Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Twilight or Vampire Diaries. Those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and L.J. Smith. I do own the original characters made up for this storyline. Please support the original release. Thank you.
Writer's Notes: Thank you decadence, Super, munzke, Moondancer, delia, Roxhall, and Navywife for your reviews! I'm excited for this story. I love TVD of course, and you guys are in for some real treats. *smiles* I do have a dedicated pairing for this story, and no, it won't be obvious. *winks* I appreciate you all so much. Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review!
Dear Diary,
It's not her. When I came last weekend, to visit my old town and to get a couple things, I spotted her at the Grille. I thought my eyes had deceived me. It makes no sense why someone who was dead, could be alive again. School proved that she is not the same person. The eerie likeness of their faces, is haunting. The only picture I have of her, looks the same as the mysterious girl that came to town. Though I am no one new to Mystic Falls, I am now. Repeating senior year for… I've lost count at this point, seems pointless, but I just have to know her.
A week passed since Bella's arrival in Mystic Falls and so far, Caroline has been the friend that Bella didn't realize she needed or wanted. Bonnie and Elena were just a bonus. Bella was still the quieter one, only listening and speaking when spoken to directly. Edward was proving to be interesting. He was her biology partner and he was friendly enough. He was certainly different and Caroline told her that this was the first time she had witnessed Edward speak to someone other than his family really.
"So, the new guy, Stefan Salvatore," Caroline began, waggling her eyebrows. "He lives at the boarding house, where his uncle lives and owns. From what I can tell, he's mysterious. I can't figure him out, but it's just a matter of time before he's my date for homecoming." She said with her devious little smile.
Bonnie rolled her eyes and grabbed a fry off of Caroline's plate. They were at the Grille after school, which is where they lived at mostly. "Have you spoke to him?"
"Well, not yet." Caroline said with a small pout.
"So, how can you be sure he'll even like you?" Bonnie pointed out.
Bella just smiled and then dipped a fry in ketchup before popping it in her mouth. "Why don't you introduce yourself, like you introduced yourself to me." She broke her silence. Usually she didn't speak much, but she was getting more comfortable with everyone now.
Caroline sighed. "No." She wrinkled her nose. "He's just a cute boy,"
"Yeah, but a really cute boy." Elena said with a small smile.
Bella admitted that Stefan Salvatore was certainly good to look at, but there were a lot of abnormally good-looking guys at this school. Her phone beeped and she pulled it out of her pocket looking at it.
[Renee] The car broke down, can you come get me while I wait for the tow truck
[Bella] Send me your google location
Bella sighed. "I gotta run, mom's car broke down and I have to go get her. It's already dark out."
"Oh no, is she okay?" Bonnie asked.
"Yeah, she bought a bad apple it looks like." Bella said and grabbed her wallet to pay for her food.
"I'll pay." Caroline swatted Bella's hand away. "Go get your mom, be careful." She said with a smile.
Bella nodded. "Thanks Caroline." She said and got up from the table and grabbed her bag before she left the Grille to go find her mom.
Bella pulled up when the tow truck left fortunately. "Mom, come on. Let's get home."
Renee seemed a little tired and stressed. "Thank you. The tow truck is taking the car to the garage."
"No problem. Maybe you should have had a mechanic look over the car before buying it." Bella teased her mom.
"Well, I'm sure it's something simple." Renee said with a smile, then there was some thunder and rain started to fall. "Oh, well that was good timing."
Bella pulled away from the shoulder on the road and flipped the wipers on. "Yeah, lucky you. I was hoping to beat the storm. The news said that it was a big storm tonight." She said as she drove, the rain getting harder and harder.
"Yeah, but you know now the news can be. They're never on time with their predictions."
Bella agreed, the weather was unpredictable, even if you tried to predict it. When the rain started pouring harder, they were coming up across a bridge. Bella slowed down some, but her tire caught something in the road and it blew out which it caused her to swerve as she started across the bridge. She hit the side of the bridge before barreling over into the water below.
Everything happened so fast, that Bella didn't have time to react. Renee was unconscious in the seat beside her. "Mom!" Bella yelled, trying to wake her mom, but water was filling in fast. Bella felt blood trickle from her head where she hit the steering wheel with her forehead. She was a bit dazed, her arms and legs didn't seem like they wanted to move or she was really sluggish. She felt herself waiver in and out of consciousness as water continued to pour in, the car sinking in the water, until blackness took her.
Bella opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a hospital. The white of the walls and the beep of the machines made her aware of where she was. She felt groggy still, but she expected that she would be considering she was in a hospital. She was alone in the room, so she hit the call button on her bed for a nurse. She needed to know what exactly happened. One minute she was driving with her mom and the next, she was in the water.
A nurse walked in, along with a doctor. "You're awake, that's good." The nurse said with a smile. She was an older lady, dark hair and green eyes. She seemed friendly. The doctor with her was a handsome man, blonde hair smoothed back on his head with navy blue eyes.
