Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. All recognizable characters belong to SM.

Happily Ever After is Worth Fighting For:

A Bella and Edward Story Part 28

Seth had been seated in a school bus, returning from a fieldtrip, when the bus stopped at a traffic light. As he gazed out of the window he saw a family rummaging around a garbage can scouting for food. When Seth witnessed the child eating what he had pulled from the garbage, it broke his heart and opened his teenage eyes to just how fortunate he was.

Upon returning to the reservation, he went to see Jacob about an idea that came to him on his way home. Jacob listened attentively as Seth explained his interest in the tribe hosting a Thanksgiving Day dinner for the homeless in the area.

Jacob called a meeting to discuss the idea with the tribe. The proposal was met with enthusiasm but was tempered with realism. They just didn't have the resources to help all of the homeless individuals in the area.

As is often the case, out of the mouth of babes came the answer.

A child suggested that they could get the people of Forks involved. If they could cooperate, they would be able to help a greater number of people. That suggestion was met with a resounding 'yes' so Jacob placed a call to Charlie and Carlisle to ask for their assistance. The two men went to work immediately in spreading the word around Forks.

Much to Seth's astonishment, the idea just snowballed from there because many people wanted to do their part.

The townspeople decided that not only would they like to feed the homeless for the day; they would like to do what they could to improve their situations if possible. It was decided that a number of booths could be setup to provide donated items and useful information to the guests who attended the dinner.

Between Halloween and Thanksgivings Day, both Forks High School and the Quileute Tribal School were extremely busy collecting gently used clothing, outerwear and footwear. They had collected so much that the teens had four booths setup. They figured that anything that wasn't chosen could be donated to the local shelters.

The local businesses donated money to help cover the cost of the food, with the understanding that the Cullens would be matching each donation dollar for dollar. However, they didn't stop there. They also decided to have a booth setup where they could advertise jobs that were available.

Local homeowners had a booth to advertising rooms for rent as well as places where room and board was available in exchange for yard work or errands being done for homebound individuals.

Realistically, everyone involved, knew that they weren't going to solve the homeless situation in one day. They also knew that not everyone would want or welcome their help. They just hoped to brighten a few lives for a few hours and help, those who were willing to accept it, in any manner that they could think of.

In the weeks leading up to Thanksgivings Day, Jasper had posted attention grabbing, signs around town to advertise the upcoming dinner. On the advertisements, he also noted that special buses would be stopping at different parts of town throughout the day, to provide the individuals with free transportation to and from LaPush. Edward had been the one to suggest that they provide transportation and had even made arrangements with the bus company.

Carlisle spoke to the staff at the clinic on the reservation and they arranged to remain open on Thanksgivings Day to provide free medical attention to any who needed it. Carlisle volunteered to work that day and to pay all the medical bills for the patients that they saw. Following Carlisle's example, the rest of the staff decided to volunteer their time as well.

Rosalie arranged with a number of catering companies to provide the turkeys, fixings and beverages. The tribe and many townspeople were providing the pies and other desserts. Again, they figured that anything that wasn't consumed could be given to the local shelters.

Bella had suggested that they open the community centre for the day. It was setup with an area where large groups could watch movies, had an arcade and it also had showers for the individuals who used the basketball courts. She thought that providing their guests with entertainment and the ability to freshen up would be welcome. Everyone agreed and many of the women put together bags of toiletries and fresh towels for those who might need them.

As there were no buildings large enough to host the event, Esme suggested that they could rent tents and outdoor heaters. She contacted a party planning company that she had worked with in the past and they provided the tents, heaters, tables and chairs.

There were tents setup to serve the meal and there was also a separate tent that was setup to hold the different booths.

The company came out and setup the tents a week in advance so that Alice had time to work her magic on the inside. She and Emmett had worked with the social committee to decorate the tents. They made beautiful cornucopias as well as centerpieces that were made from the fall leaves. They wanted to create a wonderful ambiance and were quite successful.

Although an invitation had been extended to the townspeople to join the tribe and their guests for dinner on Thanksgivings Day, very few individuals from Forks actually attended. There were some who went out of town for the holiday and others who didn't wish to participate. A few did show up during the day to man the booths but then went home to have dinner with their families. Seth had been disappointed by their unwillingness to mingle with their guests. Edward, seeing his disappointment, reminded him that it was the homeless that he had wanted to make a special day for and his plan had been a success.

This was true.

Busloads of people had arrived throughout the day. Many visited the tent with the different booths. A few found jobs, others found shelter and many were just grateful to get some clothing and a place to freshen up.

The community centre had been a hub of activity throughout the day. The children were so excited to be able to have a place to just be children for a few hours. There were different family themed movies shown throughout the day and that had kept many of the guests entertained.

When dinner was served and grace was said, it was clear that everyone present was truly grateful for what they had been given that day. The guests had been treated with kindness and respect that was so rarely given to individuals in their situation and the hosts were given the opportunity to help their fellow man.

Seth looked around at the group that had gathered and felt happy. He knew that one person couldn't change the world but for one day, he had helped make his piece of the world a better place.

Author's Note: If you are enjoying this tale, please let me know by leaving a review. My favorite reviews are when you let me know which parts are your favorites…