Author's Note : The only Elder Scrolls game I've played so far is modded Skyrim. Some of those mods add NPCs such as 3DNPC or more adoptable children. I don't use hugely lore altering mods other than that. Hope you enjoy my headcanons for Skyrim and Twilight and my story!
As soon as she opened her eyes, Natalia could tell everything was off. She got up off the cold, wet ground and felt stinging from tiny cuts all over her face and arms. She took stock of all the differences as quickly as she could while trying to find her way out of the new woods she found herself in.
These woods were much… wetter than the ones she was in moments before. Her body was soaked from being on the ground and covered in cuts. Her body was much softer here too, and to top it off her armor was gone, replaced with something unfamiliar. They felt thin like common farmer's clothes but tighter, there was less room to move about. She was far from home and not even in her own body.
Then the memories came. They knocked her down to the floor again as foriegn memories flooded over hers. The strange overlapping gave her a headache as the memories belonging to her consciousness fought for space with the memories belonging to her body.
The information overload kept Natalia on the ground as she tried to find where she stopped and the body she was in began. Slowly she was able to sort through all these new memories with some amount of clarity. She was in a place called Forks, in a country called USA, on a planet called Earth. The language she was now thinking in was called English. The impractical pants she was wearing were called jeans. And this body went by the name of Isabella Marie Swan. Bella. She preferred Bella, good to know.
The commotion had made Natalia lose track of her surroundings, not that she had made it very far anyway. When she came back to the present she could hear people calling out in the distance. They were calling for her, well her body, and she started to get up to go to them.
As she was getting up she noticed movement to her side. Much too close for her liking. It seems this body also has dull senses. A shirtless man came up to her. La Push her brain supplied to her.
"Bella."
His voice was deep and unfamiliar, and she got nothing further from the memories other than he looked to be from La Push.
"Have you been hurt?"
She just shook her head, it might be better to wait for more memories before trying to pretend to be Isabella in earnest.
"My name is Sam Uley. Charlie sent me to look for you."
There was no recognition at his name, however the other one did spark something. My Dad is worried about me. Charlie is her father and sent multiple people out to look for her.
Sam held out his hand which Natalia took to help herself up. She followed him out of the woods, straining slightly to keep up with his wider gait as he marched forward through the thicket sure of his path. She went over the memories of how she got out here as they walked.
"You… don't… want me?"
"No."
"Of course, I'll always love
you… in a way. But what happened the other night made me realize that it's time for a change.
Because I'm… tired of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I am not
human." He looked back, and the icy planes of his perfect face were not human.
"I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that."
"Don't."
"You're not good for me, Bella."
"I won't forget. But my kind… we're very
easily distracted."
"Goodbye, Bella,"
"Wait!"
And then she had walked aimlessly and heartbroken until she collapsed and Natalia woke up in her body.
Before she could mull over that any further they broke through the brush and out towards lights and babbling commotion.
"I've got her!" Sam called in a booming voice.
The babble ceased, and then picked up again with more intensity. A confusing mass of faces swept memories over Natalia. Dad, police cruiser, Mr. Newton, Mike, Mr. Weber, strangers from Forks, most of the town.
She bit down on her lip unconsciously before struggling to make it keep looking natural as soon as she noticed it.
"Bella, honey, are you all right?" Charlie asked, clearly concerned.
"I'm okay Dad, just a little scratched." Natalia replied as she worked to keep the surprise out of her voice. It was scratchy like her throat was closed up from recently crying herself hoarse but even under that she could tell her voice was very different. Slightly higher, softer, and younger much younger.
Charlie wrapped an arm around Natalia and pulled her close as he led her home. The crowd followed. Bella must have a great deal of people who care about her. Charlie's friends, or care about Charlie and by proxy, Bella.
Natalia found some reactions came to her body naturally and it felt so very strange as her consciousness warred with her body on what was natural. As much as she could she listened to the body, which currently felt weak kneed and slouched forward as she walked. She didn't walk with much stride either.
They made it to a house that reminded Natalia of her Breezehome in Whiterun. Charlie led her over to the couch.
