AN: Super-huge thanks to Emma who practically beta'd this whole chapter. I loved the encouragement, and her almost yelling at me to finish the chapter. Godsh, I didn't even think I was going to finish!

Chapter Two: Ascension

I was sort of becoming a novelty. People would come to the diner specifically to see me. If they could come at all. Even as a novelty, I was very feared. The ghost, the apparition that they thought me to be was something of a novelty, but not of friendship.

I was clean, had bought some new clothing, and was now doing everything in my power to convince them that I wasn't some kind of spirit. Really, I was a blood drinker, which seemed to be quite a bit worse that being a ghost, but I couldn't tell them that.

Some girls always came to talk to me, because they wanted to hear all about why I was a ghost. They thought that spirits would only stay in the world if they had unfinished business, and that's why I was here. More importantly, they wanted to know what they could do to help me ascend to heaven. Right.

I clearly remember the day when the tall man in a suit got out of his car and walked into the diner, pulling glasses out of his pocket. All sophistication and nice manners, he calmly walked to the counter, addressing me as if I was the owner. But I was, wasn't I? This diner, now in perfectly good shape, now belonged to me.

"Good evening, miss," he said. "May I please have something to eat?"

I smiled a little, as did everyone else, pleased that he wasn't talking to me like I was a ghost. "You'd have to tell me what you wanted before I could get it."

He chuckled, and placed his order. "You have some quick wit, little girl."

I sighed a bit at that, but understood. He thought I was the daughter or younger sister of the real owner. But I really didn't mind being the diner girl, for once. Hardly anyone ate here but the children who thought I was a spirit.

He left a generous tip on the table, something I could use. His brown hair, combed back from his forehead, reminded me of a tight, well to-do business man. He could afford to tip well. And I could use the money to buy things I needed. More clothes, maybe, since I'd stolen too much and should actually purchase some.

I think that man may have liked me a bit, since he and his friends began to show up there some days. So I played the diner girl part, serving food and laughing at their jokes. Funny jokes that were easy to laugh at.

When the businessmen would leave, the younger generation would come and ask me about life as a spirit. I didn't correct them. For some strange reason, I really enjoyed the acting. It was fun to pretend I was some lost, lonely child. Since it wasn't so far from the truth, I could play the part well.

"But why are you on Earth, instead of up there?" she pointed to the tiled ceiling, and I looked up. It took a moment before I understood what she meant.

I laughed lightheartedly. The boy holding her arm shifted uncomfortably as I leaned on their table, settling into the booth seat. One piece of hair, longer than the rest, flipped at my sudden movement.

"Because I'm waiting for someone," I whispered, relieved to suddenly get it off my chest. Maybe it was the reason. What better reason could there be for me surviving on my own this long?

They both leaned forward intently, and the older girl in the adjacent table turned around with her drink in her hand, straw clenched firmly between her teeth. They'd all been paying close attention, but it didn't worry me much.

"For who? For what?" her voice squeaked uncharacteristically.

"I don't remember what it was like before I became...a ghost." Those words didn't feel like a lie, being so close to the truth. It would have been harder to lie to such innocent faces. After all, they were the only ones who trusted me now. "But when I was given my new chance on Earth, after waking, I wanted to find a purpose. I think that's why I was chosen, over so many other souls."

"And then I saw him..." my voice drifted, and I could see him again in my mind. So clearly, a perfect image. It would be so disappointing if this vision turned out to be a hallucination. "I know that nothing will be settled until I find him."

The girl across from me sighed, her face settling onto her hand. "Do you think he'll find you?" She asked quietly. "It's so romantic..."

I gave her boyfriend an apologetic look. Things were going to turn out well for them, I could tell that much. Well, maybe. There were two possibilities. If he proposed soon, like he planned, she would most certainly say yes. But if he proposed too soon...

"I think so," I said dreamily. "He's the only thing I have to hope for..."

She was silent, and so was he. Her black hair fell thinly onto his shoulder, caressing his cheek. I couldn't help but smile at them. An impulse had developed inside of me. They had to be right for each other...They just had to.

But the floor wouldn't mop itself.

..–..–..–..

It didn't seem at all unusual the way they would look at me. Because I hadn't known anything different, so I had no higher expectations. I thought that maybe I should feel like an outsider, but I didn't. Actually, to the contrary, these people were very kind. It didn't really matter if they were being kind out of some sort of obligation, they were still being nice to me.

