THE REST OF THE DAY, along with the week, went by fast, as time always did when Edward and Bella were together, didn't have to be separated, Edward only leaving her for a short period of time on Wednesday so he could go hunting in preparation for their trip to Chicago, Bella discussing her wedding dress with Alice and Esme in the meantime—because she and Edward decided to move it up, their trip to Chicago, decided, too, not to go to the hospital, talk to Carlisle regarding them having their own, little home even when they had to move to a different town, pretend to go to high school or college, because it would become quite obvious after Bella gave birth that they needed to have their own home always.

Carlisle'd gotten an email from Mr Green on Tuesday, explaining that the test Edward and Bella were going to take, which, thank God, would have the exact same questions, would be comprised of eight different parts, each individual part corresponding to one of the classes that they took, excluding gym, plus a section corresponding to all the classes they would have had to take senior year put together. The test would be delivered to Carlisle via email, and Edward and Bella had to take it and complete it within two days of Carlisle receiving it so the teachers could have time to grade it in time for Edward and Bella to graduate along with this year's graduating class.

Now, Wednesday night, the night before they'd leave for Chicago and Edward's family home, where he, like her, had been human, though whether they would go on a plane or drive there, Bella didn't know—Bella sat on Edward's black leather couch, nervously fidgeting with her ring and bracelet, pieces of jewelry that had once belonged to his mother, Elizabeth, while Edward packed his clothes, prepared things for them to leave, Alice having already packed Bella's clothes along with her so Edward didn't see them. Cold hands taking hers, soft, sweet kisses being pressed to each of her fingers, then her palms. "Will you please tell me what's going on in that beautiful head of yours, what you're thinking about? You've been quiet for a while, Love, and, as always, your silence is driving me crazy, and the way I can hear your heart beating like that of a trapped bird's isn't helping matters."

Bella looked up from their joint hands, saw Edward was kneeling in front of her, his beautiful golden eyes, the color of purest honey thanks to him having gone hunting earlier today, concerned, but also blazing with genuine curiosity. She pulled her hands free from his, encircled them around his neck, ran her fingers over the soft, heavy silk of his hair, this action soothing her. "It's nothing, really, only the test we have to take so we can graduate now, skip senior year. What if two days isn't enough time for me? What if, because I want to finish, I rush through it, get most of the answers wrong, don't pass? I know I'm smart, but I, unlike you, don't have a vampire mind that can process and absorb information within seconds, at least not yet."

Edward got up from where he'd been kneeling on the thick gold carpet of his room, sat down beside Bella on his black leather couch, put his arm around her shoulders. He must not have been satisfied with that, because only after a second of putting his arm around her shoulders, he removed it, brought her onto his lap, shifting her so they were completely facing each other. "You really shouldn't be worried about that, Bella." He stroked a hand over her hair, wound a strand of it round his finger, bent down, took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of it. "It's true, Mr Green did give us a short period of time to complete the test, but we also don't have to do it at human speed, as we'll be taking it here, at home, and I'll help you, can even completed for you after I complete mine, which should only take me a couple of minutes, if it makes you feel better."

Soft, husky, female laughter, Bella burying her face against the junction of his neck, where it met with his shoulder, pressing a kiss to the hard, cold, smooth skin there. "Sounds simple enough, why didn't I think of that? It's cheating, you helping me with the test, practically completing it for me—but I don't care, all I want is to marry you, be with you forever." She pulled away from his neck, looked deep into his eyes, serious and curious at once. "Tell me, my beautiful fiance and future husband, why is it, do you think, it was so easy for Carlisle to convince Mr Green to let us graduate early? I mean, I knew it would turn out that way thanks to you asking Alice to look ahead for us, then telling me about what she saw while we were in the car on our way to school, but Mr Green didn't even question if Charlie was okay with it, think to call him."

Edward's eyes glittered, danced with pride, humor, joy, happiness, and love. "I can do something better than what you're asking, tell you exactly what Mr Green was thinking, his reasoning." Edward tapped his temple with his forefinger, a silent reminder, though Bella didn't need it, that he could hear everyone's thoughts, except, of course, for her own. "Mr Green's thought process is quite simple, actually. Because you're either with me or Alice all the time—" he traced the curve of her lips with his thumb, causing a small, but very potent fire to erupt there, "mostly me, he, along with the rest of the staff, and the entire student body, thinks of you as a Cullen regardless of the fact that your father, Charlie,is the chief of police, and, indeed, forgets that Charlie is, in fact, your father, has 'authority' over you, especially when he sees us together, along with either Carlisle or Esme."

She twined her arms around his neck, curved herself around him, fitting herself to the beautiful, perfect shape of his body. "I suppose I am practically a Cullen, though I won't legally be so for about four more weeks. Carlisle and Esme," she let her finger trace the beautiful, full curve of his lips, felt him smile against her skin, "have acted more as my parents in the short time we've been dating than Charlie and Renee ever have in my entire seventeen years of life." Because those relationships, they were backwards, Bella often acting as the caretaker and Charlie and Renee as the children, though Charlie a lot less so than Renee.

Edward's eyes glowed with unconditional, unwavering love. "Yes, you're Isabella Marie Cullen Masen, and it will only be a couple of more weeks before we make it legal." He shifted his body, laid them down on the couch, then, seemingly thinking better of it, lifted her into his arms, carried her to the bed, had her laying down, his body hovering above hers, in less than a second. "Of course, when we do, eventually, have to go to either high school or college again, we'll have to pretend not to be married, keep up with a public story so we can stay in one place for a long time, but that pretense can come right off when we're home."

