Bella blew out a big breath, and said, for what she hoped was the last time, "Dad, I don't need or want a car."

He looked at her over his paper, and let an eyebrow slide up, and then down. He shook his head. "Fine," he said. "I'll put it under a tarp in the back, in case you change your mind."

The vehicle in question had arrived, a bequest from a distant cousin, several years dead. The estate had taken some time to be dealt with apparently, and Charlie found himself the owner of a fairly recent, and lightly used Toyota sedan.

"Good gas mileage on those things," he'd mumbled, when Bella had eyed it suspiciously. She didn't believe for one second that it had come from a family member.

Alice had denied any knowledge of it, but Bella had remained unconvinced that the Cullens were not involved Or, rather, one specific Cullen.

"You can't know everything he does, Alice," she'd grumbled, and Alice had shaken her head and rolled her eyes.

Her truck had finally been permanently retired in late July, the transmission too expensive to repair.

"No need to have a car in Seattle," she'd said.

"Good for road trips...home," Charlie had suggested.

Bella had countered with, "there's a bus, Dad. I really don't need it."

He'd been mystified by her refusal, and thinking she was worried about cost, had offered to pay the insurance, make sure she had gas money. He'd finally chalked up her stubborn insistence on environmental aware-something-ness. He figured that after a few months without a car, her views would change.

"I don't mind taking you," he said, "it's a long bus trip, and with all your stuff—"

"Actually," Bella said, "Alice is giving me a lift."

"Oh," he asked, "she in residence too?"

"No," Bella said, "they've got a house near campus. All of them'll be there."

Charlie grunted. It was his universal response to anything Edward related.

When Alice pulled up to Bella's dorm, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Expecting Charlie to check in, she pulled it out, and was surprised to see Edward's message.

It was September.

Her heart fluttered out an unbalanced rhythm.

Alice politely ignored this.

Lunch on Tuesday? The message read.

After a moment, Bella typed sure back.

The response was immediate: Federico's on Main, 12?

Yes, she punched in.

It was Monday.

She would see him tomorrow.

Friends, she told herself. Friends.

She hadn't seen him in sixty-five days. Not that she was counting.

Alice chuckled beside her. "Thank you," she said, "our evening will be much happier now."

Bella's face fell. "You—"

"I wasn't looking at your future," she said softly, smiling still.

"Sorry," Bella said.

"S'OK. Our lives are more connected right now than I know you want them to be."

Bella sighed, reaching out to touch Alice's hand. "I'm glad they are, Alice. I just wish he could see….well, you already know." She looked up at the building. It seemed large, the dark brown brick drab against the grey sky. "Shall we see what horrors await within?"

Alice peered over the steering wheel, dubiously eyeing the people in front of the building. "Grunge," she muttered to herself, giving what Bella thought was a mock shudder. "It can't get much worse than it is outside."

"Swann?" the flustered looking residence supervisor asked.

"Yup," Bella said, shifting the weight of the box in her arm slightly.

"Room fifty seven," she said, "ground floor. Straight down that way." She lifted her chin in the direction Bella should go, without looking, but her eye caught Alice, and her jaw dropped slightly. Alice smiled chipperly, revealing more of her teeth than was wise. The young woman blanched, but still stared, her gaze following them down the hall.

"So much for blending in," Bella muttered.

"Oh, don't worry. You will," Alice answered, "all she saw was me. You're probably going to have to re-introduce yourself next time you meet."

Bella laughed, putting the box down on the mattress. "Probably."

They had most of her things in her room in a few minutes. It was one of the few singles on the floor. Not large, but it had room for a bed, a desk, and a closet, with a bit of space remaining.

"I expected it to be smaller. I'm pleasantly surprised," Bella said, as they unpacked her things. She didn't let Alice near her clothes.

Alice was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking around, suddenly perking up a bit. "Oh! I almost forgot. Here, this is for you." She handed Bell a small envelope, with what felt like a credit card inside it.

"What's this?" Bella asked.

"A gift from Jasper," Alice said, with a wide grin.

Bella looked at it suspiciously.

"Open it!" Alice encouraged her. "Or, shall I? Wouldn't want you getting a papercut on your first day."

Bella peeled it back carefully. Inside, was what looked like her Washington State Driver's license, only as Bella looked closer, realized it couldn't be. Her birth date was three years earlier than it should have been.

