A/N: All right, I know I'm juggling a lot of stories at the moment, but I just couldn't pass this opportunity up. TracyMelinda87 PMed me about her idea of Bella and Edward already being together when the novel Twilight begins at Forks, except with a mythological twist: Bella's father isn't human, but a god (More like a Titan, but that's hinting... so shush me up). This story will be about Bella's search for her identity, hence the title. Anyhow, here's the prologue...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Identity

Prologue

The story begins with a simple, well-to-do family called the Masens. Given the wealthy status of the family, it comes as a pleasant surprise to know that Mrs. Elizabeth Masen isn't a snooty socialite, and is in fact a very agreeable, amiable lady of thirty seven. Her husband Mr. Edward Masen, a high ranking lawyer for Chicago's most successful law firm, is a stout man who appears to not have aged the past fifteen years, as he still looks as devilishly handsome as his twenty year old counterpart.

Roughly ten years ago, Elizabeth had given her husband the best gifts of all, and that is their son, the pride and joy of the Masen family. His name is Edward Anthony Masen, named after his father for they share the same hazel green eyes, and after his grandfather because he inherited the man's coveted musicality. Elizabeth couldn't be more proud of her son, so it was a disappointment when she found him in the garden one day, arguing with a little girl who looked no older than eight or nine.

"Edward Anthony," she cried, walking out of the front door, down the porch steps and through the flowered flowerbeds. "What on earth are you doing? I thought I raised a gentleman as my son, not a ruffian who treats lovely ladies, such as the one in our presence, like a servant boy!" She crouched low so that she can tweak her son's mass of bronze red hair and make it more presentable. "And why are you not wearing your jacket, it's windy out."

"I wanted to pick you some flowers, mama," Edward said earnestly, ignoring the reprimand as much as a ten year old would. "I wasn't to be out longer than a minute and I thought asking Renee for my jacket would be too much of a trouble."

Elizabeth frowned, but accepted her son's explanation nonetheless. She stood up to the fullest extent of her height, smoothened out the creases in her dress and nodded. Edward sighed in relief before breaking off into a sprint back into the house. "Oh no, don't think you're getting away that easily, Edward," she said, grabbing her sprightly song by the collar of his shirt. "You still haven't explained yourself for your behavior to…" She drifted off, not knowing the little girl's name. "What is your name, dear?" she asked, smiling gently to put the girl at ease.

The little girl, noticing the lady's attention on her, blushed and mumbled an incoherent sentence. When Edward laughed, the little girl's blush deepened as she frowned and said, "I like to be called Bella, but Mother always insist that I introduce myself as Isabella."

"Isabella?" Elizabeth's eyebrows raised a fraction. "Are you perchance Renee's daughter?"

Renee Swan was the Masens' housekeeper, having taken over from her mother five years ago. She was an amiable enough lady, with blonde hair and sparkling brown eyes that she, clearly, had passed on to her daughter. In fact, Elizabeth fancies that she finds a friend in Renee, even though their social classes would never permit it.

Bella, after scrutinizing Elizabeth's expression and finding something likeable, nodded her head timidly. "Yes. We were supposed to go to the pier today, but Mr. Masen called for her to work even though today was supposed to be her free day. Mother says she doesn't mind – she understands that Mr. Masen is ill and needs to be taken care of – but I know she hates to disappoint me. I told her everything's all right, as long as I get to spend a day with her."

"I see," said Elizabeth simply. She stayed silent, choosing to not voice how Bella's words tugged at her mothering heart. It was ill-fated that her husband had chosen today of all days to become sick. Since no one else in the household – not the maids, the butler or even Elizabeth herself – could tolerate a complaining Edward Sr., they were forced to call in Renee. She had a heart of gold, and was perhaps the best nurse the Masens ever had, despite her lack of training in the field. She could cure a nasty stomach ache with ginger tea and put Edward to sleep with just a sip of a chamomile infusion.

Speaking of her son, Elizabeth turned to the ten year old sternly. "Well?" she demanded.

Edward fidgeted under his mother's intense gaze. His eyes flickered to the girl he now knew as Bella, and saw that she was sticking her tongue out at him. Feeling affronted (as much as a child can, anyhow), he puffed out his chest and began explaining his actions: "I didn't mean to upset anyone, mama. Bella is far too sensitive about things."

"Am not!" exclaimed Bella, crossing her arms and stamping her foot. Elizabeth saw the girl's petticoat fly higher than normal due to the wind and exposed her stocking-free knees, much to her consternation. She wasn't a snooty socialite by any means, but etiquette was etiquette, and the girl was not properly dressed.

"Are, too!" retorted Edward.

"I wouldn't have been upset if you didn't call me an annoying know-it-all!"

"I wouldn't have called you that if you stopped talking about flowers, telling me all the unwanted information! I only wanted to ask why I should be careful with the roses."

"And did you even heed my warning?" Bella reached out for Edward's hand and faced it palm upwards for Elizabeth to inspect. "I advised him to pick the forget-me-nots and the columbines instead since they match your dress and eyes, but he insisted on the roses. His blatant disregard for my warning led to his finger bleeding and he has the audacity to blame me for it!"

Elizabeth, although amused by the children's interaction, was surprised to hear Bella's use of language. Heed, advised, insisted, blatant disregard, audacity? Those were heavy words for a nine year old – presuming that was Bella's age – to use.

"Well then," Elizabeth hurried to say before Edward could retaliate. "I think I've heard enough to formulate my own conclusion. Edward," she locked eyes with her son, "you are the one in the wrong here. I think you should apologize to Bella. And Bella," she turned to the girl, "you are a guest in this household and thus must not use that tone of voice on my son, do you understand? Gently chastise him if you wish, but do not yell at him like you did just now."

Feeling that she had driven her point home, Elizabeth instructed her son to run back inside and entertain himself. Seconds later, the sounds of the pianoforte echoed through the air. Smiling serenely, Elizabeth coerced the contrite looking Bella into a conversation. Little did the mother know that the argument she had just witnessed was to be the beginning of a lengthy dispute between the two children.

A/N: Well?