Chapter 13: New Toy

BPOV

The four of us had spent the last few hours discussing the Volturi message from what seemed like every angle. The Aston Martin followed close enough behind us that we could hear each other at normal voice levels, and my shielding "muscles" had been getting a real workout, as Jake was not making much of an effort to keep a consistent amount of space between our cars.

We were not far from Hanover now, and the conversation had finally died down, each of us lost in our own thoughts. What it all boiled down to was that we don't know any more than we did before. What I found most disturbing, and what I knew Edward found most disturbing, was that they sent the message to our daughter. I knew it was really Edward, Alice, and me that they wanted. If they were simply curious about Renesmee's hybrid nature, they could just as easily study one of the Amazon hybrids. Did the Volturi see Renesmee as a pawn they could use to somehow coerce us into joining them? Did they disapprove of her marriage to a werewolf-shapeshifter? Were they hoping Renesmee would become pregnant so they could use the "threat of the unknown" to justify our destruction?

I looked over at Edward, who had his eyes on the road, but I knew his thoughts were far away, still turning over all the possibilities in his mind regarding what the message meant and what we should do about it. The extremely jovial mood he had been in the last couple days had been lost the second Nessie pulled the package from her purse.

It bothered me that she hadn't called us immediately when she received the package. Even if there was nothing useful we could have done with the information, we needed to be able to trust that she would keep us informed of such important developments. Next time - and I knew deep down that there would be a 'next time' - the speed of our reaction could be critical to our survival. Our family was in this together - all of the Cullens and all of the wolves - and it was vital that we keep each other informed.

At the same time, a surprisingly large part of me was secretly glad that she delayed telling us until we were leaving Chicago. Nothing had happened to us during those two days, and there seemed to be little we could actually do in response to the information. If they had called us when they first received the package, while we were still en route to Chicago, we probably would have turned around and driven back to meet them, and escorted them directly to Hanover to meet with the rest of the family. We would have missed spending those two days at Edward's childhood home. Nessie had been right - it had been a very special trip for us and I was glad we hadn't missed out on it.

I thought back over the last couple days as I tried to push the current worry temporarily from my mind.

It had been so much fun looking through the pictures with Edward. I had always wondered what he had looked like as a human, and he was exactly as I had imagined - gorgeous and perfect. He did look younger, more like a real seventeen-year-old, without his vampiric musculature. I wondered what it might have been like if we could have known each other when we were both human - if I had been born in 1901. What would he have thought of me if I had been assigned as his dance partner at one of those dances? Most likely, he would have thought I was a total klutz who didn't know how to dance - there was no chance I would have impressed him with my dancing skills. Would he have been attracted to me anyway, or would he have been as oblivious to me as he was to those seven girls in the pictures? Would I have been enough to distract him from his dreams of going off to war?

I thought about Officer Hoskins' grandmother and her crush on Edward. I could imagine how ecstatic she would have been to go to that dance with him. I didn't feel the least bit jealous; in fact, I just felt sad for her. Not sad that Edward didn't return her affections, he was mine after all, but sad that she'd had a glimpse of such perfection and then apparently spent her life wondering what happened to him and wishing for something that could never be. I wondered how many girls born in early twentieth century Chicago spent their lives wistfully remembering Edward Masen and wondering where he disappeared to.

I looked over at him, grateful that he was mine, and wished I could snuggle up in his lap for the rest of the trip, but that wouldn't be setting a very good example for Renesmee. We had always insisted that she buckle up - we still weren't sure if her body was as indestructible as ours, and hoped we would never have to find out, but considering her human components it was best to err on the side of caution.

Edward's face was still tense with worry, and I wished we could return to the lighthearted mood of the last two days.

He glanced over at me, and I felt the light pressure at my shield that told me he was wondering what I was thinking. Instead of asking, he just reached for my hand and squeezed it tightly. I decided to let my shield down for a minute, even though I had to unshield Renesmee and Jacob to do it. I didn't send any deliberate thoughts Edward's way, but let him hear the odd mixture of ramblings in my head - stress over the Volturi message, my pleasant memories of the last couple days, my love for him, the lust that was building sitting here just looking at him, and how I wished I could do something to improve his mood. I wasn't really verbalizing any of those thoughts inside my head - it was more a jumble of confusion even to me - but he seemed to understand.

