Disclaimer: All characters are wholly owned by Stephenie Meyer, and only appear here for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Twilight was a YA series, and Breaking Dawn was not YA. Even though some of the subject matter can be adult, I really wanted to bring Breaking Dawn back to YA territory. I hope you enjoy the attempt.

Many, many thanks to my beta TwilightMomOfTwo, for showing me the way.

This section begins at page 85 of Breaking Dawn, at the point where Bella walks into the water with Edward…


Chapter 1 - Isle Esme

Already buoyed by the warm sea water, I seemed to float effortlessly in Edward's tender embrace. I shivered a little; this was the first time we had ever had so much skin to skin contact. He must have noticed that some of my anxiety had returned, because he pulled back slightly.

"Are you nervous?" he asked, his eyes dark against the pale of his face.

"A little," I admitted, trying to still my hands against his back.

Edward chuckled softly. "Let me help you relax then. Lie back." I leaned back and he lifted my legs until I lay at the surface of the water, looking up at the stars. Warm waves gently lapped around my ears, muffling the sounds of the surf. One of his hands supported me while the other began to gently massage my back and shoulders. His sensitive fingers found the knots in my neck from the long plane ride and slowly began to work them out. It felt wonderful and I made a soft noise, low in my throat. A movement of his supporting hand made me think he was laughing, but I closed my eyes to enjoy the feel of his hands.

It felt like being in a sensory deprivation chamber, the sensation of quiet calm and weightless drifting washed away the rest of my nerves. The only other awareness I had was of Edward's strong hand, sliding and drifting over my skin, kneading the tight muscles. My sense of time drifted away as well and I couldn't be sure how long I lay there enjoying the soothing massage. Eventually I found myself wanting him to touch more than just my back. The touch of his hand had melted away the stage fright and replaced it with an eager yearning. Opening my eyes to find his gaze upon me, he said something that I couldn't hear with the water in my ears. I raised my head. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you felt better," he repeated, his voice soft and warm as the night air.

"Much better." I smiled at him, and raised my hands to pull his face down to mine. "Let me show you how much better." The touch of his lips couldn't come soon enough, and I held them for a long time before stopping to drop small kisses on them. Somewhere in that process he brought me back upright, and began wading slowly backwards with the warm water lapping at us. Edward pulled me closer with a hungry look in his eyes, lowered his head and reclaimed my lips in a slow, soft, languorous kiss that set off a buzzing in my ears. He held the kiss seemingly forever until I broke it with a gasp. Soon enough the heat in my face gradually spread to the rest of me, drowning out the feel of his cool skin as we caressed each other.

Edward stopped moving backwards when the waves began licking at my shoulders and continued kissing my lips, eyes, cheeks before dropping to my neck. My breathing was starting to race when he murmured against my cheek. "Are you warm enough, love?" An incoherent "mmhmm" was all I could manage as I kissed my way up his jaw towards his ear.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered before taking my lips again in a deep kiss that fanned the flames of desire to a fever pitch. My tongue teased his lips open and I tasted a little of the venom on his tongue – acrid and sweet at the same time.

I ran my fingertips in little circles down his spine and felt him draw in a sharp breath; his eyes were still closed and he seemed to be savoring the sensation. My breathing had long since lost control, and the skin of my belly suddenly yearned to feel the solid planes of his stomach. Pulling him closer with as much strength as I had, I felt something new pressed against me – his erect manhood. Embarrassment flashed through me, to be drowned out by desire; I'd never even seen it before, but that was sort of the idea until now. Shaking off my distraction, I laid a trail of kisses down Edward's throat to his chest, and my eyes closed as I glided back upwards, luxuriating in the sudden tingle as the skin of my belly and breasts brushed across him.

The silky feel of our skin sliding against each other, each kiss and caress began to build, wave upon wave of sensation grew stronger and stronger until it drove me into a frenzy. Edward's eyes opened and I could see his jaw clenching tighter as he fought to control his strength. Thinking not to risk his control for longer than necessary, I slid my hands down to his hips and pulled him closer. He lifted me and continued kissing me.

