A/N: This is a little something I've been working on for a while now. The idea is not very original, but don't give up on me yet.

Summary: When Bella falls, she falls hard. He is her gym teacher with a reputation and off limits to her. She craves him none the less, and maybe he's craving her a little as well?

Rating: M

Warnings: Rated M for sexual content and language.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OCs. Meyer owns the rest.

Chapter 1 – Sacrifice

When I was a kid, I used to spend every single summer in a small town called Forks. It was a plain town consisting of just above 3000 inhabitants, all of them living out the happily-ever-after-apple-pie life. Although it may seem picture-perfect, I always found the scenery dull, making me quite a bit different from other girls my age. While my friends loved to play "house" or "doctor" when we were kids, I stood on the sideline, minding my own business, not interfering once. I've never wanted a white picket fence, nor a Labrador, station wagon or a devoted husband. The reason behind my reluctance for all things stable might've had something to do with the fact that I'd grown up with parents that rarely spoke to each other and lived hundreds of miles apart. As I grew older, my friends used to tease me that I'd end up lonely, with only my cats to keep me company. I loved cats, so that future never scared me.

I always thought my mother and I were on the same page when it came to our way of living - and I'm sure we were for a very long time - but then "lightning struck", as my mother called it, and Phil waltzed into her life, baseball cap and all that came along with it. It started out innocent at firs; just the occasional dates that left my mother's cheeks flushed with girlish stupidity - at least that's the way it looked through my eyes - before moving on to a whole new territory. The day Renee invited Phil to the house for the very first time, I knew we were in over both of our heads, although for different reasons. My solitude life that had only consisted of myself and Renee was shattered to something beyond recognition – I had one more person to consider now. My mother's heart had been turned from burning glows to an uncontrollable flame seemingly overnight, and Phil represented the logs of wood she needed to keep it stable and burning. I let her have him, because honestly I was too old to play the hormonal and moody teenager at that point. Causing a scene and demand that things were done my way had never been one of my qualities anyway.

I liked Phil from the second he crossed our doorstep. Sure, he was a bit too young for my mother, and not particularly handsome, but the major difference between him and my Renee's previous pursuers was the way he looked at her. And the simple fact that he smiled with his eyes. And, just because a fairytale romance never appealed to me, who was I to get in the way of my mother's happiness? She deserved to smile, to feel those butterflies she constantly went on about, and I would certainly give her that. And thus Phil became a permanent part of our little family the day my mother dressed up in a beautiful white dress and met him at the end of the aisle. I was happy for them both and helped Phil move out of his condo and into our modest, but charming house. Things weren't as cheerful after that however, although the newlyweds loved each other deeply.

Phil was nowhere close to being a professional baseball player, but you could tell that he put his whole soul and being into his profession. Because of this though, he was forced to stay away from home in long periods, seeing as Renee could never go with him because she had to take care of her only child. And, yes - that would be me. It killed her to watch him walk out of the door, a duffel bag thrown hastily over his shoulder, only to reappear for short periods of time. She would call him every night, once she was certain that she didn't meddle with his working hours. Sometimes, she cried. And I cried with her, all alone up in my room, thinking of some way to make myself less of a burden. I would never speak these words out loud however, knowing they would hurt my mother deeply. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if she would've been happier without me around. The answer to that question would probably be yes. A plan began to form in my head. As much as I detested the small town of Forks - where my father had taken up a permanent residence for many years now - I also missed him a bit. Charlie wasn't the most talkative person - much like myself - so whenever he called to check up on me, our conversations rarely lasted that long. I knew he was happy with his beloved small-town-life, and that he'd never consider leaving the home he'd built for himself there. If I were to live with my father and make Renee truly happy in the process, I would have to bite my tongue and move from Phoenix where I'd lived nearly all of my life. And that's what I decided to do - all to put a smile on my mother's face again so that she could go on the road with her beloved husband.

It rarely rained in Phoenix, but the day I decided to break the news about my movingplans to Renee, heavy droplets of water could be heard drumming endlessly against the window panes. I thought of it as a foreboding, meaning that she would support my decision and that I should get used to the rain - it was, after all, always wet in Forks. It was a Tuesday night, and I'd just finished cooking today's dinner when I cleared my throat uncomfortably. Renee's blonde head shot up from the Austen book she was reading and looked at me questioningly, her eyes read and puffy from what she thought was discreet crying - something she did often these days.

"Look mom," I sighed, leaning my back against the kitchen counter, trying my best not to sound as sad as I felt at that moment, "I need to talk to you,"

Renee slowly put the book away and gave me her full attention. I almost shed a tear at the apprehensive look she gave me.

"Yes Bella?"

I gripped the counter edge with the palms of my hands, bracing myself and knowing that there was no going back at this point.

"I think I want to move to Forks?"

There, it was said, and although it came out as a question, I managed to keep my voice from trembling. My mother's forehead furrowed in confusion as she frowned at my words, probably trying to make sense of them.

"But you hate Forks," she stated slowly.

I smiled and swallowed thickly, knowing that the lies would just keep coming from now on. And I was a bad liar.

"No, I don't?"

Damn, that sounded like a question again.

"Oh really?" Renee replied sarcastically, reaching for her book again. I knew she considered this as the end of our conversation. She'd already seen through me, and I hadn't even managed a proper try.

"I want to move to Forks. To Cha – dad,"

My voice was more firm this time as I was determined to get my will. Renee looked unsure now and she studied me silently for a small moment.

