Hello everyone, I'm here with a TRIPLE UPDATE! All three stories, all with lots of suspense! This one is the one that everyone loved in the books - Edward saves the day: Part Two! So, I won't say too much here because I obviously do not want to hold you back from reading it, but I do need to send out a special thank you to my new Beta Angel of the Night Watchers who was so quick to help edit this! Thank you so much!

S.M. owns this original story. And my soul. I still own the changes :)

Enjoy!

Jessica drove faster than Charlie so we ended up making it down to Port Angeles by four. It was a relief to be out for a girls night, which I hadn't had since three days before I had left Phoenix with Arie, Jenn, Bianca, and Leslie. The estrogen rush was surprisingly invigorating and I couldn't hide my smile or my excitement. Angela seemed to notice and beamed with me.

In true girl-time tradition, we listened to whiny rock songs, Jessica jabbered on about the boys we hung out with, about the best and worse chick flicks we had seen, and then defending the fact we had even seen them. Jessica went into pinpoint detail about her dinner with Mike so we could analyze and over analyze it. It seemed to have gone well, and she said that she was hoping that on Saturday night they will have progressed to the first-kiss stage. I smiled to myself, glad I had been so rough with him. Angela was passively excited for the dance itself, even less excited to be going with Eric. Jess tried to get her to confess who her type was, or more specifically who she wanted to base her type on, but I interrupted with a question about which style of dresses they were looking for, and which would look best with their body types. Angela gave me a grateful nod. It seemed like a bond-building move.

Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, much more polished and quaint than dingy little Forks. But Jessica and Angela knew it well, so they didn't plan on wasting time on the boardwalk or the strip. Instead, Jess drove straight to the big department store in town - the only department store in town - which was a few streets from the overdone tourist flare of the town.

The dance was considered semi-formal, and we weren't exactly sure what that meant. Both Jessica and Angela seemed completely aware and enthralled when I told them I used to go to dances all the time. They asked for details that I was more than happy to give and I even showed off some pictures on my cell phone of past dances. Both told me immediately that I got to choose which dresses would look best and hinted that I would have the final say.

"So, all those dances," Jess began with a suggestive eyebrow raised. "Did you always have a boy to go with or something? Boyfriend, maybe?"

"I've had a boyfriend or two," I admitted. "They fell a little too hard and I was more detached so I always ended it. I felt bad, but I tend to make a better friend than a girlfriend."

"Did you always stay friends?" Angela asked quietly, with big eyes. I wondered if there was secondary meaning to the question so I nodded.

"Yeah. I've never let any of them go and I've never pretended nothing happened. It didn't work out, so it didn't work out. But I missed their company anyway. I just don't..." I struggled for the right term, "you know..."

"Love them?" Angela suggested suspiciously. I blushed noticeably, the L-word was forbidden territory to me. I nodded.

"Yeah. That one." I shrugged. "I'm not really into having a boyfriend anymore."

"Why not?" Jessica demanded, disgusted by the thought that you could turn off something like that. I smiled a bit as we closed the car doors and started walking towards the doors.

"Because I have bigger things on my mind." I winked. "You know: meaning of life, life after death, trying to work out how to make a damned time machine out of a Delorean." I was glad that Angela giggled.

"So you're just going to ignore all the people who ask you out here?" Jessica asked sceptically.

"That's what I've been doing," I confirmed with a nod.

"Well, except for Tyler," Angela amended quietly. I glared at her, the first act of anger towards the girl.

"Pardon me?"

"Tyler told everyone that he's talking you to the prom." Jessica informed with with wary eyes and her ear awkwardly turned in my direction as we walked through the Junior section towards the dresses.

"He said what?" I asked through gritted teeth. "He said he wants me to kick his butt?"

"I told you it wasn't true," Angela murmured to Jessica as we reached the dresses. They started to paw through them. Jessica nodded and looked to me with a giggle.

"That's why Lauren doesn't like you." I exhaled in anger, trying to keep myself calm - in doing this I tripped over my own shoe.

"Lauren can have him - I'll gift wrap him specifically for the occasion." I sneered. "Alright, so if I were to run him over with my truck do you think he'd stop feeling guilty? Then we can call it even and I will be forced to do less permanent damage."

"Sure," Jess snickered. "If that's why he's doing this."

The dress selection wasn't large but we all found something to try on, even myself. I helped them pick out the best dresses for them, and told them that no matter what those would be the best for their body so they had the final pick in their own dresses.

I put Jessica into a room with a long, strapless, black number that was sleek and showed off all of her curves. It was made of a cotton and polyester mix - this shop wasn't the best quality - that would hide many of her awkward bumps from being a little more plump, she had agreed. The other dress was electric blue, knee length and pencil skirted with spaghetti straps that seemed to show even more cleavage. I personally thought she should go with the blue. It would be harder to match, but would help her eyes pop. I explained that silver shoes would match, and it would be all about the simple silver accessories that wouldn't draw attention from the dress itself, or what it brought out in her eyes.

Angela wasn't comfortable enough to go with the lavender knee length dress that I had picked out with a tighter bodice and faux corset back. Instead, she went with a pale pink, full length gown that fit her thin, but tall, frame well and brought out her natural honey highlights.

