Walking on Air

Summary: Bella Swan has helped many people take their first steps... but not whilst taking some of her own. AH, AU.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters. That would make me Stephanie Meyer...

AN: An idea that just really wouldn't leave me alone and that I have high hopes for. Any opinions would, as always, be appreciated!

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I hurried into the locker room and tried very hard not to trip or stumble as I usually did. I was already late and I didn't need the extra complications of having to explain a bruise or ripped shirt to my boss. It also never helped the patients to feel entirely comfortable around me when I was so clumsy.

It was a constant joke between my co-workers that I was a walking contradiction.

After all, who would ever think that a motionally-challenged klutz who practically fainted at the sight of blood could work as a physiotherapist in a hospital? I'd hated hospitals growing up, having spent more than my fair share of time in them and now I had willingly chosen a career that put me here every day. But as soon as I had seen the booth at the career fair I had known it was what I wanted to do.

I had always wanted to help people and funnily enough, even though I had a problem with actual movement myself, I always knew how it should be done by others. When my mother had insisted I take ballet classes I managed to get away with it with my knack of knowing what moves other people suited best. It became a trade-off between my teacher and me; she'd tell my mother I was good at lessons (and I'd always be sick or get stage-fright at recitals) and I'd help choreograph.

I grabbed my work top and yanked it over my head quickly, slamming the locker shut in the same motion. I was supposed to have started my shift fifteen minutes ago, and only by some miracle would my shift manager not know this; Lauren really hated me and was always glad to point out any and all of my flaws. She couldn't get rid of me though, that I knew with great satisfaction. I'd been short-listed for the honour of Seattle's best physiotherapist and the hospital wasn't about to lose out on any media or grants for new funding; if I won we'd receive enough money to replace all the equipment in the department, as well as having some left-over.

It was a huge weight on my shoulders and normally it would scare the crap out of me. But I loved my job, and that saved me. Patients came first to me and so whilst their might be people watching me, judging me, I never paid it any mind whatsoever; I was always totally focused on what I was doing with the patient. People had often said that I had a real knack for showing off, I always thought that I had a knack to my job; they were just noticing now because I was under such scrutiny.

I hurried out of the door quickly and headed down the corridor to the work station. I was stationed in the building just off of the main hospital, where the physio department was. Our ward spanned half of the ground floor and had a section on the level above us as well. The ground floor was for the outpatients and those who were on other wards but also needed physio. The second floor was for the more advanced patients whose health was otherwise not an issue. Normally it was people who had suffered accidents or had operations to improve physical disabilities. As soon as the rest of their health was considered optimal they were sent on to us.

Angela grinned at me as I skidded to a stop beside the work desk, my eyes scanning quickly over the paper strewn desk to find my schedule. If I at least knew where I was going then I could play dumb if Lauren intercepted me. Angela laughed as I waved one hand at her in greeting and started using the other to search through the piles of paper. Seriously, how did we have so much of it just lying around?

"Looking for something?" She asked amused.

"Uh-huh, and you know what," I replied, still not looking at her properly. "How many times do we do this routine?"

"Every Tuesday." She deadpanned, although I could still hear a slight chuckle to her voice.

I looked up at her then and she just grinned back at me, her hands wrapped tightly around a clipboard.

"Angela..."

"Yes Bella?"

"What's that in your hands?"

"Hmm? Oh this?" She asked innocently, flipping the clipboard so I could see the outlined sheet of our schedule. "Nothing."

I almost lunged for her. "That's mean."

"What is?" Her smirk was more than enough proof that I knew she was playing dumb.

"Very, very mean." I growled as I advanced slowly. "I didn't think you'd do that to me..."

She laughed openly, her head thrown back happily and tossed the clipboard to me lightly. "Anything for you Bells." She sing-sang as she left to do her rounds.

