Author's Note: It's been about a week since our last chapter. I took some time away from the laptop, which was good. Hope you enjoy this update!

Victoria stepped in the Cullen's home for the second time ever, not bothering to look at her surroundings. She stared at Charlie and tried to make sense of his expression, but decided talk was safer instead. "I couldn't do it."

"Couldn't do what?" he asked, trying to understand. Couldn't live without me? Couldn't run away? Couldn't…?

"Kill someone's mate. I-I'll try things your way. I just looked at his face and I couldn't…. not anymore."

Charlie didn't know how to respond to that, so he started with his own experience, hoping to let her know that he finally understood. "I smelled my first human today. One of my best friends, even. I had no idea…" he shook his head and looked Victoria right in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you away. My questions are my way of getting to know you. I am…was…a cop. It's a part of my training. Kind of hard to turn off after so many years."

Her expression softened and he walked over to sit in a chair. She followed and sat across from him while Edward filled Carlisle in on the Quileute situation and kept Bella upstairs, allowing them time to talk. Victoria was still anxious, yet she felt relieved just being back in Charlie's presence.

"I followed you a couple of days while you worked." she admitted. "I wanted to know more about you. I saw how you helped people."

Charlie was ashamed that he was followed without catching on. Some cop he had been. He wondered about all the times she might have seen him doing embarrassing things, like singing in his cruiser or perhaps adjusting a wedgie but decided it didn't matter since she was still here, with him. She clearly hadn't minded anything she may have seen or heard.

"Helping people was my favorite part of the job."

"Why did you choose that career path?" she asked, curious about Charlie now that some of her fears were calming.

"Well, there aren't many career options in Forks." he said with a soft chuckle. "I wanted to make a difference but didn't want to leave my aging parents behind for something drawn out like medical school. I never considered myself the smartest anyhow. So, I became a cop and then worked my way up in the department over the years."

They sat in silence for a few minutes and Victoria was shocked to discover that the more time she spent around Charlie, the more her fears and anxieties lessoned. She felt that she really could trust him in a way that she couldn't quite explain. He was calm and collected. He was happy as himself and didn't need external motivations like the thrill of the hunt to just exist. He was worlds different than James had been.

Victoria started to understand that she ran away earlier because she wasn't used to conversation and interacting with people and in fact, she tended to avoid those things, but it seemed that Charlie was much the same. He wanted to get to know her, but he wasn't pushing her into talking like others tried to once they got past the basics. She liked that.

"The family is on their way back." Edward said, walking down the stairs. "Why don't you two go for a walk? That way you can talk in private. There aren't any humans within a few miles."

"What about Sam and Billy?" Charlie asked, terrified at the thought of harming any human, but especially his friends.

"Gone for now. They will return and we'll need to explain everything, however, they can't hurt us here. I'm afraid we likely won't be allowed back in Forks."

"Could I at least send for some of my things? Photos? Family heirlooms?"

Edward smiled, seeing the list in Charlie's thoughts. "I'm sure we can arrange that." He was sure that Bella would like some of her things as well. "Later tonight." Edward answered to Charlie's other thought, knowing that it would end badly for Bella to meet Victoria until some of their other concerns were settled and until she was confident that Charlie was happy with Victoria and wanted to be with her. "It's still too soon."

"Fine." Charlie said, mildly annoyed but truly feeling happy about everything else. He knew she would come around, especially with Edward's help. He stood up and motioned for Victoria to lead the way into the woods.

They walked aimlessly for a bit, not in any particular hurry, just spending time together. They eventually crossed paths with a herd of deer.

"I've never drank from an animal before."

"It's as good a time as any to start." Charlie said with a kind smile and a gesture in their direction. Despite her reservations, Victoria smiled back at him. It was quickly becoming her natural reaction in his presence, even when her thoughts were still a jumble.

They each tackled a deer, and she was surprised to find that she didn't mind the taste too much. It wasn't a human, but it didn't make her immediately want to spit it back up either.

Charlie was grinning at her when she finished. She found him rather handsome. He sat down on a large boulder and she quickly joined him, wanting to be at his side.

"How was your first deer?"

"Disgusting." she smiled at him a little. She was mostly kidding and being a little difficult. It felt like the natural thing to do.

"Doesn't smell anything like that human I smelled earlier."

"No." she said, agreeing.

"Wish I could still enjoy a good steak." he joked.

"I mean, nothing is stopping you…"

"I hear choking it up isn't so pleasant."

"No."

They were quiet for a few minutes, but Charlie decided it was his turn to talk, to let Victoria get to know him a little as he wanted to get to know her. "I've been alone for a long time." he said. "Except for Bella. She didn't live with me very long either before Edward got to her." He chuckled, coming to terms with what had happened to her knowing that it was what she wanted.

"What happened to her mother?"

