Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its character Stephanie Meyers does, I'm just playing with them…

BPOV

I was waiting in the terminal for Charlie the past twenty minutes. Not that I was complaining I perched myself up on the top of my bag reading my Vonnegut novel through my sunglasses. I knew people wearing sunglasses inside was lame, but you never saw anyone fuck with people wearing sunglasses in doors, right? That's what I thought.

"Bells?" Charlie asked unsure.

"Dad," I grinned throwing my arms around him.

"You're blonde kiddo," his cop stache frowned as he raised an eyebrow when we pulled away.

"I was bored," I shrugged, because I was and why not bleach all your deep dark brown hair when bored.

"So your mom has told me," he said rolling his eyes before picking up my bags.

"Is that why you were late?" I inquired.

"The hair threw me off," he paused before sheepishly confessing. "I've been making circles looking for you."

"Some cop you are," I snorted.

"Let's go if we want to make the drive home before dark," he grunted.

The banter between Charlie and I remained during our four hour drive from Seattle to Forks. As soon as we hit the Welcome to Forks sign, I began questioning all of this.

The only time I came here was for the summer and every holiday or when Mom and Phil decided to take a cruise. I loved seeing Charlie, but that was all Forks had to offer for me.

Renee and Charlie were the two most opposite people I had ever met, but I guess having a baby at sixteen will make you realize that. Charlie was just trying to break in his new Porsche and be the ladies man he was, I'm not quite sure what Renee was trying to be. They were never married and the only thing they had was me, so when Renee was accepted to NYU when I was three custody was their only issue.

Charlie was going to the University of Washington to major in criminal justice. I still didn't understand why a nineteen-year-old guy would want a baby while attending college, but he put up a hefty fight. Unfortunately, Renee won, but she wasn't too bad to grow up with.

She attended four semesters then dropped out for a bartending job at CBGB's, but I couldn't judge. What seven-year-old could say they hung out with some of the coolest bands because Mommy couldn't find a babysitter? That lasted about a year until Charlie started digging into custody again. I had a habit of telling Daddy too much about New York City life, leaving him livid with Mommy.

We left New York for California where we stayed until I was fifteen and I was somewhat closer to Dad. Mom became an artist and surprisingly owned a little bohemian gallery in San Francisco where she met Phil and married him.

Phil was a sports anchor for a local news station. With him being an ex-minor league player that made him a shoe-in. Shortly after they married, he was transferred to Phoenix where Mom and I followed. It wasn't bad; it just wasn't ideal for me.

I finally had my choice of where I wanted to live when I graduated. I spent the past four years of my life at the University of Florida majoring in Linguistics and minoring in English. Impressive, I know, and not fucking much I could do with it, I had recently learned.

Which lead me to why I was sitting in a police cruiser next to my terminal bachelor father. Mom wanted me back in Phoenix, but like I explained to her, she and Phil had no boundaries with their affections. I take that back, they had settled down some because they had my little sister Frankie two years ago, but even with her there they were still incorrigible and just plain gross.

I glanced over at Charlie and frowned. I really did miss a lot with him and within the past year I couldn't help but wonder what my life would have been like if I would have lived with him in Forks.

"What's got you thinking Bells?"

"Nothing, just wondering if Forks will reject me," I said brightly. "You know being sun burned and beach blonde, this place repels sunlight."

"I forgot how much, a smart ass you were kid," he grinned with his eyes remaining on the road. "You teaching any of that to Frankie?"

"She's too bubbly for that, I'd be wasting my time I think," I mused tapping my finger against my chin.

"She's two," he chuckled with amusement.

"Again Dora and Backyardigans… I can't compete, I just can't compete," I sighed putting my hands up in defense.

"You know I have no clue what you're taking about," he informed me.

"That's okay, I still love you," I cooed patting the top of his head. At least I'll have fun living with Charlie.

We pulled up in front of the house behind old red. I didn't know he kept it, I jumped out inspecting her and she was just as I left her back in high school.

"I knew you would be excited about this." He nodded and leaned on my only mode of transportation in Forks since I passed my license test.

It hadn't been since graduation that I spent a summer here. Charlie for the last few years came to Florida to see me.

"She still runs?"

"Of course, you think I would let you drive it if it didn't?" he asked seriously.

"Good answer, Chief," I pointed my finger and squinted at him.

"Sometime Bells you are too much," he sighed kissing my head as he went to get my bags.

"I have to keep you young dad," I pointed out walking behind him.

"I am young."

"Then I'm doing my job," I said slapping my hands onto his shoulders.

Walking into the house, I could see nothing had changed and everything was in the same place that it was the last time I was here. Charlie was in my room before me so to keep up the Bella Swan comedy hour for him because God knows someone had to keep him entertained, I slowly stuck my head in glancing around.

The walls were bare and completely white. There was also new furniture and not the kind of furniture Charlie would know to buy. Then I spotted the boxes Phil helped me pack from Florida.

"I thought I would let you decide what you wanted to do with it… your Mom said something about you probably wanting to get an apartment, because you liked living by yourself…" he rambled.

"When are you going to learn Renee isn't always the most reliable source of information?" This was my way of assuring him I appreciated the gesture.

"You're right," he nodded. "I was in Newton's the other day and talked to Mrs. Newton about you coming home."