I looked at myself in a bright yellow dress with blue accents that was far too tight and small to be worn in public, before whipping that off and showing off a red, salsa-styled dress. Very cheap and simple, something I would have worn to school in Phoenix during a day we would have a dance class - but not here in Forks. This wouldn't be promiscuous, but rather something someone would wear to the semi formal and still look too dolled up. Had it been any less than $47, I would have thought about it - but I already had the skirt of it in four other colors.

We headed over to the accessories and shoes, while they tried on things I made sure not to let myself look around. I liked shoes too much to even examine the selection. When I told them this they laughed at me, but seemed to believe me as they made sure to keep my attention away from the displays. I think I may have been too fancy and random a dresser for this little place - one minute renegade artist, next minute salsa dancer on break, then back to boring high school student. The higher fashion I was used to made me think of the Cullens - and I knew that my girls-night vibe was ruined.

"Angela?" I bit my lip as Jessica headed for the jewelry, and Angela tried on a pair of strappy pink heels - they would look horrible with the dress because they were two completely different colors of pink, but I knew she was still on a high that she had found someone tall enough to wear heels with.

"Yes?" She held her leg out and twisted it to get a better view of the shoe.

"Those are pink." I chickened out. She looked at me and nodded.

"I think I'll get them - though it will be hard to match them with anything else." I tried not to say that they wouldn't match with that dress, either.

"Go ahead - they're on sale," I noted. She smiled and put the lid back on the box that contained more practical, white shoes. "So, Angela," I tried again. "Is it normal for the...Cullens," I kept my eyes on my shoes, "to be out of school a lot?"

Smooth, Liv, smooth.

"Yes, when the weather is good they go backpacking all the time - even the doctor. They're all real outdoorsy." She was examining her shoes too. I was glad to have someone like her who didn't bombard me with questions and poke at my curiosity like Jessica would have. I was really beginning to like her. She understood personal space and privacy.

"Oh." It was the best I could come up with and I was glad I hadn't started to say anything else because Jessica returned to show the silver jewelry that she had found to match the silver shoes - having gone with the blue dress.

We planned to go to dinner at a little Italian restaurant on the boardwalk, but the dress shopping hadn't taken as long as we'd expected. Jess and Angela were going to take their clothes to the car, and then take a walk down to the bay. I told them that I would meet them at the restaurant in an hour. I wanted to look for a bookstore. They were both willing to come with me, but I told them that it was okay, I had a good sense of direction - they caught the lie.

I explained with sincerity that they didn't understand how absorbed I could get when I was surrounded by books, and gave them a quiet example of the sounds I made when I got excited around them. I explained that because of this, it was something I liked to do alone. They walked off to the car, chattering happily, and I headed in the direction that Jess had pointed me.

It wasn't hard to find the bookstore, but it wasn't what I was looking for. The windows were full of crystals and dream-catchers, which looked fascinating, but I wasn't looking for spirituality books. I didn't even go inside. I wasn't going to fool myself - I was on the hunt for a good vampire novel. There had to be a more diverse bookstore in town somewhere, and since the town wasn't big, I was sure I could find it with time to spare.

I scuttled my way down the street, listening to my iPod that I never left the house without, and cradling my jacket over my two arms, still glad to be soaking up the last of the Vitamin D. I hoped I was headed towards downtown, and was trying to follow the flow of traffic that was starting to fill the streets now that it was rush hour, while wrestling with my thoughts. It was much harder when I was alone with my thoughts to keep them about things besides Edward. I was trying, unsuccessfully, to beat down my hopes for Saturday, fearing a disappointment more painful than the rest, when I looked up to see someone's silver Volvo parked along the street - it all came crushing down on me. I stopped and looked at the Volvo angrily, trying to glare through the tinted windows. In spite, I switched my iPod to the Smashing Pumpkin's Bullet With Butterfly Wings and relished in singing it quietly to myself as I kept walking. Since the first line was 'the world is a vampire' I felt comfortable enough to walk past the car, knowing that I had not built up any immunities with my bitterness.

I stomped along in the southerly direction, toward some glass-fronted shops that looked promising, but when I got to them it was only a repair shop and a vacant space. I still had too much time to go looking for Angela and Jessica, and I had no idea where the bay was or how long it was. Besides - I needed to get my mood under control before I met up with them. I closed my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair few times and took deep breaths before I continued around a corner - tripping on the lip of the sidewalk on the way. I glared at it as I walked away, only to trip again.

I started to realize that I was going in the wrong direction. The little foot traffic that had been going north, where I seemed to have drifted from, had disappeared and it looked like I was in the warehouse area. I decided to turn east at the next corner, and then loop around after a few blocks and try my luck on a different street on my way back to the boardwalk.

A group of four men turned around the corner I was headed for, dressed too casually to be headed home from the office, but too grimy to be tourists. I assumed they worked in the warehouses that currently surrounded me. They weren't too many years older than I was and were joking to themselves, laughing far too loud - as if purposely to pull my attention. I scooted to the inside of the sidewalk to let them pass, walking swiftly, and suddenly very nervous by how much time I had put into making myself look good. I'd just had to draw attention to myself today.

