A/N… We're still with Edward and Bella at the Cullen family home outside the walls of Forks… I'll let you get to it.

~oOo~

Chapter 9 – Face of the Future

EDWARD

"Is there more about you in here?" Bella asked, tapping the cover of the large book as I led her back downstairs.

"A little," I answered honestly, "but I'll answer anything you ask of me."

When we made it back into the living room and in front of the piano, I pulled another white cover off the sofa. I smiled a little because most of the things inside this house had been at the home in New York. When Alice had warned them, they must have simply packed up a moving truck and sped across the country. I wondered at what point Alice removed her and Jasper's presence. It was clear he'd never been to Forks. I also guessed that my smallest sister would've seen his reaction coming, and with all the other impending visions she had to have seen, then I would've bet anything that she sent everyone else here first.

Bella took a seat on the sofa, that big book in her lap. Smiling, I knelt in front of her. Immediately, her hands reached out to brush my hair from my forehead. The act was sweet and comforting, and I loved that, like me, she couldn't stop from reaching out to simply touch.

"Any requests?" I asked, smiling when her laugh was soft.

"You mean…anything?" she asked, wearing a beautiful smile.

I tapped my temple. "No sheet music needed. There are a few benefits to being immortal. Eidetic memory is one."

"Wow, okay then. Umm, 'Claire de Lune'? Or 'Fur Elise'? Or 'Moonlight Sonata'?"

My eyebrows shot up because I was expecting something contemporary, or at least something that had been on the radio when there was radio. I certainly wasn't expecting classical, but something about that made me lean in to kiss her.

"Okay," I whispered against her lips. "Your wish is my command."

She let out a soft giggle, which was quickly becoming one of my favorite sounds. Her heartbeat picked up a little when I stood and took a seat at my piano. My plan was to play every song she'd just mentioned and maybe a couple more. It seemed like it had been decades since I'd sat down to this piano, because it had been years before the sky fell when I last played.

Music used to bring me peace and solace. It gave me something to tune out the minds of my family. When it had been only Carlisle and me, it had given me something to channel my newborn anger, a task to teach me how to touch without destroying, and something to remember my humanity.

However, the last few moves with my family, I'd been bitter, bored, alone. Music wasn't helping, and Esme had missed it, which was why she most likely sent us here. A glance over at the beautiful brunette on the sofa made my still heart soar.

I started "Claire de Lune," hearing Bella gasp softly, but I focused on my hands, the notes. It didn't take long, but the tension in my shoulders started to ebb away about halfway through the song. I went straight into "Fur Elise," happily losing myself to the notes, the peace that music and Bella gave me.

When the second song was over, Bella said, "That was beautiful. Esme's right; you're really talented."

"Thank you." I smiled at the praise, but it made me feel a touch shy.

"Did… Did you play before?" she asked tentatively.

I met her gaze and nodded. "I did. My mother loved the piano. I barely remember lessons when I was very young. Those memories are…blurry."

"My mom tried to get Nessa and me into piano or dance," she said, her nose wrinkling adorably.

I chuckled, but I waited. Bella so rarely brought up her mother. When she didn't say anything for a moment, I asked, "I take it that it was a failed experiment?"

She laughed, nodding and reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. My family's book was open on her lap, but she was looking to me.

"Can you imagine Nessa in a tutu and ballet slippers?" she asked with a laugh. "She wanted soccer, and we both took karate for a year – we were eight and six." She pointed to the piano. "My mom, though, loved classical music. Played it all the time, especially when we were little."

The pull to go to her was strong – and completely irresistible because she looked a little lost and sad. I got up from the piano bench and knelt in front of her again.

"It hurts you to speak of her," I stated. It wasn't a question. I'd seen several times that it made my Bella emotional.

She nodded, swallowing thickly, and I could see her fighting tears. "I…" she started but took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I miss her. If it hadn't been for my class trip to the museum…"

"No, love," I groaned, cupping her face and shaking my head. "I know it feels that way, but it's not your fault."

