Fic: The Edge (Twilight, Alice/Bella 33/?)

[fembuck]

Title: The Edge
Author: Janine
Fandom: Twilight
Pairing: Alice/Bella
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Stephanie Meyer. I’m just borrowing them.
Summary: Charlie tries to make sense of what the Cullen’s reveal to him about themselves.

Previous chapters here

---

“… normally we would have never revealed this to you. But we know how much stress it has been putting on Bella, and Alice informs us that ‘you’re cool’, which as far as I can determine is a strong endorsement of your character,” Carlisle finished, folding his hands neatly in his lap.

“So,” Charlie breathed out slowly, blinking as he looked between the various occupants of the room, “you’re all on drugs then,” he decided.

It was the only logical explanation for what he had just heard. And, looking at them all now, he could see that they were all just as pale as Alice and Bella, they all had dark circles under their eyes, and when he had made room for Esme to enter the living room before him his hand had brushed hers and he had noted that she too had an unusually low body temperature.

“Dad,” Bella began.

“You’re a doctor,” Charlie said looking at Carlisle distastefully. “People’s lives are in your hands.”

“Dad,” Bella tried again.

But Charlie wasn’t listening to her.

“And to get your children involved,” Charlie continued shaking his head, his abhorrence clear in his voice. “I’m going to search your car.”

“Dad!” Bella said loudly, her voice reverberating off of the walls. “The Cullen’s are not on drugs, and you are not going to search anyone’s car! Now please, sit down.”

Charlie fell back into his arm chair, more from the shock of hearing Bella speak to him that way than from any real change of mind.

He stared at her blinking.

“Everything that Carlisle said is true,” Bella began, walking over to her father. Her tone was now soft and gentle, completely understanding as she looked at his shell-shocked face. “I know it seems unbelievable. I couldn’t force myself to really believe it at first either. I thought up all sorts of crazy explanations about radioactive spiders, and nanotechnology, mutant genes … all sorts of crazy things. But it’s true, Dad, it really is. The Cullen’s are vampires … and now, so I am.”

“You’re crazy,” Charlie muttered lifting his hand to cover his face, using it to push his head to the side so that he didn’t have to look at any of them.

Vampires didn’t exist. Taxes existed. Bears existed. Evaporation existed. The fear of beds existed.

Leprechauns, however, did not exist. Yetis did not exist. Pixies and elves did not exist. And vampires, vampires certainly did not exist.

“I’m not crazy. None of us are,” Bella said gently.

“Oh, yes you are,” Charlie declared lifting his hand from his face just long enough to point a finger at her. “All of you,” he said pointing his finger at the other occupants of the room. “Crazy.”

“Bugs,” Alice said softly, mindful of Charlie’s somewhat fragile state. “You’re going to have to show him. He won’t believe us until he sees it. You know that humans have an amazing capacity for denial.”

“Humans,” Charlie choked out, glancing over at Alice. “It’s ‘humans’ now, is it?” he asked incredulously, half-moaning the question. “Unbelievable!”

“Dad,” Bella said trying to draw Charlie’s attention back over to her. “Dad,” she repeated, breathing in deeply when he finally looked at her again. “Watch,” Bella said, her eyes holding his.

And then she disappeared.

Charlie blinked, his head immediately turning to the left and then the right, his heart thundering in his chest as he looked in front of him for any sign of his daughter.

She was just there. She had just been standing in front of …

“Dad,” Bella said from behind him.

Charlie turned around in his arm chair, his eyes widening as he looked at her.

There was no way she could have gotten back there without him seeing. She hadn’t even moved. She had just … vanished. It didn’t make any sense. He should have seen her move. He didn’t understand how she had gotten behind him.

“How…” Charlie began, but he wasn’t able to force anything more out of his mouth.

“I’m a vampire,” Bella said softly, wanting to go over to Charlie and hug him, but knowing that she needed to make him really believe her before she could try and comfort him. “We’re impossibly fast, and impossibly strong,” she explained unconsciously echoing the phrases she had used when she first confronted Edward about his nature.

Charlie stared at her blankly for a second and then shook his head.

Vampires didn’t exist.

