Author's Chapter Notes:

A/N: Hello, everyone! Obviously it's been forever and then some since I've updated. I posted a note on and the Twilighted formus to explain what took me so long.

For those of you who did not see it, in the past few months, I have been dealing with a lot of stress from school and hardships in my personal life. Instead of just updating for the sake of it, I chose to wait and give a quality chapter.

Thank you to everyone who supported me over that time. Also, thank you to the people who nominated me for a fic award a while ago. That was super cool of you guys. And thanks for the amazing amount of love and reviews you all give this story. I love each and every one of you

As always, I'm eternally grateful to my lovely beta, Isabel. She makes me a better writer. She makes me smile. She gives me the latest Twilight news. What's not to love? I honestly don't know what I'd do without that woman, hand to God. Words cannot even describe my affection for that lady.

And now...enjoy :)

BPOV

"What?" Edward said innocently. He looked at my face, and followed my gaze to the mantel. When he saw what I was pointing at, he pretended to be surprised, jumping like he was startled. "Oh! That?"

"Yes, that," I said, irritated. I crossed my arms and glared at him.

"Bella, all of the things on this mantle are things very dear to me. Of course I put that up there," he answered simply, his brow wrinkling like he didn't understand what all the discourse was about.

"The Twister mat, Edward? I thought I told you to throw it away," I breathed incredulously. "Oh lord, is that a flag frame?! Edward! That's just wrong."

"Wrong?" he said with exaggerated indignation, "Wrong? They make those frames for important pieces of fabric, and what could be more important than the Twister mat?"

"I-You…this... can't…but," I stuttered, at a loss with the man holding me in his arms. He squeezed me tighter, like he was trying to hold in my fury. "Edward, what we going to tell people when they ask about it? 'Oh that? That's the plastic that Bella lost her virginity on. Yep, the very one.'"

Edward buried his face in my neck quickly, but I could hear the snickers he was trying to mask. I slapped him upside the head. "Edward! It's not funny!"

"Oh, come on Bella," he smiled, his hands tickling my sides a little. "You have to admit it's just a teensy bit funny."

I had to work to suppress a smile. What was it about him? Why couldn't I manage to stay mad at him? How did he break through each of my barriers, my physical, emotional, and willful barriers?

I guess it was somewhat sweet that he'd kept it. Although, he probably stole it for pervy, macho reasons, I thought it was sort of touching that he found it so important that he'd want to keep it, as weird as it sounds. And only Edward would take it so far as to have it put in a flag frame.

But I couldn't let him off that easy.

"Please, be serious," I groaned.

"I know, sorry. It's just that your reaction was priceless." I frowned. "If anyone asks, I'll just say we stole it as a souvenir from the cabin. Now let me keep it, please? It means a lot to me."

He craned his neck around to stare deeply into my eyes as he combed his fingers through my hair, pulling out all of his persuasive methods. He knew I stood no chance against him when he used The Cullen Convincing Powers on me.

"How about a compromise?" I proposed. He raised his eyebrows, showing that he was listening. "I let you keep the Twister mat, but it goes in the bedroom instead."

"My dear, I think I'm starting to rub off on you. That's an excellent plan," he grinned, letting go of me briefly so that he could retrieve the frame from the mantel. "It'll go perfectly in the bedroom."

I smiled and leaned into him, glad to have convinced him to take it down. As funny as it might have been, I did not want to have to answer people when they asked me about it. How could I tell people that, in that triangular frame, was a symbol of the first time I had ever known love and passion? How could I describe what it felt like when two souls came together?

I felt Edward's arms tighten around me, his nose burying itself in my hair and inhaling deeply. I couldn't help but sigh with him. It felt so good to just...feel him again , have him feel me again after being apart for so long. We stood together, enjoying each other until he spoke up.

"Stop feeling so good in my arms, or we'll never finish this tour," he teased.

"Do we have to?" I mock-complained. "I want to stay right here."

I nuzzled further into him.

"We don't have to, but I'm anxious to show you the rest of the place." His lips lightly danced across the skin on my shoulder, like he was determined not to miss an inch. I sighed softly, and he grabbed my hand and guided me down across the room.

