Just another little extra to add to the main story of I Caught Fire. In chapter 5, Bella had a flashback of receiving her acceptance letter from Dartmouth, when her and Edward planned to attend together. This is a continuation of that moment, and I hope you enjoy it!

A note: Timeline-wise, this is set in April 2008. Edward died in September 2008, and ICF is set from March 2010 onwards. Also, at the start of ICF, Jasper is 25, and Bella is 21. I hope this helps you make sense of it better.

** Thanks to SunKing for working her beta magic on this, as always. **

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer.The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I don't own Edward and Bella. I just make them do naughty things.

Dartmouth Acceptance outtake

April 2008

BPOV

I stood in the sun-dappled kitchen, trying to process the news I'd just received. "Dartmouth?" I asked incredulously, fingering the thick, heavy paper that began with the words "Dear Miss Swan, we are pleased to inform you that..." I furrowed my brow. Surely there had to be some mistake? I'd applied to Dartmouth on a whim, knowing that Edward had already gotten in on Early Decision. It was a long shot, I knew, but I'd wanted to give it a try. I already had acceptances from the University of Alaska Southeast and the University of Washington. But there was no way that my slightly-above-average GPA and SAT scores were good enough for Dartmouth. They were high, but not that high...

I glanced up and caught the hint of smugness in the smile that was playing on Edward's lips as he watched me take in the news. He stepped towards me and his arms encircled my waist from behind, pressing a kiss to my hair as he bowed his body against my back. "Congratulations," he murmured, his kisses carrying on down to my neck and collarbone. A simmering fire burned through me at each brush of his warm lips against my skin. But wait...that boy! I realised he was trying to distract me, and I was having none of it. I wriggled free of his arms.

"Edward," I began solemnly, ignoring the confusion on his face, "did Dartmouth by any chance receive a large donation for, say, the new Masen Biology Lab?" I fixed my eyes upon him again, but predictably, his face was impassive.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, love," he replied with an easy smile, casually leaning against one of the kitchen cabinets, but I knew him too well to believe that well-acted display of innocence.

"Hmph," I muttered. "It doesn't matter. I still know that you did this. I mean, this is so huge, and I feel like I have nothing to give back to you in return, and it's just well, overwhelming, and I..."

I was cut off by him placing his hand over my mouth to quiet me. "Shh, Bella," he said, taking his hand away. God, his hands were so beautiful. Long, thin, piano-playing fingers. The epitome of grace and poise, nothing like my clumsy, stubby fingers. There were of course many other things he could do with them, too, and a tremor shot through me at the thought.

He took my hands in his. Edward knew my inferiority complex when it came to him, and made every effort to dispel it. "Bella, your very existence is a gift you give me that I will never be able to repay," he said seriously, his jade eyes smouldering with a barely-hidden passion as he looked upon me. "Even if you did let me buy you a car." That had become a point of contention for us in recent weeks. I'd consistently refused to let him buy me a new car, even though my crappy Chevy truck was on its last legs. His expression had turned beseeching, and a laugh unexpectedly bubbled up from inside of me, breaking the tension.

"Don't you want to go?" he asked, wrapping his arms about my waist and pulling me to him.

"I do," I replied. "And I'd love to go with you. I mean, I know your family are rich, so that wasn't a problem for you, but I just feel awkward that I got in off a bribe."

He grinned as his hands ghosted down my back, coming to rest on my ass. "I'm thrilled that you got in," he said, and squeezed gently.

"Edward, what are you doing?" I asked coyly, giggling as I threw my arms round his neck and kissed him.

"I think you know exactly what I'm doing," he murmured, his lips moulding to mine, warm firing beneath my skin as our tongues tangled.

"Charlie's not here," I breathed, and his eyes widened.

"Have I told you yet how utterly seductive you look right now, Miss Swan?" Edward said, biting his lip as he appraised me. I felt a sudden spark of desire that fired straight to my core and was forced to fight the embarrassing urge to rub my thighs together to relieve the pressure. I giggled nervously, blushing a colour that matched the pink, floral sundress that I wore. It was admittedly quite skimpy, and I hadn't been sure whether to put it on that morning. I reddened further, but there was only adoration in Edward's eyes.

His lips found my forehead, my eyelids, and then my cheeks, stopping just short of my lips. "It's lovely when you blush." I dragged him to me then, devouring his mouth with frantic urgency, and a slight edge of anger. I was a tad pissed off, to be honest, that he'd gone out of his way to bribe an Ivy League university just so we could go there together. And at the same time unfathomably grateful. It was a heady cocktail of emotions. He groaned into my mouth, and the next second, had swept me up into his arms.

