Author's note: Wow. The votes were unanimous - you all want to see Bella be changed. Well, I'm more than happy to acquiesce to your requests...just not this second. :-D Come on, she's got to go back to school someday. The Cullens may have all graduated - a lot - but she's still got things to do. We'll see how the school year pans out, eh? :)

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It seemed almost odd to know that school was right around the corner. Bella lay on her stomach on Edward's bed, idly listening to the Evanescence CD he'd just bought her while Alice tortured her hair into some sort of braid-type-thing.

"And I've already seen that we'll have most of our classes together! It's going to be great! Um, the only classes we don't have are chemistry and PE, but Edward will be there in chemistry, and Jasper's got PE with you."

"Good. At least there will be one person in PE that I can't break accidentally."

"Oh...you're going to have Mike in PE again, as well. Try not to clonk him with a volleyball this time."

"How about a basketball?" Bella muttered wryly. She knew that it would be interesting at school this year. Emmett and Rose had already graduated at the end of last year, so it would just be Edward, Jasper, and Alice with her. She wondered how she would be able to hide the events of the summer from her mannerisms.

"Alice?"

"Hmm?"

"I, um...we..." Alice understood immediately, ceasing her attack on Bella's mane and flopping down beside her to meet her eyes.

"Nothing will change what we all have together, you know that right?" Bella just nodded. "We just have to be careful how we act when other people are around. Not everyone would understand our...openness," she finished with a smirk. Bella had a sudden image in her mind that made her laugh hysterically. When she saw Alice's curious expression, it just made her laugh harder.

"Come on Bella, we don't ALL have a bond with you. Spill!" After Bella caught her breath, she grinned wickedly at Alice.

"I just had a thought...of me...and you..."

"I like this already," the pixie beside her said, touching her neck gently.

"...behind the bleachers on the field, ditching class..."

"That could be arranged," murmured Alice, twining the fingers of one hand with Bella's.

"...wrapped around each other..."

"Mmm-hmm?"

"...and being caught by Jessica," Bella finished, dissolving into laughter once more. Alice joined her and the two friends lay there for a long time just laughing with one another. Alice regained composure first.

"That would be a riot!" She smiled as she moved into a sitting position. "Not the best for your reputation, but funny all the same."

"What would be funny?" asked Edward as he strode into the room, sitting on the bed next to the giggling girls and handing Bella a slightly greasy paper bag and a large plastic cup with a straw.. "I don't see how you can eat this stuff," he muttered as she crowed happily and tore the bag open to reveal a sandwich in a cardboard box and a large sleeve of french fries. She dug in immediately, her expression morphing into one of absolute bliss as she inhaled a few fries.

"You're just jealous because they didn't come out with McDonald's in time for you to enjoy it," she said around a mouthful of grilled chicken sandwich. "Mmmm...oh god, this hit the spot..." She degenerated into happy mumbling as she chowed down, her immortal counterparts regarding her with amusement and fondness.

"So, since Bella is otherwise occupied at the moment and too busy to talk to her boyfriend," Edward began, not even bothering to flinch whenever she smacked him in the arm while still munching, "you want to tell me what you two were laughing about when I walked in?"

"Bella just had a funny thought of me and her in the middle of a heavy make-out session, behind the bleachers at school, being caught by Jessica." Edward chuckled, but the look he gave Alice - which Bella was too involved in her rare fast-food treat to observe - had the pixie nodding. Finishing up the last braid, Alice bounced to her feet.

"Well, I'm going to go track down my man. Enjoy your," she gestured to what was left of Bella's meal, "food, and I'll see you ina while!" Bella, taking a few swallows of her Dr. Pepper, just nodded.

"Later," she managed around a mouthful of french fries. Edward sat there with her, silent until she was all but done with her food.

"We need to talk about school this year, Bella," he began. Her eyes grew wide, but she popped the last bit of chicken sandwich in her mouth.

"What's up?" she asked, licking her fingers off with a carelessness that made him groan inwardly. He shook his head to clear his thoughts from the path they were taking, a path than involved something besides her fingers in her mouth, and turned his thought back to the matter at hand.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay with everything. I mean, at school, we're all going to have to act like we're just friends again." He smiled a bit. "Well, that we're just friends and family with Alice and Jasper. You and I don't have to pretend anything." She was quiet as she took a drink and he closed his eyes against the sight of her lips wrapped around the straw, the slight hollowing of her cheeks as she sucked soda from the glass. "Although I think we'd better be careful what we let you eat in public, because I know that I at least am going to have a difficult time keeping my hands to myself if I have to keep watching you eat like that." Her expression revealed nothing but innocence, yet he knew she was teasing him as she leaned down for another drink, taking half the straw in her mouth this time before sliding it out from between her lips slowly.

