AN: Thanks for the reviews, I can promise that I'll post often and lengthy chapters. Maybe twice a week on a Friday, and then a Sunday. But since I'm just starting this I'll be updating between today and tomorrow at least three times. No promises.
Remember all things Twilight are Stephenie Meyer. The situations, language, and plot all belongs to me.
Rated M for adult situations, adult language, and sexual content.
Chapter 1: Coming Home
"Well how did it go?" Angela, a slender tall young women with the same chocolate eyes as Bella, skin the coloring of a toasted sugar cookie asked.
Bella sighed as she shook her head indicating things hadn't gone exactly to plan. "It was horrible Ang, I'm trying to fix and pick up the pieces. But it seems the more I try the more I realize no one wants to deal with me."
"Well Bella you have to be reasonable. You did a lot of shit to people, and not everyone is going to open their arms and let you back in. You're lucky they'd even take the time and listen." Angela explained to her older sister.
Bella nodded completing understanding Angela. It had taken Bella a long time to cope with the demons of her past, as well as own up to it. Bella didn't expect anyone to just snap their fingers, and be happy with her again. However, Bella couldn't fathom why it was so hard.
"Are you going to Charlie's funeral?" Angela quickly changed topics. In Bella's eyes the new conversation wasn't for the better.
"I don't know. I don't think I'm welcomed there." Bella grumbled as her eyes began to burn.
Angela frowned sitting down beside her sister. An arm went around Bella's body comfortingly. "He was our dad Bella. As much as you two didn't see eye to eye I know dad loved you."
"Angela please. The last time I saw him it was when he was putting me in handcuffs." Bella frowned grumbling out the words.
It was true, Bella had gotten out of hand once she met him. Getting arrested was just one of the things that compiled onto the long list of atrocities she had committed, and Charlie being the one to put the cuffs on her for the first time left a sour taste in her mouth. Although Charlie was a good father Bella never felt like he was a father. With Charlie there were rules, and consequences if you disobeyed them. Bella felt Charlie lacked compassion, at times she wished she could get a loving embrace from her father. Things with Charlie were just so black and white.
"Well I can't make decisions for you, but there's a lot of people in Forks that you should really try and go see as well. Let's forget the whole Charlie thing and-"
"Forget what Charlie thing?" A small woman asked interrupting the conversation between her two daughters. They held the same full lips, high cheek bones, but whereas they were a toasted color Renee was the soft shade of hot cocoa.
"The funeral. I'm trying to convince Bella to go with me." Angela informed her mother.
Renee quirked an eyebrow. "Why would you not go Bella? You loved Charlie—picked him over me during the divorce remember?" Renee asked smugly.
Bella did remember, because every chance Renee could she was throwing it in Bella's face. It wasn't that Bella didn't love her mother, but Renee was over the top and controlling. Living with Charlie, yeah Bella had rules, but she didn't have Charlie down her throat. Maybe it was why Bella got into so much chaos.
"Didn't miss a beat did you ma?" Bella questioned sarcasm dripping from her voice.
Renee smirked pulling her long thick tendrils out her face. "I won't miss a beat all week either since I'm on vacation, and here you are living in my house." If Bella was disrespectful enough to slap Renee's face it would be now.
Instead Bella pushed away from the kitchen grabbing her mug filled with sweet coffee, and headed out the kitchen. "What time did you say the flight was again Ang?"
Angela grinned big showing her pearly whites as she mouthed a thank you to her mother. "7 am!" Angela called back answering Bella. There was a method to Renee's twisted madness at times.
Bella woke early as the ringtone Bella set as Angela's chimed through the air. With a sigh Bella rose up slowly grabbing her phone off the nightstand. Groggily she answered. "Hello?"
"Wake up Bella, we have a flight to catch. Ben and I are twenty minutes away." Angela practically radiated excitement through the phone.
Sucking her teeth Bella grumbled an okay. By no means was she a morning person, especially not at 5 am. Bella worked at a diligent pace getting herself ready. A quick shower washing her long hair with her favorite brown sugar and fig products, it wasn't as good as her strawberry scented one. However, Bella didn't to even touch the stuff; the memories were too painful.
Once her shower was through she quickly dried off and lotioned. Living in the city that never sleeps Bella obtained a certain kind of love for fashion. Being that it was fall Bella grabbed for a pair of her favorite light washed high waist skinny jeans, she paired it with a simple rust colored chiffon button up, and her favorite brown boots. A bun was what Bella settled on, no make up was necessary, but Bella had depended on it now to feel pretty. Giving herself a final once over in the mirror Bella was more than satisfied with what she saw.
