TO SEE WHAT I HAVE SEEN

SUMMARY: "To see what I have seen, see what I see…" The words flowed like honey from his lips, and in just as brief of a breath, he was gone. The bell above the Record store's door chimed and Bella saw the flash of bronze fly past the window. "He's a Cullen, Bella. You can never…"

RATING: NC-17

a/n: holy shit, im branching into twific. wtf?

this story has been mulling around in my head for a LONG time now. and i finally got around to putting it to paper. a few things i should let you know before reading. the title of the story is from shakespares hamlet. I am a HUGE Shakespeare fan so the idea for this story is to take bits and pieces of Mr. WS and realign them with the story. I will not point out which parts are from which plays but if you are up to date on your Shakespeare bits you might be able to guess.

And before I back out and cancel the story here is chapter 1.

Disclaimer: All things twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. All things Shakespearean belong to William Shakespeare. All things fictional belong to RainerNight.

TO SEE WHAT I HAVE SEEN
SCENE 1

That I see the light surrounding you
So don't be afraid of something new
'Cause I see the light surrounding you
So don't be afraid of what you're turning into.

Light Surrounding You : Evermore

Port Angeles had only ever had one record store. It wasn't exactly a largely populated little area so it had always been assumed that the residents of the small town would always be able to find exactly what they needed at Birds & Bee's, and if we didn't have it, we could easily have it shipped in. Our prices weren't through the roof and we didn't tack on a handling fee even when we did have them shipped. We were a town gem. Everyone knew about us, and we could amply name almost every single one of our customers. We were friendly, helpful and we enjoyed our jobs.

I love my Job, and I'll admit to it. I, Bella Swan, do solemnly swear that I wholeheartedly enjoy my job. I'm lucky to have a job altogether. Fork's isn't exactly thriving with job opportunities and Port Angeles, although slightly bigger, isn't much better. And for a College student like me, I could use all the cash I could get. Not that I had a million hobbies that cost me a small fortune, or an avid social calendar that required I have a crap load of cash but I was in my first year and although a scholarship had gotten me there, I had to survive while I studied, and food wasn't going to pay for itself.

So this particular day on my drive from where I lived in Forks, I was less than pleased to find what was going to be my latest headache. I immediately pulled my cell phone from my purse, dialing Angela's number. She answered on the third ring and began to jabber on about how she wasn't late yet so I had no reason to call her so soon , and to remind me that it was a Saturday so I technically wasn't meant to start until noon.

I ignored her babbling and gazed out my windscreen. "Angela, I don't care," I snapped and she immediately fell silent. "Get over to the north end of Main Street. We have a problem." I hung up and swallowed, slipping out of the driver's seat of my Red Chevy truck -my rusted pride & joy. "Good god," I cringed staring up at the store front.

Angela worked with me at the store and was also one of my dearest friends. The sweetest girl you'd ever meet, smart too. There were 5 things I knew Angela loved. Ben, her boyfriend, her family, her dog, her god, and her music. Her father was the minister at the church back in forks so it was ingrained in her. And although the rest of us at Bird's & Bee's didn't exactly share her godly sentiments we respected her views. And she never once judged us when we'd waltz into work on a Sunday morning, hung-over as sin, throwing up in the work bathroom, dissing the last fool we'd fallen into bed with after 3 minutes of conversation. She was a saint.

I heard the sound of a car door slam and then footsteps running towards me. "Oh no," I heard Angela's gentle gasp from beside me and I noticed her in my peripherals. She was wearing a pale pink t-shirt and light blue jeans and the only pair of shoes I'm sure she owned, a pair of black Mary Jane flats. "Has Jane seen this?" She asked and I felt myself openly guffaw. "I'll take that as a no." She tacked on, her tone reflecting the same disbelief that I was.

"Crest Records? Really?" I had been repeating the same words all the way from the north end of Main Street. We were now on the south end and I was unlocking the store. Angela was poised and silent behind me as she thought with her index finger to her lips. "Isn't it some sort of fucking chain store or something?" I pushed the door open and glared up at the gate as it threatened to fall back down for what would be the 4th time this week and try and knock me out. "You, stay the fuck away." I pointed at the rusted metal. It must've sensed my hostility because after one tiny squeak it froze and I managed to shove a bit of card under it so it wouldn't fall on a customer and force us to fork out a large sum of money to the poor bastard.

