A huge thanks to everyone that followed and favorited this story!

I would also like to personally thank ccross023 and NatalieLynn for reviewing! I'm very grateful for the kind words you two had to give.

The next chapter as promised! Enjoy!

Stephanie Meyer owns all.

Chapter 2

It was an unusually cold night in El Paso, Texas. Isabella Swan frowned gently as she stared out the front window of the home she now resided in with her father, Charles Swan. The cold seemed to come out of nowhere, as if a blanket of darkness swept over the city, encasing it in its bitter emotions.

Perhaps she was just being a little foolish, but Isabella felt a niggling of worry pass down her spine as she looked up at the old grandfather clock located at the far end of the dining room. Her father was due home an hour ago and she was starting to fret. He was rarely ever late, so something must have gone amiss in the last few hours or so.

She always worried about him; choosing to come and stay with him had lessened her anxiety somewhat but that was beside the point. Her mother always used to prattle on about how hopeless Charles was in taking care of himself properly, showing in some rare form that she did indeed care about him still.

Gnawing on her lower lip until the point of almost bleeding, she turned from the window and crossed over the room and into the kitchen, nearly tripping over one of the wooden chairs as she did so, blushing beet red even though she had no audience. Stifling a huff of frustration she continued on.

Running her fingers over the shelves, she noted that she would have to go into the market tomorrow afternoon to pick up some decent food. Rolling her eyes slightly, she caught sight of the almost overflowing trash bin. Chuckling to herself, she slid towards it.

Grasping the sides of the bin, she hauled it up and waddled towards the back door that leads to the back alley; it was heavier than she assumed. Slightly out of breath she grasped the handle and swung the door open; the chilled night air being the first thing that greeted her. She turned around, and while propping the door open with her foot, hauled the trash bin outside.

A sudden gust of wind blew her hair into her face and a very audible gasp had her spinning around squinting into the darkness, searching for the source of the noise. "Is anybody there?" She called out hesitantly. She brushed forward a bit, leaning backwards. She saw a shadow move and she flinched back instinctively. "My father's the Chief of police, so don't start any t-trouble!" She grimaced at her obvious fear and reached down to grip the skirt of her dress in shaking, pale fingers. Shoving down her fear, she took a confident step forward, prepared to show this person that she wasn't to be dealt with.

Her ears picked up on harsh breathing and her fear quickly turned into concern. She shuffled forward still and saw a figure of a man struggling to stay upright. Was he injured? Was he shot? Is he… dying? While these thoughts whizzed through her head, the man's strength seemed to have left him and he slid to the ground with a weak groan. Her skin prickled at the sound and she frowned, briefly confused, before rushing to his side. "Oh my goodness! Sir, are you okay?" She reached out and wrapped her arm around his bicep and was shocked to feel how cold he was. "Oh, darlin' you're freezing! Let's get you inside." She started pulling gently on his arm, a clear signal for him to follow her. A thought about how dangerous this could possibly be flashed through her mind before she dismissed it.

She startled when she heard a strangled wheeze pass his lips before his eyes fluttered shut. She squinted and found that he had indeed passed out. Isabella stared at him for a brief moment before tapping his arm. "I'm not going to be able to get you inside if you're passed out. You're much too heavy for me to carry." She pondered her situation for a bit before an idea sprang to mind.

She stood up and walked over to the back door that was directly opposite of hers and gently rapped on the door. She could hear quiet murmuring coming from inside before the door was opened by an elderly woman with a vibrant shock of red hair. "I'm terribly sorry for interrupting you this evening, Mrs. Cope." She tugged on a strand of her hair before continuing on with her strange request. "My… cousin came up earlier today from my mother's and he has had a little too much to drink and has passed out in the alley. Would you mind terribly if Mr. Cope could come out and help me haul him into the guest room?"

Mrs. Cope smiled gently at the distressed girl. "I don't mind and I'm sure as hell he wouldn't mind helpin' a pretty little thing like you." Shelley watched the girl blush at the compliment. She turned and looked over her shoulder at her husband who was standing at the counter, listening to the radio. "Dwayne, could you help Isabella haul her cousin into the house? He's passed out in the alley here."

Dwayne looked up and slowly trotted towards the door. Isabella smiled when she saw him and nodded at the kind, old gentleman. She motioned for him to follow her and she walked briskly back over to her "cousin."

The man was in the same exact position as when she left him and she felt her mouth curve in pity. She watched as Dwayne leaned down and tossed his arm around his shoulder, lifting him up with slight difficulty. She quickly rushed to his other side and supported him as well.

"The boy's a complete dead weight," Dwayne muttered. "He really must have had a lot to drink if he's this out of it." They reached the Swan's back door and he kicked it open. "What caused him to drink this much?"

Isabella felt a zap of panic lace through her as she thought of a quick lie. "His uh…wife passed away recently and he needed to get away from the memories for awhile." She glanced at his left hand and noted that there wasn't a ring on it. "He left all of their possessions back at their place." She smiled sadly for good measure. The old man nodded morosely.

They came upon the guest bedroom and Isabella fumbled with opening the door. She let it swing open and it revealed a sparsely decorated room with a small bed in the corner. She let go of the man's arm and allowed Dwayne to position him gently onto the bed. He wiped a little bit of sweat off of his forehead before turning to face her, his face grim.

"You sure ya'll be alright here alone?" His eyes flickered over the man's face.

Isabella nodded her head before walking towards the door. "We should be fine. My father should be here any minute from work anyways. I am grateful for you helping us and I'm sure my cousin will come over in the morning if he's feeling better to apologize and thank you as well." She leaned her head towards the doorway, signaling that it was time for him to leave.

Dwayne walked through the archway and walked towards the back door, preparing to exit. "Just come on over if ya need anything." He smiled, bowed his head at her and shut the door behind him as he left.

She breathed a sigh of relief before hesitantly looking over her shoulder at the male laying on the bed. Biting her lip, she gently walked forward, eyes trained on his face until her thighs hit the edge of the mattress.

She didn't get a good look at him before and she was glad for it. If she had gotten a clearer glimpse of him in the alleyway, she would have been struck dumb. The sheer beauty of the man before her almost blinded her and it made her eyes water just looking at him. His face was beautifully shaped and was framed by beautiful golden locks. Her fingers ached to touch it but she knew that that was highly inappropriate. Long, black eyelashes brushed the top of his shapely cheekbones that flickered in his sleep. Pale lips were slightly parted but no air seemed to be escaping them.

Frowning, she chanced a glance at his chest; it neither rose nor fell. Startled and panicked she leaned over him and placed her ear on his chest, frantically looking for a heartbeat. Not finding one, she placed her ear near his mouth, hoping to hear breathing. Silence fell in her mind and she became almost numb. But I can see his eyelashes moving…

She glanced up and shrieked as she was met with startling crimson eyes staring at her. She watched as the man's face flittered with emotion as he took in the situation. Still freaking out over the fact that this man had red eyes, she failed to notice the feral smile that crept onto his face or the snarl that was vibrating audibly from his throat. Blinking, all she could do was stare in numbed shock as he lunged.

Slight cliffy!

I hope y'all enjoyed it! Keep on being awesome!

I apologize for any mistakes!

~False