Author's Note: I'm still trying to decide exactly where this is going to sit in the timeline. It's either after New Moon, during Eclipse or after Eclipse. I'll have to see how I feel about it and where it develops in my head, but I wanted to get started on it and for this first chapter it won't really matter exactly where it is in the timeline, because it's really just a setup for the story and to get people interested and see what people think!
Synopsis: While Bella and Edward live in the blissful knowledge that Charlie is oblivious to what really is going on in Forks and the surrounding wilderness, Charlie is actually a lot more aware than anyone believes.
Charlie listened to the hushed voices coming from his daughter's room. Honestly, if that thing was going to sneak into a young girl's room, he might as well have the good sense to keep it quiet! These walls were like paper, after all. The only reason Charlie allowed it to continue was because he hadn't yet heard anything completely unacceptable going on... That and he was still trying to figure out what kind of thing Edward was and how dangerous he may be.
It hadn't been that long since he'd finally figured out what it was about Edward that truly bothered him. Sure, the kid had creepy eyes, creepy ways and a polar body temperature, but it was a niggling feeling of recognition with which Charlie was wrestling. That feeling of recognition that Charlie felt when he looked at criminals – his innate sense for wrongness in another being.
Then, a few months ago, Edward had come back from his bizarre absence, carrying an exhausted Bella, who had been missing for several days, and as Charlie had tried to prevent Edward's entry and reclaim his daughter, Edward had turned on him a fierce scowl which Charlie had only seen once before in his life. And in that moment, as though a brick wall had just collapsed on him, Charlie had figured it out.
May 1976
Charlie sat on a bench, swinging his legs back and forth while happily licking away at his ice cream and absent-mindedly patting Bob, his golden Labrador, on the head. Daddy had gone into the bank and didn't want the ice cream or the dog inside, so told him to wait there and asked Auntie Ruth at the flower shop next door to keep an eye on him. Charlie was happy – it wasn't sunny, but it was warm and Daddy had treated him to an ice cream for being a good boy all week.
Charlie watched people walk past has he savoured the ice cream and waved to Uncle Roy when he saw him drive past in his red truck. Suddenly his attention was drawn to a man walking towards him. The man had wild hair the colour of a shiny new penny – like some of those that Charlie had in his piggy bank at home – and very pale skin. Charlie wondered if the man had been ill and not allowed out of the house for a very long time. He was dressed to fit in – flared trousers, a shirt with a long, pointed collar and a smart waistcoat – but something about him made him stand out. His hair was too short, but that wasn't it... It was the way he moved and the way he held himself – he was more like Grampa.
As the stranger approached, his focus on the door of the bank, Bob began to growl. Charlie tore his eyes away to stare at his dog in shock. He had never heard Bobbie growl before!
"Shh, Bobbie." Charlie stroked the dog's head fondly, but Bob started to bark. Following the dog's stare, Charlie looked up, back to the stranger who was now almost next to them, directly into his eyes.
The golden eyes beheld Charlie with a fierce glare that made him want to cry from fear. He was a brave boy and stubbornly refused to cry, but he felt himself fearfully shuddering anyway. As Bob continued to bark, the stranger moved swiftly to the door of the bank and slipped in after one final piercing look at Charlie.
Only when he was gone and Bob had stopped barking and growling, did Charlie allow a single traitor tear to fall. He didn't want his ice cream any more and he didn't want Daddy to see him crying, so he threw the ice cream cone away and wiped his face and made himself feel better by snuggling up to Bob and talking to him until Daddy came back.
It had taken Charlie several hours and several whiskeys to find his way out from the pile of bricks that that recovered memory had brought. He was certain – Edward had been in Forks in 1976, looking exactly the same as he did now. He had been numb with shock and fear. He had vacillated for hours between grabbing his gun and going after Edward or grabbing Bella and running as far as he could. It was too much – after the emotional turmoil of the last several months with Bella, the bizarre occurrences and sightings around Forks and the death of his dear friend Harry Clearwater, this was too much to deal with.
Eventually, however, he'd come to the conclusion that it was best to know his enemy before going in with guns blazing. He couldn't give away his advantage by letting them know that he was suspicious and he had to know what he was dealing with or he could endanger Bella even further.
He was forced to allow the relationship to continue, despite trying his best to divert Bella with Jacob and preventing her from spending too much time with the... thing.
The voices in Bella's room changed. He thought he heard Edward hushing her, then he distinctly heard, "Charlie's awake."
Pah! The cheek! Charlie made a loud show of turning over in his bed, sighing and settling down to sleep again. He concentrated on evening out his breathing and blanked his mind as much as he could. He'd learned from the last few months of eavesdropping and extremely aware observation that Edward either had super-hearing or he could read minds... Or maybe both. He wasn't quite sure. After a few minutes, the conversation started up again in Bella's room – Edward must be satisfied that he'd drifted back to sleep.
Ever since his revelation, the pieces had been falling into place in his brain. If these Cullens were immortal, it would explain their enormous wealth and air of mystery that they seemingly strove to maintain. It explained their sometimes bizarre behaviour and their occasional old-fashioned manner of speaking. He just couldn't explain things like their ridiculously frequent "camping" trips or what gave them their immortality. He couldn't explain why he feared them so much. And what was their interest in Bella?
He heard a giggle come from Bella's room, followed by a long silence. He strained his ears, hoping that he wouldn't hear any heavy breathing or such-like, and was relieved when he heard Edward's voice again. He idly wondered whether bullets would have any effect on Edward. Edward's voice stopped abruptly and Charlie gave up on trying to eavesdrop. He wasn't getting much tonight anyway – they were quieter than usual. In the morning, he would go back to that paper trail he'd been tracing.
Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are, of course, Stephenie Meyer's property and I am merely taking advantage of a pre-prepared scenario in which to have a play with my own creative writing.