"I think there's a few around the Washington area, yeah. Ben said he saw one in Seattle when he went. He said they have a section in the store where you can make your own playlist's for your iPod's on these cool screens they have." Her eyes lit up as she told me. I threw my satchel onto the counter and turned to her.

"They have iTunes on computer screens in their store?" I cocked an eyebrow at her, questioning the store's motives for having something that they saw as a novelty, that I could do right now if I pulled out my Macbook and opened iTunes. "Do people pay to use it?"

She shrugged. "Ben mentioned something about store credit and you get, like, a card or something. I'm not really sure." She smiled happily at me and jogged off towards the staff room at the back of the store and I shook my head as I headed to my spot behind the counter. I started up the register and the worlds slowest computer that Jane insisted was just waiting to come back to life, when in reality it was close to wiping the entire store's sale and inventory records before it was about to jump up and start tap dancing, but that was Jane, always the optimist.

Aunt Jane had bought the store when she moved here from Italy about ten years ago. Yup, that's right, AUNT Jane. My father's kooky, black sheep, sister. Jane Swan had this amazing long, ridiculously long, butt length rusty blonde hair that she always wore out or in pigtails. She was what you would deem a hippy of sorts, all flower power and good vibes. She was in her mid thirties now and still clung to the same mantra that she always had. "The only thing you'll ever need in this life, Bella, and feel free to write this down," She's said to me when I first came here for an interview when I was only 15. "...is music. Men will come, go and screw you over more times than you can count. Some of them will screw you till your head spins round but most of them will just screw you over. The only thing a girl can rely on is music," I even remember her cradling a Beatles record to her chest as she continued. "...I'll always rely on old Lenny though." Jane had lovingly licked John's face on the cover before offering me a job. I'll never forget what she'd said though. And it turns out she was right. About men I mean.

But that's another story...

Angela bought the cash tray from the vault and I shoved it into the register before I pulled out my Macbook. Angela started restocking the shelves when the door chime rang out and I heard one voice I could never tire of hearing.

"What the fuck is the deal with the Crest store?"The storm that just walked into the store would be none other than Rosalie Hale- the storm, with long blond angel curls and the looks of a runway model...with body piercings. Several body piercings, although the only ones you could see in broad daylight were her nose, and ears, and occasionally her tongue, depending on whether she was yelling or not.

"I see you've seen the town's latest gift." I smiled at her as she headed towards me, throwing her Skelanimal's backpack onto the counter, her hands resting on her hips.

"Are you fucking kidding me!? A Crest cult!? The last thing this town fucking needs is another corporate store coming into our fucking town swinging their fucking dicks around like they own the place. This town is too oppressive already to have those assholes shove their ideals and their mainstream fucking melodies down our throats at prices that'll leave us hungry for a week." She blew a strand of gold out of her eye and glared up at me.

"I know dear, you're preaching to the choir I'm afraid." I reached over the counter to pat her shoulder calmly. "Although I love the boots darling, they look wonderful on you." I smiled, complimenting her new knee high black combat boots. She'd been going on about them for weeks. A smile crept to her lips for a moment and she tugged on her leather mini-skirt, and adjusted her off the shoulder black and white striped top before her smiled faded, replaced by the usual scowl.

"I'm still mad." She grabbed the store records off the counter and stormed off through the store to the office at the back. I couldn't help but smile. She was a force to be reckoned with, that's for sure.

"Wait, Sadist Barbie, where's your brother!?" I called to her retreating figure before she got too far. She lifted her middle finger as she continued to walk.

"He's at the fucking coffee shop! And fuck you!" She disappeared into the office to hit the books before she slammed the door behind her with enough force to earn a yelp from Angela who was on the opposite side of the store.

I laughed at her anger and noted the tally on the small black board behind the counter, chalking another point under my name. I stepped back, reading over the progress.

