Age of Edward Contest, 2012
Pennname: Emmamama88
Title: The Harvest of Avarice
Great Depression/WWII Era Edward

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Disclaimer- Stephenie still owns the usual suspects.
I own my original characters and original story.

Thanks to pixiekat7 for her fabulous beta work on this! She is awesome and I adore her!

Anyone who is a fan of Virgins & Villains will recognize this story title. The story itself is based on the movie that 'Actor' Edward is filming while dating Bella in V&V. I hope you enjoy it!

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1944

When I opened my eyes, the beams of bright sunlight forced me to shut them again.

"Ah, there he is." a quiet voice sounded from beside me.

I blinked open my eyes a second time, turning my head in the direction of the voice and tried to focus. I was surprised to behold an elderly gentleman sitting on the grass smoking a pipe, as if we weren't in the middle of a war zone.

War zone?

I sat up quickly and looked around in a panic. Where the hell were the sights and sounds of battle? Hadn't it been just a moment ago that Johnny and I were holed up in a building, fighting Kraut soldiers? The noise around us then had been deafening.

Now, save for the chirping of birds and the soft sounds of the stranger beside me puffing on his pipe, there was dead silence.

A quick survey of my surroundings held no hint of a town, on the contrary, I could see nothing but green fields, several scattered groupings of trees and, aside from the old man watching me patiently, not another living soul.

"Confused?" He asked.

I frowned and peered at him with wary eyes. He wore a brown suit and hat, the style was a little dated, but they looked to be his Sunday best. And despite the fact that we were in the middle of France, I could tell by his accent that he was American.

"You're American? But how…?"

He smiled. "Where do you think we are Edward?"

"Uh.." I looked at him suspiciously then. "How do you know my name?"

"I came here to find you."

"I don't understand," I answered honestly as I stood and brushed the dust from my pants. I was shocked to find that I was wearing my dress uniform.

When the hell did I change clothes?

"That's quite alright Edward, it's not necessary that you understand everything." The old man said as he also rose to his feet. "Let's take a walk son."

I looked at him again. "I'm sorry; I'm at a loss here. You know my name, but I don't know yours."

"You can call me Teddy," he said with a wink before turning onto a worn path leading toward a cluster of trees. I walked beside him, still confused.

Maybe I hit my head and blacked out. I don't remember anything that happened after we entered that building…..

I hope Johnny's okay.

"Where are we going? Can you take me back to my unit?"

He smiled again and continued to puff at his pipe as we walked. "Don't worry; I know exactly where you need to be."

I nodded. I really had no choice other than to trust him.

"Now, since it's quite a long walk, why don't you tell me a little about yourself Edward?"

I frowned. "You don't already know? I mean, you know my name, I assumed…"

"Oh I know a bit, but I'd rather hear it from you."

"What do you want to know?"

Teddy looked up at me again and smiled. "Everything."

My eyes opened wide in surprise, but for some reason I found myself wanting to tell him my story, such as it was.

Out of habit I patted down my pockets in search of my smokes, well aware that they were gone; the last one smoked days ago in an effort to calm my nerves after we lost Mike and Sam. I wasn't a bit surprised when I reached into my breast pocket and found an almost full pack.

This has been one hell of a strange day.

I didn't pause to wonder how or why there was also a packet of matches in my trouser pocket, I was just thankful that they were there.

After taking a long drag I began, "I was born in Saint Louis in nineteen hundred and twenty-two. Papa was always working so therefore I was closer to my mother." Before I'd even finished the cigarette, I was spilling information that I'd never told another soul, save one.

"I guess it was for that reason that I was always trying to get his attention in any way that I could."

"So you were a rambunctious child?"

I smiled wryly, "I suppose you could say that."

**Flashback ** Edward/7years **

"Edward!" my mother called. I ignored her. She had an annoying habit of interrupting me at the worst times.