Bella sighed and approached the couch at a normal pace. She stopped by the side of the couch, and then bent over, grasping the bottom of it with her fingers.

“What are yo …” Charlie began.

However, before he could finish his sentence, Bella tensed her muscles and lifted the chair into the air, holding it and her father out in front of her easily, without a hint of effort or strain, her eyes trained on his steadily.

She could as well have been holding out a flower or balancing a butterfly on her finger.

Charlie stared at her, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Put me down,” Charlie rasped, blinking rapidly.

Bella hesitated. She could hear his heart pounding in his chest and knew that he was in a state of shock. She wasn’t sure what he would do if she put him down, and she didn’t want him to hurt himself.

“Put me down,” Charlie said again, his voice more commanding and yet strangely desperate than before.

Bella put him down.

Charlie brought his hand up to his face and scrubbed his fingers over his eyes. He then slumped back in his seat, his eyes shifting from one pale figure to the next. After a few seconds he tilted his head back and stared up at the ceiling, breathing in and out deeply.

“I need a drink,” he said softly.

Bella nodded and moved towards the cabinet at the side of the room to get out one of the bottles kept there. Charlie wouldn’t deny what they were telling him anymore, she was certain of that. And that being true, she knew that he would need something stronger than a beer.

---

Charlie sat slumped back in his chair, his thumb rhythmically moving up and down the side of the glass Bella had handed him ten minutes before. It was full of amber liquid, whiskey, almost exactly the same colour of his guest’s eyes.

He wasn’t staring into the glass at the moment however. That was how he had spent the first five minutes after Bella had put it in his hand, but after that he had graduated to staring at Alice, while the others sat around them in silence.

Charlie was surprised how still they all were, how quiet. They weren’t even shifting or fidgeting in their chairs. They were just sitting there, still as statutes. Watching … waiting to see what he would do or say.

In a way it was unnerving. People weren’t like that. People couldn’t sit like that. But they weren’t people, and he was glad for the peace.

“Yes.”

Charlie blinked, his back straightening a little as he gazed at Alice.

“Yes, what?” Charlie asked her irritably.

“It was me,” Alice said softly, “you were going to ask,” she continued, muttering the explanation as her gaze dropped so that she was staring at her thighs.

Charlie’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her, and he felt his breathing begin to quicken once more with confusion, frustration and fear.

“How do you know that?” Charlie asked lifting his hand to run his fingers through his hair. “First he says,” Charlie began pointing at Carlisle, “that you told him I wanted to talk to you when I had only decided to do it about ten minutes before. And know you’re sitting there telling me what I was going ask when I’d only just thought about asking it. I mean,” Charlie said pausing, his voice high with bewilderment. “What the hell are you? What is going on here?”

Alice sighed deeply, and looked up and over at him again. “I’m a vampire. Like the others,” she said holding his gaze. “But I have a talent that they don’t. I have visions … of the future.”

“For the love of God,” Charlie moaned leaning back in his chair again. Visions. Of the future. Great! That was just great! He tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling, and then after a few moments of that lifted the glass in his hand up to his lips and drained it.

He couldn’t deal with talking about visions of the future at the moment.

“You did this?” Charlie asked looking back over at Alice again once he had calmed down a little.

He tried to control his tone, but there was an unmistakable quality of accusation and anger in his tone.

“I turned her. Yes,” Alice confirmed meeting his gaze, knowing that this was were things were likely to get really rough. She was, in essence, admitting to having killed his daughter and though she couldn’t see what his reaction would be, she doubted that it would be pleasant.

“Why?” Charlie asked, the question coming out a pained hiss as he stared at Alice with watery eyes. He had loved this girl, he had taken her into his home, he had trusted her completely with his daughter’s friendship and then her heart, and in return Alice had taken his child and turned her into a monster.

“I …” Bella began, her voice cracking as she stared at her father, “I was dying,” she whispered, the words falling past her lips before she made a conscious decision to say them.

Alice inhaled sharply as Bella’s words filled the room. The exhalation was too soft for Charlie to have heard it, but Bella picked it up and knew that her lover was surprised by the lie.

Bella breathed in and out deeply, trying to calm herself down and gather her wits about her.