It was easily the shiniest place I'd ever seen. He had a Subzero, stainless steel refrigerator and one of those flat, electric stoves. The rest of his kitchen was just as high-tech and impressively clean. I probably looked like a starved woman at a buffet. I loved to cook, and the kitchen in my old apartment looked like a Little Tykes play set compared to his.

"This is immaculate," I said. "Have you ever even cooked in here?"

"Well, um, not really," he said uneasily, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. "I mean, I usually just eat take-out, especially these past few weeks." I looked at him curiously, and he smiled sheepishly. "Nothing compares to your cooking, Bella. Seriously. I can't even attempt to come close."

I laughed, and he reached around me to open the refrigerator. "That being said, I stuffed this thing full of food. I asked Alice what you usually bought at the store and what you couldn't live without so that I could have it all here," he explained, showing me the contents. "If you need anything else, I'll run to the store later."

"No," I said, stunned. The fridge was entirely packed with all of my favorite foods. "This is everything I need and more. Edward, you didn't have to-"

"Yes, I did," he answered firmly. His eyes were full of what I saw as a mixture of fierceness, determination, and gratitude. It was intensely beautiful. "Now, come on, let's see the rest of the rooms."

He led me into a hallway, pointing out the bathroom, linen closet, and guest bedroom- where I noticed a few of my boxes sitting- before we stopped at the door of the farthest room.

"Do I finally get to see your S and M playroom?" I said innocently. Edward snorted and shook his head indulgently.

Then he opened the door.

"This is my home office," he said.

There were even two chairs leather sitting chairs and floor to ceiling bookshelves along each wall, but…

"Edward, half the shelves are empty," I observed. When I looked back at him, he appeared a little sheepish once again.

"I, uh, cleared out some of my books to make room for yours," he revealed, looking at the floor. "I would have taken them out of the boxes and put them on the shelves, but I didn't know how you liked them to be arranged, and I didn't want you to have to go through and re-shelf them."

My heart fluttered unevenly. What did I ever do to deserve such a man?

I waited silently for him to look up at me before I whispered, "You're too good to me."

"No such thing," he smiled, turning to stand in the doorframe. "Now, Miss Swan, would you like to see your new bedroom?"

I noticed the slight edge in his voice, and sure enough when he turned around, his sensual lips were turned up in a leer so sexy, it could make a nun quit the Church. That being said, I followed him into the hall without a moment's thought.

We ended up in a little alcove on the other side of the living room. Out of nowhere Edward reached out his arm to stop me.

"Wait," he said suddenly, covering my eyes with his large hands. "I want it to be a surprise. No peeking."

I rolled my eyes but decided to humor him. He kept one hand over my eyes, and his other one found its way to the small of my back, the heat from it sending sparks up and down my spine. Ever so slowly, he began to inch me forward. With my eyes closed I could hear him so much more acutely. His every breath, his every movement was magnified by my loss of sight. I could smell him too, could practically taste his uniquely delicious scent.

I shuffled awkwardly a few more feet until I heard Edward open a door. Then he took his hand slowly off of my eyes.

His- our- bedroom was...it was beyond...I was speechless, even in my mind.

The walls were painted a familiar shade of light brown with white trim. In the center of the room was an absolutely enormous wooden sleigh bed with a deep blue comforter and half a dozen navy throw pillows. On the far side of the room, wispy curtains, the same shade of blue as the bed, hung over an enormous sliding glass door.

When I looked closer, I noticed that the doors led to a spacious balcony. I walked in further, anxious to see more. I peered out over the ledge, and saw the most breathtaking city scape I'd ever seen. It was so high up, it was like living in a airplane!

I could have stared at the little buildings for hours, but I was too interested in seeing the rest of the room. The floor was paneled with beautifully waxed hardwood floors. The armoire and chest of drawers were made of unfinished looking wood, and the mirror hanging on the wall was beautifully rustic, its paint chipped off slightly.

I saw the closet, half empty, waiting for my clothes to join Edward's, and I could see the enormous bathroom next to it, but I could no longer concentrate on any of that.

All I saw was the man leaning against the door frame, smiling gently at me while his body remained tense, his eyes serious, watching me intensely

This was the man who had changed his entire bedroom to recreate the room we had shared in the cabin. Down to the very last detail, the paint color, the bedding, the bedside tables- it was a perfect replication.

