A/N: Hello, Twilighters! Only 14 hours left until the release of Breaking Dawn! I don't know about you, but I'll be in line at Barnes & Noble at midnight. Anyway, I just thought maybe some of you would need your fill of Twilight to last you until then, so I've been working on this oneshot. I wondered about the scene right after Eclipse where Bella and Edward tell Charlie that they're getting married. I am fairly certain Stephenie Meyer did not write this scene in Breaking Dawn, as I have read the opening pages. I've called it 'Breaking the News' for lack of a better name. It is also quite raw and may contain typos. Anyway, if you need more 'Twilight,' visit Stephenie's page at . There are all sorts of great links to keep you occupied until midnight. Hope you enjoy this oneshot. I did, and that's why it's so long. :D
The rain started to drip through the clouds just then, a few scattered drops that made faint thuds as they struck the grass.
I glowered at the sky.
"I'll get you home." He brushed the tiny beads of water from my cheeks.
"Rain's not the problem," I grumbled. "It just means that it's time to go do something that will be very unpleasant and possibly even highly dangerous."
His eyes widened in alarm.
"It's a good thing you're bulletproof." I sighed. "I'm going to need that ring. It's time to tell Charlie."
He laughed at the expression on my face. "Highly dangerous," he agreed. He laughed again and then reached into the pocket of his jeans. "But at least there's no need for a side trip."
He once again slid my ring into place on the third finger of my left hand.
Where it would stay—conceivably for the rest of eternity.
I could feel the elation as he ran, tree trunks and low-hanging branches seeming to leap out of our path, and I found that despite the dread creeping in as we neared the edge of the forest, I was in high spirits as well. As long as he was happy, nothing else in the world mattered—not rifts between best friends or the complete wrongness of teenage matrimony.
Not even the wrath of an angry father.
My mind wandered as the forest continued to zip away in an unnatural emerald blur. I remembered how I'd once thought that my new hometown of Forks, Washington was just too green, due to the unremitting rain. I'd yearned for the sun to make an appearance, grieving for the clear blue skies of Phoenix, my home.
Nowadays, I cursed the appearance of the sun, for it meant that a long, Edward-less day lay ahead of me. I wound my arms tighter around him at the thought. It was always hard to be away from him, even for a little while. Forks was my home now. This small, drizzly town housed everything I loved most: Charlie, Edward,…Jacob.
It was hard to think of Jacob now. I knew I'd made the right choice when I'd picked Edward over him. There had never been any contest; Edward was the one I couldn't live without. But I did love Jacob, and I couldn't bear to hurt him, inevitable as it seemed. That's why, though I considered Forks my home, I would never come back after…after Edward changed me. It wouldn't be fair to Jacob, and I couldn't put him through the pain of seeing me changed. Still, I knew that if he wanted me, I would come back to visit often. And a part of me really wanted him to want me. Jacob had been my personal sun, driving away all the clouds blocking out the sky, for so long that it was difficult for me to give him up. When I was with him, I felt younger, more reckless. At the thought of leaving, I felt like I was losing that side of me along with my best friend.
And not only was I leaving behind my best friend, I was leaving behind everyone else I had ever known in my eighteen years of life. It was surprisingly difficult, the thought of never seeing any of them again. There were some people I wouldn't miss, like Lauren and probably even Jessica. But the thought of never seeing Angela again…
Still, there were sure to be some sacrifices for what I wanted most. And I did want this. I was ready now, ready to become a part of Edward's family, in more ways than just one. I knew I couldn't be swayed, no matter what. The only thing that held me back from making that permanent change was my parents. Renee and Charlie deserved better than a daughter who just disappeared, without a trace. I couldn't tell them the truth and therefore they could never fully understand how happy I would be, how all my dreams were coming true, but I would leave them with enough closure that they wouldn't worry too much about me. And I would visit as soon as I was able. As often as I was able.
I noticed belatedly that Edward had stopped running and was pulling me around from his back to lie contentedly in his strong arms. He was smiling widely, exhilarated from his run. His cool lips found mine and, as usual, I forgot all my worries. I forgot my name, forgot how to breathe. Maybe this was what he had intended, and I welcomed the distraction, a little too enthusiastically as always. I crushed my lips to his, stepping over his invisible line and putting myself, as he saw it, in unnecessary danger. I knew I had only a few seconds until he pulled back, a disapproving look in his eyes, and I took advantage of the time I had left, pulling myself closer to his icy chest, the chill of his perfect marble skin seeping through his damp shirt. I shivered, but it wasn't because of the cold.
