Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters. I just enjoy playing with them.

Chapter One

Bella

I couldn't believe how drastically my life had changed in just the flash of a moment. I was riding in Charlie's police car- he had just picked me up from the airport. While I hadn't seen Charlie in years and I was nervous to start my new life in Forks, I couldn't be happier that Phoenix was behind me. Charlie and my mother, Renee had split when I was a little kid. She took me and high-tailed it out of Forks as fast as she could, leaving behind a broken hearted Charlie. It was just one more reason to hate her.

She never really wanted to be a mother, she told me one night after she had gotten drunk. She was pissed that yet another boyfriend of the month had left her and was, per usual taking it out on me. She blamed me for her shitty life. I never understood why she didn't just let me live with Charlie if that was how she felt, but I think she liked controlling me. Also, it probably didn't hurt that she could blow all of Charlie's child support money on drugs and alcohol. She eventually met Phil, and things only got worse from there on...so much worse.

I tried to shake myself from my dark thoughts as Charlie and I drove the long expanse of nearly deserted, tree-lined highway. Charlie definitely didn't talk much, but we both made an attempt at small talk and catching up.

"Your hair- it's gotten long", Charlie mumbled.

"Oh?" I said, looking down at my wavy, slightly unruly, dark hair. "It's actually shorter, for me. But, you haven't seen me in a long time"

My voiced trailed off and I found myself getting sucked back into my awful memories again, when Charlie coughed.

"Listen, Bells,- I can't even begin to know what you are going through. If I had known things were that bad for you with Renee, I would have stopped at nothing to get you" Charlie said, with sincerity in his voice and pain in his eyes. "And I'm going to do everything in my power to make it up to you."

"It's okay, Dad. I know that." And I did. I knew Charlie loved me and felt awful about not being there for me, but I didn't blame him. Renee did everything in her power to cut contact between Charlie and I. When I did get to talk to him, you could be sure she was on the other line listening or hovering near by, giving looks that warned of what would happen if I spoke truthfully about my life in Phoenix.

"I'm really glad you're here now, Bella" he said. "This can be a brand new start for you- for both of us"

"Yeah" I said, as I tried to give him a smile.

My thoughts started to drift to what my new life was going to be like as I stared at the trees zoom by the window. I hadn't been to Charlie's house in such a long time, but I remembered it well. I used to dream about escaping Renee and Phil and coming to live with Charlie in his small, white house in Forks. It was an older house, but cozy and soon it would be home. I was lost in thought about decorating my new room and starting at a new school in a few days when Charlie's yell snapped me out of it.

"Oh shit!" he said and started swerving to miss the large, lumbering elk which was running in front of the car. It all happened so fast, but I could have sworn I saw a man on the highway as well, running after the elk at an amazing speed. I didn't have long to contemplate this as our situation turned much more dire.

It had been raining off and on all day, as it was prone to do in Forks, and the roads were slick and hazardous. The car was spinning and spinning out of control as Charlie desperately fought the wheel. We were rapidly moving from the highway and toward the cliff, powerless to stop. I shot forward and hit my head on the dashboard as I felt the car hit a tree, then all I was aware of was darkness and nothingness.