Heyy guys. I know that AN suck but this is really important. I want to start by apologizing for not updating Faded Moon AT ALL (even though I think it hardly got read anyway) and the confusion you might find of having the same character in this story as my other one. Basicaly, I got fed up with Faded Moon. I couldn't decide what to right for the rest of it and there were too many ideas that were impossible to choose from. So I'v put it aside for a while. I MAY come back to it, but in the meantime, I'v been working on another story. Never Alone obviously. I have too many ideas for this one but I love them all too much not to write them, so I'm going to just have to find a way to cram them in and make it interesting for you ;) And also, I chose to keep Grace's name because I had her character all planned out in my head, and I really couldn't think of another name to fit her.
Okay, so I know I don't write to justice and my story is no where near as good as some fanfictions on here, but I'm really trying with this one. So please bare with me and spare me any advice. I might be a slow updater but I promise I'll make it worth the wait. Please review and I'll thank anyone who is super nice about it!I was gonna write a full summary but I guess there isn't realy much need. The brief summary says it all! Please enjoy (:

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Twilight characters except for Grace and any other random OC's (I kept forgetting to put this on so I'm posting it on this chapter and this chapter only. I don't have the patience to repeat it. It's so annoying, haha).

New In Town

My mind was a blur. I couldn't come to terms with everything that had happened. I couldn't put into perspective, the truth that I was now alone and that nothing would ever be the same again. How was I supposed to move on from this crazed society of pain and desolation that I now had to live in? How could I ever truly be myself again when the guilt that my existence still stands and the feeling of pure emptiness strives inside of me?

I was in a cruiser, being driven by two cops to my Uncle Tony's. That's where I would be living from now on.

"She seems pretty freaked back there" One of them said, "You okay kiddo?" he asked, glancing at me through the mirror. Ugh. Did I look okay?!

"Ah, she's just a little shaken up" The other one said, "Give her time, she'll get over it." I ignored what he said, nodding my head unwillingly and turned my attention back to the window. Green, green and more green was all that ever went by the whole way to Tony's. He lived on the reservation in La Push and worked with the guys that were driving me there. The only thing is, he wasn't on his shift and I had to be 'delivered' there. Ugh!

It felt like hours I was sat there, staring blankly at the dull grey skies that were darkening and the greenery that surrounded. The rain was pounding against the window continuously and – Okay, so I'm being a little over dramatic – it was actually just trickling down the window but hey! I needed to make it fit the mood somehow...Well anyway; it was almost black out when we pulled up outside of Tony's house. It was just how I remembered it: a small, two story house with white shutters on either side of the windows and a narrow gravel driveway in front of the garage. It had one tree in the front garden too; A large willow tree that covered the top left corner of the grass. Maybe I should have climbed up and stayed there...

Tony was already outside, running towards the car before we could even turn the ignition off. Typical. The cop that spoke to me earlier came around to open my door, but I was already up and out before he could reach it. I stood stubbornly at the end of the garden path to examine the surroundings, whilst the cop brought my bags from the trunk and Tony came scurrying over to wrap an arm around me. I shifted uncomfortably in his embrace.

"Oh Grace! I'm so sorry about –"

"It's fine" I cut him off. It was too difficult to mention and even harder to hear without feeling emotionally unstable. He gave me a sympathetic look and went to take my bags from the cop. I shifted down the path, kicking a large stone that dared to get in my way, and pretended to take no interest in the conversation behind me.

"How's she been?" Tony asked, concern in his voice, as he turned his back to me and lowered his tone. Though he thought he was being quiet, I heard every word of the conversation.

"Well, she's been very quiet –" The cop answered heavily, "– very unresponsive – to us anyway. I suggest you try talking to her, see if there's anything she wants; anything she needs."

"I think the best you can do is try to make her feel as welcome as possible." The other cop said coming to join them by the side of the car.

"Hmm..." Tony murmured. Umm, hello! It's not like I'm stood a million miles away. I'm right here! "Yeah. Well Daniel, I guess it's just real hard for her yah know, –" Don't mention it. Don't... "– losing both her parents like that." Dammit! I winced as the pain shot through every limb in my body, surging through my veins with what could only be describe as venom. I had to remind myself to breathe; to keep in my right state of mind and keep my emotions from failing me.

