Chapter Thirty Eight
Peter
After hunting, I drove out to the airport to pick up Bella's father wishing I was anywhere but here. Humans and me? Not a good combination especially when said human had to be kept alive.
I waited, leaning against a pillar in the shade as his plane disembarked. As I watched, families and young lovers were reunited and businessmen looked around for drivers sent to collect them and then I saw him. Just as she'd described, tall, slim, dark hair, mustache. All he needed was a gun belt and a saddle and he'd look like a Cowboy coming home from the Rodeo.
Taking a deep breath I straightened up and lifted a hand in greeting. Glancing around he saw me and his eyes narrowed, and I hadn't done anything yet!
"Charlie?"
"Yes, Are you Peter?"
"Sure am. Can I take your bag?"
I tried being nice, much against my nature, but it was Bella's dad and I was trying to make a good impression.
He grabbed it slinging it onto his shoulder.
"No, it's OK. I've got it."
"Right well, this way to the car."
We walked on silence and I knew Charlie was sizing me up. From his expression, he wasn't too impressed.
"So, how do you know Jasper Whitlock?"
"Long story, but we fought together."
"Yeah, that figures. I guess you were in the Civil War too?"
"Nah, I'm not old enough for that."
A white lie, but it shut him up for a few minutes.
Charlie
I didn't like this Peter guy, he had the same aura of danger as his friend although he seemed a little more friendly or at least he seemed to be trying.
"So how long have you known my daughter?"
"A while now, on and off."
"Did you know about the fake accident?"
"Nope."
"Were you with him when he found her?"
"Yep."
"And is she OK?"
"Yes, she's fine. Looking forward to seeing you I think."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I get the impression she'd rather I never found out she was still alive."
"She was just trying to protect you, Charlie"
"So people keep telling me, but no one seems able to tell me what from. Do you know?"
"Not my place to pass comment on that particular subject. How was your flight?"
He wasn't going to be deflected.
"Is she in danger now?"
"Not with us. No".
Bella
By the time we saw the truck coming down the drive, I had got myself into quite a state even with Jasper's help to calm me. I had no idea how Charlie would react when he saw me. Would he be angry? Relieved? What would he ask? How much could I tell him?
Jasper took my hand to steady me and smiled encouragingly.
"Don't worry Bella, I'm here with you and I won't let Charlie hurt you in any way."
Charlotte appeared then, having turned up this morning just after Peter left, now the Cullens had given up harassing her and decided to involve Charlie. She had been concerned that I might blame her for their actions, but how could she have known what they intended or stopped them? I was just glad to see her and I knew Peter would be too. He hadn't said very much, but I could tell he missed her.
I squeezed his hand tighter feeling calm flood through me then the truck came to a halt in front of us and Peter got out first. We could see by his face that it hadn't been a comfortable ride and he just nodded to us and made for the trees, Char who had been waiting for him, following hot on his heels.
I waited and Charlie opened the passenger door slowly and climbed out to stand staring at me looking half relieved and half angry.
"So Bella, you really are alive. I guess I wondered if it wasn't all a big con pulled by him."
He pointed to Jasper.
"No Dad it is me. I'm really sorry, but I had no choice."
"Sure you did. You had plenty of choices, but you chose to listen to your friends rather than your family. Rather than me."
"Jasper wasn't involved Dad. He knew nothing about it."
"Yeah, so he told me."
"But you don't believe me do you, Charlie?"
Jasper's voice was calm, but I felt the tension radiating from his body.
"Well, you'll excuse me if I take anything you say with a pinch of salt, only I have no idea who the hell you really are. All I get from Carlisle and Billy are cryptic little comments and from a friend in the army a photograph which seems to be you, but taken during the Civil War. So, are you gonna tell me who you really are and what is really going on with you and Bella?"
"I can't, Charlie. I'm very sorry but telling you would only put you in the very danger Bella ran to save you from."
Charlie was getting angry now, his voice was louder and I began to worry how much Jasper would take before he became angry himself.
"That's a crock of shit! You just like the idea of being a mystery man. Well, let me tell you something, No more playing around with my daughter. She's coming home with me unless you come up with a believable story about yourself. No more civil war crap."
He still hadn't moved from the side of the truck so I walked forward and took his arm tugging it until he followed me slowly inside with Jasper shadowing us, still keeping my other hand in his.
"Come in and sit down dad and I'll try to explain what I can."
