A/N: Oh dear, here I go giving you guys a new chapter less than a month after the last one and I'm afraid I may have given you a bit of a cliffhanger.
Oops *snicker*

Chapter 56

Edward was hunched over and nearly crawling now thanks to his hast and the shape of the trail he was on beginning to shrink significantly in height. He felt leaves and branches and lord knows what else scraping along his neck and back; but it didn't matter, as he was in pursuit of an endangered species he'd read about many times but had never had the opportunity to see for himself—and to think he would discover such a creature living on his land of all places. The very thought of it made Edward feel like a giddy young boy, his adrenaline pumping and his heart racing with excitement.

The trail he had been on was rough and winding and likely made by any number of animals roaming about, traversing the landscape. It was quite obvious after his previous trips out here that humans hadn't wandered through this part of the forest in a very long time, if ever, so it was Edward's intention to take advantage of what nature had provided and use it for his own purposes; especially since it was much easier to expand an existing trail than it would be to try manufacturing one from scratch. Experience told him that the path he had been on was worn down by the movement of some of the larger mammals in the area such as a deer; but in his efforts to keep up with what he believed was a fisher—a small weasel-like animal that was very much endangered and hard to come by—he'd ventured off of the original path and into some surprisingly thick vegetation.

His initial intention today had been to continue the exploration of his property before having Bella join him for a few days of hiking and perhaps a short camping excursion. After all, fourteen acres wasn't so big that its secrets couldn't be discovered a few hours at a time over a matter of days, especially with one such as Edward in charge of the discovering. Unfortunately, or otherwise, Bella was eager to be out here with him, making his perusal of the land a bit less extensive than he would have liked.
It wasn't as if her desire to come along bothered him exactly but his protective nature made him nervous for her to be in such an uncontrolled and unknown environment. He was confident in his ability to keep her safe; still he would prefer to know the type of obstacles they might be made to face ahead of time.
Keeping that in mind it was to his benefit that he'd come to possess many forms of persuasion as of late. Because of this he'd been able to negotiate a compromise.

Bella had quite a bit of work that had been neglected during their time away, even though she'd been sure to complete as much as possible prior to their departure. And only days after they'd returned, Edward had been commissioned to start on a new project for one of his longstanding clients. With plenty to keep the both of them busy for a while, Edward had been able to promise an all-out exploration of the property as a reward, once they'd managed some progress with their pending obligations.
Bella and her accommodating ways couldn't find any reason to argue with his logic and agreed to the terms he'd laid out. And as a major bonus it allowed him the chance to have a look around and get a feel for the land before she'd be joining him.

Still, there was no hope of cutting larger trails or creating an easier climb through the dense undergrowth before his promise would need to be fulfilled, so he was concentrating more so on making sure there weren't any hidden dangers lurking nearby—wolves and bears for example; since Bella had already voiced an aversion to sharing space with such creatures. And of course knowing whether or not the terrain was conducive to hiking were keys.
No matter the purpose however, Edward still managed to find himself on his hands and knees, tangled in a mess of vines, and laughing out loud at his predicament this morning.

It was amazing to know that there were over three thousand types of plants that could be found in the state of Washington and that Edward could successfully put a name to damn near every one of them. What was even more amazing though was how he'd ended up here, and how the only thought in his head was that Bella would be laughing her ass off if she could see him right now.

While he was cussing the English ivy and the matted clumps of toadflax it had grown through to make the web-like trap he'd ended up in, he realized that the little fisher he'd spotted was long gone by now and probably not worth chasing after to begin with. After lying there in the dense foliage for a moment Edward finally got to his feet no longer concerned with being quiet or careful about his movement. He had a quick look around to gather his bearings before he started jogging through the brush, much as he'd always done for exercise. There wasn't much he'd managed to accomplish, but all the same he'd decided to call it a day. His shirt was torn in several places and he was a mess after his little side trip, but he'd always intended to go for a run while he was out, and right now he was loving every minute of it.

Bella flipped another page over and had just reached to set it on the growing stack of papers to her right when the backdoor banging open managed to startle her.
She glanced up and found Edward shirtless, his body glistening with perspiration and his chest heaving, as if he were out of breath.

"Hey, Baby." He said as soon as he noticed she was there, and in doing so he confirmed his breathless state. "When did you get home?"

Bella smiled at his enthusiastic tone and the fact that he'd referred to his home as if it were also hers. It wasn't official yet, but they were working their way towards that goal for sure.