"Dad, I'm all wet," She objected feebly.
"That doesn't matter." His voice was gruff. And then he was talking to someone
Else.
"Blankets are in the cupboard at the top of the stairs."
"Bella?" The other doctor that worked with Dr. Cullen.
"Dr. Gerandy?" She mumbled.
"That's right, dear," he said. "Are you hurt, Bella?"
"I'm not hurt," She said. Which was true though she suspected Bella would be feeling a world on emotional hurt if she were here right now.
His warm hand touched her forehead, and his fingers pressed against the inside
of her wrist. She watched his lips as he counted to himself, his eyes on his watch. Counting my pulse. Natalia was intrigued by how one could check for wellness by counting a pulse. Beating too fast or too slow was a problem for sure but counting so precisely, what could he learn from that she wondered.
"What happened to you?" he asked casually.
She froze. Natalia knew she had to lie there were details she was meant to hide but the body wasn't providing anything helpful.
"Did you get lost in the woods?" he prodded. Charlie leaned in to hear my answer.
"Yes," She whispered. "I got lost."
The doctor nodded, thoughtful, his fingers probing gently against the glands under her jaw.
Charlie's face hardened.
"Do you feel tired?" Dr. Gerandy asked.
She nodded and closed her eyes obediently.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with her," the doctor muttered to Charlie after a moment. "Just exhaustion. Let her sleep it off, and I'll come check on her tomorrow," he paused. "Well, later today actually." Checked his watch.
There was a creaking sound as they both pushed off from the couch to get to their feet.
"Is it true?" Charlie whispered. Their voices were farther away now. Natalia strained to hear. "Did they leave?"
"Dr. Cullen asked us not to say anything," Dr. Gerandy answered. "The offer was very sudden; they had to choose immediately. Carlisle didn't want to make a big production out of leaving." New job offer cover story for the Cullens.
"A little warning might have been nice," Charlie grumbled.
Dr. Gerandy sounded uncomfortable when he replied. "Yes, well, in this situation, some warning might have been called for."
She tried to listen further but her body felt too heavy and she drifted in and out of alertness in a way that she hadn't in a long time. She heard Charlie whisper thanks to the volunteers as, one by one, they left. She felt his fingers on her forehead, and then the weight of another blanket. The phone rang a few times, and he hurried to catch it before it could wake her. He muttered reassurances in a low voice to the callers.
"Yeah, we found her. She's okay. She got lost. She's fine now," he said again and again.
She heard the springs in the armchair groan when he settled himself in for the night.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again.
Charlie moaned as he struggled to his feet, and then he rushed, stumbling, to the kitchen.
"Yeah," Charlie said, and yawned.
His voice changed, it was much more alert when he spoke again. "Where?"
There was a pause. "You're sure it's outside the reservation?" Another short pause. "But what could be burning out there?" He sounded both worried and mystified. "Look, I'll call down there and check it out."
She listened intently as he punched in a number.
"Hey, Billy, it's Charlie–sorry I'm calling so early… no, she's fine. She's sleeping… Thanks, but that's not why I called. I just got a call from Mrs. Stanley, and she says that from her second-story window she can see fires out on the sea cliffs, but I didn't really… Oh!"
Suddenly there was an edge in his voice–irritation… or anger. "And why are they doing that? Uh huh. Really?" He said it sarcastically. "Well, don't apologize to me. Yeah, yeah. Just make sure the flames don't spread… I know, I know, I'm surprised they got them lit at all in this weather."
Charlie hesitated, and then added grudgingly. "Thanks for sending Sam and the other boys up. You were right–they do know the forest better than we do. It was Sam who found her, so I owe you one… Yeah, I'll talk to you later," he agreed, still sour, before hanging up.
Charlie muttered something incoherent as he shuffled back to the living room.
"What's wrong?" Natalia asked.
He hurried to her side. "I'm sorry I woke you, honey."
"Is something burning?"
"It's nothing," he assured her. "Just some bonfires out on the cliffs."
"Bonfires?" She asked.
Charlie frowned. "Some of the kids from the reservation being rowdy," he explained.
