Nightfall

by Black Angel

As Bella and Edward grow even more comfortable with one another, the world seems to conspire against them. But no matter how hard things might get, they will always have each other. COMPLETE

8. Foreplay 2

Nightfall

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Foreplay 2

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His frown matched my own. "Did you have a nightmare?"

I looked up at him, confusion written all over my face, and answered sincerely

"I don't know."

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Edward dismissed my dream quickly. He told me it probably meant nothing and reminded me of how tired I'd been before going to bed that night. He took me in his arms and stroked my hair until I fell asleep.

As I was drifting off, I heard him sigh. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought there was more to the dream.

I woke up the next morning and felt even more groggy than usual. I'd been playing the dream over and over in my head for most of the night until exhaustion took over. I still couldn't figure out what was bugging me so much about it.

The space next to me in bed was empty. I sat up and rubbed my sleepy eyes with the back of my hands, expecting to find Edward sitting on the rocking chair, but he wasn't there.

I looked around the room and whispered, feeling quite idiotic, "Edward?" No answer. As I was getting up, my hand brushed against a folded piece of paper that had been placed next to my pillow. It had my name on it, written in Edward's beautiful handwriting. Inside I found a small message.

"I'll explain later. Don't worry about your first class. Be safe."

Needless to say, I was confused. I was still trying to decipher the message when my eyes caught sight of the clock next to my bed. It read nine am.

"Oh my god!" I scrambled out of bed and tore off my pajamas, seriously hoping Edward wasn't lurking around somewhere because I had no time to be modest. I raced down the stairs brushing my teeth, combing my hair and kicking my shoes in front of me, all at the same time, almost killing myself in the process. I rinsed my mouth in the kitchen sink, grabbed a stale granola bar and a half empty carton of milk and practically flew to the door, frantically searching for my car keys on the way.

I threw the door open and instantly stopped in my tracks. I was so stunned I almost had a heart attack. My hand flew to my chest, dropping the carton of milk in the process. A graceful, white hand reached out and caught the container before it hit the ground.

"Alice?" I frowned at my sister-to-be.

"Hi Bella! You're riding with me today."

My heart calmed down slowly. "Where's Edward?"

"He went hunting with Carlisle." Alice stared down at the milk she was holding and made a face. She threw the carton behind her back. It landed in the garbage can several feet away. She pointed at the trunk of the Volvo. I could see a cup of something - probably chocolate or coffee - and a piece of pie waiting for me on top of it.

I shook my head to clear it. "Edward went hunting again?" He'd gone just a few days before.

"This time they went looking for something a little bit more filling than deer."

"Why?" I asked.

"Well sweetie, if Edward is going to spend his Saturday sucking the life out of you, he better be full enough to resist slurping you dry."

I should've been scared, or at the very least insulted by being referred to as something as edible as a milkshake, but instead I just shrugged. "Makes sense."

"Yeah." Alice nodded enthusiastically before getting in the car.

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During the ride to school, Alice confessed she'd mentioned to Edward that I was going to be late for school if he didn't set the alarm for me before leaving. I hadn't used the alarm clock in months. After all, who wants to wake up to an annoying beep when you can have a delicious kiss instead? Besides, Edward was way more reliable than any alarm clock... when he happened to be there, anyway.

He had apparently chosen to let me sleep in, and Alice was more than happy to skip her first class in order to wait for me.

That morning I sat alone during Math. Mike noticed and sat down next to me, much to Jessica's dismay, I noticed.

"Hey Bella! How are you?"

"I'm good Mike, how are you?" I answered politely.

"I'm great! Where's Cullen today?" So he'd noticed.

"Edward is sick today. He has a stomach virus, the poor guy."

Mike straddled the chair he was sitting on and rested his chin against his arms. I looked around nervously for the teacher, but she was nowhere to be found. I'd been so caught up in my own thoughts I hadn't even noticed she'd left the room until then.

"He seems to do that a lot, doesn't he?"

"Uh?" I tried to focus on my conversation with Mike.

"Cullen. He's been sick quite a bit lately."

I thought about that. He'd had the flu last week, and a cold a couple of weeks before that. Not to mention chicken pox the month before thanks to a streak of good weather that had made me hate the sun for the first time in my life.

"Well he helps his dad out at the hospital sometimes. Some people there can be pretty contagious." I was amazed at my ability to lie.

"Oh." Mike had nothing else to say, thank goodness.

Jessica, who had probably been overhearing the whole conversation, waltzed over to us and flashed me a toothy smile "Hi Bella! Are you going to the winter dance on Saturday?"

Mike's head snapped up in attention. He seemed almost hopeful. Jessica, however, had the whole thing planned. She knew I probably wasn't going to go because I'd told her repeatedly about my feelings towards dancing. She also knew for a fact that, should I decide to go, I'd obviously be hanging from the arm of my boyfriend. It sounded to me like she just wanted to get me out of Mike's head.

I thought about that Saturday, and about what I'd be doing while the kids in school waltzed around the gym. "No, I'm not going to the dance. You know how I hate those things. I swear, Edward will not talk me into this one."

Mike looked disappointed, and so did Taylor - who was sitting a couple of desks away - the silly, delusional idiot.

The bell rang then. I shot up from my seat and started gathering my things. I thought about enduring the stares and questions of my high school friends over lunch and stiffened a groan. I was in no mood to deal with Jessica's jealousy or Mike's blindness, but Edward had left me alone, so apparently I was stuck.

At that moment, Alice danced into the classroom and called my name. "Come on Bella! You take forever! Jasper will be so upset if he gets to the cafeteria before me."

Everyone in the room stared while she gracefully jumped over backpacks and books to get to me. She took my hand in hers, grabbed my backpack and hurried out the room, practically dragging me along and chatting over her shoulder. "I want to run an idea by you. You can say no, of course, and Edward would probably kill me for even suggesting it."

We were already in the cafeteria by then. Alice half ran over to our usual table and sank down gracefully next to Jasper, who was looking a bit anxious. I could've sworn I saw her nodding slightly in his direction before he took a long breath and relaxed. I sat down next to Emmett. Rosalie ignored me, as usual.

"So Bella, there's something I would like to do before Edward turns you." Alice's eyes were shining with excitement.

I frowned. "What?"

"Just remember, I'm suggesting this for your own good. I don't want you to miss out on anything and this is something I'm sure you haven't done. Something you won't be able to do once you become one of us."

I was starting to get suspicious. "What?"

"I want to get you drunk!"

"What!" I was outraged. Emmett's eyes snapped open like saucers. He glanced at Alice, then at me and back at her before bursting out laughing.

"Please, don't get me wrong. I love how you've never gotten around to doing such a thing. I just think there is a very big difference between knowing about something and actually doing it. I want you to have that experience."

I scowled. Losing control of myself had never appealed to me. "But Alice, what if Edward comes home? I can't afford to lose my inhibitions around him while I'm still human. It takes all of my restrain not to throw myself at him every time he's near!" I admitted with embarrassment.

Alice smiled. "You'll probably be back to normal long before he gets home. And even if you aren't, I'm sure he has enough restrain for both of you. I just want you to know what it's like, and maybe once you've been through it you can describe it properly for me."

"Oh no no, do not play the "I have no human memories" card." I shook my head.

Alice made a face that reminded me of a scared little deer and pouted. "Pleeease Bella! I promise it'll be fun!"

I sighed. "When he was human, did Edward ever..."

"No." Alice answered sincerely. I gave her a sad smile.

"Okay."

"Yes?" She shrieked in excitement.

"If you promise to take care of me, and not let me get too drunk, then yes."

Emmett whooped and Alice giggled. "I promise to try."

I took a bite of the salad she shoved in my direction and smiled. "So, you knew I'd say yes all along.

"Obviously. Yeah."

"And I'm sure you already bought the alcohol."

She gave me a sheepish smile.

I sighed. "So, what am I drinking?"

Her eyes lit up. "Tequila!"

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I dialed my father's number while Alice jumped up and down eagerly.

"Hello?"

"Dad? Hi! Erm... I was calling because... well, Edward is out of town today."

Charlie was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Oh."

"Yeah, anyway, Alice wants to have a slumber party tonight."

"Tell him it's a farewell party for your human side. Or for your virginity, which ever works." Alice whispered. I tried to get as far away from her as the cord of the phone would allow.

"Are the Cullens going to be there?" Charlie asked his usual question.

It was ridiculous, really. I was going to move in with my boyfriend in just three days and he was asking if Alice and I were going to be supervised by an adult that night. I decided not to say anything and let him enjoy his parental moment. "Yes dad, Esme is going to be here all night."

"Well, okay then. But don't stay up too late, Bells. It's a school night."

"Okay dad. See you tomorrow."

"Good night Bella."

I hung up the phone and turned around, planning to choke Alice until I remembered I couldn't kill her by depriving her of oxygen.

"Alice, you are terrible." I grumbled.

"Thank you!" She laughed and took my hand, pulling me towards the living room where Emmett and Jasper were waiting with the bottle.

I sat down in front of the shot glass and lemons they had for me. "So what? Am I supposed to just start drinking this thing?"

The three young looking vampires stared at me. "Well, yeah." Emmett shrugged.

Jasper poured a healthy amount of liquid into the glass. Even he looked eager to find out what would happen. I took a deep breath, grabbed the glass firmly and placed it against my lips. The alcohol burned my nostrils before I even drank it.

"Hum, guys? I don't think I can do this."

Alice sighed, but Emmett jumped in "Okay, how about a game?"

"A game?" I frowned.

"Yes, a drinking game."

My frown deepened. "Well that's not fair, you guys can't drink!"

Jasper shrugged "Technically, we can. We won't get drunk but trust me, it will be every bit as uncomfortable for us as it's going to be for you."

"Oh no come on, I don't want you guys to do something you don't want to do!"

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that kind of what we're doing to you?"

I gave him a crooked smile "You do have a point there. Are you three willing to ingest this thing for me?"

The three vampires nodded eagerly.

I shrugged. "So, what are we playing?"

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"Okay, this next game is called "I've never" and it goes like this. We will each say something that we've never done, and anyone who has done it takes a drink." Emmett seemed to know way too much about drinking games.