"I think we'll all feel better after we've discussed this with Carlisle and the others," he said quietly enough that I knew he was speaking to only me, no longer including Jake and Nessie in the conversation, though they could probably hear him if they were paying attention. "Then after that I think I need to go for a run. You'll come with me, won't you?"

"Of course," I said, smiling. I let my shield slip back into place and expanded it again to include the car behind us, but not before letting him hear in my thoughts how much his idea of going for a run together pleased me. Going for a run always seemed to help clear his head, and I knew that by inviting me to accompany him he was hoping to steal some alone time with me in the woods while the whole family was there at our house. Going for a run was exactly what we needed after being cooped up in this car for over five hours, barely able to touch each other, with the weight of the Volturi message bearing on our minds.

We pulled into our garage at 4:15am. Our new home. Edward had purchased this house for us before we were married, without my knowledge or input. When he had first told me about it, during our honeymoon, it bothered me a little that he had made such a large decision, one that affected both of us, without even mentioning it to me, but I had quickly let it go. I understood his reasoning at the time, and I trusted his judgment in selecting a house. I had no real interest in shopping for real estate anyway. I would be happy anywhere, as long as we were together. Of course, Edward had anticipated what I would like and what we would need - the house was perfect. He had brought me here to see it once before, when we had first decided to enroll at Dartmouth this year.

It was huge, much larger than we needed. In fact, it was large enough for the entire family, which was probably what Edward had in mind when he bought it. Our college plans had been up in the air at the time, so he didn't know when or if we would be living in the house, or whether it would be just us or the entire family. There were eight bedrooms upstairs, and a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, and an extremely large family room on the main floor. The master bedroom was ours, the one on the far corner of the house was Renesmee's and Jacob's, and three others would be set up as bedrooms for Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, and Alice and Jasper. Not that they would sleep in them, of course, but it would still be nice to have a semi-private spot for each couple to call their own when they were visiting. Of the remaining three bedrooms, one would be set up as Edward's study, one as my study which would also double as my scrapbooking room, and the last one would be a guest room for when Charlie or Renée came to visit.

The house had been empty when we were here before, so I was excited to see what Alice and Esme had done in the way of furniture and decorations. Shopping and decorating were not things I enjoyed, and I knew that with Esme to rein Alice in, it would look amazing and would be in accordance with my tastes and Edward's.

I had noticed Carlisle's latest Mercedes parked in our drive, along with Jasper's newest motorcycle. Carlisle's car was a little sportier than he normally purchased, but still black and still a Mercedes. He tended to stick with the familiar. Rose and Emmett apparently rode with Carlisle and Esme. Alice, of course, would have come with Jasper on the motorcycle.

Before we could even get out of our cars the whole family rushed into the garage to meet us. I threw my arms around Esme, so happy to see her again, and Alice danced over to Edward, bouncing with excitement at our arrival. Rose rushed over to hug Renesmee. I knew she'd missed her favorite niece so much these last couple of years.

"What? Nobody wants to hug me?" Jacob complained with a grin.

"Who wants to hug a smelly wet dog?" Rosalie snapped at him, but turned from Renesmee to give him a quick hug anyway. They had learned to get along for Renesmee's sake, and sometimes I suspected they were actually starting to like each other.

"Thanks, Blondie. I always knew you loved me," Jake retorted, wrinkling his nose as they backed away from one another.

After more hugs and greetings, we headed into the house and sat down in the family room to talk. Well, we all sat except for Edward. He started out standing beside me but was soon pacing the floor. Renesmee sat down in Jacob's lap, leaning her head onto his shoulder, struggling to keep her eyes open. She had fallen asleep in the car and just woke up when we pulled into the garage.

"Nessie, dear," Carlisle smiled at his granddaughter. "Why don't you and Jake go on upstairs and get some sleep? We'll have plenty of time to visit tomorrow and the rest of the weekend."

"We'll go up in a few minutes," she mumbled.

Carlisle turned his attention to Edward. "It's been a long time since I've seen you pacing like that. You're starting to worry me. What's up, son?"

"There's something we need to tell you about, something we need to discuss as a family," Edward replied. Jasper looked at him meaningfully, no doubt having picked up on the worry the four of us were feeling, and Edward nodded slightly at him. "I just learned as we were leaving Chicago that Renesmee recently received a wedding gift from the Volturi."