"Hey there!" one of them called as they passed. Since no one was around, they were obviously talking to me. I found myself glancing up and smiling politely, but that smile fell when they slowed around me. The closest, a heavy set, dark haired man in his early twenties seemed to be the speaker. He was wearing a flannel shirt over a dirt covered t-shirt, cut off jeans, and sandals. It was drab wear in far too cold of weather. I was suddenly very aware of my bare arms when I saw him glancing at them.

"Hello," I mumbled, just to make it clear that I could be loud if I had to be. I looked away, walking closer towards the corner. I could hear them laughing again at full volume behind me.

"Hey, wait!" one called from behind me, but I kept my head down on my feet and rounded the corner with a sigh of relief. The chortling behind me did not end, but I was glad to be alone.

I found myself on a sidewalk leading past the backs of several somber colored warehouses, each with large bay doors for unloading trucks padlocked for the night. The south side of the street had no sidewalk, only a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire protecting some kind of engine parts. I briefly wondered if they would have a cylinder for Jacob's Rabbit. I couldn't remember what year it was...'84 or '86?

It was clear that I was out of the tourist trap of Port Angeles and into the thick of the town. It was getting dark, the clouds returning and piling up on the western horizon, making the sunset come early. The graying sky that was shot through with pink and orange gave me hope: maybe tomorrow those clouds would overtake the town, and I would get to see Edward. I put my jacket on from a sudden chill and crossed my arms tightly over my chest. A single van passed, then all was silent.

As the sky darkened further, I got more paranoid. This caused me to take out my iPod and shove it into my purse, the thin strap still around my shoulder. I looked over my shoulder to glare at the cloud creating a premature cold in the town, only to be surprised that two men were twenty feet behind me.

I knew automatically they were some of the boys that had passed me before, very clearly going in the opposite direction. Though neither were the dark haired one who had spoken to me, I could remember their faces, even if I couldn't remember names. I'd taken enough art classes to look for the detail in faces. I cursed myself silently, knowing that I hadn't put my pepper spray in my bag. In fact, I hadn't even unpacked it from my luggage - who needed it in Forks? But I wasn't in Forks, I was in Port Angeles.

I didn't have much money with me, just a twenty and some ones, and I thought about "accidentally" dropping my bag and walking away. But I had a small voice telling me that they may be something worse than thieves.

I listened intently to their footsteps, which were disturbingly quiet in comparison to when they were so boisterous before, but it didn't sound like they were speeding up or getting closer to me. Breathe, I had to remind myself. You've just watched too many Cold Cases and Police shows. I continued to walk away more quickly, just in case, keeping my focus on the right hand turn that was only a few yards away from me now. I could still hear them, staying as far back as they had been and tried to take some comfort in it, but I was in panic mode now. A blue car turned onto the street and drove quickly passed me. I contemplated jumping in front of it to get their attention, but knew I would screw it up and get hit.

I reached the corner, but a swift glance revealed that it was only a blind drive to the back of another building. I was half turned in anticipation; I had to hurriedly correct and dash across the narrow drive, back to the sidewalk. The street ended at the next corner, where there was a stop sign. I concentrated on the footsteps behind me again, deciding whether or not to run. They sounded farther back though, and I couldn't run to save my life - which I really hope wouldn't end up being a more ironic phrase. I was sure to trip and go sprawling if I tried to walk faster, and if I got any more worked up my mild asthma was sure to kick in - and I didn't have a puffer. I didn't need it most of the time, but in times where I'm panicking and speeding, remembering how to take deep breaths certainly quickened the process of calming me down.

The footfalls were quieter now, and I risked a quick glance over my shoulder. They were definitely farther back - forty feet now, I saw with relief. But they were both staring straight at me, not as soothing.

It seemed to take me forever to get to the corner. I kept my pace steady, the men behind me falling ever so slightly behind with each step. Maybe they realized that they had scared me and were backing off out of guilt. I saw two cars going north past the intersection I was headed for, and I exhaled in relief. There would be more people once I got off this deserted street. I was almost safe. I skipped around the corner with a grateful sigh - and skidded to a halt.

The street was lined on both sides by blank, doorless, windowless walls. I could see in the distance, two intersections down, streetlamps, cars, and more pedestrians, but they were all much too far away. Because lounging against the western building, midway down the street, were the other two men from the group, both watching with excited smiles as I froze dead on the sidewalk. I realized then that I had never been followed.

I had been herded.

I paused for only a second, but as I stared into the dark-haired man's eyes, it felt like an eternity. An eternity of understanding what they had planned for me. That I was supposed to become another cold case file, twenty years down the road. I would be someone's sick obsession to watch when they couldn't get to sleep at two in the morning and no one would care that I had ever really died in the first place besides a dispassionate "that's so sad".

I did what my instincts told me and damned my asthma. I bolted across the street, knowing that it was a wasted attempt. The footsteps behind me were now faster, louder, closer.

"There you are!" The dark-haired man boomed. It was almost piercing in the silence of the warehouses and it looked like he was looking past me because of the darkness.

"Yeah," a voice called loudly from behind me, making me jump again as I tried to hurry down the street. "We took a little detour."