"You got me fake ID?" she asked, incredulous.

"No, Jasper did. And that isn't fake. It's as real as it gets—don't actually show that to anyone in law enforcement, by the way, it'll cause problems for the people who make it."

"Wow," Bella said, muttering, "exceptionally good, fake ID, made by people who do...I don't want to know."

"I'll tell him you were thrilled," Alice said drily.

"Thank you," Bella said, more genuinely. What a strange gift.

"He thinks modern drinking laws are ridiculous. Thought it would give you an opportunity to have some irresponsible fun in decent locales while you're human." She cocked her eyebrows at Bella, showing her just what she thought of such things.

Bella tucked it carefully into the back of her wallet, away from her real ID. She didn't want them to get confused.

"Alright," Alice said after about an hour, "in keeping with plan inconspicuous, I'm disappearing. Try not to get yourself into any mortal danger before we cross paths again." She said this as she leaned into a hug, hiding her worried expression.

"No dying. Got it," Bella mumbled.

"I mean it," Alice said, "and have fun too."

With her fake ID.

"Thanks mom!" Bella called, as Alice walked away. She was just turning back, when two girls walked by her room.

They both stopped, staring at Alice's departing form. "Seriously?" the taller one of them asked, "that's your mom?"

"No," Bella said smiling, "just a friend."

The smaller of the two introduced herself, "sorry," she said, returning Bella's smile, "no filter on my friend. I'm Marie. This is Sam."

They exchanged introductions, Bella discovering they were both new to the campus, but second year students, transferring from another college.

"We were just on our way to dinner. Shall we check out our prospects on food poisoning together?" Marie asked. She was short, with smooth, shoulder-length brown hair. Her eyebrows moved expressively when she talked, and the eyes beneath them were shrewd. She had well established crinkles beside them, and laughed frequently.

Sam was tall and lean, and quieter, but just as sharp as Marie. Her humour was droll, the perfect contrast to Marie's exuberance.

Bella liked both of them instantly.

Marie corralled a few shy, and lost looking souls that wandered by, inviting, with insistence, their presence. Bella met a good five new people by the time dinner was over.

They all stuck together, comparing notes on first and second year courses, and chatting about where they were from, moving their conversation to the lounge. When ten o'clock hit, Bella excused herself, happily exhausted by all the new faces and names she was trying to memorize, to head to bed.

She was glad she'd packed ear plugs. Someone upstairs—maybe directly above, she wasn't sure—kept a steady drone of music thumping through the ceiling 'til twelve, when other, louder thumps at a door, she presumed, silenced most of the noise.

She almost missed her alarm the next morning, and was running to the dining hall when, not looking where she was going, ran straight into a very solid, and chest shaped object.

"I'm so sorry!" she said, bending over to pick up her bag, and its contents, which she'd half-slung over her shoulders, and the papers on the ground that had spilled from the arms of the person she'd hit.

"It's OK," the voice said. It sounded familiar. "Bella, right?"

She looked up, embarrassed to be so clumsy, and to be known on top of it.

"Oh, hey," she said stupidly. "Um…"

"Jun," the young man grinned. He seemed taller than she'd remembered. His black hair long enough that it flopped into his eyes a bit. He flicked his head to the side, to move it out of the way. "Still up for a team?" he asked, his tone friendly, soft.

"Yeah, for sure," and seeing the papers he was holding, now wet, and some of them crumpled. "I'm so sorry—I'm a total klutz. Can I help you with those?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Actually, would you mind putting some up for me? In your dorm?"

"Sure," she said, "least I can do."

"Meant to do it yesterday," he said, "but got busy with other stuff. That would be super helpful."

They were flyers advertising the intramurals competition and signups.

"You coming to the team builder night on Friday?" he asked, giving her a stack.

"If you tell me where it is, yes," she said, taking them, putting them in binder, and carefully tucking it back into her bag.

"Student union building," he said, "six. Everything you need to know is on the flyer. Bring some friends," he smiled. "I gotta run. Try not to mow anyone else down, hey?"

"Sure," she grinned ruefully, "see you then."

"It's a date!" he called back, giving her a double thumbs up.

Her heart moved a bit too quickly, hearing the words.

He didn't think—no, she told herself, he did not. Just an expression.

