A/N: Sorry for the slight delay (again, :/), but I was debating how I wanted the second half of this chapter to go. Let me know what you think of it.

So there was a request for Beau initiating intimacy, which works out perfectly because the first part of this chapter was already written before I got that review. So this chapter starts with another RATED M WARNING, up until the horizontal line (I'm guessing you guys know the drill by now).

Enjoy!

Chapter 28: Venture

The low light coming from the windows woke Beau up earlier than he was anticipating. He scrunched his eyes shut up for a second before glancing over to the speaker besides the bed; the clock on the display proclaimed it was just after seven in the morning. Considering he had gotten little to no sleep the night before after being on planes and waking up in the middle of the night to catch said planes, he would have expected his body to crash for much longer. But, despite his attempts, sleep was now unattainable. So, with a sigh, he turned to his other side, his eyes finding Edythe.

She lay on her stomach besides him, the new silk high-thread-count sheets tangled around her legs. Her left leg lay straight while her right was hitched up past her hip, a position she often donned when unconscious, providing the most comfort for her back. Her bronze hair was strewn across the pillow she lay on, her arms tucked underneath to cradle it between her face and the mattress.

Edythe wore a white spaghetti strap tank top, combined with nothing but a pair of deep blue panties. The fabric hugged her body in a way Beau had appreciated last night when she had come to bed in them, but had restrained himself given how Edythe had crawled under the covers and was asleep in minutes. Now, he let his eyes trail over her creamy skin, watching as the hem of her underwear clung to her upper thigh. Her tank top was not completely opaque and he remembered being able to just see the dark pink of her nipples through it; now, he saw that her top had gotten rankled during her sleep, and the soft skin of her right breast was free from the fabric.

Beau shifted closer, leaning over Edythe as his hands ghosted over her skin; his fingers grazed long her panty line, up across her ribcage and down to her chest. He permitted himself a minute to fondle the creamy mound in his hand before traveling back down. Tentatively, experimentally, he ran his fingers gently across her panties, just over her covered opening. He did so again, and found, as he continued, the thin material became damper. He glanced up at Edythe's face and found her eyes still closed, still unconscious as far as he could tell. He pressed firmer, expanding his ministrations to her inner thighs.

It was only when he felt her hips press inadvertently against his that his eyes returned to her face. Edythe's eyes were mostly closed, but Beau could just make out a sliver of green. He leaned down to press his lips to the hollow behind her ear; she let out a quiet moan, her pelvis lifting and falling in time with his caresses. After a moment, she pressed backward, deliberately into his length that she could feel throbbing against her left hip. Beau grunted in surprise and looked down, seeing the amused smile on her lips, and a too innocent expression. His cock pulsed in anticipation between them.

Acknowledging her encouragement, Beau deftly pulled away the fabric covering her folds, his fingers stroking her heat, his third finger pressing inside. Edythe took in a jagged breath, adjusting her hips and hitching her leg higher to grant him more access. He pumped his fingers in and out of her for a moment, making sure she was ready for him, before pulling the band of his pants down below his swollen length. He teased her lightly, spreading her folds as he angled himself and pressed. Edythe moaned in response, her inner walls sucking up his cock greedily as he pushed inside her.

His thrusts were slow and purposeful in the beginning, allowing her to open up more before he changed his speed. She met his hips with hers in time, egging him on to lengthen and quicken his pace. Edythe spread her legs further, opening herself up to him in a new way thanks to the impromptu position. As she did so, Beau slung his hand over her back and underneath her, down to her wetness, tantalizing her, spurring her on. She whimpered as Beau stimulated her clit; combined with the heat from his cock pumping inside her walls, she ground on his hand in need, small sounds issuing between her teeth.

Beau leaned over her, careful of her back, but his mouth against her neck, sucking on her skin and breathing heavily into her ear as he pumped in and out of her. Her walls were clamped tightly over Beau's length and he teased at her clit, making her even wetter. Her desire was burning hot; it coated him as he filled her again and again.

As Beau's pace increased, Edythe shifted slightly on her side, her right leg bent back and her hips moving in time to meet his thrusts. Their faces were less than an inch apart, lips interlocked as they brought one another to the peak of passion. They held onto each other as they came down from their highs, their bodies shivering slightly. Edythe tilted her head to kiss Beau deeply; he returned the gesture with ardor.

