One year later.

Takes place about six months after the end of Breaking Dawn


Bella and Edward were lying naked next to each other on the sofa in the main Cullen house enjoying a coveted child-free moment together. Having Renesmee so soon after getting married had been an unexpected blessing for the couple (well eventually anyway) but it did mean they hadn't really had as much quality time together alone like other newlyweds. They tried to make up for lost time when and where they could including tonight.

Nessie was back at the cottage with Jacob enjoying another round of their infamous no-holds-barred video game tournament. The two of them had been playing for hours with no end in sight but Bella had made Jake promise to end the game at midnight so Ness could get some sleep. She and Edward would be back home soon to relieve him of his babysitting duties though they both knew he wouldn't mind staying late. Jacob loved spending time with their daughter being the surrogate big brother she always wanted but would never have. They knew they could trust him with their little girl.

The other Cullens had gone out hunting and wouldn't be back for a few more hours so Bella and Edward had quickly taken advantage of their time alone in the house. Now, lying naked next to his beautiful immortal wife, Edward lifted his head and slowly kissed Bella's neck. What a difference a year made, he thought. No longer having to worry about little issues like killing the love of his existence for example really opened up a whole new world for Edward.

For so many years, he had existed on the sidelines when it came to sex. Seeing the mechanics in others minds but never really knowing what he had been missing. Now that he knew, he couldn't imagine experiencing that level of connection with anyone else. He never tired of being intimate with Bella. He relished every moment that they were together physically, like now, and his hands took their time caressing every inch of her upper body. They moved lower and lower until they finally reached her most intimate area. Edward's long elegant fingers parted her slick folds and began moving inside of her in a perfect rhythm as his thumb lightly circled the perfect spot he now knew so well.

Bella's moans grew louder and louder as she began to approach yet another orgasm. Edward was always a generous lover and tonight had been no exception. Bella knew she was desperately close, but she wanted to give to Edward as much as he gave to her if she could. Being intimate with Edward had far surpassed her hopes and dreams from long ago. He was her mate and that made all the difference. Dropping her shield, she opened her mind to him so he could see how wonderful he made her feel. How loved. How cherished. How desired. Edward gasped as he used his gift to read her thoughts.

In her thoughts, he saw himself, naked raised up over his wife as he pleasured her with his hand. He heard her clearly in her mind express how good it felt to be touched by him and how close she was to letting go. Edward let out a slow hungry growl as he saw what she saw. Felt what she felt. Her desire, her love.

Suddenly, he heard another growl and it was coming from upstairs. It was Emmett. He and Rosalie had returned. According to their thoughts, it seems their hunting adventures had caused some highly amorous feelings between them and they had returned to their bedroom to act on them. Edward was shocked he hadn't heard them when they first returned but nevertheless there they were "going at" upstairs. Edward shook his head and quickly turned his attention back to the woman laying below him and her thoughts. Bella had just reached the point of orgasm when, to Edward's chagrin, another growl came from Emmett above due to his own activities with his wife.

Suddenly, the image Edward saw in Bella's mind changed. It wasn't Edward that was naked above her on the sofa pleasuring her with his hand. It was…it was…it could not be. It was Emmett. He was clothed but he was there. He was kissing her lips, her neck, her breasts. Her arms were around his neck. And he was touching her. He was making her orgasm with his fingers. She was flying. And he was growling that same heated growl of desire in her mind they had heard seconds before.

Edward froze.

It all made sense now.

The images he had seen in his brother's mind this past year. Random images of a human Bella lying beneath him on this very sofa. Her shirt torn open, her breasts exposed. Her eyes closed and her mouth forming a perfect "O".

Edward had assumed these glimpses he saw in Emmett's mind were just fantasies like the images every other unrelated male who had ever met Bella, save Carlisle, had projected on him. However, there was one problem. The clipped images Edward saw in Emmett's mind were identical to the images he had witnessed in Bella's just now. Identical down to the clothes they were both wearing, positions they were in and the sounds they were making. This was not a fantasy for either of them. This was a memory.

Edward jumped away from Bella and the sofa. Bella's shield slammed in place ripping her thoughts from his mind-reading and she quickly stood up to face him. She immediately recognized her mistake. When she heard Emmett's passionate growl from upstairs, her mind unconsciously pulled up the memory of another time she had heard him make that same sound. When Emmett had touched her. When his cold fingers pleasured her on this very sofa. When she was still human, before she and Edward were engaged.

Thinking back now, Bella realized Emmett had given her more than just her first real orgasm that day. He had given her hope.

Back then, Bella hadn't been sure how she would feel the next time she saw Edward after having been armed with the new knowledge that Emmett had given her earlier on that day. Would she feel guilt? Shame? Regret? She had no idea. However, when her boyfriend had made his scheduled appearance through her bedroom window later that night after her shower, Bella had felt nothing but love and hope.

Hope that she could have a real future with Edward. Hope that she and Edward could be together as a real husband and wife someday. Emmett had given her the assurance that she so desperately needed that Edward was worth waiting for. Worth fighting for. It wasn't the first time she had recalled the memory of Emmett's gift to her since that day but unfortunately, it was the first time she had shared it with anyone, even if on accident. It had been their secret and Bella had thought it would always remain that way.

In the seconds it took for Bella's mind to recall that day, Edward had thrown on his pants and raced upstairs to Emmett and Rosalie's room. Bella grabbed his shirt and threw it on her as she ran after him.

Edward flew into the bedroom and tore Emmett from the bed literally off of Rosalie. Emmett slammed against the wall causing the entire house to shake. Rosalie jumped from the bed with her sheet draped around her torso.

