Chapter One

"I'll be fine, mum," Harry sighed in exasperation and bent down to pick up his backpack. "It's a direct flight and dad'll be waiting at the airport for me."

"Are you sure you want to go though?" Lily worried her bottom lip. "I know you miss him, but we could arrange for more visits and then you wouldn't have to leave-"

Harry groaned and stood up. He'd heard this argument a million times, and his answers weren't going to change. He needed a change of scenery, needed to be away from his boarding school and his mum's incessant worrying. He wasn't meant for here, wasn't meant to be in this city or his school where everyone was the same. He didn't fit into the jock stereotype that seemed to surround all of his peers. He didn't look the type either, what with his messy back hair, petite frame, and large reading glasses. His mum had tried to switch him over to contacts and he still had a box in his closet for certain occasions. His mother may have given him his emerald green eyes, but the bad vision was all his father.

"I'm sure," was all he said though.

"Alright," Lily seemed to deflate. "We need to leave soon, or you'll miss your flight."

Two suitcases were loading into the car and then Harry was driving to his final destination - Forks, Washington - were his father was chief of police of a small, secluded town where there was only one high school and the entire population was less than his boarding school.

The airport was nearly empty when they arrived and a sobbing Lily helped Harry unload his suitcases and carry then to the large glass doors that marked the entrance to his destination.

"I won't ask you to change your mind…" they were standing at the entrance to the terminals and Lily had tears forming in her eyes. "Just make sure to call regularly, okay? Don't forget to email too, I want to know every detail about this school-"

Harry shook his head with a small laugh, "Alright, mum, I'll make sure to call as soon as I land, alright?"

"Okay," Lily nodded then wiped away a falling tear and smiled at her son. She was devastated to see him leave, but she knew in her heart that this would be the best for her baby. She wasn't oblivious to his struggles here, his lack of friends and suddenly tentative confidence where he used to be bright and full of laughter. "...okay."

"I love you," he wrapped his arms around his mothers small shoulders, another trail he'd inherited from her. As if his body wasn't feminine enough…

Warm arms squeezed tight around him them he was being pushed off gently towards the doors. "Tell your father that I said hi, okay? And make sure that he's been eating well, you know how he gets when there's no one around to take care of him."

Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak without causing tears for both himself and his mum. Sometimes he didn't really understand why his parents had separated when it was clear they still had love for each other. Love wasn't always enough though, as he learned the hard way, to glue together a relationship that had been breaking from the start.

He gathered his suitcases and took one final glance back to his mother before stepping past the terminal gates.

The flight was long and boring, and he hadn't had the foresight to bring any good books with him so he spent the majority of the time reading over the pamphlets they left in the little pockets and sipping from the cup of coffee he'd ordered.

A few hours later though he was arriving in the airport where - yup, his dad was definitely waiting with a large sign covered in what was unmistakably his name in glittery pen. He'd almost forgotten about his dad's shining enthusiasm in almost all aspects of life, including, apparently, atrocious art pieces.

"Harry!"

Said boy laughed for the first time in weeks and approached his father before strong arms wrapped themselves around his back and pulled him in close - suitcases forgotten behind them.

"Hi, dad," was all that he could say as he relaxed into his dad's arms. It had been three years since he'd last seen the man and it caught him off guard how much he'd missed him. James pulled back and held his son at arms length, looking over him critically before grinning exuberantly and grabbing both suitcases.

"You ready to go home?"

Harry's spirits rose to match his fathers and he nodded eagerly, not even bothering to argue about the suitcases. He followed his dad out to the large glass doors and to a police cruiser which was definitely parked illegally. Well, illegally for everyone who wasn't a cop.

"Dad!" he scolded but his father simply laughed with a wicked grin and threw the baggage into the trunk.

"What? Picking my only son up from the airport was definitely an emergency!"

"Sure," he just laughed and shook his head before sliding into the passenger seat. "So how many police offers does Forks even have?"

"We average about four deputies at a time," James said, sliding into the drivers seat and starting the engine. "Not much crime to fight, really."

"Ah," he took the time to look around. It was definitely as rainy here as in London and the grey skies made him feel a little more at home. He could see why his dad had chosen to move here after his marriage had fallen apart. His heart hurt for his dad, he was always smiling so much but he knew it had hurt him, even more knowing that they both still loved each other. There had just been too many differences between them for it to work though. He understood.

His dad was looking good though. He'd aged a bit since he'd last seen him, small wrinkles beginning to gather in the corners of his eyes and his forehead. His hair was still jet black, just like his own unruly mop, and he hadn't traded in his big glasses for anything smaller or more mature.

"How's your mom been?"

"She's good, asked me to say hi for her."

James hands drummed at the wheel and he looked behind him to check for cars before switching lanes. Seeing him drive on the wrong side of the roads still had Harry's stomach doing nervous somersaults and he wasn't excited to have to relearn how to drive opposite. He could just see the carnage now.

"She wasn't too upset about you coming, right?"

And there was the question he'd been waiting for. "She was a bit sad, but I think she excepted it. She didn't try to convince me not to, at least."

"That's good," James looked over and gave his son a quick flash of a smile before turning back to the road. "I'm glad you're here, care-bear."

"I was glad, until you called me that!" Harry groaned and covered his burning face. "Could we please just forget about that?"

