Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Authors Note: This story directly follows Bella & Edward, A Love Story, and though this story will stand on its own, it is far better if you preface it with the other story!

Chapter 1 Home

BPOV

I awoke to find the face of my husband inches from mine, his cool arms around me.

"Good morning", he said as he nuzzled his face in my neck, "I love you this morning!"

His voice was so soft and loving, his movements so tender. I put my arms around him and pulled him closer to me as he tucked his face into my shoulder trailing soft kisses up to the edge of my lips. I curled my hand in to play with the silky hair at the nap of his neck, my other hand tracing the defined muscles of his chest. He kissed me so softly, barely a kiss really, and pulled back slightly to look at me.

"Are you alright this morning, love?"

His velvety voice held some uncertainty, some other unasked question this morning. I stroked his face and kissed his lips gently, my lips molding to the rigid form of his.

"I could not be better, sweetheart. I love you and you're here with me!"

His eyes softened and he let out the breath he had been holding. This was my gentle, caring, over thinking and absurdly careful husband in bed with me this morning, not my vampire. I thought back to yesterday and realized that my overly cautious husband would be mortified by the lovemaking session he had participated in yesterday as my vampire. A sigh escaped my lips as I held him to me and remembered.

I hitched my leg over him, realizing we were both still naked as he traced circles on my back and down the leg that was clutching him to me. We lay there for hours or minutes, exchanging soft kisses and gentle caresses with no agenda or destination in mind. His hair was so silky and amazing to run my fingers through and he loved it when I scratched his scalp with my nails. I would almost swear he purred. I guided my tongue over the outline of his lips as we kissed and he opened his mouth to me, our tongues exploring each other.

"I need a human minute", I whispered as I started to sit up on the edge of the huge canopied bed.

Only then did I take notice of the room. It had been dark last night when I had awoken briefly with Edward, but light from over the distant mountains was starting to stream in the window on one side of the room. Room - that word seemed like an injustice when used to describe the area we were in. We were on a huge black wrought iron bed hung with wisps of cloud like see through beige material accenting the sculptured vines of rosebuds that were the posts and frames of the bed. There were windows on either side of the room as well as windows on each side of the huge stone fireplace that faced the foot of the bed.

A photo of Edward and I in sitting in the backyard of the Cullens house in Forks hung over the mantle. I hadn't seen the photo before. We were sitting facing each other on a bench, the river in the background, and Edward was tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. It was obvious that the two people in the photo were in love.

The floors were hardwood and the ceiling was vaulted in this fairy like room. It was adorned with touches of blue and cream. One door in the room was open and it appeared to lead into a hallway, so I walked toward the other door, Edward watching me from our bed, propped up on his elbow.

I had found the bathroom. Calling it a bathroom, however, was also an injustice. There was a closet to my left that was the size my bedroom had been back in Forks, and it was filled with clothing for both myself and Edward - no doubt the result of the shopping Alice had mentioned. In front of me was a room adorned with white tile and outlined with tiny mosaic tiles forming the patterns of delicate blue flowers. There were windows looking out on a similar view that the Cullen house had, but not as high in elevation . . . there was a large meadow and a lake. Nestled in front of the bay window was a sunken jacuzzi tub large enough to teach a child to swim in!

I felt Edwards cool arms encircle my waist and his chin rest on my shoulder as he kissed my neck.

"Welcome home, love! Do you like it?"

"Edward, this is amazing!", I said turning in his arms to face him. "I love you!", I said as my lips crashed into his.

"How about a warm bath, love?", he looked at me sheepishly, "You have to be sore."

"You run the water," I said as I excused myself to use the smaller room that held the toilet.

Edward was sitting on the side of the tub, water and bubbles filling it and the most wonderful smell of strawberries filling the air. He stood and held his hand out to me. I just couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My husband, naked in all his glory, helping me into a hot bath he had drawn for me in our home that he had built for me.

"Edward, this is amazing. All this", I gestured around the room, "all this is for us?"

"Yes, love. All for you and me. You didn't really think it took me hours everyday to hunt, did you?"

He looked at me with a smirk. I smacked him on the shoulder with my palm. "So, you took advantage of the fact that the human doesn't know how long it takes a vampire to have a meal, did you! I thought you were feeding more often than I had ever known you to! In high school, you only left very couple of weeks, I was happy that you had been going everyday! I figured you were recuperating just like I was!"

