HI ALL, Here's my new story. Its a Twilight Fanfiction, so here are the disclaimers: I don not in any way shape or form own any of the Characters in this story. They belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Basic outline: This story is a UA, potentially NC-17, romantic, some mystery, and little angst. Bella, Alice and Rosalie are cousins and have moved to Forks. The Cullen Brothers are very interested, but don't seem to stand a chance with these girls, until they start solving the mystery of the Swan family secret.

Three Cord Rope

Bella:

I turned around in my room for one last look. Phoenix would soon be a distant memory, because I could never return. My mother had spent the last few weeks crying, knowing that the time had come for me to return to my father. I told her that she shouldn't worry, because she had Phil. Besides, she was also moving from Phoenix to Florida. More heat. I was glad to be leaving for Forks.

"But it won't be the same, we had become a family. Forks is so dreary, are you sure this is what you want?" She asked me in her quiet voice, her eye were pleading. This was so unlike my mother, to be sad and unhappy, I preferred her happy, and absent-minded. I didn't want to leave but at the same time I did, however all this sadness was making me slightly resentful of my mother. Seriously, she knew what would happen when she married my dad, and she also remembered what my dad told her when she said she was leaving him. My dad explained to her the chances of how things would be, a fifty, fifty chance, he said. Don't be alarmed or upset he told her. My going to live with him shouldn't have come as such a shock to her, but nonetheless, my mother took it rather hard.

"Mom, Rosalie and Alice will be there. I won't be lonely, besides they're more like my sisters than cousins. We'll be together, we'll be each others support and they need me now." I constantly reminded my mother of this, be she didn't want to listen. I took one last look at myself in the mirror, I didn't relish looking in the mirror, but it was something that I couldn't help doing. I hoped I wouldn't be a disappointment to my dad. My average brown eyes, with average brown hair and average face stared back. I didn't inherit any of the Swan beauty, but Alice and Rosalie had it, especially Rosalie. She had it by the boat load. I also wasn't graceful, but rather accident prone, I was definitely far removed from my namesake.

I grabbed my suitcase and walked out of my Phoenix bedroom. I hid it well, but I still think my mother knew I was happy to abandon the desert. I wanted to return to Forks, to be near the water. Looking back, I don't see how my parents could have made a go of their marriage in the first place. My father needed to be near the water, and my mother wanted the heat, they were so different from each other. Don't get me wrong, I am glad my parents got together; I wouldn't be here if they didn't. Still with the two of them, it was like watching oil and water trying to mix.

The one thing I didn't count on was my mother taking me with her to the desert. I put on a brave face for her, because I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but I missed my dad. She discovered over the years that I am my father's daughter. She had to noticed all the signs, especially of late. My latent abilities had finally shown themselves, along with the yearning to be near the water, to be around lush vegetation. My feelings had become so very over powering that I could no longer ignore them. So one day, out of the blue, my dad calls my mom and tells her that its time for me to live with him. It was all so strange, I never talked to my dad about moving, or living with him, or any of the other feelings I had. It was almost as if he knew.

The arrangements were quickly made, as I tried not to look eager at the prospect of going home, to live with dad. Of course the excitement doubled when he said that Alice and Rosalie would be moving in also. I asked him how he would deal with three females, living in such a small house. His answer was mysterious and elusive, so I knew that meant I would find out when I got to Forks.

I went down the stairs ready and eager to get on the plane to Washington, when my mother stopped me.

"I've been meaning to give you this for a while now" she had jewelry box, about the size of a large laptop and almost as deep as a kitchen sink, in both her hands. It was beautiful and simplistic. The wood was mahogany and had a nice slightly dull gloss to it. I set my luggage down and took the box and I opened it. I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing, but I did know this, a seventeen year old girl shouldn't be able to get her hands on jewelry like this.

"According to your father, when his mother was pregnant with him, she thought she was pregnant with a baby girl. When your father was born instead, it came as such a surprise. During your grandmother Swan's pregnancy, she had collected some jewelry for an expected daughter, so instead of getting rid of it, your grandmother kept it for your father to give to you. She didn't want to take a risk that a granddaughter would go without the customary jewelry that befits a Swan lady."

"Who would give a teenage girl jewelry like this?" I had to ask, because in that box was a small fortune.

"That's something your father will have to explain to you. Come on, let's get going, you have a plane to catch." My mom decided, at the last minute of course, to have my jewelry box sent to me instead of trying to explain it as a carryon. I was finally leaving for Forks, I was finally going home.