My steps had to slow now. I was closing the distance between myself and the lounging pair too quickly. I tried to hide my little asthma attack by taking deeper breaths, but it got worse with each step I took. No direction was safe and I no longer had enough air to let out a decent scream to alert anyone who would hear - if they could hear.

The thickest man came to a stop and walked slowly down the street.

"Get away." I warned in a voice that was supposed to sound strong and fearless. But I was so breathless that it only sounded pathetic.

"Don't be like that, sugar," he purred, grabbing onto my jacket. I spun out of it, too proud of myself to realize how I had done it. The raucous laughter started again behind me. I braced myself in a wide stance like I had seen in the Karate Kid. I knew from Asher - a black belt - that a heel up and into the nose could break it or shove the cartilage in the brain, and I would totally get away with self defense against all charges. But was I even strong enough to hurt him? My arms were pretty flimsy and that was a lot of damage.

There was a finger through the eye socket, try to hook it in and pop the eye out. And the standard knee to groin, of course - always the fall back. Besides, from dance I knew that my legs were much stronger, so maybe I could just do some kicking - it kept me at a farther distance from them anyway and I was flexible enough to get in a good hit to the face. But how long would it take before one of them caught my leg and pushed me onto the ground? I tried to take a deep breath and failed, my asthma had kicked in full stop, now. I tried for another deep breath, readying myself to scream, or possibly a battle cry.

Headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car almost hitting the stocky one, forcing him to jump back toward the sidewalk. I dove into the road - this car was going to stop or hit me, but right now both seemed great options. My knees were starting to go weak and I was lightheaded from a lack of oxygen going into it. The silver car unexpectedly fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open just a few feet from me.

"Get in." A furious voice commanded me. I had died. They had lynched me, and I had died because I knew that voice, but I also knew he couldn't be here to save the day this time. I was in Port Angeles, and he had no idea I was here. "Now!" He yelled. I jumped and fell into the seat with my dizziness, slamming the door shut behind me.

It was dark in the car, no light had come on with the opening of the door, and I could barely see his face from the glow of the dashboard, but it was him. I let in one of my shaky non-breaths as he squealed the tires around to face north, accelerating too quickly and swerving towards the men on the street. I caught a glimpse of them diving for the sidewalk as he straightened out and sped towards the harbor.

"Put on your seat belt," he commanded, and I realized I was clutching the seat with both hands. I was clutching it out of pain in my chest and fear by the speed. I found I couldn't obey because I had to close my eyes to focus on my lack of oxygen. I heard the belt move to my side and felt as it clicked around me, I looked over to him - already back in driving position as if he hadn't moved to put my seatbelt on me - and gratefully nodded to him. Though he wasn't looking at me, I knew he saw it.

He took a sharp left and blew through several stop signs without a pause. I felt utterly safe and, for the moment, totally unconcerned about where we were going. I stared at his face in profound relief, relief that was making it easier to breathe. Slowly. That was until my heart rate picked up from the murderously angry look gracing his beautiful features.

"Are you...okay?" I asked, a shuttering breath breaking the sentence.

"No." It was curt. Final. His tone was livid.

I sat in silence, not strong enough say more, but disappointed that my breathing was still so ragged. I watched his face, hoping that the memory of how it could look, which had always figuratively taken my breath away, would ironically bring it back. His blazing eyes stared straight ahead until we suddenly came to a stop, where he closed his eyes to compose himself. I glanced around, but I could see nothing. We were no longer in town.

"Vivienne?" his voice was tight and controlled.

"Mm?"

"Are you all right?" He still had his eyes closed, unable to look at me, but the fury was clear on his face.

"Fine."

"Liar." He hissed. "Your breathing is all off."

"I can't...help it." I closed my eyes too. "I didn't bring my...puffer."

"You're asthmatic?" This brought a bit more of a hysterical undertone to his words. I winced, keeping my eyes closed.

"A little," I admitted. "I just need...to breathe. It's really mild." He gave me the time I needed. I did exercise that I had taught Katie - since her asthma was much worse than mine. I barely needed to use them, so I needed to calm down and try remember to how I had taught them, so I could remember how to use them. After about a minute and a half, I was nearly okay.

"Are you all right?" He asked again.

"Yes." I said with certainty. Now that I had my breathing under control, I was sure I would be. But I would have to go home and use my puffer. It took away some of the side effects - like the pain that always stayed in my chest the next morning.

"Distract me, please," he ordered. I blinked.

"Pardon me?" He exhaled sharply.

"Just prattle bout something unimportant until I calm down," he clarified, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. I looked at him tentatively, afraid of where his anger was directed.

"I'm going to go buy a crowbar to give it as a gift to Tyler Crowley tomorrow - right in his face?" I asked it more than told him, but I saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

"Why?" He asked, trying hard not to smile. I considered it a victory.

"He's telling everyone that he's taking me to prom - either he's insane or he's still trying to make up for almost killing me last - well, you were kind of there so I'm sure you remember. So he apparently thinks that prom is somehow the correct way to do this. So I figure that if I endanger his life, then we're even. He can't keep trying to make amends. Maybe he won't even nail me for attempted homicide. I don't need enemies and maybe Lauren will get off my back. I might have to total the Sentra, though. If he doesn't have a ride he won't take anyone to prom...unless he gets a limo. Oh, God, he wouldn't show up with a limo would he?"

