AN: For what it's worth, this is not how I expected this chapter to go. Charlie, however, has a mind of his own... And a serious lack of a verbal filter...
Disclaimer- I own nothing but the story line. Characters all belong to Stephenie Meyer, and I sure as hell ain't her!
Into the Woods- Chapter 10
Charlie Swan waved goodbye to his deputies, leaving the station with a little extra spring in his step. Bella had called earlier to invite him over for supper, and his stomach was growling in anticipation. Nobody could cook like his little girl.
He felt a little guilty about the fact that Bella had to practically raise herself all those years. He knew Renee, and he still let her take his daughter all the way across the country and out of his reach. Hindsight is always 20/20, and Charlie could admit now, eighteen years later, that he was selfish. He hadn't known what to do with an infant, and he was too afraid to fight Renee for his child.
For years, Charlie told himself that a girl needs her mother more than her father, and he deluded himself into thinking Renee could actually fill that role in a mature manner. He never saw how tense and tired his daughter was when she would show up for her summer visit every year, or how relaxed and happy she was playing with Jacob and his sisters.
Bella, for her part, was unwilling to rock the boat. She didn't want to seem ungrateful to her mother by asking to spend more time with Charlie, and she didn't want to impose on her father since he never asked her to stay longer than was planned.
When Renee and Phil married, Bella was actually nervous to ask her father if she could come live with him. It finally came down to the lesser of two evils. She already knew Renee wanted her gone; Charlie was the unknown factor.
Charlie buying the truck for her, as well as her new bedding, touched something deep inside her that was desperate for affection. She realized on some level that her father did care about her, and maybe he really had been missing out over the years.
Of course, as soon as their relationship began to develop, Bella fell into the clutches of Edward Cullen. He thrived on having complete control over every single aspect of her pathetic human life, and Charlie was his biggest obstacle.
Edward enjoyed the challenge that Charlie's cloudy mind provided; the vampire had to be even more cunning when he couldn't hear exactly what he needed to in the human's mind. He worked meticulously to draw Bella out of her father's grasp, and drive a wedge between the two. A wedge that was only broken when Sam imprinted on her.
Charlie still wasn't a huge fan of Sam Uley- what father actually likes the man who is fucking his little girl? But he was making an effort to be civil, if only for his daughter's sake. He was worried at first that their relationship would be a repeat of what she had with Cullen, but he was pleasantly surprised to find he was even closer to her now than he was when she lived in his house.
They had a standing offer of dinner twice a week- once with just Charlie and Bella at the local diner, and the other with Sam at their small house on the rez. Things were a bit tense between the two men, but they did at least try to keep the animosity toned down. Charlie knew if it came down to it, she would choose Sam over him in a heartbeat. He wasn't willing to risk their relationship again by fighting a losing battle.
It didn't occur to Charlie to be suspicious when Bella called him to change their dinner from Thursday night to Wednesday; he was just happy to have a good meal a day early. He hummed off-key along with the music in his car, wondering what was on the menu for the night. Bella told him it was a surprise.
He began to worry when Sam answered the door and Bella was nowhere in sight. He stepped inside after the silent Quileute, sniffing appreciatively at the smell of fried fish- it smelled like Harry Clearwater's recipe.
Sam waited for Charlie to sit on the chair before he lowered himself to the couch, keeping one ear toward the back of the house. "Smells good in here. Where's Bells?" Charlie asked. Sam was the only one who heard Bella's answering groan from the bathroom.
Looking at his mate's father, Sam noticed gratefully that his service revolver was missing- probably locked in the gun safe in Charlie's cruiser. Things would go a lot smoother tonight if Sam didn't actually get shot.
Hearing the toilet flush, and the water turn on, Sam hopped up to grab the fish and carry it outside to the porch where his mate could eat in peace. Charlie watched him curiously before turning his attention to the sports commentary on ESPN. No need to make conversation if Bella wasn't here to see it.
Sam had the food set up and the kitchen window open by the time Bella emerged, looking even paler than normal, and grimacing slightly. He was by her side in an instant, tucking her face against his skin in an instinctive move to ease her senses. She gratefully breathed in his comforting scent, attempting to wash away the remaining smell of fish from her nose.
"Bells? Are you sick, honey?" Charlie finally noticed his daughter was in the room, wrapped up in the giant native as usual. Fucking Uley. "We can reschedule if you're not feeling well, baby girl. Do you need anything?"
