Author's Note: Thanks so much to Bella Cullen33 for a super sweet review. I'm glad you like my story, I just hope I don't totally mess up and make you never want to read it again.

This chapter is pretty much fluff ... I just wanted to show how Bella made the decision to put up with marriage, and I wanted to write about Edward and Bella telling everyone they were engaged, because I don't think anyone but Alice and Jacob knew by the end of eclipse. Of course, I was going to write about telling Angela, but my pen did that thing again...

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The Twilight series is the imaginative creativity of Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter Four.

'Chemistry Of A Car Crash'

"Come on, Bella, it's not that big of a deal. Just put the ring on and leave it there." Alice was watching me contemplate whether or not to tell Charlie about our engagement yet. Edward was standing to my left, half-amused, half-frustrated. I'd agreed to be officially "engaged" and to get married at the end of the summer, but I still didn't want to face the public. The only people who knew of our engagement as of yet were Edward, Alice, and I.

"Just put it on, and everyone will just realize it themselves. You're giving me a headache with all these split second decisions; every few minutes I get another vision. Just make a choice!" Alice insisted. I glared at the ring that promised to make-or-break me, that horrific figure of doom that sparkled like Edward in the sunlight…

"Alice, I can't." I said after a while. Both she and Edward let out an audible sigh. Edward took my hand in his, forcing me to stop putting the ring off and on. With his other hand, he forced me to make eye contact with his dazzling topaz eyes. I was screwed.

"Bella, you are planning on marrying me, right?" His eyes locked unto mine, and he widened them a little in mock disbelief. "Are you just going to not invite anyone? Think of how crushed Alice will be! Think of how upset Charlie and Renee would be to find you secretly married. To a vampire, no less. Or are you just backing out altogether? Are you refusing to marry me, after all we've been through? I thought you loved me? I thought…" He leaned in to breathe on my neck, "I thought you wanted me to change you." He knew that I did want all those things, and curse Alice for teaching him how to pout and trick people into giving in to his demands. I sighed, holding my hands up in surrender.

Edward grinned cheekily and kissed me. "Thank you. You won't regret this. I love you." I grimaced, knowing full well that I would regret it if I ended up tripping on my way down the aisle, or falling into the cake, or having people think…

"Edward. This is not good." I had changed my mind again. Alice sensed what was coming.

"Bella, just say 'Yes' and forget about what everyone will say." She said nonchalantly. She was becoming irritated, and soon she would stop trying to hide it. I turned to Edward, who's eyes were confused.

"I can't get married out of high school to a boy I've known for two years. People will think that I'm stupid or pregnant or something. Or both!" I felt a cold creeping sensation up my spine: fear. I was afraid of what would happen. But why? Why would it matter what people I don't even care about thought? I didn't know why, but it did matter… to me. "People in this age don't just get married and go away for years. That's what we'll do, though, isn't it? We'll get married, everyone will think I'm pregnant or something, Renee will be disappointed, we'll go away to Alaska, we'll make excuses not to visit because I'll be a vampire, people will think we don't want to prove them right, and… and… everyone will just wait for a divorce, or for me to crack…" My voice faded. I didn't want to be thought of like that.

Edward shook his head. "Bella, no one will think that, you'll see. They'll be happy for us. We'll explain to them that we're in love. It's what people do." I tried to calm myself down. I had already agreed to this. I said I would do this right, and I would. I loved Edward. That's all that mattered.

"Yay!" Shrieked Alice. She gracefully danced her way closer to me, barely touching the floor, she was so excited. She must've had a vision. "You're going to be soo happy. It's going to be a beautiful wedding! Eeee! I can't wait! You just wait and see, Bella…" And with that, she stepped away, looking so much like a ballerina that it hurt me to think of my clumsiness next to her eloquence. She turned around, as if sensing my distress, and added, in a low voice, "And Bella? Remember to wear flats, okay? One's with grip." Edward snorted next to me, having seen the scenario play out in her mind. I elbowed him.

"Bella, it's going to be fine." Edward assured me, taking my hand in his and leading me into the Cullen's huge house. I didn't know why I was so nervous; it's not as if we were telling anyone else just yet. I knewthe Cullens would be supportive, but I still felt apprehensive about everything. I squeezed Edward's hand, hoping for support, and hoping he didn't take my reluctance personally. I had gotten over the whole marriage thing; I really did want to marry him now, I just didn't want to face everyone else. Edward squeezed my hand back, just slightly. "They'll be ecstatic, you know." He reminded me.

"I can't believe Alice has managed to keep this a secret for this long." I commented. Edward smiled slyly.

"Alice just wants to be there to make everything prefect, this is a part of her plan."

Just before we reached the porch, Edward grew tired of our slow pace and picked me up in his arms. He carried me into the house so quickly my head spun. "Hey!" I protested grumpily. He smiled. Suddenly a small blur of colour hit me, knocking the wind out of me, and Alice's arms were around me, pulling me out of Edward's arms and unto me feet.

"Do it now! Do it now!" She cried joyously, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. I was surprised that she didn't take flight. Edward put an arm between her and me and gave her a look of warning. Alice stopped shouting, but she kept fidgeting happily. All of the Cullens were in the living room – some looking expectant, others confused. Rosalie looked bored, and I felt a little bit worse. She didn't like me, but she didn't completely hate me now, either. I wondered how she would take this news.

Edward cleared his throat, staring around cheerfully. "Bella and I … Are getting married."

The response was instantaneous. Alice laughed happily and jumped at least a foot in the air, Jasper rushed over to calm her down, Emmett stood up, reaching over to touch knuckles with Edward, then picked me up in an almost bone-crushing hug. Rosalie said nothing, but stayed where she was, watching the scene. I took that as a good reaction. Carlisle patted Edward on the back and smiled hugely at us both in congratulations. Esme hugged me tightly and whispered about how lucky she was. Alice followed with another hug, and then lots of wedding suggestions: "We should start right now! White table cloths, or blue? We're going to have the wedding in the night, right? Where? Come and try on your dress!" Edward had to push her off me. He laughed at her enthusiasm and my apparent discomfort and took my hand, guiding me downstairs.

"Where are we going now?" I asked hopefully. I wanted to be alone with him, reveling in an eternity together – the Cullens reaction had made me sure of that. Besides, now that the wedding was official, I couldn't back out. A part of me was over the moon that my decision was finally made. I was exited to be with Edward where he didn't have to have his guard up all the time, minding both him and me, pleased that soon I could take care of myself, and I wouldn't be inconveniencing anyone. But a part of me did wish that I wasn't condemned to a Jacob-less life forever because of it. I smiled at Edward, high on the joy of the realization that I would really be with him. "Where are we going?" I repeated, blessed to be going anywhere with him.

"To Charlie's."

I'd spoken to soon.