Isabella Swan had always been the curious type. Always the one to snoop in places she shouldn't, asking questions when others wouldn't. However, it may seem a shocker, this time it had nothing to do with her vampire boyfriend or werewolf best friend.

"Hey, Dad?" she asked around a bite of her cheeseburger.

Charlie Swan was just as inquisitive, and was starting to reget it when he saw it present itself so heavily in his teen daughter. "Yeah, kiddo?"

She twirled a French fry between her ringed fingers. "Ang and I were looking through her parents' yearbooks. You know, since graduation is in a few weeks."

He eyed her warily. "If this is about the costume contest from sophomore year, it was a dare--"

"God, no, Dad." Bella waved her hands as if she could swat the image away. "I'm still trying to burn that out of my brain."

Charlie raised his glass in a heard that motion. "Me, too."

"Was there someone before mom?" Bella blurted.

He froze in the act of putting his glass down, suddenly wishing it was something much stronger. "Yeah, Bells. Why?"

"What was her name?"

He searched around the diner for some sort of reprieve from the conversation topic at hand, but found none. "Wasn't that in the yearbook?"

If she was shocked at his tone, she didn't show it. "I just wanted to hear about her from you," his daughter said softly.

His shoulders lost some of their tension. "It's in the past, Bells. Nothing to worry yourself about."

"Lisa said she always thought you loved her more than you loved mom."

Charlie's glass hit the table with a thunk. "Christ, is that what this is about? Because you know I loved your mo--"

Bella shook her head. "No, Dad. I was just curious."

"Her name was June. She left. That's all you need to know."

The teen sighed. "Sorry."

Charlie passed her the ketchup, but said nothing more. June Thompson had been everything his small town heart had ever wanted and needed. Her family left town when she and Charlie were seventeen. He didn't get a singular goodbye or apology. He didn't get anything.

Checking his watch, he realized his shift started in five minutes. "I've gotta get to work, Bells."

"Ah yes," she mused dryly. "Off to save the thriving metropolis that is Forks, Washington from any and all villains that may cause danger by driving five miles over the speed limit."

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her head. "You know it. See you later."

She smiled, a grin painfully like her mother's. "Bye, Dad."

It was raining and dark, not unusual for Forks. Usually Charlie would cruise around and hum along to some 80's station that Bella found for him. But thoughts of dirty blonde hair, deep green eyes, and a raspy laugh kept his focus. It wouldn't be a problem considering it was a Tuesday night with rain pouring from the sky in buckets. Most sane people would be in their homes snuggled in blankets or... something other than driving in this weather and this darkness. He could only seem to think of June. His June. How her kindness and brazenness had pulled him out of his turtle shell when his friends from the Rez started leaving him out, and how she'd been the goddamn sun in the cloudiest place in the continental United States.

And about how much it fucking hurt when she left.

His heart felt like it was going to thump out of his chest, thrashing against his ribs like a pissed animal in a cage. He had to pull over. There was no way he could safely drive when he was bordering on a panic attack.

Despite him being on one of the few roads out of town, there wasn't any traffic -- none that he'd notice anyways. The trees formed wooden walls along the little highways, dampening any natural light the clouded sky could have provided. Charlie pulled to the shoulder of the road and put his cruiser in park. Attempting to regulate his breathing, he remembered what an EMT had said to a car crash survivor on one of his first calls. He closed his eyes and listened to the rain.

Four beats in, six beats out, and focus on the space between inhale and exhale.

A few knocks on his window startled him, resulting in a bit of a non-manly yelp. He could barely make out a woman in a raincoat a few paces from the cruiser, thoroughly soaked, it seemed. "Excuse me," she yelled to be heard over the rain. "My car died a mile up. Can you give me a jump please?"

Despite the rain, Charlie exited the vehicle and opened the backseat door for her. He whipped his head around a few times as she practically threw herself into the backseat, attempting to physically shake the thoughts of June from his head.

"It's a Honda, but she's been on the fritz for a while. I knew I should've gotten a new battery," she hissed, pulling down her hood. Her hair was soaked, darkening it, and there seemed to be a gash on her forehead.

"Ma'am, are you alright? What happened to your head?" Charlie asked as he pulled back onto the road. He drove carefully in the rain, cautiously avoiding hydroplaning or simply spinning off the road.

"Ah, she came to a pretty much abrupt stop while I was driving. Got a good hit to the noggin, I think." She touched her head gingerly. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh. Why don't we get your valuables and then get you to the hospital to get that checked?"

She opened her mouth to retort but seemed to think better of it. "Okay. Thank you. I appreciate it."

"No problem, ma'am. Just doing my job." He finally found her car just a ways up the road. "I'll have somebody come tow it. You want it anywhere specific?"

"The Weber's, please." She hopped out to grab her purse, returning even more soaked than before. "How long have you been on the force?"

He hadn't been prepared to be asked questions. "Almost nineteen years."

"Chief Swan, this is dispatch 097," the radio crackled.

"One sec," Charlie told her, not seeing the way she paled at the name. "This is Chief Swan."

"Domestic at 128 South Herbert again," the dispatcher said. They arrived at the hospital, the woman nearly vaulting herself out of the cruiser and into the rain before Charlie could put it in park.

"Copy," he grunted. Hanging up the radio, he got out of the car and followed her into the hospital. "Hey! Can I at least get your name, or call someone for you?"

She whirled, her hood covering most of her face. "Uhm. Yeah. Can you call Lisa Weber and ask her to meet me here, please? I'm... I'm Casey."

"Casey," he repeated. "Okay." She disappeared into the hospital without another word. He clambered back into the cruiser and pulled out his cell, dialing Lisa's number.

"Yo, yo, this is Josh. What's crackin, chief?" one of Lisa's sons answered.

"Hey Josh. Where's your mom?" Charlie asked.

"She's in the bathroom right now."

Charlie ran a hand down his face. "Are you guys expecting an Casey?"

"Nope." Josh popped the 'p'. "Aunt June is supposed to come over though. Mom was saying that she was late."

Charlie's grip on his phone tightened till his knuckles were white. "June?"

"Yeah, that's what I said. Aunt June's gonna be staying a few weeks-- hey!"

Lisa's voice came over the receiver, replacing her son. "Charlie, hi."

"Lisa," he deadpanned. "There's a woman at the hospital claiming her name is Casey. She told me to tell you that she's there and asked that you meet her there."

He could hear her inhale sharply. "Our age or twenties?"

He shook his head. "What? Uh, our age, I think. Why does that matter?"

"Oh, Charlie," Lisa sighed. "I was going to tell you."

Aunt June... Surely not, right? Not his June. He would've been able to tell. He would've known, wouldn't he?

"Lisa, was that--"His heart began pounding again, but he couldn't focus enough to control his breathing.

"That was June Thompson, Charlie."

a/n: oh shit