A/N: Alright readers, I need your help with something. I am working on a new story and I need your help with some ideas. Of course Changing Prejudices will be priority, but this idea will not leave me alone. It's even exerting itself before my other story Ship Wrecked. My question is this:

What is some quality about you that is simple and random that has surprised a guy before?

Example: In Twilight, Edward is shocked at Bella's taste in music—Debussy and Linkin Park (the CD that is not specifically named in the book when Edward asks what is in her CD player).

Example: I have a credit card with the painting Starry Night by Van Gogh as the background. I used it at a bookstore and the guy at the register was very loud about how impressed he was by that. He was also impressed by one of the books that I was buying. His words were "You're just impressing me all over the place tonight!"

That's the kinds of things I need. Random, simple, silly little quirks and preferences that impress guys. I need random things that have amazed/ shocked many different types of guys. So, please help me by PM or review. Thanks in advance.

Now on to Chapter 9 of Changing Prejudices

Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 9

BPOV

I was so glad that Renee and Alice had helped me put on real clothes instead of the embarrassing paper gown. I buzzed for the nurse who brought in my discharge papers and instructions. I had three prescriptions and a pair of crutches. Oh God.

My lap was full, as were Edward's arms, as a candy striper wheeled my wheelchair out of the hospital doors. I wished I had a disguise like Edward's glasses and hat. I figured that few people would really be surprised by a person in a wheelchair in a hospital, but my imagination ran wild when I realized that I was in one with Edward Cullen walking beside me.

Even with the disguise he was getting stares. I studied him from the corner of my eye. He'd obviously spoken to Alice, Rose, and my parents. Did that mean Alice had forgiven him? Or had she and Rose not realized he was Richard Masen in their worry over me? If they knew who he was, then why had they allowed him to be there, and if they didn't know who he was, then why had they allowed him to be there?

Either way, my brain was snarling into a confused mass of thoughts. I didn't really want to be rude again and ask Edward straight out, but there was no telling how long it would be before I had the opportunity to speak with Alice and Rose alone. There were bound to be people all over my apartment when Alice was home.

When the nurse left me to return to cleaning up after other patients, Edward ran to get his car. It was the Volvo. I cringed. No one in Forks had a Volvo.

For someone wanting to hide, a very expensive car is not the way to go. I carefully, but awkwardly, slid into the front seat as Edward put my stuff in the trunk. He gracefully sat in the driver's seat and started the car. He pulled out of the parking lot, miraculously heading in the right direction. He seemed to suddenly remember he didn't know where we were going.

"Um, where to?"

"Just head back to the hotel. I'll tell you where to go when we get closer." I called the pharmacy close to my apartment. I was grateful that they were open for a few hours on Sundays, and told them what I needed. They said they'd have it ready for whoever came to get them. I needed to find someone to go get them for me, since I couldn't drive and my truck was still at the hotel.

I gave him directions when needed, but we didn't really talk much other than that. I wondered if maybe he'd finally accepted my request to leave me alone. Would this be the last time I saw him? That brought on a strange panic and I could feel my heart rate increase. This was strange, the way my body reacted to the thoughts that I would go for periods of time without seeing him.

I felt a desperation to talk, to get to know the real Edward. But there was also the desperation to keep him away. When he left it would be easier on me if I never knew any more about him than the little I'd read on the internet. Three weeks, no two and a half, and he would be gone. That's all the time we could be friends, if we were to be friends.

I remembered that I'd read a lot about him online since I had first learned that my favorite book would be made into a movie. The trivial facts that were stated online intrigued me at the time. Musical, thoughtful, athletic, great actor. Those were the few things I knew about him. Oh, and there was also all the articles that always follow actors—those about his many lovers. They never lasted long, and it was never very long before another girl escorted him to this bar or that party or tomorrow's premier.

He really seemed a lot like the character he played in that movie, except for the womanizing. In reality, he'd proven to be arrogant and a typical demanding star. But then, he'd thrown in a wrench by his attempts at apologizing and the good deeds. So, who was he? Did I really want to know?

I pulled out of my thoughts by Edward's forlorn statement.

"Three stories," he stated. We'd arrived at my apartment building.

"Yep."

"And I guess you're on the third floor?"

"Yeah."

"Of course." He made no move to get out of the car; instead he sat staring out of the windshield up to the third floor. The direction he was staring in could have been pointed right at my bedroom balcony.

I didn't want it to seem as if I expected anymore help, so I opened my door and reached for my crutches in the backseat. Edward twisted around and put his hand on my arm to stop me. Whoa, static shock. At least, that's how I was explaining what happened when he touched me. Must be the hat he always wore.

"What are you doing?" He almost growled.

"Getting out?" I answered with a hesitant question.

"I think we need to get your medicine first."

"You don't have to-."

"Good deed number five. Plus, there's no elevator, so you'll have to climb the two flights of stairs. You will be hurting by the time you get up there, even with me helping. Where's the pharmacy?"

"But it's on the other side of town. That's a lot of time and gas."

"Bella, that's enough already. Just let me help you. No one will be over for a little while, and it will be a long time before anyone can go get your medicine. The pharmacy will be closed by then, anyway," he said, not even trying to hide his aggravation.

