(A.N. Thanks for the patience! The reviews have been GREAT!!! Thanks for the motivation to get chapters going. I made a few banners for this story because I am thinking about posting this story as an M rating on twilighted, though I haven't quite decided yet. But for your viewing pleasure I put the link to the banners on the profile and a survey at the top so go have a look and tell me which one you like the best! New songs will be added to the play list so check that out. Huge thanks to my BETA for being the epitome of perfection! She makes my writing look nice and gives me amazing advice! And, of course, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!)

Disclaimer: Not my characters!

The weeks were going by with no incident. After our talk, Edward and I leaned on each other more than ever when our memories took us back to what we lost, but now there was no fear of drowning in the sadness. It had been nearly three months since we lost our child, two months since Edward and I spoke about everything . . . With time came a certain amount of healing.

Emmett and Rose had been coming over regularly, happy to be able to talk about their baby that was still brewing in Rose's stomach without having to walk over such a vast expanse of eggshells. Emmett was goofy as ever, excited beyond belief about becoming a daddy.

It was getting easier and easier to be around Rose and Emmett without feeling like a hole has been ripped through me. I could just feel happy for them, instead of selfishly tormenting myself with thoughts of their happiness. As Edward continuously told me, we could still have a child someday, we would just have to put in a little extra work.

Alice's wedding was just around the corner, and the bachelor/bachelorette parties were set to happen in a few days. The girls would rent out a limo which would drive us around to different spots to dance and drink while the boys apparently were going to, as Emmett put it, see naked ladies. Jasper complained until he was blue in the face until Alice told him that he had to just go with it.

"Jasper…babe…sweetheart. If you don't go see some hoochies dancing on bar tables wiggling their tata's at you, you might not appreciate me as much," she had told him after Emmett was about to give in to making other plans. Emmett's eyes bulged at her words, looking almost envious that Jasper's soon-to-be wife was pretty much forcing him to go watch woman dance naked.

"I will always appreciate you more than anything," Jasper told her, making her smile. She was prepared for that answer. "I don't need to see naked women to appreciate you, Alice."

"Yes, I realize that. But Jasper, I want you to go and look at those girls and think about me the whole time. It will boost my ego, placate Emmett, and probably make Edward blush." Edward huffed out a breath, crossing his arms defiantly. He wasn't a supporter of the bachelor party plans either, in fact, he outright hated the plans. Alice continued on, unperturbed by any complaints from Edward or triumphant 'whoop's from Emmett. "I want you to go."

Jasper gave in then, but put his foot down at the mention of a lap dance. No one fought with him on the subject, and Emmett earned a heavy wallop over the noggin from Rose for suggesting it. She also warned him that if any woman so much as mentions giving him a lap dance, she wanted him to get her full name, address, and social security number. Apparently it was a murderess offence for a stripper to do their job.

"Alright, so it's all set," Rose said breaking me from my thoughts. "The limo will pick us up at seven, and then we will come back here to Bella and Edward's and stay the night."

"Sounds about right," I said with a smile. Edward apparently wasn't planning on staying anywhere but in his own bed if he was being forced to go to a strip club, regardless of Alice's begging. Eventually she gave in and said she wouldn't mind having someone strong around to carry her 'drunk ass' around.

Alice was currently sitting on the couch bouncing around to the music drifting through the apartment as she chewed on the tip of a pen. She was going over final changes in her wedding, making sure the seating arrangements for the reception were good to go, and making phone calls to make sure the men's tuxes would be ready for pick up by Thursday.

"Alright, then we're set," Rose clapped her hands together. "We have about seven girls to fit in the limo, which shouldn't be difficult. I will have this place set up with Alice's favorite drinks and I can bring over sleeping bags, air mattresses, and pillows the day of and set it all up before we head out for the night. Sound good?" I just nodded and smiled.

I was happy Alice decided to make both Rose and I maids of honor because there is no way I would have been able to pull this stuff off alone.

