CHAPTER THREE

The following day, Friday was homecoming. Classes were only held in the morning, followed by a pep rally in the gym in the afternoon. Right before lunch, both Emma and Bella were called to the guidance office. The school psychologist wanted to make sure they were okay following yesterday's incident. They both assured him that they were fine.

Now, they were at the homecoming dance, simply having fun with their small friend group. It was something she missed in Forks. In hindsight, part of the reason why she couldn't get close to the new friends she made in Forks was because she was so focused on Edward—the same Edward who isolated her from her friends. Bella refused to take full responsibility for this one because, in hindsight, she realized there was a conscious effort by the Cullens to separate her from humans.

Bella was dancing with Brian, whose last name she couldn't pronounce, but he was a nice guy. He had a major acne problem and was teased mercilessly for it. Bella's group of friends always invited him to sit with them for lunch because it was the right thing to do.

"I just heard what happened to you yesterday, Bella. My dad told me all about it. Officer Kreuger is being investigated because there have been multiple complaints about her."

Bella had forgotten that Brian's father was a captain with the Glendale Police Department. He would definitely know what was going on. "I'm not surprised at all. She was unhinged—it's the best way to describe her. She pulled a gun on me."

"Yeah, that's not good. My dad told me that when the tapes were reviewed, she targeted you from the get-go."

"Yeah, she did. But anyway, what happened with Greg? He's not at the dance today."

"Oh, him. He's been suspended because Dr and Mrs Ronstein insist their dear, sweet son could never behave like a criminal."

"Wow! And the Glendale Police Department just let him go?"

"Yeah, they did. The only thing that happened was his learner's permit was revoked, and he can't get a license until he's twenty-one. Apparently, the Ronsteins called in favor, and the charges were dropped. My dad is pissed. Anyway, he's been suspended from school for two weeks."

"That's it? Em and I could have died!"

"I know. It sucks."

"Yeah, it does."

"I can't stand entitled people. They think they can walk all over everyone and have their own way. I'm glad Greg's permit was revoked."

"Definitely. My dad said there needed to be some form of consequence for him, and in his opinion, not being able to get a license until he's twenty-one hits him hard."

Bella nodded her head. "I never thought of it from that perspective, but you're right."

After the dance ended, Bella sat on the bleachers with her friends, and they got into a big discussion about the weekend. "Hey, my dad said he'd take us paintballing on Sunday," Brian said. "It's my birthday, and Monday is a holiday. Please say you'll all come."

"Paintballing? I've never been paintballing, but I'm game," Bella said. "It sounds like fun."

"Okay, I'll go," Emma agreed. Jenny, Libby, and Raoul rounded out their small group, and all accepted the invitation. They were a small and nerdy group, but they'd all been friends since second grade.

Bella didn't remember the invitation to Brian's birthday party the last time around, but she was going to just go with it. It got her thinking about the last time she went through this weekend. What was so significant about this weekend? It was a strange starting point, especially considering she wouldn't be moving to Forks until January.

"Why is Mr Fish walking to us, and who is the hot cop walking with him?" Libby asked. "He's older but a hot dude. I mean, look at his guns."

Bella glanced up, and then her lips turned into a wide smile when she saw who it was. She jumped up from the bleachers and dove into her father's arms. "Daddy!"

"What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you, kiddo."

"You were?"

"Of course, I was worried. Between the rogue student driving off with you in the vehicle followed by the bad cop, it was definitely a traumatic ordeal. I was very proud of how you handled yourself."

Bella didn't think yesterday was traumatic—at least not as bad as some of the terrible experiences she had with the Cullens. There was the time James, a nomadic vampire, decided a game of hide and seek with Bella would be fun. He wanted to make her his personal Happy Meal. Sadly, he had lured her back to Arizona to her old ballet studio, beat the crap out of her, and even bitten her before the Cullens killed him.

This, of course, led to his mate Victoria creating a vampire army to kill Bella and the Cullens. This incident put the pack in danger because they insisted on helping the Cullens. They went to war—or more like a skirmish—but the Volturi found out because she of the flaming red hair, or Victoria, called too much attention to herself. When the Volturi found out about Bella, they gave the Cullens an ultimatum—change her or die. That was how she had ended up being engaged to Edward. Thank goodness Taha Aki had stepped in to help her.

"Thanks, Daddy," Bella replied. "I love you."

"I love you right back, kiddo."

