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

All original characters, plots, and the storyline contained within this derivative work are the property of Lazykate. This story may not be reproduced or reposted without permission from the author.

Chapter Eighteen

By the time Edward and I had left our small northern meadow and run back to the house, the faint light of Alaska's shorter day was already brightening the sky. We stopped just long enough for each of us to take down a deer, and again I wrinkled my nose against the smell even as I eagerly swallowed the blood. Carnivores were much better.

When we were about a mile from the house, we heard the faint sound of someone singing, and exchanged puzzled glances. We ran quietly then, and within a matter of seconds were close enough to distinguish the voice and the words. Edward grinned and tugged at my hand to slow me, and then we silently crept up together through the forest, to where we could just catch a glimpse of the house through the thick trees.

There, chopping wood at vampire speed, was Emmett. He was wearing jeans, a dark sweater, and a bright red knit hat with a pompom on the top, while singing "I've Been Workin' on the Railroad" at top volume. His voice was surprisingly good, but it was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen.

Edward pulled me close, speaking almost silently against my ear. "He didn't hear us coming. Shall we try out those stealth-Bella skills now?"

I nodded silently, smiling back at him.

"This is going to be fun," he mouthed, squeezed my hand, and then loped away from me, towards the singing vampire-lumberjack. When he broke the tree line Emmett looked over his shoulder and called to him, not interrupting his work for a moment.

"Edward! Nice to see you make an appearance again!"

"Hello Emmett… nice hat."

"Rosie found it for me," he replied cheerfully. "Where's Bella?"

"She went straight back to our cottage. She wanted to get… cleaned up."

I took that as my cue and crept forward slowly as Emmett burst into uproarious laughter. "Cleaning up, huh? What the hell were you two doing last night, gardening? Or wait, lemme guess, mud wrestling?"

"She took down an adult moose as her first kill," Edward replied calmly.

"Really?" Emmett sounded impressed. "But no bears?"

"Not for her, no."

"Then let me guess… wild crazy sex under the stars, right?" He rattled off a few more crude jokes as I emerged from the trees behind him, holding my breath and placing my feet ever-so-carefully in the snow to avoid any noise that would give me away.

"You're just jealous, Emmett. You probably miss newborn sex."

"I do," he admitted, and I grinned in spite of myself. "Man, when I woke up for the first time and saw Rosie above me…"

Edward rolled his eyes. "We've all heard this story a hundred times before. So when are you going to let my newborn wife kick your ass?"

Emmett huffed indignantly and sank his axe into the next length of wood. "Tell her to bring it on anytime. I don't care how strong she is, I can take her."

"A newborn? A little overconfident, don't you think?"

I was approximately thirty feet away from them now, and the instincts of the hunt were coursing through me again. I instinctively knew what to do to keep my prey from sensing my presence: stalking; waiting; plotting; anticipating. Every step I took was careful and deliberate, and I slowly began to sink down into a half-crouch, preparing to leap.

Emmett guffawed. "Bella weighed what, a buck-ten, buck-twenty, soaking wet? Newborn or no, she's toast."

My lips pulled back over my teeth at the challenge, the hot thrill of the hunt now taking over my mind completely. In my heightened peripheral vision I saw Alice and Jasper flit to a window, watching. A moment later, they were joined by Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie. Emmett was completely oblivious and Edward smiled innocently at him.

"You'd better hope she doesn't hear you say that… she'll take it as a challenge."

"You'd better hope I don't break your wife in half," Emmett retorted. "I'd hate to listen to you whine about that for the next century or so."

I was twenty feet away now, more than close enough. In one lithe movement I sank down almost to the ground and then immediately straightened my legs with a snap, launching myself through the air like a spring, landing squarely on Emmett's broad back.

He let out an ear-splitting yell and reacted immediately. The axe went flying through the air as he threw his arms wide and leapt into the air like a surprised cat, taking me with him. Edward quickly moved out of the way as Emmett staggered around, swiping one enormous hand back at me, lumbering like a grouchy bear awakened too early from hibernation.

"Toast, huh?" I hissed into his ear, and in that moment he knew who had him and let loose an impressive string of profanity. I clung to him like a burr as he reached back again and tried to pry me loose, my arms constricting around his neck with every move he made.

"Goddammit that was not fair!" he yelled, and began tugging at the legs I'd locked around him. "Edward, get her off me!"

