Charlie's POV

There were very few instances throughout my life where I could honestly say that I was at a loss as to what to do. Bella's birth was the first… the day that Renee and I had brought her home from the hospital forever etched in my mind as we simply stared at each other. We were young – right out of college, and neither of us had planned on having children so early… but we had our sweet Isabella and while we loved her… we simply had no idea what we were doing.

Beyond those first few days we muddled through life. We loved our little Bella fiercely and we both did everything in our power to ensure that she was loved unconditionally and given everything that life had to offer.

It wasn't until ten years later when we took Bella along with our closest friends and their children to the fall fair in Port Angeles that I would experience that sense of helplessness again. It was a birthday surprise for Bella – Edward's idea – and the kids had all run off together to enjoy the rides and games. We were careful, but not careful enough. When I saw Edward sitting down at the picnic table alone, I knew immediately that something was wrong. He told me that Bella had asked to give him space and had run off to join Alice and Rosalie at the snack bar… but when I looked across the fairground and saw the pair, Bella was nowhere in sight. She never found them, and none of us ever saw her again and despite my background in law enforcement, in the days, months, and eventually years that followed, I met dead end after dead end, finally feeling as though I had exhausted every possible lead. There had never been anything. Nobody had ever remembered seeing Bella at the fair… it was as though she had simply vanished. I investigated everybody who had ever had contact with her… but everything came up empty.

I never stopped searching… but it came to a point, where I no longer knew what to do. That was when Renee left, four years after Bella disappeared… she had had enough. The pain that Bella's disappearance had caused was unbearable for her and when she told me that she was leaving, moving back home to her Ma's house in Arizona… I wished her well. There was no way in hell I was leaving Washington. I knew my baby girl was still out there… I just didn't know where.

Three weeks after Renee left, I got the call from Marie. She had found her daughter that morning, she had overdosed… she had been in so much pain, that she believed suicide was the only option. I would always live to regret letting her go.

And now, I was sitting in the cafeteria of the Forks General Hospital, sipping a black coffee and wondering what in the hell I should do now. The girl in the room upstairs was my daughter…. But how could I comfort her? How could I let her know that I had never stopped looking? How could she believe it after twelve years of captivity, right under my nose? And not only did I have my Bella to worry about, but we had her daughter as well… a little girl so sweet and innocent, but brought into this world of nightmares that she endured for nine full years. She had known nothing else. I had spoken to the social worker already… there was absolutely no question that they would both return home with me when they were released... and yet…

"Charlie?" He startled me as he sat down across from me and I smiled, taking another sip of the coffee. I hadn't slept at all, staying all night in the hospital, not willing to go too far.

"She doin' okay?" I asked the doc and he nodded his head. "She slept through the night which is amazing. Her body needs rest and nourishment for now." He told me as he leaned back in the chair, his hands moving to wipe his face. He was exhausted as well… currently working the night shift. I also knew that now that Bella was here, he would be back sooner as well, probably not sleeping much himself.

"And the girl?" I asked, more to make small talk. If she was Bella's daughter… that meant that she was my grand-daughter, and she was definitely Bella's clone. I already knew that she was my family… I just didn't know what that meant. I didn't know if either of them could ever trust another man.

"She's surprisingly well. She came out of the room while Bella slept last night. She is an inquisitive child… full of curiosity. It's quite remarkable really… while she shows signs of severe trauma and abuse – specifically fear – she also shows trust and a willingness to learn. She's quite intelligent as well… while they were captive, he provided them with books and Bella taught her how to read and write… so while she recognises words, seeing them in person provides her with an almost fearful sense of wonder." He explained and I nodded my head. She seemed sweet, and I wanted to know her. I just didn't know how.

"You think Bells… think she'll want to see me?" I asked cautiously and the man across from me smiled.

"Of course Charlie. You're her father. She told her own daughter stories about all of us, but especially you… and unfortunately Renee as well. It's one of the things that allowed her to hold on as long as she did… that motivated her to survive. She needs you now, more than you realise." Carlisle assured me and I nodded thoughtfully. I missed my daughter and I loved her fiercely.

"Has anyone told her about Renee yet? And has she said anything more about her kidnapping?" I asked as I drank the last of my coffee. I wanted to go up and see Bella and the child, but I needed to know where she was at first.

"No. It's not our place to tell her about Renee… and I'm not sure she's quite ready until she asks, although Renesmee mentioned it last night after Bella had fallen asleep. Bella hasn't been overly talkative at all yet… she hasn't volunteered any new information from when she was first brought in." He responded. For a moment I sat quietly, remembering the little bits she had been able to tell us. Most of the details of her actual taking had become blurry over the years, and overall she wasn't very forthcoming about the whole situation. I knew it would take time, but I also wished I could look inside her mind and just see the answers. Although perhaps it was better that I couldn't.

"Alright. I'm going to head up and see her. Thanks Doc." I pushed my chair up and away from the table. I didn't bother with the elevator, taking the steps instead. This was the first day of the life I had been waiting, wishing, and hoping for. My daughter was back.