A/N – Man, I love me some Charlie. Wonder if he's going to tell Bella the truth...about everything!

Chapter song: Must Get Out – Maroon 5


When I was fumbling through your dresser drawer forgot what I was looking for. Try to guide me in the right direction. Making use of all this time, keeping everything inside. Close my eyes and listen to you cry.

Chapter 4

Then

Bella let the envelope with "CULLEN" written on the front rest atop the desk while she fought with herself over tearing it open and reading its contents. She knew just the thing to distract her. Some might say she has a little bit of a drinking problem. Bella says it's not a problem until it becomes one. She woke up every morning and went to work. Hell, she was one of the most promising cadets at the Academy. She didn't have a problem; she just liked having something to keep the memories at bay.

She did a quick scan of Charlie's office but came up empty handed. She figured he must be hiding the good stuff in his desk. Paperclip in hand, she leaned over and started to tinker with the lock. It finally opened and she smiled when she saw the bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and a small glass next to it. At least it was the good stuff. Bella took out the bottle and poured a few fingers worth of the amber liquid. Placing the bottle down on the envelope she pretended wasn't there, she sat back in the chair and enjoyed her drink.

Savoring the smooth, smokey, vanilla liquid, she glanced over to the open drawer and noticed a black leather journal. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she opened the journal up and a small Polaroid fell onto her lap. Two little boys, one with green eyes and freckles and one with dark hair and shy eyes, flanked a middle aged man with a rough face and a full head of dark hair. There was something oddly familiar. She turned the photo over and covered her mouth as she read the writing on the back.

The Winchesters: John, Dean, and little Sammy

Now

Charlie put his hands up in defense, trying to settle Bella. "Now wait just a minute, Bells. It's not a simple answer. I need you to sit down."

She let out a frustrated sigh and sat down on the couch. Dean came up to Charlie's side looking concerned.

"Can I have a word?" he asked Charlie.

Charlie looked over at Bella. She had crossed her arms over her chest and looked every bit like an emotional teenager. Charlie smiled to himself. He'd give anything to go back to that time and not have the conversation he was about to have.

He and Dean wandered over to the corner of the room. "What is it, son?"

Dean lowered his voice. "Do you really think this is the best idea? Telling her everything... I mean don't you want her to be able live some sort of normal life. You're the only one of us that managed to get out. Don't put this on her. She doesn't have to be like us..."

Dean's genuine concern for his daughter struck a nerve, and he pulled Dean into a tight embrace, patting him on the back a few times for good measure. He released him and studied his face.

"I appreciate you looking out for her...and trying to keep that promise, but it's time."

Dean shook his head, frowning. "Charlie, I really think..."

"Dean..." Charlie's voice was firm and slightly biting. "She's my daughter. Let me handle this my way."

If looks could kill, both Charlie and Dean would be lying in a pool of blood. Bella was glaring at them, wishing she could either read minds or had supersonic hearing.

Sam, who had been perfectly silent sitting on the other side of the couch, scooted over to her. "He means well, you know."

Bella turned her head in a very controlled motion and narrowed her eyes at him. "My father?"

"I guess both of them do." Sam smiled and let out a small laugh.

Charlie gave Dean another pat on the back and made his way toward Bella. Dean leaned against the wall, his arms folded in front of him as he stared Bella and Charlie down. Charlie pulled up a chair and sat down, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees."

"Bella, there's something I need to tell you."

"No shit," Bella spat. Her eyes were on fire, and she could feel the heat rising under her skin.

Charlie cleared his throat, trying not to let her attitude affect him. She had every right to be upset. He hadn't lied to her, but he kept things from her and that was just as bad.

"Look, I want you to know that everything I've done in this life has been to keep you safe."

"Alright, I get it." She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Can we just get on with this so I can get back to work?"

"John Winchester is one of my oldest and closet friends. He also happens to be these boys' father."

Bella let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. That didn't seem so bad. "How come I've never met him?"

Charlie smiled, remembering when John came to visit Reneé in the hospital after she had Bella. "You've met him a few times. Back when your mother and I were still married."

"Okay, so that thing back in Forks? You making me let them go...that was because you're best friends with their dad. I get that you feel like you owe them something because of who their father is, but what's with digging up the graves?"

"Bella, you're old man may not be as sharp as he once was...but I know you have an idea of why these boys would be burning bones."

"Grave robbing? Destroying their evidence?" She looked over to Sam, who quickly lowered his head. Then her gaze caught Dean's.

Dean stared her down. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it did, he knew it wouldn't be pretty. Bobby's spacious living room suddenly felt like the size of foxhole. He pushed his back into the wall just to make sure it was still there and hadn't caved in. He felt like the walls were crumbling around him. Why was Charlie so adamant about telling her the truth? Wasn't he afraid of what that would do to her? Bella deserved a normal life. He couldn't keep Sammy from it, but he sure as hell could keep Bella away from it. She was too pure, too good for this life. There was an easy way out of it. John and Charlie's friendship was easily explained. All that other stuff...the demons, what they do...Charlie didn't have to say a word.

