Summary: Bella is a struggling English teacher. An almost-accident lands her in the arms of prince charming. Modern day times and a fairytale type of romance-or is it? AH/M.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer and Summit own the right. I just play around with the characters.

A/N: This story has been developing for a while now. I always wanted to write my own modern day fairytale/royalty story. It finally got started when I saw an adoption banner post on Twilighted. So, thank you to Candykizzes24 for letting me adopt her beautiful banner.

I'd also like to thank JointGifts and Little Miss Mionie from PTB for beta'ing this. I'm flattered at your comments and compliments. :)

Dreams Come True

BPOV

Chapter 1

I glared at all bills. The rent and electricity bills were mocking me. They had to be paid. I knew that, but it was pretty difficult to pay them when I was jobless.

I was a college graduate and a certified high school English teacher, for goodness sake. I was smart, damn it! But the American economy sucked big time, and I ended up getting fired last year. Getting fired was terrible, but finding another job sucked even more. So many schools weren't hiring. Instead they were firing. I tried my hardest to find a teaching job, but to no avail.

To make ends meet, I had signed up as a teacher's aide in the local schools around Seattle. I had the credentials, and I figured I might land a job if I worked myself up. That didn't work at all. The schools used me, but I was never hired. I was struggling to keep my small, one bedroom apartment at eleven hundred dollars a month. I had some financial help from my parents. They helped me stay alive, but things weren't getting much better.

Every day, I looked for work. I tried substitute teaching. That was okay, but I didn't get enough hours to really maintain my lifestyle. It helped a little, but it still wasn't good enough.

"Why are you mocking me?" I screeched at the bills. I was going crazy. I knew that, and sadly, I couldn't help it.

I sat down on my bed, opened my laptop, and went on the internet. I had used and Monster to help me find work. I went on all sorts of job placement sites. Every time I applied, I'd get a response telling me that they had already hired someone else, or that they were no longer looking. It was a heartbreaking process that I had to endure.

I was munching on toast and drinking herbal tea when I saw an advertisement for a job convention in downtown Seattle. I figured there was no harm in going, so I saved the email.

The following day, I went to the job convention. I wasn't expecting anything by going. I just wanted to get out of the house and hoped to God that I could get a job. At that point, I would have sold my body if it meant I could keep my apartment and continue to live. I was floundering, and it wasn't good.

The drive to the hotel wasn't that bad. I lived in the city, and it didn't take me that long to maneuver myself around the hustle and bustle. When I arrived at the hotel, I immediately felt overwhelmed. It was a fancy, five star hotel. I could tell just by the way the staff looked at me when I walked through the entrance. The convention was being held here?

"Excuse me?" I asked as I approached the front desk. "Is the job convention being held here?"

"Yes, miss. Just go down the hall toward our grand ballroom. Side B," the concierge replied.

I thanked her and turned around to follow her directions, finding the hall that she had pointed out was really just a long lobby. To my left was the grand ballroom. There were two double door entrances, and each door had a letter. When I found the B, I timidly walked through the door.

The convention was packed. There were so many different people, and I began to feel a little overwhelmed. My chest was heaving and I felt the air in my lungs escape. I realized I was having a panic attack. I had to get out of there just to calm myself down. As I turned around, I wondered why I felt so anxious. I'd been to job interviews before; I'd been to many schools around the area- so why did I feel like this over a job convention?

My thoughts stopped and started as my feet carried me outside. The fresh, crisp Seattle air helped alleviate my nerves. I guess I had gotten scared at what the convention represented. The fact that there were so many people who were jobless and desperate was just plain awful.

Stupid economy. Why do you have to suck so much?

I was walking around aimlessly, not really paying attention to where I was going. I was still trying to calm down, but like the unlucky klutz I was, I ended up walking right in the middle of a busy intersection. I vaguely remember the pedestrian sign blinking, alerting me that it was okay for me to cross.

I heard a loud cry from a passerby. "Look out!"

I looked to my left and shut my eyes on impulse. There was a van coming straight at me, swerving back and forth. It was completely out of control, and I just knew that there was nowhere for me to go. I was going to get hit.

I all but succumbed to the inevitable. I felt a strong pair of arms pulling me. and I was sure that I was dead and being dragged into Heaven.

I moaned as I felt a big body crushing mine.

"I'm sorry," a voice said from above me.

My eyes were squeezed shut, and I was pretty sure my brain was mush, because the voice from above was the most attractive and soothing I'd ever heard. It was masculine and sexy, but in a very comforting way. I could feel chills on my arms and tingles down my back.

The van had hit me, and I was in Heaven. The voice had to be an angel. I was dead.

"Oh, my gosh! Is she okay? Call an ambulance!" another shrill voice shouted.

