~ Forks, Washington - February 19, 2005 ~
Even with our abbreviated make out session, Bella was able to grab a quick shower before Charlie was to arrive. With a couple minutes to spare, Bella and I joined Carlisle and Esme out front and waited.
When Charlie found out that six vampires were going to visit, he asked for an introduction. He wanted to see for himself their golden eyes, as well as extract promises from the Denali clan that they will not cause any problems.
"Is Alice still blocking you?" Bella asked.
"Yes, and I hate when she does this." I said with clear annoyance. "I know something is going to happen, and I am sure it won't be bad, but I just hate not knowing."
"You mean you hate being like the rest of us non-mind reading creatures," Esme quipped. "Sometimes I think you rely on your gift too much, Edward. Perhaps that is why the fates have brought you Bella. With her, you will have no such advantage. It will be good for you be a bit clueless at times."
"I know I'm glad for it," Bella added. "It's bad enough with all of your super senses that personal privacy is almost non-existent." Bella blushed before adding almost as a whisper "I would be mortified if he could hear some of my thoughts."
Before I could inquire what could be so bad within her thoughts, the sound of Charlie's cruiser could be heard approaching.
Once parked, Charlie took a deep breath, checked that the safety and retraining strap were secure on his pistol, and exited the vehicle.
"Hello, Dad!" Bella called out. "Busy day at the station?"
After giving a quick hug to his daughter, Charlie replied, "Not too bad, no incidents besides Mrs. Lawrence calling to complain about the construction noise from the renovations going on across the street from her place, again."
I could see from Charlie's thoughts that Mrs. Lawrence had a long standing grudge against her neighbor, so she was calling daily to complain.
"Hello, Carlisle, Esme." Charlie greeted my parents before turning to me. "Hello, Edward. So have your cousins arrived?"
"They have," I answered. "They are all looking forward to meeting you."
"They are?". The chief look worried. "They aren't going to be upset that want to be convinced that they..." He paused trying to find the wording that would not insult them or my family as he knew everyone could hear us speaking.
"You have nothing to worry about," I quickly answered. "They understand that the level of trust you have placed on our family is unusual given what we are. They are also eager and hopeful to earn that same trust, and to show you that they respect human life as much as we do."
"You've met them, Bells?" Charlie asked.
"I have! They are all very nice. I think you'll like them. I know I do." She responded before leading Charlie away from the car.
Once in the house, we headed towards the family room where everyone was now assembled. Eleazar and Carmen where the first to approach Charlie.
"Chief Swan, my name is Eleazar and this is wife and mate, Carmen. Thank you for allowing us to introduce ourselves and to hopefully get to know one another."
Charlie shook Eleazar's hand but his gaze was fixed to the back of the room where Irina stood. Irina held his gaze for several seconds before a gasp escaped her lips. An instant later she ran out of the back of the house into the dense woods.
It took a moment for everyone to register what transpired. A dozen thoughts and questions flooded me instantly. All asking the same thing, "what just happened?" I followed Irina's thoughts as she fled away. At first I was worried that Charlie was her singer, but once Irina cleared the wood line, I realized that he was something much different to her.
For the first time in two days within in my presence, Alice finally stopped reciting arcane texts, and sent me a pure thought. "Surprise!"
Charlie was the first to actually speak. "Why did she run away? Did I do something wrong? " He reached out and grabbed my arm. "Edward, did I frighten her?"
"Is Chief Swan her singer?" Garrett asked. His confusion on what happened mimicked what most were thinking as what else could cause her to run away like she did.
"No," I answered. "he is not her singer." I needed to get Charlie away from everyone and talk to him about what happened.
Kate had already guessed correctly what had happened. She nudged Tanya before they both ran out after their sister. "We'll see how she is doing, Edward. Please talk to Charlie." Kate thought as they raced away.
"Everyone," I announced. "Kate and Tanya will check on Irina. Alice, why don't you take everyone out back and explain what you should have, at least, let me know. It would have been nice to have been better prepared."
