Chapter 3

4 Years Later

BPOV

It has been four years since I have joined the Army. It has been the best the best four years of my life. Santana and I have become best friends and did everything together. I also became good friends with my other military brothers and sisters. Their names are Bryan, Luke, Jessica, and Samantha, the six of us quickly flew through the ranks. By our third year, we were all the rank of Sargent. We have been through four tours of Iraq, where I have been shot four times, but I am in the best shape that I have ever been. Sadly, we have been in combat, we have lost a man who I thought of like a brother, Jackson. On our third tour, I took a bullet for Santana and never regretted it. On our last tour, I was captured by the enemy and tortured for hours, but never gave up any information. Now I am on a leave of absence since being rescued. Typically, my military family would come home with me, but they wanted to visit their own families and thought I deserved time with Charlie since I was captured. I cannot wait to go back home.

EPOV

It has been eight months since my family moved back to Forks. I went back for Bella, and I realized that myself and my family were not the same without her in our lives. The problem is that once we moved back again, we found out that Bella had left three months after we had. No one will tell us where she went when she will be back, or why she left in the first place. I cannot even get the answers out of the thoughts of the people closest to her. I still remember the day we went looking for her to tell her we were back for good.

*** Flashback***

As soon as are plane landed, I ran through the forest to Bella's house. Once I was at the house, I knocked hoping Bella would answer since I know I am not the biggest fan in Charlie's mind. To my disappointment, Charlie answered the door, and his smile went to a glare that could kill even a vampire with a single look.

"What do you want coming back here out of nowhere," Charlie asked in a cold tone.

"I was able to convince my family to move back, and I am wondering if I could talk to Bella," I begged

His glare got even fiercer, "She is not here," he then slammed the door in my face. My entire run back to my house, I kept thinking what does he mean she's not here? Where is she? I entered my house and ran right to Alice; she is supposed to see the future. Why didn't she see that Bella was not here? I was bombarded with questions from my family, all I could say over and over was that "Charlie said she was not here, but what does that mean?".

Rosalie made a comment that made me want to rip her piece by piece, "Maybe she's not in Forks, she left just like you did" she said with an eye roll.

*** End Flashback***

I hate that it has been eight long months now and still no one will tell me where Bella is, but I have finally overheard people saying that she is coming home today and that Charlie is throwing a party at the local park. The problem is that Charlie hates our family, the only two Charlie likes in the entire family are Carlisle and Esme.

Charlie had invited Carlisle and Esme to the Welcome Party in the park, but then Carlisle forced Charlie to ask the rest of the family to attend as well. So here we are waiting in the park, waiting for Bella to arrive, but still no one is thinking about where Bella was this entire time. I do not care where she was; I am just glad that I will finally be able to see Bella again.

BPOV

My plane just landed in Port Angeles and the gang would be driving me to Charlie's where they would drop me off. I am a little worried about Charlie's reaction when I arrive because I no longer look like the Bella that he would remember. I am a warrior, not the weak little girl I was when I left. I have been shot multiple times and recently tortured. I have visible scars on my arms, legs, back, chest, and face from my time in the military as well as hidden mental scars. Once I got to the house, I saw a note from Charlie saying that he had a surprise for me at the local park. I have no idea what is going on, but I knew I had to go to the park. I turned around and headed back to the car. Bryan offered to take me to the local park where I would find my surprise from Charlie. Once we were at the park, I jumped out of the back of the car and Bryan out of the driver's seat. I turned and saluted my brother from another mother as he turned and got back into the car and drove away. The next thing that I noticed was my father, I squealed and ran directly to him. I jumped into his waiting arms and would not let go.

"I missed you so much daddy; I am sorry that I am no longer your pretty little girl." I sobbed to him

"I missed you so much my baby girl, do not ever say that you are not my pretty little girl, yes you are not a little girl anymore, but now you are a strong, beautiful woman and I could not be prouder." He cooed

That was the moment that I realized that this was a Welcome Party. I was terrified, the entire town of Forks is here to celebrate my return, and here I am a scarred warrior that they have never met before. The farther I looked into the crowd, the more worried I got because nestled into the group was THEM, the people I swore I would never see again. The Cullen's.

