I couldn't believe it. After only about two years, I had gotten myself into so much. I almost killed the girl of my existence; my other half. I caused her to be the target of a sadistic tracker, James, and almost had her killed. During the time I had tried to track James she found out about how to become a vampire. As much as it pained me, I denied her request for me to make her one. A few months later, I left her, causing her extreme pain and to take refuge with werewolves. I did this to try and make her safe, but like usual, her bad luck drew the next danger to her. Then after my sister Rosalie told me that this lovable soul had killed herself, I ran to the Volturi to have myself killed. After they denied me my wish, I went to torment the city so that they were forced to grant me death. But as I was just about to walk into the sunlight, the girl came running into my arms. It turned out to be a big misunderstanding, but we were still dragged off to Aro, Caius, and Marcus. They wanted to kill my love, and to make me and my other sister Alice, who drove the girl to me, to join the Volturi. We denied but still they wanted the girl. Alice saved her by showing Aro a vision of the future; of the girl being immortal. We returned home and then I found out that my love had been in danger while I was gone. James' mate, Victoria, had been trying to get through the pack of werewolves to get to her. Also, a newborn vampire was raising hell in the city of Seattle, not very far from Forks, where she slept. Over a period of a few months, strange things happened. The girl was more observant than usual and figured out everything before the rest of us. My family formed an alliance with the werewolves. And I proposed to the girl for the second time, saying that if she married me, that I would make
her a vampire. She said yes, and I saved her from certain doom and finally got my revenge on
Victoria for trying to take my love away from me. Also one of the werewolves, Jacob, who had been my other halves comfort, became my competition as he tried to take the girl from me to be his own. But in the end, she chose me. She and I told her father and her mother, they agreed to give us their blessings. And then I was back at the present.
I had thought of everything I had done wrong to the girl, to Bella, as I ran. And yet, I thought, she still wants me. Some how she was only able to see the glass as half full rather than my point of view in which it was half empty. I shook my head in disbelief, to almost anyone else I knew, they would have traded everything they had to be human, and as Rosalie said, she is throwing it away like its garbage. Which it probably is to Bella. Bella. Just thinking her name sends another wave of disbelief flowing through me. I was marrying my life long mate. After a century of waiting, I was finally doing this. And while she was still human. I tried not to think of the other things I would be doing with Bella while she was still human. I was supposed to be hunting not worrying about Bella or about how funny it was when we asked Charlie for his blessing….
* * * * *
We were sitting on the loveseat (I know, ironic) when the sound of Charlie's cruiser pulled into the drive way. His thoughts were muffled but I could tell he'd had a rough day down at the station. Bella kept twitching and trying to put her hand with the ring on it, in her pocket. But I held it out for all the world to see.
"Stop fidgeting, Bella. Please try and remember that you're not confessing to murder
here." I tried to soothe her. She wasn't, but to Charlie's unaware, I was. I was suddenly gloomy.
"Easy for you to say." Bella mumbled. I laughed internally. My gloominess vanished. She always knew the right thing to say; the right thing to make me laugh. We listened to Charlie's footsteps and his keys rattled in the unlocked door. I waited patiently for Charlie to come inside. Bella was twitching and her heart started to beat rapidly.
"Calm down, Bella." I whispered to her. When Charlie slammed the door, Bella flinched like she had just been electrocuted.
"Hey, Charlie," I called. I had been waiting for this moment for so long that I just couldn't wait to tell him the news. What the hell are they doing in there? They wouldn't have…no…not my Bella… Charlie's thoughts became mumbled as they often did.
"No!" Bella hissed under her breath. It was an angry kitten trying to be a tiger again. As always, it was sweet and endearing.
"What?" I whispered back. I was curious as to why she had an aversion to me saying hello to her father. Wasn't it polite to say hello when someone walked into a room? Again I tried to probe her mind and hit the barrier again.
"Wait till he hangs his gun up!"
I laughed. So that's what this was about. She was worried about me, again. She was so selfless. Everything she did was selfless. I ran my hand through my hair to make myself more
presentable.
What is going on? Charlie's thoughts became suspious as he walked around the corner,
still armed to Bella's dismay, and swy us hand-in-hand on the loveseat. He didn't notice the ring on Bella's third finger, so his thoughts automatically went in the worst possible direction; the one that made me feel guilty for what I was going to do to Bella.
