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

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Bella and Edward attend the Spill Canvas concert.

Concert

Time was once again flying away from us and before I knew it, Christmas was long gone and it was February, time for Edward and me to attend our concert in New York.

As I packed my bag, I thought back over the last month and a half. I was once again training with Edward and our brothers, and I had improved to the point where they were no longer taking it easy on me. I didn't get any warning before they started coming after me, and they no longer let up if I fell, unless I got hurt in someway. But I'd only been hurt once in the past six weeks, so that in itself was a major improvement.

Carlisle was also continuing to have me practice with my powers. I still needed to touch Edward for everything, except for the ability to drain. There was nothing new or stronger about my powers, and for that, I was grateful. It was going to be enough to hide what I could do from Aro and the others.

School was back in session and I was doing an excellent job, even with math class. And since Emmett was still being punished, and really couldn't do much other than study, he was excelling in all of his classes, making Rose and Esme extremely proud of him.

"Make absolutely sure that you have charged your phones and leave them on," Alice warned Edward, as the two of them entered the room.

"Alice, I've gone away alone with my wife before, and for much longer, I might add. We'll be back late tomorrow night. Stop worrying," Edward said.

"I know," Alice sighed, plopping down onto the bed. "Consider it pre-summer jitters."

I laughed and shook my head at her as I added a few things to my bag. "Alice, there really is no safer place in the world for me to be than at Edward's side. You know he would never let any harm come to me."

"I do know that, but you're my little sister and best friend, and I worry about you," she said, taking my hand into hers.

"It's really not necessary, though, Alice. If I can hold my own with Jasper and kick Emmett's butt from time to time, I think I can handle a concert with humans," I said, trying to reassure her.

"Are you packed, love?" Edward asked, smiling at me.

"Yes," I replied, zipping up my bag. "I'm ready to leave whenever you are."

"Did you hunt, Bella?" Alice questioned, probably hoping to prolong her time with me.

"Yes, Alice. Edward took me first thing this morning," I told her.

Edward picked up my bag in one hand and grasped my hand with his other. "Alice, we'll see you tomorrow night," he said, as he led me out of the room.

Alice followed us out of the room, down the hall, and out of the front door. Edward had his Mercedes S63 waiting by the door. He walked me around the car and opened my door for me. He tried to close it, but a certain pixie got in the way, attacking me with another goodbye hug; I'd received seven of them in the last half hour alone.

"Alice, we need to go," Edward said, getting impatient with our sister.

Jasper suddenly appeared, pulling Alice into his arms. "I'm sorry, guys. She's a little upset that she's going to miss out on the shopping."

"Another time, Alice," I promised her.

Edward shut my door and quickly got in on his side, not wanting to risk another hug. He put my bag into the backseat and then started up the car. He looked over at me and smiled. "Are you excited, love?"

"Very. Now, let's get on the road before Alice tries to stop us," I chuckled.

Edward nodded his head and took off down the driveway. We knew we would have to spend the first part of the day inside the hotel because of the sunshine, but the afternoon was supposed to be overcast.

We made it to New York, quickly of course, and checked into our suite. The view was as breathtaking as Edward said it would be. I stood in front of the large window, with Edward's arms around my waist and his chin on my shoulder as I leaned into his back.

"This is going to be excellent, Edward. I just know it."

"Of course it will, love. You're with me," he said, before placing a kiss against my neck. "I love you, Isabella."

"I love you, Edward."

When the clouds rolled in, we decided to head out. We drove over to one of the more upscale malls and walked around for a bit, holding hands and laughing together about silly things. I truly felt like a young, married woman with no cares; it was wonderful. After spending most of our time in the music store, we headed down to the opposite end of the mall, to our true destination.

We entered the store and the butterflies in my stomach nearly caused me to turn right back around. Edward started rubbing circles on my hand with his thumb and I instantly found myself calming down to his touch.

"Bella, we're just looking around. You don't have to buy anything if you don't want. Alice isn't here to force you," he chuckled.

I laughed along with him. "I'm surprised she's not calling you to fuss at you for that comment."

"I took a guess at the time period we might arrive here and warned her that she had better not look."

"I know I probably seem like I'm being silly about being in Victoria's Secret with you, Edward—especially since we are long past the newlywed stage."

Edward interrupted me by leaning down and nipping my neck. "I'm never letting you out of the newlywed stage, my Bella. Our lovemaking will always be as passionate and exciting as our first time, both human and vampire."

