Hi, everyone! As always, I would like to start this update with a thank you! I so greatly appreciate everyone who takes the time out of their day to read this story! To all of you have added this story to their alert/favorite list, who has been so kind as to review, and for those sending me personal messages, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! You're all awesome!

This is it you guys. The wedding is upon us! This was an incredibly fun chapter to write, and it is, without a doubt, probably the sappiest thing I've written! I sincerely hope that it loves up to everyone expectations!

Also, the end of this chapter contains content that is definitely on the mature side. It isn't anything overly graphic and I, personally, don't think it warrants a rating change for the story, but if by the end of it you guys think it surpasses the T rating, please give me a heads up and I'll change the rating just to be on the safe side. This would also be a good time to warn anyone who does not like reading that sort of stuff to just maybe skip over it. Like I said, though, it's nothing overly explicit.

Anywho, enough from me! Enjoy the new chapter!

Oh, and I almost forgot! A guest reader asked if there was a picture of Danielle's wedding dress that they could see. I found one I think most closely resembles what I had in my head, and I have posted it on my twitter account. Take a gander if you want – the link to my twitter is in my bio.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.

Chapter Five

When Danielle woke the next morning, she blinked in confusion as she took in her surroundings. She was so used to waking up in her and Jasper's room that the new setting was a little disorienting. But then she rolled over and found herself face to face with her sleeping mother, and then she remembered where she was – at her mother's house, sleeping in her mother's room.

Danielle smiled as she snuggled into the pillow, taking a moment to stare at a peacefully sleeping Lynne. She hadn't planned to spend the night with her mother at first – she had originally planned to just camp out in her room with Tom, like they had done a million times in the past. But after everyone had left and they had all settled in for the night, she had realized something. Things would change after she and Jasper were married, and then they would change a thousand percent more once she was turned. Her time with her mother, unfortunately, had an expiration date, and she had felt like she needed to take advantage of the time she had left to spend with her mother as a normal, human woman. So she had snuck into her mother's room when it came time for bed, just like she used to do when she was a kid and had scary dreams, and asked to stay with her for the night.

Lynne had been more than happy to say yes, of course.

Danielle gave Lynne a few more minutes to snooze, before she finally reached out to tap her gently on the nose. It took a few more taps before Lynne finally cracked her eyes open to peer at Danielle. "Dani?" she asked sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Dunno," Danielle answered with a shrug. "Do you know what day it is, though?" she asked, a smile of excitement already beginning to stretch across her face.

Lynne, who was still barely even awake, furrowed her brows. "Saturday?" she asked unsurely.

Danielle nodded, then leaned forward a little to give her mother a meaningful look. "And what's supposed to happen today?"

Lynne frowned even further, her sleep-fogged mind struggling to remember. But then, as if someone had flipped a lever somewhere, Lynne's eyes went very wide and she sat up straight in bed, now wide awake.

"You're getting married today!" Lynne yelled.

Danielle sat up in bed with a laugh. "Darn right, I am!" she said.

Lynne grabbed her and hugged her tightly, and for a few moments they just sat there hugging each other, half screaming, half laughing like a couple of excited children on Christmas morning. After a few moments of this, however, they heard a thump from overhead, followed by hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. A few seconds later the door to the room opened and Tom burst in, sporting wild hair and equally wild eyes as he clutched a weapon in his hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice still thick with sleep. "Is someone dying?"

Their screaming had obviously startled him awake. Danielle and Lynne looked at each other then started laughing, while Tom stared at them completely dumbfounded. Danielle only laughed harder when she saw what Tom had grabbed as a weapon – a toilet plunger.

"Nothing's wrong and no one's dying," she said reassuringly. "But even if something was wrong, what the heck were you gonna do with that?" she asked, giggling as she pointed at the plunger.

Tom looked at the bathroom tool as if he was surprised by his own choice of weapon, then snorted and shrugged. "I didn't even pay attention to what I was grabbing. I just heard screaming and ran." He then looked at them with raised brows. "Wanna tell me why y'all were screaming now?"

"We were celebrating!" Lynne said with a grin. "My baby girl is getting married today! Now get in here!" she ordered, motioning to the bed. "This calls for a group hug!"

Tom grinned, then tossed the plunger away carelessly and leapt onto the bed to join them. He had Danielle and Lynne both in a bear hug soon enough, and they all began laughing and celebrating together.

With how excited and anxious she was to start getting ready, there was absolutely no chance Danielle was going to be able to stay in bed. After their hug fest was over, Lynne hopped up to go and start making them breakfast and Tom retreated back upstairs to go take a shower. As for Danielle, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and went into the living room, where she immediately called Jasper.

"Good morning, Mrs. Hale," his smooth, deep voice greeted on the first ring.

Hearing him refer to her as such made her grin so wide, it almost hurt her face. "Not Mrs. Hale yet," she corrected with a laugh.

"You will be soon enough," Jasper replied with a chuckle.

"How was hunting?" she asked, absentmindedly making her way to the window to look outside and see what kind of day it was. It was overcast, but that was actually a good thing – if the sun wasn't out, the Cullen's would be able to move about as freely as they wanted to. And since the reception was outside behind the Cullen house, the less sun they had to deal with, the better.

"Fun and successful," Jasper replied. "How was your night?"

"Quiet and calm," she answered. "I stayed up late hanging out with my mom and Tom, then spent the night with my mom."

"That sounds nice," Jasper said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"It was," Danielle confirmed. She turned to pace back in the other direction, a happy sigh escaping her. "Can you believe it, Jazz? Today is the day."

"I know," he said, sounding equally enthusiastic about that. "You aren't getting cold feet, are you?" he asked.

Danielle rolled her eyes at his stupid question, even though it was clear from his tone that he wasn't really serious. "My feet are warm and toasty, thank you very much," she said. "How about yours?"

"My feet are always cold," he shot back jokingly. "Comes with the territory of being a vampire, I'm afraid."

Danielle laughed. "Yeah, I've noticed. Those cold toes touch me in bed from time to time, which isn't all that fun if I'm being honest."

Jasper chuckled. "My toes bother you?" he asked.

"Mhmm," she hummed in confirmation, smirking to herself with amusement. "I'm actually thinking about forcing you to wear socks to bed from here on out," she threatened.

"Well, in that case – " he started to say.

"Hey!" someone suddenly yelled loudly on Jasper's end, bringing their conversation to an abrupt halt. If Danielle wasn't mistaken, that voice belonged to Alice. "Who are you talking to?" the bossy vampire demanded.

"Er…Tom?" Jasper replied unconvincingly.

"No you're not, because I was just talking to Tom," Alice countered swiftly. "That's Dani, isn't it?"

"So what if it is?" Jasper asked.

Alice gasped. "Jasper Whitlock Hale! Give me that phone right now!"

There was a brief struggle, which had Danielle listening on with raised brows. Finally, after a significant amount of fumbling around, Alice's voice sounded on the other line. "Sorry, Dani, but rules are rules! No interacting with Jasper until the wedding!"

"I can't even talk to him?" Danielle asked with exasperation. She knew she wasn't allowed to see him, but even talking was off limits? That seemed a little extreme.

"Nope!"

There were words of protest from Jasper, followed by another brief struggle. "Alice, this is absurd!" Jasper complained when he was, apparently, unsuccessful at getting his phone back. "Let me speak to my fiancé."

Alice wasn't going to give in, however. "I said no. Now go out back and help Emmett and Edward with the canopy! Go on! Shoo!" she instructed.

There was a loud heave of defeat from Jasper. "Fine," he said with annoyance. "I love you, darlin'!" he called out loud enough for her to be able to hear him.

"I love you, too!" she called back, knowing he wouldn't have any trouble hearing her.

After Jasper was, presumably, gone, Alice resumed chatting. "So are you excited or what?" she asked, sounding chipper again.

"Excited doesn't really cover it," Danielle replied with a grin. "I've been so antsy, I'm amazed I was even able to sleep last night."

Alice laughed. "Well, we're all excited, too!" the vampire said, which made Danielle smile wider. "Anyway, there's a lot to do around here before tonight and I don't trust the boys not to start horsing around if left unsupervised, so I should go. But Esme and I will come to your mom's house in a few hours so we can all start getting ready. Until then, just kick back and relax! We want you happy and stress-free today, alright?"

Danielle nodded, even though Alice couldn't see her. "You got it, boss lady. See you soon," she said, before hanging up the phone.

Danielle could hear the water running upstairs, which meant Tom was in the shower now. With nothing to really do, she headed into the kitchen to see how breakfast was coming along. Danielle was immensely surprised, however, to discover that her mother had not only made breakfast, but had also poured some orange juice into a serving pitcher and was now adding champagne to it.

"And what's this all about?" Danielle asked with a quirk of her brow.

Lynne raised her brows meaningfully as she finished pouring the champagne into the orange juice. "Brides are supposed to have mimosas on their wedding day. I think it's an unwritten rule," she said.

Danielle smirked. "Serving alcohol to minors? You rebel, you," she joked.

Lynne waved her off. "I didn't even make it that strong," she defended. She then filled two champagne flutes and handed one to her. "Still…maybe better not to tell Charlie about it," she added with a smirk.

"It'll be our little secret," Danielle reassured with a wink.

They shared a smile, clinked their glasses together, then took a drink at the same time.

When a freshly showered Tom finally came downstairs, he was immediately given a mimosa of his own, which he took without argument. Lynne made a quick toast, they each took a drink, then they sat down to eat breakfast and chat away excitedly about the festivities to come. After they were finished with breakfast, Danielle headed into her mother's bathroom to take a quick shower, then rejoined her mom and Tom out in the living room when she had finished. She was pleasantly surprised to see Bella sitting next to her mother – Bella must have arrived while she had been showering.

