Dear Readers,

I know that you have been waiting months for an update that never came as I ceased to even think about this story. In fact, I all but through this one in the trash.

However, I am restarting this story from scratch, not including the one chapter that was still up. I didn't even know that it was still up until just recently. Staying true to my original idea and plot-with the advantage of more experience as a writer. I hope you enjoy!

So, without further ado…

Prologue

What a pretty day. Young Bella decided that she'd rather be outside than inside right now, but it was almost the end of the day. It was a beautiful spring day, today, May 14.

Second grade was an exciting new adventure for Bella, but it also presented a new level of self-denial. Bella was accustomed to living on whim of wants; if she wanted to do this, she would do it within the hour. But now, she was confined to do what she was told for a whole seven hours.

Young Bella was carefree, living in a shroud of innocence. With a whole and happy family, two great friends, and all the things that she had to be thankful for that she took advantage of, Bella was happy.

Bella was imagining what she would do when she got home, while doodling on the worksheet Ms. Smith had provided.

She was so excited to hear the bell ring, to collect her backpack, and to board the bus. She decided that when she got home she would promptly go upstairs and play with her stuffed animals, after she kissed and hugged her mother in greeting. She would play until she smelt the siren call of the dinner her mom was whipping up. She would run down the stairs grinning when her father came home, hugging him as he greeted her by picking her up a few feet and kissing her forehead. She would watch with a childish grin as her father gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. They'd all headed into the kitchen for a dinner of something yummy her mother made. Perhaps, she wondered hopefully, her favorite soup? Her mouth watered at the very thought. She would finish dinner and read in the living room while her father watched something on TV and her mother went ahead and sewed up her father's pants that he had ripped. Maybe she would even get to finish her book. Then, at eight thirty she would yawn and her parents would take her to bed, telling her a short bedtime story to lull her into sleep.

Meanwhile, at home, her mother fretted over how she would tell young Bella that she was pregnant. Renee didn't know how to tell a child that you got knocked up, but she hoped that when she attempted to, Bella wouldn't ask too many questions.

She was fooling herself. Bella would ask a lot of questions-she was just at that age. So curious. Bella was an unusually smart and observant child; Charlie and herself could never keep anything from her. Yes, her Bella was an odd child, she thought with a small grin. Bella read so much that she spent more money on getting Bella material to assuage her need to read than on clothes. She scoffed. Assuaged! That child could only be mitigated when it came to reading, she thought affectionately.

Renee was easily sidetracked, that was for sure. She chided herself to return to the matter at hand- how to tell Bella.

Oh, all challenge be damned, she would just Google it.

She remembered fondly how Charlie had reacted when she had told him the good news. He was overjoyed. They both were.

Yes, life was good for the Swans.

Renee glanced up from her canvas, checking the time. Two o'clock. Charlie would be home soon. Then, shortly after, Bella.

Usually, Charlie worked much later, but he promised her that he would get off work early so that he could be there to take her to her first gynecologist appointment at 2:30. Then they could, depending on how long the appointment took, either pick up Bella at school or meet her at home. Either way, she was fidgeting on her stool-she was feeing that giddy.

Knowing she would never be able to finish her painting with the way her hands were quivering, Renee got up and headed to the bathroom to get ready for her appointment. Working at home gave Renee that stay-at-home mom advantage of staying in sweats all day. But, if all goes as planned, she needed to look presentable so that they could go out to dinner tonight-Charlie's idea-to celebrate the good news.

Across town, at the Police Department of Phoenix, Charlie Swan was leaving, now done with is relatively unexciting shift. This was a good thing. Charlie barely got a day where he could just leave early in this crime-ridden place. It was a good omen that there was nothing was happening. He couldn't remember the last time that he could play a whole hand of cards with the guys without interruptions.

Charlie was ecstatic. He had a beautiful wife, a good job, a lovely home, an adorable daughter, and an unborn baby. How much more could a man ask for? His happiness was shown in his off pitch attempt at mimicking the country ballad streaming from his cruiser radio.