"Why?" She wondered out loud.
She could tell he didn't want to answer. He looked at the floor under his knees.
"They're celebrating the news." His tone was bitter.
The Quileutes have superstitions about the "cold ones," the blood-drinkers that are enemies to their tribe. Just stories, folklore, to most of them. Billy Black believes and had warned me to stay away from the Cullens. Jacob doesn't believe and was the one to tell me the legends.
"Because the Cullens left," she said. "They don't like the Cullens in La Push–I'd forgotten about that." She said, proud that she sounded convincing so far given what she understood about Bella.
"It's ridiculous," Charlie spluttered.
They sat in silence for a moment. The sky was no longer black outside the window. Somewhere behind the rain, the sun was beginning to rise.
"Bella?" Charlie asked.
She looked at him feigning unease.
"He left you alone in the woods?" Charlie guessed.
She deflected his question with the first thing she could think of. "How did you know where to find me?"
"Your note," Charlie answered. surprised. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a much-abused piece of paper. It was dirty and damp, with multiple creases from being opened and refolded many times. He unfolded it again, and held it up as evidence. The messy handwriting was remarkably close to my own.
Going for a walk with Edward, up the path, it said. Back soon, B.
"When you didn't come back, I called the Cullens, and no one answered,"
Charlie said in a low voice. "Then I called the hospital, and Dr. Gerandy told me
that Carlisle was gone."
"Where did they go?" She mumbled. He stared at me. "Didn't Edward tell you?"
She shook her head.
Charlie eyed her doubtfully as he answered. "Carlisle took a job with a big
hospital in Los Angeles. I guess they threw a lot of money at him."
Sunny L.A. The last place they would really go. Natalia realized she needed to work out this whole 'vampire' thing. They didn't fit the usual description but there was one type long dead they could be. The chances were slim but maybe they were-
"I want to know if Edward left you alone out there in the middle of the woods," Charlie insisted.
Charlie startled Natalia back out of her musings. "It was my fault. He left me right here on the trail, in sight of the house… but I tried to follow him." She supplied quickly, hoping the technical truth sounded convincing.
Before he could say anything else Natalia made a show for being hurt and tired. "I can't talk
about this anymore, Dad. I want to go to my room." She said as she scrambled up from the couch and lurched her way up the stairs.
Someone had been in the house to leave a note for Charlie. Natalia paused. She realized that no matter what she did she owed Bella care for how things would normally be done. There was equal chances Bella was either still in this body with her or in Natalia's body back in Skyrim. Either way Natalia intended to honor Bella's wishes and intents to the best of her abilities where she could and it looked like that started with a room investigation.
Shutting and locking the door behind she started her search at the CD player by Bella's bed. Everything looked exactly the same as she'd left it. She pressed down on the top of the
CD player. The latch unhooked, and the lid slowly swung open. It was empty.
The album Renee had given her sat on the floor beside the bed, the next article to be investigated. She didn't have to flip any farther than the first page. The little metal corners no
longer held a picture in place. The page was blank except for Bella's own handwriting scrawled across the bottom: Edward Cullen, Charlie's kitchen, Sept. 13th.
"It will be as if I'd never existed" Wow.
What. a. jerk.
Vampire or not this was just cruel. He kept going on and on about how he was a monster because he's a vampire when he should've looked at his selfish countenance instead.
Natalia felt mad on behalf of Bella. Edward was the worst offender with his heartless break-up but the rest weren't much better in Natalia's eyes. They opened their home and offered her promise of family and for what? They must've known this was her first serious relationship. They had to have known she'd have no way to notice signs of manipulation.
Natalia fumed to herself in Bella's bed. If anyone even thought about hurting her children like this there was not a place in Oblivion they could go to try and hide from her wrath. As the sun rose higher and higher Natalia's eyes felt heavier and heavier. The call to the hunt was waning with the rising sun and for the first time in a great long while she fell into a restful sleep.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading I hope you enjoyed it. I'll be attempting to regularly update this story, although I've never actually kept up a long fanfiction before I shall do my best.
