Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: Thank you all for your messages, reviews, and alerts. You guys are AMAZING!

And I promise to respond to the reviews I missed this weekend and start Chapter 30 next week :)

Chapter 29: The More Things Change

Bella's POV

For the second morning in a row, I awoke in Edward's arms in what was now our basement apartment. Esme had rehabilitated it during our honeymoon as a wedding present and to address this newlywed's refusal to live with her vampiric in-laws and their exceptional sense of hearing. It was bad enough that Jasper could feel our arousal as soon as we could. There was no reason to also provide the entire family with a soundtrack.

Esme had sympathized with my human need for privacy and totally outdone herself with the renovations. The slate gray walls were a deeper version of the blue from my wedding gown, and the entire space boasted the same colors as our honeymoon cottage. She'd added soft white decorative molding to the ceiling and a unifying chair rail from one end of the apartment to the other. Gone were the harsh bookshelf unit and the stiff chair. In their place were floating shelves, a cushy sofa, and a pair of armchairs flanked by two reading lamps. There was also a colorful area rug with a wide ottoman in its center.

Edward and I were already quite fond of that piece of furniture.

In the second room, the pool table had been replaced by a round dining table topped by an Alice in Wonderland themed chess set. She'd kept the painting of his childhood home, the trunk of irreplaceables, and the framed pictures of his parents and added a decorative mirror, a chandelier, and assorted candle sconces.

The bedroom had been completely transformed. Besides filling the holes made by Edward's loneliness, the leather sofa was replaced by a bed just like the one we'd destroyed in the cottage. There was a vanity and dressing bench across from the bed. And on the wall behind the bench were a trio of photos that warmed my heart.

In the first one, Edward and I were sitting at his piano, our eyes locked as he'd played my lullaby for the very first time. The second photo was from the night of the Ball as we'd stood together in the foyer, debating on whether to go or stay home.

Someone had been quite sneaky with her candid camera.

But the largest photo was the centerpiece of the collection: Edward and I on our wedding day, just after the first kiss. I had never looked so happy, and his face was so alight with love that he practically looked human. I felt the urge to stroke his cheek as I stood before the picture, and soon the real thing appeared on my right side.

"Beautiful," I murmured as I turned around.

His fingers were combing through my unruly hair. "Whatever beauty I possess is a mere reflection of yours."

I rolled my eyes. "You're biased."

"And you are blind."

"Good thing we have each other," I said as I kissed him. Our mouths entwined as if they had never met before, and we stayed locked at the lips as Edward backed toward the bed. He laid me down, and our naked bodies picked up where they'd left off somewhere in the night. His lips moved to my throat as my hands slid down his back, and I rolled my head to the left. But when I glanced at our nightstand, I sighed.

Edward pulled away. "That didn't sound like pleasure."

"It wasn't." I turned his head to the object of my vexation.

He frowned at the clock. "Do we have to go back?"

I attempted to sit up. "Unless you want to be married to a high school dropout."

He pinned me down and nuzzled my neck. "As long as I can keep the 'married' part, you can drop out of anything you want."

His lips were teasing that sensitive spot beneath my ear, and I was having trouble speaking as I reconsidered. I was already married and becoming a vampire this summer. Couldn't I just take the GED test and spend the next six months in bed?

Then an image of proud Papa Swan sitting in the audience at the Forks High graduation ran across my mind, and I cupped Edward's face in my hands. "Charlie."

His eyes were resigned as he caught my meaning. With a kiss to my pouting lips, he sighed and rolled off of me. "You go shower, and I'll make you some breakfast."

I scooted off the bed and walked toward his bathroom. "Or you can shower with me, and I'll eat a granola bar in the car."

His eyes darkened. "Are you trying to leave this apartment sometime today?"

"Yes."

"Then please shower by yourself," he grimaced. "Quickly."

I nodded with resignation and headed into the bathroom. As I grabbed my monogrammed towel from the bar, I realized the grim truth.

The honeymoon was officially over.

