Author's Notes: After much consideration, I have decided to tackle the Goliath project: ReWriting Twilight. Just so much about the books left me scratching my head and unsatisfied. So, having gathered a list of the most aggravated grievances with the original story, I have attempted to fix those issues while adding my twists to the story to keep it fresh and interesting. I have also decided to drop Edward and go with his female counterpart Edythe.

My biggest inspiration for doing this has been my girlfriend, who has encouraged me and helped me come to what I think are rational, logical, and satisfying answers to things that we were never given a proper explanation for. I am only one person, and while my girlfriend does help me with edits, we are not perfect, and our writing styles are vastly differing.

So without further ado, here is the first chapter.

Chapter One:

Gazing at the remnants of my old life that I had yet to pack away, I sighed softly. The pictures lining the walls were the only evidence that I ever existed in this place, the only proof that she existed. I pluck a frame from the wall, my thumb brushing over my mother's slender figure, who had her arm slung around my shoulders from one of our spontaneous trips. "I miss you," I whisper as I press that frame to my chest. It was the closest thing to a hug I could get from my mother now, and I cherished it

How long was I standing there when my best friend Cass entered the room? I sensed her before I heard her, though I wasn't sure how that could be.

"Hey," she spoke in gentle tones as if she were afraid I might shatter into a million pieces if she spoke any louder. I hated it, but I couldn't blame her for the caution. The grief counselor warned that people would be cautious around me because they'd be reminded of their mortality with my mother's death. "Need any help?"

"No, I've got it."

I looked towards Cass and felt my resolve weakening, the strength I've relied on since the accident. I tried to smile, to reassure her that I had it covered and was okay, but I'm sure it came out watery at best and not believable at worst. In my heart, I knew it was a grimace, and I could see the evidence of it on her face.

"If you change your mind…" Cass began to say, but she didn't push the issue and instead rested a soft hand on my shoulder. Squeezing it encouragingly before leaving me alone in my room. I was surrounded by broken pieces of the life ripped away from me. I wish I could share my pain with her, but it wouldn't have been fair to dump all that heartache on someone I loved.

Alone once more, I looked at the photo of my mom and me that still lingered in my hand, then placed it into my suitcase for safekeeping. No way I was leaving without at least one photo to tide me over until the others arrived in the mail. Reluctantly, I zipped my bag up so that everything I took with me remained tucked away.

Only when I was done did I return to the pictures still hung on the wall. Almost robotically, I pulled the frames down. Removing them one by one until the only thing left were empty walls and spaces where life and joy had once been.

The unfairness of the situation struck me. My mother was still so young, only in her thirties, as she had me earlier than anticipated. She was supposed to have many more years ahead of her!

Cold fingers of grief crept up my spine and wrapped around my throat, making breathing hard. I wanted nothing more than to collapse on my bed and scream into my pillows to allow my pain someplace to go instead of stifling it down inside me.

Now was not the time for sadness. There was still so much to do. Packing, the drive, settling in with Charlie - my father - and preparing for a life without her . No, the time to grieve would have to come later when I didn't need to be strong anymore.

With a shaky breath, I wiped the bottom of my eyes to collect any moisture gathered there. Pulling it off the bed, I looked at what had been my room for so many years. Then I turned off the lights, dragging my heavy suitcase behind me towards the front door where Cass and Wendy would be waiting.

"Ready?"

No. I don't think I could ever be ready for what would come. But I nodded. I was driving on autopilot right now, going through the motions. Unable to process anything that happened over the last few weeks. "Yeah."

"We'll go through everything else and pack it up for you, so don't worry. Just let us know when you get there if you are missing anything important."

"Okay," I answered numbly. "We should get going; my dad said he'd have everything ready for me." That's why he wasn't here with me now, helping me through this difficult time. I thought bitterly that he's always been married to his work.

I shouldn't be angry, but I was. It felt as though I were trading one empty home for another. Would he even be there for me? Or would he remain buried in his job and distant like always?

"Okay, Bells." Tightening my fingers around the suitcase handle, I numbly follow Cass and her mother to the awaiting car.

"I wish you didn't have to go."

