A/N I don't own Twilight. I do own this plot.

Hello my lovelies! I am seriously blown away with all the reviews you treat me with. Thank you so much! Y'all seem to hold some serious grudge against Dana though, I wonder why that is? ;)

Endless, eternal thanks to SparklingInsanity who gave me the confidence to post this chapter and who has the uncanny ability to make me squeal and clap my hands in a very Alice-like way. Thank you so very, very much. I can't say it enough.

I've surrendered to Twitter, come find me: [at]DoobaWrites.

This chapter contains the long-promised lemon and... Alice's vision. But first, a Cullen Christmas tree. Enjoy!

We stayed in the living room. Edward and I were holding each other, and Esme was still kneeling before us, hugging our legs. I barely noticed as the sky changed color and turned gray, then indigo, then black as the sun set.

Rosalie and Emmett came home after detention, saw us sitting in the living room, and left quietly for the forest again to give us some peace and privacy.

We talked and talked, about all our insecurities. I admitted that after these two first days, I really wasn't so sure anymore about our high school adventure. I was afraid that trying to blend in was too difficult for us. And I didn't like at all what had happened in these past two days. It seemed to be too much to comprehend, to find normal. Maybe because it was all so dangerous to us. And I didn't want to impose danger. Ever. Yet here I was again, with a disturbed teacher and a wicked girl, trying to come between Edward and I. Threatening to expose us.

"For what it's worth," Esme soothed, "Mr. O'Neil probably has only the best intentions."

"I doubt it," Edward mumbled. "Like you said, it's a very special form of altruism."

I just huffed. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." The words came out in a hiss.

We talked some more. Edward had a hard time as he felt out of control. He couldn't get a grip on the turmoil of Dana's thoughts.

For this, he apologized.

Although Dana did plan some things, she acted on impulse a lot, which meant that he couldn't foresee her actions before she acted them out. It made it difficult for both Edward and Alice to protect us.

For this, he apologized as well.

It was no use trying to explain to him that this could not be his fault in any way.

For that, he apologized too.

I carefully voiced my concern that when we finally had felt a bit more like ourselves again at the end of this day, the O'Neil affair had started and we were badly shaken again. I asked them if it was always like this. I didn't mean the fact that we needed to be on guard – that, I knew. I meant the little things happening that made you feel like the ground fell away underneath your feet. It took all your might to try and see through intentions, behaviors, thoughts of humans. And it took so much effort and energy to fulfill the expected role in that 'human universe,' that it took hours to return back to normal again afterwards.

In short, Edward helped me out with a gleam in his eye, we were working ourselves up to a nice little intimate reunion when O'Neil had called and pulled us off that cloud without a safety net.

Yes, exactly that. Thank you, Edward.

Rosalie came back home, telling us that Emmett and Jasper were staying in the forest a little while longer. She sat down with us and asked me if all was well.

"You're not letting a human girl get on your nerves, are you? Because if so, I've failed as your big sister."

"She's getting on my nerves all right," I grunted. "I just want to know what she's up to. And there's O'Neil, of course."

"What, your homeroom teacher? What about him?"

I gave her a short version of the story. As I spoke, her eyes got wider and wider.

"You are still a magnet for trouble," she snickered, but her smile did not reach her eyes. "But seriously, I'd like you to sort this out quickly. I do not want to move again."

"No shit, Rosalie," Edward snapped, before I could reassure her. "This isn't about you, you know. Besides, you're dropping out as soon as you can, so why even worry?"

I squeezed Edward's knee to keep him calm. Although I had built a friendship with Rosalie, she and Edward were still far from BFF's.

"Are you planning on dropping out?" Esme asked, surprised.

"Nice, Edward. Something about thoughts and privacy?" Rosalie hissed, and Edward shrugged, his eyes dark with anger. Rosalie shot him some daggers before she turned to Esme. "Yes, we're dropping out after New Year's. The whole school will know by then that Emmett proposed to me, so we'll just use the inevitable rumor that I'm knocked up."

"Oh, Rosalie, no," I said. "Will that not be too painful for you?"

