(This story has been fully updated and rewritten as of the 17/01/2024 please read from beginning before reading any updated chapters.)

The Sister

Chapter 1

Elisabeth's anger built up more and more as she drove closer and closer to her father's house. Her younger sister Isabella was moving back to Forks today; they hadn't talked since Elizabeth left their mothers home two years ago. She hadn't even talked with her mother in those two years. Her dad had been the only family to stick by her and her decision. That decision being keeping the creation of a drunken one-night stand, the thing her mother said destroyed a bright future. Elizabeth's precious daughter Juliet Rose Swan, she was 14 months old now and Elizabeth couldn't imagine her life without Juliet in it.

Elizabeth's mother kicked her out when she was seventeen for being pregnant. She even through the fact Elizabeth was adopted right in her face. In the heat of the moment, she had screamed at Elizabeth that she hadn't given her a better life just for her to throw it all away. Elizabeth had no words for her mother after that. Phil - her mother's new husband - tried to reason with Renee about how kids make mistakes and how she should support her daughter's decision, Renee didn't want to hear a word of it. Phil was a great guy, he was like a fun, caring uncle to Elizabeth. He helped her move back to Forks and still insisted on sending her two or three hundred dollars a month to help her with Juliet. Her Dad Charlie did help out the best he could, but she absolutely refused to take his money; he was already giving her a place to stay rent-free.

After some hard months Elizabeth's was finally getting her life back on track with a good job as chef and waitress at a diner in La Push. She may live in her dad's garage, but it has been working well as her bedroom/ Juliet's bedroom. Elizabeth always had dinner on the table for dad from Monday to Friday and spent most weekends down at La Push cooking and cleaning for her dad's friend Billy Black. She enjoyed the reservation and the people within it. After all she was one of there people. She may have been adopted by Charlie and Renae when she was only a little older than Juliet but she was still part of the tribe and her friends there didn't let her forget it. Isabella never even liked Forks, it was always Elizabeth's happy place, not hers.

Elizabeth turned her old blue Toyota truck down the quaint road her dad's house was on. The first thing she saw was her dad and Billy Black playing like children in the middle of the road. Jacob - Billy's son - was standing next to the old red truck her dad brought from Billy for Isabella. She only caught a glimpse of Isabella standing next to Jake before she turned the truck into her makeshift driveway. She killed the engine under the large oak tree in front of the house. She climbed out of the truck and unbuckled a sleeping Juliet from her car seat and balanced her on one hip as she grabbed three full grocery bags out of the back. Elizabeth kicked the door shut and thanked the heavens Juliet was a heavy sleeper.

"Get off the road, and start acting your own age," Elizabeth said to her dad and Billy as she rounded the car.

"Oh, come on Bethie, let them have some fun," said Jake walking around the beat up, faded red truck with his usual smirk plastered on his face. Jake took Juliet from her as she gave a surrendering sigh.

"They're acting like three-year-old's," she said glancing back at the two grown men playing a version of chase - since Billy was in a wheelchair there was a bit less running involved. "So, you two staying for dinner?" Elizabeth asked moving her attention back to the footpath ahead.

"The game is on tonight isn't it," Jake said in answer. Watching the game together was a weekly event in football season for their fathers.

"I know, stupid question." They chuckled as they walked past Isabella and up the small staircase, through the open screen door and to the kitchen. Jake was like a little brother to Elizabeth, he could always make her laugh when times were hard. Jake sat at the kitchen table with Juliet curled up in his arms. Elizabeth started to put the groceries away. She turned to put a jug of milk in the fridge when someone cleared their throat. She looked over her shoulder to see Bella standing in the doorway. Elizabeth said nothing and continued with the groceries.

"What? Not even a simple hello?" Isabella asked a moment later.

"I guess not," Elizabeth shrugged.

"Come on Liz, when are you going to get over this. I said sorry." Elizabeth scoffed at her words, turning to look at her younger sister with a death glare that made Isabella flinch a little.

"Oh, well, since you said sorry that makes everything okay then. That one word makes up for getting me kicked out of my own home and disowned by my mother. But you said sorry, sorry makes everything better," Elizabeth almost choked on the sarcasm in her voice.

"Liz-"

"Stop calling me that! Keep your mouth shut and keep the hell away from me!" Elizabeth marched over to Jake and pulled the now crying toddler from his arms and without giving Isabella a second look she exited the kitchen into the garage she used as a bedroom. "It's okay baby, mummy is sorry for yelling. You're okay Julie." She hushed the toddler as she bounced her around the room whispering in the small girl's ear as her cry's soften. The door opened quietly, and Jake poked his head in.

"You okay Beth?"

"I'm fine Jake," she said placing Juliet in her crib and wiping the tears away from her eyes.

