AN:

I started this story several years ago when I was fresh out of high school, a total Twihard, and I had very little experience with writing. After years of writer's block caused by the loss of prewritten chapters, I am finally ready to jump back into this story. Bear with me while I edit and get reacquainted with my own story ideas.

Thanks.

Goodbye, For Now

Charlie Swan was a simple man. Who wanted simple things; a home cooked meal, a cold beer and good friends. And, most importantly, a happy daughter. For the most part, Charlie had all those things but that all changed when his daughter Bella became depressed after a bad breakup and Charlie had to send her back to live with her mother because he was at a loss over how to help her.

It's been four years since Charlie sent Bella to live with her mother, Renee. Four years wishing he'd have done something more to help his daughter so that she wouldn't be living across the country from him.

Ever since Bella moved to Florida, Charlie had felt something missing from his life; besides the home cooked meals. He was missing his daughter. Overcoming his own depression of sending her away, Charlie eventually started dating again. About six months after she left, Charlie started seeing Sue Clearwater, an old friend's wife.

Sue's husband and Charlie's old friend, had sadly passed away in his sleep after battling lung cancer for the last few years. Sue was upset and Charlie was upset and things just sort of happened.

The sadness of being without his daughter was soon overshadowed by the joy his love life was bringing him.

But there wasn't a day in Charlie's life where he didn't wish Bella had stayed in Forks. A day where he could have found a way to make her happy again.

Charlie felt like it was his fault that she was in so much pain. If he had kept her away from that Cullen scum she never would have had her heart broken by him.

When Bella and Edward broke up, she took it in the hardest possible way. She withdrew from the world and cut off all communication with everyone else. She ignored her friends, her mom and herself.

Eventually, Bella became so depressed and thin from a lack of eating that Charlie had to threaten to send her to a clinic to get her to start eating. However, even though she started eating more she didn't really improve.

At his wit's end, Charlie did the only thing he could think of that would help her move on from her breakup and breakdown.

—flashback—

"Bella, I mean it!" Charlie shouted as she stood up from the table to stomp out of the kitchen and go upstairs, "I can't see you like this anymore. It's too much for me to handle on my own."

Keeping a stoic face, Bella was fuming at the news her dad just told her.

"I won't." She said as she stood in front of him, hands balled up into fists with her knuckles turning white. "If you don't want me living here anymore that's fine. But you can't force me to-"

Charlie was shocked. How could she think that?

"Bella. Don't be stupid. Of course I still want you to live here. I-I-I love you kid. I just can't see you like this anymore. Sulking around like someone killed your cat. I think you need to get away for a while, spend some time with your mom. Go, live a little, Bells. It won't kill you."

There were unshed tears hiding behind her eyes. She looked betrayed. Charlie felt like the worst person in the world.

"Bells, don't cry," Charlie was awkwardly hugging her in an attempt to try to make her feel better. It didn't really help, she just cried harder.

"I guess.. I didn't fool you after all, did I?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"No kid. You sure didn't."

"I'm so sorry dad," she cried clutching on to his shirt.

"Shh… you have nothing to be sorry for. I just think you should live with your mom," Bella stiffened and pulled back from Charlie. Seeing the hurt in her eyes, Charlie rushed on, "At least for the summer, Bells. She misses you, you know?"

Bella didn't say anything. Instead she just hugged Charlie tighter and nodded her head. After a few minutes of standing in the middle of the kitchen with his weeping daughter still clinging to him, Charlie maneuvered them to the living room and onto the couch.

She eventually cried herself to sleep. Charlie carefully untangled her arms from around him and made his way to the kitchen were he picked up the phone and made the hardest call he'd ever had to make.

"Renee?"

Three days after Bella's graduation, at the Swan residence, Charlie stood in the living room calling to his daughter.

"Bells? Are you ready yet? The plane won't wait forever. And your mom wouldn't be very happy if you miss it. She'd probably fly here herself if you don't get there on time."

Bella wasn't too happy with Charlie or her mom at the idea of leaving Forks, but after several conversations with her mom she finally agreed to go to Florida but only for the summer. That didn't mean she was happy about it. Charlie was just glad she was showing some kind of emotion; even if it was anger. After the last few months of her being practically catatonic it was nice to see her react.

"Yeah, Charlie. I'll be down in a freaking minute," Bella yelled from upstairs. After a few moments, Bella came down the stairs with bags in hand looking like she was worried.

"Bells, something wrong?"

She stood at the foot of the stairs, fidgeting with her carry-on, avoiding Charlie's concerned gaze.

"I don't think I should go," she says just above a whisper. Charlie sighs out of frustration from hearing her same arguments to stay, "If I go, you'd starve."

Laughing he responds that he is perfectly capable of feeding himself.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll probably just eat at the diner or Billy's all summer."

She gives him a look that reminds him of a younger Renee, then she nods accepting his answer.

They make their way to the airport in an awkward silence. Not really liking the fact that he's making her leave himself, it takes all of his will power not to turn around and take her home. Then he reminds himself that it's for the best.

"Bells, I want you to be safe when you get to Florida. So, be careful with some of Renee's ideas of 'fun' 'k, kid?"

Bella can't help but smirk at that, knowing exactly what Charlie is talking about.

"Got it."

