AN: This is a short one, but Charlie needed to have his say. Next chapter is already in the works, and we are firmly back in the present now.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.

How Can I Help You?

Chapter 11 - What did she say?

Charlie POV

Previously:

Charlie looked me straight in the eye when he asked the one question I know he's been dying to ask.

"Who is it Bella? Who is Riley's father?"

I matched Charlie's gaze, but could only whisper the answer.

"Edward is. Edward Cullen."

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Sitting in my living room, listening to my baby girl telling me that not only is her marriage over, but that she had had an affair that resulted in my grandson's birth, all I wanted to do was say, 'What the fuck?' But since I am her father and I am a grandfather, I simply nod my head at her and reassure Bella that I will always love her.

Then she has to throw that last curve ball at me. Edward Cullen, Edward freaking Cullen, again I'm internally saying 'WTF?' That man is the father of my grandson? I mean come on; he has daughters that are not much younger than Bella was when she went to work for his late wife.

Look, he's a decent guy. I never had a problem with Edward or his family. They were really great to not only Bella, but Renee and I as well when she was first diagnosed.

The only issue I ever had was when Bella moved in after Tanya passed. I know she was only there a few months working as the nanny, but she was good with those girls. I realize now that watching Bella with Kate and Irina Cullen, I witnessed the beginnings of what Mama Bear Bella looked like. She was so much like Renee.

We wondered why she stopped working for Edward without letting us know she was done there. She told us that he wanted her to concentrate on getting ready for school and they really didn't need her any longer. She was upset about not seeing Kate and Irina anymore, she had grown so attached to them, but she knew it would be that way when she left for college.

I had always assumed that her abrupt change in colleges had been because of something with Jake. I may not have always been the most observant and attentive father, but I remember how she avoided Jake for a while before breaking up with him. There had to have been something wrong there, right? She seemed happier after Jake, but the girl that sat before Renee and I after we returned from my conference, that girl looked like she had been devastated by something. She was trying to mask her feelings, of course. She is my daughter after all, where'd you think she got it from?

We worried, but she had already cancelled her scholarship, so there was nothing we could do to stop her, so we supported her. Renee and I did spend many sleepless nights before she left for school, as well a few after, truth be told. I had wanted to confront her, but `Nee knew it would only make it more difficult for Bella and that she'd hurt to know we were worrying. 'She'll come to us eventually, Charlie. We just need to be patient.'

I'm wondering now if she finally had. Was it possible that there had been something between Bella and Edward Cullen back then? God, I hate to even think about that. I would definitely have to introduce his balls to my shotgun then.

My girl managed just fine in California though. She worked hard and stayed on the Dean's List. She seemed happier when she came home for Winter Break. We spent Christmas Day in La Push with the Blacks and I thought things would be awkward between Bella and Jacob, but they fell back into an easy friendship. Renee told me they had been writing letters and calling each other for several weeks prior to the break.

I was cautiously optimistic, hoping that if nothing else they could regain the friendship they had lost for a time. I saw more of Jacob Black that next summer than I ever planned on. The boy was a semi-permanent fixture at our house. I even checked with Billy on one of our fishing trips, just to make sure he hadn't thrown him out. Billy told me the only time he got to see Jake was when he was sleeping at night in his room.

I finally started to relax about Bella then, knowing she was happy. I wasn't the least bit surprised when during Winter Break Jake told me he was going to ask Bella to marry him. I mentioned that I hoped they would wait until after they graduated to get married, but wouldn't stand in their way if they did it before. They gave us the news Christmas morning, so Renee, Billy and I threw them a huge party on New Years Eve to celebrate. I think the entire town was there to celebrate the happy news. They decided not to wait to get married, so Renee and Bella planned the wedding for that summer. Jake transferred to San Jose State to be with Bella and they had found an apartment to rent that was between the two universities, promising they weren't going to get sidetracked from finishing school.

The 4th of July was always a big event down at First Beach, Bella and Jake's wedding just added to the festivities. Billy and I laughed, happy that we were actually family now.

My sweet Renee, she had such hard time letting Bella go. They spent the last few days leading up to the wedding having some mystical spa treatment or another. I cried like a baby walking Bella down the aisle to the man I thought she'd be with forever. Now she's telling me she loved Jake but had never been in love with him, what the…?

"Sorry, Bells what did you say?" She was looking at me like she thought I needed my head examined.

"Are you alright, Dad?"

"Sure, honey, why wouldn't I be?"

It's not like everything I thought I knew as fact turned out to be fiction.

"I know it's a lot to take in Dad. I'm not proud of myself. I just want to do what is right for Riley. Edward deserves to know the truth, whether he decides to be in Riley's life or not, I have to tell him the truth about this."

I knew that Bella would not have a smooth transition back into Forks life. She had her plan, and a job to help out, but part-time work wasn't going to pay all her bills. I would help her as much as I could, well as much as she'd let me, but it wouldn't be easy on her. I was a realist and Forks was a small town. I knew that once the news got around about her divorce from Jake the gossiping would start and once the parentage of Riley was out there, Bella would be facing a major backlash from the community. Not just her, either, but Edward and his family as well. His family has been a large part of our community over the years and with Bella being my daughter, tongues will be wagging for years over it.

My only hope is that nothing ever reaches Riley. He's the most precious person to me, besides Bella. Hopefully she and Edward can come to an arrangement and he will be part of his son's life. I can't see any father turning away from his child. Edward Cullen may have messed around my little girl's heart, but there was no doubt he was a good father. He'll want to be part of Riley's life and I was going to make sure he helped Bella with his care.

I've got so much to do. First I need to find out what Billy knows and if Jake has called him. I'm hoping my friend and I will come through all of this unscathed, but no matter what Bella is my priority.

I was determined to be the best father I could be for Bella, and I was going to support her through this trying time, but I had to know more about this whole situation. I wonder how Renee would have handled this. I bet she would have seen this coming. My wife was always so intuitive about these things.

At least Bella was home now and she's trying to dig herself out of this giant mess. I'm happy she's here and will be building a life in Forks for her son. I'll have to be patient with her for a while and it's probably going to kill me to hear everything, but I need to know the whole story, well stories. I wanted the Bella and Jacob story as well as the Bella and Edward story, especially that one.

I debated luring him down to the station and locking him in a cell until I had the whole story of how he got involved with my daughter, slept with her, got her pregnant and then moved onto someone else so quickly. If I happened to have to point my shotgun at his balls until he spilled his guts, so be it. I know, I know, that's not a good thing for the Chief of Police to do, could damage my career, so maybe I'll get my deputy to do it.

Renee would tell me I'm over stepping my boundaries, but a father has to protect his child somehow.

My Bella was always a strong child and has grown into an even stronger woman. She can take care of herself and Riley, but that does not mean I won't do all I can to help.

Cripes what a mess. You know being a parent never ends. There are those people that tell you that you just have to make it through the first eighteen years, and then you can be free to do what you want. Obviously those people are not real parents, they may have children, but a parent is a parent for life. I won't stop worrying about Bella and now Riley until my last breath.

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Sooo, what did you think? Did you love Charlie? Next update will be in a week maybe less) Please review and let me know what you think.