Author's note: Okay y'all... I know everyone has been waiting for Bella/Marie to meet two very special vampires. I couldn't wait to post this next chapter! Hope you all like it. Read and review! :)

CHAPTER FOUR

As much as I would have liked to zone out as I drifted to my next class, I had to pay attention to find out where the class was located. Unfortunately, this also meant an encore of all of the comments people thought I couldn't hear. I was just about to give an unnecessary sigh of annoyance when I heard the most beautiful sound my ears had ever known. A laugh. A single laugh-not a crack-up or cackle, but kind of a vocal-smirk. I briefly looked over my shoulder to detect the source of the fascinating noise. I froze immediately when I saw the miraculous creature, who's face held only the slight trace of a smirk. Most of it was filled with annoyance. Still, it was breathtakingly, heartbreakingly, beautiful. I felt my stomach flutter as if I were human, and I couldn't tell if it was from my unborn child or nerves.

Standing before me was a tall, well-built, pale-faced man with eyes to match my own golden color. There was no doubt he was a vampire, so he held the usual inhuman beauty of our kind. But his beauty took it to a whole new level. I was about to stop staring as to avoid getting caught, but then I noticed his hair. Oh gosh Maire.. Stop freaking out over some guy's hair. You are starting to sound way too much like the teenage girls that surround you. The voice in my head told me to stop, but his hair! It was the most beautiful disarray of bronze my eyes had ever seen. This must be the Edward that Alice was telling me about. Another Cullen. It was then that his eyes met mine and I looked away at inhuman speed and walked into class, trying to avoid his gaze as I knew he walked behind me.

As much as I didn't want to embarrass myself further, however, it seemed that Ms. Freeman was determined to bring more awkwardness to my day by sitting me next to him. I took my seat and avoided looking at the man sitting at my right, or at least tried to, as his scent flooded my senses, which of course was irresistible.

"So you're Marie? Alice texted me about you… Sorry for whatever you had to deal with, she can get a little crazy at times. Or all the time. " He paused and rolled his eyes while I turned to him and offered a shy smile. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. I'm Edward Cullen. It's very nice to meet you Marie. We're all excited to have another vampire here, especially one who shares our diet."

I sat there for a moment, then realized he was expecting me to say something. "Yes, I'm Maire, and don't worry about Alice… She was entertaining at the very least. I'm also looking forward to meeting vampires of my kind. I've never been around others with my diet, but it sounds nice."

He nodded. "Yes, Alice mentioned you live alone. Please know that our home is open anytime if you feel like being social. Our "mother", he put the word in air quotes, "is very warm and maternal. She loves meeting new people." We continued the conversation for a few more minutes quietly before class was called to order, but spent a good portion of the class rolling our eyes at unintelligent classmates or smiling at a joke one of us had made under our breaths. It was nice to feel at home, like I already had a friend. It had been a very long time since I had any sort of companionship at all. I continued in this thought process until a thought had me frozen. I can't let my guard down. No matter how nice he seems, he is a man. And this time, you're protecting another, not just yourself. I patted my stomach self-consciously and remembered the life inside me. Some would say I was crazy, but I knew the baby was still there. I made up my mind. I would be nice. I would sit with them at lunch. I would meet the family, but I would never let it be anything more. I couldn't do that to little Whitney. I don't know why, but I always felt like the baby was a girl. I picked the name Whitney for my little unborn darling because it reminded me of my real last name. Of Daddy. Whitney Whitlock. I cringed internally at the thought of Daddy… No one would ever know that name. No one else knew she existed, apart from James. Not that he cared.

The bell rang before I knew it and it was time for lunch. Edward's voice shook me out of my thoughts. "Marie, are you ready to go? I'll show you to the lunchroom, everyone is excited to meet you." I nodded and smiled, then walked alongside the bronze-haired beauty to the cafeteria. We went through the line, bought our food for the purposes of pretending to eat, and were about to go sit down when Edward insisted on paying for the apple and salad on my tray. I tried to fight him on it, but apparently paying for a woman's food was important to him, even if it was utterly ridiculous because she wouldn't eat it. We walked into the table area of the cafeteria when I saw it.

Not it.

Him.

It couldn't be, I must be low on blood or something.

This has to be some cruel joke.

I couldn't move any farther towards the table Edward was trying to lead me to.

Then he looked at us, and we locked into eye contact.

I vaguely heard Edward calling my name, but I couldn't respond.

There, staring straight at me with a mixture of love and fear, was my father.

Daddy.