Beta: Jusobele


CH.29 Say What?

A week after Charlie came home, the only effects, anyone could see was his slight limp. The Dr. said with continued physical therapy that should go away in time. He still had not been able to return to work, which was his biggest issue at the moment. My dad was never one to just sit.

He and Quil got along really well. He, like everyone else, found it hilarious how overboard Quil was with the protectiveness. I thought Charlie was going to pee his pants when Quil explained to him the dangers of the sand at the beach.

Dad was excited beyond anything I ever imagined about having a grandson. He had already bought baby Q a fishing rod. I was hoping that, tonight's bonfire didn't change any of that.

Quil and I were moving into our house the next day. We were able to get everything we needed for the house. Kate suggested we wait to get baby things until after my shower, which was coming up soon. Quil's grandparents left him an inheritance he never knew about, so we didn't really have to worry about money even though we both wanted to support ourselves.

"Bella, are you ready?" Quil asked me.

"Yeah, ready as I'll ever be," I told him.

Charlie, Quil and I headed to La Push for the bonfire. We made it down to the beach as they were lighting the fire, and the food was being placed on the table.

"Charlie!" Billy and Harry greeted their fishing buddy.

The bonfire was underway. Everyone was eating and chatting, and having a good time. I was snuggled up to Quil when Billy announced it was time to tell the legends.

"It's going to be ok babe," Quil whispered in my ear.

I listened as Billy recited the legends. I watched as my dad listened. "Charlie, the legends are true. This is the pack of protectors," Billy told my dad.

"What do you mean the legends are true?" Charlie asked much too calmly.

"The boys and Leah, carry the protector gene. When a threat is present those with the gene begin to phase to protect the tribe and community," Billy told my dad.

"You're telling me that this group of kids turn into wolves and kill vampires? And that Bella is Quil's imprint or soul mate?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you," Billy told my dad.

"Prove it," Charlie challenged. He didn't look like he didn't believe, more like he needed to see it for himself.

"Charlie, I'm going to walk into the forest, phase and come out," Quil told my dad, kissing me and jumping up. I watched as my husband walked into the woods, and emerged a minute later as his beautiful chocolate colored wolf.

"Holy shit," Charlie uttered. "Okay I believe you. Why tell me now?" Charlie asked while Quil went to phase back.

"You have been a loyal friend to me, Harry and this tribe for as long as I've known you, and we know you can be trusted with the tribe's most sacred secret. Bella carries the first pack baby. Your grandson will be the first born of the next generation's pack," Billy explained.

"How can you know the baby will be a wolf?" Charlie asked.

"The child inherits the protector gene on the Ateara side. Quil and Bella are part of a legend making it certain," Billy told my dad.

"Say what?" Charlie asked.

"We explained imprinting. Did you understand what that meant?" Harry checked.

"Yes," Charlie said.

"An imprint is not complete until the wolf marks his mate with a bite. There is no way to know when the marking will take place. The wolf side will overwhelm the man and insist the mate be marked. It is the strongest desire the wolf/man will ever feel. It must be done," Harry continued explaining.

"Will it hurt Bella to be marked? Are you already marked?" my dad interrupted.

"Uh, yes, I am and no it didn't hurt," I told him, while others snickered. My dad looked around hearing and seeing the failed attempts at hiding the laughter.

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"Bella was marked while pregnant. There is a very rare legend surrounding an imprint who is marked while carrying her wolf's pup," Harry told my dad.

"What legend?" Charlie asked.

Now the snickering was loud, and everyone was openly laughing.

"It's called the fertility mark. It means that the spirits have blessed Quil's wolf and Bella as his imprint with fertility," Harry told my dad, skipping the embarrassing part.

"She's pregnant so obviously fertility isn't an issue," Charlie said blushing slightly, clearly not understanding.

"Yes, but it's more than that," Harry said. I could see him trying to figure out how exactly to explain the full meaning.

"Dad, it means I will probably be barefoot and pregnant a lot. You and Thomas will have your own baseball team of grandkids," I told him.

I could see the smile starting at the corner of his mouth, and wondered if I got a Charlie clone when I picked him up from the hospital.

"Okay, let me see if I understand everything. My son in law is strong enough to kill vampires. Quil will never leave you, never cheat on you and treat you like a princess. And in return you and he have been chosen to make a pack of baby wolves," my dad said.

"Uh, yeah, basically," I told him.

"Alright then," he said and took a drink from his beer.

Everyone was looking at each other, probably thinking the same thing I was. "Uh, Dad, you're not freaked out? I kind of expected you to turn red and start ranting," I told him.

"Well I have a guarantee my daughter will always be happy and protected, and I get to have a bunch of grandkids running around. There's not too much to be upset about," he said.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my dad… Charlie Swan?" I asked, causing everyone to laugh.

"Bells… I've just been given what every father of a daughter hopes for. My son in law is capable of protecting you, hurting you would cause him physical pain and I never have to worry about him moving you away. Everything else doesn't really matter," he said.

"You Swans are weirder than us," Leah said laughing. "We tell you, hey by the way we morph into huge dogs, chase and kill vamps, and you say yeah, ok," she explained, causing everyone to laugh.

"Charlie, you are taking this a lot better than I ever thought," Billy said, quirking his brow at his lifelong friend.

"My grandfather used to tell me stories of the Quileute warriors when I was really young. He said he had read the stories from his father's, my great grandfather's journals. I always thought they were made up stories but everything you said was in the stories he told me. It makes sense," my dad said, shocking us all.

"What was your great grandfather's name?" Harry asked.

"Jeremiah Swanson," my dad told Harry.

"Great Spirit," Billy and Harry uttered in unison.

"What?" almost everyone asked.

"Jeremiah Swanson was a white settler that had been injured and found by our people, and brought to the tribe to be healed. He stayed and became an honorary member of the tribe. It is in the history books. He was the only known outsider to know of the protectors. The books say he went on to teach the tribe English and help the Quileute when the white settlers tried to take our land," Harry explained.

"Holy Shit!" everyone said.

"It seems we learn something new every day," Thomas said.

"Do your books say what happened to him?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, he lived here on the reservation until his death. Upon his death his wife moved on but no one ever knew why or what became of her," Billy told us.

"How did we not know this until now?" Sam asked.

"We never brought up the pack so there would have been no reason to discover Charlie's family tie to the tribe," Billy said.

"What does this all mean?" Sam asked.

"While not tied to the tribe by blood, Jeremiah was a member of the Quileute making Charlie a descendent of a member of the tribe," Harry explained.

"Do you think this could be why Bella and Quil were chosen to carry the Fertile Marking?" Kate asked.

"It's a possibility, no way to know for sure," Billy said.

"Well I think we should celebrate, someone grab the good cooler and turn on some music," Thomas said.

"So grandpa let's talk about all these grandkids we're going to have," Kate said, walking over to my dad.