True Companion lyrics by Marc Cohn

Twilight characters by Stephenie Meyer

#

Baby I've been searching like everybody else
Can't say nothing different about myself
Sometimes I'm an angel
And sometimes I'm cruel
And when it comes to love
I'm just another fool
Yes, I'll climb a mountain
I'm gonna swim the sea
There ain't no act of God girl
Could keep you safe from me
My arms are reaching out
Out across this canyon
I'm asking you to be my true companion
True companion
True companion

#

It was late.

Or early, depending on your perspective.

Alice, Jasper and I had returned from hunting not long ago and I now sat on the couch in my room. My head swam with the sounds of low, soft jazz as my body processed the blood I'd consumed not long ago. It slowly saturated my muscles, relaxing them, soothing the monster that lingered under the surface of my human exterior. I closed my eyes and felt my body sink further into the leather.

I didn't expect any trouble tomorrow, Alice's visions showed nothing worrisome, but still . . . it helped to be cautious. One didn't take unnecessary risks on one's wedding day. Or one's wedding night for that matter.

Edward. Alice's thoughts came rushing at me. Bella's not able to sleep and I refuse to have her looking exhausted in the pictures. Go to her before she does something stupid.

I was out of the house and down the street in seconds.

Thanks! She called after me.

Moments later from my perch outside her bedroom window, I saw Bella twist away from the alarm clock and punch her pillow. We'd decided to spend the night before our wedding apart; I'd left her with Renee and Charlie several hours ago following our rehearsal.

Perhaps it hadn't been the best decision.

I sat watching her for several minutes. This, the woman who would be my wife on this, the last night we'd ever be apart. The silent center of my chest twisted and I wondered anew at my luck in finding my other half.

I checked quickly to make sure Charlie was sleeping and when I was certain he was, I knocked lightly on the window.

Bella shot up from her bed. "Edward!" she said, running across the room and letting me in.

"Hello, love," I said, catching her in my arms and kissing her hair. Her heart increased its pounding and I smiled.

"What are you doing?" She pulled back. "It's bad luck for us to see each other before the wedding."

I led her back to the bed and she sat down. "It'd have been even worse if I stayed home." I gave her a stern look. "Alice saw you taking cold medicine."

She frowned. "I was only going to take one. Just enough to get me to sleep."

"Perhaps I can help you get to sleep."

Her heart sped up and her frown increased when I grinned in response. "I don't think that's a good idea," she mumbled.

"May I try anyway?"

When I had her tucked in bed and curled up in my arms, I found myself unable to hum her lullaby. Instead I inhaled the scent of her, once more causing my chest to twist and my arms tightened around her.

"I thought you were going to help," she said sarcastically.

"Sorry, love," I loosened my hold, "I was just thinking . . ." My words trailed off. No need to start this conversation.

"About what?" she asked and then she scowled at my silence. "I'm not a mind reader, you know."

I leaned over and kissed her cheek, the smell of her surrounding me. Ah, well, she'd asked. "About tomorrow night, around this same time." Her heart raced and I chuckled. "Something tells me you won't be sleeping then, either."

She struggled to sit up, but my arms wouldn't let her go. "If you're not going to help, you can leave." She sighed and gave up, stilling herself once more.

"Let me finish," I said. She nodded and I went on. "You've done so well accepting my gifts and allowing me to register us at Dartmouth -"

"I know you did something to my truck," she interrupted. "Don't think I won't find out what it was. If Rosalie won't tell me, Alice will."

"As I was saying," I continued, not wanting to talk about the truck, "you've done so well, I want tomorrow to be perfect. I want to show you how much I love you. How much you mean to me." She started to protest, but I kissed her into submission. I trailed kisses down her throat to the base of her neck and up again to her sweet lips. "I want you rested when I fulfill my side of the bargain."

I was doing a frightfully awful job at relaxing her. Her heart sputtered a few times and I began to wonder if maybe the cold medicine would have been the better option.

But as always she surprised me, snuggling deeper into my arms and sighing, resigned. "If you insist."

I hadn't expected her to give in so easy. I'd been prepared for an argument. "I do."

"Save it for the preacher, Edward," she said, her soulful brown eyes closing at last.

I laughed, drew her close and began to sing.