Disclaimer: I have never owned and never will own anything mentioned in SM's Twilight saga. She is a God. I am a poor student. I never have and never will profit from this. Se la vie.

Warning: If you are under the age of 16 you should not read this chapter. Skip it. It is not vital to the plot. There are reasons why this story is rated Mature, and here is one of them. I have been as subtle and tasteful as I possibly can while still giving the reader a more intimate look into Bella's experience. However, if you are either too young or innocent to view adult material, you should skip this chapter. It is not vital to the plot in any way.

For the rest of you… Enjoy.

Chapter Six: Mrs. Bella Masen

Edward carried me into the lit foyer and put me down gently. I looked up at him, my heart beating madly in my chest. He took my hand and led me through the house slowly, showing me what he had done so far with his mother to make the place a home we could be proud of.

77 East Elm was beautiful. The foyer opened up to a perfect dining room. The hardwood floors shined. Newly-polished, probably. Every room save the kitchen seemed to have a beautifully carved fireplace. Edward led me up the stairs, past opened doors to the master bedroom.

I barely registered the opened French doors to the balcony and the ornate gold fireplace near the door. The mahogany four-poster pushed against the center of the wall took my attention. Someone had already turned down the bedding. Luxurious goose-down pillows were piled against the carved headboard. Edward paused beside me, his eyes drawn to the bed as well. I tried to look away from it, taking in the other furnishings of the too-grand room.

"I'll… go lock up," said Edward softly. He brushed his fingertips over my cheek before leaving. I went to the balcony, letting the wind blow my gown around me. I stood for a moment, looking out at downtown Chicago. The lights stayed on in this city. The scent of car exhaust and rain-washed concrete was an ever-present reminder that the elegance of society rested upon a basis of booming business.

I turned away from the night and took off my veil carefully, draping it over the vanity mirror. My nearly empty jewelry box already stood on one of the vanity's tiers. Renée's silver backed brush and mirror set lay there, along with the little velvet box that held my engagement ring.

I walked the length of the room, pausing by the mantle to examine the framed photos. Edward in a school uniform, Elizabeth looking elegant in her own wedding gown, Charlie and Renée in a rowboat on a lake. I started pulling out hairpins as I continued my exploration of my – our – new bedroom. Edward must have been taking his time to give me more privacy. As I pulled out my 20th pin, I discovered the bathroom. A beautiful ceramic tub with copper fixtures stood beneath a glass block window. Opposite the tub was a toilet, a commodity I had not seen except in hotels. Next to it a copper sink was housed in a white marble countertop. I couldn't believe I had the fortune to live here.

"Bella?"

I turned, in the middle of pulling out yet another hairpin, and blushed at the expression on Edward's face. In his eyes was a sort of intensity I hadn't seen since he had tried to kiss me in the library.

"I… brought up champagne," he said softly, holding up a wine pail. He swallowed, his gaze traveling the length of my unpinned hair. I flushed darker and turned to the too-ornate gilt-framed mirror.

"Thank you… I'll be out in a moment. I was going to change… I feel like a mess," I said, my voice a nervous trill. Edward stepped into the washroom, leaving the champagne by the door. His hand caught mine in the process of pulling out my last pin, his other arm wrapping around my waist. He pressed me to his chest and brushed my hair away from my throat with his fingertips.

"I wish I could keep you here, Bella, locked away in our home. I feel like the whole of Chicago is waiting for me to disappoint you… to drive you away from me. I want to make you happy, Bella…" he whispered to me, his warm lips brushing my ear, then trailing down the length of my neck. He paused, helping me out of my pearl necklace. He laid it by the sink, his fingertips sliding over my shoulders.

He moved his right hand over my right arm, his left hand sliding through my curls and stopping at the base of my throat. I felt him unfasten the first pearl button. Then the next… After four, the lacy, capped section of my sleeve fell from my shoulder, revealing the slip beneath. Edward loosened the ribbon drawstring tie of the slip, sliding it from my shoulder as well. His lips continued their trail down my throat, over my shoulder.

I turned in his arms, looking up at him, the butterflies in my stomach flown away, my skin burning where his lips graced it. I stood on tiptoe, wrapping my arms around his neck, burying my fingers in his bronze hair. Edward bent and pulled me into his arms, carrying me out of the bathroom.