__________________

"Bella, you can drink," Edward said for the fourth time. "Rose doesn't mind. She told you that numerous times."

"Yeah, but she shouldn't be the only sober one. Besides, I don't really drink anyways so it won't be a big deal," I said as I set the breakfast table, AKA the night's liquor bar, up with the assortments of hard liquor Rose had brought over earlier in the day. I was tempted to set up the stereo with 'Tequila Makes her Clothes Fall Off' for when Alice walked in. There was at least four bottles of the stuff. "Are you going to drink a bunch?"

"Probably not," Edward sighed out, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Oh, Edward, you'll be fine." I said with a giggle. I turned and faced him, leaning against the newly stocked bar for the night. He looked defeated. He really didn't want to go to the strip club.

"I know, I just hate strip clubs," he admitted. "It's just not something I enjoy in any way."

"You don't enjoy having woman willingly take their clothes off and dance around naked for you?" I cocked an eyebrow at him, amused. "You are so full of shi…"

He kissed me quickly cutting off my words. "Potty mouth," he whispered against my lips, placing both hands on the counter on either side of me and leaning in closer to me. He kissed me again, his lips lingering slightly longer than necessary and his hand moved to rest on my hip and dipping his hand under my shirt so he could touch my bare skin. "I enjoy one woman taking her clothes off for me and from what I can tell you are more than willing to do so. Besides, it's awkward and I was always taught to stare into a person eyes, not their…"

He trailed off lifting his hand in front of me to demonstrate what he was trying to say. His face was crumpled and uncomfortable looking. I started to laugh.

"What? Can't keep your eyes off the naked boobies when you go to strip clubs?" I asked, giggling out right at him.

"It's not that I want to stare, necessarily," he said with a sigh of annoyance. He stared at me, his lips curling lightly at the edges as he tried to act like he wasn't amused by my reaction to him. "They are just right there, in your face! It's like driving by an accident site. You don't want to look, but you can't help it. No matter what nightmares the images might burn into your brain."

"Ed . . . ward . . . did . . . you . . . just . . . compare . . . naked . . . boobs . . . to . . . an . . . accident?" I asked laughing harder than ever. "Night . . . mares? Boob . . . ies . . . . give . . . you . . . night . . . mares?"

It was getting harder to breathe as I laughed uncontrollably. The whole concept, the picture he put in my head imagining him at the club was too much for me to be composed about. The laughter flowed out of me uncontrollably. Edward backed away from me when I bent over with my laughter, holding my sides. He just stood watching with his eyebrow cocked and an exasperated look pulled across his face. It only served to further my amusement.

"Is she alright?" I heard a new voice ask, as I sat on the kitchen floor with tears streaming from my face and my legs spread out in front of me.

"Maybe we should throw water on her or slap her or something," another said.

I looked up to see Emmet standing over me with Jasper standing directly behind him. Jasper punched Emmett in the arm who just smiled back at him.

"You slap her and you'll get punched," Jasper said glaring at Emmett, though he looked more amused than anything.

"I was only joking man, but I mean look at her," Emmett said, pointing at me. "She is going into hysterics."

"She's fine," Jasper said, smiling down at me. Edward was now leaning against the sink just watching me laugh, while he chuckled to himself.

"What did you do to her?!" Alice's voice filtered through the room as she danced in front of Emmett and stared down at me. She smiled at me, enjoying the fact that I was laughing so hard.

"She seems to be enjoying herself." Rose.

"She is laughing at my expense at the moment," Edward sighed out. He was less annoyed and more amused at this point, though annoyance wasn't forgotten.

I hopped up with the help of a hand from Emmett and leaned against the counter behind me, only letting out a small giggle here and there. Edward just smiled at me, both amused and exasperated but his bright green eyes were shining. He was just happy to see me smiling so much, I realized.

Edward made his way over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, while kissing my forehead simultaneously.

