Author note at the end.

I do not own Twilight or its characters! They're all owned by author Stephenie Meyer.

I do own Evelyn :)

Chapter 1

Mid April 2006

It was the middle of the night, around two o'clock to be more specific. She took a couple of deep breaths as she stared at her eyes in the reflection of the rear-view mirror. The time had come to leave everything behind. Her house, her job, her relationship. Actually, former relationship. She didn't want to leave, this place had made her happy. But basically everything she had tried to build up over the last couple of years, was now all gone within the span of a few hours.

Her hands were still shaking, her breathing still irregular and her body tingled all over. With one last glance she looked at her home. A small house, a rental, but it had been a home nonetheless. She'd have to take care of it later, call the landlord to put up a new 'for rent' sign. But now it was time to leave. She had to, she saw no other way. There was nothing and no one here that she could trust or believe anymore. She'd had her share of misfortune and difficulties, yet with what she'd seen tonight made all of that pale in comparison.

The choice to get out of town came to mind as the safest option. Go somewhere where no one would come to search for her. There was one place she could go, a place where she felt safe, a place surrounded by people she knew. People she in fact did trust. The back of her neck tingled, an eerie feeling of somebody still watching her still present. With only a few bags lying in the trunk and a handbag beside her, she turned the key and hit the gas. She could only hope her uncle would be happy to see her.

::::::...::::::

Forks

A sensation of relief washed over her the moment she passed the Welcome to Forks sign. It seemed like forever since she'd been there, but everything was exactly as she remembered it. She didn't even need to check to map in order to find the house she was looking for. But when she finally arrived at her destination that sense of relief she'd felt earlier, slowly started to fade away and was replace with anxiousness.

For a good half an hour she stayed in her car, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, while gazing at the house across the street. A white house with wooden sidings. Nothing seemed different, just like the town, except for the truck parked next to the police vehicle in front of the house. The house belonged to her uncle. Uncle Charlie was her mother's younger brother and the last time she had physically seen him was a few years ago during her graduation. But the last time she'd actually been in Forks and at his house was back in 1998, when she was fourteen years old.

It had taken her much longer to get to Forks than it normally would. She'd left Seattle in the middle of the night, but that hadn't stopped her from taking a couple of detours to be certain nobody had followed her. She raised her arm and checked the watch on her wrist. It was still early in the morning and some time had already passed since she parked the car in front of the house. Her watch read eight a.m. Uncle Charlie was a cop, certainly he would already be awake by now?

'Relax, Eve. Nothing bad will happen. It's your uncle for goodness sake.'

Multiple scenarios of what she could say to him had gone through her mind during the car ride. The stress had certainly managed to keep her awake, along with a few cups of coffee. But she was tired and if her uncle would deny her access, she could always leave and go to a hotel. Perhaps that was a better plan. A hotel instead of bothering him, they hadn't talked since graduation. Sure, she'd sent him Christmas and birthday cards, though that was hardly a form of genuine communication. But he did always reply by sending her a text back each year.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" A muffled voice suddenly spoke accompanied by a tapping noise right next to her ear.

The woman let out a short scream from the unexpected appearance and raised her hand to her chest. With wide eyes she turned her head to look at what had scared the living daylights out of her. The disturbance turned out to be a young man, pale skin and sharp features. But such lovely features they were. It was one of the most beautiful men she had ever encountered in her life. She reached for a handle and rolled down the car window. The guy retracted his hand from the glass.

"I did not mean to startle you. I was wondering if you are alright?" He said apologetically.

Catching her breath, she gave him a small smile in return. "You did and I'm fine, thank you."

The man cocked his head. "May I ask why you have been sitting here for a while? Staring at the home across this street?" His voice sounded absolutely mesmerizing, but at the same time with a hint of caution.

The guy probably thought she was some sort of creep for staring at her uncle's house. How long had he been watching her for though? The road had appeared empty the entire time she'd been parked there. It didn't matter, she didn't mind explaining herself a little bit.

"I'm sorry, I know it must seem rather ridiculous." The woman extended her hand out of the window towards him. "My name is Evelyn Swan. The owner of the house I've been staring at, is my uncle."

The young man gently grabbed her hand and shook it shortly. "Good grief! Your hands are freezing." Evelyn exclaimed after he released it.

"Sorry about that, my name is Edward,- Edward Cullen." He said with a smirk.

"Pleasure to meet you, Edward Cullen. But, uhm,-" She started. "To be honest, between you and me,- in my defence I did not know I was being watched and for the record, I don't normally do this."

Edward smiled. "I hope not. I tend to get overprotective of the people who live in this house. One in particular,-"

One in particular? Evelyn gave him a funny look. People? "Charlie Swan doesn't live here alone?" She asked him.

The man shook his head. "His daughter lives there too. I thought you said he was your uncle?" A frown formed on his face.

Isabella is here? For a second Evelyn turned her gaze back to the house, wondering how long her cousin had been living with her father? Or was she just visiting? Charlie hadn't mention Isabella living with him. But then again, he wasn't obligated to inform his niece of changes in his life.