"Oh, I thought the government filed my return to Forks next to their Roswell records," I said sarcastically.

"Damn mouth," he mumbled shaking his head, before continuing. "She said she has an assistant manager position open and since you worked there over your summers she would like to give it to you."

"Is Mike still associated with the establishment?"

Because dude was a creeper, he'd follow me around and accidentally graze my barely existent boobs while saying he was trying to put the item I was marking back. Perv!

"Bells, his parent own the place, but no he doesn't work there. He actually took the gym teacher job at the high school."

"Shocking," I said bluntly remembering that he was one of the only few teenagers I knew when I stayed in Forks, but I was very aware he was Forks High's star athlete. "I'll call her in the morning to tell her I'll take it."

"Thank you," he smiled.

The next day I did as I promised and Mrs. Newton had to have been desperate because she asked if I could stop by immediately. I agreed gratefully because I was desperate as well and those college loans weren't paying themselves.

Pulling into Newton's Outfitters parking lot, I had to remember to check my snark at the door because she was very vocal about it being rude and unbecoming of me, but other than that we got along swimmingly.

I pulled at my sundress because that was all I owned other than shorts, but I wasn't here auditioning to be the Daisy Duke of Forks, I was here to be a career oriented young lady. Note to self; get new clothes because even with it being summer it was still chilly and I would be hypothermic by September.

I walked though the sliding doors looking around the place. Just like Charlie's house; the place didn't change. I was starting to believe Forks might have been domed in a time capsule.

"Isabella?" a voice from the check out line questioned.

I turned seeing a slightly older version of Mrs. Newton and pushed my sunglasses up so they were sitting on the top of my head.

"Hi, Mrs. Newton," I smiled prettily.

"You look beautiful, dear," she told me.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I had always been plain my whole life and up until I dyed my hair no one ever said I was gorgeous, beautiful, or pretty. Now I was blonde people became enthusiastic. I was half-tempted to dye it back just to be like am I beautiful now?

"Thank you," I said through gritted teeth.

"I don't know how much your father has told you, but Mr. Newton and I have retired from running the store."

"But you own it," I said dumbly.

"We do, but we have a store manager now, he's a very nice young man and was on the football team with Michael," she explained.

"So I'll be working with him?"

"Yes, we have two assistant managers along with Emmett," she said further explaining. "Emmett is the store manager."

"Okay," I nodded slowly.

"He's around here somewhere," she said looking around.

Eventually she noticed she wasn't getting anywhere so we ended up hunting for him in every aisle. It was hard keeping up with her long legs, I was only 5'4" she needed to consider this and pace herself.

In aisle six, the Hulk was standing there writing on a clipboard. Good god I didn't think he existed, I thought he was CGI.

"Emmett," Mrs. Newton called to the Hulk.

He turned and the Hulk had a face of a little boy. He didn't look like a little boy because he was obviously a grown ass man, but he had adorable dimples that matched a boyish grin. His curly brown hair was also not helping his case. It turned down his scariness factor in my book.

"Loraine," he still smiled.

"Dear, this is Isabella Swan; she's the candidate I was telling you about."

"Ah, my new wingman," he said clapping his hands together.

See if I would have said something like that I would have been lectured, but he says it and she fucking giggles. Damn penis charm.

"I need to run some errands, you two get acquainted," she said. Who fucking says shit like that anymore?

She left us and I couldn't stop staring at him.

"Emmett McCarty," he grinned sticking out the thing he used to smash things with to shake my little hand.

I wanted to say something, but damn to the no snark rule.

"You look like you're having an internal struggle."

"Cant' use… snark," I said through clenched teeth.

"I know her rule and trust me I've heard all about you," he chuckled.

"Who dare speaks the legend of me?" I blurted out.

"Charlie."

"Hmm, go on… what has he said?"

"He has said your intelligence can get you in trouble, but that's because people don't appreciate it."

"He said that?" I asked wrinkling my nose; my dad had turned all mushy on me.

"Yeah, he talks about 'his Bells' a lot."

"Well good, at least I know I've taught him well."

Emmett laughed shaking his head. "Follow me I have some paperwork for you to fill out."

I wasn't sure, but I had a feeling I was going to like the Hulk. He seemed nice enough and hasn't told me to fuck off like most people usually did when I became difficult.

I sat on the counter, like I used to when I was younger, filling out the novel Mrs. Newton wanted from me. A good business owner would have kept my file in the first place for loss prevention reasons.

I heard mumbling in the distance and my head snapped up to find out where it was coming from. Just a few short feet away Emmett was standing with a guy that if I had to guess was 6'2". He was slender but muscular, and was wearing a black suit, which was weird because who would wear a suit in Forks. My ogling then became transfixed on his perfect and angular - high cheekbones, his scruffy jaw and pouty lips were taunting me.

He ran his hand through his hair, which made him look like he had a very good night, or maybe morning, take your pick. His brow was furrowed and then his bright green eyes met mine causing him to look like a deer caught in headlights. Before I knew it, he was stumbling out of the store and ran right into the sun block display knocking all of it to the floor.

Emmett stood shaking his head sadly.

"What was that?" I asked slowly.

"That was Edward," he sighed walking over to the mess on the floor.

A/N: This is a rom-com so please sit back and enjoy. Please review so I know if I should continue…

Dolphin62598 is my beta!