Chapter Fifty Four
Charlie
I guess it was a bit much expecting that Bella would want to speak to me this soon but I just wanted to let her know I was home and that I had found Renee here waiting for me. She knew I planned on visiting the reservation once I got back just to let them know that there was absolutely nothing they could do now Bella and Jasper were married. I had wondered whether to just let sleeping dogs lie but Renee's visit meant I had no choice. I wanted to know what, if anything, they had told her. She may not know that Bella was still alive, but I wouldn't put it past them to cause trouble for me. They were probably responsible for her suspicions that I had a girlfriend.
After my shift the next day I drove straight to the Res and called on Billy. He sat very quietly and uncomfortable while we waited for Harry to join us and when he finally turned up he wasn't alone. A stony-faced Sam followed him in.
"So, the gangs all here. Good. Now it's your turn to listen. Bella and Jasper Whitlock are married and I've given them my blessing. I also expect her to become one of them pretty soon and if I hear that any of the Quileutes are causing trouble for them I'm going to come down on all of you like a ton of fucking bricks. You won't be able to take a step off the reservation without being stopped by the Forks police. I'll have every one of your vehicles stopped and thoroughly checked out and the slightest infringement will be actioned on. Don't think that I'm ever going to forget what you did to me. I never thought I'd be standing here having been illegally detained by men I thought were my friends so others could conduct an illegal kidnapping, crossing state lines too."
Billy opened his mouth to speak, but I glared and he shut it again. Instead, Sam spoke up.
"Charlie, you know it was done for the best of intentions. You actually came here to ask for our help."
"Yeah and I was wrong to do so but I did come back and explain that things had changed. Did that make any difference? No, you were only too willing to follow your own agenda. Well, now I'm following mine, and I warn you that I have boundless patience and a very long memory. You leave them both alone now. Do I make myself clear?"
I waited as they looked at each other as if waiting for someone to speak.
In the end, it was Sam who answered again.
"Yes, Charlie. we understand, but you must understand in turn that we were only trying to protect Bella."
"It's not your job to protect her, its mine. And however badly you may think I did that job it's still not down to you to interfere."
"We were wrong, Charlie. I'm sorry for what happened, especially to you."
"It's Chief Swan now Harry and don't you forget it. You and I were friends, but no more. I'm going to forget you kept a Police Chief illegally detained but that's as far as my leniency goes. Now, before I go I'd like to know what you told Renee."
Billy shook his head, "Nothing, Charlie. To do so would risk her life too. Besides, she doesn't need to say goodbye to her daughter twice."
"No, she doesn't."
I turned and walked to the door.
"Chief Swan. We are sorry about Bella. I know its hard for you to believe, but we were trying to stop her making a mistake."
"Sam. You worry about what goes on in the Reservation. I'll watch out for what happens outside, especially where it concerns my daughter."
He nodded and I got the impression that they were all unhappy that it had ended like this.
As I opened the door something else occurred to me. I decided to let them know I knew all about their own dirty little secret.
"By the way, just so as you know. If I hear of any large wolves wandering around the woods I will have no hesitation in issue hunting licenses."
With that warning, I left them and drove back to Forks. They may have had the best of intentions and I may have started all this by asking for their help, but they had gone way too far.
Harry
Well, that was that we'd lost Charlie as a friend, and we'd lost the friendship of the Forks Police Department. It was not a good day for the tribe.
Sam scowled after Charlie before turning to me.
"I said we should be careful. Now the boys are going to be in danger as soon as they leave the Reservation. That just makes our job of keeping the tribe safe a lot harder."
"It was necessary, Sam."
"No, Harry, it wasn't. We should have spoken to Charlie first instead of kidnapping him, that was plain stupid. It's time for some new blood on the council, we can't trust the decisions of the elders alone."
Billy wheeled away towards his bedroom and I frowned.
"Don't you have anything to say, Billy?"
He stopped and turned, his face a mask of sadness.
"No, Harry. I think Sam is right. I already lost my son and tonight I lost my best friend. Maybe we're too old to be ruling the tribe. I'm tired and I'm going to rest."
Billy looked ill and I knew this had been a step too far for him.
Jake
Sam came looking for me at the Cullens, calling first to ask Carlisle's permission to cross the treaty boundary onto their territory.
