60. Charlie
Alice found what she was looking for, in the garage and in the immediate future, and raced back into the house, eyes wild and hands full. Jabbing a finger at the wolves, she said, "You, you, and you. If you must stay, get over in the corner and commit to being there for a while. I need to see. Bella, you'd better give him the baby, too. You'll need your arms free, anyway."
Where Jacob grinned in response to Alice's injunction, Bella froze. She began to breathe again right away, but they were great, fearful gasps. She'd have been in danger of hyperventilating if she were a human. I looked wildly at Jasper, who was already focused on her and doing his best to dull the sharp edge of terror he detected.
"Take her," Bella whispered and allowed Jacob to scoop Nessie into his arms.
She looked so frightened, worse than yesterday when it had been her daughter she was meeting. I hastened to her while Jacob and Seth took up positions on the floor in a corner and Leah left, with Alice cautioning her not to cross Charlie's path.
Vivid red eyes locked on mine, wide, full of fear. I couldn't hear her thoughts, of course, but for once, I knew what she was thinking. If she hurt her father, if she lost control and killed him before she realized what she was doing, she'd never forgive herself. What if we had to stop her? What if we couldn't stop her?
"You can do this," I promised, smudging my thumbs across her cheeks. "I know you can. I'll help you; we all will."
Her head shook back and forth in my hands, just enough for me to feel her move.
I smiled at her, trying to put all the love and amazement I felt for her in it. I knew of no other newborn vampire who could have ignored Nessie's unconventional breakfast, nor run away from their quarry mid-hunt, but Bella was like no one I'd ever known.
"If I didn't believe you could handle it," I said, staring hard into her eyes to try and make her believe it too, "we'd disappear today. This very minute. But you can. And you'll be happier if you can have Charlie in your life."
She calmed slightly as she accepted my words.
"These will irritate your eyes," Alice said as she tossed a small box at Bella, who seemed to catch it automatically. "They won't hurt, but they'll cloud your vision. It's annoying. They also won't match your old color, but it's still better than bright red, right?"
"When did you - " Bella started.
"Before you left on the honeymoon. I was prepared for several possible futures."
How often visions of me returning with a red-eyed Bella had come to Alice, I wasn't sure, and right now, she was concentrating on the future, not past visions that no longer mattered. Still, I had to wonder if it had been closer than even I had known. Of course Renesmee was unique. Humans weren't supposed to survive an encounter with a vampire, and why would most of them bother to take such a risk when it was so much easier to just kill their momentary lover or change one they wanted to keep?
Bella opened the box to find a pair of colored contact lenses. She took one out and stuck it to her eye. She blinked, looked surprised, then I watched her eyes slowly lose focus before she blinked again. It was all I could do not to laugh at the faces she made.
She put the other one in and mumbled, "I see what you mean."
The color might not have matched her old shade, but it was interesting seeing my brown-eyed girl again.
"How do I look?" she asked.
"Gorgeous," I replied instantly. "Of course - "
"Yes, yes," Alice interrupted, "she always looks gorgeous. It's better than red, but that's the highest commendation I can give. Muddy brown. Your brown was much prettier. Keep in mind that those won't last forever - the venom in your eyes will dissolve them in a few hours. So if Charlie stays longer than that, you'll have to excuse yourself to replace them. Which is a good idea anyway, because humans need bathroom breaks. Esme, give her a few pointers on acting human while I stock the powder room with contacts."
"How long do I have?" Esme asked.
"Charlie will be here in five minutes. Keep it simple."
I almost protested. Bella was such a natural at being a vampire. Surely she didn't need tips on how to act human. But she wasn't human anymore, and I had to remember that. Her instincts would be different.
Before a big performance, it was normal and helpful to go over and over what was expected, no matter how many times one had rehearsed.
I kept silent.
Esme joined Bella and I, and took Bella's hand, hoping to impart a measure of comfort with simple contact. It seemed to help.
"The main thing," Esme started, "is not to sit too still or move too fast."
"Sit down if he does," Emmett added. "Humans don't like to just stand there."
"Let your eyes wander every thirty seconds or so," Jasper said. "Humans don't stare at one thing for too long."
Not one to be left out, Rose had to comment, too. "Cross your legs for about five minutes, then switch to crossing your ankles for the next five."
"And blink at least three times a minute," Emmett said. ...too quiet in here… something else to focus on… I know! He snagged the remote, turned the television on, and found a football game.
