Title: You Found Me

Full Summary: Edward Masen has lived the life of a nomadic vampire, travelling with James and Victoria since he awoke as an immortal. His ability to read minds has had the unusual side effect of making him a vampire with a conscience. Despite the ridicule from his coven mates, he's confident he's making the best of his existence and doing what's morally right... until he stumbles upon a brown-eyed girl reading in a meadow in Forks. As he attempts to befriend her and learns more about the sleepy town of Forks, Edward finds there's a lot more to being a vampire than he ever thought possible.

Pairings: Canon

Rating: M, for language and sexing.

Chapter: Twenty-four; Delight

POV: Edward

AN: Just within two weeks this time. Not half bad. Not betaed this time, because betas get busy and have things to do, too, but hopefully there's nothing too glaringly wrong. She still read it and gave it her thumbs up, so that's got to be good, right?

Thanks to those who continue to stand by and those who offer commentary, you make me happy.

xx

I waited until I heard the low resonance of Charlie's voice greeting Bella before reversing out the Swan driveway. She would be safe with her father for a little over an hour while I fulfilled Alice's unspoken but definitely not unheard request.

She certainly seemed to enjoy using our proximity and our respective gifts to facilitate silent communication. At every available opportunity, she was pushing her thoughts in my head, sharing coded messages, just like a little kid who had discovered pig latin and took great pleasure in using it whenever possible.

I had to admit our version of pig latin really stepped up the game. Pig latin was pathetic in its transparency. Nothing Alice or I had to say would ever be known to any but the two of us, unless we were inclined to share.

It was a new experience for me, to be able to share a part of my gift with someone, rather than use it solely to take. It was odd, being able to use it to communicate; to have someone understand my unspoken sentences, as I did theirs.

I kind of liked it.

As unhappy as I had been to re-encounter Alice after harbouring an eight-decade-long grudge, she was really starting to grow on me. I might have even said I was fond of her. Though I'd never tell her that. Though, come to think of it, the little imp probably already knew.

I watched Bella's house disappear from view warily. I'd done a quick inventory of sight and smell when I had walked her to her door and found nothing out of the ordinary to lead me to believe that Bella would be unsafe for the short time period I would be gone but irrational worry was a violent beast to calm.

I tried to content myself with the knowledge that, as far as I knew, I was aware of and on good terms with every vampire currently within any proximity to Forks. Which, currently, just so happened to be more than I could count on both hands. I wondered what the poor people of Forks had done to warrant such an invasion, besides frequently endure horribly gloomy weather.

Since the vampire wars had calmed, in excess of ten vampires inhabiting one place simultaneously was unheard of, let alone in a town as tiny as Forks. Volterra was the sole exception. No doubt had the Volturi been aware, such a gathering would be cause for alarm. On our front as much as theirs. I didn't particularly care to imagine the consequences should Aro gain awareness of my supposed gift. Or the beautiful human girl I'd chosen as a mate. Neither would be pleasant. I knew which I feared more.

For brief moments, gazing upon Bella, I would consider the possibility of changing her as an insurance policy for her protection, to save her from whatever fate the Volturi or any other creature stronger than her might inflict.

Invariably, reason would kick in and I'd remind myself that she was a person, with a mind – even if I couldn't access it – and she deserved a chance to make a choice on her own terms. She didn't deserve to have it taken away because I was too weak and selfish to even entertain even the slightest possibility of losing her.

She deserved the chance I'd never had to experience life beyond seventeen, to tie up her loose ends and give her human life closure. Even if that closure that was in the distant future. I'd wait as long as necessary.

I pushed down the clutch on the Vanquish harder than necessary, aware I was drawing nearer to the Cullen home, the point of no return. A strange sensation I was loathe to call trepidation, tickled somewhere in my upper chest.

Alice's final message of the day, delivered just before I'd met Bella in the parking lot, hadn't been in keeping with her characteristic gleeful tone. Serious Alice meant business.

The business this time around was another visitor to the Cullen home. Someone she'd been expecting this time, for days. It had taken him longer to arrive than anticipated, and once again, it was deemed essential I meet him.

I didn't particularly care for the fact I was being showboated around for the Cullens' extended family but Alice promised that wasn't the case.

She was insistent that, this time, it was important I be there, for Rosalie's sake. Cryptic though that statement was, she wouldn't say any more. For the first time all day, her mind was closed, protectively doubled-zippered against my intrusion, layers of thought blocking me from the only ones that mattered. Infuriating. Obnoxiously in my head all day, only to be impervious when it mattered.

Maybe I wasn't so fond of her after all…

And I definitely wasn't fond of Rosalie, so I wasn't sure why I was bothering to do anything that might benefit her, despite my promise to Alice that I'd try to talk to her. Try being the operative word. I wasn't holding out much hope for the success of that conversation.

The tires of the Vanquish slid smoothly across the evenly paved stone surface fronting the Cullen home.

I'd hardly been aware of my surroundings the entire drive, noises and signs and the single traffic light in town all fading into the distance, my mind easily able to comprehend the monotonous task of driving thirty miles over the speed limit, even on autopilot.

Only my growing nearness to the Cullen home had registered. I felt like a bomb attached to an ever-shortening fuse, wary of what was waiting for me at the end. Yet, I'd resisted peering into their minds to check.

Now sitting in my car, in their driveway, I wondered if that was wise.

It couldn't hurt to take a moment to scope out what I was walking into before heading inside. I knew they would have heard me arrive but I didn't care. I was grateful no one called any attention to my arrival or attempted to draw me inside.

