Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, or the quotes from New Moon (and the partial quotes), although I do own this plot.

A/N: This is a massive thanks to 'Switzerland' and messica for their help and for their general awesomeness. I also want to thank the people who've read and reviewed my last chapter.

Chapter 2 – When You're Gone

BPOV

Drip, drip, drip. Drip, drip, drip. Drip, drip, drip.

It was raining, yet again. I sighed softly to myself. It was times like this that I remembered how much I hated rain and this stupid town.

Smooth polished wood was beneath my fingertips. My fingers danced around on it as I stared up at the droplets.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I sighed. I slowly got up and ambled downstairs, to get the door. I thought Charlie had taken his keys with him. As I moved closer, I wondered briefly where he had been and what he had been doing.

My fingertips grazed the cold, metal door handle to reveal one of the two police officers in this town that wasn't Charlie. The Deputy's normally flame-coloured hair was bronze from the rain, like His.

A sudden feeling of foreboding filled me; Deputy Steve could have called Charlie, he didn't need to come here. So why was he here?

He must have noticed my confusion because he gestured inside the house. "Could I come in?" he asked politely, sounding tired.

I nodded, still reeling from confusion from thinking of my lost love. He strode past me into the living room, I followed. He seated himself in the chair and I got a good at his face. I almost gasped, he looked ten years older, than he did the last the last time I saw him.

"Bella you should sit down," he said softly. "Bella, when Charlie was on the way back from collecting Renée from the airport, he...he..." Deputy Steve took a deep breath. "Bella there was a car collision, between Charlie's cruiser and a black car."

"What are you saying? Why was Charlie picking Renée up from the airport? Why was Renée in Forks in the first place, she hates Forks?" I said my mind numb as I tried not to guess his answer. I glanced down at my hands; they were trembling as if they knew a secret I didn't.

"Charlie and Renée were in a car crash. Charlie is in hospital. He looks so weak..." Deputy Steve covered his face with his right hand, as he spoke. "And Renée is," he looked me straight in the eye as he said the word that would rip me apart, "dead."

In that second my already broken heart shattered. Tears flowed down my checks unchecked. I had already lost too much; first Him and now Renée, and maybe Charlie. No. Why would fate be so cruel? What had I done to deserve this?

The Deputy was still talking, deaf to my internal monologue.

"I need to go and see Charlie." I choked out.

Steve stared at me through his fingers, which were pinching the bridge of his nose. Edw- no. I won't think about Him. Not now.

"Yes you do, but he isn't allowed visitors until he's stable. The doctors said it might take a while. Wouldn't it be better if..."

"No I'm going now." I jumped up from my seat and ran to the door. Mercifully I didn't trip as I snatched the keys to my truck, a sure sign of approaching change. The ground stayed firmly beneath my feet as I ripped open the door to my truck. All my motions were full of manic energy as I drove towards Charlie.

It wasn't until I reached Charlie's side that I realised that the numbness that had been my only comfort for the last long week had evaporated. Seeing Charlie I knew I needed the veil that had covered my senses. My Charlie was strong and was never fazed. This version of my dad was weak and dying. This realisation made me sob. Losing Charlie would kill me. He wasn't gone yet, I had to remember that.

I don't know how long I was there, just staring at the last person in my once large family, before I heard the slam of wood against the wall. I jumped in shock, as Jacob Black walked in and sat next to me, his dad followed wheeling himself.

"How's Charlie?" Billy asked me.

Without moving my eyes from Charlie's face, I replied, "They've put him in an induced c-coma." I stumbled on the word, my voice breaking.

We were all silent after that. We were all deep in our own thoughts, all staring at Charlie, all waiting for him to wake. He didn't.

"How did it happen?" Jacob asked suddenly, turning to face me.

"Jake, don't ask her now," Billy started but I interrupted.

"No it's fine. Charlie went to pick R-R-Renée up from the airport and a black car stopped in front of them as they were driving and the cars collided. The black car left straight after. It left them to d-die." I whispered haltingly.

"How did they know it was black if it left?" Jacob wondered aloud.

"There were black marks on Charlie's cruiser," Deputy Steve replied as he straightened up. Apparently he had been standing in the door way a while, by the look of it. "And witnesses reported seeing a shiny black Ford speeding away. It must have been a tourist because I don't know anyone with a car that could be called shiny."

We all smiled at that. It was true in the school parking lot the only shiny car had belonged to Edw-Him. His car was silver, though. Even thinking of His car made the hole in my chest gape wide open. I wrapped my arms around my torso, to stop myself from falling apart. Jacob pulled his arm around me in a comforting way. Jesus, Jake was really warm.

"Bella are you going to be alone tonight at your house? Or do you want to stay at our place?" Billy asked.

"Yeah come to the reservation, you shouldn't be at home by yourself." Jake said quietly.

I thanked them, but was desperate to stay with Charlie. It took Jake an hour to change my mind. Deputy Steve nodded in approval, but his eyes seemed to contradict it.

By the time we left the sky was painted with the vivid colours of sunset. The nurses had ordered us to leave, as visiting hours had sadly ended. Deputy Steve had stayed as long as we had and went over to his own cruiser, the sight of which made my eyes prick with tears.