Tony noticed how impatient and agitated I had become and quickly did the right thing.

"Uh, well thanks anyways guys" He spoke quickly, "It means a lot and I'm sure young Grace here appreciates it too, don't you Grace?" He turned his head back to me and beckoned for me to say 'yes'. I didn't answer. I averted my eyes away and stared down at the ground beneath my feet.

"See" The cop, who I now assumed, was Daniel, said. Tony turned back to face them and I could of swore blind he looked disappointed!

"Now I see what you mean" He muttered. "Well anyway, thanks again. I guess I better show Grace to her room. See you later Charlie, Will." He nodded his head once to each of them before heading towards me.

"Yeah, we'll see you tomorrow" The other one, who I was guessing was Charlie called entering the cruiser.

"Sure!" Tony called back, tossing his arm in the air and motioning me towards the house. I obeyed, keeping my eyes fixed on the door before me. This was now officially my new home.

"Grace, you really shouldn't be like that" Tony said from behind as he placed my bags down on the floor. I didn't answer. "Okay look, I know you're upset but please, speak to me" He begged stepping in front of me. His eyes were filled with sympathy, concern, but the most obvious, plea.

"I have nothing to say" I answered, my voice thick with emotion and my eyes strained with tears that threatened to overpower me. I was losing patience and was about ready to burst.

"Okay, well your rooms this way" He muttered. I picked up my bags and followed as he led the way up the narrow staircase. "Sorry, it's a little small" He added over his shoulder. Sure it was. I peered around the corner as he held the door open for me. Yes. Definitely small. I placed my bag down on the floor and turned to face him. His expression was filled with hope, probably that I would overcome this almost intolerable pain quicker, easier, than...the last time. But I could tell that he knew it was false hope. I could just about overcome the first time – the time that my mom passed away – mainly because my dad was there to help me, and also because I was only young and I barely understood what had happened until I reached a certain age. But now I didn't have my dad to help me anymore. I didn't have my best friend to keep me from falling apart. I didn't understand how Tony could even imagine...

I had to stop there. I couldn't think any further. What if...if I didn't – couldn't – overcome this? Well, I knew that I couldn't, at least not for a long time anyway. But the thought of knowing that I would be grieving this, regretting even, for the rest of my life was just too much.

I shook the thought from my head and looked towards Tony again.

"I'll uh...I'll leave you to it." He closed the door quietly behind him and left me to marvel in my new room. The moment he was gone, I aimed straight for the bed and curled up in a ball with my knees against my chest. The pain and the emptiness was so excruciating, I didn't know how much more I could handle before I lost it...

I didn't leave my room after that. I couldn't think, I couldn't sleep, afraid that the moment I tried, the endless torment would begin all over again. I stayed curled up for what felt like hours. I even heard Tony make his way to bed before I decided to move. But reluctantly, I shifted myself to the window, stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. I pressed my hand against the cool glass and watched as a fine layer of condensation began to form around the edge.

It was still raining. The street was lifeless; still and morbid, lit by only a few street lights and the moonlight that glistened along the wet road. There was nobody out; nobody walking the streets, no cars passing by, no sound – except for the light thudding of the rain against the window – nothing. I supposed I could get used to it here eventually.

Just then, something very large and very fast appeared by the side of the road. I jumped, slightly startled by the unexpected movement. I blinked twice, certain that I was imagining what I was seeing. A huge animal or at least it looked like one, stood in the shadows. I looked closely, my forehead pressed against the glass as I tried to examine the shape; its features matched those of a wolf I was sure, but this was huge. It was larger than any wolf I'd ever seen before.

I hadn't realised that by now, I was breathing heavily against the window, which was now fogged up, curiosity intriguing me. I wiped my hand across the window, desperate to see more of this...creature, but when I brought my eyes back to where I saw it, the creature was gone. I couldn't understand how something could disappear so quickly. I examined the street cautiously; careful not to miss a single spot that it could be hiding in, but there was no sign of the animal anywhere. Maybe I was just imagining it.

