"Open up."

A cool breeze whistled through Bella's hair, the soft chirping of birds in her ears. She smiled slightly, rolling her eyes. "Edward, do we really have to-"

"-And stay still." There was a slight note of amusement in Edward's voice, despite the command. It was met with another eye roll from Bella, but she sighed, letting her mouth fall open reluctantly. A brief silence elapsed once more, interrupted only by the breeze coursing the distance between them; the birdsong; the long rustling grass.

She closed her eyes expectantly, mouth open wide, waiting. There was a short pause before a small grape landed firmly on Bella's tongue, eliciting a cheer from Edward on the other side of the picnic blanket. She burst it in her mouth, the explosion of sweet and tart mingling satisfyingly on her tongue.

"Fine, that's 5:0 to you," she conceded, a tight-lipped grin on her face. "We've already established I've got the sporting talents of a wounded raccoon. Can I stop being your own personal target now?", she said with faux exasperation, smiling warmly at him, playful eyes caught in his.

"If you want a life with me, Bella. You're going to have to indulge my trivial enjoyments." Edward grinned pointedly, returning her gaze. He took one of the fallen attempts, popping the grape into his own mouth with a satisfying *pop*. He couldn't enjoy human food the way she could, but sometimes felt the pretence was worth it. The movement made his skin shimmer delicately under the warm sunlight, an effect that never ceased to entertain Bella. She found herself as mesmerised as she had been her first time experiencing it, and her heart seemed to agree. Edward's smirk widened.

"Never gets old," he murmured to himself.

"Are you two going to sit there and flirt, or help us with the set-up?" Emmett appeared through the trees, arms carrying heaps of expensive equipment. It was Edward's turn to roll his eyes.

"What can I do?" Bella asked, jumping to her feet. She half-tripped over her own feet in the effort and Edward rushed forward to catch her mid-step. His hands made contact with her waist. Bella blushed.

"Your job is to sit there and look beautiful," he said warmly. "I am going to set up the tent," and with that, he popped another grape into his mouth, passing it through her teeth with a passionate peck on the lips. Bella's blush deepened, the warmth pooling in places she wished it wouldn't.

"Does it always do that?" Emmett turned to Edward, chuckling. Edward nodded mirthfully.

"You really ought to stop, Edward. For the sake of her health. Her poor heart!" Carlisle had appeared, smiling indulgently; tent poles, firewood and sleeping bags in his arms. Bella plonked herself on the picnic blanket, picking up the fallen grapes with an exaggerated focus. Anything to stop the pounding in her chest; the heat in her cheeks.

Before long, the Cullens had fashioned 4 tents; one for each couple.
The Cullens were no strangers to expense, and their superhuman strength meant all luxuries accounted for. It was always a good thing with Alice in the picture anyway, her pockets knew no bottom.

Bella watched, bemused at the surprising normalcy of it all, forgoing any obvious supernaturalness like Emmett's crazy strength, or Carlisle's lightning speed. She found herself looking forward to the weekend ahead. The familiarity of camping. This, at least, was within the realm of normal human behaviour, unlike the superhuman baseball, scaling mountains without a rope, or racing each other in blurs between the trees. The plan was hiking, campfires and maybe some swimming. Nothing Bella hadn't already done with Charlie as a child.

The trip had been Carlisle's idea, his secret vampire cashflow had allowed him to purchase acres of land a couple of hours from Forkes, just far enough to avoid any questions as to a Doctor's padded wealth. The plot had become a hunting ground/ campsite for the Cullen clan. A place where wandering eyes would be avoided, all supernatural feats on display; sunshine enjoyed without fear of onlookers.

By this point, Rosalie and Esme had turned up, arranging logs around a makeshift campfire with a superhuman ease. Alice was apparently a bit behind them with Jasper, having spent a copious amount of time prevaricating on the outfits, or "lookbooks" of the weekend.

"Bella!"

