Chapter 4: First Day…

I checked the contents of my bag for the last time as Edward and I were due to start college that evening. While Edward was taking a night course, I was studying as a first year college student which meant I needed to do some creative scheduling of lecturers and tutorials. Edward and I had worked out a timetable which allowed me to pick up tape recorded lecture sessions held on sunny days and attend evening tutorials, usually reserved for people working during the day. This way I wasn't going to miss anything on days where sparkly vampires might create a ruckus.

Edward teased me when he saw me checking my bag for the third time, "Relax Bella, you are going to be fine." He kissed me which after a few moments really did anything but relax me, but as he released me, I thought about all my newly inherited special abilities and realised I didn't have anything to worry about. If all else failed, Edward had studied so many different things during his school and college years, he would be able to help me when I need it.

I had decided to focus on Literature and History and had selected a variety of Lit classes from the Classics to Modern Play writers. I had already read a third of the semester's required text, one of the advantages of not requiring sleep and being able to do everything at superhuman speeds.

I heard rustling on the stairs and turned to watch Renesmee walk towards me. "Are you and daddy about to go?" she asked.

"Yes darling, Jake will be here any moment to stay with you," I told her.

Jake had started his final year at school the week before and was already grumbling about the amount of homework he was getting. Leah was older than Jake and she had already finished school, so she was on the look out for a job. Jake had told us the day before she had an interview with a security company today – the perfect job for a wolf, I thought.

We heard Jake approach the house before he reached the door and Renesmee was in his arms before he had even walked in the house.

"Hey you," he said with delight as Renesmee held her palm to his face, they focused on each other as she shared the details of her day, Jake nodding his head as she asked him a question. "School was very busy today," he told her, "you're going to have to help me with all my homework tonight."

Renesmee nodded her head seriously although Jake caught my eye and grinned over her head. Edward came up behind me and took my hand, "We'll see you guys in a couple of hours."

Nessie jumped from Jake's arms and ran over for a last hug, "See you in the morning Nessie," I told her with a final squeeze before Edward and I swept out the door to the new Audi.

We had picked up the shiny new silver car that afternoon. Edward had tried to buy me one as well but I had put my foot down and said it was a total waste of good money – we already had my Ferrari hiding in the barn, next to Edward's Vanquish, so I told him we could share the car without the need for another. He looked like he wanted to protest, but after taking in my determined expression, he given in.

The new car leather smell greeted us as we got in and filled my senses while we drove towards the college grounds. Edward parked in the student car park and started to get out of the car until he noticed I was still frozen in my seat.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked, taking my chin, gently forcing me to look at him.

"What if I can't take it? The smell I mean. There are going to be all those people in the classroom, what if I make a mistake?" I looked at him, an overwhelming panic beginning to rise in me. It was fine to think about going to college, a whole other thing to just walk into the class.

"Bella, I know you can do this," Edward said gently. "I wouldn't have supported the idea of you starting college now if I didn't think you would ace this."

"I know you have confidence in me, but you won't be there, just in case something happens…" I felt helpless as I worried about all the things I could do to the humans around me.

"Why don't you drop your shield during the class, I won't be very far away, and if I can feel you starting to loose it, I'll come straight away and get you out." Edward's hands framed my face and he looked into my eyes, "I promise I won't let you do anything you will regret, my love." He leaned in and gently touched my lips.

I responded to his touch and his words and found myself relaxing. "Okay, if you promise to listen it and help if I need it, then I can do this."

"I know you can, love."

I smiled at him, then after taking an unnecessary, but nonetheless relaxing deep breath, opened the car door and walked with Edward towards the main buildings.

He walked me to my classroom and after a breathtaking kiss, one I am sure was to distract me from my worries, he left me to walk to his first lecture. I dropped my shield and let me thoughts wonder to the eye catching shape of his tight behind as he walked away. He turned around and grinned as he listened to my thoughts, although his eyes promised retribution later on. I laughed quietly as I headed into the room and quickly found a seat at the back of the class. I didn't feel like attracting any attention tonight.

I watched the lecturer walk into the room and write his name on the board at the front of the room. There were 18 other students in the room and luckily a gentle breeze came in from the window behind me which kept their scents from overwhelming me. I started to relax as the lecturer started to talk about our first book, Charles Dickinson's A Tale of Two Cities.

As a vampire with enhanced abilities and enhanced thought processes, I was able to keep up with the lecture, take notes and look around at my fellow students. There were only five men in the class and two looked bored from the start. One of them, a good looking student, in the row in front of me turned slightly and looked at me. I instinctively looked down and studied my notes. I wrote more notes before I looked up again and he had stopped staring. After a short introduction, the lecturer started to ask the class questions about the text and the hour past quickly. I didn't contribute to the discussion this time, part of me worried about the way the class would respond to my voice.

