Twilight 1. Chapter 1

**_*taps mic* Is this thing on? Yea? So, um...Hiya! :) _**

**_So this #Tarzanward thing started as a joke with my RL bestie Packy & she loved it & wanted more, so here it is!_**

**_Happy Birthday Packy! *kisses*  
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**_I do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. _**

**_xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox_**

_Oh, gosh...bugs! _

At the mention of another voyage, one might think about the research required, or the equipment necessary, or even the finances. But all she could think about was the bugs. Lots of them!

That was Bella. As much as she'd traveled with her father, Professor Charlie Swan, on these expeditions, getting used to the insects was something Bella never seemed to master.

She could convince herself that sleeping on the bare dirt floor was as comfortable as the softest bed, piled high with only the finest silk sheets. When their group had been stranded on a remote island the previous year, even green seaweed and kelp soups had become delicacies. Being able to take a regular, frequent shower was a luxury that was seldom afforded to her on these trips. She would go days, sometimes weeks without being able to indulge in a proper bath, and she did it without complaint.

But the bugs?...with their antennae and multiple legs and wings? They had given her the shivers ever since she was a little girl, so of course that was the first place Bella's thoughts had wandered to when her father had announced the news of another voyage. This time, his interest had been piqued by the Beatus Apus—Beach Gorillas—of the Amazon Rain Forest. At the beginning of spring, the gorillas migrated closer to the beaches of the East Coast to mate, and this was what their team intended to document.

Bella's thoughts suddenly drifted away. If only she would find some handsome man—one who would chase the bugs away. In her daydream, the two of them would couple on the beach, surrounded by sea, sand and the most gorgeous flora, as the gorillas do.

_If only_…

xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

_God, this wine is good!_

Bella had already drunk through half the bottle by this point, which was a feat in itself considering she was a beer kind of girl. There was nothing ladylike about the gulps she swallowed, or the thoughts that soon followed.

_This has to be the reason they serve the stuff at church_, she thought with a smirk. _Even Jesus has to approve of something this good_.

Bella laughed at her inner monologue and lifted the glass to her lips again. She needed to tell that joke to someone, over wine perhaps...but then that thought stopped short when she remembered her pitiful social life.

She scanned her memory for a friend or acquaintance she could possibly call...

Rose! That's right, Rose—her co-worker from her part-time job at the coffee shop. What ever happened to Rose? _Oh wait, wasn't I supposed to get back to Rose with an R.S.V.P for her wedding… two years ago?_

She needed to send Rose an 'I'm sorry I missed your wedding because I was in the Malaysian rainforest identifying different species of beetles' gift. Too bad Hallmark didn't make a card for that.

Groaning, Bella took another sip of wine and continued to rack her brain for friends.

Alice, her old roommate in college! They were great friends. However, becoming a famous fashion designer and an ethologist hadn't exactly been in their plans that first year of school. As the friendship had grown, they'd begun to blossom individually as well, finding themselves and following their respective career paths.

They'd made a promise that one day when Bella accepted her Nobel Prize, she'd be styled in an Alice original. Bella smiled at the memory. But the distance after graduation had put quite a strain on the friendship.

Fast-forward four years later: as Alice styled the rich and famous, Bella journeyed the globe researching animal behavior. Not really the most accommodating situation to meet up and converse over wine, was it?

Continuing to dissect her memory, a very handsome face flashed before her eyes.

Jake—the guy in the apartment next door. He had hit on her a while back when he'd first moved into the building. Surely she could slip over there, offer him some wine and… what? Watch late night TV with him, his girlfriend and their one year old daughter? Oh, that's right...he had stopped hitting on her and moved on, after her second trip to Africa.

_Has it been three years already?_

This wasn't working. What the hell had happened to her?

Or what the hell _hadn't_ happened to her?

The past five years had been filled with two one night stands with her old college boyfriend, an extremely embarrassing date with her father's intern—that she did _not_ want to think about—and approximately nine months out of the year exploring various parts of the world that most people didn't even know existed.

And nothing more.

And now, not a single person to share a stupid joke with!

Bella massaged her temples with her fingers attempting to relieve some of the tension there. All this heavy thinking was giving her a headache. Or maybe it was the wine? Either way, she refocused on the task at hand—packing for the trip to the Amazon in two days.

Bella had hoped maybe cracking a bottle of wine and putting on some good music would make the tedious chore of packing a little more pleasant, and sure enough, within the hour, she was all packed up and ready to go as ever.

With a frown firmly in place, Bella glanced around the room and ended with her gaze on her travel bag.

_Is that it?_

Her entire life literally fit into an oversized camping bag. She looked around the dimly lit apartment, hoping she missed something of importance.

Nothing. Her apartment was bare as it was.

She didn't own a TV since she was barely ever home. There were no pictures she wanted to take, no pet to leave with a friend or relative. Just a couch, a mini-refrigerator and a twin-sized bed. At the age of twenty-six, was this all her life had amounted to?

She'd traveled and experienced enough to have stories to last a lifetime. Yet still, she had no one to tell them to. No one in her life to share her adventures and exotic escapades with.

_Well. This truly sucks!_

Just then her cellphone lit up from its place on the couch beside her, and the illuminated picture on the screen brought a smile to her face—a seven year old Bella on her father's shoulders, covered in mud and leaves on their annual camping trip. That was one of the first moments she could ever remember knowing that this is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

There was no denying that her job made her incredibly happy. Her chosen field of ethology consisted of observing animal behavior, particularly patterns of behavior that occur in natural environments, whereas her father's passion lay in identifying species of wild plants and flowers. As a child, she'd accompanied her father on his smaller journeys, and he'd taught her to be at one with the wilderness and bond with nature. Her preference would always be for time alone with the animals and the gorgeous greenery.

With that thought, she guzzled the remainder of her wine, chucked the bug spray and repellent into her bag, and went to prepare for bed.

Friends and relationships would have to wait until she came back. And she'd actually make an effort this time.

She was so, so tired of being lonely.

xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxox

**eeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppppppppp! I'm hoping you guys will stick around for the journey! Not sure what my posting schedule will be like but i'll try my best to not have you all waiting too long!**

**Huge, big hugs to my pre-reader Twilly & my beta Cullenboyz (aka my baby momma lol). I could NOT have done this without you both!**

**Reviews will be appreciated! & if you got time, wish Packy happy birthday! :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**What is this? A second update already? Hell yeah! The response to the first chapter & the story in general blew me away! Thank you all so much for that! **

**Just letting everyone know that I'm taking some creative liberty with this fic. Some things will not be accurately represented but were necessary for the sake of entertainment. So please don't crucify me. It's fiction, so let's treat it as such, yeah?**

**I hope you all wished Packy a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! **

**No, I still do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. However I do own a mosquito zapper & a bottle of rum! :) **

**See ya at the bottom loves!**

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><p>Bella looked up to the sky, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.<p>

"I've never understood your obsession with wet dirt," her father remarked. "Then again, I've never really understood you, period." He chuckled as he walked past her, arms filled with camping supplies. They'd just gotten off the little boat that had taken them from the mainland to the rainforest, and were busy at work offloading its contents. There was a light drizzle, just enough to moisten the ground, but not heavy enough that they needed to run for shelter.

"I've always loved the smell of wet dirt," Bella murmured. "So earthy and raw. You can discover an entire history, just by its smell. " She inhaled through her nose again and grinned. "Sea salt, dead flowers and gorillas."

And she was right. The shore was only a few hundred feet away. The Gorillas were nearby too, hidden in the dense trees surrounding the beach. She and her father would set up camp a safe distance away and trek to the shore for observation in the morning.

Professor Swan's associate, Aro, passed Bella a sleeping bag. "You're not a typical girl, are you?" he observed. Her father had insisted Aro accompany them on this excursion, claiming he wasn't as young as he used to be and needed the extra help.

Aro might have been an easy distraction for Bella, had it not been for his extremely greasy shoulder-length hair and arrogant demeanor. But his creepy, lingering stares were what bothered her the most. She made a mental note to definitely keep an eye out for him.

The associate continued his unwelcome observations. "Most women your age come to Brazil for Carnival or to sightsee. You're here to watch monkeys mate." His distaste was evident in his words, but there was still a flicker of desire swimming in his eyes as he emphasized the last word.

Bella stood ramrod straight, shoulders squared, and looked Aro dead in the eyes. She had to let him know he didn't intimidate her one bit, nor was she attracted to him in any way. No, she wasn't like other women, and his advances were unwelcome.

"First of all," she began, her voice scathing, "gorillas are apes, not monkeys. If you don't know that, then you shouldn't be here to begin with. Second, you are here to help my father with his bromeliad plant research, so leave the gorilla mating to me, okay? And third," she eyed him with scorn, "I'm sure you thought I'd be so thrilled by your attention that I'd bat my eyelashes and crawl into your sleeping bag with you, but I'd rather be elbow deep in gorilla shit, sifting out exactly what they had for dinner, any day."

With a triumphant smirk, Bella left a horrified Aro and strode over to the campsite to begin setting up her tent.

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This was a bad idea.

From a photographer's perspective, Charlie Swan had to admit that their position afforded an amazingly picturesque view of the rainforest. A photographer's task would be complete in a day or two. But their task was observation and note-taking, and that would take weeks. Spending weeks this close to the apes' mating grounds at the peak of mating season? That could be suicide.

The area was littered with signs that cautioned beachgoers to stay a respectable distance away from this particular area, but apparently, the signs didn't apply to Bella.

Professor Swan shook with nerves as they got farther and farther away from the beach and edged closer to the denser part of the forest.

Charlie had done some risky things in the past for the sake of research: careening along in their Jeep at 50 km/h in an attempt to escape a flock of angry ostriches (trying to steal a few feathers had been a bad idea); perching high in a tree to photograph a squirrel who just wouldn't stay still (the river had broken his fall, but he'd ended up covered in leeches); trying to collect a venomous snake's molted skin (thank God they'd been given a vaccine just weeks before). Though these were all unforgettably terrifying experiences, he'd done them all for his daughter, grateful that their line of work enabled them to travel together. And despite researching completely different aspects of the environment, Charlie couldn't deny any request his baby girl made of him, no matter how unwise.

But this time they were on their own, with no safari personnel, medics or natives to explain the dangers of the region, and he was more than a little worried...Charlie was fucking petrified!

He trailed along at the rear of the party, gazing up at the trees that always fascinated him but couldn't distract him from his nerves, while Aro and Bella forged ahead, apparently not the least bit intimidated by the unfamiliar and potentially dangerous surroundings.

Charlie needed to get a grip.

The two ahead of him were basically novices, considering Bella had only been on academic research trips for five years and Aro hadn't been in the field that long himself. Charlie had spent more years doing this kind of thing than either of them had been alive! This trek through the wilderness should be nothing after his almost 30 years' experience in the field.

And more importantly, his daughter might need him. That thought was enough to clear his head and spur him along until he was walking beside Bella, matching her strides.

Charlie was almost certain that their trip would somehow end with him on the back of a gorilla, trying to fulfill some ridiculous request. There was nothing else as dangerous, so he knew that would be his fate.

Just then, as if she knew he needed reassurance, Bella draped her arm over her father's shoulders, giving him a light squeeze and a warm smile. And that was all he needed. He only hoped the gorillas were ready for a fight!

At last, Bella had found the perfect spot nestled in the mangrove, where she wouldn't disturb the gorillas. And with notepads and binoculars in hand, they waited.

