Charlie tossed and turned in bed, hazy nightmares of Bella killing innocent hikers filling his head and keeping him from rest. His window was cracked open, the window air conditioner was broken but his newfound knowledge of the world around him kept him from fully opening it to bring him relief. The oscillating fan kept an occasional puff of cool air across his exposed skin giving him a brief respite from the humidity of the post-storm night air.

He couldn't believe his little girl was gone. Billy had told him it was best if he treated it like she had died, because Bella was never coming home. She wouldn't be able to stop herself from killing him, if she ever did return. Charlie hadn't understood, the Cullens had no problem being around humans every day. Then Billy had explained why they had the treaty, the Cullens sustained themselves on animal blood. It was hard to hear that his daughter was killing humans to sustain her otherworldly unnatural existence, but would he rather she be dead entirely? Wasn't it better that she was out there, somewhere, alive? If the Cullens had taken her, she could be drinking from animals…

Billy Black didn't think so. He had told Charlie it was a fate worse than death, and the remorse on his best friend's face was unmistakable. Billy wished Sam had found her corpse, rather than what he witnessed. He would have had to let Charlie in on the Tribe's secret sooner or later, he just wished it hadn't come at such a price. He thought he would have to explain the wolves existence to them, not his daughter's disappearance.

In Charlie's dream, it was early evening, fog settling in between the trees making the night glow an eerie otherworldly aura. Charlie was chasing glimpses of Bella through the moonlit woods. Her long chestnut hair gleaming in the shafts of light while she stayed just ahead of Charlie, ducking between trees just out of sight. His voice was calling to her, but nothing came out. Just puffs of air where sound would have been.

Every so often, Charlie would almost trip over a body. He'd stop himself just short and be horrified at who it was. Different residents of Forks. From Charlie's friends, to Bella's, to people Charlie had seen but never actually met one on one. All of them, Bella's victims. One of his daughter's victims in order to sustain her unnaturally long life. The citizens that voted for Charlie to be their protector, and he was failing them. Letting his daughter kill them all, because he couldn't kill her.

Then Sam was there, but not as a human man. As a wolf. And then it was Charlie chasing Sam begging him not to kill Bella, easily being outpaced by the supernatural beings. Soon Charlie was alone in the woods, calling out to the empty darkness.

When Charlie woke up the next morning, just hours before Bella's funeral, it was with a heavy heart that he would never see his daughter again. And if he did… He knew it would be the last thing he saw.

.o.O.o.

Angela and her boyfriend Beric stood outside Bella's locker during lunch, Beric on lookout while Angela fumbled with the combination. She had Bella's locker number for emergencies, but had never needed to use it until now. Now, it was a rescue mission.

"You should really let me do that." He insisted, taking another glance down both sides of the hallway before watching her successfully unlock it. He was far more nervous than Angela.

"A-ha!" Angela exclaimed a little too enthusiastically.

"Shh! We are technically breaking the law, preacher's daughter." Angela laughed and shoved him aside with her shoulder before opening the locker door and shoving the contents inside of her open backpack. Beric taking down the few pictures Bella had taped to the door. Bella and the Cullens all dressed for baseball, which seemed weird in itself to Angela and Beric. Bella hated sports as much as she hated the outdoors. A picture of Edward sitting at a piano. One of Angela and Bella at La Push as little kids, which Angela was keeping for herself. She shut the locker and put the lock back on, satisfied.

"That will keep Lauren and Jessica out." She hoisted her backpack over her shoulder and was glad Beric thought to clear out Bella's locker before the Student Body President could get to it. While alone, Angela could hope that Jessica would do the right thing and give over the entire locker contents to Charlie Swan, with Lauren, there was no chance at all. If Angela kept anything, it would be photographs with the Chief's permission. That was, until she got home that night and found Bella's diary.

.o.O.o.

At first, Angela didn't realize that the black hardcover book was a diary. It had doodles, notes, poems, and here and there interspersed a journal entry about Bella's day. She was halfway through the first entry before she felt guilty about reading her private thoughts. She reasoned with herself that Bella would probably rather she read it, than Jessica or Lauren. Or even her Dad. For all Angela knew it was all harmless teenage stuff she wouldn't want her Dad reading to begin with. So Angela kept reading, pushing the guilt away as she revisited her friend's last few months.

January 17th, 2005

Hey, it's me again. I'm on the plane now. I called Charlie, my Dad, before I left for the airport to make sure he was going to pick me up. Renee told me I wouldn't have to, but… Well, she'd left me waiting for her more times than I can remember. I haven't been back to Forks in years. I'm nervous about it, but excited because I haven't seen Charlie in forever. I should probably start calling him Dad. My Dad told me that Forks has only 358 students… I would be lucky 359. Odd numbers aren't very lucky for me.

I won't be completely alone, my Dad told me Jacob and his Dad come over almost every weekend to watch The Game. I haven't talked to Jacob in years, and I feel bad about that but we were never really that close as kids. Me, Rachel and Rebecca used to loathe when he would try tagging along with us. It would be weird being on The Rez without them. I'm moving back as they're both away.

