AN: THANK YOU to all those who clicked favorite and/or follow of this story, me, or any of the other stories I've worked on.

When I originally started this for the Thirst contest, I anticipated it would be a 6K word one-shot. I'm still working on it, and it seems the more I write, the longer it gets. At the moment, I don't anticipate it being longer than about 20K.

A big thank you to a couple people. Sweetgirl57 betas this for me. Thank you for the work, the patience, and the suggestions you offered. Brier Lynn Rose has held my hand and read over parts of it. Thank you for helping me along the way.

And the usual: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters. The plot and mistakes are mine.

Chapter 2

Bella and Edward sat in a Lakeview coffee shop reviewing their night. The rain from earlier in the evening had become a fierce downpour. The exposed brick, black and white fleur de lys wallpaper, and dim lighting allowed a clear view of the world outside. The raindrops bounced off the windows and sidewalks. The pattering on the roof muffled echoed above.

The tension they experienced in the alley abated as they laughed together. A barista called her name, interrupting the conversation. Bella retrieved her drink and looked toward Edward's eyes as she sat. He wore sunglasses to mask the red of his irises. While the black Wayfarers drew the attention of the other patrons, he was used to being the subject of the thoughts of those around him. It was far better than having them trying to figure out why his eyes were so oddly covered. He learned early on that strange looks and thoughts were far better than linger stares and fear.

Edward sat back in his chair as he studied Bella's face. She appeared troubled. The darkness outside of the shop seemed to descend into her eyes. Their normal caramel appeared almost black. The one mind he would love to hear was silent to him. He tilted his head slightly and raised an eyebrow above the glasses trying to imagine what concerned her. She blew out a breath, then spoke.

"I hardly know what happened back there. A tourist stopped me to ask directions, and the next thing I knew, you were taking off down Broadway. As soon as I could, I chased after you as fast as humanly possible. I'm not sure if my lungs have recovered from the exertion yet."

She took a sip of her latte. The warmth of it finally began to take the chill out of her bones. She watched Edward as his expression morphed into a frown. He gazed into the distance.

"A man pushed past me worried that he was going to be late getting to his girlfriend's shop in Boystown. He was recalling the fear she expressed as she told him about the guy she kept seeing when she closed each night. I headed in the direction of the shop to make sure someone was there to keep her safe until he got there, and to check out the guy who may have been stalking her. I was nearly there when I heard his thoughts. He wanted to do terrible things to her," he paused. "I couldn't let it happen."

Bella reached across the table and gripped his hand. It was cold to her touch. She couldn't help but think of the saying "cold hands, warm heart." She didn't know anyone who cared for humanity more than Edward. Everything he did reflected his desire to protect those around him. In fact, they met when he was helping a neighborhood skateboarder who was hit by a car. He was surprised when she stepped up to help with the teen. It was the beginning of a friendship that she often wished was much more. She was not unaware of his physical beauty, but in time, she began to see his heart, the site of his true beauty. Where he saw darkness, she saw light.

The sound of a mug crashing to the floor drew her out of her thoughts.

"I guess it's a good thing our CI didn't show."

*****RTTD*****

Detective Isabella Swan, 32, worked homicide for the Chicago Police Department. As a child watching her father working as a small-town sheriff, she would often imagine herself as a big city cop. She studied criminal justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago before she joined the police force. One of the few women on the homicide squad, she was investigating a string of murders that had been occurring on the north side of the city over the past six months. Each victim was a woman in her 20s to early 30s, most of them college students; therefore, they came to be referred to as the CoEd killings. She was expecting to meet a confidential informant (CI) earlier in the night who may have seen the same man approach several of the murdered women.

The simplest way to identify Bella's relationship to Edward Cullen is that he was her partner, investigating partner that is. Tall, about 6'2", with copper-colored hair, and Roman features, he often took Bella's breath away. And she was not the only one. He had the same effect on many of the women and men around him. Everything about him drew people to him. Not only was he beautiful he was also charismatic. He completely disagreed with Bella's assessment of him. He only ever saw himself as an aberration, a monster meant to pray upon humans.

Edward was a vampire. He was turned shortly after The Great Chicago Fire. His parents, Elizabeth and Edward Masen, Sr., died in the aftermath. Edward Jr. practiced law alongside his father. At 24, he no longer lived at home; however, he was having dinner with his parents and stayed the night. He was awoken by the smell of smoke and the sound of chaos on the street below. Attempting to rescue his parents who seemed to be overcome by the smoke, he suffered second and third-degree burns over much of his body. He got his mother out of the house and had her resting on the lawn, but as he turned to go back for his father, the building began to collapse. His father was lost.

Taken to a nearby hospital, Edward and his mother convalesced as they healed from their extensive burns. They spent most of that time sedated. Dr. Carlisle Cullen was an overnight physician in the hospital. He heard the story of Edward rescuing his mother and took a special interest in the pair. One night, as he was making his rounds, Elizabeth regained consciousness and begged him to save Edward at all costs.

"I have lived my life. My soulmate is gone. He has his whole life before him. I am sure there are things that only you can do to save him. Do not concern yourself over me. Help hi-," she cried before she violently coughed and fell back into unconsciousness.

Two days later Elizabeth was dead; Edward was barely holding onto life. Deciding to follow Elizabeth's wishes, Carlisle took both bodies to the morgue. He later snuck Edward out and to his home. Thus began Edward's vampiric journey, reborn son to the vampire Carlisle Cullen.

**************RTTD**************

AN: Please review. Let me know what you liked or didn't like. Is there anything about my writing style that could use improvement or is especially good? I'm working on my "show don't tell." I'd love to hear your thoughts.