Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Author's note: Sorry I'm such a slacker! I am trying to do better! HUGE thanks for all the encouragement! Remember, this story is just the Heaven, Hell & Harley story without the sex and bad language - tamed down to T rating and sometimes, such as this chapter, it is just the same!

~oooOooo~

Chapter 133 Fathers

"So, you understand?" I asked, "You know it wasn't anything against you?"

"I understand it's a dad thing, Charlie. How could I not understand that you are at least as protective of her as I am of Masen . . . and you've had way more practice and years of being a dad than I have."

Huh. He was right about that. He might be twice my age, but I had been a dad almost a hundred times as long as he had. Well, that was somethin. The boy seemed to understand anyway, and to have forgiven me for upsetting my daughter. She was my daughter, after all.

~oooOooo~

Charlie POV

"I appreciate that, Edward," I said, patting him on the shoulder in what I hoped he took as a fatherly way. "It's hard to let go of them, let them grow up," I told him, seeing the hint of irony on his face.

"You know, I didn't come over here to help look for Masen . . ."

My son in law's eyebrows pricked up at that and Esme frowned, excusing herself after hearing Carlisle call from the other room. I continued . . .

"I came over to make sure Bella didn't hurt herself wearing out his little rear when you found him and brought him back," I explained. The corner of his mouth twitched and it looked to me like he was trying to keep from smiling. Damned mind reading. I liked saying my piece, not having it taken from my thoughts. Since when did I fidget like a teenager when I spoke to somebody.

"Charlie, I. . ."

"Now just hold on, son, and let me say my piece."

I released my grip on his shoulder, my fingers twitching awkwardly at my sides as I spoke, "I knew you'd find my grandson. I saw the lengths you went to when Bella was kidnapped and I knew you'd move heaven and earth to find him. Since he seems nearly as indestructible as you guys are, I wasn't too worried about him, just worried about the upset that his being missing was causing you and Bells."

I chuckled to myself and he looked at me like I was nuts. I stared straight at him though, hating the fact that he was a couple of inches taller than me but, if I thought about it, the fact that he was immortal and pretty much indestructable should have intimidated me more than just the fact that I had to look slightly up to meet his eye. I shook it off. It didn't matter, I would have my say.

"Glad she has you around to discipline the little twirp, she might break her hand spanking his butt. I remember how "hard" you guys are," I smiled. Then I saw his face, the look of pain that flashed across my son in law's eyes was so intense it hurt me just to see it . . . What the hell was I thinking bringing up something as painful as her being taken by Riley and Victoria. I had only thought about how "hard" their bodies were, remembering breaking my hand when I hit that guy, Riley, that had kidnapped Bells. I had to watch my thoughts around him, that was for sure. I regretted mentioning that just like it had come out of my mouth.

"Sorry, son," I said, at a loss for words, "I didn't mean to bring all that up and make you remember. Hell, I don't even want to remember," I squared my shoulders, "I just meant that I knew you'd find Masen. I wanted to be here for Bells . . . in case she needed me and you both to calm her."

He just stood thee, waiting. Probably knew exactly what I was thinking but at least he was respectful enough to just stand thee and wait for me to get it out. I was quiet for a long while, till I got kinda edgy in my skin.

"Edward, I wanted to tell her some news in person," I put my hand up to stop him from speaking. "I know you've already pulled it from my thoughts and your Alice has probably already seen," including the dress if she hasn't already bought it I thought to myself, "but I want Bella to be the first one I tell. I wanted to do it in person."

"She'll be thrilled, Charlie," the boy said, seeming like he meant it with a smile as wide as his face. "Alice has seen most of it, though she can't see the parts that involve the Quillette tribe, and she and I have talked about it."

"You have, huh," I muttered, frowning. I was never ever going to get used to people knowing what I thought much less seeing my future. I was trying to accept things without asking too many questions about how it worked and all, and now was not the time. A thought dawned on me though and I wanted to ask before Edward just answered my thoughts . . .

"So, Alice has seen me married to Sue?"

"Yes, for quite awhile now," he answered with that damned smug smile on his face.

"Well that's somethin', that is," I said, trying to take it all in. I had known that Edward had read my mind as well as Sue's and figured out that something was going on there. He had explained that was why I could know about him and his family, why that didn't get them into trouble for breaking their "secret" with the damned Volturo . . . Vulture . . . their damned vampire police, whatever the hell the name for them was.

"Volturi," Edward answered, the smile vanishing as he answered my thoughts rather than my words.

"That's right. Me and Sue being together put me in with the Quilettes, knowing about vampires from their being mortal enemies with them and all," I said.

Jacob picked that moment to head through the room toward the kitchen, stopping to say, "Morning! You guys all sorted out then, no need for the werewolf to keep the human from assaulting the vampire?" he said, laughing and sticking his hands in both front pockets of his jeans, "or did I not just hear something about mortal enemies?"

