Disclaimer:All Twilight characters herein are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N:Here's Part 4! Just one post of this story today. I need to get an update for one of my other stories ready and posted as well sometime before this day ends. I'll see you readers on Friday.

Looks like the story is starting to gain attention. Thanks to all those that have Favorite this story and put it on alert. I appreciate the support very much. I hope to not let you guys down and keep you interested.

So welcome to all the new readers!

WE'VE ONLY GOT 1 REVIEW THUS FAR

REVIEWS ARE IMPORTANT TO US WRITERS

CAN WE ADD TO THE REVIEW COUNT?

~*Wildflower*~

Part 4

"Bella. So that's your name. I'd been wondering how I was going to be able to find that out. I was afraid that I might have had to play some type of guessing game to figure it out and you might actually get offended if I tried to guess your name as being something horrible like Gertrude, Viola, or something like that." She gave a silent laugh, obviously enjoying my remark. "That name suits you, Bella. It means beautiful in Italian, you know. You're very beautiful." I told her honestly. She blushed that beautiful blush of hers, and ducked her head away. She began writing once more.

You're too kind! I must look like a mess right now.

I gave her an incredulous look. "I won't have any of that. You look beautiful. End of story. As for running into me, there's no need for you to apologize. It was as much my fault. I wasn't exactly watching where I was going either. I'm only glad that you weren't hurt in our collision. I'm not exactly the softest thing to run into." With that I chuckled, and she did also. "I can't say I regret running into you either."

Hah! You haven't denied that I look like a real mess.

The things that you must be thinking.

"You may be rough around the edges, but you're still very beautiful. I saw that straight away. Don't ever believe anything less." It was the truth.

She reached a hand over and caressed my face. I leaned my face into her touch and she smiled. I felt the loss of her touch once more when she pulled her hand away. I thought to myself that I had to find some way to make these kinds of moments last a bit longer.

"Um, Bella...please tell me that you aren't living on the street somewhere."

I guess you would gather that from my appearance.

No. I'm not living out on the street, but I don't exactly have a home, either.

Speaking of which, I need to get back. It's getting late. I don't want to get locked out.

"Oh thank God." My relief was evident. "I was so afraid. That would never do. Admittedly, the thought entered my mind, especially when you hesitated to get in the car the first time. So tell me, where it is that I can take you? Do you live in some sort of group home?"

Uh, something like that.

Are you sure? I don't want you to feel obligated.

I can walk back. I'll be fine taking care of myself from now on.

I'm sure you've got better things to do.

"Nonsense. I told you before that I wasn't going to let you go out there alone and especially not now that it's gotten later. I'm seeing this through until you're home safe. Plus, it gives me an excuse to hang out with you more and get to know you better. Believe me, I don't have better things to do. Now, where is it we're going?" I started up the car and proceeded to back out of the space. She didn't write out anything. She just looked at me for a good long while, shrugged, then entered a destination on my car's built-in GPS, confounding me yet again.

"Don't take this the wrong way. But I'm assuming you don't have a car, yet you know how to use a sophisticated GPS system that even I have trouble using sometimes. That's kind of amazing."

I navigated the levels of the parking lot, heading for the exit, while she wrote. Only when we reached the waiting area for paying and I had to stop was when Bella tapped my shoulder to show me what she had written.

I know a few things. You can say I'm a girl full of surprises.

Btw, this is so much easier, communicating with you this way.

You obviously don't know sign language too well and you seem to suck at charades.

"Well, you definitely got things right. I totally suck at charades. It had never been one of my favorite games and I was never one to have gone to parties where it's played. If I had known then that it would've come in handy to be good at it, then I'd probably paid better attention before. I'm so glad that you could read and write. I didn't really know off-hand, I admit. I like communicating this way too, although it'll be tough talking to you once we're out on the road. I guess we'll manage. But, the great thing is that it's better for your neck. And, yeah, you're full of surprises. If you don't mind me saying so again...you are amazing and I think I'd like to discover more of these surprises you hold."

I finally inserted the little parking stub and put my credit card into the machine to pay, so that we could be on our way. Fortunately, there was no one else exiting the garage; otherwise, we'd probably have caused a back up and would've heard horns telling us to get a move on.

It was starting to pour. My earlier prediction of a thunderstorm having moved in, the reason for why it suddenly got chilly, was correct. That was just how Colorado was-the weather changed on a dime. I became thankful that I had Bella here with me, safe and warm in my car, instead of out there in the rain, unpredictability, and darkness of the night.

As we waited at the exit for traffic to clear, Bella tapped me on the shoulder again and showed me her notepad once more. I had to laugh at what she wrote first.

I promise not to make you read and drive. That would be dangerous, especially in the rain.

It would be just as bad as someone talking on a cell or texting while driving.