And I wrote to Angela about coming to stay with Charlie for good and she was ecstatic. She can't wait for me to meet her little brothers, and to introduce me to her friends at Forks High. I'm so glad we're still friends. I have no idea what she looks like now, and I hope it isn't weird hanging out in person after so long. I'm going to put on my 'Washington' Playlist and read Wuthering Heights, again. I'll see you later. Journal. Diary. Book.

DUDE. DUUUUUUUUUDE. My Dad bought me a truck! It's a total junker but it's perfect! It's old and completely made of steel. I feel invincible driving it. Jacob said he rebuilt the engine himself, which is amazing. I can't believe he taught himself how to do that and he's only fourteen. At least I know who to call if anything goes wrong!

I know I'm not religious but Angela is, so God Bless Angela Weber! I guess she heard my Dad was going into Port Angeles to buy me some supplies at Target, and she insisted on coming along to help him pick things out. He said the sales lady had talked him into a purple comforter but Angela insisted I'd want the pumpkin orange one. I told Angela I really soured on the color purple when Renee painted our living room a bright plum when I was in Jr High. The orange will remind me of Phoenix and the sun, a little remembrance of home. I can't wait to see her tomorrow. I wonder if she still likes lemon bars?

January 18th, 2005

Today was my first day at Forks High… Coming from a school that was two stories and had over four thousand kids to this… Was an experience. I was invisible before, and now I feel like I'm under a microscope. I would hate to be famous if it's even a little like this. Every single person I talked to already knew who I was, it was so weird. I guess that's small town life. One of Angela's friends wanted to put me in the school paper, but luckily she put a kibosh on that pretty quickly. The day wasn't going too awfully until lunch. I really thought it was going better than expected. Then the Cullens showed up. Lauren made sure everyone knew that they were arriving fashionably late as always.

Jessica told me all about them before I could even ask, I guess she saw me looking? It was hard not to, with all the attention in the cafeteria suddenly being on them. She hates almost every single one of them, so I don't understand why she knows so much about them. Lauren told me that Edward was too good to date any of the girls at school, and I wondered if she meant mainly her or if she was upset he was gay and didn't want to date girls at all. She seemed like the type to be a bigot. And if we are going by typical small town tropes…

That was, until I met him in my next class and realized she probably said that because Edward Cullen is a Grade A cunt. From the second I entered my 5th period Biology class until he ran out the door to get away from me the second the bell rang, he treated me like a fucking leper. I checked, I didn't smell. Am I really that ugly, that the sight of me made him recoil? Then he spent the entire class wedged against the wall as far away from me as he could get. It was humiliating. Then after school, I was bringing my signed schedule to Mrs. Cope and he was begging her to transfer him out of Biology. Even tried flirting with her and she's like eighty years old. I really should have given him a piece of my mind. Maybe I will tomorrow? He can't treat people like that! Fucking asshole!

January 20th, 2005

I haven't seen Edward the last two days, I wonder if he had his parents homeschool him so he didn't have to see my ugly face anymore. The only other options were Port Angeles or The Rez, and I don't see Edward Cullen passing for a Native American in any life.

I've been having an easy time with all my classes, Forks is a few months behind where I was in Phoenix. I barely have to study so I've had a lot of free time. I've already made plans to hang out with Angela and baby sit her little brothers this weekend. I haven't been around kids much but she says they're really sweet and they'll adore me. I thought I'd bake some cookies and bribe them. I did find out that Angela was now onto lemon lavender cookies, I've never made them but she said she gets them in Port Angeles. That's too far to drive for a fucking cookie. I think I can find lavender on amazon. I owe her for the pumpkin bedspread.

I can't believe I'm about to write this, because it's so Renee of me… But there is a boy at school who I think is cute. Way out of my league hot. He has a girlfriend, of course he does. The first guy I'm actually sexually attracted to. I really wish I were asexual like Renee keeps saying I must be. Anyone but someone who has a girlfriend…

January 24th, 2005

Edward was in school today, just when I was forgetting he existed. He tried to pretend like nothing happened and then he says this weird shit like we shouldn't be friends? Except I didn't ask him? He is definitely the weirdest Cullen. People think it's Jared, but it's definitely Edward. Sometimes I'll catch him boring holes in the back of my skull, and then he'll pretend like he's looking at the ceiling. Super obvious. Obnoxious? Both.

January 25th, 2005

I'm glad Edward came back to school, because he saved my life today. I had just gotten to school and remember looking at Edward with his family and thinking about what an asshole he was and then I looked down at my iPod when I heard honking and like, a screech or something, I can't even remember I just heard something and I looked up and Tyler's van was sliding sideways towards me and I was just frozen in terror and then there was Edward, pushing me back and stopping the van from hitting us with his fucking hand!

And afterwards, when his Dad gave me the all clear at the hospital, he pretended like nothing happened and he had been standing next to me the entire time. He would have to be Superman to get across the parking lot in a split second.

He stopped the van with his hand, his HAND I swear to God! There is a dent in the side of my truck to prove it. The force of the van pushed Edward into it. There is something going on with that family.