Bella was immediately on her feet and coming over to wrap her arms around Danielle. "Congrats on the big day," she said as they hugged each other tightly.

"Thanks, Bella," Danielle said, smiling broadly at her friend.

"Are you nervous?" Bella asked as they separated, her brows raising questioningly.

Danielle shook her head. "Surprisingly, no. But it's still early. Ask me again when it gets closer to the ceremony," she said with a laugh and a shrug.

Bella smiled and squeezed her arm. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Everything's gonna be great," she said reassuringly.

Danielle smiled broadly and nodded in agreement. "Everything will be great." Because no matter what happened, she would be calling Jasper her husband by the end of the day – how could this day be anything but great when she was about be marrying the love of her life?

They sat around the living room chatting while the waited for the Cullen women to arrive. Finally, about an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Danielle hurried to the open the front door, grinning widely when she was immediately wrapped up in an ice cold hug from a beyond excited Alice.

"Happy wedding day!" Alice exclaimed.

"Thank you!" Danielle said, laughing at the vampire's enthusiasm.

After Alice released her, she grabbed a few humungous bags that she had brought with her and went inside to greet everyone else. Esme soon moved in to hug Danielle next. "I am so happy that the big day has finally come!" she said, squeezing Danielle affectionately. "And I couldn't be happier to officially call you my daughter."

Danielle smiled down at Esme as they separated, a small lump forming in her throat. "Thank you, Esme," she said, squeezing the vampire's hands. "I couldn't be happier to have you as my mother-in-law."

Esme grinned at that, then glanced back toward the driveway when there was the sound of a car door closing. Danielle followed she gaze, then felt her jaw drop with surprise when she realized that Alice and Esme had brought someone with them. It was Rosalie, and as the beautiful blonde vampire slowly made she way up onto the porch, she gave Danielle a rare, tentative smile. It was a surprise to see Rosalie there, since Danielle had been under the impression that she was uninterested in hanging out with them while they got ready for the wedding.

"I hope you don't mind I tagged along," she said carefully, her demeanor guarded and a little bit awkward. "I thought I could help Alice get everyone ready for the wedding, if that's alright."

Danielle snapped out of her momentary shock, then gave Rosalie a warm smile. Rosalie willingly including herself was a good sign, fueled that little hope that she had been clinging to that she and Rosalie might someday be friends. "Of course it's alright, Rosalie," she said with a nod. "I'm actually really glad you came."

Rosalie gave her another tentative smile at that and nodded, then stepped inside when Danielle ushered her forward.

With everyone present and accounted for now, it was time to start getting ready. Chaos quickly ensued, but it was a good sort or chaos. Enough makeup to fill a factory was soon splayed across the kitchen table as Rosalie got to work on doing makeup for Bella and Lynne, while Alice turned the living room into a makeshift hair salon, complete with an assortment of styling tools, several boxes of multi colored bobby pins, and dozens of hair products. Music was playing in the background as they all chatted and laughed while they got ready, the entire house filled with excited energy as everyone got good and gussied up. The only one not getting pampered was Tom, seeing as all he needed to do to get ready was put a bit of product in his hair and put on his suit. He was happy to lend a helping hand whenever it was needed, however, and even volunteered to go out and grab lunch for them so that all the women could continue getting ready without interruption.

Danielle, naturally, was the last one to get hair and makeup done so that she would, as Alice had put it, be as fresh as possible. Alice took over on makeup, putting on a little more than Danielle would normally wear, but also being mindful to make sure she still looked like herself. It was Jasper's one and only request – that no matter what they did or what she wore, he just wanted Danielle to look like herself.

After they finished with the makeup, they moved into the living room to do her hair, putting it into the same style that they had practiced with Alice before. When everything was done, Alice gave her a mirror to check over everything while everyone else stood around smiling and gushing about how wonderful Danielle looked. The reflection Danielle saw immediately made her grin – her makeup was bridal, but not overdone, and her hair was pulled into that soft, romantic updo she had loved, accented with a beautiful, sparkly hair clip that Esme had been more than happy to loan. Everything was exactly as she had been hoping for.

"Well?" Alice asked eagerly.

Danielle lowered the mirror and grinned at the vampire. "It's perfect. I love it!"

Alice smiled happily. "I'm so glad!" The vampire then looked at the time, her brows raising. "Alright, gang! It's time for us to get going!" she said, clapping her hands.

Danielle looked at the time, her own brows raising when she saw that it was already past three. She didn't know how, but time seemed to be going by fast. The ceremony was now only a few hours away now, and as she realized that, the first nervous butterflies of the day begin to flap around in her belly.

There was a mad scramble to get everything they would be taking to the venue packed up. Once everyone had their dresses – or, in Tom's case, his suit – and after they had double and triple checked that they weren't leaving anything important behind, they all piled into two cars and headed for the venue, where they were scheduled to finish getting ready and then start taking some pre-wedding pictures.

As soon as they arrived, they saw Emmett's Jeep in the parking lot, which meant the guys had already arrived. Danielle felt a thrill shoot through her and immediately began searching for Jasper, hoping to at least catch a glance of him. Alice, however, was already typing away rapidly on her cell phone and gave Danielle a smug look.

"You won't find him. I just warned him to stay in his dressing room for the time being or risk losing an appendage," she said with a smirk.

Danielle sighed and gave the vampire a look, while Tom chuckled under his breath. Alice just smiled sweetly in return, looking completely unremorseful about the lengths she was going to in order to keep her and Jasper away from each other.

After they parked, Danielle was immediately shepherded inside to be hidden away in her own dressing room. Once she wasn't at risk of being seen by Jasper, Tom headed off with his suit to get dressed with the Cullen men, while Danielle and the girls immediately began getting dressed themselves. Once Danielle put on her wedding dress, slipped into her shoes, put on her jewelry, and then had Alice secure her veil at the base of her updo so that it fluttered gracefully behind her. She was finally, officially, ready, and when the rest of the women realized that, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to look at her in awe – even Rosalie didn't seem to be able to hold back a smile as she looked at Danielle in her wedding dress.

"Oh my, baby!" Lynne gushed, immediately crushing Danielle into a hug. Alice, who stood a few feet away, cringed and looked like she wanted to tell them to be careful with Danielle's dress, which she had tailored and steamed to perfection herself. The vampire kept quiet, however, when Esme gave her a look that clearly said not to interrupt the moment.

Danielle hugged her mother back, squeezing her tightly when Lynne sniffled loudly in her ear. "Mom, don't cry! If you cry, I'll cry, then we'll both ruin our makeup!" she said with a watery laugh.

Lynne pulled away to fan her eyes, which had gone red and glassy. Danielle waved her own hands at Lynne's face to help her try to ward off the tears. "I can't help it! You just look so beautiful and I'm just so happy!"

Danielle smiled and hugged Lynne again. "Thank you, mom," she said, squeezing her tighter for good measure. Lynne sniffled again in response.

They separated when the door opened. Tom, now dressed in his suit and looking very handsome, stepped back into the room. As soon as Tom saw her he froze, his eyes going wide. Then he grinned widely and came over to hug her. Alice, once again, looked as though she had to refrain herself from telling them not to mess up their outfits.

"You look gorgeous, Dani-lani-ding-dong," Tom said, looking down at her with a sort of brotherly pride. "Jasper's gonna die when he sees you."

Danielle didn't even mind his use of her least favorite nickname. "Thanks, Pickles," she said. "Speaking of Jasper, how is he?" she asked, eager to know how her soon-to-be husband was doing.

"A little nervous, but more excited than anything," Tom answered with a nod, which had her smiling broadly. "He wanted me to give you this."

Tom handed over a black velvet box about the size of a CD case. Danielle looked at it for a moment, then slowly opened the case. Inside was a thin, silver bracelet embellished with several tiny, sparkly diamonds. There was an infinity symbol right in the middle, which was also embellished with several tiny diamonds. There was a note tucked underneath written in Jasper's recognizable handwriting. Forever my love, for all eternity.

Danielle struggled past the lump that had formed in her throat at the sweet words and willed herself not to cry. "It's beautiful," she murmured, gently touching the bracelet.

"You should definitely wear it," Alice said, stepping forward to gently grab hold of the box. "May I put it on you?"

Danielle nodded in agreement, smiling adoringly as Alice fixed the bracelet around her wrist.

Alice sent another warning text to Jasper telling him to stay in his dressing room or risk being maimed, then they headed outside to take some pre-wedding pictures. After a while, they began to notice that guests were starting to arrive, which had them hurrying inside to hide themselves back in their dressing room before anyone else could see her. From there Alice and Rosalie left – Alice went to make sure that everything else was going as it was supposed to, while Rosalie, who had agreed to play the piano for the ceremony, left to start entertaining the guests as they arrived.

Danielle paced the room, hardly paying attention to what anyone else was saying as they chatted casually with one another. With each minute that ticked by, more and more butterflies started to flap around in her belly. She was finally feeling nervous now, simply because she had been looking forward to this moment for so long and she wanted everything to go according to plan. But more than anything, she was happy. Happy that she would soon be seeing Jasper again, and happy that they would soon be married.

Finally, just before five o'clock, Alice returned. "Alright, Dani. Everyone's here and everyone's ready to go!" she announced, which made Danielle's stomach flip. Alice came over and grabbed her by the hands, her brows raising excitedly. "Are you ready?"

Danielle immediately nodded. "I'm ready."

Alice grinned. "Then let's go get you married!"