I stopped breathing. Hell, I stopped thinking! The man…Did he…Words! He didn't even need to look at me, or touch me, to dazzle me. He could just open that beautiful mouth of his and say a few choice words and I was instantly putty in his hands. And I had been stubborn enough to think he would lose the ability to dazzle me when I became his equal. If anything, it had only intensified!

Edward chuckled as he pulled me over toward the right. "Why don't we look at some regular clothing first and then we can move onto other things?"

After a few minutes of casually browsing the racks, I turned to Edward. "I like shopping with you. It's not like the whirlwind that is our pixie sister," I chuckled, leaning against him.

"The only thing I ask is that if you see something you like, we buy it."

"First, I'll try it on. Then, if I still like it, we'll buy it."

"Deal."

Edward patiently waited while I continued looking over the clothing. I ended up finding a pair of low-rise jeans and an off-the-shoulder top to try on. I went into the dressing room and tried them on. The jeans were a dark color and fit snuggly, without making me feel like I was stuffed into them. The top was white with large, dark purple flowers. Though the sleeves were off the shoulder, they came down past my elbows. I wondered if this would be appropriate for the weather tonight; I liked it better than what I had originally brought along to wear. I decided to ask Edward.

I opened the door and stepped out, finding him sitting close by in a chair. "What do you think?"

"That color purple looks stunning against your skin, love. I think you should get it."

"Do you think this would be okay for the concert?"

"You'll have to wear a jacket on the way there, but inside, it will be perfectly fine."

"Good. I really like this, as well."

"I think Alice would approve."

"And she says I have no style." I turned around and walked back into the dressing room. I was in the middle of putting my own jeans back on when someone knocked on my door. "Yes?"

"Bella, would you be willing to try something else on?" Edward asked.

"I suppose so," I said. I opened the door to see him holding a babydoll. It was deep purple with a halter neck, and a sequined band around the empire waist line.

"Only if you want," Edward reminded me.

I could tell from the look in his eyes that he really hoped I liked this as much as he did. And I did like it. It wasn't as flashy as the things Alice and Rose would have tried to put me in. And Edward seemed to be as partial to this color purple as he was to blue.

I took the hanger from him and leaned up for a kiss. He happily granted my request.

"I'll try it on and see how it looks," I told him, as I closed the door.

I pulled my shirt off once again and tossed it onto the little bench. I carefully took the garment from the hanger and slipped it on. It looked perfect against my skin. And it made me look like I had curves I knew I didn't have. Edward would love this on me, I was sure of it. I carefully took it off and put my shirt back on. I grabbed all of the clothes and my purse, and left the dressing room.

Edward was sitting in the chair again, patiently waiting for me. "Well?"

"I really like it. We'll get this, too."

He stood up and kissed my cheek sweetly. "I'm sure you'll look stunning in it."

"You'll find out after the concert tonight, Mr. Cullen."

"I look forward to it, Mrs. Cullen. Would you care to look around more?"

"Yes," I chuckled, taking his hand with my free one. "I can't remember why I was so nervous to come in here with you."

"Alice and Rose," he chuckled.

"Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me," I laughed.

I ended up finding a dark gray tank top and short set that was trimmed with pale pink. It looked really cute and I knew I had to have it. Edward was just happy to see me so willing to purchase things. We walked around a little more and I found a royal blue tiered babydoll top that I paired with some white cuffed shorts. I was actually having fun shopping.

I turned to Edward and smiled. "It's a good thing you told Alice not to look."

"Why's that?"

"Because her pout would never go away. I'm having fun shopping and she's not here."

Edward laughed and pulled me into the safety of his arms, placing a kiss on the top of my head. "Yes, that would cause her to pout for a decade or two."

Now that I was relaxed and comfortable, I pulled Edward over into the lingerie area. We picked out some bra and panty sets in dark blue, deep purple, and black. Edward was starting to like black against my skin as much as I liked it against his. We were on our way out, when Edward spotted the sweatpants' section. He found me a blue pair with the word 'pink' written across the back of it.

"You're going to have to hide those with the other set," I warned him.

"I don't care, and besides that, Alice needs to learn that you are capable of dressing yourself. You can wear them on the ride home tomorrow and be comfortable."

"Oh, she knows that, she just doesn't agree with what I choose to wear. You know, I really hope Alice never figures out where you're hiding these," I chuckled.

We made our way over to the counter and paid for all of the items. By the time we were done, it was getting late, so we headed back to the hotel to change for the concert.

No sooner had I walked through the door than my phone started ringing. I answered, knowing who it was and that she wouldn't stop until I did. "Hello, Alice."

