Hello again! I just got back from Swan Lake and it was amazing : )

Thanks so incredibly much to everyone reading and my uttermost thanks to Fudgie-chan, Viper003, AliceCullenFanClub566, Jembee, Unofficial Cullen, aebteach, AllisNelly, Tnxthi, Bre-dust2dust34, dancingdiva0501, bluebaby3296, BSF16, magically dorky, twilighter611 and tenshi, the light of hope for reviewing! Man, that list is getting long! And don't I love it!!!

The 'Love Actually' quote was indeed "All you need is love." Well done all of you who guessed it : )

And guess what? After much intense googling I am now playing Bella's Lullaby on piano! (The actual movie one, though River Flows In You is a gorgeous song too!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

ANYWAY! On with the show!

Six Geese a-Laying

Saturday the Twentieth of December

"Err... Dad? What are you doing?"

I stared at him, perplexed, as he darted around the kitchen, clanking utensils and breaking eggs (quite unsuccessfully) into a large mixing bowl.

He turned and smiled sheepishly at me from under a face full of flour, "I'm making you breakfast," he said cheerfully.

I paused for a few moments, "How is that going for you?" I asked, unable to keep the amusement from my voice.

"Uh...well..." he then lifted the bowl upside down by the handle of the wooden spoon. The contents seemed to have solidified around the spoon.

"What are you making?" I teased, "Concrete?"

Charlie placed the bowl into the sink beside his other failed attempts, "Come on," he said defeated, "Let's go to The Sullen Cullen."

I followed him out into the car and smiled, "Thanks for trying Dad," I said. He smiled.

We had a quiet breakfast with Esme while the rest of the Carnies set to work on setting up the rides. Our quiet breakfast was soon interrupted.

"Why would I want break the carousel Rosalie? You tell me."

"Oh, I don't know," she snapped back at Edward, voice dripping with sarcasm, "Maybe because it means you get the day off." The two of them had walked into the tent we were eating breakfast in, but did not acknowledge our presence.

"Oh and what would I do with a day off?"

"I don't know," she spat, "Hang out with her." She glared in my direction. I gulped.

Edward rolled his eyes and said, "Come on Bella, we're going for a walk," without taking his eyes off Rosalie.

I obliged, following Edward out of the tent. We walked around the carnival for a while in silence before Edward spoke, noticeably calmer.

"I have a proposal for you Bella," he said, a little nervous.

"Ok," I answered, gazing at him.

"Well," he said, "I've realised that I know so much about you whilst you know so little of me. I think it would be a good idea if we used today to rectify that."

Why was he speaking so proper? When I didn't respond, he continued.

"So," he said, wringing his hands together, "ask away. I promise to answer anything you ask."

I stared at him for a while, shocked he was doing this. Then I realised that he was getting more and more nervous with every second I took to speak, so I asked my first question as we walked towards a nearby bench and sat down.

"What's your last name?"

He laughed, "Masen," he answered, "Well..." he added, "I guess it's actually Cullen now."

Right. I didn't hesitate with my next question.

"So, Carlisle and Esme, they adopted you?"

"Well," he said, "I guess it's either that or I married Emmett," he made a face and we both burst into laughter. Once we settled down he looked at me expectantly.

"Are your parents...dead?" I asked, as gently as I could.

"No," he answered.

He sure wasn't making this easy for me.

"Where are they?" I asked.

Edward took a breath and answered evenly, "My mother is in a correctional facility in Philadelphia and I haven't seen my father since I was four. No one knows where he is."

I took this in slowly.

"A correctional facility?" I asked.

"Yes," Edward answered. I rolled my eyes.

"What did she do?" I asked.

Edward paused before answering, "She tried to kill a man named Ted Lucas."

I could tell from the look in his eyes that there was more to it than that.

"Do you know the story?" I asked.

"Parts of it," he answered, "I know, for instance, that it has something to do with my dad. Mum doesn't like to talk about it much," he paused. "After they both disappeared when I was five, I was put into the foster system. It's not a good situation for a kid to be in, for anyone to be in, moving homes every other week, trying to adapt to life in so many places that you just wanted to be able to call 'home'. That was when Carlisle and Esme came along. I was nine when they took me in. It was a little hazy for a while when they were trying to gain custody – after all, my parents weren't dead and the government officials never seemed to like the idea that I'd be living with a Carnie family," he smiled at the memory, "But I've been with them ever since."

"So what happened next?" I asked, "With your mum, I mean."

"She reappeared," he answered simply, "After six years. Of course, I didn't find out that the officials had found her until about a year later when I was asked to testify at a court hearing.

