Okay, so I promised myself I wouldn't start any new stories, but I couldn't help myself. This one just came to me, so I had to do it. BTW, my other stories Once More With Feeling: Twilight and Papers, Kegs, and the Holy Air Mattress are discontinued, so if anyone would like to adopt them, feel free. Just PM me if you do pleez.

The sun shone down hot and blistering on our tiny, ramshackle house. The neighborhood was silent, in a sweltering daze, but inside the house was loud and raucous.

"Mom, I can live by myself. I'm sixteen!" I whined as I stuffed the few clothes I owned into a duffle bag. My mom just smiled, pushing a stray hair from my face.

"Honey, I know I haven't been a good mother for all these years, especially after your father died-" I winced at the reminder, and continued shoving jeans into the bag. "So I have to try and make up for all that lost time. After I get out of rehab-"

I cut her off, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Mom, I'm really proud of you for taking this step towards overcoming your problem, but why do I have to move? I can take care of myself."

She smiled sadly. "That's the thing, sweetie. You've been taking care of yourself for too long. You need a stable home. That's why Esme offered to take you in while I'm gone." Esme was my mother's dearest friend and only sibling. I hadn't seen her since I was a little kid, seeing as she went off and married some rich doctor and adopted a Hell of a lot of kids. She was nice, if I remembered correctly, and pretty, but never came to visit. Mom said she was too busy taking care of six kids to take care of her screwed-up sister too.

Well, make that five kids now.

One of them died, recently. A couple months ago, right before mom admitted she was an alcoholic. I think the funeral was what pushed her towards the light. I didn't go. Funerals were still too much for me to handle.

"But Chicago? Come on, that's so far away!" Too far away from my sunny Arizona home, and my hair-brained mother. What if she needed me? What if she got kicked out? Who would she come home to?

"You'll love it. And their house is so big! A mansion! And five kids to play with!"

"Mom, I'm a little past playing. And I like our little shack. It's cozy. And warm."

She laughed. "You'll get used to the cold. And you look so cute in your new sweater."

I sighed. "There's no use arguing, is there."

"Nope."

"Great," I muttered. Renee was so childlike, so dependent. It scared me that she was going off on her own, taking the initiative to fix her own problem. I felt so…unwanted. "Freeze-Fest, here I come."

I stepped off the plane, panic engulfing me. What if they didn't like me? What if I was a burden? They just lost a daughter, what if they didn't want another one? True, I wouldn't be staying with them forever, but who knew how long it could take for my mom to rehabilitate.

I went over their faces and names again in my head, remembering the family photo Renee had shown me. Esme, the pretty, caramel-haired mother. Carlisle, the handsome doctor and doting father. Rosalie, the blonde beauty. Emmett, the body-builder type, with a goofy grin on his face. Jasper, the shy-looking blonde, Rosalie's little brother. Alice, the tiny, dark-haired pixie, the youngest of the bunch. Edward, the handsome musician. And Nessie, Edward's gorgeous twin…the dead one…

I was herded past security, barely noticing the shoves of the crowd. "Bella?" A soft voice rose above the others, a thin hand waving over the throngs of people. Esme came over, smiling gently. "Bella." She gripped me in a tight hug, her bony arms nudging into my ribs.

"Aunt Esme. It's so good to see you," I said, hugging her back. She pulled back, and I could clearly see her face. She was still as beautiful as I remembered, but her face was lined, aged, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her skin, once a silky ivory color, was sickly looking and her wavy locks were stringy and thin. She looked like…well, like her daughter just died.

"Oh, Bella. I'm so glad you're coming to live with us. I mean, I haven't seen you since before marrying Carlisle, and I've missed you and your mother so much! Everyone is so excited to meet you!" She grabbed my hand, pulling me out the door.

We walked to the car in a comfortable silence, then chatted lightly for the drive home, mainly catching up. She asked about my mom, my friends, school. I asked about Dr. Cullen, the kids, and Chicago.

"Well, you'll be enrolled in the local public school, unlike the others. We offered, insisted, that you attend McCallum Prep too, but Renee refused to let us pay for it." Esme smiled apologetically, but I just smirked.