After a stupid game that required hand coordination, one that required verbal abilities and one that I still don't really get, we were finally going to play something that I could beat them at.

"Well I'm game but you should know, I haven't done much in my life." I warned.

"Oh really? I'll start. I've never fallen in love with a human." Jasper smiled smugly.

"Well I'm sorry Jasper, but the only one who would drink to that is Edward." I pointed out with a grin.

"Fine then, I've never fallen in love with a vampire while being a human."

I sighed and drowned my glass. The burning sensation I'd felt during the first five shots was long gone by then. It took me longer than it should have to put the glass back on the table. By then, I'd lost sensibility in my arms and legs.

"Dude!" Emmett groaned. He drank his shot and made a hideous face.

"Oh come on! Really?" Jasper rolled his eyes.

"What can I say? It was love at first sight." Emmett's smile was contagious. I found myself grinning too.

"I've got one!" I called out "I've never fallen in love with a vampire while being a vampire."

Alice and Jasper smiled at each other while they drank. Then it was Alice's turn.

"I've never gotten a bikini wax... that I know of."

I didn't drink, but Emmett did.

"Oh god, what is wrong with you?" Jasper teased him. I'd never seen him act so carefree.

"You don't wanna know." Emmett shook his head, probably repressing terrible memories.

I giggled. Emmett went next. "I've never worn women's underwear."

Jasper looked insulted "I am never telling you anything again! It was one time! And it was her fault!" He pointed at Alice. She smiled up at him in a very private way. Jasper smiled back and said under his breath. "The experience did have one positive outcome."

"And what an enjoyable experience it was." Alice whispered.

I flushed tomato red, feeling like an intruder in their private talk. Jasper finally looked away from his wife. His eyes shone with the idea of revenge. "I've never gone skinny dipping."

"Oh yes, you have." Alice pointed out, a sexy look in her eyes.

"Not in a lake full of piranhas."

"Oh so what? It's not like they can hurt me!" Emmett looked embarrassed though. I figured there was more to that story but I didn't ask and they didn't tell me.

I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt. "Turn me? I mean, my turn? Fine. I've never had sex."

Emmett frowned "Really? Oh you're in for a treat, little girl!" Jasper and Alice both gave him weird looks. "Wait... that didn't come out right..."

"You know what?" Alice smiled. "I think we should do something different. I think we should dance!" She was across the room, fiddling with the stereo before I could protest.

Loud, electronic music filled the room. Alice pulled me up, ignoring my complaints, and twirled around, jumping up and down. She looked like a graceful ballerina. I looked like a sack of potatoes bouncing around in the back of a truck.

"Alice stop." I groaned. A sudden wave of euphoria hit me, but that was probably Jasper's doing.

"Yes Alice, please do. You call that dancing?" Emmett changed the music to something I recognized from my father's collection. "This, is dancing!"

He grabbed me by the waist and lifted me up in the air. Emmett shook around, taking me with him, and twirled all around the room. My feet never even touched the ground.

When he shoved me under his spread legs and threw me in the air, it happened. I closed my eyes and welded my lips shut.

"Emmett... I think you better put her down." Alice warned.

"Oh come on! This is fun!" He kept throwing me in the air. I wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer.

"Emmett! Put her down!" His eyes went wide as realization hit him. I clamped my hand over my mouth and made a run for the bathroom as soon as my feet touched the floor.

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I groaned loudly. The echo inside the toilet bowl made my voice sound even more pained. "Alice I swear, if you weren't already dead..." Another wave of nausea hit me then, and I was unable to finish my threat.

A guilty looking Alice held my hair back while I emptied my stomach.

"Jasper, can't you do something?" She asked in desperation.

Jasper, who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, answered. "I can change her mood, but not her blood alcohol level." He actually sounded amused.

I moaned and leaned against the cold porcelain. "I want Edward."

"He's not here Bells. He'll be home tomorrow." Alice explained for the thousandth time. She sounded anxious, almost hopeful.

Emmett, who was having the most fun with my situation, grinned when I let go of the toilet and slipped to the floor. "This is better than TV!"

"You're being mean." I pouted.

"Aww come on Bella! It's been decades since I've seen someone this plastered! You remind me of my youth. I went to some good parties back in the days."

"Why am I not surprised?" I mumbled.

"Uh oh." Alice stood very straight, her eyes wide.

"What?" I asked.

"Edward's back." She whispered. She'd probably seen him on his way home hours before, but had been hoping the future would shift.

Emmett let out a low whistle. "You are on your own sis." He disappeared from the room in record time.

"Bella, quick! Try to look sober." I gave Alice a queasy look. She rolled her eyes. "Nah, don't even bother. He can probably smell you from the driveway." She walked out of the bathroom with Jasper and closed the door behind her.

I wanted to leap up and run to meet Edward. I craved his arms desperately. Unfortunately, I was unable to sit up straight, let alone move.

I didn't even hear him approach. All of a sudden, his voice sounded loud and clear in the hall.

"What happened?" He asked someone, probably Alice.

"Don't be mad Edward, I did it for her own good."

"Did what for her own good? Do not shut me out of your mind! What's going on?" He sounded really mad.

"She's okay Edward! It just got a little out of hand." Alice pleaded.

He sniffed. "You got her drunk." It wasn't a question.

"I don't want her to miss out on anything!"

"Well you should've waited for me!" He slammed the bathroom door open. The noise made me jump, but he had his arms around me in a second.

"Bella? Honey, are you okay?" I looked up at his beautiful, concerned features.

"I am now." I whispered at my wonderful angel.

He lifted my chin with his hand and looked me over. I blushed deeply, suddenly aware of my wrinkled clothes and sweaty hair, not to mention the fact that I'd spent the better part of the evening with my head inside a toilet bowl.

Edward kissed my forehead and asked, "How are you feeling?"

I took a deep breath, inhaling his heavenly scent. "Much better now that you're here."

He cradled me to his chest and lifted me up. "Hey! Where are you taking me?" I protested.

"To our bed." He answered simply.

"I'm not sure I'm done here, you know?" I mumbled, embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter. You need to lie down." He was halfway to his room by then, even though he was walking way slower than usual for my benefit.

"But what if I throw up all over the bed?"

He moved my hair away from my forehead with his cheek and kissed me "Then I'll change the sheets in the morning."

He set me down carefully on his side of the bed and then walked around to pull the sheets back on my side. Then, he tucked me in gently.

"Can you at least get me a trash can or something?" He placed an elegant wastepaper basket next to me before I was even done asking.

Without saying a word, he opened one of my drawers and pulled out a pair of pajamas that Alice had bought for me a few months before. He handed me the silk pants and asked, "Can you change on your own or do you want me to help?"

"I think I can do it myself." I took the pajamas from his hands and he turned around respectfully. I pulled off my jeans without getting up and maneuvered my way into the loose pants. Then I took off my sweat-soaked top and slipped my arms into the soft shirt. The buttons, however, proved to be too much of a challenge for me.

Edward must have heard my fiddling, because he peeked over his shoulder and then sat down next to me on the bed. He pulled my hands away from the shirt and stared at me with a gentle smile on his face. "I think you missed a few holes, beautiful."

His cold fingers undid the buttons again. Edward, always the gentleman, was very careful not to expose too much of my skin while he worked. He couldn't stop himself, however, from gently tracing the small line of exposed skin that went from my throat to my waist with his cold fingers. I shivered, but not from the temperature of his hands. It's amazing I managed to keep myself calm.

He took a shaky breath and got me properly dressed quickly. Then he stood up to get himself ready for bed.

I stared at him while he took off his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt. He joined me in bed immediately afterwards and pulled me towards him.

"You look very clean." I mentioned.

He frowned at my statement "Why, thank you."

"No, I mean... you went hunting, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, shouldn't you be covered in dirt or blood or something?"

He raised an eyebrow "Do you get food all over your clothes every time you eat?"

"Depends on what I eat."

He smiled "Well, I'm careful when I dine out."

I glared incredulously at him.

"And I like to take my shirt off when I hunt." He admitted with a laugh.

I smiled weakly at him "That's a nice mental image."

His face fell. Had I not been so used to his mood swings, I would've been surprised. "It's not a pretty picture, Bella."

"I know. But anything that involves you without your shirt on can't be that bad."

He looked like he wanted to contradict me but thought better of it. Instead he mentioned, "You sound oddly eloquent for someone with so much alcohol in her blood stream."

I shrugged "I carry my drunkenness well."

"So it appears." He held me close. I pressed my warm face against his chest and sighed in content. Then I closed my eyes.

"Oh god!" I moaned.

"What?" He asked in alarm.

"The room is spinning."

Edward laughed and shifted us around, so I could be a little closer to the edge of the bed. "Put your foot on the ground. It will help."

I did what he said and closed my eyes again. It did help a little.

"Better?"

"Kinda."

"Good. Now go to sleep." He turned off the bedside lamp and kissed the top of my head.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I love you so much."

I felt his breath on my face before he kissed my lips tenderly. "I love you too my beautiful, intoxicated soul mate."

I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.

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I moaned while seriously considering drowning myself in the tub. The bathroom was dark except for a couple of candles that Edward had gotten for me. I'd felt incredibly relieved upon discovering they weren't scented.

Edward walked in noiselessly as usual. He had a glass full of something red in his hand.

"Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better." He knelt down next to the bathtub and handed me the glass. I looked down quickly to make sure my body was completely covered by the bubbles before taking a sip.

It tasted worse than what I'd thrown up the night before.

"Oh my god, Edward! What is in this thing?"

"Don't ask." He was trying very hard not to look amused. "You know, you can stay home today if you want to. School is going to be hell for you."

"As much as I would love to stay, I can't. I have... Oh crap!" I sat up so fast I slipped and slid backwards at tremendous speed. Edward caught the back of my head just before I cracked it open with the edge of the tub.

"What's wrong?" He asked, alarmed.

"We have a test! I forgot the test!" I started to panic.

"The global studies test? It's easy Bella." He dismissed my concern.

"Easy for you! I needed to study for that!" My headache suddenly caught up with me and I had to rest my head back.