Edward smirked at him. "I thought you were going to break her in half? Go ahead and try. I think you'll find you bit off more than you can chew this time."

Emmett growled furiously, and suddenly gave up trying to pry me loose. Before I knew what he was doing, he jumped straight into the air again, twisting so that he landed hard on his back, pinning me between the frozen ground and the massive bulk above me. Newborn strength or no, I was stunned long enough for him to squirm loose and bound a few dozen feet away. I was on my feet a half-second later.

He was breathing heavily and scowling at me. "That was cheating, Bella. I was going to go easy on you, but if you want to play dirty, I will too!"

"Bring it on, muscle-man," I taunted him. I faintly heard the sound of laughter from the house.

Emmett growled again and charged head-on at me. Instead of ducking away as I think he expected, I met him head-on. It was an extremely strange sensation to feel power surge up from within me in response to our grappling, being able to wrench around Emmett's tree-trunk arms as though they were nothing, seeing him strain to move my body and yet not gaining an inch. For as fast as we were both moving, I observed everything with perfect clarity, saw his muscles bunch in and eyes twitch as I anticipated his next move, ducked and twisted away even as I sought to gain the upper hand. I was quicker and stronger, but he had size and experience on his side, and for a time we were evenly matched.

We wrestled for what seemed like hours, until Emmett's growing frustration made him careless and I slipped behind him in one lightning-fast move, knocking his feet out from under him and then pinning him to the ground. He howled and squirmed frantically, trying to get away, but I held my hands hard against his shoulders, mashing his face into the snow. Applause and laughter broke out from the other Cullens, who had by that time come outside to watch the show.

"I'd say you lose, Em," Jasper drawled.

"Agreed," Edward said immediately, sounding slightly anxious. "As much as I'm enjoying your humiliation, admit she beat you."

"For now," Emmett muttered querulously.

"What was that?" I asked sweetly, kneeing him in the back. "I couldn't quite hear you, with your face in the snow and all."

"Fine, you win this round," he snarled, and I immediately sprang up off him and ran to Edward's side. Emmett quickly hopped up as well and gave me a dirty look as Edward wrapped his arms around me.

"That was not fair, Bella, sneaking up on me. We'll see how things even out when you get up the nerve to take me head-on."

"That doesn't say much for you, that I was able to sneak up on you so easily," I taunted him.

His scowl was replaced by a brief look of confusion. "Yeah… that was weird. I didn't hear you coming or anything."

"Stealth-Bella," Edward laughed, pulling me tight against him.

"Whatever. Winner gets to stack the firewood, I'm outta here." He snatched up his red hat from where it had been lost in the snow early in our tussle and tugged it on, looking absurdly like a sulking child despite his size. "I've gotta go hunt and get my strength back up for round two. Rose, you coming with me?"

Rosalie broke away from the rest of the Cullens, an inscrutable expression on her lovely face. She took Emmett's hand and then gave me a small smile. "Nice job, Bella."

"Babe!" Emmett protested.

She shook her head and then ran lightly towards the woods, Emmett in hot pursuit. Edward chuckled again and kissed my forehead. "For the record, I vote no more wrestling with Emmett unless you're properly dressed for it. I enjoyed watching you take him down a peg or two, but wrestling my brother in a dress…"

"You put me up to it," I replied playfully.

"I wasn't thinking clearly, obviously." He ran his hand slowly down my side and his voice dropped to a husky whisper. "Anything under this dress is for my eyes only. It's a good thing he didn't rip it or I would have stepped in… ripping your dress is my job."

I shivered under his touch, feeling that ever-present desire immediately rise to the surface, but Alice's cheerful voice snapped us out of our reverie. "We're all still standing right here, you two."

"So go away," was Edward's automatic response, but I giggled and pulled slightly away from him. Alice smiled innocently at me.

"Did you enjoy the northern lights, Bella?"

"Very much," I assured her, although I hadn't paid much attention to them after Edward and I found more interesting activities to distract ourselves with. Sex with Edward in the snow was becoming one of my very favorite things in the world.

"Glad to hear it. Eleazar went back home, but wanted us to pass along that he hopes that you two will visit them soon. And I've been waiting for you to get back because Bella's new wardrobe has arrived, and I want to see what you think of it."

"It's here already?" I asked, surprised. Evidently Edward and I had spent more time out in the woods than I'd realized.