The morning passed by in a flurry of activity and classes, finding buildings, getting books, and figuring out how to acquire a student services card. She was late, getting to the restaurant, flustered and hot when she walked in the door. It wasn't far from campus, but it became very clear it served a clientele well above the income level of a university student. Bella felt remarkably underdressed for the occasion, and wished she'd worn something different, or at least left more time to get there.

The greeter was impeccable with his manners, and politely asked her to follow him to a small alcove, tucked away at the back. He stopped, gesturing that she should go ahead of him, and he turned away, returning to his post, leaving her standing there, knowing Edward was just beyond this slight corner.

It took a deep breath and a stern reminder about her convictions before she could walk around it.

And there he was, standing as she entered.

He looked like a minor Greek deity. His simple slacks and white button down shirt, the top open at his neck, only accentuated the elegance of his frame.

"Hi," he said. He wasn't smiling, though. Everything he was feeling made it impossible to discard the weight of emotion pressed against his chest. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and momentarily divest her lungs of all their oxygen, and then repeat the process between her snatched breaths, so she would forget why she'd asked for them to be apart.

Instead, he asked, "you found the place OK?"

Bella stared, digging her fingernails into her palm, reminding herself to breathe with the sting on her skin. "Yeah," she said, absentmindedly. "Sorry, bit more of a walk than I'd planned."

"Heard about your truck," he said. He'd heard about her suspicions too.

"Old age," she smiled, but didn't feel it, wondering again if he'd had something to do with Charlie's distant cousin's mysterious bequest.

Watching Bella set her bag down, Edward walked around the table, and pulled out the chair for her. The light tone didn't fool him. Her heart was racing, and she looked like she was about to faint. It occurred to him that if she did, it might present the convenient necessity of him touching her.

She sat, instead, murmuring a quiet "thank you."

He let his hand brush lightly over her shoulder as he turned. He could have avoided it—easily—but didn't. She took a small, sharp breath in at the touch.

"How's your room?" he asked, sitting down, nudging a glass of water towards her.

"Good," she said, picking up the cup. "How's yours?"

"Inconsequential."

She gave a wry smile, and half a chuckle.

"It's good to see you," he said.

Either, Bella thought, he's going for understatement of the year, or...he feels differently than before.

Her stomach clutched in on itself.

She smiled nervously.

Edward didn't miss that she hadn't returned the words, and wondered if her feelings had changed. Humans did that, he reminded himself. He forced himself not to dwell on it, though, and asked his next question.

"What're your thoughts on college life so far?"

College. All twenty four hours of it. "Bureaucratically confusing," she answered honestly. There had been more paperwork than she'd ever encountered before in her long morning, and little of it had been educational in the way she'd been expecting.

The conversation thawed from there, and she had little opportunity to ask him what the time had held for him. He deftly wielded questions while she ate, evading the more substantial ones she tried to lob at him.

When one o'clock rolled around, Bella muttered, "shoot!" to herself, and was standing, fumbling for her wallet. "I've got to get to class," she said, "sorry, lost track of the time."

Edward hadn't. He knew where he next class was, too.

He was nothing, if not well informed.

He reached over, tapping his fingers ever so lightly on hers, to get her attention. "Please," he said softly, catching her eyes, "my treat. I picked, after all."

Bella's face looked as conflicted as she felt, but she managed a gracious "thank you." After that, she said, "I'm sorry to run, but I'll be late—"

"No car," he said softly, smiling.

"No," she answered, letting herself smile a bit, but watching his face, trying to find some clue to her wondering. "Don't need one."

His eyebrows lifted, "I would've thought you'd find it convenient here," he said, but then gave a non-chalant shrug. "Can I offer you a ride, then?" he asked. "Or Alice can, if you prefer. She's not far."

She chided herself for being suspicious. "No," Bella said, "I'd appreciate a ride, if you don't mind."

"I never mind being with you," he responded, trying to keep her eyes on his. She looked away, breathing too fast.

He very carefully avoided doing anything to make her think he would touch her, but held the door for her to get in the passenger side.

It was strange, having such courtesies observed. No one else in her life did things for her like that. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed them.

She had more stern words with herself about space, and distance. She wondered if seeing him once a week would be too much. His smell was etched into the car's familiar upholstery. Emotions, so carefully compartmentalized in the last few months, were insisting on their substance being made known.