I stood once the class had been dismissed and packed up my bag. I felt more than heard Edward walking towards me. I looked up with a smile but it fell when I took in his stormy expression.

"What's wrong" I asked quietly. He stared at the male student who had looked at me during class. The student looked at him in alarm and finished packing his bag quickly before racing out the door. Edward's face had taken on a menacing expression.

"I don't like it when men stare at you, love" he said. "He does not have pure thoughts and he better clean them up before the next class or he will have me to deal with."

"Edward, I think you are being just a little protective." I said with a laugh.

"No Bella, I heard him, trust me; he was thinking all sorts of disgusting thoughts about you. Don't worry; I will sort him out if I have to."

I touched his hand to bring him back to me, "Edward" I said with a frown, "You have to trust me, even if you can't trust those around me."

"Bella, I do trust you, completely. I just get angry when another male thinks about you." He sighed and grinned ruefully at me, "Sorry love, you know I just get a little crazy when I can hear everyone's thoughts about you. At least Emmett only has to watch men drool over Rose."

"Perhaps next class I will have to shield you too so you can't hear anyone else."

He grinned, "I love being in a private thought bubble with you."

I smiled as I pictured what we would be doing later at home in the privacy of our bedroom. "Bella," Edward breathed, "you are very, very bad."

I laughed and walked towards the car park. "And you love it," I responded.

Edward threaten to stop the car and take me into the woods as we drove back to our house. I kept the shield down while I watched him and thought about laying next to him in our huge king bed. My thoughts had him breathing fast and he shifted in his seat, trying to find a comfortable position.

"You are going to pay for this," he promised with a growl.

I felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with anticipation as I watched him grip the steering wheel harder and drive the car even faster. Once we had pulled up in front of the house, he jumped out of the car and was around my side of the car before I even realised and he pulled me into his arms. "You are in a lot of trouble, young lady," he breathed.

I felt the curl of desire rise inside me as he raced up the stairs to the door. "What about Jake?"

"He is asleep on the couch," Edward muttered, "Great babysitter he makes."

"Now Edward, Jake would never let anything happen to Renesmee, you know that."

"Well, he can get a sore neck on the couch for all I care. I am not putting you down." He opened the door without releasing me and with a cursory glance at the sleeping wolf on our couch; he raced upstairs and into our room.

He was kissing me before our bedroom door was closed and he carried me to the bed. He watched me as he removed all his clothes and I felt the tension rising between us. Every night seemed like this, our need to be together, to pleasure the other until we split into a million pieces. My breath was racing as he stood before me, gloriously naked.

He pushed me back gently onto the mattress and followed me down, kissing me slowly, softly, belying all the tension I could feel in him. His hands were slowly undressing me, his mouth following his hands until I was begging him to join me, to hurry. He smiled at me and told me he had warned me that I was in trouble as he slowed everything down and started all over again. I felt the pressure building inside me until I couldn't take it any more, so I used my now slim advantage, the human blood within, now almost gone, and the strength it gave me to overpower Edward, to force him to the mattress as I rose up above him and took us to a shattering end.

We lay in each others arms during the night watching the view from our large window, watching as the suns rays lighted up the world on another day. Edward's arms tightened around me as I kissed his hand and we could hear Nessie stirring. As had become our normal routine, we both rose and pulled on some night clothes, getting back into bed before we heard pounding steps and then the door being thrown open. "Momma," she squealed as she ran and threw herself into my arms.

"Good morning, darling"

Edward picked her up and held her over his head, "And where is my good morning hug?"

"Daddy," she squirmed, giggling the whole time, "I can't hug you from up here."

"Okay," he laughed and pulled her down for a cuddle. "Where you good for Jake, last night?"

"Of course I was," she said seriously. "I helped him with his English homework."

"What did you do darling?" I asked with a laugh.

"I read the chapter he had to read to him. But then I got too sleepy and he had to put me to bed."

I caught Edward's eye over her head and rolled my eyes. "Jake should do his own homework. What do you want to do today?" I asked her.

"Can we go up to that clearing we found a week ago? I like climbing the trees there."

"Okay, so climbing it is," Edward told her as I got up to find Nessie some sturdy clothes. She tended to be pretty tough on her outdoor gear.

I walked to her room and smiled as I noticed that Jake's scent had disappeared sometime during the night. Hope we didn't wake him, I grinned to myself.

The view from Nessie's window promised a beautiful sunny day, perfect for racing through the forest. And all I had to do was enjoy it and my family.

Life was good, I thought.

From the Author... Thanks to those of you who have sent me a review and sorry it has been so long between chapters! Please review and anyone wth ideas for where the story should go next, I would welcome them...