Edward and Alice helped me pack a hiking bag, and I was immensely thankful that – although I didn't do much hiking – my running shoes had some excellent grip. Edward packed double the amount of food and water that I would have predicted we would need. He kept quoting "in case someone searches our bag" but also kept saying that the part of the woods we were going to was rarely, if ever, found by humans. It didn't matter really, as Edward would be carrying the bag, and since he had explained to me that Emmett often served as a car jack for Rosalie, I figured he would be comfortable carrying two water bottles instead of one. The weather showed signs of spitting all day, so we wrapped my cast in an extra water resistant layer.

Unfortunately Edward did have to drive us to the spot as well. I kept my mouth shut about it, but my sense of curiosity about our destination was certainly tempered by my stomach doing rolls with every turn Edward took. Once again he showed no sign of being impatient, as if he had accepted that driving five below the speed limit was a permanent fixture in his life. We pulled up to a trail, which gave me a glimmer of hope that I wouldn't fall flat on my face, which was a high possibility especially if we were to be talking during this trip.

We got out of the vehicle, and I began heading towards the trail when Edward showed up instantly in front of me, directing my path elsewhere. The direction he indicated was almost perfectly perpendicular to the trail. It was no wonder it had remained undiscovered. I sighed and signed an expletive, earning a laugh from Edward.

I began trying to tackle the woods around me. It was to be an interesting hiking trip relying on one hand. As we started into the woods, and I traipsed over wet mossy logs, and through ferns, thinking about how much green there was in rainforests. Edward was not trying to show off. He was trying to be helpful in fact. He was keeping mainly twisted either to the side or fully reversed in most cases while traversing the nonsense. He lifted any logs that would cause issues, held back tree limbs so I wouldn't have to with my cast, and caught me promptly if my feet ever failed in the dense sprawl of tree limbs and roots that decorated the ground.

Mostly, I talked. He would ask questions in very loud and clear tones, and wait patiently for my responses. They weren't easy questions either. Most of them involved multiple stories to explain, or details that were lengthy and probably confusingly oriented as I struggled to think, speak, and not fall over. Edward didn't seem to mind. He laughed whole-heartedly at stories I told, looking intently curious when I explained aspects of my life that were unfamiliar to him.

"I'd love for you to meet Renee sometime." I said, slightly out of breath from all the talking I was doing combined with this insane hike.

"She lives in a remarkably sunny city. So I'm afraid I'd be restricted to the confines of very windowless areas." He was practically yelling at me, as my eyes were on my feet as I traversed a particularly twisting tree.

"No you wouldn't." I stated, confused as to the two options he hadn't considered. My foot slid off a root and Edward steadied me. His mouth was very close to my ear now.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I do happen to stand out when the sun appears."

"I had noticed. But I don't know if you've noticed that you have a few marvels at your disposal." I stopped for a moment, watching him to see if he'd figured it out. He stayed silent, looking at me with a slightly furrowed brow. Edward pointed towards our destination and gestured that I should continue.

"Well first of all, with one phone call and a little bit of warning, my mother could visit us." I said, huffing a little as I ducked almost unsuccessfully under a tree and my hair snagged. Edward helped me untangle it, and we continued. "And secondly, Phoenix, and Jacksonville for that matter are incredibly sunny yeah, but they do have their cloudy weekends every once in a while. You happen to have a member of your family that can help to pinpoint some of the most atrocious weather, and send you along in it."

I did not hear a response from him, because I was distracted by something. The dark green forest was definitively lighter ahead. Patchier. Snippets of light were fighting their way through the trees. I looked around for Edward.

"—considered it." I caught.

"Pardon?" I asked quickly.

"I said, I hadn't really thought about it, but before you it was too much of a risk going to those sunny cities even to have considered it."

"Well now you can." I smiled. "Are we nearly there?" I asked, pointing towards the light I could see.

"I was wondering when you'd detect that." He smiled. "Yes. We're close."

