmett's wrist, and giggling like a couple of kids we sneaked through the house, trying to avoid being seen by anyone else, not that it made any difference, but it was fun anyway. I pulled Emmett to the side of the large staircase in the central building, and I pushed on the centre panel until it clicked and swung open.

"Cool." Emmett whispered.

I giggled, "This isn't even the cool bit, Em"

We snuck into the darkened space under the stairs, it was a storage closet of sorts, but it also had an internal door that opened onto a set of stairs. I made quick work of opening the wooden door and led the way down the dusty steps that creaked ominously with each step. The bottom of the stairs opened up into a small cellar, there were built in wooden shelves bolted to the dark grey stones that made up the floor and ceiling.

"Secret dungeon." Emmett whispered in awe as he began to move about the space.

"You're an idiot." I rolled my eyes fondly, "It's a cellar, for preserves and wine and shit."

"This is pretty neat," Emmett nodded.

"Dude!" I huffed exasperatedly, "This isn't even what I wanted to show you!" I dashed around to the back of the room, past the lines of dusty shelves and old wooden crates that were sealed shut with rusted nails. Once I was at the far wall, I began to count the stone bricks, starting in the corner and going towards the middle, mumbling each number under my breath so I wouldn't lose count. Charlie had shown me this a few days ago, a 'just in case' sort of situation, and while Charlie had it installed when the estate was built because he was a paranoid werewolf, and had shown me because he was worried about my safety and wanted me to know it was there in the event anything terrible happened – which fine, was pretty valid given our combined history of vampires trying to kill us – I didn't care about the practicality of it I just thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Childish? Maybe. Did I care? Fuck no. The secret tunnel was too awesome to be overshadowed with concerns about whether or not I was acting my age. I knew that none of the others would feel the same way, that once they were told about the tunnel and shown how it worked that they would be all serious and nod earnestly and wax poetic about the security measures and how clever the tunnels were and they would just suck all the fun out of it. All except for Emmett, I knew that he would see the tunnels for what they were – fucking fantastic. So before all the others could ruin it for me, I wanted to show Emmett first.

The stone wall wasn't flat, but rather it was totally uneven with each brick jutting out from the wall at odd intervals, my fingers traced over the grey stones until I found the one I was looking for. I gripped it with my fingertips and slid it to the side, and then yanked it down. The mechanism was old, really old, but it still worked as well as it did when it was installed and with an almost inaudible click a portion of the wall popped out. I tossed a grin over my shoulder at Emmett's stunned expression as I pulled the door open, exposing the dark tunnel within.

"I love this house." Emmett murmured reverently.

Yeah. I had made the right choice. Sometimes, I just wanted to act like a kid, or hell not even a kid, but just like a regular eighteen year old. Someone who didn't have to worry about fake birth certificates and digital footprints or homicidal vampires – but just a teenager who snuck out and got into trouble with her brother. And I knew, that if I ever got into trouble, Jasper would be the brother to call to help me get out of it, but if I ever felt the urge to cause some chaos and mayhem, well… Emmett was the one I was gonna call for. Emmett was always up for any adventure, and I knew that if I ever found myself in hot water, my big brother would be right there next to me, fanning the flames with a grin on his face.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I can't wait to hear what you guys think of the chapter.