A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews and the favorites/updates!! Every single comment we get makes us so excited and write incredibly faster! (hint hint) Here's the much awaited chapter six...more to come, we swear! R&R!

Chapter Six • Discovery

Driving was incredibly annoying. Not only was he severely limited by his human reflexes and senses, but he found himself nervous – scared even, of getting into an accident and hurting his fragile state. Obviously that would completely defeat the purpose. Especially after all he went through to the trouble to become a human in the first place. Here he was going the speed limit for chrissakes! At this rate, it was going to take him three hours to get to the airport.

He started to take his aggravation out on the steering wheel but realized it would do no good. Instead, he turned on some angry music from the CDs in his glove compartment. He picked the one Bella had told him she listened to when she had been trying to figure out what, exactly, he was. Thoughts of those times lightened his mood slightly and he carefully let his mind wander.

He knew she was at University of Alaska Southeast, but that was all he had researched before his change. It was imperative that he kept as much information as he could from his family. His main concern was how much Alice could see of his actions. And how much the Volturi would see through Alice's eyes – should they ever find out and come for him…

He shook his head trying to shake the visual from his mind. He felt his eyes moisten at the thought of something happening to his family, and the sensation of how much he missed them overwhelmed him.

Oh wow. This is what it's like. I'm crying! And here he was experiencing such a powerful emotion when humans were supposed to have duller sensations then vampires.

Ha! The irony of the situation didn't escape him as he wiped the tear away and regained his composure from the unpleasant thoughts. Driving was difficult enough without water in his eyes. How did humans ever make it anywhere alive, and on time?

Eventually he made it to the airport, parking his car in long-term parking. He removed only what was important to him, very little actually -- his wallet, a cell phone, fresh clothes and a picture of Bella. Without his mind reading capability he was going to have to rely on more traditional ways. Of course, this only added to the frustration in his search to find her. And to top it off, there was that growling sound from his stomach again. He quickly fished around in the cooler finding another piece of fruit and water. He took a big bite out of the apple as he walked inside the building.

Later, he thought, I'll figure out what to do about the car.

Edward just stood there in line, his anticipation to see the end of it growing with each passing moment.

I just need to buy a damn ticket. This act of waiting was utterly excruciating. But what was worse was his inability to hear anyone's thoughts. Being around all these people and having no idea what was happening was terrifying. He absolutely hated not being able to retrieve the information he needed by picking it out of other people's heads. He desperately tried to focus his thoughts on exactly how he was going to track down Bella. It was the only thing that could distract him from the outside world.

Taking a seat at his gate, he pinched the bridge of his nose and took in a few necessary breaths, trying to calm himself. He forced himself to focus. Focus on finding Bella. She was the reason for all of this discomfort and if he could find her, it would all fade away in her presence.

Deep breath in, deep breath out. Funny how something he didn't even need before had such a calming effect on him now. Thankfully, he had a strong will and presence of mind, which probably had translated into his mind reading abilities as a vampire. Making a quick couple of phone calls, he arranged for a car in Juneau, then took out her picture and stared at it until he heard the boarding call for his flight.

Sleeping on the plane was impossible, although drowsiness pulled at eyes like 100-lb. weights. When the plane touched the ground, he was the first one at the door, ignoring the angry stares of the attendants as they pushed around him to open it.

Signing for his rental car and getting on the highway to the University all happened in a haze – he just couldn't pay close attention to anything but getting to her now that he was so close. He bribed a student working in the registrar's office for her schedule and checked the time, 5:00 p.m. The sun was setting, it was twilight. He could feel the coolness of the air seeping through his clothes. She would just be getting out of Professor Scotts' class, Biology. He almost laughed out loud – that was the class where Bella and Edward had met. Where their lives had both began. Taking it as a sign, he quickened his pace, practically running to the classroom, stopping only to consult the map he had picked up earlier.

How can anyone read this damn map? As much as Edward tried, he just couldn't figure out the map. Cursing himself, he stopped a student that looked as if she just finished a trip to the library.

"Excuse me, could you point me in the direction to Professor Scotts' Biology class?" Edward spoke as professionally as his new voice would let him. The girl looked at him with wide eyes. Although he had lost his perfect marble skin and deep topaz eyes, he was still incredibly attractive. This realization dawned on him as the girl continued to stare. He still had his charm and apparently he still could dazzle anyone.

"Oh! I just left that class 15 minutes ago. If you go around this building and through the double doors, his classroom is on the left," the girl seemed to sparkle at him as she spoke. A big grin spread across her face as Edward smiled back at her. One of the books she was holding had slipped from her grip and fell to the sidewalk. Edward tried to catch the book before it hit the ground, but failed with his blunted-human senses. Instead, he bent over awkwardly and retrieved it from the ground. Biology was in big bold letters on the front cover.

"Thank you for your help," he said as he placed her book on top of the others - his mind already moving away from her. He continued past the girl, as she had directed, with nothing but Bella on his mind.

He found the classroom only a few moments later. Standing a foot or two from the door, he heard her voice on the other side. He could've sworn on his fragile human life that he could smell her familiar scent – strawberries and freesia. Summoning all the strength and courage he could muster, he stepped into the classroom and saw her staring deeply into the eyes of another man.

He instantly froze, a million thoughts running through his cloudy, sleep-deprived mind.

Of course she's found someone else. How could I be so stupid?!

His mind tried to force his unwieldy body to leave the scene, but it didn't respond. His feet were planted. As he stared at the two of them, Professor Scotts hand grazed over Bella's, then landed gently on top of it. His vision tunneled and he lost all concentration. He swayed in astonishment and his internal world collapsed. Abruptly, his body – not his mind – made a move to leave, catching his foot on some unseen depression on the floor, causing him to trip – clumsy, just like her.

When he looked up, he saw her turning her head. Time stopped. Their eyes locked and they were the only two people in the whole world. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move. An unfamiliar feeling began to grow in his stomach and a sharp tightness formed in the back of his throat. He tried to swallow it away, but it only expanded.

The man sitting across from Bella reached for her, breaking the spell between them. Edward's thoughts swirled around, but only one in particular came back to the surface: Of course she's found someone else.

Edward turned on his heel and left.