Old Friends
Title: Old Friends
Author: not_from_stars
Rating: PG
Fandom: Twilight
Character(s): Billy Black, Charlie Swan
Word Count: 679
Summary: Billy Black and Charlie Swan had been friends for a very long time.
Challenge #: 30 -- Old Friends at writers_choice.
Notes: During New Moon, a few days after the Cullens have left Forks
Billy Black and Charlie Swan had been friends for a very long time. So long, in fact, that they had both lost track of the number of years.
They had seen each other through the myriad of ups and downs that life had thrown at them both. When Billy lost his wife, Charlie had been there with beer and friendship -- going as far as to stay at Billy's house with him for a couple of those first nights. When Renee had walked out on Charlie -- taking their daughter with her -- Billy had been there to help Charlie find a way to put his pieces back together.
When Bella had come home to Forks, Billy saw a light come back into Charlie's eyes that had been missing for far too long. It was a light that he hadn't realized he had missed until it came back.
When Bella had fallen for Edward Cullen, Billy had been beside himself. He knew what the Cullen family was and the last thing he wanted to see was anything happen to Bella because of them. He was bound by the treaty not to say anything to his oldest friend, but the idea of that little girl disappearing kept every nerve of his on edge.
The night Bella was lost in the woods and no one could find her, he had been afraid that all of his worries had come to pass. When Charlie called him to alert him the fact that his daughter was missing, Billy hadn't thought twice. This was his best friend -- like a brother -- and his little girl was missing.
He had picked up his phone and called Sam Uley. He knew without a doubt that Sam and the boys would be able to find her with no problem. An anxious Jacob had wanted to go on the search, but Billy had asked him to stay with him. It wasn't because he didn't think Jacob could help -- it was because he was worried about what they might find out there. He didn't want his son to be the one to find the body of his friend.
It had been three days since that night and Billy was sitting in the living room with Charlie as the doctor was upstairs examining Bella once again.
"Has she spoken at all?" Billy finally asked.
Charlie shook his head and Billy hated the helpless look his friend had in his eyes. "She hasn't said a word since the first night when all she kept saying was 'He's gone'." Charlie leaned forward to rest his head in his hands. "I've never seen anything like this. It's like something has broken inside her, Billy."
Billy sighed sadly. He had seen it once before -- when Renee left Charlie. The look in Bella's eyes now was an exact mirror of how Charlie had once looked. However, he was smarter and a better friend than to point that out.
"How could he have just left her out there, Billy?" Charlie suddenly demanded. "I thought he cared more about her after he got his dad to take him to Arizona to get her to come back. Bella said he loved her. When you love somebody, you certainly don't do something that hurts them so bad they become a zombie like he's turned my baby girl into!"
Billy reached over and placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder, squeezing gently. "We'll get Bella through this and get her back to herself, Chief," Billy promised him. "And if Edward Cullen ever shows his face around here again? Well, we'll let the boys take care of him."
Charlie nodded and Billy swallowed a sigh.
They would get Bella healed and back to herself, again. After that, he would talk to Sam, Jacob and the other boys on the reservation. They'd keep an eye out for them and make sure nothing ever happened to hurt Bella like this again.
After all, that's what old friends did for each other. They took care of each other and their families.
Author: not_from_stars
Rating: PG
Fandom: Twilight
Character(s): Billy Black, Charlie Swan
Word Count: 679
Summary: Billy Black and Charlie Swan had been friends for a very long time.
Challenge #: 30 -- Old Friends at writers_choice.
Notes: During New Moon, a few days after the Cullens have left Forks
Billy Black and Charlie Swan had been friends for a very long time. So long, in fact, that they had both lost track of the number of years.
They had seen each other through the myriad of ups and downs that life had thrown at them both. When Billy lost his wife, Charlie had been there with beer and friendship -- going as far as to stay at Billy's house with him for a couple of those first nights. When Renee had walked out on Charlie -- taking their daughter with her -- Billy had been there to help Charlie find a way to put his pieces back together.
When Bella had come home to Forks, Billy saw a light come back into Charlie's eyes that had been missing for far too long. It was a light that he hadn't realized he had missed until it came back.
When Bella had fallen for Edward Cullen, Billy had been beside himself. He knew what the Cullen family was and the last thing he wanted to see was anything happen to Bella because of them. He was bound by the treaty not to say anything to his oldest friend, but the idea of that little girl disappearing kept every nerve of his on edge.
The night Bella was lost in the woods and no one could find her, he had been afraid that all of his worries had come to pass. When Charlie called him to alert him the fact that his daughter was missing, Billy hadn't thought twice. This was his best friend -- like a brother -- and his little girl was missing.
He had picked up his phone and called Sam Uley. He knew without a doubt that Sam and the boys would be able to find her with no problem. An anxious Jacob had wanted to go on the search, but Billy had asked him to stay with him. It wasn't because he didn't think Jacob could help -- it was because he was worried about what they might find out there. He didn't want his son to be the one to find the body of his friend.
It had been three days since that night and Billy was sitting in the living room with Charlie as the doctor was upstairs examining Bella once again.
"Has she spoken at all?" Billy finally asked.
Charlie shook his head and Billy hated the helpless look his friend had in his eyes. "She hasn't said a word since the first night when all she kept saying was 'He's gone'." Charlie leaned forward to rest his head in his hands. "I've never seen anything like this. It's like something has broken inside her, Billy."
Billy sighed sadly. He had seen it once before -- when Renee left Charlie. The look in Bella's eyes now was an exact mirror of how Charlie had once looked. However, he was smarter and a better friend than to point that out.
"How could he have just left her out there, Billy?" Charlie suddenly demanded. "I thought he cared more about her after he got his dad to take him to Arizona to get her to come back. Bella said he loved her. When you love somebody, you certainly don't do something that hurts them so bad they become a zombie like he's turned my baby girl into!"
Billy reached over and placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder, squeezing gently. "We'll get Bella through this and get her back to herself, Chief," Billy promised him. "And if Edward Cullen ever shows his face around here again? Well, we'll let the boys take care of him."
Charlie nodded and Billy swallowed a sigh.
They would get Bella healed and back to herself, again. After that, he would talk to Sam, Jacob and the other boys on the reservation. They'd keep an eye out for them and make sure nothing ever happened to hurt Bella like this again.
After all, that's what old friends did for each other. They took care of each other and their families.