Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters of the book series "Twilight". The books created by Stephenie Meyer and was published by Little, Brown and Company in the US. I do not claim any ownership over the characters or the world of Twilight. The story I tell here is my own invention, and it is not purported or believed to be part of the creator's story canon. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story line. I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story. Any characters that are not in the show and created by me are also fictional and any semblance with real people is purely coincidental.

The tattoo: The picture I have of the story is Bella's tattoo more or less. There are a lot variations of it depending on the person. The picture is taken by an action role playing video game called "The elder scrolls V: Skyrim"andis developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Again I own nothing and I don't have any financial gain by using it to my story. I saw the picture by browsing the net.

The bike shop: It's real and in Seattle. I googled it. Again I have no profit of it. I just wanted a bike shop in Seattle and there it was! Of course I have no idea who the owner is. This person is fictional character in my story.

A/N: English is not my first language, so bare with me please. Feedback is good for anything you want to say to me. Negative, positive... I'm all for it. So comments please. This is my first attempt on Twilight. I hope you like it.

Chapter 1

Growing up in a small town like Forks in Washington, gave me different things to do than growing up in a city. So, my best friend Jacob and I grew up, literally, in his father's garage. At the age of ten I knew more about cars than the guys at 'Car and Driver' and at the age of fourteen, I knew how to tore an engine apart and then rebuild it looking like a new one. Also, growing up in Forks, I never had trouble with money. Dad was very generous with me as a child, something that I repaid in kind and never let him lift a finger for any work around the house. But I still remember the exact time I decided to work at the very young age of ten. It was summer vacation from school and we were at Billy's garage driving the guy crazy with all our questions when we heard a motorcycle coming from afar. It was a rider traveling along the road in what now I understand was a touring bike. It was the first time I fell in love with something. That moment I vowed that one day I will have the money to buy one brand new touring bike. I was nine then and the day I turned ten I asked dad as a birthday present if I could find a job. It was the first time he called me 'an odd child'. It wasn't the last either.

I don't remember my dad say 'no' to me. Never. No matter what I asked of him he would always give in. Whether because he was raising me alone- my mom left us when I was two- or because I never asked for something unrealistic and difficult, I don't know. A third option would be because he just loves me that much but this is mushy- and I secretly know that this is the actual reason. So, the next time we went out to eat in our only option at Forks, before we sit down, he announced to the packed deli that whoever needed an errant girl, I was their best choice. And so like that, I had become the person for all kinds of easy jobs around the town. From clearing the back yards from leafs to recycling bottles and cans. The thing is that I was smart and willing to do anything. Add that to my age and I was the epitome of a perfect 'yes sir' little trooper. By the age of thirteen, I was cleaning houses, attics, garages and basements. I was doing some yard and garden work, I was babysitting, pet sitting and was looking out for the houses for the families who had to leave for a period of time. I've learnt to paint fences and how to run a garage sales for neighbors and acquaintances. At thirteen I also convinced my dad to let me work for the local newspaper. I was proofreading their ads and I was also delivering some of the subscriptions. I had a route every morning. During the weekends a couple of elderly would ask me to read to them for some extra cash. At fifteen I started working to a local shop for hikers during the weekends... Life was good.

That is the reason I could afford my car and how I met Luke, the owner of a bike shop in Seattle. It was a warm summer morning at the age of fourteen when dad asked me if I wanted to spend the day with him. We would go to Seattle because he had some errands to run but after that the day was ours. I jumped at the opportunity. We work both hard and long hours and we only have the chance to see each other early in the morning or later at night. So every time we have the odd day off together we try to spend as much time with each other as possible. The ride there was filled with conversations about sports and plans for the future. We laughed with jokes and generally we had a good time. Upon arriving, dad and I got separated. He started his errands and I went window shopping. I was walking for an hour when I passed a motorcycle shop. I was ecstatic, so I got in. I thought I have died and gone to heaven. It wasn't a random dealer shop, no, it was a Ducati dealer-shop. As I was looking around, a guy about twenty five came over to me. I instantly blushed. I must have looked like a lovesick puppy and I didn't want to give the impression I was into him- all the love was for the bikes around me, not him. But he seemed friendly with his winning smile and very welcome look in his blue eyes.

"Ah... I see another bike lover. I recognize the look in your eyes miss. Who got your eye?" He asked enthusiastically. I grinned then. I knew that I had made a friend for life there! I pointed to a bike beside me.

"That one. When I'm old enough to have my motorcycle endorsement, that is the one I will buy." I pointed to the one I liked most. I expected him to laugh but he didn't.

"A good choice. You like touring bikes then?"

"I do. And after a careful research through the internet I decided... I love this one."

"It's good to know what you like miss. Welcome to Ducati Seattle. I'm Luke Wilson the owner."

"Nice to meet you mister Wilson. I'm Isabella Swan."

"Please call me Luke. Mr Wilson makes me feel old." He smiled friendly.

"Only if you call me Bella." I smiled back.

"You have a deal. Would you like to see the shop? Although I am an official Ducati dealer I am a mechanic first and I repair or restore other bikes too. If you want to look around feel free to do so. I have quiet the collection at the back of the shop. Call me if you need anything. I will be at the front desk ok?"

I nodded and went to the back of the shop like he said. He had indeed a beautiful collection of restored older bikes. It was impressive. I was looking closer to one of them when something licked my hand. I looked down and saw the cutest little thing, a brown and white Jack Russell Terrier. When he saw that I had his attention he started yapping happily around me.

"Hey boy, where did you come from?" I said kneeling down to pet him. He licked my hand again and started to move away. I chase after him, don't ask me why. He led me to a side door at the back wall where the helmets were. I followed him in and I froze. I think it was the second time I fell in love with something. A broken, very rusty and dusty old car body of a Pontiac Firebird. I had a good idea of what I wanted to do when I was older but that moment sealed it for me. I would restore old cars. And that one would be my first. Not only my first restored car but my first car period. A man around forty came into view that moment. He had kind eyes and a gentle smile.

