We've all read it and keep reading it. I'm trying to think of new ways to say it, but for now, I'm not a doppelganger. Sadly. When I become one, I'll let you know.

I know, after several nearly daily updates, I didn't update! I have good reason though! I've been on this HUGE muse ride! I mean seriously channeling the story and just writing and writing and writing! I didn't want to break to update!

Shout out to DestinyHigginsx3 because at the food throwing, she said she would have thrown it back! Imagine a food fight with a toddler!

BPOV

"Please, Bella, come home with us," Edward whispered.

"You need a big brother," Emmett boosted.

Rosalie seemed uncertain as she spoke. "Please?"

"Please, Bella. We want you," Jasper added.

"Don't you want me as your sister?" Alice asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Bella, please?" Esme looked ready to burst into tears again herself.

"We need you, Bella," Carlisle spoke calmly.

These people wanted me. Truly wanted me. My wishing hadn't been for naught, even though I thought it had. With every fiber of my being I wanted to belong with them.

I could go home with these people. Be loved. Feel safe. It was all I wanted for so long and now I could have it. I could say yes and be accepted for who I was. Be accepted as Bella. Just Bella.

Why was I even debating the subject? There was nothing to debate. They wanted and so did I. How could my answer be anything other than yes? There was, and never had been, any other choice. I needed to let the past slid. I could do it, with their help.

"Yes."

The beeping of my alarm woke me. Why was I getting up so early and why was I dreaming about the Cullens? As the sleep left my brain, I remembered my reasoning for getting up at such an ungodly hour. I had a flight to catch. Shutting off the alarm, I sat up yawning and stretching.

As to the dream…I hadn't had one about them in a long time. Sighing, I glanced at the photo on my nightstand. It was of the six of us. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett standing side by side, holding me, Alice, and Rosalie. Esme had taken it the day before the start of school.

Getting out of bed, I put on my robe. Maybe the fact that I was finally returning home was why I'd dreamed of them. I wondered if they missed me like I missed them.

"Yes?" I called out as a knock sounded on my door.

"Are you ready, Miss?" Henri, the butler, asked, opening the door and popping his head in to check I was decent before entering the room completely.

"Yes. My luggage is over there. Leave the small bag though. Everything's been shipped? Express?" I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling it back away from my face.

"Yes, Miss. Everything that was packed was shipped out yesterday, express. It should be there by the time you arrive, or shortly thereafter."

"Good. You'll look over the house until Laurant arrives? He's supposed to be coming in two weeks or so."

"Of course, Miss."

I nodded. "Then I'm going to get ready. Have the car brought around, please."

"Yes, Miss."

I watched Henri gather up my suitcases before leaving the room. As the door shut with a click, I headed into the bathroom, going through the motions automatically, letting my mind wander back to the Cullens.

It'd been the best five months of my life. Emmett had always been ready to play a prank on someone and had truly embraced the role of older brother. I felt the tears gathering in my eyes.

I'd slept in Edward's arms every night. After a week of getting little or no sleep, I'd gotten up at one in the morning, headed upstairs to his room, and climbed into bed with him. I was out cold a minute later. It'd been the first night I'd gotten a good sleep. He'd never said anything, either. Alice and Rosalie hadn't made me much of a shopper, but I'd enjoyed our girl time.

Slipping on a black pencil skirt, red camisole, and black shrug, I wondered if I'd ever see them again. After pulling my hair back into a ponytail, I slipped on a pair of black flats. I finished packing what little I had left, grabbed my bag, and headed downstairs.

Walking out the front door, I saw the Royce waiting for me. Peter, the driver, took my bag and opened the back door for me. I got in, not bothering to look back as Peter put my bag in the trunk with the rest of my luggage. As he drove down the drive, I knew I wasn't going to miss this place.

New Year's had come and gone. We were all enjoying the last of winter break, lying around the living room watching The Mummy, when a knock sounded on the front door. We ignored it and the talking that ensued. The movie and our popcorn fight were far more interesting.

"Bella, I need to speak with you," Carlisle called out.

"Coming!" I replied, managing to make my way out of the room without too many pieces of popcorn hitting me and going into the kitchen. Carlisle sat at the table with his lawyer and a woman.

The woman looked to be in her forties. She had bright red hair and green eyes. Her facial features reminded me of my mother.

"Yea?" I stood just inside the door curious as to what they were doing here and why I was needed.

"Bella, this is your Aunt Victoria Whetherby. You're mother's sister," Carlisle informed me calmly. I stared at him in shock before slowly moving over to the table and taking the empty seat next to him and across from Victoria.

"Bella, as you know, Carlisle and Esme initiated the paperwork to adopt you. As part of the process, we had to make sure there was no other kin who were your legal guardian. If there was…is…they have to sign the papers as well," Mr. Timmons, the lawyer, spoke.

