Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun.

Crazier Than it Seems

A/N: This may or may not be the title of the story, it hasn't been decided yet! This story is written as a collaboration by both Xo BellaItalia oX and casey21791. If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note at the bottom of the chapter! We hope that you enjoy the story and look forward to reading your reviews. - Bella'Xo

Preface

Moving across the country wasn't difficult as it's all I've done my whole life. I've been to eight different schools, fifteen different homes and two states but this move would be the most important and hopefully my last as I was finally going to meet my father. I was going to meet my family for the first time and maybe in time even find love but first you must be wondering about who I am so I`ll tell you, my name is Emma. Emma Swan and this is my beginning.

Chapter One
(Emma's POV)

I was three days old when I was abandoned at a fire station and from then on is when I entered the foster system. Most would think that an infant would get snapped up and adopted really quick, but I didn't have much luck as no-one wants a baby who suffers from a heart defect.

I am currently living with my 15th foster family when I received the letter that changed my life, but before I get into that, let me introduce myself. My name is Emma Rose Halliwell. It is four days until my 18th birthday when I will be officially out of the foster care system. I am 5 foot tall or short, depending how you look at it. I have long black hair that shines with a purple tint in sunlight, but the weirdest thing about me is that I have mix matched eyes; one is pale green and the other is dark brown. I have one tattoo on my inner left wrist of an outline of an elephant and two piercings in each ear and I constantly wear a Triquetra Celtic flower ring on my right middle finger. But other than that, I am an average person. However, I just read a letter that flipped my normal world upside down.

It said:

Ms. Halliwell,

This is to notify you that your name is in the Will of Mrs. Elizabeth Halliwell Nee Cooper and as her soul heir, you must contact us immediately. There are conditions as well papers that need your signature.

Hope you are well,

Mr. J.M Wellington

I reread the letter several times before I decided to just ring this Law Firm in Los Angles. I spoke to Mr. Wellington about my situation and about how I don't know who my parents are and that he must have had the wrong girl, but he proved me wrong by stating that Mrs. Halliwell was my maternal grandmother, but any other information must be explained in person. But since I wasn't turning 18 for another four days it was decided that he would come and retrieve me on the morning of my 18th so that I wouldn't need my foster parents approval and there would be no legal problems since I will be inheriting a sizable amount of money.

After hanging up, I couldn't help, but smile since my future wasn't one big question mark anymore. I wouldn't have to worry about money or were I was going to live once I was booted out of the system. But on the downside, this was the family that had abandoned me in the first place and did I really want to know anything about them?

For the next three days, I thought over and over and I decided that yes, I wanted to know everything, and for my last night in foster care I slept peacefully.

My Birthday.

I woke up to a knock on the door and after I called out a 'Come in' did I see Janet, my foster-mother, come in with a parcel wrapped up and a cupcake with a candle.

"Happy Birthday, Sweetie! Go on make a wish" She said smiling.

I sat up and closed my eyes as I prayed for a family to love me as I blew out the candle. I took the red velvet cupcake (my favorite) and placed it on my bedside table as I gave Janet a huge hug as she kissed my cheek. She handed me a parcel wrapped in red paper (my favorite color). So in my haste, I ripped the paper to shreds and in the box was a set of expensive art pencils, pens, pad and everything else I could possible use. I tackled her in another hugs before a loud bang sounded down the hall.

"Mum, where are you? I need to talk to you for a second." Janet's oldest daughter, Linda, yelled.

Janet smiled at me before she left to see what her diva bitch of a daughter wanted and I was left alone.

I love Janet; she has been one of the best foster mums I've ever had, but the only downside is her husband and her two daughters.

Michael, her husband, was a work-alcoholic, but when he was at home, he was a sleaze bag, so I always try to avoid him. Unfortunately, I couldn't avoid her daughters; Linda 18 and Sophie 14.

Linda has hated me from the moment that I entered the house. She hates that I'm smarter than her and how the teachers at school like me more than her, but what really topped it was when Daniel - this guy at school - asked me out when Linda had the biggest crush on him and even though I said 'no', the damage was already done.

Sophie, on the other hand, is really just following her sister's example, because when you get her on her own, she really is quite sweet for a 14-year-old.

