[No beta, sorry guys. Please excuse the errors.]

Chapter 22: Edward's change.

A/N This was a more complicated chapter for me to address. I wasn't for sure where I wanted to start it.
I've thought about detailing the 3-day change and whatnot for Edward, but the last chapter was so draining, I felt that it'd throw it off...
Therefor, I hope you like the way I decided to write this chapter instead... And the jump I took.

Officially rated M. ... And again PLEASE REVIEW!

Disclaimer: Twilight/Characters not mine. I just like to dabble.

For what shall it profit a man,

if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.

Mark 8:36

Chapter 22: Mind Reader

I sat nervously beside the borrowed hospital bed in Carlisle's library, tapping my foot and tugging on my hair.

It's been 72 hours, 11 minutes, and 43 agonizing seconds since I took that bite.

Edward's life and all that was left standing in it has been something we've negotiated for weeks now... all corners of it. After my father Charlie's funeral, I went against my promise to change him all together. We spent the next few weeks arguing and passing back our indifferences.

I spoke with both Carlisle and Esme separately, trying to figure out why on earth's name they'd be okay with their son being dammed into hell for all eternity, if they allowed this to happen.

Carlisle explained to me that if he didn't agree to this with Edward, he knew he'd just go behind his back and do it anyway. He wanted to keep a close watch on Edward, and me. He wanted to be there for us, support all of Edward's decisions, and be a helping hand when he could.

Esme explained to me that when Edward put his mind to something, there was no stopping him. It didn't matter how absurd it may seem to anyone else, she said. If Edward makes a decision, he knows it's what's best for him. He doesn't do anything that would appear irrational or misguided. He makes decisions with what he thinks is the best for everyone involved.

They both explained to me that Edward's love and dedication for me was unreachable. There'd be no other love that compared to ours, and we were both proof of that. We've both sacrificed so much to stay together, and have lost a lot along the way... but we've remained strong and dedicated, and that was all the proof that we needed that our union would last the test of time.

About a month and a half later, when all my stand points for arguments sake had been won over by Edward, I realized there was nothing else I could say. He said he'd rather die than be without me.

Edward was the most stubborn man I had ever met in my life.

He was not going to let me have it any other way.

He wanted to be like me.

He wanted to be with me forever...

He said everything else was just a technicality.

The only way I agreed to do this was if Carlisle and Esme monitored me. I refused to allow them in the actual room with us, so they set up cameras in all four corners, and Carlisle locked the door from the outside in. That way, if I became too weak to pull away from Edward, they could come in and interfere.

I told them I wouldn't put up a fight with them, and I'd voluntarily let them drag me down and do whatever it took to make sure I didn't hurt Edward.

However, as fate may say, none of those negotiations were necessary. Edward wasn't nervous or scared at all. Of course, he wasn't jumping for joy and giddy about it.

He just laid relaxed on the table with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths and holding my hand, all the while making sure I was okay with this.

And that was so like Edward... more worried about me than himself... He was the most selfless person I had ever met.

The last words out of his mouth before his change was, "Remember, my love... The pain for me will diminish, but my love for you will not."

So as I sat here and panicked over when the single person on this planet will open his beautiful eyes and relieve me from this tension, I only grew colder with the results hesitating.

He took the bite and everything rather well. He expected it, so he didn't necessarily fight against me. But what shocked me the most was, he refused to fight and scream out. He kept it all internal, all the fire and flames and aches and pains... He didn't express any of the hurt he was dealing with outwardly...

I have no idea how he's doing it.

Carlisle and Emmett has been in the next room from me all day. I've refused to leave and hunt, and they've refused to go eat. I wouldn't let them in here with me, because I didn't know how Edward would react to them, being a newborn and everything...

I wasn't taking any chances.

During the three-day change, Emmett took down the door to Carlisle's library, cut a whole in it, and installed bulletproof glass, just so they could watch Edward when he woke up, without risking their own lives.

The past month and a half, Edward had been prepped with all the "what to expect when you change" rules I've named, such as the red eyes, the burning thirst, the longing for human emotions, and how we must hunt immediately... so on, so forth. All he said was he was ready for it, that he knew it'd be okay. He reassured me, and then reassured me again that he'd be fine, that he could handle it, that he was strong minded.

And I believed him. Whole-heartedly.

It's the waiting part that I hated.

Almost three and a half days later, we noticed some movement in Edward's once-motionless frame. His fingers would twitch, his eyes would flutter beneath his dark lashes, his feet would sway to the right a bit.

Then, the very next second, his eyes popped open.

I slowly sat up, not breathing the whole time, and could hear Carlisle and Emmett jumping toward the door for a better look.

Edward blinked a few times, as his eyes began to bounce around the room faster than human speed. He parted his glorious lips, continuing to look around.

Swallowing deep, I reached out my hand and touched his arm, and regretted it as soon as I did it.

Edward flipped up off of his back, knocking the bed over as he twisted around, and crouched down in attack mode, hissing at me. This all took about an eight of a second.