Then I had to spend almost four hours on the phone with Renee, reassuring her that Charlie wasn't neglecting me and she didn't have to come home and I was fine in Forks. She won't care where I am for weeks at a time, but something happens under Charlie's watch and it's like she's a helicopter parent?

January 26th, 2005

He saved my life, and now he's acting like I don't exist. Even Angela commented on how hot and cold he was being. She didn't see the accident, so I didn't want to tell her that he had stopped Tyler's van. Dude is bipolar or on something. Maybe PCP? I hear that can make you crazy strong. That would explain his huge pupils. I want to look it up but Charlie's home computer isn't the safest place to look up drugs. He IS the Chief of Police. That's why I keep this diary at school. Actually, I do that because Renee always read my diary, but you can never be too sure with a parent.

I'm not smooth enough to discreetly ask my Dad about random drugs, maybe if he was Renee… Who I would call if it wouldn't unleash the Spanish Inquisition. She emails me every other day asking how I am and if I want to come home.

January 28th, 2005

I wish I could have any lab partner but Edward Cullen. He acts like he's the smartest person on the planet and it is incredibly infuriating. He will turn in partner assignments without any input from me at all, and then act like I should be thrilled he's giving me an easy A. I can get the A on my own, fucking prick.

January 30th, 2005

My Mom cornered me on the phone tonight when I was doing homework. It was my fault for picking up without looking, but me and Angela were going to take her brothers to the Zoo in Port Angeles this weekend so I thought it was about that. To the surprise of none, she thinks my disdain for Edward is because I like him. 'Is he cute?' That was all she said when I finished telling her about what an asshole he was. Then she said I must like him because I'm so defensive. I'm defensive, because he's a prick. Him being attractive has nothing to do with it.

Besides, there are way hotter dudes at school, and I wasn't going to talk to my mother about him either.

February 4th, 2005

Today after school me and CharlMy Dad, are going camping. I haven't been camping in several years. I'm really not looking forward to it, but it should be fun spending time with Charlie. He let me buy bug spray at Newton's Outfitters and even let me buy this weird bracelet that supposedly repels ticks and mosquitoes. It was a dollar, but if it works, it's worth every penny! I have my own single person tent, and a little pool floaty to sleep on instead of a mattress. I'm bringing three books with me, just in case. I made the mistake of mentioning it at lunch, and Mike gave me a printed off copy of several creepy stories from the internet about skinwalkers and wendigos. I'm going to use it as fire starter. I'm sure he meant well, but you know. Boys.

Angela was getting tired, so she bookmarked a page with the black ribbon attached to the book and got ready for bed. She'd read more after school tomorrow, and she fell asleep easily that night, glad she was able to keep Bella's secrets safe from the school gossips. Even if she was shamelessly reading them herself.

.o.O.o.

It had been long enough since James had died in Phoenix, that she knew the Cullens wouldn't be looking out for her anymore. Laurent had gone to the other vegetarian Coven up north, interested in the lifestyle he had seen of the Cullen Coven. It disgusted Victoria. They had been responsible for the death of their Coven leader and he was joining up with them. There was nothing wrong with being a Nomad. If you had less people you loved, it was less heartbreak when they were taken away from you. And James was just another reminder that they would always be taken away from her. Victoria had learned that the hard way, early on in her human life, and again in her young vampire life. It was best to keep moving, and even staying in the state of Washington for too long was beginning to wear on the edges of Victoria's subconscious. She would need to be careful.

She spent an entire week staking out the town of Forks and the Cullen Mansion before she came close enough to hear people talking of their hasty exit and the coincidental death of the local Chief of Police's daughter, Bella Swan. A quick trip to the morgue before her funeral was all Victoria needed to know that Bella Swan was a vampire. They would be burying an empty casket for the town of Forks to mourn, and Victoria had to redirect her recent efforts of revenge. If Bella and the Cullens weren't here, where were they?

The scent trail had gone cold long before Victoria had come back to town, the storm washing any final traces she could have followed. She was hesitant to inspect the manor itself, but not hearing any noises, and the lack of any activity made her bold. Walking through the empty house, her bare feet silent on the hardwood floors, she saw empty room after empty room. When she came to one room, filled with wall to wall bookshelves and a small closet full of clothes, she became very puzzled. Which one of the Cullens would have left this behind?

Victoria tried to remember the baseball field, and the last time she saw them all together. The chestnut haired woman and the leader, Carlisle. The bulking dark haired behemoth of a man and the blonde woman. The redheaded man with… She hadn't noticed the human at first, not until the wind shifted and blew her scent towards them. She had been standing with two other vampires, but they were so insignificant, Victoria couldn't remember any details about them. It must have belonged to one of them.

Leaving the house, Victoria realized this wasn't something she could do alone. She would need help. With James dead and Laurent turned vegetarian, she would have to dig deep to find the help she would need to track down and take down the Cullen Coven. She did make one fatal mistake, however. When leaving Forks, she wandered across the Reservation boundary lines a few times. Not having any knowledge of the Quiliete being shapeshifting vampire hunters, or how her proximity would have disastrous consequences for her plans for revenge.