"Let's talk about you now.", Edward turned the tables, "Let me ask you some ."

"Okay.", she agreed, sitting back on the sofa, "I have nothing to hide."

"We'll see about that.", he joked playfully, starting to ask, "What does—"

But she cut him off and said, "Come sit with me, Edward, don't question me from across the dark room, come talk to me like a person."

Silently, he came over, sitting on the other side of the sofa, asking with his eyes if that was acceptable.

"Okay, go ahead.", she sat back.

"Do you feel alright now?", he asked first, "Are you in any pain or—"

"No Edward.", she frowned a bit, "I feel perfectly fine. Don't keep asking me if I'm all right. I hate that."

"Alright, I'm sorry.", he looked down at his hands, obviously he was no good at this game.

"Just talk to me, like a friend.", she said, "You have friends, right ?"

"No.", he replied, looking lost.

"Me either.", she blushed a bit, embarrassed, "Unless you count nurses and other co-patients that shared a hospital room with me from time to time."

"We're a fun pair.", Edward concluded, both laughing a little.

"Well you have a friend now.", she smiled, daring to put her warm hand on his.

He smiled at her weakly, not knowing if this was a good idea. He wanted to tell her yes, I'm your friend, too. But the demon inside him scared Edward. He didn't want this girl to feel so safe around him that she'd forget about his evil side. She could still get hurt…or worse.

"I will be your friend, Edward.", she said clearer now, "If you want me."

"I would like that.", he said, unsure of himself. Why would she want to be MY friend? What is wrong with her?

"Okay then.", she took a small breath of relief, "You can ask me some questions if you have any. Let's learn about each other. And Edward, whatever you tell me, don't be afraid of what I'll do or say. You can tell me anything, really. You can trust me. And I will trust you. Okay?"

A big smile spread across his face then. And it was like sunlight filled the dark room.

"God, you have a nice smile Edward.", she grinned back, amazed, "You should take it out more often."

"Thanks.", he said, then added, "I like your smile, too."

Hours later, they were still talking. Edward sat on the couch still, but now her sore little feet her in his cold hands as he massaged them while speaking.

"And Alice was the closest to me.", he finished talking about his family after a good hour, "She was the best sister ever."

"My brother's name is Felix.", Samantha made a face, "I hate him."

Laughing out loud, Edward looked at her feet as he gently moved down the bottoms of them with his fingers. She seemed to be comforted by this.

"I don't really hate him, I guess.", she corrected, "He's only 12, but he's a pain. Typical little brother. Felix the cat, I call him."

"I know what you mean.", Edward smiled, "Emmett, who I told you about before, he and I always drove each other nuts, playing jokes on each other all the time. I used to hate that then but now I really miss it sometimes."

"You call them, don't you?", she asked, seeing how much he missed them all. He was so lit up inside as he spoke about them . Surely they would be better aware of how to help him than she was. She knew nothing about vampirism.

"No.", he said quietly.

"Ever?", she asked.

"Not for the last 10 years, since I left.", he looked at the TV screen. Some commercial for gum was playing.

"You should keep in touch with them.", she looked at his sad eyes again, "They obviously love you and you love them."

"I'm not capable of love.", Edward said, truly believing it.

"Who told you that?"

"I made my own conclusions.", Edward said a little coldly.

"You're gonna tell me you're not capable of love while you're rubbing my feet?", she smirked.

"If it bothers you, I'll stop.", he pouted, letting go of them as they thudded on the leather sofa.

"HEY" Sammi scolded, "Go back to my feet and stop being a baby."

Brave, this one. Wasn't she aware she was speaking to a vampire who regularly feasted on human blood? Slowly, he softened and picked up one of her feet, massaging down the little toes that looked bruised from her run in the woods earlier. He felt responsible for this and actually enjoyed making her feel this pleasure. He could read all the pain her poor body had gone through in the past and it almost made him feel crippled. But yet her heart was light and happy. He wanted to know her secret.

"Let me go back to your I'm not capable of love comment.", she sounded like a therapist counseling him.

"It's no big deal.", Edward shrugged, "I have waited for love for over 90 years now, it's not coming and I know that. I've accepted it. I am damaged inside or something and my heart doesn't work. My hair doesn't grow, my body doesn't change. I can't breathe, unless I want to. I am dead inside and that's just a fact I have to live with. That's why I just stay away from people if I can."

"You're here with me now.", she said. He's so hard on himself, she observed.

"That's different.", he looked at her, "I wasn't planning on this, I was going to get you and give you to Detective Langston…period. I don't have 5 day sleepovers with girls everyday you know. This is a first."