"No, I did not know." Evelyn replied softly. This changed things. She could not interfere with their lives. Evelyn bit her bottom lip, thinking what step to take next.

"How about we walk together? Seeing as I was heading there myself. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you."

Evelyn supposed she could say hello. Let her uncle know she was in the neighbourhood and would be for a while. perhaps even slip the question in, if it would be alright for her to stay over.

"Sure. I'd like that."

"Great." Without warning Edward opened the door for her and waited.

Surprised and a bit alarmed, Evelyn unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. As she thanked him, she noticed something peculiar about the handsome fellow. His eyes were a weird shade of colour. A colour she hadn't seen on a person before. They looked like two topazes, amber or golden almost.

"I'm sorry, but your eyes, Edward. They're a highly unusual colour."

Edward seemed a bit taken back by the woman's bluntness. He quickly regained himself and grinned with confidence. "Contacts." He explained and Evelyn nodded. But Edward picked up on her thoughts, thinking she found his statement rather odd.

One thing comforted him and that was that he was able to read her mind. From the moment he came into close proximity of the car he had been picking up on her jumbled thoughts. Indicating she was tired and on edge. At least this was one Swan member he did not have to worry about, unlike Bella whose mind he could not read and it still frustrated him greatly.

Changing the subject, Edward peeked into Evelyn's car and nodded at a pile of empty coffee cups. "Looks like you had a long trip?"

Evelyn pressed her lips in a tight line, finding Edward a very nosey fellow despite his good looks. "Quite long. Had to stay awake." She explained.

Edward decided not to interrogate her any further. But it was obvious she was hiding something. He'd probably pick up on it sooner or later. They made their way across the road towards Charlie's house. Evelyn's heart pounding in her throat accompanied by a feeling of nausea.

"How long has it been since you've seen them? Seeing as you did not know Bella lives in Forks?"

A blush crept up on her cheeks. "I saw Charlie a couple of years ago. But Isabella,- that has been about eight years? I used to come here a lot when I was little. But the last time I actually was in Forks, was eight years ago."

"That's quite some time." Edward stated. Which explained why Bella probably never mentioned her cousin before or that she was coming to visit. But then again, her earlier thoughts pretty much explained that already. "So,-"

"It has been a while,-" Evelyn quickly said before Edward could finish his question. "I'm not sure what to say. Charlie doesn't know I'm here."

Edward Cullen didn't seem to care much about that. "Perhaps it's best to just ring the doorbell." He said.

Evelyn stared at the doorbell, exhaled deeply and with a heavy feeling she quickly touched the little golden button next to the door. Immediately her mind went blank when she heard the distinctive sound of footsteps coming from behind the door. What was she going to say? She could only hope Charlie would be pleasantly surprised to see her after all these years.

The door opened revealing a young woman, around eighteen years old, her eyes focused on Edward instead of Evelyn. She smiled brightly, then her brown eyes shifted to the woman next to him and for a second she observed the stranger quietly.

"Edward." She then said. "Who is this woman?"

Before Edward or Evelyn could answer her, someone appeared behind Bella. A man with dark brown hair, dark eyes, a very distinctive moustache and wearing his uniform. It was without a doubt Charlie Swan. Evelyn gave him a short smile.

"Evelyn?" Charlie asked rather surprised and his brow furrowed.

"Hello, Charlie." She replied quietly.

He moved from behind Bella and enveloped his niece within a tight hug, followed by two kisses on her cheeks. He still looked baffled.

"You should have called." Charlie told her firmly but with kindness. "The house isn't prepared for a visit. What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, uncle Charlie. Normally I would have called, but I had to leave rather unexpectedly,-" From the corner of her eye she caught Edward watching her with a strange look on his face. A look which could only be described as suspicious looking.

"Edward?" Bella nudged him with her elbow.

"Sorry." He smiled at her.

"Bells, you must remember your cousin Evelyn?" Charlie gently motioned his daughter towards his niece. It was obvious from the look in her eyes that Bella was searching her memory for a sign of recognition, apart from the fact that this was indeed her cousin.

"It's alright, Isabella. I can't blame you if you don't remember me. It's been almost a decade since we last saw each other." Evelyn said to her.

As soon as she said that, Bella's expression changed. "No, no,- I do." She said as she stepped closer. "It's just, it's been a while." She smiled and wrapped her arms around Evelyn for a quick hug.

"Right, how about we all go inside then?" Charlie asked us.

Bella stepped aside to let her cousin in. But before they stepped through the door she turned to her father. "Dad!" She said motioning her head in Edward's direction.

Charlie cleared his throat before he spoke. "Edward, would you like to come in?"

Edward smiled and nodded politely. "Thank you, Charlie. "

"It's awfully early by the way. You didn't drive all through the night did you?" Her uncle asked her as he guided her to the living room.

"Are you asking me as a cop or concerned uncle?" Evelyn asked as she took a seat on the couch.

