Hello my darlings! Yes, I am back and i'm not late this time! woot woot! ffnet is being stoopid, so let's hope this posts properly *fingers crossed*

Y'all ready for more Tarzanward?

Still not the owner of Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. I do own ferry tickets to Tobago for this weekend though! I'm craving the white sand and blue waters!

Meet me at the bottom?

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Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes–Manaus International Airport

Eduardo? What a coincidence!

Thank goodness the airport wasn't the same size as JFK.

No overly strict security, no long lines and it wasn't too busy.

Despite the fact that they were using illegal documents to transport a man who technically had no identity into the city, Bella's main concern was Edward's anxiety about the people and the flight itself.

They were all checked in and eating some fast food in the small food court, while waiting for their flight to be called.

Bella sat in awe of the sight before her - Edward, elbow deep in a big mac and fries. He was taking no prisoners with this one. Taking a bite of his burger, then grabbing some fries, slurping his drink, and repeating the process.

"Whoa! Slow down! No one's gonna take it away from you. Can you please take your time and chew your food properly?"

Edward seemed a little embarrassed by her observation. He merely nodded and continued on with his meal, slowly chewing this time for emphasis.

"Got us some magazines, a newspaper and a crossword puzzle for the flight. A little reading material, so you won't be too bored out of your mind." This was Charlie, placing the papers on the table next to Bella.

"Thanks daddy. Maybe I can show Edward how to do a crossword puzzle."

"Good, 'cause it's the only English material I got. Everything else is in Portuguese!" He laughed out loud.

Bella couldn't help but laugh, too.

She took a few of the magazines and began looking at the covers when she came across one with a woman in a very compromising position in nothing but lingerie. Facing it to her father, who was now seated next to Edward, she only cleared her throat and waited for his answer.

Both of their expressions mirrored the other. Huge eyes staring at the magazine she held before them.

"Oh, that's mine." He said, snatching it away from her and stuffing it into his messenger bag, all the while avoiding eye contact. Poor Charlie. Like Bella, he too turned red easily, and at that moment, he was as red as a fire engine.

Bella only shook her head and giggled at his obvious discomfort while on the inside, she shuddered at the thought of her father enjoying watching half naked women. Ew!

This was going to be an interesting flight.

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Edward sat in the window seat, anxiety rolling off him at the idea of flying.

He was going to fly. Just as the birds he so carefully watched did.

Facing straight ahead, his body aligned with the seat, hands gripping the armrests so tightly his knuckles were white; Edward was questioning whether he was ready for this.

This…contraption couldn't possibly be safe enough to fly them through the air and to their destination. What was he thinking when he agreed to this? Maybe he should've stayed behind. The Amazon was his home. He was in way over his head to think that he belonged among regular people.

He'd started to breathe harshly through his mouth. The panic had set in a long time ago, now it had totally consumed him. He was ready to pass out at any second.

But fingers, so very soft, encircled his wrists. A touch so reassuring that no words were needed.

She was here. Bella would comfort him. She'd promised it would be okay, and he trusted her.

She took the palm of his right hand in her left and intertwined their fingers together. This made everything feel so much better.

He looked up from their joined hands to her face, and she was looking at him so intently. He understood her without any form of verbal communication.

At this, he slumped a bit in his seat, closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose trying to compose himself.

Her thumb made soothing circles on the back of his hand, calming him further.

Bella was trying to distract him. They were already buckled in, and the flight attendant had just finished reciting safety instructions to the twenty-four passengers on board. Soon, they would begin down the runway and then the air. She needed him as serene as possible for the hardest part – the takeoff.

"Remember what I told you. Keep chewing on the gum when you think the pressure's building too much in your ears. I'll be right here if you need me." She leaned over and placed an innocent kiss to the side of his head.

Edward obviously heard, but didn't acknowledge her.

In his mind, any sudden movement or disturbance of the invisible vortex of calm he'd created around him would allow the panic to seep back in. And he couldn't have that. He needed to do this. For Bella.

The plane started along the runway, quickly gaining speed, which prompted Edward to squeeze Bella's hand like a vice grip.

She reached across with her other hand and ran it through his hair, massaging his scalp, and then through to the ends. Bella groaned inwardly the more her fingers became tangled in his soft tresses. God, he needed a haircut – another one on the to-do list.

Bella had been whispering soothing words of encouragement, which seemed to calm him further as the plane lifted up and ascended into the air. Edward began to loudly chew his gum, no doubt trying to alleviate the pressure he felt.