Esme was smiling sweetly at an intimidatingly large vampire with dark, curly hair and the biggest dimples I'd ever seen. They almost rivaled the size of his overlarge biceps. His eyes were the gold, like the other Cullens, but not quite the same gold. Darker. More orange. Like a little red had been added into the mix.

I froze, the foreboding knot of trepidation clenching tighter, transforming itself into nervousness.

If the guy didn't like me, he could crush me with an arm behind his back. Fuck, he could crush any one of the vampires in that room. Or all of them. And I was supposed to be comfortable with this strange, potentially lethal vampire coexisting with Bella in Forks? This screamed danger just as much, or more, than James and Victoria did.

I buried my paranoia, focusing on what Carlisle was saying to the giant. They were interacting amicably, channeling Carlisle's compassion more than the brute's obvious strength. They were talking about something noteworthy he'd done in the fifties. Carlisle wasn't familiar with the story.

So they probably hadn't spoken in quite some time. Half a century or more, likely. He wasn't someone they knew well and interacted with frequently, as they did with Carmen and Eleazar.

Alice and Jasper were sitting nearby, listening politely, their hands loosely clasped, in an easy carefree stance. Neither seemed as ill at ease as I felt. Carmen and Eleazar were absent, probably gone hunting for the afternoon.

Only Rosalie, sitting at the piano bench across the room, mirrored my discomfort. Her glares at the brawny vampire currently the centre of attention rivaled the glacial stares she directed at me.

Occasionally he'd return the glances, peeking back in her direction, in a shy, tentative way, only to be met with a turned shoulder and feigned indifference. She was watching him too closely – close enough to know precisely when to turn away so as not to be caught staring – to be truly indifferent.

I clenched my teeth, unsure why I was playing the role of peeping tom and indulging my anxiety, when I could simply go in and introduce myself. The Cullens had proven they had no qualms pandering to my many questions. This stranger was friendly with them. Surely they wouldn't freely associate with someone who posed a threat to them. Or to me or Bella. Any answers they could provide would definitely be better than sitting outside like an idiot, weighed down with a maelstrom of unpleasant self-manufactured assumptions.

Before I could begin to doubt my own sanity for willingly stepping foot in the same room as someone clearly able to rip me to shreds, I let myself inside, knowing I'd find them in the sitting area adjacent to the kitchen.

Finally, Alice thought at me as I passed the threshold, stew out there long enough? We thought we might have to come detach you from your leather seats. Esme was getting the scissors ready.

Immediately I was on the defensive. It wasn't like I could help it. It wasn't my fault the guy was massive. And terrifying.

Emmett's not as scary as he looks. He's really sweet, actually. Come say hello.

I sauntered coolly into the seating area, all false bravado and swagger. I even kept my hands in my jean pockets, a sign of my fabricated nonchalance.

Alice immediately stood, flying to my side. She grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the new vampire with fair ease considering her size. "Edward, this is Emmett McCarty. Emmett, Edward Masen."

"Hello, Emmett," I greeted calmly, nodding at him in acknowledgement of the introduction.

He grinned at me, a happy, teeth-baring smile that was wholly disarming. Instantly I felt less threatened.

"Hey dude. Pleasure to make your acquaintance and all that shit. So… you're the mind reader, huh?" He nodded to Jasper and Alice. "Already been properly introduced to the psychic and the empath. Carlisle's been busy expanding, it seems."

So this is the one that little Alice was talking about… He's a little skinnier than I expected.

I almost chuckled at his bluntness. "That would be me, I suppose." I paused a beat, adding sarcastically, "And you're a little less skinny than I expected."

He laughed out loud, a booming sound that was at the same time warm. "Right, you can hear me. I guess I was asking for that."

In the corner of the room Rosalie scoffed, her fingers jamming at the piano keys more roughly than necessary, several dissonant notes ringing out, marring the otherwise flawless piece she'd been playing.

You're feeding his humongous ego, Edward. If it gets any bigger, his head is going to pop. Though… that might not be such a tragedy. The world could do without one more conceited, arrogant asshole.

My eyebrows nearly soared past my hairline in surprise. That was the first time Rosalie had ever addressed me by my name, granted it had been done silently. Her distaste for Emmett outweighed her hate for me. I wondered what he'd done to piss her off.

"So…" Emmett stated casually, "Carlisle tells me you're a new convert to vegetarianism."

"He's been doing excellent," Esme interjected proudly. "He's been less hassle than any of us ever were."

"Nice job. Good to hear you're adjusting well," Emmett complimented. "It sits easier on your conscience, that's for damn sure."

I simply nodded, unwilling to share further details – especially the brown-eyed reason for my conversion – until I knew whether or not I trusted him. Kind smiles and friendly laughs were a drop in the bucket on the way to trustworthiness.

"It looks like you practice the same lifestyle," I said carefully. "Most the time." We both knew I was talking about his slightly off-kilter eye-colour. I met his eyes, wanting to see his reaction.

He looked away, ashamed. "On the way here, I stumbled upon a late night car crash. The victims were stranded and bleeding profusely. Instincts took over. I'm not proud of it." The gruesome images of the twisted wreckage and red spills sprung to his mind, too crisp and clear for me to doubt he was telling anything but the truth.

The explanation was more reasonable than I'd expected. I could hardly blame him for being attracted to a large quantity of spilled blood. He wasn't infallible any more than the rest of us. Human blood sang louder than animal blood and that's all there was to it. There would always be temptation. If the victims had already been bleeding profusely, it was unlikely anything could have been done for them.

