CHAPTER 21

The attention of the whole room was now focused on Charlie. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jake carefully set Billy in a nearby chair, a more convenient seat than Jake's arms.

Charlie's eyebrows furrowed in his obvious attempt to recall the past. Suddenly, his face cleared, as if the memories weren't blurry anymore. "I…I remember that it was getting dark, I was just coming off my shift at work and wondering what I was going to have for dinner since Bella wasn't there to cook anymore. I was coming toward town from the north, I'd just finished pulling someone over for speeding, and I was passing the ravine. I remember thinking that the guard rail in this area should be reinforced, since there are usually so many accidents in that area. All of a sudden I felt something slam into the side of the cruiser."

Here Charlie paused to think a bit. "At first I thought it was a deer or something, you know, sometimes that happens, where instead of hitting a deer, the deer hits you. But then it happened again and again, and it was all I could do to keep the car on the road. When I finally looked out the window to see what was going on, all I saw was a person with very pale skin and dark brown hair. I think it was male, and then in the background I noticed something that looked like fire. At the time I remember wondering about that, since there was no reason for a fire in the middle of no where. And then all I knew was that I was flying through the air as the cruiser slammed through the railing and into the ravine. When I hit bottom I remember the pain, it coursed through my entire body. I realized that my door was open and tried to get out but it hurt so much that I just fell in the water. It took everything I had to roll over so I didn't drown, and then I guess I just floated, I don't really remember any of that, I'm pretty sure I was unconscious from the pain."

Everyone was watching him and I could tell that he was getting uncomfortable by the scrutiny because of the way he shifted on the hospital bed. "But you know, I'm kind of confused Carlisle," he said.

"Oh? What are you confused about?" Carlisle asked, seeming genuinely interested.

"Well, you said I wouldn't be able to remember my human life very well, it would all just be blurry and nondescript."

"And?" Carlisle urged.

"I didn't have any trouble remembering it. It was like it just happened a few hours ago. Everything was clear and nothing was in shadows or anything."

"That is very odd; I don't think I've met a vampire who had that ability. That might be your talent, like how Alice can tell the future and Edward can read minds and Jasper can read emotions. Oh, and I forgot that Bella is a shield and you're both immune to human blood…maybe you can…remember the past like no one else can…see it clearly…" Carlisle theorized. "Though I personally can't really see that that's a good gift, since the past is the past…"

"Edward can read minds?" Charlie demanded, looking murderous. I suddenly realized why he must be so mad, Edward had been around him enough to pick through all the nasty things he was thinking about my once upon a time boyfriend, and I was guessing that Charlie didn't much appreciate that his bad thoughts had been caught by the one person who wasn't meant to hear them. I burst out laughing.

"It's not funny Isabella Marie!" Charlie exclaimed, using my middle name in an attempt to tell me how mad he was, he only used Marie when he was totally pissed.

I tried to stop my laughter, but it was utterly impossible. Soon, Emmett and Alice were laughing too. Charlie just sat back and glared at me. Finally I was able to control myself. "I'm sorry dad, I just couldn't help it."

"Uhuh, you're a brat you know that kid?" he demanded, unable to keep a smirk from his face.

I just smiled, "yes, I know that."

"I don't know why you people are all so happy," Edward snarled. We looked at him in shock and surprise. "Don't you realize what Charlie saw before he flew off into thin air?" he demanded.

I thought back to what Charlie had said, I noticed something that looked like fire … no reason for a fire in the middle of no where. I gasped. "No," I said softly.

"What? What is it Bella?" Jake asked, looking worried by the stricken look on my face.

"Victoria," I whispered. "It must have been her. But I don't understand…why didn't she just…Charlie…" I knew I was speaking incoherently but I wasn't able to think clearly and my thoughts kept getting broken by other thoughts that all jumbled together into what I'd just blurted out.

"Um, Bella, do you realize you're babbling?" Rose asked.

"No, I mean yes I know that, it's just…I don't know why she didn't just kill him, you know, vampire style," I said, trying to hint at it without actually saying it. I couldn't think about a vampire doing that to my father.

"Maybe she was going to but whoever was with her didn't give her the chance…Because we know that another vampire, one we haven't met, was with her," Jasper offered. "I'm surprised that Laurent didn't come back with her though…"

I shook my head, knowing that my eyes had lost focus. I was thinking and I needed to focus on what I couldn't see to figure out what had happened. "No, she knew that if she bit him we'd still find his body, because it's my experience, from what I've heard anyway, that vampires don't get rid of their kills, they just leave them. She knew that we'd be able to tell that it was a vampire and she couldn't know how long she had to get away, whether her scent would fade or not. She figured this would be an easy way to kill Charlie and make it seem like an accident, she didn't think he'd survive the landing."

Carlisle shook his head, "she didn't think we'd have the strength to turn him. But I think you're right Bella, about why she didn't kill him out right."

"But why is she doing it in the first place?" Esme asked.

"Because I didn't go through with my side of the deal," I replied absently. "I said I would get revenge on Edward when I was a vampire, for breaking my heart, and I didn't. Instead I let it go, I moved on. And she chose Charlie because he was the most vulnerable. Of the people I love, he was the only one she could get to with no retaliation."

"Wait, who's Victoria?" Jake demanded.

"Do you remember when I went to Phoenix and "fell" down those steps and got all messed up?" I asked. Jake nodded. "Well, I didn't fall down any steps. The last day I was here, we were playing baseball and these vampires showed up. One of them decided that they wanted me, apparently I appeal to all vampires, not just certain ones. Anyway, this vampire, James, he tracked me all the way to Phoenix and when he threatened to kill my mom, I went to meet him. If Edward hadn't shown up when he did, I'd be dead now. Victoria was one of the other vampires. Victoria was his mate."

"Wait, hold on a minute. So you're saying that when you told me that you left because you and Edward were fighting, you were lying? It was really because some psycho vampire was after you? Bella, why didn't you tell me?" Charlie demanded.

"Well, do you remember that talk we had when you found out that I wasn't dead? The reason we gave you then is the reason you couldn't know in the beginning. Besides, you wouldn't have believed me if I told you that a vampire had tried to kill me. Can't you just let it go? It's over and now we have bigger problems," I said, exasperated.

"Fine, but what do Jake and Billy have to do with this? Why do they get to know about vampires when I couldn't?" Charlie demanded. I had a feeling he was purposely being difficult.

"We'll explain later," I said, brushing it off. "But right now we need to take action. Jasper…?" I asked.

The blond vampire, who I now knew had experience in this type of thing, immediately took over and I turned away to sit on the floor in the corner, not even paying attention.

"You alright Bells?" Emmett whispered, sliding down next to me.

I sighed and laid my head on his shoulder, "I just don't understand…"

"But you were right there, you were telling us what you thought happened…how do you not understand?" Emmett asked, confusion pulling his brows together.

I sat straight up again and turned to look at him, "I don't mean about that! I mean the fact that just when I'm happy, just when I think my life is getting closer to normal, something happens. Why does this always happen to me? I've never done anything too wrong, never broken the law, killed anyone. I've lied a bit but I didn't think that that justifies all the stuff that's been happening. I mean, don't these people have anyone else to terrorize? Why can't they just leave us alone?" I knew that my voice continued to rise as I spoke until I was practically shouting, but I couldn't help it anymore.