Disclaimer: I'd love to own the Twilight series and you know, rewrite them. But I don't so I can't. I will have be content with writing anti-Twilight fanfiction. :P

TAS - Chapter 6: Better Days to Come? (part 2)

A/n: The timeline in the books is a bit confusing so please bear with me. I tried researching on it, hoping to find out if Stephenie Meyer probably through her official website, interviews or conferences, expanded or explained an actual, almost day-by-day timeline that I could use. The only thing I found was the one the Twilight Lexicon made. If I'm not mistaken, it is NOT the official timeline for the books but it seems accurate enough.

However, there was this warning at the bottom of the webpage where I got it from: "Note – not all dates match up in reality. The dates are accurate for the book. Some dates are given to us, like March 20th in New Moon. But there are days missing when using an exact calendar for references. Thus, the book may say it took a week, when on our timeline it will only take a day or two because we had to compromise and lose time to match up to the specific dates given to us."

Please don't accuse me of being wrong concerning the timeline or that it is way off. I know that I might be but I'm just following their timeline so that it looks less messy. But feel free to tell me what you think! R&R. Thanks. :)

The cold wind blew the hair that had escaped my tight bun in whichever direction, blinding me somewhat. I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head and kept my head down. I felt cold, tired and sore but despite that I couldn't help but feel really happy and content at that moment.

I was walking into town now bathed in a beautiful orange-red hue. I stopped to admire the scene in front of me. People were walking past me, going along their merry way, talking gaily with one another, drinking coffee inside diners…

It felt oh so normal…so comfortable…so much like home. I had to admit that had I really been Bella Swan, had I been Charlie's kid, had I grown up here…I would have liked it very much. I would have enjoyed going to Fork's High School with Mike, Jessica, Angela, and all my other friends. I wouldn't have dreaded being here at all. If only this was real and this was really normal and this was actually my life then it wouldn't be so freaking hard…

Dammit. It was two days and I was already on the verge of having a mental breaking down every time I got a moment's peace. I should stop thinking about it any further. No more reminiscing about home or wishful thinking. I knew it would do me no good.

Someone brushed up against me and brought me back to reality. I sighed. I knew I had to get going before it got too dark for me to see without a flashlight and I didn't think that was all too possible with all the grocery bags I would have to lug all the way back.

I began walking again but was by no means being quick about it. Walking by myself here felt awful, heartbreakingly nice. I could have lied to myself and have said that this was it. This was my life. I could start believing it right now and maybe slowly but surely the aching in my heart would stop. Maybe I would forget…

I heard a bell ringing softly. I stopped and looked up. I saw a man and a young boy holding what looked to be a trumpet case leaving a shop. I glanced at the sign hanging above the door. The Little Sound of Music. It was the music shop from yesterday.

Peering through the window, I could see the old man at the far end behind the counter and the piano to the side. I wanted to go in but now was definitely not the time. I turned away but didn't move. Closing my eyes, lest the tears start to fall, I whispered softly to myself, "Dad…Mom.." God, how I missed them so much now.

I saw Charlie's police cruiser parked outside beside my truck and I could hear the faint sounds coming from the television in the living room. "I'm home!" I called out, slipping the key into the keyhole and opened the door while trying to juggle the two groceries bags I was carrying in my arms.

Charlie was right there when I managed to kick the door open with one my boots. "You should have taken the truck," he said, giving me a disapproving look while trying to sound serious and all parent-like. It wasn't exactly working on me. Maybe it was because I wasn't actually his kid. It was either that or his parenting skills really sucked.

I handed him the larger, heavier bag of the two, smiling cheekily, "Good evening to you too."

"Bells, why didn't you take the truck?" he asked as he followed me into the kitchen. "Didn't it start this morning? You should have called for me at the station."

"Call 911? And say what? Hello, this is Bella Swan, yes, Chief Swan's daughter. I have an emergency could you spare my dad so he could help me start up my antique truck?" I teased.

I placed the grocery bag on the only free space of kitchen countertop left -- the one next to the fridge and a huge stack of unwashed dishes in the sink. I looked at it and frowned as I wiggled out of my jacket, tossing it over a chair. I hated chores as much as the next person and the thought of adding to the pile of mess just made me feel how tired I was and how much my body ached. I couldn't imagine how I was going to feel tomorrow morning…

Charlie followed suit and we started taking out the stuff I bought out of the paper bags and putting them away. "So the truck was the problem and you decided that walking to school was the best option? What are you, a sadist now?"

I laughed at his crude remark and shook my head. "No, of course not! It's called exercising," I bit back, rolling my eyes. "And it wasn't the truck's fault. I wanted to walk to school. Big deal."