I felt a couple of nudges between my thighs, as if a fish were cutting in on our dance. Edward glanced down and frowned for a second and I couldn't help a small smile at his discomfiture. Reaching down with my hand to guide him, I felt the cool hardness, placed it where it felt right, then waited for him to move. I gasped as I felt a slight sting, followed by a swelling fullness that sent a flush of heat through me.

Edward's mouth opened and he drew a long shuddering breath, his eyes still steady on mine. "Ohh, Bella," he whispered.

"Are you okay?" I breathed, clasping his head in my hands, smoothing his hair back. He set his lips in a firm line and gave me a quick nod, still breathing quickly.

He began to move and I dropped my hands to his rock steady shoulders. Waves of pleasure rippled out from deep within me until every nerve in my body began to fire at once. My mouth dropped open and my head fell back as he began to move more quickly, his breath coming in quick pants, faster and faster. Giving myself over completely, the only awareness I had was of the building pressure in my core, growing larger and larger, closer and closer as I drew near the edge.

Suddenly I felt a deep pop, and an explosion of pain in my hip. Unaware of my trouble, Edward kept moving, his teeth clenched, the cords of his neck standing out and each movement sent a new hammer blow of agony through me. I tried to hold it in, but couldn't and I screamed several times, short and sharp. Edward's eyes flew open and he froze. "Bella?" he asked, panic widening his eyes.

I clenched my teeth, wanting to be brave for him, but it was too much. "I'm...ow! It's my hip. Or my leg."

"Let's get you to shore," were his terse words. Edward very slowly shifted me in the water, but even that slight movement affected my leg. My hip screamed at me and I bit my lip to keep from crying out again. When I was cradled in his arms, he began wading toward shore. His eyes were haunted, and his neck and jaw muscles were rigid as he began a sibilant muttering that was too fast for me to understand. My head was still spinning with the pain and with the sudden shift from making love to dealing with a crisis. I couldn't let him wallow like this. The last time he had agonized over an injury to me, I had hoped it would go away by itself. It hadn't and the results had been disastrous.

I took small, quick breaths to try to cope with the pain. It seemed to help a little bit and once it had evened out to a heavy throbbing, I raised a trembling hand to his cheek. I had to clench my stomach muscles slightly to withstand the ache.

"Don't be angry," I said softly between breaths.

"I'm not angry," he retorted, but his answer was curt.

"You're angry with yourself, aren't you?" I guessed.

The muscles of his jaw worked for a while. "Jacob was right. What was I thinking?" His question was not directed at me.

"You were trying to make me happy," I panted. "And you were doing a…a wonderful job, too. One more thing Edward does well." I hoped my teasing would break through his wall of regret, but being unable to hide the pain wasn't going to help convince him.

He frowned in disapproval. "Honestly, Bella, I could have killed you. We'll be lucky if it's only a broken leg."

The sand scrunched under his feet as we reached the spot where we had left his clothes and my towel. "Let me take a look" he murmured, and slowly, carefully lowered me so I was reclining on the sand. On my right thigh, very faint in the moonlight were the marks his fingers had left behind. He softly pressed the sides of my leg, watching my face intently. I gritted my teeth again as the soft nudges disturbed my hip; but when he raised my knee a bare inch stars exploded in my vision and I cried out before I could stop myself.

"I'm sorry! I won't do that again!" he cried, and took several breaths to calm himself. When he was able to speak again, it was in that clipped, controlled voice of his. "The femur seems to be alright, but I can't be positive. It's time for a boat ride."

He wrapped me in the towel and carried me into the house, where we dressed as quickly as I was able. Mind hazy from the pain, part of me thought I should be embarrassed to be undressed around him, but I was too far gone to care. I did my best not to move my leg while he helped me to dress, but almost passed out as I stood on one leg while he pulled a skirt over my hips.

