You all know the drill… Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just grateful that she lets us play with her characters.

Playlist for Chapter Two – "Chances" by Five for Fighting/ "In Metal" by Low

Chapter Two - Chances

~Bella~

I had snuck away from school at recess again, my daily ritual for months now, and Edward and I were playing hide and seek in the forest.

"Caught you!" I yelled as I spotted him peeking from behind a nearby tree. "You're it!"

Edward grabbed me into a big hug and spun me around. I squealed with delight.

"Fly me, please?" I begged.

"Anything for you, my Bella," he replied, lifting me onto his back. He started running, slowly at first, and then so fast it felt as if we were flying. My laughter echoed through the forest. We zoomed through the trees, jumping fallen logs effortlessly and finally coming to rest by a stream.

"Let's sit here," I requested. Edward set me back on the ground and I sat down with my legs crossed. He was soon seated beside me, with his legs crossed also. I wrapped my little hand around his. It was hard and cold, but it made me feel warm and happy.

"I have something for you," I told him, pulling the folded picture from my pocket. "It's a picture of us, so you can always keep me with you."

Edward took the paper gingerly in his hands and looked at it for a long time before he spoke. "Thank you, Bella, it's a beautiful picture. I love it – I'll treasure it. I promise I'll keep it with me always, just like I always keep you with me in my heart."

I leaned over and gave him a tight hug and he gave me a quick kiss on the top of my head.

"Edward, you know about my Daddy and my Mommy. Tell me about your family."

Edward cleared his throat before answering, "My father and mother are Carlisle and Esme. They are wonderful people, the best parents I could ask for. I have two brothers, Jasper and Emmett, and two sisters, Alice and Rosalie. We are a very close family. I miss them very much.

"They are very special. Carlisle is the kindest and most gentle person I have ever known. His greatest happiness in life is to help others. Esme is the most loving mother imaginable. Jasper has a way of knowing how people are feeling and can calm them down or make them excited, depending on the situation. Emmett is unbelievably strong and has the mind of a child. Alice has a sense for things that are going to happen. Rosalie is very, well… stubborn."

"What about you?" I asked.

"I can usually tell what people are thinking," he said quietly. "Everyone except for you, that is."

"You should know what I'm thinking anyway," I offered. "You're my very best friend in the whole world and I love you. You're my Edward."

"And you know that there is no one in the world that I would rather spend my time with more than you, right, my Bella?"

~Edward~

Bella nodded and moved on to her next question. "Where is your family?"

"Well, all of my family members are in different places right now, looking for a place where we all can live together. Carlisle and Esme are in New York, while Jasper and Alice are in Michigan, and Emmett and Rosalie are in West Virginia. I am looking here to see if Forks might be a place we could live."

"Oh!" she said excitedly. "I know where those places are – we have a puzzle in our class at school that has all the states on it. I even know the capitals of each state!"

"You are a very smart girl, Bella. You are going to do so much with your life." My chest swelled with pride, and yet I felt a sharp stab of sadness along with it. I thought of her growing up and going her own way – college, career, marriage, family – it all loomed ahead of her. She deserved the very best from life. Chances were that I did not factor into that equation.

Her eyes grew distant. "If they find a place far away from here, will you have to leave me?"

I answered as honestly as I could. "If I have to go away, I won't be able to come back for a while. I promise I will come to see you whenever I can." I felt a fault line in my granite heart widening at the thought of being separated from her.

"Then I hope they decide to live here after all," she said wistfully, "so you never have to be away from me."

"I'd like that too, Bella."

I watched Bella sleeping from my perch in the tree outside her window as I did every night since we first met. She was turning and tossing, whimpering, her little body shaking with fear. I longed to comfort her, to take away whatever bad dreams were troubling her. She started struggling against her blankets, and suddenly cried out, "Edward, save me! Don't let the bad man get me – he's trying to hurt me!" Her tiny heart was pounding so fast it sounded like a hummingbird's wings.

