Ch 7 We'll Always Have Paris

A/N: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Thanks to Justine Lark and Gleena for their amazing pre-reading and beta skills;) They keep me sane! And, big thanks to Justine for vacationing in Paris last year and answering my endless travel questions;)

Bella moaned lowly into the trash can beside her desk and wiped the sudden perspiration from her clammy brow. Lucky Charms part deux were not magically delicious. At the moment it seemed that fate was out to make her life difficult. It wasn't bad enough, apparently, that Bella had started her period just three days after the accident, leaving her stiff, sore and very hormonal for the past week. No, it wasn't enough, because Bella was now certain that she was coming down with the flu bug running rampant (so it seemed) through the streets of Seattle.

It was patented Bella Masen luck to get into a car accident, menstruate, and come down with the flu all within the same week. It was making her grumpy, and she was now rather desperate for a hot shower and her comfy sweats. Thus, Bella got slowly to her feet, still clutching her trash can, and shuffled her way out of her office and into the master bedroom and its en suite bathroom. A hot, steamy shower sounded perfect.

With the part of her brain not fogged by nausea, Bella vaguely wondered what their family would say if they knew Bella was feeling queasy. Emmett would likely have a field day with that information. There had not been a single day in which Bella had gone without a call from one of the family, just calling to check-in. Two days previous, she had heard more than she ever wanted to from Rosalie about how to ensure conception. Rose had covered everything, from which positions to use to what pre-seed lubricants were recommended the most. Bella had still been blushing twenty minutes after that call ended. Just thinking of the subtle suggestions that Esme had given her regarding 'fertile foods' left Bella wanting to leave the phone of the hook for the next month. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her hazy brain and stepped gratefully into the steaming spray of the shower.

When Edward came home a few hours later, Bella was still in the bathroom, swathed within her voluminous bathrobe with her hair in a hasty, damp bun. She was fitfully sleeping, curled into a ball on the thick bathmat.

"Bella?" Edward asked worriedly, taking in the scene. There was an empty bottle of Gatorade and a box-and-a-half worth of used tissues spilling over the sides of the trash can and onto the floor. Bella's office trash-can was sitting on the vanity; thankfully it had been rinsed recently. Bella heard Edward's footsteps come to a stop right beside her and she opened her weary eyes to greet him.

"Hey," she groaned in a gravelly voice, lifting her head from her impromptu wadded-towel-pillow and groaning at the newest sensations of stiffness in her body.

"Please, just put me out of my misery…" she responded, closing her eyes again and letting her head fall heavily back onto her towel.

"Bella, love, what's the matter?" Edward implored her once more.

"Fate hates me…" she moaned dramatically.

"Fate… Hates you… Can you be a little more specific?" he asked, kneeling down to assess her temperature. His hands were still chilled from being outside, so he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"You're freezing!" Bella squealed, attempting to burrow deeper into her robe.

"Actually, love, you have a fever. What are your other symptoms?" Edward was having a hard time coming out of doctor-mode.

"I've been throwing up all afternoon, my head is pounding, and my nose can't decide if it's Hoover Dam or Niagara Falls…"

"Oh, Bella, love. You must have caught the flu that's going around."

"Thanks, Dr. Masen, I think I figured that one out," Bella snarked. Then she winced. "Sorry… that was uncalled for."

"S'ok, love, you don't feel well, I understand. Let's get you off the cold, hard floor and in bed, huh?"

Edward scooped Bella up then, and carried her into their bedroom. While he gathered some clothes to help her change into, Bella glumly watched him.

"Why is it that it seems like you've dressed me more this week than undressed me?" she pouted. Edward raised an eyebrow at her.

"You've needed someone to take care of you this last week, Bella. Not take advantage of you…" Not that he could say he hadn't thought about it. Giving her so many massages in the last week was starting to make him crazy. Bella accepted the clothes he offered, wishing that she felt like doing something more than joining the exclusive club of those who had thrown up on her husband. Then she had an epiphany.

"Edward? It's the thirtieth! Gerard's wedding is on May eighth, and we're leaving for France on the fifth! What if I'm still sick?"

Edward had thought about that already; he had been thinking about what they would need to pack while he drove home.

"If you've got the same strain that we've seen in the ER so much lately, it should only last about 72 hours," Edward reassured her.

