A/N - sorry it took so long to upload. Sickly family this week! Thanks again for the review as I love each and every one of them.

Again - all characters belong to SM

Chapter 11

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As I was boarding the plane to Phoenix for the first time in almost twenty years, I couldn't help but think about how much had changed in my life over the past few weeks. Seth and Leah were once again spending a few nights between Charlie's house in Forks and the house that Sue kept in La Push. The school year was almost over for Seth, so I was able to get them to excuse his last two weeks. That helped Charlie out some, since he wouldn't have to drive to Port Angeles to get him to school every day. Sadly, I had no idea how long I would be in Phoenix. Phil said very little on the phone, and I wasn't sure what to expect when I got there.

As soon as I had gotten off the phone with Phil, Rosalie helped me pack my bags while I found a flight to Phoenix and called Charlie. Of course, they both offered to come with me, but I didn't want either of them involved in the mess that I was sure was awaiting me. I got the first available flight, which barely gave me time to shower before leaving.

I let my head fall back on the seat as the plane took off. My mind began to wander.

My mother had called the dance studio to tell them that her new boyfriend, Phil would be picking me up tonight. It seemed to be a common occurrence for her lately. She had just started her degree in something new (I couldn't keep up any more), and she would be with some girls from her class this evening. My mom and I used to be so close, but lately, she seemed to want so much more than a thirteen year old girl could give her. When my dance instructor told me that it would be Phil picking me up, I wasn't surprised. At least I wouldn't have to walk home in the dark.

I walked outside to find Phil leaning against his car smoking. I bit my tongue to keep from lecturing him on the health ramifications of smokers and just climbed into the front seat. He got in and asked me how my day had been. I told him about tripping up the steps on the way into the gym, which he thought was quite comical.

"You know, Bella… that's why your mother is paying a fortune for you to go to dance classes. She thought it would help your coordination some."

Sarcastically I replied, "Well, she is obviously paying way too much. It isn't working."

We both laughed a little and then settled into the uncomfortable silence. I was surprised that Phil got out of his car when we arrived at my house.

"Mom isn't here," I said, pointedly.

"I know she isn't, she told me to wait for her. She shouldn't be too long."

"Okay. Well, make yourself at home. I'm gonna go change and then I was just going to fix a sandwich before I do my homework. Do you need anything?"

"Nah, I can take care of myself. Thanks."

My arms hurt from where I caught myself on the gym steps. I couldn't wait to feel the heat from the shower. I took off my sweaty dance clothes and looked at my skinny self in the mirror while I waited for the water in the shower to heat up. I have no idea why, but suddenly, I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I looked around, but I couldn't figure out the reason for my sudden panic. I opened the bathroom door just a crack, but I didn't really notice anything out of place. I thought I had shut my bedroom door, but it was opened, so I wrapped a towel around myself and tiptoed to the door in order to close it.

I couldn't shake the creepy feeling that I had as I went back to my bathroom. I made sure the windows were locked and I locked the door, which was something that I rarely did. I stepped into the shower, and the hot water erased the fears for a few minutes. I let my shoulders and arms relax in the steamy water and just enjoyed the sensation. As I was rinsing the conditioner out of my hair, I felt that tingly feeling once again. I could have sworn that I heard someone trying to open my bathroom door. I got out as quickly as I could and got dressed. Letting my hair drip down my back, I stepped out into my room. My door was open, and Phil was sitting on my mother's bed across the hall staring in my direction. He had a strange, maniacal look on his face that made my blood go cold.

I closed and locked my bedroom door and called my mom to ask her when she was going to be home.

"You know Bella, it's not all about you anymore. I have a life too."

"I know that you do Mom, I was just wondering if you knew when you'd be home since Phil is here waiting for you and I certainly can't entertain him."

"I didn't know that Phil was staying. Tell him that I should be home in about thirty minutes."

By this point I was really uncomfortable. Phil had said that Mom told him to wait, but Mom said that she didn't know he was waiting. I knew that my mother could be really flaky, but she never forgot anything as far as Phil was concerned. Not wanting to leave my room without a buffer, I called my daddy.

Charlie wasn't a very verbal man, so trying to keep him on the phone until my mother came home wasn't easy. I asked him about Forks and about some of my old friends. I had been gone from Forks for about three years, but sometimes it felt like it had been a lifetime. I tried really hard to think of things to keep Charlie talking, but he finally just asked.

"What's wrong Bells?"

Before I even thought about it, I said, "I want to come home, Dad."

"Are you sure?"

I looked up to see Phil coming down the stairs.

"I'm absolutely positive."

The flight attendant brought me out of my reverie when she asked what I would like to drink. I ordered a bottle of water and asked for an apple. It hadn't really hit me yet that my mother was dead. I'm not sure that I ever came to terms with the way that she treated me when she found out that I was moving back to Forks.

"Bella, you don't know what you are talking about. You are thirteen years old!"

"Mom, that's old enough to decide which parent I want to live with according to the courts."

"Why are you doing this to me? I have given you everything that I could give you, and it's still not enough."