She hadn’t planned on lying to her father, but in the face of his distress she just couldn’t heap more pain and confusion on him. He had been dealt a big enough blow that evening. After everything that had been revealed to him already, she couldn’t face the idea of telling him that she chose to die, that she had begged Alice to bite her. Charlie had always taught her that honesty was the best policy, but to tell the truth this time would be too honest. It would be cruel.

“I wasn’t in Japan, Dad,” Bella said the words flowing from her mouth with increasing ease as she spoke. “After Florida … we went away for the weekend. On the road, there was an accident. These kids had been drinking and … Alice swerved, if it hadn’t been for her reflexes it could have been really bad. But even with that, my head, I got hit and I was bleeding really badly, really badly,” Bella continued blinking and shivering a little as she spoke. “We were in the middle of nowhere, too far even Alice to run me somewhere in time and … I was dying … she saved me. She saved my life,” Bella finished, her voice low and intense with sincerity.

She may not have been dying on the side of a road somewhere, but Bella believed what she said. She was dying, dying slowly the same way almost everyone else in the world was, that was true. But she was dying. And Alice saved her from that, Alice lit up her heart and made it sing. Alice took her from simply existing to really and truly being alive. Alice had saved her, just not the way she was telling her father.

Charlie breathed in deeply, his eyes squeezing shut as he breathed in and out before finally forcing them open thirty seconds later.

“Thank you,” he said his voice barely audible as he looked over at Alice. “Really, thank you,” he added, his voice a little firmer, before he lifted his hand to cover his face and breathed in and out deeply once more.

“I need you all to leave,” Charlie said a few seconds later, pulling his hand away from his face, “Now.”

“Charlie,” Alice began softly, standing up slowly.

“No,” Charlie said shaking his head from side to side. “I’ve reached my limit for one night. I need to talk to my daughter alone. Come by tomorrow, come by later … I don’t care, but we need to be alone now. I need you all to leave.”

It’s okay, Bella said so that only the Cullen’s could hear her. I do need to talk to him. Thank you for not saying anything.

Carlisle stood and was then followed by Esme and then Emmett and Rosalie. Alice lingered behind in the living room as the rest of her family moved towards the front of the house.

Bella moved over to where Alice was standing and drew her into a hug.

Do you want me to stay? Alice asked, drawing her arms tightly around Bella.

Yes, Bella breathed out, taking in Alice’s scent. But you should go. Everything will be fine.

Alice kissed her cheek gently. I’ll come to your window later. I’m not going the whole night without you.

Bella smiled and pressed her lips against Alice’s. I’ll be waiting.

“I love you,” Alice said squeezing Bella’s hand before taking a step back from her.

“I love you too,” Bella said, reluctantly releasing Alice’s hand.

Bella stood in the middle of the living room, watching as Alice headed for the door to join the rest of the family, and then listening as they headed out into the night, got into their cars and drove away.

Bella turned around to face her father who was hunched over in his chair, his chin resting in his hands looking more tired than she had ever seen him before.

“Another whiskey?” Bella asked softly, moving towards him.

Charlie shook his head. “No,” he said out loud, sighing softly as he did. “Sit,” he continued gesturing towards the coach. “Tell me about being a vampire.”

To be continued …

I want to thank you all for your continued support, and for taking the time to review the chapters! When I’m feeling like all I want to do is just nap for the next ten years or so, and I get an email alert and that's what keeps my ass at the computer writing, because Bellice is more important than sleep! I’m pretty sure that’s a scientific rule ;)

So, again, just thank you all, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter :D

Comments

[acg453.livejournal.com]

Poor Charlie. Again.

Drink your problems away, and deal with them in the morning. The headache helps you focus.

[lightbluenym.livejournal.com]

Man...that's one hell of a night.

In other news, I love Alice.

[wyccad.livejournal.com]

"because Bellice is more important than sleep! I’m pretty sure that’s a scientific rule ;)"
You bet your sweet patootie on that one!

I like that Bella lied to Charlie to spare his feelings. Ya know, if you had written the series, it would be waaaaay better. And sexier, what with Alice's ass sparkling on Bella.
Hee hee...the drugs comment makes a lot more sense that him just not wanting to know (Smeyers is on drugs, I think).
Anyhoo...another great installment! You seriously own my heart!!!!

