Summary: Edward Cullen, vampire hunter, is given an assignment he can't refuse. Bella Swan.

An~ this is the story of The Game in Edwards pov. Might be helpful if you read The Game first. Helpful but not necessary. This is Edwards' part from September until that day in the woods.

And since I hate repetition, I won't be putting all of the conversations that they had, just the general gist of it. Plus this is covering over seven chapters.

The Game...Edward style.

Chapter 1

Wow...would you look at him!

Here I was minding my own business, thinking that maybe I could get a cup of coffee and read a few chapters of my book when the thoughts from the women across the room assaulted me. Usually I don't get the thoughts of people so far away...but then again, they're usually not as, um, strong, as hers were.

I hurriedly shut my eyes, trying to concentrate on doing the blocking techniques it took me years to perfect.

But there was only so much blocking I could do as the woman's thought kept coming at me.

And let's just say I kept getting a little, um...distracted.

In her thought we were in a bedroom, hers I could tell by the familiarity of it. She hungrily attacked my lips, and I did the same to her. She roughly pulled at my hair and I moaned into her mouth.

I also had to stop myself from moaning out loud in the coffee shop.

The moan set her off, causing her to rip open my shirt, buttons went flying. She trailed her deep red fingernails over my chest and nipples, over my stomach to the waist band of my jeans.

I was heavily panting. And I'm pretty sure the couple next to me thought I was crazy from the looks they were giving me. I didn't even have to read their minds to know that.

The woman got down on her knees, kissing her way down as she went, lingering on my happy trail. She made busy work undoing the button on my pants. But when it came to undoing my zipper, the action was drawn out.

This was the part when she looked up at me, but in her mind all I could see was myself, and that kind of freaked me out. I had to stop her before she could think of anything else.

Her gaze went back to her handiwork, pulling the zipper all the way down. She smiled, licking her lips in anticipation. I wasn't wearing any underwear. She reached up lightly caressing my-

I pushed my chair back abruptly; the chair scratched the floor causing her to look up from her daydream. When she saw me looking at her, her face blanched, and she quickly looked down, stirring her coffee.

Oh my God, Oh my God, oh my God! He's looking at me. I can't believe it!

I knew from her though that she planned on looking back up at me, smiling. She thought about asking me for my number. Maybe another cup of coffee.

I couldn't let that happen. I came here to get a cup of coffee and read my book. Not to get molested in someone's thought.

Sometimes I wish I could meet just one person's who's mind I can't read.

I grabbed my beat up book off the table, throwing the cup in the trash. The coffee had been long since drinkable. As I pushed my way out the door, I knew her eyes were following me. He thought told me so. And for some reason, I still couldn't block her.

She analyzed every step I took toward the door, while I tried to build back up the walls.

I had gotten so good at blocking people's thoughts that I had let my guard down. Most of the time it's fine, the thoughts just seem to float around me. But others, like that woman in the coffee shop, there's just seem to pull me in.

And it's usually in those where I'm in some type of compromising position with a woman.

And those generally tend to freak me out. Mostly because I know from past experiences that their thoughts don't usually live up to their expectations.

After I had gone several blocks down the busy sidewalk from the coffee shop, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

"Hello?"

"Edward." I heard my father's, Carlisle, voice on the other end. "We have a job for you."

A job for the family isn't a normal job. But then again, neither am I.

Don't go thinking it's like the mob or anything, because it's not. My family hunts vampires.

Yes, vampires. They do exist.

Although, they may or may not be like Hollywood wants you to believe they are.

As the cab I took across town pulled up to my house, I wondered what this job was going to be like. Most of the jobs I do, I don't get very involved with because I only get used for one thing.

My mind reading skills.

The skills I got from having head trauma when I was little. Not sure how it happened. One minute I go from being normal to the next where I was answering unasked questions.

I paid the cabbie, and then made my way up the drive where I was met by my sister Rosalie's better half, Emmett.

"Hey, bro." He said to me. Unlike the rest of my family, who tends to just talk to me in their minds whenever we're alone, Emmett likes to talk out loud. When he first found out what I could do, I thought he'd be a little apprehensive at first, but he wasn't. He thought it was "cool" that I could read minds. Then he told me "If I wasn't with your sister right now, I'd take you to a bar and have you help me pick up chicks."

He still doesn't understand what I'm single, or at least have a girl on my arm at all times. He doesn't get that it's not the same getting to know them, because I'll know when they lie.

