Spirit to Flesh: A Twific by LittleWing, betad by the supercalifragilistic expialidocious Jessica1971

A/N: And now...a nice cold glass of lemonade....

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or The Love Letter. I'm just playin around and havin a ball. No infringement intended. No money made. Viva Le Fan Fiction!

Chapter 16: Epilogue

5 days later…..

"Don't go."

Even though he couldn't see her face, Edward could tell from the turn of her head that she was looking around for the clock.

He pulled her closer to him, shivering with the realization that this was her body pressed against him - naked, soft, and so warm. His hand found his way from her stomach to her breasts, kneading them greedily, trying to fit them both into the palm of his hand.

"Oooh…," she moaned before finding the focus to ask, "What time is it?"

Bella hated to break the sweet silence between them, but work, the world outside his door, was beginning to press around the edges of the cocoon they had been building slowly over the past five days.

She reached her hand back to grab his ass and hold him to her. Her legs bent forward instinctively, giving him access to her if he wanted it.

In response, Edward tightened his hold on her. She could feel that he was already hard. Bella let out another moan into the space around them while pushing her hips further back as her chest pushed forward, silently pleading for him to take her, touch her….anything he wanted.

She wondered how she had become this woman in five days, so wanton and bold, confident and knowing. She had never been this way before him, yet somehow she knew she would never be any other way again.

"It doesn't matter what time it is. Don't go," he whispered. His voice was husky, needy, and raw. He had no need for defenses. He couldn't waste the time. He would beg her to stay if he needed to; it wouldn't bother him at all. In fact, the thought turned him on.

"Please, baby, be with me," he said as he felt her bottom push into him again.

"Yes, baby, please."

Edward shifted his arms so he could continue to tease her nipples with his left hand while holding her hips steady with his right, readying himself to push into her from behind.

Bella had opened herself to him, exposing the wetness that dripped from her center to her thighs. She was slippery. Juicy, he thought as he squeezed her breasts tightly and slipped inside.

They both let out a deep groan as he began moving inside her. Her hands traced the movement of his fingers over her breasts before moving down her stomach to her thigh where his grip pulsed with each smooth, slow thrust of his hips. She wanted to feel what he felt, love what he loved. She felt amazing.

Have my breasts always been this soft? she wondered. Has the weight of them always felt this good, or have they changed because of him? Her skin felt luxurious under his touch, supple and slick from their sweat.

They had made love on and off for two days. As he moved, she could feel her swollen pussy take him in, encasing him in wetness and holding him greedily inside. Bella turned towards where Edward was kissing her shoulder reverently and lifted her hand to caress his stubbled cheek. She felt on fire with the knowledge that every part of her wanted him.

"I can't leave you, not even for a second. What am I going to do?" she said desperately, kissing him everywhere she could reach. "I love you…..I love you so much already."

Her desperation was not from fear. The enormity of what she felt overwhelmed her. Bella began to wonder how she would function without being close to him like this every minute of the day.

Edward stilled at her words before crushing her against him. He still wasn't used to hearing them and the power they had over him. His thrusts became deeper, meeting her desperation with his own.

"Bella… Oh, God. I've loved you for so long. I can't even remember a time when I didn't love you. But I'm here now. I'll take care of you always – always, Bella. Do you hear me? Oh …oh God, baby, I feel you. I feel you coming. God… let go baby. I'm here now. Let go."

Edward had felt her body begin to shake as soon as he recovered from her words and began to speak. His body moved to claim her fully and push away any idea that they would be apart, could be apart. He knew they never would be. This was forever. She had to know it, and if she didn't, he would show her every single day that there would never be a time when he was not with her or she was not with him. Even when they only had their letters, this was true.

-------

Five days ago, this would have seemed an impossible concept. They were both just trying to make it through. Edward was fighting to manage the constant longing that he had realized was not new to him. He had been missing her all along. Bella was just trying to find her place in a new town, in a new job – 24 and single in Boston.

When she got the assignment to interview the press loathing Edward Cullen, she didn't flinch. If she wasn't a reporter, she would hate them, too. Bella was someone who valued her privacy. That's what made her such a good investigative reporter; she understood the boundaries around each of her subjects. She had also heard that he was extremely good looking, but this didn't faze her, either. She was never one to go for the 'obviously good looking' guy. A man had to have depth to capture her attention.