"Where to?" he asked, telling himself it was important to have the right location confirmed, even if he knew it. Even if he had her course schedule memorized.

When they pulled up to one of the large, nondescript arts lecture halls, Bella thanked him, and stepped out of the car, not wanting to wait for, or invite further courtesy. She feared it might lead to other things.

Things she very much wanted.

Right now.

"My class is just down there," Edward said, pointing to a large edifice of stone and glass.

She was pretty sure that was where most of the premed classes were, and made a note to ask him exactly what he was taking. Next week.

"See you next week," he said, and waved, and pulled away.

"Bye," Bella called, watching him far longer than she should, and then turning to find her afternoon classes.

The realization hit her, about ten steps in towards the building: Edward hadn't done anything to disrespect her wishes. He'd listened, and they'd talked. They'd laughed. They'd been...normal.

She almost burst into tears.

Several people looked oddly at her, paused, mid-sidewalk, clearly having a moment to herself.

It took a while to understand the feeling she was experiencing. She was happy. Not tortured by feelings, just happy.

It gave her hope. The summer had been an exercise in restraint and anxiety.

This could work.

They might work.

Then she stopped herself, before she could run ahead of the present, and took the next few physical steps into the building.

The rest of the week was a colourful blur, and when Friday arrived, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with a book that had nothing to do with anything she was studying, and fall asleep.

At six-thirty, she was woken from an unplanned nap, book squashed under her cheek, by a loud pounding at her door. "Bella! Come on!"

She knew the voice, but was completely confused by what it was doing here.

"Emmett?" she asked, eyebrows a quizzical v over eyes. "What're you doing here?"

"It's intramurals night," he said, as if this explained things. "Let's go!" He tapped at the door frame impatiently.

It was. She'd forgotten, but she hadn't been expecting Emmett.

Edward's comments floated back to her.

Had he put him up to this?

She twisted her lips together, thinking how she might tactfully ask.

"Um—" she started.

"Edward didn't send me," he said bluntly.

"Oh—" Bella responded articulately.

"But Alice told me you'd think he did." Then he lifted his eyebrows up, and asked, "So, can we go yet? I don't wanna miss the fun stuff."

"Right," Bella said, accepting that this was likely true, or the product of such a masterful deception that she had no hope of unravelling it. "Give me a minute, 'K?"

"Sure," he said, and leaned back against the door frame, grinning at people as they went by. They gave him a wide berth on either side.

After quickly changing her shirt, and ducking past Emmett to brush her teeth, Bella returned, feeling slightly more decent.

"You look nice," he said, but with a dubious expression.

Bella stopped, looking at him, having just locked her door. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No," he said, "but you do know these things tend to involve a lot of beer, and people who can't handle said beer?"

No. "OK," she said, waiting.

"And the after effects of people having too much beer?" His eyes went up meaningfully. "As in, be prepared to get puked on."

"Eww," Bella said, "OK, maybe I'll just—"

"Oh, no, no, no, no—" Emmett said, pulling her keys from her hand. "Come on. College adventure awaits!"

"Emmett," Bella said, "I'm not interested in getting drunk. Or puked on."

"Then don't," he said, "I promise to keep you out of range of most pukers, but you're coming."

She relented, but reluctantly.

In the end, she was glad. Sam was there, her lean frame and tight, curly black hair visible from across the room. Mingled in with a group of people in purple t-shirts was another face she recognized: Jun.

"Bella!" Sam called, "who's the chunk?"

"The what?" Bella asked, raising her voice over the babble of voices.

"The chunk. You know, the cute hunk. Who is he?" She was looking in Emmett's direction.

"Oh," she said, grinning, "that's Emmett. He's um...a family friend, kinda like my...honorary big brother."

"Awesome," Sam said, eyeing him from a distance. He was balancing five cups of beer, walking them slowly back with a practised hand. "Your available honorary big brother?"

"Sorry," Bella said, the grin stretching, "definitely taken. As in, not a shot in hell."

"Dang," Sam said, "too bad."

"Mmm," Bella added sympathetically.

"Don't suppose he's got a brother?"

Bella cleared her throat, looking away. "Just my ex."

Sam raised a speculative eyebrow. "Really? Wait, how ex is this ex?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Well...um, it's...complicated"

Her friend sighed dramatically. "Nevermind." She shrugged, and then scanned the room.