Bella set her hands against Edward's chest, right over his heart that hadn't beat in a long time, almost, but not quite, a century—pushed lightly, Edward understanding what she wanted, allowing her to turn them over so she was the one on top, straddling his hips. "Why," she leaned down, took a soft, sweet kiss, part of her, a very small part, hoping that Jasper wasn't home, couldn't feel the emotions, the desire and love coming from her, "am I Isabella Marie Cullen Masen? Where did you get that last surname 'Masen' from?"

Edward sat up, gathering her to him, held her tight against his body, hands on her hips, tracing small, soft, rhythmic circles. "It's my human surname, I was born Edward Anthony Masen in 1901, my mother, Elizabeth, giving birth to me at home with the help of a doctor and midwife." He kissed her before she could speak, and his kiss, it was soft and deep, deep as he was willing to make it without fear of hurting her. His tongue, cold as ice, darted out gently, slowly, to take in the taste of her skin. "Our future child, be it Edward or Nessy Elizabeth, will be the second generation to be born there."

Bella fought through the pleasure, the buzz in her head, because Edward, he'd mentioned their future child, their precious secret, out loud, and she didn't know whether or not they were alone in the house. She broke away, turned her head slightly to the side, needing to breathe, something which really annoyed her, because she loved kissing Edward—her fiance, loved it so much, she never wanted to stop, not even to breathe. His lips, they didn't leave her skin, simply moved on to her neck, kissing along the hollow of her throat, her collarbones, her breastbone.

"Ed—"

He pulled away from her skin just long enough for him to say, "Don't worry, Bella, Love, no one's home, everyone stepped out to run different errands, else, I'd have never mentioned our future child, our precious, little secret, out loud," then he was kissing her again, her lips molding themselves around his.

They didn't speak again, not for a while, Bella happy to let Edward kiss her, at all his lapses of self-control lately, whether they were because they were getting married and she was going to be his wife soon or because he was simply more confident in himself, his ability to keep his thirst in check despite the sweet, mouth-watering scent of her blood, a scent that, Bella knew, was more appealing to him than any other human's blood had ever been—she didn't know, but she didn't care, was simply happy to let him kiss her for as long as he wanted to. Eventually, though, her stomach grumbled, breaking the magic, the intricately woven spell. Edward pulled away from her neck, where he'd been busy placing sweet, soft, cold kisses, and even letting his teeth scrape lightly, gently, over her skin, driving her mad, touched his fingers to her stomach. "Ah, Bella, much as we both might want to, we cannot forget about your human needs, can we, Love?"

He sat up, bringing her with him, shifting her body so she was in his lap, cradled in his arms, allowing her to bury her face against his neck. Bella really hated this, having to stop kissing him because of her stupid human needs, but she wouldn't have them for much longer. Of course, her future pregnancy might cause her human needs to increase infrequency and intensity, but then again, it wouldn't be usual, her pregnancy, and Bella didn't know what she would be like or what she would need during that time.

He pulled her head away from his neck, cupped her face, gave her one last kiss, soft and quick. "Come, let's go to the kitchen so I can make you dinner." A glance at his watch, a black and gold, sleek, expensive thing from Patek Philippe engraved with their initials he'd gone to buy with her yesterday, telling her that just like her bracelet and her ring reminded her of him, he, too, wanted something to remind him of her, of the strength of their love, always. Bella'd argued with him, telling him that getting such an expensive watch wasn't necessary, that soon he'd have his wedding band on the ring finger of his left hand to remind him of their love, but he'd shaken his head, told her he didn't want to wait that long. "You should probably be going to sleep soon, anyway, Love, I'll wake you up early tomorrow morning so we can head to the airport, take a plane to Chicago."

Bella blinked, startled. "We're not going to drive there?" She didn't know how many hours a person usually had to spend in the car to drive from Forks to Chicago, but that didn't apply when it came to her and Edward driving, because Edward, he drove fast—her fiance, didn't need to sleep so they could get there a lot faster than humans usually would.

A shake of his head, his eyes glowing, becoming bright with excitement. "No," he stroked her cheek, her hair, seemingly unable to stop touching her, because, he, like her, Bella was beginning to realize, was as addicted to her as she was to him, "I considered it for a moment, then decided against it. I don't want you sleeping in the car, being uncomfortable, and while we could have stayed at a hotel when you fell asleep, I didn't want to waste time, I want to spend as much time with you in my family home, where I, like you, was human, as possible, this way, I can show you pictures of my mother, Elizabeth, give you some more of her jewelry, and decide together what changes, if any, we want to make to the house, as will be living there for a while after our honeymoon. Plus, I didn't want to risk having to give you precooked, frozen food—"

Bella threw her arms around his neck, kissed him, cutting him off. "Oh, Edward, thank you for always worrying about me, taking care of my needs, thinking about the smallest details."

He moved, fast like only he could, and they were in the kitchen, Bella sitting on the counter, Edward standing between her legs, in less than a second. His speed, it was breathtaking, made her heart beat faster, not because of fear, but because of adrenaline, pure, radiant joy. "You need not thank me for things such as this, taking care of you, thinking of your needs, it's what a husband is suppose to do, after all, just as his wife, too, worries about him, as I've seen you do time and time again, though I'm way, way stronger than you, for the moment, at least."

