I had to change the story rating because the next few chapters aren't appropriate for a younger audience. It's not that they're really racy or anything, but things kick up a bit. Sorry kids.

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BPOV

"Alice, I'm trying to work on this American History essay," I say as she sticks another picture of a woman way older than me in a white dress in my face. We're sitting at my kitchen table and Alice is babysitting me while Edward hunts. She, of course, is not doing any homework, having either already done it or she's planning to just perfectly whip through it five minutes before school.

"You didn't even look at it!" she complains.

"Alice, I will be married in whatever is on my body on the airplane. We are literally stopping over in Vegas and getting back on an airplane. I'm more concerned with what I'm going to tell my parents."

"Nothing."

"About the trip?" I ask incredulously.

"Oh that," she waves. "We'll figure something out. This one looks nice. I think it'll look incredible on you. It's silk."

The phone rings and I pick the portable handset up off the table.

"Hello?"

"Bella, its Jake."

*Click *

I toss the handset back onto the table. It immediately rings again and I snatch it back up.

"Hello?"

"Wait, don't hang up."

*Click*

Alice arches her eyebrow at me in interest. She can hear Jacob's voice easily through the other end of the phone, I'm sure.

It rings again.

"I really don't think you're getting the message here, Jacob," I snap in answer.

"If you don't let me speak, I'll drive over there and you can imagine the kind of problems that will cause," he says quickly.

Alice grabs the phone. "I dare you, mutt," she chides to Jacob.

I grab the phone back, but hear Jacob's retort. "Don't tempt me, leech. I'm spoiling for a fight."

"What do you want, Jacob?" I ask.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were back on the phone."

"I am."

"I just wanted to say I was sorry for Paul," he says. "It was out of line. He won't do it again."

"I don't think I'm going to be in his presence anytime soon to have to worry about it."

"What, are the bloodsuckers going to lock you up in a coffin and throw you in a dungeon?"

*Click*

"Well done," Alice says approvingly. "Some punk kid has no right to speak to you that way."

"His father is Charlie's best friend."

"That doesn't make it okay for him to talk to you that way," Alice replies. "You are not as close to them as Charlie is." I toss the phone back down and press my fingertips to my temples.

"It's going to work out, Bella," she says softly, placing her hand gently on my shoulder. I am this close to breaking down into tears right now.

"Sometimes I just think he'd be better off if…"

"No, he wouldn't," she interrupts me. "You are what has been missing from his life; what's been missing from our family. The fact that you're human is, yes, something we've all had to adjust to, but Bella, we like the adjustment and you are worth it."

"It seems like an awfully high price to pay."

"Oh Bella!" she chuckles. "Just wait and see what's in store for you!"

"That's not fair!" I say indignantly. "What's he planning?"

"Nope, it's best not to reveal. You know how inaccurate I've been lately," she teases. "Anyway, I have some questions for you." I sigh dramatically, but it's no use really fighting it. Alice always seems to get her way one way or the other, so it's best to just give it to her straight off the bat.

"What is it you want to know?"

"Edward said he'd give you the option of an annulment, so you can wait until you were ready to really marry him, and so I was just wondering if you thought you'd take it," she shrugs.

Really? He really thought I'd marry him and then dump him? I confess, this was definitely not the route I planned to go, but I do know what it means to him and if I'm going to spend an eternity with him, I guess I can do it married if that's what he wants.

"I guess I hadn't given it much thought," I begin, "but no, I hadn't planned on trying to get an annulment." I think given all he's sacrificing and doing for me, I can give him this concession.

"Good," she nods once, presses her lips together and looks off for a moment. "Yes, it's all going to work out."

I certainly hoped so.

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EPOV

"The Guardian?" Rosalie asks appearing over my shoulder as I sit at the computer.

"Yes."

"Is it available here yet?"

"No. I will have to have it shipped."

"Which means I'd have a hard time getting parts for it, too. What do you even need that for?"

I shrug in response. She'll figure it out when she reads the specs.

"Able to withstand military-grade small arms projectiles." She's got me now. "Do you honestly think that Bella is going to drive that, Edward?"

"She will if she wants me to be the one to change her," I retort.

"She'll never give up her beast."

"I think it might be at the end of its life, don't you?"

"Like she's not going to see right through that."

