Once In A
Blue Moon
Part I- Twilight
Summary: The Blue Moon has power, no matter where you are, and when a young girl in her hour of need asks for that power to help; her life is altered in ways no one would ever imagine. OC pairings. Based loosely on the BBC's Lost In Austen.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight saga or its affiliated characters. If I did, well, I wouldn't need to alter it would I?
Author's Note: This is just an idea I had while watching Lost In Austen. It kind of messes with everything and I don't expect it to take off. I AM NOT A BELLA BASHER! I love the love story between Bella and Edward; this is just the way I would've done things differently. Please, no flames.
WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Prologue
"Bella?" Someone called from afar, but I simply turned to the next page, completely engrossed in my book. I couldn't tell if he was moved by the tears trembling in my voice, or if he was unprepared to deal with the suddenness of my attack, or if his need was simply as unbearable in that moment as my own. But whatever the reason, he pulled my lips back to his, surrendering with a groan.
And we began where my dream had left—"Bella!" The voice yelled more urgently. off. I looked up and saw the frustrated face of my Philosophy teacher.
"Yes, Ms. Hill?" I asked, innocently.
"Could you please put your book away and pay attention, Miss Swanson? I know that—" She picked up my book. "Breaking Dawn is an addictive read, but you need to know this in order to pass your final." She put the book down and I placed the marker inside. Damn, it was just getting to the good part. Ms. Hill walked back up to the black board and wrote down two words—Blue Moon. "Now, who here can tell me some of the folklore surrounding the blue moon?"
Jeffrey Carter, my boyfriend and desk-partner, raised his hand. Jeff was your typical All-American, American Eagle wearing football jock. In other words, my complete and total opposite. He had blue eyes and short, blond hair. He only dated me because my parents own the law firm that his father works for. All we have in common was that we were both 17 year old Juniors at Paradise Valley High and were both popular. "Native Americans believe that the blue moon holds special powers and when or if a person is in special need of the power, they can call it to them to give them their heart's desire." He answered.
"Very good, Jeff. Alright, in light of the fact that tonight is the last night of the blue moon for another fifty years; I want you all to write an essay describing what you would use the power for. If you can't think of anything, make something up." The bell tolled. "See you tomorrow." She dismissed and I packed my things away into my backpack and purse. Jeff waited for me at the door and we headed out to his 'baby', a red Nissan Titan.
I'd lived in Phoenix for almost three years and I dated Jeff for most of it. We weren't exactly the closest couple in the world, but I'd grown fond of his generic American outlooks and habits. He was a lot different than the boys I was used to back home.
I grew up in New York City, the best city in the world. But, when my grandfather decided to open a branch of his firm in Phoenix, he asked my father to run it. So, we packed up and moved to Hells-ville. I hated the constant sunlight and the fact that I could practically turn into a tomato if I stayed outside too long. I missed snow and rain; I missed the green of Central Park and the lively night life.
I practically raised my self in either location, so that didn't really matter. I never knew when my parents would be around and if they were, it was usually just a quick stop before they took off again. I never had a real family. I bet that I could've stayed in New York if Grandfather hadn't forbid it. It was too hot in Phoenix.
"So, Bella, how many times are you going to read those damn books, anyway?" Jeff asked as we drove down the familiar highway that headed to my house—if you could call a cold, stuffy manor a house.
"Why do you care?" I asked, getting ready for the fight. He just didn't get it, reading Twilight was the only way I could feel any semblance of happy.
"I feel like you make me compete with a fictional dude, Bells. From what you girls have told me, that Edmund is fucking perfect." He growled turning onto my street.
"It's Edward and he is. I'm not asking you to be like him, I just enjoy the fantasy." I tried muttering that last bit, but he heard anyway.
"Fantasy? Am I not good enough for you?" He shouted. We pulled into the circle drive in front of the white columns of the porch and he turned off the engine.
"It's not that, Jeff. I just like reading it." I said in a tone that clearly stated that this discussion was over. Damn Leos. We walked into the house and set our things down in the lounge. I detested this house, it was too big. Too empty.
