Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Edward spoke to the taxi driver in perfect French as we settled into the back seat. The only words I understood were "please" and "George Cinq".

"Have you been to Paris before?" Edward asked as he took my hand in his.

"When I first arrived in Europe, yeah."
"Do you like it?" There was so much hope, and anticipation in his eyes.

"I think it's beautiful, but I didn't see very much. Apart from the main things."

"Eiffel Tower? Louvre?"

I nodded. "And Notre dame. The Champs Elysees."
He smiled and pulled me close against him. I felt his lips against my hair. "I'll show you a different Paris," he whispered.

"Oh? What's that?"

"You'll see." He grinned. And kissed me. A quick, sweet kiss that made me smile and sigh.

"I can't wait."

I knew I probably should have been enjoying the view of the lights outside my window, but I was too busy staring at Edward. It was almost like, if I looked away, he might vanish.

It seemed like only a moment later, the taxi pulled up outside one of the grandest buildings I'd ever seen, and Edward let go of my hand so he could rummage in his backpack and pull out the glasses I'd seen him wearing that night in the hospital.

"They make me look older," he said quietly. "Helpful for hotel check-ins. Less questions."

Older?

I reached up and touched his cheek. "You do look older, but I don't think it's just the glasses." I tilted my head as I studied him. His eyes were curious as he watched me. "You seem older even without them. It's something in your eyes, and your face. Even your walk, now that I think of it. You're…different."

Edward dropped his eyes. "Sometimes life changes people," he said. "Even people like me."

And that was the moment, right then, when I realised exactly what breaking up with Edward had done to him. It was in the timbre of his voice. And the way he held his head, looking away slightly with his eyes downcast.

He hadn't been doing okay.

My heart dropped to my stomach. And then it broke all over again.

Of course I knew leaving him would have hurt, but I'd always thought he'd move on. I was human after all, I was going to die one day. It had seemed cruel, the idea of staying with him for all those decades of worry and guilt, only to leave him alone at the end. But suddenly it was clear that my lie, and my leaving, were even crueller.

I was so confused. That night in the hospital had seemed to support my belief that he'd be okay. He'd been so cool and professional and calm. Almost disinterested. It had seemed clear to me that he'd moved on. No. More than moved on. He'd thrived.

And then tonight when he ran to me in the airport, I'd thought….

I didn't know what I'd thought. That he'd had a sudden resurgence of feeling? I'd been shocked, that was for sure. I think I'd been expecting a smile and a nod, maybe a polite "How are you? What brings you to Paris?" conversation.

That he would run to me, and then declare himself, had been the last thing I'd expected. And when he did…I'd been so overwhelmed that he still loved me, I hadn't stopped to think. At all.

And now, just with his voice, and a look, I saw my lie for what it was, and it loomed up between us, casting darkness over my joy, and soon, over his too.

"Edward, um…"

He held up his finger, asking me to wait. "Let me pay the driver."

The exchange took just a moment. More French. Some smiles. A porter was waiting on the pavement to take our bags.

"Edward…"

He smiled and took my hand and helped me from the car. There was a brief conversation with the Porter and then Edward guided me through the grand front doors into the even grander foyer.

It was like nothing I'd ever seen, the sheer glamour and opulence. But even so, I couldn't really take it all in. My mind was racing. My heart too. Edward looked down at me and frowned. "Are you alright?"

"I think…we need to talk."

He frowned softly. "I know," he said, glancing up towards the ceiling. "Lets get settled, and then…" He gave me an almost sad smile. "Then we can talk." And I got the sense he had things to say, too.

As he checked us in at the desk, I was vaguely aware that he booked two rooms, and he understood the question in my eyes when I tugged on his sleeve.

"I'm not assuming anything," he said quietly to me. "You might want your privacy and space. Especially while you sleep."

I nodded dumbly, thinking that it would be more likely that he'd want space away from me once I told him the truth.

My stomach was a mess of knots, my mind all chaos, as we were escorted to our suite on the top floor. Edward tipped the porter, the door closed, and then we were alone.

