AU/OC- Bella knew she loved Edward but could she drop her family for a manpire she knew was her eternity? Well, if Helen and Charlie Swan have any say in it, not on their life. "I know I haven't been there to watch you grow up but I'll be damned if I'll sit around and watch you die!" This is how lives are shaped, changed, and molded for strength. Pain, suffering, loss and betrayal are always a bridge to either growth or destruction.

~O~

Alright. Let's get this thing started. I'm going to start this right off by saying that this is really AU, like super AU. Let me list the things that will be changed in this series. I want to tell you right now that this will be the longest AN from me you'll see. :)

-Charlie and Renee meet a wee bit earlier in the series. (1981 to be precise.) Their age will also be changed. Not a serious amount, just enough

-James will be an actual villain. He will be so much more interesting… I hope.

-There will be battles and there will be consequences for the characters. This is not a 'happily ever after for all' situation.

-Leah and Sam are not going to be a couple. I found that completely unnecessary and no other reason than to create stupid and pointless drama. There will be unrequited love and that will actually fuel another romance I have in mind.

-NO IMPRINTING! This will not exist because… well, I just thought it was kind of dumb. While it may make for a great comedy in a future fic it doesn't fit into my vision.

-There will be OC's and it is possible that they may funk with cannon. I haven't decided yet. It's very possible that they won't but I can't rule anything out.

-I'm going to pull out my artistic license and do some tweaking to some of the meyerpire lore. It's a surprise!

If anyone really wants to know why I have issues with these things feel free to pm me.

I want to get this out in the open, I'm not really a fan of Twilight. I have read all the books and own all the movies, (It was a gag gift from my friend) and have done a fair amount of research. The reason why I'm doing this? Well, I like some of the characters. Many of the characters were interesting and I'd like to expand on some of them. I mean no disrespect to the fans of this series and no disrespect to the author and owner of this franchise, Stephenie Meyer. I own nothing and am just playing around with a world. I. AM. GOD!

I'll stop now.

With all that out of the way, enjoy!

~O~

Charlie Swan couldn't do anything as he watched his wife walk out of his life, he couldn't do anything to stop her from also taking his heart. Renee was his light for many years and to watch his light slowly disappear from his life, it was terrifying. He had never felt more exposed, more vulnerable in his life than this moment.

He felt his chest clench as his young daughter Bella looked at him as Renee put her in the cab. Her large eyes seemed to search her father. She hiccupped and began to cry as her mother set the car seat. After adjusting the seat, Renee closed the door but not before cooing affectionately at her daughter, a small attempt to appease the cab driver that sighed at the wailing child. Renee turned to the small house one last time and frowned. Time stopped in that moment for the both of them. Their eyes locked and a pulse resounded between the both of them. It was everything that began when they first met, it was passion, tenderness, affection, comfort, emotion, and love. It swirled around the both of them like a ghost, something that will be long forgotten but always there. Renee sighed and waved in a halfhearted gesture at her husband and got into the other side of the car. Charlie watched as his life drove off into the horizon. He could feel tears beginning to well up and fall as he lost sight of the car. He brought a hand up and wiped at the tears and startled when he felt a small hand wrap around his unoccupied hand. His eyes snapped down to gaze upon a small child with dark hair and blue eyes. He smiled and bent down to pick up the girl.

"Hey, sweetie. I guess we better get you some lunch, huh?" The little girl beamed at him. "I think your mom made you a lunch."

She wasn't sure why he was crying, she assumed it was because he was hungry. "It's okay, daddy. We can share it."

Charlie felt a sob climbing up his throat and clutched the young girl in a desperate hug. "I love you, Helen."

~O~

Helen Miriam Swan didn't like to wait. It was just something that bothered her and when she was bothered, she got antsy. First, she started bouncing up and down. Then, she added her arms letting them bounce around with her feet.

"Helen, stop fidgeting. You look like you have to pee."

Helen looked at her dad and sighed. "Maybe I do."

Charlie ran a hand through his hair. "Don't be difficult, not today. Your sister is coming to live with us and you're acting like a 10 year old. You are 20 years old and I really hope this is just from a lack of sleep." He placed his hands on the young woman's shoulders in an attempt to stop her bouncing.

Helen shook her head and stopped her bouncing. "Sorry, dad. I just, it's been a while since I've seen Bella and I guess I'm a little anxious. You can couple that with my bout of insomnia, too. Maybe I should have just stayed home."

"Nonsense. You have been waiting for this day and don't deny it. I saw that calendar in your room, kid."

Helen snorted. "Gee, and here I thought I was careful about hiding that."

"I'm not too old to understand sarcasm, Hel. It's actually a timeless practice." Both Charlie and Helen laughed. Charlie noticed people departing the hangar and grinned. "Don't look now but the passengers are getting off the plane."

When Charlie and Helen first laid eyes on Bella, their little Bella, they couldn't believe it. She was beautiful. Her hair had grown since the last time they had seen her and it grew lush and wavy. No longer a small, slightly chubby child, Bella grew into her baby weight and became a rather fetching teenager. Helen could see both her mother and her father in her. She had her dad's eyes, deep and dark, but she had her mother's smile, warming and kind. One thing that she adopted from her parents, as did she, was the patented pale complexion.

Charlie was the first to approach Bella and gave her an awkward hug. "Hey, Bella. It's good to see you."

"Hey, Charlie." Bella replied with a rather defeated tone.

Helen walked up to her younger sister, a smile plastered on her face. "Hey, Bells." Bella returned her smile but it didn't reach her eyes. Helen grabbed her sister and hugged her with all her might.