"72 hours too long," Bella groaned, allowing Edward to take back the pair of maroon Sparky sweats that he had handed to her a moment before. He helped her step into the pants and then assisted her to stand to pull them up. Then it happened; hobbled as she was she couldn't run or reach for the trash can. Edward was bent over, unaware of her plight. And then she joined the illustrious club.

"I'm so, so sorry, Edward," Bella moaned.

"Don't worry about it, love. It's not the first time I've been puked on, and I'm sure it won't be the last," Edward reassured her, pulling his soiled shirt gingerly over his head and taking it to the sink to rinse. Bella groaned at his unintentional insinuation.

"You expect me to launch on you again?" she said, disheartened.

"Well, no, but I am a pediatrician," Edward teased, smiling at Bella as he returned and wrapped her in his arms. "Plus, when we eventually get pregnant, you may have terrible morning sickness."

Bella gave Edward the stink-eye. "Bite your tongue," she growled playfully. Edward proceeded to make a big production of biting the tip of his tongue with his front teeth. Bella couldn't help but laugh, and then sigh when Edward gave her his best sheepish expression. Even sick as she was and him being freshly puked on, Bella couldn't deny that Edward was a still a little tempting as he stood in front of her, shirtless and playful.

"I'm probably the oldest person to ever join the club…" Bella moaned as she let her head fall heavily onto Edward's chest.

"What club?" he asked, confused.

"You know… theclub," she mumbled.

"Uh, no, I don't. What club?" Edward repeated. Bella looked up at him sheepishly.

"The 'I've-thrown-up-on-Edward-Masen' club. It's a prestigious group; perhaps I'll run for club president," Bella joked feebly. Edward couldn't help but laugh.

"Bella, you are absurd," he chuckled.

"But you love me, anyways," Bella said tiredly, giving him a small smile.

"Yep. I bet you love me anyways, too," he teased.

"Without a doubt. No offense, but you stink, Edward."

Edward tucked Bella into bed before getting into the shower. When the phone rang fifteen minutes later, Bella answered it with a tired, "Hello?"

"Wow, Bella, you sound terrible."

"Thanks, Emmett…" Bella drawled sarcastically. "I think I've come down with the flu; I've been throwing up all afternoon."

"That sucks. Is Eddie there, yet?"

"You know he hates it when you call him that," Bella began. "He's here, but he's in the shower."

"Ah, did he get yakked on again?" Emmett asked. Bella could tell that he was grossed out; she considered how to answer his question without incriminating herself. But, there was nothing for it.

"Yes, Emmett, he got 'yakked on' as you so delicately put it…"

"I hope he changed before he came home, at least. That stuff reeks."

"No, he was already home," Bella said, not thinking.

"Oh." Emmett was abruptly silent. "You said you've been throwing up all afternoon. You did the yakking, huh?"

"Yeah," Bella admitted, embarrassed.

"Well, that's not so bad," Emmett offered sympathetically. "You know, Rosie puked on me a couple months ago. It happens."

"I'm sure it does," Bella grumbled.

"You've been throwing up, you say? You sure you got the flu?" Emmett asked good-naturedly. Bella tried to rein it in; it was natural that pregnancy would come to mind for him. His wife was pregnant, after all. But Bella lost the fight.

"No, Emmett, I am not pregnant. I have a headache and a stuffy-runny nose and a fever! The last time I checked those were signs of an infection, and I would not classify a fetus as an infection!"

Dead silence.

"Ok, Bella," Emmett answered, uncharacteristically subdued. Bella cringed. Emmett had been trying to be his usual, lighthearted self, and Bella had just mowed him down. Hello, Ms. Nasty.

"I'm so sorry, Emmett. That was just… Rude."

"No worries, Bells. You wouldn't believe the sort of stuff Rosalie says to me… Rose! Rosie! Come on, I didn't mean it like that! Tell Edward to call me when he can!" Then Emmett hung up.

"Who was that?" Edward asked as he walked out of the bathroom with a towel slung low on his hips with another around his neck. Bella shook her head free of the sudden image of him wearing Mardi Gras beads and blamed it on her feverish delirium.

"Emmett. He wants you to call him, but I have no idea why."