"Hi there. I see you found Spike."

"Actually, I was looking at Luke's bikes when he found me and brougth me here. I didn't mean to impose."

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's Luke's body shop here. I'm working for him. The name is John."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Bella." I said politely and he smiled in return. He saw my eyes returning to the destroyed old car and smirked.

"That is Luke's next project. When we finish with this we will have a brand new '72 Camaro."

"Not a chance! Not a Camaro, not a Mercury Cougar, not a Mustang! You will have a Firebird." I smirked at him showing off my knowledge of the cars that shared the same body for a little while at least.

"Here, here! A girl after my own heart... You know your cars Bella. It's a '72 Trans Am" He replied enthusiastically. I gave a mock curtsey and we both laughed out loud. When we calmed down, I asked how much it costs in its state and John said that Luke got it for free from an old friend who needed to get real fast out of state for a job and he was giving away everything unnecessary. His grandfather had bought it for his dad as his first car. The last time it was on the streets was late 80's. Unfortunately, it was out in a field for more than twenty- two years." He told me the story of the car. I was impressed. It's good for the car to have one owner. It means that it was authentic, although, the fact that was out in the open for so long was obviously bad for the car. That was a good information for me because I started a plan in my head. I talked a bit longer with John when Luke came in.

"Hey, here you are. I thought you left."

"Nope, Spike brought me here." I grinned.

"Ah... I should have thought about it." He said as if it was a repeated phenomenon for Spike to bring customers back here.

"Hey Luke, I have a question. How much do you sell this Firebird?" I asked sweetly.

"Eh... it's not ready yet Bella. It's not for sale."

"How about two grand... cash." I added for emphasis. He looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"Two grand is what I paid for it." He said and I saw John doing hand gestures to his boss.

"No, it was handed to you for free and two grand is pure profit." I saw him with satisfaction dropping his jaw.

"No deal. How about four grand?" He asked smirking.

"It doesn't worth this much in the state the car is in. No way. How about two fifty?"

"No, three fifty." He countered and I shook my head negatively.

"My final offer. Three grand cash and the titles and transportation back to Forks is yours to pay." I stated firmly. He laughed at that.

"You drive a hard bargain Bella. You have yourself a deal." He said and we shook hands. "What are you going to do with it?" He asked me after a second.

"I will restore it of course. My first car. Red '72 Trans Am 455 HO. Not bad." Then I had a sudden thought and I groaned. "My dad will kill me!" I whined and they had the audacity to laugh at me. Heartless asses... As if on cue my cell phone rang.

"Hey daddy!" I greeted cheerfully. Of course, he knew me very well to let me off the hook.

"You are in trouble young lady." He said nearly sternly. My face fell.

"What? Why?" I said confused.

"Because from the sound of your voice you did something you shouldn't."

"Oh! Eh... Dad, you need to hear me out first." I said pleadingly.

"Where are you?" He asked. I gave him the address of Luke's shop. "Stay there. I will be there in ten." He said and I nodded dumbly as if he could see me. He disconnected soon after. I sighed.

"This will be so hard to explain." I said and both of them laughed again.

I wandered around the body shop waiting for dad to come. I asked a lot of questions of course and I thought I overdid it for a moment but both of them reassured me that I could ask them anything I wanted. A bell sounded from the front of the shop and I knew dad was here. Luke said he was going to bring him back here. The first thing I've noticed about dad was his relaxed body. He wasn't mad at all and in fact he was smiling with something Luke told him. That was a good sign. I went to him and gave him a beaming smile and a small hug.

"Look dad. I will be fifteen in 3 months. I need to learn how to drive and at some point I will need a car. Why not one I love or better yet, one I have actually built myself."

"That's ok Bells. But can you do it?"

"You know I can. And Jacob can help too. Sam took over the garage from Billy after his accident and Jacob is trying to convince him that he is capable enough to be more than an errand boy for him. Sam's answer is always the same. 'Find a car to fix and let me see the results. Then we can talk.' So, this will be our project. We will learn fixing it and Jacob will show Sam that he has enough knowledge to actually help with cars and not only run errands."

"Ok Bells. Show me the car." My dad said smiling.

"Really?" Have I managed to convince him that easily? Ha! Wait until you find out the car I picked! I thought and I cringed inside. I pointed to the soon to be Firebird and closed my eyes waiting for the outburst. It never came. I reopened my eyes cautiously. He was sporting a huge smile on his face.

"A Firebird huh? You do know that this comes with some serious horse power right?"

"I promise to not go above the limit dad!" I hurried to promise.

"Don't make a promise you can't keep Bells." He smirked at me but then he had the serious- chief of police- face on. "I trust you to make good decisions Bella. You have a good head on your shoulders. But make sure that I never catch you while I'm on duty young lady, cause I will not make an exception because you are my daughter!" He smirked in the end. Yeah, he was the chief of police in Forks. He could do anything he wanted with my car...

"Thank you dad." I hugged him tightly.

"Not a problem kid. But I thought you were saving for your dream bike. I saw it out there by the way. Indeed it's a beauty Bells."

"I told you she was a beauty. Wait till you read all she can do." I answered him pointing that it was a she and not it. "And I think that I will wait a year for the bike. At seventeen, I will have my driving license for at least a year and I will have some more time to save money. The car will nearly bleed me if I'm not careful."

"You know that if you need help I will give you the money baby." He said quietly. I knew he would. And I knew that he wanted to actually buy me my first car or bike but I wasn't feeling well with him paying so much money. If it was a cheaper car or bike I could let him pay but both were my dreams and they were expensive ones. So I politely declined when we had this conversation once.