The suite was breathtaking. A large living area with elegant, antique-style furniture, leading into a vast bedroom with a magnificent bed, swathed in enormous pillows. It was all powder blues and whites and gold, with chandeliers and views through the windows and French doors to the city lights and the Eiffel Tower.

But despite the beauty, the atmosphere was suddenly tense. The first rush of our joyful, surprise reunion was over and now we were alone, with the past between us. I turned away from the windows, and Edward was standing in the middle of the room. His glasses were gone. His hands were shoved deep in his front pockets. He looked shy, almost seventeen again. He shrugged.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"It's...I'm speechless. It's a beautiful suite, Edward. Thank you."

He smiled. A soft, relieved sort of smile, and took a hesitant step towards me. "When did you realise?" he said quietly. I swallowed hard.

"Realise what?"

"That you still had feelings for me. That you wanted..." He paused. "When did you realise you still wanted me."

"Oh, Edward…" The tears began welling up in my eyes. My heart burned and twisted in my chest. The words fell from my lips without preamble. "I lied that day in the woods. When I told you I didn't want to be with you anymore, that we weren't right for each other, it was a lie. After what had happened, I thought it was for the best, for you, but…" The tears slid from my eyes, spilling onto my cheeks. "But it was all lies. I've always wanted you. My feelings never changed. I've always loved you."

If I'd been hoping he'd pull me into his arms and tell me he understood, I was wrong.

Edward's face was blank. Like I'd just spoken a foreign language. My heart skidded to a halt and I twisted my fingers in the hem of my t-shirt.

"I don't understand." His voice was barely above a whisper. "Why? Why would you do that?" There was confusion in his eyes now and I stumbled over my next words.

"I thought it was the best thing. After Jasper, and my arm, and Carlisle was stitching me up and he talked about your soul and I..."

"My soul?"

I nodded and took a deep, slow breath. "I thought I was saving you."

"Saving me?" His tone was incredulous and my blood felt like ice-water.

"Yes." It sounded so stupid now, I wondered if I'd be able to explain properly, but I tried. I talked about Carlisle, and the conversation about Edward's soul, and how I realised what being with me had done to him, the pain and anguish I'd brought into his life.

Edward was so impossibly still, like he'd turned to stone, I wasn't even sure if he was hearing me. "I…I could see it in your face that night when you drove me home. The guilt. The pain. And I knew it would always be that way for you, while I was human. But if you changed me…" I looked down at my feet. "It doesn't matter what I think, if you think changing me would risk your soul, and mine." I sniffed and blinked back more tears as I raised my eyes. "It tore my heart out that night, to see you that way, and I never wanted to see you like that again, and I'd never risk your soul, so I..."

He held up his hand, stopping me. "So this break-up wasn't about you having a change of heart. It was all about my soul?"

"Yes," I whispered.

He inhaled sharply, and shut his eyes. "It was a lie," he murmured. Then he shook his head and began to pace, back and forth between the sofa and the wall where a picture of wildflowers hung. "A lie. It was a lie. The past two years I've blamed myself and believed I wasn't good enough…and it was all a lie."

"Oh, God, Edward no…" His words were heartbreaking and filled me with a sick sort of panic. I took a step towards him, but he stepped back, out of my reach. "I never meant…you were always good enough, none of it was your fault…please, I'm so sorry."

His eyes were full of shock and anger and wild disbelief as he stared down at me. "Jesus, Bella. How could you..." He fisted his hands in his hair. "I don't believe I'm hearing this."

"It seemed like there was nothing else to do," I tried to explain. "And I thought…I thought you'd move on."

His amber eyes snapped wide. "Move on? Move on?" He slammed the palm of his hand against the wall. "Bella, I've been through fucking hell. I was never going to move on, but I forced myself to make some sort of life because it's what you wanted for me. Any moving on I did was for you. Because you made me promise." He pushed away from the wall. "You put me, us, through this, because of a lie? Because you thought you knew best?"

"I'm so sorry." The tears trekked down my face but I didn't wipe them away.

"You talked to Carlisle, why didn't you talk to me?"

"I should have, I know, but…" I swallowed hard. "You're not always the best listener, Edward."

