That first morning nearly four years ago, that my daughter was here, she made breakfast. I woke up to find that she had made pancakes and bacon sandwiches. They smelled divine and heaven knows that I'm no cook. I survived on the many take-out places available. Then again, Renee wasn't a cook either. Strange that our daughter, however, is an excellent cook.

We set off for La Push after breakfast.

"Did you sleep alright?"

"Fine thanks. Was that the room that had been my nursery?"

I nodded.

"What did you do with the furniture?"

"It's all in the attic. I couldn't get rid of it."

She nodded as if she understood.

"Would you mind if I took a look at it?"

"Sure, whenever you want."

We reached the Reservation and I parked outside Billy's. Their door opened and Jake came running out.

"Hey Charlie. Dad will be out in a minute."

"Thanks, Jacob Black, this is Bella Tretyakov, Bella, this is Jacob."

After that first visit, I could tell that Bella had caught the La Push bug. She was completely transfixed by it and all the residents were dying to meet her. I thought it would be too much, seeing as how she didn't seem to be the most sociable person. But the people here were so relaxed that she overcame her shyness.

It was on our last visit before she had to return to New York that we started talking about her life up until now. I had wanted to introduce her as Bella Swan but that wasn't her name on her emancipation order. It did hurt that in the eyes of the law, she was Bella Tretyakov, not Swan, but I wouldn't let that come between us.

JAKE POV

"So Tretyakov? What's that?"

"It's Russian. My foster father was part Russian and Polish."

"How do they feel about you meeting Charlie?"

Billy stirred uncomfortably. "Jake, leave it."

"No it's fine. Actually my foster parents died when I was eleven."

Well that's great. She's going to hate me now. Good one Black!

Charlie and my dad looked at each other, awkwardly. Neither of them were great conversationalists.

"Where were you living at the time?"

"In England. I went to boarding school there."

I couldn't imagine my dad sending me to a boarding school. It sounded horrible. Why have a kid in the first place if you're going to send them away as soon as possible.

"That must've been hard."

"Well, it was hard at first, seeing as I was homeschooled up until then. But it was something I wanted to do for myself and I had worked hard for a scholarship, so it all worked out."

Charlie pulled himself into the conversation. "They must have been very proud of you. I know I would be."

Poor Charlie. He had missed so much of Bella's life. I hope that she becomes a regular visitor. It would kill him to be away from her too long, now that they found each other.

"Thanks pops. They were really proud. In fact it was because of that they're now dead."

She paused briefly. We all held our breath.

"We had gone out for dinner to celebrate something. We were driving back home when a drunk driver smashed into us. Rosa died on impact. Alexi died few days after."

Well, what do you say to that?

"I'm really sorry Bella. Were you hurt?"

"Well, my right leg was smashed and they worried that they would have to remove it. Apart from that, I was in a coma for two weeks."

Charlie POV

It broke my heart to hear of my baby suffering. In one night, she had lost everything. Her whole world had been shot, only for her to wake up an orphan.

All through this, she remained calm. She wasn't reliving it. It was as though she was merely reporting an event she had heard on the news.

"Honey, I'm sorry you had to go through that. I know that I can't take their place and I wouldn't want to. It's enough that you're letting me in."

She gave a small smile as she walked over to me, giving me a hug. Neither of us were the most emotional of people, but I'd try my hardest to make her happy.

"They were great people and I still miss them. But they would want me to be happy."

Nothing more was said on the subject.

I drove her to the airport the next morning. She had already promised to call regularly and had arranged for a more cost-effective phone package that included wireless internet. She was more tech-savvy than I would ever want to be and it had annoyed her to no end when she had first discovered how much of a dinosaur I was. She set me up with a laptop and the fixings for webcam. I doubt that I'll ever use it but the thought was there. I'd be able to email her regularly now.

It made Billy smile at the lengths my daughter had taken to improve my home. Heck, she had even mentioned briefly about giving the whole house a paint job!

