A Talk between Two Fathers
[Thank you so much for the reviews! Each one really means a lot to me. -- It always puzzled me that Charlie seemed to know so little – and seems to cares less - about the other Cullen "kids". If he was such a concerned parent, why didn't he find out more about them and their home life, especially after Bella threatened to move in with them? – Sorry for how short this is, but answering the question 'what happens next?' was very hard for me this time. Finally, inspiration struck, and I'll finish this story with the next posting. -- Kelli]
Chapter 7. A Final Chat with Charlie, Part 1
Carlisle Cullen
It was after two in the morning when Alice and Jasper came home. Not that the time mattered. I'd retreated to the stack of Lancet's that I hadn't caught up with while I waited. I went out of the landing when I heard them come in. "Alice, would you please come to my office?"
"Of course." Alice dropped her shopping bags onto the sofa and followed me upstairs, Jasper close behind.
In my office, I sat down behind the desk. Jasper and Alice curled up on the settee opposite. "So, Alice. I hear you and Jasper had a nice visit with Charlie yesterday."
Jasper didn't twitch. Alice gave me a grin. "Jazz did great."
"Edward told me." I nodded in agreement. "Small problem. Charlie now knows that you two are a couple. You must know how this would upset Charlie. Make our family harder for him to accept. Why did you do it?"
"The PTA meeting is this week," Alice said.
I blinked. I'm not usually slow, but I didn't understand her point. "Please explain."
"Charlie doesn't usually attend, but he's going this time. Supposedly checking on Bella. What he's really planning on doing is ask the teachers about us Cullens. Not just about Edward." Alice's voice was grim. "The teachers know that the rest of us are couples. We hear them talk about us when they think we can't hear. What better audience for gossip than the police chief?"
"You didn't want Charlie to think that we're keeping secrets from him."
Alice nodded. "He'd feel that we were deceiving him. I saw him arguing with Edward." She sighed. "Charlie says ugly things to Bella that he can't take back. It breaks Bella's relation with him and leaves Edward hurting for Bella and blaming himself for it too."
"No one wants that. I just don't see how yesterday helped."
"It helped. The argument isn't as bad."
"Not much of a change to the good."
Alice's shoulders slumped. "I know."
"Charlie will know that two unmarried couples are living under this roof. Won't it make him question Esme and my morals? I'll lose any credibility with him."
"The school thinks Rosalie and Emmett are both eighteen," Alice pointed out.
"Who have been together since they were posing as sixteen-year olds. Which I'm sure the teachers will also mention to Charlie."
"Yes." Alice shrugged. "It still works out better than if Charlie didn't know about us being together before the PTA meeting."
"We'd never attempted such a close relationship with a human before. I'm out of ideas. What explanation can I give Charlie?"
"May I suggest something?" Jasper asked.
It was rare for Jasper to speak without being prompted first. It meant he'd thought of something clever. "Please."
He smiled.
Alice threw her arms around him. "Jazz, that's brilliant!"