Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.

BPOV

I raced through the passing people, looking for one person in particular. All I could see was red cloaks, a good thing, yet a bad thing at the same time. It would be easier to pinpoint his bronze hair, but all the red was making me dizzy. So dizzy, I almost forgot which way I was going.

I ran towards the way people were walking. I had to find him before he did something extremely stupid. Alice said by the time I find him, he'll be coming out of the Volturi chamber, prepping to get himself killed.

I was going to be the one killing when I get my hands on him. I promised I wouldn't do anything reckless, a promise I couldn't keep, but I distinctly remember telling him to never kill himself if I died, before he left me. I still expected him to keep that promise since he didn't love me anymore.

I pushed my way past people, finally coming to the center where Edward would make his big reveal. I couldn't see him yet, but I knew he was back there in the darkness, waiting for noon. I had ten minutes until the clock struck twelve, and I needed to find another way around.

I ran the opposite way people were walking, shoving them away with all my might. I stop giving apologies earlier, I didn't have time. I would receive dirty looks anyways.

I found an alley that looped around the building. I ran down it with all my energy that was left in me. I regretted doing it. I tripped and scraped my hands, but got right back up and ran like I had never fallen.

I came to a fork in the alley and didn't know which one to take. I closed my eyes for a moment and just let my heart pull me. I went left. I followed it to the end, then came to a door. Bingo.

I opened it quietly and noticed it was dimly lit in this room. I took off without a second thought. I came upon some stairs and took those three at a time. Luckily, I didn't trip.

I came to another hallway and followed it to the end. I dug my heels into the hard tile before I hit the wall at the end of it. It was another fork, but it was an open hallway. I looked right, then left. I froze when I looked left.

There was my Edward. His back was to me, his shirt on the floor. He was fixing to step out into the sun.

"Edward, don't!" I screamed, taking off for him.

You would think he would have heard me, but he kept walking out like I never said anything. I reached him, considering the hallway was short.

I didn't know any other way to stop him, but to jump on his back, locking my legs around his waist, one arm around his neck, using the other closing the door with a loud 'bang.'

He seemed frozen for a minute, neither of us moving. I took a huge breath of relief and dropped my head on his bare shoulder, attempting to catch my breath.

Before I could blink, I saw a blur and I was in his arms staring at his chest. I didn't look up, scared that I would be permanently scarred if I looked at his face after all this time. He didn't like that.

His hand slipped under my chin and pulled my face up to his, keeping them centimeters apart. I had no choice but to look at him. And it was completely bittersweet.

He looked exactly the same, except so much better than my memories. The only difference was that his eyes were coal black and had purple bruising under his eyes. He was thirsty. But what I noticed out of all the others, his eyes were dead, like someone had ripped the life out of them. I gasped.

"Bella," he croaked in his velvet voice, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Edward," I croaked back, the name sounding weird but warm on my tongue at the same time. It felt so nice to say his name after all this time and it not hurt at all.

"Oh, Bella," he cried, locking his arms around my waist, burying his head in my shoulder. He's never held me so tight before. I could feel my lungs squished against my ribs, but I couldn't honestly care at the moment.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face in his chest, sobbing quietly. It felt as though he really wanted me for a second.

And then a revelation hit me so hard, it would have knocked me off my feet if Edward hadn't been holding me up.

Edward loved me, still does. He left because he wanted me to have a normal life, a life without him. He always beat himself up over the thought of never giving me a life I deserve. One where I would get married, have children, grow old, and die. He would sacrifice his happiness for my own. And that made me fall in love with him even more than I already was.

I couldn't help the next words that slipped out, but they felt so right.

"I love you," I whispered.

He froze for a minute, before pulling away. I grabbed at his collar, not wanting to put any distance between us. Had my revelation been wrong? Did he not love me.

My fears were put down after his next words.

"Can you believe that after everything I've put us both through, I still love you?" he laughed.

I laughed with him and hugged myself closer to him. He sighed into my hair, holding me tight against his chest.

"Oh, Bella, how could you ever love me after all the pain I've caused you?" he said into my hair.

Without a second thought I answered, "Because I love you. Nothing you do or say will ever make me stop."

I felt him smile against my hair.

"Do you think you could ever forgive me?" he asked.

"Already have," I said against his chest.

"What did I do to deserve you?"

"Loved me," I answered with a smile looking up into his eyes.

He smiled down at me as I reached a hand up to stroke the purple bruises under his eyes. He froze for a minute again, reaching up and taking my wrist in his hand. I gasped as I saw the blood on my hands, ripping them away from him and backing away.

He didn't like that. He held me close and took both of my hands in his. He looked down at them, stroking the scrapes softly with each of his hands. I looked at his face, searching for any sign of hunger. I saw none.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I-I tripped," I answered.

