I don't own Twilight. all Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Christmas Bells are Ringing

Before we all left for Florence, Alice and Jasper had their bachelor/bachelorette parties. Since the wedding was going to be such a small, intimate affair, Alice wanted to give their friends and family the opportunity to celebrate the occasion with them any way that they could. So, Christmas Eve morning we had the parties, keeping the bride and groom separated.

I was so happy that she was getting the wedding that she truly wanted. What Alice had decided on was perfect for both she and Jasper, beautiful and elegant. Rosalie was going to be her matron-of-honor, which worked out perfectly with Emmett as the best man.

The process leading up to the wedding, the planning, was stressful, but Alice handled it with grace. She was the very picture of poise and I envied her that. I knew that when it was my turn I would be a pathetic, trembling mess of nerves.

Her bachelorette party went off perfectly, her family and friends offering their wisdom and guidance near the end. I had never been more flushed with embarrassment than when I listened to Esme talk about her first few months of marriage with Carlisle, and neither had Alice.

In keeping up with the pretense of not allowing the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony, we flew to Florence that afternoon separately. Our arrival times were within fifteen minutes of each other and when we got to the villa I chose to stay behind so that I could greet Edward.

Waiting in the main entrance, I shuffled on my feet in nervous anticipation. It felt as though hours had passed before their limo finally pulled up, and I couldn't help the grin that spread across my lips when I saw him. Being away from Edward for even a few hours was just too long for me.

Carlisle chuckled when he saw me bouncing excitedly, stopping in front of me and gently kissing my forehead. "Merry Christmas, my dear."

I ducked my head shyly. "Merry Christmas, Carlisle."

He smiled warmly at me, tapping my chin in a very fatherly gesture before heading inside with Emmett and Jasper in tow.

Edward came walking up to me, his curled up into his signature crooked smile. As he made his way toward me he lifted his sunglasses so that rested atop his head, a movement that seemed almost second nature to him. "Soon that will be us." He pulled me into his arms, warmth and happiness radiating from his entire being.

Pressing a kiss to his clothed chest, I allowed his scent to infiltrate my senses and ease the tension that being away from him caused. "I can't wait," I murmured.

"Neither can I," he whispered.

We continued to stand at the doorway of our Italian home away from home until an involuntary shiver racked its way through my body, the cool weather reminding us of our location. Edward lowered one of his arms from my waist and adjusted me so that I was pressed against his side. "Let's get you inside and warmed up."

I pouted petulantly, not wanting to disrupt the moment we were sharing, but knowing that he was right. "Fine," I said with a sigh.

He chuckled, leading us into the house. One of the maids met us in the foyer to collect our coats and gloves and welcomed us to the beautiful city. Edward led me throughout the house, walking with the same air of confidence that he possessed in the palace.

The only help he needed was when we reached the stairs and I gave his hand a gentle squeeze as a reminder. He began to recall stories from previous vacations spent on the grounds, all of the trouble he and Emmett would get into when left on their own. They had learned every square inch of the property, even discovering a few secret hiding places.

Picturing the two of them as children made me giggle; Edward with tousled bronze hair and a mischievous grin, Emmett with curly black hair and deep dimples that 'proved' his innocence.

I had no doubt that the two of them were quite a handful growing up.

After making our way up the stairs, Edward led me to one of the bedrooms. He shut the door once we were in the room and went to sit down. I glanced around me, taking in the beautiful surroundings; the pale paint on the walls, the vase of flowers on the bedside table, the large bed that Edward was now sitting on that looked so comfortable.

"Would you like to take a nap before we have to meet everyone else downstairs, sweetheart?" Edward asked, yawning softly.

Sleep. That sounded heavenly. Alice's early morning wakeup calls had been in full force over the past few days and I hadn't slept as well as I would have liked. "That sounds perfect." I climbed onto the bed with him, blushing as Edward pulled me down to lay beside him. The circle of his arms always made me feel so safe.

His lips grazed across my temple and he groaned. "I can't wait to see that."

I pulled my lip between my teeth, fighting the urge to bury my face in the crook of his neck. "What?"

