DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to us, although we would love to have Edward. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer, but we are willing to purchase them if she ever decides to sell.
I held Bella in my arms, cradling her nude body against mine. She felt so perfect within my embrace. She belonged here—she belonged to me.
We were sitting against the wall, legs and arms entwined, gazing out at the dawn. The morning was foggy and rain would not be far off. Even though the sun was barely out and the morning had just begun, it was already heaven on Earth to me. Nothing could compare to this level of closeness with Bella, and I would do everything in my power from now on to make every day of forever this blissful.
Bella's arm was placed up behind her, wrapped around my neck, with her fingers caressing the hair at the back of my neck. She seemed so peaceful as she lied there in my arms, as if she truly had no more worries. My own fingers traced up and down her arm, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin and causing a playful smile to appear on her beautiful face.
"Edward?" she called, barely audible.
"Yes, love?" I replied, kissing the top of her head.
"I was thinking I would like to try to hunt today. I might as well get it over with." Her voice was still soft, but I detected a hint of nervousness in her tone.
I smiled, knowing that she was ready for this next step in her new life with me. "As long as you feel up for it, we can try it," I said. "How about we go for a walk on the grounds and get you familiar with your surroundings? While we are out, we'll see what we can find for breakfast."
She turned in my embrace, her face filled with excitement. "You don't have to keep using human terms, Edward. You can just say 'hunt' and I'll still be okay with it."
"You never cease to amaze me," I sighed, putting a strand of her hair behind her delicate ear.
"Can we go now?" she asked, her newborn eyes bright and alert.
I smiled down at her. This was all so new for her and she was so eager to get past this first awkward stage. I had no doubt that she would do well, although I was concerned about how she would handle killing another creature. Concerned or not, she needed to do this. She needed to start learning her own strengths and become accustomed to her new body and instincts.
"Now would be the perfect time, Bella," I told her. "Let's go upstairs and get dressed, and then head out."
We made our way up the stairs, her arm around my waist and mine around her shoulders. She suddenly looked up at me, momentarily dazzling me with her happy smile.
"I feel like we are on our honeymoon or something," she giggled. "No one has bothered us for days and I can't remember when I was this happy."
Her words filled me with joy and hope for things I never thought would come to pass. The mere thought of marrying Bella was so amazing and sent my heart soaring. To be married to my angel!
My smile faded as another thought came to me. "Bella, I have always been concerned that you would resent me for turning you," I said to her. "I know it's what you have said you wanted for so long, but now that it's real…" I turned my face away from hers, not wanting her to misread the emotions I knew were displayed on my face and in my eyes. I didn't want her to think I regretted the change, but I was deathly afraid that she did. I had to know for sure, though. "Bella, I can't help but feel like you might regret it somehow."
She stopped us at the door to my—our—bedroom, gripping my face and forcing me to meet her gaze. She was certainly taking advantage of her newborn strength. "Edward, the only regret I have is that it didn't happen sooner. I love you. I have loved you from the moment I first saw you. And every day since then that love has grown, filling me up until I felt my chest would explode from trying to keep the feelings inside. But now that I am yours completely, I don't have to hold back. And neither do you. How could I ever regret something that brought us so close and made us both happy?"
My hands moved to cup her face, mirroring the way she was holding onto me. I smiled, her words having erased my anxiety completely. I gave her a chaste kiss on her beautiful lips. "Let's go get some air, love."
She smiled and nodded, and I gave her my crooked smile before giving her one last kiss.
We let each other go and entered the room. I dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of jeans and a black pullover. I was done long before Bella and took a seat on the sofa, watching her dress herself.
Bella held her jeans in her hand, staring at them for a moment. Her "voice" began to whisper inside of my mind as she continued to stare at her clothing. "I have to be careful not to shred them. I just need to focus. Don't tear the fabric." She slowly began to pull the jeans up her legs, taking her time and concentrating heavily. Her brow furrowed as she finally slid them over her perfect hips. "Don't rip them." Once she finally had her jeans buttoned and zipped, she smiled the most breathtaking smile, so proud of her accomplishment.
I was going to tell her I was proud as well, but she distracted me and made me lose my train of thought as she carefully put her bra on and then her top. I feared my smile would split my face in half as I struggled to determine which was making me happier: her ease in adapting to her new strength or the fact that this beautiful goddess was all mine.
