Twilight is property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm just dabbling a bit. This chapter was written for a Round Robin collaboration by mostly a lurker.

Special shout out to sleepyvalentina for passing her eyeballs over this bad boy and Southwest Airlines' tag line "Wanna Getaway?" for inspiring this chapter.

On with the show. . . .

This is a fucking train wreck.

My life was a train wreck happening in super-fast and super-slow motion. At the instant I thought I was getting away from the crazy and starting over with a clean slate, Tanya's hand reached out like a claw and pulled me back into her vortex of insanity, and this time, everyone was pulled in with me.

I never meant for my poor choices to affect my friends, my family, my girl.

But the truth of the matter was I'd made them and they were affecting us all. I sighed and raked my hand through my hair for the umpteenth time that morning. The constant presence of my guard detail, my ever-present worry about Bella and desire to protect her and keep her safe, the demands of my job, and Emmett's absurd Operation Exposé were all closing in on me and I had to get out, even if it was just for a little while.

Without explanation, I walked out of my office and into a rare sunny summer morning. The beauty of the day did nothing to improve my mood, actually, it only served to increase my sense of being trapped and unable to escape.

Fucking hopeless, helpless, imbecile! Think! There has to be a way out of this mess!

I wanted a smoke, bad. It'd been years and years since I'd last sparked up, had walked away cold turkey and never looked back. Things must be much worse than I realized if that desire crossed my mind.

Looking up suddenly, my attention was caught by a large poster in the window of a storefront across the street.

Life getting you down? Need to escape? Try one of our weekend getaway packages today!

I didn't even hesitate. I ran across the street through a break in traffic and whipped the door open. Hiding my desperation was not an option, it rolled off me in waves. The cute blonde behind the desk looked up from her computer and greeted me.

"I'm Melody. Can I help you sir?"

"I sure hope so. I saw your sign in the window?" I gestured over my shoulder.

"Sure! Looking for anything in particular?"

"Escape." The word burst from my mouth before I even thought about it.

"Okay. What kind of escape?"

"Um, what do you have?"

"We have several type of weekend packages available. Would you like to sit down?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." I wanted to be embarrassed by my awkward behavior, but I was honestly too desperate to care. This woman offered hope and I found I was willing to pay anything, go anywhere, do anything just to get away. I sat in one of the plastic chairs in front of her desk as she pulled a binder from one of her desk drawers and opened it.

"When were you looking to go?"

"Immediately."

"This weekend?"

"Yes, please. Whatever you have available."

"Is this for yourself?"

"Yes. No. Um, I mean. . . For me and my girlfriend."

She couldn't hide her disappointment at the word girlfriend, but quickly recovered. "A special occasion?"

"No, not really."

"Well, we have a nature adventure weekend, a spa weekend, a golf weekend, a wine and food weekend, and a farm/fishing weekend available starting Friday night."

I hummed in response while my brain whirred.

What would Bella like? What kind of girl was she? It was then that I realized I didn't know her very well at all. Golf? She doesn't strike me as the golfing type and who in the hell wanted to farm/fish for the weekend? Not me. . . .

"Tell me about the nature adventure, spa, and wine and food weekends."

"Well, the nature adventure is up in the mountains. You hike in to your fully stocked remote cabin. Meals are freshly prepared over a campfire or hearth. There are nature trails, swinging bridges, an afternoon of zip lining through the trees, rock climbing and/or repelling, birdwatching, and sometimes there is wildlife to view. There is no electricity, phone service – cell or landline – but there is running water with a toilet and tub inside the cabin, and a shower outside. No hot tub. It's modern rustic and romantic. Meals, zip line and rock climbing are all provided by our professionals and you are able to pick and choose your activities and activity level."

That sounds fucking awesome, I'd love that. But would Bella?