"What does he want?"
"He didn't say Jake but it must be something important for him to come here to speak to you."
"Yeah? Well, I have nothing to say to him. He used me to get to Bella and the guys all turned their backs on me because of Alice. The tribe more or less handed Bella to the Volturi."
"I understand your anger but I think you should meet with Sam."
I sighed heavily but he was probably right. It must be something really important to force him onto Cullen territory.
"OK. But only if you come with me."
Alice was so wrapped up in our wedding plans that she hardly noticed us leave for our meeting in the woods beyond the house. Em however did and offered to accompany us, but Carlisle shook his head.
"Thank you, Emmett. However, I think diplomacy rather than brute force is in order today."
Just inside the tree line, we found Sam, in human form, waiting and he was alone which surprised me, he never usually went about alone, especially not into enemy territory.
Sam nodded his acknowledgment of Carlisle's presence.
"Carlisle, thank you for allowing this meeting."
"I only want to help Sam. What is the problem?"
"It's Charlie. I take it that you know what happened?"
"We know that you imprisoned him and tried to kidnap Bella."
"Yes, all things I'm not proud of. I did argue against it at the time, but it was the decision of the tribal elders."
"And Charlie?"
"He visited us earlier to inform us that Bella is now married to the Major and will soon become a vampire. He also warned us that friendly relations with the Forks Police Department is at an end."
"I have to ask, did you really expect any different?"
"No, not really, but Billy has taken it especially hard. I think losing Jake and Charlie's friendship has been too much for him. That's why I'm here, to ask Jake to make things up with his father."
Carlisle looked at me.
"It's your call, of course, Jake, but he is your father and if he's ill..."
I turned stubbornly back to Sam.
"I'm not welcome on the Res."
"You are now, I'm giving you permission. I'm asking you to come, Jake. Please."
I could see how worried Sam was about Billy and suddenly felt alarmed.
"OK. I'll come and see Billy, but I'm not coming back to the Res to live. I'm marrying Alice Cullen so that's another problem for the elders to sort out."
"Can we just sort out one problem at a time, Jake?"
"Sure. After all, I only have one problem of my own."
"And what's that. Can we help you?"
"Oh, yeah. I have the Major thinking I set up the abduction of his wife and that was your work."
"I'm sorry about that but I don't see what I can do to help. But you will come?"
"Yeah, I'll be over later."
Carlisle was happy with my decision but I wasn't sure Alice would feel the same way. It hurt her to be so completely shunned by my family.
I was right, she wasn't happy, especially when I told her I was going alone. Luckily Esme agreed that it wouldn't be right when we didn't know just how ill Billy was. She and Emmett persuaded Alice to stay behind and as she still had so much to do she agreed reluctantly but I was sure I would pay for leaving her behind.
Billy was in the kitchen when I arrived and turned shocked to see me standing in the doorway. I, in turn, was shocked by his appearance. He looked terrible, he was pale and gaunt and his hands shook as he poured coffee for us.
Sitting at the table I looked around and saw signs of neglect all around. Despite his disability, Billy had always kept the place tidy but now…
"How are you, dad?"
He stared at me suspiciously.
"Did Sam ask you to visit?"
"He mentioned that you were sick."
"So, it takes illness to bring you home?"
"Things aren't easy, dad. I have Alice to think about and she's not welcome here."
"Can't you wrench yourself away from her for an hour to come to see me? Never mind. I'm fine Jake, so go back to the Cullens."
I gritted my teeth and tried again.
"I'm sorry about Charlie, that must have been a blow, but kidnapping? Was that really necessary?"
"You think you know better than your elders now, do you?"
"I don't think the elders were thinking at all, and whose idea was it to drag me into the plan? You used me."
"We were trying to save an innocent girl from becoming one of the damned. I thought Bella was a friend of yours?"
"She was, she is, or maybe not any longer. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. It seems we can't agree on anything."
"No, as long as you remain tied up with the leeches we will never agree. Leave me to grieve in peace. My son died when he walked into the arms of a Cold One and became as cold as her."
I got up half angry, half devastated, by his words.
"If that's how you feel then I guess there's no more to be said. If you change your mind, you know where to contact me."
