Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Thanks to icrodriguez. She was able to get this chapter back to me almost immediately. :D

Chapter 5 - To Be Seen

When they pulled back, they were both panting softly, their breathing the only sound in the room. Edward didn't think there was a sound more beautiful than a breathless Bella, made that way by his kissing. He gathered her into his arms and held her closely against his firm body. Her softness molded against him and a small tremor ran through his body. He sighed happily, kissing her hair and nuzzling his face into her neck.

He had finally found her.

"I'm going to find a way to help you. We'll figure this out together," he promised her. Now that she was in his life, there was no way he was losing her. They would find a way through this.

Bella clung to him. "What if you can't help me?" she said, burying her face into his chest. She feared that she would be stuck like this forever, being nothing more than a voice, never to be seen again.

"I'll find a way," he said with conviction, hoping they wouldn't have to resort to the last option – the option he feared. Deep down he knew that vampire venom could cure anything, but he didn't want to bring that life down upon her if he could avoid it. She was too good for such a life. "We'll need to speak to my father. He'll know what to do."

Edward maneuvered Bella's car through the roads leading to his house, trying his best to go at a speed suitable for a human. After her first comment on the speed at which he drove, he eased the odometer to a respectable level.

"You know," she mused. "I've only been in this car a few times. My parents bought it for me for my sixteenth birthday."

"Why don't you use it more?" he asked curiously, turning the wheel at a bend in the road.

Bella rolled her eyes and giggled. Edward had not yet realized his gaffe. "Why do you think?"

Realization flashed across Edward's features and he winced, giving her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, silly question," he mumbled, completely embarrassed.

She laughed and Edward let out a breath, happy to see that he had not upset her with his tactless remark. "It's alright. I wouldn't want to give the townspeople any heart attacks. Seeing a car drive without anyone behind the wheel would definitely do that."

Edward smiled and grabbed her hand, glad that it took only one try to find it. "It most certainly would," he commented with a chuckle.

Bella latched onto his hand tightly and gazed out the window. "Even when I wasn't like this, though, I never drove it much. I preferred to walk or ride my bike….." The sentence seemed to trail off and Edward felt like there was more that she wanted to say. After a brief pause she continued with her original train of thought. "Besides, it was just a reminder of things I had but didn't need, and the things I wanted but never had."

Edward knew that she was referring to her parents, but didn't know what to say. He didn't think she was searching for sympathy. She seemed to just be speaking out loud, voicing a thought to someone who could finally listen. The only thing he could think of to do that would let her know that he understood was to squeeze her hand in gentle reassurance.

Silenced stretched between them, but it was not uncomfortable. It was actually quite peaceful. Edward took the time to mull things over, contemplate the situation. What was he going to say to his family? What would they say? He had no idea what kind of help his family could offer, but he knew they were the best and only option Bella had. As he was thinking these things through, he thought of something that should have occurred to him before.

"You know, a thought just occurred to me."

Bella shifted toward him and took in the smooth, strong lines of his face, appreciating the way his jaw moved as he spoke. "What's that?" she asked.

"You can move objects but you can't touch anyone. I wonder why that is."

Bella laid her head back against the headrest. "Believe me, I've wondered the same thing, and I honestly have no idea."

Edward cast a quick glance in her direction from the corner of his eye. "Have you ever tried making yourself known to anyone here in town by moving something?"

"Yes," she said easily. "It was the only way I could think of to prove my existence, but whenever I did, it never worked." She thought for a moment. "I think I moved some things during the first few weeks after this happened to me."

"Why didn't it work?"

"I'm not sure. If you can believe it, everyone just chalked it up to a ghost." Bella sighed and the noise sounded tired. "If everyone thinks I'm dead, what help can they really be?"

"But you could write something to them while you have their attention, to let everyone know that you're not dead, couldn't you?" Edward offered.

Bella shook her head. "What good would that do? No one can touch me….or even hear me. It's not like they can run tests or anything." Bella took a deep breath. "I got tired of doing it. I was always dismissed as a spirit, so I just gave up."

Edward brought Bella's hand to his lips. "I'm sorry."

Bella shrugged, and as she thought about those times, she smiled to herself. "It's not like I don't have some fun with it, though."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

"I just like to occupy myself by freaking some people out, you know?"

Edward smiled at her. "For instance…." he inquired, trialing off.

Bella felt childish for some of the pranks she pulled, but she couldn't deny that they were fun. "I once ran Mike Newton's underwear up the school flag pole."

