Chapter Six

Harry

We were all concerned about Bella coming to live in Forks with Charlie, because of her meeting with a Cold One when she was just a little girl. If the Cullens hadn't come back to the area I wouldn't have given it a second chance but with them here it made me uneasy. I asked Sam and Paul to keep an eye on her if she did come. Jake would watch out for her but he didn't know about the Cold Ones himself except the legends and I hoped it would stay that way but the phasing had started again when they moved back and he was getting closer to that dangerous age. When Charlie was attacked we thought it might be the Cullens but when Sam found him it was obvious it had been an animal attack. He said it looked like a wolf but we didn't need rumours about wolves in the forest so we put it about it had been a bear and as Charlie never saw what attacked him he was happy to follow our lead. Our trackers went out and found a bear, killing it and bringing it back in as the "man-eater" so everyone heaved a sigh of relief and carried on as usual. Dr Cullen did request a meeting and assured Old Quil that they hadn't been responsible and of course he agreed with the doctor but we all hoped it might unsettle the family and make them move away but no such luck.

I agreed to pick Renee and Bella up from the airport because I wanted to make sure they knew the official story and see how likely it was that Bella might stay anyway. I got the impression she didn't want to go back with her mum because of her new step father not because she really wanted to be in Forks with her dad. Charlie was really looking forward to her arrival so I hoped she would at least try to be enthusiastic for his sake and when she ran into the hospital to find him I knew she'd still be here when Renee left. I didn't like Charlie's ex-wife, I always thought she was a flighty type, not one who would be happy in a small town with a man like Charlie and I was right. The marriage lasted about a year in all, she just couldn't wait to get out of Forks and ran with Charlie's baby daughter. Now perhaps she and he could forge a proper relationship. I saw the way Jake looked at Bella and I could see he was smitten but then he always had been, all he could talk about was Bella when she went home every year and he hated it when the holidays stopped. I wondered if she would remember him as warmly. As I waited in the truck for them to finish in the hospital my phone went and it was Sue.

"Harry I've just had Renee on the phone with a request from Charlie. He wants us to look after Bella for a few days until he gets out of the hospital. I said of course then I wondered of I should have."

"He's waited a long time for Bella to come home so sure, we can look after her for a few days. When is Renee going back?"

"She has graciously agreed to stay tomorrow then she has to leave so it will only be a couple of nights at most."

"I'll speak to them when I drop them off at Charlie's."

"So she's not coming to the Res?"

"Nope, she doesn't like us any more than we like her Sue. I'll speak to you later they're coming now."

Renee

I was relieved when we left, I hated hospitals, the smell, the noise, all those white coats and corridors, it was horrible. Thankfully Sue Clearwater had agreed that Bella could stay with them until Charlie got discharged so I could go home soon although I thought I'd better hang around another day just to look good. As we left the hospital I saw a very nice black Mercedes pull in to one of the doctors bays and the man who got out belonged in Hollywood not the Port Angeles medical centre! I couldn't help stopping to watch as he walked into the clinic before following Bella to the truck.

"Who was that?"

"Dr Cullen"

There was a world of hatred in those two words and I wondered what poor Doctor Cullen had done to earn Harry's hatred.

"Is he local?"

"Why Renee you thinking of staying on a bit longer after all?"

I shot a warning look at Harry, I didn't care what he thought of me but I did care what he said in my daughters hearing and he had the grace to look embarrassed as he drove out of Port Angeles and to the house in Forks Charlie and I had called home when we were married. It hadn't changed much, it still looked boring and small town sitting on its plot in the rain. The rain! I remembered that most of all from my time in Forks, it nearly always rained and I knew it wouldn't be long before Bella was begging to come home, back to sunny Florida.

We got out and Jake carried Bella's case to the house getting the key from under the door mat and unlocking the door, only in Forks did people still leave their front door key hidden under the door mat! Still he was Chief of Police so anybody stealing from the house would be a moron anyway! I followed the kids in and it was like walking back in time, the inside looked just as I remembered it the day I walked out with Bella in my arms. Nothing had changed except the photographs in the kitchen and sitting room. Where Bella's baby photo's had been were her school photos and pictures he'd obviously taken during her visits. Going through into the kitchen I put the kettle on and opened the fridge to see milk, butter, and cheese there,

"Sue got you a few staples in, we weren't sure how long you'd be here."

"Thank her for me Harry, would you like coffee?"

He shook his head,

"I'll be going, you don't need me to show you where things are. Sue will ring you in the morning"

I watched as he walked out followed reluctantly by Jake, it was apparent he had hoped to be invited to stay a while but I wanted to talk to Bella alone and he'd have plenty of time to catch up with her if she stayed.

Bella

All the school photos of me made me feel uncomfortable but less so than the pictures I'd drawn for him when he visited, each one had been lovingly put up on the walls. Renee went to study them before turning,

"Well I guess it saved him decorating and I guess it kept you in his mind."

I didn't think he needed drawings to do that, I knew my dad loved and missed me and that's what bugged Renee because it made her feel guilty for taking me away from him. I sat at the table while she made coffee then came to sit opposite still looking round.

"Do you ever regret leaving Forks mum?"

She looked genuinely shocked at the question

"Of course not, I'd have died stuck in this back water."

"Didn't you ever like it here?"

She pursed her lips,

"I guess I did when I was in love with your father but I wanted to see the world, have new experiences not stay here and vegetate. Still we're here again so let's think about where we go from here. Are you sure you want to stay here Bella? You can always come back with me, go back to your old school, see your old friends, have your old room back."

Before I could answer her cell phone rang and she put a finger up,

"Just a minute it might be Phil."

It was and as they stared chatting I took my case upstairs to my old room not sure what to expect when I opened the door. My room had been repainted and dad had got me some new furniture, a desk with a lap top on it, book shelves, a pine dresser, new purple curtains and throw on the bed. I opened the closet and had to smile, all the drawings and stuffed toys that had adorned my room when I was little were in a box at the back. There was also a brand new boxed CD player. He was really making an effort to make me feel welcome.