BELLA vs BARBIE

I had 6 parks, Rosalie a.k.a Barbie had 9. She was still winning. I picked it my thumb nail with the teeth when I heard the door chime again. I smiled at the friendly face that'd just walked through the door. "You don't start till noon, and I know this because I did the roster." Jasper smirked at me, lifting the bag of what I guessed were breakfast muffins and the carry tray of 4 hot coffee's.

I smiled at him. "Then why are there 4 coffee's instead of 3 if you weren't expecting me, unless Angela's shocked us all and decided to take on a vice without any of us knowing?" Jasper and I turned to Angela who looked up from the shelves, pushing her glasses up her nose. She shook her head and I smirked even further. "Thanks for the coffee Jazz." I stood, pulling my cup from the holder as I leaned over the counter, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

He pursed his lips and shook his head at me. "You should be at home, sleeping, like normal people do." He pulled a muffin out of the bag for me and left it on the counter before he started towards the back of the store. "And I knew you'd be here!" He laughed.

"Why's that!?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Because you never leave!" He, Angela and even Rosalie shouted back. I mouthed it. I was so predictable. This store was my life. I loved the people in it, I loved the people who love it, and I loved the music within it. Speaking of music...

"Alright gang, who went yesterday!?" I asked aloud, knowing everyone would hear me.

"It was Jazz yesterday. If I have to listen to another Otis fucking Redding track I'm going to hang myself from the fucking flag pole at school!" Rosalie shouted from the office, cracking the door open ever so gently. I don't think we were mean to notice.

Jasper came out of the staff room and took Rose her coffee. "Don't be so cliché sis, you can do so much better than a hanging." She kissed the top of her head which earned him a growl and laughed, leaving a muffin on the desk in front of her before he headed back out to help Angela with re-stocking.

Jasper is Rosalie's twin brother. The only thing they had in common was the blond hair, the rest, was all at god's hand. Jazz is a vinyl collector with a love of all things old and kitsch. He wore novelty sweaters in the middle of the year and must've owned at least 4 pairs of Doc Martens, all fluro colored. He quoted Che Guevara and could tell you any trivia from the 60's you'd ever need to know. He had a strange fascination with war and all the music the era's provided and owned more pairs of suspenders than any man should. But he was gorgeous, and complete and total win.

These people weren't just my co-workers, they were my friends...no, scratch that, they were my family. I loved them for their differences and admired them for their freedom, their compassion and their individuality. I on the other hand, Bella, little old Bella, was just waiting for something to entice me. Waiting for something to wake me up and push me head first into the unknown. I'd led a vanilla life so far, the only exciting thing I'd done was step foot into this store as a fresh faced 15 year old. Jane scared the crap out of me the first time I'd walked in the door, hearing the chime above the door.

But I would never admit it to her.

I looked around at my friends, noticing Rose had come out of the office and was now yelling at Jazz about the books and why they were apparently missing a Rolling Stone's vinyl but were for some reason also missing the $379 the record was meant to sell for. I smiled at the scene. Rosalie was so tenacious, fire with the body of an Amazon, the mind of a scholar and the heart of a lioness. Jasper, his quick wit and tactful mind, argued with his sister, all guns blazing. And Angela, dear sweet Angela, watching closely with an amused grin on her face, patiently waiting for Jazz to hand her the pile of CD's in her hand, not once batting an eyelash at the colorful array of words the twins were using.

They all had such strong characters, all backed up by their vibrant colors and strengths. I often wondered what they saw when they saw me. I glanced down at my baby blue Ninja turtles t-shirt and my dark brown straight leg jeans and cringed, pulling my grey cardigan further around my body. I pushed my mahogany hair behind my shoulder and gazed out the window.

My breath hitched in my throat as I noticed the figure standing on the sidewalk on the other side of the street. It was a boy. Or a man should I say. A young man. He was tall, slight with wild, erratic, unruly bronze locks. It shone almost copper in the sunlight and was rustled so unruly it looked styled, but quite easily could've been natural. He was too far away to define, but the way he was watching the store, and maybe even watching me was enough to etch him into my memory as the boy with the bronze hair.

