[Disclaimer] Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer
[A/N]
The chapter below is dedicated to my readers Bellice Fan and Parkourgirl2121. I hope you'll like today's update
**3**
You are way too softhearted. Bella reproached herself as she pulled her car over in the school parking lot of Fork's High school. Next to her on the passenger's seat, wrapped in a plastic bag, was an almost new Samsung cell phone. The young officer knew that she had made a mistake last night. The instructions for Minors you caught in the middle of the night were clear. Bring them safely back to their parents. Tell the parents to watch the kids better and be over with it.
However, yesterday when she was wanted to drive Jake and Seth down to the Rez, she let the boys lull her in. She felt bad for them. Their parents sounded like some homophobic assholes. Bella disliked people like that more than anything. Seth's mother had gone so far to take her son out of School and sending him to Fork's High school instead of letting him attend the school in La Push.
So, instead of doing what Bella was instructed to do, she allowed the boys to drive back to the Reservation in Jake's car, following behind them.
It wasn't until she was back at the station in the morning, when she discovered the black cell with the initials S. on the side, in the backseat of the cruiser.
You are fucking stupid, Swan, Bella cursed. This is what you do now? Helping Minors to get their shitty cells back?
She stepped out of the car, closing the door with a bit more force than necessary. Her head was hurting again. Today she hadn't gotten much sleep. At least Rosalie was going to come here later. That was something positive to look forward to. Bella would make Lasagna. Rose loved eating her Lasagna and always claimed it was her favorite food on earth.
"Ma'am, can I help you?" a grey-haired woman asked Bella on her way down to the school secretary's office.
"Maybe you can. I'm looking for a Seth Clearwater."
The woman pushed her glasses a bit higher on her nose. "What did he do?"
Bella smiled politely. "Police records are confidential. I'm sure you understand this."
"Of course, Officer, of course, I shouldn't have asked. It's just…Seth is a really good student. I'm sure whatever trouble he is in will—"
"He's not in trouble." Bella cut her off. "Now, if you could tell me where to find Seth? My time is limited."
"Sure, Ma'am, he's in the Gym. Just follow the yelling and the cries." The woman stated before she turned around and walked off.
Bella wrinkled her nose when she opened the door to the Gym a few minutes later. The stench of old sweat, magnesium powder and bad air was exactly like she remembered it.
Back at school, doing sports hadn't been Bella's favorite thing to do. Her hand-eye-coordination was crappy. It had taken her forever to overcome her clumsiness. Today she loved kick-boxing and running. It helped her to burn off some steam. Why she was so angry often, Bella didn't even know it. Maybe it was because she had swallowed too much in her past.
You want to be a FBI agent? Is that supposed to be a joke, chérie?
Asshole's words echoed in her head. She should have left him right then and there. If they didn't have the child together, Bella would have turned her back on him a long time ago. Why should you be with someone that didn't support your dreams?
"MOVE. YOUR. ASSES!" the voice coming from the other side of the gym roared through the hall. "I know some little girls who are faster than you! Are you men or pussies? RUN!"
Bella could hear a lot of cursing and hectic breathing as she walked over to the tall man, standing leaned against a pile of gym mats. He put the plastic whistle he was carrying around his neck to his lips and blew it. The noise was so shrill and loud, it was hurting Bella's ear.
"Are you trying to make them deaf?"
The man grinned and wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. "You are the police now? Crap, this town is really going downhill."
"Stop being a jerk, Hale. I hate that."
He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, Bella, it's good to see you."
"How's the teaching job going, Emmett?" she asked him curiously. Emmett Hale as a teacher was the most awkward thing she could imagine. His fucked-up shoulder had ruined his Football career irrevocably though. Sometimes life was just so unfair.
"I'm known as Coach Heartless to them." Emmett mumbled. Then he looked up and yelled. "Did I tell you to stop running? Get your ass up, Clearwater! Two more rounds! MOVE!"
"Why are you yelling at them?"
"Because I want them to take me serious, that's why. God, I hate this job." He told Bella, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Did my sister send you here?"
"Rose? Why would she do that?"
He sighed. "She was pretty furious at me when we spoke on the phone last night. Someone needs to tell her the truth, even if she doesn't want to hear it."
"What truth?"
"This marriage thing is bullshit. She's doing that to please Mom. It's like those stupid beauty tra-la-la's she did as a child. I know how much she hated them."
Bella nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment. "Rosalie says she loves him. If marrying him is what makes her happy, we need to support her."
Emmett shrugged his shoulders. "I'll start saving up some money for her divorce. Why are you here, if not for Rose?"
She sighed and explained to him that she had found Seth's cell and wanted to bring it back.
"I'll give it to him." Emmett promised. "He's not in trouble, is he?"
Bella shook her head. "No, he's not. Look, I have to leave now. I'm supposed to pick up your sister from the airport."
xxxx
Rosalie smiled at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. Her fingertips grazed the outline of the delicate pearl-earrings her fiancé had given to her in the morning.
"Something pretty for the prettiest." He had said, kissing her neck very lightly. How could you not love a man who showered you with attention like this?
The tall blonde pulled a brush out of her handbag and brushed through her shiny long hair. She would have loved to cut it off but never had the courage to actually do it. Her hair was part of her beauty and her beauty was what others valued her in her. Nobody had ever cared what she was like from the inside. Behind the pretty façade was something only a few people had dared to look at. The only one who truly knew her was her best friend, Bella. Even she didn't know everything. Neither did the man, she was supposed to marry in a month.
