"I need to tell you somethings about what's going on right now. Between the Cullen's and I. The Quillete to and you're not going to like it but I need your help. Please." Bella begged Charlie while squeezes his hands in her own.
"Bella honey if it's about them being vampire's and shapeshifters, I already know. Gotta admit I don't like Edward. Actually honestly I hate him but you're young and need to learn about love from personal experience. So I've stayed out of it. I just want you happy."
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you know all that since you apparently used to be a hunter." She chuckled. "But no, that's not what this is about, however you knowing all that makes explaining things easier. What do you know about supernatural's and their mates?"
"Any supernatural no matter who or what it is will always love and protect their mate at all costs. They would die for them and if they lose them... they slowly die inside. First comes insanity than they become hollow no longer able to continue living with the whole in their heart. Why? Please God tell me you're not Edwards's mate!" Charlie leaned his head back and groaned loudly. "Son of a bitch." He whispered.
Bella laughed loudly. "I'm not sure if I'm Edward's mate or not but I know I love him and he thinks I am."
Charlie sighed. "I hope not and I don't think he is." He grumbled.
"Why do you say that?"
"What?" He blushed not realizing he had spoken out load.
"Why do you think I'm not his mate?"
"Bella..."
"No. Please dad tell me why you think that. I want to know. The Cullen's being what they are never tell me everything. There's always a secret like they think I can't take it. Please."
Charlie sat up straight and ran his hands along his face taking a deep breath before speaking.
"My intention isn't to hurt you Bells, it's just I know how mates work and he's not yours."
"How do you know?"
"Because he left you Bella. Remember, he broke up with you in the damn woods."
"Of course I remember but how does that prove he isn't my mate? He said he left to protect me because of what he is."
"That doesn't matter. Mates can never be apart from each other without immense pain. The further they are from each other, the more pain. The longer they are from each other... Well to put it bluntly, as a human you would have died after a month and he would have been screaming in agony unable to move after that long. I'm sorry I know you love him but you're not his mate."
"I see..." Bella's heart broke at this information, of course she believed her father and he didn't sugar coat it or try to hide anything like the Cullen's sometimes did. It didn't change anything however, after all she still loved him and she considered all of them her friends.
"I'm sorry Bells." He looked sad to, he didn't want to break her heart but as her father... At least the one that raised her, he thought she deserved to know the truth.
"It's okay daddy. I still love him though and his family. Alice, Jasper and Emmet are my best friends... And Esme, well she's like that mother all little girls wish they had." She looked up from under her lashes. Bella didn't want him to feel bad about her not having a mother figure. After all it wasn't his fault but of course growing up seeing all the other kids with their moms made her wish she had one to.
"It's okay I understand. So now why are you asking me about mates?"
"You remember when I ended up in the hospital a while back?"
"In Phoenix?"
"Yea, there were these nomads that came through. Three of them. James, Victoria and Laurent. Well James was a tracker and he considered me... a challenging snack.."
"God no Bella..."
Bella sighed, there was going to be no easy way to tell her father this. "Jasper and Alice took me away to keep me safe while the other Cullen's tried to throw him off our track. It didn't work..."
Charlie jumped up from his chair and began stomping around the table, pacing angrily. "Of course not, he was a TRACKER!"
"I know... The plan did work at first. We had dressed Rosalie in my clothes so he would follow the scent. She was rubbing my scent in several places by herself while Emmet, Carlisle and Esme kept an eye out for Victoria and Laurent in case they were involved as well."
"Were they?"
"I'm getting there. James knew how to avoid Alice's gift. She can see they future based of decisions. Anyways, somehow he had gotten my phone number. He called me when I was in the bathroom away from Alice and Jasper. When I answered he told me that if I didn't meet him some where he would kill and... do things to Rosalie." Bella took a deep breath to calm herself.
Charlie went back to his seat and grabbed her hands once again. "It's okay honey, what happened next?"
"He sent me a picture to prove he could do those things. James was behind her! She didn't notice him. It was like he was up in the trees or something, the picture was looking down at her. Daddy that's how she became a vampire! Her fiancé, the man she LOVED raped her. Him and his friends raped her to death! She was about to die before Carlisle found her." Bella was crying again. How could someone do that to her. She didn't care of Rosalie hated her but nobody deserved that and she wasn't going to let her suffer through something that awful again if she could stop it.
"Jesus... That poor girl.." Charlie ran his fingers threw his hair. "You went to meet him didn't you? So he wouldn't..."
"Yes. I couldn't let him."
"I understand." Charlie grabbed Bella's face. A hand on each cheek and pulled her slightly towards him so he could place a kiss on her forehead. "I am SO proud of you Bella."
Bella shut her eyes, tears slipping through. She expected him to yell at her like all the other Cullen's except Jasper and Alice had done. Alice saw when James was torturing her, the decision made too late for it to be stopped. Saw how James rubbed it in Bella's face that she came willingly into his trap to save someone who hated her. He called her fool. Only Alice knew she had given herself up to save Rosalie. It was their secret. Not even Jasper knew.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Losing you would have destroyed me but I know you only put yourself at risk to save someone else sweetheart. You know that's what us hunters do. Maybe you're more like John and I than you think." He smiled at his daughter. "So he hurt you obviously. How did you get away?"
"Jasper. James was about to bite me but Jasper got to him first. He killed him. Carlisle came in right after to help patch me as best he could before taking me to the hospital."
"Thank God for Jasper. This still doesn't explain the mate part."
"Victoria is James's mate... She wants us dead. All of us but especially me."
Charlie felt his heart sink. Not his girl. He couldn't lose Bella.
"So you need help with Victoria?"
"Victoria has started a war. She's made an army of newborns and she plans on killing everyone. The Cullen's and the pack because they have been protecting me. I can't let them die daddy. One life is not worth a dozen others. How do we stop this without losing anyone? How do we stop an army or newborns...? I can't lose them. Any of them."
"Okay Bells. I won't let you lose anyone."
"You know how to stop it?"
"I know someone who can. How to get ahold of someone who can..." Charlie hunted demons, he didn't bargain with them... But for Bella, to keep her safer he would do anything. He wanted to keep the Quillettes safe to. They were his friend's. He knew Sue had two children that were shifters and Billy's son was to. They were all too young die. Charlie had never been prouder of his daughter. Yes losing her would have killed him but to know she was willing to face death head on for someone else gave him courage. He would follow her example. Charlie had a good life, there was no regrets. He'd already lived longer than most hunters and raised an amazing young woman. He could die proud. His soul was a small price to pay for her future and happiness.
"Who?"
"Don't worry about Bella honey. Let me take care of this. I love you."
Charlie stood up and placed another kiss on top of her head before climbing the steps up to his bedroom. He had a demon to summon and a deal to make. Damn... He had always hated crossroads.
