Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns.

BPOV

Looking at the scene on the porch I couldn't help but feel sad. The two elders of the family were looking at me and smiling. They reminded me so much of my parents who I miss dearly.

Even though I knew this wasn't my home, looking at it gave me a sense of finally being at home.

Before reaching the house I took a good look at it. It seemed timeless. It must be at least a hundred years old.

It's set in the middle of a field surrounded by trees. The house itself is three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. It is painted white and you can hear a river flowing near by.

We were at the porch now and the father chose to speak first, "Hello Isabella. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Carlisle and this is my wife Esme."

"The pleasure is mine. Please, call me Bella."

The women named Esme walked down the stairs to greet me with a motherly hug that made me even more sad, "It is very nice to meet you Bella. Please come in." She took my hand and led me up the stairs and through the front door.

The room we entered was very large. It must have been several rooms at one time. The south wall had been replaced by glass filling the room with light. Everything in the room, from the walls to the thick carpets were varying shades of white.

They seemed eager and led me straight into the living room before I could see more of the house. I was able to see a spectacular grand piano on a raised section of the floor.

The living room was homey. On the wall was a large flat screen television and a couple of computers were nearby. There was a seating area near the television and chairs were scattered throughout the large space.

Esme instructed me to sit on one of the loveseats while she joined Carlisle across from it on another. Emmett sat on one of the long couches along with Rosalie and Jasper. Alice appeared out of nowhere and settled down next to Jasper. Edward joined me on the loveseat beings it was that or the floor.

We sat there for a moment and I became uncomfortable since they were all staring at me. Jasper, who I now knew could feel and manipulate emotions sent calming waves to me.

"Thank you Jasper." I looked at me.

First he was surprised, but then realized it was me, "You're welcome."

"Bella," Carlisle broke the silence, "I don't mean to pry, but would you mind if I asked you a few things? Since this is our territory and you are a new vampire here, there are a few things I need to know. I would like to know the people of Forks will remain intact and our secret be kept just that."

"I have no problem with that. I have already explained some things to Edward at school."

"Very good. By the looks of your eyes I take it you are a vegetarian like us." I nodded, "How long have been living this lifestyle? Feeding off animals I mean."

"For as long as I have been a vampire."

He seemed a bit surprised by that.

"Have you ever had any…accidents?"

He seemed hesitant and was unsure if I knew what he meant. I did.

"No. Human blood has never tempted me. It doesn't smell like it should. Its more of a retched smell then a sweet one. I base this off the fact that it effected me so greatly when I was human. I would smell blood and get queasy immediately. I'm surprised I can stomach animal blood."

"Who exactly showed you this lifestyle?"

"The coven who changed me."

"Why did they change you?"

"To save my life."

"How was your life in danger for them to have to save you?"

Hearing this, all the Cullens sat up a bit, waiting to hear. Even Rosalie.

Carlisle had finally asked the question they were all thinking. He didn't take long to ask it either, and I wasn't surprised.

"To answer this, I should probably start from the beginning."

They nodded for me to continue. I looked to Edward at my side and he seemed more focused then any of them. He really wanted to know and wasn't going to miss a word I said. I began…

"I was born on September 13, 1926. I grew up in a tight nit community in Germany. We would help each other out as much as we could and would be willing to do anything for each other.

"Germany was always a violent place to live, but it was all I knew. My best friend, Deron Friedman, was also my neighbor. He was probably the nicest kid I ever knew, and his parents were just as nice. He was the only boy to treat me like I was a person.

"I was picked on a lot and he would always stick up for me. When we got older nothing changed. I was still picked on and he would still stick up for me. Although by this point they would then turn on him and call him names. Jew was one of their favorite words to use. Deron and his family were Jewish and by this time Jews were hated in our country.

"I hated seeing how he was treated, but he never let it phase him. Atleast not around me. In 1942 we were warned that German troops would be coming to our area soon and taking all Jewish citizens away. We knew what away meant and I became afraid that I would loose my best and only friend.

"My parents choose to protect the Friedmans. They had been friends all their lives and they were not about to see them be taken away to one of those camps. We constructed our basement to hide them. They were hesitant at first and didn't want to put us in harm, but my parents insisted.

"We were good with time and had them in our basement about an hour before the Nazis had arrived. We hid the door well. We pulled a bookcase in front of it and no one would be the wiser.

"When the Nazis came to our home to question us if we had seen the Friedmans and then left unsatisfied after searching our house we thought we were in the clear.

