Waxing Gibbous

Best not to know (A)

Carlisle answered the door. His stressed expression changed to one of welcome, like switching the channel on the TV.

"Hello, Charlie," he said, looking appropriately abashed. After all, we were supposed to be in Atlanta at the Center for Disease Control. Charlie knew he'd been lied to. "Val" there was a certain strain to his voice.

"Carlisle," Charlie greeted him stiffly. "Where's Bella?"

"Right here, Dad."

"I'm going to let you do that" my mom said quietly walking to lean against the porch, I could her the strain that's been put on her by Jacob. I was grateful that Jasper couldn't feel my emotions, he had enough to worry about with Bella, he didn't need my emotions hitting him too.

Shame, anger, sadness... there was so much.

Charlie's blank expression told us how off Bella's voice was. His eyes zeroed in on her and widened. I read the emotions as they scrolled across his face.

Shock. Disbelief. Pain. Loss. Fear. Anger. Suspicion. More pain.

He then glanced at me but quickly returned to Bella.

"Is that you, Bella?" he whispered. I decided that I couldn't sit here, it was too intimate, and I had to make sure my mom was okay. I lightly kissed Rosalie's forehead before sneaking outside. Out front my mom was sitting on the porch, Esme was with her.

I was so focused on my inner turmoil that I didn't realize she left. They heard me approach, and turned around to look at me. "I tried" she whispered "but it's hard to keep a secret that he's seen"

I grabbed her and hugged her tightly allowing her to calm down. "it's not your fault..."

"you're still going to tell me it's best if I don't know, aren't you? Even Bella?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat "yes, it's safer for you. Not just in terms of fear but secrecy. If you knew then it would put all of us in danger and I cant do that. Just please trust that I know what I'm doing"

My mom sighed, her eyes staring into mine "I still don't think I've accepted that you don't need me as much anymore"

"I can tell Charlie about the wolves... about me. I... I wish this wasn't putting a strain on your relationship" I could hear what was going on inside but ignored it when I heard the doors open once more, this time it was Rose and Leah who came out, with Demetri. For once he didn't want Rose. I saw my mom's eyes widen, and flicker between me and him.

"hello Val" Rosalie said, handing me Demetri then standing next to me like she always does. Leah was on my other side, my left.

"Rosalie, Leah" she smiled but she couldn't look away from the baby in my hands or rather he looked almost toddler like. Nearly two.

"I can't tell you everything, but this is my-" I looked at Rose "our son." I then turned him so that he could look at my mom "Demetri, this is my mom. Your grandma"

"he looks just like you" she looked in awe. Demetri looked between me and my mom, then he leaned out for her to hold him. This seemed to amuse her as I handed him over. "acts like you did too"

He examined her seeing all the little details and engraining them to memory. Soon though he laid his head down on her shoulder content with his position. I glanced back inside... I was the alpha I had to fix Jacob's problem. I had to protect my pack and family; Charlie was a part of it, but I didn't want him to blame my mom.

"we got this" Rosalie murmured allowing me to go inside.

I got inside just as Bella declared Renesmee as hers.