CHARLIE

Watching Jake and Bella head out to the garage I couldn't help but smile and noticed that Billy was as well, since we both were hoping the guys could help her. So he and I went back to watching sports on the television. It was a short while after Embry came home that the three came back in and Bella was holding herself like I often saw her doing and couldn't help feeling bad for pushing her. But felt a hand on my shoulder and looked over at Billy who just faintly shook his head telling me to let them be for now, he trusted his boys even with them not knowing what really happened. So I nodded and we turned our attention back to the game as they went down to Jake's room. I was slowly relaxing and feeling that this was going to help, boy was I wrong as about 30 minutes Bella came racing down the hallway. Immediately I jumped up worried.

"Bella? What's going on?"

But she didn't say a word and ran out of the house with the screen door slamming shut. I looked over at Billy and we both turned back around looking to Jacob and Embry who came running out a short time after. My hands now were resting along my hips and I couldn't help but to glare at them both which seemed to make them take a few steps back. "What happen boys? Jake, Embry.." Billy asked since I think he could tell I was mad right now, though felt a hand on my arm and tried to let it help calm me for now. Jacob and Embry looked at each other for a moment and the both let out a breath before Jake took a step forward. "While her and I were in the garage I had noticed fain bruises on her and asked her just a little while ago how she got them. She just tensed up, dropped the cup and tore out of my room. I didn't do it to upset her was just slightly worried since they were rather large." Hearing him I let my arms drop from my hips and felt the hand on my arm tighten a moment before Billy moved it and shifted his chair some before he shocked me with his words.

"Boys I think you need to come sit down and listen to what Charlie has to say. We can't keep it from them Charlie they have a right to know especially now, but boys...I won't have you spreading this around and if you do.."

His words trailed off and the boys just nodded before they moved to each take a seat though all of us turned back to the door hoping she might come back in, but I had a feeling she wouldn't come back willingly right now and sighed. Than turned to see both Jacob and Embry along with Billy staring back at me. Letting out a long breath I shifted and walked towards the table a moment before thinking on how to do this rubbing the back of my neck for a moment.

"Alright well back home in Phoenix, Bella was dating this guy and his family is pretty well know and also pretty connected so they are considered on of the richest in Phoenix. But anyhow, they have dated for over 2 yrs and at first Renee, Phil and myself were happy to see her with someone like him. However, we didn't realize what their relationship was truly like. Jasper after about a year of dating Bells became possessive of her, not wanting her to talk to friends, especially other males. But Bella being Bella didn't see what the issues were and told him numerous times she loved only him the others were strictly friends and at first he seemed to accept it not hounding her much. It was only a month five months later things really changed." I paused taking a breath and looked over at the boys who were just staring at me, though with a slight hint of anger in their eyes. "Renee said Bella would come home late sometimes with bruises or cuts all of which she said were accidental or that she got from falling down, which at first we believed cause Bella is known to be a klutz. But when Renee said they seemed to be getting worse we started worrying and questioned Bella. This time she just pushed us away, hiding in her room refusing to come out or tell us what was going on and if Renee or Phil asked her boyfriend he seemed quite shocked and worried as well. Claiming she wasn't talking to him either. Though he did tell us that a friend, Mike or Mitchell can't remember now was seeming jealous and that he himself had seen them yelling at each other. Of course we wanted to speak to Mike/Mitchell but he claimed it was not true, turning the tables back on Bella's boyfriend."

I paused again and took in another deep breath looking down to the floor a moment trying to compose myself before I continued, still pissed off that this happened at all. "We all tried to talk to Bella but she still kept pulling away and we didn't want to seem overly pushy and make her withdraw more, but the marks seemed to finally stop and she started being a little bit like the old Bella. So slightly worried we thought maybe it was over. However the beginning of the second year they were together it all came apart. Bella came home from school with a black eye,. bruises on her neck and arms, but what really got Renee was the the large marks on her sides and back like she had been kicked repeatedly or punched. Renee immediately called Phil and rushed her to the hospital of course they called police with how bad she looked, but Bella wouldn't tell anyone anything. Renee and Phil told them about her boyfriend and they went to question him, but said they couldn't find any evidence he was the one responsible, of course being that his parents were so well connected could of had something to do with that. We tried to keep them apart, but after a few weeks Bella was upset and crying that she wanted to see him and under better judgment they allowed him back."

When I finally looked up having to stop again the look on both boy's faces was anything but pleasant, since Jacob had both his fists clinched and even Embry was looking like he wanted to punch someone or something. And Billy was sitting just quietly listening and watching since he pretty much already knew nodding to me about going on.

