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This was my entry in THE CANON TOUR CONTEST.

I was touched and shocked to WIN FIRST PLACE!

THANK YOU everyone who voted in this anonymous contest!

Go here to read the NEXT round of entries: http : / ww w . fanfiction . net/u/3041014/ thecanontour

I will be posting this story as JOURNAL ENTRIES over the next couple of days. I have added a section beyond the end of the contest bits.

Have to thank my marvelous betas and prereaders, they really do help these words come alive. Thank you LJ Summers, SaritaDreaming and KzintiKiller.

EAC: The Journal of Edward Cullen

May 18, 1969

In the nineteen years that Alice and Jasper have been living with us, she has shared many visions with me. She's seen trouble with nomads who are passing by our home in time for us to avert it. She's seen the humans around us becoming too aware of our otherness. The weatherman has nothing on her; Alice can spot a break in the clouds with pinpoint accuracy.

We've developed a bit of shorthand in our communication. I decide something, say about a gift for her, she sees the decision and then either squeals with glee or shakes her head no until I decide on something else. Today Alice shared a vision that shocked me, shaking my entire future.

I was smiling down at a young woman, my right hand holding her left one as I slipped a ring gently over the knuckle on her fourth finger to nestle it at its base. She was wearing a long white dress. A short veil was clipped at the crown of her head, lace spilling down over her long brown curls.

An arch covered in white flowers lent a festive touch to the gathering. A man of the cloth was smiling beside us. Glancing around, I saw my family gazing at the two of us, happiness radiating from them. The clothing styles of the guests were nothing that I had seen before.

The perspective of this vision was one where I couldn't see the woman's face, but I could see my own. The look there was one of pure joy.

Alice had come to me as the vision faded, taking my hands in a firm grip as she smiled up into my face. "You'll be so happy. You're getting married!"

The rest of the family had noticed her vision trance and had waited quietly for the information on whether this was good news, or bad. At her words they had all erupted in questions that came too fast to be answered by either one of us.

My own questions couldn't be answered even though both of us looked at the vision in our memories over and over again during the next couple of hours. When did this vision take place? And more importantly to me, who was this woman?

A startling truth was the fact that she appeared to be human. Although her skin was pale, unlike ours, there was an undeniable blush to the bare skin of her arms.

Rosalie had been the most vocal about that fact when Alice blurted out that my bride-to-be was human. She couldn't imagine in her wildest dreams that a human would be marrying a vampire. The thought was inconceivable to her.

Esme, of course, had been thrilled with the idea that I would marry, that I would be as joyful as Alice had described me to be.

Carlisle seemed to be mulling the whole thing over in his mind. He was always open to new things and this intrigued him.

Each time the vision plays through my mind I find myself shaking my head in near disbelief. I've been alone for so long. I've watched my family find mates and joy in their lives. I can't lie even to myself, it's been hard always being alone and lonely in the midst of their happiness. They've all tried to be discreet, but they love each other deeply and I don't begrudge their expressions of it. Well, not always. It's a good thing that I like moments of solitude as I've often been forced to run fast and far away from the amorous thoughts and actions of those that I live with.

The clarity and strength of Alice's vision leads me to believe that this young woman must know the truth of my nature. I refuse to believe that I'd marry her without having told her the entire truth of my situation. The fact that she is marrying me must mean that she accepts me, all of me. Surely if she is willing to join me in marriage, she must see something that I've never seen in myself. I am also filled with awe that a human would love me, a vampire, enough to marry me.

Now, as I write this, many hours have passed since that shocking vision and we are no closer to any answers. My mind just keeps focusing intently on the look of love on my face in the vision. For the first time in my very long existence, I am filled with hope. Hope that I will indeed find my own mate. Hope that one day I will find happiness like my family has.

Even the chance of this event occurring in my future has made me rethink my uneasiness with my second life. This bears further study.

A/N...These dates, from THE TWILIGHT LEXICON, have some correlation to this fic:

1950 Alice and Jasper find Carlisle and join his family. (TW14) (SM-TL)

1987 September 13 – Isabella Swan born to Renee and Charlie Swan in Forks, Washington. (NM1)

1989 March – Renee leaves Charlie, takes Bella to Riverside, CA. (TW1) (SM-TL)

1993 Renee and Bella move to Phoenix, AZ. (SM-TL)

1996-2002 Bella visits Charlie in Forks for one month in the summer. (TW1) (SM-TL)

2003 The Cullen family arrive in Forks, Washington. (TW1)

2005 - January

17th (Mon) – Bella Swan moves to Forks, Washington. (SM-TL)

18th (Tue) – She meets Edward Cullen who is drawn to her blood. Edward leaves Forks for Alaska for one week to avoid killing Bella. (TW1)

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoy...there are about 8 or 9 "chapters" in this journal.

Kathie (at)GuardingKatmom on Twitter