THE MISFORTUNES OF BEING A WOMAN
Disclaimer: The Cullens, the Swans, and most of the characters mentioned in the story that are known from Stephanie Meyer's beloved Twilight Saga, are all hers and hers alone. I neither have nor wish to pass them off as mine. I do appreciate the fact that she did bring them to life and allows us to play with them in our imaginations. The only thing I will claim is the current storyline.
After everyone got settled at Starbucks, Charlie begins immediately with the question, "Why are you at the hospital on the fourth floor?"
Carlisle didn't know how to answer, Alice and Rosalie didn't want to say anything that would create a bigger problem and Edward started to answer until Esme laid her hand upon her son's stopping him from speaking first. Instead she took it upon herself to answer for all of them, "Mr. Swan, you are telling us that you have a daughter that had been in the hospital, but, what makes you think that we are here for the same reason as your family might be, or, the same person, should I say?"
"We have been aware of Black's bunch trying to find our Bella for a while now. Then we got word that your family were quietly trying to locate her as well."
"Mr. Swan, it would, perhaps, be better if we both spoke more openly instead of in circles. And, before you call me Mrs. Cullen the name is Esme."
"Very well, Esme." So at this juncture both sides laid their cards on the table. Charlie and Renee explained about Bella and her desires to be separate from the family activities and how she accidentally stumbled upon the alley murders. That shortly after it had happened she had called them to let the family know. Charlie explained that he had gone to visit with her but found her out for the night and had left a note along with a voicemail. She had called to verify that all was well and that she was taking precautions as she had been taught. Also, she had told about the night she fell she was being followed and had ducked into a bar.
"Well, Charlie, that is the point where my son, Edward and the rest of us come into the picture." But, before Esme could explain any further the Volturi brothers walk in, look around and then invade the discussion going on between the two families.
"None of you would have any idea about our witness would you? You know like where the hell she is at?" Caius smarts off. But, before anyone could say a word in answer a large bang came from the kitchen area along with a scream and cry of pain.
CHAPTER 9: ARE WE UNITED NOW
All jump as one with the racket that had suddenly intruded on the confrontation happening at a corner table. Everyone whipped their head towards the kitchen and ready for whatever might come busting through the doors at any moment. The next thing they heard was, "Oh, shit, that hurt. Why don't you watch where you're going, you stupid bitch?" all members started to relax, but, tensed for a brief moment as a young girl came running out of the door between the front and the kitchen in tears. She was terribly upset and embarrassed if the blush on her face was any indication of her feelings.
The manager had gone back to see what had caused the commotion and the whole front of the establishment could hear, "I dropped the pans I had just pulled from the oven with the edge of one hitting across the bridge of my foot due to that young idiot girl not watching where she was walking with her tray of food." And, with that explanation made, everyone relaxed, removed their hands from inside their coat jackets and let the tense go with a relieved shaky laugh from some and a chuckle from others.
As if of one accord the Volturi brothers decided to leave, but, they each made a mental note to keep an eye on the activity of the two groups and who they associated during their visit to Savannah. It would be interesting to see how their involvement with each other might have something to do with the witness they sought and the Black bunch. Yeah, things were about to get interesting all the way around, or, so, they thought. The one unknown factor was Isabella (Isa) Marie Swan Dwyer Higgins. So, far she was keeping everyone on their toes and they kept running in the wrong directions unbeknownst to themselves or her.
With the Volturi out the door, all returned to the matter at hand, 'why the Cullen were's interested in a Swan?'. The appearance of each family being comfortable with one another was an illusion that only the trained eye would be about to detect the falseness of the situation. That is if they knew the two groups well enough to know what to look for. But, then you couldn't expect for the two most powerful crimes families to be completely at ease with each other.
That was a mutual distrust which was natural since there was no bridge joining the two together that they knew about. And, the fact that one group had an unnatural interest in the member of the other brought that distrust to the forefront very quickly. But, one couldn't say that Charlie Swan or his family weren't fair and refused to listen to another's explanation before killing them.
With a releasing sigh, Charlie turned to Esme and begins with, "Okay, she comes into the bar where you and your family are and what happens. You all meet and talk? What?"
"Charlie, I can honestly tell you that none of us knew until today who that the young woman was related to or her true identity. We saw her enter the bar, get a drink before wandering over to a table that afforded her a view of the door along with a complete sweep of the room. A man that we did recognize came in after her and we kept an eye out to see what was going to happen next.
