Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Twilight characters. They belong to Stephanie Meyer, author of the "Twilght Saga" books. I am just borrowing them for now. Please tell me what I can edit to make it shorter! Thanks for reading!
White Wedding
Forks, WA
22 years in the future
I woke up suddenly, a bit confused-where was I? I sat up in the small bed and hugged my happiness to me. It is my wedding day, and I was staying at Grandpa Charlie's for a few weeks, while finishing all the preparations.
Riiinng, riinngg. My cell…who is calling NOW? 8 am on my wedding day? Must be my aunt Alice….
Nope. My fiancé, Jacob Black.
"Babe? Just wanted to say Hi before it gets too crazy. I am going to run with the boys for a while, but I'll see you tonight. I love you."
"Have fun. Don't hurt yourself; I'll see you there. Look for the girl in white. "I made kissy noises into the phone before I hung up. I must've been too loud, because I could hear his friends razzing him in the background. "Thanks for calling. I love you."
I flipped my phone shut, only to have it buzz with a text message.
Nessie, I'll be there in 15. Please eat something and don't forget your shoes. –Alice
Alice is my aunt; my father's sister, and the family's go-to event planner. She was going to do my hair and makeup today, and knowing Aunt Alice, I wouldn't only need to eat, I'd need to bring a snack, too. Somehow, beautifying always took forever when Alice was in charge. But I wouldn't give her any grief today; she has worked with me to make today everything I wanted it to be. I quickly snapped the phone shut, stood up, tossed it in my knapsack, threw on my ratty jeans and sweater, and headed downstairs. My step-grandmother, Sue, was at the stove, preparing something delicious smelling. Her two children, my mom's step-siblings, were already at the table. Seth was drinking his coffee down while trying to watch TV and read the comics at the same time. Leah was on the phone. She smiled at me while I poured some coffee, but seemed really into her phone call.
"Good morning, Sue, Seth. Seth, where's Pam and the boys?" Pam was his wife. His sons were Jr. and Harry. Sue looked up from the pan and smiled. Seth looked up, startled.
"Hey, Ness. Pam and the boys are at home still. I just popped by to help Charlie. He's getting your grandmother and Phil while I am going to go get Billy." I nodded and smiled.
"Thanks, Seth. That means so much." Sue turned to me then and handed me a plateful of steaming eggs, bacon, and toast. It looked and smelled really good.
"Eat, child. Charlie'll be home soon," she said, swatting at Leah with a dishrag, who was still on the phone. Leah grimaced at her mother, then sighed and finished her conversation.
"Bye, Frank. Love you. Wish you were here." She paused, and then a sad smile crossed her lips. She snapped her phone shut. Leah's husband, Frank, was in the Army, and was currently serving in Japan. She was staying with Grandpa and Sue until he got back.
"Everything OK?" I asked Leah.
"Yeah, just miss him."
"I bet." I sat down at the table with the plate of food, and Sue sat a glass of chocolate milk in front of me. I smiled. She patted my arm.
"From Charlie."
"Sue, it smells so good. Thank you. "I absently picked up a piece of bacon and tore it in half. I wasn't really hungry, but I knew that I should eat. I sighed, and piled my eggs on top of my toast, and ate it in three large gulps. I felt OK, and ate a slice of bacon, just to please Sue (It's not my favorite), and downed the milk. It was the only thing I had eaten that didn't taste funny today. Of all the human foods, it was my favorite. I guess I should explain a little here. My name is Renesmee Cullen, and, like I said, I am getting married today. My whole family is here, and that is odd. This where the story of my being began, and it felt odd that I was planning to make this my permanent home.
My parents had met here, in high school, and I was born here. Here, by the way, is Forks, WA. It's sort of near the Canadian border; on the Olympic peninsula. My parents were flying in today from Long Island. Anyway, I have spent most of my summers here until college, when I moved from my parent's home near Dartmouth to San Francisco. And I know I mentioned "human" food. My parents are vampires. Yep. Like the walking undead. You know the whole garlic-hating, coffin sleeping, bat-changing vampires. But not really. My family is GOOD vampires; we don't drink human blood. We consider ourselves Vegetarian. Actually, I should say "they." I am half-human; my mother hadn't been changed yet when she gave birth to me. I do crave blood occasionally; however, I also like people food. Chocolate milk is my favorite, although that may be because it was the only thing my Grandpa could get me to ingest when I was a kid.
There was a light rapping at the door. I stood up to answer it, but Seth was already up, prepared to leave.
"Hi, Alice. Nessie is just finishing breakfast; she's in the kitchen with Mom and Leah. You look great; I'll see you at the wedding."
"Thank you, Seth. I'll show myself to the kitchen."
I could hear Alice's tinkling laugh, and I smiled. She floated into the kitchen, and, in her well-mannered way, she greeted Sue and Leah warmly.
