*EPOV*

I told myself that I followed Bella because she was a newborn, and it would be irresponsible of me to let her run off alone on an island at least partly inhabited by humans.

I also told myself when I took to the trees for a stealthier approach that it would be better if she didn't hear my pursuit so that she wouldn't feel threatened and react defensively, especially in an already agitated state.

But I was a fantastic liar, even to myself, and the truth was that Bella being so unhappy with me was intolerable to me, and I needed to make amends as soon as I thought she would be receptive to it.

I truly hadn't set out to spy on her. I had already turned back for the house once I saw with my own eyes that she had found Emmett without incident. Though, it's not like I could help what I overheard as I slowly meandered back to our residence.

A deep frown etched into my face upon hearing that I'd embarrassed her. I hadn't thought I'd said anything all that scandalous, but apparently, even the implication of sex around Carlisle and Esme was enough to upset her.

Bella was brave as a lion when it came to all manner of actual danger, but in one of the few ways in which she was very much a typical teen, being confronted with having to discuss her sex life (or non-sex life, as it were) with parental figures had her running for cover.

I bit back a laugh remembering Charlie hilariously spluttering his way through his version of a sex talk causing Bella to feel her only recourse was to shout out her virginal status while stomping up the stairs in a mad dash to avoid more questioning.

I had been watching her through Charlie's eyes as I drove away in the Volvo. I laughed so hard at the horrified look on her face and the overwhelming relief in her father's thoughts, I would've been in tears if I could shed them.

When I really stopped to examine the issue, it wasn't all that surprising. In my time, proper young ladies were raised to believe that sex was something wicked, only for the purposes of procreation, and strictly only after wedded matrimony.

And while today's youth were subject to an omnipresent hypersexualized media, the more subtle (but still deeply ingrained) messages they were receiving at home and at school and at church, particularly for young girls, were largely the same:

Their bodies were meant for the sole use of their future husbands, and any deviation from that rule was a disgrace to their family.

How many times had I heard the thoughts of young brides struggling to conform to their new role as the marital bed warmer after spending a lifetime safeguarding their virtue?

And Bella, a fairly private person by nature, wasn't just adjusting to married life, she was adjusting to married life with a large, dynamic, built-in family. A built-in family whose supernatural abilities made privacy impossible and sex frenzies possible.

And if that wasn't enough, add a brand new body and vampire life, to boot-all radical changes individually, but stacked on top of each other?

Bella had every excuse to be a veritable powder keg of emotions, something my parents were quick to remind me of after Bella ran off leaving me in the rubble of my own ego.

And as comfortable as Bella seemed to be around vampires, with being one herself, I needed to continually remind myself that she still didn't know our ways yet. There was a lot that she didn't see when she'd been asleep in her bed or when I'd had to leave her to hunt.

There was still a lot that she'd need to learn and accustom herself to. The least of which was learning to accept that trying to recreate the same type of relationship with my parents as she'd had with her own, where Charlie and Renee were largely in the dark about the private (and often most pertinent) details of her life, was a huge waste of Bella's energy.

There simply was no point in maintaining a modest attitude about sex when we lived the way we did. But Bella would eventually come to that realization all on her own and didn't need me rushing her to that conclusion, no matter how good of a reason I had for my "exuberance."

And if, after a time, Bella found she couldn't let go of some of the more human social constructs that were so deeply ingrained, then we could have the discussion about living more conventionally as a married couple, either temporarily or permanently. Whatever made her happy.

But I hoped it wouldn't come to that, and had a pretty good feeling that she just needed some time-a commodity of which I had an unlimited supply.

When Bella worried out loud about getting angry with me, anger which I deserved, I had to bite back a growl at the very suggestion of Rosalie hurting Bella as some sort of self-inflicted penance. I couldn't let her go on feeling so needlessly guilty for another second.

As was her nature, Bella was quick to accept my apology. She never could hold a grudge. We'd talk more about it later, I'd make sure of that, just not in front of my brother. But I could breathe again knowing that she was no longer put out with me.

It didn't escape my notice, though, that my level of anxiety wasn't quite as high as other times when there had been discord between Bella and me.

The finality of the choice Bella had made in joining us in this life meant that I didn't have to catastrophize about her changing her mind. Or leaving me on the back of someone else's motorcycle. Or, worst of all, constantly worry about losing her forever to an accidental death.

