A/N: I would just like to let all of my readers know that this story GENTLE TOUCHES is the very same as author ANIMAL8. As I adopted it from her earlier on this year, most of the chapters that ANIMAL8 had already created are being posted the same as I do not want to ruin the amazing work she has worked so hard on. I will be setting up a link to ANIMAL8 page so it will be accessible to new and old readers. I do hope that I can do this story as much justice as ANIMAL8 and I do hope that you enjoy the old and new chapters of GENTLE TOUCHES.

Disclaimer: I Own Nothing Twilight

Gentle Touches

Chapter 8 – First Contact (EPOV)

She shook a bit as I laid myself down beside her again in a comfortable position and I didn't move as she got used to me being there. I made sure there was some distance between us so she wouldn't feel threatened or crowded by me invading her personal space.

I really had no idea what I was doing and everything was just taking small steps at a time and seeing how she reacted, but I was beginning to understand her more. And that helped me to know what to do and how to get her comfortable with moving forward and extending her comfort zone. I already knew this would be a long process, but I was in it for the long haul and I was prepared to do whatever was necessary to help this angel.

I watched her closely as she watched me in return, and I waited for her trembling to ease as a sign of her relaxing. It didn't take as long as it had the day before, which was some progress, but it still took quite a while.

During this time, I made sure to remain still and silent, letting her adjust to my unexpected presence. I made a mental note to not be right by her side when she first awoke, at least not until she wasn't as fearful of being near me.

When she was calm I moved my arm slightly closer to her. Her eyes immediately locked onto the small movement as she tensed her muscles. I had a sudden idea that I could gradually move closer and closer to her, each time waiting until she relaxed, but never actually touching her. Not yet. That way she could adjust to being close to me. Hopefully, that is.

I quickly ran through ideas of what to talk to her about so I could put into practice Carlisle and Alice's theory of soothing her with my voice. I knew that I obviously couldn't tell her anything that might hint towards me being different, not human, but that didn't mean I couldn't give her an edited version of my life. For some reason, I wanted her to know something about me, even if it wasn't entirely the truth.

"I was adopted," I finally spoke. She looked up at me again, curiosity in her gaze as she tilted her head minutely. "My parents died," I paused briefly, trying to remember their faces. "Carlisle and Esme took me in and treated me like their son. I don't deserve their love, but at the same time I've never been more grateful towards anyone." I stopped talking there. I had never told anyone that, though I'm sure Carlisle knew how I felt, and I had no idea why had I chosen to tell her that, of all things. Maybe because I wanted to show her that I trusted her with something personal. I didn't know, but I wanted her to know me.

The angel seemed interested as she stared at me, as if trying to read more in me behind my words. I took advantage of her distraction to creep my hand closer to her. She locked onto it and froze, growling softly. "It's okay, Angel. I'm not going to hurt you," I whispered.

She growled deeper and shuffled herself awkwardly away from me. I waited patiently until she stopped and when she did, she looked back at me with an odd look on her face, as if she was wondering why I hadn't done anything yet. I felt another painful clench in my heart as I wondered what she had expected me to do.

When I still didn't make another move towards her, she relaxed and ceased the low growl that was emanating from her throat. An unsure look crossed her face and she suddenly looked very vulnerable, more so than when I had found her in that poor state of a cabin, or when I had held her down for Carlisle to check her. And it was because of this that I reached out for her again, despite knowing the possible consequences.

My hand touched her cheek and she jumped at the contact but didn't move from me. I gently stroked my fingers down her skin, caressing and feeling her warmth burning into my frigid skin. She kept eye contact, suspiciously analysing me for my intentions. My face was open with the honesty and good intention of my actions as I allowed her to see, praying for it to show her that I didn't want to hurt her.

It looked like she believed this more than my soothing words, though she remained tense beneath my fingers. I let my hand drop and watched as some emotion that I couldn't decipher flickered in her deep, brown eyes. She was an enigma to me. I couldn't read her mind and her face was often hard for me to interpret and I was afraid I would get something wrong.

She looked torn for a moment before she cautiously moved towards me, only minimally, stopping when she was back where she was to begin with. I smiled in encouragement and reassurance, pleased that she seemed to be more relaxed around me.

Her small hand clutched tightly at the blanket she was still relying on for comfort and I had an abrupt, irrational sense of jealousy towards it. I shook my head, surprised at myself and a little disturbed for where that thought had sprung from.

"I wish I knew how to help you," I said sadly. A tiny furrow found its way onto her brow and I couldn't resist the urge to touch it lightly, tenderly. She looked surprised, but to my delight didn't flinch away.

Her frown deepened and she seemed sad, but it passed so quickly that I wondered if I had actually seen it. I sighed as I took my hand away; I just didn't understand her reactions. One minute she was cringing away from everything I did and then it looked like she was trying to figure me out as I was trying with her.

Only she was probably more successful than I was as I was beginning to doubt I'd ever be able to figure her out. I was probably being presumptuous because I hadn't really gotten to know her at all yet and maybe that was the key to deciphering her.

I came out of my musing and once again focused on the angel. I really needed to stop getting lost in my thoughts while I was with her, I thought. She didn't seem to mind, though, as she was still watching me closely and I had a flash of discomfort being under her scrutiny.