"I know daddy, I know. But we talked about it before. I want to pay for them." I insisted. He nodded.

So, that day I bought my first car. We went to the bank and I withdrew the money. Luke had the papers ready for us and I told him the address to Sam's garage. I was beaming. I left my phone number with him to stay in touch. I knew that I would see him again because he was a great guy and I could feel it that I had made a great friend for life that day. We left the shop behind us and went to a nice restaurant for lunch. Naturally, the car took over our conversation. What it was needed to be done and all the work I needed to put in. It would be painful to restore it because of school and work- somehow I needed to pay for the new parts of the car- but I was up for the challenge. So it started a very painful year for me. I was up at 5.45 every day so that I could start my route for the newspaper. At seven, I would be back home to take a shower, eat something and go to school. I would be back home by three and start working in various of jobs, like cleaning properties or yard work until 20.00. I would go back home to eat something and start any homework I had for the next day for two hours. Then I would go and work with Jacob for my car at Sam's garage for four hours. I would be back home around 2.00 in the morning only to fall asleep like a log until the alarm would go off in the morning and start again. The weekend would start the same way but I would work until 18.00. Then I would go to Sam's and work for solid eight hours. I didn't want Jacob to do all the work because I wanted to learn too so we've manage to work around my schedule. It took a lot of months, a lot of working hours and a lot of money to complete it. But the result was a beauty.

Because I love the esthetic of older cars and the comforts the modern ones provide, I made some changes to my Bird. Changes like electric windows and outdoor mirrors and of course an automatic lock. But the design of the interior I made it out of my mind, literally. I sketched it on paper and did a thorough search for the materials I needed. Thus, started the painfully slow and very careful building of the interior of the car. I had to read a lot about how to use fiberglass and I had to cut a lot because of the things I needed- seven circular cuts had to be made only for the gauges, so you can imagine what I went through to cut for things like the ventilators, the 7'' screen, the temperature controls and so on. It took me months to sketch it and actually make it but in the end I had my own interior design from head to bottom. Everything was ebony leather- not black, not gray, but something in the middle- with red accents to the seats to add some color. Now, the front seats were sport design and had race harness with sternum straps, instead of simple belts, for extra safety. In general, I had built a modern car in a classic body and the result was beyond beautiful. We finished the car a little after a year- thank the deities that Sam saw the amazing work Jake was doing and hired him full time- and then I found the time to go to a driving school for my instruction permit.

The whole time, I haven't let my dad see the progress we made to the car. So, when I got my permit I asked him to take the day off so we could celebrate. I took him to Sam's garage where my baby was waiting. He was speechless like I expected. I have to admit that it was impressive. He trailed his fingers on the red hood where the black Firebird emblem was painted and whistled. We took the first ride together. I wanted to go to Seattle and show the car to Luke. I tried my best to stay within the limits. I would have to wait a few more months to test her until I could drive alone. We were approaching the city when dad brought up the value of the car.

"You know, I did some internet research for your car..." He trailed off not knowing how to continue.

"You did what now?" I asked amused. "Since when do you use the internet for anything other than fishing news or sports?" I teased him.

"No, I'm serious Bella. There is one car on e- bay like this. It's Code Red. The guy is selling it for nearly a hundred and sixty thousand dollars!"

"I know! The guy did an amazing job. I actually stole his idea and put the gauges like he did- he was inspired by a Nissan 350Z- and I also used a Cadillac DTS shifter because I loved it. The similarities though, stops there. First and foremost, he has a beast underneath his hood that produce 575 hp. My engine is barely above 300 hp. I kind of like that I have the original though. It took me many, many hours of work to clean her and put her back together but she is like new. Jake nearly had a heart attack when I told him I wanted to keep her. I didn't let him touch her. I wanted to be the one to fix her."

"Yes, Jake complained a lot about that." He chuckled. "So, with all the research I did I took the liberty and payed for your first insurance..." My jaw must have hit the floor because he stopped and laughed before he continued. "Baby, you didn't let me do anything for the car and I wanted to contribute somehow to your first car. It's only one first car that you will ever have Bells." He started to get a bit angry there. "You can't deprive me of this right! I'm your father damn it! I have a right to pay for it if I want to!" He said all worked up because he most certainly feared for my reaction. I was actually very happy he did it because I certainly couldn't afford an insurance right now, let alone the insurance my dad paid for. I had nearly drained my account, I left ten grand for an emergency from the initial thirty three grand I've managed to put aside all these years. Plus, I also spent the money I made from working this past year- eight grand. So, knowing my dad he actually paid top dollar for this. I looked at him for a second before I focused on the road again. Then I smiled warmly.

"Thank you dad. It means a lot to me. I've spent thirty one grand for the car and I am on my emergency pillar, something I didn't want to use for the insurance. Thank you." I said sincerely and I thanked the heavens that I was driving because I would have shed a tear or two right there. Bite me! I was touched!

"No problem Bells!" He nearly barked from happiness. And he says I am odd... pff! "It actually took a bit to persuade my agent to sign it up but you being my daughter and me never having an accident and the fact that I'm police convinced him in the end. It's very good insurance Bells. I made sure of it." He said as if he was trying to convince me.

"I'm sure it is dad. You want nothing but the best for me so I believe you. Stop warring and enjoy the car ride!" I said and for the rest of the drive we both had goofy smiles on our faces.

When we arrived at Luke's shop, I used the horn a couple of times until he came out. I saw him raise his eyebrow and he stood there for a few precious seconds and admired the outside work. The color was a vibrant red with a black Firebird covering nearly the whole hood. The only other changes I did was to add the Pontiac Arrowhead at the very front of the car and changing the fog lightning. I also took out the cross shaped chrome metal that there was in front of them- it was plain useless. He came closer and his jaw hit the floor when he saw the interior.

"Holy crap Bella!" Were his first words.

