Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Six

Early morning sunlight was tickling my closed eyelids, teasing me out of the deepest sleep I could remember having in a long time. I didn't want to wake up, the deep warm dark had been too comfortable, and the dreams…

Cool lips pressed gently against my hair, and then there was the sound of Edward's voice, better than any dream I'd ever had. "Wake up sleepyhead."

I burrowed further into his arms. "No," I mumbled rebelliously, and his answering chuckle vibrated through me. I felt one cool finger begin tracing the line of my spine and I shivered involuntarily, finally pulling far enough away to peek at him through the tangle of my hair. His golden eyes were soft as they looked down at me, and I decided that being awake in bed with Edward was preferable to even my best dreams, hands-down.

"What time is it?"

"Eight-thirty."

I groaned, my first class wasn't until ten, but I would have to get up and moving soon. "I think I'd like to ditch class today and stay in bed with you."

"You have a paper due today, Miss Swan. Although I would love to keep you in bed all day today, you probably need some recovery time. You gave me a scare last night."

I squinted at him, then smiled as I remembered last night. Edward's relentless pursuit of my orgasms, our lovemaking, but then…everything went black.

"If you hadn't started snoring a few seconds after you blacked out, I would have been in a panic."

I scowled. "I don't snore."

"Delicate, soft, ladylike snores. You were utterly adorable."

"I guess I need lessons on keeping up with the vampire," I muttered. Edward's hand ran down my cheek.

"You keep up admirably, love. I just have to remember that your delectable human body can only take so much before it needs a break. And as gratifying as it is to my male ego that you passed out from sheer sexual satiation, I don't think we want to end that way every night."

"Don't start holding back on my account, please. I enjoyed every second of it."

He slid my body along his until his lips could reach mine, then began pressing little kisses over my face, murmuring to me in between each. "I love being with you in your bed. I love that this is one of many mornings we'll share this way. I love seeing you lie in my arms asleep and then turn to me even before you're fully awake." I wound my arms around his neck in response, and we lay that way for a while, unhurriedly kissing, enjoying the quiet intimacy between us. Finally, however, he pulled slightly away.

"As much as I want to tempt you into truancy, we both know you'd regret it later if you start skipping classes on my account."

I pressed one last kiss to his full lips, then groaned and rolled away from him to stand. My legs were surprisingly wobbly and I stood clutching the bedpost for a moment before I trusted them not to collapse. Edward grinned wickedly at me, a vision of temptation between my tangled sheets.

"Again, allow my male ego relish the idea that I can make you so weak in the knees."

"Hah," I said, a little breathless. "As I recall, I started the night off for us."

His eyes darkened immediately. "Indeed you did, and I quite enjoyed every moment of it. Even if it does mean that I'll need to replace the lock on your balcony door."

I shrugged and walked slowly towards the bathroom. "It serves you right for spying on me all those nights, you sexy sneaky peeping vampire." I left him laughing behind me, twisted my hair up into a bun, and took a quick hot shower. When I emerged from the bathroom, Edward was examining the lock on the balcony door, dressed only in his jeans.

"I'm surprised you didn't rip out the doorframe or break the glass," I commented, pulling a dark blue matching bra and panty set from the dresser.

"I thought about it, but then you would have been exposed to the night air, and I had no intention of allowing you to put any warm clothes on." He turned to see me fastening my bra and inhaled sharply. "Bella…you are absolutely exquisite."

I smiled and let an idle thought about lingerie shopping drift through my mind. In a split second, he was by my side. "Yes, please do that." His fingers began stroking downwards over the bra straps, his eyes devouring my body. "Oh, Bella…"

I kissed him softly and then moved away. "I thought you didn't want to tempt me into truancy?" He growled, but stood still, watching as I pulled on jeans, a camisole, and a dark blue cabled sweater.

"I'll have to speak to Alice…have her arrange a lingerie shopping trip for the two of you. It would make watching you get dressed one of the highlights of my day. Surpassed only by taking the lingerie off of you later."

I smiled innocently at him. "That sounds like fun. Alice likes to shop?"

He rolled his eyes. "You have no idea. And that reminds me…I have something for you."

I followed him into the kitchen and he handed me a small brown paper bag. "First, your lunch, since I know you don't come back here until after your last class." Touched by his sweet gesture, I carefully tucked it into my messenger bag. He must have put it together while I was in the shower.