"That's why my trip took longer than planned," he continued sheepishly. "Erasing a car accident is a pain in the ass. Took me a good while to bury the car and do a proper clean up."

I offered him a small conciliatory smile. "I don't know if I'm in any position to judge. Up until a week ago I wasn't acting all that much differently. Criminals instead of those left for dead… but is there that much of a difference?"

He shrugged his imposing shoulders. "I prefer to keep out of the semantics of it. The way I see it, a human is a human."

That was essentially the same motto I had adopted for myself since swearing off human blood. I was beginning to think that Emmett and I had more common ground than expected.

"Look, just know that I don't make a habit of it. It's no excuse, but I hadn't hunted in a while. I was eager to get here." He glanced at Rosalie for the briefest moment, so quickly that it was almost indiscernible that he'd moved. "They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't my proudest moment and I'm fully aware of it, trust me."

Carlisle touched his arm. "Don't beat yourself up. None of us are perfect." Esme, ever ready to offer encouragement, seconded her husband's sentiment.

Emmett chuckled, nudging Carlisle back teasingly. "Except you, right, old man? Over three hundred years and not a tainted drop. Or has something changed in the last seventy years?" His thoughts drifted back to 1935, the last time he'd seen Carlisle.

So it had been seventy years since Emmett had been around the Cullens last. Whatever he'd done to Rosalie must have left a lasting impression for her anger to withstand seven decades.

"No." Carlisle smiled dryly. "Untainted as ever."

"Pleased to hear it. You wouldn't be you if you weren't too damn perfect to be real. How about you, Rosie? Still vying for sainthood?" His voice was light and friendly, just slightly teasing.

I knew immediately that the comment wasn't going to be taken as Emmett intended. Her head snapped up from the piano, her anger bubbling and seeping over the surface of her calm façade, her thoughts seething.

Who the fuck does he think he is? It's been seventy fucking years and he just thinks he can waltz back and make distasteful jokes… No. Don't. He's not worth your time. He probably wants you to react. Don't give in to him. Don't. Let. Him. Get. To. You. - Fuck it.

Her spoken statement was much more concise, but there was no hiding the loathsome tone.

"Fuck you, Emmett."

Angry at herself for giving into his attempt to draw a reaction, she punched a hole in the top of the piano. Grabbing it by its innards, she flung it with all her might at Emmett. He managed to catch it and prevent it from doing too much damage to his surroundings but couldn't save the piano itself from further destruction. The wood twisted and splintered harmlessly against his stone chest.

With one last glare, Rosalie flung open the nearest floor to ceiling window and jumped through it, before the shattered glass had even touched the ground. She was out of hearing range within seconds.

Emmett dropped the piano's skeleton at his feet, looking like he'd been punched in the gut. "Fuck."

If I didn't know better, I might have thought he was about to cry. He looked distraught enough. Now I really wanted to hear the story behind Emmett's prior acquaintanceship with the Cullens. Emmett and Rosalie obviously had some unpleasant history to inspire a reaction of that magnitude. Rosalie didn't like me but she had never reacted quite so violently, just meanly.

"I royally fucked that one up, didn't I?" Emmett sounded resigned, like a man on death row.

In his distress, his sentences were disjointed and incomplete, his thoughts not making it past his lips. "Shit, I know…" I fucked up before. "I didn't think…" I could do any more damage. "And now…" I have. "She's never going to forgive me."

"She's just angry, Emmett," Esme offered, hugging him consolingly, though he easily doubled her in size. "She's upset with your actions, not with you."

"Oh, I don't know…" Carlisle said, trying to infuse the moment with a little lightness. "I'd say she's quite upset with him."

Esme shot husband a withering stare. "Very helpful, Carl."

"Same difference, isn't it?" Emmett wondered despondently. "Either way she's pissed at me and it fucking sucks."

"Well," Alice chimed in, "it might have helped if you'd tried to apologize rather than make jokes at her expense. She'd rather you get on your knees than be a smartass."

Emmett frowned thoughtfully. A scenario of him kneeling in front of Rosalie, both of them naked, flooded into his mind. A twinge of happiness settled in to replace the morose feelings.

I winced.

Emmett looked to Alice hopefully. "It's a little early for that, don't you think? She won't even talk to me. But maybe if–"

"Ew. Not on your knees, you pervert," Alice rolled her eyes, slapping his chest. "She wants you at her mercy."

Emmett frowned petulantly. "I think I liked the first option better."

Jasper laughed, plopping onto the couch next to where Alice had retreated. She threw her legs over his lap.

"What you want doesn't matter, my man. If you want Rosalie to forgive you, you better do what she wants. Women are like this. They hold grudges. And Rosalie isn't just any woman. She's going to make you work for it. Trust me, it's going to take a lot more than a little tongue wagging – of any variety – to make things right."

Emmett grimaced, his fists clenching involuntarily. "I would be offended that you seem to think you know my woman so well, if it weren't for shorty over there being stuck on you like glue."

Alice tinkled out a giggle. "I suggest you not refer to Rosalie as 'your woman' in her presence. If you want to keep all your parts, that is," she suggested lightly.

"I hate to interject," I said cautiously, "But what exactly is going on? Emmett and Rosalie are mates? I thought you told me Rosalie was single."

I knew it wasn't possible, but I could have sworn Emmett looked a little red-faced. His eyes narrowed on me suspiciously and I sunk back, suddenly worried for my safety. I could outrun him, but only if I was out of his reach to begin with.

