A Thousand Leaves By BellaSunshine.pdf

A Thousand Leaves By BellaSunshine

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6276284/1/

Prologue

In June of 1996, an unusually warm summer for the Olympic Peninsula was

settling in. Families were using their vacation time trekking the surrounding

mountains and having picnics on nearby beaches.

Isabella Marie Swan was nine years old. It would be her very first summer in

Forks, Washington. Her parents had divorced when she was barely over a year

old. Thankfully, Bella wasn't old enough to grasp the concept that Renee felt

smothered, felt like she was on the fast track to nowhere in the tiny, dreary town.

Charlie and Renee's last argument had been a brutal one. It ended with Renee

snatching Bella out of her bassinet, picking up a hastily packed, worn piece of

luggage, and running out to a waiting cab. She didn't stop until she stepped off a

plane in Phoenix with her precious cargo.

A week later, divorce papers were served in Forks. Renee didn't want anything

except full custody of their daughter, and it was granted. After all, Charlie

couldn't be expected to care for a baby. He had a demanding job, and hiring a

full-time nanny just wasn't feasible.

Charlie was relegated to speaking to Bella - when she finally began talking - over

the phone and in birthday cards with hardly a note scribbled inside. Usually, the

cards were signed "Love, Charlie." Bella knew this man only by his name, not as

her dad. He missed her first word, "bel-la," and her first tooth. He missed her

first day of school and her first dance recital.

But as Bella got older, Charlie found himself missing her most of all. He began to

talk Renee into letting Bella visit. Renee was uneasy with the idea, given that

Bella had never laid eyes on Charlie. But for Christmas, in 1995, Bella was led off

a plane in Seattle, her hand tucked tightly inside her mom's, and she met the

man she came to know as "dad," though she still - even to this day - preferred to

call him Charlie. And he was okay with that.

The next summer, Bella was allowed to visit on her own. She was excited. It was

her first "big girl" trip anywhere, and she really liked Charlie. He called her almost

every day and she would spend an hour talking to him before Renee would force

her to get off the phone and do her homework. Renee had to be convinced by

Charlie, her new husband Phil, and Bella that it would be perfectly okay for Bella

to spend her summers in Forks. It would allow Renee to travel with Phil's baseball

team, and Bella would be able to "branch out," as Charlie had so eloquently put

it.

So on this particular June day, in the summer of 1996, Bella found herself on

First Beach in La Push, holding Charlie's hand as they walked to the beach to

watch a beautiful sunset.

"Charlie?"

"Yeah, peanut?"

Bella was quiet for a moment before she took a deep breath. "Why did Momma

and I move away? Didn't she like it here?"

Charlie had hoped - no, prayed - that Bella would never ask such a question, but

of course she would. What child wouldn't want to know the answer to a question

like that? And Bella being Bella, she was curious and had an insatiable desire to

feed that curiosity.

Charlie slowed Bella and released her hand, spreading out a tattered old Mariners

blanket on the sand. Bella dropped to her knees and opened up the brown paper

sack that held their dinner. Charlie looked down at her, a smile on his face before

he joined her, maneuvering his lanky frame around. This would be their first

sunset viewing together.

"You don't have to answer, I guess. If you don't wanna," Bella said thoughtfully

as she carefully laid out a spread of ham sandwiches, chips, and fruit.

Charlie cleared his throat. "It's not that I don't want to answer, Bella. I just want

to make sure I can help you understand."

Bella rolled her eyes as she snapped open a can of Cherry Coke. "Charlie, I'm old

enough to understand."

"I know you are, peanut. Believe me, I know. Your momma wasn't kidding when

she told me you were much older than your nine years."

Bella's eyes darted around when she heard the sound of musical laughter, her

inquisition falling to the wayside when her eyes landed on a family traipsing

through the sand, their feet bare and the wind whipping their hair around. The

man, obviously the father, carried a rolled up blanket and a picnic basket. The

woman, the mother, was walking hand-in-hand with a girl about Bella's age

nestled between them. Their arms were swinging back and forth and Bella heard

the girl squeal as her parents attempted to pick her up.

"Oh, my big girl!" the woman exclaimed cheerfully. "I keep forgetting how grown

up my Alice is."

Suddenly, two boys darted around from behind them, chasing each other toward

the water. Bella's eyes took in the sight of the family as they moved past. Alice

smiled at her as they walked by.

Bella's eyes widened. The family was beautiful, picture-perfect and too good to be

true.

"Chief Swan," the man said, nodding to Charlie as they walked by.

"Carlisle," Charlie replied, offering the man a friendly smile.

"Who are they?" Bella asked, twisting her body around to watch as they found a

spot several yards away.

"Those are the Cullens," Charlie replied, taking a bite of his sandwich. "The man,

his name is Carlisle. He's a doctor."

Bella blinked, her nine-year-old self able to appreciate that. Carlisle looked like a

very nice man, definitely nice enough to be a doctor.

"His wife, the woman, her name is Esme."

"She's very pretty," Bella said in awe. She watched as the woman offered her

husband a smile, the setting sun illuminating her perfect face, casting her in an

angel-like glow.

"Those are the three Cullen kids. Emmett is the oldest. He's fourteen or so, I

believe. Next is Edward. He's probably around twelve. And then there's Alice.

She's your age."

"Do you know them all?" Bella asked, still unable to take her eyes off them.