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><p><strong>Soooo, how are y'all feeling so far? What do you think of Aro? Wasn't Charlie just the cutest thing?! I picture him just as goofy with the short trousers and glasses like Jane's dad in the animated film! LOL :)<strong>

**Again, special thanks to my pre-reader Twilly and my beta Cullenboyz! **

**BTW, if y'all aren't reading their stuff, you definitely should be! Go check out Twilly's****_ 'The Love Boat'_**** and Cullenboyz' ****_'Angelus Ardens'_****. **

**Leave me love in the review section or just say hi if you want to! See ya next time (where our boy might just make an appearance) ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Bonjour tout le monde! **

**First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH to the ladies of ficsisters for featuring my little Tarzanward as the 'One fresh face' of the week over there. And Welcome to all the new readers! :) (btw, did you guys see the banner? HOT!)**

**This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but on the bright side someone you've been dying to meet is sharing his story! :D I'll stop rambling and let y'all get to it, yeah?**

**Nope, I'm still not the owner of Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. I do, however, have two papers that I need to hand in this week. welp!**

**See ya at the bottom!**

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><p>The flowers were beginning to bloom.<p>

Spring.

Edd hated spring.

This was the loneliest time of year for him. More lonely than he usually was.

Most had already deemed him the outcast. 'Different,' they called him.

And it was nothing but the truth. He was different.

His hands, though big, weren't as massive as theirs. His limbs, though he moved stealthily, still couldn't climb and run as they could. His coat? Theirs covered their bodies in thick coats of black and brown fur that kept them warm during the harsh nights. His was more of a smooth, thin film of tan colored flesh. Not to mention the fact that their massive bodies were easily triple the size of his.

He was different. And this difference only made the spring time hurt more.

At this time of year his troop migrated closer to the shores where they coupled and mated. Edd had yet to pair with a female and had convinced himself that his unappealing physical appearance was to blame.

Maybe if he were a bit bigger, or hairier! That was it! The females loved a hairy coat.

Or maybe if he were younger. Usually by the thirteenth year of life male gorillas were developed enough to mate with the females, and he'd surpassed that age almost twice over.

He couldn't count the number of times he'd waited to be approached by a female, or the disappointment that usually followed when nothing happened. He'd given up entirely a few years later and skipped the choosing ceremony altogether - which brought him to his current position: sitting atop a small hill, losing himself in his thoughts.

Edd heard him approaching well before he was able to see him, and was prepared for the attack. Emm pounced from behind, and they both began to tumble downhill, laughing and roughhousing as they went.

Emm knew this time of year made his best friend sad. And unlike previous years, when both of them had endured the spring without a mate, he had finally bonded with a female.

Emm would need to leave for the beach with the others soon, so he'd decided to have as much fun with Edd as possible, in an attempt to cheer up his friend before he left.

Edd had appreciated Emm's efforts, but as soon as the play-fighting ended, he had reverted to his sullen state. Nothing would numb the ache he felt in his chest.

If only he were like the others, he could find someone willing and suited to pair with him.

Or maybe, instead of being like the others, he could find someone who was like him.

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Why were humans so loud?

They'd come every year to bathe in the crystal clear waters, take pictures of the greenery, and then just leave.

Edd was almost sure that if he had to endure another spring of their incessant screaming, laughing and invading his space, he just might combust!

Yes, they mostly managed to steer clear of the gorillas' territory and made use of the designated area within the safety range, but their shouts and wails could be heard from far distances all throughout the forest.

Their joys seemed to come from the simplest of things in life—splashing in the water, lounging on the sand.

They didn't even have a clue about the hidden spots that the gorillas frequented. Like the river that led from the mountains was more peaceful than the ocean itself. Speaking of the mountain, getting up there not only gave the most panoramic view of the surroundings, but the wildlife here as well.

Any sudden movement would trigger a flurry of wings in different directions from all different species. And oh…the colours! More beautiful than anyone could possibly imagine.

But they didn't care about that. Even if they did, they had no knowledge of the forest like Edd did.

Not a single human had dared to go past a certain point before.

No one…except for her.

Tiny little thing, she was. Climbing the trunk of a kapok tree. Well, she was trying to for the most part. The tree was so big she couldn't even get her arms around.

What was she doing though? No one ever came this far. And the tree. Why was she trying to climb it?

Just another thing to add to the list: humans were loud _AND _weird.

Better to remain hidden amongst the shadows and sulk. And Edd had a lot to sulk about.

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><p><strong>Sooooo, what are you guys thinking so far? We met 'Edd' and he's obviously been having a tough time. And who the hell has he been watching? hmmmmm...<strong>

**Thank you soooo freakin' much to my pre-reader Twilly and my beta Cullenboyz for turning my Trini-dialect into understandable English lol  
><strong>

**Is anyone else as depressed as I am knowing that PlanetBlue's _'Artful Maneuvers'_ and Cris' '_Wisp'_ are now complete? sigh**

**Leave me some love in the review section or just come say hi if you want. **

**And if it's not too much trouble, comment and tell me where in the world you are. I love knowing that my words are reaching all over. I'm from Trinidad and Tobago and we're the last island at the end of the Caribbean chain. And to the guest reviewers, I can't answer your questions if you're not signed in :( **

**See you guys next time! :D :D**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hello my lovelies! The response to the last chapter was insaneeee! Y'all broke my computer! Lolol**_

_**Thank you SO MUCH to the lemonade stand for featuring this little ditty over there this week! I legit screamed so hard! And welcome to all the new readers! **_

_**Now, I hate having to repeat this since I already addressed it in the first chapter, but I am taking some HUGE creative liberties here. Yes, we all know there aren't Gorillas in the Amazon, but c'mon, we all sat through 5 movies about vampires who sparkle in the sun and LOVED IT! I don't think putting Gorillas in the Amazon is that farfetched LOL. It's FICTION; let's treat it as such please. **_

_**Now that we have that all cleared up, let's get on with it shall we?**_

_**Nope, I still do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. I do, however, have a house full of relatives this weekend for my nephew's 6th birthday party! :D woot woot! **_

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><p>Five days.<p>

That's how long it's been. Five frickin' days!

Five gorilla-less frickin' days!

Five gorilla-less frickin' days filled with mosquitoes the size of roaches, ants that got into everything, and all other creepy crawly things that apparently were immune to Bella's insect repellant.

Five gorilla-less frickin' days of listening to her father constantly complaining about how dangerous all of this was.

Five gorilla-less frickin' days of Aro not-so-subtly hitting on her, and her kicking him in the junk when he tried to cop a feel.

Five gorilla-less frickin' days of thinking how stupid she was for coming here.

The days flew by with nothing more than trekking to the mangroves at dawn, sitting around or exploring the nearby surroundings, then heading back to the campsite at late hours. She knew these things took time, but Bella couldn't help but feel like a failure.

Just then her stomach made an obscene noise, but eating was the last thing on Bella's mind, especially if she had to eat more of that bland food. She'd never complained before, but with the lack of excitement, she was just over everything.

"I'm gonna go take a walk, stretch my legs some. Maybe see if I spot some fruit or something, okay?" She got up, brushed the moss off her cargo shorts and started walking without waiting for a reply from her father or Aro.

She was in the most unpleasant mood and needed to be away from people for a while.

Of course she needed to be away from people—that was the purpose of coming here: to see gorillas!

With a roll of her eyes, Bella continued walking.

She'd painted red markings on the tree trunks that led to the mangrove forest, so they'd be able to find their way back. The pathway she was on led to the same huge tree she'd been trying to climb a few days ago. She had insisted on making it up the tree as a 'kiss my ass' to her childhood friend Elizabeth, who'd always teased her about her small size being her weakness—which had led to Bella doing all sorts of daring things.

But maybe Liz was right just this one time.

Instead of stopping and attempting to climb higher than she had the day prior, Bella continued walking past the tree and further away from those with the red markings.

Looking further along the path, Bella noticed the sun beaming down upon a little meadow full of flowers. There were many branches overhead, hanging low over the flowered area with vines and green and yellow leaves, almost as if a leafy chandelier decorated the meadow. Bella smiled at its beauty; it was exactly what she needed to mellow out her mood. But then she snorted at herself. Who else could be in the middle of the forest, dirty, hungry and exhausted, but find happiness in mere flowers and sunlight?

Bella, that's who.

Had a man tried to give her flowers, she would have probably laughed in his face—too cheesy for her brand of sweet.

She bent over, picking a few of the flowers and inhaling their scent. Orchids maybe? But this was different. She'd never smelled anything this light, yet so powerful.

She'd have to check the book back at the camp site to identify the species; her father would love them. She needed to remember the path so she could show him this mini paradise.

Lying on her back in the flowers, her anger and disappointment began to fade away. The sun on her face, a cool breeze through the trees and the lovely scent of the flowers were enough to put her at peace.

Bella was so caught up in the beauty of the scenery that she almost missed the rustling of the leaves and the sliver of skin ahead.

Sitting up, she examined her surroundings. That had not been her imagination.

Maybe it was an animal? If it was, lying out there alone definitely wasn't safe.

She started getting to her feet, and with eyes wide she searched the flowery meadow.

The movement happened again. Right there. Behind that tree. She could hear the crumbling of leaves beneath feet.

Wait, was that an actual person?

Hadn't they been told that there were no tour guides or security this far into the forest? Maybe someone had gotten lost from their hiking group?

"Excuse me!" Bella shouted, arms waving in the air. She jogged up the incline toward the tree where the person seemed to be.

_Wow, I really need to work out more. _Out of breath and probably just a few feet away now, she called out again.

"Hey! Over here! Are you lost?"

The rustling of leaves stopped as the figure froze. He (for he seemed to be male) didn't turn or look at her, but stood in place, unmoving.

Did he think by not moving he would somehow blend into the background?

_People are so weird_, she thought.

"Excuse me. Hi. I'm Bella." Deep breath. "I just saw you out here alone and thought maybe you got lost or something." Deep breath again. Yep, she definitely needed to start running more often.

The man didn't answer. He stood frozen, his body turned off to the side, not looking at her. Was something wrong with him? Was he hurt?

When he finally turned his head and looked in her direction, nothing could have prepared her for the moment green eyes landed on her face. What was it about them? Was it the sun? Because having eyes that shone so brightly couldn't have been possible.

Then like a shock wave, it hit her.

His clothing (or lack thereof), tattered and dirty, his matted hair, awkward stance and muddied skin. He definitely wasn't lost; he seemed far too much in his element. Had he been out here for some time? Did he live out here? And why in the hell was he still not saying anything?! The silence was driving her crazy.

Bella didn't dare think that this…_man_...could be scared of her. If he was, why hadn't he tried to run away when she'd first called out to him?

Bella leaned in closer to him at the same time his body turned toward hers, both of them holding the gaze of the other.

Truth be told, Edd didn't know why he hadn't run, either.

He usually hid from the tourists, and never once had he come into contact with one: in fact it was forbidden. But this…this person...she was different. While all the others steered clear of the gorillas, it seemed as if she was intrigued by them. Always probing around looking for them…looking for him, maybe?

Edd knew he had no right to entertain that thought, but deep down he'd wanted her to see him. He'd known there were similarities between the humans and him; he'd just never been close enough to one to explore it before now. Curiosity got the best of him, and he needed to see for himself. To know that, although he was different than his real family, he wasn't alone in that difference. There were others out there like him.

What should he do now? He'd already exposed himself to her. He decided that he needed to do or say something quickly, before she left and he missed his opportunity.

He'd heard some words from the humans who came ever so often, but would she understand? His ability to speak human wasn't his strongest suit, but he very much doubted she understood gorilla.

Slowly he began to relax and uttered a simple greeting. "Olá!"

Was that enough? Would she understand? He certainly didn't. Mimicking the humans was easy. Understanding them, however, had proven to be a lot harder. "Tão bom hoje da água?" He tried again.

His ability to speak rendered Bella speechless, and that only very rarely happened. She stared at him with huge eyes and her mouth forming an 'o'.

He'd spoken to her!

But what was that language? Spanish? No, had to have been Portuguese! He had probably picked it up from the natives. Bella learned a few languages herself during her travels, and thankfully she retained quite a bit of Portuguese from her trip to Mozambique in Southeast Africa. Maybe she could communicate with him.

"Olá! Meu nome é Bella . Qual o seu nome?" _(Hello! My name is Bella. What's your name?)_

Silence.