"Good morning," she said with a low giggle. Beau grinned against her mouth, kissing her once more before pulling back slightly to look at her.

"I don't mind waking up like this," she added suggestively.

"Neither do I," he returned. "But we would never hear the end of it from Eleanor."

Edythe shrugged, uncaring at the moment, though she knew he was right; this morning would probably be the last before her siblings were due to arrive from their cross-country hunting trip. Beau leaned down, his tongue lapping at the valley between her breasts. She gasped then let out a small sigh, her hand coming to his arm to steady herself against the new rush of electricity moving through her body. She arched into his arms, a low purr issuing between her lips, a reflex reaction.

"Damn, I love you," Beau professed as he came up to her level again. Edythe grinned.

"As I love you," she replied simply. They lay like that for another moment in silence, hands running over each other's bodies. As Edythe moved closer, wanting another round, Beau stopped her. She made a face as he removed the condom, tossing it in the nearby trash; it was the same expression she always donned in such a circumstance; aggravation, longing, hope. After he had replaced the contraceptive, Beau reached over to cup the side of her face in his palm.

"One day," he reminded her with a gentle smile, "I promise." She returned the gesture, being reminded again that, though he had never had the ability to read her mind, Beau always seemed to know what she was thinking.

"But it's probably not the best thing to do right now, at least while you're still a minor," he commented teasingly. She opened her mouth to respond but didn't have time to speak as, unexpectedly, Beau pulled her onto his lap, easing her down onto his ready cock. She gasped in shock, gripping his shoulders to steady herself, though she never feared he would not have her secure. Edythe looked at him with a mix of amusement and playfulness as she adjusted, her body moving in time with his sudden intimacy.

"I'm not a minor; I've lived your lifetime six times over," she reminded him, even as her eyes closed as his length filled her to the brim, bouncing her upward in his lap as he thrusted. Beau's arms pulled her close, hands on her hips to guide her unconsciously.

"Not in this reality; you're only seventeen…and a half," he responded in between grunts. Edythe's eyes flashed slightly before she planted her hands against his chest, pushing against him. He fell backward onto the bed and she now lay on top of him, straddling him. She sat up, keeping her hands at waist level as her fingers twisted through his; she rode him hard, her internal muscles sucking as much out of him as she could. Beau did not comment on the shove, finding himself quite enjoying this new angle.

Edythe grinned slyly at him, then lifted her hips free for a moment. He frowned, unsure of what she was doing; she hovered over him, close enough to just tease his tip at her entrance. The sensitive skin there seemed to sting with want, and he tried to angle himself upward, but she dodged him, holding him in place. She continued to tease him for a minute, holding his length in her small hand and running it along her inner thighs and across her folds, but never giving him what he wanted.

"Edythe," he groaned. She giggled, the sound just slightly diabolical.

"Yes?" she asked innocently as she continued her pattern, ignoring his not so subtle attempts to rejoin with her. He groaned again, and she felt her own internal muscles tighten from the sound.

"You're cruel, you know that?" he grunted under her, his eyes accusatory. Her emerald eyes danced playfully in response.

"Don't you remember I was a vampire?" she reminded him, "And you were my prey." She deliberately leaked an adequate amount of menace in the last word, though her face was still teasing. He grinned, not bothered by the tone or the truth behind the words, but permitted her fun. But he knew she could only hold out for so long; and, she did not disappoint. Only a few seconds later, she dropped back down onto him, engulfing his cock in her hot pulsing centre once more.

As she did, Beau wrapped his long arms around her back, pulling her against his chest. She kept her hands pressed tightly between her chest and his so she could look into his face as his thrusts got unexpectedly long and hard.

"Little succubus," he whispered; she laughed breathlessly, but found herself incapable of a reply as he rammed into her, faster than he ever had that she could remember. She took it, her breaths low and fast as the familiar warmth pooled in the pit of her belly. As the heat grew, she felt Beau's length seemed to get impossibly longer and thicker inside her, filling her and pushing against her barrier in a way that made her feel full in a unique but very pleasant way. She held him close inside her as the electricity radiating through their bodies built higher and higher until it seemed they could go no more.

Then, all at once, it became too much, and Edythe was falling, her cries of pleasure mirroring Beau's as they released. He continued to pump inside her, and her whimpers were uncontrollable at the brushing of her sensitive, over tantalized walls. Despite his orgasm, Beau did not stop. Edythe whimpered at the ravishing of the oversensitive area, the sensation so strong it was almost painful. Though her body inadvertently recoiled, Beau did not release her.

