Author's Note: You guys crack me up. Shoutout to MsLiss, whose succinct review of the last chapter made me literally lol: "Antoinette needs to die." I do not disagree!


- Chapter 15: Every Atom -

Edward left us to check on Nessie downstairs, pressing a tender kiss to my forehead before we parted. "This will take a while," he told me, resigned. "And I've heard it all already, anyway."

Alice wasted no time dragging me up to the study, where she rooted out a bottle of scotch and dusty glass from the depths of the shelves.

"Trust me," she said as she handed me a couple fingers, and I slugged it back with a grimace.

"Why does he even have that?" I gasped against the burning. "Vampires can't get drunk, can they?"

"No," she said absently, refilling my glass. Feeling the warmth spreading out from my gut, I sipped this one more slowly.

"So," I prompted, settling into the couch where Edward had held me just hours before. "What do I need to know?" I was nervous to ask more specific questions, not sure what would cross the line to carry my words to Antoinette's ears.

Perched on the arm of the chair across from me, Alice looked like a nervous bird about to take flight. "I'd seen that the Volturi might get wind about Nessie some weeks ago," she began, "but it wasn't a certainty, and I couldn't tell just how they would be tipped off."

"Before the cousins came?" I asked, and she nodded.

"In my vision, I saw Aro seeking out Eleazar. He was once part of the Guard, like Edward, and he can see special gifts. It seemed as though Aro was asking Eleazar whether Nessie knew anything, but also whether she might have talent, were she turned."

Ice flooded my veins—I knew Edward would never want Nessie to be forced into anything, most especially an existence he clearly felt was cursed.

"We made a plan—to invite the whole family to visit," Alice continued.

"As witnesses, yes?"

She nodded. "The Volturi are…brutal," she said, "but ultimately they believe in order, in law. If Nessie truly did not know about our nature, Aro would have no reason to change her against her will."

I frowned. "But that doctor changed Antoinette and Edward without any reason," I protested.

"He wasn't acting in an official capacity."

My head whirled to the doorway, where Edward had appeared without a sound.

"Aro is keenly aware of appearances," Edward continued as he shut and locked the door. "He doesn't publicly sanction such actions, but he finds ways to reward the Godfreys of the world."

I worried my lip as I tried to connect all the dots they'd presented so far. "So then, what's the issue?" I asked. "Does Nessie…know?"

Edward shook his head, sinking into the cushions beside me. "I've never heard the faintest suspicion pass through her mind," he said.

"And I haven't seen anything that shows she'll figure it out anytime soon," Alice added.

They both watched me intently, and I suddenly knew. "Then it's me that's the problem."

I saw them exchange a brief look. "We don't know," Alice finally responded.

I took another healthy swig of the scotch. "Can you just talk?" I said tightly. I was sick of guessing, of trying to wheedle everything out of them.

Another meaningful glance passed between them, and Edward took my hand. "Alice can't seem to see the effects of Antoinette's decisions until just before they come to pass," he said. "At least, that's what we think."

"She doesn't make decisions in the same way others do," Alice complained. "She's always jumping around, changing her mind. Her actions are in question almost until the moment she acts."

"And that's how Alice's gift works—based on the potential effects of the choices people make."

"So I can't be sure, but I think she's gone to Italy and shown Aro what she saw here—Nessie, but also you. I had a vision that Aro was preparing to travel here himself. But he didn't say what he was coming for."

My breath caught in my throat as a memory appeared in my mind's eye: Edward in a moonlight meadow, eyes flaring at me. "The Volturi can read every thought you've ever had with one touch. If someone thought you or Nessie knew the truth, all it would take is one encounter and you'd be dead."

And not just me—Edward, too.

I felt my pulse quicken.

"What do we do?" I whispered.

"That's why I'm here," Alice said.

Edward's grip on my hand tightened. "Careful," he growled. "Don't forget she's with them now—and her desires are perfectly aligned with Aro's now, for once."

Alice's mouth tightened, but she continued on. "We've figured out a…method, Edward and I, for making plans without alerting anyone."

"What do you mean?"

Alice looked to Edward helplessly, and he released my hand to run a gentle finger along my jaw, lifting my gaze to his. "Think of Alice's gift," he murmured.

I opened my mouth to answer, but seeing his intense expression, I quickly shut it again. Visions of the future, of course.

"How did I just say it works?"

Potential outcomes of actions and choices, I thought. And then I felt it, right there—

"And mine?" he continued.

