Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Beta: TwilightDramaTeach

Chapter 25: Reactions Outtake

Charlie's POV

Bella had made another wonderful meal. She was the best cook I knew, aside from Sue. I had talked to Edward earlier just us two, and he wasn't a bad kid. I wanted to make sure he was going to be good for Bella, stable. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and he had his head screwed on straight. He was pretty quiet throughout dinner, even when we all started talking. I watched him, and liked how he took care of Bella. When her glass got low, he got her more water. When she picked up a bowl to get more food, he held the bowl for her or scooped it for her. I don't think she even realized it, but I did.

"How is Billy?" Bella asked after I mentioned us fishing.

"He's doing good," I answered. "Jacob is still at home, taking care of him." Jacob was a decent kid. Billy had done a good job raising him even without his mother. I always thought he and Bella would end up together. So, when they started dating, it was expected. Billy was a great guy, so his son had to have gotten that from him. He would take care of Bella like he took care of Billy. If she'd just give him another chance. "Billy says Jacob really misses you." Well, he never said it, but I'm sure Jacob did.

"Not now Ch-dad." I hated when she did that. She often started to call me by my name but would catch herself. I wanted her to be comfortable enough with me and trust me enough to see me as her dad. I pushed my hurt to the side to stay on topic.

"Bells, the boy just wants to talk. I don't know what happened, but he seems really upset that you won't talk to him. Every time I see him, he asks about you. He just wants to talk." It was true. I ran into Jacob in town one day, and he told me how he just wanted a chance to talk to her.

"Dad! Really, not now." Her tone was short and dismissive. Normally, I would have dropped it at that and let her have her privacy, but something was off about the way things had gone down. I always got the impression that things weren't resolved. She grabbed her plate and started walking to the kitchen, but I wasn't going to let the subject drop. The gate had already been opened.

"I'm not saying you two should get back together, but you should talk. You were friends before you started dating. Maybe you could get that friendship back. He's only going to talk." She stopped walking and turned toward me with a suspicious look in her eye. I felt a little bad for what I had done but knew it needed to be.

"What do you mean going to talk?"

"I told Billy you were going to be here this weekend. He told Jacob, and Jacob asked me if he could come over and talk to you for five minutes. I agreed. I don't like that things are so strained between you two." Things were going to get resolved. I really didn't care the outcome, I just wanted things to be put to rest. Bella couldn't really move on without resolving everything. Her breathing picked up, and I wondered why she was getting mad.

"You did what?" She said while gasping for breath. Color had drained from her face, and I started to worry.

"Bells, what's wrong?" I stood up and stepped towards her. I didn't want her passing out and falling. She dropped the plate and clutched her chest. Edward and Jasper both stood and walked over to her. Edward placed her hand on his chest, and I wondered what he was doing.

"I can't do this," she whispered as she looked at Jasper. "I can't see him. Not now." She looked over at Edward. "Don't make me. I can't do it. You said you'd protect me." Protect her? That was my job, but what would she need protecting from? I took another step forward but stopped when Edward started talking to her.

"Get your breathing under control, and we'll go from there," Edward said

"Bells," I said. "What's going on?" I didn't understand why she was freaking out.

"Call him, and tell him he can't come over. Please." she begged me. "Dad, he can't come here. I can't be around him. I can't handle it. I'm not ready." I never thought I'd say it, but she was being melodramatic. Well, I guess she had to get something from her mother.

"What do you mean you're not ready? It's been three years. He only wants to talk. Bells, just listen to him. You dumped him remember? It's the least you can do. It's not like he's going to hurt you." She shouldn't be the one feeling vulnerable or scared.

"Jacob talks with his hands!" she yelled. Realizing what she said, she clamped her hands over her mouth.

"What do you mean?" I tried to understand, but only one thing came to mind and that couldn't be. I would have realized. I would have seen the signs. Jacob wasn't that kind of person. I was startled when Bella started crying.

"This isn't how I wanted to tell you. This isn't how it was supposed to happen." I could feel dread instantly fill me. There was more to this than I had thought. There was no doubt of that in my mind when I looked at Bella. Genuine fear, not fear terror, filled her eyes, and she was shaking.

"Bells?" She wouldn't meet my eye.

"Honey, why don't we clear the table while the kids go wait in the living room," Sue said as she placed a hand on my back. I looked at her trying to match her calmness.

"O-okay."

