Sorry this took a few days. I've been busy, busy. This is short, but it's something.

Disclaimer: I still do not own these characters, nor was it my idea to take them out of the world of Twilight and stick them in the "All-Human" world. I'm just playing along. ;-)

Surprise…

~(~)~

She's successfully surprised him. His continued silence is evidence enough that he wasn't expecting to see her here.

Her cheeks flood with color. "Should I have called first?"

He sputters, trying to make his gaping mouth function. "I… No… You're fine. Just…" He shakes his head, genuinely confused. "What are you doing here?"

She smiles bashfully, shrugging. "Dad and Sue convinced me to come down for the weekend. Sue's son just finished law enforcement academy and they're having a celebratory thing for him this afternoon."

She places two cardboard to-go cups from the local coffee shop across the street—the same one she'd first seen him in all those months ago—on the counter and adjusts her bag on her shoulder.

"I hope it's okay I came," she says when he remains silent.

"No, yeah, no…" He rolls his eyes at himself, chuckles, then takes a deep breath and starts again. "Sorry. It's more than okay. It's great. I'm just shocked to see you."

"I hope it's a good shock and not a bad one," she says quietly.

He makes his way around the counter housing the cash register, his face recovered, but still curious.

"Of course it's good. Why didn't you tell me you were coming though?"

She shrugs. "It was sort of last minute, and I guess I was hoping to surprise you."

"Well, mission accomplished."

He smiles his crooked smile and she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. For a long moment they stand in silence, eyes locked, without the slightest idea of what to say next.

"Is one of these for me?" Edward asks finally, indicating the coffee cups.

Bella blinks rapidly, trying to remember herself; trying to remember what it was she came here for and what she planned to say to him. Even after two weeks of phone conversations and emails about a possible reconciliation between the two of them, she still feels completely unprepared. She can't keep her thoughts from darting around.

What had he asked her about?

Oh, right, the coffee. She smiles and shakes her head as if to clear it.

"Uh… yeah, this one is for you. House Blend with two sugars, right?"

He takes the proffered cup in awe. "That's right."

She shrugs, embarrassed. "You mentioned it in your emails."

He grins and inhales the steam rising from the opening in the lid appreciatively. "Thank you. I'm supposed to be doing the books today."

He makes a face and she giggles.

"You mentioned that in your email as well."

"Right," he says. "I forgot."

"It's okay," she answers, glancing up into his eyes again.

They're a force to be reckoned with, those eyes of his. Like magnets, they pull her in. She never fails to be caught off guard by the depth and intensity of them. She has to chastise herself for the way her heart speeds up as she stares up at him.

He stares right back down. She doesn't know his heart is beating fast, too. She doesn't realize that her eyes draw him in as well. She can't see how one look from her can make him forget where he is and what he's doing.

That is until the bell on the shop door jingles.

Edward blinks and glances around.

He's very glad the store only opened a half-hour ago and no one is around to scrutinize them— save the individual who just walked in the door. Edward doesn't recognize the woman, but that's just fine by him. The only thing that really matters at this point is that it's not his mother.

~(~)~

I realize this is also a bit of a tease, but I promise it's not intentional.

I'm just out of time for this morning and the second bit isn't finished yet.

Until then...

Thank you for reading & thank you so much for all your reviews. I wish I had more time on the computer each day to reply to them all. You guys have been wonderful!