I stayed up quite late to get this to you, oh my brothers. But I was feeling inspired, so it wasn't such a chore. Plus, I won't have the time to be inspired soon. Ah, exams. I really hope you like it. Oh, and all Italian is written in italics. Because I don't speak Italian.

I don't own 'em. Enjoy!

Chapter Three – BPOV

Light filtered into my brain and I rolled to bury my head in the pillows that – no matter where I was – smelled like lavender.

The scent of Old Spice, faint sweat, and something indefinable hit my nose. I reveled in it for a moment before the light went on in my head. It occurred to me that I was not where I was supposed to be.

I froze as I remembered. The ball. Losing my shoe and the accompanying panic. Throwing a fit in my bedroom. Mrs. Cullen taking notes on me. Dr. Cullen drugging me. The escape. And then, nothing.

I sat up in horror. Where was I? I glanced wildly around. It was a small, one room apartment. A glance down told me I was wearing clothes that were not my own.

I took a breath. Panic would not help. I had to look on the bright side. The clothes were not mine, but I was wearing clothes. I was alone in the bed. The apartment was small and crummy, but clean and well taken care of. There was a bottle of Italian painkillers on the table next to me, complete with a glass of water. The man face down on the couch over there was wearing clothes, day clothes, rumpled from sleep.

Deep breaths. Deep, calming, soothing, not-panicking-breaths. I tried to convince myself that I had been taken care of, not taken advantage of. Based on the evidence, it made sense. I just had to make sure I believed it. Two panic attacks in twenty-hours would be unhealthy.

I took a better survey of my surroundings to keep my mind occupied. The room was one long rectangle. The bed I was in was pressed against one shorter wall. The opposite wall opened into a small raised alcove holding a piano and other instruments. On the wall to my left, there was a small refrigerator, a wardrobe, and a stuffed bookshelf. Small steps led to an open door through which a bathroom was visible. The other wall held the couch and my slumbering host. A table filled the center of the room.

Survey complete, I had to decide what to do. I wrapped myself further in the blankets as I contemplated.

The obvious answer was to flee. Find a policeman, go back to the embassy. Forget this ever happened. But my heart rebelled against this idea. I didn't want to return to the embassy, to my prim and proper, suffocating life.

I had an opportunity here. I had escaped, if only for a little while. I could see Rome, see Rome and really live for a few precious hours before I returned. I put aside the guilt I felt at my guardians' inevitable distress. When I needed them most, they put me under. They restrained me when I needed comfort. They paraded me around like a show dog, tried to keep me controlled for as long as they needed. They owed me today.

The question was, what to do? My clothes were hanging on the bathroom door. I could easily put them on and slip out the door. I was fluent in Italian, I could easily find my way from wherever I was to wherever I wanted to go. Or I could wake my host. He deserved at least a thanks. At least, I hoped he deserved a thanks. And if he was as considerate as I was hoping he was, then he'd be worried if I just disappeared.

My brain was working a mile a minute. I hadn't been awake long enough to deal with things like this. I needed coffee. Caffeine addiction was the one unwholesome thing allowed me. I needed to make a choice.

My choice was taken from me when the man on the couch shifted, stretched, and rolled right off of the couch onto the floor.

I gasped and pulled the sheets up to my neck, freezing in fear. At my gasp, the man on the floor – who had been sitting with his eyes closed and his head slung back – jolted to attention. When he locked eyes with me, a friendly crooked smile appeared on his face.

"Hey mystery girl!"

I just gaped at him. My etiquette training did not cover this situation.

He seemed to sense my distress and put one hand out in a placating manner. "Relax, mystery girl. I'm not going to hurt you. And I didn't hurt you, I promise."

I nodded dumbly. His voice was like silk. He chuckled and got to his feet. "Still quiet, huh? Well, this is a strange situation; I don't blame you."

My breath caught in my throat as he slowly approached me. He looked like a Greek God in the flesh – or perhaps a Roman one – with messy bronze hair and flashing green eyes. I was suddenly very aware of my tousled hair and morning breath.