They all left in the nighttime, when they thought they should sleep. I couldn't sleep, so I busied myself with foolish tasks again, or stared out the window. It occurred to me, for the first time ever, that he might never come.

Would it even matter? The people who'd been visiting were just as good company as he good be. Some important part of me that processed thought rationally told me that. But the other part of me, the irrational part that processed visions as quickly as thoughts themselves, was utterly confused.

Here I was, clinging to something that might not even happen. Clinging to someone who might never touch my life the way I thought he would. And if he never came, I would still cling to him as if I knew him all my life. I would be so completely disappointed.

I knew that there was no other way. I had to wait for him, no matter what could happen. Most of all, I had to hope that he was as gentle as I thought he was, not the sort of person to betray my hopes. I had to wait for something that might never come, and I had to try to make the best of it. Once he came, it would all be worth it.

Outside the diner, the air was warm. The moonlight, shining through the clouds, illuminated everything eerily. And I remembered something else about the vision, something beyond my notice before. That, through the dark gray rain clouds, the waxing gibbous moon had shone beautifully. The moon had illuminated his face and hair.

And the moon tonight was almost the same, so close to the thick gibbous of that night. Which meant that this was the time in the lunar cycle when he would come... of any month. It could be tomorrow, or it could be years away.

Then I began biding my time as well as I could.

..–..–..–..

It wasn't the next day, or the day after that he came. The moon had gone a full cycle, and he still wasn't near. Worse than ever, I had to keep waiting, because I knew he was coming. Every single day, the vision became clearer. Now it was a steady moving picture, and not as blurry as it had been. I even knew who would be in the diner with us when he came.

Regina and her boyfriend...Gabe would be there. They weren't here today, of course, because today was the day he was going to take her to the park and propose. And she'd say yes, of course, which I'd known for weeks. Today was the right day for them.

Abbie would be there, too. I liked her. She laughed a lot, and her hair always bounced when she spoke.

And the businessmen wouldn't be coming, but the one named Greg would. He sometimes came to talk, and he would be sitting by the window on that day.

But they weren't there now. Greg was, sitting with his newspaper and smiling at me every now and then. Sometimes he's ask for "Another coffee, please, miss." or tell me I was "lookin' pretty."

It was all too distracting.

It was about seven o'clock when the rain started to fall. The slow kind of drips that made me disappointed. The clouds were small, barely visible, and the sky turned very dark. Charcoal black by 8:11.

Regina and Gabe walked in, hand in hand, and sat in front of me at the counter. They were so excited to tell me all about the engagement, which I already knew everything about. I shrieked and giggled at appropriate moments, and smiled at shy Gabe who blushed a bit. It was too adorable how he ran his finger through her hair.

And suddenly, I gasped with shock. How much longer? Minutes? Seconds? Was he already outside the door, shaking the rain out of his hair?

"What's the matter, Ali-" the little bell on the door rang as Regina's lips were still forming the words. And...Abbie walked in, smiling and giving me a little wave.

I tried not to be let down, but it was very hard. I liked Abbie. A lot. But she wasn't exactly who I'd been expecting.

Feeling mildly guilty about ignoring everything they were talking about, I trained my eyes on the window across from me. The shock hit me again as I saw the sheets of rain pouring down outside the window. It was dark, but the moonlight from the growing moon lit up the pavement.

Wet, slick pavement. I shuddered at the distinct feeling of déjà-vu. For once, it was a welcome feeling. It was making me shiver happily.

I sat up on the highest stool so I could get a better look. I was looking through a foggy rectangle of glass, a window, and he was walking across the wet pavement. He shook his head a little when the rain touched it, each time, like it was an annoyance. His hair darkened in the rain, and flattened against his skull. The vision repeated itself, only this time it wasn't a vision. I knew that because in a vision you couldn't feel so excited that you wanted to jump and giggle and scream until someone submitted you to a hospital. In a vision you couldn't feel the happiest in your life.

As I'd expected, he was beautiful. More stunning than the vision gave him justice. And so much...taller in person. So much more shocked to see the look of recognition in my eyes as the door opened.

