A/N: I loved the responses to the last chapter. Many of you were happy that Theda managed to take her fury out on the poor Volvo; others thought she was being over-the-top and immature; some readers thought she was totally justified; most were a mix of all of these and more. And you know what? You're all correct.

Theda's reaction was over-the-top…she wasn't thinking rationally, and let her emotions take over. The 'grown-up' thing to do would have been to leave the car alone and just avoid everyone until she cooled down, but she's a flawed character, and does juvenile, stupid things. I think we can all identify with her to some degree, or at least know where she's coming from…she's no saint, after all. She was under the impression that she was sharing this wonderful, intimate moment with someone she cares deeply for, when all of a sudden he runs away from her without any explanation. She was humiliated and furious, and I highly doubt any human would be able to think completely clearly after that, much less a vampire.

To have my readers react so strongly, whether positively or negatively, made me very happy. You all are amazing!

I'll keep the rest short so we can get on with the show.

Stephanie is my beta-goddess, and I don't own Twilight.

Chapter 21: Confessions

EDWARD POV

She said yes!

Let's not get ahead of ourselves…hunting only involves running, killing something, and drinking. Not necessarily talking.

Okay, okay…

Still, I couldn't refrain from giving Alice a relieved smile as Theda closed her laptop and walked to the front door, putting her shoes on.

It'll be fine, Edward. Just relax. And don't be a pain in the ass. She'll talk to you eventually. Alice's thoughts were comforting, but I still didn't know what to expect.

"You coming, Edward?" Theda called from the doorway. She was already halfway out and waiting for me, tapping her foot impatiently as she held the door open.

"Uh huh," I nodded, swiftly moving to take the door from her. "After you," I motioned, ushering Theda outside. She looked back at me, clearly wondering what the hurry was. I gave her what I hoped was a dazzling smile and she took off at an easy run while I followed.

We ran for a while, neither of us speaking. We didn't go fast, probably a little faster than a human sprint, but just enjoyed speeding tirelessly through the greenery and huge trees. For a couple of hours we ran deep into the Olympic National Park where Theda had been doing most of her hunting lately. Honestly, it was like being alone because Theda was blocking me and barely acknowledged my presence save for the occasional look back to see if I was still there. Yet on some level I was certain she looked like she really wanted to say something. I didn't push her; I wanted to give her time. She would talk when she felt ready, like Alice said.

Abruptly surprising a herd of Roosevelt elk, Theda swiftly took down a small cow, yanking the animal down as she snapped its' neck. I thought she was as graceful hunting from the ground as she was from the air, and I wistfully remembered watching her dive from the tree about a week ago.

I took two cows as well, draining both beasts and burying them under a fallen tree before Theda was done with hers. I wasn't sure whether she was just taking her time in order to savor the rich warm blood, or because she was avoiding talking to me. Talking was pretty hard with your mouth latched on to some mammal's jugular.

"Are you still thirsty? Do you want to find something else?" I asked politely.

Theda shook her head. "No, I wasn't even thirsty today. I just want to get rid of these damn black eyes. I'm sick of being stuck in the house. Why? Do you want something else?"

"No, the two were enough for me. I just thought you'd like the company today." I didn't want it to sound like I was desperate to spend time with Theda, even if it was kind of true. It might push her away just when I had a chance of getting her to speak civilly with me again.

Theda rose from the ground, leaving her elk where it was and walked over to where I was standing. Unlike the other hunt, I had managed with some difficulty not to offer her a hand to help her up. It went against my gentlemanly tendencies, but I wasn't sure she would want to be able to read my mind and I wasn't sure I wanted her to, either. It was best to err on the side of caution. Thankfully, Theda's body language had mellowed out and was no longer as stiff as it had been, warning me away.

"Thank you for asking me to hunt with you again, Edward," she said softly, stopping a few feet in front of me. "Do you want to take a walk? It's not raining for once." I looked up and listened; I was shocked to find that the usually present sound of raindrops falling through the leafy canopy had stopped.

