*BPOV*

"Love, do you mind if I go sit down at the piano for a bit? I've had a new tune rattling around my head all morning," Edward courteously asked after breakfast had wrapped up for the day. I smiled, having noticed him drumming his fingers on his leg more than usual.

The others, all but Carlisle who was off on a house call, began to disperse to go about their separate tasks.

"Of course not. I'll just be in our room, returning some emails," I told him with a jerk of my chin toward the stairs. He kissed me lightly on the lips before excusing himself to the next room where the piano resided. The recently cleaned and tuned piano, I thought with a smirk.

Once I was alone in our room, I sat down at our desk and flipped open my laptop. While I waited for it to boot up (the internet connection was very spotty out here), I tugged the charging cable out of my cell phone and saw that Charlie had left me a message.

I had been waiting for news of his elopement with Sue any day now. Alice had predicted an early spring wedding. I carefully typed in my password to access my voicemail. I used a capped ballpoint pen to press the buttons instead of using my fingers-a trick I'd learned to keep me from pulverizing yet another phone.

The oldest messages played first. My mother's voice filled my ears as I listened to her prerecorded message.

"Hiiiii Bella. Just calling to check in. Haven't heard your voice in awhile. Anyway, call me back so I can tell you about the prenatal yoga class I signed up for. Would you believe I'm not even the oldest preggo in the class? Love you. Call me. Byyyyye."

The next one was from Charlie. I was immediately startled by the fury in his voice.

"Isabella Marie Swan, this is your father. Call me back as SOON as you get this." He then paused, taking a few ragged breaths. What he said next made the phone fall from my hand, bouncing onto the plush carpeted floor.

"I. Know. What. You. Are." His furious words rang through my skull, a thundering counterpoint to the cheerful, upbeat melody Edward played downstairs.

I tried to keep my breathing under control. With Charlie spending so much time around La Push, I had halfway been expecting such a call.

His soon-to-be stepkids were werewolves for crying out loud! That wasn't a secret they could keep from him forever. And when that came to light, the rest of it was bound to, too.

My biggest fear for Charlie, of course, was the Volturi finding out that another human was in on the secret. They would kill him without hesitation and it would be all my fault. I couldn't let that happen. And I was the only one who could make sure that Aro didn't find out.

I was careful to only decide to go for a run. Nothing more.

Keep playing. I'm going for a run. Back soon, I thought, letting my shield quickly snap back into place before I could think of anything else that would give me away. That would at least buy me some time.

The complicated melody Edward was playing smoothly transitioned into my lullaby, his sweet way of sending me off.

Sliding my arms through the straps of my go-bag (a must-have for a newborn vampire who might need to make a quick getaway), I slipped through the open window and vanished into the trees.

Run. Just run. Keep running. Were the only thoughts I allowed myself to have until well after I'd crossed the border into Canada.

I also had chosen to swim whenever the opportunity presented itself, knowing water was the fastest way to lose anyone who might decide to follow my scent.

The border of British Columbia bled into Alberta before I allowed myself to stop and form a plan.

Before I put it off any longer, I needed to talk to Charlie and make sure he wasn't going to do anything rash. I ran just close enough to civilization for my cell phone to get a signal.

He picked up on the first ring.

"Dad?" I asked in a high, tight voice.

"Bella?" His much deeper voice greeted me at the same time.

Then after a beat, he asked in a weary, hesitant voice, "Is it true? Is what Billy said true?"

After a long pregnant pause, I finally asked with a sigh, "What did Billy say?"

"Billy said that I married my daughter off to a goddamn hundred-year-old vampire and his vampire family!" he exploded. "Which I said was completely ridiculous!

"And then I watched three kids I've known all their lives turn into...well, the biggest freakin' wolves I ever laid eyes on, which made the vampire thing seem less ridiculous. So you tell me, Bella, how ridiculous was Billy being?" Charlie demanded.

I sighed again. "Not that ridiculous," I admitted, biting my lip with no small amount of guilt. I waited anxiously for the anger, disappointment, or worse, the heart attack that would surely follow.

"Christ, Bella! Of all the stupid things...who told you you could run off and become a vampire?" He shouted. "How could you...why would you...what am I supposed to tell your mother?"

"Nothing. You tell her nothing. You mustn't breathe a word of this to anybody! Your life depends on it, and mine might, too," I added for insurance.

"The Cullens wanted me to fake my own death so that you would never find out like this... Knowing the secret puts you in danger from others of our kind. But I couldn't do that to you, not after everything I've already put you through," I explained.

"I know how angry and disappointed you must be," I said remorsefully, my face crumpling in shame, not over the choices I made, but over the grief I caused.

