Twilight isn't mine. I just make it a little bit weird.

AmeryMarie, Yoga_Gal, and famouslyso pre-read and fix my silly mistakes. Thanks, girls!

I know, my updating frequency leaves a lot to be desired recently. I suck. I've got no excuses. So...on with the story, since I've left you waiting for so long!

-Chapter 21: Free Radical-

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Edward and I spent most of that first week on the island marking our territory—on each other—in various secluded (and not-so-secluded) locations. It was a private island, after all.

I still felt really guilty and embarrassed after my freak-out, but Edward did his best to distract me. We went for long swims under the blazing sun, where our bodies glittered enough to rival the shiny scales of the fish that scattered whenever we got within yards of them. The sight of all our sparkling skin in such bright sunlight was shockingly hilarious to me, as I apparently hadn't gotten the full effect during our outing in the Amazon. No wonder we let humans continue to spread rumors about us burning up in the sunlight—that was a genius move, really. We really did look like we'd come out on the losing end of a glitter fight in the dressing room of a strip club.

We snorkeled without masks and breathing tubes, pointing out the brightly colored corals and the soft, plushy-looking anemones to one another as we swam underwater for hours. We saw a lot of those—since they were sedentary animals, they couldn't run away when they sensed us. Everything else scattered at the first sign of our sparkly, unnatural selves; though we did figure out that if we sunk to the bottom and froze for a while, the fish would come back, as long as we didn't move.

Finally, a useful and interesting reason for our "vampire statue" ability.

When we weren't outside or memorizing one another in the biblical sense, I steadily plowed my way through the surprisingly extensive library that was hidden in a cozy little study at the south end of the house. Edward often sat with me, slowly working his way through On The Road (which amused me to no end, because if there ever was a beatnik vampire, it was Edward). When he grew tired of Kerouac, he busied himself with the state of the art laptop he'd brought with him. Though he said the satellite Internet connection left a lot to be desired, it was good enough to keep him (and therefore me) up do date on the world's current events. It also allowed us to keep somewhat in contact with the other Cullens without having to actually speak with them, which made Edward happy. So far, they hadn't had much to report. Tyler was actually keeping his big mouth shut without any interference from Emmett, and as of yet there was no sign of Team Vampire: World Police.

Whoops. I meant the Volturi. Pretentious windbags.

Early in our stay, we hiked the entire length of the island so I could familiarize myself with all the landmarks. There weren't many, as the island was pretty small, but what it lacked in size it made up for in natural beauty. A small, spring-fed stream split the island nearly in two, providing the small wildlife population with a source of clean drinking water. A stone-rimmed pool in the center of the cool, forested interior made the perfect spot to lounge in the dappled sun. It quickly became one of my favorite spots.

Of course, it was also the perfect place to hunt, as the animals were naturally drawn to the watering hole. I grudgingly took what was available, hoping and praying the day would come when I could join Edward on the mainland to hunt for more appetizing prey. Rats tasted exactly like one would guess—even here in the South Atlantic, on a pristine, beautiful island, they tasted like garbage. The chickens weren't much better. You know that saying, 'it tastes like chicken'? Well, chicken tasted like a whole lot of nothing—better than the rats, but still. It was for those reasons that three weeks into our stay on the island, I took my first capybara. I felt like I'd murdered the Easter Bunny or something. But at least it tasted a hell of a lot better than my other options, even if it was a Rodent of Unusual Size.

I really missed the Amazon and all its tasty carnivore treats, and I wanted to throw a huge fit the first time Edward made a trip to the mainland to feed without me. I couldn't begrudge him the opportunity to eat an appetizing meal, since he wasn't the one who went rabid at the mere whiff of a human, but I could still be mad. Of course, he was properly apologetic and did his best to make me forget all about it when he got back. I think I just about forgot my own name that day.

When I returned to the house one afternoon, my belly full of my mediocre dinner, I found Edward in the useless kitchen, pacing back and forth as he frowned into the large, unwieldy handset of the satellite phone.

"I thought you were keeping an eye on him," he was saying as he raked a hand through his hair. I paused in the archway, waiting for him to see me standing there.

"We were, but we didn't think it was necessary to watch him at all hours. He made no more attempts to contact the media after you left. I'm not sure why—perhaps he thought he'd milked the situation for all it was worth." With my super vampire bat ears, it was easy to hear Carlisle clearly.