Heh

[(Anonymous)]

I agree, you should have written the series.

I didn't really like that she had to lie to Charlie but I can understand that it would have hurt him if Bella had begged to be killed basically.

I love the "okay so you're ALL on drugs..." response.

[su-bones.livejournal.com]

Guess you weren't kidding when you said the next chapter would come soon ;P

Great, as always. Poor Charlie, I'm glad Bella had some mercy and created that lie...

[red-lee.livejournal.com]

I love these stories! Much better than the original books lol!

[letscall-l.livejournal.com]

I've been following this since as long as I can remember. I wish this is what really happen *sighs* Pure genius and loving every moment =]

xoxo

[yukivampyra.livejournal.com]

Awh...poor Charlie.

[toss-toss-love.livejournal.com]

*hugs Charlie*

Haven't commented in a while...but I'm loving every chapter!

BTW, someone posted a secret about you on fandomsecrets. check Secret post #821. And no I am not addicted to learning other people's secrets. :D

[ic1pher.livejournal.com]

Crap, I just got an overload of cuteness from that pic. *dies of cuteness* *is dead* %c

[curiousleigh.livejournal.com]

Another great chapter

[orange-creative.livejournal.com]

“Sit,” he continued gesturing towards the coach. “Tell me about being a vampire.”

Charlie sounds so defeated. :( But I like this line the best. You handled that coming out really, really well. It's exactly how I imagine it would go, angst, denial, and all.

[queenamidala01.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thank you for continuing this story, it is so good.

[alexz6.livejournal.com]

Well, I get why Bella would lie to her father about that...i mean really- if your daughter came and told you she CHOSE to die, to die to be with someone... well it would probably break him :S
but yay for that last line "Tell me about being a vampire." :)
i'm excited for you to continue:D

[bizarro-bluth.livejournal.com]

I had a feeling Bella might lie to protect Alice. I just hope the truth doesn't get out.

Great chapter, its a nice change to get a look into Charlie's world/perspective. Can't wait to read about the father/daughter talk and of course more Alice/Bella lovin' interaction.

[katiepult.livejournal.com]

Yum. Yum. :) Another delicous chapter!

[marsobscura.livejournal.com]

Boy... you sure do know how to use cliff-hangers to your advantage, don't you? I say hurry up and update already! :D
Please...

[madndizzee.livejournal.com]

aww poor Charlie, such a shock. he should focus on the good things about having a vampire daughter lol.

[theagonyofblank.livejournal.com]

Very nice update! Poor Charlie though, having to handle all this information at once. And that was kind of Bella to lie like that.

[ic1pher.livejournal.com]

I have to confess, I don't really care for these characters at all (because their backstories are from Twilight, lol) but your ability to draw emotion from them is sheer brilliance, and thus I still consume these like hotcakes. I could probably read through a fic, written by you, of the most boring person ever reading a phone book. Just to get that off my chest...
If I were Charlie and I was in a similar situation I would've gone either insane or berzerk... that's just not something you can tell a father just like that and expect him to take it standing. It's just not. It's brutal. And he should not accept it. I wish him to be more strict, trying to separate Alice and Bella, which obviously wouldn't work, but I still wish him to try do it. Because it's logical if he wants to protect his child. Throughout this whole fic it looks like he has no real power over Bella in any point, and that just irks me. Parents should be able to control their children, not just let them do what ever.

[itsmysecretlife.livejournal.com]

sorry, I can't properly comment with my jaw still on the floor like this

in other news, if you hadn't done it before (and I actually think you had), this makes it doubly offical that you have soundly kicked Smeyers' ass!

WOW

[gin781.livejournal.com]

I just finished reading all of the chapters. It is so amazing! I love how you have written Alice/Bella. Wonderfully done. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Gin

[soul-caged.livejournal.com]

Um I had a fan girl moment and spent the entire day reading this epic (yes EPIC) fic you have written, and I am hooked. In fact I'm just as desperate for anymore of it just like I was with the books. Fraking uh-aahhhzzzinnnggg

[spydrmnky4.livejournal.com]

Man, I feel for Charlie. So much to take in all in one night.

Oh no! I can't believe I'm almost done with this! :(