"Your blush," he whispered. "Every time I feel the heat rise on your skin that way, I try to picture how beautiful you look with the tint to your skin, the soft hue that it creates. But, I know that I could never come close to how amazing it really is. The day that I can truly take it in, I plan to spend hours exploring its reaches and see how long I can keep it there."

My body froze automatically. Did he just… ugh! Why did he say things like that when he insisted upon waiting? I groaned, eventually giving in and burying my face against his chest, flustered beyond words.

"Sorry, love." The amusement in his voice was even more frustrating than the little stunt he had just pulled. "Soon."

I whimpered softly. "Please… you can't keep saying things like that to me."

He ran his fingers through my hair, gently massaging my scalp. "Forgive me, Bella. That was incredibly insensitive of me. You have been more supportive of me than I could have ever hoped for, so I will do the same for you."

I curled further into his side and closed my eyes tightly.

Edward continued his gentle ministrations, running his fingers through my hair and lightly scratching my scalp, lulling me to sleep in no time.

With the wedding being on Christmas day, we decided to celebrate with the family Christmas Eve night. All of our presents had been brought with us and placed under the tree in the living room. We had all decided to gather around the tree to open presents, sing Christmas carols, and just enjoy a peaceful evening together.

I hadn't had the chance to look at the tree yet, but I knew that it would be grand. The rest of the house was beautifully decorated, everything tasteful and complementary. It felt like a winter wonderland, a wish coming true.

A part of me yearned to have Charlie and Renee there, too. They were my parents and it didn't feel right to be so far away from them during this time of year, but they would be spending Christmas Day on the La Push Reservation with Billy and Jacob Black. Every other year we went to their home and they came to ours, it was a tradition.

Since I couldn't be with them this year though, I sent a few presents ahead for them. Alice and Emmett had been wonderful in helping me pick out something just right for my parents and Jake. A tackle box for Charlie, tickets to a new museum exhibit for Renee, and a new set of tools for Jake's garage; it wasn't much, but hopefully they would enjoy them.

Edward woke me up around six, giving us enough time to wake up and change our clothes before heading downstairs. We had agreed to meet in our pajamas, just as we would have on Christmas morning. He found it amusing that I had a pair of fuzzy slippers to complete my evening attire and he felt the need to run his fingers over the soft material a lot.

I rolled my eyes at his teasing, but I was secretly thrilled to see him in such high spirits.

We eventually made it to the living room and were the last to arrive, curling up close to each other as we settled down on the floor against the couch. The rest of the family seemed so relaxed, all smiles and bright eyes.

Carlisle sat across from us with his arm around Esme, gently stroking her hand with his free one. "This year we have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Our family is very fortunate in what we have and I hope that we never lose sight of that." He kissed Esme's temple, a hint of a smile spreading across his lips. "Even though we'll be apart as the New Year comes and many changes are on the horizon, I want each of you to know how much I love and cherish you. I am a blessed man to have such a family."

My eyes got misty at his words, truly feeling like a member of this beautiful family. Renee had been right, this had worked out better than I could have imagined. I burrowed a bit closer into Edward's side as presents began being passed around.

"Thank you," I told him softly.

"For what?" He ran his thumb along my thigh, his arm resting across my body.

I sighed, thinking my words over carefully before answering him. "For welcoming me into this family. For opening your heart to me and letting me in. For accepting me the way that I am and wanting to make me happy."

"There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you," he murmured before kissing me softly on the lips.

"Alright everyone, let's get this over with so we can eat. There's a batch of pancakes in that kitchen with my name on them." Emmett snorted, more excited for breakfast for dinner than the pile of gifts that lay at his feet.

Everyone chuckled, Rosalie kissing his cheek, as they began to tear into the wrapping paper. I carefully opened the presents that sat in front of me, beyond awed at the amount each item must have cost. I knew that they could afford it, but I felt unworthy to have it spent on me.

I couldn't help gasping when I got to the present that Edward had gotten for me, a silver, antique hair comb with a sapphire butterfly on top. It was the most beautiful thing I had seen. "Edward."