"Hey, kids. What's up?" Although he tried to hide it, he examined Bella to see signs of any change. He found none but then he thought it might be a little too early to see. This made me even guiltier but I hid it from my face.
"We'd like to talk to you," I said with as much serene quality as I could muster, "We have some good news." I knew I had made a wrong choice of words when Charlie's face went from trying to be friendly to a black glare.
"Good news?" Charlie hissed. I wanted to protect Bella from the malice in his gaze and thoughts. But I knew that I couldn't.
"Have a seat, Dad." Bella said, her voice shaking a little. She was all nerves. I couldn't think of why. Under all the guilt of all that I was taking from her, I was euphoric. I dug up that emotion and let it radiate through me. Only a second had passed, and Charlie was still staring at Bella. Could MY Bella have actually gone and got herself into that…no… this is Bella I'm talking about, but maybe…Charlie went and sat on the edge of his recliner, straight as humanly possible. A few seconds passed in silence.
"Don't get worked up, Dad," Bella stammered, "Everything's okay." Bella was sweating like she was about to do something horrible. I grimaced for two reasons. One, Bella was scared, that went against all that I had worked for to not comfort her. And second, she said that everything was okay. It was much more than okay and yet it wasn't even close to it.
"Sure it is, Bella, sure it is. If everything is so great, then why are you sweating bullets?" Charlie questioned with a rough tremor in his voice.
"No I'm not," Bella lied. I'm not sure why she did. It was there on her face.
Could Edward, he sneered my name, who has done all sorts of awful things to Bella, have gone and had his hands on her THAT way…? Maybe… He scowled at Bella, his thoughts radiating disappointment and hate. Bella cringed into me and wiped her forehead. That set Charlie off.
"You're pregnant!" Charlie exploded. "You're pregnant, aren't you?" He directed his words at Bella but Charlie's glare was unleashed at me. His thoughts were incoherent and furious, and Charlie's hand flinched to his gun. No I can't shoot him. That would be murder… Bella's voice brought his thoughts back to her.
"No! Of course I'm not!" Bella almost shrieked. Bella had told me that everyone would have come to this conclusion right from the start. Right now she looked like she wanted to elbow me it the stomach. I laughed internally at her kittenish rage. I knew that she would only hurt herself if she did that. She had asked me what other possible reason that two sane people would have for getting married at eighteen. I told her love. She rolled her eyes at me but it was the truth. I did really truly love her. And some how I had gotten this delicate angel to love me back. Even after all the horrible things I had caused to happen to her.
Charlie could tell that Bella was telling the truth. She was a horrible liar so it was very obvious when she did lie. He stopped glaring at me as intensely but his fuzzy thoughts were still suspious. "Oh. Sorry." Charlie mumble, a little embarrassed.
"Apology accepted." Bella sighed. She was silent. I once again, even though it was futile, to try and probe her mind. And again, I hit the barrier around her mind. I waited for her to speak to tell her father why we were here. Realization came to her after a moment, then she looked at me with panic engraved in every in of her angelic face. I wanted to smooth those lines out but now wasn't the time. I smiled at her and looked at Charlie, sitting up straight with pride.
"Charlie," I began in a calm and relaxed tone, "I realize that I've gone about this out of order. Traditionally, I should have asked you first. I mean no disrespect, but since Bella has already said yes and I don't want to diminish her choice in the matter, instead of asking you for her hand, I'm asking you for your blessing. We're getting married, Charlie. I love her more than anything in the world, more than my own life and— by some miracle—she loves me that way, too. Will you give us your blessing?"
Charlie's suddenly shot from my face to Bella's hand. He had finally noticed the ring and his thoughts became incoherent. He stopped breathing in shock, then hyperventilating causing his skin to change color. He was going to be okay, I could tell. His thoughts were slightly fuzzy and I could make out of little of them.
Oh my god…How could Bella, MY BELLA, get herself into this…How did he…Why is she… was all I could pick out. Bella went up to help him though it was evident that she didn't know how to do so. Before she could get up I stopped her and whispered "Give him a minuet" so low that Charlie wouldn't hear. The silence pressed on. After an immeasurable amount of time, Charlie started to recover. Shade by shade, his thoughts grew more solid and his breathing returned to normal. Charlie thought over the news quietly, his expression tipping off Bella.