"Hello, Sue, Leah. How are you today?" Sue smiled but didn't answer; she was still cooking. Leah looked Alice up and down and then nodded and sighed. She picked up Seth's newspaper and tried to look engrossed. Alice shrugged and sat at the table, trying to ignore Leah's sudden iciness. I knew Leah didn't like my vampire family, but still, she could at least pretend, you'd think. For me, for my special day. I shrugged at Alice, stood up, kissed her forehead, and turned to go upstairs.
"Getting my purse. I remembered to pick up my shoes last night, so don't worry. I have those, too." Alice had ordered me a special pair of shoes. Apparently, they were a designer's special creation, and they had just arrived at the local bridal salon. Personally, I would be amazed if I could stand in them, let alone walk, but I knew Alice and her fashion sense, and it was best not to question. In fact, today she was extra-chic in a tight black pantsuit and four-inch heels. I wondered if she dressed like that because she liked it, or because she thought that it was how vampires were SUPPOSED to look. I wasn't sure, but had gathered throughout my life that it was likely a bit of both. As I headed up the stairs, I took a few moments to gather my thoughts. I was still kind of freaking out about the recent turn of events. I love Jacob, no question, but it has been a battle to get to this day. Up until last year, I had always just loved him as a friend, and nothing more. During college, I had had a steady boyfriend, and was willing to give up my past and my vampire family until I discovered that he was living a lie. He had had a wife, and two children, while discussing marriage with me. I fled to Forks, to the comfort and safety of my childhood home and the simplicity of Charlie and Sue's life. They had welcomed me with warm, open arms. But so did Jacob, and over the year and three months, we had been able to take our relationship to a much higher level. I realized not long after I came here that Jacob was the man I had loved my whole life, but didn't really realize it until I was down and he was willing and able to be there for me. It was almost a natural instinct, loving him. And when he proposed, I knew in an instant that I was going to say yes. I didn't realize then that Jacob had always known had always waited for me. It was part of the legend of his people. He was from a local Indian tribe, the Quileute's. But more than that, he was also half-human like me. His people (well, some of them) are shape shifters (most people, inaccurately, called them werewolves), and he was imprinted, or sort of genetically attached, to me when I was a baby. I know it sounds kind of freaky, but it wasn't always a romantic thing. I realized I was standing at the top of the stairs, not moving, and I could hear Alice tapping her foot. I opened the door, entered my mom's old room (which I currently shared with Leah; thankfully, I had only slept here off and on over the course of the year; I have been spending a lot of time at Jacob's. And actually, I had spent most of the past week at my other grandparent's mansion nearby. Alice had ordered me to stay with Charlie last night, so that Jake wouldn't be tempted to see me. She was traditional, and knew that Charlie would send him away.
I stuck my feet into my favorite fleece-lined moccasins, which happened to be a gift from Jake's sisters, grabbed my purse, and the shopping bag with the shoes, and flew down the stairs, taking them two at a time. I could hear Alice's thoughts as I bounded down the stairs. DON'T FALL. She was shouting in her head. I slowed down, just in time to see the front door open. Charlie strode in, all smiles, with my grandmother Renee and her husband Phil in tow. I smiled as I finished walking down the stairs, ending up in Charlie's wide open arms. His hug was strong and gruff. He was getting emotional these days. Sue was a good influence.
"There's the bride. OH. And just yesterday, you were my tiny little granddaughter, all angelic curls." Leah snorted, and everyone else rolled their eyes.
"Thanks, Granddad." He released me, but right away, Renee scooped me into her arms and squeezed me so hard I couldn't breathe.
'Hi, Grandma," I croaked. She smiled, but thankfully loosened her grip. I saw her eyes well up, and smiled. "Don't cry. It's so good to see you. How was your flight?"
"Long. We had to stopover in Cleveland." She said the word as if it was a foreign, scary country. I think she may have even shuddered. Renee hates flying, and she hates Ohio even more.
"Hey, Kid. How are you? How's the lucky guy?" Phil ruffled my hair. I grinned, like a ninny. I liked Phil OK, but sometimes he was too much. He coached college baseball these days; this year, he was coaching at Duke. When he got talking baseball, I usually got lost. Sports weren't my thing, unless I was playing vampire baseball with my uncles.
Luckily, Alice appeared next to me.
"Hello, Charlie, Phil. Hi, Renee," she said, giving Renee a squeeze. "If you don't mind, I need to kidnap Ness and get her dressed, and made up. We also need to practice walking; her shoes are cute, but I am seriously worried about the four-inch heel thing. She takes after her mother."
"Yes, she does. See you ladies later," replied Charlie. He opened the door for us, and nodded at Alice. He watched as we climbed into her Porsche. This year's model was orangey-red, and I am sure it was the flashiest car in town. I waved at the closing door.
"Thanks, Alice. You look great today." Alice smiled.
