Disclaimer: I own nothing but Alyanna Swan, Damien Roux and Cadence Blythe. The twilight world characters belong to Ms. Stephenie Meyer. THIS DISCLAIMER WILL STAND FOR THE REST OF THE STORY AND IS SUBJECT TO REVISION ONLY UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES THAT NEW, ORIGINAL CHARACTERS EMERGE.

A/N: Here's a good, long chapter for y'all.:)

"Today in the blink of an eye, I'm holding on to something and I do not know why."

– Thunder, Boys like Girls

Chapter 14: Substantial Unearthing

"Well, you look dashing," Alyanna joked as she caught me looking over myself, for what seemed like the millionth time this night, at the mirror.

I answered with a quick, strained smile. And this caused her to raise an eyebrow— I would usually make a clever retort on her compliments but I was not in the mood for witty banters as of now.

I was irrationally agitated as I waited for 6:00, for the ringing of the doorbell that signaled Bella's arrival. I twitched as a car would pass, or when a soft purr of an engine would become recklessly close to the driveway. To say that I was nervous could be considered as a pathetic modulation of the tension I was feeling. And this was injudiciously uncalled for— it's not like this was a real date… just an innocent rendezvous between friends. That was if I could even consider Bella as just a friend— and that fact she, or anyone for that matter, could not know of. Not now.

But truth be told, I knew this wasn't the sole reason for the erratic beating of my heart. Since the symposium incident, which was now hopelessly buried in thick water, things started to get weirder. Or maybe it was because I started to notice things I didn't heed much mind into and found that they were quite unusual. A whole week I restrained my curiosity. A whole week I formulated possible theories and explanations on the Cullens' and Hales' peculiarity… I don't know how much longer I can suppress the longing of finally knowing the truth— to end my speculations which were now reaching frighteningly ludicrous levels.

I wasn't dim-witted to not realize that she, her family was different. There was something… wrong about them that made them… right. Perfectly right. That was a huge paradox that I intended to solve.

It didn't help my sanity at all that an old family friend told me some of their tribe's old legends when Charlie brought me down to La Push for a visit to his friend. The little boy scoffed at his tribe's legends but I, on the other hand, couldn't fail to see how frighteningly comparable they were to the current issues at hand. I wanted to believe as their elders did… but it seemed so idiotic at the time to just trust in their local folklore.

I wanted to know the truth, and I wanted it to come straight from Bella's lips.

"Where, may I ask, are you going tonight?" Alyanna asked as she observed me walking about in my room pretending to look for non-existent things to pass the time.

"Just out."

"With?"

I shrugged, "A friend."

"A friend?" I didn't need to look back to know that she was grinning widely, "Which friend?"

I frowned, "Why are you so interested?"

"Why won't you answer?"

"Who I go out with doesn't really concern you," I said, facing her and seeing that she was grinning. Idiotically, I might add.

Her lips were pressed in a fine line, fighting the urge to smile, "Fine, be like that. I'll see who she is when she gets here anyway."

"And why would you presume that it's a girl?"

She laughed loudly, "Edward, you're a nervous wreck. It would be much more comforting knowing that a girl caused this rather than someone of the same gender," her smile faltered, "unless, it is of the same gender."

"I'm not nervous," I brushed away her latter comment, feeling my face heat up, "Is it that obvious?"

Alyanna smiled, wickedly amused at my discomfort, "You should contain yourself before Renee sees you. That would send her off on a field day."

I sighed, closing my eyes.

I felt Alyanna stand next to me and I flinched as she tousled my hair. I scowled at her. My hair didn't need to be more disarrayed than it already was.

"It looks better like that," She winked, "Trust me."

I opened my mouth to reply but was cut off by the ringing of the doorbell. My heart hammered. I didn't hear a car pull over…

"Time for the big reveal," Alyanna said, raising an eyebrow and rushing to get to the door first.

I was momentarily stunned but I was snapped back to consciousness when I heard Alyanna's muffled greeting. I ran down the stairs, jumping the remaining three steps and turned toward the door— only to see my cousin and Alice Cullen in a tight embrace, Alice bouncing up and down in excitement, Alyanna's face a mask of pleasant surprise and puzzlement.

