I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers does.

Chapter 11

"Bella I'm so glad you're okay." Renee told her, tears running down her cheeks.

Bella just stood there in shock. She didn't really know what to say. She was a little angry at her mother for never telling her that she was a witch but at the same time she was relieved that Renee was safe.

"Come on, we can go have lunch and tell each other everything." Renee said grabbing Bella's arm.

Bella looked behind her at her friends, she didn't really want to leave them.

"Go ahead Bella, We'll meet back here in what? Two hours? Is that enough time?" Angela asked.

"It should be." Renee told her with a smile.

Bella let Renee drag her along. She still was having trouble gathering her thoughts but Renee held her close as they walked and Bella enjoyed being with her mother again.

"How's Phil?" Bella asked as they walked into a diner.

"Okay, I didn't tell him I was leaving but I think it will be alright. He's used to me now." Renee answered with a smile.

"You need to call him Renee. It's not right taking off without telling him." Bella said a little surprised at how fast she stepped back into her role as her mother's keeper.

"I'll call him soon." She replied waving off Bella's words

Bella sighed as she sat down in a booth across from her mom. They just studied each other, waiting for the other to speak.

"I'm sorry Bella. Mary and Sue promised me they would not expose you to magic. They swore that if you came to Forks that they wouldn't approach you!" Renee finally broke the silence.

Bella really wasn't sure what she was talking about. "I think you should start from the beginning Renee." Bella said slowly.

Renee took a drink from her coffee then began. "Sue always knew about magic. Her mother was a shaman and her mother before her. We became friends in high school. I thought it was so exciting, the spells she cast were amazing and keeping it all a secret was thrilling. We met Mary about six months after Sue and my friendship began." Renee paused smiling at her memories.

"Mary is one of the smartest women I have ever met. She caught us, I'm not even really sure how. She demanded that we show her what we knew. We did and soon found out that our magic was stronger together. We could cast more powerful spells. I was elated. I wanted to use magic for everything, but Sue said her mother had warned her against using too much magic. She said we had enemies, but she never said who they were." Renee's smile left her face.

"Things were fine. We cast a spell forming our coven. The closeness we shared..." Renee drifted off momentarily.

"We all met our significant others at the same time. We all got pregnant at the same time. Now looking back I think it was more than coincidence but at the time I just thought it was wonderful to share such big moments in our lives together. Then I had you Bella...You were so beautiful..." Tears filled her eyes but she ignored them.

"When you were five I met my first vampire. I had heard the stories from Sue but I never really took it to heart till I met one. He told me I needed to leave Forks. He said I had to stop practicing magic and keep you from learning it. He told me about the Volturi's vendetta against witches...I was so frightened." Renee looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Charlie didn't want to leave Forks and the truth was that I didn't really love Charlie anymore. Don't get me wrong I did love your father at one time but..." Renee paused searching for words. "He was boring. He was a small town sheriff who knew nothing about magic and vampires, I knew he couldn't protect us. I decided it was time to really live. I wanted to travel and explore...anything to fill the hole." Renee said looking out the window.

"What hole?" Bella asked a little irritated at her description of her father. Bella was a lot like Charlie, did Renee's words mean she found her boring?

"The hole left by giving up magic." Renee said softly.

Bella found herself feeling bad for her mom and a little guilty. Renee had given up magic to protect her. Bella hadn't actually cast more than the one spell but she felt a closeness to Leah and Angela already that she knew would be difficult to give up.

"Tell me what has happened here." Renee said breaking from her melancholy and beginning to eat her salad. Bella told her all of it. She didn't hesitate to tell her about her drunken slumber party. She knew Renee would not reprimand her for it. The only time Renee interrupted her was when she told her about Jasper.

"I thought you were in love with Edward?" Renee asked with a puzzled expression. "You were so broken up when he left you."

Bella was a little embarrassed by that. "I thought so too, but what I feel for Jasper is different. To tell you the truth so much has happened in such a short amount of time I haven't really gotten to explore what I do feel. I do know that what ever I felt for Edward is gone. It was already dying before the spell but watching him fling Sue aside without a care..." Bella would never forget that image.

"Sorry for interrupting, go on." Renee said sipping her coffee.

Bella went on to tell her about her the connection she felt with Leah and Angela. How both girls had found their mates. Then she told her about the tribal council that was meeting and the impending war. She ended by begging her to stay and help them. She didn't want her mother in danger and the safest place for her would be on the reservation.

Renee stared at her an almost eerie look on her face. Bella wished she knew what she was thinking.

"Well I guess I will need to go find a room. Well you come with me?" Renee asked smiling once again.

Bella returned her smile. "Of course!" She said standing up and following her mother out of the restaurant.

They walked to Renee's car and entered. Bella buckled up and turned to Renee.

"I'm sorry Bella." Renee said as she reached out and grabbed her hand. Bella was a little confused, then she heard her mother mumbling something and felt a tingling in her arm. Her eyes began to grow heavy and she fought to keep them open.

As she gave in to the darkness and let her head fall to the side she heard her mother's sad voice. "I can't let you be hurt Bella." The last thing she heard was the car motor starting up.


Charlie sat at his desk looking at the ring in front of him. Reverend Weber had stopped by the station on his way out of town and spouted a lot of things Charlie didn't understand before giving him the ring.

