Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or High Spirits.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! :D


EPOV

I left Bella shortly after she fell asleep. It felt inappropriate to stay behind as she slept and so I left a note explaining my departure and left her to stroll the manor's grounds.

I quickly found myself outside, pacing the full length of my family's home. My mind sped over all the events that transpired ever since encountering the delightful Isabella. I didn't know what was to become of us - a living, breathing, beautiful creature such as Bella, and a ghost that had been dead for many decades - but I knew for certain that we were meant to be together. I would stake my life on it……if I were alive, that is. These feelings that consumed me, this desire to be near her, this yearning to hold her, could only be explained by the obvious; she was my other half. We were destined to be together.

Though I knew this, I couldn't quite understand why God would put us in this situation we currently found ourselves in. How were we possibly to be together? Was this some sort of a sick and twisted joke? Was I being punished for not being a better husband to Victoria? As much as that theory made perfect sense, I couldn't fathom a God so cruel.

My head shot up as I heard the thumping of feet along the stone steps leading into the manor, and I was pleased to see my dear old friend Ben standing before me with a curious yet concerned look upon his face.

"Edward, are you alright? We haven't seen hide nor hair of you all night long. You grandparents were getting worried."

I nodded my head quickly and made my way to his side. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Perfect, in fact." I was practically giddy with this new knowledge that my true love had finally arrived, even if nothing but obstacles lay before us.

His eyebrow rose as he gazed upon me. "Do tell. What seems to have you so excited?"

I smiled widely and clasped my friend on the shoulders. "Ben. I have found her."

He took a moment to look over my shoulder and then briefly glanced around the stretch of gravel and grass before us. "Found who?"

"What I have been searching for my entire life. What you and Angela have had since you were just children. I have found my soul mate."

It took Ben a moment to reply as he was at a loss for words. His mouth opened and closed a few times before her finally spoke. "You are delusional, Edward."

I frowned and dropped my hands. "Not exactly what I was expecting you to say, Ben," I replied a bit dejectedly. Did he have to be so blunt?

Ben sighed and took a step back, searching my face. Perhaps he was looking for some signs of a joke or fib, but when he didn't see any his features softened in remorse. "You're serious, aren't you?"

I sunk to the step below me and rested my arms on my knees. "Yes, I am." I gazed out over the vast landscape before us, the night so dark it consumed all around it.

Ben followed my lead and settled down next to me, giving me a curious look. "Who?"

I turned to him with a smile. I must have looked like a fool with the grin plastered on my face, but I could not help it. I was happier than I had ever been. "Her name is Bella."

He bowed his head, thinking this over. He seemed to come to a realization because his head shot up and he looked at me with the utmost surprise. "The girl that came with the Cullens?"

I nodded and turned my eyes to the sky above me, the stars shining brightly over head, twinkling like diamonds against a black velvet backdrop.

"But she is alive, Edward."

I sighed and let the all too familiar truth fall upon me again, threatening to crush my happiness to nothing. "I know," I said softly. "But I have faith that it will work out. I have to."

I saw from the corner of my eye as he shook his head in disbelief. "This is very strange, Edward. I don't know what to say."

I turned to my friend who looked thoroughly mystified. "Say that you are happy for me." That's all that I wanted.

Surprise and a bit of regret flashed in his eyes briefly before smiling softly at me. "Of course I am happy for you. I know how it hurts you to see me and Angela." I opened my mouth to dispute his claims, but he stopped me with a raised hand. "I know that you have always been happy for us, Edward. But I also know how it has pained you to be without the love that Angela and I have found in one another."

I never thought I was that obvious with my feelings, but apparently my true nature showed through. I felt ashamed - appalled that I was so transparent that my dearest friends could notice my envy.

He rested a gentle hand upon my shoulder and continued. "I am truly grateful that you have found the one you have been searching for. Your happiness has always been a top concern of mine," he confessed. "I just don't want to see things end badly for you."

I nodded and smiled at my oldest friend. His concerns weren't completely unfounded and without merit, but I refused to hold back for the sake of protecting my feelings.

"Thank you, Ben. But no matter how things end between Bella and I; whether we can find a way to be together or if it turns out we only have a fleeting moment in time with each other, I will be happy with what I was given."