He stared at me intently, his eyes searching and he looked about ready say something else but at the last minute, he decided against it and looked away.

When we had finally cleared away most of the stuff, and I began to prepare dinner, Charlie caught me by the shoulder. I looked up at him and he just shook his head. I frowned, perplexed but didn't stop what I was doing. What did he mean, "no"?

"You and me, let's eat out."

Now I was openly staring at him. "What? Why?"

He shrugged, "No reason."

I stole a quick glance at the pile of forgotten in the sink and began to consider. It would mean I could postpone having to clean all that up until the next morning. I massaged the back of neck which was sore like the rest of me. Finally, I let out a huge sigh of relief and conceded.

Smiling at him, I nodded, "Okay, sure."

He passed me my jacket and took the key to the truck instead of his cruiser. I stifled a giggle. He was trying to make a point but I wasn't sure what that was exactly. Either that or he secretly like my truck and wanted it for himself. He drove us both to a diner. It seemed he frequented there often before because when he came in with me in tow, he was instantly greeted by most of the people inside.

"Evening Chief! Is that little Bellsie, you got there behind you?" the man behind the counter asked jovially, raising the glass he was cleaning in my direction. I gave him a lopsided smile, slightly embarrassed. Bellsie. I didn't know whether to laugh or be mortified.

Charlie's face broke out into a wide grin and he hugged me tightly by the shoulders. "Yeah, Al. This is her." I heard the pride in his voice and the love he had for his little girl. I choked back a sob. Charlie deserved so much better than the ungrateful, whiny brat that was Bella Swan.

Albert Zimmerman or Big Al, as I later found out was a retired cop and a good friend of Charlie's from way back. He used to be Charlie's senior partner for the first four years when Charlie was still a rookie. When Al decided to retire due to a serious back injury, he set up a diner right across from the police station. Because of a such an ideal location and not to mention the their fondness for Big Al, it wasn't surprising that most of the people eating in the diner where police men and women.

There were a number of off-duty officers by the bar and they greeted us with friendly smiles and simple "hellos" and "how you doings" as we passed through and went all the way to the back where we were less likely to be stared at. I heaved a big sigh as I slid into my side of the booth and wondered for the umpteenth time since I arrived here how so many people could be so curious about one ordinary girl besides the fact that she was the Chief of Police's daughter.

"So…what's up?" I asked after we had done away with the business of ordering our food.

"Hm, I think I should be asking you that," Charlie replied, looking at me pointedly.

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure what you're getting at." I paused, frowning. Charlie just stared back looking awfully serious. I started to panic and my mind whirled with all kinds of dreadful, irrational things. The most prominent being that he somehow found out I wasn't his real daughter. "Did I do something wrong?"

'What in the world does he know?' I was most likely being paranoid but shouldn't I be ready for anything? It's crazy enough that I'm in here in the first place, what if he actually thought I was crazy? Okay, maybe not. But what would happen if I had rubbed him the wrong way or something? What if I was weirding him out? What if I had done something really un-Bella-like? I'm not sure what would happen if he ever found out I wasn't his daughter. But I was almost quite certain that keeping it a secret was better than telling him the truth. I wondered if he would even believe me if I told him. Knowing Charlie, he'd probably think I was joking or going mental. If he did think I was nuts, I hope I didn't seem too crazy that he actually did something drastic.

From amidst the dread, paranoia, and panic I was feeling, I heard him chuckle and then he smiled at me. He took one of my hands and patted it. "Don't get so worked up, Bells. I got a call from your PE coach to tell me you made it on the volleyball team." He shook his head as if he still didn't quite believe it yet. "My Bella on the volleyball team. I thought you hated sports."

I mentally sighed in relief. I gave him a quick smile back while I tried to calm myself down. "Abhorred is closer to what I felt then," I lied. "I don't know. People change, I guess. And I found out that, for some reason, the ball doesn't hate me when I play volleyball."

He howled with laughter which got him a few stares but then he shook his head again and returned to looking thoughtful. "Yeah, I've noticed that about you, darling. You've changed a great deal since I met you last summer."

'Quick, think of something to say!' I racked my brain, fumbling for a good reason. "Well, I…I didn't want to tell Mom in case she'd get upset but I was shocked when she told me she was planning on marrying Phil. They haven't been dating all that long and well, truthfully, I wasn't ready for the change. It's always been me and her against the world until recently." I bowed my head, unable to look at him anymore and tucked some stray hair behind my ear (a nervous habit), wondering the whole time if he bought the lie. "I guess the whole decision and process to come here really made me grow up." I took a peek at him, "And volleyball? Well, that's just something to keep my mind off missing Mom and Phoenix."

