WITH BELLA AND EDWARD.
As they were about two miles from the diner Edward's voice broke through Bella's helmet. "Charlie is at the Diner and before you ask, I had Jasper and Emmett install a microphone and speaker into your helmet this afternoon so that you and I can talk back and forth. All of us siblings have one in our helmets."
Bella squeezed him tighter and said, "This is amazing Edward. Thank you. You mentioned Charlie earlier, when did you talk to him? And when did you start calling him 'Charlie' again?
Edward slowed down to the actual speed limit and replied, "After I left the Reservation, I made an impromptu decision to visit Charlie at the Police station. I told him that you had a breakdown and finally told me everything...at least I think everything. And that the pack and I are putting our differences aside for your sake. He asked if Jacob actually gave me the bike or if I stole it. I made him laugh by saying 'I may make some shitty mistakes as a boyfriend but I am no thief'. He told me to call him Charlie after that..."
They pulled into an empty parking spot which happened to be right next to Charlie's cruiser.
He helped her off and said, "This looks familiar."
He held his hand out to her and they walked inside. Everybody stared at them. "Please tell me you were the one that drove that and not Bella?" Charlie asked not looking up from his newspaper.
Edward chuckled, walked right up to him and dangled the key right in front of his face. Charlie looked at him and glared. He just shrugged, "I told you I won't let her drive that without being properly taught." He walked back to where Bella was standing laughing. "Go on and order something." "You are eating something to." "Blueberry cobbler, none of your veggie burger crud for me." She laughed and kissed his cheek and placed the order while he pulled out his card and paid for it. "Want to sit with your dad or at our own table?"
Bella looked around..."Charlie for right now...he seems almost done anyway..." He smiled and led her to the table Charlie was sitting at.
Charlie glanced up as Edward pulled the seat out for her and pushed her in then sat down next to her. .."You two on a date?"
"Kind of." Bella said.
"Then why you sitting with your old man?"
"Because Edward told you of my breakdown this morning. I wanted you to see that I am alright. I also wanted to do this," she jumped up and gave him a bear hug. "Thank you for being the best dad ever! I love you!" She sat back down while Charlie stared at her with wide eyes. "And also, I wanted to say thank you for listening to Edward today when he went to talk to you."
Charlie sighed and set the now wrinkled newspaper aside, "I wanted to punch you when you told me about the meltdown Edward. But 1) you were riding Bella's bike; and 2) I can't exactly arrest myself for assault. But as I listened to you explain I knew that you truly regretted leaving and that you had no idea what it had on Bells. The fact that you had the balls to came and tell me, made me respect you a little bit. We will talk more about this Sunday." He started to gather his stuff to leave when he surprised them both by saying, "And don't think I don't know about Edward spending the nights. Enjoy your date."
They stared after him, and the waitress put their food down in front of them. They looked at each other them at Charlie getting into the cruiser
He gave Edward a mock salute then drove off.
"How the hell does he know?" Edward mumbled.
Bella just shrugged and tore into her burger.
He raised an eyebrow. "Hungry much?"
She swallowed and drank two big gulps of her coke before replying. "I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. It is now...11 am. I am starving."
"What!? Alice was supposed to make sure you ate yesterday? Why didn't you eat?"
She stared at him. "Let's see...oh that's right, my boyfriend decided to use his sister to hold me hostage. I spent the rest of the day pissed off at you two."
Edward sighed and gently banged his head on the table. "I'm sorry. Still, that is no reason to neglect your health." She chuckled and said, "I forget to eat when I am pissed or depressed. Now, either eat your Blueberry cobbler or I will."
He passed it over to her and watched fascinated as she took small quick bites. She quickly finished it off and downed the rest of her coke. She leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder and smiled. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they stared out the window.
"Edward?" "Hmm?" "How did Charlie find out about you spending the nights?" "I honestly do not know Bella. I always show up when he is asleep and hide when he comes to check up on you."
"Okay, we can ask him Sunday. Hey! I missed school today." "Carlisle called the school and told the principle that you finally broke down and opened up. He said that you were in no condition to go to school today, and that Alice was staying home to take care of you. The principle was happy that you finally opened up. He said that he would have the teachers set aside your work and that you can get it Monday, and that any tests you miss can be made up on Monday as well."