"You okay now, or are you going to tumble into another roll of hysterics?" He asked, teasingly. I just shrugged, another tiny giggle escaping as I stood on my tippy toes and kissed him.

He brought his hands up, cupping my cheeks between them. I smiled, his warm touch comforting me, and leaned into his touch. His thumb swiped a stray tear that had run down my face. He just smiled, shaking his head back and forth in amusement.

"I love you Isabella Swan, even if you find my pain amusing."

I rolled my eyes and snorted. "Hear that guys," I said turning towards the group. "He thinks the strip club is torture, and considers it physically painful to be subjected to such things."

"Oh, for Christ's sakes, Edward," Rose spout out. "It's just some naked women. Get over it."

"You could go in my place," he smiled over his shoulder at her as Emmett pulled her to him, looking excited by the prospect of his girlfriend going with him to watch naked women.

"As much as I would love to prove what a pansy you are being, I must decline," she said as she patted Emmett's shoulder. "Alice needs me there to help carry her from bar to bar."

"That's my Rose!" Alice high-fived Rose, while an un-approving Jasper watched on. He worried about Alice too much. Not being able to be there to take care of her had to be wreaking havoc on his overly sensible mind.

______

"You bought the tequila?" Alice asked for the fifth time as we rode to our first stop of the night. Of course it was some club that I would absolutely hate, but I would at least be distracted by a soon to be intoxicated Alice enough to drown out the horrible music that was sure to be playing.

"Yes, for the hundredth time, we bought copious amounts of liquor, tequila being the primary drink. No worries, Alice," Rose sighed out, trying to not be annoyed. Alice was hyper beyond belief, ready to live out her last night out as a single woman until she couldn't remember it the next day.

"Alright, good." She lifted her hand up, pressing the button to open the sun roof. "I am only drinking frilly drinks at the bars, but at home I am taking shots. Bella has to take some with me."

"No, I don't." I said, surprised as Alice explained her plans to get me drunk to one of her coworkers she invited along for the night of fun for all and booze galore. "Alice, I don't want to get drunk tonight."

"But Bell-ahh! It's my night. Can't you take one for the team!?"

"What team? There is no team!" I disagreed. "You do not qualify as a team!"

"Please, just a few shots of tequila. For me."

"I hate tequila."

"BLASPHEMY!" Alice shouted pointing at me.

"Not blasphemy! It's the truth!" I argued. "That stuff tastes worse then it smells!"

"SACRELIGIOUS!" she yelled again.

"I'm not drinking that crap!" I continued, but she acted as though she hadn't heard me, cutting me off.

"MADNESS!" she yelled.

I sighed, already feeling defeated. Being so drunk that Alice's antics wouldn't wear on me was starting to sound better and better.

"Fine! One shot, no more," I said finally, not really looking forward to slew of curse words I knew she would holler if I didn't give in on her night.

"Two, no less" she countered. "And a shot of rum!"

"RUM!" One shot could get me tipsy, two shots got me drunk, and a third would take away any memory of my night the next morning.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me," she sang out, swaying her fingers through the air with the tune.

"You are lucky you have Jasper," I grumbled giving into defeat, and hoping beyond hope that Alice would be too drunk by the time we got home to remember that I was supposed to drink with her. "If Jasper weren't in the picture I would take you out. He would kill me though, if I did, so you're safe."

"Oh, Bella. You love me, and regardless of Jasper you would never do anything to harm me in any way because I am your favorite," she smiled happily, confident in her logic. "Now quit arguing and accept defeat gracefully!"

"Fine, but I'm not dancing at all tonight!"

Two hours, and three Cosmo's later Alice had me on the dance floor. Rose and I were the only ones sticking with coke and water while the rest of the ladies drank the frilliest drinks they could at astonishing speeds. Two girls left for home early after throwing up the pretty colored frilly drinks that they downed too quickly. The sidewalk outside of the bar was more colorful now.

