YOU'RE WHAT!

Disclaimer: The Cullen's, the Swans, and most of the characters mentioned in the story that are known from Stephanie Meyer's beloved Twilight Saga, are all hers and hers alone. I neither have nor wish to pass them off as mine. I do appreciate the fact that she did bring them to life and allows us to play with them in our imaginations. The only thing I will claim is the current storyline.

The awesome and talented dowlingnana searched out my errors and corrected them.

Sam did answer his phone and Charlie told him where he was staying then asked Sam to get in touch with all of the others to meet him at Bella's home. So, now Sam, after accepting and hanging up, rose to start getting things moving for everyone to meet Charlie Swan as quickly as possible. Once that's done and Edward's safety turned over to Charlie then Sam and Felix can begin the planning to get Bella back.

CHAPTER 19: CHARLIE SWAN AND UNDERSTANDINGS

It was tearing the hell out of his heart thinking about his little girl as Charlie wandered around Bella's home. He was looking at the different pictures she had sitting around of her alone, of him by himself, of pictures of the both of them together, of Alice and Rosalie each alone and then together in another picture, pictures of all four of them together and various photos of different combinations of them. And, to him it seemed that he was looking at times that were never to be again.

Being alone, Charlie allowed the tears, that were threatening and slowly filling his eyes as he looked at his girls, to flow. He knew that he needed to have this moment to release all of the pent up emotions, so, he could handle all that was going to be coming at him and would need to be dealt with. Allowing emotions to rule instead of experience and a cool head could get both him and Bella killed, and that wasn't something that he would allow as long as it was in his hands to control the outcome.

Charlie sat down on the couch that was nearest to him and gave free rein to his emotions, his fears, his regrets, his memories of life before Bella and since Bella that held both joy and sadness, but, he refused to allow thoughts of losing Bella to gain any foothold. Because if he started down that path and allowed doubts of any kind to plant a seed then he would lose everything before he even began to recover his little girl. No, he refused to walk anywhere near that pathway. And, Charlie knew what he had to do, regardless, of what anyone else had planned for him. He was the only one that was going to retrieve his daughter.

Oh, Charlie was very much aware that Sam probably had other ideas of how to use his skills, but, no matter what was being planned on how to use him in place of Bella just wasn't going to fly. Charlie had his own plans, but, he needed all of the facts before he could begin to know how or where to start. He wasn't a fool and was very much aware of who was possibly responsible for the current situation, at least, according to the little that Bella had mentioned in passing during some of the father/daughter conversations they had had since she started her current case. So, Charlie wasn't totally going into this situation blind.

What seemed like a long time, but, actually, had only been about an hour, Charlie had begun pulling himself together from his emotional breakdown when he received a call from Sam letting him know that everyone had been notified and they all should be arriving in the next few minutes. And, it was during the call that Sam tried once more to tell Charlie about the facts of Bella being taken, but, as he did before, Charlie told him he would get all of the facts once everyone was together and not before. "Sam, I do understand what you're trying to do, but, it makes no difference until I can hear the facts from everyone else's point of view as well. They will be able to add the overlooked things that you'll be leaving out. It does take all of the facts, even the minor ones, that round out the case that give the greater picture and lends the better help in resolving the case. I've told you that years ago. Besides, it will give me a chance to ask my own questions that you people might not have thought to ask."

Although, Charlie couldn't see him, he was sure that Sam was rolling his eyes while shaking his head from side to side at Charlie's stubbornness, but, in the long run he did understand it. So, just as they were hanging up Sam said once again that everyone would be there within the next thirty minutes or less. And, with this information Charlie knew that his time was limited in getting his composure back in place and be ready for the first arrivals.

Charlie was completely back to himself and in his cop mode when the doorbell rang about fifteen minutes after Sam had called. But, as he opened the door for the first arrivals he was nearly knocked onto his butt by the rush of two females as soon as the door was opened wide enough for them to lunge through it. He did manage to catch the two and hugged them back just as tightly as they were hugging him. Being very much aware of why the two women were reacting as they were Charlie told them as he squeezed them close, "Don't worry, I'm bringing her back. You all had jobs to do and we're very much aware of the dangers and the demands of the job. Just remember that Bella is aware of this as well. No one is responsible, but, the ones that took her."

"But, Charlie, you don't know what happened." Rosalie tearfully told the only man that has been a father figure in her life and now he was that holding her close and tenderly.

"Now, Rosie, my girl, none of that. Each of you made the decision to become specialized agents with the full knowledge of what could happen. It wasn't like you had gone into this business blindly. I took the time at each step you three took along the way to make sure you were making your decisions with the full knowledge of the dangers and what the obligations would require, so, your decisions were made with eyes wide open and no romantic nonsense filling your heads. You each knew, accepted the possibilities and still carried on with your decisions to be what you are: the best of the best, as the saying goes, of taking care of witnesses without a loss.

"Not many people in any of the law enforcement agencies can claim that. But, your hard work and dedication to doing your duty is what has earned you the respect of your peers and the reputation that you have.