I decided to do some recreating of my own. Making sure Edward was still watching, I did a little hop and landed on the bed, feeling like I had settled on a cloud.

"What are you waiting for, handsome?" I asked and patted the bed in invitation.

He sauntered over to me smoothly, never taking his eyes off of me. I'd never seen anyone move with such finesse. I welcomed his weight on the bed, and he settled next to me. I scooted closer and grabbed his hand as he put his other arm around me, cushioning my head. I turned to look at him when something on the bedside table caught my eye. When I looked closer, I saw that it was a picture of Alice, Renee, and me. It was taken at my birthday dinner last year.

"How?" I asked him, my emotions making it difficult for me to speak.

"Alice," he said simply. "I thought you might appreciate the picture if you ever got homesick."

Something strong started to bubble up from inside of me, but I tried to keep myself in check.

"Any other surprises?" I asked, attempting to make my voice sound normal.

"Look up," he whispered.

I moved my gaze to see something hanging above the headboard. Upon closer inspection, I saw it was a photograph that took up the entire width of the headboard, framed in thick wood, printed in black and white.

It was the cabin- our cabin- where it all began, where I spent the best days of my life, where I found love, where I found what I had been missing for so many years: Edward. The sun was setting behind the gigantic trees, casting a romantic glow. The cabin stood proudly among the layers of snow, shinning in the reflection of the sun. Instead of looking deserted, it looked pristine. The lights were out inside, but instead of looking lonely, it looked peaceful, waiting for us to come back.

"Where did you get this picture?" I whispered, afraid to break the spell of the picture.

"Right before we left, you were sitting in the car. I told you I was putting something in the trunk, but, really, I was taking this picture. It took me about ten shots to get it just right."

Tears started to well up in my eyes causing my vision to blur. I sat up quickly.

"Edward." My voice broke on his name. He glanced at me sharply, seeming to panic when he saw water flowing from my eyes.

"Bella," he said urgently, sitting up too. His warm palm rubbed soothing circles on my back. "Please, please, please don't cry. What's wrong, love? I didn't mean for it to upset you."

"Nothing," I choked out. "Absolutely nothing is wrong. Everything is more perfect than I could have possibly imagined. You didn't have to do all of this for me, Edward."

His fingers gently brushed my tears away. He seemed to think for a moment before speaking quietly.

"I want you to be happy, Bella. I've been so worried that you were going to wake up and change your mind, realize that I'm not worth ditching your life and moving across the country for.

"I've been calling and messaging my sister nonstop, asking her what I could do to make this place more comfortable for you. As soon as I got back from Alaska, I started making every room more Bella-friendly," he said.

"Why?" was all I could say. My tears had stopped as I listened to him. He seemed relieved.

"Because… to an altruistic person like you, moving in with me might not seem like a big deal. But it is really a huge change and sacrifice. I figured the least I could do was make this place feel more like home to you.

"Your moving here seemed too good to be true. Making room for you made it seem more real. And," he laughed uncomfortably, "that's how I cope with stress. Some people yell or pace or bite their nails. I plan. I think out every little detail until I'm sure it's perfect. I thought about every little thing that you might hate and changed it until I thought you would feel at home."

"Edward, wherever you are- that's my home," I reminded him, snuggling into him, inhaling his unique scent. "But this...everything is so beautiful and perfect. I must be the luckiest girl in the world."

"Hmm, I don't know about that," he chuckled darkly. "You look all woman to me."

He leaned into me slowly, capturing my lips for a sweet, gentle kiss. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me on top of him, as we laid down.

I caught onto his mood instantly and leaned down to place open mouthed kisses all over his neck, nibbling right under his jaw.

His hands tightened their hold on me and hitched my leg over his hip before rolling us over so that he was hovering over me, careful not to rest his entire weight on me. My heart pounded unevenly, the way it only did for Edward.

On their own accord, my fingers started to creep up the hem of Edward's shirt, needing to feel the solid muscles of his abs.

"Bella," he rasped, "Are you too jetlagged? Do you need to rest?"

"No," I moaned, lifting his shirt over his head. I had nearly forgotten how great he looked with his shirt off. No, impossible. That was an image that would forever be burned into my mind.

"Good because I don't think I can stop," he sighed, struggling to get my top off.

I sat up a little to help him and pulled at the hem of his jeans.

