ONE: Edward

ONE: Edward

Okay, so please don't be mad, but I think I like this story better than my other Twilight one. I'm sorry to anybody who is reading "Monster to Man", but I'm going to put that story on hiatus right now. I'm going to delete it from the site, but don't worry, because I have it saved on my computer. If I get some inspiration, I'll write more of it, but I think this story is going to be so much better. Let me know what you think of it.

"There comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers have clicked into place and the universe opens itself up to show you what's possible."

-Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams

"We've already got enough long-sleeved shirts I think," seventeen-year-old Bella Swan mumbled to herself. She stood on a cracked, uneven stretch of sidewalk, staring down at the checklist she'd made for herself with furrowed brows. In the west, the Phoenix sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon. "We've got an extremely durable coat that makes me look like an Eskimo," she frowned as she checked "coat" off her list. "That's everything," she sighed, scanning the paper in her hands one last time. "So why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?" Bella's eyebrows drew together again as she tried to think of anything else she might need for her permanent relocation to Forks.

Forks was a tiny, rainy, uninteresting town in Washington State. Bella had been born there, but her mother, Renee-- who hated Forks as much as her daughter-- had fled Washington with Bella when she was just a baby. Bella's father, Charlie, still lived in Forks and served as the town's sheriff; he'd never really moved on after Renee left.

Renee, however, had no problem moving on. In fact, she was now remarried … to a much younger man who played minor-league baseball for a living. His name was Phil. Phil wasn't a bad guy-- Bella actually thought he was kind of good for her mom, which was why the seventeen-year-old was making the journey to Forks. It would be easier for Renee to be with Phil-- he had to travel a lot for his job-- without her there to worry about. Bella wanted to give her mother some time with her new husband. In her mind, as much as she was dreading going to Forks, it would all be for the best. She hoped.

"Mom I can't help but think that I'm forgetting something," Bella spoke up, still studying her list. "Do we need anything else?" When her question received no reply, Bella turned to look over her shoulder. When she found Renee with her nose practically squished against the front window of a tiny antique store, Bella groaned inwardly and rolled her eyes. Her mother was so childlike, so flighty; she had the attention span of a three-year-old sometimes. "Mom," Bella said gently, speaking to her mother the way one would speak to a child who had gotten lost in a daydream. "I'm leaving for Forks in the morning. Let's try not to get sidetracked, okay?"

Renee turned her head and smiled youthfully at her daughter.

"No," Bella said, shaking her head emphatically before her mother could say one word. She recognized the excited gleam in Renee's brown eyes.

"Oh, come on," Renee pleaded, pouting cutely. "It'll be fun."

"Mother, we don't have time for diversions." Bella was not going to be swayed.

"Oh, Bella," Renee's cute pout intensified. "It's your last night here. Couldn't you try and be spontaneous just once? For me? As a going-away present."

Bella rolled her eyes again; she could feel herself weakening.

"Come on," Renee smiled, sensing a victory. "You know you want to."

"No, I don't, actually," Bella replied, "but I know you're not going to give up."

Renee giggled girlishly. She grabbed her daughter by the wrist and dragged her into the little antique shop. "This'll be fun, Bella, you'll see," she promised. "Who knows what kind of treasures we might find in here?"

Bella's eyes lifted skyward again. Her mother was absolutely convinced that she'd find something that she could take on Antiques Roadshow one day and be told that she was in procession of something that was worth thousands of dollars.

A little bell dinged over their heads as they entered the shop, and a kind-faced elderly lady with gray hair smiled at them from where she stood behind the cash register.

"It reeks in here," Bella whispered to her mother, wrinkling her nose.

"Shhh," Renee hushed her daughter with a frown.

Bella bumped into a dated coat rack where lots of old-fashioned clothes were being displayed. Renee quickly reached out with one hand to steady her daughter and steadied the teetering coat rack with the other.

"I'll just… be in the back," Bella grinned sheepishly. She thought she'd be much less likely to cause any damage to anything if she just stayed in the back of the tiny shop.

"Please be careful and watch where you're going," Renee implored, already gravitating toward a sparkling display of antique jewelry. "I don't want you getting hurt or breaking anything."

Bella just scowled in response to her mother's plea as she wandered to the back of the shop. She found an old roll-top desk tucked away in a back corner. On top of the desk was a box full of old black-and-white photographs. She took a seat in the roll-top desk's creaky chair and set the box of photos in her lap. She figured this was a safe way to keep herself occupied while her mother searched for "treasures." She became fascinated by the pictures as she slowly flipped through them, gazing curiously into each face. She wondered about these people… where their lives had taken them and where they'd ended up.

Near the end of the pile, she found a picture that made her catch her breath.