She headed into the bathroom and no sooner was she out of sight than she let out a scream.
In half a second, I was behind her, trying to find the reason for her panicked cry. "Bella, what is it?" I demanded, frantic with worry for her.
"Edward, my eyes!" she cried, as she leaned over the counter, inspecting them closely in the mirror.
I gave a sigh of relief as I came up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. I had grown accustomed to her new features over the last few days, but Bella had not seen herself before this. When she had taken her shower, she had been so focused on missing me that she hadn't bothered to look into the mirror at all.
"Bella, don't be afraid," I said, kissing the back of her head as she stared at herself. "Your eyes are beautiful, love. They are the ruby red of all newborns, but it will pass. After a few months, your eyes will turn topaz and match the rest of our family's."
She nodded her head, biting at her lower lip.
"If it bothers you, love, I am sure we can get you some contacts to hide the red. Alice will be happy to take care of it. Now come on, let's get out of here and go for our walk."
She turned in my arms, still looking troubled. "How can you stand looking at me with my eyes like this, Edward!" she cried.
I placed my hands on either side of her face, trying to will her to see how beautiful she was to me. "Bella, don't be absurd! You are absolutely beautiful, and if I am completely honest with you, you are getting more and more beautiful every moment. I promise it only looks strange to you because this is all new, love." I kissed her lips and she finally relaxed.
"How do you do that?" she asked.
"Do what, beautiful?" I asked coyly, kissing her nose and forehead softly.
"How do you always know what to say to get me to feel better?" she smiled.
"Well, let's just say it's second nature when it comes to you. Making you happy is all that matters to me," I replied.
She turned back to the mirror and reached into her jean pocket, getting her hair tie. Once she had her hair pulled back, she turned around and faced me again. "Okay, I'm ready."
She took one more worried glance at her new features, and sighed. I could tell she had just resolved herself to accept the new changes in her without worry. I smiled with pride as I took her hand and we made our way back downstairs.
It was a typical day in Forks—cloudy and already rainy. The wind was picking up and although the old Bella would have been chilled at the temperature, my new Bella didn't even notice.
The minute we were outside, Bella whipped around at me, smiling brightly. "Edward, can you hear that?" she asked in awe.
"Hear what, exactly?" I replied, taking her hand and moving her toward the woods on the side of the house.
"Everything!" she said excitedly. "I feel like I can hear everything!"
She looked like a child filled with wonderment on the first day of school. I realized then that although I had never actually turned anyone before, I had witnessed plenty of transformations. This could either be a very exciting process or it could be an excruciating one; the onslaught of new sensations could drive you mad at first. I would have to show Bella how to focus, making sure she could dull down the roar of noise around her once she got out in public. There was a lot to show her before it was time to take her back to Charlie. I pushed the thought of spending more than a few moments away from her away, knowing I needed to focus on the task at hand.
I stopped us as we entered the woods, standing beneath the canopy of trees. I closed my eyes, turning my head left and then sharply right.
"What are you doing?" she asked in a whisper.
"Close your eyes, Bella," I said quietly. "Focus on what you hear. When your instincts stop you, tell me what it is you can make out."
I opened my eyes and looked down at her, watching her do just as I asked. She was concentrating hard, furrowing her eyebrows together and biting her lower lip. I chuckled to myself, thinking she was too beautiful for her own good.
"There!" she said, pointing just to the right of us.
"What do you hear, Bella?" I asked in her ear, my arm unconsciously making its way around her waist.
"Heartbeats," she replied.
"Good girl," I said, kissing her cheek. "That's breakfast, baby."
Her eyes opened and I saw the unmistakable glare for thirst in her smoldering red-colored eyes. I took her hand and kissed the back of it, hoping to comfort her.
She looked up at me longingly. "My throat burns, Edward."
"I know, love. We are going to head toward the heartbeats you heard and I want you to try to zone every other noise out, okay?" I instructed.
She nodded once and gazed toward the direction we would be going in. I could sense that there were two deer in that way, with the rest of the immediate area clear aside from a few birds and the occasional frog or squirrel which were much too small for our purposes. It would be safe to allow her to lead this time and it would also be good for her self-esteem to find it on her own. We started off at a light jog, moving stealthily through the trees and brush.
