( outfit in
previous chapter )
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chapter five
temptation.
"Hello, Charlie," Carlisle greeted as footsteps came into the main entry way. The front door was shut as Charlie stopped next to Carlisle.
"Carlisle," he greeted back gruffly. "Where's Bella and Christina?"
"Right here, dad," Bella called out. Christina watched her furrow her brows, realizing how different her voice sounded after the change.
Charlie came around the corner, stopping short as he looked at Bella. His eyes kept flickering back and forth between both of his daughters, making the similarities that Jacob had pointed out before. Christina clenched her teeth just thinking about the wolf.
"Hey, Charlie," Jacob greeted, smiling from the corner of the room. "How're things?"
Charlie shuddered as he looked at Jacob, remembering what just transpired less than a half hour ago. Christina met Jacob's eye contact from across the room and growled lowly, only for supernatural hearing to listen to.
Greyson looked up at his mother at the vibration in her chest. His green eyes blinked up at her and she gave him a reassuring smile back.
Charlie walked across the room until he was stopped a few feet in front of Bella and Edward. Charlie's eyes turned towards Edward, accusingly before looking back to his daughter. "Bella?"
"Hi, dad," Bella chimed. He blinked at the song like voice, looking back to his eldest daughter as he made another connection. "I'm sorry, dad."
"Are you okay?" He turned back to Bella.
"Really and truly great," she answered. "Healthy as a horse."
"Jake told me this was... necessary," he paused to look back at his eldest daughter, "that you both were dying."
Christina inhale sharply, already feeling the burn in her throat from Charlie's scent— but like before it was easy to ignore as the thought of him being hurt overrides her thirst. She looked back to Jacob with another glare as Carlisle wrapped his arm around her.
"Jacob was telling you the truth," Bella answered, feeling the pain in her throat from her dad's scent.
"That makes one of you," Charlie grumbled deeply, and Christina frowned.
Greyson clenched the front of his mother's shirt, feeling the pain in his throat from Charlie's scent. It was much sweeter than the blood bags that he drank from— much warmer. He turned his face into his mother's chest, breathing in her scent of apples and freshly fallen leaves.
"Oh," Charlie muttered. His eyes followed Bella's as she looked down at Renesmee; before snapping back to his eldest, seeing the little bundle in her arms. "These are the orphans Jacob said you were adopting."
"This is my niece," Edward lied, looking down at Renesmee.
"I thought you'd lost your family," Charlie stated accusingly.
"I lost my parents," Edward corrected, before returning back to his life. "My older brother was adopted, like me. I never saw him after that. But the courts located me when he and his wife died in a car accident, leaving their only child without any other family."
Renesmee poked her head out of her mother's hair, shyly looking towards her grandfather.
"She's... well, she's a beauty," Charlie muttered, already mesmerized by her looks. He blinked before turning to look at Christina. "And you?"
A smirk danced on her lips as she lightly bounced Greyson. "I couldn't resist his cute face," she answered with a chuckle.
Charlie rolled his eyes at his eldest daughter's answer. "Chris, this isn't like adopting a puppy. This is a baby."
"I think Annie turned out pretty okay in the end," Christina stated, smiling down at her daughter. "I don't think you have to worry about me raising a baby, dad."
"I guess not," he grumbled. He wasn't upset about having two new grand babies, he was upset about the lies that came with it. "They are something to look at," he continued, looking at Greyson as he poked his head out on his mother's chest.
Charlie gasped as he met eye contact with Greyson, before looking back at Renesmee and making eye contact with her as well. His eyes widened in shock at the familiar eyes staring back at him. He started to mumble to himself, trying to count the days in his head since he saw his girls last. Two months just wasn't enough to be able to carry a baby— at least to his knowledge.
Jacob got up from the ground to pat Charlie's shoulder. He leaned down before whispering in his ear, "need to know, Charlie. It's okay, I promise."
He nodded his head before clenching his fists, looking between Carlisle and Edward. "I don't want to know everything, but I'm done with the lies!"
"My apologizes, Charlie," Carlisle spoke up. "It's best for everyone involved if you know the public story instead of the truth. I know how you must be feeling, but telling you the truth puts the girls, and the babies at risk for danger. Can you go along with the lies for them?"
Charlie was silent for a while as he thought over Carlisle's words. He sighed before looking between his daughters again. "Either of you could have given me a head's up."
"Would it really have much it any easier?" Bella asked.
Charlie sighed before kneeling down towards Bella. He watched as Renesmee pushed her pink hand towards him, Bella holding onto her tighter knowing that she could smell his blood. Renesmee ended up just smiling towards her grandfather instead of touching him.
"Whoa." He stared at her pearly white teeth. He turned his eyes up to Greyson, expecting to see the same thing. Which he did after a moment— Greyson showed his dimple and sharp teeth. "How old are they?"