Silence and a deep frown was all she got in return. Hadn't he just spoken Portuguese to her? How could he not understand? What had he said earlier? "Hello. The water's so nice today." Now that she thought about it that made absolutely no sense.

Bella was so confused. She began to think that maybe simple, childlike communication would get through to him. It was the only other solution she could think of. Pointing to her chest, she introduced herself in the slowest of speech. "I'm Bella. Do you understand? Bel-la". She repeated her name, breaking up the syllables.

She then pointed to his chest. He flinched minutely the moment her cool skin pressed against the heat of his and then quickly composed himself, not wanting to scare her off. He found himself wanting her to accept him more than anything.

Bella waited in anticipation. Would he understand? She prayed he would and repeated the gesture again by saying her name and pointing to herself. This time when she placed her hand on his chest, he replied. All deep and masculine voiced...he uttered two single sounds. "Eh-d."

He understood! He told her his name. Eh-d?

Bella wasn't sure whether she'd heard that correctly. It sounded like 'Ed' to her, but then again he could just be grunting.

"Ed? Your name is Ed? Is that short for something? Like Edgar, or Edmund, or Edward?"

Like her previous questions, this too was met with only silence.

With an annoyed huff, Bella spoke again. "I don't like the names Edgar or Edmund. They remind me of my mean old neighbor." She folder her arms and tilted her head to the side inspecting his face more closely now. "You do kind of look like an 'Edward'. I guess that will have to do for now."

Edward.

_Where did you come from, Edward? _She wanted to ask him, but he'd barely gotten his name out. She doubted he'd be able to give his life story. There was so much she found herself wanting to know. How long had he been there? Were there others like him? How did he survive in the Amazon? Even though those were questions for which she desperately wanted answers, there was something else, something far more important that she needed to decide.

Now that she had found this man in the wild, what was she going to do about him?

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><p><em>Olá! - Hello!<em>

_Tão bom hoje da água. - The water's so nice today_

_Olá! Meu nome é Bella . Qual o seu nome? - Hello! My name is Bella. What's your name?_

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><p><em><strong>I feel so frickin good about this chapter! :D I was so excited for you guys to read it!<strong>_

_**Sooooo, what are your thoughts? Tell me everything! I want your flails and all!**_

_**Big smooches to my pre-reader Twilly and my beta Cullenboyz! **_

_**Also, Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! I'll wait until Christmas to eat my weight in food. It's 12days of non-stop family, food, alcohol, parang (type of music) 'going from house to house' in Trinidad :) /**_

_**What am I currently reading? 'The Other One' by JiffyKate and 'My Nightingale' by Edward's Eternal. Loving BOTH so far!**_

_**Leave me some love in the form of reviews or just come say hi! :) I love interacting with you guys and hearing your thoughts. **_

_**Until we meet again, don't forget life is so much sexier when you do the legally blonde 'bend and**__** snap'! :D **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hello my lovelies! I know it's been way too long and I apologize for that. Things were hectic for a while back there, but we're on track now!**_

_**Oh yeah, HAPPAY NU YARRRR! I hope the new year is filled with love, happiness and all that other stuff people are supposed to tell you in this kinda situation :) **_

_**For those of you are still with us, things are about to get interesting *rubs hands together*.**_

_**Quick recap: Bella, Charlie and Aro are in the amazon rain forest to document the behavior of gorillas during the spring mating season. Edd, who lives in the forest, was found by Bella (or did he find her? hmmmm). He doesn't understand when she speaks to him and is acting strangely. From his perspective, Bella is another 'human' who comes through the forest on occasion and then leaves. But she interests him more than the others have. Does he identify himself as a human? No. Does he notice the similarities? Maybe. Let's keep reading to find out what's going on, huh? **_

_**No, I STILL do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. What I do own are tickets to a fete (party) for next weekend! It's Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago guys! woot! Meet me at the bottom?**_

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Somehow - not even Bella could truly grasp how - but she had convinced Edward to go with her. She'd rambled on about things like safety and shelter that flew directly over Edward's head, but when she beckoned him with her hands while slowly backing away and making a low whistling sound, he cautiously advanced toward her. Following closely behind, Edward trailed along as Bella led him back to the mangroves where her father was. Surely he'd know what to do since she didn't.

Every few steps, Bella glanced behind her to ensure he was still following. He was definitely still there, but what surprised, or rather shocked her more than anything else was that the man was on all fours; crouched over, bracing his weight on this knuckles and the balls of his feet, meandering through the trees like an animal. No, like a gorilla.

_Oh shit!_ She needed to get to her father. Quickly!

Suddenly, Edward stopped dead in his tracks. Eyes wild and searching, his hearing attuned to the familiar sounds around him.

The mangrove! _They should not be there. This was no place for someone like Bel-la,_ Edward thought.

Professor Swan and Aro were now in sight and Bella quickened her steps to get to them.

Edward had barely made it away from this very mangrove unscathed a time or two before, and more people increased the likelihood that they wouldn't all make it out in time. Someone was bound to get hurt because a mother is usually territorial, but a mother black caiman? She definitely would not fancy seeing any humans near her eggs; and that's the area Bella and her crew currently occupied. Though she'd be properly fed from recent hunting, the caiman would see no issue in trying to protect her young.

Edward could sense her sneaky approach. The slow crumbling of leaves beneath her four legs, the low growl in the back of her throat. She sensed a threat and was prepared for attack. He needed to warn Bel-la. But how?

There was nearly no time to attempt to bridge the communication gap with silly hand flails and meaningless Portuguese phrases. This was life and death, and he needed Bel-la alive. He had just found her. He needed her to stay here, with him. But what could he do?

Edward had followed them in the evenings back to where they'd set up camp a few times. The need to make sure that they weren't there to cause any harm was important, but he mostly needed the distraction it brought from all the couplings going on around him that he wasn't a part of.

He'd formulated a plan of action in mere seconds: get Bella and her group to run as fast as possible back to their camp with him leading them away.

With wild arm gestures and deep oohs and ahhs, he captured Bella's attention and the attention of the Professor and Aro a few feet away. He began backing away but stopped when he realized they weren't following him.

_This isn't working. And the caiman's getting closer._

Bursting into action, Edward ran, still on all fours towards Bella. He slung her over his shoulder - which elicited a loud shrill on her part - then signaled for the other two to follow him.

Hopefully if they thought he was taking her away, they would chase him. And chase they did. The other two sprang into defensive mode rather quickly, running away from the Black caiman's nest in the mangroves, following him all the way back to their camp, Edward never stopping until he got there.

Bella kicked, screamed and struggled until the gorilla-man released her from his grip and she found herself lying on her back in the dirt.

"Are you crazy? What the hell is wrong with you?!" she screeched at him while trying to get back on her feet.

Bella's shoulders rose and fell with the harsh, deep breaths she took as she stood red faced, fuming at the wild man before her. Oh, he was gonna get an earful regardless if he understood or not.

"You do _not_ just pick people up and run off with them!" Edward was standing at his full height when Bella had began pointing her index finger at his chest as she took one step toward him. "How dare you…" Her sentence trailed off and her ire quickly dissipated with one look at him.

That look was back. The look Edward wore when Bella had just found him. He was scared and confused.

There was barely any time to process what was happening because of the high pitched screams coming in their direction. Turning towards the sound, Bella saw Aro first and then her father jogging breathlessly in the distance behind him. Both men were damp with sweat and her father screaming louder than she possibly could.

Aro's eyes were ablaze with anger, but her father, however, wore a look of pure terror.

"Oh heavens! There was a croc! A black caiman! I didn't know they laid eggs on this part of the forest. I turned around to pick up our stuff and there she was, in the bushes." Charlie collapsed on the very spot in the dirt Bella occupied only seconds before. "Bella, dear, get me some water and my inhaler before I pass out. And a new pair of shorts. I think this pair is fairly ruined!"

"Caiman or not, who the hell is he and why the hell did he try to kidnap you? He literally just took off and we had to be sure you were safe!" Aro instantly got in Edward's face to challenge him. "I'd like to see you try that stunt again." Already up close, Aro gave Edward a slight push to the chest causing him to take a step backward.

"No, Aro. Don't. I think he was trying to help. You just heard there was a caiman lurking in the mangroves. He probably saved our lives." Bella explained.

"Croc or not, when some strange man grabs my things and runs, I run after him." Aro said, still glaring at Edward as he pushed him again, with more force this time.

Edward stumbled back a few feet but instantly regained his footing and rushed toward Aro with full force, ramming into him with his shoulder.

There was a bit of a scuffle on the ground and when Bella whistled through her fingers and they both paused to look up at her, it was clear that Aro was getting his ass kicked. Edward had Aro's body pinned under his with Aro's head locked under his arm. He'd already began struggling for air.

"Stop! Let him go Edward." Bella shouted and he instantly released Aro. "Thank you for coming to my rescue, Aro, though unneeded, but I am not your _thing_. I am not your property, your lover - I'm not even your friend. Let. It. Go!"

"Sweetheart, calm down. At least I fulfilled my crazy mission for this trip, right? I've never ran away from a black caiman before while on an assignment." Professor shrugged while wearing the sweetest of smiles.

And he was right. They were all safe, despite Bella's annoyance toward Aro at the moment. But none of this helped her figure out her next move with the man who was crouched over, staring wildly at the three people before him.

"I almost forgot the reason I was looking for you in the first place, Daddy. Edward here, I found him. Out there in the forest by himself."

Bella approached Edward cautiously and introduced her father and Aro in the same simplistic manner she'd introduced herself while he only looked on with cautious eyes.

"Edward? He seems rather...primitive for such a formal name, no?" Aro inquired with an eyebrow arched and a disgusted look on his face.

"His name is Edd, Aro. He told me so when I found him in the meadow. Which by the way you need to see, Daddy. It's filled with gorgeous wildflowers for you to add to your collection. But yes, his grunt sounded like Edd, and I thought he needed a real name. So I named him Edward. He's not like us, I think. He doesn't understand verbal language or social cues, he hobbles around instead of walking, and he's really attuned to the forest. He sort of just, found me out there. I didn't know what to do with him so I brought him back here. I think we can maybe help him somehow."

"Bella, he's not some stray puppy you can just rename and play dress up pretending he's a fully functional person. What if he really is all those things you said? He could be dangerous. I think we should call the authorities on this one. It's not in our line of expertise," Professor Swan, always the voice of reason, commented. But turning him in was not an option for Bella. She needed to figure Edward out herself. Who knew what they'd do to him if they got the authorities involved.

"No way! He'll be a walking science experiment before we even get off the boat! They'll stick and probe and have him in a giant glass case like at the zoo. I won't do that to Edward. Let me figure it out, okay?" Bella was now standing face to face with him trying to read his body language. She knew that human and animal behaviors were somewhat similar, but seeing a human with animal mannerisms was totally unnatural. His eyes seemed to follow every distinct sound he heard as if trying to identify them, while he stood completely still.

Bella could learn a lot from him, but she felt like he could learn a lot from her as well.

Edward had been silent and observing since Bella broke up the fight. He couldn't comprehend what they were all arguing about, but he knew anger when he saw it. The heightened voices, arms in the air and tense facial expressions were an easy give away. Not to mention the negative energy. That, however, only radiated from the tall man who kept looking in his direction with squinted eyes.

The discomfort he felt under Aro's gaze was gone when directly before him were pools of brown so deep he could swim in them. It barely registered that he'd breathed the only other word since leaving the mangrove. "Bel-la..."

With a shy smile, Bella leaned in closer from her stooping position. Close enough to place both her hands on his arms. "Yeah, I'm Bel-la. And you're Ed-ward."