"I begged her to chaperone because my friends thought she was the coolest mom." Her sweet voice broke on the last word, and I leaned in to kiss her softly.

"I'm willing to bet she was, Bella. She raised two amazing daughters, but it still wasn't your fault."

I could see that Charlie was right. He truly believed Bella blamed herself for Renee's death, despite the fact that millions of people died the day the sky fell.

"Carlisle tried, you know," she whispered, sniffling a little, and I gently wiped her tears away. "He seemed hellbent on saving the whole damn bus. But my mom had been up front with the driver when we wrecked."

I'd seen some of it in his thoughts, specifically his role in saving the beautiful thing in front of me. The loss of life on that bus alone had been too much for him; he rarely thought about it. However, he did pour all his love and attention onto my Bella. I'm not sure I could ever repay him or Alice for this gift. It overwhelmed me, made me regret my long life of complaining and brooding, and it wrecked me to think that I almost didn't have this.

I gently tugged the book from her lap and set it on the floor. Slipping my hands beneath her, I scooped her up and took her seat, curling her into my chest. Her face pressed into my neck, fiery hot tears meeting my skin. Something in my chest cracked wide open. I now understood that when a mate was hurting, so did their other half.

I never got it until now.

"Sweetheart, it really wasn't your fault," I reiterated gently, brushing her hair from her face. "God, Bella, I know it feels that way. I really do. I blamed myself for my parents for a very long time."

Bella pulled away from my neck, her brow furrowing. "Why?"

Pressing a kiss to the middle of her forehead, I whispered, "I always assumed I had been the one to bring the flu home, from school or my friends." I pulled back to gently wipe away her tears that had thankfully slowed down. "It took a long time for Carlisle to get me to truly think. It could've been any one of us. My mother had her friends, my father his work, and even the housekeeper. It was honestly everywhere."

"I feel like I stole her from Dad and Nessa," she barely said aloud, and if not for my enhanced hearing, I wouldn't have heard it.

"She was stolen from all of you," I said, tilting my head. "But I assure you that it wasn't your fault. We could blame the driver, the school, or God Himself, but the responsibility does not rest on the shoulders of a thirteen-year-old girl."

Her hands cupped my face, and she kissed me. It was brief, but it was warm and sweet, tasting slightly of her tears. She finally nodded, and without her thoughts, I couldn't be sure if I'd gotten my point across, but she looked better, lighter.

"Now, would you like me to play some more or simply hold you? Because I'm honestly not sure I can make the choice," I said with an honest tone and a laugh.

She giggled, and it was adorable and sniffly. "Tough call!"

Bella was simply beautiful, and just looking at her made me feel all the things all at one time. I used to roll my eyes at my brothers for the way they would fall under some spell with their mates, but I felt it now. This girl could lead me into hell, and I'd go just to hold her hand.

"Please play," she finally said, smiling a little. "Can I wash my face somewhere?"

Nodding, I set her on her feet. "Kitchen or bathroom. Let the water run a bit. I imagine the pipes are a little stagnant."

She nodded, stepping away to the kitchen, and I took my place back at the piano when I heard the water turn on. Deciding to change things a bit, I switched to songs that weren't classical. A little Beatles, Elton John, and some Queen made Bella light up like the perfect sunrise.

She took her spot back on the sofa, not picking the book back up. She seemed content to quietly watch me, but I could hear her heartbeat and breathing slow. Her long night fighting werewolves was catching up to her. I played softer songs, watching them work like lullabies. And since it was early in the day, I had no intention of waking her. However, the chilly fall was making the room a little cool, so I went in search of one of Esme's quilts and found one in the hallway closet.

I draped it over her, unable to not kiss her forehead lightly. "Sleep, my beautiful Bella."

Deciding to give her the quiet, I closed the piano up. I reveled in the silence. There was no one near, no thoughts, no sounds other than the deep breathing of Bella's sleep and the spatter of a light rain outside. It was a rest for my mind, this sweet bubble that we'd created today. It gave me comfort that I could hear if someone approached us, so with that thought, I wandered upstairs to the room Esme had deemed as mine.