Emmett and Edward were rough-housing now, throwing each other around. Alice

was sitting next to her mom and dutifully emptying their picnic basket. Carlisle

had moved away and was nearing the water's edge. He stopped momentarily, his

hands on his hips, as he surveyed the colorful horizon.

"The Cullens are fairly new to Forks," Charlie said, interrupting her gawking.

"They've only been in town since the first of the year. I see Carlisle from time to

time at the hospital. Once in awhile, I run into Esme and the kids in town. They're

all nice."

"And pretty," Bella mumbled to herself, breaking her eyes away from them when

Alice looked her way.

Charlie's radio came to life on his hip and he sighed. "Sorry, honey. I gotta take

this." He went to stand and dropped a kiss on the top of her head as he did so,

walking several feet away but not far enough to leave Bella completely alone.

Bella picked at the crust of her sandwich, willing herself not to look in their

direction again. It was rude, all that staring, but she couldn't help it. She'd never

before seen such a breathtaking display of love ... or family.

"Emmett! Edward! C'mon, boys," Carlisle called.

Bella shot a glance in their direction as the two boys began jogging toward the

picnic, still taking teasing jabs at each other.

Alice looked in Bella's direction again. This time, she tapped Esme on the

shoulder and Bella saw her whisper something to her. Esme looked right at Bella,

causing Bella to glance away hurriedly. Not even half a minute later, she heard a

cheerful voice behind her.

"Hi, I'm Alice!"

Bella was stunned as she looked up and found wispy Alice Cullen standing right

beside her, her short black hair held up on each side by barrettes. She wore a

bright yellow dress that nearly swallowed her tiny frame, but Bella thought it fit

her perfectly.

"Hi ... I'm ... I'm Bella."

"I can't stay, I wish I could," Alice said, looking over her shoulder as her family

settled onto the blanket. "But my mom said I could come give you these." She

paused. "If you want them. And doesn't everyone like cookies? You like cookies,

don't you?"

Bella stared at her, unable to wrap her brain around the ball of energy in front of

her. "I ... yes, I do. I love cookies."

Alice's hand was still holding the two cookies on a napkin. "I knew you would!

These are chocolate chip M&M cookies. We made them today. I brought one for

your dad, too."

Bella timidly reached for them just as Carlisle called for his daughter.

"I gotta go. Maybe we'll see each other again!" Alice said before turning and

running back to her family.

Bella looked down at the two perfectly round cookies in her hand and then back

toward the Cullens, who were immersed in their dinner and familial conversation.

"Whatcha got there, kiddo?" Charlie asked, plopping down next to her.

"Cookies. Alice brought them to us."

"She did, huh? Well, that was nice of her. Did you thank her?"

Bella's eyes widened. "Oh no, I forgot to!" She went to stand, but Charlie gently

caught her arm.

"Not right now, Bella. They're eating dinner. You can wait. I'm sure she'll

understand."

But Bella felt stupid now. How could she forget to say thank you? Of course, it's

not as if the pint-sized beauty gave her enough time to. Just as fast as she

appeared, she was gone again.

So Bella waited impatiently as the sun began to set and each family happily

chatted, watching the sky turn a glorious shade of oranges and purples. When

the last of the dazzling orange had begun to fade, the Cullens began packing up.

The boys took off running again, trying to get everything they could out of the

remaining daylight.

Carlisle yelled at them as they began getting further away down the beach. Esme

and Alice finished packing up their things. Charlie and Bella both stood, Bella

taking their trash to the nearby bin as Charlie shook out their blanket.

"Another beautiful sunset," Carlisle said as he approached Charlie with his family

in tow.

"Doesn't get much better than that," Charlie agreed, holding out his hand.

Carlisle smiled as he shook it and then looked toward Bella.

"You must be Isabella."

Bella felt her cheeks warm as the family - including the two boys - stared at her.

"Yes, I'm Isabella," she said. "But I like to be called Bella."

She heard one of the boys snicker and her cheeks grew even warmer.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Bella," Esme said, smiling down at her. "We've

heard a lot about you."

Bella raised her questioning eyes toward Charlie, who merely shrugged, a half-

smile on his face.

"I know you've already met Alice," Esme stated. "This is Edward and Emmett.

Say hello, boys."

"Hello, boys," they both said, saluting her. Bella regarded them curiously,

especially the one called Edward. He had sharp green eyes. She'd never seen

anyone with eyes that green before. Edward returned her stare for a moment,

wondering why this Bella was looking at him. He might have been uncomfortable

with anyone else gawking at him, but this girl looked as harmless as a puppy. He

found her peculiar looking, with her big, brown eyes, blushing cheeks and pouty

lips. She reminded him of one of his grandmother's beloved painted China dolls -

the ones Grandma Cullen had locked in the cabinet so none of her nosey

grandchildren would bother them.

Edward grinned as he pictured this Bella with makeup all over her face and her

mouth frozen in a permanent 'oh' shape.

Emmett gave him a quick jab in the shoulder, thereby breaking Edward's trance

and forcing them off into another chase.

"We must be going," Carlisle said. "Early shift tomorrow."

"Doc," Charlie said, shaking his hand one more time. "Nice seeing you all."

Bella stared after the family as they walked toward the parking area.

"Oh! Alice!" Bella cried, suddenly remembering. Alice froze and quickly turned, a

smile on her face.

"What is it, Bella?" she asked, her voice lifting.

"I forgot to thank you for the cookies. They were yummy."

Alice's smile broadened, if that were possible. "You're very welcome. I hope to

see you soon!" And then the girl turned and took off in a full run to catch up to

her parents.

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