He laughed. The most wonderful sound on earth was my Edwards laughter, I had heard it so rarely. "I have been recuperating, sweetheart, and I did hunt something almost everyday. I couldn't tell you I was going hunting and not do it, but it doesn't take me long at all to find something in our backyard here and there was a lot of work to do to build us a home! Emmett and Jasper spent most of their nights here, and we hired a crew to work during the day as well to speed things along! I wanted it done before your birthday!"

"So this is where you were moving to that would make it easier on Jasper!", I recalled part of the conversation I had heard between Alice and Rosalie.

"Yes, love, this is where WE were moving to that would make it easier on Jasper. My being aroused all the time was causing him to spend many many hours with Alice . . . not that she complained!", he explained as he helped me into the tub.

The water felt amazing. Just under being too hot to be comfortable.

"Aren't you coming in with me!"

I asked as I looked up to see the adoring eyes of my husband. He was behind me in an instant. This was our home and he had no need of human pretense here, he moved at vampire speed. I reclined back onto his chest and relaxed into his arms. We didn't speak for the longest time and I wondered why the water didn't seem to be cooling until I saw Edward adjust the dials on the side of the tub that controlled the heating element. He had thought of everything - I suppose with the addition of his icy body into the water, it would have been like dropping in a cube of ice had there not been a way to keep the temperature up.

His hands gently massaged my hips and softly sucked on my neck and licked his way to my ear, nibbling on the earlobe so carefully as his cool breath blew across my neck and down my chest.

I turned to face him, his eyes closed and his head reclined back on the edge of the tub. His face seemed strangely warm as I stroked it and kissed his lips. "I love you", I whispered to him as I turned to straddle him and rest my chest to his. His eyes opened immediately and he leaned forward to kiss me and nuzzle his face into my neck

"I know I keep asking, but I'm worried about you, I'm so sorry that it hurt you for us to make love, are you sore, sweetheart", my husband asked. "A little", I answered, dipping my head and breaking eye contact with him as I looked down his chest to the firm flat planes of his stomach. I placed my hands on either side of his face and kissed him gently, sweetly at first . . . then my kiss deepened. When his eyes opened, they were molten black fire, alive with his desire for me.

I found my fingers entwined in his soft hair, pulling his face to me as his mouth devoured mine. He was always careful to keep his razor sharp teeth away from my tongue, preferring to invade my mouth with his, dancing and caressing. I loved his chaste kisses, the ones that filled my nights a year ago, but these kisses were amazing. He kissed my bottom lip, gently sucking it into his mouth and squeezing gently then moving to trace soft open mouth kisses and licks down my neck and across my collar bone.

"I'm so sorry about these", he said as he kissed bruises that looked like fingerprints on each of my shoulders. "I never meant to hurt you, love."

"You never hurt me, Edward! You could never (kiss), ever (kiss) hurt me (kiss)", I whispered as I stroked him and kissed his neck. His breathing sped up and his lips found my mouth. I pulled away slightly and stared into the loving eyes of my husband. A smile crossed his face as he dipped his head down licking a trail across my chest. When he had paid equal attention to each breast, his hands took over stroking them. I have no idea where he learned to do that, but there had to be a direct link between my breasts when he did that and the nerves between my legs because I instantly had the overwhelming need for him. Now.

My hands stroked his silky hair and if I didn't know better, I would have sworn my husband purred. I decided to be bold, having no idea what I was doing except that Edward seemed as pleased as I was with every movement. His head immediately flew back and a snarl escaped his lips. The coolness I was expecting wasn't there, my husbands body was warm, the warmth of soaking in the tub had an effect. It felt amazing as I started to rock my hips into his. His gaze met mine and I was overwhelmed with emotion. We moved together for long moments, gently, softly, the intensity building with every moment and the strength of our movements increasing, but never the ferocity. He caressed my thighs, my sides, my shoulders . . . he gently ran his fingers through my hair. This was my husband making love to me, my gentle, caring unbelievably loving husband. We moved together as though we were made for each other, perfectly synchronized. When the tension and pleasure in our bodies became more than we could endure, we were both overcome. I screamed his name, his head once again thrown back in ecstasy as he let out a roar. God I loved this man. He was mine. He had meant every word that he had said to me, he would never leave me and looking at him now, his pleasure consuming him, I knew this.

