Chapter 1: Together

2 years after the change…

"What will Charlie think? I'm seven years older than you! Well…in human years, but you get the point. He's not going to approve of this, Edward." Bella paced the floor of Edward's room, now Bella and Edward's room.

Edward watched her with a worrisome expression on his face. He wanted to just grab her and hold her in his arms, hoping the gesture would calm her down. But he had known better, Bella was as stubborn as he was.

"Bella, you are a grown up and it's your choice who you marry," his voice tried to soothe.

"I know, but… I'm just worried that he won't approve," her voice trailed into a soft murmur.

"It's been two years since you've seen your father. I would be twenty and you would barely be turning 27." Edward tried to assure her. "I could tell him that I attended school in New York and we had met there. Everything else falls together after that."

Bella sat down on the chaise lounge and pondered for awhile. She pushed a few strands of her long brown hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Edward watched her face, her eyebrows wrinkling into worry. He walked over towards the chaise lounge and sat down next to her. Bella watched his graceful movement as he sat down and she laid down on his lap, placing her head on his thigh. Gentle fingers traced random patterns into the side of her face, an electric charge zinging through both of them, at the contact.

"Can't you feel that?" Edward spoke soothingly again. His velvety voice was perfection in Bella's ears.

"I do," the wrinkle between her eyebrows were gone as her muscles relaxed.

"We belong together. That is proof right there." Edward's hands moved from her flawless face to her hair, moving down till his hands were rubbing her arms in a comforting matter. Bella closed her eyes, smiled, then kissed his knee.

Then she sat up and looked into his dark eyes. They both couldn't help themselves as they moved in to kiss each other gently, their lips moving in unison. The charge, again, was there as they touched. It was not sharp like a bolt of electricity, it was a tingling subtle sensation. It was odd but wonderful at the same time.

Their kiss ended and Edward smiled his infamous crooked smile.

"It'll be alright, okay? We'll get through this…together."

"I know we will. 'Cause you'll be with me."

Edward squeezed her hand gently and she prompted to move onto his lap again, this time sitting on it. Edward held her tenderly in his arms for a very long time. They sat like that for that time, just breathing and holding each other. The love electrified the air around them and they were happy.

Of course, it would be interrupted sooner or later by the person that was causing the house to stir in such chaotic way, going about the plans of Edward and Bella's wedding, that she drove everyone mad! Alice knocked on the door loudly, even though it was not necessary, and waited for Edward and Bella to allow her to come.

"Later, Alice." Edward said, almost sounding rude.

"C'mon! I have to show something to Bella." Alice said in a whiney voice. "You won't regret it."

"You heard him, Alice. Later…please." Bella pleaded politely.

"I'm not leaving until you come out!" Alice crossed her arms in stubbornness from behind the door.

Edward rolled his eyes and Bella huffed a sigh of irritation. She got up and opened the door for Alice, taking notice to Alice's beaming bright smile as she cracked the door open.

"I knew you'd open the door." Alice said confidently.

"Of course, you wouldn't go away, so I opened it." Bella said, a defeated smile on her face.

"C'mon… I have to show you this. You!" Alice pointed to Edward who was making his way to the door, "You have to stay," she said very seriously.

"Why?" Edward asked.

"Because you can't see what I have to show her. It's bad luck!"

Bella face turned into a "oh help me" expression, hating the times when Alice tried to put plans together for her wedding.

"Oh Bella, all you have to do is agree or disagree. I'll hand you back to Edward as soon as possible." Alice said, trudging her along behind her.

"I'll be back soon." she softly said to an almost sad Edward, who stood by the door. His hand rested on the door jamb, watching her intently.

Edward smiled his crooked smile again, just for her, watching her walk away. Bella almost sighed at the lift at the corner of his lips.

Arriving to the second floor, Alice steered Bella towards Carlisle's library, where the computer was set up. Esme had been at the computer desk, typing away, the tapping noises of the keyboard sounding like a vibration than just a constant clicking. She never took her eyes off the computer monitor, but greeted Bella.

"Hello Bella."

"Esme…" Bella walked over to Edward's mother and hugged from behind, around her neck.

That's when Bella looked at the computer monitor and saw what Alice was talking about and what Esme was researching. A strapless white wedding gown. It shimmered from the light of the camera, which caught most of the detail from the beads and lace on the bodice. The skirt of the dress was tucked in at spots, with beads that hung from underneath the tucks of fabric, and the effect of the puffs made, allowed the skirt to look fuller. The train behind the dress was just a subtle trail, not too long, but it was still breathtakingly gorgeous. Bella had been charmed by the wedding dress that they have found, that she did not hear Alice speaking to her.

"Bella? I said, do you like it?" Alice asked, looking at Bella's blank face.

"I love it." Bella said so softly, her eyes still gazing at the perfect dress. "This is perfect."

Esme smiled with pleasure, as Alice did.

"Yay! We thought it would be perfect for you too! You have no idea how long Esme and I had been searching for you. We went shopping everywhere, but it didn't seem to be enjoyable, since I couldn't find anything that I was searching for."