Danielle could already hear the sounds of Rosalie playing piano and of the wedding guests talking amongst themselves as she, her mother, Tom, Bella, Alice, and Esme made their way to the ballroom. She hoped she might be able to catch a glimpse of Jasper as they reached the ballroom, but she discovered that the doors were already closed. Only Carlisle stood outside the ballroom since Jasper, Emmett, and Edward were already inside. As soon as he saw her, Carlisle gave her a warm smile.

"You look absolutely breathtaking, Dani," he said, pulling her in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Danielle smiled and squeezed him tighter in response. "Thank you, Carlisle."

As they separated, Alice moved to open the door a fraction and peer inside. Danielle craned her neck to try to see Jasper, but the gap was too small. Alice gestured to whom Danielle could only assume was the pastor officiating the ceremony, then turned back to them. "Alright, it's time! Everyone line up!"

They did as they were told and quickly formed a line. Carlisle and Esme were first, then Bella, then Tom, and, finally, Danielle and Lynne. Danielle fidgeted nervously with her bouquet until Lynne placed a gentle hand on her arm, which drew her eyes to her mother. Lynne smiled then looped and arm through Danielle's, patting her affectionately on the hand. Danielle smiled, the gesture calming her nerves a bit.

Alice opened the door to allow Carlisle and Esme to pass through first, watching as the two made their way down the aisle arm in arm. A few moments later she gestured Bella forward, and after looking back to shoot a nervous smile at Danielle, Bella was off – Danielle sent a quick prayer out that Bella would make it down the aisle without tripping or falling. Tom went next, but not before squeezing Danielle's shoulder and lingering long enough to give Alice a wink. As soon as he went, Alice shut the door to conceal her from sight.

Danielle sucked in a deep breath as she and Lynne moved toward the door. Lynne tightened her grip on Danielle's arm, and in that last moment of privacy together, they looked to one another. Lynne was getting emotional again as she squeezed Danielle's arm

"I'm so happy for you, sweetie. And I'm so proud of you," Lynne said with a nod, her voice a little thick. "You and Jasper are going to be very happy together. I just know it."

Danielle smiled. "Thank you, mom," she said, before leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. "I love you."

Lynne beamed and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, too."

They both finally looked to Alice, who had been silently watching the interaction with a smile on her face. "Ready?"

Danielle nodded, and with that Alice opened the door wide again.

Rosalie began playing the traditional bridal march as soon as the doors opened. There were about fifty guests, all of whom stood from their seats and turned to watch her approach, the room filling with a chorus of 'ooh's and 'ahh's. The reaction made her blush and smile as she looked around at all of the people who had come to witness her and Jasper getting married. But then she looked forward, and then she saw Jasper, and then it was as if there wasn't anyone else in the room anymore.

He looked breathtakingly handsome in his suit. The hunt he'd partaken in the night before had certainly done him well, she could see that even from far away – his hair seemed more golden than normal, and his cheeks actually had some color in them. But it was the way he was looking at her that stole her breath and made her heart pound against her ribs. He looked awestruck at first, his amber eyes going wide at the sight of her. Then he gave her a smile so heartfelt and so full of love, it was all she could do not to throw down her bouquet and run straight into his arms. Danielle smiled back at him, her heart beating a mile a minute in her chest – she had to resist the urge to pull her mother along faster so that she could get to him quicker.

After what seemed like ages, they finally reached Jasper. Jasper stepped forward and extended a hand to her, which prompted Lynne to release her arm and gently place Danielle's hand in his. After Lynne and Jasper shared a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, Lynne went to her seat on the front row, while Rosalie left her post at the piano to join Carlisle, Esme, and Alice, who had snuck to her own seat while Danielle and Lynne had been walking down the aisle.

Danielle kept her eyes locked on Jasper, a grin permanently fixed to her face as he led her closer to the pastor. Once they were there, Danielle turned to give Tom her bouquet for safe keeping, before turning to face Jasper fully. Briefly she looked at Emmett and Edward, who were both looking handsome and smiling at her as they stood behind Jasper – Edward inclined his head, while Emmett winked and gave her a thumbs up.

Danielle smiled at them, then turned her attention back to her fiancé. Jasper took both of her hands in his, his eyes sweeping over her as if trying to memorize the way she looked. "I have never seen anything more beautiful than you in my entire life," he murmured, his hands squeezing hers affectionately.

Danielle beamed. "Right back at you, Major Whitlock," she whispered, certain her expression was nothing but pure adoration and sappiness.

She felt a strong wave of love roll off of him, which had her – and everyone in the first few rows – sighing happily in response.

The pastor finally began. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Jasper Whitlock Hale and Danielle Katherine Clark in holy matrimony. On behalf of the Cullen family, the Clark family, and, most especially, Jasper and Danielle…we thank you for being here to celebrate with us today."

The pastor paused, then glanced around at the crowd. "Marriage is perhaps the greatest, and most challenging, adventure of a relationship. Marriage is not created through a ceremony, however. It is created by you," he said, looking to Jasper and Danielle. "It is done through love and patience. Through dedication and perseverance. Through talking, listening, supporting and believing in each other. It is done through tenderness and laughter. Through learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences, by learning to make the important things matter, and to let go of the rest."

"I will confess that I have not known Jasper and Danielle for long," the pastor continued, looking back to the crowd. "But I have spoken with those closest to them, and this is what their loved ones have to say about them. Jasper is a man of integrity. He is as kind as he is smart, and he is fiercely loyal and unyieldingly supportive to his friends and family. He would do anything to protect those most important to him, and he would do anything to see that the ones he loves are happy."

Danielle had to smile and squeeze Jasper's hands, because she agreed wholeheartedly with how he had described.

"Danielle is described as having a heart of gold. She is good and caring and selfless, with an easy going personality and a good sense of humor. But she is also a strong woman. She does not shy away from a challenge, and when someone needs protecting, she has the bravery to stand up and do so."

It was Jasper's turn to squeeze her hands now and give her a warm smile.

"As for what I have witnessed myself, I see two people who love and support one another, who have unquestionably enriched each other's lives," the pastor said. "They have found something remarkable in one another, something that so many strive for – they have found in one another the person who makes them feel complete, with whom they share the strongest, and most special of bonds. Jasper and Danielle truly, deeply love one another. That is the truth."

The pastor paused as he let everyone have a moment to take in his words, then he took a step closer to them. "I would like to take this moment to recite a blessing to Jasper and Danielle," he said. He cleared his throat and placed a hand over their clasped ones, before he began to speak again.

"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you.
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you."

As he finished with the blessing, he removed his hand and stepped back again. "Jasper and Danielle have both prepared something to say to one another. They will do so now," he announced. He then looked at Jasper and nodded.

Jasper never once turned his attention away from Danielle. He readjusted his grip on her hands, his handsome face pulling into another smile. "Danielle, in all my life I have never known a woman quite like you. You are kind and smart, stubborn and sarcastic, reckless and brave all at the same time. You genuinely care for people, and you try to see the good in everyone. When we first met, things didn't exactly go as well as one might hope…but you looked for the good in me. You took a chance on me. And because of you, my entire world changed for the better. Being with you is like living in a world of darkness and then finally seeing the sun for the first time. You show me every day what it was to be accepted and understood without question. You make me feel happiness like I have never experienced before. You make me understand what it is to truly love and be loved in return, and you make me feel, for the first time in my life, that I am worthy of that love."

Jasper paused momentarily to give her a serious look. "I love you. I've loved you from the start, and I will love you for the rest of my days. You are my everything. Being your husband will the greatest honor of my life, and I swear, right here and now, that I will spend the rest of my days making sure that you are safe, happy, and loved. That is my promise to you, darlin'."

As Jasper finished speaking, Danielle let out a shaky breath and tried very hard not to cry. A few tears escaped anyway, though, which Jasper quickly wiped away with a gentle thumb and an equally gentle smile. When she felt like she had her emotions under control again, she looked to the pastor, who nodded encouragingly. She then looked back to Jasper, who was watching her intently.

"When I came to Forks, the last thing I expected to happen was to fall in love. But then I met you, and I knew right away that everything was going to be different. My mother always said that when I fell in love, I would know. And she was right, because it didn't take me long to realize that I had fallen completely, madly in love with you. You are compassionate, loyal, and supportive. You have always been there for me, through good times and difficult times. You make me feel happy and cherished and protected. You make me feel as if there is nothing I can't accomplish, so long as you are by my side. You are everything I have ever hoped for in a partner, and I still can't believe how lucky I am to have found you."

Danielle sucked in a breath and held his hands tighter. "You're the love of my life, Jasper," she stated with a nod. "There is no one I cherish more than you, nobody that I trust more than you. I love you for everything that you were, everything that you are, and everything that you ever will be. And I will gladly spend the rest of my life making sure that you feel as happy and as loved as you have made me feel."

Jasper grinned as she concluded her words and lifted her hands up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. She could hear several people sniffling out in the audience, but she did not look to see who had been moved to tears. She kept her gaze locked on Jasper's, hoping he saw in her eyes just how much she meant what she had said. Hoping he saw just how much she truly, wholeheartedly loved him. When she felt a strong wave of love and gratitude from him, she knew he understood what she was trying to convey.

The pastor cleared his throat, which finally made them look at him. "And now, Jasper and Danielle will say their vows to one another," he said. He turned to Jasper, a small smile gracing his lips. "Jasper, please repeat after me."

Jasper nodded, and as the pastor began to recite the vows, Jasper echoed them. "I, Jasper Whitlock Hale, take you, Danielle Katherine Clark, to be my wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow."

The pastor then looked to Danielle, and she too echoed his words as he led her through the vows. "I, Danielle Katherine Clark, take you, Jasper Whitlock Hale, to be my husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow."

