**EPOV**
As Bella and I drove away from the house, the only sound that could be heard over the cacophony of cheers was the mournful howling cry of Jacob Black somewhere off in the distance.
I gently squeezed Bella's hand and pressed down harder on the whining accelerator.
For practical reasons, the car was a rental. Once Bella and I arrived at the airport, I'd drop off the car at the rental agency and be done with it.
I had bet on Bella being too polite and pragmatic to ask why her extremely wealthy husband would settle for commercial air travel when we could charter a private jet.
I usually spared no expense on Bella's comfort, that is, when I could get away with it. To my utter frustration, she always put up such an almighty fuss whenever I tried to spend any money on her at all.
This time, however, was different. I wasn't exactly in a hurry to be alone with Bella now that she had fulfilled her part of the bargain.
And I definitely didn't want to be fending off her advances at 30,000 feet if she decided on a whim that her human life wouldn't be complete without joining the mile-high club.
So I booked our flights, first-class, banking on the fact that we'd be surrounded by people for at least the next 20 hours.
By the time we arrived after a short layover and a boat ride, she'd have to be too tired to want to do anything that same night, wouldn't she? With any luck, jet lag might even knock her out for a few extra hours.
In the time she slept, I could hunt again and try to mentally prepare for what lay ahead.
Though, truthfully, if I hadn't been able to prepare in the months that I'd known this was coming, I wasn't sure how an extra day would help.
"It was such a beautiful wedding, Edward! I still can't believe it," Bella gushed, rosy and smiling.
She sounded sincere, but I found it hard to believe that her night hadn't been at least somewhat dampened by Jacob nearly spoiling everything with his violent outburst. As usual, she was putting on a happy face for my benefit.
After having time to calm down, I avowed that I wouldn't give Jacob Black the satisfaction of tarnishing even one more second of this perfect day. Not with his actions, and certainly not by my sulking over them.
"Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe it, my love," I raised her hand to my face, brushing my lips across her knuckles.
I could hardly believe it myself! Bella was my wife. She was mine, as I was hers. And this was just the first night of our forever together. Nothing, not even the mangy dog could dampen my abject joy in that.
It was a three-hour drive to SeaTac Airport, and we spent the drive chatting pleasantly about the wedding. We relived our favorite parts, the things that surprised us, and the funny moments in between.
"How about when Jessica threw water in Mike's face for ogling Tanya?" Bella threw her head back and snickered delightedly. We both had a good laugh over that one.
When I asked her if there was anything about the evening that she would have done differently, a small "v" formed between her eyebrows and her lips were drawn into a tight line.
"I wouldn't have let Jake get under my skin," she growled.
I wasn't about to let her take the blame for this, too.
"It's my fault, Bella. I shouldn't have invited him. I...knew you'd be happier if he came. I thought he'd be able to handle himself better than he did.
"I'm so sorry you were hurt because I erringly put my faith in him." I snorted in disgust.
"You invited him? Why?" Bella sounded shocked.
"I knew that if it had gone the other way, if you had chosen him, I would have wanted the option," I admitted with a half-frown and a shrug.
**BPOV**
Somewhat horror-struck, I considered that for a moment.
I imagined the entire day happening over again, but instead of Edward waiting for me at the end of the aisle, it was Jake. And Edward was the one who made an emotional guest appearance to graciously congratulate me and say his goodbyes.
The very idea of that made bile rise up in my throat; the healed hole in my chest began to ripple at the faultline.
I had no doubt in my mind that I had made the right choice; there had never been a choice.
I had always been destined for Edward. And with that clear in my mind, I started to feel less anxious over the disastrous encounter with my best friend, assuming he even was my friend anymore. I sighed in irritation.
Edward's eyes flashed over to me anxiously. "What is it, love?"
"It's just so frustrating that all this time I thought you were being overprotective when you warned me that Jake was dangerous.
"I never believed you because he's my best friend, and I didn't think he was capable of that.