It was soon after Rosalie brought him home that I realized why Emmett didn't care if I could read his mind or not. Because he always told everyone what was on his mind, regardless of what it is. And usually when he and Rosalie are in the same room for long periods of time, I generally have to find a room far away from them, because let's face it; I know that he and my sister have a sex life. But I don't need to see it.

"Just thought I'd give you the heads up" he said, putting an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into the foyer, taking a look around before he spoke. I could have just read him mind, but I like that Emmett at least tries to act like I'm normal. "Uncle Aro is here."

"What?"

"Yeah."

We turned and made our way down the hall. Having uncle Aro here was a big deal. Usually for jobs he tends to just call and tell us what he wants. If uncle Aro was here, that means that this job is something big enough for him to come to the states.

"Ah, Edward. Just the man I wanted to see." Aro said to me once Emmett and I stepped through the door. I saw my cousins Alec and Jane here as well; them being here really did confirm that this is big. They'd be happy if they didn't ever have to see us. "Edward, we don't have much time for family reunions." I nodded my head. They never had time for those.

He handed me a folder stacked with paper, then motioned for me to open it. "As you can see the subjects name is Isabella Swan, age twenty. She was born and raised in a town call Forks in Washington. Its several hours North West of Seattle. She currently resides in Waco Texas, where she attends Baylor University."

Everyone in the room looked at me. I just rolled my eyes, shaking my head. They wanted to know what i would say about them sending me to the same town as Jasper, my brother. Who I wasn't too happy with right now. And I doubt seeing him in this place would make me any happier. Well, Waco's big, maybe I can ignore him.

Like I choose to ignore their silent questions.

"So besides the rundown on this subject, what are we dealing with?" I asked to cover the silence.

"Well," Aro looked a little weary. "We don't really know."

My hand stopped mid turn of the page I was looking at "You don't know?" Usually Aro never starts a job without knowing all details about the situation.

"No. Inside sources confirmed that groups of vampires are coming together for one goal." He turned around, signaling to Alec and Jane. An overhead projector was set up and at that moment a picture flashed on the screen. "Isabella Swan."

The picture wasn't the best in the world. It was grainy and pixilated. And it looked as though the picture was taken by a security camera while she pumped gas.

"The same picture is in the file." Aro continued. "This is the most recent picture we could find. Sources say she doesn't go out much, and there's a list of places that she goes to, and she works for the university library. If you have any trouble locating her, you can look for her roommate, Mary Alice Brandon age nineteen."

Another picture flashed on the overhead of a short girl with spiky black hair looking through clothing racks.

"Alice is apparently popular on campus, with many friends, and she tends to drag Isabella along with her."

"So what do you need me to do?" I asked, even though I knew already.

"Find Isabella, listen to her, and see what she knows. You should be able to do it pretty quick. If she or anyone she comes in contact with knows anything about vampires, let us know immediately."

I left not to long after that to catch a plane to Texas. Mom and Rosalie had already packed a bag for me. Dad gave me information on where I would be staying and told me that I would have to live as a college student...therefore I couldn't take my Vanquish. They said it wouldn't fit in for me to take it.

Before I walked out the door, dad said to me, silently. 'Please see your brother. He may be able to help.'

I think that he knew that I had no plans on following through with that, but he said it anyway.

When I finally made it to Waco, it didn't take long to find Isabella, Bella as she told everyone to call her, Swan. She spent most her time in the library. Either doing her work or studying. She didn't have much of a life unless you count the times Alice dragged her off shopping or to parties.

I also didn't get anything from their minds about vampires, but usually they were always in crowded areas, and it was those times that it was hard to concentrate on one mind.

I decided to stick around until I could follow Bella to an area that wasn't crowded. That took a while.

But one day she and Alice were sitting in the Java Cafe, where Bella ordered her usual white hot chocolate, when someone else came down and sat at their table. This person, I knew, knew about the existence of vampires. But I knew that it wouldn't help us much, because the person who sat down was my brother, Jasper.

For a few minutes I thought about swallowing my pride and telling him why I was here, because he could be my way in. As I thought about my options I almost missed Bella leaving the table. I followed her down several blocks until she stepped inside a store. Second Chance Books. I stepped inside several minutes later.

As the musky book smell assaulted my smell, I noticed that there were several people in the store, and that it was big enough where I could move around unnoticed.

The first place I looked at in the bookstore was the young adult section, thinking that she'd be like the rest of her peers and read the lovey-dovey teen cheesy romances.