Bella blushed from her head to her toes. Her father rarely expressed emotion, and it felt nice to be loved. Her mother also loved her, but Renee had a tendency to be flighty. A case in point was when she left Bella alone for an entire long weekend and came back married. It was beyond selfish. She had sent her a text message saying that she was on a weekend trip with Phil and they'd be back on Monday. She had left Bella a hundred-dollar bill for food and told her to call if she needed anything.

Speaking of which, that was coming up soon. In fact, maybe it was this weekend? Didn't Brian say it was a long weekend?

"Daddy, where are you staying?"

"I haven't figured that out yet," Charlie admitted.

"I don't think Mom would mind if you stayed in the guest room," Bella said. "You look exhausted. I mean, with the long drive to Seattle and the flight, you have to be tired."

"Bells, I drove here."

"No way? That must have taken the whole day!"

"You're worth it, Bella. You're worth the effort. I'd drive across the country for you."

"Dad…" Bella sighed. "Well, you're staying with us. Mom won't mind. You get along well with her now that you're divorced. Now come and meet my friends."

Bella introduced her father to all of her friends. Captain Nez, Emma's father, who was chaperoning the dance, stopped by to introduce himself. He invited her father to watch the football game tomorrow night, which Charlie gladly accepted. Several teachers introduced themselves to the elusive Chief Swan, whom they'd heard of but never met.

After the dance, Charlie drove Bella back to the house. She opened the door using her key, calling out for her mother, who wasn't home as she walked in. Bella made up the bed in the guest room for her father, who had fallen asleep promptly.

Bella stayed up for a while longer to touch base with her guardian spirit. She turned on the makeup mirror to see if Taha Aki appeared. Sure enough, he did. This evening, he was dressed in a ball cap and a t-shirt instead of traditional Quileute attire.

"Hi, Mr. Aki," Bella greeted. "How was your day?"

Taha Aki tilted his head and regarded his charge with a curious expression. "You know, I've never been asked that—even when I was human. I'm not quite sure how to reply."

"Interesting. Why do you suppose that is?"

"Hmm… Maybe it's because I've always been a leader, and people assumed I lacked emotion."

"I don't think you lack emotion, Mr. Aki. Think about when the vampire attacked your tribe, and there were no spirit warriors left; you phased into a wolf in order to save it. I can't see any of the current elders doing that."

"No, I have to agree with you there." Taha Aki nodded his head. "So, in answer to your question, I am unexpectedly delighted that you cared enough to inquire about my well-being. How was your day today?"

"Great!" Bella chortled happily. "I went to the homecoming dance and hung out with my friends. I was invited to a birthday party on Sunday, too. But the best part is, my father is here."

"I know. I was watching."

"But I have a question. I'm curious because things are a little different now compared to the last time I went through this day. For example, I wasn't invited to Brian's birthday party."

"Ah, but that's because there was no party the last time."

"No? Why not?"

"There was no party because there was no car incident the last time. Brian's father was horrified when he heard about the situation you and Emma were in. The two of you could have lost your lives. He realized that this could have easily happened to Brian. Brian's father made a conscious decision to spend more time with his son, which led to the invitation to the birthday party."

"Wow! That's kind of cool. My experience made a positive impact on someone else."

"That's exactly what happened."

"Is that why my dad is here?"

"It is."

"Well, I'm glad he's here. I missed him, and I enjoyed living with him in Forks. I wish we had spent more time together before… Well, before I screwed up."

"That's why we're here. But Bella, it's important for you to know that there are some things you simply can't change. You can change your actions for the better and hope those actions will inspire others to change, but the truth is, you can't force them to change.

Just then, they were interrupted by a text message from Bella's mother.

Phil and I decided to go on a quick weekend trip to Las Vegas.

We'll be home on Monday. I

left a hundred dollars in your desk drawer for food.

Call if you need anything. Be good. Mom

Bella read the text message out loud, then asked, "Is my mom an example of what we were talking about? Because she's going to marry Phil and spring it on me when she comes home."

Taha Aki answered the question with a single nod. "Bella, this is about you making changes. Your mother has proved her selfishness. She loves you, there's no doubt about that, but she will always put her wants and needs first."

"Unlike my father? Because I remember when I lived in Forks with him, he was more interested in hunting and fishing."

"And you were more interested in Edward," Taha Aki returned. Bella thought he made an excellent point. "Make a conscious effort to spend time with your father. I think he might surprise you. Goodnight, Isabella."