"I'd really like that," I agreed, looking intently into her nearly clear eyes. Obviously uncomfortable under my gaze, Theda looked away and nodded, motioning ahead of her.

"After you," she murmured, mirroring my action from earlier, and I took off at a slow jog. I led the way and we ran to Lake Crescent, which was still in the Park but closer to Port Angeles. I knew it had some nice secluded areas where a vampire could sit undisturbed and look over the lake. Besides the meadow I went to, this was another place I often thought of as my own and could escape to when I needed solitude. I wanted to talk to Theda and did not want us to be interrupted.

We arrived at a small rocky cove that was virtually guaranteed to be unreachable for humans. The rock walls were fairly steep and there wasn't much room for one to maneuver. Combined with the fact that it was early evening and we would hear anyone approaching from a long way off, I knew we had plenty of privacy.

The sun was starting to set; it was twilight, the easiest time of day for us. The mountains loomed over the flat plane of water, which was surprisingly still despite the very slight breeze. The smooth, glassy surface barely rippled. Theda looked out over the lake, taking it all in. "Wow, it's beautiful."

"Yes, it certainly is," I said lowly, not meaning just the scenery. Theda nimbly hopped down from the outcropping she had been standing on and joined me on a lower, flatter rock closer to the water, sitting cross-legged next to me. My skin prickled as I noticed that there was less than a foot of space in between us, but she made no move to touch me. Even though the evening was approaching, we could still see the brilliant blue of the water.

The silence between us grew marginally more comfortable but the air still hummed with the tension of unspoken thoughts. Finally, Theda spoke. "Edward, I wanted to apologize for my behavior this past week. I've been very rude, and you didn't deserve it. I'm especially sorry about your car." Theda picked uncomfortably at some lichens on the rocks, attempting to pry them off. "I promise I'll buy you another one. What I did was completely uncalled for, and I'm actually very embarrassed about the way I acted."

She took a deep breath and though I was tempted to interrupt, I stayed quiet and let her finish speaking. "You're completely entitled to your opinions and feelings and I shouldn't have been so upset when, well, I acted on mine and you didn't return them in the way I wanted you to," she said in a rush. "As angry as I was at the time, I realized after that I can't make you feel something you don't." Theda never glanced at me once, still visibly upset. But what she said bothered me.

"Thank you for your apology," I started, more than a little confused, and Theda peered up at me through her long, dark lashes. "Don't worry about the Volvo, it's replaceable. I can't say I didn't deserve to suffer for the way I treated you, because I haven't been fair to you, either. But could you explain what you meant when you said you can't make me feel something I don't?"

Theda looked back down at the rock we were sitting on but I would have none of that. "Theda, please. Look at me; I want to be able to read you. You know I can read minds, but you're very good at blocking me and I can't hear yours often. Please, look at me, and answer the question," I pleaded, fighting the urge to tip her chin up with a finger.

Shyly, Theda slowly met my eyes and exhaled sharply, squirming uncomfortably. "I didn't really want to tell you this, Edward, but when Alice and I talked, she told me that you did return my feelings. To set the record straight, I really like you, Edward. A hell of a lot more than I should. But even though Alice told me you felt the same way, I find it hard to believe because of what happened the last time we hunted," she confessed, referring to the way I ran away like a damn coward after we kissed.

I was simultaneously grateful to and angry with Alice for revealing this, but relief overwhelmed me. So Theda did love me! Or at least like me…she probably wouldn't tell me she loved me even if she did now, though. I suddenly decided I was done beating around the bush. I needed to be truthful and come clean. I sucked in a deep breath, prepared to bare myself to her.

