AN:

Since chapter 14(!) Edward has been nudging me to throw in something not in the original movie as his 'plan'. I have literally been writing forward just to finally get to this chapter! I don't know about Bella, but I would be ready to marry him after this chapter. /inner romantic swoon.

Thanks muchly to all of my regular reviewers; your comments have kept me going and brighten my day. 3

Alice decided, perched upon her chair in front of the store as the beginnings of what she hoped would be a large crowd roamed Willow Crescent, that this plan would save the store. The large plastic donation jar before her was already two thirds full of assorted bills, mostly fives and tens. She cheerfully called out to people as they arrived, telling them of the store's plight, marvelling at the anti-corporate sentiment that was very much alive and well in Forks. Mike Newton, their usual teller at the bank, had thrown in a fifty, much to Alice's surprise, ranting for ten minutes about how major chain stores were making it difficult for his parents and their sporting goods store to truly thrive. Alice had given him a very enthusiastic high-five and a kiss on the cheek, sending him blushing and stammering into the store, where numerous promotional items had been marked for sale by Esme's expert Sharpie.

"You guys are underpricing!" Esme had exclaimed, "You have to leave some haggle room. And if you're selling alcohol, most of them won't bother to haggle anyway."

Sure enough, Esme was right: Alice had watched a friendly old trucker she'd seen often at the diner wander out with an enormous Alice In Chains poster, mounted, having happily paid $90. Alice had originally figured it to be worth sixty bucks at most. Inside the store, Esme assisted Carlisle with the till and the promo items, her warm smile and laugh charming every customer with a Y chromosome (and some of those carrying a double X). Carlisle was three beers in now and more than fine with the party at this point, his eyes locked on Esme when a sale didn't tear him away. It was rather sweet, Alice decided. If only Edward and Bella would get a clue...

"Hey!" Rosalie called out, jogging up to the doors, "How goes the collection for the Velvet Children's Fund?"

"Surprisingly well! How are we doing with the munchies and brew?"

Rosalie smiled, "The brownies are long gone; I think Emmett lied and said they were 'special', if you know what I mean. We're already down a keg and pulling sweet profit. All things considered, this could be a rousing success story! Fuck Virgin!"

Alice laughed, "Fuck Virgin! Experienced Indies Only! Jasper almost ready to rock?"

Rosalie nodded, "That cute bass player, Rob or whoever, was saying he just had to run to the van and grab an extra string or something. Looks like we'll be jamming to tunes in the very near future. Now, if you'll excuse me, someone handsome needs my help drunking up the masses."

Rosalie skipped off into the night, nearly colliding with Bella, who brought a group of teen girls dressed in various glittery t-shirts and numerous plastic bracelets in tow. Each also wore a glowing necklace, as did Bella. Alice's eyes widened, her hands clapping in excitement.

"It would seem we have partiers who have their own party favours to share," Bella announced with glee.

"Do we have pink?" Alice asked eagerly.

A tiny brunette nodded eagerly, "We have all the colours! Pink, purple, blue, green and orange! We brought a bunch of extras!"

Alice clapped her hands, "Fantastic! I shall require a pink one for a tiara and a purple necklace!"

The blonde girl to Bella's left dug through her tiny backpack, pulling out two long glow necklace sticks, "Damn the man!"

"Rave on!" the brunette proclaimed.

The ravers skipped off, leaving Bella and Alice giggling together alongside the jar of cash, into which several people now stuffed bills, hooting and hollering. Alice thanked them, quickly assembling her necklace and activating it, watching it begin to glow in the dark of the late evening. Bella nodded approvingly, fingering her own blue necklace.

"Almost ten, isn't it?" Alice asked.

"Last I checked it was ten to. This turnout is crazy!"

Alice nodded, pointing towards the street, "And here comes two more vans! I do believe that if nothing else, we will have the party to end all parties in Forks tonight. And that, my friend, is a victory no matter how much cash we raise!"

Bella smiled, "Even better than your sweet sixteen?"

Alice nodded, slipping her pink headband tiara into place, "Although my tiara was prettier at that party, you must admit. But this will do! Where's Edward?"