Alice grinned and grabbed my hand, pulling me along with Edward trailing behind us. "Of course, express shipping, remember? We may be in the woods of Alaska, but they'll deliver anywhere for the right price."

"And here I thought I'd gotten away from your shopping mania," I teased as we entered the house. Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper had all disappeared.

"Until I can take you into town, we'll have to make do with online shopping," she said sadly. "But it's doable. Just not as much fun."

"We have internet access out here?"

Alice giggled as we climbed the stairs, heading back to Edward's old room. "Of course. We may be somewhat off the grid out here, but we're not off the map. I know Emmett and I would die of boredom if we didn't have the internet, and Carlisle likes to keep up with what's going on in the world too."

"Well, that's good to…" The words died on my lips as Alice opened the bedroom door with a flourish to reveal stacks and stacks of boxes piled throughout the room. My jaw dropped open and Edward groaned behind me.

"Alice, uh, in case you didn't notice, Edward and I live in a cottage. What's in those boxes won't fit in our house, let alone my closet."

"Oh, I know," she replied sweetly, examining the labels on the closest boxes. "I figured we could renovate this room into a walk-in closet. You could keep some stuff down there, but the majority of it could stay here."

I looked at Edward and shook my head. "She's already ordered whatever she needs to turn this room into one giant closet, hasn't she?"

"Yes, she has."

Alice shrugged, completely unashamed. "I knew you wouldn't mind."

"No, I don't mind… just don't ask me for any organizational help. Why in the world do I need so many clothes, if I'm not going out in public for a long time anyway?"

She cast a pointed look at my black dress, which was a mess after hunting and then the tussle with Emmett. "Do you want to wear that for the next decade?"

"Just let her have her way," Edward murmured in my ear. "You'll get used to it. I don't remember the last time I was allowed to purchase clothes for myself before I moved in with you."

"I enjoy this," Alice emphasized, tearing into a box. "And neither of you do. Besides, I bought you some really cute stuff. Edward, you'll approve."

"I'm sure," he replied absently, running his hand up and down my back.

"I'll get together a few outfits for you to get you through the next few days. Why don't you go get cleaned up now and I'll lay out…"

She paused and her face went blank for a moment, then she scowled. "Wow, this is going to get really annoying."

"What?" I queried, trying to peek into the box she had opened.

"You just vanished from my immediate future, but I don't know…"

"Carlisle," Edward supplied, and Alice's eyes went far away again for a moment.

"Oh. Well, in that case…"

"Can you both please remember that I don't specialize in silent communication?" I asked somewhat petulantly, and Edward immediately hugged me tight.

"I'm sorry, love. Carlisle wants to speak with you when you have a moment."

"About what?"

He hesitated a moment. "I'd rather let him explain."

"Can I shower and change first?"

"Of course. This room has an attached bathroom."

"Will you come shower with me?" I asked, slipping my arms around his neck. He smiled before kissing me.

"Absolutely."

"I'm still here, you guys!" Alice's disembodied voice floated up from behind more boxes.

"Maybe this would be a good time for you to scram, then?" Edward growled at her, before placing a more urgent kiss on my lips. I pressed up closer to his body as his hands slid from my waist down over my hips, and I couldn't help but wiggle against him.

"Tease," he muttered, before nipping my lower lip.

"Will you two just go get in the shower already? I'll lay a change of clothes out for you here and scram before I get an eyeful of something I don't need."

Edward groaned and tugged me towards the bathroom, but not before giving a swift kick to one of the stacks of boxes, sending them all toppling to the floor with a heavy crash. He slammed the bathroom door shut behind us, cutting off Alice's shriek of fury. "That'll get rid of her," he said with no small amount of satisfaction, pulling me hard against his body again.

"Edward," I whimpered, my hands moving over his body even as I tried to stiffen my resolve. "We can't…if Carlisle is waiting…"

"I can't get enough of you, Bella," he whispered against my neck. "I want you so much, all the time. I don't want to share you. You have no idea what it did to me outside just now; seeing how strong and perfect and unbreakable you are. All the things I wanted to do to you when you were human, all the things I couldn't do, I can do now. Don't you like the idea of me losing control with you?"

I moaned in delight as he nibbled along my collarbone. "Let's talk to Carlisle and then… go back home… ohhhh…"

He gave my shoulder a quick sharp bite that made me gasp. "Carlisle can wait while I make love to you." His hands were hot and moving hard over the curves of my body, leaving my nerves tingling furiously in their wake. He licked at the spot he'd just bitten, then fastened his mouth over it and sucked hard. The scrape of his teeth over my skin made me moan again, louder this time.