"Nice work huh?" I smirked and got out to greet him with a handshake. He hugged me, to my surprise, his eyes never leaving the car. For the next ten minutes I answered his questions. He was ecstatic and I could see it in his eyes... he was dying to take it for a spin. Yeah, right. Not in my watch buddy! Dad suggested to have lunch together so I took the car to the back, where the garage was. John had the same reaction as Luke. I answered all the same questions again for John. It was fun. During our lunch Luke told me that he had a friend who was looking to sell his Mustang.

"I know you told me to have my eyes and ears open for any Camaro but so far nothing. But I have something else for you if you are interested. It's a '70 Boss 302 Mustang and it's a steal. He fixed it himself from scratch like you did with the Firebird and the first time he took it for a spin, a drunk driver hit him. He wants to sell fast because he is so disheartened. I haven't seen it yet but we could go together if you want?" Luke told me hopefully. I was sure he wanted to ride with me. I looked at my dad to ask for his permission. I was under-aged unfortunately.

"Go. And be safe please. I will stay here and talk with John." He said knowing full well that I wanted to have the car for myself. So we jumped in the car with Luke and sped away. We had fun enjoying all that a powerful engine can give us and we reached our destination quickly. I talked to the owner and saw the Mustang. It was a beautiful muscle car that if we put some good hours of work into it we could ask easily forty grand once finished. The problem was that I didn't have the money he needed. We talked prices and it was obvious that he knew what he had in his hands but he wanted to get rid of it quickly. So he insisted on fifteen grand cash and he wouldn't move from the price. I thanked him but I said I didn't have that amount of money so soon after I finished my car. He wanted to see the work I did and he was more than impressed. He asked me if I was going to do the same with the Mustang. I told him truthfully that I would give the car to my best friend as a gift for all the work he had put in my car so he could sell it and find a Camaro. It was his dream car. But I promised that no matter what Jake would want to do with the car I would restore the engine. He was thoughtful for a while and then made me an offer.

"Take the car, have it fixed and sell it. Then give me my money." He said and I froze. I narrowed my eyes and looked at him suspiciously. "No hidden agendas here Bella. I just don't have the will to do it again from scratch. I did it once. That's it. I invested ten grand in it for the new materials and the car- even in this state- worths at least five grand. I don't care about the personal work I've put in it. But I want the money back. So, fix it, sell it and then give me my money. Since Luke brought you here I don't need any more credentials to protect my investment." So, just like that, I had a new project to run. We made arrangements to bring the car to Forks the next day himself. We parted ways with Keith and I was literally skipping.

"How much do you think we can get for the car in the end?" I asked Luke who was beaming by my side.

"Well, If you do the same work you did in this baby..." he caressed my car "... then any price between ninety and a hundred and twenty grand easily." He said confidently, his fingers tracing the Firebird I had sewed in the leather above the glove-box.

I wanted to believe him but the work would be difficult. I thanked him for letting me know about this oportunity and I asked him why didn't he buy the car. He told me that he would have bought it himself if he hadn't seen the work I've done with the Firebird. He wanted the same respect to be paid to the Mustang too. I liked his honesty and I would reward it one day. On the way home, I talked to dad about it and he told me that he knew that we could do a great work with Jake and if I needed anything that he was there to help. He managed to calm me down and when I talked to Jake he was beyond happy. The amount of cash he would get after the car's restoration would buy him his dream car. So we started early in June and we had the car ready for the eleventh of August for the famous Pomona's Swap Meet & Classic car show. We had worked our asses off with Jake to have it ready for the Swap meet. I had to drain my safety net for some new parts and I had to work some extra jobs to make some fast cash for some touches here and there. So, it was as good as a vacation could get when we went to Pomona for the show. It was really amazing. First of all I drove my new car there. Dad and Luke came along. Dad because he wanted to be there at my first selling and Luke for the cars. Dad even let me ride with Jake in my car while he was with Luke to the truck towing the Mustang.

I won't bore you with any more details, but we sold the car at a hundred and twelve grand. And get it, a woman bought it telling me that she had finally found what she was looking for, an old muscle car with all the new technologies and comforts! Ha! That was awesome! Both the Mustang and my Firebird attracted a lot of onlookers. I even had an offer for a hundred and twenty thousand dollars. I refused of course. My baby was priceless. Jake and I answered what it felt like millions of questions. Thanks to Luke's foresight, that surprised me to no end, we even gave some cards with our names and phones on them. From the selling money, I deducted the fifteen grand that I would pay Keith with, the twelve grand that I paid for some materials and the cost for towing the car to Pomona and five grand for Luke for showing me the car. From the rest eighty grand, which was the actual profit, I put aside eight grand- ten percent of the profit- for Sam. We had made a deal so he could let us use his equipment. The rest, I split them in two for me and Jake. When I actually handed him his share, he nearly broke my ribs with the hug that followed. When I gave Luke his money, he refused to take it until I insisted. It was because of him we were here in the first place.

"Always great doing business with you Bells." He stated smiling. He had adopted Jake's nickname for me. These two were like two peas in a pod.

"Well, keep your eyes and ears open for any good opportunities then." I grinned back.

That night, I was nursing a root beer when it hit me. I would be sixteen in four months and I already had the money for the bike I wanted. Hmm... no, I wanted to wait another year to enjoy my car first. At least there was no reason to keep doing every job available in Forks for cash. I could relax my schedule a bit and have more time for myself. I wasn't feeling very well lately. I had headaches and I had trouble sleeping. And when I did, I slept like a log and had trouble waking up in the morning. I put it down to the amount of work I was doing the last year so I wasn't very concerned. A few weeks of good night sleeping and everything would be back to normal again. Yeah right! If only it would be so simple.