Alice stuck her tongue out at me before she motioned for everyone to follow her.
"Charlie, you stay here with Bella and I. I'll attempt to explain as best I can."
As everyone darted outside, Charlie turned to Bella. "Her name is Irina?" he asked. Bella nodded. Charlie now turned to me and asked, "Did I do something wrong, Edward? I heard the word singer, what does that mean?"
"Singer means someone whose blood is nearly irresistible to a vampire. Their blood is like a siren song singing to them." Charlie frowned. He was not worried for his safety, but rather that the beautify woman felt she needed to run away from him. "But you are not her singer, Charlie."
I took a deep, unneeded breath. I was just about to start telling Charlie everything, when we heard Emmett's booming voice from outside. "Her mate?"
"Mate?" Both Charlie and Bella said in near unison.
"Yes, mate." I simply said. "Charlie, it appears that our supernatural world is full of surprises. And its latest twist of fate is that you are Irina's mate."
Charlie looked out the back door that Irina disappeared through.
"Then why did she leave?" He asked. Charlie's thoughts were bouncing between the concept of mating and why Irina just ran away.
"I can only guess at this point, Charlie, and I would rather not do that."
"You can't hear them?" He asked.
"No, Irina is very smart and she knows my gift has distance limits. I believe she and her sisters have purposely moved beyond my range so they can have some privacy."
Charlie nodded. "Should I go after her?"
"Charlie, can I ask you something?"
"You can, but I bet I can guess what the question is going to be. Am I feeling something for her as well?"
Both Bella and I nodded. Charlie rubbed his hands over his face. He was not a man who often talked about his feelings. Add in his general confusion over how Irina was doing, Charlie was an emotional mess.
"I was going to say, that don't know what I am feeling, but that is not true. I can't explain it, but ever since I saw her, I...she's..."
"Suddenly everything to you," Bella added. "You just know that she", Bella paused and looked over at me, "or he, is the only one that will make you feel complete."
Charlie nodded and looked back outside.
"It just makes sense. Not rationally. Obviously not rationally, because I haven't even spoken to her yet. But I feel it. I just know it. It's like I how feel about you, Bells, its..."
"Unconditional. Irrevocable. Destined." I added.
This time, Bella and Charlie both nodded in agreement.
Charlie was just about to ask if he should go find her, when Kate's thoughts came into range. My head snapped to the direction of the door as I held my hand up to Charlie to let him know I could now hear some thoughts.
"Edward, Irina would like to talk to you before she comes back. She wants Chief Swan to know she's fine, better than fine, I would have to guess, but troubled and confused. She needs your guidance."
"I just heard from Kate, Irina's sister." I told Bella and Charlie. Chief Swan's head snapped up in anticipation. "Irina would like to speak to me before she comes back."
"Is she ok?" Charlie asked anxiously.
"She is still coming to terms with these events, but she wants you to know that she is ok."
"Will you tell her that I don't want her to stay away. Whatever is going to happen, tell her to come back and we'll figure this out together."
"Absolutely. And Charlie?" The chief took his eyes away from the open door to look at me. "I promised you once before that I would not divulge any thoughts you may have to others. That still holds, as well as the converse of that promise. Anything Irina tells me will stay between her and I. I think it is important that you two get a chance to work things out on your own without me, or Alice, or anyone else getting in the middle."
"Thank you, Edward." Charlie offered me his hand, which I gladly shook. "I never truly understood what Bella and you went through until now. To be honest a part of me thought it was all teenage hormones run amok. But I get it now. I'm happy you two have found each other. I couldn't ask for Bella to have found any better kind of happiness."
"Oh, Dad!" Bella cried before hugging her father tightly. I let them continue their moment in private as I ran out into the woods to meet with Irina.
It didn't take me long to find her. She was pacing while hugging her arms close to body.
