Chapter 1
It was the worst snow storm in the history of Buffalo, New York. Charlie, his wife Renee, and his new born daughter Isabella "Bella" Swan were traveling to Jamestown, New York to see their new house that they would be raising their daughter in. Both Charlie and Renee were so excited to see the house. It was finally complete. They were so excited they did not remember the weather report. A large snowstorm was coming in. It was about 7 at night when it began to snow lightly on the cold December night. As it began to snow more and more Renee began to get worried and suggested that they stop and stay in a motel that night.
"The new house will still be there tomorrow morning, and I'm worried that we might get in an accident. We really should stop Charlie."
"Don't worry Renee, I'm an excellent driver. Bella will be fine. We will get there tonight and we will all be okay."
The truth was that Charlie was an impatient and stubborn man. Nothing would get the better of him- including this snowstorm.
But Charlie was wrong about three things and right about only one. The first that he was wrong about was that they would get to the new house. They wouldn't, they wouldn't even see it. The second was that they would all be okay. Both he and Renee would not live to see the next hour. The third was that nothing would get the better of him. Something would get the better of him, and it was this very snowstorm.
The only thing he was right about was that their baby girl would be fine.
Twenty minutes later Charlie drove across black ice, and began to slide across the road. The car slid sideways, Renee was screaming and Bella was crying. Charlie tried to take control of the car, but it flipped. The car rolled too many times to count.
After what seemed like an eternity Charlie suddenly realized that Renee was no longer making any sound. Renee's head had smashed into the dashboard and was bleeding profusely. Her legs were broken and mangled. Blood was everywhere. He looked over at her, grabbed her hand and with tears shouted her name. She slowly opened her eyes, and Charlie cried, "I'm so sorry, please forgive me."
Renee looked at him, smiled, touched his face, and said with all the energy she had left whispered, "Its okay. I love you forever and always." Then Renee's eyes closed for the last time.
"No, no, you can't leave me. I love you! Renee!! Please. Please, don't go. What about Bella?! She needs you. I need you!"
Charlie yelled and cried for Renee, but it was too late. She was gone. Charlie tried to turn around to Bella, but he couldn't. His legs were smashed, glass was protruding into his side, and his right arm was broken.
Charlie cried for a moment and then thought of Bella. He thought of how he would never see her grow up. Never see her take her first step, never say her first word, never send her off to her first day of school, never see her go on her first date and threaten the boy taking her, never dance with her on her wedding day, never see her children, and how he never should have kept driving. Then he heard his door being ripped away and saw a young man, no more than seventeen years old, with messy bronze hair and a pair of topaz eyes staring back at him.
Edward was glad; hardly any cars were on the road tonight because of the terrible snowstorm in Buffalo, New York. He could go as fast as his car would allow him. Edward was headed back home to Cherry Grove, Pennsylvania after a long hunting trip in Canada. Edward thought about his current home there. Cherry Grove was a small town, surrounded by the Allegheny National Forest. It was the perfect place for him and his "vampire-vegetarian" family. Carlisle was again working as a doctor for the town's hospital, Esme was restoring an old colonial home close by, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper were juniors at the high school, and Edward and Alice were sophomores.
High school was… what was the right word? Monotonous. Every high school was the same; the students troubled themselves over trivial, unimportant problems. The worst was that he could hear all their thoughts. Even though his siblings knew what the humans thought and worried about, they did not have to listen to it every day of this never ending life. But he was content. He would admit that. He had wonderful parents and his music, what else could he need?
At that very moment Edward smelt it- human blood. He knew he should stop breathing and keep driving. But he saw the smoke rising from the small car. He stopped his car and stopped breathing so that he wouldn't feel the burn on his throat. As he ran he could smell three types of blood, but could only hear the muffled thoughts of one man. The man's thoughts were of his baby girl, and the love he had for her. The man's love for his daughter was overwhelming. Even though the man's thoughts were not clear, blocked somehow, the love was certain.
Edward pulled the driver's door away from the car. There was a woman in the passenger seat, the man's wife. She was already dead. The man looked up at Edward and said, "My daughter…" Edward looked back to the baby in the car seat in the back. The baby was crying, but she was okay, not a scratch on her. As Edward grabbed the baby he took in a breath of air and felt his throat burn. The baby had the sweetest blood he had ever smelled. Edward quickly gained control over himself by remembering that she was just a baby and her father was dying.
Using all his strength Charlie said, "You can save her."
It was a simple fact, and both Edward and Charlie knew it. Charlie knew that this young man was not human and that Bella's life would be safe in his hands.
Edward was stunned by the words of the child's father. It reminded Edward of the words his mother spoke to Carlisle before she died of the Spanish Influenza in 1918.
Charlie again spoke and said "Please, she will have no one when I'm gone. You must promise that you will take care of her."
At Charlie's last request Edward could not deny him and said, "I promise by my mother's life. I will do all in my power to keep her safe and protect her."
"Thank you. Thank you." Charlie reached up to Bella gently touched her and whispered to her "I will always love you Bella" And with those final words Charlie closed his eyes and joined Renee.