"Bella," she replied stiffly.

"Is there something I can help you with?" I asked, looking over at Edward to see him chuckling quietly as he put my bags down.

"Did you have fun at the mall, Bella?"

"Yes. The music store was extremely entertaining. They had a lot of selections to choose from and Edward found a CD he wanted."

"And what about those pink and white bags Edward carried into the hotel for you?"

"Alice, why are you checking our future right now? Is it really necessary with us just going to a concert?"

"Yes, Bella, it is. You're in New York. There are other vampires in New York, and they are not the vegetarian kind."

"I…I didn't…" I didn't get to say anything further because Edward took the phone out of my hand.

"Mary Alice Brandon Cullen. I cannot believe you just did that. No, we will discuss it tomorrow night when I get back. And if you call either of our phones without it being a true emergency, your Porsche is going to need a lot of work," Edward hissed, before snapping my phone shut.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed my temple.

I snuggled further into his embrace, wanting him to ease the tension that had crept up on me from Alice's phone call. "Edward, maybe we should—"

"Bella, I promise you, there is nothing to worry about. A certain small, pixie sister is a different matter, but you, my love…you have nothing to worry about. Alice was only trying to get you to give her permission to constantly check our future. I promise that you are in no danger, and that if we do come across any of our kind, they will leave us alone."

"Okay," I sighed, knowing he would never let any harm come to me. "I guess we should get ready for the concert then."

"Bella, please don't be worried," Edward pleaded, lifting my chin and getting me to look in his eyes. "Please be excited again for this experience with me."

I nodded my head at him.

"You know," he said, dropping his voice to that husky tone I loved, and flashing his crooked grin, "I'm eager to see you in your new outfit again. I especially like the jeans."

I smiled as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "And just why is that?"

He put his hands on my waist. "Because between the shirt and the jeans, there's just enough space for my hands to rest on your beautiful skin."

I laughed and reached up on my tip toes, giving him a quick kiss. "Go get ready, Mr. Cullen."

"As you wish, Mrs. Cullen," he chuckled, kissing my forehead as I removed my arms from his neck.

I pulled my shirt and jeans from the bag and headed into the bathroom with them, leaving Edward to change near the bed. Once I changed into my new clothes, I ran my brush through my hair, and pulled some of it back, using a butterfly clip Alice had bought for me.

I stepped out of the bathroom and twirled around once for Edward. "How do I look?"

He was at my side in an instant, holding me tightly. "Almost good enough to stay in for the night, love. But I know we both want to see this concert."

"Yes, we do," I agreed.

He kissed me sweetly and then let me go. He was wearing dark jeans and a short-sleeve, black polo. I briefly thought about staying in myself, but I knew we would have plenty of time for that later. Right now, I was taking my husband to his first concert.

Edward found a garage to park in and we walked down the street, heading toward the Fillmore at Irving Plaza, our arms linked around each other's waists. It was so perfectly normal and I reveled in the joy of it. I looked up at Edward, seeing in his own golden eyes that he was feeling the same way about it. His face clearly showed his excitement for tonight.

"Edward, as we start to get closer, I'll start blocking you, and increasing it until we're inside," I told him.

"Remember what I said, Bella. Dampen them only. Do not try to block them all," Edward cautioned me.

"I know, honey. I will be very careful."

As I opened our connection, I immediately understood why Edward had stayed away from concerts. Normally, it was a loud buzzing sound when we were near so many people, but with them all excited, it was like being in a small room with a thousand people all yelling at the top of their lungs. I slowly increased the amount of blocking I was doing. By the time we passed through the doors, the voices were just annoying little whispers to the both of us.

Edward led me through the crowd and right up front, near the stage. But then he kept walking, smirking at me when I nearly stumbled since I had stopped.

"Edward, what are you doing?"

"Going back stage, of course," he chuckled.

"Edward, we can't just go backstage."

"Silly Bella," he laughed, holding up two backstage passes.

"How did you get those?" I asked, taking them from him.

"Alice and the internet. It's amazing what she can do with her gift," Edward chuckled.

I had to admit, I wasn't really all that surprised. Edward never did anything halfway, so why should this be any different? "Are we going to get to meet them?"

"I don't think that would be wise, but we will have the best view in the house."

"Why not?"

"Because we can't be seen in pictures, Bella; especially you right now."

"Oh. I forgot. I'm sorry."

"It's nothing to apologize about, love. It's not something you've had to worry about yet."

