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Chapter 21: Just a Minute

Edward's POV

After retrieving the Volvo from the airport parking lot, I dropped Bella off at Charlie's for the night and promised to pick her up for school in the morning. Being away from his daughter for three straight days had pushed Charlie's vigilance into overdrive and made it impossible for me to spend the night in her room. We kissed at the door after I politely declined Charlie's offer to join them for dinner, and I drove off toward the mansion.

It wasn't long before my family's thoughts reached my mind. Emmett and Jasper were focused on outwitting each other in the newest installment of that PS3 ice hockey game. Carlisle was mulling over what else to get Esme for Christmas, as the twelve gifts he had already purchased were not enough. With Bella back at Charlie's, Esme had nowhere to put her revived maternal energy. So she took on a home renovating project for a colleague of Carlisle's and was steeped in concerns about where to put the Jacuzzi. And Rosalie was secretly researching support organizations for parents who have lost children to which she would make a hefty donation. Her clandestine project made me proud, even though I could never mention it to her.

But for all their preoccupations, one sentence repeated above, beneath, and behind all the others:

Edward is proposing to Bella!

I chuckled. I had not expected Alice to keep that information to herself.

But I had expected her to attack me as soon as I entered her smelling range. So when I made it to the foyer undisturbed, I wondered where she was. It was not out of the question to think she was at the top of the stairs, waiting to jump on my back like she had done in the past. But it was odd that I could neither see nor hear her. After Esme gushed all over me, and Emmett nearly cracked three of my ribs-his affection could be painful at times-I went upstairs in search of my sister.

After checking her room and her favorite corner in the back of her largest closet, I surrendered my curiosity and headed upstairs, my own excitement ready to overtake me. But I soon realized she was somewhere in my room. Her thoughts were hidden, so I figured she was planning to scare me.

"All right, little girl," I said as I turned the corner. "I know you're in..."

My merriment disappeared at the sight of Alice sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor looking out the window with troubled eyes.

She turned at my voice and came to her feet. Her bottom lip trembled, and she ran at me. "Oh, Edward..." She looked down again, and I instantly feared the worst: Bella had changed her mind about marrying me. Bella was badly injured after falling down the stairs at Charlie's. The Volturi had decided to pay us a visit.

But before my mind could conjure up more calamities, Alice leapt into my arms and wrapped her tiny body around me. "I am so happy for you," she murmured into my neck.

Her sorrowful tone disputed her words. "You don't sound happy."

"I'm sorry." She sniffled, and I realized she was crying. "I'm just... Now that I know you're going to marry Bella, I can finally forgive myself for not being able to love you."

"I mean, I do love you," she answered my questioning eyes. "More than anyone but Jasper. But your sadness, your loneliness, your belief that life was useless and empty have tortured me since the moment I met you in my mind. For years, I used to sit alone scanning your future, looking for something, anything that would fill in that hole in your soul. I knew Tanya wasn't the answer and neither was that brunette from Brazil who shall remain nameless."

I shuddered. All these years later, I was still grateful for Alice's assistance in getting me away from that doggedly determined woman.

"But I couldn't see anything," she continued. "Not a single place or face to give you any lasting joy. And as I watched an endless night of desolation stretching out in front of you, I started to wonder if maybe there was something I could do, something to help you survive the next millennia."

She stepped toward my desk and picked up the remote control to my stereo. A series of discordant sounds soon emitted from the speakers, and her need for absolute privacy put me on guard.

"Last year, after your miserable Christmas in Denali, I began to have an idea."

Crossing her hands in front of her, Alice closed her eyes and let me into her mind.

I was chasing my little sister through a forest... somewhere in Uganda from the look of the trees. I was laughing as Alice eluded me, and the more I laughed, the more she dodged me. Finally she slowed down and let me catch her. I wrapped my arms around her waist and swung her around, her legs swinging in swift circles as we turned. Our laughter died down, and I placed her on the ground and pulled her closer. I smiled down at her then planted a tender kiss on the top of her head. Her eyes fluttered shut as my lips met her hair, and she snuggled into me, sighing with contentment. The gestures were innocent, but the feelings were unmistakable.

My eyes flew open in shock.

"It never would have worked," she interrupted before I could finish the inconceivable thought. "For one thing, you are the most hideously unattractive man I have ever seen," she smirked. "And I would sooner wear a dress from the clearance rack at Wal-Mart than be with you intimately. Not to mention the essential fact that my heart belongs to a dashing Confederate who would turn you into a pile of ash before he would ever consent to loan me out."

She looked up, her eyes wide and earnest. "But you were so sad, so gutted, and it was killing me. Jasper would often ask me what was wrong because he could sense my distress whenever you came around, but I couldn't talk to him about it. I didn't want him to think I desired you that way, yet I couldn't have expected him to understand why I'd considered something so blasphemous. But when no other possibilities presented themselves, and I couldn't stand your wretchedness any longer, I thought maybe I could be a substitute for..."