He shook his head with a laugh before reaching down for his discarded shirt. He ripped two pieces off before delicately wrapping them around the scrapes on my hands. When they were both tied, he reached down and kissed them both softly, sending a shiver through my body.

"How did you do that?" I asked, completely shocked.

He smiled my crooked smile I missed so much at me.

"All I did was put a bandage on them," he said.

"No, I mean, didn't my blood bother you?" I asked.

His face grew serious again.

"Bella, I just spent twenty-four hours thinking you were dead. There's no way I could ever want to feed off you again. You're too important for me. Mind over matter," he said, sending a sense of déjà vu through me. He said that before he left last fall.

We stared at each other, a silence growing between us. I don't know how it happened, or when, but all of a sudden I found myself in Edward's arms, my legs around his waist, his lips on mine.

It was so sudden, it took the breath out of me. I pulled away, a first for me, to take a deep breath. But his lips never left my skin. He sucked greedily on my neck, leaving a mark in its place.

When I caught my breath I grabbed his hair, pulling his face back up to mine. When his lips met mine again, I found myself against the stone wall.

All the need and want from the months we were separated, were put into this kiss. I could feel it from him and he could feel it from me. I could barely take the emotions coming off from me. The hole in my chest was gone. I was whole again. And I needed more.

"Edward," I whispered against his lips.

He pulled away, keeping his forehead on mine, looking me deeply in the eyes.

"Please, I need you," my emotions and want for not only his love, but his body leaking through.

"You already have me," he said.

He wasn't getting it.

"No, I need you," I said, lowering my hand until it rested above the button on his jeans.

His eyes widened for a second, coming to terms exactly what I was saying. I kissed him again, putting all emotion into it to help persuade him.

"Not here," he whispered pulling away after a minute.

He was silent as he let me down, wrapping his arm tight around my waist, picking up his ruined shirt. He threw it on, leaving it unbuttoned which gave me a view of his chiseled chest. He led me back the way I came, setting a pace with his long legs, which had me running.

"We need to get out of here before the Volturi get curious," he said.

"What about Alice?" I asked, suddenly worried for her.

"She already got away. She's headed for the airport to give us a few days alone," he said, smirking down at me.

I blushed. His smirk made me trip, but he caught me before I met the ground. He picked me up bridal style keeping the same pace.

He took alley ways which seemed to go on forever. Finally, after a few minutes, we reached a parking deck. He set me down, grabbing my hand and leading me towards a car.

"I hope you don't mind, but we have to steal a car," he said.

"Of course," I grumbled.

He chuckled before seeming to find what he was looking for. It was some fancy looking car I couldn't identify. He made quick work on opening the car. He opened my door for me, making sure I was in before shutting it behind me. He went around and got in. I watched him closely hotwire the car, then we were peeling out of the deck and onto the deserted streets.

"We need to stop someplace and get some clothes since we'll be staying here a few more days," he said.

"What about Charlie? I totally forgot about him," I said, suddenly scared for what I was going to receive once I got back to Forks.

"Calm down," he said, putting a hand on my thigh. "Alice will get it taken care of. All you need to do is relax and enjoy this time we have together," he said.

I snapped my head towards him. He was going to leave me again. I could feel the tears in my eyes. He saw my look and his eyes widened.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked.

"You're going to leave me again?" I cried hysterically. I grabbed onto his arm desperately, trying to keep him with me.

"No, of course not! Bella, I'm never leaving you again. I made a huge mistake leaving you the first time and I promise to make it up to you forever."

I relaxed, nodding my head.

He squeezed my thigh gently, which made me squirm. I could see his smirk out of the corner of my eye.

We drove a little ways until we reached an area with cloudy skies. He parked the car in front of a small clothing store.

"Stay here. I'm just going to make a quick purchase, then I'll be right back," he answered.

I nodded and watched him get out and head into the store. I sat in the car, mentally preparing myself for what was about to come. I knew once we got to the hotel, Edward and I weren't going to be able to hold back, well I wouldn't. All these months he was gone, something was building up and now it was coming out in one big explosion. We still needed to talk, but I knew that could wait. My need for Edward was stronger than anything else right now.

I saw him come out with a few bags in his hands. He got in, throwing the bags in the backseat, before taking my hand and pulling out. He drove at dangerous speeds towards wherever we were going.

When we pulled up to a fancy looking hotel, he reached into the backseat, pulling a green shirt from one of the bags. He pulled it on quickly, and I got the satisfaction of watching his muscles flex as he pulled the shirt over his head.

He got out and came around to my door, helping me out. I took his hand and let him lead me inside. We went up to the counter and the woman working there stared at Edward with wide eyes.

"How may I help you out today?" she asked only looking at him.

"I need a room with a king sized bed," he said, ignoring the look the woman gave him.

