Chapter 2 – Alice's Wedding

A/N: The contest is over so I'm finally starting to post chapters. I'm pretty excited. This story kind of gained a mind of its own and I'm having a blast writing it. Particularly the Volturi…and the smexing, but that comes later. It's funny that the rest of the chapters are, likely, going to be shorter than the Prolog but that's what happens when I try to write a one-shot. This particular chapter will be shorter than most as it's bridging a gap between my "prologue" and the rest of the story.

Disclaimer: Just playing in Stephenie Meyer's backyard for a while. Twilight is all hers.

Early Fall

Bella had been blessed with long, thick, beautiful brown hair. Unfortunately, she had not been blessed with that distinctly feminine talent of teasing it into elegant styles. The closest she ever got to styling it was when she worked at her bakery. Even then it was only a simple bun. Occasionally, back on the farm, she had pulled it into a ponytail. Aside from those occasions it always hung, plain and loose down her back.

Normally, this fact did not bother her but today it was something of an inconvenience. It was Alice's wedding day and she had asked Bella several weeks previous to stand, along with Rosalie, as one of her ladies during the wedding ceremony. Flattered, Bella had agreed. She'd also agreed to wear anything that Alice provided without comment. Unfortunately, Alice wanted Rosalie and Bella to have ornate hairstyles. Bella had protested but Alice had laid on the guilt.

"Bella, please. My hair is too short to make pretty like that," Alice had pleaded.

"Why don't you grow your own hair out?" Bella groused, grumpy. She knew herself well enough to already know that Alice was going to win this argument somehow.

Sensing an easy victory, Alice's smile was all innocence. "I would but it's not wise to have long hair with my magic. The wind I create doesn't hurt me but if my hair is long it gets in my face. Wouldn't that be embarrassing – dying because my hair was in my eyes?"

So now Bella sat in Alice's overly large bedroom with the bride, Esme and Rosalie. Alice had put her hair up into pincurls the night before and now Esme was helping her take the pins out. A quarter of her hair fell in soft curlicues instead of their usual spiky disarray.

Bella sighed and glanced at Rosalie, briefly considering asking her for help. Rosalie's hair was already piled atop her head in a mass of tight braids mixed with smooth, loose strands. She was adding bejeweled pins seemingly at random. She and Bella's relationship had improved somewhat. Instead of outright glaring and rolling her eyes she'd taken to ignoring Bella as much as was possible. She might help, if only because it was Alice's wedding day, but at what price?

Esme's gentle voice broke Bella out of her internal debate. "Rosalie, would you be a dear and help Alice with the rest of these pins?"

Once Rosalie and Alice were situated, Esme walked over to Bella, nimbly plucking the brush from Bella's hands and immediately setting about smoothing her hair out.

"Oh, Esme," Bella protested. "I didn't mean to take you away from Alice. This is her day."

"Shh, sweetheart, don't worry. Alice is fine with Rosalie, see," she nodded her head at where Alice and Rosalie sat, giggling at something while Rosalie's quick, dexterous fingers undid the pins in Alice's hair. "Besides, I've missed this." Esme's voice was wistful as she spoke. "When she was a little girl, Alice used to love when I did her hair. It was so beautiful when it was long – sleek and jet black."

As Esme worked she recounted tales of Alice as a child. Every once in a while she would look up at Bella in the mirror and when she did Bella couldn't help but be struck by her eyes. They were the exact, beautiful shade of green as Edward's. Endlessly fascinated by anything about him, Bella enjoyed picking out Edward's features on his parent's faces: his mother's eyes, his father's jaw line and chin.

"Esme, where does Edward get his hair from?" Bella asked suddenly. Esme was obviously startled by the question as her hands paused momentarily. Bella was about to apologize, but held her tongue as she was now doubly curious. None of the Cullen children had hair that matched their parents but Emmett and Alice's dark hair was accounted for in Carlisle's father whom Bella had met the day before.

"My mother had the exact same shade hair, actually. Has Edward told you anything about her?" Bella shook her head marginally and Esme went back to her work. "Her name was Sulpicia."