"Are you okay, miss?" the angelic voice asked.

I could feel the arms loosening their grip on my body, and I whimpered at the loss of contact. I wanted the angel to deliver me to Heaven. That was what he was supposed to do, right?

"Easy there. I think you hit your head."

I was lying down without the comfort of my angel's arms. My head hurt, and my eyes were still shut.

"Can you open your eyes for me?" the voice asked. The voice sounded distinctly European in sound. It was accented and it sounded beautiful, alluring even.

I opened my eyes slowly and saw my angel for the very first time. He was beautiful, with deep green eyes and a perfect looking face. His skin was pale and smooth. His hair was an incredible color of bronze, and it was in complete disarray.

He was perfect.

"There you are, mia bella," he said softly as he reached out and rubbed my forehead soothingly. His touch sent those tingles down my spine again.

I was sure that I wasn't alive. "Am I dead?" I asked groggily.

The angel chuckled quietly. "No, I don't believe so. However, you might be woozy."

I didn't believe him. I had to be dead. The van had hit me at an alarming speed that there was just no possible way for me to be alive.

I closed my eyes again, wincing at the pain in the back of my head. I really must have fallen hard. I stayed still, not really caring if I was in the middle of the road. As I lay there, I could distinctly hear my angel speaking. He said something about not needing an ambulance, and before I knew it, I was swept up in his arms. I opened my eyes, focusing on his beautiful face. He carried me toward a big building; all the while remaining silent.

"Where are you taking me?" I thought he was carrying me to the stairway to the afterlife or something. Maybe this was how angels delivered souls.

He glanced at me and smiled. "I'm taking you to my room to rest."

"Okay," I said. I really didn't have the strength to wonder or fight, because in my mind, I was dead and he was my angel sent to help and deliver me to Heaven.

I was in and out of consciousness. I waited for the bright light, the stairway to Heaven; St. Peter to welcome me with open arms, but that never happened.

I woke up, only to realize that I most definitely was not dead. I blinked rapidly at the bright sunlight coming from all directions. When my eyes were finally able to focus, I realized that I was in a big, soft, comfortable bed. I was in a room, but it wasn't mine. I had no idea where the hell I was. That was when panic began to set in. I was more than a little freaked out. In fact, I was on the verge of having another panic attack-just like the one that had gotten me into this whole mess.

My chest felt tight, I couldn't breathe properly, and I felt light headed. I collapsed on the bed again, hoping that I hadn't been kidnapped or anything like that.

"You're up," a voice said.

I opened my eyes slowly and saw a man standing over me. For a moment, I felt like he was familiar to me.

"Who are you?" I croaked.

The man smiled, dazzling me with his good looks and charm. He was very beautiful, almost like a Greek statue or a model.

"My name is Edward," he replied in a slight accent, I couldn't pinpoint where he was from, but he sounded European. "You were crossing the street when an uncontrollable van was about to hit you. I got you away just in time."

I gasped in horror. I remembered. I hadn't been paying attention; I had seen the van but couldn't get away in time. I'd thought I was going to die. I'd almost wanted to.

"You saved me," I whispered. I was getting my breathing back to normal, and the pain in my chest lessened.

"I hardly think it's saving. You were hurt," he said, sounding upset.

"I'm not dead," I pointed out.

He came forward then, and that allowed me to really see him. I was right; he was beautiful for a man. He had the most hypnotizing green eyes and unruly bonze hair I'd ever seen. He wore a clean, crisp, dark blue suit and skinny black tie. He had an air of authority and intimidation, yet I wasn't afraid of him. I was in awe of him.

"If I had it my way, mia bella, you would have come out of the whole thing unscathed."

Oh, goodness! I remembered that nickname, too. He really had saved me. I felt overwhelmingly grateful. He was much more than a beautiful person to look upon; he was a good person, too.

"How do you know my name?" I asked. My throat was a little dry, and I ended up coughing a little.

He raised a perfect eyebrow and said, "I don't know your name."

I looked at him with a confused expression. He had just said my name. He knew it. "You said my name just now."

"Bella?" he asked, smiling.

I nodded. "My name is Isabella Swan."

"Edward Cullen, mia bella. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He spoke so smoothly, and his voice was warm and rich. Everything about him was so beautiful. It was like a godly creature was gracing me with his presence, and I was so enthralled with being around him.

He came to sit down on the bed beside me, telling me what happened after my near death experience. Apparently, he had gotten to me just in the nick of time. I had fallen on my head and back, but he was able to shield me enough from harm. He had taken me to his hotel room at the Crowne Plaza and had a doctor check on me. Everything that he told me didn't scare the crap out of me, because he was a complete stranger to me, but it didn't. We didn't know anything about each other, yet I felt safe and secure with him. He hadn't done anything to harm me; he just wanted to help me. He was like a real life knight in shining armor. How lucky I was to have him save my life. I owed him, big time.

