A/N: Trying my hand at a Twilight fic. This story starts during the summer before the events of New Moon. It will feature an OC main that will become the eventual love interest of Edward. Sorry to anyone who supports he and Bella but I believe he deserved better. Let me know what you think. Opinions and thoughts are always welcome. Please let me know what you think of the OC too! I love the feedback and appreciate any insight that can be offered : ) The story will be primarily from his perspective, though I might add a few excerpts from Vitalia's POV.

*Vitalia (name meaning) – full of life.

*Earthshine - a soft, faint glow on the shadowed part of the moon caused by the reflection of sunlight from the Earth.

Disclaimer: I do not own the setting or characters from the Twilight saga. They all belong entirely to Stephanie Meyer. I merely borrow for the purpose of creativity ;) I've also used a few references for Edward's experiences in New Moon from PA Lassiter, the brilliant author who wrote the entire saga from his point of view. Vitalia and her family are mine though, so please ask if you are interested in using any of them ;)

Earthshine

Chapter 1

"First Impression"

…

"His face contained for me all possibilities of fierceness and sweetness, pride and submissiveness, violence, self-containment. I never saw more in it than I had when I saw it first, because I saw everything then. The whole thing in him that I was going to love, and never catch or explain."

-Alice Munro

…

[Edward]

Just another day within the many glorious and countless that I'd spent with Bella this summer. The season was almost over, and the thought of what I would soon have to do lingered ever presently in the back of my mind.

But I ignored it. I couldn't bear to think on it. Every second with her was precious, and I committed it all to memory. That would be my only reference in the weeks…months…years of darkness to come. I couldn't waste any of the time I still had with her.

I got the feeling that she could sense something off about me on the rare occasions I'd even slightly lose myself to my haunting contemplations. But she ignored it too. It was something she didn't want to see. And I couldn't blame her. Neither of us wanted this.

'But it's for the best,' I reminded myself. It seemed I had to be constantly reminded.

Again ignoring all those depression-inducing contemplations, I looked over at the beauty beside me. She sat staring out the window as I drove at a frustratingly crawling place. Our hands entwined, I still marveled at her complete comfort in intimate solitude with me.

Looking over, she smiled tentatively and I returned it wholeheartedly. Why was there always an air of hesitance about her? I didn't understand. It was as if…she wasn't sure of my intent. Hadn't I made it clear?

We pulled into the parking lot of 'Newton's Olympic Outfitters' and I sighed before cutting the engine and reveling in the brief moment before we'd be separate for the next six hours or so. Leaning towards me, she beckoned for a kiss and I conceded. However, anticipating her typical prompt for more, I pulled away and again smiled.

"Have a good day; I'll be here at the end of your shift."

"Okay," she nodded before unbuckling her belt and stepping out of the car.

I watched her make her way inside, greeting Mike Newton on the way. The boy still got on my last nerve, but I tried to be more tolerant of him for Bella's sake. He was one of her friends (for some completely baffling reason!) His thoughts, as always, were clear and annoying.

'She always looks so nice. Even in that baggy uniform. It's been great working with her!'

Withholding the urge to jump out of my car and deliver a well-earned punch to his face, I reversed instead and sped away from the parking lot, accelerating quickly. It always felt so glorious to give way to my inherent urge for speed. As I drove, I wondered how I should preoccupy myself with this time away from my beloved.

Hunting? There wasn't a specific need for it other than boredom. Maybe Emmett would want to accompany me. Another option was bringing Alice out for the shopping expedition she'd been begging me to take her on. Though she was completely capable of going alone, she preferred to have someone keep her company.

I supposed that I might as well. Again I was presented with the wish that Bella was more open to receiving gifts. There were a great many things I would've liked to purchase for her. However, there wasn't any changing her mind about it and so I discarded that thought. Who else could I potentially shop for?

A smile crossed my face. Esme, my mother. She always enjoyed little tokens of affection. It would make the trip worthwhile, at least. Pulling down our driveway and into the garage, I nodded to Rosalie as I stepped out of my car.

'Counting the minutes 'til precious Bella gets off?'

I smiled to confirm her thought.

'Ugh! You're seriously pathetic.'