"Edward!" She called out as I came into view. "Is he ok? Does he hate me? He must, I'm not good like him. I should leave and never come back. Once he knows about me...my past." Irina paused to look back toward the house. "I've been a shameless murdering succubus during my existence, and then I ran away when I should have stayed! He'll never want me!"
I wrapped an arm around Irina's shoulder and allowed her to purge her thoughts to me. A barrage of images assaulted me. Scenes that pre-dated her life with Eleazar and Carmen where she had hunted human males to have sex and then fed from them until the life drained from their eyes. Scenes from her vegetarian life where she and her sisters had pursued and had their way with human and vampire men. Finally, she allowed me to see what she went through upon seeing Charlie for the first time. The simultaneous shame, lust, and power of the mating bond caused her to run away. When she was done showing me everything, she paced away from me and waited for me to speak.
"Irina, you asked me if Charlie, is ok and if he hates you?" She looked at me expectantly waiting for me to tell he what would seal her fate. "He understands, or at least is starting to understand what is happening between the two of you."
Irina laughed dryly and shook her head. "That's good, because I am still befuddled by it."
"He, wanted me to tell you to come back so you both can figure this out together."
"So he mated with me as well?" She asked timidly. I was surprised how similar Charlie's and Irina's thoughts and confusions were to my own when I mated on Bella. Looking back, I could see everything so clearly, but at the time I was plagued with doubts.
"He has, Irina, and he is not upset or overly freaked-out by it. He's more troubled that he might have done something wrong to upset you. He saw his own daughter go through it with me this past year. So although these emotions and compulsion are a bit weird for him to go through firsthand, he has largely accepted it. As he would say of himself, he has always been good dealing with weird."
Irina laughed and for the first time I caught a glimmer of hope in her eyes and in her thoughts, before she backtracked into despair.
"But can he forgive all of my indiscretions? From what I have gathered he is a man that values right over wrong. I have done a lot of wrong in my existence. I've never been ashamed of what I am or what I've done, but suddenly all I see of myself is a succubus with a lot of blood on her hands."
"Irina, you have no reason to be ashamed. He knows what you are, meaning a vampire, and he largely accepts it. No one in my family has ever felt the need to tell him about your previous conquests with men. That is something I think would be best for you to explain. But he knows about my violent past and lives I took. He has looked beyond it. For a mate we will overlook almost anything, so I would just be honest with him. He likes honestly and he Is really good at knowing when someone is not being forthright."
"So he's a good man?"
"Yes, he is. One of the best men I have ever met."
"But's he's human! How is this going to work? Would he ever want to be like us? I can't stand the thought of losing him! After a thousand years I finally found my mate, I don't think I could stand watching him grow old and die!"
"I think those are things you will have to discuss with Charlie. He understands how someone becomes like us. And he has accepted that Bella will be joining me in immortality after she finishes high school."
Irina took several steps towards the house but then stopped.
"But how do you do it, Edward? Even now, I just want to run back and attack him…not in a harmful way! I mean, show him how much he means to me. But I could hurt him, or worse kill him, just trying to please him. My previous human conquests I either had already planned on killing them, or after I changed my diet, if they got injured or worse during sex, I just didn't care. But now!"
Irina ripped a tree from the ground and tosses it a hundred feet from us.
"Arrrggghhh! If I hurt him, it would destroy me! Tell me how you do it, please!"
"Irina, I can't guarantee what worked for me will work you. I had no sexual experience prior to Bella."
"Really? I mean the way Tanya use to talk, I figured at least you and her did some things together?"
I shook my head. "No, Tanya and I never did anything together. I was a completely inexperienced virgin. Bella was my first kiss, my first everything. We took the physical side of our relationship slow so I could learn how to channel my urges and strength away from Bella. You will at least have the advantage of knowing how certain acts make you feel and react. For me, it almost seems like I instinctively react in ways that keep Bella safe. All I can tell you is to go slow and be honest with Charlie. Trust him to tell you when he is uncomfortable with something or if something causes him pain. In fact, that one word...trust...is the biggest piece of advice I can give. Trust in your feelings and his, trust him to really know you and your past, and trust that everything will work out."
