This story is Non-canon/ AU: Alternate Universe / OOC: Out of Character

Rated: M

If you are a fan of Edward Cullen—absolutely, DO NOT READ THIS FIC!

A special thank you to the very talented Mist for creating a fabulous banner for this story.

Important Timeline Info: I've played with the timeline for the purposes of this story. Bella knows much more about the Cullens than in the books. The beach meeting between Sam and Bella never took place; however, Jacob did tell the story of the Quileutes being descended from wolves to her.

Note: I do not purport to be a psychologist or a specialist in any way. I am simply an author. Please turn to a professional if you are in need of help.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author-mama4dukes. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: A very public, cathartic moment leads Bella Swan to realize that Edward Cullen is not quite prince charming. Her newfound self-awareness leads to stronger friendships and new adventures, but will her past relationship with a vampire threaten her new, happier life?

Catharsis

Bella Swan sighed as she placed her lunch tray on a corner table, away from everyone else, during lunch. It was Friday, overcast, and there were no Cullens in sight. In fact, since Tuesday night, the night of her birthday party, during which she got a paper-cut and spilled blood in the Cullen home, she had not seen hide nor hair of Edward or anyone from his family. She took a bite of her corndog and considered the situation. Really, the paper-cut was accidental and it could happen to anyone. Okay, it could happen to anyone who was not a vampire because, after all, vampires had skin as hard as marble. Honestly, that wasn't normal at all—neither was craving blood. But those thoughts were neither here nor there. The fact of the matter was that the Cullens were deliberately avoiding her. She had texted, called, and had even gone to their house and knocked on their door, but had received absolutely no response.

She went over the events of the birthday party once again. She was in the midst of unwrapping a present when she got a paper-cut. Everyone instantly scented her blood, and Jasper almost ate her. Edward protected her by hurling her into a banquet table loaded with glass, and as a result, her arm was cut by a glass shard. Carlisle stitched her up, and she was unceremoniously driven home by her boyfriend. The same boyfriend who was apparently blaming her for her injuries—most of which he caused.

Now that she'd thought about it, she wouldn't be surprised at all if he directed his family to have no contact with her. She'd seen him manipulate his family in the past. Actually, he'd manipulated her a few times as well. For example, what was wrong with going to La Push? He always became snippy and surly whenever she talked about wanting to visit her Uncle Billy or Jacob in La Push. In fact, he'd gone so far as to throw an outright temper tantrum about it. And he was always rude to Jacob, which was completely uncalled for. Jakey was one of the nicest guys on the planet.

Thinking further on it, she realized that Edward Cullen had manipulated things to his liking often. And punishing her by deliberately having no contact with her just because of the birthday fiasco was further evidence of how cruel and manipulative he was.

Before she knew it, the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. Today there was a special assembly so the entire student body was meeting in the gym. She walked inside and found a seat next to Angela Weber.

"Hey, where were you during lunch today?" Angela asked.

"Oh, I ate alone. I had a lot to think about."

"Well, I hope your thinking was productive."

Bella thought about it, and smiled. "Yeah, I think it was productive. I needed the time alone, but now I'm ready to rejoin everyone—so to speak."

"Good."

"Do you know what the assembly is about?" Bella asked, just as the lights flickered on and off, indicating that it was time for silence.

The principal introduced the guest, a counselor from the women's shelter in Forks. She was there to discuss the topic of teen dating and domestic violence to the students. She spoke of her own experiences with abuse, which began during her teenage years and ended when she finally got the courage to get help. Her talk was mesmerizing, and Bella found herself completely captivated by the discussion.

"If you are in a relationship now, I want you to think about whether or not it's a healthy relationship. Ask yourself these questions. Is your partner jealous or possessive?"

Yes, Edward was definitely both of those things. He always scowled when anyone, other than himself, talked to her.

"Does your partner demean you or is he ever disrespectful to you?"

Uh, yeah. He is always talking about how clumsy she is or how she's only human. Well, what the hell was wrong with being a clumsy human? It was who she was.

"Does your partner control your every moment and make all of the decisions?"

Come to think of it, yes. Not once has she been allowed to decide on what she wanted. She didn't want the stupid birthday party in the first place, but he insisted. And last year, she didn't feel like going to the prom because she had a broken leg. But no—in both instances, he wanted her to have human experiences so she was forced to go.

"Does your partner isolate you from your family and friends?"

Yes, yes, and yes! When was the last time she spent time with her father? On top of that, she could never go to parties that she has been invited to because he didn't feel like it. And he had the nerve to belittle her friends in the process, always saying how frivolous and stupid human teen parties are. Well, what a hypocrite? He forced her to go to the prom with a broken leg. Even worse, he held a stupid birthday party for her, during which he hurled her into a glass table, which was…

"Has he ever threatened you with violence or been physically abusive?"