Slowly through the maze of green forest, I followed Jake and Billy back to their home. They had apparently been using Harry Clearwater's old car, which was in a similar condition to my truck.

The winding roads were slick form the rain that had fallen. Jake seemed to remember the speed limitations of the truck; he stuck to the speed limits in a way that would have made Charlie proud. The last of the sun filtered through the canopy tingeing the light a weird green colour. I focused on the scenery to avoid thinking thoughts seemed cramped into my skull, without my protective numbness. If my fairytale prince was here still here, the loss of Renée wouldn't be so hard to bear, I thought as I glimpsed the bark of a tree untouched by squashy green plants. The small wooden houses of La Push flashed past until suddenly the Blacks' house came into view. It was vaguely familiar, small and wooden like the rest of the houses at La Push, painted in a dull red that made it resemble a tiny barn.

As I parked, Jacob walked over and I noticed for the first time how tall he was. I stared at him like an idiot for a moment.

"What?" he asked confused. "Do I have something on my face?"

"You grew again!" I confused in amazement.

He smiled widely. "Six five," he announced with self-satisfaction. He lifted my night bag from the truck bed and carried it into the house. On the way we had stopped at my house so I could get a change of clothes and a toothbrush.

"Is pasta okay for dinner?" Billy asked as I entered the house.

"Yes," I answered absentmindedly. "It's weird not cooking for Charlie."

"We might have to test those cooking skills. Charlie is always boasting about how good a cook you are." Jake mused.

"Are you doubting a cop? Not a good move." I said jokingly.

"Good point, but are you only an amazing cook compared to Charlie?" Jake countered.

Billy snorted. "Compared to Charlie even you're an excellent cook." He said laughing. Jake scowled at this and walked out of the room sulkily. Billy and I laughed silently as Billy began to prepare dinner.

Seeing an adult cook made me miss Charlie. Cooking for him was something I enjoyed; it is nice to feel needed. After He left I felt so worthless. Although I though detachedly, it would be nice to cook for someone who wasn't Charlie for a change.

Oh God! Charlie! If anything happened to him, I don't know what I'll have to live for. If he did, I wouldn't even be able to visit Renée. Why did she have to die? How could she leave me? Or leave Phil? Phil was her life; how dare she desert him! He will be just like me, orbiting empty space, now that the centre of his universe has gone too...

No I won't think about Him. Tears had started to form in my eyes.

I grabbed a knife and began cutting vegetables with Billy, who looked up in shock, obviously in surprise at being in a house with another chef. He didn't speak as we worked quietly away. Dinner was bubbling away merrily as I heard the sound of another person entering the kitchen.

"Mmmm! That smells great and to think I did it all by myself." A husky voice said with a chuckle. I jumped at the sound and I saw a now smiling Jacob sniffing appreciatively at the pasta concoction made according to Billy's 'Super Secret Recipe for Spaghetti that had been passed down for generations', or so Billy had told me. It turned out to actually be Ragu; Billy had told me it was a secret to be taken to the grave. My smile had faded as he spoke, my thoughts turned towards Renée, where I had stopped them in their tracks.

"Bells?" Jake asked, dragging me back to reality.

I made the mistake of looking up at him. Where I had assumed his head was I had a full view of his tanned and muscular chest. My cheeks flamed as red as if I had misguidedly attempted to apply blusher. Not that blusher was necessary, after all I blushed enough to prevent such a disaster. Alice is the only person to do something as foolish...I froze, each muscle in my tired body clenched as thoughts of His family flew into my head, like foot long flies; too big to swat or ignore. Thoughts of other losses crammed themselves into my already full head. He was the most prominent until memories of my erratic mother shoved them all away. Surprisingly the one thing I hadn't since I came to Forks occurred; I forgot Edward. Rivers of pain and grief saturated my heart and overflowed down my pale cheeks as I wept. Fuzziness crept into my vision and mind and my legs gave out. Distantly I felt someone lift me and a soothing voice in my ear. Unconsciousness settled her comforting arms around me and I felt no more.

I floated out of my slumber into the nightmare of my life with a surprising lack of effort considering the gaping chasm that separated them.

I felt icy to my core as I heaved myself out of bed, not wanting to relax which would inevitably result in thinking. I shook myself mentally and headed towards the door of the bedroom, which was wooden and homely and slightly ajar, showing the fraction of a home which belonged to someone other than myself. This realisation made me glance at the pokey and almost completely bed filled room I had slept in. The glance gave me further proof to my theory that I was in someone else's home that I had slept. Either that or I was still dreaming. Hoping for the second option I cautiously advanced into a burning furnace. Overwhelmed I stepped backwards and saw Jacob, or more accurately his chest, again.

A chuckle distracted me as I started to blush. I jerked my head to stare in confusion at a sniggered. How was practically burning my face funny? Or was it my obvious shock that he found so hilarious?

"If I had realised that you found me attractive enough to faint, I would have taken my shirt off earlier," came the arrogant reply to my unspoken spoken shock. Without thinking I reached up leaning towards Jacob and smacked the back of his apparently overinflated head.

