A/N: okay, i think this chapter is a little bit organizationally challenged, but it's the beginning of something new. I really like the direction this story is taking, so tell me if you think so, too! R&R please!

Home

"Wow," I breathed. The St. Petersburg palace was ten times as amazing as I thought it would be. Edward held my hand as we found our way to the exit. "That was probably the most amazing place I've ever been in my entire life. Everything about that place screamed luxury. Can you imagine what it must have been like to be raised here?" Edward smiled at my on-going enthusiasm. I sighed sadly. "Too bad the revolutionists took it all away from them. What a shame."

The air outside kept getting colder. I shivered in my pea coat a little bit, even though it's only the end of August. Russia could be so cold! Edward and I walked through the gates of the palace and back out onto the public streets. Cars bustled in traffic and civilians walked everywhere. During the cold winter months, they would ice-skate places on the river. That just spells "Disaster" for me.

"So you enjoyed the tour?" Edward asked as he wrapped a hand around my waist, pulling me closer. His bronze hair blew wildly with the wind, and his normally topaz eyes seemed almost black now. I cuddled myself into his side.

"Yes, but now I'm actually a little tired." Actually, I felt extremely tired. Walking around for several hours without stopping really took a toll on me. "Do you mind if we rest somewhere?"

He looked down at me with suspicious eyes. "Sure, I was taking you back to the hotel anyways. Are you feeling alright, love?" He felt at my forehead. I brushed his hand away.

"I'm fine. You don't have to be such a worry-wart. Any human who took a three hour tour with no sitting breaks would feel a little worn out. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if half the people there are going to go take an afternoon nap. I could certainly use one." My eyelids began to droop and Edward held onto me a little tighter, supporting almost all my weight.

When we were right outside the hotel, he stopped abruptly. "Edward? What's wrong?" I looked up to his angered face and traced his line of sight. Alex stood at the doorway, looking as sly as always.

"Good afternoon, Edward, Bella," he nodded toward me. I nodded back, too tired to make up a full response. "What have you two been up to today? Sightseeing?" He took a couple steps forward and Edward tensed all over.

"I don't see how that's any of your business, Alex. If you would excuse us, Bella needs to rest. The day's activities have made her tired. Please go and enjoy the rest of your day." In Edward's voice, I could hear the warning.

"Have a nice day Alex," I told him on our way in. He smiled at me before finding his way into the crowded street. Once in the hotel lobby, Edward scooped me into his arms bridal style and let me rest my head against his chest. He kissed the top of my head, and I conked out.

Over the next week, we wandered around St. Petersburg, never really doing much. We just held onto each other and enjoyed the company. I bribed Edward into taking me to all the museums (I told him if he didn't he'd spend the next century sleeping in a very lonely bed). We visited nice restaurants and received nice evening wear from Alice for those particular events. Mostly, we just held each other in the hotel bedroom. Everything seemed so perfect, and I should've known that God only lets a person be happy for so long.

A few days later, we took a train to Poland, where we boarded a flight to Paris. The familiar city held some sort of warmth towards us. The fresh bread and pastries held up my increasing appetite. Sweets became my new favorite food—French silk pie in particular. When I jokingly asked Edward if he'd like a bite, he scrunched up his face in mild disgust and politely declined. I convinced him to stay in Paris another week.

"You seem to have grown attached," he observed on our way to the hotel suite. I just smiled.

"Who couldn't grow attached to a place that radiates love like the sun gives off light? It's impossible not to fall in love with such a city. Plus, the food is fantastic," I laughed, Edward followed. Edward unlocked the door to the familiar room. The French provincial furniture looked the same as we left it. "Ah, home sweet home," I joked and plopped down on the couch in the living room.

Edward loomed over me with speculative eyes. "Home?" He repeated.

I shrugged. "I wouldn't mind calling this place home." He smiled. "The only issue would be that I don't speak French. So basically, I wouldn't be able to go anywhere without you," I laughed.

He brushed hair out of my face. "That can be arranged." He looked so serious.

I rolled my eyes. "Edward, we don't have to move to Paris. I was joking. Plus, the sun comes out every once in a while. It's not like Forks with the constant cloud cover. It wouldn't work." I sighed and looked into his now pitch black eyes. They bothered me. "I'm tired."

