Edward POV

I could pick out Angela's scent easily. It was so much softer than those around her. It was sweet, like baby powder, almost. Soothing on the most primitive level. And primitive was something I understood, was almost the only thing I could understand.

One of the interesting things about Angela was reading her thoughts. For the most part, humans are utterly predictable, boorish and vain, self-centered and self-righteous, even though the majority of them tried to mask these things, to hide them. But they couldn't hide them from me. I heard everything they heard, thought what they thought, saw what they saw.

I usually tended to block most of them out, in efforts to retain any sanity or sense of normalcy in my life. With Angela, however, I found myself craving to hear her thoughts. What would her opinions be of this historical event, how had she come to the conclusion on that literature essay. Angela's mind was like glass, clear and pure and clean, and she'd been one of the few truly decent human beings I'd come across in my many years of trying to live among them.

Alice knew all of this, of course, that I felt this way. Hardly any women had piqued my interest, human or otherwise, so when I showed even the slightest bit of consideration, it really was a big deal, as they say.

Funny, really, how returning a simple wallet would end up changing my life in such a dramatic way.

oooo

Emmett POV

"I...don't know if I'm strong enough." I said, squeezing my eyes shut. This was new territory for me. I was a powerhouse in every way. The last time I had to wonder this is when Rose left, and even then I knew that, with my family having my back, I'd be fine, eventually.

"You've done it before." Kelly said matter-of-factly. Damn. So I wasn't as smooth as I'd thought. I figured she could've passed that off as a dream, with the jet lag and everything. Still, there was a difference in lightly tasting the back of her neck than in full on kissing her.

"Sure it wasn't a dream?" I said, raising an eyebrow. Just to be sure.

Kelly shook her head, turning toward me and crossing her legs. "You want it too, though, don't you? Even if it's just because of my blood."

Did she really think that? I got that it could be a legitimate concern, and yeah, we didn't exactly know each other inside and out, but she had to know that this wasn't about blood.

"Don't." I hesitated, then lifted my hand to her hair. "Don't think that. It'll never be about that." It came out more as a promise than anything, and I wondered who I was promising; Kelly, or myself.

"It's just a kiss. Just once, please." Kelly said, and her dark eyes were pleading.

I guess it was then that I really knew I'd never be able to say no to her. I kept both of my hands to my side, not trusting myself to hold her just yet, not when my mind would clearly be somewhere else. Her heart was thumping in her chest as I came closer to her. I automatically wanted to look at her neck, because her veins would be full by now, with her heart working so hard. They would be large and rich and as a predator, this was the moment to strike.

Except that here, with Kelly, I wasn't a predator. I wasn't even a threat to her. She was so willing to be my by side, to treat me as though I was no different than her, to act like I was human. That I was something she wanted.

She gave a small gasp as I closed the gap between us, her lips hot against mine, which must have felt like ice to her. Her heart started to slow, though, almost as if she were under the influence of a sedative, and she sighed into my mouth, parting her lips. I could feel the venom start to form in the back of my dry throat.

Then she moved her lips against mine, shifting herself so she was kneeling now, straddling one of my legs between both of hers. Automatically, my hands found the small of her back, holding her against me. I didn't know how long my thirst could be kept at bay, but I did know that this moment was more important than drinking blood. It was as though, with just her physical closeness, with her hair all around us and her body so warm against mine, she had closed any wounds that Rose had left. Maybe they weren't completely healed, but they weren't life-threatening anymore.

Kelly pulled away with a small groan, tipping her forehead against mine. "Thank you." She whispered. So I did the only thing I could do to show her my thanks, something I knew she would understand. I smiled at her, really smiled, a wide grin that I knew reached my eyes.

I'd never really be able to thank her, not in any realistic way. But I vowed then and there to do whatever I could to make it up to her.

oooo

I licked my lips, almost trying to savor the taste of Emmett for as long as I could. I didn't know if I'd ever the get the chance again to be so close to him, to kiss him. It was so strange for me, to be here. I'd had boyfriends, of course, but they'd always been superficial relationships and none of them really held my interest in a lasting way.

Emmett was something else entirely.

And something I should hate. Something I should be afraid of and stay away from. The woman who had slaughtered my parents and Emmett were vampires. They craved the same thing, were capable of the same thing.

