Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.

This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Despite the kindness the Cullens had shown her while she was bedridden, Bella was relieved to finally be outside, breathing in the fresh mountain air. It had been three days since her accident and she was finally given the okay by Carlisle to leave her room.

It was a humid 85 degrees, but it felt heavenly to her. She couldn't help but hold her arms out and raise her eyes skyward, spinning in circles and giggling at the freedom of it.

She heard Edward's chuckle and stopped spinning, facing him with a smile. He was leaning against his beautiful metallic gray Dodge Ram, looking absolutely sinful in his dark Levi's and a green button down shirt. The sun shone brightly, bringing out the stunning copper of his hair. God, he was fucking gorgeous!

"Happy to be sprung?" He teased, standing up straight.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, breathing in deeply. "I'm so grateful for everything, but I hate being cooped up so long."

"Understandable. I know I used go crazy when I was sick as a kid and Mom and Dad made me stay in bed. All I wanted to do was go outside and have fun."

Bella nodded in agreement, glad that he didn't find her ungrateful. He was being extremely kind, and had offered to drive her to Sevierville to look at cars. She had called her insurance company and Jenks to let them know of her accident. The police report of the accident and the invoice from the body shop totaling out her Volvo were faxed out and she was promised her check would be deposited into her bank account by the end of the week.

Bella was leaning towards another Volvo, but she hadn't decided yet. Edward offered to take her to Sevierville to see if she liked anything there. If not, there was a Volvo dealership in Knoxville he would take her to. She had argued that he didn't need to go to the trouble; that she could rent a car and drive herself around, but he wasn't having it. Bella didn't know if it was the Southern gentleman in him that wouldn't let her go alone, or if he just wanted to spend more time with her. She was seriously hoping for the second option.

During her time in bed, she was only alone when she was sleeping, as far as she knew. When she was awake, she was surrounded by people, sometimes all of them, sometimes just Rosalie and Alice, and sometimes just Edward. She loved spending time with all of them, but she was a little biased and mostly preferred to spend time with just Edward. Her green eyed angel.

He was unlike any other man she'd ever known. Besides the obvious perfection of the outer package, he was so ridiculously kind. When she was allowed out of bed and he gave her a tour of the house, he held open doors for her and kept his fingers lightly at the small of her back. He always asked her if she needed anything and he offered to carry her purse when they headed out to the truck. When she had told him that he didn't have to be so polite with her, his look of confusion was adorable. Apparently, Esme Cullen raised her son to be the ultimate gentleman. Not opening a door for a lady was unheard of.

That wasn't saying that he was a bore or a prude. Edward had a killer sense of humor, a bit sarcastic and more than a little naughty. When she had emerged from her room that morning, wearing a pair of jean shorts and a tank top, Edward had immediately held out his arm and said his usual "ladies first". They had walked down the stairs and Bella had turned to say something, catching him staring at her ass. When he looked up and realized he was caught, he just gave her that sexy crooked grin and complemented her shorts.

Bella's sides still hurt from laughing. And she couldn't resist telling him that he filled out a pair of Levi's pretty damn well himself.

Esme offered to make them breakfast, but Edward suggested that they stop at a diner on the way. Apparently there was a place that made the best biscuits and gravy this side of the Smoky Mountains that just happened to be right next to an Office Depot, where Bella could get her father's letter laminated. Her stomach growled at the thought and she wholeheartedly agreed.

Edward helped Bella into the truck, making sure she was buckled in before closing her door. They were on their way in minutes, driving through the small, charming little downtown on the way to the Interstate.

"If you're up for it tomorrow, I think Alice and Rose were hoping to show you around town," Edward said, slipping on a pair of Maui Jim's.

Bella looked away from the view outside her window, focusing on Edward. "That sounds like fun. I saw a few shops that looked kind of interesting."

"You'll definitely want to stop at Sweet Bites. Shelley Cope makes the best damn Moon Pie's I've ever had."

"Moon Pie? Really?"

Edward grinned. "Damn straight. You can't come to Tennessee and not have a Moon Pie. And not the prepackaged ones, either. Homemade, fluffy chocolaty marshmallow goodness. I promise you, they're orgasmic."

Bella blushed, shifting in her seat at hearing the word "orgasmic" in his smooth, sexy voice. What she would give to eat one of those "orgasmic" Moon Pies off of that sexy Levi wearing ass…

"So what kind of music do you like?" Edward asked, turning the country station on the radio down.

