Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. There may be new characters created of which will be mine!

Chapter Seventeen

Angela

BPOV

My thoughts were racing as Edward and I stepped into the house of my once best friend. Angela had been hard to leave behind. I had been very grateful that I had been able to keep Charlie and Jacob in my life, devastated to leave behind my mother, Renee. Leaving Angela behind had been hard to. She had proven to be a very kind, very loyal friend to me. When Edward had left Forks for those few months, trying to give me a chance at a life without him, Angela had stuck by me when the others had wanted little to do with me. I had always felt I owed Angela but had never been able to repay her. I knew that I still wouldn't be able to, not now, it was too late, but maybe I could get satisfaction knowing her life had moved forward and it had been a good one for her.

We had barely entered the living room when she turned and spoke to us. I could see the shock in her worn, old face. She was still as lovely and had a softness behind her eyes that had always been there. I didn't know what to expect as Edward and I had drove to this house earlier. I knew that time had past and people change, except us immortals, we were forever frozen at the time of our changing. I watched as my old friend motioned for us to join her. She cleared her throat after having spoke to us. Mike had definitely talked to her. "I'm sorry. That wasn't a very appropriate greeting," Angela apologized. "My eyes are weaker than they were when I was younger and even then I had trouble seeing." A little giggle creped out of Angela's throat and it sounded just as it had seventy years ago. "When Mike called me and told me that my friend and her boyfriend, well, uh, husband had returned, but hadn't aged, I knew he was off his rocker. But now, with you standing in front of me, I understand his eyes aren't as bad as I thought."

Edward and I sat down across from Angela. I had never thought I would be able to speak to her again, let alone see her. "Mrs. Weber-Crowley, thank you for taking a few moments to speak with me, us," I said. "I know very little about my family. When I found out that my grandmother's best friend still lived here, I had to see you."

Angela smiled hugely at me. "Please, dear, call me Angela. Mrs. Weber-Crowley is a mouthful."

I returned Angela's smile. "Thank you, and I am Bella…This is Edward."

Angela looked between us. "The resemblance of the both of you are quite uncanny to that of your grandmother and her boyfriend. Are you siblings?"

Edward looked to me and I didn't know how to proceed with the answer. "Well, sort of," Edward answered. "See, Angela, I am a descendant of the Edward Cullen that you knew. He is a distant cousin of sorts to me. He is my namesake. I am Edward Cullen as well."

Angela nodded, understanding what Edward was saying. "Bella, this Bella, is Isabella Cullen. She insists we call her Bella. She, my parents adopted her. Her mother, Isabella Swan's child, passed away in an unfortunate accident. She had no relatives and my father, the doctor who took care of Bella after the accident, adopted her. Bella here is my adopted sister…but…"Angela grinned, "But you two are in love. I can see that. You two have much in common with your ancestors than you know."

I looked to Edward and he started smiling his crooked grin. Whatever Angela was thinking, he obviously was enjoying. "Yes," I stammered. "It…it seems meant to be for us. He completes me, Angela."

Angela brought her hand out and touched mine. The warmth of her touch didn't repel me as many human touches now did. It brought me closer to my past. "Dear, it was the same for your grandmother and for her Edward." She looked to Edward and nodded. "I love seeing two people happily in love and committed. It does your heart good. Now, Bella, Edward, what can I tell you that you would like to know."

"I would like to know more about my grandmother," I spoke. "Whatever you care to tell me, whatever you can remember."

Angela leaned back in her chair. "I would love to do that." Angela repositioned herself into a comfortable position. "I met your grandmother when we were juniors in high school. She came the last semester. She was kind of a quiet girl but she was the talk of the school. All of the boys wanted to date her." Edward let out a loud humph. Angela looked to Edward and her face let out a confused glimpse before returning to the story. "All of the girls wanted to be her friend. In Forks, we all knew each other from diapers. Bella was new and was kind of like a new toy for everyone. Bella though wasn't the kind of girl that wanted all of that attention. She was what kids nowadays call a 'loner' I reckon."

Angela smiled as she grew quiet, obviously thinking back to her memories. Then she continued on, "There were a few girls that Bella began to be friends with, sit with. Myself was one of them. Mike Newton, the man you met, chased after Bella as well as a couple of the others, Eric, and Tyler Crowley. Tyler was the man I eventually ended marrying." Angela's eyes grew dim. "I wished you could have met Tyler, but he passed away a few years ago. He became a very good man, noble. He gave me my daughter you met earlier, Emily. I named Emily for Bella. Emily Marie. I also have a son, Jackson. Anyway, Bella was friends with Tyler as well. She came here and everyone wanted to be around Bella. She was a beautiful young girl but didn't act like a girl that knew she was beautiful. You, dear, are just as beautiful, I believe more so." Angela smiled at me and I returned it. She was just as kind as she had ever been. "There were some girls that were jealous of her, Jessica Stanley and this girl named Lauren. I never particular cared for either girl but I tolerated them. If you didn't, they could be very mean. They were primarily nice to me, and at first, they were to Bella. The truth is, Bella, I don't think, really knew what those girls were capable of. I'm going to get to that part of the story now. On the why they felt like that. There was a family that had came down a couple years before Bella got here, the Cullens…That would be your ancestors." Angela pointed to Edward. "They were all beautiful, the most gorgeous. There was a couple boys and a couple of girls as well as your namesake. They were all adopted by the Doctor and his wife. Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett. I never really knew any of them too well other than Alice and she was a sweet, bouncy little girl. Bella described her as a pixie."

