DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creation of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Edward and Esme spend some time together, while Bella is out with Jasper.

Quality Time (Lemon at the end)

"Edward," Bella said, as she sat in my lap on the sofa.

"Yes, my love?"

"Would you mind terribly if I went and spent some time with Jasper?"

"Is everything okay, Bella?"

"Yes, silly vampire. I just haven't hung out individually with our siblings in a long time. I was hoping Jasper would want to go for a walk. You know, while I'm spending time with Jasper, you could go and talk with Esme. She would love it so much, Edward."

"You want me to have a distraction so you can hang out with Jasper?" I asked her.

"Exactly," she smiled, wrapping her arms around my neck. "It won't be for long. Just a couple of hours at the most."

"Hours, Bella?" I groaned. I knew I sounded needy, especially after spending all of last weekend with her, but I truly needed her by my side."

"I promise you that I will make it up to you when I get home."

"And just how will you make it up to me?"

"Anyway that you want."

"Anyway?" I smirked at her.

She leaned closer and whispered against my lips. "Absolutely anything."

I growled at her, knowing that she knew exactly what she was doing. "You know, it's not very fair to get me all excited just to leave me."

"I'm not doing that at all, honey."

"Really? Then what do you call my current state?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow at her.

"A sign of your anticipation for things to come later. Now, think of some non-dirty thoughts and go bond with our mother." She kissed the tip of my nose and pranced out of our room.

"You are much too dangerous, Isabella Cullen," I yelled after her.

Her response was a giggle.

I shook my head at the door she had just ran out of. 'Confidence plus Bella equals one very unsatisfied, horny vampire,' I thought to myself.

I sighed and forced myself to think repulsive thoughts. I thought of Newton and Stanley and was instantly cured of my problem. I put away the CDs I had been going through, and left my room to go in search of Esme.

I listened for her thoughts and found that she was reading. I headed out of the front door and down to where the yard stopped sloping. Esme had purchased a table set, complete with a huge umbrella, and had placed it under a giant elm tree in the front yard. It was her favorite place for reading quietly.

She looked up and smiled when she heard me approaching. "Edward."

"Hello, Esme."

"What brings you down to this corner of the yard?" she chuckled.

"My lovely wife suggested I should spend some time with you," I replied, as I sat down across from Esme.

"She is lovely, isn't she?" Esme mused. "So much strength, compassion, and love in one little bundle. I know in my mind that she is one of us, and unbreakable like us, but some days, I look at my daughter and she seems so fragile."

"I think you are the only one in the house that understands me when I say that I have trouble remembering she is a vampire."

Esme smirked and giggled slightly. "I heard that she reminded you all that she is indeed one of us. Something about slugging our dear Emmett?"

"He completely deserved it."

"I'm quite sure he did. Emmett doesn't always respect personal boundaries because he has none himself. But that is just a part of his carefree spirit."

I nodded my head in agreement. 'Carefree' was definitely a perfect adjective for Emmett.

Esme put her book down on the table and folded her hands in front of her, smiling at me. "I have been having the most wonderful time lately, thanks to Bella," Esme announced.

"What do you mean?"

"She's been growing up and maturing, which in turn, has caused all of my children to grow up and change. I like to stay out of your affairs, letting you all come to me when you are ready, but that doesn't mean that I don't always have an eye on each of you. You have been letting go of your overprotective nature. Alice has been asking for permission before racing you all off to her next activity. Jasper was not nearly as hard on himself over the incident at school as he would have been before. Emmett…Well, Emmett will get there eventually," Esme chuckled. "And Rose. My dear, sweet, ever-in-turmoil Rosalie. She used her own pain and suffering to help her sister, and in the process, learned a few things about herself. I'm sure you all have noticed that she's been much happier lately."

"We have."

"It's because she has let go of some of her anger over how she came to be one of us. She has also realized that if given the choice between suffering the same fate or living without Emmett, she would go through it all again."

I nodded my head, hoping Esme was correct. Rose deserved to be happier with our life. She and I had always shared a sorrow for what we were, but now that I had Bella with me, I didn't look at this life the same way. It was a blessing, not a curse, and I wanted Rose to see that, too. I wasn't one for showing my siblings how I felt about them, but that had never meant that I didn't love them.

Esme shifted in her chair slightly. "Edward, I'm going to ask you a question. I would appreciate it if you could keep your temper in check, keeping in mind that I am a concerned mother, and answer me honestly."

"I will do my best."

"That's all that I am asking for." She reached out and took my hand in hers. Her smile widened when I didn't take my hand back, as I would have in the past. "Do you regret your decision to change Bella at all?"

"I have many regrets, Esme, but that is not one of them."

"That's very good to hear, son."

"Why did you ask me that?"

"Because lately when you look at her, there is a sadness in your eyes and I was worried that it was regret."

"It is regret, but not for that. It's for all the people she left behind just to be me, and for the emotional struggles she's been going through right now because of my need to have her."

