Chapter 28 – Charlie POV
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Why do I feel my pulse in my whole head with every beat of my heart? Did I really drink that much beer last night? Yeah, I did. This is going to be a rough morning. I pry my dry eyes open and groan as the sun assaults them. Then I see what Billy has left for me. There on the nightstand is a lidded and strawed hospital cup of what I hope is water and two Excedrin. I take a drink and swallow the pills. The water is cool, not icy cold to shock the system, and wonderfully soothing. Finishing off the water, I lay my head back down waiting for relief. Soon enough the pounding in my skull recedes and the call of the restroom is unavoidable. I slowly make my way across the hall to the restroom.
On the sink sits a pair of sweats and a tee shirt on top of a clean towel. I smile at Billy's thoughtfulness. I let the shower warm up as I take care of the necessities. I step into the shower and let the warm water refresh my body as it washes away the previous day's expenditures.
Thunder cracks in the distance. I'm not surprised; we've had 4 days of clear weather. That's not bad for December.
As the hot water runs down my face clearing away the mental cobwebs, I find myself going over the revelations of yesterday. My daughter was dating a vampire and wanted to be one of them. That right there is the part that breaks my heart. My baby girl was endangered and I was clueless. Now she's with Jacob, the son I never had. I've wished that they would be together since they were little kids. But things just can't be that easy can they? I sigh as I press my forehead to the cool wall. No everything is completely fragged! Bella has a bunch of vampires out to kill her. Jacob turns into a vampire killing wolf and my baby is mated to him. She is only eighteen and she is mystically married to a fanged fur ball that is my best friend's son. My best friend has known what was going on the whole time and he was bound not to say anything to me. I should be furious with him but I have always known that there have been some tribal things that he couldn't share with me. If I would have approached him before he would have told me the same as he did last night. But now my baby is wrapped up in all this and is bound to, is *married* to a sixteen year old boy. How can they be married? They're both still in school.
My head shoots up. Oh dear God! No, Jacob is sixteen almost seventeen. I just had thoughts of having to arrest my own daughter as a child predator. I wonder what the tribal laws are. Good God I don't think I could handle that. I need to talk to Billy before I talk to the kids. I know she is eighteen but she is still in school, she's still my baby. The water's turning cold so I quickly wash up and get out. I get dressed and head to the kitchen.
I enter the kitchen without saying a word. Billy is sitting at the table reading the paper. I pour myself a cup of coffee and top off Billy's cup as I sit down at the table.
Billy breaks the silence without looking away from his paper. "Morning."
I take a drink from my mug. "Morning." I reply. Another pause and I sigh.
Billy lowers his paper folding and laying it on the table.
My eyes are locked onto my cup. "So, we're in-laws." A smile pulls at the corner of my lips.
"Yep. It would seem so." I can hear the smile in his voice."
"What's the age of consent for the tribe?"
He barks out a laugh. "Younger than Jacob."
I breathe a sigh of relief. I look up at him and he is still silently chuckling. "What's so funny Old Man?"
"That is not what I thought would be most pressing thing on your mind."
I smirk. "I guess that I just wanted to deal with the most mundane and easiest to wrap my brain around."
"I can see that." My oldest friend suddenly looks totally uncomfortable sitting across from me. I would have told you if I could of. Harry and I brought it to the council more than once."
I hold up my hand. "I know. I've known there have always been things you couldn't talk about. This is just the first time it has been anything that affected me directly. Is there anything else I should know?"
"I think you have the basics covered now."
I nod my head. "So the old legends are real. The Cullens are vampires. Jacob is the leader of a pack of shapeshifting wolves. My daughter knew she was dating a vampire. She was attacked and bitten by a different vamp and wanted to become one of them because of some vampire voodoo. A horde of bloodsuckers is coming after her. And now because of some wolf mojo she has been forced to be magically bound to Jacob forever."
He takes a drink of his coffee before he responds. "Yes. The legends are real, the Cullens are Cold Ones, Bella knew and was bitten, she has a group coming after her, and she is imprinted with Jacob. She has not been forced into anything with Jacob. The imprint can be rejected by the girl and the wolf will accept her choice. A wolf will strive to keep his imprint safe and happy for the rest of his life. He will be what she needs friend, brother, protector, husband, or mate. If not being with him is what will make her happy then he will accept that. Jacob would never push her further than what she wants. She has chosen to be his mate and in the eyes if the tribe they are married."