"Next," he pulled out his wallet. "Secondary to our discussion yesterday…" He pressed a black American Express credit card with BELLA SWAN printed on the face into my hand. "I took the liberty of ordering yours last week."

I gawked at the card, then at him. "Are you serious? I thought these things were an urban legend!"

"No, very real and very handy. Remember what I told you yesterday, Bella, all that I have is yours now. That includes OUR money."

"What in the world am I supposed to buy with a black card?" I mused, hesitating briefly before tucking it into my own wallet. Edward shrugged.

"Anything you would buy normally…clothes, books, lingerie…maybe a new car?" I shot him a dark look and he laughed softly. "Just checking. Would you like me to drop you off at the campus, or would you prefer to take my car?"

"Why don't you drop me off, and I can walk home?"

Unhappiness flickered across his face. "I'll be there to pick you up at four."

"Really, Edward, you don't have to. It's only a mile and I walk every day that the weather isn't too bad, as long as I'm not running late."

"I know you do." He helped me to shrug into my coat. "But I wish you wouldn't, with it getting dark so early now."

"But it's just Port Angeles!" I laughed a little, then stopped immediately when I saw his face. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to be an inconvenience until I get my truck back."

"Bella, nothing about you or your safety is an inconvenience. That stretch of warehouses between here and the campus has always concerned me."

I stood on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his marble cheek. "But if you've been following me for the past five months, you know that nothing bad has ever happened, right?" He remained silent. "Right?"

"Yes, love. But please, for the sake of my sanity, no more wandering past the warehouses at dusk?"

Something in his expression made me drop any further teasing. "Okay," I promised immediately.

The tension in his face disappeared. "Let me finish getting dressed and we'll be ready to go." Of course, he returned to the living room fully dressed with his jacket before I'd even finished tying my shoes. "Ready?"

"Yes, just one thing…I have something for you too." I averted my eyes from his, then went to retrieve my spare key from a drawer on my little desk. "It's no Black Card, but since you live here now too, I won't make you keep coming and going through the balcony…unless you want to." He smiled brilliantly as I handed it to him, his unease from moments before now entirely gone. He used the key, now his, to lock the deadbolt behind us as we stepped into the hall.

"It's these little things that mean the world to me, you know," he mused as we walked hand-in-hand down the hall. "All these little moments that mean I'm truly sharing your life now." I squeezed his hand. "Something as simple as packing your lunch just brought me so much joy…I can't even explain it."

"Just imagine what it will be like to have our own house," I pointed out. "All ours." His thumb stroked over my hand in his.

"I know, love, and I can't wait."

After we had settled into his car, I reached over to take his hand again. "So what are you doing today, after fixing the lock on the balcony door?"

"As soon as I'm done with that, I'm going to make a quick trip into Seattle, I ordered something that just came in today. I'll be back in time to pick you up, though. And then tonight I'd like us to start looking online at houses in Ithaca. I was thinking we could narrow it down and then fly out there at the end of the month to make a final decision, what do you think?"

"I'll have four days off over Thanksgiving, we could go then."

"You don't mind going over the holiday?"

I shrugged. "Jacob and Billy are the only ones who would probably think to ask me over for dinner, I get the feeling your family doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving dinner the way I do."

"No," he agreed. "Thanksgiving break, then. That will actually be perfect timing, we can move out there right after your last class in December."

"What about Christmas with your family?"

"We could stay for that, if you prefer. Once again, we don't celebrate the traditional way, but it's always amusing. Alice and Esme insist on decorating the house, going completely overboard, of course. Emmett usually does something completely inappropriate and hilarious. Then we all go hunting together…it's our version of Christmas dinner, I suppose."

"Um, I'll just sit that one tradition out. But yes, I would like to spend Christmas with your family."

We pulled up smoothly in front of the building I had my first class in, and Edward leaned over to kiss me. "Four o'clock, love."

The morning dragged on almost unbearably. The return to my regular schedule seemed incredible dull and I found myself daydreaming through my first two classes, thinking about Edward and the entire new world that had been revealed to me over the weekend. English 101 was frustratingly boring for the first time, and my second class, Biology, only reminded me of all the time Edward and I had spent together in high school. How could I have been so oblivious to everything that was going on around me then?