"Don't worry. I would have refused too. That's too much. You're already giving me food and shelter. I don't need fancy schooling too." She smiled, pulling into a large garage. I hadn't realized we had arrived, but now that we stopped, the panic was able to settle in deep, gnawing at my stomach.

"Come on, they're all excited to meet you." She grabbed my bag, leading me into the large house. The smell of vanilla met me as I walked in, relaxing my nerves a bit. A group of people stood in the living room awkwardly, waiting for our arrival.

Esme spoke first. "Everyone! This is Bella, your cousin. As you know, she'll be staying with us for a while, so we need to make her feel like she's at home." They all smiled, in varying shades of genuine and forced.

Carlisle stepped forward, patting my shoulder. "You are very welcome here, Bella."

I smiled. "Thank you, Dr. Cullen." He smiled, stepping back. Alice, the tiny one, bounced up next.

"Hi, Bella!" She engulfed me in a tight hug, smiling wildly. "I'm so excited you're here! We should have a slumber party tonight in my room!" She took hold of both my hands, looking up under her lashes in a pleading smile.

"Calm down, Ali. I think Bella would rather sleep in her own bed tonight. Maybe tomorrow." Jasper, the quiet, blonde one came over, resting a hand on Alice's shoulder. She pouted for a second, the smiled again.

"Okay! Come on, let's take her to her room!" Letting go of one of my hands, she dragged me to the stairs. As we passed Emmett and Rosalie, the stunning blonde turned away, scowling. Emmett turned too, looking concerned. Great. The two oldest-and scariest-Cullen kids already hated me.

Alice, with Jasper following at a distance, pulled me up two flights of stairs, to a small loft. A soft white bed was nestled in the corner, and the walls were a pale blue color. A bookshelf was in another corner, well-stocked. Against one wall was an armoire, against the other a desk. One small window let a steady stream of white light in, just enough to see.

"I'm sorry we had to put you up here, but no one wanted to dismantle Nessie's room." Alice's voice grew soft and strained, but she composed herself quickly. "Well, I'll leave you to pack up." She left, and I swear I heard her give a little sob. Jasper stood there awkwardly, not sure whether he should leave or not.

"Um, Esme said you liked to read, so I scavenged around the house for some unattended books. I-um I hope you like them." He looked down in embarrassment, shuffling his feet. I smiled.

"Thank you, Jasper. That means a lot to me." He looked up, smiling. "And this room is wonderful. Perfect." I sat down on the bed, kicking my shoes off. He sat down next to me, keeping a little distance.

"So, where's Edward?" I asked, wondering about the mysterious musician. Jasper grimaced.

"Probably in his room. He's barely left since…well, you know." I nodded, pulling my knees to my chest. He looked sadly out the door, probably imagining Edward holed up in his room, mourning.

"Well, I suppose you want some alone time, to unwind." He stood up, head nearly hitting the ceiling. He was very tall, especially for a fifteen-year old. "If you need anything, my room is on the second floor, the door with a J on it." I nodded, smiling, and he left me to my thoughts.

The sun had set behind the house, and I had gone the rest of the day without interacting with Rosalie or Emmett, and without even seeing Edward. Alice was very friendly, and we watched mindless TV together, chatting, while Jasper sat close by, reading. Esme made a delicious French onion soup for dinner, a favorite delicacy of mine that I rarely got in my own home, and Carlisle bombarded me with questions, as Esme had done earlier.

At eleven I headed up the stairs, bidding Alice and Jasper a good night. Realizing that there was no bathroom in the loft, I tip-toed down the stairs again, quickly ducking into the first room I found. It was a bedroom, clearly untouched for a while. Dust had started to settle on the shelves, and the bed was crisply made, not a crease out of place. Pictures were hung all over the room, the walls painted a lovely tangerine color. Jane Eyre and Sense and Sensibility sat on a desk, on top of a pile of sketches.

Crap…I'm in Nessie's room. I was anxious to get out, but I also was intrigued by this unknown cousin of mine. A violin was propped against the wall, music spilling from the case. Posters of rock groups and celebrities lined the ceiling, and a beautiful painting was hung above the bed. A portrait of the Cullen kids, faces close and smiling. Nessie was in the center, laughing, her curly bronze hair pulled back into two low pigtails. Edward was next to her, his cheek resting against her head. Rosalie was on the other side of her, pinning a flower behind her sister's ear. Emmett stood behind Rosalie and Nessie, arms wrapped around both of their waists. Jasper stood behind Edward and Nessie, arms draped casually around their shoulders, and Alice stood in front of Nessie, arms outstretched, short enough that she didn't block anyone. A happy family.

