Disclaimer: While many wish they were and few claim to be, I am not Stephenie Meyer. I do not own the Twilight Saga or anything associating with such including but not limited to Plots, themes, characters, symbolism, quotes, etcerta... Any resemblances are out of respect for the original author in a compliment to their work and they will not carry over into the rewritten versions staring all my own characters.

Unconditional
Emberlyn Ealise

In Lieu of Morse Code

It was a week later when I finally received a call from the girl I had all but forgotten, possibly a day or so less. I was sitting at the kitchen table in my parents' overlarge home, fooling my mind into believing that I was accomplishing something while instead thinking of idle nonsense. Why my parents never downsized was a wonder to me as we didn't use a third of the rooms anyway and there were no signs of future children from them or me. The least they could do was rent out the extra rooms but that would allow strangers into our home. Strangers were dangerous on all counts.

For the first time in months my mother and father were spending time together outside of the house. It was the hospital's annual Murder Mystery party that they never missed but I still counted it as a date, and it still got me the house to myself.

Rather than throwing a party or running around naked as any other college student would do, I chose to lay all my current homework assignments on one end of our dining room table and all of my current case work on the other end with the intention of switching from one side to the other every time I got stuck. Instead it all just sat there while I paced on the tiled floors, wondering why I couldn't concentrate. A conundrum that might never be solved.

My phone rang from the countertop in the next room pulling me away from my riveting game of 'Don't Step on a Crack' and dragging me into the kitchen instead. I was sure that I'd put it on silent to get my much needed studying out of the way but obviously not.

I was in the habit of checking the number before I answer but after dashing for the useless piece of technology, knocking it off the other side of the counter, and fishing it out from between the refrigerator and a cabinet; I barely had time to answer at all.

"Who's there?" I answered, apparently so caught up in my five year old games that I felt the need to treat this like a 'Knock, Knock' joke. Still sitting on the kitchen floor, I smacked myself in the forehead for sounding like an idiot. With my luck, it was likely a professor for whom I'd just demonstrated my genius. An unfamiliar voice on the line answered back.

An unfamiliar voice on the line answers back. "Umm, Bella?" It was worse than any professor would have been. She phrased her response like a question, no doubt caught off guard by my ridiculousness.

"Bella?" I asked in my giddy schoolboy way. That particular instance made me feel even more like a space case. It wouldn't have surprised me at all if she just hung up the phone. There was hesitation on the line and I pulled the phone away from my ear to make sure it didn't read 'call ended' already.

"Yeah, from the café over by St Virginia Mason's," she explained as I put it back against my ear. She thought I'd forgotten her.

"Yes, right. I remember you, the sweet little college girl from Phoenix who loves her brother more than anything in the world. How are you? How's Jake?" I was eager to show her that I'd been listening, that I wanted to get to know her. She was quiet still.

"Jake's good. Nessie's been threatening me with a niece or nephew so I'm kind of expecting that news any day now." She laughed awkwardly. I wasn't sure if a niece or nephew was good news or bad but I figured she'd explain, eventually. "And Jacob just got promoted to General Manager or something like that. He's now the man in charge when it comes to the shop near his house in Mesa and both shops in Phoenix."

To be honest I was willing to discuss anything just to keep her talking but it didn't escape my notice that she avoided answering my question about how she was doing. Treading lightly was my best bet for finding out what she was after. With the way she sounded, this was more than a social call.

"That's great. Is there any sign of his boss venturing to open a place out here? I'm sure you'd love to have him and Nessie a little closer."

"We tell him all the time to at least pitch the idea but I think Jake's afraid of getting all the way out here just for the place to flop. He's got hypothetical kids to think about, you know…" It was her way of saying she didn't think she was worth the risk. I nodded, forgetting for a moment that she couldn't see me. "That's tough. I know you miss your family," I offer not knowing what else to say to her. She had to have a reason to call me other than small talk but in her silence, I felt I should have been listening for Morse Code.

"I do, but I'll see them soon enough. Thanksgiving break is only a few months away." She wanted to say more and I was starting to think I just wasn't asking the right questions so I went back to the original one she avoided.

"So, how are you?" I asked softly letting her know that I was here if she needed me. It was something I'd learned in the hospital.

"I'm..." She started but didn't get any further, "Do you want to do something tonight? I know I kind of brushed you off last time but I've been thinking about it a lot and I really could use someone new in my life, a friend."

I'd be lying if I said that didn't feel like a kick in the nuts but I'd only just met the girl. Expecting her to immediately hop in the sack was insulting. Still, I wanted more than the friend-zone had to offer.

"Sure, I actually need to get a shower real quick and then I can pick you up and we can go get a bite to eat. If you want you can just give me your address and I'll MapQuest it," I tried to make it sound as nonchalant as possible but I had every intention of treating it like a date.

She must have caught on because she got quiet. Well, she had been quiet most of the time but this was more of an awkward silence.