I couldn't stand it anymore; I had to do something to calm her. I carefully raised her window and climbed into her room. I knelt beside her bed and gently brushed her hair away from her face. I started humming softly to her and she stopped thrashing in her covers. She sighed, then a smile spread across her face and she said, "I knew you wouldn't let the bad man get me, Edward."

The rest of the night I sat in the rocking chair in the corner of her small room keeping watch over her, humming a lullaby when she stirred. She spent the rest of the night sleeping peacefully as I kept her safe from her nightmares. Basking in her presence, I had never been more content.

I was finally settled in to my motel room in Port Angeles and realized that I hadn't spoken with Carlisle since I first arrived. I called him to see how he and Esme were doing with their research of the Syracuse area.

"I can get a position with the SUNY Health Science Center Hospital and all of you can attend Syracuse University. Esme found a house that would meet our needs, but I want everyone's opinion before we proceed further," Carlisle said. "How about your assignment in the Olympic Peninsula? Have you encountered any wolves since you arrived?"

I didn't want to tell Carlisle that I hadn't been looking for wolves, that instead I had been spending the majority of my time with, or watching over, a five-year old human girl. I wasn't sure how well he would take the news. Something told me he would be less than appreciative.

"No, I haven't met up with any wolves. I would have thought that, if there were any around, they would certainly have noticed my presence by now. As far as the amenities of the area go, if we move to Forks you can work at Forks Community Hospital. The rest of us, minus Esme of course, would have to enroll at Forks High School. I haven't located a property yet, but I will let you know what I find."

"Thanks Edward, we appreciate your help. I haven't heard from Emmett and Rosalie, but I'm not really surprised by that fact. Alice and Jasper have contacted us. They aren't so sure about Grand Rapids being suitable for our needs. There is a small town north of Grand Rapids, Big Rapids, that they feel would be a better choice. Ferris State University is located there, which would be perfect for all of you, and I could find a position with Mecosta County General Hospital. Big Rapids is also conveniently located at the edge of Manistee National Forest.

"Also, Alice wants you to call her as soon as you get a chance. She said you'd understand, so I didn't ask," Carlisle added.

I winced. Alice had to have seen my involvement with little Bella. She probably wanted to chastise me for getting too close to a human, and a child at that. However, since there is no way to hide from Alice, I resolved to call her as soon as I finished with Carlisle.

The phone rang not more than a minute after my conversation with Carlisle had ended.

"I knew you'd decide to call me – I've been waiting impatiently, you know. Tell me all about Bella, and no, I'm not mad. In fact, I've seen that she is very important to not only you, but our family as well," she said in a rush.

"Alice. It's good to hear from you, too. Tell Jasper I said hello."

"Quit stalling and don't try to change the subject, Edward. Please tell me about Bella. She looks like a wonderful little girl."

"I knew you would see her. Where do I even start? Bella is the only person I have ever encountered whose mind is silent to me. She is amazing. She is wonderful, kind, generous, beautiful… I could go on. She has the purest spirit I have ever met. Her laughter is like nothing I have ever heard before – music doesn't compare. She fills my world with light. When I am with her, I feel like I am alive. I need to do whatever it takes to keep her happy, to protect her and make her feel safe and loved. It's become the focus of my existence. Does any of this make sense to you?" I must have been rambling, but I couldn't help myself. Being around Bella made me truly happy for the first time since I awoke as a vampire nearly a century before.

"She is a very special little girl, Edward. Please take good care of her. You should probably get an apartment in Port Angeles, chances are you're going to be needed in the area for a while," she said cryptically before hanging up.

Well that certainly was a strange conversation. I shrugged, knowing that Alice will be Alice, and she would share whatever information she had gleaned from her visions when she was ready.

A/N: Happy Thursday to everyone. Thanks from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has read and reviewed, added this story as a favorite or story alert. I hope you enjoy Chapter Two!

HUGE thanks to the coolest chicka I know, A Little Distracted, without whose encouragement none of this would be read! You rock my socks girl!!! And we are gonna rock the Muse concert tonight and then some…

Enjoy the sweet life, everyone!

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There is also a link to the playlist on my profile.