Disclaimer: Not mine…just playing with SM's characters.

A/N: All right, here it is…my next story. There are time jumps, so pay attention to the ages and line breaks. I'm also doing something different and writing in third person. I hope you guys like it. If you've followed me from one of my previous stories, welcome and thank you!

Special thanks to my friend and beta eternally_addicted. She really is one of the best. :)

Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe Farewell to thee, farewell to thee

E ke onaona noho i ka lipo The charming one who dwells in the shaded bowers

One fond embrace, One fond embrace,

A hoʻi aʻe au 'Ere I depart

Until we meet again Until we meet again

"Aloha 'Oe", lyrics by Queen Lili'uokalani, last reigning monarch of Hawaii

Prologue

Age 70

"I hate boys! They're so stupid!"

Bella's eyes opened slowly, their focus a little slower these days than it had been in the past. The morning sunlight was shining warmly on her face and Bella smiled as she listened to her granddaughter rant inside the house. She had once been a sixteen year old who was incredibly frustrated with boys too. She wondered how much had changed as she heard her granddaughter stomping around in the house. Her legs were shaky as she stood, and she shook her head slightly.

"Not what you used to be," she sighed, a bit of sadness in her voice. She shook her head quickly, not wanting any of those kinds of thoughts in her head today.

Bella opened the patio door that led back into the house and wondered for a moment where her daughter was. She chuckled to herself as she walked towards the kitchen where her granddaughter was slamming things around. Most likely, her daughter was trying to avoid dealing with her daughter. Bella cringed when she heard the refrigerator door slam hard and glasses clink against each other.

"Audrey Allen, what are you doing, child?" Bella asked.

Her granddaughter Audrey jumped and almost knocked over her glass of orange juice. When she turned to face Bella, Audrey's cheeks turned red, and her blush was apparent to Bella, even on Audrey's tan skin. Audrey sighed heavily and spun the glass between her hands.

"It's Damon, Gran," Audrey sighed. "He…well, he…"

Bella blanched slightly as Audrey trailed off. Had Damon tried something? Did he hurt her?

"And before you go there, Gran, nothing like that happened between Damon and I," Audrey said, cocking a brow at Bella.

Even at 70, Bella's cheeks still flushed like a schoolgirl.

"I'm sorry, baby," Bella said quietly, moving to her granddaughter's side and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Do you want to have a seat in the living room and tell me about it?"

Audrey nodded slowly. Bella had always shared a special bond with her first grandchild. Minus the tan skin and sweet smile that reminded her so much of her husband, Bella saw a lot of herself in her beautiful granddaughter.

The duo took a seat on the plush sofa in Bella's living room and Audrey immediately curled up into her Gran's side, something she had done ever since she was a child, and was suddenly wishing she had done more of in the recent months.

"So…" Bella said slowly, "Tell me what happened with Damon."

Audrey sighed heavily and leaned her head on Bella's shoulder. Her head felt like it was a jumbled mess, and she knew that if she went to her mother, that her mother would just freak out. Audrey wanted her Gran's advice more than anything.

"Gran…how…how did you know that you were in love with Grandpa?"

Bella's eyes widened, not quite expecting that.

"Why do you ask, baby?" Bella asked back.

Audrey let out a loud huff. "Damon and I have only been going out for a month, but he said that he loved me this morning when we were out on the beach. Then he got mad at me because I didn't say it back! I don't know what it's like to be in love, Gran! I can't tell if I love him! We're only sixteen! It's only been a month! How do you know when it's love, Gran?"

A small smile spread across Bella's face. She recalled having a similar conversation with her friend Angela when she was Audrey's age. Her heart ached a little when she thought of the circumstances behind that conversation, and all the months that followed. Bella's journey to her "happily ever after" hadn't been an easy one, and even after she thought she got her happy ending, she was still hurt and devastated. They never tell you what happens after the happy ending in the stories. They never tell how much love can hurt you, even thought it doesn't plan to.

Bella shook her head from her own dark thoughts. Now was the time to focus on her granddaughter. She stroked her fingers through Audrey's long dark hair and asked her beautiful granddaughter to look up at her before she spoke again. She wanted to see Audrey's dark brown eyes that were so similar to her own. Bella hoped that by sharing her own journey with her granddaughter, she might be able to spare Audrey some of the heartbreak that she experienced in her life.

"Audrey," Bella said quietly, "Did your mother ever tell you how I met your Grandpa?"

Audrey shook her head slowly. While she loved her Gran and Grandpa very much she had been told by her mother that she was too young to hear the story of how her grandparents met. Apparently, it was a very, very long story.

Bella smiled and placed a quick kiss on her granddaughter's forehead. She contemplated where to begin the story, and then ultimately decided on the starting point. There had been a lot of memories and scars that she hadn't yet dealt with at that point, and it wasn't until she moved to paradise, that she began to heal, and her journey began. Bella took a deep breath and squeezed Audrey to her side.

"I guess it all started when I decided to move to Honolulu…"

Well? Yes? No? By all means, I hope you'll continue on to Chapter 1 :-D