Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all.

Men and women, being of the same nature,

feel the same kind of pleasure,

and therefore a man should marry such a woman

as will love him ever afterwards.

Kama Sutra

Our plane was landing at Chicago O'Hare before I finally looked at her and asked, "You want to fill me in on the plans?"

Bella had spent most of the trip talking to me about Charlie's surprise wedding. She was ecstatic that Charlie would be with Sue. She cracked me up with her observation Charlie unknowingly went from being the staunch, law-abiding peace officer to the father of a vampire and step-dad of two wolves.

She grinned impishly. "Jacob is taking Renesmee over to the house tomorrow. I have to admit Alice and Rosalie helped me to book the accommodations, so I'm sure they are over the top. I had just a few requirements, but those are for me to know and you to find out later."

I found the promise of an interesting evening in her words.

"A limo is meeting us here to take us to the hotel. I didn't think you would want to go directly to the house at such a late hour. Actually, I booked the hotel for the weekend so we could see some of the sights in the city. We can go to your house afterward."

Then, for some unknown reason, uncertainty crept into her voice. "Is that okay?"

"Love, as long as I'm with you, I would sit through high school again," I replied.

She grimaced, saying, "That's a Cullen tradition I'm going to find a way to break."

A baggage assistant helped Bella and I claim the luggage and we went in search of our driver. Not far past the area restricted to passengers only, I located the man holding up our name. His eyes immediately focused on Bella and I could hear his heart begin to race. He ogled my wife's legs a little too long for my comfort. With a knowing smirk, Bella leaned into me.

"You're the only one who has the right to wrap them around his waist," she whispered.

I hissed at her in instantaneous frustration; she was getting a little too good at this game. I wondered momentarily just how much coaching she was getting from my sisters.

"Where to, sir?" the driver asked as he opened the door.

Bella stated, "The Peninsula Chicago."

I enjoyed the silence and watched Bella's face as she marveled at the lights of the city. I wasn't as familiar with Chicago as I probably should have been. My family and I had stayed here briefly on visits, but the house I grew up in wasn't conducive to our living requirements. It was in a historic district, and in the tradition of the day, it had close neighbors and little privacy. It was also small in comparison to many in the neighborhood.

My father, being an attorney, made a good living, but we weren't as wealthy as many of the society families in the area. Every time the girls forced us to watch Titanic, I found humor in the distaste at "new money."

Esme had worked over the past years to keep it immaculately restored, and I knew she prided herself on it being viewed as one of the most historically correct homes in the neighborhood. Oak Park was a showcase of beautiful homes in Chicago, and the Masen residence was no exception. Carlisle had been on notice for the past decade that Esme desired the Frank Lloyd Wright creation directly next door.

I had become distracted with my reflections and Bella's enthusiasm, so when I felt the limousine stop, it took me a second to realize we had arrived at the hotel. With the change in time zones, we arrived around dusk, and in true Chicago style for February, it was freezing. This wouldn't have mattered to Bella or me, but the driver, bellhop, and door man all encouraged us to hurry into the building to escape the frigid temperatures for "our health."

I tipped the driver, wrapped my arm around Bella's waist and stepped through the entrance. In true Alice and Rosalie style, this was obviously a 5-star establishment. I might be a snob about cars, but when it came to hotels, I was as much a Neanderthal as Emmett. As long as it was clean I was pretty much happy. Not that I didn't enjoy luxury as much as any of the other Cullens; I just didn't plan my trips around where the crème de la crème stayed.

Bella went to the front desk, where she was immediately met with an icy reception. The woman behind the desk obviously saw Bella's youth as a clue she was in the wrong place; snobbery didn't stop at early twentieth century society. When I stepped by my wife's side, her interested reappeared.

"We have a reservation under the name Cullen," Bella stated.

After a few seconds of typing on the computer, the woman's demeanor changed instantaneously.

"Yes, we have you down for The Peninsula Suite, is that correct?"

Bella had reached into her purse and was handing her credit card to the clerk before she even completed her question.

"Yes, that's correct," she snapped.

Stunned into silence, Melissa - as her name tag read, nodded her head and quickly handed Bella two electronic keys and the credit card back simultaneously.

George, the bellhop, led us to the elevator. Upon entering, he used a key to bypass the first 17 floors. Bella began giggling as soon as the door closed.

"Sorry I snapped at her. She was such a blow hard."

A chuckle inadvertently escaped George behind us, causing Bella to turn.

"Sorry," he stated simply, looking down.

However, he and Bella both spontaneously broke out into laughter. I smirked at the good humor of seeing a "blow hard" brought down.

"Your cards will electronically bypass the other floors for your privacy. As requested, the entire wing has been blocked off for your stay," George stated.

The doors slide open into a hallway and George led us to our room.

As the door to the suite opened, I gasped and halted in surprise. A baby grand piano sat against the glass panels of the wall. To the left of the piano was a door that led to a private balcony, and I could see a whirlpool tub steaming in the arctic air. The opulence of the area was almost intoxicating.