Most of the boat ride to the mainland was a hazy memory of darkness and pain. Edward's brooding silence continued, periodically broken by bouts of furious muttering. Every wave the boat sliced through jostled my hip, sending a searing knife blade through the center of my body. Edward blamed himself for every cry of pain, and I truly tried but couldn't suppress every single whimper or groan that accompanied each assault; more than a few escaped as the boat hit especially large waves. Edward tried to lessen the impact by slowing the boat, but it didn't help. Gradually, overwhelmed by the never ending waves of agony, I lost my grip and fell into a deep sea of blackness.


The sound of a steady beep, the smell of disinfectant and a fuzzy feeling in my head ushered me back to the land of the living. My eyes were rather crusty and I lifted a hand to rub them.

"Bella? How do you feel?" Edward's voice, rough with anxiety, came from my left.

Forcing my eyes open a crack, I turned towards him. Even though his pupils were a well-fed golden-yellow, the circles under his eyes seemed to be darker than usual. "My head's a little wobbly," I admitted. Scrubbing at my eyes, I lifted my head from the pillow to assess the damage. As expected, I was in a hospital bed though it wasn't as extensive as in Phoenix – something stiff and bulky was wrapped around my hips and right thigh, but the rest of me was unencumbered. The usual IV tube and monitor leads connected me to the heart monitor and an IV bag on a stand. "How bad am I?" I asked.

"You have a dislocated hip." Just like that, his voice turned flat, drenched in self-loathing. "The X-rays were negative for broken bones, and the MRI was negative for torn ligaments. You didn't wake up after you blacked out, but they sedated you anyway in case you came to while they worked your hip joint back in. You'll be in a hip brace from four to six weeks but you should be able to walk again."

He lapsed into silence for so long I thought for a moment I had drifted back to sleep. When I glanced over I found him sitting like a statue, chin on his fist, staring off into space. The only indication of his state of mind were the taut ridges of his facial muscles.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked drowsily. Whatever they had given me, I hoped the aftereffects wore off soon. I had the distinct feeling that I should be tending to something but couldn't remember what it was.

After an extended silence, he lowered his arm and spoke with his face turned away. "About right and wrong, actually."

An instant surge of panic brought me to full alert, and I tried to rise but my hip complained. I grabbed Edward by the arm in what was, for me, a death grip. The last time I remember him thinking about right and wrong... "Edward, you're scaring me." My voice quavered more than I liked.

He finally turned to face me, one eyebrow raised in his confusion. "Why?"

"The last time you thought about right and wrong you left me. Because you thought it was best for me. You're not thinking anything crazy, are you?"

The confusion on his face melted into pain as he remembered. It was not an easy memory for either of us and I silently cursed Jacob for forcing those memories on Edward. He took my hand in both of his and looked sadly into my face.

"No. I'm so sorry, love. Even if I were thinking crazy, I could never do that to you again. Marriage vows mean quite a bit more to me than you may be used to."

I slumped back and let the breath I was holding whoosh out. "Thank God. Let me just get my heart started again." In fact, the heart rate monitor was going overtime and I half expected the nursing staff to come running.

In a flash of reddish-bronze hair, his face was buried in his arms beside my hip, with his hands still grasping mine. "I am so, so, sorry, Bella!" he lamented into the mattress. "I don't know what to do! I'm not good for you, anybody can see that! I can't even make love to you without putting you in the hospital!" His anguished cry muffled by the blankets, it nevertheless shocked me. With my free hand I tried to calm him down, rubbing his granite back, his solid shoulders, making little shushing noises.

"I wish you wouldn't beat yourself up for this," I murmured. "It's not your fault."

"Who's fault would it be then?" His eyes blazed down at me, as he raised his head so quickly I didn't see the movement. "Would it be the fault of your human husband? The one who would not have pulled your hip out of its socket like a chicken leg no matter how hard he tried because he didn't have the strength? The one you should be married to instead of me?"

Stunned by the intensity of his response, I lay there against the starchy pillowcase as his tirade flew by. Edward spoke in a furious whisper, but I couldn't help glancing at the door in case someone overheard. Thankfully it remained closed.

