Hammered
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.
A/N-prompt-Charlie drowns his sorrows during Bella's wedding to Edward in Breaking Dawn AU.
The interminable speeches seemed to drag on forever. It was the groom's turn now. Charlie slumped in his seat; his resentful glare fixated on his daughter and the asshole she had just pledged her life to. The smarmy bastard had the audacity to stand there-wearing a smug smile on his ghostly white face-as he continued to spin his web of lies. Charlie saw his naive little girl looking up at her new husband adoringly. It made him want to throw up.
"It's an extraordinary thing to meet someone who you can bare your soul to and accept you for what you are. I've been waiting, for what seems like a very long time, to get beyond what I am. With Bella I feel like I can finally begin. So I'd like to propose a toast to my beautiful bride. No measure of time with you will be long enough. But let's start with forever."
There was a thunderous round of applause from the guests before they all raised their glasses of sparkling champagne to the bride and groom in a toast. Charlie didn't raise his glass, instead he lifted it to his lips and downed the amber liquid in one swift gulp.
"Chief, are you okay?"Billy, who was sitting beside him, asked in concern. He had seen that look in his friend's eyes before.
"I'm far from okay." Charlie scowled. He saw Edward plant a chaste kiss on his daughter's lips and the champagne came bubbling back up in his throat like poison. "Now it's my turn."
"Chief...Charlie." Billy tried to grab hold of the police chief's sleeve, but Charlie shrugged him off as he rose unsteadily to his feet.
"Shit." Billy cursed under his breath as he shot an alarmed glance in Sue Clearwater's direction. "Where the hell is Seth?" He whispered in an aside to her.
"I don't know." Sue whispered back.
Charlie swayed on his feet. Everyone was still looking toward the bride and groom. The big burly guy, Emmet, who had been chosen as Edward's best man was in the midst of making his speech now. Charlie's scowl deepened even further as he listened to the bullshit spilling from his mouth.
"I'd like to propose a toast, to my new sister. Bella, I hope you've got enough sleep these last eighteen years, cause you won't be getting anymore for a while."
Awkward laughter followed this statement. Nobody seemed to get the joke but Emmet and his family. Bella was looking anxious. Edward leaned across and grazed his fingers across her hot cheek in an effort to soothe her frazzled nerves. Charlie wanted to break every finger on his hand for daring to touch his daughter's precious skin.
"NOW IT'S MY TURN." He bellowed loudly.
Suddenly all eyes were cast in his direction. Charlie laughed hollowly as he refilled his empty glass with more of the disgusting champagne. He held it aloft, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Anyone who knows me well also knows that I'm not very good with words."
There was a ripple of amused laughter from the guests. But the bride and groom weren't laughing. Edward had tensed, his golden brown eyes fixed on Charlie. Unlike Bella he could read every dark thought tumbling around in the police chief's drunken mind. And it wasn't pretty. He had to do some damage control. Standing up abruptly, he cleared his throat and softened his expression into an indulgent smile.
"Your good wishes and congratulations are enough, sir." He interjected before Charlie could say anymore. "That's all we could ever want."
Some of the guests began to clap again, thinking this was the end of Charlie's speech, but they were mistaken. The police chief's eyes narrowed and he drew himself up to his full height. "You can wipe that smirk off your face you little shit. I'm not here..."
"Charlie, don't do this." Sue was suddenly beside him. She put a gentle hand on his arm and looked up at him pleadingly. He peered down at her through his drunken haze. "This is not the time or the place."
"She's right, Chief. Don't give him the satisfaction." Billy added darkly. He wished he was drunk too. This farcical wedding was the last place he wanted to be, he had only come to support Charlie. His dark eyes flicked to Bella and noted her distress. He couldn't drudge up any sympathy for her, she had brought this on herself.
A few murmurings came from the guests until Carlisle Cullen captured their attention with a dazzling smile. He made some polite jokes and the crowd rippled with laughter. He soon had them eating out of the palm of hand and Charlie's little outburst was instantly forgotten.
"Why did you stop me?" Charlie said harshly to Sue as he pulled his arm away from her.
"You're drunk, Charlie." Sue replied evenly, hurt by his coldness toward her. "If I'd let you continue once you'd sobered up you would never have forgiven yourself."
"Ah, to hell with it." Charlie snapped. He turned his back on her and grabbed another bottle of the disgusting champagne. He nursed it against his body before tottering off toward the trees.
"I better go after him." Sue said worriedly.
"Leave him." Billy advised her. "I know Charlie. He won't thank you for it. Let him be."
