*A/N*—Just a heads up, I did a shitty thing...Toward the end of the chapter, I reference the newborn army even though I regretfully never wrote that into this fic. I hope you'll forgive the lapse in continuity, but Edward had something important he needed to say.

**BPOV**

Our time at Isle Esme was finally drawing to a close. Edward had spent untold gobs of money to hire a crew of people to deliver and assemble two new beds to replace the ones we'd damaged, then haul the old ones away.

The larger boat docked shortly after Edward returned from giving me my morning "human hour."

"I was thinking...while the workers are coming and going, how would you like to go have a picnic with me? There's one last place I want to show you on the island before we leave tomorrow. I was kind of saving it for last."

How could I say no to that? So I packed a picnic brunch for one and soon found myself in the middle of an open field exploding with color.

Acres and acres of vibrantly-hued flowers spread out before me in every direction. It was like something out of a dream.

"Esme's garden," Edward called it, his voice was hushed, reverent. "Orchids are her favorite and they thrive here, so Carlisle planted this for her with some of the native species found on the mainland. "I thought it could be like-"

"The island version of our meadow," I finished for him.

"Exactly," he smiled, pleased that I'd come to the same conclusion.

"How is this real? I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful even in a picture," I breathed, nearly blinded by the ocean of bright, bold colors that only seemed to exist among the world's rarest, most exotic flora.

"I have," Edward said simply, but he was staring right at me. I wanted to roll my eyes at him, but I blushed instead; it was hard to doubt the sincerity I saw on his face.

We spread out a blanket and laid down in the middle of the Orchid Sea, though I hated to crush even a single bloom.

We laid on our backs, heads turned to look at each other with our intertwined hands sharing the narrow space in between.

Our meadow time was usually when I asked the questions that no one else should hear the answers to, and this time was no exception.

Edward patiently answered every single query, as if he were the interview subject for a school report.

"So you don't get tired," I asked, though I knew the answer.

"Nope," Edward said, popping the 'p.'

"And you don't need to breathe," I stated rather than asked.

"Correct."

"So you could just dive in the water in San Francisco and get out in Tokyo...and...not even come up for air?"

"Sure," he shrugged.

"How long would that take?" Would I ever be able to fathom what this angel was capable of? Or why he took interest in a painfully ordinary human like me?

"Hold on. I didn't study for my vampire algebra quiz," he chuckled. "Let's see...5,500 miles at the rate of 205 knots...carry the one... That's 23.4 hours or just under one day."

"And 205 knots is…" I struggled to remember the conversion rate.

"Just a hair faster than the VA-111 Shkval, a Russian torpedo—the fastest recorded object underwater. Ask me how I know!" He grinned broadly, and there was a clear note of excitement in his voice.

"Hold on, I'm getting there. Why do you fly commercial when you can just swim for free?"

"Because just like humans we are owned by our earthly possessions. How do you propose we move Alice's wardrobe underwater?" Edward arched a sardonic eyebrow at me.

"Got it. Now I'm afraid to ask, but...Russian torpedoes?" I asked with an incredulous expression. Edward smiled wickedly. I recognized that expression at once. He was in Storyteller Mode.

I knew it because Charlie had the same look about him when he swapped war stories of his years on the police force with his deputies down at The Lodge. His tone said prepare to be impressed.

But Charlie's stories about being a small-town cop paled in comparison to some of the epic tales the Cullen men liked to wax on about.

"In the 1960's Jasper had gotten wind of the development of a Soviet weapon that would engage nuclear submarines-"

"Why does that not surprise me?" I asked in a flat voice with the beginnings of a smile.

"Human technology has evolved to a point where vampires have some cause for concern, say if our existence were to be exposed. We're bulletproof alright, but nuke-proof? Unlikely.

"So we make it our business to keep on top of human innovation, in case we need to interfere.

"That's how we stay at the 'top of the food chain,' as you put it," Edward explained with a smirk.

