A/N – Thanks for the warm welcome, guys! Glad you've decided to stick around. So we got a glimpse of the boys. Let's see what our Bella is up to...
Chapter song: Sweet Talk – The Killers
Then I need a release from these troubles of mine. Fix my feet when they're stumbling. And well you know it hurts sometimes. You know it's going to bleed sometimes.
Chapter Two
Bella held the pewter picture frame in her hands, smiling as she wiped at the edges with a dust rag. It was a picture of her father and his wife Sue. Charlie hadn't noticed Bella with the camera, otherwise he would have made a fuss about his picture being taken. He was kind of like his daughter in that regard—shy. Charlie had his arm draped around Sue's shoulders, his eyes downcast as he nestled his cheek into her neck. It was a perfect candid shot; Sue was caught mid-laugh, her bright smile intoxicating. Even though she couldn't see his face, Bella knew how incredibly content and happy Charlie was, and it made her heart swell, even now when she was over fifteen hundred miles away.
She placed the picture back in its home on the mantle and started to pace the room. Everything had been unpacked, cleaned, moved around, and cleaned again. Her kitchen was spotless, every stitch of clothing put away in her bedroom. Books lined her bookshelf, in order of how frequent she read them, not alphabetically. She had even managed to decorate her walls with some of Reneé's watercolor paintings and some wood carvings Jake had made her over the years.
Bella was pretty much settled in her apartment. Actually, she had been completely moved in two weeks before even leaving for Forks, but that didn't stop her from trying to make everything perfect when she returned. The truth was she was just trying to kill time. Bella was ready to start work, but she was given strict orders not come in until Monday. Sheriff Jody Mills specifically gave Bella a month of leave before starting her job as a detective for Sioux Falls' finest. It was the Wednesday before she was set to start and already, Bella was pacing the floors.
Sheriff Mills knew how draining the job could be. They had files upon files of unsolved cases. If it were up to her, she wouldn't have stopped until the case was solved, but there were just too many, and the way things were looking, there would be a lot more. Sheriff Mills not only needed a detective that was sharp as a tack, but she needed someone that wouldn't balk when things got hairy or they hit a dead end...which happened a lot with these type of cases. Some people would just want to give up, a part of them hoping they could forget about the things they saw and move on with their lives like it never happened. Not Sheriff Mills. And not Bella, she hoped.
Bella was in the top of her class at the Academy. Her father was police chief himself, which just made her even more perfect for the job. She had a strong work ethic, and during her interview, Sheriff Mills could tell there was something special about her. Maybe it was the fire in her eyes, a spark resembling determination. She not only wanted the job, but Bella wanted to succeed. When Sheriff Mills explained the nature of the position, how she'd be investigating cold cases, Bella seemed rearing to go despite how difficult it could be. Bella had said there was no reason to have unsolved cases; it was just someone being lazy.
Sheriff Mills had raised her eyebrow at Bella and Bella smirked. "No offense, ma'am. I'm sure it's not your fault. You just didn't have me on your staff yet." That settled it. Bella was hired on the spot.
Feeling similar to a caged animal, Bella walked back and forth from the kitchen to her living room, passing the door and eyeing it cautiously. What harm could come of her walking down to the precinct now? It was Wednesday...she had spent enough time not working, something that never ended well for Bella.
Ever since that fateful night in the woods, something changed inside of Bella. It was almost like she was snapped back into reality. Her time with Edward was like a dream, a reprieve from everyday life. But dreams don't last and sometimes they turn to nightmares. After that, Bella kept herself so busy, she wouldn't have time to dream.
She paused in front of the door, staring at the little side table next to it. Screw it! She sprinted off to her bedroom and swung open her closet door. Reaching in back, she pulled out small, metal safe. Quickly, she spun the dial and unlocked it. As she opened the safe, the light caught the metal of her Kimber Ultra Carry 1911 in .45 caliber. Bella smiled, taking the handgun in her hands, the cool steel smooth and comforting. It had been a deal breaker for her. She had told Sheriff Mills she'd carry her own gun or she wouldn't carry one at all. Sheriff Mills obliged, knowing full well the kind of cases Bella would be investigating wouldn't require a regular firearm. A shotgun full of rock salt, maybe. The gun had been a graduation present from Charlie. She had used a standard issued Glock-17 in 9mm in the Academy, but Bella had always been a recoil junky.
