Disclaimer

Twilight and all affiliated characters are the property of Stephanie Meyer. I do not own any of the aforementioned characters except Beth and the plot of this story (that is, should it stray from the original Twilight). This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official storyline. I am not in any way, shape, or form benefiting financially from the publishing of this story on this site and am very grateful for Mrs. Meyer's creation. Besides, if I did own Twilight, I'd own a California King bed that's softer than clouds.

A cold morning in Washington state was one filled with misty fog and a chill in the air. It was something that the girls could definitely say they'd grown used to after being in Forks for almost three months. The sky was a pale shade of gray and the air was crisp and still.

In the early morning, the dew still clung to the grass and trees like a blanket of frost. The sun had not yet risen, and the darkness was still heavy in the sky. The silhouette of trees moving against the dark and graying sky was a beautiful, tranquil sight. The tall, lanky trunks swayed slightly in the wake of a gentle breeze and the leaves rustled.

The beginning rays of a dull sunrise behind the everpresent clouds had just barely lightened the surroundings when the small family of three had stepped out and begun loading the cruiser with all that they'd need for the long day ahead.

They were going fishing.

The trunks looked like tall, dark sentinels against the sky, standing guard in the fading night. It was a peaceful setting that definitely helped Beth to clear her mind from all that had transpired prior to the current moment. All thoughts about vampires and a creepy Edward Cullen almost vanished from her mind as the morning brought her closer and closer to nature and the feeling she had so craved to feel for nearly twenty years past.

How Charlie was wide awake went beyond Beth's understanding, he hadn't even taken a sip of the coffee she had made from the warm thermos she placed into the cup holder. Behind her, Bella stumbled into the backseat, the dull thud of her head hitting the seat sounded as she basically collapsed against it, almost falling asleep once more.

As he placed the tackle boxes filled with various lures, weights, and hooks into the trunk of the car, Beth sighed quietly, too content to disturb the peace of the darkness that surrounded them.

Distantly, a stray thought did fly to Edward and what he might've been doing now that his nightly activity had been disrupted. But it soon fled when her dad,  whose body was filled with a strange flurry of excitement she could almost taste, jumped into the car after double checking to see if he'd remembered to lock the front door.

Beside her, the fishing rods jolted against one another when Charlie's door closed, the vibrations reverberating through the vehicle. Bella groaned from the back, head turning further into an awkward position as she attempted to regain a sense of comfort.

"You seem excited," she observed quietly, fingers fiddling with the thin line from one of the rods.

Her dad turned to her, keys turning in the ignition and a fresh flush to his cheeks from the cold.

"Can't an old man be happy to hang out with his daughters?" he asked, the headlights from the police car illuminated Bella's truck in front of him and beside that, a blue tarp covered the red boat he'd normally take when he went fishing with Billy.

"Why aren't we taking the boat?" she asked instead, choosing not to cause him any embarrassment. It was truly adorable that he was so happy to be sharing this with them. Beth would fight anyone and anything to ensure that he remained that way. The past few weeks had been hard on him and he'd been stressing out over the increasingly reoccuring animal attacks that kept getting closer to town.

When her dad flashed a meaningful glance towards Bella in the back, Beth's mouth formed a perfect 'O' and she nodded. Best not to take the boat then, lest Bella fall out of it or worse, end up drowning because of her clutz-like nature.

The orange streetlights casted a shadowy glow over the empty road as the hum of the engine turned on. The sound of gravel under the tires was the only sound next to it when the car pulled out. When they made it to the highway, it lightened even more, just barely enough to light the way without the bright iridescent lights coming from the front of the car.

The radio scratched to life and an old tune began to play.

"Hey girl, what'cha you doing down there?

Dancing alone every night

while I live right aboooove you

I can hear your music playin'

I can feel your body swayin'

One floor below me,

you don't even know me- i love you

Oh, my darling!

KNOCK THREE TIMES

on the ceiling if you want me..." Tony Orlando's voice sang and Charlie, beside her, bobbed his head three times in accordance with the song, pulling onto the highway. He continued to bob his head, his body swaying slightly to the beat. He had been singing along in a low voice, but then started humming loudly.

"Dad, are you serious?" his daughter snorted, her twin groaning once more from the back as her slumber was disturbed once more.

He looked over, mustache rising at the sides as he smiled innocently,"What?"

"Oh, my sweetness...

Means you'll meet me in the hallway

Whoa, twice on the pipe

Means you ain't gonna show"

This was one of the more peaceful mornings in the woods. The sky was getting lighter as the sun rose, and the sounds of ducks and crickets filled the air when they finally came to the first fishing stop of the day. It was a place Charlie frequented with Harry Clearwater back in the day, before they bought the boat. It was primarily a standing fishing spot. That meant that you didn't have to go boating in the murky, black water that lapped at the old wood of a long boardwalk that outstretched a good thirty meters into the deep abyss. Overhead, an owl hooted.

