A/N: This is a little story that demanded to be written down. It's relatively short- about six or so chapters. I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoy! Comments are always appreciated.

"Begin Again."

Bella Swan is immeasurably different from other girls her age. She is quiet and reserved yet is exceedingly brave for a young woman of her stature. While other teenagers were sunbathing in bikinis and spending their allowances at the mall, she was sitting in the shade with her book of the moment; saving every cent she's ever earned for college. It is a trait her Father had passed down to her. He works hard for everything in life, yet would not hesitate to give the shirt off of his back to his fellow man. This has been embedded in her since birth. She's has never questioned it, she's never had a reason to. Her Mother, who did not possess this quality, would tell her that one day, she would offer more than she had to give away. Bella did not see how that was a bad thing.

It was not uncommon for Charlie to call her from time to time. Since she lived with Renee, Bella rarely got to see her Father. Because of this, she went out of her way to ensure they talked. That was another thing that set Bella apart. She didn't feel the need to shut her family out. Hormones or not, they were all she had. This call was unlike the others for many different reasons. She couldn't pinpoint it in that moment, but it was the call that would change every truth she thought she knew.

One thing that was different was her Mother. On a usual day, Renee would hand her the phone and go back to her hobby of the instant. Sometimes it was tap dance, sometimes it was pottery, and sometimes Bella didn't bother to ask what she was doing. Whatever it was, it never kept Renee's attention for long. On that day, her Mother handed her the kitchen phone, which was attached to a long out-of-date cord that was too tangled to reach anywhere. Instead of turning her attention to her fad, Renee leaned against the brightly painted counter. She watched as her daughter took the phone from her and pressed it against her ear.

Bella should have known something was wrong in that second. Renee is not the type to eavesdrop. When she wants to know something, she would flat out ask and expect a straight answer. Because of this, Bella rarely tells her anything but the truth. But she didn't notice anything unusual. It wasn't until she greeted her Father that she realized this would be anything but the usual conversation.

It might be strange, but Bella truly enjoyed conversations with her Father. They were both introspective people, and did not spend a lot of time of frivolous things. They didn't talk about celebrities, or the high school drama that went on at all times. They talked about their lives. About options for college or Charlie's fishing adventures. It was the only way they were really in each other's lives. And Bella took advantage of this.

"Dad!" Bella greeted him warmly, not expecting him to call until at least the next day.

"Hey, Bells." His voice was thick with what she assumed was exhaustion. "Senior year is getting closer to ending every day. You must be excited."

"I suppose." She responded, letting her fingers become knotted in the phone's cord. "I don't feel the same nostalgia my classmates do. They act like the world will explode any second now." Charlie started to chuckle, the same chuckle she had heard her entire life but was interrupted by a wet and determined sounding cough. Bella lets her fingers graze the necklace that hangs from her neck. It had become a habit over the years. As hot as it got outside, the jade stone was always cool. It was comforting for her.

Bella frowned into the phone. Charlie, much like herself, never got sick. It was so extremely rare for them, she could not remember the last time she had even had the sniffles, much less a cough like that. "Have you been working too much lately? You sound dreadful!" Bella took little notice to her Mother moving from her position by the counter to the kitchen stool under the pretense of drinking her tea.

"No, nothing like that." He said after clearing his throat. "I've actually been cutting back at the station."

Her body instantly stopped as her mind went into overdrive. Her stomach clenched the way it did in horror movies. The feeling of absolute dismay. Charlie never slowed down. Never. It simply wasn't an option. They had spent hours arguing about it. And all Charlie would ever say was: "The law doesn't stop needing to be enforced just because of a few pesky germs." All she could do was roll her eyes.

"You've been delegating, old man?" She laughed, trying to make light of the situation even as the knot in her stomach grew heavier. "What, is the world ending?"

"Doctor's orders." His words were simple, but held great meaning behind them. Bella felt her knees grow weak, her legs heavier.

Everything was about to change, she could sense it. Bella wanted to pause this moment. The few seconds before she asked the question she couldn't take back. She wanted to live where her life was still simple. But as she was about to learn, it would never be simple again.

"You- you're sick?" She managed to get the words out as she leaned against the wall for support. Her words must have been as shaky as the legs that held her up. She had no way of knowing.

"Now don't you go worrying about me, young lady." Charlie said without even taking the breath. Bella wasn't a very dramatic person, unless it came to the people she loves. "I've already started treatment. My Doctors are doing everything they can."