Ever since the Twilight saga first came out, everyone in Phoenix like to joke about how funny it was that my name and the heroine's name were similar, not to mention the fact that we looked alike. Annabelle Swanson versus Isabella Swan, both preferring to be called Bella. Both with dark, brown eyes and long brown hair, with pale, nearly translucent skin and both clumsy as hell. Big laughs, especially since I was addicted to the books. And Edward. He was perfect and I couldn't ever get enough of him. Call me pathetic, but I was more in love with the idea of Edward than I would ever be with the actuality of Jeff.
We both got started on our homework and the hours slipped away. Soon, it was night fall and all I had left was my Philosophy paper. I began thinking about Bella. We were a lot alike—even the pension for bad luck was the same. One time, my friends and I were at the mall when we got pulled into a bank robbery. One of the criminals took me as a hostage to try to fend off the cops, but I'd always been a fighter, despite my disability (clumsiness). I'd stopped on his toe with my heel, and then broke his nose with my elbow. Once he'd let go, I ran away and tripped over my own feet so much that if he hadn't passed out from blood loss I probably would've been caught again.
The biggest difference between Bella and me was that I was strong. She was stubborn and so was I, but I mean strong-willed. Nothing happened to me without my say-so. I was in complete control of my actions, most of the time, and I didn't let my emotions rule my life, even if they were a big part of it. Grandfather said it was a Swanson trait—I think it was the fact that I was a Capricorn. Strong-willed and control freaks, that's what went with the territory.
I walked out onto the terrace and gazed up at the moon. It was so beautiful, so mesmerizing. How did it look like that? Did it really have powers? I was so stunned by its beauty that I didn't hear Jeff behind me. "Bella, we need to talk." I turned around and looked at him. That didn't sound good. Despite our differences, despite the fact that he was generic and so not an Edward, I cared about him, and I suddenly got the feeling that my heart was about to get broken.
"What is it, Jeff?" I asked calmly. I wasn't going to cry or anything, not until he left at least.
"I—I know we've been going out for a long time and I really should've told you sooner, but I couldn't find the words." This wasn't what I expected. Is he saying he loves me? "But, I have to, you deserve to know." Nope, this wasn't an 'I love you' talk. "I think we should break up."
I gave him the dirtiest look I could. "How dare you! You act like you're mad because I'm reading about some guy that doesn't even exist, come into my house acting like everything is normal, and then you decide to dump me?!" I yelled.
"I am mad; I'm fucking pissed that you pay more attention to your fucking books than you do me! Why do you think that I'm doing this?"
"Because you're an insensitive asshole who only cares for himself!" I shouted.
"No! It's because we've been going out for two years, Bella! Two years of holding hands and moderate kissing—I can't take that Virgin Mary bullshit anymore! At least Amber puts out!"
"Amber? You've been fucking Amber?!" I yelled. "Because I wouldn't sleep with you? You bastard!"
"I had to get it from some where!"
"I just wasn't ready!"
"Well, I WAS!" He yelled.
"Get out." I whispered dangerously.
He looked at me with his blue eyes. "What?" He had the nerve to ask.
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. He grabbed his stuff and left as quickly as he could. I walked back into the lounge and sat down on the feinting couch my mother bought in Europe three years ago, and just stared at the bowl of fruit on the coffee table. There were four pears, three peaches, a bundle of bananas, some kiwi, and a lone apple in the center. I thought of Edward. He would've never cheated on me, if I was his Bella, and he wouldn't have dumped me because I wasn't ready to have sex.
If the truth be told, I was ready, just not for Jeff.
I felt my heart fill with tears. Was this my life? No parents, no honorable man, nothing? My heart sang out with the one thing I wanted the most. "I wish I were Bella Swan." I whispered, desperately praying for it to be real. But it wasn't, it never would be. I felt a trimmer run through my body as tears begged to be released. Then another tremor, only this one seemed to shake the couch I was sitting on. Again, but this one shook the windows and the coffee table.
And then I saw it. A blue light, dim at first but as the tremors continued, it grew until it split the lounge in half. I saw an arm reach out and then a leg. Soon, a girl about my age stepped out. She wore a white eye-lit lace sleeveless top, jeans, and a parka. Her long, dim brown hair hung loose on her shoulders. She had a backpack slug over one shoulder and a suitcase in her hand. Her skin was pale and translucent; her eyes were wide and brown. The light remained after her entire body was out, but dimmed. She looked at me. "Who are you?" She asked, and she looked around. "Where am I?" Her face was shaped longer than mine, her features were heart shaped. Her nose was a little crooked, but she was pretty. Her body was slender but soft, much like my own.