Realization hit, and I bit my cheek. If Edward made a decision in his mind about what he would do, Alice would see the outcome, and Edward would be able to watch it through her thoughts. No vocalization needed.

"Genius," I whispered.

Edward's lip twitched as he fought a smile. "There you are."

"Just one thing at a time," Alice told Edward, settling deeper into the chair. "So we can be sure."

Edward nodded, turning to face her, and they began.

It quickly became clear that I was entirely superfluous to this exercise, but I couldn't deny it was fascinating to watch. Alice stared mutely into space, her gaze unfocused as she watched the future unfold. Edward's eyes were closed, his long lashes twitching against his pale cheek as he followed whatever his sister was seeing. He mumbled now and again, answering questions only he could hear, mostly in yeses and nos.

Ultimately, however, I was just watching the two of them think, which felt alarmingly passive, given the dangers I was facing. I wanted to do something.

I began to catalogue what I knew, or, perhaps more importantly, what the Volturi knew.

The leader—Aro, I reminded myself—would have seen Antoinette's attack on me in her mind. And along with that would have been Edward and his family rescuing me. So at the very least, they knew I'd seen the red eyes, strength, and unreal speed. All certainly evidence of something supernatural—at least, enough to make the Volturi suspicious that I knew about their true nature, and to entice them to investigate further using Aro's gift.

I looked at Alice and Edward speculatively. They both knew what I knew, of course. I wondered if Alice had seen all of the things Edward had told me before the conversations had happened.

Oh God, I realized, feeling my face suddenly flame hot—had she seen me kiss him?

With great effort, I pushed that mortifying thought out of my mind, returning to the matter at hand.

I didn't know how much the rest of Edward's family knew. But I assumed it was somewhat irrelevant—Aro would be certain to explore Edward's mind after seeing Antoinette's thoughts. Or mine, I supposed, if he could hear them. Either way, he would discover the truth: I knew what Edward and his family were. And Edward had told me what happened to any human that discovered the existence of vampires, as well as to the vampire that had a hand in it.

Something about that thought sent an alarm bell through me. Any human.

I sucked in an involuntary breath. What if I weren't human anymore? Would the Volturi still exact their punishment, or would they consider the matter handled?

"No!" Edward's sudden snarl shattered the quiet of the study.

Guiltily, I looked at the two vampires. Alice's lips were softly parted in horror, and Edward was on his feet, leaning over me. The thought must have put a potential future in motion, I realized.

"That is not an option," he gritted out.

I refused to shrink back from him; straightening my spine, I met his golden eyes fiercely. "And why not?" I demanded. "It would keep you safe, wouldn't it?"

I didn't see Alice move, but she was at Edward's side, a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Stop it," he hissed at her, clearly responding to whatever she was thinking. He turned toward the fireplace, expression stormy.

Alice took his place on the sofa beside me, taking my hand gently. "Bella, it's very noble of you to offer that," she said slowly, eyes flickering between me and Edward's back. "But changing you before the Volturi arrive would have…consequences."

I stared her down steadily. "What kind of consequences?"

Alice hesitated, looking over my shoulder to where I could hear Edward pacing behind me. "For Nessie," she answered.

I flushed, ashamed. Of course—I hadn't thought of the whole reason we were in this situation. I had to be human to keep Nessie safe.

"It would have a small chance of working," Alice said slowly, "but a far greater chance that the Volturi would force us to—"

"Either outcome is unacceptable," Edward interrupted. He was at my shoulder now, and I turned to meet his gaze. "I won't doom you to save myself. There's another way."

I opened my mouth to argue—I did not see how changing me was dooming me. But I certainly was not going to take an action that put Nessie at risk. Reluctantly, I nodded.

"Bella," Alice said softly, "maybe it would be best if you focus on something else for a while." She smiled at me encouragingly. "I don't mean to be rude, but it will be easier to work through this…"

"If I'm not butting in with my rash decisions?" I finished wryly, making Alice snicker. "All right, I see your point. I should make Nessie's dinner, anyway."

I felt bitter about being cut out from the planning when it was my life on the line, but I could see the truth of it. Alice and Edward could move through the snarled threads of possibility much faster without my input.

I stood to go, but Edward grabbed my wrist, pulling me to his chest with ever so slightly too much force.

"We'll find a way to keep you both safe," his voice rumbled above me as he held me. Then he pressed a chill kiss to my forehead and I was released.

