SPRING || ROSALIE HALE

O N E

"I'm not actually, I'm staying here... with my dad." She explained, a loose strand of her chestnut hair falling across her face and momentarily blocking her vision. "I expected you'd be here already."

"I needed to pack everything, and also our dads kind of felt bad so he waited until winter break to officially move me." He responded, running his hand over the back of his neck as he felt the conversation growing near dangerous territory.

He knew Bella better then anyone even with all the years they'd spent separated which is why he could tell just when she grew uncomfortable. She cleared her throat and looked down as she looked for the right words. "Ray... how's everything?"

"It's okay Bella." He spoke with a slow shake of his head and a small shrug.

She nodded slowly, eyes finding the courage to look over his face and ask, "really? Like really, after everything's settled. Charlie says you haven't exactly cried."

"Why cry? Mom died happy and enjoying her life, she wouldn't want me to cry." He answered, and Ray wasn't lying. Since his mothers death he had not felt the need to display such an emotion. It was definitely a weird sensation and certainly something he'd thought over the last few weeks but it was simple, death happened to everyone and dwelling over it helped no one.

Bella Swan heard the sincerity in his voice and chose to end the subject there, her eyes flickered towards where luggage was being pulled off and pointed. "Maybe you should get you luggage before we are stuck here all day."

Raymond nodded, setting her bags down beside her and pointing a finger. "Stay. I'll be right back, I bet our dads carpooled."

Bella gave a swift nod as Raymond turned back, neither noticed the other do this but after they'd turned away one another's shoulders relaxed, maybe Forks would not be as bad as they'd envisioned.

|•|•|•|•|•|

Finding Charlie Swan and Marcus Thompson had not been difficult, it was easy to spot a pair of cops in a crowd of families. They were awkward, with identical stances and the same cup of coffee in their hands. The pair were best friends just like their ex wives were, even sharing the same tragic fate of divorce and solidarity. Luckily, it seemed that they'd fortified a bond that went beyond simple friends and the once partners in crime had turned to real life partner in life a few years after their divorces. Their ex wives had been a little stunned at the news, but nevertheless accepted the situation for the sake of their relationships and children. It had been an ongoing joke that their respective relationships had crumbled to unveil the foundation Charlie and Marcus' love.

Charlie was the first to step forward, finding his daughter easily next to Raymond. He walked fast, pulling his daughter into a warm embrace as he breathed. "Bells!"

Bella Swan awkwardly hugged her dad back, the petite girl patting her father. The Swan's weren't much for embraces but it seemed that for this they would make an exception.

Marcus Thompson was a little slower, stepping up to his son with a blank stare. If he was being honest he didn't quite know how to greet his child, his son had lost more then he had ever lost at his age. Maria, his ex wife, had left him long ago but his heart still hallowed the moment he'd received the phone call of her untimely demise. Marcus and Charlie had dropped everything that very moment and flown to see his son. Raymond had been as void of emotions those days as he was now, greeting his dad.

"Ray, its good to have you here." He firmly spoke, nodding his head at his tall son. They were about the same stature, well over 6 feet.