A/N
Hello My Beauties,
So this chapter continues straight on from Chapter 6

Hope you enjoy
xxxx

Why give up before we try?

Feel the lows before the highs

Clip our wings before we fly away (fly away)

I can't say I came prepared

I'm suspended in the air

Won't you come be in the sky with me?

"Bella I…"

"Dr Swan, can I have a word please?" I look away from Edward to see Newton standing near the entrance of the NI-CU with a bunch of papers in his hand. I slowly and carefully detach my forefinger from baby Josephs grasp. When I have my finger back I stand up straight and turn to walk over to Newton.

"I'll be right back" I say passing Edward and Alice.

"What's up?"

"Who's he?" Newton asks furrowing his brows and inclining his head towards Edward.

"A supposed benefactor and potential board member. I've been given the prestigious job of showing him around" I say sarcastically.

"I know him from somewhere, but I can't think where" I turn to look at Edward, now talking to Alice.

"Maybe you know him from another life" I say with a shrug.

"Yea maybe, anyway I have a little present for you" waving what I presume to be post op notes. I let out a huff and look into his grinning, boyish face.

"You know where you can stick those, right?" I say, only half joking.

His face suddenly scrunches up as he erupts into the most unusual grunting squeal that sounds like nothing I've ever heard before, his body shaking. I grab for my stethoscope stepping towards him when I realize his laughing. This revelation causes me to burst into a fit of laughter too, although not as unusual as his.

"Shhhh" says an older nurse from the nurses' station beside us, looking disapprovingly at us. We calm ourselves gradually.

"What the hell was that Newton?" I say quietly.

"Don't, I know it's fucked up, right?"

"You need to do it again so I can record it and set it as my ringtone" I'd never miss a call again.

"she wants to set my laugh as her ringtone, I always thought she was a little into me…don't usually go for black chicks…but I could make an exception" Newton's thoughts intrude into my mind, his stupid laugh catching me off guard. He stands up a little straighter and runs his hand through his short blond hair while inspecting my body with his round dark blue eyes. This is so awkward, I cringe internally.

"So post op notes" I say desperately trying to change the subject of his mind back to a less 'me' focused state. "If you give them to Morgan, he'll do them"

"Dr Morgan? Why would I give them to him to do? We had a deal Swan" he asks, clearly my words have snapped him back to the point of his visit.

"Because his doing my jobs for me while I give our V.I.P a tour, speaking of which I need to get back" I turn away from him heading back to Edward and Alice. I see in Newton's mind my retreating back as he tries to make out the shape of my ass through my lab coat. Great, I'm going to have to make up a lie to him at some point. I don't mix business with pleasure, that's a rookie mistake right there. Maybe I could casually slip into a conversation that I'm a lesbian. Or, that my baby-daddy is currently serving time in a maximum security prison, for a crime he did not commit, those five people were dead when he got there.

Nothing like a little stereotyping to make a lie sound authentic.

I walk back over to Edward and Alice who are still standing by baby Josephs' incubator. They both look up at me as I approach. I wonder what they've been talking about; I chance a peek into Alice's mind. "…look at the way his looking at her…he doesn't even know how bad his got it…" Got what? Genital herpes? Ringworm? What did they just talk about? Damn this hearing gift really does have its limitations. We'll definitely be having a catch up when I get home.

"Right sorry about that, shall we get going? I ask Edward. He nods his head.

"See you later Bella, bye Edward" Alice chirps as she wonders off to another incubator leaving me and Edward by ourselves.

He steps forward, keeping a reasonable distance between us, but still looking down at me with a somewhat curious expression that doesn't seem to falter. I shift, a little uncomfortable under the silent gaze of those emerald eyes.

I frown at him and turn to leave. "Come on" I call over my shoulder.

We exit the NI-CU and stand in the hallway; I notice he still has the long sleeved hospital gown on.

"You can take this off now, turn around, I'll untie it for you" he turns and I lean in to untie the strings at the bottom of his neck.