Thank you again for the ride. It would be no fun getting all wet.

Though, I'd like us to continue talking. If that's okay?

But, maybe instead of me writing you things, you can tell me more about yourself?

Since there was no one waiting behind us, I basically parked the car again and took the opportunity to turn and face her. "More about me, huh? I'm really not that interesting of a person, unlike you. But I'll tell you anything you want to know. Maybe you should write down a bunch of things you want to know now, so that I can read it. Then I can spout out answers while we're on our way."

Bella checked behind us to make sure nobody was waiting, then she began writing earnestly. I wondered what she was writing down on her notepad. Within moments she was done and showed it to me, and I couldn't help but think about how fast she could write. Well, that was better than thinking about how nice those fingers would be wrapped around my cock.

Tell me anything and everything. I really want to know the man that has become like my knight in shining armor.

Just go with what would be comfortable for you to talk to me about.

Favorite color, favorite food, your job, your family, any pets, your childhood, favorite childhood memory.

Just talk. Tell me anything.

I promise I won't get bored :)

"Okay. But don't say I didn't warn you, if you do start to get bored to death or something," I joked with her.

I then proceeded to tell her things about myself as we drove along. I talked and talked and told her things from the most mundane like my favorite color was black to more complicated things like how my brother and I didn't quite get along all because of a girl. I think I even imparted information to her that some past girlfriends didn't even know. I don't think I'd ever been so open in my life. She was just the type of person I instantly felt comfortable revealing things to, or maybe it was just the effect she had on me. How many times in just the few short hours that I've known her that I'd already changed a lot of my past ways?

-XXXXX-

The place we were heading to was a goddamn homeless shelter, at least that was what the GPS told me it was. I was right and she was homeless. No such luck that she was living in a group home or some run down, ratty, apartment with like a dozen roommates. Not that those would've been any better living conditions. My heart truly went out to her. It just didn't seem right for her to be in such circumstances. I wouldn't count living in a shelter as having a home either. But, I was grateful that she at least had a roof over head. I wondered how long she had been staying there and what happened to have her been put in such circumstances.

The shelter was a good 12 blocks away from where we currently were at. It was on the northern end of the downtown area and that part of town was typically known as the roughest part of Denver. I knew I never had to venture there so I was glad for the GPS guiding my way. I didn't like that Bella was anywhere near that area at all. Bella didn't belong there. How she managed to wander so far and only by her own two feet would be a question I'd save for later. I'd hoped that those bad men who were chasing her hadn't driven her all the way to where I ran into her. I'd seen movies on this and I had an inkling what their plans were with her-make her lost and then they'd catch up with her and I wouldn't dare think of what would happen afterwards. I'd never been more grateful to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this homeless shelter that she was currently living in, either. Truthfully, I had never been to one, but I could only imagine that it wasn't a comfortable place to be. It was certainly no place for one such as Bella. Who knows whom else she'd been subjected to while staying there. I endeavored to get her out of there. She didn't know it yet, but she was coming home with me tonight. I wasn't about to leave her there. I planned on just bringing her there, so that she can grab whatever little possessions she may have, if she even had any. There was no way in hell that I was leaving without her by my side, if I could help it. Of course, I had yet to tell her all this. I was honestly afraid of how she would react, although her tender actions and trusting demeanor towards me gave me hope.

We passed by a McDonald's and I suddenly remembered that I hadn't had anything to eat yet for dinner. I started to feel the small pangs of hunger in my stomach and as if on cue, my stomach even growled. Then I looked over to Bella sitting beside me and it made me think about when the last time she must've eaten. Normally, eating at McDonald's was beneath me, but there didn't seem to be any other options around these parts. Besides, stopping for food would prolong me having to get her back to the shelter and it would be more time alone to spend with her. I'm sure that shelter didn't offer too much privacy. At the next light, I pulled into the turning lane so that I could make a U-turn back to the McDonald's and a visible look of confusion was on Bella's face.

I began to explain, "Bella. When was the last time you ate anything?" She scribbled on her paper.

Admittedly, I haven't eaten all day. I was just about to line up some food when those men came after me. I don't have any money.

But, I couldn't take further advantage of your generosity. You've already done too much.

I'll be all right. Please just take me back to the shelter.

"I'm sorry. I can't do that just yet. You need to eat something and frankly, so do I. It's a wonder how you had any energy to outrun those men. It's not a burden and it's not like it would be anything fancy. It'll just be McDonald's Anyways, I'm not taking no for an answer."

The light turned and I made a U-turn to head back in the direction of the McDonald's One good thing about fast food is that they're usually open at this time of night.

I pulled into the McDonald's and into a parking space. Before I even shut off the engine, she gripped my arm tightly and when I turned to face her, she had a look of utter terror on her face. I gave her a questioning look. She wrote on her notepad.