- o - o - o -

Alice and Edward were still at it hours later, after I'd put Nessie to bed. Even though there was no real way for me to assist in their process, I still felt the draw to the study; it was, after all, partly my future that was being decided. So I attempted to read on the sofa while they continued their mental back-and-forth.

I must have drifted off because the next thing I knew, a stream of hisses pulled me into consciousness. I opened my eyes to see Alice and Edward facing off, speaking so low and so fast that I could make out none of the words. Someone had covered me with a blanket, I noticed with a twinge of warmth.

Outside, it was still dark, though the sky had that barely-grey tint that signaled dawn's approach. I couldn't have slept more than a few hours.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice raspy as I pushed my cramped body up into a seated position.

Their heads whipped toward me in unison. Edward's brow was twisted in a pained, guilty expression that made my belly clench in anticipation.

Alice, however, just looked sour.

"You should be the one to tell her," she said, shooting a glare at Edward. "I'm going hunting."

She stalked toward the window, giving me a passing pat on the shoulder that belied her tone, and then she was gone.

I looked expectantly at Edward, trepidation creeping up my throat.

"What is it?"

Edward swallowed hard, then sat across from me. "We're going to Carlisle's," he said tightly.

"In Canada?"

"Yes."

I nodded slowly; that didn't seem so bad. "When?"

"Nessie and Alice will go later today, after they've had a chance to pack some of Nessie's things," Edward said. He wouldn't meet my eye, and the pit in my stomach grew larger. "I have a few things to take care of before I follow, but I'll leave here early tomorrow."

A roaring sound filled my ears, like the rush of waves against rock in a storm. He didn't intend me to go with them.

"No," I said quietly.

He was kneeling in front of me then, grasping my hands like a supplicant as he begged for my understanding. "Bella, we cannot hide from them. But you can."

My throat was constricting, angry tears filling my eyes. I pulled my hands back, and he released me instantly. "No."

Frustrated, Edward thrust his fingers through his hair. "We've gone through every possible route!" he said, sounding strained. "This is the only way to make it out of this. Please."

A sob escaped me, strangled and tight. There was no fight left in me—if he genuinely believed it was better for us to part, then clearly he didn't feel the same way as I did.

"Then I suppose there's nothing more to say," I whispered, standing up.

"Bella…"

Edward stood with me, hovering at my shoulder as though he would reach out and pull me close. But I knew if I allowed him, I would shatter. I turned on my heel and fled to my room, where I flung myself on my bed to break down in peace.

- o - o - o -

When I'd cried myself, I lapsed into a half-doze until the light from my window forced me to wake. I felt wrung out, a husk of myself. The massive high of our whispered confessions, our passionate kisses just two nights ago was long gone, and I felt all the more laid low for having it.

I went through the motions of putting myself together mechanically, washing my face and dressing without really seeing. I was relieved to find Alice in the kitchen with Nessie, who was eating a large slice of bread heaped with jam for breakfast.

"Miss Bella, look!" Nessie said excitedly when I appeared in the doorway. "Auntie Alice is here!"

I smiled at her automatically, stepping behind her chair to run an affectionate hand over her hair. "I see that," I said quietly.

Alice shot me a sympathetic look. "I made some coffee," she said. I nodded and went to pour myself a cup.

It tasted like nothing, but I relished the searing heat that burned down my throat and into my center. At least it was something to feel.

"Nessie."

Edward's voice behind me made me stiffen. I set the coffee cup down on the counter but didn't turn.

"Good morning, Uncle Edward!" Nessie said brightly.

"Are you all finished with your breakfast?" he asked. "We have some important things to discuss."

Alice, who was still standing beside me, nudged me with her hip. When I glanced up at her, she gave me a meaningful look, directing me to the table with her chin.

Sighing, I obeyed her silent command, and we all sat around the table together.

Despite my swirling emotions, I couldn't help but look at Edward. His features were schooled in that impassive mask that had become so familiar during my first few weeks here. But when he met my gaze, I could see the pain and fear behind his golden eyes.

It made me shiver, and I had to look away.

"Nessie, dear," Alice began gently, "I came this morning because we have to leave Culwoode."

Nessie's beautiful green eyes widened, and she looked to her uncle.

"Me, too," he reassured her, placing a hand over hers on the table. "We'll be going to my parents' home in Canada for a while."

The relief in Nessie's expression was palpable, and Edward gave her a small squeeze.