Rosalie looked at me, her eyes softening a little. "You gave me Renesmee. It's all I ever could have asked for. I'm still craving a child of my own, but the raw edges have softened since your daughter came."

"I'm so glad to hear that," Esme said inconsequentially, distracted from Rosalie's confession that she and Emmett would quit school as soon as possible.

"But what will you do?" I asked. "You cannot go out in public too much if you drop out pregnant."

"I'll see. I was thinking about opening a car maintenance shop somewhere with Emmet. He wants to help me with that. I want something different. I'm really sick of high school."

"Isn't that too dangerous? You could always go to college?" Esme demanded.

"Why would it be dangerous? I would see clients only once or twice. That's less risky than staying around the same student body for years."

"We'll need to discuss that with Carlisle," Esme said softly. "But if that's what you want, I'm sure we can find a solution."

A text message from Alice interrupted our conversation, warning me that she and Renesmee were just fifteen minutes away. As I started to listen for them in the back of my mind, so I could shield my daughter, I heard bustling from the woods near the eastern side of the house. Jasper had come back from the forest with Emmett. As they appeared on the porch, I laughed out loud. Both were exceptionally muddy, dripping wet with rain, and carrying one end of an enormous fir tree. The not-so-innocent gleam in their eyes made us all laugh.

"Tree put up a fight, guys?" Edward chuckled.

"Yes, but we effectively rendered it harmless," Jasper answered, shaking his head rapidly to send water and mud flying everywhere from his hair.

I just gaped at the tree. "Emmett, it's too big!"

"That's what she said," Emmett grinned.

"I don't think it'll even fit," I continued, realizing too late what I'd said.

Emmett guffawed louder. "That's what she said!" He bumped his fist with Jasper, who was grinning from ear to ear. I was happy to see that he was relaxed again.

Esme was not so amused. "You, both. Out. You are ruining my carpet."

Just as Emmett and Jasper were trailing out to the porch again, I heard Alice's Porsche turning down the last corner of our driveway, which was about two miles long. I concentrated and quickly shielded both Alice and Ness. Edward looked at me, but didn't object, to my relief. After all, I think he knew Renesmee had asked me to do this.

I quickly ran upstairs to get some towels for my brothers. When I came back down, they were still on the porch, dripping with dirt and rain and looking contrite and very much like little schoolboys that have been told to stand in the corner. If it wasn't for the cat-that-ate-the-canary smile that they both wore on their faces, I might have believed them. I shoved the towels into their faces. "Don't go looking all petulant, just admit you had a mighty fine time."

They grinned, faces still hidden in the towels, and I laughed with them.

Esme, in the meantime, had taken the enormous tree to the porch, where she shook it firmly to get rid of the water that was clinging to it.

I laughed out loud at the sight of that tiny woman easily and gracefully handling a tree that was at least three times her size, but went to help her quickly. Edward was at my side, helping to get the tree into place next to our fireplace. The tree still had some of its roots, fortunately, and we placed in a big pot full of earth, hoping that it would keep its needles longer. The top of the tree very nearly brushed the heightened ceiling of the room.

I glanced at Emmet, then said in a high girl-like voice, "Oh! It seems to fit after all."

Emmett barked out a laugh that would have caused a ringing in my ears if I were still human. But he said nothing. When I looked at him, to see why he wouldn't kick this open door, he mouthed at me with wicked eyes and wagging eyebrows: "That's what SHE said."

I laughed so hard I had to hold on to Edward to keep myself upright, and he was laughing with me, probably more because I was laughing than because of the humor of the joke.

We didn't have time to admire the tree as yet, as by now Alice was parking the car in the garage underneath the house. Renesmee flitted out of the garage in an instant and gracefully leapt up to the porch instead of using the steps. She nearly knocked me off balance with the force she flung herself at me. She smelled like cold winter air, rain, shops, coffee and mostly, adorably, herself.

"I had such a blast!" she breathed, before she pressed a firm kiss on my cheek. Then she turned to Edward, who got the same treatment. He picked her up in their embrace, swinging her around, and she giggled.