I shut my eyes and took a steadying breath. This would matter later. I would deal with the facts after Emmett was gone. I could face reality then. Just...just a little bit longer. That's all I wanted. A little longer to feel this, to be as close to functioning as I would ever get.

The overwhelming sense of...almost bleeding to death, with the pain of losing my parents, hadn't plagued me in days. To have something to focus one, someone to focus on, had been exactly what I'd needed. What I still needed. I couldn't have it forever, or even for hours, but I had it now. My parents would want this much for me, wouldn't they? I wanted to think so.

I really had stepped off the deep end. I took a deep, steadying breath. "I..." What else was there to say? It was the kind of kiss that made me know I'd never been so happy in my entire life, at least in that split second his mouth touched mine.

Emmett laughed. "Pretty much." He agreed. "Not bad, for a human." He said, nudging me with his elbow.

"Well you weren't that bad, either. For a vampire." I said, and he met my eye. It was the first time I'd said it, truly confirmed that I knew what he was. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe for him to outright deny it. But Emmett wasn't like that. He said what he felt, did what he wanted, and he didn't lie.

Ha! That I thought I knew him so well was laughable.

"Huh. Says you." Emmett finally said, giving me a small wink. I sank back into my seat, mock glaring at him as he backed up and pulled back onto the freeway.

"Tunes?" He said, indicating the expensive stereo system.

"Always. CD's?"

"Girl, you're living in the stone age. Here." He reached over and popped open the glove compartment, pulling out a sleek black iPod. "Largest library known to mankind. Thanks to Alice." He said, handing it to me. I pretended not to notice how my pulse ratcheted when our fingers brushed each other's, though from Emmett's slight smirk, he wasn't going to join me in my denial.

"Very nice." I commentated, scrolling through the seemingly endless lists of artists. I didn't want to pick anything too in the moment. Nothing romantic, obviously, and nothing about heartbreak. Music always had a strange way of making me realize things, of making me face things I'd probably rather not, and I couldn't analyze my feelings here. Alone, in my room, with nobody around, that's when I would work them out. So I picked some run-of-the-mill rock band, leaning my head back. I was suddenly very tired. "Listen...can we just head back? I get what you and Alice were trying to do, and it's really, really generous, but I...I can't do the city scene right now."

Emmett looked over at me, concerned, but he nodded. "Sure, angel. Whatever you want to do."

"Thanks." I said, turning to look out the window. "Wait," I snapped my head back to him, "did you just call me angel?"

Emmett shrugged.

"Uh, no thanks? That's a horrible nickname."

Emmett grinned. "It stays. Angel." And he put his hand over mine, as though with merely a touch he could sway me into accepting anything.

Well, I couldn't argue with his logic.

oooo

We couldn't have been on the road longer than half an hour, which meant Emmett and I hadn't been alone together all that long, but already I felt as if I were totally comfortable in his presence. We were just hanging out, really, listening to music, laughing about the other drivers. It was though we'd been cutting class for years together, really. We'd made a quick stop at a gas station, and I'd made the mistake of loading up on Dr. Pepper. It went through me worse than coffee.

"Alright chief, I'm about to commandeer this damn vehicle. I've gotta piss like a racehorse, and you're driving like my grandma after she's been drinking. It'd really throw this whole lady-like facade I'm trying to pull off to have to pee in this." I shook my empty Dr. Pepper bottle at him.

Emmett looked, for the first time since I'd met him, worried. "And...uh, how long would you say we have until the big event?"

"T minus two minutes. Tops." I said, grinning at his obvious discomfort. I guess it really had been a long time since he'd interacted with a human girl. Not that I wasn't up to actually peeing in a soda bottle. I'd been on a mostly male track team since jr. high, and you get desensitized quickly. We attended track meets all over the state, sometimes in the greater six or seven state area, and we'd only ever flown twice. The other times it was my entire team and three coaches jammed on a big yellow, and bathroom stops weren't as frequent as they legally should have been, in my opinion.

I'd actually always gotten along better with boys; they were less drama, in the long run. When boys were pissed at each other, they slugged it out and moved on, completely forgive and forget about their troubles. There was no mindless backstabbing, and much less talk about things that bored me to near death, like clothes and makeup and shoes.