His granite lips froze on mine and, as I had expected, he pulled me away from him, setting me gently on my feet. "Bella," he said disapprovingly, and I was surprised to find that his breathing was almost as uneven as mine.
"Edward," I groaned, mimicking his tone. He grinned at me, my favorite crooked smile, and took my hand, towing me to the passenger side of my old, rusted truck.
I paused a moment at the door, not caring that the rain was coming down steadily now and I would soon be soaked, and he mistook my hesitation. "Fine," he sighed reluctantly, stepping around to open the driver's side door for me instead. "You can drive, but only because you may never be allowed out of the house again after tonight." A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, as he pictured Charlie's probable reaction to the news of our engagement.
"You know," I said quickly, as if speed would make up for my lack of reasoning, "maybe we should just elope after all. Charlie would never have to know, and…"
A perfect marble hand covered my lips, stifling my rambling pleas. "Shh, Bella. Charlie will be fine, you'll see." Seeing the look on my face, he added, "Well, he'll be fine after a while anyway."
I suppressed the sarcastic remarks fighting to be set loose and sighed, replacing them with a very unconvincing "Fine, let's just go." I did, however, climb into the driver's seat rather than let Edward drive. My truck was old and didn't appreciate being pushed to the speeds the Cullens tended to prefer. Plus, my comparatively slow driving might buy me a few more minutes…
I stared out the windshield as I drove, barely paying attention to the road. All too soon, I was pulling into the driveway behind Charlie's police cruiser. I cut the deafening engine on my truck and sat in the cab, unwilling to move.
Edward was at my door faster than humanly possible, smoothing down my hair and whispering sweet reassurances in my ear. When I didn't respond, he took my face in his hands and forced me to meet his liquid gold gaze. I don't know what expression was on my face, but whatever he saw caused him wrap me in his arms and pull me against his perfect marble chest and I inhaled his scent, trying to calm my rapid breathing.
Some part of me realized how ridiculous I was being and forced me to twist out of Edward's embrace—though of course I could never have done this by myself, he being about a zillion times stronger than me. "I'm okay," I whispered, looking into his topaz eyes, which were more filled with more worry than they needed to be.
He still looked unsure, possibly rethinking his whole decision, trying to figure out how to make me happy, as usual. I undid the clasp on my seatbelt and got out of the car, taking his hand in mine. I glared again at the darkening sky as the falling drops began to get heavier. I took a deep breath and grinned at Edward, desperate to make him smile again. "Should we remove the rounds from Charlie's gun first?" I teased, my mood already somewhat lighter. Edward always had that effect on me. I just couldn't be in a bad mood when he was near.
His responding grin chased the remaining fear away and he played along. "As if mere bullets could affect me." He left my side for only a second, but in that time he'd raced around the block, faster than a speeding bullet, which was exactly the point. He returned, a few feet away from me, let out a low, guttural growl, and poised to pounce.
"Oh, no," I warned, taking a step back from him, knowing it was futile. "Not this again." I remembered the last time I'd seen him crouched in this playfully dangerous pose. It had been my first time at the Cullen household, and we were in his bedroom…
That time I'd landed on the couch, hardly jostled at all by his "attack." This time there was only hard concrete and my truck to break my fall. He uttered another playful growl but relaxed his posture and took my hand, laughing.
He was still chuckling as we walked through the door and saw Charlie sitting on the couch. Seeing him reminded me why we were here, and warm blood rushed to my face. I didn't know how to talk to Charlie about this sort of thing. We were both more inclined to keep things to ourselves, so I hadn't had a lot of experience in this department.
"Hey, Bells," Charlie called casually from the living room.
I saw Edward grin out of the corner of my eye. He looked smug for some reason. I wondered what he was seeing in Charlie's thoughts.
"Umm," I began cunningly. "Hi, Ch—Dad." I wasn't allowed to call him Charlie to his face. "Dad, I um…" I trailed off, blushing furiously.
"What's up, Kid?" he asked, genuinely worried. "You're turning all red. Is something wrong?" He looked at Edward accusingly. Charlie was definitely not Edward's biggest fan, especially after I'd become a bona fide zombie in his absence only a matter of months ago. Still, it wasn't Edward's fault, and I wish I could make Charlie understand that.