Edward nodded at the new name he'd acquired and Bella felt like they'd accomplished their very first milestone.**  
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><p><em><strong>Soooooo...thoughts? I want to hear what you guys think so far. <strong>_

_**Was anybody shouting 'yeahhhh!' when Edward had Aro in a headlock? *raises hand* What do ya think is the deal with Edward though? Did Bella ever get Charlie a clean pair of pants? SMH lol. And I personally love a feisty Bella. I cant wait for Edward to really start showing himself ;) **_

_**As always, huge thank you's to my prereaders Twilly, and Packeh. Also to my beta Cullenboyz. I seriously owe this woman my first born child. *hugs***_

_**I love when authors rec fics for me, so i'm doing to same for yall. Current WIPs: 'She Gave Me Words, I Gave My Heart' by MyOnlyHeroin, and her collab with LyricalKris named 'Long Distance'. I shamelessly beg for updates ALL THE TIME! lol They are both sooooo good and well written. Go check them out & tell them Colleen sent ya! lol**_

_**Leave me some love in the reviews or just come say hi! **_

_**See yall next time! Have a drink for the new year resolution you already broke, ok? :D *sip***_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello my darlings! I know, I knowwww! I'm sorrehhhh! Just know that I will NEVER flounce this fic. I have ALOT prewritten, it's just taking time to edit & post around RL crap. **

**To make up for it, I have a LONG one for ya. Excited about this one ;) Meet me at the bottom? **

**No, I still do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. I'd really like to own Channing Tatum though! **

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><p>.<p>

After attempting to introduce Aro and Charlie to Edward and having difficulty communicating what 'father' was, or what they were doing out there in the amazon, Bella thought it was time to work on Edward's vocabulary. The only words he had spoken on his own were his name, _Edd_, that random Portuguese phrase about the water being nice, and her name, which he'd repeated when prompted. Other than that, he was quiet and observing, leading Bella to assume that he had no formal language skills.

Maybe with some form of communication, she'd be able to make a decision on what she was going to do about him or what he needed. Or that's what she'd try to convince herself into believing.

Charlie interrupted Bella's thoughts. "So let's say, hypothetically speaking here, that he does acquire some language skills. Then what? We throw him back out here in the Amazon? Remember, we only have a few months on this project Bella, and there are goals and deadlines to meet," Charlie fretted. "I suppose Aro can always assist you if need be, but then how will your research be completed if you're busy teaching Edward?"

Bella rolled her eyes at her father's rationale. _Why does he always have to be logical about everything?_

She knew Charlie's questions were valid, and she definitely didn't have answers at the moment, but that fact did nothing to deter her from her goal.

"I know this sounds crazy, and I'm not saying that I'm dropping my research assignment. I've worked too hard getting funding and approval to just give that up. But I can't turn a blind eye and just leave Edward here without trying _something_. Anything. Can we help him? We don't know that for certain. But I gotta try, Daddy. I can't turn a blind eye to someone in obvious need." Bella realised she'd grasped her father's attention and decided to continue.

"And maybe if we get him talking, he can tell us what we're doing wrong. We've basically wasted a week's worth of food only to be bitten to death by mosquitoes, almost be hunted by a caiman, and fragranced courtesy au de gorilla shit. This isn't working; we need to try something different! And if we get to help Edward _and _finish this assignment, then I'm all for it."

Bella had no idea where that speech had come from, but it sure sounded good on its way out. Maybe it would be enough to convince her father. She needed all the help she could get if they were basically going to experiment on Edward without any preparation.

Professor Swan thought about what she had said for a few minutes, slowly turning over the idea in his head. The issue wasn't whether they should help Edward; that was the easy part. Charlie's concern was what they'd do with the young man when their time in the Amazon was up. Bella was adamant that she was not going to hand him over to the authorities, but leaving Edward in the wild after he'd learned some fundamental things about his humanity would have served no purpose. There was no good solution. Charlie had never been able to deny his daughter before, but for the first time he actually was considering it.

He looked over Bella's shoulder and caught sight of Edward sitting on the ground holding up the notepad Aro had dropped there earlier. He was turning the pad over and over in his hands, smiling when the light breeze would flip the pages over.

_He's amused by a notepad. My goodness!_

It was in that moment that Charlie understood that his initial theory probably wasn't true. He had assumed Edward had become separated from his tribe, but now Charlie doubted the poor guy had ever spent time with other humans. He was barely a man by social standards; lacking key characteristics that people usually displayed. Edward moved and behaved almost entirely as an animal would. And though the scientist in Charlie was intrigued, it was the humanitarian in him that needed to reach out to the lad in any way he could.

Charlie ran his fingers over the thick mustache that lined his upper lip as he looked in every direction but at his daughter. He knew at that moment that she had gotten to him. With a playful huff, he spoke again.

"I guess running away from a caiman wasn't my crazy adventure for this trip after all. Okay, you have my support on this."

Bella crashed into her father, enveloping him in the tightest of embraces. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Daddy! I promise we'll get work done and be able to help him as well. I'll handle language and you and Aro can work on helping him to walk upright. Maybe we can go into the nearest town and get books and supplies…"

Charlie stood in shock as his daughter moved around the camp area, rambling on, making preparations for the new assignment they'd taken on. The thought, 'What could possibly go wrong?' ran through his mind, making him that much more nervous.

Charlie knew his daughter well enough to know that everything that _could_ possibly go wrong, probably would.

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Patience was not Bella's strongest suit.

She'd once socked a kid for going too slowly in her third grade spelling bee. Needless to say, Bella had been disqualified (something about violence and children). But 'arithmetic' shouldn't have been that hard to spell. The kid needed to just spit it out already!

Unfortunately, Bella's patience hadn't improved since the third grade. The past few weeks had been intense to say the least — a true test of the little patience she had.

Teaching Edward was proving a lot harder than she'd thought it would be. He was able to pronounce the words she taught him with only moderate effort, so that wasn't the problem. Getting him to understand what they meant, was.

They'd gone over everything a preschooler would learn, beginning with the alphabet, learning to count, identifying shapes and colours and even a bit of word formation. But the process was as trying for Bella as it was for Edward.

There were overwhelming periods that resulted in him running off into the forest for hours, sometimes days, to escape the frustrations of the lessons. The longest he'd been away was two days...the longest two days of Bella's life, considering the worry and guilt she'd felt for pushing him too hard. But he always came back, ready and willing to continue, dismissing Bella's protests to take it easy.

She wondered what happened to him while he was away...why he always came back with such renewed determination. But she never thought to push such a subject when he was doing so well. Whatever happened clearly was enough to get him running in the other direction, and she wasn't certain he'd be able to express himself properly if she did ask him — not just yet.

Bella's head rested on her arms which were laid on the table-top; her face pointed in Edward's direction, looking on as he continued his work.

If one of the the great masters were to paint a portrait of a man in deep concentration, it would look as Edward did at that very moment. But even Da Vinci and Rembrandt wouldn't be able to capture just how perfectly the light caught in his hair, how beautifully his cheek bones arched, how chiseled his jaw was when clenched, the fullness of his lips or the depth of his eyes. It simply wasn't possible to do him justice.

This intense state of concentration signified only one thing: his need to learn.

Too exhausted to continue, Bella called it a day and left the men alone with Edward. She needed a bath and a good night's rest to relieve the day's stress that came with being his tutor.

She glanced over her shoulder briefly and smiled at Edward before disappearing towards her tent.

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Even after Bella left with the promise to continue tomorrow, Edward remained behind, staring at the words on the page and the letters on the mini chalkboard.

He had finally started understanding some, but others were simply too much at the moment.

For instance, the word "love."

The book Bella had been reading from was a novel she'd brought along with her. Not exactly suitable for new readers, but it was the only material they had, and Edward got to see word formation from the letters they'd practiced earlier on the chalkboard.

He could sound it out the way Bella taught him to — _L-Lo-ve_. But what did it mean?

Edward couldn't let this go. He'd been staring at the word for the past…how long? Since Bella had left that afternoon, and now it was beginning to turn dark. If he could find Bella and have her explain this to him, then he'd call it quits for the day since they were already losing daylight.

Edward got up and stretched his sore limbs. Sure, he had spent most of his days crawling through the forest, but that was nothing compared to sitting hunched over a desk for hours at a time.

Professor Swan sat at a table, taking notes by candlelight, while Aro sharpened his hunting blades near the camp fire, occasionally throwing glances in Edward's direction.

Edward crawled toward the tents and peeked inside each one, but Bella wasn't in either of them. She wasn't around the open living quarters, either. He hoped she wasn't careless enough to go off into the forest on her own.

Edward wandered toward the small watering hole that they had blocked off with a partition of sorts, hoping she was there.

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Exposed? No, that wasn't it.

Nude? Naked? Bare?

None of these words expressed how Bella felt at that moment. Edward had casually waltzed – well crawled, seeing as he didn't move fluidly on two feet and much preferred to be on all fours – into the bathing area looking for her. She had squealed in that girly, high pitched voice, first at the initial shock of being startled, and secondly, because this strange _man _was gawking at her during this extremely private moment.

Bella shouted over the partition, letting her father know that she was fine after he'd asked if everything was ok. She would not be able to survive the embarrassment if her dad and Aro walked in on her too!

An arm stretched out across her breasts, legs crossed and a palm cupped over her sex, this had to be the most mortifying moment of her life… and Edward wasn't even paying attention to her body. His eyes – the kind that would bring women and a few men to their knees – were so deep and intense with emotion; and that emotion wasn't lust. While she'd expected the hunger or desire that most men would convey, Edward's eyes only expressed confusion.

A few things about this particular situation confused Edward. He'd never seen another human up close prior to Bella and her team, so a naked female body didn't ignite any fire within him. It only sparked curiosity. He still had little understanding of many common social cues, so Bella's current state – embarrassment – was one of them. He tried to figure out why she was fidgeting and standing in this uncomfortable position. Was this another one of their 'human' lessons again? Should he mimic her movement just as he'd mimicked her words and Aro's walking earlier?

Edward advanced and stood on his legs, towering over Bella at his full height. He then crossed his arms and legs and squealed the same way she had just done, seconds prior.

With stunned, wide eyes, the only thing Bella could do at that moment was laugh. Leaning forward with arms braced on her knees, Bella forgot about her exposed state long enough to laugh harder than she had in years.

She couldn't believe this was happening. This was another story to add to her collection of weird, unforgettable moments.

A few minutes had passed when Bella's stomach began to hurt from all her laughing. When it finally died out, that's when she noticed the deep, masculine chuckle coming from beside her. Wait, beside her? Wasn't Edward just standing in front of her? Somehow, lost in her laughter - and his echo of it, seeing as he just mimicked her actions - they'd become entangled around each other. She immediately became aware of his arm draped across her shoulder, her hand around his waist while the other paused mid air from playfully slapping his chest.

_And what a toned, masculine chest it is. Living like an animal has definitely kept him in shape. With arms like that he could easily…_

_No, wait. He's not human. Well he is, but he isn't?_

_Whatever!_

Where were these thoughts coming from? She'd never looked at him that way before and definitely shouldn't be having any of these thoughts about Edward. She was supposed to be helping him, trying to give him his human bearings. She tried to gather her wits and then suddenly became aware of his proximity and her bare state once again.

His laughter had ceased soon after hers and he'd become all too aware of Bella's body language again.

He looked at her and repeated two single words, "Bel-la…scared?"

His intelligence, though restricted by his own limitations, still managed to utterly amaze her. She made a mental note to reward him for remembering the word 'scared' later on.

Yes, Bella had been trembling, which may have led Edward to believe she was scared. But that wasn't the case. Why was she shaking? Probably because of the late evening breeze that now blew against her still exposed body.

_Yes, that's it_, Bella tricked herself into concluding. For now, she would blame it on being chilled by the frigid air, because explaining to a gorilla-man that she was sexually aroused definitely had no place in their next lesson plan.

"No, I'm a kind of cold." She replied in a soft, cautious voice.

Edward seemed to understand her as she hugged herself and rubbed her arms.

Bella had been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even considered how Edward felt or what he thought. That confused expression he wore moments before returned with relentless force. Eyebrows arched so high they almost disappeared into his hairline, eyes wide and searching — the look of a man in deep contemplation.

_At least, he looks like a man, because he certainly doesn't act like…wow!_

Her breast.

