Chapter 10: Part of Something

Edward sighed as Bella held onto his hand. "It'll be okay," she assured him.

"I don't know what to tell them," he answered.

"Sorry for starters," she told him.

Letting out a sigh, he pulled up to the house and they got out of the car. "Your family loves you Edward," she reminded him.

"I know," he replied.

He looked at the house, letting out a deep breath. "Come on," she insisted softly, pulling on his hand. As they walked up the steps, Edward opened the door. "Hello?" she called. Esme walked outo f the kitchen, her face immediately showing relief.

"Oh Edward! Thank goodness you're alright!" she said in relief as she walked over, embracing him.

Edward wrapped his arm around her back, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry for what I said," he told her.

"Oh sweetheart, it's alright. It's quite alright," Esme answered, pulling away.

She rested her hand on his cheek. "It's not okay though. What I said was cruel and uncalled for. I'm ashamed for what I said," he told her. Esme stroked his face.

"Esme…Edward would like to talk to you and Carlisle about something. It's important," she informed.

Esme nodded. "Of course, let me go get Carlisle," she answered before going upstairs. Bella held onto Edward's hand.

"They're understanding people, Edward," she said softly.

Letting out a deep breath, he nodded his head slowly. "I'm starting to believe you," he murmured as they went into the living room.

As they sat down, Carlisle and Esme walked in, sitting across from them. "What is it son?" Carlisle asked. Edward let out a sigh, rubbing his hands together.

"I want to understand what happened to me. I want to understand why it happened and I want to know who I am," he explained.

Carlisle nodded his head slowly. "You have to understand to…for the first six years of my life I was Edward Cullen…but for the last eleven years of my life I have been known as Anthony Masen. So…I'm just so confused," he told them.

"Oh sweetheart…" Esme said brokenly.

She rested her hand on her son's knee. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry that we have confused you," she answered. Edward could see the sincerity in her eyes.

"I just…I don't know who I am. I want to know who I am," he added.

He swallowed hard. "I want to understand what I did to have this happen to me," he told them. Feeling nothing but heartache over what her son was going through, Esme hugged her son tight with tears in her eyes.

"Oh sweetheart," she whispered, stroking his hair, "oh my baby."

Bella got up as Carlisle sat on the other side of his son, hugging him tight. "We should have you talk to someone," Carlisle told him.

"Yeah, I want to talk to Edward and Elizabeth Masen," he answered.

"No! That's not a good idea," Esme insisted, pulling away.

Edward stared at her. "Mom, I have to understand why. I need to get answers from them. The only way to do that is to talk to them," he answered. Esme bit her lower lip, looking at her husband.

"Carlisle…" she trailed off with tears in her eyes.

Carlisle let out a sigh. "He deserves answers too, Esme," he said softly. He looked at his son. "When?" he asked. Edward let out a deep breath.

"As soon as possible, please," he replied.

Nodding his head slowly, Carlisle got up to call the airport for flight information. Esme held her son's hand, kissing the side of his head while Bella slipped out the door.

Two days later, Edward was following Carlisle into the jailhouse. "Do you want me to go in with you son?" he asked. Looking at the door, Edward let out a sigh.

"No…I need to do this alone," Edward replied.

Nodding his head slowly, Carlisle let Edward go through the doors.

Walking into the visiting center, Edward saw so many other visitors talking to inmates. It was so uncomfortable, awkward. It was quite with the quiet conversations. It was almost…unreal. It felt like a scene from a movie or something. He was waiting for a director to call cut and this would all go away.

The longer he stood there, the more real it became. It was so…unnerving. His heart was beating hard and fast into his chest as he walked over to the visiting booth where his "father" was waiting for him. Sitting down, he took the other phone. "Hello, Edward," the man on the other side of the glass greeted. Edward was silent.

"So I am Edward Cullen…" he murmured.

The other man let out a sigh. "What happened the day you adopted me? Really, I want to know," Edward answered. His "father" let out a deep breath as he sat back against his chair, tapping his fingers on the table in front of him.

"Edward…you have to understand…Elizabeth was desperate for a child. We had tried adoption, but we had three failed adoptions, three. All the mother changed their minds and wanted their children. It left her completely devastated and I felt like I was failing my wife," he explained.

Edward was silent as he kept the phone up to his ear. "We met this man…James…he was willing to give us a child. I thought this was legal, I swear Edward I didn't realize that he was going to take a child from his own home. A few weeks after we paid him, he showed up at our house with you. You had stitches on the side of your head and he just said that you had fallen at the foster home you were at. I swear I didn't know you were a missing child," he explained.

"So…what kept you from giving me back to my family? Why did you make me believe for the next eleven years of my life that my mother abandoned me at a foster home?" Edward asked.
"That was all Elizabeth. As soon as I saw your mother's pleas for your return, I wanted to take you to the police station. Elizabeth argued with me, saying that you were ours. I had no right to take another child from her," he explained.

Edward closed his eyes as his temple began to throb. "Edward, you may hate me. I understand if you do. What I did was wrong and no amount of apologies can change what I had done," he added.

"So I am truly Edward Cullen?" he asked.

"If you want to be Edward. You have to decide what is right for you, surely your parents know that too," Edward Masen answered.

The young man dragged his fingers through his hair as he sat in silence. "I was going to talk to Elizabeth…but now I'm not so sure," he said softly.

"Elizabeth will try to twist things," the other man answered.

"Like always," Edward murmured.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Edward finally spoke up. "I'm not going to hate you Edward, because you seem sincere with your words. I'm angry with Elizabeth because she was selfish," he informed. The man nodded his head slowly.

"I understand," he answered.

Edward looked up as the guard signaled that time was up. "Take care of yourself, Edward. You are talented, don't let those talents fade," his "father" told him before hanging up and the guard led him away. The young man sat in silence, unable to say anything.

Feeling more confused now more than ever, Edward rubbed his forehead as he hung up the phone and went to meet with Carlisle. "Are you alright son?" he asked. Edward let out a deep breath.

"I don't know," Edward replied.

Carlisle rested his hand on his son's shoulder as they left the jailhouse, not sure if the visit helped the situation or made it even worse.