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All mistake are mine.

Dec 14, 1941…

Bella

"What the hell is the meaning of this?!"

I pulled away from Edward at the sound of my father's angry voice. Edward turned quickly and stepped back. My father, my mother and Alice were standing by the entrance to the venue. Alice's alarmed eyes met mine and my blood ran cold as my father approached us.

"I said, what the hell is the meaning of this, Isabella?" He asked, his voice laced with fury. "I look away for a second and then I find you here, clinging to this man? Haven't I raised you better than that? Huh?"

"Do not talk to her like that!" Edward snapped, stepping in front of me.

"You do not tell me how I should speak to my daughter!"

"I was only upset!" I stepped between them, my back pressed against Edward's chest and my hands against my father's. I hadn't even realized he'd gotten that close. My heart thrummed against my chest as my father's eyes hardened. "I saw Angela's family and I was overwhelmed. He was only comforting me, father."

"Then you seek out your family for comfort, not some stranger," he spit out.

"He's not…" I stopped myself when my voice raised. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves as my father glared at Edward, and Edward did not help as he glared back at my father. "Father, he's not a stranger. He's a friend."

"Yes." Alice stepped in beside me. "He's our friend, father. We've known him and some of his friends from the Air Corp."

"You never said anything about these friends," he said through gritted teeth.

"Wonder why-" Edward started to say, but I shook my head quickly, begging him with my eyes to not say anything. Edward shut his mouth and clenched his jaw, clearly unhappy.

"That's because we knew you'd lose your mind if you knew your girls were around boys," Alice said with a laugh, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Charlie, it's okay if they have friends. He was only comforting her," my mother said, taking his arm. She turned to Edward and smiled at him apologetically. "Son, what's your name?"

Edward stepped forward, still glaring at my father. "Edward Cullen, Maam. I'm a pilot for the Air Corp."

Both my mother and father stiffened at Edward's name and the look in my father's face went from anger to murderous. It was at that moment that Dr. Cullen approached us. I hadn't even realized people had started coming out of the venue. His wife, Edward's sister and Tanya Denali all stood off to the side, watching as Dr. Cullen stepped in front of Edward and stood face to face with my father.

"Charlie, it's very good to see you again, my friend. It's been a long time," he said, but there was a slight edge to his tone. "Do you think we can talk like civilized people?"

"I am not your friend, Carlisle," my father said, slowly. His jaw clenched. "And there is nothing to talk about. I only want you to keep your son away from my daughter. Only you would name him after such a monster."

Wait. They know each other?

"Edward is my nephew, Charles. He's Edward's son, but he and your daughter have nothing to do with what happened in the past. Do not punish them for his father's wrong doings," Carlisle said.

"What wrong doings?" Edward asked, stepping around his uncle.

Dr. Cullen ignored Edward's question.

"Please, Charlie. We were once friends."

My mother gave my father a pleading look, but my father didn't spare her a glance as he reached for me and grabbed me by the arm forcibly. I cried out at his tight grip and Edward immediately sprung into action, stepping between my father and I.

"Do not touch her like that!"

"She is my daughter!"

"I don't give a damn if she's your daughter, let her go!"

"Edward, please!" I cried out, stepping between him and my father. Edward's hardened gaze softened when he looked at me, but there was a reluctancy there. "It's okay. I'll see you later."

He started to shake his head, but Dr. Cullen stepped in again, pulling Edward back.

"Son, please. Let them go, do not make this worse."

Edward's jaw clenched once more as he looked at my father.

"Let. Her. Go."

"I'll be damned if I allow a Cullen to tell me what I should do with my daughter," my father hissed.

"Trust me, if you do not let her go, I will make you."

"Okay, stop!" My mother shouted. She turned to my father, her eyes red and glistening with unshed tears. "Let's go, Charlie." She grabbed my free arm and pulled me away from my father, and he let me go reluctantly.

I rubbed my aching arm with one hand and made the mistake of looking at Edward as I did. His hands clenched into fists when he saw where I was rubbing my arm. If it hadn't been for Dr. Cullen and Kate pulling him further back, I was sure he would've launched at my father. I pleaded with him silently to let it go and Edward simply shook his head.

"Let's go, Isabella," my mother said, ushering me and Alice away from the Cullens as fast as she could. My father was already ahead of us.

"What was that about, mother?" Alice asked, trying her best to keep up with our father's quick strides.

My mother shook her head.

"Trust me, Alice. Some things are better left unknown."

"Dad!" Alice and I shouted when he slammed the front door open, leaving a hole on the wall behind it and went straight for the stairs.

"What the hell is the matter with him?" Alice shouted, running up after him.

He was in our closet by the time we made it to our room. He pulled out my suitcase and threw it on my bed.

"Pack. Right now," he said, pointing at the open suitcase.

My heart started picking up speed.