"I'd never leave you, Nessie." His tone was gentle, but I heard the underlying fierceness of the promise. It cut through me like a knife; he was perfectly willing to leave me.

"I know," she said with a small smile, but I could tell she didn't quite believe it. "When do we leave?"

"You and I will drive to Vancouver later today to meet up with Uncle Jasper," Alice said. "Edward will follow in a little while."

"I have to stay behind to close up the house and handle some business," Edward said soothingly. "Just for a day or two. I'll meet you at Fraser Lake."

Nessie nodded gravely, but then something seemed to occur to her, and she looked at me nervously. "What about Miss Bella?" she asked, and pain shot through me.

"Oh lovey," I said, my voice tight, "I can't come."

"Why not?" Her voice rose suddenly in pitch and tone as her face crumpled.

I bit my lip against my own tears that were threatening to spill over. "I have to stay here," I said, unsure of how to explain.

Alice came to my rescue. "It's complicated to get permission to move to Canada without family there," she explained. "So Bella has to stay in the United States."

"Can't we just tell them she's my mother?" Nessie was weeping in earnest now, her breath coming in huffs.

Shifting my chair closer, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my embrace. "Oh, Nessie," I whispered against her hair. "I wish I could. But it doesn't work like that."

As the girl dissolved fully into sobs, Edward caught my eye. His mask had dissolved, leaving nothing but anguish. Suddenly, I could see just how much this was tearing him up, and I realized he truly did believe this was the only way.

I only wished he could tell me all of it, explain their plan, show me why.

The tragedy of it all threatened to overwhelm me. But as Nessie soaked my blouse with her tears, I knew I had to hold it together. So I breathed deep and squeezed her tighter, forcing myself to focus every ounce of energy left into comforting her.

- o - o - o -

It took Nessie nearly an hour to calm down enough to begin the work of packing. When she could finally breathe without hiccupping, Alice and I helped her up from the table to take her upstairs.

As I passed him in the doorway to the entry hall, however, Edward caught my wrist, making me pause enough to fall behind.

"You should pack your things, too," he murmured, not meeting my eye. "You won't be able to stay here."

Staring straight ahead, I nodded stiffly, then pulled out of his grasp to catch up to Alice and Nessie.

We spent the morning sorting Nessie's clothes and various accessories, packing what she would need right away in a trunk and setting aside the rest to either be stored or shipped by freight train. Alice did her best to raise our spirits, but neither Nessie nor I could shake our gloomy air.

When we went down for lunch, Edward was gone.

"He had a few things to take care of in town," Alice said. But some part of me wondered if he was avoiding me.

I wasn't very hungry, but I forced down a few bites of sandwich. I knew Edward and I would have to talk again later, likely after Nessie and Alice had gone.

For one, I didn't know where I should go next. I had already assumed I wouldn't be able to stay in the house without them—not that I'd want to, anyway. But where would I be safe from Antoinette and the Volturi? Would Antoinette even be interested in pursuing me after I'd split away from Edward?

With the questions stacking up again, panic rose in my chest like water filling a sinking ship.

Suddenly, Alice took my hand, pulling back into reality.

"Easy," she said with a sad smile. The pressure of her unyielding skin against mine was reassuring. I took a deep breath and shot her a grateful look.

She released me with a final pat and stood to clear the table.

"Nessie, why don't you gather the books you want to bring along?" Alice said. "I'll be right there."

Nessie nodded dutifully and scurried off. Instead of joining me at the table again, Alice leaned against the sink, considering me.

"We really did try every alternative," she said softly.

Not trusting myself to speak, I simply nodded, staring down at the tabletop.

Alice sighed and made to follow Nessie. But her footsteps paused when she reached the doorway to the hall, and I looked up at her.

She tipped her head to the side, eyes searching me up and down. Finally, her lips quirked up to one side, looking almost wistful.

"You really love them both, don't you?"

Tears filled my vision, turning the world blurry. "Yes," I breathed. "I do."

By the time I'd blinked the moisture away, Alice was gone.

I sat at the table for some time, gathering myself. When I felt steady again, I turned to the back stairs to pack up my life for some unknown future yet again.

- o - o - o -

The farewell, when it came, was simultaneously horrid and anticlimactic.

Nessie, Alice, and I were cleaning up after an early dinner; it was not yet five o'clock but the two of them would be driving straight through to Vancouver, where Jasper was waiting. As we washed and dried the dishes, Edward's motorcar pulled into the drive. He'd ostensibly been arranging for Mrs. Weber, Angela, and Ben to help close up the house, as well as arranging severance pay for all of us.

