Lost in Forks

Chapter 1

(April 17, 2006)

Aurora Swan stepped off the bus and took a deep breath. The air was cold and fresh, with the familiar scent of pine trees. It was strange, coming back to Forks after all these years. She hadn't seen her father, Charlie, since she was a little girl, and though she spoke to Bella often, it still felt like a lifetime had passed since the two sisters were together.

She looked around, taking in the small, sleepy town. Forks was still the same—quiet and isolated. She'd forgotten how it felt to be in a place so remote, so different from the dry, sun-soaked Arizona she'd grown up in. Aurora had always felt like an outsider there, but now, she felt like a stranger in Forks too.

She grabbed her bag and started walking toward the small diner where her dad told her he was, just a few blocks from the bus station. Her footsteps were quick, eager to get inside and escape the chill, but a knot in her stomach lingered. The last time she'd been in Forks, things had been... different. Bella had been so young, so full of wonder, and their family was whole. Now, with her sister's strange warnings about the town, Aurora wasn't sure what to expect.

Charlie's familiar figure appeared in the doorway of the diner, his police uniform looking slightly out of place in the setting. But it was home. His warm smile when he saw her melted the nervousness she'd been feeling all morning.

"Aurora!" Charlie exclaimed, pulling her into a big hug. "You look just like your mom. It's so good to have you here."

"I missed you too, Dad," Aurora said, feeling a tear slip down her cheek.

Charlie pulled away, holding her at arm's length. "I've got a room ready for you at the house. And your sister will be by later. She's been talking about you non-stop since I told her you were coming."

Aurora nodded, her heart skipping a beat at the mention of Bella. Bella and Aurora hadn't been close growing up. Their lives had taken different paths after their parents' divorce. Bella had stayed with their mom with her but went to go live with Charlie after a while, while Aurora still stayed with Renée in Arizona, keeping a distant relationship with Bella. It hadn't been until recently that they'd started reconnecting, and now, here she was in Forks, trying to figure out what exactly her sister had gotten herself into.

"Is everything okay with Bella?" Aurora asked, hesitating. She didn't want to overstep, but something in her gut told her there was more going on with Bella.

Charlie gave a small, tight smile. "Bella's... Bella. She'll tell you in her own time. Just be patient with her."

Aurora nodded, she wasn't sure what he meant, but she let it slide for now. She was still getting used to the idea of being back in Forks and decided to focus on the present, and what better way to do that than reconnecting with Bella?

As if on cue, Bella arrived, her truck rumbling up the street. She stepped out with her usual confident, her brown hair swayed.

"Aurora," Bella said, offering a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's good to see you sis."

Aurora grinned, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. "You look different," she said, genuinely noticing how much Bella had changed since their last meeting. There was something in her eyes—an unspoken secret—that made Aurora wonder if there was more to her sister than she let on.

"Yeah," Bella said, her voice quiet. "A lot's changed."

The two sisters embraced, and for the first time in a long while, Aurora felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, Forks would feel like home again.

-

Once home, Charlie helped carry her bags to her old room. They spent the evening catching up, talking about old memories and what Aurora had missed since Bella moved to Forks. She also got to know more about her Sister's boyfriend.