Sorry for the long time gap between updates, but hopefully this chapter will make up for it! I've been so busy this summer that I haven't had a spare moment to even think about writing! I'll be starting my GCSE courses in September, so I'm afraid that you might have to wait longer for updates, but I promise to update as much as possible!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or TMNT, but the words are all my own!
Edwards Point Of View
Though I voted for simply running to Charlie's house, Carlisle insisted that we should drive, to give a sense of normalcy. Usually I would agree with his decision, being used to driving cars everywhere except for when hunting, but today the cars seemed slower than ever, adding to my frustrations. The night had been tortuously slow, with my mind racing about everything that had happened.
"If you don't calm down, we're not going to get any answers from Charlie" Jasper told me, looking at me from the front seat of the car. I had opted to ride with Jasper and Alice, as I hoped that Jasper would be able to calm me some, though it didn't seem to be working much. Also Carlisle had been sending me warning glances all night, reminding me that I was not to read Charlie's mind under any circumstances. While normally I would never go against his wishes, I fully intended to listen to any thoughts that Charlie might let slip. Charlie seemed to have the same ability as Bella, so I doubt that I will receive much anyway. Now that I think about it, there were very little thoughts coming from the red haired female that picked Bella up, and no thoughts at all from the person that remained inside the van.
"I doubt he will answer any of our questions, he's never liked me much" I tell him, looking outside the window yet again to see where we were.
"Charlie will answer our questions, just not all the ones we desire. There are some blank spots in the future, so we will have to wait and see what happens." Alice told us, glancing at me quickly before concentrating on the road again. Carlisle was driving ahead of us with Esme, Emmett and Rosalie.
Minuets later we pulled into Charlie's drive, and we were walking towards the front door. Esme Knocked on the door, and we waited for an answer. We knew that he was home, as the police cruiser was parked outside and we could hear his heartbeat along with the sounds of today's game on the t.v.
Footsteps approached, and the door swung open. At first Charlie wore a smile, but it dropped into a scowl as soon as he saw that it was us.
"I figured that you would come calling round here at some point. I haven't got anything to say to you." He grunted, preparing to shut the door. Esme put her hand on the door, not pushing it open, but preventing it from closing.
"Please Charlie, I know that we don't deserve any answers you can give us, but we wouldn't be here unless we cared and were worried about Bella." She pleaded. Charlie looked at her face, then looked past her at me. I'm not sure what he saw, but he opened the door, and walked back into his house. Though he was obviously reluctant, we stepped inside and followed him.
Charlie had settled himself into his armchair, and motioned for us to sit down, though there was very limited seating. Esme, Carlisle and Alice sat on the sofa, while the rest of us stood behind them.
"Thank you Charlie." Carlisle said, leaning forward. Charlie turned of the t.v, and turned to face us.
"Ask your questions and then get out." He said bluntly. Normally we wouldn't stand for being spoken to in such a manor, but now wasn't the best time for pride.
"My family and I are confused about some things that Bella said to us when we last spoke to her, and why has she not returned here." Esme said.
"I have spoken to Bella since she returned to New York. She's told me the information that she's told you. I assume that you are referring to the fact that Bella is not my daughter?" Charlie raised an eyebrow at us.
"Yes. You must understand why we find that hard to believe. And that Renee is not her mother, it just doesn't make sense. Why would she lie about something like that? When Bella had her accident, Renee was there, and she acted like her mother, but if she is not her mother, then where are Bella's real parents?" Carlisle asked.
"Even Bella doesn't know the answer to that. She doesn't remember her parents, she never has been able to" Charlie nodded, waiting for us to continue.
"That might be true, but why would she pretend that you were her father? It seems like you have all gone through allot of trouble to make this look convincing" Carlisle stated, keeping his voice as level as possible. But the others and I could hear the frustration behind his words. Carlisle had come to love Bella like a daughter, so to find out that she had been lying about her past was just as upsetting to him as it was to the rest of us.
"Bella has a very complicated situation, even I am not allowed to know all the details. I'm assuming that she told you she has four brothers?" When we all nodded, he continued "I have never met them or seen them, but from the way that Bella talks about them, they are great people, who would do anything to protect her. She also has a father that I have never seen before, but none of this is the connection between me and Bella. Her father had a master, names Yoshi Hamato, he lived in New York. Renee and I met him whilst we were on holiday there, he saved us from a mugging. We stayed in contact with him right up to his death." Charlie looked down at the floor, clenching his hands. I looked over to Jasper to see that he had the same pained expression as Charlie.
"I'm sorry that this is hurting you Charlie" Esme said, leaning forward to pat his hands. Eventually Charlie relaxed, with the help of Jasper I'm sure.