I could feel my still heart swell as I saw Edward blithe and happy again. I could feel my heart swell anyway, as it did every time I saw my husband with my daughter. I was a woman blessed indeed.

Alice and Jasper were having their own little reunion outside, in the rain, effectively ruining his efforts to get dry again. Alice's shopping bags stood by her side, forgotten. I could hear the raindrops ticking on the plastic of the bags.

Edward came to stand behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He kissed my neck and inhaled deeply. "I love you."

"I love you more," I whispered as I turned my head to kiss his neck in turn.

"I beg to differ," he smiled into my neck, before he released his hands and without warning, poked his fingers into my sides. I squealed in surprise and tried to smack him, but he was too fast for me, as always.

Rosalie appeared at the door then, shopping bags filled with Christmas decorations in her arms. Renesmee flitted outside again to get her bags as well, and then raced upstairs with one certain package.

I heard how she first went to into her own room before entering Jacob's room quietly. Although we did not really approve of it, Renesmee and Jacob gradually were seeking each other out in private more and more often. They were in a relationship, and we knew that. And they were slowly moving to a new level. I was consciously not trying to wrap my mind around that as yet.

The soft rustle of fabric told me that Renesmee was lying down next to Jacob on his bed.

"Jakey," she whispered, before peppering small kisses, "I'm home. Wake up, sweetie."

A slight change in heartbeat and breathing indicated that he was rousing from his sleep. When a low grumble and more rustle of cloth implied that they were pulling each other into an embrace, I shut them out and went to busy myself with the Christmas decorations, pulling Edward with me by his collar. He played along and stumbled after me, holding on to me as if he had trouble to keep his balance.

Alice had outdone herself, as usual. Thirty minutes after they came home, a delivery van turned up our driveway and two young guys stepped out, clearly awed by the size of our house. One of the men looked to his right and his jaw dropped. The garage door must still be open with our car-and-bike collection on full display.

We all walked down the porch steps to meet the delivery guys. It was always fun to mess with unsuspecting humans a bit. They were now gaping at us, although they were trying to hide it.

"Ah!" Alice exclaimed, bouncing forward. "Our delivery! How lovely that you could come on such a short notice."

I gathered these guys had accepted some pocket money from Alice to deliver here after hours. Or maybe she'd just batted her lashes at them, I thought, as I regarded the men.

"Ma'am," one of the guys said, more than a little flustered. Then he walked round the back of the van and pulled open the door. "This all for you?"

"Yes," Alice breathed, "one can never have enough Christmas decorations."

Rosalie stalked towards the van in her high heels and peeked inside the car, ignoring the delivery guys who were now fidgeting nervously while seizing her up. "God, Alice, I thought you said you kept it small this year?"

Alice giggled and clapped her hands. "New homes need new stuff. You can put the boxes right here, guys, we can carry it up the porch."

"Oh no, ma'am, we're only happy to help you."

Jasper stepped forward and wrapped his arm snugly around Alice's waist. "Just here is just fine."

The subtle but very real threat in his voice made the man stutter something incomprehensible and he started to unload the van. The other guy stepped forward gingerly with some electronic device in his hand. "If you'll just sign here," he asked timidly.

"Oh, Alice, you did not buy this!" Rosalie exclaimed from the inside of the van. We heard zippers, then a rustle of cloth, before she came out with Christmas hats and Santa Baby baby doll dresses, both red velvet with white fur lining.

She put on one of the hats and held a dress in front of her. Then she looked up at Emmett, looking questioningly.

"Oh, I like that," he nodded appreciatively. He wasn't the only one, as the delivery guy with the device was now positively crimson colored. Jasper saw, swallowed, hissed a string of profanities under his breath and disappeared around the house without a word.

Rosalie ignored this, wisely, and turned to me. "There's five of them," she grinned as she held one of the tiny dresses in front of me.

"Oh, I like that," Edward mirrored Emmett's exact earlier words. I didn't, but I let it go.

The delivery guys now did no longer know where they should look.

I got one of the hats from Rosalie and placed it on Edward's head. He looked positively adorable with it, and I made a mental note to make a picture of him with this thing on.

