FAGE 17: Graduation

Title: Wings & Roots

Beta: kneon

Written for: BrierLynn03

Written By: hmerdan

Rating: T

Summary/Prompt used: My story came to a close when I realized I was the villain all along.

A/N: Hi, everyone! I know it's been a quiet couple of months for me, but that's because of what's being posted below! I decided to take part in FAGE for the first time, and today is finally Posting Day. But on the bright side, you'll be getting the whole completed story within the next 24 hours ('cause you know your girl's characters get chatty and I couldn't stop at a one shot)! Grab a snack, make some tea, and settle in for updates throughout the day once I've gotten some sleep. Apologies to all the Charlie lovers in advanced.

CHAPTER ONE

January - Junior Year, Forks High

To Whom It May Concern;

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Esme Cullen as the new City Attorney for the City of Forks. This decision comes after a thorough selection process, and we are confident that Esme will bring exceptional experience and leadership to this role.

Ms. Cullen brings eighteen years of experience with her into this role, most recently as the Division Chief of the Civil Division for the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, as well as serving as an adjunct professor with Seattle University's School of Law. As City Attorney, she will oversee all legal matters affecting the city and its operation, including but not limited to annexation review, criminal prosecution, labor relations, natural resource policy review, and zoning code interpretations.

Please join me in welcoming Esme Cullen and her family to our team and to the City of Forks. We are looking forward to the contributions and leadership in helping us continue to work on behalf of the citizens of Forks. Esme will be starting on Monday, January 8. Should you have any questions, please reach out to Maggie O'Connor, City Attorney's Office Administrator at (360)555-1673.

Regards,

David Harper

Mayor, City of Forks

Well, I knew this time was coming. Ever since Gerald Cope announced his retirement last fall, I figured we'd be getting a new City Attorney any day now. Although, I expected it from someone a bit more local. Or someone fresh out of law school like Gerry was back in the day. I didn't expect some big shot from Seattle to come to our little backwater. I picked up the phone and called Maggie's extension.

"Maggie O'Connor, City Attorney's Office."

"Mags! It's Charlie."

"Chief, I was just about to call you!" Maggie chuckled from her end. Sweet woman, we were only a year apart back in high school. "I was hoping to set up a meeting with our new Attorney. Esme's dying to speak with our Chief of Police."

"Great minds," I snorted. "That's why I was calling. How's her Monday afternoon looking?"

"Perfect! She's meeting with Harper at eleven, but I have an opening at one with your name on it."

"One works for me. I'll make sure Beth gets that on the schedule." I sent an email to Beth Crowley, the department office manager, as Maggie confirmed the time. "So, have you met Esme?"

"We've talked a bit," Maggie hemmed. "Nice woman, very put together. Wants to make some updates around here."

"What's the point?" I huffed. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"Oh, Charlie! Welcome to the twenty-first century!" Maggie laughed. "It's time to get with the times."

"I'm just saying, we don't need some big city lawyer coming in and telling us what to change," I explained. I had lived here my whole life and had been with the Forks Police for twenty years. We had a good thing going. "Anyway, nothing for you to worry about, Mags. I'll talk to Ms. Cullen on Monday."

"I'm sure you will, Charlie," Maggie sighed. "Have a good weekend!"

"You, too. Say hi to Liam for me."

Once we got off the phone, I let Beth know I was heading out to the diner for lunch before starting patrol. In the privacy of my patrol car, I had time to think about this announcement. I wasn't sure what to think about this Esme Cullen. Her name alone sounded pretentious. I could already picture her - some fancy designer suits and a sharp tongue, thinking she could tell us, small-town folks, how to do things. Were we just a stepping stone back to the big city? If she thought she could walk all over us to get ahead, she had another thing coming to her.

"Hey, Chief!" Dora greeted me as soon as I walked through the doors of the diner. "You here for lunch?"

"You know it," I nodded, slipping onto one of the stools at the counter. "Just the usual."

Dora shook her head. "Bella already stopped by this morning and said no bacon cheeseburgers until you get your checkup. I'll get you a turkey club and soup."

I shook my head with a wry grin as she put in my ticket. Always watching out for my health. You'd think Bells was the parent and not the child in our relationship. Not much good came out of my marriage to Renee, but Bella was the exception. I had been pretty angry when Renee abandoned us when Bells was only a year old, but I'm just glad I got to raise my little girl, and I'd like to think I did alright by her. "Come on, Dora! You know how hard it is to get an appointment at the clinic." The Forks Community Hospital Family Clinic seemed to have a constant staffing issue. Other than Alistair Gerandy, the doctors kept leaving for more lucrative pastures.

"Well, it's a good thing they just filled the vacancy, isn't it?" Dora grinned.

"Another yahoo fresh out of med school that'll leave before the ink dries on his licence?" I snorted.

Dora sighed and shook her head, pouring coffee into my cup. "That's not what Al said. Twenty years of family medicine at U-Dub. Planning to step up once Gerandy finally retires."

"What is with all these big shots from the city deciding they need to change things up around here?" I grumbled. "First Esme Cullen, now this doctor from U-Dub…"

"Well, I'm assuming they're married," Dora giggled. "The new doctor's Carlisle Cullen. At least according to the name he gave for a pick-up order."