Edward sighed and shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense for him to just disappear." He looked up, finding me hovering in the doorway, and waved me in with a worn smile.

"Tyler's gone?" I whispered, though I didn't know why—it was probably just a leftover custom from my human life. The good Doctor on the other end of the line would almost certainly hear anything I said. Edward nodded, his mouth flattening into a grim line when Carlisle spoke again.

"There may be a way we can use this to our advantage." As usual, the words were delivered in his calm, reasonable manner, like we were discussing the weather instead of someone's probable demise. If the man wasn't a vampire, he'd be a robot. An android. Like Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

"I don't see how. Someone else just vanishing into thin air? Plus, he's extremely tangled up in the details of Bella's disappearance...it doesn't look good. It's too much attention, and there's no way it won't be attributed to the same suspect in Bella's case—me."

I quickly came over to his side and hopped up to sit on the counter, close enough to touch him if he needed it.

"We still have Bella's bloody uniform. We saved it in case we needed to point the police in a different direction. If they happen to find it hidden among Tyler's belongings, the case will solve itself in the minds of the humans—they'll assume he's responsible and fled to avoid capture. Then you and Bella can return to Washington, if you'd like."

My eyes snapped up to meet Edward's. I wasn't ready to go back. Washington held painful memories of my parents, and though the sharp edges were fading with time and my transformation, the distance was serving me much better. If we returned, I'd still want to see them, to let them know I was okay—sickeningly happy, even—but I couldn't take that chance, not yet. It was too dangerous. I also didn't want my bloody clothes showing up, providing my parents with yet another inconclusive lead in the case. It would only reopen the wounds that were just beginning to heal.

Sensing my distress, he took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before he spoke. "Has Alice seen anything?"

I scowled; even if Carlisle said 'no,' it didn't mean Her Bitchiness wasn't fucking with us.

"Nothing of note, but she's the reason we know Tyler didn't disappear voluntarily. She was watching his decisions; we would have known if he made conscious plans to leave the area."

"Then perhaps we should hold off on planting anything at Tyler's home. Let's save that trump card in case we really need it. I don't want to cause Bella's parents any more pain." His eyes were warm and soft; apologetic and sad.

I reached up and cupped his cheek, giving him a tremulous smile. He was still so remorseful over what had happened that day, but I vowed to spend every day making sure he knew that I no longer blamed him. I loved him. I might even go so far as to say it had all happened for a reason—Edward and I were meant to be together, no matter how it had come about.

"That might be a good plan, Edward. It's better not to create any more waves unless we have to. Things are taken care of on this end, so you just concentrate on helping Bella acclimate to this life. I'll contact you with any further developments."

"Thank you, Carlisle. I appreciate it." Edward covered my hand with his own and offered me a tender smile. I hoped he was drawing strength and comfort from my presence. I knew it was never easy for him to talk with his family, though phone contact was probably much better than actually living in their home like we had been.

"Son?" Carlisle asked, and it was impossible to miss the way Edward stiffened.

"Yes?" he replied through clenched teeth. I kept waiting for his rebuke, but it never came.

"I know you and Alice have a lot of issues to work out. She's always believed that the ends justified the means, no matter what the present cost." He paused, which gave my mind time to wander.

What did that mean? Had Alice seen me coming? And how hadn't she seen what their betrayal would do to Edward, the man she called brother? I suddenly remembered my first real conversation with Rose. When she'd said she knew what they'd done to Edward was unforgivable, but she could live with it if it brought him to me...

Horror trickled down my spine like congealing blood, slithering and coating everything in its path.

What if they'd done that to him because of me?

My vision went blurry and I blinked several times, trying to bring myself back from the verge of panic. I just couldn't deal with it right now, not when we were so happy, so in love... No. I wouldn't think about this. We were mated. We would have come together no matter what.

I sucked in a breath and realized that Carlisle was speaking again. "I hate what we did to you, but I don't hate where it has brought you. Thank you for letting me help you with this. I know I can never make up for what I did...helping Alice that way...but I'm forever grateful you're giving me a chance to make it up to you."

Edward cleared his throat. "I'm not sure what to say."

"It's fine, Edward. I just wanted you to know."

Silence filled the room, the tension so thick I could feel it pressing upon my skull.