Charlie didn't know how long he wandered aimlessly through the woods. Time ceased to have all meaning. He was grieving for the loss of his daughter. And he had lost her. It felt like she'd died. All his hopes and dreams for her future had been turned to dust. He couldn't summon up any semblance of happiness for his only child, not when he hated the man she had chained herself to. She deserved so much better than Edward fucking Cullen. Charlie drew in a deep breath and tried to stifle his sobs. The last time he had felt this hopeless was when Renee had walked out on him and their marriage.
He blamed himself. How was Bella supposed to know what a stable relationship looked like when all she had as an example was him and Renee. HIs ex-wife was flighty and like a child herself. Bella had been forced to act the adult. As a result she had grown up too quickly and it made her vulnerable to controlling pricks like Cullen. Charlie had been in his job long enough to know the signs. He wished he hadn't been so scared to voice his concerns, but he didn't want to push too hard in case she ran off again and he lost her. In the end he had lost her anyway.
God, he felt sick. Charlie dropped the empty bottle of champagne and weaved aimlessly back and forth. He continued to berate himself internally, regretting that he had let Sue Clearwater stop him from saying his piece. It had been his last window of opportunity to try and make Bella open her eyes. It was too damn late now. He continued to wallow as he staggered toward a clearing in the woods. There were voices. Charlie leaned against the bole of one the trees for support and listened.
"Come on. You're not the one supposed to be crying, Bella."
Was that Jacob?
"Everyone cries at weddings."
That was definitely Bella. Charlie straightened up and strained his ears to hear better.
"This is how I'll remember you. Pink cheeks, two left feet..."
Charlie didn't hear the rest. He didn't care if he was hallucinating. Jacob had come home. And Bella was with him. They were together. There was hope. A joyous feeling suddenly put a spring in Charlie's step. He staggered toward the opening in the trees, desperate to see with his eyes what his ears were telling him.
Then he saw them.
Jacob and Bella.
Together.
Dancing-or rather- swaying with their cheeks pressed together and with their eyes closed as they twirled around and around.
"Better late than never." Charlie cried as he burst out of the trees and into the light. He startled Jacob and Bella, who had been too absorbed in one another to realise anyone was spying on them.
"Dad?" Bella exclaimed as Charlie flung his arms around her and held her close.
"Kiddo, you don't know how much I've longed for this." Charlie stepped back and cupped her face in his hands instead. He examined her flushed cheeks, her wide surprised eyes, and laughed at the confusion in them. He leaned down and planted a smacking kiss on her forehead. "I knew you'd come to your senses when you saw him." He said afterwards.
"Dad..." Bella tried again.
Charlie had turned away from her now. He was staring up at Jacob, his eyes bleeding tears. Then to her astonishment he grabbed Jacob's face and pulled it down so it was level with his own. "Don't you ever run off like that again, do you hear?" He scolded Jacob as if he was a small boy. "You've had us all worried sick. I was about to have your face plastered on every milk carton in Washington state."
Jacob remained speechless. He was still reeling from his reunion with Bella. He hadn't expected her father to barge in on it. He was shocked when Charlie planted a kiss on his forehead too, before the older man stepped back and appraised him carefully. "You were nearly too late." He continued to chide Jacob as if he was a recalcitrant toddler. "I bet you haven't even seen your father yet."
"Dad, please..." Bella begged.
In his highly charged emotional state Charlie was beyond listening. He took each of their hands and drew them together, before placing his over the top of theirs. "None of us should ever forget this moment." He pronounced huskily. "This is the moment where we all start living again." Charlie chuckled and blinked back his tears. "Look at me I can make a speech after all."
Jacob and Bella exchanged a forlorn look. It was obvious Charlie was drunk. They could both smell the alcohol on his breath. This had been their last chance to talk before Bella left for her honeymoon until Charlie had interrupted their reunion.
"Why are you looking at each other like that?" Charlie gazed at them blearily. "This is a happy occasion. Billy will be over the moon once he knows that you've come back." He patted Jacob clumsily on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go find him."
"Dad, let's get you settled somewhere first." Bella said gently as she took his arm.
"I'm fine." Charlie protested as he swayed on his feet. "We'll all go together like a proper family."
With a heavy heart Bella nodded her agreement. She caught Jacob's despondent gaze and held it. He was as dejected as she was. He didn't say anything though as he was the first to break away. Instead he took Charlie's other arm to help support some of the police chief's weight.
"It's this way." Charlie mumbled. His head was spinning and he suddenly felt drained. "I'm glad you've come home, Jake." He was slurring now. "And I'm glad you've come to your senses, kiddo."
Jacob and Bella didn't interrupt him. They shared another lingering look filled with a deep melancholy and sadness, before they left the clearing all together, supporting the drunken police chief between them.
A/N-thanks for reading!