A shrug, as of this, them taking care of each other, watching out for each other, was a given. "Where was I before you interrupted me?" He paused, pretending to think for a moment. "Since I don't want to risk having to give you precooked, frozen food, I already set aside two plane tickets, in First Class, of course, because I want you to be comfortable, will finish purchasing them when you're asleep. We'll drive to the airport early tomorrow morning, though I won't wake you up as early as I would have to if I followed traffic laws, take a taxi to my family home,my human home, after we land, where, of course, because I go there from time to time, I have a car waiting for us. This car, it's way, way faster than my Volvo, so you don't need to worry about us ever having to drive slow." Edward's beautiful, exhilarated smile was infectious, made Bella smile, too. "I'm not sure if we'll go out of the house other than to the mall, get you some clothes, along with the grocery store, to buy some food for you, but the car will be there nonetheless."

He ended up making her chicken breast seasoned with herbs and spices, along with steamed broccoli for her dinner, Bella eating it not slowly, but not quickly, either, aware that Edward would want her to get as many hours of sleep as possible, but that he also wouldn't want her to choke or get a stomach ache. When she was done, he cleared her plate away, wash the dishes, fast like only he could, gave her two things to help her sleep well, the first lavender and chamomile tea, the second warm milk with a teaspoon of treacle. Then, after she had drunk both of them and they were starting to take effect, Bella feeling sleepy and tired, relaxed in a way she only ever did when Edward was with her, he carried her to the bathroom, waited outside for her to shower and change, then carried her to his room.

Gently, he laid her down on the bed, covered her with the gold coverlet and blankets, and, without saying a word, aware that she liked feeling his bare skin against hers without blankets or any kind of fabric on the way, unbuttoned and shrugged off his white shirt, came to lay down beside her, his arms coming around her, gathering her to him, let her lay her head against his chest, right over the still organ that was his heart. A soft kiss that was naught but a whisper pressed against her forehead, then her lips. "Sleep now, my love, sleep, my beautiful wife-to-be, tomorrow will be a long, exciting day, but don't you worry about a thing, everything is taken care of, our trip to Chicago, to my family home, will be perfect."

He began to hum the new song he was composing for her, making her wonder if he'd finished it or not, causing her eyelids, already droopy from what he'd made her drink, to become even more so. "I love you, Edward, my beautiful fiance and future husband." Bella's voice was sleepy, would have been inaudible to a human.

A pause in Edwards humming, a smile against her skin, a kiss pressed against her lips. "As I love you."

Edward woke her up early the next morning, gave her breakfast in bed—a bowl of fruit and an omelette stuffed with spinach, cheese, and mushrooms, along with a coffee to help her wake up, then carried her to the bathroom so she could change. The house, Bella noticed, was quiet, too quiet, as if no one, safe for herself and Edward, was home, but that couldn't be right, could it? Surely, their family would want to see them off, at least Carlisle and Esme, and possibly Alice, too.

She shook her head, butterflies of nervousness and anticipation curling her stomach, put on her dress, a beautiful, delicate, feminine, expensive thing, a little too expensive for Bella's tastes, but still way less expensive than what Alice would have gotten her.

After she and Edward had gotten his watch on Tuesday, he'd asked her if she wanted to get a complete outfit to wear while they were on their way to Chicago and his family home so he wouldn't have to go into Alice's monster of a closet. Bella had nodded gratefully, and they'd spent around an hour and a half going from store to store, searching for the perfect dress, but Bella hadn't minded because she was with the most beautiful, perfect man on the planet. In the end, it had been Edward who'd spotted her dress, and Bella had taken one look at the price tag, shaken her head, telling him that it was too expensive, but then she'd taken one look at his face, decided the amount of money he would spend didn't matter, not if seeing her in that dress made him happy.

It was long, almost, but not quite, too long, would cover her brace perfectly, was made of dark, rich, vibrant, blue silk and lace. The bodice was tight, emphasized her physique, gave her a tiny waist—was made of lace decorated with a delicate pattern of flowers, which, in turn, each had a small, fragile, white stone on the center. The skirts, made of the softest, most delicate, and elegant silk, flowed out in a ripple of rich, dark blue. The tight sleeves, made of silk, too, were mid-length, allowing Bella to showcase her bracelet that had been Edward's gift to her that had once belonged to his mother, Elizabeth.

Once her dress was on, and she'd gone through her quick, comprehensive, skin care routine, she put on her shoe, a simple flat that matched the color of her dress perfectly, before gently combing through her hair, first with a brush, then with her fingers, parting it to the side, giving Edward easy access to her throat, should he want to kiss her when he saw her. She took a deep breath, her heart hammering inside her chest, Edward no doubt able to hear it, counted to three in her head, before calling, "Edward," her voice no louder than if he'd been standing right next to her.

