OK, so Edward's day isn't turning out quite as he anticipated. Let's see how Bella's is going.

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CHAPTER 2: Getting to Know You

Bella had been peacefully driving, admiring the changing leaves and listening to their soft rustle. She loved the Cascades in the fall. Then it happened. She remembered seeing the shiny silver Volvo, slamming on her breaks, and her old red Chevy truck spinning its way off the road and down the embankment. The next thing she knew, someone shoved her four-ton vehicle several feet uphill and literally tore her door off its hinges. She suddenly found herself staring into the frantic golden-brown eyes of the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen in her life. His skin was like alabaster. The dim sunlight filtered through his slightly wild bronze hair. Still dazed, she briefly wondered if she was dead and this was an angel.

"It's all right," he told her softly, "you're safe."

He sounded like an angel, too. But if she were dead, surely she wouldn't be feeling this pain in her head and chest. Would she? Wait, he was asking her, in that lovely velvet voice, if she needed anything from the truck. Unless she was allowed to take possessions with her into the afterlife, she was definitely still alive.

His carrying her to his car as if she weighed nothing, and the subsequent drive to the hospital passed in a blur. She remembered that his name was Edward, and that he was a new pediatric resident. She must have mentioned something about herself as well. By the time they were in the waiting room, her head began to clear. Acute humiliation made its way to the foreground. Never mind that he was stopped on the road. She'd almost hit him…heck, she would have killed him if she hadn't swerved…and now he was feeling responsible for her somehow. She needed to tell him that she was fine, and that he was free to go about his business.

She was embarrassed enough that she was attracted to the guy. I mean, she thought, what normal female wouldn't be? It didn't help that Dr. Mack teased her about him being her boyfriend. She couldn't even look at him then. She didn't want to see the horrified look that he would surely have on his face.

He was so very…nice. At least, he seemed to be. She'd tried to give him opportunities to leave gracefully, but he wouldn't take them.

"I'd like to wait with you until your roommate arrives," he told her after one attempt. "In fact, I can drive you home myself if you like."

Seriously? Good looks, charming, and nice? Too good to be true. It wasn't as if she were beautiful. Bella had no illusions about her looks. She was far too skinny, even boney, her once shiny and healthy hair now lank around her hollowed-out face. Maybe that was it. He was a doctor, and he felt sorry for her.

She mentally sighed. Yup, Edward was definitely too good to be true. There had to be something wrong with him. Maybe the "new resident" thing was just a story. What if he was really a rapist or something, and he wanted to know where she lived? No, she didn't think he intended to harm her. Her instincts were usually good in that respect, and while she did think there was something odd about him, no little red flags were going up in her mind.

"Why?"

Edward looked truly surprised at her question.

"Maybe I just want to spend more time with a beautiful woman," he smiled. Ah, that lovely crooked smile! It was designed to make stronger women than herself dissolve into a puddle at his feet. She couldn't help responding to his bantering tone, and watched his eyes twinkle at her teasing.

So here she was now, outside the hospital, lying about her friend coming to pick her up. Bella was pretty sure that Angela was in class.

Drat, she thought to herself. He said he wanted to wait until Angela came. How do I get rid of him so that he doesn't see me leave in a cab?

OK, one last try. "Thanks again for rescuing me. I've taken so much of your time today. You probably need to be getting home now."

"My pleasure, Bella." Ah, good, she did it! Uh-oh, he wasn't walking away yet. Now he was giving her his phone number. She tried to be nonchalant about it, but her fingers brushed his as he handed her back her cell phone. A tingle shot up her arm when her fingers came in contact with his cold ones. She wasn't sure if his startled expression was because he felt it too, or due to the two text messages beeping in.

She checked the first message. It was from Angela, apologizing that she couldn't pick her up, and offering to call her boyfriend Ben if Bella needed help.

Bella looked up to find Edward much closer than she expected. He was bending slightly over her wheelchair.

"I did offer to take you home, you know," he reminded her gently, that crooked smile emerging again. "You're a terrible liar."

She frowned at him, and sighed. "Edward, you have done more than enough for me, and I'm very thankful that you brought me to the hospital and stayed with me the whole time. But you don't have to feel responsible for me. I'm a big girl and take care of myself from here. Surely you have better things to do than…"

Bella glanced down at the second text message, from her friend Alice.

Ang and I are in class. Let him take u home. His friendship is important.

She gaped at it for a second. How did she…? Interfering, clairvoyant pixie.

"No," Edward was grinning, "nothing better to do. In fact, this is my first day here. Truthfully, it would be nice to have a friend here." He paused. "You really should go home and rest, and take some of those pain meds Dr. Mack prescribed. I can get you there faster than a cab can."

His smile faded when Bella didn't respond, and he stepped away. "Ah, I see. I'm making you nervous, aren't I?"

"Yes."

The phone beeped again.