"Theda, Alice was right. I like you too, as you put it, a hell of a lot more than I should." I paused, trying to figure out how to put my jumbled thoughts into something coherent. "This is all new to me; I've never felt like this about anybody before, ever. If I'm being completely honest, my brothers and Carlisle talked with me about you a few times as well, telling me to talk to you, to get to know you and tell you how I felt, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't listen to them as well as I should have." I dropped my head, chagrinned and convinced I'd blown it for good.

Theda's jaw fell in shock. I supposed even after hearing it from Alice, Theda never really believed it and why should she? I had avoided her and run away from her, not exactly what someone in love should do. I still couldn't tell if Theda believed me or if she was under the impression that I was just humoring her.

"But, if you feel the same way, why did you run? Why would you do something like that? Do you have any idea how hurt I was?" Theda's fingers dug into the fabric of her jeans, clearly distraught.

I pinched the bridge of my nose trying to gather my thoughts, attempting in vain to answer the million dollar question. "Theda, I ran because I don't deserve you." My voice cracked a little, and I realized how pathetic my argument actually sounded. I was nothing more than a coward. Theda's eyes narrowed.

"I'm a monster. I've killed people in cold blood, played God, run from my family. I abandoned them. I'm not a good person; I don't deserve happiness. I need to atone for what I've done. Even the wicked humans I hunted down had souls, which is more than I can say for myself," I cried out, half expecting Theda to just get up and leave me sitting there all alone. I hid my head in my hands, waiting for the moment she would decide she'd had enough.

"Hmm…," Theda mused, her brow furrowed a little in thought. This was not a response I expected, and I peered through my fingers at her.

"Alice mentioned that to me, and I don't understand it. Most of your family has had accidents, or fed off of humans before, and yet you don't begrudge them any joy," Theda pointed out rationally.

"Alice also told me that you had lived away from the family for a time when you needed to figure things out, tried to accept your nature. But the thing you're forgetting, Edward…you came back. You went back to them because you wanted them, needed them, loved them, and they accepted you with open arms. Being a martyr isn't worth it, and don't make the mistake of putting me on a pedestal. I'm no angel," Theda cautioned, suddenly reaching out and intentionally grabbing my hand.

As soon as our skin made contact, Theda could no longer block me and my mind was flooded with the visions she deliberately brought to mind of the massacred village and the Speedwell. It dawned on me for the first time that by denying myself happiness for those reasons, I was being a hypocrite. Even though Jasper had spoken to me about this before, it hadn't really sunk in. Theda had had a hard life, and had committed some atrocious acts herself, but I did not believe she was a monster. Or Emmett, who had plenty of accidents as a newborn. Or Jasper, who had the hardest time adjusting to the Cullen lifestyle of any of us and slipped up every once in a while.

Do you see? Theda insisted, I'm not perfect, either.

"I realize that," I acknowledged, anxiously running my fingers through my hair, "but you never hunted people in cold blood. You hunted them because it was the only way you knew to survive; your village and the ship were anomalies." Part of me violently resisted the realization that Theda was right, and I feebly tried to rationalize my opposition. It didn't work.

"When I left Carlisle and Esme, I wasn't convinced I could or even should be a vegetarian, it went against our nature. Then I went so far to the other end of the spectrum -- I used my ability to read minds and I picked off humans who had done terrible things…rapists, murderers, wife-beaters, child-abusers. I played God, Theda, and I had no right to. Any way around it, it was still murder. Cold-blooded, selective murder. I feel as though I have blood on my hands that I'll never scrub clean."

"Like Lady Macbeth?" she commented, her voice barely a whisper.

I nodded, hanging my head. Neither of us spoke for several minutes. I could tell Theda was lost in her thoughts, although I made no effort to read them. Some time had passed before Theda's hand tightened around mine. I had nearly forgotten we were even touching, but the contact was soothing.

"Edward?" The tender look on Theda's face nearly made me sob, and she squeezed my hand again. "You don't have to be ashamed. In a way, you did a lot of good. You helped so many people who would have been harmed otherwise. Like I said before, Edward, you did go back to Carlisle and Esme." I opened my mouth to interrupt but thought better of it.