At noon, I gratefully escaped for the two-hour break before my next class. I normally used the time to cross random items off my to-do list, so after I ate the lunch Edward had packed for me, I pulled out my cell phone. Jake.

Ugh. For the first time, I was reluctant to call my best friend, although I knew that I simply had to assure him that I was fine, there was no reason for the topic of Edward or any of the Cullens to come up. A knot sat heavy in my stomach, though, knowing that this call would probably be one of the last times I spoke with Jake or Billy. I loved Edward and had no doubt that his reasons for trying to keep me from the Blacks were valid ones, but they hurt all the same.

I dialed the Blacks number and it rang three times before I realized it was noon on a school day…Jacob was probably in class as he was a senior at the reservation's small school. I was about to hang up when there was a click on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Jake?"

"Bella!" The relief and happiness in his voice reached out and enveloped me, like a blanket warm and comfortable from the dryer. I immediately felt guilty about not having called him sooner.

"Hey, I'm just returning your phone call, how are you doing? How's Billy?"

"We're both doing fine. Mad at you, though."

My heart fluttered nervously. "What did I do now?"

"I heard you were around over the weekend. Paul was in town and saw you drive by in your truck, I guess you didn't see him waving. No time for us, huh Bells?"

"Oh, I'm sorry…I was just in town for work. The, um, Cullens were having a dinner party and Lori catered it. I went home right afterwards, it was pretty late so I didn't want to call you."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. "The Cullens were having a dinner party?"

"Well, um, really it was just appetizers and drinks, Dr. Gerandy retired and they had his goodbye party there. It was really nice, actually." I realized that I was babbling and tried to take a deep breath silently, reminding myself that I couldn't give away anything that had happened over the past few days.

"Uh huh. Nice of them. How many of them were there?" His voice had gone flat and cold.

"I really don't know, I was there to work. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen were there, and I think Alice and Edward too."

"Did any of them bother you?" His words came out in a rush, suddenly furious, and I was stunned. The Quileutes' dislike of the Cullens that I'd witnessed in the past had been an underlying aversion at the most, but the frantic hostility in Jake's voice took me by surprise.

"What? Jake, no…why would you say that?"

I heard him draw in a long breath on the other end of the line. "You know I don't trust any of them, and I didn't trust that Edward for a second, the one that was around you in school so much."

"Jake…you're scaring me." My words and the tremor in my voice were completely sincere now. "They were all very nice and polite while I was there. What's wrong with you?"

"Bella, just do me a favor." His words were rushed. "Stay away from the Cullens, okay? If they have another party or whatever, call in sick to work. Don't get near them. Please?"

My entire body felt as though it had turned to ice. Edward's words from the day before about the hostility and distrust between the Quilieutes and the Cullens suddenly rang perfectly true to me. I didn't want to even begin to imagine what Jacob's reaction would be if I told him exactly what the situation between Edward and I was now.

"Bella? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, Jake, I…" I paused for a moment. "Can you tell me what's wrong with the Cullens? Why are you acting like this?"

He huffed a little. "You can't trust them, Bells. They may seem perfectly nice and all, but you've got to stay away from them. Can you promise me that? If you come back into town just come straight down to La Push, okay? You're not going to see them again, are you?"

"I don't think so," I whispered, feeling my heart crack a little at this lie.

"Well, okay then. Just do me a fucking favor and let me know when you're coming into town next time?"

I blinked in silence. I had never, in all the time I'd known Jacob, ever heard him swear.

"And if you could be bothered to call me back within twenty-four hours when I call you, that would be great too. I was worried sick about you. Paul saw you drive into town but no one saw you leave."

"Are you telling me you had the roads staked out, Jake?" I snapped, my patience finally wearing thin.

"I was thinking about it. Just remember what I said, okay? I've got to go." With that, he hung up on me, the click very loud in my ear.

I almost dropped the cell phone, my nerveless fingers finally managing to snap it shut. The anger, the hostility in his voice…even in the past, the few times Jacob had mentioned the Cullens, there hadn't been that blatant hatred towards them. It wasn't as though he'd met any of them personally, and I wondered what brought about this abrupt change in his attitude.

One thing was perfectly clear: there was no way I could have both Edward and Jacob in my life now. And as much as I loved Jacob, my best friend and brother, I knew that I could only choose my love for Edward over Jake's hatred towards the Cullens. It wasn't even a choice any more, really, and although it hurt in a profoundly deep way to realize I'd just told Jacob goodbye, I knew now that there couldn't be any other way.