Bella shrugged, "He disappeared a little while ago. Not sure where he went. We're supposed to talk later, if I don't trip over my tongue."

"Better chance of you tripping over your feet! Save me a good place near the stage; I have dancing shoes to cut footloose with."

Bella smiled, hugging Alice tightly, "Done deal. I'm going to check inside and see if Carlisle needs a hand. See you in a bit!"

Alice's gaze drifted to the road, where a familiar Mercedes was careening around the corner, swinging wildly into the store lot. She hissed low as the occupant stepped out onto the pavement, surveying the group that was at least a hundred people deep now before the mock stage and spitting on the ground, his limp blonde ponytail swinging in the breeze as he stormed towards her. Forcing her cheeriest smile, Alice waved the jar at him.

"James! Care to donate to stop corporate America from killing small-town business?"

James rolled his eyes, storming in through the masses of shoppers, heading straight for the staff lounge. Alice shrugged, thanking a long-lost flower child in a flowing skirt and white blouse for her twenty. There was nothing James could do in the face of the masses; hadn't Obama proven the power of numbers with his campaign? As Emmett ambled towards her, a rather large stack of bills in his hand, Alice leapt to her feet, swaying to the music drifting from within the store. The audacity of hope, indeed!

Emmett passed her the cash, crowing triumphantly, "Count another thousand into the mix! Damn! I just sold this little old lady two beers, Alice. She even had her hair in curlers, you know, like the salon?"

Alice giggled, "Mrs. Anderson? Oh my God, she's out this late? Isn't it past her bedtime?"

"And we still have another keg and a half, and a line-up waiting for it. What's the count in the cookie jar?"

"Time to find out, I wager! Also time to find out what James thinks of our little party."

Emmett swallowed nervously, craning his neck to glance through the windows of the storefront, "Boss man showed? Shit!"

Alice laughed, thumbing her way through a stack of bills pulled from the jar, "Don't you worry about him; Carlisle's had a few beers. It's all good. I'm just wondering if Carlisle will slug him or simply tell him where to go."

"After the day we've had, I vote slugging," Emmett mused.

"Could be...." Alice conceded, "But then again, Carlisle likes to win with words..."

"Carlisle!" James shouted, glancing wildly around the staff lounge, "What the hell is going on here? Why do I get the feeling that I am being royally SCREWED?!"

"It's because you are James," Carlisle stated calmly, emerging from his office smiling, casually rolling up his sleeves on his white shirt, "There was no money in the deposit bag. One of my employees needed it."

James glared at him, his face turning a rather tomato shade of red, "Who took it? Who took my money?"

From behind him came a voice, dripping with saccharine, "James! This is some party. Quite a turnout, don't you agree?"

James spun to face Edward, who had slipped into the lounge carrying an empty keyboard carrying case. Tossing it gently beside the sofa, he made his way to Carlisle's side, crossing his arms over his chest and smiling.

"Who the hell are you?" James snapped, "This is a business conversation-"

"I'm Edward. I work here. Now, James, I've been meaning to ask you about this Virgin thing," he replied, the disdain dripping from his voice, "Now, next week you aspire to be the owner of a Virgin Megastore, one of many Megastores across this great nation, am I correct?"

"Yes-"

"And you like this because Virgin Megastores jack up their prices and this means more profit for you, correct?"

"Well aren't you clever?" James noted sarcastically.

"Now, when this happens, Rose is out. Emmett is out. And all of us beautiful tattooed and gum-chewing freaks are out. And I guess it goes without saying that I'm out."

James growled, "I wish it HAD gone without saying, but you don't seem to shut up!"

Carlisle smiled, stepping forward, "What I do believe my son is trying to say is that I'm going to open my own store."

James stared, aghast at this notion, shaking his head, "You don't have the start-up capital."

"Yes he does," Edward quickly said.

"No I don't," Carlisle said softly, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder, "But I will. I will get it. James? I quit!"

Without a backwards glance, Carlisle strolled out into the storefront, Edward beside him, smiling proudly. Surveying the store he loved, he trusted that this gamble would pay off, just as his gamble years ago to foster Edward. For all of his flaws, Carlisle couldn't imagine a more loyal and loving son. Turning to him now, he smiled, shaking his head.