"Well, there's a restaurant up here, if I remember." Emmett said, and I knew he was hoping he was right. I thought it was hilarious that he was so uncomfortable. But I guess being a vampire, he hadn't had to worry about things like this in some time.

"There it is." I said, jabbing my thumb toward an exit sign that listed a few generic restaurants and a Holiday Inn. Only half a mile from the exit, we got there in no time and Emmett slid into the nearest parking spot he could. The restaurant, a 24-hour cafe, was busy this time of day. Emmett opened the door for me, and to keep from grabbing his hand as we walked into the restaurant, I folded my arms across my chest.

"How about a milkshake or something?" I asked Emmett. He nodded, and I left him to get us a table and made my way to the restrooms, which were in the back according to the large blinking sign.

I made it quick, trying to avoid my reflection as I washed my hands, but I looked up at the last second. My face was flushed, which was, no doubt, from Emmett's presence. My hair was damp from the rain, my lips slightly chapped. They still tingled from Emmett's kiss, and I couldn't help but shivering at the memory of that moment.

I shook my head, trying to clear it, and went back out into the restaurant. Emmett was sitting at a both across from the bar, and the second I pushed open the bathroom door he looked up, as though only seeing me.

He wasn't the only one; a girl at the bar, who had obviously been eyeing him, followed his gaze to me, narrowing her heavily lined eyes at me. I could practically hear her disgust as I took the seat across from Emmett. I smiled at her, reaching across the table for Emmett's hand. She may have legs that most men would drool over, especially in the short skirt she wore, and she may exude a raw sexuality even when sitting, but I had something, at least right now, that she didn't.

Emmett was with me, if only for the moment, and not her. For whatever reason he was drawn, in some way, to me, and that was far more valuable than blue eyes and D cups any day.

oooo

Emmett POV

"So what's her problem?" I asked Kelly in a low voice. The girl at the bar was, and had been, staring daggers at Kelly.

"Eh, she's appalled that you're with me. Wait, scratch that; she probably can't spell appalled. She thinks it sucks that you're with me."

I cocked an eyebrow incredulously. Why would some random chick even care that I was sitting with Kelly?

Kelly rolled her eyes, as though annoyed that I didn't understand. "Don't you know? Hot people are only supposed to be with other hot people. She can't imagine what you're doing with...with someone like me."

So maybe Kelly wasn't hot, not in a conventional way. But hot chicks were a dime a dozen, a dime a thousand. Kelly wasn't hot, she was beautiful. So she didn't wear tight clothes and loads of makeup, so she was more athletic than feminine. She was still everything that I was coming to understand I wanted.

"You don't think you're hot?" Kelly asked, her arms folded across her chest.

"Never said that." I replied, "but I never said you weren't."

Kelly rolled her eyes again. "Details, Cullen," she said, waving her hand dismissively, and I could tell that she didn't really believe that I found her attractive. This was annoying, but chicks had insecurities, I guess. "Besides," Kelly continued, "it doesn't matter, really. I know what I'm not, so I guess it only matters what I am."

I nodded, because I had to agree. I was starting to understand that it didn't matter how Kelly wasn't like Rosalie, but it was how Rosalie wasn't like Kelly that mattered. And honestly that went for every other woman.

So it'd only been a few days that I'd known Kelly. So it was insane that a human and a vampire would have any sort of relationship outside of hunter and prey. So it was insane that I just kissed a girl I'd known for less than a week.

I think the insanity of it all was what made the most sense. It felt right, and I was sick of not letting myself feel things because of Rose's abandonment. Maybe this would all end horribly, and maybe it would be the best thing that happened to me.

It was time to let the chips fall where they may, or what the hell ever the saying was.

oooo

Angela POV

I had wanted to do something more exciting with my appearance, but I'd been too nervous, too preoccupied. So it was nearing six in the evening and I was pulling down the long, flagstone driveway that led to the Cullen's house. Well, house, I suppose, was a relative term. Manor would have been more appropriate, or mansion.