I nodded in approval. Humans tended to turn those things on the moment they woke. Even if he didn't pay attention to the game, he would be comforted by the familiarity of the lights and sounds.
"Move your hands, too," Jasper said. "Brush your hair back or pretend to scratch something."
"I said Esme. You'll overwhelm her," Alice scolded as she came back from stashing the contact lenses.
"No," Bella said. "I think I got it all. Sit, look around, blink, fidget."
Esme gave her shoulders a tight squeeze. "Right."
"You'll be holding your breath as much as possible," Jasper said, "but you need to move your shoulders a little to make it look like you're breathing."
Bella took a deep breath, a real one, as if to steady herself.
They worried too much.
If, as he had told Jacob, Charlie was determined to know as little about our world as possible, we could simply count on him to deliberately not notice anything Bella did that was a little off.
Charlie wasn't going to be paying attention to details like whether or not Bella fidgeted and breathed. He wasn't discovering we were different on his own and trying to figure out how and why. He knew that Bella would be different because Jacob had already told him so. The more obvious changes that Bella couldn't hide were what he would see, at least at first.
It was more important that she believe in herself than to fool Charlie about how human her body still was. He knew she wasn't. And that changed things.
"You can do this," I said into her ear.
Rosalie strode into the kitchen to clean the cup she still held, providing relief to all our aching throats, and assuring Charlie wouldn't have something more definitive than Bella's new appearance to identify us. A metal cup that had once contained blood would be hard to explain away. Esme realized the same would apply to all the bent utensils scattered on the floor, and hastened to clean up the evidence of Nessie's game.
"Two minutes," Alice warned. "Maybe you should start out already on the couch. You've been sick, after all. That way he won't have to see you move right at first." She acted as she spoke, dragging Bella across the room.
It wouldn't do to laugh at her, not when she needed my support more than anything else, but she looked strangely like a pregnant woman trying to sit without falling into the chair, awkward in her attempt to be clumsy, but not at all like her old self. All their helpful advice was making her self-conscious. Bella was amazing just as she was, and if they would simply let her be, she would be fine.
On the other side of the room, where the television now blared, Emmett plopped himself into a chair and pretended indifference. Rose and Esme returned to the living room and took up positions by the kitchen while Jasper stationed himself close to where Bella now sat.
"Jacob, I need Renesmee," Bella moaned.
He clutched her tighter and didn't move.
"Bella," Alice said, "that doesn't help me see."
"But I need her. She keeps me calm."
"Fine. Hold her as still as you can and I'll try to see around her."
I would have thought, as frightened as Bella sounded, that Alice would have been a little more solicitous, and a little less put upon.
In their worry over Bella, though, they had forgotten there was another member of our family who would be exposed to the scent of pure, living human blood, and for the very first time. Renesmee was subject to the same need for blood and instinct to bite as any other newborn vampire.
No, I suddenly remembered. Charlie wouldn't be the first human whose blood Nessie would be exposed to. That honor had been Bella's, and Renesmee's very first act had been to bite her, just as any vampire would have done upon their awakening.
Jacob brought Nessie to Bella, then slunk unhappily away while I sat beside my beloved wife and child. I put my arms around them and directed my words toward our daughter. Bella would be fine; it was Renesmee who needed to be told what to expect and what was expected of her.
"Renesmee, someone special is coming to see you and your mother. But he's not like us, or even like Jacob. We have to be very careful with him. You shouldn't tell him things the way you tell us."
She put her little hand to my cheek and pushed an image into my mind of the flimsy utensils she had so easily bent out of shape and seemed to feel that no one would appreciate being squashed like the spoon.
"Exactly," I said, convinced that she would keep her hands to herself. "And he's going to make you thirsty. But you mustn't bite him. He won't heal like Jacob."
In an awed whisper, Bella said, "Can she understand you?"
"She understands. You'll be careful, won't you, Renesmee? You'll help us?"
She touched my face again, showing me an image of human Bella and how I'd stopped her from biting her mother moments after her birth, then one of Seth jumping between Bella and Jacob and her obvious subsequent remorse over injuring him, followed by one of Jacob that held a memory of his taste and a query.
"No, I don't care if you bite Jacob. That's fine," I assured her, pleased by her level of distinction. Jacob was okay to bite; this new person was not.
...told you she likes me, too…
"Maybe you should leave, Jacob," I said when he snickered. The future of my family was at stake, and he sat there all smug and full of himself, having a laugh.