Bella waited with bated breath to see Edward's reaction. She smiled widely as he began to laugh heartily, throwing his head back as he did so, his throat bouncing with his laughter.

"How did you manage to get a hold of those?" he asked.

Bella laughed with him, feeling herself blush. "I stole them from his gym bag one day."

As Edward's laughter died down he looked at her with delight in his eyes. "What did he do?"

Bella snorted. "Let's just say that was the last time he wore his tighty whities to school."

The car once again filled with Edward's laughter, and Bella liked the sound very much. It was deep and strong and filled her with butterflies. She rummaged through her mind for more of the stunts she pulled, hoping to draw out more of the noise that she loved. She wanted to hear it again and again.

Edward pulled the car into the Cullen's long and windy driveway. After a minute long stretch of woods they finally came to a stop in front of a very grand blue house with white trim and black shutters. It stood three stories high and had a good two to three acres of open land surrounding it.

Being from a wealthy family, Bella had seen all types of grandeur, but something about the Cullen home made it stand out from every mansion she had ever seen. Perhaps it was the thick ivy crawling up the left side of the house, wrapping delicately and intricately into the terrace. Or maybe it was the large willow trees standing tall and proud along the property. It could very well have been the large porch that wrapped around the sides or the beautiful flowers trailing the walkway to the front steps, but Bella liked to think that it was actually the hammock off to the side connected to two birch trees. It swung gently in the faint breeze, the babbling of the creek behind it creating a peaceful tune that would lull anyone to sleep. Bella could picture Edward relaxing casually in it, one hand behind his head, the other dangling off the side carelessly. His eyes would be closed as a peaceful smile played on his lips.

She turned to Edward and caught his eyes staring right into hers. How does he do that? she thought. How does he know exactly where to look?

"Your home is amazing, Edward. I've never seen anything quite like it," Bella said softly, her praise genuine.

He smiled and it sent her heart into a frenzy. He was so beautiful it hurt. "Esme will be happy to know you think so. This is all her doing," he said. His mother had quite the knack for design. "Except the hammock. That was my idea."

Bella smiled to herself. No wonder she liked it so much.

"Who's Esme?" she asked after a moment, realizing she knew very little about the family she was about to meet. "Is she the blonde I saw in school?"

Edward shook his head. "No, that's my sister, Rosalie. Esme is my adoptive mother."

"You're adopted?" she frowned. Bella thought she remembered hearing something about that.

"Sort of," he shrugged. "I'll explain everything in due time." He reached out to her, finding her face, and stroking it lovingly. "Now, are you ready to meet my family?"

She bit her lip, the anxiety creeping up on her now that she was actually face to face with the moment. "Not really, but we need to talk to your father. I still don't understand how he could be of any help, though. Won't I freak them out? I mean, I'm invisible, Edward."

He chuckled softly and the sound comforted Bella. "Trust me." He smiled. "We've seen a lot stranger."

For some reason Bella believed that they had. Edward said he would explain everything eventually. Did that also mean that he would tell her what he was? She hoped so, because her curiosity was getting the better of her.

Edward opened his door, but just before he removed himself from the vehicle she stopped him.

"Edward?" she called softly, afraid she'd lose her nerve if she spoke any louder.

"Yes, love?" he answered immediately, mentally slapping himself at the pet name for her. He hadn't meant to call her that. It just slipped out, completely involuntary. He had grown so comfortable around her in the short time that they had spent together, that the term seemed so natural to him - so right.

Bella smiled at his use of the word 'love', but didn't say anything. She knew it was most likely an accident, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy it for the time-being, pretending it was an entirely common occurrence for Edward to use that kind of endearment.

Bella cleared her throat, afraid to say what she had to say, but knowing she needed to do it now before she lost her nerve. "Please don't be angry for what I am about to say."

He nodded and shut the car door, inching toward her. "I could never be angry at you" he said, his words dripping with the utmost sincerity as he sought out her hand again.

"Well, we'll see about that," she said nervously, her stomach in knots.

He squeezed her hand, trying to give her the encouragement she needed to speak openly with him. He didn't want her to hold back. "What do you need to say, Bella?" he asked gently, wanting to pat himself on the back for not calling her 'love' again. He must have sounded like an obsessed fool.

She breathed in deeply and let the air out slowly, a vain attempt to calm her nerves. "I know you're different," she said. "I don't know if I'm more attuned to those who aren't ordinary because of what's happened to me, or if the oddities of your family are just that noticeable, but I realized the instant I saw all of you today that you're not like other people."