Just as Ben blared his horn Bella was stepping out of the house she shared with Renee. Ben got out the car grabbing Bella's bags. "Geesh you plan on staying for good?" He joked.
Bella playfully rolled her eyes at her brother in law. "Hardy har har. I just needed options."
Bella always enjoyed the playful banter with Ben. Angela had met the Asian male her first year at LaGuardia high school. The two married two years ago, in a beautiful beach ceremony. Bella was happy for her younger sister but Bella envied her as well. There had been a time when Bella too was...
"Get in the car Bella! You've been standing there in a daze for like four minutes!" Angela shouted out the car window. Bella quickly snapped out of it as she got into the car. Angela looked back at her concerned but Bella gave a soft smile reassuring her that she was okay.
Thirty minutes later the trio was at JFK airport. Angela and Ben embraced lovingly in each other's arms. "I wish you could get the time off." Angela pouted as she whined looking up into her husband's eyes.
"I wish I could too, but this is Hollywood for you." Ben sighed responding. Ben was an upcoming director in Hollywood. He had broke barriers with a recent movie he executive produced and directed. Ben gained several Academy awards for his movie which is huge for a first movie. All of Hollywood wanted a piece of Ben, it both thrilled and frightened the couple.
"Flight 289 to LAX now boarding." Angela frowned upon hearing those words. The couple embraced and departed with a searing kiss. Bella gave her brother in law a tight hug, then Ben hurried along to catch his flight.
"You'll be fine. Just think in two weeks you'll be meeting him at LAX, and for months on end I'll be alone with mommy." Bella grumbled but with a smile attempting to cheer Angela up.
Angela let out a defeated sigh and laughed softly. "Goodness Isabella you're horrible at this cheering people up thing."
"So I've been told." Bella quietly responded.
After the six hour flight from New York to Seattle Washington Bella was exhausted. "Let's just stay in a hotel out here and in the morning we'll drive out to Forks for the funeral." Angela suggested.
"Sounds perfect, I'm tired as hell." Bella let out a yawn just as the words left her mouth. Together the sisters rented a car, nothing special just something to move around in. They found a nice hotel in downtown Seattle, and settled in for the night.
As Bella sat brushing her hair Angela was going over their itinerary for the trip. "So after the funeral we have to speak with Charlie's lawyer—for the reading of the will."
Bella blanched. "Charlie had a will?" She asked.
Angela nodded as confirmation. "Yeah he definitely did, I don't take dad for having a lot but everything meant so much to him." Angela said in a kind of wispy tone.
Bella didn't give a response just continued to plat her hair. Laying back on the bed she glanced back over at Angela. "Do you think he'll be there?"
Bella frowned feeling the knots in her stomach began to form. "I don't know Ang. I try not to think about it...still hurts." Bella rubbed her chest feeling an ache beginning to grow.
"I think he will, he loved Charlie." Angela quietly told Bella. Bella huffed and quickly flicked the light off beside her bed. She didn't wanna talk about it anymore. Bella had buried those feelings deep, and talking about it did nothing for her. Angela followed suit after her sister, but Angela had hope. Lots of hope for her older sister.
The next morning Bella and Angela were up. Both found it hard to come to grips with the emotions they were beginning to feel. Guilt was the most prominent. The two sisters felt guilty that they weren't around their father more often. Angela visited Charlie as much as she could, and called but Angela knew she could have done better. Bella's guilt was magnified by a thousand. Bella hadn't called, wrote or visited Charlie. Bella had been bitter from previous times before and her actions led her to neglect her father. Charlie had tried many times to talk to Bella, more than once inquiring about Bella to Angela. Bella was just too angry and anger had the tendency to leave people blinded at times.
God Bella had been so blind. The tears spilled onto her black dress as the two sisters stood outside of the church where her father was lying in a casket. "I can't do this Ang! He was...oh God!" Bella sobbed.
Angela cried just as hard. "C'mon Bella, he's been waiting all this time for you to come home. No matter the circumstances you're here now, so let's help him go on home."
Bella nodded shakily. "Okay...I...just...God Ang a heart attack?! I thought I had time!" Bella bellowed furiously.
Angela swallowed hard. "Time is never promised Isabella...never." Angela stopped talking after that. She simply grabbed Bella's hand and together they entered the church.
Time slowed drastically as Bella and Angela walked further into the church. Forks was a small town, and everyone was there to pay respects to Chief of police Charles Swan. There was no cloudy memory either, the people in attendance remembered both of his daughters; especially Bella.
Without a word Bella and Angela took their seats in the first pew on the left. It was going to be a long day.