Alice:

I remember standing behind the tree, looking on as they buried my mother. The gentle breeze blowing my short hair all around, and the mild headache I had from crying so much. I don't think my eyes were very blue at that moment. I looked around and noticed all the people in attendance for the first time. I had to admit that I was surprised at how many of the Brandons actually came to the funeral. My uncle, Charlie, looked completely worn out, his dark grey eyes looked tired and stormy, but I had to give it to him, he did a fabulous job of hiding his feelings from the Brandons, considering he was there to bury his sister. I just didn't understand how he did it, handling all the questions from my father's family.

"So, where do the Swans actually come from? Why was your sister so obsessed with the water? Does Alice get her strange personality from the Swans, because she sure doesn't behave like a Brandon." And the list goes on. Charlie would run a hand through is dark brown hair, let out a sigh and carefully blank his face. It turned out to be fine, because I found out quite a bit about mom, about her family, and my uncle's answers also helped me piece together a few things about myself.

All too soon we were leaving the burial site, and were heading for my grandmother's huge plantation style home for the repast. There were cars being parked by valets in front of the huge white house, people were greeting each other as if going to a social event. My mother was not well liked by these people. Who could feel like eating and socializing at a time like this? This was my first funeral, and so I was a bit overwhelmed. Everything was going along as well as could be expected, when shortly before seven, my Uncle Charlie announced he would be leaving the following day. Everyone asked if he could stay a while longer, polite southern manners and all, but we all knew they really didn't want him to stay. Except for me. Charlie declined, saying he had some things to take care of immediately in relation to my mother's death back home.

"Which reminds me," Charlie said as he walked over to me. He was carrying a rather nice sized jewelry box. It was on the table before, and I hadn't noticed it until he picked it up. "These are for you and you only. These belonged to your mother, she had decided she didn't want to bring them with her after she married." I was speechless. I had to stop myself from snatching the box out of his hands. I remembered the feeling of desperation to have something that was my mother's.

"Let me help you with those Alice, a young girl like you shouldn't have jewelry like that yet. I'll hold on to the jewels until you are of age." My grandmother said in her smooth voice. Looked at her face, it was a careful mask, but her mouth was almost a straight line of Max Factor Red lipstick. It wasn't the first time I wondered if my grandmother had peaked in this box, because she seemed bent of obtaining my mother's jewelry. I knew that face and I knew that voice, it held a hint of steel, and I wanted so badly to object, but before I could say anything, Charlie came to my rescue.

"The jewels are meant for Alice and Alice alone. It is a custom in our family that the mother's jewels go directly to her daughter, without delay. I can promise you that most of the pieces Alice would not wear anyway, well at least until she were older. Its sort of a sixth sense the women of our family have." Everyone stiffened at the words 'sixth sense'. It was the first time anyone acknowledged my special abilities out right. Charlie gave my grandmother a knowing look, she looked mutinous at letting me have my mother's jewels, but said nothing to object to Charlie's generous gift. I sent a nervous glance around the room, and then quickly thanked my uncle and ran upstairs to my room. I locked the door and opened the jewelry box.

I know that my eyes bugged out of my head, and I knew that my grandmother had looked in this box, and probably got caught by Charlie and so had to plot to get my jewelry some other way. I also had a million questions going through my mind. I knew in that instant I needed to find out more about my mother, and her family, and why she had these magnificent pieces of jewelry and didn't bring them with her to Biloxi. There was only one way to do that and so I ran downstairs.

"Charlie!" I yelled, before reaching the living room. Everyone turned to look at me as I entered. My grandmother was thoroughly disgusted, I could tell by the look on her face.

"Alice, ladies do not overexert themselves." She said, that almost straight line of Max Factor Red had returned. If everything went according to plan that would be the last time I see that look on her face, or see that color of red lipstick. I hated Max Factor.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Charlie, would it be alright if I came to live with you?" The whole room went completely silent. The Brandons looked horrified, and my uncle looked stunned.

"Alice what brought this on?" He asked gently, I think he was as nervous as me.

"I just think it's about time I get to know the other half of my family." I answered.

"I don't see why not, besides Bella is coming to live with me. That's partly why I have to return to Forks so quickly. I'm sure she would love to have you with us, that is if it's okay with your father." He smiled, genuinely for the first time in the few days he had been here in Biloxi.

"Who is Bella?" My grand mother asked, I could just hear the disapproval in her voice. I knew what she was thinking. Is it wrong to hate a love your grandmother? Because right now, my grandmother was being a grade A bitch.

"My daughter, she's the same age as Alice."

"Where has your daughter been all this time?" Grandmother was on a scent. She smelled a story.

"In Phoenix with her mother, now if you'll excuse me" Charlie said as he went up the stairs to his guestroom.

"Your father will not like this Alice. You know he has plans for you to attend a boarding school in Switzerland. You will be pursuing the proper education you were meant to have, now that your mother…can't interfere." This was grandmother, naturally.