He moved reluctantly and finally sat beside me stiffly on the couch while Jasper sank to the floor at my feet still holding my hand and I knew he was waiting to hear what I was going to tell Charlie.
I steeled myself and turned to look into Charlie's face smiling reassuringly.
"Dad, I'm really sorry for doing what I did but it was for your sake, and Jasper's."
"Yeah, I figured he'd come into it somewhere."
Charlie was full of bitterness and I couldn't blame him but I had to get past that.
"Please, Dad just listen a minute. Jasper isn't the enemy. It had nothing to do with him really. I will tell you everything if you insist, but first I want him to explain how dangerous that knowledge will be."
I turned to Jasper
"Please try to explain to Charlie how much danger he'll be in if I tell him everything."
Charlie
So they were sticking to the same old story, that crap about putting me in danger. Well, I wasn't going to wear that any longer, not even from Bella.
I glared over at Jasper who moved around to face me still holding my daughter's hand.
"Charlie I need you to listen very closely to what I'm going to tell you. There are things going on that you have no idea about. Things that you'd find hard to believe, that would turn your understanding of the world upside down. There is knowledge which can put your life in danger. Laws that can only be broken at a cost, endangering lives, yours and Bella's."
"And yours of course, " I snapped, unable to stop myself.
"Yes mine too, but that isn't important. I can look after myself, I have for a very long time. If you insist on knowing everything then you put yourself right back in the firing line and it may be that even Peter and myself couldn't guarantee your safety."
"I don't think I'd be happy putting my life in your hands or your friends in any case."
"No, I don't suppose you would, but we would still be your best chance at survival."
"You really believe all this crap about the war and The Major and all that. You're not only dangerous, but you're also crazy too and I don't want you anywhere near my daughter. You should be locked up."
I tried to get up and pull Bella with me, but she just shook her head and pulled away from me.
"Dad I can't, I love Jasper and he loves me. I'm not going back to Forks and I don't want you to tell anyone else that I'm still alive."
"What about Billy and Harry?"
"I'm pretty sure that they already know."
"Yeah, they seem to be much better informed than me about my own daughter."
Peter sloped into the room at this point.
"Still bitching Charlie? Jeez, do you never give it a rest? Your daughter is trying to keep you safe for fuck sake."
Charlie stood as if ready to swing a punch, his eyes flashing with rage at Peter's attitude.
"Now you listen to me, young man. That's my daughter we're talking about and I won't have her associated with a load of crazies like you and your Major here."
"I don't think that's your decision to make, Charlie. If Bella wants to stay here then she stays, and no one will make her do anything else while we're here."
"Are you threatening me?"
"If that's what it takes then yes, I guess I am. What you need to do is to sit down, shut your mouth, and fucking listen for a change, Charlie."
Dad took a step forward and I saw Peter tense, then Jasper spoke up.
"Stand down, Peter. A fight won't help matters."
"Yeah, it will. it'll make me feel a hell of a lot better."
"Enough, Captain."
Charlie turned on Jasper.
"I don't need you to stick your nose in. I'm quite capable of taking a punk like him."
Jasper moved far too fast in order to get between a snarling Peter and a white-faced, but determined, Charlie.
I couldn't take any more. Charlie was never going to stop, not until he got the truth, so he forced my hand.
"Dad enough! Sit down and I'll answer all your questions. It's your life to throw away if you choose. Peter, I apologize for Charlie's words, but please let me talk to him."
Peter stopped struggling and turned black eyes on me.
"Only for you Bella, but if he starts again..."
"He won't."
I glared at my Dad who sat fuming, unaware how close to death he had just skated.
Peter
Somebody needed to straighten Charlie out before he got chewed to pieces and I just hoped Bella could do it or he wouldn't be leaving here alive.
As I sat down she threw me a smile of gratitude, she knew how close he'd come to losing his life just then if he didn't.
Charlie was just waiting to start up again and I had no idea how she'd diffuse the situation long enough to get him to listen.
"Dad, you have a lot of questions I know. So I guess the best thing would be for you to ask them. Just remember once you start there's no going back and if anyone finds out that you know, it will mean your death."
He snorted and sat quietly for a second before turning to the Major.
"First, who the hell are you?"
"Major Jasper Whitlock."
"What army?"
"8th Texas Cavalry Confederate Army."
"Terry's Texas Rangers. So you reckon you were born in the 1800s?"
