Escaping Trains

Chapter 2

I OWN NOTHING!!!

He heard the train before he saw it. Running, he made it back to Bella in seconds. Gently he picked her up and secured her to his back, leaving his arms free. He prepared to jump. Silently, he got them unto another boxcar and made sure they were safely inside. He set Bella down behind some crates, making sure she was hidden incase of a brief stop in order for the cars to be checked for stowaways.

Finding the thoughts of those onboard the train, mainly that of the conductor, he tried to find out how long it would be until the next stop and where that stop would be. The train's final destination was somewhere in Wisconsin, but the conductor was more interested in the two day layover in Chicago. That was only two days away. Edward believed they could both hold out for that long. He hoped the could anyway.

When he'd left, Carlisle had tried to insure that Edward would have some money in case he needed it. Edward, angry, had left all of it safely stored in his safety deposit box in the bank his parents had used. All $500 would still be there. He really had no use for it at the time. Now he did.

Bella woke up several hours later, groggy and needing to use the bathroom. She wasn't all that surprised to find herself in a boxcar and Edward not that far away.

How was she supposed to go pee if he was here? It wasn't as if she could ask him to leave! It was full daylight outside, whatever happened to vampires in the sunlight she couldn't allow to happen to Edward, not when everything she had ever read about vampires said they burned in sunlight. It had only been Bram Stoker's book, admittedly, but still that was all she had to go on.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked, concerned.

Bella felt herself become red. "I, uh, need a human moment."

Edward looked at her strangely before it clicked. If he was able to blush, he'd be doing so right now.

"Oh," he replied, not knowing how to help. "I'll, um, look away."

Bella, completely and totally embarrassed, dug in her bag for one of the scrap fabrics she kept for this purpose. She went as quickly as she could and shoved the soiled rag out thru a crack in the side of the boxcar.

"We'll be in Chicago in about a day and a half," Edward spoke, trying to erase the embarrassment he knew the both of them felt. "I have an errand I need to take care of, but we'll be there for two days if we want to take this train all the way up into Wisconsin."

"How do you know where we're going?" Bella asked, knowing they were the only ones in the car. She didn't think Edward had left to talk to anyone else on the train.

Edward sighed. "You don't know that much about vampires, do you? Other then we're monsters?"

"I don't think you're a monster, not any more. A monster wouldn't be helping me or anyone else." Bella replied, stubbornly glaring at Edward for calling himself a monster. "I know you killed humans, you just told me! However, that's part of your nature just like its part of my nature to be abnormally clumsy and blushing at everything that embarrasses me."

"You don't understand," Edward growled, annoyed when Bella didn't even flinch. "I was so close to killing you in that boxcar yesterday. If I'd been able to read your mind, you wouldn't be here right now!"

"Vampires can read minds?" Bella was slightly shaken at learning Edward had wanted to make a snack out of her, but brushed it aside.

"I can," Edward corrected, "every mind I have ever come across except for yours. I don't know if any other vampires can read minds."

"I'm glad you can't read my mind," Bella told him, "you'd be bored to tears."

"Vampires can't cry, or sleep," Edward told her, wondering why (and how) she had gone from the terrified girl this time yesterday to the curious and most definitely not terrified young woman facing him now.

"How sad," Bella murmured, knowing he'd hear her even if she didn't want him to. She looked at him. "That must be hard, not being able to relax and forget everything and not being able to dream."

Edward stared at her. Then he burst out laughing. Bella could quite possibly become his next meal and she thought it sad that he couldn't sleep?

Bella growled, or at least she attempted to. This only made Edward laugh harder. She tossed her bag at him, hearing the 'thunk' as it hit him. Edward finally got a hold of his laughter.

"You enjoy the classics?" He looked into her bag, discovering mostly worn copies of Jane Austin and a few pieces of fabric.

"Yes," Bella replied, still annoyed that he had laughed at her. Edward had a beautiful laugh, but Bella was realistic. He was more then likely going to leave her at some orphanage in Chicago or something similar. What vampire would want a human hanging around unless he was planning an eating her? "May I have my bag back?"

"Here," he handed it to her.

Bella gasped, not having expected him to move that quickly. "Wow, why are you taking trains again? They must feel so slow to you."

"They do," Edward grinned, "but jumping trains is sort of fun, not to mention one can move easily from place to place without very many questions asked."

Bella nodded. After all, trains also made it harder (she hoped) for any vampires that may or may not be after her to find her.

"How old are you Bella?" Edward asked.

"Seventeen," she answered without thinking. "I know, I don't look it, but I'm not lying."

Edward shook his head. "I know, something tells me you don't lie very well."

