Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, I merely play in the sandbox, I do however lay claim to my original characters; Ella, Adrian, Christine, Eldre etc, and the small inclusion of the Fey world.

AN: Sorry this is a day late, I was at a Wedding over the weekend and didn't get back till late Monday evening ~Hannah

Chapter Ninety – Let's Travel the World

I started keeping a travel journal, it was all I could do to keep memories from slipping and Edward was determined to make as many memories as humanly possible. We had been stuck in a funk after university with no firm path in sight. It had been Rose who suggested we should travel, and Dad who insisted we went. I had never thought about travelling, never thought I'd get the chance and never had thought I wanted to travel. It was fast becoming known to me that I loved travelling and loved exploring new places and learning new things.

Travelling with a vampire was not as problematic as one might think. There were some drawbacks, but we managed to visit everything we wanted and with only some small delays.

I had thought that in all that had happened to me, my eyes had been open to the world, but I didn't realise how sheltered I still was, till me started travelling. The sights, the sounds, the places, I could go on and on about everything I'd experienced, touched, smelt, and tasted. As with everything new that I tried with Edward, I found myself wondering why I hadn't tried it sooner. Edward had a way of making the ordinary seem extraordinary and the most boring things seem exciting. It was a talent of his though he was most embarrassed when I pointed it out to him.

I wanted to be about to remember word for word the feelings, thoughts, and senses I had while visiting a place, which was why I decided to journal what I'd experienced. I could always phone my family, but I wanted to give them something more lasting, so besides my own journaling, I sent postcards from every place we visited. There had been arguments on where to travel to first and in what order we should visit places. Oddly, it was not Edward and I who were arguing, rather, Edward and Alice. I stayed out of the whole ordeal, preferring to stick to the excitement I had for travelling and leave the order of places up to more experienced people. I'll never know who got the upper hand in the argument, for Esme soon stopped their bickering.

All I learnt was that the first place we were going was Disneyland. Not Disneyland in LA or Orlando, no…Disneyland Paris. I think Edward was desperate to have me see the world outside of America. I'd been to Volterra but that wasn't enough. Edward was like a kid in the candy store, determined to pick out the best candy to eat. I wasn't going to deny Edward the pleasure of seeing my awed face as we travelled the world, I knew it was something he loved to seek out and I was very happy to oblige with every new sight my eyes saw.

My body thrummed at the entrance to Disneyland Paris. The flight over here being enjoyed by both Edward and I as we snuggled up to each other and watching in-flight entertainment. Edward had booked us into a very swanky hotel, with easy access for him should things get too much, or he required a feed elsewhere. Some part of me had assumed Disneyland Paris wouldn't be as crowded as the two Disneyland's in America, it was a foolish thought and one that I quickly realised was wrong. Even though the weather was gloomy and cold in Paris, Disneyland was still bustling with people there to experience the magic.

It did feel like magic being here, childlike wonder and excitement thrummed through my body and I knew Edward was feeling the same way. I wasn't sure whether I was a roller coaster fan or not, but Edward seemed determined to find out. He had secured fast-passes for several of the more popular roller coasters and his presence calmed my nerves as we queued up. As it turns out, I was mildly scared of roller coasters, or more importantly the almost improbable percentage that I might fall from my roller coaster seat. Despite that fear, I screamed merrily and enjoyed all the sudden turns, loops, and adrenaline I experienced on the roller coasters. I loved Big Thunder Mountain so much that we ended up going on it several times during our stay. The only one I didn't like was the Haunted Mansion, the darkness and the moving mannequins reminding me too much of my time spent in the in-between. Edward comforted me through the ride with kisses and caresses that helped soothe me and made me forget where I was.

I couldn't put into words how much I loved the food, sure it was completely full of calories and had I begun eating the diet of Disney food for the rest of my life, I would become quite fat. However, for a holiday, I was happy to indulge myself in all Disney had to offer, my excitement over eating had Edward in a fit of manly giggles, though I couldn't tell you what made him laugh so. I was determined to try every food on offer, even going as far as to snap a picture with my phone of everything I ate. I knew there would be others at home that would appreciate this (namely Bella, Angela, and Lauren.)