We returned back to Seattle a couple of days later. I paid Keith off and drove back to Forks with dad. It was twilight and the sun was creating beautiful colors to the horizon. I was singing softly to Katy Perry's 'The one that got away' when I felt my dad tense. I looked at him.

"What's wrong dad? I am within limits." I said puzzled.

"I know Bella. Stop the car." He said seriously and with a voice that foreboded nothing good. I stopped the car and he was outside instantly. He looked around and I could have sworn that I saw him sniffing the air. He turned to me and I was afraid for the first time in my life. He's eyes had turned blue and his voice had a deep hue that I'd never heard before.

"Bella, listen closely to me. This is very important. You need to go as fast as you can back home. Step on it. That's an order. You don't stop for anything and no one until you get there. You don't go anywhere until I'm back. I will explain later. I don't have time now. Baby, if I don't come home by morning, open the last drawer of my desk. You will have all the answers then. If I come home I will explain personally, if not remember..." his voice broke.

"Dad..." I whined. I wasn't stupid but why the hell was he saying that there was a chance he wouldn't come home?

"Bella, I love you. Always. Now go!" I was looking at him hurt. "NOW!" He shouted at me and I complied. I refused to tell him I loved him. That was not a goodbye. I would see him at home in a while. I floored the car and I was home in less than fifteen minutes. And I waited and waited and waited. The minutes gave into hours and then morning came and dad was not home yet. What the hell happened?! I was so confused. Then the front door opened and dad came in covered in blood and naked. I was shocked to say the least until he uttered my name.

"Bella..." He whispered brokenly and nearly collapsed. I was by his side instantly without asking questions.

"You need to go to the hospital." I said firmly.

"No hospital. I will be fine until this evening, I promise... just... bed... please." He said and again I complied. I would learn soon enough what happened. For now, all that mattered was dad being ok.

I lay him down and he fell asleep almost instantly. I took a clean sponge and tried to clean him up as best as I could. He had claw marks and bite marks... what the hell did this to him?! The gashes were deep and they worried me. But he had said no hospital so I would have to do my best with what they taught us in school. I dressed them as best as I could and I went to sleep. I've managed a couple of hours before I woke up from bad dreams. Dad's blue eyes instead of the loving brown I had known for all my life, perplexed me. I waited for hours for him to wake up and when he finally did I was so relieved that I cried. I really didn't know what I would do if he hadn't come home and I don't even want to think about it. I went to him to prevent him from standing up.

"Easy dad. You have some pretty nasty gashes there. You don't want to reopen them." I told him pushing him gently back down. He gave me a small smile.

"They are gone already Bells." He said seriously and tore the bandages from his torso for me to see. Indeed, instead of angry, red gashes he had smooth skin and already fainting marks. I am sure I was looking at his chest as if he was an alien... well, now that I think about it for all I knew, maybe he is. He kept the blanket around his waist and told me that he would go take a quick shower and then it was time for us to have a serious talk. I don't think I spoke or responded. I was out of my mind and to tell you the truth I didn't know what to think. So, I tried to close my mind of any thoughts and opened the tv. Some strange killings in Seattle were occurred. They have found two bodies drained of blood and with four puncture wounds as if they were bite marks. Speculation of a new Pagan group which used some kind of ritual killings as a way of initiation was again on the rise. That was nothing new. From time to time they find bodies with bite marks, drained of blood and the same speculations are made every single time. Pfff... they don't know what caused it and they are feeding horror stories... That moment dad came in. He saw the news and his jaw locked. Did he know who caused all these deaths? Well, not important. I want answers about him now.

"So... what's going on dad?" I asked tentatively.

"Well, the question is what am I, Bells. And the answer is... not human. I'm around twenty three centuries old. I considered to be young between our species." He paused. He didn't know how to continue.

"Our species? Two thousand three hundred years old? That is obscure dad!" I panicked.

"Bella, I'm a werewolf. Our lineage goes back to the beginning of times. My family comes from a region in Greece called Macedonia. Your mom comes from there too. Our families knew each other and I've watched your mom growing up. You are awakening too Bella. The last few months I've watched you gaining height and muscle. In the beginning I thought height was normal in your age. A lot of young people go through growth sprouts and I imagined the muscles were from the work in the cars. But I've watched you closer and you don't sleep well- I can hear you tossing and turning at nights. And you massage your temples awfully often- signs of intense headaches. The other day after you sold the car, you were so excited when we were talking that for a moment your eyes turned blue. All these are signs of the awakening Bells." I was sitting there listening to him talking but my brain could not comprehend anything. I was a sixteen year old American girl, with a thirty four year old dad. I loved cars and touring bikes and my favorite subject in school was history. My best friends were Jake from the Quileute reservation and Angela from school. I was pretty sure I was gay but I've never talked to anyone about it. It was my secret. I mean that is an innocent enough secret right? I mean in comparison with what my dad kept from me, I'm sure mine was nothing! Holy Mother of all things! A werewolf! I was becoming a freaking werewolf! I felt the panic rising in me and instantly dad was in front of me.

"Bella, I know it's a lot to get your mind around..."

"You think?" I mocked him and instantly I regretted it. "Sorry dad. It's just so much! The only secret I've ever kept is that I'm gay and you..." I stopped talking and covered my mouth shocked and terrified with his reaction. What happened to my brain- mouth filter! Crap! I know I'm in trouble. I mean I've read some parental reaction to their kids being gay and it wasn't so good.

"Really? I'm telling you we can turn into wolves and you are concerned about my reaction to something I already knew? Bella, I swear...! You are so much like your mom sometimes!" He said frustrated. I looked at him with narrowed eyes. "I mean you are focusing in the wrong thing here!" He corrected himself. And then it hit me.

"You knew?" I asked wide eyes and all.