His intake of breath was audible, and, when Bella turned away from the mirror, to face him, she saw his eyes, the color of the purest of honeys, were blazing with a mixture that was love and desire. Not saying anything, he walked slowly, deliberately, gracefully, over to her, lifted her onto the sink as easily as if she was naught but a feather, made space for himself between her legs, pressed his forehead to hers. When he spoke, his voice was soft, seductive, a private whisper between two fiances. "You, my Bella, are naught but the most beautiful of sirens." Edward followed the contour of one of the flowers on Bella's dress with his finger, and though his skin was cold as ice, a fire erupted there, where his finger was tracing lazy patterns on the fabric of her dress. "Seeing you like this, in this dress," a kiss that was soft, honey-sweet, and deep, deep as he was willing to make it without fear of hurting her, "it makes me want to forget all about our trip to Chicago, be with you as only husband and wife should be, but, alas, I will wait until our wedding night to claim you as mine."

He helped her down from the sink, cradled her to his chest, fitting her to him and taking most of her weight, just held her like that for several minutes, before he eventually let out a sigh, pulled her away from his chest, shifted her so she stood beside him, took her left hand in his. "Much as I'd like to stand here with you thus all day, holding you in my arms, we have a plane to catch and Esme and Carlisle are waiting outside to say goodbye."

Bella let Edward gently guide her outside the house, down the steps, to the front lawn, where, she assumed, because it wasn't the Volvo, but a sleek, very fast‐looking, black Aston Martin, Edward's car was waiting for them. Carlisle and Esme, they were there, too, leaning casually against the Aston Martin, talking quietly amongst themselves, their conversation one to quiet and fast for Bella to understand. When they heard Bella and Edward were close, they stopped talking, looked up, smiles lighting both of their faces. Then Edward and Bella were hugged and kissed goodbye, Edward helping her into the car soon after, getting in beside her in less than a second, starting the car, and driving away fast, her left hand held firmly in his.

Time passed by pretty quickly after that, Edward helping her through security so she didn't trip over her own two feet, then into the plane, Bella falling asleep with her head resting against Edward's shoulder, the First Class seat wide and comfortable, and soon Edward was waking her, their plane landing, helping her into the backseat of a taxi.

At first Bella, who was cuddled close to Edward, his arm around her shoulders, their fingers linked together, was annoyed at the slow speed they had to drive in, but then, as the streets became more and more residential, the houses further and further apart, her annoyance turned to curiosity and excitement. She turned to Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, a question on the tip of her tongue, but he pressed a finger to her lips, shook his head, his eyes glinting. "No, Bella, I'm not telling you anything, though I can see the curiosity is killing you, you'll have to wait until we're home to find out the story behind it, Love."

She groaned in frustration, buried her face against his chest, fisted his shirt in her hand, placed sweet, discreet kisses to his skin, trying to persuade him to tell her what was going on, not make her wait.

Edward pried her away from him, took her face between his hands, cold fingers stroking her cheeks, looked deep into her eyes, making her heart beat faster and dazzling her. When he spoke, his voice was soft, persuasive, for her ears only. "Have some patience, Bella, it will be only a couple of more minutes—twenty at most, before we're home, my beautiful bride-to-be."

Bella tried, emphasis on tried, to glare at him, look mad, kept her voice low so the taxi driver wouldn't overhear her when she spoke. "You don't play fair, my beautiful fiance, you know what it does to me when you look at me like that." She kissed him, quick and light. "Fine, I'll wait, though the curiosity is killing me."

They didn't speak again, Bella closing her eyes, curling herself around Edward as much as her seatbelt would allow, and Edward, for his part, massaging her shoulder, applying just the right amount of pressure to make her relax, her body feeling like jelly, his fingers gliding up and down her arm, creating smooth, soothing patterns on her skin through the fabric of her dress and the elegant blue shawl he'd wrapped around her soon after getting into the taxi so he could hold her close to his body without worrying about her getting cold because of the temperature of his skin.

"Sir," the voice of the taxi driver caused Bella to open her eyes just enough so she could sneak a peek at Edward, "is there a code I should input to open the gates?"

Now Bella really did open her eyes, sat up, an inaudible gasp, at least to human ears, escaping her lips. . .

Because on either side of the car we're a whole bunch of trees, tall, old, and majestic, their leaves, all sorts of different shades of green, ranging from dark to light, mixing with a pop of dark, rich, ruby red, the color akin to that of blood, and shimmering white that came from the rose bushes strategically placed near the massive gate directly in front of the car, some of the vines from the rose bushes twining around It, giving it a beautiful, elegant effect. And the gate, it was beautiful and graceful, made of intricately carved wrought iron in the color silver, with a design of what Bella thought were roses, heliotropes, and lilies. On the edge of each gate was a white dove standing on a grapevine, and those doves, they'd come together, their foreheads pressed against each others, when the gates were closed as they were now.

Beyond the gates, across a long, graceful, winding driveway, Bella could just make out the shape of a fountain, accompanied by yet more rose bushes and all sorts of flowers, along with a huge shape that must be the house.

Usually being in place is like this, so grand and graceful, would make Bella feel uncomfortable, after all, this wasn't her style, nor what she was used to, but somehow knowing this was where Edward, her beautiful, loving fiance'd spent the first seventeen years of his life, where his mother, Elizabeth, had raised him, and where their future child would be born, made all of that go out the window, her heart expanding with nothing but joy and love.

Bella turned to Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, tears of happiness and love slowly cascading down her cheeks, didn't realize her mouth had been hanging open until he closed it with one cold finger under her chin. "You can just drop us off here, it's fine." He bent his head, kissed Bella on the mouth, quick, fast, and light. "Stay here, I'm going to go get our luggage out of the trunk, will return to help you out of the taxi so you don't trip over your own two feet or put too much weight on your broken leg."

