Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or in fact any of the characters in Twilight.

Warning: There could be some violence in the furture and bad language, so I'm going to rate this T. Just warning you!

Bella's POV

An Introduction ...

I was just 16 years old when I realised that things were going to change, for the worst as it seemed at the time. Being as naive as I was at the time I thought my life couldn't get any better. I had the two best friends that any girl could wish for; I'd grown up with them from the age of four and a sister who always took care of me. As well as a father who did everything he could to support us. Four had been the age I was when me and my sister, Alice, lost our mother Renee. We were taken off to live with our father, in a little rainy place called Forks. Alice had been reluctant to go, saying that she was going to hate it. For five years old she had had some pretty good opinions and she had always been mature for her age, even if she didn't act it some times.

So we moved in with Police Chief, Charlie Swan in the little town of Forks. It didn't take long to settle in, though I remember crying late at night sometimes as the rain poured down our window upsetting me even more. Alice had comforted me then, making me go into her bed and cuddle up with her. She swore she didn't cry when we were cuddled up like that, but I knew different.

When we had been there barely a week, there was a knock at the door while we were sat around the kitchen table eating breakfast. Charlie got up to answer it leaving me and Alice alone with food, not a good idea. Alice was soon flicking cereal at me with her spoon and I was retaliating by flicking toast at her, we were both giggling like the little girls that we were. That was when we heard voices approaching the kitchen. We were acting normal and munching away just as Charlie and another tall man entered the kitchen. Me and Alice glanced at one another frowning a little, but said nothing. "And you're sure she doesn't mind?" Charlie asked the man who was studying the pair of us carefully, he grinned.

"No of course she doesn't. She has my two running around all day as well as her own two. She'll love having two more around. I think she needs some more girls, the boys are a little troublesome. Plus you know Esme Hale." The man grinned again looking at me now; I was quick to look away, blushing a bright red, as always.

"I will have to thank her for this," Charlie grinned turning to us now; I was still studying my toast so I didn't catch the man's eye again. "Girls go and get your coats please," Charlie instructed and we were both soon on our feet heading into the hallway to retrieve them.

"Whose he?" I asked Alice in a whisper, she looked at me evilly with a small shrug. I knew that she knew and she was about to tell me something horrible. I turned away not wanting to listen.

"Carlisle Cullen," Alice whispered after a few moments of silence. "He's a doctor. He cuts people open and take their insides out." I put my hands over my ears, but she came close to my ear now. "And if you're naughty he makes you eat them."

By the time Carlisle had joined us in the hall I was a shivering wreck looking at the floor in horror and surprise. Alice could be so cruel sometimes. I should have known not to listen to her and go with what my instinct said and that was that whoever Carlisle Cullen was he was a very nice person, he seemed it at least. Charlie ruffled our hair as a goodbye as Carlisle led us to his rusty old car that was parked behind Charlie's cruiser. To my surprise sat in the front was a child no older than Alice and in the back one who was about my age. I later found out these two were Emmett and Edward Cullen, Carlisle's sons. They too had lost their mother.

Edward began talking to us as soon as we climbed into the car, Alice talked back, and I stayed silent. Emmett in front added his input every now and then and Alice tried to get me involved, but to be honest she was quite happy talking away without me. Edward was quite an excitable person at times, but then sometimes he sat in silence while Alice talked and had a deep look on his face. Emmett of the other hand was big for his age, but it was all muscle and he was a lot less the thinking type. Soon we arrived at another new place and everyone climbed out, including me though I hesitated. Carlisle lead us up the paved pathway to a red door and walked straight in, Edward and Alice followed him, still chatting away, Emmett after them then me.

A woman stood waiting for us, she was very pretty and she seemed cheerful enough, smiling at me warmly, but I bowed my head and looked at the floor once again. "She's shy," Carlisle explained and the woman nodded still smiling at me as I peeked up at her. Edward had disappeared by this point and Emmett was heading into the kitchen. Alice stayed loyally by my side as Carlisle thanked the woman and left with a smile to us. "Be good," were his last words.