"You already righted what you believe is a 'wrong'; we all make mistakes. You're no monster, no more than I am, or Alice, or Carlisle, any of us, so stop punishing yourself. Sure, it's in our nature to want to feed on humans, but we do our best to control that. Because we want to be different. It's a conscious choice we've made. As long as you try to be the best version of yourself that you can be, you deserve every moment of joy you can get." Theda's thoughts indicated how genuine she was being. She truly believed this. Her big topaz eyes searched mine intently for an indication of what I truly believed.

Would it actually be possible for me to accept that I could be happy? That I deserved to be happy? That I wanted to be happy? In that fleeting moment, I had an epiphany.

Yes, I…I think I can. Upon realizing this, I smiled, feeling as though a weight were lifted off of my shoulders. You're right, I thought offhandedly.

I know I'm right. Theda smirked, raising an eyebrow at me.

My mouth popped open a little. You can hear me? I was suddenly reminded that my talent now worked both ways. I had gotten used to the fact that I could hear Theda, but I was definitely not used to having someone else pick through my brain, although it was an invasion of privacy that I committed on a constant basis. Theda nodded, amused at my brief moment of panic, and smiled.

"I do have another question for you," Theda said out loud, changing the subject. I don't think she wanted me to feel awkward. "Alice said you didn't believe you have a soul. Why is that?"

I hadn't expected that question. What else had my nosey little sister said to Theda? I took a moment to gather my thoughts, vaguely aware that Theda was probably sifting through them as I did so.

"I…I don't really know," I stammered, for once at a loss for words.

I let my free hand fall in my lap and gently began to trace the lines on Theda's palm. Her hand felt surprisingly soft and pliable; although I had touched my family before, hugging Esme and wrestling with my brothers, I had never really taken the time to notice the texture and feel of another vampire's skin. I had never wanted to, either, until Theda came along. I suppose I had expected her to feel hard and immovable, like concrete or marble, but she didn't. Even more surprising to me was that she felt comfortably warm to me as well.

Theda shivered a little and closed her eyes which caught my attention, but I knew I should answer her question before I asked her any of the many I had at the tip of my tongue.

"I guess I always assumed that God would not allow monsters that were clearly made to kill, the ultimate predators, to keep theirs. And technically, we died…our hearts no longer beat. As far as I know, the dead don't retain their souls." An hour ago, this would have sounded like a great explanation, but right now it sounded like a load of shit. I recalled what Jasper had said about permanent change among our kind; I believed him now without question.

Theda was quiet for a moment, thinking over what I had told her. She looked up, her gaze swiftly meeting me squarely in the eyes. "But now…you don't believe that?" Her face was unreadable.

I shook my head slowly, acknowledging more to myself than to Theda that I really didn't. I knew the rest of my explanation would venture into tenuous territory, but I needed to say it. "No. For one thing, we're clearly not really dead in one sense…here we are, walking, talking, thinking, feeling…" I took a deep breath as the breeze blew Theda's sweet scent my way and her lips parted a little as I stroked her hand delicately.

"Because now, I recognize that to feel the way I do about my family, about you…If I didn't have a soul, I would never be able to feel these things -- good things. Happiness. Joy. Love. If we were truly soulless, we would be incapable of feeling any of it. You've made me realize that."

Theda's beautiful eyes widened at my admission and I searched them, trying desperately to convey my feelings to her.

"All of that, that's why I ran. I wanted to protect you from me. If you never – if we never had the opportunity to develop feelings for each other, you wouldn't be hurt. Why would you have wanted to be with a monster like me? I didn't want to make you miserable. I thought I did what was best for you." I stared at her small hand enveloped in mine, ashamed.

