Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Shadows
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Prompt: Excuse

I awoke with a start when the flight attendant touched my shoulder. "We're landing in twenty minutes," she said with an apologetic smile. "I need you to bring your seat back up. Would you like something to drink?" First class was definitely the way to fly.

As I nodded and asked for water I thought about Charlie's reaction to getting my plane tickets. Seeing the first class seat had sent him into a frenzy of background checking. He even had Deputy Mark contact a friend in the FBI to look into the trust. It turned out to be run by an eccentric old lady who had mirror trusts for each district of the country. Her name was Lillian Hale and she was born in 1915. She wanted to give young girls who had adequate, but not spectacular, grades the opportunity to attend the best universities. Who she selected was on her whim more than anything else, but after one conversation with her Charlie calmed down. He even bought me nice luggage.

Normally I'm nervous flying, but shortly after taking my seat I'd seen that reddish hair again. He was sitting behind me and managed to look away whenever I twisted around in a blatant attempt to see him. A very petite, dark-haired girl was sitting next to him. While I couldn't see his face, her eyes were easy to make out and seemed to catch mine every time I turned. She seemed to find this amusing, judging by how her eyes were turned up at the corners. It didn't escape my notice that they were on every flight with me.

Along with my plane tickets were instructions. A driver would be waiting to take me from the airport to the university. Upon being dropped off at the administration building I would be met by a member of the financial aid department where I would finish the paperwork for my trust. The driver would then take me to my dorm and carry my luggage up to my room for me. I hoped I would find the driver.

I shouldn't have worried. Standing alone was a huge man, almost six and a half feet tall, with muscles that were barely held by the shirt he was wearing. People were giving him a wide berth in spite of the broad smile on his face. It was easy to see why they were intimidated, but I warmed to him instantly. He was holding a placard with my name on it so I walked over to him.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan," I said. He was even larger up close, and there was a slight sense that something about him was off. Maybe it was his strange eye color. I'd never seen amber colored eyes before.

"Emmett," he said with a nod, then looked past me with a smirk. He tilted his head to one side for a moment, rolled his eyes at something, and gestured to me to follow him. "How was your flight?"

"Fine," I said, panting as I tried to keep up with his long stride.

"Am I going too fast for you?" he asked with a grin. Just as I was about to say no I tripped, my feet tangling with each other. In a blindingly fast move he was next to me, holding me off my feet by picking me up by my arms as if I were a toddler. A shiver of fear raced down my spine as I gasped. He put me back on my feet just as fast as he'd picked me up, the fast movement leaving me breathless. "Sorry, I shouldn't have lifted you."

I took in a deep breath. "No, it's good you did, or I'd be on the floor." He glanced behind me again and cringed a little. I glanced around to see where he was looking and barely caught the flash of red hair turning behind a wall.

"I shouldn't have lifted you. I could have just set you on your feet, there's no excuse." The sight of this huge, imposing man looking sheepish was so incongruous I couldn't help but start to laugh.

"It's fine, Emmett, I swear," I said while unsuccessfully trying to suppress a giggle. "I don't know who the red-head is, but if he has a problem with it tell him to actually come talk to me instead of stalking me and I'll set him straight."

Emmett barked a laugh so loud the entire population of the airport came to a standstill so they could turn and look. Smiles broke out all around in response to the sheer joy shining on the huge man's face. "I'd be more than happy to pass that message along." A smirk formed on his face as he looked behind me again, gave a small chuckle, and turned to walk in front of me again, slower this time. "So, Bella, tell me about yourself."

"Well, there's not much to tell. I'm here to go to Dartmouth on some strange trust." I looked up to him. "Have you ever met Lillian Hale? The letter said you worked for her."

His grin seemed off. Not the smile of a happy employee but more like that of a man in love thinking about his girl. But, that couldn't be right. Emmett couldn't be more than a couple years older than me and Lillian was at least ninety-six. "Oh, yes, I know Lillian," he said, and the smile coupled with the tone of his words made me really wonder.

"What's she like?" I asked. If I could get him talking about her then he wouldn't question me.

"She's quite an amazing lady," he said, that same loving smile on his face.

"Are you related to her?" I asked.

He snorted a laugh. "Yes, we're related. By marriage." He glanced down at me and winked. "She was considered the most beautiful girl in all of Rochester, New York when she turned eighteen. She still turns heads." Something about how he said that made me wonder.

Emmett had no trouble with my heavy luggage, picking it up as if it were light as a feather and snorting another laugh when I tried to help. He quickly loaded us into a beautiful Mercedes, asking me if I wanted to sit up front with him and if I was hungry. After saying yes to both he pulled into a McDonalds and ordered only for me. "Aren't you going to eat?" I asked.

"I'm not thirsty," he said.

"Thirsty?"

"Oh, or hungry. I ate earlier. Much earlier." He gave me another wink. "Trust me, I'm good for now." He muttered something under his breath, and then laughed as another car flew up next to us. I was shocked to see the red-head, his full face visible, glaring at Emmett.

He was beautiful. I gasped, and as if he could hear me, he turned his attention to me, nodded, said something to the driver, and they took off.

"Who is he?" I asked, wincing at how breathy my voice sounded.

Emmett looked at me and shook with quiet laughter. "That's Edward."

I'm back lovelies! I've missed you all, but had a wonderful time on my cruise. I promise to get to reviews I missed after getting this posted, but figured you'd rather have this first.

I know you're all anxious to meet Edward, but he's just being really reclusive still. This was as much as he was willing to show up, I'm afraid, and he's a bit put out with me that I insisted he be this visible. There's a reason he's like this, promise.

Now, who knows who Lillian is? Anyone?