Me too. I'd do anything to stay here, but legally, Charlie was my guardian now. I had no choice but to go and live with him until my eighteenth birthday. A hot breath of air huffed from between my lips as my gaze lowered to the ground. Besides, I didn't have the heart to tell Cass it would be too painful to remain here when my mother's vibrant presence had been robbed from this place.

"I'll keep in touch," I promised. There was always MySpace, and Cass and I had cell phones from which we could call each other.

Carefully, I managed to maneuver my luggage into the trunk of Cass' mother's Ford Focus. Slamming the door shut a little more forcefully than I meant to before climbing into the back seat.

"Everyone buckled?" Wendy asked. "Yes? Good."

My lower lip threatened to quiver as those words worsened my heart's pain. I'd never hear my mother say that to me again, never feel the warmth, safety, and concern of her embrace. I close my eyes to block it out and rest my head against the warm glass window.

Now is not the time.

The drive to the Phoenix Airport was silent - except for the air conditioner's hum. Neither Cass nor her mom seemed to know what to say to me, or they were afraid to say the wrong thing. I didn't mind the silence, though, as it let me clear my mind until nothing but TV static remained. The buzzing of nothingness soothed my jagged soul.

I might have fallen asleep if I wasn't running in survival mode. God, I was exhausted, but even so - sleep eluded me.

The best I could do was shut out reality in that zoned-out state of nothingness.

"Bella?" a gentle hand on my arm pulled me out of that state of simply existing. "We're here."

Already? Didn't we just enter the car? Opening my eyes, I looked out the window. Before me was this imposing building of concrete and glass. It was huge , bigger than I anticipated.

Fuck, I hope I wouldn't get lost in there.

Reluctantly, our seatbelts unclicked, and we climbed out of the car into the hot Phoenix air. Wendy helped me fetch my bags from the trunk before she and Cass flanked me on either side. This was it: the point of no return. Once I stepped through those doors, I would be committing myself to my bleak future of perpetual rain.

"Now, Bells, if you need anything , don't hesitate to call, okay?" Wendy reassured me.

"Of course," my voice very nearly cracked with grief. They couldn't give me the thing I really needed. No one could.

"And you'll come to visit this summer, right?" Cass gave me those big, pleading eyes. The only ones I've never been able to say no to.

I smiled at her, linking my arm through hers. "You know it." I could not outwardly admit that there was a strong possibility that I couldn't afford to come; flying wasn't cheap.

With that, we entered the building. Slowly making our way to the TSA checkpoint I'd been dreading all morning.

Before I walked through those seat-belt-fenced lines, Cass turned towards me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. It was the sort of hug that could easily undo what little control I had left over my ragged emotions. "I'm gonna miss you so, so much."

Oh, Cass, whatever will I do without you?

"I'll miss you more," I whispered into her shoulder. We stayed like this until my fragile mind could no longer bear it. "I'll try to get online more often so we can talk. You'll write me on MySpace?"

Although I was likely to forget to do so, I vowed to try to check my inbox there. It was just too much work to edit HTML and navigate that website. If Myspace became more simplistic, I would have had an easier time using it.

"You better! I want pictures of everything !" Cass insisted.

I cringed. Cass would be so disappointed by Forks. It was just as dull as the name suggested. Cold and rainy most of the year – Forks had little to look at and even less to do.

Looking at her, I attempted a smile again. "Yeah, I'll try."

"You better get going, Bells," Wendy hugged me. Almost reluctantly ushering me into the checkpoint line with a hand on my lower back. "If you don't, you might miss your flight. As much as I would love to keep you, your father won't be happy with me."

Sweet as her playful banter was, it didn't soothe the ache.

Unwillingly, I smiled at her and Cass. I was drinking in all the warmth of their love and compassion before I turned to leave.

Somehow, through some stroke of luck, I made it through the checkpoint and to my boarding gate without any major mishaps. How? I haven't a clue. Maybe the universe decided to take pity on me today of all days. Before long, I was on the plane with my headphones in. My Chemical Romance's I'm Not Okay (I Promise) ironically blasting into my ears.