"I'm Bella. Bella Swanson. You're at my house in Phoenix." I explained, remembering my wish and remembering what Jeff had said about the blue moon. "You're Bella Swan aren't you?" I asked.
She nodded, clearly confused. "How did I get here?" She asked. "I was just at my room at Charlie's and I wished that I was back in Phoenix—what happened?"
I turned away from her just enough to see the moon through the French doors separating the lounge and terrace. "The moon. It's a blue moon." I told her.
"Because that makes total sense." She said sarcastically, her face was afraid.
"It's supposed to give us our heart's desires in our time of need. Judging by your outfit and suitcase you just moved into Charlie's didn't you?" I surmised.
"How did you know?" She asked. I walked over to my book bag and pulled out Breaking Dawn. I handed it to her. "What's this?"
"The last book in the Twilight saga. It's about you, you and Charlie and Forks and Edward. Take a look." I told her. She took it and began to skim through the pages. While she did, I went into the library and pulled out the rest of the books. I re-entered the lounge and handed her Twilight. "This is the first one. Read chapter one." She took it and did.
I sat down across from her on one of the arm chairs and waited patiently.
When she finished she looked up, "This is me. This is my life. How is this possible?" She asked.
"We must've wished at the exact same time." I told her.
"What was your wish?" She asked.
I sighed and grabbed Breaking Dawn. I touched the cover lightly. "To be you." I said quietly.
"You want this? A life filled with danger? Vampires? Isolation from everything that you love?" She asked. Her tone was accusatory.
"Yes. More than anything. You chose to isolate yourself, I didn't. I hate Phoenix, I hate my life. You have it so good. You have him." I told her, pleading with her. She didn't get it.
She looked at me, her brown eyes sad. "All I want is to be back here. Why would you give this up?" She asked.
"I don't want it."
She stood up, still holding Twilight. She walked around the room, silently reading about her beginning romance with Edward. She was only lightly skimming the pages and soon she was finished, grabbing New Moon. Once she was finished, she continued on, glancing up at me occasionally when she reached a particularly painful or touching part. Finally, Breaking Dawn was in her lap as she sat on the grand staircase. I walked over to her. "You have an amazing future ahead, Bella." I told her. "A wonderful, loving, devoted husband, a beautiful baby girl. A family." Tears were in my eyes for not the first time this night.
She had tears as well, but they were tears of determination. "I can't do it." She said finally.
"What?" I asked looking up at her.
"I won't go back to Forks. This life—it's not right. Not for me. And I can't live like that. I won't. If this Edward is so great, then he deserves someone else. No one is like this in real life. No one." She protested, handing me the book and standing. "You want my life?"
"Yes, but—"
"Then have it. We'll switch." She said determined.
"What about Edward?"
"Take him. Give him what he needs. I may have given up in that book, but I'm not that girl. I don't give in." She stated. "Go through the rift, become me. Tell me how to be you and that will have to work."
"What about Renée and Charlie?"
"Take care of them for me." I didn't want to say yes, I wanted to tell her that she had a responsibility—after reading that, how could anyone refuse Edward? How? Here was the star of the book, the heroine, one half of one the greatest love stories ever told, handing it over without a second thought. Throwing away perfect happiness. I didn't want to say yes, but I found myself agreeing.
It took half the night to explain everything about my life. I was going to take a large sum of my cash with me and most of my clothes, but the rest would be left to her. She had taken most of my classes when she was at Paradise Valley High, so she knew the curriculum. She seemed excited about the prospect of starting over. "Remember to take care of them." She begged before I stepped through the rift.
"I will." We hugged and I picked up my suitcases and had her backpack slung over one shoulder. "Good-bye Annabelle." I said, smiling.
"Good-bye, Isabella." She smiled back. And I stepped in.
As soon as I was entirely in the rift, the light disappeared and I could no longer see Bella or my house. I took another step and I was in a small room, decorated in yellows and childlike attributes. The closet door was open and there was a desk with an ancient white computer on top. I set my suitcases down and threw the backpack on the bed.
Welcome Home, Bella.
Attention: Well, that was the Prologue. Now you know the main character (Annabelle) and you know what happened.
Up Next On Blue Moon: Bella's first day at Forks High.
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