Deciding to withhold commenting on her unoriginal thoughts, I walked past her and towards the house, where I spotted Alice gathering a bundle of wildflowers. I often came across her doing the most random of things. At least she never got bored.

"Edward!" She hollered as soon as she saw me, having already seen what I had planned. Her enthusiasm was entirely visible as she grinned widely and threw out her hands, the flowers falling in a scattered array around her.

I chuckled and, after accepting the hug, stepped back before lifting my hand and brushing the colored petals from her hair. "Ready to go?"

She nodded before holding up a finger and entering the house. I followed her inside, deciding to greet my father and mother before leaving. They each nodded to me as I heard my sister exchange a quick goodbye with Jasper.

A moment later, Alice reappeared and grabbed my hand before pulling me towards the door. I let her lead the way back to the garage, where she opened the passenger door of my Vanquish. Don't get me wrong, I love driving the car, but it isn't exactly as 'covert' as I would prefer. Still, I supposed, since we were going out of town, I might as well take up the opportunity.

'Where are you two going?'

I merely waved to Rosalie before sliding into the driver's seat and taking the wheel, already feeling my mounting enthusiasm for the road. I pulled away before glancing over as Alice started sifting through my CDs. Selecting one, she popped it in before turning up the volume and humming along to the familiar song.

I watched my speedometer reach the triple digits before scanning the area for any radars. It was clear. Beginning to think over a suitable present for Esme, I concluded that she'd probably like some decorations for her office. From beside me, I could hear Alice's mental list.

'…and I need a new pair of shoes to go with those jeans I purchased last month. Hm…black! That'll go with the designs on the back pockets. And then I'll-'

Trying my best to tune her out, I instead focused on the instruments and lyrics within the song playing. I drummed my hands almost subconsciously to the beat of it and automatically began translating it into its piano form. I used to do that all the time. I'd hear a song I liked and proceed to play it by ear. It had been awhile since I'd done that.

Then a loud thought entered my head, its entrance unexpected. Simultaneously, from around the bend, I saw a set of headlights and the frontend of a blue Camaro.

'Here we go!' The unknown, male voice proclaimed in humor. 'First victim.'

"Edward," Alice's eyes grew wide. "Slow down!"

"I'm not going to hit him," I complained. She was doubting my abilities.

"He's going to veer towards you!"

'Is this guy insane!?' I thought irately. Reluctantly, I eased off the gas pedal as the Camaro pulled into my lane. He was trying to play a game of chicken. I glared through his windshield and the voices from within his car reached me. There were three total.

"I'm serious," a woman said in a stern voice. "Stop playing around before you get us killed!"

At least someone had some sense.

A younger female voice, however, cheered him on. "Don't listen to her, dad, you got this!"

They were a family, I mused, led by an extremely irresponsible, paternal figure. He approached swiftly and I held my ground. He had underestimated my speed and, had I ignored Alice and continued without slowing, he might've been seriously injured in trying to avoid me. There was a guard rail and the only way I might've avoided him was through damaging my own car. Something I would not have been happy about.

As predicted, he cursed before shifting back into his own lane. I caught his eye as he passed, but he only offered a smirk and a wave. From beside him, the woman rolled her eyes and glared while, in the back seat, their teen daughter shook her head before starting to laugh.

I looked away and accelerated forward. I couldn't get over how some people could be so completely impervious to their own fragility. They were often reckless that way. If only that man had known what he was facing off against.

"Well," Alice said with a tilt of her head, "that was sort of fun."

I just shook my head before deciding to change the subject, "how's your fashion line coming along?"

She giggled, "That's like commenting on the weather. Nice aversion tactic."

I shrugged, leaving it up to her to continue. And continue she did. For the entire rest of the ride, she detailed all the new design plans she had set up for the fall season. I appreciated the distraction though, uninteresting as it was.

We arrived in Port Angeles, and she hopped onto the sidewalk before directing me towards a row of antique shops. I saw in her head all the places she planned to visit. I tried not to focus on the fact that the last time I'd been in this city, I had rescued Bella from a group of criminals.