"But Carlisle…"

He growled impatiently and stepped back, then ripped my dirty black dress away from my body in the blink of an eye. In the next second he reached down and grabbed my hips, roughly lifting and pulling me up against him. I automatically wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, my mouth crashing against his as he carried me over to the walk-in shower. He flicked the hot water on without breaking our kiss, and then pressed me against the tile wall, taking me hard and fast as the water ran down over our naked bodies.

Alice had thankfully vacated the bedroom by the time we emerged, leaving behind a change of clothes for both of us. Jeans and a t-shirt for him, a soft clinging jersey dress for me. I hadn't worn pants since I'd woken up a vampire.

"I guess it's a good thing I can't feel the cold," I said thoughtfully. "This isn't what I imagined Alaska-appropriate attire to be."

"She knows I love seeing you in a dress," Edward said slowly, watching me as the thin material slithered down over my body and settled against my curves.

"Oh? And why is that?"

He stepped closer and placed his hand flat on my leg before running it up along the sensitive skin of my inner thigh, under the material. "Easy access."

My body flared in response to his words, but I took a step back. "I'll never talk to Carlisle if you keep this up."

He smiled innocently at me. "I don't know what you're talking about. Just because we can't keep our hands off each other…"

"That's exactly what I mean." I sucked in a deep breath. "I want you all the time."

"It's perfectly normal." He reached out and took my hand. "Rosalie and Emmett were so obnoxious about it that finally even Carlisle and Esme had enough and threw them out until they'd calmed down."

"How long does that take?" I queried, forcing my mind away from the tingle where my skin touched his, the throbbing in my chest that I was hyperaware of now.

"Years," Edward whispered, before gently kissing my lips. "We have years, decades even, to enjoy this, to explore the bond between us. During that time, we've got something of a free pass to drop everything and get lost in each other whenever we want."

I stood blinking at him. "Years?"

"I told you vampires are very lusty creatures. I also told you that I intend to spend days making love to you… so if you'd like to get started on that…"

"I need to go talk to Carlisle now, before you change my mind," I said quickly. Edward grinned and squeezed my hand.

"Let's go, then."

We found Carlisle busily shelving stack after stack of books in his office, working around uncrated paintings in heavy frames that leaned up against the walls. The last time I'd been in the room, before Edward and I left to hunt, the room had been empty but for the furniture, and I was impressed at what he'd already accomplished. Carlisle smiled when he saw us, waving apologetically at the stacks around us.

"One of the joys of moving, I'm afraid."

"Would you like some help?" I offered.

"No, thank you though, Bella. It should only take me a few more hours to have everything exactly where it needs to be." He ran his hand through his blond hair, an uncharacteristic gesture for him. "Do you have a moment?"

"Of course."

He sighed softly, casting another glance around at the piles surrounding us. "When we ended up leaving Forks sooner than planned, I enlisted the aid of an attorney that handles many of our family matters for us. I informed him that I'd been called away by a family emergency, told him that you were a dear friend of the family, and asked him to keep an eye out for anything odd that might arise in the investigation surrounding your death."

I nodded slowly, sensing that something must have indeed happened for him to be bringing this up now.

"As I mentioned to you before, your death was ruled an accident and it was accepted that your remains had been destroyed by an animal prior to the discovery of the scene. The Quileutes organized a memorial service which was held today. Your mother flew in to attend it."

I blinked in surprise, hazy memories of Renee swimming through my brain. "She did?"

"Yes and it seems that so far, she's been accepted as your next-of-kin, legally speaking."

It took me a minute to realize what he meant, but then my eyes widened as Edward tensed next to me. "Because they don't know…"

"Your marriage is a matter of public record, but it seems no one has discovered it yet," Carlisle confirmed quietly. "As your acknowledged next-of-kin, she will be responsible over the next few days for cleaning out your apartment and settling your affairs. Billy and Jake will be helping her."

"Okay," I said slowly, saddened by the news but not understanding why he was choosing to share it with me now.

Carlisle's golden eyes flickered over to Edward before settling on me again. "Is there anything in the apartment that could connect you to us?"

