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EPOV

Isabella Swan… both beauty and brains, and she was mine! I couldn't believe how lucky I was. I didn't realise I'd been lost in thought for a while until Billy interrupted me in his thoughts calling out to me.

"I think you had better start fishing young man or else Charlie is not going to be very happy with you." I saw Charlie's face in Billy's mind, he was staring daggers at me and I barely caught the gist of Charlie's thoughts. 'Who does he think he is', 'if he lays a hand on her' 'shoot him'. That last word really frightened me. I hadn't heard that for a while now and really did not relish the thought of Charlie still harbouring thoughts of shooting me. I was not that good at reading Charlie's mind and when he was agitated his thoughts became even more harder for me to read.

I quickly picked up my back pack determined to show him that I could be a good son-in-law for him. But my heart sank when I spotted Billy's boat. Oh god this was never going to hold my weight.

"Billy do you think your boat could hold all three of us?" Billy smirked as soon as he heard this.

"Oh it can hold up to five. And most of my boys have been in it." He pictured the times he'd taken some of the wolf pack along with him in the boat. I guess it must be sturdier than it looked.

"Get in. It should hold a slip of a boy like you." "The kid doesn't even have any muscles on him so thin and he thinks he weighs a ton. He looks like a magazine ad well now I will get to see how well he fishes". Oh! I really was in deep trouble and I also felt sad at the thought that Charlie didn't have much regard for my physical abilities. I really wanted him to think better of me. Well Charlie didn't know that I did indeed weigh more than a human my size. Charlie was definitely angry with me after catching me staring at Bella. I would have blushed if I could. I knew I had had very inappropriate thoughts about his daughter when I stared at her swaying hips and Charlie knew it. Oh shit! This was going to be awkward. I wished I had had the sense to have avoided all this unnecessary angst.

I took one last look in the direction Bella went and stepped carefully into the boat. When Charlie took up the oars I offered to take them. Thankfully my photographic memory made it easier for me to remember how to row like a professional. I had watched some sports through the years and remembered every one of the rowing competitions I'd watched.

"Not too fast Edward. Charlie might get suspicious. People row slower than that" Billy really was enjoying himself and I was really grateful to him for proving me with pointers on how humans did things. I slowed down. I guess I was rowing at the speed the sporting rowers rowed since I was following their example. I smiled at Billy to show him my appreciation. I risked a glance at Charlie. He didn't look too happy.

"The kid has stamina. That much is for sure. Or he's showing off. Hmm… wonder how long he can keep up this pace." I had to smile at this. I could have said indefinitely. Well at least until I had to feed next. For once I appreciated my vampire abilities.

I continued at the same pace till Billy signalled me to stop. I also caught sight of some fish in the water. I slowly edged the boat towards the swarm of fish. I watched as the others prepared their rods with bait I meticulously followed everything in the tutorials and did it at human pace. Slowly casting my line at the exact spot where I could hook a fish. I knew I was showing off but I really did want to impress Charlie. He was surprised when I immediately started reeling in the fish. He stood up to take a better look and saw that I had indeed caught a fish. Billy had lowered his face so that Charlie couldn't see his smile.

"Better go a bit slow Edward it takes more than a few seconds to catch a fish". Oh god! In my enthusiasm I'd caught the fish too soon. But there was nothing I could do I slowly started reeling in the fish. Then when Charlie leaned in a bit closer to me I heard the unmistakable sound of wood cracking. Oh no! I was right the boat was going to break. Everything happened in an instant. I heard Billy scream as we all went into the water as the boat broke apart. I quickly dived in and grabbed hold of Billy. I realised he wasn't able to swim properly without the use of his legs. Then I searched for Charlie. He was treading water and I saw the panicked expression on his face as he sought Billy I quickly heaved Billy on my back and signalled to Charlie that I had got him. Charlie tried to make his way to me to help me but I pointed at the shore encouraging him to swim there. I could have taken Charlie as well but I guessed he'd have realised something was wrong if I was able to swim so effortlessly with two adults on my back. Billy was coughing and I realised he had swallowed water. I dashed to the shore at the fastest human speed I could manage and quickly started CPR on Billy. After a while he was feeling better. He was even trying to sit up with my help when Charlie finally made it ashore.

"The kid definitely is fit. He brought Billy to the shore so fast. It must be all the camping trips the Cullens' take" Thank god Charlie wasn't suspicious of me.

"Billy, are you alright." He still looked a bit pale.