To this day, I could feel the dormant anger brewing in my chest at the knowledge that I had simply let them walk away. My father took care of it, but I would've thoroughly enjoyed destroying them myself.

"In here!" Alice called before darting through a set of doors, above which hung a rusty bell.

Hanging back, I absently observed a line of paintings on the wall, each one depicting a different scene. There were a few black and white cityscapes, and several brightly colored meadow and ocean depictions.

My eyes lowered and lingered on one of a town square, where streams of lighting hung above and a faceless crowd had stopped to observe the couple dancing in the center. A band of musicians were holding a vast array of instruments and the brush strokes had been arranged in wisps to depict the tangible liveliness.

I don't know what it was that drew me to the scene, but I almost felt captivated by it. The simplicity was so enormously contrasted by the obvious vivacity. It reminded me of New Orleans, a place always thriving in its nightlife. There was excitement and pleasure, an indulgent thrill of complete abandon.

"It's nice."

Alice had sidled up beside me while holding a Monet replica that was nearly as large as she was. Averting my focus, I titled my head and pointedly looked to the painting in her hands. "Would you like to take that to the car before we continue?"

"Nope," she answered before handing it off to me and dancing out of the shop.

With a shake of my head, I glanced to the street scene a final time before following my sister down the sidewalk and to our next destination. The rest of our afternoon continued in the same mediocre way. Still, I supposed it was sort of nice to just walk aimlessly around. I was eagerly anticipating the hour in which Bella's shift would be over, but I also reveled in that same anticipation. I had never felt anything like it before she came along.

It always gave me something to look forward to.

The sun was starting to descend in the sky when Alice suggested we head back. I concurred and led the way to the car before arranging the items she had bought in the trunk and then igniting the engine. The returning drive was a little less eventful and I simply contented myself with focusing on my eagerness to see Bella for the evening. I really wish she hadn't felt the need to get that job, it severely limited the time I could spend with her.

"Has something been bothering you, Edward?"

I looked to my sister before forcing a smile, "no, why?"

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously but I knew she couldn't possibly know what was circulating in my mind. I hadn't made any solid decisions yet. "You just seem a little…down. Not all the time but…sometimes. Mostly when I catch you staring off into space like that."

I didn't really want to be reminded of the fact that I might have to leave Bella at the end of the summer and so I tried my best to keep from dwelling on it, especially since people were apparently starting to notice. I couldn't tell Alice about it just yet though or she would try and persuade me against it.

I shrugged, "Nothing's wrong." Another smile formed and I looked towards the road, "promise."

"Alright," she sighed. "Be that way."

She wasn't convinced. Still, I decided to change the subject. "We should probably go hunting tomorrow afternoon."

"I have some things to take care of," she responded and I saw a few different designs flash through her mind. "But I'm sure Emmett would love to take you up on that offer."

I nodded and fell silent for several moments before selecting another CD and letting it play for the remaining duration of our drive. Usually Alice was an insatiable talker but she had taken to quietly analyzing my face instead. I don't know what she was expecting to find but I pretended not to notice.

When we pulled up to the house, I waved to her as she stepped out and she offered a grin before calling out to Jasper to help her unload the items she'd purchased. He came sprinting out of the house and looked into her eyes a brief moment before she stood on her toes to place a quick kiss on his lips.

I glanced away, giving them as much 'privacy' as I could before they opened the trunk, removed the items within and offered another set of waves as they turned to stride across the yard. My sister chatted to Jasper animatedly about the very same ideas she had already shared with me. He merely nodded and wore a fixated smile, content to simply listen to the sound of her voice. Their relationship had always been somewhat exceptional to me. I don't really know what it was exactly. It just seemed to possess a great deal of…depth.

And a strange thought passed through my mind then, one that I immediately suppressed. Did my own relationship with Bella even compare?

It didn't matter. I loved her and that was enough.

Reversing, I sped down the driveway and eagerly towards Olympic Outfitter's. My anticipation grew and I accelerated across the highway and into the parking lot. Looking to my phone, I saw that she still had another fifteen minutes until the end of her shift. In comparison to the hours I had already spent waiting, these last few minutes seemed as if they would take an eternity to pass. It still amazed me how much more value time seemed to possess since Bella had become a part of my life. I was aware of each minute with or without her.