—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—

As far as the rest of the world was concerned, Edward and I lived in a small house not too far from the Cullen mansion. The honeymoon cottage belonged to the Cullens and would serve as a proper decoy if it ever became necessary. Provided they replaced the bed first and repaired a few dents.

But to enhance the illusion of our independence, Alice had been gifted with Esme's three-year-old, barely-used champagne Audi coupe. This way, Alice could get to school on time without being subjected to our romantic antics. As it was, Edward seemed to be having trouble keeping his hands at ten and two as he drove.

Not that I minded.

As today was our first time being around other people since the honeymoon, we were hoping to just stay to ourselves and under the radar. But as we pulled into the school parking lot, the unlikelihood of that became clear.

Despite the cold wind, dozens of students were idling outside the main entrance, proving that news of our nuptials had reached school grounds. And as the crowd moseyed toward our car, I rolled my eyes at their nosiness. But as Edward cut the engine, I was surprised to find him smiling.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Everything," he beamed as he removed our seatbelts. "You're my wife, and you officially belong to me. Which means I have the legal right to do this."

Edward leaned over and kissed me, and our mouths began their sensual dance. He lifted me onto his lap, and as I inadvertently bumped into the horn, there was a collective cry of surprise outside of the car. I laughed, unconcerned, and straddled him, my knees balancing awkwardly on either side of his seat. I unbuttoned his coat, and we abruptly jerked backwards as Edward reclined his seat. My mouth dipped to my favorite sweet spot on his neck as he unzipped my jacket, and I soon felt his hands beneath my sweater. His fingers were cold as they reached inside my bra, and when he began rubbing my breast, I grabbed his wrist.

"Be warned, Mr. Cullen," I groaned. "If you keep that up, we're going to make the front page of the Forum."

"Hadn't you noticed?" Edward smiled as his fingers kept moving. "I've had the windows tinted. It's their word against ours what's going on in here."

That little detail almost changed my vote, but I steeled myself. "You honestly think you can do this without breaking the windows or flattening the tires?"

He paused, and his thoughtful expression made me laugh. "Come on, closet freak. Let's go before we do something really stupid."

We exited the car a few moments later, unsurprised to find the parking lot still full. We walked through the throng with our heads high, stopping to greet Angela and Ben just inside the front door.

"Happy new year, newlyweds!" Angela gushed as she hugged me. "How was the honeymoon?"

Ben raised an eyebrow at Edward, and he grinned as Angela covered her mouth. "I didn't mean it like that! I mean…I did, but not like…I can't believe I just asked you that in front of your boyfri- husband!"

"It's okay," I smiled, my cheeks aflame. "Whatever you meant, it was amazing. Absolutely amazing."

"Oh!" Now Angela was red. "I'm glad."

"Dude, your wedding was fly," Ben was saying as Jessica approached me. "Like something out of a movie."

"You can thank my beautiful bride for that," Edward smiled, warming me afresh from head to toe. I caught Mike Newton's glare as he passed us, and I waved at him. He halfway nodded and then scurried toward homeroom. I was too happy to mind.

Jessica took my outstretched hand and inspected it. The gems twinkled in the light, inciting a loud gasp from the onlookers. "I just wanted to see if your rings were as obnoxious as I remembered," she said.

"And?"

"They're worse." She dropped my hand and smirked. "I bet that 'monkey sex' thing is true now." I laughed, and she shook her head. "I won't ask for details because I know you wouldn't give me any, but you're glowing so bright that it's almost disgusting."

"Aw, thanks, Jess," I grinned and then lowered my voice. "And you're right...on both accounts."

"Oh, shut up," she said. "You are so freaking lucky, Bella. And I'm happy for you and all, but if I wasn't your friend, I would seriously want to slap you."

"You touch my bride," Edward playfully growled, "and I'll have to hurt you."

Jessica was gazing at Edward like an aroused deer in headlights, but before she could respond, Lauren emerged from the crowd.

