Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, but not Merged Souls: Trying for Normal

Author's Note:

Chapter 11

BPOV

I hate it when Edward and I are apart, and I would never tell him that but I think he knows, because he feels exactly the same way. The tour of the castle was over and I was back in our room curled up on the window seat with a book which I was not reading. I'm just looking out of the window. The window looks down on what appears to be an enchanted garden where the kids are playing with of a vampire named Kincaid. After walking around the castle today and now seeing this garden, I am amazed that people as loathsome as the Volturi could create such beauty. Beth was sprawled out under an ancient tree reading while the boys were playing catch with Kincaid who seemed to be as big a kid as Emmett. Today I've had time to reflect and day dream and I have never felt better about the decisions that I made that led me to Edward from marrying him and everything in between. Yeah even the bad stuff, I think all of it made us closer and more appreciative of what we have in each other. I finally believe that I'm exactly what Edward Cullen needs that I am the perfect mate for him because he is all those things to me.

I let my mind drift to a time in our meadow after my change. As a newborn I had been so easily distracted but not that day Esme and Rose where watching the babies for us and insisted we get out of the house. Edward had packed a backpack like he would have while I was still human just minus the food. I remember as he opened the blanket he turned to me with such love in his eyes, he approached me slowly and reached out with his hand, his eyes never leaving mine. He ran the back of his hand down my cheek and across my collarbone and then cupped my breast gently stroking my nipple and we both groaned. Then he slowly slid the strap of my top off my shoulder and leaned forward licking and then kissing my shoulder and then he started to suck on it and nip slightly with his teeth, it was beyond sensual. He raised his head and his eyes were like midnight and in the shining depths of those obsidian pools he showed me without a doubt all the love he felt for me. And they reflected back all the love I felt for him. He moaned and stepped into me I could feel his arousal pressed against my stomach, as he placed both hands on either side of my face stroking my cheeks with feather soft movements, he lowered his mouth to mine and as his lips touched mine then... Alice cleared her throat spoiling my perfect recollection.

"Sorry Bella but memories can always be revisited. I thought you'd want to know that their back and they brought company of the human variety. But Godard got away."

"How did you get all that just from them coming through the gates to the garage?"

"Oh easy, Gene the garage attendant saw them come in and gave me a call."

"Do I even want to know why the human garage attendant is calling you, and does Jasper know?" Alice giggled.

"Silly Bella, Gene wanted to propose to his girlfriend but he's afraid of her parents so I went round and had little talk with them about his prospects...he attends university in Florence and will soon have his degree in business. He's been saving like a miser to buy his own place. And we have offered him a great job after he graduates with the Trust in our Florence office."

"Alice that's a very nice, but we don't have a Florence office, do we?"

"We will! I have to go talk with Alastair about the best people to contact in Florence a get this ball rolling. We only have six months before his graduation. Oh I better speak to Edward and Carlisle as well...so many things to do. I think the garden here would be a nice place for their reception what do you think. The palace cooks could really test themselves."

"Alice slow down girl, are they even ready to host an event like that yet? I know the intent is to eventually use the old chapel and banquet hall but..."

"Fantastic idea Bella I'll have to talk to Gene and Maria first."

And with that the pixie skipped out of my room, an unstoppable force of nature. In the next second my gorgeous husband came walking through the door chuckling. "A Florence Office? Well I guess it makes sense to have an office on the continent with our involvement in Volterra. Our only European office is in London. And whose wedding is planning now? Never mind I don't really want to know. Now Mrs. Cullen, Alice was thinking about you being lost in thought anything you'd care to share or re-enact?" He waggled his eyebrows at me and gave me his best crooked grin.

This man would be the death of me his voice was like butter and his face was that of an angel, my previous day dream leapt to the fore front and I could feel that familiar knot in my stomach forming. He walked very slowly towards me and cupped my cheek with his hand leaning in for a chaste kiss. I in turn leaned into him feeling him already hard against me. He moved to deepen the kiss but before I lost my head I pulled back. He frowned but left his hand on my cheek rubbing circles into it with his thumb. "Edward the kids, they could be back any time." He was shaking his head no, "Emmett and Rose are taking them for a hunt and then out for a Gelato, they'll be gone for a couple of hours."