For a few more minutes, the loud smacking continued until they were steadily cruising through the clouds and the flight attendant announced that they could release their seat belts.

"It's ok, Edward. You can open your eyes now. We're already in the air. You're doing amazingly. I'm so proud of you." She repeated to him, hoping he'd relax now that the hard part was over.

Edward opened his eyes and looked out the window.

Clouds. And blue sky. This is amazing! He couldn't believe he was actually doing it.

Bella squeezed his hand, and he looked up at her from his slouched position. She had the biggest grin on her face. He would get on a hundred planes if he had to, just to keep that smile on her face. Edward loved that smile.

Their bubble burst when a throat cleared from the seat across the aisle from theirs.

It was her father. He had a rather knowing look on his face.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Just giving you the crossword book we got." He replied as he stretched to hand it to her.

Bella didn't feel the need to disturb the little sanctuary they'd created. Tucking the book into the magazine pouch on the seat in front of her, she scooted down in her seat and laid her head against Edward's shoulder. With fingers still linked, they both just enjoyed the silence, casually admiring the clouds through their window and sharing long glances at each other before a restless slumber consumed them both.

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Although Edward knew a lot more now than he did before, he still stood by his initial assessment. Humans were loud!

Taxi horns, people singing, cheering, greeting. It was way too loud, but he had a different appreciation for the sounds of the city. They weren't random incoherent mumblings he couldn't understand. He was soon able to associate the louder a conversation got with the intensity of the emotion being expressed. Whether it be an argument, or friends greeting after a long separation, or the men huddled around the tiny television shouting at the local game. The people of Brazil were expressive, and that expression was amplified in their speech.

They were in a taxi on their way to the hotel, just after their flight landed and Edward was taking in everything about the city.

He'd done so well the remainder of the flight, doing crosswords with Bella and identifying some words with her to strengthen his English. He'd remained calmed for the most part. He had minimal anxiety during landing, but she was still so proud of him. They'd stayed cuddled up the entire four hours under her thick blanket, clinging to each other for different reasons.

Once they neared the hotel, Bella hoped with this new experience he would gain some independence and his own understanding of the world, but she wasn't ready to lose her gorilla-man just yet. She adored his naivety and that he clung to her, and though she wanted what was best for him, she'd miss the constant attention.

They arrived at the Marriott and were immediately ushered out of the vehicle by hostesses.

While Bella was taking care of things at the front desk, Edward wandered around the huge lobby, admiring it's decor. There were pictures on every wall, fancy lights hanging from the ceilings and plants and flowers giving it a fresh feel. In other words, it was beautiful!

With all the information gathered, they headed for the elevator. Bella was excited for Edward to see such a thing for the first time. She found herself anticipating his reactions to a lot of firsts and was happy that she was able to share them with him.

"Where are we going?" He inquired when they stopped before a pair of metal doors.

"To the tenth floor. That is where our rooms are." She looked at the puzzled look on his face and smiled a bit at the question that was sure to come.

"So, why aren't we taking the stairs? Do they open up from here?"

"Something like that. It's called an elevator. Instead of us walking, it takes us to the floor we want by moving up and down."

At that moment, the elevator dinged just as the doors opened. They entered after the other guests departed through the lobby, and Bella encouraged Edward to push the 'ten' button on the panel.

When the doors closed and the elevator started moving upward, Edward quickly grasped onto the rail to steady himself.

First the plane, now this? These contraptions were going to kill him. He dreaded the thought of there being more.

Looking in the mirror that lined the interior, Edward saw Bella's knowing smile from behind him and returned it. Just like the plane, she was there for him again.

They continued to stare at each other until the elevator stopped with a loud ding once they reached their floor.

They all got out and walked down the long hallway to their room.

Edward trailed along behind the others, staring at the fancy carpeting and shuffling his feet along on its surface, wondering what it would feel like under bare feet.

It was solid under his shoes, so he knew it wouldn't get between his toes. It seemed softer than the dirt in the forest, or the harsh concrete he walked on in the airport.

He was just about to kneel and touch it when he bumped into something. Or someone.

Looking up, he saw that he'd ran into Charlie. They'd both stopped outside a door and he was hugging Bella before he turned to Edward.

"Well, this is where I leave you two. Got my own room so I can enjoy a few human minutes in peace and quiet. That one over there snores like someone's bulldozing a house!" Pointing his finger at Bella as she playfully swatted his arm.

"I do not, daddy!" She replied, feigning hurt by folding her arms across her chest and pouting.