"N—no," I stammered, my cheeks still burning. I looked up at Edward for support.
"Good afternoon, Charlie," Edward greeted pleasantly. He pressed his fingers gently but firmly into the small of my back, urging me forward.
I walked into the living room, where whatever game Charlie had been watching still played on the television screen. I picked up the remote, hit the power button, and turned towards Charlie, trying to remain serious. Edward sat down on the couch next to me, completely at ease, and put his hands on my hips to ease me to a sitting position.
"Dad," I began, staring at a hole in the knee of my jeans. "I—We have something to tell you." I chanced a glance at his face and realized that he wasn't even listening to me. He was staring, wide-eyed, at my left hand. Obviously, Charlie was way more perceptive than I'd given him credit for. I should have stuffed my left hand into the pocket of my jeans or something.
"Isabella Marie Swan!" he yelled. "You are not running off with that boy, young lady, and I mean it!"
Whenever an adult tried to tell me what to do, it just served to make me defensive. I felt the adrenaline rush into my bloodstream as I started shouting back at him. "Dad, I'm eighteen. I can do whatever I want!"
"You just wait till your mother hears about this," he countered, reaching for the phone. But Edward snatched the receiver out of its cradle before Charlie could lay a finger on it. Charlie didn't even seem to notice that no human could have possibly move that quickly. The sight of Edward just angered him more. "You," he spat, fuming. "You have no right—"
"Charlie," he cut off smoothly, his voice polite and soft. He set the phone down gently on the coffee table and looked Charlie straight in the eye, his own eyes filled with emotion. "I love your daughter," he practically whispered it was so quiet, "and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I promise to take good care of Bella, to love her and protect her and make her as happy as I possibly can." My breath caught in my throat. Was he actually asking my father permission to marry me? There was no way that would actually work! He had to know that. "Please, may I marry your daughter?"
There was a stunned silence that lasted only seconds, though it seemed like an eternity. "No, you may not!" Charlie shouted, outraged.
"Why not?" Edward countered, still calm.
The unexpected question caught Charlie by surprise again and it was a moment before he answered but when he did, his voice was cold and his words stung. "You left her once before," he said, and pain flooded into Edward's golden eyes. "How do I know you won't do it again?"
He'd hit on a sore spot, and he knew it. I jumped to my feet, furious, ready to defend him, but Edward looked at me and shook his head, ever so slightly. Crossing my arms angrily over my chest, I sat back on the couch and let him handle it, shooting daggers at Charlie over his shoulder.
"I know," Edward answered Charlie, the pain evident in his voice. "It was the biggest mistake of my life, and I swear to you that it will never ever happen again. How can I make you see that I truly am sorry, that I love your daughter and I just want to make her happy?"
"You can't," Charlie said with a sense of finality, confident that he'd won the argument. Oh, how little he knew me. Or Edward for that matter.
"Okay then," Edward said simply, and I balked. He couldn't be giving up!
"Edward!" I protested, but he ignored me, still staring intently at Charlie, awaiting his reaction.
"There," Charlie said, glad that he'd managed to talk some sense into my boyfriend—excuse me, fiancée, if he that's even what he was anymore. "Enough of this wedding nonsense. Bella—"
"Oh, there's going to be a wedding," Edward interrupted efficiently. I sighed in relief, letting out a breath I hadn't even realized I'd been holding. How could I doubt Edward even for a second?
"But—"
"Bella is eighteen, Charlie. She doesn't need her father's permission to get married." His voice was hard, decisive but not impolite.
"Oh, no, you don't," Charlie argued. "Not while she's living under my roof!"
"Bella?" Edward said, turning to me.
"I'll go get my suitcase," I announced, glad to finally play a part in the conversation.
Charlie looked frantic, obviously realizing that he was about to lose his only daughter. "Bella, honey. You can't move out. You have no place to stay," he reasoned, sounding more like he was talking me down from jumping off a cliff than from moving out of the house.
"She can stay with me, of course," Edward put in.
Charlie did not look happy, to say the least. He bit back the denial I was sure was on his tongue, knowing that ordering me not to move in with Edward would in fact have the opposite effect. He glared at Edward and then turned to me. "Bella…" he pleaded.