He cupped my face. "Then go to sleep," he suggested. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I'll go to sleep, only if you go hunting." Edward frowned. I played the victim to convince him. "Are you going to make me stay awake forever, or are you going to go hunt so I can sleep? I am really tired," I let my lips slip into a pout. His face softened a little.

"Fine," he breathed. Picking me up from the couch, he took me into the bedroom and tucked me into the bed.

Before he shut the door, I called his attention. "Hey, Edward?" I whispered, too tired to really speak up.

He turned to face me. "Yes, love?"

I felt a little silly for saying this, but it was on my mind. "I really wouldn't mind moving to France. Maybe not Paris, per say, but Versailles…I would really like that." I felt a blush crawl onto my cheeks. For some reason, since the marriage, I didn't mind if Edward spoiled me. Life had given me such grief with the cancer that maybe I deserved it…then again, my greediness could come back tenfold.

He smiled broadly. "We'll see." He closed the door, and I finally settled into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Or, it was a dreamless sleep until my imagination started acting up. I saw me, only so much prettier. My hair was styled into a pony-tail with curls, a sundress hugging the few curves I had on my body, and I held onto a tiny hand. I looked down and saw a body of a small girl, but I couldn't see her face. Holding her other hand was Edward. He smiled at me and gazed down at her. Together, we swung her in between us on a beach on a cloudy day with the waves just barely hitting our feet. The little girl squealed happily when the water hit her tiny little feet, colder than expected. Edward and I laughed contentedly. Edward picked up the little girl and threw her into the air. Her face glowed and she screamed with delight. He caught her and swung her as if in a swing. As I looked upon the scene, I felt nothing but pure bliss. I wanted to feel that way all the time.

Hands shook me, and I grew irritated. The dream started to slip away, and I felt sad. The hands shook me again, and I reluctantly opened my eyes. Edward hovered above me with the biggest smile on his face, his eyes their normal topaz color again. "Good morning," he greeted me with a kiss.

I looked around me, a little shocked to see I slept through most of yesterday until today. "Good morning. What's got you in a good mood?" His crooked, breath taking smile made me suspicious.

He shook his head. "You had such a sweet smile on your face when you were sleeping, it was almost goofy. You looked so happy." He ran his fingers from my temple to my chin. "Would you like to share your dream with me?" I could see the desire in his eyes, but he didn't need to know.

I waved it off. "Oh nothing. Just silly stuff. What time is it? How long did I sleep?" I looked around for a clue or a clock. Edward answered my questions.

"It's a little bit after nine o' clock. You've been sleeping for about fourteen hours. You must've been very tired. I'm glad I went hunting, or else you would've fallen over and hurt yourself."

I frowned at him and sat up. "Don't say that. With my luck, it'll come true." Trying to get out of bed, I stood up…and just as I predicted, I nearly crumpled to the floor. Edward caught me and held on tight.

"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.

I shook my head. "Yeah, just a head rush, and I'm stiff from sleeping for so long. Next time, don't let me sleep more than ten hours. Deal?" My body felt weird.

He didn't look any less concerned, but he said, "Deal," anyways. "Why don't you go take a bath? I'll fix you some breakfast. What would you like?"

"Something fruity," I requested.

He smiled. "Okay." He kissed me before shooting off to the kitchenette in the other room. I stripped myself in the bathroom and lowered myself into some hot water. The tub was a little tougher on my back than I preferred, but I coped. So what if I got bruises. They happen all the time. My muscles need to loosen up anyways.

When I smelled waffles, I got out of the bath, my stomach growling. Too lazy to do anything extravagant, I slipped on a red silk sundress and left my hair down. Edward grinned a goofy grin when I walked into the living room.

"How was the bath?" He asked, placing a plate of waffles topped with strawberries and blueberries in front of me as I sat down.

"Comforting." I began eating all the berries on top, ignoring the waffles. "Do we have any orange juice?" Fruit just became more and more appealing.

He picked up the phone and called room service for a pitcher of orange juice and a bowl of fruit. Good, he caught onto my mood.

"So what are we doing today?" I asked after finishing my large breakfast.

He thought before answering. "Would you like to take a look at the countryside today? I was thinking of taking a train to Versailles." He was hiding something.

