A/n This is my first fanfiction in a couple of years, I'm not sure if I'm going to continue it or not, but i like what I have so far so I probably will.

I'm not going to write a disclaimer on every chapter, if you think I own Twilight then there's something wrong with you, This is the disclaimer for the whole story: I do Not own Twilight or any of its characters, Stephenie Meyer does.

Enjoy the story.

I should not have come here by myself. This was a bad idea. I should have taken up my friends offer to stay at his apartment till my mum could come pick me up. I have a hard enough time being around my father's wife (I call her the Komodo Dragon) with my brother there. He just had to get sick on a school day and now I'm stuck by myself with a drunken bipolar woman who's off her meds.

I had pulled out my keys when I got to the apartment door, praying she was in a good mood. I knew as soon as I stepped in the door my prayers had gone unanswered. I could hear her screaming at someone, probably over the phone. She took two seconds to turn her screaming in my direction, "Don't slam the fucking door!"

From the sounds of it, it was coming from the computer room. Just great, I have homework I need to do on the computer and now I have to ask her if I can use it while she's in there. She's so going to freak out on me. OK. Deep breath. Just knock on the door and get in over with.

"Maureen?" I asked, trying not to choke on the cigarette smoke that filled the room. "Can I use the computer?"

As soon as she looked up at me I knew I was in for it.

"Get the fuck out of my room!" she screamed. God her breath smells horrible. The sent of alcohol cam flooding out of the rotting black hole that was her mouth. Being as fed up with her crap as I was I said something I probably shouldn't have.

"It's not your room."

"What did you just say?" she sneered and stood up. That probably would have been a good time to not say anything and just leave but I was tired of being a pacifist.

"It's not your room," I repeated.

"You little Bitch," she yelled, getting right in my face. "Like hell this isn't my room! This is my whole goddamn apartment!"

"It isn't your room and it's definitely not your apartment." Now I was just digging my own grave but I didn't care; she made me so mad. "You don't pay for this apartment; you don't pay for that computer, that food. You don't even pay for your cell phone. You don't have a job, you just bum everything off my father. You're pathetic."

Now here I stand, with an angry drunken woman standing in front of me. She's shorter than me, but at this moment she seems to be looming over me. Crap. She raises her hand as if the hit me and all I can think is pleas do it. I would love to have a reason to call the cops on you. Then she seemed to think better of it and dropped her hand to her side. She stepped closer to me and as much as I wanted to move away, but I didn't. Its one of those territorial threat things, just like on the discovery channel. If I move away she'll charge. I chuckled to myself and stood my ground, gagging on the smell of beer and cigarettes that wafted out of her mouth and across my face.

"Listen to me, you spoiled little princess," she sneered. Spoiled? I have to work for everything I get unlike you, I thought, but said nothing. "Your big brother isn't here and neither is my husband, I could hit you so hard…You just stay out of my room and keep quiet," She turned and slammed the door in my face. Literally in my face, I had been standing in the door way so the closing door clipped me in the nose.

Yeah I'll be quiet, I thought as I grabbed my stuff up off the floor as noisily as I could. Then I left the apartment, slamming the door shut behind me. I could hear her screaming from the other side, but I left the building before she even got the door open. Maybe I instigated her a little, I shook my head, she still flew off the handle though, even before I had said anything.

"What a dragon," I muttered to myself as I walked across the street. I kicked a pine cone down the side walk as I made my way to my friend's apartment, still unbelieving of what had happened. I mean Maureen's mentally and emotionally abusive, she always has been, towards my brother and I anyway, but that was the worst she's ever been. The only time I can think to compare that to happened back when I was nine years old and, even though that one was insane, it still didn't quite compare to what happened today. Funny though, that she freaked out over the same thing back then as she did today, what is it with her and letting other people use the computer to do homework? I think she was actually taking her meds back then though. We had been at her ex-husband's house for the better part of the day; my brother Jasper and I were bored out of our minds.