"Edward," she chuckled. "You really do need to deflate your ego some. I will not deny that you are the center of Bella's universe, but her decisions are often more for her than they are for you. She married you because she loves you. She left her family because she wanted and needed to be with you forever."

"I can't help but think that she didn't completely know what she was asking for when she chose this life."

"Edward," she sighed, shaking her head at me, "you are stubborn to a fault. You do know that, right?"

"I may have heard that a time or two," I replied, grinning.

"Bella may not have known every single, intricate detail, but she knew enough to make an informed decision and she doesn't regret it at all. You told her on numerous occasions how hard this life could be. Rosalie talked to her. I'm sure the others did as well. And with all of her knowledge and first-hand experiences, she still chose you and this life. Now, please listen and get this through that very thick skull of yours. Bella loves you more than anything else in life, on Earth, or in Heaven above. She is your soul-mate, your other half, and your partner in this life, as well as any other life that may exist for us later on. It is the strength of her love and devotion to you that makes it impossible for her to ever regret her choices. And you know that her feelings will never change, just as yours never will."

"You always were good at putting things in perspective for me, even when I wasn't so keen on listening to you."

"Haven't you ever heard that mothers know best?" Esme giggled.

I smiled and shook my head at her. "I could never regret changing her, Esme. It's brought Bella and me so much closer. I can touch her and hold her without worrying I will accidentally break her. And we have so much more time together without her needing sleep, though I do miss her saying my name in her sleep."

"She makes up for it by hardly ever leaving your side," Esme said, grinning.

"I think that pretty much goes both ways," I chuckled. "I really didn't want to let go of her earlier. Sometimes, I just want to whisk her away and keep her all to myself. But we would both miss all of you very much."

"It's still important for the two of you to be alone. You have a young marriage and you are both surrounded by too much advice at times."

"Yes, but things have been going much smoother since we came up with our rules."

"You have rules? Would I be imposing if I asked to know what exactly they are?"

"Not at all. Our first rule, and probably the most important one for us, is that we have to talk to each other before we talk to our siblings, or parents, if we have a problem. The second one is that we have to explain everything we are thinking and feeling about the situation. Rule three is that we have to listen attentively to the person speaking, and wait until they are done before making judgments or comments. The fourth one is that we can't leave the room, house, or country without reaching a resolution. We put that one in there specifically to deal with our scheming sisters. Our fifth rule is that we never leave the other's sight without letting them know exactly where we will be. That one's for Jasper so we don't torture him with panicked feelings. Rule six is that no matter what's going on, or what someone says, we always answer our phones for each other. And our final rule is that we can never put aside our feelings just to make the other happy."

"Those are excellent rules. I'm sure those came about after Bella went to visit her mother."

"Yes," I said, nodding my head. "We both wanted to make sure that we never ended up in that sort of situation again."

"I'm proud of you both. That was a much more mature way to handle the issue than the way it was originally handled."

"Are you ever going to tell me what you did to Rose and Alice as punishment for lying to you?"

"No. And you know better than to ask."

I grinned at her, and she smiled, shaking her head at me. "So did Carlisle and you have a nice time while we were camping?" I asked, turning the conversation toward her.

"A very nice time. It was strange not to have a single shouting or wrestling match occur for three whole days, but we managed."

"I bet you did."

"Edward, don't get fresh with your mother."

"Esme!"

"Oh, dear! Did I use the word incorrectly? I heard Emmett say it the other day and it seemed like it would be funny to say."

"No, no. You used it correctly, but it doesn't make it any less strange."

"Well, it's important for Carlisle, you, and me to update our vocabulary every so often."

"Me?"

"Yes, dear. Your sentence structure can be rather stiff at times."

"Holy hell! Esme just made a stiff joke about Edward!" Emmett roared, laughing.

I hung my head and muttered under my breath.

"Emmett, dear, how can I help you?" Esme asked patiently.

"I was just going to ask you guys if you've seen Jasper," Emmett replied.

"He took a walk with Bella. They'll be back later," I told him.

"Damn! Why didn't they invite me?" Emmett pouted.

"Because Bella wanted to spend time alone with Jasper. Kind of like when you two spent time together during the camping trip," I answered.

"Oh," Emmett said. "Alright, well, I'm bored. What can I do?"

"Why don't you study for your finals, dear?" Esme suggested.

"Mom! That's even more boring than doing nothing," Emmett whined.

"Emmett, go finish your paper so that you can pass your class and Rose will let you change your major," I told him.

"Why don't you come play Halo with me?" Emmett asked.

"Because I'm talking with Esme," I replied.

"I thought you already understood the birds and the bees, Eddie," Emmett chuckled.

"Emmett Cullen, you have ten seconds to disappear from my sight before I ban you from your video games for a month," Esme ordered.

Emmett disappeared and I chuckled.

"Thank you, Esme."

