I give you chapter 3 of Zenith.

I hope you like it.

I hope you vote for One step in the right direction in the Valentine-contenst.

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In the future you should just skip the A/Ns. Whatever I do it just turns to gibberish.

Carry on.

Chapter 3

Alone time

"Good day. We've booked two tickets to Chicago and then two from Chicago to Seattle." The woman behind the counter was around fifty, shorthaired, wrinkly and clearly dazzled by Edward. I smiled, leaning in beside him. There was clearly a reason why he had chosen the counter with the longest line.

The woman got control over her features again, and she smiled politely at us both.

"First and last name, please." She looked over the edge of her glasses. I was impressed that her voice was so even when she spoke to Edward. I couldn't even think straight when he would smile at me like that.

He put an arm around my waist. "Edward Cullen." He said, knowing that she was going to ask for my name as well, but apparently wanting it to be more of a surprise. He pressed his fingertips against my ribs, probably asking me to play along. I didn't enjoy these games, but he did as the sturdy vampire he was. Just this once.

The woman quickly typed his name into the computer and turned to me. "And you, dear?" I pulled back my hair with my left hand, deliberately showing of the engagement and wedding rings. Her eyes zeroed at them instantly, and then flattered to Edwards face and back to mine.

"Bella Cullen." I said, reflecting her polite smile. I knew it must have looked outrageously stupid, but I placed my left hand gently over Edwards silent heart and lay my head on his shoulder. I felt like a five-year old girl clinging on her dad or maybe a puppy. He pulled me closer to his side, waiting for the woman to regain control.

"Oh, I see." She mumbled, obviously dazzled and confused at the same time. Poor woman. She typed in my name as well. "Newly married?" She asked while the computer was processing. I wondered if she was curious or envious. I figured it was curiosity from the look in her eyes when she looked at us. It looked like something as unusual as true happiness for our sake.

I didn't know what to say, in case I gave us away.

"Soon a year, actually." Edward said, and it sounded like music. He made four small words sound like a forgotten symphony by Mozart. It was probably his happiness over the fact that slipped through his control and coloured the words.

"How nice." The woman said, while eyeing the screen. But she was able to let it go and once again look up at us over her glasses. "Then you two must have been very young when you married." It didn't sound like an accusations, the way that type of sentences use to sound like when old ladies are saying them. She was just stating fact from looking at our faces. She couldn't know that Edward actually was many times my age when we married, she didn't have to know that either.

"That is not wrong, we were only eighteen." Edward kissed my hair. I didn't even react to the lie like I used to. I would have to tell them soon as well.

Our age didn't seem to bother the woman. She just smiled happily at us again, clicking on the screen and printing out the tickets. She put them in a folder and handed them over.

"Then I wish you a wonderful trip, and a long, happy marriage. Something as insignificant as age doesn't make any difference. Do not let anyone tell you anything different."

"Thank you very much." Edward did really seem grateful when we walked away from the counter.

As always was everyone in the station staring at us, or at least turning their heads once.

"I liked her." I said, while we walked by a big group of tourists. They turned around after us, lifting up their cameras to take a picture.

"I know. I did too." He said, stepping in behind something so we wouldn't be caught on a photo.

"Oh, you did? Was there something special with her?" We stopped at our platform, and I leaned against the wall as far away from the humans as possible. I wasn't sure how long I could stand the sent, or the looks for that matter.

"She wasn't… admiring me like everyone else always is. Like every woman in the station is right now." The last words turned into a growl. I pulled him closer to me, putting my arms around his neck so he would have to look at me.

"I'm sorry I can't turn that out for you." He grimaced. "What was it with her then?"

"She was noticing everything! I have never met a person who is that attentive, except from you."

"What do you mean?" I frowned, and he looked away for a short second, maybe to gather his mind.

"She analyzed everything. From how close we were standing to each other to the smallest flickers in my face. She saw everything." I gasped in horror. He laughed and kissed my forehead. "Not everything, love. Just the human parts of us."

I lowered my head. "She seemed to be happy for our sake." I whispered.

"And she was." He murmured in my ear. "She was picturing us when we were old, and how beautiful our children would be." We both chuckled with bitterness. Once again I was glad Renesmee was with Jacob, it would be hard to explain her to this woman. Then his voice tightened. "Oh, how I wish all of that would come true." I shrugged, understanding his thoughts, but not really agreeing.

"I'm satisfied as long as I have you like this forever."

"Yes, that is defiantly a plus-side to our condition." He chuckled, stroking my hair.