"I heard about that." He sounded a bit more composed. I was proud.

"You did?" I asked in disbelief. "How did everyone know but me? You know, I bet that if he were paralyzed from the neck down he would be too embarrassed to ask anyone to prom, too." I muttered, refining my plan.

Edward sighed and opened his eyes, glaring at the road in front of him.

"Better?" I asked cautiously.

"Not really." He murmured, leaning his head against the back of the seat and staring at the ceiling of the car. His face was rigid.

"What's wrong?" I asked carefully.

"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Vivienne." He was whispering and as he stared out the window, his eyes narrowed into slits. "But it wouldn't be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those..." he could not think of an appropriate word. "At least," he continued. "That's what I'm trying to convince myself."

I tried not to argue with him, I would have liked to see him go Kung-Fu on their asses in my honor. I would have loved to see him fight them off and defend me, but he was right. He could do more serious damage than most people - even in movies. And it was weird to remember it. We sat in silence again. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard which glared an angry 6:42 at me.

"Jessica and Angela have been waiting for me - they're going to be worried." I whispered, afraid to break the silence of his musings.

He started the engine without another word, turning around smoothly and speeding back toward town. We were under the streetlights in no time at all, still going too fast, weaving with ease through all the cars that were cruising down the boardwalk. He parallel-parked against the curb in a place I had no way of imagining fitting into - Volvo or not - and he did it effortlessly in one try. Show off. I looked out the window to see the lights of La Bella Italia - Jess and Angela were at the door, headed out of it.

"How did you know where..." I began, but stopped myself. I didn't want to know right now. I heard the door open and saw him stepping out.

"What are you doing?" I asked him incredulously. I struggled with my seat belt, hell-bent on following him. He smiled at me as I opened the door to the car.

"I am taking you to dinner." He smiled slightly, reaching the sidewalk as I closed his door. He spoke before I could. "Go stop Jessica and Angela before I have to track them down, too. I don't think I could restrain myself if I ran into your other friends again."

I shivered at the threat in his voice. "Friends," I muttered darkly. "Jess! Angela!" I yelled after them, waving when they turned. They rushed back to me, the pronounced relief on their faces simultaneously changing to surprise when they saw who was standing next to me. They hesitated a few feet from us.

"Where have you been?" Jessica's voice was suspicious as she eyed Edward up and down.

"I got lost," I admitted sheepishly and leaving out the part about the guys out to get me added, "then I ran into Edward." I gestured towards him as if he were a prize on the Price is Right.

"Would it be all right if I joined you?" he asked in his most polite and irresistible voice. I could see from their staggered expressions that he had never unleashed his talents on them before.

"Er...sure," Jessica breathed.

"Um, actually, Liv, we already ate while we were waiting - sorry." Angela confessed guiltily. I shook my head instantly, feeling stupid.

"Oh. Of course, no, don't even worry. I wasn't that hungry anyway."

"I think you should eat something." Edward's voice was low but full of authority. He looked up at Jessica and spoke a bit louder. "Do you mind if I drive Liv home tonight? That way you won't have to wait while she eats."

"Uh..." she bit her lip, trying to figure out whether this was what I wanted or not. To make it very clear, I winked at her, to which she smiled slightly and nodded much more enthusiastically. "Okay. It's no problem."

"Okay." Angela smiled knowingly. "See you tomorrow, Liv...Edward." She grabbed Jessica's hand and pulled her towards her car, which I could see a bit farther away. I waved back at them as they drove away before I turned back to Edward.

"Honestly, I'm not hungry." I insisted, looking up to scrutinize his face. His expression was unreadable.

"Humor me." He said lowly, opening the door to the restaurant with an obstinate expression. There was no fighting with him tonight, and there was a part of me that really didn't want to. I walked past him into the restaurant with a melodramatic sigh.

The restaurant wasn't crowded - it was the off season in Port Angeles. The host was female and I understood the look in her eyes as she undressed Edward with them. It almost made my face heat up. She welcomed him with a little more warmth than needed and I was surprised by the flash of anger it brought out in me. Did that count as jealousy? I mean, he wasn't mine to oggle. He was meant for the world to oggle.

"Table for two?" His voice was alluring, whether he was going for that or not. I saw her eyes flicker to me and away, thinking instantly that I must not be competition. Which was funny, because I looked at her fake blonde hair and leathery skin and knew she was no better off than I. Edward kept between us as she led us to a table big enough for four in the center of the most crowded area of the dining floor.

"Perhaps something more private?" he insisted quietly to the host. She stole a glance at me again and looked to him. I didn't quite see, but I was sure that he had handed her a tip quietly where I could not see. I rolled my eyes.

"Sure." She sounded as surprised as I would have been were I not so cynical. She turned and led us around a partition to a small ring of booths - all empty. "How's this?"

"Perfect." He flashed his gleaming smile, dazing her momentarily.

"Um," she shook her head, blinking rapidly, "your server will be right out." She walked away somewhat unsteadily. I picked up a menu sourly.

"You know, that's not fair at all. You can't just do that to people."