"Where was I? So, Jasper found out about this Soviet weapon. It was touted as being the fastest thing underwater. Well, you know how I love a challenge and how Emmett loves a good bet…

"Emmett bet me that the torpedo could beat me in a race. So we followed the development of this thing for years, but humans are so slow," Edward rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"We bugged Alice for seventeen years to stay on top of the Soviet scientists so that we could be there when it finally deployed. It's why I learned to speak Russian so that I could translate her visions."

"You learned to speak Russian...so you could race a torpedo?" I demanded with a dumbstruck expression.

"It was May 3, 1977. You should have seen it. The supercavitation technology was brilliant! The design of the nose cone deflected the water to create a gas bubble around the torpedo which reduced drag…

"To be honest, I was a little worried I might lose." Edward's eyes widened and he shook his head a little as if disturbed by the very notion of such a thing.

"The day of the big race turned out to be a pretty big disappointment, actually. For Emmett." The smug grin returned.

"The torpedo only kept up for 5 miles. But for those 76 seconds, I was a trifle concerned," Edward gestured with a centimeter of space between his thumb and forefinger.

"So as far as anybody knows...you are-"

"The fastest moving thing on land and sea? Yeah...I'm kind of a big deal," Edward's smile was blinding as he shrugged with put-on nonchalance. I blinked, absorbing that.

"What were the terms of this bet? And what kind of prize was worth waiting nearly twenty years to win?" I stared at him wide-eyed.

"Well, several cars before I owned my Vanquish, I had a 1977 Aston Martin Vantage-the second fastest thing on land at the time. And $137,000 was a lot of money for a car back then…" he mused with a nostalgic chuckle.

"It's a lot of money for a car now!" I half-shouted. I could tell by Edward's amused expression that he was silently agreeing to disagree.

"What would you have had to do if Emmett won?" I asked. Edward cringed.

"Emmett doesn't care as much about material things. You know what was worth $137,000 to Emmett back then?" Edward asked, winding up the punchline. "Flushing my head in the toilet every single day for the entire time we'd be at the next high school together."

I just about died laughing and so did Edward once I really got going. Every time I attempted to regain my composure, I thought of Emmett giving Edward a swirlie and a whole new round of giggles would bubble up out of my chest.

As my breathless paroxysms of laughter subsided, I could feel the stitches in my sides from laughing so hard.

"I've owned an Aston Martin ever since just to taunt him," Edward said laughing so hard that his chest shook with laughter but no sound came out. It looked like he'd be wiping tears out of his eyes if such a thing were possible.

I wasn't laughing anymore as I watched him vibrate with amusement. I don't think I'd ever seen Edward look so happy so...unburdened.

He caught on to the change in my mood and rolled onto his side so that he could stroke my cheek with his free hand.

"What are you thinking?" His angel voice asked.

"I just love seeing you like this and...I love that there are so many running jokes between you guys that I'm just beginning to learn about. I can't wait to be a part of it," I said honestly.

"You already are. Or hadn't you heard about Emmett and Jasper's wager?" Edward chuckled.

I bristled at the reminder of their bet about how many slip-ups I'd have in my first year of being a vampire.

Seeing the scowl on my face, Edward rushed to add "Here's one you might like a little better. Rosalie and I have a cash bet on who will win an arm-wrestling match between you and Emmett once you're turned." Edward smiled placatingly.

"But doesn't Alice see how all these bets turn out?"

"She's not allowed to look. And if she sees anyway, the bet is void. It's not much fun for anyone if I know I'm going to win."

Then, as if he was remembering something unpleasant, Edward's smile faded a touch, and his eyes tightened almost imperceptibly.

"What are you thinking about?" It was my turn to ask.

Edward shook his head slightly, the corner of his mouth curled into a poor attempt at a smile. "Nothing."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'll remember that the next time you ask," I threatened.

He sighed. "I was just remembering the circumstances of how you came to find out about my brothers' bet. When you broke your hand."

After Jacob kissed me. For the first time, I cringed.

I swallowed thickly, hating to see the hurt in his eyes that he was trying so hard to hide.

"I know that you must have had some feelings about...about what happened with me and Jake...and you obviously still do. And maybe you felt like you couldn't be angry with me then because you might-" I struggled for the right words.

