AN: SM owns all. I own my shame. Not fair.
THREE WEEKS AFTER "MARIE" WAS HIRED
Chapter 5
Charlie's POV
I hear the familiar shoes against the kitchen tile when I awake this morning. I stretch and smile to myself. Today will be a good day. Don't know why though.
I make my way to the kitchen and see Marie placing a bowl of scrambled eggs on the table. She smile gently and takes her seat at the end of the table.
"Good morning, Charlie!" she chirps happily and hands me a plate when I sit down at the other end of the table. "I hope you don't mind that I came a little bit later this morning."
I look at the girl who has changed my life for the better in the past few weeks. She is prompt, friendly, and a hell of a good cook. So when she apologizes I can't even bring up a fake emotion. "Don't be! You're only…what….seventeen? Do you ever sleep?" I laugh and take a spoonful of eggs and shove it in my mouth heartily. Her smile falters and she looks down…but only for a moment. "Hey! Don't be sad! I was just joking…" I say before I realize what I'm saying. Why am I apologizing? I didn't say anything remotely bad towards her.
"Oh, I'm not sad! No, I was just thinking about all I have to do today," Marie replies and puts a strand of hair behind her ear.
I watch the young girl eat slowly. Her face still reminds me of someone I used to know. I can't put my finger on whom though…just when I think I have it…
Marie pulls out her blaring cell phone and smiles apologetically. I nod and watch her leave the room.
Now what was I thinking? Oh, well. It will come back to me sooner or later. This week has been the strangest thing ever. Jacob came over. He never comes over anymore. He brought a girl with him but she stayed in his car. When I tried to ask about her he changed the subject. Jacob also wanted me to come to a meeting of some sort…wanted me to hear a story or something….
"So sorry, Charlie. It was Edward, " Marie grimaces playfully and sits back down at the table. "He wanted to remind me that everyone was going out for the day." Marie shrugs and picks up her spoon.
"What are you going to do while they're gone?" I resume eating my eggs and watch her think about her predicament.
"Probably watch T.V. or go to the beach…" she decides with a smile.
"Why don't you stay here?" I suggest.
"Oh! I couldn't…that would put you out. I'm a big girl. I'll figure something out," Marie laughs again and shrugs. It is one of her signature moves. Laugh and shrug. Like she is indecisive.
"Actually, I want to go to the book store and pick up something. I may need another opinion. Wanna come?"
Marie stands up from the table and clears it, except my plate. She whistles tunefully as she works. I watch as she gracefully cleans the kitchen in no time flat. When she finishes she looks back at me. "Sure, I guess that will be fine."
Charlie and Bella's POV
Charlie put the car in reverse and sped off down the road, going the speed limit, of course. He watches cautiously at the girl next to him. Someone so new to him means so much to him. Not in a strange way, but a father-like way. He can't explain in and doesn't really ever have the time to figure it out for himself.
Bella, nervous, as she sits in the small car breathing the same air as Charlie. Never have had much interaction with Charlie since she was reborn, tries not to do anything like her old self. When she first got in the car she turned the radio on and rolled down the window a bit. I would never do such a thing, Bella thought as she cranked the window down.
The conversation is limited and the radio fills the silence uncomfortably. They don't stare at each other too long. Bella doesn't want Charlie to think he sees a comparison between her and his supposed dead daughter and Charlie doesn't want Bella to think he's insane.
When the silence gets too much for them to handle they both speak at the same time. "So, what books do you want?" Bella asks quickly as Charlie asks "What do you like to read?" The laughter is even more uncomfortable than the silence.
"I like older books, classics, mainly. You?" Bella answers first and rolls up her window after deciding the wind may be annoying to Charlie's human ears.
"I don't know, I haven't read much in…forever. I was always the guy who only read when it was required. This will be interesting for sure."
"I like interesting. If I didn't I wouldn't have moved in with the Cullen's," Bella says lightheartedly.
"It must be interesting there…" Charlie says even though he wants to drop the Cullen's from the conversation. If Bella wasn't a Cullen it would be all the better, Charlie thinks to himself.
Charlie's POV
That was the most awkward trip I have ever taken. When we are at my house we can talk fine. But, get us in a small area. Nope. No conversation at all. Marie was sweet, sure. But not the best when it came to talking. I guess I'm no better. It takes two to talk. Unless I was talking to a brick wall…
"What do you want to look at first?" Marie asks when she pushes through the double doors at the book store. She takes a deep breath and smiles, for the first time I can see the happiness in her eyes radiate. "I love the smell of books. The musty paper smell? The best!" She exclaims and picks up the newest book in the store. She takes a deep breath and giggles.
"Wow, how about you go pick up your favorite book and we meet back in here in ten minutes?" I suggest. She smiles again and runs off in the direction of the cook books. I watch her go with a slight fondness and try to shake it off.
"Can I help you?" a voice asks me from behind. I turn to see a woman. But that cannot be the only word to describe her. She is beautiful in every possible way. She has her light brown hair piled on her head and the light pink of her top makes her caramel skin tone glow.