"But now that you know the truth, if you'd rather I stayed dead, you don't have to hear from me ever again if you don't want to….Just know that this was the only way for me. And I've never been happier," I said with finality and waited with bated breath for his response.

"So do you...like... eat people or something?" Charlie asked not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice.

"No. Never. Others do, but the Cullens are different. We only hunt animals, never people. The Cullens are dedicated to helping humankind and rising above our...condition.

"Just like Carlisle, the doctor that you respect so much that saved my life on at least one occasion." That you know about, I finished in my head.

"And this was your choice?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"One. Hundred. Percent," I said emphatically. "It's all I wanted since I found out what Edward was. He didn't want this for me. That's why he left me."

I let that sink in. How could Charlie hate Edward for that now?

"He left me so that I wouldn't end up what he is. He left me to save me. And then being apart nearly killed us both…" I trailed off.

"Yeah, I remember that part pretty well," Charlie said bitterly. "Look, I don't know what I'm supposed to say here, kid. I mean...I just found out all in one day that my wife and best friend have been lying to me for years. My daughter is a vampire. And my step-kids are werewolves. It's a lot to spring on a guy!" he spluttered.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I wish you'd just gone and gotten pregnant or dropped out of school," Charlie harrumphed.

"If it makes you feel any better, I dropped out of school, too," I laughed nervously. "But only temporarily. I'm taking a gap year….Wait, wife?" I asked, playing dumb. I wasn't supposed to know anything about his elopement.

"Oh. Sue and I eloped. I didn't want to tell you over your damned voicemail, but I guess it doesn't seem like such big news now," Charlie said a bit sheepishly.

"Congrat-" I started to say but he cut me off.

"None of that. I don't even know what's going to happen with Sue. I can barely stand to look at her knowing what she kept from me," he growled. "How am I supposed to forgive that?"

"Because even if she'd told you the truth, Dad, it wouldn't have mattered. There's nothing you could have said or done that would have changed my path.

"You didn't want me to be with Edward even before you knew what he was, remember? And I still married him. You knowing the truth wouldn't have changed that."

"I could've done something. If I'd known, I could've protected you from this craziness," Charlie disagreed.

"You just would've gotten mad and forbidden me to see Edward which would have forced my hand to move out sooner and run off to Vegas to get married. It was better that you didn't know," I concluded, knowing that he couldn't argue the point even if he wanted to.

"I knew what I was getting into, and I wouldn't do a single thing differently," I promised. "Except maybe come to live with you sooner," I amended. "So don't punish Sue over me, please. She is the best thing that ever happened to you."

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me," Charlie corrected in a gravelly voice.

"Even now?" I asked hesitantly, hating the pain I heard in his voice. And worse, knowing that I'd put it there.

"That's what unconditional means, doesn't it?" he said gruffly.

"Oh, Dad," I sobbed into the phone. He loved me more than I deserved.

My call-waiting beeped again. It was Edward, of course. "Dad, I'm going to have to let you go, but I'll be in touch. And remember, not a word of this to anybody, ok?"

"Who would believe me?" Charlie asked in an exasperated tone.

"True! Love you, Dad. Talk soon. And forgive Sue! As someone once told me, forgiveness is divine," I smiled, talking over the relentless beeping of Edward trying to call me on the other line.

"Love you, too, Bells. Whatever else changed, that hasn't," Charlie said just before I ended the call. I could hear the emotion thick in his voice.

I took a few centering breaths and braced myself for Edward's reaction. Then I accepted the incoming call with the push of a button, ending the phone's incessant vibrating.

"Bella!" His velvet voice was panicked, and I instantly felt terrible for worrying him, but I didn't see any other way around it.

If Edward and the rest of my vampire family didn't know about Charlie yet, they soon would. And none of their thoughts would be safe from Aro.

And Aro still needed to be brought up to speed about my immortality, a trip Edward had been putting off assuring me that "it will be years before you cross their minds again."

But I couldn't risk them paying a visit and catching us unaware. Charlie's life was just too important to mess around with.

Only my thoughts were safe from the powerful mind-reading vampire, but there was no way that Edward would ever consider letting me go to Volterra alone. And I couldn't risk Edward trying to stop me.

Alternatively, if Edward accompanied me and I shielded his thoughts from Aro, there's no way that wouldn't arouse suspicion. It also gave more away about the nature of my shield than I was currently willing to share with the ancient, gift-obsessed vampire authority.

No, there was only one good option. I'd go to Volterra alone, prove that we honored our part of the bargain we struck, and then the Volturi would be none the wiser about Charlie. After that, we'd avoid the Volturi for the rest of eternity (or at least as long as Charlie still walked on this earth). Easy peasy.

"Bella, are you there?" Edward asked again anxiously after I'd taken too long to respond.