BPOV

I woke up to the bright morning sun streaming in through the open curtains. I blinked a few times, adjusting my eyes to the new morning. I stretched my arms above my head, a healthy yawn escaping me. I closed my eyes as I danced my hands out to my sides, feeling the soft blanket beneath my fingers. I patted the spot to my left and felt nothing. My eyes shot open and I bolted upright in bed. I looked around but didn't find anyone.

Surely last night wasn't a dream.

As my eyes roamed the elegant room I finally caught sight of a note lying folded on the bedside table. My name was written on the front in perfect cursive. I opened it to find a note from Edward.

So he was real.

Bella,

You fell asleep swiftly last night, and the gentleman in me told me it was my time to depart. I hope my absence did not startle you, but I felt it improper to stay while you slept. Please take the time you need for yourself. I will be waiting when you are ready.

Yours,

Edward

I smiled to myself as I folded the note back in half. I hid it safely in my bag, away from any prying eyes that could possibly find it. As much as I loved Rosalie, she was a bit nosey.

I slid out of bed and peeked out the window. The new day looked promising; a clear blue sky overhead with a spattering of clouds dancing along the horizon. The leaves were turning different shades of reds and browns and yellows, many making their way to the cool ground below. I smiled, hoping that Edward and I would be able to find some alone time out on the manor's beautiful grounds this afternoon.

It took some time getting ready, as the shower took longer to adjust to being used than the faucet the night before. It took quite some time for the water to run clean, but the wait was worth it once the warm water pelted my skin. I allowed my body to soak in the hot water, waking my sleeping muscles. Once out of the shower, I finished up quickly and made it to the kitchen in record time.

Rosalie and Jasper were already there, eating some eggs and sausage and toast that Esme had prepared for breakfast. Jasper looked up from the article he was reading, giving me a quick 'mornin' before burying his face back in the paper.

Rosalie looked up from one of her medical magazines and nodded at me. "You look like you slept well," she said airily, perhaps taking note of the large smile on my face.

I nodded and poured myself a cup of coffee. "As a matter of fact, I did." I took up spot next to Jasper, stealing the arts and leisure section from the pile next to him. I made myself a small plate and settled myself in for a quiet morning breakfast - or so I thought.

I could feel Rosalie's eyes on me as I fiddled about and when I was finally seated and ready to take my first bite, she began with her interrogation.

"So who's Edward?"

I just about choked on my eggs as the question flew out of her mouth. Jasper patted me on the back as I took a large sip of my coffee to help push down the scrambled eggs stuck in my throat. Once the coughing had finally subsided, and I reassured Jasper that the Heimlich was not necessary, I met her inquisitive gaze.

"Huh?"

She rolled her eyes at me and closed her magazine, tossing it to the side. "You heard me. Who's Edward? You know, the guy whose name you were screaming in your sleep last night?"

Jasper's brow rose as his eyes darted between the two of us.

"Geez, Rose, don't make it sound so dirty," I said, as the blush warmed my cheeks. The last thing I needed was for anyone to be thinking I was having a sex dream.

She laughed lightly and leaned back in her chair, the mug in her hands. "Sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Yeah, sure," I mumbled, catching her eyes as she watched me intently from over the rim of her mug.

Her mischievous face soon contorted into one of concern as she leaned forward, her forearms resting on the table. "I just want to know who this guy is. You seemed really scared last night."

Jasper's eyes narrowed and the tendons in his forearms flexed as he balled his hands into fists. "Did this guy hurt you? Who he is? I'll kill him!"

I held my hands up to calm him down. The last thing I needed was an angry Jasper. I remembered the things he did to some of Rose's admirers in high school. Or should I say, stalkers.

"Easy, Jasper. You're not going to be killing anyone." Aside from the fact that Edward was not abusing me, he was dead, which made that impossible.

"Well, who is this guy then?" he demanded. "And why am I just hearing about him? Since when are you dating anyone, anyway?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. I threw Rosalie a displeased look. She simply smiled and winked. She just couldn't mind her own business.

"I'm not dating anyone."

Rosalie frowned slightly. "Then who is he?" She was so insistent.

I slumped back in my chair, completely defeated. "God! I just met him, okay?" Couldn't they leave me alone for crying out loud?

"When?" Jasper implored further.