I couldn't help but beam with pride as I followed her closely. She moved without a sound, only stopping when she needed to reassess the location of the heartbeat. The doe she was zeroing in on didn't twitch without Bella reacting to it. It wouldn't be long now before we made it to the pond where most of the wildlife congregated at one time or another. Bella's breathing grew heavier as we approached the clearing, her thirst starting to spill over now. I moved behind her, holding her around her waist to keep her from just darting forward.
Without me having to say a word to her, she spoke to me in her thoughts. "I don't want to scare them away, Edward."
"You are doing amazingly, love. But they already know we are here," I replied in thought. "They are just waiting to see if we are truly a threat. By the way, your instincts telling you to communicate in silence with me is remarkable, Bella."
She smiled proudly but I could tell it was getting difficult for her to not rush at the pair of deer.
"Relax, love. Wait just a little longer," I thought. "I am going to show you how to do this. It won't be pleasant for you to watch at first, but it is essential that you learn how to take down your kill."
Without taking my eyes off of the deer, I placed Bella's arms around the tree next to her. She held on as if it was the only thing holding her back—it probably was.
"Try to control yourself once I attack, Bella. Stay here until I call for you," I instructed. I knew she had nodded once without even having to look at her.
Satisfied that she was okay, I ran at the deer. The poor stag only had time to turn its head and tense its body; it never even got to leap out of the way. I threw it to the ground, spinning as we landed and breaking its neck. I bit hard into its neck, enjoying the way the blood gushed into my mouth and coated my throat.
Feeling a "whoosh" run past me, I snapped my head up. Bella was off, running full speed at the doe that was trying to make a break for it. I stood and watched as she leapt into the air and mimicked exactly what I had just done to the stag. My mouth gaped open at her precision and control.
She was feeding hungrily as I walked over to her. When she realized I was there, she quickly scooted away from the carcass, covering her mouth as her eyes widened from the shock of what she had done. I knelt next to her and put my hands on either side of her face, knowing I needed to take away her fears. She had only done what she was supposed to.
"Oh, God, Edward!" she cried. "I killed it!"
I couldn't help but smile at her. "Bella, what did you think we were going to do?" I asked softly, trying to sooth her. "You are higher up on the food chain now, love. You did just as your instincts told you. You should be proud. I certainly am. I wasn't expecting you to join in like this, but you did amazingly."
She started to smile, showing me that she was feeling better. "Do you mind if I finish my meal?" she asked, grinning shyly.
"By all means," I chuckled, sweeping my arms to the side to allow her to pass.
She drank hungrily until I pulled her away, keeping her from drinking too much.
"That's enough now, Bella," I whispered, holding her by her shoulders. "We have to dispose of the carcasses now. Although we own this land, we must always be meticulous." I walked over to the stag and dragged it over behind a cluster of trees away from the clearing. I came back for the doe and did the same. Bella stood there, watching me, studying every move I made. A newborn would still be unfocused from the smell of blood that hung in the air, unable to watch me so closely. While I found this curious, I was still immensely proud of her. She had done exceptionally well during her first hunt. Carlisle would definitely be impressed with her progress.
I made my way over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist. "What did you think of your first hunt?" I asked, kissing her lips.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," she replied, licking my bottom lip playfully and causing me to growl low in my chest.
"Bella," I sighed. "You have no idea what that does to me."
I decided I would beat her at her own game. I kissed her neck and licked the length of it, my hands hungrily grabbing at her hips, as I walked her backward until she was against the tree behind her. She let out an audible gasp, leaning her head back to give me better access. I smiled against her neck, pleased with my victory.
"You don't play fair," she scolded, her chest heaving with her now unnecessary breaths.
"I've noticed that since the playing field has been leveled between us, you don't exactly play fair yourself, my love." I licked her neck once again. "Let's finish our walk. Now that you have had your lesson for the day, we can relax."
She groaned as I released her, taking just her hand into mine. "So not fair," she sighed, before giving me a beautiful smile.
We walked around the property, stopping only occasionally to kiss one another or touch in some other way. We could not keep our hands off each other—not that I was complaining! Even in the last few hours, Bella seemed to have gained more focus, more control, and by God, she even looked more beautiful. Her usual simple, unassuming beauty had transformed into the sort of beauty that was painful to look away from. It was almost like looking into the sun too long, and like the sun, Bella was still there when I closed my eyes, filling me with warmth.