Alice, thankfully, refused to wear any form of sash or fuzzy crown depicting the word 'bachelorette,' stating that the tackiness couldn't be looked past. I was more than happy she didn't wear the ugly things that would have brought any more attention down on our small group. No, Alice was getting plenty of attention as it was.

She was spinning around, dipping to the floor, and swaying her hips with a combination of sexiness and silliness that only Alice could pull off after so many drinks. She wasn't anywhere near drunk, but tipsy could describe her pretty accurately. She was louder than normal, more obnoxious, and way more bossy.

"Bellllllla…" she sighed out loudly as she grabbed my hips to make me sway right along with her. "Dance! Be sexy and have fun!"

"I'm trying but dancing isn't exactly my forte." I yelled over the music which played music that made me want to rip my ears off. "The word 'sexy' really doesn't register in my brain!"

"Bull-Shit!" she yelled. "Edward thinks you are the sexiest thing on the planet and if someone like Edward can think that then EVERYONE thinks that!"

I sighed, swaying my hips clumsily with Alice, before she tried dipping us to the floor. I almost fell, causing Alice to scold me while laughing. Apparently I am quite funny when she drinks.

The bar scene apparently got old very fast because after our second destination, we decided it was time to head home so Alice could take shots.

"And Bella!" Alice corrected, as I lost all hope that I might have a chance of not drinking tonight.

It was twelve-thirty when we got home and of course, Edward was lounging on the couch nursing a beer when we walked in. He looked up at Alice, who was the first to find him and laughed when she lunged at him and gave him a hug. Then he stared at me, after Alice had detached herself and quicker than I thought possible, was at my side.

"What's wrong?" he asked, kissing the side of my neck, my forehead, then the tip of my nose.

"She is making me take shots with her." I pouted.

"No, she isn't," Edward said with finality. "If you don't want to drink, you don't have to Bella. Just fill a shot glass with water and pretend."

"She smells them before she lets me drink them now," I sighed out, having already tried that trick numerous times. "It's no big deal, but prepare yourself. I am set to take three shots of hard liquor and that puts me under. I cannot be held accountable for my misbehaving."

"I FOUND THE TEQUILA!" Alice yelled out excitedly from the kitchen.

Rose stood from her place on the couch and walked towards the kitchen grumbling. "Like that was a difficult task. The whole damn bar was covered in bottles of the stuff."

"She seems happy," Edward chuckled when Rose was out of earshot.

"She is a little grumpy." I admitted, wincing when my name was being yelled from the kitchen. "I am being summoned."

Edward nodded and started leading me towards the kitchen. "Though I hate to admit it, it might be interesting to see you a little drunk, or a lot drunk. It should be entertaining." I rolled my eyes and pushed past him into the kitchen, spotting Alice before anything else.

Alice was sitting cross-legged on the counter top, back facing the edge, with three shot glasses, two bottles of tequila, one bottle of rum, a heaping cup of limes, and a tub of sea salt in front of her. Her smile stretched fully across her face as she opened one of the bottles of tequila, and started pouring.

I stood next to her, Edward stood behind her, not fully confident in her balancing skills and Alice's last friend standing from work on her other side. All her other friends ended up getting sick and going home.

She set a full shot glass in front of each of us, along with a lime. I could smell the vile drink and I knew I would be made fun of when I plugged my nose to throw back the shot.

"Alright, on the count of three," Alice said, bouncing. "Get your salt ready, shot in the air…"

"Blah," I whined, causing Rose to chuckle from the sidelines.

"Three, two, one." Alice was the first to take her shot, I was the last.

I counted to three again, this time more slowly, then licked the salt from the back of my hand, plugged my nose and swallowed the liquid down as quickly as possible. I grabbed the lime quickly after and sucked out as much of its juice as possible to drown out the flavor of the liquor while everyone watched on with shocked, amused eyes.

"You barely even flinched." Alice congratulated. "But this time you can't plug your nose."

"I take it you have had to do this before," Edward chuckled from behind us.

