AN: I am so sorry for the wait time for this chapter. I was at a road block with this story. Before I posted this chapter, I wanted to complete the story. I'm excited to say that the story is complete and in the proof reading stage. At least it won't be a long wait for the next chapter.
Chapter 25
How was it that we were all four grown-ups now; but as we drive back to Forks it felt like waiting for daddy to get home from work to punish you? The mood in the jeep was very somber. We all knew that we were going to be feeling the raft of Alice. But ask if I care. I can't really speak like that because I do care. I don't want to see my sister hurt and that's what I did; however, she needs to think about others as well. She knew that slumber party was not my cup of tea. But she still insisted on throwing it for me.
It has always been like this growing up. Alice has this extreme over the top personality and gets on everyone's nerves. However, no one ever puts her in her place. Well not until I get so fed up that I do it. Then I'm the one that gets in trouble for hurting her damn feelings. I never understood how this happens. So to get your way, you have to be annoying and get on everyone's nerves? Ugh, I swear I will not raise my kids this way. If one of them gets on the other's nerves I will put a stop to it. See this has been going on since the womb. I kid you not. Because they never wanted to hurt Ali's feelings, she never got in trouble. I always did.
"What are we going to do?" Edward asked me from his perch beside me.
"Edward, we didn't do anything wrong but sneak away from our children. If anything, we need to answer to them. Not my over-annoying sister."
"Baby, we still hurt her feelings and that wasn't nice." He responded with.
"Edward's right, Bella," Emmett agreed with him.
"No, Bella is right," Rose defended me. "We are adults here. If we don't want to spend our time watching corny movies and painting our nails just to appease the Pixie, we shouldn't have too."
"Thank you Rose," I said. "Look guys, I don't like hurting my sister's feelings any more than you do; but she always does this. She's always over the top and no one says anything to her because they don't want to hurt her feelings. When I say or do something, I in turn get into trouble. I'm sick of it."
"I know, baby," Edward said as he threw his arm around my shoulder to pull me closer to him. "How are we going to go about this though? We need a plan."
"Edward's right, we can't go in their blind," Emmett had piped up. "Or else, she'll eat us all alive."
"Look, this is all on me guys. I'm going to tell her I'm a grown up and that I can do whatever I want. If she doesn't like it: then tough shit." I said as I noticed the Welcome to Forks sign. "Fucking-A, we're already there?" I screeched which caused everyone to laugh. I know I said I was going to stay strong but shit the closer we got to Esme and Carlisle's house; the heavier my heart was. I think I even started to sweat. Edward leaned down and kissed me.
"We're in this together, Love. We all decided to run and so we are all going to face the music together." He said with as much conviction as possible. With Edward by my side, I know I can get through anything.
As we walked into the living room, we noticed everyone but the kids were in there waiting for us to walk in. The house was decorated and ready for the party/wedding later on. I was in awe.
"Well, well, well, look what the cat drug in," was my sister's brilliant remark.
"Not now Alice, where are the kids?" Rosalie had asked.
"Upstairs taking their naps so they can all stay up late for your wedding," she said while pointing at me and Edward. Edward stayed true to his words. He stood with my back to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. Rose and Emmett were standing the exact same way right next to us.
"Look Ali, I'm sorry that I didn't like the slumber party idea," I started to say but Rose cut me off.
"It was fun at first but you were being the freaking Wedding Nazi. We couldn't take it any longer. I mean really, six-thirty we ate dinner, at seven we played truth or dare, at seven-thirty we did each other's nails, at seven-fifty we watch a movie." Rose's voice kept getting louder and louder with each word she said. "We could only take so damn much."
"Besides, you know I'm not that type of person. Shit, the only reason we're having a wedding instead of going to the JOP is because you wanted to plan the damn thing." I said. Alice just glared at me.
"So what, because we had such a tight schedule, you skipped out on us. In fact, what about your boys Bella? Did you even think about them when you ran off?"