"Thank you. Seatbelt, please." She started the car, and sped up the street, heading towards the mansion that would serve as both changing area and wedding venue. Her car still had that new-leather smell, and with my half-vampire nerves already starting to fray, it was almost overwhelming. I slunk back into the seat and tried to breathe slowly and evenly. Alice didn't say anything, though she didn't really have to. She's sensitive to my feelings, and thus, was my favorite.
We rode in silence the few minutes it took Alice to speed across town. I thanked my lucky stars that Charlie was the police chief, or else I am sure we would've been pulled over. As we pulled into the driveway towards the garage, I sucked in my breath. It was gorgeous.
"Oh, Alice. It's soo beautiful." She had strung Christmas lights on the trees that lined the path to the front door. She'd also added an archway at the head of the path, at street level. That was decorated with lace, ribbon, flowers and more lights.
"You love it?" She asked, obviously pleased with herself.
"Yes, it's pure genius. You're so brilliant." She beamed, and then smiled.
"Well, Esme and Rose helped some, too." I nodded; the archway had Esme's tasteful signature to it. I was so glad that Esme, my grandmother, and Rose, my other aunt, were already there. I needed some support today. Esme is the world's best grandmother (don't tell Renee) and I knew she could keep Alice from going too overboard. Unlike my mother, I was girly, but Alice could sometimes take it a teeny bit overboard. I was able to reign in on the pink; we compromised and added some blue and brown to keep Jake happy. He was so great to Alice; he had pretty much realized right after we announced our engagement that he was rather superfluous, and had just given Jasper his tuxedo measurements and his wishes for the groom's cake, and had bowed out after that. He was great, and would pretty much go with whatever anyway, but I was happy that Alice had been so nice about adding the extra colors.
Alice parked behind a large purple Jeep that I recognized as Rose and Emmett's, and my happiness increased three fold. Emmett and Jasper were my uncles, and I loved them more than anything. Emmett was Rose's partner, and Jasper was with Alice. Emmett is loud, and large, and funny, while Jasper is quieter, but tough as nails. I was so glad I'd remembered to drop off their presents yesterday.
"You can give them their gifts, but then we really need to get to work," Alice said, although it sounded kind of like a scolding. We entered the large, rambling house and were greeted with silence. I went straight to the hall closet to retrieve the beautifully wrapped boxes. I hadn't heard everyone come in their silent, floaty, vampire way. As I turned, I hit my hand against the closet door, and shook it.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath. Emmett grinned, and chuckled at my language. Esme frowned a little; I was sorry for offending her. I knew my manners better. Rose and Carlisle just shook their heads, while Jasper and Alice had stepped forward in case I was more hurt than I appeared. "Sorry, Esme. I didn't mean to curse. It just hurt. Alice, Jazz, I'm OK, I swear." I smiled, so that everyone would know. Esme, who had been standing behind Emmett and Jazz, next to Carlisle, elbowed her way past them and enveloped me in a hug.
"Hello, my dear. How are you holding up?" My grandmother Esme, who I am named after, is about the sweetest person in the world, vampire or otherwise. She tried SO hard to be the greatest, sweetest grandmother in the world, which I am sure is hard, considering that I am half-human and I smell very tasty. But I have never been afraid of any of them; probably because I had spent a good deal of time with them by the time I was a year old.
"My nerves are running a bit high. And I am afraid of tripping up the aisle. I am glad Jake is a simple kind of guy; I am not sure I could be super-suave right now." Everyone grinned big smiles, and I swear I saw Emmett and Jasper make a bet. Esme didn't take her hand away from my shoulder as the rest of the family hugged me.
"I am sure you will be fine. In fact, Alice had a vision this morning that it all went off without a hitch. I just spoke to Edward on the phone, dear, they will be here shortly." She stepped out of the way as I gestured to the packages.
"I have presents. Just a little thank-you for putting up with all the wedding madness, and for loving me so much even when I was a pain last year."
"You shouldn't have," started Emmett, "you were hurting. My offer of torturing the poor bastard still stands. Just say the words, sweetie." Emmett looked a little too excited. A smile played at Jasper's lips; I could imagine the scenario playing in his head.
I laughed and shook my head. "No. I think I got the last laugh, anyway. I got the prince in the end, and all he got was alimony and a run-down loft in the Bayview. Anyway," I said, doling out the packages, "this one is for Emmett, for Rose, for Jasper. Here is yours, Alice. Esme, I hope you like it." The heaviest package was for Carlisle, the God-like head of the family, and I simply handed him the package while fighting back tears. He smiled and kissed my cheek before following everyone else and tearing the package open.
"Thank you, dear." He glanced at the tome he held in his hand. He seemed surprised at the gift. "This is spectacular, how did you guess I would like this?" It was an original copy of War and Peace, in Russian, signed by Tolstoy, that I had spied in a used bookstore in St. Petersburg when I went to Russia with Mom and Dad a few months ago.