At least Gerard Way could capture my feelings and place them into words. Or at least I'd like to think so. Lulled into a sleeplike state by the tortured vocals made the plane ride much more tolerable - and shorter. Before long, we were ushered off the plane and into the much smaller terminal of Port Angeles Airport.

Awkwardly dragging my luggage behind me, I looked for my dad. He said he'd be here. So where was he?

It took a few moments, but eventually, my gaze settled on him. Charlie looked just as uncomfortable as I felt.

"Hey, Kiddo," he greeted me with a weird side hug. "How was the flight?"

"It was okay. I was lucky enough to get a window seat."

Charlie reached for my luggage and asked, "This all your stuff?" He seemed confused, though, as if he thought I would have every possession I owned brought on the plane with me.

"All I could bring." With another awkward nod, he pulled my luggage behind him and guided me out of the airport to the parking lot.

I grimaced as the old police cruiser waited for us there. Any hope of inconspicuous arrival to my new home was dashed as quickly as it came.

Just breathe, Bella. Easier said than done, though. The colder air seemed to constrict my lungs and make it harder to draw in a breath.

As Charlie put my bag in the car, I entered the passenger seat, and he joined me. Turning over the key, the car purred to life, and we departed from the airport.

Occasionally, I saw Charlie look at me as if he wanted to say something. With a soft sigh, I turned my head towards him and smiled weakly. Hopefully, that would be all the nudge he needed to get whatever it was off his chest.

"So," he drawled out slowly. "I figured you wouldn't want to be seen driven around in my ol' cruiser."

I dreaded it, but I hoped to get a part-time job to save up some money for a used car. I'd need one if I ever wanted any protection from the rain - and to save what little reputation I might have. "So, I found a good car for you."

This had me stiffening in my chair. "You did?" I asked, my voice weary and on guard. It wasn't his fault that it came out so sharply. I was just tired and surprised.

"Yeah, you remember my ol' fishing buddy, Billy?" he asked. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't put a face to it. He continued when I didn't answer: "You know, Billy Black? He was from the Reservation at La Push?"

Still nothing.

"Yeah, sure," I lied so he'd get to the point.

"Well, he's in a wheelchair now and can't drive anymore." He glanced at me again to see my reaction. "So he offered me his truck."

A truck? That wasn't my first choice. "How old is it?"

Charlie nervously tapped on the steering wheel. "Well, Billy's done a lot of work to it, rebuilt the engine and everything."

My mouth slanted into a grimace as he avoided the question. I was going to have an absolute clunker, wasn't I?

As if he sensed my trepidation, he continued. "Billy bought it in… eighty-four, I think." My expression continued to sink. "But don't worry, the inside is fully restored. You'd never be able to tell that it's been around the block a time or two."

If that was his attempt to make me feel better, it didn't work. "I don't know…"

Before I could protest, he added with a hopeful smile. "It's already been inspected, Bella. It's been deemed road-worthy."

"I dunno," my stomach lurched violently. I was going to be the laughingstock of Forks High School with a janky truck not fit for anyone to drive, wasn't I?

"It'll be here tomorrow. Just look at it. If you don't like it, we can try to find something different." I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was hopeful that I would change my mind about the truck when I saw it.

I wasn't convinced, but I could see the desperation in his eyes. He was trying so hard to do something nice for me. "Yeah, okay, I'll check it out, Dad."

Silence stretched between us again, reminding me how little I had in common with Charlie. With a soft sigh, I put my earbuds back into my ear and turned my MP3 player on. This time, the gritty, raw vocals of Papa Roach started, giving me comfort in something familiar and distracting as we embarked on our trip to my new home.

Eventually, we arrived at Charlie's house. It was just as drab as I remembered it.

"Home sweet home," Charlie shut the cruiser off and pat the dashboard affectionately. "Ready, Kiddo?" he asked.

No .

"Yeah, I'm ready." Getting out of the car, the chilly air of the afternoon brought goosebumps to my arms. Oh, how I wish I had the foresight to grab a jacket before we left the airport. At least I wouldn't be outside long. As Charlie went to unlock the door, I grabbed my suitcase from the cruiser and followed him inside. Each step on the ground was grating, like nails on a chalkboard. Squish. Squeak. Squish. Splash. It was so different from Phoenix, where the ground was firm and solid.