Taking a deep breath, Bella pulled back and glanced up at Sam for reinforcement. He nodded and led her out to the porch, leaving Charlie to follow once more. Once she reached the fresh air, she breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed in her chair. Sam handed her a glass of water and stayed by her side until he was sure she was as well as she could be.
Charlie was starting to worry there was something seriously wrong with his daughter. She was quiet, and clearly not in good health. Judging by the fact that she came out of the bathroom, he wondered if she was having trouble keeping her food down. She'd had a few episodes shortly after the Cullens left, where she ran across something saturated in vampire scent and either passed out or lost her lunch, or both.
Emily helped her clean out her old room, laundering everything that could be washed, and wiping the rest down with natural cleaners. There were still a lot of things that didn't pass Sam's sniff test and had to be thrown away or boxed up and stored in Charlie's attic. He knew it was for her safety, and not out of any strange sense of control on Sam's part, but it still rankled Charlie's nerves a bit.
Seeing Bella now, he wondered if they had missed something, or worse, one of them had come back. That thought instantly put him in a panic and he leaned across the table to grasp her clammy hand, "What's happened, Bells? Did they come back? Tell me what I can do!"
Bella was shocked at his line of thinking, but just squeezed his hand and shook her head. "No, Dad. I'm not actually sick. The fish smell didn't agree with me- it was poor planning on my part, I just wanted to make this meal special for you."
She took a deep breath and leaned further into Sam's touch. He kept one arm around her, with his free hand resting low on her stomach, unconsciously shielding his tiny pup from danger. "Dad, look, I don't know how to tell you this, but I need you to promise me you won't overreact."
Charlie snorted, "Overreact? What the hell are you gonna tell me now that you think I could possibly overreact to? I mean, I learned that you dated a vampire, were saved by a werewolf- a wolf you're mated to for life- what's next? A litter of puppies?"
Bella's startled gasp and Sam's sudden protective stance made Charlie freeze in shock. They watched silently as his mouth gaped and he looked between their two serious faces, as they didn't refute his outrageous accusation.
His mind was whirling; it couldn't be true! This was his baby, his daughter, his little girl! She was the poster child for maturity and responsibility, and as much as he hated to admit it, Sam was her perfect match in that regard. How in the hell could they let this happen?
Looking back at Sam, Charlie's eyes narrowed in fury. It wasn't enough that the fucking vampire stole her; as soon as he left, Sam swooped in to stake his claim. The imprint, the marking, moving her out to the rez, pulling her out of school- Charlie let it all go without a fight, because he thought he was looking out for his daughter's best interests.
Now he saw that wasn't the case. Sam trapped her even more- knocking her up at 18, trapping her in a role she shouldn't be burdened with yet. She needed time to grow and experience life for herself before she was shackled with the demands of motherhood.
Bella watched warily as her dad glared at her mate, jumping slightly when he stood and reached his hand to his hip where his gun normally rested. Sam stood up as well, pushing her behind him, as he put himself between her and her irate father. "Charlie, we can explain-"
"EXPLAIN?! What the hell is there to explain, Sam?! You're fucking old enough to know to wrap that shit up, Sam! I trusted her with you! I gave you my only fucking daughter and this is how you repay me?! I'm gonna kill you, you worthless son of a bitch!"
Bella's head whipped back as if she had been slapped, and then she stepped around Sam enough that she could level her furious gaze at her father. "You don't talk to him like that, Charlie. Sam has done more for me in the past month than you ever did the last eighteen years. If you have a problem with my mate, then you can march your hypocritical ass right back to Forks."
The men were silent as she got more wound up. "But get this straight right now, if you ever threaten Sam again, I will be the one to follow through. And believe me, I haven't forgotten your helpful little shooting lessons, or the pistol you gave me for my birthday. I will defend him."
Charlie recovered his voice first, as Bella shocked him out of his temper with the venom in her normally sweet voice. He dropped his head a minute, then abruptly changed tactics. "I'm sorry. Look, Sam, I won't pretend to like you, but you have to know what a huge mistake this is! I mean, she's only eighteen! She's throwing her whole life away!"
Bella dropped into her chair at his words, all the fight in her fading away. His answer was so immediate, so heartfelt, that she knew he believed it, deep in his core. Sam dropped his knee beside her, but he didn't know what was bothering her, other than Charlie's obviously hateful words.
She looked up into her father's familiar brown eyes, her eyes, and stared at him in disbelief. Was this why he never fought for her? Never came to visit? Did he honestly believe she was just some huge cosmic mistake?