It was a sprawling house set on acres of what had once been horse property. A fair size of the back lawns were kept expertly manicured, lined with hedges of rose and lilac bushes, and an impressive five or six gigantic weeping willows. Though none of my classmates had ever been to the Cullens' before, their yard was something the town always talked about. Mrs. Cullen made frequent trips to Olympia and even to Oregon for specific gardening tools, and I'd heard there was even a greenhouse on their property, and Mrs. Cullen had special plants imported from around the world.

I pulled to a stop on the side of the house, catching sight of my wallet as I reached over to lock the passenger side door. I smiled, remembering how Edward had waited for me after class, bestowing a rare smile on me as I made sure he was comfortable with me coming to his house for dinner.

I blinked, trying to regain myself. I was already scared of looking like a fool in front of not only Edward, but his entire family. I lifted out the batch of canoli that, as I'd told Alice, my mom would make to thank Dr. Cullen for 'taking care' of Kelly while she'd been sick. The front door opened, and Edward came down the stars, moving with his usual ease.

"Hello," he said as he approached me, "may I help?" And before I could reply he'd gently slid the cookie sheet from my arms and into his.

"Thanks," I said, it coming out more breathless then I'd intended. His eyes, the color of honey, met mine, holding them for a solid moment.

"Anytime." He finally said, leading the way into the house. He held the door open for me, with his free hand. The entryway was, in one word, beautiful. The walls were a terra cotta stucco, the floor a dark brown brick set in large, swirling patterns. There was a large, black wrought iron boot tray that held different size and colors of golashes. On either side of the door were small stained glass windows. An emerald green and ivory oriental patterned rug lay in front of the door, and an ornate mirror with the same scroll work as the boot tray hung on the wall opposite the door. A very pleasant smell permeated the whole area, a slight mixture of freshly baked bread and a little bit of Edward's cologne.

A voice called vaguely from deeper in the house, and Edward beckoned me forward with a wave. "My mother is...quite excited to meet you." He said, something in his voice reminding me of the way he usually spoke about Alice. "The kitchen is just up there." We walked side-by-side through the wide hallway which was hardwood floors and neutral walls.

I pursed my lips, trying not to feel as though I was the new girlfriend meeting my boyfriend's mom for the first time. It was ridiculous to think that Edward would even think of me as anything more than a fellow student. No sooner had I thought these things than his hand found the small of my back. I was pretty sure my heart skipped a beat or two.

"By the way, you look very nice." He said, and before he could say anything else Mrs. Cullen came sweeping before us.

"Not nice, Edward, lovely. She's lovely." Mrs. Cullen was wearing tan slacks and a navy blue cashmere pullover. Her chestnut hair was free-flowing to her shoulders, and the only jewelry she wore was a gold wedding band and a delicate golden necklace. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and was all smiles. I noticed that, like each of her foster children, Mrs. Cullen's eyes were amber. A shade or two lighter than Edward's, but still the same general tone.

"Mrs. Cullen, nice to meet you, I'm- "

"Angela, dear, of course. Edward and Alice have told me so much about you. And please, it's Esme." Mrs. Cullen took me by the elbow and gently lead me into the kitchen.

I returned her smile, feeling at ease in her presence. I felt welcome, and it was probably something I shouldn't feel, because if I felt that I was wanted, then I would have a difficult time keeping what distance between us Edward would surely want. It sucked having feelings for somebody who was so far out of your league they hardly knew you existed.

Edward set the pan on the marble countertop, turning to face me with a furrowed brow, as though I'd said something he hadn't agreed with, though I'd said nothing at all.

"Dear, would you go find your father? It's rude to keep a guest waiting." Esme dismissed Edward, and they stared at each other for a moment, as though silently conversing, before Edward finally shrugged and, giving me one last glance, left the room.

"That's better. Just us girls. Brownie?" Esme gestured toward a pottery plate filled with my favorite brownies, with creamcheese frosting and rainbow sprinkles. I wondered vaguely if I'd ever mentioned this tidbit to Alice, although I doubted it; we had never, as far as I remembered, talked about food.

"Thanks," I said, and Esme smiled again, and I couldn't help thinking that this was truly a mother's smile.

oooo

After my milkshake, the ride back to Forks seemed to take no time at all. Emmett ran the heat, and I'd put on some instrumental music. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew Emmett had pulled in front of a large house and was opening the passenger door for me. Nobody was home, although this wasn't odd. Dr. Cullen was probably at work, and Alice, Jasper, and Edward were at school. Emmett was vague about where Mrs. Cullen would be, but I would meet everybody officially later anyway, so no worries, he'd said.

