A/N: This is Charlie's reaction to the Cullens', more specifically Edward's, return. I thought it would be kind of nice to see a little more Charlie.
CHARLIE
I have never in my life missed a day of work. Nor have I ever been late. Which is why I didn't feel guilty about missing the first couple hours this morning. I had more important things to take care of. I heard somethings at work that made my early morning trip to the hospital a necessity.
I was talking to my cop buddies, Jim and Scott, at lunch yesterday and Jim mentioned Dr. Cullen. After a little more talk, I was informed that the doctor was once again working at the hospital. By the end of the conversation, I established that he had moved back with his whole family. Which meant I had to do my job as a father. I woke up this morning and called the station. I informed them that I'd be a couple hours late and headed to the hospital.
The images of my daughter's "zombie months" (As she calls them) were still fresh in my memory. I wouldn't allow that boy to hurt her like that again. I was headed to the hospital to tell Dr. Cullen that I didn't want him anywhere near Bella. I hoped Dr. Cullen would understand. After all, he had two daughters of his own. If he didn't I was prepared to get a restraining order.
I hoped I wouldn't have to go that far. I needed Bella's consent to do it. I didn't think she'd like the idea too much. That's why she didn't even know I was going to see Dr. Cullen. She probably would've begged me not to. She would tell me that she could handle it. Sitll she was ny daughter and I had to do what was best for her. Even if that meant she would be angry with me later.
When I got to the hospital, I walked right up to the receptionist's desk and asked to speak with Dr. Cullen. The lady picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Good morning, Dr. Cullen." she said in a bubbly voice after a few seconds. "I'm good. How are you?" Pause. "That's good. Chief Swan is here. He'd like a word with you." Long pause. "Okay, I'll tell him. Okay, bye." She put the phone back on the receiver and looked back at me. "He has some patients he needs to check on. He says he'll be with you in about twenty minutes."
"Thank you." I said and took a seat in one of the plastic chairs. I spent the twenty minutes trying to figure out a polite way to put things. I soon discovered there was no such thing for a conversation like this. appeared all over twenty minutes later.
"Chief Swan, it's wonderful to see you again." He walked over and held his hand out to me.
"I'm glad you came back to us." I said shaking his hand. I forgot how cold his skin was. "You are the best doctor this place has seen in years."
"I wouldn't say the best." He replied with a chuckle. "What can I do for you, today?"
"I was hoping we could talk in private." I said.
"Of course, come to my office." he stated.
We walked through the hall of rooms until we got to the one with his name on it. He lead lead me inside. The was a desk in the center with neatly stacked piles of papers and a phone. He had many degrees on the walls. Their was a laptop open on the desk. Their were pictures of his wife and children on the desk and walls. (A/N: I don't know how awkward that is in a vampire sense but a normal doctor would have family pictures.)
He sat down behind the desk and motioned for me to sit in the one across from him. I did. I was slightly uncomfortable knowing what I was about to do. He nodded for me to go ahead.
"I wish there was a nice way to say this bit there isn't." I began. "So I'm just going to say it. I want you to tell your son to stay away from Bella."
If he was upset by this request, he didn't show it. He just stared at me as calmly as ever.
"With all due respect, Chief Swan," he said after a minute. "But I think that's between my son and Bella, don't you?"
"With all due respect, Dr. Cullen," I countered. "You have no idea what it was like after you guys left. She was so broken, I thought I was going to lose my little girl. There was a period when I thought she had gone catatonic. Then she spent months just going through the motions. She tried to pretend everything was okay but I could see through that. Then she started spending time with Jacob Black and he was helping her. When she started dating him, she went back to being my daughter. Now she's perfectly happy and I don't what Edward to ruin it for her. I can't stand to see her like that again. I'm sure you understand. You have two daughters, don't you?"