"He's such a jokester," Esme sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, it did take me over a hundred years to fall in love and get married. I figure it will be that long before he stops his virgin jokes," I chuckled.

"I am absolutely amazed at the changes Bella has brought about in you. Even a few months ago, that sort of comment would have led to Emmett and you rolling around out here, knocking things over."

"My temper is getting more controllable, but it's still very much there."

Esme reached out and brushed my hair from my forehead. "You're missing her already."

"How can you tell?"

"A mother knows."

"No, really. How can you tell?"

She smiled at me, that same kind, unconditional love she had always had for me, shining in her golden eyes. "The set of your shoulders. The way your body is pointed toward the house so that you can bolt from that chair as soon as you become aware of her presence. The longing in your eyes. You are certainly a young man in love."

I nodded my head in agreement. "I love her so much. I only want to make her happy."

"You do make her happy, Edward. Every time her eyes land on you, she smiles and her eyes sparkle. And invariably, Jasper and Alice have to run off for awhile," Esme chuckled. "Like I said, I may not comment, but I see. And right now, I see that you should go up to your room and listen to some music until Jasper and Bella return for one, or both, of them to relieve your very present anxiety."

"Do you think the anxiety will ever go away for Bella or me?"

"I doubt it. You have both come too close to losing each other. But it will get easier to deal with as time passes." Esme patted my hand and then let it go. "Thank you for spending some time with me, Edward."

"Thank you for talking with me, mom."

"Anytime, son." Her smile was beautiful and I was even more thankful that Bella had suggested I do this. It wasn't nearly enough to make up for all of the hard times I had put Esme through over the years, but it was a start.

I headed into the house and went to my room. I turned on the stereo, not caring what was in it. I ended up getting lucky. Bella's Spill Canvas CD was in the system and the song "Sunsets and Car Crashes" started to play. I sat on the couch and leaned my head back. I closed my eyes, listening to the lyrics, soon finding that some of them reminded me of my beautiful Bella.

Somewhere near the middle of the song, I was pounced on by my unbelievably striking wife.

"Miss me?" she chuckled, as I ran my nose back and forth against the skin of her neck.

I took a deep breath, filling myself with her sweet scent. "It is utterly ridiculous that I miss you so much after only a couple of hours," I replied, never removing my lips from her skin.

"I think it's sort of cute," she said, tilting her head for me. "Did you have a nice talk with Esme?"

"Very nice. Thank you for suggesting it." I couldn't resist the soft skin of her neck and I gently nipped at it.

She lowered her head, locking her eyes with mine. "I love you."

"I love you more."

"Impossible," she chuckled.

I was going to protest, but she took my face into her hands and I was lost to the feel of her skin on mine. I closed my eyes and relaxed completely to her touch. And she had the nerve to believe she didn't dazzle me.

She kissed each of my closed eyes. "I love you so much, Edward. Every part of me needs you to be with me for me to feel alive and whole. Heck, my powers don't even work without you."

"Would you prefer that to be different?" I asked, opening my eyes to see her beautiful face.

"I would never have it any other way, silly vampire." She kissed me sweetly, but I wanted more – I needed more. She smiled against my lips and pulled away.

"Bella," I pleaded softly.

"Do you really want me to fulfill my promise now, or would you prefer us to finish our assignments first? This is the last week of classes before finals."

I shook my head, keeping my eyes locked on hers. "I need you…Right now."

She smiled and kissed my cheek. "Then by all means, have me."

It took every ounce of my self control to keep me from ripping her clothes away from her body. I closed my eyes, unable to stand seeing the desire in hers. One more second of looking at those lust-darkened eyes of hers and I really would have shredded her clothing.

She started placing those feather-light kisses across my face and neck, further weakening my resolve to behave. She nipped my ear and I broke. I grabbed her and slammed us both to the floor, knocking some of the CDs off the wall next to us. She gasped, but it was quickly changed to a moan when my lips and tongue crashed against hers.

I kicked off my shoes and then hers, focusing on not ruining them and trying to force myself to find some sort of control again. But my lovely, innocent, clueless, sexy wife chose that moment to purr and I shredded every piece of clothing from both of our bodies. I lifted her hips and thrust into her, refusing to release her from our kiss. Her entire body shook beneath me as a growl erupted from her chest. I growled in response, continuing my impassioned thrusting as she bucked her hips every time to meet me. With our frantic pace, it didn't take long at all for us to reach our releases.

I rolled us so Bella could lie on my chest as we tried to calm our panting breaths.

"That was amazing," Bella sighed.

I chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I missed you."

"I could tell," she chuckled. "You're welcome to miss me that much anytime you want."

"Be careful with your words, love. You might not want me to take them too literally."

"I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too, my sweet Bella." I tightened my arms around her, welding her to me. I knew nothing I could ever say or do would properly express my love for the woman in my arms, but I would never let that stop me from showing her how much I loved her and needed her. I had never lived until that day in the meadow when I held her for the first time, and I knew if I ever lost her, I would never live again.