The absence of those fears left a remarkable amount of space in my brain to be able to think more rationally about how to best tackle the problems we faced.

Wanting to put the recent upset behind us, and desperate to see Bella smiling again, I returned fire on Emmett with the egg he'd thrown at me.

I then fell effortlessly into the role of being Bella's tireless cheerleader, encouraging her with every smashed egg and fatal blow to the mannequin.

Though I doubted poor Jessica could take much more abuse. Her entire face had been smashed in beyond recognition after Bella launched the basketball at her head in a fit of frustration.

I had to hand it to Emmett, his strength management exercises were incredibly well-thought-out.

Besides the eggs and the basketball practice, he presented Bella with a sheet of plywood affixed with various different types of doorknobs, latches, car door handles, a light bulb socket, video game controllers, and other fixtures of everyday life that she could practice operating.

When Bella became increasingly frustrated after splintering several boxes of pencils trying to write her name, Emmett and I exchanged a look in agreement that Bella had probably had enough practice for the day.

"Bella, you're thirsty, love. Let's call it a day. You'll be able to focus better once you've hunted."

"He's right. And as much as I'd love to keep pummeling you with eggs all afternoon, we do have a party to get to," Emmett chuckled,

"Party? What kind of party?" Bella asked with a quizzical look on her face.

"The ball dropping, kissing at midnight kind?" I murmured, kissing the shell of her ear.

"Pfft. He's leaving out the best part. Since we no longer have any little humans to entertain, we're throwing the best kind of party, a hunting party," Emmett's eyes grew large with excitement.

*BPOV*

We headed back to the house to drop off my board of knobs as well as clean up before the big hunt at dusk when the animals were most active.

"However attractive I might find the scent of frozen eggs and pencil shavings, it might offend the animals," Edward had teased, tucking a lock of hair caked in frozen egg slime somewhat awkwardly behind my ear.

"I'd be happy to take you up on that shower now, though," Edward suggested with his arm slung row around my waist. His hand dipped down, sliding into the back pocket of my jeans and giving me a little squeeze as we approached the front door.

The door swung open and we were greeted by Alice who was wearing her sternest face. "No, you will not" Alice chirped, looping her arm through mine and tugging me away from Edward.

"Nobody is having sex until after the hunt, most especially not me, ya got it, lover boy? And stay the hell away from Jasper!" She poked an accusatory finger in his face.

With a guilty but still amused expression, Edward threw his hands up in front of him with a look that said "Can you blame me?" And before Alice could stop him, he planted a parting kiss on my mouth that was scorching hot and over much too soon.

It was over just as quickly as it began, and then he was gone, halfway up the stairs by the time I opened my eyes. He was watching me over his shoulder, eyes smoldering, as he swaggered sexily up the stairs, my board of knobs tucked snugly under one arm.

"Unfair," I mouthed. He flashed me his crooked smile and then flew the rest of the way up to our room.

"And you stay away from Jasper, too! Jesus, do I have to hose you both down?" That earned a snicker from Edward who had already turned a corner and was out of sight.

Gesturing with an open palm toward the direction of her and Jasper's room, Alice ordered in her bubbly voice, "You can shower in my room, and you better make it a cold one."

I followed her bright, citrusy scent to a large, lavish bedroom that wasn't directly below Edward's and my room, but close enough. That was one of Esme's signatures. The bedrooms in the homes she designed never shared any walls, which were thick. But I could still hear the muffled sounds of Edward starting his own shower on the floor above.

I asked offhandedly, "Does that even work for vampires?"

"No." Alice and Edward answered simultaneously, one voice sounding much more chagrined than the other.

"Alice?" I said sweetly.

"Yes, Bella?" she

"I've missed you," I opened my arms for a hug.

Alice's smile was instantaneous, but she took a step back instead of forward. "I love you, too. And don't be offended, but you're disgusting and this is Chanel."

I looked down at my grubby, egg-splattered clothes and hair and shrugged, "That's fair," before about-facing and strolling into their en suite bathroom.

"And try not to destroy those clothes, will you? We don't just throw them away, you know. I may not love to recycle outfits, but I do recycle clothes. We have to live on this earth for a long time."

