A/N: This chapter became so long I decided to break it up. The rest of the day will take place in chapter 22. However, I probably won't be able to post again until the weekend. I have a few more chapters written, but my beta is suffering a personal tragedy and needs to focus on her family right now. Sorry!

Chapter 21- A Tentative Beginning

Edward sat on the roof of the house watching the sun rise slowly over the tree covered horizon. He sensed Carlisle's presence and turned his head to greet him. He had spent most of the night, avoiding his family's curious looks, questions, and thoughts.

Seeking refuge he had climbed up to the rooftop again and had admired the stars- a rare event in Forks, which had more cloud coverage than most US cities. He stayed there until morning to watch the sunrise.

He was meeting Jacob again today and he was anxious with anticipation. The shifter had planned something or another and it was killing Edward not to know what they were doing. He was used to being the one control of a situation. Not the other way around; it was both frustrating and exciting.

Carlisle sat down beside Edward and gazed toward the rising sun. Both their faces became illuminated by the pale orange light, their skin glittering softly in the sun's glow. Edward turned his head and watched the light play across his father's features, highlighting his natural beauty. While Edward had always felt the light reflected the skin of the monster hiding within him, on Carlisle it seemed to make him look heavenly. With his golden blond hair and European features, Carlisle looked like angel plucked from a renaissance painting.

"You are seeing Jacob again today, aren't you?" Carlisle began, thinking at Edward instead of speaking aloud.

Edward nodded, not sure where this conversation might be headed. He brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, waiting to see what Carlisle had to say.

Communicating with his sire had always been effortless and often times required very few spoken words. For a long while, it had just been the pair of them, and they had developed a level of intimacy that couldn't be matched by any of the other family members. It was hard to put into words, but their relationship was different from the rest, stronger.

"I'm worried about you."

Edward inclined his head and listened carefully.

"I'm afraid that you are heading down a dangerous path."

Edward shrugged his shoulders, already knowing what his father was worried about. It wasn't a fear for his son's life so much as it was a fear that he would be broken hearted once more if things didn't know go the way Edward hoped they would.

"Do you disapprove?" Edward asked, fearful of the answer.

"No, but I'm still worried."

Edward nodded in relief and then dropped his forehead to rest it on his knees. He knew what he was asking of his family and how hard this was for them all to understand. Carlisle reached over and put his arm around Edward's shoulders, pulling his adoptive son closer.

"Just be careful. I don't want to lose you… I was so afraid when Alice told me what you had been contemplating after you learned of Bella's death. It took every ounce of strength not to come here straight away- but I know you needed some time to process everything…" Carlisle began to think.

Edward raised his head to look at his father once more.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…"

"You won't lose me."

Carlisle sighed, trying not to think about all of the ways this situation could go wrong. He truly did want what was best for Edward, but it was hard to ignore the fact his son was becoming involved with a wolf- a creature specifically designed to kill vampires.

Knowing that his torturous thoughts were beginning to affect Edward, Carlisle switched the topic back to what the family learned yesterday.

"It was kind what you did for Jacob, paying off his debt like that. I don't think he truly appreciates it just yet, but it was probably life changing."

"I know," Edward said with a smile.

They sat together for a long while, just watching the sunrise. The air was crisp this morning and the forest was filled with the sounds of birds. It couldn't have been more peaceful.

After a while Carlisle looked down at his watch and then stood up. "I'm sorry, but I need to get going. I'm volunteering at the clinic in town this morning."

Edward nodded in understanding, already knowing that Carlisle had already offered his services for free- at least until the family decided if they were going to be staying or not.

"Thanks," he said, truly meaning it. His father's acceptance of his relationship with Jacob meant the world to him.

Carlisle smiled and then reached down to give Edward's shoulder a squeeze. Edward was left alone for the most part until it was time to leave. He was looking forward to what today might hold. It felt like the beginning of something new.

When it was almost 9 AM, Edward headed through the woods to the location Jacob has asked to meet him. It was fairly sunny this morning, and he was little worried about being seen, so he kept mainly to the shadows.

When he reached the intersection of Goodman Mainline Rd and highway 110, he saw that Jacob was already there waiting for him. Near the tree line, Jacob leaned casually against an old motorcycle, looking somewhat anxious as he stared at the open road. Beside him was a second motorcycle, much like the first. Edward soon realized that these were the bikes that Jacob and Bella had fixed up together.

Edward approached slowly, cautious of the light, stopping when he was only a meter or so away, still partially hidden in the shadows.