The wide grin the split my face was very out of character for me. Or was it? Maybe it was just the sort of expression people would expect to see on my face. I couldn't contain it as I hopped down to greet him. He looked...startled to say the least. A little bit frightened, but happy, too. It seemed that my grin had worn off on him.

My hands settled onto my waist, and I looked up at him. His eyes were a long way up to look.

"You've kept me waiting a long time," I said, before I could control myself. He would have no idea what I meant, of course, but he would understand the intent.

He didn't back up, but returned my sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

It was so sweet, the shyness, the way he bent his head in respect to me, despite my size. He seemed to understand what I was feeling, for once. The confusion, the bliss, the happiness I could now see for myself. I could see it all in his smile.

I had to reach up, to touch his hand, not even thinking before I did it. If I had hesitated, I might not have gotten the chance again. And he held it. Securely. Strangely. As if he knew how to hold it all along. As if he knew who I was, the same way that I'dknown who he was.

Even stranger was the way my heart fluttered, when it couldn't even beat. All that filled me now was the sound of his voice in my ears. The deeper voice, with an accent I'd never even heard before.

He was so different from how I'd expected, even though I'd seen him before. I couldn't have imagined the way he moved, stiff like someone who was in charge of things, not walking into a run-down diner. I couldn't have predicted the wide smile that spread across such a stiff face, either. Or how I cheered him, now, as if my happiness wasn't already enough.

It was like nothing I'd ever seen or felt before. Nothing I could remember, anyway.

Everyone was staring at us. Granted, there weren't many to stare, but those there did. Regina was trying not to look at us, but when she did there was a look of...jealousy in her eyes. Abbie was smiling shyly, and Gabe just as shyly as he clung to Regina's sweater. He looked at his new fiancée with a look of adoration in his eyes.

Then I heard the bell on the door ring as they all left, one by one. I didn't notice, since I hadn't truly looked away from him. Only to glance at everyone watching, and then look back.

They had missed the ascension, though. It seemed stupid, even to think it, but it felt as if I had already gone to heaven. And the same feeling melted from him, into me.

Somewhere, amidst the meeting that had surprised only him, he leaned over to whisper something to me. "They left us here?" he scrubbed a hand through his wet hair.

I couldn't quite say what I was thinking out loud. I hadn't had the same train of thought as him, obviously. Though I was sure that wasn't what he meant. I looked down. "I think it's the way you're looking at me...it's kind of strange."

He smiled a little. "Not really. It's your emotion that's making me feel this way."

"My...emotion?" I asked, still clasping his hand. Thankfully, he didn't let go.

"It's my...ability," he explained. It was slightly bizarre that he was trusting me like this. Still, what else was there for him to say. We were both here, and everything was fitting into place. "I can sense the things you're...feeling. The things everybody feels."

It felt to me that he was holding something back. Still, it wasn't really my place to ask. As soon as we knew each other better, I could bug him all I wanted.

"Aren't you going to enlighten me on how you knew I was coming?" he asked. It was hard for me to lie to him.

"No," I said. "I want to save that for later. What if we end up with nothing to talk about?"

He seemed to dread the idea.

"You're taller than I expected," I mumbled, trying to change the subject from awkward silence.

He laughed. It was a perfect bass sound, several octaves lower than mine. "You're smaller than anyone I could expect to meet."

I looked down. I'd been waiting not only for him, but for that kind of comment. Still, the way he said it, didn't make it seem so offensive. It was almost as if he liked me being short.

He raised my chin with his finger. It wasn't really too intimate a gesture between two who just met. We'd already held hands. Things were moving fast now, a blur, just like I knew they would.

"We sort of balance out, don't we?" He asked quietly. "I'm tall enough to counterbalance your lack of height. Though it looks better for a girl to be short. If I was the short one, it wouldn't balance so well."

I laughed. It was easy to laugh at his jokes, too. I could laugh at anything with him around.

"You going to be okay?" He asked again. "I've never seen anyone laugh quite like that."

"I'm going to be just fine," I said, with more enthusiasm than before. "But you need to hunt."

..–..–..–..

AN: And THAT'S chapter two! :) took me forever to write! Please review this, because I need to know where to improve, and if I'm doing a good job (No, I can't only trust you, Emma. You're BIASED). Thanks to my reviewers for the last chapter. You guys are spectacular!

Thanks to Jasper Whitlock-Hale, my favourite of the Cullens, who inspires me and my dominant Alice personality!