I froze in my position, my eyes trying to find his blood red ones.

He continued to hiss as his crouch became more intense, his eyes bouncing around all four walls to look for a threat.

I took in that next second, feeling a little overwhelmed with his transformation.

If he had been beautiful in his human life, it amazed me to see him now with an immortal one. His face was eloquently pale, his cheek bones becoming more defined and his lips a more delicate pout. His eyes, of course, were red, but his pupils were fascinatingly enlarged and all together mesmerizing. His hair seemed more dimensional, as if the fragments of light added an extra shade of bronze that I had never seen before. He stood taller, had better posture, his hands appeared to be more softer than ever...

He was perfect.

"Edward?" I asked hesitantly.

Within that same second, he straightened up tall, taking about half a second to do so.

I exhaled, watching him blink and cock his head in different directions.

"Edward?" I asked again, noticing his eyes bounced directly to mine and stuck. "Can you hear me?"

He nodded, straightening his back out more.

"I know that you're probably a little dissor-"

"I can hear them," he replied, cutting me off. His voice rang even more velvety and smooth, the sweetest sound I had ever heard in my life... The most beautiful melody.

My breathing hitched as I tilted my head down to him, to watch his finger raise and point to Carlisle and Emmett.

"They won't hurt you Edward," I whispered gently, as I looked behind me to see Carlisle and Emmett with their jaws dropped wide.

"I know, but I can hear them..." he said again, his voice still sing-song, as he listened to his own voice come out.

He seemed... amazed at how he sounded.

"You-You can hear them through the, uh, glass there?"

He shook his head, as the most beautiful grin took residence on his lips. "No."

I tilted my head, still in disbelief at his more-perfect identity to really focus on anything else, "Then-"

"Tell them, tell Carlisle to think something."

I took a deep breath and held it, grabbing the walkie-talkie Carlisle gave me and said Edward's demand.

Carlisle furrowed his brows.

"He doesn't understand your question," Edward replied smoothly, "He's thinking, why is she asking me to think something?"

My lips parted as I looked over to the glass window again.

"Now Emmett's thinking, what the fuck is going on?"

"Edward?" I asked, feeling my chest tighten.

"I could hear them. I could hear everyone the whole time. I knew everything that was going on. I heard their thoughts, I heard their actions before they planned to do them..."

"What are you saying?" I whispered as I took a step to him. "Are you saying, you are reading their minds? Right now?"

He turned his glorious face to me. "Yes."

My jaw hit the floor. "C-Can you read my mind?"

"No. I haven't figured out how to do that yet..." Edward's voice trailed off as he covered his forehead, squatting down lower and tilting his head to the floor.

I began to get nervous, fidgeting in my spot. I didn't know what to say to him, I was so shocked.

"I can hear Alice," he replied breathlessly, "she's thinking about the Golden Girls, that old television show. She doesn't know I've woken up yet. She's now thinking about filing her nails while she waits..."

I didn't know how to react, as I took another step toward him.

Edward stood up again, and smiled. Then, one second later, I was being picked up as he hugged me tight, for dear life.

I felt my ribs squeeze together, and struggled to let out the last breath, "Edward, you're hurting me a little."

He dropped me instantly, and I stumbled back to Carlisle's desk.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I-"

"No, no," I replied as I stepped back to him, "it's okay. You just... don't know you're own strength yet."

After I spoke, I tentatively reached out my arms, which he enveloped again, much softer this time. He smelled incredible, more delicious than he did when he was a human. He wasn't warm anymore, but his body temperature matched mine perfectly.

I never felt like I belonged to him more than I did at this very second.

I shivered, nestling my face into his collared blue shirt. I felt my chest rise up with butterflies, and my entire body seemed to be overtaken with them, and joy.

All the love I had for him, all the struggles and the losses and the dedication and the battles... every single thing seemed worth it at this very moment.

Because he was officially like me. There was no difference between us now. There was no confusion, no what-if's, no nothing.

We were equals.

Two fitting pieces of a two-piece puzzle.

He took a deep breath, lifting my chin up so he could get a better look at me. "I feel like I'm seeing you for the first time," he whispered slowly, his eyes zoning on different places on my face. "I thought you were sensational before... but this..." He paused for a moment, brushing my hair out of my face, "...Wow. I never expected to see this..."

I struggled to maintain my inhales and exhales as I squeezed his arms tighter, feeling more in love with him by the second.

I couldn't believe how amazing this moment truly felt.

It was irreplaceable.

"Bella," he whispered with a grin, pulling my face closer to his, "You... are... so... beautiful."

My eyelashes fluttered shut as I became overwhelmed, and I felt him gently press his lips to mine, as soft as possible. I clamped my eyes shut, feeling more intoxicated by his sweet breath, his smooth lips, his perfect amount of pressure he was providing against mine as his thumbs continued to caress around my jawline.

I parted my lips slowly, not caring if he squashed my face with his brute strength at this moment, if he lost his thoughts.

I couldn't get enough of him.

