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It would be fair to say I slept horribly last night. Every time I would feel myself drifting off, I lurched awake. I was in a near constant state of worrying that Edward's curiosity would get the better of him and he would sneak back into my room. I didn't want him to go all creep-tastic on me. Some girls may like the idea of some strange guy watching them sleep, but me? Not so much.

I realise Edward wasn't a stranger. He was in the sense that I'd never met him, but what does that matter? I knew everything about him. If anything he probably thought of me as some weird, demented human with a stalker crush on him. I certainly fit the profile. I knew every tiny detail about him and had a large poster of him in my room.

Still, the idea of him seeing me sleep and being able to encroach on my private thoughts was too risky. The memory of him was too fresh in my mind, and the way my imagination was going, he would have ended up listening to my dreams and seeing nothing but pure smut. Of course that would have him storming off in disgust, never to be seen again. I knew it was irrational, but I had a feeling the lack of his presence would make me sad, since he was so pretty to look at.

After a restless night, I now sat on my bed with blurry eyes, and my wet hair taking on a mind of its own. I decided it might be nice to have a little dignity today so had opted not to wear my onesie. Instead, I was wearing a large grey jumper with black lace tights and grey knee high socks. Comfortable and cosy, it was quite an achievement given I had created the look without Ashleigh's expert advice.

The minutes ticked by, and I started to wonder where he was.

Did we even set a time?

I couldn't remember. I was too tired at the time for my mind to function properly.

Oh god! I didn't tell him when to come.

Great. I was going to end up sitting here all day like an imbecile waiting for a fictional character to step out of his poster.

I'm an idiot.

My imagination had obviously dreamt this up, either that or gone crazy with too much caffeine, or lack of sleep. To think I had tricked myself into thinking he actually existed.

Holly, you absolute numpty. The little voice in my head chipped in, definitely another sign to show me that I was losing my marbles. I had gotten to the point of not only having a vivid dream of a fictional character, but also developing another voice in my mind.

A wash of sadness went through me. Could I really have imagined such a surreal event as what I thought happened last night? It seemed very unfair of my mind to play such a trick on me. It may have been a result of insanity, but I had felt a weird kind of excitement at the possibility of seeing Edward again.

I didn't want to just give up on the idea that what had happened last night was real.

I stared at the poster.

Nothing.

"Come on!" I said, frustrated mostly with my lack of intelligence.

Still nothing.

One last try.

Just one last ditch-attempt before I wiped it from my memory.

"Howay, Eddie boy, get your ass out here!" I let my usually neutral accent take on the northern edge that was common here.

The poster's eyes started to glow, becoming almost hypnotic. Next thing I knew, the image of Edward's face melted away to reveal a misty film that swirled and churned in front of me. I stepped back in astonishment as Edward stalked towards me through the bubble like screen.

"Do. Not. Call me. Eddie!" His voice was chilling as he spoke through clenched teeth. His face was a mask of anger, cold and hard.

"I didn't." I kept my voice light, trying hard to hide the fear he had actually placed in me.

"I called you Eddie boy." I winked at him, hoping my teasing would lighten the mood. I knew he wouldn't hurt me, but talking was so much easier when the person you're talking with wasn't trying to burn a hole through your head with their glare.

Please don't squish me. The feeble thought floated through my head, and I saw Edward tense then relax.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. It's just a certain member of my family seems to like calling me Eddie." He shuddered slightly as he said the name then gave me a weak smile.

"Would this certain someone be Emmett?" I chuckled.

It wasn't really a question and I didn't need an answer so I continued to talk, trying desperately to ignore my body's reaction to him. His smile. His body...

"I'm Holly Jules by the way." I held out my hand, and he shook it gingerly. His skin was cool and stone hard, but somehow it didn't feel like rock. Just different. Good different.

"Anyway, as you found out yesterday I know a lot about you, your past and present...etcetera. So, as much as I would love to tell you everything, I need to know what is happening in your world first." I settled myself down on my bed and patted the space beside me.

I had to admit I was a little disappointed that he chose to instead sit in the chair he had occupied yesterday. I knew my disappointment was irrational. He most likely wasn't trying to be offensive, just cautious. He was, after all, a vampire and I was very much still human.

"I'm assuming that you believe we live in different worlds, yes?" I nodded in agreement to his statement. It wasn't just that I believed it; I knew it for a fact. There's no way someone like him could live in my mundane world, especially not when 'Twilight fever' was fast spreading across the globe.

"The date when I was last in my world was November 2nd, 2004." I smiled at the fact that he was cooperating, even if it was begrudgingly. Talking this through would be the only way we could understand what was going on. I also registered that he was 105 instead of my first assumption of 109.

"Forks High School, which my siblings and I attend, has been closed for a week due to the holidays. We start school again this coming Monday. My family have lived in Forks for two years now, and so I will be a junior this year along with Alice. There is a rumour circling that Chief Swan's daughter is arriving in Forks this weekend and so will be starting school midterm on Monday for the rest of the junior year," he continued before I halted his monologue with a raise of my hand.