He gave me some water and told me that I'd be all right. The slight bump on the back of my head would go away soon enough.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again. "I know this is all very strange, indeed. I don't want you to think I'm some deranged kidnapper or something equally awful. I truly wanted to help and provide anything that you needed."

His kindness was really sweet. In the back of my mind, I knew this was all very weird, but I couldn't bring myself to dwell on that. Edward had helped me, and I couldn't be anything but grateful.

"Thank you for your kindness. I appreciate that," I said softly. I twirled the straw in my water cup, looking at the liquid because I was too embarrassed to look right at him. He really was too handsome to look at.

"Won't you look at me?" he asked softly. I kept my eyes on the water and could feel him moving closer. His proximity was making me very self-conscious. He gently took the water cup from me and took my shaking hands in his calm, cold ones. "Isabella."

My name had never sounded so lovely as when he spoke it. The way his hands held mine made me feel like I was some precious little doll that he was handling carefully. His voice, his actions, everything about him was too perfect. People like him didn't exist anymore.

I looked up at him and bit my lower lip. I was nervous and delighted to see him all at the same time.

"You're blushing." He let go of one of my hands and brought his to gently trace the outline of my cheekbone. "I promise that you will be okay."

"I should go." Although I was thankful to him, I didn't think I should be an imposition any longer than I had been already.

He shook his head. "No, absolutely not. I will not allow you to go anywhere when you need to rest."

"You won't allow me?" I asked disbelievingly. The thought of him being a kidnapper briefly came back to my mind.

He sighed. "That did not come out right. I want to help you, Isabella. Will you let me?"

"How do you know I need help?"

He cupped my right cheek in his hand and rubbed softly. "I just do." He hesitated before explaining, "I'm a doctor."

He removed his hand from my face, pushing lightly on my shoulders, willing me to lie down. "You need to rest."

"I should get up," I argued weakly.

"Isabella, don't speak. Sleep. We will talk again when you wake up," he instructed firmly but also gently.

"But…"

He shushed me with a finger pressed to my lips. "Sleep."

I was succumbing to the fatigue. I wanted to fight it. I wanted to ask him more questions about the accident and why he even wanted to help me.

I had doubts and fears, but one look at him and I forgot them all. He was mesmerizing in the most sinful way. He could easily make me do things that probably wouldn't be ethical. The very fact that I was letting my savior boss me around made me look weak, and I was powerless to stop him.

I must have slept for hours, because when I woke up, I felt much better. I slowly yawned and stretched my legs. I stood up and tentatively put my hand to the back of my head. The bump wasn't that big, it could easily be hidden by my hair. I was glad that I hadn't fallen badly. I had had much worse in the past. This was nothing really.

After stretching my body, I decided to actually walk around. Edward was nowhere to be found, so I figured that I could try to find my stuff, leave him a nice thank you note, and get the hell out of there before I did anything I might regret.

I went into the big, lush bathroom to relieve myself, and then I splashed some cold water on my face. Taking a look in the mirror, I gasped when I saw my reflection. I looked beyond tired. I looked like I had been through hell and back. So much for the Heaven you thought you'd be in, Bella. My hair was messy and sticking to my head with perspiration. My makeup was smudged and faded; the mascara I had used gave me raccoon eyes, and my lipstick was nonexistent. Eww. How the hell could Edward be so kind and charming to me when I looked like this?

I tried to fix my complexion, but it was a failed attempt. Feeling defeated, I exited the bathroom and went to find my belongings.

I was beginning to feel anxious. I felt like I was trapped in the room. The entire situation gave me that creepy crawling feeling down my spine. I paced around the room and tiptoed toward the cracked door. I took a peek but couldn't see anything except light and a hallway. I slowly opened the door and took a few steps into the hallway. As I crept forward, I could hear Edward's distinct voice.

"She's the one I've been waiting for. I want her if she'll have me."

Those words pierced me like a knife. I had no idea what he wanted to do with me, but I had a feeling it wasn't anything good.

I decided to go back into the bedroom before he found out that I had heard him. I rounded back, but in my haste, I ended up tripping over my own two feet. I fell face first on the carpet and groaned rather loudly.

"Isabella?" I heard him calling to me.

Well, damn. This day sure sucked more than all the rest.

A/N: This fic will be told primarily from Bella. You may get to hear from Edward at some point, or not... This fic will not focus on politics. It might be mentioned here or there, but I'm not delving into the matter. The story will have little to no angst, but I can almost guarantee drama, some WTF moments, and fluffy romance.

Till next time

Tina