I had to get control of my anger. I knew the Brandons never approved of my mother, but she was an exceptional beauty and so tolerated her. My father, well he never loved my mother either. It was all about the thrill of the chase, and obtaining a fine object of art to parade around, to make him look good. I still couldn't believe I had ever been born, they both must have been drunk at the time of my conception. I knew my father lost interest in my mother quickly, when she graced the world with a girl, instead of a boy.

I rarely saw any of the Swans, but I always kept in contact with Bella and Rosalie, my cousins. We were like a three cord rope, nothing could break us apart, so the prospect of even living with one was amazing.

"I'm going to Forks to live with Uncle Charlie. Then I will be out of your hair, and daddy can marry that slut he's been fucking since as long as I can remember. This family never wanted me or my mother, so this is a good chance to get rid of me, without spending a large sum of the family money. Daddy can save that for the baby boy he doesn't think I know about." I didn't think it could get anymore quiet after I asked to live with Charlie, but this time the silence was deafening. My grandmother was actually trembling, my father's brothers and sisters looked as if someone had slapped them hard across the face. I had just aired all the Brandon dirty laundry to everyone that was there. I did not care. I turned and ran upstairs and quickly began packing my bags. When I finished packing, I pounded on Charlie's door, he opened it and I sniffled. That's when I realized I had started crying.

"Alice!" But that's all I allowed him to say.

"Please, purchase another plane ticket, I'm coming with you tomorrow." I turned on my heel and went back to my room.

Rosalie:

I still had the blankets pulled over my head because I didn't want anyone to know I was home, not yet. That was about to change, because my mom had just yanked the blankets back. I was still curled in a tight ball, I pretended to sleep.

"Rose, please tell me where you were last night. The police called here looking for you, Royce has gone missing." It wasn't question, it was a statement. Mom was shaking me awake. I answered her quickly, too quickly perhaps.

"Hamlin State Park."

"Were you with Royce?" I didn't know how to answer that question, because I was with Royce. I didn't want to incriminate myself, I wasn't sure just how much my parents knew at the moment.

"Yes."

"Well where is he? How did you get home?"

"I drove home, because I started to feel uncomfortable." Boy was that an understatement. I shivered involuntarily, and brushed back some of my blond hair. I realized then that it must look like a rat's nest at the moment. I looked up into my mom's soft green eyes, she didn't seem to be alarmed, just relieved. I think she just assumes that I had been swimming. Swimming was not something she enjoyed discussing.

"But Royce is a gentleman, why would you start feeling uncomfortable?"

"He met some of his friends up there, and they started drinking. So I packed up my stuff and left. Why, what's happened?" I hoped I hadn't rushed the question. My large wide violet eyes attempting to appear innocent, I already knew what happened.

"The police can't find him, his family is worried sick. I would guess the same for his friends. What time did you leave the beach?" Mom pressed.

"A little after ten." I was fortunate there weren't any marks on my body, and that the circumstances surrounding their disappearance wouldn't come back to completely bite me in the ass.

The memories will be hard to shake. My mother wouldn't listen anyway, she had locked that part of herself away years ago. Years ago when she married father, a very wealthy banker from Rochester, New York. I guess she figured a palatial house in an upscale neighborhood was an excellent trade in for what she left behind in the Pacific Northwest.

"You didn't get" Mom never did finish that question, because the police were now here to question me. The questioning didn't take long, and I answered better than I thought. I still don't think the shock of everything that had happened had hit me yet.

Still I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I felt an ambivalent grief over what happened out at the Hamlin Beach camp grounds. I didn't want to do what I did, but I had to save myself. A few days went by, and my mom had received a phone call telling her, her sister had passed. Of course she didn't attend the funeral, because she hated the Brandons, she left that responsibility to my Uncle Charlie. This mystified me, because the Brandons did to my aunt, what my mom does to herself. My father loves my mom as she is, but mom rarely lets us see who she really is, which is sad, because we are so much alike. More alike than she cares to know I bet.

I tried calling Alice, but that bitch of a grandmother she has never lets me talk to her, so I sent her a long letter. I called Bella to tell her the news, and she said she would try and get in touch with Alice on her end. I think she probably ended up writing a letter as well. The days continued to go by and the King family was making statewide news, Royce still had not come home. I flinched every time I saw his mother around the neighborhood or on TV in tears. I had to be strong, because if the events turned out like I thought they would, I would be in the clear.

I was happy during this waiting period, to get a letter from Alice. She was fine, and she had inherited her mother's jewelry and she was going to live with Uncle Charlie.