I woke in the morning to sunlight streaming in through the French doors. The gauzy curtains swayed slightly in the morning breeze. The warmth kissed my exposed skin, perfect ivory in the light.

"Good morning, Mrs. Masen."

The roughness of Edward's normally velvet voice reignited the burning in the pit in my stomach. I smiled up at him and Edward smiled back at me. He ran his fingertips over my forehead, smoothing a hair away from it before planting a kiss there.

He picked his pocket watch from the nightstand and sighed as I jutted out my lower lip.

"Must you go to work this morning?" It sounded like a whine. I found that I didn't care a bit.

"It's Thursday, Bella. As adorable as your pouting is you can't confine me to the bedroom when there's work to be done."

I leaned on my elbows while he rose and went to the washroom, running the water. I frowned, rising slowly. It felt as if my joints had all melted into something softer. Like sponge. My steps steadied the further I went from the bed, and I tried my best to not think about my nakedness. By the time I made it to the doorway Edward had begun shaving, a towel soaking in the sink.

He paused, half of his face still covered in lather. His eyes slid from my face to my toes once, twice, then glanced at his pocket watch.

I ran my fingers through my tangled hair and smirked at him.

Edward put his razor down, rung out the towel, wiped his face, and we began where we left off.

In the end, Mr. Masen wasn't too upset that Edward missed work. Sometime past noon, Edward and I finally left the room, fully clothed, and made lunch together. Edward wouldn't let me cook alone, no matter how desperately I tried to make him sit at the table. As soon as I'd thought I'd distracted him with a newspaper or with getting the milk, he was back at my side, laying soft kisses on my cheek and taking pans out of my hands. But somehow or another, I finally laid a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of Edward. And it felt wonderful.

"Do you want to know a secret, Mrs. Masen?" Edward asked. His eyes glinted and I felt myself fall in love again.

"What secret, Mr. Masen?"

"My mother can't cook."

My fork clattered to the plate and I began choking. Edward was immediately at my side, rubbing my back. He offered me water and I refused, it, laughing through my coughing and sputtering.

"Your mother is perfect. What do you mean she can't cook?" I stopped giggling, imagining Elizabeth's face if she knew that I laughed.

"She refused to learn. She's excellent at needlepoint, and a better pianist than I am, but she hates cooking. We've always had a cook, even before Father amassed the modest amount of wealth you see today."

"Modest? You, Sir, are modest. The depth of your bank vault, however, is anything but."

Edward smiled at me and sighed slightly. "Actually… Bella, now that you're my wife I haven't the slightest guilt in telling you. The times we live in are... deceptive. My family – and understand, it is not the only one – hides behind a façade of wealth. We live in a grand house. Mother always has the newest fashion on her person or in her closet. We have credit with all the shops in town, the boutiques, the lenders – but that's all it is, Bella. Credit."

I frowned, nibbling toast as Edward ran a hand through his hair.

"If the collectors decided that they needed that money back, they would find that Mr. Edward Anthony Masen, Sr. did not have the money to pay them back. This home, for example, was bought and furnished on credit."

I suddenly felt very afraid. The home that I thought was ours was, in fact, the property of nameless, faceless persons. Edward caught my hands in his and looked into my eyes, a fierce conviction in his face.

"Bella, I promise you that you and I will not live like that. As soon as I am able, we will pay off this place, and from then on we will live on what we have. I love my parents very much, as I'm sure you love them, but they have made mistakes that I do not want there to be any misconception about. You must help me in this. I do not want the shirt on my back to belong to anyone else but you and I."

I nodded and stood, kissing his cheek. It was then that the doorbell rang. I hastily put the dishes in the sink and took off my apron, going to the door. Mr. Masen smiled and swept into a theatrical bow, kissing my hand.

"Good morning, Bella, darling. Is my ne'er-do-well son about?"

I stepped aside to let him in and was delighted to find Kate coming in behind him. She patted my cheek and I went to help her bring the rest of my things inside.

"Edward! Son! How are you this fine morning?"

He said it in a way that made me blush. Edward coughed and gave him a look of annoyance.

"Anyway, I wanted to let you know you weren't missed this morning at the office. We closed the Wagner case. Mr. Jonas will be in prison for a long, long time."

