THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT, AS ALWAYS. I LOVE YOU ALL. NOW, STORY!

BPOV

Dear Daddy

Charlie

Dear Dad

"What are you doing?" Edward's soft voice came from just behind me, moment's before his cool hand pulled my hair away from my neck. He pressed his lips below my ear as his hand stroked my back.

"Writing a letter to Charlie." I breathed, leaning into his touch. "I don't think I should go back to Forks before the change, and I have to explain to him why I…" I took a shuttering breath, and Edward squeezed me tightly. "why I can't see him for a while."

I turned my head to meet his kisses. He pressed his thumbs to my temples and rubbed gently, and I sighed against him.

"That might be for the best." Edward replied slowly rubbing his nose gently against mine. He pressed a kiss to my lower lip, and I smiled. "It's a good idea to write him a letter though, so he doesn't go crazy with worry."

"He'll still worry, of course." I sighed. Edward kissed my neck again comfortingly.

"Would you like me to let you get back to it?" He whispered.

"It can wait." I sighed, leaning back into his long limbs. "It's not like we're leaving tomorrow." Edward smiled against my skin, holding me closer until I was practically sitting in his lap, and not the desk chair. He chuckled as I went limp against him, and he lowered us both to the floor.

He placed me on the hardwood, and hovered over me. "Hi." He whispered.

"Hey yourself." I said, looking into eyes. I frowned, noticing they were much darker than usual. When did that happen? Have I been so oblivious? How many weeks have we been here? "You need to hunt." I stroked my thumbs along his cheeks, and he buried his head into my neck.

"I was going to go tonight while you slept. Is that alright? Will you feel safe?"

I shrugged, twining my hand in his hair. "No one's bothered us in a while, have they? And Alice would see if the Volturi are going to visit, right?"

Edward nodded, stroking my hair. "Smart girl. And I won't go far."

"I trust you." I breathed, pulling his mouth to mine. A week had passed since Edward had attacked me against the wall and I'd experienced the most mind-blowing double orgasm of my life. I had spent the evening trembling in the hot tub, as Edward caressed my neck and told me some of his favorite memories of our time together, reminding me of tiny details my wimpy human brain had forgotten. I felt that I had never laughed or cried so hard in my life than I did that day. Since that evening, Edward had been taking photos of me almost constantly, as well as filming moments of us together. He delighted in the darkening of my skin to the consistent sunlight, and seemed determined that I have no tanlines. When I asked him about this, he just winked, and I realized it wasn't about me being human at all, he just wanted to see me stretched out naked on the sand. I was fine with that, as long as he played fair. We hadn't done much laundry since being here.

In fact, today was the first time I'd been fully clothed in maybe… three days. Edward had mentioned the maid was coming, and I had decided it was necessary to dress, much to his dismay. Mind you, fully dressed was a loose term. I was wearing a tiny shirt-dress that came barely below my behind and a pair of boyshorts, as well as a see through lace bra. It seemed Alice had packed nothing practical in my suitcase.

Not that I was complaining.

Edward's hand lifted my shirt to trace the lace covering my upper, upper thigh. His fingers wiggled under the hem, and I grinned. "Mmm, Edward… is the maid even halfway done?"

"Do I care?"

I chuckled, half-heartedly moving away from his hand as he licked my throat. I laid flat on the floor and let him explore me, breathing deeply. His hair tickled my arm as he worked his way down to my chest. He kept it PG-13, thankfully, because I could hear the maid knocking around in the next room. My heart fluttered at the thought of her catching us like this.

"You like this risk, don't you beautiful?" Edward breathed exhaling down my cleavage.

"With you, everything is a risk, isn't it?" Edward laughed and drew back, nodding with a fake contemplative look on his face. I reached up and pressed my palm over his face, and while I couldn't squish his face, he definitely got the point. I withdrew my hand and scowled at him.

He pressed another kiss to my neck as I sighed happily. "Edward, where will you bite?" I asked gently, and he drew back slowly. "My neck? Will I have a scar?"