I just thought you were being biased in your opinion because you were...well, jealous," I said ruefully, feeling my ears turn pink.
Edward's eyes narrowed and jaw clenched at my admission, but he said nothing, so I continued my rant.
"Meanwhile, he was the one saying that he'd never hurt me like you did and that I should pick him. And, yeah, you made mistakes, we both did.
"But you were never the one who told me you wished I was dead. You weren't the one who forced me to kiss you. And you certainly never grabbed me and shook me like that!" I railed, building up steam.
"Edward, am I supposed to believe that you're the only reason for his anger? That he'd never put his hands on me like that again even if I had chosen him?
"I might've believed that before, but not after tonight," I shook my head, bitterly disappointed, and briskly rubbed my hands over my still-throbbing biceps.
Edward sighed heavily. "You're right to be angry with him, Bella. Honestly, it's refreshing that for once you aren't making excuses for him.
"What Jacob did was inexcusable, and you have my word that he'll answer for it. I should have ripped his arms off when I had the chance!" Edward growled, white-knuckling the steering wheel.
"But what could I do with half the town in the tent, and half the pack there to defend him?" He finished with an exasperated groan.
"You did the right thing. I'm just sorry I didn't believe you," I said softly, reaching for his hand.
"Well, you weren't wrong about the jealous part," he shot me a wry look. "But that didn't make the warnings about the werewolves any less true.
"Unlike Jacob, I'd never manipulate you that way, but I'm glad you are able to make those distinctions now." Edward smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, and then continued.
"You never did say how our agreement came up in your conversation. Seems an odd topic to have come up considering the circumstances," he let out a hard, humorless laugh.
I frowned. "He was wondering why we would bother with the pretense of a honeymoon when you could just change me right away. I told him it wasn't a pretense," I added with a shrug.
"Ah," he said in understanding.
Then something he thought of made his face brighten considerably. "Well, it's always a good day when I make Jacob Black homicidal with jealousy!" Edward laughed and flashed my favorite crooked smile.
"Though I'm sorry you were hurt over it," he amended in a less victorious tone.
I laughed at his smugness. "Jeez, are you sure you're not a human teenage boy? I guess you just can't take the testosterone out of the teen vampire," I teased. "Maybe you should stick to hunting females," I added in jest.
"Thanks, but I'm a happily married man," Edward smiled broadly.
"Female animals," I corrected, rolling my eyes and giving him a light smack on the arm. He just laughed harder. It was a welcome sound.
I looked out the window, trying to ascertain where exactly we were. It was very dark, and all that could be seen on either side of the interstate was a blur of passing evergreen trees. The view didn't give much away. This was the Evergreen State, after all, we could've been anywhere.
"So…do I get any hints about our mystery destination?" I asked, breaking the comfortable lull in the conversation.
"Hmm," Edward rubbed his chin, as if deep in thought. "I suppose one vague hint won't give too much away," he smiled conspiratorially. "We are going south of the equator."
"SOUTH?" I shouted in total surprise. I hadn't been expecting that. Where could he possibly be taking me that wouldn't be too sunny for him to go outside?
"Bella, the first thing you ever told me about yourself was that you don't like the rain and cold. Did you really think I'd take you to the North Pole? Please." Edward snorted and raised an eyebrow in my direction. "Give me a bit more credit than that."
I held my hands up in surrender. Clearly, my assumptions were wrong. I guess I would just have to wait and see what he had in store for us.
"Anywhere would be fine as long as you are there with me," I said honestly. "But now I'm seriously stumped about where we're going!" Edward looked proud of himself.
"...Though I'm sure we'll be able to find plenty of ways to stay occupied indoors." I purred with a husky voice and what I hoped were bedroom eyes, flirting with the subtlety of a construction worker.
Edward let out a sexy-sounding growl at my innuendo. "Well, I did make sure to pack my chess set," he replied, the corner of his mouth raised in a teasing smirk.