I can't go in there, Edward. I'm not presentable at all.

I chuckled softly to myself. Even homeless, she was still first and foremost a girl, and girls worried about their appearances all the time.

"If you ask me, you look fine. No one would even notice, especially in this neighborhood. But, if you're really against it, I guess we can go through the drive-thru." She nodded, liking that idea better.

I pulled in front of the speaker and looked over the menu. Nothing looked particularly appetizing, but I settled on ordering their Angus Mushroom and Swiss Burger, making a meal out of it with fries and a large Coke, figuring it had to better than the rest of the stuff that they had. Oh how I wished I had some rum to put into my drink after the night I had.

"Go ahead and order whatever you want. Don't you feel shy about it," I told Bella. She wrote on her pad.

Anything? You're serious?

"Yeah. You must be hungry. Hungrier than me for sure. Have whatever you want. It's not like it'll be breaking my bank anyways paying for this stuff."

Bella smiled a great big smile and jotted her order down, then handed me the paper. Her face tensed with worry as I read. My eyes nearly bugged out from reading what she wanted. She practically ordered half the menu and I couldn't believe that she could've been that hungry and could eat all this food. But, hell, what do I know. She probably has gone days without eating and for certain this would be the first food in her mouth all day from what she's confessed to me. I couldn't fault her for taking advantage of this opportunity. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same if I were in her situation. I gave her a smile letting her know that I wasn't bothered by her wanting all this food and ordered the food happily. Her face then relaxed and she bounced in her seat in anticipation. It didn't matter, anyway, I already knew that I wouldn't deny her anything.

I never thought that I'd ever see the day where I'd be spending over fifty dollars on food from McDonald's As I gave her the bags containing the food to hold, I watched her as she savored the smell emanating from the bags. Her tongue licked her lips several times in anticipation of tasting the food, and each time I caught a glimpse of that tongue of hers, my cock twitched. She put the bags down at her feet and turned her attention to the holder that contained our drinks, her milkshake, and sundae. Her eyes grew wide with appreciation as she eyed the chocolate milkshake and the hot fudge sundae, like she was deciding which one to dive into first. She was like a kid in a candy store, her face lighting up as the food assaulted her various senses.

In seeing her like this, my heart actually swelled with joy for her, because who knew I could make anyone look so happy with something as simple as McDonald's But, I suppose for someone in her situation, this would've been the equivalent of being taken to a five-star restaurant for the first time. What I had spent on the food was mere pocket change and I would've gladly spent hundreds more if I had known she'd light up like this.

After we left the drive-thru, I pulled into a parking space, just to make sure the minimum waged paid employees didn't screw up any of our huge order. I also checked if they had given us our straws, enough napkins, ketchup, and sauces that we needed. I would've hated diving into the food, only to find that we had no napkins or ketchup for the fries. Everything was good with our order, though, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Bella tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see what she had written on her notepad. I was sure it would be about how she was ready to eat.

Are we going to eat now in the car, here?

"No," I began. "I have a better idea. Something nicer that I think you might like. But, feel free to start with your sundae before it completely melts. Just, um, try not to make a mess inside the car, okay? These interiors are tough to clean."

Bella nodded and eagerly reached for her sundae to get started on it. She placed napkins on her lap, tucked one into her shirt like a bib, and laid napkins down on either side of her legs on the exposed parts of her seat, and I had to smile at that-she was being so considerate about the interior of my car.

I watched her as she spooned some of the sundae from the cup and put it into her mouth. She moaned the single sexiest moan I'd ever heard from a woman and ran her tongue over her lips in appreciation of the sweet confection in such a provocative way that my cock twitched in response. My throat went dry and I grabbed for my Coke quickly and drank to soothe the dryness. As I continued to watch Bella thoroughly enjoy her dessert, I had never been more jealous of that spoon. Fuck me, I was jealous of an inanimate object.

I decided we better get going so we can actually start to eat the food before it went cold. That and if I stayed in that spot much longer watching her eat her sundae, I would've jumped her bones right then and there.

The navigation system told me there was a park not too far from where we were at and it seemed a good place to stop and have a night picnic. There was no way we were eating inside my car and risking the interior to get dirty; even I didn't trust myself not to drip some of the special sauce out of my burger with how hungry I was, and I fucking wasn't going to be laying out a bunch of napkins to cover every exposed surface like Bella had done. Besides, we didn't have that many napkins.

Now that her sundae was finished, I could tell Bella was eager to taste the rest of her food; however, she was being respectful enough not to just dive into the food until we reached our destination. I drove to the park, which fortunately for us, wasn't trashed. We got out of the car, taking all the food with us, and Bella made sure to remember to bring her little notepad and pen. We found a nearby picnic table that was dry enough to eat on and claimed it as ours.