"Now girls, no need to be worried," The woman smiled at us warmly, I guessed this was Esme Hale. She was very motherly woman, and I could have run over and hugged her, if I wasn't so terrified. "Emmett don't you dare!" She called to the kitchen, Emmett groaned just as there was a thud from upstairs. "Jasper! Edward! Down now!"

After a few moments Edward descended with another new boy. He looked quite thoughtful and shy as he smiled sheepishly at me. I watched, losing all my fear now. After all they were just kids. After them glided a girl of Alice's age, but she looked much older than Alice, who was a pixie, even I was taller than her. She flicked her hair over her shoulder, leaning against the banister of the stairs and watching us carefully a slight glare in her eyes. "Rosalie, Jasper, this is Alice and Bella Swan. They're here to stay while Charlie is at work."

And so that is how we all met. Of course the Hales already knew the Cullens and it was just us who didn't know everyone. After that we went there every day until we started school. Well Alice, Rose and Emmett started a year before us, and then the next year we started. We went through school together; facing everything that life threw at us. Me, Edward and Jasper became firm friends and went everywhere together. It was our little trio. They took care of me as we went through school, but sometimes it was them who needed taking care of. Naturally, them being boys, they got into a few fights and it was me left clearing everything up and cleaning them up.

And when I was hit by a car when I was 14, it was Jasper and Edward who never left my bedside while I was in hospital. So it was only a broken foot, but they were there for me. And every school has it bullies, but when I was called 'slut' and 'slapper' by the boys in the grade above us, it was surprisingly quiet Jasper who flipped out and ended up punching them several times in the face. He'd been suspended for that, five days. He didn't really care; he had said it was worth it. I had learnt to ignore the comments, not possibly seeing how it could have been true, I had only ever been on one date and that had been with a boy called Mike Newton. Plus it had only been because I had felt sorry for him. After that date he soon hooked up with another girl I knew, Angela, maybe after seeing I was a lost cause.

Rose, Emmett and Alice hung around with each other more than they hung around with us when we were growing up, but then suddenly we all became closer and it was the six of us. But even still they only hung with us after school, at weekends and occasionally in school. We generally all sat together at lunch, but sometimes Rose would flit off to be with other friends and Emmett was usually at some sport practice whereas Alice had taken up dance, much to our pleasure and Charlie's disgust. We enjoyed teasing her about it whenever we could.

When we were around 15 Alice and Edward began to date and so did Emmett and Rosalie. That left me and Jasper, but we were too firm friends to start dating. Everything was going fine, sure we got into trouble a few times doing some things we shouldn't have, but every teen does.

Then came the day when everything changed and the Hales left town. It broke my heart because they didn't even say goodbye, they just left. We discovered it when we went to get Jasper to go to the cinema; it was all three of us, me, Alice, and Edward. Alice had come because Edward was going otherwise she wouldn't have bothered. She was missing dance practise to be with him, not that she really cared. But when we got there the house was empty and everything was gone.

I was heartbroken that Jasper hadn't come and said goodbye and Esme as well, Edward too was very upset. Emmett was the worst. Rose hadn't even thought to let him know they were moving, let alone say goodbye. But why would they? It didn't seem like the Hales at all. Something was wrong, I knew it. Charlie had merely said that they had had trouble with some relatives and were forced to leave without saying goodbye. It still didn't seem right. Jasper would have called me, and Rose would have called Emmett without a doubt.

It's been two years now and we've all grown up. Alice and Edward are still together and Emmett hasn't dated anyone since Rosalie left. I think he's secretly hoping she'll return for him. All four of us go to the same college now and at 18, nearly 19 it is coming up to three years since they left. Though even now we can't believe they would have just left without a single goodbye to us. Jasper wasn't like that. He was my best friend and Esme was like my second mother. Why would they leave us like that? With no warning, nothing...

To be continued...