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

Edward was waiting for me outside the room where I was taking my last final. The happiness I felt of knowing I'd most likely passed my first semester at Dartmouth was nothing compared to the feeling of seeing him smiling down at me. Not wise, I knew, but there was something about him that made my heart feel more at peace.

"You look happy," he said, reaching out his hand for mine. We'd not progressed past hand-holding, and I was fine with that. I knew he wanted to kiss me, but he was resisting the urge to bite me, so decided to be patient.

"I am happy. I'm fairly sure I passed all my classes with acceptable grades," I told him, giving his fingers a slight squeeze.

"Well, if you're worried I could always break into your professors' offices and check." The corner of his mouth twitched. I now knew that he was teasing me, but the first time he'd made a suggestion like that I'd been shocked.

"No, thanks," I said, shaking my head. "I've just got to pack and pick up Charlie's present and we can head to the airport." Hopefully a change of subject would deter him.

Ever since my father found out a boy had flown to spend Thanksgiving with me at my mother's he'd been difficult. At first he demanded to know who he was and why I hadn't told him I was dating. Then he wondered if I thought Edward would be expecting to spend Christmas with me (that received a most emphatic 'yes' answer from Edward). Alice had Carlisle and Esme call Charlie to smooth things over. Though I had yet to meet Edward's parents, they were able to convince my dad that we were behaving ourselves and they were a good family. Carlisle saying that he and Esme were flying out with us, because as a professor of surgery at the medical school he also had time off, didn't hurt.

We were all riding together to the airport. As a result the excitement of having finished my finals was offset by the nervousness I felt over meeting the man who created Edward, thereby saving his life.

"I can't believe you're more worried about impressing a coven leader of vampires than if he'll want you for dinner," Edward teased as we continued to walk back to my dormitory.

"This coven leader doesn't eat humans and is a Dartmouth Medical School professor. I think my concerns are justified," I whispered back with a laugh, knowing he could hear me, only to be jerked to a halt when he stopped moving.

"What…" I started, looking back at him, only to notice he looked almost frozen. Following his gaze I saw a young girl, no more than twelve, obviously a vampire, walking across the square. Slowly his arm moved, pulling me behind him as if to block me from her view. When I hesitated he growled under his breath and tugged harder, making it impossible to resist him.

"Jane," he said, nodding his head in her direction. Peeking around him I saw her stop and regard him, then look at me.

"I heard you had a pet," she said, her girlish voice beautiful for all that it was cold.

"More than a pet, I'd say," he replied, his voice equally hard.

Her mouth quirked up into a vicious smile. "You don't really think that this audience of children will protect you from me, do you?" I hadn't thought it possible, but her tone was even colder as her eyes flickered to me.

Edward pulled me further behind him even as his demeanor changed to one of defeat. "No. Why don't I release her and we can talk?"

"Oh, but I came over specifically to meet her," she said sweetly. My heart began to pound in response to the underlying threat in her voice. She held her hand out to me. "Hello, Bella, I'm Jane."

I tried to step out from behind Edward, but was held in place for a moment. One glance from Jane, though, and he relented and pulled me to his side even as he angled his body as if he thought he might need to jump between us at any moment.

Holding my hand out to shake hers, I said, "Hello."

In an instant I was pulled behind Edward, only to have him collapse to the ground in the fetal position. "Edward!" I cried, and he relaxed, but other students had seen and were coming over.

"You okay, man?" one helpful guy asked, running to us.

"Fine, thanks," Edward replied, glancing at Jane who looked unconcerned.

"You sure? Looked like you had a seizure or something." His eyes traveled from Edward, to me, and then to Jane. Picking up on the tension he added, "I could call campus security?"

"That won't be necessary, thank you," Edward said with a smile. The helpful guy nodded and left with a wave, but kept turning to look at us as he walked away. "Jane, tell your father we'll be happy to meet with him. Right now I have to catch a plane to meet Bella's father."

"What should I tell Aro?" Jane asked, pointing to me. "You know this is against the law."

"Tell him it's an experiment," Edward offered.

Jane looked at me again and shrugged. "Fine, but Caius won't be happy about leaving her alive for very long. Expect to hear from them soon."

Edward nodded and started walking away from Jane, pulling me in front of him to keep his body between us. When I started to say something he shushed me and began to walk faster. It wasn't until we were at my dormitory, where I found Alice throwing clothes into a suitcase, that I confronted him.

"I'm an experiment?"

Sorry to be so long in updating. Life has been crazy. To quote Tom Clancy - The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction has to make sense.