My sense are abruptly assaulted by his masculine fresh smelling cologne; my fingers accidentally brush against the back of his soft bare neck and I'm overcome with the desire to reach my hand up along the back off his head, letting my fingers seep into his strange bronzy blond colored hair, to feel just for a minute, how soft it really is. He pulls away the hospital gown and I take it off him deliberately avoiding his eyes. I quickly step away from him and dispose of the gown in the trash can a little down the hall. Damn he smelled good; who knew arrogance could smell so nice? I need to collect myself and stop letting my desires cloud my judgement. I head back over to him and place my hands in my lab coat pockets, time to call his bluff.

"Why are you really here Edward?" I say firmly, once I'm back in front of him "Do you even have two million dollars" he smirks at me.

"Yes Bella, that and a bit more" he answers, holding up a space between his thumb and forefinger to show me how much. I roll my eyes at him. Of course he has money; he reeks of it. It oozes from his fancy watch and designer suit down to his stupid shiny shoes.

"How did you know I worked here?" there are over 215 hospitals in Chicago this couldn't be a coincidence. He looks away from me with a slightly embarrassed appearance.

"I looked you up" he admits with a shrug "there's not many Dr Swans' from Birming-um around these parts" I can't help but smile at his pronunciation. His features soften as he glances down at my mouth. I quickly make my face neutral and fold my arms across my chest as what he just said dawns on me.

"You looked me up? How?" I ask incredulously

He steps closer to me, as though his about to tell me the biggest secret of the century.

"I would tell you, but then I'd have to kill you…" he whispers with a faintly sinister tone "and that, Dr Swan, would be a real shame" he finishes with his crooked smile.

"Well, Mr Cullen, you wouldn't have to go through all that trouble if you'd just been on time" I say also matching his tone and whisper.

We stand in the empty hallway, face to face, neither one of us saying a word. The atmosphere thick with unsolved tension.

"All I can do is apologize Bella" he says defeated, breaking the silence first "Listen there's a coffee place across the street from here, I could buy you a drink and we can talk, here's not exactly the most appropriate setting" he says looking round at the hallway

"Thanks but no thanks, it may not have occurred to you; but I'm working. I can't go flouncing off to coffee shops whenever the feeling takes me" I say dismissively.

"Well technically you're trying to convince me to give your hospital two million dollars" he says with a conceited tone of voice.

"God you're such a pompous asshole!" I saying pointing at him angrily, his words flaring up my temper, "What, did you think you could come in here and throw a couple of million dollars and I'd come running. You must have me confused with some else. You could buy the entire god damn hospital and it wouldn't change the way you are or the way you treated me" I spew out at him.

I turn to walk away from him when he grabs hold of my forearm tightly I spin round to face him looking down at his hand on my arm pointedly and then back up at him. He immediately releases me, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Bella please don't walk away, you have to understand that I've never met anyone like you before. I don't know what I'm doing." He rubs the back of his neck with his hand anxiously "I owe you so much more than what two million dollars could ever buy"

"You don't owe me anything, Edward"

"Bella I owe you my life, you saved me that night when I thought for certain I was going to die."

"Edward…"

"I know how I treated you was unforgivable, call it a bad habit. But I promise you it will never happen again." He looks into my eyes silently pleading with me.

I try to look into his mind, I've never wanted to know whether someone is lying as much as I do right now. But there is nothing but complete silence. I've never before in my life met anyone like him and as much as I want to deny it, his soundless mind intrigues me. I think back to what my mother said to me, how in the end I'll regret all those things I didn't do, that I need to live a little before it's too late.

But I know that deep down inside, I'm just afraid. I'm afraid of the unknown, all my life I've been able to make decisions, almost certain of their outcome because of my gift. But standing before me is a man who defies it, making me vulnerable and defenseless yet still igniting desires and feelings within me that I've only ever experienced through the minds of others.

I take a deep breath and look up into his bright emerald eyes, sealing my fate.

"One cup of coffee" I say holding up a finger "and I want a slice of lemon meringue pie."

"OK, no problem" he replies relieved, laughing quietly.

We walk to the end of the hall to the double doors we used to enter the pediatric unit. I swipe my ID badge and Edwards pulls opens the door gesturing for me to exit first. I walk through and for some reason I feel a little nervous. I guess it's the uncertainty of the situation I now find myself in. A part of me just wants to run and hide, stick to the security of what I know, what I understand. But another part of me, the part that seems to be the most prevalent wants this to happen. That part needs this to happen, to take that leap of faith.

