Chapter Forty Nine
Charlie
When this strange young man finally finished speaking my brain was about ready to explode. Shapeshifters? Vampires? Spirit warriors? Could I really believe all this?
"You look speechless, Charlie. I am sure it must be a great shock to you, but I assure you every single thing I have told you is the truth."
"So the tragedy you spoke of is the death of the young men of the village? Sam Uley, Paul, Jared, all gone? All dead at the hands of this vampire you called the Major? How is that possible? One man, well one vampire, was able to kill a whole pack of giant wolves?"
"Any other vampire? No. But the Major is a very special vampire, the ultimate warrior, the most dangerous of a very dangerous race. That is why I would never have condoned the pack going after him and his friends, especially without any provocation."
"Yet this vampire, the one you call the Major, has looked after my daughter. Why? From what she said she was brought up by vampires and yet she not only survived she actually thrived. Why would vampires keep a human alive?"
"I cannot answer that Charlie. You would have to ask them. All I can do is to warn you that they are incredibly dangerous and never forget that if you tell anyone that you know of the existence of vampires you will be painting a target on your back and the Volturi will find and kill you."
"Who would believe me if I was crazy enough to? I'm not even sure I believe me, but I cannot believe those men meant my daughter any harm. They actually accompanied her here knowing how dangerous that could be for them. Why would they do that unless her wishes were important to them?"
"Again, I cannot answer for their actions. All I can do is to counsel you to be very careful Charlie. I will not risk any more of my guardians to watch your back."
"I understand. Thank you for telling me the truth. I think I need to go away and think about everything you've said."
He nodded then hesitated before speaking once more.
"To be fair I guess I should tell you that neither the Major nor any of his associates have ever caused trouble here in Forks and I believe he is an honorable man in his way."
That had obviously been difficult for him to say, but he was being fair as he said and I got the feeling that although the two were deadly enemies, under any other circumstances they might well have become friends.
I still had a lot to work through which was the only reason I addressed my wife.
We're leaving Sue. You and I have a lot to discuss."
Sue hesitated and threw a searching look at the young man as of waiting for him to give her some instruction or advice but he remained impassive.
She got up and I walked out not bothering to wait for her to catch up to me but aware of her footsteps following me.
As she exited the center she stopped briefly to speak to Seth who had been waiting for us outside.
"We're going home, Seth."
He threw me a nervous look and then shook his head and I noticed he had been crying.
"I'm staying here to arrange the funerals."
So, he had been grieving for his fallen friends, I understood that.
She worried her lip, apprehensive at the thought of going home with me alone, but aware it was necessary, then nodded and followed me to the car.
I didn't bother opening her door for her, it didn't even occur to me, although it was usually second nature.
I drove back to town in silence and Sue sat staring out of the window her hands in her lap and lips pressed tightly together. I wondered if she was busy thinking about what to tell me when I started questioning her about my daughter.
Back at the house she fumbled in her bag for the front door key and started when I handed her mine. Inside she headed straight to the kitchen and put the kettle on.
"Coffee or hot chocolate?"
"Neither. I think I need something stronger."
She threw me a disapproving look but I took no notice, I rarely drank anything stronger than a beer but after the shocks of today I felt I needed it.
When I returned to the kitchen with my glass of bourbon Sue was sitting at the table nursing her coffee mug, but she looked up as I took a chair opposite, the legs scraping across the tiled floor with a screech.
"Charlie.."
I put up a warning finger.
"Don't. Just don't try to give me any excuses, no crap. I'm not interested. I just want to know exactly what you said to Bella and why you drove her away. Why you thought it was better to run to your friends on the reservation than to call me and tell me my long lost daughter was in my house looking for me."
She shrugged her shoulders and then sighed.
"I did what I thought was best for everyone. She was with leeches, she was bringing those filthy creatures into our lives. I couldn't allow that. I had Seth and you to think of, our tribe, the pack."
"You didn't think about me at all Sue, or you would have called me, Bella was alone when she visited here. You could have kept her here. You should have called me, let me see her. Goddamn it Sue, she was my little girl."
"No Charlie. It was a young woman who was living with vampires. She would only bring trouble to our door. You'd said your goodbyes, you'd mourned her and that was the best you could do. Forget her, she was dead to you. She should have stayed that way. I love you Charlie and I was trying to protect you the best way I knew how."
"It wasn't your call to make, Sue. She's my daughter."
"And you're my husband and Seth is my son. I did what I thought was right for both of you."
"And you got a lot of good young men killed. How does that feel Sue?"
Her head jerked back as if Id slapped her. That last comment had hurt, but it was the truth. If she hadn't sent Seth to get the pack they wouldn't have tried running the vampires off and would still be alive.
"That was unfair and cruel, Charlie."
"Maybe, but the truth hurts, Sue. You betrayed me. You sent my own daughter away, you lied to her and told her that I never wanted her. How do you think that made her feel?"
She stood up so suddenly in her anger that her chair fell over with a loud bang.
"I don't care how it made her feel. I'm just sorry you found out. I wish you hadn't but I do not regret the things I did. I was protecting my own."
"Yeah? Well, you don't need to worry about me anymore. I'm leaving Sue and by the time I get back, I want you out of this house. Take your stuff to the res you love so much. Protect them."
Her face became a mask of horror.
"You're leaving me because I tried to protect you? How is that fair? I did it for us, Charlie. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"I'm leaving you because you betrayed me and you betrayed my daughter. I'm going to invite Bella here if she'll come, and I want you gone before she gets here. Next week I'm putting the house on the market and we'll split the proceeds."