"You and I mortal enemies, pup, not Charlie and I," Edward explained as he shoved him, making him take a couple of steps to keep his balance as they both grinned. Jacob just nodded like that was old news, which I guess it was.

"You eating human this morning, dog, or you want to take a run with me?" Edward gestured toward the back yard..

"You leaving right now?" Jacob asked, his nose sniffing toward the scent coming from the kitchen. Even I knew the smell of those cinnamon rolls . . .

"No, pup. Go woof down some breakfast, then we'll go get me something to drink," he told him, giving him another shove. Damn, the boy moved so fast you couldn't really see the shove, just the effect. Anyway, Jacob left, headed for the kitchen.

"So, if Alice has seen me married to Sue," I looked directly at him, "then has she seen Bella as one of you?" He didn't answer right away, hell he didn't even move enough to breath. He just stared straight at me with those odd amber colored eyes and I could have sworn that I saw black swirl into them just before he spoke.

"Yes, Charlie, she has."

"Huh. For how long? How long has she seen Bells as one of you?" I asked, astonished both that he was answering me and that I hadn't thought to ask that before.

"Alice has seen Bella as one of us since before I met her, over two years ago," he smiled, "She encouraged me to trust my control and try to be around your daughter from the very first."

I knew I was looking at him like he was nuts, but this was all just . . . just weird, that's all.

"Charlie, Alice saw me with Bella, being able to control myself around her, even me playing with the twins since the very beginning," I smiled.

"Well, you wouldn't have believed me if I hadn't shown you my visions, Edward, would you?" Alice cut in, standing beside Edward out of nowhere, "Really," she scoffed, " You should know never to doubt me." She looked at him like a hurt little sister chiding a big brother - or rubbing it in.

"Alice . . ."

"No, now, son. She's right. Bells always says never bet against Alice, and I've even heard it from Carlisle," I added. "Thing is . . . if Alice has seen me with Sue and you with Bella . . . and the two of you having little Masen and then twins," I was thinking as I spoke, "then if Alice sees Bella as a vampire, that means you were able to do it, she was able to, I mean she didn't . . . well that is you didn't . . ."

"I'll be able to turn her without loosing her, is that what you mean?" Edward added.

"Yea. That's it. She makes it . . . becomes one of you, you don't end up killing her," I said, a little bolder than I had meant it.

"Of course she becomes one of us, Charlie, why ever would you be questioning that?" Alice asked, looking shocked.

"It's just me being scared, Alice. Not rational, if anything about ANY of this could be called rational," I explained, "It's just when he said he was poisonous, venomous or whatever you want to call it, and then talked about her heart stopping . . . well, it's just a lot to take in. A lot of words that have a different meaning than I'm used to."

I heard Alice muttering to herself about how stubborn humans were and why she even bothered as she apparently grabbed something from Carlisle's office and headed back upstairs. Edward was looking down, obviiously deep in thought before he spoke.

"I want to be honest with you Charlie, always. That's why I told you, technically, the poison stops her heart. From a medical standpoint . . . she's dead, Charlie. It has to happen that way for the venom to do it's work - to make her immortal like the rest of us," Edward stated, coldly and matter of factly as though the words were hard for him as well.

"And that's the only way," I started as my new son-in-laws eyebrows lifted, knowing what I was about to say, "that's the only way she can stay with you, live as long as you I mean. And Masen?"

"We have no idea about Masen, Charlie. Alice can't see him at all by himself and we have no idea what part of him is mortal or how much he takes after me as an immortal. We just don't know," he explained. It didn't take a mind reader to see that he was worried about that himself.

"There's my little guy," I smiled as Masen lept off the stairs, kind of blurring as he landed in his father's arms. Bells was right behind him and came to stand with her arm around Edward, going up on her tiptoes to kiss him right there in front of me. She just had no regard for kerping things like that private, hell they both showed their feelings for each other plain to see.

"Want to have breakfast with me, Grandpa?" he asked, his little hand patting his dad's shoulder as though to console him. You had to wonder what the two of them were saying to each other that none of us could hear. I knew enough not to talk, or even think about the conversation we had been having . . . not in front of Masen, not after yesterday. I might be old but I learned . . .

"Sure do, sport," I said, taking him from Edward and heading to the kitchen, "and you better not eat up all of your grandma's homemade cinnamon rolls before I get some."

"Don't worry, grandpa," He explained, hugging his little arm around my neck and reaching to brush the hair out of his face with the other, "I don't like them."

"What? Esme's rolls are the best I've ever had, kid, and that's saying a lot!"

"If it ain't meat, it ain't fit to eat!" the little boy said, as though he was trying to copy the way someone else had said it to him and not bust out laughting at the same time.

