“Dad, you saw what happened. There are rules when someone knows about the existence of vampires. When someone knows too much, they either have to become one of us…. Or….”

“Die.” He finished. “Is that why then….” He gestured to me.

“Its part of it.” I admitted, “ It was also my choice though. I wanted this.”

“So that young girl…. Well Carlisle said you don’t age so she probably wasn’t very young, was she…. But, that young looking girl was definitely here to kill me, then?”

“Yes.”

“And you all saved me.”

“No, Charlie,” Edward stepped in, “Bella saved you.”

Charlie nodded again, deep in thought.

“And there will be more…. After me…. Trying to kill me?”

“Not if we can stop it.” I promised.

“But…. I’m basically doomed then, right?”

“No,” Edward supplied, “We have a pretty decent idea that you will live a full human life and die when the time is right.”

“How can you be sure…” He asked doubtfully.

“Well… We all have our different talents as vampires. Alice’s talent happens to be the capability of seeing into the future.” He elaborated no further into anyone else’s talents. Probably, I guessed, because he didn’t see it as necessary to explain his mind reading to Charlie.

“Oh, I see.” He thought some more before raising another question. “So….the reason you guys left was because I couldn’t know about Bella being a……” He struggled with the word. “A vampire?”

“Basically.” I nodded.

“So now that I know…..you guys can move back, right?”

“Not exactly – I… we…” I stopped. Did Jake tell Charlie about the werewolves too, or did he just reveal the vampire part?
 

“There are others that would recognize Bella.” Edward stepped in. “They would eventually realize that she was not aging…. It just can’t happen.” I threw him a grateful glance.

“Oh.” Charlie acknowledged. Another long pause, then – “Do you really drink blood?” He was suddenly full of childlike curiosity.

“Only animal blood.” Edward responded.

I winced and resumed my attention to my feet.

“Its our way of life.” Edward continued, “We are few of the rare vampires in the world who resist human blood and leave it out of our lifestyle completely.
“I guess that’s a good thing… otherwise my life would be in sever danger right now.”