Minibusted
Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
Written because Edward can't be humiliated all the time, even tho' that is fun. He has to have a chance at some happiness.
Chapter 6: Confronting the Scandal
Charlie's pov
Carlisle and Esme greeted me warmly when I stepped out of the cruiser. A bunch of parents were milling about the place, waiting for their kids just like I was. They hailed me warmly too, although a couple of the men gave me a ribbing about the scandalous newspaper picture of my daughter and her fiance. Alice hadn't meant any harm by it, I was sure, but I had warned her to be more careful of other people's reputations in the future. She was a good girl, but a bit naive about consequences, and had been suitably chagrined when I was stern with her.
To think that Edward and Bella were so upset that they took off across the entire continent! Such a long way to drive. Only the young would go so far for such a short time.
Edward was so embarrassed when he called me from Seattle to explain why they wanted to get out of Dodge. Thank goodness Edward was a good kid. He called me every day they were away to make sure I knew how, and what, they were doing.
I still couldn't believe it that Carlisle had decided to send all the kids' friends along on the trip, so that gossip would hopefully be kept down to a dull roar. There was no disputing it, Bella was marrying into a good family.
I fidgeted a little while I waited for my daughter and almost-son. I wasn't forgetting the resentful look on Bella's face when I walked into Esme's kitchen to liberate Edward from my handcuffs. I hoped she'd forgiven me. I hoped that I had grown up a little in the last week. She probably had.
Finally, all the teenagers arrived and rushed to greet their families. And there was my girl, walking toward me with her future husband at her side. They looked relaxed and happy. I had never really seen them appear relaxed. They were smiling and waving at everyone like they had no cares in the world, but they were heading to speak to me first.
Bella walked into my hug, grinning widely and asking if anybody had fed me while she was away. I laughed. Everything was going to be fine.
"Actually, I think everybody was afraid I was going to starve, so I was pretty much spoiled the whole time you were gone. Esme had Emmett, Rose and Alice drop off lunches to me every day, and Esme and Carlisle had me over to dinner a couple of times, and Billy had me and the Clearwaters over twice for the evening and fed me, too.
I pulled Edward into a hug on my other side, and thanked him for taking care of my girl. Then I stood proudly with my arms around both of them. Edward chuckled.
"It suddenly occurs to me, that this is the first time I've taken Bella anywhere significant that she has come home on time and uninjured," he teased, "It must be due to your approval." His odd golden eyes sparkled. Bella poked him in the side, and he laughed freely. I rolled my eyes.
Esme was running around with a camera, taking pictures of everybody. She stopped in front of us and told us to smile. I did my best to make it a good picture, even though I disliked having my photo taken. It was an important moment that I wanted to preserve. The moment my family came home to me.
I looked at the pair of them surreptitiously. They were scruffy, not particularly clean and they looked a little travel-worn, but they looked good. I didn't want to think about what they might have been up to in their hotel, but I had to admit that they looked complete together and I knew that their life together would be good. They were both more mature than Renee and I had been at their age.
The group of parents was coming over now, expecting to greet my kids. Several minutes were taken up while the Stanleys, the Webers, the Martins, the Crowleys, and the Newtons shook hands and expressed their thanks for including their kids on the trip. The Marks, the Mallory's and the Cheneys were absent. Then, there was a surprise from the group of parents. A surprise that was not exactly ... welcome.
Every one of those families pulled out a copy of the offending newspaper. Every one of them held up the Engagement Announcement, and in stereo, the adults asked for Edward and Bella's autographs. Both of them averted their faces and just about collapsed on the spot. Then, they chuckled with good grace, and Edward asked for a pen. The crowd broke out in a round of enthusiastic applause. The kids stood there and signed every copy, giggling the whole time. I noticed they used their signatures to cover up as much of the photos as they could.
Suddenly, Edward froze and looked up. Beats me what tipped him off. "Banzai!" Mike Newton bellowed, and then, with a great warlike roar, all the young people converged on Bella and Edward. They pelted something at the kids. Edward threw out his hands and ducked,and Bella tried to hide behind his back, but they were both getting hit anyway. Mike ran up to Edward and stuffed something down his shirt. Jessica Stanley did the same to Bella. Condoms, colorful ones, were raining down around the highly embarrassed young couple like confetti. A scuffle ensued, where my kids tried to give the prophylactics back, and the friends tried to force them to accept them.
"Come on now, you two, be responsible. We don't want any surprises, do we?" Mike taunted, retreating. Edward lobbed a handful of condoms at Mike, who turned just in time for them to bounce off the back of his head. Fancy that! Edward Cullen had a sense of humor. He chased after Mike, joshing, and whipped foil packets at him, while blushing Bella tussled with Jess and tried to shove condoms down Jess's shirt. The parents and the Cullen siblings hooted and hollered, egging them on.
Edward's brothers blew up condoms like balloons and held them out lewdly, taunting the kids, who added their names to the list of baddies to pursue. Alice's camera clicked furiously. What a brat that girl was. Good thing she was cute. You just couldn't stay mad at her. Maybe it's because you could see how much she loved everybody.
Esme came intervened. She shooed everybody away from our kids and toward the tables, scolding the guests both for inciting riot and for letting the food get cold. Esme put her hand on her youngest boy's cheek and smiled up at him. He lowered his eyes bashfully. Then Esme kissed Bella. Carlisle came over and embraced his son and kissed my daughter. After a moment, Edward's parents pulled us over to the food, to join the amused group socializing on the lawn. It promised more happy times.