She pulled her chair closer to his and snuggled into his cold body and sighed. "Did I imagine it or did Charlie just give me permission to stay the weekend at your place knowing that you would be there?" Edward blinked and said, "I think you are right. He is at the house right now, want to ask him? Or do you want to go pack some of your own clothes? As much as I love the sight of you in my clothes... you can't wear them 24/7"
She sighed and got up. "Fine... let's go ask Charlie."
Edward smiled, got up, kissed her, and grabbed their helmets.
They pulled up in front of her house and opened the door. Charlie was sitting in the recliner watching the sports channel. He looked up at them and raised an eyebrow. They sat on the couch. Edward in the corner with Bella curling up into his side.
"You do know that you are two days early." He said looking back at the TV.
Edward smiled, placed an arm around Bella and said, "We didn't want to assume anything."
Charlie smiled and nodded. "Smart."
"You still haven't given me direct permission to stay at the Cullen's for the weekend."
They both looked at her. "No I haven't have I? Fine. Since everyone else will be there I don't see the harm."
"Thank you daddy!"
"Daddy?" Edward and Charlie mouthed to each other. Bella saw. "Oh shut up. My emotions are all over the place right now."
Edward chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Do you want to go on and pack or wait a bit?"
She went ahead and started packing.
Charlie looked at him, "I thought Alice packed her bag yesterday?"
"Yeah...Alice decided to pull a prank on her and pack her bag full of lingerie. Hence the reason she is wearing my clothes. I must say it was nice to see her lay into Alice for that."
Just then his phone rang.
"Yeah Alice... WHAT! HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?! What do you mean she's on her way here? How long? Damn. How many?!...Shit... wait! Tell Carlisle to call Billy Black. Tell him to tell Sam that his Pack Sister is in trouble and that 18 newborns along with Victoria are coming this way. They will help. I'm with Charlie and Bella now. Not leaving them. The clearing? Send Emmet with the Jeep then. Do you see this working? And we need them there?.. Son of a bitch! Why won't she just die already? Fine. Two minutes!"
He hung up and noticed that both Bella and Charlie were watching him. Bella was shaking. "Victoria's coming isn't she? She's coming to kill me?"
"What?" Charlie asked wide-eyed. "I'm lost."
Edward looked at him and said just as the door opened to admit Emmet and Carlisle. "Don't worry, we'll fill you in on the way. Just trust us right now." He picked Bella up while Carlisle did the same to Charlie and the put them in the back seat of the jeep. Charlie was shocked that Carlisle could pick him up so easily that he didn't speak until he was in the jeep. They buckled the humans in and Edward drove, well speed while Emmett and Carlisle were guarding.
"What the hell is going on?"
Carlisle took a breath and began, "My family and I are vampires. Plain and simple. We do not feed off of humans but off of animals. We are incredibly strong and fast, and while we can go out in the sunlight, we do not because we glitter. Our skin is rock hard like diamonds, we never sleep, nor do we ever tire, and the only way to kill us is to burn our bodies. Bella knew something was different the day Edward saved her from being crushed a year ago by Tyler's minivan. He had been across the parking lot, and he pushed the van away from them. Speed and strength. She never told anyone. She did some research and found out what we were, Edward decided to...How did you put it son?"
"Ignore the rules since I'm going to hell anyway."
"We are going to talk about that later Edward." Bella cut in. "Yes love."
Carlisle smiled at them then continued. "They started dating and the day we decided to play baseball, the day Bella left? We met a few nomads. Our kind who drink human blood. Alice, she sees the future, she didn't see them until it was too late. James, Laurent, and Victoria. James smelt that Bella was human and wanted to have her. Edward, who can read minds, decided to run with Bella. She convinced him to turn around so that she could say goodbye to you and make you think she was going back to Arizona. Alice and Jasper went with her while we split and led Victoria and James away. James noticed it was a trap and had Victoria break into the school to find out more about Bella. He tricked Bell into going into that Ballet Studio and bit her. Hence the reason she has a bite mark on her hand and that it is cold. Edward had to suck the venom out because he didn't want Bella turned and I couldn't do it while applying pressure to her broken leg. Emmet, Jasper, and Alice killed James. Rosalie and Esme stayed here to watch over you since we didn't know where Victoria was.