"I am the most selfish, most despicable of creatures." He had lain his head back down on the mattress, but had taken his hands away from mine. At least he still looked at me, but when I reached for his head he pulled away. "When you spoke my name in your sleep that first time, I should have kept going but I was too weak." Edward's whisper was no longer furious, but now cracked with his pain.

My heart twisted at the sight of his suffering, and I thought furiously of what I could do to assuage his fears. At least he wasn't locked up tight and ferociously angry like he was the night of my rotten eighteenth birthday. He was in turmoil, but he was letting it out. Hopefully that meant I would be able to reach him.

"Well, I'm not married to a human husband. I'm married to you, which is far better in my opinion," I countered. "Being married means 'for better or for worse', and while this is serious, I don't think it qualifies as 'worse'. You've already said you don't want to leave me, right?" I questioned him.

Edward's face twisted as he thought and I set my lips against the answering pain I felt. Finally his expression evened out. "No," came his rough whisper. "I can't. I should, but I can't. I love you too much. Once I thought that would give me the strength to do what was right for you but…no longer."

"That's not something to be ashamed of," I insisted, trying to keep my voice steady. "Come here." I reached out and felt better when he shifted the chair close enough to bring his face near me. My fingers settled on the bronze waves of his hair.

"This was my idea, remember? You were doing it so I could have one last human experience. This was my choice, so you shouldn't regret like this. If anything, it's my fault for insisting we do this while I was human. Why do you always assume everything is your fault?"

Edward's face contracted with his feelings, his mouth opened and closed several times. He turned to face the mattress before he answered. "I hurt you," he finally whispered in a tortured voice. "Even in the beginning, when the scent of your blood drove me mad with wanting to kill you, I never touched a hair on your head. I swore to myself I would make myself safe for you. I feel…ashamed. I don't deserve you."

I reached up, found his cheek and turned his face back towards me. "I wish you wouldn't tear yourself up like this. I'm fine. You said we would try, and we did, so I have no regrets. Matter of fact, it was going so well at first…" Pulling his face closer to me I said softly, "I'm really looking forward to that again. I just need to be more...durable." I felt a little heat rise in my cheeks.

He sighed, a little less misery in his voice. "If it were anybody else, they would view a visit to the ER on their honeymoon as something to regret. Not you. I'm just relieved it's not as serious as it might have been." He sighed again, "Sorry for ruining your honeymoon."

"It's not ruined; I'm here with you. As long as we're together, I can deal with anything." I lay a gentle finger on his forehead. "We just have to make sure we stay together in here too."

Edward's brows lowered in question at me. "How do you mean?"

While we both didn't like thinking about the time when he'd left me, I realized we had never discussed it. He had returned and I had taken him back and we pretended like it had never happened.

"It's about doing what's right for me. Edward, do you remember what you said about Romeo and Juliet?"

"I said a lot of things. To what specifically are you referring?"

"That they made so many mistakes. It was all a misunderstanding and if they talked to each other it would have been resolved. So we need to talk to each other more."

"We talk," he disagreed, but not defensively.

"Yes, we do but when it mattered, we didn't. When you left me, you made a decision that affected the two of us, and you made it without me. You decided what was best for me and boom, there it was."

The misery was back on his face. "I know, and I'm sor—"

I took his face in my hands and kissed him to shut him up. "Hush. I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. I just want to make sure you know we're in this together. I know it drives you crazy because you can't hear what I'm thinking. But the same goes for me, too.

"So can you promise me something? If something is bothering you, can you talk to me about it, please? Especially if you think it's something for my own good. Maybe I haven't been around for as long as you have, but if it affects me I should have a say in it. And I'll do the same for you. Is that fair?"

Edward's eyes grew a little wide during my little speech. I hadn't realized I had this bottled up inside me, so was a little surprised myself. Then he reached one arm under my shoulders and pulled me closer. "Yes, that's fair," he agreed with a nod.

"Are you still mad at yourself?"

