Unforgotten

Chapter 1

Seattle, Washington

"Where did you go off to Annabelle?"

"I just went to the mall with a few friends after school. I told you yesterday I was going."

"Oh. That's right, dear. I must have forgotten. Did you get anything good?"

"No, I couldn't find anything I liked."

"Well dinner is ready and your father should be here soon. Go put your bag away and help me set the table. You can do your homework after we clean away the plates."

"Okay," Bella called as she headed towards her room. She tossed her book bag on her bed and headed towards the kitchen. She helped her mother set the table and bring the food out. They had just finished when her dad walked in.

"Vicki, Bella, I'm home." He called as he closed the door behind him. He appeared in the dining room moments later. "Mm girls, this smells wonderful."

The three sat down and Victoria led the group in prayer before they began their evening chatter as they served their plates with the feast laid out before them.

"How was school Bella?" James asked as he placed one of Victoria's famous homemade rolls on his plate.

"It was great Dad, just the same old boring stuff as always."

James chuckled at his daughter's reliable answer. Every day brought the same answer in all the years he had asked. After dinner they stood and began to clear the table. Once everything was in the kitchen Victoria told Bella to go on and do her homework. She and James would take care of the dishes tonight. Bella retired to her room and opened her bag. By the time she had taken her Chemistry book out and placed it on her desk, she heard the familiar tune of Dean Martin wafting from the kitchen. Once a week her parents would turn the old record on and would together clean the kitchen.

Bella could remember watching them when she was little. Victoria would wash and rinse the dishes as James tried to distract her with kisses and stolen dances between drying and putting dishes away. Eventually in the midst of giggles and soft whispers the dishes would get done and the counters wiped clean. They would then tuck Bella into bed before going to their room for the night. Bella smiled at the age old ritual of her parents, hoping one day to have the kind of love they shared.

By the time Bella finished her homework, she noticed the house was silent of music. She walked to the end of the hall and seeing her parents snuggled in front of the fireplace. She smiled inwardly as they both stared into the flames, silent. She cleared her throat and when her parents turned, she continued over to hug them each goodnight.

Victoria and James watched as their daughter retreated to her bedroom before sharing a long kiss and returning their gaze to the fire as they whispered sweetly to one another. Once they had finished their glasses of wine, James stood and pulled Victoria up to join him. Hand in hand they walked to their bedroom.

Phoenix, Arizona

Renee sat snuggled in the couch with her husband of three years. They were discussing the upcoming move to Florida. Phil played minor league baseball and unsurprisingly moved around a lot, depending on what team he played with for that season. Renee sighed looking at a picture on the top of the entertainment center. The picture captured a smiling little girl as she stomped her leather clad foot in a small mud puddle. Renee had taken the shot just in time to see the water splash up and hit the toddler in the face. The little girl had a look of shocked surprise, her hands fisted at her chest. The look Renee knew came before her daughter would start screaming to be held and comforted.

Phil followed his gentle but somewhat eccentric wife's gaze before pulling her closer and holding her a bit tighter. He couldn't imagine the agony of losing a child so terribly and quickly. Phil didn't have children of his own but understood that his wife fought with the ghost of memories of her child. He knew that even after fifteen years she would search the faces of young women hoping to catch a glimpse of Isabella who would be seventeen by now.

"Phil," Renee began quietly. "Do you think she will ever be found?"

"We can hope." Was all he said before kissing her cheek and settling in for the quiet mood that he knew would follow when Renee would think of the little girl she lost so many years ago. He did not hold this against his wife. He knew it was something she would always deal with and made sure that Renee was comforted and knew he would be there and together they would mourn her loss. It happened each holiday, birthday, and every time they moved. Isabella was a part of Renee's heart.

"I don't care if people call me crazy. My baby girl is alive, Phil. I feel it. Right here, in my heart." She whispered as she had several times in the past years.

"I know she is, baby. I know she has to be out there somewhere too." Phil whispered as he rubbed consoling circles on her back. The quiet sobs beginning to take over his wife's body. He stood lifting her in his arms and carrying her to bed. He tucked the covers around them and held his wife as he ran his hand through her hair and along her back, giving gentle kisses upon her forehead until she fell into exhausted slumber.

Then he wrapped his arm around her and tucked her head under his chin before giving in to sleep himself. He knew that in the morning, Renee would wake and be in a better mood. Tonight though he would hold her close and kiss away any bad dreams that might come.

Forks, Washington

"Chief?" questioned one of my deputies as I sat behind my desk completely lost in happiness and worry to the recent news.

"Are you sure about this, Todd?"

"Yes Sir"

"I need it to be an absolute certainty before I call Renee and give her the news."

"Chief, it was definitely Isabella, sir."

"You are certain that you saw her in Seattle? It's been fifteen years."

"I swear sir."

"And you followed her?"

"Yes. To that address I just gave you."

"Todd, no one is to know right now. I want to follow up with Seattle. I will call Renee as soon as we have conformation that it is indeed my daughter. I can't let word get back to Renee. It will crush her if things don't pan out and I can't let her go through that again. She is just recently getting her life back together."

Todd looked at Charlie in amazement. Renee had buckled fourteen years ago and had divorced Charlie and fled the state. She couldn't handle that her daughter had went missing the year before at the age of two. Isabella was their whole life. Renee would become excited every time someone called the missing persons hotline and reported that they had seen little Isabella. Renee began to break when a daycare company called and claimed that Isabella was in their care.

By the time the police responded the little girl was gone. The address listed on their paperwork had been recently abandoned. The finger prints from the little girls painting matched Isabella's and the single picture of a little girl with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes matched perfectly to the one that Charlie carried in his wallet. The only difference in the two pictures was in Charlie's, Isabella stood in front of the house with Renee kneeling behind her wrapping Isabella in her arms. In the picture found on the floor of the abandoned house, Renee had been replaced with a red haired woman.

The picture had been circulated on the news and throughout police stations and hospitals everywhere in hopes that someone would recognize Isabella or her kidnapper. The calls poured in and each time they lead to a dead end. After five months Renee completely lost it and left Washington and Charlie.

"Charlie, she looks just like Renee, except she has your eye color." Todd whispered as Charlie began to dial the Seattle Police. Charlie looked solemnly at Todd waiting for Seattle to pick up the line. Todd turned and left Charlie to his phone call, but not before he saw the single tear that fell from Charlie's left eye.

Please be kind. Review!

Shay