CHAPTER TWO: FORKS

Lua had advised me against returning to my apartment or spending one minute in the city longer than absolutely necessary. She told me about how vampires had enhanced senses that they could use to track me so after a tearful goodbye, I made my way straight to my car and hopped on interstate five. My necessary papers were already in my purse so I would be fine but I didn't have any clothes but the ones I was wearing and Lua had made me swear to her that I wouldn't stop unless it absolutely necessary.

I called and tendered my resignation over the phone while I drove and then I called my landlord and concocted a wild story about an abusive ex. Needless to say I wouldn't be getting my deposit back and all my things would be trashed. Within an hour my whole life in LA had been shut down with just a few phone calls and I wept as I drove north on the highway. My body ached horribly and I was still terrified that vampires would show up and jump on my car – desperate to finish me off.

But even as my mind grieved the loss of my life in LA and worried about vampires, my thoughts moved to Charlie. What would I tell him? How could I explain my battered body or my sudden decision to just show up in Forks? I still hadn't even called him to tell him I was coming because I had no idea what I would say. He knew I was happy in LA and the second I showed up with nothing to my name and my body bruised and weak – he would know something was horribly wrong.

Charlie was a quiet, patient man but he was more observant than he let on. As the Police Chief he had to be and I had never been a very good liar. I needed a story planned before I could call him. No matter how much I hated lying to my dad when I had decided I wanted to build a real relationship with him – I couldn't tell him that I had been attacked by vampires. Not only would I sound absolutely mental but when I told him I was saved by a witch he'd surely have me committed.

By the time I reached Sacramento and stopped for gas, I had nothing better than I had been attacked in a park by a group of people and that a woman had saved me. I still could not explain my lack of belongings but I decided that I would have to stop somewhere and purchase a suitcase and some clothes and shoes.

I called Charlie on my ear piece as I filled my car up with gas. My stomach bubbled in nerves as the line rang. Charlie answered on the fourth ring with a bright and cheerful, "Bells!"

"Hey dad, are you busy?" I asked him, almost hoping he said yes.

"Nope," He replied with a satisfied grin in his voice. "Have the day off, Billie and I are out on the lake fishin'."

"Oh, good you're relaxed then," I breathed a sigh of relief and heard Charlie chuckle.

"Whatcha need Bells? You got a cold? You sound awfully rough." Charlie replied as I heard Billie in the background saying, 'Tell Bella I said hello and that Jake and I miss her.' "Oh, and Billie and Jake miss you."

"I miss them too dad," I replied with a reminiscent smile. I hadn't seen Jake since we were ten, my last memory of him was pelting his sisters, Rachel and Rebecca, with the mud pies we made. "That's kind of why I'm calling."

"Oh? You plannin' a trip up here to see your old man?" The excitement and hope in Charlie's voice plagued me with guilt. It had been so long since I had spent any significant time with him and I hadn't ever even thought about if he missed me. I was a terrible daughter.

"Actually, I was wondering if my old room was still unoccupied?" I asked meekly as I heard Charlie inhale in surprise.

"I thought you loved LA, what happened?"

Even though I knew the question was coming, I felt my stomach drop and my hands began to shake as I closed the lid to my gas tank and got back in my car. "I – um, well I kinda got attacked in the park a few nights ago and I just – I don't really feel safe in the big city anymore."

"Are you hurt? What happened?" Charlie's smiling voice had frozen over in a terrifying mixture of fear and rage. 'What happened?' I heard Billie ask in the background. 'Is Bella okay?"

"I'm going to be fine dad – it looks a lot worse than it is." My gaze strayed from the road to see the blotchy bruises on the side of my face and leading up into my hair line in the rearview mirror. "It's a lot of bruising but I'll heal. I'm just – leery of the big city and I thought maybe I'd come stay with you for a bit while I find a job and a place of my own."

Charlie nearly growled into the phone, "You are always welcome with me Bells, you know that. My door is always open to you. When are you planning on coming up?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, preparing myself. "I'm kind of already on my way actually. I was so freaked out when I hit the road and it wasn't until Sacramento when I realized I hadn't even called to ask."

Charlie's thunderous laugh came booming from my earpiece and I couldn't help but smile along. "Bella, you could show up unannounced for all I care, I'm just glad you're coming home sweetheart. Have you been seen by a doctor yet? I could set up an appointment to make sure you're okay?"

The thought of anyone seeing the leech scars on my body made my face pale. Lua had told me they would fade in a week or so but right now they were bright pink and ugly – completely unmistakable. "I'm fine dad, I saw a – nurse and she gave me the all clear. Lots of rest and Tylenol but I'll be fine."

"Okay, good – I'm glad you'll be okay. I'll call the station and ask for a few days off – when do you think you'll get here?"

Despite all the crap I had been through in the last two days, I felt my heart warm as my dad accepted me so openly. "I'm driving straight through." I told him as tried to calculate how long it would take me to reach Forks. "I'm about twelve and a half hours out."