EPOV

My family and I are waiting in the park, we are in the back corner trying to stay away from the rest of the town but close enough that we will see Bella when she arrives. Suddenly, my family hears a car approaching, as it got closer the rest of the town also got entirely quite and turned towards the road. That is when I noticed an Army truck pulling up; then a woman jumped out of the back and a man out of the driver's seat. The woman saluted the man, and he did the same and got back into the truck. When the woman turned around, I realized that the woman in the Army uniform is Bella, my Bella. My family and I are shocked; no one thought she would have gone and joined the Army. All I could do was listen to my family's thoughts.

"Wow, Bella joined the Army, uniform looks good on her, so proud my little sister is serving her country like I once did" ~ Jasper

"My poor baby, what have we done to her that forced her to join the Army." ~ Esme

"My daughter, once shy and skittish now apart of the Army, what have we done" ~ Carlisle

"My sister joined the Army?" ~ Alice

"My once beautiful sister, now looks like the monster you wanted her to avoid Edward, this is what you did to her are you happy now?" ~ Rosalie

"Holy Shit, my sister, got strong when she joined the Army, I like it, I wonder if she will teach me how to shoot a gun?" ~ Emmett

I must admit she looks even more beautiful than ever in her uniform, but I cannot believe that she joined the Army. My poor, sweet, caring, innocent Bella, what have I done to her?

BPOV

I walked with my dad talking to him and getting to know what is happening in his life, we went and sat down at one of the tables as everyone else started their conversations. Occasionally someone from the town would come up and ask me how I have been, but they did not stick around long. Then the moment I wanted never to come true, the Cullen's walked up and sat at the same table as us.

"Baby girl, how long do you get to stay with me this time," Charlie asked

"I get to stay three weeks this time," I stated

"Bella," Carlisle started "How many tours have been over there?" He asked. I could tell that he wanted to ask more, but did not know how to.

"I have done four tours, and it will be my fifth tour," I told them

They all got silent, I thought that this would cause them to walk away, but Charlie broke the silence.

"What has been happening over there, Bella?" He asked me.

I turned and looked at him with a smile on my face, "I am being promoted again once I go back," I said.

Jasper being a military man himself took over asking "What rank are you now and what are you being promoted to?" the curiosity leaking from his questions.

I turned to look at him, "I am currently a Sargent, but once I go back for this tour, I will be promoted to a Staff Sargent."

I turned to look at Charlie, "By the way, once I come back next time we will get an extra two weeks so that we will be staying for four weeks, I was wondering if the gang could stay during that time?"

"Of course, I see them as my children I mean they help to keep you safe, but why do you get the extra two weeks?" he asked.

"It is Jackson's birthday as well as the anniversary," my voiced cracked with sadness when I said his name, "we want to have a party here for him instead of over in that hell of a place," I told him.

"Who's Jackson?" Edward asked with an attitude; I wanted to punch him if I knew it would not have broken my hand.

"Why the hell does you care, you left me first." I snapped

Alice being her sweet self stated, "We are just curious about your new life?"

A few tears escaped and ran down my face, "He was like my brother. We went on our third tour, and he was killed on duty, he was shot right in front of me, took the bullet that was meant for myself. Is that enough information for you?" I asked with an attitude

The Cullen's looked surprised by my new personality. All I know is that if they stick around long enough, they better get used to a lot of new surprises. I turned towards Charlie, "I am pretty tired, it has been a long and emotional day, Dad, so I am going to head home and head to bed, but you have fun here at the party."

He asked, "Are you sure, baby girl."

"Yeah, I'm sure dad" Even though I have no idea how I will get home since I do not have a car.

Just then Charlie handed me a pair of keys that looked all too familiar. They were the keys to my truck. "Dad, this is still running?".

"Yea, me, Phil, and your mom put all of our savings together to get the whole engine rebuild, it is like a brand-new truck, we wanted to give you something as a gift for all that you have done while fighting for this country." He stated

"Thank you so much dad; it means the world to me." I hugged him even tighter than when I first saw him than said goodbye to the town and walked to my truck. I went home and fell straight to bed thinking about how good my life is now.