"What kind of treatment?" Her voice was unrecognizable. The fear of the next words that would come from her Father was almost unbearable.

"I have cancer, Bells."

Bella doesn't remember how she responded. She doesn't remember Charlie trying to calm her and she doesn't remember hanging up on him. She hardly recognized the touch of her Mother, who now stood in front of her. "It's going to be okay, Bella."

The young girl shook her head, trying to dispose of the clouds that were causing a storm in her mind. "You knew about this? Why didn't you tell me?"

Renee kept her hands on her daughter, even though it was the last thing Bella wanted. She wanted to go back several hours. She wanted to go back to a time where her biggest worries included her English paper and how to somehow avoid prom.

"He didn't want you to worry. You've been waiting for college letters and he didn't want to add to your stress."

Bella scoffed. Even at seventeen years old, she understood that there were much more important things in life than college. Renee had always told her to continue striving for more and more in life. While Bella knew that she meant well, she didn't agree. She wanted a complete and satisfied life. She didn't want to work so hard for one thing and miss everything else.

"I have to go there." She said with eyes as wide as the day she was born.

"Isabella…" The older woman said somberly as she lifted the auburn hair out of her daughter's face.

"No, Mom. I have to go there." Bella said insistently. To her, she did not have another choice. She didn't want to think of the alternative.

"I don't know if you should. This kind of sickness, it doesn't always get better. It might only get worse." The woman took a deep breath before she continued. She couldn't sugarcoat this. Bella had to understand. "He has pancreatic cancer. It's not easy, and it won't be pretty. I need you to know what you are walking into."

"There is no other option. He shouldn't have to be alone in this." Bella whispered, suddenly feeling very tired. She looked up at her Mother, silently praying she would understand. Renee had lost her Father when she was younger than Bella, and it didn't take much for her to remember that time. She looked at her young daughter, who was barely on the edge of adult life and knew there would be no talking her out of this. She takes the girl's small hands in her own and tries to smile.

"You truly are an old soul, Bella."

July 1918

Edward Masen Jr. had his entire life in front of him. He was born less than a year after his parents had married in the turn of a new century. He was raised conservative, and was truly the highlight of his family's life. His laughter would brighten the day of his Mother, who couldn't bring herself to reprimand him for dragging mud into the house. On days that he was feeling blue, she would sneak him an extra dessert away from the eyes of his Father. She would sit with him as he went to sleep, and tell him stories from her childhood. Sometimes they were made up, full of magic and epic battles. But most of the time, they were simple stories. She told him how her Father had taught her to milk a cow and how she had gotten stuck in the apple tree on her property. He liked those stories the best. Even from a young age, Edward could see the happiness that lite up her eyes. That was more magical to him than dragons.

He didn't have quite the same relationship with his Father. He wouldn't exactly call Edward Sr. a callous man, but he wasn't very forthcoming with his affections. It wasn't the older man's fault exactly. He had just been raised a different way than his Mother had. He was taught that if you ever truly wanted anything in life, you had to be willing to give up absolutely everything to get it. Nothing was ever handed to him, his Father had been sure of that. He would have to work if he wanted to be considered to follow in his Father's footsteps. Edward Sr. had been a lawyer, who took the law very seriously. He taught his son the same values. Edward did not mind the work. It was all he ever knew. Even at the age of seventeen, his future looked bright.

He took his time that morning. It was a Saturday, and the sun was brighter than it had been in weeks. He walked into the kitchen, finding his Mother frowning over the radio on the kitchen counter. She had been doing that a lot lately. There was a sickness that was spreading across the country affectionately nicknamed the three day fever. He would hear the same words everyday: "It is not uncommon to be healthy in the morning and to die from the disease in the evening." He tried not to let them trouble him, as there was nothing he could do about it. But it didn't stop his Mother from pressing her palm to his face every evening if just to ensure her son's health for one more day.

"Haven't you had enough of that?" Edward asked her warmly as he kissed her cheek.

"Not until it is officially behind us." Elizabeth said firmly as she reached for another mug. "Tea, Edward?"

"No thanks. I think I'll go for a walk. It's such an attractive day." He told her before taking a large bite out of a peach. The juice spilled over the corners of his mouth and dripped down his chin.

"Be safe." She warned, flashing him a brilliant smile as she wiped the juice from his face. "My beautiful son."

