A few days passed, and Edward settled once more onto his stool in Biology. He found himself anticipating Callie's arrival, as he had for the past week or so, drumming his fingers on the desk and tapping his foot impatiently. Occasionally, someone would send a thought his way involuntarily about how worked up he was. He also heard the jealous ramblings of a blond girl in the back of the class. He didn't pay any mind. For a moment he took notice of his ability to ignore those around him. He was doubly thankful for Callie right then, for providing an acceptable distraction in his rather ho-hum life.

The bell rang, and just as the teacher was about to close the door and Edward was about to lose his mind, Callie rushed through, holding her belly stable. "I'm so sorry I'm late sir, my locker just wouldn't give up those books of mine," She said it with a breathless laugh, and walked over to Edward.

"Hey there, Edward. How are you this lovely day?" She said it with a bit of sarcasm, gesturing to the cloudy skies. Little did she know that a sunny day would be a day without him.

Edward smiled at her, forgetting for a moment all of his annoyances as he watched her grin. "I'm better, with you around." He was surprised at how very true the statement was.

Her smile grew and she blushed a little, rubbing out an invisible cigarette on the floor. "Aw, come on now."

He would have blushed if his heart still pumped blood to his face. What was wrong with him? A little voice complained in the back of his head. He ignored that just as he ignored the jealous blond girl. Soon, he was interrupted by the teacher's obnoxious throat-clearing, and he ignored that too, only pretending to pay attention. Instead, he was searching around in Callie's head.

A small smile lit up her face out of nowhere, and Edward searched for its cause. When he found it, he smiled too. Her baby had kicked. She put her hand on her stomach maternally, then took Edward's hand from the desk. He turned to look at her, for he had been looking at the board, and saw as she pressed his stony skin against her warm, living flesh. She had put his hand on her stomach, and suddenly Edward felt two heartbeats, rushing blood, thick flesh. She had put a meal in his hand.

The human in Edward held him back just barely as the monster in him fought full force to push its way to the surface. He hadn't had such a problem as this in years. Later, he realized that the surprise, the unexpectedness, was what got him. For the moment, however, he forgot to hold his breath. Her scent wafted straight up his nostrils. It was the sweetest scent he had ever encountered.

Outwardly, he stiffened. Callie looked at him strangely, wondering if she had made him uncomfortable. She went to remove his hand and was unsuccessful. The situation didn't set in immediately and she sat there, confused, for a moment.

Edward was teetering on the edge of losing it, partially a result of his own self-enforced paranoia (Years of telling oneself, "I can't, I can't, I can't" usually results in an inability to do said task). Two heartbeats were pounding in his ears. He was about to take her, right there, in front of the class, when it happened.

The baby kicked.

He felt it.

In his hand.

If he still had a working heart, it would have skipped a beat.

888888

After Biology, Callie followed him out, much to his chagrin. He had hoped to gather his thoughts and compile a story before he had to face her, but he had no such luck.

"What's wrong?" She implored, more demanding than he had heard her before.

He bit his lip and looked at her childish face. He was still breathing, and he could smell her. It made him shudder with the same pleasure an orgasm would give him. She looked hard at him, stepping closer. He stepped back. "Edward?" The sound of her melodious voice tortured his ears. "Edward, I just wanted to ask you a question."

He hesitated from escaping the mental anguish, and stood still for a moment

She was contented by this, and said, quite properly, "I would like to invite you to have dinner with me tonight. Would you join me?"

In the rush of what had happened in the last hour, he was shocked. He hadn't given enough attention to her thoughts to see that coming. "What?"

"Dinner. You know, combining eating to sustain ourselves with the pleasure of each other's company?" The irony of her statement was not entirely lost on him.

"I shouldn't. My family typically has meals together and my presence would be missed," His lie bothered him, but he didn't revoke it. Instead, he watched as the disappointment manifested in her expression.

"I see. Dinner with your family is important," Her tone was sorrowful. He couldn't tell if it was because of his refusal, or something else. Her thoughts didn't reveal anything.

"You probably have dinner with your family every night, am I right?" He said, trying to encourage her to think about something so he could gain access to her head. She smiled sadly. Suddenly he couldn't take the expression, the sadness that drowned him. Where was her smile? She was always so happy. "Callie?"