I chanced a look at the other's who were all now re-stocking the shelves, singing along to whatever music Rose had decided to put on after I'd heard Jazz nominate her iPod as more of a challenge to better his than out of courtesy or politeness. None of them had noticed the boy across the street. I sighed, and gripped the edge of the counter as I turned my head, and looked through the glass pane once more.

But on my second look, he was gone.

At precisely 2:30PM, Aunt Jane danced through the door, her glass bead necklaces almost out doing the chime of the door as they jangled in, bouncing around her neck. "STORE MEETING UP FRONT!" She sung in her gypsy like manner and sashayed over to the counter. She hoisted herself up to perch on the wooden surface, crossing her legs as she reached into her brightly colored carpet bag and pulled out an envelope.

The others joined us at the counter and we all stared at Jane in suspense. She always came in on a Saturday, it was the only day we ever saw her. And she always showed up at exactly the same time. You could set your watch to her timing.

"Now, it's good to see all you little cherubs," She reached out, rustling Jasper's hair and pinched Angela's cheek which made rose and I snort. I covered my mouth with my hand and let her continue. "But let's get down to business." She opened the end of the envelope and pulled out a photograph, holding it up. I stood up from behind the counter and leaned over it to see better. It was the front of the Cullen Crest store. I cringed immediately. "This friends, is a nuisance."

We all growled, agreed and showed our disdain in different ways, some of our ways used a few harsh words, but we all agreed in one way or another.

"Uh uh uh little ones, we here at Bird's & Bee's do not speak ill of anyone. Especially money hungry bastards who have moved into town with their green logo's, green aprons and their silly dollar sign…I'm getting carried away." Jane took a deep breath and shook her head, the glass beads jingling with her every movement.

"What are we going to do, Jane? Ben's seen these guy's in action. They've completely revamped the record store ideals and turned it into a brand. They've done to music what Starbuck's have done to coffee. They've even taken the color." She added, pointing at the green in the logo. I stifled a laugh at her acknowledgement of such a detail.

"Angela, do not worry your pretty little head. In fact, I want none of my little buzzy bee's to worry at all over this little detail. We here at Birds & Bee's are not affected by flashy ad's and prissy aprons and will not surrender to such money driven chain stores. Do we understand?"

"Yes Jane." We all choired and you could practically see Jane buzz as she jumped off the counter, heading towards the office to leave our paychecks in our lockers and grab the last week's takings from the vault. And as soon as she was there, she was gone again.

"That woman is like a fucking tornado." Rosie lamented, coming behind the counter to sit beside me. "Angela's taking inventory and Jasper's fixing the light bulb in the break room." She informed me as we then heard a smash from the break room, followed by Jazz swearing. "Jasper's breaking the light bulb in the break room." Rosalie corrected.

"I'm already on it!" Angela called as she fluttered into the break room. We both smiled at the laugh we heard from her when she entered. I'm sure it was an entertaining sight to behold. I chuckled and had just reached out to pull a loose thread from Rosalie's curls when the chime sung out and the front door clicked open.

Bronze hair entered the store and my breath caught in my throat. Green eyes wandered the store before they landed on me and I swallowed gently, shifting my hair behind my ear. "Uh, welcome to Bird's & Bee's." I spoke like I did every time someone walked in the door. Green Eyes smiled softly and ran a hand through his untamed mane. "Uh, it's a natural disaster after all." I commented under my breath and noticed Rosalie turn to look at me. I met her eyes only to jump back because of the look she was flashing me. "What?"

She shook her head and pointed at my cheek. "Why the fuck are you blushing Bella?"

I pushed her side and turned back to Green Eyes. He was loitering over my the alternative section and I gestured for Rose to get up and help him. She shook her head and pointed at me then shifted her head to the side to gesture for me to go.

I shook my head profusely. "Well one of us is going and judging by the way you're blushing I'd say it's going to be you. Fucking go!" She whispered harshly and pulled me up from my seat and past her to the end of the counter.