I knit picked. "And what will we be doing in Versailles?" I asked cautiously. He was trying really hard to keep a straight face.

He shrugged. "Looking around."

I raised an eyebrow. "At what?"

He sighed in defeat. "Would you like to look at some houses today? I was thinking that you would like someplace in the countryside there." He didn't take his eyes off of me, waiting for my reaction.

I chose my words. "We are looking at houses…in Versailles." He nodded. "The reason people look at houses, is because they are thinking about moving," logic was falling into place. "We're moving to Versailles?" I clarified.

"If that is what you really want." He really would move away from his family and to Versailles just because I wanted to.

"You wouldn't mind being away from Carlisle and Esme?" That seemed to be going a little too far.

He thought about it. "If it helps, think of it more as a highly used vacation home." We stared at each other for a few moments, looking for something we couldn't find. Finally, I shot myself out of my seat and into Edward's arms. He held onto me tightly, swaying me back and forth in his arms.

"I love you, so much Edward." I felt tears come to my eyes. This was the beginning. We were finally building a life together. This home would be the start. He simply glowed, with a blinding smile and excited eyes. He brushed away a tear that leaked away. "I'm sorry, I'm just so happy!" A few more happy tears came out, and Edward kissed each one away.

"I understand what you mean. And I love you, too, more than life itself." His lips leaned in to touch mine and we shared a passionate kiss. The excitement coursed through my body like electricity.

"When can we go?" I asked pulling away with a smile.

"As soon as you're ready." I squirmed out of his arms and slipped on a white cardigan to cover my bare shoulders. I grabbed a pair of leather flip flops from the armoire and put them on. While walking out the bedroom, I grabbed a small red clutch that held a little spare cash and a camera.

"Okay, let's go!" He took my hand in his, taking a second to touch the ring on my finger that I never took off. With the weather on our side, clouds covered our entire path to the train station. The train ride was all but silent. We talked about everything we would need in the house.

Edward argued the big side. "Nothing less than four-thousand square feet. We need the space, especially if Alice comes to visit."

I rolled my eyes. "We don't need that much space Edward. It'll just be me, you, and a baby if I'm lucky. Besides, Alice would need a closet that's at least four-thousand square feet to be able to live with us." Edward laughed at that.

We continued to bicker back and forth the entire ride. Once there, he got us a rental and drove us to a reality office. I couldn't help but get a little excited. Edward, unlike me, looked very professional and on a mission. The building felt very homey and welcoming. He spoke in French to a woman behind a large counter. She pointed us in some direction and Edward pulled me. To our left was an office with the name plate, "Janette Artois". Great, a female realtor. Edward knocked and she let us both in, saying, "Bienvenue," and sitting us in the two seats in front of her desk. She sat down and smiled at us. Sticking out her hand to shake Edward's (she didn't even notice me), she said, "My name is Janette, how may I help you today?" Thank God she spoke English, even if it was heavily accented.

Edward didn't change his normal expression. "My name is Edward Cullen, and this is my wife, Bella," he released her hand and she sat back. "We would like to buy a home here in Versailles. We've been traveling across Europe for a while and we've decided that it's time to settle down to a home. Our time here is limited, due to travel arrangements to see family, so we'd like to see what you have." She immediately started pulling listings up on her computer.

"About what size are you looking for?" She asked Edward. He looked to me for the answer since I've been the pickiest about it.

"About four-thousand feet. But we don't want to go too big," I added for my benefit. She looked at us like amateurs. I felt degraded.

"That's pretty big for a home here in Versailles," she said warningly.

"There is no price limit," Edward added smoothly. She smiled at that. I didn't like the way she looked at Edward as if he were a piece of fresh meat. I'm certain that he said, "My wife, Bella," not, "my ho."

She printed something from the computer and handed it to us. "Here is a listing close to your size range. Its 3,997 square feet. This includes four bedrooms, three baths, an indoor pool, and a study. It's on a two and a half acre lot with a garden and pond. There is plenty of backyard space if you need it." She leaned back in her chair. Edward and I looked at the house.