I had just connected the last piece of track of my new train set and was gazing at it in satisfaction, knowing my friends would be envious, when she suddenly appeared at my door.

"Edward," I could tell by the tone of her voice that I was in for a scolding. No matter, I was never in trouble for long.

"Yes Mama," I answered politely, not wanting to press my luck.

"Hilda has complained that you and your friends knocked a clothesline full of clean laundry into the dirt."

Not a day went by that Hilda, our housekeeper, wasn't tattling to my mother about one thing or another. I shrugged. "It was in our way Mama. The fellows and I were having a battle. We were trying to capture the Kaiser."

"Son, couldn't you have gone around the clothesline?"

She couldn't be serious

I scowled. "Why would we do that? It was in our way." I explained a little more forcefully. "Tell Hilda to rewash the laundry." I said with a shrug.

Mama sighed and sat down on my bed before turning me to face her. "My dear," she said in a soft voice, "I am afraid I have failed you."

"What do you mean Mama?"

She was speaking nonsense.

We lived in the grandest house on our street, with more servants than anyone we knew. My sister and I had everything we could ever wish for, Papa made sure of that.

As far as I could tell, there was nothing lacking in our lives.

"Oh Edward," She sighed. "If you can callously treat another human being in that manner without a second thought, then I have failed you miserably."

She still made no sense.

"My dear, Hilda worked most of the morning washing those clothes. She isn't a young woman any more, we should be looking to lighten her burden, not add to it."

I wanted to roll my eyes although I didn't out of respect for my mother. I loved her, but she was exactly as Papa had always told me, too kind for her own good. Didn't we pay our servants well? Why would she be concerned about Hilda having to rewash a few pieces of laundry?

I remembered Papa telling me that women could afford to be weak and think with their hearts; men could not.

Papa was a man well respected, perhaps even feared, by the people of the town. He was successful and powerful, and I knew in my heart that I would grow up to be just like him.

It was my greatest wish.

At that moment however, I knew I needed to appease my mother. "What would you like me to do Mama?"

"Dearest, I would like you to apologize to Hilda," she began, never taking her eyes from mine, "and I think it only fair that you help her hang the newly washed laundry."

I was unable to keep the exasperated sigh from escaping my lips. My mother frowned.

I closed my eyes and nodded then. "Yes, Mama."

Mama smiled, and it made my heart lighter to see it. "That's my boy," she whispered before leaving a kiss on my forehead.

Later that day, as I helped Hilda hang the freshly laundered clothes, I heard my father's voice. "Edward! Come away from there this instant!"

I looked about in confusion, but immediately dropped the wet clothing into the basket and walked over to the steps where he stood. My mother appeared not a moment later, and Papa turned to her. "Margaret, what in blazes is our son doing hanging laundry?"

Mother explained to him what I'd done and how she'd decided I should make amends for my behavior. Papa cut her off before she finished. "Do you mean to tell me that you had our son not only apologize to the help, but do chores we pay other people to do?" Papa was enraged.

Mama looked upset. "Dear, I feel the child's character may be lacking and that it is our fault…"

"Are you saying that I haven't done right by my child? My children? Or by you for that matter?"

Mama was shaking her head furiously, trying to diffuse Papa's anger.

"Because it appears to me Margaret, the mere fact that you have servants to take care of this daily drudgery is proof enough that I have done right by my family."

"No dear, you misunderstand…."

"No Margaret, it is you who misunderstands. Let me make this perfectly clear." Papa lowered his voice, "No son of Edward Masen is to be hanging laundry. As a matter of fact, under no circumstances will either of my children perform household chores that we pay others good money to do." He stopped speaking and took a couple of deep breaths, seeming to calm as he did. "Now, if you are unable to abide by my wishes, perhaps I need to relieve you of the duty of managing this household."

"That won't be necessary," Mama replied in a small voice.

"Very well," Papa said with a nod before striding forcefully back inside the house.

