Welcome, lovelies! This is the first new fanfiction I've written in many years, and I'm really excited about the storyline I have in mind and seeing how it will unfold! This story is mostly written from Edward's point of view, though there will be the occasional glimpse into the minds of our other beloved characters...Read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. These belong to the great mind of Stephanie Meyer.

Daylight Comes

Chapter 1

Click-click-click-click-click...

Knock-knock...

Creeeeeeak...

"Edward?"

"Shit," I mumbled, squeezing my eyes shut and pulling my hat further down over my face in an effort to block out the annoying voice and find my way back to the whiskey-induced dream I'd been so peacefully enjoying.

Why the fuck didn't I lock the door?

It was a futile attempt, and I knew it damn well. When Alice wanted something, she wouldn't give up until she got it. And for some unfathomable reason, she wanted my attention.

"Edward, I know you're awake, so you might as well get your ass off that sofa," my pesky pixie of a sister said with as much authority as her tiny frame could muster.

"Fuck off, Alice," I growled back, but I tossed the hat aside and pulled myself up into a semi-sitting position; it was as good as she was going to get at 3 o'clock in the morning. Alice huffed and walked in anyway, flipping the switch by the door and successfully blinding me with the ridiculously bright florescent lights that dangled from the ceiling.

"Love you, too, big brother," she chirped, leaning down and planting a kiss on my cheek. She pulled back quickly, though, a look of disgust on her face. "Jesus, Eddie, you reek! What the hell are you doing to yourself?"

I glared up at her, my lip curling into a sarcastic grin. "It's my new thing. I've decided to go au naturale."

"Whatever," she said with the classic Alice-Eyeroll (patent pending). "Just get up and go splash some water on your face, or something. Or put on some deodorant, at least, you can shave later...and for crap's sake, put some pants on!"

Smirking, I pushed myself off the ratty old sofa and stumbled toward the bathroom, purposely scratching my ass as I passed Alice. She shrieked and slammed her hands over her eyes, turning away. Good thing, too – there's no door on the bathroom anymore.

Without turning on the light, I leaned over the toilet, pulling my little buddy free from his confines within my boxers, and groaned in relief as I took what I officially deemed the best piss of my life.

Or, at least best of the day...So far.

When all was said and done, I flushed the toilet and tucked L.B. back in his cave, stepping in front of the bathroom mirror and finally reaching up to pull the chain that turned on the dim light bulb over my head. After blinking a few times, my eyes focused and I took as good a look at myself as I could in the grimy glass.

To put it bluntly, I looked like shit.

My normally wild hair was more unruly than ever, but instead of the soft texture it usually had, it was greasy and dirty, sticking out in spiky chunks. My eyes seemed dull, surrounded by heavy bags that indicated the lack of real sleep in the past weeks.

Hell, in the past three years...

Shaking my head to clear that thought, I focused again on my reflection, kinda wishing I hadn't. My skin was pale and even slightly greenish; even my lips had only a faint hint of color to them; my jaw was scattered with thick, wiry stubble. Heaving a sigh, I gripped the knob over the sink faucet and gave it a hard twist, holding my breath for a moment while the water ran slightly brown. The old office building's plumbing badly needed to be replaced, and it caused the water to not only look ugly, but smell like death farted on a block of moldy cheese. Seriously. That shit stank to high heaven.

As soon as the water ran clear, I sniffed very slightly, testing the air, then sucked in a breath and picked up my toothbrush and the capless, half-squeezed tube of toothpaste that sat precariously on the edge of the sink. Squeezing some of the green-and-white paste on the bristles, I shoved it in my mouth and scrubbed my teeth a few times, wrinkling my nose slightly at the minty taste.

Lord knows toothpaste and whiskey don't make a good combination...although Jack with a hint of mint might be interesting...