The reason for her presence and his surprise at finding her here was that she'd been in to the office this morning to collect a new supply of manuscripts and turn in those that remained from what she'd been working on since before they'd gone out of town. Knowing that she would do so today they had decided to part ways last night after watching a movie with Alice over at their place.

Edward had been in his new house for just over a week at this point, but there had only been a handful of occasions thus far that they had been able to talk themselves into staying the night away from one another. There was really no point in it after all, but they were still curious to know what it would be like, and if they could actually deal with such moments of separation.

As it turned out it was a tolerable practice, which was rather encouraging though they were still of a mind to make it as rare an occurrence as possible. Still, Bella was happy to note that many of the things Alice had once excitedly described for her when speaking of she and Jasper's relationship had proven to be true.
It was difficult to be apart but saying goodnight was far more meaningful when you wouldn't be sleeping next to that person. And saying hello after some time spent away was rather rewarding as well.

Looking forward to those benefits and wanting her unplanned visit to be a surprise Bella hadn't bothered to phone ahead of time and disclose her intentions, so as a result she'd arrived here to find that Edward wasn't home. Or more accurately he wasn't at the house.
Both cars were still parked off to the side and the alarm hadn't been activated so Bella knew that he was just out and about on the property somewhere, and that he hadn't truly gone anywhere.
Using her key she'd let herself inside, cleaned up the few dishes that had appeared in the sink since the last time she'd been over and made herself comfortable on the sofa with some reading, happy to wait on his return.

She wasn't upset to know that Edward was out in the woods without her. He'd promised they would go out exploring together, but she didn't believe for one minute that he'd be able to resist the pull of nature when it was so near. That and she also understood his desire to make sure she wasn't going to be placed in any sort of danger.
She had missed him though so it was nice to discover that she'd only been reading for maybe twenty minutes by the time he had appeared. In that amount of time she was able to determine that she was really impressed with this particular author. Even so they were no match for her Edward in his current condition.

"I'm all sweaty." He agreed as he made his way straight to her, pausing briefly to remove his glasses and wipe his face with the towel he'd grabbed on his way past the kitchen.
With that done he bent to kiss her and smiled at the amused expression she wore.
Not only was he sweaty, he was pretty close to filthy. There were bits of debris, dirt and leaves, clinging to his shoulders and tangled into his hair. Mud was smeared along his left forearm and he had a collection of tiny twigs and pine needles caught up under his belt.

"Find a good spot to take a break. I'm going to have a quick shower and then I can't wait to tell you what all I found."

He was already on his way to the refrigerator and all Bella could think was, thank goodness he'd pulled off his boots outside, as she could tell by the dirt that had made it to his socked feet that his shoes must be in even worse condition.

With a bottle of water in hand he headed to the bedroom, but just as he'd made it to the door he hesitated and turned back to find Bella sitting there, still watching him.

"I love you, Baby." He grinned before disappearing around the corner.

Bella silently laughed at the scene she'd just been a part of. For anyone else this might have seemed strange, but for her she could easily see this becoming a part of their regular routine.

Being conveniently in between pages, Bella set the rest of her reading aside and got up from her place on the sofa, stretching lazily as she did so. She could hear the shower running thanks to Edward's recently developed habit of leaving the bathroom door open and it made her smile.
It was nice to know that he was comfortable here, and that he was comfortable having her here. It was such a little thing, but it was the type of habit a person could easily alter if they felt the need.

Listening to the sounds of water splashing and Edward bumping around in the shower, Bella busied herself making a cup of tea. She would have ordinarily made a second cup for Edward, but it was warm out today and by the look of things when he'd come inside he'd be more appreciative of a cold drink instead—perhaps another bottle of water.

Just as the kettle was starting to warm he rejoined her in the kitchen, wearing nothing more than a pair of shorts this time. Bella loved that she knew he owned four pairs of these shorts, all of which were identical except for the type of damage and wear each had sustained over the years. These were the ones that had a small tear near the right hip pocket, and a bit of fraying around the waistband. She knew that she was staring but it was not because of his clothing choice; it was instead because much of his body still shimmered with droplets of water, though he was busy rubbing the towel draped around his neck over his head and chest in an attempt to dry them.

"Did you have a nice run?" She pleasantly asked, knowing that no matter what he'd actually gotten up to in the woods that would have been a part of his original purpose.