The pastor nodded in approval. "And now, the exchanging of rings."

Danielle turned to Tom so that he could give her the wedding band that she had picked out for Jasper. He winked as he passed it over, which made her smile. She turned back to Jasper, who had just retrieved her own wedding band from a grinning Emmett.

"Your wedding ring is a symbol of your promise to one another," the pastor said. "The ring, an unbroken, never ending circle, is a symbol of commitment and unending love. As you place the rings on each other's fingers, repeat after me."

He turned to Jasper first, who gently took hold of her left hand as he echoed the pastor's words. "I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness. Today, tomorrow, and always," he said, before sliding a thin, platinum band embellished with tiny sparkly diamonds onto her finger to join with her engagement ring.

It was her turn next. "I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness. Today, tomorrow, and always," Danielle echoed, sliding a simple, platinum band on Jasper's ring finger.

It was almost done now, and as they clasped each other's hands again, Danielle smiled so widely she thought her face my split into two. Jasper grinned just as wide and tugged her a fraction closer, looking ready to kiss her at a moment's notice. She could feel anticipation from the crowd, too, who seemed just as eager for the pastor to officially announce them as husband and wife.

"Jasper, Danielle, may your life together be blessed with prosperity and good health. May all the years to come be filled with moments to celebrate and renew your love. May your love be a life-long source of excitement, affection, respect, and devotion to one another." The pastor smiled at them for a moment, then stood a little straighter. "And so now, by the power invested in me, it is my honor to declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Jasper didn't need to be told twice. With absolutely no hesitation, he scooped her up in his arms and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, lifting her clear off her feet. Their friends and family erupted in cheers as they kissed, but Danielle hardly noticed. She smiled against her husband's lips, her arms wrapped around his neck tightly as she kissed him with all the love and affection that she felt for him. Finally, Jasper set her back on her feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Hale!" the pastor said loudly.

Danielle and Jasper waved as there was another loud round of cheering, before Jasper pulled her in for another kiss. When he pulled away, he pressed his forehead against hers. "You're mine forever now, darlin'," he said just loud enough for her to hear, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Danielle grinned and held him tighter. "I was always yours, Jasper."

After the ceremony was completed and the wedding party went back to the nearest dressing room, there was a lot of celebrating. Tom and Edward shook Jasper's hands and clapped him on the back, while Bella hugged Danielle tightly. When she released her, it looked like Edward was going to move to congratulate her next, but Emmett swooped in before he could. The massive vampire wrapped her up in a big bear hug, lifting her off the ground and shouting obnoxiously loudly about how happy he was that they were officially family. He only let her down when Alice found them and forcibly separated them so that he wouldn't ruin Danielle's dress or hair.

The rest of the guests left soon after and began making their way to the Cullen house for the reception, but Danielle, Jasper, the wedding party, and their families stayed behind to take pictures at the venue and talk with the pastor for a bit, whom they thanked repeatedly for doing such a wonderful job on the ceremony. When the time came for them to head out, their friends and family piled into their cars, while Danielle and Jasper ducked into their own private limo, which Alice had insisted on renting for them. It was the first time they had been completely alone all day, and as soon as they were in the limo and the privacy partition was up, they were all over each other, kissing eagerly and laughing joyfully against each other's lips. Jasper finally pulled away to look at her, his eyes filled with love as he brushed his fingers against her cheek.

"You are stunning beyond words, Mrs. Hale," he said with a smile. "When I saw you coming down that aisle, I thought I had died and gone to heaven."

Danielle grinned and snuck another kiss. Hearing him refer to her as Mrs. Hale made her heart positively soar. "I was pretty sure my heart was going to explode right out of my chest when I saw you. It was all I could do not to break free from my mom and run down the aisle."

Jasper chuckled. "That would have been a sight."

"People would have probably thought I was a lunatic," Danielle giggled out.

Jasper kissed her again, then reached for her left hand to kiss the wedding band he had placed there not even an hour ago. He then noticed that she was wearing the bracelet her had given her, which made him smile. "I see you received my gift."

"It's beautiful, Jazz," she gushed. "Thank you. It was very sweet of you. Though I do feel bad that I didn't get you anything," she admitted with a small frown.

Jasper waved off her words. "You married me. Having you as my wife is all I will ever need."

Danielle smiled at the word wife. "Say that word again," she encouraged.

Jasper smirked and bumped his nose against hers. "Wife," he repeated.

Danielle smiled wider. "One more time."

Jasper chuckled, then gave her a loving look. "I love you, wife."

Danielle touched his face with her free hand, loving the way he leaned into her touch with complete trust and comfort. "And I love you, husband."

Jasper grinned at the word, then wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and leaned in to claim her lips again.

They reached the Cullen house approximately twenty minutes later, where they were greeted by Alice and the rest of the wedding party the moment they pulled into the driveway. Alice fussed over her for a moment when she saw that Danielle's hair and makeup had gotten a little mussed after sharing many kisses with Jasper on the drive in, but eventually she decided that Danielle still looked presentable enough and began to lead everyone around to the back of the house, where the rest of their guests were waiting for them to arrive.

Danielle had to gawk in amazement when she saw the area that had been set up for the reception. It seemed that the Cullen's had renovated a good chunk of land behind the house, clearing out enough trees and foliage to be able to set up a huge canopy tent. Inside she could see numerous tables, a food station, a DJ booth, and a decently sized dancefloor. The whole canopy tent was decorated with candles and twinkling lights and flowers, giving off a warm, romantic aura. Danielle smiled at the sight, once again feeling grateful to her new family for the lengths they had gone to in order to make their wedding day as special as possible.

Alice stopped them just outside the tent, then motioned to the DJ they had hired. Once the guests had cleared a path, he began to introduce the wedding party in pairs, starting with Bella and Edward. They walked in first to polite applause, walking arm in arm and looking a bit awkward as they hurried to the table where the wedding party was designated to sit. Tom and Emmett went in next, and since neither of them was shy by any means, they took the opportunity to bust into a choreographed dance that they had coordinated at some point in time. Danielle and Jasper laughed along with the rest of the crowd, shaking their head good-naturedly at their silly antics.

It was finally their turn to go inside, and as the DJ announced them as Mr. and Mrs. Hale, the crowd erupted in cheers again. Danielle and Jasper walked inside, hand in hand, waving energetically and smiling widely.

They got swept in the crowd for a good chunk of time. They started going around to greet everyone and thank everyone for showing up, and even though the guest list wasn't huge, it was still overwhelming and challenging to make sure that they made the rounds to speak to everyone. It was all a big blur to Danielle – between jumping from group to group, being bombarded with hugs from their friends and family, and taking pictures with anyone and everyone, Danielle and Jasper were pulled in so many directions, they were barely able to even keep up with everything that was going on.

They were finally awarded a break from all the socializing when the DJ announced that it was time for dinner. Jasper made sure to take her to the food station, where they made plates for themselves, before retreating to the head table to finally sit down. While they ate, Danielle couldn't help but look around with a big smile on her face as she took in the scene before her. Everyone was talking and laughing and having a good time, and to know that all of these people cared enough to come out and celebrate her and Jasper was heartwarming. It was a night for love and celebration, and she wanted to make sure that she remembered as much of it as she could.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Jasper dropped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. "What are you thinking about, darlin'?"

Danielle turned her face toward his and smiled, her hand finding his knee underneath the table to give it an affectionate squeeze. "How wonderful this day has been, and how completely and utterly happy I am. This has, without a doubt, been the best day of my life."

Jasper smiled and leaned in to give her a sweet kiss, which she happily returned. "And it has been the best day of mine," he agreed.

Danielle just smiled and have him another kiss in response.

They separated when the DJ, who had been taking a break while everyone ate, left his booth and came over toward the head table.

"Alright, alright!" he said enthusiastically. "How is everyone doing tonight?" His words were met with polite applause, which made him frown. "Come on, now. I know you guys can do better than that," he said. "I repeat, how is everyone doing tonight?!"

The crowd cheered more enthusiastically and clapped loudly, which made the DJ nod in approval. "Much better," he said. "On behalf of the lovely couple here, thank you for coming out tonight to celebrate this wonderful union. I know some of you are still finishing up dinner and that's fine, but I've been informed by the pretty lady in blue over there that speeches need to get under way."

The pretty lady in blue that the DJ was referring to was Alice, who sat with them at the head table in the chair to Tom's left. Alice just waved, while Tom quirked a brow at the DJ. "So, to kick things off we're going to hear from the Man of Honor, then our Best Man, and then from the happy couple themselves. So please, everyone give a warm welcome to Tom!"

Danielle clapped loudly and cheered with the crowd as Tom stood from his seat, which was next to hers, and accepted the microphone that the DJ came to bring him. He then pulled a folded up piece of paper from his pocket and cleared his throat.

"Hey, everyone. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Tom Fitzpatrick. I'm Dani's best friend," he introduced.

"One of her best friends," Emmett corrected loudly, which pulled some laughs from the crowd. Danielle just reached around Jasper to pat Emmett on the shoulder.

Tom gave Emmett a look, then turned his attention back to the crowd. "When I sat down to write this speech, it was difficult. How do I summarize a lifetime of friendship in just a few paragraphs? How could I explain to all of you in just a few short minutes what Dani means to me?" He paused to smile at her, then glanced at the paper in his hands. "Dani has been by my side through everything. When I was scared on the very first day of kindergarten, she offered me friendship. When I broke my arm the summer before fifth grade, she stayed with me and made sure I was alright. When I got my first facial hair in seventh grade, she was right there laughing at me and teasing me for it." The crowd laughed at that. "Through school projects and summertime jobs, through every crush and every break up, through the good times and the bad ones, Dani has always been the constant in my life. She's the best friend I could have ever asked for, but, more importantly, she's the best sister I could have ever asked for." He paused then smirked. "Don't tell my real sister that I said that, though." The crowd laughed again.