Dean took a step forward. "Yeah, that's right, sweetheart. I'm into kinky things..."

Bella's eyes widened in shock and she sucked in a sharp breath. Dean may have been Charlie's friend's kid, but he was sick and twisted. Why would Charlie go out of his way to help out someone like that?

Dean smirked. He didn't care if she thought he was a freak. Hell, maybe it would be enough to send her running away. All that mattered was she got the hell away from them...from him.

"For Christ's sake, Bella, don't look so appalled. You hung around vampires for over a year. I think that's a lot worse that lighting some old bones on fire," Charlie spat.

Between her father's admission and the raging inferno building in Dean's eyes, Bella started to cough and choke. Charlie stood up and rushed over to her, rubbing soothing circles on the back trying to calm her down. "It's okay, kid. You're gonna be alright."

Once she finally caught her breath, she looked up at her father, a slight glaze forming over her eyes. "You knew?" she whispered.

Charlie nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I knew. I had suspicions when they first came to town. When I saw how close you and Edward were getting...I needed to make sure before..." he looked over to Dean but Dean just glowered, his jaw flexing "...when I got confirmation, Edward and I had a talk. He left because I asked him to...because if he didn't, I told him I'd kill him and his whole family."

Bella recoiled from Charlie's touch and shook her head in disbelief. "Who are you? I don't even know you..."

"Bells, there's a lot about this world you don't know. Vampires are only the tip of the iceberg. John, Dean, Sam, Bobby, even myself at one time, we're hunters. We go after the things no one knows about, the things people don't want to believe are real."

"How could you keep this from me? How could you just let me go on thinking..." Bella shot up from the couch and backed away from Charlie.

Charlie took a step toward her but she put her hand up in warning. Sadness washed over his face. "I was trying to keep you safe, Bells. I wanted you to live a long, happy life. I didn't want you to get wrapped up in all this..." he waved around the room, motioning to Bobby, Sam, and Dean "...it changes people. I never wanted that. I got out so I could still look in the mirror and not hate who I saw. I left it behind so I could be a better father to you."

Bella let out a sarcastic laugh, narrowing her eyes at him. "After all the lies, I'd say you sorta sucked at that part."

She backed herself up all the way to the front door, keeping her eyes on everyone in the room. She slowly reached for the handle. With one last look to her father, she walked out and slammed the door shut behind her.

~o~

Bella was new to town, but she had no problem finding the local watering hole. For being such a small town, the bar was filled with a lot of people. There was a lone barstool at the corner of the bar, and she made her way over to it. She looked to her left, then to her right, and then over her shoulder before taking a seat. Settling into the barstool, she shifted her weight around until she was comfortable and straightened her back. The bartender was at the other end of the bar and the longer she waited the more tense she grew. She leaned forward slightly, gripping the edge of the bar and digging her nails into the wood. Closing her eyes, she let out a few slow breaths. She didn't know what she was angrier about: the fact that Charlie had a whole set of people in his life that she knew nothing about, making her feel like his dirty little secret, or the fact that he was some type of hunter of the supernatural and was responsible for Edward and the Cullens leaving her.

There were already gouge marks from her fingernails in the beat-up wood of the bar by the time the bartender got to her.

"What can I get ya?" The tone of his voice wasn't particularly welcoming. He seemed more frazzled than anything.

Bella could understand; the bar was packed with barely any standing room. It seemed kind of odd for a dive bar in a small town to be so busy on a weeknight, but maybe there wasn't anything else to do here but drink. She briefly thought her caseload would be filled with drunken disorderlies, but that didn't sit right with her.

She looked up at the man in front of her. His arms were the first thing she noticed. She hadn't seen Jake in a few years, but this guy could give him a run for money in the muscle department. He wore a black fitted T-shirt that stretched across his firm chest. She felt her tongue slip out and wet her lips. Between him and a few stiff drinks, she'd be able to forget all her problems. What was wrong with her? Bella never thought like that. It was almost like a wave of lust had hit her and momentarily took over all her faculties. Quickly shaking her head for clarity, she cleared her throat.

"Johnny Walker. Blue if you have it. If not I'll take..."

"We don't have that fancy shit here." The man glared at her, sending a chill up her spine. "Look around you. They're all a bunch of rednecks. Don't even tip worth a damn." He side eyed a good looking girl in a tight red shirt at the other end of the bar, filling more drink orders with a bright smile on her face. "She's making all the money." He reached under the bar and pulled out a half empty bottle of some type of gut rot whiskey and slammed it down in front of her.