"Those bruises you saw Jacob are from right before Bella came back to live here in Forks, as you mentioned their faded and it's been several weeks now since the incident but Bella was put in the hospital by her ex-boyfriend. Renee said they had been paired up in class and were suppose to be working on a project, since the school didn't see issues with them being around one another. As I said he has connections and is the golden boy. But Renee got a phone call from the hospital and when she got there it nearly killed her. Renee said she had bruised and broken ribs, her face was bruised from being punched several times, her back, sides, legs, chest, arms all of her was red, bruised or worse. Those marks you saw are from where she was kicked repeatedly. I'm sorry we didn't tell you both about this, but we brought her here so she could move on and not worry about this anymore. I never realized you would see or notice anything."

I just sat down on the chair and put my hands up over my face not sure I could say much more and felt Billy's hand on my shoulder trying to help which I greatly appreciated and slowly looked over at him and nodded. Forcing finally to look over at both Jacob and Embry, but I wasn't sure what either of them was going to say or do next and glanced over to the door before sighing some. Hoping she was alright.

"Jacob, Embry do you understand now or want to say anything?" Billy finally say's after a few minutes of complete silence.

JACOB

Embry and I were enjoying the game, though both rather wish Bella was going to join us but all she did was watch. But her reaction to my question left us just sitting there in shock, since I hadn't meant to upset her I was just concerned. So when the cup she was holding hit the floor and she took off, Embry gave me that look before we were both up rushing after here, though got stopped suddenly by Charlie and sighed some. Hearing my dad though Embry and I exchanged a glance before going to sit down, although we all looked to the door hoping she might come back in. Letting out a sigh I felt bad for upsetting her so much and hoped she would forgive me. Yet my dad snapped me from that thought when he told us not to say anything about what they where going to say. We both nodded and turned out attention fully on Charlie, though I could see this was something that was hard for him. Seeing him move by the table before he turned around and looked at us.

I don't have to tell you when he started how annoyed I was to hear about her love life and shifted some on the seat crossing my arms of my chest wishing this was over. But than as Charlie continued I felt a sudden pain in my chest, and my arms dropped to my lap before my eyes slightly narrowed. Casting a look to Embry who seemed to of tensed up beside me, almost as if we both understood where this story was going. I wasn't sure what to say and could tell just by Charlies voice this killed him inside to say and I wasn't even a father yet. My eyes on him as he stopped and seemed to look at us both almost gauging how we were taking this information and I almost wanted to tell him he didn't need to go on but couldn't.

Wasn't sure why this hit me so hard when I barely knew Bella, or it could of been the fact that I had dated girls before and never once would of done anything like what her ex did to her. A part of me wanted to go find the bastard and beat the hell out of him, but I knew it wouldn't do anything. From what Charlie said he had to many damn connections. My anger was starting to show more as he went on and my eyes I had to close as I began taking in deep breaths trying to calm myself down. Having noticed both my fists were clinched tightly against my palms. Even Embry sitting beside me was shaking and it took alot to upset him I knew that, his temper wasn't near as bad as mine. I think both of us in complete shock and horror at what this girl had gone through.

But what got me was how she didn't want to say anything, though I had know some girls so scared of the men that they scared them into believing they would kill them if they told. So maybe he had done the same. His accusing a friend only made me shake my head in disgust. A managed finally a glance to my father who seemed relatively calm and I guess he was already aware of all this with how close he and Billy are now. As he went on I was nearly done listening and noticed that my body was shaking trying to hold back the urge to rip someone apart. Listening and biting down hard on my teeth to keep from saying a word just yet not wishing to take it out on Charlie of my father it wasn't their fault, but this was too much. I was even feeling bad for teasing her so much and just wanted to go find her and make sure she was alright.

When he finished and seemed to just collapse back into the chair and let out a long breath that I had been holding before trying to find my words, "I..I don't know what to say Charlie I really had no idea it was that bad or she had been...Look we'll go find her and make sure she is alright and I promise you Bella will never be hurt like that again. No guy has a right to...never mind you know. But I'm going to go cool off and find her. Embry you coming with me?" I asked shifting up and seeing my dad nod to me before I laid a hand on Charlie's shoulder for a moment than rushed out the door. Running a little ways away from the house I punched my fist into a tree and growled, yes growled and leaned up against the tree trying to calm my nerves.