That definitely felt like something had touched her breast. A hand, was it? She looked down in time to see him now poking at her left breast with his index finger. She looked up and saw the confusion in his eyes, looking at her as if pleading for something.

But what was it? What was he asking?

He laid his hand on her chest, and the need to be touched by a man again was ablaze within her. Even an innocent touch like this one had sparked such fire in her. Maybe when she got back to the city, she could blow the dust off her Louboutins, go shopping for something small that left hardly anything to the imagination, and go find herself someone to touch way, deep down in her…

"Bel-la?"

_Huh?_

"Bel-la!" It was Edward who broke her out of her lusty train of thought; hand still on her chest as he repeated her name. Then, with his hand on his own chest, he repeated his given name, "Ed-ward!"

Then with his index finger, he pointed at her breast again.

Oh, now she understood! She'd taught him how to identify things by pointing at them, the same way she did their names. Bella touched her breast, still a bit self-conscious about being disrobed and said the word, "breast," which he repeated.

Edward then looked down at his own chest and frowned. How was she to explain this without overwhelming him any more than he probably already was?

"No, no Edward. Bella – wo-man, Edward – man. Women and men are the same, but different. Do you understand?"

Eyes still fixed on his face, she caught the exact moment realization dawned on him. His face softened and his brows relaxed. "Woman – breast. Man – no breast?" he inquired.

Lip caught between her teeth, Bella nodded in approval. If she was being honest with herself, the only thing that would escape her mouth after hearing him mutter the word 'breast' was a very primal moan. Or maybe a "_take me now_" or an "_I want you_", and those were less than appropriate.

"Bel-la?"

_Dammit! _Again Bella had gotten lost in her thoughts and returned at the call of her name. Landing safely back on earth from her place in the clouds, the only thing she could have done was slap a hand to her mouth. Edward, during Bella's dirty mind ramblings, had stripped himself bare of his cloths and was now pointing at his appendage. And what a rather large appendage it was.

_The things I could do with…_

"Bel-la?"

She needed to pay attention and stop the dirty thoughts.

Edward stood in question, still awaiting his answer and Bella was more than willing to give it to him.

The answer, that is. She was more than willing to give him the answer.

Not anything else. Because, that would be wrong. So wrong.

But oh, so right!

"Bel-la?"

"Penis!" She blurted out instantly, the color high on her cheeks as she said it. Edward reached out a hand and brushed his thumb lightly across her cheek bone with the same inquisitive look in his eye.

"Blush" she said in a quiet, sweet voice, answering the question he didn't have to voice out loud. She was becoming quite adept at reading him in that way, attuned to knowing what he wanted.

"Ed-ward like Bel-la blush," was his only reply.

Correction!

His hand on her face sparked a fire more intense than before when he touched her breast.

This gesture felt so intimate. Like he was appreciating her, worshiping her. She'd never experienced anything quite like that with any man before.

Who'd have thought it would take a voyage deep into the rainforest and some gorilla-man to make her feel this feminine?

Edward reluctantly dropped his hand, took a few steps back and stared unashamedly at Bella's body.

She couldn't believe this. He was giving her the once over. The head to toe look men usually gave when checking out a woman. But, was he seriously checking her out?

"Bella – no penis?" Edward inquired. "Man – penis, woman – no penis?"

Oh boy! So that's what the looks were about. At least he didn't try to poke her with his finger again. That would've been too much, even for her.

But what did women have? A stream of highly inappropriate euphemisms for vagina began playing on a loop in her mind. Pussy, kitty cat, cooch, honey pot, cunt, vajayjay, muff, fanny, the cave of wonders, hoo-ha!

Perhaps the clinical term would suffice in a situation such as this. Bella was certain her knees would buckle if he repeated something like "pussy."

"Umm, no. Women have vaginas."

Apparently the word was funny to say, judging by the amused smirk on Edward's face. He just began walking backward out of the bathing area while smiling at Bella, forgetting the initial reason he had gone looking for her.

This had to be the most awkward conversation of her life. Standing under the flowing water of the spring, completely naked, identifying body parts with a man who seemed to have zero ulterior motives.

Could he be...gay? A gay gorilla-man?

That's possible, right?

He had no interest in touching Bella sexually, at least not with any sort of personal gain or affection behind it. Which reminded her; God, she was so turned on!

Unfortunately, with her dad and Aro only a few hundred feet away, self-helping was out of the question. Maybe later when they were both asleep, she'd visualize those hypnotic green eyes and big strong arms and and get a quick rub session in.

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><p><strong>Eeeeep! So that happened! <strong>

**Let's play a game. What other word for Vagina do you guys use or have heard before? *snort* This should be interesting. **

**As usual, huge hugs & thank you's to Packeh and Twilly for pre-reading and to my beta Cullenboyz for all the hard work! These ladies are too awesome!  
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**What am I currently reading? EVERYTHING! lol Have a million fics on my TBR list right now. But I absolutely LOVE "Angel is a Centerfold" by LyricalKris and "A Life Unplanned" by Savannavansmutsmut.  
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**Tell me what you guys think of the story so far or just come say hi! :D See ya next time *waves like an idiot* **


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hello my pretties! We're back again! **_

_**I must say a HUGE thank you to MyWorldIsBlue who helped me out with information on Brazil and the Amazon! I love that we're able to help each other in the fandom!  
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_**As a precautionary measure I also uploaded this little ditty over on my FictionPad account. My name is C_Alize over there, sooo yeah. I dont think i'm violating anything here, but ya never know with these people. **_

_**Now let's get on with it!**_

_**No, I do not own twilight, tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. I do have a hangover and massive sunburn from all the festivities over the Trinidad Carnival weekend, though. Incase you didn't know, it's the GREATEST show on earth ;) **_

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><p>xoxo<p>

Wrapped in his cloths again, Edward left the camp for home. He enjoyed the time spent with Bella and her crew, but he needed some space to process the events of the past few weeks. He needed to tell his best friend about all the excitement in his life as of recent - that there were others like him. But most importantly, he needed to get as much time in as possible before they departed for their yearly ritual. Edward had already lost so much time while away with the humans that some gorillas had already began migrating, while others stayed behind safeguarding their little living corner of the forest. He only hoped Emm hadn't gone without a proper farewell.

Edward hobbled as much as he could on the forest floor then began scaling a tree at ultimate speed.

Getting as high as he needed to at the edge of a branch, Edward leapt off the tree and clung to a vine. Ever so gracefully he soared through the air, switching vines that got tangled or weren't sturdy enough to support him.

Edward lived in the Amazon, so of course there needed to be alternative methods for transportation. As beautiful as the forest floor was, it wasn't always safe to travel by foot.

He loved the adrenaline rush that came with vine swinging. Every now and then he'd have to slide along a few branches, the gathering of moss making it slippery and easy to move. It had been difficult when he'd first started out, but he had long ago mastered the art of balance.

Jaguars. That was his secret.

When you're running for your life from a predator whose anatomy was made to swim, run and climb, you tend to learn rather quickly.

He so easily recalled his very first encounter with one of the beasts.

_Young, tall and skinny he was. They all joked that his body hadn't quite caught up with the size of his big head yet. One day, he'd spent the evening picking berries for the infants because he was much taller when he stood on his two rear legs._

_That's when he heard the low growl._

_Without warning, the jaguar sprang at him, both of them rolling around on the ground. Edward used his hands to hold the predator's jaw open, but even his strength couldn't match that of a Jaguar's. Out of nowhere, one of the young Gorillas rammed right into them, temporarily stunning the cat and giving Edward enough time to get to his feet. Trying to outrun a jaguar was impossible, so the only other option was to go above ground. Edward jostled the gorilla ahead of him and they both began climbing the tree, with a now even angrier Jaguar on their tails. At the very top, thick moss coated the branches that would make walking impossible._

_With too little time to stop and think, Edward held onto the young Gorilla's hand and they both, at top speed, slid along the branches. Jumping from tree to tree, twisting and dodging as they went with the Jaguar still in pursuit. Up ahead, this particular portion of the forest was dense with vines and lianas. Would it be able to support their weight?_

_No choice now than to try._

_Without coming to a halt, they slid to the edge of the tree and both jumped to the nearest vine, the jaguar flying off the tree branch to the bushes below them. They swung until they got a safe distance away and footed the rest of the journey back to their colony._

Edward had thanked Emm; the young Gorilla who saved his life. And they became inseparable ever since.

The thought of Emm going off to doing something that they wouldn't be able to experience together was in the corner of Edward's mind, but he shook off the thought for now.

He had other, more urgent matters to attend to.

Before going to see Emm, he needed to see his mother.

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Esz was beautiful. In the Gorilla sense of course.

Petite and feminine, yet large as most gorillas are at their peak age, and as gentle as could be with shiny, brown fur glistening with the drizzle from the evening's rain.

She was attending to the little ones in the colony. Grooming them by picking insects and leaves out of their fur. It was more of a pleasure for her since she ate every last one of the insects she found.

Colobura dirce butterflies. Those were her favorite though. She told Edd this once, and he'd always find a way to bring some to her. It's exactly what softened her up to the idea of him accompanying Emm and the others on a trip up the mountain when he was much too young. And also what made her give in to the idea of him living separately from the colony for the last year.

Edd stood behind Esz, staring from a short distance away, trying to understand why she had kept so much from him. Why she had lied.

_Stay away from the humans, Edd, they're dangerous. They hunt Gorillas. I see no similarities between you and them. You are one of us. They do not live like we do or understand us. It is best to keep our distance,_ She'd repeatedly told him.

All the years of hiding in the shadows. All the hurt he felt from being different. Her love and acceptance merely masked the pain, but it never truly went away.

"I saw you down at the beach with her. You know you're not supposed to get that close to the humans, Edd." She said without turning around, catching him by surprise.

_Stay calm_, he told himself. _She's still your mother. She'll always be your mother._

"How did you know I was here?"

"I'm your mother. I know everything..."

"Then you should know that I didn't go looking for her. She found me." Edd was fighting an internal battle. He needed answers but he wanted her to initiate the conversation. There was still a glimmer of hope inside him that she would have a reasonable explanation. But his anger and hurt won out. "Is this why I wasn't allowed close to them? Because you didn't want me to know the truth? Tell me now then," Edd inched closer to her as the little ones scampered off. "Am I... am I human?"

Esz finally turned to face him. "You are Edd. You are brave, and strong and loving."

"Am I human, mother?" His composure began to crumble as Esz kept stalling.

"You are a member of our colony."

"But. Am. I. Human?!" He shouted, the birds in the nearing trees fluttering away at the sound.

"You are my son! That's who you are. You are…"

"Nothing like you! As badly as I wanted to be...still want to be, I'm not like you!"

They were now shouting over each other. Esz saying she did it to protect him, to give him a chance at a family after she saved him as a helpless baby boy. What was she supposed to do, leave him to die?

She had to keep him.

Edd counteracted her pleas for understanding with his hurt and mistrust. She made him believe he was different but still one of them. He'd been the outcast and loner for as long as he could remember, when all along there was somewhere he belonged: with other humans. Why hadn't she told him the truth before? And what did she mean by _saved him_?

Something dawned on him then.

"This is why I haven't been able to pair with a female, is it?" He asked. The answer to that might be the very thing to break him.

The most important thing in their colony was in the mating process that happened every spring. It brought forth young ones and made their group stronger; secured their existence. The males were responsible for not only impregnating the women, but providing for them and the young ones they bore. And Edd had done neither. He had wanted this since Esz told him the stories when he was old enough to understand, and for as long as he could remember he'd felt that pain. The hurt of a man not being able to contribute to the very family he so longed to fully be a part of. His physical difference was an issue – yes, but their anatomies just weren't compatible. A Gorilla and a human weren't meant to be joined that way.

Esz bowed her head into her chest, almost ashamed and nodded only once.

Edd closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to calm his nerves. Something had to quell the feeling of betrayal festering deep within him.

When that didn't work, he took off running toward the vines, ignoring the heart wrenching noises his mother made as she called after him.