"How dare you?" I questioned while getting into her face. "My boys were what I was thinking about when I called Carlisle last night. If it wasn't for my boys and Layla, I wouldn't of called at all."
"So what, we don't matter to you? I'm your sister for Christ sakes. But then again, history repeats itself."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked as I pushed myself even closer to her.
"It means, when Bella gets a man, Bella forgets about her family," she seethed. At that exact moment Edward grabbed a hold of me and Jasper grabbed Alice. I was kicking and squirming to get out of his tight embrace.
"Let me go Edward, I'm gonna kick her ass."
"No you're not, Love. She's only saying that to get to you. You're not going to kick your sister's ass." He said tersely. "In fact you both are going to kiss and make up. Your damn family and it's about time you start acting like it."
"Yeah, Alice, your little planning the tight ship itineraries of both parties and the wedding was over the top. In fact, we threw ours away and decided to watch a game and eat pizza." Jasper said. "You know this isn't what Edward and Bella are like. You know they don't need this over the top bull shit to make them happy. So you are going to be quiet and you are going to make up with your sister."
"Fine, I'm sorry I turned into the Wedding Planner Nazi," Alice had said. I just looked at her and stayed silent. I was not planning on saying a damn word.
"Bella, tell your sister your sorry." Edward had said.
"What damn for? I did nothing wrong." He nuzzled his nose into my neck.
"Baby, you know you did. Now tell her you're sorry," Edward had said.
"But I even warned Jasper that if she didn't stop I was going A-WOL."
"Bella," Edward and my father both said in time.
"Fine, I'm sorry, there are you happy." I said. "Un-hand me Edward, I want to go check on our kids."
I went upstairs to check on the kids. All the younger kids were asleep. The only ones awake were Layla and Roosevelt. They were both playing video games.
"Hey mom," she said. I shushed her so that way she didn't wake up the others. "Did you and dad have fun?" She asked me.
"Yeah, we had a lot of fun. Later on tonight, I want you to perform "Wannabe" with your daddy and Emmett." She grinned at me and said okay.
The first half of the party I was going to be wearing an evening gown and then change into my wedding dress for the ceremony later on. My evening dress was a strapless navy blue satin A-line skirt with waves of ruffles going down all the way to my feet. It was very beautiful and reminded me of a prom dress. I was attempting to put it on when my sister walked up and zipped me up. I was standing in front of a floor length mirror. She plopped her chin on my shoulder while standing on her tippy toes.
"I really am sorry, Bella. Your right, though, this is your wedding and I got carried away. I'm so sorry. You should have said something sooner to me."
"We tried but you scoffed at us each time. Besides it's partly our fault too, so I'm sorry also. It's not like we were thinking clearly anyways." I said when I turned around and put my arms around my sister. She tightened her arms as well.
"What do you mean, you weren't thinking clearly?" She asked with her brow raised.
"Well, you see…" but I was interrupted by Rose again.
"Because we were both half drunk," she said as she handed me my flask back. It was magically refilled. I went to take a drink of it when my mom took it out of my hands. She grabbed Rose's as well.
"You two aren't going down this road again," she said. With a wink she added, "There will be Champaign at the party."
"You guys were drinking from a flask at my slumber party," Alice said with an appalled voice.
"Oh, don't get your panties in a truffle dear. I helped empty the flasks." Mom said. "Hey, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," she finished with another wink. Rose and I had a hard time containing our laughter. Alice just glared and started on my hair.
"So what did you guys do anyways?" Alice said while brushing through my hair. She had started to twist it into a French twist.
"We went to Port Hadlock and stayed in their inn." I said.
"Why there?"
"That was Bella's brilliant idea." Rose went on to answer her. "Because, and I quote, 'that is the one place she won't think to look'."
"So diabolical," Esme murmured under her breath as she was helping Layla get dressed. "That's my girl," my mom said proudly.
"So what did you guys end up doing?" Alice asked as she was putting baby breath in my hair.
