Chapter 12 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

A/N: This chapter is named after one of my favorite episodes of Grey's Anatomy btw. Two different POVs. The next two chapters are currently in progress, one from Bella's POV and the other from Carlisle's. I know where I want them to be by the end of the chapter but my problem currently is how to get them to that point. Thankfully I'm on summer break so I am planning to focus more time on this.

Now we're stuck in a storm we choose to ignore.

Edward's POV

"I'm fine," I insist again.

"You need to hunt." Carlisle blocks me from leaving.

We've had this conversation many times since our return from Italy. I don't want to be apart from Bella, no more than absolutely necessary, and by that, I mean enough time for me to run home and change my clothes before returning to her.

"I am not thirsty."

"You're putting Bella at risk."

I growl at his accusation but quickly stop when I realize this is exactly what he means.

"I just went," I try, though hunting for two hours last week wouldn't normally be enough to hold me over, I can deal with the thirst a little longer.

"You are going hunting this weekend with your siblings whether you want to or not. It's not up for discussion." He declares before saying softer, "Bella will be here. You know your Mother and I would never let anything happen to her."

I stay silent, not contradicting him because deep down I know he means well. "I don't want to leave her, Dad. I just got her back."

"And I will tell you what I told you the last time we had this conversation: we hurt Bella when we left the way we did. We all hurt her, and right now she is the main priority for this family. We need to repair our relationship with her and make sure she is okay." Carlisle and Esme wanted nothing more than to not let Bella out of their sight until she was the vibrant, healthy daughter before our departure. "The best thing you can do for her is to take care of yourself so you can come back to her."

"Dad-" I start but he cuts me off.

"I am not asking, Edward." His hand gripping my shoulder as he looks into my eyes.

"Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it.

I'd like to be my old self again but I'm still trying to find it."

"Dad?" I called out as I unlocked the front door and walked inside. I hang my jacket up by the door and add my boots to the pile of shoes.

"In here, Bells." He calls back.

I take a breath, here it goes. "Um, so at work today Jasper and Emmett came by and I, uh, invited them to dinner," I tell him, hoping he won't object since they will be here momentarily (I'm sure).

"Which ones are they?"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes, as if he doesn't know everyone in Forks, "Edward's older brothers."

"Oh," he sounded as confused as I was when they accepted my invitation. "Okay, I guess. Do you want me to order a pizza or two?"

"No, it's fine. I told them I was making fish anyway." I assure him, there's no need to waste money on pizza when he and I would be the only ones actually eating it.

Dinner went better than I was expecting. The boys and Charlie hit it off instantly, though how much of that was due to their charm and Jasper's gift, I don't know. Charlie also appreciated someone to Edward-bash with, though there was genuine love in Jasper and Emmett's taunts and jokes.

They showed up about half an hour after I got home, a fresh-baked apple pie from the diner in Jasper's hands. I step out of the way to let them in, Emmett ruffling my hair before joining Charlie on the couch to watch whatever game is on.

"You need any help in there, Bells?" Charlie asks me.

I appreciate the gesture but I shake my head.

Jasper answers before I get a chance to, "I got it, Chief. Lead the way," Jasper motions for me to take the lead to the kitchen where he takes over Edward's job of helping me with cans and jars that I can't reach or open on my own. "Esme banned Emmett from the kitchen," Jasper explained.

"Mine or yours?"

"Both," he answers. "Though your kitchen is probably more breakable than ours."

Jasper watches me as I take the first battered piece of fish and drop it into a pan of hot oil, jumping back so it doesn't burn me.

"Jesus, Bella. You know you can see Carlisle without putting yourself in the hospital with third-degree burns."

"I'm fine, Jasper," I assure him with a roll of my eyes.

"Sit back, let me do it," he instructs, moving me out of the way easily.

"I have been cooking since I was six." I remind him. "Overprotective vampires," I mutter under my breath.