"I can't wait to leave," Jasper said, talking quietly so that Dad wouldn't hear. "I hate it when he brings us over here." He shook his head and sighed deeply at the thought of being here for another two hours. There were a lot of people here, not just Maureen's ex-husband, Danny, but also their daughter Jessica and their son Tyler. They were just as bad as Maureen. Jessica was my age and already she talked about wanting to have sex with any cute guy that walked by her. Who would want her I would never know, she's not even that good looking. She was taller than me with crazy curly dark brown, almost black, hair that made her seem even taller. She also liked to tell all her friends, who were just as bad as her, about how she steals alcohol from her dad's "secret" stash. She was nine years old for goodness sake; I can't even imagine what she'll be like when she's sixteen if she's like this now. As for her brother Tyler, well he was a cutie, he was a year older and nothing at all like his sister. He was calm and quiet and he was one of the nicest people I've ever met, even at nine years old I could tell he was going to turn out to be gay.

"Me either Jazz," I whispered back, sitting down next to him on the steps of the back porch. "I can't stand it here, it's always so…I don't know I don't have words to describe it, it's just awful." We sat in silence after that, watching Jess do tricks on the trampoline, flipping around like an acrobat. Tyler was swimming in the pool and Dad was at the other end of the yard playing horse shoes with Danny.

After an hour of sitting and sulking with Jazz we all went inside the house for some lunch. Maybe he'll actually feed something good this time, I thought. No luck there though, I realized as I saw him pull out the peanut butter and jelly. I don't think he realizes that just because were kids doesn't mean we like peanut butter and jelly. I personally don't like jelly and Jazz doesn't like peanut butter. Jasper and I gave each other knowing looks as we sat at the table. You know the kind, the look that says, 'great, it's going to be one of THOSE days'.

We ate our gross sandwiches in silence, and then stood up to wash off our plates. We leaned against the island in the kitchen, waiting patiently for Dad and Maureen to be done eating so we could leave. Jazz and I had homework to do.

When they finished they washed off their plates and went to put their shoes on. We were going back to his apartment for a few hours before going home, which was good for Jazz cause he needed internet to do his homework and we don't have any at Mom's house.

"Don't forget to ask Daddy if you can use the computer when we get to his house. You know if you don't Maureen will be on it in a second and wont get off," I told Jazz while we waited.

"Yeah, I know, I think I'll do that now," He replied, as they came back into the kitchen.

"Hey Dad?"

"Yeah, Bud?" Dad answered, not really paying attention.

"Can I use the computer to do homework when we get back to your place?"

Dad was about to answer him when Maureen butted in yelling at Jazz, telling him he couldn't use the computer and he yelled back telling her it wasn't her computer. That just made her more angry though. She got really close to him screaming and all Dad seemed able to do is look on in shock. I started shaking with fear, she was angry, what if she hurts him. I grabbed his hand and pulled him back a few steps, starting to cry. Dad saw my tears and came out of his shock. He scooped us up with out even a word and took us out of the house with her screaming behind us. He practically threw us into the backseat and jumped into the drivers seat and was speeding down the road before we had a chance to put our seat belts on.

That was the first time he promised us and Mom that he was going to divorce her, but of course he didn't. Now when ever he says that we just shake our heads and roll our eyes because we know it will never happen.

I laughed as I thought about how history had repeated itself, except this time it had been me she'd been screaming at, and I was sixteen not nine and definitely not helpless like I had been then. I rang the bell to Alice's apartment.

"Who is it?" Her bell like voice sang over the intercom.

"It's me Ali, can I come in?" I asked.

"Yeah, hang on, I just have to figure out what button to press." I laughed out loud, she had just moved into her apartment with her Mom and still didn't know how to let people in. Finally after five minutes of cursing from her, she found the right button and buzzed me in. She met me halfway down the hall. She was practically bouncing

"Bella, what happened? I thought you said you'd be fine staying over there, not that I'm not happy that you're here but I know you and I know that you much to stubborn to just leave there," She spoke a mile a minute. "Something bad happened didn't it? Worse than usually I mean cause it's usually bad so this must have been seriously intense…" I cut off her ramblings with a hug. Alice is my best friend and just seeing her tiny form with her short, black, spiky hair made me feel better.

Once back in her apartment I told her everything that happened and asked her if I could stay with her until my mom picked me up at four after she got out of work. It was no problem with her and her mom was okay with it too, so we went to her room to talk.