Melody checked something on her computer before speaking. "We have two spa packages available this weekend, actually. One is at the Sweet Valley Inn and Spa and the other is at The Birches." She handed me a couple of brochures as she continued speaking. "The Sweet Valley Inn is very homey and rustic, with home-style meals served in their dining room. They only have ten to twelve guests at a time and their services are somewhat limited. Electricity and running water, but no cell service. A landline is available in the main office for telephone calls, but only during regular business hours. It is located in a remote and beautiful valley accessible only by float plane.

"The Birches is an upscale facility with a full menu of spa treatments individually tailored for men and women – body wraps, wet rooms, massage, facials, saunas, steam rooms, and whirlpools. Some treatments are available in room. They are located a short drive away at a nearby natural hot spring. They have a full restaurant, a twenty-four hour cafe, as well room service. I must warn you, much of the facility is clothing optional with both gender separated and co-ed facilities – clothing is required in all public spaces, just not within the baths and spa facilities themselves."

I had nothing to say to that, so she moved on.

"We only have one food and wine weekend left for this weekend, I'm sorry. If you're willing to wait until next. . . ."

I cut her off. "No, must be this weekend. Can't wait."

"All right then, the package available is the Honeymoon Suite at the Wiltshire Winery. You are greeted with wine, cheese, and fruit in your room. The suite is upstairs in the main house and has a lovely view of the winery. Large, two person jacuzzi is in room along with a working fireplace. All meals are served in room. Package includes wine tasting on Saturday and Sunday, side-by-side couples' massages in room, facials for you both, and one spa treatment of your choice each. This is our most romantic getaway.

Do any of these sound like something you're interested in?"

"The first sounds incredible, I'd love that, but I'm not so sure about my girlfriend. The Sweet Valley place sounds nice but is maybe a little small, the third sounds pretty fancy, and I know we'd like the wine and food one but we haven't been dating all that long, so maybe it's over the top? I'll be honest, I don't really have a clue about these things. What would you recommend?"

"Well, the adventure weekend is really best for people who like that. If your girlfriend isn't the rustic camping out type, I would set that aside for now. The Wiltshire package is very romantic. Essentially designed for spending the weekend in your room, so. . . ." She swallowed before speaking again. "Sweet Valley is just that – it's very sweet and cozy. It's honestly best booked as a group of four to six couples. With all that being said, I think The Birches might be your best option. It's a large facility with an al a carte menu of food and activities to choose from. There's even a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, and gym facility on the grounds if you want to add more activity and less spa to your weekend."

"Sounds great. Book it." I handed her my card.

Whoever is guarding us is gonna have quite a weekend. . . .

= PHC =

As we pulled up to the valet, I thought back over the last few days. Bella was completely thrilled with the idea of a weekend getaway and had spent several evenings pouring over the activities and spa services menu debating her options before making her final choices. I let her choose mine, too, while she was at it – I mean, I'm a guy, what did I know about it? I told her a two-hour massage was mandatory, but beyond that I was open to anything she picked. So I didn't have any idea what was coming and I couldn't have cared less. All that mattered was I was out of town, unreachable, had Bella all to myself, and was guaranteed a badly needed massage. Anything else was gravy.

"Ready, babe?" I asked her as the valets opened our doors.

"Beyond ready." She smiled broadly at me before exiting the car.

"Welcome to The Birches. You must be Edward and Isabella. I'm Maggie. We've been expecting you." A very tan, fit, stunning redhead greeted us before we even reached the door.

"Bella. It's just Bella."

"All right then, Bella. If you will follow me. . . ." Maggie turned and breezed through the doors into the sumptuous lobby. "Maxwell will take your bags up to your suite while I give you a brief tour. Edward, Mathias will be meeting you in the gym on the half hour, while Bella, Katie will meet you poolside at the same time. Starting with a vigorous activity is an excellent idea and a great way to transition into your weekend of pampering and relaxation."

Bella ducked her head blushing a bit. "Thanks, but it was Sherri's idea. There were so many things to choose from, I called here to get some advice."

