Chapter Fifty Three
Bella
By the time we saw the truck coming down the drive I had got myself into quite a state. I had no idea how Charlie would react when he saw me. 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".
I squeezed his hand tighter feeling calm flood through me as the truck came to a halt 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 door slowly and stood looking at me.
"So Bells you really are alive., I guess I wondered if it wasn't all a big Con by him" he pointed to Jasper
"No Dad its 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".
"Jasper wasn't involved Dad, he knew nothing about it".
"Yeah, so he told me".
"But you don't believe me do you Charlie?" Jaspers voice was calm but I felt the tension radiating from his body
"Well you'll excuse me if I take what 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 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."
"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 unless you come up with a believable story about yourself".
He still hadn't moved from the side of the truck so I walked forward and took his arm pulling him inside, Jasper shadowing me and still keeping my other hand in his
Jasper
I just wished that Charlie would take the warning and just be glad to see Bella safe and well but that wasn't going to happen, so what did I tell him? How much would Bella want me to tell him? If anything.
She grasped his arm
"Come in and sit down and I'll try to explain what I can"
He came reluctantly and she sat beside him on the couch. I sat beside her on the floor still holding her hand and waited to hear what she was going to tell him.
Bella
I steeled myself and took his hand with my free one unwilling to let go of Jasper.
"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 in to it somewhere"
"Please Dad just listen a minute, Jasper isn't the enemy. It had nothing to do with him really. I will tell you 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"
Charlie
So they were sticking to the same old story, putting me in danger, Well I wasn't going to wear that any longer but I glared over at Jasper who moved round 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 with a cost, endangering lives, yours and Bella's".
"And yours of course" I snapped
"Yes mine to,o 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 back in danger 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 be your best chance at survival"
"You really believe all this shit about the war and The Major and all that. You're not only dangerous you're crazy too and I don't want you anywhere near my daughter".
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?"
"They already know I'm sure"
"Yeah they seem to be much better informed than me about my daughter".
Peter sloped back in the room again
"Still bitching Charlie? Jeez do you never give it a rest? Your daughter is trying to keep you safe for fuck sake"
Charlie stood, his eyes flashing,
"Now you listen to me young man. That's my daughter we're talking about and I wont 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"
"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 Charlie".
Dad took a step forward and I saw Peter tense, then Jasper spoke,
"Stand down Peter. A fight wont help matters"
"Yeah it will, it'll make me feel a hell of a lot better"
"Enough Peter"
Charlie turned to Jasper,
"I don't need you to stop him. 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 until he got the truth, so be it.
"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. Please let me talk to him".
Peter stopped struggling and turned black eyes to me,
"Only for you Bella, but if he starts again..."
"He won't"
I glared at my Dad who sat, fuming.