Edward took off his seat belt, got out of the car, walked slowly, like a human, to the trunk, followed by the taxi driver, who opened it, helped Edward take their suitcases out, though her fiance obviously didn't need it. He handed the taxi driver a wad of bills, and, leaving their suitcases against the gates, returned to help Bella out of the car, gently putting an arm around her waist, taking most of her weight. Slowly, carefully, he helped her walk to their suitcases, then waited for the taxi driver to get back into his car, drive away, before he spoke, his beautiful golden eyes excited and anxious at once. "I know this isn't usually your thing, because you, my Bella, my beautiful bride-to-be, like beautiful, but simple things, but what do you think? Do you like what you've seen thus far?"

She turned to face him, twined her arms around his neck, and Edward, understanding what she wanted, put his arms around her, half lifted her off the floor so he didn't have to bend and she didn't put too much, any, for that matter, wait on her broken leg, let her kiss him, the salt of her tears making her lips wet and soft. "It's beautiful, perfect for us to live in after our honeymoon, while I'm pregnant, give birth to our future child, be it Edward or Nessy Elizabeth. It's true, I don't usually like to be in places like this, so grand, graceful, and no doubt expensive, too, but somehow knowing this is your home, where your mother, Elizabeth, raised you, gave birth to you, makes all of my negative feelings and insecurities go out the window as it has happened lately when I'm with you. I mean, look at me," she unwound one of her arms from round his neck, knowing Edward would keep her safe, wouldn't let her fall, brushed a finger over the fabric of her dress, "who would have thought I'd be wearing a dress and jewelry without Alice forcing me into it, enjoy it too?"

A pause, Bella's eyebrows knitting together, a little vee marring her forehead. "Rosalie doesn't know you own this place, or at least that it looks like this, does she?" Because if she did, it would no doubt increase her jealousy for Bella and Edward when they moved here after their honeymoon, when Bella was pregnant.

Edward kissed her, quick and fast, just the barest brush of lips against lips, his beautiful, perfect, angel's face glowing, as if a white flame burnt behind his cold, hard, diamond skin, filled with joy, love, and relief. "I'm glad you like it, though, you haven't seen anything yet. No, Rosalie, nor any of our family, for that matter, do not know what my family home, where I, like you, was human, looks like."

Edward's facial expression changed, his eyes somewhere far away for a moment, unfocused. "I suppose Alice could be the only member of our family who knows what it looks like, but I'm not sure about her knowing, either. The vision she had of us coming here, to Chicago, only went as far as us getting on the plane." A soft, quiet, musical laugh. "Of course," Edward's fingers ran up and down her back, making Bella shiver, and it was a shiver of pleasure, Edward inferring as much from the way she arched herself further into his touch, "because getting you your beautiful dress was a split second decision thing, your outfit in the vision, jeans and a t-shirt with a brown turtleneck cable knit sweater, was very different."

Edward moved their luggage to the side, then simply pushed the gates open with his bare hand, for he was strong, her fiance, didn't need technology to help him, and no one was here, the taxi driver long gone, so there was no need for him to pretend, play human. The long, winding driveway, Bella saw, was a shimmering white color, clean, pristine, as if the house was lived in, stretched for what Bella guessed was a couple of miles, making the fact that she'd been able to see the fountain and shape of the house extraordinary. Perhaps she hadn't seen them, after all, maybe it had been her mind preparing itself for what she might see. It would have been a problem, the fact that the driveway was so long, except, her fiance, beautiful and strong, who was fast, too, could have her across the driveway, inside the house, within seconds.

A gentle pull of her hand, Edward guiding her off the pavement, helping her sit on the lush green grass, the driveway littered with all sorts of trees and flowers on either side, reminding Bella of their meadow back in Forks, because this place, beautiful and seemingly belonging in a fairy tale or in one of her classic, English novels—was home, too, her and Edward's home, where she'd give birth to their child, be at Edward or Nessy Elizabeth. Edward bent down, pressed a soft, sweet kiss to her lips, then the crown of her head. "Give me two seconds, I'm going to go get our things inside, will be right back."

Then he was gone, came back before she'd blinked three times, a huge, infectious grin lighting his face. Bella raised an eyebrow. "What's that beautiful, huge smile for?"

Edward bent down, gathered her into his arms, like how a groom carried his new bride, cradled her close to his chest, and, his tone, when he spoke, was casual, though she could hear the burning happiness, love, and pride behind it, too. "Oh, it's nothing, just that I get to carry you over the threshold of our home."

Bella blushed, hid her face against the junction of his neck, where it met with his shoulder, the cold temperature of his skin soothing against her own, her voice muffled. "We're not married yet, so technically this doesn't count."

She felt him shrug, press a kiss to her hair. "Say and think whatever you like, but I'm thinking of this as practice, preparation for the real thing, because the next time we do this, you'll be my wife, will be carrying our child, too."

His words made her look up from where she'd been hiding her face against his neck, touch a hand to his cheek. "I love you, wish we were married already."

The look Edward gave her was soft, loving, held a wave of emotion that went well beyond love, for it was too meek of a word to describe what they felt for each other. "As do I, but, alas, we must be patient, wait a couple more weeks, then we'll officially be husband and wife, and I will claim you as mine, you, too, claiming me as yours, as only a husband and wife should claim each other." Edward turned his head slightly, pressed a kiss to her wrist, then he was running, really, really running, as he did when he took her to their meadow, smiles of happiness, exhilaration because of his speed, and love on both of their faces.

