Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, nor shall I make any money from this, so please don't sue me…no copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Sorry about the confusion about chapter 2. I uploaded the revised first chapter before deleting the old one and thus you got emails saying chapter 2 was up when it wasn't. Sorry… Anyway, on with chapter two. I hope you like it!!!

(I do have a short lemony scene here, but it's very vague and not overly detailed, but I still put the little symbol things before and after the most detailed part if you wish to skip)

2. Shaking off the Dust and Looking to the Future

After he took me to heaven again that first morning, we both fell back asleep in the luxury of our deliciously soft cloud-like bed. I'm not sure how long we had been asleep the second time when I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing in the living area of our suite, which I had only barely seen as we entered on our way to the bedroom.

I whimpered, rolling over onto my side as I felt Edward's warmth leave the bed, a cold chill invading the space next to me. I whined again, burrowing myself deeper under the blankets. I was almost asleep again when I heard Edward's raised voice, the typically soft velvety nature of his intonation sharp with irritation.

"Would you please stop and listen to me? It's not like that."

He huffed as the person on the other line interrupted before his voice grew even terser as he cut in again. "You don't even know her. I thought you were the one who always told me not to place judgment on someone until you have met them in person and given them a true chance. You haven't even met her yet, so you shouldn't make assumptions, which are untrue. Bella is not like that at all."

My heart felt heavy as I listened to him arguing with a loved one over me. Was I really worth all of the problems he was already facing? Suddenly, I began to question our decision the day before. For me it was the best decision of my life. In this arrangement I had everything to gain, but I worried that Edward's rewards were maybe not as abundant.

"For your information, father," I cringed at the angry sentiment he placed in the way he emphasized to whom he was speaking, "she didn't even know about the family's money until after I asked her to marry me and she had agreed. A few minutes later, she started to worry about the cost of the ring and I explained to her that it wasn't an issue and revealed my civilian occupation. The last thing my Bella would ever do is marry for the money."

I still felt horrible that he was fighting with his parents over me, but I couldn't help the smile that graced my lips when I heard him defend me. He had only known me two short weeks, and yet, he knew me better than people that I had known for years did.

I heard his pacing stop before a loud slam sounded in the next room. "I hope you do come. You and mother should both catch the first flight out here and see for yourself what an amazing woman I have finally found to make my wife, but you absolutely will not find a way to annul this marriage. It was legal, binding, and consummated. You, my dear father, don't have a leg to stand on. This is over and done with and nothing will change my mind about my decision. I hope that you do come and meet my lovely wife before I ship out. You have four days."

I heard the unmistakable sound of the receiver slamming down on the housing of the phone before the entire device was slammed so forcefully onto the table that it made the bells inside release a hollow ding. I heard another huff followed by the sound of him plopping into a chair, the feet making a high pitched squeaking sound as it slid across the marble parquet flooring.

I sighed, gathering the sheet from the bed around me like a toga and padding quietly to the doorway to the main living area. I did my best to ignore the nagging ache in my legs and groin from our activities over the last twenty four hours or so. I pushed the door open quietly, peeking out to see my frustrated husband sitting in a chair across the room, his elbows resting on his knees and his head cradled in his hands, tugging furiously at the short bronze tendrils.

My heart tugged in my chest once more before my body instinctually crossed the room to his side. He looked up with a sad smile as I reached him, His hands crossing across his legs as they fell limply from his hair. Kneeling by his knees, I placed my free hand not holding my sheet on his forearm, rubbing gently.

"I take it that your father discovered things before you could speak to him and was unhappy?"

He scoffed, his eyes softening as he gazed at me, his right hand drifting out to tuck a frizzy lock of my tangled hair behind my ear before stroking my cheek. "Unhappy would be an understatement, but I know he'll come around eventually. He was just caught off guard. He is just worried that you seduced me for my money and social status. Once he and mother get here, listen to the whole story of how we got together, and get to know you, they'll understand."

The love in his eyes as he stroked my cheek made my heart melt. "You are so incredibly beautiful, my Bella. How did I ever get so lucky?"

I smiled, reaching up to run my fingers through his hair before standing up. His hands immediately shifted to my hips, his thumbs rubbing tiny circles on my hip bones before tugging me down to sit crosswise in his lap. His eyes still shone with love, but now held a darkened lustful look as well. He leaned in, kissing me softly, his tongue gently caressing the soft flesh of my lower lip before dipping in to massage mine.

I moaned, arching myself closer to him as I wrapped my fingers in into the soft fine hair on his head, doing my best to tug him closer. His hand slipped under the opening of the sheet, skimming the still naked flesh of my stomach when a loud knock at the door took us both my surprise. He moaned, lifting me and settling me on the chair to go answer the door.

