A/N: Wow I still can't believe anyone is reading this! Thank you to those of you who have said you enjoy it.
It's going to be a long day! And we've got a whole car ride to get through chock full of Charlie rationalizing, theorizing, and philosophizing before….
Thanks to **Lori**
Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer, and I appreciate her allowing the fans to toy with the ideas her books have inspired. I've read some wonderful stories by the fans! No copyright infringement intended for songs. Songs and lyrics belong to Roxette.
Charlie's POV
November 8th
We got into Bella's truck with one goal for the day—finding the Cullens. I tried to seem excited as I turned to her and said, "Are you ready for this?"
"I'm not sure," she answered as she climbed into the truck and fastened her seatbelt. I got into the driver's side and fastened my seatbelt. I realized I hadn't driven her truck since that day I took it to get new tires. As we headed down the road I tried to reassure her.
"C'mon, it'll be fine. Actually, I think you'll do better on this trip than this truck will, but we have to set some ground rules, okay?"
She looked at me wide-eyed. I told Bella I would drive and make this trip as long as we didn't have to listen to songs #1, 2, or 3. She agreed.
"And that song by the bald woman from Ireland," I added. She laughed in response, and enjoying that sound I hadn't heard in so long, I tried to continue with being a funny Dad.
"Maybe, just maybe I'd allow that Phil Collins song that was from that movie about the football player, but that's my limit." I replied putting my right hand up in the air like I was swearing to uphold the truth and nothing but the truth.
"Okay Dad, I've got it-no sad songs unless they have some relation to sports." I smiled and muffled a chuckle, thankful to have at least some of my old daughter back, but then she went silent for a while. I looked over at her to see the crease in her forehead was very apparent. Time for part two of my pep talk.
"I'm really glad you've come this far. I need you to stay with me, okay? I know you aren't going to be back to 100%, but I need you to talk to me and still let me in. What are you worried about? They'll be there, Bells. You'll get your chance." I hoped it was true.
"How did you find them?" She asked me this timidly, almost like she wasn't sure she wanted the answer.
"Well your dear old Dad is a cop, after all; I did some detective work. They aren't as far away as we thought. In fact, they're still in Washington."
All she could answer to that was, "Oh." There was hurt written across her face.
"Are you ready to tell me anything more about what happened between you and him?" I hoped she would be ready.
She shook her head no. "Maybe once we see how this day goes?"
"Alright. How about if I give you some of my perspective then?" I proceeded to convey to her what I had told Mark just one week earlier, how disappointed I was in myself for not expressing gratitude toward Edward for saving her life and how it was easier to blame him for her getting hurt when she left last spring.
She sat quietly, like she was contemplating something or remembering, I'm not sure which at this exact moment.
"Those weren't the only times he saved me, Dad," she responded so quietly that I wasn't sure I was supposed to hear her, but I did. Her words made me tense up, gripping the wheel harshly.
"What do you mean?" I responded anxiously. I watched her twist her fingers together and bend her fingers back, though there was no cracking sound.
"The night I went to Port Angeles with Jessica and Angela to go dress shopping, I kind of got myself into a sticky situation, but Edward saved me," she admitted keeping her eyes on her moving hands.
Jesus, was there no end to my daughter's bad luck?
"What kind of sticky situation?" I asked harshly.
"Well…Angela and Jessica were taking a really long time shopping and I kind of was hoping to check out a book store, but it was getting late, so we split up."
"Oh Bella, you don't ever split up from your friends. Have I taught you nothing?"
"I know Dad. It was stupid. I just was so happy to be out of Forks that day and I really thought I would be in and out of this bookstore and get back to them in no time."
"So tell me what happened?" I looked over and could see she was biting her lip now. I knew this was going to be bad.
"Well, I kind of ran into these guys who started to hassle me."
"Guys? How many Bells?"
"I don't know. Maybe four."
"Geez, Bella. Tell me you had your pepper spray with you!"