I shrugged. "Well, I knew you didn't have it in Russian, so I took a gamble. Do you really like it?"
"Yes. In fact, if you don't mind, I am going to go file this away right now. Please excuse me, everyone." We all nodded and murmured. Esme's hug was strong this time, and the whispered thanks belied her face. "Thank you, my dear. I love it. It will look PERFECT tonight." Her gift had been an antique tennis bracelet. Rose had squealed in delight; her gift had been easy to choose: an exquisite cashmere sweater the exact color of her eyes. It would look fantastic.
Emmett and Jasper had opened their gifts and were halfway out the door when Alice hissed at them.
"What?" Jasper looked innocently at his partner. "OH, sorry, Ness. I love it, thank you. It's the best gift ever."
"Ditto," said Emmett, stepping in and swooping me up for an enthusiastic hug. His gift was a new baseball mitt; he loved sports, and I knew that he would appreciate the baseball mitt more than anything else. I tended to indulge his sport's nut behavior, much to Rose's chagrin. I noticed she and Esme had excused themselves; I am sure they were tying up loose ends for tonight. Jasper's gift was a war-strategy anthology. He set it gingerly on the table, and after pecking me on the forehead, followed Emmett out the door. I heard Esme hiss after them that they couldn't be too long. Alice hadn't opened her gift yet.
"Let's take this upstairs; I'll open it while the curling irons are heating." She loped towards the stairs and starting floating up. I gulped; curling IRONS? As in, more than one? I sighed, shrugged, and followed her upstairs. When we tucked away in the huge expanse of her bathroom, she plugged in two curling irons, one small and one large, spread out a bunch of makeup, and then sat on the edge of the bathtub, opening the package. It was a small gift, but I knew she'd love it. She pulled the tiny flower charm out of the box and held it to the dim light so she could read it.
"To the world's Best Aunt, all my love." She looked like she was going to cry, if vampires could cry, and hugged me tight. "I'll put this on my charm bracelet tonight. But we better not let Rose or Leah see the script." She smiled to herself. Then she placed the charm back in the box, and set the box aside carefully. She flicked on the radio that was sitting on the back of the little-used toilet (vampires don't have to relieve themselves the way us humans (and half-humans) do), picked up a comb, and attacked my head. I sat very still, just like I had several times throughout my life when Alice was in the mood for a makeover, which was practically monthly. As she was spraying my now-tender head with hairspray, a knock came at the door.
"Come in, Bells." I smiled. My mother and I had had a small argument when Jacob and I announced we were getting married. She thought I was moving too fast after the Jerk, and even asked if I was pregnant. It took us awhile to get past that; I am sure she wasn't being cruel. She had once loved Jacob very much herself, and had almost made the choice to marry him instead of my father. It was strange, my family. The others hadn't been fazed; I think they had all realized the imprinting thing had trumped whatever juvenile thing Jacob had had for my mom. But I was glad to see her now; she was my mother, and I loved her. I was glad we had patched things up; my day would have been less happy if she wasn't there.
She hugged me carefully, and then stood back to admire Alice's work. Alice turned to her.
"Did you bring it?" Mom nodded, and then opened the bag I didn't see her bring in. She had a round box in her arms, and opened it slowly. I gasped; it was a tiara with what must've been a thousand diamonds in it. She smiled as she and Alice began attaching it to my head, along with the veil. I grimaced; I hadn't wanted a veil, but Daddy had insisted. He didn't insist on much with me or Mom, so when he did, I grudgingly allowed it. Alice had kept it short and simple, though, and I was grateful for that.
After it was secured to my head, Mom stepped back and smiled. She had been standing in front of me, as had Alice earlier, so that I couldn't see anything. She stepped out of the way as I regarded myself in the mirror.
I smiled as my eyes welled up. I had been determined not to cry.
"Mom," I said, breathily, "it's so gorgeous. How did you…?" she held up a hand to stop me.
"From me and Daddy." The tears fell freely, and I practically knocked over Alice standing up to hug her.
"Speaking of Daddy, where is he?"
"Carlisle needed him to help moving chairs out to the lawn." I nodded. The ceremony was going to be held in the backyard of the house, and the reception was going to be in the side yard. I couldn't WAIT to see how it was decorated. I heard Rose knock at the door. She opened it, and when she saw me, she smiled.
"OOOh, Alice. You've outdone yourself this time," she trilled, "I am sending Emmett to collect the boys from La Push; do you need anything?" It was directed to Alice, but I interjected.
"Aunt Rose, do you mind bringing me a snack?" She looked a little put out, but nodded.
"Of course, dear, what sounds good? Esme shopped yesterday; there's plenty of food for the mortals."
"Well, I could really go for some bear's blood, but how about an apple instead?" Rose nodded and stalked down the hallway. I giggled, but neither Mom nor Alice looked pleased.
