Author's Note: Hey! Couldn't help it! This idea was stuck in my head when I first heard the song. Please tell me what you think of it. It's a one shot. I do recommend listening to the song "I loved her first" it's a beautiful country song. I changed just a few things around, but nothing major!
I do not own this song or twilight.
Charlie was sitting on at the bar watching from far away what his eyes did not want to accept yet. His eyes were following her every move, the way his little girl was swaying to the music with such grace. He chuckled to himself thinking he never thought the day would come where she wouldn't be such a klutz. Charlie had expected her to at least trip a bit walking, but with surprise not once had she tripped or fell. She looked so beautiful; he didn't understand how she managed not to have make up smudge all over her face. He would have thought she would have been at water works towards the end, but not his girl she was a tough one. Who was he kidding he almost cried himself, not that he would ever admit it to anyone. Specks of dust or pollen had gotten into his eye, the Chief of Police does not cry. Charlie Swan does not burst into tears over such silly things.
He couldn't keep the smile that graced his face when his eyes caught her face once again. Her eyes held such love and devotion. He couldn't help think that she probably didn't even see anyone else in this room, but him. He watched them both twirl and glide through the dance floor; they both were too lost in each other's gaze. The adoration that he had in eyes both made Charlie happy and uncomfortable. She was still after all daddy's little girl. Though, Charlie did understand she was not so little anymore. Just because he understood did not mean in any way that he wanted to accept it.
Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each other's face
So much in love your alone in this place
Like there's nobody else in the world
Charlie remembered when there was a time where he was the number one man in her life. He wasn't too fond of the spotlight being taken away from him. That little girl was his whole world; he had raised her since day one. How he wished Renee would have still been alive to see her. She would have been so proud. Renee had passed away giving birth to Bella; she had lost too much blood. Charlie knew one day he would have to let her go one day, but he didn't expect the day to come so soon. She was his only child, but deep down he knew if he had more kids with Renee that Bella would have always been the one to carry his heart. If you could only see her now sweetheart, you'd be so proud of our little girl.
I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one
She told me so
And she still means the world to me
Just so you know
Charlie was all Bella knew before he came along and stole her from him. Charlie wanted to glare at him throughout the day, especially when it came to giving her away to him. He remembered how seemed to be the one walking down the aisle more nervous than she was. If you paid attention to Charlie closely through the whole thing, someone would have thought he was the one getting married.
*Flashback*
"Daddy, don't be so nervous! You're making me nervous." Bella giggled anxiously.
"I can't help it Bells! This is serious stuff happening, I'm giving my little girl away...forever." Charlie sighed as he gave her a tight hug.
"Aww Daddy-"
"It's just the way a father is supposed to feel on this day sweetheart."
Bella looked up at Charlie and smiled. "You're still my number one."
'Not for long.' Charlie thought.
*Flashback End*
Charlie sighed reliving the memory of not too long ago. He had promised Bella he wasn't going to go "Cop Mode" on him when he went to talk to him. He wasn't going to stand in the way and knew sooner rather than later, he had to let her go now.
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything
Life must go on
And I'm not gonna stand in your way
Still being a father he couldn't help it, in his eyes she was still his baby girl. But I loved her first. He wished he could read Charlie's thoughts and hear everything Charlie was saying about him. Charlie wanted to be like a little boy and say "mine!" He didn't want to share Bella with anyone, especially him. He was in her life before she could even take a breath of life. As good as a guy Bella kept insisting that he was it still didn't make any of this easier. It was still hard giving her away to someone else.
He wanted one more walk down memory lane with her. Not as the beautiful woman she developed into, but as the baby girl he raised himself.
But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it still hard to give her away
I loved her first
How Charlie wanted to just go whisk her away and return back home where nothing would have changed just like the good old days. Sometimes he just wished his beautiful Bells would have never transformed into a gorgeous woman and stayed his freckle faced little girl. When cooties and boys were so disgusting to her, and when times were simpler back then. When it was Charlie and Bells, the dynamic duo. The force not be reckon with.
*Flashback*
"What you got there Bells?" Charlie asked peering over her shoulder.
She had been outside for quite a while not making too much noise. He thought it was about time to check on. Whenever Bella was quiet, it was never a good sign. He needed to hear stumbles to make sure she was still good. Bella and quiet never mixed, it only meant trouble.
"It's a frog Daddy! Look!" Bella had thrust the frog in her hand's into Charlie's face unexpectedly.
Of course at this point Charlie could only yell and fall back into the grass. Bella giggled happily at her father's reaction.
"Bella, why are you holding that thing? You can get warts!" Charlie replied recovering from his fall.
"It's just like in the fairytale you read to me last night daddy. I'm looking for my prince, so I can kiss him! I'm pretty sure he's the one, I know it! Just look at him!"
Charlie groaned inwardly knowing that story would come back and haunt him, just like how Snow White had. Bella had refused to eat any apples for a while, thinking that an evil witch had poisoned them all. If that didn't take the cake she started leaving all windows and doors open and with food out. She thought if she sang like Snow White the forest animals would help her with her chores around the house. The food was supposed to be their reward after they helped her clean, it didn't quite work out that way.
"Bells, this isn't your prince." Charlie stated.