I tried not to sour at that concept; money was poor consolation for losing him.

Alice and I distracted Nessie while Edward loaded her heavy trunk into the back of the motorcar, and then there was nothing to do but say our goodbyes.

Nessie's lashes were already studded with tears that sparkled in the last of the daylight when she turned to me in the drive.

"Oh, please, Miss Bella," she said, voice quavering. "Isn't there any way…?"

Heedless of my skirt in the gravel, I knelt down before her, opening my arms. She fell forward, her head against my shoulder, and began to cry.

"I am…so sorry that we must be parted," I said into her hair as I ran my hands up and down her back soothingly. "I wish it could be different. I really do."

Gently, I pried her off me just enough to meet her beautiful green eyes. "Agnes Renee Fisher," I said seriously, "it has been a great honor and a true joy to know you. You're a remarkable girl, and don't you forget it."

She sniffed loudly and I reached up to wipe away the wet tracks running down her red-blotched cheeks. "Will I ever see you again?" she asked miserably.

I smiled with as much sincerity as I could manage, but I knew she would see the tears rising up against my lower lids. "I hope so," I said. "Someday."

Nessie's lip quivered. "How will I ever learn my times tables now?"

That made me laugh, and it was a relief from all the melancholy. "You'll manage," I assured her, and pulled her back in for a tight hug again. "You're a very smart girl, after all."

I gave her one final kiss on her clear forehead, and then with great effort, released her. "Be good for your aunts and uncles."

She nodded solemnly, and then Alice was taking her hand and guiding her into the automobile. I watched her all the way, and it took everything I had to stand tall and straight as a piece of my heart disappeared into the vehicle.

As the motorcar began to move, I felt Edward touch my shoulder. I reached up and grasped his hand desperately. We stood that way until long after the tail lights had gone around the bend, together, silent, and all too aware that there was still an unimaginably more painful parting on the horizon.

"Come inside," he said finally, his voice rough. "It's getting cold."

I nodded absently and let him guide me back into the empty house.

We paused in the entry hall, his hand skimming down my arm until our fingers were intertwined.

"I suppose there are still things to discuss," Edward said quietly.

I turned my head to regard him, giving him a tremulous smile. "How long do we have?"

He took my free hand and lifted both of them together to his lips, kissing my knuckles and then inhaling deeply. "I'll have to leave tomorrow," he murmured against my skin.

A small whimper of pain clawed up my throat, but I swallowed it down. A new determination was rising up in me. If that was all we had, then I didn't want to waste it crying or prying more information out of him.

"And will I see you again?" I asked, echoing Nessie's question of me.

Edward's eyes met mine and I saw the depth of sentiment there, the swirl of love and fear and deep sadness. "I don't know," he admitted quietly, letting our hands fall. "There are too many variables at play."

I sucked in a breath. I had to call on all my fortitude not to crumble. The nameless desire that had been forming in the back of my mind was taking shape now. I knew what I wanted, and I couldn't afford to fall apart now.

Resolute, I stood up just a bit taller, meeting his eye as best I could. "Then I have just one request."

"Anything," he breathed.

"Give me tonight."

Edward froze, that beautiful mouth gently parted as he scanned my face for confirmation of my meaning. Slowly, he lifted a hand to my cheek, stroking the skin with his cold thumb and making my breath hitch.

"Bella, I…"

His own breath was ragged, and his gaze flicked down to my lips, conflicted.

"Please," I whispered, stepping closer to him until we were pressed against each other. His free arm wrapped around my waist automatically, and I ran my trembling hands up his torso to rest against his chest. "Please. I want…I need something to hold onto." I was begging now, the words tumbling out with a fevered need. "Something to prove all this was real."

He tore his eyes from my mouth to meet my gaze full-on, and the heat in those golden irises set me alight. But behind the want I saw the question, the need for reassurance.

"Edward," I said seriously. "I'm asking you to take me to bed."

A feral sound escaped him, somewhere between a groan and a growl, and then his mouth was on mine, urgent and hard. I met his passion with my own, shocking myself with the ferocity of my need.

Suddenly, he lifted me into his arms, never breaking our kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling his mouth tighter to mine as he carried me up the stairs.

Some dim part of me noticed that he went at human speed, as though giving me time to change my mind. But no part of me questioned what I wanted; I couldn't get close enough to him. I needed him, needed to be joined as one. If I could have climbed inside his skin, curled in the spaces around his silent heart, I would have.