"That will depends, of course. But I guess that already answers my question. You shouldn't drive during the night. What if you fall asleep? How long did you drive for?"

As Charlie and Evelyn were engaged in a short, yes but no, conversation. Edward could not help but keep his focus on this Evelyn Swan. From the moment he'd caught the unfamiliar scent coming from the area, he increased his speed to get to Bella. Ever since the whole James and Victoria ordeal and Laurent trying to kill Bella a few months ago, he was always on full alert.

Once he discovered the source of the scent came from a young woman sitting in her car across the street of Bella's house, he felt slightly relieved. However, when she hadn't moved after twenty minutes, he got a little bit worried and thus he went in for a closer look.

Once he got to the car, without drawing any attention, he instantly was able to read her thoughts. They were just as confusing and jumbled up as they were now. But what surprised him most was a small but familiar hint of Bella's scent. Which meant the person in the car was either related to Bella or had something that belonged to her. As it turned out, it was the first option and even though that made him a bit less concerned, he also knew that Evelyn wasn't telling Charlie everything. The phrase, don't look for me, don't look for me, kept on repeating in her head. However he didn't get the chance to find anything more than that for the time being.

"So, how is your mother?" Charlie asked as he offered Evelyn a cup of coffee, which she happily accepted. The amount of caffeine her system would probably keep her awake for another couple of hours.

Evelyn blinked at the question. "Uhm,- fine. I suppose. Haven't talked to her in a while."

Charlie nodded understandingly. "Another tour?"

His niece shrugged. "I honestly do not know. But I'm not here to talk about my mother."

"No. No, of course not." Charlie replied. In truth, he had only asked the question out of politeness than out of genuine interest. He probably disliked his older sister as much as her own daughter did.

Evelyn took a deep breath, gathering her courage before opening her mouth again. "As you can probably guess, I'm not here for a family visit. I,-" She paused. Charlie eyes shifted to Bella, who in her turn looked at Edward. But Edward was focused on Evelyn, listening to her mind rambling.

Finally she began again after the long pregnant pause.

"I left home for,- personal reasons and I have no intentions of ever going back." Evelyn looked at her uncle Charlie. "So, my question is, if can I stay here? If only for a little while. I realize it is quite rude and out of the the blue. If it's too troublesome, I could also go to a hotel if that's more convenient?"

Charlie scratched the back of his head. "You know you're always welcome to stay, Evelyn. But it really is all very sudden. The house isn't that big and we don't really have a guest-room. But I won't hear of no hotel. So at the moment all I can offer you is the couch."

Relief was visible on Evelyn's face. At least he hadn't said no. "That's more than I could hope for. I'll try to find my own place as soon as possible."

"Yes, well,- I'll ask around for you. But, I'd also like to know a bit more on the, I have no intention of ever going back." Charlie continued. "You didn't kill anybody did you? Or any other criminal activity?"

His niece widened her eyes. "Uncle Charlie!"

"Now, I don't mean to be judgemental, just that,- considering your mother,-"

Charlie's older and only sibling, had a reputation which preceded herself. Born and raised in a small town, with big dreams and willing to do anything in order to make them come through. No matter the consequences. Evelyn couldn't very much blame her uncle for his caution or questions. Her mother's behaviour and lifestyle was something else entirely, but in Evelyn's case that apple fell very, very far from the tree.

"I'm not Vivian." Evelyn pressed her lips in a tight line, not averting her gaze.

Charlie's expression changed and he calmly leaned back in his seat. Apparently that statement was enough to satisfy him. Evelyn turned her head to Bella. "Would you mind if I stayed here for a while? Just until I find a place of my own?"

Bella looked at Edward for confirmation. Evelyn reckoned the two of them must be really close. They both didn't move but it seemed as though Edward helped Bella decide what to do through a simple gesture by exchanging looks.

"I don't mind." She smiled. "It's just that it's finals this year and I'll have a lot of studying to do,-"

"And then you also have Edward." Evelyn added for her causing Bella to slightly blush. "It's okay, Isabella, I understand. I'm glad I can stay, I'll make the couch my temporary new home."

"Just one thing,- don't call me Isabella, Bella will do." She smiled.

Now I have to explain something.

As you can see, I wrote, uploaded and completed this story back in 2011.

If you're reading this for the first time, you won't realize that as of 2020 it's a new and improved version. Therefore you may ignore this note and go on to the next chapter.

If you're reading this fic for the 2nd time, you might notice the chapters are significantly longer (new scenes) and the p.o.v changed from 1st to 3rd.

Now spelling/grammar mistakes might still occur, if it does, please let me know. (I do try to check! English is not my native language)

To those of you who have reviewed and followed this story back then, I hope you will reread it now that things have been altered.

To those new, welcome! Enjoy the new and (hopefully) improved version of 'Forever will be'

There are 26 chapters in total and the first 15 are now uploaded. Within the next couple of weeks, the last 9 will be finished :)

Thanks for reading!

Until next time