When Bella walked into his office on Tuesday for their 3 o'clock appointment, his secretary was immediately apologetic. It was 2:55 pm and the practice session with the student orchestra was not even close to being over.

"Maybe another 30 minutes," Sylvia had offered, but Bella noted that even Sylvia didn't look like she believed it.

Bella settled in to reread Bid Time Return, one of her favorite books of all time. She was just becoming engrossed when Sylvia decided to be proactive about Mr. Cullen's lack of courtesy. "Come with me, Ms. Whitcomb," Sylvia ordered.

Their march into the practice hall was stopped short by the music, which was astonishing. Bella was sure she had never heard this piece before. It mesmerized her instantly with its haunting beauty. It was intimate, yet powerful, making her feel like she had walked in on a private confession she wasn't supposed to hear, but she couldn't turn away. The music brought to her mind an image of a woman standing alone by candlelight. How strange, she thought. Sylvia and Bella stood just outside the door for ten more minutes, listening as the music turned hopeful, then triumphant. Bella's eyes glazed over as she suddenly felt disoriented, as if she was in a place she couldn't identify.

"Aaah….Edward, your 3 o'clock appointment has been waiting for 30 minutes now." His voice seeped through her confusion. It was deep, soothing, and laced with an edge of annoyance.

"It's alright. I can wait," she managed in response. Bella couldn't say when Sylvia left. She had been lost as soon as the music began again. It consumed her. Someplace inside her wept at the sound of each note, while her own eyes remained dry. As the orchestra continued to play, Bella felt the confusion she felt earlier slowly recede, like a film being pulled back from her mind. She felt focused in a way she never had before. All her senses were on edge. Bella was keenly aware that something was happening to her, something she could not fully understand. She felt a bizarre sense of importance in the time and space around her, convinced without reason that she was meant to be here, sitting in this auditorium chair.

Yes! she heard herself say. You are meant to be here now, in this room, in this time.

What the hell? Bella began to panic just as her body started to feel heavy. Her instinct to flee was quickly replaced by an inexplicable need to stay. She felt her body lean its full weight against the back of her seat as she gripped the armrests tightly.

What is happening to me? She closed her eyes to see if any of the flight response remained inside her. It didn't. She relaxed her arms as she finally gave in. The fight was over in seconds. When she opened her eyes again, the music was coming to a familiar end. She felt almost like the same girl who had walked into this building just an hour ago. Her breathing had returned to normal.

Again, his voice broke through her thoughts. "Thank you. Thank you," she heard him say.

Bella sat in her seat quietly for awhile longer, testing and steadying herself. She felt strangely calm, though still not clear on exactly what had happened to her earlier. Since he seemed to be oblivious to her presence, she decided to use the moment to get her game plan together. Watching him silently, she realized she still hadn't seen his face, but she noted that he moved with silent purpose – shoulders slightly rounded, but resolved from some unseen burden. His stride was long and graceful. His body, from behind at least, looked trim and powerful – a man fully in control of everything. Well, everything but his hair, which was a strangely appealing bronzeish mess – spikes and waves mixed together in a cacophony of unkempt. After a few more minutes, Bella felt in control enough to start the interview.

"That was breathtaking," she said truthfully. Bella's plan was to try and win him over by relating to the music that he loved.

Her words were met with a stiffening of his posture, followed by obvious evasive maneuvers. Oh right, 'the interview-hater', she remembered. Although her voice didn't quite sound like her own, Bella was determined to be professional and get this over with so she could go home and figure out what the hell was going on with her. She decided to cut to the chase.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm a patient person," she lied. "Plus, I was prepared for you to avoid me." Bella felt satisfied that at least her sense of humor was still intact, but before she could continue, her mouth opened without her having planned anything to say. She felt her tongue dart out to lick her lips as she fixed her gaze on him, as if she could see right though him.

Suddenly, she felt ferocious in her need for him to turn around and look at her. When she heard the words come out of her mouth, they made perfect sense and no sense at all.

His reaction was instant and this satisfied her on some primal level she didn't understand. What is happening to me? she thought. I am out of control! Her next words she forced out very purposefully.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry," she began, popping out of her chair and making a move for her things. She needed to leave so she could get a hold of herself. She knew she was babbling her apology, but she didn't care. She just needed to leave before she embarrassed herself or the paper any further.