"Consider yourself heard," Edward finally returned, clenching his eyes shut. If he squeezed the handset of the phone any harder, he'd turn it to dust. "Thanks for the information. Call us if there's anything new." He cut the connection and slammed the phone down onto the granite counter top.

I didn't know what to say—shaken as I was from my thoughts, I couldn't offer him words of reassurance. Instead, I just threw my arms around his neck and hugged him close. Tension radiated off him in hot waves, but his shoulders sagged a bit beneath my arms. He tucked his face into my hair and took a deep breath, like he was breathing me in. I did the same, clutching at his hair and pressing my lips to his skin. After a few moments, his arms snaked around my waist as he stepped between my knees, still silent, but the strength of his embrace spoke volumes. There wasn't a spare inch between us as I squeezed his sides between my thighs and locked my ankles behind his back, holding him with all my might.

Words were few and far between that night as we languished in each other, but the near tangible weight of worry hung overhead, almost like another presence in the room. It had been easy to pretend there was just us over the past few weeks, but as always, the real world had a way of intruding when we least expected it. I just had to trust that we'd make it through on the other side together, no matter what.

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-x-

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"Checkmate." Edward smoothly knocked my pawn to the side with his queen and regarded me innocently, lazily resting his chin on his hand.

"I let you win," I said sourly, barely resisting the urge to tip the board over. Not like it would matter, since he'd already beaten me. In four freaking moves. "Why are we playing this stupid game again? Whatever happened to fun games, like Sorry or Uno?" I sighed and leaned back against the arm of the couch, looking out into the pouring rain. The clouds that had begun to gather last night were now dumping inordinate amounts of rain on the island, and Edward had decided it provided the perfect opportunity for him to teach me how to play chess. It didn't take me long to realize that I was probably the only person on the planet that was naive enough to take him on.

"Chess is the intellectual's game, Bella. Plus, since I can't read your mind, you're the only person that can present me with a challenge…theoretically." One corner of his mouth kicked up in a smirk, and just for that, I did tip the board onto the floor.

"Stop being so smug. This game is boring. B-O-R-I-N-G."

"And you've officially left the newborn stage and stomped fully into toddler," he muttered, picking up the carved marble pieces, using vampire speed to do so. It was more entertaining watching him gather them up than playing the damn game. I briefly considered getting a deck of cards from the desk and teaching him a little game called Fifty-two Pick-up.

"If I'm a toddler, then you should be in jail, old man," I retorted, pointing at his groin when he stood. He promptly gave me the finger and moved to put the chess set back on the shelf. Seeing him flip me the bird sent me into hysterics. I really was rubbing off on him. By the time I finished laughing, he'd settled himself next to me, one arm slung over the back of the sofa behind me.

"Well, since chess is out, what do you suggest we do with our afternoon?" he asked, picking up a lock of my hair and rubbing it between his thumb and forefinger.

"Get a T.V.," I said under my breath, trying to ignore the ticklish sensation of him playing with my hair. If he kept that up, we'd be in bed again, and we were down to the last set of sheets. The rest were in shreds.

"You're really that eager to watch soap operas in Portuguese?"

I blinked at him sweetly. "Would you translate for me?"

He dropped my hair and gave me a baleful look. "Absolutely not."

"You don't want to teach me Portuguese?"

"I never said that—I just don't want to be forced to watch that human drivel."

I patted his cheek and dropped a kiss on his lips. "How ethnocentric of you." Pausing, I let my mind wander as I thought aloud. "Though I'm not sure if that's the correct term. Are we merely a really weird yet awesome ethnic group? I don't see how we could be a different species altogether. I mean, we all started out as humans—vampires are probably the epitome of an anthropomorphic creature…"

"Bella," he interrupted with an amused shake of his head. "I have no idea. Since humans can't know about us, I doubt they'll ever figure out a way to taxonomically classify vampires."

"Well, actually they have, since we were all humans at one time, right? Obviously, we'd share the same branch of the cladogram as Homo sapiens sapiens." His eyes took on a glazed look as I rushed on, but I was too excited about my train of thought to care. "But I don't think we're separate species, because we can interbreed."

"That's ridiculous, Bella," Edward scoffed. "Humans and vampires can't produce viable offspring."

"Oh, but they do! We reproduce through biting, right? I mean, you bit me, I burned in hell for what seemed like months, and I woke up a vampire." I tossed my hands in the air. "Reproduction!"