"Karaoke," Rose said. I wanted to hit her because I knew what Ali was going to say.
"You went to a karaoke bar without me," she said in a hurt voice. Rose pulled her phone out and forwarded the videos to Esme, mom, Alice's and my phone. They all pulled them out and watched them.
"That reminds me, can I have my damn phone back?" I asked Alice. She pulled it out and handed it to me.
~NB~
Since our wedding ceremony was actually slated to begin at eleven-forty five, we decided to do things a little backwards. We did all of the traditional wedding things in reverse. Meaning we had the reception first.
Edward pulled me into his chest the second his eyes were on me. He breathed into my ear, "You look amazing Bella. Is this your wedding gown?"
"No," I giggled. "My wedding gown is a little more traditional then this color blue. Besides you can't see it till the wedding."
He moaned as his lips started the descent down from my ear to my neck and then my bare shoulder. "I think you should wear sleeveless all the time, I love having this much skin to attack while holding you." I blushed and not just my face. My whole chest and shoulders blushed along with it. Edward chuckled when he saw that. "I think it's my new endeavor tonight to see how many times I can make you blush like that. That was just yummy." Right on cue, I blushed again and then slapped Edward.
"You're an ass, Edward." I said in a huff.
"Yeah, but I'm your ass," he said with a huge shit eating grin.
"Your right, you are my ass," I said as I felt his delectable tushie up.
"Did you just grab my ass?" He asked me trying to act appalled.
"Why yes, yes I did," I said cheekily.
"Hmm, I wished I could get away with grabbing your ass in front of your father, too." He said in a whisper in my ear. I turned my head and noticed my father watching us. I blushed once again and he chuckled once again. I punched him in the shoulder and walked away from him.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, at this moment, we will have the famous father daughter dance. Isabella and Charles, will you please come to the center of the dance floor." The DJ announced. Of course being the center of attention, I blushed.
"Hey Daddy," I said while greeting my father.
"Hey baby girl, care to dance with your old man."
"Of course pops, I would love too."
My dad is an awkward dancer. His feet were both planted firmly on the ground and he just swayed us back and forth in time with the music. We danced to Red Sovine's "Daddy's girl." This song was me and him to a tee. Half way through, the DJ asked all the fathers and daughters to join us on the floor. Emmett was dancing with Emma, Jasper was dancing with Ashleigh, Rose was dancing with her father and Alice was even dancing with Phil. However when I noticed Edward was dancing with Layla it brought a tear to my eye. She had taken her shoes off and was standing on his feet. Talk about sweet.
"So, did you and your sister really make up?" This kind of pissed me off. Again, she can get away with just about anything.
"Of course we did," I said dryly.
He sighed and continued on, "look Bella, I know I have let things get out of hand with Alice and I'm sorry if you ever felt slighted. I know this is no excuse; but that girl has a hold on people's ability to say no, no wonder she's a good sales woman." He's right; she does have this hold on people.
"I know, but it wasn't fair growing up. She always got her way. She always annoyed me until I couldn't take it any longer and then I got in trouble for taking matters in my own hands because no one else would do it."
"I know baby and I am so sorry. If I could re-do it I would." He said sincerely.
"You wouldn't be able to, she would have a hold on you," I said dryly once again. He chuckled.
"I must say Bells," he paused a moment to look me in the eye. "You found your match. The way that boy handled you today," he said as he released me and took two steps back out of my reaching range, "I know he'll be able to keep you in line." He chuckled and then walked away when I tried to swat at him. No wonder he released me before he said that. My old man might not be able to control his daughter but that doesn't mean he's stupid.
Edward headed over to his piano. He didn't mention anything about this. We weren't going to have a mother son dance because it would be too hard on him with his mother being gone. Esme offered to dance with him but he said it wouldn't be the same. So it was a surprise when the DJ set the microphone up at the baby grand and introduced Edward.
