(2) Wild Horses (E. Cullen)

Chapter Eleven

Bambi sits with Charlie on the couch, watching a baseball game on the big television. She's not a huge sports fan, but she wanted to spend some time with Charlie and the game just so happened to be on. She was actually hoping to talk with Bella. To fix things. She can't spend the rest of her life mad at her sister. Even if she feels like Bella is making a mistake, it is her mistake to make. She knows that now. It's just a shock, when your sister admits that she wants to be a vampire. After everything else that came out. Bambi just snapped a little. It was hard enough dealing with her own change let alone Bella's desires to change. She doesn't really think Bella has thought this through completely. That she doesn't understand the consequences of her choice. They need to get it sorted. This cannot be their life. Charlie sits up when the front door opens and then closes again. It can only be one person. Bella. It seems Charlie has been waiting for her to come back too.

"Could you come in here, Bella?" Charlie calls. There is a moment of silence before Bella appears in the doorway.

"What's up, Dad?" Bella stops when she sees Bambi sitting on the couch. "Bambi" She whispers. Bambi has been avoiding the Swan house since the Cullens' return, Charlie often goes to her instead. This is probably the first time she's been back in two months now, since she moved all her stuff out.

"Did you have a nice time tonight?" Charlie asks Bella who frowns a little. Not sure why he is making nice with her. Bambi bites the inside of her mouth. She knows the tone of voice that Charlie is using, she knows what is coming. She knows exactly how he is about to embarrass her.

"Yes," Bella answers, slowly, cautious.

"What did you do?" Charlie pushes a little. Bella shrugs as she unzips her jacket.

"Hung out with Alice and Jasper. Connor beat Alice at chess, and then I played Jasper. He buried me" Bella answers and then looks at Bambi who raises an eyebrow at her. Charlie leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Look, there's something I need to say." Charlie starts with a frown, looking very uncomfortable, seems he is having about as much trouble talking to Bella about this as he did with Bambi.

"What is it, Dad?" Bella asks him and Charlie sighs in response.

"I'm not good at this kind of thing. I don't know how to start....." Bambi bites her lip, fighting a smirk. This is his second time trying to talk about this and he still hasn't worked out how to say it. "Okay, Bella. Here's the thing." Charlie gets up from the couch and starts to pace. Bella looks at Bambi and raises an eyebrow, hoping that she'll just explain for him. Bambi shakes her head back at her. She's having too much fun watching the two of them. "You and Connor seem pretty serious, and there are some things that you need to be careful about. I know you're an adult now, but you're still young, Bella, and there are a lot of important things you need to know when you...Well, when you're physically involved with..."

"Oh, please, please no!" Bella begs. "Please tell me you are not trying to have a sex talk with me, Charlie."

"I am your father. I have responsibilities. Remember, I'm just as embarrassed as you are." Charlie defends.

"I don't think that's humanly possible. Anyway, Mom beat you to the punch about ten years ago. You're off the hook."

"Ten years ago you didn't have a boyfriend," He argues, Bambi lets out an amused breath.

"I don't think the essentials have changed that much," Bella mumbles, glaring at Bambi for help here, and in annoyance that Bella seems to be the focus of his attention.

"Just tell me that you two are being responsible,

"Don't worry about it, Dad, it's not like that..."

"Not that I don't trust you, Bella, but I know you don't want to tell me anything about this, and you know I don't really want to hear it. I will try to be open-minded, though. I know the times have changed."

"Maybe the times have, but Connor is very old-fashioned. You have nothing to worry about." Bella assures Charlie who sighs, relaxing a little. The same argument that Bambi gave him, but he should have guessed, they are brothers, so they would share similar moral stances.

"Sure he is,"

"Ugh," Bella groans and closes her eyes. "I really wish you were not forcing me to say this out loud, Dad. Really. But . . . I am a . . . virgin, and I have no immediate plans to change that status." The two of them fall silent as Charlie takes that in. "Can I go to bed, now? Please." Bella begs, Charlie nods and she instantly flees. Wanting away from that conversation topic.

....

Upstairs, Bella is standing in the centre of her bedroom, processing the conversation that she just had to be subjected to. But at least Bambi seems to be coming around to the family again. So that has to be a promising sign. She's just got to get her sister to talk to her again.

"He went through the same thing with me a few days ago" Bambi admits from the doorway, Bella turns to find her sister leaning there with her arms folded over her chest.

"Thought you weren't talking to me" Bella points out, Bambi shrugs and then leans up, to close the bedroom door behind her so she and Bella can talk in peace. "I know you hate me...." Bella starts, Bambi shakes her head.

"I don't hate you" Bambi stops her and then sighs, closing her eyes as she thinks about how she is going to word this. She doesn't want it to come out the wrong way, she's trying to get things back to the way they were, not make it worse. "After...after the wolf stuff..." She whispers. "I thought, it's gonna be okay....at least one of us gets normality..." Bella's eyes soften. "It was never going to be me...but you....yeah, maybe you would get the normal life....and then....you choose this life. You get to choose. I didn't get a choice. I wasn't asked. This is my life, and that's it. No London. No music school....just fur and paws....for the rest of my life"

"Bambi" Bella moves closer to her.

"And I know it is your choice and stuff, but that doesn't mean I can't want better for you"

"I know" Bella assures her. "But I have thought about this, about what I want...and I know it's not going to be easy for you...or for Charlie....." Bambi nods a little, she knows that it's going to be hard on Charlie. He is going to be the one hurt by this. Because if Bella becomes a vampire, she's going to have to leave him. And Bambi will be the one to pick up the pieces, but even she's going to have to consider leaving. Edward won't age, she will have to go with him at some point to protect him. Charlie is going to end up losing them both. "Connor wants to wait a few years though" Bella assures her. "Till we're married...."

"Seems he's more reasonable than he looks" Bambi grumbles. She really does want to hate him, but every time something comes up, he shares her mindset. It makes it difficult for her to dislike him when they both want the same thing here.

"He keeps trying to talk me out of it" Bella adds, Bambi snorts and folds her arms over her chest. "I hate fighting with you" Bella whispers, Bambi looks at her and nods.

"Me too" She assures her. The two of them share a look. "Things are different now, Bella, but that doesn't mean that we can't still be...friends"

"Sisters" Bella argues, Bambi opens her mouth to argue. "We are sisters, Bambi..." Bella stops her, firmly. Even after Charlie told her about Bambi that never changed in her mind. She and Bambi grew up side by side as twin sisters. That leaves a mark. A bond. That's not going to change now. Neither of them wants it to change. They should be standing together. "Will you stay?" Bella asks her. Bambi glances at the clock on the wall and then nods.

"For a little while" She answers and moves to join Bella as she climbs onto the bed.