Um…hurling her into a glass table counted, even if it was to protect her from Jasper. He could have stopped him by placing himself in front of Jasper instead of physically picking her up and throwing her.

"Does he deliberately ignore you to hurt you?"

Isn't that what the jerk was doing now?

"Does he threaten to kill you or commit suicide?"

Well, he is a vampire, duh. Just being with him threatened her life. And there were all those times when he pointed out that he could kill her just by accident. If those weren't threats, what were they?

"Oh my God! I'm in an abusive relationship!" Bella exclaimed with a gasp.

The entire faculty and student body all turned to stare at her. Oops! She hadn't meant to say that out loud.

Bella's eyes widened. "I...uh...I'm sorry for disturbing the talk. I just had a very cathartic moment. It was eye-opening."

"It's quite alright, young lady." The speaker nodded sympathetically. "I'd like to speak to you for a moment after the discussion, if I may."

"Sure," she replied, suddenly unsure of herself.

Meanwhile, those around her gave her pats on the back and whispers of support. Angela Weber put an arm around her, and Lauren Mallory climbed down from the bleacher above her to sit next to her and hold her hand.

"I've been in your shoes before. That took courage to admit. I'm here for you if you need me," she said kindly.

Oh, no! What had she started? Her very private musings about Edward had gone public. She didn't want to make a big deal of the situation. He was the best boyfriend she'd ever had. Okay, Edward was the only boyfriend she'd ever had, but he was handsome, rich, smart, and really sweet and romantic.

"Remember that an abuser is manipulative. Typically, an abuser will be kind, sweet, romantic—everything you've always wanted in a partner—immediately following an episode of verbal or physical abuse. Don't let that kind of behavior fool you! It is manipulation and just another form of control!"

Goodness, this lady was hitting on all of the salient points about Edward. He was really kind and romantic, but it was always after he called her clumsy or unintelligent. Sometimes it would be after he demeaned her friends or told her straight that she couldn't hang out with her buddy Jacob or even with Angela, for that matter. But honestly speaking, Edward wasn't a bad guy. He was actually quite kind. He was just old-fashioned because he was from a different era.

"There comes a point when the victim needs to stop making excuses about the abuser because the bottom line is that there is absolutely no excuse for abuse. It is wrong. It's as simple as that."

Well, that was enlightening? Apparently, saying that Edward couldn't help his behavior because he was from a different era was just an excuse. How many more illuminating moments was she to have today?

There was a round of applause as the speaker concluded her speech with information on how to get help. For some reason, Lauren Mallory still wouldn't let go of her hand. She appeared to be sitting firmly by her side. Some students gave Bella an odd look as they walked past her, out of the gymnasium. Others told her how sorry they were and gave her pats on the back. She really hated the attention she was receiving, but whose fault was it but her own? What made her blurt out her cathartic moment in public?

XOXO

Meanwhile, the name Cullen was being run through the gutter in the small town of Forks. Not only had Dr. Carlisle Cullen unceremoniously abandoned his post as an emergency room physician without any notice, the whole family seemed to have disappeared. Parents in town were receiving phone calls and text messages from their high school students about how Bella Swan had been a victim of teen dating violence at the hands of the Cullen's son Edward.

Eventually, the chatter reached the ears of Police Chief Charles Swan. Actually, it was a phone call from the school principal that informed him of the necessity of his immediate presence at the high school which informed him of the situation. Alarmed, he immediately ran down the road from the police station to the high school to find out what was going on.

At the high school, Bella Swan was sitting in the now, almost empty gym with the counselor from the women's center together with Angela Weber and her new buddy Lauren Mallory, both of whom refused to leave her side. The counselor was about to speak when her father burst into the gymnasium with the principal by his side.

"Bells! What happened? Are you okay? Did that Edward hit you? Is that what happened to your arm?" He rushed to her side and hugged her tight, checking her over to make sure she was okay. Bella noted that Lauren still had not let go of her hand. In fact, she looked as white as a sheet, almost as if she was reliving bad memories.

"We were about to sit down and talk," the counselor noted.

Bella's father looked around for a moment before he noticed the counselor. "Ali, it's good to see you."

"It's nice to see you as well, Charlie."

"I received a phone call from Harold and rushed right over."

"Who is Harold?" Bella asked, curiously.

"That would be Mr. Greene to you," her father replied, pointing to the principal. "I graduated from high school with both Ali and Harold."

"Oh, how cool! I didn't know that."

"Well, Bella, what happened?" he demanded.

"I…I…" Suddenly, she was tongue tied. She wasn't sure if she wanted to speak in front of all these people. For God's sake, she didn't really know Lauren Mallory who was still stuck to her like glue for some reason.

"Be brave, Bella," Lauren encouraged. "I know you can be."

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Oh…okay." She looked up at everyone. "Edward Cullen has not been physically violent, but he has been emotionally and verbally abusive," she admitted.