In a flash, Theda grabbed me tightly by my shoulders and forced me to meet her eyes again. Her face was wrought with frustration. "No! No, Edward. You don't get to make those kinds of decisions for someone else," she snapped, shaking me a little for emphasis, making my teeth rattle. "You can't take that away from somebody. If I wanted to get to know you and it turned out to be a mistake, it would be mine to make. Not yours. I realize that you were protecting yourself from getting hurt as well, but you need to know that you can only make a decision like that for yourself, no one else. It was selfish and spineless."

Stunned, my jaw dropped. I had never thought about what I had done from that perspective before. There I was, thinking I was protecting this wonderful woman from myself, from an eternity of possible unhappiness, when all I was really doing was pushing her away and denying her the opportunity to make her own decision to get to know me. I was also denying myself the opportunity to get to know her.

Underneath it all, I was selfishly protecting myself. It was mostly in my own interest…if Theda couldn't get to know me, she wouldn't have the opportunity to dislike me. Or even worse, for her to like me and then reject me later. It was fear; I was terrified of my feelings for Theda. What did I have to lose now? I'd almost lost her once.

You're finally understanding, Edward. The corners of Theda's mouth twitched a little into a shy smile. Her face was losing the shroud of anger as she calmed down.

I didn't realize...I tried to wrap my mind around what I had unintentionally done.

"I know you didn't, but I wanted to tell you how much it hurt me when you did that. You needed to know that our decisions affect other people, and we need to take that into account. No more unilateral decisions?" Theda held both of my hands with hers; the physical affection was strangely comforting. I nodded. I'd do anything for her.

I promise. I never meant to hurt you. I cast my eyes down to the rock we were sitting on. Knowing that Theda could hear my thoughts was going to take some getting used to. Theda giggled, hearing my internal comment about her absorbed ability and squeezed my hands, running her thumbs over my knuckles. We sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, letting the significance of what had been said wash over us.

"May I ask you something?" I asked timidly, not completely sure Theda was done with her line of questioning. She nodded, curious.

"My family gave me a pretty stern talking-to that I completely deserved after, ah, well, the other day," I grimaced at the sad memory, "and they said you have some issues from your human life that made what I did more painful for you. Could you tell me about that? I want to be certain that I don't hurt you again. Please help me understand." I didn't want to drag up uncomfortable memories, but I didn't really know any other way to ask.

Theda hesitated, and I had an idea. "If you want, you can tell me silently," I suggested, tapping my temple. "That might be easier for you. I don't think you're able to block me when you've touched me or have contact." I held her hands tighter for emphasis. After a moment's deliberation, Theda nodded, looking nervous. Instinctively, I reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Theda leaned into my palm a little before straightening up again.

Okay. Damn pixie probably said something to him as it is…Theda's thoughts cut off when I laughed.

"Don't be angry with Alice," I begged. "She's always been like that, and I know she didn't mean any harm. If anything, she's done more good than not. She convinced me to ask you to go hunting today, after all. Please go on."

Resignedly, Theda's thoughts picked up again. I suppose so. She sighed, looking out at the water. The tranquil setting seemed to make it easier for her to talk to me.

Do you remember what I said about my almost-marriage as a human? Theda started off tentatively. I nodded. Well, when my father set the bride price he wanted for me. It was too high, so nobody showed any interest. Instead of viewing it as a commercial transaction like I should have, I took it as a personal affront…like I was unwanted, not that people simply weren't willing to pay the asking price.

Then the rumors started. Theda swallowed thickly. Even though they were completely false, they hurt deeply…I wasn't a whore, not even close. She fidgeted again, picking at the moss on the rock.

There's more…I didn't tell Alice this, Edward. When I spoke about having a bad experience with William, it was because of this. Theda's mind opened up further, and I could clearly see the images she was bringing to mind.

Theda was in the woods with a tall male with long, blond hair and red eyes. They were staking out a few homes on the outskirts of a small town. He was clearly looking for villagers, and she was assessing the livestock. Night had not yet fallen, but the sun was low in the western sky.