Anyway...

After showering and getting dressed in a pair of grey skinny jeans and a black t-shirt with butterfly's on the front along with my red converse shoes did I eat my cupcake and head downstairs for a drink.

I was quickly back upstairs and packing the last of my things into suitcases and a duffle bag and not before long, everything was ready and once it turned 11AM, the doorbell rang and Mr. Wellington was here to pick me up.

With quick goodbye to everyone and a longer hug to Janet, I was out the door, never to return. My life as an adult was about to begin.

And it did begin, but with a lot of paperwork.

Mr. Wellington had six different forms for me to sign before he handed me a sealed letter, but before I could open it, he said, "Ms. Halliwell, this letter here was given to me by your grandmother after the death of her daughter, Mary, three years ago. This letter is from your mother to you. Do you wish to read it now or would you like me to finish giving you everything else first?"

I looked down at the faded envelope and sighed. "Just give me everything, then I`ll read it. Is my grandfather still alive?" I asked.

"No, I'm afraid he died about nine years ago after a heart attack." He answered.

Two hours later, I had read through all of the forms and signed enough forms that make my hand feel like it was going to fall off. But once it was done, Mr. Wellington was kind enough to set me up in a nice Hotel until my inheritance would come through and then I would be on my own.

After ordering room service - pasta and a salad with a coke - did I finally read the letter that I'd been waiting for; the one from my mother…

To my darling daughter Emma,

Your too young to understand this at the moment, but hopefully when you grow up, I hope you`ll understand. I was too young to keep you and to raise you like you deserved. My greatest hope was that a family adopted you and would cherish you with all the love in the world. But I also know that you deserve to know where you came from and this letter will explain everything and in return, I hope it will bring you comfort.

I gave you up not because I didn't love you, but because I was 18 years old, just like you are now. But this is my story to tell you and it goes like this:

18 years, 9 months and 4 days ago…

I started dating your father in my senior year and we were soon ready to consummate our relationship. But after ten months of being together, we soon realized that we wanted different things. I wanted to travel the world before settling down, but he wanted to become a police officer and to get married and have a bundle of children, so we separated and two months later, just before graduation, I discovered that I was pregnant with you.

I was selfish and I never told your father - or my father, for that matter - because my mother and I had a plan. I left Forks two days after graduation and went to stay with an Aunty in L.A, but when I gave birth you, I had so much love in my heart and I didn't think that I could go through with it. But after three days, I knew it was just too hard and I was in a lot of pain, so Aunty and I drove out to a small town and left you at a fire station. I wasn't sure if you ever got it, but I left a letter with you saying your name and birthday. But this is your real birth certificate:

Baby: Emma Rose Halliwell Swan

Weight: 5.4lb

Height: 34cm

Mother: Mary Elizabeth Halliwell

Father: Charlie Joseph Swan

I pray that you will forgive me and I hope that your life is filled with love and your future is what you dream it will become.

Your Mother,

Mary

Only as the tears continued to roll down my face did the realization come that I now know my father's name and maybe, just maybe, he might want me. I could only hope.

A/N: And there you have it! We hope that you like the chapter and would love to hear what you guys think will happen in the future with this story. Yes, Bella and the Cullen's will be in this story. It will be starting just before the whole baseball game with the Cullen's. What do you think everyone's reactions will be to learning about Emma? Review!

If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note!

To see more, go to either mine or Casey's FF page: Xo BellaItalia oX or Casey21791

If you enjoyed this story so far, check out some of my other stories on my FanFiction page! Also, I am still accepting Twilight stories that involve Jasper/any female leads or Bella/selected male leads if anyone is looking for a Beta Reader. I will make exceptions on the characters depending on the plot. I am also now accepting Phantom of the Opera FanFictions that include Erik! I will also be accepting Bones featuring Agent Seeley Booth, Dawson's Creek, Titanic FanFictions featuring Jack, Snow White and the Huntsman featuring Snow White or Eric (the huntsman), The Ghost Whisperer that feature Melinda and Law and Order SVU that feature Elliot. I will accept OC characters as well depending on the other lead character. PM me for details!
- Bella'Xo
Xo BellaItalia oX