Trigger Warning for this chapter for Past Trauma, recounted with some detail.

Carlisle parks his sedan in the driveway, almost glowing still from the afternoon's meeting. In his head he knows they have time- she's young and getting her life together but it feels so short and concerning how much of a magnet for danger she might be. Investing in self-defense and defensive driving courses might be something to consider but he doesn't want to be overbearing. He's pondering how to suggest such a thing in a way that doesn't feel demeaning or belittling when he walks into the Cullen household. Greeted today but a pleasant soft grin and nod from Jasper, Carlisle feels the slightest bit of embarrassment. He isn't ashamed but it is new, to feel a little giddy and overwhelmed from someone in front of his family.

Edward calls his name and walks quickly to the front door, zipping through the air.

The confident smile on Edward's face made Carlisle chuckle softly.

"So?"

Carlisle quirked an eyebrow at Edward's open-ended questioning word.

It is delightful.

Bella walked into her house, set down her bag and keys on her way to the kitchen, and saw Charlie on her way in. Charlie's expression was tense and a little anxious.

"Hey, Dad, what's going on?"

Charlie tilted his head as he replied.

"Evan called here. Asking for you. About what you were up to, where you were, etcetera."
"And? What did you tell him?" Bella's tone is sharper than she means but she's tense at the news.

"Nothing. I can smell bad a mile away. I may not be a great dad but I've had to be a judge of character as a police chief."

Bella's shoulders drop from the tense position they were in- she didn't realize how tight her posture was waiting to hear him answer that. She crosses her arms across her chest.

"So. Is that all he asked?"

"Bella, you have to tell me what's going on if I can help you out. If you've got a problem with Evan, please let me know." Charlie was just managing to not sound desperate in his request. The last two weeks hadn't been paradise but he had barely seen his daughter in years. The thought that he might not know her well crossed his mind, but he didn't want to lose the burgeoning relationship that had started to rebuild.

Bella chewed at her lip anxiously and fetched a glass and the water pitcher from the fridge poured herself a glass and then spoke.

"Um. We had a bad breakup." Bella didn't look at Charlie while speaking.

"What kind of bad breakup?"

The glaze of tears was building in Bella's eyes. "Evan was cheating on me. I… made sure everyone knew before I left. Humiliated us both." She stopped to breathe in and out and calm herself down and took another sip of water.

"He was furious. I hoped he would move past it. I… I was hurt. And I just wanted everyone to know what a-" Bella censored herself, "jerk he really was."

Charlie's brow was fully furrowed and his face a little stony. "Do I need to look into a restraining order? Is he a danger to you?"

Bella chewed on her lip. "I don't know. I didn't think he would care to follow my trail to Forks. I thought he'd slime his way out of it and move on. I guess that didn't work out as well as he wanted it to?"

Charlie sighed before he asked "What kind of… humiliation did you use. What and where did you share it? I'm not sure I understand all of the laws on revenge porn, but it could be messy if they were photos in compromising-"

"No, no. Not like that. I just," Bella paused weighing the truth of what happened,"I posted things on Instagram like.. Pictures of Evan and a girl he was seeing behind my back. A party he was at where someone sent a photo to me… You can't make out the girl, just that she's visibly taller and curvier than I am, and half-dressed against Evan. And the texts I had gotten from a few other girls. I blocked everyone's names and faces except for his. I waited until I had everything and posted it at once before I left. I haven't looked at social media or any message from Evan since. I don't owe him anything after he… after what I ...gave… I told him I wanted him to leave me alone, and never speak to me again when I was leaving. That he wasted two years of my life." Bella stifled a sob. She felt so young and stupid, documenting this all out loud now. It was clearly so selfish and destructive, no matter what Evan had done to her, it hadn't been a smart way to handle someone who she thinks could potentially be dangerous.

Charlie stood silently for a moment, trying to digest the wealth of information and process his own frustration at the situation. He could help with cleanup and diffusion but things were clearly messy.

"Alright. Let's head to the station and detail a report so we can keep an eye out for him. For now, avoid all contact, please… And don't leave any details out. Come here, baby girl." Charlie sighed and pulled Bella into a hug as she unfolded her arms. Bella puffed into Charlie's shoulder and felt the fabric of his thick button-down shirt dampen and absorb the tears running against her face. "I'm sorry." She whispered into his shoulder.

Charlie swallowed thickly and rubbed his hands on her back. He would make sure that nothing happened because of this but, boy did they need to talk about this situation after she gave her report.

At the station, Bella recounted to another officer in a quiet, small room everything that she could remember. The fist slammed against the wall when they fought, the metal picture frame he threw. Not at her, but across the room that left a hole in her dorm door. She wasn't sure that Evan would hurt her but she wasn't sure he wouldn't also. Things had never been this bad. This was the final Fuck You, louder than she could scream at him. She was so tired of living like that. Bella didn't think she would marry Evan per se, but they were figuring things out?

She told the officer about the night she found out from a DM on Instagram that Evan had tried to hook up with a girl who reached out to Bella once she realized she and Evan were already dating. The girl had sent screenshots of Evan lying through his teeth, painting Bella out of the picture. She had read that message in the room next to Evan, while he was brushing his teeth for bed.

That night she didn't say a word to him, she was so shocked. The next day, she reread the messages and wondered if something was missing for him. She joked about letting him… do whatever he wanted to her, with her, etc.

It suddenly stopped being a joke when Evan greedily took Bella's foolish and irrational offering.

Bella found herself tied up and bound in a way that made her anxious. She recounted the details of the abuse she felt and Evan exacted in penetrating without even trying to stimulate her. When he released her she knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to destroy him. She had let him walk all over and trash her and leave her in pain and ashamed of herself and to the point of degrading her wants and needs in a weak attempt to try to win over his affection. The next day when Bella got her period she realized her rollercoaster of emotions had not been helped by PMS but that hopefully, she would not be the mother of Evan's stupid progeny.

She described his look and build so they would have a reference for an outsider named Evan to look out for. Tall, linebacker gym rat build, short light brown hair, and green eyes. A wide jaw and defined slightly squared chin and squoval head shape. He wore tee shirts and gym shorts and sneakers most of the time, and his favorite color was crimson red. He went to NYU for film.

She posted a photo of a girl on top of Evan at a recent holiday party, as well as DMs from two girls who had each either been hit on, and one had been assaulted while she was drunk, and while Evan was supposedly in a monogamous relationship with Bella.

And then she came to Forks to be clear from the aftermath and shrapnel.

After a long night of paperwork, they went home. There's a little residual tension in the small police cruiser front seat between the passenger and driver, but it's settling. Charlie focuses on the road.

They are almost back at the house when Bella says, "Thank you, dad." It's quiet, and Charlie feels a small smile creep on his tired face slowly. She's his little girl. It's impossible to believe she's 22 now, but when he glances over at her he still sees the same little girl that made mud pies and danced to ABBA with her tiny fists clenched. He also sees maturity he doesn't recognize. She looks more and more like her own person and less like just the hybrid of himself and Renee every day.

The next morning Bella takes a shower and takes some deep breaths after she's out. She feels like she has been able to wash away some of the tension from last night and rinse Evan out of her hair again.

Her phone buzzes

Coffee later?