Welcome back! Hope you enjoyed that glimpse of Bella, because you'll be seeing her in the flesh…so to speak…in this chapter. I had promised this a lot sooner, but between these two starring in some of the most awkward getting-to-know-you chapters I've written, and then my move and mojo being what they were, I'm leaving this here as a slightly belated Christmas gift. Happy Holidays to all, whatever you celebrate and enjoy! ACullenWannabe is the red pen master for this fic, so love to her.

Disclaimer:All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters 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.

2005: Year 0

A lot had changed in the last year.

Edward had managed to get those revisions of the first draft to Kate on time and she was pleased. So pleased, in fact, that she got Edward a meeting with her father, the CEO of Denali Publishing, so that he could pitch the outline for the entire series. When it was done, Edward had a provisional deal. If Blood Moon had a solid release, they would approve the third book, and leave the status of the last book up to release of Black Moon next year. Though it wasn't the best they could offer, Edward understood their reluctance. They were losing a known performer in the adult market to the YA world with no idea how it would fare.

The good thing about the year-long process of edits, artwork, marketing and everything surrounding the release meant that when the manuscript wasn't with him, Edward's time was free. So he had managed to plow through Black Moon and Quickening Moon and was starting to work on Thunder Moon. In Edward's mind, if he could show them that the work was done and that it truly warranted four books, maybe he could sway them.

Jasper and Alice thought he should let the release set the tone for his future meetings, which was what had Edward in knots now.

"Hey, Edward, what are your plans for next week?" Alice asked as she poked her head into the office.

"Nothing, I was just going to keep working on the last book. In a few weeks I head to New York for the beginning of the press tour, so I wanted to lay low until then."

"How about a little getaway to get you in the right mindset for the press tour? It's been a year since I went to Forks, and I think it's time that you finally see the town with your own eyes," Alice urged.

"I'm guessing from the smirk on your face this has been cleared through the powers that be?" Edward asked, excited for the possibility.

"Yes, now that you're not in the middle of revisions, the publishers don't care about a trip as long as you arrive in New York in time for your interviews."

Edward nodded, feeling himself start to relax as he thought about finally seeing Forks, and possibly Bella. "Did you make arrangements?"

"You think I would book this without checking with you first?" Alice asked, but at her brother's stare, she relented. "We leave on Tuesday, and fly out Friday evening. That way you have the weekend before going in to find out what they thought of the latest draft of Black Moon."

"Good, and thanks, Alice. I've wanted to visit Forks ever since you showed me the pictures."

"I know, and I'm so excited to see Bella. She told me that she's off Wednesday and Thursday so she's going to spend those days showing us around La Push and the rainforest. Evidently she took it easy on me last time and there's a lot more to see out there."

"You still talk to her?"

"Yeah, we mostly text, but she's a blast. You'll love her."

"We'll see in a few days, won't we?"

Those days moved quickly and soon Edward and Alice were sitting at the gate waiting for their flight to Seattle.

Alice looked at Edward, his knee bouncing in nervous anticipation. It was something she'd seen since he was little, when he was excited he ran at a mile a minute, but when he was anxious he bottled all of that energy inward.

"I don't know what you're so nervous about, but everything will be fine."

"I know that," Edward told her, "but it's just that I've been waiting for this for a year, seeing the town and getting a feel for a place I just picked out of thin air, it'll help with the rest of the series. And you came back so excited about Forks; I just want to see it already."

"You will, in eight hours."

"Eight?" Edward asked.

"Four hour flight and then a three hour drive, plus the time for getting the rental and our luggage."

Edward sighed, knowing that he would have to be patient, and that patience was rewarded when their flight was announced. Alice and Edward got into line to board and then he settled into his seat and pulled out his tablet, making sure it was on airplane mode before selecting a movie and plugging in his ear buds.

The flight was passed with a pair of movies, and soon Edward was being nudged by Alice, "Get ready to see the town of your dreams."

The siblings got off the plane and made their way to the baggage area. Edward waited for the bags while Alice handled the car and within forty-five minutes they were on the road.

"I could have driven," Edward said from the passenger seat.

"Will you just enjoy the scenery, plus you drive too slow," Alice quipped.

"Getting more speeding tickets than I do actually makes you a worse driver, Kit."

"I get pulled over more, but my charm and wit gets me out of them every time," she winked and edged the car along a little faster.

Edward watched as the green took over, with water coming in and out of view as they made their trip. It truly was otherworldly. The vivid, deep color that seemed to swallow sunlight cast a mood that was so perfect for the creatures he had created.

Time got away from him, and soon he noticed the town of Port Angeles come into view. "We're about an hour out now, right?"

"Yeah, and I would check your phone now, you might not get another chance until we leave. Oh, before we leave, do you want to stop here and do some shopping, or grab lunch? Meal options are limited in Forks."