"She left me when Bella was just a baby. She didn't like being trapped in Forks and I didn't want to give up my entire life and family to follow after her. Sometimes, I wish I would have though. I missed a lot of time with my kid as she grew up." Charlie looked at the field in front of them sadly.

"Do you miss your wife?"

"Ex-wife." he corrected. "I did for a long time, but it just wasn't meant to be. We were too young and wanted to go in complete opposite directions with our lives."

"You've been alone since?" She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she had to ask.

"I have. I've focused on my career and doing what I could for Bella instead."

They were silent, neither one of them being the type to talk just for the sake of conversation. Victoria was the one to speak up again. "She doesn't like me." she said after several minutes.

"Who, Bella?"

Victoria nodded.

"Give her some time. I know she will come around. She's just going through a lot of changes at once. Truthfully, I am too."

"I am sorry for uprooting your life."

"I'm not sorry that you did. I will miss my friends, but I had been at a stand still for too long. It was time to move on. Besides, Edward had changed Bella with or without your interference. Honestly, what you did kept me in her life when she would have likely just disappeared instead. I'm OK with it."

Charlie was kinder than she expected. He was gentle. And good. She could get used to this kind of treatment and soothing presence.

"What will you do from here?" Victoria asked, worried that they might want different things.

"I haven't decided yet. I'd like to get to know you more. Perhaps eventually I'll travel. I've never been away from Forks too much and it would be nice to see what all is out there. I'll probably stick close to the Cullens until I feel I can be safe around humans."

"Traveling can be interesting. Although, if you avoid humans as I have most everywhere is the same." She confessed sadly.

"Surely there must be things you've wanted to see?" Charlie couldn't believe that someone could have so much free time and ability to go anywhere and not be drawn to anything in particular.

"Not really. Those types of things have never meant much to me."

"Why not?"

Victoria hesitated, but if she couldn't be honest with her mate, whether the feeling was mutual or not, who could she be honest with? "I've been put down for so long that I have really treated myself as the nobody everyone always said I was. I thought there was no purpose or point in living. Carlisle and Esme have been helping me realize that I might find happiness yet."

"You will." Charlie said with absolute certainty.

"How can you know that?"

"Are you happy right now?" Charlie asked simply.

"I am."

"Me too." he said, smiling and looking around the woods. He loved being so in touch with the outdoors. Fishing and hunting had always been his favorite things. Now, he could hear, smell, and see so much more. The temperature and weather really didn't matter. And now he had a pretty lady by his side too. Charlie was happy, and so was Victoria.

Sam and Billy returned to the Cullen's household to find Carlisle waiting to speak with them, as promised. They weren't surprised that the youngest Cullen boy had taken Bella for his mate. Truthfully, they had expected much worse.

They informed Carlisle that the treaty was broken and that the Cullens, including Bella, weren't welcome back in Forks nor La Push ever again. They asked to see Bella, but Carlisle explained how bloodthirsty newborns were and they took him at his word. Edward had felt this was for the best, having taken Bella hunting just before their guests arrived to keep her distracted in the woods.

Their most important burning question was about their dear friend. "And what have you done with Charlie?" Billy asked calmly but fighting rage and a fear that shook his entire body.

"We haven't harmed him." Carlisle answered. "He is alive, but he was bitten by another vampire. One who is not among our coven. He was changed and is also a newborn, which is why it wasn't safe for him to meet you here today."

"If someone else changed him, why do you have him?" Sam asked.

"Bella." Carlisle answered. "As soon as we found out what had happened, she wanted to find him and help take care of him."

"And the other vampire?" Billy asked.

"She's been dealt with." Jasper answered from across the room, using his emotional influence to help them trust his answer despite the lack of details. Both men nodded in acceptance.

"It pains me greatly to see Charlie turned into such a monster." Billy said.

"Do you believe I'm a monster?" Carlisle asked and when they didn't answer, he added "Charlie has adopted our diet."

"I thought you said you didn't want him in the room with human blood? That doesn't sound like someone adopting your diet." Sam said.

"He is a newborn, yes. The blood of humans will smell tempting to him, but he has not harmed anyone. He is making every effort to only drink from animals and our entire family will help him along his journey." The room was silent, so Carlisle continued. "Charlie asked me to pass along a message. Although he wishes he could be here in person, he hopes he can still consider you all his friends. He said that he would like to write or call once in a while, if it's possible."

"He's not the same Charlie." Billy said sadly.

"He is exactly the same Charlie, just with a different diet. You'll see. At least give him a chance. He didn't ask for this. The other vampire uprooted his entire life. We would have stopped her if we had any idea someone was coming for him. The only one of us that chose this was Bella."

"Fine. Tell him to call me in a few days." Billy amended. "Being friends with a bloodsucker isn't high on my priority list, but because it's Charlie, I will try."