"Sorry, not funny?" I asked. Mom crossed her arms, trying to look mad. Alice just stared at me.
"Let's finish your face, and then get you into your gown. Time is running out." Mom headed for the door. She was going to get my dress ready to put on. I waved at her as she left and stalked towards Alice's room, where all the girls were going to dress. I heard Emmett's car zoom down the driveway, and the birds in my stomach started flapping their wings. I sighed.
"What's up?" asked Alice, who had been rooting around in a drawer, muttering about an eyelash curler.
"Just starting to get nervous. I know now it's almost time." The wedding was scheduled to start at 2 PM; it was a quarter to one already. Where had the time gone?
"You're going to be brilliant, don't worry. I even took the liberty of typing your vows and attaching them to your bouquet. Don't forget to pull them off when you throw it!" Alice looked pleased with herself. She worked fairly quickly; genetics had been kind to me, so all she had to do was smooth out my skin tone, play up my features and then make sure the mascara was waterproof. After about 25 minutes, she stepped aside, and the face that met me in the mirror wasn't mine. I looked older, slightly exotic, and absolutely gorgeous. I took in my eyes; with the use of beige sparkly eye shadow, she'd somehow made my green eyes take on an emerald hue, and my lashes were as long as Jacob's legs. My lips were a kiss ably neutral pale pink. The main focus was on my cheeks; they had always had high color, and she had applied just enough powder that I looked healthy, but not flushed. A quick spritz of her favorite perfume, and I was done. I picked up a thought that seemed faraway; Daddy was checking in. I followed Alice down the hall to her bedroom, where Mom was waiting. She had been joined by Renee, Esme, Sue, and Rosalie. My best friend, Kate, who was my mom's old friend Angela's daughter, was there, too. She was mostly there to be my emotional support, as my family had the actual dressing part under control. I was glad she was there; she had gone with me last night to get my nails done and eat dinner out. I felt like we hadn't seen each other in awhile since I had been so busy with wedding details lately.
"How are you?" Daddy thought; he seemed anxious. He can read minds. Some vampires have advanced powers. Alice can see the future, I can make my thoughts appear as though they are photographs, and Jasper can control people's moods.
I concentrated on picturing him so that he could pick up my answer quickly.
"Feeling nervous, but excited. I love you; wish you were here. Is Jacob here yet?""Yep, Emmett just arrived. It's a mess of penguin suits down here." The guys were changing in Carlisle and Esme's suite.
"All I am getting is nerves from him too. I should go now, and dress. See you later."
"Thanks, Dad." I snapped back to the scene in front of me. Mom and Alice were talking in low whispers; while Rose, Esme and Sue were helping each other dress. Alice looked at me.
"That was Daddy. All the guys are here." My lips twitched, and I bit the inside of my mouth to keep from crying.
"I know, dear," murmured Mom, as she held up the top of my gown. It was an exquisite dress; two pieces. Ball gown skirt, boned sleeveless top. It was Duchess Satin, and had cost Daddy a small fortune, which I know he didn't care about. Actually, daddy had been really generous, but I guess it's not every day his only child gets married. I must remember to thank him again.
I let Mom and Renee zip me into my dress so Alice could change. Rosalie tied up my bodice while Kate fastened my pearls. I heard Esme and Rose clear their throats lightly. I looked up, inquiries in my expression.
"Carlisle, Rose, Emmett, and I have a gift. It's nothing really, just something that Emmett actually picked out." I raised my eyebrows as Esme extended a box towards me. It was a jewelry box, and suddenly, my throat felt very thick. I opened it quickly, clumsily, cursing myself in my head as I did. Inside were two exquisite pearl earrings. I felt the tears fall before I could bite them back. I thrust the box at Rosalie, who stuck them in my ears. I hugged her tight; we had never been super-close, but in that moment, I loved her immensely. I hugged Esme, too, harder than she expected.
"Emmett has good taste. Please thank him if I don't see him first." They all nodded. I smiled at the women assembled. Sue stepped forward with Renee; they both looked a little out of their league. Renee spoke first. I saw she was holding a gift bag; I hadn't noticed that, either. Man, I was missing a lot today.
"Grandpa Charlie, and Sue, and I and Phil wanted to make sure you had your something old, new, borrowed, and blue, so here we go," she reached into the bag and first pulled out the garter that she had worn at her wedding to Phil, handing it to me, "something old." She now pulled out an old lace hanky. "Charlie's mom gave this to me when we got married, and I am loaning it to you to mop up those tears. So something borrowed." It was Sue's turn to pull out a goodie. I felt like kid at Christmas opening her stocking.
Sue pulled out an exquisite pair of white, furry gloves. I think they were rabbit, but I couldn't tell.