I poked around in a few boxes, pulled out a couple pairs of jeans and a shirt or two so I wouldn't have to raid Bella's trade store, and finally found the lock box for which I was searching. I pulled out my keys and unlocked it. Inside was Edward Masen Jr's life and death in a space smaller than a shoebox. It was small things – an ID, one small family photo, some papers from when I'd inherited my father's fortune, which meant nothing now in the new state of things. But tucked in the corner in a little black velvet bag was what I was looking for – my mother's ring.

I tipped it out into the palm of my hand, my brow furrowing at how there had been a time I'd never wanted to see it again, but Carlisle insisted that I save it, cherish it. He'd told me repeatedly that there may come a time I'd be willing to give it to someone. I'd thought he was full of shit.

My hands shook a little as I tilted my hand so the diamonds glinted in the dreary light coming in from the windows. I wasn't sure what made me need to see it. I wasn't even sure I cared about the whole institution of marriage with the way things were, because the sleeping girl downstairs was my life now, and it went deeper and stronger than any ceremony could give us. And if she decided to become like me, then it would bind us together for eternity.

I put the ring back in its bag and closed the box. I found an old backpack that I used at the last high school we'd attended and packed the clothes and the box inside of it. I toted it downstairs, setting it by Bella's bag.

Checking on her one more time, I knelt by the sofa. I was just about to curl up with her, but I heard my name.

Edward.

It was distant, and my brow furrowed as I stood up. I walked to the back door of the kitchen, shaking my head at who was stepping into the backyard from the tree line.

I was out the door and halfway across the yard before she took another step. Her mind was chaos, hiding thoughts and pushing away the constant visions that seemed to bombard her all the time now.

"Alice," I greeted, and I noted her eyes were still red, so I couldn't tell if she'd slipped again since it had only been days since I saw her last.

"I haven't slipped again," she answered knowingly. "I just…" She trailed off when both of us could hear Bella shift in her sleep.

"I… Alice, I can't let you near her. Not with…" My nostrils flared at how terrible that sounded, but as long as her eyes were red, I couldn't allow her anywhere near my Bella. "I just can't take that chance. I'm sorry." I tapped my chest. "It's too much, and it's fierce and…"

She rushed to me, hugging me hard. "I know. I'm so fucking happy for you. She's the gift I've always wanted for you. The one you deserve, brother."

"Thank you," I breathed into the top of her head, and I smiled that she did indeed smell like a bear and moose she'd recently hunted. "But…why are you here? Aren't you taking a chance?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm careful. I'll clean up before I go back. I just… I saw you come here, and God, I just miss you so much, and…"

I tried to pull the rest of that from her mind, but she was guarding her thoughts.

She pulled back from me, her brow furrowing. "I needed to tell you some visions have changed. Cyrus. He will come for you the next full moon."

"I had assumed. He was there last night."

She nodded, rubbing her face in weariness and frustration. "Hide the majority of your humans when the time comes. But go to Olympia as soon as possible. You need silver. You'll find food at the Army Reserve and seeds at the garden section of the Walmart just outside of town. You'll find silver at the big bank downtown. It has to be you and Carlisle or Emmett, but no Quileute."

Instinctively, I turned toward the house, because to leave Bella would cause all sorts of worry for her and me.

"She'll be fine."

I cracked a smile. "What about me? The thought of leaving her…hurts."

She smiled back, tilting her head up to me. "It's new. I get it, but there are monsters in Olympia that only Judas can handle."

Her thoughts cleared, showing me mimics. The town was riddled with them. The poor humans couldn't tell who was real and who was monster. The smart ones stayed inside.

"How many?"

"About five or six. One keeps flickering in and out of darkness."

I raked a hand through my hair, gripping it hard for a moment. My conflicting needs and wants warred within, but I knew I could get in and out of Olympia with no issues. It was possible to exterminate a few of those mimics at the same time. The only positive was that I would be able to bring necessities back to Forks.