"Fine," I whined, and gave him directions to the pharmacy. He replaced his hat and sunglasses before he went into the pharmacy. I was really going to have to explain to him the futility of that particular disguise, as fond as he seemed of it.

As I waiting for him to come back out, I started to feel the throbbing of my ankle. It had been a couple of hours since my last pain medicine and I had been in the car for about an hour and a half. The blood was pumping through my leg and causing it to throb. The pain spiked and I knew I was more pale than usual when Edward returned to the car.

"Is it starting to hurt?" he asked. Duh, I really wanted to say. But my teeth were clinched too tightly together.

"Here. I figured it would hurt soon," he said, handing me a pack of crackers and the bag of pain meds. He realized I would have to have something in my empty stomach before I took the medicine. Wow. Considerate. He was paying attention.

My cell phone rang as we parked back at my apartment.

EPOV

She answered her phone, and I was grateful for a few more minutes delay. I figured she was not going to take the medicine any time soon since she had put the crackers in the prescription bag. I needed the delay to prepare myself to help her, and maybe to delay the pain I knew she was going to be in soon. Why did she have to be so stubborn as to not even try to make it easier on herself? Did she not care that she would be hurting worse if she didn't take it soon?

"Hi Mom…. Yeah. He took me to get my prescriptions…. We're here now.… Okay, that's fine. I should be okay. I was trying to wait to take the medication knowing I'd get sleepy…. No, I wanted to get settled first… Yes, he did, actually, but I wanted to get settled first. It will be hard enough for me to walk up two flights of stairs without being mentally incapacitated….Yes, he did try to make me, but I am 26, older than him. I vetoed his orders." She's three years older than me. I'd forgotten that. She seemed so fragile and young sometimes. Like she needed someone to watch out for her. At least she did until she opened her mouth.

"Okay Mom, see you in a few." She hung up and sighed. I just shook my head.

"What?" she asked.

"You are stubborn."

"Maybe, but I am used to taking care of myself. I know what to do. No one else can tell me because—." She paused, her face flushing with anger, maybe? I wondered how long she'd had to take care of herself, and if she realized how frail she really was. I suddenly really wanted her to finish that sentence. If we were going to be friends, then I needed to know more about her.

"Because?" I prompted her.

"Never mind."

"No, I want to know. Go ahead." She didn't say anything more. I tried my special persuasive smile on her, hopefully my charm worked on her this time. "Please?" She answered, although it seemed as though she'd been able to resist my charm. When had that ever happened before? Never, I was sure of it.

"Fine. No one has the right to order me around because they haven't really taken care of me since I knew what was going on. I've taken care of myself, worried about myself, and been strong for myself, alone, since I was nine. Probably before then, too." She finished, breathing heavily after spitting that all out in a rush. "I've also taken care of them for most of my life."

It seemed like she was implying something more than she was saying. I thought over how protective Alice especially had been towards her. How her parents had looked when they rushed into the emergency waiting room. The flash of worry in Rosalie's eyes when I had left to take Bella's stuff to her at the hospital. I also thought about how clumsy she was and how she just seemed to scream for someone to take care of her. As if her body knew she needed protection but her brain had stifled her heart to keep that secret.

She'd said it all so straightforward, as if it was something she'd accepted long ago. Her chin jutted out stubbornly, and it almost made me laugh. I had to contradict her though. Did she not see how much the people around her loved her?

"Your family and friends care a lot about you," I told her quietly.

"I know. But they don't really take care of me. I usually don't argue about their advice, but if they knew just how little I actually followed it…. I don't want to hurt them."

I really wanted to see into her head. What did she see when she looked at the world? When she looked at how her friends and family treated her? I had gathered that her mother was a little overbearing, but easily influenced and scatterbrained. She had a slightly bewildered look about her that made it seem like she wasn't used to having to take control of anything. She'd given in so easily when Alice had suggested a complete stranger stay with her daughter overnight in the hospital.

Her father had pretty much stayed in the background and let the others decide what would go on with Bella.

I could see what she meant about her parents. But not her friends. Alice and Rosalie didn't seem like they needed anyone to take care of them. Rosalie had certainly been able to handle Emmett. I'd gathered that by his stupid grin and leading remarks all day after their date.

I had practically begged them to let me bring Bella home today so I could delay spending any more time with Emmett. His girl toy for the trip was just what he needed right now. I just wished he'd keep that to himself.

I tried to sum up what she was saying, what she believed to be true.

"So you hurt yourself to keep them from seeing how much you're hurting." She didn't say anything and didn't look at me. She blushed. She didn't like that I'd dug deep.

"Okay, well, let's go. I need to eat and get these drugs in me." She opened the door and was out of the car before I could protest. I jumped out and ran over to help her. I stood behind her as she situated herself on the crutches. She welded them awkwardly but also like she'd used them before. I wondered about her past medical history.

I grabbed her prescription bag and followed her to the stairwell.

"You probably ought to go first. I know I'll be slow."

"No, I'll go behind you in case you fall." She blushed and began the slow ascent.

A/N: Sorry so short. I wanted to get it up though, and I will post the next chapter tomorrow, well technically it is already Tuesday. So, you'll get two chapters in one day. I just really need to go to sleep, but really needed to get this typed up and posted. Hope you enjoyed this, small though it was.