The Morning Light

It was nearly dawn, and Bella was sleeping peacefully when he came in. Carefully and quietly, Edward climbed through her window, touching down lightly on the floor. He smiled as he viewed her. Bella's hair was tousled and she breathed deeply, sighing occasionally. Just when he was going to wake her up, she smiled lightly in her sleep, "I love you Edward." she breathed.

He was touched. True Edward had heard her vows of love several times before, both when she was awake, and when he was spying on her at night. (Something he'd said he would stop doing, but just couldn't seem to.) But he had been wondering of late just how Bella was feeling towards him. He'd been denying her requests to turn her for the last two months and things had been a little tense between them. It was good to know that she loved him just the same.

Edward leaned over the bed and shook Bella's shoulder as gently as possible. Still it was harder than most humans would have, and the girl woke up instantly. She looked around the room and smiled when she spotted him. "Breaking and entering is against the law you know." she greeted him.

He flashed her smile. "Yes well, I'm invited in so much that I figured I would take the risk. And didn't we discuss you closing your window from now on?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "If I did that, how would you get in for these impromptu visits? Are you worried that someone's going to kidnap me through the window or something?"

"No. It's more like I'm worried about you falling out of it in the dead of night." Edward retorted. "You do have that habit you know."

Bella rolled her eyes again. "Incidentally what are you doing in my bedroom at," she checked the luminous clock by her bedside. "5:15 in the morning? I mean I'm flattered that you enjoy my company so much, but I'm usually nicer after I've had my eight hours."

"I was hoping you'd like to watch the sunrise with me." Edward replied. "But I understand that you need your eight hours. I'll leave if you'd like."

"When do I ever want you to leave Edward?" Bella asked as she got out of the bed. "You know that I'd love to watch the sunrise with you. Are you sure you can though? With your…issues with the sun?"

Edward laughed quietly. "If you are referring to my habit of…glittering, in the sunlight, don't worry. The clouds will cover the sun before any harm is done."

"How can you possibly know that?" Bella wanted to know. He fixed her with a look. "Oh right. Alice." she motioned for him to turn around as she got dressed. "You know if I were Alice, I'd be upset if you guys used me for the weather report as much as you do."

"We appreciate her talents for what they are." Edward assured her. "And if you'd hurry up we can actually see the sun sometime before noon."

Bella made a face at him and ran a brush though her hair. "Oh calm down, Mr. Incredible Vampire Speed. There's plenty of time left." she paused. "Where exactly are we going Edward? Am I going to have to explain this little trip to Charlie?"

He cocked his head, obviously trying to hear what was going on in Charlie's head. "No, we'll be back before he wakes up." he said. "Charlie's enjoying an explicit dream right now. I'll save you the embarrassment and keep it to myself. As to your first question, we're just going to a clearing in the woods up the street."

Twenty minutes later, after a quick (very quick) run up the street and into the woods, Edward and Bella were standing in the clearing looking up at the sky, the latter wrapped in the jacket of Edward's that she loved so much.

"Isn't this nice?" Edward asked her.

"Much better than getting my required hours of sleep." Bella replied, marveling at the colors that the sky had turned.

"Sleeping is overrated."

"You're just jealous because you can't." Bella retorted.

Edward sighed and leaned down to kiss her neck. "Is sleeping better than being with me?" he asked, breathing his cool breath on her skin. It was all Bella could do to shake her head as she shivered happily.

She opened her mouth to tell him, to tell him that she loved him more than anyone she'd ever known, when the sun came over the horizon and took her breath away. Edward smiled as the love of his life was bathed in the glow of his incandescence and the new morning light. And Bella didn't have to tell him, because he already knew.