Suddenly feeling sick, I stood and gathered my things into my messenger bag, deciding to swing by the computer lab and check my school e-mail before heading over to the library. I normally spent the remainder of my midday break there, before my last class at two o'clock.

In the computer lab, I sat down at a workstation in the back corner of the room, logging in and then bringing up the school's e-mail program. I deleted the regular mass-mail announcements about upcoming extracurricular activities, quickly clicking through until I came to the last e-mail, sent only ten minutes ago, according to the timestamp on the message.

CLASS CANCELED was the subject line, and the e-mail was from my two o'clock professor. I opened it to find a brief message with an apology, indicating that class for today would be canceled due to a last-minute family emergency. I groaned and looked at the clock on the computer…it was only now one o'clock. If I'd known that class would be canceled, I could have left at noon and spent the afternoon with Edward. Except that Edward was probably in Seattle by now, at the speeds he drove. Well, a quiet afternoon alone sounded nice too. I enjoyed every second I spent with Edward, but I was coming to realize that living with a man who could feel my emotions and read my mind meant I would have to cherish privacy whenever possible.

I zipped up my jacket and settled my messenger bag over my shoulder, walking quickly off campus towards my apartment complex. I felt a momentary pang of guilt after having promised Edward this morning that I wouldn't walk home anymore…but he'd specifically asked me not to walk home alone at dusk. Although it was an overcast day, it was bright and busy enough that I wasn't worried about being kidnapped off the street in the middle of the day.

His words had made me more aware of the hundred yard stretch of warehouses I walked along, though, and I shivered as I hurried a little faster. He'd probably be upset that I'd walked home after all. Maybe I should look into renting a car for the week, until I got my truck back.

Of course nothing bad happened, nothing ever had. As I locked my front door behind me, I laughed at how easily I'd spooked myself. Edward was a little overprotective, I couldn't fault him for that, but being a policeman's daughter meant I was pretty good at keeping myself safe.

I dropped my bag on the couch and hung up my jacket before sending Edward a quick text: "Class canceled, I'm home." I'd just put a cup of milk to heat in the microwave for hot chocolate when there was a vigorous knocking at the door. I glanced through the peephole and then smiled as I unlocked the door to reveal Alice.

She stepped inside immediately, her white teeth sparkling in a giant smile, her arms wrapped firmly around a huge stack of what looked like magazines and binders. "Hi Bella! Sorry I didn't call, but your class being canceled was a last-minute thing and I just wanted to get here as soon as possible. Edward won't be back until around three, although he's hurrying up now that you've texted him."

"You drove from Forks?"

"Yep!" She dropped her stack on the kitchen table as I pulled the cup of hot milk out of the microwave, spooned in some Godiva hot chocolate mix and stirred it gently. "Oh, and we'll definitely be taking a trip to Seattle for that lingerie shopping…next week I think."

I could feel my cheeks flushing. "Exactly when will I get used to you seeing everything before I do it?"

"Not for years, probably. But you'll find it comes in very handy, I promise."

"I hope so," I murmured, picking up the mug of hot chocolate. "So what's up? Is this purely a social call?"

She grinned again, turning quickly to the stack on the table, then back again to face me. She held up a copy of Brides magazine like a child showing off a perfect report card.

"Oh wow, Alice. You're getting married to Jasper…again? That's awesome!"

She rolled her eyes. "No silly. I'm here to start planning your wedding!"

I choked on the hot chocolate, much to her amusement. "What?"

"Bella…I'm psychic, remember? I can see the future and all?"

"First of all," I croaked, reaching for a napkin, "He hasn't asked me to marry him."

"But he will! And you'll say yes, right?"

"Um, I suppose I would. But that hasn't happened yet! Plus, we just um, you know, since Friday…"

She heaved out a melodramatic sigh. "You've known each other for two years. I've waited two years for this moment!"

"Alice! Edward and I haven't even talked about anything like this yet! And he hasn't asked me to marry him!"

"But he will!" She planted her fists on her hips and glared up at me. This conversation was obviously going in circles, I groaned and dabbed at the hot chocolate I'd spit on my sweater.