He's wearing a belt? I nearly cried out in frustration. I could hardly stand to have even one more barrier between us. Thankfully, he assisted me by unbuckling it quickly and whipping it off.

It was one of the sexiest things he'd ever done, and I was so aroused that I couldn't wait any more.

I reached down to undo my pants, thinking I'd have better luck with them than with Edward's. He seemed to get the message and pulled both his pants and underwear off in one fluid motion.

My hands froze as I took in his naked form, his chest moving quickly to accommodate his heavy breathing, his erection standing out proudly.

He was absolutely mouthwatering.

Every line of his body screamed masculinity and sex. I felt a surge of pride and excitement as I realized this man was mine now, every day, every place. He'd be coming home to me.

Clearly Edward was growing impatient as I admired him because he moved my hands away and focused on getting me undressed. I was more than happy to sit back and watch his talented hands work as I reached behind my back to unhook my bra.

When we'd gotten rid of all my clothing, Edward reared back on his knees to look me over, just as I had done to him, his gaze lingering on certain areas.

A slow, self-satisfied smile grew on his face. His eyes twinkled, enhancing the usual light in his emerald eyes. I could hear him panting loudly, and I put my hands on his chest, loving the movement.

He shifted to lay his body over mine again and gave me a smoldering kiss.

"I love you," he said passionately and smothered my mouth with his.

I returned his kiss enthusiastically, lifting my hips a little, trying to create even a little friction, but finding nothing. So, I reached down, finding his arousal and grasping it firmly in my hand. I moved the tip closer to me and rubbed it over my most sensitive spot with one hand as I stroked him with the other.

He groaned loudly and disappeared for a moment, returning with a condom. He unwrapped it, but I took it from him. I rolled it onto his length as his hands cupped my breasts, teasing the nipples.

"Edward," I breathed, reaching out to him. He lay with me and kissed my jaw. "I need you inside of me. I can't wait anymore."

His breathing hitched, and he coughed out a laugh, grabbing my face so he could kiss me roughly. "God, you're going to kill me," I grunted.

I grabbed his penis and gently guided it to me, then raised my hips to take him in. He met me the rest of the way, filling me to the hilt and freezing.

And we were one, once more. I would never grow accustomed to how it felt to be with Edward. Each time, it felt like he was consuming me, making me his.

"Bella," he exhaled, his breath hot in my ear. I turned my head to reach his lips and kissed him.

He pulled out slowly just to fill me up once more. He continued at this pace- going at such a leisurely pace, but burying himself so deeply inside each time. His kisses matched his motions, unhurried but deep. He was seemingly taking time to savor every movement, every second.

"Please," I groaned. "Please, I need you. More, always more."

"I...love...you," he panted with every thrust. "I'm yours, Bella, yours."

He began to move faster, grabbing my hips and bringing them to his. His teeth grazed my shoulder, biting lightly. I ground myself even further into him, desperate to be even closer, even faster. Our sounds and breathing grew louder.

"And I'm yours, forever," I promised. My hands grabbed his shoulders and slid down his back, pulling his flesh to mine, craving even more.

I pushed on his stomach, signaling for him to stop. He stared into my eyes, wondering what was wrong. I reassured him with a quick kiss as I maneuvered myself over him and straddled him. I started to move on him slowly.

His jaw became slack, and he started panting so hard, I thought he might pass out. His eyes were so heavy lidded, he looked drowsy, but the eyes underneath were staring at me with fire.

"Ohhh," he breathed. "Bella...so beautiful...ride me, love....take all of me."

"Edward," I whimpered, my chin falling to my chest. He sat up and wrapped his arms around me, pressing our chests together as we moved with each other.

"You're perfect, you know that, Bella?" he whispered into my ear. "You're an angel, so beautiful, so flawless."

He tilted my head back until my neck was exposed, my hair brushing across his feet.

"You feel so good," I told him, grabbing his silky hair. "It's like you're made for me."

He moaned into my breast as his lips kissed softly, and we moved even faster, joining with passion. Now this, I thought, this is what bodies are made for, this beautiful, emotional meeting, this dance of lovers. I could feel sweat pouring off of me, and I could see Edward's forehead wet with perspiration. I kissed it away, savoring the taste.

"Edward," I chanted over and over.

