Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

A/N: Thanks for staying with me while I retreated into silence. Like I said before, I've got some time off now so I'll be writing much more frequently over the next few weeks. Since I officially started vacation on Friday, I wanted to update then, but found myself having difficulty getting back into the swing of the story. So first off, I apologize if this chapter sounds a bit…off. Maybe a little awkward, stiff. I really tried, but I was a bit more concerned with getting something done than making it perfect (strange for me, I know). But anyway, let me know if it was really horrible and I'll see what can be done to fix it.

Sorry to make this go on so long, but just wanted to fill you in on one more thing. In an attempt to ease myself back into the writing after my break, I started a new story. It was only meant to be a one-shot, I hadn't even been planning on posting it, but it turned out to be something I liked and was a bit curious to see where it would go. It's called "Say It Ain't So" and you can find a link of my profile. I'd love it if you all would take the time to read it – the first chapter is up and it's real short – and let me know what you think.

Enjoy…

Best Definition of Good Intentions

25 – Seems Like Yesterday We Had the World Our Way

An hour later, Jasper, Emmett and Edward were making their way along the winding dirt roads as the dense, green forest loomed all around. Approaching the nearly-hairpin turn, the boys slowed into a single file line with Jasper at the head. The fearless leader barely slowed as he raced, kicking up dirt in his dust. Emmett slowed, choosing to regain his speed on the straight away, hoping to jump ahead of Jasper then. Edward brought up the rear, slowing considerably as he turned the corner.

A few minutes later, Edward slowed to a stop just a few feet away from the others.

"Took you long enough," Emmett complained. He'd climbed off his bike and was now setting his helmet on the seat. He turned to Jasper, "So what'd you say to The General that he let us take his babies by ourselves today?"

"The General?" Edward interrupted, removing his jacket.

"My dad," Jasper explained. He said to Emmett, "Well, seeing as I just sprung this outing on him this morning, he couldn't really get out work. Trust me, if he could have, he would, but he's already missing all next week."

"Yea, Alice mentioned that. You've got the place to yourself. We gonna rage?" Emmett asked as he took a seat on top of one of the picnic tables.

"No, Emmett, we are not going to rage."

"Oh, come on! Why not?" Emmett pouted.

"Because last time you convinced me to rage, one of the new deputies showed up and told Chief Swan that he'd seen Bella. And then she couldn't hang out with us for a month. Remember?"

"But that wasn't my fault! What was I suppose to do? Go to the police station during his training and explain that it was an unspoken rule to never tell Chief Swan what really goes on in this town?"

Jasper drew in a deep breath, calming himself. "Emmett, it doesn't matter. Answer's still no. No raging."

"Fine, but we're all still coming over this weekend."

"Of course, you are. I just don't want to have to keep track of the rest of our high school."

Triumphantly, Emmett pumped his fists in the air and let out a loud whoop which echoed throughout the mountainous forest around them.

"Do I even want to know what happened last time?" Edward asked.

"Definitely not. But it is the reason we always go to First Beach now."

Edward nodded in understanding and walked around the picnic area. "So where are we?"

"In the black hole of cell phone service," Emmett complained as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and lay back onto the wooden table.

"Ignore him," Jasper instructed Edward as he punched Emmett's arm as he passed. He made his way over to Edward who was leaning against the rickety fence, staring down into the gorge. "We're actually in La Push."

"The reservation?" Edward asked, confused.

"I know, hard to believe, right? There's actually a lot more to it than just First Beach. The General – my dad showed me this place when I turned sixteen…"

"After he bought a new Ducati," Emmett interrupted.

After a quick sweep of the bikes present, Edward realized there was a fourth missing. His eyes bulged at Jasper for confirmation.

"Yea, he bought himself a present for my birthday. I got his old one," Jasper's eyes flashed to the vehicle he'd been riding only minutes before. "The other two he'd had for years and needed fixing up."

"And then The General made a habit of taking us out here to ride. Blah, blah, blah….thanks for the history lesson, Jasper. Moral of the story: never before have Jasper and I been able to go out by ourselves. And I'm not buying that lame work excuse, The General would have figured something out.

Choosing to ignore Emmett entirely, Jasper continued. "Anyway, after I turned sixteen, my dad made a point of taking me out here. He was so excited that he finally had someone to share his bikes, and this place, with. His father had been in the military, stationed somewhere near here and one year, after he'd retired, he brought my dad and showed him this place. Call it Whitlock family history, or whatever, I just know that everything makes so much more sense when I'm here. I thought maybe it would work like that for you, too."