"Why exactly would whether my Rosie," he glanced at Alice defiantly, "is single be of any interest to you? I have to say, man, I don't think you're her type."

Alice burst out into uproarious laughter, for no apparent reason. Her fits were catching and Jasper soon followed, and then Esme and Carlisle, until just Emmett and I were excluded from the hilarity.

"Okay, okay, enough. Is someone going to tell me what's so funny?" Emmett grumbled, his meaty fists clenched. "Edtard and I want in on the joke."

"Nothing, nothing," Alice said, once she managed to get herself under control. "It just struck me how ridiculous all of this is. Emmett is jealous that the woman he rejected seventy years ago might have found herself a new love interest now that he's finally returned to sweep her off her feet. But no, not happening, because Rosalie hates both Emmett and Edward's guts. For entirely different reasons, of course, though neither knows what the other has done to upset her. Meanwhile, despite Emmett thinking otherwise, Edward isn't interested in Rosalie at all because he's off gallivanting with his human girlfriend. Oh, and let's not forget we're all vampires. Does that sound like some really bad gothic romance or what? Or at the very least a Shakespearean comedy of errors? All we're missing is a cross-dresser."

"I dunno," Emmett griped petulantly. "You look kinda like a boy with that hair…"

"Okay," I said flatly, overriding Emmett before Alice could retort. "Now that you're done laughing at our expense, would you mind flipping to the final act and unraveling all the errors in this comedy?"

"Wait, a second." Emmett paused, turning to me with undisguised awe. "Alice just said you're with a human. Been veggie a week, and you're already seducing humans? Fuck, that's straight up, dude."

I glared at Alice for spilling the beans.

Sorry, Edward. It was an accident. Though, if it makes you feel any better, Emmett and Bella are going to get along great. She's going to think he's funny.

Great. Just what we all needed… more funny.

In spite of Alice's confidence, I still wasn't sure I was ready for Emmett to meet Bella. He had admitted to drinking human blood in the past few days, after all. Sure, he didn't seem like a horrible guy, jealousy issues, bad jokes and equally bad timing aside, but I hardly knew him. Not enough to trust him with Bella's life.

"I'm not seducing anyone. Isabella is my mate. Mine. If you even think about touching her–"

"Whoa, relax." Emmett held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "I was just surprised. I mean, a human mate? That's just, wow. You're not quite what you seem, are you?"

"I'll take that as a compliment," I snapped.

"Please do," he nodded agreeably. In the back of his mind, images of me in bed with faceless human girls swirled around, coloured with notes of curiosity.

"I can hear you," I gritted out, not wanting to see myself with anyone but Bella.

"Sorry. I guess you're pretty much the only guy on the planet who can legitimately make a threat beginning with 'if you even think about…' and actually mean it, huh?"

I took a deep breath, willing myself not to roll my eyes or otherwise display my growing impatience with the conversation. Instead, I forced myself to apologize. "I'm sorry but I don't tolerate disrespect when it comes to Bella."

"It's okay, I get it. Protective instincts, the need to protect your mate. I apologize for overstepping any bounds. I didn't mean any harm."

"Was that so hard?" Alice butted in. "Try that with Rosalie next time. Saying sorry goes a long way, you know."

"So now you know about my mate," I bridged, "is someone going to explain to me what is going on between Emmett and Rosalie?"

Emmett's downtrodden mood returned with a vengeance, a scowl replacing the mirthful smirk. "Long story short, seventy years ago I was a fucking idiot and Rosalie won't give me the time of day because of it."

"What Emmett is trying to say is that–"

Emmett held up his hand. "Hold it there, shorty. I think I need to tell this story, if you don't mind?" Alice nodded warmly. "In 1935, the last year of my human life, I went camping. Ran into a spot of trouble with a bear. Rosalie found my body. She saved my life by bringing me to Carlisle."

Carlisle was listening silently, following along the story with his memories of the event. It was strange, being able to see the visuals to go along with Emmett's story of the end to his human life from a crisp vampire perspective.

Emmett cleared his throat. "At first, it was kind of assumed we'd be mates. She picked me for a reason and all, right? Except, as I've said, I was an idiot. A typical newborn, you know? Didn't care about anything but quenching the thirst. When they tried to tell me I could live without human blood, I laughed them off, said I didn't care. They tried to set me right – it was just Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie then – but after a few weeks, I'd settled down enough that I could leave without causing more damage than I could hide. The three of them weren't strong enough to stop me, though I'm not sure if they would have tried if they had been. I left without turning back. All for the blood, man. Had a perfect girl and I gave it up because I was too weak to see beyond the next meal."

Everyone listened quietly, even the usually chatty Alice. Esme looked more upset than I'd seen her, her thoughts shifting fluidly from being concerned about her daughter's well-being, wherever she was, to hoping for her happiness and a positive ending to her relationship with Emmett. Jasper threw a soothing cloak of calm around her.

"Anyway," Emmett continued, "As the newborn year petered out, I regained some sense of self and humility. Came to realize what I'd given up so carelessly. Set myself straight, fixed my diet the way it ought to have been from the start… but I was still too embarrassed to go back and own up to my mistakes. I didn't think Rosalie would forgive me. Or worse, thought maybe she'd found someone else. Wandered around aimlessly, existing like any of us do for the next twenty years. Thought about coming back plenty. I would decide I should, then change my mind right back. In the mid fifties, Shorty contacted me after one such afternoon of non-decisions and told me to hold off. She'd found Carlisle by then. Said she'd call when it was the right time. If there ever was a right time. She kept me in the loop over the years, while I waited. Last week I got the call. I waited fifty years for that phone call."