"Never going to forget," James chortled. "Still have the picture over the fireplace and everything."

"Dad!"

"What? You were adorable with the bright pink bear. I think that was the moment I knew-"

"-that I was gay?"

"-what an amazing, wonderful person you would become," James finished and Harry couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of his throat at his dad's light teasing. He'd missed him.

"Alright, alright, you can call me that nickname as long as you promise to take down the picture, or at least banish it to a remote shelf in the closet," he conceded.

James cheered and Harry took the opportunity to fiddle with the radio and turn it onto the first station that had service. They spent the rest of their drive like that, listening to the music and looking out windows. It was a peaceful quiet though, and it gave him a chance to relax after his long flight.
When they pulled into the driveway they were greeted with the sight of a large rusty truck taking up the majority of the open concrete.

"Perfect, Sirius must off dropped it off while I was gone then," James smiled and put the car into park before turning to Harry and gesturing to the ancient truck. "Welcome to America!"

Harry honestly loved it, mostly because he knew he was going to look ridiculous driving it. Which brought him to…. "Uh, dad, not that I don't really appreciate this. Because I do, a lot. I really love it, thanks…but I don't know how to drive on this side of the road and last time I tried it was-"

"-bad." James finished the sentence for him with a tiny wince. "I don't think that yard has looked the same since."

"Well, I did take out every fixture and managed to get the bumper caught in a tree, so I can imagine."

James slid out of the car and approached the monster truck before patting the side window. "I'll teach you how to drive, besides, this thing's a beast. Even if you do get in an accident you'll be fine."

"I'll be fine, not so sure the other person will," he mumbled to himself then went to observe the car himself. It was rusty, like it hadn't been repainted in awhile. The window was slightly dented, so he'd have to be careful with that, but everything else looked good. "I love it!" he declared.

"Perfect! So I'll drive you to school while you learn, then the truck'll be all yours!"

Harry sincerely hoped he meant he'd drive him to school in the truck and not the police cruiser but he didn't say anything, not wanting his dad to get any fun ideas. He walked back to the cruiser and opened to trunk, grabbing one of the suitcases and leaving the other for his dad to get.

Harry followed his dad up to the room the he used to stay in during summers. It hadn't changed very much, though he noticed that his father had done a few updates like repainting the shutters and fortifying his old desk that had always been a little wobbly and unstable. He'd also replaced his computer and he briefly wondered if that was before or after his desk broke. His rocking chair was still in the corner of the room though, he noticed.

"Feels like you never left," James said wistfully as he set the suitcase on the floor in front of the bed. "I got you a new comforter. Figured blue would be a good color. I was close to picking pink," he snickered.

"It's perfect," and it matched the fluffy carpet underneath his feet. When he wanted to, his dad could actually be quite good at matching color tones and decorating. When he wasn't busy chugging beers and fishing. His dad….

James flashed a happy grin and jumped on the bed, bouncing twice before settling. "So I figured we could order in some pizza and watch some movies, get caught up and everything."

"You don't have any food in the fridge, do you?" Harry asked with a small laugh and a shake of his head.

"Nope," James grimaced. "We'll go grocery shopping tomorrow, unless you want to live off some freshly caught bass? Because that's the only thing that I really know how to cook."

"I've got it covered," he reassured before flipping his suitcase open and beginning to pull out his clothes. Most of this one consisted of fluffy winter jackets and gloves and hats, which he put away quickly with his dad's help. Then they moved on to the next one, which -

Loud laugher made it's way to his ears and he glared at his father who was currently on the floor, having seen the contents. "Really, son?"

"Professor Wubbles is family!"

"Shameless, absolutely shameless," he mocked, picking up the bright pink care-bear up and setting it down on the rocking chair. "Your mom loved that bear," he commented.

"I know, it's the reason why I still have it," Harry admitted with a fond smile. "When I told her I was leaving she snuck it into my suitcase. Told me that I couldn't leave without it."

The rest of the unpacking went by quickly, filled with laughter and funny stories about police station pranks and ridiculous call-ins. When they were finished they retreated downstairs, ordered in a pizza, and sat down to watch a few police comedies. His dad absolutely loved anything to do with police, mostly because he got to make fun of the bad plot lines, but Harry enjoyed them just as much.

It was getting to be a little past midnight when they finally decided to retire and Harry was amazed at how exhausted he was.

"It's the jet lag, really gets you," James commented when he saw Harry stifling a yawn. "Give it a day or two, you'll adjust to the time."

"Yea, you're probably right," he rubbed at his eyes and offered a sleep goodnight before taking the stairs up to his room. He changed into his pajamas, which consisted of a ridiculously large sweater and a pair of soft boxers, then walked to the neighboring bathroom where he brushed his teeth and splashed water on his face.

He was almost surprised at his reflection. He'd gotten so used to looking in the mirror and finding bruises. Not a lot, not big ones, but there were always the stubborn little smudges that showed up in inopportune places and just refused to leave. He didn't have any bruises now, hadn't for weeks, but he still found himself checking the mirror.

"I'm okay," he said quietly to himself then splashed his face with cold water again before retreating to his room and burrowing under the covers.

He laid there in bed, listening to the familiar platter of rain drops hitting the ceiling and the wind rusting the tree besides his window before falling into a peaceful sleep, not even noticing when James quietly crept into his room and pressed a kiss to his forehead.