A/N: When reading the entire Twilight Saga, I often found myself captivated by the cover stories they told to the humans around them throughout the years. In this All Human FanFiction, I have decided to meld some of those cover stories, with the true stories told of the characters' backgrounds. The backgrounds may be slightly altered due to character age, not being a vampire, being in modern time, etc. So…Without Further Ado… I give you, Growing Up.
Bella Swan sat quietly at a table in a coffee shop, drumming her fingers lightly at the latte in her hand. Today was the day she would finally ask him, she thought. It had been well over four months since they began seriously dating, or at least as serious as two high school seniors could date. And now, now felt like the right time to ask him. She had been patient, secretly hoping that it wouldn't have to come to this because Bella truly hated confrontation. But, if their relationship was going to continue into the future, then she needed to know and needed to know now.
Ever since Bella had moved to Forks Washington at the end of her junior year, she knew two things for sure. It was always raining. And that the Cullen family, although very involved with the town, were outsiders. Perhaps that's why she and Edward had found each other. In a sense they were both outside the social norms of the little towns hum drum rhythm. But, being the new girl, from Arizona, Bella knew why everyone looked twice at her. However, despite spending almost every day by his side, she didn't know why Edward got the same glances. Yet, it seemed as if everyone around her did know, her friends, even her own father. And not knowing is what bothered her the most.
Edward sauntered into the store, head pivoting to find her. And when his eyes finally landed on her, he smiled that smile she knew was saved especially for her. Bella stood as he embraced her in a hug, before the pair sat across opposite ends of the short table. However, Edward's smile soon vanished as he Bella begin to chew on her lip. Even if the time they had been together was considered short, he knew this was a telltale sign that something was bothering her.
"Oh no," Edward sighed, dropping his head a little, "Is this what I think it is? Are we breaking up?"
"What? No!" Bella shook her head, "Not at all. Why? Do you want to break up?"
"No! Absolutely not!" the young man ran his hand through his copper hair, "You just seem tense, that's all."
"Oh, is it that obvious?" she began to chew her lip again.
He chuckled slight, "Incredibly. You know whatever it is, you can tell me."
Brown hair girl murmured, "It's more of an ask than a tell."
A charming grin spread across the boy's face, "Ask away."
Bella inhaled deeply, "I want to know about your family. I want to know why I haven't met them. I mean I've met Alice at school and who you claim is your dad that one time I needed stitches, but no one else. Are you embarrassed of me?"
"I'm anything, but embarrassed by you Bella…" Edward began.
"Then what's the issue," she cut him off, "I want to know why Charlie keeps asking me 'has he told you yet?' And why everyone in this Podunk town knows more about my boyfriend than I do!"
He twirled his thumbs together, "I guess it was only a matter of time before you had to know. And I'm glad no one else has told you. But, are you sure you really want to know?"
"Yes," she replied, her brown eyes pleading.
Edward nodded, "The man I 'claim to be my father', for all intents and purposes, is my father, Bella. I'm adopted. All of my siblings are either adopted or fostered, by my parents."
"That's it? Edward a lot of people are adopted. Why is it some…?" her boyfriend put his hand up, as if to say, 'let me finish.'
"Bella do you know how old Carlisle is?" an ornery smirk played on his faced.
"You call your dad by his first name?"
"You do when he's only 33," the young man couldn't help but chuckle, as his girlfriend's mouth dropped, "You see, very unconventional, especially since I'm their youngest. A lot of people didn't, and still don't understand, why Carlisle and Esme would take on five teenagers. Especially being so young themselves."
"You have three other sibling besides Alice?" the girl nodded, "Five kids. Five teenagers. That's, a lot for two people to handle, regardless of age."
"Exactly," Edward sighed "And we were certainly not the easiest, most well behaved bunch either," he swallowed hard, "There was a point in time that ours actions almost got us take away from them. I think that's the story your father keeps pestering you about."
"Charlie knows?" Bella furrowed her brow.
"Charlie was there," he took her hand.
"There? Where?" she twisted her face.
Edward lowered his green eyes, "At the trail. Almost the entire town was there," he looked left, then right, before turning to girlfriend, "You see, in small towns it's hard to keep anything quiet, but when it's a massive custody battle involving the town's best doctor and his rowdy bunch of children, it is front page news. And when the person claiming that the doctor and his wife are unfit parents, is her ex-husband…Well, you know Forks shut down completely," he stifled a breath, nervously running his hands through his hair again, "Bella, there are things that people in this town shouldn't know about my family, but they do. And it's been wrong to keep them from you. And perhaps that's why I haven't taken you to meet all of them because their stories and this trial have shaped us into who we are today. And to truly know us, you have to know this. Are you absolutely sure you want to know about us. The real us?"
"Edward," Bella grabbed his hands in hers, "Whatever it is that you're worried about, I can handle. I want to know."