He smiled at me, embarrassed, shame tinting his every thought and action.

Seventy years, completely alone in the world, lamenting over lost love and his one monumental mistake? When I thought of how easily I could have made one wrong move and lost Bella… I found I had a new respect for Emmett.

"What's changed?" I wondered, glancing at Alice. "After so many years, why now?"

I had my suspicions that it had something to do with me. It was awfully coincidental he happened to show up the same week I did after seven decades. Bits of conversation and thought I'd pieced together made me fairly certain I was involved somehow. I just didn't know in what capacity.

Emmett shrugged. "Beats me. You'll have to talk to Miss Cleo over there. When she said jump, I asked how high. I trust her. She's been nothing but a good friend to me over the years, though we'd not met in person until today."

I turned to Alice who smiled her sickly sweet, all-knowing-but-I'm-not-telling-you smile. "If I told you what you want to know, things wouldn't work out the way they need to. Let's leave it at that."

I hated being left in the dark.

I definitely was not fond of Alice. Anymore.

xx

I spread out one of the several blankets I'd brought, sitting it atop the battery-operated heating blanket I'd already laid out in the grass. It had cost a small fortune but I'd forked over the money. Bella wouldn't be getting sick in the chilly October air on my watch.

I hoped she'd found the note I'd tucked away in my mother's book. If not, I'd have to go retrieve her soon, if we wanted to catch the sunset.

That thought was erased by the distant sound of Bella's light footfalls on the worn path leading to the meadow. She was already on her way.

Hastily, I completed my set up and rushed to greet her, eager to see her, though it had only been little more than an hour since I'd seen her last. The hour and a half away from her, she'd been a constant thought in the back of my mind. Her frail human state made me worry more than I supposed it was normal to worry about a mate.

As soon as I'd been able, I'd made my excuses, and left the Cullens to entertain Emmett, fully intending to reach the meadow before Bella. I wanted make the most of the afternoon and relive our after-school ritual, before it got too cold or dark too early for us to continue the tradition.

Bella leaned into my side, tucking herself under my arm when she spotted me.

"Miss me?" She beamed at me prettily. I couldn't help but return her happiness.

"Ridiculously so," I admitted, kissing her hair, breathing in her painfully sweet scent, a scent that promised comfort and reassurance despite its best efforts to sway me to less desirable thoughts.

"What did Alice want?"

"What makes you think Alice wanted anything?" I dodged the question. There was no reason for Bella to know about Emmett yet. She would probably insist on meeting him, her safety be damned. I had enough stress worrying about her as it was.

She raised an eyebrow at me, seeing right through the avoidance tactic.

"She just wanted to talk to me about something. Nothing important," I lied, a slight twinge of guilt prodding at me.

Bella rolled her eyes but didn't question me further. The disbelieving expression instantly melted when we reached the edge of the clearing and she spotted the nest of blankets I'd placed in the centre of the meadow.

She grinned for a brief moment, before narrowing suspicious eyes on me. "What are you planning?"

I turned her to face me, pulling her into my chest, before we could step out from underneath the shadows thrown by the trees and into the sunny rays littering meadow.

"It's cold out. I didn't want you to get cold. And I thought, since it's shaping up to be a nice afternoon, and the sun is supposed to set shortly, perhaps we could watch the sunset together. If you'd like."

She nodded eagerly. "That sounds perfect." She squeezed me. "Thanks for doing this. It was really sweet. But do we really need that many blankets?"

"There are more than five hundred strains of the common cold, Bella. I won't have you catching any of them."

"Crazy, overprotective vampire," she grumbled. "Getting sick is a normal part of human life."

"I want you to have a better than average human life."

She kissed my cheek. "It already is. Now come on," she untangled herself, grabbing my hand. "I'm getting kind of cold standing here in the shade." I held fast, refusing to budge an inch.

She turned to me questioningly.

"There's something I… something I need to show you, first," I admitted awkwardly. "You know the first day you saw me, how you said you thought I sparkled? When I fell out of the tree?"

She nodded, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Yeah."

"Well, there's some truth to that. I don't sparkle, exactly. I refract light. Sunlight."

Recognition dawned in her eyes. "Sunlight," she said softly, her tone full of wonder. "I assumed, since it hasn't happened again that it was a figment of my imagination and I was projecting my awe onto you. I can't believe it was real."

"It was real," I confirmed. "Unfortunately."

"It's not unfortunate," she countered, tugging my hand impatiently, pointlessly trying to drag me into the light. "You have no idea how mesmerized I was by you that day. Show me?"

I never could resist that pleading voice. Nervously, I allowed my body to submit to her tugging. I hoped it was what she expected. If she held that day's memories dear, there was always the chance an up close and personal view would diminish the shining awe she remembered.

Her already radiant expression brightened further. "Just like I remembered," she murmured, reaching up to trace my jaw line with a finger. She watched the dappled light thrown from my skin play off hers. I held completely still, letting her examine me to her heart's content.

"I can't believe it was real. When you didn't say anything I figured it was all in my head. Why do you refract sunlight, but not regular light?"

"I'm a carbon-based life form, just as you are, except I'm almost pure carbon. Diamond, in layman's terms. Most impurities are converted or pushed to the surface of our skin during the change. They contain pigments that allow us to retain a somewhat human appearance. Those impurities also act as a barrier to most light; they're why we don't sparkle under artificial or diffused light. No one is quite sure why direct sunlight is able to penetrate to the pure diamond underneath. If I chopped off my arm, I'd look much more like a traditional diamond internally. It's been hypothesized that some of the world's largest, most recognizable diamonds are actually remnants of vampires whose other parts have long since been destroyed. If someone set fire to them, of course, they'd prove their difference."