"When Dani met Jasper, I knew there was something different about him. I knew she loved him before she knew she loved him." Tom paused to raise his brows. "I'll be honest – when she told me that they were getting married after only being together for a few months, I thought she had lost her mind. But then I came here, and then I saw, with my own eyes, how much they love each other. And it all made sense," Tom said, nodding his head. "They were meant to be together, I'm sure of that now. Dani, sis…I'm so happy for you. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and I'm glad you've found it with Jasper," he told her with a warm smile. "And Jasper, that's an amazing woman you've got there," he said next. "I'm trusting you to take good care of her."

Jasper inclined his head, silently assuring Tom that he intended to do just that. Tom smiled, then tucked his speech back into pocket and reached for a water glass. "If you could all join me in raising your glass," he said, waiting for the crowd to do just that. "Dani, Jasper, I've never been happier for two people, and I wish you a life of love of happiness together. Congratulations, guys." Then he raised his glass high. "To Dani and Jasper!"

"To Dani and Jasper!" the crowd echoed.

Danielle immediately stood to pull him into a tight hug. When she released him, Jasper did the same, giving him a manly hug and patting him on the back. Tom waved to the crowd, who was clapping for him, then passed the microphone over to Emmett, who smirked widely as he stood from his seat with the microphone in hand.

Danielle shared a slightly wary look with Jasper as Emmett cleared his throat. Alice had warned Emmett to take his speech seriously, but knowing how goofy he was and how much he loved embarrassing them, Danielle was still a little worried about what Emmett intended to say during his speech.

"Sup, everyone?" Emmett greeted. "I'm Emmett, Jasper's much better looking brother," he introduced, which drew laughter from the crowd again. "I'll be honest – I had every intention of coming up here to embarrass the absolute hell out of Jasper and Dani," he confessed. "But I'm not gonna do that. Because today is an important day. For Jasper and Dani, this is the first day of the rest of their lives together, and that's something to be honored, not mocked," he said in a surprisingly serious tone.

Danielle and Jasper shared another look, before looking to Emmett again when he continued talking. "My brother hasn't always had it easy. He's never been the type of guy to have a ton of friends, and he definitely wasn't the guy that always had a girlfriend on his arm. Growing up, there were a lot of challenges he had to overcome. And if I'm being honest, he's still overcoming some of those challenges today. But regardless, my brother is an awesome guy," Emmett stated with a nod. "He's loyal to the people he loves and he protects the people he cares about. He's one hundred percent dependable, and there's nothing but goodness and kindness in his heart."

Jasper smiled modestly at Emmett's words, which made Danielle squeeze his hand affectionately.

"I always knew it would take someone special to win Jasper over, and when Dani came into the picture, I think the whole family knew she was the one. She fit in with our family from day one – it's almost like she was always meant to be there. Not only is she a kick-ass lady, but she's perfect for Jasper in every single way. Through her love and support and acceptance, she changed Jasper for the better, and it's been awesome to watch them grow as a couple."

Emmett turned to look down at Jasper and place a hand on his shoulder. "Jasper, I'm so happy for you, bro. I'm glad you and Dani found each other, and I'm stoked she's your wife now." Emmett looked ay het next. "And Dani? I've never said this, but…thank you. Thank you for loving Jasper, and thank you for everything that you have done for him. I couldn't have picked a better woman for my brother. "

His sweet words brought tears to her eyes, which she fought to hold back. Danielle smiled and nodded to him, which had Emmett winking back at her. Finally, he reached for a water glass and held it up high. "To a lifetime of happiness! To Jasper and Dani and their new marriage!"

The crowd echoed his toast and then drank from their glasses. With his speech now finished, Emmett set the microphone down on the table and accepted that hug that Jasper stood to give him. They clapped one another on the back, before releasing one another. Danielle hugged Emmett next, still fighting the urge to cry.

"Great speech, Big Foot," she said, sniffling a bit.

Emmett smiled down at her, then kissed her cheek. "Welcome to the family, sis."

Emmett finally released Danielle and then took his seat. Jasper stood, offering a hand to Danielle so that he could help her from her chair. Danielle slipped her hand into his and stood next to him. The crowd looked at them expectantly as Jasper grabbed the microphone and raised it to his mouth.

"Thank you, Emmett, and thank you, Tom, for your heartfelt words," he said, nodding to each other them. "I think I speak for both of us when I say that were very touched by what you both had to say."

Emmett and Tom reached behind them to share a high five, which made the crowd laugh again. Jasper smiled, then looked out to their friends and family. "There's a lot of people who need to be thanked. Our family, for always being there for us. Our friends, for always supporting us. But there is one person in particular who deserves a fair bit of recognition, and that person is my sister, Alice."

Danielle led the crowd in applause, and ushered for Alice to stand. The vampire did, waving to the crowd and beaming from ear to ear. Danielle took the microphone when Jasper handed it to her, then turned back to her new sister-in-law. "Alice, you have truly gone above and beyond. You have given us the most wonderful wedding we could have possibly asked for, and we simply can't thank you enough for all your hard work and dedication," she said. "You are truly amazing, and we both love you dearly."

The crowd erupted in cheers again, which had Alice pressing her hand to her chest and bowing her head humbly. When the cheering had died down and Alice had reclaimed her seat, Danielle handed the microphone back to Jasper. "I'm sure you are all tired of hearing people talk and I know we're all eager to break in that dance floor," Jasper said with a smirk. "But on behalf of Danielle and myself, thank you, everyone, for being here to celebrate with us today. This has been the most wonderful day of our lives, and to have so many here that care and want to support us is truly humbling." There was another smattering of applause, then Jasper looked down at her with a smile. "Now if y'all don't mind, I'm going to end the speeches now. The time has come for me to dance with my incredibly beautiful wife."

The crowd clapped and cheered as Jasper set the microphone down and then led Danielle around to the other side of the table. He guided her right to the middle of the dancefloor and pulled her close, his handsome face pulling into a smile. Then the first chords of the song 'Tenderly' by Ella Fitzgerald began to play through the speakers, and with that they began their first dance as husband and wife.

The rest of the world around them blurred out of focus. Danielle became lost in Jasper's gaze as they waltzed slowly around the dancefloor, their eyes locked on one another's. She smiled widely as he twirled her in a circle, only to pull her back in even closer. After a while pulled her hand from his to wrap both of her arms around his neck instead, hugging herself to him in an attempt to get even closer. Their pace slowed to a casual sway as Jasper leaned down to press his forehead against hers. Danielle's eyes slid closed and a sigh of contentment escaped her. This had to be heaven on earth, she decided. Holding her husband close, having that wonderful piney scent in her nose and feeling safe in his arms as they danced to Ella Fitzgerald…it just didn't get much better than that.

Jasper finally pulled away when the song started to wind down, his eyes shining with love and happiness as he twirled her one last time, before he slowly dipped her backwards. Then, as the song came to a close and their wedding guests began to clap for them again, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, and they shared a long, sweet kiss.

After their First Dance as husband and wife, they continued on with the usual traditions and danced with their parents. Jasper and Esme waltzed gracefully to some old timey song that Danielle wasn't sure she had ever heard before, while she and her mother swayed to a more modern song that they had decided on together. Lynne, unsurprisingly, cried through the entire dance. Thankfully, however, Alice had prepared for such an occurrence and was waiting with tissues as soon as they stepped off the dancefloor.

When that was finished, it was time for the party to really start. The DJ started playing popular, upbeat songs that had the younger crowd rushing to the dancefloor to start getting down. It wasn't long before Angela and Jessica came to steal her away from Jasper and sweep her out on the dancefloor – she didn't really want to leave his side, but she went with them anyway, knowing she needed to pay attention to their friends, too.

She danced with the lunch group for a while, even managing to tear Bella away from Edward long enough to get her to dance with them for a few songs. Eventually she moved away from the lunch group to dance with Emmett when he begged for a dance. She let him swing her around until Lynne shimmied up to her and they spent a song laughing and dancing together. A little while later, Danielle found herself getting roped into a dance battle with Tom when one of their favorite songs came on. The crowd cheered them on as they went, even though neither of them was particularly good, until Tom eventually conceded and proclaimed her the winner, which pulled another round of loud cheering from those around them.

When the music slowed down, she was more than happy to agree to dance with Carlisle, who guided her around the dance floor in a graceful waltz. From there, Eleazar of the Denali coven stepped in to ask for a dance, and though she didn't know him well, she happily agreed. She was unsurprised to discover that he was just as good of a dance as the rest of the Cullen's.

The time finally came, however, where she needed a break. She didn't know how long she had been dancing for, but it was long enough to leave her feeling parched and a little bit sweaty. Danielle left the dancefloor and went to get some water from the refreshment table, where she spent a considerable amount of time talking to a few of Esme's friends that had been invited to the wedding. Eventually everyone filtered away, and for a few brief seconds, she found herself alone. She began to scan the crowd for Jasper and found him talking with a few of Carlisle's doctor friends on the far side of the room. He sent her a dazzling smile when he noticed that she was looking at him, which made Danielle send him a smile and a wink in return.

"Danielle?"

She blinked and looked away from Jasper, her eyes turning instead to the person who had just approached her. It was Irina, the vampire from the Denali coven that she had only briefly met at the rehearsal dinner the night before. Danielle straightened up and turned to face the beautiful vampire, putting on a polite, friendly smile.

"Hello, Irina."