"Actually, I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for so why don't I meet you at your place and we can go from there? It'll give you enough time to take care of business in the shower and I'll be there some time after you put your clothes back on." I wanted to see her so I caved a little.

"We can do that. But when you get here we're taking my car." She laughed, lightly this time.

"It's a deal."

Already we were on the grounds of a give and take relationship and I was looking forward to all the places it would lead us. I gave her my address and a few half-assed directions before we got off the phone and I ran to my room to figure out what I would wear. I hadn't wanted to impress a girl since High School making me a little out of practice.

' Are slacks too business like? Are jeans too casual? Do jeans and a dress shirt count as business casual? What Is she doing calling me up at 10 o' clock at night to 'hang out'?'

This was definitely going to be a tough evening for me. I decided to go with black slacks and a white dress shirt. She hadn't seemed put off by my attire when we last met, leading me to believe that it was at least a tolerable choice. I might have been wrong but I'd rather be over dressed than under dressed.

I laid the clothes on the bed along with a pair of socks and some boxer briefs. They were baggy like boxers but also didn't make me sweat like briefs. Compromise is good.

Once satisfied there, I moved on to the bathroom. I didn't think to ask how far out she was but if she was at home, which was somewhere around the hospital, then I only had between 20 and 30 minutes to be ready. I'd wasted 15 of those trying to pick out something to wear. The night was off to a great start.

I turned to shower on and positioned the handles as I usually did for my desired water temperature before I began to undress. This way the water had time to warm up and I wasn't shocked when it came in contact with my naked body. One too many times of doing that had caused a nosy house keeper to think I needed to be monitored in the shower. We no longer have need of house keepers.

Stepping off the cold tiles and into the warm fog of the shower, I slid the door closed behind me. The humidity assaulted my senses and I began to relax before the water even touched me. It was a soothing feeling that rendered my muscles tender to the touch. When the water finally washed over them I was too far gone to see the puddle on the floor I was becoming. Showers were a time of peace and tranquility, not to be rushed. Unless, of course, a beautiful young woman had expressed interest in seeing me immediately following my cleansing.

Reluctantly, I forced my eyes open and reached for my shampoo, some medically prescribed dandruff stuff that I don't really need. My father insisted on taking preventative measures. Once the goop was in my hands, I lathered it into my scalp thinking only of Bella and what I would say when she arrived, preferably more than I had on the phone. That was a step up from a disaster.

We had college in common, even medicine in common. Though it was something she was interested in studying while I merely endured. My passion was more geared to solving a murder than saving a life. The Mannequin Man, as Detective Clearwater and I had started calling him, had occupied some part of my mind ever since the first victim had been found in an alley braced against the wall as if she were 'assuming the position'.

It was thought, at first, that the killer was making fun of the police but second victim was posed resting on a fire escape while the third appeared to be washing a car. The locations were entirely random but the girls were all the same, young and beautiful and easily found on the street corner.

That was the least likely thing she wanted to talk about, I was sure.

Once washed and rinsed, I shut the water off and exited the shower in search of a towel. My footsteps were light, trying not the slip around on the wet floor, but it sounded for a moment like there was someone knocking. The faint sounds ceased when I stopped, leading me to assume I was hearing things. After all, we had a doorbell so why would anybody knock?

I retrieved my boxer briefs from the bed before making my way back to the bathroom. A quick towel dry on my hair and a little manipulator had it styled perfectly. Though she seemed very casual about us doing something I decided to err on the side of caution placing a light amount of lotion on my hands and a dab of cologne on my chest. Even casual there was no reason why I shouldn't smell nice and be soft to the touch.

I finished my work in the bathroom before slipping into my slacks and a black belt. They were more snug than I had expected but in my frustrated musings of why Bella hadn't called, I had amped my workout a bit. I didn't worry though; my muscle mass often came and went.

As I grabbed the white dress shirt off the bed I could hear the soft notes of something familiar coming from my grand piano down stairs. My parents weren't to be expected for several more hours but I had a feeling that something had went wrong at the party. Mother always played when she was upset, though I wasn't aware she knew Phantom of the Opera or why she would choose that over her usual blues.

Hesitant, I padded out of my room and down the stairs on my bare feet carrying my shirt with me. The coat rack next to the front door held neither my mother nor my father's attire which surprised me. She would have had to have been in a terrible mood to return alone but to not even remember to take her coat off was unlikely.

The music became louder as I closed in on her, stopping in my tracks as she missed a note and muttered "Fuck!" under her breath. It wasn't the she I thought it to be. I rounded the corner watching her clearly intent on getting the chord progression perfect.

"Bella?" I questioned softly already knowing her hair too well from behind.