An unbelievably handsome face stared up at her. The young man in the portrait had flawless features: a strong jaw; a proud chin; high, chiseled cheekbones; perfect lips… She found herself feeling disappointed that he wasn't smiling. His expression was very serious, but she could see a mischievous hint of a smile shining in his eyes.

As she sat in a trancelike state, mesmerized by the photo, Bella's heart begin to race. She suddenly felt, deep down in her soul, that she knew this boy. Crystal clear images of him flashed through her memory, like she'd been with him before. She found herself being able to know with absolute certainty that his eyes were green, even though the picture she held was black and white. His hair, which he wore slicked back in the picture, she knew was a unique bronze color. In her mind's eye, she saw the boy in trousers, with his suspenders hanging loosely down by his waist, wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was laughing, standing in the sun, and his bronze hair was ruffled, being tousled by the breeze. Her fingers suddenly tingled, the silkiness of his hair tickling her skin.

Bella's breathing came in quiet gasps now. She was locked on the boy's captivating face, unable to tear her eyes away. Her hands began to shake.

"Here you are."

At the sound of her mother's voice, Bella shrieked and started, causing the box of photos to spill all over the floor.

"Bella," Renee chided. She knelt down to pick up the pictures and returned them to their box. When she was finished doing that, she raised confused brown eyes to her daughter's face. The confusion gave way to concern when she saw how shaken the teenager was. "Bella," she said again, softer this time. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost." She returned the box of pictures to the roll-top desk, glancing over Bella's shoulder at the portrait she was holding as she did so. "Wow," Renee murmured, stepping closer to get a better look at the young man in the picture. "Look at him. He's so young here, he's probably not much older than you, Bella. I wonder what happened to him. What do you think his name was? Henry? Or Robert? Or… oh, what are some other old-fashioned names?"

"Edward," Bella said quietly, gazing intensely into the captivating eyes that stared up at her.

"Good one," Renee nodded to show her approval. "I can't believe I didn't think of that."

"No, that's his name," Bella insisted.

Renee looked confused again for a moment, but then she shrugged. "Okay," she said. "If you want to name the picture Edward, you can." When her daughter remained fixated on the picture, Renee's eyebrows drew together and she frowned nervously. "Do you… want it?" she carefully inquired.

Bella slowly raised her pretty brown eyes to look into her mother's face. A gradual, almost cautious smile spread over her lips and she nodded.

"Okay." Renee couldn't figure out why her daughter had such an attachment to that picture. "Well, come on. Let's take it up front and pay for it."

EXBEXBEXBEXBEXB

Later that night, Bella was kneeling in the middle of her bedroom floor, piling her new Forks wardrobe into her rolling suitcase. A knock at the door made her look up.

"Just wondering how the packing's going," Renee smiled, coming in and taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm fine, Mom," Bella promised, grinning. "I don't need any help."

"Well, I just thought I'd check," Renee shrugged. Then her expression changed, became sad and questioning.

"Mom--," Bella sighed. She knew that apologetic look. It was always the opener to the same conversation.

"If you don't want to go, you don't have to. You know that, right?" Renee began to wring her hands.

"Yes, Mom, I know." Bella tossed a pair of faded, comfy blue jeans into her suitcase with another sigh.

"I mean it, Bella. All you have to do it say the word--."

"Mom, it's fine," Bella tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm actually looking forward to it. Honest." Since her hand was hidden in her suitcase, she crossed her fingers, which was something she always did when she told a lie.

"Okay," Renee said uncertainly. "If you're sure…."

"I'm positive," Bella forced out a short laugh.

Renee's focus shifted to the nightstand that stood on the right side of her daughter's bed. She smiled when she saw the old black and white picture propped up against the base of the lamp. "I see you've made Edward feel right at home," she spoke up, gesturing at the picture.

"Mom," Bella grumbled, her fair cheeks flushing a dark red.

Renee laughed affectionately at the way her daughter reacted to being teased. "I'm sorry honey," she apologized. "I'm just having a hard time understanding why you wanted it so much."

"I just... did," Bella mumbled, shrugging her shoulders as her cheeks turned an even darker shade of red.

"What a teenager thing to say," Renee sighed, smiling again when Bella scowled. "All right, I'll leave you to your packing, then. Goodnight, Baby." Renee stooped to kiss her daughter's uplifted face. "I love you," she said, gently holding Bella's chin in her hand and gazing seriously into the girl's big brown eyes.

"I know," the corners of Bella's lips lifted in a slight smile. "I love you, too, Mom."

"If you ever change your mind, you can call me."

"I know," Bella repeated, nodding her head, even though her chin was still gripped in Renee's fingers.

Renee bent again and placed a second kiss against Bella's forehead. "I love you," she repeated, putting special emphasis on the 'love'. On her way out, she paused in the doorway and said, "Don't forget to brush your teeth." With that, she was gone.