I whimpered at the loss as he slowly walked away from me to answer the door wearing nothing but his tan uniform trousers and a white sleeveless undershirt. I hopped up to hide in the bedroom, peeking through the doorway to continue watching my husband from a more discrete location considering my attire. I felt the tingling in my abdomen grow more intense as I watched his muscles clench and release as he walked away from me, turning the knob and opening the door. He gestured for the server wearing a fancy jacket that looked as though it could have been worn by Napoleon, paired with a small pill box hat, to enter the room with a large cart overflowing with all types of food.

Edward tipped the waiter, closing the door behind him and turning back to see me spying from the bedroom with a wry smile. "Come on, my love. It's time to eat."

I stumbled out of the bedroom to gaze at the feast before us in amazement. The cart had plates full of pancakes, breakfast meats, and fresh fruit, as well as what appeared to be fresh butter and whipped cream. There was also a selection of juices and a carafe of hot coffee.

"My word, Edward. Do you think we have enough? I mean, do we have the entire pacific fleet to feed as well?"

He laughed, walking to my side to hug my waist, kissing my neck softly. "We haven't eaten since lunch yesterday, my beautiful bride. I figured we would probably both be starving."

I hummed in acknowledgement as I grabbed a thick piece of bacon from the tray, taking a bite, loving the salty flavor. He smiled, kissing my temple before walking to the other side to grab a plate and pile a few pancakes, slathering them with butter and drenching them in a blueberry based syrup. I followed his lead, choosing strawberries and whipped cream for my toppings before following him to the dining table a few feet away.

I nodded, accepting his offer to pour me a coffee as I opened my set of linen wrapped silverware and began cutting my pancakes. As I cut, I started thinking about the events of our morning and it made me begin to wonder when exactly he had ordered this feast.

"Edward, when did you order this? We were both woken by the phone this morning, and then we were still talking when the food arrived…so, when did you arrange all of his."

He smiled, reaching across the table to take my hand, rubbing his thumb across mine casually. "I set this up when I made our reservations, sweetheart. I thought it might be possible that we would lose track of all time in here." He smirked at me, making me blush and duck my eyes. He chuckled a little more before reaching to tip my eyes back up to his. "You're my wife and this is our honeymoon…we're supposed to get distracted in those ways, love."

I sighed and nodded gently with a timid smile. I still wasn't used to being allowed to DO that yet. He chuckled again. "I made an arrangement that if we hadn't ordered on our own before ten this morning, that this order was to be delivered by eleven."

I gasped, looking around for some kind of time piece. "Eleven? Is it really that late?"

He snickered; nodding as he hungrily scooped another bite of pancake in his mouth.

I looked around in awe before looking back at him with a bright smile growing on my face. "So, I've officially been your wife for over a day now."

He lowered his fork, smiling back deviously as I giggled. He reached across the table, grabbing my fork to lift a bite of my strawberries and cream to my mouth. I opened accepting the offering, closing my eyes at the flavor combined with the amorous sensation that his feeding me provided. I heard a gentle rumble come from his chest before he leaned across the space, claiming my lips in a passionate kiss. Thus was how, just near twenty four hours after losing my virginity, I had my first experience with making love while using food.

o~O~o

It started simple enough, feeding one another while kissing afterward to share the flavor of the food combined with our mate. We managed to ingest enough to nourish our bodies before Edward completely digressed, taking a large strawberry and dipping it in the cream before running it along my neck, shoulders, and the tops of my breasts that had begun peeking above the sheet after the knot I had tied in it began to loosen. He proceeded to lick it off slowly, somehow discovering a new set of noises inside of me that I never knew I was capable of making.

It fell into an event that would be considered nothing short of debauchery if we were not yet married. I have to say, I had never been more grateful for the ring on my finger and the license locked in the hotel safe than when I found myself laying atop the large dining table as Edward began experimenting with various syrups and fruits smeared across the most intimate of places. Eventually he chose to climb onto the table at my side, giving me the opportunity to return the favor using the whipped cream on his well defined body before we fell into a sticky, slightly uncomfortable, and yet wholly unforgettable union on the table, followed by another wet and soapy union in the shower.

o~O~o

During the shower, Edward began to catch on that my body was beginning to have quite a difficult time keeping up with what our hormones and hearts wanted most. The remorse in his eyes broke my heart as he apologized profusely for not considering that I would be in pain. He washed my body in a most reverent way before drying me slowly and carrying me to our bed. He sat me gingerly on the edge before crossing to my small bag to find something for me to wear. He looked through with a sigh before walking to the closet where several of his button down shirts hung crisply on hangers in preparation for our stay. He tugged one off, carrying it to me and helping me slide into the far too large shirt. He chuckled as he buttoned up the front and rolled up the sleeves to expose my hands.