"That works, though maybe we can pass on the shopping," he teased.

"I'm not talking high fashion. I was thinking of this bookstore I passed last year. It might be fun."

Shaking his head they agreed on Downrigger's Restaurant and stopped at the bookstore Alice had mentioned. They spent just under two hours in Port Angeles before making the last hour of their trek to Forks. The "Forks Welcomes You" sign that he'd seen in Alice's picture was indeed along the road before entering town, but he didn't get to see much of it as Alice turned on the first left off the main drag and went through a little driveway that opened up to a decent looking hotel.

"Welcome to the Olympic Suites. This is where I stayed last year, and it really is one of the best places in Forks. Though Bella did say that there are some pretty cabins down on the Rez."

"I'm sure this is fine, Alice. I really want to thank you for doing this."

"Quit thanking me. Now, let's go check in."

Edward followed Alice into the office, where an older man welcomed them to the town and gave them some fun things to do while there. A few minutes later, they were walking up the stairs into one of the suites. Alice and Edward took the time to settle in, and then Alice was standing in his doorway.

"I figured we could go to the diner for dinner tonight since Bella probably won't want to eat there when we're out together."

"Fine with me. Mind if I take a nap? Then we can go there around six?"

"Sure, enjoy," Alice said as she closed the door.

Two hours later, they were seated at a table in the diner, waiting on their waitress.

"I was wondering when you would show up," a voice called behind Edward.

Alice was up, hugging the petite brunette holding their menus and silverware in her hands.

"Kit, let her do her job," Edward teased, breaking the women apart.

"You must be Edward," Bella said as she set their table.

"And you're Bella, nice to meet you," Edward held out his hand and Bella shook it.

"Nice to meet you, too," she said.

Bella ran through the specials and took their drink orders before returning to the bar to see to her other customers. During their meal, Edward watched Bella as she moved, joking with the locals and still paying them attention as she fed them and sent them on their way.

"If we're going to the rainforest tomorrow, you may want to hit the grocery store and get stuff for sandwiches. It'll be cheaper than getting something at one of the restaurants." Bella offered as her parting piece of advice when they'd paid the bill.

Following her suggestion, Edward and Alice made a grocery run and then got themselves back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

The problem was Edward couldn't shake the feeling he had after finally meeting Bella. She was funny and kind, exactly the type of girl he'd date if there wasn't so much distance between them.

Waking up the next morning, Alice and Edward made their lunches and then toasted some bagels to eat while they were waiting for Bella. They had just cleaned up when there was a knock on the door.

"Ready to go?" Bella asked as Alice grabbed their lunches and told her to lead the way.

Edward took one look at the truck that was parked beside their rental and shot a look Bella's way. "That's your truck?"

"Yeah, my dad bought it off Billy Black ages ago. The only difference is that when she acts up, Jake only has to go downstairs most of the time."

"Did you guys move in together?" Alice asked as Edward tried to keep up.

"No, but between all the time we spend at each other's places, it isn't that far of a stretch. As much as I'd love to live on my own, real estate around here kind of means you go from your father's house, to the place you buy with your husband."

"Is Jake going to be joining us?" Edward asked.

"Not today, though he may show up tomorrow since we'll be on the Rez," Bella told them.

"Cool, I'd like to meet him," Alice said as they climbed into the rental and drove the forty-five minute drive out to the Hoh rainforest.

Edward had his eyes glued to the scenery, his camera in hand the whole time they drove.

"Edward, if you see something you want a picture of, let me know," Bella called from the front seat.

"Maybe on the way back, right now I'm just taking it all in."

Once they made it to the parking area for the Hall of Mosses, Bella pulled into a spot and led them to the trail.

"Besides the beaches at La Push, this is my favorite place to get away. I can show you my favorite parts of these trails, or I could just take you on the main part of the Hall of Mosses. What do you think?"

"I'm up for all of it, so whatever Alice can handle."

"I've got this," Alice smirked.

From there, they spent hours in the rainforest. Alice and Edward kept up with every twist and turn Bella took them on. It was easy to see why she loved it out there. They could feel the magic that Edward wrote about under the canopy of trees there. They explored for as long as they could, ending up at the parking lot, tired, but excited.

"Are you sure you're not a photographer? You took more pictures out there than Alice, and that's saying something," Bella teased as they got back to the car, stopping to eat their packed lunch while Edward explained his inner shutter bug.

"I'm a really visual person, so for me, having photos to look back on make it a lot easier to describe my settings later."

"Well, there are a few other things I could show you to give you an idea of what this area looks like, if you guys don't have plans for the rest of the afternoon."

"Let's go," Edward said, looking to Alice for confirmation.

