Chapter 19

Author's Note: We are now entering the Forks part of the story. Now, I've kept Forks and everyone else pretty much as canon to the original story as I could. The one change I did make was that all five of the Cullens are going to be seniors. I wanted Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie to still be in school with Bella. It's also worth noting that life went on in Forks during the last year when Bella was not there. Events that would have played out during the Twilight book happened, just not with Bella present. There have been some repercussions and changes from that year which you will find out about in due time.


As I flew over Washington heading towards Seattle, I looked out the window and admired the endless forests of green. It was such a beautiful sight, so different from the arid, dry, and hot climate of Phoenix and the Arizona desert. Earlier today, I had said goodbye to my mom and Phil before making my way onto the airplane. The flight was smooth. I had only taken my winter jacket, which I had just purchased, and a small carry-on with me. We had also shipped three boxes of clothes and personal items up to Charlie's house, in addition to the two suitcases I brought along.

I wondered what Charlie would think of the changes in me. I was in the best shape of my life, thanks to my constant running and newfound athletic prowess. My body was now fit and toned in a way I had never thought was possible. Demetri had commented before he left that my skin looked better than when he first met me. I didn't really know how to take that, but it sounded like a compliment, so I had just smiled in response.

In our tests before he left, we had measured my strength, and Demetri noted that while I wasn't crazy strong or anything close to a vampire, I was a lot stronger than any women my size should be and probably stronger than most men. Additionally, in our experiments with my shield, we discovered a new way I could use it as a weapon. By concentrating differently, I could make it slice through objects. However, I had to be extremely cautious as this ability had the potential to be deadly. We spent a day practicing, using various objects as targets, like a shooting gallery with cans on a fence post. I quickly became proficient at it, impressing Demetri with my skill. He believed that with this ability, I could easily slice through vampire skin, but neither of us wanted to test that theory.

As the plane landed, I disembarked and went to collect my luggage. After a while, my suitcases appeared on the conveyor belt, and I grabbed them, making my way towards the exit to find Charlie. As I approached the exit, I heard someone call out, "Bella!" I looked towards the voice and saw him, looking just as I remembered with his big mustache. A smile spread across my face, and I walked briskly over to him, setting my suitcases down to give him a warm hug.

"Hi, Dad," I said with a wide smile.

"Wow! You look amazing, Bella. You're all grown up," Charlie replied, beaming.

"Thanks. I've actually been exercising a lot more to get in shape. Can you believe it? I actually enjoy jogging now. I've been doing it daily for months, and it's helped a lot with my balance issues," I explained, using that as a good excuse for my newfound grace.

Charlie went to grab my suitcases, but as he tried to lift them, he grunted, and pain showed on his face. Shit, I had not realized they were heavy. I need to pay more attention to stuff like this now. "Let me grab one, Dad," I said as I used the pull handle this time. Charlie did the same with the other suitcase, and together, we made our way towards the exit.

"I guess you have been working out, Bells," he said, looking impressed, but I just shrugged with a smile, and we made our way outside to his police car. I remembered how mortified I had been as a little kid riding in a police car. It didn't seem to bother me now, and I hopped right in.

As we were driving to Forks, which was a little over a three-hour ride, I watched the endless line of green trees pass by. It was so different than Arizona. As soon as we got out of Seattle, I lowered the window and breathed in the cool air. I had never noticed it before, but the air quality was much better here. There was a flavor to the air that I had never picked up on. It felt refreshing and alive. I smiled serenely, feeling and seeing everything around me.

"You look peaceful, Bella," Charlie said, glancing at me while he drove. "I don't think I've ever seen you look so relaxed."

"I do feel relaxed. I never appreciated how tranquil it is here with the endless forests." I smiled at Charlie, wondering what he would ask me about my life. I didn't think he would ever bring up my love life, thankfully. He was nothing like mom in that regard.

"I feel the same way," Charlie said. "I'm glad you feel it too. It makes living here so much easier. I know you're only going to be here for a year, but I want you to enjoy your time in Forks."

"I'm certainly going to give it much more of an effort than I did when I was a kid. I'm sorry I made you travel to meet me these past years." Thinking about it now, I realized how it must have felt to Charlie to think I didn't like his home. Well, I'll do what I can to give him a better impression of me in this upcoming year.

"Don't give it another thought, Bells. I was always happy to spend time with you wherever it was. So tomorrow, I have plans to see a football game with my friend Billy down at the reservation. How about you come along, and I can reintroduce you to my friends? His son Jake is your age, and I'm sure he would be happy to show you around and introduce you to his friends as well. I don't know what they are putting in the water down there, but the guys all look like bodybuilders recently."

