Bella's POV

The hours after Edward and I made love for the first time passed quickly. For a long time, we did nothing but lie together, touching and kissing. We ended up making love three more times in just those few hours—twice on the bed and once in the shower, where neither of us had been able to keep our hands to ourselves. Then we curled up together on the couch downstairs. We knew his family would be home soon, and we wanted to actually talk before they got back—and we were both smart enough to know if we stayed upstairs in the bedroom, talking would not be on the agenda. As it was, the piano was looking awfully tempting...

"Bella..." Edward chuckled. He was watching me with an amused, but highly aroused expression on his face. "There'll be plenty of time for that, Isabella," he said in a low voice, the timbre almost sounding purr-like.

I sighed and nodded. "Thank you for reassuring me earlier," I started shakily. "About Lizzie, I mean."

His only response was to hold me closer. I was already on his lap, unable to bear being even as far away as the seat beside him.

"So what's the next step?" I asked, staring down at my hands. "Should we talk to Alice, Carlisle, and Eleazar?"

Edward moved his hands to cover mine, which had been clenched into fists in my lap. "Alice will let us know if her visions change. What do you think we should do next?"

I was almost vibrating with nerves—if such a thing could happen to a vampire—and I frowned, shaking my head. "I...don't know. I need to talk to Carlisle and Eleazar."

Edward moved his hand up and grasped my chin gently, turning my head so I was forced to look at him. "Bella, this is a decision you need to make, love. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. Whether it be simply from your talent—the shield—or you yourself, I don't know, but you have more control as a brand new newborn than some of the newborns I've seen that are a year into the change. You need to believe in yourself like I believe in you—like our entire family believes in you."

I felt a warmth spread through me at his words and sighed, relaxing slightly in his arms.

His hand dropped from my chin to take my hand, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles. "Now, without overthinking it, what do you think the next step should be?"

For a moment, I stopped worrying about the consequences, stopped worrying about what could happen, and really thought about it. After a moment, I answered, "I wanna see how hard it is for me to be around Sue during the day." I knew my voice sounded tentative, like I wasn't sure that was a good next step or not.

Apparently, Edward had no such questions. "I think that's a very logical next step. We can talk to Alice when they return, and then we'll go from there."

For a while, we simply sat there, not speaking. It was a comfortable silence, born of familiarity and love. My mind continued to wander over the future as my eyes flitted around the room; I was still amazed at how different everything looked with my new vision.

When my gaze landed on the piano in the corner, I knew immediately what I wanted.

"Play for me?" I requested softly, touching Edward's face softly with the backs of my fingers.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

Edward's POV

Of all the things I enjoyed—apart from Bella and spending time with my family, of course—playing the piano was at the top of my list. I would've been hard pressed to explain to anyone just why it affected me the way it did. It'd always given me a sense of peace amid the maelstrom of thoughts I had to deal with. I'd always enjoyed playing for others—Esme in particular loved to sit and listen—but since meeting my Bella, playing for her had become one of my favorite activities. Since I'd returned, I'd only played the once, and I missed it.

Apparently, Bella did as well, if her request was any indication. She started to scramble off my lap, but I prevented her from moving away from me. Instead, I stood with her in my arms and made my way to the piano.

Sitting down on the bench, I held her as she rearranged herself so she was facing me, her legs wrapped loosely around my waist. I didn't need to see the keys to play, so even with her blocking my view somewhat, I started right in to her lullaby.

Bella smiled a beautiful smile, running her hands gently across my chest and down before moving them back up and wrapping her arms around me, nuzzling her face in the crook of my neck.

I transitioned seamlessly into Esme's song and then "Clair de Lune."

My hands faltered as I felt Bella's kiss to my collarbone. She chuckled low and then kissed her way up my neck to my lips. I groaned as my hands left the piano, sliding under her shirt and caressing the smooth skin of her back. I was just about to strip the shirt right off her, suddenly desperate for her once again, when a voice broke through my thoughts.

Don't you dare, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen.

Alice.

I groaned.

We'll be there in two minutes. Clothes on, mister!

"What's wrong?" Bella asked when I pulled away.

"Alice and the others will be here in a couple of minutes," I explained.

Bella laughed, shaking her head.

The sound shot through me like a lightning bolt. It'd been a long time since I'd heard her sound that relaxed and carefree. I thought for a second of whisking her off upstairs, but Alice's voice stopped me.

Don't do it. I'll burst in and interrupt. You know I will! Rose and I want some girl time. You've played enough, she teased.

I sighed. "Be prepared, love," I told the most important woman of my existence.

"What? Why?"

Her slightly puckered brow and lips quirked in good-humored confusion made me smile.

Just then, my family, along with Eleazar and Carmen, burst through the door, talking and laughing.

"Our turn with Bella!" Alice chirped, coming over to us.

I kept my vision on Bella as she ducked her head, and I knew if she'd still been human, she'd have blushed as understanding dawned on her. She knew as well as I did that the girls would want to hear details of how our night had gone.

"Besides, the boys want to have a talk with their brother," Rose said, looking over at Emmett, who was nodding vigorously.

Yeah, we gotta talk about Bella popping your cherry, dude!