"I'm Dr. Cullen, can you tell me your name?"
Bella blinked a few more times. "Bella."
"Good. Do you have any pain anywhere?" Dr. Cullen asked again.
Bella nodded. "My head...leg."
Dr. Cullen moved to the side of the bed to examine her, flashing a light to test her pupil reaction. "Well, you've got a slight concussion and your leg is has some bruising but nothing is broken." He said. "Do you remember anything?"
"I was driving… the storm… the bridge… my mom."
Dr. Cullen nodded. "You were in an accident. Your Jeep went over the bridge into the river below. Someone called 911 and when paramedics got there, you were on the bank. Do you remember getting out of the jeep?"
"No…" Bella shook her head. "I blacked out; I think. What about my mom, is my mom okay?"
"I'm sorry…" Dr. Cullen said. "But you were the only survivor. Sheriff Forbes will want to talk to you now that you're awake."
Bella shook her head. "What? No! That can't be. My mom can't be dead… she can't be gone!"
Dr. Cullen laid his hands on Bella's shoulders. "I'm very sorry, but you should try to calm down."
"No! My mom! It's not true, she's not dead, she can't be! She's all I had!" Bella cried out, struggling against Dr. Cullen.
"Tara, 5 mils of Ativan." Dr. Cullen said and the nurse, Tara, moved to a cart right outside grabbing the medicine and then injected it into Bella's IV.
Bella felt herself relaxing now, sinking back into her bed. The drug washing over her. "I… my mom…"
"Bella it's important for your recovery to stay calm. I've given you a mild-sedative, it's not going to knock you out, but it will keep you calm for a while." Dr. Cullen explained.
Bella just nodded mechanically, not sure what to do or say. How could this have happened? Her mom was the only person left in this world that belonged to her. Her dad died when she was young, it has always just been her and her mom. How was she supposed to survive now? Tears swept down her face as she thought about the loneliness. Her head hurt still, a small throb above her brow. "I… what will I do…"
Dr. Cullen hated seeing young people lose everything. Bella was the only one left and he didn't think that she should be left alone, at least not for some time. He wasn't sure who he could discharge her to. She was 18, so she didn't need a guardian, but mentally, Bella was going to go through a lot. "Sheriff Forbes is here; do you think you're up to talking to her? She may have more answers for you."
Bella just nodded, her dark eyes still sad and crying.
Dr. Cullen nodded and left the room to go and fetch Sheriff Forbes.
A moment later Sheriff Forbes was there at Bella's bedside. Sheriff Forbes was nice, her hair a bright blonde that matched Caroline's bright blonde hair and they had matching baby blue eyes. She was wearing the Mystic Falls; sheriff uniform and she had a pad of paper with her. "Hello Bella. First, I'm really sorry about what happened. I didn't know your mother well enough, but I know you go to school with my daughter and I want to help you through this tough time."
Bella nodded. "Thank you." She was still in shock.
"When we got there, you were passed out on the bank. Do you remember getting out of the jeep?"
"No, I remember driving, then the bridge, then over the bridge and in the water. I hit my head on the steering wheel I think and I passed out or blacked out. I must have swam out in a subconscious state. I don't know." Bella wasn't sure. She really couldn't remember.
Sheriff Forbes nodded and wrote that down. "We pulled the Jeep from the water; you blew a tire. Does that sound right?"
"I think so. The rain was coming down hard and I slowed down when I started across the bridge, it blew and I lost control." Bella said and tears fell. "I should have just pulled over when the rain got harder."
"Sweetie, please don't blame yourself and ask about what ifs. Accidents do happen."
"Except, now my mom is dead. I don't even know where to start. I'm alone now... I just moved here to this town. I don't know what to do. How do you bury someone? How do you even begin to be alone?" Bella had so many thoughts running through her hair now.
There was a knock on the door and Sheriff Forbes looked up. It was her daughter. She looked back at Bella. "Caroline is here. Do you want to see her?"
Bella nodded. "That's fine." She said, thankful that someone familiar was here now.
Caroline rushed in the room, going to Bella's bedside. "Oh my god Bella, are you okay?"
"My mom is gone." Bella said, looking up at the worried Caroline. She only knew her a week, but it was refreshing for Caroline to be there, showing that she cared so much.
Caroline put her arms around Bella carefully, hugging her. "I heard. I'm so sorry Bella. I didn't remember the storm or I would have warned you more. That bridge is horrible to cross in a storm."
Sheriff Forbes cleared her throat. "Bella, when you're feeling better, we'll release your mother. There are social workers that can help with things."
"I can help mom." Caroline said, looking at her mother. "I'll help Bella through it all."
"Thank you." Sheriff Forbes said. "Get rest sweetie." She said and left Caroline there with Bella.
