Chapter 9

Edward

Bella looked expectantly at him where he still knelt before her. He was nervous he realised, almost as nervous as when he had proposed to her. He smiled to himself as he thought about the position he was in.

"I have a proposition for you." He said then raised himself back into his chair.

"We're already married." Bella laughed.

"Yes and I can't tell you how happy and fortunate it makes me feel to have you by my side." Bella cast her eyes evasively downward; her human self would have blushed to hear him openly confess his love for her this way.

He pressed on "Do you remember when we first met how I talked about the human emotions you awakened within me?" Bella frowned and bit her lower lip in concentration for a moment then nodded. "Well, I've always felt very protective of you and since Renesmee came along I've been thinking" he saw her frown again.

"I'm worried now." She stated with a sideways look. Edward smiled wryly as he acknowledged how his over analysis had sometimes caused both of them pain.

"It's alright I don't think this idea will cause any harm, except from Alice who may well want to disown me."

"So, what is it?"

"How would you feel about moving away?" There was silence while the question registered with her "What are you thinking?" he asked inevitably.

"What would we do for money? And game? And neighbours?" She was running through everything that could go wrong in her head. They were the same questions he had been going over himself.

Edward studied the thoughtful expression on her face and followed up quickly with the reassurances he had developed today. "We wouldn't have to go more that a couple hours' drive from here, so weekend visits wouldn't be a problem. Nessie could go to school you know how much she wants to interact with other children. The three of us could live like a relatively normal family."

Bella held up a hand to interrupt and looked searchingly into his eyes "Why do you want this so badly?"

"Is it wrong for a man to want to provide for his family on his own terms?" Edward replied "I've been a teenager for over a hundred years, it's time I stopped mooching off my family" he said with a broad grin.

The grin faded "It boils down to a very basic desire to take care of you and my daughter. I've never had that experience and Renesmee will be a child for such a short time that I want to enjoy it with her. Now, I was hoping to gain your input as to how to tackle the issues you raised. I think I could turn my hand to just about anything to earn money, we could ask Carlisle for some start up capital. I think if we dress older we could pass as college leavers. We stick to the story about Nessie being my niece." Edward poured his longing into his eyes "What do you say Mrs Cullen? Will you think about it?"

A glazed expression passed briefly over her eyes then Bella blinked "Of course I'll think about it."

Edward stood and scooped his wife up out of her seat into a triumphant embrace. "That's all I ask." He kissed her long and deep and passionately. For the second time in two days she pulled away from him before they could get carried away, he frowned. This wasn't like Bella at all.

"We've got to go talk to Renesmee and Alice." She reminded him, although the wild, fiery look in her keen, amber eyes told him they would continue this particular line of thought later.

They stood in each others arms for a moment feeling their ardour calm to smouldering coals as they listened to the crackle of the flames in the hearth. "Come then." Edward strode briskly to the door "The sooner we're there the sooner we're back." He grinned at her again "race you." He said and was already running. Bella laughed aloud and glided out behind him.

Edward heard the approach behind him and turned to look. He was caught off guard as he saw her and he slowed to watch, the movement of her limbs was so smooth and graceful she looked like she was skating on ice. The baggy clothes she wore clung against her slender form and wisps of hair that had escaped the utilitarian braid flew behind her like a strip of mahogany bunting. There was a look of glee on her face as she over took him and the chime of her laughter followed on the wind.