"Mom, you know that's not it. I love you. I just miss Forks."

My mother was flaky, but she was no dummy.

"Bella, is this about Phil? You know that was all a misunderstanding, right?"

I had been telling her about the weird feeling I had regarding Phil for a few days. I tried to bring it up several times, but she just shushed me and changed the subject. The same night that it seemed like he was trying to get into my bathroom with me, I woke up to him standing with his hand down his pants, next to my bed. I screamed loudly, and my mother came running in. Phil told her that he must have walked into the wrong room while looking for the bathroom. I told them both that I didn't buy it. I tried to tell her about the events that had occurred earlier in the evening, but they both dismissed it. I overheard Phil telling her later that he thought I was purposefully trying to undress in front of him, which made him uncomfortable enough to get up and shut my bedroom door.

The plane was making its descent into the airport. I decided to push those thoughts away for now. I was no longer afraid of Phil. He had purposefully tried to intimidate me for the few weeks that it took to get everything in order for the big move. Since then, I had not been back to Phoenix. My mother was sad at first. She would call and cry and ask what she had done wrong. Then she became angry, telling me that I was spoiled and that I didn't appreciate anything that she had done for me. I tried to explain to her once that I would love to see her more but that Phil made me uncomfortable. That didn't go over very well at all.

She and Phil would come visit every so often. I had never told Charlie, or anyone other than Edward for that matter, about the way I felt around Phil, but he always seemed to know. He never made me go anywhere with my mother and Phil without being there too. I know how hard that was for him, but he never said a word.

When Jacob died, Mom and Phil asked if they could take my kids for a few days. The thought caused an all out panic attack, which neither of them took too kindly to. Since then, there had been very little conversation between us. I was not looking forward to seeing Phil again. Especially under these circumstances.

I had called him when I made my flight arrangements to let him know when I would be in Phoenix and where I would be staying. I had expected to catch a cab from the airport to my hotel and just relax before the memorial tomorrow. The last thing that I wanted or expected was to find Phil waiting for me at the baggage claim.

"Isabella, Isabella!"

I looked around wondering if there had been another Isabella on the flight. Nobody called me that. Then I saw him waving his arms. I looked at him disbelievingly as he walked towards me.

"Which bag is yours?" he nodded his head towards the belt.

I told him that it hadn't come out yet and that I could get it when it did.

"Don't be difficult Bella, I'm trying to help."

"Phil, I appreciate that help, I truly do. I can get my bag though, then I was going to get a cab to the hotel. I'm tired, and I just want to go to bed."

"I would like to drive you to the hotel if you don't mind. I have something that I would like to discuss with you."

Feeling very uncomfortable and not willing to bend on this, I told Phil that I was too tired to process anything else right now. I asked him to meet me for breakfast in the morning. He didn't seem too pleased, but he agreed and asked if I wanted a ride anyway.

"Honestly, Phil, I really would rather just take a cab. I will see you at 9:00 tomorrow."

I didn't turn around to see if Phil had left yet, but I knew he had by the way the tension in my body eased.

I had sent Alice a quick text before I left explaining what had happened and that I doubted I would be home on Tuesday to greet them when they moved in. I told her to get the key from Edward and to call me if she needed anything. I wasn't at all surprised to see that I had missed 7 calls and had a whole bunch of voice mail and text messages. There were messages from both Rose and Charlie telling me to call them when I landed and was in my hotel. The next two messages were from Alice. The first message said that she was sorry to hear about my mother and to let her know when I landed. She told me that if I was going to be gone long to let her know and she would bring Seth and Leah home so they could sleep in their own beds. It was the next message that almost made me lose it.

"Bella, it's Alice. I called Edward to get the key and had to explain to him what had happened. He became quite upset that you hadn't called him. I just wanted you to know, he's probably going to be calling you. Um, he told me that you were upset with him, but that he doesn't think you should be in Phoenix alone. … I just wanted you to know."

I wanted to scream at Alice. Ugh! Edward had always been a little protective of me and loved to jump in and try to save me every chance he got. I figured the next three messages would be from him, and they were. Each message got increasingly more agitated as he wondered about my whereabouts and wanted me to call him to let him know that I was alright. I knew Edward well enough to know that if I didn't call him, he wouldn't give up, so he was the first person I called as I got into the cab. The phone went immediately to voice mail signaling that either the battery was dead or that he had turned it off. I left a message telling him that I was fine, and I would call later. I told him that I wasn't really angry with him anymore, I just had a lot of things to figure out. I closed the phone, but I couldn't ignore the blinking light signaling that I still had text messages.

They were all from Edward. I looked through them, and they all said about the same thing as his voice mails did, so I deleted them quickly. The last message caught my eye though: I'm coming to AZ. u don't have to talk to me if u don't want, but I can't leave u alone with that guy.

Knowing there was no argument, I sent a reply: thx! I'm at the Crown in Phoenix - call when ur close.


Should Bella be so forgiving? Is she? Should she ever have been as mad as she was in the first place?

Short chapter, but I will try to update soon.

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