"I understand, sweetheart. But you'll grow to like it here. Just give Forks and your ol' dad a chance."

I smiled reassuringly. "I am. Everyone's been really nice to me so far and you already bribed me with the truck."

Our dinner came then. The waitress was placing my order down, a huge bowl of spaghetti on the table when I caught Charlie staring. It wasn't the unnerving stare like the one before but one of those parental stares you've probably seen on the faces of mothers and fathers when they look at their child from a far or when they think the child doesn't notice. He was looking at me and thinking probably about his daughter's past, her present, and what lay for her ahead. And from the way the corners of his mouth curved up, he liked the possibilities.

"Dad," I said quietly, the term of endearment still sounding weird to my ears but was becoming much easier to say.

He snapped out of his reverie. "Yeah, Bells?"

"I'm going to try a lot harder from now on." He inclined his head, his brows furrowing, obviously not understanding what I had just said. "I mean, being a better kid. I'm different now from before and I promise you, it's going to be great between the two of us."

I didn't wait for a response and attacked my food with much gusto.

The ride back was comfortably silent. We didn't talk; only the radio crackling noisily and the hum of the engine in the background. When we finally made it home, I immediately clambered out of the vehicle, up the drive way and through the front door as quick as I my tired body would let me. I was exhausted and the thought of getting between the covers right that very minute was so tempting.

I was halfway up the staircase when Charlie bounded up behind me and pulled me until a gentle embrace, my back against his chest. I instinctively stiffened and I was grateful that he couldn't see the undeniably shocked expression showing on my face. It was kind of odd that Charlie Swan, the un-talkative, silent type was doing something so sentimental. Maybe he was growing more confident now that I was actually being nice to him.

Slowly, I willed my body to relax. I couldn't let him think that I felt awkward around him. I needed him to believe I was his daughter. I had to start believing that I was his daughter. If I did, maybe it would make this whole confusing, uncomfortable situation (and I didn't just mean the one we were in just then) a lot more bearable.

I craned my neck and twisted my body just enough so that we could see eye to eye. "Goodnight, Dad," I whispered.

He squeezed me tighter before finally letting me go. He let out an awkward cough, obviously embarrassed, retreating back to his shy, old self. "Yeah, well goodnight. Don't forget to clear out the sink before you leave for school tomorrow and please take the truck this time," he gently ordered.

I chuckled. "Yes, sir," I said and climbed the rest of the way up, disappearing into my bedroom.

I will tell you now, the next few days were one of the best days I ever had or probably ever will have until the day I finally get out of here. Friday, I got to meet the volleyball team for the first time. Understandably, they were all wary of me. Bella's body was rather on the skinny, almost borderline-on-the-anorexic side and they probably thought what the heck was their coach thinking putting a girl like me on the team. At first glance, Bella did look a bit gawky and awkward but in a cute way which was obviously the author's goal. But I had been practicing and exercising nonstop the previous three days so her body was slowly being conditioned to take the sudden stress that came with the sport.

On the whole, the volleyball team were made up of some pretty down to earth girls who genuinely loved the sport as I did. Although, our team captain and her little posse had some sort of hierarchy going on and deemed her "Queen" which was a bit predictable. I wasn't about to suck up to her but I wasn't going to try to get on her bad side either. She probably already despised me just because I was Bella Swan, the "new girl" and the fact that Coach Clapp let me on the team without having to go through tryouts. It didn't really matter. She was a senior and would be gone by the end of the school year anyway.

I was surprised to find Erik, Angela, Mike and Jessica all there by the sidelines when practice ended. Erik whacked me hard on the back, apparently totally impressed and deemed me a "volleyball goddess". Mike, not to be out done, gave me a hug as if we had been buddies for the longest time. The girls were really excited about our first upcoming match for the season and we talked about it as we left the gym. Angela was going anyway because she had to get shots for both the school newspaper and the year book. I knew that Jessica was tagging along because of Mike under the pretense that she was going because of me and I totally didn't mind at all. I laughed on the inside. Once I convinced Mike that I really wasn't interested in him, the two of them would get together pretty fast.

I left them to go home. They were going out to a local café, a favorite hang out for students at FHS. They asked me if I wanted to come but I told them that I promised Charlie that I was going to cook him dinner tonight. Besides I was pretty tired and wanted to rest.

