Stephenie Meyer owns all TWILIGHT characters.

INTERLUDE

The flower that rests on my right wrist is white and beautiful and I brush a finger over its soft petal, smiling when it curls gently where I stroke. It looks a little worse for wear but I know I'll keep it on my dresser long after the lack of roots causes it to die.

"Did you have fun?" Edward's voice cuts through the comfortable stillness of the car and I lift my head to find him staring at me. "Or was it as boring as you thought it would be?" I let out a small laugh and reach over to touch the back of his hand. He lets go of the wheel with one hand and entwines our fingers before bringing our joined hands to the center console.

"It wasn't so bad," I confess. "I still don't know what the big deal was."

This time, it is Edward who lets out a light chuckle. "Just because we're immortal doesn't mean we can't experience the joys of humans." He looked back towards the road. "I'm glad you enjoyed the night."

"It's not over, is it?" I ask innocently but the smile I give Edward turns into a smirk when his fingers tighten around my own. I love pushing him, saying things that make him think about how much he wants me – or, at least, how much he says he wants me.

"Not unless you want it to be over."

I let out a frustrated groan. "Must you always yield to me?" It happens more often than not, especially lately, and while I am touched by his eagerness to do what I want, sometimes I just need him to decide.

He turns the car onto Charlie's street, slowing down when the house comes into view. Once the car is parked, he turns to me completely and says, "Bella, I just want what you do. I am perfectly content making you happy."

Clicking the seatbelt off, I shift towards him, mumbling a curse when my dress hinders my movement. Instead, I cup the side of his face with my palm. "I want you to tell me what you want to do right now. Do you want to kiss me good night or do you want to continue the night elsewhere?" I stare at him, my gaze unwavering, and he stares back as if searching for an answer. I won't give him one, not tonight. "Edward?" I prompt.

"Go inside," he says softly. "I'm going to bring the car back to the house but I'll be back. Leave the window open again, okay?"

I beam up at him because while we've spent many nights together, this will be the first time in a while that he is coming up without my asking. "Hurry, then," I say with a smile, kissing him quickly, before I let myself out of the car and into the house. "Charlie? You home?"

"Hey Bells, in here," comes from the living room where Charlie is sitting on the couch, leaning over a newspaper spread out on the coffee table. "How was the dance thing?"

"Prom, Charlie?" I laugh slightly and he gives me a shrug but smiles. "It was fun, better than I expected."

"Uh-huh. Well... Good. That's good."

"Right." I nod and watch Charlie for a moment. He looks slightly uncomfortable. "Charlie? Are you okay?"

He nods and I walk away slowly. "Bells." I turn back around and blink at him. He lets out a sigh that sounds shaky and almost suffering and I wonder what exactly he's going to say. "Is Edward staying over?"

I cough because while it's not a secret that Edward sneaks into my room, Charlie has never once brought it up before. "I... I think so, yeah."

"Okay." Charlie nods and takes another deep breath. "Look, I know I'm not your real father or anything, but just uh... Be careful."

"Be... Careful?"

"I know how it is, Bella, the whole 'prom night' thing and just, uh, be safe and don't feel pressured -"

My eyes widen as I blurt out, "Sweet goddess, Charlie, please stop!" I bury my face in my hands for a moment before I face him again. "We're not... Edward and I... It's not like that, I promise."

"Bella, he is a teenage boy. I have a feeling he wants it to be like that."

Opening my mouth and closing it a few times, I finally just turn around as I call behind my back, "I don't think you have to worry about... that."

Edward is on my bed with an amused smile when I walk into my bedroom. "Charlie doesn't have to worry about that, hmm?" he muses.

"Of course not," I scoff because it's true. Ever since we found out what his venom could do to me, Edward has been quick to turn away anything more than a simple kiss or a light touch. I want to scream every time he pulls away from me. "With the way you've been acting, I doubt he'll have anything to worry about until I go back to the..." I trail off because I can't say the words.

"Don't." Edward is in front of me suddenly, his fingers laced through mine, and his eyes stare at me intensely. "Don't think about that yet." He pauses as if weighing his words. "As for Charlie's worries," he pauses, tilting his head before continuing, "Bella, you know why we have to be careful."

"Because you don't want me to turn human." I scowl at him. "Need I remind you that at this moment, I am, in fact, human in form?"

He brings our joined hands up to his chest, pressing them against the white tuxedo shirt he is still wearing. "In form, yes," he agrees. "But we both know you're not." A thought occurs to me then and I take a small step away from him. Almost as if he senses my new uncertainty, Edward's hands grip mine a little tighter, not enough to hurt but enough to make me pause. "What? What did I say?"

"Edward, would you still be here right now if I was a human girl? I mean a mortal?"

One thing I've learned over the months with Edward is that it takes a lot to surprise him. Even if something isn't to his liking, he manages to hide his initial reaction with a stoic face. So when he flinches away at my words I know I've hit a nerve, or at least, a non-existent nerve.

"How can you even ask that?" he says lowly, almost in a murmur. He leans down and kisses my cheek, up high where blood usually pools when I'm embarrassed. "Don't you know that I've waited for you?" he whispers against my skin. His cold lips trail down the side of my face to kiss the underside of my jaw. "All these years of being alone in the world and then I saw you." He disentangles our fingers and slides his palms up my bare arms to cup my neck. "I'd love you no matter what, Isabella."

