Summary: Renee died, so Bella is sent to live with Charlie in Forks. She's a great student, but not really great at socializing. She finds refuge in the local library, where she meets a cute clerk and finds a new hobby: genealogy. What will she discover about herself and her family? And what will the cute clerk bring out in Bella? All human. Cannon pairings.

A/N: This is my first fanfic that's not a one-shot. I'm working out the story line as I go. Please be patient, and if you have any ideas of where the story should go, please let me know in a review or PM. If you have any questions about the story, do the same. I like talking to new people. :-)

BPOV

As I got off the plane, I noticed the gray clouds and the rain. This is going to be my new life. Forks, Washington. Great. How could I possibly go from sunny and arid, to dismal and wet? As I was lost in my own internal ramblings, my feet automatically carried me to the luggage carousel where I found my luggage, and tried to get it of the belt. My bags were heavy and the next thing I knew, Charlie, my father, was next to me helping me by lifting the heavy ones and setting them by our feet. He stood there, smiling at me, but not the careful smiles I've gotten in the past week. His smile was bright and excited. He was glad I'd been exiled to reside with him in my mother's and his hometown. My mother got the idea to move out of Forks at the first possible chance, and I couldn't wait to follow in her steps.

We walked together to the exit of the airport, and Charlie insisted on getting the car so I wouldn't have to get all of my bags wet. Once my luggage was secured in the trunk and we were settled into the cruiser—Charlie is police chief and used the car as his own—we fell into silence for several minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was screaming at me to say something. Charlie beat me to it.

"I'm glad you're here, Bella. You don't have any idea how much I miss seeing you," Charlie gushed. Odd, he wasn't usually like this.

"Yeah, I'm glad to finally see you, too," I replied somewhat monotonously because of the physical and emotional exhaustion I've experience in the past week.

"I mean, I wish it was under different circumstances, but, I'm still happy to see you, Bells."

"Yeah, me too," I answered quietly, trying to keep the reasons for my moving here out of my mind for now.

Since I had gotten a plane from Phoenix to Seattle, we had a bit of a drive to Forks. Charlie wasn't really much for small talk, which I was glad for, but I also was anxious about that. The lack of conversation—which generally suited me very well—gave cause for deep thought, which I was trying to avoid.

Since I couldn't avoid it anymore than an hour, I decided to finally confront the thoughts lurking in the back of my mind. I was scared, but I was determined not to cry. You are moving to Forks for your senior year. You will not be going back to Phoenix anytime soon to see your old friends. You will be living with Charlie, a man you barely know. You will never see your mother again.

While the other thoughts were daunting, it was the last one I hadn't actually articulated, in my mind or out loud. Last Saturday, my mother, Renee, died in a car accident. It was gruesome, and I think that I'm still refusing to completely accept it. Your mother died. She's no longer alive, and you won't get a chance to see her in person again. You will have to take care of Charlie now. You can't let Renee's death get the better of you. Your grades matter. You have to go to college next year. It's what Renee would want.

While I was lost in my thoughts again, we arrived to the home that I hadn't set foot in for over five years. It looked exactly the same as it had when I was thirteen. It was still a simple house that wasn't large, but was big enough for a family. As Charlie helped me carry my bags to my room, I was pretty much on auto-pilot. I had turned on the numbness since my thoughts in the car. I didn't want to have a breakdown in front of Charlie; I wanted to cry in private.

Once the bags were all placed in my room, Charlie insisted we get something to eat. We went to McDonald's a couple of blocks away from the house. It wasn't fancy, and I liked that about Charlie. He always seemed to know what kind of atmosphere would fit my mood, and I'm surprised that still applies after such a long time of not being near each other. I needed my favorite comfort food, and he seemed to read my mind. I could see Charlie and I getting along quite well for the months I will stay here. Thank God. There wasn't much talk over the fries and burgers, but it wasn't a screaming silence like before.

Charlie decided to talk a bit on the short drive back to the house. He asked if I had all the supplies I'd need to start school on Monday. He asked if I needed some help getting a car. He was actually tuned in to a lot of what I was thinking, so I didn't have to talk much. He agreed to help me get a car. He said his friend Billy had a truck for sale, so he'd talk to him tomorrow about getting it for me. That actually brightened my mood a lot. I'd be happy to not have to ride around in a police cruiser for my senior year. He told me he wanted me to think of his home as mine, so I could decorate or organize however I want so I could be comfortable. That was sweet.

Later that night, as I was unpacking, I found a picture of my friends and I from home, all wet from a water balloon fight at my seventeenth birthday party. I had their emails, but I had a feeling I wouldn't get to keep in touch with them very much. That didn't upset me as much as the next thing I pulled out. It was my mom's favorite ring. It was silver and had a sapphire. She always said she wanted me to have it, but I never expected I'd get it because something so drastic happened. She used to tell me I would have to wear it on my wedding day as my something old and my something blue. It really was a beautiful ring. I slid it on the ring finger of my right hand and just stared at it for a while, tears slowly starting to fill my eyes. Out of all the things of Renee's that were now mine, this was my favorite. I think it's mostly because it was her favorite.

Putting the ring to the back of my mind, I began to unpack all of my clothes and place them into the dresser that I recognized as the one from years ago when I'd stay for a week or two. I reflected back on this visits to Forks with my mom. She always said she loved this place, but just to visit. She said the rain always made her dreary unless Charlie was around. I smiled at that. Even though Charlie and my mother weren't together, they still had a close relationship that I wouldn't expect from separated parents.

After I'd decided that I had everything in proper order, I went downstairs to the living room to say goodnight to Charlie. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, I trudged up the stairs, and fell into a deep sleep after such an exhausting week.