The log home looked beautiful in the picture. Large bay windows let a lot of light into the house. On the inside, a tree grew on the edge of the living room, bringing the outdoors inside. The high ceilings made the house look large. My eyes lowered to the bottom of the page where all the written information was. Edward took it out of my hands before I could see the price…sly.

"I think we should take a look at it," I told Edward, trying not to sound so eager. Edward saw it in my eyes and smiled at me.

"Alright," he turned to Janette. "Can we take a look at it today?" Janette looked a little surprised at his request.

"Erm," she looked uncertain. "Let me see what I can do." She picked up her phone with a determined crease in her forehead. She spoke in crisp French to the person on the other line patiently. She hung up within a minute. "The current owner says he can have the house ready to look at in an hour." She looked to Edward for approval.

"That should be fine," I said, grabbing her reluctant attention. "We still need to have lunch. Could we meet back here in about an hour?" I looked to them both. Edward looked at me like, "you have to ask?" While Janette looked at me like, "why are you in control?"

"That sounds perfect to me," Edward kissed my hand and stood up. As we walked out of her office, he called over his shoulder, "meet you here in an hour." He wrapped an arm around my waist. I glimpsed into Jeanette's office once more and found her scowling. I snickered.

"Do I get to hear the punch line?" He asked, beginning to giggle as well.

"It wouldn't be very funny to you, but it seems our realtor is a bit taken with you. She seems to be a bit bitter towards me, too. When you wrapped your arm around me, the look on her face was just humorous, is all." He laughed as well.

We went to a little café for lunch. I ordered a fruit salad with orange juice and a parfait for a light desert. I tried to imagine myself having lunch there every Sunday if we did move. When we pulled back into the office parking lot, Janette was waiting.

"I'll just ask for some directions." He kissed me briefly before stepping out of the car. He walked over to her and she smiled flirtatiously. Trying to ignore what I didn't want to see, I closed my eyes and leaned back into my seat. I could feel myself drifting when Edward opened the car door again.

"Are you tired?" He asked worriedly and took my hand.

Shaking my head, I told him, "It's nothing. I just wanted to ignore the flirtatious gestures Janette was giving you, so I closed my eyes." I wouldn't admit it to him, but I was feeling minutely tired. He leaned in and kissed my lips tenderly for a few moments before whispering, "There is only one woman in the entire world that can capture my attention."

Jokingly, I told him, "I know, Rosalie just demands attention every time she walks into a room." Edward frowned and I laughed at him. The sound of my giggles made him smile. Janette honked at us from behind in her little tiny car, telling us to follow. Edward started the car again and we pulled out.

The house was a little less than fifteen minutes away. At first, I didn't see much on the street, but as we pulled into the long driveway that reminded me of the Cullen home in Forks. Sitting nestled near the trees was a beautiful log home. The two story house had a beautiful glass French doors and windows everywhere. We parked in front of the home and Edward got out of the car to open the door for me like the gentleman he is. Janette gazed over at me with jealous eyes. I was too busy looking into Edward's.

Janette pulled out a set of keys. "Well, let's see how this goes." We walked up the sidewalk to the front door and she unlocked it. The French doors opened up to what had to be one of the most amazing homes I had ever seen. Edward and I walked in hand-in-hand and took in the house. For some reason, I could see myself doing that over and over again. "Take a look around. I'll be in the kitchen if you have any questions." She dismissed herself and Edward and I took a slow tour.

The dark wood floors made the white walls look brighter, bringing in a lot more light. Next to the tree in the living room was a fire pit with a chimney that went all the way up. There was plenty of space for relaxing. We migrated upstairs to see the bedrooms. The rod iron railings looked elegant, even with the modern architecture. We inspected every inch of the bedrooms and bathrooms. What really caught my eye was the master suite.

The room wasn't huge, but it was a decent size. On either side of the bed, there was a floor to ceiling window. The master bath was decorated with marble countertops, stone floors, and two walk in closets.

"Edward, how perfect can this get?" He hugged me close and kissed the top of my head.

"It would be even more perfect if it was ours." True. "Let's go talk to Janette to see what we can do." We walked back downstairs and found Janette waiting with some papers spread out.

"Did you find anything to your liking?" She smiled at Edward. Am I the only one who heard the double meaning laced in with her words?

Edward held onto me tightly. "Absolutely. What can you tell us about the condition of the house?"