"Good," Alice said softly. "Last thing. You need to know what Cyrus looks like in his human form because he's a shady bastard. He's debated coming here as a human to sneak in."

I'd assumed that I would see one of her visions, but she actually pulled up a memory. Alice had tracked and followed the ancient lycan. He'd taken over an apartment building somewhere near UW – or what used to be UW. In fact, Seattle as a whole looked like a dystopian nightmare. However, the large werewolf seemed to have quite the following. He passed at least a dozen humans before his body gave a shudder. He shifted, shrinking down to the size and shape of an average human male.

I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't the unassuming middle-aged human addressing the rest. He was approximately my height with long, light brown hair and a goatee. In a small way, he reminded me of the red-eyed vampire who had killed my elderly neighbor in Chicago – Carlisle had called him James.

I shook my head, a sneer curling up my lips. "What I wouldn't give to beat him to the punch," I muttered, locking eyes with Alice.

"Won't work." There was a finality to her tone. "There are too many. You disappear, Edward."

"Dammit," I grumbled, turning a little when Bella shifted again in her sleep, but her heartbeat stayed slow and steady. "Alice, do you see…" I started, already knowing the answer.

"She'll make a stunning immortal, brother. And she'll love you forever. Not one regret," she answered without me even asking. It reminded me of the way we'd been before all the madness of the world. "You want to see her again?"

"Yes! No… No…" I groaned, gripping my hair again. "Yes."

Alice smiled, not teasing one bit, but she opened her mind to the pure vision that was my Bella immortal. She was golden-eyed perfection. She was strong and stunning, wearing a smile of pure joy. The love and warmth that radiated out of her was taking my breath away. She was a combination of danger and sensuality. And she was mine.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Told you."

Grinning, I nodded, shoving my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. I wanted it, but only when Bella decided.

"She wants it, Edward. She wants you. Always."

"Why… Why does that feel wrong?"

"Because we haven't had the best beginnings. Hers will be different, better, wanted." Before I could ask her how, she held up a hand. "That's the same as last time. You do it or Carlisle does it, but I can't see if it's needed – like she's hurt – or if she asks you to do it."

I gazed over to my sister, hearing sadness in her thoughts and tone. "How is he?"

Her chin trembled. "Angry. When he gets a moment of calm, he's riddled with guilt to the point of debilitation. He won't let me help him, and it would be useless to try, because even if I put him in the middle of no-fucking-where, he'd relapse back."

I sighed, my head falling back. "What about Alaska? Couldn't you get him there?"

Her eyes glazed, her visions flying through her mind faster than I remembered. And there was a new process that she used. She had to search for our extended family to make sure they'd survived. Their home in Denali was still standing, but it didn't seem like Eleazar's family was there. When Alice made the decision to take Jasper to Denali anyway, he completely lost his shit.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

My brow furrowed, and suddenly I was just pissed off. "He knows better, Alice. He used to be better at controlling himself. He's been through tough emotional times in history before. If he hurts you…" I gritted my teeth, thinking maybe she needed to leave his ass in Seattle for an extended amount of time.

"No! No, Edward, I can't leave him there!"

The vision that followed was just as devastating as the ones she'd showed me a few nights ago. Jasper follows Alice to Forks, the Swan family is destroyed, along with several others, and Forks falls apart. That one did not change.

"And if Bella is one of us?" I asked, hating myself a little for even using that as a damned option.

Alice's vision changed. She leaves Jasper in Seattle, he follows, but the power that Bella awakens with is slammed down over the fences, the gates, and there is no way to breach it.

"I still don't understand how that helps Jasper, Alice," I huffed, frowning her way.

Her eyes softened, but her visions changed. Bella as a newborn, seemingly calmer than any newborn I'd ever seen. The whole Cullen family descends on Seattle, removing threat after threat – mimics, red-eyed immortals, werewolves, even an aswang, who were all feasting on the humans, all who still posed a threat to Forks. Eliminate the threat and Forks was safer.