I almost ripped the sheet off in my haste. Scanning the lines quickly I saw that I actually had a pretty light day; a new patient, two follow-ups and a session in the salt pool. It wasn't going to be too bad and it meant I would probably be able to meet Carlisle for lunch.

Carlisle was my best friend's father and a doctor who worked in the emergency room at the hospital. I'd spent so much time over his house growing up that he was practically a second-father to me and as I no longer saw much of him since Alice moved out we got lunches together whenever we could. Due to both our hectic schedules that wasn't very often but it was nice to catch up with him; I missed the Cullen family something dreadful.

It wasn't that I didn't have a family of my own, it was just that they were nothing compared to the Cullen's. My parents loved me more than anything but they lived very different lives. My mother went wherever her husband Phil went and that was very unpredictable. Dad was a workaholic who spent all his time as police chief for the small town of Forks. He was very proud of his accomplishments and I was of him too. It's just that my parents had married young and then had me all very quickly and it hadn't worked out well for either of them; my mom was flaky and had a lot of self-confidence issues (which she had passed on to me) and my dad just wasn't very trusting. Being shunted between these two environments growing up hadn't exactly set the best of precedents for me.

But the Cullen's were nothing like that. They were open and warm and loving. I'd once joked that there were no secrets between them and we'd all laughed at the time but nothing could be further from the truth. They just knew each other so well. And ever since I'd become best friends with Alice I'd been treated exactly the same.

Pressing the clipboard back into its usual holder on the far side of the desk, and having to lift what felt like half a forest to do so, I slowly began to walk down the corridor. I didn't recognise this patients name but I'd need to stop off and get his records anyway before I saw him so that was no big deal. I briefly considered paging Carlisle but knowing my luck, and his job, if we made plans straight off one of us would have to break them; this way we'd see if we were free when we were both hungry.

The records room was one of the most secure places in the building, and for obvious reasons. It had all the patients' information in here and everything was confidential. It was an information one-stop drop and I quickly searched through the files till I found the one I was looking for. Exiting the room and walking back down the corridor I quickly scanned the information.

The patient was twenty-five years old and had suffered from paralysis of his legs his entire life. A new explorative surgery had been developed to try to treat his condition and he was one of the first people in the United States to try it. So far all his test results had been positive but they had yet to try any physical therapy. This was now going to be my job.

I hit the button for the elevator and waited patiently as I continued reading. I knew I should take the stairs but I wanted to read and absorb as much of his file as I could and doing that whilst walking would be hazardous for my health; most the time I had trouble talking on the phone and walking concurrently.

I started tapping my foot anxiously as I entered and then waited inside the elevator. For some reason I was nervous about this meeting although everything I was reading here was normal, nothing to invoke suspicion or concern.

He'd been born paralysed and he'd been entered into most of the medical trials Washington had to offer on curing paralysis. Nothing had worked up to now and now he was one of the leading patients in this new study.

Exiting I hurried down the corridor, the file safely tucked under my arm so I wouldn't lose it. I knew I was going to be on time but I was incredibly anxious to get there and get this over with. Was I really missing Carlisle that much? It was the only possible reason I could think of as to why I'd be acting this way, but it made no sense to me. Sighing I slowed down as I reached the right door. Pushing all my personal thoughts and emotions back I knocked on the door and got ready to 'do my thing'.

Hearing a murmured 'come in' I pushed open the door and started in only to stumble as I met the most amazing eyes I'd ever looked into in my entire life.

They were a sparkling emerald green that seemed to flow forever, capturing my gaze as I almost drowned in his. Bronze eyelashes framed them and it only added more depth and sparkle. Sucking in a much needed breath I managed to make my way through the door. Pulling out the file from under my arm I quickly scanned the title, needing anything to stop my eyes from staring helplessly into his.

Clearing my breath I looked up again, my gaze meeting his even though my brain screamed it was a bad idea. For some reason I just knew I'd get lost in those eyes...

Taking another deep breath I managed to speak. "Edward Mason?"

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