Irina smiled. "I wanted to say congratulations. You and Jasper look so very happy together. I am glad for it and I wish you luck in your marriage," she said with a respectful nod.

"Thank you," Danielle said. There was a pause where neither of them said anything. Irina looked a little bit guarded, and Danielle had to wonder if it was because of the less than pleasant exchange between Jasper and Laurent the previous night. "Are…are you enjoying your time here in Forks?" Danielle finally asked to break the silence.

Irina nodded. "Oh yes. We always enjoy visiting with the family," she said at once. "We do not see the Cullen's as often as we would like. It is nice to be reunited with them again. And, of course, it is nice to be celebrating with you and Jasper."

Danielle nodded, then couldn't help but glance around searchingly. She knew Laurent wasn't there, of course, knew the Cullen's would have thrown an absolute fit if he had dared to show his face during their celebrations, but she looked around for him anyway. When she did not see him, she looked back to Irina. The vampire seemed to know exactly what Danielle had been doing.

"Laurent has gone back to Denali," Irina told her without Danielle even asking. "He…did not want to impose any further than he already has."

Danielle nodded slowly. Irina's tone was just the tiniest bit stiff, and if Danielle had to guess, she would say the vampire wasn't overly thrilled about the way Laurent had been treated. "I don't really blame him for what happened, you know," she felt the need to clarify. "He wasn't involved with what happened in Phoenix. I know that, Bella knows that…Jasper knows that, too. He's just…" Danielle sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "He's protective of me, and James and Victoria are a touchy subject for him," she confessed. "He doesn't like being reminded of what happened, and that's exactly what Laurent is – a reminder of what James and Victoria came very close to doing to us."

Irina hummed in understanding, the tension in her shoulders easing some. "I understand Jasper's point of view," she said diplomatically. "But I want you to know that Laurent feels very badly about what happened. When we heard what had happened, he was very upset. If there was anything he could have done to prevent it, he would have. I hope you believe me when I tell you that."

The earnest look on Irina's face had Danielle smiling reassuringly. "I do." Irina seemed relieved to hear it. "If you don't mind me asking, are the two of you…together?" Danielle asked when her curiosity got the better of her. Because just judging by the way she spoke about him, it certainly sounded like they were.

Irina smiled and nodded. "We are."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry he couldn't be here with you tonight," she said.

Irina lifted a shoulder. "It is probably for the better. This is an important day for you and Jasper. I would not want to be the cause of it being ruined in any way," she said. "And even though Laurent has committed to our lifestyle, I do think him being around so many human would have been a…struggle…for him," she admitted.

Danielle lifted her brows. "Has the change been hard for him?"

Irina gave her a look. "The change is hard for any vampire. To resist our natural instinct to feed on humans requires years of practice," she explained. "But, as you can see, it is something that can be accomplished." Irina smiled, then nodded reassuringly. "With our help, Laurent will fully acclimate to this new lifestyle soon enough. Of that I have no doubt."

Danielle smiled and nodded, internally hoping that Irina was right and hoping that the next time they saw Laurent again – if they saw Laurent again – his eyes would be amber colored and not red.

She and Irina might have talked more, but someone else came to join them in the next moment. Danielle's brows raised high as Edward approached with a small, easy smile on his face. He stopped next to them, his eyes glancing back and forth between the two of them, before he raised his brows. "Pardon my interruption, ladies, but I was hoping I could share a dance with the beautiful bride."

Danielle's brows raised even higher. She glanced at Irina, then at an expectant looking Edward. "Er, of course." She set her water down, then looked at Irina with a smile. "It was nice speaking with you," she said. "Hopefully we can talk more later?"

Irina nodded. "Of course."

Irina left after that to rejoin the rest of the Denali's, who were talking with Lynne and Charlie a little ways away. Danielle watched her go, then look back to Edward. He smiled again and offered an elbow to her. Danielle hesitated for only a moment, then slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and allowed him to lead her to the dancefloor.

The song was a slower one, which meant that she was led, once again, in a waltz around the dancefloor. For a long few moments they did not speak, which left Danielle feeling a little awkward. Though Edward had not been outwardly acting strange around her in the days leading up to the wedding, they still had not really talked since he had discovered that she had come to the decision to be turned into a vampire. Perhaps it was because they had busy, or maybe it was just because neither of them was quite sure how to approach the topic. Either way, interaction had been limited as of late, which was why she was surprised he had asked her to dance. Maybe, she thought hopefully to herself, Edward wasn't mad at her after all.

"Thank you for the dance," she finally said when she couldn't stand the silence any longer.

Edward looked down at her. "I heard you and Irina speaking and thought you would prefer not to talk about Laurent on your wedding day," he said, which had her nodding in understanding. "But also, what sort of brother-in-law would I be if I did not dance with you at your own wedding?" he asked next, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Danielle smiled, feeling some of the tension leave her shoulders. "A pretty bad one, I think."

Edward snorted lightly. "Agreed."

They danced some more, slowly maneuvering around the dance floor. She noticed Jasper dancing with her mother, and when their eyes met, he smiled broadly at her. She smiled back, promising herself that she would go and reunite with Jasper once she was done dancing with Edward. They had been separated for far too long.

"I know what you and Jasper are planning," Edward stated quite out of nowhere, making Danielle's eyes jump back to him. He had been looking elsewhere, but turned his amber colored eyes down to hers. His expression, suddenly, was very serious. "I know you have come to a decision."

Danielle felt tense again. She glanced around to see if any of the other Cullen's were paying attention or eavesdropping, but the ones she could currently see seemed too preoccupied to pay them any attention. "Yeah, I know that you know," Danielle said, her eyes turning back to Edward. "It was kind of obvious when you figured it out." Edward didn't say anything to that. "You don't approve," she stated bluntly.

Edward sighed. "My opinion is not important," he said evasively.

Danielle gave him a look. "It is, actually," she argued.

Edward seemed mildly surprised at her counter. Then he sighed heavily and allowed a small frown to appear. "It isn't that I don't approve," he finally said. "I want you and Jasper to be happy, and if you both believe that you becoming one of us is what is best, I will not argue against that." He paused, then frowned deeper. "But I do worry what sort of impact your decision will have on Bella," he confessed.

Danielle quickly put two and two together. "You think it'll just make her want to be turned even more," she concluded.

Edward nodded once in confirmation.

Though Danielle was more than aware of Edward's refusal to even discuss the possibility of Bella becoming a vampire, she had never talked to him about it. This was mostly because Bella had asked her not to out of the concern that if they both pestered him about it, then he would only become more difficult. But now that Edward had brought it up, she found that she just couldn't hold back.

"Why are you so against the idea of Bella being turned?" she asked.

Edward stiffened a bit at the question. "She does not know what it is that she is asking for," he said, his gaze trained elsewhere again. "She does not understand how much she would be giving up."

Danielle lifted a brow. "You know that's a bunch of horse manure, right?" she shot at him. Edward gave her a look. "Do you have any idea how many times Bella and I have talked about being turned? She's listened to me debate the idea for months. Trust me – she understands what it means, and she knows exactly what she would be getting into."

"It is a difficult life that I fear she would be unhappy with," Edward countered without missing a beat. "I fear she would regret it."

"So it's alright for me to take on that difficult life, but not her?" she pointed out.

Edward smiled wryly. "You are my sister. She is not. There is a difference."

The fact that he had called her his sister surprised her – she honestly hadn't thought he viewed her that way. Her surprise at that, however, was quickly overshadowed as she thought about what he was really saying. Danielle shook her head, unable to help thinking that he was being pretty hypocritical about this whole thing. As that thought flashed through her mind, Edward cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Perhaps I am being a hypocrite," he admitted. "Though I am being so out of good intentions."

Danielle gave him a slightly sour look. "You're not supposed to read my mind," she reminded him.

Edward gave a wry smile. "I usually don't. But sometimes you think so loudly – and so forcefully – that it is impossible not to."

Danielle huffed at that, then let her eyes turn elsewhere. Her gaze landed on Bella, who was talking with Angela and Jessica on the side of the dancefloor. For a moment Bella looked at them – or rather, looked at Edward – and a look Danielle knew all too well passed over her friend's face. Then she was looking back to Angela and Jessica, smiling at whatever they were saying.

"She loves you," Danielle said, turning her attention back to Edward.

Edward pressed his lips together. "I know."

"And you love her."

Edward looked at her, then nodded once. "I do."

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with her?" Danielle asked bluntly.

Edward hesitated only slightly. "Yes," he confessed quietly.

"Then maybe the two of you should start having some real conversations about where exactly it is that your relationship is going," she suggested. "This isn't a subject you can avoid forever, Ed. Bella can be stubborn as a mule when she really wants something, and I think this is something she really wants." Edward frowned at that, which made Danielle sigh. "You don't have to make any big life decisions now. It's just about being open and honest with the woman that you love. It's about communicating with each other. So stop being stubborn and just talk to her."

Edward sighed heavily through his nose. "I am only being stubborn because I am trying to do what I think is best for her," he said.

Danielle gave him a pointed look. "Jasper said something similar to me once. You know what I told him? That I was the only one who could decide what was best for me. Bella isn't a child. She's a grown woman who can think for herself. Maybe it's high time you started treating her that way."

Edward looked down at her for a moment, then gave her a small smirk. "You know, your brutal honesty is one of the things I have always admired most about you, Dani," he commented. "No one can ever say that you are afraid to speak your mind."

Danielle smiled a bit. "Never did have much of a filter, unfortunately."