"Do what?" He asked, looking up at me innocently through his lashes.

"Befuddle, no...dazzle people like that." I scorned, looking at my menu instead of him. "She's probably hyperventilating in the bathroom at this very moment." He seemed confused.

"Oh come on," I said dubiously. "You have to know the effect you have on people."

He tilted his head to the side, his eyes were curiously amused. "I dazzle people?"

My eyebrows shot up. "You haven't noticed? Do you think everyone gets their way with such little prodding?" but he ignored my questions, looking at me steadily.

"Do I dazzle you?"

"Frequently." I stated, not having the courage to look up at him. It was then that our server arrive, her face expectant. She had obviously been told about the tipping hottie who came in with the ordinary girl for a private seat. She didn't look disappointed in him. She flipped a strand of short, black hair behind one ear and smiled with unnecessary warmth.

"Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" I didn't miss that she was ignoring me, her attention and posture fully focused on Adonis.

He, however, did pay me attention.

"I'll have a Sprite."

"Two Sprites." he said to her, smiling at her lightly. She smiled back immediately.

"I'll be right back with that." She assured, before bustling off to get the drinks as he kept a firm gaze on me. I felt uncomfortable immediately.

"What?"

His eyes stayed on my face. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." I replied, surprised by his intensity.

"You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold...?"

"Should I?" I asked suspiciously. He chuckled.

"Well, I'm actually waiting for you to go into shock." His face twisted up into that perfect, crooked smile. I nodded, my eyes wandering around the restaurant as I let my thoughts run wild, looking for any trace of shock. Then I shrugged.

"Nope. I don't think that will happen." I said after I was done. "I've always been very good with repressing things."

"Not what I wanted to hear. Just the same, I'll feel better when you have some sugar and food in you." Right on cue, the waitress appeared with our drinks and a basket of breadsticks. She stood with her back to me as she placed them on the table.

"Are you ready to order?" Her voice was so nasal and she was obviously pushing it higher than she needed to. I rolled my eyes.

"Vivienne?" Edward looked past her and towards me. She turned unwillingly, so I searched my mind for what I had seen on the menu beforehand.

"Could I have the chicken pesto?"

"And you?" She turned around and regarded him with a smile. She hadn't written my order down or paid attention when I said it - I briefly wondered if it was what I would end up getting.

"Nothing for me," he said. I look at him darkly. Of course not.

"Let me know if you change your mind." The coy smile was still in lace, but he wasn't looking at her and she left dissatisfied.

"Drink," he ordered. I sipped at my soda obediently, not liking the carbonation tickling my nose on the first sip. Then, I started to drink more deeply as I realized how thirsty I actually was. I realized I had finished the whole thing only when he pushed his drink towards me as well.

"Merci." I nodded, still thirsty. The cold from the soda sent shivers through me when I started to slow down and clever Edward did not miss the action.

"Are you cold?"

"It's just the soda." I assured him, shivering as I took another sip.

"Don't you have a jacket?"

"I did-" I paused, shivering for a completely different reason. "Something tells me I won't be getting it back any time soon." Edward paused for a moment and I watched his hands ball themselves into fists for a moment, before he took a deep breath, and shrugged off his jacket. It was a dark brown leather jacket, he wore a well fitted white v-neck sweater under it. The white did nothing for his pale complexion. He handed me the jacket and interrupted my staring, which heated up my cheeks quickly. I mumbled another thank you as he gave it to me. I slipped my arms through the jacket and winced when I felt how cold it was - like when you put on the jacket you hadn't worn in days. But it would heat up quickly, I was always a little bit warmer than others. It smelt heavenly. I inhaled, trying to memorize the aroma - it wasn't cologne - it was his smell. The sleeves were much too long and I found I had to play with them before I could free my hands.

"That color blue looks wonderful with your skin." he told, watching me intently. I was surprised and flushed as I examined myself. I had forgotten how much time I had actually put into my wardrobe. Before I could even thank him, he pushed the bread basket towards me.

"Really," I began to assure. "I'm not going into shock."

"You should be - a normal person would be. You don't even look shaken." He seemed unsettled. He stared into my eyes, and I saw how light his eyes were, lighter than I had ever seen them - a beautiful golden honey.

"I feel safe with you, however much you tell me I'm wrong." I confessed, mesmerized into telling the truth again. He was his own truth serum. But my answer displeased him, his brow furrowed. He shook his head, frowning at me.

"This is more complicated than I'd planned," he murmured to himself. I picked up a breadstick and began to nibble on it, measuring his expression. I wondered if now would be a good time to start my interrogation.

"Usually you're in a better mood when your eyes are so light," I commented, trying to distract him from whatever thought had left him so melancholy. He looked up at me like I had just told him that Jesus was walking across the wine menu.

"What?"

"You're angrier when your eyes are black - so I expect you to be grumpy. It helps my theory."

His eyes narrowed. "More theories?"

"Mhm." I chewed on a small bite of my breadstick, trying to look innocent.

"I hope you were more creative this time...or are you still stealing from comic books?" His faint smile was mocking but I could tell that it was too tight to be completely taunting. He was nervous.