"That sounds good. I'd like to get a head start on meeting kids my own age. Hopefully, I can make some friends. And thanks for introducing me to a bunch of buff guys. Saves me from doing all the legwork to find them," I chuckled, noticing Charlie's blush. I guess I know where I got it from now.

As we continued chatting, he told me all about the school and the ins and outs of Forks. I would be starting classes in two weeks. That will give me time to do any remodeling to my room, which I thought probably needed it, and allow me to get settled in for my year in Forks.

By the time we got to the 'Welcome to Forks' sign, it was raining, which I kind of expected. Forks always seemed to be raining, drizzling, or snowing—really anything but the sun. I looked out the car window as we drove by rows of small houses until we reached the town square. It was just as I remembered.

Finally, we pulled up to the little white two-story house that I had lived in as a child. I only had a few memories of those days, and most of my recollections of the house were from visits later on after my parents had divorced. I pulled one of my suitcases into the house and looked around. It was like stepping back in time. I didn't think Charlie had done a thing to the place since my mom and I had left. I noted the TV was new, but that was about it as far as I could see.

I watched Charlie lug up my suitcases to the second floor. I would have liked to offer to help, but I realized I had to act completely normal. I went up behind him, and a little down the hall to the left was my room. I looked around at the purple walls with papers of drawings I had done as a child tacked to them. I saw one that might have been Charlie or an alligator; it was hard to tell.

"I can help you if there are any changes you want to make. If you can't find everything you need in town, we can make a trip to Port Angeles one of these days before your school starts."

"Thanks, Dad. I'll just unpack. What do you usually do for supper?"

"I'm usually a TV dinner kind of guy, but if you would like to celebrate your arrival, how about we go to the diner?"

"That sounds great. Let me just unpack some, and I'll be ready to go whenever you are," I replied. Charlie nodded and left my room, giving me some time alone. Surveying the room, I considered what needed to be done. I pulled out my laptop from the suitcase and booted it up, relieved to find a Wi-Fi signal available. Putting my clothes away in the drawers, I noticed the cold wasn't bothering me as I thought it would. If this continued, I'd be thrilled, as I used to dread the cold during my past visits to Forks.

Before heading downstairs, I made a quick stop to check out the bathroom, knowing that I would have to share it with Charlie, something I wasn't looking forward to, but it couldn't be helped. The shower looked very small, only fitting one person. I couldn't help but feel grateful that I had met Demetri in Arizona; otherwise, our shower time together would have been significantly impacted if we had met here. A smile crossed my lips as I thought about all the amazing times we had just a couple of weeks ago during his visit. I really hoped he could make it here again sometime this year. Later tonight, I planned to give him a call to catch up and share all about my first day in Forks.

Afterward, I headed downstairs, and soon we were on our way to the diner. As we entered the diner, Charlie introduced me to everyone, and it became evident that he frequented this place often. I greeted everyone with a pleasant demeanor, trying my best to remember each person's name.

Later that night, as I lay in bed preparing for sleep, my mind wandered back to my first day in Forks. Surprisingly, it had been quite enjoyable, and I took it as a good sign for the upcoming year. After returning from the diner, I had a long and pleasant conversation with Demetri. He regaled me with the story of his last mission, which involved traveling to China to mediate a dispute between two vampire covens over feeding territory. He had done what he could to resolve the matter, but the disagreement was persistent, and he warned them that if they couldn't come to an agreement, they would have to travel to Volterra to seek a ruling.

The possibility of traveling with Demetri on such missions in the future excited me. It would be an incredible experience. I also learned that Demetri could speak Chinese fluently, and I asked him to speak some phrases to me. The thought that one day I would be able to learn Chinese blew my mind. With a smile on my face, I let my thoughts wander, and to the sounds of gentle raindrops tapping against my bedroom window, I drifted off to sleep.

The next day, I woke up early, before Charlie, and quickly took a refreshing shower to wash off all the travel grime. Feeling revitalized, I decided to go for a run and stretch my legs. The weather was typical for Forks – overcast with a light sprinkle of rain. As I started jogging, I relished the sensation of moving again and loved the cool air making it easier to breathe.

My jog led me to the high school, where I paused to observe my future learning grounds. Compared to my previous school, this one was tiny, with a few separate buildings scattered about. I noticed a large field behind the gymnasium and a parking area with spaces for numerous cars. As I stood there, it struck me that I had no means of transportation other than jogging. While it worked fine in the current weather, I realized it could be problematic during snowfall. I hoped Charlie didn't plan on using his squad car to drive me to school. I decided to discuss this with him later today.

