A/N: Some reviews would be nice, just to see if you like the direction I'm going. -Ms. N

Edward wandered back inside soon, sensing that Callie had awoken from her catnap already. Sure enough, she awaited him in the kitchen. She was a vision, sitting at the table. A bouquet of flowers, no doubt arranged by Esme, lit up the room. The colors brought out the blush in Callie's cheeks. She was still in her pajamas from the morning. They consisted of a pair of Esme's sweatpants (both Alice and Rosalie's pants wouldn't reach around her bottom, due to her belly) which were too short on her long legs, and a shirt of Emmett's, huge on her except where it strained to cover her belly. She rolled up the sweatpants to rest at her knees and tucked the sleeves of the shirt up into her bra straps. Alice had braided her hair last night, and the braid went down to her lower back.

She smiled meekly and asked, "Nice weather?"

Her question was loaded with implications, but Edward tried to ignore them for lack of a better option. She couldn't know, could she? He allowed his mind to brush against hers, trying to pick up her thoughts. Her brain had a solid brick wall of willpower built around it. Edward put on a smile, in the meantime. "Yes. It seems you bring life not only to my family but also to the world around us." He walked past her as he talked, smoothing back her hair in an affectionate gesture, then wandering towards the refrigerator. "How do you feel about a bowl of Lucky Charms? I said I'd make lunch, after all."

She nodded, never taking her eyes off of him. He gathered the ingredients and a bowl and spoon, poured the cereal for her and topped it off with two percent milk. She took the bowl and started eating bit by bit. In between bites, she said casually, "The sun came out a bit, did you see? Lit up the whole yard. Woke me up, but I don't mind. It's nice to see the sun. Makes everything…sparkle."

Edward looked sharply at her, but didn't respond. He brushed through the topmost layer of her mind and got one message. "What are you?"

He decided not to answer, feigning ignorance. He sat across from her.

"We have the day, Callie. What do you want to do?"

Her gaze hardened with suspicion for a brief moment, but she decided to smile. "I want to go for a walk."

"But aren't your feet sore? Walking would probably not help." His voice was hard with his demand of her compliance. She heard nothing of it though, and stood.

"No, not at all. I think a walk would do me a world of good."

He sighed, and with one more option, walked over to the door to the back yard. "Well, enjoy your walk then," He said, gesturing out the door.

She laughed, and it was clearly forced. "Oh, Edward. I haven't eaten yet."

If he could have, he would have blushed. "Right."

"You ate, I imagine?" He nodded as he sat down on the other side of the table. "Of course." She smiled at him. He wondered to himself if she was fooled at all. Probably not. He sighed, sick of the games. Across the table, her smile widened as she sensed his willpower in the matter breaking. "So, have you decided to keep good on your word?"

"I suppose I should, shouldn't I? What do you want to know?"

"Only the truth, Edward. What you promised me. I told you the truth about me, and you helped me. Tell me the truth. Maybe I can help you."

He wasn't going to give in that easily though. "Which part of the truth."

"The part about what you are, other than a crystal coated mind reader who doesn't need to eat very often." He swallowed as he remembered the shafts of sunlight in the yard. He had been careless.

His mistakes, however, weren't going to prevent him from having a little fun.

"Do you have any theories?" Her eyes narrowed at his question. He leaned back into his chair, putting his hands behind his head. "I'm just curious."

"A few."

"Like?"

It was her turn to sigh. "They're silly."

His aforementioned curiosity was peaked. "Tell me."

She winced, and said, "I don't know. Clark Kent? The Green Lantern? Did you even come in contact with something radioactive?"

He burst out laughing, despite his best efforts. "That's the best you've got? I thought you were much better than that."

She shrugged. "I'm pregnant and highly hormonal, I can't be expected to perform up to maximum potential on any day." He smiled.

"I can't wait to see maximum potential, if this is you on a bad day. You're very perceptive, Callie, but I'm not a superhero," He sighed. "I might not even be one of the good guys." He looked at her through his thick lashes, his manner hesitant. She, on the other hand, did not hesitate.

"I have another theory. It seems a little less scientific than radioactivity, though."

"Go on."

"Oh, well, first I thought maybe an angel. That seemed most likely." Edward scoffed. "But then I guess I realized that whatever God there is doesn't have a place in his heart for me. He wouldn't give me an angel." She looked away sadly. Edward's phantom heart strained with the pressure of her pain on his conscious. For a moment, her mind was unguarded, and he caught a glimpse of her past. He saw her family, strict but cordial to one another. They went to church together, they ate dinner together. Callie wasn't allowed to date until she was 17. Her brother, the mechanic, was the only person she could talk to. And then she got pregnant. Her father, a lawyer, ignored her. Her stay-at-home mother banished her from their Americana life. Her brother searched for her, but didn't find her. She disappeared.

"…Callie…"

She shook her head, wiping away her tears. "Anyway, I guess my next thought was, well, vampire." She pronounced it slowly, clearly. Edward's gaze bore into her; he couldn't take his eyes off her, and couldn't bring himself to affirm or argue with her. His other thoughts dissipated to the back of his mind. She nodded. "I thought so. But…"

"No fangs?" He said. She nodded bashfully. "Hollywood was a little off." He shrugged. "We don't melt in the sun, either."

"You glitter?" He nodded. "I wish I could see closer." He looked at her for a moment. She still hadn't finished her cereal and the remaining bits were barely more than mush, now. She looked down at her bowl for a moment, and realization sparked in her green eyes, along with equal parts fear and curiosity. "Do you…drink b-blood?"

He smiled sadly. "You're in no danger, not in this house, Callie."

"What does that mean?"

"We won't drink your blood. We're sort of –"

She interrupted. "Of course. Your whole family…"

Edward stopped, nodding. "But we're a sort of special brand of vampire. We don't hunt humans."

Callie looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then said slowly, "How can I trust that?"

He sighed. "We spend all day with humans in school. Carlisle works at a hospital. If you were going to die by our hand, you'd be dead by now." Callie shivered, but nodded.

"I have one more thing, one more truth you need to tell me." Edward didn't cringe this time. What more could there be?

"If you don't want to be close to anyone, then why did you invite me to live with you and your family?"

Edward opened his mouth to speak, then stopped himself. He closed his mouth and pursed his lips, trying to find the right words. "Because," He paused, "Your need overshadows my want."

She nodded slowly. They were silent for a moment, then she said, "Is that all?"

Edward froze. Was that the only reason? Because she needed it? Edward knew that ultimately, he was a selfish creature, like most humans and humanoids. He swallowed, unsure of what to say. "Maybe not," Was all he could muster.

She nodded without knowing how she should react. Should she be happy? What did he mean? She didn't realize that she had just thought all of that until she saw the small smirk on Edward's face.

"Be happy, Callie."

And she was.