That wasn't such a bad idea, the Brandons were assholes and everyone knew it. Alice said her father didn't take the news to well, but was all for letting her go when she told him she knew about his mistress and her bastard brother. Excellent, Alice fought the fight and won. This was inspiration for me, because I was in the middle of battle myself and I felt like I was losing.

Every time I went out and saw Mrs. King, I wanted to run and hide. She always greeted me with a warm, sad smile. I felt like shit, because she was such a nice lady, someone her son didn't deserve. Still the ambivalent grief held on, until the day of reckoning came. It was some idle Thursday, I was helping mom with some chores when the story broke over the radio we were listening to. The body of Royce King II had been found, along with his friend's bodies. My mother looked up at me stunned, and I just started bawling.

"Aw Rose, I know he was your first serious boyfriend." She said and she wrapped her arms around me. I couldn't say anything, because I knew the truth. Royce was my first serious boyfriend and I had murdered him, I murdered him because he and his friends had tried to gang rape me. I didn't mean to do it, but I had to save myself. I pulled away from my mother and ran to my room. I lay on the bed and cried until I was all cried out. Then the numbness set in. I guess I fell asleep at some point, because the next time I woke up, it was about seven in the morning. The sun was beginning to peek through my windows, and I felt disoriented. Then the previous day's events flashed through my mind. I didn't want to think about it, so I picked up Alice's letter and reread it.

"I'm going to live with Uncle Charlie and Bella! I can't wait! I need to get away from here." This sentence seemed to leap out at me, and struck me completely different from the first time I read it. I needed to get away, and where else would I go, but to live with my cousins. Besides, Charlie would tell me things I needed to know about me that mom refused to talk about.

I went downstairs to breakfast, and my parents regarded me sadly. I managed a weak smile and began eating slowly. I needed to time this right, because I knew my father would understand, but my mother wouldn't.

"How are you this morning honey?" My mother asked, her smile was encouraging and she looked so concerned.

"I'm fine. Can I go live with Uncle Charlie and Bella?" So much for perfect timing.

"Why would you want to live them?" Her attitude completely changed. There was this tone, as if she were talking about some species of insect.

"I just need a new scene, considering everything that has happened." I was grasping at straws. I knew I was losing this battle and I needed some backup, but where would I get it. Then suddenly, out of left field my father spoke.

"I think it could be a good change for Rosalie. She has had a traumatic experience. Losing a boyfriend, and finding out right before he died that he wasn't the way he presented himself." My dad smiled sadly at me. I knew he meant it to be encouraging.

"Did they ever say how he died?" I asked, pretending to be interested. I think this was my first mistake.

"Yes, he drowned along with his friends. They were trying to swim after drinking." Dad said, and I glanced over at my mother. She looked confused, then suspicious, then knowing.

"Ok, you can live with Charlie." She said suddenly. Dad and I both looked at her in surprise.

"Rose, please help me in the kitchen" my mother said while getting up with her plate in hand. I knew this wasn't going to be good. Once in the kitchen, my mother rounded on me.

"Rosalie, please tell me you didn't"

"Mom, it was six against one. I didn't mean to, but I had to defend myself." Mom was silent for a few moments and then she grabbed my hand and led me upstairs to her room. Once there she gave me this jewelry box, it looked a lot like the one Alice described in her letter. She also gave me a velvet pouch. I later discovered that pouch contained two ornate combs and an elegant hand mirror.

"Why are you giving me these things now?" I asked.

"Because it will help when Charlie explains everything to you, all your questions will be answered when you get to Washington State."

"Mom, you could tell me everything" I pressed. This was the first time in a while she came close to even telling me what I needed to know about myself, about us.

"I can't. I'm not the same person as I was before, and I wouldn't be genuinely interested in helping you. I love my life now and I don't want that to change. Look its best if you go and live with Charlie, before anyone suspects that you had anything to do with Royce and his friends dying. Although if they knew the truth, the wouldn't believe it. I do have to ask you, what happened?"

"They tried to rape me. He called me names, and he started trying to remove my clothes. I got away and ran after some struggle. I ran towards the water, it was the only place I could go. I dived in, and he and his friends came in after me. I could hear them teasing me, and saying all these awful things. How no one would believe me if I said anything, I was scared, angry and hurt, and so one by one, I pulled them under until each one lost consciousness. My hatred was so blinding that I couldn't think straight. When I finished I ran back to the site, packed up all my stuff left."

My mother was silent during my whole confession. She looked pained, but she understood.

"How many times have you gone swimming?" She emphasized swimming because she couldn't bring herself to say what we both knew.

"For eight years now." Mom looked shocked, but remained silent for a few minutes more.

"I will call Charlie and make the arrangements. We'll try to get you out of Rochester, tonight if possible." With that mom left the room and I went to pack my bags.