Garrett

I'm so fucking nervous, I'm a 249-year-old Vampire and I'm nervous about meeting a human, well not just any human, this is Bella's father and I have to make a good impression. I'm going to meet him at their home with Jasper and Alice, in the guise of asking his permission, not that she needs it, for a trip to Seattle to see a show and the sights for me. I'm posing as a younger school friend and neighbour of Esme's from Columbus Ohio, that's crazy I've never been to any fucking school ever.

This living amongst the humans and needing back stories is real confusing shit, but I'm doing it for 'Little Swan', Christ I don't even know my own surname. Over the years I've used a few different ones, but what my real name is I don't actually know. The only reason I know my first name was because after I woke up and needed to feed, I was searching the British dead for any tenacious soul hanging on to life, when another soldier from my side saw me and thought I was looting the bodies as we always did back then, and he called out from his place by a campfire "Hell Garrett, I thought you were dead buddy?" I just waved a hand in acknowledgement and moved swiftly on.

Anyway here we are, outside her home and her father's police cruiser is sitting in the driveway, well he's home then! The introductions were made and I remembered to call him Chief Swan, brownie points for me. He seemed like a straight up solid kinda guy, his love for Bella was obvious and that pleased me, she deserved to be loved, maybe I'm being a little biassed, but hell why not? He spotted me for a soldier right off and I had to ad-lib a decent story of being invalided out due to getting some chemical stuff in my eyes which is why they are orangey brown. I had to drink a metric tonne of that animal blood shit to tone down the red, it was crap, how do they live on it?

Charlie

I know Bells doesn't need to ask my permission to go to Seattle, but it's nice that she does it anyway, makes me feel that my opinion is important to her. I'm gonna miss my kiddo when she leaves for college. I also know she'll probably not come back here to live, Forks was never really her home just a place she came to see her old man.

Esme's friend seems nice enough, the solid type who did his bit for his country, shame about his eyes. Apart from the colour he's just like the Cullens, that pale complexion and firm cool skin, I know there is something different about them all, but I just can't accept Billy's 'Cold ones' scenario. I don't know if I want to find out there were supernatural beings living alongside us, all this time. Mind you that would account for some of the stranger crimes that have happened out there from time to time over the years.

I also can see he's smitten with my Bells, she looks like she might be happy about that, well he's a dang sight better than that last stuffed shirt! God forgive me but Edward Cullen is a Class A asshole! Even Jake turned out to be a dud, I know she never felt for him like he did for her. But he turned out to be a spoilt immature kid, behaving like a fool cause she didn't choose him and well, that's not what Bells needs and I know it. I really was just trying to keep her close and I can't, that's not fair to her.

"So Garrett, if you're staying a while with the Cullens why don't you come over for the big game next Saturday afternoon?" I ask and he and Bells look really pleased, yup, I thought so, he's the one! Well, it could have been worse, shit it could have been Edward! My baby girl's all grown up now, I have to let her make her own choices, decisions and mistakes too. I know she'll be fine, she's a look before you leap type of girl, well, a woman now.

Bella

I can't help but hug Charlie, he just accepted Garrett with that invitation and I was so happy. He just huffed and kissed the top of my head, like he's always done. But I knew it was a big thing for him and I was glad, it would make the future so much easier for both of us. Alice and I went to pack my stuff and she hugged me saying "I see no problems for the future now, except for the wolves, you know I can't see them, but I do see how their decisions affect others and they will try to interfere unless Carlisle can head them off. After all, Garrett is not a Cullen so the treaty is moot for him!"

I nodded and we rejoined the others, Garrett and Charlie were having a beer and I raised an eyebrow, he smiled and said: "Just the one Little Swan, I'm not much of a drinker really!" I saw Charlie smiling at his endearment, they seemed to be gelling right away, that's so much better than how it was with Edward. I was surprised to see him drinking the beer and he didn't look disgusted by it, Jasper came over and took my bag and whispered: "Alcohol doesn't need to be thrown back up like food, I think it's because it's a liquid!"

I cocked my head as Alice lead me into the Kitchen, "The plasma in blood is 91% water and we absorb that, so alcohol is no different, we can even get a small buzz from it if we drunk enough! But it has no food value so most of our race don't bother!" she whispered. "Ah, gotcha!" I said smiling back at her, I love learning new facts about them, while she was saying this she made coffee for Charlie and handed it to him when we went back through.

"Okay Garrett, let's get this show on the road!" says Alice bouncing on the balls of her feet, she hugs my father and he laughs at her enthusiasm, "I don't know how you cope with her Jasper!" he says half-jokingly. "She's a force of nature Chief, you have to bend with her or break!" he replies as Alice huffs at them both. Charlie shakes Garrett hand as we leave and says "Have a good time everyone and Garrett son, take care of Bells for me?" I have tears in my eyes as we leave, I'm so happy. Once in the car Garrett hugs me to him and he's smiling too, I think he liked the son comment.

"Oh Edward's gonna be pissed about that!" said Jasper "Your dad hates him, I've heard him mutter 'Asshole' and 'Stuffed Shirt', whenever Edward was nearby!" he laughs loudly and we all stare at him, then can't stop ourselves from joining in, poor Edward but it's his own fault he's so uptight all the time, he never relaxed around Charlie, too busy reading his thoughts, to actually take the time to get to know him properly.