We both frowned as the thought sunk in.

"I'm not sure I like the direction this conversation is going," Edward said uneasily. I had to agree; the conversation was taking a decidedly incestuous turn. Though, it was technically asexual reproduction, since no gametes were exchanged, which meant vampires might all be some sort of clone of the original vamp. Like bloodsucking aloe plants.

And that was where I forced my brain to stop. I was mildly creeping myself out.

"Me neither," I agreed. "Let's talk about something else. Like when you're going to take me back to the Amazon."

He laughed, dropping his head onto the back of the couch. "Bella…"

"I know, I know. I'll eat someone," I griped.

"I promise, I'll take you back. As many times as you want—as soon as it's safe." He roped his arm around my shoulders and tugged me closer.

I rested my head in the crook of his neck and sighed. "Safety is overrated. The food at this resort leaves a lot to be desired."

"But what about the company?" he asked, his voice taking on that low and rumbly tone that never failed to make me squirm.

I cleared my throat and tucked my face into his neck so he wouldn't catch me smiling. "Eh…it's passable."

He stiffened, a little growl rumbling in his chest. "Passable?"

"Yep. Passable." I started to get up off the couch, but he grabbed my wrist and jerked me down into his lap. I couldn't keep from laughing as we grappled back and forth until I let him push me to my back.

"Take it back," he insisted, pressing his lips to the hollow of my neck. The edges of his teeth scraped back and forth, just a hint of real force behind the gesture. His breath was warm and wet against my skin, and when he gently swiped his tongue over the divot between my collarbones, I shivered.

Barely swallowing back a moan, I kept teasing. It wouldn't do to give in so easily; I couldn't have him think I was putty in his hands or anything—though I completely was. "I don't know...I think you'll have to be more convincing."

He actually growled. "I'll show you convincing." In a flash he was up, pulling me to my feet. "Come on."

"What?" I asked, feeling a little dazed. I had a feeling this wasn't headed in the direction I'd like—meaning we weren't headed off to break another piece of furniture in the midst of our wild sexcapades.

He looked down at me with a little smirk; he was enjoying the way he flustered me, as usual. "You need to hunt, and I'm going to make it fun." Not likely, unless he'd somehow smuggled in a bunch of crocodiles.

I simply raised my brows, waiting for him to elaborate.

Leaning closer, he placed his lips at my ear and whispered, "You're going to hunt me."

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-x-

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We negotiated a thirty-second head start, but I only gave him ten.

He'd never know, and if he suspected, he'd never be able to prove it. Just another pro that he couldn't read my mind, with an added benefit—it would drive him crazy. Of course, cheating didn't help me at all. It was fifteen minutes later and I still wasn't sure where he was. Edward was like a fucking chameleon, and it was really pissing me off. I'd searched everywhere on this godforsaken island and I still couldn't find him.

Okay, so maybe I exaggerated, but it sure felt like I'd been tromping all over the place. Plus, it was raining, and I didn't like being wet any more as a vampire than I had as a human.

I paused at the edge of the clearing that housed the swimming hole, noting a trace of his scent on the rough bark of an ancient mahogany tree. He was close. Now I just had to figure out if he was lurking somewhere on the forest floor or perched high in the canopy...

Flattening myself against the tree trunk, I scanned the immediate area, barely holding back a gasp of excitement when I spotted a flash of copper hidden among the brush that bordered the opposite side of the rock-lined pool. Pulling a deep breath into my lungs as the light breeze blew my way and carried a stronger blast of his clean, sweet scent toward me, I concentrated on remaining undetected. I was downwind, which gave me a great advantage.

Stay out of sight, Bella.

I couldn't wait to put him in his place. If I could pin him down on my first attempt...oh, the victory would be sweet. Option after option played out in my mind: I could scale the tree and take him from above; I could zip in from the side and snatch the shirt from his back... I just couldn't sneak up from behind—he'd catch my scent instantly on the rain-thickened wind. Peering around the tree again, I noted that he—or rather, his hair—hadn't moved.

Grateful for the overcast day because I wouldn't have to worry about throwing off stupid prisms that would bounce off the glass-like surface of the pool, I weighed my options of approach. He knew I was fond of attacking from above, since I'd just about mastered maneuvering through the treetops. He'd definitely be watching for any aerial attacks. It would be much more difficult, but if I approached him from the ground, I'd be more likely to catch him off guard.