"I told Charlie I'd be here. He needs the moral support."
"Moral support," I said with a snort. "As far as Charlie knows, you're the most repulsive monster of us all." He'd just scared Charlie half to death, but his presence would be helpful and calming? Charlie knew Jacob turned into a gigantic wolf. All he knew about us, really, was that we were different, and that now Bella was too.
"Repulsive?" Whatever you gotta tell yourself, bloodsucker.
Breathing deeply, I tried not to let him distract me further. What was done was done. Now we had to address it, as we had so many other calamities.
Bella, Nessie, and Charlie were important right now, nothing else.
Too clearly, I remembered the blistering fire that had raked my throat the first time I'd smelled her, the way it had driven all sense of reason from my mind, how nothing had mattered but that I had to have her.
It was only happenstance that had saved her. The breeze that had carried her scent away in that critical moment and altered the course of our lives had been either a perfect coincidence of timing or divine intervention. I rather thought it was the latter. I was not meant to kill Bella that day. We were supposed to be together, as she had always asserted, and all of this had surely been His plan all along. That or else I was just exorbitantly lucky.
I couldn't count on luck to get us through the next few minutes. We all relied on Bella's strength of will. If she could resist the first whiff, it would get progressively easier. Repeated and prolonged exposure to Bella's exquisite scent had increased my resistance to it. As I became acclimated to the burn, I'd found I could ignore it, relegate it to a background sensation. There, but unimportant.
But then I would spend time away from her and smell her anew, and it would hit me like the first time, the fire and the desperate need to quench it. But it was more, so much more. The desire, the draw, the pull, it was a physical force, as irresistible as the need to inhale though one's head was held under water. Giving in was only a matter of time despite the knowledge that death would follow - at least, for those who still required oxygen.
Bella, and Renesmee to some extent, would have all that and more. She hadn't been all that close to the hikers, and what was in Renesmee's cup had been cold, chemically altered, and slightly stale. Charlie would be vibrant to her senses, to both their senses. His scent would fill the house, Bella would be able to feel his warmth on her skin from across the room, and his pulse would be an unending siren's song. It would take all her concentration to resist, and yet she would have to carry on a conversation with him while trying to act human.
His car turned onto our driveway, and the closer he got, the faster Bella's breathing became.
Then, for no reason I could detect, the rapid pace of her breaths slowed.
"Well done, Bella," Jasper said, confirming that he'd had nothing to do with calming her down.
"You're sure?" she asked when I gave her a squeeze.
"Positive," I said instantly. "You can do anything."
I grinned at her, wondering if she would remember how she used to accuse me of being able to do everything. Well, I certainly couldn't have done what she had this morning, and the day was young, yet. Maybe after Charlie left, she would believe in herself the way I did. And then, tonight, I would have her all to myself again.
Leaning in to kiss her, I felt more grateful than ever that the privilege to do so was mine. She responded immediately, as though our daughter wasn't sitting on her lap, as though our family wasn't gathered around watching, as though her father wasn't coming up the driveway ready to storm into our house.
Her body rose as she leaned toward me, her lips pressed back against mine, and I wanted to gather her into my arms, to pull her onto my lap and remove all these irritating barriers that separated us. What did I care if everyone else was there? They were free to leave.
Jasper shifted uncomfortably and muttered, "Er, Edward, you might not want to distract her like that right now. She needs to be able to focus."
Oh. Right. Charlie. "Oops."
Our kiss broke, but she had eyes only for me, brown again with her contacts, and crinkled around the edges with her laughter.
"Later," Bella promised. A shiver traveled down her back as she started breathing harder. It seemed the more she tried to control it, the more her body remembered my touch and reacted, causing a response in my own that I struggled to suppress.
Bella's father was nearly here. It wouldn't do to drag her away to the cottage right now. We had responsibilities.
"Focus, Bella," Jasper scolded.
"Right."
A moment later, he chided again, "Bella."
"Sorry, Jasper," she said, but she didn't sound sorry at all. I felt my silent heart might explode with joy. It had seemed much easier, certainly much faster, when the emotions she'd been fighting were fearful ones regarding Charlie's visit. She wanted me. God, I couldn't wait to have her again.
Emmett's knowing laughter died as Charlie approached the house. Everyone froze except Bella who appeared to be trying to put their advice to use all at once. She crossed her legs, blinked, and breathed, attempting to compose herself as the enormity of what she was about to attempt finally cut through her desire for me.
