Charlie's choice

Bella swan has had many troubles throughout her life, especially when it comes to Renee. Will Charlie's decision truly help or will a love story complicate things?

Hey, this is my second fan fiction book. I did not like the way my first one (similarities and differences) was going so I have decided to make a new one. (I will be updating the other story, just not as quick as some people may want it to be)

I wanted to make a story that was slightly more sophisticated, and not just a love theme. SO I have made this story more complicated, and not allowing love at first sight principle to take over the story. For those who read the books for that reason there will be love with Edward and Bella, it just won't be recognised or acted upon till later on.

Disclaimer: unfortunately I do not own twilight or any of its characters, the lucky person named Stephenie Meyer does.

Anyway on to the story, hope you like it would appreciate reviews.

Chapter 1

A mother's mistake

BPOV

I can remember how things used to be good, no matter how long ago it is now. Charlie, my dad, and mother, Renee were love stuck. They told me stories of how happy they were and how glad they were they did not listen to their parents, and got married straight out of high school. One year later I was born. Renee used to tell me how happy she was to have a daughter.

I can remember going out with Charlie and Renee to parks and the cold stony beaches of Forks. How she would run towards me when I fell over, with that loving and worried expression all over her face, and how she would pick me up and clean me before giving me a kiss and letting me play again.

We were so happy in Forks. Charlie became chief of police and Renee was happily finding new things to do for a week before moving on to the next. We would sit together and have a large lovely dinner, and talk and laugh like any other happy family shouting was non existent, and neither was violence back then.

It all changed, just after my 12th birthday Renee wanted to move to a warmer place, so love sick Charlie followed her loyally to Jackson Ville. At first it was fun, Charlie easily found a new job in the police force, and Renee carried on her hair brain activities, we enjoyed the nice warm sandy beaches that were located right outside of our big beautiful house, but all good things must come to an end.

When I turned 14 Charlie lost his job, and closed himself off. Policing was a main part of his world, and it all got ripped from under him. Renee and Charlie started to argue ant Renee became selfish because there was no money for her to do her one week activities that she carelessly went to.

Eventually Charlie got a new job of sitting at a desk, it was not a good job for Charlie, was a very active man, and to change from patrolling everyday to sitting at a desk did not help him. The money was good, but the arguments and depression Charlie was going into did not help the family.

We stopped going out and stopped our family meals, and Renee and Charlie did not communicate anymore, to say the house was an unhappy one would be an understatement. With Charlie so isolated Renee started to drink, the more she drank the worse Charlie got and the worse Renee got. I learned to cook and clean very quickly but I couldn't pay the bills, I was 15 by the time I was doing everything.

When Charlie got his wage he would give it to me, so I became good with maths, but the house became more and more unhappy it was a vicious circle, that was in a down spiral, and I was the one to try and put the house back together, feed my parents and make sure we had a roof over our heads by paying the bills.

Renee never left the house and the only time I did was when we needed food, or she through me out to go and buy her alcohol, which I had to steal because I was too young. When I grew out of my clothes I started to wear Renee's and Charlie's, which were obviously not mine and too big, but we were coping and we were still together, I thought that was the worst we were going to get. I thought wrong.

I am now sixteen and have bruises covering the most part of my body, and I hardly make it to school. Renee started drinking more and became violent, at first she just screamed at me blaming everything one me, which hurt, but not as much as her slaps did when she started to hit me a few months after the shouting started. It shocked me; violence was never apart of our family and it hurt.

I can remember one time I said no to her demand of alcohol and she ran at me, grabbed me round the neck and punched and shouted at me. I shouted for Charlie, knowing her wasn't even in, and that was a mistake as it made Renee angrier, and I eventually blacked out.

But here I am a bruised seventeen year old putting on some of my mother's old worn jeans, and one of her old shirts getting ready for school. Now I can hear you all ask where Charlie is and why is he not doing anything, well that answer is simple. He has isolated himself that much he stays in his room and manages to never hear my screams or cries, and only every leaves to go to work.