This was just the beginning of the Twilight story, and apparently it was starting a couple of months early since Bella was arriving in November rather than January. It was obvious to me now why Edward had not heard of a Bella Swan when I last spoke to him. The news of her arrival wouldn't have reached the Cullens, either that or Edward chose not to listen to human gossip. The latter seemed highly likely given the apparent boredom he portrayed for the human race.

"Edward, on Monday you should probably be careful. Go hunting Sunday night, maybe even Monday morning as well. As for the time difference, it seems we are on the same dates but five years apart. It's 2nd November 2009 here in Tynemouth, North East England. What time was it when you left?"

"Eleven in the morning," Edward answered automatically. It was eleven here as well so that meant there was no time difference. This alone proved we were in two different worlds because otherwise he would be eight hours behind and on the same day.

Edward seemed to process this information and then turned to me with suspicion colouring his perfect features.

"What will happen on Monday? Why do I need to hunt?" I could tell these were just a few of the questions flying through his mind. I would be the same if I were him.

I bit my lip nervously, debating how much to tell him. If I revealed the books, everything could be ruined, but if I sent him in blind he would resent me for not warning him. Especially if some twist of fate caused him to kill Bella Swan. Not that I thought that would happen, but then again it should be impossible for him to be in my room yet here he was.

"I just thought since your eyes are dark gold that must mean you haven't hunted in a while, and I figured you would think it a good idea to hunt before you encountered a new human. You don't know how Bella will affect you, so surely there's nothing wrong in taking some precautions. But what do I know? I'm just a weak, little human." I gave him a challenging look once I'd finished my little speech. I wasn't going to tell him that I knew every twist and turn his life would take, but I thought it only fair to nudge him in the right direction. After that Twilight would unfold naturally, and he'd have his happily-ever-after.

"Now, I'm changing the subject." I wanted to get him off the topic because his face showed he had seen through my attempt to divert him. However, now I had no idea what to change the subject to.

"Ermmmm...ah..no... yeah.. OK... So what do I smell like?" I cringed at my lame question. Of all the things I could ask Edward Cullen, I chose the scent question, so predictable.

"Well..." Edward seemed to shift a little, obviously uneasy with the question. I should have realised talking about blood wouldn't help his thirst.

"You smell different to humans in my world. It seems so much more complex. At first it's just cherry blossom and vanilla, but then there's a spicy trace of cinnamon that runs through it, and also a little bit of something citrus coated in sugar. Mouth watering. You really do smell delicious." His gaze locked with mine for a second, and I watched as his eyes showed a predatory glint. Adrenaline was making my heart race and my breathing hitch. I had just assumed he would be safe to be around because he had managed to be in a relationship with Bella, his singer, without sucking her dry. Had I overestimated his control? Even worse, had he decided that since I was from a different world, his vegetarian rules didn't apply here?

"What do you mean by different? Don't most humans smell delicious?" I couldn't help my voice wavering slightly as I watched him stare at me from across the room. The molten gold gradually darkened to a sticky toffee colour.

Yum sticky toffee pudding.

I snapped out of my food fantasy when he spoke again.

"Yes, they do smell delicious, in the food sense. What I meant in your case, however, was that you smell delicious in a non-food way. Like when someone wears a perfume you particularly like. Just because they smell good to you doesn't mean you're going to eat them. But say, for instance, your blood held the same allure to me as freshly baked bread does for you, then it would be a different matter." He smiled at his analogy, obviously pleased to be able to use human food to explain, even if he never ate it.

I thought back to his use of wine and water in Twilight. This boy obviously really liked food when he was alive.

"So, you don't feel thirsty around me? No burning sensation or venom flooding your mouth?" He merely shook his head, not wanting to verbalise his concerns over how I knew so much about vampire physiology. I was glad, because it would only lead back to the books and I held firm that I wasn't going to reveal that to him. I had been desperately thinking of anything other than those four books that sat just metres away on my shelves.

"Would it be possible for me to try something?" A theory had run through my head, and I felt the need to test it, my inner scientist taking control.

Edward's face was wary but he gave a slight nod of affirmation. Maybe he had already realised that I wasn't really asking his permission. Once I got an idea in my head I rarely just dropped it.

"Stay right here," I ordered, hoping he wouldn't take the chance during my absence to run away.

I was back in a matter of seconds, holding Ashleigh's favourite pyjamas. Edward stared at them, confused.

"Sniff these please, and tell me if your throat burns." I shook the garments under his nose until he inhaled deeply.

"Well?" I pushed for an answer.

"Nothing. She does smell nice, similar to lemons and rosewater, but no burn." His mouth twitched into a small smile, and my heart melted just a little. How did Bella control herself around this guy? Then again, she didn't really. She spent most of her time either talking about how beautiful he was compared to her or practically jumping his bones at every given chance, obviously in between all the life threatening situations like crazy vampires and newborn armies.

I shook away those thoughts before they floated to the surface of my mind. I couldn't have him hearing any of that information.

"OK, so here's the theory. Humans here aren't tempting to eat, always good to know." I smiled brightly up at him; with the whole possible risk of death gone, life was rosy. Next task was an easy test to carry out and definitely necessary.