"Well, I'm not sure if I did or not but I was remembering the self-defense moves I've learned."
"Self-defense against four guys Bella? Jesus! Did they hurt you? What did they do to you?" I was really anxious again and trying to push the truck's speed limit.
"Nothing happened," she said.
"Nothing? How could nothing have…"
"Edward!" she proclaimed his name stronger than I heard her say it since the night she found the CD in her room.
She was adamant in her declaration. "It was Edward!" She looked out the window off into the distance toward the trees lining the road then turned back to me.
"Nothing happened to me because he showed up and basically told them to back off. Then he gave me a ride to meet up with Jessica and Angela." She spoke softer again.
"So what…Edward just happened to show up? Out of the blue, right place, right time?"
"Yeah, I guess he was there doing some shopping or going to a movie."
"Uh huh." I didn't know what to make of this new information but I supposed I should be grateful to him yet again. If I thought the kid would eat it, I think I was up to owing him five fruit baskets.
"So am I to believe you two have some sort of cosmic gravitational pull toward each other or something?"
"Dad, I don't know, but yeah sort of, we do. Or at least we did." She averted her eyes and looked out the window again toward the right.
Then I started laughing without trying to contain it this time. "Aww hell Bells, do you think I didn't accidentally run into your mother a lot before we started dating? That's the oldest trick in the book. He must have overheard you at school saying you were going shopping in Port Angeles. And let me guess, he had one of his brothers there serving as his wing man? Well I'm just thankful they had good timing." I laughed again shaking my head.
She smiled. "I guess so."
"And nothing happened, right? You weren't hurt or anything? There wasn't any fighting between the guys?"
"Nope. Edward just threatened them."
"Good. I guess I'll add that to my list of things to thank him for, which is what I was getting around to telling you anyway. I'm not going to shy away from saying these things that are on my mind and I'm hoping you have the confidence to do the same today—just say what you need to say, whatever it is and to whoever. If we do see them this might be a one-shot deal. You might not get another chance. And no matter what the outcome, I promise you that if you can do it, if you can really not hold back today, it will just make you that much stronger to face whatever else comes up next in your life, good or bad. Okay? Do you think you can do that?"
"I'm going to try, Dad. Really, I want to try."
"Good Bells. Now next order of business." I reached down into my coat pocket and pulled out the small book I had yet to show Bella. "Take a look at the pages I marked in this, would you?"
"What is it?" she asked as I hesitated. I tilted my head left and right as I waxed and waned about the ethics regarding sharing this with her.
"Bells, this is your mother's journal from when you were little. I found it under the floorboards of your room that day I found your other things. There are some passages in it about the Blacks that I marked. Go on, take a look."
She scanned the pages and I guess I wasn't surprised at what caught her attention. She read the rhyme out loud.
When the wolf runs and the bird takes flight,
'tween sun and rain, fire and ice,
a child will rise for these to unite.
"What does that mean?" she asked with surprise.
"Hey Shakespeare, you are the one who always used to have her nose stuck in a book, I was hoping you could tell me!" I exclaimed.
"Well I definitely don't know."
"Has anything ever been said to you by Billy or Jacob that might have something to do with this?"
She thought things over for a minute then hesitated.
"Come on Bells, you can tell me. I need to know." I tried to persuade her gently.
"Well, at prom Jacob showed up with a message from his dad saying 'We'll be watching you.'"
"He what? At your prom? Ahh Bells, why didn't you tell me? You should have told me."
"It was no big deal. I mean, Edward didn't like it, but yeah, I don't know, it is like they are really protective of me. I told him thanks but that it wasn't necessary. I mean, I've got you," she added.
"Damn straight, you've got me!" I added. "What about your mother-did she ever mention anything about this to you?"
"No, not that I remember." Bella lightly cupped her hand around her profile with two fingers landing softly at her temple. I was sure if she was thinking or trying to shroud her face. "Sometimes it is hard to remember too far back, though Dad."