The school day was short for the teachers; but they were much older and time tended to go faster for them. Young Bella, however, felt it passed much to slow but was not in a terrible hurry.

As she awaited in her class at the end of the day-coat stuffed in her usually empty blue backpack- she was excited (though she could hardly say what about) filled with a childish joy that was so blissful. One of the many thing that she took advantage of.

Her bus came and she boarded as the bell rang. She sat in her usual seat; right side, middle, and one behind the emergency exit. The bus ride was only ten minutes (five without all the stops) however Bella needed to be entertained. So, pulling out her latest conquest, she opened it's paper cover to fondle it's paper pages, wasting little time to find her place and begin reading, stopping every once and a while to remain vigilant to when her stop would be. This way, she only made it three or four pages, but she could care less. She would read more when she got home.

Saying farewell to the driver, she jumped down the steps of the bus and onto the very familiar pavement of her driveway. She bounded up to her porch, wanting to read more.

But when she got the key out from under the mat, (Renee was a little erratic and could hardly be trusted to wait for her to let her in) she was surprised and a little intimidated to find that the house was empty. This had happened before, and as her mother had told her when she was not there, never answer the phone or the door, stay downstairs and help yourself to a snack in the pantry or refrigerator. She needed not say anything else; Bella understood that she could not make anything without parents' supervision (yet alone reach it) and that she should keep all the doors locked and all the widows shut while her parents were not there.

So she turned on the TV and sat on the couch, wanting to see if her favorite show was on-the one with the dragons that she couldn't remember the name of. She, after fruitless searching, could not find what she wanted so she instead settled on a wildlife show, her little mind absorbing the unknown facts about the animals shown subconsciously while she really only enjoyed it for all the fascinating film of the tigers and lions and cheetahs. Bella loved cats. Renee, however, was allergic so they could not have one.

Bella was surprised to find that this show was ending and another less interesting one was coming on. But this one was not supposed to end until-oh! It was already four o'clock! Bella was worried now. Her father was supposed to be home by now, if not her mother!

When the officer, Sam, came knocking at the Swan house, he was wring his cap in his hand and becoming extremely anxious. He had broken bad news to men, women, and teens before, but had never had to directly approach a child before.

He knocked on the door and felt very apologetic immediately when he heard a figure shuffling nervously inside. She was probably not supposed to answer the door by herself. He called out to her.

"Isabella? This is Sam Uley, a co-officer of your fathers'. Answer the door please?" he hoped that she would.

Sure enough, several seconds later, the door slowly opened and she appeared, a very anxious look on her young features. She appeared a little relieved when she recognized the familiar officer that Charlie had invited over for dinner a few times before.

Before she had time to question him, he told her to come with him, he would explain on the way. Young Bella was now nearly bursting with questions.

But she got in the car. Lucky Sam had a car seat for his young daughter, Lea, so Bella would feel safe in the front. He had not time to situate the mess that was the back seat of his Camero.

As he drove Bella to the hospital, he explained that her parents had been in an accident a hour earlier. He apologized for not picking her up a bit sooner, it was a bit hectic at the station.

Bella was mute. In shock. Sam wished that she would do something. Screaming, crying, he could all take. But not shock. He had no idea how to handle shock. He wished a more experience officer had done this, but Sam was one of the only free officer that she would recognize. That she would be comfortable with.

When they got to the hospital, it was hard to watch her try to wake her parents when were-in the same joint room- both unconscious. He just stood there. He felt like crying at the sight of such a young soul being put through such hell.

He was relieved when a Dr. Cullen walked in, explaining the situation in a way that he could simply not. He got her to sit down. But she was still both motionless and mute.

It was when his wife Emily walked in and hugged Bella that she began to cry. She calmed down at Emily's reassurance that they would wake up.

But she was still mute.

At that very moment, ever heart in the room broke for Bella.

I hope that wasn't too sad, but it had to had to happen. There will be a second part to the prologue that bridges this day to the present.

Two story notes.

-All human, no vampire of werewolf drama

-Lea is not Leah. It is pronounced like 'LEYA'

That's all for now. Thank you for reading!

-Gracegoddess 3