Theda stood to his left and he reached up and stroked her long brown hair, slowly caressing her back. Theda flinched away, hissing menacingly and baring her teeth. She clearly didn't want any part of it.

"You're beautiful, Theda. I don't know why you won't be with me," the male, obviously William, huffed in heavily accented English.

"I do not feel that way about you. I've told you this previously, but you can't seem to get it through your dense skull. Please leave me be so we don't frighten away our next meal," Theda snapped, glaring murderously at him.

William chuckled, ignoring her fury. "Perhaps if you try it, you might discover you like it." He swiftly snaked his hand around the back of Theda's neck, leaned down and tried force their lips together. Theda snarled and kicked out hard, launching William into the air; it was an impressive action given the corseted dress she wore. He landed about a hundred feet away after crashing through some trees.

"Don't ever fucking touch me again," Theda growled as her eyes blackened. The memory faded.

"Did he ever–," I couldn't even make myself say it. I suddenly felt sick, and I squeezed her hands hard. If she had been human, her fingers would have been broken. So help me, if Theda hadn't burned that bastard first…

The relief I felt when Theda shook her head rushed through my body. "No, he didn't force me to do anything. What I just showed you was one of the straws that broke the camel's back, and only one reason why he became a pile of ashes. That memory was actually from the same evening I killed him. His actions only reinforced my mindset that he was just interested because I was the only person available," she maintained, hanging her head.

"I was there, but nothing special. I've never felt special; nothing in my experience had ever told me that I was worth anything. I was always unwanted: a commodity to my father, a purchase by my disgusting pig of a fiancé, a rumored whore to the villagers, and a conveniently unmated female to William. He and I never did anything sexual; the thought turns my stomach. I meant it when I told you before that I never saw him as anything more than a friend or traveling companion." I let out an angry breath that I was unaware I had been holding in, and Theda smiled reassuringly.

"Given these factors, is it any wonder why I reacted so badly to what happened between us?" Theda whispered, her voice so low I nearly didn't hear her.

For the first time, I saw my actions through Theda's eyes as she flipped through the thoughts she had had on the evening of our first hunt together. I saw how elated she was when we had kissed; how she felt like I had betrayed her and ripped her heart out when I ran off. How she felt just as humiliated and unwanted after that as she had as a human, and how my mother and sisters had comforted her. How she had considered leaving the family but couldn't make herself; how Alice told her to stay.

Immediately, it all seemed to come together for me, like a telescope or microscope where you adjust the magnification and focus until all of a sudden, the fuzzy image of what you're looking at becomes crystal clear. Stunned, I turned to Theda, still holding her hands. "I'm so sorry," I choked out, nearly sobbing. "I had no idea, none at all. My mindset at the time was completely different than it is now. You have to believe me. Please forgive me!"

Theda impulsively threw her arms around me, nearly knocking me over in a tight hug. My arms wrapped themselves around her waist on their own as though they belonged there. How did that happen?

"Of course I do, Edward." She buried her face in my neck and I shivered as her breath caressed my skin; she felt so right in my arms. "I don't expect you to change the way you think about things immediately, just like I know it's going to take a while for me to get used to the idea that somebody thinks I'm special, too. And you're stuck with me. I…I can't stay away from you."

I pulled back a little so I could see Theda's face. She was inches away. "We'll work on these things together," I promised, meaning every word. "I can't stay away from you, either." Theda smiled and her whole face came alive in a way I'd never seen.

Thank you, Edward. You've changed me as well.

I know, love, I know. I smiled into her neck and lightly ran a hand up and down her back. She sighed contentedly.

Theda cast her eyes down, suddenly bashful, and I realized she had heard my thoughts again. I returned her smile, a little embarrassed, but she remained relaxed in my arms. An hour or two went by and we just sat on our rock, enjoying the comfortable silence. Theda moved a little, shifting away from me and my arms tightened automatically to keep her where she was. She met my eyes and moved in so her lips were right by my ear.

