Author's Note: Well, here is a different sort of story for your perusal and (hopefully) enjoyment. As you may or may not have guessed by now, one of my favourite aspects of writing is to get into characters' minds and explore their thoughts and feelings and what makes them tick. So, I decided that my next victim would be Charlie Swan.....and I hope you enjoy!

FOR YOUR INFORMATION: Myself and Charlie Swan are both Team Jacob. If you dislike this fact or hate Jacob Black, I suggest that you don't read further;) No flaming please.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Bella Swan's unhealthy behaviour or Charlie's approval of Jacob Black.

Through a Father's Eyes

Charlie didn't have many things he was proud of as a father. He was awkward and distant at the best of times and he knew it. He had never been good at showing affection, which was one of the reasons Renee left him, and he always blamed himself for the fact that his little girl grew up without a father in her life; Renee's many boyfriends didn't count.

In fact, when Bella began hanging obsessively around that Cullen boy, he was convinced it was because she'd never had a father figure and was subconsciously looking for someone who would protect her, shelter her and make her decisions for her. OK, he didn't actually come up with that theory himself, if he was honest. Renee did when he told her about Bella's new boyfriend and how he always seemed to be around and how he, Charlie, felt that he didn't even know his own daughter anymore.

You see, what many people (and certainly Bella herself) didn't know, was that Charlie began losing her long before Edward left her and she went into a zombie-like state. In fact, Charlie could pinpoint the very day when his daughter began to drift away from him, slowly, inevitably, like so much flotsam and jetsam caught up in the tide.

She had come home and told him about a boy. A boy that she was going out with. A boy called....Edward Cullen. And whilst part of Charlie wanted to be glad for his daughter – that she had found a friend at last, that she had got someone to love, another part of him, quiet at first, but getting insistently louder over the next few months, was worried. And he couldn't understand why at first.

This Cullen boy seemed to be well-brought up and a gentleman. Bella was happy with him; more than happy in fact. But there was something that he couldn't quite pin down. Not about the boy so much as about the actual relationship. It just....didn't seem right somehow. It seemed....unhealthy? Obsessive? He wasn't sure and never having been a hasty person, he was reluctant to pass judgement on something that clearly made his daughter so happy. But even that seemed...off somehow.

She was undeniably happy, but somehow her happiness reminded him of those young boys that he had arrested a few years back for shooting up cocaine. They had been high when he had taken them in and yes, they certainly seemed happy – they were laughing and smiling all over the place. But it wasn't right. Happiness shouldn't be an addiction, a craving. It should never be the goal, merely a by-product.

And then she ran away because of that boy and all his fears and suspicions were confirmed. He was a drug, an addiction, and how was he, Charlie, ever going to get her into rehab whilst that Cullen boy was around? Forbidding her to see him would just alienate her still further. But he didn't have to. Because it seemed that the boy tired of his relationship with Bella and left her of his own accord. And whilst he was furious with the kid for doing that to his daughter and would never forgive him, part of him (a very secret part that no one would ever know about) was relieved. Because, after she had gone through the expected withdrawal, he would have his daughter back again. Or so he thought.

Never in his wildest imaginings, had he expected it to be that bad. There were times when he thought she would die, and he bitterly rued the day that he had heartily wished Edward on the other side of the world. Because, whilst Charlie had thought that he had lost her then, he realised now that he hadn't known the true meaning of the word.

And when all hope was gone, as so often happens, a light shone into the darkness. A light by the name of Jacob Black, Charlie's best friend's son. And suddenly, Bella was smiling again. And laughing. And smiling. No craving, addicted, looking for my next high smile, but a genuine, face creasing, eye shining smile. She began to do things again and come out of herself. Her life had meaning again. She didn't have as many nightmares. And best of all, he started to get to know his daughter again. They chatted. They laughed. She told him things. They had fun together. He got her back.

Yes, Charlie didn't have many things to be proud of as a father. But the one thing he was proud of was introducing his daughter to Jacob Black. And that made up for all the rest.

A/N: I would love to hear your thoughts on this, so please click the lonely little green button and review!:-)