"And you tied me up so I wouldn't run away?"

"That was part of it.", Edward looked ashamed again, taking her other foot in his hands, "The bigger part is, I don't trust myself with you. When you first came here, I was so hungry, almost starved. I had to stay far from you to keep myself from wanting your blood."

"You seem okay now.", she noticed aloud.

"I just fed Samantha.", Edward reminded, "And why aren't you afraid of me now?" he added.

"Hmm.", she wasn't sure, thinking about it, "I saw you drinking that man's blood and I was so scared! I felt sick inside. But then, something else happened. I felt like a blanket over me, telling me it was alright and that you needed me. You are in so much pain. I know what that's like. I want to help you Edward."

"Help me with what?", he asked, "You want to be bait for me?"

"No.", she said serious now, "I think you're very lost, like a bird that has fallen out of its nest. I don't mean to sound condescending, but, I want to get to know you and I want to help you find your way."

"You make me sound very nice but I'm no bird who needs saving. I'm a mistake of nature, I am a creature of hell, you of all people should know that. You have no idea what you're playing with here.", he tried to frighten her away again.

"There is no hell Edward.", she said matter-of-factly, getting a loud wicked belly laugh from the vampire next to her.

"Something funny now?", she waited for him to finish.

"There is no hell.", he repeated, unable to stop laughing.

"You make your own hell.", she frowned, "You have locked yourself in this prison and tossed the key away. You're not even trying to make yourself happy in your life. You don't have God, you don't have family, you don't have love. I feel sorry for you, Edward. You have everything…and nothing. You are on the brink of breaking your rule and killing innocent people. I'm afraid for you – you're hanging by a thread and you're about to fall. When you can live forever, you have to have something to live FOR. (Sorry I know I stole that from the trailer- he he he!) Otherwise, what's the point of it all?"

Edward wasn't laughing anymore. He let his head fall back and rest on the sofa and he stared at her, looking hopeless. He knew she was right but also knew he was not going to be saved. Not by her…or anyone. He would be evil-very soon. He wanted to kill innocents, he longed for pure blood. His soul was dying, just as her body was. They were both doomed, and that's probably why they were so attracted to each other. Misery loves company.

"I don't live, Samantha.", he said sadly, "I exist. I drink wine but cannot taste it. I see beauty but cannot feel it. And I haven't felt love since 1918. It's the cruelest curse – being me."

"You have wings, Edward.", she leaned in, touching his cheek, leaving a warm spot there as she spoke, "But they're broken. Let me teach you how to fly again. Let me stay for a few days. Don't take me home yet. Please?"

"I have to.", Edward answered sadly, "I like you now and I don't want to live with the guilt of killing you."

"You still want to kill me?", she asked, still not afraid somehow.

"You're human, Samantha. And so good.", he said tenderly, "Of course I do. That's my nature. Just like when you want to eat Chinese food."

"Well you just have to will yourself not to do it.", Samantha stated officially, as if it were that easy.

"My will is not strong right now.", he admitted.

"I promise to do what you ask so as not to tempt you so much. How's that?" she vowed.

"You won't run away?", he asked, considering it, "You won't make me angry more than usual?"

"I will be a good little girl.", she put her hand up, swearing.

"It might work then.", he was thinking, "A human friend."

"What about me?", Sammi pointed out, "I have a vampire friend. My Dad would freak!"

"Speaking of that," Edward recalled, "I had Detective Langston contact your parents. Everything has been explained to them. They think you're in a safe house, under police protection. They're alright."

"Thanks Edward.", she gave a little smile, "Did they say anything else?"

"They said to tell you they love you.", he said, envying her.

"They're very cool.", she informed Edward, looking into his eyes, "I'm lucky to have them. They are my guiding stars."

"Will you tell me now?", Edward asked gently.

"What?"

"Why you cried earlier when I was feeding you?" Edward began to place a new clean sock on her right foot.

"Oh.", she remembered, feeling foolish now.

"Come on, you promised.", he urged.

"Well I don't want to bring you down.", she said.

Edward looked at her darkly. "I'm about as down as I'm going to get, my dear."

"Alright.", she breathed and made herself say it, "In the next few months, I will start to lose feeling of my body the doctors say."

Edward froze, looking at her with the other sock in his hands.

Clearing her throat, she looked at the TV screen instead of at his perfect face, continuing, "My legs will go first probably, goodbye running and swimming and twirling. Then my arms, so long dancing and hugging. When you were feeding me, it made me see how utterly helpless and stagnant I will be someday soon. Someone will have to change my diapers at least three times a day…RED." She used the code word, not able to go on.

See next chapter

WinndSinger