Edward put his hand around her waist and walked her, no almost carried her, to the living room. She couldn't even stand on her own. Sue was already clearing the dishes on the table and dialing, I assumed, Jacob. I walked over and grabbed two plates to take to the kitchen. I put them in the sink and looked out the window. What did I miss? What did I allow to happen? Why didn't I look out for my daughter? She meant everything to me. Everything I ever did was for her.

Before I realized it, Sue had finished the dishes and had pulled me to her. I wrapped my arms around her hoping to keep myself steady. She stayed quiet while we stood there. I appreciated that she didn't speak. I didn't want words right now. Not from anyone but Bella. I took Sue's hand and pulled her into the living room. I sat in my chair and pulled her into my lap.

"What did you mean by," I hesitated remembering the phrase she used, "he talks with his hands?"

"Ummm," she looked between Jasper and Edward. "When I met Jacob, he was nice. I trusted him. Things were great. As you know, Jacob's always had a bit of a temper. He was quick to anger, and he knew how to hold a grudge." I knew what she meant. When that boy's mom died, he took it real hard. He started acting out, starting fights. As he got older, there were many times I got called in to break up fights. He never should have done it, but he was hurt. He never really recovered from her death. "Jacob was always a gentleman, always kept me safe, protected me.

"One day, a few months into the relationship, we got into a fight. I caught him flirting with some girl on the Rez and asked him about it." I remembered Billy telling me about it. He heard Jacob telling Paul Bella caught him. I knew Bella was a strong girl, though. She wouldn't leave it alone. I knew she wouldn't leave it at rest. "He got so angry, and the next thing I knew he hit me."

I couldn't breathe. Hit her? Why would he do such a thing? You don't hit a woman. You don't hit my little girl, especially when you're in the wrong. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Not my daughter. Not Bella. She wouldn't lie to me though. She wouldn't be this terrified of him. I saw her eyes. You could see her soul through her eyes. She showed everything in them. She had since the first time I held her in my hands. She looked up at me, not even an hour old, and I saw my whole life there.

She wouldn't lie; she couldn't. But she shouldn't have stayed with him. She'd heard me talk about things I dealt with at work…battered women. She knew it wasn't a healthy thing, but she wouldn't be terrified of one hit. Oh God. I could feel Sue squeezing my hand tightly.

"That wasn't the only time, was it?" I could hear my voice barely whisper. She shook her head. "How long? How long did this go on?"

"Until the relationship ended," she whispered.

Her voice scared; of me, of my reaction. I lost my breath. She wouldn't meet my eyes. She was scared of me. Where had I gone wrong? What had I done to make her fear me? I never wanted that. I never wanted that. My eyes stung as I tried to hold back the tears. My worst fear was right here. She was scared of me. She didn't trust me. Why should she? I wasn't a dad to her. I should have protected her. I should have seen this. There were signs. There were always signs. As I thought about it, I could see them.

"That's not all. Is it, Bells?" I had to know. I needed it all out in the open so I could figure out how to fix this. She started crying again, and I wanted to scream. No! Not my daughter! She slowly shook her head. Edward tightened his hold on her hand. "Did he…did he ever…force…you to do anything?" Please God. Please tell me you spared her this. Please, no. She nodded once. Fuck. How did I miss this? Where did I go wrong? "When?"

"Three years ago. The night we went to the bonfire at First Beach, and Jacob carried me in. He said I tripped and hurt my knee. When Jasper and Alice took me to the hospital, it turned out to be a torn ACL. I didn't trip. Jacob pushed me down when I made him mad. Then he…"

No. No. No. No. No. No. This can't be happening. Not my Bells. Not my daughter. Not my little girl. This isn't supposed to happen to her. How could I fail her? How could I not look after her? How can she even be in the same room as me? No wonder she doesn't trust me. Why would she? I haven't even been a dad to her. I needed to make this right. I needed to fix this. The first thing would be to get his ass in jail. The statute of limitations hadn't passed. I'd make this better for her. I'd make this a safe place for her again.

I stood up and put Sue in the chair. I would do this right. I'd get him in jail, be professional. Then I'd take care of him where there were no witnesses or cameras. I went up to my room to get my utility belt. The gun would scare him. He didn't deserve to be out there after he raped…thinking the word made me sick. I barely made it into the bathroom before my stomach emptied of lunch. I washed my mouth out quickly and went to my room. She needed me to be strong, to make this better. I went back downstairs and grabbed the gun.

"Charlie, what are you doing?" Sue asked as she stood up and walked to me.

"I'm going to La Push," I answered. He wouldn't get away with this.

"NO!" Sue and Bella both yelled at the same time. "Dad, don't do anything stupid."