But she wasn't there.

I tried to pick out her thoughts from the others, but in reality I don't know what she sounds like, so it could have been any of them really. I made my way farther into the store, and when I came to the classic fiction section, I saw her sitting in the floor, back against the book shelve, reading a copy of Pride and Prejudice.

I stood there for several moments just looking at her. There hadn't been many times that I could just look at her. It has always been those crowded area, and I didn't want to seem stalker-ish.

Even if that's what I was actually doing.

But now I could. The first moment I saw Bella Swan, I thought she was pretty, talking to a few people in the school library, showing them what they needed to know or just making casual conversation. No matter how much I told myself that I didn't need to be noticing her like that.

But here in the dim light, surrounded but classic literature, she was almost heavenly. It was peaceful.

I hurriedly broke my gaze and went to the aisle behind her, stopping when I saw her through the shelves, and opened my mind to her. Not that I really wanted to hear about Mr. Darcy and Lizzy, but I wanted to know what she thought about them.

As I sat there in silence, I realized something as she turned the page.

I was sitting there in silence.

I leaned in closer to her, concentrating only on her.

Still nothing.

For the first time in my life that I can remember, I couldn't' hear someone's thoughts. I know I wished for it for so long, but I don't know if I really like this. Plus, this person just so happens to be the girl I was sent here to spy on.

I pulled a book out of the shelf and mirrored her sitting just so if anyone would walk by they wouldn't think I was watching her. I was hoping that this was going to be a delayed reaction or something, and that soon her thoughts would come to me. I looked at the title in my hands before I opened it up to a random page. 1984. Huh? Ironic.

As I still sat there in silence I was beginning to think either she had left or that she didn't think at all. I had an urge to turn my head to make sure she was actually still there, when I heard her giggle, which made me smile in return at the sound,

Then I grew annoyed. Instead of someone else's thoughts assaulting me, it was my own this time. What was she giggling at? Was it actually funny? And last, Could I make her laugh too?

I mentally shook my head. That was something I definitely didn't need to think about that.

As i tried to get myself to stop thinking about her in that why, I opened my mind more, hoping that all this time had just been a fluke and that I could read her mind.

Silence

Opened my mind more.

Need to pick Jimmy up from the school.

Need to buy cake mix from the store.

I want a puppy

And right before I could close my mind off, one word causes my blood to run cold.

Bbbeeeeelllllllllaaaaa.

I quickly got up, searching the store, opening myself to all the inhabitants. With all of thoughts coming at me, I didn't catch any one sounding like that word. Who ever thought it either masked their voice because I couldn't tell if it were male or female or if the thought was in a whisper.

But it made me think that maybe, just maybe, they knew about what I could do.

Ater that day, I went probably the lowest of the low.

I started breaking into Bella room at night. I didn't do anything, just watched her sleep. Being in the marines had taught me how to be sly, plus it didn't hurt that Bella was a heavy sleeper.

Each night I would sneak in and listen to her. I could listen to her, because she talked in her sleep. This was the only time that I could get inside of her mind. Though, mostly it just left me with more questions. Like, what was wrong with math? Why did she not like to go shopping? And who the hell was Jake?

From what she says in her sleep about him, made me think he destroyed her heart. And for some reason I wanted to beat his head in because of it.

I kept telling myself that sneaking into her bedroom at night was purely for educational purposes.

Though after several weeks, I was no closer to finding out why I couldn't read her mind, nor could I find any reasons for vampires to be after her.

I also didn't let my family know that I couldn't read her mind. I didn't want to give up my time with her, even if I knew it wouldn't get me any closer to her.

Towards the end of November I decided to change my tactics with her.

I let her see me.

It wasn't what Aro or my dad wanted, they wanted me to come home, since I hadn't discovered anything. But I decided to remain here and remain visual; after all I had heard more whispers of her name. The numbers were growing by the days.

I didn't want to leave because I felt something coming.

I didn't know what, but I knew something was. Dad and Aro decided to send back up, meaning that Emmett and Rosalie would be coming. Which means I would be spending even less time in the apartment than I what I was.

But at least they were bringing my Vanquish.

Bad even decided to tell Jasper what was going on. I told dad told it was fine; just not to give him specifics, like names. No one in the family would like it if Jasper flunked the semester because he was too worried about someone.

And that someone was Alice Brandon.

