Chapter Twenty Seven
Charlie
I had no idea where Bella had gone, both Jake and Edward were missing and that other guy Jasper hadn't been back either. I needed to find Bella, she'd been acting very strange, promising to stay on until the end of the year and then vanishing without a word. Alice had acted very strange when I confronted her too. She had promised me she'd take care of Bella and now she was acting as if she had no idea where Bella had gone. In the end I rang Carlisle and asked him to come over, I wanted home territory for this discussion. He turned up with Alice and amazingly, Jake and Sam.
"So, party time eh?" I said as they all walked in.
What astounded me was Alice, hand in hand with Jake.
"So you and Jake?" I asked her and she smiled happily and nodded,
"But I thought Bella went out with him on a date just the other night".
"She did but they decided they weren't meant for each other".
"And you and he are? I was always under the impression you and the Quileutes weren't particularly friendly".
"We had our differences in the past but we're closer now".
"I can see that. So why are you all here? I only invited Carlisle if I remember correctly".
"We thought you might have questions for all of us".
"Oh OK. So I guess its worse than I thought. Where is Bella?"
There was a long silence.
"Well she's not with Jake. Is she with Edward?"
I looked at Carlisle but he in turn looked to Alice.
"Hey, enough with the Chinese Whispers. I want to know where my daughter is".
Sam cleared his throat,
"I think Bella has gone off with the Major".
"Jasper" Alice hissed correcting him.
"Who? Why'd you call him the Major? Is he in the damn army or something?"
Alice shook her head,
"Its a nick name Charlie".
"Oh right, why the Major?"
Carlisle lifted a hand
"Charlie, perhaps if we could sit down I'd like to try to explain everything to you".
"Everything?" Sam snapped,
and I noticed Alice give him a strange look.
"OK, come and sit in the kitchen then maybe I can get some sense out of one of you at least".
Carlisle
We all say down and Charlie looked at me,
"So Carlisle, now were all sitting comfortably perhaps you'll begin".
"It's a bit complicated Charlie",
"Oh I'll try real hard to keep up Carlisle you just go ahead. If I get lost I'll shout".
"Right. You know Bella was going out with Edward?"
"Yes I know he told me and he also told me they were engaged, someone like to enlighten me on what's happening now".
"Charlie, Edward is very upset because Bella ran off with someone else, not the kind of behaviour I would have expected of her I must say".
"Did you know about the engagement?"
"Yes Charlie, Edward had told me, but Bella didn't want to say anything until the end of term".
"Are you sure that was the reason? Or was it that she wasn't sure about what she'd said. Maybe she had second thoughts and that's why she never told me and went out with Jake and this Jasper guy. Maybe she decided Edward was the wrong person for her, then Jasper came along and swept her off her feet".
"Maybe. He's got a bad reputation but I think he's settled down now".
"He's not old enough to have settled down Carlisle, he's hardly got the cradle marks off his ass.
"He's far more mature than he looks Charlie".
"Bull! There's something going on here that I'm not privy to but I tell you something, I will find him and my daughter and when I do..."
"You wont find him Charlie, not if he doesn't want you to"
"Oh really, he can evade the entire country's police forces?"
"Yes if he chooses to".
"What is he, the invisible man?"
Alice spoke up then
"Oh Charlie he makes the invisible man look like an amateur"
"Are you trying to tell me that he lives off the grid?"
"Yes Charlie he does, and you won't find any record of him".
"What about army records? He must be listed in there somewhere if he became a Major or is it a title he picked up along the way?"
They all looked at each other,
"Well?"
"Lets just say you wont find him if you look Charlie".
"So how do I contact my daughter?"
"You don't, you wait for her to contact you".
"I don't think so Alice".
"Charlie" Sam said, "You have no choice".
"The hell I don't. I'll have an APB out on him by tonight".
"Very well but it will do no good Charlie".
"I'm missing a piece of the puzzle aren't I?"
"Yes Charlie but a piece we can't tell you without endangering you".
"Oh I get it, you can tell me but then you'll have to kill me, fucking childish".
"No its deadly earnest Charlie, what I can promise you is that we'll try to find her".
Carlisle looked at Sam, "You can't speak for us Sam, and I have to tell you that we won't be looking for her or him. I trust him to take care of her".
"Well I don't and I'm her father. It sounds to me as if she's got tied up with a real bad one".
"No Charlie, where Bella's concerned he's the right one. She knows what she's doing and I'm sure she will contact you when she's ready".
"Well you'll excuse me if I take Sam up on his offer in the meantime".
Carlisle, Alice and Jake got up.
"We can't help any more Charlie, I'm sorry" said Jake unhappily.
"Jake, you wont help Sam find Bella?"
"No Charlie I'm sorry but I happen to agree with Carlisle on this one".
Sam glared at him, "So, gone over to the enemy?"
"No Sam, there is no enemy any longer as far as I'm concerned".
They walked out together leaving Sam and I alone. After we heard the car drive away I looked at Sam.
"What is going on? Everyone is acting crazy, as if there's a big secret they're keeping from me". "Charlie I wish I could tell you more but I don't think it would help and you certainly wouldn't believe me anyway".
"Try me Sam".
"Sorry I can't. I need to get back and consult the others".
"Others?"
"Yes Charlie there are others involved in this, not just us".
As Sam walked out into the darkness I picked up the cruiser keys. They may talk in riddles and reassure me but I wanted to see Bella. Speak to her and know she was OK. I would find this Major however long it took. I had a buddy in the army recruitment station, he could do a quiet search for me, I hoped.