He carried me up the stairs to my bedroom, and we both laughed when I accidentally bumped my head on the rafters that were halfway up. He placed me on the bed carefully and unbuckled my white sandals one by one, caressing my feet gently as he dropped them to the floor. He kicked his own sandals off. Sweat was beginning to bead on my forehead, for the roof was stiflingly hot from the 86° weather outside, unprecedented heat for Forks in April. I suddenly wished I were wearing less clothing. Apparently, Edward thought this too as he murmured "Now, this is a very pretty dress, but I think it needs to come off."

I bit down on my lip. "Edward, please...I need you."

Surging forward, he covered his lips with mine again and pushed me back onto the comforter, rolling on top of me. I tugged at his shirt insistently and he raised his arms to help me pull it off. Confronted with the divine sight of his pale but well-muscled chest, I let out a whimper. Edward Cullen was so damn beautiful. I couldn't believe that a man so attractive would want plain, average old me. Inexplicably, though, he did. His hand drifted up my thigh, beneath the hem of my dress as he dotted warm, wet kisses along my neck. My back straightened as the flat of his hand gently guided my body into a sitting position. Deft fingers found the zipper on the back of my dress and slowly dragged it downwards. I lay back once more, flexing my hips to allow him to rid me of the fabric entirely. He palmed one of my white cotton-covered breasts as he shifted up my body, and I jolted as I felt his hardness graze my centre. Edward didn't like fancy underwear. As he put it, simple cotton looked far sexier on me, because it suited me more. I might have been the only girl in the world whose boyfriend didn't beg for her to wear silky teddies or negligees, but then, he was happy with who I was from the start. Boring, sensible underwear and all.

"Let me," I said playfully, reaching for the belt buckle on his shorts. My small fingers had unclasped it and loosened the buttons in no time, and he sighed when I began to push them down his legs as he hovered above me. They became stuck part of the way down.

"Err, they appear to have become stuck on something," Edward said in a mock-serious voice, sitting up for a moment so he could tug his shorts and boxers past his obvious erection, shifting his legs so he could pull each side off in turn. Now he was completely and utterly naked, and only for me to enjoy. I felt so lucky I couldn't believe it. It had been two weeks. As both our families weren't keen on us staying over at each other's houses, it was hard to snatch moments to make love, but we made the most of them when we could.

The first time, just over a year before when we were seventeen, he'd climbed the tree outside and snuck in through my window. He'd made the experience enjoyable for me despite the fact that there was a little pain, but we'd worried so much about Charlie coming in that it had put a bit of a dampener on things. Ever since, we'd had to take the opportunity when either of our homes were empty. That happened more often at my house as Edward's brother, Emmett always seemed to be around at his place, and at my place there was only Charlie. God bless my father'sfishing addiction, I silently prayed.

Edward's hands shifted behind my back and unfastened my bra, throwing it on the floor. He hands palmed my breasts, cupping them. "So soft. So beautiful," he said in a low voice, almost to himself, before he brought his mouth to my left nipple. His warm tongue laved over the pink peak, before he moved to the other one to pay it the same attention. By this point I was squirming under his ministrations, desperately wanting him to end this slow, delicious torture he was inflicting upon me. I reached down and took his erection in my hand, wrapping my fingers round the length of it. Slowly, I shifted my grip upwards, then down again. He let out a sharp gasp, his hot breath fanning my nipple.

"God, Bella that's too...good," he cried imploringly, indicating for me to take my hand away. "Otherwise I probably won't be able to last." He frowned. Edward had an insecure side, and tended to doubt his abilities as a lover. He needn't have worried there. We'd learned each other's bodies together, and no one could please me like he did.

I smiled, running my hand through his hair in a reassuring way and he returned the smile. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" he whispered, and stroked my cheek.

"I feel the same all the time," I replied simply, shifting my hips under him so that his cock was pressing against my thoroughly damp cotton panties. It was kind of embarrassing how wet he made me, but he didn't seem to mind. He ground himself against my clit and I let out a strangled cry, hooking one of my legs around his hip as we continued to move against each other. I couldn't wait any longer. "Please."

He immediately dropped his hands to my panties and carefully dragged them down my legs, discarding them on the floor where the rest of our clothes lay. He climbed back on top of me and I wrapped my arms round him, relishing the feel of skin-to-skin contact in the overly warm room. My legs automatically opened, and he gently placed his hands on my knees to push them apart further. One of his divine fingers circled my entrance, slowly pushing inside me as his thumb played over my clit. "Oh, God, Edward - please," I muttered, lost in the overwhelming sensations he was giving me. "I want you to be inside me when I..."

"You're ready?" he asked, pushing another finger inside, twisting them inside me to hit that indescribably pleasurable spot. I could only moan in response, considering the fact that I was unbelievably close already and we'd barely even started. Edward removed his fingers and braced his hands on either side of me. He rubbed his cock up and down my slit, and I let out the loudest moan yet. I flushed with shame, but he shook his head. "No, Bella. Be as loud as you like. I want you to be loud for me." I felt the tip of him slide in and wrapped both legs around his waist, sheathing the whole of him inside me.

