Author's Note: Now that Bella is meeting the family soon, I think I should mention that the timeline will not follow too closely to Smeyers. It was strange to me how everything in Twilight happened within 3 months! Like the meeting with the family, baseball and tracker all happened the same day! Not in my story! I'm not exactly sure how the timeline will go from this moment but I'm going to try and move it to a more believable time frame. We're somewhere in April right now and Bella arrived in Forks in January. :)

Chapter 24 – The Meadow

What would have probably taken a few hours of driving in my truck took barely twenty minutes in Edward's car. He drove fast on the highway, like, neck breaking fast. It kind of frightened me but he assured me he had never been in an accident. Damn vampire reflexes...

He finally slowed down onto a dirt road which lead us to a narrow hiking trail, I grimaced at the anticipation. "If you really don't want to hike," He started, seeing my face, "I can carry you."

I was about to say 'absolutely not' but then I looked at his face and he looked excited at the thought, "Sure?" I said uncertainly.

He smiled wide and stooped down so that I could jump onto his back; I laughed at the image of him giving me a piggyback ride at his insane vampire speed. "Hold on," He grinned and then took off. I suspected he was going slower than he typically would but it was still wildly fast. I closed my eyes at first but braved a peak and blanched at the trees flying by us, how the hell could he control himself and not ram into one? I wasn't sure I trusted he wouldn't so I closed them again and just focused on breathing in and out.

"Bella?" He asked warily, "We're here. You can get down."

I peeled my eyes open, I hadn't even noticed we weren't still moving. I was shocked at how smoothly he could travel, it was like he literally flew over the ground. I unlocked my stiff limbs and slid down to the thick, wild grass and looked around. We were in a small meadow, nearly perfectly round with tall, old trees all around. Wild flowers pushed up through the tall grass all over, colors exploding into the deep green as the sun just barely peaked through the tree tops. I could tell this was a magical place, not literally, but it was nothing short of special.

"Do you like it?" Edward whispered, watching my face hesitantly.

"It's incredible." I smiled, "How did you find it?"

He practically glowed at my appreciation, "I found it hunting one day. I come here when I need to get away – it's also great for sunbathing."

"Oh yeah?" I asked dubiously, "Sun – in the Olympic Peninsula?"

"Just wait," He smirked, "once it's nearing midday, you'll be in heaven."

I already felt like I was, in this remote, beautiful field of flowers with this beautiful boy. He lead me to the center and plopped down into the grass as I did the same. It wasn't exactly warm out, I guessed it was about mid fifties but comfortable in the sun. I'd worn my trusty jeans, hiking boots and a cream long sleeve with a hoodie over top. Edward wore something similar, I noticed he'd changed when he came back with his car. Though instead of having a hoodie on he just had a white button up shirt, he didn't need to worry about silly things like the temperature.

He laid back into the grass, crossing his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. I stared at him hungrily, enjoying the uninterrupted view I got. The sleeves of his shirt were pushed up to his elbows, the view of his forearms framed by the fabric was strangely tantalizing. His hair was still mussed, even more from our windy trek up to the clearing; the unique reddish brown had flecks of golden bronze. I wondered if he had freckles as a human, he'd look adorable with a dusting over the bridge of his nose and high points of his cheeks. This brought questions to my mind and I wondered if he'd mind me asking. I knew he didn't remember a lot of his human life but maybe he could answer them?

I laid back into a similar position as him and enjoyed the quiet for a while. With my eyes still close I finally spoke, "What color eyes did you have as a human?" I asked.

"Green." He said, "Same as my mother."

This simple answer sent a thrill through me, I so very desperately wished I could see his mother. "Really? What did she look like?"

He was quiet for a moment, "She looked like me, I guess, though, more womanly – my jaw and lips are more my father."

His father! What was he like? But first... "What was her name?" I realized something suddenly, "What was your name before you met Carlisle? I'm assuming not Cullen?"

"No, it was Masen. Her name was Elizabeth... I suppose I never told you much about me – I'm sorry about that – My name was Edward Anthony Mason, Jr."

"Your fathers name was Edward too?" I smiled and opened my eyes finally, I was surprised to see him staring at me as he laid on his side, half risen with his arm under his head. I'd heard no movement at all, how long had he been like that?

He smiled at my surprised face, "Yes, I wasn't very close with him. He worked a lot, back then that's how it was. I was much closer to my mother – her immense love for me was what convinced Carlisle to change me, her dying wish."

My eyebrows shot up, "She knew what he was?" I asked surprised. "What was she dying from?" I realized then that I didn't even know what he had died from. So much I didn't know...

