Alice danced in front of me up the stairs and Edward followed closely behind. The only reason I knew this was because he kept his hand on the small of my back, guiding me forward with the slightest of pressures. We entered the kitchen and I saw Emmett and a beautiful blonde man sitting on stools by the island talking with a woman with soft, caramel colored hair and a sweet heart shaped face who seemed to be painting a portrait. Of what, I did not know. I couldn't see anything in a particular pose anywhere around the room. I realized as I took a step further and she looked up at me and blinked, before saying "Stay right there for just a moment please! Thank you." That she was painting me. Me and Edward.

The latter had moved into a more formal position behind me, putting his left hand on my hip and his right on my shoulder. I didn't smile and I'm sure he didn't either. We stayed like this for maybe three minutes before the woman set down her brush and smiled up at us.

"Hello. I'm Esme and you must be Bella." I glanced up at Edward, and I'm sure that if he could've blushed, he would have. "We've heard so much about you. Please, make yourself at home here. You're welcome anytime." Under his breath Edward muttered, "Literally. Anytime," before he turned me towards the blonde man sitting with Emmett. "Bella, this is Carlisle. Carlisle, Bella."

Carlisle smiled a kind smile and nodded at me. "It's a pleasure to meet you Bella. I assume Alice is going to give you a tour considering how fast she ran up to her room to straighten up. As Esme said, you are welcome here anytime." He grinned again before turning back to his conversation with Emmett who waved two fingers over his head as a sort of salute.

As if she heard her name, Alice reappeared at the foot of the stairs. "Come on Bella! Let me show you around." She beckoned at me before heading up the stairs again, two and three at a time.

Edward hadn't said anything since Carlisle's introduction, and did not break the pattern now as he took my hand and led me to the staircase. I began going up, but by the time I reached the fourth step, he got impatient with my progress and took me up in his arms and flew me up to the top. I heard Esme gasp and Carlisle saying something in response. Edward, speaking to them over the distance, controlled his velvet tones perfectly as he reminded them that I knew what they were and I might as well begin learning what that meant. It didn't seem to me that they could possibly have heard, but I knew they had. Rosalie had.

Alice waited for us near a large wooden door embedded in a light beige wall that looked dark next to her pure, blank skin. She shook her heads at Edward, answering some expression that I couldn't see as he let me down. She pointed to the door without opening it. "Emmett and Rose's room." Moving down the hall, she pointed at another door with a slightly darker stain, "My room." One door down, "Jasper's." A right turn down a long hallway, on the left wall, "Carlisle and Esme." Directly across the way, on the right wall was a white double door with silver woven handles, "Carlisle's study."

As she turned to start walking again, Edward broke his silence. "Alice, why don't you go and join the others? I can show her my room." She looked at him, and he blinked twice, very slowly. She nodded and smiled at me. "See you later Bella. I'll be downstairs if you need anything." "Alright." I smiled as she went down the stairs glancing backwards every few steps until her head disappeared beyond the top step. I turned back again to find Edward smiling gently at me.

"She loves you, you know. Already. Not many people would ever get past how different we are and become close to us. Especially become close to us. You're the first human friend she has ever had. Can you imagine that, knowing her disposition?" He said as he walked down the hall leading me by the hand. His thumb was rubbing circles on the back of my hand, and it felt good.

"No, I can't imagine why… how anyone could not be friends with Alice." I replied. He opened a door and swung me around in front of him before I could continue talking, putting me directly in front him and the entryway. I walked in slowly and felt him gauging my reaction behind me. Following me in, but not shutting the door, he went to lay himself on the black leather sofa that was sitting against the northern wall. The western wall was covered, literally, by one enormous CD rack – and each slot was filled. In the middle of all the music was a professional looking stereo system that I could not even begin to analyze. The other two walls were what held my main attention though – they were both solid glass. Each window was made of three giant glass sheets, and was held together by straight metal tracks in the building structure, along with two running vertically in the glass. And the view… the view was amazing.

Edward's room looked out over the little river that ran through the city (I don't know what it's called.) I could see little pieces of the water glinting through the trees that crowded against the banks. I could see over the tops of some of them, and through the hazy air I caught glimpses of the Rockies, mostly covered by clouds. The sky was fairly blue today, and the back lawn was bright green for summer time. Some rain remained on the grass from the shower we'd had last night.

It was gorgeous.

I stood in the middle of the room and just stared out. I was stunned. Not only by the view but by the fact that this was his world, his refuge. His room.

So I just stood there. After a minute or two I was vaguely aware of him rising from the couch. Then I felt him hesitantly wrap his arms around my arms and rest his chin on my head. I instantly relaxed and leaned back into him, letting him support my weight completely. He laughed softly, whispering "It's beautiful, isn't it? That's half the reason I chose this room. I'm naturally drawn to beautiful things. The other half was when Emmett got tired of my music." I felt him smile as he rested his cheek against the top of my head. "But there's more to the room than the view. Not much, but some." And he gently turned me back towards the door. For the first time I saw the rest of the room. Its walls were a light gold, the carpet just a few shades darker. The sofa I noticed earlier was shaped in an L with the short end nearest to the door which was black with a gold handle. There was a dark red blanket draped over the back of the sofa but I doubted he ever used it, being naturally freezing. There were inconspicuous speakers hanging in the corners of the room. But that was pretty much it.

I turned back to face him but was quickly disarmed when I saw how close he was. Turning had put my face only an inch from his chest. I looked up as he looked down and I stared into the very depths of his golden eyes.

"Hold… very… still…" he whispered even softer than before. Still looking at me, not blinking, he leaned his face down to mine. When I could count his eyelashes my lids started drooping. One of his arms wound itself around my waist and pulled me to his body tightly. Just as my eyes were lightly shut, I felt it. His lips sent a jolt of energy through mine and I melted. All I could see was black and red swirling in my brain, and I focused on remembering how exactly breathing was supposed to work. And then it was over. I opened my eyes and his face was still so close to mine. I blinked, wanting badly to kiss him again when he spoke.

"That was…"

"I know…"

And he took me up again.