She looked at the bottle, furrowing her eyebrows. "How am I supposed to drink this?"

The bartender looked over his shoulder to a stack of glasses behind him, then back to Bella, and gave a slight shrug to his broad shoulders.

"Are you kidding me?" Bella gave him an icy scowl. "You're going to make me pay extra for a glass..." The bartender waited with his hand out.

She thought of bringing the bottle to her lips, but she didn't think she was that desperate. Or was she? Then again, the place didn't exactly scream virtue. Who would really care if she drank straight from the bottle? Over by the pool table, balls clattered against each other while tangled limbs and bare skin moved them around the green surface as a man and a woman practically had sex right there in the open for all to see. Two men were in a heated argument that looked seconds away from getting physical. One guy was guzzling down his beer so fast it dribbled out the corners of his mouth and down his chin. Bella turned to the side and noticed a girl, who couldn't weigh more than ninety-five pounds soaking wet, sitting in a booth by herself, surrounded by enough food to feed all the starving children of the world.

Welcome to your new home, she thought sarcastically. What the hell was with this place? Just as she was about to get up and leave, the pretty bartender placed an empty glass in front of her.

"Don't mind Roy. He's not used to it being this busy."

Bella looked around, slightly surprised. "It's not always like this?"

"Nope. Just started to pick up when I took the job." The bartender smiled, a gleam of pride in her eyes.

Smiling back, Bella said, "They must like the eye candy." Her eyes immediately focused on the bar top, her hair falling forward to hide her face. Did she just try and pick up the bartender? The very female bartender? Bella swallowed thickly, lifted her eyes, and motioned to the empty glass. "How about that drink now?"

As the bartender poured a healthy serving, at least three fingers worth, she said, "I'm Casey, by the way."

"Thanks, Casey." Bella quickly snatched the glass and tossed it back in one shot. "Another?"

Casey smiled and gladly poured some more before leaving to help another bar patron. Bella was already starting to feel the effects of her first drink, so she decided to sip this one. She eyed her surroundings carefully. It couldn't always be this crazy. Maybe it was a full moon. Yeah, Bella, they're all werewolves, she chastised herself. She immediately thought of Jake and the legends of his tribe, and she always thought of them as just that—legends. There was never any tangible proof. Especially since Edward and his family left Forks, there was no need for Jake or the other boys down on the Res to "shift" into wolves. But maybe she was wrong. Maybe these people were werewolves or something else of the supernatural variety. She had heard stranger things in the last twenty-four hours.

She had another sip left of her drink, and just as she brought the smooth glass to her lips, she caught movement in her periphery. Her instincts immediately kicked in. The minute the man reached behind his back, Bella was on her feet running after him. The guy was easily twice her size, but she'd taken out bigger men. She went low, tackling him at his knees. The gun had gone off, ricocheting off of a lamp hanging above the pool table, but at least the man he was aiming at wasn't harmed. Gasps and shouts rang out as the man struggled beneath her. He was on his stomach, his arms pulled behind him, her knee firmly pressing into his back.

"Nothing to see here, people," she assured the audience, slightly twisting her torso so the badge at her waist was on display.

The noise died down and everyone went back their previous indulgences. Whether it was booze, women, or betting on a game of darts, it was like no one was even fazed by the attempted murder that just went down in front of their eyes.

The man continued to thrash underneath Bella. "What are you doing? He slept with her. That bastard slept with my wife!"

Bella gave him another hard nudge with her knee, causing him to wince. "Sorry, buddy. That sucks, but it's not worth killing someone over." She yanked his arms back a little more, reaching at her belt for a pair of handcuffs and securing them on his wrists. She looked up at Casey, who stood at the bar with a tight smile on her face. "Can you call 9-1-1?"

Casey didn't answer; she just continued to stare at Bella. She must have been in shock. Bella got up, brushing off her hands on her thighs, and made her way over to Casey. "Hey..." she snapped her fingers in front of Casey, and Bella swore the bartender's eyes turned almost black for a short second. Casey shook her head and plastered on a smile.

"I'd take him in myself but..." Bella took her leftover drink and finished it off "...I've been drinking." She placed her glass back down on the bar. "You might as well fill me up while we wait for them to show."

Bella saw the flashing lights from the window and made her way over to the bar entrance to greet the deputy. What was his name? Jim? Andy? She couldn't remember. Her first day on the job proved to be quite eventful. Despite the liberating liquid coursing through her body, she managed to shift into work mode.

Just as she swung the door open, a black, 1967 Chevy Impala barreled down the drive and came to a skidding halt right in front of her.


E/N – Ruh-roh! I have a feeling Bella isn't going to be too happy. What do you guys think? Reviews make me all lusty...oh and you'll get a teaser to the next chapter too!