There is no-one who understands or who cares. People at school think I am weird and dirty, and ugly so of course I have no friends, and at this point in my life I have stopped noticing all the glares and giggles as I walk past people. I don't say I blame them, what would you think if you saw a bruised girl at school and she wore dirty big clothes most people would look the other way or laugh. It just so happens that the young population of Jacksonville laugh and glares, where as the older people look the other way.

I have to walk 3 miles everyday to get to school, so I wake up very early to be on time. Lessons them selves are enjoyable. I love to learn and read especially and having to do the bills for years have helped my mathematics ability and am in an advanced class, as well as or biology and Literature. My grades are good and I never do anything to get attention, and I am well behaved.

The only negative of school is lunch. I sit on the table closest to the bin and doors alone. I feel the glares on me and I try to ignore them, which for the most part I accomplish, little did I know this particular lunch time would be too much to handle.

I am sitting reading my very battered copy of Wuthering Heights when all of a sudden I feel wet, and smell like warm strawberry yoghurt. It is dripping form my head and the whole cafeteria is laughing at me. Fighting off my tears I get up put my book away and rush out. I was running and not caring where I was going until I realised I was headed towards the art building.

I rushed in as silently as I could manage looking for the one thing that will help me. There out the corner of my eye I notice it. I run towards the Stanley knife and quickly put it in my bag before running towards the toilets, quite surprised I hadn't fell over yet.

I ran into the cubical and locked it not caring or noticing if the others were empty. This was not the first item I had cut myself, and I pulled out the Stanley knife and pushed the leaver showing a sharp blade from the slight whole at the end. I pressed it to my wrist and hissed, before sighing. I pushed it further in and moved it across my arm slowly so I could absorb the pain.

I had tears running down my face and I hated that the others in the school could make me cry, which made me angry. I removed the blade from my wrist and stared at the blood leaking out from the newly made cut in my arm. My anger took over me and I sliced it quickly over my arm, one time, and second time, a third before I looked at my ravished arm, and just sat look as the blood poured freely from my arm.

I began to feel happy and dazed, my vision began to blur and I wonder if this is what it feels like when you die, and I welcomed it, I knew no one would care or even think to come looking for me so I just sat back and allowed my eyes to close.

My vision is mainly black, and I can hear a dull screaming form where the light is but I don't care I couldn't make out much-

"GET HELP"

"CALL 911"

"WHO IS IT"

"BLOOD…TOO MUCH"

I didn't care who they were talking about and just blocked them out before drifting into the darkness.

ChPOV

Sitting at this boring desk again, nothing to do, this were the only things to ever pass through my mind, how rubbish my life has become and how I long for forks. But I can't move my wife and child form the life they now know and love.

The ringing of the phone interrupted my thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Mr Swan?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"I am from Jacksonville hospital, I need you to come down please, and your daughter has been in an incident and is in an induced coma"

I couldn't think clearly, I was picturing my sweat Bella in a hospital bed and began to stand

"Sir, SIR?"

"I am on my way" And with that I put the phone down.

I rushed out of work without telling anyone, I knew it would get me fired but at this point I did not care, my baby was in the hospital. When I got there I was told by the doctor that se was found in a toilet with a Stanley knife in her hand and there was no doubt that she was the cause of her own blood loss.

I was kicked out of my own sorry little mind, and tried to think of the things that happened at home that I simply ignored, and I didn't like it.

Flash back

"Go and get me my alcohol now!!!" Renee shouted

I heard a loud slap that vibrated through the air, followed by a hurt scream, which sounded like it exited from Bella's mouth…

"Please stop, please" I heard my daughter cry again and again after every hit and punch and bang I heard, followed by my wife's giggle.