I paused in my brushing and stared at myself in the mirror, pondering that idea, then snapped out of it with a shrug. Spitting into the sink, I cupped some water in my hand and splashed it on my face, trying to rub some of the sleep from my eyes before grabbing the dirty hand towel off the back of the toilet and shuffling back out to the living room. Alice was fiddling at the kitchenette and, sure enough, I caught the sweet scent of my favorite beverage in the air. Wiping my face dry, I tossed the towel aside and snatched the pants I'd worn yesterday off the back of my desk chair, tugging them up my legs as I hopped my way to the tiny kitchenette that was really more of a snack bar than anything else – a small bar fridge tucked under a single counter that held a microwave and offered a small surface area for general sandwich building and snack storing. Or, in this case, the world's greatest invention.

"Feel better?" Alice asked, turning around and holding out a giant cup of mocha with extra whipped cream. Grabbing it from her, I swirled the cup gently for a moment and took a long sip, closing my eyes and relishing the chocolatey goodness as it ran down my throat. Licking my lips, I nodded and smiled gratefully at her.

"Thanks, Alice, I needed that," I said, reaching out to ruffle her hair. She ducked her head with a chuckle, and leaned into my side when I hooked my arm through hers and lead the way to my desk. Alice perched on the edge of the plain wooden chair that sat directly across from me in my only-slightly-more-comfortable desk chair. I sat my beloved cup down and leaned back in my seat, clasping my hands behind my head and propping my feet up on the desk. "So, little sister, what is it that you need from me at this ungodly hour?"

Alice pressed her lips together tightly for a moment, seeming to think of what she wanted to say to me. Quirking an eyebrow at her, I took a closer look at my sister, and realized that she was a ball of mixed emotions, just aching to burst. In her light blue eyes, I could see a combination of joy, fear, sadness, concern, and even a trace of...anger?

Drawing a deep breath, she straightened in her chair and looked me straight in the eye. "I need a favor from you, Edward."

Surprise, surprise.

"How much do you need?" I asked, and she gasped.

"No, no, I don't need money!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "I just need you to...do something for me..."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Stop trying to be cryptic, Alice, you're not very good at it."

"I'm not-" she started indignantly, but stopped herself, taking a deep breath and pausing to control her temper. "I don't need your money, I promise you. I have a job for you."

"Well, why the hell didn't you just say that in the first place?"

Alice glared at me from across the desk. "Because it's a bit of a sensitive subject, that's why!"

I stared at her for a moment, going over the ideas in my head that her explanation created. A sensitive subject...

What the hell? Wait...isn't she dating some dude named Whitlock? Did that fucker do something to her?

That was all I could take, and I jumped to my feet, heat rising in my face as my own temper flared. "What did he do to you?" I growled, struggling to keep from raising my voice; it wasn't Alice I was angry with, I refused to take it out on her.

"Eddie, calm down," she replied soothingly, remaining seated but raising her hands in a gesture of surrender. I continued to breathe fire from my nostrils as I waited for her to explain. "Jasper hasn't done anything, this isn't about him. I have a friend who needs your help."

I stared at her a moment longer, breathing slowly and collecting myself. Sitting back down, I took a sip of my mocha and settled back in my chair. When I was sure my voice would be steady, I spoke. "Really, now? And who is this friend of yours? What is it they need me to do? And, most importantly, what's in it for me?"

Alice did a good job of keeping a neutral expression on her face, but I didn't miss the flash of anger in her eyes. "She's an old friend, let's leave it at that for now. And she needs your investigative expertise," she said, emphasizing the last two words as if I were stupid or some shit. Sighing, her expression softened and she lowered her voice to nearly a whisper. "That, and possibly your protection. I'm not really sure, she just seemed so terrified when she came to me and told me what was going on. The look in her eyes..." She shook her head and sighed again. "As for what's in it for you...name your price. I'll pay you myself. She has nothing to offer you, I know that for a fact, but I also know that it's important for both of your sakes that you take this case. She needs you."

"Alice, come on. You know I've been on hiatus for awhile now-"

"Nine weeks, Edward. It's only been nine weeks."

"All the same, I don't know if I feel comfortable accepting a job from someone I don't know, even if she is an old friend of yours."

A strange smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You used to take cases from strangers all the fucking time. Besides, she's not really a stranger. You've met her, Edward, and once you see her again, I'm sure you'll recognize her. Please take the case, big brother, I'll cover any costs you add up along the way..."

