Chapter 1

Charlies point of view

17 years ago.

It was a dark and stormy night…even more then usual. I was working late that evening…I had just gotten the position of Police Chief in the town of Forks Washington, a job I was really excited about.

"Chief…I'm leaving now!" a dispatcher named Doreen called.

"Be careful…its getting bad out there!" I called . Thunder rumbled in the background…substantiating my warning.

" don't worry Chief…I don't feel like wrapping my car around a tree tonight." Doreen laughed as I heard the jingling of her keys.

" hydroplaning is no laughing matter!" I called.

" you sound just like my parents!" Doreen called just before the door shut. I shook my head. The girl had only just started here. She was still living with her folks.

"your parents are intelligent people then !" I muttered to myself. I then took out some paperwork that needed to be completed. It was on a very boring vandalism case…some middle schoolers were caught drawing on the back or the school or something. Crime wasn't very high in this area of the state…so even something like this caught the regional news outlets. So I sat down at my desk and began to read over the sworn statement that I had to sign . There was a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder before the power went out. Just great! I scrambled around looking for a flashlight. I looked out to see that the whole area was out. Looked like I was going to have to call people in to do traffic control if the power didn't return in a few seconds. I knew that at least a few lights would be out. We didn't have any back up generators…a fact that I was going to have to complain about. I mean we need power just to see the paperwork that we're filing.

"aw what the hell!" I growled as the flashlight went dead. Someone must of wasted the battery. Just my luck huh…stuck in a power outage with a dead flashlight all by myself! I scrimmaged around in the dark looking for the double A batteries that I knew were around …somewhere. Alright…no one touches Police Chief Swan's flashlight any more unless they really really need it. I was so pissed…where the hell did I place those batteries…they had to be here somewhere!

"Alright Charlie…get your head in the game…where the hell did you put that god damn pack of batteries?" I growled to myself. Just as I grabbed them the door alarm jingled again. I placed the batteries in and the flashlight came back to life…revealing a woman standing in my doorway. A very familiar woman. In a shock, I attempted to stand up and wound up smacking my head on my desk. OWWWW! Damn it I was such a klutz. I looked up into the eyes boring back at me.

"Renee…what are you doing here…when the hell did you have a kid?" I gasped staring at the baby in her arms.

" Charlie…I need a favor." Renee said pleadingly while looking at the baby. Oh hell no…she was not leaving that kid on my doorstep. As if it wasn't bad enough that we used to go out…until she cheated on me with my brother. Now she was doing this!

"Renee…don't do this." I said in the same tone.

" I have to…I cant do this anymore. I thought I could handle her…but I cant. And I found someone who I love…he's not the father and he doesn't want to be." Renee said.

" Renee…shouldn't it be a big red flag if the person who supposedly loves you does not want to raise your child?" I asked pissed. I should of known she was a flake. So not only had she left me now…she was leaving a defenseless little child?

" Charlie…I don't expect you to understand…but I have to do this. Your not telling me you would do the same?" Renee asked. I stared at her in utter shock. What the fuck did I ever see in her?

" leave my baby just to go gallivanting around with some woman…hell no. Renee that is your DNA and your just throwing her out…and over a man who probably isn't even worth it if he wont even help raise your kid." I growled. Really what the hell did I ever see in that woman. Justifying dumping a baby off at a police station by saying "you would do the same thing." Really I don't think I would be able to dump my DNA off into the world just like that. I looked at her in disgust.

"Whatever Charlie…you say that now." Renee said.

" Well do you at least know who the father is…that way we can contact him." I asked.

" never fully figured out who he was actually. There's a couple of people who come to mind. " Renee said placing the baby on the desk and taking out a bunch of papers.

"Renee…think about what your doing…your throwing your baby daughter…your flesh and blood…away over a guy. He could dump you next week…yet your giving up the most precious thing in your life over him. This little child…who cant even take care of herself…and your practically leaving her out on the street! Your leaving her to be raised by strangers? Your so…cold hearted. Maybe it's a good thing your giving your child up." I spat. Renee looked unfazed. I could tell that my words were having no impact on her whatsoever.

"I did not come here to get the third degree Charlie. I was hoping that you could see past our past…but I guess I was wrong. Your still bitter." Renee said annoyed.

"I'm not the one who cheated…and you cheated on me with my brother…my brother really Renee…and you expect me to be all happy to see you and forget everything. I loved you for crying out loud. I think I have the right to be bitter." I growled

" your still upset about Clarence…hell you know that I left him a while ago…right after we broke up! Now I'm with Phil…we're moving to Jacksonville…and Phil doesn't want the child. Besides a baby would really cramp our lifestyles." Renee said as if she were giving a dog to the pound.

"Well maybe you should of thought about that before you brought a child into this world!" I hissed. Renee shot a pissed off glare.