Charlie had a childlike amount of pep in his step as he lugged the two blue folding chairs and a dirty old bucket to the post they'd be fishing at. Not far behind, Bella, just recovering from her impromptu nap and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, carried the cooler and a plastic bag with sandwiches that their dad had made them to gnaw on. Already Beth's stomach growled, and daybreak had just barely started to break over the treetops! But sue her, it was turkey- she loved turkey sandwiches.

The fishing rods clanged together in her hands as she walked and with each step, the mud on the forest floor got thicker and muddier, and Charlie started to slip. Just behind, Beth and Bella began to giggle as he struggled to maintain his balance. The chief blushed in embarrassment, but kept on walking, mumbling about rainboots getting more and more useless.

"I definitely know which parent you inherited your clumsiness from," Beth teased Bella.

Her twin glared playfully, cheeks reddening as well, "Shut up."

"Mornin'," the chief greeted a few men standing by as they passed them. They grumbled their greetings, old eyes trying to peer through the darkness and into the black water to see if the lure they put on the hook was enticing. They could not, Beth noted, struggling to do so herself.

When they finally reached a spot he'd liked, Charlie turned to her after opening the old chairs to take the fishing rods from her. His raincoat ruffled as the synthetic fabric rubbed against one another. The sound of the waves lapped against the old, creaky wood and Bella prayed that she wouldn't fall in.

"Okay! So, who wants to go first?" He turned to them then, and what a sad sight they made. Beth took a sip from her thermos, shooting a look over at the- oh my god, Bella was sleeping, again!- girl who'd collapsed into one of the chairs. Seeing no other alternative, Elizabeth hesitantly raised her hand.

Her dad's smile fell a little, but still he made a good effort showing her how to cast a 'good line' as he'd put it. And contrary to her belief it wasnt flinging the hook behind her as far as it could go and then flipping it overhead into the water. No. Instead, she looped it around in a circle at her side before the line magically cast just a few feet ahead of her into the water. She giggled, a bit of Charlie's excitement seeping into her body. She looked over and he nodded with a faux impressed smile before doing the same and launched his line miles ahead of her.

Her mouth dropped open when she looked at her own, pathetic cast, and began to reel it in to try to get it a bit farther.

At some point, she migrated to her own chair, thermos at the ready in the cup holder on her right while the fishing rod sat in the left. Charlie stood some ways away fiddling with his line, and he looked off into the distance.

It was a cool scene to see, the clouds tinged an ugly gray/pink as the sun rose, the early morning giving way into day and the sky's reflection cast onto the wavy water.

A jerk to her left caught her off guard and Beth shrieked, hand flying to the rod as it nearly flew from the holder.

Charlie scuttled over, carefully placing his rod down onto the rotting wood as he tried to explain how to reel in her catch.

"Okay, just hold here and start turning this little reel here," he coached her. Beth did so, jumping slightly when he made a noise as though she'd done something wrong.

"Dad!"

"It's okay, just let it give every now and again, otherwise you'll break the line."

Beth's eyebrows furrowed in concentration, stopping to let the reel go every once in a while before pulling in again. It seemed retarded. How long was getting this blasted fish going to take? And before she could question it further, a dark green flipper splashed from the water and Beth squealed. Charlie clapped from behind her as the good sized wriggling fish fought as hard as it could on the hook.

Beth didn't realize it would be as heavy as it was, so she got up to gain a better grip on it. Taking the rod, Charlie pulled the fish onto the wood, and grabbed the bucket to put it in, washing it off as he did.

"Oh god.." Bella mumbled from her chair, having woken up from the noises. If Beth was honest, she looked a pit peaky in her chair, even beneath all the layers she had worn.

"This is a big one for a first timer," Charlie told her, a proud smile present on his face. "A big ol' bass for Beth."

"Do you wanna keep it or do you wanna put it back? It's old enough so it won't really matter."

Beth thought for a moment, "I think I wanna keep it."

Dropping the fish into the bucket, Charlie presented her with her clean hook.

He looked to his eldest, opening the tackle box filled with all the worms he'd brought as lure. "Alright, Bells. You're up."

Bella went a little green.

Later on, when they'd left the boardwalk to go to the other location, they finally stopped to eat those delectable sandwiches. The car had been parked in a lush rainforest, the air thick with the smell of pine and the earthy scent of damp soil. The rainforest was alive with the sounds of birds - the gentle cooing of doves, the melodious warbling of thrushes, and the bright, cheerful chirping of chickadees.

A light mist was in the air, and the rainforest was alive with vibrant greens and the sweet scent of wildflowers and ferns. The sun shone a little through the canopy of trees, dappling the ground in light and shadow when it finally stopped hiding behind the clouds.

Inside, delicious sandwiches with freshly-picked vegetables, creamy cheese and mayo with salt cured turkey filled the air. The warmth of the car and the soft sound of the rain outside made the meal even more enjoyable. Outside, the trees swayed in the breeze, and a chorus of birdsong could be heard throughout the thrush.