"Why?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"I am taking you back home, Isabella."

"What?"

"You can't do that!" Alice shouted.

"Yes, I can. I am your father and when I say you are going back home, you are going back home!"

"Why? What was that back there? Why would you treat Edward like that?"

"I didn't treat him any differently than he deserved! Him and that pack of hungry dogs who only care about their money and social standing. I'll be damned, Isabella, if I let you fall into their trap. It's bad enough I found you clinging to him. Now tell me, did he already take advantage of you? Huh? Did he already compromise you?"

"You're mistaken, father. Edward would never do anything to compromise me. He was only comforting me, that's all!" I cried.

"I don't care. I'm not leaving you here and give him a chance, so pack your bag, Isabella. You are going home with us."

"Charlie, perhaps we need to talk about this first," my mother said.

"There's nothing to talk about, Renee."

"You can't just take Izzy and force her back home. She has a job here, she has a life!" Alice protested.

"I got her the job here, I can very well have her transferred back home. She will work at the hospital in Forks and, with any luck, if Cullen hasn't already compromised her then Marcus can still take her."

Every hair in my body stood. What the hell did that mean?

"Marcus can still take me?"

My father looked at me and shrugged. "He asked for your hand and I gave him my blessing. We were waiting till after the holidays for him to come see you and propose to you, but the attack happened and we had to hold off and make sure you were okay."

"Make sure I was still alive for the taking," I snapped.

"Watch it. Marcus is a good man and he will make you a good husband, if your mistakes haven't cost you that already."

Alice crossed her arms over her chest and when she looked at me, her expression said, I told you so. She was right. She'd always been right.

"Have you ever asked yourself what I wanted? Have you ever thought to ask me if I wanted to marry Marcus?"

"You and I both know Marcus is good for you."

"No, he's good enough for you. Why me? Why do you want me to marry him? All my life you've thrown me at him. Even now! All you could talk about since you've gotten here is him! Marcus, Marcus, Marcus! What is it about him that you just want to tie me to him for the rest of my life regardless of how I feel?"

My father's eyes hardened. "I've always known that Alice would do as she pleases. Alice has never been one to listen to me-"

"Damn right," Alice muttered.

"Watch it, Alice. I'm still your father." He pointed a finger at her. Alice narrowed her eyes on him, but said nothing else. My father turned back to me. "I should've known better than to send her here with you. I should've known you would've gotten into her head and filled it with stupid ideas. I thought perhaps some work and discipline would set you right, but it seems I was wrong! And now look at what you did, Mary Alice!"

"Me? You're blaming me for Izzy wanting control over her own life?"

"She would've never acted like this if it hadn't been for you!"

"I only showed her what real life looks like!" Alice yelled. "I showed her she could take advantage of our new found freedom, freedom from you! I told her to take control of her life before you did! And you just proved me right! You just wanted to marry her off to Marcus because what? Because you knew you couldn't force me to do that. Over my dead body!"

"Alright stop!" I shouted. Everyone turned to me. "I will not marry Marcus. It's not what I want and it's not something I've ever wanted. I will marry whomever I want to marry because that choice is mine, not yours to make, father."

My father laughed humorlessly. "And who will you marry, Isabella? Edward Cullen? Please, give me a break." He walked closer to me and I fell a step back with each step he took, keeping the distance between us. "Do you honestly think he'll marry you? That his family, his mother, will allow him to marry you? You are a nobody to them. You have nothing to your name, no money, no connections. Do you honestly think that he would marry you, Isabella? Is that what he told you? Did he tell you he'll marry you, that he doesn't care about his family fortune or what his mother and father got to say about it? Please, you are more gullible than I thought."

"Gullible? You think I'm gullible?"

"It's not what I think, Isabella. It's what I know. You've always been so gullible ever since you were a child. You let Alice push you around and give in to her antics. You believe everyone has good in them, that everything in this world is good. You will believe anything out of anyone's mouth without a question, that's how gullible you are, daughter. It's no wonder that Edward Cullen fooled you so easily." He fell a step back, rubbing a hand down his face. "This is the last time I tell you, Isabella. Pack your bags. We are going back home and you will accept Marcus's proposal. He is a good man and he will make you a fine husband, so it will be wise of you to get used to the idea before we get to Forks."

The words stung, especially coming from my father. But was he wrong? There was truth in his words. I believed everything Jacob Black told me about Edward without giving it a second thought, and why? Because I was angry at him as well. I was hurt by his words and Jacob only validated my anger. I never once doubted him. And how many times hadn't I done something I didn't want to do because of Alice?

Perhaps he was right. Perhaps I'd been gullible.

I walked slowly toward my bed, toward my empty suitcase. Alice gave me a pleading look when I looked up. She was begging me with her eyes not to leave, not to give in. My mother stood off to the side, looking out the window, not saying anything. She never said anything. Why should she? My father had never been shy to show how much he loves her. Why would she risk getting on his bad side?