"It's traditional in Quileute weddings for the bride to wear rabbit hair gloves-rabbits are good luck. Since we didn't have any rabbits this year, I had to use a snowshoe hare that the hunters brought back once for the elders to eat. I know it's a bit unconventional, but I imagine that Jacob's mother would've wanted you to have a pair. So that's new. I had Elder Smith bless them. They should bring you luck and fertility." I groaned inwardly at the word. Just what I needed. But I appreciated the sentiment, and hugged her.
"Thanks." I waited a second, and then Kate stepped forward.
"I actually have your blue. Here" She tossed an envelope at me. It was a card with a lump in it. I tore it open, and pulled out the card. It was a hand-made card; Kate was really into scrapbooking and arts and crafts. It was a simple card, but I felt myself welling up again. The lump was a locket; a blue unicorn, our favorite animal. She had engraved it to say "To my BFF on your wedding day. Love, Kate." The tears came again. Rose and Esme edged out of the room then, and Alice suggested we finish getting dressed, as we only had a few minutes to get downstairs. I slipped on the heels she handed me, and faced her full-length mirror. I was gorgeous, and I smiled through the tears as I slipped off my engagement ring and pulled on the gloves. I slid my ring back on, stuck the charm from Kate into my bra while Mom sighed, and then turned to the ladies. I took in the scene around me; Alice had found a way to make all the dresses a different color within the scheme, and still look great. Of course, the vampires were always gorgeous. But Alice looked especially cute in her long ice-blue sheath dress. Mom wore a shorter version of the same dress in chocolate brown; I remembered that Rosalie was wearing pink, ever the girly girl. Sue and Renee had chosen to wear the same suit; Sue's was powder blue, a brilliant contrast against her soft russet skin. Renee dazzled in pale pink; her dark eyes and dark hair a perfect complement to the rosy tone of her suit. Kate was dressed in a knee-length satin dress that sported a floral pattern in the same tones as everyone else's dresses. Only Esme was different; she had opted for muted beige; always the conservative. I smiled and took a deep breath. It was time, I could feel it.
"All right, let's go." I trooped down the stairs, hitching my skirt up around my ankles so as not to trip. I was behind everyone else, their animated chatter a million miles away. Of course Emmett had to be standing at the bottom of the stairs to see me hitch up my skirt. He raised an eyebrow, and joked, "Are you preparing for a flood, my dear?" It was Emmett's job to organize the wedding party into their respective places, and to give the start cue. I tossed my head at him, and he just smiled.
"You look so beautiful. I can't believe how much you've grown up." He looked at me for a moment with tenderness, which immediately turned to gruffness. I smiled and took the arm he extended to me.
"Esme told me you picked out the pearls. You have excellent taste. "He beamed.
"Well, I remembered that my sister had a similar pair before I was changed…I remembered pearls were good." He looked a little pleased with himself. I kissed him on his cheek, and whispered "Thank you" in his ear. He dropped me off in front of Daddy. I couldn't speak; I felt the hot tears come before I could help it. What was WRONG with me today? I tried to concentrate on my thoughts, instead.
"Daddy." It was all I could get out before breaking down. He hugged me tight, and then held me close while humming my lullaby. It calmed me down, and I stood more erect as Billy rolled over with Charlie in tow. Jasper and Emmett had rushed Jacob inside before I could see him; I had just a glimpse of the back of his head. I sighed and bent to hug Billy. He wasn't doing well these days, and I knew this wedding was likely his last hurrah before he passed on. His eyes were shiny; I think he had been crying. His voice was low and gravely, and I had to kneel to hear him.
"You know Jacob's mother passed when he was young. Well, I know she would have loved you. I know it isn't much, but I wanted to pass this on to you. I think she would have wanted you to have it." He slipped a small box into my hands, and then beckoned for Charlie to wheel him to his seat. Alice had taken great pains to make sure Jake couldn't see me; she had had a stone archway erected where I enter with Daddy and Charlie to meet Jacob. I couldn't catch him to thank him, but there wasn't time anyway, because Jasper tugged at my arm.
"Just wanted to say that you look gorgeous, the ladies are spectacular and we men are dapper. Have a lovely day, my dear. Alice and I have a present, but you can't have it until later." He hugged me, and then I saw Emmett give a signal, and he ran to line up with the other guys. Jacob's friends look great; Seth was there, looking uncomfortable but nice in his suit with the green and pink pinstriped cummerbund. Sam Uley and Quil and Embry, whose last names I couldn't remember, looked equally great. Behind the big hulking Indians, and then Emmett, poor Jasper looked as tiny as Alice. As the guys lined up with the bridesmaids, and the Best Man (Seth) began his procession, I felt two hands take my arms. One was cold, the other was hot. Both daddy and Charlie leaned for a kiss at the same time. I hugged Charlie, and then realized I still had Billy's box in my hands. I signaled to Emmett to wait; Daddy motioned it would be minute.
I tore the lid off the box, and in it was a pretty jade bracelet. It looked real, and I gestured to daddy to hook it to my wrist.
