Chapter Ninety Eight

Bella

When Jazz told me it was Charlie on the phone I was so pleased and then he said he was coming to see me. I put the phone down and found my hands were shaking but Jazz was there with his own hands on my shoulders turning me around and gazing into my eyes. It was crazy, he was a vampire who lived on blood, yet I would trust him with my life. I knew he would never hurt me and I let myself step forward into his embrace.

"Bella, I think Charlie is probably more nervous about this meeting than you."

"I doubt that. I'm terrified, what if he asks me why I couldn't help Phil or save Renee? What if he blames me for what happened? What if he doesn't feel the same way about me now he's different?"

"Don't you think he's not thinking exactly the same questions? Will you blame him for not saving you or finding you more quickly? Will you still love him now you know he's a vampire?"

I hadn't thought about that and it quieted my racing heart and allowed me to calm down. Surely Charlie wouldn't think that way? He was my dad, I was his daughter, how could I think anything bad about him? Jasper sat me down and made coffee, handing it to me carefully as I still shook sometimes for no apparent reason and I had burned my hand once already but Jasper's cold one wrapped around mine had stopped it blistering.

I really didn't know how I would cope without him, he never left my side unless one of the family, usually Rose, was here with me and it dawned on me that he only did that so he could find his own kind of food. He'd told me that the family only hunted animals for their blood, never humans, although he was quite honest and told me it had not always been that way for him and promised to tell me his full story one day.

I was still sipping the coffee when the buzzer went and I jumped almost spilling it and cursing as Jazz calmly took it from my hand.

"It's only Charlie, remember he's a vampire now so he moves a lot faster."

"Oh right, I'm not sure I'll ever get used to all this."

"Sure you will, it just takes time. Now, are you ready?"

I nodded although what I really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide. I heard Jazz open the door and then my dad's familiar voice, he didn't sound any different but then why would he? I had no idea what differences to expect now he was a vampire but I was about to find out.

I stood up taking a deep breath and tucking my hair behind my ears, something I always did when I was nervous, along with biting my lip. Thinking of that I wondered what would happen if I made my lip bleed. Would Jazz and Charlie be overcome by their thirst and attack me? Then I laughed at my own stupidity, that was plain stupid, after all I had been living with Jazz and during that time I'd had my periods regularly and that hadn't seem to make any difference. I wondered why but I was far too embarrassed to even think of asking him. Then Charlie appeared and I smiled relieved, he looked much the same except for his pale skin, my dad had always been weathered looking. He was wearing dark glasses which was odd but when he nodded at me I forgot everything except that he was my dad and ran to him.

He felt harder than he had but then I couldn't remember the last time I had hugged him like this. I was also used to that with Jazz so it didn't throw me that much.

"Dad, I'm so glad to see you. I wanted to say sorry for not…"

He hushed me,

"Bella I'm the one who should be apologizing. I should have found you sooner, then you wouldn't have gone through so much. I just thought it was your mother's usual time blindness. Can you forgive me?"

I leaned back and smiled, wiping tears from my cheeks,

"Of course, you did everything you could, there's no need to apologize. How are you getting on as a …"

I couldn't force the word vampire out but he nodded,

"Yeah, it was difficult but everyone has been helping me."

Charlie

I had been terrified this meeting might go badly but it seemed Bella had been as anxious as me. Of course I hadn't told her about my slip yet, the reason I was wearing the dark glasses, but I needed her to know I was still me, her dad, despite the changes. I could see she had a million questions for me but the one she asked wasn't the one I expected.

"Where are you staying dad? I guess you can't go back to Forks any more. What will you do now?"

I shrugged,

"I don't really know Bella, I guess I haven't had much time to think about it yet but Carlisle and Esme have been very kind to me, Garrett and Alice too."

Bella

Jazz put a hand on my arm,

"I want to pop out for a little while but only if you feel comfortable."

"Of course, take your time. Dad will stay with me until you get back won't you?"

"Of course, it's not as if I have a lot of calls on my time these days."

I missed Jazz as soon as he walked out the door and Charlie looked at me questioningly.

"How are things between you two?"

I blushed, my dad asking questions like that just didn't sit right but I tried to answer him.

"I don't know what I'd do without him dad."

"No I can see that. I remember when you two came to Forks, you looked so happy, so contented. That's what I want to see again Bella."

"Me too but right now I still feel tense and nervous and I jump at the slightest sound. I just hope Jazz can understand that, it's not that I don't love him and I hope he understands that, I do as much as ever."

"Well I guess I'm not the right person to be discussing it with but if you are worried Rose seems to have her head screwed on right. Or Esme I guess."

I shook my head at the thought of discussing topics like that with Jasper's foster mother even if she wasn't much older than me.

"Rose has helped me a lot dad, I just don't want to keep using her every time I hit a stumbling block."

"I have to tell you it's hard not to when you find them their waiting and wanting to help when you need it. Carlisle treats me like one of his sons half the time!"

I couldn't help laughing at that idea, Carlisle was much younger than Charlie, at least in human years. I hadn't discussed their real ages with Jazz yet, all I knew was that he had been born more than a century before me which was something I was finding it hard to comprehend.

It seemed odd not offering my dad coffee or something to eat but he was a vampire now and drank only blood…..but blood from what? He wore the same dark glasses as Peter and Charlotte and I imagined they hunted humans for their blood although Jazz hadn't actually said so in so many words. Did it make a difference to the way they looked? Were the eyes different? It was the only reason I could think of and I just blurted it out,

"What color are your eyes Dad?"

He flinched then sighed heavily and took his shades off slowly and reluctantly. When I saw his red eyes I gasped and put a hand to my mouth.

"I didn't want you to know yet, until you understood more. I hunted animals and then we found the brother of the guy who kidnapped you and I flipped I guess. I wanted him to feel a little of the fear he inflicted on others and I drained his body. It was a stupid move, I didn't think about the eyes, mine were changing slowly to gold. I thought I could keep what I'd done from you and the Cullens but of course they saw my eyes and knew immediately. I felt ashamed then but I guess if asked I'd do the same thing again."

I didn't know what to say, my dad a killer? It didn't sit quite right but then my whole world had been turned upside down so why not my dad's too?