"In what way?" Alison Uley asked.

"Well, he did stuff."

"Did he force you to have sex?"

"Oh, no, I'm still a virgin. No, nothing like that. But…but he wouldn't let me hang out with my friends. I was only allowed to hang out with his family. He would tell me that my friends weren't good for me. He'd disparage them. He'd also belittle me—telling me that I was clumsy and stupid. Last year, I didn't want to go to the prom because I had a broken leg and he forced me to go. There are a lot of other things, now that I think about it. He told me my clothes were unladylike. He also wouldn't let me listen to anything other than classical music."

"How come you didn't tell me or your mom?" Charlie asked. "How could you keep something like this from us?"

"I…couldn't…I mean…I didn't…"

"She probably didn't realize it until Ms. Uley went through the checklist. That's what happened to me three years ago. Do you remember, Chief Swan?"

Charlie considered Lauren's words. Yes, he absolutely did remember. Lauren had been physically abused and raped by one of the seniors in the high school when she was just a freshman. She had been coerced and manipulated by the kid, now felon, by the time he had arrived at the high school to take a police report.

"She's right, Daddy. I didn't realize that I'd been abused until I could answer 'yes' to almost every question on the counselor's checklist. That wasn't the only thing that happened today, though. I did a lot of thinking and I realized that…well, I realized that I wasn't really happy with Edward. Like, even now, I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since Monday night. It's almost like he's punishing me for getting hurt at my own birthday party. There were just so many little incidents leading up to this cathartic moment that I didn't realize how emotionally and verbally abusive he was until the counselor went through her checklist."

The speaker smiled at her. "You know, you keep referring to me as 'the counselor.' We never really got to introduce ourselves to each other. My name is Alison Uley and you are?"

"I'm Bella…Bella Swan."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Bella Swan. I'd like to work with you on your issues, if I may."

"Uh…do I need to work with you?"

"It's certainly your choice. There's no pressure."

"You really should meet with her. She's like your best friend, mother, and teacher rolled into one."

"Lauren, you're exaggerating."

"No, she's not! Ms. Uley has been through hell and back, and she makes sure to empower all of us to make sure that no guy ever runs roughshod over us again!"

"You, too, Angela?" Bella asked.

"Yes. You aren't alone. When I was a sophomore, I dated a guy who thought it was okay to manhandle me. He frequently left bruises on my arms—never where you can see. If it weren't for your dad witnessing his actions in the parking lot of my dad's church, I'd still be with him today. Your dad is the one who explained things to my parents and put me in touch with Ms. Uley. She runs a teen empowerment group. It's a great place to meet friends. That's how Lauren and I became friends."

"I always wondered about that," Bella said. "You two have such different personalities, but you get along so well."

"Well, now you're part of our friend group, too. We're behind you one hundred percent!" Lauren chortled excitedly.

"That being said, I think it's time you two girls returned to class," Principal Greene said to Angela and Lauren. Ask Mrs. Cope for a hall pass. Let her know that you have my permission to be out of class." After the two girls left, the principal turned to everyone else. "Well, the good news is that the Cullens have left town permanently. I received a phone call from Dr. Cullen on Tuesday morning, stating that he was withdrawing his kids from the high school because they were moving back to Alaska. Generally, most parents inform us at least two to three weeks prior to any sort of move so we can transfer school records, but in this case, they didn't even give us a name or an address to forward records to. I also understand that the hospital is in an uproar because Dr. Cullen left with no notice."

"Did you know about their move, Bella?" Charlie asked.

"No, not at all. I didn't even have a clue that they were leaving. On Monday night, they held a birthday party for me at their house. I didn't see anything unusual—no packing or anything." Bella sighed and looked up at her father. "I haven't heard from Edward or any of the Cullens since the party."

"Well, I'm going to look into the situation, but considering the circumstances, the fact that they've moved is a good thing."

"I agree."

Charlie looked at the clock on the wall. "It's almost dismissal time. Is it okay if I take Bella home?"

"Of course it is. Bella, I hope you come to me or any of us if you're ever put into an uncomfortable situation again."

"I promise I will," she replied to the principal.

"Bella, this is my contact information." Ms. Uley handed her a business card. "I'd like to see you sometime next week so we can work out a counseling schedule. You can also call my cell number, which I've listed on the back in case of an emergency. I will rush right over day or night."

"Thank you." Ms. Uley smiled warmly at her. "I'm so happy to have met you. I truly am."

With that, Bella left with Charlie while Ms. Uley stayed behind to chat with Principal Greene.

XOXO

As soon as they left the gym, Charlie engulfed his daughter in a hug. He tilted her face up so he could meet her eyes. "I never, ever want you to be afraid to come to me if you're scared. Do you understand me?"

"I promise," Bella replied, and she meant it.