"I was twelve, by now, and Carlisle took me to Washington to go to the hearing. I was asked to identify people from my past, people I barely remembered from the time when I'd had parents. It turns out that my parents and I were under witness protection. My name isn't really Edward Masen after all. I don't know what it is actually, I never asked. At the hearing, my mum had revealed that she had tried to kill this guy Ted Lucas because he was threatening to kill me and my father. He was one of the 'people' I'd had to identify at the hearing. The jury didn't like it and Mum was put into the correctional facility after she pleaded insanity.

"I visit her twice a year – once on mother's day and once on her birthday. She's not really in the best condition, mentally, so it's no wonder she got off lightly with the insanity plea. But she seems to like it when I visit. It's strange though, because as much as I'd like to say I do, I don't really know her."

"So, these people from your past, were they the reason you were under witness protection?"

"I assume so. I don't really know a lot about it and truth be told; I don't really want to know."

I nodded, it made sense. Why bother living in the past when you have a perfectly good present to focus on.

"Isn't it hard?" I asked.

"Not really," he said, "and I'm not just saying that to sound macho or anything. I visit more for her benefit than mine, but then I can only handle twice a year. I don't really see much point in piecing together a past that I want nothing of."

I nodded, "When does she get out?"

"Five years," Edward said, "As long as she agrees to see a psychiatrist."

"Do you believe her?" I asked, "When she says she only tried to kill him to save you?"

Edward didn't hesitate, "Yes," he answered.

I couldn't argue, so I nodded. He looked at me strangely.

"What?" I asked.

He tilted his head to the side and said slowly, "That's usually the part most people have difficulty with."

I shrugged, "I don't see why. She's your mother – as much as you say you don't know her, there's a part of you that trusts her completely. And I trust you," I said with a smile. Edward grinned back at me.

"Just to clarify," he said, "Just because I said I believed that my mother tried to kill a man with good intentions at heart, that doesn't mean that I think it was right."

I nodded again.

"Is your mother's birthday on the eighteenth of December by any chance?" I asked him.

He laughed, "Yes actually. So now you know where I was that day after the Ball," he paused, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Sooner?" I asked surprised, "We've only known each other six days!"

He laughed, "It doesn't feel like six days," he said quietly as he caught my eye.

I took advantage of my power to ask the questions and found out more and more about the enigmatic Edward. I discovered more about his childhood in Washington, his school life with Alice (who, it turns out, is a childhood friend of Edward's and was his best friend all through primary school and now, high school) and what he aspires to do in the future.

We stood up and started walking aimlessly around the carnival again; we passed a frustrated Rosalie at the carousel and continued walking.

"One more thing," I said.

"Yes?" Edward asked politely.

"Did you break the carousel on purpose?"

Edward grinned mischievously, "I didn't break it," he whispered, "I'm just borrowing one of its vital organs," he pulled a twisted piece of metal out from his pocket. I laughed, "Don't come crying to me when Rosalie shoots you," I warned.

"So long as you don't tell Rosalie, we'll have nothing to worry about," he charm-smiled me.

As we turned the corner of sideshow alley I heard a little girl wailing.

"But Mummy!" she whined, "I want a goose!"

"I'm sorry sweetie, but there's only so many hidden around the carnival..."

More wailing.

I went to walk in the other direction, but Edward walked over to the little girl. He bent down on one knee and pulled something from out of his pocket. He placed the item in the little girl's hand.

"If you find a clown around somewhere, tell him that Edward gave you this," he winked and walked back to me.

I smiled at him, "That was nice," I said.

Edward shrugged, "Pity I didn't have any golden eggs to give little Veruca Salt over there."

I laughed, "We've sunk to Willy Wonka quotes?"

Edward grimaced, "Sorry," we laughed.

We spent the remainder of the day bantering with one another. The air between us was now significantly less tense. The 'little secret' Edward had told me that day obviously wasn't that 'little'. However, I found that, as more time went on, I realised how much it didn't matter. Edward had told me because I'd wanted to know, but now I realise that Edward would always be the same old Edward with or without the back story to match.

"I'll find you another one," Edward said.

"Another what?" I asked.

"Goose," he said, "Another 'goose a-laying'?" He laughed. I did too.

"It's not me who has the insane collection in my bedroom," I teased.

I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow that night and had the strangest dream about me and Edward being chased by dozens and dozens of the miniature figurines from his collection...

Thanks for reading! So there you have it, Edward's secret it out! I hope none of you thought I was going to make him a vampire! His secret is a little teensy bit inspired by a favourite TV show of mine called BONES. I hope you continue reading... there are more surprises to come including a wedding proposal! : P Stay tuned! Don't forget to review!