Catching the past tense Bella murmured a quiet apology at bringing up what was clearly a sad subject for Esme, but the older woman brushed it off. "It's fine dear. You're part of the family now, and given what my daughter has seen in your future it's a story you should know. My mother was my father's first wife." She pursed her lips, obviously trying to find the right words to continue her story. "My father – he was not always the man he has become. There was a time when he was as kind and civilized as he pretends to be now.

"At first the Volturi were a guild just like this one. They were protectors of the people, and very good at what they did. Aro rose to the leadership when I was a very small child. He is very cunning, and under his command the Volturi defeated anything that was a threat to the people of Volterra and the surrounding countryside. However, the king of Volterra chose to refuse their protection, and as fate would have it he was murdered. The Volturi were called in to investigate. They discovered the king's murderer lead back to the leaders of a nearby city. An all out war ensued. The Volturi won. In the wake of the victory over, and acquisition of the warring city as part of Volterra, the citizens of Volterra gave over leadership to my father. Of course, he quickly named my uncles, Caius and Marcus, as his advisors."

Esme's voice became tight and almost angry as she continued her story. "Around the time I was your age, perhaps a little older, Aro became aware of a pair of very powerful witches; twins, actually. Their names were Jane and Alec. They were the worst kind of witches – casting mass hexes and curses at whoever so much as looked at them the wrong way. But though they used their powers as they pleased they did not seem to suffer the usual ill-effects. They were as beautiful as angels despite the suffering they had inflicted. On top of being witches they both also had formidable talents. Jane can put the suggestion of the most horrendous, debilitating pain into the minds of her opponents and Alec can deprive entire groups of people of all their senses.

"Of course, Aro was intrigued. By that time he had built a veritable army of some of the most talented witches, gifted magic users and skilled swordsmen. With Jane and Alec's gifts his army would be close to unstoppable. So when Jane offered not only their allegiance but also the secret that kept the twins safe from the corruption of dark magic and kept them eternally youthful, Aro was ecstatic. But there was a price – he had to leave my mother and marry her instead."

Bella, silent to that point, gasped in horror. "And he did it?!"

"Not exactly," Esme said slowly. "Publically, Aro continued to proclaim his undying love for my mother … but a few months later she died suddenly of an illness. Of course, I can't be certain, but I have long suspected that my father had a hand in her death. Shortly thereafter he rehabilitated," Esme spat the word in a uncharacteristic snarl,"Jane and Alec from their evil ways and in the process fell in love with her, or that's the story they tell anyway. They pass off their supposed immortality as a gift from the Gods for their hard work and devotion."

Bella hardly knew what to think or say. She had known that Aro was powerful and evil, but to murder his own wife to gain immortality? This was evil on a level that Bella had not contemplated. "I'm so sorry."

Esme shook her head sadly and her face became gentle again. "It's hard to understand fate's design. There are times when I thank the gods for sending Carlisle to me. But it was my father's doing that he is in my life. In his growing need to possess the most talented individuals it was Aro who found Carlisle. He was fascinated by him, and intrigued by his power. He believed that Carlisle could bring people back from the dead if he were to really grasp the extent of his magical ability.

"Of course, Carlisle resisted pushing the limits of his abilities. He was trained to fight, and to use his healing gift in battle, but he believes in the separation of the body and the soul. Healing the body is scientific, so to speak. But affecting the soul? Coaxing it back into a body it has left?" Esme shook her head. "Carlisle could not believe playing god like that would not cost him something … important. Like the witches when they use their powers for hexes and curses of the body, their own bodies whither. Carlisle could not imagine risking his soul. Not when he saw Aro's actions becoming borderline unjustifiable.

"So, Aro started spending more time with him. He could not fathom someone having such a power – the ability to bring someone back to life – and not use it. One night, he invited Carlisle to dinner rather than cut off their discussion." Esme smiled at the memory. "In effect, it was Aro that brought Carlisle to me – something that would not have happened if he had not become who he is today."

Bella bit her lip, processing the story. "He was fond of Carlisle?"

"Oh, yes. Carlisle was a strong, charismatic and confident leader; even back then Aro could see that. Unlike most of the others he keeps around him, Carlisle would always speak his mind – respectfully, of course. Aro respected him for that." Esme smiled again.

Not wanting to hurt Esme, Bella almost didn't ask her next question. But in the end curiosity again got the better of her. "He didn't approve of your marriage though?" Bella watched as Esme's smile faltered. "I'm sorry," she said, immediately feeling horrible. "I'm just trying to understand."