"Because I might lose you? Yeah, you could say that, Bella," there was a hard edge to his voice.

"But we don't have to do this now. Or ever. None of that matters...You chose me." Edward squeezed my hand, exhaling deeply.

"It matters," I disagreed. "I was all too happy to lie to myself that you were just so understanding about the whole thing that I never stopped to think about what I was doing to you. I was so selfish, Edward. And I'm so sorry, for all of it."

Edward sat up, bending one knee to his chest. With a fist under his chin, and his elbow resting on his knee, he stared gloomily out into the sea of orchids. I sat up too, crossing my legs beneath me.

"Bella, please don't apologize for something that I made necessary. It just makes me feel worse." Edward squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw.

"You don't get to blame yourself for that anymore, Edward! That statute of limitations has long since expired.

"Like you say, none of it matters now. You chose me...And when you came back, you had your chance to grovel, and now I'm demanding mine." My tone was sharp as a blade.

Edward's agonized eyes were torn with indecision, his lips pressed together into a hard line.

I pleaded in a desolate whisper, "I don't want to start our marriage while this is still hanging over us."

Edward's breath came out in one hard gust as if he'd had the wind knocked out of him. He turned his head to look at me, eyes blazing.

"What do you want me to say, Bella? That it crushed me every time you left me to be with him? It did.

"That it was awfully ironic that you couldn't stand the idea of me fighting the newborns not knowing if I'd come back to you—when that's exactly what you left me to face every time your future-OUR future-disappeared? It was very ironic.

"That it was humiliating when you asked me to chase after him on the mountain? Truthfully...being burned into a purple column of smoke would have been preferable.

"But Bella," he said softly, all the anger had vanished from his voice. "It was no more than I deserved. I knew it to be true then just as much as I do now, which is why I would have been happy to never say another word about it.

"And furthermore…" Edward sighed wearily, "if giving you the time and space to figure it out had any part in the choice you made, then I wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again," Edward's eyes burned into mine fueled by the conviction of his words.

Now it was my turn to have the wind knocked out of me, though it was more out of relief than anything else.

"Thank you," I breathed. "I have been wanting you to get that off your chest for the longest time. I knew it had to be eating you as much as my guilt has been eating me.

"I was awful, truly awful to you, and you fought for me anyway. I didn't deserve it. And I...can't tell you how sorry I am. I just hope that you can forgive me." Edward's cool fingertips were there to wipe away the tears before they even fell.

"I'd forgive you anything, love," Edward's voice was soft, fragile somehow, but his eyes were so full of love and compassion that I couldn't doubt it.

"I just...needed to say the words as much as you needed to hear them," I swiped a hand under my running nose.

Edward took my face between his hands. The cool, smooth stone of his palms soothed my burning hot skin as he gently stroked my cheekbones with his thumbs, removing the evidence of my grief.

"No more tears, my love. Everything is out in the open now. All is forgiven. Let's just be happy now in this beautiful place. You and me, from here on out, starting with a clean slate. Can we do that?"

I nodded, feeling the last of my hot tears fall onto my chest then trickle into the valley between my breasts. "A clean slate. I'd like that."

Edward sighed heavily, "You know what I've heard helps after having a heavy conversation like that?"

"What?" I hiccuped.

"Make-up sex," Edward smirked. "Want to give it a go?"

"Do I ever!" I threw myself into his arms, pressing my lips to his, asking for forgiveness and granting it in return in the same ragged breath.

Edward's arms folded around me, and he rolled us over so that he was holding himself above me. One of his hands raised to unstick a wisp of hair from my tear-dampened face and tuck it behind my ear. It then slid under my chin, holding my gaze firmly to his-not that I would have dreamed of looking away.

"Isabella Marie Cullen," his voice was stern. "You are mine and mine alone. Say it," he growled with an intensity that made all the blood in my body rush straight to my core.

"Yours, Edward. I've always been yours," I gasped as he drew my arms over my head and held both of my wrists together in one hand with a gentle, yet unbreakable grip.

Edward rolled over next to me onto his side so that he could have better access to my body.