"I'm not going to shoot him." Although I wouldn't mind if he forced my hand. "I'm just going to arrest him." Bella hopped off the couch and grabbed my arm.

"Dad, please don't do that. I don't want to deal with him in any way. What's done is done. Please, don't do this. For me." I couldn't look at her, because the emotion in her eyes would break me. I was barely holding on by a thread. "I know you want to go find him, and I know you want to do more than arrest him. I understand, truly, I do, but I don't have the strength to deal with him."

"He hurt you." I could hear hurt in my own voice and tried to mask it. "He can't get away with what he did. He should be punished." My little girl. I turned around and pulled her into my arms roughly. "You didn't deserve any of that. He had not right to do that, Bella; no right." Maybe I could hold her here forever. I'd keep her safe. I'd protect her. This was the only place I could guarantee he wouldn't hurt her.

"I know, dad." I noticed everyone again for the first time. I felt a bit intruded on. They shouldn't have seen me like this. I needed to be strong.

"So, everyone knew already? They didn't act surprised." She led me back into the living room to sit. Sue sat on the arm of my chair and rubbed my back. She knew how to soothe me.

"They knew." I felt a bit betrayed but pushed it away. This wasn't about me.

"Why did you tell them and not me?"

"Well, Jasper has known for a while. Jasper and I were working on talking about it for a while. Then I finally got the courage up to tell the others." Why would she work with Jasper. I didn't understand.

"What do you mean you and Jasper were working on it?"

"Do you remember what Jasper's job is?" I shook my head. "Jasper's a therapist. He's my therapist. He's been working with me since the week after I got the burn." That was months ago. Why didn't she tell me? Why didn't she trust me?

"Why didn't you ever tell me? I would have done something. I would have protected you." Edward pulled her into his side while rubbing her arm. My respect for him grew. He knew, and he was still with her.

"I didn't want you to blame Billy. You two have been friends for so long, and I was worried that it would hurt your friendship. Jacob did this, not Billy. I didn't want him to be blamed by association." Billy? All because of Billy? She was protecting him? He didn't need protecting.

"Bella, you are my daughter. You mean more to me than anything else in the world." It was true. Nothing was more important to me. "You should have told me." I couldn't stop the tear from falling.

"I'm so sorry," she choked out.

"No. Don't be sorry. You did nothing wrong. Just know that I'm here for you. Always." I felt exhausted. I didn't know if I could take much more. Wait. There couldn't be more. I was hesitant to ask. If she could hide a four-year abusive relationship while living with me, what more could she hide? "Is there anything else I should know about?" I watched as her face blanched. "There is. What is it?"

"You've just found out a lot. We can do this another time when you're not overloaded."

"No. Let's get it all out there. No more surprises." I pulled Sue back into my lap and wrapped my arms around her. If I fell apart, she could keep me together. "It's Phoenix, isn't it?" She looked at me surprised. I had always thought something happened in Phoenix. Something just wasn't right when she got here. "When you came to live here you were…different. Even after you stopped coming to Forks and we went to California, you were happy. You were always happy being alone, but it wasn't forced. You chose it.

"When you moved here you were withdrawn, skittish. It was different. I wondered if something had happened in Phoenix. It was such a drastic change. Was it…Phil?" I would kill him if he did anything.

"No!" She rushed to stop that line of thought. "It wasn't Phil. He was only ever great to me. It was…some of his teammates." What would they have to do with anything? She didn't even like baseball.

"What? How? What did they do?"

"They said they were toughening me up. I was weak and fragile. They made me stronger, tougher." That kind of thought had to end.

"You were never weak."

"I know that now. I'm just telling you what they said. It went on for about eight months."

"Then you moved here to get away." She hung her head and nodded. I wouldn't have her ashamed of that fact. I was ecstatic that she had come home. I didn't care why, just that she was here. "Don't be ashamed. I'm glad you had this as an option." I could feel Sue slightly shaking. I rubbed her back and kissed her head. I didn't know this'd be so hard for her. "What did they do, Bella? How did they…'toughen you up?'"

She stood up and paced between the front door and living room. I didn't like the scene in front of me. She looked like a terrified, caged animal. She did that for so long. I didn't dare say anything. She was working through something in her head. I could see it in her eyes. She finally stopped in front of all of us. I was scared for what she was about to say. I couldn't sit still. My imagination was going wild, and none of it was good.