"It was Jacob's mothers," I exclaimed quickly as Charlie motioned for Emmett to begin. Daddy put the box in his pocket, and stepped up to pull my veil over my face. I really hated the veil, but smiled anyway. Charlie and Daddy knew what their cue was, but as we neared the entrance, I felt faint. Daddy read my thoughts, and whispered that it would be OK, and Charlie squeezed my hand. I felt myself pull myself erect as we entered through the archway, and the gasp in the room was audible. Everyone looked super, and I smiled at the family and friends assembled. Carlisle's vampire friends all looked classy and conservative, and on the groom's side, a sea of russet faces smiled at me. I remembered to smile charmingly at the assembled vampires. I saw Mom smile at Dad, and Renee begin to cry, as Esme cooed and ahh'd. The vampires did a great job of looking awed, and of course, the Groom's side didn't need to work at it. It seemed like the longest walk of my life, when suddenly Daddy and Charlie put my hands into Jacob's, and stepped back. The preacher, Kate's father from the Lutheran church, asked who gave me away. Daddy and Charlie answered in unison, as practiced, then slunk into their chairs. I bit my lip as Jacob smiled at me and mouthed, "Hi."
I missed the beginning of the ceremony because I was concentrating on breathing, and also because Daddy was sending me love thoughts. All of a sudden, I felt a strange sort of calm, and glanced at Jasper, who looked at me innocently. I was able to focus then. The ceremony was pretty straightforward; the only difference was that Jacob and I had written our vows ourselves; it was more personal. And instead of "till death us do part", we said "forever and ever." I think I heard Sue sob then, but I couldn't be sure. Then, Seth read a traditional Native American wedding prayer, and Rose played a song on the piano. Finally, it was over. As Jacob lifted my veil to kiss me, my thoughts begin to reel through all the times I had looked at his face-the first time, when I was just a baby. I could see him as a werewolf. I saw him as a gawky teenager; my first crush. I saw him as we are now, older, and more mature. I saw the scared, hopeful look on his face when he proposed. I saw his face after the first time we'd made love; I saw Daddy grimace at that thought. Serves him right for snooping in my head. Finally, I saw him lean down and take my face in his large, warm hands. I felt his lips on mine, and gave up to the feelings of love and lust as they coursed through me. It seemed like it was too short, although the kiss was probably on the edge of indecent. Finally, he spun me around and we hugged, the crowd roared with applause and I grabbed my werewolf and we headed out the door. Luckily, Alice moves faster than me, and she was there to take my bouquet and remove the cheat sheet attached, as well as remove the veil and hand me a compact to fix my face. Jake kissed me again before I could apply more lipstick; he waited patiently for me to touch up my face, which gave everyone enough time to use the restroom and then sit down for the reception. Daddy wrapped his arms around my shoulders on his way to the yard; he kissed me, then Jacob, then Alice, and grabbed Mom and ran. I looked at my husband, and when he nodded, I allowed him to pull me across the lawn. We entered the tent, and I was again awed at all the work Alice had done. It was very Hemingway-esque, pale pink silk tablecloths, the moonlight, the wine flowing. I kissed her again; I had to find some way to thank her. We took our places at the head table, and let the others toast as we had practiced. When I gave my toast, I thanked everyone, waved my half-vampire friend Kuhuri, and smiled at Rebecca and Rachel, Jake's older sisters. I pulled off the gloves then, and stared at the ring for a few minutes. It was real, and it was mine. He was mine, and it was going to be great. We had decided to break from tradition, and let Carlisle speak last. He was gracious, wishing us well, and thanking everyone who came and extending his mansion to all the out-of-town guests who needed a place to sleep. Charlie, who I think had already downed three glasses of bubbly, bless him, reminded everyone that drinking and driving was dangerous, but if you got pulled over within county lines, just tell the officer you were at the Cullen-Black wedding, and you would be allowed to be escorted home, no questions asked. Everyone tittered; I was a slightly humiliated.
Someone, probably Alice or Esme, signaled to have the music started, and I sought out Daddy for the traditional first dance. It was a song he had written, Esme's Song, and it was the song he had played on every important day of my life. As he whirled me around, I thanked him for the tiara.
"No problem, sweet girl. Anything for my princess." He was being kinder than I deserved.
"Your mother and I would like to give you and Jacob your wedding presents after your first dance; would that be alright?" I shrugged.
"It's OK with me, but you better double-check with Alice. She has this thing planned to the T. I think Charlie's aside threw her off. By the way, do you know what they're giving us? Jasper said we can't have it until later."
"I know, but I can't tell you. And don't try to read my mind, you won't find it. Alice has sworn me to secrecy."
"What, are you going to take it to the grave?"
"Very funny." The song ended then, and he handed me back over to Jacob. After Jacob spun me around a few times (he was never very coordinated in his human form), we sat back down for the parent's speeches.
Daddy and Mom started.