"EDWARD!" Alice sang excitedly, apparently not having noticed his presence until just now. "You can join this time."

Edward looked at me, then at Alice before nodding. "Fine, but no more than two shots tonight, no rum, I am staying right where I am and I am doing it after you are finished with this one."

"Fine, fine." Alice waved him off, wobbling slightly. Her words were starting to slur. "Second shot of tequila, first for Edward, no nose plugging."

We all threw back the shots, no noses plugged and this time it took two limes to get the taste out of my mouth enough to be able to stand it. I was starting to feel the effects as I turned and watched Edward take the shot like a pro. I was almost envious of his tolerance for tequila. Alice cheered for him.

Rum was next, and only Edward and Rose didn't have to take a shot of it. Of course at this point I was feeling the effects of the two shots more heavily so the taste of it didn't affect me much and Alice somehow talked me into taking another shot of something.

Edward took another shot of tequila, again making the rest of us look like amateurs. After that, things around me got a kind of fuzzy glimmer around them and Edward had to help me to the couch. He had already done his two promised shots, and started nursing the same beer from earlier and yet he still was barely tipsy though from what I could tell, the liquor was starting to slowly have an effect on him.

"I love you." I slurred out tiredly, though by the look on Edwards face it was slurred so much he probably barely understood me. "I love all of you." I sighed out waving my hand out in a broad motion. My body was feeling very heavy and I was feeling pretty darn happy.

"I know love," he sighed out with an amused smile, as I lounged back on the couch.

The night was hazy after that, and I think Alice got me to do another shot or two. I can't be sure though. The last thing I really remember was Alice dancing clumsily around the living room while Edward (who had opted to take two more shots, and was drinking another beer) and Rose kept her from falling or breaking anything while her other friend was passed out on her blow up mattress. Rose was the only fully sober one in the place. Being pregnant had it's advantages on nights like these. Last I remember Edward was well on his way to being drunk, at least since the last time I remember.

_____

The soft cushiony bed under me, and the fluffy covers covering me disoriented me when I woke up. I tried opening my eyes, but the sunlight streaming in only aggravated my already pounding headache making me groan and shut them again quickly. I felt strong arms around me, so I turned and buried my head into Edward's strong chest trying to drown out the light.

"My head hurts," I whined, breathing in Edward.

"Mine too, love," he sighed, almost groaning.

That's when I looked up at him to see that he looked more haggard then I have ever seen him. His hair was more disheveled then after even our most rowdy of nights, and his eyes held small bags under them. He was peering down at me with one eye squinted open, probably trying to filter out the light just like I was, and a small smirk graced his lips, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Did you drink more last night?" I asked as he rubbed his forehead tenderly.

He just nodded with a grunt. "Alice is very convincing when I am already tipsy. Her logic somehow seemed infallible!"

I looked down at myself as he spoke, feeling more chilly than usual and realized that Edward and I were both in our birthday suits, our clothes flung around the room haphazardly. Some hanging from the dresser, others in heaps on the floor.

"Holy shit," I said too loudly making both Edward and myself groan. I lowered my voice to a surprised whisper. "We totally had sex!"

Edward head popped up then, looking around the room then down at our already entangled lower half then back at me. "Apparently," he said looking a little confused, like he was trying to remember. "Damn it. I wish I could remember."

"Yeah, it looks like it was a good time," I said with a giggle as I took note of the knocked over chair, and the strange angle the dresser sat against the wall. "Poor Rose."

But when I looked over at Edward he didn't look like he was worried about the noise Rose had to be subjected to, but more aware of the fact that we were entangled in the covers very naked and very pressed against one another. Apparently Edward's train of thought was no longer consumed by the pain of his horrible hangover as he pressed himself against me, groaning and kissing down my neck leaving a fiery trail in its wake.

"Let's try reliving it then," he purred out against my ear, pressing his hips against me further.

"If we must."

(A.N. Remember to review, and tell me what banner you like the best!)