This is a VERY late birthday gift for afmtoo. Once upon a time…she and some amazing chicks were talking about earworms over on Twitter and they wondered what would happen if Edward got one.

I took it and ran…

His topaz-hued eyes scanned over the screen, unable to comprehend what he was reading.

An Earworm is a piece of music that sticks in one's mind so that one seems to hear it, even when it is not being played. One reason that this occurs is that melodic music tends to have a rhythm which repeats. This cyclical nature may cause endless repetition unless some way to achieve a climax is found which breaks the cycle.

The cycle…break the cycle.

How the fuck could he break the cycle?

His brain short circuited on him again as the melody coalesced and rose to the highest point. He could think of nothing else as the music took possession of his thoughts.

He had to find a way to break free from this damn song.

*()*()*

One week earlier

It started out as such a normal day.

Edward drove his surrogate father, Carlisle, to the hospital, and then made his way to his lab. His experiments were coming along nicely, and he hoped that by the end of the month he might discover the secret to eternal life.

He watched as his venom bubbled and rolled in the metal test tube, torn between hating the substance that had taken his humanity and thriving on the possibility that he might finally have uncovered the key to finding his way back.

The bag of donor blood was warm in his hand as he punctured the thick plastic, watching the viscous, red fluid ooze between his fingers. He held his hand up and let the blood drip into the venom. The silvery liquid absorbed the blood, coming up like a wave, engulfing it. It only took a moment for Edward to realize that it wasn't working.

His hands shook as he swept the equipment off the table, relishing in the sound of it smashing against the hard floor.

The only thing he hated more than his failure…was his existence.

*()*()*

"I'm telling you, Edward, you need to get out."

Emmett was jumping up and down like a puppy as he stood next to Edward's desk. Emmett had taken it upon himself to search his brother out when he never returned home that evening.

Edward rolled his eyes as he ignored Emmett's outstretched palm, the oversized child searching for a high five.

"Emmett, the only thing I need to do is go back to work," Edward sighed, rubbing at his temples while he poured over Carlisle's journal for the umpteenth time. His father had documented every experiment he had ever done on their species, but he had yet to find anything helpful.

"Edward…this is for your own good." Edward looked up just in time to see Emmett's big hand come at him, and then everything went black.

When his brain came back online, Edward found himself in the back of Emmett's large SUV, his hands bound behind his back with impenetrable steel ties.

"I will kill you when I get out of this," Edward snarled, getting even angrier when he heard Emmett's quiet laugh.

"You need this, Edward. If you don't interact with humanity, how can you remember why you are trying to get yours back?" the gentle giant questioned, leaving Edward silently brooding. While his brother was right, he still didn't want to waste valuable time distracted by the masses.

When the vehicle stopped, he stifled a sigh when he saw where they were. He watched as Emmett came around to his side and released him from his metallic imprisonment.

"A bookstore? Really?"

"These places are nice and quiet. Plus I wanted to get a book on Tantric sex for Rose. She wants to try something new after our failed BDSM debacle. We really should have done those limit lists so I would have known golden showers were a hard limit for her," Emmett said as he walked away and Edward struggled to ignore the thoughts that were streaming through his brother's head concerning said scene in their make-shift playroom.

Mind reading was a bitch, especially when you couldn't turn it off. That was another reason Edward was working so hard to discover a way to become human again. The constant barrage of other people's thoughts was more than just an annoyance, it was hell. Even on the short walk into the building he had learned that the woman waiting in line was excited about the new book she had purchased about cats, the little girl in the car parked next to them needed to pee and the man smoking outside of the entrance was anxious to get home so he could eat his wife's leftover lasagna.

Edward let his gaze wander around the store, trying to imagine what it would be like to be human again. It had been so long since he had been able to go out and not worry about being seen sparkling like a diamond in the sun or be overwrought by the scent of someone's blood. To be human once more was his greatest wish.

Oh look at him. Damn the things I could do to that man.

Edward tried hard not to roll his eyes at the woman's thoughts as he passed her, ignoring the way she primped and preened. This was why he didn't go out. The constant attention. The frequent propositions. If they only knew he was a monster draped in a pretty covering, they might think twice about wanting to get in his pants.

"Edward, do you think the Tantric Sex books would be in the Yoga section or in Self-Help?" Emmett yelled, his voice carrying through the enormous store. Edward felt a phantom blush streak across his cheeks as everyone turned and looked at him. Now their thoughts all centered around him and his brother having sex, which was not a pretty image.

"I believe tantric books are located in both sections. Here, why don't I help you?"

Edward was frozen stiff as he watched the young brunette lead his brother away, weaving between shelves and aisles until they stood in front of the books he wanted. Her skin was clear and perfect, like silk was covering her delicate bones. Her voice, high and husky, soothed his mind. But what captivated him the most about her was her completely silent thoughts. There was nothing there to distract him from absorbing her every motion and nuisance. Without even realizing he was moving, he followed after her.