On my way back home, the thought occurred to me that the perpetually cloudy and rainy climate in Forks would actually be ideal for vampires to live. Demetri, in particular, wouldn't have to worry about the sun if he visited.

After arriving home and stepping through the front door, I heard a familiar voice call out, "Bells?"

I made my way to the kitchen and saw Charlie sitting there, enjoying his coffee and breakfast. "Hey, dad. Just finished a light run. I wanted to check out the high school," I explained.

Charlie looked pleasantly surprised and nodded approvingly. "Impressive. The high school is about 2 miles away. I'm glad you're making an effort to stay in shape. Have you had breakfast yet? I told Billy we'd be there around 11:00," he inquired.

"No, I'll have something now." I realized I should probably head to the store and buy some food that I like. I looked through the cabinets but didn't find much. I wondered how Charlie had managed to survive all these years with such sparse supplies. I grabbed an apple from the fridge and sat down beside him. "Hey, dad, I was wondering about getting around town and to school during the winter. It wouldn't be fair to expect you to give me a ride every day," I said, concerned.

Charlie smiled, "I was actually going to surprise you later today, but I guess I can tell you now. I got you a car."

A big smile spread across my face. A car of my own. "Really? Thanks, dad. Where is it?" I had not seen any other cars outside the house.

"I was going to surprise you at Billy's. I bought his old truck for you. Jake has fixed it all up, and he says it drives fine. I thought it'd be a nice welcome home gift."

I stood up and went over to hug him. I didn't mind that it was old; as long as it moved, that's what mattered. "Thank you. I can't wait to see it."

Our ride to the reservation was pleasant. I had vague memories of doing this when I was younger, playing with Billy's daughters. We were never that close, and I couldn't remember their names. However, I did remember Billy. When we eventually arrived, I saw that he was now in a wheelchair. He was the same age as my father, and I hoped he was alright, but I didn't want to pry.

Billy gave a big smile when he saw me. "It's good to see you again, Bella. You sure have grown up." His hair was quite long and looked like it went all the way to his waist if he was standing.

"It's good to see you again, Billy," I said, shaking his hand with a smile. We were about to go inside when a large man came around the house. He was really attractive with a buzzed haircut and an extremely muscular build. 'Wow,' I thought as I took him in.

He had a big smile on his face as Billy introduced us. "Bella, I don't know if you remember my son Jacob."

I smiled as I lifted my hand to shake his. I had thought Jacob was younger than me, but maybe I was confused. He looked several years older, and he was a giant, maybe 6'5" or taller—it was hard to tell. He strode over, smiling, and shook my hand. "Nice to see you again, Bella," he said in a deep voice.

As I was smiling at him, I saw his smile start to falter. I didn't know why, but he took back his hand somewhat fast, and I noticed a look of confusion in his eyes. He backed up a step, putting some distance between us.

Charlie, who must not have noticed, said, "Hey Jake, could you show Bella the truck? I'm sure she's anxious to see it."

"Ah... Sure," Jake said and motioned us to come along to the side of the house. I saw Charlie behind us, helping Billy, and as we came around the bend, I saw the truck. I laughed as I saw it. It was perfect.

"I fixed it all up, but when no one bought it last year, I started to convert it into a hot rod. The engine is still normal, but I cleaned off all the rust, repainted it, and added some flames to the sides. If you want, I could repaint it again and make it look normal." Clearly, Jake was into cars.

"No, I love it with the flames," I said, smiling. "It makes just the statement that I'm looking for." I turned around and gave my dad a hug. "Thanks again, Dad. I love it."

Charlie smiled. "I'm glad you like it, Bells. You can drive it home later. Billy and I are going to watch the game, and then we'll call you guys for lunch."

"Okay, Dad." I turned to Jake as I saw Charlie and Billy leaving. "Do you like to be called Jacob or Jake?" I asked, not knowing as I'd heard him referred to as both.

"Either is fine, but I mostly prefer Jake," he said, still with a leery look on his face. I didn't know what his issue was. I had caught him sniffing me earlier while he was describing the car. I know I went for a run this morning, but I don't think I smelled. I don't really even sweat anymore, at least not from running. I could get quite a sweat worked up when I was doing more interesting things with Demetri, I thought, a smile forming on my lips.

"Is there anything interesting to do around here?" I asked. Jake motioned me towards the beach, and we started to stroll slowly.

"Not really. We have bonfires often when it's a nice night out." He seemed to smell me again. "Have you met anyone else around town since you've been here?"

