Kay, guys, well, Happy Father's Day! This fic is for segolily's challenge, Odd Fathers! Um... I know it's under humor, but I'm never a good judge to how funny I am, so please, bear with me! I hope you like it!
The challenge was to write a oneshot about how Carlisle and Charlie would react if Charlie confronted Carlisle about his suspicions.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
I was nervous. And that was an understatement. I was nervous because I was finally going to confront the Cullens about their secret.
Well, okay, I wasn't going to confront them. I don't do well with confrontations. I was going to try and weasel some more information out so I could ask Bella later on. This was the perfect time for it.
I was driving Bella to the graduation party. The path to the house looked amazing- I could only imagine how Alice managed to get all the lights up so quickly. Then again, I had my suspicions.
"Ready, Bells?" I asked her as we pulled up to the humungous house. She nodded, frightened of the people and the prospect of mingling. I know the feeling- I hate it too. "Come on, I'll walk you in."
And so, we walked silently. I was never much for conversation- oh, no, how was I supposed to do this?
Edward answered the door just seconds before we stepped up to the mat. He was smiling a crooked smile that made Bella light up. I watched him carefully, noticing every move. The kid was no good anyways.
He was pale, oddly so. It was as if he was paper- but he didn't seem that weak. I couldn't pinpoint why, but I felt uncomfortable, as if I should start to run. And then he flashed me a smile, teeth and all. Just one look at it made me shiver. Of all times to give in to Billy's superstitions…
Edward looked worried for a second, but I'm sure I must have imagined it because in an instant he was smiling again. He reached out to grab Bella's hand.
And was too late. Alice, the little pixie, had already showed up and was urging my little girl inside. When I looked at her, I noticed the resemblance between the siblings.
She was pale as well, and had those teeth that gave me the shivers. With her around, my feelings of discomfort intensified and I had to fight with all my might to not just turn around and run.
"I-is your father around?" I asked them nervously. Alice's eyes went wide and I noted the odd color- gold. Edward's head sharply turned to face me. He looked me in the eye. I can't remember him ever doing that before.
His eyes were gold. They were a darker, more harsh gold than Alice's soft, light ones, but then I remembered that when Alice had been helping Bella with her cast, her eyes had frequently been the same.
Their eyes changed color I realized with horror. Edward reached out his arm and tore my Bells from Alice's grasp. He wrapped his arm around her waist protectively and gave Alice a look. She understood and began to lead me upstairs.
"This is Carlisle's office," she informed me softly and knocked on the door with a light tap. Rustlings of paper and quick footsteps later, the door swung open and I was greeted by Doctor Carlisle Cullen.
"Nice to see you again, Charlie," he greeted pleasantly and I nearly forgot about all my theories. Then he smiled- those teeth! He offered a hand and I couldn't help but take it.
His hand was ice cold as we shook.
I took a seat in a big fluffy chair across from Carlisle's stiff, wooden one. He looked completely at ease though.
"You wanted to speak to me?" he questioned gently, prodding the subject.
"Yes, I did. It's about your family." Carlisle visibly stiffened. Maybe that meant I was close. So I decided to not focus on that just yet. "More like Edward, actually." He stiffened again! How stiff can a man go? "I could have sworn I heard him in Bella's room one night… something about a closet, he was saying. And then I opened the door and there was nothing." I waited, waiting for him to deny or confirm anything.
Carlisle moved slowly, as if he was thinking very carefully and deeply about something.
"Edward… Edward is very unique, yes, and he has this ability of not letting anyone control him… except your daughter, of course. He crumbles like sand under her grasp. I swear, we've been waiting for what seems like decades for someone that can do that to him."
Huh. So he was in Bella's room at night! I had doubted it, I thought I was just hearing something or that she was on the phone, but he was in her room! My face turned hot.
"No, no, no, it's not what you think!" A faint giggle sounded and Carlisle's eyes narrowed and he turned to the door. He took just two quick strides before turning the knob. Alice, Bella, Rosalie, and Jasper came falling in. Edward and Emmett were a few feet away, arguing about something.
"Prude," Emmett accused and Edward glared.
"At least I didn't get caught in school for doing inappropriate things!" Edward retorted and Rosalie turned on her heels, livid.
"Edward! I told you to keep that quiet!" Edward shrugged and gave his crooked smile.
"I told you to not let them know we were here. There you have it."
"It was your girlfriend that laughed! And even you heard what she laughed about! Are you sure you haven't… you know?" the blonde teased mercilessly, throwing vicious glances at Bella. Edward's eyes turned black.