He stretched one hand out to me with that dazzling smile. "I'm Edward Masen."

I placed my fingers I his with a shy smile. "Bella Swan. Charmed."

It wasn't totally a lie, merely a shortening and Anglicization of my name. I didn't think he'd take Isabella de la Cynge in stride. That name set me apart, made me obviously an aristocrat. I didn't want to be an elite today. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to be Bella Swan.

Edward Masen changed his grip on my hand and gave it a quick shake. I blushed. Normal girls don't have their fingers kissed when greeted. You can take the girl out of the palace…

"It's nice to meet you, Bella Swan. And I must say, your name is quite fitting, especially here in Rome."

I blushed. Did he call me beautiful? I had heard it all my life, but never trusted to find truth in the flattery. I believed it when he said it.

"Thank you, Mr. Masen. It is a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Please, call me Edward. What can I do for you?"

I squinted up at him from my place on the low bed, still wrapped firmly in the blankets. "Tell me how I got here?"

He smiled and sat on the bed next to me. I shied away and he moved farther away on the bed. I had realized I was alone, with a strange man, in a strange apartment, in Rome. Why was I not panicking?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," he apologized.

I shook my head. "Don't be. I'm just a little skittish today." That was the understatement of the century.

"It's understandable." He handed me the glass of water and shook out some pills for me. "Here, I figured you'd have quite a headache after last night."

I accepted the medicine with a shy smile. I couldn't remember why I would have a headache, but I didn't want to refuse his kind gesture. Plus, I was quite thirsty. He watched as I dutifully drank the water.

He took my glass and I prompted, "What happened last night?"

He chuckled. "I found you asleep on a bench. I didn't want something to happen to you, so when you woke up, I tried to find where you lived, but were drunk. All you would tell me was the Coliseum, the Parthenon, or the Vatican. So I weighted my options and brought you here to sleep it off."

"Thank so much for taking me in, that was very kind of you." I frowned, "I don't remember drinking anything." Of course, I had not had any alcohol. I had been drugged by my trusted physician.

It was his turn to frown. "I didn't think you were blackout, but I guess I'm not as good a judge as I thought. Ah well, if you're feeling better, you can wash up and I'll get you safely home."

Well, that was not happening. I did not want to return to the embassy. I also did not want Edward to know I lived at an embassy. So I chose a new option.

"I know how to get back, but thank you. I would like to wash up though, if I may."

A strange smile quirked his mouth. "The bathroom is through there." He pointed to the door I had already noticed. "There are clean towels in the bathroom and you can use all my toiletries. What's mine is yours."

I smiled in thanks, but stayed where I was. There was no way I was leaving this bed while he watched. I was wearing his boxers for crying out loud! I didn't want him to see that much of me. He seemed to realize this and quickly crossed to the small refrigerator. "I'll scrounge up some food for you while you wash up. Take your time."

I took advantage of his turned back and darted into the bathroom with a muttered "Thank you."

The bathroom was small and cramped, but it was clean. It would have to do. I felt dirty and I wanted to be clean today. I was going live today. I didn't want my memories and experience of Rome marred by greasy hair. I showered quickly, using the lukewarm water to wake up a bit.

Once out though, my stomach churned at the thought of going back out there. I wasn't sure how to act like a normal person, how to interact with this 'Edward Masen.' So I took my time towel drying my hair and combing it out. It was still quite wet, but I couldn't stay in here until my mass of hair dried.

So I straightened my shoulders and left the room with a pounding heart. When I entered the room, Edward was pouring a black sludge through what appeared to be cheesecloth into a pitcher. He had changed while I showered.

He looked up and smiled that brilliant smile as I entered shyly. "Ah, the princess emerges."

My face went blank. "Princess?" Surely he didn't know!

He merely laughed. "I guess you don't remember our joke from last night. You called me Prince Charming when I helped you with your shoes, so I called you Princess."

I laughed too, though more at the irony of it all. He had jokingly stumbled upon the truth I was trying to hide.

