California Dreamings

A FGB novella for Bookjunkie1975

This story takes place during the 60s. Though it is a long and somewhat tortourous journey, this is a Bella and Edward story.

Hope you enjoy the ride!

BPOV

I awoke, stiff and cold, to a hard object thrusting painfully into my thigh. Pain shot through my head as I opened my eyes to the dazzling morning light. I was disoriented. And hung over. Very, very hung over.

"Come on, girl," a loud voice bleated at me above my head. "Get a move on! You can't stay here!"

The voice brought me back to reality. I had been out last night, partying with some new friends. There was a club; the music had been decent and the bartender had been loose with his drinks. It was a good night. But where was I now?

I sat up, my back snapping and popping the entire time. The unforgiving bench, which I had chosen for a bed last night, had created bands of pain that crisscrossed my back. I had covered myself with newspapers…like a bum. How had this happened? Why wasn't I surprised?

The hard object being thrust in my leg was a nightstick, wielded by one of the neighborhood beat cops combing through the park. I thought for a moment and remembered that I was still in Forks. I said a silent prayer of thanks that Charlie wasn't on the other end of that nightstick.

I ran a shaky hand through my hair, encountering tangles almost immediately. As I gathered up the newspapers, the cop holstered his nightstick and walked away, mumbling under his breath as he went.

"Damn dirty hippies," the owner of the voice grumbled.

I smirked.

"Happy to help propagate your stereotype, asshole," I muttered.

After I stretched and yawned, I finished gathering up the papers and deposited them in waste can at the entrance of the park. I felt in my jeans: three dollars and some loose change. Breakfast at Harry's Java Joint was in my future.

Once I was up and moving, the cobwebs started to clear from my head, and I was able to remember small details from last night. I'd met Jessica and Lauren outside of the record store yesterday afternoon. Jess had a groovy tie-dyed tee shirt that she said she got in Port Angeles. They told me about a raving new club there; it seemed like a good scene so we hitched a ride there and partied for most of the night.

Jess and Lauren ditched me when they met Mike and Tyler half way through the night. I was happy to be rid of them. Like most women, both of them had managed to grate on my nerves before long. I danced and smoked and got myself higher than a kite. And somehow, I'd found my way back to Forks.

The jingle of the bell above the door cut through my foggy head and sent shivers of pain down my spine. I'd be drinking more than one cup of Harry's special dark coffee to clear this headache. I stumbled as I reached the counter, sitting heavily on one of the red plastic stools and plopping my chin into my hand. Leah, Harry's daughter, looked over as I sat down and shook her head at me.

Leah was about five years old than me and infinitely more wise. She'd been married and divorced and was raising her kid on her own. I had to give her credit. Little Claire was a heck of kid. Still, she gave me shit every chance she could, and from the look of her, she had a boatload to hand me this morning.

"Morning, Bella," Leah said, her voice loud as she banged the coffee cup into the saucer and began pouring. "What can I get you this morning?"

"Jesus, Leah!" I winced. "Are you trying to split my head open?"

"Sorry, sweetie," she said. "I didn't know I was being that loud."

She dragged the sugar and creamer across the linoleum, the metal catching and scraping loudly. My body reacted violently to the loud noise. I shuddered and closed my eyes, but the sound continued to reverberate in my head. The dull thumping shook my head and created a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I bolted from the stool and barely made it to the bathroom before I lost the entire contents of my stomach in the porcelain bowl. I laid my clammy pounding head against the smooth cool toilet. Damn Leah Clearwater and her stupid, superior attitude. The door slammed shut and I heard soft footsteps coming over to me.

"Save it, Leah," I croaked. "I'm not interested in your psychobabble bullshit."

A lukewarm damp towel hit my shoulders.

"Clean yourself up," she said harshly. "Charlie'll be in soon."

"Really, Leah?" I asked, lifting my throbbing head off the toilet. "You had to call him? Classy…"

"No, Bella, I didn't call him. I would have, but I didn't have to. He comes in every morning and has breakfast at that counter out there…which you'd know if you were ever around anymore."

I guessed it was better than Charlie cooking for himself. I sighed, dragging the towel over my face and scowled at the streaks of mascara and eye shadow now marring the white towel. I got up slowly, my head pounding harder than before, and walked over the sink. The water was ice cold on my face as I scrubbed off last night's makeup. I turned around, looking for paper towels, only to find Leah waiting with a towel.