"I guess that makes sense," I answered, rolling my eyes. A lawyer married to a doctor… doesn't get much more pretentious than that. "What makes you think they're around for the long haul?"

"They just bought the place on Dowan's Creek," she explained with a shrug. Figures the rich couple would buy the million-dollar house that's been sitting on the market for six months. "Mindy Mallory was in here bragging about her huge commission cheque from the sale. She said they were hiring Alec to do some updates to the home."

"I guess you don't spend that much on a home and fix it up if you don't plan on staying," I murmured, taking a sip of my coffee. "So, just the two of them?"

Once again, Dora shook her head. "They've got two kids living with them. Twin boy and girl. I think they're Bella's age." Her eyes drifted to the doorway, and a smile broke out on her face. "In fact, I'd bet dollars to donuts that's one of them now."

I turned around to see an unfamiliar tall red-head boy coming through the door with his head down. He looked like any of the other boys around this town, other than the fancy winter jacket he was wearing. Wonder how long it'll take for him to get into the same trouble the kids around here do. Unlike Tyler Crowley and Mike Newton, his mom can make his troublemaking disappear.

"Hello, ma'am," Pretty Boy said to Dora. "I'm supposed to pick up a to-go order under the name Cullen."

"Yes, I have it right here," Dora said with a smile, grabbing a large brown paper bag. "That's going to be 52.08."

He pulled out a leather wallet - what kid has a damn leather wallet? - and handed a couple of bills to Dora. "Here you go. Keep the change."

"Well, thank you," Dora grinned brightly as she accepted the bills. Of course, rich parents taught their kids to throw around money. "And you all have a good day."

"Thank you," he murmured, before offering me a quick nod and leaving the diner.

"See how polite he is?" Dora asked once the door was closed. "Someone's raising that boy right."

"We'll see," I muttered, taking a sip from my cup. He'll show his true colors eventually. They always do.


After an uneventful afternoon, I finally pulled my patrol car into the driveway behind Bella's pickup truck. I could have sworn she said she was heading to Port Angeles after work… With a shrug, I grabbed my duffle bag from the passenger seat and made my way inside.

"Hey, Bells!" I called from the front door, hanging up my jacket and holster belt.

"Hi, Dad," she yelled from the kitchen. "I just started marinating some fish for dinner, but I made some cookies if you're hungry."

I couldn't help but smile to myself. My girl loved to bake, and she never missed it. If she wasn't going to be a nurse, she'd be a great baker. I followed the smell of cinnamon to find her sitting at the table with a calculus textbook. I picked up one of the snickerdoodles on the plate and shoved it into my mouth. Homerun, like always. "Getting some homework done?"

"Yeah, I put it off too long over the break," she answered, wrinkling her nose.

I had to laugh at her reaction. My girl may be smart, but she hated math with a passion. Still, she insisted she needed it for college. Who was I to question her? I didn't know the first thing about nursing school. "I thought you and Ang had plans tonight."

"We did, but she had to cancel," she explained. "Mrs. Weber needed to take Isaac to the doctor, so Ang has to watch Josh. Speaking of which, there was a voicemail from the Community Clinic for you. Doctor Cullen is trying to set up appointments with everyone who's overdue for an annual checkup." She shot me a pointed look, reminding me of the directions she passed on to Dora.

"I'm fit as a fiddle," I said with a huff. "I'll call them on Monday and set something up. Hopefully, we'll have someone decent on staff with Gerandy."

"They seem pretty excited to have him," she shrugged.

"Well, we'll see how long he sticks around until a bigger paycheque calls him." I'd bet a month's salary he wouldn't still run the clinic by the time Bells came back to work in the clinic.

"Oh, Mrs. Cope came by Newton's today," Bella announced, changing the subject. "She asked if I'd be willing to show around the Cullen kids - Edward and Alice."

So, that was Pretty Boy's name. Edward. "Huh, their parents are sending them to public school, are they?"

"Dad, the closest private school to here is the Christian school in Port A," she stated with an eye roll. "Anyway, they're both juniors. Mrs. Cope asked me to help them get settled. She said I have a few classes with each of them."

"So, they're making you babysit the rich kids?" I scoffed.

Bella let out a sigh. "Dad, you know this is normal. Whenever any of the Forks' schools get a new kid, they assign someone to help them out. Remember when Eric Yorkie got stuck showing Mike Newton around back in seventh grade?"

"Yeah, but Mike's parents weren't trying to run the town," I muttered.

She threw a smirk at me. "No, they just bought the Outfitters store and became the king and queen of the outdoors. Remember? They sign all my paycheques?"

"That's different," I insisted. "Karen and Thomas aren't…" I had no idea where I was going with this. While Thomas was alright, you would never guess Karen Newton knew anything about the outdoors.

"Maybe don't assume the worst before you meet the Cullens?" Bella interjected. "Haven't you always told me not to judge a book by its cover?"

"You've never judged a book in your life," I snorted.

Bella merely shrugged, knowing it was true. The girl was one of the most voracious readers I'd ever met. "So, you'll never guess who tried coming in to get a hunting licence AGAIN!" Clearly, she was done with the topic and decided to change the subject. I figured I could try and take a page out of my daughter's book and give the Cullens a chance. "You'd think Waylon would remember that deer season ended two months ago…"