I love my children beyond all reason but to steal a few hours from them to be alone with my husband was heaven on earth to me. So I stepped back into my husband's strong arms and lost myself in his kiss. Whenever he kisses me after we've been apart it feels like the first time and the last time all over again. The man can work miracles with those lips. Suddenly he scoops me up in his arms and carries me into our bedroom bridal style. Never taking is eyes off me. He lays me gently down on the bed as if I was still human and begins to slowly undress me. When my midnight blue bra and panties are revealed he inhales deeply and stands back to admire the view. "Mrs. Cullen if we live forever the sight of you in my bed will always take my breath away! You are the most beautiful being I have ever seen."

He crawled onto the bed with me and leaned in for a kiss. I put my hand against his chest and wagged my finger back and forth. "Oh no you have entirely too many clothes on mister." He chuckled and rose from the bed. I propped myself up on my elbows while I stretched out to watch my sexy man strip for me. He first removed his button down and then slowly peeled his tee shirt back and over his over his head revealing his perfectly sculpted abs, his slender waist and yummy biceps. I licked my lips when I saw how low slung his button fly jeans were and followed the trail of bronze hair that led from his navel down under the waist band of his jeans with my hungry eyes. He kicked off his shoes and pulled his socks off. He gave me his best shy smile when he saw the full blown lust and hunger in my eyes. Titling his head to the smiled morphed into a smirk as he reached for the buttons that led to nirvana.

At human speed he slowly popped each button of his fly. The venom was pooled in my mouth, my breathing increased in anticipation and as he popped the last button he stopped and just stood there. He looked down on me like he had never seen me before but wanting me so badly you could feel the desire radiating off of him. His jeans didn't fall they just hung there being held up only by his considerable erect manhood. I rose to my knees and crawled forward I could see that he was going commando. I leaned over and reached in to pull out my friend Mr. Cullen, then his jeans fell to his ankles and he kicked them away. I licked my lips and looked up into my lover's green eyes and flushed cheeks. I put my hands around his waist and pulled him down to me onto the bed. His lips met my mine and our tongues danced against each other exploring and battling. As the kiss deepened I laid back on the bed with him on top of me, caressing my face, cupping my breasts whispering into my ear in French. They were words that I didn't understand but that conveyed a depth of emotion that would have stopped my heart if it was still beating. The only phrase I understood was "Mon amour pour toi est éternel." Because he has told me so every day since we have been together in words and deeds. There is no lover on this planet that can compare to my Edward.

We made slow and passionate love. He entered me in one agonizingly slow motion, and we both groaned and hissed together as he slid forward. He is my vampire lover again his eyes are as black as midnight. He leaned in to repeat the bite on my shoulder, my back arches and his teeth clamp down as he roars with pleasure and I call out his name with passion and love. Then once again he becomes the slow and passionate lover. He takes the time to reposition my legs over his shoulders changing the angle so that he is hitting every sensitive spot perfectly. He massages my clit and breasts to the point that I don't think I can take it anymore. Then without warning he pushes in so deep and so fast that my back arches and I find myself falling over the edge into total bliss, and my lover comes with me as my muscles contract around his fullness. We lay there tangled in the bed sheets and he has not stopped kissing me or telling me "Mon amour pour toi est éternel."(My love for you is eternal.) We are both drunk on our post coital bliss and have no recollection of the time that has passed or what is happening around us. Until we hear the TV blaring in Italian from the next room.

We dressed quickly and opened the door into the sitting room and there were our children with Rose and Emmett sitting on the couch each holding up a card with number on it. They were apparently scoring our performance apparently. The kids put down the signs, Masen winked, Anthony gagged and Beth gave us a dazzling smile and then all three of them gave us the thumbs up. Emmett and Rose stood up to leave both of them laughing Emmett took a deep breath and managed to say. "Personally I think you should get bonus points for using French Eddie. Ah sorry for the interruption the kids were full after the wild boar and didn't want a Gelato." Then he and Rose made a quick retreat out the door.

