A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.
Chapter 25-
Charlie's POV-
"I…you…he…what?" I stumbled through my words, expressionlessly staring at my daughter as I attempted to make sense of the spoken gibberish, I was too dumb to understand.
"Dad…" she continued to speak, fear prevalent in her eyes. "I need to become one of you… like you. This is my destiny. I was an idiot for not understanding this any earlier. If I had, it all could have been avoided. I could have been safe right now. This is my mistake…."
"Bella. Stop." I cut her off, my hands on her shoulders as I attempted to calm her down, a seemingly impossible feat at the moment. "Take a deep breath in. Now calmly- and in a way in which I can understand- tell me, what is the problem?"
I just couldn't understand what the problem here was!
Why did she so desperately want to become a vampire?
And all of a sudden at that?
It just made no sense to me.
"Dad, just…read this."
She offered me the stray piece of paper she had been so concentratedly staring at, a frown on my face as I too began to read, my eyes wide as I took each precious word in, no words coming to mind once I had read and re-read every word written.
"Oh." The single word slipped out of my mouth, uncontrolled and unabashed.
"Yes, oh." She nodded her head in perfect agreement.
"And…um…you think that Didyme was talking about you?" I waved a hand in air, still, obviously, in doubt. "Maybe…it was…eh…someone else…"
"Let's be serious here, dad." She gave me a stern look, 'facts' tumbling out of her mouth. "I am Marcus's soul mate- Didyme's soul reincarnating…"
"But that could mean anything." I pointed out. "How are you so sure that you are supposed to end Aro's tyranny? Maybe someone else will be born a thousand years from today…"
"You really want Aro to rule for another thousand years?"
"Obviously not."
She offered me a half smile, shaking her head in amusement. "Dad, we need to accept this. I have to kill Aro, or at least die trying. Athenadora and Sulpicia had tried to make me aware…but I guess it wasn't the correct time."
"Bella." My eyes were pleading with her to understand. "This whole revenge…it isn't our problem…"
"It is now, dad." She let out a sigh. "Aro made it personal. I did not want anything to do with him. Or with anyone of the Volturi, in fact. But by locking us up in here…"
"We will find a way to get out." I was grasping at straws here. This was a dangerous mission, and I wasn't naïve enough to not realize that. "You don't need to ruin your life…"
"My life is already ruined!" she scoffed in disgust. "I did not wish to become aware of the supernatural world, but yet I was. And now I cannot go back from this. The only way ahead is forward. And so, I might as well walk on it. Will you change me into a vampire or not?"
No.
I can't.
"Bella…"
"Oh, come on, dad." She rolled her eyes at me. "I am not going to be a burden on your head, if that is your concern. I can manage to take care of myself. I just need you to bite me, and then your work is done. You don't have to fulfill any further responsibility."
"Bella." My tone held a rather good measure of fury and disbelief. "I am aware that I haven't been the best parent out there, but at least don't push me in the worst category! This is definitely not why I am reluctant to make you one of us."
"Then?" she looked up at me with those doe-like eyes of hers, innocence shining in them, instantly reminding me of the trusting five-year-old with pigtails sitting in my lap and eating her favorite chocolate ice-cream.
"Kiddo," I let out a sigh, wincing. "This isn't an easy life to live. I drink blood to survive. I often lose control over myself, and have even been responsible for the death of a few innocent humans." It was back in my newborn year; I had escaped from under Tanya's eye. "I have to live with that painful guilt till whenever destiny considers me valuable enough to survive. It is not easy, kid. I don't…I can't wish that for another."
I just couldn't.
Whenever I shut my eyes, I could still see their crying faces as they pleaded the monster in front of them to let them go. A family of five destroyed within minutes.
I couldn't punish my daughter to the same fate.
I was somehow surviving with the never-ending guilt…but not my innocent Bella.
She was too good for this world!
I could not doom her to this misery.
All those years ago, I had distanced myself from her for this very reason. Tanya had vaguely suggested to let Bella know- she couldn't see me losing the only family I had remaining; I would have changed her had she chosen this world of mine. But I just couldn't do it. She wasn't a 'mate', or at least hadn't been back then, and pulling her into a world that wasn't kind or expected, seemed to be too cruel to force her into.
Even today, I wasn't completely on board with her being Marcus's mate. Now, I was rather aware that I couldn't do a damn thing about it- she was an adult and all, but that did not mean that I had to like it!
She was too good for that old coot. He was old enough to personally know Adam and Eve, for heaven's sake!
Now, now, the pot is calling the kettle black- I know. But in my defense, have you seen Tanya? From which angle does she look any older than twenty-five? I am in my mid-forties; I couldn't have got a babe like this. No matter what I did or who I prayed to.
And that's not the case with my daughter. She is young, beautiful and a successful adult. She could find anyone she wanted. Someone who was her equal, uncomplicated, and deserving of her love and support.
And the icing on the cake, she wouldn't have to drink blood to be with him!
Maybe I should suggest this to her?
We could always create a tinder profile for her…
I could personally approve or disapprove each boy that she swiped right for.
That does seem like a good idea now!
"Dad, you there?" Bella nudged me hard, a frown on her face.
"Yeah, yeah," I waved her off. "I was just thinking about something."
"Care to share?"
"Actually, no." I shook my head to myself. I wasn't dumb enough to speak the thought in my head out loud; Bella wouldn't take longer than two whole minutes to remind me of my place in her life. Sadly, at the bottom.
I would have to work hard to regain her trust in me.
This second chance was a blessing in disguise for me; I wasn't wasting it.
She mattered to me, and I was willing to fight the entire world to prove this to her.
"So?" she raised an eyebrow in question. "What is your final decision?"
"In regards to?" I offered her a confused look, my mind a muddled mess at the moment.
"Will you make me like you or not?" she sighed in frustration. "I don't have time here, dad. If your answer is no…"
"Is that what you want?" I stared at her, refusing to look anywhere but in her eyes. "Bella, we have other options. We will work something out…"
"Yes."
I shut my eyes tight, wincing, reluctantly nodding my head in agreement. "It won't be easy."
"Nothing in life ever is." she whispered the words out, her eyes downcast and fixated on the plain white tiles in the room.
"Fine." I gulped. "We have a decent share of blood stored in here." Aro had arranged for that, thankfully. "But Bella, you will have no control over yourself- for at least the first few months. You will be impulsive and ruled by instincts. I will try my best to not let you do something you come to regret, but, still, be sure that you want this."
She nodded her head in agreement, still as stubborn and determined as always.
"Okay then." This was harder than I could have thought. "I am willing to be your sire."
"And I am willing to teach you how to fight." Stefan interrupted, the two of them an unwilling spectator to our conversation. "I have fought Aro back in the day. Yes, I lost, but that was only because Aro did not fight fair. He used his gift against me, manipulating me into distraction. This time though, we will be more alert and prepared."
"Let's do this." Bella grinned, her eyes sparkling with confidence. "I am ready."
I offered her one last sigh, attaching my open mouth to her neck.