Chapter 13: The Ties That Bind

A/N: Before we jump back in, I want to comment on Bella's appearance. While she is better than she was before, she's still not quite 100 percent, at least mentally and weight-wise. She has to work on her eating habits, just FYI. It's been a long, traumatizing year for her.

"So do you think they're sneaking around?" Billy asked Charlie as the latter pulled Into the swan family driveway.

Charlie however didn't answer because parked in his normal spot was a black truck.

" whose truck?" Billy inquired.

" I don't know but the lights In the House are on," Charlie responded as he got out of the car with urgency. He then ran over to Billy's side and helped him out.

" Charlie, maybe we should call Sam. What if it's a vampire?"

Charlie shook his head and pulled out his gun quieting Billy's protest.

With slow and careful footsteps, Charlie unlocked his door and scanned the walkway of his home. The hallway and kitchen area were dark, but a dim Light came from his living room.

"This is Chief Charlie Swan, I am armed and will shoot. Come out with your hands up! He demanded.

Thier was silence before a voice called out "Dad?"

"Bella?!"

Immediately Charlie holstered his weapon and sprinted to the living room. Sitting on the new couch he just bought was his daughter.

Neither one of them moved as they stared at each other down.

Tired brown eyes that matched his own stared up at him. For the most part, his daughter looked the same. However, two physical changes he saw were that her hair had been cut into a curly undercut bob with all her hair moved to one side, displaying her newly shaved sides. The second difference was her overall physical features. His daughter had always been thin but it was a healthy weight. The girl in front of him was severely underweight.

"Bella? Baby girl?" His voice cracked. Normally Charlie Swan was not one for many emotions but he and his daughter had been through so much already.

How much more could two people take?

This time she stood tears in her eyes as she responded.

"Daddy. I… I'm sorry it took me so long." she joked lamely through tears.

Allowing all pretenses to drop, Charlie rushed forward and pulled his little girl into a hug. Not failing to notice her slight flinch before she settled in his arms.

"Oh my god Bella. Babygirl, I knew it. I knew it. I didn't give up on you bells. Not once."

"Charlie! Is everything ok?" Billy yelled.

"Were all clear Billy! It's Bella!" Charlie shouted.

There were the sounds of squeaky wheels entering the home as Billy's silhouette filled the doorway.

"Bella! Oh, sweetheart." he gasped as he rolled into the living room.

"Billy." she greeted with a watery smile as she leaned down to hug him.

Charlie wasn't ashamed of the tears that rolled down his cheeks as he watched his daughter sob into his best friend's shoulder.

He was quick to step into the kitchen as he tried to dry his eyes. But the tears just wouldn't stop flowing.

He could have lost her.

He did lose her and not just once but four times.

The first time when she ran away to Phoenix and the lie that she fell down the stairs.

His heart hurt at the sight. The way she was in that hospital room with tubes sticking out and her broken leg. That pale demon leering over her.

The second time was when she was missing in the woods, returning to him comatose and broken.

The long nights of no sleep and her endless screaming had shattered him. He had been helpless to help his little girl.

The third time had been that golden-eyed seer kidnapped his girl and forced her to go God knows where with God knows. And when his daughter was returned to him she was just as traumatised. And to this day, she still refuses to talk about whatever went down in Italy.

And finally, here they were his daughter had been taken from him for the fourth time.

A whole year.

A whole year with her.

Without his daughter. Without his child.

Charlie gripped the edge of his sink as rage filled him. His little girl had been hurt because of the supernatural.

Vampires, shapeshifters…. What other creatures were out there lurking after his daughter?

"Charlie," Billy called.

Charlie did his best to compose himself and walked back into the living room.

To his surprise, Bella had fallen asleep on the couch.

"She's exhausted," Billy informed him.

"I bet she is. I'm gonna put her to bed and I'll be back down."

Fifteen minutes later, Charlie reappeared. His old friend handed him a beer as they sat in the living room.

" I should call Sam." Charlie sighed.

"One step ahead of you old man. He says hell be here ten. He won't wake her, but the wolf needs to see her. He'll probably sleep on her floor."

Charlie made a face but didn't say anything.

"Oh don't give me that Charlie. You know the pack loves Bella and they won't harm her. If anything they kill each other before they hurt her and that's saying something."

Charlie sighed and shook his head.

"I'm scared for her Billy. She was supposed to go to college and follow her dreams. Not stuck here with me, trying to wrangle through the supernatural! What happened to her having a normal life!? It makes me wonder if she should have just stayed in Arizona with Renee."

"Charlie no matter where Bella went I think the supernatural would have followed her. She attracts it like a magnet. I know you wanted better for her, I think as Pa rents we all want better for our kids. Do you know how relieved I was when Sarah and I had Rachel and Rebecca? I was so grateful for those girls. I didn't have to worry about the shifter gene and then … then came Jacob. And I knew… his life was forfeit from there. Even if he had left the reservation before the Cullens showed up, he would have been bound to run into a random vampire and shift then. It was unavoidable..."

"Hey.. wait a second… speaking of shifters… did we ever see Leon's boy? " Charlie asked

It was then Billy's eyes widened.

"Your right…did he… did he bring her here? Or leave her to drive by herself?"

The sound of the front door bursting open had both men on high alert. However, their defense dropped as Samuel Uley appeared. His appearance was haggard and he was still in his work clothes.

"Where is she?" he whined as his eyes glowed yellow.

"Upstairs." Billy directed. " she's sleeping."

"Did she say anything? Was Paul with her?"

"She didn't say anything just cried and no he was nowhere to be found when we walked through the door. Bella was sitting on the couch by herself." Billy told him

Sam whined and looked towards the ceiling.

"She crying…."

With that said, the alpha walked the stairs skipping steps as he went.

….

"No. No. !" Bella gasped as she sat up. Her heart was pounding in her ears.

Instead of a warm hut wrapped in Paul's embrace, she was now in her bedroom. The fairy lights create shadows on the wall.

She had been having a nightmare. Victoria and two other faceless vampires had gotten a hold of her.

But Victoria is dead, you don't have to worry about her. She told herself.

Before she could rile herself up into a panic. A soft knock was heard on her door.

"Come in?" she questioned still groggy from sleep.

The door swung open to reveal…..

" SAM!" she shouted, as she flung herself out of bed, tripping on her comforter of course.

Sam was quick to catch her. The alpha and his precious pack mate finally make eye contact.

….

Sam fell to his knees as he gently pushed Bella away. Not wanting to take her down with him.

His hand was clutched over his heart however as they looked at each other.

Everything that made him who he was disconnected from him in that second.

Snip, snip, snip.

A new string out of all his connections held him where he was.

It was her.

With chocolate brown eyes that held him here now.

Bella Swan, his pack sister.

His omega.

The glue that held them, all together.

His soul had now wrapped itself around hers.

Bella Swan was now… his imprint.