Once I was at least somewhat dressed, he led me back to the main living area to the couch next to the phone. "Well, love, my parents are already fully aware of the events of the past couple of days. I think it is time that we call yours."

He grumbled, shifting slightly in his seat and I looked over at him in confusion, resting my hand on his. He took a deep breath and frowned deeply again. "I really didn't do my full duty. I was so head over heels for you, I didn't even think about protocol. I should have called and asked your father's permission. What on earth is he going to think of me?"

I smiled at him, drifting my hand up to cup his chin, forcing him to look my way. "I love you so much, do you know that? Don't worry about Daddy. He's an easy going guy and as far as he's concerned, I'm no longer his worry. It's my Mama you're going to have to worry about. She's…uhm…spirited?" I sighed, shaking my head. "I have no better word to describe her without being dishonorable to her. Let's just say that she has very specific ideas about things and she has a hard time changing those ideas."

I lifted my hands to my face, rubbing my eyes as I shook my head. I felt Edward's hand come up and grasp my wrists, pulling them down and tipping my face to his. "What's wrong, love?"

I groaned. "There's one thing that she's really going to like and will probably change her tune completely, but after the conversation you had with your father, it's going to sound horrible to say out loud."

He frowned at me, cocking his head and gesturing for me to continue.

I sighed, resting my hands over my mouth before looking back up with tears in my eyes. I really hoped that saying this out loud wouldn't make him start to believe that I was what his father suggested. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, hoping that he would understand.

"Every mother, and mine even more than most, is most concerned with finding a man who can provide for their daughter's needs and future…uh…financially."

He looked at me, understanding slowly gracing his features, but his expression gave nothing away and I began to get nervous.

"My mama was convinced that I would never make anything out of myself. Where Alice, Rose, and I are from, in Kansas, there wasn't much for anybody as far as jobs or supporting yourself, and that went double for women. You've heard of the dust bowl, right?"

Edward's brows narrowed as he nodded sadly, reaching out to take my hand, holding it in his, and massaging the back with this thumb as I spoke. I smiled, feeling so much love and comfort from that tiny action.

"Well, that's where we were born. When the topsoil blew away, very few people had anything, and those who did seemed to have everything. Rosalie's father was one of the lucky ones. All of us girls, but especially Rosalie, weren't ever expected to marry for love. We were supposed to marry for security. It wasn't until after Rose's supposed securely ever after ended in her being hurt beyond all repair that we realized that we would never have a real life in Kansas. We were smart and determined, and the three of us together managed to get enough money to pack up all that we had and move here. It was scary and hard, but we did it. We have been living here for five years now. We worked hard and eventually managed to get some more schooling. We learned the basics to get the jobs we have at secretary school, but we all wanted more. We worked too hard to escape being nothing not to. Anyway, I'm way off of my subject. My mother will be irate unless we tell her about your background. It's up to you. Honestly, I don't care if they like it or not. I was always a second class citizen in that house, considered a burden. You have no idea how good it feels to be standing on my own in New York City. That's why I don't want to stop working, Edward. I want to be someone I can be proud of and show them all that I am so much more than they ever thought."

The longer I spoke, the more entranced Edward seemed to become. At times, his eyes shimmered with unshed tears, others they grew hard and fierce, but never once did I see disdain or disappointment which made my heart soar. When I was done, he turned toward me, tugging my shoulders to look at him.

"Good God, Bella. If I didn't already think you were an angel sent from heaven, then I would now. You are simply astounding and I am so proud of you. I trust you…completely…and I leave it entirely to your own discretion if you wish to tell them about my family's money. If you don't want to tell them, then don't, but if you feel that you want to, then by all means, do. It's no longer just my money, sweetheart. It is our money and our future…OURS. Do you understand? All I have is now yours."

I nodded, tears streaming down my cheeks as he swiped uselessly at them with this thumbs. He leaned in, kissing my forehead, my cheeks, and my eyes before finally kissing my lips. We relaxed into the soft gentle kiss before finally breaking away as I melted into his warm embrace. I honestly didn't know how I would let him go in a few short days. It was like hell on earth to even think on it, I could only imagine how much worse it would be once he was gone.

Not too long after the girls and I left, my family left too. They migrated with not much more than the clothes on their backs to Ohio, where Daddy found a job at a tank factory. They now had a small house and were doing about as well as anyone could during the depression. They even had a telephone in their house, even if they did have to share the line.

After a few minutes, I finally picked up the receiver, dialing the party line that would ring at my parents' house and all of the neighboring houses. Mrs. Grazer picked up the line, sending her son to jog the half block to my parents' place to tell them to answer the line.

