Please Note: This is going to be a bit of an AU from New Moon onward. Also, I have taken very small liberties with the timeline as it exists in canon. To fit in my original character since she's Bella's younger sister. For sake of argument, Renee left Charlie in 93 and went straight to Arizona. Veronica (my original character) was born in 91. This makes her a year younger than Embry, who will be her imprinter.

I only have two chapters written of this so far. I guess if people seem to take a liking I'll keep it up here and keep adding to it. We'll see.


01

"Dad? Bella?"

I stepped into my father's house and let my backpack settle on the hallway floor with a soft thud.

"Anyone home? Yeah? No?" I called out a second time.

Still no answer. When I didn't see Dad's jacket on the hanger by the door or his boots on the mat, I knew my dad was still at work.

I tugged off my damp jacket and hung it on the hanger and then sat down on the little wooden bench, pulling off my boots. After I'd done that, I dug out my cell phone and proceeded to text Bella to find out why she'd basically abandoned our plans to celebrate her birthday and left me to walk home in a heavy downpour. I mean, I get that it's her birthday, but come on. She could've taken ten minutes to pick me up and drop me off at Dad's, at the very least.

← Did you forget something this afternoon, sis?

Almost the instant my text showed to have been read, three little dots popped up.

→ I'm sorry! I'm at Edward's and I lost track of time.

→ You're not mad right? I know I said I'd spend the afternoon with you and then I'd go to Edward's later...

→ I promise I'll make it up to you.

I bit my lip and sighed. Shaking my head and muttering aloud to myself that I didn't know what the hell my sister saw in Edward Cullen to begin with and adding in a quiet laugh, "That guy better be amazing in bed after everything he's put her through. That has to be the only reason, I mean… He's stoic and broody and he's not even really that good looking to begin with."

Almost the second I got the words out of my mouth, my cell phone was ringing. And of course, it was my sister, Bella.

"Did you get home? Do I need to leave and come to get you? Because I totally will. I feel horrible about forgetting, Veronica."

"It's not an issue. I got home. I walked. I'm not a baby, remember?" I pulled myself up off the little wooden bench I'd been sitting on and I wandered into the kitchen, pulling open the doors of the fridge. Grabbing myself a diet Pepsi and pulling the tab, taking a long sip.

"I thought you said you were definitely gonna come back here before you went to see him and do whatever?" I asked.

"I was but I got caught up. Edward decided on a whim to throw me a birthday party after I specifically asked him not to." Bella sounded a little agitated at the last part, which isn't a surprise. She's not very big on birthdays. Even less so on surprises. The only reason we even bother to acknowledge our birthdays together is because it's just always been our thing.

I rolled my eyes as she mentioned Edward throwing her a party. "Because of course he is." the thought came and I did my best to shove it down. Apparently, the birthday dinner that my father and I were going to treat her to at the diner wasn't good enough. A rush of guilt flooded me as I quickly shoved the thought out. Every part of me wishes that Edward would just leave town and never come back because I know in my gut that this guy is going to absolutely ruin my sister and apparently, she's lost all her common sense and is too damn blind to see it.

Dad sees it. I see it.

I wish she'd take a few steps back and see it.

"You're upset." Bella sighed quietly. I could feel the tension that's been hanging thick between the two of us starting to settle in just a little more. Almost suffocating me under the weight of the words I can't bring myself to say to her in fear of pushing her away or pushing her into some stupid rash decision that's only going to blow up in her face later.

"No." I gave a sigh and wrinkled my nose as hair fell down into my face, tickling it. I blew at the offending strands and hoisted myself up onto the kitchen counter. Leaning my head back against the cabinet door as I finished my Pepsi. "I'm not mad. I swear."

"I gotta go. Emmett's going to show me something. I'm really sorry, Veronica."

"Tell everyone hi for me. I need to be getting off anyway, I'm starving. I'm gonna see if I can find anything to make that doesn't lead to me burning down our father's kitchen and isn't nuclear." I hung up, choosing not to address her third apology of the afternoon because lately, it seems like all my sister does is make excuses, cover for that asshole who got her hurt last year and apologize. And deep down? I don't think she ever really means it any time she apologizes. Not lately, at least. I haven't felt sincerity from my sister in almost a year now. It bothers me.

And it's getting harder to keep my thoughts to myself. But I love my sister too much to confront her and push her away, because I'm looking at it like this.. What if something happens with the guy and she needs someone to help her or someone to talk to? I don't want her to feel like she can't come to me or that I'll get all high and mighty and tell her that I told her so.

I want her to feel like she can safely come to me.

Because she's my sister and I love her. And despite her actions over the past year and a half, I know my sister's still inside there somewhere. And that sister? You'd better believe she would absolutely do the same for me if it were me in this situation.