Edward contemplated the back of my hand as he caressed it with his thumb. "I'm not completely happy with myself, but as you said we're in this for better or for worse. Although I think this qualifies more as 'in sickness and in health'."

Feeling a bit more confident that he would try to work things through, I still wanted to feel him out about our particular situation. "If anything, I think this proves that we need to be equals to make this marriage work, right?"

Edward gave a quiet sigh. "Physical equals?" he asked, and I nodded.

"I agreed to this already," Edward shrugged. "But yes, the necessity is more apparent to me."

"Good," I said with a satisfied smile.

Edward's topaz eyes captured mine intently. "And do you also agree that we not 'try' anymore? At least not until after you've been changed?"

I scrunched my nose at him. "Yeah, I don't think this hip would allow for it anyway. Speaking of which, what did you think?" I wondered.

Confused again, Edward's brows dipped together. "Think about what?"

I licked my lips, feeling suddenly shy as the blush started rising up my neck. "Your first time."

Understanding dawned and Edward glanced away. Then a slow smile spread across his face as he sifted through his memories.

"Is that good?" I asked when he focused back on me.

He laughed. "Let me put it this way. Remember the first trip to our meadow, when I told you how wonderful the touch of your fingers felt on my arm?"

"Mm-hmm."

Edward exaggerated the roll of his eyes and lolled his head around. "Many, many times greater than that!"

I felt the blush deepen, happy that I was able to please him. "Good. Just imagine if we weren't interrupted."

His face fell a fraction before he recovered himself. "And you? Did it meet your expectations?"

Blushing furiously, the memories of finally making love with him were quite vivid and the flash of heat that started in my belly surprised me. I laughed as the heart rate monitor revved. "Well, if it weren't for this hip, and the fact that we're in a hospital bed, I'd be all for jumping you right now."

"Mrs. Cullen! I'm surprised at you!" Edward's gentle laugh joined mine. "We'll just have to wait a little longer. For now…" He brought his head closer and the touch of his lips was like water in the desert to me. I curled one hand around the back of his neck, enjoying the silky touch of his hair and the satin glide of his mouth. Any moment, I figured my heart would start skipping and the nursing station would send someone to investigate. Fortunately I was able to enjoy it for a while before Edward broke the kiss and whispered, "The doctor's coming." He sat up straight in the chair, keeping hold of my hand, while I tried to compose myself.

After a quick knock, the door opened and a swarthy man of medium build in a white lab coat and scrubs entered. Edward's face grew slightly more animated as he spoke to the doctor. My high school Spanish allowed me to catch that his name was Dr. Santos and they were discussing my condition, but Portuguese was too different for me to completely understand. Dr. Santos shook his head and tsked at me.

Confused, I turned to Edward. "What did you tell him?"

"When you were admitted, I told him you fell out of a coconut tree, trying to pick one of the nuts," he spoke with a hint of a smile.

"Great," I rolled my eyes.

Now that I was awake and my vital signs were normal, Dr. Santos prepared to release me from the hospital. I was outfitted with a brace that encased my thigh and wrapped around the opposite waist, minimizing movement. A pair of crutches finished out my convalescent ensemble, and they gave me a vial of pain medication if I should need it. Judging from how my hip felt, I took a dose before we left the hospital for the marina.

Edward was calmer now, not angry or distressed as he first was in the recovery room. I lounged against his shoulder while he piloted the boat back toward the island. A pale half-moon painted the sea with a soft sheen, and gave Edward a ghostly appearance. The night sky was gloriously sprinkled with stars and the tropical breeze was a gentle, warm caress on my face. Despite my injury, I felt quite content to be in this beautiful setting with him, but it seemed he still had some lingering regrets.

"Bella?" his voice filtered through the fuzz induced by the pain medication.

"Mm?"

"I'm sorry about your honeymoon. After all that we've been through, I wanted this to be perfect for you."

Turning my head to look up at him, I roused myself. "You," I emphasized. "You need to stop looking at the downside of things all the time."