End of Flash back

I was enraged, at Renee for doing it, and at myself for not stopping it. I went into Bella's room and sat beside her, and cried for 2 hours before falling into an awkward sleep in the chair. I was in the hospital one day before I decided what to do. I took out my phone and rang the old forks police station and got my job back.

I then rang the airport.

"Hello, Jacksonville airport how may I help you?"

"I would like two tickets to Forks please; my credit card number is …"

"Okay, what day are you leaving?" I looked at the calendar and noticed it was Tuesday and I wanted to go as soon as possible.

"On Friday please, and it will be a one way ticket"

"Three days notice is not enough Sir we may not be able to let you bored the flight"

"PLEASE, my daughter and I need to go she is hospital for Christ sakes!"

"Sir please calm down, I will see what I can do please hold"

Five minutes later

"Sir my supervisor will allow you and your daughter the tickets, is there anything else?"

"No. Thank you, bye." And with that I put the phone down relieved I can take her to a better place.

The next day Renee still hadn't made an appearance, it was the third day (Wednesday) since Bella had been in hospital so I rang the house phone and told Renee to get to the hospital, without saying why.

Four hours later I saw Renee walking towards Bella's room

She entered and looked confused, until she saw Bella in the hospital bed, and I saw her lips turn upwards slightly which increased my growing hate towards her.

"How can you not notice your daughter has been gone for 3 days?" I asked her as calmly as I could manage. All she did was look down.

"You IDIOT DO YOU NOT CARE?" I heard her sniffle slightly but couldn't bring myself to calm down.

"We are leaving! AND IN NO CIRUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO COME WITH US!" That made her look up, but before she had chance to say anything the doctor interrupted which I was grateful for I didn't want to be manipulated by this disgusting women.

"Calm down sir please this will not help your daughter's recovery"

"WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING!?" I shouted angrily not needing an answer as I already had it

"STAY AWAY FROM HER! GET OUT!" I shouted again as she tried to move towards Bella, and she walked out without looking back.

I looked back at Bella and noticed her eyes fluttering open; she looked confused and called me over, so I rushed to her side to try and comfort her, and to explain to her that we are moving.

BPOV

3 days later

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep

That stupid noise is getting louder and louder.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

Argh, it's so annoying. I can hear voices, I'm sure I can I wonder what they are saying now, it better be good for interrupting me.

"Calm down sir please this will not help your daughter's recovery"

"WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING!?" I heard an angry voice sounding like my dads shout, I heard a slight whimper and realised it was mine. It was Charlie talking I felt a warm wetness go down my cheek. I heard footsteps getting louder.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER! GET OUT!" I heard Charlie shout followed by the door closing.

I tried to open my eyes to see who he made left, but they didn't open quickly enough. The room was bright and white and it smelt really clean so I wasn't at home. I carried on looking around and my eyes met watery eyes, Charlie's eyes.

"Dad? Where am I?" Charlie rushed over to me and took my hand, I was surprised by his actions and his expression I have not seen him show emotion in so long.

"Bella darling I am so sorry! Please forgive me. You are in the hospital some students found you; you have lost lot of blood." Memories of the Stanley knife and school flooded back in my head I felt tears escape my eye.

"Don't worry, we are going back to forks" Charlie said wiping my tears from my cheek.

I simply nodded before closing my eyes, I was too tired.

I woke up feeling better than I did before, I noticed Charlie sleeping beside me, and I tried to hold my tears in but I am so happy that I have my dad back, I thought it was a dream. That means we are really moving away, and back to place that I was born.

A few minutes later and Charlie woke up.

"Hey baby. How do you feel?"

"Great actually, how long have I been here?"

"5 days it's early Friday morning" I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips.

"They had to put you in a coma you lost a lot of blood" He said noticing my panic

"When are we going?" I asked changing the subject

"Today, in 5 hours we need to get ready, the doctor has already set up the change with forks hospital, because you need to get checked out again in a week."

