Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, but Fosterward is mine!

(Don't ya just wanna take him home?)

~Edward~

Thankfully, I woke up on my stomach. Because if I hadn't I'd have embarrassed myself. Already, I could see what kind of day it was going to be. It hadn't helped, I'm sure, that I'd dreamed of her. The girl with the brown eyes. The girl from the lake. The one lying on her back on the table. The one singing with me. I laid there on my stomach as I listened to the others get up, grab their stuff and head to the showers.

"The coast is clear, Brando. You can get up now." I could almost hear the smirk on James' face.

Slowly I positioned myself upright on my bunk, my legs hanging down. I sat with my elbows on my knees and my face buried in my hands. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Hey, don't sweat it." James said, clapping me on the shoulder. "It happens to the best of us."

I opened my eyes, peeking at him through my fingers. He wasn't laughing. He wasn't even smirking.

"You?" I said quietly.

"Not so much anymore...not since...well, you know. But still every morning, like an alarm clock."

"I just don't understand why...so much...now."

"Girls!" Then he winked at me. "Maybe you're allergic to them."

He must have seen instant panic on my face. Before I could say anything, James confessed.

"I'm kidding Edward." He smiled. "It's an old joke...you know...allergic to girls...swelling?"

I'd never heard it.

"Never mind." He shook his head. "It's not that funny anyway."

By the time I made it to the showers and back to the cabin, breakfast was long over. It was time for my guitar lesson, but James was nowhere to be seen. I 'd thrown on my gray sweatpants and a plain white tee since I'd be changing for advanced swimming later anyway. As I reached to pull Bella from her case, I almost doubled over; my stomach's way of reminding me that I'd failed to feed it.

I was just beginning to play scales, enjoying the feel of my fingers on Bella's long slender neck, when I was startled by the slam of the screen door. James was carrying a tray piled high with a bagel, a couple donuts, some strips of bacon, a banana, an apple, two oranges and two small cartons of milk.

"Hey, I grabbed whatever was left before they could clean it up. Figured you might need your strength for swimming." His smirk returned and was joined by bouncing eyebrows as he mentioned 'swimming'.

I ignored it.

The guitar lesson was good. We went over a few chords of the beginning to "Stairway to Heaven", his all-time favorite song. I asked if it made him think of Victoria. He got a far off look and said "no". I had a feeling that it had something to do with his guitar being named Rachelle. James is amazing on that guitar. If he could teach me half of what he can do, that'd be something.

When we were done, I started for the porch where I'd hung my shorts to dry. As I walked past him, James hit me in the face with a pair of swim trunks. "Hey! What's that about?" I asked, kind of pissed that his drawers were in my face.

"Emmett said it was amazing you didn't sink to the bottom in those jean shorts yesterday."

"I'll be fine." I assured him, uncomfortable taking charity of any kind.

"Take 'em. They're mine from last summer. I brought 'em for back-up...but they really don't fit anymore."

I turned them over and over in my hands while looking at every detail. Mostly green with blue and black, yellow and white stripes crossing like X's. They had a white waistband that laced up. There were even pockets on the legs, not that I had anything to put in them. Then I noticed that familiar emblem on the bottom of the leg. Billabong? Billabong boardshorts! I couldn't believe it. I'd never had a brand name anything before...ever. Well, not unless you count Garanimals. I'd never even asked; never even acted like I cared, because it didn't matter. Nice things were for other kids. They were for kids with families, never for me.

"They're clean, if that's what you're looking for. No skid marks or anything." James remarked.

"Sorry. No." Shit! I guess it must've looked like I was inspecting them. "They're great. Just great!" I didn't know what to do. I damn near wanted to hug him-hell, I'd have even kissed him if he wasn't a dude. So I shook his hand...really, really hard. "Thanks! I'll take really good care of them!"

He laughed. "It's okay, dude. They're yours now...so go put them on." He said as he turned around and made himself busy in his bag, giving me some privacy.

"Whaddya think?" I asked once they were on.

"I think they might look even better on you than they did on me. He said, patting me on the shoulder as I headed out the door. "Just let me know if your lady likes them."

I felt my face get hot and it must have been red because I could hear James snickering as I headed toward the path to the lake. But considering my recent embarrassing history, I'd take a red face any day.

I got to the lake before anyone else. I looked out on the water where she became my partner, where she wrapped her arms around my neck, where she sacrificed the grand prize for me. I kicked at the sand, scaring away the tiny birds that scattered the shore. I wondered if she'd be my partner again...if she'd even want to. I wondered if she'd talk to me or ignore me. I wondered if she'd somehow known how much I'd needed that canteen credit. I wondered if she had recognized me at the lake the night before. I wondered how she knew that song. I wondered what kind of music she listened to.

I watched the trail from a distance as the tall blond and the girl with the curly hair each started down. It looked like all the guys had made it , including Emmett. I stood at the edge of the path to Camp Unicorn hoping she'd appear soon. If she were too late and if Emmett noticed he'd make a joke of it by saying something shitty. I didn't want to see her go through that. I didn't want to chance speaking up on her part and getting my ass kicked right there in front of her. I found myself tapping my toe. If I'd had a watch on I'd probably have been checking it. C'mon Iz. Where are you?

Then, a vision in a blue bathing suit...ponytail waving in the wind, she appeared. I watch every step as she moved toward me, the pattern of her flipflops on the sand, as if she were coming for me and only me. Just as reached the end of the trail she looked at me and smiled. She smiled. At me.

And that's when it happened. I wanted to smile back. I wanted to talk to her. Hell, I wanted to do lots of things. But there was only one thing I could do...get the hell away from her before she got formally introduced to my ever present hard-on.