Grabbing my suitcase, I close it and drop it next to my bed.

His nostrils flared.

"I'm not leaving."

His chest heaved. He emanated an anger I'd never seen before and that I couldn't understand. Why do all this? Just because he found me hugging Edward? Because I didn't want to marry Marcus?

"If you do not leave with me tomorrow, Isabella… you're cut off."

His words made my heart stop. Surely… he couldn't mean it, could he?

My mother's head whirl in his direction. "Charlie," she finally said.

"I'm not leaving." I held my ground. I would not let him scare me into submission. I couldn't.

"You'll be cut off, Isabella. The only way you got your job at the hospital is because of me, from my word and connections. I got you the job, the same job that offered you this house to live in, and I can easily take it back. So think about this very hard and long because you won't make it on your own."

"Charlie, you don't mean that," my mother said, her voice breaking.

"Oh, I mean it. So think about it, Isabella."

There was determination in his eyes. I knew better. My father never resorted to lying to get his way. There was no bluff to call because I could see it in his eyes that he meant it. He meant every word.

And while the thought of being cut away from my family terrified me, I could not let my love for them be used as a way to manipulate me into doing what he wanted.

"There's nothing for me to think about," I said, firmly. "I'm not leaving and if you want to cut me off because of it, then so be it. I've made my decision."

His jaw clenched. "Fine. So be it."

And he stormed out of our bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Alice and I looked at our mother and she looked back at us with teary eyes, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she grabbed her purse and went out after my father. I felt my heart sink when she walked out the door and strength gave out. I collapsed on the bed and cried. Alice came to me then, wrapping her arms around me and held me as I wept.

The sun was just setting on the horizon when he arrived. He was still in his uniform, but his once tamed curls were unruffled, like he'd been running his hands through his hair repeatedly. I was sitting on the porch swing when he climbed up the porch steps, catching him off guard.

"It's a dangerous game you're playing by coming here," I said, quietly.

"Is he still here?" He asked.

I shook my head lightly.

"No, he left hours ago."

Edward waited for me to continue. I sighed deeply and patted the open spot next to me on the swing. He sat down, his weight making us swing and caught him off guard. I chuckled lightly, but even that felt like a strain. My smile melted away and the dread I'd been feeling until he arrived came back.

"Did your uncle say anything about what happened?"

"No. I asked him what he meant by my father's wrongdoings, but he said all he knew was that there was a fallout between our father's, but he never knew why or what. I asked my mother, but that didn't go well."

"Perhaps they fought the war together," I said. "And something happened while they were fighting. Regardless, I can't imagine what could have possibly happened for my father to act that way. I'm sorry he treated you like that."

"I'm not worried about how he treated me, Bella. I'm more worried about how he treated you. What happened after you left?"

I debated telling him for a minute. For one, I didn't want him to see the true extent of my father's hatred toward him and all the horrible things he said about him, without even knowing him.

Reminds me of someone, I thought bitterly.

On the other hand, my circumstances now were difficult. My father was right. I was nobody and now I had nothing. I didn't want Edward to see me differently. I didn't want him to pity me.

But would he? Was I jumping to conclusions?

"He cut me off."

"What?" Edward nearly yelled.

"He wanted me to go back home and accept Marcus Volturi's proposal. I refused, even when he threatened to cut me off because… I might sound naive saying this, but for a second I didn't think he would actually do it." I scoffed at myself. At my own stupidity. Perhaps I was gullible. "You know, I've always known my father to be a proud man. He never expressed his emotions, he never gave any affection to anyone who wasn't my mother. For a long time I thought the war affected him in a way neither my sister or I could understand, but my mother could and that's why he loved her so."

When I looked at Edward, I could tell by his expression he didn't agree. There was anger in his expression. Not toward me.

"But as little affection he did show us, I always believed he loved us and he just didn't know how to show it. I've always believed he truly wanted the best for me and my sister." Tears clouded my vision. "I never thought he'd turn his back on me so easily."

Edward moved and before I could think about it, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. I went to him willingly. His warm embrace grounded me. It made me forget my worries and my fears. Being in his embrace was like taking a breath of fresh air and it was both a blessing and a curse. It was only a matter of time before he'd be out of my life and I'd have nothing but the memories.

"You are not alone, Bella," he whispered against my ear. "You will never be alone as long as I'm here."

"You say that like you'll be here forever."

"I'm a man of my word," he said. "I'll be here for as long as you want me. I'll be here until you order me away."

Author's Note:

I know you guys don't like Charlie now... I can't say you will like him in the future hahahaha but let me know your thoughts!

Also thank you to everyone for your reviews! You guys are awesome!

Chapter Sixteen Preview -

"Let me make one thing clear: Edward is engaged to Tanya. Now what do you have to say about that?"