"You look better that way," she said softly. "More like Bella."

I rolled my eyes at her.

"What does that even mean, Leah?"

"Do you even know who you are anymore? What you're doing? What you're after?"

"Just stop it," I said, throwing the towel back at her. "I'm not hurting anyone!"

"Well, you're wrong there," she said angrily. "I see your father…a lot more than you do anymore, and you're sure as hell hurting him. You're not doing yourself any favors either."

"You don't know anything about me, Leah. I'm fine. And Charlie's better off without me, anyway."

"You're wrong," she said, her face tight and angry.

"And you're…jealous," I said. "You hate that I can come and go as I please while you're stuck with a kid…and a job…and responsibility."

I heard the crack before I felt it. Her hand moved like lightening as it whipped through the air and made contact with my face. White hot pain seared through my already throbbing head when her hand hit my cheek. My head rocked back, and I tasted metallic blood in my mouth. I turned around, spit the blood into the sink and looked up to see Leah's hand print on my face.

"Don't you…ever…talk about my baby," she whispered. "Clean up. I'll have your coffee ready to go."

She walked out, letting the door slam behind her and leaving me alone with my heated face and stinging tears. I quickly scrubbed at my face and threw the now bloody towel in the trash.

Harry was in front of the counter when I stepped out of the ladies room, a cup of coffee and a bag in his lap and a stern look on his face. I'd known Harry almost my entire life; I remembered summers fishing with my father and Harry down at the lake before the accident. Like most of the folks in this town, Harry didn't think too kindly on my new lifestyle. He thought I was reckless and a disgrace, I was sure. Not that I'd give him time to tell me. No, I didn't give anyone the satisfaction of tongue-lashing me. I pulled my hair over my shoulder to try to hide the handprint on the side of my face.

"Thanks, Harry," I said, handing him the bills as I reached for the coffee.

"Don't need your money, Bella," he said with a smile. "You're like family to me; least, you were."

I looked down. It was harder to be cool with Harry; he was so much like Charlie.

"Well, thanks," I mumbled, stuffing the money back into my pocket and taking the package from his hands.

"And you don't need to hide the mark my daughter made on your face, either," he said. "She has no secrets from me."

I mouth drew into a tight line. I could hear the implications in his tone.

"How nice," I responded, reaching for the coffee he was holding.

"Bella," he said, holding onto the coffee cup. "Stay. He wants to see you."

"Harry, it's better this way. Just…tell him I said 'hey,' okay?"

He let go of the coffee, and I scrambled out of the little diner.

Across the street from the diner was a playground. As a kid, Renee used to take me here while Charlie would meet up with friends in the diner. She'd twirl me on the metal "go-round" as I used to call it. Its kaleidoscope colors had faded over time, leaving a washed out pastel impression of my vivid childhood memories. I swung myself up and onto the center of the circle and opened the bag.

He'd packed me toast, some fruit, and a muffin, more food than I'd been eating most days total. I smiled; Harry always enjoyed taking care of people. He'd damn near saved Charlie's life after Renee left him; I guessed he was still saving Charlie now that I had left as well.

After I ate the toast, I lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. There was nothing quite as satisfying in the morning as a good cup of Harry's java and a smoke. As I sat, smoking, drinking, and remembering, I saw the cruiser pull into the parking lot and only then did I realize that I'd been waiting for him.

Charlie looked thinner than I'd remembered him. He must not be coming to Harry's for every meal. His pants hung loose on his waist, and his shoulders looked slumped. He looked…old.

Damn.

I gathered up my stuff and went over to Angela's before someone form the diner could point out which way I went after leaving. Charlie didn't need my drama.

Angela's folks had given me a small room over top their garage, for which I cleaned their house on a semi-regular basis. And it didn't even need the cleaning that I did give it. I swore that Mrs. Webber cleaned the whole house when she knew I would be over to clean.

I didn't leave Angela a note. I didn't leave the Webber's any money; I didn't have any. I just gathered my stuff and quietly left town. I didn't think I'd ever be back to Forks.