The light shows at night made me feel slightly like I was having a fit and might well be an epileptics nightmare, but they were still beautiful to watch and an exciting experience to have as a memory. Edward tried to get me interested in visiting all the characters and having photos with them, but I point-blank refused. I had always thought there was something creepy about adults dressing up as characters from children's films. The ones here, in doing their job, were likely to grab you in for a hug without warning – no thank you! The only unexpected hug I wanted to receive was from Edward.

Making memories in Disneyland Paris would stay with me for a long time and be the calm to reflect upon when something unexpected happened on our other travels.

[x]

"Edward there's a cobweb in my hair and I feel like spiders are crawling all over me."

"Relax, you're fine."

"Fine Edward? Really? We just fell through the floor into god knows where and we might never get out. I'm covered in dirt and creepy crawlies and you say I'm fine."

"I'll get us out don't worry and isn't this an adventure, who knows what we'll find here."

"No, this is trespassing, Edward! I thought we were just going to have a look outside, I really don't think we should be in here and I don't want to see what we'll find."

"Don't sweat it, everything in here is dead."

"Says the walking, talking, dead vampire."

"It'll be fine."

"Say fine one more time…"

"Ok, ok. Look, we'll have a quick look and then I'll work on getting us out."

I was not happy, I was not fine, and I was one second away from smacking Edward in the face and clutching my hand in pain. 'Let's go to Egypt' he said, 'It'll be fun' he said, 'we'll see the pyramids' he said. I was seeing the pyramids alright but not in the way I expected. Edward hadn't been content to see the pyramids from the outside, so he'd snuck us away from the tour group and managed to find a way into the pyramid that didn't look like it had been discovered before. We'd only made it about fifty yards inside when we activated a booby trap and the floor gave way beneath us. We tumbled down a slippery slope and ended in this darkness. Edward, with his stupid vampire senses, seemed ecstatic by the turn of events, I on the other hand, was terrified and wanted to get as far away as humanly possible, have a burning hot shower and hide in my bed till morning.

At least Edward had a torch on him, though why he'd thought to pack one on his person I'll never know.

It was dusty as hell down here; decayed items were lying all around us and the air…well it would be better if I didn't breathe it in too much. It was surprised there was even stuff still inside this pyramid. I would have thought it would have all turned to dust by now, but the pyramid seemed to be preserving things. I didn't even know what pyramid we were in, whether it was famous or not or whether the insides had been discovered or not. Edward had used his vampire speed to get us here and now I was all confused about where I was.

"Just think of the lost treasures here Ella, we could potentially find an undiscovered Pharaohs tomb."

"Remind me to smack you one when we get out of here."

"See, you're warming up to the idea of being here already."

I wish there had been enough light for Edward to see me give him my death glare. Regardless of what adventure we'd have here and what story it would become, I wanted to get as far away as possible from the musky stench of rot.

Edward was busy looking at the walls, which despite time, were still covered in exquisite hieroglyphs and elaborate scenes. I don't know who he was trying to kid as I knew the ability to read hieroglyphs wasn't a talent Edward had. I was careful not to touch anything as I looked around the room we'd found ourselves in. There was a lot of pottery lining the walls and bits of jewellery scattered about. I thought we might be in an anti-chamber, a place filled with trinkets to please the gods. Though I didn't like that we'd found ourselves in this predicament, I couldn't help but be in awe of the craftsmanship around me. That these pyramids had been standing for so long and still held strong and intact was amazing. It was a marvel to think about.

"Edward, can you please look to getting us out, not getting us further in!"

If anything, I think Edward was amused by my reluctance to be here and my attitude to getting out. If I had his vampire strength, I'd show him how unhappy I was right now. I tried to manoeuvre my way around the room without touching anything. I ended up standing near the far wall, not touching but enough to jump when I felt a sudden breeze.

