ALL CHARACTERS AND THE WORLD THEY INHABIT ARE OWNED BY STEPHANIE MEYERS unless otherwise stated.
Chapter 1
Charlie watched his line zip back and forth in a graceful curve of cob-web, highlighted by the sun, as he cast out into the calm waters of the mountain lake. He sat, reached for the can of beer on top of the bait box by his left ankle and leaned back into his chair with a sigh of contentment. Ah, he thought to himself, no people!
Of course, he wasn't alone on the jetty. Billy, his life long friend/ fishing companion/ partner in crime (well… mischief) was sitting next to him, in his wheelchair, with a similar look of contentment on his face. Billy wasn't "people". Billy was practically a member of the family.
Charlies brow pulled down and he winced as the thought expanded to include his daughter and the bombshell secrets she and Jacob had made him privy to. Was that really a year ago? he thought as he remembered Bella's 20th birthday celebration, instigated by Alice, 2 days before.
In some ways it seemed like more time had passed than that. Although, in other ways it felt like a lot of things had happened in a very short space of time, more than should happen in a normal 12 months.
Charlie adored his granddaughter and relished spending as much time as he could with her. He accepted that Renesmee was extraordinary. Somehow, realizing that her rapid growth would rob her of the years of childhood other people had, made him determined to fill the shortened span with as much grandfatherly doting as the little girl would allow.
The rift it had caused in his friendship with Billy had nearly healed at this point. It had hurt to know how long Billy had been lying to him, and about how much. Slowly, however, as Billy had helped him piece together his own family legacy, Charlie had learned to trust his oldest friend once more.
"It's time to tell her, Charlie." Billy, through long association, seemed to be able to read his mind. The only other person perceptive enough to do that was Renee.
"What are you, my wife now?" Charlie grumbled, sourly.
"Nah" Billy laughed "I wouldn't have you, y'ole fart!"
That broke Charlie's pensive mood and they both laughed at the terminal bachelorhood that life and fate at steered them towards. The comfortable silence drew in again, but, before long Charlie's brow furrowed again.
"She needs to hear it from you. You know?" Billy said quietly, "Before she digs too deep."
"Yeah, I know." Charlie took a sip from the can in his hand and watched the surface of the lake as a gust of wind stirred up a few ripples. "I could use some backup. Can I bring her over after?"
"Sure," Billy looked up from the hook he had just baited; it wasn't often that Charlie asked for anything "if you think it'll help."
Billy's line twitched at that moment, diverting their attention back to the lake. Charlie felt more sure of himself now that he had made the decision to tell Bella what he'd found out, and whilst enjoying the rest of the fishing trip, he began to plan.