Having successfully gotten out of her chair, Bella whirled around to get her coat and purse, planning to make a run for it. But, of course, it didn't happen quite that smoothly. As she grabbed her coat, her purse toppled over, pouring its contents onto the ground.

"Jesus!" she muttered. "What is wrong with me? It's bad enough I've got to get my head examined without running my own personal contest for klutz of the century. Today of all days, Izzy…"

"Bella."

The sound of her name on his breath stilled her hands. It was familiar and comforting all at once, as if she'd heard it a million times.

Bella. The name she wanted people to call her, but never got up the nerve to ask. The name on the inside of her journal. The name she called herself when she wasn't treating herself like everyone else.

He knows my name, she thought. He knows my name.

The idea that he would know her by this name was profound. It said that he already knew things about her that he couldn't, shouldn't, but did. The idea didn't scare her. It made her rise to her feet and turn around. It made her want to be seen. Yes, that is who I am. She wanted to look at the man who knew her by name.

And she did.

He was impossible and she was perfect, just as neither of them had ever dared to imagine.

Looking at him, she thought that no one's eyes could be that green. Their depths made her think of a lush forest where she could get lost and be found.

In her eyes, he saw flecks of light or gold or something he could not name, but he felt if he could catch a glimpse from the right angle, he would see her very soul.

There was no fear between them, only recognition. Of what she couldn't yet fathom, but she knew him and he knew her.

"How did you know to call me Bella?"

There were many questions to ask, but this was the only one she cared about.

As Bella watched a tear fall down his face, she knew that the answer would take time to understand. She also knew that she would give him all the time he asked for. She was calm and rooted in the man that stood before her. The feeling of being so centered made her smile.

"Come with me," he said and led her out the door, never letting go of her hand.

She didn't answer him; she didn't need to. They walked across the University grounds to a restaurant on a side street off the main thoroughfare. Inside, the restaurant was small but beautiful with less than two dozen round tables, each lit with candles in preparation for the dinner crowd. The air smelled of cinnamon and red wine and the décor was a mixture of dark woods and cream linens punctuated with bursts of red roses. Edward clearly came here often as the waiters merely smiled at him and motioned for him to sit wherever he wanted.

Besides frequent open glances and a brief kiss of her hand as they crossed the street, neither of them spoke, sensing the need to wait until they were alone to really talk.

Edward chose a booth at the far end of the restaurant which was secluded except for the window, which gave a beautiful view of the quiet side street. As she slid into the booth, he finally let go of her hand, only to grab them both once she'd placed them on the table.

Edward took in how calm she seemed compared to him. He felt like a teenager, full of nerves and anticipation. The feeling was so heady and unfamiliar that he laughed out loud, bringing his lips to her hands once more and dragging his parted lips over her knuckles, before opening his eyes and staring at her for a long moment.

Bella didn't try to move away from him, didn't ask a single question. She simply waited for him. Her eyes were open and trusting, choosing to watch his face or their hands joined together. The small smile never left her face.

He had no idea where to begin. He could see from her eyes that while she felt their connection, she didn't truly know who he was or what they were to each other. He didn't want to scare her, but he couldn't pretend, either. The fact that she had found him again through everything was too much to ignore. He would not risk losing her. He understood that the minute he saw her face. The moment his head registered what his heart knew, the moment he heard her call to him, "I've come a long way for you, so I'm not leaving until you see me."

Yes, she can handle this, he decided. I just need to go slow, but she can handle this. She can do anything, even if she doesn't know it yet.

He let go of her hands and rubbed his face roughly before leaning towards her again.

"I don't want to scare you, but I need to tell you everything," he began. "Just let me know when you need a break or if you don't understand what I'm saying. This is…our story is…unusual," he smiled at the gross understatement. "But it is extraordinary, and very special, too, if you can believe it."

Bella leaned towards him then, pressing her palms into his open hand. "Tell me everything," she said calmly. "But start with this – how did you know my name was Bella?"

She watched as his face spread into a beautiful smile. "Your name has been Bella for a very long time."

They talked for hours, with brief pauses in between to ask questions, to drink, to eat. They never took their eyes off of each other, as if afraid the other might disappear out of their direct line of sight.

Bella listened intently to every word he said and all the ways his body told her what he had yet to say - how much he loved her then and worshipped her now. Bella could feel it like a tremor in the air, the adoration of his touch followed by the chasteness of his restraint. He would hold her hand lightly as he stared at her lips as she spoke, like a man seeing the sun for the first time.