The idea of living with Edward was very appealing, but I reminded myself that I would have all of eternity with him. I only had a short time left with my father, though. When I finally answered, my voice was calm and controlled. "Dad, I don't want to have to move out just yet. I'm going off to college in a few months and it might be a long time before I see you again." No need to tell him that I meant longer than just the few months until winter break. A relieved smile broke out across his face—a smile which disappeared as soon as I said these next words. "But I am going to marry Edward, Dad. I love him." My voice broke on those last words and Edward took my hand and squeezed it gently, comfortingly.
Charlie seemed more than a little uncomfortable by my show of emotion. Nothing scared Charlie more than the prospect of tears, and I could feel my eyes starting to swell.
"Edward," Charlie said, trying to sound calm, though I could hear the barely-disguised sneer behind the word. "Could you give us a little privacy?"
"Of course," he responded, jumping lightly to his feet and releasing my hand. "Why don't I go fix Bella something to eat?" I hadn't realized until that moment that I was starving. "Are you hungry, Charlie?"
He may be angry with Edward, but Charlie was not about to pass up a perfectly good dinner. "Um, sure."
"There's some lasagna in the fridge," I told him. "It's all ready to go. Just pop it in the microwave."
Edward nodded once and walked agilely into the kitchen. I knew that this was only for Charlie's benefit since he would still be able to hear every word we said, no matter how quietly Charlie spoke.
When he heard the refrigerator door open, Charlie turned to me, his face tired but determined. "Bells, I love you," he said, surprising me.
"I love you, too, Dad," I responded truthfully. He smiled slightly, and I added, "But I love Edward, too, Dad. I really do."
He sighed heavily. "I know you do, Bells. But I just think that maybe you're rushing into things. I mean, you're only eighteen. Do you really want to get married?"
I forced myself not to cringe at the word. Married. I was going to be married. But it wouldn't be so bad if it meant that I could be with Edward forever. I smiled. "Yes, Dad. That's what I want." And I knew the words were true as soon as they came out of my mouth.
"Bella, don't you think you should wait? You've only known him a little over a year. And you've never even had another boyfriend. How do you know—?"
"Trust me, Dad. I know. He's the one."
We sat there in the living room staring at each other for a while, neither one knowing what to say to the other. Finally, Charlie opened his mouth to speak. "Bella, if this is about—"
But just then we heard a beep in the kitchen as the timer on the microwave ended. "Food's ready!" Edward yelled quickly from the kitchen.
"We'll talk about this more tomorrow," Charlie told me sternly, getting up.
"Okay, Dad." I wondered why Edward was in such a hurry to cut off the rest of our conversation. Had Charlie's thoughts suddenly turned threatening?
Charlie and I ate our lasagna in silence as Edward sat by and watched. Charlie was used to his refusals to dine with us by now and didn't think anything of it. I wished I could talk to Edward alone, to ask what he'd seen in Charlie's thoughts, but I couldn't say anything of the sort with Charlie nearby. Fortunately, the phone rang and Charlie went to the next room to answer it, his mouth full of lasagna.
As soon as he had left the room, Edward began to eye my food critically. Human food was mildly repulsive to him.
"Well, that went better than I'd expected," I said around a mouthful of food.
He grinned, showing his perfect white teeth. "No bullets involved after all," he agreed, sounding mildly disappointed.
I raised my eyebrows at his tone. "I'm sorry," I joked, my tone loaded with sarcasm. "I bet if I asked Charlie to, he would happily fetch his gun."
Edward chuckled, lacing his hand with mine across the table. "Yes, he definitely would. Although, his current favorite seems to be a bit more creative."
I felt my mouth drop open. "He's not!" But Edward's amused expression confirmed that Charlie was indeed plotting my true love's demise at this very moment.
"I'll give you a hint," he added playfully. "There are many ancient torture devices involved." He concentrated for a second more, reading the change in Charlie's thoughts. "And some feathers." A wide grin spread across his face. "Now I see where you get your inventiveness from."
I groaned, mortified, and stuffed another forkful of lasagna into my mouth so that he wouldn't expect me to respond. I was unusually tired after the whole ordeal with Charlie and I wasn't too keen on continuing down that train of thought any more tonight.