Not too many months ago, Bella and I had sat side by side on her couch, waiting for her father to come home so we could announce our engagement. She had been frightened then. This time, he was afraid, too.
Our worry had its affect on Renesmee. As Charlie mounted the stairs and then knocked, she snuggled close to Bella, hiding in her hair as if she wished she could disappear. I wished there was time to comfort her, but Carlisle was already opening the door.
"Hello, Charlie," Carlisle said, his smile one of welcome and apology. We'd lied to Charlie and kept him from his daughter. Supernatural elements aside, he had every right to be angry with us.
Jasper, who had been trying to avoid unduly influencing Bella, was already reaching out to Charlie. He tried to enhance the relief that shone through the anger so he could siphon off some of the more negative emotions. There was no removing them entirely, but anything that could help ease Charlie through this would be welcomed, whether he realized it or not.
"Carlisle," Charlie responded. "Where's Bella?"
"Right here, Dad."
His eyes found her right away and widened as they took in her appearance.
Weeks it'd been. And talk of mysterious diseases and changes and a kid he'd known his whole life turning into the biggest wolf he'd ever seen.
...that's not… can't be… looks like her, but doesn't… voice sounded off too… he's staring at her like usual, though. Must be Bella, but it doesn't look like her… what did he do?!
"Is that you, Bella?"
"Yep. Hi, Dad."
Her nonchalance was perfect. Nothing to worry about, Charlie, just a family of vampires hanging out on a beautifully overcast morning. Care to join us?
I pressed my lips together against the laughter that wanted to bubble up and out of me. Now was not the time for levity. He was angry enough with me as it was. Laughing in the face of his anguish was unacceptable, and Bella had yet to take a breath. Everything could change in that moment. If I had to whisk her away, she would feel bad for succumbing to her vampire nature. If she resisted, she would be in pain, and I never wanted that.
How could I not cheer, though? She was incredible, sitting beside me, chewing on her lip in a human mannerism Charlie recognized. She didn't need to remember to blink or fidget. All the advice my family had given her, I scoffed, when what they should have told her was simply to be herself.
Mimicking her apparent ease, Jacob called, "Hey, Charlie. How're things?"
Charlie shot him a glare, remembered the shock of seeing a wolf where Jacob had just been standing, and focused his attention back on Bella.
Once creamy skin was now white as snow. The tiny imperfections humans unconsciously relied on to identify one another were erased. Though the essential shape of her was the same, she was different, flawless and polished to perfection. To him, she looked like an unfinished copy, missing the details he knew so well, or the victim of an overzealous make-up artist. Maybe this was all just a joke. An elaborate prank.
That wolf had been no joke. No way anyone could fake that.
Beginning to accept what his eyes were telling him, he asked, "Bella?"
"It's really me." She pitched her voice lower, as if that could disguise the clear ringing tone. She'd been better off speaking normally. Trying to hide the change only emphasized the difference and implied that she was uncomfortable with it. "I'm sorry, Dad."
"Are you okay?"
"Really and truly great. Healthy as a horse."
...could eat a horse right now…
Honestly! One would think Emmett had been deprived of nourishment for months and was still starving, when it had only been days we had been trapped here, and he'd made up for lost time last night. He'd figured, we were leaving anyway. The bear population would recover before we came back - if we ever came back.
"Jake told me this was… necessary. That you were dying." ...dying days ago and sitting there like that now…
Bella didn't answer him right away. She leaned into me, her muscles tense and hard as she locked them into place. I tightened my grip as she took her first breath, ready to scoop her off the couch and run away with both my beloved wife and our tiny daughter at the first sign of any movement in his direction. Bella's eyes widened, her nostrils flared, and her throat worked, but she stayed seated and didn't so much as twitch a finger.
She swallowed a couple of times, then said, "Jacob was telling you the truth."
"That makes one of you."
Whoa.
All eyes were on Bella, including Charlie's, or he would have seen the lot of us gaping at her, open-mouthed. Disinterest in werewolf blood was one thing and not completely unexpected. They didn't smell appealing in any way. Her immunity to Renesmee and to the blood she had drunk was astounding, but even they didn't smell like Charlie. His scent was strong and compelling, and should have been irresistible to her.
The first newborn Bella had seen, Bree, had screamed and writhed as she fought the draw of Bella's intoxicating aroma. Her agony and struggle had been palpable and heart wrenching. Resisting was futile, and succumbing was inevitable, which made the very idea all the more alluring. Why bother prolonging such pointless suffering when it would end in such sweet bliss?