With some effort, Esme smiled at Bella. "Please, sweetheart, don't worry. You will not offend me. As I said, you deserve to know." She took a steadying breath and began her story again. "It was a very difficult time for us, as you might imagine.

"I had – have, I suppose – a cousin named Chelsea. She and I are about the same age. While Aro was, in his way, a doting father, Chelsea was his pet. I, like my mother, was born without any magical talent where she is gifted.

"It became somewhat obvious that Aro was trying to unite Chelsea and Carlisle. This is when I truly began to see his powers of manipulation. Chelsea's gift gave her the ability to enhance or break relationships: an offshoot of her father and mother's, my uncle Marcus and Aunt Didyme's, gifts. At Aro's urging Chelsea was trying to enhance Carlisle's feelings for her," Esme laughed. "I don't think he even suspected, at the time, that we had been secretly seeing each other."

"I don't understand," Bella said, furrowing her eyebrows in concentration. It was all so much to take in. "Why would Aro do that? Encourage Chelsea's relationship with him?"

"I suppose I couldn't say for sure," Esme said carefully. "It was always my assumption that he'd hoped a wife or a lover could persuade Carlisle to see his way as Aro himself had failed time and again." She shrugged the thought off and smiled fondly. "But by that time Carlisle and I were very much in love, and that bond is too strong to break.

"My Uncle Marcus can see relationships, and when he saw the strength of ours, we were inevitably outed to Aro. We requested his permission to marry right then. It was very shortly after my mother's death. It's true that he did refuse us, at first. I think it was his surprise. He was so caught up in his plotting with Chelsea. I know he hated the fact that he didn't know what was happening under his very nose. With his daughter and his protégé no less.

"But then he became very enthusiastic." Esme dropped her hands from Bella's hair, becoming utterly still and almost too quiet to hear. "He must have suspected that a union of our two families would produce a strong magical talent. Another reason he was encouraging Chelsea, more than likely.

Bella spun quickly in her seat and put a comforting hand over where Esme's sat on her lap. "You couldn't let yourself, your family be manipulated, so you ran?" Bella guessed. Esme nodded. "I can't even imagine how terrifying it must have been. But I would have done the same thing." She dropped her head shyly. "And I'm so glad you did."

Esme could see in Bella's eyes that she meant it. She would give up anything, her entire life, if it meant being with Edward, away from a future that was anything but their own choice. She squeezed the young woman's hand tightly. "My mother knew about us, even when my father did not. She loved Carlisle as a son. I asked her why once and she said it was because he was my choice and he was worth it. It is a sentiment I've carried over with my children, and their chosen partners." Esme caught Bella's eye in the mirror and her smile was full of a motherly tenderness. "She would have loved you too, dear."

Before Bella could answer Alice made a delighted noise. "She's perfect, Esme. Bella you look so beautiful. Edward is going to be beside himself."

And just like that the moment was broken. Bella struggled to readjust her grip on reality. Her mind was still far away in Volterra, wrapped up in Esme's story and the history of the Cullen family. She shook her head sharply to shake off the surreal feeling and come back to the present.

"No one is going to be looking at me today, Alice." Secretly, Bella was pleased at the thought of Edward getting some enjoyment out of her being forced to dress up, but she did not want to shift the spotlight away from Alice. After all, it was her wedding.

All three of the other women scoffed. "Who are you trying to kid Bella? Edward never takes his eyes off you on a regular day but right now? I'll be lucky if he remembers I exist."

Eyeing Alice's beautiful dress and head full of soft curls, Bella doubted that. Alice was a vision and Bella told her so. She was being truthful, but she also wanted to switch the subject back to the bride

About an hour later the four women descended the stairs to where Emmett, Carlisle and Edward waited. Edward's eyes took in Alice for all of a second before they sought out Bella. His sharp intake of breath could be heard from the top of the steps. "What did I tell you?" Alice whispered dryly.

As they neared the bottom of the steps Edward held out a hand to Bella, his eyes roaming her body as he appreciated the way the deep blue fabric hugged her curves and the graceful way the gown flowed to the floor. When she stepped onto the landing he brought her hand to his lips, kissing it grandly. "My lady," he said in greeting.