Edward was quiet and thoughtful as I chewed, and I suddenly wished that I could read his mind. I traced random patterns across his hand with my thumb, drawing him back to reality. He looked into my eyes for a long moment, and I nearly choked on my chewed-up lasagna as he leaned forward over the table, unleashing the full force of his eyes upon me. I could feel his cool breath on my face. If I leaned forward just a little, I could touch my lips to his.
"Did you mean it?" he whispered, inches away from my face. I couldn't make sense of the question with him leaning in so close.
"Did I mean what?"
"You told Charlie that you were ready, that you wanted to get married. Was it true?"
The simple question still confused me. He already knew how much I loved him and I'd told him that I was ready. "Of course I did," I breathed. "You knew that."
"So you're not just trying to make me happy? Or Alice? Because, I swear, Bella, if you're doing this for anyone but you—"
"Edward. I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of eternity with you. I love you." I couldn't believe I had to tell him this again. He already knew how much he meant to me.
"I love you, too, Isabella Swan. More than you could possibly know." He leaned forward and closed the gap between us.
As always, he broke off the kiss too soon. As oxygen returned to my brain, I found I could think straight again and I remembered the question I'd wanted to ask him. "What was Charlie going to say, before?" I asked curiously.
He knew exactly what I meant—I could see it in his eyes—but he just grinned, smug. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough. He plans to continue the conversation as soon as I leave." I didn't understand why he couldn't stop smiling. "In fact," he said lightly, "here he comes to suggest that I leave."
Sure enough, Charlie walked into the kitchen then. He looked at Edward and then glanced pointedly at the clock above the oven. "Don't you think it's getting kind of late?" Charlie asked a little rudely.
"Of course, Charlie. I was just on my way out," he said, his voice polite as ever. "Bella, would you mind giving me a ride home?" I'd forgotten that we'd driven my truck here instead of his Volvo.
"Sure. I'll go get my keys."
Charlie looked like he wanted to tell Edward that he could walk home, but he stifled his response and turned to me instead. "Come straight home," he said sternly.
"Of course, Dad."
Edward took my hand and we headed out the door to my truck. As soon as the door clicked shut behind us, I let out a long sigh. Edward chuckled, and I wondered again what awaited me when I returned home.
"Come on," Edward said, urging me to the truck. "Let's go tell my family now." There was a teasing gleam in his eyes.
I laughed. "As if Alice hasn't told them already. Or even if she hasn't, they've certainly heard her talking about bridesmaids' dresses and bridal bouquets." I rolled my eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.
"But we haven't formally told them yet," he insisted, serious now. "You won't even need to be bulletproof. They all love you, almost as much as I do. Please, Bella." His gaze, as usual, melted me and I conceded.
"Fine." I climbed into the passenger side of my truck reluctantly.
"So…" Edward mused, attempting nonchalance, as he sat in the driver's seat. "August 13th?"
"I would say let's get married tonight, if it wouldn't upset Alice too much." I couldn't believe the words were coming out of my mouth, and I grimaced as they slipped out. Was I really so ready to be married? I meant what I'd said to Charlie, but the thought still disturbed me.
Edward looked at me, and it bothered me that he didn't even have to watch the road as he drove, too fast, down the slippery streets. "Just say the word," he whispered sincerely, "and I'll whisk you off to the first church I can find. I don't need anything fancy, just official," he reminded me, tucking a loose hair behind my ear.
The offer was tempting, but I couldn't do that to Alice—or to my parents for that matter. Plus, no matter what Edward said, I knew that a big, old-fashioned wedding was exactly what he wanted. I would do anything to make him happy. And I liked the idea of Charlie formally giving me over to Edward, forever. If I could even convince him to come to my wedding after tonight.
"No," I answered finally. "August 13th. Or sooner if Alice can get the preparations made in time. I want to do this right."
The emotion in his eyes was so strong that it made me gasp, and I knew I was doing the right thing by insisting on a big wedding, even if it wasn't exactly my ideal. Still, Edward, being Edward, was more concerned for my own happiness than his own.
"Bella," he said warningly, probably about to warn me that if I was just doing this to make him happy, he'd call the whole thing off, but the sputtering of my truck cut him off. The vehicle gasped once more and then stopped dead, in the middle of the empty road leading up to his house. Too-green trees surrounded us on all sides. The truck stuttered as Edward turned the key in the ignition, trying in vain to restart it.
"Now look what you've done," I teased, unable to be angry with him. "I told you to take it easy on my poor truck."