As though utterly uninterested in the warm aroma of the pure human standing only feet away, Bella glanced down to where Renesmee sat on her lap.
I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. How? How was she able to breathe his scent and sit beside me as though she were still human? Resisting the call of blood was astonishing as it was, but to do so with no outward signs of distress, no physical evidence of her struggle - if she even struggled at all - was simply inexplicable.
Renesmee had been frightened by our talk of Bella hurting due to Charlie's presence, but she needed oxygen and could not hold her breath. Her little face was buried in Bella's hair, which protected her somewhat from the strength of Charlie's scent, but even her heavenly perfume could not disguise the smell of him. She looked toward him, drawn to the smell automatically.
But more than thirst drove her to move. She was curious. Who was this man who was so important to all of us, yet not like any of us?
With her movement and Bella's look, Charlie noticed Nessie for the first time. "Oh. This is her. The orphan Jacob said you're adopting."
"My niece," I said in response to Carlisle's silent prompting.
"I thought you'd lost your family," Charlie snapped, wondering if he'd caught us in yet another lie.
"I lost my parents," I qualified. With the ease of practice, I rattled off a tragedy that would leave her in our care. "My older brother was adopted, like me. I never saw him after that. But the courts located me when he and his wife died in a car accident, leaving their only child without any other family."
...not sure I believe anything they say at this point.
Whether he believed my story or not, the child in Bella's lap was not a lie. She was very real and peeking at him through Bella's long hair.
"She's… she's, well, she's a beauty."
"Yes," I agreed, pleased to see the anger he felt toward the lot of us didn't extend to her.
"Kind of a big responsibility, though. You two are just getting started."
"What else could we do? Would you have refused her?" My words tasted bitter. I would have killed her. I brushed a finger down her cheek, soft and warm with life, and pink, especially compared to my pale skin. She looked so like her mother, and her nature was as sweet, but she was as much me as Bella. Her instincts told her to slake her thirst with the readily available human who approached so willingly.
Her lips parted, and I touched a finger to them, reinforcing my earlier message. She mustn't bite him!
She didn't move toward him further, keeping her face in Bella's hair, though her eyes stayed on him.
"Hmph. Well." Charlie couldn't fault us, but thought losing my family might be influencing my decision. As a kid who'd been adopted, how could I refuse to do the same to a child entrusted to me? That didn't mean I was prepared for the responsibility of raising that child. Such a decision would have life-long consequences that I could not have fully thought through. Unwilling to say as much, he cast about for something less accusatory. "Jake says you call her Nessie?"
"No, we don't," Bella said heatedly. "Her name is Renesmee."
I could have told her it was a waste of time trying to fight the name. By now, it was a done deal. Nessie herself liked the name, and it was already how everyone except Bella thought of her. I would never admit it to either Bella or Jacob, but I rather liked it. The nickname had a sweetly childish sound that I thought humanized her. Renesmee fit what she was; Nessie fit who she was.
Charlie heard the irritation in Bella's new voice and quickly looked back at her. He didn't understand her vehemence. This was my niece, not hers; why should she care so much about what we called her? Bella was just getting over a life-threatening illness, not to mention whatever I had done to her, this change that had made his daughter into… something else. It was an awful lot for anyone to handle. Quibbling over a name seemed like a deflection, given everything else she had to concern herself with. It was easier to focus on something trivial, rather than face the consequences of her actions. Or mine.
Adopting a child should be done with a clear mind. It was not a decision to be made rashly in response to recent unpleasant events. For the good of the child, the decision should be made when not under duress or outside influence.
Neither of us had had younger siblings to practice on. What did we know about raising a baby? My parents had plenty of experience adopting older kids; maybe they'd like the chance to raise an infant for a change.
"How do you feel about this?" he asked Bella. "Maybe Carlisle and Esme could - "
"She's mine. I want her," Bella insisted.
...awful enthusiastic… never seemed the baby type before… He remembered Bella telling him how she wasn't interested in any of the boys in town within days of starting up a relationship with me. Had she changed her mind that quickly, or had she been lying? And if she had been lying, had it been to him or herself? He hadn't known about Jacob's wolf thing, or our family and whatever we were, or Bella's plans to join us in a way other than marriage. What else didn't he know about his own daughter?