"Bella, calm down. There are more important things in life than a test. You're getting killed the day after tomorrow, do you seriously care about a high school class?"

I opened my mouth to reply but realized quickly that he was right. "Well I still have to take it." I grumbled.

"In that case we better get going. We're going to be late."

I waited for him to leave so I could get out of the tub, but he never did. He unfolded a towel and held it open for me to step into it like a little child getting out of the pool.

I raised my eyebrows and he rolled his eyes. "Bella, do you have a headache?"

"Yes." I answered

"Are you a little dizzy?"

"A little."

"Does the room spin around when you close your eyes?"

I pouted. "Just a bit."

"Then I'm not leaving you alone in a slippery bathroom. Now come on, I'll close my eyes."

I blushed deep red. He sighed. "Would you like me to go get Alice?"

"I'm not crippled Edward! I can get out of the tub!" I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"Please, Bella. I would really like to avoid a trip to the ER this morning. I swear I won't peek."

I knew he wouldn't, of course, so I mumbled a fine. He closed his eyes obediently and I stood up, carefully getting out. His hand shot out to steady me when I stumbled.

"Hey!" I shrieked.

"I did not peek, Bella." He wrapped the towel around me. His cool fingers touched my warm arms and my wet throat. His eyes were still closed.

"Then how did you know that I was about to fall?" I asked in a whisper, my voice quivered in response to his touch.

"I feel you, Bella. I don't need to see you or smell you to know you're there. I know when you're around me. I can feel what you're doing. I can sense your every move."

I walked over to the nearest wall and leaned against it, dragging Edward along by the hand. I slid down to the floor, taking him with me, and pulled his head close to my chest. His eyes were still closed, so I lowered the towel just a tiny bit, enough for his cheek to rest over my heart.

He seemed surprise by my behavior, but also deeply grateful. I knew how much he was going to miss my heartbeat after the change. He leaned his forehead against my neck and sighed in content.

"See? You might be able to sense my moves, but you can't predict them." I whispered playfully into his hair.

He chuckled against my sensitive skin, making me shiver. "I don't think even Alice can be one hundred percent accurate when it comes to you."

He lifted me from the cold floor and sat me down on his lap, his head leaving the curve of my neck only for a moment. I noticed he had not opened his eyes once.

"Even though I still have my fears and doubts about changing you, I can honestly say I can't wait until you're indestructible."

His nose traced a line from my neck to the top of my hair. He pulled my head down to his chest and rested his cheek against my forehead. I felt so at ease in his arms, I forgot all about my headache. "You mean you'll be glad when you don't feel the need to spend every minute with me?"

He chuckled again. "Don't be ridiculous, Bella. I'm still going to be the overprotective, extremely jealous boyfriend that you're used to. I'll just feel... better. More at ease." He brushed back a piece of stray hair from my forehead. "You make me nervous."

I frowned. "I do?"

"Of course. I worry about you every second of every day. When I'm with you I'm scared that I might forget myself for a moment and crush you to death. When I'm without you it terrifies me, because I know you can get into so much trouble on your own."

I sat up, took his face between my hands, and gently slid his eyelids open. He looked down at me with such love and devotion he almost made me cry. My heart started beating wildly when his knuckles traced the contours of my face. I'd forgotten to pull my towel up, which meant I was sporting a rather plunging neckline, but at that moment I didn't even notice.

He closed his eyes once again and leaned in closer to my face. When he was so close our lips were almost touching, he blew cold air gently over my burning skin. I concentrated hard on not doing two things, attacking him and passing out.

I bit my lip to help with my restrain and took in as much of his scent as my lungs would allow. Edward noticed and leaned in even closer. Our lips were so close to touching. All I had to do was press against him.

A loud knock on the door made me jump up in surprise. Edward slammed his head back so fast to avoid the otherwise inevitable collision with mine, that he punched a hole through the bathroom wall with the back of his head. Bits of plaster showered us instantly.

"Oops. I'm sorry, guys." Emmett's voice was a cross between amusement and regret. "Esme wanted me to tell you that you're going to be late for school."

"Oh my god Edward! Are you okay?" Instincts took over when I pulled his head down to examine it.

"Of course I'm okay Bella." He answered gently. "We'll be right there, Emmett. And you're fixing the hole in the wall!" Edward replied to his brother in a normal, but clearly annoyed voice.

"No wonder Alice told me not to knock." Emmett mumbled to himself.

I chuckled and stood up, brushing bits of plaster away from my hair with my left hand while holding my towel up with my right one. As soon as I was completely vertical though, my hangover resurfaced with a vengeance.

"Oh." I groaned and closed my eyes.

"Here." Edward handed me a pair of jeans, an expensive looking shirt, a tight little brown sweater, pink socks and underwear. "You better change quickly. We're so late, even I might not be able to get us to school on time."

He turned around but didn't leave the bathroom. I sighed and pulled on the clothes. It'd take me too much time and effort to fight him for the privacy I wasn't even sure I wanted.

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I had never in my life been so grateful for Fork's rainy weather. Even though the sky was as clouded as it could get, the small amount of light that managed to seep through hurt my eyes. Edward handed me a pair of very expensive looking shades.

"Here, they're Alice's. Keep them on indoors too, the fluorescent light will hurt worse than the sun." I gratefully accepted the sunglasses and got out of the car. Edward was by my side in a second, guiding me towards our classroom.

He was right about the lights, they were hell. He pushed me down gently into my seat and took the one next to mine. I rested my head over my folded arms and moaned softly.

"Stay right here, I'm going to go find you an aspirin." He walked out the door and left me there to suffer.

"Hi Bella!" Mike's voice was too loud and way too cheerful for me right then.

"Hi Mike." I mumbled.

"You don't look so hot. Are you okay?" He sounded genuinely concerned, which is why I made the mistake of looking up.

"Not really..." But he wasn't listening anymore. He was staring at the sunglasses.

"Wow, nice shades!" He reached out and took them right off my face. The white light hit me like lightning.

"Oh Mike! Give those back!" I moaned and covered my eyes with my hands.

"Hi Mike! Hi Bella! What's going on?" Jess approached us quickly. Her voice was even more annoying than his.

"Look at Bella's sunglasses. Cool eh?" Mike showed them off proudly.

"Mike, they are just sunglasses. Please give them back." I still couldn't look up.

"Wow, great knockoff! They look just like the real thing Bella! Where did you get these?" Jessica smiled appreciatively.

"Those are original and they belong to my sister. Please give them back to Bella, Newton."

I hadn't even looked at the glasses closely, but something told me they were worth more than my car. Both human teenagers blushed deeply. I was way too hungover to blush, so I just slipped the glasses back on and watched as Mike and Jess left to find their seats.

"Here sweetheart. Take this." He handed me an aspirin the size of a suppository.

"What exactly do you want me to do with it?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Swallow it, of course. It is just aspirin, Bella."

The pill was too big and too wide for me to even consider it. "I can't. I have a really hard time swallowing pills. Besides, this isn't a pill, it's a baseball!"

Edward handed me a bottle of water and sighed. "I can help you."

"How? By swallowing it for me?" I shrieked.

He rolled his eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course." I answered immediately.

"Okay then. Lean your head back."

He supported the back of my head with one hand and opened my mouth gently with the other.

"Mr. Cullen. What exactly are you doing to Miss Swan?" The teacher interrupted us.

"She has a terrible migraine. I have to give her this pill and I have to help her get it down her throat. She's in severe pain right now." Edward's voice oozed truth. The teacher could do nothing except nod and allow him to continue.

He held my head back and took the pill between his thumb and index fingers. He gently lowered the aspirin into my mouth but didn't drop it.

"Bella, try to relax your throat okay?" I nodded. He massaged my neck and breathed very close to me to keep me calm. Then, he placed the pill at the very back of my throat and gave me a sip of water. It went down easily.

"There you go!" He continued to massage my throat gently. "You'll feel better in no time."

I concentrated on his cool fingers touching my neck lovingly and sighed. "I already do."

---------------------------------------

I sat during our global studies class, still nursing the mother of all hangovers, and tried hard not to look nervous.

When the teacher handed out the tests I groaned. I had not paid even an ounce of attention the whole semester. I mean really, with Edward sitting a foot away, who would?

I stared down hopelessly at the sheet of paper and tried to come up with answers that weren't too far fetched but I was having a hard time reading the questions. I tried to focus my eyes on the first one with little success.

I felt a light breeze coming from Edward's direction and looked up. He was smiling at me. I smiled back, looked down at my paper and gasped.

The test was completely answered and in my handwriting! In the bottom right corner of the page Edward had scribbled a note.

"This is a one time thing. For your next test you will have to study! I just love you too much to sit here and watch that confused look on your face. And if you're wondering how I got so good at imitating your handwriting, know that I study everything you do. Love, E."

I smiled gratefully at him and erased the little message quickly. Then I just had to wait half an hour for the class to be over. I propped my head on my folded arms and stared at my beautiful boyfriend.

"What?" He mouthed.

"I love you." I mouthed back.

He gave me a very cocky smile, "I know."

-------------------------------------

That afternoon, Alice forced me into a spa once again. I declined her invitation politely the first time she asked, but she refused to get no for an answer.

Edward drove quietly, his hand holding mine all the way. I was surprised when he announced he wanted to tag along. He was probably still a bit nervous about leaving me alone with Alice.

"Hum, Alice? What are we going to do here?" I asked when we arrived.

"You're getting waxed!" She announced cheerfully.

I stared at her, my mouth wide open. "Drive us back home please." I didn't even bother with a reply for my over excited sister-to-be.

"No Bella wait! Do you want to spend the rest of eternity as a hairy beauty or as a well waxed one?"

My face turned tomato red instantly. Edward looked away to lessen my discomfort, but squeezed my hand supportively.

"Come on Bella! Just think, this is the only time you're going to have to do it... ever! You'll thank me later!" Alice dragged me out of the car.

Even though I was still against it, a part of me knew she was right, so I dragged my feet but made no other comment.

"This whole "getting me ready to die" thing is making me uncomfortable." I mumbled. Edward heard me, of course, and rubbed my back gently. "Bella, if you're having second thoughts we can push things back until you feel ready..."