She looked down at the papers, exposing a little cleavage. "Well, there are no termites; the roof was replaced a month ago, all the piping and plumbing are in good shape. The current owners remodeled it about a year ago. So, would you like to see the backyard?" She opened up the sliding door onto the back porch.

There was plenty of space for running around, that's for sure. A small pond rested just off the patio complete with lily pads and koi fish. From the wood platforms, you can lean over into the water.

"Edward," I whispered.

"I know." He liked the place just as much as I did. The fresh country air made the place feel serene. We held onto each other for a few moments, taking in the scene. Edward said to Janette, "we would like to make an offer."

Her response was delayed a bit. "Alright. Shall we go back to the agency and take care of this?" Edward and I took a good glimpse around. We found a home. He rubbed my lower back comfortingly and we eventually made our way back to the car. Edward didn't bother waiting up for Janette; he knew the way back by memory.

"It's getting late," I observed, looking at the clock on the dashboard that read six o' clock. Edward didn't take notice.

"Are you tired?" He asked. "If you'd like, we could come back tomorrow. We don't have to do everything in one day." Every time he asked he grew more concerned.

"Edward, I'm fine. Because I'm human, I get tired. I can get through a few more hours. I'll sleep on the way back to Paris, alright? Calm down." I used a little too harsh of a tone, but I thought nothing of it. Instead, I changed to a lighter topic. "Wow, we are really buying a house." My first house…I always thought I'd get it before I got married. Funny how fate just changes course like that.

A smile lit up Edward's face. "Yes, we are." He looked into my eyes instead of the road. I could tell from the look in his eyes that we were both love sick fools. We were just so in love with each other.

The office seemed a little emptier, now that the employees were going home, but a few remained…one of them being a very busy Janette Artois. She called the owner of the home and informed them of our offer…which I did not get to hear because Edward told Janette to write it down. Apparently, the price was too high for my preference. I scowled at him while he smiled victoriously. Smart ass.

Janette hung up the phone after about thirty minutes of a price debate. She smiled at the two of us. "The house is yours in thirty days." She organized the papers.

Edward helped me stand up and took my hand. "Thank you for all your help Janette. We are leaving for the states in a week, but we will be back within a week after we inform the family. We will see you in a couple of weeks to seal the deal." We shook hands. She shook mine a little loosely and dropped my hand quickly.

My legs were beginning to give out on me now that I was really exhausted. I fell asleep on the way to the train station. Then I fell asleep again on the train. Once again, I had that lovely dream of being on the beach with Edward and the little girl. A perfect little family. Edward shook me awake when we arrived in Paris. Thankfully, I was fully awake now.

Edward and I walked all the way back to our hotel suite. Once in the room, he had me up in his arms looking down at him.

"Did I say how much I love you today?" He asked.

Smiling, I told him, "no, but I have a pretty good idea." I kissed him. Just then, my stomach growled viciously. Edward laughed and I grimaced. "I think I need some sustenance to make my stomach be quiet." I patted my belly and made a sad face, looking down at my stomach. Edward's enchanting laughter filled the room.

"Let's order you some room service." He put me down on the couch and gave me a menu. I scoured the menu for fruity, sweet things.

"Let's see, I'll have the mushroom ravioli with a strawberry daiquiri—"

"Absolutely not!" Edward said with shock on his face.

"Non-alcoholic! Lay off! Then I'll have a tiramisu for desert." I put down the menu and looked up at Edward expectantly. His bemused expression perplexed me. "What?"

"Your appetite has certainly grown," he shook his head and picked up the phone to order my dinner.

When the food arrived, I gulped most of it down pretty quickly. Even after I finished, I didn't feel that full. "I really need to slow down on the food," I exclaimed, staring at the empty dishes.

Edward leaned over me on the couch. "Nonsense. Your body needs energy. Your naps today should indicate that." His lazy look: the disheveled hair, loose t-shirt, and pants that hung low on his waist made him look irresistible.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I told him, "I think we have a cause for celebration." His signature crooked smile made an appearance.

"Really?" He questioned.

"Really."

He thought for a mere second before his lips crashed onto mine. A kind of urgency was in the kiss. It held so much: passion, lust, love, release. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist before he carried me off into the bedroom.