Disclaimer: All characters belong to most awesome Stephenie Meyer as well as the dialogue spoken in this chapter.

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I stepped quickly into my closet grinning foolishly to myself as I opened a box and grabbed out a small bauble. How I loved giving my Bella gifts! After much persuasion and convincing, begging and pleading, I had finally convinced my lovely human to allow me to let down her strict "no gift" policy. I would spend every penny I had on Bella to make her happy but until I had convinced her to drop the "no spending" policy as well, hand-me-downs would have to do.

I loped back out of my closet, to meet my love by the bed which she was curled up on.

"Okay," Bella growled, reluctantly. "Let me have it."

I laughed at her and crawled onto the bed next to her, her heart thumping wildly in anticipation of my gift. I made sure to sit so that her warm body was touching mine. Having the control to touch my angel was a luxury I would never let myself take for granted.

I took Bella's small, delicate wrist carefully in my hand, reminding her sternly that I paid no money before quickly attaching my gift to her charm bracelet, across from the small wooden wolf that Jacob Black gave to her.

She pulled her hand back from me and examined the heart-shaped diamond that swung from the bracelet, shimmering in the lamplight. She gave a small gasp and I bit down on my lip to keep from chuckling. Sometimes I forgot that Bella hadn't lived a wealthy lifestyle as I always had.

"It was my mother's," I told her, shrugging in an attempt to make light of the fact I was giving her a diamond. "I inherited quite a few baubles like this. I've given some to Esme and Alice both. So, clearly, this is not a big deal in any way."

She gave me a rueful grin, either having been convinced by me or deciding to deal with it anyway.

I decided to point out a few other good facts about it just in case. "But I thought it was a good representation. It's hard and cold," I said, laughing. "And it throws rainbows in the sunlight."

She was looking back down at the bracelet when she whispered back, "You forgot the most important similarity. It's beautiful."

I smiled slightly, still amazed after all these months that this angel would love a monster like me and think me beautiful.

"My heart is just as silent," I added, staring intently into her face. "And it, too, is yours."

A blush faintly colored her face as she played with the heart to make it glimmer in the light. "Thank you," she murmured. "For both."

"No, thank you. It's a relief to have you accept a gift so easily. Good practice for you," I said, grinning in amusement at her blush.

She graced me with a small smile before leaning into me, snuggling into my side. I wrapped my arms around my perfect little human and brought her warm, soft body closer to me. I could stay this way forever, with my beautiful Bella held safely in my arms. It was times like these when even the threat of the newborn army seemed distant and unimportant.

Bella finally broke the comfortable silence.

"Can we discuss something?" she whispered. "I'd appreciate it if you could begin by being open minded." I sighed mentally. This was most likely a sign that we were about to discuss something that I wouldn't be in favor of. Her changing probably. Maybe Jacob?

"I'll give it my best effort," I said warily.

"I'm not breaking any rules here," she assured me. "This is strictly about you and me." She cleared her throat, sounding nervous. "So, I was impressed by how well we were able to compromise the other night. I was thinking I would like to apply the same principle to a different situation." I had to fight back my smile. Bella sounded so formal; it was adorable. But what could she be getting at?

"What would you like to negotiate?"

She shifted uneasily, her heart speeding up to an alarming speed.

I frowned slightly. "Listen to your heart fly. It's fluttering like a hummingbird's wings. Are you all right?"

She gave me an unconvincing smile. "I'm great."

"Please go on then." I was anxious to hear what had her so worked up.

"Well, I guess, first, I wanted to talk to you about that whole ridiculous marriage condition thing."

I smirked. "It's only ridiculous to you. What about it?"

"I was wondering…is that open to negotiation?"

I frowned. Why was marriage such a big deal to her? I should be demanding even more from her in exchange for me doing something as horrible as stealing her soul. "I've already made the largest concession by far and away. I've agreed to take your life away against my better judgment. And that ought to entitle me to a few compromises on your part."

"No." She shook her head. "That part's a done deal. We're not discussing my…renovations right now. I want to hammer out some other details."

I looked over her face suspiciously, but found nothing. Her face was carefully composed. I automatically reached toward her mind before remembering that I'd find nothing there. "Which details do you mean exactly?"

She hesitated. "Let's clarify your prerequisites first."

"You know what I want." To have you to myself forever, through a simple process called-

"Matrimony." She grimaced, making the word out to be revolting and horrifying.

I smiled widely at her, making my favor toward the idea as clear as she had made her disgust. "Yes. To start with."

Her composed expression lapsed into shock. "There's more?"

"Well," I said, scrunching up my face as if calculating. "If you're my wife…" Bella gave an involuntary flinch. "Then what's mine is yours…like tuition money. So there would be no problem with Dartmouth."

She gave me a disapproving frown. "Anything else? While you're already being absurd?"

"I wouldn't mind some time."

Her frown deepened. "No. No time. That's a deal breaker right there."

I gave an exaggerated sigh to accurately display my longing. "Just a year or two?"

She shook her head stubbornly. "Move along to the next one."

"That's it. Unless you'd like to talk cars…" I was teasing her now. I grinned at her and she grimaced back. I took her small hand between mine and began playing carefully with her delicate, beautiful fingers.

Holding her fragile hand between mine, I was reminded how different I was from her. I was a cold, hard monster. She was a soft, warm, beautiful angel. I tried to keep the edge out of my voice when I spoke to her. "I didn't realize there was anything else you wanted besides being transformed into a monster yourself. I'm extremely curious."

For a moment I thought I had unknowingly spoken too softly for her human ears, for she continued to stare down at our hands without answering. Then a soft familiar pink spread across her face, saturating the air with her tempting smell. My curiosity burned as I stroked her warm cheek with my fingers.

"You're blushing?" She didn't answer. "Please, Bella, the suspense is painful." She bit her lip. "Bella." I could hear my exasperation leak into my voice.

She finally spoke, softly. "Well, I'm a little worried…about after." She finally looked up at me, her expression hesitant.

I tensed slightly. It occurred to me that I should be glad that she was thinking this out and had her doubts about the change, but all I could think about was easing my Bella's worry.

"What has you worried?"

"All of you just seem so convinced that the only thing I'm going to be interested in, afterward, is slaughtering everyone in town."

I winced at her blunt words, at the image I had seen so many times in Alice's mind of the red-eyed, bloodthirsty angel. We all went through the stage when we were first changed, but it hurt to think of letting my Bella go through it.

"And I'm afraid," Bella continued. "I'll be so preoccupied with the mayhem that I won't be me anymore…and that I won't…I won't want you the same way I do now."

My heart ached at her saddened expression. "Bella, that part doesn't last forever," I said soothingly.

"Edward," she said, her eyes darting nervously down at her hands. "There's something that I want to do before I'm not human anymore."

I waited patiently for her to continue, comfortable with the idea she presented. I often pushed human experiences on her, much to her distaste, eager for her to make the best of her humanity before she was changed.

When Bella went a few seconds without continuing, I thought it best to help her along. "Whatever you want," I assured her, growing anxious at her silence and eager to make the uneasy look leave her beautiful face.

"Do you promise?" her voice was so meek and anxious, that I didn't think twice about reassuring her.

"Yes," I promised earnestly. "Tell me what you want, and you can have it."

She finally spoke, her face flushed. "You."

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So there it is! The first chapter!

Please tell me if you like it...or if you don't.

Remember to review because I'm a very lazy writer and without enough reviews the next chapter may very well come out this summer. ;)

Luv you all! Thanks for reading!

-FutureCullen22