The rain had stopped a while ago, leaving the park refreshed and smelling nice with the flowers still in bloom. The clouds had gone and with the sky clear, the moon shone brightly and the stars were out. There was a nearby street lamp to illuminate our spot. We were the only ones there. I thought it made for a pretty nice setting for a dinner date, even if it was only fast food we were eating. Bella looked appreciative and that was all that mattered to me. I noted to myself that I'd have to do this again with her another time, at one of the nicer parks around town, and come better prepared, like bring a blanket, some candles, and certainly have better food.

We both sat side-by-side on the table while our feet rested on the bench. I found it funny that we both chose to sit that way. Chelsea would've considered it undignified. Heck, Chelsea would've never been happy to eat fast food; it was beneath her. She would've rather driven all night to find a worthier restaurant or worse yet, starved, than subject herself to eating at a McDonald's Just went to show how different Bella was from her and the other women in my past. It made me realize further that Chelsea and other women like her in my past were not the kind of women I actually wanted or saw as a partner.

However, Bella already meant a lot to me. She had charmed me with her beauty and simple nature.

Bella had inched so close to me that our legs brushed against each other's. She looked to me as if to ask if it was okay. Of course, I had no problem with it and smiled at her. She beamed back and we both dove into our food and ate in relative silence, just enjoying the close proximity of one another and the beauty of the night.

It was a chilly night due to the rain and knowing we were going to be eating outside, I had lent Bella my hoodie that I always kept in the car. In Denver, with the weather having the propensity to change at a moment's notice, it was always good to be prepared. She looked damn good in my hoodie and I couldn't help but stare at her while I finished off my burger and fries. I'd love to get her out of her clothes and into more of mine. She tapped my shoulder and showed me her note.

What are you staring at? Do I have something in my teeth?

"No," I said with a chuckle. "You're just beautiful. I like looking at you." We both blushed at what I said. She didn't write anything else in comment, but instead busied herself with polishing off her second cheeseburger.

"Bella," I murmured. She turned from her seat and looked my way, munching on some fries and starting in on her chicken nuggets. "I want you to know that I'm really glad that we found a way to communicate. I actually enjoy talking to you. I don't think I could ever say that to any other woman, not even my mother. I don't know what I would've done if we couldn't communicate. I'm really no good at all the sign language and miming stuff. We would have had a difficult time for certain. I would learn it for you, though, and I'd like you to teach me," I paused and she looked at me wide-eyed. She was going to write something in response, but I stopped her. I continued, "You know, I would've suggested writing things out in the first place, but I didn't know exactly if you were literate. I hope you're not offended by me thinking that. I've just been very stupid about your world."

Bella put pen to paper once more. She wrote in earnest, her food temporarily forgotten.

Oh, Edward, no, I'm not offended.

I know that it's a common mis-perception that people have that the homeless are illiterate.

And especially since that I am mute, people automatically conclude that I am dumb and have had

no education.

I know others don't usually know how to deal with someone like me. More often, people would sooner take advantage of me, than try to help or get to know me.

Like those vile men. If you hadn't come along, I was sure that they would've caught up or found me eventually.

I shudder to think what their bad intentions were, although

I knew that they definitely had bad intentions.

I also shuddered at the thought of those men chasing after my sweet, beautiful Bella. I did as she had done previously and put my free hand up to her face and caressed it after I read those lines. To my joy, she leaned into my touch. I was wondering if she felt the strong connection between us as well. I had my suspicions, but I couldn't be certain.

Unlike you.

You've been so wonderful. More than I could ever had hoped.

I promise I will repay your kindness, starting with teaching you some signs.

But, um, may I ask why you'd want to learn?

Do you think you could use it in the future?

"Oh my dear, Bella. I apologize again for my ignorance and for making your neck hurt earlier." She shook her head "no," as if to say that there was no need. I moved on. "You don't have to repay me anymore than teaching me how to sign. That'll be all I'll need from you now. You've already done me the great honor of becoming my friend. Uh, we are friends now, right?" I asked nervously. She nodded and I had to smile at that. I continued, "Help me learn to communicate with you better, so that I don't strain your hand next by making you constantly write in order to talk to me." We both chuckled.

Bella held up a hand to me letting me know to stop. She switched the pen to her left hand and began writing.

No hand straining. If my right hand gets tired, I'll just switch to my left. I'm ambidextrous.

It'll take a while to communicate fluently with sign. You won't be able to talk to me through that right away, but I can teach you some basics.

And yes, I must pay you back some other way. I won't feel right, otherwise.

Holy shit! My Bella was ambidextrous. That was a hidden talent and another amazing quality that I just found out and loved about her. I wonder what other hidden talents she had that I could find out about. She had said that she was full of surprises.