Daylight (Lesbian Twilight X Btvs Fanfiction)

Chapter 1: Sunnydale

My mother drove me to the airport with the windows rolled down. Her elbow rested on the open window, her skin glowing with the sun. 

I looked at her. We looked so much alike. From the pale skin to the brown hair, I looked like a clone of her. Her hair was shorter, though. She was staring ahead, not looking at me, completely focused on finding a good parking spot. I felt my insides tighten at the look on her face. She was supposed to be sad I was leaving her, but she looked completely carefree. Like she hadn’t even realized it was real. 

I looked back down. I wasn't going to miss Phoenix's warm weather. While I loved the sun and the blistering heat, it would be the same where I was going. But I was surely going to miss the city life. Who knew of there'd even be a library?

In Southern California, located at a bend on the West Coast, a town named Sunnydale exists under a near constant sun. It was to this town that my father decided to move. 

It was only an hour and a half flight from Phoenix to Santa Barbara, then half an hour to Sunnydale. Flying doesn't bother me; the half an hour in the car with Charlie, though, I was a little worried about. He'd already gotten me registered for high school and was going to help me get a car. He had been ecstatic to have me. 

I couldn't really complain. Sunnydale was at least better than Forks, where I'd been forced to spend a month every summer. Until I was fourteen, when I finally put my foot down; these past three summers, my dad, Charlie, vacationed with me in California for two weeks instead. I liked it a lot more than Forks, the sun, the beaches. Maybe that's why he had chosen California to move. Although, I didn't know if Sunnydale had beaches.

Everything had changed when Phil got that promotion. He wanted to bring my mother around the world, and she wanted to be with him, so I decided to exile myself. At first, Forks was the first idea, but my father declined, knowing that I detested the town. He had asked for a transfer 'Somewhere sunny'. That's how he had ended up in Sunnydale, instead. I couldn't be more thankful even if I felt bad for him. He really did love me, more than I had expected. 

"You don't have to do this, Bella," my mom said to me. As she parked the car, realization must have struck her. 

"I know, but I want to." It wasn't a lie. Sunnydale wasn't as bad as Forks. I would be fine. Or that's what I told myself. Even if I was going to miss her, she would be happier with Phil, and that would make me happy. 

"Tell Charlie I said hi," she said softly.

"I will."

"I'll see you soon," she insisted. "You can come home whenever you want — I'll come right back as soon as you need me."

But I could see the sacrifice in her eyes behind the promise.

"Don't worry about me," I urged. "It'll be great. I love you, Mom."

She hugged me tightly for a minute, and then I got on the plane, and she was gone. When I landed in Santa Barbara, it was sunny like back home. I couldn't help but see it as an omen, even if it was a regular occurrence. I felt thankful that I didn't have to say goodbye to the sun.

Charlie was waiting for me in the cruiser. This I was expecting. With the transfer, Charlie had become Chief Police Swan to the good people of Sunnydale. I didn't really understand how it worked, although Charlie had mentioned the death of the previous Chief Police on the phone. I looked at the car and at the red and blue lights on top. This was my primary motivation behind buying a car. I refused to be driven in that. Nothing about looking like you're being arrested was cool. At least not to me.

Charlie gave me an awkward, one-armed hug when I stumbled my way of the plane.

"It's good to see you, Bells," he said, smiling as he automatically caught and steadied me. "You haven't changed much. How's Renée?"