"Shhh," he murmured, "I've got you." Edythe paused her struggle at his assurance, small whimpers issuing between her teeth as he continued his ministrations. Edythe couldn't help but squirm in his hands as he continued to pump in and out of her. But she found the initially uncomfortable, caustic feeling gradually was met with equally intense pleasure, beyond what she usually felt during their foreplay.

As another moment passed, her writhing shifted from unwanted oversensitivity to aching bliss, as Edythe realized she did not want him to stop. Though overly sensitive, Edythe was trembling with the enhanced pleasure, little mews escaping her lips as she ground against Beau's cock. She pushed herself onto him further, and her internal organs seemed to scream in grievance and insatiety at the same time.

All the while, Beau kept the same rhythm he knew she liked, keeping the thrusts long and slow, to maximize pleasure despite how overstimulated Edythe's inner walls were. He held her waist securely as she shivered and her muscles spasmed from the intense titillation of her body. His own member, though spent, regained new ground, spurred on by her instinctual sounds as much as the always amazing feeling of being inside her.

As they moved, both of them were—characteristically—on the same wavelength, thanking heavens that Carine and Earnest had gone out to hunt the night before.

Steamy start to the chapter ain't it?

Later on that morning, Edythe and Beau found themselves driving toward Ithaca's city center. Earnest and Carine had begun to unpack and finish the last remaining touches on the house; the humans had offered to help with the large trucks of boxes, but they were waved off, all four of them knowing the two vampires could do it in less than half the time without them. So they began their journey toward one of the locations Edythe had been eager to visit, as it was a large reason they had decided to move here.

Tompkins Veterinary Hospital was a modestly-large building, with multiple-leveled roofs adorning the top to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Its front entrance was situated on a diagonal, with a generous overhang from the roof above providing shelter from Ithaca's gloomy weather. The exterior was a mix of rich dark yellow-colored stone with masonry, of different shades of grey, white, and brown. The sidewalk in the front was perfectly paved, with the logo emblazoned in the ground as well on the side of the building, a red circle with a white caduceus in the center, topped off with a gold V straddling the staff of the medical symbol.

Beau parked a few spots away from the entrance and the couple joined hands as they made toward the front doors. As Edythe stepped through the door that Beau offered her, her eyes took in the front lobby. It was large, with a high ceiling and second floor railing that looked over the spacious front desk and waiting area. Benches lined the glass front wall, the floor covered with sturdy concrete for easy cleaning. The desk held three computers with a large fish tank directly behind it, pulling Edythe's attention immediately; her eyes widened slightly at seeing the array of colorful fish swimming lazily through the plants that grew from the substrate, approximating at least a hundred of them.

All around her, owners waited with their pets, and Edythe's eyes noted the variety; she saw the expected dogs on leashes and cat carriers, but was surprised to see a goat, a metal cage with two rabbits, a chinchilla, and a brightly colored macaw perched on its owner's shoulders. Employees were dressed in deep gray scrubs, both the receptionists behind the desks, flitting through paperwork and taking phone calls, and the technicians, who sat besides clients with medications or paperwork in their hands, or crouched on the ground cuddling the animal in question.

Beau stepped up toward the front desk, and Edythe followed him unconsciously, her eyes still scanning everywhere, finding the setting familiar, but also completely new. Beau spoke with one of the receptionists for a second, who nodded in understanding and quickly called up to the offices. Beau stepped out of the way of the line forming behind him, holding Edythe's hand as her eyes continued to wander, taking it all in. Only when she heard her name and Beau's being called did she turn.

Amanda Thompson moved toward them, dodging the receptionists ushering clients into rooms and technicians running back and forth. She was taller than Edythe, but not by much, with her deep black hair pulled up neatly into a ponytail that came to the back of her neck. Her white lab coat was pristine over her deep blue scrubs, and there was a stethoscope around her neck. Her chocolate brown eyes were alight as she reached them, moving immediately to pull Beau into a tight hug, then Edythe as well, who was surprised by the gesture.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you," Amanda told her as she stepped back, "I've been itching to see the girl that finally won Beau's heart." Edythe smiled in response, her mouth widening as Beau wrapped his arm around her.