Off to the side Emmett had wrapped his arm around Rosalie's waist and pulled her close to him. His eyes, actually, everyone's eyes but Edward's were drawn to the sight in the center of the landing. Carlisle held Alice at arm's length, a stunning array of sentiments playing across his face. Joy. Pride. Awe. And just a hint of sadness.

"Fa," Alice said softly, "Are you crying?"

Carlisle cupped his daughter's cheek affectionately with one hand. "I thought I was ready for this moment, but it's just not possible," he mused aloud, his voice thick with restrained emotion. "My little girl. Watching you become a strong, beautiful woman has been one of the proudest experiences of my life, and I am so glad I've lived to see this day. Jasper is a good man, a good son, and he will make a fine husband."

"Oh, Fa," Alice was crying now. She wrapped her arms around her father's neck and they held each other for a few moments. Emmett had gathered a weepy Esme under his other arm and his dancing eyes caught Edward's. The brother's smiled at each other. Even Rosalie was smiling. Bella was amazed and honored to be part of this private moment. Watching this family she'd come to care about so deeply and with Edward's arm wrapped tightly around her, Bella felt surrounded by love.

Alice stepped back, wiping at her eyes. "It's time," she said with a sniffle. Of course, right then, the minstrels struck up a familiar song. The wedding party would be expected to enter in just a minute.

Esme pulled Alice into a final hug. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, my child," she whispered. She kissed Alice's cheek and went to take her seat in the common room.

Alice looked slightly frantic as she ran over to a coat of arms that adorned the wall. She peered into the reflection nervously, wiping her eyes again. "Do I look alright?"

"You're divine," Rosalie assured Alice sincerely. She took Alice's hand and tugged her lightly, guiding her back to Carlisle's side. "My brother is waiting for you."

That was all it took. Alice broke into a wide grin, forgetting to worry about her appearance. She was almost bouncing in place, suddenly very eager. Chuckling, Carlisle patted her arm soothingly. "Almost, dear," he assured her.

Rosalie and Emmett entered first, walking down the short aisle and parting, Emmett going to stand by Jasper. Edward and Bella followed. As they walked down the aisle, Edward squeezed Bella's hand comfortingly, knowing she was self-conscious with all the eyes in the room on her. Bella just reminded herself that this was important to Alice, and as soon as the bride stepped in the room no one, aside from Edward, would be looking at her.

When she and Edward had parted to take their places, Bella finally let herself look around. Her eyes fell first on Jasper. Resplendent in a beautifully embroidered dress tunic, his eyes were only for Alice who had finally made her appearance at the door. The look in his eyes was soft; gleaming with peace and adoration. His wide smile broadcasted his utter ecstasy as loud as if he were shouting.

Carlisle kissed Alice's hand once, his eyes still shining with tears, before placing it in Jasper's. He held his hand over their clasped hands for a moment before taking his seat next to Esme.

It was a beautiful ceremony. Alice and Esme had done an amazing job transforming the guild's common room into a beautiful chapel. The wedding party and Angela's father stood under a canopy of flowers, and all the benches in the hall had been arranged into rows to hold the guests. Each bench was adorned with a banner and more flowers.

At first, Bella tried to pay attention to Alice and Jasper, but her eyes kept wandering over to Edward. He was amazingly handsome in a dress tunic similar to Jasper's. His face was clean shaven and his hair slightly tamer and shorter than usual. When he caught her staring he grinned and winked. Bella felt her face flush at being caught and she tried to keep her eyes on the ceremony. But, as Alice and Jasper took their vows, Edward's look became impossibly tender. He mouthed, "I love you." Bella felt her heart fill with an incredible sense of joy. She felt cherished. Standing with Alice, her sister in so many real ways, as she married her true love and looking into the loving eyes of the man who was the rest of her life. Everything, in that moment, felt perfect.

The ceremony flowed seamlessly into the reception in the dining hall of the guild house. Dinner was, of course, extravagant and delicious. But the pièce de résistance was a 4-tier cake that was Bella's gift to Alice. Each tier was a different kind of cake. White cake with strawberry on the bottom, yellow and chocolate cake for the middle tiers, and the most moist angel food cake anyone had ever eaten on top, all frosted in white with dainty blue, purple and pink flowers scattered across the stop and down the sides.