"I didn't know that!" I blurted, feeling guilty all of a sudden for all the clothes that had been shredded as a result of Edward and I finally getting to enjoy the long-awaited physical intimacy of being married.

"It's one of the ways we try to do our part for humanity. We can't all be doctors like Carlisle, but the rest of us all have our own charity organizations that we've founded and/or sit on the board of directors for, and contribute to as much as possible. I'm surprised Edward hasn't mentioned it.

"The clothes we get rid of all get donated to women's shelters for victims of domestic violence, that's Esme's project, as well as other non-profits for low-income people needing professional attire for job interviews. That sort of thing."

I absorbed this as I carefully divested myself of the crusty clothes and deposited them in a clothing hamper. Truthfully, I always sort of thought clothing hampers were just another prop in the Cullen home, as I'd rarely ever seen them wear the same thing twice. But I was starting to learn just how much I didn't know about my new family.

"What's your project, Alice?" I asked with interest.

"Mental health care. My nonprofit advocates for the rights and welfare of people with mental and intellectual disabilities to make sure that nothing like what happened to me happens to anyone else ever again," she said the words absentmindedly, her focus elsewhere.

Then I heard the sound of clothing hangers scratching across the wardrobe bar as she rifled through her closet. Alice snatched something off a clothing rack and then flitted back to the bathroom, hanging the outfit on the back of the door. She then turned on the water for me before I could bring myself to ask for help.

"Thanks," I breathed, my voice thick with gratitude.

"What are psychic sisters for?" she winked.

Alice lingered around the doorway for a moment as I stepped under the spray and added, "And before you ask, Edward's foundation furnishes musical instruments and instruction to disenfranchised youth.

"Rosalie's provides therapy and other resources for victims of sexual assault. Jasper is pretty high up the chain in the ACLU-he still feels terrible about being on the wrong side of things in the Civil War. And Emmett does a lot of work for the National Parks Conservancy."

"Wow. That's...that's just really amazing of you all," I said, lathering my hair. "You'd think swearing off human blood would be enough of a humanitarian effort!" I mused.

"Swearing off human blood is the very least we can do. We may not feed on humans, but we siphon off them in plenty of other ways…" Alice explained.

"Anyway, it's nothing you need to trouble yourself with now, but it's never too early to start thinking about what kind of difference you want to make."

That brought me up short. What kind of difference did I want to make? All of the other Cullens had their own life-defining, or in some cases life-ending stories that gave extra meaning to their humanitarian efforts.

What life-defining event did I have, besides being Bella Cullen, lover of vampires? I would need to give this some serious thought.

"So what's a hunting party like?" I queried after a beat, rinsing the last suds off my body.

Alice snorted. "Oh, nothing too elaborate. Not like one of my events so you'll probably enjoy yourself," she added that last bit in a muttered voice.

"We hunt. We sit around a fire. We listen to music and enjoy each other's company. There's a camaraderie to it that the men, in particular, seem to enjoy.

"...Well, all but Edward, historically. Because, afterward, the couples break off and-" Alice trailed off, trying to be discreet.

"Have wild, blood-fueled vampire sex?" I inserted.

"Exactly. But something tells me that Edward will be howling at the moon louder than any of them tonight," Alice giggled.

Despite myself, I grinned. "Let's hope."

I could feel my excitement start to rise. It was kind of crazy. It had been less than a full day since Edward and I had made love, but already I was aching for him.

Would it always feel this way? I wondered how the rest of them managed to find the hours in the day to be career students (or an esteemed doctor) while also heading up charitable organizations when there were so many other pressing matters at hand, I thought, squeezing my thighs together.

"That's the spirit!" Alice said encouragingly. "You'll see in time that there really is nothing to be embarrassed about.

"With a future-telling sister, an empath for a brother, and a mind-reader for a husband, you'll come to realize that we're all sort of naked around each other already, aren't we? Well, maybe you less than the rest of us," she amended.

"That's why Emmett carries on the way he does. He just takes it more literally," she laughed once, and I could tell she was rolling her eyes at our larger-than-life (both in body and spirit) brother.

"I'll get over myself, eventually. It's just new and different... At least my clumsiness hasn't seemed to carry over into this life, though my shyness definitely did," I grumbled.

"Of course you will!" Alice agreed with reassuring certainty.