As I stumbled a few feet away, making myself think of grandmotherly types in their 40's and old men with beer bellies, I heard Emmett say "Same partners as yesterday!" There is a God! Once I got my problem under control I moved to stand next to Iz. I got completely lost in her presence, intoxicated by the smell of her shampoo each time the wind blew through her hair.

"Today, boys and girls, we are going to begin learning rescue techniques." Emmett announced.

Rescue techniques? Like CPR or something? "That's just what I fucking need." I mumbled under my breath.

"Now let's make sure everyone is here." Emmett said. "Get with your partner and hold hands."

I couldn't imagine why that was necessary, except for Emmett wanting to get closer to the blond.

Iz didn't even look at me. In fact, she looked everywhere but at me. So I took a deep breath and held her hand, trying hard to make mine stop shaking. Edward, it's just a hand! But hers was unlike any hand I'd ever held. It was soft and warm and nice. Really, really nice.

And then, suddenly, I could tell she was holding my hand back. Holding it holding it. In fact, she even squeezed it...although probably as an effort to make it stop shaking. I snuck a look at her face through the corner of my eye. I was probably wrong but I thought she might have looked sort of...happy. Almost smiling. And that made me smile, too. Like a damn fool, I stood there smiling.

With Emmett's direction, we all walked into the water. Iz was to be the victim first, not that I had any idea what that meant she was supposed to do. As she came up, I watched the water run from her face, down the hair that was plastered to her body. Before my body could even respond, Emmett shouted "Go!".

The rescuer was supposed to keep eye contact with the victim, so that is what I did. Only with Iz, it was really easy...and enjoyable. Her brown eyes reminded me of the hot cocoa my first foster mom used to make when the weather was cold. It smelled SO good. She always put a spoonful of that marshmallow fluff stuff in it and once it melted, the cocoa turned a lighter shade. And that was the exact shade of Iz's eyes. Making that connection to a former part of my life, I couldn't help but smile. And then, as if she couldn't help it either, she smiled back! I was so thankful for those cold afternoons in that kitchen all those years ago. It didn't even matter that her real son was the only one who actually got to drink the stuff. The only thing that mattered was that this girl smiled at me at this very moment in time. I wondered if Iz liked to drink hot chocolate on cold days.

"Stop!" Dammit! I wasn't done rescuing her yet.

I barely had time to cool off under the water before Emmett instructed us to switch role and "Go!" It was my turn to be the vicitim.

I turned my back to, just waiting to see if she'd move around to face me. And when she did I closed my eyes. I don't know why I did that. I wasnt trying to make her job difficult or anything. I guess I just wanted to see what she'd do. Would she get pissed? Would she laugh? Would she just walk away?

I heard the water moving as she circled me. "No fair! How can I save you if your eyes are closed?" She complained.

"That should work wonders on the drowning victim." I said like a smart ass; again just to see what she'd do. I even threw in a little 'drowning' to make it authentic.

After a few minutes of flapping my arms like an idiot with no reaction from her, I wondered if she'd given up on me.

"Are you still there?" I asked, afraid of sounding like it mattered too much whether she was there or not. Although my stomach was in knots as I listened for her voice. "Or did you leave the victim to drown?"

"If you'd open your eyes, you'd know!" She practically screamed.

I laughed a little at her frustration. Mean, I know. And when I did, she splashed me in the face...hard! I didn't even see it coming. Of course, my eyes were shut. I stayed quiet, again to see what she'd do next.

"Fine." She snapped. "Drown then. I don't care."

She tried to sound angry, like she meant it. Except I've listened to enough people in my life who really didn't care. Enough to know the difference. And the tone of her voice told me just then opposite. She did care. With that thought, my stomach felt really funny and I smiled even though I tried not to.

"I didn't give up on you, Brown Eyes." Maybe I wanted her to know it was me at the lake. Maybe it seemed okay to take a chance with her. Maybe it was just easier to be brave with my eyes closed. But I said it, "Brown Eyes", without even thinking twice.

In one strong wave, I heard and felt her coming toward me at the same time. "And I'm not giving up on you either!"

Before I could move or speak or blink her hands were on me reaching for my still closed eyes.

"Oh, no you don't!" I shouted back, laughing.

I couldn't see her, but I knew the minute she put her arm around me. I knew it was only there for leverage, but it was still around me all the same. "Wanna bet?" She challenged.

She was reaching and clawing and scratching all over me, and she wasn't taking it easy on me neither. It was great!

"Ohmigod-you're gonna tear my eyes out!" I hollered.

"Then open them!" She screamed just before she pull us both under the water and damn near drowned me us both. I came up laughing until I felt her elbow in my ribs. I opened my eyes to find the whole lake staring at us.

Of course, that asshole Emmett had something to say. "Isabella...Iz you trying to drown the victim or Iz you trying to date him?" And everybody laughed. I watched Iz's face go from pink to deep red. And it really pissed me off. What a dick! If he wanted to pick on someone, he should've picked on me.

At least he let us go early which was a good thing. If he'd have said anything else to upset my partner, I may have had to kick his ass. Well, I'd have tried, anyway.

I didn't want to leave that lake, I could have spent the whole day just with her. But she mentioned something about lunch, so we parted ways. I watched every step as she climbed the path back up to her camp. That's when I decided I'd be back at the lake that night. And hopefully Iz would be too. I also decided to buy something for her at the canteen. I knew she probably had whatever she wanted or could get it for herself, but I simply wanted to buy her something. It was strange, because I'd never had the urge to spend my money on anyone else before. Not ever.