"Hi," he said, though he was sure from Jacob's body language he was already aware of his arrival.

Jacob turned around to greet him, a smile spreading across his face. "Hi."

He looked good, wearing a faded pair of jeans and a green t-shirt, which hugged him in all the right places. It was unusual to see Jacob wearing anything other than his work clothes or be half naked in a pair of shorts. He seemed much more human like this.

Edward was also wearing a pair of jeans, though he wore a long sleeved cream colored shirt on account of the sun.

"Feel like going for a ride?" Jacob asked eagerly. "The weather is supposed to be beautiful today... at least for a little while."

"That's sort of a problem for me," Edward explained, feeling somewhat disappointed. It had been a while since he had ridden a motorcycle and riding seemed like it would be fun.

"Well, then it's a good thing that I brought this," Jacob said, tossing Edward a dark helmet.

Edward caught it deftly with one hand. He watched as Jacob came around the bike he had been leaning upon and came closer to the forest.

"And these," Jacob continued, pulling out a pair of leather driving gloves from the back pocket of his jeans. He handed them to Edward with a smirk on his face.

"You've thought of everything," Edward commented happily.

"I'm not an idiot, you know."

"I know," Edward replied, a wondrous feeling still swelling inside of him. "Come here."

Jacob took a hesitant step forward and Edward reached out and grabbed him by his green t-shirt, pulling him closer. He caught Jacob's lips in his own thanking the man for his good thinking.

When Jacob began to respond rather passionately, Edward pulled back and laughed. "Down boy! Someone is going to see," he reminded him, pointing to the cars passing by.

"So let them," Jacob responded, kissing him once more. Edward groaned softly into the kiss nearly giving into the temptation Jacob was offering him, but he pulled away at the last moment shaking his head.

Edward took a step back and put the helmet on his head, though he left the dark visor up momentarily, quickly donning the gloves as he followed Jacob to the bikes. "How did you get both of the bikes here anyway?"

"Ancient Native American magic," he said in a slow, eerie voice, wiggling his fingers in the air.

Edward smirked. "No, really?"

"I made Seth drive one here," Jacob replied, climbing on top one of the bikes and putting his own helmet on.

"That was nice of him."

Jacob shrugged indifferently. Edward had noticed that Jacob treated Seth like a little brother and that the teenager seemed to hang on Jacob's every word.

"Where are we headed?" Edward asked, climbing onto the other bike, liking the way the bulk felt beneath him.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Jacob said playfully, kick starting the bike.

"I would!" Edward said over the loud engine, before starting his own bike.

"Than catch me if you can, Mr. Glitter!" Jacob shouted, closing his visor. He then took off suddenly and veering wildly toward the interstate.

Frustrated by the stupid nickname and that he hadn't had a chance to come up with a clever retort; Edward took off after him, closing his own visor. They soon had a game of cat and mouse going, pushing the bikes to amazing speeds as they maneuvered around traffic and headed out of town.

They followed the interstate north until they connected with 101, heading toward Port Angeles. The scenery was beautiful as they drove through the northern edge of Olympic National Park. The temperate rainforest was always amazing to behold, especially in the spring when the rains made the forest seem to come alive and teem with life. Mosses coated the bark of the massive trees and seemed to drip down from their branches in green, moist tendrils. Everything was covered in lush green plants. They also had glorious views of the Olympic Mountains, whose sides and ridgelines are topped with massive, ancient glaciers. It couldn't have been a more beautiful day.

They veered off the main roads and cruised along the coast line that made up northern part of the peninsula. When they found an area that seemed rather secluded, they parked the bikes behind a massive tree and climbed down the rocky cliff to the beach below.

Together they walked along the rocky beach, enjoying the spectacular views. It was high tide and the waves crashed against the coastline, spraying them with the salty air. The sun was still shining brightly, and Edward couldn't help but notice that his skin was glowing now that he wasn't wearing his helmet or driving gloves. Jacob stared at him briefly, looking absolutely mesmerized before tearing his eyes away to stare at the ocean.

Edward couldn't help but feel embarrassed and was almost sure Jacob would bring up the ridiculous nickname once more. Jacob hadn't stopped teasing him about the "sparkling" since he discovered it, and Edward didn't know if that meant he liked the effect, or hated it. He sighed in frustration, wishing for the umpteenth time that he could just be human. That he could just be… normal.