He turned his face toward me, reaching for my hands to see what I was holding. "Do you like it? This used to belong to Esme's grandmother, a wedding gift. Apparently great-grandfather had seen this in a window display on his way home from the House of Lords. He bought it in hopes of giving it to his new bride," he explained, his voice taking on a smooth lilt as he spoke. "When he was back on his way, a few men managed to surround him and demand his money and valuables.

"They beat him and left him in the street, taking everything he had on him, including a pocket watch that had belonged to his father." Edward had a knowing look on his face, as though he had heard and said this particular story more times than he could remember. "He was finally able to make it home after sunset and great-grandmother fussed over the cuts and bruises on his body. Those didn't really matter to him, because the only thing the muggers hadn't taken was the gift he had gotten for her.

"So, he grunted and groaned a few times before he was able to remove it from his pocket and held it up to her, asking if she would still be his wife even though they didn't have any money." Edward chuckled, shaking his head at the memory. "It's been a precious family heirloom ever since."

Giggling, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed each of his closed eye lids. "You Cullen men sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet," I said low enough that only he could hear. "Thank you, Edward. It's perfect."

"You're welcome, Bella." He turned his focus back to one last present that sat on his lap. My present to him. The tag on top was written in braille and with Alice's help I had a CD booklet printed out for him with braille as well. "Love, what is all of this?" He managed get passed the wrapping paper and held up the thick CD case, the booklet I'd had made for him, and a pair of tickets.

"Well, you've mentioned a few times about how you'd like to see La Boheme. So I got us tickets for September to see the live performance, and in preparation for that you can listen to the CD and familiarize yourself with the music," I explained shyly. "Oh, and Esme helped me remake the CD booklet in braille for you."

Edward didn't say anything at first, his jaw had fallen open and his fingers ran over each item that sat on his lap. Then, in a movement too fast for me to follow, Edward cupped my face in his hands. His fingers wound through my hair and he pulled my lips to his, kissing me deeply. Pulling me closer to his side, he groaned into my mouth before licking and sucking his way to my ear. "I don't deserve you."

My breaths came out in pants as Edward gently nipped at my ear. "I take it you like your present?"

He chuckled, pressing his lips to the hollow of my throat before lifting his head slightly to press his forehead to mine. "It's perfect. Thank you."

I giggled, waiting for my heart rate and breathing to slow down. "Merry Christmas," I gasped out.

"Merry Christmas." He kissed me lightly on the tip of my nose.

Ooo~Ooo~Ooo~Ooo~Ooo~Ooo

One of the presents I had received had been a new iPhone from Emmett and Rosalie. It was one that hadn't been released quite yet and had all sorts of new capabilities that would take me months to figure out. Well, he had apparently given the new number to my parents and Jacob because I had gotten calls from the both of them during the middle of the night. They must have had the same devices because we used a video call and were able to see each other. I missed them so much.

Eventually the sun began to rise, breaking through the early morning clouds and creating a beautiful hue in the sky. Amber woke us up and told Edward that the men were getting ready in the right wing of the house. He whispered that he would see me that evening and left to join the others.

I waited until I was a little more awake before going to take a shower and then heading to Alice's room. Everyone else was already gathered in there, talking and giggling. On one of the tables I saw a breakfast tray set out with tea and Danishes. Without a word I made my way over to the table and got a little of each.

"Good morning to you too, Bella," Alice called, her tinkling voice filled with excitement.

Curling up into one of the chairs placed all around the room, I ignored her teasing and pointed over to her. "Today's the big day. Are you excited?"

Her eyes got a far off look for a moment, a smile spread across her face as she sighed dreamily. "More than I can express."

"I'm just sorry that you can't have a larger ceremony with all of your family and friends," I told her.

Alice waved me off, scoffing slightly. "This is exactly what we wanted. Sure, it might have been nice to bring in some of our extended family, but in all honesty we didn't want to add to the media circus that already surrounds us." Her voice got softer as she continued though. "I know you'd prefer something more like this for you and Edward, though."

