Chapter 21

"It's going to be a simple ceremony," Renesme told her parents, but we want to get married soon... like real soon."

"I can do soon," Alice called, looking up from the laptop she was browsing on, sitting comfortably on the couch under a blanket. Jasper sat in front of her on the ground, fully focused on a video game.

"How soon?" Edward asked.

"Dad-"

"It's fine," he said, "I just want to know."

"Next month," she said, "On the reservation."

"A nice... late spring wedding," Bella said with a smile. She looked at Edward and attempted to fix his frown with her own wide smile, "Edward."

"That's fine," he told her again.

"Yay!" Alice cheered, "What colors are we thinking my Nessy girl?"

"I really like the idea of navy blue and a bright green," she said, a little leery of Alice's reaction.

"That will work," she said, deep in thought, "Come here."

Renesme smiled at her parents and hurried to Alice's side to check out wedding related websites.

Edward had a half glare as he looked at his sister and Bella quickly got him back in line with a hard flick to his arm, "Stop it," she demanded quietly, "Come with me." The two of them began heading down the hall.

"What's wrong?" Esme asked, passing them with Carlisle close behind her.

Edward shook his head and lied, "Nothing."

"Edward..." her voice pressed on.

Carlisle put an arm around his wife and cradled her shoulder, "You can't put anything by her, son."

"Nessy and Jake are getting married next month."

"I thought you were happy with it," Carlisle told him, "That's what you said to me yesterday."

"I am," he said genuinely, "I just didn't... think it would happen.. yet."

Esme pouted and hugged him, "She's happy."

"That's what I keep emphasizing," Bella told him, "Believe me, I know from experience that this whole process feels a lot better knowing you have your father's blessing."

"They have my blessing," he argued.

"Maybe you ought to take this elsewhere," Carlisle suggested, "She's probably already heard this much of the conversation."

"You're right," Renesme called to them.

"See," Carlisle said with smile.

Edward made a face at him and shook his head, "Oh, the things I really shouldn't know."

Esme glanced up at Carlisle and raised her eyebrows at him. Carlisle shook his head and looked at his son as Bella covered up a smile with her hand.

"This is what I don't want to deal with with Renesme," he explained, "Your thoughts are bad enough. I'm not going to be able to handle knowing hers."

"Dad!" she screamed from the other room, "Take the advice you were given and take the conversation elsewhere."

"Ditto on that Edward," Alice called.

"And I can't hear myself think with them screaming," Jasper chimed in, "So, yeah Edward... Bella... go outside or something."

Edward brushed past his parents and away from Bella. She quickly followed, knowing his demeanor and the two of them swept outside into the rain.

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other. "I do feel for him," he told her, "Can you imagine having to deal with that?"

She shook her head, covering his mouth with her hand and pointed into the other room.

"What are you guys doing?" Alexandra asked with a laugh, giving them an awkward expression.

Esme laughed and removed her hand from his mouth, "Come here."

They walked their daughter to a seperate part of the house and quietly explained that Edward was just a little on edge that Renesme's wedding would take place so soon.

"Why is he so upset? It's going to happen regardless, right?" Her questions were genuine.

"It's complicated," Esme told her.

"I can't wait until I can married. Edward and Bella's wedding looked so... beautiful."

Carlisle laughed, "Take your time."

"I don't even have a boyfriend yet," she said.

"Yet..." he cringed at the last word.

"I think it'd be cool to have the same thing happen to me that happened to Masen. It's pretty much fool proof right?"

Esme and Carlisle looked at each other.

"Forget it," Alexandra said, "I'll just keep watching Sixteen Candles and some Freddy Prinze Jr. movies until I meet the man of my dreams."

Esme wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "There's no rush, sweetheart," she kissed her daughter's forehead, "You'll find him eventually, when you're a little older, and you'll know right away if it's right."

"I know. I'm not seriously thinking about any of that. It's just like, everyone else around here has someone attached at the hip all the time."

"It took some of us awhile to find love," Carlisle told her, crossing his arms in front of his chest, "Be patient. You're still very young."

"I guess," she said with a closed mouth grin.

Edward and Bella rejoined them in the house, seeming to have cooled off a little after their brief stint outside.

"Don't track mud all over the house," Esme told them.

"Oh, sorry," Bella said, removing her shoes. Edward did the same and they made their way toward the living room.

"I'm going to sit with Nessy and Alice," Alexandra told her parents. She made her way after them.

Carlisle and Esme made their way down the hall. He'd kept her a little extra close to him since their return, and dreaded having to leave for work early in the morning upon returning from their short trip.

When they joined everyone else is the living room, Edward had a puzzled expression on his face and stared at Renesme, then Bella. Alexandra eyed him from the corner of the couch, as she sat hovering over Renesme's shoulder to take peeks at some things she was interested for for the wedding.

Carlisle and Esme picked up on Edward's current stalemate in his staredown with Alexandra. They looked over at each other.

"Hmm.." Edward said thoughtfully.

"What?" Bella asked him softly.

"I don't know." He used his pointer finger to call her over. Alice looked up at them momentarily, seeming to know a little something they didn't before they continued to browse. Edward's eyes shot over to his sister, then agin to Alexandra.

"I think that's what it is," Alice told him. Jasper paused his game and looked over toward her. "I'll fill you in later," she assured him.

"I know what you're going to ask, and I don't know. That's my answer," Alexandra told him.

"Can someone tell us what the three of you are talking about?" Esme asked.

Bella looked eager to know, hovering over Edward's shoulder. Carlisle's eyes drifted from person to person.

"She made it so I couldn't read Renesme's thoughts."

"Like a shield?" Bella asked.

"No," he shook his head and looked to Alice.

"From what I can get from what I've seen," Alice started, "Alexandra can kind of.. give people what they need... Important things," she stared around at all of their confused expressions, "It's hard to explain. I think as it develops, you'll get it."

Renesme looked at her father, "So he can't read my mind anymore?" A smile spread over her face.

"I can right now," he told her, as her smile turned into a frown.

Alexandra shifted slightly, and all at once, Edward was left with a blank slate in his daughter's mind.

"Now I can't."

"Edward," Alice said, "You need not to know what Renesme's thinking. It will make things very difficult on both of you in the near future."

"I can like feel that," Alexandra told them, "I can't describe the feeling, but I could sense it about you Edward."

"Has this happened before today?" Carlisle asked.

She nodded, "I just didn't know what it was.. or that I could even do anything about it."

"Alexandra, I want a million dollars," Emmett joked, walking into the room, "Can you give me that."

"Haven't you been listening Emmett?" Alice asked, "She can't do anything about your wants... just your needs.. the necessities."

"Anything without a selfish or unnecessary reason behind it," Edward continued, picking up on her thoughts.

"Exactly," Alice said, "If you don't already have it... or have the ability to do it."

"Complex," Jasper said with a smile, "I like it."

"I don't even really know what I did to stop that," Alexandra told them, "It's... So weird."

"You'll learn," Jasper assured her, "Just like the rest of us."

Carlisle and Esme turned to each other again, processing everything they'd just been told.

"You've got some gifted kids," Jasper told them, "Everyone does."

"Ooo I wonder what ours will do," Alice's face lit up.

"Yours?" Bella asked.

"Oh yeah, forgot to tell ya," Alice said, "We've staked claim on the next eclipse."

Emmett whistled, "Alright!"

Carlisle motioned for Alice to join him and Esme. She handed the lap top to Renesme and jumped over Jasper.

"Can you fill us in about all of this a little more?" he asked.

"Come on," Alice pulled him by the arm and lead the two of them up his office.