"I don't understand. What's wrong with the way I eat?" She couldn't hold a straight face for long, however, and one corner of her mouth quirked upward despite her best attempts to restrain it. In a flash he had her pressed back against the pillows, leaning over her with his eyes locked on hers. His voice took on a husky, needy tone that had her almost moaning.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way you eat...unless you want me pinning you to the table in the cafeteria and fucking you senseless in front of the entire school." He paused, pretending to think for a moment. "I'm sure Jasper would be willing to help me, too." He could feel her shiver in response. "Why, you little hedonist," he whispered, lowering his lips to hover just beside her ear as he spoke. "You like that idea, don't you? You like the thought of getting me so strung out that I don't care who's watching." He moved to trace the fingers of one hand down her arm, delighting in how she quivered beneath his touch. "That I have to take you, claim you," His words grew racier, his tone darker, and she moaned audibly. "...that I want you so much I slam you against the table and ram my hard cock into you again and again, with all of your friends, with all of the school watching." He stroked his tongue over her collarbone, lovign the way she moaned his name. "Carlisle let me see inside your mind, you know. When we were having Esme's party. How much you wanted to be the one on your hands and knees on that stage, subject to our every whim."

"Edward..." she moaned, arching upwards to press herself against him. He denied her that, though, pulling back and hearing her whine.

"Such a wanton little slut, aren't you, love? Always hungry for pleasure. Who would have thought it?" He nipped her shoulder and she gasped. "That's all well and good, but wanting it at school? You're such a bad girl, Bella." He paused, catching her dark, desperate gaze with his golden one. "I think I need to punish you for that." He never used this tone with her, was unsure how she would react. Her shuddering sigh and demurely closed eyes were all the answer he needed, and he moaned inwardly at her submission. Raising himself off of her, he sat on the edge of the bed. "Come here," he commanded, smiling at how quickly her eyes went wide and she clambered out of bed to stand in front of him. With a gesture he motioned her over his lap, and was thrilled at how willingly she draped herself across his legs. His hand came down to caress her ass through her jeans and she wiggled. Without warning, he snapped his hand down to connect with her rounded softness, and she yelped.

"Ow!" she said, sounding completely shocked.

"You sound surprised, love. I told you I was going to punish you, not play with you." He paused for a moment. "Now, I think ten good, hard strokes are in order. What do you think?" Her answer was simple. She just dropped her head and put her full weight across his knees. He smiled, an inner something in his psyche coming to the fore, something he never knew existed in his own mind. "Good girl." His second slap echoed in the room and she moaned, shifting against him. He knew she could feel his erection poking into her side, and her movements rubbed against it in a heavenly fashion. He brought his hand down again. A movement in the doorway caught his attention and he looked up to see Carlisle and Emmett standing there - apparently they were back from hunting. Emmett's eyes were wide as Edward brought his hand down again, but Carlisle...Edward didn't need an interpreter to decipher the lust rolling off him in waves. Downstairs he heard Jasper's soft moan as the emotions slammed into him with hurricane force. Again he spanked Bella's upturned ass, and she was really groaning now, the mixture of pain and pleasure driving her mad. Emmett left the doorway, leaving Carlisle alone to watch the completely erotic scene play out.

"Halfway done, darling. How does that feel? I want you to know who you belong to when you go home today." Another smack punctuated his words, and this time she let out a muffled cry, his name falling from her lips like sweetest wine. His silent audience seemed rooted to the spot, eyes darkening as he watched Edward and Bella. The scene remained through the last four strokes, and Carlisle met Edward's eyes directly before turning and walking downstairs. Bella squirmed, coming to her feet in front of him, her own eyes wide with slight pain and superb ecstasy. He realized with no small amount of shock that she was close to orgasm.

"Edward..." she said softly. He inclined an eyebrow, silently asking a question. She nodded, stripping her shirt over her head with one smooth motion. It took less than ten seconds for him to divest her of the rest of her clothing, another five for his, and then he had her shoved down on the matress and was sliding into her wet heat, feeling her clench around him in an instantaneous orgasm. He moaned and dropped his head to her shoulder, thrusting solidly, making her ride the waves for minutes on end.

"Bella, god...remind me to buy you McDonald's more often," he whispered, picking up the pace. She could only hold on and agree.