"Emmett!" I growled, glaring at him.

"What?" He laughed. "It's not like I said it out loud!"

"Sorry, love," I murmured to a giggling Bella. "I'm gonna go before he does decide it's worth saying aloud. Have fun with the girls. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"I'll be here," she promised with a smile. Kissing me once, she was off my lap and up the stairs with Rose and Alice before I could blink.

"Come on," I said, rolling my eyes. They were both being careful to shield their thoughts from me, but I knew they were itching to let loose.

I'm so happy for you, Edward, Esme thought, smiling as I moved away from the piano.

Carlisle's arm was wrapped around his wife's waist, and he was smiling, as well. Go, son. Have fun with your brothers. We'll be here with Bella.

I nodded, thanking him with a small smile. "I'll be back soon," I said, as much for Bella as for the others, and then I raced out the back door on Emmett's and Jasper's heels.

The moment I got out the door, Emmett slammed into me. The two of us flew through the air, landing hard at the edge of the forest and tumbling over one another as he laughed.

Dude, I surprised Eddie!

"Don't call me Eddie," I growled, launching myself at my laughing brother.

We crashed into a small tree, hard enough that the thing swayed before cracking down the middle and falling over with a loud crash.

Jasper stood a good distance away from our fight, laughing his ass off. His thoughts were amused, wondering if Esme would yell at us for hurting the tree.

"It's his fault," I grumbled in response as I dodged Emmett's next tackle.

One would think you'd be more relaxed now that you got some, brother, Emmett taunted in his head. He immediately began thinking of how relaxed he was after—

"Damn, Emmett!" I growled, sweeping his feet out from under him and surprising him as he fell back, landing on his ass. "I don't need to see that again."

He laughed again. "We're just messing with you, man. Truce?" He jumped up, landing lithely on his feet and holding out his clenched fist.

I smirked and nodded, giving him a fist bump as Jasper came over to us.

"Seriously, bro," Jasper said, falling in step with us as we began running farther into the forest. "Even if Ali hadn't spilled the beans about...well, your activities last night, we'd have been able to tell. You guys were radiating a joy I couldn't have contained even if I'd wanted to." He looked askance at me. "I guess I don't have to ask if it was good?"

Unable not to, I grinned, remembering everything that had transpired between Bella and myself over the last handful of hours. "It was...everything and more," I admitted.

Emmett bumped my shoulder with his, giving me a warm smile. For once, his thoughts weren't at all teasing. "Good, man. That's good." As we heard the thudding heartbeats of a small herd of deer ahead, he grinned and said, "Race ya!"

I took off, passing him easily, and took down a medium-sized buck, even though I'd just hunted less than twelve hours earlier. I had a feeling I'd need to be as well-fed as possible the next few days to keep up with Bella and everything I could see coming in our future.

~*~*~FC~*~*~

Bella's POV

I knew why Alice and Rose wanted girl time, and while I wasn't sure how comfortable I was discussing details of my time with Edward, it would be fun to spend time alone with them and get their opinion on something I'd been wondering about for the last few hours.

I followed them up the stairs and into Alice's room, where Alice sprawled out on the bed and Rose sat in the chair in the corner of the room. Taking a seat on the floor with my back against the wall across from the bed, I waited warily for the questions I knew would be coming.

Alice didn't disappoint. "So how was it?" she squealed.

Groaning a laugh, I shook my head. "Don't you know? Didn't you see it?"

She huffed. "It's not like I tried to see you and my brother having sex, Bella."

Immediately, I felt bad. I knew she didn't do it on purpose; she tried to stay out of the family's personal lives just as much as Edward tried to stay out of their heads.

"I know," I said, contrite. In a way, I owed her...and I was very grateful. "I'm sorry, Alice. Thank you for reassuring him, by the way."

"Of course!" She gave me a grin, and said, "Now, spill!"

Rose looked just as excited and happy for me as she nodded, apparently agreeing with Alice about wanting the details.

"It was...beautiful," I said honestly. "I...um, I wasn't a...um...anymore, of course, but in all other respects, that was my first time, too. He was..." God, this was embarrassing to talk about! Finally, I decided to explain another way. "Is it normal to want the other person so much so...often?" I knew if I were still human, I'd have been blushing like a tomato.

They both laughed.

"That's one of the best parts about being a mated vampire, Bella," Rose said through her amusement. "Seriously, you've heard the stories of when Emmett and I first mated, right?"

I nodded. "You and Emmett could hardly keep your hands off each other for the first few years, right?" I asked, still a bit uncomfortable, but warming up to the topic the more we talked.

Alice snorted. "Try the first decade, if the stories are any indication. Even after Jasper and I joined the family, they still did more damage to the houses we lived in than any of the rest of us."

Rose flipped Alice the bird, laughing. "It's true. But seriously, it's all a part of being a vampire and being newly mated. We'd be more worried if you could keep your hands off him!"

Well, at least I knew I wasn't abnormal...in that regard, anyway.

"And Bella," Alice said softly. When I looked up at her, she continued, "Edward's in the same boat you are. In fact, he's already made the decision that he's giving the boys twenty more minutes, and then he's coming home, whether they like it or not."

At that, I couldn't keep the grin from my face.