First timer on fanfiction - please review :)

I do not own any of the characters in the story.

This is my take on what happens in the happy ever after.

Enjoy :)

Big day

I heard a sigh and a small chuckle coming from my perfect husband.

"What´s funny", I asked.

"It´s dawn, love. We´d better get dressed."

He pulled back and flashed my crooked smile; it felt as if my heart skipped a few beats – though it stopped beating altogether five years ago.

"So soon?" I managed to ask sheepishly.

"I know how you feel", he answered bittersweet. "We do have a big day today, so we need to get ready."

Then I remembered, Nessie´s birthday was today. Although we only celebrated once a year, she was much older than the 5 years it has been since she was born. She would pass as a 14 year old girl by now.

Usually time stood still in the minds of the immortals, but not when it came to the time we had with our precious daughter. Around our little miracle that we never planned or expected we never had enough time and it was running by so fast. As much as I hated the fact that we were going to a well planned party Alice style, the fact that our time with Nessie was flying by felt much, much worse. In a little more than a year she´ll be fully grown. An adult, ready to face life without her parents. How will we ever be ready to face her facing life without us? And was she destined to face everything in companionship with Jacob? Was she given no choice? I shuddered at the thought of her having to grow up so fast.

I took a deep breath and tried to collect my thoughts.

Edward knew me to well; he held me tight and kissed the top of my head. He didn´t need to read my mind to know what I was thinking. He must have felt the same.

"14 years all tugged in to 5 years, why waste time?" I tried to lighten my mood with poor irony. I failed miserably. I gently kissed Edwards bare chest and tried to get up.

"I know it´s going to fast, I agree, love", Edward agreed in a small voice, "but I wouldn´t trade any of it." He gave me a little smile and then let me go to get dressed.

As I walked to the closet I heard Edward groan and the in a voice I´m sure he didn´t mean for me to hear say, "except for that end of the deal."

I knew what he was talking about, but I looked at him trying to look very oblivious and asked, "What do you mean, ´that end of the deal´?"

"Jacob Black, hovering over my daughter", he snorted. "Honestly, Bella. He´s not giving her the space she needs to explore other options. And she´s only 14-ish, she´s not ready for the great love of her life to lay down the ground rules of imprinting on her. She´s not…"

Yeah, I knew how he felt, and then again we both had a hard time not accepting Jacob. Edward and I cared deeply for Jacob; he was our friend and brother. We had a lot to be grateful for when it came to Jacob, but the thought of him being with Nessie in a romantic way was not something either of us was pleased of. It´s funny the ambivalent feeling towards my best friend and his great love for my daughter. I don´t know if we would ever get used to that.

"Oh", I muttered, still trying to sound oblivious.

"I´m sorry," he said looking at me with weary eyes, "I´ll try not to ruin her day." He then smiled, but the smile never met his eyes. I was in his arms within the second and they looked at him with a smile.

"I love you," I breathed. "So why is Jacob here already, it´s only dawn?"

"He hasn´t slept last night, he was up all night trying to get her present ready. And you do know he is a bit oblivious to the fact that we might need some time alone with her. I´ll go talk to him," he said and strode towards the door.

I could faintly hear them outside as Edward asked Jacob to be patient and wait at the main house for us to come. We had planned a private celebration for our little girl when she woke. We were so rarely alone with her, so we took any opportunity we had. Even though it was a bit rude.

Edward came back and I heard Jacob mutter in the distance. He was obviously not pleased. That made me a little sad; I still hated to hurt his feelings.

Jacob wanted to talk to Nessie about the whole imprinting thing years ago, so she knew why she felt the way she did and why he was always around. We on the other hand felt differently. Just because Jacob had imprinted on Nessie she would be given a choice. She was free to choose whomever she wanted. Her happiness was the most important thing for us. So the declaration of love had to wait, Jacob would get his chance. If Edward had his way, Jacob would have his chance in about 4-500 years.

"She could do worse," I said to Edward.

"I know," he breathed, "I´m just not ready to give her up." He let out a big sigh followed by a laugh, "but I don´t think I ever will be."

"Me neither, but she deserves it, she deserves the same kind of love we share," I stated. Trying to convince myself as much as Edward.

"You´re right love, off course you´re right. Let´s not think about it now and try to concentrate on making this a perfect day for Nessie," Edward smiled as he said it.