"You knew, didn't you? About what I wanted to do, about saving the store?"

Edward shrugged, "I knew you weren't happy."

Carlisle nodded, reaching out to embrace Edward warmly, "No matter what your parents thought of you, you're no mistake to me. Even if you are turning me grey at lightning speed."

Edward laughed, "You're blonde, Carlisle; it's inevitable, with or without me. You want to stay young? Go cozy up to Esme Evenson."

Carlisle flushed red, "She's unlike any woman I've known, that's for certain."

"Which means there's a good chance she won't be sending you off by shotgun or leaving you for lawyers named Joanne. Go dazzle her."

Carlisle nodded, "What about you? I hear Jasper's about to start."

Edward glanced quickly towards the cash, where Bella was chatting happily with a customer about his sleeve of tattoos, "I've got something I need to take care of first upstairs. See you out there."

As Edward turned towards the spiralling staircase, Carlisle called out to him, "Edward? One more thing?"

Edward paused, taking a step towards his father, "Yes?"

Carlisle smiled, "I'm not blind. I never have been. Don't let her run off to Boston. I'd rather adore her as a daughter-in-law someday."

Edward shook his head, flushing bright red as he ran up the stairs, as if he were being pursued by some unseen beast. Laughing to himself, Carlisle strolled up behind Esme, boldly wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, planting a kiss on her shoulder. She giggled, leaning into his sturdy frame, tapping a bundle of bills against her thigh.

"All sold. Another thousand for you guys."

"I quit, Esme."

Esme spun around, eyeing him closely, "You made a power play! Bold! I see it as win-win, personally."

Carlisle nodded, "Shall we watch the band and rock out with the young folk?"

"Let me grab my cane," Esme quipped, seizing his hand and leading him out into the night, where crowds of all kinds – preppies to hipsters to stoners to jocks to senior citizens – crowded closer to the store.

All eyes fixed upon the impromptu stage upon an upper ledge, where Jasper stepped up to the microphone, almost shy as he nodded and a familiar guitar and bass line thundered into the night. Carlisle nodded approvingly, scanning the crowd and catching sight of his rowdy teens partying upfront. He led Esme towards their pocket of staffers, noting Emmett was twirling Rosalie around, her laughter matched in intensity only by Alice's as she whirled and danced, barefoot on the pavement. From behind him, Bella scampered by, charging towards Alice and embracing her tightly, nearly knocking her to the ground as Jasper began to sing.

"I think I'm drowning, asphyxiated. I wanna break the spell that you've created. You're something beautiful, a contradiction..."

Carlisle pulled Esme closer, inhaling a mix of vanilla and orange blossom as she swayed, nodding her head along with the music. Finally, it's perfect. Remembering Edward running up the stairs, he corrected himself inwardly. Well, almost perfect. Glancing inside the store, he watched as James struggled at the cash register, yanking on the drawer. He gave him fifteen minutes, tops...

Edward paced through the Classical section, weaving in and out of the rows as Jasper's band powered their way through the end of a Muse track and slammed quickly into an old Gin Blossoms track Edward hadn't heard in years. His heart raced as he contemplated the gravity of what he was about to do, his hands shaking as he carefully weighed the options one more time. Part of him felt selfish for doing this, for leaving Bella standing there, carrying the weight of his love on her shoulders. Part of him felt as if it were a recipe for disaster that could very well shatter their entire circle, only hours after it had been made whole once more. But a tiny voice in the back of his mind was adamant, was certain that this was the only way to cope with the longing that left him physically aching, the only way to find closure. And it was that tiny voice that beckoned him closer to the keys to his plan, the one that Jasper had helped him perfect and execute.

As the crowd grew loud with applause outside, Edward took a deep breath and his first step towards the rest of his life...

"Oh, I love this song!" Bella exclaimed, twirling around, stumbling slightly.

Alice nodded, "Jasper is such a closet Gin Blossoms groupie."

Bella smiled, singing along quietly, "I don't wanna take advice from fools. I'll just figure everything is cool until I hear it from you..."

"Hey Alice!" Carlisle called out suddenly, "Where's the jar?"