Her eyes welled up with tears that began to spill over almost immediately. Sam lifted her up and sat, taking her down on his lap as he continued to glare at Charlie. He stroked her back and nuzzled her hair, showing remarkable patience, considering the situation. It helped that he could feel his pack in the woods nearby; they must have heard the Chief's furious ranting.
When her sobs increased, he scooped up his little mate and carried her straight inside, shutting the door tight behind them. He didn't stop until they reached their bedroom, where he sat against the headboard and held her tucked safely in his arms. She buried her face in his chest and continued to cry, wetting his shirt with her tears as she drew comfort from his scent.
He waited patiently, saying nothing, but keeping a continuous purr that came from the man as much as the wolf. She would talk when she was ready. It took almost half an hour, but he finally heard her voice, soft and shaky, but clearer than he expected, "I am never cooking fish again!"
His deep chuckle soothed her more than all his previous actions, and she couldn't hold back a small smile in the midst of her emotional turmoil. Knowing that she needed to let her mate know what she was thinking, she looked up into those familiar eyes that she loved so much. "Sammy, do you think our baby is a mistake?"
With a fierce growl, Sam put one hand on her belly and the other on her face. He stared deep into her eyes and kissed her firmly before he answered. "Never, girl. This little warrior is going to be the best-loved kid in the state of Washington. He's got two parents who love each other and are wholly committed to each other, and a pack family that will be there for him as well. I love you, and I love this baby, so much. Never doubt that, baby."
Though she thought she knew his answer, she couldn't hold back a sigh of relief at his vehement confirmation. Nodding in agreement, she looked down and twined her fingers with his over their tiny child. "I know. I love him too. Thanks, Sam."
She took a deep breath and continued to study their joined hands as she quietly spoke of her pain. "My mom was nineteen when she had me. She and Dad were just starting school and their careers, and I kind of put a wrench in their plans. My mother drilled it into my head my whole life how important birth control was, because I didn't want to make the same mistakes that she did. She never seemed to understand what those words did to me, the product of that mistake.
"My dad was different. He always acted happy to see me, and he would drop everything when I came to visit and give me his undivided attention. I guess because he never spoke of it, he must have had a different opinion. But he said it tonight- he thinks my baby is just like me- a mistake. I don't know what to do with that."
Sam didn't answer verbally, because he was too angry to even think about his mate's father at that moment. Instead, he turned his attention to his imprint, and slowly undressed her, intent on showing her exactly how much he loved her.
~oOo~
Charlie Swan stared at the closed door of Sam Uley's house, then looked at the meal his daughter had so carefully prepared for him, despite her obvious physical discomfort. He took a bite of the fish, confirming that she had in fact used Harry Clearwater's famous fish fry, and gave a small smile of appreciation when he saw her homemade potato wedges.
She clearly planned to butter him up and then ease him into their announcement. Charlie was always more reasonable after a good meal. Now it was all a waste. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, before turning to his car to leave. He doubted if Sam would ever welcome him into their home again, much less tonight.
He cranked his car and drove slowly down the quiet street, lost in thought over Bella's revelation. Renee was going to flip out, there was no doubt about that, and he was sure she would find some way to pin this all on Charlie. In some ways, he thought it probably was. He never asked her if she needed to see a doctor, and he never took her to buy birth control, assuming it was something Renee covered with her and she would handle on her own.
Of course, she was dating Dr. Cullen's son, so he probably could have gotten whatever she needed as well. Thoughts of the Cullens made him wonder about just how much control they actually had over her, physically, but before he got much further he had to suddenly slam on his brakes.
At the end of Sam and Bella's road, a tall figure stepped out of the woods directly in the path of Charlie's car. When the lights hit the shirtless man, Charlie quickly recognized the former troublemaker, Paul Lahote.
The wolf stood there staring him down for several long moments, before moving smoothly to his window. Charlie reluctantly rolled the window down, wondering if the boy somehow knew what had happened already. He decided to let Paul speak first.
The tall wolf glared down at the older human with nothing but disdain on his face. He finally pulled out a small square of paper and handed it to the Chief. Charlie recognized the ultrasound picture for what it was, and looked back at the Quileute in question.
"That's your grandchild, Charlie. No matter how it happened, or who's the father, that little bean is a part of your daughter, a part of you. You need to decide how important that is to you, because I promise you, Chief, I won't let you hurt my little sister ever again," Paul turned and walked away without another word, leaving the older man studying the grainy image that was proof of the life his daughter carried.
His daughter. His grandchild. He was a fucking idiot.