"shut up Charlie!" Renee said offended.

"alright Renee…you win. I'll handle it." I gave in. personally this was probably going to be better for the child. I mean Renee was kind of crazy and while I didn't know much about this Phil character…he didn't sound like a good guy if he was willing to give up this baby. Maybe this was keeping the little one from a lifetime of hurt.

"Thanks Charlie…I left instructions for who ever takes her in on her eating schedule and what she likes and stuff. I brought some stuff to get her through the first night just incase the foster care house she goes to has nothing. There's also this." Renee said handing me a blank manila envelope.

"tell them to have her read it when she's old enough to understand…it basically explains why I'm doing this and that I don't want to be found. She might have some questions for me…but everything should be covered in that note." Renee added on. Renee seemed very well prepared for this moment…too prepared. I wondered how long she actually thought about doing this. It made the Phil story seem a little fishy to me but I couldn't say anything.

"I will." I said. I was going to do that more for the child's sake then Renee's. The child deserved to know what her mother did…but she did not need to have her childhood ruined over it. I really felt blind sighted with this situation. When Renee and I were together we always talked about kids. I began to wonder whether she was stringing me along.

" you know Renee…this is not fair to the child." I said warily.

" well she has to learn that life isn't fair…I mean it wasn't fair that I got knocked up!" Renee said heatedly. That wasn't life…that was due to the fact you couldn't use protection and you didn't shut your legs. Really I couldn't believe that this was my ex girlfriend.

"Charlie can you make sure of one thing for me?" Renee asked. I looked.

" Can you just make sure that she goes to a good home?" Renee added.

"I will…but not for your sake. You need to have this weighed down on your consciousness. You are leaving your little girl for some asshole. Frankly I've been waiting to see you again so that I could tell you how big of a flake you are. You actually slept with my brother. You've created such a mess in my family that it's been hard to repair. My brother's wife left him…because of you! We hardly speak anymore. My brother lost almost all custody of his 9 year old son because of you! They're still working out when he can see him." I said.

"How is that my fault?" Renee asked.

"oh I don't know…maybe because you're the reason why they got divorced in the first place! My parents both got sick…doctors blamed it on stress…and the only stress in their lives was YOU! " I said pissed.

"That's not my fault…I didn't do anything!" Renee said.

"oh no you didn't do anything…you didn't tell my brother that you saw his wife at the bar cheating…with me!" I growled pissed.

" so he says…you have no evidence that I said anything like that!" Renee said.

" your right it is a he said she said situation…but I believe my brother." I said sternly.

" please…we both know Clarence wasn't a good father anyways…if he was spending his nights with me." Renee said. Thunder went off in the background.

"first of all…since WE were still together he wasn't spending all of his nights with you…secondly I don't see how that connects to him being a bad father!" I countered.

"Whatever tomato/tomato…just make sure the kids taking care of. I have to go…Phil's waiting for me in the car." Renee said disappearing out the door. I took the child into my arms at that point.

"I'm so sorry little one!" I whispered stroking her head. It was then that I noticed a startling resemblance to my family. Something didn't seem right. The infant though couldn't be more then a month old I figured. So I grabbed the birth certificate. It listed the child's name as Isabella Marie…huh at least Renee didn't give her some fucked up name …and the birth date as September 13...exactly one month ago today. No father was listed. I started counting back nine months and realized…to my horror…that this child was conceived during the time period that Renee was cheating on me with Clarence…but we were still um active. This child could be either mine or my brothers. As if Renee couldn't muddy up my family even more. But I couldn't let my blood into the foster care system …no matter if she was my daughter or my niece. I wasn't as cold as Renee. I decided to adopt her but tell everyone that the family resemblance was just a coincidence. I didn't want to complicate my brother's life even more…and no one knew if it was his or not.

"who's are you little munchkin ?" I mumbled sadly to the baby. It was at that moment that I made the decision not to get a paternity test done. No matter if she was biologically my brothers or mine…she was mine.

Since there was no secrets in Forks, I decided to have the family meet her a few days later. She was sitting in a new swing that I just bought yesterday in a fluffy pink onsie that I was able to score from Billy Black. It used to be one of his daughters. The past few days had me really busy…baby proofing the house and assembling a nursery. I had to say for not having a woman around I think I did a bang up job…I mean I know blue's not a girls color but it looked good on her walls! It was then that my mother and father came in.

"Alright Charlie…what's this big surprise that you asked us to come over for…if its another woman it better not be another hoe…OH MY GOD…BABY!" my mother cooed seeing Bella.

'mom…you're a grandma…again!" I said gesturing to Bella.

"So how did this happen…you never told us you were getting a child…I'm assuming she's adopted…I mean that's the only reason why there wasn't a baby shower…right Charlie?" mom hissed on the last part.

