I know. It's late. But honestly, I really want this fic to be over with. I've finally gotten REALLY into my novel, so I just want to dedicate all my time to it. Plus, Sunday I got a new laptop and then yesterday I just COULDN'T write. Weird, I know. But it's just over two thousand words.

Muchas gracias to BohemianBuffalo, aka my beta.

OH, and this chapter switches to EPOV at the first little squiggly thing, then back to BPOV.

•20•

"Bella!" Two figures popped up from a random table, one short with black hair, and the other tall with blonde hair. They began running towards me, grinning like fools.

"Ladies. Remember yourselves," Ms. Cope scolded. Rose and Alice froze in place, sheepishly looking towards the ground.

"Sorry, Ms. Cope," Rose murmured, and pulled Alice back to her seat. They sat completely straight, on the edges of their chairs waiting for me to go past them to latch onto me.

"Well, if you'll all excuse me, I believe Isabella needs some tending to." Ms. Cope nodded her head to the general room and swept down to where I was, leading me back towards the doors, Rosalie and Alice quickly following behind us.

She led me up the stairs to my room, instructing me to change quickly so she could take me to see my family.

"My family? What do you mean?" They never came for holidays. My parents would send me a few gifts and a card for Christmas, but nothing more.

"They came to help find you. And be sure to dress nicely. Your parents aren't the only ones here for you," she advised before shutting the door.

I dressed quickly, putting on my best. I opened the door and smiled at Rose and Alice.

"Ms. Cope headed upstairs to alert your parents." Alice smiled.

"Michael came to help out as well. He's waiting with them." Rose grimaced. I furrowed my eyebrows, but they just linked elbows with me, making sure I was in the middle.

"Why the face? I know I've said I dislike the man, but you two always did," I inquired, trying to read their faces.

"We've changed our minds." Alice quipped. "But, how about we just forget that? You look wonderful after all that happened to you. Was it horrendous?"

"No, my captor was cruel at first, but he became very sweet. I suppose I can see why he was the way he was though," I mused, feeling my face turn a bit pink. "He told me a lot about himself and he wasn't nearly as bad as one would think. And he's changed a lot. He was good to me after the first few days."

"You might as well go back to him," Rosalie murmured. I snapped my head towards her, but she looked away.

"What is wrong with you two today, hmm? I'm back. I've been gone for almost two months and could've been dead for all you two know. Why can't you at least try to be happy for me?" I demanded, not caring that I sounded like a spoiled brat.

Alice sighed and opened her mouth to explain before shaking her head and smiling. "Mr. Newton. How kind of you to come greet Bella out here. Isn't that wonderful of him, Rose?"

I looked up and saw Alice was right. My fiancé stood in front of me in a hideous red and green suit. He bowed, causing me to curtsy in return.

"It's truly wonderful," Rose forced out through her false smile.

"Ms. Swan, it's truly wonderful to see you. I thought I would have to find another beautiful girl to marry." He smiled, grabbing at my hand. He put his mouth on it in what I guessed was meant to be a kiss, but seemed more like what a dog does to a new toy. I yanked my hand back, wiping it on the skirts of my dress.

"That's very sweet of you to say, Mr. Newton. Maybe we should head in to see my parents? I wouldn't want to keep them any longer," I suggested, offering him a small smile.

He nodded, extending an arm for me to take. Hesitantly, I rested my hand lightly on his elbow and let him lead me to my parent's room, Rosalie and Alice whispering to each other as they followed.

"Your parents have been very worried as well, Ms. Swan," he told me, opening the door and letting me go through first.

"Isabella!" my mother exclaimed, standing quickly and rushing over to me. She fussed for a moment, flattening my hair and checking my dress for any wrinkles, before pulling me into a hug. A few seconds later she pulled back again, examining me some more. "You look beautiful." She sighed happily.

"Good to see you're well," my father greeted, grinning beneath his graying mustache. "We had hoped we could get you back soon."

"Oh, and such wonderful timing. Now we can have the wedding on New Year's Eve! Exactly at twelve-oh-one the ceremony will end. It'll be such a beautiful wedding and you can probably have it here," my mother cooed, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"New Year's Eve? Mother that's only six days away. Surely nothing is ready by now." I couldn't get married in less than a week. I couldn't get married. I was only seventeen and I had only just returned. I didn't even like the man.

"Well, we've had your dress for a while, the fitting was just before you came here and it shouldn't need many alterations. They have chefs here and certainly the room. Invites are simply a few letters away. Nobody lives far enough that they can't get it, reply, and be here in time. And then what else needs to be done? I'm sure Mr. Newton has a suit and the rings just need to be picked up from home," my mother prattled off.

"But I … I just got back. I need more time than that," I argued, desperate at that point.

"Now, Isabella, you will have a wonderful wedding in six days and then you will go on your honeymoon," my father admonished. "You should be happy. After you get married you can forget all about the past few months. And preparing for a wedding will do plenty to keep your mind off of it."

"I … I … yes, alright then. I'll be married in six days." I forced a smile and excused myself, not wanting them to see my tears.