"Three months," Edward answered.
"Two months," Christina also spoke up.
"More or less," Carlisle said. "They're younger in some ways, more mature in others."
Renesmee waved towards him, making him blink in surprise.
"Told you they were special." Jacob elbowed his side lightly, making Charlie cringe away from the contact. "Oh, c'mon, Charlie. I'm the same person I've always been. Just pretend this afternoon didn't happen."
Charlie nodded once before looking up at Jacob, who was smiling down at the little girl. "Just what is your part in all this, Jake? How much does Billy know? Why are you here?"
"Well, I could tell you all about it— Billy knows absolutely everything— but it includes a lot of stuff about werewol—"
Charlie shook his head, interrupting Jacob. "Never mind."
Jacob grinned in amusement. "Everything's going to be great, Charlie. Just try not to believe everything you see."
"Go Gaters!" Emmett interrupted, shouting at the screen.
Charlie jumped at the sudden noise, before looking over his shoulder towards Emmett. "Florida winning?"
"Just scored the first touchdown," he answered. He wiggled his eyebrows as he looked towards Bella. "Bout time someone scored around here."
Charlie didn't notice the innuendo, but everyone else did. Rosalie stifled her laughter as Christina leaned over and smacked the side of his head. He winced from the impact, before pouting towards the brunette. She just stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"Well, I guess we should see if they can hold on to the lead," Charlie muttered as he got up from his crouch. He fell into an open chair and faced the screen, watching the game.
Christina smiled towards Bella, as she relaxed her position just slightly at Charlie's lack of proximity. Christina stepped out of Carlisle's arm before landing into the chair next to Charlie.
Annie also decided that it was calm enough for her to make herself known. She jumped into Charlie's lap, excitedly watching the game with him like they used to.
Charlie looked over towards his eldest daughter and new grandson. He looked down at Greyson with a lingering smile as the baby also turned to watch the TV. His familiar green eyes flickering across the screen as the teams ran around each other.
Charlie turned back to the TV as a touchdown was scored on the opposing team; both him and Emmett groaning at the fact.
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"I don't know how much we should tell Renee about this," Charlie muttered. He hesitated going out the door as he looked between his two daughters.
"I know," Bella nodded. "I don't want to freak her out."
"Probably be better to keep it a secret," Christina added. "This stuff isn't for the faint of heart."
Charlie's mouth twisted to the side. "I would have tried to protect you girls, too, if I had known how."
Both Christina and Bella smiled back at him silently.
"Guess you two never fit into the category of fainthearted," he muttered, patting his stomach which was growling back at him. "I'll think of something. We have time, right?"
"Right." Both girls nodded.
Seth bounced down the stairs, Annie in tow of him. The young wolf patted Charlie's shoulder in passing with a goofy smile. "You gonna stand my parents up, Charlie? C'mon, they're be here tomorrow. Let's get some grub!"
Charlie sighed as Seth left out the floor door. Annie stared up at her mom pleadingly, making her sigh along with Charlie. She nodded her head silently, already knowing the question that she wanted to ask.
"But you have to be back for breakfast early tomorrow morning," Christina reminded Annie. The little girl nodded her head frequently, excited about the sleepover.
"Jake says you both were going to take off on me," Charlie muttered softly.
Christina's lips pursed at the hurt expression on her father's face.
"We didn't want to," Bella stated.
"Not if there was another way around it," Christina continued.
"He said that you'll stay a while, but only if I'm tough enough— and if I can keep my mouth shut," Charlie continued.
"Yes." Bella nodded. "But we can't promise you that we'll never leave... it's pretty complicated—"
"Need to know," he reminded her.
She nodded once again. "Right."
"You'll visit, right? If you have to go?"
"Of course," Christina answered. "I don't think I could keep Annie away from here for too long anyway."
The six year old smiled up at her mother, only proving her point further.
"We'll keep as close as you want," Bella concluded.
Charlie opened his arms up for a hug from his eldest daughter first. She cradled Greyson—who was silently looking around with big eyes— into her left side as she leaned forward to give him a hug. Greyson took a quick sniff of his grandfather, enjoying his scent more than it made him hungry. He recognized it as family, much like he did with Annie's scent— after that, it was easy for him to dismiss the pain that the scent brought him.
Bella leaned forwards next to hug him, doing the same thing as Christina. She cradled a sleeping Renesmee into her side as held her breath as she held onto their father.
"Keep real close, girls," he finally answered. "Real close."
"Love you, dad," Bella whispered between her teeth.
"Love you, too, kid," he answered as they pulled away. "Whatever else has changed, that hasn't."
He gently rubbed one finger softly on Renesmee's cheek, before looking back towards Greyson, meeting his green eyes and wide smile. "They sure look a lot like you both," he muttered softly, seeing the similarities clearer now that he was calmed down.