"well I was in Port Angelus looking for a tie and I happened by an orphanage and I was like 'hum I could use a kid…why not!' and I walked inside. She was the first baby they brought out to me and it just clicked…you know." Charlie said.

"That's my Charlie…taking in little helpless babies…first girl in the family…what's your name?" my mother cooed at Bella again.

"her name is or is going to be Isabella Marie Swan…I just filed the paper's yesterday." I said truthfully. I really did just file yesterday. Luckily Renee already signed papers relinquishing all of her parental rights so they said that it was going to be a really smooth process.

"aww…Bella…how cute!" my mother cooed some more. My father passed me a cigar.

"light up papa…though it didn't happen the traditional way…we have to celebrate the fact that you're a dad. Never thought I'd see the day!" my father exclaimed lighting up and dragging me outside.

"You adopted a girl?…well I hope you have your gun ready!" my father said in between puffs of smoke. Dad smoked like a chimney and anything he could get his hands on.

"To Bella…the new baby in the family!" my father said as we both lifted up our Budweiser's and took a sip. It was then that a black wind star pulled into the driveway. "Vote Clarence Swan Jr." was scrawled across the side doors. Clarence III jumped out the passenger side door.

"UNCLE CHARLIE!" little Clarence came running over. Little Clarence looked like his mom…black haired and brown eyed. His dad…which looked like my identical twin- six feet tall with somewhat curly lighter brown hair then Clarence III…stepped out. I felt anger ebb up but pushed it away for the baby's sake.

"Charlie."

"Clarence" I said in the same tone.

" what's going on here?" Clarence asked.

"Well look at who arrived…Uncle Clarence!" My father said happily.

" Uncle?" Clarence asked as the three of us walked back in side. My mom was rocking Bella in her arms.

"You know Charlie…I couldn't help but notice…she looks a lot like us…were you going to try and say that she was yours?" My mother asked goofily.

"Yeah that's it." I said looking off. If only my mother knew the half of it.

" we are going to be best friends little baby…you're my favorite granddaughter!" mom said in the same baby tone. A smile erupted on Bella's face.

"oh look it…she's smiling!" My mother exclaimed happily.

" its probably just gas." My father dismissed.

"Shut up Clarence!" my mother snorted.

"What …I smile when I fart too." Dad said.

"eww we didn't need to know that!" my mother gagged.

"Clarence…come see your niece…you too Clarence…come see your new cousin!" my mother said gesturing my brother and nephew over.

"What I said earlier…I take that back…thank god you adopted a girl…I don't think I could deal with another set of Juniors and thirds. It gets confusing sometimes when your wife says Clarence did this and you know you didn't do it." Dad said looking over. Lets just say that it wasn't dad's idea to name one of his sons after himself.

"doesn't she look just like our family…I cant wait to tell the girls at the hairdressers…they always tell me that I don't understand the bond between a grandmother and a granddaughter…well now I do. I can tell them 'up yours Betty…I have one now!'. This explains so much…like why people stopped talking when I entered a room." mom said.

"Bro I need to talk to you!" Clarence said pulling me to the side.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I couldn't help but notice…a little resemblance to Renee." Clarence said.

"What are you talking about?" I whispered.

"well mom's right…she does look a lot like our family…but there's something about her that has Renee." Clarence said.

" oh well it could be Renee's…I did get her in a orphanage in the Port Angelus area and I did hear rumors that she was pregnant. I guess we'll never know." I said. Clarence looked at me weird but his attention turned as Clarence III broke a vase of mine. Clarence III had just been diagnosed with ADHD.

"Clarence…your going to hurt yourself and mommy's going to be very pissed at me!" my brother said taking off. I thanked god for Clarence III's ADHD.

" Can we see the nursery?" my mother asked. I brought them upstairs. Mom looked around.

"Wow…you did a lot better then uh other people did after having months to prepare!" my mother said glaring at Clarence before looking around the room. Lets just say that Clarence III couldn't sleep in his bedroom the first week that he was home. Mom wasn't too thrilled at that fact.

"what…the nursery eventually turned out all right!" Clarence said.

"the point is…is that it looks good. Its not overtly feminine but she's only a baby so she wont know the difference." my mother said.

"ooh I cant wait…I'm going to buy you a pack and play…toys…clothes…little frilly dresses. She'll be like the daughter I never had!" Grandma exclaimed.

"Good…maybe you can take care of the three am feedings…and the diaper changes…and lets not forget potty training!" Dad said rolling his eyes. Just then the baby let out a loud wail.

"Well…you don't smell like you need a diaper change." Mom said sniffing the baby's diaper.

"But maybe we should check just to be sure…and if your all clean we'll warm up a nice bottle for you!" Mom said taking Bella over to the changing station.

" I hope you have extra blankets son!" Dad said as mom was making a big tado over Bella. Just then the doorbell rang. The pizza was finally here!