"Y…yes. Thank you Edward." He was searching for something around his neck and looking very grave when he couldn't' find it. I searched his memory. He was looking for the pouch of ashes from the first vampire that the tribe has killed. Charlie was sorry that he'd lost his fishing gear. It was only then that I realised that to me the gear didn't mean much but Charlie and Billy would have had to spend a lot on their fishing gear. And because of me, because of my vampire weight they'd lost everything. Before I could think anymore I found myself in the water swimming towards the wreckage. I was going to salvage everything I could. The boat was beyond repair but I could get the rest of the things. When I reached the wreck, I searched for Billy's pouch first and when I found it I collected the rest of the fishing gear. I even managed to snag my back pack. I also let loose the fish I'd caught which was still alive at the end of my hook struggling to get free. I smelt Sam near me the next moment. Loading all the stuff on two planks from the wreck Sam and I started swimming towards the shore pulling the planks behind us. I made it to the shore first and it was only when I saw Charlie's surprised look that I realised that I had swam to shore before a much larger human than me. He was muttering to himself "impossible, impossible". Shit! I was in deep shit. I was just thinking about how I was going to alley his suspicions when Bella ran to me and hugged me.

"There you are Edward. I'm so glad all of you are fine. For a moment there I thought you'd taken too much upon yourself when I saw you swim out again. But I should have realised that being a swimming champion this short swim must seem like nothing to you."

Oh! Brilliant! Once again I was amazed at Bella's quick thinking. Billy barely managed to suppress a smile and I saw from the corner of my eye Charlie nodding his head as if to shake something off. But his thoughts reassured me that all was safe. "Well that explains it. I guess a skinny kid could swim much faster than Sam" I felt a bit offended again. There I was being called a skinny kid. The wolves' bulging muscles did not help me either. I was so much more frail looking than them.

"Shouldn't you get out of those wet clothes Edward? You must be feeling very cold. May be Seth could lend you one of his shorts?" Jacob was on his crutches I could see he was feeling much better. I was of course not cold at all. I first thought it was nice of him to remind me of my human charade but his next thought that I would hate the smell of werewolf shorts told me he was enjoying my discomfort. I was thinking of a way to refuse when Charlie spoke up.

"You'd better get changed Edward. I don't want to be the one to tell Carlisle you got pneumonia after staying in wet clothes." I quickly nodded and followed a very enthusiastic Seth to his place. Bella was smiling when I got back but when she saw me in the shorts I heard her pulse rate accelerate and she blushed deeply. I could tell she was remembering the way I had been naked with her. I avoided her eyes. Suddenly I felt very naked even with the shorts and I was both aroused and embarrassed as I realised she knew what was underneath the shorts. I had of course had the sense to wear my reinforced underwear under the shorts so my arousal didn't show. I was bare chested like the rest of the pack. Seth didn't offer me a T-shirt and I felt like an idiot asking for one when everyone else only wore shorts. So here I was half naked in front of Bella and the rest.

The wolves had lit a fire so I sat down next to Bella on the log she was sitting on joining the others who were seated around the fire.

"I don't believe it…" I quickly focused on Charlie's thoughts as soon as I heard his words. "The kid is very well muscled and built like a good athlete. I guess he is very fit. After all he did bring Billy back and even rescued our gear. Carlisle must be keeping them on a strict diet." If he only knew! I felt myself smiling at the thought. I felt my chest puff up at the thought that finally Charlie didn't think I was skinny after all. He was checking his fishing gear for damages when I remembered the pouch I had rescued from the sea. I got up and went to Billy and gave him the pouch. First he looked at me in surprise then he recognised the pouch in my hands and took it from me with shaking hands. I could see tears in his eyes.

"Thank you Edward.. thank you very much. This means so much to me and our tribe." The wolves were all staring at me with expressions that ranged from surprise to gratitude. Even Sam nodded his appreciation. I felt bad that I had almost been responsible for destroying one of their precious keepsakes and of course I was responsible for the boat wreck it was my additional weight that had made it break. I decided to get Billy a good fishing boat. One which would be much safer for him with an engine so that he did not need anyone to paddle it for him.

"The kid is not bad. I guess I could learn to like him a bit better. He is strong and healthy. Might be good for Bella. I never know when Bella would have an accident and she needs someone strong to take care of her." Finally! Some good thoughts about me from Charlie. I felt very happy. At least he no longer thought I was skinny. I couldn't help smiling at the pack and Billy before taking my seat beside Bella again. She snuggled closer this time.

"Hmmm being strong and healthy means he must be having other healthy appetites but if he lays one finger on Bells before the wedding….." the rest of Charlie's thoughts were incoherent. So much for Charlie liking me a bit better! I tried to move a little away from Bella but she managed to snuggle back closely against my side. I laid a hand on her shoulder but did not make any attempt to cuddle her closer. I was still scared of Charlie's gun and I really wanted him to like me and trust me.

"What's in the pouch Billy?" Charlie's curiosity had been aroused at how grateful Billy was to get the pouch back. We all looked at Charlie in shock and then at Billy willing him to make up a good excuse.

"Oh it's just the ashes of our enemy. We keep it as a reminder of our success in the battle field."

I could tell Charlie believed him. Technically Billy was telling the truth except he omitted the part about which enemy. I smiled. At least our secrets were safe for now. We had had some close calls with Charlie today. I had to remember that Charlie was a good cop and had a good sixth sense about things. It wouldn't be that easy to fool him all the time. If we plan to keep him in Bella's life after her change we will have to be really good at concealing things.