"Everything seemed to be going well until her birthday party, she got a paper cut and Jasper, the newest vegetarian to our family, who hadn't hunted in a while smelt her blood and went into blood lust. Edward jumped forward to protect her, ended up shoving her into a coffee table. That was fun pulling shards of glass out of her. Edward and Jasper felt guilty and that was the reason why we left. We honestly had no idea that it would affect Bella so much.
"We didn't know that Laurent had come back because Edward had forbidden Alice to look in on Bella. Thankfully...ah crap, screw the treaty. Thankfully the wolves were there to protect her. The wolves… That is for Billy Black to tell you not me. They killed Laurent and have protected Bella since. They see her as a Pack Sister now. And Now Victoria is back to avenge her fallen mate. James."
Charlie stared at him. "So what you are saying is that your family is vampires and the Quileute's are Wolves? Bella has known this for over a year and I guess that she couldn't tell me. And that Bella is Edward's mate hence the reason why she was empty when he left? Eyes on the road boy. Be glad that I'm not giving you a speeding ticket."
Emmett, Carlisle, Edward and Bella had been staring at him in shock. "Dad, you're not freaking out? And how did you jump to that conclusion that fast?"
Charlie sighed, "You didn't sleep through one night without having a nightmare while he was gone. He came back, all of a sudden, you slept through the night and the day. Peacefully. Like you were complete. Like you had somebody holding you at night. I became I light sleeper after waking up to your screams for months. The only reason why I let it go on was because I knew you two were behaving. And that I was getting a full eight hours of sleep. Thank you Edward."
"Um...you're welcome?"
"From now on, come in through the front door and not the window, which is how I guess you have been coming in from. Oh look, we're here." He unbuckled his harness and stepped out into the garage and stretched. Esme came up and held her hand out. "Charlie, good to see you again."
He smiled and shook her cold hand. Points to him, he didn't flinch. "Now I know why Edward always wears gloves while shaking my hand." "Oh I'm so sorry."
"It's fine Esme. I'm okay with everything. Now where is Alice? A certain vampire boyfriend of my daughters told me what she pulled..."
Esme looked at Carlisle, "What?"
He chuckled and kissed her. "He is surprisingly okay with everything. Is everything ready?"
"Alice and Rosalie are there right now with Jasper setting up the family tents. Billy is going to be joining us along with the pack. We have today and tomorrow morning for Jasper to train us. Alice sees a cold front hitting tonight. So they packed several blankets for Bella, Charlie and Billy and a few portable heaters. The wolves will stay in their wolf forms. They should be here in about three minutes. I stayed to pack some of Edwards's clothes for Bella and Your clothes for Charlie, and Billy, along with these...where did they go?"
Emmett spoke, "If you're talking about the twenty picnic baskets and three overnight bags, we already packed those."
Carlisle and Charlie blinked at the numbers.
"Babe..."
"Don't you 'Babe' me mister! One is for Bella and Charlie along with Billy, the others are for the wolves so that they don't have to hunt."
Edward spoke up from beside Bella. "Guys, I hear the wolves, they have ten. Jacob is phasing back and bringing Billy inside. Charlie get on back in."
Bella got in front, and Edward buckled her in. Charlie got inside, sat in the far seat and buckled up. Carlisle opened the side door and let Jacob and Sam in. He placed Billy in the seat and Sam placed the chair on the floorboard, then buckled him in and closed the door, while Edward got in the driver seat.
Charlie turned to him and said, "Hey Billy, question, Jacob vs. Edward? Who would you root for?"
"DAD!"
Esme came up to the window and kissed her forehead to. "Watch the road Edward." She turned to Bella, "See you at the clearing sweetie." Bella smiled. "See you in a bit mom, bye dad!"
She turned to Billy and glared. "Not. One. Word."
He held his hand up in defense. "Wasn't gonna say anything."
"Good."