He needed to be in his safe haven; the only place that could calm him enough to sit and think things through.

Ever since he'd discovered it in his early years, it had become his place of solitude. It was the branches of the giant Kapok tree Bella had been trying to climb the first day he saw her.

Bella.

The very thought of her name brought a smile to his face despite his foul mood.

Maybe she could help him become a better human. Because at the moment, he didn't feel much like a Gorilla at all.

He didn't feel much of anything.

.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxxoxoxoxoxoox

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"Go away, please!"

"Do not make me come up there, Edd. Now come down and talk to me."

Edd attempted to ignore his mother's request and continued looking out over the forest. He'd been trying to get his mind off the fight they had earlier but not even his favourite place helped this time. And to make matters worse, Esz found him a few hours later.

She'd been standing on her legs, hands clutched to the trunk of the tree for the past ten minutes calling out to him, but to no avail. Edd wasn't ready to forgive her or hear what she had to say. Nothing mattered now that he knew the truth. Now that he knew his mother was not his mother and his entire life had been a lie.

Edd felt an intense shake and looked down to see his mother looking back at him with hopeful eyes. He simply huffed and continued staring out over the forest. The slight dip of the tree and the crackling of branches are what notified him of her pursuit. She'd meant what she said about coming up after him.

Before he had a chance to bolt, Esz grabbed ahold of his leg. "Don't you dare think about running away again. I gave you your space, now it's time to listen to me."

Edd averted his eyes anywhere but at Esz for fear that his emotions would take over and his eyes would become wet.

"Why did you shake the tree?" Not much of a conversation starter, but he needed to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible.

"I wanted to see if you would have fell like a little coconut." This was an inside joke between the both of them. In his younger days, Esz had shaken a tree or two in order to get him out of his head and to socialize with the group. He'd always come tumbling down, and when he asked "What if I had hit my head, momma?" She'd often reply with, "You're my little coconut, Edd. I would've caught you."

It didn't go unnoticed that Edd didn't acknowledge the coconut reference, and he still was not looking at her.

No more stalling - Esz had to get this out. She didn't know how to begin and even worse, what would happen when she told him everything. This was her baby — her son. She had fed him and took care of him for so many years. She had turned deaf to the whispered insults the other mothers gave and readily chose to remain without a mate since no one wanted to pair with her because of her abnormal looking young. She'd done everything a mother was supposed to do — sacrifice herself for the sake of her child. And this was the very reason why it weighed so heavily on her heart. Despite being selfless enough to put Edd's needs first, he was unhappy. And this made Esz feel inadequate. She had failed.

With a heavy sigh and a heavy heart, Esz began, "I was down by the river; where it meets the sea to be exact, hidden in a tree watching the humans. Everyone else was up the mountain searching for food. It had been raining a lot that week, more than usual so the river was very rough. The noises the water made as the two met was such a loud thundering roar. I remember thinking to myself, '_Someone's bound to get hurt. Humans are so stupid to enjoy this_.'"

"I'm not happy that I was right, but I was. I remember hearing the screams echo through the trees later that evening, sending the birds fluttering in every direction. Someone's boat had capsized in the water and the river was carrying them away, toward the sea. There was a man with one arm draped across the overturned boat and the other wrapped around a woman. She was the one screaming. I remember her stretching her arms out trying to grab at something while the man was trying to keep his hold on her. That's when I saw it amongst all the debris; there was a baby in the water. I didn't even think about it. The next thing I knew I was at the edge of the forest trying to reach for you. I even fell into the water and got swept away a few yards," Esz chuckled at the memory of that day.

"But I got to you. A scratch on your cheek," She placed her finger on the barely visible scar on his left cheek. "Cold and shivering, but you were fine. But I could no longer see the man and the woman. I scanned the water hoping to spot them, but the boat had already been swept away. I searched the forest far and wide but all the humans were gone for the day. I hoped that within the next few days, someone would return for you, but no one did. That's when I knew that your family was gone, and that was the moment I knew I had to be your family."

Edd was now staring at Esz with wide eyes, tears spilling down his face. He could no longer blame his mother; the only family he had. It was exactly as she'd said; she had saved his life.

"I'm sorry I kept this from you all this time. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth. But you were mine - are mine. If I had known that you'd be hurting this much I would've said something before, but, but…"

Edd enveloped his mother in a hug as they both wept. She clung to him as if her life depended on it needing to be reassured that she was enough for him. That she had indeed been a good mother. And Edd held on, appreciating all she had done for him; for overlooking their differences and being what he needed when all he previously had was lost in the river that day.

"I know the other humans, your friends, they will want to take you away with them. Give you what I could not. Make you one of them. And that's okay, Edd."

"Yes, they are helping me and showing me things I never knew before. But you will always be my mother. This…" He gestured around him at the forest, "Will always be my home. Thank you for saving me."

There was no more that could be said in such an emotionally charged moment. They simply clung to each other, using the other's words to soothe their pain. Edward was the first to break the silence.

"She calls me Edward. The girl, Bella, does. That's my human name." Edd held Esz' stare hoping she was understanding enough to not feel hurt by the small change.

_Oh_, was all Esz was able to say for a few beats. "You know, I gave you the name Edd. When I realised they weren't coming back, I decided to stop calling you _the little baby_." She laughed at the memory with a sad smile. "Well then, Edward is a fine name. I'm glad she kept it somewhat close to the one I gave you." A weight had been lifted off his shoulders with her acceptance of his human name. He felt like it wasn't just the name Esz was accepting of, it was him delving into a new identity, and she was supportive of that.

A few minutes had passed when Esz had finally worked up enough courage to reveal the last secret to Edward. She simply slid it onto his lap. It was an old, worn messenger bag. One of the things that washed up after the wreck. Inside it was a single book and a handkerchief.

"I believe this was theirs. That's all that is left of them. I kept it for you in case you wanted to know about them some day. Maybe your human friends can tell you what they mean."

Edd had waited till Esz had left that night to open the bag, promising to check in with her as often as possible. He was excited to learn something about his biological family, but nervous all the same.

He slowly emptied the contents onto his lap. The first was a simple piece of white cloth - the handkerchief. It was small and on it there was a baby's bottle embroidered in one of the corners in blue. Ever so gently, he placed it back into the bag and picked up the notebook. On the cover and the inside were some words written in a fancy cursive font. Edward was not as advanced in his reading just yet to understand what they all meant, but he knew that one day he had to figure it out. He glanced at the cover again and vowed to find out what _Carlisle Cullen - M.D._ meant.

xoxo

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><p><em><strong>Carlisle Cullen - M.D., huh? hmmmmm... :)<strong>_

_**Btw, did yall notice the transition from "Edd" to "Edward"? **_

_**As always, lots of love going out to my pre-readers Twilly and Packy, and also my beta Cullenboyz for working with me on this project. **_

_**Fic rec time? These are hands down two of my fav fics and fav fic authors since i've been here. "Wavelengths" by Packy2.0 and "Inside Man" by Ooza are some really great pieces that I LOVE! Go check them out. If you've already read them, what did you think of them?  
><strong>_

_**I love and appreciate all your reviews and positive words! The fact that yall are enjoying this warms my heart soooooo much! **_

_**Until next time, *cue dancing show girls* this is Colleen A, signing out! **_


	8. Chapter 8

_**I know, I knowww! This is waaaaaaaaay late & I'm an awful person & as punishment I should get Channing Tatum ;)  
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_**Hello mah babies! I missed you guys! I know i've been really behind in replying to reviews. Just know that I read every single one of them and do a little giggle-squeal when I do :D lol It means sooo much to me that yall are enjoying this as much as you are! **_

_**Also, thank you to the guys over at TehLemonadeStand for featuring this over there. And welcome to all my new readers! *waves*  
><strong>_

_**So there is a mini time jump here. Let's say a month or so has gone by since the last chapter and the talk with Esz. So let's get on with it. Meet me at the bottom? **_

_**No, I still do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything related to their respective brands. I do have way too much time on my hands that i'm now attempting to learn how to sew. Sigh. I don't wanna talk about it lol. **_

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><p>xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxox<p>

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Morning dawned.

Another day at camp with the mud, bugs and animal droppings that littered the ground. What made it even worse was sharing a space with that annoying Professor and his playing-hard-to-get daughter. He'd break her one of these days. Her discrete flirting wasn't as discrete as she thought. Her father might think she's innocent, but Bella wasn't fooling Aro.

She would parade around in shorts all the time, despite her complaints of there being enough mosquitoes to cover every inch of her skin.

Then, she'd layer on sun screen, and when she couldn't reach her back and he offered to help, she would refuse. Fucking tease. She was teasing him. She wanted Aro to chase her. And chase he would.

For the most part, Aro was a patient man; but with a body like Bella's, waiting was _not _something he wanted to do. He needed those tits in his mouth as soon as possible! Maybe she just needed a bit of persuasion.

Bella wasn't the typical girl, and they weren't exactly in the proper setting for wining and dining - even if she was into that sort of thing. There wasn't a movie theatre, restaurant, sidewalk cafe, or even a vending machine within a few miles of their current location. How was Aro going to coax her into his sleeping bag under these circumstances? Without a date, there'd definitely be no pussy.

Aro would think of something eventually. He'd continue playing this game of hers. He'd chase her, and when the time is right, he'd fuck her into next week!

He still needed to keep an eye out for her friend.

The Gorilla-man.

_Poor sap. She had to teach him everything._

What Edward needed to do was bring them to the gorillas, and then go get lost again in the jungle somewhere.

With Bella focusing all her time and energy on him, how was Aro going to steer her in his direction? She'd already been too exhausted for anything else the past few weeks, and their time in the Amazon would soon come to an end. Who knows how much busier things would get once they were all back stateside. Aro would quite literally explode if he couldn't have her soon.

Aro palmed his crotch, rubbing the ache of his morning wood away. Turning over in his sleeping bag, he felt the sexy material rub against his face. He opened his eyes and was graced with the best present to wake up to - a pair of very red, very lacy underwear on his pillow.

No, Bella hadn't left them there. He stole them from her bag the night prior when she was busy with Edward's lessons. He'd convinced himself that she had left them laying around for him to find; teasing him again. She gave him just enough to satisfy his sweet tooth, but still withheld the sugary goodness.

_Who wears lacy underwear in the jungle, anyway? Of course she wanted me to find them_, Aro reasoned.

His stash of 'Bella goodies' was piling up. He had taken her fruity body lotion, a hair tie, two lace bra's, a used dirty towel, her cherry flavored lip balm and now, her red panties. Though Bella was somewhat tomboyish, all of her things had that sweet, feminine scent to it. He couldn't wait to bury his nose in her panties to see what they smelled like. It only made him think more about burying his face between her thighs.

Aro began stroking himself at the thought. No use in trying to conceal another painful erection all day.

"Oh, heavens! Where did I leave my book? Bella, dear, I'm going into the bush; got some _business _to take care of. Tell Aro to help you set up for the day. I'll be right back!" Charlie shouted across the camp.

Well, that certainly took care of Aro's erection. Nothing could kill a mood faster than thinking about Professor Swan handling his _business _nearby_._

With a frustrated groan, Aro attempted to get up for the day.

This teasing game was going to come to an end. Soon. Hopefully, it would end with Bella on her knees, and him spilling into her mouth.

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Edward had never felt better in his life than he did at that very moment.

He was walking - yes, walking - head held high, on his way to the camp to meet up with Bella and the others.

His leg muscles were already developed from use, but he needed to get accustomed to the change of being upright instead of hunched over all the time.

It took him some time, but learning to be more 'human' was a necessary adjustment in Edward's head. There were many obstacles, but his determination made it easier to overcome them one at a time. Professor Swan came back from the city some time ago with some books, a few movies and a device to watch them on. The visual helped, but Bella's support and being there definitely helped more.

He had decided to surprise Bella that morning to show how grateful he was.

What was a nice gift to show appreciation? What would Bella like?

