Charlie's POV

It was hard to swallow everything that happened. My daughter and I were almost burned alive. The house I was raised in was annihilated. Although it was overwhelming, I had responsibilities. I've already spoken to the insurance company. The jerk-offs. They were masters at transferring people and asking for information that no longer existed. I wanted to scream into the receiver, "The account number went up with the damn house!" but my throat was still a little too sore for that.

After a proper shower, I realized that I was in pretty good shape. When I was released from the hospital, I was weak from all the coughing and vomiting, but I was moving around better now. Considering how I was a few minutes away from knockin' on heaven's door, I expected to feel a lot worse. I had even managed to keep down the fish Billy cooked up for me.

I was laid out on his couch now, watching last week's game for the third time. Billy had rolled up next to me seven minutes into the second quarter and I could tell that he wanted to ask me something. He was fidgeting too much to not have something on his mind, but I trusted that he would get around to it eventually.

I didn't have to wait long. I was fast-forwarding past the half-time commercials when he spoke. "I know that we don't have as much room as the Cullens, but I'm sure we could make space for Bella." I suspected that was coming. I paused the game and sat up. When I strolled through the hospital exit without Bella, Jacob and Billy both seemed disappointed. I wasn't exactly happy with it myself and I was sure to let Bella know that. With everything that had happened, I was reluctant to let her out of my sight. In the end, my daughter flashed the legal-adult card and pointed out that the Blacks really didn't have enough room for the both of us. Neither of us breached the subject of Carlisle's offer. Back at the hospital as I signed my discharge papers, he graciously invited me to stay at his house for as long as needed, but I declined. Even though I thought the Cullens were good people, I didn't feel comfortable mooching off them until there was another place for us to live. Bella spent every waking moment over there anyway.

"Billy, I know how you feel about the Cullens. And you know how ridiculous I think that is. But you and I both know that even if Bella wanted to come here, it would be too crowded. Someone would end up sleeping in the middle of this living room on that inflatable bed you bought before the kids could walk. I don't want to put you out more than I am." As it was, I had taken up residence on the sofa.

My oldest friend shook his head. "You're not putting anyone out. If you were, I'd have no problem letting you live out of your cruiser." I laughed at the image. At least it would cut down my commute time. "It's just that…if I went through what you did, I wouldn't want Jacob living on the other side of town."

"That's easy for you to say. Easier for you to do even. Your tree trunk of a kid may look it, but he isn't eighteen yet. You still have some control over where he goes. If Bella truly wants to be there, I can't stop her. Besides, there's not much reason to worry. She was released with a clean bill of health, same as me. And over there, she has in-house medical care."

"And an in-house boyfriend," Billy said. That was low. He knew I was avoiding that train of thought. Of course it irked me that for weeks she would be under the same roof as her boyfriend. Correction: fiancé. I shuddered at that word. When they announced their engagement a few days before their senior year started, I thought something had burst behind my right eye. Since then I've decided to allow Bella to make her own mistakes. Especially while she had Renee's support. I hoped harder than I ever hoped before that things worked out for Bella, but I had a constant heaviness in my gut that said it wouldn't. I wanted to be wrong for the sake of my only child, but it wasn't a feeling I could ignore. I could only be there for her when she needed me. I considered doing everything in my power to hamper her relationship with Edward, but Bella was as stubborn as I was when I was her age. When my parents tried to pry me from Renee, I ended up on the fast track to marriage and fatherhood. I knew firsthand that pushing her was too risky.

"And if she came here, wouldn't there be a wannabe boyfriend practically on top of her?" I may have liked Jacob more than Edward, but he was a boy infatuated with my daughter. The thought of them in such close quarters unnerved me more than her taking up with the Cullens.

"You would be here to keep an eye on her and what's more, Jacob wouldn't do anything disrespectful."

"Disrespectful like kissing her without her permission?" He glared at me then. He wouldn't win this argument. Things were what they were. "Please respect the decision I've made about my kid, Billy. Like I respect yours." I was getting seriously close to the belt area, but he started it. Jacob's lack of curfew was slightly disturbing, but it seemed most of the kids he spent his time with followed the same rule. I had no idea what a bunch of high school kids could get up to so late and never stir up any trouble, but the rez policed itself. It wasn't my territory.

"Fine," he grumbled and picked up the remote. And that was the end of it. We watched the rest of the game and then a Sylvester Stallone marathon on USA. I didn't care for Rocky, but I wasn't about to spark the slightest conflict. I couldn't focus on it anyway. For a few minutes, a nagging sensation had spread over the base of my skull. I blamed the weird position I wound up in during that last nap.