Her mouth fell open in shock. Did she really expect me to stand by her after her actions? I'd rather cut my losses now than spend another hour in this marriage. I felt sorry for Seth but I was sure that he would be spending all his time on the reservation from now on. Besides, he wouldn't want to be living in a house with Bella and her friends and I was not going to refuse the vampires my hospitality.
"You bastard! After all I've done for you, you're just going to throw it all away for that little leech lover?"
"For my daughter? Yes, Sue. That's exactly what I'm doing. I don't like what I see in you. It's a side I never knew you had and I want no part of it."
Her face was red with fury and she reacted violently picking up her half-empty mug and launching at me. I wasn't quick enough to avoid it altogether, the handle caught my cheek and I felt the sting of the hot liquid as it splashed onto my skin.
"You needn't worry, Charlie. I'll be gone by the time you get back but I warn you. If you bring that little bitch back here you'll regret it."
Not bothering to answer I grabbed a tea towel and dabbed at my face as she ran upstairs still cursing me violently.
I heard lots of noise upstairs and a few minutes later I heard her footsteps coming back down and braced myself for another tirade.
She appeared in the doorway holding a large leather suitcase and another bag in her hands.
"I left my car on the res."
"Then call a cab."
"Surely you can lend me your car, Seth can drive it back when he picks up his things, or drive me over."
I turned my back on her which I realized was a mistake as I felt the air swish and pain blossomed in my skull as the suitcase which was full to bursting caught me on the shoulder and head.
I was vaguely aware of her snatching up my keys from the table and marching out but I was off balance from the blow and just stood there trying to remain upright.
It was some time before I could think straight and when I climbed the stairs to change my coffee stained shirt that I saw Sue had emptied the drawers and closet in our room scattering clothes all over the place. She had also taken our spare cash, the empty tin lay mute testimony to this on the floor, crushed as if she'd stamped on it in her spite.
Stepping over the carnage I grabbed a clean shirt and went through to the bathroom to examine my face in the mirror. The right side of my face bore several red marks where the hot liquid had burned the skin and there was a bruise developing on the opposite side where the suitcase had hit me. I rolled my shoulder which felt stiff and sore, but it could have been striking out in temper was a side of Sue I had never seen before and hoped never to see again.
I washed my face carefully, then pulled on the fresh shirt gingerly and went slowly back downstairs to make fresh coffee and think. My marriage was over, my view of the world totally altered, and I was sitting here worrying about getting my car back!
After swallowing a couple of painkillers for the nagging headache that had started up after the mug strike I retrieved my cell phone from my pocket and called Bella. I wasn't sure if she would answer because it was now four am.
Someone picked up and I recognized Jasper's voice.
"Charlie? Is there something wrong?"
"You could say that. I had a very interesting conversation with the Quileute elders and some guy who appeared to be their leader."
"I see."
He didn't sound particularly surprised or worried.
"So, are you ringing to find out if your daughter is still safe with us?"
"Actually I was calling to ask Bella if she would meet with me tomorrow. I wanted her to know that I know everything Sue did and why and I'm only interested in my daughter. I know if you wanted her dead you've had years to do it. Whatever the reason you looked after her. The guy explained that you saved her from drowning after the wolves attacked so I owe you my thanks. Right now I'm tired, hungry, confused, and in pain."
"In pain?"
"Yeah, my wife slugged me with a mug and then a loaded bag. It's a long story."
He didn't react to that.
"I'm sorry you got caught up in this. We're in Boston right now but we can be back tomorrow afternoon. Would that be soon enough?"
"Sure. Thank you."
"No. Thank you for trusting us, knowing all you do."
When I put the phone down I felt strangely better until I thought about my car at the res, I never wanted to go there again, but I had no choice if I wanted my wheels back and I wasn't going to wait for Seth to bring it back. He'd probably write it off just to spite me.
Giving myself half an hour for the pain to subside I called the station and asked my old deputy Eddy, now Chief of Police, for a favor.
"Sure Charlie. I have a deputy headed out there in the next hour to pick up some paperwork from the reservation police. You can bum a ride with him."
Jasper
I discussed Charlie's conversation with Peter and Charlotte and we all agreed that Bella needed to be told so she could decide whether she wanted to go straight back to Port Angeles.
So, when she came down for breakfast the next morning the family gave us privacy to explain. She was, of course, horrified to learn that her dad now knew our secret.
"Is my dad in danger now?"
"Not unless the Volturi hear about it and I don't see why they should. He did sound upset though."
"I have to go back. This is all my fault."
Peter put an arm around her and Charlotte nodded in reply.
"We thought you'd say that so we booked tickets on the late morning flight back to Seattle. Jasper explained the situation to Carlisle and Esme and they understand. They are hoping you'll visit again when circumstances allow. Now, you have time to talk to Ashley before we need to leave but be careful what you say. She doesn't yet know what the Cullens are although if things keep progressing with Edward then I'm sure she will eventually."
Bella turned to gaze at me.
"Are you coming?"
"I'm not sure it would be a good idea for me to go back to Forks. Remember what happened last time?"
She nodded, but I could see she was troubled.
"I'd like it if you did. I want my dad to get to know you and … well."
She didn't need to say anymore. Peter glanced at me and smiled wryly, he understood his little girl was coming to understand what I meant to her, but I wouldn't force my presence on them, that would be unfair.
"Well then, I guess Jasper will be coming with us."
It was Charlotte who spoke and Peter nodded, shrugging his shoulders. He knew he couldn't fight fate any more than I could although God knows I had tried.