Alice, being Bella's best friend and roommate, was in the same danger Bella was in, because they would use her to get to Bella. Jasper didn't need that, because it was pretty clear from watching them together that he was in love with her. And her him.

It didn't take mind reading skills to figure out that they are both in love with each other.

Of course neither one has said anything yet, but I'm kind of hoping that he grows some balls soon and tells her.

Showing myself to Bella didn't do as well as I have hoped.

Usually my good looks cause women to forget about everything else but me. Which usually causes them to have improper fantasies where I'm usually the hero of the story.

Of course with Bella, I couldn't read her thoughts, so I wasn't really sure what she was thinking. But I've gotten pretty handy with reading facial expressions along with the thoughts.

But with her, it was hard to read. I guess I'd been able to only read facial expressions when I have the thoughts as a confirmation.

Still, the first time she saw me, she did a double take, her dark brown eyes widening the second time.

I had gotten this expression a lot, so I was used to this behavior. Although, my behavior was different this time because I felt excited that she had that reaction.

After that I couldn't judge. Which I may have went a little over board with it because at first I would show myself randomly at places that could be a coincidence.

Then I got so involved with how her eyes would flash or how her lips would move every time she saw me that I would just show up wherever she was.

I tried to make myself believe that I was doing this for work purposes only, but not even I could fool myself anymore.

I had a crush on Bella Swan, and that's all there was to it.

It was about two days away from Jasper's last basketball game of the year, when I heard the thoughts,

Soon, we will capture Bella.

I didn't waste any time with getting in touch with my family to tell them what I heard. Mom and dad didn't waste any time flying down. Emmett, Rosalie and I beefed up security detail on Bella.

Even Jasper helped, although he didn't know he was actually helping.

When mom and dad showed up, dad told me he was proud that I had disobeyed him and uncle Aro, because if I had come home we wouldn't know to be here now.

Then mom told me what she had planned before I decided to show myself to Bella. Esme, my mom, being a famous designer in Chicago, uses her skills and name to restore houses around Christmas. She calls it her pro-bono work. And if she could, it would be the only type of work she would do.

This year she found a house in Forks, to remodel. But she said because of my actions with Bella, that I would have to stay low or it would be a little "creepy". Her words not mine. That was fine with me. And maybe Jasper can meet Alice randomly one day in town or something, since I was told that he would be joining us.

The next day, after mom and dad arrived, everything was quiet.

Too quiet.

Everyday up until now, I've been hearing Bella's name whispered, even spoken in some cases...but today?

Nothing.

It made me think of the phrase 'calm before the storm', because I was sure a storm was coming.

It was the morning of the game, and I finally buckled down and talked to Jasper. I needed to know where Bella was going to be; therefore I needed to know where Alice was going to be.

When Jasper opened the door to his apartment, his eyes widen in surprise to see me on his doorstep.

I guess someone told him how long I had actually been in Waco.

"Edward. Wasn't expecting you to show up."

I nodded, playing it off. "I wasn't sure if you were going to be here or not, or if you had a finale or something."

"Yeah right!" then he finished in his mind. Like you didn't already know my whole schedule already, plus everyone I come in contact with too.

Bingo. Opening.

"Speaking of those you come in contact with" I said as he moved out of the door way to let me through "who's that little black headed girl you been talking to?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Like you have to ask?"

I raised my eyebrow again, wondering why he was speaking out loud to me.

He must have understood my questioning gaze because he told me silently, my roommate is here.

I nodded my head, and then continued. "I know who she is, and I know how you feel about her. But I want you to tell me." we walked into his living room. He sat in a recliner while I sat on the couch. I knew from his thought that he was questioning my motives but he answered my question anyway.

He didn't tell me anything I didn't know, except maybe that there was just something about her that he just couldn't live without. I kept nodding my head through the whole process. But my mind kept wondering to Bella.

Bella, with that long brown hair that she played with when she was nervous.

Bella, who was always watching her feet as she walked because she was so clumsy that she could be considered handicap.

Bella, whose brown eyes shinned with light from within whenever she smiles.

And how I wished her eyes would shine like that toward me.

I could understand about what Jasper was saying that there's just something about her. Understood completely.

"So is she coming to the game tonight?"

He leveled his eyes at me. "Probably, she usually does." He started to sound uneasy. "Edward, I don't want you to go around snooping on her." Too late Bro! "If there's something I need to know about Alice, I want to find it out myself, and not from my brother."

"Relax, I'm not going to do anything," to her "I was just asking a simple question."