Edward dragged both hands through his hair as he stared at me, like he was seeing me for the first time. The anger slowly faded from his face, but the pain in his eyes nearly killed me. "I stood on a footpath in Montana, willing you to cross the road to me. Begging you silently to come to me. I think I would have fallen to my knees, if you had. But when you didn't, I thought it was because you'd moved on. That you probably wanted the boy who was with you."

Oh my God. That night outside the theatre. "I wanted to cross too," I said quickly. "I really did. And there was nothing between me and Daniel. But you seemed so cool and…distant, and just waved and I thought you'd...moved on."

"Cool?" He swore again, under his breath this time. "Trust me. There was nothing cool going on there." He shook his head and dropped his hands. Leaning against the wall, he sank to the floor. Elbows on his knees, he rested his head in his hands. "But I didn't want to spoil things for you. Besides, you already had my heart, my soul...my dignity was all I had left. So when you didn't come, I walked away."

He was so still now. I hugged myself, wishing it was Edward's arms around me and wondering if I'd ever feel his embrace again. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done," I whispered. "Breaking up with you. I was actually surprised you believed me. After all the times I'd told you I loved you..."

"But it never made sense for you to love me," he said flatly. "Since that first day in the meadow, I'd been waiting for the moment you'd come to your senses, realise I was a monster." He screwed up his face, as though in pain, then gave a dark, brittle laugh. "You went straight for the jugular the day you said goodbye, Bella. And you hit your target square on."

Oh, God, this was killing me. And him. The anguish in his face.

"And okay, I know I wasn't the best boyfriend in the world," Edward continued, staring at the wall opposite, his hands fists on his knees. "I was controlling. I forced you to go to prom. I forced the birthday party on you and fuck, haven't I regretted that every day since? I've had over two years to reflect on every single day of the time we were together, and I know the mistakes I made, the things I'd change if I could, but I never lied to you. Not like this. Not about my feelings." He pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "You are the one person I've been the most honest with."

The hurt in his voice, broke me. I sank onto the floor too. "If I could take it all back, Edward, I would. In a heartbeat."

I didn't think I'd ever been more scared than at that moment. The possibility of losing Edward again filled me with such dread and fear, I could barely breathe.

He closed his eyes and leant his head back against the wall. "What made you think I'd get over you and move on? Did you really expect me to forget?"

The carpet beneath me was thick and I twisted my fingers into its strands as a cold, quiet panic crept through me. "I knew you wouldn't forget, and I knew it would hurt at first, but I thought, in the span of your life, we were just six months out of a hundred years. I thought, in time, you'd be okay."

He was so still. And I was barely breathing. The room was so quiet, so tense, I almost jumped when he spoke.

"I have a soul, Bella. I found it one night on an autobahn in Germany. The motorbike usually takes me out of myself for a while, but this time you were still on my mind." He sighed, and winced a little. "I almost crashed when I realised I couldn't love you the way I do, without one. A soul, that is. The skid marks are probably still on the road."

Oh my God. A weird mix of joy and shock flared through me, and again, I didn't know what to say. While I was trying to find the right words, Edward stood up suddenly. He strode across the room to where the over-stuffed sofas were arranged, and grabbed his backpack. Shit, what was happening?

"I meant what I said in the airport. About not letting you go," he said. "But right now I need some time. And space." He snatched up a key from the delicate, spindly-legged side-table, and walked out the door. A second later I heard a slam from across the corridor. He'd obviously gone to the spare suite.

I sprawled out on the carpet and started to sob, his words ringing in my ears. The pain of knowing how much I'd hurt him was tearing me apart, but I tried to focus on his words about not letting me go again. And the fact that he'd found his soul.

And I knew, if he forgave me and gave me another chance, I'd never leave his side.

The door of the suite looked so very closed. And I felt so alone. The carpet was wet beneath my cheek and I wondered how my life had gone from 60 to zero so quickly. My heart felt bruised and broken, my mind was like sludge. Like I couldn't think anymore.

There was an antique clock on the coffee table and it chimed two o'clock. I watched as the hands moved on to 2.05, 2.10…

At 2.45 the door opened and I sat up. Edward stood in the doorway, his expression fierce, hair more dishevelled than usual. His hands were fisted at his sides.