I hitched a ride down the coast with some people I met in town. In exchange for driving part of the way, they let me ride for free. It was a choice deal. As we crossed the Washington state line, I wondered if Charlie would look for me when he found out I wasn't around anymore. I wondered what I'd do if he ever found me.

Somewhere just outside of Sonoma County in California, we came across a ranch that seemed to be just what I was looking for. The hand painted, wooden sign that was tacked to dilapidated fence announced that this was Morningside Farm, "the place where no one is turned away." Perfect. They must get migrant workers wandering up and down the highway here and need help on their farm. I could take work here for a little bit until I got on my feet. Putting a roof over my head would be hard, but maybe they'd let me sleep in their barn for a while. My clothes…well, what I had would have to do for now, until I could secure a few five-finger discounts in town.

The dusty, beat up van kicked up dirt as it spun out and away from the dirt path, which must lead up to the farm house. I waved to the van as it drove away and stood at the side of the road, taking in my surroundings. This was my first time in California, and here I stood…completely alone.

I looked back and forth between the open road and the dirt path, realizing that no one I knew had any idea where I was. And I didn't know anyone around here for hundreds of miles. I had three dollars in my pocket and no way back home again. This was it. I'd just picked up and started over again for better or worse. There was no going back now.

It was a very freeing discovery for me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Slinging my duffel bag over my shoulder, I walked down the dirt path expecting to see the large farmhouse at any moment now. Instead, I seemed to be surrounded by a natural orchard. There were fruit trees scattered around the grounds, and as I looked through the branches, my eyes caught the strangest sight. There was a naked man standing on a ladder picking apples.

I'd seen a lot of strange things over the past few years…psychedelic parties and tripped out hippies, but naked apple picking was a new one. I looked around and saw that the naked man wasn't alone. There was a shockingly petite woman, equally naked, holding a bushel and laughing at the man on the ladder. Despite their lack of clothes, there was nothing overtly sexual about the two of them. I could tell by the way the woman looked at him, they belonged together, but at the moment, they weren't being intimate. They were just picking apples…naked. I was having a hard time getting past that.

The woman looked around as if she could feel my eyes on her, and her face lit up when she saw me. She waved frantically at me, dropped the bushel and came running over toward me. I tried hard not to blush and look at her tiny, apple shaped breasts bouncing as she ran, but it was difficult. I definitely wasn't in Forks anymore.

"Hi!" she said when she reached me. "I'm Alice. Are you new here?"

"I'm not sure," I said slowly. I looked above her braided hair only to catch the man as he turned around. "Where is here?"

"This is Morningside Farm," she said.

Alice seemed as comfortable with my clothes as she was with her nakedness. She regarded me serenely, and when her apple-picking partner came up behind her and wound his arms around her waist, she calmly leaned back into him and sighed.

"Are you going to tell me your name?" she asked pertly.

"I'm Bella," I said, holding out my hand inanely.

"Hi, Bella. As I said, I'm Alice. This is my husband, Jasper, and we're all going to be very good friends."

This was all too heavy for me, and I let out a low laugh at her confidence. Alice immediately looked at me quizzically.

"What's so funny?" she asked seriously.

"All of this." I gestured around, encompassing the farm, their naked bodies and my presence here chatting with them. "I thought this was a farm that needed workers."

"Everyone who lives here works the farm and tends the trees," Jasper, the tall naked man holding on to Alice said. "It's part of the communal life, baby."

Ahh, I thought. Everything was coming together now. So this wasn't just a typical farm; this was a commune. I wondered how many other people lived on the farm. I wondered how many wore clothes.

"So you two…live here?" I asked.

"Yep!" Alice answered. "We've been here almost a year now. Carlisle, the founder of this place, married us in the middle of the apple orchard just after we arrived. Come on! I'll show you!"

She grabbed my fingers in her strong hand and pulled me forward. I glanced back to see Jasper bending over to pick up my duffel bag. I shut my eyes tight, trying not to see Jasper's balls hanging between his legs, but…well, the damage was done. I shook my head and followed Alice's bouncing form through the trees.

"This is our meadow," she said wistfully. "We come here as often as we can to mark the spot with flowers and renew our promises to each other. It's very special to us. That over there is our tree."

She was pointing to a small sapling that stood a little bit apart from the rest of the trees.

"We planted that just after we were married," Jasper said.

