Chapter Text
Forks' Police Chief Charlie Swan was enjoying his day off by sitting in his favorite chair with the game on, hoping that when his daughter Bella moved in with him in a few months that he wouldn't have to change his routine too much. Though he knew that she was similar to him in personality, she was still a seventeen year old girl, and dealing with teenage girls was definitely above his pay-grade.
Just as Charlie was getting up to get himself another beer, there was a knock at the door. He was instantly on alert. Any of the usual people who visited him called to let him know they were coming. He suspected his friend Billy did it so he would know he would have to soon maneuver him up the stairs in his wheelchair. As he opened the door he thought about the merits of installing a peep hole for Bella to use when she came to stay with him.
Standing there, silhouetted by the foggy, grey morning light were Dr. Carlisle Cullen and one of his five adopted children. Charlie was not as well acquainted with them, and was unaware which was which. He noticed that the doctor was also carrying a large cardboard box.
"Dr. Cullen, what brings you here this morning? Should I be putting my badge on?" he joked, confused as to why the doctor would be at his house in anything other than official capacity.
"No, Chief Swan, my son Edward and I received a package this morning, and there was a letter attached instructing us to not view the contents without you, Billy Black, Quil Ateara Sr., and Harry Clearwater. We were hoping you would be able to contact them for us as we do not have their addresses or phone numbers." Dr. Cullen seemed sincere enough that he was inclined to believe him without question.
"Well, nice to meet you, Edward," Charlie shook the young man's hand, "Why don't you two come in while I call Billy and have him rally the guys together."
"Pleasure to meet you as well, Chief Swan," Edward was surprisingly polite for a boy of his age, and Charlie was impressed with his manners. The doctor and his son proceeded to the living room while he went to the landline in his kitchen. Calling Billy was such a standard occurrence for Charlie that his fingers hit the buttons almost instinctively. Listening to the dial tone, Charlie couldn't help but wonder why someone would want to gather such a strange group of people to open a silly package. What could possibly be inside the box that tied them all together.
The phone picked up after only a few rings, and Charlie prepared to ask his friend for a large favor. He knew that Billy, Harry, and Old Quil were elders for the tribe of Quileutes on the local native reservation of La Push, and that they still believed ancient legends that told them the Cullens were dangerous and not to be trusted. He only hoped that Billy would be willing to hear him out before disagreeing outright.
"Charlie, what can I do for you? It's a bit late in the day for you to want to go fishing," Billy chuckled at his own joke.
"Billy, Doctor Cullen and his son are here, and have asked me to gather you, Harry, and Old Quil. Seems they got some package that they are only supposed to open with all of us here. Sounds a bit odd if you ask me, but it must be important if whomever it is wanted the Chief of Police and the tribal elders present.
"Carlisle Cullen and one of his 'children'? They're there with you now, in your house? We'll be there right away, don't worry." Billy hung up before Charlie could say another word, and the worry had been evident in his voice. He meandered his way back into the living room, not looking forward to the awkward silence awaiting him in the other room.
"Billy says they'll be here soon. Now, do you fellas know who sent you this package, or why they want everyone here?" Charlie was in full investigative mode. A mystery package meant for the best doctor in town, the police chief, and the elders of the local First Nations tribe had to be something major. He knew that Dr. Cullen was too good of a man to waste his time if this weren't important.
"There is no address or name on the box to indicate who sent it, and the only name on the note was Ness," Carlisle explained. "It asked that we share the note with everyone, so if you don't mind I'd like to wait and read it aloud when the others get here."
"That's no problem, Doc, they should be here any minute. With the way Billy sounded before he hung up I'd say that I may just have to give them a speeding ticket when they get here." Charlie just hoped it would be soon, as small talk was never something he quite mastered. Just as he thought of asking Edward what grade he was in, he was saved by hearing a truck pull into his gravel driveway.
"That'll be them now, I better go help Harry with Billy's chair." Charlie hopped up from his recliner and hurried to the door just as the three men barged in without knocking, looking more formidable than they had a right to at their age. He knew that his friends had allowed their superstitions to influence their decision to come, and were prepared to protect him from the kind man and his teenage son.
"Where's the fire, guys? Harry, I know that it should have taken you a good fifteen minutes to get here. Next time I'll have to write you a ticket. Come in the living room, there's plenty of room on the couch." The men all looked apprehensive at the thought of sitting next to either of the Cullen men. Billy rolled himself next to Charlie's recliner, while Old Quil and Harry stood against the wall behind him. Sighing, Charlie resigned himself to the tense atmosphere and allowed Carlisle to take over.
"Gentlemen, thank you for coming. I'm sorry if we have inconvenienced any of you. We are just as befuddled as to why we are all here. My son Edward and I received a package addressed to the both of us with no return address with a note attached claiming that it was of utmost importance that we have all of you present before going through it's contents." The sincerity coming off him was clear, and not so easily ignored by the tribesmen. "I will now read the note aloud so that we are all on the same page."
Carlisle and Edward,
I ask that you please don't open this package until
you are with Charlie Swan, Billy Black, Harry Clearwater,
and Quil Ateara, Sr. It is important that the six of you review
the contents of this box together. You have more in common
than you think. There are more instructions inside.
Love, Ness