"Renesmee," Daddy never used my full name unless I was in trouble, but it didn't bother me now, "and Jake. Your mother and I wish you all the happiness in the world, all the strength of a thousand men, and the joy of a million happy days. Please let us give you our gift now." He stood awkwardly aside as Jacob and I stood up. He handed us an envelope. Jacob opened it, and gasped a bit. He showed it to me, and of course, I started to cry. They'd bought us a house, which no doubt Esme had furnished for us.
"Holy Crow," using my mother's expression, but it seemed more appropriate than Goddamn. "They bought us a house." I hugged my mother and father, and thanked my lucky stars again for parents like them. Jacob seemed overcome with emotion; I had to hold his hand while he hugged Daddy awkwardly, and then scooped up Mom. I heard Daddy whispering at Jacob. "Thank you. For Bella, for Nessie, for making her-us-happy. We owe you our existence." I smiled at them again; I would have to find something grand to thank Mom and Dad. And I'd probably need a loan from Carlisle and Esme. I got a job at the High School in town, and Jake had surprised everyone by going to college (on scholarship-he's super-smart when he puts his mind to it) and getting his degree to be a police officer; he was in line to take over for Charlie. But still. It would be hard, especially since Jake was keen on starting a family soon. Heaven knows why. Billy Black spoke from his chair; he was really frail these days, and it pained me to see that. I held Jake's hand as his sisters stood next to their father; he had a gift, too. I know it must've been everything they had, since they didn't even have as much money as Charlie, let alone the Cullen's, so you can imagine my surprise when Billy handed us cash. A goodly amount; $50, 000. Apparently, Jacob's mom had had a life insurance policy, and if something happened to her, she had told Billy to use it to pay for the girls' weddings. Well, his sisters had passed; Rachel had eloped, and Rebecca was a lesbian, so they decided we could have it. I said a prayer then, thanking his mother; the first time I had prayed. I was so overcome with emotion that I'd had to sit down. After that, my grandparents each gave an heirloom gift; the Cullen's gave us a trunk that was clearly older than anyone in the room, including Carlisle, who was ancient. It had been filled with house wares, linens, and (Esme's idea, she said), a layette, which drew tittering and jeers from the guys. Charlie and Renee gave us a cappuccino maker; I am sure that was Renee's idea. Finally, everyone started dancing, and I was left to mingle and chat with my husband.
I made the rounds, thanking each guest personally, making sure I heaped on the charm with Carlisle's friends. Kate and I stole a few minutes of girl talk away from Alice's watchful eye, and finally, it was time to change and leave for our honeymoon. We went upstairs; Alice supervising to make sure we were "good", as she said, which left Emmett rolling in laughter. After we changed and came downstairs, Jake did the garter, making sure it landed right at Kohiri; the other half-human, half-vampire, and a good friend of ours. He smiled and looked shy. I threw my bouquet; I knew Rosalie had hard time resisting; she loved catching the bouquet. In the end, Quil's girlfriend caught it, and blushed. I smiled at Jake, and then he kissed me, and Alice waved us out and into her car, where Jasper was waiting to take us to Seattle. We were doing a simple honeymoon; we weren't flashy, and besides, all we really wanted was to be together, alone. So we had found this cute little bed-and-breakfast where we planned to spend three days. Carlisle and Esme offered us her island, but we decided that we would use that when we had kids, and needed a getaway.
Later that evening, as we flopped on the bed, both of us too keyed up and tired to do much but share the occasional kiss, he reminded me of something that Billy had told me earlier that week, but that I hadn't paid too much attention to at the time.
"Now that we're married, do you know what this means, I mean, as far as treaties and territories?" I narrowed my eyes.
"No. But I swear to God, Jacob Black, if you only married me to strengthen some stupid werewolf alliance, I'll kill you myself." I smiled as he pulled me to him.
"No, silly girl. But it does mean that werewolves can no longer kill vampires, and vampires can't harm wolves. We coexist peacefully, now." The Volturi would be pissed, but Carlisle might like it….our families were too weird for words.
"Well, thank God for that." I smiled a little, to show him I was kidding. He kissed me, and everything after that was a blur.
"I love you, Jacob Black."
"I love you, Renesmee Black."
"Please, Nessie. Renesmee makes me feel like an old lady vampire." He laughed and kissed me again.
Epilogue: When our three days were up at the B&B, Jasper was waiting to take us to our new home, which actually Esme HAD fixed up for us. I loved it instantly; all bright, homey colors, and an Indian-printed rug on the floor near a stone fireplace. It was perfect; I owed Esme for the rest of my life. Alice and Jasper's gift had been a big bed; Alice, being Alice, had had Daddy set it up in the bedroom for us. She even got me some cute under things; of that, I was mortified, but she said that was from HER only, not Jasper, too. I think they're all waiting with baited breath for the next half-blood child, but in the meantime, I have my Jacob.