"If that's what you want but please, nothing pink ok?"

"Oh but pops, I saw the cutest pink reclining chair on sale! It would look wonderful in this house."

"Bella, I've had that chair for as close to ten years and I'm not getting rid of it!" I couldn't hide the edginess in my voice.

"Fine, no pink. I don't really like that colour anyway. Too girly."

Well thank God for small mercies!

"What is your favourite colour then?"

"Red! I love it. Purple's pretty awesome too. And Blue. Did you know that they're considered the colours of royalty?"

Well, you learn something new every day.

We decided to leave the decorating plans for the next time she was around. It would give me a chance to clear the house out.

I watched as she made her way to the terminal. At the corner, she turned and waved. I held back the pain of separation until I had reached La Push. Billy was there with the first of many cans of beer.

Bella was a strong person. Certainly from birth and even more so at fourteen. But the girl I was living with now wasn't strong. She was existing. Everyone commented on it and I couldn't help her. True, she went about all her usual activities, but there was a slight desperation behind it all. Almost as though if she stopped, she would have to think about it.

Them.

Him.

Edward.

The name tasted like bad beer in my mouth.

I didn't know how long it would be until she broke down.

Already, her night tremors were getting worse. I could hear her screaming at night. It broke my heart to hear her suffer, but I kept my word and didn't try and wake her. The headphones she had given me seemed like a sick joke.

She began spending more time in the attic. We had altered it after the first visit, nearly four years ago. The furniture from the nursery stood in the far corner. The walls had been painted cream with a dusty gold border. She had organised it into a dance space cum music room cum art studio. I had bought the paint and the varnish for the floor boards.

The rest of the rooms also got the cream treatment. At her insistence, the living room also had a green/blue feature wall. Apparently it reminded her of the ocean. I guess the love for open water was a common link between us.

My house was now a very welcoming retreat after a long day at work. Hell, I even had the same colour scheme in my bedroom. Everyone was surprised at how a lick of paint can change the tone of a house. Originally, I had gone through with redecorating to keep her happy but even I could see how much nicer everything was. Although when it came to paying for everything, there was the inevitable argument. I put my foot down as it was still my home and if she wanted to redecorate, I, in my status of parent, would pay for it. She gave in and I felt the small victory. God, she was stubborn.

On the nights she wasn't working, she would hole up in the attic. I didn't really hear much, as she soundproofed both that room and her own. One night, however, I heard her come in much later than normal. She had been at work earlier and had called to say she was hanging out with a friend from work. Part of me wondered if it was a boy but I couldn't press her. She wouldn't have answered anyway.

The night in December, we had a break through. I heard her enter her room, then, the onslaught of tears. She was crying so hard. Really ugly tears. I lifted her onto the bed and prised what looked like a box from her grip. Inside was a box of photos and a CD. Those damn Cullens.

"Why is he doing this? He didn't want me but he leaves his stuff here."

Her fingers were bleeding from prising up the floorboard. I held her close.

"Let it out baby. You just let it out."

"I loved him dad. I loved him and he left me. He said I wasn't good and that he didn't want me in his world. Who the fuck does that? Who leaves someone they're supposed to love, in a fucking forest?"

"I know baby. I know."

When she had finished, I washed and bandaged her hands, before putting her to bed. She curled up like a ball and slept. It was almost two days before she woke up. I insisted that she should leave Forks for a bit. She nodded. I rang Renee whilst Bella packed. I drove her to work, where her boss accepted her temporary departure. Hell, he even promised to hold her job for her. I wasn't keen on the chef though. He was looking at her too fondly for my taste.

Bella left for Florida and I made my way to Billy's. He was waiting there with a beer.

"She make it okay?"

"Yeah, I dropped her off at the airport."

"She just needs some time Charlie, you'll see. She'll be back here sooner rather than later."

I didn't have the energy to argue.

Poor Charlie. I don't think Stephanie Meyer gave him that much credit. After all, where else would Bella have got her stubbornness from?