Thankfully, this sharing of a joke broke the ice and I no longer felt as awkward around him. Edward gestured towards the pitcher of black liquid. "I'm making iced coffee, would you like some?"

"Oh yes." Ah, I would get my caffeine fix today.

Edward began fixing my coffee. "Do you have time? I don't want your family to worry any more about you."

I smiled at his thoughtfulness, but returned with a wry, "Let them worry." I took a seat across from him at his table. "I'm taking today as a mental health day."

He laughed. "Fair enough. So, Bella Swan, do you live here in Rome? That accent indicates you don't."

"No, I don't. I live in England," I lied. I had been told my accent was very similar to the Queen's English. "But you sound like an American, and here you are with an apartment in Rome."

"Yes, I'm American. I hail from Chicago. But my parents and I disagreed about my future, so while on a post-graduation, family trip to Rome, I got a job, got my tourist visa switched to a worker's visa, emptied my bank account into a Roman bank and found this apartment. My parents were less than pleased."

I gaped at him. "You ran away to Rome?"

He lifted an eyebrow at me. "Didn't you?"

I blushed. "Just for one day."

"Fair enough. Just be warned, Rome is quite seductive. I asked my parents for one day to myself and I've been here for a year and a half."

"Why did you run off?" I leaned towards him on the table.

He shrugged. "My parents wanted me to be a lawyer. I wanted to be a musician. But they wouldn't pay for a music conservatory, only Georgetown University. So decided to pay my own way. Moving to Rome was a spur of the moment decision."

"Wow. That is incredibly brave," I marveled.

He negated that with a quick shake of his head. "No, it was rather cowardly. I didn't even tell my parents face-to-face. I left a letter in their hotel and no forwarding address. I call once a month and hang up as soon as I can. Basically, I avoid thinking about my responsibilities to my family."

"What sort of responsibility?" I had no idea normal people felt duty towards their parents.

"Well, they raised me and loved me and cared for me an I haven't treated them very well recently. I spurned their good-intentions towards my future happiness and don't take much care to ease my mother's worry about my health and safety."

I leaned back in my chair and considered this for a moment. "Are you happy here?"

"Immensely," he replied emphatically.

"Could you have been happy at Georgetown or as a lawyer?"

"Most assuredly not. Had I been forced to attend Georgetown, I would have been absolutely miserable. Think Dead Poets Society."

I didn't understand the reference, but shouldered on. "Given what you have told me, I do not think you should feel any guilt about your parents. If they love you, they should value your happiness over what they think should make you happy."

Edward stared at me blankly. After a few blinks he said, "That actually makes me feel better. If only my parents understood that."

I laughed, to ease the sudden serious mood. "Call them up. I'll have a chat with them."

He laughed too. "I would, but my monthly call won't come for another week."

"Fair enough," I echoed him. My coffee cup was now empty. "But I have trespassed on your courtesy long enough. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you taking me in last night. I do not even wish to think about what might have happened if you had not."

Edward looked sad. "I also don't want to think about it. And don't worry about 'trespassing on my courtesy.' You are quite welcome in him home whenever. In fact, I would love to show you around Rome, if you'd like."

I pondered that for a moment. "Your offer is quite tempting," I began. It was. He was a fascinating person, and quite easy on the eyes. "But I think this is something I need to do on my own. I am rarely allowed freedom to do as I wish at home. I need a bit of independence today."

He furrowed his brow. "I respect that. But I can't send you out there with nothing. My mother would be even more disappointed in me."

He stood and walked to the bookshelf and riffled through a couple boxes on top. He pulled a couple things out and started scribbling on a piece of paper. Finally he turned around and handed me a small Oriental-looking coin purse.

I looked in. There were several folded Italian bills and a piece of paper. I looked up at him with a questioning look.

He shrugged sheepishly. "The coin purse is my mother's. I took it to remind me of her. The paper has my address and phone number. If you need me, I'm just a phone call away. And well, if you're going to be exploring Rome, I figured I'd give you some money to make it more enjoyable."

I gaped at him, my eyes stinging with tears. It was such a sweet gesture. "I can't accept this."

"Sure you can."