"Yes, I have two daughters. I, however let them live their own lives. I would not put a stop to something that they wanted. Besides, you don't know what kind of effect this will have on her. As far as I know, they haven't even spoken to each other yet. I'm sorry for what she went through when we left and I'm very happy that she found happiness in Jacob. Edward, who has seen them together, is happy that she's happy. That's all he ever wanted for her."
I scoffed. How could he say that? That boy broke my daughter when he walked away. I noticed the look on Dr. Cullen's face darken. When he spoke it was nearly a growl.
"You have no idea why we decided to go. There were personal reasons that I refuse to go into. No one regrets hurting her more than Edward but it was the best decision for her. And I supported my son when he made it and I continuing supporting it now. None of us liked leaving her high and dry like that but itwas for the best. Now, I will talk to Edward about your concerns but I refuse to tell him that he can't see her. That's Bella's decision, not yours."
"I'll geta restraining order if I have to." I replied with as much venom.
"Do what you gotta do." he replied. "Now, I have a job to do. Have a nice day, Chief Swan."
He motioned toward the door.
"Fine." I stood and walked out the door, slamming it on the way out.
CARLISLE
The pictures and degrees on the walls rattled as Charlie slammed the door. I thought about what he just asked me to do. I had to admit, under normal circumstances I would want the same thing if someone hurt Rosalie or Alice. Looking at it from the side of a father protecting his daughter, I respected what Charlie was asking.
But three hundred years living in this world taught me that you had to look at some situations from an outside point of view. I had to look at Bella's and Edward's relationship from a completely detached point of view, even though, I considered both my children. When I detached myself from it, I could see two people who needed to find peace in the end of their much as I didn't want to see either of them hurting over this anymore, I knew it had to happen. It was the only way either of them could truly move on.
I couldn't spend the day, thinking about Charlie's request. I would tell Edward of Charlie's concerns but I wouldn't forbid him to see Bella. They both needed the chance to talk. When they were ready. I wasn't worried about them. I knew Edward wouldn't dream of doing anything that would hurt Bella. Unless, he thought it was for the best.
No. I was worried about Emmett, Jasper, and Alice. I still couldn't understand why they were so angry with Bella. They've all acknowledged the facts. We were the ones who left her. She found a new family to get her through it. We couldn't have expected her to be completely miserable. I just couldn't understand why they held her choice against her.
It wasn't like Bella said, "The Cullens abandoned me, let's get them back by making friends with werewolves." She probably didn't even know they were until she got close to them.
I hoped they just needed time to get used to the idea. I didn't want them to go on being angry with Bella. She didn't deserve it. Hopefully, once things settled down a little, they'd all undestand.
It was less than a second after Charlie walked out the door. I needed to tend to my patients. My family problems would have to wait until later.
CHARLIE
The smell of meatloaf hit me the minute I entered the house. I hung up my belt and headed for the kitchen. Bella was there. She had set the table and was pouring the drinks. There was a plate of meatloaf and a bowl of mash potatoes in the center.
"Hey Bells." I said. "It looks delicious."
"Thanks." she replied with a slight blush. "Sit, help yourself."
We both sat a began putting food on our plates. I wanted to discuss getting the restraining order with her but I didn't quite know how. Maybe if I started with some small talk.
"So where's Jake tonight?" I asked.
"He needed to have some bonding time with his friends." she answered.
"I see. So what does that mean for you?" I pressed.
"Laundry, a nice warm bath, and a good book."
"Sounds interesting."
We lasped into silence. How could I possibly convince her to do something she didn't want to do? I needed to approach this delicately. Yet, I had no idea how. I spooned some more mashed potatoes on my plate, racking my brain for any ideas on this.
"Dad, is somehting wrong?" Bella asked.
"No sweetie. What makes you ask that?" I answered.
"You look like there's something you wanna tell me."
She was too perseptive sometimes. I guess I should just dive right it now.
"I don't know if you heard or see any of them around yet but the Cullens are back in town."
"I know."
