Chapter 9
Of all his traits he'd ever hoped for her to pick up during those nine months where he and his wife had been happy and dreaming towards the future of their little star, his intense ability to love and subsequently get hurt was never one of them.
(Maybe if I stopped eating at the diner she'll come back, "Let that flighty bitch go man", "Charlie, we need you man, please come back to us bro, heaven knows my wife and I can't raise the twins by ourselves)
He's nowhere near as oblivious as his daughter seems to believe he is, 'I'm the chief of police girl, you really don't think I notice you why you're leaving your window open at night'
So he noticed that she lied to him about having friends she talked to at school.
So he noticed that she was not getting over his (Bastard, Billy was right, Don't say his name she flinches) loss like she pretended when he was close to making an ultimatum
So he noticed when she eavesdropped on his conversation with Renee (lost, hear hurt, flighty woman) and the way her behavior started to actually change after he accidently let her hear it.
And he notices the regression she's made in the last few days (distracted, not here, listening to his voice in her head). It started when she actually went to the movies with that Stanley girl, and he cursed himself for letting her go out where there were so many triggers for her.
'But she was so excited' he thought remembering the anxious dread on her face that counted as his baby girl's excitement, 'And I just wanted her to be better… DAMMIT, I should've listened to Billy and his superstitious nonsense'
A phone call interrupted his thoughts and he answered
"Chief Swan" he'd answered gruffly
"Hello Mr. Swan, this is Danny, I'm a friend of your daughter's" said a baritone echoey voice on the other end that made him immediately suspicious
"My daughter doesn't have any friends named Danny" he answered in his gruff 'Overprotective Dad' voice, 'Not more boys'
"No I don't think she'd mention me, especially after our fight." Danny said with a fake chuckle, and he could hear the guilt in the boy's voice.
"What did you do" he growled low and dangerous, if this punk had something to do with her regression… well he was the chief of police, he was sure he could make some evidence disappear.
"I shouted at her for not paying attention when I was talking" the boy answered bluntly and honestly
Ordinarily that alone would have been cause for a serious telling off, but he was chief of police for a reason and he was more than capable of reading between the lines. His daughter had had a "distracted" moment and this boy, who obviously had an idea about the Cullen situation, had called her out on it.
That's more than I can ever say
He could also make a quick calculation by the timing of the appearance of this new friend that he had something to do with her recent improvements, and so taking all that into account, he decided to give the boy the benefit of the doubt.
"Bella's at school, but you should already know that" it was only eleven o'clock, "Why did you want to speak to me?"
"… You're very observant; I see where she gets it from"
Along with too much else
"Yes I am, and you're stalling" he answered instead
"See where she gets the grumpiness from too" the boy 'mumbled'
"I can hear you"
"I know" the brat responded, before sighing, "Sorry, I'm not used to talking with adults who are…"
"Understanding, that take you seriously?"
"Not assholes about the fact that I'm an arbitrary amount of digits younger than them, but that works too"
He rolled his eyes
"...I need to talk to her, apologize." The brat said in a serious voice, that made his voice sound deeper, more assured, commanding.
'There's a story there that I'd like to hear one day, but first'
"I'll tell her you called" he said, waiting to hear how the brat would respond, how important this was to him.
"She won't call me back, and we both know it, Iz is-"
"Bella" he automatically corrected
"Iz" the brat corrected back obviously annoyed by the interruption, "is too stubborn for that, she needs help, and I really think I can give her that. And I need your help."
There was a long pause as he contemplated the youth on the other line's words, because despite growing up in another state with but a few weeks contact from him a year in all her life, his little girl still ended up too much like him for her own good.
And he was a man who knew himself; he remembered what he'd been like in those darkest days
"Charlie why don't you hold Rachel and Rebecca for a while, I think they could use your company while we work on dinner."
"Charlie man, you gotta get rid of this crap, she's not coming back and you're only killing yourself looking at it."
"Dammit Charlie GIVE HARRY THE FUCKIN GUN, IF YOU DO WHAT I THINK YOU'RE DOING I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL USE SOME INDIAN VODOO TO BRING YOU BACK AND KICK YOUR ASS"
He'd seen his daughter at her worst, but he'd be damned if he let her reach his worst
"… What do you have in mind?"