Edward carried her into what Bella assumed was a grand, formal drawing room, was beautiful. Three of the four walls were painted a light cream color with hints of light, blush pink, and swirling gold decorations, though whether it was real gold worked into the walls, Bella didn't know. Those three walls, they were decorated with a mixture of old black and white photographs, paintings, and portraits, and the faces of the people in the portraits, Bella assumed again, belonged to Edward's ancestors. The fourth wall, it was entirely made of glass, transparent, sleek, and beautiful, allowing natural sunlight, when there was natural sunlight, because, thank God, the sun hadn't come out today—to light up the room. The furniture was old, elegant, in a way none of the furniture made today was, probably handmade, was a cream color slightly darker than the walls.

All of these details Bella registered in the back of her mind, because what really, truly caught her attention, was the old, black, grand piano placed strategically in the center of the room, opposite the hearth, the piano where, her beautiful, talented fiance, who was a piano virtuoso, had, no doubt, played for the first time. Though Bella knew it was old, the piano, probably as old as Edward himself, if not a bit older—it looked new, in perfect condition.

Bella looked up, not at the ceiling, where, she was pretty sure, because it matched the style of the room perfectly, a chandelier hung, but at her fiance's eyes, found he was already looking down at her, politely waiting for her to take in the room, though the curiosity of wanting to know what she was thinking must have been eating away at him. "What do you think, Love? It's a little outdated, I know, old-fashioned, like me, but, perhaps, if you want, we can modernize it a bit—"

Bella kissed him, cutting him off, ran her fingers over the rich, heavy, soft silk of his hair, pulling gently. "No, Edward, it's perfect just the way it is. I love it, it makes me feel like I'm in a classic, English novel, or a fairy tale, our own, little, perfect fairy tale. From what I've seen thus far, and yes, I know it's only been this elegant drawing room, I would only want to change one thing, the bed in your parents' room."

A soft, quiet, warm, musical laugh. "Ah, yes, I definitely don't want to make love to you in the same mattress where my father and my mother made love." Edward shifted her weight so he held her with naught but one arm, stroked her hair back, away from her face. "Don't worry, though, last time I came here, about a month before you came into my life, turned it upside down in the best way possible, I replaced my parents' mattress with a new, more comfortable one." He made a face, wrinkled his nose in what Bella thought was disgust. "It was getting a bit old, the mattress—starting to stink, mold and mildew growing inside of it. The mattress, however, is not the only thing I changed when I came here, and why I did this, I have no idea, as I couldn't possibly have known that I would need it now, perhaps we should call it divine intervention of some sort—but I replaced the entire kitchen, along with modernizing the bathrooms, too."

He gestured to the left with his chin, his beautiful golden eyes glinting with love and happiness and maybe a little humor, too, because, Bella guessed, of the way things had turned out so perfectly, him replacing the kitchen and modernizing the bathrooms without him even knowing he'd actually have a need for them months later. "The kitchen is that way, I'll take you to see it when we get back from buying the groceries, some food for you."

He carried her out of the elegant drawing room, turned right, and for the second time since they arrived at the house, though this time they were inside rather than outside, at the gates—a gasp, so quiet and soft, it would have been inaudible to human ears, escaped Bella's lips. It was beautiful, the view in front of her, and what Edward was walking toward.

A massive, elegant, winding staircase was straight ahead of them, getting closer and closer as Edward walked toward it slowly, like a human, probably so Bella could have time to take in their home, enjoy it, rather than rush through everything. It was beautiful, the staircase, probably handcrafted, a dark, rich, velvet mahogany color, was probably made of that very same material. The banister had intricately carved roses, heliotropes, grape vines, and doves carved into it in 3D, echoing the ones outside, at the gates. Bella reached out with her hand, traced one of the roses carved into the wood, the feeling of it smooth and velvet under her fingers. "This is very beautiful, Edward, thoughtful, filled with things that symbolize love."

"My mother," Edward's voice held a wealth of emotion, love for a mother he hadn't seen in almost, but not quite, a century, "Elizabeth, was a very romantic, gentle, sentimental woman."

Bella tore her eyes away from the beautiful, intricate work that was the staircase, looked up, into Edward's beautiful golden eyes, saw they were soft, filled with love, both for Bella, his future wife, and his mother—a woman who he hadn't seen in a long, long time. Bella cupped his face with one hand, fingers spread over his cheek, ran her fingers over the soft, heavy silk of his hair. "Like mother like son."

Edward beamed at her, and his smile, it made her heart beat faster as it always did. This beautiful man, more beautiful than any other man on the planet, was hers, would be her husband in only a couple of weeks. He bent his head, kissed her, soft as a whisper, just the barest brush of lips against lips. "I suppose, but I'm not sorry about that, I will take every opportunity I get, show you how much I love you, no matter how many decades, then centuries, and eventually millennia, pass. This was my parents' room, is our future bedroom. Of course," he added, speaking quickly, almost too quickly for her to make out, like he had a habit of doing when he was nervous, "we can stay in my old room tonight, move here only when you're ready, but this room, it's a lot more spacious."