My jaw dropped as I finally realized what he was trying to say, but memories of my apartment, let alone the personal effects I'd left behind, were hazy at best. I looked at Edward quickly, frustrated at my inability to remember something as important as that.

"I don't think there is," Edward said slowly. "The marriage certificate…"

"Is filed with all our other documents. Is there anything else?"

They both looked at me and I swallowed hard, trying desperately to remember. The marriage certificate was a good starting point. "I… I think that I filed for a change of name for my driver's license and Social Security card."

Carlisle's face darkened a little. "Those will come in the mail to your apartment within a week or so. I'll contact Jenks and see if there's any way to intercept those, but it may not be possible. Anything else?"

I pushed my hand against my forehead, trying desperately to remember. "I don't think so… I have my journal here."

"Were there any other identifying documents that you can remember?"

"Her AmEx card," Edward said suddenly. "It had her maiden name on it, but the very fact that she had one…"

I laughed a little. "Renee wouldn't recognize anything like that, believe me."

Carlisle and Edward were both silent for a moment, and I frowned. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, love," Edward answered quickly. "We simply want to make sure there are no loose ends that would cause anyone to look any further than the tragic accident your death appeared to be. I can't think of anything else at this moment, though."

Carlisle looked at him for a long moment, and then Edward suddenly growled before speaking in a harsh tone I only vaguely remembered hearing before. "Any wolves that show up here won't leave in one piece, Carlisle, you know that."

"Although it would be better to prevent anything like that from happening…" Carlisle began, only to be interrupted by Edward.

"Of course, but I won't permit any of them to come near her."

"We won't allow it to come to that," Carlisle replied calmly. "I just want to make sure there are no other outliers that we've failed to consider."

"What are you talking about?" I finally interjected, my frustration bubbling over. "Why would we have to worry about them showing up here?"

"We won't," Edward said immediately. "Our history with the Quileutes is not a friendly one, love. We want them to have no reason to come looking for you, to make sure we didn't abduct you and fake your death."

"But surely they wouldn't…" My voice trailed off when I saw the same look reflected on both men's faces. Carlisle ran his hand through his blond hair again, suddenly looking as upset as I felt.

"We don't know, Bella, and that is the problem. Obviously, we would hope that the Quileutes accept the official explanation of your death and have no reason to investigate further. But as Edward said, our history with them is not a friendly one, and any confrontation with them over your change will not end well."

"They can't find us," I said quickly. "There's nothing to tie my life there to where we are now… even if they suspect anything. We just won't go back to Forks."

Carlisle nodded slowly and then Edward's arms were suddenly around my waist, pulling me back close against his body. There was a slight tremor in his body, and I placed my hands over his forearms, trying to reassure him. "Carlisle, what do you need me to do?"

His face relaxed slightly. "If for any reason we find out that they may be looking for you, or Edward, you both should leave as quickly as possible, for your own safety. The rest of us would remain here to maintain the appearance of normalcy."

"The house in France," Edward said immediately. "It's isolated enough…"

Carlisle nodded. "This is the worst-case scenario, of course, but we should have it in the backs of our minds should the situation become urgent."

"How will I get to France, if I can't even go out in public?"

"We'll start working on building up your tolerance soon, love. One step at a time."

We left Carlisle's office soon after that, both of us silent and wrapped up in our own thoughts. We walked down the drive, back to our little cottage, where Edward settled into the oversized loveseat in front of the fireplace and held out his arms to me. I went into them willingly, snuggling against his body and gazing into the low-burning fire for a long time.

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked finally.

Edward stroked my hair silently for a moment. "I don't want you to worry."

"Whatever it is, Carlisle knows?"

"Yes."

"Then you have to tell me," I said, reaching up to wrap my hand around the back of his neck before curling in closer to him.

He sighed softly. "The night of your accident, do you remember what Carlisle and I were doing?"

My brow creased slightly. He disliked talking about that night, and so it was one topic we had carefully avoided. "Something about the Quileutes wanting to renegotiate the treaty?"

"Yes. For the most part, it was a complete waste of time as what they wanted was impossible, and Carlisle pointed that out to them. He'd called me earlier in the day and asked me to accompany him, because obviously being able to read their minds in that situation gave us a slight advantage. Carlisle did all the talking while I concentrated on their thoughts. Almost all of them were saying exactly what they were thinking."

"Almost?"

"Yes, almost. Billy Black was very concerned about you. More than he let on aloud. He thought of you as another daughter; you were very dear to him. And although they were concerned about all of the humans in Forks and La Push, you were foremost in his thoughts."