"Okay, is mum coming with us?" I asked shyly, the look on his face gave me my answer; I reached out and held his hand with a smile.

We went straight to the airport, as Charlie already had his things and money, and he said I could buy myself some new things when we were in forks. This raised my excitement, I can't remember the last time I could call the clothes I wore my own.

Shopping it's self however I did not enjoy, it involved being out in public when not necessary, carrying bags, and walking, which in it's self is a difficulty because of my clumsy feet finding a flat surface herd to walk over without falling.

The flight was boring and long, I and Charlie hardly spoke, but it was a comfortable silence that was one good thing about Charlie he didn't need to fill silence with speaking, we were rather alike.

What felt like a few minutes later I was being nudged awake by Charlie?

"Come on Bella we are here"

With that I shot my eyes open to notice we were in a cab outside a house I couldn't quite place. Charlie noticed my confusion;

"It's the same house we lived in before"

I smiled up at him, and walked in. I went to my room that faced the front yard I remember seeing Charlie coming back from work in the cruiser and how I would run down for a hug. I looked around and saw the same old wooden floor, the light blue walls and the peaked ceiling, however instead of the yellow laced curtains I noticed large light purple ones wrapped around the frame of the window.

This house was very different from the one in Jacksonville, it is smaller and homier, and the one negative is the one small bathroom that we would have to share. The house made flashes of my fun childhood here in forks with Renee and Charlie, and I felt a few tears escape I wasn't in the mood for a real crying jag so I pulled myself together, and went back down stairs.

Charlie was in the kitchen looking lost so I went over to him.

"I can make dinner dad" He smiled and I started to get supplies for a simple stew. One of the best things I have noticed about Charlie is he doesn't hover. An hour later I dished out our food we ate in silence for the most part.

"Wow Bells that was great. When did you learn to cook?" I looked down before I told him; I knew it would hurt him.

"I had to nobody else been so I learnt and quickly, when I started to get hungry" The last part cracked. I heard Charlie's chair go and he pulled me into a hug.

Once Charlie's apologies had finished I went upstairs to my room. I pulled out Wuthering heights and red for a while. I decided to take a shower to relax me before I went to bed; I took my bag of bathroom necessities and went to the bathroom. The warm water of the shower was the most relaxing thing. I got carried away and before I knew it the water went cold and I jumped out with a sigh.

I got my toothbrush and hair brush from my bag and got ready for bed. Whilst walking across the hall I heard the TV was on and went downstairs. I saw Charlie asleep on the couch; I woke him up and took the half awake Charlie to his room, before escaping back to mine. Once my head hit the pillow it was not hard to fall into a dreamless sleep.

Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning, and I could feel the claustrophobia creeping up on me, I welcomed it as it removed the feeling of people looking or watching you. You could hardly ever see the sky here it was a rare thing for forks to have a clear blue sky I was happy for this as well as it looked nor smelled anything like Jacksonville, so I wont have any horrible flashes of life with Renee when we were there, I preferred the happy ones here.

I went down to the kitchen and made myself a bowl of cereal, once I ate it

I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three un-matching chairs and examined his small kitchen, with its dark panelled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor. Nothing was changed. I can remember when Renee came home with a pot of paint and a couple of paint brushes and painted the cabinets 9 years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house, it was one of our fun and happy days.

Over the small fireplace in the adjoining handkerchief-sized family room was a row of pictures. First a wedding picture of Charlie and my mom in Las Vegas, then one of the three of us in the hospital after I was born, taken by a helpful nurse, followed by the procession of my school pictures up to my 10th when we moved. Those were embarrassing to look at — I would have to see what I could do to get Charlie to put them somewhere else.

However it did make me wonder why the house hasn't changed, I would have thought he would sell the house before we moved. I would have to ask him about that, thinking of Charlie where is he?