"So, she just needs to sign the papers? That's it?" I inquired, looking at Mr. Timmons, hope in my eyes that I'd finally be Carlisle and Esme's daughter by law as well. When they'd informed me they wanted to adopt me, I'd been filled with happiness and had spent the day with more energy than Alice. I was to have a family again! I couldn't wait and had urged them on, saying I wanted them as my parents.

Sighing, Carlisle stood, walking over to me and hugging me against him. My head reached his hips. "She's not going to. As your legal guardian, she has the right to refuse."

"What? I don't understand…"

Victoria finally spoke, her voice reminding me of ice. "You'll be returning to England with me. You'll live with my husband, Lord Whetherby and I. He's very rich and rather old. But, he has a son not much older than you. You'll get along fine."

"Why? You didn't come for me after my parents died. Why do you want me now?"

She looked at me, her face emotionless. "I was unaware that my sister had a child. And, besides, you're family. Family should be together, right?"

"Carlisle?" I looked up at him pleadingly. I didn't want to go with her. I wanted to stay here. I wasn't going to be happy with Victoria, I knew that. I was happy here. This was where I wanted to be. Why couldn't she just sign the papers and leave me alone like she had for the past sixteen years? Why?

"I'm sorry, Bella. There's nothing I can do."

"No!" I screamed standing and pushing my chair back so hard it feel over with a clatter. This was my family! I didn't want to leave them. I loved them! "I won't go!"

In the end, though, it hadn't mattered. I'd left, sobbing and heartbroken to leave.

We're family. We should be together. What a lie that had been. A falsehood. What a hock they'd been. It hadn't taken me long to figure that out.

Living with Victoria had been like living in hell. She'd thrown out all my clothes, claiming they were too wild for a peerage niece. I'd been promptly enrolled in a preppy all girls school. That, in itself, had been miserable! I'd been looked down on by the other girls. They'd teased me as well and had been mean beyond belief; doing everything they could to make me feel as unwelcomed as possible. It was never forgotten that I was peerage by marriage and not birth. The upside was, since I didn't make any friends, I had plenty of time to study since I spent most all my time alone.

And, when I wasn't in school, I was dressed up like a doll and taken to afternoon teas to mingle. We were peerage. We mingled and gossiped. I'd been schooled in the social classes and had it drilled into my head what I was and wasn't supposed to do. What and who I now was and wasn't.

I'd graduated hoping I'd be able to return to the states. Return back to the people who truly mattered to me. But, I'd been informed that working was beneath me and Victoria would neither give me the money to go home. I would remain here and continue with college. I hated England. I hated Victoria. I hated the people. All with a passion. I was being held prisoner and felt trapped. All I wanted was to go home. That was all.

Victoria had no real reason for wanting me with her other than hoping I'd marry richly so she could continue her lifestyle after her husband passed. She honestly thought she could control me. She was a plotting and scheming bitch. She was hoping that I'd marry Laurent and she could finagle her way into the Whetherby fortune even more. Bull.

At the beginning of the month with the police had informed me of her death, I'd nearly jumped with joy. Driving drunk, no surprise. Crashed car, what a horrible way to go! Not. Dead on impact, what do you mean she didn't suffer?

Since her husband had passed just three years prior, it was not just little ol' me in the house and I was determined to return to the place I belonged. The United States of America, specifically Washington State. Born and breed. I was going home to my roots.

The past month had been spend dealing with funeral arrangements, will reading, packing, and all the other necessary stuff to get my butt out of England. Victoria had been left the house we were living in and a tidy yearly allowance by the late Lord Whetherby. Apparently they'd been married for several years and she'd been an excellent wife. Yea. Young and full of life. Made for a great sex life, I'm sure, for Lord Whetherby.

Unfortunately, Victoria's yearly allowance wasn't passed down to me. I didn't expect to be, but all the money she'd managed to save was mine. For a woman who liked living it up, I was surprised at the sum she'd managed to save. The house, to my pleasure, had also been willed to me. It was promptly put up for sale, fully furnished. Laurent, an actual gentlemen, had wanted to make up for all Victoria had put me through, so he'd purchased the house and given me three years of her yearly allowance. I was stock piled with money to last me quite a few years.

It didn't take me long to make the necessary arrangements to move back to Washington. I'd enrolled in college, intent on getting my Master's degree in English and a minor in Mythology. Finally, after five years, I was heading home.

I'd purchased on the outskirts of Seattle an old, Victorian home that had been divided into two townhouses consisting of three bedrooms and three and a half baths each. The house sat on a fenced in property and though I only needed one, buying both afforded me privacy. This also meant I didn't have to worry about neighbors too much. And, as much as I hated living in England, I'd enjoyed having all the space that I'd had in the big house. It'd kept me away from Victoria and since I had no friends, I'd gotten use to being on my own for the majority of my time.

