Remembering Bella

Chapter 1

Charlie Swan hated Fridays.

His father had died on a Friday.

He wrecked his first car on a Friday, resulting in an injured leg that kept him from playing in the Fork's High school football championship the next Friday.

The school had then lost that championship.

Renee had left him on a Friday... taking Bella with her when she went.

Friday was not a celebrated day for Charlie Swan.

This Friday though... it was the worst one to date. The kind of day that every parent fears and prays never happens to them.

He sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. He wasn't used to being on the opposite side of this situation. He was usually the one asking questions and dealing with distraught family members.

"Charlie did you hear me?" He looked up at his deputy who stared at him with mournful eyes.

"I'm sorry, Steve. Can you repeat what you said?"

"I asked if this was the most recent photo you have of Bella?" He was holding up a picture Renee had taken of Charlie and Bella on her graduation day. She was actually smiling at the camera. All that she had gone through to be happy again and now this... Charlie choked back a sob and looked away as he nodded.

"That's the most recent... yes." The photo was taken a month ago. A month ago they had gone to the diner with Jake and Billy to celebrate her graduating, she was supposed to go to UDUB in the fall.

"She hasn't had a fight with a friend recently? No one that might want to hurt her?"

"It's Bella, Steve! You know Bella! Everyone loves her, she's my baby girl... oh god." He dropped his head back into his hands.

"I know this is hard, Charlie, but we need to know every single thing. To try and bring her home... is there anyone that might have wanted to hurt her?" Charlie squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think if she had mentioned anything. He kept coming up blank.

Then it occurred to him... the one person who might have something to do with this.

"Cullen." He hissed lowly.

"Beg pardon?" Steve said.

"The Cullen kid. She dated him for a while, he left her stranded in the woods... I'm sure he knows something about this." Charlie's mind was spinning. The memory of Bella screaming in her sleep... he knew that kid had something to do with it.

He missed the shared glance between Steve and the other officer.

"Charlie... the Cullens have been gone for nearly a year surely-"

"He knows something!" Charlie shouted as he slammed his fist on the table. He saw the looks on their faces then... they thought he was crazy.

"If you won't look into it I will!" He stood and grabbed his jacket.

"Charlie c'mon-"

"Lock the door when you leave." He interrupted as he headed out the door.

He would find his baby girl. If it killed him he would find her.

—————

"Alec, really did you have to be so rough? You could have killed her." Aro said with a shake of his head as he stared at the human girl on the cot.

"I apologize master... I am not used to using my fists to knock someone unconscious." Alec glared at the fragile little thing who was somehow immune to his abilities.