"I would have done the same," he said.

"What?"

"I would have done exactly the same." He shut the door and came into the room. He crouched down in front of me, his eyes burning. "That night when I drove you home, I couldn't see any way forward either. I was convinced you would have been better off if you'd never met me and if you hadn't burst into tears like you did, I probably would have come to the conclusion that I had to leave you."

"You…you were going to break up with me?"

He exhaled sharply, bowing his head. "I don't know. Yes. Probably. Like I said, there was a time in the truck where I couldn't see any way we could have a future together. So yes. In the frame of mind I was in, I would have left. To save you. And I probably would have lied to do it."

My heart felt cold. The thought of Edward being the one to say goodbye in those woods, telling me he didn't want me anymore…

I didn't think I would have survived that.

I reached up to touch his cheek, my movement hesitant, unsure how my gesture would be received. But Edward covered my hand with his, nuzzling my palm. Relief shot through me like lightning. Against his cold skin, my hand felt strangely warm. My tears started again. Gently this time.

"Why did my crying change things?"
He looked up. "It was like the first real, sensible reaction you'd ever had about me, or my kind. And when you said you'd let me lead in anything to do with vampires, I thought maybe we could make things work after all. If you listened to me and if I listened to you. Really listened." He gave me a small, sad smile. "I was going to tell you that when I came to the house the next afternoon."

"Edward…"

"Ssh…" He pulled me into his lap and we sat on the expensive carpet, surrounded by backpacks, both looking like something the cat dragged in, crying as we stared at the million dollar view. "I understand why you did it," he said. "You loved me enough to let me go."

I nodded, more tears escaping onto my cheeks.

"And you hurt yourself too, in the process. You broke your own heart, because you thought you were saving mine."

"I'm so sor…"

He shook his head, touching his finger to my lips. "Like I said, I would have done the same. But promise me something?"
I nodded eagerly.

"Don't ever lie to me again. Talk to me, okay? Don't try to save me. Just…talk to me. Please."
"I promise. And you'll listen when I talk, okay?"
"I promise."

I buried myself against his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breaths as his arms encircled me. And I held on, hard.

"What happens next?" I asked.

"We start again," he said. "Together."

"I'm never going to let you go," I said. "Not if I live a thousand years."

"A thousand years," Edward murmured, and kissed my temple. His fingers traced the veins in my wrist, and his eyes followed their path, meandering tenderly over the pale blue lines. "You know, the soul thing isn't an issue anymore. For me, anyway." He lifted his gaze, and the meaning was clear in his eyes. A wide smile stretched across my face, while my heart started dancing in my chest. This was almost too much to take in. "I wasn't going to mention it so soon," he said. "I didn't want to overwhelm you, but given the conversation we've just had, I thought you should know." He shrugged. "Forever won't be long enough, for me, Bella, I know that now. So, if you still feel like you once did..." He kept his eyes on mine as he lifted my hand, and kissed the inside of my wrist. I thought my heart was going to break out of my ribcage.

"My feelings are unchanged," I whispered.

He leant in close and now he pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that was full of love, and promised forever. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down, answering his kiss, my lips telling him yes. He moaned, and his lips left mine and trailed over my throat.

"Whenever you're ready," he whispered. "I'll wait."

We stayed like that for ages. Just sitting on the floor, curled around each other, kisses and gentle touches. A quiet coming together. Re-acquainting. But there was also the deep understanding that we belonged together. And though we were both new to each other in some ways, in other ways it was like we'd never been apart.

"You know," Edward said after a while. "I think, in some ways, breaking up was good for us."

"Are you serious?" I looked up and he was nodding.

"I'm serious." He tucked some stray hair behind my ear. "I don't think we could have gone on the way we were."

I wanted to disagree with him. I even opened my mouth to say so, but the words didn't come. Instead, I thought of who I'd been then, and who I was now.

"You wouldn't be Dr Cullen, would you?"

"And you wouldn't have travelled the world."

"You mightn't have discovered your soul."

He sighed heavily. "You're probably right. I wouldn't have."