We arrive at the elevators and Edward pushes the button, I look over and him and he smiles that crooked smile making his eyes shine and crinkle in the corners. I smile back at him and he walks over to me touching my cheek gently.

"You really should do this more often" he says. Just then the elevator dings and the doors slide open. The elevator isn't as full as it was earlier so we step onto it easily but Edward still remains close beside me. I press the button for the floor that the Doctors' Suite is on.

"We're just going to head up to the Doctors' Suite so I can change, we can't leave the hospital in our scrubs. Infection control and all that" I say quietly to Edward as we stand side by side.

"I don't mind waiting" he says looking down at me with a smile playing around his lips.

I look away feeling flushed, I try to inconspicuously take deep breaths in and out, in an attempt to cool down. I hope I don't start sweating. The elevator doors open up and I step out quickly, thankful to be getting out of that hot box. I really hope these hot flushes are because of him and not because I'm starting early menopause.

I take the short cut to the Doctors' Suite, passing by a few wards with patients, nurses and doctors milling round.

I see Angela standing outside one of the patients' room with a clipboard, flicking through the papers. She looks up just as we approach.

"Hey Bella" she says as our eyes meet. She pushes her glasses up her nose and smiles at me.

"Hey Ang, how's it going? I ask returning her smile.

"As good as it can be" she looks over at Edward briefly and smiles.

"Mr Cullen, this is Angela Martinez" I say introducing her to Edward "one of our finest scrub nurses" she blushes lightly.

"Nice to meet you?" Edward says politely, taking Angela's hand.

"Nice to meet…."

Suddenly the alarm on the heart monitor blares out loudly from the patients' room. I quickly head in checking the patient and the heart monitor machine. He has flat lined, his heart has stopped beating.

"Angela go and get the crash cart" I urgently call behind me reclining the patients' bed. I begin giving CPR as two other nurses' rush in one of them checking the patients notes and the other assembling an air pump. She puts it over his nose and mouth; rhythmically squeezing air into his lungs. I call over to one of them who I remember being called Wendy.

"Wendy have 100 mg of adrenaline drawn up, stat" she rushes out the room just as Angela wheels in the crash cart with the defibrillator perched on top.

Angela rips open the patients' shirt placing the two thin pieces of plastic on his chest ready for the impact of the shock.

"Have the defib charged to 150" I call to Angela once she finishes. She heads over to the machine and I continue CPR.

"Charged to 150"Angela calls passing me the two paddles. I stop CPR but the nurse continues pumping. I rub the paddles together generating the electrodes.

"1,2,3 CLEAR" the nurse stops pumping air once I said 3 and they all step back a little, as I place the paddles on his chest and squeeze the buttons, shocking his heart back into rhythm. His chest lifts up slightly but not as dramatic as the make out in the movies. We all turn to watch the heart monitor to see if his got a pulse. He doesn't. The nurse continues pumping and I remove the paddles.

"Charge to 200" I call to Angela.

"Charged to 200"

"1, 2, 3 CLEAR" again I put the paddles on his chest and shock him. We watch the heart monitor and see that he is back with us, as the line begins to move up and down.

"Well done everyone" I say just then Wendy comes back in with the shot of adrenaline, turns out we didn't need it after all. She looks at the monitor and blows out a breath of air.

"Won't be needing this after all" she tells me

"Nope, but better to be safe than sorry" I say looking up at her. Just then I see Edward leaning up against the wall near the door. He looks at me in complete astonishment, I smile shyly at him; I'd completely forgot he was there. He'd been watching this whole time.

"I want him on 15 minute obs please till his doctor comes back" I say to the nurses who nod their heads in acknowledgement. I walk up to Edward whose still standing there stunned, like I'd just shocked him and not the patient lying in the bed.

"We can go now" I say touching his arm gently. He looks down at me smiling softly.

"I think you deserve two piece of pie after that" he says and I laugh nervously.

We head out of the room and over to the Doctors Suite where Edward waits in the lounge while I go through to the lockers. I get changed quickly out of my scrubs and into my black skinny jeans, cream chiffon style shirt and black leather jacket. I grab my calf high black heeled boots and pull them on, zipping them up over my jeans. I quickly glance in the mirror and take my hair out of the low ponytail it was in. I run the brush through it tucking one side behind my ear.