Bella quickly jerked my body forward so George could bring the luggage into the suite. I heard her direct George to place the luggage in the bedroom, heard the distinct sound of her taking money out of her purse for the tip, and then I heard the door to the suite shut.

She was mine and I wasted no time. Bella's eyes registered only the slightest surprise as I threw her body into the wall and pinned it with mine. I growled into her neck and realized a moment of regret when I heard the sound of her dress ripping. I had enjoyed the show as much as the driver, and silently thanked Alice on her choice of the ensemble for Charlie's wedding. Hopefully, she could find another one. Assuming it wasn't an original; I would never hear the end of that. Either way, it was a done deal at this point. I made good on the fantasy of wrapping Bella's legs around my waist.

I raised my head from Bella's chest to meet her eyes when the gentle feel of her fingers running through my hair broke through my contentment. I had transferred us to the bed at some point during the past two hours. I rose above her on my arms, kissed her nose, and pulled her into my body so that I could settle with my back against the pillows draping her against me. As I ran my fingers through her hair with one hand, I laced our fingers together with the other. Bringing her hand to my lips I kissed each individual finger.

"Okay, so this definitely surpasses my idea of spending the night at Charlie's," I whispered.

"Really?" Bella interrupted as she looked up at me with a twinkle in her eyes. "You planned to go there tonight?"

I nodded my head and smiled down at her. "I thought it might be fun to go back to where I first realized I loved you."

I felt her chest begin to rumble just a second before I heard her respond saying, "Hmmm… that could prove to be interesting, too. I'm not sure we could pull it off with Charlie and Sue there; you're too loud."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"But maybe we could find another reason to ship them off for a weekend."

"I'm sure if you set your mind to it, you'll figure something out."

I felt her smile as she was pressing kisses into my shoulder.

I brought her hand out from my chest so the charms on her bracelet caught the light entering the bedroom from the living area. Her eyes were drawn by the movement.

"Bella, da niente is a musical term. It roughly translates into 'from nothing' or 'out of nothing'. I feel it accurately describes what you've done for me. I've said this to you so many times before, but I still feel like I haven't adequately been able to portray for you just how radically you've altered me. You've taken my existence and shaped it into a life, for lack of better words, out of nothing."

Bella raised on her elbow so she could look into my face. Releasing my hand, she used her fingertips to run across my cheek. The action was oddly intimate in comparison to the erotic caresses that we had just exchanged.

I continued. "I can't promise I will never be grumpy again. I can't promise that I will never make mistakes. I can't even promise I won't want to kill Jacob again; I mean, I can read his thoughts, and it is my daughter he imprinted on. At some time in the next six years, she's going to reach maturity and he's going to see her as more than just a child. I'll probably have to kill him at that point; it was bad enough when I could see what he wanted to do with you."

This earned me a hard slap to the stomach.

After grunting, I continued. "I'll work every day to give you the kind of relationship I remember my biological parents sharing, the same passion Esme and Carlisle share. I promise that I will strive every day to be the creature you see me to be. But when I screw up, which I will, I want you to look at the charm and remember that it's from out of nothing that I am operating. This is all new for me. Also, I want you to remember that, without you, I would be nothing."

Bella softly nodded her head and leaned up to kiss my lips. In a moment of understanding, she realized nothing else needed to be said. For a few minutes, the silence surrounded us and allowed a sense of peace to invade the room. Bella stretched and slowly eased out of bed.

"Where are you going?" I groaned. I missed the warmth of her body pressed against mine.

"I just remembered that I promised Jake I would have you open his gift to us once we got here."

She went to her carry on luggage and rummaged around, finding the package, and then returned to bed. A folded over piece of paper had been attached to the front of the package. Written across the front was "Bells and Bloodsucker." I rolled my eyes.

Bella giggled. "He loves to try and get under your skin."

I smirked saying, "I know, and I let him have his fun. It's the difference between being a man and a boy."

"HA!" She bellowed out.

I tugged the note off, handing the package to Bella. It read "Found this at the yard sale and figured you two might need the help." Bella ripped into the package. I saw that it was a book, but the dust cover was missing. Bella's eyes widened and she looked at me with a mixture of horror and amusement.

She turned the book so I could read the cover, Kama Sutra. I was torn between amusement and anger; amusement mostly winning. I reached to take the book from Bella to see if it was a joke, and as she passed it to me, another piece of paper fell out of the front. I snatched it up before she could grab it.

Opening the note I read. Bella, since you didn't choose me, I figured I could at least get Edward some educational material. I love you enough that I hope you find some degree of satisfaction with him. Hopefully this will make up for his inexperience. P.S. By the way, Nessie wasn't with me when I picked this up, so tell Edward to breathe.

Bella reached for the note and I passed it off to her, already designing revenge in my head.