"I love you," I said abruptly.
She looked up at me smiling. "I love you, too, Edward."
As we entered the house through the back door, the need to play my piano overwhelmed me. My time with Bella had inspired me—what a lovely side effect!
Bella decided to head upstairs, wanting a shower and change her clothes. After a few passionate kisses, I released her and went over to the piano. I began to play Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". This was a favorite of mine and I easily lost myself in the music as it ebbed and flowed. But nothing could distract me for long from Bella, and as I played, I listened for her, hearing that she was still upstairs.
Her thoughts began to fill my mind, making it clear that she was standing at the window, staring out into the distance with her arms folded across her chest. She was troubled and deep in thought. As much as I wanted to go to her, I knew she needed a moment to herself. She had so many changes to accept, and even more that she didn't know about yet. I forced myself to keep playing, not wanting to let on that I could hear her, and I could tell that the music seemed to also soothe her a bit.
"I can't believe I am here," she thought. "Everything has changed. God, what will Alice and the rest of the family think? Will they be upset with me? All of this happened so fast, but this is right. I know it is!" Her thoughts changed direction and the name in her thoughts caused my playing to stagger momentarily. "Jacob…I wonder if he is okay. I have lost my best friend and gained the very thing I wanted all at once. Whatever happens now, Jacob can no longer be a part of my life…in any way. There's a chasm between us, but I can't feel bad about it. My life with Edward is all that matters now."
As happy as I was about her loving thoughts toward me, I felt like I was intruding into Bella's privacy. I knew then I would never let her know I'd heard a word of that. I didn't trust Jacob, and I would gladly kill him if he came near us, but I knew it was very different for Bella. She was grieving the loss of someone she cared for, and she needed me to understand that. I owed her that much, knowing it was my fault she had become so close to the mutt.
As I reached the last note of the song, I heard the unmistakable roar of Emmett's Jeep in the driveway. Before I could get up, the sound of my name echoed throughout the house in Alice's sing-song voice. I smiled to myself, knowing what was coming.
Alice pranced into the music room, grinning from ear to ear. "I am so proud of you," she said.
Jasper, Emmett, Rose, and our parents were standing behind her, all with very different expressions on their faces. Emmett grinned that goofball smile of his, while Jasper looked surprised. Rose was biting her lip, unsure of how to feel or what to say. Esme and Carlisle both looked concerned and borderline angry…no, definitely angry as confirmed by their thoughts.
I ran a hand through my hair and smiled back at Alice, knowing Emmett and she were the only allies in the room. "Hello," I greeted.
"Edward, how could you?" my mother said sternly. "You could have killed her!"
"Your mother's right, Edward!" Carlisle added. "How would we have explained her death to Charlie?" he roared.
"We are, of course, absolutely thrilled that she is officially one of us, Edward," Esme said, her voice more calm. "But, honey, you should have waited for us at the very least."
"Are you both quite finished yet?" I asked sternly. No one would make me regret the choices Bella and I had made together. "Bella is absolutely fine and I was in complete control the entire time."
Alice giggled at that, her thoughts letting me know she had seen much more than I was comfortable with. I shot a glare at her, my eyes wide with warning. She nodded, letting me know she would keep the information to herself.
"I appreciate and completely understand your concern. Believe me, I do. But it was time; we couldn't waste one more minute while Bella's life was in danger," I said gravely. "Jacob Black was waiting for us when we returned from the airport and there was an altercation."
Emmett growled menacingly at the mention of his name, his thoughts focusing on what he would do to anyone trying to hurt his sister.
"Emmett," I called, distracting him from his thoughts. "It's fine. I took care of it. But it was also the final straw for both Bella and myself. Neither of us could handle—"
I was interrupted by Jasper's loud whistle. He was looking toward the stairs, his mind whirling with different thoughts as I saw Bella through his eyes.
She was making her way down the stairs, wearing black slacks and a tight, black turtleneck—no doubt from the collection of clothes Alice kept in my closet for her. Bella's hair was loose and flowing all around her, her ruby eyes standing out in contrast to her outfit.