"I'm not having second thoughts, Edward. I said it's making me uncomfortable. In the last week I've been intoxicated, stuffed, pulled poked and prodded like never before. Now I'm not complaining! I'm just saying I'll be glad when it's over."

"You'll rest when you're dead, Bella. For now, let's go!" Alice pulled me into a room and closed the door behind her. Edward stood on the other side of the door and whispered a "Be safe!" just as Alice pushed me behind a screen and handed me a red silk robe.

I changed slowly, dreading the inevitable. I laid down where Alice indicated me to and waited nervously while a lady heated up the yellow wax.

"So Bella, now that you're..." Alice stared pointedly at the white dressed lady, "having a new birthday, have you thought about how you want it to happen?"

I frowned "You mean the birthday?"

"No."

"The wedding?"

"Not exactly."

"Oh." I concentrated hard on deciphering her mischievous look. Realization came fast enough. "Oh!" I exclaimed. Heat rushed to my cheeks, making me look the same color as the robe I was wearing.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'm just trying to make conversation." Alice explained apologetically.

"No, it's okay. To tell you the truth, I haven't given it much thought. Right now I'm just trying to get through my... birthday."

"Oh, well I just figured since you two have been together for a few months now, and you're engaged and everything... I thought it might've come up."

"Just that once when he explained things to me and told me we'd have to wait."

I had to keep reminding myself that there was a woman in the room with us. It was hard talking about our lives in code.

"To tell you the truth," I confessed, "that's one event I don't want to plan. It'll happen when it happens, when the time is right."

Alice smiled. "But you've waited this long, don't you want it to be special?"

"It will be special, no matter how or when it happens." She was grinning now, it looked like I'd just given her the answer she'd been hoping for.

"I know exactly what you mean."

"Was Jasper your first?"

"As far as I know, yes."

"Oh. And did it take you guys long to..."

"It was different for us, Bella. I knew I was in love with him long before I met him in person, and he knew that the second he saw me. We "ran into each other" when he was leaving a motel, freshly showered and wearing a black, button down shirt and black pants. He was carrying an old copy of War and Peace. "

She was lost in her story, and I gladly listened. "We met at the bottom of the stairs, the sun had just gone down. I walked up to him and said, "You are the love of my life. Can you feel it?" He stared at me for what seemed like ages before answering, "Yes, I can." We spent the rest of the night talking, about ourselves, our lives, about what I'd seen for us and what we wanted. It happened that same night, but we were already very much in love. We knew it was forever."

I'd gotten so caught up in Alice's memories that I hadn't even noticed the hot, sticky paste that the lady had been spreading on my legs. I did, however, notice when she pulled it off.

"Ouch!" I sat up and grabbed my marred leg.

"Bella?" Edward's alarmed voice sounded right outside the door.

"Don't you dare come in here Edward Cullen!" Alice threatened. I could hear his heavy sigh, indicating he was trying to calm down. "Bella, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm being tortured, but I'm fine."

"Brace yourself honey, here comes the other leg!" The lady smiled cheerfully. I groaned and laid my head back.

--------------------------------------

I walked into the house with a pained look on my face and my legs spread wide as if I'd been riding a horse for hours.

Rosalie, who was watching TV on the living room couch, glanced at me briefly from the corner of her eye and chuckled. "You could've just shaved, you know?" I would've been surprise by her acknowledgment of my presence had she not sounded so smug.

I turned towards Alice, my eyes wide. "I could've shaved?"

"It's not the same!" She defended herself.

"It's exactly the same." Rosalie hadn't turned her eyes away from the television again.

"Well maybe. But you'd never gotten a wax before!" Alice smiled apologetically.

I was about to reply when Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. "Let's get you home, Bella. It's getting late, I don't want Charlie to worry."

I mumbled a fine and mentioned to Alice while Edward carried me out the door. "I know you want me to try new things, but could we please stay away from the painful ones?"

I heard Alice chuckle just before Edward closed the door behind us. "I'll try!"

----------------------------------

Charlie and I were enjoying a quiet dinner of meat loaf and peas when the topic came up.

"So Bells, you're going on that trip with Edward?" His voice sounded strained. It took him a lot of effort to try to sound cool with it. He failed miserably.

"Yeah. We're leaving on Saturday morning." I shoved a forkful of peas into my mouth and chewed slowly.

"And when are you coming back?"

"I don't know, but way before school starts again."

"And you're moving out the day after tomorrow or until you get back?"

"I'll probably just take all my clothes with me on Saturday, but that's all I'm taking." I crammed a huge piece of meat into my mouth, trying to put an end to the conversation. My father was relentless, though.

"You don't want to take other things? Like your bed or your computer?"

I shook my head and swallowed as quickly as I could. "We'll buy new things. Besides, I want to leave my room intact."

Charlie sighed. He was silent for so long I thought I was home free.

"Bella, are you sure he's not forcing you into this? If he's making you do things you don't want to do just tell me."

I almost spat my peas all over the kitchen table. Instead I swallowed them all and almost choked to death. It took three big gulps of milk to get them all down. "No dad! He's not forcing me into anything! I'm doing this because we both want to. It's important to us, to me."

Charlie nodded and continued to eat. Without looking at me, he mentioned. "I want you to know your mother and I are no okay with this. We understand it's your choice and we respect your decision, but we think you're making a mistake."

I took a deep breath and sighed. "I know, dad."

"Let the record show, I don't like it."

"Duly noted."

My dad picked up his fork again. I just sat there and left the rest of my dinner untouched.

"Aren't you going to finish that, Bells?" He frowned.

"Erm, no. May I be excused? I think I have a pea lodged in the back of my throat."

Charlie gave me a half smile. "Of course, honey."

I went to the sink to wash my dishes but he stopped me. "You look tired, Bella. Why don't you go to bed and let me clean the kitchen?"

I smiled gratefully at him, thanked him and escaped to my room. Edward was waiting for me on my bed.

"Intense." He commented as soon as I stepped through the door.

"Tell me about it." I mumbled. I looked around for my pajamas and found them folded on top of my bed. Edward smiled and handed them to me.

"Come join me." He made room for me and patted the space beside him.

"Erm, can I have a human minute first? I'm all sticky from the wax." I couldn't help the blush that turned my cheeks crimson when I talked about our hairy afternoon.

Edward smiled, clearly delighted by my embarrassment, and in a flash got up from the bed to cup my face with his long hands.

"Take as many as you want." He gave me one chaste kiss before returning to his statuesque position on my bed.

I washed my teeth quickly, but it took forever to get all the remaining wax off my legs. By the time I'd gotten rid of most of it, my skin was red and itchy from my furious scrubbing.

My face must've reflected my pain, because as soon as I walked back into my room, Edward flew to me, lifted me off the floor and laid me back on the bed.

"Bella? What's wrong?"

I rolled my pajama bottoms up to my knees and showed him my legs. "The wax really sticks." I mumbled.

"Oh, Bella." He ran his cold hands gently up and down my legs. "I'm going to kill Alice." He growled.

"She just wants me to try everything." I rolled my eyes. "Not unlike you, I might add."

"And on that note." He reached into his coat pocket and handed me a chocolate bar.

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. "You've got to be kidding me. If I eat one more Butterfinger, chocolate is going to start flowing out of my ears. If you don't stop feeding me like this, I'm going to end up a very heavy vampire."

Edward rolled his eyes. "You won't be able to eat anything during your transformation. Just think of this as making reserves. Besides, girls nowadays are too skinny." My 104-year-old boyfriend, ladies and gentlemen.

"Fine." I took the candy bar from him and chewed on it slowly. My head was resting on the pillow and I stared at the ceiling while I ate.

Edward knelt down on the foot of the bed and rolled my pants up once more to look at my irritated legs. He took my left ankle in his hands, lifted up my leg and kissed the inside of my calf gently. His cold lips made me shiver.

"You, ahem, you're going to kiss that and make it better?" I pointed at my legs. I was trying to be a little flirty, I admit, but I didn't have high hopes for my attempt. I felt ridiculous for even trying.

He did smile, but not in a mocking way. He kissed the inside of my knee and my whole body shook under his lips. Even though he was touching my skin with his very cold hands to soothe it, every inch he touched burned up under his fingertips.

He dropped my legs softly and climbed up to cover my body with his own. He took the long forgotten chocolate that I'd dropped on my pillow and placed it on the nightstand. With one hand on my waist and the other one being used to support his weight, he leaned down and ran a line with his lips from my forehead to my collarbone and back up. He lingered, mere inches away from my own lips, and waited for me to do something about it.

I wrapped my hands around his neck and carefully, so he'd know I was still in control of myself, I pulled him to me. We shared a soft, romantic kiss for a few seconds before he broke it off.

Edward sighed, rolled off me and pulled me on top of him. I rested my head against his stone-hard chest and sighed in content. In a movement too fast for me to catch, he unlocked the chain around my neck and pulled the ring out.

I gave him my left hand so he could put the engagement ring on my finger. We both stared at it, mesmerized.

"In a few days I'll be able to wear it a bit more often." I commented.

"In a few days we'll have a lot more time to admire it. Right now you need your sleep."

"In a few days we're going to be spending a lot less time in bed." I sighed. I was really going to miss our pre-bedtime chats.

"Or a lot more, just not asleep." Edward winked at me and I laughed quietly.

We laid there, silently, for a few moments before something occurred to me.

"Oh my God!" I rolled off him and sat up.

Edward turned on his side to look at me. "What? Was my comment inappropriate? Because I didn't mean anything by it..."

"No, no. It's just that... Charlie must think we're having sex!"

He smiled in a teasing manner "You mean right now?"

"No, just in general. I mean, think about it! We're moving in together the day after tomorrow! Who moves in with someone without having had sex with that person first? Other than roommates of course." I rambled.

Edward let out a quiet laugh. "Well, think about it this way. If it weren't for my... condition, we probably would have an active sex life."

I blushed deeply just thinking about it. "Would we?"

"Bella, we can hardly keep our hands off each other as it is!" Even though I was incredibly embarrassed by the conversation, I managed to joke. "Oh, aren't you the confident one?"

Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. "Hey! You were the one who brought the subject up the first time. And during our second date, if I remember correctly."

I gasped. "I was just asking a question!"

"Which means a part of you wanted me that way!"

I rolled on my side. I was blushing so much I was sure he could feel the shift in my body temperature.

"Don't you?" He asked.

"Don't I what?"

"Want me that way?" He tried to make it sound as if he were joking, as if he already knew the answer. But underneath all that cockiness, I detected some real uncertainty.

I turned back around to face him and placed my warm hand on his cheek. "Of course I do. I love you. I'm engaged to you! Heck, I can hardly kiss you without attacking you! That means I do want to have that with you someday."

His cocky smiled returned. "At least you won't be able to pass out on me when it happens."

"Do not underestimate you bedazzling capabilities."

"Oh, I will bedazzle you, you just won't pass out from lack of oxygen."

"Smart-ass" I giggled.

"You know you love me."

I rolled myself back on top of him and smiled. "Yeah, I do."

----------------------------------------

I woke up on Friday, the last day of school that I would ever have as a human, and found Edward staring at me intently.

My good morning came out more like a grunt, which made him laugh. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Good morning."

He caressed my exposed neck with his fingertips and whispered. "Yes, it is."

I frowned at his strange comment. He sighed before explaining. "You look so beautiful when you wake up. When you open your eyes and squint at the light coming through your window. When you rub your eyes with the back of your hands and yawn... you look so stunning, so profoundly perfect."

I smiled gently. "I'll try to look drowsy and disoriented every once in a while after you change me, I promise."

He laughed and kissed my lips. "Come on, you don't want to be late for your last day of school, do you?"

"No, I guess not." I grumpily got out of bed and went to the bathroom to change.

Edward drove us to school after a breakfast that consisted of an omelet, strawberries, orange juice, toast, pancakes, milk and bacon. During classes I tried to pay special attention to little details, like the people around me and the decorations in the room. I wanted to see everything, really see, one last time before the change. I was curious to know if I'd perceive things differently.

Jessica passed me a note during third period. I opened it gingerly, not knowing what to expect. It simply said that the girls were going to Port Angeles that afternoon to look for dresses for the dance on Saturday and they wanted to know if I'd like to join them.

The bell rang before I could send the note back and she hurried over to where I was standing to ask me in person.

"So, can you come? We had a good time the last time, didn't we?" She asked eagerly.

"Erm, sure! We did have a nice time. Only I don't know if today..."

"You should go, Bella." Edward placed his hand on the small of my back protectively.

I blinked in disbelief. "I should?" I'd thought he would've wanted to spend that afternoon with me.

"Sure. It sounds like fun! Besides, I have some errands to run today. We can see each other tonight." I couldn't believe he was letting me go!

Jessica looked giddy. I was still tempted to say no, until I saw Angela's face. She was standing right behind her short friend with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Erm... okay.

"Good! We're leaving after school. I'll see you in the parking lot later!" Jess took her books and walked out of the classroom. Angela just smiled at me gratefully.

"Thank you. They've been talking about a makeover for me. Lauren has been chatting non-stop about highlights and low cut dresses. Maybe you can help me talk some sense into them."

I knew how pushy Lauren could be, so I was glad I'd agreed to go. We walked together to the cafeteria, even though as soon as she noticed Edward's presence, Angela became as quiet as a mouse. She waved goodbye to us and went to sit at her table.

"What are you doing this afternoon?" I asked Edward as soon as we were seated.

"Well, Alice says it won't rain tonight or tomorrow, so I'm going to the meadow to get things ready." He didn't look like he wanted me to ask any more questions, so I concentrated hard on my gourmet lunch and decided to let him surprise me.

--------------------------

I started dreading my afternoon without Edward as soon as the final bell rang. He walked me over to Jessica's car, whispering all the way. "You better be careful, Bella. Please watch your step and stay clear of anything that might fall on your head. Stay on the sidewalks and cross the streets very carefully. If you use the escalators, tie your shoelaces first."

The warnings became more and more bizarre as we approached the girls. I finally stopped him when he asked me to check for puddles in the bathroom. "Edward, I'll be okay. I promise I won't go anywhere alone and I swear I'll be very careful." I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. He stood very still for a moment before his arms lifted me up a few inches in a crushing embrace.

"I should send Alice with you." He mumbled.

"Edward, I will be alright. I'll be back soon."

"I don't want anything to happen to you. If I can keep you alive for the next four days, we're home free! But you going away from me for a whole day is making me uneasy."

"You were the one who wanted me to go!" I reminded him.

He buried his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply, committing my scent to memory. Then he placed me on the ground gently. "Come back to me in one piece."

"I'll try." I gave him a quick kiss and turned around to join the girls. His hand on my arm stopped me. "What?" I smiled. He reached into his back pocket and handed me his credit card.

I stared down at the platinum card in my hand. "What's this for?" I asked, confused.

"Well, if I remember correctly, you wanted your transformation to be an elegant affair. I want you to buy yourself a dress."

I rolled my eyes and tried to give him back the card. "Don't be ridiculous, Edward."

He shook his head and threw his hands up in the air. "You have two choices here, beautiful. You can either find a dress that you like and want to wear that day, or you can wear whatever Alice buys for you. Make no mistake, her choice will be a thousand times more uncomfortable than anything you get."

I made a face. "Well, I think it'll be too uncomfortable for me to wear a dress for three days while I toss and turn in pain, don't you?"

Edward's expression became instantly serious and, with great regret in his voice, he whispered, "Bella, you'll be in too much pain to even notice what you're wearing."

I sighed and placed my hand on his grieving face. "Fine, I'll get a dress, but I'll pay for it myself."

He shook his head, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. "You need to wrap your head around the fact that this is our money, not mine, but ours. And there is a lot of it and we are never going to run out. Even if we did, we don't need money to survive, it means noting to us. Just enjoy the nice things that money can buy."

I frowned. "I still don't like it."

"Please." Edward closed my hand around the plastic card and threw the whole power of his gaze at me, "for me."

I gulped and nodded. There was nothing I could deny him when he looked at me like that. He gave me a lopsided grin that made my heart jump and whispered, "You better get going. The kids are waiting."

The three girls standing by Jessica's car stared at us. Angela had a soft smile on her face, she looked happy for us. Jess's smile was different. She looked like she wanted me to spill some dirty secrets to her later. Lauren seemed impatient and more than a little jealous.

I nodded at Edward and turned around to leave, but his hand stopped me once again. "Hey!" I glanced back at him. "I love you."

I smiled. "I love you too."

He pulled me in for a quick kiss before finally letting me go.

--------------------------------

The girls had seen the credit card when Edward handed it to me and they ogled it all the way to Port Angeles.

"I can't believe he gave you his credit card!" Jessica shrieked for the thousandth time.

"We're going to a wedding with his family soon and he wants to pay for my dress, since he feels like he's forcing me to go." I lied easily.

"What's your spending limit?" Lauren asked without glancing in my direction.

"Humm... I guess I don't have one. Actually, he probably wants me to get something really nice, but I hate spending his money." I answered sincerely with a little bit more information than necessary simply to bug Lauren. She'd been making snappy remarks the whole ride and I was getting a little tired of her.

"That makes sense. He's worried about what his family will think of you." I had not seen that one backfiring.

"Nah, he doesn't really care about what I wear. But his sister, Alice, is obsessed with buying me expensive clothes! So if I don't get something nice, she'll just go out and buy me something different."

"I've never seen you in that kind of clothes at school." She smirked.

"You should see what she makes me put on under my raincoat."

Lauren didn't reply, instead she changed the subject to Angela's hair, which sucked for her but I was glad to have Lauren off my back.

When we got to the store I started feeling bad about my comments, so I asked the girls to help me find a cute, but not very expensive, dress.

The choices, however, were very limited. I talked Jessica into a long blue dress with a matching coat. Angela decided, much to Lauren's dismay, to wear the same pink dress she'd gotten last time since she couldn't use the shoes with anything else. Lauren bought a short black number that I was sure she was going to freeze in.

I, however, found nothing. Everything was too big or too tight, too low or too puffy. Of course I only had like six choices so I shouldn't have been surprised.

I plopped down on the floor, still wearing the pale pink dress that resembled a tutu and sighed. "Is there anywhere else we can go?"

"Well, there is another store a few blocks down that we could try. They sell all kinds of clothes there, but the dresses are kind of expensive." Jessica shrugged.

"Well we can go and try things on just for kicks!" Angela suggested. "You know, like when we were younger?"

I hesitated. I didn't want to spend too much money. Plus I really wanted to get home to Edward.

"Come on, Bella. You might find something nice on sale!" Angela pleaded.

"Well, I'm game." I finally agreed.

"Let's go!"

------------------------------

The store was way too cool for Port Angeles, if you ask me. Trendy clothes, shoes and accessories adorned every inch of the brightly lit establishment. Colorful posters and funky furniture surrounded the part where the dresses were located.

Angela helped me pick out a few while the other girls strolled over to a shelf full of screened t-shirts.

We somehow managed to find five garments that looked like they might fit me and weren't too expensive. I went to try them on by myself.

The changing rooms had no doors, only shiny blue curtains that overflowed into the bright, pink carpet. I went behind curtain number two and stripped down to my underwear.

The first dress was way too puffy. The second one itched. The third one was green and it contrasted horribly with my skin. The fourth one made me look like a popcorn. I was pulling up the straps of the very last dress, light pink and backless, when I heard the curtain slide open.

In the moments that followed I thought about two possibilities. It could either be Angela with more dresses, or Edward and his overprotective tendency to follow me everywhere. I was rooting for the second one.

I heard the embarrassed gasp before I even turned around, but once I did, I found myself face to face with Jacob Black.

"Oh my god!" I clutched the dress to my chest, grateful that I'd pulled it on before he walked in.

Jacob swore, stumbled backwards and fell over a rail of unwanted clothes. The rail fell on his head with a dull thud.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I thought this was the men's... oh I'm sorry." He rubbed the back of his head, which I could barely see under all the clothes that had fallen on him.

"It's okay Jacob, they're coed." I knelt down next to him.

