A/N: Thank you to the amazing NCChris for being such a great beta, and offering me her words of advice or encouragement when needed. She is a great person, and an even greater friend.

Charlie's POV

"So, none of these pictures are bringing anything back to you?" Alice asked, her voice soft and patient as she had been for quite some time now with me.

I rubbed my temples, even though my head wasn't hurting, and shook my head.

"No! They feel like they are just beyond my grasp. Like I remember something about them, but I just can't tell you what it is. They are just...familiar."

That was the only word that came to my mind when I looked at what was supposed to be my family. They were familiar, a shot of warmth that I couldn't really describe. They were there, somewhere in my subconscious, but they weren't coming out the way they were supposed to.

Alice smiled a small, sad smile at me and nodded once, before tucking the note she said was from Bella back into the back of the binder and closed the book.

"I think you've had enough trying for now, Charlie. I know how difficult it is to not be able to remember things that you want to, but you have already made a lot of headway."

I snorted and let my head fall back onto my shoulders, closing my eyes.

"There isn't anything there, Alice. How could you call that headway?"

"Well, when I woke to this life, I was the same as you. I had absolutely no memory of my previous life. But, I've never gotten that feeling that something was familiar or that it was something I should know, not even when I was standing at my sister's grave. Nothing ever sparked my memories and I've been a vampire since 1920."

"Whoa! You are old! I mean..." I coughed, rubbing my hands over my face, feeling an odd sensation of tingling through my face. I knew I would be blushing if my body would allow it.

Alice just giggled and shook her head. "Hey! I am not old. I am eternally 19, though I don't think I look that old."

"I'm sorry, Alice. I didn't mean to say that out loud. I'm still wrapping my head around this whole vampire thing."

"It's okay, Charlie." Alice grinned. "Now you can call Carlisle old. He'll be 350 years old this year."

My eyes widened at Alice's words, and I shook my head. Imagining living that long was unbelievable, but it was something I was going to have to start getting used to, I supposed.

"Okay, so since we aren't going to try to work on my past anymore, what are we going to do?"

"Well, I guess I could answer any questions you have, if you'd like," Alice said, her eyes seeming to get a far off look to them as we spoke.

"Okay..." I said, unsure of where she just seemed to go. "Is there a reason that I seem to have such a bad reaction to Edward? He doesn't seem to be in many of the pictures of the family."

Alice seemed to snap back into the present when I said Edward's name, and let out a mirthless laugh, nodding her head.

"It would seem that your hatred for Edward in your human life has just manifested itself into a loathing of him in your vampire life, without you even knowing who or what he has done. Though I have to tell you, I think if you understood both sides of the story, you might not hate him as much."

"Well, get to telling me what happened, so I can get over it, because I need to be able to. I don't want to leave, and he is staying here."

She smiled and nodded, shifting her body more towards mine.

"It all started when Edward saved Bella's life when Tyler Crowley's van would have crushed her..."

Meanwhile on Isle Esme

Jasper's POV

"What the hell?" Bella yelled and splashed Emmett back with her foot, before falling off the small rock she had been sitting on, tumbling back into the water.

I chuckled from across the small wading area we currently were hanging out and playing around in, swimming the short distance over towards my sputtering and cursing wife.

"Well, who would have known you had such a mouth on you, Isabella." I said, as I pulled her body into mine and kissed her softly.

"Blah!" Emmett yelled and we were pelted with water from him and then from Peter, too. I laughed as I shielded Bella from the tidal wave of water that hit us. She just grinned and laughed along with us.

We had been on the island for three days already, and had been having a blast. The plan today was to swim down into the reefs and let Bella see all of the plant and animal life down there. Of course, I would have to stay far away while she explored, because the animals would recognize me as a predator and flee, but I also had something that nobody else had up my sleeve; my powers.

It seemed that I was able to manipulate the animals with my empathic abilities as well as humans. I had tested it out many times over the last century. It seemed that animals calmed enough for me to come close, but they still tended to try to flee after a few seconds in my presence. The only animal that I had ever gotten to calm truly around me was the horse I had in Providence, Rhode Islandwhen I was still with Peter and Charlotte. That horse was never once scared of me and I was able to ride him for hours on end. I missed Chardonnay all the time and the feeling of being able to give myself over to another animal's calming abilities.

That was one thing that I wished my powers worked on sometimes; myself. I could manipulate and control other people with no issues, but I couldn't turn my powers back around on myself. I usually am a mostly calm person by nature, but damn if it wouldn't be nice to have that for myself every once in a while.

Bella was just about the only calm I had ever found, outside of Chardonnay, in all my years of existence. I felt at peace with her, no matter what was going on, with the exception of when Jasmine attacked her at our wedding. I was scared to death when she came after my new bride, though I don't know if anyone would have ever known. I projected the most lethal calm I could muster, a trait I learned after years of being with Maria and protecting her from those that wished her ill. That was my job and I took it seriously then. Now my job was to be the protector of my wife and mate, her two precious children, and my family.

Another wave of water hit my back and I curled my body around Bella once more, before turning around and launching my own attack at Emmett and Peter, which in turn started a war with Rose and Charlotte, too. We were all laughing and having a good time, which is exactly what we were here for, time to relax, celebrate Bella and I tying the knot, and time for the two of us to worship one another's bodies without any interruptions.