The mood in the room shifted instantly.

Nessie pulled the small package out of her purse and held up the excessively extravagant bracelet. Rosalie reached for it to have a closer look, and started passing it around the room for everyone to see.

Edward continued, "The message with it said 'Our belated congratulations to the new Mrs. Black.' The four of us were discussing it during our drive here and we think they're just reminding us they're watching us, which is nothing we didn't already know. If they were planning to move against us any time soon, it's not likely they would have sent us a warning like this - they would need us to be distracted or complacent to catch us off guard if they wanted to harm us. So hopefully my worry is unfounded for now, but I really don't like that they sent it to Renesmee. If they wanted to send us a message they should have sent it to Carlisle, or to me. I think that's what's bothering me the most."

"Well, she is the one who got married, son," Carlisle said tentatively. "I'll admit it's entirely possible that it was intended as a veiled threat, considering our last encounter with them, but it's also possible that it was simply a wedding gift. It is their standard practice to send a gift when they hear someone has gotten married. Esme and I received a gift a few years after we married, as did Emmett and Rosalie after their first wedding. Bella's gift was different, in its gaudiness and also due to the reminder that they would be visiting to verify that she had been changed." He paused to examine the bracelet which had been passed to him. "Honestly, this gift seems more in line with the necklace they sent Esme or the ring they sent Rosalie. It seems more like their standard protocol."

"What about Alice and Jasper? They never received a gift?" I was speaking to Carlisle, but looked over to Alice and Jasper to see them shaking their heads.

"No, I don't think they knew about Alice and Jasper joining our family before Alice went to Volterra with Bella. They don't keep tabs on everyone who gets married - only the covens they consider friends or allies receive these gifts."

"And enemies," Edward asserted.

"Probably," Carlisle allowed.

Alice spoke up next. "If it's intended as a threat, they probably sent it to Nessie instead of one of us, because they knew I wouldn't be able to see it, since I can't see her future or Jake's. They could be demonstrating they know how to get around my sight."

This was a huge worry of mine. If the Volturi planned anything that targeted only Nessie or Jake, we would have no warning.

Jake began snoring, and Nessie was sound asleep on his shoulder already. They seemed comfortable, so everyone continued the discussion around them.

"They're letting us know they're aware she married a shapeshifter," Jasper speculated, trying to decipher their strategy. "I'm sure they're watching closely to see if they have any offspring. If they were to have a baby, the Volturi would consider that more than enough excuse to come after us again."

"I really don't think there's much danger of that happening," Carlisle stated. "We all know her monthly cycle stopped when she stopped aging. Pregnancy might have been a possibility if they had married a couple years earlier, but I don't think her body is capable of it now. Of course, they are in uncharted territory so I suppose anything is possible. We learned that with Edward and Bella."

"I hope they're using condoms," Emmett muttered.

"Emmett," Edward said sharply.

"Well, are they?" Emmett asked, serious concern on his face.

"Yes, they're taking precautions," Edward relented, "but she wouldn't like us talking about their personal life like this, so keep your mouth shut."

I was glad Nessie had fallen asleep. She would have been mortified at this discussion.

Jasper looked at Edward. "What you said about them waiting for us to become complacent - I think you're right about that. And I agree it seems unlikely they would attack so soon after sending us a warning message, but they may be counting on us making that assumption. It's possible they sent the note to cause us to become complacent. We have to remain vigilant - but as you said, that's really no different from what we've been doing for the past ten years. Ultimately, I don't think this message changes anything. It's just a reminder that they haven't forgotten us."

"Should we notify our friends who gathered with us the last time?" Rosalie wondered, "Maybe we should have them on alert in case this turns out to be more than a reminder?"

"I don't think so, not yet," Jasper answered. "It could get back to the Volturi that we're assembling an army again, and they could try to accuse us of plotting against them. At this point, we have nothing to prove to anyone that the package they sent is anything more than a wedding gift. If we receive any further communications that are more blatantly threatening then we should probably make some calls, but for now I think it's best if we just wait."