"Mmm," he whispered, before parting his own lips and sliding his delicate tongue inside my mouth. My breathing stopped again as our tongues collided in even symmetries. It felt like this was our first kiss, our first real moment together. Everything was heightened. Every sensation, every taste bud, every tingle... It was all maxed out now.

And I knew he felt it too. I didn't have to wonder - or worry, for that matter - if I was kissing him too rough, or if he was indifferent to my technique...

None of those insecurities stood around us anymore.

We were finally free to love each other, with no limits.

I sighed, my hands trailing along his forearms to his wrists, as our kissing continued. We didn't rush it at all, and I couldn't help but feel both shocked and utterly amazed by his restraint. I couldn't figure out how he was keeping his self-control this easy.

When I was turned, it took me at least a few weeks before I recognized my differences between mortality and immortality... But Edward... he was behaving as if he were a hundred year old vampire.

I wasn't sure if it was our long talks this past month, all the preparations I tried to give him... From what he witnessed with my actions, or Charlie's... I couldn't figure it out, couldn't wrap my head around it.

But while Edward was doing this, keeping himself in check so easily... he convinced me of one thing I knew from the start, all over again: Edward was indeed... perfect.

I heard someone clear their throat, and immediately, my offense took over. I pulled away from Edward, pushing him behind me and blocking him with my body, as I twisted around to find the door cracked open and Emmett's head sticking through it. "Emmett!" I shouted, gripping Carlisle's desk tight to try and restrain Edward, although I knew he'd be too strong for me, "What are you doing? Get out!"

"I want to see him."

"Emmett, it's not safe yet. Edward's a newborn, remember? You can't j-"

"It's okay," Edward whispered softly behind me, so soft that the humans couldn't hear him.

I twisted my head around, my mouth wide open as I glanced at my life, in Edward form. "What?"

"It's okay. I... I think I can handle it."

"No, Edward, you can't."

"Yes," he replied, his voice a little heavier now, "I can."

"Edward, how on eart-" I felt him reach around, his hand covering my mouth and cutting me off.

"My throat is burning fire, but I... don't... want them. I don't know if that makes sense, and I cannot explain it, even if I made an attempt to... I can see the veins pulsing in his neck, I can see his chest bouncing to the delicate rhythms of his heart strums... but..." Edward shook his head, taking a shallow breath, "...I don't want them. I think I've somehow trained my mind to know what I can and cannot have."

Emmett started to take a step inside, but I raised my hand to him, and he halted his movements.

"Edward, I don't like this at all." I said after I removed his warm hand from my lips, not trying to sound any less-eased than I actually was. "We cannot... I-I don't think that they sh-"

"Trust me, Bella," he replied, as his hands glided to my hips and he moved me from out of front to him. "I can work on the restraint."

Emmett slowly took another step inside, half of his body still out in the hall.

"You are thinking that you're scared of me," Edward whispered, his his all-too-velvet voice.

Emmett nodded, shoving his hands in his jeans pocket.

Edward tilted his head, remaining in his spot. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"H-How do you know th-"

"Because you're my family," Edward replied, answering Emmett's question before he even spoke it.

Emmett curled his brows, "But ho-"

"Because I can read your mind right now."

Emmett shut his mouth, looking more confused than ever.

"I know," Edward replied with a slight chuckle that made the butterflies bounce in my belly again, "I cannot figure it out either. I don't know how it happened. The last three days, I've spent locked inside my body, battling the internal flames and the constant voices of my family in my head... And the last twenty four hours, I've somehow programmed my mind to block out certain sounds and voices, so I can focus on one thing and not the other... But I don't know how I am doing it."

"Your brain is working faster now than it did at human speed," I tried to explain to him. "You've created a mind filter."

Emmett took an unsteady breath, "You look-"

'I know," Edward replied, mimicking Emmett's actions and placing his own hands into his pockets, "I'm sorry if my eyes are bothering you. I hadn't been giving a chance to see m-" Edward cut his own voice off, as he tilted his head back toward the floor. "Oh, never mind. Carlisle just told everyone, and Alice is running to her room to get a mirror."

The two boys laughed as I began to get nervous.

I knew Edward thought he could handle this, but if they all gathered in here together, it'd be too much.

"Edward, I think we should hunt before you see anyone," I stated, making my voice as stern as possible.

Edward snapped his head to me, furrowing his brows as he covered his throat. He took a deep swallow, looking more dazed.

And that was when I realized that I mentioned hunting to him, and I ignited that flame worse.

I nodded, licking my lips and reaching out to him, "It's okay. We'll go somewhere close, and get back quickly."

I could hear the rest of his family talking fast and running toward the door, their heartbeats accelerated in their excitement to see Edward. By instinct, I locked up and wrapped around Edward, blocking him from getting to them as best as my strength would accept.

Edward allowed me to, not trusting himself now that his throat and his thirst were taking control of his brain.

"Emmett, get out and shut the door," I snapped, and Emmett quickly obliged, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Are you okay?" I asked, turning around to face my marbled statued God.