"Yes, I'm here. And I'm fine. I'm sorry about the theatrics, but it was sort of necessary…"

He sounded calmer now that he knew I was alright, but there was still an edge to his voice. "Was this your version of going out for milk and not coming back?" he asked dryly and didn't wait for an answer before peppering me with a litany of other questions.

"What's happened? Alice could only see you running in the woods, and your go-bag was gone...and I didn't know when, or if, you were coming back," he choked. "And why does Alice now see you going to Volterra alone?" The anxiety in Edward's voice was palpable.

"Ask Alice... if I go alone, will anything bad happen?" I sidestepped his questions.

"Not that she can see," he huffed. "But Bella, you know a million different things could happen that could alter that future. Nothing good happens when we're apart, remember?

"Now would you please explain to me what's happened? Not knowing why you've left me is unbearable, Bella. Please, help me understand," he pleaded.

"I didn't leave you, silly. And of course, I'm coming back. It's just... I guess you haven't heard about Charlie then," I deduced.

"Charlie lives with werewolves, Bella. Alice stopped trying to watch for his future months ago," Edward explained.

"If I tell you, will you promise not to try to stop me?" I asked.

"No," Edward answered firmly and immediately.

"Well, then I guess not knowing isn't all that unbearable," I shot back, quick-tempered.

"Bella!" Edward reproached, his voice rising in volume and intensity. I could just imagine him, one hand clenched around the phone, the other pinching the bridge of his nose with frustration.

I sighed. This was not going well. I took a deep breath and tried again.

"Alright, I will tell you, but only because I would be shocked if Charlie doesn't say something to you himself," I grimaced, imagining what Charlie would say when he finally got to have words with Edward about all of this. He was probably cursing out Edward's voicemail as we spoke.

"The Quileutes spilled the beans about us to my dad. Charlie knows what we are."

Stunned silence.

"So I'm going to Volterra to let Aro and the Volturi know that we made good on our agreement. And I'm going to go alone so that Aro will never know that Charlie knows. And now that you know, you can't go with me," I reasoned.

He gasped. His curiosity really did kill the cat that time.

"But your shield…" Edward started to argue.

"You don't think Aro would find that a little suspicious when he suddenly can't read your mind either? And how much do you want him to know about my gift, Edward?" I pressed.

"You don't think he'll find it a little suspicious when you show up alone?" Edward countered. I shrugged. I hadn't thought of a good excuse for that yet, but I had time to think about it.

"My shield only works if we're in the same room. What if we're separated?" I supposed.

"I would never let that happen!" Edward argued adamantly.

"Edward…" I groaned, "Please. It's safer for Charlie if the only thoughts I have to protect are my own."

"And my concern is what's safest for you," he replied anxiously.

"Edward, they aren't going to kill me for showing up alone," I rolled my eyes.

"How are you going to get there? You aren't ready to be trapped on an airplane with humans, love," he gently cautioned, trying not to hurt my feelings.

"I know. I thought about that. I'll run. And swim. You told me once that a vampire could swim across the ocean in just under a day," I reminded him.

"Me and my big mouth," Edward said acidly. "I don't like this, Bella. I don't like it one bit."

"I know. And I'm sorry. For being too much of a selfish coward to let my parents go like I should have. Just know that I love you, and I'll be back as soon as I possibly can," I promised earnestly.

Edward sighed. "You don't know me very well if you think I'm just going to sit here and wait for you to come home to me."

"Edward, you can't—" I started to argue.

"I'm not going to interfere with your plan to speak with the Volturi. You have my word on that. But you will let me escort you to Italy," he demanded without a hint of compromise in his voice. "With your luck, God only knows what trouble you'd get into if I let you go traipsing across the world unaccompanied!" he snarled.

I resented his tone and let him know it. "If you let me?" I repeated back to him with a snarl of my own.

I could practically hear him rolling his eyes at that. "You know what I mean! Where are you, Bella? Just wait for me, please?"

When I hesitated, he added in an accusing tone, "This isn't how we do things! Not anymore. I thought we agreed that neither of us was
going to make any more rash unilateral decisions."

I sighed, defeated. "Rainbow Lake, Alberta."

I couldn't be sure, but it sounded like he muttered a curse under his breath. "I will be there in three hours, Bella. Promise me you'll be there when I get there," he entreated me, wise to my tricks.

Three hours? I mouthed. It had taken me nearly five to get here and it felt like I was running at the speed of sound!

"I promise I'll be here when you get here," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"And crossing your fingers behind your back doesn't count!" he growled through his teeth.

I bristled. "What am I, seven?"

"No comment," he answered in a scathing tone.

My mouth dropped open, offended, and I glared at the phone in my hand as if he could see me.