"Then why so careful?" My voice is shaky. It's been too long since he's held me like this, kissed me like this.

He stops. His eyes are shining gold as he stares at me. "Do you want to lose your immortality? Do you want to be unable to return to your world, your family?"

"No," I whisper. I bring my hands up to his face and marvel at the hard smoothness beneath the pads of my fingers. "But I don't want to have to leave you either."

The smile Edward gives me is sad this time. "At least we'll have the next year and a half." His voice is tight, strangled, and I smooth my fingers over his throat, feeling him swallow. "Try not to think of anything after that."

His hand tugs gently at my hair, his fingers weaving into the soft curls, to pull my head back slightly. Dipping his head more, I feel the coolness of his lips kiss tiny dots down the column of my neck. When his face hovers above mine again, I pull my head up and taste his mouth. Pulling away, I rub my cheek against his. "How can you say that?" I ask. "How can I not think of what will happen after? Edward -"

"We'll deal with it when the time arrives," he promises. "For now, why don't you change and join me beneath your covers?" He smirks at me and only laughs when I attempt to push him away. He doesn't budge but lets me go so I can get ready for bed.

The days pass to the end of the school year and the beginning of summer vacation. Most of my time is spent with Edward though, every now and then, I find myself alone in the woods. It's the only time I find solace in the emptiness of my mother and the other gods. Edward doesn't question me about it, just makes sure he is available when I return from the days alone, in case I need him.

It is after one of those trips into the forest alone that Edward waits for me at the edge of Charlie's backyard. His face is blank for a moment and then his eyes catch sight of me, and he smiles as I bound over to him. When I kiss him alone, he holds me as tightly as he can without hurting me. Something is amiss.

"Edward?"

"Just try to keep an open mind," he says quietly.

"About?"

"Bella!" a voice calls from the side of the house.

"That," Edward says with a sigh. He turns. "Alice. Is this necessary?"

"Edward," she admonishes him but her voice is still high, still beautiful. "This is not about you. It's about Bella."

"I beg to differ," he says blandly.

"What's about me?" I cut in. After hearing their arguments – or seeing the arguments where they don't say anything but just stare at each other – I want to stop the back-and-forth of words as soon as possible.

Alice gives me a smile that makes me curl into Edward's body. I know she doesn't want to hurt me; Edward has assured me of that for a while now, but I can't help but react to the predatory vibes she gives off. "Bella, Edward's birthday is coming up."

"Your birthday?" I look up at him. "You didn't tell me."

He rolls his eyes. "I'm a vampire, Bella. Birthdays don't really mean much."

"They should," I tease him. "Not everyone gets to celebrate his hundred-and-fourth birthday. You're so old, Edward."

Alice's laugh is like tinkling chimes in the wind. "She's right, Edward." Then she turns to me, her eyes narrowed. "But the important question is – when is your birthday, Bella?"

"Which one?" I promptly ask.

They both stare at me. "You have more than one?"

"Well, there's the day I was born in the Underworld, which is August 13th, but I was brought to Charlie and Renee one month later, so they've always celebrated my birthday on September 13th," I say matter-of-factly. I bite back the laugh I feel trying to escape as I look at the confused faces of Edward and Alice. "What?" I ask innocently.

"Didn't you say Persephone conceived you after a celebration of her return to Earth?" I nod at Edward. "And you were born in August?" I nod again. "Is this some mythological thing of Olympus?"

"Yes."

"Right, okay, so September 13th." He turns to Alice expectantly.

"I'm throwing you a party."

"What? No," I immediately say. Turning my face up to Edward's, I study him, then let out a small warning sound. "You planned this."

"That's a strong accusation," he says quickly but I see the sparkle in his eyes.

Scowling, I turn back to Alice. "Thank you, Alice, really, but I was never one for parties." I give Edward an exasperated look. "Prom was bad enough."

Edward's mouth grazes my earlobe, "I beg to differ once more, Bella. I think prom night was quite... good." Immediately, my body feels warm as I remember sliding under the covers with him and everything that happened between the sheets. "That's what I thought," he says with a chuckle.

"It won't be big," Alice promises though she sounds annoyed. "Edward made me promise. It'll just be the family and you."

"Why are you telling me all of this now? It's only June."

"To prepare you for it." Alice grins again and the sight of her white, even, perfect teeth pushes me, once again, closer to Edward. "I really wish you'd stop doing that. I'm not going to bite you." She glances at her brother. "I thought you told her that already."

"I have." Edward sounds amused. "It's not my fault you're a scary little monster."

Playfully, Alice snaps her teeth at Edward. "Be nice, Edward. Your birthday is first." With those words, Alice waves and disappears back around the house, and within seconds, the sound of a car revving its engine is heard before it's once again silent.

"A party? Really?" I ask Edward who gives me a genuine laugh. His arms pull me closer to him.

"It will give you some time to get to know them all better. You said you wanted to do that," he reminds me. I sigh because it's true. I've been wanting to spend more time with each of Edward's family members, or in Rosalie's case, any time at all. He kisses the top of my head. "It won't be bad. I promise."

"Famous last words, Edward," I mumble into his chest as I hug him. "Famous last words."

Thank you to Sara for the beta work, Jill for pre-reading, and Naelany for research help.