So, I'd just have to hide in plain sight and pray he'd underestimate my stalking abilities. If that didn't work, I supposed I could always take off my shirt and distract him with my tits. All I had to do was shine those headlights right in his eyes and he'd be making like a deer in no time. Of course, that wouldn't be fair—he was always hypnotized by my boobs. They'd render him completely useless, and then he'd complain for the rest of the day about how I'd cheated him out of victory.

I crept closer, choosing a vantage point slightly diagonal from his position in the underbrush. Miraculously, I managed to avoid making any noise as I neared, getting closer and closer until I could make out the sweep of his eyelashes as he blinked away the misty rain. The fact that he hadn't spotted me was incredible, but I wasn't about to question it.

Let's keep it that way, Cullen. Just keep those pretty eyes on anything but me...

I waited until he blinked, and then slipped silently into the water, praying any ripples I caused would be obscured by the steady patter of raindrops. The pool was deep enough to provide adequate cover; I used it to my full advantage and walked easily across the bottom, marveling at the way I sank like a stone and didn't have to work to keep myself from floating to the surface. Reaching the other side of the pool, I rose just high enough to make sure he wasn't watching, half wishing for some kind of periscope. Just because it would look cool.

Okay, maybe it wouldn't look cool, but one seemed totally appropriate for the situation.

I had to focus. I'd never succeed in taking him if my thoughts were all over the place.

He's not going to see me. He can't see me.

As I waited, sounds began to filter down to the bottom of the pool. Through the veil of the water, I heard Edward sigh softly as he shifted, his shoes scraping against the leaf-covered ground. It was amazing, the things I could still hear underwater. I knew I'd be able to hear if he spoke, and I panicked, wondering if he could hear the way my feet dragged across the rock bottom of the pool.

Stealth, Bella. Complete and total stealth, or you lose.

I did not want to lose.

Fully immersed in the moment, I crawled up the side of one wall until I was millimeters from surfacing. Images became clearer, sharper, and the sounds of the forest became more readily apparent. From this angle, Edward's hair was a smear of rusty brown that gleamed among green leaves, and while it made a beautiful sight, it also made him a sitting duck.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I crouched, all my muscles tensing, in preparation to take him down. It had to be fast and hard, or it would never work. I'd have to spring at him with enough force to pin him down long enough to get him to admit my victory.

You can't see me, Cullen...you don't have a chance.

Propelling myself off the side wall, I burst out of the water at vampire speed, almost faster than my eyes could track, and crashed into the bush. My palms hit his shoulders with a loud crack like that of thunder, and his eyes went wide as he realized I had him pinned to the ground.

"Gotcha," I practically purred, my grin a mile wide, my nose less than an inch from his.

"It would appear so," he mumbled after a moment, looking none too pleased that I'd managed to outsmart him. He blinked a few times, and then a light came into his eyes. "Holy shit," he breathed, his eyebrows shooting up near his hairline. His hands clamped onto my upper arms and he sucked in a breath. "You have a gift," he rushed out, a brilliant smile lighting up his face. Perched on top of him as I was, it made me want to spread out along his body and cover his lips with my mouth. He looked so excited and carefree, something I wasn't sure I'd ever seen since we'd met.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be cheeky. "Of course I do—it takes a tremendous one to deal with you."

Raising a sardonic brow, he laughed. "Right. I think it might be the other way around." I grinned even wider, because when he was right, he was right.

"Do you really think I have a gift?" All kidding aside, I was eager to hear what it might be, because I had no idea. As far as I could tell, my only gift seemed to lie in being the most useless, uncoordinated vampire to ever walk the earth.

"I couldn't see you, Bella! Not until you touched me."

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I've borrowed the "Rodent of Unusual Size" term from The Princess Bride. Long live the RoUS!

"Team Vampire: World Police" is borrowed from the movie Team America: World Police. Thanks to AmeryMarie for that one.

I also don't own Star Trek: The Next Generation. I can't believe I even mentioned that in the fic, but I couldn't resist. I blame my nerdy husband. But I swear to you, he's not a Trekkie.

I'm also fail at review replying as always, but I read them all and love every single comment. I know, you've heard it all before... Boo to me. That said, if you're so inclined to leave a review...you know it will make my day.

Thank you all for reading!