He nodded, rubbing his throat more vigorously, "Yes. I thought I could control it, but then you mentioned h-"

"Yes. I'm sorry, I didn't think. We should go, and then you can try seeing your family afterward."

He nodded, but his forehead crinkled again after a moment of thought. "Alice is frustrated. She wants Emmett to slide the mirror in, so she can watch me through the window. She's almost in tears, I think. She really wants to see me."

"She can wait," I replied with a reassuring nod, as I stroked his smooth and more-defined muscles of his biceps.

"No. Let her slide the mirror in."

"Edward."

"Just let her, Bella. It's... important to her."

I pursed my lips and looked at his face cautiously, looking for any hint of hesitation on his half. But he didn't show a single sign that he didn't trust himself, or his control. So I nodded.

Carlisle opened the door, sliding the long, oval-shaped mirror along the far wall, before closing the door again.

Edward followed my steps slowly, and we both watched as every single pair of eyes peeping through the glass window grew as wide as possible.

All of their mouths dropped, as their stared at him in what can only be described as awe.

I watched as overwhelmed tears began to stream from Esme's eyes, while Alice mouthed Wow in silence. Rosalie remained motionless, as if she were too stunned to speak. Jasper remained stiff and observant, while Emmett just grinned proudly. Carlisle wrapped his arm around Esme's shoulders, his face showing in a tight smile that father's gave right after their children drove away from home to head off to college... They were all proud of him.

As every day passed, this family continued to amaze me. .

I never knew a more accepting bunch of people in all my days.

Their love for him was permanent.

My eyes trailed to my right, picking apart Edward's expression.

He beamed as his eyes trailed to each one of their faces individually. "Esme thinks I look immaculate," he replied with a snicker. "Carlisle is proud. Jasper is a little worried. He thinks if he were in here with me, he'd feel better because he feels our mood changes to match his... He's been like that since he became a part of this family... No one can explain why though. Rosalie is a little jealous, because she thinks I'm prettier than her now... and Alice and Emmett... well they just want to know when they can be next."

I couldn't help but feel stunned as I watched his eyes melt over his family members. This just kept getting better and better.

Alice jumped up and down, thrusting her finger against the glass window, toward the mirror.

Edward snickered and nodded, motioning for me to turn it toward him.

I obliged, grabbing the heavy object and twisting it around to face him.

Edward stopped dead in his tracks. The grin on his face disappeared, as he studied his own reflection.

He remained motionless, blinking slowly as he took it all in. He slowly lifted his right hand, rubbing his jaw line as he watched his reflection mimmick his actions. He tilted his head to the right, then slowly back to the left. I watched as he slowly leaned forward, his lips parting as he inched toward the mirror. "Wow..." he whispered, continuing to rub his cheek bones.

"Yeah," I snickered, feeling more giddy, "Those were my thoughts when you were human... Now you're even more beautiful. I don't know if I'll be able to handle myself around you for too much longer."

He snickered, watching the light from the ceiling bounce along his perfect teeth. "I can see everything," he whispered. "I can see every curvature... every indent... I can taste the room and my surroundings. Everything is so much more crisp, more intensified..."

"Are you overwhelmed?" I asked, giving him my best smile.

He grinned at me, straightening up and turning away from the mirror, "My love for you is overwhelming, yes... I feel like I'm seeing you for the first time as well."

I beamed as he walked over to me, pulling me into his arms once again.

We hugged tightly, and I couldn't help but bite my lip as I listened to him inhaling my scent.

"Wow... strawberries and cinnamon just became a whole lot sexier..."

"Edward," I replied giddily, hiding my face into his shoulder. My face would be a beet-red blush right now, if I were human.

He chuckled, rubbing my back as we pulled away again, "Esme thinks we're adorable, but Alice thinks we need to get a room."

I pulled away from him, and we both smiled at his family.

Then I looked back to my beautiful partner, and reached out my hand. "Are you ready to go hunt?"

He took a deep breath, accepting my invitation. "Let's do it."

Watching Edward leap from a three-story house was incredible. He didn't even hesitate. He watched me jump, and followed my actions precisely. It amazed me how perceptive he quickly came to be. He was a true genius. Every single step, every motion I made - he could do exact.

He ran with me toward the river, and I felt my butterflies soaring all around me now. He seemed so excited about it. I watched his expressions, as he realized he didn't need his oxygen anymore, he couldn't feel his heartbeat through his chest... He seemed like a child on Christmas eve, waiting to catch Santa climbing down the chimney.

We halted when we got to the water, and his smile grew more intoxicating, "Are we going to jump it?"

I nodded, taking a few steps back, "Think you can?"

"Oh hell yes."

I laughed as we took a few more steps behind us, "Oh yeah? Do you want to go first?"

He looked at me and tilted his head, weighing out his options. "Are you asking me to show off?"

I felt so in love with him.

Words couldn't describe how overwhelmed I felt, just watching how glorious this man had become, right in front of my eyes. Though it may sound both stubborn and selfish, I was happy that I changed him... Thrilled that he could be mine forever.