"And what do we have here?" she crowed as she stepped around Jessica. "Mr. and Mrs. Cullen holding court in the hallway. Well," she looked me up and down and folded her arms, "what a shitty way to start the year."

"Lauren!" I exclaimed, enjoying her shock as I hugged her. "I see you're sticking to last year's resolution to be the biggest bitch in Forks. Good for you!"

Edward patted her shoulder as her mouth dropped open. "Happy New Year," he smiled cruelly.

Lauren winced from the contact, and her eyes narrowed to slits as we passed her. Edward and I headed down the hall and made a left turn at the main office. As we closed the door, Lauren screeched, "I hate you so much!"

Ms. Cope looked up at the outburst, and her surprise doubled when she saw us walking toward the counter. "What are you two doing here?"

"We go to school here," I replied.

"I know," she chuckled. "But the wedding was only last Thursday. I didn't expect you back until next Monday."

Edward was quick to finish her thought. "So we can leave?"

Ms. Cope was too dazed to speak, so I nudged Edward to look down. "I mean, I can't authorize you to stay away that long," she confided after recovering. "But if you did, I'm sure a note from the police chief or the most popular doctor in Forks would earn you some leniency. But while you're here, you may as well pick up a 'Change of Personal Information' form. You'll need one, you know, since you have a new last name now!"

Girlishness overtook her, and she grinned as she went digging in a bin below the counter. "Can I just thank you again for inviting me to your wedding? It was the most romantic event I have ever attended! I hope Wilson was taking notes," she winked.

I was a little grossed out by her tender tone, but I couldn't really object in the face of her enthusiasm for our marriage. And because she'd just told us to extend our honeymoon another week, she could call him her "Big Bald Sugar Daddy" for all I cared.

Edward tucked the form into my bookbag as soon as it hit the counter, and Ms. Cope smiled. "Someone's in a hurry, huh?" She laughed aloud, fanning herself, and we took that as our cue to leave.

"Thank you, Ms. Cope," I said sincerely.

"Bye, lovebirds!"

We rushed out the door and back through the hallway, ignoring the second round of stares, and beelined for the Volvo. Alice was pulling in as we reached the car, and as she stuck out her tongue, we gave her a detailed glimpse of our afternoon plans.

"Too much information!" she shouted, and we laughed as we peeled out of the parking lot.

"So where do you want to go, Mrs. Cullen?" he asked. "The cottage? Coldstone Creamery? Canada?"

"As long as it starts with 'C,' right?" I chuckled. "Actually, I'd like to go to Charlie's."

"Right," he nodded. "You never packed your things."

"True, but Charlie and I haven't really talked about the wedding, and I wanted to make sure he was all right."

"Charlie's fine, love." He patted my hand sympathetically. "Don't worry."

"I know," I said without conviction. "I just want to tidy up and make him some dinner. I wouldn't want him to think I've abandoned him."

I couldn't explain where these dutiful daughter desires were coming from, but I wanted to make sure Charlie knew that my marriage wouldn't change his place in my life. And to my new husband's credit, he didn't try to dissuade me. He just squeezed my hand and didn't let go until we pulled onto my street. Charlie's cruiser was gone, but my truck was parked in the driveway. And although it was still mine, it somehow looked abandoned and made the house itself seem incredibly large and lonely.

I had expected to find the place in a state of disarray. But when I walked into the living room, the pillows were fluffed, the carpet vacuumed, and a newspaper was neatly folded on the coffee table. The television remote control was resting on top of it, and there were three baby cacti on the mantle.

Actual living things.

I dropped my coat and bookbag on the couch, then walked returned to the hall. That's when I noticed that the mirror in the hallway was smudge- and streak-free. "Are you sure this is my house?" I wondered aloud.

The orderliness continued into the kitchen. All the dishes were clean, the counters spotless, and there was a large white poinsettia in the middle of the table that matched the new green and white curtains and placemats.

"Has Esme been here?" I asked Edward.

"No," Edward said, "but this reeks of Alice. And you know she has a sweet spot for Charlie."