"Of course I knew, Bells! You are turning sixteen in a month and you've never shown any interest in boys unless they had a car or a bike. You nearly drool when we see any game and the cheerleaders are doing their dance and your room is full with posters of female actresses and women on cars. I kind of had an indication." He smirked at me and then he added. "Poor Jake." What did Jake have to do with that? Huh... I can't focus right now! One thing at a time.

"So, you are ok with it?" I asked tentatively.

"Baby, I only want for you to be happy. I don't care who you love as long as they respect you, they don't take advantage of you and make you happy." He said sincerely. I was relieved. I was really afraid of his reaction.

"Thanks dad. It means a lot." I said and then I focus on the main topic. I narrowed my eyes at him and he backed off. "You are so not off the hook yet! Really dad? Werewolves? We can turn into giant beasts and you never told me? What were you waiting for? For me to turn in front of all my friends and then tell me?"

"Bells, it's not that simple to turn. Especially for the first time. You need to be eighteen for that. I don't know why all these things are happening to you so early. It's been like that for all I can remember. You are just special like that I guess." He said to lighten the mood. I shoved him playfully.

"So, tell me about us. About our heritage, about my family. Where are all the others? Where is mom? I have so many questions dad!" I said somehow excited but still scared to death. What do we eat in wolf form is one thing that bothered me and I didn't want to know. All the myths that I've read and the movies I've seen about werewolves came to mind and they weren't all good. So, I wanted to leave this topic for as much later as possible.

"I will tell you the basics tonight and not the family history, ok? We turn into a wolf for the first time the night of our eighteen birthday. The size of the wolf depends on the human body that we have. The bigger we are in human form the bigger we are as wolves. But in general, imagine a wolf the size of a horse more or less. We can turn into our animal form only when the moon is out. During the day, we can only enhance our senses." He said and stood up to demonstrate. "Look at me." His eyes turned blue and the hue in his voice compelled me to look at him. This time though I've noticed the rest of his body too. His jaw was slightly longer and his four canine teeth where visible in his slightly open mouth. His ears were pointy and an inch or two bigger than usually. The last change was to his hands. They had long claws on them. I frowned and he took his human form again.

"There are threats and dangers out there Bells. We need to be able to defend ourselves even when we can't change because of the daylight. So, the form you saw is capable enough to protect us until we are able to change when the night comes. We can smell and hear from miles away. We can change like this any time of the day or night and we can change into wolves only at nights and that if we choose to. But we must change during the full moon. That night, we are truly beasts Bells. That night is the only night that we can feel blood lust. The form we take during the full moon is the form of a Lycan. Lycans are the beasts we keep inside us. An untrained Wolf kills humans in Lycan form. The trained ones kills animals to conquer the thirst of blood." He said and sighed when he saw my terrified expression. "I haven't hurt a human like that since I was very young Bella. And that was more than twenty centuries ago ok? So, relax. I'm not a monster and I will not let you hurt any one when you turn into a wolf for the first few years ok?" He said and I was somewhat relieved. "Lycans are very difficult to be restrained but if the Wolf is trained, they can restrain the blood lust when they turn into Lycans." There was a pause and I tried to absorb all the information. A few moments later something new came to me.

"What about your tattoo dad?" I asked as I remembered how badly I wanted one like his when I was younger. I asked him if I could do the same one, when I was older. He had laughed then and he told me that it was a sure thing. I hadn't paid attention to his answer back then but now it made sense.

The tattoo was very beautiful. It was the outline of a wolf's head. As a fond there was a full moon and in the edge of it there was an eclipse. All that was in a bright yellow- orange color. At the lower part of the moon were some kind of shading that was like clouds but it was in the colors of the Aurora Borealis with purple being the one in command. And then into the wolf's head there was some kind of constellation with eight stars in a different part of the head. Two stars in the ear, one on the top of the head, one in the eye, one in the nose, one next to the upper canine tooth, one in the mouth and one at the base of the jaw a little above the place where the body was starting. Somehow the only two stars who were connected with a visual line was the one from the top of the head to the one at the base of the head. I had no idea of the meaning back then but seeing it now it was obvious that it meant something connected to our heritage.

"It symbolizes the connection between the seven families of wolves there are in the world. The families, or clans, are the seven stars. The eighth star on the base, is the connection between us to our Wolf. We called it Psyche, the Greek word for soul. You can call it Anima if you like, the Latin name is more commonly known. It's the beast we have inside us. The eight stars combined give us the Werewolf constellation that only the Wolves can find in the map of the galaxy. Imagine it like this. There is a veil between these eight stars and between the humanity that only unravels once the connection between the Anima and the person has been established. With other words, when the person is turned into a Wolf for the very first time, a tattoo will automatically appear in the left shoulder. The visible line between the Anima and another star of the constellation depends on the family the person belongs to. Every family is different depending on what their responsibility to the world is. Mine is The Keepers and as the word says, we were the keepers of the knowledge of our existence. Our family's purpose was to keep archives with the activities all the the families were doing. To understand that you need to understand the purpose of a Werewolf's existence. We were given the gift of the change in order to keep the vampires in line..." Whoa, whoa! Vampires? Really? Like real vampires with fangs and drinking blood? I must have had this stupid expression in my face cause dad sighed again.

"There are real vampires?" I asked stupidly.

"Yes Bells, there are real vampires. We were to make sure they didn't kill innocent humans just for fan. That is why we were created in the first place. That's what happened yesterday. I smelled vampires nearby and I've tried to make them stop the killings in Seattle but they wouldn't listen to me. So they attacked me and during the fight I killed them. By the supernatural Law, every vampire can kill humans in order to feed but within reason. They had kill three people a couple of days ago and they killed again yesterday. The second killings, the ones you were seeing in the tv earlier, were for their fun. That is forbidden and punishable by Law. When we were fighting, another wolf came and helped me kill them but once they were decapitated, the wolf attacked me. That's why you saw the claw marks. He wasn't a werewolf but a shifter."