Correction, I thought to myself as my smile grew wider. Not could be. He is yours, forever.

Before I could answer, Edward took off, running at the speed of lightning, and launched himself over the rushing water of the Forks River. He hollered in excitement as he flew across, waving his arms around. He landed with ease, not falling over, or even stumbling, for that matter.

I could feel his smugness spreading from across the freakin' bank. Following his actions, I leapt across the river, landing light on my feet beside him.

He grinned as he took deep breaths, the air from the chilly night showing from his lips in a fog. He extended his hand to me as his grin grew crooked, and I took it, biting my lip. Then we were off, running through the trees with the wind from the sparkling night soaring through our hair. I continued to watch his expressions as he adjusted to the sensations of the breeze on his delicate skin, the sounds from everything around him... Noticing that he was so happy made me elated.

As we slowed down to a human pace, I began to explain to him how to separate between the different smells of animals. I pointed out different types, and compared them to common words, so he'd be able to easily understand them. I tried to explain things by having him close his eyes, and listen to his surroundings.

Once we came closer to our prey, we knelt down to the ground, taking in the atmosphere around us as a whole. I tried to get him to block out one of his five senses, and focus on each one individually... as I was talking, I noticed Edward open his eyes, his tongue bouncing on his bottom lip as he watched my thorough explanations.

I stopped speaking, tilting my head at him. "What?"

He licked his lip and grinned at me, "What?"

I snickered, "What are you staring at?"

"Oh," he replied, looking down to his knees for a second. "Your mouth."

I furrowed my brows, feeling my stomach tighten, "Why?"

"It... fascinates me now."

"How's that?"

"Well," he replied as he crawled closer to me, his index finger reaching and brushing along my bottom lip, "do you know how you bite down here, when you're feeling flushed?"

"Yes," I replied as my chest began to clamp and my breathing became shallow.

"After your glide your teeth away, I can see the crimson rainbow on the dampness of your lip... It's... incredible.

My willpower faught to control my urge to not bite my lip again.

He brushed his hand through my long hair, inhaling calmly, "I thought you said I wouldn't want you like this at first?"

Now my breathing stopped all together, "You... want me?"

"Yes. I can practically taste you on my lips... I can feel my mouth watering when I think about you, or look at you, or hear you speak... or watch those succulent lips move."

I closed my eyes as a tremble rocked through my core. "Aren't you thirsty?"

He cleared his throat, jerking his eyes away from me, "Well... now, I guess I am. Thanks for mentioning it."

I took a steady breath, trying to even out my own body cravings. "Let's allow that be the focus first. We'll worry about the rest... after."

He snickered, "Okay. As long as we can... after."

It took every ounce of will power I had to not pounce on him at that very second. "It's a deal."

"Bella! Bella, wait up, I'm sorry!"

I crossed my arms and lifted my chin, continuing to walk through the trees. "You can't be sorry if you're laughing while you're saying you're sorry."

"I really am!" Edward replied with another chuckle as he ran and stopped in front of me, blocking my path.

Every direction I went, he was in front of me quickly. I pouted, glaring at him. Stupid beautiful newborn vampire.

"You're so lucky you cannot read my thoughts," I hissed at him.

"Bella, come on..." He replied with another grin as he wrapped his arms around my waist, "I don't know how many more times I can apologize to you."

I gave him another pointed glance, turning my head away from his face before I caved in and smiled back at him.

Edward nuzzled his nose to my cheek, humming softly, "Please forgive me, my love."

I closed my eyes and curled my fingers into fists, all the while still trying not to smile, "You're just so... irritating. It irks me!"

He laughed, filing my stomach with more butterflies from his velvety resoundance and intricate melody. "I thought you'd be proud of me."

"I am, but... grrrrr," I growled at him, trying to turn away from him, which didn't happen since he was now stronger than me.

He pouted his lip before giving me a chaste kiss on my left cheek. "Please forgive me."

I took a deep breath, feeling slushy from too much liquid. "I just don't see how you didn't get a single drop on you, Edward... Not one. None on your cheeks, on your jaw, on your shirt... Why do you have to be so perfect? Even in the immortal world, I still find myself inadequate."

Edward snickered, wrapping his arms tighter around me as he pulled me to him, chest to chest, "I've never been a messy eater."

That did it. I slapped his chest and smiled, trying to pull away from him.

He refused me, laughing into the tight skin on my neck. "Are you ready to forgive me yet? Or do I have to man-handle you?"

I bit my lip and closed my eyes, feeling my body ache at his teasing words. "Man-handle me?" I mocked at him, placing my hands on my hips, while he kept his around me in a tight hug.

"Yes. I'm so thrilled I can threaten that, and mean it."

"I'm sure you are."

"Please Bella?"

I sighed. "Please what?"

"Pretty please with a mountain lion on top?"

I tilted my head and pulled back so I could glare at his sexy smirk. "Not funny."

Now it was his turn to bite his lip, before he burried his face back into my neck. I felt him begin to nibble there, and shuddered as my fingers clasped around his biceps. It felt so good to have more of this contact, and not be able to put restraints on myself or him, for any reason now.