"I'm not really concerned," I shrug again. "Are you telling me you don't want to check this out?"

"I'll take a blow torch to it for sure," she assures me and I smirk. "I just think Bella's not going to be happy. And you all have forbidden me to drive my BMW to school, but you're going to put her in that?"

"It's a regular looking Mercedes and the kids around here won't understand its real purpose."

"She's the daughter of the chief of police, they're going to know Charlie didn't buy that for her. I think people are going to have something to say about Bella's boyfriend buying her an expensive luxury car and that's if you can even get her to drive it."

Hmm…Rosalie has a point. I hate it when Rosalie makes valid points. It's truly annoying.

"I guess I'll just have to drive her around in it then," I say, looking back at the car's specs: self-sealing fuel tank, fire-extinguishing system, bullet proof windows, among the things Rosalie mentioned. There is no such thing as too safe with Bella.

But unfortunately, Rosalie is right, she'll never drive it, so it will have to be for 'me.' That and I told her I wouldn't make her do anything.

I log off the site I was on, stand up and say goodbye to Rosalie, opting to leave my car behind. I need to relieve Alice. Not that Alice minds hanging out with Bella in the slightest bit, but I don't like not being with her. I loathe having to be apart from her just to hunt, but can't allow myself to the take the risk of going too long without feeding. Not to mention she can see it in my eyes anyway and yells at me for making myself uncomfortable around her; as if my physical pain isn't worth every second I get to spend with her.

As I approach her house, I can hear Alice and Bella talking in the kitchen.

"What is it you want to know?" Bella sighs.

"Edward said he'd give you the option of an annulment, so you can wait until you were ready to really marry him and so I was just wondering if you thought you'd take it." Is she trying to sabotage me!? I hold my breath while I wait for Bella's answer. Have I mentioned before I hate not hearing her thoughts?

"I guess I hadn't given it much thought, but no, I hadn't planned on trying to get an annulment."

"Good. Yes, it's all going to work out."

I can see Alice's thoughts and they show Bella and I surrounded by my family at a chapel in Las Vegas. But she's not seeing anything beyond that. Either that or she hears me out here and is intentionally not thinking about it, which is pretty likely. She can't hide everything though and there are flashes of a castle turret, a long, cold, dark stone hallway and a brightly lit room. Volterra, I'm assuming.

The door is unlocked so I let myself in and walk at a human pace through the house. This allows Bella to see me in the living room. She launches herself out of her chair and covers the distance between us in record time.

"Edward!" she greets, tossing her arms around my neck and I hold her close.

"I was wondering how long you were going to eavesdrop for."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" I growl at Alice and then look back at Bella.

"That wasn't very nice," Bella chides.

"She started it," I smirk. Alice sticks her tongue out at me and Bella laughs.

"Bye, Bella," Alice smiles and then leans in and hugs her. I release her long enough for the hug and then immediately take her back. Alice darts out the door.

I run my fingers through her hair and my hands fall to her waist when she starts pressing kisses against my neck. "I was thinking of something today," she whispers.

"What's that?" I ask with a slight groan.

"Our wedding night."

"Our wedding night is going to be on an airplane. I don't think the other passengers would appreciate that particular display of affection."

Not good.

"Well, maybe not our official wedding night, but we will be staying someplace, won't we?"

"I suppose we'd have to," I say a little nervously.

"See?"

"I don't think the plan was really to get more than one room though; you're the only one that needs to sleep."

"I don't need to sleep the whole time," she purrs and goes back to kissing my neck.

"Love, just because we'd be married does not make the danger to you any less," I say earnestly and gently pry her hands from around my neck. She looks disappointed. "And if we were to do…that…that would make an annulment impossible."

"Why would I want an annulment?" she asks taking a step back.

"Because you didn't want to get married in the first place."

"So you're making the decision for me?" she counters.

I sense danger.

"No?"

"You say that like you're unsure." She takes another step back and crosses her arms. "Does that mean you'll let me make my own decision on the annulment?"

"Yes, of course."

"So it's settled then."

"It is?" What is going on here? When did she get so confusing? This has Rosalie written all over it.

She steps back and slides her arms around me again and my arms instantly curl around her.

"No annulment and a proper wedding night."

"Bella…" I sigh. She's going to make me come right out and say no, isn't she?

"Please?"

Or not.