Bella felt numb, but at the same time pain. It was an odd feeling to have and she just wasn't sure what to do. "Um… Do you know anything about funerals?"
"Elena had to bury her parents this spring. Jenna had to do all the paperwork, but there's a nice funeral home here in Mystic Falls. I'm assuming this is where you'll bury her?"
Bella nodded. "We really didn't have a permanent home. She bought a house here and wanted to settle here, so this is where she should stay. Where I should stay…" She murmured. "Oh, the house. What happens now?"
"Um, I'm not sure about estate stuff, Tyler Lockwood's dad is the mayor, but his mom is a lawyer. Maybe she would know how to handle estate stuff?" Caroline suggested.
"Tyler Lockwood… that's… the boy that plays football, right? The dark haired one, the one that is so loud and woman crazy?"
"The very one." Caroline said with a nod. "I can handle the flowers, the scheduling for the memorial and everything Bella, you shouldn't have to worry about any of it. And you're not alone. I know we haven't known each other long, but I am your friend. I want to be here for you, for everything."
Bella let a few more tears slide down her face. "Thank you, I really mean that."
Caroline smiled and then hugged her again. "When Dr. Cullen lets you leave, I'll take you home. We'll worry about everything then. For now, you should rest some. I'll make some calls to some people, okay?"
Bella nodded. "Okay." She said, admitting that she did need rest. She was physically and emotionally exhausted.
Caroline left Bella's side and stepped outside to make some phone calls.
Bella was sore all over when she walked through the door to the house her mother bought. Caroline helped Bella inside. Bonnie and Elena carried some baskets that people sent from the community as a way of giving their condolences.
"Thank you, guys." Bella said as she sat on the new couch that just came in before the car accident.
Elena smiled at her. "I know what you're feeling. I'm always here to talk about it. I find that writing in a journal helps me feel better."
"When will this heavy feeling go away?" Bella asked, the hole in her heart filling her with so much dread.
"It doesn't ever go away, but with time, you get stronger to carry that weight." Elena said softly.
Caroline's phone rang and she answered. "Hello!" She said, her voice like music. She nodded and then pulled a notebook and pen from her purse and used the counter in the kitchen to write on. "That's great. She just made it home today from the hospital. Can you email me all the papers that need to be esigned by her so she can have Ms. Swan release into your care?" She paused. "Sounds good. I'll talk to her about scheduling the memorial. Mrs. Lockwood will have all the legal papers ready from the will and estate and life insurance. Just forward me the cost, so I can relay that information to Mrs. Lockwood." She said and paused again. "Great, thanks Andrew." She said and hung up and jotted a few things down on the paper and then went to Bella. "So, I have the funeral home sending over what you need to sign. I already talked to Mrs. Lockwood this morning and she's going to pull public information on your mom. She did say that so far, she's found that your mom had a will, as well as a life insurance policy."
Bella nodded. "Thank you. I don't know where I would have started. I don't remember when my dad died, so I'm not sure about funerals." She said and a tear escaped.
Bonnie sat next to Bella then and put her arms around her. "Hey, it's going to be okay. You're never going to be alone. We won't let you."
Bella really was thankful that she did make friends. It was the first thing her mom told her to do when they moved here. To make friends and not be a hermit. She had to do that, if not for herself, then for her mom. "Thank you." She said again. She couldn't thank them enough for being there for her. She was a stranger that moved into this town. The three of them had grown up together, so she was amazed they accepted her so quickly. She would be so lost if it wasn't for Caroline with her extreme OCD and organizational skills.
Bella didn't go to school all week and it was expected. There was no reason why she would be at school after such a great loss as well as suffering herself. The memorial was today, Saturday. No one really knew her mom in this town, but for some reason, there seemed to be so many people at the funeral. Bella dressed in all black and was at the front of the pews where the casket holding her mom was. Caroline was beside her, wearing black as well, along with Elena and Bonnie. People filtered in to pay their respects and Bella was amazed at how many people in the community that would come out like this.
"Jeremy, come sit up here." Caroline flagged Jeremy Gilbert down, the younger brother of Elena, who was still in a depressed dark stage, from when their parents died in the spring, but he wandered up front anyways and sat in a pew quietly. He hated funerals and it was a reminder that death was real.
Sheriff Forbes, was there, in civilian clothes and she joined them at the front. "Bella, sweetie. I'm really sorry about your mom. Again, let me know if there's anything you need."
"Thank you, Sheriff."
"Liz, you can call me Liz." She said with a small smile. She ran a hand over Bella's arm before she took a seat in the pews.
Bella couldn't cry anymore. She had cried all she could during the week, so she felt like there was just nothing left to give. She looked up, seeing Edward Cullen walk in, his green eyes focused on hers briefly, before he took a seat with his family, who all seemed to be there, plus three others that Bella hadn't recognized.