The gray sky hung overhead like a heavy blanket, pressing down on the small family of three. The riverbank was still and quiet, save for the occasional chirp of a bird and the occasional splash of a fish. The air was cool and damp, and the surrounding trees and bushes cast long shadows across the rocky shoreline as the day weaned.

The rest of the day was spent in that area, standing on top of boulders and casting lines or in Bella's case, lounging under a cool tree as she watched her sister and father fish.

Unluckily, they hadn't caught much more, save for Beth's fish and despite Beth's worry that Charlie hadn't enjoyed himself, he still had a small smile on his face that lasted even when mosquitos rained down on them like hellfire from above.

They'd left quickly after that, but not without Bella tripping into the water first. She'd let out an 'oof' when she landed in the ankle deep water, boots intaking more water than she was prepared for and her ass getting soaked despite wearing the water resistant clothing Charlie had given her. He sighed heavily beside Beth as she laughed at her sister's expense before assisting her to get Bella upright once again.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

The next day when the girls went to school, Beth had taken it upon herself to rectify the big mistake that Edward had made by spying on her and entering her home without consent. Weren't vampires supposed to be invited in?

He'd looked like he wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow him whole when he and his family caught sight of her marching over toward them, determination seeping from every pore. Nobody needed Jasper to tell them what was feeling, it was plain as day on her face.

"You," she hissed once she reached them. Edward's face had a look of deep embarrassment. His topaz eyes though downcast, had a deep intensity, even in his shame. His brows furrowed, and his lips downturned in a slight frown. His cheeks, she'd bet if he was alive, would have been flushed with a rosy hue. His jaw clenched, as though he was trying to contain the emotion within. Overall, his expression conveyed a sense of intense shame and self-consciousness.

Good, Beth thought, he should have been ashamed at what he'd been doing. He had to have known it was wrong! Beside him, his family members either grinned or smirked at his expense.

"Will never do that shit again!" she hissed again, body leaning forward and finger pointed aloft at the Penny haired boy. The big one, Emmett, she'd guessed snickered behind his hand, a poor attempt made to conceal his amusement. Shooting him a slight glare, she focused back on his brother,

"That was not cool, Cullen! And I've lost a great deal of respect for you because of it." Letting out a huff, Beth was hardly aware of when her foot began to tap impatiently against the wet tarmac of the parking lot. Students milled around, shooting curious glances here and there, wondering why Elizabeth had been talking to the Cullens. Thankfully, she had enough sense not to yell it out across the lot, and instead settled for a very accusing half–whisper.

"You had no right to enter my room without my permission. Do you have any idea how violated I feel right now?" she continued accusingly, and Edward's head dipped lower, chin almost touching his chest in shame.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't intended to make you feel that way. It was wrong of me and I don't plan on doing it again."

Beth's expression didn't soften, "You're darn right it was wrong! I don't ever want you in my room again, do you understand?"

The boy nodded, "Yes, I understand. I'm sorry." He apologized again.

In front of him Beth shook her head, voice filled with disappointment,"Apologies aren't enough. You need to learn to respect boundaries if our friendship is going to continue."

He nods again, and before she can sink the level of disgust she felt into his head, Alice stepped up to the plate, "Hi, Beth!"

She faltered, finger dropping before falling to her side, anger almost completely slipping out of her as the smaller girl surged forward to give her a hug. Stuttering at the small, cold body attached to her own, she awkwardly patted her back until Alice stepped away, grinning brightly.

"We'll definitely keep him in line, don't worry!" she rocked on her heels, "right Rose?"

The pretty blonde girl nodded, "Right." and then reached up to cuff the Penny haired boy over the head. Edward hissed, looking back at his sibling with annoyance, a glare present on his face. But before he could say anything, his dark haired brother began to drag him off to the school.

"C'mon, dude, she's pissed. Let's go.."

Shrugging from his hold, Edward glared at him too before walking ahead, shoulders slumping more as he walked off.

"Don't worry about him, Beth." Alice chirped, reclaiming her attention once more. "He won't be coming up to your room for a long time, as long as Rose and I have a say in it." Her gaze took on a sort of glazed, far away look for a moment before Jasper stepped forward and touched her shoulder.

"Sure.." Beth mumbled, looking between the two in confusion and a thinly veiled level of suspicion. They were vampires too, afterall. She was still new to the concept and still trying to get used to the idea that five vampires constantly roamed the small town she'd grown partial to.

"Oh my god," Alice nearly yelled, bouncing on her toes. A few students who passed, threw weird looks at her, but carried on walking into school, "We should definitely go shopping sometime!"

Beth grimaced, shopping wasn't her forte. But as a few seconds went by, she kind of warmed up to the idea. Shopping wouldn't be that bad, would it?

"Okay, sure." But then immediately, she frowned, a foreign feeling leaving her as she registered what she had just agreed to. What the fuck?

Alice grinned, throwing a mischievous glance at the stoic blonde who had a small smirk on his face, pulling him along by his hand.