My voice was quiet as I answered. "Not too long ago." I would need to be sure to give simple answers. Not only did I not really have any, but explaining my current situation with a member of the deceased was going to be tricky.

"And you're not dating." It wasn't a question so much as a statement. I looked to Rosalie and she sat there expectantly, awaiting for my confirmation.

I shrugged my shoulders in reply. "Not really. We're just talking."

Rose pursed her lips and scratched her head. "I'm confused. What is he too you exactly?"

I shrugged my shoulders again, unsure myself as to the answer to that question.

"Do you like him?" Jasper asked, shoving his plate into the middle of the table.

I nodded and took a sip from my mug, embarrassed to be confessing this to anyone. "I just don't really know him, though."

Jasper waved a hand at me, dismissing my fear. "Ah, you'll get to know him in no time. That's the whole point of dating." He gave me a reassuring smile. "Is he good to you?"

I smiled and began tracing the rim of my mug with my finger. "He's very sweet; extremely old-fashioned. He's not like anyone I've ever met before." I shook my head lightly, smiling to myself as I thought about last night and how Edward reacted to my clothing. Very old-fashioned indeed.

"You seem to have it bad if you ask me," Rose noted with a laugh.

I looked up from my coffee, startled, and began to rebuff her statement. "No I don't. I barely even know him."

She shook her head at me. "I don't think that really matters. It looks like he's gotten to you already. I don't remember ever seeing you like this. Not even with Jake."

I nearly growled at his name. Jake was my high school boyfriend. Things didn't exactly end amicably between us. It was a time I would have rather forgotten. It took a while after our relationship ended for me to even think about dating again, which wasn't much. I had dates here and there in college, but nothing lasting more than a couple of months at the most.

I turned my gaze away from them and out the kitchen window. "Yeah, well, I guess that's a good thing. We all know how well that one turned out," I spat out gruffly.

I caught Rosalie frown from out of the corner of my eye, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry, Bella. You know I didn't mean anything by it. I just meant that, before things went South with Jake, you really loved him. I mean, you wanted to marry him for Christ sake." I turned to her and she smiled softly. "But I don't ever remember seeing so much life in your eyes when you talked about him. Not like this. This Edward fella seems to mean something to you."

I bit my lip nervously and tugged on a lock of my hair. "Have you ever felt so strongly about someone so soon? Even though you didn't know them?"

Jasper shook his head and so did Rose. Great! So much for the help.

"Am I crazy? I mean, all I know is his name, yet I'm drawn to him. I feel so different when I'm around him." I shook my head and closed my eyes. "God, I can't believe I'm saying this out loud."

Jasper chuckled beside me and shoved me lightly in the shoulder with his own. "Don't worry so much about this. This sounds pretty close to what mom and dad felt for each other when they first met." He smiled and nudged me again. "You remember the story, don't you?"

I nodded. I did remember the story. Esme was only a junior in college when they met, Carlisle finishing up his first year interning at a local hospital. Esme needed her leg set and cast after breaking it in three places from falling out of a tree. They claimed to have had an instant connection; like kismet. He asked her out that night and have been together ever since.

Was it possible that what I was feeling for Edward was the same thing? I didn't know how true that was. Edward claimed to already love me, and I didn't know for sure if what Esme and Carlisle felt was love at first sight or just a mutual attraction.

I was never one to really believe in that sort of thing – love at first sight – but I didn't know if I could dismiss it entirely, either. Sure, I loved to read a god romance, and the notion of true love and soul mates was a wonderful idea, but I didn't think that sort of thing actually existed. I adored reading about it or even watching it play out in the movies or on stage, but it was never something I truly believed could happen. Though, now my previous misconceptions on the subject were in danger of being drastically altered by a very dashing, very handsome, very dead, Edward Masen.

I sighed and fell onto the table, my head buried in my arms. "I don't know, you guys. I think I'm going to have to think on this one. I need to be logical about this."

Rosalie snorted and rolled her eyes. I glared at her. One of these days her eyes were going to get stuck in the back of her head. I was positive if it.

"Of course you are," she retorted. "That's what you do. You think. You're always logical."

I stuck my tongue out at her and sneered.

She laughed and rose to her feet. "Just don't think too hard about it, okay? It's not rocket science, Bella."

"Yeah," Jasper chimed in. "'Besides, you can't help who you fall for."


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