He stared into his coffee cup and refused to say anything more as I said goodbye and left.
Outside I found Sam and Emily waiting, they had heard at least some of our conversation and both looking stunned.
"Well, you heard, Sam. I tried but I'm dead as far as he's concerned. Look after him, Emily."
She nodded and left us, knocking softly on the door before going inside.
"I'm truly sorry, Jake. I didn't expect him to be so bitter. Should I call Rachel?"
"Yeah, maybe she can talk some sense into him."
Then I climbed back into my truck and drove out of the village, wondering if I would ever see Billy again.
Charlie
I was still angry and depressed when I got home from the reservation so I got myself a couple of beers and turned on the basketball game, putting my feet up knowing I wasn't on duty until the next evening. I missed Bella, the house seemed awfully lonely without her, although I'd lived here alone for years after Renee left, taking our daughter with her.
Still, Bella was happy and I knew Jasper, whatever his faults, would protect her with his life.
I had started to doze when a noise woke me, a creaking from upstairs. Was there someone up there or was it the old house settling now the heating was back on? I turned the sound down on the TV and waited.
Hearing it again I got up quietly and collected my gun from my belt where I had left it draped over the chair until I went up to bed.
Walking to the bottom of the stairs I cleared my throat loudly.
"Anyone there?"
I heard the creak again, it appeared to be coming from Bella's room and I groaned. Had Renee come back for round two?
I started up the stairs, holding my gun loosely in one hand and my police radio in the other, ready to call the station if it was an intruder. I might even call for backup if it turned out to be my ex, maybe a few hours in a cell would show her how unwanted her presence was here.
There was another creak, this time from my room and I instinctively understood that this wasn't Renee playing games. I had a feeling of dread and lifted my radio to call the station.
Something hit me hard on the back of the head and I saw stars, then the world spun as I fell back down the stairs to land heavily at the bottom, my whole body feeling the battering as I hit each stair on the way.
Deputy Eddie Harris
As soon as the call came in from the Chief we rolled, after all, he wasn't one to cry wolf. However, the house was in darkness when I pulled up outside.
Andy and I drew our guns and approached the front of the house cautiously hearing nothing. I pushed the front door which swung open creaking slightly and shone my flashlight around the hall.
"Police. Anyone here? Chief?"
Getting no reply I stepped inside covered by Andy and flicked on the hall light. What we saw made us both gasp in horror. Laying at the bottom of the stairs, his body contorted and his head at an unnatural angle was the body of my friend and boss, Charlie Swan.
While Andy checked out the rest of the house I called for an ambulance and knelt down beside him to check for a pulse and expecting to find none but as I did so his eyes flickered open. How the hell was he still breathing with such horrific injuries?
It was obvious his neck was broken and his face was black and swollen, blood trickling from his mouth. His service revolver lay beside him covered in blood. It was apparent someone had taken a weapon and used it to beat the crap out of him although I doubted that was responsible for all of his injuries. He had either fallen or been tossed down the stairs. His mouth was working, he was trying to tell me something, and I bent down to listen to the mumbled whisperings of the dying man.
By the time the paramedics arrived Charlie was beyond any help and his final words had made no sense. They were just the random firings of a dying brain.
As they carefully lifted him up and put him on the stretcher Andy, who had joined us, and I said our farewells heads bowed.
"You want me to get the crime scene guys from Port Angeles here?"
I nodded.
"Tell Deb's what's happened and ask her to call them. Thank God Bella isn't alive to see this. I guess I'd better call his ex-wife. He doesn't' have anyone else."
"What about Billy Black? They've always been close."
I shrugged unsure what to do but decided in the end to call the reservation, it didn't seem right that no one would be looking after things if I didn't. I knew Charlie wouldn't want Renee involved if it could be avoided.
I went back out to find two more cruisers now parked up beside ours, word had gotten around quickly that something had happened at Charlie's place. Andy was using the radio in our car so I borrowed Steve's and got a tearful Deb's to put me through to the reservation steeling myself for the ordeal to come.
Just to let you know that I'll be away for two weeks now so I will post as and when I can and there will be a new story when I get back. Thank you for all the reviews you have left. I am reading them all even if I don't have the time to reply individually. Love Jules xx