"A shifter?" I interrupted. How many supernatural creatures were there? Crap.

"Yes, a shifter. Shifters can shift in any animal they are bound to. The Quileute people can shift into wolves. Of course they are not werewolves. They can shift any moment of the night or day." I was rendered speechless. The Quileutes? Jacob too?

"How can they do it?" I croaked once I found my voice.

"Their legends say that they had a serious problem with the cold ones, their name for vampires. They attacked their tribe and killed many of their people. Their chief asked the Spirits for help and they granted him the privilege of shifting into a wolf whenever he needed along with his children. That is how they originally shifted. Ever since then, the direct descendants of the wolfs can shift too. They pass the gene from generation to generation. If the danger is big and there are not many descendants, the youngest and strongest members of the tribe shift in order for the tribe to be protected. So, I guess since the vampires were in Seattle, so close to the Quileute land, they triggered the gene once again and somebody from the tribe shifted. The last ones that had shifted were the generation before Billy. His dad, Ephraim Black, was the chief and had come in contact with a family of vampires, the Cullen's. But they were different than the vampires they had met before. They didn't feed on humans but on animals. So, they made a treaty. They could stay in Forks but they were not allowed to harm any humans or come into Quileute land. So they stayed for a few years and become members of the community here. But they moved on a few years later. You see, vampires don't age. They stay at the age they were turned until someone kills them. They didn't want to make the humans suspicious. So, by leaving and without any other vampires nearby, the next generation of the Quileutes, like Billy's age, had no reason to shift and the gene- although it has passed down to the next generation- stayed dormant. Now, someone shifted again. I think it's Sam. He is the older of this generation and if I'm not mistaken he is one of the descendants of the first shifters."

"Oh wow. That is so cool and so depressing at the same time." I said intrigued by their legends. We stayed silent for a few minutes. He gave me the time to absorb all the information I guess.

"You have a lot more to tell me don't you?" I asked meekly.

"Yes but It's not like we don't have time to do it later baby."

"Can I go out for a drive please? I know it's pretty late but let's face it, you are the authority around here and I don't think your officers will dare to give me a ticket for driving without supervision or late at night." I said cheekily. He looked at me sternly for a moment and then shook his head resigned.

"Go and be careful please. I'll see you in the morning." He said and kissed the top of my head before he went upstairs to sleep.

I took my keys and went out to my car. I drove the empty road to Port Angeles for a while absentmindedly until I've found an opening large enough to stop. I've noticed my mood changing. I got irritated and I had a killer headache. My eyes started to burn slightly and I had gone to Crescent lake in hopes that the nature would make me feel better. The view was mesmerizing. The moon was up and the whole lake was illuminated by its pale light. It wasn't as strong as when it was full moon but it was enough to make everything looking amazing. I suddenly was angry. Would I be able to ever see and enjoy a full moon or was I condemned to be a Lycan for the rest of my life in every full moon? That was bad. From afar, I've heard an engine coming closer to me and when I looked at the street I've noticed the lights of the car. It was racing as fast as I did coming here- which was a lot- if not faster. The burning in my eyes and my headache intensified. In addition my shoulder started to burn too. Something wasn't quiet alright. The car slowed down when it reached me and the driver changed their lights to position lamps before they came out of it. I've noticed that it was a young woman but I could not see her characteristics fully. But what caught my attention instantly was her eyes. A beautiful golden color that illuminated as if from the inside. I was hooked right there. My eyes burned like crazy and I wanted to scratch my shoulder until the skin was no longer there, that's how much it burned but I could not turn my head away from the figure.

"Hi there. Do you have any car trouble that you need help with?" She asked politely with a voice that was sweeter that wind chimes. I wanted to hear it for the rest of my life, yet when she spoke my ears started to feel funny. Noises that I couldn't hear before was inundated my hearing. And then she started coming to me and I caught her scent. Vanilla and white chocolate made my brain empty of anything I knew and replaced it. It was heavenly. My canines started to hurt that moment and I suddenly had a clearance for a second to have a coherent thought. My Wolf was coming out. The burn to my shoulder was my tattoo and my Anima was making the connection to my family, the Keepers. Then another thought hit me.

"Run..." I've managed to say. "Not... safe... run..." I croaked. She didn't seem to have heard me because she came to me faster and tried to catch me as I was losing my balance and my knees hit the ground. She was right in front of me and touched my face.

"Are you hurt? What happened?" She asked again but it was too late. I don't know what happened with her touch but the moment she touched me everything intensified. My skin burned under her touch and I felt the tears from my eyes wetting my cheeks but not cooling them at all. I wanted to scream, so I did. But the scream was not what I expected. It was sounding a lot like a wolf howling to the moon. For a moment our eyes met but before any of us could do anything I heard voices around me and a lot of hissing and snarling. Voices I didn't know and one I knew all too well, my dad was here. Mother of all things... now it would be easier.

"Dad..." I whispered. Instantly the voices stopped and two arms wrapped around me.

"I'm here Bella. I'm right here baby."

"Dad... hurts..." I tried but another howling came out that moment. My head was hurting so much that I wanted to smash it with something... do anything to make the pain go away.

"What's wrong with her?" The angelic voice asked panicked. No! Why was she afraid? I would never hurt her!

"Alice, it's not our problem!" Another voice said hissing. "Let's go!" I could hear some steps and some noises I couldn't recognize and then a loud crack was heard. Like when a rock hits another rock. And then I snapped. Everything stopped hurting at once and I found my self with my hand around a boy's neck. And I was hissing at him. I have no idea what had just happened. One moment I was hurting in the arms of my dad and the next moment I was ready to kill a boy. But I could not let him go for a reason who was beyond myself. I heard loud hissing and snarling from the other people around me but dad's voice cut them all.