"Edward, I can feel air coming through here."

Edward was over in a flash, gently nudging me away so he could see what it was. His excitement didn't grow on me.

"It's a secret passageway Ella. It was probably left open so the last of the workers could get out and then sealed. I think I can jimmy it open, we'll have to crawl through though."

"You're kidding right? Have you seen how dusty the floor is?"

"We either crawl out or we stay here, your choice."

"That's not a choice and you know it. It's your fault we're here in the first place, you better hope we get out in one piece."

Watching Edward use his vampire strength usually excited me but, on this occasion, I felt my spirit of adventure had left me and my adrenaline was running purely on fear. The secret door, once Edward had opened it was no more than 50cm high and we would have to crawl through on our bellies. I shuddered to think what would cling to my clothes as I crawled, and I tried not to inhale dust particles disturbed by our movements. Such a gentleman – not -, Edward made me go first. Many things had happened to me in my life, but this was one I'd rather I hadn't had to endure.

"Look at all this history."

I jumped, not hearing Edward come up behind me. He could obviously see what I couldn't because, if possible, this room was darker and dustier than the last.

"I think I can see some light over there, it might be our way out. Let me just have a look round first."

"Edward…"

I hated to admit it, but I was sounding like the whining girls I hated so much. I had no defence for it except the adrenaline of fear coursing through me.

"Alright, alright. Stand back, I'm going to have to break through this wall of stones. There doesn't seem to be a way further in from here, so we'll be out in no time."

I almost felt bad for moaning at him so much because he was trying to guilt trip me into staying inside this pyramid to keep looking for discoveries rather than search for a way out. If Edward was so desperate to discover something, he could come back in his own time, because once out I would never step foot in here again.

"I just don't like it in here."

I couldn't exactly tell him that the darkness was scaring me or that I felt like I was captive inside my mind again. Well, I could, but he didn't need the weight of that on his shoulders. I just needed to get out before I drove myself into a panic. I'd been pretty level-headed during this whole ordeal and I couldn't deny that it would make a good story to tell in the future.

Again, I had been stuck in my own mind mulling over thoughts and feelings to distract myself from the panic I felt bubbling under the surface. I couldn't deny though, that the room was now brighter, and I could distinctively see every strand of cobwebs that covered every surface. I blinked in slight surprise when I realised Edward had more or less moved the stones away from the light and that the light was warm. I hadn't realised how cold it was in the pyramid. I stared like a starved man at the bright sun before me and the patch of real sky I could see. With my behaviour, you would have thought it had been many moons since I had seen the outside world. Of course, it had been mere hours, but my mind had struggled to understand time through the adrenaline and fear it was creating.

"Erh, Ella."

Edward sounded nervous, never a good sign.

"What?"

"How do you feel about sliding down the side of a pyramid?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, it's just that we're quite high up and we can't exactly walk down with nothing to grip on."

I walked up to him and peered through the hole. Sure enough, Edward was right. Not that I'd doubted him in the first place, but this whole experience was a little surreal.

"I'm not sure I was built to do this."

"You'll be fine."

"Say's the vampire, what about pyramid burn? What happens if I scrape my skin off as I slide down the side? What happens if I fall off the edge and break something?"

"You're being dramatic, I'll make sure you're perfectly fine."

"How will you do that when you'll be sliding down at the same time."

"I'll go first."

"Fine!"

I was almost spitting mad when Edward seemed to be enjoying his slide down the pyramid at a break-neck speed. I was cursing all the things that made me a fragile human as I gingerly lowered myself onto the outside of the Pyramid and after a moment of indescribable fear, let go of the stone wall I was gripping and screamed as I slid down the pyramid.

It was like a roller coaster I couldn't get off of, too fast, too scary, I was glad when it was over, and Edward caught me like he promised.

"See, that wasn't so bad was it."

I glared and smacked the back of his head.