He tilted my head, applying the same nibbling to the opposite side of my neck, "Please just say you forgive me... I didn't mean to impress you so much with my hunting technique that I made you feel inferior."

I grinned, unable to hold myself back from running my fingers through his thicker, copper hair. "Now you're just being cocky again."

"No, I really mean it."

"Fine," I sighed, caving into him like I knew I would. "You're forgiven."

I could feel his lips moving along my neck as he grinned. "Thank you angel," he whispered, causing me to shudder.

I looked above me, watching more stars form into the sky as it became darker, as I wrapped my arms around his waist.

He hummed, before cradling my face into his silky palms, pulling his face back to look at me. We were pelvis to pelvis, chest to chest... perfect reflections of each other.

"I cannot wait to marry you, Isabella Swan," he whispered to me.

I took a deep breath, stroking my fingers through more of his locks, "I cannot wait to be Isabella Swan-Cullen."

"Swan-Cullen?" He asked, as he placed his forehead to mine.

And again, I was dazzled as I thought more about his incredible restraint and self-control.

"Yes," I replied after a few more dizzied seconds. "I'm going to hyphen it, so I can keep a part of Charlie with me, forever."

Edward beamed, closing his eyes at the same time I did, while his thumbs placed gentle caresses along my cheekbones, "I like that."

"Me too."

I could hear him swallow at the same time I did, and was thrilled by the fact that I knew he could hear me swallowing too. I think it almost amazed me more than him that we were equals now...

I felt him press his warm lips to my equally tempermatic ones, and a frenzy took over me. I gasped, throwing myself against him. My arms weaved around his neck, my hands grasping at his hair. I felt his sweet breath along my face when he parted his lips for more friction, before engulfing me with the incredible taste of his tongue again. His fingers grasped on my hips, and within half a second, I was lifted in the air. I threw my legs around his waist, feeling my body ache and form around him delicately.

"Edward," I gasped between kisses, clamping my eyes tight, "what about your family? I know they want to see you."

"I know. This won't take long."

"But I th-," I gasped as he bit down hard on my neck.

All the thoughts and objections I had on the Cullen's behalf went right down the tunnel of doom.

I moaned loudly as I felt him drop to his knees, laying me down beneath him in the dirt path. The leaves crunched beneath our identical solid frames, and I felt him apply most of his weight onto me now, grinding against my center as his lips begged me for more attention.

"How are you doing this?" I asked through my heavy breathing, clawing at his shoulders.

"Making love to you?" he countered as he dug his lips into my collar bone.

"No," panted, feeling my legs wrap around his waist and jerk him down to me without my consent, "how are you controlling yourself? You're still a newborn here. I expected you to half-slauter everyone in town."

"I feel full," he replied as he licked along my neck.

It made sense. We just spent the past two hours hunting, all of which Edward maimed and handled with perfect grace and technique.

"Are you sure?" I worried, biting my lip as I continued my rant that I've had the past two hours. "If not, we can stop and go back. There's always more animals in the w-"

"Bella!" he said, covering my mouth with his hands as he held himself above me, "Listen to me. Read my lips. I'm full. Yes, my throat burns still, but it's mild. No, I cannot hear your thoughts and sure it drives me crazy, but right now, I'm glad I can't in a way, that way I can't hear about all your worries. Yes, I feel wonderful. Yes, I love you... and..."

He gripped my shoulders, pulling me up from the ground a bit as one hand slid under my head to support my neck, "Yes... I want to make love to you. Right here, under the stars, for all the animals and anything else to see. So, if you'd be so kindly to not ask me questions, not worry about me, and not be frightened for me in any way, shape, or form... then that would be greatly appreciated. Because there is nothing, and I do mean nothing - no deer, no mountain lions, no prey, and most definetly not any humans - that are going to get in the way of me and what I want anymore. Do you got it?"

I was speechless. I couldn't respond.

His voice was so power, so dominant. Edward knew exactly what he wanted, as did I.

All I did was nod lightly, in a mere haze of desire for him.

With that, Edward crushed his lips to me and pushed me back into the dirt.

I could hear clothes being ripped away from the both of our bodies as lust came crashing around us like water at Niagara Falls. Within about three seconds, we were both naked.

Edward plunged his tongue back inside my mouth, and low moans escaped from both of our throats as our bodies collided together, both outwardly and internally.

I grasped at his shoulders, lifting my back off of the dirt path so I could wrap all my limbs possible around him. I felt my lower body being pushed and pulled from the soil to the air, as he took me over with his frame, fulfilling me so completely that there wasn't a mere inch to spare.

Every sensation, every touch, every kiss, every moan or sigh or hum or gasp... every sound of our bodies connecting surrounded the air so thickly, it was all we could hear. Our noises bounced off the trees, from the water, from the wind... We were everywhere and we were together.

We never had to worry about delicate things anymore, such as time, or money, or exhaustion, or space...

All we had to understand was that there was truly nothing that could separate us now.

And all we wanted was each other.