"Snores?" Edward enquired staring at Bella.

Professor then threw his head back, closed his eyes and began making mock snoring sounds, which resulted in Edward's rambunctious laughter.

Even Bella couldn't deny that his laughter was infectious as she joined in.

"Well, I'll see you two in the morning. I'm calling it in early. That plane ride left your old man sore." Professor rubbed his lower back while stretching to emphasize his point. "I'll probably call for room service and relax until tomorrow. Friday's are supposed to be busy in the city, and I know you want to shop and explore the town since the activities really start on Saturday."

At that, Bella smiled. She'd already planned out their day in her head: Breakfast at the little café across the street; shopping for new clothes for Edward, and maybe some for herself; wander the town for a few hours soaking in the culture; massages at the hotel spa in the evening and end the day off with dinner at the grand dining room in style.

It's likely her father wouldn't accompany them while exploring tomorrow. He highly preferred fishing, exploring and being in the wild, or looking at documentaries about fishing, exploring or being in the wild.

They'd just meet with him for dinner, she thought.

Bella hugged her father again, then continued with Edward in tow to their room two doors down.

"This is where we're staying, Edward." She said with a bit of apprehension while sliding the key card into the slot.

Yet, another unfamiliar environment she was going to throw him into, hoping that he'd receive it openly.

The door opened and Edward made no move from beyond the threshold.

He'd seen what a house looked like from the movies Professor showed him a while back, but this was no suburban living room from a low budget romantic comedy. Fur rugs over lush carpeting, white leather couches, a chandelier in each room, huge flat screen t.v.'s in the living room and bedrooms, grand tub that could fit four people along with a balcony view overlooking the pool. He'd never seen anything like it. With that thought, he needed to explore every inch of the suite. He needed to touch,shake and look at everything up close.

Bella chuckled at Edward's enthusiasm as he opened doors, turned faucets on and off as he watched the water and played with the channels on the television. He was too damn adorable. Her fears vanished at the sight of him lying on the fur rug, rubbing his face into the material with the goofiest grin. She needed to give him a bit more credit and maybe lay off the dramatics.

She busied herself with unpacking their things into the dressers in both bedrooms.

She opted for a single suite with adjoining bedrooms as the safest option. She needed her feminine moments of privacy, but more importantly, Bella didn't want to send the wrong signals. The last thing they needed was for Edward to walk in on her naked again; or even worse, her walking in on him. They'd stick with safe for now; safe was good. And in the event that he needed her, it would only take opening a door to get to her. She still upheld her promise of being there for him as his comforter, and she wasn't about to let him down now after all the progress they'd made.

She walked into the living room and saw Edward sprawled across the carpet on his back, nudging the mini refrigerator door open and closed with his feet.

He looked up at that very moment and smiled at her. "Did you know the light goes out when it closes?"

He seemed so eager to be learning new things, and to teach her of the things he'd discovered that Bella didn't have the heart to tell him the truth. "It does?" She replied with a shocked expression on her face. "Show it to me?"

She got down on her knees, hands on her thighs and body leaning in close while he continued his demonstration with the door.

Bella wasn't looking at the action, she was looking at him. His excitement was contagious. She was happy simply because he was. Other than her father, Bella couldn't recall another person whose happiness seeped into her own. She was happy because he was and vice versa. That hadn't happened before. Until now.

Edward looked up and caught Bella staring. He instantly felt her approval at his discovery and displayed a smile so wide, his jaw had to have hurt afterward.

This seemed like a good enough time as any for Bella to announce a hygiene routine. Although, as lovely a smile as it was considering the circumstances, introducing toothpaste and soap into his life wouldn't be a bad thing.

After ordering room service, Bella then proceeded to teach Edward the art of grooming oneself.

Steering clear of his Mr. Happy was a lot harder while he was in the tub...naked...and soapy...with her rubbing on him...while he was naked...and wet...not to mention naked.

Oy! Three more days, She reasoned with herself. Three more days.

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Isn't Edward just the cutest thing ever?! And who else thought Charlie got a separate room so he could *cough* take care of some business with that sexy magazine? LOL My girls certainly did!

Speaking of my girls, Packy and Twilly are the bestestest (if that's a word) for pre-reading and MyOnlyHeroin is a Goddess for being my amazing beta!

I neeeeeed your thoughts on this so far guys. Your love and reviews are appreciated so much, you all have no idea!

Catch me over on fictionpad at C_Alize

See you guys next time! *exits doing the robot* :)