I stood there with my face in my hands. Edward turned me towards him and pulled my hands away. He then leaned in to kiss me and bent me back over in his arms and deepened the kiss holding it until our children started to clap and wolf whistle. When he let me up the man had the biggest grin on his face and bowed to the applause from his children. He was such a ham. The seventeen year old had reappeared and seemed to be enjoying the attention. I crooked an eyebrow at him and looked up as his smile softened, "Well love, I'd rather have them know the depth of our love then get blue balls." I quickly slapped his arm and dissolved into laughter with him and our children.

My afternoon so far had been perfect. Carlisle and Esme would be arriving in the morning with Seth. Aldrich and Penny had finally emerged from their sexual coma and would never be apart again. Alice was hoping she'd get to plan their wedding while she was here, but neither of them felt the need to celebrate a human tradition. So Alice had her work cut out for her she was going to work on Penny first. Well I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. Right now my money is on Alice, but Penny can be pretty stubborn. Yeah I thought I was stubborn and look what happened there. Yep my money is still on Alice.

Edward the kids and I sat around the room watching Italian TV. Masen had a very good ear for languages. He was definitely Edward's mini me, so he and Edward tried to teach the rest of us. The kids did fine. But I told Edward I needed remedial tutoring just like I did in French, When he caught on he readily agreed and suggested that Mr. Cullen would be up for that anytime.

The Masen's finally came back to our room. Where they had been we didn't have a clue, until Wales was pounding on our door. He didn't wait for us to answer it and just walked in with Kincaid behind him. And he looked like a thunder cloud. "Edward, Bella. Children I need to speak with your parents and grandparents for a moment. Perhaps you'd like to go out to the practice yard with Aldrich and Penny. They are working with some of the young human staff that will be putting on weapons demonstrations when the museum opens." The kids looked excitedly at me and their father and we both nodded. "Fine, Kincaid will walk you out to the yard, but before you go; I know you two boys have a penchant for gambling. So I give you fair warning do not bet with Kincaid, he cheats."The kids grinned and Kincaid grinned. I'm not sure who was going to come out ahead on that unspoken challenge.

Jasper stuck his head in then. "Oh Wales you're already here. Um I think we need to talk. Ah you see the Masen's aren't really responsible. Hey kids, you going down to watch the weapons demo with Kincaid? Well don't bet with him he cheats." The kids left with their new gambling buddy. Jasper came in and sat down and Wales stood by the window with his arms folded.

There was another knock on the door and Reagan and Alice came in. "Sorry, we just couldn't miss this!"

Edward and I sat back against the couch and he put his arm around my shoulder, nuzzling my ear and speaking in Italian. Wales huffed. "Can you focus for a minute Cullen on something other than your wife!" Edward slowly turned to look at Wales who immediately said, "I'm sorry that was out of line."

The scent of Edward's parents permeated the air but they seem to be standing, hovering or whatever it is they do across the room, and as far away from Wales as they could get. Edward looked at Jasper then Wales. "Well who goes first?" They both started with "Well..." and stopped. Edward looked amused and a little disgusted so I took over. "Okay Jasper you might as well start. No offense Wales but you tend to blow things out of proportion. And I assume from the laughter coming from Reagan and Alice that I'm right. Plus you just interrupted our family afternoon so I'm not inclined to want to listen to you right now."

Jasper smirked and started to chuckle. "Stuff it Jazz I'm not in the mood for you either. I was having one of the best days of my life until you two came through our door."

Edward looked at me and smiled. "Really, one of the best?" I nodded and he did a little fist pump off to the side. Oh yeah the inner seventeen year old was still in residence.

"Okay Jasper what gives and why is your usual partner in crime not here."