"Over here," Emmett replied, pointing to his feet, "And Carlisle, I've got some bad news. We didn't raise six grand."

Carlisle shrugged, "Fuck James! We're going out Velvet style!"

Emmett laughed as he passed over the jar, "No man, you don't know. We raised seven grand!"

Carlisle gasped, "You're joking!"

"I don't joke about the Benjamins! We did it!"

Rosalie spun around, making herself dizzy and stumbling into Bella, "Where's Edward? This party is rocking! Have you seen the crowd behind us?"

Bella shrugged, "I don't know where he is. I'm kinda looking for him myself."

Bella glanced behind her, blinking hard as a throng of teens and adults alike swayed, danced and bobbed their heads in time with the music, enthralled by Jasper's rich voice and expert guitar work above them. It was as if the entire town and the surrounding counties had all come out to support their store. It was incredible, and Edward was missing it. Where the hell is he? Is he avoiding me? Bella frowned, kicking herself inwardly for the way she'd frozen up when speaking with Edward on the roof. She'd been so prepared to tell him how she felt, to explain that she'd loved him without realizing it, when suddenly, her father's voice proudly announcing her Harvard acceptance had flooded her mind. In that instant, she'd felt a million doubts whirl through her mind.

Why get attached? You're moving across the country soon!
Well, maybe Edward could come too-
That's not fair to assume! Have him pack up his life for you?
Maybe I should pretend I don't love him back, then…
But you do love him, and you do have a few months…
And then, heartbreak! Shit! Why'd he wait so goddamn long to tell me?!

And before she knew it, Edward was holding her, her head spinning, and he was leaving her on the roof, making her promise to come for him if she felt sick. And still, still she could not tell him. Stupid! Bella, grow a spine! Bella glanced into the store, scanning the few stray shoppers surrounding James at the till, but could find no sign of Edward. Perhaps he was hiding in the staff lounge? The thought saddened Bella, and as the song wrapped up, she leaned in towards Alice.

"Hey, I'm going to go look for Edward. He shouldn't be missing out on this."

Alice giggled, "Bella, Bella, Bella. Edward will arrive soon, I'm sure."

"But Alice, maybe he's off feeling guilty somewhere-"

"Your attention please," Jasper's voice requested above the din, the audience hooting and hollering in reply, "I just wanted to thank you all on behalf of Velvet Records for supporting the cause and partying with us tonight. We're going to run through a few tunes, old and new, for your listening enjoyment. Are we having a good time yet?"

The crowd cheered loudly, Alice jumping up and down, waving to Jasper, who grinned and blew her a kiss. Bella sighed happily at the sight. It was amazing to see Alice happy again.

"Alright. I'm going to bring someone special on stage for the next one, so please give it up for Forks' own piano prodigy, Edward Cullen!"

Bella gasped, watching as Edward slipped through the second floor window and out onto the ledge, waving shyly before settling behind a keyboard to Jasper's left. So maybe he isn't off sulking, she mused, laughing as Emmett shrieked Edward's name at the top of his lungs. However, he must be too stoned or drunk to realize that he's about to play for a crowd of several hundred people, Bella concluded, her gaze fixed on his disheveled bronze hair and nervous smile as he tickled the keys, running from high to low.

Jasper nodded to Edward, then continued, "Alright Edward, we good to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Edward mumbled into the microphone anchored to the keyboard.

Bella turned to Alice, her eyes widening, "Did you know about this?"

Alice shook her head, "Not a clue. Jasper's been holding out on me, apparently."

"I wonder what they'll play," Bella mused aloud.

Edward adjusted the microphone before him, shifting the position closer to him, frowning and then nudging it backwards what must have been a matter of millimetres. With a deep breath in, he tapped the microphone lightly then began to speak.

"Beautiful night for a party!" Edward said with a nervous laugh, drowned out by the crowd's hoots and applause, "So many stars in the sky, lighting this shindig up. Before we play this song, I just want to thank you for supporting a good cause. Velvet Records is an institution and I'm so happy so many feel strongly about protecting it. That said, let's get to the music."