"He left me a voicemail earlier, wanting to know if I wanted to go to the batting cages with him tomorrow, but I think I'd rather stay here and make sure you're ok."

"I'm not a child, Edward, you can go have fun with your cousin," Bella admonished him.

"That's my whole point, love. It wouldn't be fun, because I wouldn't be able to think of anything but you here, alone and miserable. I can reschedule with Emmett any time. There're only so many opportunities available for me to pamper you."

"How is it you can make me feel like a million dollars, when I feel like crap?" Bella asked, smiling.

"I hope you don't limit yourself to a million dollars, love. You, dearest, are priceless," Edward assured her, pulling on a pair of flannel sleep pants and curling up behind Bella. "Just relax, and rest. I'll bring you some broth in an hour or two."

"I love you, Edward," Bella murmured, quickly relaxing against Edward's cooler body.

"Love you, too, Bella. It doesn't get much better," he whispered, placing a kiss on the top of her head and allowing her to rest.

Right on schedule, Bella was feeling better just three days later, but it hadn't been without several remedies from the family. Esme had brought by a week's supply of her delicious new and improved homemade chicken soup, complete with recipe card attached. Edward had taken one look in the large stock pot and let out a short laugh. He shook his head, smiling and muttering good-naturedly about family not knowing any boundaries. Bella hadn't understood what he was laughing over until he explained that a yam-rich diet was thought to influence an unusually high rate of twinning, and that Esme's recipe had never before included any fertility-influencing tubers. Subtlety, thy name is Esme Cullen.

The next day, Rosalie had come by with a package of herbal tea that she said would work like a charm. Bella hadn't thought much of Rose's words until her pseudo-sister-in-law had left and she got a good look at the package. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry when she saw the brand name. Fertilitea was touted as "A Tea for Preconception." Subtlety, thy name is not Rosalie Cullen. Still, Bella supposed it was the thought that counted.

Now, they were set to fly to France in eighteen hours and Edward had just finished his last shift as a resident the day before. Bella was packed and ready to go; she left Edward to pack his things while she went into the office. She'd only to drop off the manuscripts that she had finished editing, but Carmen had been sure to catch her to bid her 'Bon Voyage!' before Bella left the office.

When Bella returned to their townhome, her hopes for a relaxing pre-travel evening sank. There was a small yellow car parked on the curb. Bella groaned, instantly aware that it had to be Alice in her new car. Only her perky pseudo-sister-in-law could happily drive a car quite so… Yellow.

Bella wasn't sure what to expect. Alice had asked something about having appropriate wedding attire when they had spoken on the phone the day before, but Bella hadn't thought anything further on it. When she walked past the kitchen, she was surprised to see Edward alone, standing at the fridge and drinking down a glass of water.

"Hey, Edward… Where's Alice?" she queried, eagerly accepting Edward's greeting kiss.

"She's in the bedroom." Bella gave Edward a look that clearly said, You let her near our suitcases? Edward gave her an I couldn't keep her out! look in return. "You may not want to go up there right now…" Edward warned.

"YES, SHE DOES!" Alice called from upstairs. Edward and Bella traded a wary glance and then Bella took to the stairs.

"Alice?" she called.

"In here!" came the muffled response from the closet.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked.

"I'm helping you pack, silly," Alice replied.

"Alice, I am packed. I have been since yesterday."

"Nonsense. You needed a couple somethings extra," Alice said coyly.

"Meaning?" Bella prodded.

"Don't be mad. I found the most perfect little black dress in this boutique near my office! I saw it and I just knew that it was the one; you had to wear it to the wedding! You'll drive Edward crazy," Alice promised.

"Where is it? Let's see it," Bella said.

"You can't look at it until you get there," Alice ordered.

"Alice…" Bella said warningly. "Gerard Rousseau is Edward's best friend from his time abroad. His family practically adopted Edward! I can't look like I'm going clubbing at their son's wedding!" Bella had the sudden fear that she would be very self-conscious in the dress Alice had found. It would probably not be as comfortable as the grey, knit wrap-dress that she had intended to wear.

"Bella,"Alice said, using the same tone as Bella had, though the mischievous glint in her eye was all her own. "Trust me; you will be happy that you wore this dress. You will look classic and timeless, and Edward won't know what hit him." Alice was extremely convincing; Bella's fears melted and she nodded her acquiescence. Alice squealed in delight.

