Author's Note.. This chapter has been (unofficially) beta'd by Harlequin Jester x, a close friend of mine. She has a couple of fantastic Twilight one-shots that you ought to read if you enjoyed Lunar Break!

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The Planning

I couldn't believe that I had actually agreed to this torture. Marriage. How could so much evil live in one single word? I had a feeling that I was going to regret letting Alice have her way while planning my wedding. But if it made Edward happy, maybe it would be worth it in the long run. And if I had my way, it was going to be a very, very long run. I just hoped that he didn't change his mind in being the one to change me.

"Bella, honey, what's the matter?" Edward, my fiancee, asked me. I looked at him and smiled ruefully. It was times like this that I was glad he couldn't read my thoughts. Sitting through these wedding plans with him was only worth it because he wouldn't leave my side the whole time.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about this whole stupid thing," I said as I looked into his gorgeous topaz eyes. "Why do we have to go through with this whole cherade?" I asked him. He smiled his crooked smile that I loved and I almost melted on the spot. He knew exactly what it did to me and used it whenever he felt like it.

"Because you agreed to marry me."

"And remind me why I did that exactly. I mean aside from the fact that you used your seductive,charmingly, evil eyes on me again."

He chuckled lightly and pushed away a strand of hair that had escaped from my loosely pulled back bun and placed it behind my ear. "Because you love me and you want to be with me forever. That and you want to be like me and for some reason you want me to be the one to make you that way."

"Oh yeah, I remember now. You didn't want to change me unless I went through this stupid human wedding," I said as Edward turned back to his sister and laughed, again. She looked my outfit of jeans and a sweatshirt up and down, tsking in diaspproval as she had done when I had first arrived to the place that would soon be my own home. "Ok, Alice. I know that you don't like my wardrobe but can we please move on with this torture?" As I said this Edward looked at me with a hint of hurt in his eyes. I knew how much this meant to him and he knew how little it meant to me; as long as I could be with him forever, I didn't see why a wedding was necessary.

But still, it meant a lot to him and I needed to learn how to think before I spoke.

"I'm so sorry Edward, you know I didn't mean it. I love you," I added in for good measure. I mean, I do love him but it couldn't hurt to throw it in. He tossed me his special smile and I almost melted. I playfully smacked his arm in an attempt to show how much I hated when he did that to me, but also loved it at the same time.

"Ow, be careful, Bella. That hurts, you know," he said stifling a laugh.

"Hey, don't tease or I may change my mind about this whole thing," I said also hiding a laugh. He knew that I loved him too much to change my mind about being with him forever.

Alice sat up straight suddenly and gave us a blank-faced stare. To any normal human, it may have seemed that way but to those who knew better knew thatshe was seeing something in the future.

Edward sat up too, mimicking Alice's composure.

"No, Alice. That won't happen, I'll make sure of it myself," he said. If he hadn't turned at that moment, he wouldn't have even noticed that I was pulling on his arm, trying to get his attention.

"What isn't going to happen? Tell me Edward," I told him. He just looked at me.

"Nothing that you should be worried about," he said and went on trying to talk to his sister as if nothing had happened. So, instead, I turned to the person I knew would tell me. She had told me things that Edward hadn't wanted me to know before, why was now any different?

"Alice, what did you see? Tell me, pleeaase? You know I'm your favourite little human barbie doll and if you don't tell me... I'll never let you dress me up ever again," I begged her. She stole a glance from Edward before she looked at me and gave me a vague answer.

"Well, actually, you never let me do it in the first place. So...let me put it this way. I saw Edward breaking one of his promises to you and himself," she looked at Edward again. "Was that ok?" she asked him. I had no idea what she was talking about. Did she see him taking back his promise to be the one to change me? Or was it giving in to my one demand before he changes me? I gave Edward my sorry attempt at a death stare.

"Ok, mister. Start talking. If you change your mind about changing me, I'm going to Carlisle," I was about to say something else but Alice cut me off.

"No, Bella, that didn't change. I saw... something else. Something I wish I hadn't seen," she shivered at what ever it was.

I saw Edward glare at her before saying, "Alice...Don't ."

I couldn't take it anymore so I just got up and left. If he didn't want me to know about something that involved me, then maybe I didn't want to be around him right this second. Who was I kidding? I couldn't go home, Charlie would want to know if the wedding had been called off. He hadn't exactly been ecstatic about it in the first place. I don't know if any father would be too happy if he found out that his daughter was getting married before she even started college. Seeingas howhe wouldn't be the only one who would be glad if the wedding was to be called off, I just stopped in the hall and waited for Edward to come looking for me, which didn't take long.

He put his arms around me and kissed my hair before pulling me close and placing his chin on top of my head. I put my arms around him and layed my head on his cold marble-like chest and sighed.

"I'm sorry Bella. I just didn't want you to get your hopes up," he said before pulling away from me and looking me in the eyes.

"Get my hopes up about what? I just want to know what's going on, Edward. Why can't you tell me something that involves me?" I said, pulling out the puppy dog eyes.

"How do you know it involves you, darling? It could be about anything," he said.