I felt my chest ache slightly. She must have come here to say that Bella cancelled. Of course. I shouldn't have drowned in expectation— she was the queen bee after all... I wouldn't blame her if she regretted her abruptness at lunch. She could have just called earlier though, and relieve me from the anxiety. Maybe royals were all the same…

I sighed and started to trudge my way back upstairs, until a melodious voice stopped me on my tracks.

"Hello Alyanna."

I turned slowly and felt the world slip from under my feet as I laid eyes on the inhumanly beautiful girl standing in the doorway. My heart stuttered and its beating immediately started to quicken. And as if she heard the irregularity of my heart beat, her eyes darted to me, once again shocking me with their molten depths— the golden orbs smiling with the secrets it held.

"Hi Isabella," Alyanna's voice was wrapped with curiosity, the greeting turned into a question.

"It's Bella," I corrected automatically, knowing how Bella hated to be called by her full name, as Bella also corrected Alyanna.

Alyanna raised her eyebrows and furtively exchanged glances with Alice, who in turn merely smiled.

"Edward, Alyanna, who's at the door?" Renee's voice echoed from upstairs.

Alyanna and I exchanged a glanced, my eyes silently pleading not to let Renee know— she wouldn't make me live through this if she did.

"Er, it's just Alice mom. Alice Cullen," She yelled, pushing me through the door, "Alice, mind if you come in first?" she pulled Alice inside, not even waiting for her okay, "You should go," She whispered, winking at us as she closed the door, muffling Renee's answer.

The atmosphere started to thicken as we stood in front of the door in an awkward silence.

"Did you have a particular place you wanted to go to tonight?" I asked, clearing my throat which suddenly felt dry.

Bella visibly relaxed as she turned to face me with a small smile on her face. "Anywhere's fine."

We walked to the car and I opened the door for her, asking if she wanted to eat something first. She grinned, her eyes shining yet again with whatever she was hiding, and told me she wasn't hungry. This didn't surprise me too much.

I went in, pulled out of the drive way and headed to our destination— all the while my heart was still hammering against my chest. I could practically feel the flow of blood through my body, adrenaline pulsing through my veins.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

I parked near Port Angeles, still not answering Bella's questions on where we were going. I was smiling, smirking more like, the whole drive here. Her stubbornness was adorable.

I was taking her to a place Alyanna and I used to go to when we were little— a huge patch of the sky was visible there, and the grass, sprawled with wild flowers, was like a thick fur carpet… very comfortable to sit on, not the stingy kind where you would itch all over for the first five seconds you sat on it. The trail leading to it was slightly off of the main road but did not leave much to stray. It was bordered by a variety of rocks and further surrounded by the green vegetation that was the trademark of Forks.

"We're going into the woods?" Bella asked, her eyes wide with concern, as I led her to said trail.

"Don't worry. We're not going that far inside."

She frowned. "It's not safe to go in there… with all the wild animals, especially since it's almost twilight."

I chuckled to ease her apprehension. "I won't let you get mauled by a bear, Bella."

"Getting mauled by a bear is the least of my worries." She muttered. It looked like it wasn't something she intended for me to hear so I ignored it and sighed.

I firmly grasped her shoulders, ignoring the pleasant tingling of electric shock that went through us— which happened to me every time our skin was in contact— and nudged her to walk forward.

She started along the path unsurely and I offered her a small smile. I watched in amusement as she muttered words under her breath, too soft for me to make out. Her eyes were wide and alert as they swept the perimeter of the visible trees. It almost seemed like she was waiting for something to jump out and attack us.

I let myself fall a step behind her, ready to catch her if ever she tripped— I could only wish she would though, so that I could have an excuse to hold her in my arms, as I knew that that occurrence could never happen, graceful as she was.

Huge towering trees surrounded the path, thinning as it went deeper into the woods. Although it was already getting dark, I knew this path to be safe— having already walked along it during later times. Nevertheless, I felt the urge to hold Bella near me, wanting to give her a tangible source of protection… though I was partly sure she didn't need any. I thought the better of it though, and resolved to just holding her cold hand as I started to walk faster, ahead of her, and lead her through the clearing of the trees. I didn't bother to glance at her reaction anymore, knowing it was alright with her. The act of contact was becoming a habit for us this past week.

We emerged through the trees, and the night sky was clearly visible in the open field. Wild flowers were still strewn randomly around the field, dancing in the soft wind, splaying the field with a rainbow of colors that was only slightly visible in the moonlight— just as I remembered it. The stars twinkled brightly, patches of light in the dark firmament, clearly asking for appropriate attention and admiration. Unluckily for them though, I was a bit too pre-occupied with something far more enthralling.