He paused, tinkling the keys and pressing a few buttons, nodding with approval as he tested the notes again. Bella found herself mesmerized, thrilled to witness the first public performance Edward had ever given. He was so gifted at piano, but often dismissed his talents, insisting he was 'no one special', but his lullaby for her was one of the most haunting and beautiful pieces of music she'd ever heard. Bella knew that for Edward to get up there with Jasper and his band, the song had to be remarkable.

"So many stars lighting the sky tonight," Edward said softly, "But even on a night such as this, there is only one star in my sky. This song is for that star."

Edward's fingers flew across the keys, twinges of Bella's lullaby woven into another familiar melody Bella struggled to name. An enormous lump began forming in her throat as the music spoke to her, whispering the truth behind his words. You are his star, the voice repeated, over and over as the piano built to a crescendo, halting briefly before settling into a melody Bella knew so well, she herself could probably pick it out at a piano if she tried. She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. They're not playing this. Does Jasper even know the words for this one? She looked to Alice, who flashed a smug grin and a wink, returning her attention to the stage, where Bella found her answers.

In a soft, almost angelic voice, it was Edward, not Jasper, who began to sing one of her favourite songs.

"I can't imagine all the people that you know
And the places that you go
When the lights are turned down low
And I don't understand all the things you've seen
But I'm slipping in between you and your big dreams
It's always you in my big dreams... "

Bella stood motionless, only vaguely aware of a single tear falling down her cheek, slipping to meet her chin and tumbling onto her sweater. In her mind, she drifted back to the night she and Edward had driven to Seattle for a concert, to when she'd played this song for him.

"Oh you have to at least hear Konstantine," Bella had gushed, "It's utterly gorgeous."

"I'm sorta trapped in this car with you, Bella. I'm at your mercy," Edward had cracked off, his hands lazily upon the steering wheel.

The song had flooded the Volvo, Bella sinking back into her seat, eyes closed. She had sang along softly, fingers drumming upon the window in time with the piano. Beside her, she had heard Edward begin to hum, and smiled. He only hummed songs he enjoyed.

"You know, if someone would sing something this beautiful for me, I don't think I could help but fall in love with them," Bella had said, sighing happily, "It breaks my heart in so many beautiful ways."

"So, someone has to break your heart to win it?" Edward had asked.

"All great loves have their hard times. But the love he has for her in spite of how badly it went... That is true love... Enduring... How could I turn away from that?"

Bella felt her heart skip, her words echoing through her mind. This was deliberate, this performance. This was Edward laying it all bare, exposing his weakness. This was Edward declaring his love for her to be true and enduring, in spite of any pain they'd caused each other. It was the love she felt for him, the love she now wanted to scream out, silly fears and tangled tongue be damned. He sang earnestly, the emotion in each lyric cutting through her, his eyes remaining closed, as if afraid to find she did not feel the pull between them that now seemed so obvious, Bella wondered how she had missed it for so long.

"And you don't want to be here in the future
You say the present's just a pleasant interruption to the past... "

"Bella?" Alice whispered, "You okay?"

Bella looked to Alice, swiping at the stray tears tumbling down her face, "He's singing for me. This song... I told him..."

Alice reached for her hands and it was only then that Bella realized she was shaking. Alice squeezed them gently, staring into her eyes as if she were searching for some hidden truth.

"Do you love him?" Alice whispered.

Bella nodded, "More than I knew..."

"Then you have to tell him. Three words, Bella. That's all. He's giving you a beautiful song. You can give him three words."

Bella smiled, nodding furiously as her attention returned to Edward, who didn't miss a note, not a nuance from the original. This wasn't thrown together in an hour; he must have learned this song over time. The realization floored her, her knees buckling slightly but somehow still holding her upright. To her left, Rosalie stood, leaning back against Emmett, his arms lazily wrapped about her. It reminded Bella of countless nights out, where Edward had come up behind her to hug her, to check in with her and how she was holding her alcohol. The significance of these gestures was finally sinking in. Poor Edward had been telling her for months and she'd been oblivious to his feelings and her own. Up above, Edward continued to sing, the entire crowd quiet, rapt with attention.