"Come on, I'll show you around," Amanda beckoned, leading them down the long line of benches. She turned left down a long hallway covered on either side with doors. Amanda explained as she walked slightly ahead of them.

"These are our exam rooms," she noted, "Equipped with weight tables, laptops, fridges, the works. There's eight of them, and there's two entrances for all the ones on the right; the other door leads to a hallway to our larger treatment area." As if to demonstrate, she stepped into one of the unmarked rooms, indicating the room with a brush of her hand as she moved through it to the door on the other side. Edythe paused slightly to take it all in, seeing familiar equipment like otoscopes, syringes, cotton balls, as well as more novel things, like the large stainless steel table taking up most of the room, with a step pad to elevate the table if needed.

Beau and Edythe followed Amanda into the treatment area that was down the short hallway from the other side of the exam rooms. It was composed of two treatment tables, with an impressive amount of drawers and cabinets surrounding it, all labeled and filled to the brim with supplies. Here, there were a handful of employees; two young women stood on either side of one of the tables, one of them holding the leg of a small brown dog while the other drew blood. There were cages lining the walls instead of beds like in human hospitals; about a third of them were filled and as Edythe stepped by she read the top of the charts:

"Shadow" Smith, 10y MN DSH, blocked

"Princess" Stevenson, 6m F Chihuahua, OVH

"Max" Newton, 2y MN Labrador, foreign body (ex lap)

Inside the cages, animals of every size, breed, and age were there, some with intravenous fluids, some just cuddled up in blankets. Some were obviously sick, while others jumped and looked up hopefully as they passed. She listened to Amanda explain the area and introduce some of the staff, who all nodded at her in friendly greeting before returning to their tasks. They were shown the surgical room—a single suite that Edythe found to be very small compared to most human ORs—and a similar dental room, where they did routine cleanings and more advanced dental procedures.

"Since, unlike humans, most animals won't let you clean their teeth without putting up a fight," Amanda said casually with a slight laugh. The tour continued with a sterilization room for surgical equipment, a separate treatment area for cats or exotic animals, an isolation room, a radiology and ultrasound room, before bringing them upstairs.

The second floor consisted of offices and rooms for the staff, including a conference room, break room, and lounge room, complete with vending machines, microwaves, and comfy couches and a smaller, but equally beautiful fish tank. This one curled around the staircase they ascended; situated at the back of the hospital, it was a ten foot high aquarium adored with beautiful marine life. Edythe couldn't resist stepping up to the tank, her eyes following the colorful fish that moved through the coral, noting the smooth gray sleekness of a three foot shark and a couple of sandy gray stingrays huddling in the sand. Amanda noticed her preoccupation and paused.

"We keep the more exotic fish back here, for us to enjoy," she told Edythe, "The reception desk keeps the more basic community fish that many of our clients keep." The doctor indicated the lounge furniture directly next to the tank, which was situated right next to the railing coming up from the second floor.

"When we get stressed, or fed up with a client, or basically any time we need to take a breather and relax, we come here," Amanda said, "Watching them is very calming." Edythe nodded in agreement before following her forward. They ended up in Amanda's office, a private room not far from the tank; she closed the door after gesturing to the arm chairs in the center of the room and the couch against the far wall. Her desk was an L-shaped, butting up against the corner wall across from the door. The young doctor collapsed into her desk chair, swinging around to face Edythe and Beau.

"So, what do you think?" she asked with a wry smile.

"I think you've outdone everything you ever said you were going to do," Beau commented with a grin. Amanda returned it teasingly.

"You should see my house; I have a full fledged menagerie right here in Ithaca," she said, with an unbridled pride in her tone. But her eyes went to Edythe.

"I'm sure it must be very different from where your mom works." Edythe nodded.

"Very different, but also kind of the same? I don't know if that makes sense."

"I know what you mean," Amanda assured her, "Human med is a lot like vet med, but it is also very different too. You'll find out soon enough if you'll like it." Edythe smiled a little shyly.

"I didn't expect there to be so much variety, and how everything has been modified to make it work for animals," she said truthfully.

"We are lucky to have a decent amount of modification equipment to allow us to do our jobs well, but often we find we have to get creative, since some things are just not made for veterinary use. But yes, there is a lot of variety. Aside from the run-of-the-mill dog and cats, you'll get experience with rabbits and other small rodents and mammals, some reptiles, birds, fish, et cetera. All the species you see here, you will have to know for the NAVLE, the national veterinary licensing exam." Amanda clarified when she saw Edythe's brow furrow at the acronym.

