Chapter Forty Eight
Alice
I heard Jasper ask Peter for the phone and looked at Carlisle
"Maybe you should speak to him"
Jake looked at me
"I'm capable of holding a conversation Alice"
"Yes but..."
"No buts. Major you there?"
"I'm here"
"I'd like to speak to Bella please"
He looked at me with a "see I can do it" look on his face.
"Not at the moment, she's sleeping"
"So when she wakes up?"
"If she wants to, but I'm not sure she's going to want to"
"You mean you don't want her to. You're scared she'll ask us to come pick her up"
"No I'm not afraid of that Jacob Black. She can do whatever she wants to"
"What about Charlie?"
"What about him?"
"Well don't you think he deserves to know his daughter is alive?"
"That's not my call or yours for that matter. Bella will decide when she's ready"
"You don't think she's capable of making decisions like that at the moment?"
"No which is why I'm waiting, and so will you".
When he disconnected Jake's face went even blacker,
"See Carlisle. Could you have done any better? We stay here until they get back."
Carlisle
I knew Jake was handling this all wrong and Alice's face said she felt the same way, but it was impossible to talk to him at the moment.
"Well now you've spoken to him I guess you'll be on your way" said Charlotte happily.
"You wish leech"
"Jake we can't just wait here in case they come back here. You heard the Major. He wont bring her here while he knows we're still here".
I was expecting Jake to argue but he just got up.
"OK, we go home and wait".
I looked at Alice suspiciously, it was out of character for Jake to give up this easily but I decided to take the advantage to get us away.
"Thank you for trying Charlotte and for your hospitality I hope you'll tell the others that we just want to know that Bella is well and happy".
"I will Carlisle".
Jake
Yeah I knew Carlisle couldn't wait to get out of there. I thought he was afraid of the Major, well I wasn't and he and I were going to meet soon. For now the way to get Bella out in the open was to force her to and I knew just how to do it, but I'd better keep it from Alice. Since Bella had been found Alice was acting very tense, almost as if she was jealous of Bells but I couldn't understand why. We drove straight back to Forks and I needed to choose my time to get away on my own for a while. Carlisle was suspicious so I went hunting with Alice as usual and spent the night with her. She seemed to like watching me sleep after we made love and I wasn't complaining, she was one hot chick between the sheets.
Charlie
I'd only just got in from work when the door bell went, I hadn't even had time to take off my gun belt. When I opened it to Jake I gestured him in and went to put the kettle on
"Coffee Jake?"
"I think you might want something a bit stronger Charlie"
"Well I'm all out except beer, will that do you?"
"It's not for me Charlie it's for you, only I've got something to tell you and its going to come as a shock"
"Jake I've just got in, I'm hungry, thirsty, and tired, so just spit it out".
"Charlie its about Bella"
That stopped me in my tracks, the kettle tipped up to make the coffee. Jake took it from me as the mug overflowed onto the counter top.
"What about Bella? Jake I really don't feel like talking about her".
"I think you might want to hear this Charlie"
I sat down and sipped my coffee, forgetting how hot it was and scalding my mouth
"Shit that's hot!"
I got up and spat it out in the sink
"Jake please I really don't want to talk about this, so just go home".
"Charlie, Bella isn't dead".
Jake
I thought for a moment Charlie was going to faint, he went white and fumbled for the chair, sitting down slowly
"Not funny Jake".
"It's true Charlie"
"And how do you know this?"
"Because I helped arrange the fake accident when she went missing"
"You what?"
He got up and grabbed me by the arms
"You faked her death? She's been alive all this time and you knew? And you never told me? Why? Why would you let me go through all this?"
"I didn't have a choice Charlie. It was the only way to keep you safe".
"Me? Who the hell was after me? What's Bella got to do with this? Where is she?"
"If you let go of me I'll tell you Charlie, but you aren't going to like it"
"No shit Jake"
He sat down looking at me through narrowed eyes,
"So Bella is alive you say?"
"Yes Charlie but I'm not sure exactly where she is at the moment"
"Why hasn't she contacted me? I should have kept looking when she ran off with that bastard Whitlock".
"That's why she went Charlie, to stop you looking for him. It was looking for him that put you in danger, her too".
"I don't understand Jake. Is he involved in something illegal? Not drugs, please say she isn't mixed up with drugs Jake"
"No Charlie, no drugs and nothing strictly illegal either".
"Boy you've got two minutes to start making sense before I run you in".
There was a loud knock on the door at this point and Charlie got up pointing at me
"You move I'll get my gun"
I nodded and sat down, I thought I knew who was demanding entrance now and I was right. Charlie walked back in with Alice and Carlisle. Seeing his white face she glared at me
"You told him Jake. What were you thinking?"
"I only told him Bella is alive and we did it all to keep them both safe".
Carlisle glared at me then turned to Charlie
"We have a situation here Charlie and I'd like to try diffusing it if possible"
"Oh yeah Carlisle we certainly have a situation here. You knew Bella was alive too?"
"Only very recently Charlie".
"And that's supposed to make me feel better is it?"
"No but it might explain why I didn't try to tell you earlier."
"Would you have told me Carlisle? Would you Alice?"
I looked at Alice then back to Charlie
"No, we wouldn't have told you Charlie. It's not safe for you to know".
"It's not safe for me to know my daughter is alive? That she didn't burn to death in that car crash?"
"I'm sorry for all your pain Charlie but she agreed to it all to keep you safe".
"From what Carlisle? What was I in danger from?"
"I can't tell you that Charlie and its very important you don't tell anyone else or try to find her."
"Try to find her? She's my daughter, I will find her and if I have to I'll arrest the lot of you as accessories".
"To what Charlie? We're the only ones who know she isn't dead".