"I agree," Carlisle concurred. "We don't want to attract their attention by assembling a force against them. I realize it seems unlikely to most of you, but I've known Aro, Caius, and Marcus for a long time, and it's possible they're trying to get back in our good graces. They are fearful of us, of Bella especially, and it would be much wiser of them to have us as friends than enemies. The Volturi did not get where they are by making foolish choices about who they decide to antagonize."

I turned this idea over in my mind, and decided that he was right about at least one thing - it did seem unlikely to me. I remembered the way Aro had looked at us in Volterra, and in the field not far from our home. It was not the look of a man who wanted to be friends. However, I had a great deal of respect for Carlisle and his opinions, and his experience with the Volturi, so I allowed for some possibility that he could be correct. It was a reassuring thought that the Volturi might be too afraid of us to deliberately start anything. I wished I could really believe it.

However, there was nothing to be gained by continuing to worry over this for the next few years, or decades, or centuries, and at the moment I desperately wanted to just put it out of my mind and think about something more pleasant. The others in the room seemed to be feeling the same way, and after a few more comments, the conversation about the wedding gift and its accompanying message died down.

"Bella!" Alice jumped up, seeing that the conversation was over. "Can I show you around the house now?"

"Yes," I smiled, "that would be great. I can't wait to see what you and Esme have done. The family room is awesome. I love the furniture, and the colors are beautiful. I don't know how you do it!"

Alice beamed. She grabbed my hand and pulled me off to see the next room. Edward came with us, and Esme followed along, enjoying our reactions. In addition to the new furniture, curtains, and other decorations, they had unpacked all of our personal items and put them in the proper places, so the entire house was already set up. As we finished the tour, I realized that there was nothing left for us to do to be completely moved in other than to put away the items we had brought with us in the car.

"Alice?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"You totally rock! Everything is so perfect! It looks so much better than if I had tried to do it myself, and I can't tell you how happy I am that we don't have to unpack." I gave her a huge hug.

"Thanks, Bella! I just knew you'd love it!" She laughed, winking at us. I knew she must have seen visions of my reaction to each room.

"Thank you, too, Esme. I know you did a lot of the design and planning. You must have spent so much time on this. Thank you so much!" I gave her another hug as well.

"I'm so glad you like it, dear," she said. "If there's anything you want to change - "

"No! I don't want to change anything. It's all perfect!" I insisted.

Edward came over and put his arm around Alice. "Alice, thank you for what you did in Chicago, too. You thought of everything - you even tuned the piano. Everything was perfect." He bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I owe you."

Alice bounced up and down with excitement. "Did you like your song? I played it and it sounded so familiar..." She winked at us again.

"Yes," he told her. "I have no memory of writing it, but obviously I did. Where did you find that?"

"It was in the piano bench - the top lifts up. I found it while I was cleaning .There was some more music stored there, but that was the only handwritten piece."

We went back into the family room. Jake and Nessie were still asleep, and Emmett and Rose were completely absorbed in a video game they were playing. Apparently we have a new video game system set up to go with our new enormous TV. I could envision Edward and Jake spending some good "male bonding" time there over the next four or so years that we would be living here.

"See you guys later!" Alice chirped, grabbing Jasper's hand and heading upstairs, anticipating what Edward was about to say.

"I think Bella and I are going to go for a run," Edward told Carlisle and Esme, who were the only ones still paying any attention to us.

"Have fun!" Carlisle replied, while Esme just smiled and waved goodbye..

We went outside and took off into the woods behind the house. I let Edward lead, as I had not taken time to familiarize myself with the area yet. I hadn't even looked at a map to see exactly where the house was located or how large the wooded area was. I knew he was not running full speed, since I was having no trouble keeping up with him. I enjoyed running almost as much as he did, but I was more eager to finish the run so we could have some much-needed couple time. I would be much happier when I was touching him, rather than running along behind him, though I had to admit the current view was quite nice.

Without giving him any warning, I jumped onto his back and threw my arms around his neck, so that I was positioned the way he used to carry me when he ran with me when I was human. He glanced back at me and smiled as his hands slipped underneath my knees to help hold me in place. I knew he couldn't reach top speed while carrying me, but he could go faster than when he was holding back so that I could keep up. This also meant we were now touching. Much better. I began plastering kisses on his neck and along his jaw and across the sides of his face. I felt a little guilty knowing I was distracting him from his run, but I couldn't resist.