"Ohh," I whimpered, and my eyes rolled back into my head. He was still for a moment, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Just a sec."

Though I longed to tip my hips upwards, I waited for him to regain control. I opened my eyes again to see him gazing down at me, his mint green gaze locked on my face. It was an intensely intimate moment, borne out of the happiness that we were going to be at the same college together, on the other side of the country. It would be a new adventure for us.

"I can't wait to go to Dartmouth with you," he panted, echoing my thoughts. Slowly, he began to rock inside me, keeping his thrusts deep but controlled. The feeling was incredible. I'd missed it so much, and it had only been a fortnight. I ran my hands over his back, my nails finding purchase against his skin as we moved together. Our lips met and we panted hot into each other's mouths as our movements sped up a fraction. Sweat was beading on our slick bodies as he began to slam into me harder. My hands trailed down his back, coming to rest on his tight, perfect ass. I loved all of his body. And it was all mine.

"Edward!" I cried out his name as his hands found the backs of my knees and insistently pulled my legs upwards so they were resting on his shoulders. The heat deep inside my body increased further as he resumed his thrusts, deeper this time due to the new position.

"Bella," he murmured, bending down to kiss me. My legs were drawn up to my chest, knees bent over his shoulders in a way that would hurt if I weren't already flexible. The angle at which he was driving into me hit that place inside me, my pleasure manifesting itself via incoherent sounds that I muttered into Edward's chest. The heat and tension clenched inside my body, and I knew it wouldn't be long. I fisted my hands in his hair, moaning as his movements quickened, and I knew he was getting close. "Don't know how much longer I can...last," he rasped, his voice heavy and thick with lust as he tried to slow down.

I reached down between our bodies, moving two fingers over my slick, swollen clit as the other hand tugged at Edward's hair. The knots in my body were tightening as the tension within me built and built. Warmth began to burst beneath my skin as I stimulated myself in time with each stroke of his length against my g-spot.

"I love you...I'm so close," I said in a strained whisper, and placing my hand on the back of his head, pulled his mouth to mine. Our lips fused in a hungry, desperate kiss of love and need, and I could feel my release approaching. I rubbed my clit harder as he filled me so completely, concentrating on the sensations he was eliciting from my body. Every one of my muscles locked down, and I felt my body tighten then explode as I quaked and shuddered beneath him. He continued to thrust into me, the peaks and troughs overcoming me for at least a minute, Edward's name a breathless sound on my lips as I rode out my orgasm.

"I love you," he murmured hoarsely in reply. Once I'd stilled under him, he resumed his thrusts. Within seconds, he let out a strangled cry above me, and I felt him pulse inside me, my still-tight muscles squeezing his climax out of him. Edward dropped my legs back to the bed and collapsed on top of me, utterly spent. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me, his head resting between my breasts. My heart was beating like a jackhammer, and he let out a contented sigh against my skin.

We were both extremely sweaty, my hair sticking to my damp forehead. I probably looked like crap. On the other hand, Edward had never looked more stunning to me - his bronze locks tousled, his flawless skin flushed from his orgasm. I breathed in his delectable scent of sandalwood, cinnamon, and something else I couldn't quite place, luxuriating in just being with him. Lifting himself off me, he gently pulled out and planted a soft kiss on my lips. Standing up, he passed me the box of tissues on my nightstand so I could tidy myself up and turned away from me, allowing me a moment of modesty. A minute or two later he joined me on the bed, wrapping his arms tightly around me, my back against his chest.

"It's so hot in here," I sighed. We were both still breathing heavily, absorbed in our post-coital euphoria as we clung to one another. In a flash, he was up and had opened the window, allowing a fresh breeze to roll in. Returning to the bed, he pulled me into his arms again, but I could feel a hesitancy in his touch. "What is it?" I frowned, twisting round to look at him. His face was set, but I could see the hint of a smile peeking through. He looked like a little boy who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"It was for the new Masen wing of the library," he suddenly admitted with a grin, and we both exploded into peals of laughter, causing the bed to shake with our mirth.

"I knew it!" I laughed in triumph, swatting him playfully with the pillow. I was thankful that Charlie wouldn't be back for hours and we could spend the day worshipping each other's bodies as we wished.

"Thank you," I added quietly.

"For Dartmouth?"

"For this."

I'd just like to say that I was so proud to be a part of Fics4Nashville. The generosity of our fandoms never ceases to amaze me, and it just shows how much we can all do when we come together. I would like to thank those who organised this, all those authors who contributed pieces and all the readers who donated to help Tennessee flood victims recover from the devastation caused to their communities. As ever, if you liked this, please leave me a review and tell me. Thanks for reading! xx