Disclaimer: Don't own it.
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Caution: This chapter may be a tad more mature than the rest, but not overtly so – I mean, we do have newly-weds here. Just a little warning, no lemon – but still. (But hey, if you want a lemon, review and let me know, and I'll oblige wink).
Bella's point of view.
Chapter Fourteen: Far and Away
Last time:
Candles were glowing and I could smell freesia. Edward laid me down and together we shared our love for the first true time. Every touch, every sigh, every breath, and every word whispered was ours to share and I knew no one would take that away. I love him and he loves me passionately in return.
I couldn't tell you how long it had been since the actual wedding. Time had lost all meaning; the sun doesn't rise or set, the sky merely changes colors to my liking. The stars come out when I will them to and the trees bend in the wind when I bade them.
Making love was a kaleidoscope. A linear action punctuated and accented by sighs and smiles, touches and rustles, movement and power. The very environment flung itself unto our love, flowing with us down the river to a destination which we knew not of.
My soul sang only one name:
Edward.
He lay on his back beside me. My legs and arms are entwined with his, my head buried in his neck, trying my very best to submerse myself in his scent and be forgotten, to be allowed to stay there undetected, forever.
Edward stirred and turned into me, trailing kisses from my shoulder to my jaw and back. I could feel my abdomen tighten in reaction to him. He has such a hold on me.
I'm not complaining.
He took hold of my leg and hitched my knee around his waist. He held me so close, so close to him. I smiled. This was heaven on earth.
"What could you possibly find so funny?" Edward whispered huskily into my ear.
"My complete reliance on you", I replied. His kisses slowed and I gave my reasoning, "reliance on you to make me feel this alive. It's like a drug."
Those beautiful kisses sped up, "I tried to tell you: you're my brand of heroin."
"The addiction goes both ways, my love", I replied, sighing.
He laughed softly, teasing me with his hands skimming my thighs, "well I can only hope you completely relapse on me during our honeymoon".
My eyebrows went up, "our honeymoon has already begun and I have yet to quit you before a relapse".
"Then I better make you beg for it later", he said pulling away abruptly.
I threw my arms around his neck, "no you don't! You're staying here until our entire family has to yank me off".
He laughed at this, "I can only imagine your face if our family came into this room right now".
I looked around and could only agree. Our wedding clothes were still draped across chairs, every candle had long burned out, flowers from my bouquet were thrown about the floor and on our bed which was lacking most of the bedding and pillows, not to mention the two of us: shamelessly au-natural, well it was my favorite look for my husband so far, I smiled goofily at the thought.
He took one look at my face, "see? There is no way you'd keep your composure in front of them".
I looked him in the eye, "Watch me."
He smiled, "oh really?"
"Hey, I've gotten better at masking things the way you all do".
"I am impressed", he said, "You once put up many walls and would turn red at the mere mention of sexuality".
I leaned into him, "'with love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out, and what love can do, the dares love attempt. Therefore they kinsman are no stop to me!'".
He smirked, "'if they do see thee, they will murder thee'".
I smiled, happy he didn't change the words, "'I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes, and but thou love me", I raised my voice, laughing, "LET THEM FIND ME HERE, my life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued", I straddled my husband lowering my lips to his, "wanting of thy love".
He purred deep in his chest and crashed his lips to mine. I smoothed my fingers up his heaving chest, grazed his neck, and knotted my fingers in his hair and gently bit down on his lower lip. I was turned around swiftly and found myself sitting up against the headboard of our bed with Edward sitting underneath me, our legs behind each other's backs. Moving ever so fluidly, leaving me stunned to pleasure; he was planting searing kisses on my neck and shoulders while plunging effortlessly. I think I may be the first vampire to pass out.
I whispered breathlessly into his hair, "'dost thou love me?'"
He spoke, panting, "'Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow'".
I gripped his shoulders and kissed him fiercely, "'O, swear not by the moon'".
His back muscles tensing, his breathing becoming labored, "'Then what shall I swear by?'"
I felt my stomach tighten, I bit my lip and Edward softly growled, "'swear by thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry, and I'll believe thee'".
He held my face and I felt myself fall into him, waves of ecstasy nearly drowning us both, "'If my heart's dear love – '". His breathing hitched and we both fell under the wave as one, with Edward kissing me deeply.
We held each other close, feeling every slight movement and breath of the other.
His voice floated to me, clearing my mind, "'O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?"
My eyes shot open to find his, filled with humor, staring at me, "'what satisfaction canst thou have tonight?"
He pulled me closer and placed a kiss right next to my lips, "'Th' exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine'".
I smiled, "I love you Edward Cullen."
"I love you Isabella Cullen".
I smirked at him, "Shakespeare would be proud".
He tucked my hair behind my ear, "probably the most passionate reading I've ever heard", he glanced at the door, "Alice is approaching".
I raised an eyebrow, "She's a brave one."
I heard the door squeak open an inch and a slender pale arm snaked through the opening. I looked to Edward for an answer, but he smiled and nodded for me to keep watching. The arm then launched a paper plane gracefully in our direction, it landed softly at the foot of the bed.
"Thank you, Alice", Edward whispered beside me.
There was a small squeak and then the door shut. I reached for the paper plane.