But my mate approaches Jasper alone. Her calm, easy demeanor is exactly what gets his attention, along with her knowledge of our family. Bella's shield completely engulfs my brother, bringing him the calm he needs. It wasn't just the blocking of all the emotions. It's the fact that with Bella's shield, my brother would stop long enough to simply let her help – her, just Bella. He finally sees reason and the fact that I had finally mated. He saw that we needed him.

It was a future I couldn't quite wrap my head around. It seemed shaky at best to me. Or maybe I was terrified of changing my mate from human to immortal. To hurt her seemed so wrong.

"It only works if she approaches him alone." She paused for a moment. "Edward, I've tried to find another way. I swear to you, brother, that she's the only one that can get through."

"Is this after the next full moon?" I asked, afraid to know if there was a limit to my time before Bella was changed.

"Yes." Her voice was firm. "There's snow on the ground."

Nodding, I huffed a frustrated breath. However, Bella's soft whimper met my ears, and I shifted on my feet.

"Go to her," Alice said, hugging me fiercely. "She needs you."

"If anything changes…" I started but trailed off.

"I'll let you know. I'll come to you. I promise." She turned and left the way she came in, her mind on cleaning up and changing clothes.

I ran back to the house, coming to kneel back in front of my Bella. Her forehead was sweaty, her brow furrowed as she fought something in her dreams.

"Edward," she whispered like a prayer, a plea.

"Easy, my love," I whispered against her warm forehead. "I'm right here."

I shifted her around so that my back was to the cushions and she was curled around me. Everything that had been trembling, shaking, settled down instantly, including the heartbeat that was flying.

Gently, I brushed her hair from her face, using my cooler touch to calm her heated skin. The most blissful, serene expression smoothed out her beautiful features, and I couldn't help but smile down at her as I hummed softly to help her drift deeper into sleep.

~oOo~

BELLA

I woke up surrounded by my favorite scent and arms. Inhaling as deep as I could, I smiled against cool skin and deep vibrations of chuckles. He smelled like fall breezes and morning rain, like sunflowers and something I couldn't put a name to, but it made me want more of it.

"And I thought I was dreaming," I mumbled into Edward's neck.

"Well, this is real. You did have some dreams."

"Oh God," I groaned, trying to burrow deeper into Edward. "What did I say?"

"Just my name, though you looked like you were fighting tigers," he said softly, his hands rubbing my back. "When I held you, you settled down."

My brow furrowed, but I pulled back to look up at his handsome face. His eyes were warm and sweet, a dark honey. He reached up to brush my hair from my face.

"Nightmares," I whispered, wrinkling my nose. "They used to be bad." I shrugged a shoulder. "I didn't realize all I needed was my own vampire to make them go away."

His smile was that gorgeous thousand watts of beauty. "Well, now you do."

"Excellent…" I barely breathed the word aloud, because he was too close, looking so sweet, and I realized we were sort of all tangled together on that sofa.

I couldn't stop myself from leaning in. There was no way. My lips met his, and he let out a low purring growl that I felt more than heard. And that caused my self-control to evaporate in like a puff of smoke. Just like our first kiss, we lost ourselves. My hand slipped into his hair, and his was gliding down my arm to my waist. Somehow, we shifted, and Edward was braced over me, everything about us lined up. I could feel everything about him. His strong hands slipped down to my knee, hitching it up around his hip.

"Uhnngh," I moaned inarticulately, pulling back to catch my breath. He started to shift back. "Don't you dare move."

His forehead touched mine, and it seemed the immortal who didn't need to breathe was just as out of breath as I was. His eyes squeezed closed, and when they opened, they were almost black.

"I'd say I'm sorry, but…" he started, his lips quirking up into a crooked smile when I huffed a soft laugh. "You're beautiful, and I love you, so…" He shrugged a shoulder, and it was adorable because he was a heady mix of embarrassed yet proud.

Grinning, I leaned up to press another kiss to his lips. "Love you."