I couldn't tell what she was feeling by the sound of her voice. She sounded slightly apathetic. Then again she was that way when they left too. She could just be trying to fool me.
"Oh. Are you okay with that?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"I know how bad it hurt when they left. Or should I say when he left."
"Dad, his name is Edward and I'm fine."
"All the same, I spoke with Dr. Cullen this morning."
"Why?" she sounded a little shocked.
"I asked him to keep Edward away from you."
"Don't you think that I should have a say in that?" she was angry now.
"I think it's what's best."
"No, dad. You can't say what's best for me anymore. I'm eighteen now. If I want to see him, I will. I want to talk to him when he's ready to talk to me. I need him to know that I don't blame him for what happened. I still what to be his friend, dad. Besides, I have Jake now. He can't hurt me like that anymore." she ranted.
I realized then that I wasn't going to win. Bella decided she still wanted him to be in her life and she wasn't going to change her mind. I just had to accept it.
He just better not so much as litter in front of me. I'd arrested his ass like that. Of course, daddy's money would probably get him out within hours but it would be fun to cuff anyway. Bella stood up and grabbed my plate.
"Here, let me do them tonight." I offered.
"No, dad. You had a long day at work. Go sit and watch the game. I got it." she replied.
I nodded and went to the living room. I tried to concentrate on the game that I was watching and ignore the images of Bella's "zombie months" that kept resurfacing in my head.
CARLSILE
I came home to a nearly empty house. Edward was the only one home. He was sitting on the couch staring at nothing. I figured everyone else went out hunting to give him some quiet time.
"Hey Edward." I said as I sat next to him.
"Hi Carlisle." he replied turning to look at me.
"How are you doing?" I asked.
"It's my fault. All of it." he replied.
"What makes you say that?"
"I asked you guys to leave. I left her with no one. So she had to run to wolves for comfort. Now, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice won't talk to her. She's called Alice sixteen times in two days. And Alice just let's them go to voicemail. I didn't want to hurt her or them like this." he explained.
"Edward, you did what you thought was best for her. It was safer for her when we walked away. It destroyed her but thanks to the wolves, she was able to build herself back up. She's very happy now. And I know that's all you've ever wanted for her. And as for the others, they just need time. Once they get used to the idea, they'll welcome her back." I replied
"I hope your right." he said.
"I know you're already upset but we need to talk." I said.
"Okay."
"Chief Swan came by the hospital this morning." I explained.
"I'm surprised he went through the middle man. I was worried he try to beat me up when he found out." Edward laughed.
I chuckled a little.
"He wasn't that extreme. He did, however ask me to tell you to stay away from Bella. Which I told him I wasn't going to." I explained. "He got a little upset. He ended up telling me about how hard Bella took our departure."
I didn't want to do this to him but I replied mine and Charlie's conversation in my head so Edward could hear it. He flinched when I got to Charlie's rant about how much Edward hurt Bella. I mentally apologized before continiuing with the conversation.
"Like I told him, I won't tell you to stay away from Bella. She's the only way who has the right to do that. I just thought I should warn you about Charlie. If you did see her, I'd wait til he wasn't there."
Edward nodded.
"Thank you, by the way." he said.
"For what?" I asked.
"Supporting and defending my decision to leave." he said.
"I know you were only trying to do what was best for her." I said.
He went back to staring at nothing. I noticed his eyes looked dead. He was back to the man he was before he met Bella. The man who considered himself a monster. I laid a sympathetic hand on his shoulder wishing I could make everything better for him.
How could a creature this selfless be denies his happiness?
A/N: What do you think? I hope Edward and Carlisle's exchange turned out okay. It was weird because I had this whole thing planned out and when I was able to write it, I forgot everything. I hope it turned out good though. I know Carlisle's anger at Charlie seemed out of charatcer but at that point he became a father defending his son. So I think it was justified. Remember the flying monkeys and click the little box directly below this!!!!!!!