Jasper had spoken softly so only Edward could hear, but it didn't matter as Emmett as already engrossed in his next activity: climbing a tree.

Appreciative of the low volume and the gesture, Edward thanked his new friend before they retreated into companionable silence. With a pat on the back after a few moments, Jasper made his way over to Emmett and left Edward with his thoughts.

Looking straight into the gorge below, Edward was almost nervous about the unsteady fencing. It was only serving as a warning; there was no way the sagging wood would protect anyone from plummeting to their death. Both steep sides of the gorge were overloaded with lush green trees but moss-riddled boulders were visible every so often. No one would survive the fall. At the bottom, a river ran its course, weaving in between the trees. The volume of the rushing water was quieted from his altitude, but behind him Edward could hear the faint sounds of waterfall.

Jasper was right; this place did have a calming effect on Edward. His mind was put to ease. The natural beauty encompassing him only pushed him to believe that everything happened for a reason. Not that he was taking his parents' deaths easily, but he could no longer muster the strength to fight against it. He'd only wear himself out. Nothing could be to done to change the past; he could only mend his future.

Edward couldn't bring his parents back, no matter how much he wished he could. All that was left was his faith in knowing that, one day, things would make sense. Just like the forest all around him, it didn't happen over night. This beauty was the result of time. The serenity and glory would come with time.

Nature just had to take its course.

"Come on, let's ride!" he yelled as he pushed away from the fence.

In one swift movement and a holler, Emmett jumped out of the tree, landing perfectly next to his bike. His helmet was on and he'd kicked started the bike before Jasper even had the chance to react.

Laughing merrily, Jasper and Edward followed his lead, taking off the way they had come. They took a left turn instead of returning to the right when they hit the paved road and Edward kept his focus on his surroundings, trying to place himself. There was something oddly familiar about this road.

Several miles passed as the boys weaved around one another, each trying to gain the lead. Anytime Edward pulled out in front, he repeatedly checked behind him to make sure he didn't miss the turn and lose his friends. After rounding a corner, suddenly houses loomed ahead. Edward slowed allowing Jasper and Emmett to lead the way. When they were about a mile from the first house, their speed slowed dramatically and they did their best to quiet the vehicles as they turned, opposite of the house, onto another dirt path. It wasn't until the second turn that forest surrounded them and they increased their speed again.

For the next twenty minutes, Edward completely lost himself in the feeling of the speed and wind. They were kicking up so much dirt that he could barely make out the bikes in front of him. He had no idea were they were; he was merely following the winds of the road. It felt as though they were completely a large circle, but he couldn't be sure for there had been just as many loops to the left as there were to the right.

Clearing yet another turn, Edward saw Emmett and Jasper stopped ahead. He pulled up next to them and removed his helmet.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"This road's going to lead us back to the village, but we'll come out further than we started. And technically, we're not supposed to ride through here, so we have to be discrete." Jasper gave Emmett a pointed look.

"What? I can be discrete," Emmett defended, looking offended.

"That's what you say every time. And every time we get caught."

"What happens when you get caught?" Edward asked.

"Well, it all depends on who sees us. But, like Emmett said before, my dad's always with us, and he usually takes his way out of it. It really isn't a big deal, nothing to worry about. It just makes life a lot easier if no one realizes we're here," Jasper explained.

"Alright, let's go then." Edward pushed his hair out of his eyes and pulled the helmet back over before motioning for Jasper to take the lead.

Mirroring their earlier actions, Emmett and Edward followed behind, maintaining a slow speed as they approached the fork in the road. They veered to the left, completing one full turn around the trail and Edward watched as they passed the familiar surroundings. He looked ahead and saw Jasper's brake lights flash on. Emmett muttered something under his breath as he braked.

Confused, Edward followed suite and stopped between his two friends.

"Shit," Emmett muttered again as he climbed off the bike and threw his helmet on the seat. "You've got to be freakin' kidding me!"

Pulling his own helmet off, Edward went after Emmett to figure out what's wrong. He looked to Jasper, "What's going on?"

Jasper nodded his head toward the entrance to the trail. Where the dirt met asphalt, five imposing shadows mingled with the trees. The bodies eclipsed the late afternoon sun and it was impossible to see any details of their silhouettes. At the front of the pack, the largest moved forward, flanked by another. Off to the side and slightly behind the pair, a trio moved forward as well, but less stiffly. Edward watched as the three exchanged glances with each other while the other two stared straight ahead.