She grabbed the hem of her shirt and paused. I didn't understand. Then she lifted it above her stomach. I sucked in a breath. There were four long scars that covered her stomach. She turned around and lifted her shirt again. Fuck. There were tally marks. I didn't want to think about what was being kept count of. Before I could register anything, Bella sprinted for the kitchen, Edward right on her heel. She retched into the trashcan, and he caught her as she fell to the ground. I wet a washcloth and wiped her face down. She was crying and sweating, and my heart ached at the sight. I helped Edward get her to the couch and sat down next to her.

"Does Renee or Phil know anything about this?" I asked. Renee was scatter-brained and naïve. Surely, she wouldn't ignore this though. She shook her head. "What can I do?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Do you know their names? I can call the Phoenix PD and-"

"No, dad. Please don't do that. I'm just now starting to work through everything. I'm not ready to deal with any of this in the real world. I just started talking about this, working through it. I can't confront them yet." I could understand her fear, but I couldn't let this go.

"They don't deserve to walk around scot free. They deserve to be punished. I can help make that happen." I would use every favor I had. I was the Police Chief for fucks' sake. I had pull.

"I know," she said and covered my hand with hers, "and one day, if I decide that I want to do something legally, you'll be the first person to know." She needed to do this now. I needed to do this now.

"Do you promise?" I'd figure something out.

"I promise." I nodded dropping it for the moment.

"You did great, honey," Jasper said with a smile. "How are you feeling physically?"

"Nauseous and exhausted," she said with a weary smile.

"I think you should take some medicine then lay down for a nap. You've had a rough day so far. Get some rest before dinner at the Cullen's." She nodded.

Everyone stood up. Alice, Jasper, and Edward walked to the front door as Bella followed. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. Sue placed a hand on my shoulder, and I noticed she was still crying. I stood up and pulled her into a hug. I could see Edward holding my little girl, comforting her. He leaned forward and kissed her. I cleared my throat and they pulled apart. I didn't know what to feel about Edward yet. I felt like my whole world had just tilted. I needed some time to recover.

"If you hurt her, I'll hurt you ten times worse," I said to Edward.

"Dad!" Bella exclaimed in exasperation, but I didn't care.

"It's okay, Bella," Edward said then looked back at me. "If I hurt her, I'll let you." I nodded. He couldn't have had a better answer. "I'll see all three of you this afternoon. Mom said dinner would be served at 5:00."

"We'll be there. Enjoy your time with your family." He kissed her cheek, said goodbye to me and Sue, and then left.

Bella walked back to us. She looked at Sue then me, but I shook my head. I didn't know yet what was wrong. Sue looked up when things got quiet and sighed when she saw Bella standing there. She pulled away from me and pulled Bella into a hug. It looked so right. They stood there for a few moments, and I felt like I was intruding on a moment between the two. Sue finally pulled back to look Bella in the eye.

"I couldn't be sorrier for what happened to you, Bella," she said softly. "You never should have had to endure that, any of it. I hurt for you, I do, but what you said makes me feel horrible."

"Leah and Jacob started dating last year." I remembered that. Sue was so excited. It was the first relationship Leah had given a chance since Sam. "They were together for about three months. When they broke up, I questioned her about it. He hit her too." I rubbed my face again. I had missed so much. I'd failed them all.

"I'm so sorry, Sue," Bella said. "If I had said something earlier, if I had-"

"Don't do that. I didn't tell you this to make you feel guilty. I just want you to know that you're not the only one. I hope if you need anything you'll feel comfortable coming to me, and I'm sure Leah would be there for you too."

"I appreciate it. I really do." She hugged Sue again. "I'm going to find my medicine then lie down. Let's leave here at 4:30. Does that work for you two?" We both nodded. She walked off after smiling at us.

"Let's sit down and watch some television," Sue said. "You need to just let this all soak in before you do anything." I was feeling overwhelmed. Maybe Sue was right. "Come, on, honey. Let's sit."

I sat down in my rocker and pulled Sue onto my lap. She turned on the television and flipped to Sports Center. I really did love this woman. She knew me so well. Once she tossed the remote onto the coffee table, she laid her head down on my shoulder. We sat there in silence for a long time. I thought about what I could do, who I needed to contact. I'd have to do it quietly though. Bella may not want me to do anything, but I wouldn't just sit idle. When I couldn't focus on the television, I got up and told Sue I would put the dishes away. She helped.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," I answered. "I don't know what to do. She's my baby girl. Those things aren't supposed to happen to her."

"Honey, it's not your fault."

"Yes it is. I'm a cop and her father. I should have known. I should have seen the signs. It's my job to protect her. She should be able to trust me." To be honest, that was what I had the biggest problem with. I should have done so much more. She grabbed my face and forced me to look at her.