"I've missed you every day," I whispered.

"You were never out of my thoughts."

He kissed the top of my head. "I never asked, why you chose the middle of the semester to come to Europe. Shouldn't you be in school?"

So I told him about coming back from Chicago, after seeing him in the hospital, thinking him married, and then finding his gift gone from the airport parking station.

"It was like the last straw," I said. "And I wanted to get away. Oh! I didn't say thank you!" I sat up straight, nearly banging my head on his chin. "Thank you for the car. Thank you so much."
But he wasn't really listening. When he spoke, the words were ground out through gritted teeth.

"Someone stole the Hummer?"

"Um…yeah."

There was more swearing from Edward. Quietly and under his breath, but I still caught it. "I had anti-theft software put in to cut the engine if anyone tried. How…"

"I don't know," I said quickly, rubbing his arm to calm him. "I don't know. It was just gone. The police never found it."

Edward's eyes narrowed. "If I'd known…" He shook his head. "What did you do? What are you driving now?"

"Nothing. I was pretty cut up about it when it happened. Like I'd lost you all over again and when the insurance money came in…"

"You flew out."

"Exactly." I kissed his cheek. "That car meant a lot to me, thank you. And the little card?"

His eyes softened. "Yes?"
I got up out of his lap, went to my backpack, and took out my wallet. "It's in here," I said, tugging it carefully from it's place. "It's always with me."

Edward sighed. And smiled. Sitting on the floor, hair everywhere, he looked like the boy I'd kissed in the meadow. "You kept it?"

"I always will." I tucked it carefully back in its place. "It was a shock, when I found it and realised the car was from you."

"Your father returned the birthday gifts to the house," Edward said. "I was there and I saw his thoughts, the conversation with you about your truck. I decided then that I'd do one last thing for you."

I started to smile too, but something occurred to me from out of the blue. "Did you buy my truck?"
His smile became a smirk. "You did! You bought my truck! Oh my God, I thought ten thousand seemed a lot, but Charlie said it was a collector and…" I waved my hand around as I tried to remember. "Something about it being rare or hard to find. It was you, wasn't it?"

"Technically, it was a Mr Jenks. But it was arranged by me, yes. I was going to make it more, but I thought it might make Charlie suspicious and we don't need the police sniffing around Jenks."

I was instantly intrigued. "Who is he?" I asked, coming back to Edward. I was going to sit in his lap again, but he stood, and led me to the sofa. We sank into the soft cushions and he rested his head on my shoulder.

"He's like a family solicitor, I suppose. Jasper deals with him mostly. Organising passports, birth certificates, death certificates."

"To keep your cover?"

Edward nodded.

"Is he a vampire?"

"No."

"Does he know that you are?"
He screwed up his face. "No, not exactly. But he knows there's something different about us. He's not sure what though."

I let out a long breath. "I don't know why I didn't realise it before, about the truck."

My last words were muffled by a yawn that came out of nowhere.

"You're tired," Edward said. "Want to go to bed?"
I didn't want to move. Didn't want to leave the cradle of his arms, but I couldn't sit there on the sofa all night. Or what was left of the night.

Edward seemed to understand. "I'll stay with you." He pressed a soft kiss to my temple and I nodded.

"But I want a shower first, I think." I scrambled off the sofa reluctantly, and grabbed my toiletries and pj's from my backpack. "I'll be back in a minute," I said, and headed for the bathroom, thinking how it seemed like old times. But not.

The bathroom was an exercise in luxury gone mad. A huge bath sat on a raised platform in the middle of the room. The shower was the size of the elevator that had brought us up here. Everything was marble. I wanted to sink into the tub, but it was late and I was tired so I had a quick shower instead, washing off the tears and the hurt. When I came out, Edward had turned down the bed for me. I smiled as he stood in the doorway.

"Amazing shower," I said. "Will you stay with me?" In a second he was by my side as I slid between the sheets. He pulled the soft, white covers over me, and then laid down beside me. "No. I want you in here with me. Please?"