After a couple minutes we stopped in a clearing. It didn't begin to approach the beauty of our meadow back in Forks, but it had potential. I imagined the leaves on the trees would be changing in another month or so and it would be gorgeous then. Perhaps we could plant some flowers here in the spring. The scenery, however, claimed an extremely small portion of my attention, and only for a fraction of a second. I was still clinging to Edward's back, kissing everywhere on his neck and face that I could reach.

When I managed to reach his mouth, Edward spun me around so that I was facing him. "Eager, are we?" he teased.

"For you? Always." I smiled suggestively.

"Thanks for coming for a run with me. I can feel my mood improving already." He ran his nose along my neck, taking in my scent, before starting to nibble on my ear, his hands running through my hair.

"I...would hope..so," I breathed, quickly losing my ability to carry on conversation.

It was mid-afternoon when we finally returned to the house, both of us more relaxed and in much better spirits. We had started to return a few hours earlier, because I was concerned the family might think we were being rude, heading off on our own and ignoring them for so many hours when we hadn't seen them in so long. However, when we had gotten within Edward's "hearing" range earlier, he informed me that Alice and Jasper, and Emmett and Rosalie, were deeply involved in their own private couple time, while Jacob and Renesmee were still sleeping, and Carlisle and Esme had disappeared, probably into the forest in pursuit of a truly private location for some intimate moments of their own. So we had returned to our earlier location in the clearing to enjoy a little more time alone with each other.

This time, as we got within Edward's hearing range, instead of cringing at mental images and intimate thoughts that were never intended to be shared with him, his face lit up in pure excitement.

"My car is here!" He picked up speed and nearly left me behind in his haste to see his new toy. He slowed down enough for me to catch up, then took my hand as we ran, urging me faster and faster.

There it was, parked in the driveway, with the entire family circled around it. They all seemed to be admiring it reverently. Rosalie appeared to be in deep thought, probably pondering what enhancements she might be able to make, and the others were all trying to get a closer look, but seemingly afraid to touch it. Of course, it went without saying that Edward would be the one to get to drive it first. But come on, it was just a car. Why the looks of awe? Especially Jacob - he looked completely stunned, and stood back a little further from it, as if he felt unworthy to be in its presence.

I wanted to yell out to them that it was just a car, but I didn't want to put a damper on Edward's excitement. I wanted him to enjoy his new toy.

It was a rather nice-looking car, and rather sporty. It was mostly black, with a section of silvery-gray in front. I could tell just by looking at it that it would be fast. I envisioned Edward behind the wheel - now that would make it a seriously impressive-looking car.

The family backed away from it as he approached, Alice beaming, Rose planning, and the others just staring.

"Dude! You really got one! I never thought you'd do it!" Emmett bellowed in amazement.

"We haven't touched it," Jasper assured him. "It was just delivered a few minutes ago."

"Son, I'm almost envious." Carlisle looked over it appraisingly.

"Almost?" Edward smirked. "You can take it for a spin in a few minutes, but I've got to demonstrate its appeal to Bella first. I don't think she was paying much attention when I was trying to tell her about it earlier."

He walked around it once, verifying it had arrived undamaged. He excitedly opened the passenger door and motioned for me to get in. I reflexively dusted myself off, to ensure no reminders of our romp in the forest clung to my pants. I sat down and was enveloped in luxury. The new car smell was intoxicating. My beautiful red Ferrari suddenly seemed old and mundane.

"Bella?" Jake looked conflicted. He was practically drooling over the car but seemed upset with himself for not finding its pretentiousness more offensive.

"What?"

"Did you know this was what he was getting?" Jake seemed to be questioning my sanity.

"Yeah, I don't remember what it's called, but it looks like the picture he showed me, with the two colors." I glanced around and took note of the logo - "Bugatti Veyron Gen III" - but it didn't mean anything to me. I looked over at Edward, who was now sitting in the driver's seat, attempting to look patient while Jake continued to question me.

"Do you know how much these cost?" He seemed confident that I didn't.

"I told him he should get whatever he really wanted. I honestly don't want to know what it cost. It really doesn't matter." I shrugged. Why would he care what Edward spent on a new vehicle? The Aston Martin Jake had been driving wasn't exactly an economy car. He had to have known that Edward would be getting a nice car, and that it wouldn't be cheap.

