The Edge

Settling In

Summary: Now that the threat with Victoria is over, day to day life goes on.

A Month Later

Alice kicked her feet in delight as she fidgeted in Charlie's arm chair; her perfect little feet pointed forward delicately like a ballerina's, as her legs fluttered in the air in front of the chair again and again, the receiver of the phone pressed tightly against her ear.

Bella watched her, part captivated and part unnerved, her attention only turning from Alice when she heard the front door open.

"Hey Dad," Bella said a minute later, tilting her head to the side, watching as Charlie made his way into the living room.

"Good evening, Bells," Charlie replied looking at her contemplatively for a second before he bent down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Bella smiled happily but didn't say anything. Charlie was new to the whole fatherly gestures of affection thing and she didn't want to make him self conscious.

"That's perfect! That's perfect!" Alice squealed into the phone.

Charlie turned his head to the side to find the petite brunette curled up in his arm chair, the phone held tightly against her ear as she jittered in the seat.

"I'm going to change," Charlie said. His eyes were wide with alarm as he continued to stare in Alice's spastic direction.

Alice was in super duper teenage girl mode and he was scared.

"Oh, no you don't!" Bella said hopping to her feet. "She's been like this for half an hour," Bella whispered shivering a little. "You can keep me company," she said grabbing her father's hand and dragging him into the kitchen.

It was time for her to check on the sauce anyway.

Charlie plopped down in one of the kitchen's wooden chairs as Bella made her way over to the stove.

"Rose?" Charlie asked, leaning back as he watched Bella begin to move around the kitchen.

He had never really sat down and watched her cook before, and he felt a smile spreading across his lips as he saw how steady and confident she was.

Bella shook her head.

"Renee," she intoned darkly before shaking her head again. "They're talking about shoes," Bella continued lightly tapping the contents of a bottle of spices into the pot on the stove. "It's a good thing you came home. I don't think I would have been able to take much more of that."

Charlie laughed and Bella glowered at his lack of sympathy.

"At least they're getting along," Charlie said finally when Bella turned back to the pot.

"Ha! Getting along," Bella responded. "They're bosom buddies. Phil and I were worried that we'd have to start hitting up the singles bar one day into the vacation. I'm lucky I met her first," she continued making faces that Charlie couldn't see at the pot of sauce.

She grumbled, but Bella actually couldn't have been more thrilled about how the trip to Florida had gone. Things had worked out perfectly, even the weather had cooperated, and Alice had only had to hide herself indoors for a few hours over the whole weekend.

From the moment they met Renee at the airport she had been enamored with Alice. Actually, Bella thought with a small smile, from the moment they had met Renee at the airport and Renee had seen Alice's outfit she had been enamored with Alice.

Renee had raced over to her the moment she had spotted them in the airport, and given her a long, enthusiastic hug that embarrassed Bella, but that she wouldn't have given up for anything in the world. Once she had finally let Bella go, Renee's attention had then turned to Alice, and they had looked at each other for a second before Alice smiled, shrugged, and then opened her arms up to receive a hug as well. Renee had found that charming and moved to hug Alice as well, though it was more polite than the lung crushing hug she'd given Bella.