Chapter Two

Charlie

I had no idea what caused it but Bella seemed to pick up after Renee and Phil left so maybe seeing them and having a family Christmas did help. She was still very quiet but Angela came over once a week to do homework with her and once a week she went to the pictures with the gang although she never had much to say about the movie she'd seen. The biggest change though was her relationship with Jake. He finally connected and she started spending a lot of time on the Res with him, in the garage according to Billy. I didn't care where they were, he was working some magic on Bella. I got a little suspicious when she started coming home with bruises and grazes but then if they would go looking for birds and hiking I guess it was to be expected. I hadn't realized either of them were into bird watching and Bella had never shown any aptitude for hiking or climbing, trees or anything else, but she was coming back so I just let them get on with it. Then things took a turn for the worst.

"Chief Swan?"

"Yes speaking."

"Its Danny from the Hardware store."

"Oh Hi Danny what can I do for you?"

"Well I'm not sure if I should tell you, besides you might already know but it's about Bella and her friend from the Reservation."

"Jacob Black? What's wrong?"

"I was driving back from Port Angeles along the back roads and I saw the two of them on a dirt track"

I waited, was he going to tell me they were making out in broad daylight?

"Chief did you know Bella was riding a motorbike?"

"Bella? My Bella was on the back of Jacobs motorbike? I didn't know he had one."

"No Chief, she was riding one and he was on the other."

"She was riding a motorbike solo?"

"Yeah, I guess from your tone of voice you didn't know."

"Thanks for telling me Danny."

So that's how Bella got all her bruises and grazes, she was lucky not to have killed herself and she knew how I felt about motorbikes!

Jake

When she was messing around with the motorbikes Bella seemed to come alive although the number of times she fell of I thought might have put her off.

"You know if your dad finds out we're toast."

She nodded,

"How is he going to find out if we don't tell him and we stay away from the main roads?"

"All the same, what will you tell him if we do get caught?"

She just shrugged as if she was past caring and maybe she was, she was certainly different from the girl who moved to Forks over a year ago now.

When we got back to the Res, I wheeled the bikes into the garage while Bella kept watch and then we went back to the cabin to find Billy and Charlie sitting in the kitchen waiting for us and they didn't look happy, we were busted!

"Where have you been?"

"In the garage then for a walk"

"Would you like to try again Jacob?"

Yes, we were definitely busted.

"Its my fault dad, I persuaded Jake to teach me to ride."

"Really? Where did the bikes come from?"

"I saw them for sale at the side of the road and bought them. They were wrecks really and Jake rebuilt them. That's what we were doing at weekends."

"Do you have any excuse for disobeying me?"

"No, not really. I just wanted a rush and the bikes gave me that"

"Plus a few trips to the emergency room. You know you could have been killed Bella"

"But I wasn't, it was only a few cuts and bruises. We never went on the highway."

"And you think that makes it OK?"

"No I guess not but please don't take it out on Jake. He didn't want to get involved but he knew I'd be safer with him than alone"

"You said the bikes were wrecks. Did they start when you got them?"

"No but..."

"Could you have fixed them up alone?"

"No but..."

"Jake I don't want to see you at the house again. I'm really disappointed with you. You knew my attitude to motorbikes yet you rebuilt them so Bella could learn to ride and possibly break her neck"

Billy backed the Chief up and I could only keep apologising to Bella as her father marched her to the cruiser.

"Bella won't be coming back and I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know if she tries Billy"

"I will Charlie. Jake inside now, you and I have some talking to do."

Charlie

Bella was silent during the ride home, she didn't try to justify her actions any longer just listened as I told her yet again why I hated motorbikes so much. When we got back she went straight up to her room shutting the door and a few minutes later I heard loud music. I wasn't sure this new rebellious Bella was any better than the solitary one but I had made my stand, Billy was arranging for the motorbikes to be taken to auction and all I could do now was hope that Renee never found out or I would be in as much trouble with her as Bella was with me. The music was switched off an hour later and she came down stairs to cook dinner, still in silence. Well two could play that game and the meal and evening passed off in silence.

"I want you straight home after school. I'll be here so don't let me down"

She left with a nod and I heard the truck start up outside and drive off. That night she came in straight from school and went upstairs to do her homework without a word, coming down again an hour later to cook dinner. This time I tried to talk to her,

"Bella do you understand why I was so angry?"

"Yes."

"Do you think I was wrong?"

"No, but I think you were wrong to sell the bikes. One belonged to Jake, he did all the work on them."

"Well Jake will understand its a punishment for his deceit."

"So what's mine? A permanent grounding?"

"For now yes. I want you here after school in the week and after work at weekends. Angela is welcome if she wants to come over..."

"But Jake's not?"

"No."

"He was helping me. It isn't fair to punish him."

"Fairness doesn't come into it Bella. You both disobeyed me knowingly."

She didn't say any more until after we cleared up,

"Can I ring Jake?"

"Yes you can but you're not going to the Res and he's not welcome here. I don't want you meeting up in Forks either."

"I get the message dad, no Jake"

She snatched up the receiver and rang the Blacks cabin but Jake wasn't there. She listened to Billy for a few minutes then put the phone down.

"Jake's gone to Billy's friends in Portland for a couple of weeks. Happy now?"

"Hey, mind your tone of voice young lady. Don't you have homework to do?"

She rolled her eyes and ran upstairs noisily shutting her door louder than strictly necessary but I thought I'd ridden her hard enough for now, so I let it go.