Edward smirked a little wider, then sighed and glanced in Bella's direction. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment as he seemingly thought their conversation over, before he looked down at Danielle again. "You may not know this, but I hold your opinion to rather high regard," he said, which had her brows raising in surprise again. "With how good you have been to Jasper, after all that you have done for Bella…I respect you very much." Edward paused, then nodded. "I cannot make any promises, but…I will certainly take what you have told me into serious consideration."

It wasn't the best response she could have hoped for, but it was the best one she was likely going to get. "Good," she said. Then she smiled. "And…thank you. I respect you, too, just so you know…even though you are quite the stubborn-ass."

Edward chuckled quietly. "There's that brutal honesty again."

Danielle couldn't help but laugh. "Might as well get used to it. I'm gonna be around for a while."

Edward nodded. "And I'm glad for that. I'm happy for you and Jasper, and I'm happy that you are in our family, Dani," he told her sincerely.

Danielle was rather touched by his words – they were likely some of the kindest things he had ever said to her. "Thank you, Ed."

Edward just inclined his head to her with a small smile.

The song they were dancing to came to an end, and as they stopped dancing, Jasper suddenly appeared by their side. It was obvious by the small, concerned furrowing of his brows that he had likely been eavesdropping on her conversation with Edward while he had been dancing with Lynne.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, his gaze sliding from Danielle, to Edward, then back again.

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Yep. Just…having a little heart to heart," she said.

Jasper nodded, his brows relaxing. He then looked to Edward, before motioning to Danielle. "Mind if I cut in?" he asked.

Edward shook his head, then placed Danielle's hand in Jasper's. He then clapped Jasper on the shoulder. "Enjoy dancing with your beautiful wife," he said, giving Danielle another small smile. "I think I will go and see if I can coerce Bella into a dance with me."

"Good luck with that," Danielle said with a snort, knowing how much the clumsy and uncoordinated Bella loathed dancing.

Once Edward was gone, Jasper wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He watched his brother retreat for a moment, then looked down at her again. "You're sure everything's alright?" he asked quietly as they began to sway to the new song that had begun playing.

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Positive. It was a conversation that needed to happen, and I think some good might actually come from it," she said. After Jasper nodded in understanding, she pressed a little closer and tightened her arm around his neck. "Let's stop talking about Edward now," she suggested. "I just want to enjoy dancing with my husband."

Jasper's expression relaxed after that, and he leaned down to give her a slow, sweet kiss. "Happy to oblige, Mrs. Hale."

The rest of the reception seemed to fly by after that. There was a lot of dancing and a lot of laughing as Danielle and Jasper celebrated the night away with their guests, the two of them staying glued to one other's hips for the remainder of the evening. There were a few more traditions to uphold, which Alice made sure they did not forget about. When it came time for the ceremonial tossing of the bouquet, Danielle aimed for Bella and Alice, who stood close together off to the left. It was Jessica who ended up getting the bouquet in the end, however – the girl had, rather aggressively, forced her way in front of Bella and Alice and snatched the bouquet out of thin air, like a football player intercepting a pass. It was pretty hilarious to watch, and Mike's expression when his girlfriend landed the prize was even funnier.

After that, it was time for the garter toss. Danielle found herself sitting in a chair in the middle of the dancefloor with all the single guys crowded together a few feet behind her. Jasper slowly advanced on her, his lips pulling into a smirk. Danielle blushed, her eyes magnetized to Jasper as he sunk down onto a knee in front of her and gave her a look that could only be described as predatory. She gulped as he ducked underneath her skirt, her heart jumping in her chest as she felt his cool breath and gentle fingertips traveling the length of her leg.

He found her garter easily, but didn't grab it straight away. Instead, she felt his lips pressing a slow kiss to the skin of her thigh, pulling a small gasp from her that made people laugh and cat-call. Finally, he carefully grabbed the garter with his teeth and began to retreat. When he reemerged, hair slightly mussed and garter between his teeth, there was a look in his eyes that made heat shoot straight through her. He grinned wickedly, obviously sensing the emotions that had just swarmed her, then stood and snapped the garter toward the single guys. Tom was the one to catch it, and once it was all over, Danielle found that she desperately needed something cool to drink.

They cut the cake shortly after, where they had a little bit too much fun shoving cake into each other's faces. Jasper gave her a long, icing flavored kiss that pulled a few wolf-whistles from the crowd, before they pulled away to clean themselves up and help themselves to some cake.

There was a little more dancing after that, a few more pictures to be taken, and then the party finally began to wind down. Before Danielle knew it, Alice was ushering her and Jasper out of the canopy tent and into the Cullen house so that they could change out of their wedding attire and into the clothes they would be wearing as they departed for their honeymoon. While Jasper went into his bedroom to change, Danielle went into Alice's bedroom, where the vampire helped her out of her wedding dress, the two of them giggling like mad and chatting a mile a minute the entire time.

After Danielle had changed into a pretty, white sundress, they started for the door. Danielle stopped Alice with a gentle hand, however, then hugged the vampire tightly. "Thank you, Alice," she said, hugging her new sister-in-law tightly. "This was the most perfect day."

Alice smiled as she hugged her back. "You're more than welcome, Dani." They finally pulled back, and Alice took one last moment to squeeze her hands affectionately. "I'm going to go down first and make sure everything is ready. On my signal, you and Jasper come down, okay?"

After Danielle nodded in understanding, Alice opened the bedroom door and hurried downstairs. Danielle smiled when she saw that Jasper had been waiting for them to emerge. He had changed into jeans and a casual, forest green button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked sinfully good, and there was nothing she could do to stop herself from stepping in close to wrap her arms around his neck, feeling the burning need to just be close to him.

"It should be illegal for you to look this good," she said with a smile.

Jasper smirked. "I could say the same for you, darlin'," he said, giving her a pointed once over. When his eyes returned to her, there was undeniable love in them. But there was something else, too, something similar to what she had seen in his gaze during the garter toss, similar to what she had seen in his gaze the night before, when they had been kissing in their bedroom. It made her shiver, which had him pulling her closer.

"I've probably said it a thousand times today, but I will say it again…I love you so very much."

Danielle smiled and let her fingers toy with the hairs at the nap of his neck, her eyes never leaving his. "I love you, too, Major Whitlock."

He leaned in to kiss her, his lips slow and unhurried. She forgot where they were for a moment, forgot that they were supposed to be listening out for Alice's signal to come downstairs and enjoy whatever sendoff she had prepared for them. She pressed closer to Jasper, sighing against his lips, her heart skipping in her chest as he kissed her a little bit harder, a little bit deeper. They only pulled away when there heard the clearing of a throat. Alice, looking impatient and exasperated, had come back upstairs to see what was taking them so long.

"No wonder you didn't hear my signal," she said with good-natured exasperation. "There's plenty of time for that later. Get going, you two. Your guests are waiting!"

Danielle and Jasper nodded, then finally separated. He grabbed her by the hand and led her downstairs. When they finally made their way to the front door and stepped outside, they were greeted with loud cheering from their friends and family. Everyone had formed two long rows on either side of the walkway, and everyone was holding a brightly colored sparkler in their hands.

Danielle and Jasper smiled, shared a look, then started down the walkway toward Jasper's car, which they would be taking to the airport. They were stopped several times for hugs and last well wishes along the way, which neither of them minded at all. Their families and their closest friends were all waiting closest to the car, and they finally let go of each other to say goodbye to those most important to them. Danielle hugged her mother, who cried, then embraced Tom, who made her promise to come and visit him in Houston as soon as possible. She then hugged Bella, who told her to have a good honeymoon, before embracing each member of the Cullen family. She was so caught up in everything that she even hugged Rosalie – the vampire was immensely surprised, but managed to recover enough to pat her awkwardly on the back.

Finally, it was time to go. Jasper opened the passenger side door, and after she shared one last hug with her mother and kissed her on the cheek, Danielle got in. Jasper hurried around the driver's side and started the engine, while Danielle rolled down the window, waving and calling out goodbye's to everyone. Jasper honked the horn once, then they were finally pulling away from the house and out onto the road. As Danielle grabbed Jasper's hand and settled into her seat, the last thing she saw in the side mirror was their friends and families crowding onto the road to watch them leave, until eventually they, and the bright light of their sparklers, faded from sight completely.

Their first flight from Seattle to Houston went quickly. Still buzzing with energy after such a fun and eventful night, Danielle and Jasper spent the entire flight lost in their own little world as they reminisced about the wedding and talked about everything that had happened during the reception. The flight from Houston to Rio de Janeiro didn't feel too terribly long, either, but that could have been because she slept through most of it. Now that it was late, now that the adrenaline that had been coursing through her had begun to wear off, it didn't take long for the exhaustion of the day to catch up to her once they were in the air. She snuggled into Jasper's side, feeling safe and secure as he wrapped a long arm around her shoulders to pull her in close, and used his shoulder for a pillow. Soon she was asleep, and she didn't wake again until they were nearly descending into Rio de Janeiro.

It was night when they landed, and the air was hot and humid when they stepped out of the airport. As used to it as she had been when living in Houston, now that she had been in the cold and rainy Forks for so long, the drastic change in weather was almost unbearable. She was more than happy to snuggle with Jasper again once they were in a taxi and headed toward their next destination – the coolness of his body made the heat outside considerably more bearable.

They drove until they reached the water, and after paying the cab driver and collecting their bags, they started off down toward the docks. Danielle eyed the yachts they were bypassing, her eyebrows rising a little more with each fancy looking boat they stepped past. It was clear that they were headed toward a yacht that the Cullen's must have owned, and she couldn't really say that she was surprised by the fact that the Cullen's owned one – seeing as they were rich enough to own a beautiful house, multiple fancy cars, and an entire island, it really only made sense that they would also own a big, fancy boat.