I slap the table causing the almost empty cups to rattle. "They're just kids Billy! She's only eighteen and he's only sixteen! How can they be married when they are both still in high school?! They can't take care of themselves. Neither one of them have a job. And what if she gets pregnant? What will they do then?"
"You know that Jacob is on an accelerated path through school. I had him start on that when Sam phased because I knew that Jacob would eventually phase too. He will graduate this year just like Bella. As for the rest of it, we will just have to work through it. With a new imprint they will not be able to be apart for too long. I will say that there is something special with their imprint. I haven't figured out what it is or what is going on but there is something." The earnestness is just bleeding out of him.
I take a calming breath. "Will you tell me when you figure out what it is you think you don't know?"
"No more secrets my friend. We're family. You don't have any native blood do you? Or Renee?"
"I know I don't and Renee's straight up Irish. Why?"
"Just looking for direction for possible influence on their imprint." He says with a sigh.
Another clap of thunder rolls. It sounds like we are in for quite a dousing.
I start to chuckle despite myself. "So, does Jacob like to have his ears scratched or have his belly rubbed better?"
Billy chokes on his coffee when he laughs. "I don't know. I've never tried to pet him. Something about looking up to a wolf the size of a horse that makes you have second thoughts about such things. Although Bella has no such reservations, I've seen her manhandle the wolves without a moment's hesitation."
"The size of a HORSE? You're shitting me. Hold on, what do you mean that she manhandles them?"
"She's grabbed hold of muzzles, walks right up to them in wolf form with no fear, and she is able to calm the wolf just by touching them. She was preventing Jacob from phasing without knowing what she was doing. What actually caused him to phase was Sam was trying to protect her from him. I had just told them about the wolves and Jacob figured out that Bella had been dating a Cold One. He was upset and I sent him outside because I thought he was going to phase. I tried to hold her back but she made it out after him. Sam got in between them to protect her and apparently Jacob thought he was going to hurt her and attacked him. He took over as Alpha right then and there. What was most amazing to me was after the fight Bella walked right up to him, hugging him, and offering herself to be sniffed. All of that was before the imprint. Since then her instincts with the pack have been amazing from what I have been told."
A loud crash from above and the skies open up. I look out the window and can hardly see the tree line. I hear Bella screech and I jump up and jerking the door open. There I see Jacob holding Bella bridal style spinning in circles. They are laughing like a couple of fools in the downpour. Billy joins me at the doorway nudging me with his elbow as he quietly chuckles.
"They're nothing more than a couple of love sick kids." I sigh to myself with a reluctant smile on my face.
Bella's head is thrown back and she is laughing as the rain runs off her flying hair. She looks so happy and alive. This cannot be a bad thing for her. I lean heavily against the doorframe a happy resignation settling over me. We will make this work; after I make them squirm.
I stand up straight, cross my arm across my chest, school my face into my best pissed off cop scowl, stepping out onto the porch I loudly clear my throat.
The laughing duo freezes. The smile drops off my baby girl's face as she pushing against Jacob in the chest. Jacob carries her up onto the porch carefully putting her down but keeping his arms wrapped protectively around her. "Charlie." He nods his head in acknowledgement.
"Don't you mean Chief Swan boy." My gaze shifts to Bella. "You're going to catch your death. Go get dried off and changed."
"Yes sir." Bella tries to step away to go into the house but Jacob holds her to him.
I square my shoulders to him. His growl is unmistakable as he locks his yellow rimmed eyes with me. Bella puts a hand on his chest and says something so quietly I cannot make it out. Her other hand cups his cheek and he looks down to meet her eyes. He kisses her palm giving her the slightest of nods. Apparently agreeing to whatever she just said he takes a deep breath and releases his hold on her. She quietly slips pass me heading into the house.
He watches her go into the house then turns his attention back to me. I am glad to see his eyes are back to normal. Those yellow eyes were hard to stare down. "Look Char – Chief Swan, I …"
I cut him off. "Just stop before you get started. Bella is my daughter and no matter what you are or can turn into she is and always will be my main concern. I have just found out that she was dating and wanted to be a vampire. Mow she is with you, a shape changing, vampire killing machine. I have always wanted the two of you together and I know you will do your best to protect her. But you better get one thing through your head right now. She is and always will be MY baby girl. I will everything I can to keep her safe and happy until the day I die. No matter what you can do you will may as well just get it into your head right now that that will never change. You both are still in school and in different schools at that. I expect that you both will be graduating with good grades. Do you understand me?"