"So, keeping that in mind, understand that regardless of how it came about that Bella was taken, it was done while each of you were doing your duty and keeping your charges safe. Their safety came before any of your three's lives and that's just as it should always be in the line of work you've chosen to do." He explained and then added, "I don't hold any one responsible except the people that took her. No one, unless I find out someone doing something stupid resulted in the current outcome to have happened, caused what happened to happen." Charlie made that last statement while he was looking down at both Alice and Rosalie before quickly lifting his eyes to look straight at the three men standing in the doorway watching the two women and the strange man that was holding them.

Charlie wasn't sure which one was Edward Cullen, so, he made sure to make eye contact with each of the three men just to make sure he included the correct one. And, with Alice being reassured that Charlie didn't hold them to blame she stepped back a short distance so she could introduce their charges. But, before she could utter a word Sam and Felix arrived and asked why everyone was standing in the doorway instead of being inside with the door closed.

"Because, asshole, they, more or less, had just arrived a few minutes before you." Charlie told them with a bit of a chuckle as the three men embraced each other like the long unseen friends that they were. "But, now that everyone is here let's all move inside, get comfortable and get this war room set up. I've got plans to make." He told all of the arrivals as he stepped out of the way so they all could enter and the door could be closed.

Two hours later after all of the details had been gone over again and again with Charlie asking all kinds of odd questions that didn't seem to have anything with what had happened, Sam decided that he was ready to tell everyone what his plans were for the protection of the witnesses and how he was going to be working to find and retrieve Bella.

"No, Sam, you won't. I'm going after my daughter and no one is going to stop me. So, I suggest that you make your temporary guardianship of Edward Cullen a more permanent one until Bella is able to assume her duties, or, to assign another reliable agent that Alice and Rosalie are comfortable to be around.

"I, and I alone, will be going after Bella." As Charlie uttered those last few words Sam and Felix reacted with at first a shaking no of their heads and then started to speak only to have Edward halt them with his words, "No, Chief Swan, you aren't doing this alone; I'm coming with you."

All heads swung as if one towards the young man that had just spoken and before the others could say a nay or yay, Jasper and Emmett said they were coming as well.

"Now, before we get too far along here, let me make sure that I have the right names for the right person." Charlie spoke as he looked at each of the three charges in turn and called them by name to which each nodded their head in assurance that he knew each of them correctly. "The three of you are witnesses under federal protection at the moment and do you truly believe that I'm going to allow, or, for that matter Sam or Felix, you three to come with me to get Bella?" He asked before continuing with, "You are out of your damn minds if you truly believe that shit."

And, just as Charlie paused Sam began, "There is no way that you three will be allowed anywhere near what is going to go on in getting Bella back. Being under federal protection, as Charlie pointed out, means that we have to maintain all of your safety by keeping you distanced from any possible harm. If necessary, I will put you all under arrest just-"

"Just a moment, Sam, they are our charges and we have the final say about what will and won't be done with Jasper, Emmett and Edward. You are correct about them being kept secluded away from any possible harm, but, you won't be putting them under any arrest. Rosalie and I will be doing that as of this moment." So, putting action to words that is exactly what the two women did by pulling out the handcuffs before anything further could be said.

"Alice, what the hell do you think you're doing and why?" Jasper asked as he was having a very hard time understanding how this action came about or was even felt necessary.

"Jasper, love, I have very strong feelings for you the same as Rosalie does for Emmett and Bella does for Edward, but, when push comes to shove we're going to do what is necessary to keep the three of you safe; we're going to do our sworn duty by making sure that you get to be able to testify when the time comes about what you three saw.

"If it means we have to go to this extreme to insure your safety then it's what has to be done. And, just from your last few statements it seems that to ensure that none of you set about trying to get Bella, then you've left us with no other choice, but, to arrest you and put you into protective custody."

Edward looked at all of the agents in the room before holding Charlie's look before saying, "Chief Swan, surely you can do something about this? I care deeply for your daughter and only want to help in any way that I can. This sort of action isn't necessary."

"Young man…Edward, isn't it, I have heard nothing in the details of what occurred that would indicate in any way that your actions were responsible for Bella's current set of circumstance. In fact, I'm very proud of her for doing her duty and keeping her charge safe." As he said this he looked at Edward and saw the look of amazement and puzzlement, both battling to reign supreme.

He knew what Edward and possibly the other two were thinking, "Don't get me wrong, gentlemen, I grief the loss of my daughter and I will get her back, but, that doesn't mean that I can't praise her sacrifice. However, each of you must understand that I can't allow my sorrow take hold as it would be a crippling factor that could cost Bella her life and I wouldn't allow that possibility to happen.

"Now, also, while I'm setting things in place, let there be no misunderstanding between you three and myself where my girls are concerned, especially, you, Edward. Once all of this is over you three have a lot of answering to do before I okay you being with my girls at all." Needless to say that shut everyone up as they saw Charlie motion for it being time to move on.

"Well, since that all seems to be settled, where do you two agents propose to lodge these three for now for the duration of their arrest?" Sam asked.

AN: Did you really think that Charlie wasn't going to have something to say to either of the three guys about their relationships with his girls? But, he just wants to get Bella back first. He did let Sam know that his plans weren't going to fly as Charlie had his own. And, then Alice and Rosalie surprised Jasper, Emmett and Edward with arresting the guys after standing up to Sam about that subject.

Hope you will enjoy this story and will let me know your thoughts, ideas and comments as we move forwards