Quit over-thinking and let him drive u home! I'll be there in 40 mins.

Bella rolled her eyes at the phone. There was no repressing Alice. Edward must have wondered at her amused expression.

"Bella," he told her seriously. "I promise not to harm you in any way. Really. It's my fault that you crashed, and it bothers me to see you struggling when there is something I can easily do to help."

Oh great, she thought. I'm his charity project. His topaz-coloured eyes regarded her intently, almost pleadingly. Something about him seemed familiar. Golden eyes, pale cold skin, exceptional beauty, inhuman strength…

Another text from Alice.

Go ahead, ask him.

Bella wheeled her chair to a corner of the entrance where she knew they wouldn't be overheard. Edward followed, clearly curious. She gathered her courage together and looked at him steadily.

"I would like to be your friend too, and I believe you when you say that you won't harm me. However, I'd like you to answer a couple of questions, and if they are too difficult then I promise that you can turn away and I won't mind. OK?"

He looked suddenly tense, frowning slightly. "OK. What do you want to know?"

"You really are a doctor, an R1 at Seattle Children's?"

"Yes. You can ask Dr. Mack to check it for you, if you like."

Bella nodded. "I know that you pushed my truck uphill, and I saw you rip that door off with your bare hands." She forestalled him when he opened his mouth to interrupt.

"Don't even think of giving me some crap about adrenaline and hitting my head. I know what I saw. You're not quite human, are you?"

She watched his eyes widen and darken slightly, his jaw clenching, and could tell that he was struggling.

"Bella," he told her severely, "you were probably hallucinating. It's very normal for people who went through what you did."

"I won't tell anyone. My friend seems to think that I can trust you, and let you drive me home."

Bella saw that she had truly confused him, so she explained further. "You see, my friend has a gift…precognition." She watched Edward carefully, searching his face for any signs that he thought she was some sort of lunatic. Perhaps I've finally found something that would drive him away, she mused wryly. Maybe I should tell him that the mothership would come to beam me up. Oddly enough, all he did was raise his eyebrows slightly.

"She sees the future?" he asked, sounding more interested than disturbed.

"She sees subjective visions of the future," corrected Bella, "based on the decisions that people make. If someone changes their mind, her visions change as well. So, as I said, Alice sees that I can trust you."

He didn't respond. In fact, he looked slightly pained. All this was probably too much for him. He was just being nice, and she'd dumped all this paranormal stuff on him. He was probably regretting helping her, thinking that she was some sort of psycho chick.

Bella looked down at the cell phone in her lap, letting her hair fall to hide her face. She started tapping a message to Alice.

"What are you doing?" the velvet voice asked, nearer than she anticipated.

"Telling Alice that I'll wait for her here."

"Why?"

She looked up to find that he had his hands on the wheelchair's armrests, leaning down to see her face. His beautiful eyes were gentle.

"Because I'm probably freaking you out right now."

There was that crooked smile again. He was so close to her that she could smell his honey-and-sunshine scent. "You'd be surprised how well I handle 'weird.' Very little freaks me out."

Yup, he thought she was nuts. What was she doing, babbling on about psychic friends and telling him he wasn't human? Maybe she had a concussion after all. She took a deep breath.

"You just wanted a friend in town. I'm not a good friend for you, Edward. I seem to be a magnet for weirdness and trouble."

To her surprise, he chuckled darkly. "You have no idea. Actually, I suspect that you're a magnet for danger." Then he sighed and became more serious.

"I'd still like to be your friend, Bella. You offered to let me walk away if your questions became too difficult, and so I give you the same option," His eyes were pained again. "You are far more perceptive than I anticipated. I'll answer what I can. In fact, the answer to your first question is…no."

Was he just humouring her? Did she imagine the whole thing? Bella sucked in her breath. "You are something more than human?"

"Something less."

"At first I thought I was dead, and that you were an angel," she admitted sheepishly.

Edward's mouth twisted. "I'm not an angel. Quite the opposite, in fact. Please don't keep asking, though. I can't tell you anything more."

The sliding doors behind them opened, and several people started crowding the sidewalk, including the nurse responsible for Bella. Having no desire to continue this conversation within earshot of others, Bella suggested,

"If you still aren't ready to run away screaming, perhaps we should continue this in your car?"

Her companion grinned, then stood up and indicated to the nurse that he would pull his car around to the entrance. Within minutes, he had lifted her into the passenger seat and they were on their way to her apartment.

Bella gave him some brief directions, then settled into thoughtful silence.

"What?" he teased, "No more questions?"

She gave him a sidelong glance. "Actually, I have several, and a couple of theories."

"Oh? About what?"

"First, why were you stopped in the road?"

He cocked one eyebrow. "I told you, a deer jumped in front of my car."

"There aren't any deer in that area at this time of year, Edward."

He frowned. "Then it must have been some other kind of animal. It was very fast, and I was concentrating on not going off the road."