"No..." I muttered, insulted. "It's not from a comic book. But - well, I didn't quite come up with it all on my little lonesome." I confessed.

"And?" he prompted. But I was saved by the waitress as she strode in with my food. I realized we'd been subconsciously leaning forward towards each other from opposite sides of the table because we both straightened up as she approached. She set the dish in front of me - it smelled fantastic - and turned toward Edward.

"Did you change your mind?" she asked. "There isn't anything I can get you?" I narrowed my eyes at the double entendre.

"No, thank you, but some more soda would be nice." he gestured with a long white hand to the empty cups in front of me. She looked at me like I was a glutton.

"Sure." She sneered and removed the glasses, strutting back towards the kitchen.

"You were saying?" he asked. I bit my lip, looking down at my food and picking up a spoonful. I twirled it in front of me as I shrugged.

"I'll tell you about it in the car, if-"

"There are conditions?" He raised an eyebrow, his voice low and ominous.

"I do have a few questions, of course."

"Of course." The waitress was back with two more sodas. She sat them down without a word this time, and left again. I took a sip.

"Well, go ahead," he pushed, his voice still hard. I looked down at my food, not liking the edge to his voice, it made me uneasy. I started with the simplest, or so I thought.

"Why are you in Port Angeles?"

He looked down, folding his hands together on the table. His eyes flickering up to me from under his lashes. There was a slight smirk on his face as he simply said, "next."

"Wh-" I gawked at him. "But that's the easiest one!"

"Next," he repeated. I closed my eyes in frustration, knowing that if he had passed that question, most likely he would pass the rest of them. Then I wouldn't have my answers, and then there was no way in Hell I would tell him my theories. They started to sound more ridiculous the more I thought about them. I took a few spoonfuls of my chicken pesto, which was perfectly cooked, I thought.

"Fine then," I glared spitefully. "Let's say in a hypothetical world, with hypothetical people, in a hypothetical situation," he chuckled. "That someone...could know what people are thinking, read minds, you know - with a few exceptions."

"Just one exception," he corrected, "hypothetically."

"Alright, one exception, then." I was thrilled that he was playing along, but tried to make it seem casual. "How does that work? What are the limitations? How would y-that someone find someone else at exactly the right time? How would he know that she was in trouble?" I wondered if my questions made sense because of how they were phrased.

"Hypothetically?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. I nodded. "Well, if...that someone..."

"Can we call him 'Hank'?" I asked. He smiled wryly at the name choice.

"Hank, then. If Hank had been paying attention, the timing wouldn't have needed to be quite so exact." He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Only you could get into trouble in a town this small. You would have devastated their crime rate statistics for a decade, you know."

"Hey now, we were speaking hypothetically." I reminded him coolly.

"Yes, we were," he laughed, his eyes warm. "Shall we call you 'Bella'?"

"How did you know?" I asked, unable to curb my intensity. I realized I was leaning forward again, but I could not pull myself back, not when I was so close to getting answers.

He seemed to be wavering, torn by some internal dilemma. His eyes were locked with mine, and I guessed he was making the decision right then whether or not to simply tell me the truth.

"You can trust me. I don't know why you don't by now." I murmured. I reached forward thoughtlessly to try and touch his folded hands, but he lightly slid them away. I bit my lip, bringing mine back to grab my fork, pushing food in my mouth to occupy myself.

"I don't know if I have a choice anymore." His voice was almost a whisper. "I was wrong - you are much more observant than I gave you credit for."

"I thought you were always right."

"I used to be." He shook his head again. "I was wrong about you on one other thing, as well. You're not a magnet for accidents - that's not a broad enough classification. You are a magnet for trouble. If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will inevitably find you."

"And you put yourself into that category?" I guessed. His face turned cold.

"Unequivocally." I damned my nerves and reached across the table for his hands again and even when he pulled away, I kept going until I was laying my hand on his. It was cold and hard, like stone against my hand but I squeezed it gently anyway.

"That's twice now. I'd say that I owe you, but..." I trailed off. "Thank you."

His face softened. "Let's not try for three, agreed?"

I scowled but nodded at the request. He moved his hand from under mine but leaned forward to compensate. He took a deep breath and I had to try very hard to pay attention to what he was saying.

"I followed you to Port Angeles." He admitted, speaking in a rush. "I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's much more troublesome than I would have believed. But that is probably just because it's you. Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without any catastrophes."

"Did you ever think that maybe my number was up the first time? You know, with the van? You're interfering with fate - Final Destination style?" I speculated, distracting myself.

"That wasn't the first time," he said. I stared at him in shock. "Your number was up the first time I met you." I felt a spasm at his words as the abrupt memory of his violent black eyes glaring at me.

"You remember?" his face was grave. I felt terrible for pulling it into such a terrible grimace.

"Yes."

"And yet, here you sit." There was a trace of disbelief in his voice.

"...Because of you." I paused. "Because somehow, you knew how to find me today..." I prompted. He pressed his lips together at my words, staring at me through narrowed eyes. He was deciding again. His eyes flashed to my plate, then back to me.

"You eat, I'll talk." He bargained. My fork was in my hand automatically, a piece of chicken in my mouth.