We held each other, just lying together for a long moment, until my very human stomach growled loudly! Edward laughed, "Guess you just can't escape being human for long! I'm afraid there is no food here yet, baby, we will have to go back up to the other house. Is that OK?"

"More than OK, but we should probably dress first, don't you think?"

"If you insist", he chided, "but I prefer you like this, naked and straddling me!" He gently placed a kiss over my heart. We stood and Edward held his hand out for me to hold as I stepped out of the tub and into the soft towel he had waiting.

"Edward!", I exclaimed, "Where is this coming from? Where is my up tight, no you can not even open two buttons of my shirt and no tongues husband?"

"I got over it", he said quietly as we searched for clothes in the cavernous closet.

I turned to him amazed. He finished slipping on his jeans and looked over his shoulder at me. "What?", he queried.

"You got over it'?"

I looked at him, shocked. He walked over to me, sauntered really, bare chested and barefoot this Adonis like creature, placing his hands on my shoulders and staring into my eyes.

"Bella, this has always been me. Since the moment I met you, I have always wanted this", he gestured to the space between us. "I was just afraid. I didn't want to take away any of your human experiences, the things you might want in your life. . . and I was afraid of what I am, afraid I would hurt you . . . that I might kill you."

"I left to try and protect you from me, Bella, but you are too much a part of me. I can't live without you - I know that now. And I don't believe that I will ever hurt you, not after yesterday. Bella, in my mind, I completely lost control yesterday. My feelings overwhelmed me and my instincts took over. I was no longer just your husband, I was a vampire and you were my mate. When you passed out and I saw that you were bleeding, a thousand thoughts went through my mind in a split second. I was paralyzed with fear that I had injured you, that after all we had been through, it would be at my hand that you would be hurt. But I didn't. I didn't hurt you, well not really", he said tracing the bruises on my shoulders. "I see now that you aren't just my soul mate, you are a part of me. I could never harm you. I feel safe to be myself around you, unbuttoned shirt and all!", he laughed.

I stood there blubbering like an idiot. I couldn't help it, Edward had just declared his feelings for me in terms so clear, a fool could understand. He loved me. This was real, it was really real and I could be with him for the rest of my life.

"Edward," I said unable to look at his face, "I just never want this to end and I . . . ", he cut me off. He cupped my chin in his hand and brought my eyes to his.

"If you still want me to change you, I will. I'll do it myself, anytime you want me to, Bella. You were right all along, one lifetime would never be enough for us to share. I want you with me forever, if you'll have me".

Tears streamed down my face and kissed him in a way that almost consumed both of us with its intensity.

A loud voice roared up the stairs coming from my new brother, Emmett. "Hey get descent, now! At least let the girl eat, Edward! Breakfast is on the table down here, move it!"

We both laughed. "Welcome to my family! Even in our own house we may not have privacy!"

"We all heard that!", Emmet shouted. I looked at Edward, "We all?" Did that mean what I thought it meant? Of course, as we came down the stairs, the faces of the entire family met us.

Luckily the delicious smell of bacon and coffee hit me as well, and my embarrassment was momentarily overshadowed by hunger! There were hugs all round as we made our way to the kitchen and I thanked them for my breakfast.

"Do you like it, dear!", Esme asked, gesturing to our new home.

"I haven't actually had a chance to see any of it yet, Esme, except the bedroom", I said with my face blushing.

"Eddie, what the hell!", Emmett said, "Are you trying to kill my little sister, going all 'vamp' on her like that?"

Oh God, I thought, here we go with the vampire hearing and the no secrets in this house! I looked over at my husband to see a sheepish grin cross his face.

"Don't you dare Emmett Cullen! My husband knew just what I needed, thank you!", I glared as I reached out and hugged my husbands waist as I sat eating my breakfast. His answering smile was blinding!

"We thought we'd be back sitting in the waiting room at the hospital at the very least the way Carlisle and Alice raced over here yesterday with his medical bag!", Rose smacked Emmett in the arm as he said it, but it was out now, and I turned to look at Edward, my face crimson.

