“Woo hoo, we’re married, what now?” I laughed weakly as soon as we were in Edward’s Volvo. After I said it I realized it was true, we were married, and now only two more things needed to be completed before both our “demands” – or conditions – were met.
Edward read my expression correctly and sighed, a look of frustration coming across his face as he drove: He knew I wanted to become a vampire like him, and he also knew that I wanted him.  But which one of my conditions to fulfill first?
If it was the vampire condition, it would be months – no, years – before the other could even be thought of.  I’d need to be trained, to learn self-control, to learn to resist the calling of human blood and to live peacefully amongst them.  There was no way I could possibly take a break from that to – I gulped as I thought it – sleep with him.
But on the other hand, if it was the sleeping-with-him condition first, there was the huge risk that I would end up dead.  Of course in the becoming-a-vampire thing I could die, but here was more likely.  I was mortal, human, and as Edward put it, breakable. He could kill me before I would have time to realize what had happened if he lost control during… that.
So I was undecided in which to complete first.  I doubted Edward would be of much help. Actually, he’d probably be too helpful when it came to deciding…
“Bella,” He interrupted my thoughts lightly, “I know – well not literally – I can guess what you’re thinking and you know I have to have a hand in this as well.  You know what I said before?”
I stared at him as he drove, slightly confused, “No, what about?”
He sighed again, and I wondered why. “About giving you morphine.” He grimaced. “I was thinking about that, and I realize now that the idea was preposterous.  Of course you wouldn’t be able to actually feel the pain, but I could kill you just as easily regardless. Just as easily as I could if I bit you and lost control…”
He was trying to sound casual about the whole thing, but I knew him better.  His golden eyes looked troubled, like he was battling with himself internally about it.
Hurriedly I reassured him, “Whatever would be more logical – and safe. And whichever one you want most.” I knew which one he wanted most of course, but I wanted them both equally.
He laughed and said, “Well the safest thing would’ve been to have never met or fell in love with you, but it’s too late now.”  Then he hesitated for a second, and I thought he was going to sigh again.
“I talked to Carlisle about it, and he seemed to think it best if we… if we changed you first.  His theory was that we had forever for the other thing, and you would be stronger.” He smirked and added, “Though it’ll be hard to resist… that.”
I smiled back and laughed slightly, but I realized something after he’d spoken.  He refused to say the word.  Sex.  I knew that as soon as one of us said it aloud it would make the fact that we wanted it even more real, and – I was sure – it would create more urgency to actually do it.  Yes, leaving that word unspoken was definitely best.
“Oh, by the way,” He broke through my thoughts once again, grinning, “We’re not headed to Alaska quite yet.  So I’m afraid you’ll be remaining human for at least a week longer.”
He was smirking largely now, and I realized what he must have planned.
“Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, you didn’t!” I cried in exasperation.
“No, actually, I did,” Edward smiled, |We were just properly married, and now we’re going to go on a proper honeymoon.  You only get married once.”
“That’s not always true,” I muttered under my breath, thinking of Renee.
“Well it is for you and me,” He reminded me softly, and I knew he was right.  I would never leave him, and he would never leave me. The pain of separation was unendurable for the both of us.
“So, do you want to know where we’re going or not?” Edward asked me, and it was only then that I saw we were at his house.  His entire family was already there, waiting for us. Alice was still wearing her bridesmaid’s dress.
I rolled my eyes at her as I got out of the car. But she just laughed and pointed at me. I’d forgotten I was still wearing the vintage wedding dress she had put together for me. I took a step forward, and grimaced when I remembered I was still wearing cursed heels. Suddenly, I was picked up by a whirlwind of black, white and reddish brown and put down beside Alice just as quickly, the aforementioned blur smirking at my side, his hair slightly windblown.
“Congratulations, you two!” Esme smiled warmly, looking for all the world like a proud mother watching her son grow up in front of her eyes.
“So did Edward tell you what you’d be doing for a week?” Alice grinned at me, but as I shook my head she began to look reproachful and stared up at Edward.  “You didn’t?” She hissed at him accusingly.
“Well, I was just about to, but you can tell her now if you want.” He sighed and leaned against a pillar, waiting.
Then he laughed out loud and exclaimed, “Come on Alice! She’s not stupid you know… Honestly, I don’t know how you come up with these things.”
“Edward, I’m not kidding,” Alice glared at him with her golden eyes. “And you tell her, since now you know.”
I was always a little miffed that Edward could read minds – that meant I usually only caught half of the conversation when he was talking to his family – unless he told me what people were thinking.
“Okay Edward, where are we going?” I demanded, crossing my arms. As I did so I felt cool metal brush against my skin: Elizabeth Masen’s former wedding ring, now mine.  Oops, I mentally slapped myself.  The last twenty-four hours did happen, and I was now Isabella Marie Cullen.
“Well Bella,” Edward began, inhaling deeply before continuing, “From the collective thoughts of my family I can gather that what I had in mind for us after our week in Paris,” - I gasped then – “Doesn’t seem to coincide with their ideas.”
“Edward thinks that us buying you guys a house was ridiculous of course,” Alice finally informed me blatantly.
“A house worth over ¾ of a million dollars, yeah I’d say that’s pretty ridiculous, wouldn’t you?!?!” He actually shouted at his family as he walked past them all into the house.
“Dude, chill,” Emmett replied as he walked in after him, going to sit on the couch. Rosalie swept in and flitted down silently beside him. “Besides, that number you saw in whoever’s head includes other things…”
“Such as?” I demanded suddenly as I sat down on the loveseat, surprised to hear my own voice was sharp.