He was carrying both our bags on the train. We hadn't brought much, just extra clothing, and other things, for the charade.

I sat closest to the window, admiring the nature that was drowned in rain as we passed in 150 mph, my left hand in his lap. Sometimes he was playing with my fingers; sometimes he was playing with my hair. He read and he listened to music. We didn't talk much for the first four hours until it hit me.
"Why are we going to Chicago?" At this time he was pretending to sleep, but smiled and opened his eyes.

"I thought you wanted to see my hometown? You haven't been there, right?" No, I had never been to Chicago, but the city had grown to something exciting and attractive when I found out that that was the place he had been human. He smiled wider. "It's nice to see that you actually are interested in my history. But the real reason is that there is no train from Boston to Seattle, so we have to change in Chicago." I frowned.

"You've lost me. So we won't visit Chicago, just passing by?"

"We'll have four and a half-hour before the train to Seattle departures." He said; straightening in the chair, just so the other travellers wouldn't be suspicious. "I think it will be enough time for us too do some touring." But I could see more then one problem with that.

"But it will be day?" He froze.

"I didn't think about that earlier. I guess I'm too used to Washington." He dug down in his pocket after his phone. "Alice." He murmured in seconds. "How will the weather in Chicago be tomorrow?" Her answer was short. "Thank you. I will." He snapped the phone shut. "Alice says hi. The weather will be dry but cloudy. Luckily." I sighed, relieved that the biggest problem was solved.

"Perfect." I smiled at him. He leaned closer and kissed me. His lips were more energetic then earlier today. I appreciated that; I had been missing a real kiss for a while now. I pulled myself closer to him, kissing him hungrily. He chuckled against my lips.

"Seems like I have been neglecting my wife."

"You have, without a doubt." He chuckled again.

"Do you know what?" He said, too fast and quiet for anyone else to hear. "Even though I want to make it up to her, I do not believe that this is the best time and spot for that." I let my arms fall and fell back into my seat. My lower lip stuck out. He laughed, patting my head. And then fast for humans, but slow for us, he pulled me back in his arms. "But I didn't say you could do that."

For the additional 18 hours I sat on his lap or lay in his arms, his lips never far from my skin. You didn't have to be a mind reader to know the thoughts of the other travellers.

The few hours in Chicago were like a second honeymoon, only much shorter, more crowded and sadder.

The clouds had been thin, and Edward worried about that for a while, but they grew thicker, and the sun wasn't spotted in all day.

First, Edward took me to the old house he'd lived in. It was renovated and different now, he said, but pretty much the same. Before that moment I had never thought of his former position in society. But while looking at the house it became obvious.

The Masen's had been rich, very rich. That explained the size of the diamonds in the ring I wore on my finger, and the diamond that hung in the bracelet around my wrist. It explained his careless treatment of money, and his love of gifts.

The house had been empty when we visited it, so we snuck in, and he gave me a tour in his memories. But I could see that it was hard for him, and even though I fell in love with the house at the first look, we couldn't linger here.

Then he took me to the graveyard where his family was buried.

He had bent down to stroke the gravestone when I caught up with him in human-speed. He presented me to the grave of his mother, and though it should have felt strange and awkward, it felt like meeting an admired person. After all, if she hadn't asked Carlisle to save her son, then he wouldn't be here with me, and I wouldn't be here either.

While I was talking to a stone, he was starring at another. I looked over his shoulder, and gasped. His name, date of birth and death was carved into the stone. We stood frozen for minutes, starring at his gravestone. He had explained, that the relatives that survived had assumed that his body had been mixed up with someone else's, and they had buried an empty coffin. Once again the memories were too hard on him, and we left.

He showed me the hospital where he had almost died, and the place Carlisle had brought him during the transformation. The entire city was part of his memories, every street, every corner had some meaning to him, even the new ones. Chicago was his hometown, and through the years he had come back here now and then to gather his thoughts.

It had been 5 years since last time.

But he didn't only have sad stories to tell me. Childhood tales that mostly took place in the parks we were walking through made me laugh hard several times.

I told him that if I could meet any person in the universe, dead or alive; I would have chosen his mother. He had been quiet, and then laughed, he said that she and I would get along very well, maybe a little too well.

A photograph took our photo without us noticing it underneath a cypress.

Once again we were walking down the platform to our train. And once again he was the gentleman carrying both bags.

I was trusted with the tickets, and when I looked at them, I frowned in disbelief.