"Bella," she began and my shoulders sagged in disappointment. I knew what was coming, "don't you remember all of your trips there? How you came home calling Forks all the ungodly names you could think of and refused to even acknowledge its existence for a whole year until you had to go back there?"

I did remember that, as it was pretty hard to forget. I always used to throw the worst tantrums every summer, just before I was about to board the plane that would take me to that "horrid, boring and unappealing shitty excuse of a town." Those were my exact words, spoken every year since I was only five. I'd outgrown the sailor's mouth since then, but my opinion of that place remained unchanged. I had to move there now, though. I had to give Renee and Phil the chance to be together. There was no backing out.

"Mom," I sighed and stepped closer to her, my arms coming up to pull my fingers lovingly through her golden locks, "that was before. I think I need this – need to spend some time with Charlie before it's too late and I move away for College,"

It was a low-blow for sure and a fact she couldn't look away from. It was the only card I had left. I pulled away slightly to look at her, gauging her reaction. It worked, just like I knew it would.

"Oh baby," she sighed and pulled me close, "I didn't think about that,"

"This is my home, but I haven't spent as much time with dad as I ought to – as I want to. I think he deserves the pleasure of my company a little as well, don't you agree?" It was the final straw, the top of the icing and my words had my mother shed tears.

"Of course honey. I've been pretty selfish haven't I, keeping you to myself? How long now since you were in Forks last?"

"You know I don't mean it like that. I've refused to go, it's my fault. And it's three years," I hastily replied. Causing her to feel like a terrible person had never been my intention, although I could see how she would draw that conclusion from what I'd just said to her.

Renee pulled away and stood up on shaky legs. She cupped my face in her hands and gazed intently into my eyes, in which I tried to hide every doubt I was having. Finally she smiled.

"If this is what you want, baby,"

"I do,"

And in that moment, I uttered the last lie necessary and Renee caved completely.

It was days later that my mother discovered what my moving out meant for her, and that she could now go on the road with Phil. She came up with that all by herself - which was necessary. Had I mentioned this little fact to her, she'd see right through me and discover the true intentions behind my sudden plan instantly. All in all, I proved to be a more skilled liar than I'd given myself credit for, and Renee was dancing on clouds. This hurt a little, but I couldn't really blame her. I was doing this for her, after all.

***

The hug Charlie gave me once I met him at the airport was affectionate, but awkward all the same. He hadn't changed much - ever since I'd refused to continue spending my summers in Forks when I was 14, he'd flown all the way to Phoenix every year instead, so that we weren't totally depended on phone conversations. The color of his hair matched mine, although I'd gotten my slight waves and occasional curls from mom. His skin colour were a bit richer than my own - not nearly as sun kissed as my mothers, but still not as pale and translucent as me. Yes, I'd definitely inherited a lot from my father - both in looks and personality. The drive to Forks was a quiet event, although Charlie did make an effort at small talk. It was weird, but I politely replied to all of his questions, and then threw in some of my own to see if Forks really was as dreadfully boring as I remembered. Being the Chief of Police, Charlie knew his way around Forks, as well as its inhabitants, and through my questioning he subtly confirmed what I'd been dreading all along: in the three years I'd been gone, nothing had really changed at all. I internally groaned when I discovered this, looking out the windshield as the green scenery passed by on our way to Charlie's house. We stopped by the local grocery store on my command, as I suggested that I'd cook something for us both before we turned in for the night. Charlie was a bit reluctant at the idea, saying that he never expected me to cook for him every day, but once I assured him that I knew my way around the kitchen - unlike Renee - he followed me into the store with some bills clutched in his hand. The young man sitting at the cash register greeted the Chief Police with respect, as Charlie nodded politely in return. I couldn't ignore the guy's curious stare as his eyes settled on me, and my dad made a hasty introduction before pushing me down the aisles, not wanting to draw too much attention. I was grateful.

"Steak sound good to you?" I asked, grabbing random ingredients as I went.

"Sounds great." Charlie smiled.

It didn't take long before he had two paper bags in his hands, leading the way out to the parking lot. The guy at the cash register welcomed me back with a flirtatious smile.

Dinner was nothing spectacular, but I noticed that Charlie was really enjoying the home cooked meal. It brought a small smile to my face, despite the fact that I'd rather be thousands of miles away from my new home town.

Just try to make the best of it. I thought silently to myself while I did the dishes, receiving an awkward pat on the shoulder by Charlie as he bid me goodnight.

It wasn't long before I heard his bedroom door close shut, and I heaved a sigh of relief. After watching the soapy water swirl down the drain, I turned my back to the sink. The yellow cupboards in the kitchen were slightly hurting my eyes, and I was beginning to feel tired after a long and stressful day. Kicking off my sneakers in the hallway, I silently walked up the stairs and in to the room that, at the moment, consisted of a bed, a wardrobe, an old desk, and my suitcases. This had been my bedroom when I was little - and whenever I visited Charlie during the summer holidays - yet I'd never really left any traces of myself in it. I'd have to buy some pictures, just to make it more personal, or else I'd surely suffocate. Stripping down to my underwear I pulled out a pair of old sweats and a tank top from my suitcase, before lying down in the familiar, but also strange, bed. But, as I laid there, the rain drumming against the window would not let me rest. I sighed heavily, pulling the covers all the way up to my chin, trying to ignore the noise. And then, as the moon outside illuminated the cold room, the reality of my current situation came crashing down on me. I'd left my Mom. Left Phoenix, where I'd lived nearly all of my life. I'd abandoned my friends - not that I ever had that many - and my old school - in which I was doing well. There was no denying it. I'd made a huge mistake.