"What the hell Edward?" she screamed at her brother standing in the middle of her bedroom snarling at her husband who was slowly standing up by the wall.

Bella arrived and upon seeing Emmett standing naked in the room quickly averted her eyes.

"What's the matter Bella?" Edward snickered as he saw her look away. "I'm sure it's nothing you haven't seen before" he said his voice dripping of sarcasm.

Emmett looked directly at Bella then back to Edward and suddenly he knew why Edward had attacked him. Bella must have finally told him what had happened between them when she was still human.

"Shit" he swore under his breath and he walked to the bed to quickly retrieve his pants.

Once he was decent, Emmett turned back to his brother.

"Edward, I…" he began hesitantly.

"You what?" Edward roared.

Emmett stopped speaking and for some bizarre reason his mind involuntarily went back to the day that he and Bella had been intimate. Oh, he had thought about it before from time to time, but he and Bella had never spoken about that day. Never exchanged knowing looks. Never wanted to revisit it. It was their one secret and he had purposely put it far away from his thoughts.

Hell, he was just so happy that she and Edward were finally happy that's all he ever thought about. But right now, he was too ill-prepared to deal with Edward's sudden confrontation to stop the memories from flooding through his mind. Memories of Emmett kissing Bella on the sofa. Memories of the sounds she made when he suckled her breasts. Memories of him touching her body.

"STOP!" Edward screamed as Emmett's thoughts bombard his own mind.

And then... Edward lunged.

Emmett was ready this time though and he braced himself for the impact.

The sound would have been deafening to human ears. As it were both Bella and Rose covered their ears when the sound of Edward colliding with Emmett reverberated throughout the house.

The men rolled on the floor in a heap and went right through the already weakened wall of the bedroom. They continued their tussle right through the staircase and landed with a crash on the first floor of the house.

Rose had thrown on a robe and she and Bella both jumped down to the first floor. Although Bella's newborn strength as a vampire had diminished greatly, she still had some excess left in her. Between her and Rose they pulled Edward off of Emmett and held him back while he continued to snarl and fight in an attempt to attack again.

"Stop Edward! What is going on? Why are you attacking my husband?" Rose screamed while she struggled to hold on to her brother to keep him from going after Emmett again.

Edward stopped moving suddenly when he heard her voice. He stood still and shook his arms free of Bella and Rose. He turned and stared right at his sister.

"Because your husband" he began putting a menacing emphasis on the word husband, "fucked my wife!" he thundered.

Every vampire in the room was as still as only vampires could be. No one moved. No one breathed and no one could be sure what was more shocking in that moment.

The fact that Edward had just swore an expletive at his sister.

The fact that Edward and Emmett had just destroyed the house.

Or the fact that Edward had just accused his own adopted brother of having sex with his wife.

Bella was the first to speak.

"That's not true Edward" she said with a shaking voice.

Edward changed his focus from Rose to Bella. His eyes soften when he looked at her. It was if all of the angry energy had suddenly evaporated from his body and was replaced with great sadness. His shoulders hung down and he lowered his head.

"I know what I saw" he said softly.

Emmett spoke then.

"She's telling the truth Edward" he said. "I don't know what you thought you saw, but I never had sex with Bella" Emmett said clearly.

Edward raised his head up and turned to glare at him, the anger returning as quickly as it had left.

"I saw your thoughts!" Edward shouted. "Both of yours. I saw the memories. I thought it was just a fantasy, but your thoughts were the same. You were kissing and touching. You growled like before. She had a…" he stopped his ramblings as he grew more and more agitated.

"Edward…" Bella spoke again.

"NO!" he roared. And then softened his expression again as he turned to face his wife. His emotions were all over the place and his mind couldn't keep up. He couldn't understand how something like this could be happening. It just didn't make sense. His one and only love had betrayed him. The hurt was unbearable. He couldn't stand to look at her. To be even in the same room with her.

"I can't Bella, I just can't" Edward croaked out and then he did the only thing he could think of at the time. He turned on his heels and reaching for his shoes and jacket, sped out the front door.

Bella sank to the floor beneath her and covered her face with her hands.

Rosalie had not moved from her spot frozen on the floor.

"Rose" Emmett said her name softly as he hesitantly approached his wife.

Rosalie jerked her head and looked at him then she turned and looked down at Bella. Her head swung back and forth between them so quickly that under any other circumstances it would have been comical.

She took a deep breath and spoke.

"What is Edward talking about?" she inquired.

"Rose" Emmett started…

"No, not you Emmett" Rosalie interrupted. "I was asking Bella" she said calmly.

At the sound of her name, Bella removed her hands and lifted her head to look at Rosalie. Her eyes were haunted, her face a shell and her expression a telling one.

And in that moment, Rose saw all she needed to from the other female in the room. She knew Edward's accusation must be true.

Rosalie Hale had been around for decades. She knew shame and regret when she saw it. This human girl Edward had brought into their lives without any consideration for the family. This same girl who had brought light to her brother's dark life. Who had given birth to a beautiful baby girl that brought joy into Rosalie's barren life. This girl who had been transformed and welcomed into their family. Who had saved them from the Volturi. Who was supposed to be a sister to her. This girl had been with her Emmett.

Rosalie wasted no time. Clad only in her robe, she quickly jumped up to her second floor bedroom. She threw on the first clothes she saw, threw a few more and a few essentials into a bag, and jumped out the window. She never once looked back at Bella or Emmett. Seconds later, the sound of a sports car peeling out of the garage echoed throughout the house and just like Edward, Rosalie was gone.