He sighed. "Bella, I was barely going sixty." He paused, a familiar glint in his eye. "Now will you let me buy you a new car? Maybe something that can reach speeds above fifty miles an hour?"
I faked a glare. "Just give me a minute to mourn the death of my beloved truck. You killed the poor thing, you know."
He looked alarmed. "I'm sure Rosalie—"
"Edward," I cut in. "I was kidding. This old truck was bound to give out sooner or later…Though I'm absolutely sure that it's your fault it gave up so soon."
He smiled, unclasping his seat belt and bending over to my side of the cab. "Well, I'm sorry about your truck." The glint remained in his eyes. "All alone on a deserted forest road. What to do now…?" he mused.
A large grin spread across his face as he heard my heart thump rapidly inside my chest. I didn't give him a second to change his mind as I grabbed his face in my hands and stretched my face to his level, covering his lips with mine. Though I pressed my body in close to his, promptly crossing his invisible boundaries, his lips didn't pause on mine. He was less gentle than usual, and I was reminded of the night he'd first proposed to me. The same urgency was present behind his lips as they moved on mine.
I sighed into his open mouth and he reached down to unbuckle my seatbelt, gracefully pulling me onto his lap so I could better reach his lips. This time I was the one who broke off the kiss, gasping for breath, the steering wheel digging into the small of my back in the cramped cab. His lips moved to my jaw and he trailed kisses down my neck until he got to my collarbone, pushing the soft cotton of my shirt aside gently to bare my shoulder.
"Edward," I moaned, and he lifted his lips back to meet mine. My arms twisted around his neck, pulling my body harder against his.
"Bella." His hands gripped my hair and pulled me tightly against him, securing my lips to his own.
I removed my hands from their hold at the back of his neck, moving them down under his shirt to feel the perfect planes of his marble chest. And then I was tugging at the bottom of his shirt, wanting it off more than I'd ever wanted anything. He sensed my urgency and helped me to pull the imposing fabric over his head, throwing it carelessly over his shoulder. My eyes raked over his bare chest hungrily and then he pulled my lips back to his. Cool hands trailed down to my shirt, quick fingers easily undoing the buttons and pushing the cloth over my shoulders. Now his hands were at the small of my back and I was eagerly pressing myself against him, gasping suddenly as the cold marble of his chest touched my bare skin.
Edward's body went rigid beneath me as he came back to his senses, my gasp breaking whatever spell he'd been under. Firm hands pushed me back gently. His breath was unsteady as he hurried to apologize. "I'm sorry, Bella, I—"
I scowled at him, my breathing just as heavy as his. "I'm not!" I gasped. "You don't always have to be such a gentleman, you know."
He grimaced. "You overestimate my self control. And that was not exactly a gentlemanly thing to do," he added, averting his eyes as he handed me my shirt. My cheeks burned uncontrollably with the rejection as I slipped my arms through the holes and did up the buttons as quickly as I could, my clumsy fingers fumbling.
"Bella, love," he crooned, reaction to the blush on my cheeks. "We will try. But when we do, it won't be like this," he promised, "stuck in your cramped truck on a street where someone could walk up at any moment." His breathing was still slightly unsteady as he reached for his own wadded-up shirt and pulled it over his head, concealing his perfect torso.
"I know," I whispered, focusing on my shoes rather than his flawless angel's face. The rejection I felt was completely unnecessary, I knew. He was only stopping for my safety. But my cheeks still burned and I couldn't meet his eyes.
And then his cool fingers were under my chin, forcing me to look at him. "I love you, Bella," he whispered, his sweet-smelling breath making me dizzy.
"I love you." The blush began to fade and my face turned back to its original color.
He smiled and released me from his hypnotic gaze, turning the key in the ignition once more. The truck sputtered and died just as it had the first ten times he'd tried this.
He sighed. "Come on. I'll ask Emmett to push your truck up to the house." He opened my door and lifted me out. I climbed onto his back in my usual place and he took off running.
We were at his house in a matter of minutes. The night was pitch black now and the big white house full of vampires was welcoming rather than terrifying as it would have been portrayed in a horror movie. Edward set me down and took my hand, leading me to the door.
The porch flooded with light from the open doorway as Alice bounced up and down excitedly, having anticipated our arrival. She was smiling, and she danced over to me and took my free hand. "Bella," she whispered in my ear. "I found them, the perfect bridesmaid's dresses. Come see." She pulled me into the house, away from Edward who simply laughed, and whisked me upstairs to her huge closet.