She put a false smile on. "Oh, well, you know. Anyway, I must be off to –"

Without finishing her sentence, she groaned and clutched her stomach. The baby inside her was bouncing around enthusiastically, punching painfully against her insides. "Not now…"

He heard that thought and made a snap decision, taking her under his arm and leading her straight to the office. He was maybe unreasonably worried about a premature birth or a complication. He looked to the secretary and said, "Can you please excuse Ms. Dawson and myself for the day? It seems that she needs to rest and I feel I must take her home." The secretary took one look at Callie's bulging belly, nodded, and shooed him off maternally, then hurried back to her desk to fulfill his request.

Once they were outside, he lifted her into his arms and ran to his silver car. That was enough to briefly distract her from the pain, and she looked around, amazed. It didn't last, however, and soon she had fainted in his arms. He set her in the passenger seat and rushed to the other side, slipped into gear, and took off.

A few miles down the road, he pulled off to the side, realizing that he didn't know where she lived. They were by a path into the woods that lead eventually to a meadow that Edward was familiar with. It was here that Callie came to.

She looked around, putting a hand to her forehead and saying, "Oh, mighty. What happened?"

"I took you out of school. You weren't feeling well." The pain had subsided and Callie felt a little more cognitive. "Where do you live? I can take you home."

At that, she stiffened. "Actually, I should go back to school."

"Don't be ridiculous. I signed us out for the day; we really shouldn't go back."

"I appreciate your efforts, but I really must go back." Her voice was more insistent.

"Callie, just tell me where your house is."

"No!"

Her outburst had surprised them both, and Edward became, once again, confused. "What's wrong, Callie?"

She took a deep breath and tried to recollect her emotions. "Edward, I don't know what you want or who you want or what you're doing, but you don't seem to want to have anything to do with me. Why are you still here? Take me back. I want to go back to school."

"Tell me what's wrong." He ignored her other statements.

"Nothing is wrong, Edward. Nothing is wrong with you, and nothing is wrong with me."

"That's not fair."

"Why?"

He didn't have an answer. Instead, he changed the subject. "Where do you live."

Her voice said, "Take me back to school." Her head said, "Nowhere."

"Nowhere?" He answered her thoughts by accident. She pounced on it.

"Aha! I knew it. I knew what that strange headache was, it felt like someone in my head, and it was you. Take me back to school if you cannot be honest with me, Edward. Take me back if you want nothing to do with me. Otherwise, tell me what is going on."

Edward knew that he could be honest with her. He knew that he could tell her the world. He didn't know how she would respond. He knew that he should take her home… Then it hit him, the full implications of that one-word thought. "Nowhere?"

"Do not distract me, Edward Cullen." She was serious and severe, but worried deeply underneath.

"Answer me first, and then I will answer you. Nowhere? That is more important than anything else." She bit her lip, trying to battle his logic.

"You will tell me everything?" She asked. He nodded, disregarding the consequences of his concurrence. But really, how much could she ask? "You won't tell anyone else?" Her voice had lost its strength, all of a sudden. Edward took much notice of this. She took a deep breath. "I do not have a home, per say."

Edward's entire body snapped to attention. "What?" He couldn't understand how this delicate, strong, wonderful girl could have said what she just said.

"I'm staying at a shelter, currently. But it doesn't matter. I just need to graduate. Then it doesn't matter. I'm fine. It's safe. I'm fine." The second time she said it, it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more so than him. She tried to change the subject. "I appreciate your kindliness, but really. I should go back to school." How could the world be so horrible? The only human worth even speaking to that he had encountered in the last ten years had no home? If anyone deserved a good life, it was this girl. What was wrong with these people?

His response was automatic, a product of shock and concern. If he had thought it through, he wouldn't have said it, but he did. "Come to my home."

She looked to him. "Wait. I thought you didn't like me? I thought you didn't want anything to do with me. Why would you take me to your house? I really am doing fine. I don't need your pity, I promise, I am okay."

He shook his head. "I think that you are an amazing girl, Callie. It is just…unwise for us to spend time together –" She cut him off.

"Why?"

He hesitated.

"Edward, please?"

He changed the subject once more. "Why do you think I don't like you?"

This distracted her. "You got stiff as a board when I put your hand on my stomach, and on top of that, refused my invitation to dinner. It wasn't even a date, I simply wanted to repay your kindness at lunch!" Edward pondered her and the risk he could live with taking.

"Come to my house. Have dinner with me there. I will explain anything you want."

She nodded slowly, and he started the car again. This time, he turned on the music and drove more slowly than usual.

Meaning about 60 miles an hour.