AN: Okay everyone, IT'S ANGELYCDEVIL's BIRTHDAY! I love this girl so fucking much. You have no idea. Happy birthday lovely and enjoy the chapter. *smoochies*

Chapter Three

Of Course I Came

Edward slept on my couch. He didn't seem to mind. He didn't sleep very well anyway. When he did sleep, he twitched and muttered. For the first week I slept very little, both because of the noise, and because I was afraid he would try to leave and then get lost.

After a while though I got used to it, and since he didn't try to leave, I stopped worrying about it.

That night though, after I fell asleep, I was the one who was tossing and turning. I couldn't seem to find a good place and I woke up at least half a dozen times. About three in the morning, I rolled over and hit the light on my clock. The alarm would be going off in a few hours and I felt like a wreck. Between Edward and running the store, I was exhausted.

I was trying to clear my head when I realized something was wrong. It was far too quiet.

"Edward?" He slept so lightly that even just saying his name should have woken him up. Instead there was nothing, not his near constant mutterings, not the creak of the couch as he moved. It was like he wasn't even there.

Oh God. He wasn't even there.

With my heart hammering in my chest, I leaped out of the bed and ran to turn on the lights. Sure enough, my couch was empty. There was nothing even there to prove he existed.

"Shit." I quickly pulled on my shoes and grabbed my car keys. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

I searched downstairs and found his velvet coat gone and the front door unlocked. I was still cursing as I pulled on my jacket and rushed out the door.

Anything could have happened to him out here. He could get mugged, he could get lost, someone could pick him up and they wouldn't be as kind as I was. Edward didn't belong in a jail cell or an insane asylum. He wouldn't hurt anyone. He was just looking for his daughter.

There were no obvious signs of where he went, so I went out to the back and got my car. Five minutes later, I was driving slowly along the streets looking for any signs of my mad man.

Only there was nothing. It was like he'd disappeared. After a half an hour of fruitless searching, I pulled into the parking lot of a Waffle House that looked like it was still open.

"Excuse me?" The young waitress didn't even seem surprised at my appearance. "You haven't seen a man in here, have you? About this tall, wearing a really long coat, and he should have a hat. A top hat."

"Isn't that a little outta fashion."

"Yeah, it is." I snapped. "Have you seen him or not?"

She shrugged and I wanted to strangle her. "He walked by outside."

"Which way did he go?"

She pointed, and I ran back out to my car. I didn't know where he might have gone after he left the dinner, but it was a direction and that was better than nothing.

I was twitching as much as Edward did. My head was overflowing with all the things that could have gone wrong. I barely knew the man and I already felt responsible for him. He needed a home, and as strange as it seemed, I cared for him. He was sweet, broken, and deserved a chance to be put together.

I nearly breathed a sigh of relief when I found him. I almost missed him. He was sitting at the mouth of an alley, head in his hands and his hat a few yards in front of him, turned over like it had been thrown.

"Edward!" I screamed as I screeched the car to a stop and ran to him. I fell to my knees and pulled his hands away from his face. "Edward, are you okay? Are you hurt? If you need to go to the hospital, just tell me and we'll take care of it."

"You came for me?" His voice was hoarse and his face felt wet like he'd been crying.

"Of course I came for you. You didn't think I'd come? I wouldn't have just left you alone out here."

"Why?"

He looked so sad. I was beginning to suspect that he'd been kicked his whole life. I vowed to myself that I would be the exception. "Everyone deserves a chance, Edward. Some of us deserve a lot of chances. Whatever happened to you, its not the end. I'm not going to abandon you, and I know you don't believe me, but I promise, no matter what, I'll be here."

Wonder joined the madness in his eyes and a small smile graced his lips. "Are you a fairy?"

"What?"

"Right." He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. A pained look replaced the wonder. "No fairies here."

I cupped his cheek in my hand, brushing his high cheekbones with my thumb. It seemed to ease the pain there just a tad.

"Edward, what are you doing here?"

"Was trying to find," Edward muttered, pulling his knees tighter into his chest. "The place has to be here. Where I came through. She was supposed to be here. She has to be here. It has to work. It needs to work. I need her. I need."

He was becoming agitated and distraught, which meant that if I didn't calm him down he would run again. "Edward. Focus. Focus on me. It's okay, alright? We're gonna find her, but you can't keep running."

He nodded, and it was clear he'd reached his breaking point.

"Come on, Let's go home."

He nodded and stood up. Before coming to the car, he knelt and picked up the hat.

AN: So, surprise you're getting two chapters today! Chapter 4 will post later tonight. ;-)