Bella snickered and shook her head as she threw the last of her clothes into her suitcase and zipped it up. Most of the time, she was the one telling her mother not to forget to do things.

EXBEXBEXBEXBEXB

Hours later, Bella tossed and turned restlessly in her bed. Dread about the new life she would have to build in Forks was keeping sleep away. She raised her eyes to the picture of Edward that sat on her nightstand and felt herself smile. If somebody like Edward was waiting for her in Forks, maybe she'd be able to learn to like it there.

A strong gust of cold wind rustled her curtains, knocked her CDs off her dresser, and sent Edward's picture fluttering to the floor.

Bella sat up in bed, bewildered as she squinted against a bright light that shined through the cracks of her closed bedroom door. Maybe she was sleeping after all. This had to be a dream. Moving almost against her own will, Bella tossed back her covers and climbed out of bed. Slowly, she approached her door. She could hear noise on the other side-- people talking, and… sounds of traffic. She pulled her door open only partially and peered tentatively out into what should have been the hallway.

But the hallway was gone.

Bella, who had to squint again against bright sunshine, found herself looking out onto a busy city street. There were people strolling along the sidewalks, but they wore clothes that had been out of fashion for decades. Rickety, old-fashioned automobiles rolled roughly down the road. She could hear the loud, squawking honk of one of the antiquated horns. Frightened, Bella tried to take a step back, tried to close the door, but the cold gust of wind returned and forced her through the doorway. She screamed, but it was swallowed up by the wind.

Another loud squawking sound rang deafeningly in Bella's ears over and over again. She was standing in the middle of the busy street now, and one of the out-dated vehicles was bearing down on her. The man behind the wheel was laying on his horn, frantically trying to let her know that she needed to get out of the way. Frozen, all Bella could do was stand and stare in horror as the automobile got closer and closer….

A strong pair of arms coiled around her waist and yanked her sideways, up onto the sidewalk and out of the path of the automobile. Bella felt her body collide with another body, a body that was solid and muscular.

"Are you all right, miss?" The voice that spoke to her was definitely male, definitely concerned, and definitely the most beautiful voice Bella had ever heard; it was so soft, like velvet.

Dazed, Bella looked up into the face of the person who had saved her life. Her entire face lifted, brightened, when she realized who her hero was. "Edward," she murmured, reaching up to touch one hand to his perfect face. He still had his arms around her, was still holding her against him.

Edward's brow furrowed with confusion. "Do we know each other?" he asked, gazing deeply into the spellbinding brown eyes that were looking up at him.

"I'm--." Bella stopped speaking, her eyes widening with new panic when she caught sight of one of her sleeves. She dropped her eyes to take in what she was wearing. Gone were her comfy, holey pajamas. Now she was donning a dress that made her look like an extra from the movie Titanic. There was a square neckline and the hem stopped just below mid-calf. And the shoes on her feet were going to be impossible for her to walk in. What was going on here?! "What is this?" she shouted tremulously as terrified tears blurred her vision. She clawed at the dress. "What am I wearing?! What is this?!"

"It's… a very lovely dress," Edward said. He didn't know why her clothing should frighten her.

Bella raised wild eyes to look into Edward's face again. "Where am I?" she demanded desperately.

"You're… in Chicago, miss," he replied, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"Chicago?" Bella rasped, choking on the word. She asked the next question with great trepidation. "When am I?"

"Forgive me, I'm afraid I don't understand," Edward said, tilting his head to one side.

"When, when," Bella repeated impatiently. "When are we? What year is it?"

"It's 1918, miss," Edward answered her frantic questions kindly and politely, trying to let her know she had nothing to be afraid of. He heard her squeak, then she fainted and went limp in his arms. "Miss? Miss!" Edward carefully sank into a kneeling position on the sidewalk, holding her close to his chest. He jostled her gently and tapped her cheek with the palm of his hand. "Miss! Miss!" he shouted, trying to rouse her.

So there's the first chapter of my latest fic. I start way too many of these things, but don't worry, because I fully intend to finish this one. I even outlined it, which is something I don't usually do. This story has a beginning, middle, and an end, so it will get finished. I just hope I get some feedback. Please be sure and tell me what you think.

In the coming chapters, Bella's going to spend time with Edward back in the days when he was human. They'll fall in love (naturally), and Edward, being the chivalrous young gentleman he is, will ask Bella to marry him (Remember, they're in 1918). Bella will say yes, but his parents (mostly his father) will say no. Then comes the drama. I don't want to give too much away this early on, but trust me when I tell you that there will be a very, very big twist. Hopefully you'll like the twist.

So, thank you to those of you who took the time to read this. Please don't be shy about sending me a review or any suggestions or questions you have. Thanks again! -Sarah