I pulled his face down to me and kissed him. "There's nothing to be sorry about, and nothing's been ruined. We're married, I love you, and we're here – alone – in a tropical paradise. As long as you're with me, everything else is just…stuff."

"Thank you, love," he said, and kissed me back, the warmth returning to his voice. "But I'd still like to make it up to you. I promise we'll go on a second honeymoon…after."

I admit I was a bit disappointed that the lovemaking hadn't turned out so well, but I was honest about the rest of it. Edward and I were alone on a private, tropical island. No work, no school, nobody coming to kill me. It just didn't get any better than that.


I woke up the next day some time after noon with Edward's body cooling my back, his hand softly stroking my shoulder. I rolled over the best I could with the hip brace on and found Edward smiling down at me. "Good afternoon, sleepyhead," he said.

"Morning," I smiled, and pulled him down for my morning kiss. Well, it was morning for me with the difference in time zones. And the way the touch of his lips got my heart going was more stimulating than coffee.

"What would you like to do today?" he asked, when we stopped for breath.

"Mm, this is my first time here. Do you have any suggestions? The leg kinda puts a damper on anything athletic."

Edward pursed his lips. "One thing that can't be missed here is snorkeling the reef."

I raised a hand and wiggled my fingers at him. "Um, hello, athletically challenged?"

Edward smiled. "Trust me. I'll take care of you. Come on, time for breakfast."

After I took care of hygiene and had a quick breakfast of toast and eggs, Edward helped me change into a snowy white bikini Alice had provided. I suspected any appeal was ruined by the bulky hip brace and crutches. Even so I was pleased to see his eyes widen and a sly smile spread across his face.

"What?" I asked.

"I like it," he grinned. "The tropical climate has its advantages. I'll probably never see you dressed like this in Forks. Now you're not the only one in danger of spontaneous combustion." He laughed as my ready blush answered him.

"Thank Alice. Some of the things she packed are absolutely indecent."

Edward's solution to snorkeling was to outfit me with snorkeling equipment, carry me into the water, and pull me by the hand through the waves. The easy floating in the water was therapeutic for my hip as well, allowing it to rest without the pull of gravity.

Edward swam surprisingly well. His body seemed so solid I expected him to sink like a stone. The fact that he didn't made me think about the vampire conversion process. He obviously wasn't heavier. Whatever the conversion did, it made the human tissues harder and stronger. And more beautiful.

I found myself wishing Edward had pictures from before his conversion. I would have liked to see him with green eyes but photographs were rare from his time, and color photography didn't exist. I wondered how much the transformation had changed his appearance. How much would mine change me?

These musings only momentarily distracted me from the natural, and unnatural, beauty around me. The sunlight reflected differently off Edward's skin underwater, surrounding him in a glowing nimbus as he stroked through the water. Several times, Edward let go of my hand to dive down to pick up an urchin or a starfish to show me. He swam with such grace it was a pleasure to watch him. He looked more like an angel than ever.

The waters in the cove absolutely teemed with fish of all shapes, sizes and colors. The reef was made up of varieties of blue, green, red and white coral. Sea anemones, sea urchins and starfish dotted the reefs. There were even a couple green sea turtles feeding. Many times I wished I had brought an underwater camera.

Later towards evening we found a sheltered spot on the beach. I brought some food for dinner and we lounged on the beach watching the sun get lower, enjoying the peace and quiet, the sounds of the soothing surf surrounding us. "I didn't realize it until now," I mused, "but I was developing a complex about sunny days."

"How so?" Edward asked, his fingers drawing lazy designs on the back of my hand.

"Whenever there was sunshine you and the family would ditch school. Those were always long days for me."

He smiled. "For me too. At least you won't have to worry about that soon."

"Sure. Soon I'll be able to ditch with you," I said with a laugh. In the back of my mind I marveled; this was the first time he had mentioned my coming change without a hint of regret or disapproval. I hoped that meant he was becoming reconciled to it.

He looked out over the waves, thinking. "Have you thought of what you would major in? When we do go back to school?"

