Edward sat on the couch in the remote property he'd rented out, careful not to take his frustrations out on the furniture. Money could solve many problems, but he could tell the owner was not the type to ignore his questions for the right price. So, he would need to care for this space—a rather novel idea, he noted.

Perhaps it would ease him back into life with humans, at least. They were more fragile than the rustic pieces filling this place. The distracted twitch of his fingers that cracked a chair could crush their skulls, leaving all he loved—or her child—a mere smear of brain matter on his palm. That certainly wouldn't do.

He needed a plan that he could execute before Alice interfered. She would be watching him closely now, he was sure. He wondered if she knew now that Charlie had survived and Bella, rather than grief-stricken, was stubbornly wrapped up in caring for him—and collaborating with the Quileute wolves.

What good could Alice's visions be if she couldn't have seen that Bella would be surrounded by those mongrels day and night? And that girl of hers, too. From the conversations and thoughts he'd been able to catch from afar, she trusted them almost implicitly. Worse, she seemed to actually want them around at all times to guard her family against him, the one person on earth who loved her as fervently and with the intense devotion she deserved! Hearing her give up all that he and his family had trusted her with in confidence and seeing fear and revulsion on her face through the others' minds had been truly surprising.

Her mind was still closed, though, and he knew that meant that deep in its recesses, some love for him could still linger. If that were true, he would do anything to rekindle its dying embers. He would move heaven and earth, part the seas, and destroy any obstacle just for the hint of a chance at their glorious future together. She was worth more than any number of others combined.

The parcels he'd set on the table needed to be opened and the garments steamed. He wouldn't repeat the mistake of making another sudden, shocking, unkempt appearance as he had at Charlie Swan's home when he first made it to Forks.

Approaching the house had become instinctual once he'd caught Bella's scent. He'd been overjoyed to find that, while it was as lovely as ever, it no longer lured him in, tempting him to give over and indulge in the feast. And Bella—his Bella—she would not care how disheveled he was; she would not want to miss even another moment together, nor did he.

He knew she'd had a companion in the house, but their thoughts had been so vague and abstract that they must have been resting. One could hardly blame Edward for his reaction when, after ringing the bell a second time and enjoying that captivating bouquet as it approached, he heard thoughts—wordless ones, hazy and frustrated, but thoughts nonetheless. Then the door opened, and he was lost in Bella's eyes again.

Bella's eyes, yes, but on the wrong face. It was a lovely face, to be sure, but not the one that had filled his mind for so long. The pang of disappointment and longing was quickly drowned by the new volume of her thoughts.

'Dead' was the first clear word he caught from her mind as their eyes met. 'Death, death, death, death,' her mind was screeching, mixed with an odor of fear and—was that determination? The girl with Bella's eyes had spoken, and he'd missed her words right up until the end.

"…see my Grandpa Charlie?"

Grandpa Charlie.

It all made sense at that moment: her scent, her eyes, her subtle, hazy mind. She was Bella's daughter. Bella had been with another, and the shock had sent him scenting the girl again to see if he could pick up who the man was.

'Vampire!' The thought howled through the air, its owner approaching fast, cutting his visit short.

It certainly wasn't Edward's fault that the boy took chase, nor that he was so very out of practice. He could practically hear his muscles cry out as he ran, along with the inane prattling worry clouding his mind. Any fool could see he wasn't planning anything so vulgar as eating the girl. He was no cannibal, and Jacob Black knew that.

The phone he purchased buzzed—an unknown caller. Nobody knew this new number, so the only reason to pick it up would be to see if any of his family had managed to track it down. Answering would only confirm they'd been successful. He let it ring and opened the first package. A beige cashmere pullover. Bella would love the feel of the fabric, and he knew how much she appreciated him in a sweater. There were slacks in another parcel and even a pair of jeans, should the occasion call for a casual look. He would not want her to feel underdressed if their meeting occurred somewhere informal.

Her insecurities about her own worth could not have been cured if she'd sought comfort in the arms of an unknown boy and remained unattached now. Edward had tried desperately to determine who he had been, but neither his face nor his name had crossed the minds of anyone he'd listened in on, even Charlie's or the girl's herself.

Eliza, he corrected himself. He could not regain Bella's affection and trust by referring to her child as 'the girl.' He would need to convince her that the child was equally important and valuable to him, or all his work would be in vain. She did seem to be a kind and intelligent girl, much like her mother. Industrious and strong-willed, too. And with equally questionable taste in friends.

In addition to the wolves, he'd seen her local friends. Some were unremarkable in their thoughts—neither exceptionally good nor bad—but the Lahote girl, so crude and rebellious, and the Uley boy, with his mind clouded in hot-tempered rage whenever he got too close, well, they were very bad news. At least when Bella had been friends with Jacob Black, his mind had been innocent and pure, and he'd accepted her love for Edward so long as she was happy. These two, though, would no doubt sway Eliza, and she, in turn, could sway her mother.

That was it – she was the key! Bella's stubborn loyalty to her family was admirable, but as long as the girl feared him, she would, too. He could fix this. He had no other choice.

If it weren't proving such a barrier to his re-entry into Bella's life, Edward would have been extremely proud of Eliza's healthy fear and distrust of vampires. As it was, he could only hope that she would make an exception for him – and realize the danger the wolves posed to them both.