And before she knew it, her guardian spirit warrior was gone for the night.

XOXO

By the time Bella woke up in the morning, her father had already been awake for an hour. He was sitting on the sofa, watching the news while drinking a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Bells."

Bella sat across from him on the loveseat. "Good morning, Dad. Did you sleep well?"

"I did. I usually wake up at six am like clockwork, but this morning, I slept in until eight. I must have been tired," Charlie said. "How about we go and get some breakfast? Is your Mom up yet?"

"She's not coming home until Monday. She sent me a text message last night to say that she and Phil decided to go on a quick weekend trip to Las Vegas. Here, I'll show you."

Charlie read the text message, and when his eyes met his daughter's, he was concerned. "How often does Renee leave you alone in the house overnight, Bella?"

Bella studied her fingers. She didn't want to get her mother in trouble, but at the same time, she recalled her conversation with Taha Aki. Neither of her parents was perfect, but one was making a concerted effort to change just like she was doing. The fact that her father was here while her mother lived it up in Vegas was proof. That being said, for the most part, Renee had raised her. Bella had no doubt her mother loved her, but she also knew how the next few months before leaving for Forks would be. Her mother would be consumed with Phil—much like Bella had been with Edward. While she loved and appreciated her mother, she knew the responsibility would be to be honest with her father.

"Bella? How often does your mother leave you alone overnight in the house? Because I'm not comfortable with her simply texting and telling you that she'll be gone for the whole weekend. Did you know in advance that she'd be gone?"

"No, I didn't know beforehand," Bella admitted. "Mom has a tendency to just wing it. And as far as staying overnight alone is concerned, it's been going on for about a year—ever since she met Phil."

Her father nodded his head. "And does he stay here some nights?"

"Sometimes, but usually, Mom stays at his place, or they go away, especially on the weekends. She tries to stay here on school nights."

Charlie contemplated the info before asking, "Have they ever taken you along on one of their weekend trips or even on a date? Let me rephrase that. Has Phil taken the time to get to know you, or has your mother discussed how you feel about Phil with you?"

Bella shook her head. For some reason, she didn't want to voice it because it made it all real. Her mother had never asked for her opinion of Phil. He was just presented to her as someone she needed to accept because Renee liked him. In fact, all of her mom's boyfriends were presented that way. During the first timeline, Phil eventually moved into the house, and Bella started feeling more like an interloper. In fact, he even took over the TV with all of his gaming systems.

"No, Dad. I've never gotten to know Phil at all. Mom is… Mom is… I love Mom, but some of her decisions are really selfish. I don't have any doubt that she loves me."

"Neither do I, but telling you in a text message that she's taking off with her boyfriend for a weekend is not really responsible. This is something she should have discussed with you ahead of time. You are her child, not her roommate."

And therein lay the rub. Renee was the mother, not the child. And Bella should be the priority, not Phil. But she went back to what Taha Aki told her last night when they were talking about not being able to force people to make improvements—they had to do that on their own.

Bella blew out her breath in a long sigh and turned to her father. "I don't really know Phil well. He's a minor-league baseball player and travels a lot. Mom traveled with him on the weekends to see his games when she could. I was left alone then."

Charlie nodded his head. "And how did they meet?"

"You know, I have no idea how they met. Truly. That information was never offered up. Phil is not very… talkative. Damn it, Dad. The guy has the personality of a rock. I have no idea what Mom sees in him. If you ever date someone, Dad, please make sure I get along with her."

Charlie started laughing. "Bella, I promise that if I start dating, you will need to approve of her first. Now, let's get some breakfast, and then I want to go to the Glendale Police Station. I've got some words to say to the police chief."

"Okay, Dad."

XOXO

Charlie took Bella to a local pancake house in Glendale that made awesome breakfast. They ran into Brian and his parents there. Bella introduced her father to Captain… "I'm sorry, I'm going to botch your last name per usual," Bella said.

Brian's father ruffled Bella atop the head and extended a hand out to Charlie. "I'm Will Freundschafteziehungen." He took a business card out of his wallet and handed it to her father, who exchanged one with him as well. The man glanced at Charlie's card. "You're a police chief… impressive.

"Charlie Swan. I'm Bella's father."

"I'm assuming you're here due to the incident the other day. I start my shift at noon. You're welcome to join me then. Why don't you and Bella have breakfast with us? We haven't ordered yet."