Jasper just smiled at me and started in."Well this time Emmett wasn't involved. I've been working with your non-corporeal in-laws to see if they can affect more of the material world, you know move stuff around. It could be potentially helpful if you're in a bind. And you guys were busy."He gave us an exaggerated cough, cough, cough and then a smile. "Alice was talking to Penny in our room, Emmett and Rose ...well Rose would have killed me even if they'd been around to ask. So I asked Wales and I may have misrepresented the Masen's current abilities a little. But anyway Wales was willing to let them try and move things around in his suite of rooms. I didn't realize that some habits die hard, and that when Wales travels he still carries a lot of his own personal possessions with him over and above clothes and toiletries, just like he did in the middle ages." He slowed down and looked around. "I'm really sorry Wales! I didn't know what would happen. But hell they've been dead a long time so you need to cut them some slack."

"Cu them some slack! They broke a priceless Imperial Moon Vase because of your stupid idea."

I looked back at Jasperand gave him the look that he should continue. "Well christ, Alastair told us that he had all the priceless items removed from the guest rooms and replaced with knock offs. How was I supposed to know that you carried shit like that with you? For the love of god man this is the twenty-first century, people haven't done that for centuries!"

I had to kick Edward when started to chuckle. So how bad can this be, we can just offer to replace it and move on. "Wales how much do we owe you for the breakage, or maybe we can we superglue it back together?"

Now everyone but Wales and I were laughing. Reagan came over to sit by me and took my hand. "Edward was right when he said you were naive about money. Dear recently an Imperial Moon Vase went for 1.5 million dollars at auction. Wales's vase belonged to his mother's family and it was older and more beautiful than that one."

Open mouth and insert foot, damn. "Wales! What the hell are doing travelling around with that, it should be in a museum!" Then I saw Wales face and it dawned on me that it wasn't about the value of the vase. This was the only possession he had that had belonged to his mother. "Wales I'm sorry that was insensitive of all of us and especially me. I can't make it up to you but I can help preserve what is left of it. We can make a shadow box of the pieces that are left, it's not much but at least you'll still have it."

He smiled at me like a little boy and said, "I'd like that, thank you Bella. To tell you the truth it's a miracle it's lasted this long. And Jasper your right it's foolish to travel with things that precious. Besides going through customs is a nightmare, I don't exactly have the kind of paperwork they expect these days." Reagan went over and kissed her husband and they left hand in hand, Reagan looking over her shoulder mouthing, 'thank you'.

I turned to where I assumed my in-laws were and pointed to Jasper. "Move over there so I can yell at all three of you without straining my neck. What were you thinking Jasper, couldn't you have started out with I don't know, a penny or a book?"

"Yeah but I didn't tell them what to move. The vase just happened to be closest thing to them."

"Jasper my kids could come up with a better explanation than that. Besides you have three advantages over Edward Sr. and Elizabeth. You know Wales better than they do and what he can be like, you're older than they are and you are corporeal. But this smacks of something else other than the need to hone a new skill. If I were to guess is that all your usual playmates were busy and you three were just bored. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong." None of them moved or said a word. I tried to look at Edward but he had his face buried in my hair inhaling. "Edward...Edward are you okay?" He looked up at me, his eyes were green and his cheeks were flushed, "Edward...love what's going on with you today?"

He smiled at me and then buried his face into my neck kissing me behind my ear and nuzzling my neck. His left hand came up to cup my breast and massage my nipple through my clothing and he groaned. Jasper and Alice started to giggle. Alice stopped long enough to say "Ah Bella I think we should leave you two alone, maybe the Masen's would like to come with us. We'll go watch the weapons demo with the kids and then take them on a walk through the town. Maybe we'll do a little shopping and take them to dinner. Oh and how about we have movie night in our rooms Jasper."

I must have looked a little panicked when Edward pulled me over onto his lap because Jasper said. "He's okay Bells just go with it and enjoy this kind of thing it doesn't happen that often. We'll pick up Carlisle, Esme and Seth in the morning and take the kids with us. Oh and lock the door after us.

Alice had gone into the kids rooms to pack a few things for them and she left smiling, her final words were. "You lucky girl, I didn't think this would happen for decades yet. Bye, and enjoy!"

