The Ride

Flying to California was the easy part. They left Edward's Volvo in the Seattle airport parking lot. When Edward and Bella got to San Diego, she called Charlie to let him know they arrived safely. There were some tears after this call, of course, so Edward got them a hotel for the night, to give Bella time to grieve. They spent the next day relaxing in bed, sharing slow, quiet caresses as a way to calm her heart. That evening, they chartered a yacht, and headed out to deep sea.

Edward's vampire vision and hearing allowed him to easily locate Jasper and Emmett's boat. When they were within a few miles of them, Edward and Bella got out of the yacht for a swim. While Bella treaded water, Edward swam under the vessel, kicking several holes in the bottom and sides, causing it to sink. Since Edward didn't need to breathe, he stayed underwater, a good distance away. Bella stayed above water, acting out their "accident", calling Edward's name, and swimming frantically around.

They did this, in case there were any hidden cameras installed on deck, capturing the event. When they were sure the yacht had sunk completely, Bella climbed on Edward's back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Edward then swam them to Jasper and Emmett's boat.

When they got to the Washington coast, Rose and Alice were waiting for them. Rose moved over to the passenger side of the Jeep, so Emmett could drive, with Jasper and Alice in the back. Alice had driven a rental car, leaving it free for Bella and Edward. In the rental car's glove compartment, Bella found very authentic IDs, if they encountered any authorities on their trip. Their assumed names would be Anthony and Marie Masen. The day before, Carlisle, Esme, and Plessario had taken Carlisle's Mercedes, with the blood in tow.

"I feel like a spy, or something," admitted Bella, with a giggle. Edward smiled, reaching over to caress her back and neck. They listened to the radio while they traveled, to lighten the mood. Soon, Edward was singing along with some of the oldies, and Bella turned to watch his performance. "Honey, I just love to hear you sing!" she gushed. Edward smiled self-deprecatingly, then charmed her with a sexy wink. "Keep doing that, and I might be tempted to distract you from your driving," she teased. Edward kept his left hand on the steering wheel, then turned toward her to wink even more suggestively.

A few minutes later, Alice was knocking on the window of their parked car, "Hey guys. We're supposed to be DRIVING, not having SEX!"

Driving to Chicago didn't take long, because the vampires all drove at ridiculous speeds. Bella was getting used to it, though, so it didn't really bother her. But, during one part of the drive, she had a completely different concern. She knew that their staged accident would probably be enough to convince her dad of their demise, but his police background and contacts might cause him to look deeper. She had heard that there are cameras at certain highway checkpoints, and worried that maybe her dad would see a photo of her and Edward in their rental car.

Edward said, "This isn't the first time we've had to make a run, Bella. You're in safe hands. The Cullen family knows how to treat car windows, making it impossible for those cameras to capture our image. Alice already took care of it when she got this rental." Bella breathed a sigh of relief, "Whew!"

The only other problem they had to deal with was Bella's human needs. They had a cooler of food in the car for her to eat, so that was easy to deal with. Her bathroom visits were the biggest issue. They couldn't stop in well-lit areas, because security cameras might catch her image. So, she had to rough it in the woods, by deserted country roads, wearing sunglasses and a hoodie as she walked from the car. Not fun at all.

When they arrived in Chicago, they drove to the building where Carlisle and Plessario would be waiting for them. It was too bright outside for Bella and Edward to leave their car, so they stayed inside until the sun began to set. When nighttime came, Carlisle came out of the building, surreptitiously directing them to drive into a narrow alley in the back lot. Emmett had already checked for cameras, and found none in that area. So, they were safe to walk into the building. By this time, Edward and Bella were very glad to get out of that car.

Once in the building, Bella was pleased to see that Esme had a nice warm dinner waiting for her. That cold food in the cooler was getting old. She gladly sat down for her meal, while Edward walked around, stretching his legs and doing some calisthenics. Driving from Washington to Illinois had made him feel confined. Bella admired the way his muscles flexed, "Baby, you look mighty fine over there!" Edward grinned, then responded with a gallant bow, "Thank you, my lady."

Esme came in the room, and Bella thanked her warmly for the dinner. "Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed it, dear. Now, would you and Edward like to take a shower?" she asked.

"Yes, please!" they answered in unison, laughing. They were in an older part of the hospital, which was no longer in use, but Rosalie had figured out how to get an old hot water heater working again, and had turned on the water as well. "Thank God for Rosalie," Bella cried. Alice had brought some towels and a change of clothes for them both, as well as some shampoo and soap. Edward scooped Bella up from her seat at the table, then ran down the hall to the shower.

"Let me lather you up, baby," Edward said, as they stripped and got into the steamy stall together. Bella was more than happy to allow it. The hot water felt wonderful, as it flowed through her hair and over her body. She leaned back, enjoying the feeling, as Edward massaged shampoo into her hair. He held her in his arms, pulling her close, as the water flowed over them. After rinsing her hair, he grabbed a washcloth, soaped it up thoroughly, then washed her face, ears, neck and back. The texture of the cloth felt so good on her skin. She turned her face to the water for a good rinse.

Next, he scrubbed her shoulders and arms, then wickedly used his fingers to scrub her underarms, tickling her mercilessly. She screamed with laughter, "Stop it, Edward!" He laughed with delight, then slid his hands over her breasts, taking his time to thoroughly clean this part of her body. They weren't laughing anymore. Captured in the heat of the moment, they kissed and held each other close, their bodies sliding deliciously together.

"I'll never get clean like this," she moaned. "I'm not complaining," Edward responded, dazzling her with his dreamy eyes. Their gazes locked, while their lips and tongues danced together, rivulets of warm water running down their bodies. Bella sighed with the pleasure of her husband's hands on her body, then suddenly demanded, "Give me that washcloth". She scrubbed her belly, legs, and feet, then washed between her legs, finally reaching back to lather up her backside. "Hmmm...let me do that part," Edward pleaded, using only his hands. His long fingers reached around her, massaging her bottom, pulling her belly against his shaft.

"Oh baby, that feels so good," Bella moaned. "Don't I know it?" Edward agreed. "Your turn for lathering", she cried, reaching for the shampoo. "You need to crouch down, so I can reach your head." He bent his knees, until his face was level with her chest, then captured one of her breasts in his mouth. "Ah..I..might not..be able to...hold onto this...shampoo," she groaned, as the bottle fell out of her hands. "Oh..." She grasped his head, holding him captive to her breast, as he continued sucking, twirling his tongue in slow circles around her nipple. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close, then stood up to his full height, bringing her with him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, as he put her against the wall.

Their bodies joined completely as he thrust deep inside her. He held her up with his left arm, using his right hand to grasp her thigh, as he plunged in and out, bringing them both to an intense climax. "Oh...baby..." Edward moaned, holding her firm against the wall.

"Wow...Honey, I think this might have to go in the record books as my favorite ****," she breathed.

"Bella Cullen! I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap!" laughed Edward, "But, I have to admit that I kinda like the way that sounded, coming from my sweet little wife's lips." He leaned in to kiss her with heightened passion.

The water was starting to lose some of its heat, so he allowed her to slide back down the wall. He quickly lathered his hair, then scrubbed his body, and they both rinsed off before the water turned completely cold.