"It's harder than it should be - keeping track of you. Usually I can find someone very easily, once I've heard their mind before." He looked at me anxiously, and I realized I had frozen. I made myself swallow and then took another mouth full, trying to make it look like I was only surprised that he was telling me anything at all and not just because he was proving a theory right. "I was keeping tabs on Jessica, not carefully - like I said, only you could find trouble in Port Angeles - and at first, I didn't notice that you had taken off on your own. Then, when I realized you weren't with her anymore, I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in her head. I could tell that you hadn't gone in, and that you had gone south...and I knew you would have turn around soon. So I was just waiting for you, randomly searching through the thoughts of people on the street - to see if anyone had noticed you so that I would know where you were. I had no reason to be worried...but I was strangely anxious..." He looked past me, seeing things in his own thoughts that I did not, or would not be able to comprehend.

"I started to drive in circles, still...listening. The sun was finally setting and I was about to get out and follow you on foot. And then -" he stopped, clenching his teeth together in fury. He made an effort to calm himself.

"Then what?" I asked, too involved to help myself. He continued to stare over my head, maybe now that he was conscious of the intensity of his eyes he wouldn't use them as often as a weapon.

"I heard what they were thinking," he growled, his upper lip curling slightly over his perfectly straight teeth. I saw no fangs and was relieved. "I saw your face in his mind." He suddenly leaned forward, one elbow appearing on the table, his hand covering his eyes. The movement was so swift that I hadn't seen the action itself, only the result. I widened my eyes slightly, realizing it was those reflexes that had saved me from Tyler's van.

"It was very...hard - you can't imagine how hard - for me to simply take you away, and leave them...alive." His voice was muffled by his arm now that he had dropped his head into it, probably hoping I couldn't hear or understand him. "I could have let you go with Jessica and Angela, but I was afraid if you left me alone I would go looking for them." He admitted in a whisper, that left me biting my lip. I sat quietly, not moving and not thinking - my thoughts didn't make sense, anyway. My hands were in my lap and I gently began to play with them out of anxiety.

Finally, he looked up, his eyes seeking mine, full of his own questions.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked.

"I'm ready to leave, if that's what you mean." I clarified, grateful that we had the hour-long ride home together. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to him. The waitress appeared as if she had been called, or watching.

"How are we doing?" she asked Edward.

"We're ready for the check, thank you." His voice was quiet, rougher, still reflecting the strain of our conversation. It seemed to muddle her. He looked up waiting, not as patient as before.

"S-sure," she stuttered. "Here you go." She pulled a small leather folder from her back apron and handed it to him. Had he not already had a bill in his hand, I would have insisted on paying myself since I was the one who ate. I lightly thought about how this was playing out like a twisted first date.

"No change." He smiled to her as he stood. I scrambled to my feet far less gracefully and he thanked her as she wished him a nice evening. I suppressed a smile.

He walked close beside me to the door, careful not to touch me as he always was. I remembered what Jessica had said about she and Mike - that they were nearly ready to have their first kiss. I sighed through my jealousy, and he seemed to hear me while he looked down curiously. I widened my eyes and looked down at the side walk, suddenly very glad that neither of us knew what the other was thinking.

He opened the passenger door, holding it for me as I stepped in and shut if softly behind me. I watched him walk around the front of the car, amazed by how boundlessly graceful he was. I'm sure normal people would have been used to it by now - but I wasn't. He was still such a novelty.

Once inside the car, he started the engine and turned the heater on high. It had gotten very cold and I guessed that the good weather was somewhat thankfully at an end. I was warm in his jacket, though, breathing in the scent of it when I thought he couldn't see.

Edward pulled out through the traffic, apparently without a glance, flipping around to head toward the freeway. "Now, it's your turn."

He's starting to be cute! I always loved the "do I dazzle you?" comment when I read the book. What did you think? Man, I love how charming he is in the books. If only they were as successful in the movies. Damn.

To my wonderful reviewers:

Angel of the Night Watchers: Thank you so much for your review, nevertheless with the editing for this chapter. You are magnificent! Honestly, I think with the amount of reviews you give I will start leaving you notes, write you a seperate story, or carry out a conversation because you're so consistent. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, hopefully you also enjoyed this one in all your professionalism :)

catnap: I'm glad you're enjoying the story, I hope you liked this chapter as well. It was full of goodnes and Edward, which is usually a good thing. Thank you so much for reviewing. I hope to hear more from you :)

Erin Goddess of Chaos: Well, my goodness, I am flattered that you think this story deserves more views - I still have hope that people give it a shot. I completely agree that Twilight was meant to insert yourself into the story and sadly half of the decisions Bella made, I would not have, so the concept was kind of lost on me. I'm so glad you like Liv, I sometimes have trouble keeping her in character because of how much I'm sticking to the book - sorry about the French. I'm from an area in Canada where I'm constantly around it, so I'll try to remember to keep it to a minimum. Thank you so much for your review, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

Rhea Bleu: Yeah, I know it's kind of a bummer but that's the point I was going through in the story - that it's pretty uch just a rewrite with a new character. I'm sorry that you aren't enjoying it as much as you'd wished. Hopefully you at least like the changes I made and give my other stories a try. Thank you for your review :)

Please REVIEW guys!

-Egypt