A lone howl filtered in through the open kitchen window and I jumped a little. Stopping my forage through the cabinets and climbing off of the counter I'd been standing on my knees on to step over to the window, gazing towards the trees that lined the back and side yards of our house.

A flash of gray raced past and I swallowed hard, raising my hand. Pressing my fingers gingerly against the glass windowpane. Watching whatever animal I'd just seen race past just inside the treeline while lost in my own internal musings. Just as the flash of gray fully disappeared from view, I heard another lone howl and at least 3 others echoing back as if in response.

"Must've been a pack of wolves or something." I shrugged it off, turning my attention back to rummaging through the cabinets to find something that could pass as food. When I didn't find anything that I wanted, I grabbed my jacket and slipped it back on. Pulling on my boots and grabbing my house key off the table in the hallway. And I hurried out. Walking down to the station, thinking I could get my father to make some kind of grocery list and give me the bank card and I'd then go to the little grocery store in town.

Maybe get the ingredients to make Bella a homemade birthday cake. Just because I'm nothing if not stubborn and I absolutely refuse to let our traditions die or our relationship change because this creep Edward's got his hooks in so deep.

An olive branch for my big sister, if you will. A reminder that she would always be stuck with me, her kid sister.

After I made it to the station and talked Daddy into giving me at least a list of items we were definitely running low on or that he wanted, he sighed. "Bella blew you off, didn't she, shortcake?"

I shrugged. "It's not a big deal, daddy. She's dating someone and I have to understand that she's going to spend more time with him. I don't have to like it, but I do have to let her do her own thing. Besides, with her doing her own thing, I can kind of finally do mine for once? Without her right there, over my shoulder… Overprotecting me."

"That's one way to look at it, I guess." my dad chuckled and then took the list back from me.

I watched as he scribbled something in at the bottom of the torn piece of yellow paper and he held it out to me.

I laughed softly, nodding when I read what he'd added. Giving him a thumbs up and then a hug when I said "Okay, daddy. I'll make fried chicken and chocolate chip muffins at one point."

"Be careful out, shortcake. If you need any more money than what I gave you, call me and I'll come over and give it to you. And tell Bella not to stay at that Edward kid's place much longer. If she promised she was going to spend time with you on her birthday, she's going to come home and do it."

"Dad, it's fine."

"No, shortcake, it's not. She spends entirely too much time around that kid lately. I don't like it."

"Me either, but if we try to push too much… I'm just afraid it won't end well." I shuffled my feet and twisted dark strands around my finger. My dad sighed and nodded. Reaching out to fluff my hair as he smiled at me.

I finally set off for the supermarket, bumping into Mike Nelson as I stood in front of the frozen yogurt, debating on whether I really wanted the cherry flavored yogurt cup 4 pack badly enough to climb a shelf to get it. Trying to add up the total of what I already had in the cart next to me.

Mike chuckled and stepped up behind me, reaching up to the top shelf. Holding out my yogurt.

"Your yogurt, Veronica. Feeling hungry today?" he smirked as he nodded to the cart next to me and the items filling it. I laughed softly, shrugging. "There wasn't a damn thing to eat at my dad's that wasn't nuclear." I wrinkled my nose at the mention of microwave food.

"To be fair, your dad was pretty much living the bachelor life until you and your sister moved back in."

"Yeah, well. Now I am cooking. At least I don't have to worry about him getting heart problems or blood sugar issues or growing a third eye and developing a glow in the dark skin at some point." I smirked. Stepping away from Mike when like usual, he stepped just a little closer.

"How's Bella?"

"Good, I guess. She's off with Edweird." I rolled my eyes as I said it and the tension that filled Mike's body didn't go missed by me either.

"It had to be that one."

"I know what you mean, Veronica." Mike answered thoughtfully.

"You wanna get in her pants. I'm actually worried about her well-being." I muttered a quick apology, shaking my head. "Sorry. It's just been kind of a long and boring day."

"Hey! I do not." Mike pretended to pout and I narrowed my eyes at him, scoffing at his insistence that he wasn't still hung up on my older sister. He gazed down at me for a few seconds as if he wanted to say something else and he shrugged, muttering finally after a few seconds, "That's Forks for you. Boring 24/7/365."

"Honestly?" I admitted, smiling a little as I added, "I prefer it?"

"Why though? It only rains here. Don't you miss actual sunlight?"

"Nah. Dad's place has always felt more like home to me. Even though I barely got to live here before Mom took us and hauled ass away to Arizona."