"Okay, can we backtrack a little?" I ignored the stack of magazines on the table and went into the living room, then sank down on the couch. Alice plunked down next to me, still clutching the Brides magazine like a holy relic. "Okay, first off I don't want you to think I'm not grateful for everything you've done to help get Edward and I to this point, because I truly am. And I get the feeling you and I are going to be very good friends." She nodded and beamed at me. "But when I stop to think about it, I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around everything that's happened. I don't think planning a wedding is something I'm up for at the moment."

"I'll plan it for you," she offered, pouting a little.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. I don't want a wedding to be planned yet."

"Oh, Bella. And I thought getting around Edward would be the hard part." She hugged the magazine close to her chest. "Can't we even look at a few dresses?"

"No," I said firmly.

"Flowers?"

"No. But I promise when the time comes, you can help me plan everything, okay?"

She sighed again, then tossed the magazine to the floor. "Matron of honor?"

"Absolutely."

"All right then." She paused and then threw her arms tightly around my neck. "I'm so excited!"

"Alice, can you do me a favor?" I laughed and awkwardly returned her hug. "Unless something really bad is going to happen, don't tell me anything about my future, please? I'd rather find out as it happens."

She bounced a little on the couch. "Sure, but can I tell you that you and I are going to be best friends, like sisters?"

"I think I knew that already," I said dryly before cautiously taking another sip of hot chocolate. "So, since we aren't going to be planning a wedding today, what would you like to do?"

"Well, I would suggest that we go ahead and take that lingerie shopping trip now, since Edward is on his way home, but I guess we don't really have time. Oooh, wait, I know what we can do!" In a flash Alice bounced up from the couch and was perched on my desk chair, booting up my laptop. "You can buy from the website and have it delivered, this will at least get you started until we can get to a department store in Seattle."

"Get me started on what?" I pulled myself up from the couch and got up to peek over her shoulder. "Oh my God, Alice, La Perla?"

"Believe me when I tell you he'll love it," she said smugly, clicking rapidly through the website. "Just make sure you don't think about any of this with him around, though, if you want it to be a surprise. You've got to learn to block him out to keep anything a secret."

"Hmm, could you teach me how to do that? It would come in handy at some point, I'm sure…ALICE!" I caught sight of one of the items she was adding the online shopping bag. "That bra was $300!"

"Yep, so what? It'll look gorgeous on the floor next to your bed." She winked at me deviously. "I saw him giving you the credit card, so you must know it's no biggie."

"Shopping with vampires is going to take some getting used to," I muttered, flopping down in the armchair next to the desk.

"It's fun! Really! Second only to sex with vampires, and I know you've already found that out."

My cheeks flared bright red again. "Please don't tell me how much you've seen of that."

"Don't worry, I try and block that out for everyone," she giggled. "But honestly, it's incredible, isn't it?"

"Alice! This is your brother you're talking about!"

She snorted, flicking through pages of panties now. "He's not really my brother, you know that. Besides, this is the kind of thing girlfriends dish about. I could tell you about Jasper and I, if you like."

"No," I said quickly. "I'll take your word for it that it's incredible for you too. And yes, sex with Edward is…hot." I paused for a moment, a smile slowly growing on my face. "Better than hot, it's more than I ever thought something like that would be."

"He was your first, wasn't he?"

"Yep, but I don't think I need anything to compare it with to know it's mind-blowing. It just seems to keep getting better."

"It does," she said seriously, moving on to the sleepwear. "Jasper and I have been together for decades and every single time is just as incredible or more so. When you have that kind of emotional and spiritual bond to someone, it just enhances the physical aspect of it too."

I curled my legs up under me in the chair, surprised at how easy it was to talk about sex with Alice. "Can I ask you something?"

She flashed another bright smile at me. "Of course, Bella, you can ask me anything. We're going to be best friends, remember?"

"And I'm really glad for that…I think Edward was worried about me not having anyone to talk to about all…this."

"He is. You can talk to me about anything, ask me about anything." She shot me a sideways look.

I was silent for a moment, thinking about the many questions that had started flickering through my mind over the past few days. "I guess…staying on topic…the sex thing. I've worried he's having to hold himself back, and that he's not enjoying himself as much. Yesterday we had a discussion and he, um, got kind of upset and squeezed my hands a little too tight. I guess that's the first time I really saw how much stronger he is than me."

She sighed. "Yes, I saw that happening, but you handled it really well. He tends to overthink things. He always has, and when it comes to you…oh boy."