The music stopped and she turned to face me. Her mouth opened to respond, possibly to explain why she had let herself into my home and made herself comfortable at my piano, but nothing came out. Instead her eyes traveled down my body, slowly seeing me for the first time. I kicked myself for having not finished dressing but I had no idea she would make herself at home while I was in the shower. I should have. The idea of her waiting patiently in the car because I took too long was ridiculous. She wasn't that kind of girl.

For modesty's sake, I started to at least put my shirt on and tear my eyes from her as I fondled the buttons. Out of my peripherals I could see her come toward me but I could not see what she would do next. I was too busy trying to figure out what had my hands shaking so badly. I couldn't even line the buttons with the ridiculous holes.

Her hand lay over mine halting my progress and giving me a reason to look at her again, closer than I had before. Her breath was heavy, as was mine at seeing her inches from being against me. I could feel the heat between us but caution was my friend. I had kissed her once before and despite this seemingly different scenario, her coming on to me, I was skeptical of making the same mistake and watching her walk away for good this time.

The question lay in the air. Do I press her lips to mine and risk her turning to leave or do I deny that look in her eyes and lose my chance to see this through? I didn't have the answer. Having only met her once before, I knew I had to have her, I just didn't know if I would have to chase her. The answer came though, in the form of closed eyes, pursed lips and the beautiful young woman poised on the balls of her feet just to be closer to me.

My resolve to resist dissipated and my mouth descended to hers.

Better than the first time, I actually felt her mouth move against mine rough with desire. The hand she had over mine gripped tighter as she pushed against me, into me. My free hand gripped the soft skin of her waist working its way underneath her shirt to feel skin on skin. It gave way beneath my touch before her lips parted, tongue tasting my own.

I'm sure my taste was nothing compared to hers, toothpaste compared to cinnamon and spice. I wanted to taste more of her, to devour her flesh until there was nothing left. As if reading my mind, she bit my lip and I could feel my knees start to give. My mind couldn't process the overwhelming euphoria and thought to shut down my body but I wouldn't allow it.

I left Bella's hand on my shirt to do with as she wished before I freed mine to grip her under the ass and pull her onto me. The motion had her grinding into me showing me how hard I was when I hadn't even noticed, too preoccupied with Bella, her moans being my newly found sanctuary.

The new position was very much to her liking. She opened more to me with one arm around my neck bracing her body to mine while the other trailed her nails hard against my skin. It was more enjoyable than I had ever expected but it had me wishing that I'd never bothered with the damn shirt.

I walked us to the piano sitting her on the keys as I had always wanted to do and felt her giggle in my mouth. "Edward!" She groaned, now able to lean back with my body still flush against her. Her hips still rocked into me and I could imagine myself buried deep inside her while she leaned back gripping my tie to keep from falling entirely.

"Mmm, Bella." I answered, moving from her mouth down to her collarbone. "You taste so good." I went on grinding into her as best I could. I wasn't sure how far I was willing to go but I had a feeling she would have to stop me.

She was panting and making noises I'd never heard before. "Edward, I want…ugh!" She tried but got distracted.

I moved my mouth to her ear. "What, beautiful, what do you want?" I whispered as seductive as I could manage in my current state. It probably came out sounding more like a caveman speaking.

"You to…" But she stopped at the sound of yapping in the back yard. "Stop! What was that?"

Great, she was spooked. I hung my head in defeat, cursing man's best friend for being a giant cock blocker.

"Porkchop." I said. She giggled and a little of the disappointment dissolved, a very little.

"You have a dog named Porkchop?" She asked trying to regulate her breathing. I wondered if she got the reference.

"Umm, yeah. I've had her since I was a kid."

"Her? But Porkchop was a boy." She looked at me like I was a loon but I couldn't help but grin, knowing that she got it.

"I know that. When I got her as a puppy I didn't know she was a girl so I named her Porkchop and called her a he until a girlfriend in high school corrected me." I explained. Bella tried to fight off a breathy laugh.

"What was she doing looking down there?"

"My thoughts exactly!" I nearly shouted.

We laughed a little longer before I let her down form the piano and went to let Porkchop in the house not even remotely surprised when she bypassed me and went straight for Bella.

"Why hello there you cute little thing!" Bella cooed and petted her like she'd never been petted before. I stood idly, just watching them play. "You know, I used to love watching Doug and Skeeter and the gang but Porkchop was always my favorite." Yeah, we had tons in common.

"My favorite was Quailman." I said with a shrug. "I was always disappointed when he wasn't in an episode so mom bought me all the seasons saying that I could just skip to the ones centered on him." It sounded like information she'd enjoy.

"You have the DVD's?" she asked with wide eyed admiration. How could I refuse her?

The rest of the night was spent in my room, lying on my bed watching the old cartoon and kissing whenever the mood struck us. It was comfortable, sweet, and gone too soon.

When I woke the next day, Bella was nowhere to be found. She had turned off the television set, covered me with a spare blanket and left sometime before I rejoined the living at four.

The main point: She didn't stay.

A/N: Let me know what you think.

Ember.