I closed the car door, and just as we began to pull away I heard Jake mutter "One-point-eight million dollars."

I looked at Edward. "This car cost almost two million dollars?" Did they even make cars that expensive?

He shrugged. "You told me to indulge myself for once." He grinned. "And I did. This is the fastest car currently on the market."

The number just sounded really large, and to Jake I knew it must seem astronomical.

I hadn't involved myself much in our finances. Early in our marriage, Edward had wanted to sit down and go over all of it with me, but I honestly didn't want to know all the details and didn't want to hear about our net worth. I knew from phone calls I'd overheard that it was not uncommon for him to make transactions and investments in the hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars. I knew that we contributed heavily to a number of charities. I knew that with Alice's sound advice on stock market investments, our income was nearly limitless. But two million dollars for a car?

Edward glanced over at me, a look of concern forming on his face. "You don't mind, do you? We talked... I thought you were okay it."

I really didn't care about the money. I was thinking more of how Jacob and Renesmee might feel about us flaunting such an extravagant car when they were struggling to make it on their own financially. But I was determined not to bring Edward down from his high. I wanted to see that giddy smile back on his face. "Oh, I don't mind. I'm okay with it, I promise. I really don't care about the money - I trust your judgment in that area completely." I smiled reassuringly. "I'm glad you decided to indulge yourself. You deserve it. You haven't had a new car in twelve years!"

"So what do you think?" he asked, beginning to relax a little.

"It's great! I love the interior - it's so luxurious." I looked around, taking in all the details. It really was impressive.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I like it even more than my Ferrari." I raised my eyebrows for emphasis.

"I knew you would like it." His earlier smile had returned. "We can get you one like it, if you want."

"No, that won't be necessary." I laughed.

"Why not? We could get you a different color."

"What happened to trying to blend in? This car is the epitome of ostentatiousness. You think we wouldn't attract attention with both of us driving these around? Trust me, you'll get us enough attention without me driving one too."

"Ostentatiousness? Is that even a word?"

"Yes, it is. I saw it in a dictionary once."

He laughed. "I won't be driving it to school. We'll take your ten-year-old Ferrari to class - it will blend in pretty well here. I assure you, there will be other newer and more expensive cars in the parking lot."

"So this is another special occasion car?"

"Yes and no. I'll probably avoid taking it out in the daytime after today, but I plan to use it more than I did the Aston Martin. I want to enjoy driving it, not keep it locked up in the garage. We'll use it when we drive to Massachusetts to visit the family at Harvard, and other trips out of town.

"Do you realize that we now have 3 cars that are two-seaters? We own three ostentatious cars, and not one of them will allow the four of us to travel together in one vehicle."

I could tell from the flicker of realization crossing his face that he somehow hadn't considered this previously.

"Are you saying you want to trade the Ferrari in for a sedan?" he teased.

"No, but we probably should have at least one 'normal' car that our whole immediate family can ride in."

"Another Volvo?"

"I don't know... Would you let me pick out the normal car? By myself?

He looked over at me, perplexed. "Sure. Buy whatever you want, love. I can't wait to see what you pick out."

"So when do I get to drive this car?" I asked, as he made a U-turn so that we could head back towards home.

A huge smile spread across his face. "You do like it! You can drive it right now." He immediately pulled over and we switched places. I felt a tingle of excitement as I slipped behind the wheel - an unusual reaction for me.

I was actually a bit surprised he was so enthused about giving up the driver's seat. He really did want me to like the car. And what wasn't to like? I had never driven a car that accelerated so quickly, and we were already easily exceeding the top speed of the Ferrari. It responded like an extension of my own body, and I thrilled to the speed.

I glanced over at Edward to see him watching me with a smile so huge it seemed he might explode with excitement.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You really like it! I'm just thrilled that you can finally appreciate a nice car!"

"Of course I like it! Why wouldn't I?"

"You seemed unsure at first. The price tag really doesn't bother you? What were you thinking earlier?"

"No, the price doesn't bother me - I know you can afford it. I was just thinking of Jacob and Renesmee, and how they must feel seeing you with this car when they're so set on making their own way financially. They may never be able to afford anything like this, if they won't let us help and won't even let Alice give them advice. What were they thinking earlier when they were admiring the car before we left? I forgot to shield them...did you notice their thoughts?"

