Dangerously Beautiful • Carlisle Cullen

Chapter 29: Explaining the weird

Esme stayed with Charlie as Carlisle took Cole hunting. With the death of most of the vegetation around the house that had just recently been restored, it took longer than originally planned.

When the pair had gotten back to the house, Charlie was downstairs, the family scattered around the living room. Rosalie was telling Charlie a story of Colette from the other week, her hand subconsciously rubbing her stomach.

"Are you expecting?" Charlie asked, then immediately went red faced as he realized he had said the thought out loud. "We are yeah. How did you know?" Rosalie asked. "My ex-wife, Bella's mother, used to do the same thing. Congrats." He told them, looking at the pair.

Esme heard the couple as they quietly slipped into the house, and she stood up. "They're back! Everyone ready?" Esme asked. "I love you Esme, but it's not a show and tell." Cole laughed as they entered the room. Charlie chuckled and Cole sent him a bright smile.

Her smile had faded as she thought of what they were about to tell her brother, and how this may affect him. The fear in his eyes danced across her vision once again as the memory resurfaced. Carlisle felt her stiffen, her body becoming rigid at the mere thought of the previous week's events. Rubbing his hand across her back, she calmed, relaxing slightly as leaned into him.

Charlie watched the interaction between his sister and the doctor with fascination. He was happy for her. Not only just her relationship, which he wasn't forsure if there truly was truly one to begin with, but Carlisle had brought out a side of Colette that Charlie hadn't seen in years, that he missed. She cared again, loved, dreamed again, and that was all he ever wanted for her.

Carlisle stepped forward, front and center as Cole stayed back, Jasper coming to stand next to her. Not only for moral support, but for an added layer of protection. Everyone in the house had realized how she had not hardly noticed the scent of a human within the walls of their home. Fed or not, a new born of her age should still be having trouble, and that alone had the soldier on edge.

"Charlie, We are going to tell you something that can not be discussed with anyone else." Carlisle told him. Charlie looked to Colette, the Esme. "This about Cole?" He asked with a gruff voice. "It's about all of us." Esme told him softly, giving him an encouraging smile. All the vampires were on edge, not knowing how the chief was going to react to the news, but Cole couldn't take the silence anymore. "For the love of god. Charlie, we're vampires."

Carlisle's head turned to her, his eyes widening slightly at the secret that she just blurted. Charlie's eyes squinted as his head tilted in question. "What?" "Vampires." She told him bluntly. Charlie scoffed, his mood going from playful to angry in a second. "You died and you want to tell me that you turned into a vampire?" He asked, an accusatory hiss in his voice. Carlisle had tried to smooth things over but Charlie and Colette kept their eyes locked on each other.

"People are scared of what they can't control. The only way to make them not afraid is to show them. Show him." Cole stated, looking her brother in the eye. "Cole." Carlisle said, trying to calm the room as the plants had started to wilt. The vampires around her took a step back, keeping an eye on her, but taking a step back as she did what Victoria had done. Rushing up to him, she stopped as she picked him up with a single hand, no effort at all being put into the action.

Charlie's eyes widened as his heart stuttered, though not going out of rhythm as it had done last time. She put him back down on his feet as he stumbled away from her. "I died Charlie. I had cancer and I died on the operating table, but Carlisle saved me and made me stronger than I could even imagine. I can protect myself and the people I love. You, Belle, the Cullens, Carlisle. I may have died, but I am more alive than I have been in a long time." Colette told him as she stepped away from him and back into Carlisle's waiting embrace.