Edward inhaled sharply, his eyes widening infinitesimally at her words. She was very perceptive.

"I just want you to know," she continued, quickly trying to reassure him. "I don't care what you are. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter to me."

Edward felt his body relax, but only slightly. She couldn't mean that. Once she found out his true nature she would hate him, and the natural fear that all humans felt toward their kind would kick in and she would run away, never to look back. It's what she should do. But it wasn't what he wanted her to do. He wanted to believe that the truth wouldn't frighten her, but it seemed unlikely, and that scared him.

He shook his head, a few bronze locks falling in front of his eyes. "You may not feel that way once you know the truth."

She tightened her hold on his hand. "Believe me, I will," she said sincerely. Edward wished that were true.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into, Bella. I'm much too dangerous to be around."

She brushed her knuckles along his chin and Edward gasped at the unexpected contact. "I don't care, Edward," she said with certainty. She was determined to make him believe her. Nothing he could tell her could ever frighten her.

"Bella," he breathed, his voice tremulous and pained.

She smiled. "I'm going to kiss you now," she whispered, knowing he would not continue to push her away for fear of what he was. He could no more live without her than she could him; this she knew. She felt it in her bones.

He smiled as she leaned in and touched her lips to his. His cold lips molded to hers instantaneously, his chilly touch only setting her on fire.

His hand moved to the back of her neck, forcing her closer. Edward had never experienced a kiss before today, but found that he could spend the rest of his days with his lips glued to Bella's. She smelled of freesias and strawberries, and tasted like vanilla. She was pure heaven and he couldn't seem to get enough.

Edward broke the kiss and brought her into his arms, nestling his face into her hair. "Don't ever leave me," he begged as the fear of losing her overwhelmed him. He didn't think he could survive it if she left him.

"Never," she vowed. "Never."

Edward suddenly looked down at Bella. He was afraid to ask the question for fear of what she might think of him.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

He winced slightly. "I hope you don't think me shallow for asking but…..what do you look like?" Was it petty of him to want to know? Whatever she looked like, Edward knew that it would not change his feelings for her, but he couldn't help asking.

She smiled and turned into his body, securing her arms around his midsection. She looked up at him and found that he was genuinely embarrassed at asking the question.

"Edward," she cooed softly. "You don't have to feel ashamed for wanting to know what I look like. It's only natural."

He gave her a small smile. "I just don't want you to think that your looks matter to me. Because they don't," he said genuinely. "I honestly don't care what you look like."

She felt herself blush. He was sincere in his words and Bella couldn't help the smile from forming on her lips.

She traced her fingers along his lower lip and Edward kissed them gingerly. "I'm about 5'4", I guess. I mean, I hadn't actually measured myself in a while. And I have wavy dark brown hair." She watched Edward close his eyes, no doubt picturing it now. "It reaches to the middle of my back. Though I'm sure you've figured that out by now," she said coyly. He smiled, reaching his hands around to touch her soft hair where it dangled in the middle of her back. "I'm quite pale, nearly as pale as you." He bit his lip, though Bella didn't understand why. "My Papi always used to describe my eyes as big, brown and doe like." Edward kept his eyes closed and he smiled. "My lower lip is just slightly larger than my top one. And again, I think you've probably figured that one out on your own." She punctuated that remark with a kiss to his lips. She languidly trailed her hands up his arms, back and forth, back and forth. "Personally, I think I'm too skinny, scrawny even, I could use some serious muscle tone."

Edward laughed lightly, his sweet breath ghosting over Bella's face. "You feel just fine to me," he said playfully. His eyes stilled closed, Edward touched his fingers to Bella's face, feeling the smooth line of her nose, the swell of her cheeks – she was smiling – and the softness of her lips. When his long, gentle fingers reached her eyes, her lids closed and she sighed. Bella couldn't help thinking how good it felt to be noticed again, to be touched.

Edward sighed softly, a reverent sound that caused Bella to shudder in his arms. "I can see you, Bella," he whispered softly. "I can really see you." Touching his forehead to hers, Edward conjured an image of Bella in his mind. He could see her as clear as day. "And you're absolutely perfect."

The next chapter will be the meet and greet with the family. We'll find out a few theories there are about what is going on with Bella. Remember, this is only one day I'm writing about. There will be about 3 or 4 more chapters and an epilgue. Hope you enjoyed. :D