His touch was feather-light as he trailed the fingers of his free hand from my fettered wrists down the ticklish underside of my arm and over my shoulder.

His splayed, wandering fingers continued down their path over my ribcage, my side, dipping into the narrow of my waist and lower where his hand came to rest at the hem of my tank top.

Without warning, he ripped the shirt over my head leaving me trembling beneath him in shock and desire wearing nothing but a lacy black bra and my cut-off shorts.

"I'm the only one who will ever touch you like this." He tenderly stroked my cheek with the back of one finger.

"The only one who will ever have you like this." Edward's face ducked down to my chest.

He followed the dried trails of my tears with his mouth to the center clasp of my bra, taking it between his teeth. The cups of the ruined bra flew open, exposing me to his ravenous eyes and the cool open air.

"The only one that will ever make you feel like this." Edward's hand slid under the waistband of my shorts and panties where he palmed the fleshy, soft curve of my mound before he dipped a finger inside my slick folds, rubbing the moisture up around my swollen nerves.

'The only one, Edward!" I gasped. "You're the only one." It was all true, but I'd say whatever he wanted as long as he didn't stop.

He didn't stop. Not until the desperate need growing between my legs was acute to the point of pain.

"Please, Edward, please. I need you so badly. Make love to me."

Edward never could say no to me when I begged...The rest of our clothes soon shared the same fate as my forgotten discarded shirt.

"I love you, Bella, and I will never let anyone take you away from me." I heard the brief sound of a wrapper crinkling, and then Edward was inside of me. His lips and hands were everywhere, loving me, claiming me.

Edward was never less than gentle, but there was an urgency in his kiss and his touch that I'd never felt before.

"Yes, Edward, yes. Don't stop," I moaned as he brought me to climax under the cool tips of his fingers, his mouth humming in approval around the hardened peak of my breast.

His hips curled languidly into mine, penetrating me slowly but deeply each time. My arms wrapped around his back and my fingernails tried in vain to find purchase in the powerful muscles of his glutes.

I knew Edward was close when I felt his hands and his mouth retreat from my body. His hands clenched into fists on either side of my arms. He turned his face away from me, anchoring his jaw with his own shoulder.

Edward's whole body tensed and shuddered, and with a final grunt, he withdrew and sort of collapsed on top of me, though I knew he wasn't letting me bear much of his weight.

He rested the side of his face on my heaving chest, listening to the thundering of my heart as he recovered from his own release.

I kissed the disheveled bronze of his hair, running my fingers through it and smoothing it back off his forehead. He purred at the attention.

And just like that, the Jacob drawer stopped rattling. Whatever part of me that had been living inside it had been pinched off like a dead flower from a healthy plant. Removal had been necessary to make room for new growth.

After our breathing returned to a normal rhythm, we eventually separated and put ourselves back together again. Once I pulled my sandals back on over my heels, he extended a hand to pull me up off the ground.

He ducked his head down to my level so that he could look into my eyes. His brow was furrowed like he wasn't sure what to say. "Are you alright?" he finally asked.

I nodded. "Are we alright?"

"Better than ever," he promised. His eyes were serious, but a smile was starting to bloom on his perfect face.

We walked hand in hand through the orchid field. Prisms of light bounced off Edward's sparkling skin casting dancing rainbows over the brightly colored flowers as we passed. Leave it to Edward to take something so flawless and make it somehow more beautiful.

"Ready to go back to the real world, Mrs. Cullen?" He asked, softly stroking the back of my hand with his thumb.

"I'm not really sure anymore which parts are real, and which aren't," I said as the fingers of my free hand grazed over the petals of a white orchid, the tips of its petals a startling blood red. "But I'm ready for anything as long as I have you."

*A/N* Somebody asked how I planned to torture them without the pregnancy...Bwahaha. I don't need no stinkin' hybrid baby to do that! SM repressed enough hurt within the pages of the first three books that Edward and Bella will do that work all on their own.

It's amazing how much better I feel now that Edward got to say his piece. And, gah, don't you just love some Domward? I know I do. I really hope you liked this update! Can't wait to hear what you all think. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Til next time, my lovelies!