"I haven't thought about it too much until now," I replied. And it was true. Through my last year of high school, when everybody else was thinking of college and careers, I hadn't been focused on much beyond surviving to graduation.

"You were only looking at college as an alibi to becoming a vampire," he pointed out.

"It was kinda hard thinking about the future when all these people were trying to kill me," I retorted a bit sarcastically. "I figured it could wait until I was sure there would be a future." I wrinkled my forehead as a thought struck me. "I can't believe I've never asked you this before but how many degrees do you have?"

"I have two graduate degrees in medicine, one in literature, a masters degree in mechanical engineering, math, law, art history and international business. And there's all the undergraduate degrees that went with them," he recited with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Whoa," I exclaimed. Another thing to feel inadequate over. He was quite the renaissance man. It was a good thing I would have lots of time to catch up. "Where did the music come from?" I wondered.

"My mother started me at the piano when I was a boy. So I was a fair pianist by the age of seventeen." His smile crinkled his eyes. "And after I was turned, well, eighty years is a lot of time to practice."

"Did you ever practice medicine?"

Edward laughed. "People tend to get a little nervous if a 17-year old doctor is examining them."

The image of a youthful Edward examining a reluctant elderly patient brought a smile to my face, and I thought about the other members of his family.

"Have any of you besides Carlisle followed a career?"

"We all have at one time or another. Alice and I have a slight handicap in that area. Because we look younger physically, we only fit the roles of younger professionals early in their careers. So we can't work in a given field for too long. The people we work with would begin to notice and wonder why someone so young is in a senior position."

"So, I need to look for something where I don't need to work closely with other people?"

"Not necessarily but it can help, and would be less disruptive for you when we have to move."

I thought about that for a while. It was quite convenient to be married into a wealthy family, but Charlie and Renee had raised me to believe we were put on the earth for a purpose. To Charlie that meant serving the public as a peace officer. Renee was a teacher. Both of those professions worked closely with people. I'd have to think of something else.

"I told Mom I was going to major in English literature, but I was just trying to get her off me when she was giving me the third degree about marrying you. What can you do with a degree in English literature?"

"A writer or a teacher, I would think. There would be various careers opportunities for an English major in the publishing industry."

"I like writing and freelance writers work independently," I thought out loud. "They can send their work in from anywhere. Or how about a romance novelist?" I smirked.

Edward made a derisive noise. "You don't even need a degree to do that."

"Then that should be right up my alley."

Edward gave a slow smile and pulled me close. "Sure. Let me give you some material."

I hadn't finished thinking about the topic of a career, but kissing Edward was one subject I couldn't pass up, even with a hip injury. I ran my hands into his hair, and melted into him, our breathing speeding up and getting ragged. All too soon I felt him pull back. We were back to the old boundaries again. I tried to cling to him, and kissed his throat and chest before he could pull away completely.

"Be good, please," he said as he had so many times before.

"Fine," I sighed. I settled back and waited for my breath to calm. "I'd rather be bad but I guess that will have to wait for later."

"Yes, but don't hurry on my account," he said with a wicked grin. "I got what I wanted."

"What? You promised!" I cried, dismay making my voice sharper than I'd intended.

Edward pretended to cower behind his hands. "Teasing!" he said. "Good lord, remind me not to get between you and something you want."

"Aargh!" I tried to push him and ended up shoving myself back, eliciting a protest from my hip. "Now you're going to have me itching to get off this island and back to Forks!"

He smiled, unrepentant. "I'm sorry, love. I find myself a little giddy these days. Normally I would be kicking myself for a few days over injuring you but to see you happy, to know that you are mine…" He gave a happy sigh, his face fairly glowing. "I just can't stay down for long."

"I was wondering about that," I admitted. "And a little worried for a while there too. I guess married life agrees with you." He took my breath away on a normal basis. When he was this happy he was radiant. It was like looking into the face of an angel. An archangel.

"I think so," he said. "Forgive me?" He grinned my favorite grin.