"What's going on?" Edward repeated. "Who are they?"

"The Quileute pack," Emmett answered, as he stalked towards them.

"Who?" Edward asked. When it became clear that neither was going to answer him, Edward fell into step behind them. Both had looks of pure annoyance on their faces and Emmett's entire body was tense with anticipation of a fight.

With a respectable distance between the groups, everyone stopped moving. For a few moments they all just stared, sizing each other up. Edward expected the largest, the obvious leader, to speak first and was surprised when it was the smaller one to the right of the leader who broke the silence.

"I thought we told not to ride out here."

"I thought you didn't have any say in that decision," Emmett threw back quickly, his dislike seeping into every word.

"Doesn't make it any less true." The anger was boiling in his veins, which were popping out on the side of his neck. His fists with clenched and his body was almost shaking with fury.

"Calm down, Paul," the leader spoke. Immediately, his sidekick took a step back and drew in a deep breath. The excess blood drained from his face, no longer flushing his russet skin.

Their voices were so dissimilar, yet their appearances almost identical. Aside from size, all of them looked alike: tall, muscular bodies covered with dark skin and buzzed dark hair.

"Jasper," the leader said, turning his focus on the intruders again.

"We're on our way, Sam. Didn't mean to be a bother," Jasper tried soothing. Typically, his charismatic personality could ease any tension in any situation, but it didn't appear that Jasper would be able to talk his way out of this one.

"We've told you before. We've told your father before. You've chosen not to listen. You are not allowed to ride on this land." Sam spoke with such authority that Edward almost wanted to simply apologize and leave. Another part of him recognized how demanding his voice also sounded, as though he was demanding respect and not earning it.

"Sam," another called from the second group. He moved forward from the back group and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "They're just leaving. No big deal."

"Jacob," Sam spoke, turning to glare. They were eye to eye as they faced each other and it was hard to tell who was the larger of the two.

Edward couldn't help himself from comparing the obvious differences. Among any of the group, these were the two with the least in common and the two that appeared to fighting for power. On the right, Sam looked tired, bored of this routine. Compared to his peer, his eyes lacked a certain sparkle. Sam's forehead was creased in worry and his eyes threatening as he glowered at the other. In turn, the other, obviously younger, was merely challenging. There was nothing angry about his stare, functioning as a warning. A small smirk played on his lips and the creases at his eyes showed he enjoyed a good laugh.

Finally, Sam receded, motioning for his younger to take over. As he turned back toward Jasper, Emmett and Edward, Edward was shocked at the youth that echoed in his features. Despite his intimidating size, his face still reflected boyish charm.

He walked forward with his hand out toward Jasper. Begrudgingly, Jasper took it in his own and greeted, "Jacob."

"Jasper," Jacob said in a low voice. "Ignore, Sam. You know how he likes a good power trip."

"He doesn't make it so easy to ignore."

Jacob ignored this comment and first turned to shake Emmett's hand before directing his attention to Edward. "I'm Jacob. Edward, I'm guessing?"

"You guess correctly," Edward said taking his hand with a smile. Jacob seemed friendly enough, but judging by Jasper and Emmett's disapproval, he understood there must be more to him. "May I ask how you know who I am?"

Jacob laughed heartily before explaining. "Bella told me you were coming to live with the Cullen's, so I just assumed, seeing as it's a small town and I didn't recognize you."

"Bella told you?" Jasper inserted, moving to Edward's side.

"Got a problem with that, Whitlock?" Jacob asked.

"No, no problem. Just didn't realize you were friends," Jasper explained, nonchalantly.

"We are," he answered simply. Jacob could see Jasper and Emmett's obvious disapproval of the relationship and for a moment debated informing them of their cliff-diving plans for the following week, but then decided against it.

"Like we said, we're out on our way," Emmett said as he grabbed Edward's arm, pulling him toward the bikes.

"Hey," Paul called out. They turned around to see him still by Sam's side. "One of these times, we're not going to be so nice."

"Like he has any control over that," Emmett muttered to his friends, laughing.

"What did you say?" Paul yelled as he started to move forward.

Emmett merely turned around to glare at Paul as he climbed onto his bike. Sam was walking away while the two who had been flanking Jacob pulled Sam back towards the road. Jacob was still standing there, in the middle of the dirt path, with a half smirk on his face. He moved to the side of the road and held a hand up in a wave as Emmett, Jasper and Edward raced past them on their way home.