Her voice trailed off, and I had never before been so grateful for silence.

"But just when I was building up the courage to present my idea to Jasper, a pale human named Isabella Swan decided to move back to Forks to give her mother and stepfather their freedom. Immediately your future began shifting and curling in innumerable ways. I saw flashes of you at different extremes-elated and in love, dejected and in mourning. I could see she was the key to your future, and if you could be patient and honest with each other, she would become your mate. So I permanently filed away my misguided plan, growing more and more encouraged as your relationship with Bella deepened."

Her voice softened, but I could almost feel her anguish growing.

"But I threw her that party. And you decided to leave her. And she dumped you for it. And all of a sudden, your love was at risk, and it was my fault."

She shook her head miserably. "I have never been so troubled in my entire existence. Yes, I was worried about Jasper, and his guilt certainly compounded mine. But knowing my actions had jeopardized your one chance at eternal happiness was..."

I brought Alice to my chest and held her there, touched that she would consider something so selfless and strange for me, floored by the depth of her misplaced sense of responsibility.

"You always take too much on yourself," I said fondly. "The fissures in my relationship with Bella were of my making and my responsibility alone."

I cleared my throat in preparation to tackle the perturbing pachyderm in the room. "And uh, I think you know I would have declined your offer for several reasons, starting with the need to save myself from your husband's ferocious wrath and my profound aversion to incest."

"Preaching to the choir, Masen," Alice muttered against my shirt, her thoughts relieved by my understanding.

"But your willingness to sacrifice yourself for my potential happiness speaks to the purity of your enormous heart. And although you often irritate me as no creature on earth ever has or will, I love you, Mary Alice Brandon Whitlock Cullen, and I am so glad you're my sister."

We stood in my room for an indeterminate amount of time, the connection between us solidified in a new, undoubtedly bizarre way. Finally she lifted the remote from her pocket with a small smile, and a different sound came blasting out of my speakers.

Going to the Chapel by The Dixie Cups.

And just like that, everything went back to normal.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

I was able to usher Alice out of my room after she'd jumped and squealed for the better part of an hour. Once she left my room, however, I was at a loss for what to do. The knowledge that I would be engaged to Bella in a matter of weeks was stealing my ability to think rationally. I paced my room, did ten thousand pushups, and even bench-pressed my bed to expel the energy coursing through me, all to no avail.

My siblings were keeping their distance, likely on Esme's benevolent orders. Although I was sure Emmett was the source of the large-print edition of the Kama Sutra lying in the middle of my bed with a bright red Post-It note of suggestions of which pages to view first.

Tempting though those physical prospects were, I couldn't even fathom a honeymoon yet. With Bella still in high school, I knew she would not consider a wedding until next summer at the earliest. And if her seriousness about attending college persisted, we might not tie the proverbial knot for another four years, longer than that if she opted for graduate school.

But whether we wed in seven months or seven years, the mere fact that Bella desired to be my wife, that she fantasized about wearing my ring on her finger and taking my last name as her own...

I could scarcely comprehend it.

As it was, it took a full week before I could think about my future fiancée without grinning like a first-rate fool. I managed to behave normally when Bella was around, not wanting to tip my hand and ruin the surprise. But as soon as she left my sight, my grin returned, followed by whoops of wild laughter and once, when I thought I was alone, a full-twisting layout Tsukahara off of the ledge outside my bedroom window.

Jasper had been most impressed I stuck the landing.

But once my euphoria gave way to more practical considerations, I realized before I got too carried away, there was one task to complete first.

I needed to meet with Charlie Swan.

I knew contemporary men did not always ask their beloved's father for permission to propose. And I also knew my ultra-modern girl would neither require nor expect me to do so for her benefit.

But I was a man of tradition, a man who respected the bond between father and daughter, and I would not ask for Bella's hand without knowing that Charlie approved.

So one afternoon after dropping Bella at Newton's for her shift, I drove back to the Swan residence and knocked on the door. Charlie was in his favorite chair reading the newspaper when I entered the living room.

"You know the average price of gas is three dollars in this area?" he grumbled. "Good thing the city fuels the cruiser. Otherwise I might have to bike everywhere, and no one should have to see that."

He glanced at me over the top of the paper, and from the way he frowned, my attempt to stay calm must have been a visible failure. "What's the matter, son? You look like you need to use the bathroom."

I laughed. "It's not that, I assure you."

"But it is something," Charlie said as he folded the paper. "Something serious."

I couldn't keep my knee from bobbing up and down. "Yes, sir."

"All right." Charlie leaned back and rested his elbows on the arms of the chair. "I assume this is about Bella?"

"Yes, sir."

Charlie eyed my bouncing knee. "Are you sure you don't need a bathroom break? There's plenty of matches up there if you're worried about the smell."

"No, sir. But thank you." I clamped a hand on my knee and smiled sheepishly. At the sudden turn of Charlie's thoughts, I decided to start talking before he decided to give me a drug test.