The woman, who was oblivious to our lack of luggage most likely because of Edward, turned to her computer screen and started typing away.

I could feel the nerves starting to take over my body. I held Edward's hand with both of mine to keep them from shaking. He looked down at me with his black eyes and smiled my smile at me. I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Okay, here is your room key. Call the front desk if you need anything," the woman said, pulling us away from our bubble. I couldn't help but hear the emphasis she put on 'anything.'

Edward took the key, ignoring her remark and drug me off towards the elevators. I let him pull me along, the nerves suddenly getting worse.

Once we got to our room, Edward unlocked it swiftly and opened the door for me to walk through. I ducked under his arm, walking into the little room. It was dark for a minute as Edward closed the door, but then he flipped on a light. I blinked a few times before taking in the room.

The carpet looked like any hotel carpet. There was a flat screen television hanging on the wall and a sliding glass door that led out to a balcony with a great view of the city. The bathroom was to the left of me with a shower and a toilet. But what dominated most of the room was the huge king sized bed with white blankets and pillows. Overall, the room wasn't that bad and didn't look ridiculously expensive.

"I hope this is okay," Edward said, bringing me from my thoughts.

"No, it's perfect," I said, turning to look at him.

He smiled at me, walking into the room a little more. I followed him, standing at the foot of the bed. He seemed a little nervous, a first for him.

"I'll, um, go get the, uh, bags out of the car," he said, scratching the back of his neck and avoiding my eyes.

I nodded my head shakily.

"I'm sure you won't mind a human moment," he said, turning to smirk at me.

I could feel my heart accelerate at a dangerous speed.

"Um, yes. That," I took a deep breath, "that would be nice."

He started to head for the door, but I reached out and grabbed his shirt. I don't know what came over me, maybe the thought of being away from him when I just got him back. I stared at my hand, completely shocked at what I just did. I ripped it away violently, feeling the blush cover my cheeks.

"Bella?" he asked, worry lacing his voice.

"Sorry," I mumbled, avoiding his eyes. I could feel mine start to tear up.

"Hey," he said with compassion and comfort, taking me in his arms and lifting my face up to his.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," I said.

"Bella, look at me," I did what he asked. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be by your side, no matter what. Nothing could pull me away from you. The only way I'll ever leave is if you ask me to. Until then, I'm always going to be here."

I nodded my head. He smiled down at me, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. He kissed my forehead before holding me at arms length.

"Better?" he asked.

I nodded again, not trusting my voice.

"I'll be back. I promise," he said dropping his arms.

I nodded again. He walked backwards to the door, keeping his eyes on me the whole time. The only time our eyes separated was when the door shut between us. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I can do this.

I headed for the bathroom, and thankfully found some complimentary toothbrushes and toothpaste. I brushed my teeth and then washed my face. My skin felt so hot, that I decided to wash my hands. That resulted in washing up to my elbows. I gave up and turned on the shower.

I let the warm water relax my muscles and wash away all the grime from today. I shaved my legs with a razor I found and washed my hair. Unfortunately, it wasn't my strawberry shampoo, but it would have to do.

When I shut the water off, I grabbed a towel and put it around me tightly. I could faintly hear someone rustling around outside the bathroom.

"Bella?" came a velvet voice from the other side.

"Yeah?" I asked, my voice shakier than I wanted it.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'll, um, be out in a minute," I said.

It was silent for a minute then, "I'll be waiting."

I felt my heart jump at his words. I could feel my hands shake.

This was it. I was going to give everything I have to this man, and him to me. And that scared the hell out of me. I had no idea how to approach this. I've never even thought of a guy in this way, no until Edward at least. And I most certainly never loved a guy like I love Edward. But that was enough to make my confidence take over my body. He loved me and I loved him. That's all that mattered. Me and Edward, Edward and Bella.

With that determination, I opened the bathroom door slowly. I peeked out and didn't see any sign of him anywhere in the dark room. When I fully stepped out, I saw him. His bare back was to me. He was in front of the sliding door, looking out onto the city.

Slowly, very slowly, I approached him keeping the towel very tightly wrapped around me. When I reached him, he didn't turn around so I delicately pressed my lips to his cold shoulder blade. I felt a shiver go down his body and smiled to myself.

He turned around, smiling at me. I smiled up at him as his eyes lowered from my face to my chest, to my legs and back up to my face. His arms went around my waist, pulling me closer. His nose went to my hair, breathing in deeply.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," I whispered back.

"You must let me know if I hurt you," he said with determination in his voice.

I nodded up at him feeling my heart skip a beat.

He brought his face closer to mine, capturing my lips with his own. I felt him lead us backwards towards the bed before the back of my knees hit it. Momentarily, I forgot I was holding my towel around my body. My hands went up to his hair and I felt the towel drop.