He started breathing calmly again. "So are you going to the game?"

"Umm…" I made a face.

"Right, I forgot." Jasper shook his head. "Too many people."

I agreed. Besides dealing with all the bodies being in one room, I also had to deal with all the thoughts from those bodies as well.

Sometime after that I left. Jasper and I ran out of things to talk about, because let's face it. We don't have the best family relationship.

I decided that it was best if I came clean with my other family members as I walked across campus to where my apartment was.

I still hadn't let them know that I couldn't read Bella's mind. And they just assuming that I can. It's not like we've ever had this problem before.

I sent a text to dad and Rose telling them I needed to speak to them

I knew mom and dad where at the hotel and it wouldn't take them very long to get to the apartment. Also Rosalie and Emmett were in the library keeping an eye on Bella. They both sent a text back saying they would see me at the apartment.

I wasn't really paying attention while I was walking across the quad, since it was the fastest way back to the apartment. Several thought would invade, but I wasn't worried about those thoughts. Bella's name wasn't in them.

As I continued to walk across campus there was one thought made me stop in my tracks.

Edward…we know what you can do.

I stopped walking, my head snapped up looking around me. People were all around; the quad was the busiest of the campus. But it was daytime, which meant that the vampires couldn't hide outside unless they wanted people to think they're freaks because they sparkle in the sunlight. I didn't see anyone who stood out, in a sparkling manor that is. Nor did I see anyone who was looking at me other than admiration. No one was looking at me out of anger or disdainfully. Not that I could see anyway.

Not only did I not see anyone, the thoughts were coming in a big jumbled mess because I let my guard down.

I turned back to my original path and hurriedly started in that direction, trying to get out of the mass of people.

Right before I stepped on another path off of the quad, one thought sounded about the others.

You can't save her.

"Let me get this straight you heard someone thinking that they know what you can do, and then they said you can't save her?"

I nodded my head for the umpteenth time Carlisle asked that question.

I was pacing back and forth in front of all of them. Esme, Carlisle, Rose and Emmett as they looked at me with various thoughts.

Esme was concerned. Rose thought I finally blew the gasket.

I held the bridge of my nose as I tried to calm my breathing.

That thought, that whispered voice, was the same one from the day in the bookstore. And what was said today wasn't helping my sanity at all.

"So, whoever-"

"Whatever." I interrupted Carlisle.

"Okay, whatever it was apparently knows about your mind reading abilities. And they know that you were sent here to read Bella's thoughts." I stopped mid stride to turn to him. "But why would they say you can't save her?" Carlisle mused.

I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off.

"They're vampires!" Emmett reasoned. "Of course they think that Edward can't save her."

"I guess that's true." Carlisle said to Emmett.

"I still don't get the whole Edward can't save her bit." Rosalie said. "Why only Edward?"

"Maybe they don't know about the rest of the family being here." Esme answered.

The whole time they talked back and forth I tried to find an opening to tell them what they needed to know.

Finally Carlisle looked at me. "Are you sure you haven't gotten anything form Bella's thoughts?"

This was my in. I sat down hoping to gain the courage to tell them the truth. "I can't read her mind." I told them quietly.

There was a long silence before Emmett asked "What?"

Then all hell broke loose.

"What do you mean you can't read her mind?" Rosalie stood up from her spot, furious.

"Really? You can't?" Carlisle asked.

"You mean you've been spending all this time here not doing anything but following her around like a sick puppy all this time?" Rosalie continued.

Dude! He can't read her mind. That's awesome! Emmett thought.

"I wonder why you can't." Carlisle asked mainly to himself.

"Why didn't you just come home just come home when you knew that you couldn't do the job?" Rosalie asked.

Edward? Esme thought. I turned to look at her. I could see her analyzing everything I've done over the past few months, and what would have been my motives for doing them. You're in love with her!

I just sat there and stared at Esme. How she could come up with that explanation was beyond me. I thought about what Esme had thought as Rosalie was calling me selfish and too proud for my own good, and why couldn't I had just told them that I couldn't read her mind and Carlisle was trying to figure out a way that maybe he could find out why I couldn't read her thoughts. What was it about her that made it impossible?

As I continued to ignore Rosalie and think about what Esme figured out, there was only one thing I could do. I had to figure out a way to not be in love with Bella. She deserves a normal life.

And that was something I could never give her.

AN~ Chapter 2 is the start of Bella's story.

Read and review. Love ya!

~Sky.