Bella shrugged. "All kinds. I haven't heard a lot of country, but I like Carrie Underwood. I like Garth because my Dad used to listen to him a lot when I was a kid." She bit her lip, thinking. "I love classic rock. BTO and The Doobie Brothers were my mother's favorites, and I don't know that any song can beat 'Long Train Running'."

Edward grinned, glancing over at her. "Beautiful, smart and great taste in music. You're the full package, aren't you?"

Bella laughed and blushed at the same time. "I don't know about all that. I saw the Blue Man Group in Vegas with Tia and Benjamin and that was pretty cool, but I heard them before because of Jake."

"I saw them in Chicago years ago," Edward said, carefully merging onto the Interstate. "My buddy Alec was with me and he got to be the human paintbrush."

"Do you like blues and jazz?"

"I do, very much. I kind of envy you and your stop in Austin. I'd love to go there and listen to the music you heard."

"I liked Alice's idea of tripping it to New Orleans," Bella fiddled with the bottom of her shirt, shyly glancing over at Edward. "Maybe we could all take the trip there someday. Listen to some street jazz and pig out on crayfish?"

Edward grinned, meeting her eyes. "I would like that. A lot."

Bella returned his grin, relaxing in the seat for the rest of the drive. They chatted about movies and books and different places they would like to visit. It seemed like the trip to Sevierville passed in the blink of an eye.

They stopped for breakfast first at a cute little Mom and Pop diner that served breakfast skillets with biscuits and gravy. Bella went all out, ordering the country fried steak skillet with grits and could only manage to finish half of it. Edward finished all of his and the rest of hers, though, so she wouldn't feel bad about wasting food. Or so he said.

Their next stop was Office Depot, where her father's letter was finally laminated. She was a bit anxious when the employee had possession of her precious letter and even with Edward trying to take her mind off of it, she didn't fully breathe until it was safely back in her hands.

Edward took her to a couple car dealerships but Bella didn't find anything that really caught her eye. She didn't want a jeep and she didn't want another truck other than the Red Beast that Jacob was watching for her. He suggested they go to Knoxville and check out the Volvo dealership.

That is, after he took her to a muscle car museum. Bella laughed as they checked out all the cars, taking pictures to add to her Facebook page. He took a picture of her posing all "car model" sexy in front of a 1969 GTO and immediately posted it to her page with the caption "Bella chose her new car". They both cracked up at how quickly the comments came in over that one.

They stopped at Ben and Jerry's before heading towards Knoxville. The trip flew by as they chatted easily about their most embarrassing memories, and they made each other laugh singing along very loudly to Adele's "Hello" on the radio. This led to a lengthy discussion about the greatness of Adele and her fantastic potty mouth.

It was about three in the afternoon when they reached the Volvo dealership. They walked around slowly as Bella checked out each car. She was interested in a silver Volvo S80, which Edward and Jacob had both deemed as safe enough for her to drive.

And then she climbed behind the wheel. Her heart started pounding, her hands trembling, and all she could see when she looked out the windshield was a rushing river and dark, inky night.

Bella gasped loudly, choking back a sob as she pushed the door open and jumped out. Edward reached out for her and the next thing she knew, she was crying into his chest while he held her tightly against him, whispering assurances against her hair.

"It's okay honey, you're safe." He murmured, hugging her closer. "I promise you, Bella, you're okay. You don't have to get it today. There's no rush."

She couldn't stop crying enough to talk, so she just held onto him for dear life, soaking the front of his shirt with her tears. He just held her, calmly whispering in her ear and running his hand over her hair. It felt like a long time before she was able to take a deep breath and lift her head from his chest.

His eyes were filled with sadness and concern when she was able to look up at him. Bella felt a wave of embarrassment and tried to look down, but he immediately caught her chin with his fingertips, bringing her eyes back up to his.

"Don't ever feel embarrassed for being scared," he whispered, using his thumb to brush away her tears. "Nobody expects you to get behind the wheel right away. What happened was terrifying and it's okay to take some time."

Bella nodded, still embarrassed. She cleared her throat and looked towards his truck. "Can we leave please?"

"Whatever you need," he answered, wrapping her hand in his. He led her to the truck, opening the passenger side door and waiting for her to be safely inside before closing it.

They were silent as Edward pulled out of the parking lot and drove towards downtown. Bella stared out the window, seeing nothing. She was so confused. Yeah, the accident had been terrifying, but she had been looking forward to replacing her car. She didn't understand why she had such a reaction getting behind the wheel like that. She had no problem riding in Edward's truck, and the thought of driving before didn't upset her. She felt like a fool. Here, Edward had taken an entire day from his responsibilities to drive her around to look for a car. And when she was about to get one, she freaked out.