"You? Shopping not enjoyable? Oh no, hell has frozen over, hasn't it?"

Alice wrinkled her nose at Bella's joke.

"She was quite distraught over it." Esme said.

"I can't wait till Edward sees it!" Alice excitedly jumped like a little child.

"Alice, now you have to be careful around him. You can't think of the dress while around him or he'll see it." Bella said.

"It's covered. I'm going to use your approach you had me use before. I'm going to think of all the states of America, along with their capitols. He's gonna hate it." Alice amused smile was brilliant.

"Good. Now can I go?"

"Yes, you're free to go."

"Thank you." Bella turned and rushed out the door of the library, hurriedly made her way up the second set of stairs to the third floor, and opened the door to their bedroom.

She was disappointed when she found that Edward was not in the room, waiting for her. Instead, she listened intently to footsteps downstairs. There was Emmett's heavy steps and also Jasper's. Jasper footsteps was light with a staccato sound to it. Squeaking of a torque wrench came from the garage, knowing it was Rosalie tweaking with one of the cars again. There was a different muffling sound, quick steps that was coming from the first floor of the stairs. It was Edward, making his way up to their room.

Bella went and got comfortable on the couch that sat at one corner of the room, waiting for Edward to walk in through the door.

"I thought you'd be here waiting for me." Bella said, pretending to pout.

"I was discussing a matter with Jasper and Emmett for a moment. I didn't think you would be back for hours."

Bella giggled. "I thought so too, but thank goodness it didn't. What kind of matter?"

"A bachelor party." Edward said, waiting for the shock look in Bella's eyes.

To his surprise, Bella wasn't shocked at all. Alice had told her about the party beforehand, after she had seen it.

"Oh, I knew about that. Alice told me."

"She's wicked."

Bella just chuckled.

Edward went to the couch and Bella had thought he was going to sit down next to her. Instead, he picked up her left hand, and motioned her to stand up. He had kissed the ring that sat on her ring finger, shining in the light of the sun from the big windows of their room. Bella inhaled slowly as his warm lips made contact with her skin and engagement ring. She looked into his eyes. The topaz color was completely gone, the blackness of it made him look tired, even though she knew he could never be.

"Your eyes are dark."

"Are they?"

"Yes. I miss the goldish tint of your eyes. Let's go."

"After you, my love."

Bella opened the window and waited for Edward to stand beside her. They grasped each other's hand and stepped on the window ledge to jump down to the ground. Landing softly with a thud, they walked in human speed towards the river behind the backyard, bounding over it like it was nothing.

The sun was just setting as they were hunting. Some lights that escaped through the gap of the trees, flickered through, shimmering and glittering parts of Edward and Bella's body as they hunted. It was a outstanding pattern against their skin, glittered skin here, then changing to the white bloodless skin. Then it started to sprinkle, the weather changing in a blink of an eye.

They had hunted farther than expected and while they were out, they had played in the rain, like they enjoyed to do. They were just nearing the La Push boundaries when Bella had seen her favorite meal, cougar. It was Edward's favorite as well. She giggled, looking into Edward's eyes, challenging him to see who would get to the cougar first. Edward had taken that challenge and they both set forth to chase after the cougar.

Edward's accelerated quickness was amazing, but Bella had been astonishingly stealthy, almost as fast as him. Their power was almost equal to each other and that made the challenge even greater.

The cougar had caught movement of them and darted away, running as fast as its legs could take him. Bella had pushed herself to the limit and bounded up to start "flying" from tree to tree, almost like a monkey swinging from a vine to the next vine. There was no obstacles from the forest floor to stop her from the speed she wanted to achieve.

She was gaining a small amount of speed over Edward, but Edward had to slow down, taking notice that they were about to cross over the La Push boundaries. A place where no vampire was allowed to enter.

Edward cursed under his breath, which opted Bella to slow down, but it was too late. The cougar went into the borders and Bella had followed it, already miles over the prohibited property.

"Bella! Come back." Edward called out to her, but not with much volume.

"What about the cougar?"

"Please Bella, get over here right now!" He was yelling now, he could hear the padded footsteps of paws on the earth below him. He could practically feel it.

Bella heard the serious, snappy tension in Edward's voice and knew something was wrong. He was getting angry with her? Why? The smell of something awful, was nearing closer to her and she felt the defensive mode in her turn on. She had heard a thick growl from behind her and she turned to see what it was.

Her eyes widened when a beastly animal the size of a horse was up in the air, ready to pounce on top of her. Surprise of this unnatural being, had caught her off guard and it was able to land on top of Bella, tumbling both of them to the ground. The furry beast bared it's ferocious teeth and growled loudly in her face. Bella, instinctively defending herself, growled back and pierced her yellow eyes at it.

The russet furred animal froze, with its teeth still threatening her and Bella crawled her way out from underneath the animal. Edward was beside her within seconds and sighed with relief that she was not hurt.

"Edward! What is that?!" Bella said, her eyes still widened, staring at the frozen animal. She ran into his arms. Edward's voice was sharp while speaking one word.

"Werewolf."