"As a way to join our vows to earth. The tree will give back to us in time with its fruit. And it will always be a reminder of that day."

They were lost in each other's eyes. Again, I was struck by the easiness of their relationship, the way their love for each other was palpable, but it wasn't that saccharine sweet stuff that always turned my stomach around other couples. They were really in love, and it was kind of beautiful. And a little uncomfortable right now.

Alice turned to face me at the moment.

"Come on!" she called. "You need to meet Carlisle and Esme!"

I shook my head and followed after her as she dashed wildly through the trees. I couldn't help but laugh as she weaved back and forth through the trees, managing to run without hurting herself. I had scrapes all over my arms from trying to keep up with her and scraping against the tree branches. We arrived at a large wooden structure that looked like it grew out of the trees which surrounded it. It was remarkable the way the building just seemed to belong there, as if it wasn't disturbing anything around it with its presence.

The yard around the structure was littered with handmade little-kid toys. I spotted a child running buck naked and squealing around the yard closely followed by a beautiful, fully clothed woman. Thank God, I thought. People here do wear clothes.

"Hey Alice," the woman said as she ran after the little girl. "Someone new?"

The woman didn't stay around long enough for Alice to answer her question. Alice turned to me.

"That's Rose. She takes care of the children while their 'rents are working on the farm."

Alice's voice was sad for the first time since I met her. I shrugged as I followed Alice into the house, wondering if I'd ever hear why Alice was sad about Rose. The inside of the house was a surprise. Almost everything inside was handmade, but nothing looked cheap or poorly made. The artistry was beautiful and made to meticulous specifications. Everything looked…well placed and ordered.

Another woman walked toward us, her hair loose and billowing out of a brightly colored tie-dyed kerchief. She was dressed in muted colors, more tie-dyes, but these were echoes of the muted forest colors surrounding the house. There were deep greens, browns and yellows in her skirt which flowed around her ankles. She was strikingly lovely and just her appearance made me smile. When she saw us, she smiled kindly at us.

"Alice," she purred. "Jasper! What brings you two in so early?"

"We picked up something more than apples in the orchard," Alice chirped, bouncing over to the woman's side. "Esme, this is Bella. She wandered on to the farm, and Jasper and I found her at the entrance to the orchard."

"Welcome to Morningside, Bella," the woman said walking over to me. "How did you hear about us?"

She took my hand in hers and held it between her palms, closing her eyes as she pressed my hand lightly between hers. I wondered what she was doing, but I began to stammer out a response.

"Um…I hitched a ride down from Washington, and I saw your sign on the side of the road? I thought you might be looking for help."

She opened her honey brown eyes and looked deeply into mine. I could feel her measuring me and knew she was judging my motives silently. But it wasn't uncomfortable. She flicked her eyes over to Jasper, and they exchanged a wordless conversation at the end of which, Jasper kissed Alice on the forehead and walked out of the house.

"We can always use more help, Bella," Esme said as she motioned Alice over to us. "Alice, I assume you'll want Bella to stay with you?"

Alice clapped her hands excitedly and nodded.

"I told you we were going to be good friends!" Alice said excitedly.

She gathered me into a tight hug that was only mildly uncomfortable due to her lack of clothes. I found I was getting used to her just the way she was…which was slightly unnerving in and of itself.

"Jasper will likely be gathering the things you all will need to make your hut ready for another body," Esme said. "Why don't you go help him? I'd like to speak with Bella and introduce her to Carlisle."

Alice walked over to Esme. They held each other's hands and closed their eyes for a moment. Both of them opened their eyes, kissed each other on both cheeks and then Alice exited the house with an excited wave at me as she left.

"You're lost," Esme said as soon as we were alone. "You didn't plan on ending up here, you don't know what you're doing here, and you don't know what you want from being here. Do I have it right so far?"

I was immediately defensive. My shoulders drew together in defense, and I backed away from her, holding my hands out in front of myself.

"Bella, it's fine," she said, stepping toward me again. "I just find it helpful for our new members to have a clear idea of what they need before they leave the world behind and start this lifestyle."

"I didn't even know I was starting any lifestyle," I said honestly. "I just needed to get away."

"Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I said, lowering my head.

"That's fine for now. But you should know we don't have secrets here. You won't be able to keep your past completely to yourself."