I sighed heavily and made my way back to the bed, glancing at the clock on my way passed. 1:30a.m. I still had my suitcase to unpack, though I wasn't sure if I could do it without making any noise. When it came to hangers and closets I was a nightmare, and I didn't particularly want to wake Tony. I left my suitcase on the floor and pulled out my pyjamas instead. I didn't want to sleep, knowing where my unconsciousness would take me, but I knew it would come sooner or later and eventually, I would have to sleep even though I wouldn't get much rest from it anyway.

I slipped my pyjamas on quickly, curled up under the covers and hesitated before closing my eyes, dreading the nightmare that waited...

When I re-opened my eyes, nothing was as it seemed. I expected the light to shine through the window and the birds to sing outside. But they didn't. It was still dark out. I expected the night to last longer, or at least so that it felt like I had actually slept. But it didn't. Strangely, it felt like I'd hardly slept at all; liked I'd opened my eyes five minutes after I closed them.

I heaved myself upright, swaying slightly as I gained consciousness. Something was different. I was back in my old room; everything was as I remembered it. The old pale walls, the white curtains, the pale blue duvet. It was all the same, but not quite. Something wasn't right. Something strong was burning my nostrils and my throat, making it harder to breath. Something...smoky. My eyes automatically skimmed around my room once more. Everything still seemed the same except for one thing. Something beneath the door caught my eye. A bright orange glow flickered between the gap. A bright orange...Oh no! At that moment I knew. The bright orange glow wasn't a glow anymore. It could only be one thing. Fire.

And then I knew I was dreaming again. But I couldn't wake up. It was like I was pinned down to my nightmare, made to stay there against my will.

Warily, suddenly afraid, I made my way towards the door. My mind was telling me to go back, to get out of the room, to avoid the door because I knew what waited for me. I knew exactly what was going to happen next. But my body was telling me otherwise; my feet continued to move uncontrollably towards the door, one slow step at a time. I was no longer in control of my actions anymore. My nightmare was controlling me. As much as I wanted to stop myself from going any further, I kept going and going. I outstretched a hand hesitantly towards the door and skimmed the back of my hand against the handle. It was hot. Very hot. I knew not to open a door if the handle was hot, I knew what it meant, but that didn't stop my body from disobeying me.

I grabbed the nearest thing I could find – the jacket I had left hanging on the back of my chair – and covered the door handle with it. My chest was tightening with lack of air and I couldn't stifle the coughs that were exposed repeatedly. I yanked open the door and my arm immediately flew to my face. Bright blazing flames danced across the banister, down the stairs, the walls, the ceiling, swallowing the whole room in their embrace. The smoke was thicker, burning wilder in my throat. I coughed more fiercely, darting for my father's room. I didn't want to go that way; I didn't want to shout his name, knowing that instinctively, he would come to me. But my voice disobeyed me.

"Dad!" I croaked, begging that he wouldn't hear. "Dad!" I pushed myself further down the hallway, but the smoke constricted around my chest, slowing me with suffocation. The door of his room opened and there he stood in his white shirt and boxers, a panicked expression plastered across his face. "Dad" I whispered, relieved to know that he was still okay. Part of me was glad to see him standing there in front of me, feeling his presence so close to me, but the other part of me was screaming for him to disappear in a puff of smoke before what was going to happen...happened. The relief that I felt only seconds ago was suddenly taken over by the fear of knowing we were still trapped and knowing exactly what was to come.

"Grace!...What are you doing?...You need to get out! Now!" He yelled, coughing as he took a step towards me.

"Dad, no!...Stay where you – "

"Grace! You have to get out of here. Please!" He interrupted. I just shook my head, tears threatening to fall. It was going to happen. I knew it was going to happen.

He took another daring step closer to me.

"Dad no! Don't – " I choked, but it was too late. Within seconds he was gone. My father, my only parent, my best friend and only friend...was gone.

It took me all of two seconds to realise what had just happened. The roof collapsed between me and my father, dropping straight through the second floor. I could see the flames through what was the floor, as they creeped over the rubble that my father lay beneath and then I knew that was it.

"DAD!" I screamed, horrified at the scene before me. Flames danced above the rubble, stretching as far as they could reach. "Dad!" I fell to my knees, the tears falling freely now, my sobs being swallowed by my desperate gags for air. I was swaying, my chest so tight it was almost unbearable. First my mother. Now my father. Why couldn't it just be me? I croaked out his name once more, sinking slowly towards the ground. I waited for the impact of the floor against my head and the darkness that was soon to creep in, but just as my head was about to reach the floor everything disappeared...