"But no heels," Bella insisted.

"Just a little one," Alice argued, holding her fingers less than an inch apart. Bella just sighed and nodded.

"Are you always this pushy with your clients?" Bella teased.

"My clients know better than to argue with me. My reputation as the best financial planner in the Pacific Northwest precedes me," Alice said airily, which caused both women to laugh.

"Is it safe to enter?" Edward asked, knocking on the door.

"Quite safe," Alice assured him. Then, she grabbed both Edward and Bella in a group hug and kissed them both on the cheek. "Have fun in France," she said, and then lithely stepped from the room. Moments later, Edward and Bella heard the distinct click of the front door latching shut, followed by a key turning in the lock.

They stood there for a few moments, taken aback by the whirlwind that was Alice. Then Edward broke the silence.

"She's gone." Bella nodded. "We're all alone." Another nod. "The bed looks awfully empty…"

Edward couldn't say another word; Bella had silenced him with an ardent kiss and a push towards the bed.

"Bella, love. They're calling our flight. It's time to board." Edward stroked her cheek and pulled her upright. They had had a short run-across-the-airport layover in New York; fog in Seattle had prevented them from taking off when scheduled. Their planned, two-hour layover became a mere thirty minutes. Edward and Bella had only just made it to the correct terminal in time to board their flight to London.

"Why is traveling so exhausting? Other than the run across the airport in New York, we've been sitting for nearly a full day. How did the pilgrims tolerate months on a boat?"

"I suspect we'll never know. Just be glad you're not wearing a corset and floor-length skirts…" Edward teased. Bella grimaced. If there was anything that Bella was the most insistent about in clothing, it was comfort. Especially while traveling.

The flight into Paris was blessedly short. Security was another matter. There was a short queue ahead of them, but there was a stout woman who was obviously from the states arguing with the border agent about processing her cat through quarantine. Both Edward and Bella were nearly asleep on their feet when they finally reached the counter and presented their passports for inspection.

The official took in the sight of their US passports and heaved a heavy sigh. Bella could tell that the man was barely holding back an eye-roll, but she supposed she couldn't really blame him. He had just listened to the cat lady for at least thirty minutes as she hysterically rambled over poor Mitten's lack of tolerance for kenneling, even though the man had explained that it was a part of their protocol. Bella felt like rolling her eyes too. Just a little, anyways.

Bella offered an apologetic smile to the obviously-tired official. The man brightened considerably though, when Edward began to converse with him in French. Edward's accent wasn't perfect, but it was better than if he had only studied the language in school, considering he had also lived with a French flat-mate for two years.

Before long, Edward had the man laughing at something that Bella only caught bits and pieces of. What little French she had managed to learn from Edward could not compete with their fluency. She only understood two words: femme and amour. Finally, with a pronounced flourish, the official stamped both Bella and Edward's passports and bid them, "Bon voyage!"

Bella's eyes, which had been drooping before, were now wide with excitement. After nearly twenty hours, they were finally in Paris. Edward laughed when she nearly stumbled while trying to take in every inch of the enormously-vaulted glass ceilings and multitude of moving walk-ways. Bella pursed her lips in response, embarrassed to have been caught gawking like a tourist.

Edward pulled her to a stop in the middle of the airport with a mischievous glint in his eye. Bella was on the verge of asking him what he was planning behind that smirk of his when he pulled her to him and kissed her for the first time in hours. Bella was taken aback by Edward's sudden playful ardor, especially while in broad daylight in the middle of Charles de Gaulle Airport. Blushing madly, Bella pulled back breathlessly and smiled at Edward.

"What brought that on?" she asked, laughing.

"How can I help it, when I am traveling with the most beautiful woman in all of Paris?"

"What did that man say to you?" Bella laughed. Edward blushed slightly himself. He knew he'd been caught.

"He said that I am a very fortunate man to have such a beautiful wife. He also said that I should be careful, in case a lucky man should lure her away while in the City of Love."

"Staking your claim already, huh?" Bella asked laughingly, but there was a dangerous tilt to her eyebrow that Edward knew all too well.