A knock sounded on the front door and I was glad for whoever it was. Dr. Cullen may have ordered bed rest, but it felt like I had been doing nothing but resting for the past twenty-four hours. That and peeing from all the water Billy tossed at me.

I was up before he could unlock his chair and heading for the door. It was Alina Gideon, the woman that moved into town a few days ago. She was also the person that saved my life.

I couldn't put a name to the face I saw between the smoke and flames, but now that she stood right in front of me, I knew it was her. And her husband was the man I saw with Bella. The other officers took the description I gave them and hadn't found anything. Everything about that night was a blur, but I now recognized her long frame as the one that set me down on the grass. Her long dark hair was the hair that brushed my face as she leaned over me.

"I'm sorry to drop by unannounced, but there are some things we need to discuss," she said with a pleasant smile. I almost asked how she knew where to find me, but this was Forks. The whole town knew my hospital room number by breakfast.

"There certainly are. Come in." I stepped aside and she walked in. I wasn't the tallest man in the world, but I felt a lot shorter than my 5'11" when standing next to a woman who could look me dead in the eye without moving her head. She wasn't even wearing heels. She went over to Billy and held out her hand. He took it, but I saw his hesitation.

"Hello, Mr. Black. It's nice to meet you," she greeted routinely.

"Nice to meet you too," he replied just as robotically. Maybe Billy didn't like strangers. It was the only way to explain his apprehension. We don't get many of them in town and certainly not on the reservation.

"I don't want to inconvenience you, but we need to speak in private." She turned to me expectantly. I wouldn't ask Billy to leave his own house.

"You can talk in front of me. I'm good at keeping secrets," Billy interjected.

"I'm sure you can, Mr. Black," There was a pregnant pause where they glowered at one another. "But what I have to say will be difficult enough. I need to speak with him alone."

There was that feeling. That feeling I got when people were hiding things from me. It surfaced often when I came on the reservation or when I spent enough time around the Cullens. I sensed it even around Bella lately. I despised it, but maybe this woman would be straightforward with me. It would be so refreshing to not have bullshit put on my plate by the people in my life.

"It'll be fine, Billy. We'll be on the back porch." I waved to the kitchen and Alina strode through with one last look down at Billy. He scowled back at her. I sighed loudly and followed her.

When the door closed behind us, she went to the railing and stared out at the forest. Every so often, she would open her mouth to speak, but shut it again. What did she have to say that was so difficult? Was there more to the fire? Did she know something about it? When she ran both hands through her hair in a frustrated motion, I decided to start.

"You and your husband were there. You saved me and my daughter."

She nodded slightly, but didn't look at me.

"I'm grateful for that. More than I can say really, but I can't help but wonder why you took off. I'm also curious about how you saved us. The fire had overtaken the stairs and I'm pretty sure you couldn't haul me through my bedroom window, but I won't ask about that now."

"You don't ask many questions, do you, Mr. Swan? Why is that?" she asked, stumping me a bit. It was my turn to be speechless. "Is it because you don't want to admit to the secrets in your town? There are so many weird things surrounding you and yet you never truly investigated them. You can't not know. Don't tell me that you don't. You're an observant man."

I-.

There just-.

I sighed again. My brain couldn't come up with an excuse. Yes, I noticed things. I noticed how the Cullens had the same odd-colored eyes even though some of them weren't related through blood. I also noticed that those same golden eyes could turn black sometimes. I noticed that Alice, Carlisle, and Edward had cold skin. Almost unnaturally so. I didn't know about the rest of them since I'd never gotten that close. I noticed that all the Quilete boys in Sam's makeshift gang looked a hell of a lot older than they really were and ran hot. I noticed all sorts of things, but I ignored them because I had no clue what they meant. I wasn't sure I wanted to know and no one was bothering to tell me the truth. What else could I do? Start making wild accusations and get thrown into the state mental institution?

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"I have many things to tell you and I'm pretty sure most of it will upset you, but I think you deserve to know the truth. Particularly because you're firmly in the middle of all this."

"What is this exactly?" I sat down on an uncomfortable metal chair and she did the same.

"You're in danger, Mr. Swan," she said softly, catching me with wide brown eyes.

"You mean the fire?"

"Yes."

"Why am I-? Who would want to-?" Questions were whirling around in my head so quickly, my mouth couldn't finish forming one before moving to the other.

"You've done absolutely nothing to deserve this, Mr. Swan. And I am so very sorry this is happening to you and your daughter, but you need to know that I'm doing everything I can to keep you safe."

"Bella! Is someone after Bella?" If there was, I needed to get to her and…do something. I didn't know what, but I couldn't sit around and let something else happen to my family.