"I understand your concerns. I would never do anything that would hurt her in any way. I have never thought that either one of us dropping out of school. Bella is so amazing. I want her to have every opportunity she can."
"With that understanding, let's sit down and talk." I go to head inside when a black Mercedes pulls up. Carlisle Cullen steps out of the car. "What the hell do you want Cullen?" I bark out.
"I am here just to deliver food." He lifts a chaffing pan. "I assure you I will be on my way in just a moment."
"You need to leave my town. I'm not going to put up with your kind around good people."
"I see you know more than I thought. We will be on our way once the threat to Bella is eliminated." Carlisle calmly answers.
"If it wasn't for you there would not be a threat to her! If it wasn't for you she wouldn't have spent months like a fucking zombie! If it wasn't for you she wouldn't have nightmares every fucking night since September!" I move to go down the stairs. Every ounce of my being is intent of sharing some of the pain my baby girl had to endure because of him and his family.
Jacob puts a restraining hand on my arm. "Charlie, he is here to help right now. Even if you did hit him, you would only succeed in breaking your hand. Hitting them is like hitting a granite slab."
I ignore him and continue my tirade. "It is because of you that she was bitten! It is because of you the she wanted to die! IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT WHEN I GOT TO HAVE MY BABY GIRL BACK HOME SHE WAS COMPLEETLY WRAPPED UP IN VAMPIRE VOODOO THAT I DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE OF REALLY GETTING TO KNOW HER AGAIN! AND IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT JACOB TURNS INTO A GIANT FUCKING WOLF AND MYSTICALLY BOUND WITH MY DAUGHTER SO EVEN NOW SHE IS TAKEN FROM ME AGAIN!"
Bella's arms are around my neck and I collapse down to the sodden boards of the porch. I clutch her to me as the wellspring of my anger and hurt burst. We cry into each other's shoulders and I have no idea how much time has passed.
At Jacob's urging we make our way to inside the house. Apologies spill forth from both of us for everything from the time her mother took her away to today. Jacob brings us bowls of Shepard's Pie. We eat silently.
When I have eaten all I could I look at my daughter. She has shifted as she's eaten and is leaning against Jacob's side with his arm draped around her. His fingers are making small circles on her side and I don't really think either one of them realize the picture of contentment they make.
"Even a blind man could see that you two belong together. We will make it work, but there will be some things that you have to agree to." I have both of their undivided attention. "I expect you both to graduate with good grades this year. I know you two are intimate but there will be no fornicating in my house. Please use precautions. I would rather you not get pregnant before you are really married. And I want a proper wedding, one where I can walk my baby girl down the aisle. I don't care about where or how big but I want to give you the wedding you want."
Bella and Jacob nod their agreement.
"I don't want a big shindig, just immediate family, the pack, and a few friends."
I smile at her. "Anything you want Kiddo. And Jacob, I want to know what's going on with this battle. I want to see how you are going to protect my girl."
"Um Charlie, it's too hard of a trek on human legs. It would take you to long to hike in and out." Jacob replies.
"You have been taking Bella there haven't you?"
"Yeah, I've been caring her on my back."
"Ah I see. You're not strong enough to handle an adult."
"Your size is no trouble. I will ask Embry for his help. We will be back for training at thr…What the …" Jacob jumps up and runs outside. "I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I figure it out."
He drops his drawers as he goes into the trees. Bella puts on her rain coat and boots. She collects his discarded shorts and stands on the porch waiting. She's getting more and more agitated.
A howl rips out from the tree line and a massive beast comes out of the woods. Bella walks out to it "Take me to them. I can feel their need and the panic."
The wolf shakes his head.
She grabs a handful of jaw and pulls his head down. "Either take me to them or I will go on my own."
The wolf heaves sigh.
She walks over to the porch. "We'll be back as soon as we can. Billy there are some new wolves. I can feel their panic through Jacob. The pack is so worked up Jacob is having trouble phasing back. I'll call you when I know more.
After quick hugs to both of us she climbs on the back of the wolf from the porch.
I meet the wolf's gaze. "Take care of my girl Jacob."
He nods his head and runs off to the woods.
I come in and sit down heavily in the recliner. Billy hands me a beer and I try to process all that has happened and all I have seen.