Edward hesitated.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I don't want to push. If you're not ready..."
"Oh I'm ready," he said quickly. "I just…I think I should shower first. And change." He frowned and rubbed his hand over his rumpled shirt. Something was obviously troubling him and now I noticed, for the first time, the small tear at the hem.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

There was more hesitation, and then Edward sat on the end of the bed and told me a horror story about Victoria at the foothills of Volterra. There were goosebumps on my skin when he finished.

"You could have been killed," I whispered, my voice shaking.

"No." Edward shook his head firmly. "She was never a match for me. She was never going to win."

My eyes ran over him, looking for signs of damage, making sure he was alright.

"I'm fine," he said, obviously aware of what I was doing. "I promise."

But new tears were pricking at my eyes. I knelt up on my knees and reached out to touch his chest. "I need to make sure," I said. "I can't bear the thought…"

"Ssh, it's okay." He took my hand, and kissed my fingertips. "I really am fine," he whispered. "Look. I'll show you."

He let go of my hand and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. It swung open, revealing a magnificent torso of smooth, sculpted skin. Edward took my hand again, and placed my palm on his chest. "See?" he said, smiling softly. "All good."

"Very good," I whispered. I moved my hand over his chest, down his torso, caressing and exploring, and my heart skipped when his eyelids fluttered. Then he slowly shrugged the shirt from his shoulders and turned round so I could see the beautiful expanse of his back. He looked at me over his shoulder.

"All in one piece," he smiled.

I trailed my fingers over his shoulder blades, along the bumps of his spine, revelling in this new experience. He'd never let me do this before. My fingers criss-crossed over his skin, moving lower, down to the shallow dimples of his lower back. He shivered when I touched him there, and it sent my heart racing.

"Do I pass inspection?" he asked softly.

"You'll do."

He chuckled. "And now I really should shower if I'm going to share the bed with you." He started to climb off the bed, when I spoke.

"The purple smoke."

Edward whirled around. "What?"

"My friend Hugh. We'd been travelling together and he wanted to go to Volterra after Rome, but…"

Edward's pale face became ashen. Almost grey. "You didn't go?"
"No," I shook my head. "I remembered what you'd said about the Volturi and I tried to talk Hugh out of it but he went anyway. He sent me a text last night, with a photo of purple smoke. Was that, um, her?"

Edward nodded, and then suddenly he was scrambling over the bed to get to me, snatching me up in his arms and pressing me so hard against his bare chest that I could barely breathe. "Thank God you didn't go. Thank God."

"It's okay, it's okay. Um, need air."

He pulled back quickly, his eyes giving me a once-over like I did him. "I'm fine, Edward. I went nowhere near there. Instead I tried to fly out of Rome for home, but…"

"There were freakishly high winds," he murmured.

"Er, yeah. So I got the train to Paris."

"I got the train to Geneva. But mechanical problems put it down at Paris." He blinked at me. "The hospital. Montana. You went to Disneyworld, I saw you in someone's thoughts when they were talking about their vacation."

"I heard a girl talking about you in a nightclub. You and your motorbike."

"And then came Italy," he smiled.

"And freakishly high winds," I giggled.

Edward flopped back on the pillows and threw his arm over his face. "Ah, Bella, do you think fate was trying to tell us something all along?"

I flopped down beside him and stared up at the ornate, patterned ceiling with its chandelier. "I thought the universe was trying to show me you'd moved on. But maybe you're right and it was telling us just the opposite. And we were too stupid to realise."

Edward held up his hand and I clasped it in mine. "So, maybe we were meant to be?" he asked. His other arm was still over his face, and he peeked out from beneath his elbow.

"I'd say so."

He sighed. "The universe went to a lot of trouble to get it's point across."

"We should probably do as it bids, or who knows what could happen."

Edward smirked a little. "So for the safety of mankind, we'll stick together."

"I think it's our duty."

"Nothing about being with you, will ever be a duty," he whispered, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a blush roar across my cheeks.

"So Alice saw Victoria telling the Volturi about me. Did she ever see me? At all?" Edward shook his head.

"No. Hardly anything at all. We're not sure why."

"Do you think…her visions are based on people's decisions, right?"

Edward nodded.