Edward looked to me and just about laughed out loud. I knew he was thinking of Angela's description of Alice. Bouncy wasn't a word for Alice. Bouncy was too simple. Angela continued her story. "The Cullens didn't associate with many of the other students. I don't think it was so much their choice but that they weren't from Forks, and here in small towns, that really seems to matter. And honestly, I think their good looks and the way they dressed so 'hip', well it intimidated the rest of us. Well, except for Jessica Stanley. When Bella arrived, Jessica wanted to be her friend. But then, Edward noticed Bella and it was mutual. They became an item and Jessica was angry. Edward had turned Jessica's affections away multiple times." I looked to Edward and he just shrugged. He didn't like to tell me about the girls that vied for his attention. But what Edward wasn't aware is I had already put that together. "Edward and Bella became inseparable at first, then Edward and his family moved away for awhile. Bella became quite distraught and barely interacted, barely lived for the longest time. Jessica never was the same to Bella, and she actually became quite angry with me for remaining loyal to her. I loved Bella and our friendship was sincere. Jessica and Lauren wasn't sincere to anyone. Lauren was a hanger-on and was with Jessica because of the popularity. The two were suited for one another. Anyway, Edward came back, and he and Bella worked it all out. The last time I saw them was at their wedding. They were so happy in love and were gorgeous. They moved shortly after, never returning to Forks from their honeymoon. Bella's dad stayed here. He went to visit them often from what I heard. Bella's dad was a man of few words, his name was Charlie. He was our police chief and a great man. He was so proud of his daughter. All we ever knew after Bella and Edward left was that they had a very important job that Charlie wouldn't and couldn't talk about much. He had told people that they eventually made him a grandfather but I don't know any details about how many. I would assume since here you are, its just you?"

I had never heard mine and Edward's story told by someone who knew us. We definitely had an amazing love story. Angela was still my good friend I could tell in her words and the way she spoke of me. She had missed me just as I had missed her. "No, I have a brother and sister as well, twins."

Angela smiled at that. "I'm sure Bella was thrilled to have been your grandmother."

"I never met my grandmother, and I don't remember my parents. My siblings remember my grandparents, but I was too young," I lied. It was hard using our cover story with Angela, but I had to protect us. "I wish I could say that I had gotten to meet her, but that's not the case sadly."

Angela reached out and gave me a comforting pat on my leg. "Dear, your grandmother was a wonderful person, a beautiful lady. You look so much like her, and your Edward he looks so much like her Edward, that I can see why old Mike was confused. I'm sure he probably said things to you both, but don't let the old man bother you. He has that Alzheimer's which has him off his rocker. Your grandmother had the same hair and light skin that you have, but your eyes are different. They are much more like Edward Cullen, your grandfather's."

Edward grinned at that. "Angela, thank you so much for your time. It is an honor hearing the story about Bella's grandma."

"Oh, no, the pleasure is mine to tell it," she responded. "Bella was a dear friend, a good friend to me. I missed her greatly after she was gone, but that is a part of life. Growing up, growing old, having your own journey. I started dating our friend, Tyler, a few years after Bella left. He proved to be a wonderful companion and husband. I went to college and became a dentist here in town. I retired a number of years ago, but I was still able to give back to our community. Not many of our group stayed here. Most of them left."

I couldn't help but want to know more about what turned out with my friends, my group. This would probably be the only chance I would ever have to find out. "What happened to the rest of my Grandma Cullen's friends?" I asked.

Angela nodded as she began to speak, "Oh dear, its like most groups of friends, college, babies, marriage. Lets see, Mike, Tyler, and I all stayed here in town. Mike, being the playboy he tried to be, married about four times, all of them ending in divorce." Angela laughed. "I know its not funny, but if you had known the Mike Newton that Bella and I knew, you would understand. He was quick to give up his affections. When Bella wouldn't go to prom with him, he skipped on to Jessica Stanley. I don't think that boy had any real good intentions. Eric Yorkie moved to New York I do believe. Jessica went to college for a while, moved back here, then ran off with a truck driver." Angela shook her head in disgust. "That girl…lets see, Lauren disappeared not long after Jessica ran off but nobody ever really knew where to. Her parents never talked about it much after the first year. Accepted that she just ran away. That's really about all I know about everyone these days."

I began to hear the tiredness in Angela's voice. I had forgotten what it was like to become tired and weary. When you are immortal and never sleep, rest isn't something you think about. Its not something you need anymore. I looked to Edward who obviously had been paying attention to the thoughts in Angela's mind. He nodded at me and motioned his head toward the door. I could tell he didn't want to leave just as I didn't but it was necessary for Angela. "Angela, Edward and I must get going," I said as I stood up. "Schoolwork to be done."

Angela started to get out of her sit. "We will let ourselves out," Edward insisted. "No need to bother yourself, ma'am. Thank you so much for speaking with us. I have thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon."

Edward reached his hand out to shake Angela's. She shook his hand and I couldn't settle for just that. I lowered my upper half and gave Angela a hug. "Thank you so much," I said. "I know that my grandmother had to love you and I'm sure she missed you and wished that she could have spent more time and been in contact with you."

Angela smiled at the though. "Thank you, dear. I never doubted, Bella. I knew that our friendship meant a lot to her and that if she could have, we would have been able to talk and maybe have seen each other. I'm glad she left a lineage. She would be proud of you."

I beamed at Angela. Hearing those words made my trip to her home more worthwhile then she would ever know. Edward and I let ourselves out. As soon as we were in the car, I spoke to my husband, "Thank you, Edward. I really needed to know that and hear that after all these years."

Edward smiled and me and kissed my lips. "You are welcome, love. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you or give you."