"First of all, we can afford it. It's not my money, it's ours. But to answer your question - Nessie was thinking it's a really cool car and wondering if I might let her borrow it sometimes. Jake was shocked, and I will admit, seemed a bit envious. I think he'll be okay, though, after I let him take it for a spin."

"You're going to let him drive it?"

"Sure, why not? He's a great driver and has too much respect for the car to do anything reckless with it."

I pulled back into the drive and the family was still standing there waiting for our return.

We got out of the car and I tossed the keys to Carlisle. "I think Edward said you're up next."

He grinned as he caught them and it occurred to me that he looked almost like a teenage boy who had just gotten his license, in his exuberance at being allowed to drive. I'd never seen Carlisle so excited about a car. "Come on, Esme," he encouraged her. He opened the passenger door and gallantly helped her in, and they were soon speeding away.

Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper started talking amongst themselves, and Renesmee and Jacob came over to talk to Edward and me.

Jake shook his head. "I can't believe you got a Veyron!" he exclaimed to Edward. "A bit of a step up from the Volvo, isn't it?"

"You have something against Volvos?" Edward teased. "I thought my Volvo was pretty nice."

"Sure, sure, but it could almost pass as a normal car. This one practically screams, 'Hey, look at me! I'm filthy rich bloodsucker!" He laughed.

"Jake!" Nessie scolded. Like me, she had never cared for the name-calling, even when it was good-natured.

Edward just ignored the epithet. "Most people around here have probably never heard of Bugatti and won't even recognize what kind of car it is. I don't plan on driving it to school, but it will be good for quick trips to visit the family in Cambridge. It's a hundred and twenty-file mile drive, and should only take about thirty minutes in this car. Maybe less if we drive in the middle of the night when there's minimal traffic."

"I've heard the top speed is listed as 267 mph, and when going that fast it will run out of gas in twelve minutes. Isn't all that refueling going to slow you down?" Jacob laughed.

"Not when Rosalie and Alice are finished with it." Edward said smugly.

"Alice?" Jake's forehead wrinkled in confusion. I was wondering the same thing. Since when did Alice work on cars with Rosalie?

"Alice has been searching for future design enhancements that Rosalie can implement," Edward explained. "Rosalie will be boosting the engine and making some significant improvements in fuel efficiency. She thinks it might be able to achieve speeds near 300 mph by the time she's finished with it. And we'll easily be able to make it from here to Harvard without refueling along the way."

"Cool. So how was your test drive?"

"Perfect. Absolutely perfect. You want to try it next?"

"Really? You'd really let me touch that car?"

"Sure. Let your wife drive on the way back, if you don't mind." He winked at Nessie. "Everyone else is still waiting for a turn too."

Nessie's face lit up and she bounced up and down in excitement. Had she really doubted that she would get a turn?

We all watched as Carlisle and Esme pulled back into the drive. Carlisle got out, beaming, and tossed the keys back to Edward. "Very nice, Edward, very nice. Sorry we were gone so long but I filled up the gas tank...it was running low."

"Thanks." Edward handed the keys to Jake.

To everyone's surprise, Jake shook his head, looking torn. "As much as I want to... If anything happened to it while I was driving... I could never afford..."

"Jake, it's fine. I trust you. Even if something happens beyond your control, it's insured and it can be replaced. Don't worry about it. Really. You won't hurt it. Go ahead, enjoy."

Nessie put her hand on Jake's face. Whatever she showed him, it erased his hesitation. He took the keys and they both eagerly climbed into the vehicle.

"What were they thinking?" I asked when they had left. I hadn't bothered shielding them because I was still worrying over what Jake thought about us getting such an expensive car.

"Well, probably nothing you didn't pick up on already. He was surprised I'd let him drive it, and was afraid something would happen to it that he couldn't afford to fix. Nessie showed him how excited she was for them to try it out, and of course he can't resist doing anything that would make her happy."

"So he's less envious now?" I was asking Edward, but then I noticed Jasper seemed to be following our conversation so I looked to him for the answer.