After a few moments I pushed myself off the tree and turned to start heading towards the beach figuring she might of gone there since it would be one of the quietest places at least. Listening to my heart racing inside my chest and trying to think of what the hell I was going to say to her once I did find her. Before feeling a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Embry now behind me. The look in his eyes speaking volumes in itself and we both just nodded as we made our way towards the beach, though it wasn't much of a search and I saw Embry point to a figure kneeling on the sad and from what it looked like crying. We both knew who it was. And I shifted my heads into the pockets of my pants as we made our way over towards her, neither sure what to say.

EMBRY

Jake and I just had too much fun enjoying the game, though he seemed to want Bella to join us but all she did was watch. However, her reaction to his less than appropriate question left us just sitting there in shock, since I honestly didn't think he had meant to upset her. Though I still wanted to punch him for asking her in the first place that was a rather private question, though could from his point of view understand his concern. She did act odd around us and that reaction to Jake's touch earlier did make me a little curious. So when the cup she was holding hit the floor and she took off, I gave Jake that 'you did it this time' look before we were both up rushing after here, though got stopped suddenly by Charlie and Billy. Hearing our dad though Jake and I exchanged a glance before going to sit down, although I noticed us all looking to the door hoping she might come back in. We both nodded and turned out attention fully on Charlie, though I could see, as I assumed Jake could as well that this was something that was hard for Charlie. Watching him move by the table before he turned around and looked at us.

But than as Charlie spoke I felt a shocked, and my arms dropped to my lap from there I had them crossed around my chest. Catching a look from Jake who seemed to quite taken back and upset, almost as if we just got hit in the chest and had all the air knocked from our lungs. I wasn't sure what to say and could tell this killed Charlie inside talking about Bella. My eyes never left his face studying his expressions and just unable to focus anywhere else really at the moment. Our dad seeming rather quiet near us and I guess he had already know so this wasn't hitting him quite as hard, though could see why he didn't want us saying anything, not that I would anyhow but this was just so overwhelming. A part of me wanting to stop listening and rush out there to find her, but knew I should wait.

It didn't surprise me Jake's reaction. I could feel us both tensing up but knew his anger was starting to build in him when I glanced over to his clinched fists. Though can't say I wasn't want to unleash my own frustrations right now. Who gave a man the right to treat a woman like that? And his girlfriend no less. It was appalling really for me and I was partly sick to my stomach sitting there listening to Charlie. Taking in a few breaths here and there trying to not let it push me too much like I knew it was for Jacob. Watching as Charlie would pause to compose himself I wanted to tell him he didn't have to go on and explain we really understood, but than I didn't want him to think we didn't care either. So I just leaned back on the couch and kept my attention focused on him, but this...this really just had me thrown for a loop. I never expected anything like that especially for the Chief's daughter.

But as he finished and I shifted up some about to say something Jake beat me too it though could tell he was at a loss for words too.

"I..I don't know what to say Charlie I really had no idea it was that bad or she had been...Look we'll go find her and make sure she is alright and I promise you Bella will never be hurt like that again. No guy has a right to...never mind you know. But I'm going to go cool off and find her. Embry you coming with me?"

"Sure man" I told him in response. Watching as he shifted up and seeing our dad nod to us before seeing him comfort Charlie a moment than rushed out the door. "Charlie like he said where both sorry and we will try and make sure Bella isn't hurt again." He just nodded and didn't seem to have a voice to say much else so I glanced to dad before taking off after Jake. Though once outside heard his fist connect to the tree and figured I might want to give a moment to cool off. He did have a temper and not that I could blame him at the moment before he pushed off the tree and turned to start heading towards the beach. Slowly moving to follow him and trying to compose myself and wondering what they hell we were going to do once we found her. She had sighed away from the faint touch when Jake gave her his sweatshirt, so how were we going to comfort her now.

Before he got to far ahead of me I came up closer and placed my hand on his shoulder and saw him turn to look at me. The look in my eyes telling him enough about how I felt so we both just nodded as made our way towards the beach, though it wasn't much of a search as I point to a figure kneeling on the sad and from what it looked like crying. We both knew who it was. Letting out another breath before moving a hand up through my hair and walking slowly with him towards her, hoping we didn't end up scaring her or possible upsetting her again. Looking down to the sand as we got closer and I couldn't help but to feel a sudden nervousness seeing her like this. Hesitantly deciding if I should touch her or not and finally just deciding to say something instead.

"Bella? We didn't mean to upset you." Not too sure about actually telling her we know right now seeing how upset she was, but just hearing her crying and seeing her arms wrapped so tightly around herself made my chest tighten. It hurt that she was in so much pain mentally and physically but hoped we could help her somehow.