I hated it.

Once inside, I made a beeline up the stairs to where I knew my room would be. Stepping inside, I cringed. The room was exactly as I had left it years ago. With pink lacy curtains over the windows, a desk and bedroom set in white and pink, and pink and purple bed sheets.

"I kept it just as you had it," Charlie said behind me. Looking at him, I could see the nervousness in his eyes. Had he hoped I'd come here sooner? "If you don't like it, we can pick something new."

"Maybe just some new bedsheets…" Something that didn't make me feel like I was sleeping in a five-year-old's bed. I saw Charlie's brows lift as if surprised by my request.

"We can do that tomorrow after Billy comes by if you want."

Pulling my luggage to the corner of my room in hopes that Charlie would get the idea. I was tired. "Sounds good, Dad."

"Then, I'll let you settle in for the night."

The door clicked shut, and I finally heaved a sigh of relief, alone at last. Toeing off my shoes, I collapsed onto the bed face first to sink into blessed sleep.

~oOo~

I didn't want to get out of bed the next day, not when I was nestled so sweetly under the blankets of my bed where I could pretend for a few seconds that my mother would walk through that door with laughter on her lips as she crawled next to me. But, as my eyes opened, I was greeted with the foreign sight of my new room and masculine chatter downstairs.

Sitting up disappointedly, I combed my fingers through my tangled mass of hair to make it more presentable until I could fish my hairbrush out.

I thought I heard my dad say, "Yeah, I'll go get her."

Climbing out of bed, I stretched my arms over my head and arched my back to help work out any lingering stiffness in my bones. I listened as footsteps approached, followed by a knock at the door.

"Bella? You up?"

"I'm up," I yawned.

"Billy's here with the truck."

Walking to the door, I opened it and attempted to smile at Charlie. "I'm coming." I didn't want to be social this early, but I promised to look at the truck at least. Trailing behind my dad, I couldn't help but notice how things hardly changed inside the house. Pictures of my mother and him posing in those cheesy photo studios, vacations from before I was born, images of my mother with a swollen belly and a proud-looking Charlie holding it.

Her pictures, the choices she made in decorating, everywhere I looked, she was here. It was as if Charlie never moved on or didn't have the time or energy to remove her influence. Maybe he constantly held onto some hope that my mother would return. And now she never would .

Poor guy.

We entered the kitchen, and I was greeted by the sight of who I presumed to be Billy in his wheelchair and someone else leaning on the counter. I looked at him, and he looked at me, and I swear I could feel the breath in my lungs catching in my throat.

Holy crap, he was cute . Charlie's hands pressed to my shoulders, but even that wasn't enough to break the spell of his gaze. "Bella, you remember Billy," he introduced slowly, "And his son Jacob?"

"I can't believe how much she's grown," Billy's gruff voice remarked.

Look away , I urged myself. Say something .

Anything .

"Hey," Jacob spoke first, and I swear I could feel a shiver starting in my spine.

Charlie's fingers squeezed my shoulders as if to encourage me not to be shy. Too bad it wasn't shyness holding my voice hostage. "Hey," I lamely answered. I don't know how I found the strength to break that intense hold of his gaze so I could look at Billy.

"I'm glad you're here, though I'm sorry it isn't under better circumstances."

I stiffened, my heart throbbing in my chest. From behind me, Charlie cleared his throat to try and clear the awkward energy that pervaded the room now. "The truck's out front, Bella," he prompted in that uneasy voice of his.

It didn't take any more prompting for us to all file out of the tiny kitchen to the driveway, where the truck waited for me .

I don't know what I expected, but this was not it. Big, rounded fenders, a spacious cap, beautiful red paint… it was more than I had imagined and better than I hoped.

"Well?" Charlie asked sheepishly, trying to gauge my reaction.

I smiled, "I love it." Moving to the driver's side, I opened the door to climb behind the wheel.

"See, I told you she would."

"Yeah, yeah."