"I'm sure."
"Rosalie?" Alice piped up. "Want some advice? Run. You have 20 seconds."
She ran. And so did Edward. And then the rest of the Cullen kids decided to go watch. And finally, my poor Bella stumbled after them.
Carlisle rolled his eyes and shut the doors once again.
"Nightmares, all of them," he muttered. "Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper are back from college, it just gets worse."
"I see…" I responded quietly. Carlisle was suddenly back in his seat. His eyes- gold- flashed with confusion and… worry?
"Charlie, you're curious about something. I suggest you come out with it." Just then footsteps shuffled by- one pair, but two voices.
"Edward, I don't need a Band-aid, it's a tiny cut, barely bleeding!" Bella insisted, his voice sounding muffled.
"Remember where you are? Now, put your finger in your mouth, it's tempting me," Edward ordered raptly. Then they were gone.
"You're not human," I spoke slowly, his eyes piercing me. "Edward doesn't eat. Alice never seems to be tired. You have gold eyes. They change color." Carlisle stared for a moment, then leaned back, rather satisfied.
"Smart… very smart observations. Any more to add?" I shook my head, but he continued. "You've been speaking to Billy Black, you must have something to add." I gulped. How did he know these things?
"They lit a bonfire when you left. Did you know?" I brought up, trying to avoid the subject once again.
"Hm, no, I did not. Bella never mentioned it. Of course, I understand that time is… painful. For both her and Edward. How ironic…" he mused to himself. "They light a fire just as ice is leaving…"
"Quite the contrary!" I had to point out. "It was the middle of September! The cold was coming in."
"I suppose it depends on the point of view, the knowledge one knows…" Now he was making a crack on my intelligence? I had enough! I stood quickly, knocking over some pictures on the way. The glass shattered and left a gash in my hand. Carlisle's eyes went wide as he instinctively reached for his doctor's bag.
"I see where Bella gets it," he mumbled under his breath as he pulled out bandages and peroxide. He began to immediately fix up my hand, with speed I could barely comprehend. Then, he began to wipe the desk with bleach! "Good thing Esme went and bought two big bottles of this stuff." He sniffed the towel, wrinkling his nose at the smell. "Charlie, would you like something to eat? You can stay, if you'd like. Esme and I are taking turns chaperoning. I, for one, do not want to be downstairs, under Alice's feet."
"S-sure," I stuttered and he smiled. In a flash- I had barely seen him leave- he had a plate of pizza for me. I couldn't take it. I had to know! Forget about dancing around the bush, forget about my 'no confrontations' rule! I needed to know what was wrong with this family!
"What are you?" I croaked in astonishment. Carlisle eyes flashed in amusement and... was it fear?
"Vampires." The world turned black.
I woke up the next day with a slight headache and a stiff back. I must have fallen asleep on the couch again, watching a movie as I waited for Bells to come home. She was shuffling along in the kitchen now, the smells of breakfast filling the house. I nearly gasped as I recalled the nights' events.
"Bella! How was the party?" I asked her.
"It was good," she said hesitantly. She was hiding something, but I didn't press. I never did. "What movie did you watch last night?" She sounded curious, as if she were testing something.
"Um…" I fumbled with the DVD player for a moment. "Interview with the Vampire. Why?"
"Oh, just wondering. Edward and I were thinking about watching that." She ducked around to hide a smile. I could see it.
"I had a dream last night, about the Cullens. They were vampires," I lied, gauging her reaction. Her eyes grew wide and her face flushed. A forced laugh erupted from her.
"Oh, really Dad? Maybe you should stop with the horror films!"
"Yes, maybe," I murmured. I knew the secret – but they didn't need to know that. Rest assured, I would need to be ready to lose her. I would need to talk to her about it in a few days. Whatever happened, she was my Bella, always and forever, until the end of time. And, to be honest, I was sure that if Edward was there, she would be around until then.
Well, there you go! I hope you liked it :) Reviews, maybe? They make me happy and uncranky, which will my my dad happy (since I won't be a brat) and it's Father's Day, so do my dad a favor, okay? Haha, just kidding, I TRY to be in a good mood on holidays... but the whole family get togethers drive me insane! My little cousins... Shudder They're sweet but idolize me and it bugs me sooo much! My older cousins are cool but don't want anything to do with me. Soo... it's usually me, hiding from my little cousins with my cell phone texting me friends and wishing I had Twilight or somethinbg to read.