Emmett had arrived back by this point, and handed Bella a beer, and Sam one too. "Cheers!" he called, and then, to Bella's great surprise, chugged his own.

Sam had taken a more stately sip, and Bella did likewise, keeping her eyes on Emmett.

When Sam moved away to chat with another friend, Bella hissed at him, "what are you doing?"

"Fittin' in."

"Emmett, are you drunk?"

"No," he scoffed. "Not possible."

"Then why—?"

"Camaraderie," he smiled, and patted her on the back, a bit harder than he should have.

Bella coughed and spluttered.

"Take it easy there kiddo."

Jun had caught Bella's eye by this point, waving, and navigating his way through the crowd.

"You made it!" he called, "And you brought people—even better!"

Bella blushed, and introduced Emmett, and then Sam.

"I brought myself," Sam said. "You look like you've done this before."

"Yeah," Jun chuckled. "You lookin' for a team?"

"Sure," Sam said, "how 'bout you pretty boy?" She looked at Emmett.

He grinned, showing most of his teeth. "Totally." Everyone, including Bella, leaned back a bit.

"Uh, great," Jun said, clearing his throat, "that makes a full roster, with Leo and Dave." He waved to two tall boys a few groups away. They waved back. "Roommates," he said by way of explanation.

They were interrupted at that point by a tap and squeal at the microphone. "OK people, time for the team building! If you're not in one now, find one quick! Don't worry, you can ditch them later if you want."

There was a general scrambling, yelling, and hollering, as Bella, Sam, Emmett and Jun stood closer together. Leo and Dave, pushed through the crowd to reach them, with Jun making introductions.

"Alright!" The emcee called, a few minutes later, "couch potato races to start!"

Bella looked at Emmett for explanation. Her eyebrows went up when he gave it. Leo took on the run for this one.

"Anyone not much of a drinker?" Jun asked.

"Bella," Emmett coughed.

"You're not?" Jun asked.

"No," she said, shaking her head. She was a half inch into her beer, and about as far she planned to go.

They did a quick round of strategy, Emmett volunteering for the beer pong, Sam taking on the rubber chicken round, and Bella and Jun being left with the newlywed round.

Jun peppered her with questions, starting with birthdate, and running down to everything he'd ever heard before during the last few years' iterations.

"Intended major?"

"No idea," she said, "general arts or English for now."

"Parents' occupations?"

"Dad: cop, Mom: teacher."

"Really? Cool, my mom too," he said. "My dad's a massage therapist."

"Nice," she said.

"It is," he grinned back, making quick notes on a pad of paper. "Taught me, too."

"Favourite colour?"

"Brown," she said, blushing.

"Really?" he asked, looking up.

"Yup," she said, her cheeks reddening, hoping he'd move on.

By the time their turn came, the half inch of beer had left her relaxed enough to be able to remember everything. The other, more bleary eyed contestants around them proved far less capable. Sam clapped and bounced in delight. "We're three for three!" she squealed.

Emmett won the beer pong so easily, it made Bella nervous.

She whispered, "couldn't you mess up a little?" to him as he sauntered back.

He rolled his eyes, and elbowed her gently. "Lighten up, Swann. Everyone's too drunk to notice."

"I noticed," she hissed.

"You don't count," he mouthed back, clapping as Sam won the card race.

Bella was a full inch down on her beer by the time the evening wrapped up, mildly euphoric.

"You have no alcohol tolerance, do you?" Sam said, frowning a little.

"Not really," Bella confirmed, wobbling a little as she, Emmett and Sam walked towards the door.

"Night guys," Jun called, trotting towards them. "First practise is Monday afternoon, main pool. 'K?" He looked at Bella, taking in the dilation of her eyes, and then looked directly at Sam. "You heading home together?"

Bella realised he was worried about her leaving with Emmett. This struck her as hilarious, and she giggled.

"Don't worry," Emmett said from behind her, "I won't let anyone mess with Bella. Or her friend," adding, to Sam, "not that I think anyone's going to mess with you."

Sam nodded back, acknowledging his respect.

Jun's face and posture relaxed.

Bella let her well lubricated mind wander, and enjoyed the slow and precarious walk back to residence.

In the very far distance, safely downwind, an interested set of deep red eyes surveyed the people in play, and made their own plans.

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.