He removed a halter-top size 15 from the top of his head and looked up at me. "Bella?" He turned so red his face matched the satin skirt he'd somehow managed to tangle himself up in.

"Hi there. Nice fall." I stood up and offered him a hand. He took it gratefully.

"I'm so sorry I barged in like that... the lady said the second stall was empty and I didn't even think about checking..."

"It's okay. I was fully clothed, no harm done." I squeezed his shoulder and he blushed all over again.

"Hey, you look really nice! Are you getting that for the dance?"

In all the commotion, I'd forgotten to look at myself in a mirror. I turned to face the full length one by the door and grinned. The dress fit perfectly. It had a low back and a high, square front. The straps were thick. The top hugged my non-existing curves nicely. It flared out right below the waist, reaching all the way down to my toes. The light pink fabric was really soft. All in all, the dress was surprisingly comfortable.

"No, I'm getting it for something else. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm buying a new shirt for the big day."

I frowned. "The big day?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

My frown deepened. It wasn't the first time Jacob's comments had made me feel uncomfortable. Flashes of the Halloween dance and his teasing but insightful chitchat about vampires flooded me with uncertainty. "Hum... tomorrow?"

"Yeah! The dance. My white shirt has a huge grease stain on it, so I can't wear it anymore."

I took a deep breath. Relax, Bella. You're being paranoid. I told myself. I turned away from Jacob so he wouldn't sense my discomfort and made a big deal out of checking the dress I was wearing for any imperfections. But when I caught my reflection in the mirror again, all my worries faded away. I found myself thinking only one thing. That was the dress I'd be wearing the day I died.

------------------------------

I was unusually quiet during the ride home. Jessica and Lauren were chatting loudly and singing along to the radio. I just rested my head against the cool window and sighed. That was probably the last time I'd be able to hang out with friends who weren't part of my family. But I wasn't sad. I was confused. Confused because I didn't feel bad or weird about it. I wanted nothing more than to go home and spend some time in Edward's arms, maybe even show Alice my new dress. But wasn't I supposed to want more friends? Wasn't I supposed to feel sad about leaving everything behind?

Angela interrupted my thoughts. "Bella? Are you okay? You've barely said a word since we left the store!" Leave it to Angela to be perceptive.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired and really glad school is over."

"Hey you know what? A bunch of us are going camping next week, you should come!"

The lie that I told next came out as a reflex. I'd been repeating it to my parents for so long I blurted it out without thinking. "I can't, I'm going on a cruise with Edward."

"What?" Jessica turned around completely to stare at me, a difficult task since I was sitting right behind her.

"Jessica, look out!" Lauren's warning came too late. Jess tried to avoid the huge branch in the middle of the road but she couldn't, not completely. The back tire on the left side smashed against the wood. We heard a loud snap and the car swerved out of control. Everyone screamed. Jessica hit the breaks just as the car went off the road. I got thrown sideways and slammed my head painfully against the window.

Then, it was over. The four of us sat there, unmoving and breathing heavily, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Angela unbuckled her seatbelt and asked urgently.

"Is everyone alright?"

We all grumbled affirmative answers. My head hurt terribly, and I could smell the coppery scent of the few drops of blood that were oozing out of a small cut on my forehead. I wiped the wetness with the back of my hand and got out of the car quickly to get some fresh air.

The rest of the girls followed me gingerly. Jessica and Lauren tried to use their cell phones, but couldn't get a signal. I inspected the car and discovered with relief that it seemed relatively unharmed, except for a flat tire.

"Damn it!" Jessica, who was shaking from the shock, threw her cell phone against a tree and buried her face in her hands. "My parents are going to kill me."

"Jess it's okay," I tried to make her feel better.

"No, it's not. It's already dark, we don't have a car, we can't call for help and no one ever uses this road!" Lauren was just as panicked as her friend.

"No, it's fine. It's just a flat tire, I think. Jess, do you have a spare?"

She nodded and wiped away the tears of frustration that had rolled down her cheeks. "In the trunk."

The girls helped me get everything out. I knelt down next to the damaged wheel and took the lug wrench between my cold hands.

"Are you sure you know how to do this?" Angela, who was holding the flashlight, asked.

"In theory. I've seen it done a few times." I tried to loosen the lug nuts, but the sleeve of my jacket got caught between the lug nut and the lug wrench. I groaned and pulled my jacket up, past my elbows.

I got one of the lug nuts unscrewed, but my jacket got caught again when I tried the next one. Grumbling, I took my jacket off and threw it over a rock in frustration.

"Hey look! Someone's coming." Lauren pointed at a car, slowly driving up the road.

My heart swelled with hope for a moment. I was hoping for my knight in shining armor, of course, but instead, the person who got off the car was none other than Jacob Black.

"Hey, you guys need some help?" He asked Lauren and Jessica.

"Actually, yes. Your vehicle expertise could come in handy." I was still kneeling in front of the tire, so he hadn't seen me.

"Bella?" He stared at me, clearly startled.

"We seem to be running into each other a lot today." I smiled at him from my crouched position.

"No kidding. Let me take a look." He took the jack from Angela and joined me.

He whistled softly. "This is bad."

"The tire?"

"Yes and no. Yes because you can't really replace a flat tire with one just as flat." He pointed at the spare we'd leaned against the car. It was as flat as a pancake.

"How did I not notice that before?" I blushed scarlet. Way to go, Bella.

"I have one in my car that'll fit, but the tire is the least of your problems. It seems to me like your car and that tree got into a nasty fight. I'm sorry to say, the tree won."

I was just about to ask him to explain when Jessica spoke. "Hey! Someone else is coming."

I looked up. The headlights were approaching us at an unbelievable speed. I stood up, knowing full well who'd be getting out of that car.

He jumped out before the Volvo had completely stopped.

"Bella?" I could tell how much effort it cost him to run to me at a human speed.

"Edward." My chest fluttered with relief. As soon as I saw him I felt safe and calm once again.

When he reached me, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in for a fierce hug. "Oh god, Bella are you okay? God, oh god I was so scared. I never should've let you go alone." He mumbled against my hair.

"I'm fine. It looks worse than it is."

He held me away from him, his hands framing my face. "You're bleeding."

I noticed he'd stopped breathing. I could tell he was having a hard time with my open wound because of the way his eyes seemed to jump from hungry and desperate to remorseful. I shivered under his gaze.

"Look at you. You're freezing!" He took of his coat and slipped it on me in one fluid movement. I was about to tell him that I had a jacket around there somewhere when I caught a whiff of his coat. Edward's wonderful, mouth watering scent surrounded me completely, so I kept my mouth shut.

He was still struggling with himself. He pulled me to him again and closed his eyes.

"Are you okay?" I whispered against his chest.

"Give me a moment."

After a few seconds he pushed me back gently and tore a piece of his shirt off. My eyes widened in surprise.

"The cut is not deep. In fact, it's stopped bleeding." He held the piece of his shirt up to my mouth. "Lick, please."

"Excuse me?" I frowned.

"Lick this so I can clean the blood off."

"That's disgusting." I wrinkled my nose. "Can't you lick it?"

"No." He stared at me pointedly. "Please, Bella. Just do it."

I understood then. It had taken me way too long to do so. Maybe I'd hit my head harder than I'd originally thought.

I used my saliva to wet the fabric and then tried to take it from Edward's hand. "Here, let me do it."

"No, it's okay." He lifted my chin with one hand and cleaned my forehead with the other. "I want to do this. It's good practice for tomorrow anyway." I smiled up at him. He lowered his hand, the one cleaning my skin, and gazed into my eyes.

"Alice told me. I was so scared." He whispered.

"I know, but I'm okay. We just bounced around a little."

He framed my face with his hands and pulled me in for a hard, passionate kiss. He pressed his lips against mine harder than he ever had. His hands trembled against my skin and I finally realized just how worried he'd been. His breath comforted me like nothing else could, and my heart pounded like it always did when he was around.

"Hum, guys? I hate to interrupt, but can the car be fixed?" Jessica blushed profusely when she asked.

"Nope." Jacob wiped his grease-covered hands on a rag and stood up. Edward seemed momentarily startled to see him there, but he recovered quickly.

Jacob proceeded to tell us exactly why the car needed to be towed. I, of course, understood none of it, but Edward seemed to agree with him.

"Jacob, are you going into town?" Edward asked. Jacob flinched a little. Edward's deep voice had somehow sounded incredibly harsh.

"Well, I wasn't planning to, but I could..."

"No, don't bother. I'll take the girls home." Edward threw the tire and tools carelessly into Jessica's trunk and turned to my three nervous-looking friends.

"Come on. We can call someone from the road."

"Bye Bella!" Jacob waved enthusiastically.

"Bye." I got into the car and Edward closed the door behind me. The girls got in quietly.

Edward started the car. I placed my hand on top of his before he could switch to first gear. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything." Edward's stare was still hard. He was angry, just not with me.

"Can you drive under the speed limit? We're all pretty shaken up."

He gave me a look in protest. "I'll drive slower than usual, but not that slow. I want to get you home as soon as possible."

"We'll get there soon enough." I pleaded, but he just shook his head. "I want Carlisle to take a look at you."

I felt all warm inside when he expressed his concern like that, but he was making too big a deal out of the incident.

"You know I'm okay." You've been through med school twice I wanted to say.

"Can you please just let my father examine you?" He stared pointedly at me, reminding me of our audience in the back seat.

"Fine. Just drive slow."

"Yes ma'am."

------------------------------

Once we dropped everyone off, he turned the car around to drive to his house.

"Hum, Edward? I think I want to go to Charlie's."

"You promised you'd let Carlisle check you over." He reminded me without taking his eyes off the road.

"I know but I'm not even bleeding anymore."

"You could have internal wounds."

"From that? Edward, it wasn't that bad!"

He finally turned to face me. His hand caressed my cheek tenderly. "I can never be too careful with you."

"Well, can't you check me over? You've gone to med school."

He sighed in defeat. "Fine, but if I find anything suspicious I'm taking you to Carlisle."

I agreed quickly, glad I'd won that one. It wasn't that I didn't want his paternal figure to look at me. I just wanted to have dinner with my father one last time.