We had music blasting and were singing along to Pink's Just Like a Pill as we painted out nails obnoxiously bright colors when my phone rang. I picked it up carefully trying not to smudge my just painted nails and held it to my ear with my shoulder so I could finish painting my other hand.

"Hello?" I answered, it wasn't a number I recognized so I thought it might Subway, as I had just applied for a job there.

"Is this Isabella Swan?" An unfamiliar voice asked.

"Yes this is she," I replied politely, hoping to make a good impression.

"This is Dr. Sawyer calling from Elliot hospital."

Wait, Hospital?!?!?! My mind was reeling. What could they want with me?

"Um…Uh…Y-Yes?" My voice shook and I couldn't think what to say to that.

"I'm calling in regards to your mother Renee, she was brought into the emergency room about an hour ago, she's in critical condition. She woke up for a few moments and asked for you. It doesn't look good Ms. Swan, you should get her as soon as you can."

And with those few words my world came crashing down around me. How I got to the hospital I will never remember, it was all a blur. What I will never forget is that I got there just in time to watch my mother, my best friend, die.

I shoved the door open and was running before the car even stopped. My heart was in my throat and I couldn't think. I could vaguely hear Alice and her mom yelling my name, but all I could concentrate on was the words running through my mind. Elliot hospital…Renee…It doesn't look good…Get here soon. My Mom, my beautiful, crazy, scatter brained, best friend was in the hospital. She came in about an hour ago, her fingers, legs and nose broken. She's cut up real bad and she's been shot. Wouldn't tell us where she had been when she woke up, just kept asking for you and Jasper. She seemed desperate, yelling for you saying it was important, we ended up having to sedate her because she tried to get up to find you guys. Dr. Sawyer's words came back to me as a sprinted across the parking lot, I nearly slammed into a nurse on her smoke break and ended up tripping trying not to hit her. I must have hit the ground hard because when I looked at my knees and hands later they were bleeding and cut up, but right at that moment I didn't care. I flung myself up off the ground and kept going, only slowing down for a second because the automatic doors didn't open soon enough. Then I was in the emergency room, I ran to the counter and asked the man at the desk where I could find Renee. I raced to her room, but just when I was about to go in a nurse stopped me.

"Only family members are allowed in here," She said, trying to block my way.

"I'm her daughter!" I yelled, as I shoved past her and into the room only to stop dead in my tracks. There was my mother, lying propped up on a white hospital bed in a white hospital room. The red of the blood pouring out of her clashed violently with the brilliant, clean white of the room. Three doctors and various nurses were working frantically to save her, but I knew, as soon as I saw the cuts and gashes all over her, as soon as I looked into her half closed eyes, I knew she wouldn't make it. Someone put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze, probably to reassure me, but I barely felt it.

"Why?" I whispered to myself. "Who could do this to her?" Tears were streaming down my face, but I wouldn't allow myself to sob. I stood tall and stiff as I watched my mother slowly slip away from me forever.

"Bells," a choked voice sounded from behind me. I didn't look back, I didn't have to, I knew it was Jazz. I held out my hand and he grasped it in his. It was a small comfort, but it was a comfort none the less. Suddenly my mother's eyes snapped open wide. She quickly scanned the room, stopping when her eyes fell upon us. Pushing nurses and doctors away from us she struggled to sit up more. When she was where she wanted to be she began speaking, it was too low for us to hear, so we scooted as close to her as we could, straining our ears to hear her.

"Run," she wheezed out. "Get…away from here…quickly…you must…leave…they will…they are…coming…please run…stay safe…for me. I...love…you…" Then she fell back to the bed coughing violently, blood running down her chin. The doctors shoved us out of the way trying desperately one last time to keep our mother alive. Her eyes settled on us and she reached her hand towards us. We were about to move towards her when the light went out of her eyes and her hand dropped. The beeping of the heart monitor became an endless sound and she was gone.

I turned into Jasper, who wrapped his arms around me, pressing me to his chest and I finally let myself really cry. I sobbed and my legs gave out under me. Jasper and I slid to the floor, holding on to each other.

A/N Let me know what you think