I tugged at Bella's hand as I sat down on the grass, urging her to do the same. She wrapped her arms around her legs in an embrace as she curled up beside me and looked up at the stars, amusement and wonder battling prevalence in her eyes. I felt my own eyes light up with wonder as I postulated reasons as to why her eyes contained such emotions.

"This is breathtaking," Bella's full lips was graced with a tender smile. I felt my own lips tug at the corner. "How did you come across this place?"

I looked up at the blanket of stars, not really seeing them clearly. How could I when something far more captivating, something far more radiant was sitting just in an arms' reach?

"When we were young, Alyanna and I liked to wander around by ourselves. We kind of got in a dare of some sorts and we landed up in this place," I glanced at her, her eyes were alight with curiosity, "The grass was slightly taller then… and there were less trees, I think."

"You and Alyanna seem pretty close."

I smiled slightly. "We treat each other as brother and sister. Though she loves to annoy the hell out of me, I can't deny that she makes everything more… bearable. She keeps my mind off things."

I saw her eyes swimming with questions.

"It was harder to keep my mind off petty things when I was still in Phoenix. She wasn't there to distract me." I added.

Bella nodded, mimicking me as she looked up at the star-studded sky. We sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company.

"You never did tell me…" Bella started, a few moments later.

I looked at her, expectant.

"Why did you move to Forks?" she asked, her gaze unwavering as she looked into my eyes. I was a bit taken aback— no one had directed that question to me in such a straight-forward manner.

I looked away, uneasy.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She tried to sound soothing, but I could hear the slight disappointment in her voice.

I ran my fingers through my hair instinctively. I considered telling her the truth… which was surprising as no one knew the real reason I moved here apart from Alyanna. The two Edwards in my head reasoned with my consciousness. Edward one was yelling at me that I was crazy to even consider exposing this weak part of myself to Bella— it was afraid that she'd use it somehow against me. But Edward two reasoned that she would never do that, not to me nor to anyone else for that matter. She just wasn't that kind of girl. Edward two also supposed that if I wanted her to tell me the truth about herself and if I wanted to earn her trust, the first step would be to give her my trust. Not that I didn't trust her— my trust was something she already held, I had unconsciously given it to her— no, that was not the reason I was so hesitant in telling her.

It was pride, if nothing else… I was embarrassed that I fled from Phoenix due to such a trivial reason— it was a blow to my male ego. I felt my face heat up once again.

Bella's eyebrows shot up as she saw me blushing— it was the first time she saw me do so, and this thought made my cheeks redden further.

How was I supposed to tell her in such an embarrassing circumstance?

"There's no need to be embarrassed. What, your ex was maniacally stalking you?" she grinned, but I thought I saw her eyes considerably tighten.

I smiled at her attempt to make things lighter for me. That didn't erase the fact that my face was as red as a tomato now, though. Her last comment was the breaking point.

"I wasn't strong enough." I muttered.

Her eyes showed her confusion. "Strong enough?"

I sighed, averting my gaze from her searching eyes. Now or never, I thought. If I wanted this to work though, the latter option was already null and void.

"Back at Phoenix, I was very… different. It wasn't just a matter of physical appearance, maybe there was something wrong with my genetic make-up but I could never truly relate to people of the same age as me. I didn't fit in anywhere."

I glanced at her, gauging her reaction so far. Her glorious face betrayed nothing.

"Most people there tended to avoid being caught in the same company as me… They didn't want their reputations to be muddied by my existence." I chuckled humorlessly.

Bella's eyes seemed to tighten then, her entire frame stiffened. "Why?"

"They were afraid." I shrugged.

Her eyes seemed to flare, causing the gold to smolder. "What were they afraid of?"

"The people there… they classify each others' self worth not only by their financial status. In Phoenix, your heritage, how you look, how you act, how many parties you went to, how many bottles of alcohol you can chug down… everything is accounted for," I paused, arranging my thoughts, "So even if you were filthy rich, if you didn't satisfy all the categories, you would still be a nobody. So those who were popular were not only rich, they were also malevolent."

"The most powerful back then, the popular crowd, the 'royals', they were also the most foolish," I sighed, "They did everything they could to appear cool, following their queen bee around. As long as she wanted something, there were no boundaries as to what her followers would do. It was quite… exasperatingly stupid of them."