The door closed and Edward was all over me. He picked me up so that I had to wrap my legs around his waist and without a word he rushed to lock the door and then ran to our bedroom. He never once stopped kissing my lips, neck or ear he just kept making a circuit of them. When he'd closed and locked our bedroom door he stripped us both in seconds then stretched us out on the bed. He spent the next two hours just exploring my body, licking, nipping and kissing. He never spoke a word but we both groaned and moaned a lot. He made me come three times just with his lips and tongue. I had stopped trying to speak after the first two minutes and just enjoyed it. I had no idea what this was all about but after two hours he looked into my eyes, his were still green and he smiled the sexiest and sleepiest smile I have ever seen.

The man looked like he was drunk or drugged. As he looked at me he began to stroke my clit. "Bella my love, I can't wait. And as much as I would love to I make you come again I need you! Vous êtes mon seul l'amour et le seront pour toute l'éternité! (You are my only love and will be for all of eternity!), Jamais je ne vous laisse vous sont ma vie (I will never leave you, you are my life.)." I had married the sexiest man in the world and my heart and soul was his, but when he spoke French I felt like I melted into a little puddle at his feet.

The rest of the afternoon, evening and night passed in total bliss the only thing we heard from the outside world was from Emmett. "Your shitting me they haven't even been married a year! Who knew Eddie boy had it in him." I wondered for about two seconds what he was talking about and then I lost myself in Edward again.

The sky was lightening outside when Edward and I were finally just lying in post coital bliss. I had no idea how many times we had climaxed. But we had made love in every position and in every way known to man, vampire and then some. Edward was a passionate, attentive and inventive lover. There wasn't a surface in our room that was untouched by our love making if we had been human we'd both be dead by now. Edward finally seemed sate and content to cuddle. Sometime during the night his eyes had returned to their beautiful topaz. Not that I didn't love his human green eyes but I had fallen in love with a vampire who had golden eyes.

"Bella I think we need to talk to Carlisle about the changes that happen to us sometimes when we're intimate. Your eyes were brown most of the night and you'd blush when you'd climaxed. And I assume that you saw similar changes in me." I just nodded.

"Edward, not that I didn't enjoy what we shared, but what exactly was that? What happened to you yesterday?"

"I'm not sure I've heard Emmett and Jasper talk about it but I've never been around when it's happened to them or Carlisle. Apparently only the veggie vampires experience this. Every once in a while after we have mated one or both of the mated pair will become overwhelmed with emotion and it generally manifests itself in a day or days in bed. Before we met I would go on extended hunting trips when things started to get to amorous at home. I thought we wouldn't experience anything like this for about a decade at least."

"Days in bed?"

"Well no, um maybe, it varies. But there will be days where I won't be able to keep my hands off you and I'll be more like a seventeen year old than a 100 plus."

"How do you feel right now?"

"Like I could do this all over again, right now, but I feel the need to see our children and the family as well. I want to see Carlilse, Esme and Seth and have breakfast with the kids. However I know that at any given time, your scent could suddenly overwhelm me and we will have come back here or I will take you wherever we find ourselves and the family be damned."

"So it would just start off like yesterday, you would just lose focus or rather change your focus to just me?"

He leaned in and smothered my lips, deepening a kiss to the point that I almost lost focus. "Um Edward, down boy, I think we should go have breakfast with the kids and then come back here. I don't think you'd make it to Florence and back. Seth and our children are definitely not ready to see us making love in the back of the SUV."

Today my strong vampire husband was playing the part of a seventeen old and my kids found out he was a scream. I was the one who had to play good cop and bad cop to get them to eat and get ready to go to the airport. The kids knew that Daddy would be back to normal eventually but they were taking full advantage in the mean time. Which meant while I was picking out their clothes for the day he was throwing out the fruit and boiled eggs and giving them ice cream and cake, it would have been absolutely hilarious if I wasn't the only responsible parent in the room. But I had to admit I was enjoying Edward being so relaxed and um free with his affection.

By the time I got back to the kitchen Edward was chasing our chocolate covered kids around in the kitchen garden. The remains of a huge chocolate cake was sitting on a butcher block table and beside it was a tub of French Vanilla Ice cream half eaten and half melted with three spoons stuck in it, and not a dish or napkin in sight.