How was she supposed continue on her road trip when she couldn't get behind the damn wheel? As welcoming as they were, she couldn't live with the Cullen's for the rest of her life. Eventually, she would have to leave. Her plan was to go to Florida. Ride those damn teacups for her father. Swim in an ocean that she didn't need a wetsuit in to keep from freezing.

And she didn't even want to address the lump in her throat that formed at the thought of leaving Edward behind.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Bella blinked, looking towards Edward in surprise. They were no longer driving and when she looked around, she recognized the Sunsphere and the World's Fair Park that she stopped at when she first drove through Knoxville.

"I'm sorry," she shook her head. "I didn't even notice we had stopped."

Edward smiled sadly at her, reaching out to cover her hand with his. "No apologies, honey. You up for a little walk?"

Bella nodded. As she moved to unbuckle her seatbelt, Edward jumped out of the truck, running around to open her door for her. She couldn't hold back the little grin. "Such a gentleman you are, Edward Cullen."

"But of course, Bella Swan," he grinned, taking her hand to help her step down. When she was on solid ground, he reached behind her seat and pulled out a folded plaid blanket. Closing and locking the door, he took her hand again and led her towards the Sunsphere.

"I stopped here the day of the accident," Bella said quietly, looking around at the familiar surroundings. "You probably saw the pictures on my page."

"I did. This is one of my favorite places in Knoxville." Edward nodded towards the university. "That's where I went to school. I lived in the dorms for my first two years before Jasper and I got an apartment not far from here. We used to hang out here when we didn't feel like driving anywhere."

He led her to a large grassy area near a vacant stage and stopped, spreading out the blanket on the ground. They sat down, Bella lotus style while Edward spread his legs out in front of him, leaning back on his elbows.

"I think I first wanted to become an architect when I saw the Sunsphere," he said, looking up towards the massive gold structure. Bella shielded her eyes from the sun and followed his gaze. It really was magnificent. A giant ball of gold glass, a kind of sentry over the city.

"Mom and Dad used to bring us here for picnics and such," he started. "Ever since I was little, I was enamored with this structure. You can see it for miles from any direction. When you're in the mountains, you can see it if you're high enough. I thought it was so big and bright and beautiful that you could see it from space. I remember thinking how great it would be to build something like that, something that you could see for miles and miles." He glanced over at her. "Did you go up to the observation tower when you stopped before?"

Bella shook her head in the negative, letting the soothing tone of his voice relax her. He looked back up at the ball of gold. "The views are unbelievable. As a kid, I thought you could see the entire world from up there. I thought 'I want to build something where you can stand at the top and see all the way to the ocean'."

"It's a good dream," Bella said quietly, lost in the peaceful look on his face. Edward grinned, reaching over to squeeze her hand.

"It was. Of course, now I'm a little more realistic. I want to build houses that can be a source of warmth. Jasper and I are big on eco friendly architecture. Green roofs, solar paneling, sustainable materials. Buildings that blend with their surroundings without taking away from it. Tanks that recycle and filter rainwater, rooftop gardens on urban buildings." He looked at her with excitement in his eyes. "I've seen houses where you come up on them and can't even tell there's a house there until you come at it from a different direction! Like little hobbit holes, covered in grass and wildflowers from two sides and then it's all windows. Absolutely brilliant!"

Bella smiled widely at his enthusiasm, her panic attack and tears forgotten. "Is that what you're planning for your own home?"

Edward nodded. "I bought some land on a bluff just outside of Chapel Crossing. The views will be amazing and better yet, the views of the house itself shouldn't take away from the vegetation around it."

"That sounds incredible. I hope you invite me over to see it when you complete it?"

He glanced over at her, his eyes warm. "You'll be one of the first to see it."

*.*.*

They lounged in the park for another hour before their stomachs started growling. Edward took her to a fantastic little Middle Eastern café, where they split the Chicken Schwarma and Falafel and an order of cilantro hummus.

"I'm going to have fun recreating this recipe," Bella moaned, heaping a pita chip with the remaining hummus. Edward grinned, wiping his mouth on a napkin.

"I'm going to have fun eating it," he teased. "That must have been another fun part of your road trip; finding all the different types of cuisine you couldn't get back home."

Bella nodded in agreement. "Oh my God, it was. My Dad was a steak and potatoes kind of guy, and then fish because we were always catching them. Jacob was all about burgers and lasagna. No way could I experiment with different foods. I can't wait to have a kitchen again so I can start trying out different recipes."

"You know you're always welcome to experiment in my Mom's kitchen. She won't mind."