So for the rest of the afternoon, the trio toured around different areas of Forks. Edward ate it up, which put a smile on Alice's face. Where his sci-fi books had made a name for Edward, the way he got lost in them was something that bothered Alice. He was moody and brooding while writing them, so to see him be carefree for any of the process was a blessing.

That evening, they stopped at Sully's Burgers and ate before making plans to meet up after breakfast to explore La Push.

"Hey, Bella, do you have a minute?" Edward asked.

"Yeah," she stopped before climbing into her truck.

"I wanted to give you this ARC as a thank you for helping Alice last year and taking the time to give us both a tour again this week," Edward said as he held out the book.

"What's an ARC?" Bella asked as she took the book.

"Advance Readers Copy, they go to reviewers and other people who might be involved in some way. I always get a few copies when they start sending them out, and I wanted you to have a copy. It's signed and everything."

"Wow … thanks Edward. This is really nice. See you in the morning?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Edward joked.

When he got up to his room, Edward took out his sketch pad and the outline for Black Moon and thought about the second book. It had been a nearly done deal since Kate saw his sketches in the margins of his first manuscript that Edward's own artwork would be used for the covers and above the chapter titles. After spending the day seeing the rainforest, and getting to see glimpses of Bella's real personality, not just stories from Alice, Edward got to sketching ideas for the next book's artwork.

He was at it for a while, falling asleep on his sketch pad, which was how Alice found him in the morning. She didn't have the heart to wake him, so she ran to one of the little coffee stands down the road to get them breakfast and coffee. When Alice returned, her brother was still fast asleep, so she shook him awake and told him to get in the shower or they'd miss the fog.

Edward ate quickly and then took his showerbefore the pair drove down to the Quilete Reservation to meet Bella at First Beach. Edward didn't understand the rush at first, but as soon as he saw the fog on the beach, he all but abandoned Alice to find her own way down so that he could get some shots before the fog began to thin out.

This was the Forks he'd envisioned, the beach littered with driftwood and the misty fog that hid the edge of the water. The islands shot out along the coast out of nowhere and there was that deep ocean smell that Edward loved but never really got in Chicago.

A laugh caught his attention, and Edward turned to see Bella sitting next to Alice. Snapping a quick picture, he moved back towards them.

"Am I really that ridiculous?" Edward asked.

"It's sweet watching you take in nature," Bella said.

"When we were growing up, Edward was always like this on vacations, especially when we went to the East Coast. Edward loves the ocean," Alice explained.

"Well, as beautiful as this beach is, I love going to the Hole in the Wall at Rialto Beach."

Edward's face lit up at the thought. After a little while longer taking pictures and listening to stories, they went down to Rialto beach and began to walk the long stretch of coastline that led to the rocks at the end. They spent hours exploring the wooded area that bordered the beach before they headed back to town.

The trio went to lunch at Pacific Pizza, where Edward told Bella that she hadn't lived until she had Chicago pizza.

"I'd love to make it there someday, but who knows when I can make it happen," Bella said as a tan man ran up and slid in next to her.

"Sorry I didn't make it while you were at the beach. Did you show them the tidal pools?"

"Yeah, Edward got a ton of pictures out there."

"You're Alice's husband, right?" Jake said to Edward from across the table.

"Brother," he replied.

He didn't introduce himself, so Bella did the honors, but a few minutes later, he was jumping up from the table to get his to-go order.

"Pity he couldn't stay," Alice said. Edward heard her tone and realized she wasn't a fan of Jake's either.

From there, Bella took them around to see a few more things nearby, which wasn't much, ending with the Forks Timber Museum. They said goodbye after that, Bella needing to get home since she worked the early shift on Friday.

Alice suggested heading back to Pacific Pizza to get grinders for dinner, and then they returned to the hotel to pack and enjoy their last night.

"So, what did you think of Forks?" Alice asked as they ate their dinner.

"It was great, and seeing it really made some things come to life."

The rest of the night was quiet, but Edward once again fell asleep on his sketch pad in the middle of the night.

Alice got them breakfast to-go from the Forks Coffee Shop, knowing the diner food would fill them up until they got to the airport.

When Edward woke up, he realized Alice had left, so he packed. He was disappointed that he'd missed one last chance to see Bella and thank her for everything she'd done for him. Alice came in a few minutes later with two Styrofoam boxes of food and a smile.

"Bella packed these, so there should be plenty of ketchup for your eggs. She also told me that if you had any questions while working on the rest of the stories, you could call or text her," Alice said.

"She told you to give me her number?" he clarified.

"Yeah, what's that face for?"

"Nothing, that's just really nice of her to offer to keep helping me with the books."

"That's Bella," Alice said with a shrug.

Later that afternoon, as they boarded their plane, Edward was excited to get home. Even more than that, he was happy to have a link to Bella right on his phone. He would definitely have a few questions in the coming months for his new friend.