"I think they both look more like their fathers," Christina muttered as she also looked down at her baby.
"She has your curls," Bella added, looking down at her own baby.
"Guess she does," Charlie snorted. "Do I ever get to hold them?"
Christina wanted to immediately say yes, but she hesitated for a moment— shorter than Charlie could realize. She met eye contact with her son, sending a silent message to him to behave. He just smiled back at her.
"Sure," she finally answered, smiling back to her dad. Christina cradled Greyson out towards Charlie.
He slowly grabbed him, settling him into his arms, before bouncing him lightly. Greyson cuddled into the warmth surrounding him, enjoying the smell of gunpowder from Charlie. He definitely felt the pain from the blood being so close, but Charlie cooing down at him made it worth the burn in the back of his throat.
"He looks just like you when you were a baby," Charlie muttered, softly looking down at Greyson. "Just with blond hair. You're right though," he grumbled, as he looked back up at his daughter. "He is too cute to pass up."
Christina smirked as she took her son back into her arms. The young boy opened his eyes back up at the temperature change. He grinned softly at his mother before closing his green eyes again, resting against her chest.
Charlie took Renesmee into his arms next, trying to cradle her into a comfortable position. "They're both so sturdy," he muttered, looking down at her sleeping form.
Bella froze slightly at his words, making Christina chuckle. "Sturdy is good, Bella."
Charlie nodded his head. "They'll need to be tough, surrounded by all this craziness."
Christina wasn't too sure she or Bella was supposed to hear his last mumble, so she ignored it.
He swayed lightly back and forth. "Prettiest babies I've ever saw. Including you two— sorry, kiddos."
Christina chuckled as she shook her head. She gently ran her fingers through her son's blond hair, noticing how it got longer from this morning.
"Can I come back tomorrow?" Charlie asked, finally looking up from Renesmee.
"Of course, dad," Christina answered. "We'll be here."
"You better be," he said sternly. "See you tomorrow, Nessie—"
"Oh, not you, too!" Bella complained, making Christina chuckle next to her.
"Huh?"
"Her name is Renesmee," Bella sighed. "No variations. Do you want to hear her middle name?"
"Sure."
"Carlie," Bella answered with a smile. "With a C. Like Carlisle and Charlie put together."
Charlie smiled brightly towards Bella. "Thanks, Bella."
"I gave you a grandson," Christina muttered, teasingly.
Charlie busted out into laughter, handing Renesmee back to Bella. Christina's lips twitched upwards at the sound of his laughter.
"My turn!" Annie said excitedly, reaching up towards Charlie.
"Of course," he agreed, picking her up with a grunt. "Can't forget about my first grandchild."
Charlie's stomach decided to growl at that time, being reminded at how little he ate today.
Carlisle walked down the steps, giving everyone a polite smile. Christina walked over to him, easily letting him take Greyson out of her arms now that he was asleep.
"Annie, go grab your overnight bag from your room," Christina ordered as Carlisle walked back up the stairs after taking Greyson. The six year old was quick to nod her head as Charlie put her back on the ground.
"You and Carlisle are very..." Charlie struggled to find the word as Annie disappeared up the stairs. "Congruent."
"He is very helpful." Christina smiled at the compliment. "I'm going to go put Annie's car seat in your car."
He nodded his head as he looked back up towards the living room, watching the Cullens in their silent nature.
Christina was quick to put Annie's car seat into Charlie's cruiser, almost amused as she did so. She hoped this would be the only time Annie would be in the back of a cruiser.
Bella and Christina waved goodbye to Charlie and Annie as they pulled out of the driveway. The youngest took an inhale of breath as he was out of sight, relaxing her body as his scent disappeared from the air around them.
Christina patted her sister's shoulder as they both walked up the stairs. "You did great."
"Thanks," she sighed deeply.
Edward caught up with Bella as they walked back into the living room. Christina fell backwards onto the couch next to Carlisle, making him chuckle at her human antics. She rested her head in his lap as he shifted Greyson in his arms, holding him on his left side as Christina rested her head on his right.
"I'm not even sure she's really a vampire," Emmett commented. "She's too tame." Bella snarled under her breath, remembering all the sexual jokes Emmett made in front of Charlie. "Oooo, scary," he joked sarcastically.
Bella hissed, waking Renesmee in her arms. She sniffed loudly before placing her hand on Bella's cheek in question.
"Charlie will be back tomorrow," she answered lowly.
"Excellent," Emmett chuckled.
"Emmett," Christina warned, staring at him from the couch. "Don't."
His smirk didn't disappear from his face at Christina's warning. "Wanna make it into a bet?"
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I love the next part in the movies mostly because I love Emmett's childish ways. 😂