"After a bit, with nothing more than the man watching her, we all got up to leave. Edward, here, did approach her to see if she needed any help due to what we had observed. We had no knowledge as to what even might be causing the problem for her. That was the last we saw of her until Edward wanted to check up on her. But, with having no personal information that had been exchanged he asked our daughters who happen to be very good at tracking people, to find her. She had caught his interest and he wanted to date her.
"It was during the investigation to track her that Alice and Rosalie came across her name which led to old addresses, but, it also brought the information as to why one of Black's men was tailing her that night. That was the first we knew of her possibly witnessing the alley incident. That made all of us, due to my son's interest in her, to find Ms Dwyer as quickly as we could for her own protection.
"That explains our interest, I do believe."
The Swans took a few moments to each quietly consider what Esme Cullen had told them. It was during this time that both women observed their offspring checking each other out. Renee remembered what her two sons had to say about the blonde and the black haired ladies as they were leaving the fourth floor at the hospital. And, now watching a bit closer she noticed the two young women checking out her sons. Esme saw the same as what had caught Renee's eye and allowed herself a small, unobserved smile to grace her lips.
Both women take a moment to quietly nudge their husband and direct their attention with a nod of the head towards the exchanging of looks taking place between their children. Carlisle and Charlie, both, were amazed at what they were seeing. They both seemed to relax their guards a little further since a bridge was being silently formed by their children. That is until Charlie remembered his only daughter and the fact that she had just given birth to a baby girl. Who the hell was the father? And, why is Bella running from all of them?
Thinking over all that Esme had told him it still left some unanswered questions that he felt only Edward could answer. So, he leaned back in his chair while taking a sip of his coffee, appearing satisfied with the answers and relaxed at the same time. Then without any rush or seeming hostility Charlie looked at each Cullen singularly before suddenly looking Edward straight in the eyes and asking, "What is your interest in my daughter and do you know who might have gotten close enough to her to have fathered her child?
"Don't get your backs up at me. Carlisle, if you were in my place how would you be handling it were your daughters were concerned? Considering you position and the position each of your children hold what would you do?
"Also, it is during this time of meeting you all that Bella would have interacted with the father. But, also, for Edward to want her to be found due to "his interest in her" and "wanting to check on her" I have the right to know exactly what his interests, or, rather, his intentions towards my daughter might be." With saying that Charlie's eyes switch back to Edward and waited. It was as if he knew, like he was inside of Edward's head and memories of the time spent with his dream girl. "I am only going to make this offer once. If it is ignored, it won't be offered again? Once I do find out the news someone will pay without any further words being exchanged. Do I make myself clear?" And, then Charlie leaned back again as if to wait. Emmett and Jasper heard the conversation and followed suit of their father's position.
The Cullen's looked from one member of the Swan family to another. Then surprise of surprises, Renee spoke, "Edward, you will answer one question at this time which I will ask in a minute." Then she turned to Charlie and told him in no uncertain terms. "You will save this shit for another time. I told you eight months ago to bring my baby home and none of you three assholes did a damn thing. This young man has shown a sincere interest in my baby and took an action that might have saved her life that night she entered that bar. So, Charlie, you, Emmett and Jasper will stop your macho shit right now. Do, you understand me?"
With said she turned back to Edward, "Now, Edward, do you care, or, have feelings for my daughter?"
"Yes, ma'am, I do. I want to get to know your daughter and to have her get to know me. Right now, if need called for it, I would give or do anything necessary to keep her save and protected. That was my intention the night I met her and I even tried to tell her that at the time. But, I think that coming from someone she didn't know might have put her on cautious acceptance.
"After she left me, I had no way to get back with her since she quietly left while my attention was directed in a different area. Once, we found out about her tie to Black's bunch fear ran through my veins and that is when the rest of my family became involved to help find her. I wanted her with me and that was enough for them to accept her as family and extended the protection to her." As he concluded with all of his feelings ringing in the truth of his answers and the sincerity of the expressions he spoke Renee knew all she needed to know.
"Renee, what the shit?"
"Don't ask me, 'what the shit?' You will find my baby and then you can play Mr. Big Ass after that but, until you do what needs to be done as a father and get our baby girl to safety. With this young man's feelings for our daughter and him wanting her to be safe, then we need to join forces to achieve that of which we all are wanting; for Bella and our granddaughter to be safe from harm."
A/N: An innocent interruption to a very intense discussion caused a relaxation of the tension that was building between the two families and the feds. With what has been revealed so far will Charlie accept it at face value and leave well enough alone? Did you think Renee has an idea of who fathered Bella's child after talking with Edward? Does Renee have enough of a hold on her family to get them to join with the Cullen's to find Bella and child?
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