"Do you think he's holding back more than he has to?"

"No," she replied immediately. "He's come a remarkably long way in two years, but the bare fact remains that he is much stronger than you, and he really could hurt you if he wasn't mindful of that all the time. He would never forgive himself if he hurt you. I'd say for now, let him lead on that front. Besides, aren't you enjoying yourself?"

"Of course! But I want him to enjoy himself just as much."

"Trust me, Bella, he is. I've seen that much, at least."

"Is he happy?" My voice was much softer than before, and Alice stopped her frantic clicking to answer me.

"He's very happy now."

"He wasn't before?"

"No," she shook her head slowly. "He was very lonely for a long time, even if he never admitted it. Being single in a house full of mated vampires…we tried to never rub it in his face, but it's tough to ignore. And it wasn't just the sex thing for him, it was the lack of a partner, someone of his own to love the way he saw in all of us. When you finally came into his life, it was amazing."

"How far in advance did you see me coming, out of curiosity?"

"When you made the decision to come to Forks. But even then, it was scary. At first, all I saw was him killing you." Her face crumpled a little. "That was awful."

"When did you first see…all of this, where we are now?"

She smiled sadly at me. "At Charlie's funeral."

"That's what he said too," I murmured, sitting back in my chair. Alice went back to her shopping and after a moment I spoke again. "Without telling me details, can you tell me if you see Edward and I having a long happy life together?"

"Yes, definitely," she said immediately.

Warmth spread through me at that. "Can you tell me more about vampires, in general?"

She peeked at me sideways again. "What exactly would you like to know?"

"Well, I guess…is it fun? Are you happy?"

She exhaled slowly and turned away from the computer. "It depends on who you ask. I don't remember being human, this is all I've ever known. I love my life, and I love my family. It's tough always trying to blend in, to pretend to be something you're not. I can't just have normal friends and normal girl-time. I love Rosalie, but she and I probably would never have been friends in our human lives. I think you and I would have been, though. And I've got Jasper now, so I can honestly say I wouldn't change my life for anything.

"But if you asked Rosalie, you'd get a very different answer. She's always struggled the most with what we are, even more so than Edward. All she ever wanted was to be a happy wife and a mother and she feels fate, and Carlisle to a certain extent, took that away from her. Every single day she thinks about that, about what she lost. So she would probably say she'd give anything to be human again.

"Other than that, I think we all feel that this is our life, and we try to make the most of it. That's why I have no problem ordering thousands of dollars of frilly lingerie in one sitting."

"Please, don't tell me the total, I don't want to know." I got up to retrieve my wallet and handed her the black credit card with my name emblazoned across the front, wondering if I should ask her the next question that had been niggling at my mind. It was probably something I should ask Edward directly, but I truly wasn't sure what his reaction would be, and maybe it would be best to at least test the waters with Alice first…

"Bella, you're giving me a headache." Alice finished the online checkout process and turned to squint at me.

I laughed lightly. "Can vampires get headaches?"

"I can see that you're flipping back and forth about asking me something, and it keeps changing your future. You're making me dizzy here."

I took a deep breath. "Okay, fine. Tell me about how someone becomes a vampire."

She groaned. "I'm not supposed to tell you this. He doesn't want any of us to talk to you about it."

"Let's play Twenty Questions, then. Is it like on movies and tv?"

She rolled her eyes. "Definitely not."

"Do you have to be dying, to become a vampire?"

"He's going to kill me," she sighed.

"You're already dead."

"Details," she muttered, running her hand through her spiky black hair. "No, you don't have to be dying."

"Oh, I just assumed…" I trailed off, surprised by her answer, then tried again. "He's told me about Esme and Emmett, and himself, and that they were all dying, so I just assumed that it was necessary for…"

"But he didn't tell you the details about Jasper, did he? Or Carlisle? I don't remember anything before the day I opened my eyes and woke up a vampire, but Jasper and Carlisle were both very healthy humans when they were changed."

I sat in silence, stunned that the possibility genuinely hadn't crossed my mind before. Alice gracefully sprang from the computer chair and tugged me back over to the couch, where she pushed me to sit and then curled up next to me.

"I've never done it or seen it done, so I can't give you any details. Besides, this really is something you should talk with Edward about, he's going to be upset that I've told you this much as it is."