"There's a little envy, but it's not that strong," Jasper offered, coming over to where we were standing. "Excitement was the predominant emotion. You don't need to worry about him, Bella. He was only mildly more annoyed by this display of wealth than what he normally is by everything else - the house, the cars, the clothes, the food. He had to have known it would be a flashy car but he was still really surprised when he saw it. We all were, actually - Edward is usually a bit more conservative when selecting a vehicle. He's always been the more practical one. You've been good for him, Bella. It's nice seeing him allowing himself to enjoy a new car so thoroughly." He reached over and gave Edward a brotherly punch on the shoulder.

I couldn't have agreed with Jasper more - it was great seeing Edward enjoying anything so much. Sure, it was an extravagant, ridiculously ostentatious, and completely unnecessary vehicle, but anything that could put a smile like that on Edward's face had my approval. And it was a really cool car. Even I could see that. It was also a very welcome distraction from our little reminder of the Volturi's interest in our family. Everyone seemed to be in a better mood today.

Rosalie and Emmett drove the car next, then Alice and Jasper, then I rode with Edward again when he took it out a second time.

The rest of the weekend was pleasant, mostly spent with us all just talking and catching up with one another. Although I knew the Volturi threat was in the back of everyone's minds, no one spoke of it, and I was glad. I had decided to try to focus on the positive until we receive a more definite threat.

We told the rest of the family about our last day in La Push, and how Charlie had finally asked us for the truth about what we were. Carlisle commented that he was surprised it took him ten years, considering his marriage to Sue and the amount of time he spent with our family. He agreed with Edward that his connection with the Quileutes should make his knowledge a non-issue. We explained exactly how much we had told Charlie, and what information we had withheld for the time being. Emmett had a good laugh when Edward told them how Charlie seemed to like him better knowing he was a vampire.

We also showed everyone the pictures we had brought back from Chicago. Alice had left a spot on the wall in Edward's study for the large painting of him with his parents, and a spot on a shelf for his parents' wedding picture. If anyone asked, they were pictures of his ancestors.

We talked about the classes we had each signed up for at Dartmouth, and the schedule changes we had been informed of by mail - we had received letters from the university informing us that due to some last minute faculty changes, the time slots for certain classes had been moved around. One of my night classes, chemistry, had been moved to 5pm, and one of Jake and Nessie's business classes had also been moved to 5pm. I was worried when I first read that, since sunset would be after 5pm for the first couple months of school, and there were a lot more sunny days here than in Forks. However, when I voiced my concern, Edward grinned sheepishly and told me I'd be fine since the class was in the science building - he and Carlisle had anonymously funded a covered parking structure for that building when they attended Dartmouth the first time, a few decades ago.

Carlisle and Edward spent an entire afternoon discussing Carlisle's oncology research, while Rosalie and Emmett worked on enhancing the Veyron, and Alice excitedly showed Renesmee and me the new school clothes she had ready for us in our closets. Most of the outfits were actually pretty cute, and I knew they would help us blend in with the other college students. Over the years Alice and I had reached a compromise, with me agreeing to dress up a little more, at least part of the time, and her learning to avoid certain styles and fabrics that I simply refused to wear. I was grateful for her efforts. Nessie was excited about her new clothes - she enjoyed fashion nearly as much as Alice - and was eager to try on everything, so she gave us a fashion show.

Eventually, the family all left, headed back in time for their first day of classes at Harvard. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett were starting their second year there, and it was Carlisle's third year in his position.

I decided I'd better pack my backpack to be ready for classes the next day, but of course when I found the backpack I discovered that Alice had already packed it for me, and had done the same for Edward, Renesmee, and Jacob. A "first day" outfit was laid out for each of us, as well.

Jake and Nessie went to bed early, wanting to be sure to get a good night's sleep before starting classes. Their first class was at 8am, so they would not be able to sleep in like they had been doing recently.

As soon as we were sure they were sound asleep, Edward chased me up the steps to our room and playfully tackled me as I let myself fall onto our new bed. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer, worries about the Volturi temporarily forgotten.

A/N: Edward's new car is a fictitious 2017 third-generation version of the Bugatti Veyron Fbg - you can find a picture of the current model at wikipedia. I'm envisioning it looking about the same but being more expensive and faster due to the improvements in technology that should occur in the next 7 years.