In a horrified voice, she whispered, "I'll get him for this."

I replied darkly, "Oh no, Love; that pleasure will be all mine."

She looked at my face and snickered. "Promise me I'll be there when you inflict your punishment."

"I promise."

We alternated for a few minutes between laughing and cursing on both our parts.

"He got us you know," she admitted, finally.

"I'll only admit this to you, Bella, but yes, he did," was my muttered reply.

Just a short time later, she ran her fingers up my side, teasing. "I know how much you love to take hot showers. Rose constantly complains we're going to have to add a water heater just for you – she's even threatened to have a water line run to our cottage and construct a bathroom there herself. So I spoke with the concierge before leaving Forks this morning and asked that he make sure the whirlpool was steaming when we got here. It seems a shame to waste it. I suggest we make a dash for it; last one there owes the other a full body massage."

It was worth losing the bet to see her naked derriere fly through the door. I groaned my thanks as I lowered my body into the steaming water beside her.

Vampire bodies can draw warmth from the environment; I could only equate the feeling to the one humans get by sunbathing. For me, it felt like every inch of my skin soaked up the heat around me, becoming softer in some way. Carlisle and I had purchased a whirlpool years ago, but we were sorely disappointed, as the motor seemed incapable of keeping up with the temperature demands of our icy bodies. I marveled at the efficiency of the tub we were in. Usually after about ten minutes, the water was ice cold. I made a note to myself to check into the manufacturer of this unit; possibly it was time to reconsider.

Bella scooted to my side, and we both gazed at the twinkle of the city lights, leaning our heads back to rest on the towels provided.

She began. "Alice saw the whole weekend being overcast and cold; perfect weather for us to get out and see some of the sights. I'd like to see the Sears Tower, and I thought you might like the Museum of Contemporary Art; it's just down the street. Alice recommended Navy Pier, but I think that's just because of the shopping. I also heard the Chicago History Museum is good. Emmett said I should make sure you show me the section on H. H. Holmes and his hotel."

I rolled my eyes at that recommendation; only Emmett would find the information on the Hotel of Horrors to be a critical stop.

Bella continued. "I had the whole wing blocked off so that we don't have to worry about being disturbed or seen, just in case," she smirked, adding "Or heard."

"I thought you might also want to play," she nodded toward the piano. "I was assured it was professionally tuned."

I glanced through the glass to see the instrument placed so the pianist could play while looking out over the view of the city and Lake Michigan. It would be spectacular.

A smile spread across my face. "I will definitely enjoy that option, but first…" I pulled Bella to me and softly kissed her lips. I proceeded to do what I had been incapable of doing when we stepped through the door earlier. I slowly worshipped each inch of her body, focusing every ounce of love that existed in me into my actions.

We spent our time for the next few days doing exactly what Bella had proposed. We visited the museums, and I was actually surprised Bella found the information about the World Fair and H. H. Holmes interesting; only she would be intrigued with monsters. Score one for Emmett. I bought Alice and Rose leather satchels to thank them for planning the weekend for us. We rode to the top of the Sears Tower and visited the shops. We made love whenever I could entice her into going back to the hotel.

In a moment of frivolity, I did find out Bella had one regret from being changed into a vampire. Chocolate. At Navy Pier we passed by a specialty shop and she froze instantaneously. Her eyes widened and a look of longing passed over her face that was so sensual that it stunned me.

"It smells so wonderful, but it tastes like dirt," she sighed.

I found this amusing so, of course, I went into the shop and bought a bag of one of their specialties. When I handed her the bag, the incredulous look on her face caused me to break out into laughter.

"Well, at least you can enjoy the smell."

She proceeded to bury her nose into the bag.

"Do you miss the taste of any food?" I heard her mumble through the paper.

"Apple pie," I responded, almost spontaneously.

This must have intrigued her because she actually lowered the bag from her face. She looked up through her lashes. "Really?"

I shook my head. "One of the images I clearly remember is of my mom making apple pies. She didn't cook often; she had help with the day-to-day meals. But she made an incredible apple pie. It was her signature dish."

"I lost the memory during my transformation. One day, probably fifteen years after my change, Carlisle and I passed by a bakery and the smell hit me. It was as if a door was opened in my mind for a brief second and the image slipped out. Once it took root, it wouldn't diminish. I could see her face clearly; hear her laughter as she chased me away from the cooling table."

I realized Bella had become incredibly still. She was staring at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Your face. It was glorious. You looked like you were about 10 years old."

I snorted and dragged her forward to finish our day.

The end of the weekend came too soon, and after paying the bill and additional costs for the damage to the wall, we quickly exited the hotel to load up in the rental car.

"So how far is it to the house?" she asked.

"Not far; we follow North Avenue west to I-43. It won't take long," I responded.

All credit goes to my two totally awesome Betas:

CullenFest - for her patience with me and my anxiety about writing.

Crmcneill - for his mighty red pen, and help in mapping out strategy