When the meal had finished and almost every piece of Bella's cake had been devoured, the minstrels took their place to the side of the room and began playing. Jasper guided his new wife out onto the floor.

The dining table was at the head of the room, and everything else had been pushed back to leave a wide space for dancing. Edward sat in one of the large, throne-like chairs that were scattered around the edge of the room. He pulled Bella to him and she sat on his lap, automatically wrapping her arms around his neck. For many easy minutes they sat quietly, Bella watching the festivities and Edward mostly watching her. As usual, he found himself fascinated by her smile; the sound of her gentle laughter as she watched everyone dance.

Edward brushed the hair off the shoulder nearest to him. He pulled down the light fabric that covered her shoulder and started to place slow, slightly wet kisses on her skin. He wound his arms tighter around her waist, finding her hands and threading his long fingers with hers. She sighed contentedly, leaning back against his chest and tilting her head as his lips left a cool trail up the skin of her neck.

"Bella," he said, his lips brushing against her ear.

"Yes?" The word came out as no more than a breath as he continued to kiss her skin.

He kissed her cheek and then the edge of her mouth until she turned her head slightly, her lips seeking his. "Dance with me," he requested. Without giving her a chance to answer he started kissing her at the same slow, simmering pace.

Bella could feel her blood begin to boil with need. Every time she tried to deepen the kiss he would shift, his lips always teasing her. Bella growled half heartedly against his mouth. "You cheat," she sighed when he finally broke away entirely. He chuckled, nuzzling her neck with the tip of his nose. He was well aware of his powers of persuasion. She sighed again. "I can't dance," she said perfunctorily. Her voice held none of the conviction it had when she was really adamant about a point, but she was stubborn. Just a little more convincing….

Luckily their hands were only loosely held together because in the next second Emmett had lifted Bella out of Edward's arms. He held her fast against his broad chest, one arm firm around her waist and the other holding one of her arms out. Startled, Bella wrapped her free arm around his torso. Her feet didn't touch the floor.

"Emmett, you have your own. This one's mine," Edward protested, standing and reaching for Bella.

Emmett's booming laugh shook Bella's entire frame as he stepped back. "Sorry, brother. I can't help if I am more convincing than you. Besides, father has claimed Rosalie's attention for the moment. She says he's better dancer anyway," he laughed again. "Come on Bella, I know you'll dance with me."

"Do I have a choice?" Bella asked with a laugh. She kicked her feet slightly against his shins.

Emmett grinned widely. "Not at all!" he said jubilantly, and then danced them both away from Edward to the jaunty tune the players had just begun.

Knowing he had lost the battle at least for that moment, Edward shook his head and crossed his arms as he watched them. "Why didn't I think of that?"

The high pitched giggle coming from behind him was not surprising. He had heard Alice's mental amusement as she watched her brothers' exchange. "You were about this close to winning that argument," she said, coming up beside him. Edward shifted and tucked his sister under his arm without taking his eyes off Bella. Alice watched him with a satisfied grin on her face. Not that you weren't having fun convincing her.

Edward looked down at his sister and mussed her hair. She squealed, pushing at him in an attempt to get away but he held her fast, grinning and finally looking at her in full. She was absolutely glowing today, her face lit up with pure happiness. He and Alice had always been close. She didn't need to hear the words that the look in his eyes conveyed. He was happy. Happy for her, and happy with Bella. It was entirely unlike his mood at Emmett's wedding. Yes, he had been happy for his brother, but there was a part of him that was also jealous. At that time, just a year and a half previous, it had seemed as if he would be alone forever.

The siblings smiled at each other before turning back to watch their significant others.

Across the room Jasper was dancing with Esme. Seeming to sense Alice's eyes on him, he looked up and broke into a radiant grin. He was only distracted when Emmett danced up, setting Bella down next to him. Jasper exchanged a few words with his new brother and nodded at whatever Emmett had asked. He kissed Esme's cheek before bowing gracefully to Bella. She only hesitated a moment before letting Jasper guide her into his arms. Jasper and Bella resumed the dance at a slower, easier pace while Emmett pulled Esme into a more complicated set of steps, throwing a pointed look at his wife and father. Not to be outdone, Carlisle and Rosalie fell into step after them, the four of them quickly becoming the center of attention on the dance floor.