Edward wrapped his arms around me and held me closely, aligning his body with mine. I rested my chin on his chest as I looked up at him.

"You like?" he asked.

"Very much," I smiled, and closed my eyes as he leaned in to kiss me.

Rosalie put the dresses back in the bag and gestured for the delivery guys to start moving already. Alice left quietly to seek Jasper out in the forest, and Rose and Emmett and Edward and I stayed with the van to oversee the unloading of our Christmas decorations, making the guys very, very nervous indeed.

When the van was almost empty and the ground in front of the garage almost full, I shook my head and sighed. "Alice has finally lost her mind."

We waited impatiently for the delivery guys to finally leave us already, which they did after lingering longing looks at our car collection in the garage. Then we brought the Christmas acquisitions into the house in a matter of seconds, where we started to organize immediately.

Renesmee and Jacob joined us soon after. We put on Christmas music and had a great time decorating the house and dancing and singing along to the tackiest Christmas songs we could think of. Rosalie started to sing "All I want for Christmas is you," and Alice soon joined in with a crystal clear second party. We all looked up, pleasantly surprised, when Renesmee took care of the backing vocals with her clear and lovely voice.

Alice had gone overboard, as usual, so not a corner of the house remained bare. Ten red socks were adorning the mantelpiece, eliciting soft gushing sounds from Esme. After so many years you would have thought she'd have gotten used to it, but apparently this was not the case. Carlisle, who had come home finally after his double shift at the hospital, stood behind her, holding his arms around her waist and looking equally happy and proud.

We had a blast trying to decorate the Christmas tree. Alice had foreseen certain banter and just bought some of the frail glass decorations twice, which partly explained why she had needed a delivery van to bring all the decorations home.

It quickly became a sport to distract the one holding a delicate ornament, in whatever possible way, so he or she would lose focus and the ornament shattered. We would make a remark referring to certain embarrassing situations, or made some commotion in the background — the couch just barely survived Emmett tackling Alice to get Jasper to turn away from the tree, breaking the Christmas ornament while doing so. Even Esme joined the fun, by snaking her arms around Carlisle's waist as he was putting something in the tree. When he didn't budge, she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his neck.

Alice and Edward both started to laugh even before Esme actually lifted herself up on Carlisle shoulders and bit his neck — hard. He growled a laugh and very nearly took the whole tree with him when he tried to get Esme off his back.

Jasper had fun especially, used the full force of his empathic abilities, which he rarely did. It was the funniest thing to watch Emmett burst out into a giggle fit like a girl. Emmett was none too pleased, but there was nothing he could do (but giggle ceaselessly) while Jasper was having his way with him.

It was a release to have so much fun together, after a day that had brought so much tension about. Even Edward and Rosalie were on good terms again, it seemed. When we were about done decorating, Emmett lifted Rosalie on his shoulders so she could put the last detail in place: a piece of mistletoe by the door.

When she hopped down again, Emmett pulled her into a bear hug immediately, kissing her sweetly, intimately. Her tiny hands roamed his broad back as they stood in their embrace.

The rest of us just followed their example, I noticed, and I happily complied as Edward turned me to face him and took my face in his hands. He nuzzled me first, his amber eyes radiating love and happiness. Then he leaned in and kissed me softly. It was the kind of kiss that I had missed ever since we had started talking about moving and high school.

I sighed happily and let my body lean against Edward's. In return he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly, breathing words of eternal love into my ear.

~O~

After Ness and Jake had gone to their beds, Edward and I retreated as well. We took a shower together, to wash away the day and relax in each other's arms. We had our own bathroom in this house, a small tradeoff for our own cottage we had to leave behind in Forks.

When I reached for my strawberry shampoo, Edward beat me to it and poured some of the substance in his hands. He gently washed my hair, massaging my scalp as he went along. I leaned back against him, closed my eyes and let the sensations wash over me.