Glossing my hand over the worn steering wheel, I began feeling my Beast excitedly. It was the sort of truck with history ready to spill out for the right person. As my hands moved to the dashboard, the passenger door opened, and Jacob climbed beside me.

"Here, start the engine to get a real feel for it." Jacob held the keys out to me expectantly.

Heat infused my cheeks, my gaze moving from the keys to the gearshift, back to the keys. "I've never driven a stick shift before." I chanced a peek at his face and expected some mockery or annoyance there. Instead, I was met with confusion and surprise.

"Oh man," he began before pushing his fingers through his hair. "Okay, okay, that's not a problem." Jacob said to Billy, sliding halfway out of the truck, "I'm gonna ride with Bella so she can test the truck out."

Thankfully, he didn't reveal my little secret.

"Alright, you're gonna want to put your foot on the clutch, no not that one, the other," he pointed to one of the foot pedals and then continued, "and push in the break. Yeah, like that."

Surprisingly, I could start my Beast with no troubles under Jacob's guidance. I was surprised by - for the most part - how easy it was. The only problem I seemed to have was the truck stalling out when I got stopped on a hill. My poor nerves felt frazzled every time it happened, but Jacob assured me it would get easier with practice.

"If you say so," I grumbled as I unclenched my fingers from the steering wheel because I noticed I had a death grip on it. At least, Forks had very few hills. I shouldn't have too many issues.

Somehow, we made it back to the house with no other incidents. "Well?" Charlie asked again with that nervous energy. He wanted so bad for her to think he could do something right.

"I love it."

Relief broke over his face, and he smiled at me. "Good, then it's yours." He paused, then looked towards Billy.

"We should be heading home."

"Yeah, I'll take you both," Charlie offered before he glanced at me again. "That way, Bella can unpack and settle in a bit." He gave me one of those classic one-armed hugs he was known for, then helped Billy into the police cruiser, folded up that wheelchair, and left to take them back to the Reservation.

Alone, I allowed my shoulders to slump, and the weariness I'd been holding back flooded through me. Stopping by the kitchen, I grabbed a quick snack - which happened to be a poptart. Had Charlie bought these for me before my arrival? It was sweet; I had to admit.

With my toaster treats in my hand, I walked up the stairs toward my room. Each step felt heavier and heavier as if my grief was weighing me down now that it was unrestrained. Shuffle. Shuffle. My feet dragged against the ground, but I managed to close the distance between the top of the stairs and my door.

Stepping inside, I shut the door behind me and leaned against it. Tipping my head back, I stared at the ceiling as if I'd find the answers to the questions that had been circling in my head.

When I felt strong enough to stand again, I pushed away, only to stop when I saw the small, plain brown box in the center of my bed. Had Charlie left me a gift while I was out with Jacob? Reaching out for the box, I debated whether I wanted to open it now or later.

Eventually, I settled for opening it up later and stashed it on my bookshelf for safekeeping. If Charlie asked, I would tell him I wanted to wait until he was home to open his gift. With that settled, my poptart was abandoned on my nightstand so I could pull my luggage onto the bed and unzip it.

My mother's smiling face greeted me. "Hey," I whispered to her as tears brimmed my eyes. Sitting down, I took the photo and held it before me. "So, I'm in Forks now." A watery laugh escaped me, though I was certain it sounded pathetic and brokenhearted. "It's just as dreary as I remember it being. You'd hate it."

Words flowed from my lips, unable to stop as I 'updated' my mother on the last day's events. "The house hasn't changed either. It looks the same - except for the additions of my school pictures. Oh, and I have a truck now."

My hands trembled, tears spilling down my cheeks as I hugged the photo. Curling up into the fetal position, I clung to the photo as if it were my lifeline. I needed this, needed her , as I let out loud, desperate sobs. Once they started, I couldn't stop. Wail after heart-wrenching wail filled the space as I cried for the first time since the accident.

I cried until I had no more tears and was left with nothing but a stuffy nose, a sore throat, and puffy eyes.

But, at least, I felt a little better.

Author's Note:

If you enjoyed this first chapter, feel free to drop me a comment. I love hearing your guys' thoughts and opinions. :)