"Excellent! And about that issue yesterday…"

I paused by the stairs to listen as Kate went ahead upstairs.

"I understand completely, Edward. Men must choose their way of life. You're made of far stronger stuff than I am, Son. I couldn't tell your mother the truth when she's so comfortable… hopefully, we'll both be long gone by the time it matters. You're a better man to remove your logic from emotion."

I sighed and followed Kate upstairs.

Anthony left to return to work after I made him a sandwich. He gave me a kiss on the hand and Edward a pat on the shoulder. And then we spoke to Kate. We explained the state of our affairs and that any purchases would go through Edward. She wasn't happy, but she agreed to be cooperative and discreet.

The day was spent emptying the house of all things unnecessary. The coffee table in the parlor, the end tables and lamps, everything that we didn't need completely, were loaded into a rented Ford and taken back to their stores. Edward used the house phone to get in contact with all the stores that had furnished the beautiful home. He took over the credit while I stood by him, holding his hand.

The only thing I protested was when he suggested getting rid of the piano Elizabeth had had delivered to the house a week before our wedding.

"Bella, I won't feel any pain if we get rid of it! Music was an outlet for me, but now that I have you I hardly need it! Besides, it'll reduce our debt by another sixty dollars. Really, Bella, It's not necessary."

"But Edward…"

"Darling, if you miss music I'll sing to you. But I will not have us live in poverty when the creditors come collecting."

And with that our first argument ended with my feeling selfish. That evening, Kate (with Edward's help) prepared Spaghetti.

We all – Kate included – ate together while we listened to Edward's phonograph. After dinner, Kate and I cleared up while Edward laid out his suit for tomorrow. I showed Kate her room and she pulled me into a firm hug.

"Well. Your beau may be poor, but at least he treats you right. And he doesn't seem the sort to let you stay poor long, Miss Bella. Now, tell Katie about your night." Kate's eyes twinkled as she sat me down. I blushed scarlet and dropped my voice to a whisper.

"It was… easier, than I expected. And much more fun."

She nodded knowingly.

"The church is good for a great many things, Miss Bella, but it tries to make you feel guilty for too much, at times," said Kate with a wink. I thought about that for a moment, frowning.

"Kate… what happened to your husband?"

"Same thing that happened to your mother, may she rest in peace, Miss Bella. He became ill. During the voyage from Dublin, he lost his appetite. Illness ran rampant in those ships – but he seemed to be recovering when we landed. But once we made port at Ellis Island, they quarantined Daniel, and the next time I saw him was in a pine box."

I gave Kate a silent hug, offering her my kerchief. She dabbed her eyes and smiled at me gratefully.

"Now, love, go to your 'usband. 'Tis bad practice to be in the bedroom after he's already closed the door."

I giggled and did as she said, going upstairs as quickly as my feet could carry me. Of course, my hastiness warred with my lack of coordination and the latter won. On the last step I tumbled forward and braced myself for the inevitable impact.

"Madam, I believe you should never leave my arms so that you should never fall again."

Edward pulled me to my feet gently and I marveled at the fact that I had managed to remain unmarked for the last few months just because I had found this angel.

"Mmm. In that case I shan't."

Edward smiled and hooked his right arm beneath my legs, carrying me the rest of the way to the bedroom. He sat me on the bed gently and kissed my lips sweetly.

"Shall I draw you a bath, my love?" I blushed and wrapped my arms around his neck, not wanting to let him go.

"Only if you join me, Edward," I said in a soft whisper. I knew my blush must have rivaled that of a tomato.

Edward's eyes twinkled as he picked me up again and carried me to the washroom. He turned on the hot water and poured some scented bath oil in, all the while cradling me in his lap as he perched on the tub's edge.

"Please, allow me," he said softly, his fingers trailing down my throat, over my back, unfastening the buttons. I undid his tie and attacked the buttons of his shirt. He had my dress undone by the time I had finished his shirt. I stood and let it slide to my feet. Edward looked at me in the dim lamplight for two heartbeats before assaulting my clothes again.

Edward's hands were insistent against my skin, pulling me tight against him. I begged him to hold me tighter and was pleased when he obliged. But as I came closer to the precipice, as we both got closer to reaching ecstasy, I pushed him away.