**EPOV**
What it did to me when Bella spoke to me that way! She could be quite the little vixen when she wanted to be.
But that was sort of the problem. In every romantic film ever made, in every memory I'd ever seen in someone else's mind, there was always a point where love and lust collide.
Nowhere in my very long memory could I remember that moment of combustion ever happening gently.
No, it looked like Gregory Peck smashing his face into Ava Gardner's while waves crashed into the rocks behind them.
Every single day that I spent with Bella I felt the pull of that magnetism more powerfully. Especially when she made suggestive remarks and batted those wide, innocent eyes at me.
And here we were about to ignite the spark that would start a cataclysmic explosion, and I was somehow supposed to figure out how to do that gently.
Nothing could be harder than refusing her blood, I mentally repeated the mantra I'd recently adopted.
Flames scorched down my throat at the memory of her sweet, hot blood quenching the inexorable thirst—
Not. Helping. I rebuked my undisciplined thoughts and swallowed hard at the rising venom.
I was pulled from my thoughts by a road sign coming into view about two miles ahead. It was too distant for Bella to see just yet. Just a few more miles from the airport. I gave it a little more gas.
"Won't be long now," I murmured in a low voice.
"I guess this will be our first real vacation together, won't it?" Bella mused.
"If you mean is this the first trip we take together where your life isn't in imminent danger from someone other than your own husband? Then, yes, this is our first vacation together," I qualified offhandedly.
"The Cosmopolitan magazine my mom bought me to read on the plane says that traveling with your partner is the true test of a relationship," Bella said using air quotes.
I glanced at her with a look of amused surprise. "You just couldn't wait for the flight to dive into the latest issue of Cosmo, hmm?" I brushed a finger over her warm blushing cheek.
Bella shrugged. "There wasn't a whole lot to do while I was waiting for the ceremony to start," she explained with a hint of defensiveness in her voice.
"Ah, well, I think our relationship gets extra credit for all the near-death experiences…Besides, It's not like we haven't traveled together. This time is just under much more pleasant circumstances."
I took the freeway exit for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and minutes later had parked the rental car in the drop off area.
It pained me to rent one of those awkward dollies with the squeaky wheels to transport our ludicrous number of suitcases. But it wasn't as if I could carry 400 pounds of luggage through a crowded airport without drawing attention to myself. Thanks, Alice, I muttered under my breath.
Moments later, with Bella by my side, I expertly maneuvered the rolling mountain of luggage through the maze of stanchions that formed the line for first-class passengers.
We breezed past a long line of irritated-looking economy passengers and walked right up to the ticket counter.
"Hello," I said to the airline agent in my soft human-charming voice. "We are already checked in, but I need to drop off our bags."
I slid my ID across the counter.
With a loud clacking of her unnaturally long, brightly-colored acrylic fingernails on the keyboard, the attendant typed my name into her archaic computer.
"Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, first-class tickets to—"
"It's a surprise. For our honeymoon," I silently requested her discretion with my most persuasive voice. .
The attendant thought to herself that we looked too young to be married, but she noted our rings and how Bella clutched tightly to my side. She certainly didn't appear to be there against her will, so she acquiesced with a nod and motioned for me to start placing our bags on the scale.
Soon after, with our luggage all tagged and placed on the conveyor belt behind her, the attendant dismissed us with an obligatory "Congratulations! Thank you for flying with Alaskan Airlines. Have a nice flight!"
"Alaskan Airlines?" Bella looked up at me speculatively.
"Flies all over the world. And Alaska is definitely not south of the equator," I reminded her with a grin.
"Well thank you for mansplaining that, Edward. I must've forgotten third-grade geography."
I laughed as she adorably stuck her tongue out at me like an actual third grader. Mature as she usually acted, It was easy to forget how young she still was.
I could never think of Bella's age without the accompaniment of extreme guilt. Just eighteen years old. Her brain wouldn't even be fully developed for another seven years, not that it ever would, I thought sadly.