"It was a long time ago, but he was a great man. Anyway, a few years later Bella called and said that she was the 'granddaughter of Yoshi Hamato'. At first I didn't believe her, as Yoshi had never once mentioned having any children, but she soon proved that she was who she said. Bella asked if she could stay here for awhile, so she could have an education. As far as I know, she and her brothers are very well educated, all excelling in different areas, but they all excel in martial arts"
At the last comment, Emmett burst into laughter, and we all through sceptical looks towards Charlie, wondering whether we were talking about the same Bella swan.
"You have to be kidding me right? Bella Swan? She couldn't throw a punch to save her life" Emmett scoffed, not believing a word of it. I was inclined to agree, but now that I think about it, there was a faint muscle toning underneath her skin, but nothing unusual for a teenager to have. And judging by Alice and Carlisle's thoughts, they thought the same.
"She may seem clumsy, but I've seen her handle a weapon before, and you would not want to be on the receiving end, trust me. And her name isn't Bella Swan, its Isabella Marie Hamato, just as her brothers and father are Hamato." Charlie informed us, looking less than pleased with us all.
"Do you know the name of her brothers and father?" Carlisle asked. He was going to look through all records to see if he could find any trace of who these people were.
"Bella hasn't ever mentioned the name of her father, she always addressed him as either 'Master' or 'Father'. But she did name her brothers. The eldest is named Leonardo, he is the leader of the family after their father, then Bella is the second eldest and the medic, then there is Raphael who is second in command, Donatello who is the resident scientist of the group, and finally there is Michelangelo who is the youngest, I'm not sure what his rank in the group is."
By the way Charlie spoke, it seemed as if they we're more of a team than a family. What kind of family has a second in command or a resident scientist? Something was just not right here. Though we all knew that Carlisle was the head of the family, or clan, such status's did not normally occur in human families.
"We are worried about Bella" I finally spoke, instantly getting the attention of everyone in the room. "We are worried that Bella is not safe. When we last saw her, there we bruises and cuts scattered on her body. She is obviously not safe in that kind of environment" I was pacing by now. I wanted them to understand that if Bella was receiving such injuries then she should be as far away as possible from those kind of people.
"You have no room to talk. After a matter of days of our meeting, Bella had run off to Phoenix and was in Intensive Care! How dare you say that she is not safe with her family!" Charlie thundered, and I couldn't help but flinch at his words. He spoke the truth, I had been no better at protecting Bella, I has caused her harm. I was not going to give in so easily though, I was going to fight until I knew she was safe and away from harm. But as soon as I opened my mouth to reply, Charlie stopped me.
"Bella has told me that you are not normal, she even told me that she worried for my and her families safety after her birthday party at your house. From the sounds of it, you are more of a threat to her than anyone else on this planet. I don't want to know what you are, and nor do I care. But if you threaten Bella or her family, you will regret it. Bella has told me that she would be proud to die to protect her family, and I have no doubt that her brothers feel the same way. They have never abandoned her when things have got tough, but you ran away when things seemed to a little too difficult for you to manage." He spat the last words, now standing on his feet and glaring at me that left no doubt that if he could shoot me, he would.
I heard a low growl, and looked to see Rosalie clenching her fists and glaring at Charlie. Emmett had his hand around her wrist, ready to pull her back if she tried to hurt him.
"I don't know what Bella has told you, but I can assure you there is nothing abnormal about my family. We only want to help Bella, and we will do everything we can to make sure that she is safe!"I was seething by now. I wasn't getting the answers that I so desperately needed and wanted. Carlisle sent me a warning in his thoughts, telling me that I needed to calm down, but I didn't pay any attention to him. I was not leaving here without the knowledge of Bella's whereabouts.
"I welcome you to try and find her, but if you really want her to be safe, then you will leave her alone. She may lead a dangerous life, but as far as I can tell, she is more than happy with it. She doesn't need you and your family getting involved. I don't give a rats ass whether your family is normal or not, but I will warn you now, you may be strong, and you may be fast, but one thing I do know about Bella and her family, they will find a way to destroy you if you threaten them" He sat back down in his chair, clearly satisfied with the words that he had said, but it had had more of an effect then he thought it would.
"Is that a threat against our family?" Rosa hissed, every muscle in her body tensed and reading to pounce. Emmett was now tightly gripping her arm, silently warning her to calm down.
"I am not threatening your family, but you and your family are threatening Bella's happiness and safety. I am warning you now, if you insist on tracking her down, do not expect a happy ending." He said calmly, which made her tense even more.
This was not what I expected to hear. I was expecting to hear that Charlie himself had concerns about her safety, and that he would be pleased if we found her and brought her home. This whole situation was ridiculous. But the honesty and the total certainty in his eyes when he warned us about going after her, it sent a cold shiver down my spine. I knew somewhere deep down that pursuing this would only cause pain and suffering to both our families, but my heart refused to listen, drowning out the voice with images of Bella being hurt, telling me that the only way she would be safe is if she was home again.