I blushed as I felt his hands traveling over my body. My insecurities got to me, and I pulled my hands away from his hair to try and cover myself. He stopped me with one movement.

"You're beautiful," he whispered against my lips.

I blushed at his comment but felt better about myself. This man of perfection found me beautiful. I felt confidence come to me, and my hands lowered to the button on his jeans. Slowly, allowing him to stop me if he wanted, I undid them. I heard them fall to the floor before I felt my back on something soft. Edward hovered over me licking his way down my body and back up. I couldn't help the moan that escaped my mouth. Embarrassed, I threw my hand over my mouth. Edward chuckled, moving my hands away from my mouth.

"Don't be embarrassed. It lets me know I'm doing something right," he said.

I blushed again, but my attention was occupied somewhere else when he reached down to take off his boxers. I could feel my jaw drop as I took him in. He was so big. How was he suppose to fit?

Before I could blink, he was kissing me again. I reveled in on the feel of his lips on mine. He opened my mouth with his and let his tongue meet mine. The taste of Edward was indescribable. Better than any food I've ever tasted. After a few minutes of this, he pulled away.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his gentleman side coming out to the surface.

I nodded at him with a smile on my face.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you, too, my sweet Bella," he said before slowly pushing in.

I'm not going to lie, it hurt. But that was to be expected with anyone, vampire or not. I heard Edward moan above me, but I wasn't feel so hot right now. My nails dug into his back, possibly breaking them in the process. It was a good thing his skin was made of marble or this would have hurt him more than it hurt me.

I could feel the tears slide down my cheeks, but I could also feel his lips kissing them away. He whispered softly in my ear how beautiful I was and how much he loved me. I couldn't help but feel so much love towards this man.

The pain slowly went away, which was replaced with something new. It was a feeling I never experienced before in my life, but I couldn't get enough of it. I knew I would never grow tired of this feeling. I knew this completely changed things between us. But I loved every second of it.

"Bella?" Edward asked, looking down at me.

I smiled up at him.

"I'm good now," I said.

He smiled before pulling out and pushing back in. We both moaned at the same time as his head dropped to my shoulder. He did this over and over again, each time better than before. I could feel something boiling in the bottom of my stomach. With one last thrust, we both exploded.

He laid his forehead on mine, letting our breathing mix together as we caught our breath. When we finally caught them, he rolled onto his back, bringing me with him. I laid my head on his chest and let the rise and fall of it lull me to sleep.

"Bella?" he asked right before I fell asleep.

"Hmmm," I mumbled halfway awake.

"We still need to talk about some things. You know that right?" he asked.

"Yeah," I mumbled finding it hard to keep my eyes open.

I felt his chest vibrate against my cheek.

"We'll talk in the morning. Go to sleep, my angel," he said.

"Love you," I whispered on the brink of sleep.

"I love you, too, my love," was the last thing I heard before I fell into dreamland.

A few days later

We got off the plane, holding onto each other desperately. Ever since the night we reunited in more ways than one, we couldn't get enough of each other. We spent most of our Italy trip in bed. Only once did we get out on a cloudy day and walk around a local park. But even that didn't last two hours before we were back into the hotel room going at it again.

Our alone time together was over and it was time to get back to reality. Edward's family were picking us up from the airport. I knew I was going to be in deep trouble with Charlie when I arrived home, but I knew it was all worth it. I got my Edward back.

We were barely two feet past the gates when we were tackled in a hug by a certain mother vampire. She squeezed us tightly, mumbling how she was glad we were back. I saw the rest of the Cullens over her shoulder smiling at us.

She pulled away, giving us space before turning to Edward and scolding.

"Never put me through that again," Esme said with a scowl on her face but a smile in her voice.

Edward hugged her with one arm. "I won't, Mom."

She smiled up at him, then turned to me, enveloping me in another hug.

"It's so great to see you again, sweet Bella. We've all missed you so dearly," she said, taking my face in her hands.

I smiled at her, letting her mother me.

"I've missed all of you so much," I said.

Esme stepped back and into Carlisle's arms.

More hugs were exchanged and 'welcome home's were said. After they all had gotten in their hugs, they looked at Edward and I with a look I didn't understand. Edward must have read their thoughts because he couldn't help the smirk that came on his face.

"I can tell you two were busy with each other on your little trip," Emmett said with a devilish smirk on his face.

I felt my face go warm with color. They knew, all of them did. They must have smelled it on us.

"Emmett, leave them alone," Esme said, turning to her biggest son.

Emmett nodded, but I knew it wasn't going to be the end of jokes he was going to make.

"Let's go home," Edward whispered in my ear as we followed his family out of the airport.

I looked up at him with a smile on my face.

"Sounds about right to me."

The End