I redoubled my effort forward. What was it that we'd spent the better half of a Saturday working our way towards? It was definitely worth the wait. A small clearing, full to the brim with wildflowers and ivy stretched out before me. Even the trees rimming the clearing had flowers on them, as though this little piece of sunshine was a miniature oasis in a sea of dark forestry. I pulled my socks over my pant legs quickly, to avoid any entry points for ticks, and began pushing my way delicately through, avoiding what I could. The leaves of most of the flowers were wet, and my jeans were sopping by the time I stumbled upon a small creek winding through the flowers. I had edged that way because I had seen an opening. I had, naturally, not heard the river. It wasn't until Edward landed like a trapeze artist into the middle of it, drenching both of us in water did I remember that I'd just abandoned him on the edge of the forest to go exploring.

"This place is beautiful." I said, smiling widely at him. "I can see why you're so fond."

"Thank you. I've tried to keep it open, and light. Any tree saplings that threaten to work their way in, I've relocated. A few of the prettier and sturdier ones have even ended up planted around our house." He talked, and signed. It was hard to pay attention though. He looked both comical and beautiful, soaking, and standing in a river, talking excitedly about trees." I carefully found a large-ish rock to sit on, and ran my hand through the icy water.

"It's like your own secret garden?" I asked.

"Yes and no. It isn't much of a secret. My family knows where it is. I've caught their scents crossing here occasionally."

"Well it's a secret from everyone else."

"That it is." He smiled, sitting on the other side of the creek.

"It's your turn." I said. He looked at my confusedly for a moment.

"Well I was talking all the way here, mostly because it was difficult to focus on hearing and walking, but regardless, now that we're here. It's your turn to talk."

He nodded his head agreeably, flexing his fingers in preparation for whatever drilling I was about to do.

And talk we did.

He had never had any pets that he could remember, and most were scared of him now. He joked that it was only that fact that had prevented Carlisle from studying in veterinary school. Then I inquired about what education he had, and he began telling me about the languages he could speak, the sports he could play, the music he composed, the schools and specialized courses he had attended. We talked until I noticed that his face was in shadow. The sun was setting somewhere to his back. I frantically looked behind me into the trees and saw that our path back looked darker and more sinister. I snapped my head back to Edward who seemed curious as to why I was perturbed.

"It's getting dark out. I need to get home." I stood up, stretching out my legs and my slightly numb rear when Edward stood up and stepped effortlessly over the river.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to offer you a ride. We'll take it slow, but I have more confidence in my ability to traverse the woods."

"Offer me a ride?" I asked tentatively.

"A piggyback ride, as they call it." He asked. He was looking intently into my eyes. How could I not trust him? My rational mind was telling me to do it. My irrational mind was remembering flopping around like a ragdoll beside James, and the awful stomach-wrenching feeling of movement. I closed my eyes and breathed out sharply.

"Yeah. Great. I'm good." I opened my eyes to see Edward shaking his head.

"We can walk back. I'm sorry I suggested it." He smiled patiently at me, toying with a lock of my hair.

"Oh no you don't. I'm not very good at hiking in the daytime, let alone during the night. Plus I'm more likely to get bitten." I sighed.

Edward recoiled in mock horror. "I would never!" he pretended to be offended. It got a smirk from me.

"By bugs. You irritating creature." I shook myself out and stepped away from him a little. "Okay. I'm ready."

He turned around, dropping to his knees. I grabbed our hiking pack, putting it onto my back. Edward could certainly carry the both of us. I stepped forward very slowly, locking my arms around his neck. I took a steadying breath, and ended up filling my nose with the scent of his glorious hair. I could do this. Edward would never let me fall. I grabbed my arms tighter, worried about putting too much pressure on Edward's neck, scoffed mentally at myself for worrying that I could hurt Mr. Immortal in front of me, and then swung my legs up and locked them around his waist. He moved his arms immediately to support my thighs, and it felt as though I was sitting on a chair. He stood slowly as I buried my face in the back of his neck. I heard, and felt a soft murmur. Probably of reassurance, or question as to if I was okay.

"Just go." I managed.

And he walked.