"You gave her a safe and loving home. Just because she didn't tell you doesn't mean she didn't trust you. People in abusive relationships often feel trapped and are scared to tell someone else. She probably felt embarrassed and ashamed that it was happening, worried about what would happen if she did tell, and scared of disappointing you.

"Like you said, you're a cop. She probably beat herself up thinking she let herself get into the situation. Plus, you heard her say she didn't want your friendship with Billy to be compromised."

"She shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed. She didn't do anything wrong. This is not her fault. It's that dog's, and she could never disappointment me. I'm proud of her and everything she's done." I really was. She was doing things no one in our family ever had. She had a very bright future ahead of her. "She's a beautiful, intelligent, and caring young woman. I couldn't be prouder of her if I tried. I love her, Sue."

"I just want what's best for her. I want to ensure she gets all that she deserves, be a good father, but I failed her." It hurt even worse when I admitted it aloud. I followed Sue back to the living room. I was surprised when I heard a sniffled and looked over to see Bella sitting on the stairs crying. "Bells?"

"Daddy," she choked out, and that one word warmed my heart more than she'd ever know. I pulled her up and crushed her to my chest. She sobbed into my chest. I could feel my shirt grow damp, but I didn't care. She needed me. I rubbed her back and waited for her to calm. "You didn't fail. You did everything a parent could. I just-"

"I should have seen this, Bells. I'm trained to see this. I'm also your father, and as such I should have been more in tune with you."

"I did everything in my power to hide it. You can't blame yourself. Please. It's all in the past. The only thing to do now is move forward. I'm working on it. Jasper's helped me come a long way so far. Edward's been great, and being with him is showing me not all men are out there to hurt me. I'm getting better. I really am.

"You've been a great father. I couldn't ask for anyone better, and I wouldn't want anyone else. So please, don't blame yourself. That will only make me feel even guiltier." I stayed quiet for a few minutes waiting for my throat to loosen. Maybe I hadn't been such a horrible father.

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you too," she whispered. I finally pulled back to look in her eyes. I vowed to make sure she always knew that I was here for her and loved her. I hadn't said it enough in the past. That would change.

"I'm here for you. I'll help in any way I can." She smiled.

"I appreciate it." We let go and looked around. Sue was sitting on the front porch. "Let's get a drink of water then leave for the Cullen house." I nodded, and we walked to the kitchen. I took my time sipping on the water hoping it would get me in a better frame of mind for dinner with her potential in-laws. I shook my head not even wanting to think about that. "So, am I going to be getting a stepmom anytime soon?" I choked on his water, which sent me into a coughing fit. "Are you okay?" She asked between giggles.

"You can't just ask a man something like that out of the blue." I could feel my cheeks heating.

"So, am I?"

"Well, we've only been together for eight months. That's not a very long time." I didn't want to tell her I'd already bought the ring. I wanted to make sure she and Sue were going to get along without my influence.

"You and mom were married after three months."

"And we see how that turned out." It had nothing to do with time though and everything to do with Renee. "I'm taking my time, but Sue's special. I hope she'll be around for a very long time." I thought that was close enough to the truth. She patted my back and we left the house for dinner.

AN: If you didn't catch it at the beginning, I have a new beta! TwilightDramaTeach is amazing.

So, there was the first official outtake for Gradual Healing. I'm not going to lie, I cried. Seeing it through Charlie's eyes was so much harder than through Bella's. I just kept imagining what my dad would say, what he'd feel.

Did you like it? Did it give you some insight into Charlie? Did you like the bit about already having the ring? hehe Leave me a review with how you felt about it. Let me know if there's something else you'd like to see. The next one I'm going to work on is Esme's POV when she finds out.

HUGE THANKS: Bouncy 72 sent me a message letting me know I was nominated at the Golden Chocolate Awards for Best Rosalie and Emmett through my story How It's Gotta Be. Thank you for letting me know. Second thanks is for whoever nominated me. I don't know who it was or I'd give you a personal thank you. I'm flattered they liked it that much. Voting begins on October 26. I'd appreciate your support.

On a personal note: I'm way super excited, stoked, giddy, on cloud nine. I have a court hearing on Wednesday for my dad, well step-dad, to finally adopt me. We had to wait until I was legally an adult, because my bio-dad fought it. Then I went off the college and was never home to be able to go to a hearing. So, now, at 23, it's finally going to happen. I was just too happy and had to share with someone. :)