I took two deep breaths and let out, "Right, imprinting-drawer, great-love-of-life-drawer and the letting-her-go-drawer closed, no more of that today." I took another breath; it really was some enormous drawers to close.

Edward let out a little laugh and then he took a deep breath. He had trouble closing them too.

We then took each other's hands and walked out of our bedroom and towards Nessie´s room. She was so peaceful when she was sleeping, just like she had been when she was still a little toddler.

Only this time she wasn´t sleeping. She was already up and dressed. Obviously she was waiting for us to come in.

"Oh so you´re finally ready to be civilized and dressed?" she giggled.

Edward laughed at her blunt daughter, but he was as I was a bit embarrassed by the fact that she knew we never had enough time during the night to enjoy each other.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," I said in a loud voice trying to change the subject.

"Yes, happy birthday you little brat," Edward let out a big grin.

We went to sit on her bed beside her and Edward gave her our present. She was my opposite in many ways. How to accept gifts she was definitely my opposite, she was absolutely beaming. She already had more than any girls her age could possibly ever imagine to desire, so she wasn´t the easiest girl to give presents. This year we wanted to keep it simple, we handed her a small box. Inside were radiant princess cut diamond earrings, she had always been a sucker for shiny things.

"WOW!!!" was all she could say. She then looked up at us with tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much, mom and dad. They are really pretty and totally cool. Can I please, please put them on right now?" She was glowing with joy.

"Of course, princess", Edward smiled and was very proud. "We should get ready to go, sweetie."

"I wonder what aunt Alice has in store for me this year," Nessie pondered with a small grin on her lip.

"Be afraid – be very afraid," I laughed.

Nessie rolled her eyes at me. She loved the attention and the fuzz. Maybe it was because every year she had to celebrate about 3 birthdays in one. I felt cheated for all the years normal children had, so why wouldn´t she? None of us felt we had the time to stop up and savor the moment and on the other hand we couldn´t afford not to.

"Let´s go – I can´t wait!" Nessie said in an exited voice.

All three of us chuckled and got ready to go. Alice was probably pacing through the house, waiting for us to show up.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NESSIE!" everyone yelled as we strode through the door.

Nessie flashed her big grin, the one she certainly inherited from Edward. Oh yes, she sure loved this.

"Jacob," she said in a happy voice, "you came!"

"Of course I came," he answered, "where else would I be on a day like this."

Edward and I looked at each other and smiled in understanding. Where else would he be any day? He was always here, every day. Edward hadn´t exaggerated about Jacob hovering Nessie.

Alice and Esme had the living room decorated with white candles and pink décor. Just like Nessie had hoped. Alice had also invited Charlie, but he couldn´t make it today. He had promised to come tomorrow instead.

Nessie got all her presents and was yet again overwhelmed with joy.

A new laptop from Emmet, Rose and Jasper. A brand new wardrobe from Alice, of course. Carlisle and Esme got her a new watch – Gucci, she wouldn´t wear any other brands. Jacob had made her a true copy of the bracelet and charm I once received.

"Thank you all so much for the presents and everything," Nessie said as she hugged and kissed everyone in the room.

Edward made a slight face when Nessie hugged Jacob, he quickly cleared his throat and said, "Let´s go hunt, Nessie."

She beamed, so happy that she didn´t have to endure human food on her birthday. "Let´s go," she said.

Edward, Nessie and I hunted for a couple of hours, enjoying ourselves. Jacob stayed at the house; he was fast asleep before we had reached the door. Rose was not pleased that Jacob felt so at home in the Cullen house, but she tried not to say anything, or well much anyway, when Nessie was there.

After a couple of hours we were full and contend. Nessie ran back to the house, eager to see if she could pull more celebration out of this special day. Edward and I decided to walk back hand in hand, enjoying a quiet moment. Edward was my therapy and my safe harbor, I never felt myself when we were apart.

When we were near the house Edwards's body stiffened, he then looked down at me and said, "We need to hurry home, love. Something´s wrong!"

Suddenly my mind was racing in a million different directions. What was wrong? What had happened? Was it Nessie, oh don´t let it be my little girl, please no.

"What? What is wrong, Edward. Don´t keep me in the dark!" I shouted as we ran towards the house.

"I´m not sure, but Alice had a vision. Of Charlie."

I gasped.