I gave Bella and Edward a surprised look as they had obviously heard what he had said.

"Emmett!" they both exclaimed, frowning.

"Really son, teaching your nephew such things," Esme chastised him as though he was in the room with us. As quickly as that . . . he was. I was never going to get used to this vampire thing - hearing people whisper from a mile away, moving faster than the wind. It was just . . . weird, that's all.

"Well," Emmett defended, "the little guy needs to know what's up, doesn't he?"

Esme had walked in to catch the last part of the conversation, probably just heading in to tell us that breakfast was ready. Carlisle joined us as well, frowning at Emmett and explaining to him that Masen needed to keep trying all forms of food and not to discourage him from eating vegetables as they were good for humans. Huh. I always heard that too, growing up. Always eat your vegetables, like Popeye eating spinach to get strong. Well, at least I didn't have to worry about that! I suspected that this kid was already WAY stronger than I was, though he had never shown me.

"Emmett, Jaz and I were just going out for a hunt," Rosalie explained as she appeared beside Emmett. "The least I can do is get this big oaf out of here before he gives my nephew any more bad ideas. Honestly Emmett," she scolded as she smacked him on the shoulder.

"What?" he held his hands up like a kid getting scolded, "What'd I do?"

"Give it up, Emmett. Even I can't keep them calm if you keep this up," Jasper said as he shook his head at Emmett, backing away from Rosalie towards the front door. "Alice is getting Masen's lesson ready for this morning, so whenever he's through with breakfast just send him up, okay sis?" the blond vampire told Bella, like she was talking to a little sister.

Bella smiled and thanked her. Edward turned down the invite to go with them, but he had already asked Jacob to go for a hunt with him after we had breakfast.

"Who is Popeye?" Masen asked, his chubby little hand patting my shoulder as we followed Esme into the kitchen.

"Popeye is a cartoon character that is supposed to be really really strong," I explained as Edward pulled out the chair with books stacked on it so that Masen could sit and be tall enough to reach the table. He stared at his father for a minute, then burst out laughing.

"Edward! Masen! WORDS!" Bella glared as both my son-in-law and grandson continued to laugh.

Esme gestured for me to sit next to Jacob as Bella took a seat next to Masen. The way Jacob was shoveling food in, I hoped there was some left. I should have known that his appetite was expected, though, and Esme put a tray of steaming eggs, sausage and bacon on the table complete with toast, biscuits and a whole platter of those cinnamon rolls of hers. It was amazing that even the woman's coffee was delicious, and she didn't even eat so I didn't think she would have been taste testing the food.

"Sweetheart, Masen was just seeing a Popeye cartoon in my mind and laughing that humans couldn't really punch down brick walls like in the cartoon. Well, he was making sure by asking me if they could and laughing at how hard it is for him NOT to break things . . . even walls," Edward explained.

Huh.

"Best not break your Grandma's house, kid. She goes to a lot of trouble to make things just so," I said, turning my attention to Esme. "You always do have things really pretty, Esme, the way you decorate I mean. The house I Forks, Highlands and now this," I said, gesturing to the room I sat in and in fact the whole estate.

"Thank you, Charlie," Esme beamed, "I love decorating and making things comfortable for our needs."

"She always makes things lovely, everywhere we go," Carlisle added, putting his arm around his wife and hugging her to him. Guess showing affection could have been something Edward picked up from his father. Carlisle pulled up a chair and sat at the table with us while we ate, stuffed our faces I should say. Even Bella was having seconds and I was glad to see it. She still looked thin to me, but she always had.

"I owe all of you an apology," I said as we all finished up, "I'm sorry about the upset I caused at the table yesterday." "Bella, I already squared things away with Edward, here, but I want to apologize to you, too. I know Edward would never do anything to hurt you, not for anything in the world," I said as I reached for the last cinnamon roll, making sure my grandson was listening to me.

Jacob reached for the roll at the same time and I was startled to see Masen crouching on the table, setting the cinnamon roll on my plate.

"No, uncle Jake, Grandpa wants this and you already had lots of the sticky things," he said in his little childish voice.

"Ha! Well that's somethin', that is!" I laughed, looking at the surprised face of the boy sitting across from me with his mouth hanging open and his hand still outstretched towards the now empty platter on the table.

Everyone laughed, though I saw my daughter frown at her son for a moment and Esme picked him up by the waist, lifting him off the table and setting him back on the books in his chair.

"Masen Cullen! You will NOT stand on my table, do you understand?" she fussed as he looked sheepish.

"That was nice of you, knowing that your grandpa Charlie wanted another roll, son, but you mustn't put your feet on the table," Edward told him.

"Dad, my arm wasn't long enough to reach it, and uncle Jake is faster than grandpa. I had to get it for him," he explained, looking upset like he was in trouble.

