1

Charlie Swan sat in the front seat of his police cruiser, a picture of his seventeen year old daughter in one hand and a manila folder in the other. He looked from the file in front of him to the front of the hospital, unsure of what he expected to happen. Nothing did, of course, except the normal day to day operations. But this wasn't a normal day, not for him and certainly not for the man he was about to ambush. But he was doing it for her, always for her. It had taken him months to put the pieces together, to confirm his suspicions were true, and he finally had. Just in time, he hoped.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the driver's door and climbed out, tucking the picture of his daughter inside the manila folder and walking across the parking lot, through the lobby, up two flights of stairs, down the hallway until he found himself standing outside of a large wooden door with the name 'Dr. Carlisle Cullen' next to it. Charlie could feel his hand shaking as he reached up and knocked three times, his heart rattling in his chest as fear surged through him.

"Come in," the somber serene voice came from inside the office.

Charlie grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open, drawing Carlisle Cullen's attention to him. The man, who had moved to Forks, Washington almost five years ago, yet hadn't aged a day, smiled, his shockingly red lips pulling over his perfectly white teeth. His eyes were a warm butterscotch, his skin pale, and his blond hair perfectly styled. He was a beautiful man. Charlie Swan was comfortable enough with his sexuality to admit that Carlisle Cullen was beautiful. All of the Cullen's were beautiful, though. And all of them had the same soft, silky pale skin, the same butterscotch eyes, and the same eeriness that always put him on edge.

"Chief Swan," Carlisle greeted him as he stood up. It wasn't so much that he stood up, as it was the swift, smoothness that had gave him the creeps. People didn't move the way he did, it wasn't natural, or normal. "Please, come in."

"I'm, um, sorry to be bothering you in the middle of the day, Dr. Cullen," Charlie stammered before clearing his throat.

"No bother, Chief," Carlisle insisted with another creepy smile. "What can I do for you today?"

Charlie took another deep breath before he stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. He walked over and stood on the other side of the desk, trying to keep his voice as calm, even if he was terrified. Even if he knew what he was about to do was stupid and dangerous. Bella was worth it.

"It's, um, my daughter, Dr. Cullen."

"I didn't know you had a daughter, Chief," Carlisle said, gesturing for him to sit, which he did before Carlisle settled back in his chair.

"Bella lives in Arizona with her mother Renee. She's, um, she's sick, Dr. Cullen. Brain tumor. Doctors say there's nothing left that can help. They've tried radiation, and chemo. Surgery, but, um, she's going to die."

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Carlisle said, soothingly before leaning back in his chair.

"Thank you," Charlie said, weakly. "She's been fighting for a while, but nothing's worked. She's . . ." He trailed off once again, unable to keep the tears from falling. "They've only given her a few months, if . . . if she's lucky."

"That must be very difficult, Chief Swan, but I'm not sure I know what you want me to do. Are you looking for a referral, or maybe a second opinion?"

Charlie took a deep breath before he scooted to the edge of his chair, and tossed the manila folder on the doctor's desk and said, "I want you to change her."

Carlisle sat up, his eyebrows shooting upward. "Change her? I don't understand what you mean, Chief Swan."

"Don't you, though?" Charlie challenged, trying to sound stronger than he felt. He reached over and opened the file, drawing Carlisle's attention to down to it, where dozens of newspaper clippings led Charlie to where he was now. "I know what you are, Dr. Cullen."

"And what exactly is that?" His tone sharper than it had been before.

Charlie pressed his lips together before saying, "A vampire."

Carlisle tilted his head to the side before leaning forward and picking up the file Charlie had tossed onto his desk, flipping through the pages of research. It hadn't been easy, but Charlie had found documentation of Carlisle's whereabouts over the last century, along with the rest of his family. None of them having aged a day.

"This is . . . fascinating, Charlie," Carlisle said, shifting his eyes over the top of the file. "May I call you Charlie?"

He nodded.

"How long have you known?"

"About a year," he admitted. "Heard the rumors coming off the reservation. Did my own research, of course."

Carlisle snorted. "I'm sure you have heard rumors. You're close friends with Billy Black, after all."

Charlie didn't reply.

"You realize what you're asking is impossible, don't you? My family and I, we don't feed off humans. Or didn't Billy share that little detail with you?"

"He might have mentioned it," Charlie admitted. "And if I had any other option, I . . . but I don't, and neither does my daughter. She's going to die, Dr. Cullen, and I can't . . . I can't let that happen."

"So you'd prefer she's turned into a vampire," he said.

Charlie nodded.

"And does she want to be changed?"

Again, he didn't reply.

Carlisle grinned. "She doesn't know you're here, does she?"

"Her mother and I have discussed this at length, Dr. Cullen. Bella, she's . . ." He shook his head, blinking back his tears once again. "She's in pain all the time. Please, just . . . please save my daughter."

Carlisle picked up the picture of Bella, his eyes shifting from it to Charlie and back. "You realize, don't you, that if I do this you'd never be able to see her again? My family and I would be putting ourselves in great danger, causing us to have to flee from our home. The Quileute's will not allow us to stay here if we turn her. Part of the treaty we made with them years ago, we vowed not to hunt or turn any humans, and they agreed not to come after us. She'd have to come with us, Charlie. As a newborn vampire, Bella would be a danger to human for a very long time. You would never see her again."

Charlie sniffed as he nodded. "But at least I would know she's alive. She deserves better than to die like this: a shell, in pain all the time, no quality of life. She's special, Dr. Cullen. And I know all parents think of their kids as special, but she really is. She deserves the chance to live, really live."

Carlisle placed the picture of Bella back in the folder and slid it across the desk to Charlie. He leaned back in his chair and stared at him. Charlie swallowed against the lump in his throat.

"My family and I would need to meet her," Carlisle finally said. "We'd be putting ourselves at great risk by changing her, Charlie. So, before I can agree, I need to meet her."

"She and her mother will be here the day after tomorrow."

Carlisle nodded. "Think real seriously about whether or not this is what you want for your daughter, Charlie. This life you're asking me to give her is not what you think it is."

"I have, Dr. Cullen." Charlie stood up, picked up the file. He pulled Bella's picture out of the file and laid it on the man's desk. "I just can't live in a world where she doesn't exist anymore."

Turning, Charlie walked over to the door, pulled it up before looking back at her. "She really is special, Dr. Cullen. Please, don't let her die."

And then leaving the man sitting behind his desk, Charlie walked out and closed the door behind him. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he found his ex-wife's last text and sent her a reply that simply said: He's in. Get her here A.S.A.P.

So I've had this idea for this story for YEARS! Thank you for reading, and please leave me your thoughts.