The college campus was surrounded by wooded areas that afforded him plenty of opportunity to monitor her not only through her mind and those around her but with his own eyes and ears, as well.

The only close call so far was one morning when the she-wolf—now that was another surprising development—dropped her off at a different spot than usual, and she thought she'd caught a hint of his scent. Thankfully, the wind shifted, and she was in such a hurry to get to her job that she quickly wrote it off as an anxiety-induced hallucination.

This morning, however, was going splendidly. He had set himself up in a patch of trees near the building where Eliza's classes were located and waited for the pleasant hum of her mind to enter his senses. Strangely, he found himself looking forward to it more and more each day – it struck a comforting balance where he was never left entirely confused as to what was going on in her head, but it rarely intruded upon him nor laid all its secrets bare. If he chose not to actively probe its depths, it was almost like soft, ambient background music to whatever she was experiencing.

What he had yet to find, however, was the perfect piece of information or circumstance that would allow a logical reason for interaction. She was a competent student, if somewhat distractible, so stepping in with academic help would be a stretch. She did not consider the wolves to be a danger, so protecting her from them would likely backfire.

Her first class that morning was over, and while she usually headed straight to the next and either worked on assignments or socialized with others, on this particular morning, she sat outside on a bench to enjoy the unseasonably warm air. It was already nice enough that he could more easily sample her lovely scent, so very reminiscent of her mother's, this way, but the stars aligned in his favor yet again as her cell phone rang, and she answered.

Clear and beautiful, he heard his Bella's voice over the line.

"Good news, sweetie!" It had been too long since he'd enjoyed the sound of her happy and excited.

"Oh, yeah?" Eliza asked, and he noted that a few images ran through her mind as she anticipated Bella's answer. Most were of her grandfather, in his home and looking well and healthy again, or outdoors and physically active. The brief flash of Bella and Jacob Black sharing a glance was disconcerting to him, stirring an uncomfortable feeling in his chest. It was quickly buried by more images of Charlie, however, so he attributed it to a quirk of her young mind.

"Grandpa's doing better. They think he can be discharged by the end of the week."

"Oh, thank God!" He could almost taste the relief in her voice. "Could I come down on the weekend, then? Would it be too much?"

"Of course, I'm sure it won't be any trouble." He could almost see Bella chewing her bottom lip as she paused. "Sue and I talked about it, and the plan is to bring him down here to her place. It'll be so much easier to handle his care and to keep him protected without too many questions."

The branch he'd been holding cracked in his hand. Of course, they would all stay behind the treaty line! This had to be the wolves' influence; he knew it. If only Bella knew how dangerous they could be, how they were letting their blind hatred of his kind keep her from the happiness he could provide, she would not give in to these plans.

Eliza's mind conjured up images of a couch he assumed was in the Clearwater woman's home, and a typical teenage sleepover with that revolting Lahote child. The flash of a boy flicking long hair behind his shoulder and smiling at her seemed somewhat out of place, but he'd noticed her tendency for unrelated thoughts to slip in now and then.

"That's a good idea. If it gets too crowded, I'll just stay at Bri's." She sighed. "It's actually nice that everyone will be so close. Sucks about the circumstances, but hey."

They both giggled. Oh, how Bella's laugh was a balm to his soul. One day, he would be the reason for her laughter again, he promised himself – and her. If she wanted it, he would even make it eternal, no more fighting about it. When she let him back in, he would never, ever make the mistake of walking out again.

The moment was cut short by the mischievous turn Eliza's thoughts took and her next words.

"Jacob lives down there, too, right?"

"Yes, he does." Thank the heavens, Bella sounded suspicious – almost irritated. He wished they were on a video call so he could see her face again and know for sure. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," Eliza answered with an impertinent, mocking tone that should have been disciplined out of her long ago. The image of her mother, smiling and happy, filled the girl's thoughts, and as beautiful as it was, he did not appreciate the association her mind made between this lovely vision and the Black wolf. "Anyway, I think I will come down if Leah can drive me. I miss my car!"

"I know, honey," Bella reassured her. She was so kind. "It's only for a while, but after that last incident, we really can't take chances."

That last incident? He hadn't made any direct contact since that day at Charlie's. What incident could she be referring to? Eliza's mind was of little helpjust the she-wolf recklessly transforming in a driveway and her own fear over a streak of light. He had avoided the home until now, but it would do to take a detour there while the Clearwater girl was not home. He'd gleaned how keen their senses were, but it would be worth her discovering his presence while they were out if he could determine what had happened.

"Ugh, I know." Her eyes rolled as she scoffed, both rather unpleasant mannerisms that the youths of recent generations seemed determined to hang on to.

"If she can't, just let me know. We'll find someone to get you. Dad will want you here, I know it. I do, too." Bella sighed. "I miss you, sweetie."

From his place behind her, he couldn't see Eliza's smile, but the warmth she felt toward her mother then was a wonderful palate cleanser.

After they finished up the call and she headed back into the building, Edward constructed his plans to visit her home and do some reconnaissance. The first step was to call the she-wolf's employer to ensure she was there—she was—and he was off.