As my eyes absently scanned the parking lot and I drummed my fingers to the music on my stereo, I suddenly stopped as I spotted the car that was parked a few rows down. It was unmistakable and the license plate matched. 'How ironic,' I mused humorlessly.

It was a blue Camaro.

Debating whether to simply ignore it or go inside and see the trio of maniacal humans for myself, it only took a few seconds before I stepped out and leisurely ventured across the lot. Curiosity, once again, had gotten the best of me. I wondered if they would recognize me in turn, though I somewhat doubted it. I had still been driving much too fast for them to make note of any solid features. Furthermore, my windows were tinted to the highest, legal degree.

The wooden steps creaked beneath my feet and I pulled open the door to be met with the familiar sight of a vast array of recreational gear. A line of customers stood waiting and I met the eye of Bella as she looked up in surprise. I didn't usually wait for her inside.

I merely offered a small smile and hung back against the wall opposite the counter as I observed the guests. No one looked familiar to me though.

"Hey there, Edward," Mike greeted with a grin and a wave. He had been making an effort to be more courteous towards me since he had finally (somewhat) stopped in his endless pursuit of my girlfriend.

I nodded to him and held my hands comfortably within my pockets. I concluded that the trio was walking about the store somewhere and so I decided to idly peruse the aisles. I noticed that Bella had sent me another confused look and I wondered what I should tell her. And she would ask, I was under no delusion of anything contrary. I suppose I was behaving a bit oddly, after all. I questioned why I was even doing this in the first place.

It was probably a bad sign that these people were shopping for any sort of gear that would put them directly in harm's way, whether hiking, rafting or even simply camping. I found the parents in the hunting section and I had to withhold a smirk in response. That was by far the riskiest of the sponsored excursions and far surpassing any of the ones I had just mentally listed.

'Now what?' I wondered to myself.

The responsible party was currently looking through the scope of a rifle and his wife was intently inspecting a selection of hunting bows. They were crazy! And I had thought Bella was a magnet for danger. 'No, they're different. They don't merely attract it, they rush out to meet it.'

Before they noticed me staring, I decided to turn and continue walking. I had seen them but my curiosity was still present. What was I trying to do? Why was their behavior strangely interesting to me?

"Can I help you find anything, mister?"

It took me a second to register that the young voice was directed towards me and I stopped and turned to stare down into the playful face of the third member of the family. Her eyes took me by surprise a moment, not only the color, which was an admittedly remarkable shade of blue, but the energetic spark that was so profoundly evident behind them.

"You don't work here," I stated. Bella had not mentioned any new employees and I was pretty certain that she and her family were merely visiting Forks, as their car had a Texas license plate.

"Ah," she stated with mock disappointment, "you caught me."

I didn't really know to respond to that and so I merely nodded.

"But you've been wandering around the aisles like you're lost."

It seemed I had been caught in turn. I hadn't even noticed anyone watching me.

"I'm just waiting," I explained.

"Aren't we all?" she responded cryptically.

Tilting my head, I regarded the girl inquisitively, her thoughts clear and direct.

'He's kind of a strange guy,' she mused.

"You're kind of strange," she then said aloud. I withheld a look of surprise. Not many people were so open about saying exactly what they were thinking, nonetheless so forward about saying such a thing to me. In fact, most were entirely deterred against even approaching.

Then again, she and her parents were seekers of danger and the nonverbal impact my presence always seemed to inflict over people was probably the very reason why she was speaking to me.

"Oh wait," she pointed with a sly expression. "You're a stalker! That has to be it."

And that caught me off guard. Was she serious? I couldn't tell because she had made the declaration impulsively without any accompanying or prior thought. I suppose my behavior could definitely be construed that way. Did she recognize me? I didn't think it was likely.

But how to respond? I had to say something. If she was joking it'd probably be best to play along. "Well," I began before forcing a natural-looking smirk onto my face, "you're not too far off actually."

"I knew it," she replied before shaking her head. 'This is kind of fun. Wonder how long I can keep this up. Hm…I'll threaten him! Yeah, that'd be a good direction for this.'