"He'll be delighted." Carlisle answered. "You have our word that we will never return to Forks or La Push. We are going to send some of our friends who share our diet for a few of Bella and Charlie's things in a few days. They will not linger in the area more than 24 hours. In return for our cooperation to avoid the area and give up one of our favorite homes, may I have your word that they will not be harmed?"

"We will watch them for the first sign of trouble, but they may come." Sam said.

"Of course." Carlisle answered. "Thank you. Is there anything else I can answer for either of you gentlemen?"

"No, we just had to find out the truth about Charlie. We weren't surprised when Bella disappeared. But Charlie too…" Billy said, shaking his head.

"You might be surprised by how well he's taking to this life. I'm sure he will be happy to answer any questions that you have when he calls."

"Sure." Billy said, not really knowing how to respond. He and Sam quickly left the Cullen's home and went on their way back home to La Push, this business being left behind them.

Carlisle texted Edward and he and Bella returned home minutes later from their hunt. He noted that Edward's eyes were gradually starting to return to their usual golden hue.

"Is everything alright?" Bella asked, still mildly panicked despite Carlisle asking them to return home, indicating that the situation was resolved peacefully.

"All is well." he answered.

"And my dad?" Bella asked, looking at Alice.

"Will be home in a few hours. He's fine." Alice answered. Bella and Edward both visibly relaxed.

Carlisle filled Edward in on what was missed with his thoughts. He too was happy to have the business with the Quileutes settled. Although, Carlisle was sad about giving up Forks, he did so gratefully in exchange for the safety of his two newest, and already beloved, family members.

Everyone retired to their rooms to relax and wait for Charlie to return home and tell them about his day. The whole family was curious about his change and if Victoria could really be his mate. All except for Alice, she already knew how things would go.

Charlie and Victoria spent a while just enjoying each other's company in the woods. They watched the sun move and set. They ran and explored. They splashed in a stream and laid in the grass.

He even picked a few flowers to offer her, which she put in her hair with a big smile. There was no pressure to do anything or go anywhere. For the first time in their lives, they both were free to just be.

Neither one of them rushed conversation or bombarded each other with serious talk. As time passed, they both understood exactly what they were to each other, even if the words hadn't yet been acknowledged aloud. There was all of the time in the world for that.

"Where are some places you would like to travel to?" Victoria finally asked, curious.

"Anywhere. Everywhere." he answered honestly. "I've never been out of the country, so that would be cool. I'd like to see London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, just anywhere, anything. It seems that I have plenty of time and ability to move around."

"I'm from England. I haven't been back in quite some time." she said, really thinking about Charlie's desire for the future and her ability to see things differently now as well. "I suppose I would like to go and see how much it's changed over the years."

"That would be fun." Charlie said with a grin.

"Fun is a new thing for me."

"Me too."

"You didn't have fun as a cop?"

"Sometimes. But it was pretty boring in such a small town if I'm being honest. It was a lot of just waking up, working, watching TV, and going to bed. Life had gotten too routine. This life…this life is exciting. There are so many things that I can do and not many that I have to do. It's a huge difference."

"I don't remember much of my time as a human. I suppose this life is a lot more free than how they live. I often wonder why they even bother with things like work and school." She had wondered why they wasted so much effort on such trivial things. They were all going to die too quickly anyhow.

"It's expected of them. Plus, most humans these days don't just go out into the woods and hunt for their own food and build their own homes. In fact, there are even many laws against it."

"Laws." she scowled. "Laws are what got my sister killed."

"Some laws are good and important."

"Like what?"

"The one that says you shouldn't kill other people."

"Means nothing to vampires."

"I believe it does to you now." he corrected. Her expression softened and she continued to listen to him. "What about the law that stops people from setting other people's houses on fire?"

"I guess so." she allowed.

"Or the one that doesn't allow dangerous speeding in a school zone."

"I never have believed in killing children."

"I agree. Some laws are good. But I like this life." he said, returning to their previous conversation. "I think I can get used to it. Although, I'm sure I will miss my friends, most of my family is already dead. This way, I get to spend more time with my daughter and do more things for myself too. I'd like for you to meet Bella."

"I've met her." Victoria answered. "She doesn't like me. She won't want anything to do with me."

"I know her better than that." Charlie started, remembering how gentle Bella had always been. "She is hesitant, sure. She's very protective of the ones she loves. But I think she will like you just fine once you get to know each other."

Victoria was quiet, looking off into the distance. She wanted Charlie's family to accept her, but she hadn't belonged anywhere in centuries. She wasn't getting her hopes up. Although at least she was finally feeling comfortable with Charlie and not wanting to run anymore. She found that he didn't expect things from her. He wasn't making demands or insisting she do his bidding. She liked that.

So, when Charlie stood in front of her expectantly with his hand outstretched for hers, she gladly followed him without further prompting. She took his hand and followed him home to 'meet' Bella.