He hummed an affirmative answer as he set the towel aside and stepped closer. He hadn't bothered collecting his glasses from wherever he'd set them down and Bella found herself suddenly mesmerized by the brilliant color of his eyes.

"You look gorgeous today," he whispered before allowing his lips to lightly kiss hers, "I probably wouldn't have gone anywhere if I'd known you'd show up while I was out, looking so beautiful."
He punctuated the statement with another kiss, this one lasting a moment longer.

"I wouldn't have been gone so long if I'd known I might have such a welcome waiting for me." She agreed.

Edward smiled against her mouth and proceeded to kiss her some more, his lips manipulating hers in ways that made her body tingle.

Kissing Edward had become as easy and natural as breathing for Bella and yet she usually forgot to do so whenever he took the time to really explore the possibilities. As with anything he could turn a simple kiss into an art form and he seemed to take pride in discovering new ways to impress her.

"Have you eaten yet?" He quietly asked after having gotten his fill, straightening up to place one more kiss upon her forehead, his hands gently cradling her face as he did so.

She shook her head slightly and blinked a few times.

There were tiny scratches, pink and irritated looking, along his bicep and in places across his chest. Bella touched him gently and kissed a few of them.

"You should be more careful, Sweetheart." She whispered.

She hadn't meant to ignore his offer of lunch, or change the subject as if were. Still, she couldn't seem to pull her thoughts away from the way he'd looked a few moments ago, and how even now, clean and smelling fresh from the shower, his rugged handsomeness was written all over him.

"I got a little carried away." He blushed, color extending from his face all the way down to where she was still inspecting his upper body.

Bella glanced up at him and let him see her smile.
She was wearing a slight bit of makeup today, as was her habit when she got dressed to go into the office. Edward couldn't see so well since his glasses were still sitting on the dresser in the other room, but he could still appreciate the way her eyes looked even bigger and perhaps a little darker than usual thanks to the enhancement. Her hair was pulled back from her face and secured with a clip, and she wore one of his favorite blouses. It was light and airy, and quite feminine in comparison to the normal clothes Bella usually wore around the house. It wasn't that he preferred her one way or the other but the differences were nice when he noticed them.

"I have some really wonderful animals living out back apparently." He told her then, by way of an explanation, letting his fingertips slowly trace along her hairline.

"When do I get to join you and see for myself?" She responded with a glint in her eyes that made his heart jump.

"Tomorrow." He decided on a whim.
It wasn't as though he could make enough changes to the landscape, or that he would even really want to before she would finally insist, so he was willing to take a chance.
It had worked wonderfully when speaking to her father the other night so he figured, why mess with a good thing?

"I have some things to do, so we'll work through this afternoon and pack up some supplies in the morning."

Her expression was nothing short of radiant and Edward chuckled when he suddenly found himself pressed up against the counter behind him.
No matter how much shorter Bella was than him she always found a way to reach his lips when she wanted to. Maybe it was because he was so drawn to her that instinctively he'd help to close the gap between them, but whatever it was he loved when she would initiate such contact.

Her little hands wandered over his ribs and up the strong plains of his chest, while Edward let his settle against her lower back, their mouths happy to enjoy each other's company at a lazy pace. That is until Bella's hands had again started to roam, this time in the opposite direction.

He groaned into her mouth as her fingers found their way below the belt, that he hadn't even bothered to put on, and began to lightly move along the length of his eagerly developing erection. She took his response for what it was and let her hand apply a bit more pressure, thoroughly palming him through the thin fabric of his shorts.

Another groan escaped him a moment later, this one coupled with the sound of her name as she released his mouth and the button of his shorts at the same time. She quieted him with a single finger placed over his parted lips and began to make a slow descent, kissing her way down the length of his body.

"Baby, what are you doing?" He pleaded, his body too intrigued by her attention to allow him any other means of stalling her progress.

"Relax, Sweetheart. I'm just saying thank you. And that I missed you."

His eyes had reluctantly closed, but he could feel her hands as they gripped his waistband at either hip, gently tugging his shorts downward.

They were still learning a lot, but they had become very willing students—eager for knowledge and unafraid to experiment.

Edward would have never dreamed that he'd be standing in this kitchen one day, his hands braced on the granite countertop behind him for support, while Bella confidently worshiped his manhood with her mouth. He also would have never thought a screaming teakettle would be the thing to interrupt such a moment; but it did.