"Hey, off the subject.. Do you want to catch a movie with me on Friday? C'mon. It'll be fun." Mike pleaded and I laughed, shaking my head no. Begging off on the grounds that I'd already made plans to hang out at the skating rink in Port Angeles with some of the girls I was in choir with.

"Maybe next time?" I offered, even though I didn't have any intention of ever going on a date with him because that would be like leading him on and I didn't like wasting anyone's time.

Mike smiled. Nodding. "Next time it is. I'll let you get back to it. I just came in to pick up steaks for Dad anyway."

"I'll see you around, Mikey." I smiled politely, pushing my cart past him and turning down the next aisle. After I'd gotten what I needed to bake the cake and fry some chicken and a few other things Dad put in the list for me to grab, I went back to the house.

I opened up ITunes and chose a song as I grabbed two bowls from the cabinet, pouring flower into one and cracking 3 eggs to go into the other. After seasoning the chicken and my flour, I filled a skillet with sunflower oil and let it warm up. As I did this, I texted my sister to see how things were going so far.

When she didn't answer, I put it off to her not bothering to check her phone or ahem, being hung up on other things.

By 8:30 that night, I had chicken fried and put onto plates. I'd just taken the cake I baked for my sister out of the oven to cool and I was slicing potatoes to make french fries. I noticed the time when my father reached out, silencing my music because apparently, he'd tried to say something when he came in but I hadn't heard him over the sound of Stevie Nicks singing Crystal and me singing along with it.

"Something smells good… Hey, is that a chocolate cake, shortcake?" my father was eyeing the chocolate cake and I stepped in front of it, wagging the spatula. "Uh uh, no sir. Not yet. I still have to make the icing."

My dad chuckled and pretended to pout. I held out one of the beaters still covered in cake batter and smirked, teasing, "There. Will that hold you til I get these fries and the cheese sauce to go over them done?"

"It'll do. Where's Bella?"

I shrugged. Then I happened to realize that it was starting to get late. She'd told me earlier that afternoon that she'd be back at our fathers by at least 9.

It was now almost 9:35.

"I'll text her and let her know I've almost got food done." I grabbed my phone off the counter and stepped out into the back yard, shivering at the breeze. The air was just starting to get that perfect crisp chill.

I leaned against the back of the house and texted my sister asking where she was. No answer.

I texted again to let her know Dad was home now and she was still on very thin ice with him after the stunt last year.

Then I tried to call.

And the call went straight to voicemail.

I wasn't getting a good feeling.

I stepped back inside and told my father that she hadn't answered a single text from me since about 5 this afternoon and I'd just tried to call and it went straight to voicemail.

"If she's not walking through this door at 10, she's getting an hour taken off her curfew. I hate to do it, but after last year.." my father sighed, shaking his head. Pouring me a glass of lemonade and grabbing himself a cold beer as he sat down at the kitchen table.

I finished melting the cheese and adding seasoning to the last batch of fries and I stopped to take a sip of my lemonade. "How was work?"

"We caught a weird one. All I can really say right now is that the guys are saying it's an animal attack."

I cringed. Telling him that I'd seen a wolf out behind the house earlier. Adding quickly that I doubted it had anything to do with what he'd dealt with at work and my father replied, "Be careful if you're out in the woods."

"Yes sir." I answered as I gathered the powdered sugar and the other things I'd need to make the frosting for my sister's birthday cake.

I tried to text my sister yet again to let her know that food was totally done and I added in the fact that there may or may not be a cake waiting and when she didn't answer, I shook my head. Grabbing a plate for my father and I, sitting a third plate off to the side just in case Bella did eventually wander in.

My father and I dug into the food and we talked about our day. He asked me how my cheerleading tryout for a vacant spot on the team went and I answered through a mouthful, "Oh, I doubt I get it. Jess is the one heading as captain and I don't think she likes me."

"Well that sucks. Maybe you'll get it."

"If I don't, it's not a big deal. I can just sign up to take gymnastics at that gym in Port Angeles or something."

"Yeah, I know you've got to miss gymnastics."

"I do, but it's okay. I do have an entire back yard to go out and get my energy out in, Dad."

My dad chuckled and nodded in agreement.

We were washing our dishes when my father happened to catch sight of the time.

"Your sister should've been home by now. Or at least called. I'm not getting a good feeling. If she comes in after I've gone up to sleep, tell her that she's back to a 9 o'clock curfew, yeah?"

"Will do, sir." I gave my father a hug and he went up to bed. I wandered into the living room, turning on the television and lowering the volume. Catching a replay of the soap opera I'd set to record as I finished up some homework for Algebra I'd put off until the absolute last minute.

By the time I finally finished and went up to my own room, it was a little after midnight.

And my sister still hadn't shown up.