And worship it I had. Truthfully, I didn't know how Bella was still awake after the night of passionate lovemaking we had shared the night before. Here she was though, playing along with some of my favorite people in the world and having the time of her life.

I couldn't wait to show her more of the island and make love to her once again, this time under the waterfall about a half mile into the island.

Edward's POV

Slumping down on a broken tree stump, I grumbled to myself about my current predicament. As if the list of things that had happened to me wasn't enough, now we had to add Charlie the vampire, my eternal hater.

Nose-deep in my pity party, I looked up to find my parents staring down at me with concerned compassion.

"Edward, we will get Charlie to not be so hostile towards you. Remember when I was a newborn? I was scared to death of you, but I learned, and so will he. You just have to give it some time," Esme said softly.

I sighed and nodded my head, picking up a small rock and chucking it towards the ocean.

"I suppose you're right, Mom, but I am so tired of having bad things happen to me. Is this my eternal debt to karma for hurting Bella all those years ago? And if so, how much penance do I have to pay to be in the good graces again? Because I thought things were starting to be good for me, and then I have the rug royally ripped out from under me."

Esme released Carlisle's hand and sat down on the ground in front of me, grabbing my twitching hands into her soft and reassuring ones.

"Son, I don't know about karma, and I don't know if you have any debts to pay, but I do understand pain. I've been through enough of it in my human life to get me through eternity, but it still comes. That's a part of life, and one which we have chosen to live together. Let us help you take off some of that burden sitting on your slumped shoulders, Edward."

"How do I do that, Mom? How do I let go of what's eating me?"

"Instead of running, like you've done so many times in your past, you stay. You talk to one of us, or both of us. You allow us in, Son. Don't block us out."

"Please?" I heard Carlisle plead with me through his thoughts, chiming in with what Esme was saying.

I nodded and gave them both a small smile, squeezing Esme's hands in mine.

"I will do my best. And I'm not going anywhere, Mom. I need you guys too much, and I know I can't get through this alone, no matter how much I'd like to, especially with Charlie's hatred towards me."

"Give him some time, Edward," Carlisle finally spoke, his calm and collected nature never swayed. "His natural instincts are all he has right now. Once he knows the truth, maybe things will calm down and he won't feel so tempestuously against you."

My eyes shot up to Carlisle's. "Once he knows the truth, Carlisle? Once he knows the truth, he will most definitely try to kill me."

Carlisle shook his head in response to my outburst. "I don't believe so. He doesn't remember Bella, but knows that she is his daughter. He doesn't remember the way Bella was after you left, which leads me to believe that he will see things from a more logical side, instead of an emotional one."

"I sure hope so," I responded, wondering if that was truly what would happen.

Esme stood in front of me, and I looked up at her, watching her as she looked down at me with a small smile. I could feel the love coming from her without even searching her mind to find it for me. She just exuded the love of a mother for her child. And she was my mother, in every sense of the word. Just as Carlisle would always be my father. They gave me the room to make my choices, or mistakes, but always welcomed me back with arms wide open and a forgiving spirit. I'd been the prodigal son more than once to them, but I never felt their love for me falter.

Standing up slowly, I dropped Esme's hands from mine, and wrapped my arms around her. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to sink into our embrace. There were so many things swirling around my mind at the moment; Bella...Jasmine...Charlie...and then my mind rested on two things that brought me some semblance of peace; Sophie and Alex.

They weren't my own kids, and they never would be. I didn't look at them like my own family, I looked at them like two amazing children that deserved so much, and I wanted to be around for every little thing that life brought to them. Every time I looked into their little, innocent eyes, I knew that I was where I was supposed to be now.

Esme rubbed my back and I felt Carlisle's hand pat me affectionately on the shoulder, and I allowed them to comfort me. Things were going to be alright.

Unknown POV

The clacking of keys from the computer was the only sound around me, as I was holding my breath, obviously not needing the air, but also waiting for the information that would bring the one I truly beheld back to me.

It took a great amount of effort not to smash the computer keys into gritty dust with each stroke, but I was able to hold my strength off enough to get the job done. As the information I had been searching for scrolled up onto the screen, a devious smile crossed my features.

It was time for me to reclaim what was mine, and this information brought me one step closer to my destination.

As I printed off the information, a young man's scent washed over me as he passed by the area. The burn of my thirst pierced through my throat, and I made quick work of exiting what I was working on and grabbed my papers from the printer, before following him out the front door of the library, easily tracking him down the small side alley beside the building.

This was far too easy, and I was more than ready to show this boy all the things that I could do with him in this secluded area...

A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUN! And so the plot thickens. Who do you think this mysterious person is? Who are they after? What will become of Edward when Charlie finds out the truth? Why am I asking so many questions?

*snickers *

Find out when I post next, which I know has been long in between, and I am sorry for that. Life is busy, and I sometimes find it hard to write when things are hectic. Please, leave me a review, telling me what you think so far, or who you think this mysterious person is. I know I don't get back to you all on reviews, but each one is read and appreciated very much so.