What father knew his own kid, though?
One thing he did know: Bella was stubborn. If she wanted to adopt the orphan, there wasn't much hope of stopping her. People would talk, though, especially as young as Nes- er... Ren... ah... the kid seemed to be. They were already talking, what with our wedding just after graduating high school. We were so young, just kids ourselves, really, and he certainly wasn't that old.
"You gonna make me a grandpa so young?"
I grinned over his shoulder at my father, who barely passed for thirty. "Carlisle is a grandfather, too."
Following my gaze to Carlisle, who still stood where Charlie had left him, Charlie's tension began to ease enough that he actually laughed. My grin broadened. Everything was going to be alright. Nessie was behaving herself, Charlie was beginning to accept everything, and Bella was absolutely amazing.
"I guess that does sort of make me feel better," he said. His eyes were drawn back to the child Bella held, still hiding in her hair. "She sure is something to look at."
Nessie heard the approval in his voice and overcame her shyness. She stopped hiding her face in Bella's hair and looked him straight in the eye. Face to face with her, there was no denying the resemblance to Bella. He knew her face too well, even changed as it was, not to recognize it on her daughter. The eyes, the curly hair, the shape of her mouth, the pointed chin and high cheekbones, they were all familiar to him.
...spittin' image of her as a baby… but the wedding was a month ago, only a month… guess she coulda been pregnant then, but that dress didn't hide much… no way nine months, and that's not a premie... but if that ain't Bella's kid… but it can't be… one month ago, just a month, couldn't've been that pregnant…
I had no idea what to say to him. Bella's father was not someone with whom I wanted to discuss the circumstances surrounding Nessie's conception or birth.
Thankfully, Jacob came over and whispered into Charlie's ear, "Need to know, Charlie. It's okay. I promise."
Regaining his composure made him belligerent. His hands balled into fists, and he took a step toward me. "I don't want to know everything, but I'm done with the lies!"
I imagined a human boy in my position, confronted with the angry father of the girl he loved, would have been terrified, and if I had not already been sitting, I would have taken a step or two back in automatic response.
Secure in the knowledge of Bella's love, and that she could never be taken from me now, I took a steadying breath and said, "I'm sorry, but you need to know the public story more than you need to know the truth. If you're going to be part of this secret, the public story is the one that counts. It's to protect Bella and Renesmee as well as the rest of us. Can you go along with the lies for them?"
His own safety hanging in the balance probably would not have swayed him, but Charlie's ignorance was vital to more than just his own life. He didn't need to believe the lies; he merely had to be willing to repeat them and to not try to dig beneath the surface of our facade. If he could not be convinced to accept everything at face value, then we would have to leave, now, today, in spite of Bella's amazing control.
So much of her childhood he'd missed while she lived with her mom. He didn't want to miss the rest of her life, too. The past weeks, when he'd feared the worst, had shown him just how much he needed to keep her in his life.
He didn't like it, but he didn't have to. And the lie was better than loosing her completely, which he understood was the only other alternative.
He huffed his displeasure, but didn't answer me. He glared angrily at Bella and grumbled, "You might've given me some warning, kid."
"Would it really have made this any easier?"
...no… I'd've fought it, and she'd have done it anyway… and maybe that would've ended with her leaving, running away like Renee… like she has before...
He frowned, picturing the events that would have occurred if she'd told him she planned on becoming something not human, turning into something secret and strange - and apparently vulnerable to some kind of threat, if his ignorance meant her protection. He would have argued, she would have stood her ground, and he would have capitulated. He sank to the ground in front of her as he acknowledged that fact to himself. She would have threatened to leave, and meant it, and he would have agreed to allow it, just to keep her close.
I allowed myself a quick smile, if only to reassure our watching family.
Distracted with watching Charlie's mind, I didn't notice how close to Bella he was kneeling until Renesmee reached out to touch him. She would have too, if Bella hadn't stopped her. I didn't think she needed to worry, though. Nessie was curious, not hungry.
And I'd been afraid of Bella birthing some mindless monster! Renesmee understood. She felt the thirst just like we all did, but did not allow it to control her. Smiling at Charlie, she touched Bella's face, expressing her curiosity and restraint.
"Whoa. How old is she?"
"Um…" Bella stalled, unprepared to embellish the cover story I'd started.
"Three months old," I supplied. Of course, if he was to remain in her life, he would see her rapid growth rate, and that lie would cease to fit all too soon, so I elaborated with as much of the truth as I dared, "Rather, she's the size of a three-month old, more or less. She's younger in some ways, more mature in others."
