Author's Note: I'm loving all the feedback, you guys. And I am also loving the questions you are asking in your reviews. Don't worry, some things will be answered soon. Can't very well have in-depth conversation going on between these two when they are...well...how they are right now, can I? Actually, I was wondering if you guys would like to know what I listen to when I write these chapters - I know other authors give out songs or playlists of inspiration. Would you like me to do that with my chapters? Let me know in your reviews! Anyway, here is the next installment!

The four-story drop wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated, though it seemed it gave Bella a well-understood fright. She whimpered into the base of my neck while the two of us plummeted at high-speed towards the cement. My boots met the ground with a gracious smack, and I let out a breath of triumph. I missed jumping around, feeling gravity fight against me. "Hold on tight," I whispered with humor in my tone. Her wrists brushed against my adams apple before I took off, zooming past lamp posts and parked cars like they were nothing at all.

I could tell that she wanted to open her eyes and see what was happening, though I was glad she listened to me. If a human saw the world blurring together like a melted painting, they would undoubtedly get incredibly sick. As opposed to me, who could clearly define each and every speck of dried gum on the sidewalk, the dust in the air, or the chipping rust on aging vehicles. It was surreal, and gave me the sense of what I truly was.

We reached the train station in a little under ten minutes, when it could have been well over an hour if we went the normal pace of a human. There were a few lines, and I grunted when I had to slow myself down. Once we arrived around the corner from the entrance, I backed up against a wall nearby and wrapped my hands around Bella's fingers, unhooking them. She was breathing heavily, and I could smell her fear mixed with adrenaline from the rush. It made me grin. "You can open your eyes now," I cooed into her ear as her shoes met the ground.

Bella let out a deep breath of air and tapped her chest, looking around in wonder. I could tell by the softness in her irises that she recognized the location. Her lips pursed while she turned to me, as if waiting for her next order. The puppy-dog expression she was giving me made a laugh rumble through my throat as I reached over her head for the coat's hood. "Keep this on so no one recognizes you." She grasped the edges of the fluffy hood, nodding to me once. "Look downwards while we walk."

There was a generous mass of people filtering in and out of the station, making it easy for us to blend in with the crowds. I took hold of my nightingale's hand, making sure to keep her as close to me as possible while we weaved through the bodies. I knew which terminal we had to go to, so I focused on that, rather than on the blood that continued to sing to me. It was rough not feeding from her for already two days, which was my limit so far. We'd be on the first train for eighteen hours, then switch to another for fourteen. Afterwards, there would be a cab waiting at the station to take us to our new residence.

Her hand squeezed mine when we reached the appropriate terminal, and I flashed the middle-aged worker with our tickets. He paid us no mind visually, although his thoughts spoke otherwise.

What a cute young couple. I remember when I was that age, married to Ramona…

I held back a groan of disgust as we entered our car. A couple? That was a revolting thought. Of course, due to her age and my unnatural youth, it would make sense for others to assume those roles. Yet the very idea that I could possibly be mated with someone like her would have made my stomach churn if it still had the capability. I ushered Bella into our compartment of an area, making sure she sat down before I closed the door. I made sure beforehand that we wouldn't have any other humans sitting around us. I had enough to monitor.

She was glancing outside the rectangular window at our side, while I leaned back and began to think about what to do for the next two dozen hours. There was some tension between us as the train started on its route, which aroused my interest. About an hour into the ride, she opened her mouth.

"Is it nice?" Bella asked softly, her eyes glued to the blurring nature. I assumed she meant the house, so I shrugged in response.

"Nice enough." I didn't purchase the property for comfort. It was for essential survival. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, making her coat rustle a bit.

"Will there be furniture this time…?" she inquired, with a somewhat pleading tone. I guffawed, thoroughly amused.

"Why? Was the couch not good enough?" I mocked, crossing my arms at my chest. She tensed beside me, most likely not understanding the joke in my words.

"N-No…I just…a…a bed would be nice…?" she whispered, clearly disturbed from my response. I sighed, shaking my head. As much as I appreciated her slight terror of me, it was also frustrating.

"Since this may be more than a temporary stay, I'll find something. How about that?"

It was then that she glanced at me, turning her head just enough for her eyes to appear beyond the frame of the hood. I saw the corner of her small mouth curve upwards in a small, yet appreciative smile. There was a jolt throughout my entire system, making me cringe a little. It was the very first time I caused her to look like that. Somehow, smiling looked nice on her. She looked more alive. Maybe I could make her look like that more often. It would make me feel less guilty, perhaps.

Was I feeling guilty?

Bella fell back into silence as I contemplated.

