A/N: First off, a little shout out to some readers that attend SBM in Louisiana. I don't know you, far as I know I've never heard from you, but you know my beta. How freakin' "a small world" is that? You better behave for her or she'll taunt you relentlessly about what she knows.

I decided to go ahead and post this now because y'all have been freakin' fantastic with reviews. Brain's ego is so damn huge right now it barely fits in my puny skull. Just a warning though, I've only written a paragraph for Chapter 15. So, you're going to have to patiently wait for it! I'm thinking it might be a long one again like 12. I actually had 13 and 14 done and ready but wanted to space them out a little. I'm "evil and shit like that" as my Edward would say.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight or Dawn. I'm not Stephenie Meyer or VC Andrews and I don't mean any disrespect to anyone that happens to like or live in Utah.

WARNING: I have been told to give a Tissue and Drink warning. Crying and spontaneously spitting soda on your computer screen is totally possible.

Chapter 14: Who I Am

I stared in disbelief at my real family. I was now convinced I had to be in some kind of bad movie of the week. This doesn't happen every day, right?

My real family wasn't Amish. Thank God.

My real family didn't reside in Utah and there was only one mother standing before me, not two or more. Thank God.

My real family wasn't of a different race, and I wasn't the oddball white one from an obvious love affair. Eh, that would've been slightly better than the Utah scenario.

Alice was the first one to come to me. "Oh, Eddie!" she cried while wrapping her arms around my body and squeezing me tight. "I'm so sorry about what happened!"

"Midg, leggo the eggo." Alice eased off on the squeezing but still stayed next to my side. Carlisle and Esme—apparently my real parents—were standing a few feet away. Emmett was leaning up against the counter with a smirk on his face and Bella at his side.

I turned to Charlie. "Wait a minute, you're telling me that I'm a Cullen?"

"You didn't hear me?" he asked. I shook my head. "I must've told you when you were in shock or blocking everything out. That actually happened quite a bit back there."

"At least I don't have to give up electricity or indoor plumbing," I mumbled.

"What was that, Eddie?"

"Nothing, Midg."

McCann came up behind me and wedged his way between the counter and myself. He shook Carlisle's hand profusely Carlisle thanked him for his services. "Thank you, Percy, for coming out at such an ungodly hour."

"That's why you keep me on retainer," Percy said gruffly. "You've got emergency custody of your son in case anyone should try to fight you for him while this is all worked out." He headed out the door, and the cool early morning air hit me. I yawned for so long that I had to rub my eyes to open them back up.

"Edward, you look very tired, son." Carlisle spoke up. Was I supposed to immediately refer to him as Dad like Emmett and Alice did? I sure as hell hoped he didn't think that. I wasn't ready for the parents of my two friends to become my parents.

Even though they were my real parents.

Ugh.

Ashton, come out, come out where ever you are, you bastard!

"I'm bushed, Car…lisle." I waited for some kind of response from him, but he didn't do or say anything. Maybe Carlisle understood how confusing all of this was for me. "I've been up for nearly twenty-four hours now."

Esme continued to stand next to Carlisle. She appeared to be calm, but really, her face was giving her away. Esme was really overjoyed and happy. "Yes, let's get Edward home so he can rest."

Home. I'm sure she wasn't thinking the same place I immediately thought of. I wasn't thinking of the huge three story house that the Cullens called home. I was thinking of the small, paint-peeling, crappy two bedroom shack that I had been in since September. There's quite a difference between the two.

Bella left Emmett's side and came over to me. Taking my hand, she stood on my right side since Alice was still guarding my left. "You call me if you need anything, okay?" she said. "Anything."

"I will." Once again, she placed a quick kiss on my cheek before I started following my family outside. Alice was still latched onto my left arm.

"What's my real name?"

Carlisle hit a button on a remote to unlock his Mercedes. Emmett had been driving it earlier, so he must have gone home and came back with… the rest of… our family. This was going to take some getting used to. Emmett went to sit in the passenger seat, which left Esme, Alice, and me to squeeze in the back. "You were named after my father, Anthony Edward Cullen."

"Do I… um…"

"You might as well go by your middle name, like Alice," Esme said.

"I appreciate that," I told her. "I'd never answer to Anthony or Tony."

"I kind of feel left out," Emmett said from the front seat. Carlisle had started the car and was backing out of the parking spot. "I actually go by my first name."

"That's because your middle name is Dale," Alice said from her spot next to me.

"Dale? Where's Chip?" I asked.

"I was named after Mom's father. I've always thought Dale sounded kind of redneckish."

"It was Dale or Eugene," Carlisle said. "I thought Dale was the least embarrassing between the two choices."

"I'd rather be one half of a chipmunk duo than Eugene." Emmett said the name with distaste.

"Mormons!" I blurted out.

"What about Mormons, Edward?" Esme asked.

"Nothing, nothing." I leaned my head against the window. I finally remembered what those blasted polygamists in Utah were called, and I yelled it out in front of everyone for no apparent reason. They probably thought I had Tourette's or something.