And with that and half arm hugs the pair say goodbye and Charlie watches as Bella ascends the escalator to return to her mother.

Bella never came back after that summer.

Renee had told him how she cried every night but anytime she tried to talk to her Bella would shut down or change the subject. Renee tried to get her to see a shrink but Bella refused saying that she was now an adult so they couldn't force her to do anything.

After about six months of the same routine, Bella finally started to act like her old self. Renee had commented about how much happier she was and how Bella had started looking at the local colleges. Although Charlie didn't want her to stay in Florida he couldn't help but be happy that his little girl was finally making progress. Bella was finally moving forward with her life and she almost seemed to be happy.

Just after Christmas, Charlie found out the real reason behind Bella's happiness.

"A boy?!"

Charlie was shouting into the receiver at Renee, "Didn't she learn anything from the last one?!"

"How could this happen?" Charlie was shocked. They had just gotten Bella back to a semi-okay state of being and now they were at risk of losing her again. "What would happen when this one broke her heart too?"

"Charlie. Charlie, calm down. He's a nice guy and Bella really likes him." Renee trying to be reassuring but it's wasn't really working.

"How? When?" Charlie was beginning to lose his temper.

"Well... I got called into work one day and I didn't want to leave Bella at home alone. So I had Phil take her to practice with him. You should see him Charlie, he is quite the looker. Anyway, they started hanging out about two months ago, I guess."

"Hanging out?! Jesus! What does that even mean? No! Don't tell me. I don't want to know," Charlie had to take a few moments to compose himself enough to continue. He wasn't really angry that Bella was seeing someone new, he was scared. He was scared that she would go back to the ghost of a person she was when Cullen left her. He was scared that he'd lose his daughter completely if it happened again.

"Is she happy?"

"She seems pretty happy, Charlie."

A year later Charlie got an invitation to his daughter's wedding. He was shocked that Bella had decided to get married but while attending the wedding he witnessed just how happy she actually looked.

Standing in front of a full length mirror as she smoothed down the fabric of her dress, Charlie did his best not to tear up as he watched his nervous daughter. He handed Bella a small jewelry box with an old pair of pearl earrings that use to belong to her grandmother and after a quick thank you and a hug, the pair walked out of the bride's dressing room and down the aisle.

Charlie was impressed that Bella didn't stumble over her feet as they walked along the aisle. He was also content that her future husband seemed to be a genuinely nice man. Respectful, open-minded, well-mannered and above all else it was clear to see the love he had for Bella displayed on his face. Charlie approved of the union— by a hair.

However, with Bella getting married to her baseball playing fella, Charlie knew he wouldn't get his daughter to move back home. She would be too busy living the married life and keeping up with Kelly's travel schedule. He was devastated of course but he had accepted it. Getting married meant Bella would be focused on her new life; Charlie expected that.

What he didn't expect was the phone call he'd receive from her four years after they said goodbye.

—present day—

"What are you saying, Bells?" Charlie had the phone pressed to his ear so hard he thought he would break it from how tight he was holding on.

"I'm saying… We're moving to Forks."

Charlie's arm shot up towards the ceiling as the words left her mouth. He pumped it up and down in the air as he began marching in place like a band conductor on parade day.

"Dad? You still there? Dad?"

"Yea, I'm still here." Charlie was wearing the biggest smile on his face as Bella explained all the details on how Kelly was signed to a Seattle baseball team and how they decided to relocate to Forks instead of dealing with the greater distance of Bella remaining in Florida.

Hanging up the phone, Chief Swan made his way to his cruiser and drove to his best friend's house.

Pulling up in front of the little red house, Charlie saw his friend's son working on his car.

"Man, I swear, that kid grows every time that I see him," Charlie thought.

"Hey kid, your old man inside?"

"Yep."

Poor Jacob Black, he'd been in a funk for the last few days; years really. He was always upset over something. Charlie figured it had something to do with his relationship.

Making his way to the screen door, Charlie pulled it open and yelled out as he walked inside, "Hey Billy, guess what?! Bella's coming home!"

Jacob's head snapped up just in time to see the door slam shut behind Charlie. And as the sound ricocheted through the air, Jacob's heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach with regret, anxiety and hurt.

Bella was coming home. He'd given up on waiting to hear those words. After she got married, Jake attempted to move on from his crush of the girl he'd loved since he was 5. He had moved on. He had a girlfriend now, a job, a life.

A lie.

Who was he kidding? Throwing himself into work, stepping up as Alpha, starting a relationship with Leah; they were all distractions to take away the pain he felt at never telling the girl he loved how much he cared for her. He blew his chance.

She left after graduation and he never even said goodbye. He thought they'd have more time together. He thought that he could work up the courage to tell her how he felt; but he didn't.

The next thing he knew, Charlie was coming over with news of her engagement. It was the same day Jacob and Leah got together. A day he hated celebrating because it was a constant reminder of him losing the girl of his dreams.

What did this mean? What did any of it mean? Jacob needed more information; he needed to know when and why. But mostly, he needed to know how to react to this new development.

Wiping his hands on an oil rag, Jacob made his way inside the house to find out answers to his questions. What Jacob wouldn't learn from Charlie was that Forks, Washington was about to get more than just Bella and her husband as new residents.

After all, trouble has a habit of finding Bella in forks; in more than one way.