I was agitated and needed to get out of the truck to clear my head for a minute. I pulled into a QuickFill gas station and convenience store.
"Hey, I'm going to stop here for a cup of coffee and to fill up the tank. You want anything? How about a cup of hot tea?"
"Hey Dad?"
"Yeah Bells?" I said, already out of the truck and turning back to look at her.
"Just for future reference, I don't really like hot tea."
"Alright. Good to know." I rolled my eyes. It figures. Well at least she was forming coherent sentences and expressing her opinion.
"I'll take a Coke." She smiled. "And some Twizzlers!" she yelled out the window.
Once I returned to the truck and we were heading back down the road, Bella looked up from the journal.
"Dad, did you read this part? About Mom being willing to leave Forks if it meant protecting me?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Do you think that's why…" She trailed off.
"I don't know Bells, but quite frankly I'm ready to find out. In fact, I wanted to ask you something. I noticed you have two tickets to Florida and whereas I don't think one of those tickets was originally intended for me, (and I cringed at the thought of that!) I was wondering if you and I might not go pay a visit to Renee over Thanksgiving break. If there was something behind her leaving, then I want to know about it. Plus, I've got just as much to tell her as I do Edward that I regret not having said sooner."
"Dad, I mean she's married now and happy. You can't just go there and…"
"Yeah Bells, I know. She's moved on and happy with Phil, and I'm sure it is just water under the dam, but still it should be said. I accepted the fact that your mother moved on a long time ago. I'm happier that she has settled down, even if it is with a guy who could never cut it in the majors." I smirked to myself. I never did like watching minor league baseball.
"Bridge, Dad."
"What's that, Bells?"
"The expression is water under the bridge, not the dam."
"Ohh. Well, trust me Bella, with your mother, it could have been a dam!" I smiled. Renee was a force to be reckoned with, that was for sure.
After about one and a half hours of driving with only a few wrong turns, I made my way to the address I had scribbled down. I pulled just onto the edge of a long drive that led to a house that sat way off the road surrounded by trees.
"Well, I think this is it," I said.
Bella's eyes widened at the site of the house, almost like something very familiar struck her but I couldn't tell what that was.
"Bells, breathe. What is it?"
"It's them, Dad. It's definitely them." She wasn't looking over at me. Instead she was focused on the scenery beyond the house.
"How do you know?"
"I just….feel it."
"Alright. Well, I guess it's good to have instincts. If you are sure about this, then I thought we could backtrack to the clinic where Dr. Cullen is supposedly working today and…"
"And then I need to come back here on my own," she demanded.
"By yourself? Ut uh, no way Bells. That's not how this is going to work. We don't even know for sure if they live here."
"Dad, please," Bella whispered to me with pleading in her voice, her face, and her heart, completely catching me off my guard.
I dropped my tone and could feel my face wrinkle as I looked at her.
"Do you think you can do this by yourself?"
She swallowed hard. "Yeah, Dad. I think I can."
There she sat in the truck with…determination? My daughter who had been a withering flower only a couple of weeks ago was now telling me she wanted to take this on, all on her own. I'll never understand the effect of this boy, leaving her crushed one month and hopeful the next. God, I hope this doesn't ruin her again.
I jiggled my leg and stroked my mustache struggling over whether I could let her go it alone.
A cop wouldn't leave her.
A father wouldn't leave her.
"Bells, you've always been stronger than you look. Remember that for me." I'm not sure if it's kickoff time or if we are down to the final seconds in the game, but if baby bird is ready to jump out of the nest, then let's hope this Swan flies.
***A/N: Awww you gotta love Charlie. Any thoughts on what is going to happen next? The next chapter will be the best so far. I hope. But the chapter following that has been difficult for me to write and that is why I have been delayed in getting chapters up.
Did you like revisiting some of the details from Twilight? Feel free to let me know. Reviews are like calorie-free chocolate cake!