She trailed off and watched me with a pleading expression, but I averted my eyes from hers, looking down at my coffee cup and weighing the options. I had decided a couple of months ago to take a little break from working the menial, low-paying cases for awhile. Being a private detective on the seedier side of LA wasn't exactly a dream career, my main customers being wives seeking proof that their husbands are cheating, or vice-versa, but it did pay the bills. Lately, though, the depression had only been growing worse rather than getting better, no matter how much I threw myself into the few jobs I got. The pills I'd been taking for the past two years didn't seem to be helping so much anymore, either, and I found myself drowning my sorrows in the bottom of a Jack and Coke on an increasingly regular basis.

But this was Alice, asking for my help. My baby sister, one of my best friends. She said her friend needed my help, but from the look in Alice's eyes, I could tell that she needed me to help her friend, just as much.

In a way, you need this, too.

I sighed and sipped my coffee again. "Okay, Alice. Tell me what's going on with your friend, and I'll decide whether I think it's worth my time or not."

Alice narrowed her eyes at me briefly, but quickly relaxed her features again. "It's worth it, trust me. I can't tell you her story, though."

"What?" I cried out a little too loudly, but hey, I was fucking shocked by her words. "What the fuck, Alice? You expect me to take a case for someone I may or may not know, and you won't give me any background information?"

She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Edward, but it's not my story to tell. You probably wouldn't believe me anyway...Just, please. Trust me, it will be worth your while."

Staring at my sister, I thought about her request.

Go for it. Better than sitting around this dump feeling sorry for yourself.

I shook my head slightly, then nodded resolutely, my mind made up. "Alright, Alice. When can I meet this friend of yours?"

Alice gasped and broke out into a grateful smile, clasping her hands in front of her chest as she bounced slightly in her chair. "Thank you, thank you, Edward, from the bottom of my heart!" she cried, tears brimming in her eyes. I nudged the box of tissues on my desk in her direction, and she took one. "Actually, um...she's here now, I talked her into coming with me, you know...just in case you agreed to help her. She's downstairs, in the lobby. I can just go get her-"

"Shit," I said, glancing around the office. I would need a few minutes to straighten up a little. I may not be certain if I'll take this job, but I at want to leave a semi-decent impression. You know. Just in case. "Alright, go get her. Take your time, too, I need a few to fix this hellhole up."

"Good idea." Alice chuckled softly, her mood seeming lighter already. She hopped to her feet and moved swiftly toward the door. "I'll be back in five," she called over her shoulder and disappeared.

Pushing myself to my feet, I shuffled around the room, grabbing empty beer and soda cans, used paper plates with pizza crusts and french fry remains, dumping the garbage in the bin and rushing back to pick up the scant few pieces of decent clothing I did have, which currently lay in various pieces all around the office. I tossed the clothes in the hamper and looked around. Spotting a can of air freshener on Lauren's desk, I grabbed it and gave a few quick sprays.

There. Much better.

You hope.

I hope.

I was still admiring my quick housework when I heard the door open again behind me, but only one set of footsteps moved into the office; Alice must have stayed outside. Standing with my back still to the girl, it was suddenly difficult to breathe. Not painful, but...well, shit. It's hard to explain. The air just felt different, and a strange feeling washed over me, something I hadn't experienced in a long time.

"Edward..." she whispered, and I swear, my heart stopped. It was familiar, oh yes, but it was so much more at the same time. It was...

Home.

I would know that voice anywhere, but I never expected to hear it again, especially not whispering my name so softly. But it just couldn't be, there's no way...yet at the same time, it had to be. No one else could possibly sound like that.

It can't be...

I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together, gathering my wits as best I could before I turned around to face her, trying to keep my voice calm. What I had wanted to say, the greeting I had meant to offer, was lost on my lips, though, and the words that tumbled out of my mouth instead seemed to have formed of their own volition.

"No fucking way."

Thanks for reading! If you could be so kind as to leave me some reviews, I'll love you forever!

Hugs and kisses, my lovelies

~SP