After a few words of encouragement from Jasper, Bella seemed to be moving a little easier in their dance. But she would get caught up, giggling at the mini dance competition going on in the middle of the floor, and she would step on Jasper's foot or stumble a bit out of time. Each time she did Edward would let out a chuckle.

"She completes us, you know," Alice said quietly and Edward couldn't help but smile at the thought."She makes our family whole." In her mind Alice was already picturing the day when Bella would truly be her sister. Edward's breath caught as a vision passed through Alice's head – a single image. He and Bella knelt in the meadow where they'd first professed their love. They were holding hands, midway through the vows of their own wedding. She was dressed in soft colors, a crown of white flowers adorning her head with her hair flowing loose, wavy and lovely down her back. Both of their faces were awash in happiness and pure devotion.

Edward's heart quickened with the thought, with the utter joy at the concept of making Bella his wife. His eyes began to smolder as he watched her, a fierce hunger overtaking him. He needed Bella back in his arms.

Edward leaned down, scooping Alice up and over his shoulder without warning or much thought. His decision was almost instinctual and so she had no time to process the vision before she was draped over his shoulder. "Edward!" she screeched. He ignored the tiny fists pummeling his back and the amused thoughts of the crowd as he strode to where Jasper and Bella were dancing.

"You there!" he said, getting Jasper's attention. "You have something I want. I am prepared to offer you a trade: This little whelp for your stunning dance partner."

Alice slapped Edward's back in protest as Jasper pretended to mull the offer over. "Jasper Hale I swear I will make you spend your wedding night locked outside the door of our room!" she threatened.

Wide eyed, Jasper immediately turned to Bella. "Miss Swan, it seems my bride is in need of rescuing from this brute here. You're a formidable woman. I have no doubt you have the skill to tame the beast."

Bella nodded her understanding, pretending to look grave. Edward passed Alice to Jasper. As he took her in his arms he held her tiny body against him for a moment before setting her down as if she was made of the most delicate glass. He kept his arm around her, obviously forgetting their audience as he murmured, "My lady. My wife," and leaned down to kiss her.

Bella looked away as the moment became too personal to watch. She found Edward's eyes on her and could stop neither her answering smile nor her fluttering heartbeat. Even after nearly 2 months together his affect on her had not slackened. He reached out, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, enjoying the pink flush from her recent exertions. "You are so beautiful," he said. He leaned in, pressing his cheek against hers, reveling in the warmth against his skin. "Dance with me Bella."

She let out a shaky laugh, her body trembling slightly. When she spoke her voice was breathy. "Well, since your brothers have already had their way with me, it seems rude not to say yes when you're being so polite."

The players had picked up the change in atmosphere of the room. As their jig ended, they took up a much slower song with a mellow beat. Edward pulled Bella close to him just as the rest of his family and gathered friends did the same with their partners.

They began to dance slowly, swaying gently to the beat. As he looked into her eyes she smiled back at him with complete adoration. With a start, he recognized the look on her face from Alice's vision – the one that had both plagued him and taunted him for so many long weeks as he tried to stay away from her. He knew that his eyes were tender and filled with the overwhelming passion he felt for the woman he held in his arms.

Remembering how the vision cut off, torturing him, Edward leaned down and kissed her, soft and slow and languid. He swept his tongue along her bottom lip and her mouth opened, their tongues meeting and stroking at the same, slow, sensual pace. He felt heavily satisfied that he could finally see the vision through to the end.

But even as he reveled in the sweet taste and sensation of her mouth and body moving with his, Edward could not forget the vision that Alice had seen first. As much as he tried to push it from his mind and simply enjoy being with Bella, there was a part of him that was always waiting for the other foot to fall and for his happiness, his very world, to come crashing down around him.

Couple things. 1) I'm going to take this time to remind you that Edward and crew are human. As such, though their powers are much the same, they are not able to use them in the same way. As humans, they can't process thoughts at the same speed and without vampire recall they can't catch everything. Keep this in mind with Edward, Alice and later Aro especially. 2) My friends Mike, Jennifer and Audrey are beautiful amazing people for listening to me and looking over my little story.