Chapter Twenty Five

Charlie

I picked Harry up from the Res and drove to our favourite fishing spot and I knew he had something on his mind although he tried very hard to keep the conversation light until we'd set up and opened a beer each.

"So what's on your mind Harry?"

"Bella"

"Oh yeah? What about her? It's good to have her home for a while."

"What about her boyfriend?"

"Jasper Hale?"

"That's what he calls himself now but he wasn't always Hale."

"Really? Tell me more."

"Charlie he's not a good person, he's dangerous. I don't think its a good idea your Bella becoming involved with someone like that."

"That's a bit vague Harry and he seems open and honest enough to me."

"Honest? Yeah right."

"Let's get it all out in the open shall we Harry I can't stand all this skirting around. I tell you what he's told me and you can fill in the blanks"

"There'll be plenty of those Charlie I promise you."

"Well I know he's a vampire, I know he's over a hundred years old and that he loves Bella, how am I doing?"

I had to smile at his expression, that had him stumped for a few minutes.

"He told you all that and you're still happy for him to be involved with Bella?"

"No I'm not happy about him being involved with her but I am happy that he approached me and asked for my blessing to marry her."

"They're getting married? He's a blood drinking monster."

"An animal blood drinking monster Harry, let's get it right. Look, what Bella does concerns me not you. I know you and the vampires have a problem but that's between you not me."

"You know he'll change her don't you? And if he does it breaks the treaty between the Quileutes and the Cullens."

"Treaty?"

"We leave them alone as long as they don't bite a human."

"So what's your big secret Harry? Jasper was open about what he is, can you be as open?"

"Secret? I guess there's no point in pretending we don't have one is there?"

"Nope"

"The Quileutes are a guardian tribe Charlie. We do our best to keep the humans safe from the cold ones, the vampires. The guardian tribes have some members, almost always the younger men, who transform into creatures that have the ability to kill vampires."

"So what creature do your boys and I assume you're including Jake in this, turn into?"

"Wolves, giant wolves, with the ability to take down and kill a vampire. We made a treaty with the Cullens many moons ago when we found them hunting animals. The treaty was made between our ancestors and Carlisle Cullen."

"So all the time I was thinking it was a good idea for Jake and Bella to be a couple I was actually trying to persuade her to become involved with a wolf?"

"It's not like that. The boys only transform if there are vampires close by."

"It doesn't make any difference, the Cullens were here so Jake was switching from vampire killing wolf to boy trying to start a relationship with Bella. Tell me what makes a wolf a better husband for her than a vampire?"

"I would have thought that was obvious Charlie, the wolves are human, they have a heartbeat, blood runs through their veins and they only attack vampires."

"Really? There's never been an accident between a wolf and a human?"

He didn't answer straight away and I knew I'd hit home,

"Come on Harry, cards on the table. Or are you going to keep more secrets?"

"There has been an accident yes. Emily Uley wasn't attacked by a bear."

"That damage to her face was from a wolf?"

"Yes, she was a little too close when Sam lost his temper but he feels very bad about it."

"And she married him? Well it seems to me that the wolves are as dangerous as the vampires and as Jasper lives on animal blood I don't see the problem, Bella trusts him."

"Love is blind, isn't that the saying? Besides he didn't always live on animal blood. He was a human hunter for many years."

"When he lived in Mexico with the woman who turned him? Yes I know, I told you he'd been open with me. Now, Bella is my daughter and I am responsible for her, well she's an adult now so I guess she's responsible for her own safety but I'm happy with her choice Harry so that should be good enough for you. So, no more about the wolves and the cold ones."

He wasn't at all happy but there wasn't much else he could say so we sat in silence but I thought our fishing trips might be at an end which was sad but there you go, sometimes life gets in the way.

Bella

Fran borrowed the car to go shopping for a new outfit for her date and although I offered to go with her she knew I really wanted to be with Jasper so she went off on her own telling us to behave. It worried me what Harry might say to Charlie because I didn't know exactly how much Jasper had told my dad but he didn't seem at all worried, he was more interested in discussing how we were going to approach Renee and when I wanted to get married,

"Do you have any preference on date?"

I couldn't answer straight away, he'd taken my breath away with a kiss.

"As soon as possible I think. Before I explode."

He laughed,

"How about Valentines day or would that be too much of a rush? I know you'll want time to organise things"

I was shaking my head before he stopped talking,

"No organisation. I want something small and intimate. No big guest list or fancy wedding. I wanted to ask you if you were going to invite Carlisle and Esme and the others."

"I thought about it but it's really your decision to make. I have Peter and Charlotte and I'd like to ask a couple of other friends if that's OK with you."

"Of course, do I know them?"

"Garrett, he's a very old friend but he'd be really pleased I'd found my mate at last and his mate Tanya Denali."

"Denali? As in the Cullen cousins?"

"Yes but if it's a problem we can forget it."

"No that's fine. Do you think Rose and Emmett would come?"

"If you ask them maybe."

"Then I'll speak to them. What about Alice and Edward or would that be too weird?"

"Weird but then our whole relationship has been a little weird. If you want to ask them we can"

"OK, but let's get Renee out of the way first. That worries me most of all."

"Bella, it'll be fine don't worry, you let me do the worrying."

He pulled me into a hug which turned into a deep kiss and suddenly everything was fine in my world.