Edward ran back into the kitchen and just barely came to a stop in front of me grabbing me around my waist pulling me in close for a very sensual kiss. The kids followed and applauded their father. Anthony came forward and pulled on my shirt. "How long do we get to keep him like this, he's a riot Mom."

"I don't know Anthony. But anything that your Dad promises you while he's like this is not written in stone; everything has to go through me, and I have veto power do you understand?"

The kids smiled and nodded then Beth said, "Oh we know. Dad told us as much, so don't worry our real Dad is still in there somewhere he's just overwhelmed right now."

The Franks came into the kitchen then and Bea took a look around a sighed. "Well Reg it looks like we have our worked cut out for us." She looked at the kids and asked if they going to pick up their other grandparents looking like that. Edward just shrugged as she looked at him "Don't worry Mrs. Cullen I'll get them ready it looks like you have your hands full here."

"Thank you but Mrs. Franks...I mean Bea but you don't have to do that."

"Oh just consider it part of my job."

Edward was still kissing my hair and nuzzling my neck. "Your job?"

While she was talking, she and Reg walked around efficiently cleaning up the kitchen then lined the children up to get them out of the kitchen. "Yes mam I'm the housekeeper now at Castle Volturi and Reg is the grounds keeper, very cushy jobs with excellent benefits. We actually have staff to do the work. And we'll be hiring more once we start letting rooms and serving meals to guests and visitors. Mr. Alastair just hired us this morning. Apparently it was Mr. Wales and Mr. Edward's idea. Tell me mam is Mr. Wales really one of the Tower Princes?"

I smiled up at my husband as he looked down at me his eyes had gone green again but with gold flecks. I'm married to such a good man. But I was surprised by Wales I never got the feeling he cared much about humans one way or the other. "That's wonderful I know when we get Donna back that'll make her very happy. And as to Mr. Wales why would you ask that?"

"Oh that was something I overheard Mr. Godard talking to his father about Mr. Wales. Apparently there is a family connection with Mr. Wales Uncle Richard. I suppose that would not be the most pleasant of associations for Mr. Wales."

"Do you know if Mr. Wales knows about this?"

"No Mrs. Cullen you're the first I've told."

I thanked Mrs. Franks and she slipped out of the kitchen with the children. Reg was standing by the kitchen garden door. "Mrs. Cullen I can see that your husband may not be able deal with this right now, but the Godard's are bad people mam. The old Mr. Godard has some very undesirable contacts in your world. Mr. Brian Godard isn't the only shapeshifter in the family. I remember my old Da telling me that Old Godard had married into a wolf family, a really werewolf family. It was his attempt to strengthen the shifter gene and out of that they got a right nasty beggar in the oldest boy Eric. Now Jason the middle one as far as I know is the only human in the family and he keeps his distance." Then he walked out to the garden.

Edward lifted his head and looked at me his eyes were back to Topaz. "Love we need to talk to Wales now."

"Can you handle that?"

"Yes for the time being but let's go before my mood changes again."

We found Wales and Reagan just returning from a walk in the gardens both were laughing and smiling. "Wales have you got a moment."

He looked at Edward and gave me a soft smile, "I think you should talk to Carlisle about your husband when he gets here. I'm surprised it's happened so soon after your mating."

Edward stiffened at the word mating. "Um can you not use the 'M' word he's trying to stay focused right now." He nodded and led the way down the hallway.

We came to the Library and walked in, it was empty so we sat down and I relayed what Reg had told us about the Godard's. "I can't say that I'm surprised about my Uncle he was always very interested in the supernatural and to make friends with the undesirables of this world fits him perfectly. I wonder if that was in part why Tacitus rescued Richard, Aldrich and me. There isn't much we can do about it. I doubt it has anything to do with Donna unless the big brother Eric has entered the picture and then we may have some trouble. Are you up for it Cullen?" Edward turned to look at him and gave him the most evil smile, my vampire man was back.