We parked in front of the quiet house. "I'll go upstairs after dinner. You can do all the prodding you want then."

"Oh no, no, no. You go in, explain to your father that you had some car trouble, then go upstairs to take a shower. I'll be waiting in the bathroom."

"Edward..."

"No, it's either that or I drive us home right now."

It did not escape me, the way he wanted us to go home, to his house.

"Fine." I knew he meant it, so I saw no point in arguing. He kissed me softly and sent me on my way.

The door was unlocked, but I walked in noisily to make my presence known.

"Bella? Is that you?"

"Yes dad." I walked into the kitchen where he stood, drinking a glass of soda. His eyes widened and the glass slipped from his hands when he saw me.

"Oh my God, Bella! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, dad." He rushed over to me and reached out as if to touch my face, but thought better of it and leaned back uncomfortably.

"What happened?"

"A flat tire, driving back from Port Angeles. I just bumped my head, that's all."

"You bumped your head? Were you wearing a seatbelt?"

"Yes dad." Why had he acted so surprised when I told him about the head injury? I leaned down to check my reflection in the oven door and gasped. I was completely covered in mud, my hair had twigs tangled in it, I was wearing Edward's jacket, which looked huge on me and, to top it all off, I realized I'd left my own raincoat in the middle of nowhere.

"Oh, well we tried to change the tire ourselves. Lucky for us, Jacob and Edward drove by."

"Why don't you go clean up? We can talk about this over dinner. I'll heat up some leftovers for us."

I smiled at him gratefully and rushed up the stairs. My feet hadn't even touched the last step when Edward's strong arms were already sweeping me up.

"What took you so long? I was about to go down there and get you myself."

He sat me down by the sink and removed my shoes and socks before I could protest.

"Well, I look worse than I originally thought. Of course Charlie had questions."

"Of course." Edward mumbled. "Raise your arms."

"Excuse me?" I frowned.

"Raise your arms please." I reluctantly did as I was told. To my surprise, it hurt.

Edward lifted up my shirt. My arms shot out to stop him without thinking.

"Bella," he sighed, "I need to look at your ribs. Can you please cooperate? Or if it makes you too uncomfortable I can go get..."

"No, it's fine. It was a reflex" Edward nodded and took a hold of my shirt again. I could've taken it off myself, but the effort did hurt a little.

His cold fingers grazed the tender skin of my abdomen, making me shiver. He removed the piece of clothing gently, with great care.

Once he'd freed me from the clothes, he flinched visibly.

I looked down at myself, trying not to blush too hard considering I was wearing only a plain, white bra. A big, purple bruise was already starting to form where the seatbelt had been.

"Bella, I'm going to have to touch you." His warm voice washed calm over me. I nodded and closed my eyes.

He ran his fingers over the bruise. That felt nice, until he pressed down. I stiffened a moan. His breath caught in his throat. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry." He kept apologizing while his hands checked me over.

Finally, he exhaled exhaustedly, not from physical exertion, of course, but from emotional distress. "Nothing's broken." He announced triumphantly.

"Would it have mattered?"

"What?"

I tucked my hair behind my ear. "If something had been broken? It's all going to be over tomorrow anyway."

Edward turned around and started filling the tub. "I don't think you're fully aware of what's going to happen tomorrow."

"What makes you say that?"

"You're too calm. I don't think it's sunk in yet."

I didn't reply because I knew he was probably right. Once the tub was full of hot, bubbly water, he asked; "Would you like me to leave?"

"No, you can stay. Just turn around while I get in." He did so, respectfully.

I allowed the hot water to cover and relax me. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. After a moment, Edward started cleaning my face with a wet cloth.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"We need to talk."

I opened my eyes wearily. "About what?"

"About what's going to happen, about how we're going to handle it. But not right now. Your father is coming up the stairs." He placed a cold finger on my lips to silence my reply.

"Bella? Are you okay in there?" Charlie knocked twice.

"I'm fine, dad."

"Good. Just checking. Hurry up, dinner is getting cold."

I took a deep breath and submerged myself in the bubbles. It was time to say goodbye to my father.

--------------------------------

"Dad?"

"Yes, Bells?" He picked up another slice of pizza and dropped it on his plate. The leftovers had not been good enough, apparently.

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning." He nodded. "Do you know where your passport is?"

"Yes. I have it all ready."

"Have you packed?"

"Erm... Not exactly."

"Do you want any help?"

"No, I can do it."

He nodded again before devouring half a slice in one bite. "I want you to know, Bella." He interrupted the silence, "that you can always come back home. Your room will be here, in case you ever want it back."

"Thanks dad." I felt deeply touched by his support.

"Shouldn't you go pack or something?" He tried to lighten the mood.

"Yeah." I rinsed my plate and turned around to leave, but something stopped me.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"I love you."

His face softened visibly when he turned to me and said. "I love you too, kiddo."

------------------------------

Saying goodbye to my mother was an entirely different thing. Especially since it was done over the phone, while Edward packed my clothes.

My mom gave me all kinds of crazy advice. Somewhere between the "take matches with you to the bathroom" and the "rub some sunscreen behind your ears" she asked me to be careful, extra careful. I could tell she wasn't just talking about my clumsiness, which made me turn tomato red, even more than usual because Edward was listening to every word. She also asked something of me that I would not be able to give. Right before we hung up, she said. "Try to come back in one piece, and alive" She'd been joking, of course, but nevertheless I had a hard time saying yes.

Edward was sitting on the foot of the bed when I hung up. "Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Come here for a moment. I need to talk to you."

I frowned, but walked over to him and sat down on his lap anyway. "What is it?"

"There is something that I don't think you've considered yet."

"What?"

He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear before continuing. "Well, remember all those months ago, when I was explaining how the whole blood lust thing works?"

"Yeah?"

"That night, I told you a very big truth. Everyone falls off the wagon." My frown deepened. "What I mean is, at some point you might slip up, you have to be aware of that fact. You have to live with the idea that you might someday kill someone. Are you aware? Prepared? Can you bear the possibility of someday taking human life?"

The way he said those things made me feel like he'd been carrying that doubt around for a while. To be quite honest, I had not thought about that at all, it hadn't even occurred to me! The sole idea of one day being put in that position terrified me.

I froze on his lap, more scared than I let on, and tried to rationalize the situation. I calmed myself down quickly. If I showed any doubt, he would probably refuse to change me. So instead, I said, "I can kill people while still being human. Just driving a car means I could potentially crush anyone who crosses my path. Accidents happen to humans too."

Edward shook his head and smiled sadly. "You know it's not the same thing."

"Yes, it is." I replied stubbornly.

"Fine, I just wanted you to know that the possibility exists."

He laid down on the bed, with me still on top of him, and kissed me. "You should sleep."

"Can I ask you something first?"

"Of course." He shifted us around so the bed sheets covered us. I rested my cheek on his stone chest.

"When you showed up today to rescue me," He grinned and interrupted, "As always."

"As always." I agreed. "You seemed genuinely surprised to see Jacob there."

"That child bugs me. I hate it when he's that close to you. To be honest, I was a little startled to see him there. No one was thinking about him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I was desperate to see if you were okay, but the three stupid girls could only think about what their parents were going to say. Eventually, Angela saw you bleeding, which only scared me more. But no one paid much attention to Jacob."

"Couldn't you read his thoughts?"

"Once I realized he was there, sure. I was just too preoccupied with you to pay attention. I was really worried Bella... I felt..."

I sat up and leaned closer to his face. "What?"

"I was so scared, terrified that you were really hurt, that I could lose you." To my complete surprise, he started to shake.

"Edward?"

"I just wanted to give you one last day with your friends, one last afternoon to be human. But it was stupid of me. I should've followed you. We're so close, so close and I could've lost you!"

I hadn't realized before then just how worried he'd been. "Hey, Edward hey!" I straddled his chest and undid the top button of the white shirt that I wore to bed every day. I took his hand and placed it over my racing heart. "I'm okay! I'm alive! I'm right here with you and I am never going to leave you."

He sat up. I readjusted myself to sit on his lap. "Can you promise me that, Bella?"

"I will if you promise the same thing."

He wrapped his arms around me and pressed me close to his chest. "I swear I will never leave you."

"I swear I'll be with you forever." I realized as I spoke, that tears were slowly rolling down my cheeks.

"Who needs wedding vows?" He joked and I laughed quietly.

"Come on. You really should sleep." He laid us down once again.

"Wait, I want to try something new."

"Okay." He frowned.

"If this is going to be the last time I sleep with you." I motioned for him to sit up, which he did with a confused look on his face. I took the hem of his sweater between my hands and pulled it slowly off him. He stared at me in complete awe but didn't protest when I unzipped his slacks.

I was blushing profusely, of course, but still managed to get the pants off with his help. He sat there, on my bed, in all his glorious godlikeness, wearing only his dark blue boxers.

"Could you... hum... close your eyes?" It took me an enormous amount of effort to stop staring at him long enough to ask that. He covered his eyes with one hand and I quickly stripped down to my underwear. I'd worn a sports bra to bed that night, in anticipation for that moment.

I crawled under the covers before letting him know it was okay to look again. I pulled him on top of me slowly, not wanting to make any sudden moves.

"Oh Bella." He whispered against my lips. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"I just want to feel your skin against mine." I whispered back.

He kissed me then, gently, passionately and lovingly. I poured my heart and soul into that one kiss. When we broke apart, he rolled on his side next to me and hugged me to his body tightly. My legs intertwined with his. He took a deep breath, taking in my scent, and placed one of his hands on my neck, feeling my strong pulse with his fingertips.

"Hum to me, Edward."

He kissed my forehead tenderly before humming my lullaby.

--------------------------------

I woke up hours before sunrise. Something wasn't right. I sat up and allowed myself a few seconds to adjust to the darkness. I didn't see him at first, sitting still as a stone on my rocking chair, but once my sleep clouded eyes cleared, I was able to see the outline of his body.

I noticed even his shadow looked anguished.

"You're having doubts." It wasn't a question. My statement sounded rough from being the first words to leave my throat in hours. He didn't answer. It was bound to happen. I'd been expecting it all day.