I could still hear Mrs. Grazer eavesdropping, as well a couple more old biddies, as I told my parents the news. As expected, my mother completely overreacted screeching about how I had thrown my life away on a poor GI who was going to die in Germany and leave me a penniless war widow at the age of twenty five. I tried every way I could to get her to stop going on and on, trying not to tell the truth, but finding it hard not to.

It wasn't until she asked where I was calling from and how I could afford to stay on the phone so long that I finally had to admit the truth since I wasn't about to straight out lie to her. The second the words Waldorf Astoria left my mouth, dead silence filled the line, followed with questions about illegal mobsters and prostitution. She was yelling so loudly that Edward heard the whole thing.

When she started ranting about me selling my body for money, rage flamed in Edward's eyes as he yanked the phone away from me and began speaking to my mother, asking her not to disrespect his wife in such a crude and unseemly manner. It was an epic battle of veiled insults between the consummate polite gentleman and the bible thumping church pew warmer. Neither of them ever said one crass word or outright negative claim about the other, and yet both hurled incessant barbs until finally Edward asked her if she remembered what his last name was.

For the second time in the half hour long conversation, the line went silent before she asked the ever present question. Edward admitted it openly and instantly her tune changed to sickeningly sweet. It made my stomach turn cold as she tried to sweet talk Edward, in hopes that some of his family's affluence might trickle down to her. She always spoke vehemently against high heels and make up, but when it came down to it, my mother always had dreams of a different life…a better life. All of my life, her bitterness had been directed at me, a physical manifestation of everything she lost when I was born, and then after I ran away, of everything she wanted to be. Jealousy over her lost youth became jealousy over me living the life she always wanted, but in the end, it all boiled down to bitter, jealousy and hatred.

All my life, my number one goal was to be the total opposite of her. Whatever good or bad in my life, I would not blame others for my shortcomings. We finished the conversation, finally hanging up the phone forty five minutes after it had begun. My stomach boiled at the thought of how much that call would cost Edward. He took one look at my face and turned me to him once again, resting his forehead against mine.

"All that I have is yours. Don't forget that. Now that that is finished, how about if we take a little time to relax and enjoy being a married couple together for a little while longer before I take you out to introduce this town to the beautiful new Mrs. Cullen tonight?"

I smiled at him, nibbling my lip nervously with a nod. We lounged around the rest of the afternoon, curled up together listening to the radio and reading books and the newspaper that had been delivered to our suite door. It was nice to relax together like a regular married couple on a Saturday morning.

As evening grew closer, he smiled, leaning in to kiss me before ushering me off to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Unfortunately, I didn't have Alice to help me wash and set my hair, but thankfully Alice had the foresight to send several of my nicest outfits along with matching hats so I could get away with doing a simple twist and putting the hat on, hiding the fact that I didn't have any curl or volume on top.

An hour later, I stepped out of the bedroom in a royal blue tea length wrap dress with three quarter length sleeves. The dress was a soft stain like material that draped nicely across my midriff tying into a bow on my left hip. Paired with a pair of small heels and my ever helpful hat, I was ready to go out on the town as the wife of one of the most affluent men currently on American soil.

As I stepped out, I smiled when I found Edward dressed to the nines in his uniform, brass buttons glinting in the light of the room. He had his cap placed slightly off center on his head as he turned toward me, propping himself on the black baby grand piano by the window. His crooked smile made my heart race as his eyes drifted up and down my frame. He pushed off, crossing to my side and lifting a glove covered hand to his lips.

"You, my dear Mrs. Cullen, are a vision in blue. I can't wait to show you off tonight."

I giggled, feeling a blush rise in my cheeks as he smiled down at me. I still couldn't believe that this perfect man was not only my husband, but was proud of me. Yes, I was an independent woman, but always lurking deep inside was that beaten down, dust covered girl from Kansas who never had anybody but her two best friends to believe in her. It was the continuous echo of her sad, self conscious words in my mind as I took Edward's arm and let him lead me toward the elevator, his head held high and his chest puffed up almost comically, that kept me questioning if I was truly enough.

Edward led me through the lobby, heads turning all around us to watch us cross. I expected to see looks of disdain or superiority on their faces, but to my surprise, they all smiled wistfully toward us, as though they were viewing us as icons of young love. Edward led me directly to a cab waiting out front as the hotel doorman opened the back door of the cab for us to enter. Edward thanked him before telling the cabbie to take us to Tavern on the Green in Central Park, and I nearly choked on my own tongue.

Author's Note: Okay, so not the smoothest first 24 hours of marriage, but important. Yeah, this was all fast and they have A LOT to learn about each other…and did you really expect his parents to be all cool about it just yet? I mean he is REALLY loaded. Of course they're gonna freak. Don't worry though, Carlisle and Esme will see the light soon enough :)

Thanks to my ever present beta AgoodWITCH for her ever helpful revision work, catching my tense changing problems and dropped words. Yeah, I do that often….