"I think its time you leave. I don't want to see you again, and I refuse to answer any more of your questions." Charlie said, now addressing Carlisle and Esme directly. Rose was still tense, but Jasper was working to calm her down, which was causing her to glare at him instead. My whole family was tense, thinking about the warning Charlie had given us.
"We are sorry Charlie, but we are still concerned. The answers you have given us do not help to put our minds at rest." Esme said, looking guilty at having to say this, but her thoughts reflecting that she would ask as many questions as it took to find out what had happened to Bella. "You said she lead a dangerous life, what did you mean by that?"
"I can't answer your question, it is not your place to know. I know you care for Bella Mrs Cullen, but please understand, that you can no longer be a part of her life. She has her own family, one that she needs to protect. Wouldn't you do the same to protect your family?" He spoke with a much softer tone now, imploring for her to understand, but it didn't have the desired effect.
"I would do the same to protect my family, but Bella is my family. She is like a daughter to me, and I am very much concerned about her safety." Esme was not giving up, much to everyone apart from myself and Carlisle. Myself because I could read her thoughts and Carlisle because he knew her better than any of us.
"Think of the children you have no Esme. If you would do anything to protect Bella, then you will do anything to protect your children here. Getting involved in Bella's life, her world if you will, it will only cause pain for your family. Don't put them in harms way. I know that you do not believe me, but they are different. They will fight you with everything they have. If Bella is really like a child to you, then let her go, let her be happy with her family." I had to hand it to Charlie, by appealing to her motherly side, the side that would do everything to protect her children, he was having more of an effect on her than any other approach.
"I can see that we have come to a point where will receive no other answer from you other then leave Bella alone" Carlisle sighed. He was as frustrated as the rest of us, but he knew that pushing any further would not get us the answers that we wanted.
Though Carlisle thought that I would not, I dove into Charlie's mind, but there was nothing, apart from the strong warning to stay away from Bella. Even though she wasn't his family, he had strong feelings for her, more of an uncle and niece relationship than anything.
"I have to ask you something Charlie" Alice said, speaking for the first time. Though Carlisle sent her a warning look, she continued. "Will you tell Bella that we were here today, and inform her that we will be looking for her?"
"I have to. Bella asked me to, and even with her request, I would still tell her. I'm telling you, stay away from her, she doesn't need you." Charlie said.
"So you have a way to contact Bella?" Alice pressed. I knew what she was going to ask, and I could already see how it was going to end. Why was she asking Charlie, why didn't she just look into the future and get the answer herself? But then I realised with alarm that she could no longer see either one's futures.
"Yes, I have a way to contact Bella, but I cannot give it to you, nor do I want to. You wont be able to find her number in the phone book, and I have the number memorised, so there is no point searching for my house for it, as it is not written down." Charlie glared at me as he said the last part, guessing that I would be the most likely one to break into his house and look for it. Carlisle also looked at me, reminding me of his condition. But it was useless, as there was nothing in Charlie's mind, not even a whisper of a number.
"I think it best if you leave now, I have things to do and nothing left to say to you." He turned away from us, telling us not just with words but with his body language that we were no longer welcome in his home.
We all left quickly, Alice, Esme and Carlisle saying quiet thank you's as they left, but no other words were said. The drive home was silent, and seemed just as slow as the drive there. Everyone's thoughts were on the warning that Charlie had given us. Though the ride home may of been silent, as soon as we were all inside the house, the shouting began.
"I told you she was not to be trusted! The human girl has gone and told her pretend father that we are not normal! Do you realise how much this puts us at risk! All he has to do is say the wrong thing to the wrong person, and we will be forced to go one the run! All this for one lying ignorant girl who couldn't keep her mouth shut!" Rosalie seethe, straining to get to me but being held back my Emmett again.
Normally I would be yelling back at her, but I didn't have the time. All I needed to know was how soon could we be leaving. I turned to Carlise and Esme."How soon can we be there?"
"We will book the next flight to New York." Esme told me.
"Are you kidding me! You heard Charlie, she's better off without us! Let her go with her freaky family and get herself killed. She can put her own family in danger, but I will not allow her to put ours in danger too!"
"You owe her Rosalie, without her Edward would be dead. She is as much a part of this family as you are, and we would do this for you if the need ever arose. We are going to New York to bring Bella home." Esme Said, her head held high and her voice firm.
This day had been long, with little answers to our many questions, but one thing was certain. Isabella Hamato would be coming home, to her family, where she belonged.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it took a long time to write! Please review!
Pingu xx