"As many of you know, my mother passed away while I was a teenager. Being a single mother, she was my best friend and the best mother a boy could have. At first I wasn't going to have a mother son dance due to her not being here but it just didn't feel right not having a piece of her here. I'm going to play a shortened version of a song I wrote for her when I was younger. She taught me my love for the piano and music of which is a love that I have started to pass down to my children." He began to play his mother's song and he put all of his emotions into that one song. I have never heard this song before but I have heard him humming it a few times. It had always been something private for him and I'm surprised he decided to play it but he's right, she was such a huge part of his early life that she needed a place in our special day. Esme sat on the piano bench and placed her arm around his shoulder. Thankfully his back was towards the crowd because I bet he has tears streaming down his face. When the song came to an end, he spoke in the microphone again, "Now, I'm going to sing 'That's what mommas do,' by Jason Matthews. All the mothers, please dance with your sons and enjoy the moment."
I grabbed both of my boys and held them close to my chest as I swayed back and forth to the song. Esme danced with Emmett, while Alice danced with Jackson and Rose danced with Roosevelt while holding baby Peyton to her chest. Edward broke down at the end when he was singing about the mommas growing weak and wasn't able to finish the song. He got up and ran out of the room. Before Esme could go after him, I handed the boys off to my mom and went for him.
I found Edward in Carlisle's study holding a picture frame of a photo of his mother when she was younger. When I sat down on the arm of the chair he was sitting in, he didn't even look up at me. He knew who followed him in. After a few moments, he finally said, "I miss her so much. Sometimes I feel like I can't breathe when I think about her." He paused; I didn't say anything because I knew he needed to get this out. I ran my fingers through his hair to try to offer as much comfort as I could. "I was so angry when she passed away. I felt like she left me even though I knew she had no control over it. Now, on the most special day of my life, she can't be here."
"Edward," I started slowly, gauging the waters before I continued on. "She's with you always, you know that. She's looking down from heaven right now watching you. I bet she's so proud of you and everything you have accomplished."
"I know," he said while pulling me down into his lap. He nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck and held me for the longest time. "I guess I just never let myself grieve for her properly. Then singing about the momma spoiling the grandbabies, she'll never get to do that."
"Yeah she does," he looked at me skeptically. "Every time, you sit down at the piano with Layla or Jayme and eventually Ian, she's spoiling them. By teaching you at a young age, you were able to then pass that off to them. I bet she listens to every song you and them play even if it's just 'Chopsticks.'" I told him. He just nodded his head.
After about twenty minutes of him holding me, he whispered, "Thank you Love, you have no idea how much I love you, let's go back to the party now."
We did all of the traditional things before the ceremony except cutting the cake and our first dance as man and wife. We decided that seemed a little silly so we were going to wait until after the ceremony for that. Alice pulled me away from my Edward kicking and screaming at ten-forty five stating we needed to get ready. The girls were getting ready in Esme and Carlisle's bedroom while the guys were getting ready in Carlisle's study.
All I really needed done were minor touch-ups to my hair and makeup. I also needed to change from my blue satin dress into my wedding gown. My wedding dress is circa 1920's. It is a sleeveless one shoulder goddess gown in a grand taupe with silver waves flowing through out. The front and back panels are joined on my right shoulder with a silver jeweled rhinestones buckle. The left side and back side are an additional fourteen inches longer than that of the right and front sides. It was beautiful and simple and just breathed me.
Once it was on, Esme walked up and handed me a silver necklace with the letter 'M' in Rhinestones. Okay, so knowing Esme they were actually diamonds. But it was beautiful. "This is your something old. I want you to have this. This was Elizabeth's. She wanted me to hand it down to Edward's first daughter on her wedding day; however, I figured you could do that as her mother." I swear I was so glad that Alice used water-proof mascara; because the waterworks were starting yet again.
"Oh Esme, thank you so much; it's beautiful." I said through my tears. Normally I would have argued about such and extravagant gift but I couldn't about this one. I just couldn't. I felt honored wearing something that once belonged to Edward's mother. It felt almost like she was there and accepted us being married.