Not that any of our brains had gotten the chance to fully mature, but the difference was that we hadn't a choice in the matter and Bella would.
At least as a vampire, her cognition would improve more than she could ever hope for as a human, that was one small consolation.
Though I would never stop feeling guilt over the simple fact that we had agreed to change her before the decision-making center in her brain had fully formed.
The only reason I agreed to do it in the first place is because the only thing I feared more than Bella having future regrets was Bella winding up dead. And I'd come too close to that outcome too many times to ignore the risk.
It's what she wants. My other mantra.
Bella tugged on my arm and gestured toward the airport food court.
"We have time to stop for a bite, right?" Bella asked at the same time as her stomach growled.
"I'm not all that thirsty, but if you insist." I pulled her into me and pressed a kiss on the sensitive spot under her ear as her heart began to hammer in her chest.
I smiled against the skin of her neck. I loved how responsive she was to my touch. How I would miss her heartbeat and her blush giving away how affected she was by me.
She laughed nervously, "I meant a bite for the human."
"Oh, well why didn't you say so?" I teased and let her lead me into the food court.
**BPOV**
Like the gentleman he was, Edward paid for my food and carried my tray, setting it down on a recently wiped down four-top in a lonely corner of the large dining area. He then pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit.
I plopped down heavily into the hard plastic chair feeling the fatigue start to set in from a very long, emotional day.
I didn't even wait for him to sit down across from me before I tuckered into my club sandwich.
Edward looked politely distracted, knowing I didn't care much for having an audience while I ate.
Wiping my mouth with a napkin, I asked him something I'd never thought to ask him about.
"What's your favorite part about...being a Cullen?" I glanced around making sure no one was in earshot.
His eyebrows raised as if surprised by the question. Then his ochre eyes met mine with unsettling intensity.
"I am profoundly grateful that I lived long enough to love you Bella Sw—Cullen," he corrected himself with a heart-shattering smile. "Second to that, the speed. I really do love to run."
I nodded, "Least favorite part, aside from the thirst?"
"Well, before I met you, I would have said that it can be a very lonely existence. Always hiding, running, isolating. Never forming roots in any one place. It gets tedious.
"Now, though, I'm home wherever you are. So I doubt that will bother me much anymore," he added with a serene smile.
"If only someone would invent synthetic blood like in True Blood, then you could be out and proud and we could all coexist!"
"Isn't that the one where the vampires can bite humans all they want but the humans only get turned by sleeping in the ground with their maker for one night? And some of the humans actually like to be bitten?" Edward snickered.
"Yeah! The Fang Bangers!" I giggled as I nibbled on the end of a French fry.
Edward looked thoroughly entertained. "Fang Banger? Is that what you are?"
"Not yet," I drawled seductively.
I reached across the table and dragged the tip of my index finger lightly across the back of his hand and, one at a time, down the lengths of his long, slender pianist's fingers. This drew a shudder from him, and when he looked at me again, his eyes had gone dark with need.
"And I thought I was dangerous," he muttered out of one side of his mouth.
I smiled winningly. "It's really too bad you didn't book a private jet. We could have started our honeymoon that much sooner!" I waggled my eyebrows at him in jest.
Edward looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.
Now boarding first-class passengers for Alaskan Airlines Flight 1471 to Houston.
"Are you finished?" Edward eyed the scant remains left on my cafeteria tray. "It's time to board."
"Houston?" I asked quizzically, pushing my tray away from me and slinging my carry-on bag over my shoulder.
"Just a stop along the way!" Edward grinned devilishly.
*A/N* I didn't cover as much ground in this chapter as I hoped, but SM kinda "yada yada yada'd" over their long trip to Brazil, and I wanted to expand on that a little bit. Also, Edward being a fraidy-cat is the only reason I could come up with for why a filthy rich mind-reading vampire would subject himself to commercial air travel hahaha. Thank you for reading and reviewing! And Happy Holidays to you all!