"Not really. I just got in yesterday. I met a couple of people at the diner yesterday." I looked up at the cliffs next to the beach and saw some kids up there jumping off the cliff into the ocean. "Wow. That looks like fun. Do you do that?"

"Sure do. My friends and I have been doing that for years. We go a little further away from the beach where there is a jump point twice that height," Jake said, smiling and clearly thinking about the jump.

"I'd sure like to try that one day. Maybe we could go if the weather is nice?" I got the feeling that he didn't like me, but it couldn't hurt to try and be friends with my father's best friend's kid.

"Maybe," he said noncommittally. It was then that I saw two men stride quickly from the forest. They seemed to only be wearing shorts, which was kinda weird for the weather here. As they got closer, I saw they were giants like Jake and looked similarly buff. What the hell were they feeding these guys on the reservation? They both had serious faces as they approached. Jake spoke up quickly before they arrived.

"Hey, Embry, Quill, this is Bella Swan, Charlie's daughter," Jake introduced me, but both men kept their distance, about six feet away, and it looked like they were smelling me as well. What the fuck was with these people? Finally, they both nodded at me. These guys were all weird. I think I had overstayed my welcome.

"Nice to meet you." I nodded to Quill and Embry, but they did not say anything in return, just nodded. "You know guys, I think I'm going to take off. I'll go let my dad know. The car looks great, Jake. I'm sure I'll enjoy driving it. It was nice to meet you all." As I walked away, I could see Jake, Quill, and Embry all huddled close together, whispering to each other. What a bunch of fucking weirdos. I went and told Charlie that I had a headache and was going home. He said he hoped I felt better, and I was off in my new ride.

As I drove back to Forks, I couldn't help but admire the truck. The inside cabin was surprisingly spacious, unlike modern vehicles. The truck was built like a tank, and the yellow flames with black highlights on the sides gave it a unique and appealing vibe. They didn't make vehicles like this anymore, and I appreciated its old-school charm. However, it was also quite loud, and I doubted I would be able to hear the radio unless I cranked up the volume inside the cabin.

The truck didn't seem to drive past 50mph, but that was perfectly fine. I didn't anticipate needing to rush anywhere anytime soon. Although I wasn't an expert on cars, I guessed it was from the 50's or 60's, adding to its vintage allure.

Before heading home, I decided to stop by the local grocery store to pick up some food for myself. After parking the truck, I took a moment to snap a quick picture of it to send to Demetri along with a text. I grinned as I sent the snapshot, showing off my new ride. Not long after, I received a response from him, saying, 'Sweet Ride.'

I did my shopping, getting some Pop-Tarts and other things I thought I would enjoy. When I checked everything out, there was a pretty girl at the register named Angela who asked if I found everything I was looking for. I nodded with a smile, and headed home.

Once back at the house, I thought it would be a good time, while I was alone, to practice my abilities. I determined going into the forest would be a nice place, as I doubt Charlie ever ventured out back past his backyard. After venturing deep into the forest, I found a nice area with an abundance of rocks and tree limbs. I settled down on a fallen tree and got to work.

Moving items had become very easy in the past couple of weeks since Demetri left. I didn't want to think about it, but it might have been the result of the massive influx of vampire cum into my system again. That had been what started the changes in me last year, and, well, I had just filled myself up on it all over again. Thinking about it, maybe my abilities would get even stronger. I didn't want to think of myself as some vampire groupie, but Demetri and I sure liked to have fun when we were together. I believed it was far more likely that he and I just clicked, and it wasn't only because he was a vampire. Sometimes, I thought about whether Demetri and I were more than just friends, but I didn't want to put him on the spot or anything. Our friendship was going so well, and he meant so much to me, so I didn't want to rock the boat. Plus, there was the whole long-distance thing. Who knows, maybe we can try something more official once I'm a vampire.

I worked on my new ability, slicing tree limbs and rocks in half. I wanted to try and make the cuts as precise as possible, more like using a scalpel than a slashing sword swing. It was quite relaxing to practice with my abilities, and I must have lost track of time as all of a sudden, I heard Charlie calling out my name from the backyard, and I noticed it was starting to get dark. I quickly jogged back to our house.

"Hey, Dad. I was just taking a walk. The woods are lovely this time of year," I said, smiling at him as we walked back into the house.

"Yes, well, I should have told you yesterday. It might not be a good idea to venture far into the forest. There are wild animals out there, Bella. We had issues with bear attacks last year."

I was surprised to hear this. "Thanks for letting me know." Hmm. Too bad, I had liked my new spot in the woods.


Let me know your thoughts. Next chapter Bella meets a certain family!