I opened it up, in an elegant handwriting and in red ink the note read:
Esme & Carlisle Cullen, escorted by Rosalie & Emmett Cullen and Alice & Jasper Hale request the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Isabella Cullen to accompany them this week in the glorious city of Manhattan, New York for their honeymoon. Please be ready to depart for the Alaskan Airport in thirty minutes time. Your bags have already been packed.
I knew I was smiling a ridiculous smile and I couldn't care less. An entire week in Manhattan with my new husband and my family. I could look past the endless shopping that was sure to happen for time in the city with my Edward! I looked over to him, he was biting his lip and he looked nervous.
"Are you excited?"
"Are you kidding?" I asked him, "I get to be in the city with you. I am in heaven. I am so lucky, and I am so happy".
He looked at me seriously, "Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Happy".
Is he really saying this? "Of course I am. I am Isabella Cullen, I have a wonderful, loving family who would protect me, no matter what", he knew what I was saying, "And yes, I am happy".
He smiled, "No worries about protection. Laurent means no harm – I've told you, Alice has seen nothing and he thinks nothing significant", I inwardly cringed at Laurent's name, "nothing is going to spoil our honeymoon and your first time in the city".
I took a deep breath, "I know but I can't help but wonder".
He shook his head, "I am not going to let you worry. Between me, Alice and Jasper, we would know if something is coming. We will be ok, love".
I smiled at him, "I trust you. I'm excited to get to New York. Shall we get ready?"
He smiled his crooked smile, "do we really have to dress now?"
I laughed, "Unless you want Alice up here putting your pants on for you".
"No, you can do that though".
"Oh brother, come on darling – let's freshen up".
After getting ready and getting yelled at by Alice from downstairs, we finally made it in one piece into a limo Alice had get us and to the airport.
I was slightly nervous. This was my first time around humans since my change.
Jasper was coaching me softly the entire way to the airport.
"I'll keep you calm, just breathe as little as possible and hold onto Edward's hand".
Edward squeezed me around my waist and smiled at me.
Carlisle spoke up, "Bella, let me know if anything changes with your sight and colors when around humans."
Esme laughed beside him, "Dear, we are on a vacation and honeymoon, and you still can't let go?"
He smiled, "I am curious by nature, sweetheart". He had a mischievous smile, and he laughed kissing Esme's hand, I turned away smiling.
Rose spoke to me, "Oh, you'll be fine, Bella. With all the shopping Alice and I are going to make you do, you'll want to kill us not humans by the time we're done".
Emmett and Jasper snickered while Alice stuck her tongue out and pouted.
"Seriously, I am just so happy to be going with everyone I could care less how much shopping we do", I said.
Rose lifted her eyebrows, "famous last words".
We all piled out of the limo and made our way to our check in. When we were making our way to our terminal, I noticed something different.
"Carlisle? I'm seeing shadows." I said softly.
He was beside me immediately, "what do you mean?"
"Their colors – the humans. They are the same shape as yours and have movements to them, but they are all shadows – they have no color."
He pondered this for a second, "I wonder why".
I looked to him, "I think because they have beating hearts. Your colors move and beat like hearts would, but because they aren't used like hearts should be used, they emit colors – maybe it's the venom, maybe it's something more".
He looked impressed, "nice hypothesis".
I laughed, "I try".
We were all walking to our terminal when I saw something: a color. I stopped breathing and gripped Edward's hand harder.
Laurent? Victoria?
Jasper was by my side holding my other hand in a second, "Bella? Why are you scared?"
"I see a color. Another vampire."
Edward tensed beside me. I could tell he was straining to focus on their mind, trying to see who it could be.
Jasper kept hold of my hand, "I'm going to send you calming waves, ok? I need to take them. If it's anyone we don't want to see, Emmett, Edward, and Carlisle will take care of it". Edward nodded to Jasper, squeezed my hand and walked in the crowd with Emmett and Carlisle, towards the bit of color I could see.
I couldn't make out the face. I still wasn't breathing. I could feel Jasper's calm, but I didn't want to take it – it was like admitting defeat – something was wrong.
"Bella", Jasper was getting frustrated.
I relented and let him calm me. We made it to our terminal, but had about an hour to wait. Rose and Esme led us to seats and we sat down, everyone surrounded me.
Alice leaned down to me, "Bella, nothing is going to happen. It's alright".
I had begun to breathe again when Edward's voice came to me.
"It was just another Vampire. No one we know, he is a nomad, travels alone. He is going to Minnesota. He won't be on our flight, love".
Alice spoke, "Does he hunt humans?"
Carlisle said, "Edward said he didn't from his mind. You could tell from his scent he is a vegetarian."
"See little sis? No prob! Us older vamps gots it all under cover!" Emmett said.
I smiled to them, "thanks for checking it out".
Edward pulled me to him, taking in my scent and kissing my neck,
"You see my love? No problems. We are here for you".
We finally got our first class seats called to board our plane. By the end of the day, I would be in New York with my family. Nothing could shake my giddiness for what we would experience together.
I knew in my heart though that my time here would test me. In what way, I had yet to find out.
I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think. Just a few more chapters and we're done. I am thinking and mapping out a new story (not a sequel). I am excited about it though. Just so ya know for the future. Thanks for reading guys!