I cleared my throat, walking into the living room with a new set of clothes, thankful that no one noticed me climbing up to Edward's bedroom to grab a few changes for us.

The family was wide awake, although it had to be around three in the morning.

They all rose to their feet when they saw me, all with giddy and excited expressions on each of their fragile faces.

"Edward would like to see you guys now," I began, shuffling on my feet, "but he wants to know if you guys are okay about it first."

"Well why wouldn't we be?" Alice said.

"Yes, bring him in!" Esme concluded, but I noticed a hesitant Carlisle pulling them in and standing in front of his family, being the protective father.

"We all want to see Edward... and I will trust your judgment if it is safe, Bella. But we must maintain a slow, even distance."

I nodded, taking a steady breath. "I trust Edward. And he trusts himself as well. I really think he can do this."

Emmett nodded but stood in front of Rosalie, while Jasper stood in front of Alice.

"Let him in," Jasper said, and I noticed two tiny arms wrap protectively around his waist, while Alice remained hidden behind his tall form. She was so adorable, the way her tiny frame wanted to protect him still.

Alice was truly a woman in her own right.

I smiled at them, before twisting around and walking back to the yard.

Edward stood, wearing a black button down shirt and dark denim jeans, his hair looking perfectly unruffled despite our recent activities... and he was the exact replicate of an angel.

"Are you ready?" I asked, rubbing his forearms.

He kept his hands in his pockets, nodding his head in silence as he looked down to his shoes.

"Remember," I stated for the fifteenth time, "You don't have to breathe. You can hold your breath, until you trust your surroundings more."

He nodded again, still looking at the grass.

"And, if you feel at any reason that you are losing control of the situation, all you have to do is give me the glance, and I'll clear everyone out without anyone getting hurt."

He nodded again, swallowing hard. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

I exhaled and reached out my hand to him, "Okay."

We began to walk through the door, but once my hand reached the handle, I was pulled back against him.

"Do you promise you have me?" he asked.

"I promise," I replied, kissing his cheek gently, "I won't let you hurt anyone."

"Okay. Let's go."

I nodded, gripping the door handle again.

Within seconds, I was pulled back to him.

"And do you promise that you truly think I can do this?"

I smiled, brushing my fingers through his hair. "Yes. I do. You have more abilities than you even know."

"Okay," he exhaled as he closed his eyes, "May I ask one mor question?"

"Of course."

"Do you promise that you love me?"

I smiled, giving him a slight hug in hopes to soothe away some of his worries, "Now more than ever."

I opened the door, pulling him slowly across the dining room, and into the living room. The men continued to stand in front of their women, with their hands to their sides and smiles on their faces.

Edward slowly peered around me, but kept his fingers on my waist, just in case.

My eyes bounced between everyone's faces as they took in the new Edward. They were completely shaken, and amazed, and speechless.

Edward grinned, bearing his dazzling white teeth, and I could hear Rosalie gasp from behind Emmett's shoulders. Edward quickly retorted, closing his mouth in fear of frightening her. Then, a few seconds later, he grinned again, and chuckled lightly. "I cannot believe you thought I'd have actual fangs."

I gawked at Edward, trying to figure out where that came from.

"I-I'm sorry," Rosalie stammered, still peeking her eyes around Emmett's left bicep, "I just..."

"Bella doesn't have fangs."

"I know. I'm stupid. But stop reading my thoughts, it's creeping me out."

Edward smirked, and then looked solemnly at Esme. I watched as Esme's eyes filled with tears and her chin began to quiver.

"Yes," Edward replied quietly, and I wondered if she could even hear his response.

Her eyes overflowed now, and she smiled and tilted her head at him as she thought more thoughts.

"Uh..." Edward replied as he turned to me awkwardly.

I beamed at him, rubbing his arms, "You're doing great."

"Really?"

"Yes. How do you feel?"

"I feel... surprisingly okay. The burning isn't too bad. As I previously mentioned, I think I somehow programmed my brain to understand the difference between prey and my family."

I nodded, giving him a slight hug as I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"How remarkable," Carlisle said.

"It's extraordinary," Emmett stated with a grin.

"You're so pretty," Rosalie chimed in.

"When can I be done next?" Alice asked as she hopped from behind Jasper's expression.

Within seconds, Edward seemed dazed. Everyone moved at once. The men formed into a hurdle, Jasper had Alice backed up against the wall, as I pinned Edward up against the glass. Edward panted, closing his eyes.

"Guys," I replied, turning back to face his relatives, "You can't do that. Edward wasn't going to hurt Alice. But if you react so urgently, he's going to be more distracted, than if you remain calm. Everyone needs to settle down, so your heartbeats even out? Okay?"

They all nodded.

After a few minutes, each of them began to relax, and huddle back into the formation of men in front of their women.

I gave Edward a pat on his back, before pulling him back to the center of the room.

Esme's eyes filled with tears again, and she took a slow step toward us, "Can I... hug him?"

Everyone looked to me, including her and Edward. I tried to read Edward's eyes, looking for signs of distress.