I got out of bed slowly, throwing his shirt over my almost bare body before climbing into his lap. His arms automatically wrapped themselves around my waist. "There is nothing I can say to reassure you that I haven't already said before. This is what I want. It's what we need, Edward."

"I know." He finally answered. "It's just that, as I was watching you sleep for the last time I started wondering if this is really what's best for you."

"You know it is."

"Do I? Think about it, Bella. You'll never eat, drink or sleep again. You'll never blush, you'll never have another human minute."

I rested my head on his chest. After a few minutes of silence, I said, "I've been thinking about all of this myself and I've come to a simple conclusion."

"Oh really? What is that?"

"I don't think I was ever meant to stay human."

I could feel Edward's body tensing up beneath me. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm the only mind you can't ready and the only person that can resist Jasper's gift as far as we know. I'm not even sure Alice can really see my future unless it's tied to someone else's."

Edward pulled back to look at my face, confusion written all over him. "Remember the whole James thing? I decided hours before leaving for the airport exactly how I was going to get away from Alice and Jasper. I formed a plan the moment I knew where you'd be arriving and yet, Alice could only see me in the ballet studio, where my decisions combined with James's."

Edward frowned. "Have you noticed anything else?"

I shrugged "Just that I've never formed part of the human world and that I feel much more at ease when I'm surrounded by blood sucking vampires, which I'd consider a huge sign on it's own."

Edward sighed. He lifted me up and crawled back into bed with me. "Sleep, Bella. You'll need your rest for tomorrow."

I tossed the shirt to the ground again and snuggled against him. "I love you." I whispered.

"I exist for you." Edward's reply was the last thing I heard before drifting back to sleep.

-----------------------------

I opened my eyes again when I felt little butterfly kisses on the nape of my neck. I shivered uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?" His deep, enticing voice made me tingle.

"Quite the opposite." I admitted, which encouraged him to continue. He planted kisses down my back and turned me gently on my stomach. He caressed my spine with his fingertips, provoking another wave of shivers.

"I'm going to miss the warmth." He whispered.

I turned on my back to look at him. "Well, think of what you'll be gaining. A girlfriend that doesn't break."

He smiled at me. "It does have its advantages."

I suddenly noticed that he'd pulled the sheets down to my waist, which left my abdomen and sports bra completely exposed to him. I flushed tomato red instantly.

He laughed. "I'm going to miss that too."

"I'm not." I mumbled.

"Hey, the sleeping in undergarments was your idea, remember?"

"It sounded a lot more reasonable when it was pitch black in here."

I looked around for his shirt, but never got a chance to put it on. Out of nowhere, I found myself on my back, with the covers on top of me.

Edward was nowhere to be seen.

"Edwa..."

"Shh, lie down!" His voice came from somewhere unknown. I barely had time to close my eyes before the door swung open.

Charlie walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Bella? Sweetie?"

"Yes dad?" I mumbled as if he'd just woken me up.

"I'm leaving for work. I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Oh..." I wanted to get up and say goodbye to him properly, but I was lying there in my underwear!

"Well, goodbye. Take care, Bella. Try not to fall overboard."

I smiled at him. He stood there, uncomfortably, for a few moments before turning around to leave.

"Dad?"

"Yes Bella?"

I raised my arms like a little kid and he willingly sat down on the bed and hugged me without forcing me to sit up. "Goodbye, Dad."

"Goodbye, Bella."

Tears filled my eyes as I watched him walk away.

Once he'd left, I wrapped the bed sheet around my body and got up to look for something to wear. His cold arms around me stopped me in my tracks.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I leaned back against his body and sighed, "I will be."

"Good." He turned me around to face him and slipped the chain off my neck. Gently, he placed the engagement ring on my finger. "Wear it today okay?"

"Okay." I smiled up at him.

I grabbed my toiletries and headed for the bathroom, but Edward stopped me once again.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"May I be with you while you get ready today?"

One look at his deep, pleading eyes and he had me convinced. "Sure." I knew it was something he really wanted to do. More than that, it was something that he needed.

He followed me to the bathroom and adjusted the temperature of the shower while I brushed my teeth. Then, he turned away while I undressed and hopped in. Once the curtain was properly drawn, he sat down next to the sink and watched my shadow while I washed my hair.

"Will I lose consciousness?" I asked out of the blue.

"From the pain? No."

It made no sense to me. Didn't people usually faint when they experienced too much pain? Edward answered as if he'd been reading my thoughts. "The venom keeps you awake."

"Why?"

"Fear makes the blood taste sweeter."

I tried to repress my shudder, but I'm sure he caught it. We were silent for the rest of my shower. I wrapped a towel around my body and stepped out. Edward was right there to catch me when I slipped.

I brushed my hair methodically while trying to think of something to say. "Hey, I haven't had that nightmare in days!" I commented.

"And you'll never have the chance to have it again."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Edward took the brush from my hand and took over. I stood there while he untangled each strand of hair.

Once I was tangle-free, I went into my room to change. I sat down on the bed and grabbed a pair of jeans, but Edward stopped me before I could pull them on. He pushed me back gently until my head hit the soft pillow and covered my body with his own.

"Edward, what..."

"Shh..." He silenced me. He closed his eyes and pressed his cheek against my chest. "Can we stay like this for a few minutes? One last time."

I nodded and ran my hands through his hair in the way I knew he loved. We laid there, in each other's arms until my stomach decided to growl. Laughing, he sat up and allowed me to get dressed before carrying me downstairs.

For my last meal, I had a little bit of everything. Eggs, toast, pastries, chicken, beef, fish, pie, soda, milk, juice... I took a single bite from every dish and ended up stuffed like a turkey. Edward stared at me intently while I ate, committing to memory every detail of my face.

Once we were done with the food I went to use the bathroom while he finished packing my clothes. He met me downstairs a little before noon.

"Are you ready?" He stood outside, next to his car, and extended his hand towards me. I looked back into the empty house and closed the door behind me, leaving the key under the eaves.

"Yes." I took his hand and let him guide me over to the car. "I am ready."

----------------------------

We went to his house, our house I guess, to drop off my things. I changed into my dress in Alice's bathroom while she chatted non-stop about all the things we'd do after my transformation. When I emerged wearing the pink dress she smiled and kissed both my cheeks. "You're definitely getting better at the shopping thing."

I rolled my eyes "Will you help me with my makeup?"

"Don't wear any. You look perfect just like that."

I stared at myself in the mirror. My hair was straight and shiny, my face clear and clean. I was barefoot and the soft fabric of the dress pooled around my feet.

"I look... wild." I said without thinking. Alice came to stand behind me and smiled "You look free."

I smiled up at her. "Fine, let's go then."

She handed me a matching jacket and some shoes for the ride before hugging me goodbye. "Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and I are going hunting. We'll go far, because it's not safe to hunt in the woods while you camp out in the meadow. Esme and Carlisle will be here in case you need them."

She pulled me closer and whispered in my ear "Everything will go as planned. I'll see you on the other side, sis."

I was too choked up to speak, so instead I hugged her tighter.

Jasper shook my hand before leaving. As close as we'd gotten over the past few months, he still found it hard to be around me. Emmett lifted me in the air and gave me a big bear hug. Rosalie nodded in my direction before walking out the door, which was way more than I expected from her.

I waved at them, my family, from the porch. Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and whispered. "It's time."

I said my goodbyes to Esme, who reminded us she'd be on call 24/7. Carlisle gave us three cell phones, in case the batteries ran out. He stared at Edward for a few seconds, probably giving him some last minute instructions. Edward nodded before placing his hand on the small of my back and guiding me out the door.

-------------------------------

We drove to the meadow in silence. Once we got there, he ran over to my side of the car and opened the door for me. As soon as I got out, he wrapped a blanket around me and lifted me up, cradling me to his chest like a princess.

"Edward?"

"We have to run. I don't want you to get cold."

I hid my face in his neck and allowed him to run us to our meadow. I opened my eyes when I felt him lowering me into something soft. It was a bed, a huge bed surrounded by trees and snow. It looked like something out of a fairytale.

"Wow, Edward..."

He tucked me in carefully. "Did I tell you that you look beautiful today?"

I shook my head. He took off the coat of his dark suit and rolled up the sleeves of his blue shirt. "You look more beautiful than ever."

I blushed scarlet, which made him smile. His smile reflected so much sorrow, though, so much pain and sadness that it almost made me back out. Almost, but not quite.

He sat me up to help me out of my coat. Then laid me back down again and started explaining. "We're not exactly sure of how this works, but we believe the faster the venom gets to your heart, the faster the transformation. I'm going to bite your neck and your wrists. Hopefully, things will go a little quicker."

I gulped and nodded, my throat felt too dry to speak. "Don't be afraid." He whispered. "I will be able to stop." I could tell he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince me.

"I am not afraid." I finally managed to say. "I'm ready."

He leaned down and kissed me softly. I kissed him back with as much intensity as the situation would allow. In spite of myself, tears rolled down my cheeks.

He brushed them away with his fingertips. "Bella, we don't have to do this."

"We have to and we want to. I'm ready Edward."

He nodded and kissed me again. This time, there was no point in holding back. For the first time ever, I felt his tongue lightly grazing my lips. I gave him entrance and gasped. Sensations that had never gone through my body before filled me, making me dizzy from the love and intensity of that one kiss.

When we finally parted, his body was shaking with emotion. He laid down next to me and placed his lips over the tender skin of my neck.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I can tell."

I felt his sad smile against my skin moments before his teeth touched my throat in one deadly kiss.

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I am SO sorry it took me this long to update! Life got in the way. Plus I got stuck. I knew where I wanted to go and I knew how I wanted to get there, but no matter how hard I pushed and panted, the chapter refused to be squeezed out of me!

So anyway, if it sounds a little weird it's because it took me forever to write! Don't mind the spelling and grammar… much (I tried to proofread, I swear I did! But to be hones, I think I'm a little tipsy hehe) Besides, don't complain, the thing is 50 pages long!

The next chapter won't take nearly as much time, and it will be much smaller but there's a reason for that.

Well I hope you liked it! Fluff galore apparently ;) Next chapter WILL have a plot, I swear.