"Ah. Sherrie's our best concierge. She's been here since we opened and she really knows our services better than anyone else on staff. Now, as I'm sure you've guessed, this is the main lobby. Through that door there is the salon, this is our gift shop, the cafe is next door, and over there is the restaurant. All these areas clothing is required."

Maggie turned and headed for an impressive set of double doors. "Through these doors is the heart of our property, the spa. Once we cross this threshold, clothing becomes optional." She swung the right door open and stepped through, holding the door for us. "The hallway to the left leads to the men's locker room and spa, the hallway to the right leads to the women's, and the middle doorway leads to the co-ed facilities. There are no locker rooms or showers in the mixed gender area of the spa, only baths, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms and the like. In all three areas there are spaces for silence and spaces for talking. Please respect the signs and our other guests. Although clothing is optional, please refrain from sexual play in the public spaces. You will be asked to return to your room if you violate this rule.

"Everything is provided for you here. You'll find a robe and slippers in your locker. Shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, facial cleansers, razors, hairdryers, lotions, moisturizers, and the like are all stocked in the showers and grooming areas. Do you have any questions?"

A little intimidated, I shook my head as Bella shook hers.

"Excellent. I'll show you to your suite now, and you should have just enough time to change for your first appointments." Maggie lead us out of the spa foyer, through the lobby, and to the elevators. As she pressed the up button, Maggie spoke again. "There are a separate set of elevators so that you may reach the spa from your suite in comfort without having to go through the main lobby."

The elevator arrived at that moment, and soon Maggie ushered us into a luxurious suite. "Edward, Bella? Here are your locker keys for the weekend, and here is your room key. Be sure to carry your room key with you at all times as it is needed to access the elevator to and from the spa facility as well as the exit doors to activities in other buildings. Your individual schedules as well as a map and phone directory are there for you on the desk. I hope you'll enjoy your stay at The Birches. Please don't hesitate to call on myself, Sherrie, or Liam for any need or question you may have."

"Thank you, Maggie," Bella said quietly.

"Yes, thanks." I smiled and shook her hand.

"My pleasure."

And then we were alone. Really alone. Together. In a fancy suite. At a luxury spa. I turned to where Bella had been standing next to me, but she wasn't there. Blinking slowly a couple of times, I looked up to find her drifting slowly around the room looking at everything while touching nothing.

"Bella? You all right?"

"Is this real? Am I. . . are we actually here?"

"Um, yeah. We are. Is it. . . I mean. . . are you. . . okay?"

She turned to me with the most radiant grin I'd ever seen cross her face. "Yes. I'm fine. This is incredible. Wow."

I couldn't help my answering grin. I didn't know if it was the surroundings, the way the filtered light fell softly across her face and hair, the tension we'd been under, or what, but I was momentarily stunned by her beauty. I felt a strange twist in the pit of my stomach and an unfamiliar warmth spread through my chest.

Mine. This gorgeous creature is mine for now. She's here with me in this moment. How did that happen? Now? This moment? But no, that's not enough. . . .

I sagged suddenly, putting my arm upon the wall to hold myself up under the weight of the realization.

. . . I want her forever. I want to be hers, and her to be mine. . . always.

"Edward? Edward! Are you all right? Here, come sit down on the sofa."

I waved her off. "No, no, I'm fine. I just. . . it all. . . ." I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts. "I'm good. Sorry, everything just sorta hit me all at once there. I'm fine now. We'd better change and head down. Don't want to be late right out of the gate."

"Yeah, sure. If you're okay. . . ."

"Yeah, I'm fine. No worries. It was just a little more than I was expecting, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah I do. This is way more than I dreamed, even though I looked over the brochure and everything. You're right, we'd better get going."

We found our bags on racks against the wall in the bedroom and quickly changed. I found myself actually looking forward to a good workout with the trainer. I needed to rid myself of some of this tension and nervous energy or I would never relax.