Edward led me over to a corner of the backstage area that had a perfect view of where the band would be standing; there was even a chair waiting for us. He sat down and pulled me onto his lap, holding me tightly to him, just the way I liked.

"Why only the one chair?" I asked, looking up at him.

He smiled that crooked grin I loved the best. "Because I was positive I could convince you to stay in my arms all night long. I didn't see the point of an extra chair since you would never be sitting in it."

"Awfully sure of yourself, aren't you, Mr. Cullen?"

"Only when it comes to pleasing you, Isabella."

I chuckled and shook my head at him. "Is it still just whispers to you?" I asked, trying to make sure he was okay.

"Yes. How are you feeling?"

"Perfectly fine. I'm just as energized as I was in the car on the way over."

"Let me know the second that changes."

"Of course," I replied, giving him a quick kiss on the tip of his nose.

The house lights dimmed and the crowd began to scream loudly. I clapped my hands together and then turned and kissed Edward's lips. He smiled and pulled me closer, making the kiss linger. When we pulled away, I noticed that the crowd had gotten even louder and the stage lights were on.

The Spill Canvas poured out onto the stage, running right past Edward and me. I squeezed his hand tightly, trying to reign in a little of my excitement. Edward squeezed back, letting me know he was enjoying this just as much. The band picked up their instruments and got right down to business, playing "All Over You".

Edward's hands tapped out the rhythm of the song against the sides of my legs as he sung the words to me, too low for any human to hear him. I smiled wide and leaned further into him, feeling extremely grateful to be able to share this with him.

The first song came to an end and the band immediately struck up the chord for the next one. I knew this song. I turned to Edward and whispered into his ear. "How does it feel to know you're everything I need?"

Edward smiled and kissed my lips softly. "How does it feel to know you're everything I want?"

"Wonderful," I sighed, resting my forehead against his.

We listened to Spill Canvas perform the rest of "So Much", never taking our eyes off of each other. The love between us was palpable as we sat there, letting the music fill our ears and our love fill our hearts. It was a magical moment with Edward and I knew I would always treasure the memory of it.

The band ended the song and the lead singer greeted the crowd, saying how much they were all enjoying their time in New York. He then said they would be playing "Sunsets and Car Crashes" next.

Edward gave me a mischievous smile before pressing his lips to mine. He pulled away and turned me so that I was facing forward, instead of sideways. He leaned in and whispered into my ear. "Best not to tempt ourselves, love."

I laughed and pressed my cheek against his. "I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too, Bella. So very much."

We were quiet for a long time, just listening to the songs. Spill Canvas got around to playing "The Night Will Go as Follows" and I thought about how it would have been perfect for our wedding night.

Edward chuckled in my ear. "Yes, I suppose some of those lyrics would have related to us on that night."

I giggled and kissed his cheek. "I was so into this night that I forgot I was open to you. Are you enjoying all of my random thoughts?"

"I always do, my love. Your mind is as beautiful as the rest of you."

"Are you enjoying your first concert?"

"Absolutely. A good band, a beautiful woman in my arms, and the minds are only a whisper."

"Good. I think we can get through one more song, but then we should go."

"Are you getting tired, Bella?"

"I don't really feel it yet, but I know it's around the corner. They're getting more amped up as the show goes on and it's taking more to keep them at a dull roar."

"Let's go now."

"But you're having fun."

"Bella, I have other things planned for tonight and I don't want you to be too tired to enjoy them. We heard the songs we wanted to hear the most, so let's go," he commanded, standing up with me. "Remember, love, we have eternity to go to more concerts together."

I knew he was right, so I didn't protest at all. We left the concert and walked back to our car. Once we reached the car, I stopped blocking Edward, making sure to do it slowly so that he would have time to adjust.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" he asked, pressing the back of his hand against my cheek.

"Fine, Edward. I'm only slightly tired." I took his hand into mine. "So, what do you have planned?"

Edward lifted my hand to his lips and placed a kiss on it. "I believe you said I would find out how a certain outfit looked on you after the concert."

I smiled widely, pleased with the way the night had gone so far, and anticipating where it was still to go. I could see in his face that Edward was very proud of me for telling him as soon as I started to feel tired. I was pretty proud of myself, as well. And the concert had been wonderful, especially getting to see the band so closely. This had definitely been one of my better ideas. Now, it was time to go and enjoy one of Edward's.

EBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEB

Many thanks to Hellopants for help and suggestions with this chapter. She made sure you all got a VS chapter, and I hope it wasn't too boring for you guys.

Just to let you guys know, they will be in Italy before it ends!