"So, if I've been pretty much indecisive these past couple of years. Like, not really sure where I was headed, could that be why?"

A soft frown clouded Edward's face. "That could be it, yes. Is that how you felt? Indecisive?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Kind of rudderless. Like I was looking for something, but didn't know what."

"What about the teaching?"

"I love the teaching," I said, smiling. "That's about the only thing I've felt sure of."

Edward brought our clasped hands to his mouth and kissed my knuckles, his lips pressing tenderly against my skin. Such a gentle touch. Such gentle hands. Caring hands.

"Tell me about the hospital," I said softly.

"Ah, that," Edward smiled. "That was because of you."

"Me?"

He nodded, his eyes growing very soft as he rolled on his side to face me. "You made me promise to move on. You said…" He stopped, and swallowed hard. "You said I had a lot of love to give, and if I found someone who loved me, I should let them."

I wasn't sure where this was going, but I kept tight hold of his hand and nodded for him to continue, bracing myself for whatever he was going to say.

"I knew there would never be anyone else," he said. "You are it, for me. But you had opened up a whole new part of me I hadn't known existed. So that love you wanted me to share…" He paused again and bit his lip. "I put it into being a doctor. Helping others. It was the only way I could keep my promise to you."

I didn't know what to say. I was afraid if I opened my mouth I'd start crying again, and there had been enough tears.

"And I found out that I was actually suited to it," he said, smiling. "More than I'd thought. In a way, I felt like I'd found a proper place in the world. Sort of."

"And the blood doesn't bother you? You always said you wouldn't be strong enough to handle it."

"If I can resist your blood…" he chuckled darkly. "Which, by the way, does something different to me now."

"Really? What?"

He ran his nose along my jaw, inhaling deeply. "Your scent is all about the future, and hope." He pressed his lips over my jugular. "It still burns, but I barely notice it. My instinct to love you, and keep you, and protect you, is far more powerful."

He pulled back. I was breathless, wanting more. He smiled and kept talking. "So with two real medical degrees under my belt, Jasper and I forged some documents, then we hacked into the computer records of Harvard, and the next thing you know, I've got some new, up to date qualifications."

"That's so illegal," I whispered.

"I know," he whispered back.

I looked down at our hands. "What happened that night at the hospital?" I asked. "You knew I was there, didn't you? Before you walked into the emergency bay?"

Edward let out a long breath, and nodded. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "I saw you in the nurse's thoughts. And George's. I thought at first I should let someone else take care of Bradley's arm, but then I wasn't going to give up the chance to see you again." He closed his eyes and bit his lip. "As soon as I pulled back the curtain, I could smell the scent of another man all over you. His scent, and his cologne. He'd held you close, and recently."

"No," I said, shaking my head, confused. "There was no other man…oh wait…" The memory of that night came back in a rush. "Jeff," I said, and Edward shot me a quick side-ways glance. "One of the other teachers. He hugged me when I volunteered to take Bradley to the hospital." I rolled my eyes. "He wasn't good with things like that."

Edward smiled wryly. "Ah," he said. "I see. I thought…"

"I was with someone else."
He nodded and looked away. "You seemed very together," he said. "In control. I knew the blood was effecting you, your heart was all over the place and you were pale and sweating, but you didn't let it get to you." He looked back at me. "I was impressed."

"I didn't feel very together." I traced my fingers over his. "Especially when I saw the wedding ring."

He frowned a little. "Like I said, that was to avoid unwanted attention."
"But there's something more, isn't there?" I suddenly wondered where he'd got it. Or if someone had given it to him. "Was it your father's?"
He shook his head. "It wasn't common for men to wear wedding rings back then."

"So, you bought it?"

He nodded, looking down at our hands, too. "I was visiting my family just before I started at the hospital. Kate was staying with them."

"Kate?"
He looked up. "She's like me. One of our Denali cousins. She was staying and she said…" He paused and gave a wry smile. "She said I would look like a lame-o loser if I went on my own to buy a wedding ring. So she offered to come with me."

"Was she pretending to be your, um…"

"She was just with me, that was all. For appearance sake. So I didn't look pathetic." He chuckled. "That was the other word she used. Kate always says what she thinks."