"How do you?" Bella looked at him curiously. Charlie gently took the frog from her hands and let him down to leap away. "He's getting away!" Bella tried to run after him. Charlie grabbed her by his waist and twirled her around in circles and she laughed happily. He slowly stopped and put her down and kneeled down to be at eye level with her.
"Because honey, a princess doesn't go looking for a prince. Have we ever read any fairytales where the princess goes looking for her prince?"
"Umm, no?"
"Do you know why sweetie?"
"No."
"It's because the prince has to look for his princess, to prove to her that he's the one she's been waiting on to start her fairytale with. He has to earn his love for the princess by showing her he's the one, but mostly importantly the princess has to know that he's the one she wants to give her whole heart and love to. She'll know it in her heart that he's the only one she only wants to be with forever and ever."
"Really, daddy?"
"Yes, baby girl. The prince has to prove that he loves the princess to the king, though. The king has to know that the prince won't ever hurt his little girl or let any harm come her way. The king has to make sure that the prince wants to spend the rest of his life with his baby girl and will only and always love her."
"Wow! How do you know all of that daddy?" Bella said as she grabbed his hand as they made their way back into their home.
"Daddy knows best baby girl."
*Flashback End*
How could that beautiful women with you
Be the same freckle face kid that I knew
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time
Charlie chuckled as he remembered that they both ended up getting warts and Bella vowed that she wouldn't ever pick up a frog unless he came towards her. She would know that he was her prince and she would kiss him. He thanked all heaven that no frogs ever came her way.
How he wished this night would never end, because a new chapter of her life would start; without him. Her life would revolve around him now, somehow he knew Bella was not looking at it the same way he was. She had it set in her mind that it wasn't going to change that much. The main thing was just changing location, but it was much more than that. He was used to seeing her every day from morning all the way to before going to bed. She wasn't going to be in the house anymore and she now would be a phone call away, all because of him.
A lot of people told him to stop acting like a mother hen with her, that she was a grown up now. He would agree with them, he was a crazy hen about his daughter. Bella being a klutz didn't help him with that either. Charlie had hoped that she would stay as a bundle in blankets in his arms and never grow up. That she would smile her toothless smile at him and smell like a baby for always. Life didn't seem to want to go in that direction, but to let her grow up into the person that she was today.
But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it's still hard to give her away
I loved her first
As much as Bella begged him not go on cop mode, Charlie couldn't help to go a little Chief on him.
*Flashback*
Charlie marched right up to the room didn't even bother knocking. He looked in the mirror and caught his gaze as he was fixing his tie in place.
"Oh, hey Ch-"
"Listen here boy, I ain't here to make small talk. I just need you to listen. Now I know you love my baby girl, but it don't mean I'm going to make this talk easier."
"I loved Bella all my-"
"Look just listen, son. She means the world to me, she's all I know. I use to be her number one, but that's gonna change now. I knew from the first time I saw you together how devoted you were to each other, and as it progressed I knew it would only be a matter of time till it would develop into more.
I'm not going to stand in your way of my little girl, it's just hard, son. She's all I've ever had since my wife passed away. There's always going to be a place in my heart for her that will always be hers. I just want to make something clear to you okay?"
"Yes sir."
"I really did pray she would find someone like you someday. You may love her, but I loved her first. I held her first when she was a tiny newborn baby. From the moment she took her first breath into this world. When she first smiled up at me, I knew then how strong and deep a father's love is. You may not understand this right now, but someday you will when you have your own miracle looking up at you."
With that being said Charlie walked out.
*Flashback End*
"Stop moping over here old man, and have a drink."
A drink was pushed into Charlie's hand who was too happy to take it. He gulped down his drink before responding, "I can't help it, if anyone would understand it should be you. Look at them it's almost time for them to leave and start their life."
"Together."
"Yes, thank you for pointing that out. Show me some sympathy here! I gave my little girl away just only a couple of hours ago." Charlie moped.
"Haha, you make it seem like you gave her away to a complete stranger! You've known that boy all your life. "
"But she's moving away, old man!"
"For pete's sake Charlie, she's moving just a couple of miles! Not all the way to Alaska, you're so dramatic. C'mon let's go wave them off before they take off." Charlie begrudging followed after him .
Charlie stared at them at saying goodbye to everyone. He caught Bella's eye before she got into the limo with him. A flashback of their lives together flashed through his memory from her first opening his eyes to the future she would have with him.
She ran up to Charlie before getting into the limo with him. Bella gave the biggest bear hug ever and whispered into his ear, "I love you, daddy." She looked at him with tears in her eyes and slowly made her way to back to her husband.
Jacob Black.
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
Someday you might know what I'm going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
I loved her first
"C'mon Charlie, you know Jake has loved her since his a little boy. It's time for them to start their fairytale. It's his turn to love her. The prince has proven he is worthy to both the princess and the king." Billy chuckled.
Charlie joined in the laughter; it receded as he saw the limo slowly leaving. Before turning back inside with his long childhood friend Billy Black, he couldn't help but whisper before turning away from the retreating limo.
"I know Billy, but I loved her first."
Thank you all for taking your time to read this. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it, nothing too fancy. Let me know your thoughts by reviewing. Thanks