He smiled down at me, his finger trailing along my eyebrow, my nose, my lips. "When we're together like this, it feels like nothing can touch us."

My brow furrowed at the worry in his tone. "What's wrong?" I asked, cupping his face.

"There are all these things out there, and I'm terrified of anything happening to you." I pushed at his shoulder to sit up, but he seemed to need my touch, so he pulled me close. "Alice was here. Some things have changed. Some things haven't."

"Is she okay? Do you need to get back to your family?" I asked him, and he nodded, but I wasn't quite sure which one he was answering.

"Our family."

I smiled, tears welling up in my eyes. "Yes, our family. Do you need them?"

"I need you more."

"Edward, you're scaring me a little. What did she see?" I asked, sitting up on my knees in order to bring his face to mine.

"I don't want to scare you." He kissed me but shifted me off his lap and got up to pace in front of me. "Cyrus is coming. And I need to tell Charlie to seal the gates. No one gets in. I don't care how desperate they are. I know what he looks like in his human form."

"Okay. We've done that before. We'll lock the gates. It was before you came, but yeah, he'll heed your advice."

He nodded, raking a hand through his hair. "Bella, it has to be me who goes on the supply run."

Frowning, I nodded. "Can I ask why?"

"Olympia is crawling with mimics. Alice said that only I can get in with Emmett or Carlisle to get what you need, what Forks needs." He sagged a little in defeat. "I don't want to leave you, but it seems to be necessary."

"I'll hate it. I'll miss you. And I had better get mad kisses when you get back."

His face lit up like Christmas. "As many as you wish."

"There's something else, though. Something that scares you more than anything," I surmised, gazing up at him as he paced again.

"She saw you again, immortal," he whispered, stopping and kneeling in front of me. "She said you want it."

I took a deep breath and let it out. "I want you, Edward." He started to say something, and I kissed him. "Wait," I whispered against his lips and pulled back. "As fast as all of this has happened between us, that is the truth. I feel it." I placed a hand over my heart. "Do you?"

"Yes, love."

"I know how you feel, Mr. Cullen, about my becoming one of you. A part of me gets it. The magnitude of it kind of takes my breath away. It's literally life altering – for eternity. And there's still things I don't know. Like the hows and whys and wheres." I reached out to touch that worried handsome face of his and smiled. "But the who… That is a given. I know you'll be there. I know Carlisle wouldn't let you panic. I trust you to help me to get me through it."

"It feels wrong. It feels selfish to want to keep you."

"It's not because I want to keep you, too." I tilted my head at him. "We've talked about this before, Edward. I'm not saying to change me today, but something has you nervous."

He huffed a laugh through his nose. "I asked Alice when she saw you as one of us. She said after the full moon."

"And?"

"There's snow on the ground."

Nodding, I stood up and walked to the window. The rain had stopped, and it seemed to be later in the day, which meant I'd slept for a few hours. I felt his approach, but then his beautiful reflection was behind me.

"So it's not that I'll be one of you that's making you nervous. It's the time limit." I turned to face him, and he looked pained. "Does she see how?"

He shook his head. "No. There are too many variables."

I leaned against his piano, gazing up at him. The conflict in him was making him crazy. "Nessa and I talked about this last night. Did you hear us? Before the werewolves showed up."

He shook his head. "No, Bella, I try to give you two privacy, but honestly, I was listening to too many minds last night."

I took a deep breath. "She was talking about the comfort in mating, imprinting…either one. That you and Jake will never love anyone but us, that we'll only ever love you. You'll protect us from everything from spiders to werewolves. She said that everything about you was built to make us happy."

Edward's smile lifted a little, and he nodded. "All of that is true, love."

"When I told her that we were different, that she was destined to pass on the bloodline, she said that I would live forever with my soulmate. And she said that she was cool with that because she almost lost me once. She said that this new world was scary and dangerous, and it didn't matter because she'd never seen me smile at anyone the way I smile with you. She said that if I was indestructible and happy, then 'even fucking better.'" I used air quotes around my sister's words, smirking up at Edward.