Bella decided to let it go for now. "OK, pull into the next parking lot on the right. That's my apartment building, number 1705. I'm on the 4th floor."

He eyed the multi-storey red brick cuboid with concern. "Is there an elevator?"

She grinned, "Yes Dr. Worrywart, there is."

Edward parked and turned off the engine. Bella's cell phone beeped again, and she chuckled when she saw the message.

"Alice?" he inquired smilingly. She showed him the phone's screen.

Just ask him. He'll give u a truthful answer. Invite him up and don't let him leave 'til I get there!

He chuckled. "Well, that's to the point."

"You can still leave, you know. I'm not holding you prisoner."

"I told you, I'm not running away unless you tell me to. Or if something I say or do makes you run away screaming."

He got out of the car and went round to her side. As he was opening her door, he suddenly hesitated, scanning the area around the apartment. Bella could have sworn she heard a low growl.

"Edward, what is it?"

He continued to look around, then frowned down at her. "Nothing. Let's get you inside."

She refused to let him carry her to the elevator, so he had to content himself with walking slowly beside her. Inside her apartment, she instructed him to sit down on the slightly worn tan sofa with its profusion of brightly-coloured pillows.

"You have a very relaxing apartment," commented Edward. "Who took the photos?" He pointed to the several enlarged photographs of rocky beaches and lush forests that graced the walls.

"Angela, my roommate. She's an amazing photographer. We went to high school together in Forks, about three hours from here. The pictures are from around that area. Would you like something to eat or drink? We have some lemonade and lasagna in the 'fridge."

He declined. Bella quickly washed her hands and started opening cupboards, wincing at the pain in her ribs as she stretched up.

"Here," Edward offered, quickly at her side. "You shouldn't be doing that. Just tell me what you want."

"Only a glass of water. Are you sure you don't something to drink? Tea? Are you hungry or thirsty?"

She was stunned to see his eyes suddenly darken to black, and he moved back to the sofa even more quickly than he'd come. He was staring at the floor, seemingly holding his breath with his fists clenched.

"Edward, are you OK?" He looked like he was in pain. "What can I do?"

He held up one finger, indicating for her to give him a moment. The finger reminded her of something. With a gasp, she ran to the cupboard under the sink and grabbed the bleach. She then saturated a paper towel with it, rapidly scrubbed down the sink, threw the offending towel into the trash, and quickly knotted the trash bag closed. When she finished, she looked up to find Edward regarding her with a strange expression on his face.

"Is that better?" she asked.

"Yes," he responded slowly. It looked like he was starting to breathe again. "What…?"

Bella hastily interrupted him. "I'm sorry. I was in too much of a hurry this morning, and sliced my finger while I was cutting a bagel. I used a paper towel to staunch the bleeding, and threw it away afterward. It was still in the open trash can." She eyed him worriedly. "I hope the bleach helped to cover the smell. Are you OK now?"

Edward was literally gaping at her. "What made you think…how did you…you can't know…"

She imagined that he was rarely at a loss for words, but this time she'd managed to completely astound him. Good. Taking a deep breath, she explained.

"Remember that in the hospital I asked you what you were? I told you I had a couple of theories, and now you've confirmed one of them."

Edward was sitting perfectly still, staring at her, his jaw clenched again. But this time his eyes were back to their usual amber colour.

"I should have put it together sooner," she continued. "Superhuman strength, inhuman beauty, eyes that change colour. Your skin is pale, hard, and cold. You refused anything to eat or drink, and your eyes went black when you smelled the blood in the kitchen. How you managed to carry me earlier, then drive me to the hospital, bleeding as I was, I don't know. You must have incredible control."

"I held my breath," he whispered. "Normally it doesn't bother me. You know what I am?"

Bella nodded with a sigh. "Instead of asking you earlier, 'What are you?' perhaps I should have asked 'What kind of vampire are you?'"

She could tell he was reeling. He was staring at her, his expression unfathomable.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Of you? No. If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it by now."

"I almost killed you." She heard the pain in his voice. "Several times today. I did want to kill you."

"Not intentionally," Bella argued. "Your eyes are golden instead of red, so you don't drink human blood. You couldn't be a doctor otherwise." She faltered slightly. "I mean, I can tell that you are good. You won't harm me."

Bella moved slowly toward Edward, not wanting to upset him. He was still sitting rigid on the sofa, incredulous but calm.

"I am very dangerous to you, Bella. Even if I don't kill you myself, the rulers of my kind may do so because you know about me. You can't tell anyone else."

"I wasn't planning to." She was standing about three feet away from him now.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Do you want to leave?" she countered.

"No. In fact, I'm almost glad that you went off the road today." He suddenly realized how that sounded. "I didn't mean that I'm glad that you're injured…"

Bella grinned. "I know what you meant. I don't want you to leave either."

Edward stiffened again, his head turned slightly toward the front door.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Alice is on her way up."