He smiled gently, reassuringly. "I can bite you anywhere, or I could not bite at all." I frowned, and he explained obligingly. "Carlisle and I have been experimenting with collecting venom, and he thinks if I inject it in your heart, it will speed the process up, so you'll be in pain for a shorter amount of time. I may not need to bite you at all."

I tipped my chin, looking down without really seeing anything. It was so different than what I was expecting. I thought about the strange fantasy setup I had been running through my brain, Edward and I laying on the bed, his lips caressing my neck so gently before…

Well, I didn't like to think about the pain. So it usually ended about the time his teeth pierced my skin. I knew it was coming. I'd experience it when I did, not in my dreams.

Edward watched me closely. "Is that… okay?" He whispered, his strong hand touching my chin, asking me to raise it. He would never force me, or risk hurting me. He was always gentle, in asking to hold my hand or raising my chin, even though he didn't have to be that gentle.

I embarrassingly felt myself choke up, then cleared my throat to cover it. I don't know why I was reacting so strongly to this. It made sense, it would make the pain pass quicker, right? Why did I feel so… rejected? "It's fine. Just…"

"Anything, Bella. Please tell me what you're thinking." He implored, his gaze finding mine.

I nodded. "I want you to bite me first." I stated confidently. "Then you can inject me, lick me, do whatever you want. I just need… need you to claim me." I reached my hand into his hair. "I want your lips to be the last thing I feel."

Edward's eyes softened, taking in every little detail of my face. I could feel it. He swallowed compulsively, focusing on my throat. He gently ran one of his fingers down my jugular, making me shiver. He was silent for a long time, and I could tell he was listening to the beat of my heart. I tried to stay calm and not freak out that he wasn't answering me right away. "Okay." He said after a long pause. "I'll do it."

"Really?" I replied, rising up onto my elbows. Edward's face grew contemplative.

"It will be difficult for me. But…" He leaned in, his nose touching the hair behind my ear. "I want that too. I want to be the last thing you remember, experience in this life." He continued probing my ear and hair with his nose. "I want to mark you, to make you mine once and for all." He chuckled breathily. "I thought it would be selfish of me to ask, but you did it for me."

I smiled, leaning into his caresses. "You can drink from me. You can have as much as I can give, without taking me away from you of course. It will be my last human gift to you, okay?" I said, shifting onto one elbow and tracing my finger up and down his arm.

I wasn't going to lie. I was scared of the pain. But I knew Edward would worry. He would panic and hate himself while he sat beside me. By giving him my blood, he could at least know that I had gotten what I'd wanted, and given him something as a thank you. Maybe it didn't make a whole lot of sense. Maybe it also had to do with the fact that while my entire family's eyes would be gold, mine would be crimson, and I didn't want to be alone and scared of myself. Whatever it was, I knew these were the last things I ever wanted. The rest would be unknown… until I woke up. New.

Edward was holding his breath, observing my every move. Then slowly, he sighed, lowering his head to my chest. "Thank you, my love."

We stayed in this position for a few minutes, during which I concentrated on his sweet smell, and the feel of his icy skin against my own warm flesh, allowing his arms to collect me against his chest.

"The maid is leaving." Edward murmured, just as a door shut in the back of the house. He reluctantly raised his head and said a few words to the maid in quick Greek. I peeked over my shoulder to see her watching the two of us with warm eyes, but a nervous smile. She looked at me carefully, and I smiled at her, reassuring her as best I could. Her smile turned a little less nervous as she grabbed the bag of trash from in front of her and headed out the door. "You relaxed her." Edward said. "She was worried I had abducted you. But apparently love radiates off of you."

I grinned into his neck, pressing a flat kiss to his throat. Edward sighed happily, and his hand ventured down between my thighs again. "Mmm, wet already for me."

I rolled my hips against his hand, and he grinned against my teeth. "Edward, please."

"It's been a while since I tasted you, Bella. What, possibly… two whole days? I can't believe I've been so remiss."