"Because he knew I was already friends with the family."

"Yes. He worried the entire time, even as negotiations were going on. He was quite plain in his thoughts that…" Edward hesitated and I waited patiently. "That if anything should happen to you at our hands, he and his family would seek vengeance upon the one responsible, no matter what it took. He considered you as much his child as Jacob."

I absorbed that. "But they have no evidence that any of you were involved in the accident at all."

"I hope not. You have to understand though, Bella, if they do decide that your disappearance was our fault, they won't stop until they find us and avenge your death. And you are dead to them now."

"But we're thousands of miles away!" I protested.

Edward kissed the top of my head. "I know, but Carlisle thinks that perhaps we didn't go far enough. We have no idea what the wolves' range might be in that form. Or, if they were looking for us specifically, what lengths they might go to. That's why I suggested the house in France… it's a bit further away from Forks than Alaska. If it became absolutely necessary we could go stay with the Volturi in Italy for a little while. The wolves wouldn't be able to get anywhere near us then."

I frowned as something else occurred to me. "Edward, why do we have to be worried about them finding us anyway? Aren't we… indestructible?"

"Not completely indestructible. The only way to 'kill' a vampire is to tear it apart and burn the pieces. Obviously it takes a great deal of strength to be able to tear a vampire apart… there are only two creatures that will ever pose a threat to us: other vampires and werewolves."

"Why?"

"Werewolves are the closest thing to our natural enemies. Although the Quileutes aren't true werewolves, they do have the ability to destroy one of our kind."

I shivered. "Have you seen them do that?"

"Not first-hand, but I know they did kill at least one nomad when we were in that area before. They told Carlisle about it after it happened, probably as a thinly-disguised warning to us. The treaty is the only thing that has kept peace between us so far."

"One of the wolves could… kill you?"

"No," he replied immediately. "One-on-one, we have the distinct advantage. More than a couple of them against one of us, though, could be a concern if they caught us unprepared."

I was horrified, finally understanding Carlisle and Edward's concern over the wolves finding us. "You think they would try to kill us?"

"This is exactly what I didn't want you to worry about," he scolded lightly.

"Don't make light of this, Edward."

He rubbed his cheek against my head. "I'm sorry love, you're right. Yes, we do need to be aware of the possibility and be prepared in the unlikely event that a confrontation ever ensues. They won't want to hurt you, though."

"They'll hurt me if they hurt any of you. I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you." An instinct I hadn't felt before stirred deep inside of me… a fierce anger, a feeling of protectiveness.

"I won't let it come to that, ever," he replied firmly. We fell silent again for a time as his hands ran soothingly over my body, trying to calm the emotions that were rocketing around inside of me.

"Do you really think any of that will happen?" I asked finally.

"If we had any reason to believe that they were looking for us, we would already be gone, even if you had to hold your breath the whole way to the ocean and then swim to Europe. No, right now Carlisle and I don't believe there is any danger. But you have to understand…" He sighed softly. "Our departure from Forks, specifically mine and Carlisle's, coincided exactly with your accident, and was immediately after our meeting with the Quileutes. Carlisle wasn't supposed to be done at the hospital for another week, although he contacted the board of directors and indicated that there was a family emergency that required his presence. The night that we were driving here, as you were changing, Jasper was already arranging with a moving service to bring the last of the things from our house in Forks. It was all done with great haste, when we'd hoped to allay any suspicion with careful planning. Carlisle is simply concerned that there's something we've overlooked."

"I can't think of anything," I murmured, wracking my brain, sifting through foggy memories.

"It's wise for us to be over-cautious, though, which is why Carlisle is having someone keep an eye on things in Forks and La Push. If anything seems suspicious, we'll have plenty of time to leave here."

"So what do we do?"

"For now, nothing. Alice will keep watch on the future, I will keep watch on you. Hopefully we'll be extremely over-prepared for no reason. And in the meantime, I am going to continue to make love to you at every opportunity."

After that discussion, the topic of the Quileutes wasn't brought up again, and the days and long nights of Alaska began to pass rapidly as I truly turned my eyes towards my new life. My memories of my human life were like murky dreams; there were a few things I remembered clearly, but everything else was blurry at best, oftentimes I had no memory of something until Edward prompted me.