Edward refrained from rolling his eyes. Having no siblings, his Mother was overly protective of him. He let her, if only because he knew she needed to. He waved a farewell to her and set off into the intensely bright sun. Being a creature of habit, he always traveled the same roads. He would find himself noticing the same flowers and waving at the same people. It cheered him as he basked in the routine of his stroll. There appeared to be more people in the park on that day. It seemed he wasn't the only one to recognize the exquisiteness of that particular day. As many times as Edward had walked that very path, in that very park, he never failed to enjoy each moment.

Off in an adjacent field, were two young children trying their best to get their kite off of the ground. He beamed, finding some humor in their frustration. He watched as they plotted and as the older one took off running with the simply designed kite in his hands. The boy let go at exactly the right moment and rejoiced as the contraption caught wind and took off flying into the sky. The children jumped in victory, and his smile widened.

He watched for a few more moments as he continued down the dirt path. The moment he looked away, a quick yet bright light shined in his eyes and once again his attention was taken away from the road under his feet. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust but once they did he noticed something more intensely stunning than anything else in the park. The reflection came from a necklace, a gold chain the hung from the neck of the most picturesque young woman he had ever seen. The sun seemed to be rising in front of her, illuminating the smooth surface of her skin. Her hair was pinned up away from her face, the natural golden red highlights bringing out the slight pink of her cheeks. She was truly the definition of lovely, and Edward decided in that moment that he must know her.

It only took a moment of distraction before he was no longer taking in the beauty that was this mysterious young woman and was instead kissing the dirt that he once walked on. He groaned, feeling the rocks that were now digging into his organs. He was utterly mortified, and could only hope that the youthful beauty had not seen him become better acquainted with the earth.

"Oh no!" The voice which Edward could only assume belonged to her was more delightfully charming than he could have anticipated. The sun retracted and was replaced with the shade of someone standing over him. He managed to look up to see her, holding her flawless hand out to help him. She looked even softer from this angle and he wanted nothing more than to reach out to her. Edward could live the rest of his life without the sun, as long as he had her to brighten his world.

"Are you okay?" She asked, oblivious to the thought process going on in the young man's mind. Edward reached out for her hand, noting that it was even smoother than it looked.

"Oh yes, I am fine." He said once he was on his feet, dusting the dirt off of his clothes. "Thank you, Miss."

She smiled at him, and he was spellbound. "I'm Edward Masen." He somehow managed to say once he found his voice again. He was desperate to know her name. He wanted to know everything about her.

"Nellie Ann Carter." She greeted him warmly. It wasn't until that moment Edward noticed her Father standing a few feet away. She must have been walking with him, but he had not observed the older man.

"Let's go, Nellie." Her Father said upon making eye contact with Edward.

"Goodbye, Edward." Nellie offered him a smile, and he was nothing less than dazzled. She turned away to return to her Father, but Edward stayed firmly planted to the ground. He watched as she disappeared from in front of him, but refused to let her disappear from his life. He came to his senses as she was about to turn the corner and leave his eyesight and instantaneously followed her. He had never felt so instantly connected to someone. He had courted his fair share of young woman, but it was more of something he felt like he should do, rather than he needed to do. Becoming attached to Nellie was as easy as falling to the ground had been. Both had happened quickly, and were out of Edward's control.

Edward understood exactly how insane it was to follow someone he has barely met, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He also understood that if her Father saw him following them, he would likely lose a few teeth. Edward should have worried about these things, but he simply had to see her again. He could willingly accept the consequences that came with being caught, but he couldn't accept not seeing her again. He watched as she walked, the dress of her skirt falling delicately across her legs with each step. He followed her back down the path he had come only a short time before. He followed her down the road and past his house, where he could imagine his Mother in the kitchen preparing dinner. He followed them until she followed her Father into a house that stood taller than the ones around it. It was vast in size and pure in color. Even the extravagance of the house paled in comparison to her intricate beauty. He stands a distance away, wondering how he can possibly convince her of his good intentions. How could he possibly court such a woman, who could put him on his knees with the slight flutter of a smile?

"Nellie Ann Carter." Edward said the name out loud, letting the sound of it wash over him. He would walk home by himself that night, but he wouldn't be alone. He would never be alone again, as long as he had Nellie floating around in his head. He wasn't sure what his next move would be, but one thing was certain. Edward Masen would never be the same.