"Edward? Can we try again?" Theda shyly whispered. Although she was right next to me, I barely heard her. Theda was still holding me close, her arms securely around my upper body like she never wanted to let go, and mine hadn't released from their position wrapped around her back, fingers splayed over her cherry red shirt.

I knew what she meant.

I was scared, but I wanted it too.

Anything, love. You can have anything you want.

I watched as Theda scooted forward, pulling herself closer to me on the rock, and I held her to me even tighter. We sat like that, Theda nearly in my lap for maybe minutes, maybe hours, just breathing each other in. Her honey and cinnamon scent was just as bewitching as it was the first time we met her in the clearing.

Theda didn't move, and I realized that she was still afraid I would turn her away. Consciously or subconsciously, she was probably waiting for the running to start. It was up to me to show her how I felt, to show her that I wanted her. I needed to take the initiative.

I leaned back slightly, slowly raised one hand and caressed her cheek, running the tips of my fingers over her silky pale skin. So soft. I moved my hand slowly, inching down her neck and around the side so her head rested in my hand, my fingers buried in her chestnut hair. How many times had I wished for this exact scenario? Now it was happening. I used the opportunity to take her in, to memorize how she looked at that moment; her golden eyes with their long dark lashes, half closed; her full rose-colored lips which were slightly parted as she breathed in my scent.

Beautiful.

And mine? Yes, mine.

Leaning in, I closed the distance between us, my lips softly touching hers in a slow, chaste kiss. I wanted so much at that moment; I wanted her in every way, but I was overwhelmed by the feelings and I know Theda was as well. I was fervently glad that our positioning didn't allow for Theda to press completely against me.

Slowly. We need to take this slowly. This is new to both of us.

We sat holding each other and kissing gently for a long time, lips barely touching, just feeling each other, absorbed in each other. After a time, I tentatively opened my mouth against Theda's supple lips, begging to deepen the kiss. Theda eagerly complied and parted her lips with a soft moan, sliding her tongue carefully against mine, tasting me as I tasted her. The flavor of her venom was similar to mine, sweet but with more of her essence mixed in. She was delicious, and I found myself wondering what she tasted like everywhere but was embarrassed by my inappropriate fantasy. I was suddenly aware that in response to my wayward thought, Theda had wrapped one arm around me in a vice-like grip and fisted the other roughly in my hair.

Could she want that, too?

All too soon, she pushed me back carefully. Edward, we should stop. Theda's thoughts had a reluctant tone to them, and although I wanted to hold her to me like this forever, I realized, as did Theda, that it would be too much, too soon. She kissed my forehead and jaw line first before pulling away.

"I'd really like to talk some more tomorrow, get to know the real you," Theda admitted hesitantly, as though I would turn her down.

"Of course! I'd like nothing better." Taking Theda's hand, I helped her up and was treated to another blinding smile.

"Such a gentleman," she commented, squeezing my hand. "Shall we?" It was late; the sun was already set.

I nodded and helped her up and over the rock, even though she didn't need it. I admit I stole a peek at her ass as she climbed up ahead of me.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing back there," she called over her shoulder. I knew if I could blush, my face would have been the color of her shirt. "Maybe not such a gentleman after all," Theda teased slyly, and I chased her all the way back to the house, more light-hearted at that moment than I had ever felt in my one hundred and eight years.

A/N: Better? I thought so. It's only going to improve from here. Leave Theda and Edward some love…they've come a long way, but they have a little ways to go still.

Just so you know, updates might be a little longer from here on out…my lovely beta, Steph, is moving, and is in the middle of packing hell right now, so I don't want to add too much to her stress. Be patient, though…I won't make you wait too long.

Here's my auction listing for The Fandom Gives Back for Alex's Lemonade Stand…bidding starts November 15th (TOMORROW!!!) through November 20th! http://thefandomgivesback(dot)proboards(dot)?board=fic&action=display&thread=212