His mother loved eating butterflies, but he thought they were disgusting. Surely, other humans would as well.

Mud helped with the insect problem, and he had heard her constantly complain about her "cheap-ass bug repellent" a thousand times. But he didn't think she'd appreciate him pushing her into a huge mud pile.

Edward stood and looked around the forest. What was in reach that she'd love?

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Today was a day of rest!

No, it wasn't Sabbath, not that Bella was really religious or anything. But she was exhausted! So, it was declared an official day of rest for the crew.

They prepared some real food from the goods brought in from frequent trips into Amazonas - the nearest town - packed a few bags, and were all going to lounge by the waterfall up the mountain all day.

Edward had specifically chosen that waterfall because they'd all be able to survive the small hike. Especially since Professor wasn't as capable in his older years, but he'd promised it was even more beautiful than the few they had previously seen. It took a bit of convincing during the planning phase, but they were all on board after he'd described it to them.

The only thing missing now was the man who would lead the way.

Edward was late. Bella could tell even without a watch. No patience, remember?

She had knelt down to tie her shoe lace when a distinct pair of tanned, muddy feet appeared in her line of vision.

Which reminded her, she needed to get him some shoes. She was sure he'd been hurt more than once by thorns and sticks on the forest floor.

Looking up, the first thing she noticed was his huge smile. He seemed almost excited. Then he moved his arms from behind his back, stretching them out towards her. Bella could feel her heart constrict against her ribcage.

Rising slowly, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers she had ever seen.

Edward had been paying attention to Bella. Her sense of smell seemed to overpower her other senses. She would appreciate the colours, but he knew the combination of smells would captivate her the most.

Bella buried her face in the flowers and inhaled so deeply, her father had to remind her to exhale before she passed out.

They smelled so good. Like differently fragranced perfumes. Some mild, some powerful, all so sweet.

Before she knew what she was doing, Bella threw her arms around Edward's neck in a tight embrace and hugged him to her. "I love them." Was all she was able to say.

What was it she said before about flowers being cheesy and laughing in a man's face if he ever brought her some? Yeah, well, this definitely wasn't cheesy. Her senses were properly well stimulated.

Edward stood still and wrapped his arms around her.

_That's what that man in the movie last night did, right? He held her, and then their lips met._

He was still a bit unsure about their lips touching, so he settled for a hug. Bella had been the one to initiate the contact, and she didn't protest, so he held onto her for a while, thinking it was okay.

When she let go and looked at him, lost for words as well, Edward only muttered a gentle, "Thank you."

There it was. That blush again. Every time he saw it, the need to touch her cheek was too strong. At least Bella didn't seem to mind.

What concerned her, however, was the intensely intimate moments, and how fast they were becoming frequent. She easily blushed more and as innocent as they had been, she couldn't deny how they made her feel.

Bella was not sure that the reason for her attraction was due to the attention being given to her, or the fact that Edward was the one giving it. But she reveled in the feeling of being wanted.

Did he want her? She certainly wanted him. But there was still a problem Bella tried to make some sense of. Though he was acting like a human now, surely he couldn't understand feelings and emotions.

He grew up among animals, and based on her research, they acted solely on instinct - not emotion. They didn't date. They selectively choose partners for genetic survival, not based on social standards.

He'd never been exposed to that before.

Maybe it was just wishful thinking that she could teach him how to feel the same way she taught him to speak.

Once again at a total loss for words, with a loud sigh, she stepped out of his reach, grabbed her bag and gathered the others.

"C'mon guys, let's go climb a mountain."

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This had to be the most exhausting part of the trip for Bella thus far.

The weather was particularly warmer than usual, yet the rain continued to occasionally pour. It was like Mother Nature couldn't make up her mind.

_Either you send heat, or you send rain, but you can't send both!_

Then, there was her father's constant complaining.

_Nothing new there, he complained about everything about the trip so far anyway. _

He'd need to stop every five minutes to catch his breath, take a few sips of water and rant about the unstable weather over and over again.

In addition to that, there were the children she needed to keep in line. No, not actual children, but Aro and Edward. They were driving Bella crazy! It began when Aro, under the pretense of helping her up a slope and over a fallen tree branch, placed his hand on her waist and failed to remove it. Before Bella could swat his hand away, Edward intervened in an attempt to do a better job at it than Aro had - swooping her up so that his arms were under her knees and supporting her back as he walked away with a smug look on his face. That's how the pissing contest began.

An hour into the hike and Bella had been pulled, tugged and lifted so many times she had lost count. Even falling that one time when Aro couldn't support her weight. With all the '_my dick is bigger than yours_' antics between the two (which was equal parts annoying and flattering), the group had slowed down significantly and was now behind schedule.

There had been a spitting contest, a mini sprint and now Aro was teaching Edward to arm wrestle. There needed to be an end to their shenanigans, or else they'd make it to the waterfall by night, and as usual, Bella's impatience and anger won out.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, guys! Come on! It's already a little after noon and we have no idea how much longer it'll take to get there. Yet, you're being the world's biggest whiner," Bella pointed an accusing finger at her father, and then turned towards Aro and Edward, "and the both of you are playing silly macho men games. You both need to get this shit outta your systems and quick, before I fucking lose it!" Bella's volume had risen with each passing word until she was almost screaming at the men.

All three of them were now staring at Bella, a bit stunned at her outburst.

That's when Edward used Aro's diverted attention to his advantage and slammed his arm down on the tree stump.

The remainder of the hike was relatively quiet. Charlie stopped complaining as much and only stopped twice to catch his breath. Aro walked behind the group, arms folded and sullen from his defeat, and Edward was holding Bella's hand, helping her along the trail with the biggest grin of triumph on his face.

Bella took a step through the opening in the vines Edward had parted and looked up at the most beautiful picture she'd ever seen. It did look like a picture; something you'd see in movies or books, or while flipping through brochures that tried to persuade you to come vacation in the Caribbean. Never had she thought she'd be able to witness this beauty in real life, yet there it was - big and loud. Not to mention, beautiful.

Bella opted for a swim, while the others ate (a late) lunch and relaxed their sore muscles from the strenuous hike.

The waterfall was tall, but not necessarily huge or rough. The water was calm and flowed heavily from the constant rains into the pools that were a few feet deep, leading down the other side of mountain. Inside of the waterfall was a small cave, big enough for a small group of people to stand inside.

Bella stood under the water with her head tilted down, letting it run over her body and relax her. That's when she felt hands on her lower back, working its way up to her neck.

"You're tired. Let me help." Edward rubbed soothing circles on her skin, adding slight pressure where it was needed. "What do you call this? Me rubbing your body…" Just then, he slid his hands under the straps of her bikini top.

_It's called foreplay_, Bella thought. Gosh, those mind ramblings were happening again!

"A massage." Was her reply, but the moan that escaped after it could not be helped.

With a chuckle, Edward enquired, "And what do you call that noise?" Bella moaned again and emphasized it with a slight roll of the neck.

When Bella didn't elaborate further, Edward continued with his questioning. "So, are you paired with Aro? He seems to be very protective of you."

Bella made a very unladylike noise just then, which caused Edward to chuckle. "Don't worry about him. He's had this annoying little crush on me for some time and cannot get it through his head that I do _not _like him."

"I do not understand much, but I can understand why he may like you."

"And why is that?"

"Because you are beautiful, Bella." With that, her head shot up and Bella spun around to look at Edward. "You have deep, honest eyes that see the beauty in everything. A small nose that appreciates the smells around you, and lips that can speak only good...except when you curse." Edward had a smirk on his face, trying to be funny with her. But the look on her face showed otherwise.

Bella was absolutely stunned. He was complimenting her. Edward was actually complimenting her, and the only things that ran through her brain were, _"Wow, that was good!"_ and _"Where did he learn the word _appreciate _from?" _

All of that didn't matter at the moment. All Bella wanted was to be able to kiss him, and though she fought an internal battle, questioning whether this was right or not, and her conclusion was a resounding '_fuck it!_'

She launched herself at him, lips connected, arms around his neck, his hands still on her back under her bikini top.

He pulled away long enough to ask, "What do you call that?"

Bella's lips were all over him. His jaw, cheek and neck when she mumbled, _kissing_.

"Oh. Well I really like kissing then!" And their lips were joined again.

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xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxox

.

Yep, she was definitely testing him alright! _That slut! _

Standing under the waterfall, out there in the open, just as the afternoon shade came in, while she kissed another man so passionately as the birds fluttered and chirped. She had set the perfect fucking scene.

Aro sat on a boulder just off the side of the waterfall, ignoring his turkey sandwich as he watched the scene play out before him. After he basically fought his way up there, making his intentions known by fighting the gorilla-man for her attention, she was standing mere feet away from him kissing someone else.

_Wait...was that tongue? _Aro definitely thought he saw some tongue for a second there. His hands were all over her! That was it! No more playing around with this bitch. She was going to be his, and he would be sure to let everyone know it, too! But first, something needed to be done about _him_.

Aro pulled out a notepad and a pencil and began his letter.

_Dear Mike,_

_I know it's been a while, but I need a favor..._

_._

xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxx

_._

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><p><strong><em>Is anyone else creeped out by Aro? How are you guys feeling so far? I want thoughts &amp; everything! <em>**

**_As always, thank you to the incredible Packy & Twilly for prereading, and MyOnlyHeroin gets all the hugs for betaing this bad boy! _**

**_Yes, i'm over on Fictionpad as C_Alize. If you're more comfortable there or incase I get in trouble here, that's where you can find me. _**

_**Currently i'm tripping over myself to get to "Play, Pause, Repeat" by RRose and "Anyone Else But You" by iambeagle. I needed the fluff in my life and these two are just so unfff!** _

_**Thank you guys sooooooo much for reading. I love your kind words, so if you want, leave me some review love! See ya (hopefully) soon :D **_


	9. Chapter 9

_**I'm sorreh, i'm sorreh! I love you guys, and thank you to everyone who's still following along with this! **_

_**Work has been kicking my ass since I got this promotion, and I graduated last weekend! :D **_

_**I wont have you all waiting for an update that long again! I already have the other two chapters pre-read & are gonna be off to the beta within the coming week. **_

_**No, I do not own Twilight, Tarzan or anything affiliated with their respective brands. I am, however, a proud recipient of a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology :D :D woot woot! **_

_**Meet me at the bottom? **_

_**.**_

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><p><em><strong>.<strong>_

"I do not need shoes, Bella." Edward was growing exasperated now. "I want to go with you to see other humans. I want to learn what it is like outside of the rainforest. You did not need to buy me shoes. You do not need to buy me anything!"

Hands on her hips, Bella glared at Edward, and he knew there was no way he had any say in the matter. She would do what she wanted, regardless of his protests.

"The boat's going to be here pretty soon, Edward. You should get ready." Bella replied with a jerk of her head in the direction of the changing area.

That day in the Kapok tree after Edward's fight with his mother, he made a promise to himself. He was going to push himself harder than he'd ever done before. Whatever Bella threw at him, he'd do it. He was determined to become a properly functioning human at any cost.

That just happened to be one of those rare moments where he mentally scolded himself for making the promise.

It was actually Aro's idea to take Edward into the nearby town and show him around. _Teaching him to be human would be easier if he was among more humans experiencing everyday life,_ he coaxed.

Bella and Professor Swan were both thrilled with the idea. But in true Bella fashion, this had to be an excursion. A simple overnight trip wouldn't suffice.

"If we're going to show him the world - well, at least Brazil and it's near surroundings - we need to go to Rio!" Was her argument.

A simple experimental trip was now extended into a full weekend extravaganza. Shopping in the local markets and plazas, sightseeing to the Christ the Redeemer statue, accommodations at the Marriott Hotel, reservations at a few restaurants to sample the local cuisine, along with tickets to a futbol match in Estádio do Maracanã Stadium.

This was no regular trip. This was expensive - a big dip into their research funding, Charlie voiced. But Bella immediately soothed him with the promise to work harder once they returned after the weekend.