Bella turned, only to catch a glimpse of a blur in the trees. Alice whizzed towards her, several handbags in tow. Jasper was shadowing behind her, his face as inscrutable as usual. Was that a hint of irritation in his features? Impossible to know, but perhaps even he had his limits with Alice's frivolous interests. Bella knew the feeling.

"Belllla" Alice babbled on, speaking at her usual 150 mph. "I couldn't decide! Which do you think looks better, cerulean or cobalt?" She held out two identical handbags, faux modelling them on her person. Bella considered the options.

"I don't know, Alice." She said hesitantly. "They look the same to me."

"The same?! Bella, I know humans are slow, but I didn't think you were that blind." Alice looked as if Bella had slapped her. Slack-jawed, mouth agape. If looks could kill, this might well be the end of me, Bella thought, entertained.

"Okay, Alice. Leave her alone." Edward smiled, his hand appeared around Bella's shoulder. He considered both options for a moment, eyes switching between both bags with an exaggerated faux interest, something Alice was too excited about to notice. "Personally, I think the blue one looks best," he said finally, fighting the chuckle struggling in his throat. He quickly turned it into a cough. Emmett avoided his gaze, also grinning.

"BLUE!" Alice looked venomous. "EDWARD, HOW CAN YOU CALL THEM BLUE WHEN THEY ARE SO OBVIOUSLY CERU-"

"Okay, okay, Alice, I think we've established you are far more fashionably educated than us all." Carlisle held up his hand to silence the two, coming between the both of them. He, too, seemed to be struggling in the fight against his features. It was so unusual to see Carlisle display anything remotely un-mild, and Bella was enjoying the show.

Smoke was practically coming out of Alice's ears. Edward steered Bella away, relishing the moment they'd turned their backs to throw an amused expression at Emmett, who coughed dramatically and then busied himself with the logs surrounding the unlit campfire.

"Right," Carlisle clapped his hands together, doctor's manner replaced by that of an outdoorsy dad. He addressed the group like he was the leader of the boy scouts. Bella was reminded of how much he was meant to be a father.
"My proposition is swimming today, long hike tomorrow, roaring fire in-between. How does that sound to everyone?" He continued warmly, eyes fixing on each member of the group. Soon it was agreed.

They meandered to a waterfall, a 30 minute walk from base camp. The group appeared to sever into two: Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper heading for the waterfall; Edward, Bella, Carlisle and Esme for the stream downwind.

"So, Bella. I've brought you three towels, and a small kit, should you need it. They're just on the bank there," Carlisle nodded to the side, where an abundance of equipment was neatly stowed under a small tarp. He squeezed Bella's arm fondly.

"Thank you Carlisle, that's very kind." Bella looked at him gratefully, bemused at the efforts how vampire family had gone to accommodate her. How fragile did they think she was?

Carlisle merely nodded, focus already moving to Esme, his fingers lacing in-between hers. Bella watched as the two walked gracefully into the water, settling elegantly with their shoulders just under the surface. The expression they both bore seemed more profound than Bella had never been witness to before. Like there was nothing in the world besides each other's company. It was nice to see them both so evidently in love, even after all this time.

"Ready to go in, Bella?" Edward outstretched his hand to her, and she took it, walking into the stream with slightly less elegance than the couple previous.

"F-f-freezing," Bella's teeth chattered, her spare hand rubbing furiously at her skin in attempt to warm her up. Edward chuckled.

"You'll get warm soon," he said, quirking his crooked smile at her. Bella understood now. She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks, in her spine, rising from the ground up. Edward, Esme and Carlisle chuckled benevolently, and Bella even found herself laughing amid the embarrassment. Although, she of course secretly yearned for the days when she would be as resistant to the temperatures as the others.

"What do you say to a swim, Esme?" Carlisle released his grip, hand gesturing to the flowing that stream ahead of them. It stretched on for several meters, before disappearing around a bend. Bella had no idea where it headed.