"Why, if he wasn't planning on telling me himself?"

"Oh, he definitely planned on telling you, just not so soon. You two have been in a perfect happy little bubble for the past four days, and I think he felt there was plenty of time for heavier discussions later on."

I frowned. "Apparently my inquisitive mind doesn't agree. Can you tell how he's going to react?"

"No," she replied honestly. "You're still processing all this, and I can't see yet how you'll choose to bring it up, and what his response will be. But regardless, this is Edward you'll be talking to. He loves you so very much, be honest and direct with him and I'm sure he'll be that way with you too. He just didn't want you to worry about too much at once, but if you approach him directly I'm sure he'll be honest with you. Besides," she grinned a little. "This is something he really wants to discuss with you. And that's all I'm going to tell you."

"Ugh. In that case, you'd better give me a crash course on how to block him from reading certain thoughts. And you'd better split before he gets back."

She giggled and straightened up. "Oh, he'll know. Vampires' scents are very distinctive, he'll know as soon as he steps foot in the building that I was here."

"What do I smell like?" I asked curiously.

"Wonderful. Very floral. You smell great to all of us, although more so to Edward." She wrinkled her nose at me and grinned. "Tasty, even."

"Very funny. How do I keep him from seeing that we talked about this?"

"Normally I would tell you to distract yourself by concentrating on something difficult. I usually work on translating the Bill of Rights into Chinese or something, but if you did that, he'd know in a second something was up. Since he can only really read your thoughts when he looks into your eyes, I'd suggest avoiding eye contact and distract him with the La Perla shopping if he gets suspicious. You do need to talk to him about it as soon as possible, though."

"Oh, don't worry, I fully intend to."

"He's going to be here in the next twenty minutes, so I should probably get going. I picked express shipping, so your lingerie should be here tomorrow. Have fun with it, I know he will."

"I'll give you a full report, don't peek."

She giggled and jumped up from the couch. "Okay, I'll try not to. I'll see you Friday morning, and be ready for a makeover."

"A makeover?" I protested weakly.

"Just enjoy it, Bella!" She picked up her enormous stack of bridal magazines from the table. "Are you sure you don't want to keep just a couple of these?"

"No!"

"Well then, I'll see you in a few days. Bye, Bella!" With that, Alice danced out the front door, leaving me to my thoughts.

When Edward arrived eighteen minutes later I was sitting at my computer, checking my e-mail after first making sure Alice had closed out the La Perla website. The door clicked open and I leaned back to see Edward entering warily. His face lit up when he saw me sitting at the desk.

"Hello, love."

"Hi." It was amazing how instinctively I reacted to his presence now, an overwhelming sense of comfortable love and no small amount of lust.

"Alice already left?"

I laughed and tilted the chair back. "She said you'd know as soon as you stepped into the building."

"I guess I should have known that she'd seize the advantage of your class being canceled and be here right afterwards." He crossed the room to me and leaned to place a soft kiss on my lips, I was careful to keep my eyes shut. "What were the two of you up to?"

"Just girl talk, mostly. It was nice."

"I'm glad." He stood behind me, his hands running gently up over my arms and I leaned the chair back again, tilting until the back of my head rested against his stomach.

"Did you have a good trip?"

"Yes, thank you. I missed you, though." He tugged gently at me and I immediately stood, melting into him with a sigh. He kissed me again, then pulled away, cocking his head curiously. "What exactly did Alice do to you?"

"Nothing too horrible. Why do you ask?" I pulled him back against me and buried my face in his neck.

"Your mind feels very…unbalanced."

I snickered and kissed his throat. "That doesn't sound like a compliment."

"I know Alice. What did she say to you?"

"Nothing we can't talk about, please stop worrying."

"I can't help it when it comes to her plans for you."

"Do you really want to know?" I sighed dramatically.

"Very much."

I pictured the $300 bra Alice had bought in my mind, focusing on the image as clearly as I could, imagining the black lace against my skin and under his lips before lifting my chin and allowing my eyes to meet his. Edward's pupils immediately dilated and his hands tightened on me.

"She took you shopping?"

"Virtually," I whispered before pulling his head back down until his lips met mine. He moaned.

"I owe Alice an apology, then. I automatically assumed she was up to no good." He spun me around effortlessly, allowing his hands to drift down my lower back. "Anything else you'd like to show me?"