"Doing so would imply that I own you, and I know far better than to assume such things. I merely couldn't hold myself back any longer. I've wanted to kiss you in Paris since the first time I met you, love."

Bella had no answer for that. Not one in words, in any case. She promptly dropped the bags she was carrying and wrapped her arms around Edward's neck and kissed him with even more passion than their previous kiss.

"You do have a way with words, Edward," Bella murmured when she pulled away, blushing at the whistles and applause that they were eliciting from the surrounding passersby.

"I can only speak the truth, love," Edward replied with her favorite crooked smile.

"Come on, Romeo," Bella teased, picking up the bags she had abandoned moments before.

"What do you feel like doing?" Edward asked.

"What time is it here?"

"It's about quarter-to-eight in the morning," Edward answered.

Which makes it 10:30, last night, back home," Bella mused, trying to wrap her mind around the time difference.

"We would do well to stay up as long as we can. We both slept on the plane, so I think we'll be good until this evening. We want to acclimate to the time change as quickly as possible. It's still too early to check into the hotel, but we could ask them to hold our bags for us. Want to see the city?"

"Sure, I've got a personal guide, why not?" Bella teased.

"I haven't visited Paris that extensively, Bella. I visited Gerard's family a few times on school breaks when I didn't want to take the time and expense to fly back to the States. I've only had the briefest of tours of the most famous landmarks."

"It's still more than I've seen. Show me your favorite parts of Paris," Bella invited. Once their bags were taken care of, Bella sent a text out to Esme to let them know they had arrived safely and to ask her to let Charlie know as well. She knew for a fact that Esme would sit up all night worrying, or would end up calling them at an inopportune moment. Charlie would worry, and he would appreciate the call from Esme, but he wasn't the type to admit it or expect it.

As soon as they were in the city, Edward and Bella managed to join a reasonably priced walking tour of some major landmarks. At just under two hours, it was more overview than tour, but Bella hoped that it would help them pick what they most wanted to see in greater detail later. They planned to head out to Reims tomorrow, and spend the day visiting with Gerard, his fiancée and his family. Saturday was the wedding; after which, Edward and Bella would spend the next week in Paris.

After two stops on their tour, Bella had to confiscate the camera from Edward to insure that their pictures would include more than close-ups of her with a sliver of Paris in the background. In their group was a friendly middle-aged Belgian couple named Dietrich and Elise. They very happily volunteered to take some photos of Edward and Bella together.

Their tour guide spoke in heavily accented English, which Bella had a hard time following. She began to get frustrated at the Arc de Triomphe when she missed a joke that had the other members of their group laughing. Edward smiled apologetically and pulled her to the spot that the guide had pointed out at which you could see the three arches of Paris, framed within one another. She lost all desire to listen to the guide after that stop, however, as Edward wrapped his arms around her from behind and began to whisper all the important parts into her ear. Bella was fairly certain that they missed some interesting things in the process, but she couldn't find it in her to object.

When their tour ended, Edward and Bella decided to climb the Eiffel tower, which, Bella was interested to note, was actually painted brown. She had expected it to be steel-grey or black. Their Belgian friends asked if they wouldn't mind them joining them for the climb, and then insisted on taking their picture in front of the tower.

"Is this your honeymoon?" Elise asked. She and her husband had teased Edward and Bella back at the arch about their near-constant physical contact.

"Uh, no, actually. We've been married for a little over a year now," Edward explained. Dietrich shared a smile with Elise, and the four of them joined the queue at the stairs. They took their time climbing, taking in the view from every possible angle and pointing out the different monuments and places they wanted to visit. At the second story, Elise took another photo of Edward and Bella, and then they were able to get another tourist to take a picture of the four of them before they parted ways. Dietrich and Elise joined the queue for the elevators to the third level, and Edward and Bella decided to take in more of the city.

"Mistaken for honeymooners in the most romantic city in the world…" Edward laughed. "I can't wait to make love to you in the City of Love," Edward murmured into Bella's ear once they were alone. Bella shivered at his tone. There was definite intent behind his words; it was no empty promise. Bella stopped walking and moved to stand in front of Edward. His eyes were fixed on her every move. Without breaking his gaze, Bella stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms slowly around his neck before leaning fully into his body.