My eyes shot open and I gasped, horrified by what I had yet again experienced. It didn't matter how many times I dreamt of it, the next time would always be just as bad as the first. I sat up, panting heavily as the shock continued to sink in. The nightmare was all too real and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep again after that, afraid that the moment sleep consumed me, I would be back where it started again. So, as usual, I spent the rest of the morning waiting for the early bird to call outside my window and prepared myself, mentally, for my first day at the Quileute High School.

Tony disagreed with me starting school here so early. He thought it best that I didn't attend for a few days, given the previous events in my life. He thought I should have some time to grieve but this wasn't something I could ever fully get over. Both of my parents are dead. Nothing can change that, and neglecting school for the sake of myself wasn't going to help either.

I told him that I was fine and insisted that I go to school whether he liked it or not.

So here I am, sprawled across my bed in my shirt and panties, scrutinizing every detail of the ceiling; the palest shade of a dull white, the scabrous pattern, the smudges in the creases where it conjoined with the wall. My dishevelled thoughts plastered over it made it harder to erase them and the more I tried to concentrate on anything but them, I found myself doing the complete opposite, replaying them over and over in my mind. Every single one of them flashed before my eyes, from the memories of my parents, to the last precious moments I shared with them, to...to the night everything end – No! Stop. I won't allow myself to think that far. I won't let my emotions be triggered. Not now. Not ever. Not by those stupid thoughts that I can't seem to rid.

I shuddered just then, as a shiver rippled its way down my spine, chilling me to the bone, and I brought my knees up to my chest shakily. My arms instinctively wrapped around them, clutching them tightly against myself as I struggled to keep my breathing even. In, out I reminded myself, trying to keep a steady rhythm. Whenever I let my mind wander to far, I would always be met with that very same thought that I feared too much to think of and again, the pain would inflict and I would struggle to keep myself composed.

Just then, I was distracted by a familiar voice.

"Grace!" Tony called from the foot of the stairs, "I think you should get up now! That is if you insist on going to school today." I looked at the clock on my bedside cabinet. 6:30a.m. Ugh, I groaned and sunk back into my pillow. Today was going to be a long day.

When I'd finally managed to rip myself from my pit, I dragged my feet sluggishly to the bathroom to shower. I stopped by the mirror to examine my appearance. Still no change. My light brown hair hung loosely over my shoulders and the dark, purplish circles that surrounded my eyes still existed from my sleepless nights. There was no expression in my features, no real emotion. There was no life in me.
I spent fifteen minutes in the shower after that, relaxing my muscles and letting the heat absorb me. When I was done, I decided on a pair of light blue jeans, a white tank top, a long, grey jersey cardy and converse. I let my hair wave naturally over my shoulders and accessorized it with a small black bow. I took one last look in the mirror, exhaled, and made my way downstairs.

Tony had left the cereal box out. I wasn't really in the mood for eating. I hadn't really bothered with food much since...whatever, and I didn't really have much time before I had to leave, but I knew it was in Tony's best interest that I maintained a healthy diet (even though I went against that most of the time), plus he was there to witness and he wouldn't let me off the hook, so I made a small bowl and a glass of orange juice.

"Morning" Tony greeted from behind the newspaper he was reading. He was so hung up in it that I was surprised he even noticed my presence when I took a seat opposite him.

I didn't answer. I gave a weak smile and slipped a small spoonful of cereal into my mouth. I heard Tony sigh and fold the paper down in front of him.

"Are you going to be this uncooperative all the time?" He moaned. I still didn't answer, chewing on my food uncomfortably. He sighed heavily and got up to take his mug back to the kitchen. He muttered something like 'Okay, if that's how you want to play it...' under his breath on the way.

I decided that Tony should be an exception. Not talking to him wasn't really going to solve anything and I knew he wouldn't let it drop until I finally said something.

"Shouldn't you be at the station already?" I asked impassively. I wasn't really interested; I wanted to know how soon it would be until I could be alone again. Being a loner, or an outcast should I say, depending on where exactly I'm present, well that's probably what you could use to describe me.