Bella blinked and then giggled. "So…" she drawled, "what you're saying is that, basically, you're a really big, dirty diamond. I'm dating a human-sized diamond."

I rolled my eyes. "There's more, physically, to us than that. Our venom, our minds and our digestive systems, for instance. See, this is why I didn't want to tell you. It sounds and looks ridiculous."

"It does not look ridiculous," she countered, positioning herself on the blanket so she could look up at my face. The novelty of my sunlit appearance had yet to wear off. "It's unusual, maybe. But beautiful." She touched my face again. "How can your skin feel so soft, yet be so unyielding at the same time?"

I sat cross-legged next to her, encouraging her to lay down front of me and put her head in my lap. When she complied, I tucked the blankets around her prone form. "No one knows. It's not feasible to properly dissect a vampire. No one will sit for it and subduing one against his or her will typically requires a body burned beyond recognition. I'm destined to be a physiological enigma for the rest of eternity."

"You're more an enigma than most, I think," she teased. "A total mystery."

I shrugged, not denying it. I wasn't the most easy to read.

"My mystery."

"Yours," I agreed.

We were both quiet for a few minutes, watching the transformation of the sky.

"When you were first changed… you'd been in the hospital on your deathbed for weeks, right?" Bella asked, the question cutting through our comfortable silence. "So you probably had a beard? Did it not make it through the change? Like, did it disappear? Or did you have to shave?" She seemed genuinely curious.

I laughed. "You want to know the weirdest things. No one has ever asked me that before. But, yes, when I was sick I grew a beard, which had to be shaved after my change. It was quite like what I imagine shaving a rock would be like. Not very pleasant at all."

Bella tipped her head back so she was looking at me upside-down. "Good. I think you'd look weird with a beard. Gorgeous still, probably, but weird. Not Edward."

I combed my fingers through her long dark hair soothingly. "I'm glad to hear that you approve. I aim to please."

She reached up, her fingers winding around the back of my neck, guiding my face down to her level. Recognizing her intent, I lowered my lips to hers, kissing her gently. The angle was a little awkward, but I wasn't going to let something as stupid as geometry stop me.

Her lips twitched, curving upward against mine. "That went much better than last time I tried to kiss you, here."

"I'm still sorry about that," I apologized solemnly, stroking one of her eyebrows tenderly, wishing I could erase the rejection I knew she had felt. "I never wanted to give you a reason to think you were anything less than the centre of my universe. Even then I worshipped you."

She swallowed hard, her eyes held mine looking suspiciously misty. "Shh," I soothed. "Please don't cry."

She sat up abruptly, curling herself into my lap and pulling my arms around her. "I'm not. Not really. I'm just really, really happy. You make me happy."

I kissed her hair and hugged her tighter, ever mindful of her delicate form. For one of very few times in my life, I found myself without anything to say.

"I love you."

The words were whispered into my chest, muffled slightly by my button-down. I wouldn't have believed my hearing if the moment hadn't been embedded in my memory for the rest of eternity. I knew immediately it would be a memory I would look back on often.

If I thought I was speechless before, now I was hardly able to remember what words were.

Gently, I pried Bella away from my chest, just enough, needing to see her face to see that she meant her quietly uttered words. One look at her open, sincere face, her eyes brimming with emotion was all it took for my words to return.

"I love you, too."

Her eyes, which had strayed downward, snapped back to mine. "Really?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I stroked her smooth cheek. "I just told you you're the centre of my universe. I meant it. I'm yours, wholly and completely."

She smiled an open, genuine smile, one I liked to think was mine alone. "Say it again? Please?"

"I love you," I told her, "So much."

She beamed wider, and without a moment's warning, launched herself at me. Despite her minimal weight, I somehow found myself laying back on the blanket, her bent astride me, her lips on my face. When they found their way to mine it was an automatic response to return her kiss.

"Bella…"

"Edward…" Her lips hovered over mine. Just enough to let the words pass.

I could hear the frustration in her tone but I pushed forward anyway. "I just wanted to ask… if maybe you'd let me take you on a date? Properly?" I hated the hesitation in my voice.

Though we'd just declared our love for one another, such a question felt like uncharted territory. As close as we'd become, we'd just sort of fallen together naturally. I'd never asked her out before.

"Of course I would. You know you don't have to ask."

I shrugged, masking my immense relief. "I wasn't sure if you would be interested. You're not like most girls."

She chuckled, running a hand through my hair playfully. "Of course I'm interested. I'd do anything you asked of me. Even go on a date."

"Nothing extravagant," I promised. "Maybe spend an evening in Seattle? Dinner and a show? You do own a dress, right?" I plucked at her jeans, a constant in her wardrobe since I'd known her.

"Wait a second," she teased, pushing my hand away from her thigh. "You never said anything about a dress before…"

"I could always ask Alice to lend a hand dressing you up if you don't think your wardrobe meets requirements…"

Bella's eyes widened at the threat. "I own a dress."

"Good," I breathed into her neck. "I can't wait to see you dressed up all pretty, just for me."

Bella squirmed. "You're a huge tease, you know." She sighed deeply, rolling onto her back and laying next to me. She stared up at the sky which had darkened significantly since we'd first arrived; the sun was well into its decent. Pinks and oranges shot up from the horizon, the light fading from my skin. "I thought for a moment, after we… nevermind."