"What was that?" He asks over his shoulder, though I know he heard me perfectly well.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I heard your hearing starts to go when a man reaches a certain age." I tease him. "When was the last time you cooked anything? Like a hundred years ago?"

He ignored me. "How do you tell when it's done?"

I look around him into the pan. "It's done."

He easily takes the food right out of the hot pan, no need for oven mitts or anything of the kind, placing the finished piece on a plate I already had out while simultaneously adding another piece to the oil. The whole process took less time than it would have if I was cooking on my own, and Jasper was an interesting cooking companion.

I watch him from the table, still unsure what to make of this interaction. I had always had the impression that Jasper didn't care for me much, but here he was. It was a comfortable silence, that felt comfortable without a noticeable influence from a certain vampire. Unconsciously my hand goes back to the ring hanging from my neck, like an anchor holding Edward to me. I trace the shapes of the diamonds, grazing every grommet holding them in place.

"Are you going to wear it?" He notices everything.

I chew on my lip. "I can't, not on my finger at least. Everyone will think I'm pregnant, and also my parents would not take it well." I tell him, my voice lower than a normal conversation so Charlie can't accidentally overhear. Unfortunately, no matter what volume I speak at, Emmett can hear and laughs, loudly.

"You think?"

I nod. "I'm eighteen and I've only been with Edward for less than a year, some of which he wasn't here for. . ." They wouldn't understand that it's more than just your average teenage love and I can imagine particularly Charlie's reaction if I told him- he would kill Edward. I pull the chain out of my shirt. "Esme and Carlisle gave me this to hold it."

"Alice and Rose have something similar. It would be hard to explain anyway," he adds casually. "Edward has been walking around with that ever since you guys got back. He described even the smallest details to Esme and Alice and had them get it made for him."

I could feel Charlie's eyes on me over dinner as I smiled with Jasper and Emmett. I sensed his relief every time I took a bite. I hadn't had to take anything to help me keep my food down in a while, something I only did at the time to fool Charlie into thinking I was fine. Maybe the boys would tell Carlisle and Esme that I ate, too, I know they're worried.

I was forever thankful for the delicate balance of medication that kept me together enough to appear to function normally while they were gone. Medicine for nausea that made me too exhausted to keep my eyes open, stimulants to fight the exhaustion. I would sit in my room for hours, home alone with the door always closed so I didn't have to try to appear human.

Without me having to ask, Alice was helping me make up my grades that had slipped so far in their absence. It almost seems like everything is starting to go back to how it was supposed to be. . . but so much has changed that I don't know if it ever will go back to how it was.

The boys filled their plates, Charlie even complimented our cooking, a first for Jasper who claimed it was all my doing. I surreptitiously watched Emmett and Jasper out of the corner of my eye, trying to spot what they were doing with their food, but I had to say they were good. Even I couldn't tell they were faking. Emmett even went for seconds, he moved the food around on his plate, lifting the fork to his lips on occasion, but I couldn't tell if he was really chewing the food, or if he managed to tuck it into his napkin at vampire speed before I could notice.

"How was the rest of your shift?" Jasper asks.

I put my fork down on the edge of my plate. "Pretty boring, Mike's parents left not long after you two did. Mike wanted to know if you guys were taking me camping next time you go and I had to remind him of the time I almost gave us both a concussion in gym class last month."

Emmett laughs so loud that Charlie jumps. "Classic B."

He tries to recover, "so, boys, do you have any plans coming up?"

Jasper nods, pretending to finish chewing before he answers. "Yes, actually. This weekend we're going camping, Em, Rosalie, Edward and I. That's why we went shopping at Newton's today."

"We lost all our camping shit in the move. I actually think Alice intentionally lost it so she'd have a chance to shop but no one ever believes me." Emmett interjected.

I wanted to nod or do something besides stare intently into my plate of barely touched food, but I was no longer hungry. Edward was leaving already? My chest aches at the thought. When I saw his eyes last night I noticed how dark they were. It seemed to me he just went last week, but I know he was only gone a few hours so he would have to leave again soon. I just wasn't thinking it would be this soon.