I smiled, then noticed the same arrangement of kids, except in a photograph, framed and sitting on her desk. Nessie painted that…wow… I stared at it, forgetting why I had come downstairs in the first place.

"What are you doing in here?" A sharp voice asked. I spun around to see Edward, even more lovely than he was in the pictures. His face was scrunched up in a scowl, his lips pursed.

"O-oh, I'm sorry. I was looking for the bathroom. I-I didn't mean-"

"It's across the hall," He said curtly, motioning to the door. I nodded, walking out as fast as I could. As soon as I left, he slammed the door shut, not saying a word.

I brushed my teeth in the bathroom, the ran upstairs. I had finally met the mysterious, handsome Edward, and he hated me. I fell onto my bed, sighing.

"Why did you bring her here, Mom?" His voice filled the house, reaching me where I was trying to sleep.

I didn't hear Esme's response, but I could imagine. She's your cousin. She needed a home. Her mother is a drunk and her father is dead. Well, maybe not that last one.

"Oh, really? Or are you trying to replace Nessie?!" His voice grew louder, his anger more apparent. I sunk my face into my pillow, wishing I was back in Arizona.

"Why would you even think that?!" Her voice had grown louder, too.

"Why else? You've never cared about your drunken sister before? Why would you start now? Maybe because her daughter is Nessie's age?!"

"EDWARD! I WOULD NEVER-" Esme's voice gave out, and I could imagine the grief on her face as she argued with her son.

"OF COURSE YOU WOULD!" I heard a door slam and Carlisle's voice joined theirs.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING, YOUNG MAN? DO NOT YELL AT YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT! COME BACK HERE!"

There was a pause, then Edward shouted, "I'M GOING OUT." The front door slammed shut, then the sound of a car racing down the driveway, fading into the distance. The house fell silent again.

A jumble of emotions flowed through me, like a million daggers tearing at my ribs. I felt hot tears pouring down my cheeks, and a small sob escaped my lips.

I jumped when I felt my bed move, realizing someone had sat down on the edge. In the moonlight I could make out Jasper's shape. He whispered, "Are you okay?"

I sat up, wiping my eyes quickly. "Um, yeah."

He smiled sadly. "No, you're not. You couldn't be. Not after that show."

I sighed, letting a few tears roll down my face. Jasper reached out tentatively, wiping them away with the back of his sleeve.

"You feel unwanted," He stated bluntly. "You feel alone and guilty and scared. But there's no need, Bella. You are welcome here. We're a broken family, but we're yours, if you'll have us." I smiled, nodding.

"You're right. I am guilty. I shouldn't have come. I shouldn't have stirred this up." He shook his head, frowning.

"Don't worry. They fight like this all the time. Ever since Nessie died. Esme can barely look at Edward anymore, he's so distraught. He feels…like her death is his fault. He just wants someone to tell him it isn't."

"Wow, Jasper. You're amazing at reading people's emotions." He laughed, tapping his head.

"I have a fifth sense," He joked, quoting the movie Mean Girls.

I played along. "Like, ESPN or something?"

"Yeah." He stopped for a second, turning serious. "Sometimes I really wonder if it is a sixth sense or something. I can feel it, when people have strong emotions. Maybe it's just sympathy, but it feels real to me." He sighed sadly, and I awkwardly wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"That must have been hard, after Nessie's death. Must be hard now." He nodded, frowning.

"Her funeral was the worst moment of my life. All the pain, all the sorrow. I nearly threw myself off a cliff. The only people in the family I can stand to be around are Alice and Emmett. They're so naturally cheery, that even their sister's death couldn't keep them down for long. I haven't even talked to Edward since then. He used to be my best friend, and I cant even talk to him."

I tightened my arm around his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jasper."

"S'okay. Look, I don't wanna keep you up all night. Sweet dreams, Bella." He got up and left, waving from the door frame. I slid back down, nestling into my pillow, and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

So? How was it? Please review!