"Well, if it is about something else, what's the harm in telling me?"

"Well, it's not about you, so you were right."

I smirked as we walked back into his massive bedroom, "So what was it? What were you trying to keep from me?You should know that I don't want to have any secrets when we get married."

He smiled and said, "I hope that goes both ways, young lady. You can't keep any secrets from me, either." Crap. Oh well, at least he still can't read my mind.

"Ok, I guess that's only fair," I said as we sat back down onto his couch.

"So is everything better with the love birds? Oh, nevermind, it is," Alice said, more to herself than to us. "Let's hurry this along, we only have 72 hours until the big day and we're still making adjustments."

We all just sat there for another hour or so before we decided to call it a night. After all, I was still human and Edward wanted me to get some sleep.

When we got back to my house, I had to leave Edward outside for a minute so that I could get past security, a.k.a.- Charlie. Ever since we'd becomeengaged, he had a policy of no fiancee in the house after dark. He could no longer ground me because I was a legal adult, so he had to do what he could to keep his little girl safe,which meant that, whileI no longer had a curfew, I was required to come home and be 'alone'.

"Hey, Charlie, I'm home," I said as I walked in the house.

"Hey, Bells. What did you guys to tonight?" he swallowed before continuing. "More," audible gulp, "wedding plans?"

I couldn't help but try to stifle a laugh.

"Um, yeah dad. Exactly. I'm going to hit the sack, see you in the morning. Love you," I said before trying to make a break for it up the stairs. My attempt was thwarted by a clearing of the throat and catching Charlie out of the corner of my eye as I turned.

"Um, Bella honey. I think that we need to talk about, well, ya know, the thing that's coming up in a few days," Charlie said. I loved his attempts at subtlety, they made me laugh at night.

"Sure, dad. What about my WEDDING? How are you holdin' up with the fact that you'll have the house back to yourself in just a few days?" I tried to pry into the world of my father and could just imagine how much fun Edward was having up in my room. Maybe that over-emphasis on the word wedding was a little much. If I shuddered at the thought of the word, how bad was it for this poor man who would be losing his daughter to another man in just three short days?

"Um, yeah, that," he said sheepishly. Ok so it had been a bit much, my bad. I descended the two steps that I had managed to go up and stood in front of my father. I looked up at him before he pulled me into a tight hug. Well, for Charlie it was tight but with what I was used to from my other family, it was nothing.

"I love you, Bells. I hope you know that. Even when you move in with him or if, and I'm leaning towards if, you move away. I want you to remember that, always," he said this before squeezing me again. This was awkward.

"Um, Dad, are you ok? You never show your mushy side," I said, trying to lighten the mood, suddenly wished that Edward wasn't listening upstairs. this might be a bit painful for him or he may think that it was painful for me.

But I knew that this was Charlie's way of starting to let go. This had to be the most painful for him. I decided to give him his moment. I hugged him as tightly as I could and he just hugged tighter.

"Ok, Dad, can't...breathe," I waited for him to pull back a little before I continued. "I love you, too, Dad. But can I go to my room, now? I'm really tired, you know, all of that planning wore me out." This was a small lie, but I wanted to see Edward. I looked up at him and saw a tear roll down his cheek before he turned his head.

"Yeah, sure, Bells. Sorry to keep you up, but I'm going to lose you in a few days and I just want you to know how much I care for you, even if I haven't shown it in these last two and a half years."

"Yeah, Dad, I love you too," I said this and let him kiss my head as he had done for the past few days. I opened my door and Edward jumped off of my bed to meet me at the door. He took me into his arms and I layed my head on his cold, marble chest.

"I love you, Bella. But nothing can replace the love of a father. I hope that you know that," he said against my hair before kissing my head.

"Yeah, I know, but I love you more," I argued.

He sighed, "Bella, how many times have we gone over this before? I love you enough to take away your human existence."

I pulled away from him slightly, "Yeah, but I'm the one who is giving up my human existence to spend eternity with you, so I win."

He chuckled lightly and pulled me into another vice grip hug and I just sighed. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" he asked me as he pulled away to look at me with concern in his eyes.

"Nothing... I just like this, you know? Just being here... with you."

He pulled my face close to his and said, "I will always love you. This doesn't have to end, but you still don't have to do this." And then he kissed me. I instantly reacted but instead of trying to stop me like he usually did, I had to stop. Which I deeply regreted.

I had no idea what he meant. "Ok, Edward. As much as I hate to stop this, you need to talk. Now." He just looked at me as if I had said that he was fat and needed to go on a diet.

"Talk. Now. What did Alice see? What don't I have to do? And why are you trying to distract me from the things that matter?" I had to lower my voice when I heard Charlie call from the stairway. "Nothing, Dad. Just talking to myself."

I turned back to Edward with what I hoped he would interpret as the death stare I intended it to be. He looked at me and grabbed my hand to pull me towards my bed. As we sat down, he pulled me onto his lap and leaned me against his chest.

"Ok, Bella. Do you really want to know everything?" he looked at me and I had to state the obvious.

"Would I ask if I didn't really want to know?"