I apply some chap stick and give myself one last look over in the reflection. My eyes look brighter and my face seems to have a certain glow to it. Like someone's turned on a light bulb under my skin, it's probably from all the exertion of just giving CPR. I grab my bag, heading out to of the locker room to find Edward sat casually at one of the tables with his leg crossed so his ankle is resting on top of his opposite knee, flicking through a magazine.

I walk up to him and his eyes look over at me. He puts the magazine down and stands up as I stop in front of him.

"You look nice" he compliments

"Thanks, we ready?" I ask.

"Lead the way"

We walk out the Doctors' Suite and head to the elevator and take it down to the lobby. Once there we leave the hospital heading out into the cold early afternoon day. We cross the busy street and walk further down on the opposite side, swerving in and out of peoples' way as we make our way to the corner. Edward stops outside a place called 'Betty's Diner' right on the corner and pulls open the door beckoning me to head inside. I step in passing him with a small smile of thanks.

The inside of the diner has a very retro feel to it. Like I've just stepped into a place that could have easily been used as a set on Grease. There's a long chrome bar with several stools, some of which are occupied by customers, drinking, eating and chatting quietly among themselves. The booths are lined up against the windows looking out onto the busy streets of Chicago. There's even an old jukebox in the corner and a guitar clock on the wall. I walk over to a booth by the window and slide in. Edward slides in opposite me and picks up a menu having a look at it. I looked down at the black and white tiled floor and through to the chef at the hatch behind the bar, ringing the bell for an order to be picked up.

A young perky red head waitress suddenly appears with a small note pad and pen, her name tag reading 'Stacey'.

"Hey guys, what can I get cha'?" she asks snapping her gum noisily. Edward raises his hand indicating for me to go first.

"I'll have a cup of coffee please, with milk. Also do you have lemon meringue pie?" I ask

"We sure do, the best in the city" she says scribbling down my order. "And for you Sir?" she turns to look at Edward and her eyes go wide. I know I shouldn't but I'm curious to know what she's thinking as she looks at Edward. So I have a quick peek dropping my shield

Omg he is so hot…much better looking than Ricky…even with the bruises… he looks like he knows what to do in the bedroom… I bet he has a massive di…

I quickly put my shield back up, hearing enough of that train of thought.

"I'll have the coconut pie and a cup of black coffee" his eyes never leaving me as he hands Stacey the menu, completely unaware of her interest in the size of his genitals.

"Coming right up" Stacey says a little breathless and strolls off to the back leaving me and Edward alone.

I tuck my already tucked hair behind my ear nervously. Why am I so nervous? I wish I knew what he was thinking right now. I look out of the window at the passer-by's and see a man and a woman holding hands walking and laughing, I smile at them.

"You look really pretty with you hair down" Edward states. I turn looking at him and smile.

"Thank you, your bruising looks a lot better" I say trying to pay him a compliment, god I suck at this. He laughs quietly and in the daylight from the window he looks so youthful and relaxed, making me think.

"How old are you? If you don't mind me asking?" he looks at me as though trying to figure out whether to tell me the truth or not, the same look he gave me when I wanted to know his name, all of two week ago. God, it's seems much longer.

"I'm 25" he finally admits. What? No way! But looking at him closely I can see quite clearly that he is indeed 25.

"How old are you? If you don't mind me asking?" he says copying my words

"I'm 30" I say a little hesitant, but he doesn't seem fazed by it whatsoever, as though he already knew and was only asking because I'd asked him.

"Oh" he says simply. Just then Stacey returns with a wide tray in her hands containing our slices of pie and coffee jug. She places the pies in front of us and we turn over the cups already on the table allowing her to fill them up. She pours Edwards a little more slowly probably trying to get him to look at her, which he does briefly and then looks at me with that crooked smile. Stacey leaves and I reach for the sugar container pouring in a little into my cup. Edward tucks into his pie and I watch how the fork enters his mouth and slowly comes back out passing his lips. I suddenly feel envious of that fork for some strange reason.

His nonchalance at my age bothers me a little; maybe he goes for older women, like some kind of Cougar Chaser.