Charlie didn't want his daughter at home alone. He felt he needed to be there for her after such a traumatic day, so he opted to drive her truck to the police station so she could finish her homework there as he still had a few things to accomplish prior to heading home.

"Dad, thanks again for today. I'm glad I'm here with you. I really didn't want to be alone."

"I figured that. You know, Bells, you are my only child, and you're more important to me than my life. If you're hurt, then I'm hurt, and I won't have some spoiled, rich, too-bit kid hurting you. Too many coincidental accidents have been happening since you became involved with that Edward kid and I won't have it. I absolutely won't have it. Have you ended things with him?"

"No, I…I've been waiting for him to contact me all week, but ever since the birthday party, I haven't seen him. I plan on ending things, though. I really don't want anything to do with him, especially now that I've heard Ms. Uley's speech, and gone through her checklist. He really is a monster." Right now she was internally berating herself for dating a vampire. Edward Cullen was a predator, and, at one point, she literally had wanted to be changed into one so she would be with him forever. What kind of a sick and twisted idea was that? She realized that she had seriously issues to want to end her life for her emotionally abusive boyfriend. She looked up to her father. "Daddy, thank you for putting up with my BS this year."

"You're welcome, Bells. You're going through a rough patch right now, but it'll get better. I promise. You just have to be brave."

"I'll try. I really will try."

XOXO

Father and daughter went back to completing their work before they headed home around four in the afternoon. As soon as Bella parked her truck in the driveway, and got out, she noticed Edward Cullen standing on her lawn. He motioned with his head for her to follow him to the woods. When she stood there and didn't budge, he ordered, "Come take a walk with me."

"No," she replied. She didn't think he had any right to tell her what to do.

Edward Cullen looked agitated and pinched the bridge of his nose before stating, "I asked you to walk with me. I need to tell you something."

"No. I'm not going anywhere with you, especially into the woods. If you have something to say to me, you can say it here."

"Fine. I'll put up with your childish disobedience just this once." He let out an exaggerated sigh. Things weren't going the way Alice had predicted. For one thing, she was two hours behind schedule. "We have to leave Forks." He watched her waiting for a reaction. When none was forthcoming, he continued with the speech he had prepared, "We're leaving right away—the entire family is moving." Still, Bella didn't react, she just glared at him, annoyed. He decided to continue his spiel. "You can't come with us."

"Uh, I never said I wanted to."

"Oh, but you want to."

"No, I do not," she assured him.

"I know it'll be hard for you, but I want you to live your life without any interference from me. It'll be like I never existed. Just do me a favor and don't do anything reckless for Charlie's sake. He wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"Don't you dare talk about my father. You have no right! He loves me unconditionally!"

"I know you don't want me to go, but you need to understand that I don't want you. You're just not good for me, and I'm just sorry that I let this go on for so long."

Bella folded her arms in front of her chest and scowled after hearing that last line. It was like the prick hadn't heard a word she had said. He was just rambling through some sort of prepared script.

"Anything else?" she questioned, nonplussed.

"The human mind is like a sieve, you'll forget me soon enough."

"Oh, trust me. I'll be making a concerted effort to forget that you were even in my life. If I ever see you again, I'll have my father file a restraining order against you. Stay away from me for the rest of my life. Goodbye, Edward."

For the first time in the conversation, Edward Cullen was completely flummoxed. He stood gaping at Bella's malicious attitude. Alice had predicted that she would be heartbroken by his leaving, but instead she was angry. He was so confused by her attitude that he didn't notice that Chief Swan had returned home.

"Hey, boy! What the hell are you doing here? You're no longer welcome here!"

"Excuse me?" No longer welcome? All fathers liked him. He was perfect husband material.

"You heard me! You're no longer welcome here, and you're to have no contact with my daughter. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," he replied automatically. He was appalled, he had never faced an angry father before in his life—human or vampire.

"Now, go on, get out of here. I thought your whole family left town."

"Uh, we're leaving now. All of us!"

"Good! You're not welcome in these parts anymore!"

Shocked, Edward Cullen hopped into his Volvo and sped away from Forks. It was after he had arrived in Alaska that he realized that he had been so stunned by the angry attitudes of both Swans that he hadn't even taken the time to read Chief Swan's thoughts, nor had he taken the time to hide any evidence of the Cullens underneath the loose floorboard in her room.

After considering it, he realized that their anger at his departure was proof of how much he had meant to Bella, and surprisingly to her father. He was actually tickled by the fact that they appreciated his presence so much, but really, who wouldn't want him around? He was good-looking, intelligent, wealthy, and an all around great catch, if he was to be completely honest. He smiled and gave himself a pat on the back.

It was time that he put any thoughts of Bella Swan out of his mind. She was nothing, but trouble. He should have never become involved with a human. Alice was right, just because her blood called to him, didn't mean she was his mate.