She wasn't threatening me. She wasn't pushing me either. She was just stating a fact. I glanced behind her, through the large window that looked out over part of the farm. I could see couples moving around the farm, doing menial chores. I could see babies running through the yard with the beautiful blonde girl named Rose running after them and laughing. I could see all of them working…together. As Alice and Jasper said, and Esme mentioned afterward, they would always need more people. But was I right for this? Would I be able to fit into this world of constant give and take when all I'd ever done my entire life was take? I didn't have an answer for that.

I looked back over at Esme who was smiling at me peacefully.

"Are you ready to meet Carlisle?" she asked.

I nodded and took a deep breath.

Esme informed me that Carlisle was out on the farm, as well, chopping wood with some of the other men. Thankfully, when we arrived, I found that all of the men had pants on, though most were without shirts. I could see by the large pile of wood they had stacked that they had likely been out chopping wood all day. A tall blonde man stood tall and leaned on his axe when he saw us coming. I could tell by the way Esme's face lit up that this was Carlisle.

"Esme," he said, his voice soft despite the exertion. "Who have you brought us?"

"Carlisle," she said in greeting. "This is Bella. She's come to stay with us for a while."

"Bella," Carlisle said, extending his hand. "Welcome to Morningstar Farm."

I had expected Carlisle to be the most far out of all of the people that I met today, seeing as he had founded this place. Surprisingly, he was the most normal. Though he was younger than Charlie and clearly more laid back, he reminded me of Dad. I felt a sudden ache for him and the people back home; people that I drove away as quickly as I could.

"She'll be staying with Alice and Jasper," Esme said.

"Thank you for joining us," Carlisle said, turning back to the large block of wood in front of him. "We'll get you set up with a job tomorrow morning. Enjoy your first night here on the farm."

With that, he swung the axe over his head and began chopping wood again. The big man who was chopping wood beside him lowered one eyelid in a wink at me.

"Hi, Bella," he said. "I'm Emmett. Don't get too spooked by the little freak and her husband."

Esme reached over and smacked his arm lightly, which surprised me.

"Sorry, Mom," he said, sheepishly.

"Alice and Jasper have really adapted beautifully to this lifestyle, embracing it with their entire being," Esme explained, looking sternly at her son. "But that is no reason to call them freaks, Emmett."

"Is Emmett your only son?" I asked, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence.

"We consider all of the people who live on this farm our children," Esme said calmly.

Looking over at her, though, she didn't look calm with her back straight as an arrow and her face pinched tight. She looked over at me and sighed.

"I guess it isn't fair of me to preach to you about how we have no secrets and then not tell you mine. Emmett isn't my only son. My other son chose to leave here when he turned eighteen. Edward lives…out there."

She gestured, and her hand encompassed the rest of the world outside of Morningside. Her face was sad, and it was clear that she missed him terribly and worried for him as well. I didn't feel the need to pry, so I turned away from her and allowed her a private moment to collect herself. Esme led me back through the orchard until we reached a row of tents and huts.

"Alice and Jasper live in the last shack at the end of this row."

Esme turned toward me and took my hands in hers.

"What I said to you earlier wasn't meant to scare you or to make you think you weren't meant to be here," she said. "I wanted to prepare you. I think you can be very happy here…if you let yourself."

With that cryptic remark, she turned and walked away. I turned and could see Alice and Jasper, now at least partially clothed, scurrying back and forth outside of their home, both of them laughing and just enjoying being together. It felt intrusive to be walking into a world, which seemed perfectly fit to only Alice and Jasper. But I could see already that Alice had noticed me and was beckoning me over. I sighed and picked up my duffel, not sure of what I had gotten myself into but anxious to begin whatever adventure Morningside Farms held for me.

A/N: I need to thank Bookjunkie for staying up late on the last night of FGB so she could swoop down and nab me. Yes. There was a last minute bidding war for me. Shocking, I know. ;) And also, thanks for letting this story sort of tell itself. I know we started out in one place and have changed course since we started but I love where we're going with this story. Also, huge thanks to Savage Woman and Swimom7 for beta-ing and pre-reading this. I hope you all enjoy. As you can see there will clearly be more chapters. Chap. 2 is already written and I'll likely post it next Friday. Leave some love for Hippie-Bella! ~Jen