So she was joking. That was a relief. It was a little humorous that she was actually going to try threatening me though.

"Well, you better keep your distance," she warned. "Or I'll shoot you in the foot."

'Of all the threats…' I thought in a moment of disbelief. "What?" I asked dully.

"You heard me," she reiterated. "I'll shoot you and then kick you down. You'll be off-balance that way, you see."

"Ah," I responded and exaggeratedly nodded, "of course. That makes perfect sense."

An image passed through her mind of exactly the scenario she was describing and I withheld a smile in reaction to the knowledge that it definitely wouldn't transpire the same way in reality. The bullet would probably ricochet and then she'd severely damage her own foot in the process.

Well, actually, I'd have to avoid even allowing her to shoot me altogether, as I wouldn't be able to explain why it wouldn't work. Still, she was only making a threat and so I supposed I didn't even need to worry about it all anyway. It was so surreal to me that this little girl was even threatening me to begin with. There was absolutely no trace of fear to speak of within her mind.

"Yep," she replied before looking to her parents as they seemed to decide on a gun. "You'll meet the same fate as the bears we're fixing to hunt."

"Bears, huh?" I asked as I also observed the pair.

'This'll do nicely,' her father remarked silently.

'You're ridiculous,' his wife complained to herself.

"They're my favorite," she replied then and looked to me with a small grin. And she was entirely serious. I thought of Emmett then and found it strange that this human was as eager and selective about her game as a vampire. Then again, my brother had enjoyed hunting grizzly before his transformation as well. It had cost him his life.

Would she eventually meet that same fate? It seemed so disturbingly likely.

"Do you shoot bears in the foot before kicking them?" I jested.

"Yeah," she said immediately. And I was surprised to find that it was true. An admittedly amusing vision passed through her mind in response. There was a certain pleasure she associated with the event. It was inexplicable.

"…got it," I replied, a little unsure how to even proceed. It seemed she and her father both enjoyed, on top of actually hunting, merely messing around with the animals as well. Shooting and kicking them before running off, permitting the chase, and then having someone cover their escape before finally killing the animal. It was a dangerous activity.

"You should try it sometime," she urged a little too eagerly.

I delivered an incredulous look before shaking my head, "I appreciate the suggestion, but no. I prefer...more conventional methods of hunting."

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"Exactly as I said," I replied smoothly, "conventional. Traditional, if you prefer."

"Pssh, that sounds so lame."

"I could say the same."

"You could," she reiterated.

Within the silence that followed, I acknowledged that the more I learned about this family, the more bizarre they became. They didn't fit into the standards of society by any means. It was curious indeed. I wondered why they had driven all the way from Texas, though decided I could hardly voice that inquiry lest I grant credence to her accusation that I was truly a stalker.

'Well, this conversation really died,' she began thinking amidst the lull. 'What else can I say? Ooh, right! His n-"

"What's your name?" she interrupted her own thoughts.

I felt compelled to chuckle in reaction to the processes in her head, but decided against it. After all, why would I find her question humorous?

"Edward Cullen," I replied smoothly.

"Nice to meet you, Eddy," the girl responded, surprising me with the instant nickname. No one had ever addressed me in such a carefree way before. "Did you grow up here? In Forks?"

I observed her silently before shaking her head, "no. In fact, my family and I have only recently moved here." Then I realized that the girl had jut created a perfect opening for me to voice my earlier inquiry. I smiled slightly, "What about you? Where are you from?"

'There,' I thought, 'nothing suspicious about that.'

"Oh no, we're only visiting. Every summer me and my parents take a road trip to various locations on the west coast to hunt," she grinned. "I'm from Texas."

'They came all the way out here to hunt? Better game, I'm guessing?' I titled my head, "Texas? What part? My step-brother's from there. Houston." I found it odd that neither she nor her parents had any form of southern accent to speak of, unlike Jasper. I suspected they had actually moved to that state from somewhere else.

"San Antonio," she responded with a continued openness. There was absolutely no hesitance in her demeanor. Then, she surprised me again by offering her hand, a friendly enough gesture but one I was entirely unaccustomed to receive from anyone. What was I suppose to do in this situation? To refuse might come across as…odd. And rude. "I'm Vitalia," she said, "You forgot to ask."