"We are now beginning our descent into Seattle. Please make sure all seats and tray tables are in their upright and locked positions. Portable electronics must now be shut off."

I rubbed my eyes, realizing I'd managed to fall asleep on the plane, thankfully. It wouldn't be much longer before I was home in my new house. Home sweet home. Maybe I'd even find a couple of roommates. I liked being alone, but maybe it was time to find some friends. After all, being by myself all the time couldn't be good.

There was only one thing that would make this homecoming even sweeter and that was if I knew where the Cullens were. Unfortunately, I'd lost contact with them. And it had been five years since I'd seen them. Victoria hadn't wanted me to be in touch with them and had monitored my internet activity heavily. I wondered if they'd even recognize me if they did see me. I was almost twenty-two now. I'd changed a lot in the last five years, I thought.

I'd have to take a weekend and drive up to Forks, see if they were still in the same house. I hoped they were. More importantly, I hoped I could remember where it was. Funny, back then all I'd wanted was to have a place to call home. A place to belong. Fate certainly had been cruel. I'd gone from miserable at the Home to miserable in England with a five month vacation in between. Fate had definitely pulled the rug out from under my feet.

The day was cloudy, but then again, what day in Washington wasn't? It was a shock if the temperature rose into the eighties. I'd been home for two weeks getting my house setup and finally had a free weekend to spend up at Forks. I'd packed a bag, intent on going up today, Friday, and depending on how things went, maybe coming home Sunday.

With a smile on my face at the thought of seeing those I missed most, I turned on Emmy Rossum, negotiated my way out of the city and onto the freeway and started cruising over to Forks. Please let them still be there. Please let them still be there.

Laying alone with the history that made you cold and uncertain inside.

Careful now, deep breath, the water's still rising.

But your silver lining's in sight.

"No. We want someone younger. She's too old."

"Don't you have someone younger than her?"

"No. We're looking for a girl between the ages of five and eight. She's just too old."

When you feel like you're breaking down,

And your body's just giving in,

And you can't go on broken like this any longer.

"We want you to stay, Bella."

"You're part of our family."

"You belong here, Bella. How could you think otherwise?"

"Don't you love me, Bella? Don't you want me as your sister?"

Close your eyes,

Don't you cry.

Let the sorrow within you subside.

Don't despair,

Have no fear.

Give your weight to me when you hear this lullaby.

You say all seems so wrong with life that you're living.

You're searching for some reasons why.

You're so scared to trust, you're feeling unworthy.

Aching for comfort tonight.

"Always remember that you will always be a part of this family."

"I don't want to go, Esme."

"I know you don't."

"Why? Why can't she leave me be?"

"I don't know, honey. I really don't know."

When your heart's too sore to beat,

And you feel it might never heal,

And you feel not even beggars want you.

I do.

"You'll always be our sister."

"I'll miss you all."

"We'll miss you, too. You're part of us."

"You'll find your way back, Bella. Don't worry."

Close your eyes,

Don't you cry.

Let the sorrow within you subside.

Don't despair,

Have no fear.

Give your weight to me when you hear this lullaby.

Close your eyes,

Don't you cry.

Let the sorrow within you subside.

Don't despair,

Have no fear.

Give your weight to me when you hear this lullaby.

"Please, Bella, don't cry. You'll be back. See if you aren't."

"Esme, how do you know that?"

"I just do. We'll keep in touch, don't worry."

"What will happen to me, Esme?"

"That is for you to decide. I can't answer that question for you."

"What if I'm not happy there? What then?"

"Then you hold onto hope and take the first plan to Washington the moment you can. We'll be here waiting for you."

"Do you promise, Esme? You'll always be here?"

"I promise."

Don't you cry,

Let the darkness within you feel light.

Don't despair,

Have no fear.

You'll find comfort in me like a child with this lullaby.

"Go to sleep, Bella."

"Night, Edward."

"Sleep well."

Please, be there. Please, be there. You promised you'd be there. I know it's been five years, but you promised! You said you'd wait! Please, be there. Please, be there. I chanted driving up the drive, happy I'd been able to remember where the house was.

Seeing the house where I'd had the best moments of my life, I nearly cried. I parked the car and climbed out. Staring at the home, it looked dark inside. Slowly, with trepidation, I walked up the stairs to the porch.

Please, be here. Please. You promised. I know I'm late, but you promised. You promised you'd be here. You promised.

I grabbed hold of the knob and turned it, surprised when the door creaked open. Why hadn't it been locked? Or, was it so far out of the way that it didn't matter?

I stepped into the foyer, looking around. Emptiness and dust greeted me. They hadn't been here for a good couple years at least, if the cobwebs were anything to go by. Where was my perfect homecoming? Where were they? Why had Esme broken her promise?

I sank to my knees on the floor and cried. Victoria really had taken everything from me.