"Is that so?" she asked quietly. Edward could only nod. Bella smiled coyly and captured Edward's lips with her own. "That makes two of us then," Bella teased when she broke away a moment later and left Edward standing, stunned, in the middle of the sidewalk. A second later, he shook his head to clear it and jogged after her, catching her up into his arms and swinging her around. Bella squealed and laughed as Edward finally put her down and kissed her for a few minutes more before continuing on their way.

They were walking hand-in-hand down the street towards the Musee D'Orsay when a delectable scent caused them to a stop and set their stomachs growling. Edward immediately turned around and pulled Bella back to what looked like a newspaper stand; except this smelled entirely delicious, unlike the average newspaper stand. Bella was delighted to see that it was a street vendor, selling crepes and Panini. They got a three-cheese Panini and a crepe to share; both were massive, and utterly delicious.

"I think your crepes are still better," Bella said as they finished and threw away their trash.

"I'd have to disagree with you on that one, love," Edward laughed, rubbing his overly-full stomach.

"I won't deny that that crepe was delicious, Edward. But yours are made with love, and that's what makes the difference," Bella insisted. Edward couldn't help it; he had to kiss her. When could they check in to their hotel again? Finally, they pulled away and continued down the street.

Along the way, Edward and Bella passed a few different street performers. One played a lonely melody on a violin; another drew in chalks all over the sidewalk in addition to portraits of those willing to sit for a few minutes and drop a few Euros into the waiting cup. The most eccentric though, was a woman in a skin-tight bronze-colored leotard and full-body bronze make-up. She stood atop a box at the side of the walkway, absolutely still and silent. Every few moments, she would move slowly until she froze in a new position. She was literally a living statue. Bella ached just watching her.

Musee D'Orsay was wonderful; they both enjoyed seeing all the original Monet, Degas, Renoir and Van Gogh paintings. They kept a hold of one another through the whole afternoon, whether holding hands strolling down the street or, when the crowd grew thick, pressed against one another as Edward held Bella's back to his chest. They hadn't been alone together in over thirty hours. The tension and the teasing between them were growing thicker with every moment.

As they came out of the museum, they realized that it was dinnertime. Neither of them wanted to wait until they got checked into their hotel to eat dinner, so they walked the streets on the look-out for another vendor. They got back to the hotel just before night fall, their stomachs pleasantly full of Panini and crepes. Edward handled the check-in while Bella stood wearily on her feet, barely staying conscious after their busy day and her full stomach. Once they collected their key-cards and their luggage, they barely got to their room in time. Their long hours of traveling followed by a day of sightseeing finally caught up to them. They both collapsed onto the bed and shared a single kiss before they were out cold.

Bella practically leapt out of the bed the following morning, feeling the travel grime like a thick layer on her skin. She hated going to bed unshowered, especially as filthy as she currently felt. A shower was long overdue.

Edward had been woken rather abruptly when his wife suddenly removed herself from his arms, but his confusion didn't last very long once he heard the shower running. He contemplated climbing in with Bella, but while fun, that solution saved very little time or water. They had to be checked-out and at the train station in a little more than an hour.

Instead, Edward ordered a simple breakfast for them from room service, and gathered what little had been scattered the day before while he set out their clothes for the day and got ready for his turn in the bathroom. His plans to put the reputation of French lovers to shame would have to wait.

Bella rushed through her breakfast, and tried not to think of Edward's state of undress as he took his turn in the shower. They had teased and flirted with one another so much the previous day that it was harder to distract herself than she wanted to admit. They traded a few promising kisses before they finally made it down to the lobby and checked out.

Edward held Bella's hand the whole way to the train station. Their accommodations on the train allowed no privacy; even at just under two hours, it would be a long ride to Reims.

A/N: Thanks for your patience with this chapter! My hubby just recently graduated from college (yay, hubby!) and we're looking for a new job. Combine that with having the kids home for the summer and I'm one stressed-out crazy lady;) Fanfiction has kept me a little sane, anyways. Here's hoping!

Gleena and I are putting ourselves up for auction, so to speak. The Fandom Gives Back auction will be running June 23-July 7, 2010, and we're auctioning a one-shot (min 5000 words, T-rated) in the Masen and Swan series. The website for that auction hasn't been launched yet (should be going up today or soon), so more on that later!

Thanks for reading!

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