"No but Carlisle suspects she knew something was different about him – that he could help me." He said slowly, "They both died from the Spanish Influenza. It had only been in Chicago for a few weeks by the time we caught it. Father must have caught it while at work – he was always around clients – he was a very successful lawyer. It was nearly inescapable and indisputably deadly. My father went first, very quickly and then my mother and finally me. She held on for so long... Carlisle said that if she hadn't used all her energy on nursing me she would have probably recovered."

He spoke quite mechanically when speaking of his father and the lead up to his parents deaths, but I could hear the emotion in his voice once he spoke of his mothers resilient attempt to keep him alive at the risk of her own health. His mother sounded like an incredible woman. It made me sad that she sacrificed herself so willingly and that Edward would have to go on for, forever, without her. I wish she could know that her efforts were not in vain.

"Your mother sounds incredible... I wish could have met her." I finally said after I pulled myself from my depressed thoughts.

"I do too," He smiled sadly, "she would have loved you."

"You think?"

He hummed and laid back onto the grass and closed his eyes again. I did the same while I mulled over all the new information. I remembered Edward saying he was born in 1901 – An Edwardian gentleman – or he was raised to be one, most likely. What a hugely different world we both were from, what did he think about all this? About me? I was truly a modern lady. While I did enjoy the classic stories of the past, I very much agreed with the ways of my own time. I mean, he died in the height of the women's suffrage movement! I never considered that I might do things he could find strange or even unladylike – what a horrible word! He never said anything, did that mean he didn't care?

The feeling of unease twisted in my stomach at the thought that I might not be enough... not what he expected? And I had to meet his family tomorrow... what if they didn't like me?! Oh lord, this wasn't simply 'Meet the Parents', this was 'Meet the Immortal Vampire Family'! A family from an entirely different time period, with varying differences in opinions and expectations – how would I survive tomorrow?!

I opened my eyes, turning my head to look at him and then I sprang up into a sitting position at the sight of him. "Oh Merlin!" I exclaimed, covering my mouth with my hand.

His eyes popped open in alarm, "What's wrong?!" and he looked around frantically, "What is it, Bella?" He asked once he realized there were no immediate threats.

I stared wide eyed and speechless. The sun was rising in the sky now, heating the meadow wonderfully. I'd notice the change as we laid out, enjoying the heat on my face. His skin was like nothing I'd ever seen, at least, not on a person. It looked almost as if he was burning. A brilliant, warm glow bouncing and shimmering off his skin. It reminded me of some sort of gemstone or quartz when put under a light. After the initial shock – it was quite beautiful. Since when do vampires sparkle? Now that I thought about it, we never really discussed the effects sunlight had on vampires. Really my best source of information on that front was simply based in muggle legends and lore. And wizards, for all the potential and knowledge we had, were quite ignorant and arrogant, believing we were higher than other creatures and beings. I was slowly realizing that the education given on other sentient beings was baseline at best.

"Bella?" He asked with growing panic as I stared silently at him.

I shook myself from my stupor and looked away in embarrassment, "Sorry, I was just surprised." I waved in his general direction, "I-I've never seen a vampire in the sun before."

His mouth formed an 'o' of understanding, "Of course – I'm sorry – I didn't even think... are you frightened of me?" His voice thick with some emotion I couldn't place.

I looked back to him in surprise, "No? Why would I be frightened? I was just caught off guard."

"Oh,"

"Really, it's fine." I stretched my hand out and stoked his cheek, "Actually, it's kind of beautiful... I've never seen anything like it." I said in wonder.

"Beautiful?" He asked as his lip curled up into an unmistakable look of disgust.

That was, an odd reaction. "Yes. You look so – ethereal." I declared with intent in my eyes, he'd believe me whether he thought so or not, if I had any say over it!

His eyebrows raised and he brought his hand up to cup mine that was still against his cheek. His skin was warmer from being bathe in the sunlight for a while now. "I guess I'll have to take your word for it. Though, I don't think I can agree." He smiled sadly. My eyebrows pinched together with concern and frustration, he was too hard on himself!

I decided to change the subject. I'd just convince him through actions, surely he could understand how wonderful I found him? "Tell me more about your human life." I said as I dropped my hand from his face, sat cross legged and snatching his hand to hold in my lap.

"What do you want to know?"

"Um, did you have any pets?"

He thought for a moment, "I'm not sure, I feel like I remember having a cat once but it's vague." He shrugged.

"What was your home like?"

"I don't remember it well from then."

"You didn't go back to it after you were changed?"

"No. When you're a newborn – a new vampire, you're very volatile and especially being a vegetarian... well, it took a lot of control and discipline before I could go back into society."