He told him that Bella and her friends were in danger and he would have to protect them. Charlie had been exasperated. He knew they were in danger but how would he be able to protect them from the supernatural threats they faced? Hell, the girls probably could protect themselves better than Charlie would be able to. He was just a human. He said as much to Reverend Weber. The man had smiled at him and told him there were more supernatural beings than werewolves, witches and vampires. What he meant Charlie wasn't sure but he had used that threat against Carlisle. The doctor had been so smug as he spouted his anger and prejudice. He seemed so sure that Charlie would not be able to enforce a warrant. Charlie just wanted to wipe that expression off his face.

Charlie picked up the ring and examined it closely. Reverend Weber said he had been holding it for him. He wouldn't tell him anything else. It should have made Charlie mad or at least frustrated him but the Reverend was such a good man, he was impossible to be angry at.

"Chief Swan there has been another animal attack near Neah Bay." Deputy Steve told him.

Charlie ran a hand through his hair. If only it was an animal. "I'll go out and investigate. You watch the office." Charlie told him. He didn't want Steve out there, he probably should call for one of the shifters to come with him but he knew they were in a council meeting. He really didn't think there would be any danger.

He got in his patrol car and headed to the scene. His thoughts kept going to the ring that was still in his hand. It seemed familiar. It was like something that was on the edge of his memory. It was a plain band with and inscription on the inside. He had been unable to decipher what it said. It was in a language he didn't know. Charlie sighed and focused on the road.

He arrived at the scene a short time later. The victim had already been taken to the morgue, Charlie looked around the area. It looked like there had been a fight. The victim hadn't gone down easy. There was a lot of blood around. Charlie wondered if a vampire would leave this amount of blood. It seemed to him that they would want to conserve the blood.

He stayed for a while searching for clues. He found camping gear. The victim had clearly been camping out. Charlie wished that he had stayed at a campsite instead of settling in the woods, maybe then he wouldn't have been attacked. Charlie stood up, deciding he would head back to the station, when a feeling of foreboding came over him. His felt like he was gasping for breath and panic began to eat at him. Bella... something was wrong.

Charlie started to walk faster to his car when a voice seemed to whisper to him to put on the ring. He fought against it at first, it seemed a silly idea. The idea persisted though and he stopped before opening the car door and put on the ring.

In an instant he knew all he had forgotten. He remembered everything. The long centuries of watching and protecting his charges. Always in the background only stepping forward when absolutely necessary. He remembered watching a young Renee. How beautiful and vibrant she had been. He had fallen in love with her.

He had gone to the council, pleaded with them to let him be with her. They finally consented but told him he must live the life of a mortal. He had to forget his vocation, his power. They had sealed his memories in the ring and chosen a temporary keeper.

Charlie laughed bitterly at the irony. He had become a normal man to be with Renee and she had fallen out of love with him because of it. She had not trusted him to protect her and their daughter when he was the protector of their kind.

He heard a rustling and a man stepped forward. "Keeper of the werewolves." Charlie greeted.

"Keeper of the witches." The man nodded. "You remember?"

"Yes Joseph, this was a werewolf?" Charlie asked.

"Yes." Joseph answered.

"I thought they were all gone. How many are left?" Charlie asked.

"Two. The one who did this and Mike Newton." He answered.

"What are the councils orders." Charlie asked with trepidation. He always felt protective of those he kept but now he was even more invested. Bella was his daughter.

"We are to let the war happen. The council has finally decided that Caius must be stopped. We are not to become involved unless our charges lives are in danger." Joseph told him.

"I can't fade into the background. I am chief of police. I am Bella's father." Charlie declared. He would fight the council if he had to. He didn't like what had happened. He was sure they had a large laugh at his expense. He had given up everything for Renee only for her to leave him. He had always had trouble following their orders. They had ordered him to let most of his witches die. Whether through persecution from the vampires or from the humans. Now their was only the five left. If they thought he would let them die they had another thing coming.

"You are going to be allowed to renew your position but you can't reveal that you are a keeper." Joseph told him.

Charlie let out a breath relieved, then he frowned. They wanted him to keep Bella in the dark. It wasn't right, she should be made aware that she wasn't fully human. Still he would fight that battle later. There was too much danger right now for him to buck the council and risk losing their support.

"Balance will now be restored. Caius will be removed and a new keeper of the vampires will be appointed. The war will be allowed and the balance restored." Joseph finished.

Charlie frowned. It all sounded good but there would be many lives lost in the process. "Our charges?" Charlie asked fear gnawing at him.

"My werewolves will be protected." Joseph answered.

"My witches?" Charlie asked.

"I was not told." Joseph answered looking down.

Charlie wanted to rage at the man but held himself in check. It was not Joseph's fault. Joseph had watched his once abundant werewolves hunted and killed. Keepers felt a connection to those they protected. Each murder was a blow inflicted on him. He felt Joseph's hand on his arm and turned to look at the man.

"We will be in touch Charlie." He said with a sad smile before returning to the woods. Joseph had always preferred the forest rather than civilization. In a lot of ways he was as his charges.

Charlie got into his car and sat there for a minute. He pulled off the ring and looked at the now legible words. 'To protect the balance'. Charlie returned the ring to his finger and started up the car. He headed back to the station. Remembering the moment of fear for Bella he had experienced he picked up his phone and dialed her number. He frowned as no one answered. The niggling fear wouldn't leave him and he dialed Jasper's number.

"Jasper is Bella with you?" He asked when the man answered the phone.

"No, she went to have lunch then ran into Renee. Leah said she was supposed to be back already but no one has seen her." Jasper said his normally calm voice seeming to be worried.

"I'll be right there. Wait for me Jasper." Charlie told him.

The vampire growled but agreed. Charlie hung up and turned on his siren as he turned toward La Push.