When he was done I wanted to reciprocate, but he wouldn't have it. Instead, he took my body wash and started to soap my body, making sure he covered every inch of my skin. Then he rinsed me and he restarted the process, this time without the soap. His gentle hands were followed by his gentle kisses. As he went along he massaged my arms, my wrists, my hands, and each of my fingers separately. The love that radiated from his eyes as he groomed me in this way warmed my soul as his touch set my body on fire.

His hands roamed further, gently rubbing my breasts, my stomach, down to my hips. His kisses followed every piece of skin his hands had touched, lingering here and there. He squatted before me so he could reach lower, pressing his cheek against my abdomen and inhaling softly as he massaged my calves.

I knew what he was doing — he was grounding. He had felt lost too, these last two days. I complied as he guided me to lift my right foot and placed it on his thigh, so he could wash and massage my leg. Then he peppered kisses from my inner thigh to my big toe. I giggled a little and he flashed his crooked smile, but I didn't mind at all when he repeated his actions with my other leg, this time starting at my foot and working his way up with open-mouthed kisses. I shivered in anticipation as he slowly worked his way up to the apex of my thighs. When he pressed his first kiss there, it was a good thing that his hands were on my hips already, because the leg I was standing on refused to do any other business as long as Edward was working his miracles on me.

It was a very comforting feeling to be held up by Edward's hands like this. I closed my eyes and let myself go, gripping his thick bronze hair as he worshipped me with his velvet mouth.

When I came down from my high he got up again and pulled me into his embrace, his arms around me so tight that my body bent slightly backwards to fit against him. I felt his arousal pressing insistently in my abdomen and hummed my agreement with my lips pressed against his neck as I let my hands roam his back, softly scratching his skin with my nails. I marveled as I felt his strong muscles move underneath his velvet skin.

When I pulled back to look in his eyes, I saw they were dark with desire.

"You have to let me reciprocate," I whispered. "You're burning up."

"I want this to be about you," he replied. His voice was low, hushed.

"Then just think this is about me, wanting to pleasure you," I breathed in his ear before I threaded my fingers in his hair and pulled his head towards me to kiss him. He complied and our tongues met, sending shivers down to my very core.

His hands trailed from my hair down my back, coming to rest as he cupped my rear. As we kissed, I let my hands wander as well, as they meandered down his chiseled chest, his ribs, his hips, before I stroked along down his abdomen, following the soft trail of hair that started just below his navel. He shivered and his breath hitched when I took him in my hands and squeezed gently.

Our kisses grew more demanding. And all the while the searing hot water came cascading down on us.

One hand disappeared from my body as he readjusted the direction of the showerhead. Then he pushed me back against the wall of the shower. The tiles felt warm against my skin. With his left hand, Edward guided my leg around his waist, and effectively took the lead again.

I lifted my other leg and Edward held me up between the tiles and his body, his hands softly but strongly, reassuringly, supporting my thighs. It wasn't necessary, but provided a delicate intimacy to our position. His hips pressed against mine, and I could feel his urgent arousal. I wrapped my hands around his neck, caressing the sensitive skin there, making him shudder. The water came down between us now, the small jets shattering off our skin. His long hair was sticking to his forehead and his eyes blazed underneath.

While we kept kissing, his right hand snaked underneath my leg and his fingers expertly sought out my most sensitive spots. My thighs trembled at the familiar sensations that soared through my body. I groaned into his mouth and he replied in kind, all the while working me with his knowing hand.

When a fuzzy fire started again to spread further from its core in my lower belly, his hand left me. He supported my thigh again and brought his other hand up to cup my face. I whimpered at the loss of contact, but he made good by lining up his groin and entering me in one smooth movement.

I cried out at the sensation, barely registering that Edward was urging me with his hand to look at him. He only began moving when my eyes finally met his.

"I love you," he whispered in time with his movements. "I love you. I love you. You are my life. My universe. I love you."

I was mesmerized by the smoldering fire in his gaze, and saw my eyes, blackened with desire as well, in the reflection of his. I turned my face to lean into his hand, never breaking eye contact with him. When his thumb softly stroked my bottom lip, I couldn't resist and I sucked it into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it and softly biting down.