Huh, I'd never thought about how hard it would be to avoid consuming your natural food source and then surround yourself with it. Why did they bother? Not the human blood avoidance, I understood that, but the integration into regular society?

"I have seen it though," He continued after I didn't reply, "a few years after I was changed, I returned to Chicago and searched records to find where my parents lived and visited. I inherited the house eventually and about every half-century I will inherit my families fortune while pretending to be a new heir." He shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Wow," I breathed, "do you ever visit now?"

"Sometimes – when we're near."

"Do you always stay with the Cullens?"

He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable, "Uh, usually." He smiled roguishly though it didn't quite meet his eyes, "I've had a rebellious phase."

"What do you mean?"

He looked down at his lap and sighed, "I don't know if I should tell you." and then glanced up through his lashes.

"Why?" I asked quietly, feeling a tiny prickle of nerves.

"It's not a pleasant time in my existence."

"Oh," I thought about that and decided I still wanted to know. He's a vampire, of course not everything was pretty about him but I couldn't avoid it. "I still want to know, if you don't mind telling me?"

He nodded and then sighed again, "A few years after my change, Esme, my mother, joined us. Carlisle and I had formed quite a bond at this point, he became the father who was never really there and then Esme became the mother I lost. A few years later we met some other vampires and I became curious of their lifestyle." His eyes shot to my face to assess my feelings. I stayed impassive as best I could and then he continued, "Carlisle and Esme were heart broken but I began to doubt and resent my fathers choice of abstinence that he'd essentially forced upon me. I became a sort of vigilante." He laughed dryly, "At least, that's what I told myself. I convinced myself I was above the other vampires, better than them. I could read my victims minds and pick out the bad ones. I began to hunt and feed on criminals and offenders, the very worst people of society. I eventually began to resent myself – having to hear my victim's thought's as I killed them, even as bad as they were, was torture. I returned to Carlisle and Esme in 1931 with my tail between my legs. They welcomed me back with open arms. I didn't deserve their unwavering adoration and understanding."

I absorbed his tale with morbid interest. So he had killed before, I'd never really thought about that possibility, though, I didn't really blame him. It's in his nature, like he said, he'd been denied his natural food source. His choice to stop and go back to a more humane lifestyle is what mattered to me. And I can't say I wouldn't maybe do the same as he, if I had the power to rid the world of evil, would I? I have no idea. My father was a cop, his literal job is to keep people safe and stop the bad guys. Of course, he wasn't judge, jury and executioner in the way Edward had been but if you knew someone was evil and you had the power to stop them, would you?

I didn't have an answer to my own question but I knew that Edward was good and that he did everything he could to stay that way.

"Are you frightened?" He asked looking hesitantly at me. He had that look he got sometimes, when, I suspected, he thought I'd finally snapped and had enough; that I'd begin to run and scream away from him.

"No," I said looking into his eyes and tightening my hold on his hand still clasped in my own, "I understand your reasons and I don't blame you. You changed your ways and you are good, I know that. I'm glad you told me, thank you."

He swallowed and looked away into the trees, "You give me too much credit. You're too much like Carlisle and Esme."

"Should we all just be mad at you?" I asked calmly.

"Yes, you should be horrified!" He growled suddenly fierce, "I could kill you! I wanted to kill you – the first time we met." He looked back to me for a moment with pain in his eyes and then looked back to the trees.

This was a bit of a shock, even though I knew he did, I could see it in his eyes then – even Mike Newton was able to see that. Though, It was a bit shocking to hear it so plainly from him. "Well, you didn't." I finally said with fervor. "So that makes you good, Edward, whether you like it or not."

He didn't answer. Breathing forcefully through his nose, still looking towards the trees. I allowed him some time to stew. I wasn't going to change his views of himself so easily. He'd had nearly 75 years to sit with his sins, it would take more than a few strongly worded statements to change his mind.

We sat in silence for a long time. The sun was high in the sky now, beating down on us and warming our skin pleasantly. Suddenly my stomach grumbled and Edward snapped out of his brooding to look at me in surprise. "I'm sorry, you must be starving." He smiled, back to his usual self instantly, " I'm horrible at feeding you."

"I'm not a dog," I said as much lip curved up slightly, "I can feed myself, it's not your fault."

"Of course," He stood and stuck out a hand for me to grasp, "but it's very ungentlemanly for me to forget your needs."

I stood, sighing as I brushed off my pants. I looked around at this heavenly place, hoping that I'd be able to come back soon. "Well, let's go find something for your human to eat then." He laughed as he bent for me to climb up and then took off lighting fast back towards his car.