"Bedrooms?" He chuckled, perfectly at ease.

"Yes. I am a man, after all." He gave me a dirty look. My mouth fell open.

"Edward!" He chuckled again, and kissed my lips.

"I'm only teasing you, love. But it is a 46 hour trip, so it would be nice with some privacy." I couldn't object to that. Playing human for so long would be tiring.

I found our room, and opened the door. On of the two bed were folded into a sofa, and over it the other was folded up in the wall. To the right a small, but hopefully soft, chair was placed in the corner, and to the left was another door, probably to the bathroom.

I walked in and put my purse on the sofa, turning to get a good look at it. He dumped the other stuff on the floor.

"What time is it?" He glanced at his watch.

"2:14 pm."

"That was good timing of us. One minute later, and we would have missed the train." He shrugged, and glanced over his shoulder. Outside our door there was a window, and through that window three teenage girls were staring like mad at us. I was embarrassed for their sake, and looked down in the floor. He moaned and rolled his eyes.

"I hate loud fantasies." He said, and it was like the words triggered the train, 'cause it started moving as soon as the last syllable had ringed out. "Thank you, engineer." I dared to look up again when I heard the door being closed. For a brief of a second I met his eyes, and they were golden fire now, burning with hunger. Then suddenly he pressed me back and down on the sofa. Our lips and bodies were locked together, both of us gasping for air. A faint thud broke through the mist his scent created in my head. My head snapped only to see that he had pushed down my purse from the sofa. His lips had, still urgent, moved down to my neck. I gasped and arched my body when I felt his hand sliding up my thigh under the skirt. As an immediate response his breathing became heavier.

"It seems like I'm not the only one who's been neglected." I breathed, holding back a moan. I still wasn't comfortable with those sounds.

"What do you say about making up for all those lost moments?" The words came out unevenly, interrupted by his respiration. I giggled, pulling his face away from my chest.

"How much time do we got?" He chuckled, kissing me despite my hands and shrugged.

"How much time do you want? I can sabotage the train if you want me to."

"That might be taking it too far."

"Might." He made an attempt to unzip my dress when my hands where occupied with his head. I managed to stop him, and tried to say something but now when his face was free there was no chance for me to say a word. And I no longer remembered what I wanted to say.

"You're a monster." I growled playfully.

"I love you too." He chuckled, but the sounds were hardly more then whispers. I hadn't realized that he had missed my body this much. I counted back in my head. Five days. That was the amount of time that we'd been without sex. I felt it, the yearning, but it hadn't been that bad before. Not as it was now, and not as his seemed to be.

The train rocked and he almost fell off. I saw the opening and flew up, my hair completely messed up and my dress' zipper halfway down. He fell forward, face down in the sofa and growled fiercely.

"Ouch." But I just smiled, letting my hands slide along his back, down his legs to his feet where I stopped to pull his shoes off. He sighed, and rolled over to his back and sat up.

"Come here." He reached out for me, grabbing my waist. I bent down and kissed the worlds most perfect lips. The lips kissed me back, and my yearning for his body was in super mode again. The t-shirt he had been wearing was soon in pieces on the floor. My hands couldn't move fast enough when I bent even further down to open his pants. The button was easy, but the zipper was difficult. For every moment my hands were placed on his crouch he became harder and harder; if I didn't get up the zipper soon, the fabric would split. But I managed, and he groaned in relief. The trousers were in the next moment on the floor next to the t-shirt. He zipped down the last bit and pulled the tight dress over my head. The way he touched me now wasn't like any way he'd touched me before. He followed the line of my lace-underwear with his hand, trembles shooting through my body. With the other he opened my bra, and threw it on the floor with the rest of our clothes. The hand raced over my breast and down to the last piece of clothing on my body. I closed my eyes to just let me feel when he started pulling them down my legs. I shivered worse then ever, and inside the yearning was near explosion level. They landed on the floor and I kicked them away. Quickly he put his hands on my hips, placing me straddle over his lap. We were already moaning when I felt him between my legs. But I felt something more; boxer-shorts. I pushed myself hard at him once, and then reaching to get them out of the way. He had noticed the same thing, but let me do the work. Instead he started kissing my neck and lips and caressing my breasts and stomach. I gave up the fight of pulling them off down his legs, and just gabbed a handful and pulled. Hopefully he had some spare with him. The sound of splitting fabric filled the air, and he no longer wore boxers. I jerked myself hard down his lap again and he filled me. I almost gave up a little shriek in pleasure when he was where I wanted him to be. And according to his breathing and help with pushing my hips, I was where he wanted me to be too. The jerks got harder and faster together with my moans. But not fast enough for him. He growled and threw himself over me down on the floor. I landed on my back with his body pressing me down on the clothes. He pressed my legs even further apart, and he pushed hard and fast. A hand slid down my right thigh and he grabbed my knee, pulling it to the same level as his hips. My body started to arch again and I grabbed his hair with one hand and his shoulder with the other and rolled over him. I was in his lap again, pressing him tightly too my chest while I continued moving my hips. His hands were on them again, but I knew both of us were close. One last throw and I was on my back again. He pushed one, two, three, four times more and an Edward-happiness so strong that I couldn't even have dreamt about it filled me. The last moans were loud enough for the neighbours to hear, and he sighed, but did not move.