I hovered over her, propped up on an elbow. "Bella, don't shut me out, now. Tell me, what did you think?"

Her voice was small, her gaze anywhere but on me. "Just that, maybe, now that we know we love one another, that maybe you were thinking about, um, considering…"

I frowned, completely unaware of where she was going with this. If she was unhappy in any way, I wanted to be able to fix it. I couldn't do that if she clammed up.

"Considering?" I prompted.

"Sex." She blurted the word quietly, embarrassed.

"Bella…"

"Look, if you're just going to say no, again, don't. Please."

I held her face, positioning mine above, so she was forced to look at me. I wanted her to hear exactly what I had to say and see my sincerity. "I want to. Believe me, I want that with you. So much. But I'm terrified. I could hurt you so easily. I'm already testing my limits by kissing you. You have no idea how tempting you smell to me."

She lifted one of her hands to her face, laying it over mine. "How will you ever get past that if you never push yourself any further? You won't even touch me."

I fought back words about how selfish it would be for me to use her body for my pleasure, when there were so many other ways to show her I loved her that didn't put her in danger, knowing they weren't words she wanted to hear. They were too old-fashioned, prudish, to make sense to her twenty-first century mentality.

She guided one of my hands down her body, laying it on her chest. I could feel the lace of her bra beneath her shirt, and the soft thump of her heartbeat beneath that. "Touch me?"

I swallowed hard, trying and failing to come up with a reason to say no.

Gently, experimentally, I squeezed the soft flesh. Bella breathed in deeply, her bottom lip finding its way between her teeth. She squeezed the back of my hand encouragingly, and dropped her arm to her side.

"Promise me, you'll tell me if anything I do is uncomfortable." She nodded silently. I shook my head, wanting to hear her say the words. "Promise me, Bella."

"I promise," she mumbled obediently.

Appeased, I pulled the blankets up around us and settled into a more comfortable position on my side next to her.

Carefully snaking my hand across her body, giving her a chance to stop me if she desired, I returned to gently stroking her breast through the layers of material, reveling in the feel of her reaction to me. Even through the fabric, I could feel how sensitive she had become. Her bra tented where her nipples had hardened beneath it.

She groaned lightly, her body arcing up towards my hand. Impatiently, she caught my eye and slowly, purposefully, lowered my hand beneath the hem of her shirt. "More."

I felt confident that she was still safe, so I trailed my hand up the silky skin of her midriff, pausing only to trace delicate patterns around her bellybutton. When my hand once again reached her breast, this time with one less layer between us, she hummed in appreciation.

"See?" she murmured breathily, smugness managing to make it into her tone anyway. "I'm still alive. Don't. Stop." Though the last two words were uttered in the same breathy tone, there was an underlying threat in them. If I stopped now there would be hell to pay.

I kissed her forehead. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Just keep going." She squirmed, encouraging my stilled hand to continue its explorative journey. Boldly, I flicked open the front clasp on the bra I remembered her donning that morning. Since she'd dressed in front of me at the Cullens', she'd taken to making it a daily habit. Now, I was pretty sure I knew why.

Her sharp, but pleasurable intake of breath when I cupped the bare skin, gently thumbing her nipple was all the confirmation I needed to know I'd made the right choice.

Satisfied that Bella was content for the moment, I allowed myself a moment to truly enjoy her, to soak up the feeling of holding her soft skin in the palm of my hand. She wasn't particularly large, nor particularly small. Just enough to hold comfortably in my hand. As always, she was perfectly made for me. I told her as much, pausing to kiss her earlobe and then the sensitive skin down the column of her neck..

"I'm not too cold?"

She shook her head adamantly, her flushed cheeks confirming she was feeling anything but cold. "No. Feels good."

I smiled into her neck, enjoying being the cause of her apparent incoherency.

If I'd known I could wield this kind of power through simple caresses, I might have tried it sooner.

Quickly, I gained confidence manipulating the sensitive flesh. Though it wasn't something I'd ever done before, I'd seen it done countless times in the minds of others. Even if I hadn't, I was sure part of it was instinctive. I wanted nothing more than to make her make those soft, enticing sounds. My fingers quickly memorized the actions that pulled them from her.

"Still okay?" I tested, wanting to double check. She seemed to be enjoying herself but I didn't plan to wait until it was too late before finding out.

"More than okay," she beamed at me beatifically. "Thank you... for trying."

I kissed her deeply. "It's my pleasure," I mumbled against her lips.

She wrapped a hand into my hair, kissing me voraciously. "No, it's definitely mine." When we pulled away minutes later, her eyes met mine briefly, her brow set seductively and in a slight… challenge? Before I had time to process, she was sitting up, her shirt and bra sprawled on the grass next to us.

"Bella," I hissed, pushing her back beneath the blanket and protectively covering her body with mine. It was one thing to feel her up under the cover of clothing and blankets, another for her bare body to be on display for the world to see.

Despite the brief moment I'd borne witness to her bare skin, it was emblazoned on my memory. I closed my eyes, willing away my intense arousal, telling myself this was about her, about easing her frustration. If I allowed myself to think about the ache that had settled in my lower half, I wasn't sure I'd be able to control myself.

She glanced at me petulantly from beneath the blanket I'd hidden her. "We're alone. Who's going to see? The birds?"

I shrugged, not having a valid answer to that. While she had a point, I abhorred the thought of anyone beside me seeing her so bare. I was coming to learn that resisting unnecessary jealously was not a strong suit of mine.