The days had gone by so fast that I hadn't thought of Edward or any of the Cullens at all. In fact, I had barely noticed them, like they were just some distant and faraway dream that I couldn't quite recall anymore. However, as I headed back to Charlie's house, I realized that next week, Edward was coming back. I couldn't help but wish that he didn't. I wanted to let everything just stay the way it was. I was starting to get used to it. I was no longer thinking about home as much (thanks primarily to my constantly practicing) and the pain, although still there was not as bad as it once was. I was going to stick it out as best as I could and maybe, just maybe, the person or thing that put me here in the first place was going to get tired of playing around with my life and put me back where I belonged. Until then, all I wanted was that life here kept running smoothly.

Charlie wasn't home yet when I got back but it was getting pretty close to the time when he would so I decided to start making dinner. If there was something I did know how to cook it was pasta. I had some the night before and decided to make spaghetti for Charlie. I had just found a big enough pot, rinsed it out, and started boiling some water in it when I heard the front door open and close. "Bella?" I heard Charlie call out from the hallway.

"I'm in the kitchen!"

He found me already have put the pasta into the pot and stirring it around slowly. "Spaghetti?" he asked. I nodded, grinning. "Didn't you have that for dinner last night?" I nodded again, my grin growing wider. He laughed and shook his head. "Fine, I'll set the table."

"Thanks. So, how was work?"

"Not bad. No accidents. Nothing exciting you'd want to hear about."

"Ha-ha."

After fixing the table, he told me, "Oh, by the way, the guys gave me a cake to celebrate your first day on the team." He went out of the kitchen to retrieve it and came back with a nicely cellophane-wrapped chocolate fudge cake on a plate. "Grace, Jack de Cena's wife baked it. One of their daughters is on the team too. You've probably met her today."

"Yeah, her name's Marjorie de Cena, I think. She's really nice."

Charlie stood there not knowing where to put the cake apparently since it was going to be a tight fit if he it on the table. The cake was huge. It looked like it had three layers and was covered in a thick fudge. My mouth watered. I indicated the fridge and said, "Try putting it in there. Maybe there's enough space on the bottom shelf."

Once the cake was safely inside the fridge (and it really was a tight fit), Charlie sat down and watched me cook. The pasta was doing nicely and I was now opening a can of spaghetti sauce I had quickly bought from the grocery store. In about half an hour, dinner was ready and Charlie and I sat down to eat. This was something new. Most of the time, Mom was never around to have breakfast or lunch or even dinner with and whenever I was with Dad during summer or Christmas vacation, we never ate in. He always took me out to dinner, sometimes with his girlfriend, sometimes just the two of us but never at home unless it was a party.

I liked this. There was something very precious about being able to sit down with a loved one and just be there. Sure, Charlie wasn't either of my parents and I had only met him a couple of days ago but that feeling now that was coursing through my body, I liked it. I wanted it. I craved it. I imagined it was my real dad sitting across from me instead of Charlie talking about everyday things and the like. Me and my dad, we never got to talk with each other like that even when I wanted to. Dad was just so busy and seemed distracted all the time as if he was constantly somewhere far away that it was a bit hard and pointless to talk about mundane things like school and friends with him. He used to ask about stuff like that but I could tell he really didn't care and soon he just stopped asking altogether.

In my mind, his hair slowly changed from a dark brown color to a washed out gray. His eyes changed from brown to green and his face was far more square and his jaw more prominent than Charlie's. Mom always said that I was the spitting image of my father and the only thing that I inherited from her in the looks department was my little nose and my petite frame. Dad had a Grecian nose and was roughly 6-foot. I looked away and stared at my half-finished plate of spaghetti. I didn't want Charlie to see me cry and if he asked, it was obvious that I couldn't tell him why.

I couldn't help but feel depressed and a silence (though not wholly uncomfortable) fell over us. I quickly finished the rest of my food and dumped my dishes into the sink. "I'm going to go upstairs now," I mumbled to Charlie before I left to go to my room.

"Sure, sweetheart," he said nonchalantly but his eyes trailed off to the fridge where the cake was safely tucked away in.

"Sorry. I know we should try the cake now but I'm really tired and stuff," I fumbled through an apology. "We can have it for desert after dinner tomorrow?"

He nodded. "No problem. Get going, you really do look like you're about to collapse." I gave him a wry grin but didn't reply. I left him, eating by himself in the kitchen. It might have been just me but he looked awfully lonely.

'That must have been him all these years without a wife or daughter to keep him company. He's so lonely and Bella treats him like trash…' I sighed, shaking my head as I turned away and slowly made my way up the stairs.

A relaxing hot bath or in my case, a shower was just the thing I needed. It felt like the water was just washing all my problems away and I felt rejuvenated when I finished. I had let my mind go blank, focusing solely on the feeling of the warm water on my skin as it trickled down my body.