"That's right Charlie, Houston, Texas, 1844 to be precise."
"So how come you're not only still breathing but you don't look any older than that photo taken in 1863? Pretty good going for a guy who's pushing 150."
"That's a very long story, Charlie."
"Yeah, I thought it might be."
He turned to his daughter
"You know the story?"
She nodded soberly and Charlie turned back to the Major.
"So it was fine to tell Bella and put her in danger, but not me?"
"Bella was already in danger before I met her. You're blaming the wrong person."
"Of course, I forgot, you're the good guy. You and your sidekick here."
The Major smiled bleakly.
"The good guy? Far from it, Charlie, but in this instance, I'm the innocent party."
Bella
This was so unfair, Jasper was getting the blame for things he hadn't done.
"Dad, Jasper didn't tell me about his world. Only his own past."
"So who did? There are more of his crazies around?"
His eyes narrowed and he spat out the name, "Edward Cullen. He's the one, isn't it? I knew there was something wrong with that guy."
"Yes, it was Edward or at least I guessed, he just confirmed it and they aren't crazy, just trying to live their lives as quietly as possible without endangering any humans."
"Humans? Are you telling me he isn't human? What? They're pod people? Martians?"
Jasper stood up and I could see his patience was at an end. I was amazed he'd stayed quiet as long as he had.
"Charlie stop shouting at Bella, she's on your side. You want the truth?"
"Yes, I want the truth, it would make a refreshing change."
"OK, You asked for it. I am the man in the photo, Major Jasper Whitlock. I served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and I was stupid enough to stop and help what I thought were three young women in danger. They were in fact vampires and I was bitten. I stopped aging then, but I still exist frozen as I was then."
I didn't want Jasper to go into his time with Maria because I thought it was just too much for him in one hit.
"I think that's enough," I said, but Charlie merely glared at me.
"We'll talk later young lady but as for you…"
He took a step forward and prodded Jasper in the chest with his finger.
"You are completely mad and I want you to stay away from my daughter. Vampire's for God's sake!"
Jaspers' eyes went black and for a second I thought he was going to attack Charlie, but instead, he took Charlie's hand from his chest and put it down.
"Charlie, don't underestimate me. I'm only keeping my temper for Bella's sake."
Dad laughed in his face
"Boy, you don't frighten me. I've faced bigger than you."
"I don't doubt that, but you've never faced anyone more dangerous, that I promise you."
I could hear the fury building in Jasper's voice, he was a man, a soldier, and a vampire, the most deadly of combinations and I stood up taking his hand and putting my other palm to his cheek.
"Jasper please, for me."
He turned to look at me and I saw flashes of gold in the blackness of his eyes. He seemed to wrench himself back from somewhere else to me and nodded, but his jaw was clenched and I knew he was close to his limit.
"Dad."
I took Charlie's arm.
"Let's go for a walk. We could all do with calming down."
I just wanted to get him away from Jasper so he could calm down but Charlie shrugged me off.
"I've never heard such a crock of shit in all my life."
He grabbed me by the arm.
"You, Madam, are coming back with me before you end up as crazy as he is."
I tried to pull free and he tightened his grip. I tugged again and he pulled on my arm swinging me around so I collided with the door frame, banging my head and making me stagger.
I only closed my eyes for a second, but when I opened them again Jasper was leaning over me, cradling my head in his hands.
"Are you OK, Bella?"
I put my hand to my head and felt a bump and wetness then as I brought my hand down I saw blood.
"Oh God, I'm sorry, Jasper."
He ripped the sleeve from his shirt and put it up to the cut.
"Hold it there for a minute."
He turned back to Charlie who had frozen, realizing what he'd done.
Hearing a snarl he turned and we both saw Peter standing, not breathing, in the doorway.
"Go, Peter," I shouted and he turned and fled.
Jasper walked slowly up to Charlie until he was right in his face.
"If you ever touch Bella again. Ever cause her any harm, I will kill you, Charlie. Her father or not. Do you understand?"
Charlie continued to look over at me so Jasper took him by the shoulders and shook him.
"Do you understand what I just said?"
His voice was louder and angrier.
"Jasper," I said quietly and he freed Charlie to come to my side.
"Could you help me to the bathroom. I want to bathe this cut on my head."
Jasper swept me up in his arms and strode through to the bathroom leaving Charlie to stand open-mouthed alone in the room unaware how close he had come to being torn apart.