You should have seen Bella's eyes light up when Charlie took her shooting for the first time. He started her off with a dinky, little .22 caliber. It was like shooting a BB gun. She hit paper every time, but she wasn't impressed. When Charlie broke out the 30-06 hunting rifle, Bella came alive. She hugged the rifle to her body, making sure the butt of the gun was tucked securely into her shoulder. When she pulled the trigger, her whole body jerked with the recoil, but not only did she hit the target dead-on, her smile could have lit up the sky.
When Charlie presented her with the gun after the graduation ceremony, she wouldn't accept it. She knew how expensive they were, but Charlie was having none of it. After that, she vowed to put it to use so Charlie's hard-earned money wouldn't go to waste. Sort of. She also loved the way her whole body shook and she could feel her teeth rattle when she shot off a round. Most likely, though, she wouldn't have to use it. Sioux Falls seemed like a fairly boring place. The only reason she took the job was because of the work load. She needed to stay busy.
She placed her gun in the holster on her left hip and attached her badge on the right. She shrugged into her favorite, black leather jacket and made her way to the door.
~o~
Bella stood in the doorway to Sheriff Mills office, leaning against the doorjamb. She watched the other woman closely. She was on the phone, shuffling papers, looking slightly flustered. Sheriff Mills lifted her eyes and met Bella's. She offered her a half-smile before finishing up her call.
Sheriff Mills hung up the phone, pushed her chair back, and walked over to Bella, her eyebrows knitted together, a look of curiosity on her face.
"Bella, what are you doing here? Did you need something?"
"I was starting to crawl up the walls." Bella chucked and raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Any chance you need me to start early?"
Sighing, Sheriff Mills guided Bella out the door and over to an empty desk. "You might as well get settled and start filling out the paperwork now."
Bella sat down in the chair, rolling from side to side, getting comfortable behind the desk. "Thanks," she said, smiling up at Sheriff Mills, "I don't do well if I'm not busy."
Sheriff Mills left her to the paperwork and returned to her office. About an hour had passed and Bella was already done. She was about to go back to the office to ask Sheriff Mills if she should start on the oldest case when one of the deputies barged through the door.
"We've got a B&E down by the old shoe mill. You want me on it?"
Bella followed behind the deputy, wanting to know what was going on.
Sheriff Mills looked up from her desk. "In progress?" The deputy shook his head. "Okay, any suspects?"
Her phone began ringing again before she got her answer. "Sweetie, I'll be home as soon as I can. I'll pick you up that chicken soup you like..." She looked over to the deputy for her answer.
"Bobby Singer and two other guys..."
Sheriff Mills rolled her eyes. "...baby, I gotta go. Just try and get some rest. I'll see you soon."
Letting out a long sigh, Sheriff Mills got up from her desk and pulled down her jacket off the back of the door. "Alright. I'll be back. Bella, you and Don hold down the fort."
Bella paused her in the hallway. "With all due respect, ma'am, I think you should go home to your son. I can take care of this."
Sheriff Mills let out a laugh. "Sorry, Bella, but the last thing I'm going to do is send you on this. Bobby Singer is a menace around here, ass-full of drunk-and-disorderlies and mail fraud. I don't want to scare you off before you even start."
"I think I can handle my own. Let me give it a shot." Bella smiled. "Consider it compensation for keeping me cooped up in that apartment for two weeks." She raised her eyebrows in challenge.
"You know, most people don't complain about paid leave. Why are you so anxious to get elbow deep in this mess?"
Bella shrugged. "I'm good at what I do. I like feeling useful, having a reason to wake up in the morning."
Sheriff Mills conceded. She was too worried about her son being home sick anyway. She jotted down Bobby Singer's address for Bella and prayed he wouldn't scare her off. Who knows, maybe he'd help steer her in the right direction. Sheriff Mills knew Bobby was behind a lot of those unsolved cases. He may have been reluctant to work with Sheriff Mills herself, but there was just something about Bella that made it impossible to say no.
A/N – Well there's our girl. What do we think? If you haven't read Bad Company, this gives you a little background on her. Some may think she's slight OOC for Bella. I beg to differ. I think after she got out of the daze of being dumped by Edward, she would have turned into quite the badass. Bobby's up next. I'm so excited.