"Not until it's delivered tomorrow." I nuzzled his neck, feeling my arousal growing exponentially. "Until then you just have to enjoy the package without the trimmings."

He hummed a little and his lips were nibbling along my neck when they suddenly froze in place. "What. Is. That?"

"Hmm?" I turned my head and followed his stare to the Brides magazine Alice had tossed on the floor, half-hidden under the couch. I hadn't noticed that she'd left it or I would have thrown it away before he got home.

He was growling again, and not in pleasure this time. "I guess this is why she conveniently decided to leave just before I got back."

I flushed guiltily. "You should have seen the whole stack she had with her. She must have forgotten to grab that one."

He shook his head slowly. "Vampires don't forget things like that, Bella. She left it here on purpose, hoping I'd see it and get the message. One of the joys of a psychic sister is that she's spoiled quite a few surprises over the years."

"Surprises?" I asked stupidly.

He sighed. "Silly Bella, surely you knew I'd planned to propose to you?"

I gaped at him, completely without words.

"You didn't know? I'm definitely going to kill Alice now."

"No, I…um," My head was whirling. "I imagined being with you for the rest of my life, of course. I guess my thoughts hadn't been any more concrete than that yet."

"I was going to make it very romantic," he said softly, and the crestfallen expression on his face tugged at my heart. I wrapped my arms around his neck again.

"I would strangle Alice for you, but I get the feeling she could probably outrun me. I guess she just got overexcited. I can pretend that this afternoon never happened, if you like."

He ran his hand down my side. "That would probably be for the best, unless you'd like your ring right now."

I froze again. "You already have it?"

"It's what I went to Seattle to pick up." He bent and gently kissed my lips, his tongue darting quickly across them.

My thoughts were going a million miles a minute. Marriage hadn't even crossed my mind until Alice had appeared with her stack of magazines, not because I was opposed to marrying Edward, but because it seemed so ordinary, so everyday. There was nothing remotely ordinary about my love for Edward, it seemed like magic and every dream I'd ever had come true.

"You must be upset," he murmured against my ear. "I can't hear anything from you now."

"I'm thinking."

"About?"

"Marrying you."

"Is it such a ghastly idea?"

"No, I'm just trying to figure out how to ask…" I pushed away from him. "Is it horrible of me to say that I don't want you propose right this second, but that the suspense will kill me if I don't get to see the ring now?"

He stared at me for a moment and then his face cracked into a smile. "You're not upset about the idea of marrying me?"

I scoffed. "Of course not. It just hadn't occurred to my sex-addled brain over the past four days, that's all."

"Oh Bella," he said quietly before pulling me back against him, hard. "I really don't know what I would do without you now."

"You would be lonely and very horny for all of eternity," I said, trying to lighten his mood. I knew it had worked when I finally felt him chuckle silently against me, then he was gently pushing me to sit down on the couch before kneeling in front of me.

"You promise, you're not proposing now? I really want to hold out for your romantic plan, to be honest."

"I promise," he vowed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small black box. I sucked in a deep breath as he carefully opened the box and rested it on my knee. Nestled in black velvet was a gorgeous diamond ring, a single stone set in the center sitting high above two smaller ones that flanked it. It was perfect in its simplicity.

"It's an antique, made in the year I was born," he said, sounding a little nervous. "I thought you might like that better than something modern."

"It's beautiful," I whispered, and his face lit up.

"You really like it?"

"It's perfect. I can't wait until you give it to me for real." I leaned forward and kissed him, letting my fingers lace into his and closing the little black box at the same time.

"I can't wait until you're my wife," he promised against my lips, his free hand coming up to cup my face, his fingers intertwining into my hair. He kissed me hard and I felt his hand holding the box slip away from mine as he stood suddenly and pulled me to my feet and then scooped me up into his arms. Before I could catch my breath we were lying on the bed, his hard body settling carefully over me before his lips sought mine again.

"Edward," I gasped, "I have to ask you something else before I lose my nerve."

"Ask me anything," he mumbled, his mouth now moving over my throat.

"I asked Alice, but she told me to ask you," I managed as his tongue swept over my collarbone.

"Yes?"

"I want…I want you to tell me about becoming a vampire."

A/N: Finally, it's time for the conversation. You know what conversation. That Conversation. Shoot me a review and let me know what you think!