Smile, sweetheart, always smile, like you mean it. The memory of her mother's countless admonishments made Rosalie's mouth twitch into a forced grimace.
After applying a fresh layer of lip balm, she walked out of the bathroom in the airport. Her best friend was already waiting for her with two huge Starbucks coffees in her hands.
"You're a life saver." Rose called out, wrapping her right arm around the brunette. "I'm dying for some coffee."
She took the cup, Bella handed her and took a big gulp. It was sweet and hot. Good coffee was something you didn't get on a plane.
"Good to see you, Beautiful." Bella said, feeling heat stream into her cheek when Rosalie pressed her lips against it for a moment. She was always so affective. It was something that Bella disliked greatly in others than her best friend.
"You look tired." Rosalie told her after looking her over. "This nightshift thing is not doing well with you."
"Well, it's part of my job. Did I tell you that I'm supposed to scan old files from now on? Seriously, it's like I'm a fucking secretary."
Rosalie looped her arm through Bella's. "Don't be frustrated. It's just for a little while, right?"
Bella nodded her head. Arm in arm they walked out to the parking lot. "I'm going to make Lasagna tonight."
"You are a heartless woman. How can you cook my favorite dish when I'm on a diet?"
"I can make some salad to go with it."
Rosalie laughed. "Who would eat salad if you can have Swan's to-die-for lasagna?"
"To-die-for?"
"Well, it's pretty good. I missed your food almost as much as I missed you." Rosalie said, planted another kiss on Bella's cheek.
During the ride back to Forks Rosalie chattered happily about her upcoming wedding. "It's going to be amazing." She told Bella. "We're going to have this gigantic ice-sculpture and then—,"
"Rose, breathe, there is no need for trying to impress me with your wedding."
"But I want everything to be perfect. Aren't you happy for me? Is it because of your ex?"
Bella grabbed the steering wheel a bit tighter. "No, it's not. Why are you mentioning him anyway?"
"I thought maybe you are sad because the two of you never tied the knot."
The blonde placed her hand on Bella's knee. "You'll find your Mr. Right. He's out there, I just know, he is."
Bella smiled and stepped on the breaks in front of a stop sign. "Maybe, yes. Maybe, no. I don't even care."
"Don't say that." Rosalie pleaded. "No every man is like Asshole. There are some really good ones out there. Caring, gracious men…"
She pulled her hair behind her ear and exposed the pearl-earring to Bella.
"Pretty."
"Right, isn't it? Carlisle gave them to me before I left. I love how he's so good with these little surprises."
After parking the car, Bella helped Rosalie to lift her suitcase out of the trunk. How many clothes could a single person need for a three day trip?
"Rosie!" little Resha called out, storming towards the woman. "Oh Rosie, I missed you so much, so much!"
Rosalie lifted her up, swirling the girl around until she squeaked. "Jeez, you're heavy. What has your mother been feeding you?"
"Yucky broccoli." Resha said, wrinkling her nose. "But today we're going to have lasagna. Won't we, Mommy?"
An hour later, when the girls and Charlie were sitting around the table in the Swan's kitchen, the delicious aroma of basil and fresh tomatoes made their mouths water.
"You need to be careful." Bella said. "It's still pretty hot."
"It smells good, kiddo." Charlie mumbled. Then he turned his attention to Rosalie. "Now, who's that dude you are getting married to?"
Resha slurped on her ice-tea through a straw. "Is he a prince?"
The beautiful blonde giggled. "No, he's not. Carlisle is a doctor. Isn't that just great?"
"But I want you to marry a prince." Resha protested. "Then you would get to live in a castle and I could come and visit you."
Rosalie gave Resha's hand a light tug. "You and Bella can come and visit me in my new house. It's beautiful, even if it's not a castle."
Charlie nipped on his beer. "So, a doctor it is? All doctors I knew are morons. When your brother hurt his shoulder—"
"Don't mention Emmett." Rosalie interrupted Chief Swan. "I'm still mad at him."
"Why?" Charlie asked, taking another gulp from his beer. "Is something wrong?"
Rosalie dipped her fork into the lasagna on her plate. "He's just being a jerk. That's all. Charlie, there is something I want to ask you."
"About what?"
She cleared her throat. "It's about my wedding."
Charlie snored. "Yes, yes and yes. I'm going to wear a monkey suit, even if I hate it. Your mother told you to ask about that. Didn't she?"
The Blonde wiped her mouth on a napkin. "Not exactly, but I wanted to ask you something else." She cleared her throat again. "I wanted to ask you if you would walk me down the aisle."
In his chest, Charlie Swan's heart was having a mild form of a seizure. The Hale kids were close to him. After their father's tragic death, he had felt responsible for the three of them. But it shouldn't be him who would walk the pretty blonde woman down the aisle. Jasper should be the one doing it.
He would be the one doing it, if Charlie hadn't made that unforgivable mistake back all those years. Was there a period of limitation for guilt feelings? Charlie didn't feel like there was. Maybe if he would have managed to find Officer Hale's murderer, maybe then his soul could finally find some kind of peace again.
"You don't have to do it." Rosalie stated when she realized Charlie's hesitation. "It was just an idea."
Charlie reached over the table to gently pet Rosalie's hand. There was only one right way to answer his dead friend's daughter. "It will be an honor for me." He said in a shaky voice.