Irina paced a bit more mulling over my advice. After a few moments she set her shoulders and turned towards our property.
"Thank you, Edward. I needed your guidance and your sympathetic ear. Now, I think it is time we return so I can officially meet my mate. We have a lot to talk about. I just hope he'll not be disgusted by my past."
"You are welcome. If you ever want to talk, both Bella and I are here for your."
"Oh my god! I forgot about Bella! She's Charlie's daughter! What if she hates me? What if she..."
"Irina, stop!" I had to interrupt her fretting. "Bella already likes you and the rest of your family, including Tanya. Bella just wants Charlie to have someone in his life that loves and cares for him. Being his mate, you will be that person now, and she will admire and love you for that in return. Now let's get back. Charlie is not a patient man when he wants something."
We both started running towards the house. Soon we were within hearing range of our families, when Irina Suddenly stopped to listen to the conversation Charlie was having with Eleazar.
"Eleazar, I know we just met and we do not know each other, and I suspect that Irina is her own independent woman, but as the figurative head of your family, I would like to ask your permission to be your daughter's...um, mate."
"Irina is her own person and I would never get in the way of a mated pair of individuals, but I have a gift of being able to see potential in people. From you I see so many things. So many possibilities. But what is important today is that if you want my blessing you have it. Just treasure her like I treasure my Carmen, that is all I can ask."
"I will try my damnedest to do just that, Eleazar. Thank you."
Irinia sighed. "He's kind of old-school, isn't he?" she asked. I just nodded my head in agreement before we ran the rest of the way to the house.
When Charlie finally saw Irina he smiled warmly at her. As he walked up to his mate he extended his hand.
"Hello, Irina, I'm Charles Swan, Charlie. It is a great pleasure to meet you."
Irina took Charlie's hand in hers. They both looked down at where they were joined as the mating bond took over all of their senses and emotions. "Hello, Charlie."
"Hi, I..." Charlie stopped and just gazed into her eyes. I knew that look he had. I didn't need to read his or her thoughts to know what they were experiencing. I felt the same when I looked into Bella's eyes the first time. I still feel the same way when I look at her.
"I've been waiting a millennium to meet you, Charlie Swan. Would you like to take a walk with me?"
"Yes, I would like that," Charlie answered as they walked hand-in-hand down towards the river. The fragmented vision I had seen in Alice's thoughts a few months ago was of this moment.
"They needed to discover this on their own," Alice told me in her thoughts. I glanced back to the house to see Alice and Jasper looking out the window. All I could do was just nod in agreement.
During Charlie's and Irina's meeting, Bella had come to stand by me. As we watched them continue down the path, I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.
"How are you doing with all of this, love?" I asked.
She spun in my arms to face me. "Oh, Edward, I couldn't be happier! I mean, I'm shocked. Who wouldn't be? I just wanted Dad to be happy, and he clearly is. Plus, do you know what this means?" I shook my head. "I get to keep him and you, forever!" Bella ended her exclamation with a quick kiss to my lips.
I could read from Charlie's thoughts that he had already accepted that at some point he would become like Irina. It did not take him long to understand that one lifetime would not be enough to get to know his mate.
"I believe you will, my love. I am happy for you, and I am happy for Irina and Charlie."
I was also happy for me. Charlie was more than just Bella's father to me. He was friend and a person I greatly admired. I would get to keep him as well.
Author's Note
Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday!
Even before I came up with the idea for this story, I had this chapter mapped out (sort of). I never subscribed to the theory that Irina and Laurent were mates and unlike movie canon, Charlie and Irina never met in the books. Plus since I saved Harry Clearwater a few chapters back, I needed to give Charlie a little something! I hope you like the Charlie and Irina pairing. Plus who doesn't want to see a vampire Charlie!
I am working on a couple of new chapters that are nearly finished (it's actually just one really long chapter that broke up into two). They will be up next. Any guesses as to what they may be?