"I think I can handle it. I've been around a few times," I smile and try to make a joke out of my awkwardness. She nods and blinks a few times rapidly. The dark yellow in her eyes lighten and she turns to leave. I wave without her knowing and head to the back of the store in a daze.
I pick up the first book my hands touch. Dracula. Have I ever read this? I ask myself. Once in high school maybe. I keep it with me as I walk down the aisles. I pick up another book on Quileute legends. These will do fine; I guess and go back to the front of the store. I look around for the saleswoman and saddened to fins she is no longer working the front. I watch Marie walk up carrying a small book. Too small to be a cook book. Without speaking she hands me a small book with a familiar cover and an even more familiar name…Wuthering Heights….
"Bella," I breathe sadly and look up at the face of Marie. Her eyes flash with worry and she pulls the book out of my hands. "I'm sorry, here let me get that. If that's your favorite book. I'm going to read it. My daughter loved to read. I want to see what's so great about it." Marie grudgingly hands over the book and walks with me to the checkout.
The saleswoman isn't the same one I met earlier. Not even close. Damn. When I pay for the books I send Marie out to the car so I can talk to the saleswoman. I look around the store and cannot find her anywhere. When I almost give up another person comes up to me wearing a name tag that reads: Lauren.
"Can I help you find anything, Chief Swan?" Lauren asks me.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact you can. I'm looking for one of your co-workers, but I can't find her. Can you just tell me her name?" I ask desperately. I must meet this angel.
"Well, what did she look like?"
"Tan, goldish eyes, maybe hazel, light brown hair, in a bun on her head…" Lauren shakes her head uncertainly. "Do you know her?"
"What color shirt was she wearing?"
"Uh….pink..yeah…pink," I decide that was what she was wearing.
"Our employees wear green. She must not work here, sorry."
My heart falls and I thank her for her trouble. When I get back in the car. Marie is staring at the Dracula cover angrily.
"Everything okay, Marie?" I ask and throw the other books in the back of the car.
"Don't believe everything you read, okay?" Marie whispers and places the book on top of the book she chose.
"I'm not six, I know."
Back at the house Marie begins to clean like she regularly does. I start to skim the books and end up putting them on the bookcase in Bella's room.
I glance around the room and don't feel the usual sorrow. Instead if eel like it is just a room. That Bella isn't gone. I go to the closet and pull out a jacket I had bought her before the accident.
"Hey, Marie?" I call to the girl.
"Yeah, what's up?" Marie walks into the room slowly and stops a few feet away from me. I throw the jacket to her. She looks at it and shrugs. "You want me to clean it?"
"No, put it on for a minute." She sighs and does as I requested. It fits. Perfectly. Just like it did on Bella. "Keep it and anything else you want from the closet. Okay?" Marie sighs and takes off the jacket.
"Why do you keep all this stuff, Charlie? I bet you haven't even cleared the computer's history yet. You could sell it and make some money. Don't give it to me…" Marie shrugs off the jacket and places it on the computer desk. "I'm done for today. I'll be back for dinner."
I watch Marie get on her bike and ride away into the afternoon sun's glow. I bet you haven't even cleared the computer's history yet, she'd said. I haven't. I could sell it. Buy a new rod with the money I get for it…
I go back to Bella's room and turn on the computer. It takes its time turning on. The memory must be packed. I instantly hit the 'History' button and watch the 'Recently Viewed' pages flood on to the screen. The most visited was 'Vampires A-Z'. I click the button out of curiosity. Bella was gothic or morbid. Why read up on the supernatural?
I read the first few sentences on the webpage and stop.
Bella.
Marie.
Bella.
Marie.
Isabella.
Isabella.
Isabella Marie.
Marie.
Bella Swan Cullen.
Marie Cullen?
Bella?
Alive?
Bella's POV
Inside my home I find Edward and Becca having a heated discussion. I try to slip by to get to the refrigerator. I don't want to go back to Charlie's Maybe I'll have Jacob drop off something. Say I'm sick…or something. But it didn't go exactly that way…
"Bella! Come in here! Now!" Edward barks at me. I growl and return to his side. Becca has her teeth barred.
"What's going on?" I ask him worriedly. He grabs my hand and kisses it forcefully. I pull it away and glare up at him. "What is it Edward?"
He points to Becca who growls lowly at me. Not him. Me.
"What is it Becca?" I ask her lightly.
"You. Do you know what you've done?"
"No…"
"Your…father!" Becca spat at me.
"What about it, Becca?"
"Stop being so damn vague, Becca!" Edward roars. I've never seen him so angry. "Tell her about Italy. Now." He says more calmly. Becca smiles a cruel smile.
"Who's ready to hear about my little trip to Italy?" Becca asks serenely. I nod.
Who wouldn't want to hear?
Author's Note-Thanks for reading. Please review if you feel inclined to flame me for this piece of crap.