"Well I'm bailing you out this time, kid," I said as I scooted my chair out and gestured to him to come sit on my lap, "Thanks for looking out for your old grampa."

"You're welcome grandpa. You and mom and uncle Jake sure do like those sticky things," he commented as I put an arm around him, the other one bringing the warm sticky cinnamon roll to my mouth.

"You don't like cinnamon?" I asked, offering him a bite.

"No, thanks. Dad agrees with me that it tastes like dirt," he smiled, glancing kind of sideways at his father, doubtless to see his reaction now that he had thrown him under the bus. Edward just shrugged as Bella laughed.

"Can I be excused?" the boy asked.

"One bite of fruit first," his mom told him.

The face he made was hysterical, especially after he put the blackberry in his mouth. You would have thought it was dirt the way he gagged and spit it out.

"Fine, fine, go on then," she said, coming over to me to pat his back and give him a napkin to wipe his face. The little boy scampered down and headed for the door, just as we heard Alice calling him.

"It was time for his lesson anyway," Edward explained, "Alice called him a few minutes ago, just not loud enough for anyone else to hear.

"So, the kid has your hearing, too," it wasn't a question.

"He seems to have inherited everything from Edward in terms of abilities, Charlie, and I'm sure we haven't seen everything yet," Carlisle said thoughtfully.

"Well, he's a special little guy. Seems happy and healthy enough. Growing like a weed, that's for sure," i commented encouragingly as I could.

"Yes, he's growing at an incredible rate . . . we just don't know when it will stop, Charlie. We don't know how long it will take him to be fully grown," the doc added, looking worried.

"What he's worried about is that once Masen is a grown man, will time stop for him, like us, or will he continue to age at such a rapid rate," Edward explained. Bella just looked worried and Edward's arm tightened around her.

"The kid has the same number of chromosomes as us, the tribe I mean, right doc?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, that's true," Carlisle confirmed.

"So maybe he'll just grow up and . . . stay, kind of like how the pack members don't age as long as they're phasing regularly," Jacob commented. Esme and Carlisle both turned to stare at Jacob.

"They don't age?" Carlisle asked, surprised.

"Nah, not as long as we continue to phase into wolf, "he said using the napkin that esme had passed to him. "Not sure how long it lasts, but legends make it out like it could get us into the hundreds of years old," he laughed.

"Jake, thats wonderful!" Bella exclaimed, "Then you'll be around for a long time!"

"Yep, Izzy, you're not getting rid of me anytime soon. Not sure how that works with the people we imprint on, but some of the elders are researching the old tribal stories to find out for me. It's been a long time since the tribe was exposed to vampires continually," he looked up from wiping his fingers, "Usually Carlisle and his family live in Forks for a dozen years or so, then move till everyone that might have known them has passed away."

"But, Carlisle, couldn't something like that be what's going to happen to Masen?" Bella asked, looking hopeful. "Not the phasing, of course, but isn't it possible that he could just grown to be a full grown adult, like a man in his twenties or something, then just . . . stop. Stop and stay there I mean?" Bella asked, looking excited and hopeful at the same time.

Edward and Esme had the same hopeful, half startled expression on their faces as well.

"Well, could be, Bella. It's a possibility. I think only time will tell, that and perhaps if we research some of the legends about Dhampyres," Carlisle said, folding his hands on the table.

"Dhampyres?" I asked.

"A human mated with a vampire, a hybrid if you will, Charlie, that's what our kind call them," Carlisle stared at his clasped hands for a moment as he sat with us, "There are rumors, legends really, of vampires impregnating humans."

"That's great doc, then Bella wasn't the first! Can we find these other moms and kids, give us something to compare everything to?" I asked, excited.

"Well, Charlie . . ."

"What dad doesn't really want to say, Charlie," Edward started, Bella grabbing his arm tightly and looking worried, "What he doesn't want to say is that though there may indeed be other Dhampyres in existence, though I doubt it, there are no other mothers. The infants rip their way out of the mother's body when they are ready to be born, killing her."

Took me a minute for that to settle in . . . before I panicked.

"No, not ever going to happen to Bella," he assured me. "I can read the infants mind and know what's happening and Masen can calm them and allow them to be born naturally, the same way he was."

I stared at my son-in-law. None of them even breathed they were so still, just staring.

"Yes, I'm sure. Very sure, or I would NEVER have agreed to try for another child," Edward assured me, answering the unspoken question and panic in my mind.

"Dad. You know as well as I do that my overprotective husband would NEVER agree to do anything that could be dangerous to me. Besides, if anything goes wrong, he'll just change me," Bella smiled, leaning against Edward.

"That right, doc? Is it that simple?" I asked Carlisle.

"It seems to be, Charlie," he laughed - although I detected a hint of his nervousness, something he never normally had - "At least, where these two are concerned."

~oooOooo~