"Carlisle was here?", I looked at Edward inquisitively as he sat down beside me.

"Yes", Edward said flatly, "He came to check on you. I was terrified that I hurt you when you passed out, and he reassured me that you were fine." His eyes were pleading with me for understanding, he hid nothing from me. He must have really been frightened and I decided I would discuss it with him later when we were not in front of our entire family.

It's my fault, I sent Carlisle over here". Alice admitted. "My visions of you came back yesterday, Bella, whether it was some decision you made about the future or what, I have no idea, but I can see your future clearly now. Both of you. When I saw Edwards distress and realized you were still and there was blood, I panicked!

"Well, I am absolutely fine and I really want to see my house! Who wants to give me a tour?"

"We all just came to say good mornin', darlin'," said Jasper in his deep southern drawl, "I think we better clear out and let my brother here give you the tour before he has us for breakfast while you eat yours!"

They all laughed at Jasper's statement, but he wasn't far off the mark. As much as he loved his family, it was obvious that Edward wanted us to be alone! My family left and I finished my breakfast. Edward had the dishes done before I even realized he took my plate and he reached for my hand to show me our new home.

"I really hope you like it, love. You can change anything you want, I just wanted to surprise you and Esme helped design and decorate it for me. We can move or . . . "

I put my finger to his lips to stop him from babbling on. "Enough," I said. "I love it!"

"Really?"

"Really!", I said as he hugged around my waist and swung me around and around.

"At least the part of it I have seen!"

"Well, Mrs. Cullen, let me show you!"

EPOV

My wife seemed genuinely happy as I started to show her through all the rooms in our new home. I had been so worried this morning waiting for her to wake up. I just didn't know what to expect! Though I knew she loved me, I had let my nature take over when I had first attempted to make love to my wife and instead of her husband, she had ended up in bed with her vampire claiming her. Not that the two were actually separable, I was after all, a vampire, and lovemaking for a vampire could be intense and last, quite literally for days. I hadn't wanted to overwhelm her but in my defense, it was my first time as well and I was just as uncertain as to how it would go or what to do as she was. I had read the minds of hundreds of people over the years, thousands of thoughts and scenarios involving sex that I would love to try, and planned to try, but when it came to that moment, my animal nature had taken over and I behaved purely out of instinct. She told me it was exactly what she had needed to see. Our gentle lovemaking this morning had calmed both of us, she had taken control and I adored her for it.

I recalled the thoughts of my family as they had approached earlier this morning:

They're probably not dressed, she doesn't know how to use her closet

We should have called him first

I hope she likes the breakfast I made for her

I wonder how much damage they did to the bedroom that we will need to repair

I am so glad to see him in love and happy after all these decades

And they were there to met us at the foot of the stairs to the living room. They had all been there for me, helping to find her and encouraging me. I loved my family.

I showed my wife thru the dining room to the great room with its massive fireplace and floor to ceiling windows looking out into the front yard and the lake beyond. There were soft brown leather sofas and the room was all shades of brown and tan with tiny accents of green and rust. Beautiful earth tones that I hoped reminded her of the desert in Phoenix that she loved. I had filled the office/library with two walls of books that I thought she might enjoy, some first additions of her favorites, and the remaining walls were covered in light toned wood with judges panels.

"I replaced your copy of Withering Heights, sweetheart, along with a few other classics I thought you might enjoy."

"Edward, this is a first edition! I can't believe you did this!", she said her eyes wide. As her hands traced over the rows of books, she started to notice many first additions. "This," gesturing to the library, "this is too much, this is so thoughtful. How did I get so lucky!", she said as she put her arms around my neck and kissed me.

"I love you, Mrs. Cullen! I always want you to be happy and have things you enjoy!"

"I have everything I want and enjoy", she said pressing her body close to mine, "right here", she exclaimed quietly as she rocked her hips into mine.

My response was immediate. She had no idea how she had gotten upstairs when I abruptly stopped with her just inside the door to the only guest room that was furnished. I crossed the room and laid her in the middle of the king sized sleigh bed. As I snuggled her to me, I said, "and this is the guest room. It's the only other room upstairs that is furnished, though there are 4 bedrooms. Since you have chosen to be so forward as to grab me, Mrs. Cullen, this will be the end of our tour!"