Bella thought about that, licking the tzatziki sauce off of her fingers. "I would love to make dinner for your family to thank them for their kindness. I'm itching to try my hand at toasted ravioli. I swear that's all I ate in St Louis."

"It sounds good. I can't say I've ever tried it," Edward admitted. "When I was in Chicago, I think I lived off of the pizza up there. I went overboard and it's kind of hard for me to eat it now."

Bella laughed. "I'm the same way with tacos. There was this phenomenal taco truck in Austin that I ate at four days in a row until I couldn't stomach it anymore. It will be a while before I eat another one."

They laughed together as they discussed their favorite foods and desserts. Bella was more than a little excited at the thought of getting her hands dirty in Esme Cullen's fantastic kitchen.

"You can experiment with the herbs and vegetables from Mom's garden in the backyard, too," Edward suggested as they were leaving the restaurant. "She got into gardening years ago and she only cooks with the fresh herbs that she grows. I never thought I'd be able to tell the difference, but it really brings out the flavors for the better."

"I'd love to grow my own food," Bella sighed dreamily as she climbed back into the truck. "I had a little herb pot in the windowsill in my kitchen, but nothing too big. I'd also like to buy some land with a few fruit trees. I'd love to go out to the yard to pick apples for a pie whenever I wanted to."

"We have a few apple trees at the back of the property. Mom's got a pear tree and a peach tree back there, too." Edward said, starting the engine and pulling out of the parking lot. "The peach tree doesn't always do too well, early spring frost tend to kill the blossoms. But when we have a mild winter, we get pretty spoiled throughout the year with all the cobbler Mom makes."

"I haven't had peach cobbler in ages," Bella said. "My parent's friend Sue made one once. I'd like to try making one myself sometime."

"Mom goes all out. She'll even make homemade ice cream to go with it. We used to have an old fashioned ice cream maker with a crank that would take forever for the ice cream to freeze." Edward chuckled. "When we were teenagers, Alice and I finally got fed up with cranking the thing and pooled our allowances together to buy an electric one. Best investment ever."

"Ooh, you have an ice cream maker?" Bella clapped her hands in glee. "Awesome! I can try to recreate the frozen custard I had in St Louis!"

"You know we may never let you leave if you're going to be spoiling us like this," Edward teased, glancing over at her. "You've already seen Alice getting possessive with your friends and that was right after meeting you. You give that girl anything with sugar and she'll latch on to you like Velcro."

"I'm not that exciting," Bella joked. "I'm sure I'll lose that new car smell sooner or later."

"Don't count on it," Edward peeked over at her before focusing on the road again. "You don't see yourself clearly, do you?"

Bella shrugged. Honestly, she wasn't anything special. "I'm just me. Plain old Bella Swan."

Edward's laugh rang out loudly, startling her. "Plain old Bella Swan my ass! Honey, you have stopped in how many states, not knowing a soul, and immediately befriended how many people right off the bat?"

"They saw a young girl by herself! Maybe they felt sorry for me at first."

He rolled his eyes. "They didn't feel sorry for you. A group of strangers from around the world are part of the 'Bella Swan Fan Club', after spending a small amount of time in your presence. People can't help but be drawn to you. Do you think the Denali's pull a virtual stranger into their group every time they go on vacation? Or couples on break, like Tia and Benjamin, hang out with random girls for an overnight adventure?"

Bella never thought of that. When she started out on her road trip, she never thought she would make any friends, considering she was just stopping for a few days each time. But most of the destinations she had ended up, she had met some pretty fantastic people. "I was just happy to meet people and that they wanted to spend time with me while I was there. I just chocked it up to good luck."

"Oh, Bella," Edward grinned. "No luck about it, honey. You're like a beacon of light. Everybody you've met would be happy to take you back with them. My family is ready to adopt you. Get used to it."

Bella was quiet, thinking on it. She had spent the last couple years of her life in an almost isolation, with only Jacob and Sam and occasionally Angela to keep her from being truly alone. When she lost her parents, she had lost interest in the people she used to hang out with at school. The whole high school popularity game had become ridiculous overnight and she no longer cared about football games and pep rallies and extracurricular activities.

Until she left, Bella never realized just how much she had isolated herself, and how much she missed human contact. Meeting her new friends on the road, she realized that people weren't all the same. Not everybody was a selfish asshole like Billy Black, or a jealous, spoiled harpy like Leah Clearwater. There were people who were truly kind, people who would befriend a stranger and bring her into the family fold just because they enjoyed spending time with her. People who kept in touch with her and who cared about her even after they parted ways.

Maybe there was something special about her after all.

*.*.*

A/N: What is your favorite food?