She knew she should feel disbelief at his words or fear at her own willingness to believe them, but she couldn't. The truth of his words anchored her to her seat and resonated deep within. Her soul drank them in as if they were the only things that had ever truly made sense to her.

When he finally brought out a picture of her from his wallet (she had long accepted that it was her), Bella could only hold it in her trembling hands as tears fell down her cheeks. "My God," she whispered. "My God."

After they shut the restaurant down, they wandered through Haymarket, The Commons, and The Town Center, listening and learning about each other. By 4:15 am the next morning, Edward insisted on walking her home. When she asked if he would like to come in, the look of blind gratitude on his face made her laugh as she kissed him on the cheek. Edward had to stop himself from sobbing right there in her doorway.

By 7 am, he was asleep on her couch while she watched him. He was beautiful and she would call in sick for the next 4 days.

The things they had in common were staggering, from a love of cooking, opera, and dogs (Sylvia had taken Agnes home with her when Edward didn't return to the office), to complete agreement on the correct way to make a tuna fish sandwich, the best store bought ice cream, children, and the necessity of living in the city. And the list grew the more they got to know each other. With each moment they spent together, Bella could see the love he had for her mature, from the mad adoration of an ideal, to the full-bodied passion of a real man for a real woman. He began to really touch her – grasping onto her waist as he moved about the kitchen, holding her hand without caution. She could see his desire breaking through his gaze. She could also feel her own love evolving – from the knowledge that she belonged with him, to the desire to actually be with him. It started almost immediately when she first felt him take her hand. Watching him in the restaurant that first night, he was so open and naked to her. The pull was undeniable, but she wanted to wait, to be sure he could love who she was now.

Besides practice sessions for the summer concert, Edward refused to leave Bella's side as long as she was available. At the end of the third day after he'd walked her home, after a full day of laughter and talking, Bella had pressed her body against his fully when she hugged him goodnight. At first, Edward pulled back to look at her and make sure it wasn't an accident. He didn't want to rush her. He knew she needed time and he wanted her to be sure, because he could hold out for as long as she needed. But he knew once he touched her sexually, he would not be able to stop. He had waited too long for her and wanted it too badly. Being around her made him insane with the need to touch and be touched by her. He was finding it harder and harder every minute to deny everything about her that called to him. At first, he simply tried to shut down that part of himself, but her proximity made that almost impossible. They were beginning to become so familiar with each other, touching each other more freely, a hand on his thigh as she laughed, and his arm around her waist to keep her from tripping. He could feel her body was real now, flesh against his.

As he met her eyes in her doorway, he knew she meant it and kissed her immediately, tangling his hands in her hair as their mouths opened in unison, molding, savoring and discovering.

When their lips finally parted for air, she was shaking with arousal and his eyes were heavy with lust. "Be sure, Bella," he said, stepping back from her. "I want you to be sure." His voice came out low and rough, mirroring the desire and conflict in his eyes.

Edward took another step back, trying to come down from the urge he had to take her right there in her doorway. It wasn't how he wanted their first time to be, but his desire, his need to be fully with her, was a rage inside him. He needed to calm down.

"You know that I love you. You know how long I've loved you. Now that you're here…it's just so much more than I thought was possible. I just…want to give you the time to decide if I'm still what you want."

It was the first time he'd ever said it, although she knew it within an hour of meeting him. The seriousness of his words brought her back from the haze of her own desire. She wanted to focus on what he was saying.

"I can wait for you," he said, then laughed, knowing that she must have felt his erection through his jeans.

"It may not seem like it, but I can wait for you to be sure. I can do anything for you."

Bella was speechless. She could only nod her head to convey her understanding before kissing him goodnight softly on his closed lips.

In return, Edward smiled as he caressed her face for a moment, and then walked away.

Bella only waited as long as it took her to pack an overnight bag, shower, and drive to his house. She wore her red trench coat and black pumps and nothing else. There would be no misunderstanding tonight.

When she arrived at his door, she could hear the sounds of him playing what she now knew was her song softly from his living room. As the doorbell rang, she wondered if he would know immediately that it was her.