[x]

I'd always wanted to go to New Zealand. Primarily, because I was a huge Tolkien fan and I wanted to go to Hobbiton. Secondly, because, New Zealand sounded amazing and I wanted to explore it. We'd just come from Singapore where Edward had lost a fight with a chicken after betting that it could win the local chicken race. Apparently, chicken racing was a real thing and a very competitive world.

Anyway, for some reason, Edward had taken the loss of his chicken race to heart and had been moping on the plane ride over to New Zealand. I had been ready to pull my hair out once we'd landed and had told him to stop acting like a big baby which in turn had started a big row between us about how wanting to see Hobbiton was more babyish that being sad about losing a race.

The whole thing was ridiculous, and I'd tried to tell Edward that, but it hadn't come out like I'd planned. We were currently not speaking to each other, which was not how I wanted the day to start but sometimes Edward was so stubborn and refused to back down. I was angry with him but mostly because of his childish behaviour and not because of the original argument we had.

New Zealand had been one place that I'd always wanted to visit but thought I never would from a financial point of view. I had fallen in love with the Hobbit and then The Lord of the Rings after Bella had forced me to read the books. I loved books that had the ability to take me on an adventure, ones that swept my mind from my body and absorbed me into the pages I was reading.

I'd wanted to see Hobbiton ever since they wrapped filming the Hobbit, for they'd left it up as a tourist attraction. I knew I wouldn't be able to go into any of the building, or pretend I was a Hobbit by sleeping there, but it was a dream come true to visit the place. I wasn't going to let Edward's sour mood bring me down in any way. Edward was, walking sullenly by my side, not touching me but close enough to warn other men from me. I rolled my eyes at his behaviour and focused on listening to everything the tour guide was saying. In a few short moments I would be seeing Hobbiton and honestly, I felt like a kid in a candy store.

I couldn't help the gasp of awe that left my lips once we'd rounded the corner and entered Hobbiton. I had been trying to tone my expectations down and as a result had been shocked to discover how amazing it was and how I was instantly transported into the Hobbit world. I could almost imagine myself as a Hobbit with big hairy feet as I walked the road up to the great town. All around me, the others on the tour were gasping and talking quietly in their excitement. The only one not talking was Edward, who still looked sullen despite what we were seeing.

Part of me wanted to run forward and explore at my own leisure but I didn't want to get kicked from the tour. In an effort to snap Edward out of his glum mood, I grabbed his hand and dragged him into the thick of the tour, stroking my hand softly against the back of his, I tried to coax him out of his mood. I hoped my chaotic excitement and wonder would have been enough to gain a small smile from him, but he seemed determined to keep his mood going.

Our tour guide gave a rather enthusiastic speech before allowing us to wander at our own pace. We were allowed to take pictures and I had both my camera and my phone out ready to snap shots. Edward remained ever silent at my side and became clingy when I tried to remove my hand from his.

Frustrated by his behaviour, I turned to face him and kissed him without warning. Running my tongue against his lips, I begged for entrance and was rewarded. We kissed like horny teenagers in the middle of Hobbiton and I felt Edward relax beneath me. I pulled away after hearing someone wolf whistle with a blush on my cheeks and a smile upon my face. Edward's face was darker now, but darker with desire rather than moodiness.

"Be a bit happier and I might give you another kiss," I said, my tone light and cheery.

He gave me a lopsided grin and I knew his mood had passed. Edward spent the rest of the day happily by my side, touching me and kissing me wherever possible. Our trip to Hobbiton turned out to be a fantastic day, I probably took more photos than one ever needed of the place, but I didn't care. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was going to soak up as much as possible.

I couldn't believe how big Hobbiton was, the 12-acre set had taken me by surprise, but I was really enjoying all that I was seeing. It wasn't just the Hobbit holes either, but the mill and the Green Dragon Inn. We could have done the evening banquet tour, but I didn't want Edward to feel self-conscious about pretending to eat, besides I wasn't short changed in what I was seeing. The end of the tour was nearing as the tour guide gathered us up in a group again and began talking about points we may have missed and just what work went into making Hobbiton come to life. We were presented with a complimentary Hobbit beverage at the end of the tour and then it was time to leave.