I like vanilla ice-cream, I shouted the thought in my mind but he didn't say anything.

Edward, I said I like vanilla ice-cream!

This time I made sure to direct it at him instead of just thinking it. Edward's eyes widened as he flinched a little. I think I may have shouted a little too loud. After all, I was right next to him.

"Why do you like vanilla ice cream?" He seemed confused as to how this was important. Obviously to me vanilla ice cream was very important; it may be plain but it was yummy. Anyway, back to the task at hand.

"Was that the first time you heard me?"

"Yes, other than something yesterday." He smiled slightly.

"OK, so here's the deal. Since I'm not from your world, my brain isn't quite on the same wavelength as yours. Well, that's what I'm guessing anyway." It was the only explanation I could think of because the only other way I could block him was to be a shield and I'm not opening that can of worms.

I inwardly sighed at the relief of not having to recite my French verbs in my head anymore. I didn't need to actively block him out, and it was reassuring to know that he wouldn't find out about the books from fishing around in my mind.

"So, from my little test, I have concluded that you can only hear me if I direct something at you. Like tune into your wavelength. Make sense?" I had been pacing round my room as I explained myself, but now I turned to get his opinion on my theory.

"Yes that makes sense, however, I was wondering if it would be possible for you to talk to Carlisle about this." I was a little shocked that he wanted me to meet Carlisle. I thought I would be his little secret. To be honest I hadn't even thought about introducing him to anyone on my side. They would probably think I was crazy. Either that or a whole load of fan girl fun would explode.

I wonder how many fan girls it would take to overpower him? I repressed a smirk at my thought.

Edward must have taken my slight pause as hesitation because his expression warmed. "I understand it might be a little strange for you, but he's very controlled, and we could meet on this side. That way the thirst shouldn't be a problem."

"Oh no, it's not that, I know Carlisle would never hurt me. I just need to decide when, that's all. It's Friday today so my parents and sister are out. My parents shouldn't be back until seven and Ashleigh has netball practice so she won't be back 'til five. When does Carlisle finish at the hospital?" I realised I had been rambling and thinking out loud. I also realised that I had let slip yet another minor detail that I knew about him and his family.

"Well the family is home today. I could go get him and be back in an hour."

"Why an hour?"

"I think it may take some time to explain this to the rest of them. They don't know about you." He seemed a little nervous, as if telling me I was in fact his little secret would hurt my feelings.

"OK, one hour. I'll be here. Still." He left through the mist, and the poster sealed up again with a small fluttering of a cool breeze. It looked as if it had never been any different.

I went over to my desk and grabbed my iPod. I needed some way to get rid of the nervous energy that was slowly building in my stomach.

For the first time since Edward had entered my room, the situation felt strangely real. I was going to meet Carlisle Cullen, Edward's sire, and the head of the Cullen Coven. I couldn't believe it, but at the same time it seemed perfectly possible. I had always hoped this world held a little bit of magic. It would be nice to know that there were still things to be discovered in the world, that everything wasn't predictable. So although it should have been impossible for Edward to be able to appear in my room and have a conversation with me, I couldn't find it in me to drown in panic. Mainly because this marvellously strange situation had made this world just a little bit more interesting than it had been before, and who could complain about life losing some of its monotony?

Now, however, I had the issue of what I should do in relation to the books.

Do I tell them?

Do I give them the books to read, or would that just scare them off what was to happen? I found that highly likely since Edward had already shown such contempt for the idea of getting close to a human. I could just imagine his reaction to the events in the book. They would be enough for him to flat out refuse to even meet Bella.

The image of Edward clinging to the doorframe shouting, 'No! I don't want to go! You can't make me!' made me chuckle for a moment before I got back to the more important thoughts buzzing around my head.

Would Carlisle even want to have Edward in a relationship with Bella if he read the books and saw the consequences and dangers that came with the love story? I knew he would want Edward happy, but there was so much that happened. There were events that put the family through pain and anxiety. I couldn't be sure that he would think it was worth the risk, especially if Edward decided he didn't want any of it.

Would he really give up the passion, and love, that his and Bella's relationship portrayed in the book? I wanted to think that he would be selfish and take the risk because it was everything he wanted, but I knew it wouldn't be in his character to place his family in that much danger. After all, at the beginning of Twilight he had resisted so much to protect them, and that was without really knowing the challenges they would face. If he read the books then he would hurt himself before he inflicted the saga's storyline on his family, even if it finished with a happy ending.

My mind buzzed with the thousands of questions and consequences surrounding my decision. There was no simple answer. I couldn't explain how I knew everything about them without telling them about the books. I wouldn't be able to lie effectively, so if they persisted in asking me I would eventually have to tell them something. Perhaps I could tell them of the books existence and popularity but not of the storyline. I could claim that I only knew the basics from the media, instead of the full, wonderfully melodramatic story. That would surely explain how I knew so much about them, and hopefully keep them from questioning me further.

I felt more settled now that I had a plan and so stretched myself out on my bed to wait, again.