Authors Note: Okay, so this is my first fic and I'd love to say I know where all this is going, but the truth is I only have a general idea. Now, while the fic is rated M we won't get to that part just yet, but bear with me. It should be a good ride.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the Characters in it. All situations here were created in my own mind, and are not meant to resemble anyone else's work.

In shock really didn't cover it. I kept thinking, This has to be a dream. This has to be a dream.

A dream, yeah right, more like a nightmare. The night had started out, like any other. My mom and dad, Charlie and Renee, left for their usual "date night" while I worked on yet another college application. I was sitting around trying to think of how to answer the questions meant to share deep insight into my life.

The one I was currently focused on was about overcoming a great obstacle in my life. Like there was a good answer for that one. I mean, I guess I could share about how clumsy I am, but somehow I don't think that's what they were looking for. Perhaps I could focus on how dull my life is. Right, the obstacle could be trying to not die from boredom in boring old Forks, Washington. No, I didn't think that would work either.

I had to come up with something good. I really wanted to make Charlie and Renee happy. They had such high hopes for me and college, seeing as how neither of them ever went. Graduating from college was their dream for me. Well, that and marrying someone who could provide for me without any worries; like that was ever going to happen. A "plain Jane" like me wasn't going to be landing anyone that good. Nope, they'd just have to settle for having one of their dreams come true.

After all of this thought, I turned back to focusing on my applications when there was a knock at the door. I wasn't really expecting anyone and was beyond surprised to see Esme and Carlisle standing on the doorstep when I opened the door. My mom had met Esme during a class on gardening. It was one of those short-lived whims; Renee was always getting off on. Carlisle was her husband, and the two of them had become fast friends with my folks after they went on a double date shortly following the first class.

Since then, they had doubled on "date night" a couple of times, and I couldn't imagine what had brought them by tonight. Then out of nowhere Esme hugged me. "What's going on?" I asked her. I found it really strange she was hugging me. I mean, I had seen her often enough, since she and my mom hung out a lot, but she had never hugged me.

"We'd better come in and sit down, Dear," Carlisle spoke as if in a trance. As we headed into the living room, Esme never let go of me. She had her arm wrapped around me so we walked side by side. Carlisle followed behind us after closing the door. I sat down on the love seat in the center of the room. Esme, still glued to my side, followed suit. Carlisle sat in the great big Lazy Boy recliner to our right.

We sat in silence that way for what seemed like hours. As I looked from him to Esme, their solemn faces combined with silence made the room feel cold. Not like I am standing in a snow storm cold, but like it's the middle of winter and the heat is set too low to be kicking on kind of cold. Finally, Carlisle broke the silence.

"Bella, we came here tonight because we are your parents' emergency contacts. There's been an accident." What? I thought. "Your parents were on the freeway and a semi driver fell asleep at the wheel. When the police arrived at the scene and began to look for some identification, they came across the ICE card, in case of emergency, and noticed our numbers on it. They placed the call to us, and well, there's no easy way to say this, but Bella, they didn't make it."

They didn't make it. I thought. I should have started crying right then, but for some reason the tears wouldn't come. All I could think was, This can't be happening.

"We're so sorry, Dear," Esme quietly tried to console me. I couldn't think straight. I mean, just a short while ago I was thinking about how dull my life was and how there was no way I'd be able to answer that stupid essay question. Now, I was being presented with the greatest obstacle of all! I was a seventeen year old orphan.

"We have to take you down to the police station first, then we can go by morgue, if you'd like. After that, you're going to come and stay with us. Your parents put you in our custody awhile ago, should anything happen to them. We'll need to leave shortly." I didn't know what to say. How do you respond to someone who has just told you your parents are dead, and that they are to be, basically, your new parents?

"I need a moment alone please," was all I could say. Then I trudged over to the stairs, willing my body to make it up the stairs without tripping or something.

"Of course, Dear," Esme called after me, her voice was soft and shaky. I could tell she was trying to be comforting in her tone, but was having a hard time losing it all together. "We'll be right here when you're ready."

When I'm ready, how can anyone truly be ready for something like this? I thought to myself as I slowly climbed the stairs to my room, for what was likely one of the last times. In that one brief moment, everything changed.