Nessie, still smiling at Charlie with her full set of perfect, tiny teeth, gave him a wave.
A three month old might return a toothless smile, exchange a few finger grabs, or give generous amounts of drool to a stranger, but a distinct wave of greeting was far beyond their mental or physical abilities. Her display of comprehension and communication had him reeling again as he tried to make her fit into a mold he could understand.
"Told you she was special, didn't I?" Jacob said with an elbow to Charlie's ribs.
He winced away, but not from the force of the blow. Dealing with his daughter's change when she still looked human was hard enough, but the whole turning into a giant wolf thing freaked him right the heck out.
I supposed I would have to thank Jacob, someday. His distraction had worked. Yes, Bella was different, but it could have been worse.
"Oh, c'mon, Charlie," Jacob complained. "I'm the same person I've always been. Just pretend this afternoon didn't happen."
I'd like to ...only difference is now I know…
He remembered Bella breaking her hand on Jacob's face, though the mutt had not been injured in the slightest. Not even a bruised eye or cut lip to show for Bella's effort. The event made a little more sense now. Surely, Bella wasn't that delicate. At the time, Charlie'd been glad Jake had been so brazen as to kiss her. He had much preferred him over me for his daughter, but now he had to wonder if he would have endorsed Jacob's interest if he'd known the truth about what any of us were. They had only been friends, but he didn't think Jacob's wolf thing had anything to do with her rejection. If she accepted me and whatever I was, why would she reject Jacob for being what he was? Bella was no hypocrite!
Their friendship didn't explain why he was still in her life now, what with our rivalry and the wedding and Bella's change and the child Jacob was staring at with worshipful rapture.
"Just what is your part in all this, Jake? How much does Billy know? Why are you here?"
...see him explain that one! Rosalie thought. She had enjoyed Bella's denouncement of Jacob's imprint yesterday and would have enjoyed watching him squirm as he tried to make his imprint sound palatable to someone who could know so little about our world.
Jacob knew Charlie better than that and freely offered, "Well, I could tell you all about it - Billy knows absolutely everything - but it involves a lot of stuff about werewo-"
"Ungh!" Charlie stopped him, as Jacob had intended. "Never mind."
"Everything's going to be great, Charlie. Just try not to believe anything you see."
"Or anything I hear," Charlie muttered under his breath. Billy knows everything, huh? He had some questions for his best friend the next time he saw him.
"Woo! Go Gators!" Emmett shouted as though he'd been oblivious to the drama unfolding behind him. His yell, despite startling Charlie and causing his heart to break into a short-lived sprint, offered a welcome distraction, and Bella's father latched on to the familiar subject like a drowning man clutching at a life raft.
"Florida winning?"
"Just scored the first touchdown." My initial gratitude toward my brother died when he slyly looked over at us and teased, "'Bout time somebody scored around here."
Jasper felt a spike in Bella's anger, and I nearly yelled at Emmett. What was he thinking? Bella already had enough to worry about without him needling her unnecessarily.
To the astonishment of everyone in the room - except for Emmett - Charlie heaved himself off the floor and threw himself into one of the chairs clustered in front of the television. He deliberately avoided touching Jacob as he moved, though he was perfectly willing to sit directly across from my big bear of a brother.
"Well," Charlie said, "I guess we should see if they can hold on to the lead."
I glanced at Bella, who was staring open-mouthed at her father. It was no longer irritation toward Emmett's inappropriate innuendo I felt. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing with relief. I wanted to spring from the couch, pull Bella into my arms, and spin her around in a dance of victory. For Bella's father to accept her change was something I had never anticipated.
Every argument I had ever come up with against Bella's change, she had proven to be for naught. Bella defied all odds, every precedent.
Perhaps she did had a gift similar to Siobhan's.
Or did her strength come from arguing the opposing side? Was stubbornness her gift? Maybe I should continue to express worry over Nessie's fate, simply so she would add her powerful determination to prove me wrong to the fight for our daughter's life.
That felt rather like a lie, when I'd vowed never to lie to her again. Well, in this instance, the end result justified whatever means. Renesmee's life was worth whatever it took. I would have to make sure she believed, as I did, that Renesmee would thrive, that we would find a cure. If she just believed our daughter would survive, then surely she would, for whatever Bella desired or believed to be true had come to pass.