"They stayed there for a few months. Nazis were everywhere, so they had no choice but to stay. We took care of them. When my parents felt it was safe to leave me alone in the house, they did so. My father had to go to work and my mother had to go food shopping. I felt confident and thought I could manage holding down the house for a few hours.

"Unfortunately I was wrong. My parents choose the worst time to leave. Someone had found out about us hiding the Friedmans and exposed us out for the reward. Nazis were banging on our door and I didn't know what to do. I had no choice but to answer it.

"I did so and was immediately grabbed and pulled outside. I was questioned vigorously where we had them hidden and I told them repeatedly I didn't know what they were talking about. They weren't satisfied and went into the house and began searching, I was held outside and guarded.

"They tore our house apart throwing everything around. All but one soldier left the house. They all looked at me frustrated. I then heard one last bang and knew what had fallen. The soldier inside began yelling for them all to come in, that he had found them.

"Deron and his parents were pushed out of the house onto the front yard. They turned their attention to me then. The one in charge made a beeline for me and I knew what was coming and prepared myself for the impact. It never came. I opened my eyes to see Deron once again sticking up for me.

"The man hit him upside his head with his gun and he fell. They no longer had any interest in me and took the Friedmans to the truck and threw them in the back. I just looked on in horror, frozen where I knelt on the ground.

"The one who had been guarding me earlier was still by me and called to the others and asked them what he should do with me. The one who had hit Deron told him I was of no use at the camps and to just take care of me here and to do it quick.

"The man ordered me to stand up and I did. Suddenly I felt less frozen and decided I was going to die anyway and tried to run and see Deron one more time. I didn't make it far. The man shot me in my leg and I fell like a rock. He walked up to me and I could hear the others telling him to hurry up. He stopped by me and I looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"He then shot my again in my chest and just left me there to die. He didn't even have the decency to put me out of my misery. I was just able to move and see the truck pulling away. I cried out in pain for help. No one came. I knew I was going to die and I wished it would come soon.

"I was surprised to learn that day that my little neighborhood was not as reliable as I thought it was. No one cared to come to my aid. I just rolled to my side clutching the wound and waited for the pain to end.

"I faintly heard footsteps and looked up slightly and saw two very unfamiliar faces. They were of a man and women, and by what I could see through my tears I could tell they were not from around here. They were talking extremely fast and I couldn't understand what they were saying.

"The man then bent down and asked me one question, 'Do you want to live?' all I could do was nod. He then picked me up and ran faster then I had ever seen anyone run before. I felt like I was floating and began to wonder if I was already dead. I still felt pain, so I knew that wasn't so.

"The man laid me down on a patch of moss deep into the woods and hovered over me. He said only one thing, 'This is going to hurt, but it will be over soon.' And then lowered his mouth to my neck. He bit into my flesh and I could feel fire going through me. It was excruciating.

"I never wished for death to come sooner. The man and the women stayed with me though the whole ordeal. They explained what was happening and I could barely comprehend it at the time. After three day it was over and they once again told me what I was.

"I couldn't believe it. They then proceeded to tell me that they fed off of animals rather then humans and hoped I would do so as well. They asked me to join them and go to America. They needed to get away from the chaos that is now known as the Holocaust.

"I didn't know what else to do and agreed. I wanted to go back and see my parents once again but they told me it was impossible. I was never to go back and I could never see anyone I knew again. After a long feeding we went to get tickets to travel across the sea to America.

"They had been hesitant at first and thought they should wait a few months before allowing me to go anywhere near civilization, but after I told them I felt no urge to feed off humans they decided it was the right time to go.

"I stayed with them for a few years and ended up leaving them to be on my own in 1950. I thought it was the right time to try and be on my own and I knew they wouldn't mind. I had perfected my abilities and knew I could handle being on my own. It has been lonely but I manage.

"I decided to out this lifestyle about two months ago and after some deliberating with myself choose this town. Now I am here and that's my story." I just left out a few thing from the time I left them till now is all. But that doesn't matter. If they need to know I'll them then. I smiled and looked around the room.

They all seemed to have the same look on their face. One of disbelief. Their mouths all dropped half way and eyes wide open. I decided to take a look at Edward.

"Unbelievable." Was the only thought going though his head. They all had similar thoughts.

"Believe it." I smiled, though it didn't reach my eyes and I knew it.


Please review. I will willingly take constructive criticism. I want to know what you all think.

How did you like Bella's story. I thought it was different. Now you understand why I choose Germany to be her homeland. Bella is 81!