"Ow!" he muttered rubbing the back of his head. "Someone obviously woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"There is no other side of the bad to get out of!" I pointed out as I gracefully slid past him into the kitchen to find Billy eating toast. Normally the smell of toast would've made me hungry, but the image of Billy reminded me of Charlie; toast was the only food he could cook. As Jake started to help himself to toast I felt the urge to cook something for Charlie's friend and his son. Instead of sitting on one of the worn chairs, I approached the fridge, to the shock and amusement of my companions. I slowly began to prepare my favourite breakfast: chocolate chip pancakes. When they were finished, Jacob ate with a relish that secretly delighted me. In contrast Billy barely touched his, although he said they were delicious. I only dibbled at my own, not in the mood to eat.

The table was silent for a minute after we all finished, an awkward silence prevailed. Unable to keep quiet, I stated, "I'm going to visit Charlie", as I got up from the table.

"No Bella. I can't let you go without Jacob and visiting hours haven't even started." Billy told me blocking the door, as I blinked. For an old man in a wheelchair he was shockingly fast.

"Why does Jake need to take me? I can drive myself Billy."

"I'm hurt. Why don't you want me? I let you sleep in my room and cook me breakfast!" was Jake's indignant outburst. "For that I won't take you to the beech." He turned to face away from me as if mortally insulted.

Even I had to laugh at that. Jacob is refreshingly different to Ed-Him: immature, young, funny, perpetually happy and most importantly he was here. I love Him. He is my life. No-was. I shouldn't cling to Him, when He doesn't love me. Maybe Charlie was right to hate Him. Oh God! Charlie! I won't let you leave me as well as Ed-Edward. And Renée: you've left me too. Why were you even in Forks? Even this important question couldn't divert my mind from pain. I was going to fall apart. I wrapped my arms around my torso and the table gained mammoth height as I sank to the floor. Tears snaked down my face. Warm arms lifted me to the sofa and placed me down gently, relaxed but not releasing me as I sobbed.

"I'll take her to First Beach; she might feel better out side." A soft voice near my ear murmured.

A creaking sound met my ears as a breeze lifted my hair. I was gently placed on my feet and led by the same warm arms that had lifted me before as we walked. I still wept as we moved as one through La Push. I knew we were close to the beach when the playful breeze strengthened and danced gracefully with my hair instead of simply lifting it. I breathed in and tasted salt on my tongue. My ears detected a violent crashing – waves – and the owner of the arms whispered that Charlie wasn't going to abandon me. This made a cold sensation pass through me as if touched by a cold hand. I shivered.

Jacob POV

Bella shivered and I gripped her tighter. She was so fragile and small. No not small, tiny, like a china doll.

How could that selfish idiot leave her? She was obviously head over heels for him and she's so delicate. I can't imagine what losing your mother, boyfriend and having a dangerously ill father must feel like. No-one had told Bella, but Charlie was simply hanging on to life at this stage.

Why would someone hurt Charlie anyway? Unlike that deputy Steve guy, he is respected and loved in Forks. He only got to arrest people for speeding, drunken behaviour and DUIs. They're hardly life ruining charges. No-one has said that the crash was premeditated, but I can feel it.

"Don't worry Bells, Charlie is strong, he'll get through this." I whispered in her ear. "We can go and see him in an hour." Bella's sobs didn't vary in volume or violence. I wished I could comfort her better, I barely knew her but I could feel an affinity with her.

Suddenly the back of my neck began to tingle as if we were being watched. Well that was weird; the beach was deserted.

I pulled Bella to a driftwood log that lay forsaken on the rocks that made up the beach. It was white, bleached by the salt. As we sat not speaking I opened by limited senses to find the disturbance I knew was nearby. A strong smell of bleach or disinfectant wrinkled my nose.

Bella's sobs grew louder grabbing my attention. I sighed and prepared to sit out this shower for as long as it lasted. The smell persisted and I knew this was going to be an uncomfortable wait. The tingling lessened as Sam ran on to the beach and promptly into the tree not acknowledging my presence or even noticing me. That was weird.

A howl shattered the bubble around Bella and I as Sam's gang ran in the same direction as Sam. What the hell is with everyone today? They were all running like athletes. A snarl increased their pace. Why would they run towards a wild animal? Without guns or weapons they'd get hurt. One of them stopped. It was Embry. Since when did he become one of Sam's minions? I had thought he was ill when he missed school but obviously he had better things to do. We stared at each other for a minute his eyes full of sadness. He had filled out since I last saw him which was impossible. I last saw him three days ago. You don't grow that much in three days.

"Jake, get out of here. It's dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt." He said emotionlessly. Get hurt? By sitting on a beach? Thoroughly confused I stared at him as he ran to join Sam in the forest. I was so angry my hands were shaking. What the hell?

A/N: The song, this chapter is named after is called 'When You're Gone' by Avril Lavigne.

This chapter is four times as long as my last and has taken me a while to write as a result. I'm sorry for it being so late but I have had lots of GCSE coursework to hand in recently. In future I will update more often. If I have made any errors please let me know because I learnt about Albert Einstein's theories today in physics and my head hurts.

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