Edward said everything would be okay. Why did he lie to me?

•~•

He was halfway home and couldn't stop growling at himself. He also had to constantly fight the urge to hit his head repeatedly on the steering wheel.

Why did you let her go?

His mind raced as he attempted to figure out why the name Newton sounded so familiar to him. He knew this. He had to know this. He had to get his Bella back.

Newton. Newton. Newton. Michael Newton. Michael Newton. Tanya. Tanya's cousin. Irina. Irina Denali and Michael Newton.

Something in his brain clicked together as he remembered where he knew Michael from. Not caring that it was illegal and dangerous, he pulled a quick U-turn. The wheels squealed in protest and he left skid marks on the road, but he drove on.

He had to get to the school. And he had to get there soon.

•~•

My head lay in Alice's lap while she stroked my hair and Rosalie held my hand tightly in her own.

"I just can't believe they expect me to marry that horrid man in six days. It's insanity, isn't it? Honestly, how do they expect me to cope? How am I supposed to not break down as soon as I'm with him?" I ranted, praying Edward could rescue me.

"I thought you said you liked the man who kidnapped you, a lot from the way you talked about him," Alice mused, her tiny fingers separating the knots in my hair.

"Of course I do, Alice. But that's not the point. The point is that I have to marry a complete stranger in less than a week!" I huffed.

"Just be careful what you do, Bella. Michael's a horrible man who I hope has a heart attack before your wedding day. Then you're free from any marriages for months," Rose murmured softly to me.

"Why is he so horrible? You two were always defending him and now you want him to die?"

"Hon, just believe us on this. He's an abusive man and the last thing you deserve." Alice smiled sadly on me. "We wish we could help you out of this."

"I'll gladly send her back to the man she was with before all of this. He surely treats her better than Michael would," Rose spat bitterly.

"What am I going to do? I can't marry him, but I can't just leave again. They'll find me easily." I sighed.

"Let's worry about it later. Perhaps we should go down to dinner now? You must be famished," Alice soothed as if she were a mother talking to a child.

I nodded. "He couldn't exactly drop me off at the front door, so I had to walk an awful lot before getting here."

We hurried down the stairs in silence. They had barely begun eating and I hadn't had a bite since the night before. The only thing on our minds was food.

"I'm telling you, I have to see her. I must tell her something very important," a voice yelled by the front doors.

I know that voice.

"You will not be seeing my daughter, sir, and that's final," my father's gruff voice replied. We reached the bottom of the stairs and carefully peered around to see my parents and Michael facing off with Edward. He stood outside of the door while they looked at him with fury from safely inside.

"Edward?" I called softly, stepping hesitantly into their line of sight. "What are you doing here?"

"Thank God, Bella." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You can't marry this man. I will not claim to be better than him, but I am a man of my word."

I scurried over to where they stood, looking back and forth. "What are you talking about, Edward?"

"Ms. Swan, please step away from that filth. You shouldn't be associated with him, much less near him. How do you know him anyway?" Michael asked, beckoning me towards him.

I looked nervously over at Edward before glancing back at Rosalie and Alice. "He helped me after I escaped," I lied, refusing to let them arrest him. "Edward, please. What do you mean?"

"Mr. Newton has been betrothed before and never officially broke it off. He left the girl at the altar and never said a word to her. He's not available to be married." He grinned smugly at the look of shock on Michael's face.

"It was years ago! The little whore's probably over me by now. And you're the reason her cousin died, you know how horrid that family is."

"But she hasn't remarried. And you made the betrothal. You have to honor it," Edward retorted, sneering. "Although I have no idea what she saw in you."

"Mr. Newton, I'm afraid Mr. Cullen is correct. The wedding … the wedding is off." My father rubbed his temple with one hand. "I don't know what we're to do with her now, though."

"I have an idea," Edward chimed in as Michael stormed away. I stepped out to where he stood in the snow, letting the cold cover me.

He kneeled down in front of me, staring straight into my eyes. He was soaked to the bone, his hair was dark and sticking flat to his head, and his shirt was ripped in several places. I assumed they were from his fingers. Dirt and dried blood littered his pale skin, yet his green eyes sparkled with hope.

He took my hand in one of his own, fumbling in his pocket with the other. Finally, he pulled out a box, identical to the others. As he looked up, he blinked the snow out of his eyelashes and just stared at me.

My tears flowed freely down my face, blending in with the rain enough that I didn't care. I knew I looked like shit, but in that moment, there was little I could think of besides the man in front of me.

Skillfully, Edward flipped the box open with one hand and muttered, "I told you it was a set."

It's a cliffie. WOO. I actually wrote this ending before I finished the LAST chapter. Though, originally it was in Edward's perspective and there might've been a whole fight scene before it, but I didn't want to write a whole fight scene.

I'm not guarenteeing a chapter by Thursday. I'm writing two endings and want them both up one right after the other, so I'll need some time for that. No more than a week, or you can start sending me threatening PMs.

And if you were confused about the whole betrothal thing, just let me know and I'll explain it the best I can. That's an actual historical thing that they brought back in this fanfic's world.