Summary: Edward wants to escape the limelight and constant scrutiny that accompanies his position as a prominent member of the British Royal family. Isabella Swan is a travelling gap year student who doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. Two strangers from opposite worlds cross paths in London and embark on a journey that leads them ...

Authors Note: Would like to send a big thank you to the lovely kjwrit for beta'ing this story for me.

Disclaimer: I'm just playing. We all know S. Meyer's owns these guys and girls of the Twilight Universe.

Escaping Reality
By
LostWithinADayDream

"OHMYGOD!" Alice, my pixie best friend squealed as the black cab drove us through London city and past the famous clock tower - Big Ben – in a blur, stopping every now and again at traffic lights.

I'd known Alice since I was a little girl, even though we lived in separate towns/cities. Well, I did. We still remained best friends and we were always joined at the hip when I stayed with my dad over the summer holidays in Forks, Washington. This had always been a dream of ours, to come to Europe. As college graduates, we decided to do a gap year before continuing our education and much to my horror, knowing Alice's parents' taste, they and my father had gotten us a one year visa to visit Europe and do touristy things. London would be our base. But that's not what had me horrified.

Alice's parents liked the best of the best. I would be quite happy to sleep in hostels or bed and breakfasts. But no, that wasn't good enough for Alice's parents. Their little girl had to have the best of everything and had bought themselves a flat in one of the richest parts of London. In a top area, I knew (after doing research) to be a popular destination for the rich and famous.

What with its fancy hairdressers, posh hotels, and high end night clubs… London, Mayfair was my idea of hell. I was surprised Charlie even agreed to it. My dad maybe Chief of Police to the good people of Forks, Washington, but he didn't earn the same amount of ridiculous wages Alice's folks raked in. Even though he and my mom had set up a bank account for me when I was a baby and had put in money over the years, I still didn't feel comfortable with this arrangement of living – including location!

Perhaps we should have signed up for that British TV show called: Location, Location, Location. Maybe they would have been able to find us a reasonably priced flat. I'd come across the TV show on Google when searching for flats.

I knew the price would probably have me fainting and I refused to know how much this pad would cost to rent for a year. I was comfortable thanks to my savings. I'd saved up since high school when I got my first job at Newton's Outlet store once Alice and I first started talking about traveling after our college graduation. With some careful planning and a bit of frugality on my part, on top of my parents' savings they gave me as a college graduation present, I would be plenty comfortable. We also made sure to get working visa's since we'd heard that if you can work in other countries before university, it would look even better on your written letter when you got to that stage.

These past eight years of my life have been the best. At first I looked on with horror at the thought of moving to the cold, wet and hardly ever sunshine town that's Forks. Alice, her folk's, and getting to know Charlie a little better were the only reasons I even contemplated moving there. Well mostly Alice was the main reason. It was thanks to her badgering that I found the courage to call Charlie and ask if I could come to stay when I'd told her over the phone how sick I was of my mother and her new beau at the time, who is now sadly her husband. Her much younger husband and a minor league sports star.

Imagine being a twelve year old kid who had to start paying bills and keeping an eye on things around the house. One who had to make sure there were clean clothes to wear and food in the refrigerator to eat. All things an adult should do. Well, that ended up being my job as I was the only one who seemed to care if we had a roof over our heads, heating for the winter, and running water, hot and cold. It was a good thing I'd learned how to forge my mother's signature at an early age or else we'd be on the streets.

Mom had met Phil a year before I started high school in Forks and it had been the year from hell. Moving to Forks, a place I never hid my dislike for, was my last resort, but I grew sick of my mother's whining and tantrums when she couldn't go away with Phil because of me. Her own insecurity would rise up along with her anger and she would blame me, telling me things like if Phil ever left her, she'd never forgive me. So I'd had it. What was the point in living with someone who was supposed to love you when they didn't give a rat's ass about you except for their own selfish life?

So in the end, nine years ago I gave my mother an ultimatum. Multitasking was never her strong suit and this instance was no different, so she could either be my mother or be Phil's wife.

I wasn't surprised by her answer.

We sold the house that year and went our separate ways. I haven't heard from her since then and she's never replied to any of my emails or answered my occasional phone calls. It lasted all the way through college, but when she never came to my graduation, I gave up trying. What was the point? My own mother clearly didn't want to know me.

Charlie wasn't much better as a single parent. We weren't what one would call a verbose duo, but at least he cared. He paid the bills, while I did the cooking and cleaning, and he came home at night and ate dinner with me that I made, instead of having a plate opposite me filled with food going cold.

But now I felt like this was my chance to shine. This was my year to finally let my hair down. No awkwardness. No bills to pay. All Alice's parents had asked was that we didn't trash the place and I would never repay their generosity by doing such a thing. Food alone was expensive enough to buy, on top of everything else we wanted to do, but their support wasn't just financial. They wanted us to enjoy ourselves and said this would be the year to do it.

Returning to college would be a struggle on its own, which was another reason I had asked for working visa so I could save up again, while I spent a year over there. My goal was to save up enough money to pay for tuition and an apartment near whatever school we ended up going to. Both Alice and I were hoping to get into the same one since we already knew we got along well living together, having spent four years in Port Angelis at college together. All Charlie had told me was: enjoy, stay safe, phone him when we arrived at the place no matter the time so he knows I'm safe, no boys and no drugs!

Typical father speak with a dash of police chief thrown in.

Alice and I had made a deal. She enjoyed the European fashion and wanted to go to all the fashion shows and high end night clubs, which wasn't my scene. I wanted to go to the history museums, art galleries, and visit old castles and ruins.

So the deal was Alice would pay for the night life including fashion shows and I would pay to get into the places she didn't particularly want to go to. We both promised to stick together - no straying because Alice was right when she said, "We are two girls in another world."

Something shaking me pulled me out from deep within my thoughts.

"Huh?" was my smart reply. Blinking my way back to the present, I pulled off my shades to look at Alice who was looking at me as if I'd grown two heads.

"You didn't hear a word I said did you?" Alice asked. "Didn't you even realize the cab stopped? My parents have really outdone themselves this time!"

My eyes finally moved to look out the window and I groaned. It was just as I feared...

Hey everyone, I just wanted to say, that I will be doing a huge thank you note at the end. Instead of every chapter like some authors do.

For now I would like to thank any one that adds me to alerts, favourites and follows me on here.
And for everyone that reviews, you'll get a special shout out at the end of the story.

Like I noticed on some stories add people in who've reviewed in A/N. I will be doing the same thing, but at the end instead.

Okay I'm repeating myself... I think. So I'm gonna shut up now and crack on with Chapter 1 :)

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend and that it was a lot warmer than here.

LostWithinADayDream