When we both had recovered, I pulled a hand through his hair.

"That was new." He mumbled and started rolling off.

"That was amazing." I mumbled in return, staring up into the ceiling, playing with his hair and feeling the train move beneath us.

"You can call it that, yes." He rolled to the side, and pulled me to his body. "Maybe I should let you lead more often."

"Maybe." I smiled, still staring into the ceiling.

"But the fact that we haven't had sex in about five days might be a factor as well." I didn't answer, so he made me roll too the side so I faced him. "What is it?" I kissed him hard and briefly.

"You. You are what it is." I continued to kiss him, even though I could feel his confusion. "I love you." I explained. "And I want you, again. Now. I want more of your magic, lover-boy." I pressed my body against his.

"You can have whatever you want." He chuckled and pulled my leg over his hip. "It's my pleasure."

"Oh, I know it is." I breathed, kissing his nose.

"But somehow I get the impression that I'm not the only one who's enjoying myself." He rolled over me slowly, placing his hands on each side of my head. "I've never heard you making sounds like that." He whispered in my ear. I wasn't embarrassed instead I felt pride. "It —" He let his hand race down my body, to my hips and thigh. The way he touch me made my body burn again. I moaned. "— excites me." His voice was strained, as if he fought hard to control it and himself.

"You've been planning this, haven't you?" I gasped. He chuckled against my shoulder.

"No, not planning. Dreaming." He said, suddenly distant-minded and a smile in his voice. I laughed.

"Edward, you're such a perv!"

"We've already had this discussion, but I guess you're right. There is no limit of my imagination when it comes to you."

"I can't believe I married an old perverted man." He opened his mouth, but it took a while before he said something.

"I was going to say that I'm not old, but I am so, that would be a lie."

"Lies haven't stopped you before." I followed the lines of the muscles and vanes on his arms.

"No, but this lie wouldn't be necessary, since you already know everything." He rolled to the side, crushing me lightly against himself. "So you are saying that you're never dreaming of me?" I hid my face in his chest, carefully thinking through my answer so he wouldn't tease me about it.

"You already know that I am, there is no reason to ask."

"You're right, but there is some parts of these conversations that I like the most to hear. The workings of your mind, and my part in those are my absolute favourite."

"You are definitely the star in my dreams, never doubt that."

The train kept rushing through the country. We spent the 46 hours in the little room. Sometimes letting our dreams come true and sometimes just being in each others arms. The door wasn't opened once during the trip, only when the blind was up we could see that we actually moved. He admitted once that he had planned this.

"But only so we could spend some time together alone before we moved in with the others. This would be difficult with them around."

And I believed him. I knew that when we moved in with his family we had to control ourselves. There could be weeks between "alone-time", five days would be a short time compared to that. I was lucky too never have been to collage before, I would have too study hard too stay in class. Unlike Edward who, of course, already knew everything.

We arrived in Seattle 10:20, and to our misfortune was the sun shining in an uncharacteristic way for Washington. Edward had to stop me one step away from the door to the street. I wasn't used to play human this much, and after two days on a train, the sun seemed like something nice. But he put one arm around my waist restraining me to go outside.

"We'll just have to wait until it gets dark." He whispered in my ear. "Since we're going to run all the way to Forks, darkness is something to prefer."

We sat down on a bench a few feet away, so we could know as soon as possible when we could get out.

I lay with my head in his lap while he was reading the paper. Suddenly he growled.

"Typical."

"What? More newborns?" I eyed trough the headlines, but couldn't find anything about murders. But he didn't answer me, just kept staring at the paper.

"Excuse me, miss." It took a while before I understood that the baled-headed man was talking to me. He stared at me, smiling widely.