"Rose!" I waved my hand at her, narrowly missing her shoulder and turned to find where my target was now in the store. He was still rifling through the alternative section, his hood up now covering his locks, his head cowered. "I can do this, he's just a boy. I talk to boys every day. Jasper's a boy." I approached him on the other side of the shelving and eyed him over the M-O section. After staring blatantly for several seconds I swallowed, cleared my throat and astonishingly found my voice. "Welcome to Bird's & Bee's, my name's Bella. Can I help you with anything?"

He lifted his head, his eyes wide as he stared at me. He almost looked angry and I averted his gaze, looking down at the CD's in his hands. I smiled at his choices, none of them made any sense. "What are you doing here?" He then asked. I met his eyes again.

"I work here." I replied. Bloody strange question. Strange kid actually. He must've been my age but his demeanor threatened someone a lot younger, naïve, timid. The ferocity in his eyes in no way matched his demeanor, which was also odd.

He put the CD's back on the shelf and came around to my side of the shelves. He was taller than me, towering over my short frame. I immediately took back every thought I'd previously had. This man was no mouse, he was all man. He smelt of cigarette smoke and someone sweet, treacle or maple syrup with a hint of masculine musk. It was pleasant, intoxicating, and I wanted to smell him everywhere. I felt my cheeks immediately flush at my thoughts and bowed my head slightly. Finger's on my chin pulled me back into reality and my chin rose with the digits on my skin. "Why do I feel as if I know you?" He asked. His eyes were focused solely on my face and I felt meek, weak and entranced.

I shook my head, "That's impossible. I would remember you." I squeaked. His face was incomparable, his looks, handsome yet startling, boyish yet masculine, chiseled yet divine. He was otherworldly. Yet here he was, in my world, in my record store, and I'd never seen him before. "Are you new in town?"

He immediately withdrew his fingers and gazed down at me, his lip twitching. "Why do you glow?" He asked, looking at me as he stroked the back of his hand down my cheek. He ran a finger down the bridge of my nose and stopped, hovering above my top lip. He then shifted his hand and pulled a strand of hair between his fingers. This was odd. People don't just touch each other when they're complete strangers. Yet here he was, grazing my skin like he had permission. But it wasn't uncomfortable, it was familiar, but I had absolutely no clue why.

"Who are you?" I breathed out, feeling as if I could fall into his gaze at any moment and drift away. Who was this stranger that had me so encompassed? The same one who had watched the store from across the street and was now in here, a foot away from me, fondling my hair as if it were made of gold.

He reached up with his free hand, and cupped my cheek affectionately. "To see what I have seen, see that I see…" He whispered. The words contrite and sad. Then in just as brief of a breath he was gone. I watched his back move and the chime of the door sound out and the door clicked shut behind him as a streak of bronze hair flew past the store window.

"Who…" I sounded, watching in awe as the boy with the bronze hair disappeared into the Port Angele's streets.

"Bella," I heard Jasper behind me, and then within seconds he was beside me.

"Who was that?" I asked still in a trance. Jasper sighed, full of remorse. I turned to look at him. "You know, who was that?"

Jasper shook his head at me. "Bella, there are some people in this life who are unfortunate enough to be blessed with a family they cannot change."

"What are you talking about Jazz? Who the hell was that?" I was shaking all over. Trembling from the nerves and the adrenaline. Talking to Green Eyes had been a rush. I wanted more. I wanted his excitement.

"Bella…" Jasper bought me back down to earth. "Bella…he's a Cullen." I immediately felt ill. "his name is Edward, he and his family just moved into the old Abbott Mansion in Fork's. He's a Cullen Bella. He's one of them."

I wandered to the window, pressing my palm against the cool glass as I peered out up towards the north end of Main Street. "A Cullen?"

"He's not one of us." Rose chimed, coming to stand behind me, her hand on my shoulder. "You can never…"

"I know!" I turned, leaning back against the glass. "It doesn't matter. Enough standing around, back to work people." I headed back behind the counter, sitting by the register once again and opened my Macbook, opening my latest essay.

He was a Cullen.

And I was a Swan.

This was not good.

To Be Continued…

a/n: my apologies to anyone i annoyed for not spelling Shakespeare properly. it's edited now. i fail at life. and so does my spell check.

click review!

with love.

-rain