He moaned at this sensation and a shudder traveled through his body, creating extra friction on my most sensitive spot. Again the heat started building in me, setting my every nerve ending on a painless fire. I shuddered and my breathing picked up pace, becoming ever more ragged and uneven. I emitted a soft moan with almost every exhale, urging Edward on. He groaned softly and kept on moving, setting a steady pace we both loved so much.

He had to fight to keep his eyes open, but he did. My hands still trailed at his neck, starting to pull his hair as his movements became more demanding.

We didn't break eye contact while he moved in me, his pace and force slowly but surely increasing. His hips flexed rhythmically, his pelvic bone grounding into mine at every thrust, creating the most delicious sensations at my core.

I urged him on with my eyes, scratching the sensitive skin of his neck. His thrusts got me soaring, and soon, too soon, the tell tale signs of my climax were showing. And he kept looking at me. All the while, he kept looking at me. Only when he climaxed did his eyes roll back before fluttering closed as he threw his head back, his guttural moan betraying the intensity of his orgasm. It was this sight, combined with this sound, that sent me over the edge as well. I clamped down on him, and cried out his name as I let the built-up energy discharge inside of me. The painless fire roared through my body, making me flex my feet and arch my back involuntarily. My legs trembled and Edward's hand left my face so he could hold me onto him, now softly rocking to draw out my climax, before gently bringing us down from our high again.

It was one of the most intense orgasms I ever had.

Edward stayed inside me, cherishing our intimacy. He gently flexed his hips against mine every now and again. One hand still supported my thigh, the back of the other stroked my breast, grazing the peak as he came across it. His forehead leaned against mine and his eyes, now a liquid topaz, never left mine. The water still came cascading down on us, and I marveled at the sight of the droplets finding their way down his face, before finally dropping off his strong jaw.

I kissed him again, and felt him stir inside of me.

"Haven't you had enough yet, Cullen?" I breathed as I moved to lick the water off his jaw, before proceeding down to the hollow under his ear. He growled as I sucked on his skin. The water made him taste even sweeter, and it wouldn't be the first time I couldn't stop just licking him. I could never get enough of his taste.

"Never." His lazy caresses became more intense, and I pulled back to look into his darkening eyes again. As he cupped my breast and then rubbed his thumb over the peak, I bit my lip at the sensation, and then saw Edward bite his lip at the sight of me doing that. His other hand was massaging the thigh he was still holding against his waist. I hooked my ankles behind his back to get some leverage.

Slowly, he began to move inside me again. My hands trailed from his neck to his perfect chiseled chest, feeling his velvet skin and the ripple of his muscles underneath it as he moved and held me up against him.

"I love you," I breathed. "The silly words aren't enough to even begin to encompass what I feel for you."

He chuckled at that, his dark eyes sparkling and understanding, his crooked smile sending me soaring. "I thank my lucky stars that we seem to feel the same way," he whispered.

"After all these years, would you still have to wonder?"

"No, I'm quite sure now," he said after a moment of mock contemplation.

I had a witty reply somewhere. I did. But I lost it, as it was becoming impossible to keep coherent when Edward's movements grew ever more insistent, as were his hands. "I…" I started.

"What love?" His knowing smirk was almost annoying.

"I… Ah hell. I forgot. Just love me," I demanded.

"Yes ma'am," he growled, and this time I closed my eyes as he leaned in to kiss me.

It took even longer this time, but we barely noticed it as the hot water ran out and became lukewarm, then cold. We found each other again in our lovemaking, and reconnected after these two tumultuous days. Edward worshipped me with his body, and the intensity with which he did that showed me under how much stress he had been. He let it out through me.

It had taken him years to be able to do that. He never wanted to bother me when he felt stressed, but it bothered me the same when he tried to keep it from me. He had had to learn to let go with me. He had had to learn that I could handle it. And when he learned that I did, it had been an epiphany to him.

And right now, I could see the all-consuming fire in his eyes as he tried to digest all that had happened the last two days. To relieve him a little, and to make sure he wasn't going to mope, I fulfilled my promise.

I lowered my shield.