I used his muscular shoulders to meet him even harder. His skillful fingers found my bud and began to stroke.

"Bella, cum for me, love," he rasped. "I need to see that gorgeous face you make."

We became frantic, mindless in our lust, two bodies craving pleasure for their perfect mate. And I felt it, that hungry warmth building in my stomach, that tension that felt like it was suspended by a thread.

And with one last thrust, the thread snapped, and my body froze.

"UHHHH!" I moaned loudly.

The feeling was so intense, I couldn't even express it. It felt more powerful than anything I'd ever experienced before. I could feel Edward releasing into me, as he came with me, grunting unintelligible words until he yelled, "BELLA! FUCK! FUCK! GOD! YES!"

His sculpted face looking agonized before becoming perfectly serene. He rested his cheek on my shoulder, his breath hot on my skin.

I realized I was shivering as Edward kissed my collarbone and gently laid me beside him. Like we had been doing it for a hundred years, he pulled me to him, and I settled into his chest comfortably.

When we stilled, I started laughing.

"What?" Edward asked, smoothing some hair out of my forehead.

"I was just thinking how lucky it is that we're the only ones on this floor. We can be as loud as we want!"

He gave me his best crooked smile and turned away for a moment to clean himself up. When he came back, he pulled the cover over us and spooned behind me, leaning over to kiss my forehead, just the way I'd imagined.

"I can't tell you how great it is to have you back with me, and I'm not just talking about the sex-even though that's... beyond amazing. I missed everything about you. I would be watching television or cooking dinner and I would turn to say something to you, but you were never there. How did I go so long without you?" he wondered. And I knew he wasn't just talking about the three weeks we'd been apart.

"I know. I can't even imagine my life without you anymore," I agreed. "And being away from you was awful. Let's never separate again. Let's just stay in this bed forever."

He rubbed his hand over my arm tenderly and laughed, "Food and bathing might be a problem. And my patients may feel uncomfortable if I took their appointments here."

"That reminds me," I said. "When do I get to start my brand new job?" I sat up a little, smiling at him slyly.

"Tomorrow if you want," Edward said in a pseudo-calm voice, but I could hear the eagerness seeping through.

"Tomorrow sounds great. I can't wait to have you as my boss."

"But you won't be able to play sick and stay home in bed, Miss Swan. I'll know," he said authoritatively, grabbing the back of my neck and bringing us forehead to forehead. When he used his "boss" voice, it was kind of sexy.

"Don't worry, Mister Cullen," I said innocuously. "If I'm playing hooky, I fully intend to make you stay with me." I slid my hands sensuously up his chest, as he used his hand on my lower back to bring me closer, tangling his legs with mine.

"But seriously," I said, playing with his chest hair, "I can't wait to start. I'm so excited to begin my new life. It's so liberating to feel like I can just start over."

I tossed the covers aside and rolled over a little, counting the seconds until Edward stopped me.

"Hey, hey, hey," Edward rumbled, his voice deep and alluring. He grabbed me passionately, bringing our chests together once again. I could feel his wonderful heart beating steadily. His fingers traveled up to twist themselves in my still dampened hair while his other hand pressed our hips flush against each other, arousal to arousal.
He placed sensual kisses along my jaw as he said, "Why are you getting up? You don't have to start your new life right now. Stay here with me."

My breath hitched, and I tilted my head back to enjoy the feel of Edward's kisses as they moved down my neck. I ran my hands through his his hair, pulling playfully. He grunted softly and nipped at my neck.

"And besides," he reasoned, "You have tomorrow to work on it and the next day and the next day and the next day."

He pulled me to him until there was so space left between us, and I never wanted there to be any again.

"And the next day," I joined in breathlessly. "And the day after that and the week after that and the month after that and the year after that…"

"Forever, my love. Forever," he swore, bringing me in for the most passionate kiss he'd ever given me. It was finally our forever. Finally

Chapter End Notes:

A/N: Thank you for reading! Look out for two auction one-shots I'm posting soon. One is already up on . They're lots of post Breaking Dawn fun!

You can still follow me on twitter as eclipsedawnff.

And NOW you can ask me anything you want at formspring(dot)me/eclipsedawn. You can ask anonymously or in person. I'll answer every question honestly, no matter what you ask :)

The next chapter WILL be an epilogue!