"That sounds great."

Charlie got along great with Captain Freundschaftbeziehungen. By the end of breakfast, he was asked to join the paintball party tomorrow, saying he'd welcome the additional chaperone. He jumped at the opportunity to spend more time with his daughter.

It was decided that Bella would hang out with Brian and his mother while Charlie went to the police station. They were gathering party supplies for tomorrow. Apparently, there was a room reserved for parties at the paintball center.

XOXO

Charlie Swan entered the Glendale Police Department, intent on getting answers. He had worn his police uniform because he was here in an official capacity. Sometimes, it was necessary to dress the part in order to be taken seriously. Will, or Captain Freundschaftbeziehungen… Charlie thought if anyone needed their ancestors to change their name upon entering Riker's Island, it was this poor guy. Anyway, Will had given him a brief summary of what had been going on. Charlie wanted to see the police tape of what had happened to Bella with Officer Kreuger.

When he received the call from his daughter, his heart had almost dropped out of his body. It had been both a terrifying and heartwarming experience at the same time. When Bella told Quigley that she'd always put her faith in him because she knew he'd come running for her if she needed him, his heart warmed up. He decided right then and there to be a more involved father. His Uncle Quil and Aunt Molly had always encouraged him to be more hands-on, and fearing for his daughter's life yesterday was a wake-up call of epic proportions. The ordeal had been the catalyst for him to request time off from work due to an emergency with his daughter. Roger Fintie, the mayor, gave him the okay after hearing the story. He put Captain Marks temporarily in charge of the department, and within an hour, he was in his truck on the way to see his Bella.

Now, he was here in front of Chief Quigley, with whom he had just exchanged business cards. "I had no idea you were coming to Arizona," Quigley said. "I'm glad you did. I was surprised when Bella's mother wasn't at the school to pick her up after the incident."

"Are you kidding me? Renee didn't come?" Charlie asked, surprised at this information. After his conversation with Bella this morning, he was already rethinking custody arrangements. He didn't like the idea of his high school-aged daughter being home alone on so many nights.

"No, I'm not. Apparently, Ms. Higgenbotham-Swan asked Captain Nez over at the firehouse to go in her place because she was tied up. He is the emergency contact. I don't know about you, but if my daughter had a gun pulled on her, I would have come running."

"And that's what I'm here to see you about," Charlie informed. "I'd like to get a look at any recordings of the incident."

Chief Quigley leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I figured as much. Normally, I'm not supposed to let you see footage of an ongoing investigation, but as a professional courtesy, I'll let you take a look at them."

"I'll tell you what. I have here," Charlie placed a flash drive on Quigley's desk, "something I know you'll be requisitioning from my department. It's a copy of the recording of my daughter's phone call with me while she and her friend were kidnapped by that boy. It includes a clear recording of her encounter with Kreuger. You can have the flash drive and even submit it for evidence, but I want a full investigation into Kreuger's behavior conducted. From what I heard, the woman is unhinged. And don't think I didn't look into her record prior to heading over here. She shouldn't be on any police force."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a female police officer with blonde bobbed hair walked into Quigley's office. She made a beeline for the chief's desk, not noticing Charlie sitting in the chair opposite him.

"Chief Quigley, I am asking you to please reconsider the investigation into my actions yesterday. I felt threatened by that girl."

"Is that why you felt the need to draw your gun, Officer Kreuger?"

"Yes, she was threatening me with her father, probably some lowlife hoodlum, and even took my badge number down. Then she mouthed off to me."

"I reviewed the footage from your body cam several times, Officer Kreuger. The girl didn't threaten you. In fact, she was the only calm one both in the car during the incident and afterward when faced with you."

"I was professional at all times!" Officer Kreuger insisted, then caught sight of Charlie. "I didn't know you had a guest. I apologize for interrupting." And then she recognized Charlie was a good-looking man without a wedding ring. She donned a wide smile at him, then batted her eyelashes, making her beady eyes look sinister. Charlie cringed and shirked back in his chair.

"Officer Kreuger, I'd like to introduce you to my guest. This is Charlie Swan from Washington."

"Oh, is there an ongoing interstate investigation of some sort?"

"Of some sort, yes. Charlie is the police chief in Forks, Washington."