It was unnerving that she could make me feel that way, but sometimes her eyes were so intense, even when she wasn't glaring, that I felt the need to avoid her gaze. It was as if she could see so much more than the average human, reading everything about me through my eyes. I didn't think I would ever admit to that, though.

The girl yawned widely and her eyes drifted closed. She lay like that for a few minutes and just when I was considering moving away and leaving her in peace, she opened them again, blinking at me sleepily. I smiled and swept a lock of hair that had fallen into her eyes out of the way. She didn't move as I did so until she yawned again.

Had she been sleeping enough? I wondered. She looked so tired; I could even see the dark circles under her eyes, though thankfully they were less pronounced than when I had found her.

I looked down, taking my eyes off of her, and stared at my hands which were playing with edge of the blanket covering the girl. Her eyes flicked down as well when she caught the movement and she tensed slightly. I froze, expecting to hear the sharp sound of her growls echo through the room, but she remained silent.

Quickly, I looked back into her eyes to see what she was thinking. She was watching my hands with a thoughtful expression, but when she saw me watching her she switched her gaze back onto me. "I wonder if you would like my brother, Emmett," I thought aloud, not realising I had spoken until I heard my voice.

She blinked, surprised at the change in direction, and angled her head at me, her eyes curious and probing. I chuckled as I interpreted that to mean she wanted to know what I meant. "He looks kind of scary, but really he's a big teddy bear," I said softly, smiling at the thought of how apt the description was, "He's a joker as well, always making cracks at one thing or another."

Her delicate arm moved so I could see it peeking out from under the cover. It was less than an inch from where my hand still rested and I wondered if she had noticed or not. Nonetheless, I moved my hand closer so my flesh just barely skimmed her hand. It felt as if I had been shocked, the electricity leaving behind a tingling sensation that I was not accustomed to.

The girl jumped, most likely at the unexpected touch, but I was curious – had she felt that too? I didn't know. "Did you feel that?" I asked, feeling slightly foolish for voicing my question. Her eyes widened in, what I assumed was, shock, but she didn't answer me.

Moving more deliberately, I carefully wrapped my hand around her small fingers. She sucked in a sharp breath as I held her hand, but my eyes were fixed on our entwined hands. I couldn't believe how good it felt to hold her hand like this and I wondered what it was like for her.

I gently brushed my thumb over the back of her heated hand, feeling the softness of her skin and the pulse of life beneath it. It was amazingly easy to ignore her blood, I thought. I hadn't given it a thought since I met her until now and I realised that she smelled like freesias or lavender, but without the usual appeal of human blood.

Her body convulsed suddenly and she whimpered, trying to tug her hand from mine. She twisted in her attempt to escape and I worried that she would hurt herself if she wasn't careful. "Shh," I tried to soothe her, letting go of her hand and bringing mine up to stroke her hair as I started humming. She shook as she let me comfort her, but at least she was no longer thrashing.

She locked onto my eyes and went into the same trance as before, her body slumping into the mattress as her eyes glazed. I noticed that the blanket had fallen from her and I reached over her, still singing quietly and keeping eye contact, to pull it around her again.

While she was entranced, I carefully took her thin wrist into my hand and traced the outskirt of the stark white bandage there, hiding the evidence of whatever abuse she had faced.

I didn't realised I had stopped humming until her fingers flexed, curling loosely into a fist. The movement made me look up and I blinked, startled. She was pleading with her eyes as she gave a tug on her hand and shook her head, repeating the actions twice before I understood.

She was telling me, in her own way, to let her go. I willingly obliged and she slowly took her hand back, returning it to her cocoon of protection and out of my reach. I was shocked and excited at the same time at her small attempt at communication, even if it was just to tell me to let go.

Her small smile of gratification didn't last long, but it was definitely there and I automatically smiled in response. I didn't try to touch her again at the moment, respecting her space for the moment.

I heard the front door open and close, announcing the arrival of my sister, Alice, and closely followed by her thoughts shouting at me. Edward, I'm home, she screamed and I winced.

"I know you're home, Alice, you didn't have to shout," I muttered grumpily, unhappy that my time with the angel was being disturbed. The girl in question looked at me in confusion, her nose scrunched in an adorable way. "My sister," I said by way of explanation.

Alice giggled at my obvious frustration and I fought the urge to growl, not wanting to scare the girl. "What do you want, Alice?" I asked, scowling. We need to talk, she thought. I sighed exasperatedly. Couldn't this wait till later? I thought. But I knew better than to cross Alice. "Fine," I mumbled.

When I went to apologise to the girl, she yawned again and I could see her small, pink tongue curling at the end in a way that made her look very cute and somehow, much younger. Her eyes were already shut when she finished and she was drifting off to slumber.

I smiled at her endearingly, before lightly brushing her hair back. She growled quietly, half asleep. "Shh, Angel, just go to sleep. You're okay," I quietened her. She settled again and I quietly left, shutting the door to block out the rest of the house.

A/N: I make no promises as to when I post new chapters…but I will do my best to make them as closed together as possible. Please remember to review as more reviews will get a faster posting of the next chapter.