I narrowed my eyes. "I don't know. I might need some more convincing. Come back over here and I'll think about it while you kiss me."


The next few days followed a similar pattern. An easy activity whenever I got up, followed by quiet together time. My internal clock was still adjusting to the four-hour difference between Rio and Forks, so I tended to rise just before noon. We hiked inland on the island to a natural waterfall in the jungle – that is, Edward hiked with me in his arms. We took walks along the beach and explored some of the sea caves carved by the waves. Watching the sun set while cuddling with Edward on the beach provided an absolutely storybook ending to each day.

Esme's library was stocked with a few novels that I had not read, as well as a number of movies for when we felt like being completely lazy. I found myself ecstatically happy to be there on the island with Edward, and at the same time chafed over the inconvenience of the hip brace and crutches. We would definitely have to come back when I could walk the beach by his side.

One morning I woke up and realized I had no idea what day it was. Living on an island with no schedule and no responsibilities does that to you but in the back of my mind I remembered I had a deadline somewhere.

Edward was up of course, waiting for me to stir. I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me from his pillow.

"Morning, honey," I yawned.

"Good morning," he answered and kissed me. It was such a nice way to wake up. I wouldn't have minded kissing him the rest of the morning but I did have something to ask.

"What day is it?" I inquired when I could take a breath.

"It's Thursday," he murmured against my lips.

"I mean the date."

"August 21st."

"How long were we planning to stay?" I asked.

"We can stay as long as you like. However, I seem to recall you had something to do by a certain date."

I sighed. "Yeah, I do. As much as I love being here alone with you, I need to stay on track."

Edward pursed his lips and thought for a moment. "Do you mind a little suggestion?" he asked.

"Sure."

"Your mother should have made it back home by now. Why don't we take a little detour to Jacksonville?" His golden eyes were gentle.

"Are you kidding? She'll flip when she sees the crutches," I retorted, wondering where this was coming from. "Besides, we just saw her at the wedding."

"True. But it will probably be the last time you'll see her for a long time so…"

I felt my voice thicken a little as I realized he was referring to the period after my transformation. Would I even be able to see her after that? Distressing my mom over an injury paled in the face of never seeing her again. "I knew there was a reason I married you. You're so thoughtful."

He quirked a smile at me. "Really? And here I thought it was for sex."

"Oh you…ow!" I don't know why I still bothered whacking him. It only gave me bruises.

He caught my fingers and kissed them. "Alright, in the spirit of being thoughtful… I have something for you."

My eyes opened completely at that. "Edward…" I started reproachfully.

He put his finger on my lips. "Shh. It's not a hand-me-down, but you said you like home-made gifts." He turned his smoldering eyes and velvet voice on me. "And it would mean so much to me."

It was so unfair that he could disable my brain with a look. When I found my voice I whispered, "Okay."

He went back to the dresser and took something from a drawer. I stifled a groan; it was a small jewelry box. This was something I needed to get used to. Edward and his family were very generous with each other, and it obviously gave him much pleasure to give. I would have to learn to accept their gifts with good grace now that I was part of the family.

I propped myself up on one elbow, my hip complaining slightly. He opened the box, and inside was a small heart on a silver chain. The heart was made of a deep, blood-red stone and glistened in the light so that it seemed like it would flow away. It was simple but beautiful.

"You made this?" I gasped. "By hand? Ohmigod, it's beautiful." It really shouldn't surprise me anymore, the things that were possible with vampire strength and patience.

"Yes. It's a river stone that I carved and polished. Turn it over," he said.

The words Ma Chanteuse were engraved on the back in Edward's flowing script. "What does it say?" I asked.

"It means 'my singer' in French," he said, his voice husky. "Even when your blood has stilled, you will always sing for me."

"Oh, Edward…" was all I could manage before my voice broke, and I threw my arms around his neck. We held each other for a long time, until the happy tears finally eased.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered in my ear. "Ma chanteuse."

"And I love you," I answered. "More than life."


To be continued...

Hope you liked the updated version of Chapter 1...