"Bella? Ready to go babe?" I asked through the closed bathroom door.

"Yup, be right out!"

I looked at the map to know where I needed to go and Bella joined me to check her way, too. We made short work of the hallway to the elevators and down to the ground floor.

"Have a good swim, sweetheart." I kissed her on the head.

"You have a great workout, but not too strenuous. I have plans to work you out myself later." She gave me a devilish grin, pecked me on my lips and dashed off before I could grab her and make us any later than we already were.

= PHC =

The rest of the day passed in a slow, languorous, sensual fashion. Our strenuous workouts were followed by two hour deep tissue massages (augmented with hot rocks) in our suite. I can't speak for Bella, but I was a limp noodle after that. We opted for a light supper en suite, and though I tried my hardest to stay awake, I crashed before Bella even finished eating.

When I awoke, it was hours later and I was in bed wrapped around Bella's warm, soft body. I had no idea how I'd gotten there, but I found I really didn't care. Burying my nose in her hair and breathing deeply, I hummed my pleasure and stretched my stiff, slowly waking body. A tiny corner of my brain felt bad about what I was going to do, but it was loudly shouted down by my little brain as I snuggled up closer behind Bella and slipped my hand around her body to cup her breast. I was hungry, starving even, but not for food, for the delicious creature sleeping in my arms.

I started nuzzling her neck, sucking gently against the tender flesh as I played with her nipple. Feeling her body stir slightly, I began rubbing myself against her ass. She sighed softly, and her hand moved back to grasp my thigh, though her eyes didn't open. I shifted my hips slightly so my cock slipped between her legs as her back arched slightly. As I continued my slow, gentle thrusting, I slipped between her lips to find her wet and ready for me, while still being mostly or completely asleep. When my tip found her entrance of its own accord, a very soft moan sounded deep in her throat. Taking that as permission, I gradually filled her heat with my throbbing warmth. We both sighed when I was finally fully sheathed, but it was only when I started moving rhythmically within her did she fully awaken.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it feel like I'm doing?" I thrust deeper to emphasize my words.

"Oh! Ungh. . . . You couldn't, ah. . . wait for me?"

"No, not. . . really. I was too. . . hungry for. . . ohhh. . . you."

She hummed in response and pulled my head to hers and kissed me deeply.

"Want. . . me. . .to stop?" I asked when I broke her kiss.

"Not on. . . your. . .oh, ah. . . fuck me!"

"I am. . . ah. . . Bella. . . ."

I bit down lightly on her shoulder as she pulled on my hip urging me to go faster, deeper. Whispers, moans, sighs, and groans were the only accompaniment to the sounds of skin sliding against skin.

I could go all night like this. Oh, oops, no, I can't. . . .

My body caught me off guard and I came long and hard, breathing her name like a prayer.

Did she? I can't. . . I don't know. . . .

"Baby, I'm sorry. . . I was, um. . . not expecting that. Did you. . . ."

"Shhhh, Edward. . . . God, that was intense. I've never felt it like that before." She was still panting. "No, I, um, didn't, but um. . . don't need to. I think I, um. . . I picked up on yours or something. I. . . I don't know. . . but I promise, I'm, uh, good."

I rolled her over and studied her face. She looked better than good, she looked how I felt, radiant. Blissed out. I smiled a goofy wide grin at her before claiming her mouth with my own. Breaking the kiss, I pulled her close to my side and felt her head snuggle into my chest. I pressed my lips to her head and whispered, "I love you, Bella."

She only sighed in response and I realized she was sound asleep.

The next morning, we went down for an early breakfast. I was having a hard time keeping my hands off of her, so she insisted we go to the restaurant so she could eat in relative peace. As we were sitting looking over the menu, an unexpected voice broke through my mental fog.

"You kids have a nice night?"

Our heads snapped up at the same instant. I didn't recognize him but Bella sure did.

"Charlie?"