I can feel Jasper's eyes on me as I try to calm my mind, they're not all leaving and I've survived longer than a weekend. He'll come back, I can't force him to starve to stay with me.

"Little Alice isn't going?" Charlie asks. It's hard to picture her camping, like me she doesn't seem like the type.

Jasper shakes his head, "no, she has some test she can't miss. Actually, I think she was going to see if Bella wanted to have a sleepover." I hear his words but don't respond, kind of selfishly wishing they would have given me a heads up before dropping this in my lap over dinner. And is this what's really happening, or the story they're telling? I know they're not actually going camping, so how much of this is true?

Charlie takes a sip of his beer, rubbing his chin as he thinks.

"I don't know all the details, but I know our Mom and Dad are staying home as well." He adds.

"I'll have to think about it." Charlie either doesn't notice me falling apart or like Emmett and Jasper, is kindly pretending he doesn't.

Charlie stands to take his plate to the sink but Emmett stops him, "we got it, Charlie." He doesn't argue.

I watch blankly as Emmett and Jasper clean up, they wouldn't let me help either. I want to fall apart but I don't let myself. I know it was inevitable, Edward has to hunt. I'll be fine for a few days, and he'll be back. He will be back.

"Bella," Jasper knelt down in front of me, his hands covering mine and I realized they were shaking. "Bella, come back to us. I'm sorry."

I blink slowly, looking up at him (as he's still taller than me even when he's kneeling down). What does he have to apologize for? "It's fine, I'm fine."

His lip twitches, "I know that's not true but I'll let it slide. You won't be alone, we promise. We're leaving on Thursday night after school is over. Alice will be with you in school on Friday and then she'll come to meet us. Carlisle and Esme are excited to spend some time with you, and we'll all be home Sunday night, I swear." Jasper says, "and she saw it already, Charlie will let you stay over, he's going fishing with Billy so he'll be thankful you won't be stuck home alone."

"Edward doesn't want to leave, kid. He'd never leave your side but it's been a while and Pops is making him go hunt." Emmett adds, ruffling my hair.

"S-sorry. I'll be fine." I tried to assure him but the truth was I felt like I was balancing on the edge of a knife, precariously balanced between holding it together and having a complete breakdown. My hand clutches the ring hanging from my neck, my tether to the ground.

"You don't have to lie to me," Jasper says, his voice soft. I could feel his influence on my fragile emotions. "Even if your lying skills were up to par, you can't lie with your emotions."

"It's nothing," I insist, but I don't even believe me.

"Bella, what you went through, few vampires even survive. You're not okay, and you shouldn't be. You're hurt, scared, and that won't go away overnight." I nod at Jasper's words, I've been told this countless times. Regardless of the vampire aspects of our situation, I am human and still have to appear as such.

I saw how Marcus was when we met the Volturi, the light in his life gone when his mate was killed. His grief didn't get better or go away no matter how many thousands of years had passed, but hopefully, someday mine would get better because Edward and I were safe, alive (figuratively), and together. We have each other. The hole his absence had created, I don't think will ever fully go away. I don't remember life without it.

Jasper's hand was resting on my bare arm and I felt the force of his gift, blanketing my emotions until they were more tolerable. "Take a deep breath with me," he instructs, taking an exaggerated breath. "You're okay, it'll be okay."

"You're gonna relax her into a coma, dude." I hear Emmett say from somewhere close by.

"She was going to be sick, Em." Jasper takes both of my hands now, my clammy palms in his ice-cold ones. "Bella, I know you don't like when I change your emotions like this but I didn't want you to panic or get sick."

"Thank you," I swallow hard. I can feel the panic receding, barely, taking my nausea with it. "Your gift works better than Dramamine," I joke weakly.

"That's what brothers are for."

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