"I wasn't sure how many you'd need," Alice added uncertainly. I knew she hated not knowing things in advance, and I smiled. "It's not funny, Bella," she scolded when she saw my expression. "Now do you want to see them or not?" she demanded, crossing her arms in an imitation pout.
"Well…"
"Just remember, Bella, that I can't remember ever being human. Would you really take away my fun like this? Don't you love me?" Her eyes filled with a fake sadness and I remembered how great an actor Alice really was.
"Okay, show them to me," I agreed reluctantly.
"No," she countered. "You don't want to see them."
"Alice…" I whined. But she only pouted in response. "Fine." I softened my voice, trying to sound genuine. "Please, Alice, will you show me? I really want to see them."
"Well," she said, smiling, "if you insist." The closet door swung open to reveal a lot of smooth red fabric.
"Oh, my!" I gasped, taken aback by the sheer amount of fabric involved.
"What? You don't like them? Bella, they're designer; they…Bella?"
I was staring, wide-eyed at the four bridesmaid's dresses. Each strapless gown was made of beautiful red silk, reaching elegantly to the floor. Thin diagonal rows of silver glitter wrapped around the skirt, catching the light and reflecting it back so that the whole dress sparkled attractively. They were simple but elegant, perfect for my bridesmaids.
"Well, if you really don't like them, I guess I can take them back…" Alice said sadly.
"No, Alice, they're beautiful," I gasped, running the back of my hand down the length of soft silk. "Absolutely perfect."
"Well, of course they are," she replied, smiling now. "I'm glad you like them. I had to guess at the sizes though, since you have yet to tell me who your bridesmaids will be." My response was cut off as she added suddenly, "Edward wants you downstairs."
"Bella?" Edward called up the stairs half a second later.
"Shoo," Alice said, pushing firmly in the direction of the door. "I have so much more to do if I'm going to be ready in time. Tell Edward I'll be there in a few minutes."
Edward was waiting for me at the foot of the stairs. "Ready?" he asked, smiling, as I reached him.
"Alice says she needs a few more minutes," I repeated.
He paused, seeing Alice's mind. "She's okay with us going on ahead without her," he assured me. "Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper," he called in a normal voice. They all appeared in an instant and Edward shepherded us all into the huge main room.
"Hello, Bella," Carlisle greeted.
"It's nice to see you again, dear," Esme gushed.
"Try not to fall down too much tonight," Emmett teased, laughing delightedly as I blushed.
Jasper gave me the most space as usual, leaning against the wall furthest from me. Rosalie nodded at me and went to stand next to Emmett, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Everyone looked at us expectantly and Edward said, "As all of you are already aware, Bella and I have an announcement." He grinned at me and put his arm around my waist, pulling me closer. "We're engaged," he announced, beaming.
"Oh, that's wonderful," Esme declared, absolutely delighted. She danced over to hug me tightly.
"Thanks, Esme," I gasped as she cut off my air supply.
"Oh! Sorry, Bella!"
"It's alright. No harm done," I assured her, as Emmett laughed deeply.
"Welcome to the family, Bella," Carlisle added warmly, wrapping me in a one-armed hug.
"Bella," Alice shrieked, coming out of nowhere, "we're going to be sisters! Oh, this is so exciting!"
Edward chuckled. "You act as if you're surprised, Alice. Who did you think you'd been planning a wedding for?"
Alice smacked him in the chest, muttering something about guys just not being able to understand. It seemed ironic since Edward had been the one insisting on a wedding and I had been the reluctant one.
Everyone seemed delighted by the news of our engagement—everyone but Rosalie. I knew I shouldn't take it personally. It wasn't that she didn't like me but that she disapproved of me giving up my humanity to become a vampire.
"Thanks, everyone," I gushed, so jubilant that tears sprang into my eyes—much to Emmett's amusement. I truly felt like I belonged with this family, as if they I'd known them my entire life.
"Well, finally," Emmett teased Edward, slapping him on the back. "It's about time you came to your senses and let that girl join our family." He wrapped me in a big bear hug and I hugged him back just as fiercely.
"You know, I've always thought of you as a big brother," I told him and his booming laugh filled the room. He released me from his grasp and ruffled my hair, grinning, before sauntering back to stand beside Rosalie, who looked at him reproachfully.