"It feels…strange." Edward said as he exited the changing area.

He wore a simple red, checkered flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, khaki cut offs and tennis shoes. All borrowed from Aro. His thick, matted hair pulled back into a low ponytail at the back of his head.

He almost looked normal. He'd taken an actual shower and scrubbed away most of the filth the night before, so this was the best they could do at the moment. Not bad for a man who'd only worn a loincloth before.

"I need some help with the strings on my shoes." Kneeling down, Bella showed him the rabbit through the hole technique adults did with children, hoping he got it on one try. His motivation for learning had somehow tripled in the past few weeks. It didn't surprise her that he was able to do the other one on his own after one demonstration.

Bella looked at the nervous expression on his face and began having second thoughts about the trip. She was taking him away from his only home. Out of his world, and forcing him into hers.

Flashbacks of the lecture she had once heard of 'the wolf boy' who was raised in the wild and died within days of being removed to a facility flashed through her mind. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if something happened to Edward.

Then she reminded herself, this wasn't for the sake of research. That's what the Gorillas were for. She was doing this for Edward.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" She questioned, needing reassurance one final time.

Edward looked her straight in the eyes, and she instantly saw the fire and determination there.

"I'm ready to be human."

.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

.

Never in his life had Edward thought about leaving the amazon. It had never occurred to him that he could leave, nor did he want to. Until now.

He'd told his mother about the trip a few days prior to their leaving. He tried to calm her worrying nature with the assurance that he would soon return. This was a only temporary situation.

He was even able to spend some time with Emm as well - who, by the way, was preparing for his little one on the way. The entire group had recently returned from their journeys to the shore and were all searching for higher ground for the infants to come in a few months.

Edward was sitting in a tiny boat, while Professor Swan sat at the front, chatting away with the guy steering. Bella was seated to his side.

Bella's arm was draped around his shoulders giving some form of comfort. A comfort he so desperately needed at the moment.

As nervous as he was, his excitement outweighed that.

He was anxious to see what other parts of the world were like. How other humans lived. For that weekend, he'd be just another one of them.

This made him giddy. He was about to be a part of something, to be able to blend in and not be the odd man out. Finally!

If his bouncing knee or nail biting wasn't an indication of his nerves, then the constant questioning - that was driving Bella crazy - definitely was.

"Are we there yet?"

"Will it be warm or cold when we get there?"

"What makes the boat move on its own if no one is pushing it?"

"Are you sure no one will stare at me?"

"Do humans usually wear all this clothing?"

"Will Aro be fine getting work done by himself in the forest without you both?"

That final question actually caught Bella's attention. Before, she had been responding to Edward without really paying attention. But the mention of Aro's name always made her alert.

Yes, he'd opted to remain in the Amazon by himself in the hopes of catching a sighting of the Gorillas.

_"__No sense in all of us going to play and no work being done. I'll be fine staying behind and documenting what I can. I will be joining you all on Sunday though. A friend of mine in Rio asked me to pop in for brunch and to catch up. So, I'll probably do that and meet up with you all to return to the Amazon."_ He'd said.

Bella wasn't completely convinced, but then again, what harm could Aro possibly do by himself surrounded by trees and water?

_Whatever trouble Aro got himself into this weekend, he'd have to get himself out of._

Bella reached out and placed her other hand on Edward's bouncing knee. "Everything's going to be fine. If you feel overwhelmed tell me, okay? But you'll be fine."

Edward simply nodded and bowed his head. He needed a distraction and soon found one while looking at their feet.

His shoes were easily twice the size of Bella's. This made Edward smile a bit. He'd never been bigger than anyone else before. With the massive bodies of the male gorillas, and the females, though smaller than the males, were still somewhat larger than he was. The thought of someone being smaller than him was exciting.

Bella was so tiny; just like the female gorillas were. He wondered if he'd have to protect her when they got to Rio, just as the male gorillas do. That was a stupid thought. Though small, Bella was tough. When others complained of the harshness of the Amazon, Bella roughed it like she belonged there. Except for the insects. He feared she'd never get used to that.

Maybe she'd be the one to protect him instead, he thought.

Just then, Bella placed a finger under his chin lifting his head. "Hey, we're here."

With eyes wide and mouth agape, Edward took in the scene before him. The boat was slowing down as it approached the dock where other people were busy milling around.

People in clothes and shoes like his, talking and laughing. It was just like the colony, but instead of gorillas, they were all humans.

He needed to make a good impression on them. He wanted them to accept him, but his nerves and lack of preparation made it impossible to think of some form of peace offering that would be acceptable to humans.

The boat stopped moving, and he noticed that Professor Swan was being assisted with getting their belongings onto the dock. Maybe he could offer his assistance as the peace offering? But with the way his body was shaking, maybe not.

Bella stood and extended her hand towards Edward. "Ready?"

Was he ready? That he couldn't answer.

He grasped her hand in his and at that moment, he knew. He knew that for Bella, he'd go anywhere and do anything she wanted him to.

With her, he was ready.

They got to the edge of the small boat and with arms braced on the dock's rail, Edward swiftly leapt over the side onto the landing. He then reached over and held onto Bella's waist, lifting her up and over.

Not exactly holding the door open, but still chivalrous, she thought.

_Did he learn that from being a part of the colony, or was that some human social cue that he'd picked up?_

Judging by the huge smile on his face, he'd definitely learned that. She'd have to put an end to those stupid romantic comedies her father had been showing him.

Edward was still thinking of ways to prove himself to the humans. A way to gain acceptance. He huffed a breath and looked around at the busy surroundings. They were all interacting with each other, but still going about completing tasks and ignoring him entirely. Didn't they know he was the new guy?

Usually in the colony when a new Gorilla would want to join them, they'd bring food or challenge one of the tougher Gorillas to a battle as a way of proving themselves worthy. But these humans? They didn't seem to care that he was there. Did they just not like him? Was he not required to be initiated into the human world?

A female worker, just then, caught Edward's eye. He noticed her because she was staring directly at him. He held her gaze for a few seconds and then she smiled, winked at him, and then turned her back to continue her task.

Maybe that was the initiation. Whatever it was, he'd take it.

"C'mon you two. The taxi's waiting. " Charlie shouted after slamming the trunk shut.

Grabbing their things, they all climbed into the taxi - Professor at the front, so he could take pictures, and Edward and Bella in the back seat.

They weren't going to spend two days on the road driving to Rio, so a taxi was taking them to the Manaus airport where they'd have to endure a four hour flight.

This part worried Bella the most. Edward seemed okay in the boat, and the car hadn't sparked any major reactions out of him so far. But a plane could be frightening for normal people, and Edward was a special case. She was already pushing his limits as it was, she didn't need him hyperventilating or freaking out at 30,000 feet in the air.

Despite that, Edward couldn't actually get on a plane without a passport. Bella doubted he even had a birth certificate. And if the authorities caught wind of him, it would be science experiments and the feds in less than twenty-four hours.

Aro had used his _'connections' _to arrange a fake passport and I.D. of sorts for Edward. Who they were and how they were able to acquire such legitimate looking documents in two days wasn't a topic Bella wanted to explore. She only hoped they wouldn't get caught.

Bella needed to prepare Edward for this long trip and what waited for them in Brazil's capital. She'd comfort him as much as possible, but if he couldn't do it, then they would turn around and go back to the forest.

She couldn't harm him; wouldn't allow any harm to come to him.

.

xoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxox

.

Edward had been sticking his head out the window for the past ten minutes, eyes closed, feeling the breeze on his face, goofy grin on his lips. Bella smiled at him from her seat next to his. She loved the fact that simple things made him so happy, and that she was the one who gave those happy moments to him.

She tapped him on his shoulder to get his attention. "I need to explain something to you, Edward."

He was looking at her now. When he didn't answer, she continued.

"We're going to an airport. That's where the planes are. A plane is just another form of transportation, just like this car. It's going to take us from here to Rio, where we're staying for the weekend. Instead of traveling on land, the plane flies in the air."

At that, Edwards eyes grew large and Bella immediately felt regret. When panicked, Bella did what she does best: ramble.

"It's going to be ok, I promise. Daddy and I will be there with you on the plane, sitting right beside you. I just need for you to try this, but still let me know how you feel. I know it's going to be really different and you're not used to all this change, and it's a lot of change in a short space of time, but I'd never push you to do it if you really can't. Okay?" She inhaled loudly since she got all of that out in one breath. And if Edward didn't respond soon, the rambling would continue.

"A plane…in the sky?" was Edward's only question.

After her minute of incessant rambling, that was his only response?

Bella simply replied with a soft yes.

"I think I see them sometimes. They fly above the trees. Really high. It looks like a bird, but with lights."

Leave it to Edward to answer in the most childlike, simplistic way and still be able to put a smile on her face.

"Yes, they're like birds, I guess. But they're not small at all. A small plane can hold a number of people in it, so that's kind of big. It's a machine really, that's gonna get us to places a lot faster than we would on land."

Edward nodded. "Okay. I'll try it with you. Can I feel the air on my face again?"

Bella laughed. "Sure, go ahead."

She scooted down and leaned her head back against the seat. Maybe she was freaking out over nothing.

Sometime later, Edward was now fully seated inside the vehicle, staring at Bella's sleeping form.

He inched closer to her and reached out a finger, with feather light touches, he traced her forehead and over her arched eyebrows, down her slender nose, over her petite, pink lips and under her dimpled chin. He brushed his thumb over the apples of her cheeks; the cheeks that he loved to see turn red when she blushed. He touched her ears and the little heart shaped stud that pierced it. Stretching out his fingers, he ran them through her hair from scalp to ends. When he looked at her face again, big brown eyes were staring back at him.

Edward froze at being caught. All he could do was stare back at her. Green piercing into brown; his hand still in her hair. Bella reached out and cupped the side of his face with her hand.

What a pleasant way to wake. And at the same time, what an absolute torture!

Here was this gorgeous man, touching her, and she couldn't do anything about it. Since that day at the waterfall, they hadn't been physically intimate again, and it was driving Bella crazy! Her conscience was screaming at her to do the right thing and just help him, not help herself _to _him. So, she had kept it strictly professional since then. Edward hadn't even brought up the initial kiss or asked to kiss her again. But moments like that - when he was looking at her and touching her the way he was, she couldn't help the way he made her feel.

It was all too much to process, especially since they were in a taxi with her father asleep in the front seat and a driver who kept peeking at them through the rear view mirror. He seriously needed to keep his eyes on the road.

Bella slowly removed her hand and squirmed away from Edwards reach, trying not to overthink the situation at seeing his face fall with disappointment. Or at least she thought it was that.

He leaned back over to his side again; body facing away from Bella's, and looked out the window.

Was he upset with her? She hadn't done anything. He didn't understand human emotions so why was he upset?

They needed to talk. Another thing to add to the "List of things to talk to Edward about".

Bella sighed, and gave Edward his space. Maybe when they got on the plane he'd come around.

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><p>.<p>

**_Lots of happenings in this one! Who's ready to get on a plane with our Tarzanward? & what the hell is Aro up to? hmmmm..._**

**_Again, I must say thank you to Packeh & Twilly for pre-reading and to MyOnlyHeroin for stepping in and being an awesome beta. I love these people sfm for holding my hand, giving great advice and making me laugh until I cry at their comments lol :)_**

**_What am I currently reading? "The Fence" by WinterHorses which is so much hurt but so much good! And "Elastic Heart" by Deviant Bamboo which is a one shot that you all need to join me in begging for her to expand! _**

**_Yes, i'm over on Fictionpad as C_Alize. _**

**_Don't be afraid to leave me some love in the reviews section or just come say hi! :)_**

**_Thank you guys soooo much for reading and sticking with me through this crazy ride! See yall next time! _**


	10. Chapter 10

_**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*  
><strong>_

_**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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><p>xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox<p>

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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xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxooxox

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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.

.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

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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* :)_**


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Twilight, Adventure, Romance