People from school were there, that she recognized from class as just passing faces. Matt from the Grille was there, but he was also a student at Mystic Falls High and his sister, who happened to be Vicki.
Mayor Lockwood was there with Mrs. Lockwood and their son Tyler. It was warming to see so much support. Caroline stayed close to Bella's side, so Bella could lean on her if she needed, but Bella, so far, was able to stand on her own. She looked towards the casket, thinking about how cheerful her mom was all the time and how she wouldn't get to see that anymore, but she would have to live on, without her. She looked back over at the entrance and in walked Stefan Salvatore. He was still so mysterious to Bella and Caroline seemed to think he was one of the cutest boys at school. He looked at Bella briefly, before taking a seat in a pew in the back.
When the priest took his spot at the front, that's when Bella sat down in the front pew, with Bonnie and Caroline. The service started and Bella was just silent, listening to the priest give the eulogy that Caroline helped write, based on what Bella gave her.
When the service was over, people came up to Bella, to offer their condolences. Renee made impressions on people when she came here, which Bella wasn't surprised, her mom was a very likeable person and it made Bella happy that many people thought that Renee was a great person, even after only knowing her for a short time.
People left little by little, leaving Bella there with her mom. Caroline and Elena were helping with getting the flowers loaded to go to the gravesite, where Renee would be buried. Bella decided on no grave side service, because she didn't want to bring so many people out of their way. The estate would be transferred to Bella, which was expected and the life insurance wasn't hefty, but it was enough to pay for her mom's car to get fixed and to pay up some of the bills for a few months. Her mom had some debts that still needed to be paid off despite her mom getting an inheritance before. The insurance on the jeep was paying to replace the Jeep since it was totaled.
But all of that was just a blur to her and she was thankful that Caroline handled it all. "Um... I want to get some air. Can you… can you talk to the director?"
Caroline nodded. "Of course. Go out and take a breather."
Bella left and walked outside. The sky was clear today and she looked up at the sky. She wanted to believe her mom was up there watching her, but she honestly was never a religious person or even grew up that way. Her mom always was a free spirit.
"I'm sorry." Stefan spoke, breaking Bella out of her thoughts.
Bella looked at Stefan. "Oh. Thank you."
"Um. My parents died a long time ago, so… so I get how it feels." Stefan said, his hands going into his pockets.
"I'm sorry." Bella hadn't realized that Stefan was an orphan too. "It was just my mom and me."
Stefan nodded. "It's just me and my uncle right now."
"Any siblings?"
"None that I talk to." Stefan said. "It does get easier."
"I hope so. This pain is so much." Bella said and blew out a breath. "I still feel like I'm in a dream somehow."
Stefan glanced to the funeral home door, catching Caroline's figure in the doorway, but he looked back at Bella. "It'll feel like that… for a while. You just get used to the feeling. Losing someone you love isn't easy. It's not suppose to be. But it will make you stronger. Remember all the good times and never the bad. I didn't know your mom. Never met her, though from the eulogy, I can tell your mom was a special type of person."
Bella smiled a little. "Yeah, she was. She was just this little light, you know. She was so carefree and courageous. Never afraid to take risks. I guess that's why we've moved so much. She was always looking for the next adventure." She said and shook her head, sniffing a little. "She couldn't cook, she rarely cleaned and was so disorganized. She's had every type of job that I can remember and she made friends easily. No one was a stranger."
Stefan smiled. "She sounds like a brilliant human being."
"She was and somehow, she gave birth to a cynical, neat freak daughter who is just an oddball. Apparently, I'm more like my dad."
"I don't think you're pessimistic. A little quiet, maybe, but I think you're a bright light too. You smile like she does. The pictures in the memorial, they were nice and the two of you together….you both smile the same."
A couple tears appeared, right when Bella didn't think she had anymore left. "You think so?"
"Yeah." Stefan said softly pulling a handkerchief from his pocket then reached up and dabbed at her face for her.
Bella was surprised at the gesture, but she nodded her thanks. "I'm sorry, I promised myself no more tears, but… I'm still emotional it seems."
"It's okay to cry. Holding it in makes it hurt worse." Stefan said and then put the handkerchief back in his pocket. "Do you want me to drive you home?"
Bella sniffed again. "Um…"
Caroline appeared. "Hey, I'm going to follow the director to the gravesite to get the flowers arranged. Elena and Bonnie brought Jeremy home, so if Stefan wants to drive you back…"
Bella blinked and then nodded. "Sure, yeah. Thank you, Stefan."
Stefan nodded and then guided Bella back to his car. He opened the door for her and she got in. He glanced up, catching a stare and it was Edward Cullen. Stefan didn't like him, not because of what he was, but because he was too strange. He walked around to the other side of the car, ducked down in the driver's seat and drove towards Bella's house.