"If anyone comes, you'll know."

I smirked. "I hope so."

She flushed. "You know that's not what I meant."

"No? Unfortunate." I couldn't help but teasing her. She always rose to the bait. Predictably, her cheeks reddened.

She rolled her eyes, doubtfully, seeing right through me this time. "Yeah, right. Like you'd go that far. I practically had to beg you to touch me. Do you know how many guys would kill to touch their girlfriend's boob, Edward?"

I chuckled. "Trust me, I'm aware the number is rather large. I see into teenage boys' minds on a daily basis. I'm plenty aware."

She scrunched her nose. "So what makes you such an anomaly?"

"I'm not," I whispered into her skin, wrapping my arms around her. "I enjoy a boob as much as the next guy. Provided it's attached to you."

Bella giggled. "I can't believe you just said 'boob.' Coming from you, it sounds weird."

I smiled at her amusement. She did know me rather well. "It wouldn't be my word of choice. It is rather crude."

"Are you going to stop talking about it and show me?" she asked, pulling out from under my arm and propping herself on her elbows. She tugged the blankets down, just enough. I stared unabashedly at the pale, creamy flesh she'd exposed.

I nodded robotically, finally giving in to the urge to taste her, though not quite the way the burn in my throat demanded. Slowly, so she could react, if she chose, I lowered my mouth to her chest, keeping my eyes on hers. I received nothing but an encouraging stare.

Not knowing where to start my exploration, I kissed her puckered skin gently. It was soft and pliant under my lips. She hummed. Good.

I gave an investigational lick. She tasted nearly as good as she smelled, not that I'd had doubts. She groaned softly. Still good.

Taking the final leap, I sucked gently. She moaned out loud. I swallowed hard, willing my control to keep itself in its too-small cage.

"Mmm. Do that again," she pleaded. I couldn't say no. I repeated the action to an identical response. Sufficiently persuaded that I wasn't doing any damage, I gave in to my urge to explore her with my mouth, my fingers playing lower, on the soft skin of her stomach.

The more I offered, the louder her response. If we kept on at this rate, it wouldn't be too long until the rest of Forks was alerted to precisely what was going on.

"Jesus, Bella," I choked out, my voice hoarse, aroused beyond belief. She said nothing, just smiled blissfully at me. My body reacted as intensely to her happiness as all the erotic sounds preceding it.

After a few minutes of kissing and fondling, she began to squirm and shift against me, her body seeking a release I wasn't providing. I knew she had to be uncomfortable. More so than ever before. I could smell her arousal lingering in the air, permeating even the layers of clothes she was wearing. It wouldn't be fair to leave her this way, uncomfortably aching for release.

Mentally bracing myself to take the necessary step, I spooned myself against her back and unbuttoned her jeans. She hummed and settled against me. Kissing her gently, I carefully slid my hand beneath rough denim and into soft cotton, stilling once I did to give her a chance to adjust to the new development.

Bella gasped loudly at the intrusion. In spite of her earlier forwardness, I was fairly certain she'd never anticipated this outcome. "Edward?" she rasped uncertainly, her eyes wild and hungry. She was questioning my ability to proceed, not pushing me away.

I kissed the back of her neck. "I want to," I promised.

And I really did. Right now, I could think of nothing I wanted more than to make her come undone and know I was the cause.

Assurance in hand, Bella relaxed, melting into me, her hips unconsciously flexing into my hand. I kept my touches feathery, not wanting to hurt her by being careless with my strength.

I brushed past wiry hair, to the soft wetness beneath. Though I couldn't see what I was doing, my fingers instinctively knew what to do, quickly finding a comfortable rhythm, stroking softly along her sensitive flesh. Every soft exhale and moan of appreciation was a compass, helping me to gauge what she needed from me and when.

"Feels… so good," she moaned.

Pride rushed me, plowing through my body unforgivingly, tangling with arousal at every corner.

It felt as though only a few moments had passed when I felt her body stiffen in my arms, all her limbs clenching tightly, then releasing as her hips bucked against my hand. I took in her expression greedily, memorizing the way her eyes clenched shut and her mouth parted slightly, mumblings of my name spilling incoherently.

Gently extricating my fingers from the now wrought, ultra-sensitive flesh, I allowed Bella to float in her post-orgasmic high.

Once she had settled back to earth, she twisted in my arms to face me, kissing my face several times. "Thank you, Edward." Her grin was the largest I'd ever seen it.

I chuckled, brushing a few strands of sweaty hair from her forehead. "What are you thanking me for? That was the best experience of my existence."

"Mine, too," she assured, cuddling into my side and pulling the blankets tighter around us. "By a landslide." When her body came into contact with the length of mine, she glanced down shyly, no doubt feeling my reaction to her. She rested her hand on my hip, her pinky tracing the button on my pants. "Is there something I can do? To make you feel good?"

I shook my head, kissing her forehead, tasting sweat. "No. This was about you. I knew you'd been feeling strung tight lately but I continued to tease you, stubbornly refusing to follow through. It wasn't fair of me to do that to you. Consider this my apology."

She kissed my jaw. "You don't have to punish yourself, Edward. I want to."

I offered her a reassuring look. "I know. I think I've pushed myself enough today. You have no idea how enticing you really are. If I tried to push my limits any further today, I'm not sure I could keep myself in check." I cupped her cheek. "Your safety comes first."

"Okay," she agreed, her expression softening, "But this is not the end of this conversation." Stubborn as always.

This time, I couldn't find the will to disagree. I was really looking forward to the next challenge.