I read my journal religiously, over and over again. My powerful vampire brain memorized the text after the first reading, of course, but I read it repeatedly, hoping for the moment when the words on the pages became part of me instead of a history I'd written only a few short weeks before. Some of the moments I recognized keenly, and they would strike a chord deep inside of me, provoking a longing that was almost painful.

After I found a note in the margin of one of the pages, Edward and I dug out a long-sealed box of home movies that Renee had evidently sent Charlie, and we watched them all in one long evening. We laughed at the childhood version of me, and more than once, I reached out to touch the screen, wishing I could touch the people surrounding me in those videos. Despite the fact that I'd spent more of my life with Renee, it was easier for me to recall Charlie's wry smile, his rare laughter, and the love I knew we'd shared.

Sometimes a memory would hit me hard from nowhere, as clearly as though it were just yesterday, and I would gasp with the sensation, trying desperately to burn it into my mind so I would never forget it again. It was mostly recent memories: the first time Edward and I made love; our wedding; stolen kisses at the most random of moments; laughter; happiness. My memories of my change, starting from the moment when Edward bit me, were also unfortunately clear, and I sought to bury them under all the new experiences I had to ponder now.

Waking up an entirely new creature was a strange thing to wrap my brain around, especially since my memories of being human were fuzzy at best. The limitations and weaknesses from that time were not something I could recall with any kind of clarity, so when I kept discovering the abilities of my new body, I often reacted with the wide-eyed amazement of a child. It was astonishing that I could jump and run and think so powerfully, but not because of the contrast to my weaker human self… I genuinely didn't remember that life in enough detail to compare. Instead, I felt overwhelming joy and excitement every time I did something new; as though I'd discovered a part of myself that I'd had no idea existed.

A week after our arrival in Alaska, Edward and I went on a long hunting trip, running farther than we had before. When we came back, he pulled me close against his body, saying that he had a surprise for me, but that I shouldn't be alarmed at my reaction. The surprise was the piano he'd promised me, my reaction was to the faint scent of the humans who had delivered and tuned it, still sweet in the air. In the quiet of our cottage Edward held me close as I whimpered and trembled against him, savoring the scent of each fingerprint they'd left behind, the mindless seduction and promise of all that was human to me now. For a long time he held me, whispering quietly in my ear, until my struggles stopped and then I sat wide-eyed as he played for me.

Three weeks after our arrival an enormous snowstorm hit the area, and although either of us could have easily tunneled our way through the massive snowdrifts that buried our little cottage, we instead took full advantage of the isolation. Edward and I made love for hours that stretched into several days, never tiring of the tangle of lips, fingers, and skin, kisses that locked us together as we slowly drifted down from climax after climax, only to come back together with new urgency. My need for him never diminished, never found satiation. His eyes or hands on my body was more than enough to turn me from whatever I was doing, to make me fall against him greedily, both of us seeking something we never could get enough of.

So many caresses, whispered promises, and plans were made during that first month. So many moments that I could close my eyes and see in perfect detail at any moment: Edward and I hunting; laughing in the snow; making love against the piano, twisted together in front of the fireplace.

My moments with the rest of my family were equally joyful. I treasured the time I spent with Jasper and Carlisle because of the love they had for learning, and through me, they were able to experience much for the first time all over again. Carlisle's library, along with Jasper's smaller one, was a treasure chest of the unknown, and I eagerly devoured book after book. Carlisle promised to help me arrange online classes with the university of my choice once things settled down in the coming months.

Alice was my never-tiring source of energy, whether it be for an online shopping spree, a last-minute celebration, as the giggling girlfriend I confided in, or simply a source of unconditional enthusiasm and excitement in the small world that surrounded me. She was the sister I'd never had, the never-failing voice of optimism.

Emmett brought me joy just as he did all of us: a dark cloud never touched his face and his enthusiasm for life was rivaled only by Alice's. There wasn't a bet or challenge he'd turn down, an opportunity he'd pass for teasing or cajoling. His boisterous exuberance was like that of a small child, tempered only by his deep love for and protectiveness of his family. For the first time, I understood why he and Rosalie matched each other so well.

Rosalie became the other sister I'd never had, one who I communicated with more in easy silences than the endless chattering I shared with Alice. After she'd painstakingly set up and arranged her workspace in the attached garage of our Alaska home, I reclaimed my wooden crate and we spent many calm hours there, rarely speaking, simply allowing our comfortable silence to say more than words ever could. It reminded me of times I'd spent in the past with a boy I'd happily called my best friend, my brother.