As beautiful as she looked in my brother's mind, I knew I had to see her with my own eyes. I quickly moved in her direction, taking Bella's hand and leading her over to our awaiting family.
"Hot damn!" was all Emmett could say.
Alice was close to spontaneously combusting as she clapped her hands together feverishly. "Better than my vision!" she said excitedly.
"Oh, my God," Esme gasped.
Rose remained silent as her eyes widened with surprise.
Carlisle seemed to be the only one capable of a coherent sentence. "Bella, you look beautiful." He moved closer, putting a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort and welcome. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel fine, thank you," she said, biting at her lip nervously.
"Bella, we welcome you to our family. You are now, more than ever, our daughter. We are here for you in whatever way you may need us. There will be a lot of adjustments and changes in your world but you are not alone, dear girl," Carlisle assured her.
Bella looked as if she would cry if she could. "Thank you, Carlisle. All of you," she added. Bella scanned the room hesitantly, probably unnerved by the silence in the house. My family was hardly ever this silent. "Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Of course, Bella. Everything is fine," Esme responded, placing a reassuring hand on Bella's shoulder. "We just want to make sure you are truly okay," she continued. "We were quite panicked when Alice had her vision but she assured us that Edward was in control."
"I am very proud of him," Bella said, smiling up at me. "Edward has taken great care of me."
"Edward, I must have called your phone one hundred times!" Alice chimed in.
I placed a hand on my jeans pocket, only to find my phone was missing. "I must have left my phone in the car," I replied, meeting her exuberant gaze. The look on her face was so mischievous that I would rather face the grilling my parents were giving me than spend a moment alone with that pixie right now. She would be insufferable!
"We should all unpack and get this house reopened," Esme announced.
"Yes, it seems we all have a lot to catch up on," Carlisle agreed. "Let's get the house ready and then meet here in thirty minutes."
"We'll unpack the living room," Jasper said, volunteering Emmett and himself.
"You two just want to unpack the living room to play," Rose chuckled.
"We aren't kids," Emmett argued as he walked toward the living room. As he walked past Bella, he bumped into the table next to her where Esme's prized 18th century Victorian vase stood. The table rocked and the vase tumbled off of it, heading for the floor. Bella caught it in mid-air within seconds, her reflexes impeccable.
"Just checking," Emmett smirked, grinning wickedly. "Wanted to make sure you didn't bring your clumsiness over with you. Welcome to the club, Bells."
Jasper took the vase from Bella. "Don't mind him. He's an idiot, except for welcoming you to the family. I look forward to truly getting to know you now." He kissed Bella's cheek sweetly as waves of familial affection came over all of us.
I was partially irate with Emmett for pulling that little stunt, but I was more impressed with Bella's impeccable reflexes. That reminded me that I wanted to speak with Carlisle about her progress so far. Although most newborns were already capable of the things I had witnessed with Bella, I had never seen a newborn so in control.
Alice could stand still no longer as she made her way over to us, taking both of Bella's hands in hers. "Bella, I could scream at how beautiful you look!" she sang.
"You really are…a vision," Rose added.
Bella's eyes went wide at Rosalie's words, probably just as shocked to be spoken to as to have it be such nice words. "I don't know about all of that," Bella said shyly. "I'm still getting used to the changes. I'm having a hard time with the eyes, mostly," she added, her gaze falling to the floor in front of her.
"Edward, she's so upset that they're red," Alice's thoughts said. "But I found her the perfect contacts. I'm taking her upstairs so don't even attempt to interfere." Alice smiled sweetly at Bella. "I think it's time for Rose and me to take you upstairs for some girl time," she announced aloud.
As much as I hated to be parted from Bella, I knew time with Alice and Rose was just what she needed right now. It would also be the perfect opportunity to speak to Carlisle.
"Go on, sweetheart," I encouraged Bella, kissing her cheek. "I will be right here when they finally release you."
"Don't make it sound so awful, Edward," Rose chided. "We just want some time with our new sister."
Bella once again looked like she would cry, as Rose took her hand, smiling at her. Bella looked up at me, making sure I was okay with it.
"Go on, love," I assured her. "I will see you soon."
Her smile covered her entire face and lit up her ruby red eyes as she nodded and allowed my sisters to pull her up the stairs.