"No. She won't go after your daughter. Her primary concern is you, but for your peace of mind, my husband is guarding Isabella as we speak." It was conflicting what I felt in that moment. There was relief and despair crashing down on me all at once.

"Who is she?"

"Twenty years ago, a woman came and took something from you. For her own scientific purposes. Our authorities are starting an investigation and so she's trying to…clean up house, so to speak. She believes in leaving no proof intact."

A woman stole something from me and that's what this was all about? I considered the fact that maybe I was talking to a psycho, but her eyes dug into mine with such anguish that it was hard not to believe what she was saying.

"It's unlikely for there to be proof of a theft committed two decades ago. And whatever this woman took wasn't very significant since I didn't miss it."

"It was significant enough, I promise you." She breathed in deeply and wrung her hands. "This is where you have to make a choice, Mr. Swan. This is the more incredible part of the story and if you do decide to believe it, it opens the door to everything you doubt. The Cullens, the Quilete, everything." She reached for my hand and I gave it to her. "You already know that there's something more to this world, but you haven't accepted it. You have to do that now before I can tell you any more."

Could I accept it? I rubbed at my eyes with the hand she wasn't holding. My brain was working overtime. I was born and raised in Forks, a small town where nothing happened. And it's lack of action was what kept me here. I loved the quiet predictability. Day to day, there were no surprises. Nothing shook my little corner of the world. Was I willing to give that up? If it meant keeping my daughter and I out of harm's way, then yes.

"Okay. Spit it out before I lose my nerve."

"Right. Well, let's start with the more general things and work back to the more personal ones." I bit the inside of my cheek and told her that was fine. "The Cullens aren't human. Nor are they dangerous. The Quilete boys are more human than the Cullens, but they are indeed different. Yes, Isabella knows all about them. And my husband and I are something else entirely. I'm part human, but…I don't really identify with it," she rattled off. I frowned and stood up. She remained quiet as I paced the porch, repeating the information to myself.

The Cullens aren't human. Neither are the rez boys.

Bella knew, but didn't tell me. And Billy. I was certain he was wise to all of this as well. He was supposed to be my friend, my brother. How could he hide this from me?

"You say they're not human. What the hell are they then?"

"I don't want to use names because they are so misleading. Most of what you think you know is a total fabrication. I need you to understand that. They are still the people that you trust. They simply have their own secrets."

"They're not human!" I heard a thud from inside the house. "You're not human!" I yelled at her. She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip.

"Mr. Swan, please. You don't know me, but I swear on my life that I'm not here to hurt you," she pleaded. Billy came out then, the door striking her violently in the back. She barely flinched.

"What did you say to him?" Billy shouted at her.

"I told him the truth. How could you sleep at night knowing that your best friend was surrounded by lies that you helped maintain? He has the right to know!" As her voice grew louder, a minor hiss wrapped around most of her speech. That wasn't natural. I found myself stepping backwards and the movement caught their attention.

"Charlie, please." Billy said. Charlie, please what? Don't be wary of you or the hissing lady?

"Please, don't judge us because we're not like you, Mr. Swan." Her words struck me in the gut. She appeared so young then, gazing at me with those gentle eyes. I plopped down in another chair and it creaked with my sudden weight. I forced myself to calm down. Everyone had been lying to me. My oldest friend. My daughter. A few hours ago, my biggest problem was getting connected to the right department at the insurance agency. And now…I lifted my head to study them. Alina Gideon looked so normal standing there in a Pink Floyd t-shirt and jeans and Billy was oozing worry, adding years to his age.

"Tell me the rest of the story, kid." A heart-melting smile made its way onto her face and I was tempted to smile back. I didn't because my brain wasn't sending the proper signals quite yet. "And call me Charlie. The Mr. Swan stuff is a little too formal for this."


This was a difficult chapter because I felt like it moved too quickly and slowly at the same time. No Bella or Jasper this chapter, but Charlie is going to be central to this story. It is important to hear his side of things every once in a while. More of the mystery unfolded and my meter says there's about thirty-one percent left to reveal. Leave your guesses about what happens next!

There's a community that added my story! It's called Non-Canon Love and I'm not sure which of the staff did it, but thank y'all so much.

I thought last chapter turned a lot of readers off. It got plenty of favorites and alerts (thanks to the readers responsible for those) but only one review (thanks to LordXeenTheGreat). I'm going to dig deep for some optimism and assume that the holidays were the reason for the silence from you guys.

Speaking of, I hope everyone had a good New Year's! I wish y'all the best in 2011!