Slowly and carefully, I removed my hand from my pocket and accepted hers, though noted the expected look of astonishment that came across her face in reaction to the stark coldness. "On the contrary, you immediately proceeded to ask me a question after I had revealed mine."

"Damn," she stated as she withdrew her hold, "your hand is freezing!"

'That's kind of…' her thoughts immediately, almost forcibly halted and she observed my eyes closely, narrowing hers in an appraising way. It caught me off guard. What did that look of hers mean? Her thoughts had suddenly become so guarded.

But then she exhaled and I saw the briefest of shrugs before her thoughts continued. 'Eh, I'm just being paranoid.'

I didn't know what to make of the things she was thinking. Did she suspect that something was…off about me? There still wasn't any fear though. And the way she had looked into my eyes…it was as if she had merely been confirming something.

'Who are these people?' I wondered to myself. Within such a short time, their mystery had intensified.

'Who is this guy?' She was also musing. 'He's really weird but…there's something else. I don't know what it is. What an interesting first impression.'

"Well it was nice to have met you as well, Vitalia," I said finally, ignoring her outburst.

"First impressions are always surprising," she stated aloud.

I nodded, "they certainly are."

Another moment passed in which I appraised her more closely, that liveliness in her eyes more fully capturing my attention. I was reminded of that painting in the antique store, how tangible and riveting it was. She was an individual who thrived in all that life had to offer, it was so brazenly apparent.

'His eyes are so attentive, like they can see right through me,' she was thinking in unison, observing me as I observed her. 'But I can see him too. He's a conflicted person. There's something…dangerous about him. Yeah, but also not, like he's actually…good. Kind of like daddy in that way, I guess. Knowing him would be such an adventure, I can tell.'

She had lost me on that last part, but I found it almost amazing that she was able to see so much in me. It was a little unnerving. I even felt a little…exposed. Her thoughts were so straightforward and honest and yet, despite being privy to them, there was a great deal more that I didn't understand.

'An adventure?' I thought to myself absently, my mind transported briefly to one of the hazy images of my past. I saw myself, lying in bed and flipping through the pages of the novel that had impacted my young life more than any other. It was strange that my mind had conjured that scene within such a moment.

Peter Pan, the boy who had never grown up. Even now, I appreciated the value within the compelling plot. The moral at the heart of it all. We're all supposed to move forward, we're supposed to grow into adults and live. We're also supposed to die.

It's the way things should have always been.

But this spirited little girl was entirely wrong. Knowing me wouldn't be an adventure at all. It'd be a tragedy. I was reminded of what I was going to have to do at the end of the summer. The goodbye I would have to say to Bella.

My eyes lowered.

'He looks so sad all of the sudden…'

And they returned to hers in concealed astonishment. She was still observing me and offered a consolatory smile.

"Are you regretting your stalkerly ways?"

I couldn't contain the smile that was prompted in response. It was such an absurd thing to hear amidst my reverie. "I suppose so."

'Where'd Vi go?'

I heard her mother silently wonder before I saw she and the girl's father round the corner and approach us. They both looked to me curiously and I decided it was time to excuse myself.

I nodded my head slightly to Vitalia, catching her gaze a final time, before turning and making my way to the front of the store, where I offered Bella a small, appeasing smile when she furrowed her brows. Exiting the establishment, I listened to the parting thoughts and comments of the strange, Texan family.

"Who was that?" the man asked. 'Looked harmless enough.'

"Did you know him, daughter?" The mother asked and I found it curious that she chose to refer to her in that way. Must've been some inside joke between them. 'He had such a nice face.'

"No, I've never seen him before. Probably won't again either," the girl replied to them both. 'Which is too bad. I liked talking to him. It was fun.'

I shook my head as I climbed into my car and waited for the next few minutes to pass. They were so crazy! Nice, harmless, fun to talk to? They had no idea what they were talking about.

And yet…that girl had seen right through me with those eyes of hers, which were so filled with something mine would never again possess.

It had been such a weird sensation.

To be continued…