It was just like the first week of middle school when I learned, horrified, that I was expected to undress in front of dozens of other girls in the locker room while changing into gym clothes. That whole first week I'd locked myself into a bathroom stall to change.

But then the whispers started that Bella Swan must be some sort of freak with something to hide since I refused to undress in front of them. I was making more of a spectacle of myself by not just "doing as the Romans did."

So the following Monday, huddled in a corner of the locker room and keeping my eyes locked on the chipped green paint of the vented metal door in front of me, I undressed with all the rest of my female classmates, feeling their eyes on my back. See? Nothing to hide, I'd thought silently, my stomach in knots.

And eventually, I learned that I was just as self-conscious as the next girl, but it was better if we banned together to make the best of an uncomfortable situation. It's not like we could all change in the two bathroom stalls.

And if I continued to hold myself apart from them, refusing to make myself vulnerable in that way, I was inadvertently saying that I deserved privacy more than the rest of them did. And who wouldn't be put out by that? I got over it, as did my classmates. I would get over this, too.

I doubted I'd ever embrace it as fully as Emmett did, though. I doubted Edward would even want me to. I tried to imagine his reaction if I forewent a bathing suit the next time we went surfing over waterfalls, or whatever it was the next time.

I giggled to myself, imagining Edward punching armholes through a hollow log and slipping it over my head like a dress.

It probably should have bothered me that Edward could be a little possessive. But I loved that he thought of me as his. And secretly, I didn't mind it one bit when he felt the need to let me or anybody else know it, whether with words or actions.

*EPOV*

I smiled, hearing Bella's conversation with my sister. It was like I thought. She just needed time. And by the sounds of it, not much of it.

I didn't linger in the shower, at least not with the water on. Without the sound of my own shower running, I could more clearly hear the sounds of water hitting her luscious body as she chatted with Alice.

I imagined the pathways the water droplets took, dripping down from the tips of her sodden hair, rolling over the pert slopes of her breasts where the water would gather at the tips of her perfectly pink nipples. The accumulation of water would stick to her puckered skin, growing in volume, until it fell heavily to the floor with a fat, wet splat.

No, cold showers did nothing to relieve the familiar ache I felt for her. But at least now I knew that relief was imminent. Tonight, for the first time in a near-century, I'd have my own partner to ravish under the moonlight.

We'd sit around the fire, and one by one, each couple would abscond into the darkness in a different direction. Emmett and Rosalie always wandered off first. Then Alice and Jasper. Then I'd wish Carlisle and Esme a pleasant evening before running far enough away to outrun the voices. As fast as I flew and as far as I fled, I never ran far enough away to outrun my own thoughts, try as I might.

Sometimes I'd relieve myself, desperate for a momentary reprieve from the loneliness that followed me around like a shadow. But usually not, because that short-lived relief felt a lot like revulsion once the desire had been purged from my body.

The excitement I felt about getting to finally revel in the bloodlust that gave way to good old-fashioned lust (instead of outrunning it) was an intensified version of the satisfaction I felt in taking Bella to prom.

When I'd told Bella I hadn't wanted her to miss out on any human experiences, that had been the truth, but not the whole truth. What I'd left out was that I had never been to prom either. What reason had I to go before meeting Bella?

The pride I felt whirling my beautiful Bella around the dance floor for all to see was only paled by the exultation I felt doing the very same thing on our wedding day.

And now, tonight, getting to fully participate in a time-honored family tradition in a way that I never had before, I felt as eager and anxious as I'd been when I'd fastened a corsage to Bella's dainty wrist and told her how perfect she looked, walking cast notwithstanding.

And even if Bella didn't feel comfortable giving in to her desires in that way, she'd still be there. Still be mine. And I'd enjoy her company instead of her body which was still a thousand times more pleasurable than a hunting party had ever been before.

In the echoey chamber of the marble-walled shower, I softly sang a verse of the New Year's Eve standard, "Auld Lang Syne," in the original Scots.

Roughly translated it meant:

"And here's my hand, my trusty friend,

And give me your hand too,

And we will take an excellent good-will drink

For the days of long ago."

*A/N* I will leave it on that note, with a naked, excited, hopeful Edward singing in the shower. Til next time my friends! Once again, thank you as always for reading, reviewing, and voting.

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