Esme nodded warmly, and the two began to stride elegantly through the water, hands making the slightest ripples as they swam. Whether it was the innate sporting ability of a vampire, or a hobby founded by centuries of practise was impossible for Bella to say. The two moved like dolphins, as much belonging to the water as anything else in the stream. She felt the same fondness she had earlier. Perhaps that would be her and Edward someday.

"I'm glad you came," Edward eyed her fondly. Sometimes she felt sure he could read her thoughts.

"I'm glad too." She took in the way the light glistened on the water, shimmering in delicate circles across the surface, kept in place whilst the stream tore on beneath it. It felt symbolic in a way, watching the way each rivulet was christened by the light. Her eyes moved to the bank again.
"What did he mean by kit?"

Edward smirked slightly, following her gaze. "Carlisle's always prepared. Call it the doctor in him. Not such a bad idea when you've got the 'sporting talents of a wounded... goat?'" He moved back to face her, eyes lit up playfully.

"Actually, it's a wounded raccoon," Bella corrected him, smirking. "And fair point, I suppose." Her eyes were lost in his, the golden amber of his irises dancing playfully with the diamonds in his skin. Her heart thundered behind her ribs.

Edward smiled back, flashing his grin once more. He took the hollow under her chin, tilting it up so that her lips met his. She found herself incapable of breath, consumed by the touch of his face to hers, the way the water wound around them, pushing them closer together like magnets. He released her after a moment, and Bella found every fibre in her body aching for his touch once more.

"You do things to me, Bella," he whispered quietly, lips barely moving as his hands traced her face, thumb stroking her cheek with a forced gentleness. He wanted nothing more than to have her now. Passionately, fervently. In the water, on the bank, in the grass. He'd never wanted anything so much before, and yet found himself restrained to the limits of her humanity. How torn he felt about that in moments like these. To truly have her, and risk her soul? There was no question. It was a masochistic restrain, but nothing could ever be more important than her safety. He released her, afraid to succumb to the passion curling tightly through his body.

Bella could see the conflict in his features, feel the ghost where his hands had been. "I wish you'd change me, Edward," she said morosely, hands still yearning to roam his body. Trace his face, his jaw, his neck, his shoulders. Hands aching to dip under the surface.

"I know you do, Bella," he said quietly. "Sometimes, so do I." The defeat in his voice hurt her. It was worse than being told no.

"If this is about my soul, Edward. Take it! I don't want it without you." Her voice burned with the sentiment. She'd never meant anything more in her life. Her mind swam with a list of inevitabilities. They cut her in ways he'd never know.

She would grow old, the gap between them stretching longer and longer. She could see a time when she'd be on her death bed, and he'd be no more than 17. She would never be able to feel the passion she could see flicker beneath his features. Never be able touch him without some restraint on his part. It was a sickening realisation.
If being human meant living an afterlife, or whatever it was that Edward believed in, without him, she'd rather not live at all. Any heaven without him would be hell.

Edward said nothing, watching the motions tick under the surface. The anger and anguish in her features. What was there to say? This was a point they'd never agreed on. He moved to hold her delicately in his arms, his only comfort a kiss on the forehead.

Bella pushed him away, spurned by the silence. Blazing tears fell freely, despite her attempts to hold them in. She waded towards the bank, too heartbroken to bear his presence. Her heart was grieving a future they'd never have, and whatever illusion she'd been living before seemed crush. This trip, their time together, what was any of it worth if she'd lose him, and him, her?

"Bella.." He began, unsure of where to tread. This had all escalated out of control.

"I'm fine, Edward," she said a little more tersely than she'd intended. "I'm sorry, I just need some air. I'll be back in a bit."
She couldn't even turn towards him, too overcome with emotion to allow him to see her vulnerability. She grabbed a towel from the pile, before wandering back through the trees, eyes firmly on the long grass that licked at her shins.

Edward watched her walk away, mind once more caught in a vice-like grip between what was right, and what was selfish. No, he reminded himself. Not when it comes to her soul.