The intensity of the look in his eyes multiplied tenfold when he realized what I'd done. His movements became more insistent immediately as he could hear my thoughts. He never lasted long when I did that, but in a way it was a good thing, as lifting my shield when making love was exhausting to me and I still couldn't hold it for long.

His elation was apparent and soon we climaxed again, holding on tight and kissing hard, swallowing the other's moans.

We stood holding each other afterwards. I faintly registered that the water must be stone cold by now, but I couldn't bother. When we finally could no longer postpone leaving the haven of the shower behind, Edward shut off the water and flitted outside. He was back in a moment with plush bath sheets. We dried ourselves and each other, chuckling as our arms got tangled in our attempts to help the other out.

When we were reasonably dry, Edward cupped my face, kissed me one more time and sighed. I inhaled his sweet breath and looked into his mesmerizing eyes.

"I feel like I've missed you."

"Me, too," I agreed. I thought for a moment, trying to put into words what I felt. "It's too distracting, I think," I finally said. "Acting human is not a problem for me, but all the other boundaries feel repressing."

"What boundaries do you feel?" he asked me softly, his hands still cupping my face.

"Well, not being able to kiss you, for once," I said lightly, before demonstrating what I had said. "But also having to pay attention to the world around me. Having to mind what others say or might think. Dana," I finished bluntly.

"Yes, Dana. She's even showering with us," Edward growled, frowning.

I giggled at that. "You should ask her, she might like the proposition."

The look on his face told me he didn't appreciate my joke.

"Tell me what she's thinking. Honestly," I urged him. "It's eating you, obviously."

Edward sighed again and pulled away from me, leading the way into our bedroom. He disappeared into the closet and appeared again after just a moment. The dark grey sweat pants he'd put on barely clung to his hips, emphasizing the V-shape of his lower abdomen.

It was terribly distracting.

"She has compromising thoughts," Edward admitted as he sat down on the bed and I went into the closet, sniffing my way towards a harem trousers and tank top.

I appeared again swiftly, dressed as well. "In a less Victorian vocabulary?" I tried, trying to yank a comb through my wet hair.

"Let me," he offered, reaching out for my brush. I sat on the ground between his legs and closed my eyes as he started to brush my hair with immaculate care. It took a minute before he spoke.

"Okay," he finally gave in. "She imagines tackling me behind the Gym Building, where I would finally give in to her flirtations and kiss her passionately."

Well, that wasn't that compromising, right? But he continued.

"She has all kinds of fantasies about me walking up to her and take her in whatever way pleases me. She thinks about herself on her knees, as she unzips my jeans. She fantasizes about me having her in every possible sort of position..." He broke off, and I could hear him swallow.

"I'm so sorry that you have to listen to that," I whispered.

Edward kept combing my hair, parting it in small strands and handling each one separately. "She's very visual," he murmured.

"You said that, yes," I empathized.

I closed my eyes at the sensations of Edward's grooming. We kept quiet for a while. When Edward had brushed my hair almost dry, he put the brush aside and reached under my arms to lift me onto the bed, so I came to sit between his thighs.

He pressed a kiss on my earlobe. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"I know," I said, turning my head a little to give him access to my neck. "I love you, too. You know that, right?"

He chuckled softly. "Yeah, I know," he whispered. "Truly, I do."

We talked for a couple of hours more, and all the while I was sitting between Edward's legs on the bed, his arms around me and his lips on my ear, my neck, my temple, my cheek, and, when I turned my head, my lips.

He finally became himself again, and I felt again like we were husband and wife. Playing the role of a teenage sister had taken a larger toll on me than I'd thought. I didn't mind acting like an adolescent — I'd chosen very consciously to stay in my teens forever. I minded not being able to be with Edward the way I wanted to be.

Normal high school, I could have handled easily. When people would just leave us alone, as they had done when the Cullen siblings were a group of five in Forks High. Well, except for one annoying brunette, of course…

Edward chuckled at my philosophy.

Finally, I lost my patience. "Tell me what Alice saw."

He froze behind me, so I wriggled from his arms and turned so I could straddle him. He refused to look at me, so I cupped his face in my hands and made him.