I looked up at Mama's face and saw her eyes brimming with tears. I didn't like the fact that Papa raised his voice to her. I silently wrapped my arms around her waist in an effort to comfort her.

***HofA***

Our family was prospering, and Papa made sure that everyone around us knew.

"You sure are lucky Edward," my friend Johnny exclaimed as I showed him and Roger our new car.

"Papa says luck has nothing to do with it," I told him. "My Papa's a good businessman, that's all."

"I heard my Pop talking about yours, he said that your father was ruthless, whatever that means." Roger said.

I shrugged. "Must be something good."

"Do you think he'll take us for a ride?" Johnny asked then.

"Um, probably not. He doesn't want to get it dirty." I didn't tell them that I hadn't even ridden in it yet.

***** end flashback ****

Teddy studied my face. "Did you love your father Edward?"

Again, I was surprised that he would ask such a personal question, and even more surprised that I had no qualms answering him. "He was a hard man to love."

Teddy nodded. "But did you?"

I cleared my throat as memories of my father flashed before my mind. "I wanted to make him proud of me." I hesitated. "Mama told me stories of how, before money and status became the most important things in his world; she had been everything to him." I cleared my throat. "And to think, there was a time when I wanted to be just like him."

"For several years after his death, I felt only hatred for the man. But someone very dear to me," I smiled as I thought about my Bella, "helped me to realize that I did love Papa. There were many things that I didn't like about him and I don't know for certain whether he ever loved me, but once I realized that I loved him, I found it easy to forgive him." I pulled out another cigarette and lit it. "For everything."

I wondered if Teddy was aware of just how much there was to forgive.

"When the crash came and Papa lost his business, the world I'd known since birth was forever altered. He had invested heavily, much more so than anyone we knew. Whereas many of those other families got to keep their homes, we lost everything."

See how the mighty have fallen…

"I came home from school one day to find most of our furniture being carted off." I sighed, remembering the thing that hurt the most was seeing my prized train being carried out of the front door.

Little did I realize that I was about to lose a lot more than a few toys.

"My Mama showed strength which I never knew she possessed. While Papa shut down and began to drink heavily, Mama seemed to thrive off of hardship."

We survived for months living off the money we'd gotten from the sale of our furniture, but then, as Mama explained, we'd reached the point where we needed to sell our house. I'd been sad all week thinking about it. We were moving to a flat on the other side of town. I would be attending a different school, and wouldn't see my friends very often, if ever again.

**** Flashback ***** Edward/8years ****

"Edward, everything you want to take must fit into those two crates. There won't be room for anything else in the flat." Mama explained as we prepared to move from the only home I'd ever known.

As I carefully chose which treasures to take, Roger and Johnny appeared in my doorway. "Need any help?" Johnny asked sadly.

I nodded but didn't speak, afraid of crying in front of them.

We worked in silence until Roger spoke. "I wish you didn't have to move. It's a tough break Eddie."

"I know." I thought about how much I'd changed in the past few months. The spoiled child I'd once been no longer existed.

Before, I would never have shown weakness in front of my friends. I had been the leader; the fellow they both looked up to.

"Maybe when everything settles down and you have money again you can move back here?" Johnny asked hopefully.

"Yeah, maybe," I shrugged.

"Well, well, you little bastards here to rub it in our faces?" My father's drunken slur from the doorway made me jump. "You tell your parents we don't need their charity."

I knew that Johnny and Roger's mothers sometimes sent over food when they had extra.

"Your parents used to kiss my ass, and now they dare to feel sorry for my family? Did they send you here to spy on us?" he demanded as he lurched into the room.

"N..N..No sir." Roger stuttered out.

"Not sure I believe you," he said with narrowed eyes as he grasped Roger's arm. "You make sure to tell them that Edward Masen won't be down for long. I'll be back, you'll see," he barked before dropping Roger's arm. "Now you kids get the hell outta here!"

My friends scampered from my room without another word.

It would be many years before I'd see either of them again.