"No, Edward, it's fine, I want to stay here tonight, in this room, our room." Bella blushed, images of herself and Edward laying together as only husband and wife should, because she was sure after they moved here for the duration of her pregnancy, she'd ask him to make love to her over and over again, and Edward, her husband, he wouldn't refuse—filling her mind. "Try really hard not to break the frame of our bed when we indulge in a little wedding night practice tonight, it's an antique, after all, very old, I'm sure you can find something else to claw at."

He kissed her, quick and fast, and this kiss, it was a "thank you" kiss, a taste of what was yet to come tonight, when they practiced for their wedding night, opened the door, a dark, rich, sleek ebony.

The room beyond was massive and vast, much, much more so than his bedroom in Forks, to the point where, Bella was sure, if, for some random, inexplicable reason, at some point in time, the Cullens had decided to move back to Chicago, use Edward's family home as their home, too, Alice would have no doubt stolen the room, made huge alterations, modernized it, which made Bella very, very glad their family didn't know what Edward's family home, where he, like her, had been human, looked like, because she liked it just the way it was.

The walls were painted a light color that was between brown and beige, small, intricate plaster work of the, by now slowly becoming familiar, roses, heliotropes, lilies, grape vines, and doves, worked into the edges of the walls. In one corner of the room, slightly to the left, was a beautiful, handcrafted, vanity table complete with a mirror, framed in what seemed to be white gold, though Bella wasn't sure if it was real or not, where Edward's mother, Elizabeth, must have sat in the morning, as well as at night, to get ready for the day and night respectively, and the bench was simple, but beautiful, upholstered with a pattern of red roses and purple lilies. Covering the vanity table was a fine, delicate cloth of sheer white lace, on top of which were set a white porcelain jug and basin, each decorated with red roses, purple lilies, and hummingbirds.

Also on the vanity table were a whole bunch of pretty, delicate, expensive-looking glass bottles filled with all sorts of liquids, half of which Bella didn't know their names, nor what they were for. She guessed Edward must come here often, replace and recreate the liquids and cosmetics his mother, Elizabeth, used, like to keep this, his parents' room, as close as he could to the way it looked when his parents lived, for it was a happy piece of his past, one he didn't want to forget anytime soon, regardless of the fact that human memories tended to fade over time. Leaning against the mirror of the vanity table were a whole bunch of old black and white photographs, most of which were of a baby, then a young boy, and then a youth, perhaps a sixteen-year-old Edward, though there were some pictures of a couple in their early twenties, who, Bella assumed, were Edward's parents, Elizabeth and Edward senior, too. Bella looked down, saw the soft, expensive-looking carpet was of a color akin to that of the walls, perhaps only a shade or two lighter.

What really, truly stole the show, it was the bed in the center of the room, huge and large, with a frame of ebony wrought iron, decorated with roses whose pattern echoed the one of the bed frame Edward gotten back in Forks so Bella could sleep comfortably, along with a canopy of soft, delicate, elegant, white lace above. On either side of the bed were two beautiful, handcrafted nightstands, their color a soft, muted, light brown, echoing the ones of the walls and the carpet. Not for the first time since they'd gotten here, Bella was put in mind of a classic, English novel or a fairy tale. "This place," Bella's voice was quiet, thoughtful, "your human home . . . our home, it's so beautiful, grand, and though places like this are not usually my thing, it puts me in mind of a classic, English novel, or a great English Country House."

A smile against her skin, soft, cold kisses being pressed along her neck and throat, over her jaw, to her lips. "That, a great English Country House, is exactly what this home was designed to resemble. While my parents, Edward senior and Elizabeth, were both born here in Chicago, my grandparents, Mary and Henry, and Charlotte and James, were each born in England respectively, came here, to the new world, during the reign of Queen Victoria, seeking new opportunities and fortune. Of course, because both pairs of my grandparents were part of the English High Society, they each had a Country House of their own, often took my parents there with a ferry because they didn't want them to forget their heritage, where they came from. Shortly after my father met my mother, when he was just starting to court her, he started building this place, wanting himself and my mother to have their own, little piece of England back here in Chicago."

Bella snuggled her face against his neck, pressed a kiss to the skin there, where, if he'd been human, she'd have been able to feel his pulse, felt Edward shudder from pleasure. "You say that human memories tend to fade overtime, yet you remember all of this . . . the story of your ancestors, your grandparents, how and why this house was built?" A shake of Bella's head, a soft, loving kiss pressed to Edward's skin on the same spot she'd kissed just a couple of seconds ago. "I guess it's not inevitable for human memories to fade over time."

Edward shifted her weight so he held her with naught but one arm, stroked her hair, touched his cold knuckles to her cheek. Bella, in turn, cupped his face, followed the shape of his beautiful, perfect lips with her thumb, electricity sparking there, everywhere their skin touched. His eyes were deep, filled with love, both for Bella, his future wife, and his mother, Elizabeth—filled with memories, too. "My mother, Elizabeth, is the one who told me all of these stories, and my love for her, love only a son could have for his mother, is strong, so strong, Carlisle's venom, when he changed me at the behest of my mother to 'save me,' it couldn't compete with it, because there was no competition at all. I remember sitting there," he gestured towards a corner of the room close to the vanity table with his chin, "watching my mother get ready for the day, or sometimes even for bed, listening to stories of my grandparents, of her trips to England, or how my father had courted her, when I was a little boy, before I wanted the 'glory' of war, to join the army."