I went back upstairs to see if he was awake and his bed was empty, so I went back down stairs and noticed quite a bit of money and a note;

Bells, I have gone to the station I forgot to tell you that I have my old job back. I have left some money for you so you can go shopping ready for school on Monday, which I probably should have mentioned as well, but I have applied you to forks high school.

I will be back around 6 if you need anything just ring my personal line … I should be there it answer.

Go look outside and have a look at your gift I know you are smart and I know you had a few driving lessons in Jacksonville, and I can't make you walk all the way to Port Angeles. There is a map in your present.

Charlie

I made my way to the door and there, parked on the street in front of the house, was my new — well, new to me — truck. It was a faded red colour, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab.

To my intense surprise, I loved it. I didn't know if it would run, but I could see myself in it. Plus, it was one of those solid iron affairs that never get damaged — the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the pieces of the foreign car it had destroyed.

I hopped straight in and started it up, it was a bit noisy but that gave her personality. I looked to the passenger seat and noticed the map, I looked over it quickly and I knew where I was going I set off carefully pulling out into the deserted road, and started the 1 hour drive to Port Angeles

When I was there I drove round a while to see which shops were where, once I was happy I knew where I was going I drove to a car park and rushed happily to the nearest cloth store tripping up a few times in my haste.

I looked on every single rack and pick up things that looked nice, I wasn't sure what size I was so I guessed with a 10. When I was in the changing room I noticed I had quite a lot of blues, I shrugged and tried the clothes on. Most were nice jumpers and hoodies as I remembered how cold forks can be. I tried on the tight jeans I got and because they were my size and not Renee's they made me look better.

All the way through trying on the clothes in varying shops I was smiling, I didn't know shopping could be this fun. One hour later I had spent £238 on clothes and shoes, and decided that would be enough to last me for ever, and headed back to my care with about 10 bags in my hand, as I was clever enough to go back after every shop I had been to.

On my way back I noticed a book store so I pulled over and went inside. Once inside I noticed the store was full of mythical books and had weird herbs there so I made a quick exit, and returned to my car. I laughed at myself before continuing home.

I got home at 5:45, and rushed to the kitchen to start tea I made spaghetti bolognaise as I knew I was quite quick to prepare. When it was on the stove cooking I went to the car and collected some of my bags and took them to my room. Half way through un-packing my car Charlie's cruiser pulled up.

"Hey Bells need a hand?"

"Please, I'm sorry I may have got a bit carried away"

"Good, you deserve a lot considering what you have put up with form me and Renee" Charlie all but whispered her name. I smiled as he helped me with the rest of the bags.

As Charlie was taking out the last lot of bags I went to the stove to check on tea it was ready. I served it on our plates and waited for Charlie to come down before I started to eat.

"Smells good Bells" He stated simply when he sat down. Tonight was much like last night, we ate in a nice silence, and he went to the TV whilst I washed up before going upstairs I could feel a tradition in the making.

It was hard to fall asleep that night I had dreams of us as a family together, and then it would warp into how Renee was with me not a week ago. I woke up sweating; I noticed it was 6am. I sighed and got out of bed and walked to the shower knowing I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now anyway.

I wasn't sure if Charlie would be at work yet so I peeked in his room, and there he was asleep in his bed. I went downstairs and started some bacon and eggs for his breakfast, and sure enough just as I was about done he came down the stairs eyeing the food, and smiling. I sat the plate in front of him. He ate it said a thanks then went to work.

The day was rather boring there is nothing to do here. I ended up reading Wuthering Heights and watching TV and before I knew it was 4 so I started tea, I decided to make home made pizza and a jacket potato with cheese and beans. When Charlie came in he sat at the table so I pulled out the food from the oven.

"School starts at 8 tomorrow" Charlie told me as I was clearing the plates. I nodded before going tom my room; I set my alarm for 7 before going to sleep.

Okay so I'm stopping it there for chapter one please review tell me what you think, and if you have any ideas for the story line please suggest, as I have basics planned but could always do with more to put in.