"Tell me, Edward. Talk to me."

His amber eyes looked pained. I leaned in and kissed him.

When he still didn't speak, I pushed him back on the bed, taking his wrists from behind my back and resting them on the mattress above his head. I positioned myself so that my entire upper body was resting on his, upper legs on upper legs, and my arms covered most of his, our fingers intertwined. He didn't try to pull away. We both knew that it helped him to relax when I was covering him in this manner.

I rested my forehead on his and looked into his eyes. "Please."

I was shocked into silence when he spoke. Alice had had truly horrible visions. Dana was capable of doing things that could put us in real danger. Mostly, Alice had seen blood. Human blood. The problem was that Alice could not foresee when, or where, or how. But there was the possibility of blood, and it would be caused by Dana.

When I asked him, alarmed, why we did not leave immediately, Edward tried to explain that although it would be very hard on us all, there was a very good chance we would be able to walk away. The girl Dana would be able to walk away as well. We just had to be on our guard.

And I knew why we wouldn't leave. Although us Cullens had seemingly endless financial resources, moving house for a family of ten was a costly business. And as long as all was relatively safe, it was a waste of time and money to do so. Plus it took enormous efforts to build a new life somewhere, get used to a new place. Rosalie had been right when she said she didn't want to move. Edward knew this, although he would not easily admit that.

"But then will you please tell me why we cannot tell her why we are together?" I pleaded, looking into my husband's eyes.

Edward hesitated before he spoke. "Dana has gotten one girl in a hospital before, in her chase after the boyfriend. She just beat her up. The girl lost some teeth, I heard. Dana got suspended and her family moved to another town."

"And the boyfriend?" I whispered.

"Dated Dana for a couple of weeks, until she got tired of him. Please, Bella, I know it's annoying, but I think it's best to not set Dana off. It's not like you can end up in a hospital, but if Dana attacks you, it can risk exposure."

I nodded solemnly. God, I was annoyed with this girl.

After there wasn't any more to say, and we had kept quiet for a long while, I lifted my body and pulled off my tank top. Then I stood between Edward's legs that were still dangling off the bed, and pulled down his sweats before stepping out of my pants as well, unceremoniously. Then I crawled back onto him, moving with him as he slid further towards the middle of the bed.

We kissed, first chastely and softly, before his lips parted and his tongue pressed softly against my lower lip. As he sighed, I opened my mouth to inhale his sweet breath. Our kiss deepened and his arms snaked around my back and pulled me tighter against him. He broke away from my mouth to suck softly on my jaw, and, when I turned my head to give him access, my neck. Then I felt the tip of his tongue tracing my carotid artery, where once my blood had been so close to my skin. We both growled softly, and I fisted his hair to keep his head in the crook of my neck, where he was savoring my skin, and I was savoring his touch.

His fingers traced down my spine before cupping my rear, gently kneading and caressing. His breath felt warm on the skin of my neck. My hips were starting to ground into his involuntarily, and he replied in kind by moving with me. He was hard again already, and as we kissed again, he met my lips with an urge that betrayed his desire. He hissed when I sucked his tongue into my mouth and softly bit down on it.

We were making up for the last couple of days.

One long arm reached further down and I groaned loudly when two of his long fingers slid into me, curving and probing in a way that he knew would bring me to climax fast, and hard. My breathing picked up pace quickly in anticipation. But I wasn't granted this pleasure and he pulled his hand away as soon as the first signs of my impending orgasm were showing. Instead, he rolled us over and he hovered over me, his fingers in my hair, his gaze burning into mine.

We both cried out as he slid home. Once. Twice. Again. Again. Again. Again.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Oh, dear mother of all that is sacred, yes.

Heaven.

Eden.

Forever.

Mine.

Yeah.

Soooo… This was special to write, to say the least. What did you think about Alice's vision? Is it what you expected? As ever, I love to know what you think!

Go ahead and copy-paste: Yay, please keep on writing! ;) Please, please press review. Take 10 seconds to write something down and know that you make my day :)

I'm just going to cuddle my boyfriend now for a bit I think...