The tour of Hobbiton had been the highlight of our trip to New Zealand but that isn't to say that the rest of it wasn't fun. I was glad that I had packed comfy walking boots because we explored all that New Zealand had to offer and hiked almost everywhere that we could. Edward's mood improved greatly from that first day and he became almost childlike in his excitement and very flirty.

There were a couple of days where it rained but we were still out and about, I argued that the rain in New Zealand was warm and therefore I wouldn't get ill. Edward didn't quite believe me, but he still went along with what I wanted to do. Like with everything we had done so far on our travels, New Zealand was a bubble of excitement and new adventures that I didn't want to leave behind but we couldn't stay in New Zealand forever, despite how much I wished to stay.

We were to make our way back through Europe, making stops along the way before returning to America and embarking on the next chapter of our lives.

[x]

London was a lot colder and wetter than I had expected. I knew people said that the UK was known for gloomy weather, but I hadn't taken it seriously. I did now. I mean it wasn't summer, but did it have to be this cold? Edward had to take me shopping for warmer clothes because I would not stop shaking in his arms. The UK was the last stop on our tour around the world, we had already been to Scotland, Wales and Ireland and I'd experienced more culture in the last couple of weeks than I'd experienced anywhere in America.

Despite the gloomy weather, London was alight with colours and people. It was very busy, very crowded but at the same time somehow magical. We were staying in Central London in a lovely hotel that seemed to me, very fancy. We'd already been on the London Eye – though Edward was less than impressed and walked around Oxford Circle and Covent Gardens. Today we were planning on heading to Camden Market, which was supposed to be an interesting day out and hoping to see Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park in the afternoon.

There were never any slow days on our travels, every day was packed full of as much as possible. Neither of us wanted to miss out on anything.

I never thought I'd find a place where Edward didn't fit in, but it seemed that in Camden Market where everyone was diverse and unique, Edward's vampire looks made him stand out in a bad way. I think he just looked too pretentious and arrogant to be where he was. I knew he was enjoying the cultural experience as much as I was, but he was frowning a lot and muttering swear words at the thoughts he was hearing. I, on the other hand, found it very amusing that there were places where Edward's charm and appeal didn't work. It reminded me that we all have our own weaknesses, even vampires with many decades of life under their belts.

I loved the vibrant life of Camden Market, the vast array of things it sold and the total – bar Edward – acceptance for everyone milling around. It was in Camden Market that I bought more knick-knacks than anywhere else. Edward joked that I could probably fill a suitcase with all the souvenirs I'd bought but I didn't care, I just couldn't help myself when I saw something interesting. I'll not get started on how much I loved the food in Camden Market or I'd be here for days, let's just say that it was delicious and that I moaned one too many times in delight for Edward to deal with.

We left Camden Market after lunch and though I was sorry to leave, I was excited for where we were going next. I had high hopes for Buckingham Palace but was slightly disappointed to know that you couldn't see the inside of it. I don't know why I expected to be able to see the inside of the Queen's home, but I was still disappointed when reality told me I couldn't. Still, the outside was magnificent, and Edward and I took several pictures of the palace and several selfies of the two of us before it. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live somewhere that was so grand. The Queen must lead and interesting life.

Once we had finished photographing the Palace we wandered into Hyde Park and spent the evening there. Coming from Forks where it was green everywhere, it seemed strange to me to at first be in the city centre with one step and in the next step be in a fully green park. Hyde Park was stunning in its simplicity and I could see why many people spent time here. We strolled leisurely through the park, often stopping to take a photo or to take in the scenery around us. Our trip to London, was, by comparison, tame compared to the adventures we'd had in other countries, but I rather liked the more sedate pace we'd adopted here. We were calmed and relaxed and taking everything in at our own pace. I was sad that the experience was almost ending.