It was a rare thing to hear Bella swear so heatedly but Edward was impressed with her choice of words. So much so that he'd been able to get over his disappointment rather quickly in favor of switching off the stovetop and setting the noisy kettle aside, before picking her up and striding off towards their bedroom.

This bed was awesome—all plush pillows and bedding, and plenty of room to move about. Even though when they actually stayed together they were still prone to sleeping practically on top of one another the space certainly came in handy for other activities. Like now, with Edward having decided to strip Bella of her clothing at such a leisurely pace—hovering above her, rolling beneath her and lying beside her, all the while kissing and caressing her body.

"Welcome home, Baby." Edward had grinned after they'd both found fulfillment.

Toying with his hair Bella kissed his forehead and made a very satisfied sound.
She knew that it was time to make a decision. Edward had taken it upon himself to speak with Charlie the other night, pointing out after Bella's father had mentioned something on the subject of Jasper and Alice's wedding plans that his daughter would need to consider what to do after the couple's marriage took place. Like Bella, Edward knew that it would make perfect sense to a reasonable person that she would need to seek a new living arrangement once her roommate got married. Believing that Charlie was indeed a reasonable person he felt okay pointing out the obvious. Much to everyone's surprise Charlie had actually suggested Bella think about moving in with Edward.

"It's kind of a small place, but Bella's pretty good at adapting to whatever's necessary."

"You'd be okay with it if I were to ask her?" Edward had all but blurted out.

If he'd meant to disguise his eagerness, he'd failed miserably; but Charlie was touched by his willingness to take on such a role. He had no doubts that Edward was very responsible and that he felt some serious obligations towards Bella's safety and wellbeing. He also knew that she would never know the kind of comfort and security Edward could offer her were she to try being on her own. And naturally after all this time it wasn't fair to insist she move back home, so the alternative was clear.

"I'm willing to trust that you'll continue to treat her with the respect she deserves. I haven't seen anything to make me think otherwise, so far, so it would be in your best interest to take the blessing I'm willing to give you and use it wisely."

It was probably the most articulate collection of words Edward had ever heard come from her father, but who was he to judge? His response was nothing more than a stuttered version of, "Yes sir." And a hastily added, "I will."

Remembering Edward's brave handling of what should have been her responsibility Bella was more than ready to solidify this commitment.

"If I can get through this manuscript I just started before the day is out, I think we should take a day once we get done exploring and start moving some of my things over here."

"Yeah?" He lifted his head from where it had been resting just above her heart and Bella nearly swooned at the sight of his smile.

They couldn't avoid a few extra moments of celebration but eventually they found themselves lounging in bed, Edward back in his shorts and Bella now wearing one of his t-shirts. Edward had retrieved one of his laptops from the loft so he could sit with Bella and get some work done while she'd picked up her reading again after the two had shared a quick lunch and sometime catching up on what all they'd been doing and thinking about since they'd said goodnight the day before. It should have been hard to get on task with so many distractions, but newly motivated and enjoying the silent company of one another while they worked Bella was on track to finish this manuscript and possibly more, while Edward was on quite a roll with his programing outline, neither one really noticing the time as it passed. That is until his phone had started to ring a few hours later.

"Cullen." He answered.

It was only Alice according to the caller ID, but old habits were hard to break.

"Tonight? Err, now?"

Bella had slipped off her glasses and was looking curiously in his direction, but Edward was only able to shrug as he didn't quite understand the urgency of his sister's voice.

A few suspenseful minutes went by where Bella could only hear one side of the conversation, but eventually Edward hung up the call and tried to explain.

"Alice says Mom and Dad are coming over there in just a little while, because she and Jasper had wanted to talk to them…she wouldn't say about what. But she's pretty insistent that we need to be there. She'd actually like us there before they show up."

Bella felt guilty for not sharing with Edward what she knew, but Alice had sworn her to secrecy this morning; specifically saying that she couldn't tell anyone, not even Edward. She'd wondered what, if anything, she was telling her brother over the phone but it was quite obvious that she hadn't said much, so neither would she. At least it wasn't information she'd have to keep to herself much longer, since it would seem the whole family would be aware soon enough.

"Think there's time for me to shower? I'd hate to be hanging out with your folks smelling like sex."

Edward certainly liked the idea of his girl carrying with her evidence of their physical love, but he'd be foolish to suggest that such a thing would go unnoticed by the likes of his father.

"Probably a good idea. We'll make time." He smirked, watching as she pulled off his shirt on her way into their bathroom.