My mom walked over and placed a hair pin in my hair down into my French twist. It was of a blue rhinestone butterfly. "This was your Gran's. She always wanted you to have it especially. She said you were her special little butterfly and one day you were going to open your wings and fly. Today is that day."
"By the way, it's your something blue." She said with a wink. I giggled at my mother's theatrics. Alice walked over and placed her diamond earrings that Jasper gave her as a wedding present in my ears. She said, "Your something borrowed," she leaned in so I could only hear her whisper, "I will go all Nazi Pixie on you if I don't get these back." I saluted her and then hugged her.
Rosalie pulled me into a hug, when she released me she placed a small dainty silver watch on my wrist. "This is your something new, a gift to you from the four of us. It's your reminder to take the time to stop and think about the little things." She said. I looked down at it, it was absolutely beautiful.
"Thank you, to all of you. I never wanted to have this wedding but now, I'm glad we did go through with it."
Right then the door slammed open. I looked up into the dangerous blue eyes I see every day. Well not this exact pair of blue eyes. The ones I normally see aren't so dangerous. They are of my son's father.
"Isn't this so freaking sweet, am I interrupting anything, Ladies."
"Yes, now leave," Rosalie snapped at him.
"Oh I don't think so sweet heart."
"Watch who you call a sweet heart, Douche Bag," Rose blurted out.
"Rosalie, Rosalie, Rosalie, I never did like you much. You were always so fake." He said.
"Bitch please, if anyone is fake it would be you. The insecure ass wipe that you are."
"Bella, tell your fucking slut friend to shut the fuck up before I shut her up," he said while pulling out a gun.
"What the fuck James," I seethed.
"Oh Bella, no matter what, you will always be my wife. I promise you that."
"Sorry, James I am not and will never be your wife again. It's time for you to give it up." I said.
"No, see I will never give you or Jayme up. I may have played nicely for the past few months but I was biding my time. This is what you would call more interesting way to play, don't you think?" He said overly sweet of which he has never been sweet before.
Right then, Edward burst through the door with my dad and Alice right behind him. I didn't even notice Alice leave the room and by the looks of it, James didn't either. But then it looked as if he was amused by Edward's presence in the room.
"James, put the gun down." My dad tried to calm him down.
"Sorry Chief," James emphasized chief. "No can do, I'm here to collect what's mine."
"There is nothing here that is yours," Edward said calmly.
"Oh yes, my wife and my child." James said through his chuckles, "Did you actually think, I would let you take what's mine. Although, you can have the bastard child; everyone knows he's not mine."
"Your right," I gaped at Edward. I didn't think he would give up that sudden. James smirked but the smirk didn't last long. "He's not your son and neither is Jayme. You gave them up; Bella will be my wife and I will adopt both boys."
"Edward, watch what you say," my dad said. "Don't agitate him."
"Yeah Eddie boy, as always, do what the almighty chief says: watch what you say." James said mockingly while pointing the gun at Edward. Edward took a few steps back and put his hands up in the air as in surrender. This just made James laugh.
"James, please just leave Edward alone. It's me you want." I said trying to deflect the situation.
"See there is a few things I want. I want you and my boy. But until he's gone, I will never be able to completely have you." He said while taking a few steps towards me. My dad tensed. He didn't appear to be packing but I knew better. He told me prior to today that he was going to wear his shoulder holster. He wouldn't pull out until needed to; if he could defuse the situation without violence than he would. James took a couple more steps towards me which made Edward take a few steps forward. James panicked and all at once hell broke loose. I heard two gun shots echo through the room. James got trigger happy and shot Edward.
AN: The following videos are the songs that were in the wedding.
What mommas do by Jason Matthews
http:/ www (dot) . youtube (dot) .com/watch?v=k9nRODhVRR4
Daddy's Girl by Red Sovine
http:/ www (dot) . youtube (dot) . com/watch?v=ZzAmdU3LxNg&feature=