I nearly fell asleep before we reached the house. It was at that time I realized that I didn't have any other clothes with me than what I had on. I could sleep in my boxer briefs and I'd be okay tonight, but what about tomorrow? I wasn't anywhere near the same size as Carlisle or Emmett. Two or three of me would fit into a pair of Emmett's pants.

I was just too damn tired to bring the subject up. I'd deal with my clothing issue, and everything else, tomorrow. Or would that be later today? Guess it depended on how long I slept.

Alice let go for long enough that Esme latched herself onto me. She led me into the house that, until this moment, I had only referred to as my friend's house. It didn't feel like a home to me. I didn't feel like I belonged here. Maybe that would change over the course of time.

"Do you need anything, Edward?" Esme asked. "Besides sleep?"

"I think that'll do it." My eyes were half closed.

"I'll show you to your room."

Esme touched my shoulder with an open palm and guided me toward the stairs. I somehow made it up to the third floor without passing out and tumbling all the way back down. We went past Alice's room and I had expected to stop at the guest room, but Esme continued. She opened the door to the room that Emmett had always been confused over because Esme never let anyone use it.

Esme ushered me inside. "This is your room. I hope you find it comfortable."

I glanced around and found it to be set up in the same manner that day Emmett and I peeked inside. "It's nice. Beige is cool. Thanks, Esme."

"Edward?" I was facing the comfortable looking bed that was calling my name. I turned to face Esme, who was in the doorway. "I hope, in time, that you'll be able to call me 'Mom'."

"Maybe in time, Esme."

She quietly turned and left, latching the door behind her. Shit, I think I just ticked off Esme with my little comment. What did she expect from me right now?

I sat down on the bed—my bed—and sighed. This was my room. For years Emmett had thought that his—our—mother had lost a baby before he was born. He thought that the loss of the baby was so horrible for Esme that she couldn't let go. He thought that she kept the room up as some sort of living tribute. In a way, he was right. Esme kept this room for me. After all these years, she had never given up on me. She never gave up the thought that I'd be returned to them someday. Esme never gave up on me.

All of this was some really heavy shit that I just couldn't handle at that moment. There were tears in my eyes, and they were so near the edge of just spilling over and falling down my cheeks. I had never cried so much until I landed in Forks. Was there something in the damn water here? I'm only drinking bottled water from now on! I rubbed my eyes and heard a soft knock at the door.

"Yeah, come in."

Emmett poked his head inside. "Dad told me to bring these to you." He stepped into my room and came over to me. Placing a pair of black sweat pants and a battered looking white t-shirt across the foot of the bed, Emmett sat down next to me. "They're his and they'll probably be a little big on you. I know my stuff won't fit you."

"I'd be swimming in your stuff. I probably fit into Alice and Esme's things."

"Don't go all cross dresser on me now, bro."

"How the hell ironic is it that you thought of me as a brother."

Emmett shifted on the bed. "I didn't know anything. Honestly, I didn't. I thought of you as a brother, but I didn't know it was true."

"I wasn't thinking otherwise."

"I'm kind of pissed that they never told me or Alice anything about this. I knew we had lived in California when I was younger, but we moved up here when I was too young to remember."

"Is that why you vacationed in California?" I asked.

"I guess so," Emmett started and paused. "Mom never seemed to have a good time when we were down there. I guess it was because of her memories of losing you were tangled up with that state. I don't know why she'd put herself through that."

Emmett lay back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I hated that I had brought so much pain to a woman I didn't even truly know.

I felt the bed shift under Emmett's weight as he sat up. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," I sniffed.

"You're crying, Edward."

"Did they teach you that in kindergarten?"

I felt his big, burly hand on my shoulder. "Come here."

"What?" I asked. "Are you gonna hold me and make it all go away?"

"Talk to me, man."

I glanced up at him with tears dripping down my cheeks. "My entire life has been a lie, Emmett. I'm confused. I'm sad. I'm angry. Is that what you want to hear?"

"I want to hear whatever you want to tell me," Emmett said. "I'm sorry that I can't make this all go away. If I could turn back time and never become friends with you in Photography, I would. If that's what it'd take to make you feel better, I'd undo this entire thing. I'd do anything for you, bro, but unfortunately, I don't have a time machine."

Oh, Jesus, I had to get a kind and compassionate brother and best friend. His words made me start to bawl. "If you speak of this night to anyone, I will find someone to give your ass a severe beating!" I warned him.

"Get your scrawny little ass over here so I can console you."

I moved toward Emmett, and he reached out for me. It felt so damn gay. Guys aren't supposed to be all huggy and touchy with each other, are they? He wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace. I felt Emmett's big hands on my back, rubbing it as he rocked me back and forth. My face was crushed to his chest, muffling my sobs.

And that's how I fell asleep that night, wrapped in my brother's arms.

A/N: You know what to do! Feed the ego and I might get 15 out faster than I expect to. I know a lot of you guessed the storyline, but I'm glad you stayed for the ride. Legacy isn't anywhere near being over.