Chapter 1
Isabella Swan -Bella- wasn’t the only girl Sam found in the woods that night; but the other was an unknown. She smelled like wolf, but no one had ever seen her before. She stayed with Chief Swan, and was perhaps the only reason he didn’t have to see his daughter waste away before his eyes.
After she came to, that is. There was about a fortnight where Bella stared blankly out the window or at the wall, and went only through the motions, while the other girl spent most of her time in bouts of fitful rest and delirium.
And then one day she awoke and introduced herself as if this was a chance meeting.
When she went to introduce herself to Bella she pulled her into a hug instead, and then by the time Charlie got home from work they were in the backyard laying in the grass and talking.
She had family in Seattle and had gotten lost. For a minute Charlie thought she would be leaving soon and was trying to come up with other ways to help his daughter. But he need not to have worried because if Bella had to leave, then when she returned Henrietta- call me Harry please- was there.
The girl went off sometimes, and she was a bit odd but not enough for Charlie to really question it. After all, teenagers are always a bit weird.
Harry dressed mostly in some kind of snake-print pants or skirts and corset-style tops or tshirts – usually paired with an oversized black leather jacked with an engraved constellation. Some days thouh, she dressed in long dressed – elaborate get ups and fancy hairdos only to go on walks or sit around reading. She says they remind her of home.
Charlie doesn’t think people dress like that casually in big cities but theres no way to really know. Maybe they do in her circles, after all, he’s seen her sew a skirt before. She might just be showing off things she’s made.
She and Bella bonded and were near inseparable – not that anyone tried to separate them. Charlie was happy to see them both smiling, and enjoyed the new foods and her efforts to watch sports with him. It was like gaining a new daughter. Just as responsible but much more stubborn and vocal with her views.
He’d heard her call that Cullen boy “a patronizing, controlling prat who weaponised other’s insecurities” right to Bella’s face during a discussion. He’s very sure that had Harry been there when Alice came calling Bella wouldn’t have left. Or at least would have left a better note than
‘Dad, I'm with Alice. Edward's in trouble. You can ground me when I get back. I know it's a bad time. So sorry. Love you so much . -Bella’.