He chuckled again. "Ok, I get your point. Let's start with the simple question. You don't have to go through with the wedding if you don't want to." I started to object to this but he must have known what I was going to say because he held up a hand to stop me.

"Let me finish. I know how much youhate going through all of this just to be with me... so, if you want," he closed his eyes and sighed, "We can just call it alloff."

I was shocked at what he said. "Do you really think that I don't love you enough to go through with something that means so much to you? And you call me crazy..."

He looked at me in awe,smiled, and kissed me before continuing, "And as to what happened with Alice this afternoon, she wasn't lying when she said she saw me breaking a promise to myself and you. I had to stop her because, as you know, her visions don't always come true and I didn't want her to get your hopes up."

I had to interrupt here. "Actually, they do come true, always, if the person doesn't change their mind. But they don't always come true in the way they are first interpreted. You should know that. There, I'm done, you can continue." I chucked to myself.

He smiled before going on, "Well, you got me there. You're right again. This is just another thing I love about you, you aren't afraid to speak your mind." He reached up and touched my cheek. "What she saw was me breaking my promise to try after we're married. Now, before you say anything, it's not what you think. She saw us trying tonight. But she saw me starting it all."

He gave me a moment to take all of that in and watched my face as it sunk in.

"How did you just decide that right then? I mean, what happened to make such a snap decision?"

He held me closer to himself before answering me.

"Well, to be honest, you were just sitting there, in your jeans and sweatshirt that my sister approved so little of, and when you were trying not to laugh, it turned me on. You just looked so damn sexy in that moment. I don't know what came over me to even think about doing that with Alice sitting right there."

Well. That's that... I guess.

"But you still haven't told me why you were trying to distract me."

He tookmy hand into his, "Well, I figured if I could distract you, it might distract me as well. And then what Alice saw wouldn't happen for a few days. Not until the honeymoon anyway."

I looked up at him and smiled before glaring at the man who would soon be my husband in just a few short days.

"And you just felt that you had to keep this information to yourself? Why didn't you justtell me? I may have been able to handle it."

Edward looked at me and kissed me before answering my questions, "I guess that it doesn't matter anymore since you know now. Now are you ready to go to sleep so that we can spend our last day together before we are legally bound?"

He asked me this and I just stared at him because of his carefully worded statement that he said so easily.

"What do you think, my husband?" He looked at me oddly when I called him my husband since he knew how little I wanted to get married. He must have forgotten about what he had said at his house this evening, because he layed me down on the bed on top of my pillows before getting up from my bed and shutting my door.I must have been too distracted toclose itmyself earlier.

He crossed the distance to my bed in just a few short strides and climbed in beside me, then pulled my blankets back and covered us both.

"Edward, what are you doing? I thought we were going to wait..." I trailed off because he kissed me. Harder than usual but at the same time very gentle. He pulled my body towards his own and wrapped his arms around me. I reacted as I normally would and he didn't stop me. I was surprised at this because we normally would stop if he thought he would lose control of himself.

I knew what we were about to do, but I wanted to do it right. He moved his hands to the small of my back and they were icy against my skin. This was what I had wanted for the longest time, the only demand I had for him before I lost my human existence.

And yet, it didn't seem right to take away what he wanted... all he wanted wasto wait until we were married.

As he moved his hands up my back. under my shirt, I had to stop before things went to far. I knew I was going to regret this. I had to do this before I changed my mind and didn't have the willpower to do anything at all in resistance. He moved from my lips and went to my cheeks, my ears...

"Edward, " I said breathlessly.

He looked up from my neck, the place to where he had made a trail of kisses, "Yes, my Bella?"

This was going to happen now, before it went too far or Charlie came upstairs.

"Um, this is hard for me to say," I whispered. "I think we need to stop. I really am going to regret this in the morning but you know that you don't want to go through with this. I don't want to make you do the one thing that you didn't do wrong in your lifetime."

He stared at me, fixated on my lips as I talked.

"You know that with you saying that, it just makes me want you more, right? And you say I'm evil and seductive."

"Not to mention charming. Plus, what if you were too distracted and missed if Charlie was coming up the stairs and he walked in on us? That might make him a little angry, don't ya think?"

He removed his hand from underneath my shirt and brought it to my face.

"I love you so much, Bella. I love that you would give up your human existence just to be with me. That is why I want to marry you, not so that Jacob or Mike can't have you, but because no man deserves you. Not even me. I don't know why you chose me, but I'm glad you did," he kissed me when he had finished. Once, twice, three times and sent my heart racing each time.

I pulled him against my body and held him there, "And I love you, Edward. That is why I am going through with this, to show how much I love you. That will never change. I just hope you can put up with me for all of eternity."

I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him. He knew when I wanted to stop and didn't try to pull away too early; he knew that I had learned some control in the time we had been together.

When I pulled away from him, he placed his head on my chest to listen to my heartbeat. He had done this every night for the past few months and was desperately going to miss that sound when my heart stopped beating.

The last thought before I went to sleep was that I knew what I was going to get Edward as my first gift to him as his one and only wife.