I straightened my shoulders, and told him firmly, "I'm repaying you and sending the purse back to you as soon as I get home."

"Please don't. It will make me happy to think of you having the purse. Plus it will give you something to remember me by, since our first interaction was so forgettable."

I laughed. "You are too kind, Mr. Masen."

He grinned and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. "What can I say? You bring out the protective side of me."

I blushed scarlet as he tugged on my hand. "Come on, I'll show you the way out."

He led me down through the apartment building, which looked quite old and quaint. Once at street side, he took both my shoulders in his hands. "You call me if you need anything, alright? And feel free to come back whenever you want."

I smiled. "Thank you. For everything."

He pulled me into a hug and I froze. This was… new. I forced myself to relax into his bone-crushing hug and hugged him back. "Just stay safe, okay?"

He let go of me and I stepped back. "I will. Bye, Edward."

I took another step back. It was harder to leave than I expected. As I turned to go, he stepped for ward and turned my head towards him. He placed a gentle kiss on my cheek. "Goodbye, Bella Swan."

With my cheeks flaming, I turned and fled down the street. I turned corners at random, not really paying attention. As my grandfather used to say, 'If you know not towards which port you are sailing, every wind is fair.'

I eventually found myself in a bustling market. I was so fun and lively. I browsed the shops slowly, delighting in the experience. I had never been allowed to go shopping before. All my clothes were tailored to my physique.

I was contemplating a pair of sandals – my heels weren't exactly practical – when I realized I was being watched. Leaning on a wall nearby were two shady looking men. I quickly left the vendor I was at and slipped down a side street. The two men followed.

I walked quicker, trying to lose them in the maze of alleys. Too late I realized that I was the outsider here. They were playing at their home court. Up ahead was another turn and walked as quickly as I could towards it and made the corner. There were other people ahead and I headed to them.

The other people turned out to be just as shady as the ones following me. One raised his arm in greeting and I turned to see one of my followers return the gesture.

True fear set in. I had been herded. I was trapped. I had no idea how to protect myself.

I backed against a wall and closed my eyes, wishing one of my bodyguards would appear. Why had I ever left the embassy?

There was a low chuckle in front of me, and I opened my eyes to see myself caged in by four greasy men. They were grinning at me.

"Ah, a little mousy one. Should be fun," one said in Italian.

"Looks all prim and proper. We'll muss her up a bit," another replied.

My breaths were coming in short gasps. "Leave me alone," I whispered.

They just laughed. One reached out towards me and I cringed back.

Then I heard it. "If you value your lives, you'll leave her be." Edward's voice, sounding like pure danger in Italian. I looked up to see him in a fighting crouch, two knives clutched in his hands.

The four men took one look at him and fled the other way.

My knees gave way and I started sinking down the wall. Edward closed his knives and put them in his pockets before he grabbed me and straightened me. "Did they hurt you? Are you okay?"

I trembled in his grip. "I'm okay."

"I'm getting you out of here." He swooped me up into his arms and took off down the alley way.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my head in his neck. I had no idea how he got there, but I didn't care. All I could feel was relief.

The sounds of the market assaulted my ears and I felt Edward come to a stop. He put me down and pulled me into another tight embrace. "Please tell me you're okay."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and replied into his shirt, "I'm fine. They didn't touch me."

He let go of me and I leaned against the wall behind me. "I should go back there and rip their heads off."

I put a hand on his arm. "No, no you shouldn't." The shock was subsiding now and I took in his appearance. He was trembling, his hair all over the place and his eyes wild.

"But they almost…"

I cut him off. "They almost, but they didn't. You stopped them." I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck before pulling him into me. He encircled my waist and leaned his shuddering body into mine. It was his turn to bury his face in my neck.

I gently ran my fingers through his hair. "Relax. Nothing happened."

"But if I had been too late," his voice broke.

"You weren't. You saved me, again."

He didn't respond this time, just pulled me closer. I continued to hold him close, more than willing to sooth my perpetual savior.

Hope it was pretty good. Let me know what you think??

Love always,
OnlyOneSymptom