She was right. Having something small and low key was definitely the route I would have gone, but that wasn't possible with the obligations Edward had as the future king. And, somewhere along the way, I found that it didn't really bother me anymore. I just wanted him to be happy, and if that meant waiting until he had his surgery and having an extravagant wedding, then I would do it.

"Like you, Alice, I just want to make Edward happy." I grinned at her, raising the cup of tea that I had to my mouth.

Her smile broadened at my words, her tiny body bouncing with excitement.

Esme and Jasper's mother were quietly talking on the balcony, bright smiles and tear filled eyes on both of their faces. Surprisingly Rosalie and Angela were sitting on the bed, discussing different hairstyles and nail polish options. She hadn't been able to arrive until late the previous, having spent the day with her own family.

I sat back and quietly ate my breakfast, watching the commotion around me and wondering why would possibly need the entire morning and afternoon to prepare for the ceremony. Surely it couldn't take that long to get ready, could it?

Little did I know, once I had finished eating the preparations began. We were each ushered into the bathroom, one at a time, to have our hair washed and then styled. My hair was curled and the piled into a soft do on top of my head, little white flowers were pinned strategically throughout my hair to add a little more to the look.

When that was finished a woman came to give us each manicures and pedicures, and even a leg wax for Alice and Rosalie. Thankfully she didn't insist on that for me, I had shaved in the shower that morning. Lotion and a light bronzer were applied to each of us when she finished.

A light lunch was delivered after that, so we sprawled out around the room to eat before having our makeup applied. Esme sat near me as we quietly munched on the finger sandwiches and salads that had been brought up.

"Thank you, Bella." Esme daintily dabbed her mouth with a napkin as she finished her sandwich.

I put my fork down and focused my attention on her. "For what?"

She took my hand in hers, tears forming in her eyes again as they had earlier. "For giving my son a chance. I know that he didn't really give you much of a reason to in the beginning, but he has changed so much since you entered his life. He's the man I always knew he was and could be, and that is thanks to you."

"Oh, Esme," I couldn't hold back the blush rising to my cheeks. Her words were so heartfelt and beautiful. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, dear." She kissed my cheek. "Just thank you."

I gave her a quick nod and shakily returned to my salad. Whatever appetite I'd had before that was now gone, her words filling my stomach with happy butterflies. There were some moments where I worried that either Edward or his family would realize that I wasn't good enough for him; that I had caused them more trouble than I was worth, but her words and his actions lately had completely nullified those fears.

Two women came to the room when our food had been cleared away, one to do our makeup and the other to make any final touches to our dresses and flowers. Angela went to go find Ben once her makeup was finished since she wasn't actually a part of the wedding party. She promised to send Edward by in about twenty minutes for me; I wanted to speak with him before things went underway.

Everyone looked so beautiful as we began having the final touches put on. Esme and Mrs. Whitlock wore similar type dresses, elegant and lovely, with flowers that followed the deep red and silver color scheme Alice had decided on.

Rosalie and I were both wearing strapless red dresses, full tulle skirts, with a strap that had silver beadwork tied over the waist. I was allowed to wear flat slipper type shoes since the skirt of the dress would hide my feet.

"You both look perfect." Alice squealed, handing us our bouquets. They were white orchids with beautiful silvery ribbons adding just the right touch. "I cannot thank you both enough for everything."

"Hush, now." Rosalie softly admonished her. "This is your day now."

Alice's eyes began tearing up at those words and Esme came over to calm her down, making sure that none of her makeup ran. I loved watching their mother-daughter moment together, quietly whispering and hugging each other. When Carlisle came in and went to his daughter, I thought I was going to cry enough to fill a fountain.

"Excuse me, Princess." Amber timidly caught my attention. "Prince Edward is waiting for you in the hall."

I carefully wiped the last remaining tears under my eyes. "Thank you, Amber. Would you all excuse me for a moment?"

"Of course." Amber curtseyed and Rosalie gave me a knowing smile as she took my flowers.

When I made it into the hall, my breath caught in my throat. Edward was leaning against the wall near one of the large windows. The sun was peeking out, casting the perfect shadow over his features. The tuxedo he was wearing fit him in all of the right places, white with a black bow tie.