She went about her work with a quiet elegance, helping people with kindness and patience. He couldn't stop looking at her. The thoughts of others that usually overwhelmed him to the point of madness, fell into the background as he watched her. He crept closer, being cautious not to frighten her. As she worked, her plush lips parted as she sang quietly. The words were too soft for him to hear, but the melody, the rise and fall of the lyrics, the soothing softness of the tone hypnotized him. It wasn't until Emmett's large hand fell on his shoulder did he come back to reality.

"We need to go. Carlisle just called…Alice had a vision." Edward tried to protest, needed desperately to spend more time with his mystery girl, to know everything about her, but Emmett dragged him out of the store, leaving him aching with every step.

*()*()*

It was hours later, after Alice's so called 'crisis' involving the Volturi was resolved, that Edward was finally able to think back on his girl. Her face was shadowed in his mind, her features foggy in his memory, but the sound of voice and song she had been singing was forever etched in his memory.

*()*()*

Present Day

"It's like she disappeared off the face of the earth! The store has no forwarding address for her and all of the background information on her resume is fake. The last two jobs she listed on there had never heard of her. I don't even know if this is even her name that we've been searching for!" Jasper's inability to do what he did best, track people down, was frustrating him to no end. Alice could see nothing, even when she opened herself up to the visions and Rose and Emmett were striking out at every turn as they tried to find this girl.

"Edward, we may have to think about using one of the Volturi's trackers to find her soon," Carlisle said softly, putting his hand on his son's shoulder. Edward's eyes rolled back in his head, his brain so locked on the song that he could barely function any more. He couldn't hunt and his family had resorted to feeding him animal blood through a straw. If they didn't find the girl soon, they worried he might be the first vampire in history to have a nervous breakdown.

"Carlisle, what if we just bombard him with every song ever written. This song has to be out there somewhere. And if he just hears it again, maybe it will break the cycle," Esme suggested, hating to see her son in so much pain.

"I've tried that already, but it wasn't there. I'm pretty sure this is a song she wrote herself, so without her to finish it, we have no way of getting it out of Edward's head. It must be the way his brain works with his mind reading that is making him unable to process anything but this song. I'm afraid…I'm afraid we might lose him if we can't find her soon."

*()*()*

"I think I've got something!" Alice yelled as she ran into the kitchen. Edward was curled in a ball, whimpering pitifully as he lay in the corner. "Emmett, you need to come with me right now. I had a vision of her getting on a bus in Queets. We have to stop her, because after about twenty minutes on the bus…her future disappears."

Edward didn't even move as his siblings sprinted from the room. His mind was a blank slate with the exception of his mystery girl's sweet voice humming and singing.

*()*()*

"Ma'am, we need you to come with us," Emmett rumbled, trying to sound as authoritative as possible. The girl jumped when Alice's little hand gripped her arm tightly. "It is a matter of life and death."

Bella Swan allowed herself to be pulled off the bus and into the waiting black SUV. The windows were so darkly tinted she was unable to see the street lights as they sailed through the small town.

"Are you going to tell me what I did or where you're taking me?" she asked quietly, her nails digging into her palm as she struggled against abject terror.

Had she just been kidnapped?

"I told you, it is a matter of life and death. Without you…my brother is as good as dead," Alice whispered, her visions once more unable to show her Edward's future.

"But how…" Bella spoke, but Emmett interrupted her. "Just sitcha' ass down and be quiet."

After realizing she wouldn't stand a chance if she tried to take down the big guy, she did just as he suggested. Months of running from her past had left her physically and mentally exhausted. They made running away look so easy in movies, but it was far from easy. Constantly looking around to make sure no one recognized you, keeping your story straight every time you told it, and the lying…she hated lying. At least she could trust that these two strangers were not concerned with what had happened in Phoenix, and there was no way they were sent by her mother. So it was with great trust that she finally let herself sleep.

*()*()*

The car bumped and jolted over imperfections in the road, throwing Bella all over the back seat of the vehicle. She thought about continuing to pretend to sleep, but curiosity got the best of her as the car stopped and the front doors opened. By the time her door was yanked ajar, she was sitting up.

"Hurry…I don't think he has much time left," a stunningly handsome man grabbed her hand and yanked her from the car, pulling her up the steps of a sprawling, elegant house. The inside was all a blur as she struggled to keep up with his frantic pace. They stopped in the middle of a beautiful kitchen, but once again she was unable to appreciate it. Lying motionless on the floor was a man. Though she didn't know him, Bella was instantly drawn to his side, instinctively needing to ease his suffering. The moment she knelt next to him and took his hand, she started humming and then singing to him.