I whimpered, and he lifted my shirt to my belly, pressing soft kisses to my overheated skin. Slowly his lips descended, and I felt like I was slowly lighting on fire, delicious intoxicating fire. His hand slid under my panties, one finger slipping easily inside of me as his other hand tugged the thin cotton down my legs.

"You smell divine." He purred, placing his mouth right above my center, licking at the sensitive skin that would normally be covered by hair. I whimpered again, rolling my hips against his chin. "I pray to god that this taste won't change a bit."

I moaned, my hands diving into my hair. "Edward, please…" I gasped, feeling more desperate by the minute.

Edward winked, his tongue sliding between my wet folds. A shock of pleasure hit my system so fast I hardly had control over my movements. I pushed upwards, forcing my center further into Edward's mouth. His hand came to steady my, undoubtably worrying that I would hurt myself on his sharp teeth. His tongue delved deep inside of me, the cool feeling making my insides tingle.

His hands gently spread my thighs wider so he could slide between them, pressing further into me. It seemed his tongue alone could reach forever. He used one hand to hold me steady, the fingers of which tapped out a rhythm against my clit. "Oh god. Shit. Oh my god. Baby. That's crazy." I gasped, alarmed at how close I was to coming, just from the feel of him hitting me like that.

"You like that?" Edward asked, pulling back just enough to ask. His hand increased in pressure.

I nodded furiously. "I never expected that… to feel so good."

Edward nodded, diving back into my folds. I cried out, thrusting my pelvis against him.
"I'm close." I panted, surprising even myself. Edward's tongue increased its pace and his hand stopped tapping, instead being replaced by his thumbs that rubbed quick circles against my clit. Two of his fingers delved deep inside of me, twisting to touch my G-spot, driving me insane. I growled – Me! Growling!—covering my face with my hands, arching up against him. Edward intensified everything, every movement to make me cry out as my entire system convulsed and I felt the electricity rip through my veins.

I struggled to catch my breath, but noticed that my body was still convulsing violently. The electricity was still tearing through me. Edward's hands supported my torso, his lithe body leaning over me and supporting me behind my shoulders. I stared at him nervously, trying to breathe normally.

"It's okay." Edward said, stroking my hair back with one hand. "It will stop in a minute." He rested his cheek against mine. "You're experiencing a full body orgasm. It's pretty rare. They usually only last about 30 seconds, but if it's a really good one, it will last longer."

I nodded, trying to relax in his arms. After another few seconds, my body seemed to listen and I fell still in his arms, only my eyes staying focused on him. He smiled, picking up my limp form and laying me on the couch. "Okay now?" I nodded, weakly extending my arm to gesture for him to join me. After a little maneuvering, he was on the couch, and I was resting on his chest. "Did you like it?" He whispered.

I sighed, taking note of my body. It still felt like it was humming. "It was intense. I wish I had known what it was beforehand, so I wouldn't have freaked out so easily."

Edward nodded, kissing my shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it would happen, if I had, I would have warned you."

"It's okay. It's not your fault you're so talented." I buried my head in his neck, letting the coolness seep into my skin. Edward pressed flat kisses to every part of me he could reach, which really left him only my hair and shoulder. "Thank you." I breathed, and when he stopped his actions, I leaned more into him. "For being so talented."

"You're welcome." Edward replied, touching his mouth to my throat. "Thank you for existing and fulfilling my every dream."

"Cheeseball." I replied, and he chuckled. Lifting me into his lap, he sat us both on the couch, his hands wandering all over my slight form. He lifted my shirt so that he could trace lines on my stomach.

"I can't help it." He commented nonchalantly. "I love this body." He said, pressing a kiss to my belly button. "I love this soul." He pressed a kiss to my sternum. "I love this mind." Then my forehead. I smiled, feeling warm and sticky. Even though it was edging on late afternoon, it was still quite hot, and I still didn't really like having the air conditioning on—I wanted to relish the feeling, while I still could.

"Can we go for a swim?" I murmured, reaching up to press my mouth to his neck.