Edward leaned down to whisper in my ear, "We should get you back before Charlie sends the FBI."
I giggled uncontrollably, not quite sure why this was so funny. Maybe it was just the high of feeling so accepted by Edward's family—my family.
We said our goodbyes and Edward led me outside, sweeping me up in his arms as soon as we were outside. He was beaming at me as he set me gently into his silver Volvo. I smiled back just as happily and he leaned in to press his granite lips to my forehead.
The curtains flicked back as we pulled in behind Charlie's cruiser as he peeked curiously through the window, probably in response to the absence of the roaring engine of the truck. Edward smiled to himself, absorbed in Charlie's thoughts.
He came around to open my door, and Charlie appeared in the open doorway, waiting impatiently for Edward to leave. "Good night, Bella," he said loudly for Charlie's benefit as he helped me out of the car. To me, he whispered, "I'll be back when Charlie's snoring."
"Sweet dreams, Edward," I replied, just as loudly, a mischievous smile playing across my lips. Edward suppressed a laugh at my joke, ruffling my hair as he walked back to the driver's side.
Charlie was waiting for me at the door, his foot tapping impatiently on the threshold. "Where's the truck?" he demanded.
"It broke down not far from Edward's house," I responded truthfully. "We couldn't start it up again. I think it might be beyond help. Anyway, Rosalie was going to take a look at it to see if she could get it up and running again." Sometimes I rambled when I was nervous, and I realized that I was doing it now. I wondered what Edward had seen in Charlie's mind.
"Come on in, Bella," he said. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
I took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold, telling myself that no matter what he said, I would stay calm. I sat on the couch and Charlie sat in his favorite chair, refusing to look at me. "Bells, I know we've had this conversation before," he began, his cheeks as red as mine. "But before you make such a huge decision" I was relieved when he didn't say mistake "I think we need to talk again about…" He trailed off, embarrassed, and I realized where this conversation was going.
"Bella, I don't want you to get married just so you can have—"
"Dad, no," I interrupted, mortified. He wasn't trying to give me a sex talk again! The last one hadn't exactly turned out well, and I thought he'd give up already!
"—intimate relations with this boy."
"Edward, Dad" I reminded him, blushing furiously. "And that's not why we're getting married."
He looked relieved. "Bella, I just want you to think this through before you make a decision. When you're mother and I…"
"Dad, I'm not Mom. And Edward isn't you. It's different with us, and—"
"I know, Bella, but it's a big decision. The most important of your life. Just…think it through before you decide. Please."
"Dad, I've already decided," I told him calmly. "I'm going to marry Edward. I love him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I'm not rushing into anything. I'm sure."
Charlie sighed, defeated. "Just sleep on it then. I'm going to bed." He hesitated at the stairs. "Good night, Bella."
"'Night, Dad. Love you."
Edward was already lying across my bed when I walked through the door, a grin still plastered on his face. He patted the empty spot next to him and I slipped under the covers and pressed my face into his chest, overwhelmed by the day's events. Edward played absently with my left hand, stroking my palm, my fingers…my ring.
"Are you happy?" he asked me, looking into my eyes with concern.
"Yes." I yawned involuntarily.
"Go to sleep, Bella," he instructed, his voice soothing.
"No," I protested, but my eyes closed against my will and I relaxed into his shoulder, my breathing becoming steady with sleep.
"Sweet dreams, love," he whispered in my ear, pulling the covers up around my shoulders. "We always have tomorrow."
And it was true. We had an eternity of tomorrows to spend together. The thought was very comforting as I wavered on the edge of sleep. Edward began to hum a familiar tune, my lullaby, and I drifted into a deep, peaceful slumber.
Well, hope you enjoyed my fluff. I really couldn't resist the car scene. Sorry if it seems a little unrealistic. And I'm generally pretty decent at mimicking people's writing styles, but I just cannot do Stephenie Meyer. Anyway, I hope this tides y'all over until you can get your hands on a copy of Breaking Dawn. It's sure to be amazing!!
Oh, I had a difficult time describing the dress, especially the glitter on the skirt, so here's the picture that was my inspiration. Except that it's neither red nor silk. I kind of combined a couple of dresses. Anyway, just in case you were interested, here's the link:
/images/elegant-bridesmaid-dress.jpg
Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought of it. :D