The way Edward spoke of his mother, Elizabeth, it made tears, happy tears, tears of love, fill her eyes—hope that the two of them, herself and Edward, could have the same kind of relationship Edward'd had with his mother with their future child—be it Edward or Nessy Elizabeth. Bella swallowed the lump of emotion, of love, in her throat, pulled Edward down for a kiss that was soft and light, her tongue darting out to take in the sweet, intoxicating, addictive taste of his skin. "I," Bella took another kiss from him just because she could, "don't suppose you still own your grandparents' country houses in England?" Bella said it half jokingly, not expecting the proud, unrepentant, beautiful grin he gave her that reached from ear to ear. Bella's mouth dropped open in shock.

Edward laughed, low and soft, his body shaking quietly. "Oh, close your beautiful, soft mouth, my beautiful wife-to-be." Edward didn't wait for her brain to start working again so she could close her mouth, closed it for her instead, one cool finger under her chin, and kissed her, soft and sweet and happy. "You didn't think my plan to move to England after you give birth to our future child, when we get your thirst under control, was random, did you?"

A shake of Bella's head, then she, too, was smiling and laughing. She took a kiss from Edward, burying her fingers in his hair, pulling gently at the soft silk, then pulled away abruptly, when something occurred to her. "Our family, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme—they don't know about this, the fact that you own two very old country houses in England, do they?"

Edward shook his head, his beautiful golden eyes glinting, happy and unrepentant.

Bella's eyebrows knitted together, a little vee marring her forehead. "How do you maintain it, your lavish lifestyle, this house, plus two country houses in England? I'm sure Carlisle gives you money, he acts as your father, after all—"

Edward shook his head even as Bella spoke. "No, Love, fondly enough, I'm the only one of our family, other than Alice, who Carlisle doesn't have to give money directly to. Because I'm usually always near Alice, I'm the first one to know, other than herself, of course, when to invest in the stock market, and my family fortune, the Masen, Evans, family fortune was quite large when I inherited everything from my parents, and I've made it even more so over the years. Plus, every now and then, perhaps two to three times a year, I compose a track of fourteen piano melodies, release them anonymously, people never seeing my face, and because the way I compose, is, and I'm quoting the people who I sell the melodies to, 'so beautiful and rare,' I get paid a large amount of money, much more so than the average pianist, about two and a half million dollars per melody, not including the amount of royalties I get later, when I give them the right to distribute them."

Bella kissed him, soft, sweet, and deep, deep as he would allow her to, burying her fingers in his hair. Her beautiful fiance, her future husband, he had a whole bunch of secrets their whole family had no idea about, and how he managed that, keeping secrets from their family, secrets that were so huge, especially with Alice's ability to see the future, Bella didn't know, but it gave her hope. Perhaps this meant Alice wouldn't see visions of herself and Edward on their honeymoon, and they could keep their private life, their love life, private. Bella could kiss Edward forever, never wanted to stop, but Edward, it seemed, had different plans. He pulled away, cradled her face between his hands, held it centimeters away from his, their lips a hair's breath away from each other. "Ah, Bella, I'd really like to continue with this, truly, Love, but you haven't eaten anything since I gave you breakfast, and you must be getting hungry. Come, let's go grocery shopping so I can cook for you, make you lunch."

Bella groaned, buried her face against his neck, pressed a soft kiss to the hard, smooth skin there, looked up at him through her eyelashes, made her voice low, soft, in that way she knew drove him crazy, got under his skin, and he wouldn't be able to deny her what she wanted. "Fine, let's go grocery shopping so we can take care of my stupid human needs, but answer two questions first."

Now it was Edward's turn to groan, cradle her to his chest, shifting her weight so he held her with naught but one arm, touch a hand to her cheek. "You," a soft kiss pressed against her lips, "are the most dangerous creature on the planet, siren that you are. Fine, tell me, my beautiful bride-to-be, what answers is it that you seek from me?"

She hid her victorious smile, was glad, as she often was, that Edward couldn't read her mind. "I haven't seen much of our home yet, aren't there some things you want to show me before we go?"

Edward stroked her cheek, her face, the contact of his cold skin against hers bringing her a wave of pleasure so violent, she was sure she'd never get enough of him, no matter that they had forever ahead of them. "No, I'll show you everything else I want to show you when we get back from the grocery store, I don't want to put your human needs on hold for too long. We also have to make a quick stop at a store so I can buy a heating system, install it when we get back here, this way, when we practice for our wedding night tonight, I don't have to worry about the cold temperature of my skin making you cold, can take my shirt off, have my bare skin pressed against your beautiful body. What was your second question?"

Bella was sure Edward heard the increase in speed of her heartbeat, but she couldn't help it, excitement and nervousness a mixture inside her system, because if he answered her and she learned how to do it, then she, too, could keep secrets from their whole family, from Alice . . . more than she was somehow already managing to keep. "How is it that we're managing to keep such huge secrets from our family, that you manage to keep this," she gestured to the world around them, their magnificent, beautiful home, "what your family home looks like, a secret, not to mention the fact that you own two beautiful old English country houses in England? I mean, Alice sees the future, shouldn't she—"

Edward's beautiful golden eyes lit up from within, and when he kissed her, cutting her off mid sentence, it was soft, sweet, and deep, deep as he was willing to make it without fear of hurting her, excited. "That is a very long, complicated, but exciting story, I'll tell you about it in the car, on our way to the grocery store."