"Of course." A little shifting and soon we were stripping on the beach, me shedding the few clothes I was wearing, admiring the beautiful sight of Edward's body in the evening sun. Edward's eyes watched my own body, and I could tell he was memorizing each individual freckle, each streak of sun in my hair, and especially… he was mostly staring into my eyes.

As I slipped into the crystal clear water, he smiled, his eyes dark and intense as the water rippled around me. I dove into the water, taking a few underwater strokes and feeling the water stream through my hair, down to the very roots. I swam, doing a clumsy flip and touching the blowing bubbles to the surface before finally resurfacing.

I swept the water away from my eyes, smiling as the warm sun hit my face. "God, I can't believe how good that feels." I exclaimed, looking around for Edward. I rotated in a complete circle, but all I saw was still water. "Edward?" I called, sensing a trick. "I'm not afraid of you!" I spun around on my toes, splashing my arms out to create a wave. Still, the rest of the water remained perfectly still.

I frowned, wondering where my silly husband was hiding. I smiled as I realized I wasn't nervous for him. I knew he could take care of him self. My worrying days were over. Even if we were close to Italy. He would know if someone was looking for us. I took a deep breath and dropped back into the water, floating on my back. My body was exposed to the air, but I felt no fear.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, I heard the sound of moving water. I sat up from my reclining position, kicking my legs out to tread the water around me. There was Edward, coming from the deep part of the water, a small smile on his face. He darted towards me and wrapped me in his arms, spinning me around and spraying water everywhere.

"Where'd you go?" I asked when he wrapped his arms under my thighs. I smiled as he ran his hands down my wet back.

"I thought I caught scent of something, I just wanted to check it out." He responded, pressing his face to my neck. "You smell good."

I drew back. "What did you catch scent of?" I wrapped my arms around his neck, hanging against him.

"Nothing that could hurt you or me." His lips tickled the skin below my ear. I sighed, trying to decide if this was worth prolonging.

"Edward." I finally said, and he sighed.

"Alright." He replied. "I thought I caught scent of a shark." I recoiled, looking at him with a shocked expression.

"There are sharks? Out here?" I breathed. "Really?"

"Not usually." Edward explained, running his strong hands down my arms. "It's very rare for them to come anywhere near here. And it wasn't a shark. Just a dolphin." He reassured me, and I exhaled, not realizing I'd been holding my breath.

"Cool." I replied, and he laughed. "It would have been cool to see a shark."

Edward's laugh increased. "That's just what you need. To meet a shark in open water."

"It's not open." I protested, lowering myself into the water while still keeping my legs wrapped around his waist. "The shore's right there." I gestured vaguely, forgetting why exactly I was trying to prove my point. I looked upwards into the sky, which was fading into beautiful colors of orange and purple.

Edward's gaze followed mine, and he smiled. "See how it's a little hazy out here?" I nodded lazily. "It's actually sand, traveled all the way from the Sahara desert."

"That's insane." I said, meeting his smile with one of my own. "I still have so much to learn."

"You'll have all the time in the world to learn it." He replied, reaching down to kiss me. As our lips parted, a sly grin came to his face, and before I even knew what was happening, he had dunked me.

"Gack!" I spluttered as I resurfaced. "Hey, idiot. I can drown, unlike some people!"

"Like I'd let you drown. I've invested way too much of my time keeping you alive, I'm not going to let all that investing go to waste."

When Edward left me that night, it was with a thousand assurances that he would be nearby, and have his cell phone on him in case I needed something… or in case of emergency. I had kissed his worries goodnight, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck and pouring my heart into his lungs. As he slid out the back door into the dim twilight, I smiled, adjusting to the fact that I was alone in this house for the first time, and that I was alone at all for the first time in what felt like eternity.

My skin itched, but I couldn't figure out for what. I turned on the TV and looked for something remotely interesting, but gave up after about 20 minutes of channel surfing. Then I placed another vinyl on the record player and blasted a little Who for a while. Dancing around in my underwear felt fine, but it wasn't as enjoyable when Edward wasn't there to cheer me on. I sighed, collapsing into a heap on the couch, hoping I wasn't going to be one half of one of those co-dependant couples that didn't know how to interact with society if parted with the other spouse.