"And Charlie can't resist her spritely charm."

"So you see?" Edward pulled me in his arms. "You have nothing to worry about."

"You're always right," I sighed against his chest.

"Hardly," he said. "And I hope you'll forgive me when I get things wrong."

"As long as we're together," I smiled, "nothing will ever be wrong again."

Edward tilted my chin up and brought his lips down to mine. I was expecting him to lift me onto the counter, but he scooped me into his arms and whisked us to my bedroom.

I barely took note of the mess I'd left in here as Edward set me down at the foot of my bed. His kisses grew slower until they finally ceased, but he didn't fully release me. He was frowning for the first time in a week as he looked around the room, gently rubbing my arms before he finally spoke.

"The first night I came here, I was a predator." His voice was a ragged whisper. "A lurking fiend who stole the truth of your heart while you slept unaware." He lifted my left hand and caressed its third finger. "And now, you're wearing my ring, flaunting my last name, preparing to be my eternal mate." He pierced me with his eyes. "I am so…"

His voice cut off as he fondled my wedding ring, and I was struck dumb. I couldn't look away as the tempest raged in his eyes, and my palm came to rest against the side of his face. My hand slid downward as his breathing quickened, his sweet breath washing over me in heady gusts. He kissed my fingers as they brushed across his mouth and pulled me even closer, licking his lips as I stood on tiptoe to reach him.

This kiss was chaste and barely palpable, but it conveyed everything that I couldn't say. I kissed him again with greater pressure and slid my hands into his hair. I angled my head and leaned in a third time, my tongue slipping out to sample his bottom lip. He groaned as I licked him, and his hands made their way to the top of my shirt. My heartbeat quickened as he began working the buttons on my cashmere cardigan, and I shuddered when his smoldering eyes recaptured mine.

My fingers blindly reached for Edward's collar and slowly made their way down. When at last the final button was open, he helped me remove his shirt and tossed it on top of my sweater. He dropped to his knees and dispensed with our shoes and socks. I pulled him closer by his belt when he stood up, our tongues soft and seeking as we kissed again. I busied myself with undoing his jeans, and the unzipping of his fly was erotic in the silence. Edward wound a hand around my back before I could remove his bottoms, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he eased us onto the bed.

His lips slowly savored mine as we began to undress each other. He fingered the front clasp of my bra and unhooked it, sliding the straps off my shoulders. As he kissed his way to my ear, my hands ran up his back, and he lifted his head so I could remove his shirt. He immediately returned to my skin, kissing every inch between my earlobe and collarbone before finding my lips again. His tongue teased my bottom lip as his hands skimmed my breasts on their way down to my waist. He unbuttoned my jeans and slipped his hands beneath my bikinis, sliding them down my legs. I kicked them off and leaned forward to remove the rest of his clothes.

Without nothing between us but sensual intent, we lay back down and settled into the bed. Edward pulled up the covers and pulled me closer, rolling me on top of him as we kissed. He held me close as he caressed my back, his hands cold and gentle as they covered my bottom. They turned at my hips and glided over my stomach, and I sighed as they finally cupped my breasts. I leaned my head back as he kissed my chin, shuddering as his teeth grazed my neck. He sucked the tender spot where my pulse was racing, and my hips began to rock against him. His hands cradled my body closer as he rolled me beneath him, bending my leg at the knee as he carefully balanced on top of me.

I met Edward's eyes as he prepared himself, the magnificent storm still brewing in their depths. I held his gaze as he found me, the first, precious push nearly bringing me to tears. He waited for some time before moving again, kissing and caressing me until I was dizzy with desire. And then he inched forward again in a delectable duet of strength and grace, and a spasm of pleasure rippled through my body. My eyes fluttered as if to close, but I forced them to focus as Edward stared into my soul. I felt his heart in every perfect stroke, and the sensation was as powerful as it was pure. And as we slowly made love in the room where we first began, I felt as if we'd come full circle, with nothing lacking between us and nothing standing in our way.