"Don't look at me like that. Three hours." And then he ended the call.

I growled and kicked a nearby pinecone into a tree, smashing it into dust. Infuriating, condescending, mind-reading vampire!

*EPOV*

Frustrating, stubborn, irrational woman! I scowled as I tugged a hand through my hair. We'd been having a perfectly pleasant morning when I'd taken some time for myself to tinker around with a new composition.

Bella had said, or rather thought, that she was going for a run. Going off to run alone wasn't something she'd expressed an interest in doing before, but I didn't want her to feel like she was under lock and key, so I foolishly didn't press the matter.

All Alice had seen was Bella running, which was exactly what she said she was doing, so it didn't set off any alarm bells. That is, until hours later when she hadn't come back.

I'd tried calling and calling, I don't know how many hundreds of times, but my calls went straight to voicemail, so either the phone was off, or more likely she was out of range.

I wanted to start tracking her, but Carlisle convinced me against my better judgment to sit tight and wait for an explanation. Have a little faith, he'd said.

It didn't make any sense! I ran over the last days and weeks in my mind, examining her behavior for something I might've missed, some clue that would explain her sudden disappearance, but found none.

Where had she gone? Was she in danger? Why would she leave me without so much as a note? Had I done something to cause this? Those and a thousand other questions ran through my mind as I dialed her phone for the umpteenth time.

Then finally, finally, it started ringing. Though there was a short tone after the ring indicating she was speaking to someone else on the other line.

Who was she talking to? Nobody in our family, that much was certain. It was a rather short list of people it could be outside of that. Her parents or… I didn't want to think of it, but I had to consider all the possibilities.

Could this be the work of Jacob Black? Had he tricked Bella somehow? He'd always known how to tug at her heartstrings when he was trying to manipulate her.

Could she have fallen for some kind of a trap in which a pack of murderous wolves was waiting to tear her to pieces-retribution for breaking the treaty (and the mutt's heart)?

Before my anxiety could spiral to new depths at the very idea of that, Bella answered the phone and her explanation was the very last thing I expected.

Charlie knew the truth.

I should've seen it coming, with Charlie as close to the pack as he was. And if he married a Quileute, he would, in theory, be privy to the tribe's stories and secrets.

And Bella, the protector that she was, felt that her only recourse was to run clear across the world and confront the Volturi alone so that the secret of her father's supernatural awareness would be safe with her.

Brave, absurd, ridiculous woman.

The irony didn't escape me that this time Bella had given me the slip to go keep Charlie out of harm's way instead of the other way around.

I groaned. If this was how it felt to be left in the dust by Bella, it really was no wonder that the man disliked me as intensely as he did.

Dislike, I snorted. Who was I kidding? Charlie knew the truth of how I sucked the life out of his little girl and robbed him of the biological grandchildren (or puppies, as it were) he might've had if I hadn't stolen Bella from the world where she belonged. Chief Swan hated my granite guts and he had every reason to, I thought with deep remorse. I couldn't even find it within me to disagree with him.

And now, because I procrastinated on updating the Volturi like a complete fool, Bella would have to go it alone. Well, she didn't have to. Emmett could go in my place. He'd love that. Or Carlisle could go under the pretense of wanting to catch up with his old friends.

But any of us who accompanied her who didn't know about Charlie would know about her gift. And she was wise to want to withhold that information from someone like Aro.

So alone she would go. And as much as I loathed the idea, she was right, the Volturi wouldn't harm her. There was no cause; she was a lawful citizen of the vampire community now and would be welcomed as such.

Though I had no doubt her control would be tested. Aro loved to dangle "treats" in front of us vegetarians who chose a different lifestyle, to test our commitment.

It was no accident that the human tourists were served up right in front of Alice and me the last time we had the misfortune of visiting Volterra. The intimidation factor upon my "courageous little human companion," AKA the liability, was merely an added bonus.

I cursed myself once again for not heeding Carlisle's instruction to follow up with the Italians months ago. If I had, Bella wouldn't be in this position. She was always the one to pay for my mistakes.

Bella's control was growing stronger every day, but would she be strong enough to resist a human that was cruelly dangled in front of her? Perhaps.

But one that was bleeding? I shuddered, remembering the feral monster that possessed her body when the boy in Angoon split his lip on the pavement. I swallowed hard.

What would happen when no one was there to save her from herself? If she succumbed to her baser instincts, she would hate herself for it. Would she hate me, too?

*A/N* The more I think about how SM "resolved" things with Charlie (and not at all with Renee), the more I've absolutely loved taking another stab at it. Charlie deserved better. In ALL regards. It was probably just as cathartic for me to write it as it was for Bella to tell Charlie the real reason why Edward left her.

Thoughts? As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. I can't wait to hear what you think!