"Oh, so you are talking to me?" I gave him the 'For God sake, I just spoke to you didn't I' look as he plopped himself down in his chair, picking up the paper again. He sighed and continued to answer my question. I guess he knew that he wasn't going to win me around.

"Yes, but I called in and told them I was gonna be late today," He answered, flicking over the page. "I wanted to make sure you got to school okay on your first day." At this point, I was in the middle of drinking my orange juice when the thought of Tony driving me to school in his police cruiser crossed my mind. I choked back my drink and glared at him in horror. "What?" He said, raising his eyes from the paper for a brief second.

"You are not driving me to school in that cruiser of yours!" I exclaimed demandingly. He looked up from the paper, sighed, and folded it neatly on the table.

"Relax" He assured me, sliding his spectacles off his nose.

"What? No cruiser?" I rose a brow.

"Well, not exact–"

"No way!" I cut him off, "Uh-uh. Not. A. Chance."

"But–"

I narrowed my eyes. "Forget it, Tony. I'm walking."

"Oh, c'mon. Don't you think you're being a bit too hasty about starting school just yet?" He tried to reason. "I mean, you've been here what? A day, and already you're pushing yourself into things."

"I'm not pushing myself into anything."

"Look, all I'm saying is I don't think you're ready to start anything major...or public, just yet. Not with everything that's just-"

"Ah!" I lifted my hand signifying him to stop before he said too much. "I'm fine Tony. Okay. What has happened has happened and nothing you say or do can change that. I'm going to school whether you like it or not." I'd had enough. With that, I left my cereal bowl half full and stomped through the front door, slamming it behind me as a sign of my impatience.

By the time I reached the school entrance, my stomach was doing crazy little flips. I wondered what the people here would be like; would I fit in? Would I stand out?! Ugh, definitely not what I wanted. I wanted to be as reasonably unnoticed as possible. Hopefully I should be able to achieve that...

I sauntered through the car park, trying my best to ignore the finger pointing at the 'new girl' and the glares I got from almost every angle. It took no time at all for that to kick in. I'd expected just as much, but what really bothered me was that they were bound to be asking questions like 'Where did you come from? Why did you move?" and I was in no real position to be answering those. I certainly didn't plan on letting my serenity fail me either. I increased my speed and hurried over to the front office which was made pretty clear due to the sign above the door. I hated nothing more than being the centre of attention and the sooner I got out of that car park, the better.

It was pretty different to what I had originally expected inside. It was pretty small with two seats lined along the wall and a wooden table in the middle. A fairly old woman sat behind the desk, her dark hair tied into a bun on the back of her head. She looked up expectantly from her spectacles when she heard me arrive. Her teeth stood out from her dark skin when her face puckered into a smile.
"Oh, you must be Grace Taylor?" She asked pleasantly.

"Yes"
"I have your schedule right here..." Her voice trailed off whilst she dug through a list of papers. "Here we are." She pulled out a file with my name in crooked, black letters and handed it to me. "Take this map and you should be able to find your way around in no time.

"Thanks."

The corridors were already half empty by the time I'd left the office. I had a couple of minutes to find my first class, which was proving to be a disaster since I'd already managed to get myself lost in the hope of doing the opposite. My thoughts were all over the place, trying to focus on what I was doing and how I would react once I'd reached my destination, whilst at the same time, trying to keep other unwanted thoughts from re-entering my mind. That was proving to be pretty difficult too.

I kept my head down, staring at the map and glancing up every so often to check whether I was in the right place but this was useless. My head was too messed up to focus properly. I think I walked past the same lockers twice already and ended up back where I started. Great.

I decided to start from the beginning. I checked my room number again, adjusted the map until it was facing the right direction, and started to walk. This time I really did try to focus. Well, better than before anyway. I turned right, down the corridor, past the lockers and – ouch! - Straight into something. I'd guessed maybe the wall since it felt very solid; solid enough that the impact caused my head to throb slightly. I held my hand to my forehead, too embarrassed to lift my head and see how many people witnessed my idiotic moment. But that didn't last long.
"What the..." A male voice vociferated. I peeked between my fingers to see a pair of large feet standing in front of me. Oh dear. I guess I didn't walk into a wall...

I hope this was a good enough way to start off with.
Thankyou, to anyone who has read so far.
Please review and I promise I'll try and update sooner (: