AN: Disclaimer: I don't own characters, themes or anything related to what is written here. I couldn't afford them if they were the kind of things that could be sold, heck I can barely afford the books that this story is based off of.

Nothing is ever done beautifully which is done
in rival ship: or nobly, which is done in pride.

-John Ruskin

Preface

'This was the reason I had refused to return to Forks for so long', I thought hopelessly. After all the years I had told myself it wasn't worth it to get involved… and here I was. Here I was smack in the middle of everything, figuratively at least. In this particular moment I was running desperately, my breathing jerking about erratically and I was scared. Even through the terror I knew that I would do it all again because of him, knew that I would do anything for just one more moment with him and I was treasuring my memories even though they were tainted with hate, anger and pain. Surely my attempts were worth it, heroic, brave, noble even because I was running to save someone. I was running to my doom in the slight chance that my sacrifice would be enough.

Chapter One: First Sight (part one)

My mother had taken us, the two kids, Emmett and I away from Forks when we were small. My brother had returned right after he had turned sixteen. He claimed Charlie needed him and that I was old enough to take care of scatterbrained Renee alone. I was fifteen at the time and since then I had desperately missed him. He spent his summers with me, Charlie and Renee down in Phoenix but I never felt like I saw him enough. We used to be best friends and now distance was corrupting us. Still this wasn't enough to force me back to Forks and until last September I thought there could be nothing to get me back in Washington. My reason for staying away was simple, the Cullen's, Esme, Carlisle and their teenage son.

It was a family thing, a family dispute though I, myself, didn't know the cause of it. When I asked about the fight I was told I was too young to understand it. I hadn't asked about it in years though, maybe they would think I was old enough but by now I felt it was beneath me, a waste of time and energy. I didn't want to know about it, I didn't want to put any thought into it. All I knew was that it went further back then the current Cullens and the Swans; that was enough information for me. So after growing up with Renee and her negative words about the Cullens I understood that staying away was for the best. I wanted to stay passive on the subject, I asked Emmett not to mention them. I didn't want to hear that my brother, whom I loved to death, was getting into fights. I didn't want to hate these people who I didn't know. The thought of Emmett in the situation at all made me uncomfortable enough.

So why was I back here, why had I sentenced myself to the warzone? Well… Renee had found someone else to take care of her, Phil. They traveled a lot due to Phil's work. Renee couldn't stand to be parted from him and it made her feel guilty to leave me home alone. I missed Charlie, though I didn't feel like I knew him well and I longed for my time with Emmett back. Putting these all into consideration I found myself on a plane.

--

"Hey little sis, I missed you so much," Emmett called to me the second he saw me at the airport.

"EMMETT," I yelled back as I threw my free arm around his shoulder. "You've grown again," I chuckled.

"What can I say, teenager genes, you know…," he smiled, "Let me take your bag. You look too tired to carry that heavy load," He smirked, sarcasm dripping in his voice. I shook my head as I passed him my barely full bag anyway.

"Fine, take it."

He chuckled again but complied, "Sorry Charlie couldn't make it here, police duty and all that."

"That's fine, really. I just can't believe I'm here," I muttered.

"No kidding, I was starting to think I wouldn't see you again and the phone calls just weren't cutting it."

We talked casually about the weather, that was raining, and our parents, that were civil, as we made our way to the old house. A place I knew from phone calls looked basically the same as it had when I had lived there; a place that held no memories to me, not having stepped foot in it since I was three, fourteen years ago.

"School will be interesting tomorrow," Emmett commented as he opened the front door.

"Hmm… why's that?" I asked.

"You've never had to deal with the Cullens before," He muttered darkly. "They haven't heard about your arrival yet."

"What do you mean they don't know about my arrival; this is Forks were talking about, small town, big gossip."

"I knew you wouldn't want the attention," Emmett replied easily, "I convinced dad to keep your coming to just Ms. Cope, the guidance consular, and the principal. You know the essentials."

I smiled a bit at this; I was always terrified at being the center of attention. Being clumsy had that side effect. "You're distracting me. The Cullens can't be all that bad, you've been dealing with them for years and look at you, practically unscathed," I kidded.

"Bella this isn't a joke. The Cullen boy and his friends aren't going to be happy now that another Swan is back in town, I don't know if they're going to go easy on you… just because you're a girl-"

I rolled my eyes, "Emmett… what are they going to do; beat me up, drive me crazy-"

He interrupted, "They wouldn't dare with me there."

I let the subject drop. Knowing that he would only be 'there' for the rest of the year made me uneasy. "I'm going to go unpack. Will Charlie be home for dinner?"

He sighed, "Yeah he's bringing home a pizza. You're room is the first left after the stairs. You can't miss it; it's the only clean area in the house."

--

After my reunion with Charlie I headed up to get ready for bed. The boys went to watch football in the living room. I showered slowly letting the warm water seep into my pores and cloud my thoughts, today had been better then I thought it would. Forks was cold and wet but so far it was bearable. Charlie was a lot like me, quiet and easy going and I realized while I ate that it was going to be easy living with the boys.

As I lay in bed listening to the pounding rain outside I fretted about school. I hadn't fit in back in Phoenix and I doubted it would be much different here. I wasn't like average kids or at least I didn't get along with average kids. I worried that the school would side with the Cullens and I would become a loner. Emmett would be with me for the rest of this year at least.

In the end I slept badly and for very few hours when I decided it was late enough to get ready for school. I put on a pair of faded jeans and a black sweater before I headed downstairs to eat. Emmett sat at the table with a bowl of cereal, "Here Bella," he said as he pushed a clean bowl across from him slightly closer to me. "Eat up; I'm driving us to school in ten minuets."

"Thanks; Charlie already headed to work?" I pondered.

"Yeah he leaves pretty early. If it's not work it's fishing, you know how he is."

I nodded as I shoveled the dry cereal into my mouth and chewed with no desire to hurry. When Renee had left Charlie had thrown himself into his work. Even Emmett's return hadn't changed his daily routines. Painfully I wondered if he kept it up in fear that his son would leave like his mom before; a similar gaping hole filling his place at the kitchen table.

--

Emmett pulled up to the high school and pointed out the guidance building, "Go there, Ms. Cope will give you your schedule and a map. You won't need the map, don't worry. I'll be waiting here to show you the way to your first class."

"Fine, I'll see you in a bit then," I replied as I excited his old truck and made my way to the building. Inside it was pretty basic. The room was small, cut in half by a counter, and full of files, papers and plants. It was weird how no matter how much green there was outside they still felt the need to bring some in. A women with red hair looked up as I entered. "Ms. Cope? I'm Isabella Swan. I'm supposed to pick up some paper work from you."

She smiled up at me, "Oh, we're so excited that you're here." She answered. I wondered if her excitement was due to the fact that another Swan was being placed in the ever entertaining fuel between the families or if it was just having a new student at all. I figured it was both as I watched her scatter around looking for my papers, "Here you go honey, Get your teachers to sign this one," she held one up, "and bring it back at the end of the day. Hope you enjoy it here."

"Thanks," I attempted a lousy smile and went back out to Emmett who was leaning against the truck talking to a beautiful blond haired girl.

They looked up as I approached, "Bella this is my girlfriend, Rosalie," Emmett introduced us. I was surprised, it wasn't that I didn't think my brother was attractive I just didn't think a girl as gorgeous as Rosalie, Rosalie that Emmett frequently told me helped him mechanically with the trunk, would be with a guy like Emmett. I knew I shouldn't judge by appearance though.

"Nice to meet you," she smiled at me as she held out her hand. I shook it taking her more carefully in. She was tall, not as tall as Emmett though, and lean. Her body was perfect, swimsuit model standard.

"Nice to meet you too," I replied.

"So let's see what you have first," my brother interrupted my reverie as he reached over and grabbed my schedule. "English, building three," He read aloud. He looked up and pointed to where it was. "Its right there," he told me as he looked down again. "You're second period is right there," he hesitated, "and you're third is right over there." He smiled as he pointed to the last one. "I'll meet you there after and Rose and I will eat lunch with you. We have a tradition, we like eating in the truck, hope you don't mind."

"Sounds good," I replied halfheartedly only slightly curious about eating in the truck. I figured it had something to do with the Cullens or possibly Rosalie and Emmett liked to fool around at noon. Err, that thought suddenly had me repelling from the truck.

"See you later," Emmett called as he and Rosalie headed off.

I walked into my English class and introduced myself to the teacher quickly as I got the reading material. All things I had already read back in Phoenix, I noted. This class was going to be easy and boring. I sat down near the back so the students couldn't stare at me, or at least stare as much. The teacher lectured for the next hour but I hardly listened. After the bell rang a boy beside me spoke up, "You're new, aren't you?"

On the surface I appeared nice enough but internally I wanted to sarcastically ream him out. No kidding I was the new; or maybe he just hadn't noticed me for the past twelve years? I looked him over quickly he had black hair and looked like the kind of kid you might find at an arcade or sitting at home playing online chess. I nodded, "Bella, just call me Bella." I answered.

"Nice to meet you Bella I'm Erick. Where's your next class. I'll help you find it."

Though Emmett had already pointed it out earlier I let Erick help me. He led me there quickly making small talk as he went and I thanked him when he left for his next class.

After third period, Jessica, who I had a few classes with offered to let me sit with her and her friends at lunch. She was bubbly and friendly but it seemed like she was more interested in being seen around the 'new' girl then anything else. I told her I was eating with my brother this lunch but I would eat with her tomorrow, remembering my hopefully incorrect assumptions that the truck may not be as clean and wholesome as I wanted to believe it was.

Emmett was right where he said he'd be when I left the warm room. He was standing with Rosalie and it made me happy to see that he seemed truly happy with her. I wondered if he had told her he loved her yet. It certainly looked like he was head over heals. "Hey kiddo how was your first morning?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes as we started walking to the parking lot, "Oh you know demonic, we dissected Shakespeare in English and I heard something about sacrificing goats in Bio after lunch."

Emmett laughed heartedly, "I think I heard something about that goat thing. Bet you'd never do anything like that back in Phoenix."

I'd like to say that lunch with the couple was entertaining but mostly I just stared out the truck window as Rosalie and Emmett had their own discussion. It wasn't like they were trying to exclude but old habits die hard. I looked at the clock realizing what time it was, "Emmett where's this class located?" I asked breaking into his love fest.

He looked at the paper I was shoving towards him briefly and pointed, "Right there, are you heading off?"

"Yeah I don't want to be late on my first day, See you after school."

I was glad that tomorrow Jessica and her unknown friends would be taking me away from my brother and his girlfriend. Being around people in love when you aren't in love makes you feel pathetic or incapable of receiving love which is worse.

AN: My inspiration, and I use that term loosely, for this blurb of fan fiction came from 'Twilight', 'Romeo and Juliet', Scribbler of dreams' (by Mary E. Pearson), Roméo et Juliette (the film by Yves Desgagnés) and Romeo + Juliet (the film by Baz Luhrmann).

I am not a writer; I state this loudly, not trying to hide this fact from anyone. I never intend my life to move toward that direction in fact I haven't really 'written' a story in approximately five years, not including school projects. I am not good with grammar or spelling and I, you will notice, misuse commas often. I am only one person, and that person is a lousy editor. The only experience I have is from reading.


If anything is incorrect feel free to shout at me. I do not claim any part of this stories word choices as my own!