"Beau can teach you the basic tech stuff—what he remembers of it, at least—and then I can teach you the rest. Since you're a minor, I can't let you help in x-ray until you're eighteen, and I need your parents to sign a form saying they're okay with you handling needles." Amanda informed her. "It will seem like a lot of information in the beginning, especially since you may be used to human med, but eventually, it will become second nature." Edythe nodded in understanding.

"Where do I sign up?" she asked with a half laugh. Amanda and Beau joined in. The doctor rolled her chair to under her desk, pulling out two large duffels.

"Here, there should be scrubs in there. I guessed on your sizing, so try them on in the bathroom, down the hall, second door on the left," she instructed.

Beau and Edythe arrived home an hour later, after getting proper fitting scrubs in the uniform metallic gray. In addition, they had gotten their name tags and scan badges, a set of silver bandage and suture scissors, as well as a jacket with their names embroidered on them already, opposite the hospital logo. Amanda provided a few extra instructions for shoes and dress code, as well as policy for scheduling and lunch breaks before letting them go; they were scheduled to start next week, just a few days away.

The teenagers tossed their bags in their room before heading down to hunt for food from the freshly stocked kitchen. Finding Earnest and Carine already there, preparing a mouth-watering meal of beef enchiladas—the vampires had tried their hand at different types of meals, mostly using the Food network—Edythe and Beau met them in the kitchen, sitting at the new breakfast bar at their adults' motion.

"How was it?" Carine asked Edythe as she handed the pan to Earnest.

"Big, different," Edythe replied, "It's lot like the hospital, but not. But it's a beautiful facility, and Amanda is very nice and eager to teach me. I just need you to fill out a couple of forms to sign my life away," She teased, pushing the papers toward Carine, who glanced at them.

"I'm hoping by signing these, I am not wrong in assuming you will be careful with handling a needle," she mused as her eyes scanned the paper, reading the various conditions and risks. Edythe laughed lightheartedly but nodded.

"Amanda just said if I hurt myself, I don't even have to go to the hospital; I can just go home," she said, laughing louder as Carine made a half-hearted disapproving face in response.

"Just be careful; as much as a I love you, I'd rather not see you while both of us are at work," her mother cautioned, to which Edythe nodded easily.

"She also recommended I get a stethoscope," she added, "And I figured I would, since my human hearing is so abysmal now." Carine chuckled in response but she nodded.

"We can definitely get you one; when do you start?" she asked.

"Tuesday."

"Then we have time to have one shipped," Carine said, and Edythe nodded, satisfied. Carine eyed Edythe discreetly as she chatted with Beau, Earnest, and herself. She could see the slight change in Edythe; she looked a little more carefree, lighter than she had when she'd left. She was genuinely excited about the prospect of working at the veterinary hospital, more so than she had before. And Carine had to hold back her smile, hoping this was the start of Edythe's interest, and she would find her happiness in that field, just as Carine had in human medicine.

The Cullens had decided to come to Ithaca at Beau's choice, and his choice was grounded in Edythe having training with Amanda Thompson; and she had a feeling Edythe would take full advantage of the opportunity. Carine knew her daughter well, and knew she had wanted to go into medicine as Carine had, though she was barred previously because of the discomfort of her thirst.

Once she had changed back, she was still incapable of attempting such a career due to her hemophobia, and it had distressed Carine as it had distressed Edythe. But she was hopeful this was Edythe needed, and she would find happiness in the career. She had no doubt Edythe could become an amazing doctor, whether for human or animal, and she enjoyed a challenge.

And, as Carine laughed to herself, what was more of a challenge than a patient that can't tell you what's wrong?

A/N: Hey again; not much to say for this chapter other than that I hoped you enjoyed it! Part of my issue with it was I was (and am) trying to decide exactly how much in-depth I should go for certain things; so I took a chance.

Let me know if you like these detailed account and if you like the veterinary side and would like to maybe see it a little more in future chapters, or if you would rather it stay in the background. Of course, I have a more detailed universe going on inside my head than I could ever hope to put in writing, so I would like to provide you guys with a perspective that you feel does it justice.

Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed it, and if you didn't, please tell me and I can do what I can to make it more enjoyable in the future! See you in the next one!