I settled down into the couch, closing my eyes and thinking of the time last week that we had ventured into Athens to see the great ruins, imagining their agelessness and touching the pieces of rock that seemed to vibrate with history. Of course touching the ruins wasn't really allowed, but it wasn't very popular to go to the Acropolis on a cloudy day, so no one had noticed. However, I had freaked out when Edward pretended to flick over one of the massive columns. A few people had looked at me in shock as I had shrieked. They were probably wondering why I had ever thought that the columns were in danger—they'd stood for hundreds for years, and here a young man was threatening to flick it of all things. Little did they know that Edward was no ordinary young man.

Edward had found my reaction hilarious. He had laughed the whole ride home.

I opened my eyes, blinking at the overhead lights that shrunk my pupils. My skin still itched. It wasn't for Edward though. I knew that itch too well.

As I looked around for something to do, my eyes were drawn to the desk that held my letter to Charlie. I smiled sadly, lifting myself heavily from the couch. As I went to stand in front of the mostly blank piece of paper, I felt my heart lurch. I had to do this. It was only fair to Charlie. And I couldn't do it with Edward here. He was too distracting, and there were things I had to say that I didn't want him to see. Not for any reason, specifically, but I didn't really want him to feel worse about changing me than he already did.

Dear Daddy

Charlie

Dear Dad,

I sat down at the desk, pulling a new sheet of paper from inside. I tapped my pen on the old sheet a few times, biting my lip, before I finally started to write.

Dear Dad,

You always said I was nothing like Renee. I remember how shocked you were when I told you about Edward and I getting engaged. You never expected me to be so impulsive.

The thing is Dad, I've never been impulsive. I've always been different, from Renee, from other students, from everyone my age. I wasn't impulsive. I thought everything through. Thoroughly, almost too thoroughly sometimes….

The scratching of the pen against paper filled the room for nearly an hour. I wrote out everything for my father, sparing the details about who the Cullens were and what I'd be. I told him that I couldn't come home anymore. I told him about my love of Jacob, and my devotion to Edward. I told him I was heartbroken that I couldn't see him anymore. And mostly that I loved him. So much.

Edward still hadn't returned, but I almost felt relief that he wasn't here as I wiped my tears. I would miss Charlie's gruff humor, and the way he took care of me without being intrusive. I smiled as I remembered how he tried to make me bacon and eggs all the time, for every meal. My heart ached, but the itch under my skin was gone.

I wasn't going to send a letter to Renee. I felt that she would be too distracted with her own life to even notice that I'd been gone for a long time. And if she did, Charlie would make something up. I hoped he would. More than anything, I hoped he wouldn't worry.

When I finally stood from the desk, my bones felt stiff. I felt the saltwater sticking to the tips of my hair, stretching my skin. I slipped into the bathroom, looking in the mirror and taking note of the flush in my cheeks and the highlights in my hair. I smiled, pulling a pair of nail scissors from a drawer. I pulled my hair out straight and made a few small cuts, giving the tips a rough edge. I repeated on the other side, then fluffed my hair out, watching the ends fall around my face. I liked the look, so I turned away from the mirror and turned on the shower.

I took a long leisurely shower, shaving every inch of my body and even plucking my eyebrows once I'd stepped out. I applied aloe and lotion to my skin, wanting to look and feel good for Edward when he returned.

I slipped into a pair of sleep shorts and a wife beater before returning to the main room, feeling good about myself. I switched on the TV, flipping through the channels until I found one of the detective murder shows that I loved to watch when I was alone. I liked freaking myself out, and then seeing the world right itself.

Detective Stabler had just made his second arrest when I felt a strange tingling on the back of my neck, like I was being watched. Thinking Edward was home, I sat up, my legs folding underneath me as I looked out the glass windows. There, striking in the moonlight, about twenty yards from the house was a luminescent figure, standing, watching.

It wasn't Edward.