"My goodness," the woman simpered, "a police chief, and at such a young age. There's a little bistro down the road from here. I'd love to hear more about your town in Washington and all you do there." Officer Kreuger patted Charlie's bicep, then turned to face her boss, leaning forward with her palms down on his desk so her bottom was towards Charlie, who shifted his chair back a couple of feet and wrinkled his nose in disgust. Charlie was thinking that this psycho should be called Kreuger the Cougar instead of Officer Cougar. She was nuts.

"Chief Quigley, as a show of good faith that yesterday was just a misunderstanding, I will personally assist Chief Swan with his investigation. Furthermore, I will take him on a tour of our neighborhood and make sure he is shown the utmost in hospitality." She wiggled her bottom at Charlie who was disgusted to the core by her antics.

Chief Quigley looked equally stunned by the woman's actions. He tipped his head to Charlie apologetically and then addressed Officer Kreuger, "I'm glad to hear you'll be assisting Chief Swan with his investigation because your cooperation will make things much easier. Charlie is not only the Chief of Police in Forks, Washington, but also Isabella Swan's father. To jog your memory, Isabella Swan is the young lady you verbally assaulted, pulled a gun on and proceeded to handcuff yesterday."

Officer Kreuger gasped, a single hand covering her mouth. Before she could speak further, Chief Quigley said, "I'd like your badge and gun, please. You are hereby suspended with pay until further notice from the review board. We will be investigating yesterday's incident with a fine-toothed comb."

Officer Kreuger stiffened and then resolutely placed her badge and gun on Quigley's desk and left the office with a horrified expression on her face.

"She's delusional," Charlie said, "I'm not going to tell you how to run your department, but if it were me, I'd be sending her into psych for an evaluation."

"Yeah, I'll be doing that." He extended an open palm. "I'll take the flash drive. Thank you for bringing it. You have my word that I'll investigate Kreuger fully, and I'll give you full access to the tapes. I'll even make a copy for you."

"Now, tell me what happened to the boy who drove off in the car with the girls in the backseat," Charlie requested.

"Greg Ronstein won't be able to get his license until he's twenty-one, and he's been suspended from school for two weeks. It was the best I could do. Mrs Ronstein's cousin is a judge. Dr and Mrs Ronstein called in a favor, and the charges were dropped."

Charlie shook his head. "Does the kid have a record?"

"No, not at all. He's the quarterback for the football team, young, good-looking, arrogant—you know the type. All the girls want him, and all the guys want to be like him, except for your Bella and probably her friend, Emma Nez. According to the instructor, Mr James, Greg Ronstein always acts like a hotshot in driver's ed. Now, while most girls would laugh along and agree with him, Bella and Emma wanted nothing to do with him and ignored him. This driving session was a little different, though, because your daughter, followed by Emma, finally decided to speak up and told him to stop the vehicle when he began speeding through the residential neighborhood. Somehow, Greg was triggered into a rage, and you know the rest."

"God, when will these parents ever learn that mollycoddling their kids does more harm than good?"

"I have no idea. For whatever it's worth, the group your daughter hangs out with are all upstanding kids with good values."

"Well, that's good to know. I'm hoping to get to know some of Bella's friends while I'm here. I was invited to help chaperone a paintball party tomorrow by Captain Friesundshakeundwhopper…"

"That's the best one I've heard yet. It's a tough name to learn how to pronounce. Quigley helped with the correct pronunciation, "It's Freundschaftbeziehungen."

"How long did it take you to learn to say the name right?" Charlie asked.

"About two years. Most people here call him Captain Friendship Relations because that's what his name means in German," Quigley informed Charlie. "As far as chaperoning the party is concerned, I think you'll enjoy it. I did some digging around into your daughter's background. By all accounts, she's a great girl—a little shy but extremely comfortable with her small group of friends. She's also hardworking—always has her homework completed on time and works during the summer and on the weekends during the school year. This year is an exception because the restaurant she worked at permanently closed at the end of the summer. She and her friend Emma are on the softball team in the spring, and they also participate in the volunteer club. The one concern Captain and Mrs Nez, Emma's parents, had of Bella was that she seemed to be home alone overnight a good deal, especially on the weekends."

"Yeah, I just discovered that this morning. I'll be following up Renee on this and making sure it doesn't happen very often."

"Let me know if I can be of any help. Now, let's take a look at the videos and you can give me your opinion," Chief Quigley suggested before the two men settled in to review the footage. "After that, we can talk more over lunch."