"H-Hels." Bella choked. "I can…"

Charlie grabbed the girls and parted them. "Alright, Helen. You don't want to send your sister to the ER on her first day in Washington, do you?"

Bella took the moment to really look at her dad and sister. Charlie looked a bit older, a mustache hiding any kind of a smile and only leaving mystery. He looked good, healthy. His dark hair was cut short and professionally, and his clothes looked stiff and pressed. What surprised her the most was the fact that for a serious man, he seemed so laidback.

Helen had definitely gotten taller and her long black hair was now cut short in a playful bob. She looked like she was weighted down with something, an indicator was the bags under her eyes and her encumbered stance.

"Sorry." Helen patted Bella's back. "I just let my excitement get the better of me."

Bella mumbled her Okays and the three were off to baggage claim.

~O~

They left the airport in relative silence. There was a few awkward exchanges every once in a while but they were far and few between. Once they were in Forks Charlie jolted up from his seat. "Stop here."

Helen looked at him from her rear view mirror. "Why?"

"I thought it would be nice to have dinner here."

"I'm super hungry for the food here, dad."

"What did I tell you about sarcasm?" Helen just snorted and stuck her tongue out like an indignant child. "This place has the best food."

"It's the only diner in Forks."

Before Charlie could retort Bella joined the conversation.

"I'm hungry." Both Helen and Charlie looked over to Bella and she hesitated. "I-I could eat."

The diner wasn't anything special but everyone around greeted the Chief of Police and his two daughters with warmth. A few of the older waitresses made it a point to fuss over Bella, something that she didn't really care for. Helen shielded her sister as some of the locals surrounded Charlie and began asking him questions.

Helen guided Bella to an empty booth and pushed her into it, jumping in behind her. "I thought I would save you from the onslaught of the gossipers of Forks. They really are scary."

"You know them pretty well." Bella noted.

"Yeah. I work here."

"Oh." Bella looked up at her sister in surprise. "I thought you would be in College."

"I started taking a few courses but I'm putting it on hold for now because I just got really stressed out."

Bella nodded. "It was nice that you drove your car and not Charlie's cruiser."

Helen decided to ignore the use of her father's first name. "It's not a problem. No one wants to be picked up in a police cruiser."

Bella chuckled. "Right." Both the girls shifted in their seats. "So, has anything changed since I was here last?"

Helen barked out a laugh. "The town? No, not really. I think they revamped the park since your last visit. La Push is nothing short of interesting. I like hanging out with a few of the girls there. Plus, some of the guys are looking pretty cute." The lecherous grin that spread across her face disturbed Bella and she nudged her sister in playfulness.

"That's gross."

"No it's not." Her sister singsonged, swinging her head side-to-side with a beat.

At that moment Charlie walked up to the table looking a little flustered. "Do you girls know what you want?"

Dinner was about as stuffy and rigid as the car ride and the small questions continued. All three felt as though they were walking on thin ice around the other and the tension between the girls was tightening with each breath. Bella and Helen had some unresolved issues and the only thing that could heal those issues was time. Though time was a fleeting thing, it certainly seemed to stand still in teenage years, whether on the cusp or the years after, it always dragged.

Things didn't really improve much once they got home. Helen left to go to a friend's house, leaving her and Charlie alone. Charlie hesitated a little. "So, uh…"

"I'm just going to get settled in."

"Right, right. I'll, uh, I'll be down here watching the game if you need anything." It was another thing that hadn't changed since she was last in the house, Charlie's love for sports. "Your room is still the same, Bels." He pulled her out of her musings.

"Okay, Charlie. Thanks."

"Welcome home, kid."

Bella couldn't help but marvel by the lack of change in her room and laughed at how much of a metaphor it could be when comparing Forks. Nothing was touched, but everything was clean. She let her hand glide across the bed frame as she walked toward her window. When she looked out she caught a glimpse of a squirrel scurrying toward its nest. 'This tree. It's gotten bigger since the last time. Why am I so surprised at that?' She took a step back and walked to the desk, and on the desk sat a note.

Bella,

I really hope you feel welcomed in this new chapter of your life. I know that things are more than likely going to be a hard transition, but I hope you know that I will always be around if you need to talk. I know that we aren't the closest family ever but Charlie and I will always watch out for you.

Remember the moors and know dedication.

Always,

Your ever-loving sis

PS- I owe you a power trip to La Push!

Bella clutched the note before placing it in one of her worn books. After a few hours of moving things around enough to satisfy her, Bella crawled into bed. Sleep crept up on her faster than she expected, and so did her dreams.

Sharp knives surrounded Bella, blood began to seep through pale walls. She could hear the maniacal laughter bouncing around her, chilling her to her core. It became darker and the sounds of cogs, chains, and metal began to clank. Rushing forward she tripped over a pipe. She felt a presence surround her and panic settled in as she tried to get up but soon realized she couldn't move. There was heavy breathing and then she heard it, a scream.

They were familiar and unfamiliar all at once. Bella didn't know who they belonged to but she recognized pain and terror when she heard it.

~O~

It's only a small start. I plan on having bigger chapters than this little guy right here. I don't plan on having a lot (if any) of the movie/book dialogue in this story. You guys know how it went down, why do I need to remind you? Yup. this chapter was a pretty boring on, for sure. I was more trying to establish the very distant and foreign relationship between Charlie, Helen, and Bella. Chapter two will be out when life dictates it. :)

Constructive criticism is my oxygen!

Thank you kindly for your time!