Now, I was sitting on my bed, combing my hair absent-mindedly while looking out the window and into the darkness of the night, happy and content again.

At that moment I realized, that letting my guard down was the worse thing I could ever do while I was here. I mean, it was because of how foolish and unaware I was that I ended up here in the first place, right? One second I was watching the branches of the trees outside my window swaying back and forth in sort of slow, lazy dance and the next I was seeing entirely black.

Startled, I dropped my comb and it clattered to the floor. I was hoping that this would happen sometime soon but nevertheless I was totally shocked.

"Good evening, Helena," came that sweet, melodious voice that had been haunting my dreams of late. A smile graced her already beautiful face and it was so hard not to look and stare. I watched dumbly as she glided across the space that separated us and came to stand before me. "How have you been? Enjoying yourself?" she asked and the tone of her voice did not reveal anything other than genuine…curiosity. I wouldn't dare to think that she was actually concerned for my well-being however she didn't show any malice towards me.

I slowly nodded my head. "Okay, I guess," I managed to squeak out. Her grin widened if that was possible. It seemed her mouth was just filled with teeth -- shiny, perfectly aligned teeth. It was nauseating how one person or being could be so damn perfect.

Here in the light she seemed different, somewhat more real than she had been when I had first seen her in what I had thought was a dream. Well, actually, it was more of a nightmare but that was beside point. Her black, flowing robes were draped over her, making her look twice as big and twice as intimidating than she was if she had been wearing ordinary clothes. From what I could see and tell, she was tall -- supermodel tall and she was lithe and she moved with a fluidity that was beyond the capabilities of a human being. She was far more graceful than any ballerina or gymnast I have ever seen on TV.

Her head was not covered by the hood this time, her golden hair glistened unnaturally and tumbled past her shoulders and all the way to her waist. My eyes trailed further down and I noticed that again she wore nothing on her feet. Her robes were so long that barely the tips of her toes peeked through.

God, how stunning she looked. It was mesmerizing and somewhere at the back of my mind I loathed her for it. It was like it was beyond my power to look away and if I let myself, I could start liking her. I felt like I should believe whatever words that came from her mouth even if it was entirely against what I knew and believed in. It was like she was doing something to me and I had no control over my thoughts or emotions.

But there was something else that caught me off guard. The last time, I thought that the moonlight was what made her look so pale but in fact she was just really pale to begin with. The color of that skin of hers…I knew I had seen it before. Could it be that she too…?

I tore my eyes away from her and looked down at the floor. I saw my comb, halfway underneath my bed and slowly bent down to retrieve it. As I picked it up, I gripped it so tightly that it hurt. I focused on the pain. I replaced the confusion and fear I felt with anger and hate. I decided now that I was going to hate this bitch until I took my very last breath.

"Why?" I whispered. My head was still bowed, focusing on the comb in my hand.

"Excuse me?" I heard her say. Her voice was light and airy and it disturbed me that she seemed to think of the situation was no more than a game to her. Didn't she stop to think that she was playing with a person's life? My life?

Abruptly, my head snapped up to look at her. I eyed her for a second or two and I was surprised to see not an ounce of remorse on her face. It was only when she started studying the angry look on my face did she consider that something was horribly wrong.

She moved to sit on the bed beside me. Somehow she managed not to make the bed's springs creak. "Darling," she cooed. She tried to touch my face with the back of hand but I jerked my head back before she could touch me. She let out a huge sigh as if saddened. "What is the matter? Don't you like it here?"

"How can I like it here!" I yelled at her as loudly as I could without causing Charlie to come rushing upstairs. I was shaking now unable to decide what I wanted to do more: hurt her or cry. "You took me away from my home, my mother, my friends…"

"Oh, you poor dear!" she cried, her voice filled with compassion. She gathered me up in her arms. I was surprised how strong she was even as I tried to wriggle free. She petted my head and stroked my face. Our eyes met -- hers a strange golden color while mine were now a plain brown. "Don't worry. I promise there will be better days to come."

She didn't know how wrong she was. No, there weren't going to be better days to come. In fact, tomorrow and Sunday would be the last two good days I'll ever have in a long while if not ever.

To Be Continued...

MY NOTES: I hope the length of this chapter will compensate for the delay. I know, Edward's not back in the picture yet. Lena has a weekend of freedom still! :D Next update, you'll get to see the first of many interactions between Lena and Edward. I'm so excited to get to the good bits! Hope you can wait a while until then.

R&R, thanks!

-TFT