"She sounds like Rosalie." Edward shook his head.

"She's funnier than Rosalie. Her jibes are all in good humour."

I smiled. I liked the sound of this Kate.

"So she went with you?"

"She did. And she tried to talk me into buying something with engravings, or edged with titanium, but I just pointed to the first plain gold band I saw. It was too small, so the jeweller said he'd make it bigger, but it wouldn't be ready until the next day."

I ran my fingers between Edward's, feeling their smoothness, wishing it had been me with him.

"Did Kate go back with you to pick it up?"

"No," he said. "I went alone, and the jeweller's wife was there, behind the counter." He smiled. "Her name was Maureen and she was very sweet. A genuinely good, kind person, from her thoughts to her smile. You don't find many people like that. Anyway, she brought out the ring, slid it on my finger to check the fit, and asked when I was getting married." Edward rolled his eyes. "I felt awkward then, and because she was so nice, I found myself telling her the truth, that it was a prop. She laughed and said I wasn't the first person to do something like that. But she was as perceptive as she was kind, and in her thoughts she wondered if there was more to the story." He frowned softly. "She asked if there was someone special, and that was why I didn't want attention from anyone else. I was about to say no, but I looked down at the ring, and realised then it wasn't just about keeping others away. It was about keeping you close. It was a visible sign of my commitment to you."

Fresh tears stung at my eyes. "What did you say to Maureen?"

"I said there was someone, and she asked me about the lucky lady. I told her the lucky lady was very beautiful."

"Oh…" I sniffed and giggled and Edward grinned at me.

"Your nose is red," he said and I rolled my eyes. So much for beautiful.

"So…" Edward continued. "When Maureen asked for the ring back so she could put it in its box, I said no, and it's been on my finger ever since. Well, until I got on the train yesterday and noticed a gouge in the gold." He sighed. "Is it pathetic?" he asked.

"No." I smiled. "Not at all. Not pathetic."

He smiled too, and ran his hands through my hair. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too. Forever."

I kissed over his collar-bone and felt, rather than heard, the purring deep in his chest. His hands roamed over my back, slipping beneath my tank top, his fingers stroking gently over my skin as he pressed himself closer. Suddenly, he pulled back.

"I should shower," he murmured. "But I'll be back." He got off the bed and I sat up, the beautiful linen sheet rumpling around my waist. He paused at the foot of the bed. His eyes roamed over me, appreciative and admiring, and I felt beautiful under his gaze. Beautiful, and desired.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

I could feel the rush of blood to my cheeks as I spoke my next words. "You said once that it wasn't possible for us to, um…while I was human…" I stopped. What was I doing? Was I going too far, too soon? "Never mind," I said, and smiled.

I expected him to go and shower then, but he didn't. Instead he cocked his head, watching me closely.

"We've had that conversation before," he said. "When I was a scared, seventeen year old boy who'd just had his first kiss." He smiled, one perfect eyebrow arching gracefully. Then he reached for his backpack, swung it over his naked shoulder and headed for the bathroom. "But things are different now, Bella," he said. "And I'm not seventeen anymore."

He grinned as I gasped and my body tingled as he shut the door. A second later I heard the shower start, and Edward singing. I snuggled down into the bed, smiling wide, wriggling my toes, giggling as I stared at the Eiffel Tower, and quietly sang along with him.

I thought of all the ways fate had thrown us in each other's path, and how it had finally brought us back together. I knew there was a still a way to go, but I had the feeling Paris was going to be a life-changer.

-ooo0ooo-

A/N: Okay, I know I only said 3 chapters. And then five chapters. But I'm verbose, you know, so there will be one more chapter after this.

Thank you so much for all your reviews and feedback, I truly appreciate it all : ) There were some readers who felt Bella was getting off too easily with her lie after their happy reunion in the airport last chapter, but Edward didn't know then that she'd lied. And this was always the plan – happy reunion, then her confession and its fall-out : ) : )

Any thoughts on what Edward was singing? In my mind, it's an INXS song, "Never Tear Us Apart".

Next, and final chapter should be up in the next week or two : )