Edward growled, the feral sound getting caught somewhere inside and weakening my resolve.

"Edward… I think… we shouldn't," I said between gasps. He had begun kissing my throat again.

"Why, lover? Don't you enjoy this?" his velvet voice was rough with passion. I tried desperately to form my thoughts into a coherent sentence.

"If… if we have a baby it will take us even longer…"

"I'll get a second job. To be a father would give me no greater joy."

"Edward… I won't see you work yourself to death..!" I managed, shoving his chest hard. Edward looked down at me, his eyes less glazed, and he kissed my cheek.

"You are too good for me, Bella," he sighed. He pulled away from me and kissed my lips gently. He took a moment to catch his breath before picking me up and setting me in the tub gently. He slid in behind me, sponge and soap in hand.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered as I leaned back against him.

Edward bristled and I felt his arms wrap around me, his nose buried in my hair.

"Bella you must never apologize for telling me what you want." He brought my left hand to his lips, kissing my ring. "This is my promise to please you forever. Don't you ever apologize for giving me an opportunity to do so."

"…I love you." I sat there in his arms for a few more moments while he ran the sponge over my arms. Pressed against his naked chest, the sensation was maddening. "How… how is it that you have no siblings? Your parents relationship seems rather… healthy," I said with a blush.

Edward was silent. I looked back at him and saw that his face was pensive.

"I'll have to ask about that. Mother wasn't infertile. Obviously I'm here. And I don't think she suffered any miscarriages. She's still young enough to bear children… I'll ask Father tomorrow."

"Why do you ask, Bella? I have no issue with waiting until a more… opportune… time." Edward started pulling the pins from my hair, making it tumble in curls around my face. Each brush of his fingertips against my skin felt like torture.

"I… don't know if I'll be able to survive sharing your bed without-"

He had finished unpinning my curls and had moved on to kissing the place where my throat and shoulder met.

"God, you're driving me insane, Edward!" I cried, pushing away from him with a splash. I sulked on the other end of the tub, my knees curled to my chest and my cheek resting on my arms. I probably looked like a child. I didn't care.

"I see… in that case…"

Edward pulled me back against his chest, trapping my wrists in one of his hands while his lips returned to my neck. I struggled, glaring back at him.

"Edward, please, stop..!"

"Shh. Bella, there are other ways for me to please you, now please, allow me to ease the pain you feel…" he whispered. His other hand trailed the length of my arm, slid to my hip, and lower…

By the time we made it to bed it was well past midnight. I cuddled into his chest and let him stroke my drying hair. He let me use his left arm as a pillow while I inhaled his sweet scent.

"Do you want children, Bella? We don't have to have any at all if you don't want to. Mother will be disappointed of course, but she'll get over it as long as we're both happy."

I contemplated the idea of children with a frown.

"Your cousins were darling… And Angela looks so happy… I just don't know what kind of mother I would be. I'm not sure I could handle such a responsibility. And I don't really see a purpose in having a child…"

"You wouldn't want someone with your eyes and my hair and your lips to call you 'mommy'?" he asked with a grin. I grunted and cuddled closer to him.

"If he had your eyes and hair and lips and nose in miniature then of course I would. But only if he was mostly you."

"I do admit I may become jealous of whatever child we have for sealing your attention away from me."

"Mmmm…" I mumbled against his chest, feeling the weight of sleep settle over me. Edward started humming to me. A tune I had never heard before.

It took moments for me to fall asleep in his arms, his perfect voice in my ear, the image of a beautiful little child with Edward's face impressed across my closed eyelids.

….

A/N: Yaaaay~ This is what I imagined as Edward's and Bella's intimate beginnings had they both been human. Also, about the Masen's being deep in debt. This era in American history is often referred to the Golden Age, because people were generally very comfortable, had a lot of wealth (or so it appeared). However, the great depression showed that the comfort everyone had enjoyed had been based on credit and an unsupported corporate world – much as it is today. Thus, his family's situation.

Anyway, hope you had fun. More to come asap. I'm in the process of figuring out how I want to play out their one year of life together. Keep reading! I promise there will be a happy ending. And more delicate fluff.

Please review. Comments and kudos keep my muse happy.