"Okay, yell if you need anything, or well don't yell loudly," he said shutting the door again. Jake knew almost everything about Elizabeth, so he knew she liked her space when she got angry. She checked the clock and saw it was almost five thirty and she had to be back at work by six. Elizabeth went and changed out of her dirty waitress uniform and put on a new black polo shirt with 'Clearwater Diner' written across the back and black dress shorts. She brushed her hair up into a fresh bun and put out some clothes for Juliet to be changed into later. She put Juliet back on her hip and walk back out to the now empty kitchen. Elizabeth took out a frozen lasagne and placed it into the oven. She set two egg timers, one for 40 minutes and one for 45 minutes. As she exited the kitchen, she grabbed two beers from the fridge. Walking out to the living room she didn't pay Isabella any attention. Charlie and Billy were both intently watching the game even though it was only video of the teams warming up before the nights big game.

Elizabeth put Julie in the playpen, then handed the beers to the older men, who in return mumbled their thanks. She then turned the TV off and both men looked at her with open mouths. "Listen closely- When the first egg timer goes off the lasagne is cooked, make sure it is out of the oven before the second one goes off. Do not forget to use a tea towel. Dad, please make sure Juliet's food cools before she gets near it, then she needs a bath, her clothes are on the edge of her crib. Oh, and don't forget to turn the oven off," she turned the TV back on after the men nodded in understanding.

"Where are you going?" Isabella asked in a snippy tone. She sat by Jacob on the larger couch in the room.

"Work. Jake I am trusting you to be an adult and not let them stay up watching TV all night, and where is your homework." Elizabeth knew she sounded like a bickering mother, but she was not in the mood to play happy families at that moment.

"Didn't get any…"

"I don't have time for this Jake," she muttered jogging outside to his truck and easily finding the stack of books under the seat. "At least try to hide them," she said re-entering the house and dropping the books on the coffee table. Elizabeth turned quickly on her feet heading for the door. She slipped into some boots and said bye over her shoulder before leaving the house.

"Where is she going?" Isabella asked Jake after Elizabeth had left the house.

"She has to go to work," he said standing and going to grab the baby from the playpen. She thought the little girls name was Julie. Beth never told her and never sent any pictures of the little girl; they didn't even get a phone call when she was born.

"Hu? You said she was just coming back from work," Isabella asked a little confused. Her sister never worked a day in her life back home, no way would she handled double shifts.

"She did," Jake said sitting back down with the toddler on his lap. There must have been a confused look on her face because Jake then said. "She waits tables from seven in the morning to four in the afternoon. Then from six to ten she works behind the grill cooking."

"Oh," Isabella sighed, biting her lip a little as she looked at the little girl fully for the first time. Her chubby cheeks were still a little red from crying, but she was smiling a little now. She looked just like her mother, straight black hair, silvery eyes, with skin only a few shades lighter then Jacob's natural tan. Isabella had obviously known from a young age her sister was adopted. But that didn't mean they didn't have a normal sister relationship. They shared toys and books when they were younger. They played dolls and make believe. Isabella had watched Elizabeth excel in ballet and other sports while she stumbled along behind her clumsily trying to keep up. Her big sister was good at everything she wasn't. Even making friends came easily to Elizabeth. She took to people and made them feel like the best person in the world, Isabella missed that feeling.

It's quarter to twelve by the time Elizabeth gets home that night. All lights are off, so she tiredly shuffles her way to bed, trying not to bump into anything. She narrowly avoided walking into an untucked kitchen chair before reaching her room. She slipped off her boots and changed into some old clothes, too tired to shower tonight. Flicking off the baby monitor she checked on Juliet before climbing under the blankets. Sad, tired tears dampening her cheeks as she fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning Elizabeth pulled her damp hair up into a bun before exiting her room, freshly showered, and dressed for work. She flicked on the coffee pot before dropping some bread in the toaster and some eggs in a pan on the stove. While waiting for that to cook she went and grabbed Julie and set her up in the highchair with a sippy cup of milk.

"Morning girls," Charlie said as he entered the kitchen, buttoning up his brown police shirt over a white t-shirt.

"Morning Dad," Elizabeth said handing him a mug of coffee. She flipped the eggs onto two slices of toast and set them in front of him as he made silly faces at Julie; making her giggle and shake her hands happily. "Are you right to take her to Day-care?" Elizabeth asked buttering her own piece of toast then taking a bite from one side.

"Always have time for this little angel," Charlie smiled, tickling Julie under the chin, making her squeal happily. It amazed Elizabeth all the time how happy her daughter was. It made her feel like she was doing at least something right when she heard that laugh.

"Okay, thanks Dad," Elizabeth said before finishing her toast.

"It's been almost two years Beth, you can quit thanking me," Charlie said looking up at his oldest daughter. He didn't care that she wasn't his blood in the slightest, she was his daughter in every other way, and nothing would ever change that for him. If Renee no longer saw it that way then that was her loss, she wasn't just missing out on the amazing woman Elizabeth was becoming but also on the best grandkid in the world.

Elizabeth smiled "…Thanks, Dad." Charlie sighed, shaking his head and hiding a smile behind his coffee cup. She kissed Julie on the forehead and whispered, "Bye baby girl, be good."

"Be be," Julie giggled. She was starting to say words more every week. Be be seemed to translate to bye. Elizabeth was hearing it most mornings now as she said goodbye to her daughter. She hated it, it was probably the most common word she said to the little girl, and it deflated the happiness she was feeling only minutes earlier.