Edward eyes warmed, and he pulled me to him, but he didn't say anything.

"Edward, I love you. And Alice's visions still may change. But I'm not going to let you worry yourself into insanity. I'm not going to live in fear of something that is most likely inevitable and what we want."

"Christ," he breathed, grasping my face and kissing me until I could barely see straight.

"Yeah, those kisses will be what I'll want when you get back from that supply run."

He laughed, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Thank you, Bella."

I nodded against his lips. "Will you promise me something?" I asked him, toying with the sleeve of his T-shirt.

"More than mad kisses?"

Grinning at his tease, I let a light laugh out. "Yes."

His eyes were warmer now, not so tense. "Anything."

"I understand Alice's visions are unnerving you, and I kinda like that she saw the bigger picture, Edward. That this—" I gestured between us "—was meant to be. But I also really like that we're figuring us out alone."

"Me, too, love."

"So that being said… Please promise me that we'll treat my becoming like you the same way. It's our decision, meaning between mates. Promise me you'll talk to me about the fear I see right here, like you don't want it." I reached up, brushing my fingers across his brow and beneath his darkening eyes. "Not right now, but soon. Okay?"

Edward glanced down at his feet, his hair falling to his forehead, and he nodded. Suddenly, his voice was soft, unsure. "It's not that I don't want it, Bella. I do. I want it so badly that it scares me, but I never want the pain and darkness for you."

Standing up on my toes, I kissed his cheek. "Is that the hundred-and-twenty-year-old vampire who was always single in a family of mated couples talking, Mr. Cullen?" I whispered against his cheek.

That cheek lifted in a smile against my lips. "Probably, Miss Swan."

I kissed his cheek again and stepped away from him. "I need a human moment, and I need to eat something before we go back. I know you want to talk to our family. Will you play a little more before we go?"

He smiled and nodded, taking a seat at the piano. His talent was beyond anything I had been expecting. It was almost perfection. I used the bathroom on the first floor and went back to the living room to grab my bag.

He played the whole time I ate the snack I'd brought from Esme's kitchen. Some songs I knew, like "Moonlight Sonata." Some songs I didn't, and he would tell me what they were. And then he made me laugh with songs I barely remember being on the radio, silly songs, love songs, and some older ones.

When we got ready to leave, he covered the sofa and the piano back up. He flipped the switch to roll the shutters back down. And it made me a little sad that we were leaving the little private bubble we'd found today.

"Can we come back?" I asked him, and he smiled so sweetly that it made my heart hurt a little.

"Of course."

I started toward the driveway, but he stopped me.

"Bella, we can get back quicker if I carry you."

Giggling, I raised an eyebrow. "How?"

His expression looked so young at the moment that I pretty much wanted to kiss him senseless. He handed me my backpack, and I put it on. He set his own bag down at his feet.

"Up on my back, love." He knelt down a little, and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders from behind. My legs secured themselves around his waist, and he hitched me a little higher, grabbing his own bag.

A squeak escaped me when he took off, and I felt rather than heard his chuckle. We were back at the north gate of Forks before I even had a chance to catch my breath.

"See?" he asked, one side of his smile lifting higher than the other.

I kissed his lips. "I may never walk again."

Edward's laugh was beautiful as he opened the gate and let us in. I knew we needed to talk to not only Carlisle, but my dad, too.

"Hey," I said when he stopped in of their house. "Why don't you bring everyone to my house? I'll make sure Dad's up, and I can get cleaned up and changed for tonight."

"Sounds good, love." Redirecting to my house, he let me slip down to the sidewalk, holding me steady while I got my balance.

After a sweet kiss, I walked up the porch and into the house.

~oOo~

A/N… So Alice snuck back over. Edward's full nature is kicking into gear in protection of his mate. And we've got some things coming up that is making everyone nervous.

Thank you all for coming on this ride with me, especially since my writing muse has been iffy. So far this is flowing beautifully. I'll keep posting as quickly as I can. Until next time… Mooches, Deb ;)