His head turned toward me as I made my way to him, and his arms held me tightly once they wrapped around my waist. "You smell exquisite, my love."

I grinned at his praise, adjusting the collar of his shirt slightly. "The dress is a deep red, like a rose, and so is my lipstick. My hair is curled on top of my head and there are little white roses pinned into the curls."

A hum of satisfaction came from his chest and I knew that he was trying to picture it, liking the image that was coming to his mind. "I bet you are breathtaking."

"Thank you," I said shyly.

He kissed the top of my head, inhaling the scent of the flowers, and then grazed his lips across my temple. "Angela mentioned that you wanted to see me. Is everything alright?" he eventually asked, his husky voice slightly inquisitive.

I nervously chewed on my bottom lip, forgetting about not messing up my makeup, and played with the buttons on his shirt. "The past couple of days have gotten me thinking," I started, noticing that Edward's body tensed infinitesimally. "With the news of your surgery and watching Alice and Jasper prepare for today, I finally want to set our wedding date. I want to be your wife." Then, just as quickly, the tension left him.

"When would you like, Bella? I'll give you anything that you want." The smile on his face was so wide I was afraid he cheeks would crack from the strain.

"Your surgery is one week after New Year's and I want to give you plenty of time to heal and adjust." I lowered my head from looking up into his face, continuing to play with his shirt. "So, how about June twentieth, you're birthday? That will give you five months, and Alice enough time to relax before planning another wedding so close to hers."

Edward didn't say anything at first, his features formed into a hesitant expression. "Are you sure, Bella? We can have it sooner and just wait to have the honeymoon until after I'm out of the hospital."

"No, I don't want to rush this. You deserve and need that time to not only make sure that it was success, but to also take in everything you missed if it is. To relearn and adjust to your surroundings," I explained, running my fingers through his soft hair. "Waiting to be your wife just a bit longer is a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

His lip curled up into my favorite crooked smile and he leaned forward to kiss me softly on the forehead. "I love you, Isabella Marie Swan."

I giggled. "I love you too, Edward Cullen."

Just as I was about to rise up on the tips of my toes to kiss him, someone cleared their throat to discreetly announce his presence. It was Ben. "Forgive me, your highness. It's time to begin." He walked passed us to let the others in Alice's room know as well.

After that things seemed to move in slow motion, yet simultaneously it was all a blur of movements. We made our way down the stairs to where the ceremony was going to be performed. The backyard had a beautiful fountain in the middle that would be running as they said their vows, twinkling lights adding just the right amount of ambiance as the sun set.

We each walked down the aisle and formed a half-circle around the couple. Carlisle handed his daughter's hand to Jasper after kissing her cheek and whispering something in her ear.

I described what was happening as best as I could to Edward, no longer fighting the tears that ran down my cheeks. Everything was just perfect.

Watching Alice and Jasper exchange their vows and then share their first kiss as husband and wife, nothing else could top that moment. No matter what else happened, we all had each other and were all together. I couldn't have asked for more than that.

Surprise! Haha, okay so I hadn't actually planned to update this story so soon, but I got a little inspired. Today is my partner in crimes B-Day and I wanted to do something extra special for her. So, to my lovely kyla713, I hope you enjoyed the update and that you had a wonderful birthday! *mwah*

Just a little business to cover. From June 26th to July 3rd some very fabulous ladies put on The Fandom Gives Back Auctions and were able to raise a ton of money for children battling cancer. One of things I was offering was an audiobook of this particular story. If you would like a copy, but were unable to bid on it I would like to make a deal with you. Since it was offered for charity, I would still ask that you make a donation to Alex's Lemonade Stand, but whatever you can ($1.00, $5.00, $10.00) and then email me your receipt, I'll be sure to add you to the list and email you the chapters as I go. Thank you to bammers for her contribution during the auction for the audiobook! The information is in my profile, including my email address. You can also follow me on twitter: maganbagan

Thank you all so much for your continued support, you don't know what it means to me. Be sure to put me on Author's Alerts if haven't so you'll be notified when I post something new.