"Don't you dare move if you want him to live! Alice, you are the only one she will listen right now. Try to convince her that you are ok and that he didn't mean to hurt you." I could hear him talk but I really couldn't understand what he meant. Who was she and why would I listen to her? Then I felt her hand to my lower back and her sweet voice next to my ear.

"Bella, let him go please. I'm ok, I'm right here. See? He didn't hurt me. All is good. He is my brother." She said and I instantly calmed down. I let the boy free and he fell to the ground but he was quickly up to his feet again. I turned my head to look at her and my gaze locked with hers. Everything felt aligned to my universe. I felt my eyes being mine again and my hands lost their strength. I stopped hearing things I shouldn't and my canines were back in my mouth. I felt like me again and then I realized I was staring at her. I flushed and took a step back.

"I'm so sorry! I really have no idea what happened!" I said and my eyes never left hers.

"No harm, no foul." She said smiling sweetly. Dad came over to us and cleared his throat.

"Bells, are you ok?" He asked concerned.

"Now I am, yes." I replied hugging him.

"Good." He said and smiled a little. He turned to the others. There was six of them across of us and Alice who was next to me.

"I apologize for all this." Dad started. "You must have a lot of questions. Perhaps a more... private setting would be more appropriate for a conversation like this?" He asked and looked straight to a blonde male- he had the same golden eyes as Alice- who seemed to be the spokesperson of the group.

"Of course. Would you be interested to come to our house? It's not far from here. It's outside of Forks." He said in a very soothing voice that it would be impossible to hide malice behind it. I liked him already.

"Forks? Golden eyes... do you happen to be the Cullen's?" Dad asked seriously. They have been taken aback by his question. Cullen's? Where have I heard this name before? Oh! Of course! The vampire family that hunted animals instead of humans.

"Yes. May I ask who are you?" Mr. Cullen asked still politely. Other than surprise he was relaxed. No sign of fear or distrust.

"My name is Charles Swan. Chief of Police of Forks. It's nice to put faces to the names. Welcome back doctor Cullen." He said and extended his hand for a handshake.

"Thank you Chief Swan. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise. But please call me Charlie. This is my daughter Bella. I apologize again for the incident." To that he looked at me and I looked down for a moment shifting my weight from one foot to the other embarrassed. I looked up to the boy who I nearly took his head off and mouthed a weak and pathetic 'sorry' to him. He just nodded and looked suspiciously to my dad. What was his problem? I apologized, didn't I?

"Ah... the young ones are hard to be controlled. Please call me Carlisle." Mr. Cullen said evasive. I was pretty sure he knew what dad and me were. "This is my wife, Esme..." he continued with the introduction of his family "...and our children, Edward..." he looked at the copper headed boy that I almost killed. "...Rosalie and Emmett..." Rosalie was blonde and the second most beautiful girl I've met in my young life- with first being of course Alice- and she was holding hands with a bear of a young man who had a grin on his face and a friendly posture. They nodded at me. Rosalie with a scoff on her face while Emmett would literally beam if he could. "...and last but not least, Alice and Jasper." Carlisle finished and I looked at the other blonde vampire. He was tall and had shoulder length hair. He was very serious and just nodded at me. And then I looked at Alice. With short hair pointing in every direction, golden, cat- like eyes that could reach my soul and red, perfectly shaped lips was a sight I could watch for eternity.

"And that is the reason they can't be separate until the moon goes down Edward." I've heard dad saying and snapped out of my trance- like state. I've missed something.

"What?" I asked dad confused.

"Don't worry Bells. You will drive with Alice and I will drive your car." He said and I nearly choked on my saliva. Say what now?

"I will drive with Alice in my car and you can drive hers." I said more serious than ever. No one would drive my car unless it's me...

"Can I drive?" Alice asked enthusiastically. Ok, nobody unless it's me and apparently Alice because I have no clue how to say 'no' to her!

"Huh... sure." I said not sure at all and gave her my keys. How the heck did that happen? My dad laughed out loud. I looked at him narrowing my eyes. He sobered up immediately.

"Chief Swan, the keys are on the ignition. Come on Bella, I haven't driven a Firebird in a long time! Hasn't technology reached this part of Washington that you need to drive this heap?" She asked while she pulled me toward my car. I froze in my place and I heard dad laughing again but I paid no attention to him.

"Say what now? For your information, I paid more than thirty thousand dollars for the materials and it took me more that a year to restore it! In the market like it is now, you would have to pay six figures to have it! It may not be as flashy as your little canary over there but I can promise you it can keep up with the best of them just fine!" I said feeling insulted. I saw with my peripheral vision Edward living with his Volvo followed by Carlisle and Esme's Mercedes. Then my dad followed beeping Alice's Porsche- sure as heck laughing at me- and Jasper with his Yamaha FZ6R. Alice opened the door to the driver's seat and whistled.

"Rose! You need to see this!" She shouted to her sister excited. Rosalie was next to her in a blink of an eye and was looking at my car in a thoughtful expression. She turned to me, eyes full of doubt.

"You did it yourself?" She asked doubtfully.

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and looked at her unfazed.

"What if I did?" I asked cheekily. She looked at me, then back to the car and then back to me.

"Impressive..." She stated and I had the impression that she wasn't used to make compliments. "...you know, for a dog!" She continued after a pause of a millisecond. I heard Alice laugh at that and I scowled at her.

"Just for that, I revoke your right to drive my car tonight." I said happily and grabbed the keys from her hand. I got inside and fastened my seat-belt quickly.

"Bella!" She whined and Rosalie snorted. Then I heard a slap and some giggles from the blonde. Somehow I haven't picture her to be the giggling type but what do I know. Alice went around to the passenger's door and came in. I fired the engine and gunned it.

"Ready?" I asked smirking.

"Always." She replied and gave me such a sultry smile that I swooned. Let's see what the rest of the night has in store for me.