Edward could feel the darkness lifting. The song was here…the damn thing that had been stuck in his mind for so long, eclipsing all other rational thought was finally going to be finished. He found himself humming along with the section he knew, and then as her crystal clear voice continued on to the end, he just reveled in the melody. It was beautiful, it was perfect and then…it was over.

The room was silent for a moment, everyone waiting to see what would happen next. And then suddenly, Edward opened his eyes. The cycle was broken…the earworm was gone.

"Oh thank God!" Esme cried, falling to the floor and dragging Edward's weak form into her arms. Even as she peppered kisses all over his face, his eyes never left Bella's. She was his savior.

"Would someone like to tell me what the fuck is going on?" Bella whispered shakily. Her insides felt like they had been through a blender and the connection she felt toward this stranger was frightening.

"I'm sorry. If you would give me a few moments to change, I would be glad to explain everything," Edward said, his voice hoarse from disuse. Bella nodded numbly, entranced by his smooth tone. In the blink of an eye he was gone and she could hear water running somewhere on the floor above her. The rest of the people in the room embraced and rejoiced, while she stood there in a numb shock.

"There…sorry that took so long," Edward said fifty-five seconds later. His hair was damp and his shirt was spotted with water droplets, as if he had put the thing on without waiting for his skin to be dry. He gently reached for Bella's hand and she gave it to him without a second thought.

"You are my savior…and my condemner, but we won't talk about that," Edward joked as he sat down on a couch in the elegantly appointed living room. Bella started to sit in the chair next to the sofa, but looked up when he made a pained sound. "Would it be possible for you to sit here next to me? I know you are confused but I really need to be able to touch you."

His eyes were so open and desperate; she instantly surrendered to his desire and started to speak as she sat. "What's your name?"

"My name is Edward Cullen. And you are Isabella Swan, born September 13th, 1991. You favorite color is purple, you hate tomatoes and you feel that the Cohen Brothers are the most ingenious directors of their generation." Bella could only stare at him as he finished talking.

"Have you been stalking me?" she rasped, pushing away from him slightly. That wounded animal sound erupted from his chest again and he reached for her. "Please don't go."

"Edward…you are fucking this all up. Here, let me help," Alice said as she came bouncing into the room. She sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch and took Bella's free hand in hers. "We are vampires that only hunt animals. Edward heard you singing in the bookstore and was hit by a powerful earworm and was unable to function until we found you so you could finish the song for him. Now you are his life, his world, his everything. Whatever you command, he will do. We know what happened in your past, but that guy deserved to die and we won't tell a soul. He hurt your mother, and I for one commend you for putting that drug in his beer, because it was only a matter of time before he came for you."

Alice paused her frantic rambling to take in some much needed air and giggled when she saw the size of Bella's eyes. "Almost done. I can see visions of the future while Edward can read minds. Yours is silent to him, but while you were touching he was able to see your past. Like I said…we know everything that was and everything that will be. You are going to be very happy here," Alice said with a smile, pulling Bella into her arms. She went limply into the embrace and when Alice released her…she fainted dead away.

*()*()*

Bella came awake slowly, surfacing through the fog that had overtaken her mind. Edward could tell by her breathing pattern that she was waking and sat forward on the chair he had propped next to the bed. Her hand was held tightly between his palms, the warmth of her skin comforting him. The flashes of her past he experienced had been unlike anything he'd known before. He felt like he had been inside of her, and now they were one. He just hoped that she would feel the same when she regained consciousness.

"Why me?" Bella whispered, her sudden words taking Edward by surprise. He jumped a bit, squeezing her hand tighter as he tried to come up with an answer that would make sense to her.

"You're mine," he answered simply. "You were meant to belong to me, just as I was created to be here for you." Bella's eyes blinked open, her head tilting so she could see him.

"But what does that mean? Will I have to stay here with you? Give up the pathetic life I have been living?" she rasped. Edward shook his head.

"It means whatever you want it to mean."

Bella once more closed her eyes, two fat tears oozing from beneath her lowered lashes. "This is so weird. I mean…you're this gorgeous, super rich vampire that for some reason wants me."

"If it helps, I'm desperately trying to find a way to reverse the vampire phenomenon," Edward replied softly. "I don't want to be a monster."

"Oh Edward, I don't see you as a monster. I think it's very nice that you kill animals instead of people. But…this is still just so far out of my comfort zone, I don't know what to do." As Bella really started to cry, Edward leaned forward and pulled her into his arms. She went willingly, loving the strength and security she felt in his embrace. Bella suddenly understood what he meant when he said she belonged to him.

TO BE CONTINUED

Yeah so being that this is like…four times longer than my usual chapters, I decided to stop. We shall see these two again…for another birthday celebration!

Happy (belated) Birthday Afmtoo!