I whimpered in protest as Edward set me on my feet, breaking our kiss as he lifted his head. We were both breathing hard, and it was an effort to open my eyes and look at him.

We were in front of his bedroom door, and he was staring down at me with the kind of naked hunger I'd only caught glimpses of before.

"Bella, are you sure?" His voice was strained, rough, and it sent a shudder of want through me.

"Oh God, yes," I whispered, pressing myself against him. I ought to have embarrassed by my wantonness, but I couldn't control it. I had never felt this way before, but it was instinctive. My body knew where it wanted to push, to take, to give.

"Wait, please," he gasped, holding my hips away from his. "I'm…I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

I laughed, giddy on all the insanity of what I was doing. "I gather it's part of the territory the first time, more or less."

He gave me horrified look. "Bella—"

Standing on my tiptoes, I leaned up to press a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I trust you," I said. "I know you won't hurt me, not really. And I meant what I said downstairs. I want all of you, and I want you to have all of me."

His grip on me loosened, allowing me to close the distance between our lower halves. And then I felt him, hard and undeniable against my stomach. Instinctively, I rolled against him, and he groaned as he thrust forward into the pressure.

"You'll tell me?" he said desperately as he leaned down to kiss me. "If I…"

"Yes," I promised against his lips.

It was enough to shred the last of his self-control. Before I could blink, Edward had me through the door and on the bed, his lean, hard body above me as he drank in my breaths like a dying man.

"I've dreamed," he panted between kisses, "for so long…"

"I know," I all but sobbed. "I know."

Edward wrenched his mouth away from mine, pressing himself up further onto his arms. He looked down at me with such reverence that I thought I would melt.

"You are…so beautiful," he whispered.

I reached a hand up to his face, brushing back that unruly lock of hair that flopped over his forehead ineffectually. His eyes fluttered closed and he leaned into my touch, making me smile.

"So are you," I replied, and he turned his head to press a kiss into my palm.

"I don't want to rush this," he said, rearranging his weight to rest along my side while leaning over me slightly. He bent down to press a kiss to the hollow of my throat, where my blouse gaped, then up my neck and jaw until our gazes met again. "You deserve to be worshiped."

I moved to duck my head, but Edward was faster. He caught my chin with a finger, keeping our eye contact. I flushed under his gaze; it had been easier when blind passion took over.

"Are you all right? We can stop." He was searching my face for any sign of hesitance.

I shook my head, my blush deepening. "I've just never…I don't know what to do," I admitted. I steeled my resolve; this was what I wanted, and I wouldn't let my nerves get in my way. "Will you show me?"

His smile was warm, a breaking dawn that calmed me from the inside out. "It would be my honor."

And then he closed the scant distance between our lips, capturing me in a languid, unhurried kiss that held the promise of much, much more.


Author's Note: Eek! Don't hate me!

(Don't worry, this isn't a closed door—the next chapter will kick off with some good ol' fashioned citrus :))

As you've probably noticed, I'm getting a little slower with updates these days. Work has been nuts and unfortunately, the writing that pays my rent has been taking precedence. ;) But never fear, I'll keep plugging away at this fic, just may take a little longer between chapters til the end of the story.

I've decided to start posting sneak previews, extra moodboards, etc. to my Facebook page. If you want some insights into what I've got cooking, feel free to look me up under Kathryn SsomethingVague. The link is also in my profile.

Footnotes:

The chapter title, Every Atom, comes from ch 27 of Jane Eyre, when Jane discovers the madwoman in the attic. "Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear." Yeah, yeah, we all know Rochester is a terrible human being, but the man sure can spin some fine declarations of love.

Tail lights were introduced around 1915 (yes, I double checked lol)

Pre-marital sex was more prevalent in the 1930s than we might think. The Western world was just coming off the first sexual revolution in the 20s and the wider availability of contraceptives and attitudes were shifting rapidly. A 1938 study of college students found approximately half of men and a quarter of women reported having premarital sex, with a huge gap between those who were born between 1890-1900 and those born after 1910 (26% vs 68%, respectively). That being said, the social taboo was still present, especially for women; it was really only acceptable for women to have sex with a fiancé. Sex without a betrothal was a much bigger deal. I spent a long time trying to decide if I felt it made sense for Edward and Bella to sleep together, but ultimately I think it fits. Plus…I want to. So there.