"You damn crazy kids," Charlie grumbled affectionately, "I'd feel better if you stopped to sleep somewhere, but I'll make your bed for you."

"Thanks dad," I told him, "I'll see you late tonight, I love you."

"Love you too Bells," I could picture his cheeks flushing as mine so often did, "I'll keep the porch light on for you."

We hung up and I felt a few happy tears escape my eyes and roll down my bruised cheeks. In the rearview mirror I straightened up to see the bottom half of my face and grimaced as the black and blue handprint over my mouth came into view. It was so gruesome looking that I had to slump down and look back to the road.

My car was running on fumes when I stopped in Eugene, Oregon to fill up. While I was there I decided to stop into the local Walmart and grab essentials. I bought a suitcase and toiletries and restocked my makeup but the clothes were true Walmart clothes so I only bought a few changes to last me a couple of days. I could replenish my wardrobe at the mall in Port Angeles once I had had time to sleep and recover a little.

No matter how far I drove though, or how fast, my eyes kept darting around as I half expected the trio of vampires to appear out of nowhere as they had in the park. My hands shook and now that I no longer had to worry about Charlie my mind kept flashing back to being against the tree, stone cold grasps holding me down as they feasted on my blood.

I had never been so scared – so sure that I was going to die. The relief to still be breathing was overwhelming as I tried not to think of the alternative. Lua had told me that if she hadn't used leeches to draw out the venom then I'd have turned into one of those blood obsessed monsters. My body shuddered when I even thought about it. I had almost had my life ripped from me – I had almost become a vampire.

I hoped and prayed that I would never see a vampire again as long as I lived.

'Welcome To Forks' the moss covered sign read and I slowed my car down to the speed limit of thirty-five as I passed into town. I hadn't been here in so long but almost nothing had changed from what I remembered. There was still only one stoplight in the entire town and at two in the morning there wasn't a soul on the road.

Fog lurked heavily as was usual for Forks and I couldn't help but feel the shiver run down my spine as the eerie quiet spooked me. Now that I knew what lurked in the world, Forks seemed more ominous. Surrounded by Olympic National Forest and hours away from proper civilization, Forks was deep in the backwoods of the Olympic Peninsula. I knew logically that there were no vampires in Forks but my heart still beat erratically as I drove through the small town and followed the map of Forks in my mind to Charlie's.

As promised, the front porch light was on and Charlie, hearing my car come up the drive, came out onto the porch. He was smiling widely but I knew as soon as he saw my face his smile would die. I looked awful, there was no hiding it and I was dreading the look on his face. When I stepped out of my car and into the porch light, Charlie's smile fell and his mouth dropped open.

"Oh Bells," he cried and came running down the porch steps. He locked me in a strong embrace and for the first time in what felt like centuries, I felt like a kid again. "Oh honey, let's get you inside."

He didn't say anything as he grabbed my small suitcase from the backseat of my car and then wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he lead me inside. But he didn't lead me up the stairs to my room like I had anticipated. Instead, Charlie sat my suitcase down behind the couch and led me into the kitchen. I sat at the table as I watched Charlie reach into a cupboard and pull out two tumblers and a bottle of scotch. He poured us each a healthy amount before returning the bottle and coming to sit at the table.

"Drink this," he told me with pained eyes.

I swallowed a large mouthful gratefully and felt it burn down the back of my throat. Charlie took one large swallow and set the empty glass on the table. "What happened Bella?" He asked me in a pained voice. "Were you – were you –"

He couldn't finish and I shook my head, understanding what he was asking me. "No," I whispered quietly, "but they tried." My voice quivered and I took another long swallow as a tear ran down my cheek. "A woman named Lua heard me scream and she ran them off. She took me home and patched me up but – the city just didn't feel the same anymore."

Charlie's strong, calloused hand grasped my own and squeezed tenderly, carefully avoiding the deeply bruised parts of my wrist. "I'm so sorry Bells – I know how terrifying it must have been. Jesus, I never – I hoped nothing like this would ever happen to you."

I lost all semblance of my control as I squeezed my eyes shut. Victoria's wicked smile and her razor-sharp teeth tormented me and I sobbed. Charlie, never one big for affection, pulled me out of my chair and hugged me to him. "I thought I was going to die," I sobbed, letting myself breakdown for the first time since I had left Lua and LA. "They were going to kill me."

Charlie squeezed me tighter and pressed a kiss to my forehead. His own eyes were wet and he drew a shaky breath. "Oh Bells, you're safe. I promise you, you're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you."

Even when I knew how strong vampires were, in Charlie's arms I felt safe. He let me pour out all my tears and held me in strong arms. When my tears ran dry I sniffed and pulled back, "I'm sorry, I've ruined your shirt."

Charlie chuckled at me, "C'mon kid, let's get you to bed. You must be exhausted."

He was right. I was so tired I didn't even gripe about him calling me a kid.