-

Earlier that morning, or rather that afternoon, it had taken Esme Cullen much rousing to awake her daughter and Bella from their stupor.

"Up! Up! Up! It's already 1:30! Time to get up!" Esme shouted as she pulled open the curtains and shook the bed cover over the girls' bodies.

"Mom…" Alice groaned.

"Don't 'Mom' me! It's time to get up! We've got things to do!" Esme had now moved onto picking up the dirty laundry on the floor of the room.

Alice turned over, intrigued by her mother's words. "What are we doing?"

"We need to plan for Edward's birthday this weekend."

Alice pushed the sheets off her and jumped out of the bed. She leaned over and shook Bella's shoulder. She sang out, "Come on, Bella! Time to wake up!"

"Go away, Alice. Let me sleep." Bella rolled over pulled the sheets around her tighter as Esme laughed, leaving the room.

"No, Bella! You've got to get up!"

Esme walked back into the room, now with Emmett's dirty clothes in her hands. "You girls were out awfully late last night. If you have this much trouble getting up in the morning after a night out, Carlisle and I are going to have to think about setting a curfew."

"I'm up, I'm up, I'm up," Bella groaned as she pushed the sheets down and forced her eyes open. She knew it was bad when someone other than your own parents were threatening to set a curfew for you. She groaned again, this time thinking of the impossibility of her parents acting like parents and she realized she was glad to have Esme and Carlisle in her life. She wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that relationship – even if it meant dragging herself out of bed. "I'm going to go take a shower."

"Me, too!" Alice chirped as she ran into her own bathroom. She called out after Bella, "Meet you downstairs!"

Once Alice and Bella had showered and dressed, they reconvened with Esme in the kitchen. Being the knowing mother that she was, she'd taken the opportunity to put together a lunch full of sandwiches and fruit while the girls had been getting ready. Just as they were shifting out of lunch mode and into party planning mode, Carlisle walked into the kitchen from his office.

"Ladies," he said with a smile as he poured a glass of water.

"Hi, daddy!" Alice said, jumping out her seat to place a kiss on his cheek.

"Oh, you're just in time, Carlisle," Esme gushed. "We're going to plan something for Edward's birthday this weekend."

Carlisle took a seat at the table, pulling the fruit bowl towards him. "What did you have in mind?"

"I thought something simple would be best. Maybe just dinner out – we could take him to Seattle for the weekend," Esme suggested.

"I've actually got a conference in Seattle on Sunday, so that might work out perfectly," Carlisle thought aloud.

"We could bring all the kids out, too," Esme offered.

"Yea!" Alice shouted. "We can head out on Friday for dinner that night to celebrate then have Saturday to explore the city and then come home on Sunday!"

Carlisle laughed at his daughter's excited reaction. "What do you say, Bella?"

Bella smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You don't have you include me. It's a family celebration."

"Nonsense, dear," Esme said as she began clearing the plates and pulling the fruit bowl away from her husband. "How many times do we have to tell you, you're just as much a part of this family as anyone else?"

Alice threw a 'I told you so' look across the table to Bella who just grimaced.

"No, really, it's okay. I'm not sure Charlie would be too keen on me the idea of me spending even more time away from home." She followed Esme into the kitchen to help with the dishes.

"Sit, Bella. I can handle this."

"And I can handle Charlie. I'm sure he'll understand that you're in good hands. In fact, I've got the rest of the afternoon off. How about I give you a ride back home whenever you're ready and I'll talk to your dad then? And Esme, you'll get the reservations together?"

"Of course. I'll take care of it first thing. Alice, could you check with Jasper and Rosalie – make sure they're okay to come? Tell them we'll take care of all the expenses, we'd love to have you're their company."

"Can I plan Saturday?" Alice was nearly bouncing out of her seat at all the possibilities before her.

"Well, do we think we should tell Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"Maybe there's something he'd like to do on Saturday?" Esme thought.

"Let's ask him tonight at dinner!" Alice exclaimed. "Just promise me we'll have a little bit of time to go shopping in Seattle! There's so many more stores there!"

Carlisle leaned down and placed a kiss on his daughter's head. Sarcastically, he said, "Of course, sweetheart, We wouldn't dare go there and not let you shop."

Alice squealed with joy and Bella groaned.

"I think it's time I head home now. Is it an alright time?" Bella asked the doctor.

"Let me just grab my keys."

A/N: Chapter title comes from the song "Sun" by Mae.