Jacob broke the silence with an observation. "This may sound strange, but I've been doing some thinking and I feel like I hardly know you…"

"What do you mean?" Edward asked curiously. He had really expected to be teased again, only to feel mystified by Jacob's question.

"All I know is what Bella told me…"

"That's not true," Edward countered, remembering the countless conversations they've had on patrol. "You know a lot about me.

"Sure, I know your hobbies and favorite movies and songs and stuff… but I don't feel like I know who you are," he said softly.

"What do you want to know?"

Jacob shrugged. "I don't know… anything… everything…"

Edward smiled and decided to tell Jacob his story. He sat down on a boulder and faced the ocean. Jacob did the same. "Well…I was born on June 20, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois-"

"What? You are so old! I had no idea," Jacob said in blatant shock.

"Why? Because I look 17?"

Jacob shrugged. "I guess… I just never knew. You are like over a hundred years old!"

"Bella never told you?" Edward asked in surprised. If he was such a sore subject between them he wondered just how much Bella had told Jacob.

"No," he replied, shaking his head in amazement.

"Does it bother you?"

"I guess not… but it is kinda weird."

"Do you want to hear my story or not?" Edward asked.

"Sure, sure. Go on…"

Edward took a deep breath and continued. "I lived with my parents, Edward Senior and Elizabeth Masen, and we led a relatively happy, normal life. My father wanted me to be a lawyer, like himself, but I wanted to enlist the army. Before I could, however, I became ill from the Spanish influenza in 1918. The epidemic was sweeping the nation and my mother and I succumbed to the sickness. While on her death bed, she begged our doctor to spare me in anyway he could."

"The doctor was Carlisle, wasn't it?" Jacob asked.

Edward nodded. "He changed me into a vampire shortly after she died because of her dying wish… it was just the two of us for about ten years or so. But then he came across Esme…" Edward explained how Carlisle had known Esme from before, and that he had changed her when she tried to commit suicide after the death of her newborn baby. He then told of his rebellious period, knowing that Jacob could potentially react badly to the information. "I was unhappy for a long while and I decided to try living a life away from Carlisle's rules."

"What do you mean?" asked Jacob, worry evident in his face. It was clear that he understood what that might mean.

Edward knew that Jacob had a right to know… a right to understand the monster that was lurking beneath the surface of his sparkling skin. And so he was honest with him.

"I used my mind reading ability to feed off humans," he began, ignoring Jacob's sharp intake of breath. "I only attacked the worst people of society… murders, rapists, serial killers… I deluded myself into thinking that as long as I was serving justice, it would not matter that I was feeding on humans. I later regretted my decision and returned home to Carlisle's way of life- drinking animal blood instead of human."

Jacob turned to look back at the ocean, unable to say anything in response. Edward didn't know what to say to excuse himself so he continued with his story, explaining how the rest of the Cullen family came to be. He also told of their many adventures and all of the places they had lived. When he finished his story he said, "Are you sorry that you asked?"

Jacob shook his head but still wouldn't say anything.

"You think I'm a monster now, don't you?"

Jacob turned to look at him, a serious expression on his face. For a long while he didn't say anything, looking as though he were trying to find the right words. "I think that there might be a monster within all of us. We all have the potential to act without morals or compassion, but I don't think that's what you did. I don't think any less of you…"

"But I'm a killer," Edward countered.

"And so am I… Am I any better for killing vampires? You killed murderers? How are they any different than a vampire, really? Death is death… justice is justice… no matter the means."

Edward took in Jacob's words, staring at the incoming waves. He never knew the man could be so… profound.

"Thank you for understanding," Edward said softly. "I thought you might hate me."

Jacob looked at him earnestly and took his hand. "I could never hate you."

Edward smiled and stood up, pulling Jacob up with him. He placed a kiss on Jacob's cheek, and they began walking back down the beach toward their bikes, still holding hands. Jacob seemed to spot something along the beach and reached to grab it. He brought up what looked like some kind of light colored rock, which was almost round and fit the palm of his hand.

"What is it?" Edward asked curiously.

"I think its whale bone… pretty rare just to find one along the beach. I think I'm going to keep it," he said, his voice sounding at excited at the find.

Edward then heard a tell tale sound and realized they had been gone now for quite awhile. "We should get you some lunch," Edward commented with a smirk.

"Why do you say that?"

"Your stomach is growling," Edward replied.

Jacob laughed and put a hand on his stomach as if to calm it down. "I guess I am a bit hungry."

"Then let's go."