"And I had these dreams I learned to play guitar
Maybe cross the country, become a rock star
And there was hope in me that I could take you there
But damn it, you're so young, but I don't think that I care
And if I hurt you, then I'm sorry
Please don't think that this was easy... "

"Who knew Eddie had it in him?" Emmett asked quietly.

"I did," Bella said softly, "It's why I always bug him to sing karaoke."

"He can never turn us down again," Alice exclaimed happily, "Sound of Music, here we come!"

Bella found herself lost in her memories, drifting back to her sixteenth birthday, back before Edward said he'd known he was in love with her, fresh eyes and hindsight painting the day in a new light.

"I'm a princess!" Bella had declared as they walked alongside the creek bordering Edward's house.

Edward had laughed, "Princess of Pratfalls, perhaps."

"Oh shut up!" Bella had yelled, shoving him into the creek.

Edward had stared down at the damp legs of his jeans and stared up at her, a wicked grin upon his lips.

"Oh it's on," he had declared, lunging suddenly and yanking Bella into the water with him, Bella tumbling onto her ass in the reeds and grass.

"I'm the birthday girl! You're not allowed to abuse me!" Bella had pouted.

Edward had laughed, "Okay, I'll help you up."

With a swift motion, he'd scooped her up into his arms, cradling her as he stepped gingerly out of the water and onto the bank. In the moonlight, the water was a deep indigo, shimmering as the water trickled eastward into the distance. Bella had locked her arms around his neck, the night's drinking suddenly hitting her like a ton of bricks, her eyes drooping.

"No sleeping, Bella! Charlie will think I kept you out all night and deflowered you."

"Who says I'm still a flower?" Bella had giggled.

"Oh really? Something you haven't told one of your best friends?"

"I'm kidding. No one has swept me off my feet yet."

"Except for me," Edward had quipped, swinging her about.

"Okay, then. Only you, Edward. And the way my love life is, it'll remain only you."

"At least I'm handsome."

Bella had rolled her eyes, "Egomaniac."

"You love it."

Bella had laughed, her head light and fuzzy, "Yes, yes I do."

From behind her, Bella heard a raver murmur about how she wished she could be the girl Edward was singing to. Bella smiled to herself, almost tempted to turn around and brag, tell the world that this man who made her laugh, who nursed her every ridiculous injury, who took her to concerts when her car broke down, who wrote her a lullaby for her insomnia… He was in love with her. Plain old clumsy speed-addled Bella Swan. Bella wished he'd open his eyes, wished he'd gaze down and see through her, see how sorry she was that they'd lost so much time, understand that she would toss Harvard aside and stay here in Forks, if only she could stay with him. Charlie and Renee would be angry, but could they truly fault her for following her heart? Hadn't they always taught her to do just that?

"It's to Jimmy Eat World and those nights in my car
When the first star you see may not be a star
I'm not your star... "

The raw sorrow echoing through that one line broke Bella at last. The floodgates opened, tears tumbling down as she shook her head, wordlessly arguing against what seemed to her to be an impossible statement. He was more than her star; he was her moon, her light in the dark nights. She gravitated to him unconsciously, unable to resist his pull. Maybe that was why she'd been single for two years. Maybe it was why he'd been single almost as long. She felt Alice hug her, heard her whisper in her ear not to cry. Bella couldn't speak, couldn't explain the strange mix of regret and wonder coursing through her body as Edward sang and played, Jasper and his band jamming along as the song built to its finale, Edward wailing 'Did you know I miss you?' over and over until it felt unbearable. She had to leave the crowd, and she had to leave it now. She pulled away from Alice, taking a hesitant step towards the store, freezing and turning back to Alice.

"The roof. He'll retreat," she mouthed to Bella.

Bella smiled, weaving her way through the crowd to the glass doors, throwing them open and storming towards the double doors, chuckling as James cursed the till and rhetorically asked if "anyone worked in this damn store". Not for you, she thought to herself, pushing her way into the lounge, the final notes of Konstantine fading into a roaring applause as she reached out for the door to the roof. To the sky, Bella. It's where stars belong. With a deep breath, she hefted the door open, running up the eight stairs and bursting out into the cool night air, her gaze wandering to the store sign which still shuddered and remained half-lit.

"Hurry up, Edward," she whispered, "I have so much to tell you."