EPOV

The wind rushing through my ears was invigorating. As much as I loved and lusted for Bella and the activities we partook in, it felt good to use my muscles to their full potential again, and feel the earth beneath my feet and the air in my clothes. It was one of the reasons I'd swum after that scent earlier. It had been strangely familiar, but it swam away from me as I had approached its original location. The scent of sea and brine had dulled the scent, so I took it for nothing more than a large fish or dolphin. Nothing that would hurt my girl.

I had read in the papers that the hills outside some of the farming communities were experiencing cougar attacks, wildcats that were stealing goats and sheep. I headed in that direction, but it was quite a while before I caught scent of anything. I hoped that Bella would head to bed sooner rather than later, catching up on any rest that I'd deprived her of the past few weeks. The thought of her supple body below me sent a shiver down my spine, and I ran a little faster, looking forward to joining her again.

These days with Bella had been undeniably the most incredible days of my existence. I would gladly continue them forever, moving us out here and never facing the world again. It seemed that when we were together, in each other's arms, entwined, I could completely forget my curse. The thirst was replaced by a hunger of a different sort, one that drove me slowly insane with pleasure and desire. There was nothing I loved more than that edge that teetered so close to madness, but seemed balanced enough to keep us both in constant pleasure.

And yes, we had tried things that didn't work. We had found that we didn't like some things, that it wasn't entirely comfortable for Bella to do some things with me. Against the wall was wonderful, but against the wall from behind had nearly given her a concussion. Also, my experience with kinks and the like were minimal, and Bella didn't seem to like the idea of me dominating her too much, or her trying to control me, thinking that it would make me snap and possibly overpower her. Sometimes the simplest things we did deemed the most results, and sometimes taking it slow and treasuring each other's bodies slowly was really the best way to spend the time, instead of fast and furious.

I had felt my thirst growing though, at a surprisingly alarming rate. I didn't know if it was because she was often flushed and her heart thumping so enticingly, but I often felt the burn after our activities. During, not so much, but after, it was much more difficult to ignore. I had always pushed it aside, making sure that she took care of herself when I felt this way, ushering her into a shower or to soak in the tub, and then taking those moments to collect myself, trying not to freak myself out.

The wildcats in this area were smaller than the ones at home, and faster. They were used to farmers chasing after them, where as the cougars and wildcats back in Forks had miles to run in deep, untouched forests before they met any predators. There wasn't much cover in the groves of Greece. They had to be more careful.

Because of their small size, it took me longer than expected to quench my thirst. Still, I didn't mind entirely. The night was young, and Bella would probably be heading to bed soon, which means she wouldn't entirely miss my presence once asleep. So I sprinted deeper into the countryside, thinking of the wonderful life that lay ahead of us.

I had gone maybe twenty miles when I received a text. I looked down at the phone and saw it was from Alice. Strange. If it was urgent, she would have called, but she wouldn't have tried to contact me at all if it wasn't somewhat important. I slowed, settling under a tree to look at the text:

Why aren't you with Bella?

I was just about to return the text when I received another.

Go home! NOW!

My stomach dropped uncomfortably in fear and my eyes widened. "Oh no."

Just then the cell phone rang, the noise strikingly loud in the dark. It was Bella.

The phone was open and to my ear before any human could have blinked. I started jogging back in the direction of the house.

"Bella? Love, what's wrong?"

"Edward…" Her voice was shaky and upset, and I started sprinting faster. Why did I go so far? "I don't know what to do…"

My heart sunk. No. "What is it honey? Are you sick? I'm on my way home right now, okay? Why don't you settle yourself into bed and…"

"No, Edward, I'm not sick. And I'm trying very hard to be… discreet. Please hurry. I'm afraid if they see I've contacted you…"

"Bella, what?" My voice was raising to panic levels, and I had never run faster in my life.

"They're here, Edward." She said simply, her voice deadpan. "Our time is up."

Uh oh!

Don't worry, I have mad ideas for the next one. In fact, that's what took me so long to write this one. I kept wanting to write the NEXT chapter. But I didn't let myself. So… now I'll let myself! I go back to school tomorrow, and I have a horse show too! eek, busy.

Review is crack. Except better for my ego.