"Does it not bother you that I'm five years older than you?" I ask

"Nope, not really" he says taking a sip of his coffee "Does it bother you that I'm five year younger than you" he asks. I pick up my fork and cut into my pie lifting a piece of it to my mouth, giving myself a little time to think.

"No, I guess not" I say as place the fork into my mouth.

Wow, this might actually be the best lemon meringue pie I've ever tried. That waitress wasn't kidding. I close my eyes savoring the flavor and chewing slowly letting out a quiet 'mmm'. I open my eyes to find Edward staring at me with his mouth slightly open.

"This is some good pie" I say, a little embarrassed

"I can see that" Edward mutters, visibly swallowing.

I look away awkwardly and take a sip of my coffee. While Edward rubs the back of his neck with his hand nervously.

"So what do you do for a living?" I ask putting another piece of pie in my mouth.

"I'm an entrepreneur, I also help run the family businesses" he says

"Oh, what does your family specialize in?"

"My family own many businesses around the world, there all different" he says a little mysteriously. "When did you realize you wanted to be a Doctor?" he asks looking up at me over his coffee cup. I get the distinct feeling he doesn't want to go into too much detail about his family businesses. I mentally shrug it off; some people are just private like that.

"Well, I was walking home from school one day back in the UK when I saw this girl get ran over by a car. I quickly ran over to her as fast as I could. I was the first person to get to her; even the driver hadn't got out the car. But once I got to her I had no idea what do. She was just lying there bleeding, her arm and leg bent at strange angles. I could tell she was in a lot of pain even though she wasn't talking or moving."

"I just stood there frozen feeling so useless, so inept. Back then I didn't even know first aid or anything; I could've helped her, saved her, if only I'd had the knowledge to do it. Luckily there was a nurse who had also witnessed the accident that came rushing over and started checking her vitals. An ambulance was called and she got taken away to hospital. But a few days later I saw that a load of flowers had been tied to a lamppost where the accident had happened and a picture of her was stuck to it. She died" I put my fork down suddenly losing my appetite "Ever since then I've wanted to be a Doctor, to save people like that girl."

Edward reaches over placing a hand over mine and squeezing it gently.

"It wasn't your fault Bella, you were just a kid. How was you suppose to know that was going to happen or how to save her" but what he doesn't know was that I did know it was going to happen, I saw in the drivers mind that he was going too fast, that he was drunk. I could've shouted over to the girl to stay out of the road. I could've warned her. But I was too late. I smile weakly at Edward.

"Thanks Edward, so yea, that's when I realized I wanted to be a Doctor and ever since then I've been working my butt off trying to be a good one"

"That explains why your butt looks so good" Edward blurts out, I look over at him surprised and burst out laughing at his straight face. His lips quickly turn into a smile as he laughs along with me, making me feel a bit better after telling my sad story.

"Come out for dinner with me" he asks after our laughter has subsided, I look over at him frowning a little.

"Didn't we already try this, and if I recall it didn't really go to plan last time"

"I know but this time I won't make the same mistake again, it will be an up-date"

"I don't think that's a good idea Edward" I say poking around at the remainder of my pie with my fork

"I need to see you again"

"Well if you're serious about being a member of the board at the hospital, I'm sure our paths will cross again eventually" I say finishing the rest of my coffee.

"That's not good enough Bella, please just give me the chance to treat you how you deserve" he still hasn't removed his hand that's covering mine, he strokes his thumb against the back of my hand gently. "I know I messed up last time, I was arrogant to believe that a woman like you would ever stand to be spoken to like that. Let me prove that I can be good"

I move my hand from under his and cross my arms over my chest and study his face. I'd be a fool to trust this guy again after Saturday night. But there's something about him that makes me curious, from his bright emerald eyes to the way his smile makes me feel so flushed, like nothing I've ever felt before. I don't want to give this guy the power to hurt me, but I don't want to be looking back on this moment 30 years from now wondering 'what if'.

"Fine, you can take me out, but if you mess this up that's it" I tell him sternly, he smiles a brilliant perfectly white toothy grin at me like his just won the lottery.

"Trust me Bella, you won't regret this." He better hope I don't.

A/N.
So there we have Chapter 7, please leave a review and let me know what you think.
see you in Chapter 8
xxxxx