"He won't hurt him," Alice stated, causing us to shuffle our eyes to her. "I... have another one of those feelings. He won't hurt any of us."

"How do you know?" Carlisle asked, looking more astonished than threatened.

"Because... I've seen it. I can't explain it," Alice said, "...but I feel it. Edward wants to protect us."

Edward nodded, pushing his hands back into his pockets. "I do."

With that, Esme slowly continued her trail. I watched as she wrapped her arms around her son, pushing her face into his shirt as she sobbed against him. "I'm just so... overwhelmed," she tried to explain to us. "You feel so cold.. so strong... so different but so alike. Just like with your presence... You're still Edward... I'm amazed, and overwhelmed by all of this."

"You're going to change all of us," Alice insinuated, "right Bella?"

I shook my head as I kept my eyes on Edward. "No."

"Why not?" Emmett asked. "We all can be together that way. I know I'll make one bomb-ass vamp, man. You've got to change me."

"You don't understand what you are asking for," I tried to explain to them, "I'm not even sure if I can explain the full extent of it, or if Edward fully understands what he just bargained his life for..."

My voice trailed off as I watched Edward kiss Esme's forehead. Once she walked away, I noticed his eyes trail to Carlisle.

They exchanged in a sudden silent conversation.

Carlisle would think things, and would understand the response by Edward's expressions, or nodds, or smiles or frowns...

I too felt like Esme... I was impressed by the way everyone picked up on all of this.

"I'll talk to her," Edward replied to his second father, as he turned and smiled at me.

Carlisle nodded, watching Edward pull me into his arms. "Please do."

"I will."

I looked up at Edward, not understanding their conversation.

"Due time," he replied with a grin, before closing his eyes and kissing the side of my head.

After about twenty minutes of his family asking him questions about what it was like to change, or hunt, or how he was feeling... After all explanations were filled, Edward sent his family to rest.

Emmett was the last to leave, sending Edward an unreadable expression.

He grinned at Emmett and nodded, and they gave each other a pat on the back before Emmett ran up the stairs.

Edward nestled with me on the couch, flicking on the television, "This is so weird, not feeling tired."

"I know," I replied, cozying up to him, "but what was that all about, between Emmett and you?"

"He said it felt good to know that we were protecting the family now."

"Aww," I replied, rubbing my smile into his shoulder.

"But he also wants to... be like us, too."

"He doesn't understand," I replied with a sigh.

"I think he does. So does Carlisle. Do you remember when Carlisle asked me to speak with you later?"

"Yes." I replied with furrowed brows.

"He told me in his mind that letting go of me was harder than he planned. He thought that if it were best for me, he'd let me make my decision and go on knowing I were happy."

"That's good."

"But," he continued, holding me tight, "he said he had a change of heart. He said that he couldn't bear the thought of them all passing away, and us being left behind. He thinks that if we were to combine our forces, that they could all be changed and it be for the better. Carlisle and Esme don't want to see us without them. They still want to be the parents in our lives. They still want to protect us... He says he won't take no for an answer."

I sighed, shaking my head. "What am I going to do with all of you? Why do you all have to be so stubborn?"

He chuckled, pulling me into his lap, "Because we're Cullen's. That's what we do."

"Ohhh," I replied breathlessly, feeling dazed by his intoxicated presence again. "Is that what it is?"

"Yes."

"Mmm," I replied, kissing his cheek.

"You know... Bella, I don't have to sleep now. We can spend the whole night being... together."

I bit the inside of my lip, turning my face to him. "We need to leave the house then."

"Why's that?" he replied with a chuckle.

I grinned, pulling on the ends of his hair, "Because, my sweet little young vampire... The things I plan to do to you require so much strength and noise, we'd either break apart this beautiful mansion, or give them all brain damage from our screams."

"Mmm," he replied pulling me against him as he lifted us off the couch, "we can't allow that then, can we?"

"Nope."

He nodded, pulling me out the glass door and into the chiming night. "Last one there... has to be on top?"

I grinned, placing my hands on my hips, "Is that a challenge?"

"Yes."

"Then I accept."

We both took off, laughing as we made our way to the river.

I never felt more elated than I did at that exact moment.

And I couldn't wait until we were one again.

So there we go, Chapter 22! Keep the reviews and compliments/suggestions/positive feedback coming in! They are always welcome. Stay tuned!

ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS/RESPONSES:

- Only 2 Chapters left guys... :( Such a bittersweet time for me.

- Thanks to everyone who's continued to be faithful with their reviews per chapter, their positive feedback, advice, and their constructive criticism, etc. It's been amazing and so enjoyable to come home from a long day's work and see the number rise from people who enjoy the story just as much as I do! I can't say it enough: You're the best!

- If you're in the mood for some drama, go check out my latest Edward/Bella fan-fiction "The Ex Factor", subscribe and review! Rated Mature!

- IF I MISSED SOMEONE'S QUESTION, I TRULY APOLOGIZE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL ANSWER IT ASAP!

Sincerely, Angela.