"And following her orders, they did everything they could to make me an outcast." I frowned, thinking, "I still don't know why she made them do that… I don't recall doing anything that would make her hold a grudge against me…"

I sighed again, looking at Bella. She sat beside me with a small frown on her face. Even though that defect was carved in her lush lips, her beauty was still breathtaking.

"I wasn't strong enough to continue enduring that. So when the opportunity came for me to leave Phoenix, I immediately grasped it." I paused, contemplating whether I should continue. "In the long run though, I guess I should be grateful that they were as ruthless as they were."

Bella eyed me questioningly. "Why?"

"Well if it weren't for them, I wouldn't have moved here and made real friends." I winked at her. "I wouldn't have met you." And fallen into loving you.

I froze. Now where did that thought come from? I liked Bella. Very much. But I hadn't come to terms yet whether I loved her. Wasn't it too soon for that? Inevitable as the path to it may seem?

Bella's eyes widened slightly and she ducked her head, as if embarrassed. I could only subtly see the ghost of a smile on her lips. I continued to look at her, musing over that observation.

"And at least here, I get to feel… not too different." I added as an afterthought.

We were silent for a while and I tried, yet again, to appreciate the brilliant stars. And yet again, the attempt was futile.

My eyes darted down as I felt something cold and my heartbeat quickened as I saw Bella's small, slender hands enclosing my own. The already dim stars blackened and were absorbed by the night sky as I met her smoldering gaze.

"You are different," She whispered, "and very… important to me."

My heart was about to all but jump out of my chest. "As you are to me…" I said, my voice as soft as hers, every word burning my lips, and I vaguely considered not continuing what I wanted to say.

I weighed my choices. Should I destroy the moment or hold on to it and maybe lose the chance of ever getting the answers I wanted? My burning curiosity got the better of me. I wanted the answers more as of this moment.

"But, you're also… different." I whispered.

She stiffened infinitesimally. Her eyes were brimming with unspoken questions.

I focused on her expression. Would anything change between us, I wonder? One way or the other something would. I was honest with her, and now I wanted her trust. It was time for her to tell the truth.

I brushed her cheek softly, gently— as if it was something preciously delicate. I felt her shiver under my touch and I dropped my hand. A sudden surge of bravery rose up my chest as she took my hand and squeezed it in encouragement.

An understanding seemed to pass between us. She wanted to know how much I knew— exactly what my words had implied.

"Your skin is pale white and ice-cold," I murmured, "I've watched as your eyes change color, growing darker as the days pass. You move impossibly fast," I held her hand tenderly in mine, keeping my grasp very loose in case she wanted to withdraw her hand from mine, "You say you have fast reflexes but I don't believe it's just that. Even though you got over to me so fast at the symposium, the impact, my weight, it should have sent you falling too but you were standing straight as if it didn't even bother you." The words spilled out of my lips now, too fast. "And when we were about to leave, when I was trying to push you away, I couldn't. I'm pretty sure I'm not that weak. You were as still as a rock."

I averted my gaze from her, slightly embarrassed from what I was about to say next. "It sounds ridiculous but when you eat, it appears like it takes you a great deal of effort, like you'd rather not eat at all. And there are times when… you seem to be… communicating with your siblings without needing to talk." I stumbled through my words and frowned, realizing how manic the things I just said sounded.

Bella was very still now. I could tell from the way she held her body that she was very tensed. Seeing that, I was starting to regret saying my thoughts out loud. I lightly traced patterns on the back of her hand, wanting desperately to calm her. She relaxed slightly and spoke in a quiet voice.

"You're too perceptive for your own good."

I didn't drop her gaze now as she looked into my eyes— searching for answers that even I didn't know.

"What are you?" I whispered, surprised at how rough my voice sounded.

She hesitated, but then her eyes filled with fiery determination. "What do you think I am?"

A/N: So there isn't really anything too major that happened here. I only wanted Bella to know about Edward's history more. The truth is, this isn't where this chapter is supposed to end but if I continued it, it would be too long already. This is already fourteen pages, so to speak. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed reading this. It was hard to put together, one of the hardest by far.:) Oh and before you ask, the place Edward brought her to is not their meadow. It's a different place. The meadow might make an appearance later though. So pleaaaasssssee REVIEW.^_^