When he came to the door, his eyes were wild, but sure as he took her bag slowly and guided her inside. As soon as he closed the door, Edward grabbed her with a force that finally matched the way he looked at her. She let out a cry of relief as he held her tightly, showering her face and neck with feverish kisses. "Bella," he murmured over and over to her as he began to undo her coat. He froze as he touched her bare shoulder before reaching up to cradle her face lovingly in his hands and bringing his lips to hers.

"I belong to you," he whispered as he stepped back and undressed in front of her before removing her coat and worshipping her for the next two days.

------

His thoughts came full circle as Edward began to feel her muscles tighten around him, becoming impossibly wetter, hotter. To him, it was as if her body began to hum with vibration. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever felt as it travelled from her body straight to his cock, deep into his balls, and up to his stomach to almost stop his heart. It happened this way, every time he felt her come. It made him scream to release it, for fear his heart would burst. And when her body was finished, he would stare down at her in wonder as he felt his own release fill her. "I watch you because I have to," he had told her once. "I can't be anywhere else in that moment when you give yourself over to me." It was the closest to heaven he'd ever come.

But this time it was different, as he felt the tremors through her chest and legs, they seemed to warm rather than shock him. As he felt her walls contract around him, he felt clearer, lighter, as if he could levitate them off the bed. He realized then that he was shaking, too, that their bodies were humming together, back and forth. As she came, screaming his name into his mouth, he breathed her in and felt himself come with her, pulsing into her rhythmically without breaking their movement, their vibration. He slowed his pace briefly to give her a chance to catch her breath. Bella's eyes fluttered open as she realized that he was not stopping. Their eyes locked together as the understanding between them flowed wordlessly – as their breath became one.

"I will never stop loving you," each one said to the other.

We will never stop.

We are eternal.

A/N: Well, that's all folks. Don't forget to vote for the outtakes on my profile page. I'll take the top two and see what I can come up with for ya :-) One more group hug to everyone who read this while it was still "in-progress". I know it was a big risk, so thanks for taking it with me. Also, I wanted to give a big o'le American "Hi There!" to all the readers from so many different countries. Fanfiction (dot) net lets you see that kind of thing and it has just tickled me to see readers from New Zealand, Croatia, Kuwait, Malaysia and Brazil. It's so wonderful to see that Twilight love is really EVERYWHERE! Bless you all. As for what's next for me, I am looking forward to catching up on some great fics now that I'm not writing/editing my own. I've got a full list of favorites on my profile, but I thought I would list a few here to wet your appetite. See you soon!

Stories I'm:

Currently In-love With:

Embodiment by Cullen312 - It's romantic and very original. The writing is wonderful and the plot is intense and engaging at every turn (but most of you already know this).

Illegal Contact by GreenEyedGirl17 - Because its romantic and making me like football. I also love potty-mouth Edward. This Bella is confident and I'm a sucker for a confident Bella.

Bonne Foi by Amethyst Jackson - It's Darkward = all you love about Vampward without the angst.

Looking forward to:

Emancipation Proclamation - Because Jessica1971 told me I had to read it and she's always right

3-2-1 by Heather dawn - Because it sounds crazy and the summary reminds me of 3 Weddings and a Funeral (a movie I LOVE!)

Make Me Believe by bellasunderstudy1 - Because I always love to read a good story on how Edward and Bella find their way back to each other (can't you tell).

Eternally In-Love with:

Abbracciare il Cantante by Bratty-Vamp - This story is awesome. The final chapters just blew my mind. I've never read anything like it.

The Antidote by jandco - Again, just a very original take on the "singer" concept. I really can't say more. Just read it.

A Life Extraordinary by Lolashoes - Lola started my love affair with twific. It's just amazing in every possible way.

First Night in the Cottage Edward and Bella BD by writeit - This was one of the first fics I ever read. A year later, it can hold up to almost any lemon I've ever read, while still being in PERFECT character with canon Edward and Bella. *Sigh*

and just in case you need a laugh...

Attention, WalMart Shoppers by sillybella - Just pure fun.

Bella Swan:Kidnapper by Kambria Rain - This is a full length story that made me laugh with every chapter.

Boycotts and Barflies by vjgm - I think this is only available on Twilighted, but it's worth the black screen conundrum. It's one of the funniest stories I've ever read while still being SO romantic.

Alright, bye for now. Go vote for those outtakes on my profile and I'll get to writing 'em. Oh and ONE more thing, how about a review..for old times sake :-) Love ya - LW