"I don't, my mother could always read me easily." Bella felt tears gather in her eyes but forced them back. "It wasn't worth lying when it never worked. I don't like lying very much to begin with." Bella looked at him. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," Edward replied without missing a beat. He grinned.

"How long have you been seventeen? I mean, vampires are immortal, right?"

"A while," Edward replied. "Yes, vampires are immortal. We don't age, grow, or die. It is very difficult to kill a vampire."

"So sunlight doesn't hurt you?" Bella asked, glancing at the thin rays that came in thru the cracks of the boxcar.

"Myth," Edward replied, "I'll show you sometime what I look like in the sun. Stakes and crosses don't bother me either."

"Obviously you don't sleep in a coffin," Bella added in, grinning.

Edward couldn't help it. He laughed again. Bella was cute, wrapped up in his coat and questioning him about himself. It was refreshing and freeing. Thoughts of leaving her pained him, but so did thoughts of changing her.

That is how their next several hours went. Edward watched her eat in mixed disgust and fascination. Once the food was gone, Bella didn't complain. She still had Edward's coat to curl up in. Slowly they had been moving closer to each other. By the time they reached Chicago, Bella had taken to using Edward's crossed legs as a pillow. Edward discovered she talked in her sleep, but found it interesting. Bella never censored her thoughts when she was sleeping.

Once in Chicago, Edward found them a place to stay. Luckily it was the fall and there was a lot of cloud cover and little daylight. Once he knew Bella would be safe in his old home (which he still owned thanks to Carlisle), he went to gather funds from the bank (one of the few still in business in the city) and shopping for food for Bella.

The well in the garden was still good, so they had water even if it was cold. Bella didn't care, she got to take a bath and really wash. Even though she was upset he had spent money on her, she accepted the clothing. Thankfully, he hadn't picked up any dresses, rather more boy clothing. He'd also gotten her a few new books and a new, bigger bag for her to carry her things in.

Edward had picked up new clothing for himself as well, including a new coat. He liked the sight of Bella in his coat. He was glad when Bella didn't ask him about it. He couldn't lie to her, not when her trust in him was still a fragile thing. He knew from her sleep talking that she believed he was going to leave her.

He wasn't. That had already been decided. He didn't know how she had managed to jump trains when she wasn't able to always walk on a perfectly flat surface without tripping. Plus, by him staying it meant she'd always have something to eat.

Finally, after three days, they jumped onto another train. This train was headed to Montana. Upon agreement, they were going the entire way. Again, the trip was spent talking, joking, and really just the two of them becoming friends. Bella trusted Edward without question. Edward found he was falling in love with the girl and couldn't stop himself.

"Hey, newbie," Edward sat up from cuddling with Bella as he heard the voice of one of the porters. "Time to check the boxcars for stowaways."

Edward heard his thoughts and growled. They would not touch his Bella like that! Her hair was growing out and she looked less like a boy. She would have cut it, but Edward liked it when it was long. His growling woke Bella, who looked at him.

He motioned for her to be quiet. "We need to leave, come on." He stood, and made his way to the door. They weren't moving very fast, which was good because they would have to jump.

With a jolt, Edward nearly lost his balance. He looked at Bella, who had tumbled over when the train had jolted. He went to reach for her when the train picked up speed. This time he did over balance and tumbled out of the boxcar. He caught himself, but not in enough time to stop Bella from tumbling out of the boxcar.

In pure fear, he launched himself to garb her. He barely managed it, and they rolled several times.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" Edward snarled, hugging her to him once he was sure that nothing was broken, not even her skin. They'd already had an incident and that was how Edward discovered she fainted at the sight of human blood. Obviously he couldn't leave (she'd probably have bled to death), so he'd had to take care of her without attacking her and killing her. He'd passed with flying colors.

"I'm sorry!" Bella mumbled, hugging him tightly. "I was so scared when you just fell out of the car! I wasn't thinking," she sobbed, "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you Edward!"

Edward held her. "I don't know what I'd do without you either Bella," he told her. "You are my life now, nothing will change that."

"I love you," Bella said softly. "I know you probably can't love me, I'm just a plain human. I need you to know though that I love you, I think I always have." She couldn't bring herself to look at him, afraid of the rejection she believed that she would see on his face.

"Silly Bella," Edward breathed, "I shouldn't, but I love you as well. An angel like you would be much safer far away from a monster like me."

"Don't call yourself a monster! You're not one!" Bella growled at him, knowing that it usually made him laugh. "I love you because you're Edward, not because you're a vampire. You could have three eyes and webbed feet and I'd still love you."

Edward found himself smiling. She loved him! Bella loved him! He kissed her, soft and hesitantly. Bella kissed back, unsure and blushing. At least the first kiss was. The rest were natural.