Why would I feel guilty about this girl? There was nothing I was doing that was considered wrong to my kind. Outside of the fact I was essentially "playing" with her, of course. Most that I knew off killed and left without thought. That was how I lived for the last seven decades. Everything changed when I found Isabella Swan in that alley. It was as though something invaded all my senses that night, protruding my core, manipulating it. Since then, I was completely tied to her. I couldn't ingest any other human blood. It tasted vile. There was a significant need for me to keep her safe. It was more than just an owner protecting its meal.

This was something else entirely, and I couldn't define it. I simply didn't understand it. I detested not understanding the concept, too. A creature of my means has so many abilities, yet this very small idea was impossible to grasp. I wanted to seethe, but I knew it wouldn't solve the problem.

Something else came to mind that I hadn't fully considered. How long would I be keeping Bella? She would only produce so much blood in her human lifetime. If I kept the current routine of feeding from her every few days, give or take the average lifespan of a human being…I could have her for another forty or fifty years before natural causes would claim her. After that, what would I do? If her blood was the only liquid to sustain me now, how would I survive when she was gone? Why was I so engrossed in my addiction to her blood? If only there were answers. I wasn't connected to other networks of my kind, so digging around for information would be very difficult.

I wasn't a social creature by any means. Having her around in a secluded place all the time could become meddlesome over time. The silence we created the past weeks had been comforting, but would we carry that until she passed? Was she always so quiet? The memories I witnessed in her father's head implied otherwise. That she was talkative when she wished. She seemed relatively introverted, however, so this may not be so bad. I'd have to entertain her somehow, or she could grow on my nerves. Just because I felt comforted thus far didn't mean that feeling would last.

Surprisingly, Bella fell asleep within a few hours, leaning her head against the chilled stone of my shoulder. Having her so close made my mouth fill with venom, making me swallow every couple of minutes to compose myself. I was bathing in sweet strawberries and delightful lavender from her body wash. She was my own personal cocktail of temptation. I wouldn't have it any other way. Sometime into her slumber, her hand grabbed my arm and squeezed while she whimpered. I was used to this, so I didn't budge as she experienced her dream. It wasn't entirely uncomfortable, until there was a knock at the glass panel, and a uniformed young woman appeared, asking if we wanted anything.

Shielding the girl, I gave the other woman an intense stare, speaking softly that we were alright, though a bottle of water would be nice. After she handed it to me in her trance, I smiled politely and whisked her away from the car. About a minute after she left, Bella nuzzled her face into the cloth of my jacket, murmuring under her breath. I stiffened at the development, but remained calm.

"Don't leave…" I heard her say. My face lowered as I watched her eyes move underneath their lids. What was she dreaming of? Her father? Something else? Usually when she had her nightmares, she was trying to get away from someone. This time, however, it sounded like she was chasing after someone. "Don't want to be alone…anymore…"

Whatever happened to this girl was traumatic. This was certain.

I grumbled to myself, considering what option would be most assuaging: allow this to go on further, or wake her up. She needed her rest, this I knew, though I had no interest in listening to this for the duration of the train ride. Tracing the side of her face with one of my cold hands, I hoped the temperature difference would alert her enough to bring her consciousness back to the surface. Dozens of eyelashes fluttered erratically as her mouth fell open, collecting as much air as she could. My gaze didn't leave her as Bella's eyes shot open and she turned, leaning into my palm and looking at me in shock.

"You're here…" she whimpered in...relief?

Without another word, the girl threw her arms around me, trying her best to crush me against her, though it was in vain. What was with her and forcing herself so close to me, teasing my thirst like this?

"Bella—" I strained, praying she would listen to the seriousness in my tone.

"You were gone in my dream. All gone. I was back…and I could feel them…and you were gone…" she stammered, completely disregarding my warning. What was she going on about? "I tried to get free…I tried but they were so strong…digging into my wrists and…please don't leave me again...please, Edward…"

The agony in her voice concerned me, for more than one reason. I willed myself to relax under her hold, and had to remind myself that there were at least a hundred humans in this train who would hear if I fed from her. I needed to remain calm. Slowly, my own arms moved around her waist, keeping her against me as she sobbed.

"I won't leave you, Bella," I whispered, hoping she would believe the velvety smoothness my words could provide. My eyes traveled to the window, looking out into the ever-moving landscape. They were empty words that I had spoken. Of course I would leave her, when she had no value to me, which most likely meant her death.

However, something lingered within me about that. About leaving her. Or her leaving me. It seemed so wrong. As if that sort of separation would be catastrophic. There was too much discomfort filling me from the idea, from the confusion.

Somehow, I got the feeling that her attachment to me, which eerily was mirroring my own to her, would bring about our downfall.