Esme moved immediately into my life as a quiet unconditionally-loving presence, one that eased the ache when I longed for my own parents. I realized now how Esme's unassuming presence was truly the peaceful center around which we revolved: there was so much love within Esme, it overflowed from her heart and encompassed us all. There was never any need for explanations or excuses around her, she simply loved us as though it were her only reason for being.

Always, though, there was Edward. If I read every dictionary in every language ever spoken, there would never be enough words to explain exactly what I felt for him. It went beyond love, beyond romance, beyond desire. Alice's words from so long ago were equally as weak as they were painfully true: he was the other half of my being, simply there in my every thought, action, and emotion. There was no reason or consideration involved, he was simply a part of every move I made and every breath I took. It was a connection that, even as I took it for granted, still left me speechless with its intensity. Our day-to-day activities rarely took us more than a few steps from each other, and the connection when we made love wrenched me sweetly to the deepest parts of my soul. The world around us could have melted away for all I cared, as long as Edward was there whispering in my ear, holding me in his arms.

It was barely a month after our arrival when Edward and I found ourselves in the large living room of the main house, relaxing with our family around us. I'd put Swan Lake into the stereo system and sank easily into Edward's open arms on the couch as the others trickled in around us, enjoying the music.

"Did I ever tell you that I used to take ballet lessons?"

"No, I don't think you did."

"I was awful," I laughed, pleased at discovering this small memory. "For whatever reason, I genuinely didn't understand why I was supposed to go from Point A to Point B. When the recital arrived I just stood there, wondering where my masking tape marker had gone."

"You're probably a much better dancer now, you know," Edward said, placing a gentle kiss to my temple.

I shook my head. "I can pretty much guarantee becoming a better dancer is not something that happened during my change. I really was that bad."

"You didn't have the right partner before," he countered.

"Can you dance?" I asked curiously.

"Of course. Even if I hadn't grown up during a time when knowing how to dance was mandatory, dancing classes were standard in many of the schools we've attended through the years."

He tugged me to my feet and wrapped his arm around my waist, taking my right hand and lifting it, then smiling down at me. The Valse began playing.

"Edward… I don't know how to waltz!"

"I'll teach you, just let me lead."

I tried my best, but after a moment I gave a little hop, my toes landing on the tops of his feet. He held me closer, and I allowed him to carry me through the steps of the dance, moving faster now.

"Cheater," he murmured, his steps not faltering for a single second.

"I'm enjoying this much more now that I don't have to concentrate on where to put my feet. I may like dancing after all."

"But I'm doing all the work," he pointed out dryly.

"Well, now you can show off all your fancy-pants dance moves."

"Hmm," he mused, and began to swirl around the room, still carrying me with his arm around my waist and my toes resting on his feet. From the corner of my eye I could see Carlisle and Esme nestled on the couch together, smiling at us. Edward kept waltzing with a grace that made me breathless, occasionally throwing in a spin or dip when the music grew to a crescendo.

"See, you're dancing!" His beautiful smile lit me up from the inside.

"You're dancing!" I laughed back. "I'm just holding on!"

"I think I very much enjoy our style of dance, Mrs. Cullen." He ran his hand up and down my back, still not missing a beat. "I can hold you as tightly as I want, can kiss you whenever I want, whisper inappropriate things in your ear, and then claim that we're simply waltzing."

"That settles it, I officially love dancing now," I gasped out as he spun us around so fast that my hair flew up and then tangled around my face and throat.

"Hey, break it up!" Emmett bawled from across the room. "I need to see daylight between you two! Watch where you put those hands, Cullen!"

I tossed a brief scowl in his direction as Edward chuckled softly and pulled me closer to his body, tucking my head under his chin, still dancing as the music kept playing around us.

A/N:

Edward and Carlisle are forgetting something, methinks. What do you think?

You can find a lovely performance of the Valse here: www(DOT)youtube(DOT)com/watch?v=ph3h2IJAsgk It's my favorite part of Swan Lake!

Thanks to all you lovelies, IDBiV has moved to the last round of the Indies! Voting opens on the 15th, make sure you go give everyone some love! Google "Indie Twific" for a quick and easy linky!

Again, so MANY thanks to the super-beta Stratan and all the gals who love and encourage me no matter what...you keep me writing!