—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—

Edward pointed to the lamp on my nightstand. "How about this?"

"No," I said. "That was here when I arrived from Phoenix."

I had taken a bird bath and changed my clothes again while Edward prepared my lunch. He'd showered while I ate, and thanks to his inhuman abilities, he had been dry and dressed before I'd finished the first half of my sandwich.

Now we were in my room deciding what I would take to my new home beneath the Cullen mansion. And the selection process was much harder than I'd expected.

He lifted the comforter from the bed. "Too small," I said.

"You could curl up in it while you read on the couch," he replied as he folded it.

"It doesn't match our décor."

He nodded and dropped the blanket on the bed. He then started walking toward the desk, and I was already shaking my head. "Charlie bought that at a garage sale and repainted it before I moved in. See? It used to be pink."

"This?" He sat in the rocking chair. "It would be perfect in our bedroom."

"He bought that before I was born," I said in a small voice. "I couldn't take that from him."

"So far, you've said 'yes' to four CDs and your bookbag," Edward observed as he invited me onto his lap. "Are you sure that you're ready to move out? Because if not, we can work something out."

"Like what?" I muttered into his chest.

"Conjugal visits, for starters."

I fought a smile. "You're not getting conjugal visits."

His eyes went wide with horror. "You're cutting me off?"

"Hush, silly boy," I said with a shove. "I just…I don't know which would be worse for Charlie: all of my stuff here without me or my ransacked room half-full of the things I didn't want."

"We don't have to do this now," Edward reminded me. "You can talk to Charlie, see how he's feeling, and then proceed. There's no rush, you know." He tilted my chin up. "We will be married forever."

"I like the sound of that." And my move-out project quickly became secondary to the chance to make out with my husband.

"So," Edward asked at length. "Are you still making dinner?"

"Yes." I jumped off his lap and walked toward the bedroom door. "I'm thinking lasagna."

Edward followed me downstairs as I raided the fridge and cabinets. While there was both ground beef and Italian sausage, tomato sauce and pasta, Charlie was out of fresh produce and cheese. I thought of sending Edward to the store, but he offered to run home and grab supplies from Esme's sizeable stock. I agreed, provided that he used a car like a normal person, and he agreed, provided that he didn't have to obey the speed limit.

"Compromise is the key to any successful marriage, you know," he quipped.

"Just don't get caught," I said. "I'm sure Charlie doesn't want his first arrest of the year to be his son-in-law."

As I couldn't brown the meat without the onions and peppers, I used the time in Edward's absence to start the "Thank you" notes from the wedding. Esme had taken care of all the vendors, but I wanted to send handwritten cards to Madeleine, Jeanette, and Mr. Weber. Even with my family's mythical abilities, the wedding would not have taken place without the help of those three humans.

Humans, I chuckled to myself. You're already seeing yourself differently.

Edward returned just as I was finishing the note to Jeanette, and he brought the bag of groceries into the kitchen. As I set the tri-colored peppers and onions on the counter, Edward tied an apron around my waist and kissed my cheek. "Another wedding present from Esme."

The black cotton apron had "Mrs. Bella Cullen" written in an elegant white script across the bust. I noticed Edward was similarly dressed, only his apron was embossed with a flowery "Mr. Bella Swan."

"Emmett," he shrugged.

I tried not to be distracted by the ridiculous speed with which Edward expertly chopped the tomatoes, peppers, and onions, but it was impossible. He was chatting and laughing as if his hands weren't handling the sharpest knife in our kitchen, and I marveled at the display of both sides of his nature.

Once the lasagna was on, we retired to the living room. Although Charlie wasn't due home for another couple of hours, being alone in my bedroom was simply too tempting. And we didn't want to press our luck.

"You know," Edward said as he stroked my hands. "I never did give you a wedding present."

"You are my wedding present." I kissed him. "What could be better than that?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe a grand tour of the most beautiful bookstores in the world."