So we whiled away the time by a tour of the yard, and Emmett had even shown me a huge greenhouse that housed exotic plants I'd never even heard of, let alone seen. Apparently, Mrs. Cullen (Esme, Emmet had informed me) was a huge gardening enthusiast, and excelled in this field. She also grew a lot of plants and herbs that Dr. Cullen used for some of his holistic approaches to medicine.

"This...this is nice." I said, as Emmett and I took a seat on a swinging wooden bench near a line of quaking aspen trees. He slid his arm around my shoulders, and I leaned back against it.

"Agreed." Emmett said, and we sat like that for a long moment, before Emmett turned to me, a boyish grin on his face. "Hey, you wanna see my treehouse?"

oooo

Emmett POV

Kelly rolled her eyes as we approached the lattice arbor set in between two of Esme's favorite weeping willow's. "This is the most pathetic treehouse I've ever seen."

"Well, it will be a treehouse. Someday." I shrugged, dropping down onto the grass, my hands behind my head. "After I get some wood, or something. That's what treehouses are usually bulit out of, right?"

"Wow, that definitely sounds promising. At least you know where to start." Kelly said, plopping down next to me. She was quiet for a few seconds, then she reached out, fiddling with the bottom of my sleeve.

I swallowed thickly, then pulled my long sleeved shirt off, revealing my plain tee shirt under it. I wanted Kelly to touch me, my skin. The warmth her fingertips held was very inviting.

It seems...easy for you." She said, tracing patterns on my bicep with her finger tips. I waited for her to explain. "It's just...it drove her crazy, being around humans. She...she lost her mind." It was the only time Kelly had ever said anything about her past experience with vampires. "She killed my parents without batting an eyelash. And yet...your family...it's kind of amazing. You are amazing." I could feel her eyes on me face, but I didn't trust myself to meet them, because I knew I couldn't trust myself not to pull her close, to kiss her and spill my guts that she was becoming my whole world. These feelings were scary enough for me to face, I didn't want to scare her off in the process.

"It just takes practice. And you have to want to resist." I shrugged. "After a while, you don't really notice the thirst."

"So...you don't want my blood?" Kelly asked, pulling her hand away from my arm.

Christ, could there be a more loaded question? My lust for Kelly- for the warm, thick blood that pumped through her body, for the taste of her skin as I sank my teeth into her neck...as I tore at her wrists...it was an instinct, an automatic response to her scent, to her closeness. But then there was the very undeniable fact that Kelly was easily the most interesting human I'd ever met. She was weirdly unique and even though she did a good job of hiding it, emotionally vulnerable on intense levels. Her eyes killed me with every glance, so deep and open, like they were open just for me. The one kiss I'd had with her was actually like having just one drop of blood; it left me wanting more. I'd been born into this world to be a protector, and now I felt like, with Kelly, I could finally do that.

"Uh," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "Rock," I held up one of my hands, "hard place," I held up the other, "me." I nodded toward the space between my hands.

"You are a rock." Kelly said, nudging me in the side.

"So?" I said, catching her elbow and running my palm up her arm, entwining our fingers.

"So, as usual, you're making no sense." She said, then gave a small laugh. "But I guess not much makes sense about us."

I shrugged, but before I could say anything Kelly opened her mouth, an embarrassed expression on her face. "Not that there is an "us", I mean, I don't expect you to care about me like that, or at all, I just mean- "

"Dinner!" Alice appeared, and screeched from the porch.

Kelly sighed. "I'm...just an idiot. Well, time to play Keep Away with the truth." She didn't sound very enthusiastic about having to lie to her cousin, but I also knew that the Weber's had no clue about what had happened to Kelly's parents, so lying about vampires wasn't exactly new territory for her.

"Yep," I stood, pulling Kelly up with me. "Got your game face on?" I looked down at her, my arms around her in an instant, stealing one more moment of closeness.

She swallowed thickly, her hands gripping my sides. "Always." She said, giving me a genuine smile that I couldn't help returning.

As ever, feedback is appreciated.