"Mrs." I flashed the ring in an attempt to scare him away. And even though his smile faded one degree, he didn't leave. He shot a glance at Edward, and the smile grew wider again.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Have you and your, erm, husband is it?" I nodded. "Right. Have you ever been into modelling?" I suppressed a laugh. So this was why our unnatural beauty didn't scare the man, he only saw money in it and no reason to be afraid.

"No, we haven't." But how many times haven't I considered Edward modelling material? It felt weird hearing that about myself as well, but the man was probably right. Both of us had the looks of supermodels, thanks to our transformations.

I looked at Edward. He was still staring at the newspaper, not reading, but not looking at me either. There was no question what I had to do and he was not going to help me.

"Fantastic! What do you say about signing with—" But I interrupted him.

"We can't do that. I'm sorry, but there is no way we could be models with your agency, or any other for that matter. Thank you. Bye."

"But…"

"No." I was harsh, but harsh was the only way of making him go away. I started looking at the newspaper so he would understand that we weren't interested.

"If it is something with your family…"

"She said no! Please leave." Edward snapped, he couldn't hold back anymore. The next moment the man was gone, Edwards fierce growl could have scared anyone away. I stared in shock at him. "Sorry about that." He mumbled, turning back to the reading. "It was to late to warn you, so I let you deal with it. Sorry." His eyes were still dark, but I sat up and put my hands on his cheeks.

"I didn't mind. It just brought back memories, and actually I was flattered."

"Why am I not surprised." His eyes became soft and I touched his lips.

"You should be flattered as well."

"I am, but it gets a bit old 80 years later." He shrugged. "And I've gotten that offer a couple of times before. I haven't considered doing it even once, and I don't even think I would take it if I were a human. That business is nothing for me."

"So, if you'd been a little more vain, you would be a famous male-model by now?"

"No, I would be a vampire who'd have to hide himself because of the fame earlier in his life. You see, since we're not ageing, I, and anyone else who decides to be famous, would have to disappear after a few years. After, there would be no way for me, or that person, to go out, cause everybody would recognize you." I hadn't thought about it that way before, but it made sense.

"But, then, Carlisle teaching, wouldn't that be problematic too?" I frowned, thinking what a stupid idea this was, but he interrupted my head and pulled me up against his chest.

"It will be a little weird in the beginning, since he'll only be able to teach night classes, like the rest of us. And when he starts working at hospitals again, it might be a little trouble, since we'll have to check out every person who works there so he hasn't taught anyone of them. But we've been through worse." He caressed my back, leaning his chin against the top of my head.

"It's good to hear that you got such experience with researching." I muttered.

"As I said, 80 years later, and in today's society, we have to be more careful." I thought about that for a minute, and then let it go. There was no reason to continue the discussion.

"After all, I'm glad you're not that vain." I sighed and nodded in the direction of the agency-man after a couple of minutes.

"I'm glad I'm not that vain too." He mumbled against my forehead. His sudden growl gave me a fright, but he held my hands as gentle as before.

"Is it he again?"

"No." Edwards lips brushed over my skin when he shook his head. "Just more fantasies." I giggled; I had a more relaxed attitude to fantasies after the train.

"Who?" He tossed his head to his right. My eyes followed the direction of his movement. A young teenaged boy with dark, greasy hair was throwing glances once every second at us. I sighed, I was sorry that my husband had to endure those thoughts.

"Oh, you shouldn't have looked at him." Edward whispered. "Now the fantasies are more unbearable then ever."

"Sorry." I said, quickly sitting up. Air ran through my lungs and set my throat on fire. I shouldn't be allowed to be here, so close to humans, for so long. I was extremely strong, and almost oblivious to the scent now, but I hadn't hunt for days.

"Don't do that." He growled, putting an arm around my waist, pulling me closer again. My body was stiff like ice; I had to concentrate hard not to breathe. "What is it?" He stroke my cheek.

"Thirsty." I gasped.

"Oh, we'll hunt when we run." Knowing it would fade soon, I allowed myself to draw a giant breath. He frowned at me. "Don't over do it, love."

"I'm not, I promise." He shrugged, letting the subject go. I put my head in his lap again.

Over an hour passed, and we didn't speak a word.

"Is it just me or are you considering this far from boring too?" I mumbled while I studied his face. He had my head between his hands and was playing with my hair.

"No, it's not just you."

I don't want to nag, but I'll do it anyway.

Please review.