"Yeah," I smiled. "That would be amazing." Edward looked at me with a knowing glint in his eyes, and I gaped at him. "Are you serious?" He reached down and pulled out a large, elegant envelope. "What's with you hiding presents under the couch?" I asked as my eyes and smile widened with glee.

"You never seem to look there," he shrugged as I snatched the envelope from him.

Inside was an itinerary for a tour of twenty bookstores, starting with The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles. There were stops in Greece, Argentina, Italy, and a host of other places. As I looked at the included photos of each store, I was already salivating at the prospect of exploring them. "Some of these are outdoors," he explained, "so we'll have to go at night or on overcast days."

"How many of these have you visited?" I asked as I devoured the pictures.

"None," he confessed. "This experience will be new for me as well."

"Edward, this is amazing!" I kissed him repeatedly. "Especially since we'll be discovering them together."

"I'm glad that you're pleased," he smiled.

"Pleased?" I tossed the envelope onto the coffee table, pushed him back into the couch, and straddled him. "I'll show you just how pleased I am."

As I leaned in and licked his ear, he moaned. "I thought we weren't trying to get caught."

I lifted my head. "Then let's be quick about it."

"You are incorrigible," he said as he stared at my mouth. "And I love you that way."

My lips found his again, and I was preparing to unbutton his pants when the doorbell rang. I jumped up and screamed, and Edward clamped his mouth shut so as not to laugh. I swatted his arm as I fixed my appearance and walked toward the door.

Mr. Lauren was there with the mail, a large package for Charlie, and congratulations on my nuptials. I received them all politely and returned to the living room.

"Well, that killed the mood," I frowned as I flopped on the sofa. "If Charlie's expecting a package, then he'll probably be home earlier than usual."

"Then let's make sure he finds us doing something harmless." He reached for the remote and turned on the television, immediately seeking out the preview channel.

"Nothing romantic," I groused. "I'm already having enough trouble in that department."

"Amen," Edward muttered. He sped through the guide and then put his arm around me as he changed the channel. "Have you ever seen Misery?"

Kathy Bates scared the living crap out of me for the better part of two hours, and after I recovered enough to take the lasagna out of the oven, Edward mellowed things slightly with Strangers on a Train. The taut psychological thriller was followed by Dial 'M' for Murder, and the last thing I saw before my eyes closed was Grace Kelly walking toward the telephone in her bathrobe.

By the time I woke up, Sidney Poitier was on the screen in a smart dark suit talking to an incredulous Spencer Tracy. I recognized the scene from Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? and wished I had caught it from the beginning.

Edward was still curled around me, and I disentangled myself from his arms to stretch. "So did Tony get away with it?" I asked.

"I wouldn't want to ruin the ending," he said.

"You're right," I smiled. "Better to watch it another time when I'm not so exhausted." I kissed him briefly. "What time is it?"

"Three o'clock."

"In the morning?" I noticed for the first time that it was pitch black outside. "How long was I asleep?"

"A while," he replied. "I thought of waking you but figured that you needed your sleep."

"I guess so." Then I turned back to him. "What did Charlie say when he found us down here? I bet he didn't take it so well. Then again, he was pretty cool at the wedding, so maybe he..."

In the middle of my rambling, I noticed Edward's taut, humorless expression. And I immediately thought the worst.

"What happened?" I asked. "Did he yell? Did he cry? Did he ask inappropriate questions about our honeymoon?"

"No," Edward said. "He didn't do any of those things."

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Good." But Edward's eyes were still strange, almost afraid to look at me. "What is it?"

"Charlie didn't do those things," Edward said slowly, "because he didn't come home."

"He's not here?" I looked toward the window again and back at Edward. "Well, where is he?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" I laughed. "You know everything."

He didn't smile or respond, and his stillness was making me nervous.

"Edward," I asked with rising trepidation, "where is Charlie?"

He took my hands, and his honeyed eyes were soft as they held mine. "He's missing."

I don't know what sort of note to leave here, so I'll just say PLEASE REVIEW.