"I love your daughter, Chief Swan," I began. "She is the single most beautiful, compassionate, amazing individual I have ever had the privilege of knowing. And the fact that she loves me too is nothing short of a miracle. I realize I have not yet known Bella for a full year, but she has irrevocably changed my life, and I want to honor that change with a permanent commitment."

I took a deep breath and leaned forward, holding his gaze despite my fear. "Chief Swan, I humbly request your permission to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

Once the words were out, I leaned back against the couch and sighed inwardly. With this initial step accomplished, I could begin planning the actual proposal. I had some ideas and wanted to flush them out as soon as possible. With Bella still at Newton's for another three hours, I could run to Port Angeles to start my search.

I was getting ready to depart when I realized Charlie had not yet answered me. I finally looked up and saw him sitting in his easy chair with vampiric stillness. His hands were resting in his lap, and his face was impassive. But his calm eyes were piercing in their fury, and I began to be afraid as his tight lips moved just enough to address me.

"Request denied."

My hope in my future with Bella sank as his growled words stabbed me in the heart. I closed my eyes as the room began to spin and thought for the first time since my transformation I might actually faint.

It had never once occurred to me that Charlie would refuse his consent. He and I had become close in the two months since his first dinner at our home, and I knew he trusted me with Bella. Why else would he allow her to spend so many nights at the mansion?

Did he think I wasn't good enough for her? I certainly shared that opinion, but did he think I would not or could not take care of her? He didn't know of my extensive wealth, so I could tell him I had a substantial inheritance from my birth parents. But as Charlie lived on a small town sheriff's salary, I hardly believed he would object on financial grounds.

Was he thinking of Bella's known aversion to matrimony? Would he believe me if I told him that she had changed her mind? And even if he did believe me, would that be enough?

And what if Charlie stayed resolute in his refusal? Would I ignore his wishes and ask her to marry me anyway? Could I behave in such a manner and still convince Bella of my love? Respect was her sticking point-would Bella believe I respected her if I proposed without her father's approval?

A million such thoughts were racing through my mind faster than I could stop them, and I had closed my eyes to regain some self-control. But as I began to calm down and formulate an appropriate response, I heard a strange sound coming from Charlie's chair. A halting, almost choking sound somehow too jolly to be alarming.

I opened my eyes to find Charlie's hands on his knees as his flannel-covered upper body shook violently, his brown eyes wet with amusement.

He was laughing.

After denying my wish to propose to his daughter, Chief Charlie Swan was laughing.

My overloaded brain disconnected from my mouth, and I said the first thing that crossed my mind.

"What the hell is going on here?"

It was then that Charlie gave full voice to his merriment, the surprisingly rich sound bouncing off the walls of the narrow room with increasing volume. I shook my head as he tried to compose himself. After several deep breaths and failed attempts, Charlie placed his hand on my knee.

"I'm sorry, son." He actually wiped his eyes. "That was mean, and I don't know what made me do it. But you were so nervous, and I just couldn't resist."

Embarrassment, anger, and relief flooded me all at once, and I was thankfully unable to speak. I kept my head down and conjured up an image of Bella's face. For it was only out of my regard for her I remained in my seat and didn't storm from the house.

Charlie sensed my distress and cleared his throat, all traces of his earlier hilarity gone. "Son, look at me." I reluctantly raised my eyes and found him inches from my face. "That wasn't one of my finer moments. No young man should have to endure that for the hand of the girl he loves."

"I would endure that and more for the honor of marrying your daughter."

Charlie's eyes filled with decidedly different emotions. "I know that. I've known that since the moment Bella brought you home."

He walked over to the mantle, his eyes scanning the parade of memories in the disjointed frames. "I have prayed for years that Bella would find a man worthy of her, knowing I would hate him for coming. And she was barely here a month before you showed up in my living room to take her away, like you had been waiting for her your whole life."

I didn't trust myself to answer, so I kept my eyes on the wall clock.

"I know you're good for her and will be good to her," he said as he turned around. "She needs someone strong who will respect her independence. And someone patient who can tolerate her mother." We shared a light laugh at Renee's expense. "Most of all, she needs someone who loves her more than he loves himself. And I believe you are such a man."

I stood as Charlie approached me, and I accepted his extended hand. "You have my consent and blessing to propose to Bella. I hope she accepts."

The heavy breath I hadn't realized I was holding came out in an uneasy rush. "Thank you, Charlie... uh, sir."

"Don't thank me yet." His eyes hardened as he tightened his grip. "Now let me explain what I will do to you if you ever hurt my little girl."

I know some of you are totally weirded out by Alice's confession, and I get that! So if you wander over to "Serenity's Prayer: The B-Sides," Chapter 4 is the start of this chapter from Jasper's POV. I think it'll help ease some of the ick factor... maybe ;)

Thanks for reading!