When they finally reached the boat, Danielle found that while it was still fancy and luxurious, it actually wasn't as big as she had been expecting. It was smaller than the rest but also looked as though it would be faster than the rest, which made sense given the Cullen's affinity for speed. Jasper effortlessly hauled the bags onto the boat, then jumped aboard himself. He held out a hand to help her aboard, then began preparing the boat to leave.

Danielle watched him work, feeling the first twinges of nervous excitement as it sunk in just how close they were to reaching their final destination. They would be at Isle Esme soon, where their honeymoon would officially begin. Tonight would be their first night as husband and wife, and as she quickly remembered just what their first night as a married couple would entail, there was no stopping the butterflies that filled her stomach, nor the desire for him that started to simmer in her veins at the mere thought of finally being able to make love with Jasper.

Her feet moved forward on their own accord, and she could not resist wrapping her arms around him from behind, which made him pause in his work. She kissed his shoulder through his shirt, then craned her neck to press a gentle kiss to the back of his neck. Jasper shuddered in response, a quite sigh escaping him.

"Pardon me, Mrs. Hale, but are you trying to seduce me?" he asked. His tone was teasing, but his voice was huskier than normal.

Danielle pressed closer. "What if I am?"

Jasper turned in her arms and pulled her closer, his eyes smoldering as he leaned down to bump her nose with his. His hands slid low onto her hips and his lips just barely brushed against hers. "Then I'd say you beat me to the punch," he murmured.

Her breath caught in her throat and her heartbeat began to pound in her ears. "Whether I beat you to the punch or not, I think you're doing a better job," she said breathlessly.

Jasper smirked down at her. "You do a far better job than you think, darlin'," he said with a meaningful look.

She would have happily gotten lost in his next kiss if he had allowed her to, but soon he pulled away from her and said that they should get going. He directed her towards one of the seats at the front of the boat and Danielle went to sit down, trying to ignore how shaky her legs still felt. Finally, he pushed the boat away from the dock and out into the water, and soon they were heading out into the open water.

Danielle was actually grateful for the breeze that whipped through her hair and the spray of the ocean against her skin – it helped her to calm her down a little and get her thoughts back in order. It was dark out on the water and difficult to see much, but she didn't mind it. Now that they were away from the lights of Rio, she was presented with a spectacular view of the stars overhead. She found herself torn between staring up at the twinkling lights overhead and the handsome vampire currently steering them toward Isle Esme. She found herself wondering which was more beautiful – the stars or Jasper – before deciding that her husband, most assuredly, won by a landslide.

After what felt like half an hour or so, Jasper slowed the boat down and motioned for her to join him. When she was by his side, he slid an arm around her waist and motioned toward something in the distance. "There it is," he announced.

Danielle didn't see it at first, but eventually the silhouette of Isle Esme came into view. She smiled excitedly, watched it grow larger and begin to take shape the closer they got, until she could see swaying palm trees and a pearly white beach. There was a single wooden dock jutting out from the island, which Jasper directed the boat toward. Once they had come to a stop, he cut the engine and hopped out to secure the boat so that it would not go floating off into the ocean.

Jasper helped her out of the boat first, then jumped back in to grab their suitcases. With the suitcases in one hand and her hand in the other, he led her off toward the trees up ahead. It was dark as they trekked through the forest, and eerily quiet compared to the noises of the suburbs and cities that she as used to hearing – all she could hear out there was the sound of the trees swaying in the wind, the waves of the ocean crashing in the distance, and her own feet thumping against the forest floor.

They didn't have to walk long, maybe only for about five minutes, before she began to see the warm glow of lights up ahead. They finally broke through the trees and she was presented with the sight of a beautiful home, its windows already filled with inviting light. How the lights inside had gotten turned on when it was clear that nobody else was there was beyond her, but she didn't care enough to ask Jasper about it. With the house now in sight, the excited butterflies had returned. She was certain Jasper could feel it, too, because his grip on her hand tightened and he lifted her knuckles to his lips to kiss them, his eyes shining with love and reassurance.

They walked right up to the spacious porch, and Jasper wasted no time pushing open the front door, which had been left unlocked. He set the suitcases inside, then turned to her and, without warning, picked her up bridal style. Danielle couldn't help but giggle as her arms wound around his neck.

"Per tradition," he said with a grin, before carrying across the threshold.

He kicked the door closed behind them, then set her down on her feet. She looked around for a moment, taking in the sights of the house. The decorations and color schemes reminded her a lot of the Cullen house back in Forks, which made her feel comfortable and at ease. She quickly lost interest in the house, however, when Jasper stepped in close, his arms winding around her from behind and his head dipping down to press leisurely kisses to her neck and shoulder.

Danielle turned in his arms and placed her hands on either side of his neck, their foreheads touching for a moment. Their lips met for what felt like their thousandth kiss that day, unhurried at first, but slowly growing more and more in intensity. Eventually, Danielle pulled her lips away, her cheeks flushed and her breathing heavier than normal. When she saw how dark Jasper's eyes had gone, when she saw the desire swimming in their depths, it was hard to resist the urge to kiss him again.

"Could you…give me a few minutes to be human?" she asked. "I've got airport germs all over me. I'd like to get cleaned up."

Jasper nodded, then slowly released her. "Of course," he said.

He grabbed her suitcase and led her down a hallway to the left. They stepped into a bedroom that was decorated in shades of tan and white, with a giant window that overlooked the water. He set the suitcase on the bed, then pointed to a door on the left side of the room.

"Bathroom is there," he said. "Take however long you need."

Danielle nodded, then, after Jasper gave her one last kiss, he stepped out of the room to go and keep himself occupied while she cleaned up.

She sucked in a breath, then went into bathroom to take a shower. She washed her hair and then scrubbed her body twice, making sure she was squeaky clean. Danielle took extra care shaving her legs, double checking that she had gotten that elusive spot on her right ankle that she always seemed to miss. The entire time, however, she was acutely aware of the fact that Jasper was waiting for her. Acutely aware that when she came out of the shower they would be getting into bed. Acutely aware that soon they would be taking that final, intimate step with one another. The butterflies would not go away now, and her entire body felt electrified from the anticipation coursing through her.

Danielle stepped out of the shower when she was finished and wrapped a towel around herself. She stepped back into the bedroom, almost feeling disappointed when she saw that Jasper had not returned, then went to dig in the suitcase for something to change into. When she found something white and lacy tucked underneath a stack of her shirts, she frowned with confusion, before shaking her head with a small laugh.

It had to have been Alice who had put that lingerie there. That sneaky little vampire.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Danielle dropped her towel and changed into the lingerie. It was nothing too scandalous, which she was glad for – it was a simple, lacy chemise that covered all the important parts, but was tight enough and low cut enough to still be alluring. Danielle felt her nerves increase tenfold once it was on and went back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She looked at herself in the mirror, fussing with her damp hair and wondering if she should have left some makeup on, feeling herself begin to doubt whether she should even wear the lingerie in front of Jasper. Would he even like it? Or would he think it was silly?

A knock on the door made her look that way. "Darlin'?" Jasper asked. "Are you alright?"

Maybe he had been able to feel her nerves. He sounded a little concerned. "Yes," she said back. "Fine."

She looked at herself in the mirror one more time, then told the doubtful voice in the back of her mind to shut up and turned to the door. After sucking in a deep breath, she grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. Jasper stood right on the other side, still wearing his clothes from the plane, his brows creased with worry. When he saw her, however, his expression quickly shifted. His eyes dropped down to the lingerie and widened, his jaw slackening for a moment before he closed his lips tightly and gulped. His gaze traveling back up, lingering longer in a few select areas, before meeting hers again. The way his eyes darkened let her know that he liked what he saw.

Feeling bolstered by his reaction, Danielle felt her anxieties melt away. She smiled and stepped closer. His hands automatically went to her waist, while hers rested on his strong, solid chest. She leaned her forehead against his sternum for a moment, just breathing in that piney scent that she loved so much, letting it invade her senses and comfort her. She lifted her head when his knuckle found its way under her chin, gently encouraging her to look up at him.

He pressed his forehead to hers again, his eyes sliding closed for a moment. When he opened them, that same desire she had seen was still there, shining clear as day. "Are you nervous?"

She had been nervous. When they had talked about it in the past, when she had thought about it in the shower just now. But suddenly now, being in his arms, that nervousness was gone. And she didn't think it was because he had made it go away. "No," she said, shaking her head. "Are you?"

"A little," he admitted honestly.

Danielle smiled understandingly, then slid her arms around his neck. "I trust you, Jazz. I love you. We can do this," she said. "We'll just…go slow, okay?"

Jasper nodded. "Slow," he echoed.

He finally leaned in to kiss her, his lips gentle and soft on hers at first, before they began to kiss each other with more urgency. He only pulled his mouth from hers so that he could scoop her up and carry her to the bed, where he gently laid her down before slowly moving to lie down on top of her. He looked down at her for a moment, his fingers gentle as they traced her cheek. Then they were kissing again, the rest of the world fading to the background as they became lost in one another.

They went slow, just as they said they would. They undressed one another unhurriedly, explored one another without hastiness. Danielle had thought she would be embarrassed when Jasper finally saw her – all of her – but even once their clothes were scattered across the floor, once their hands were caressing bare skin, the embarrassment never came. The love she could feel from him, the desire that kept washing over her as strongly and as constantly as the waves of the ocean outside their bedroom, the way he looked at her like she was the most remarkable thing he had ever seen effectively chased away any insecurities she might have had. She was his, and he was hers, and there was nothing to be afraid of, nor embarrassed about.

They took their time to learn each other, discovering through explorative kisses and caressing hands what made the other sigh, or gasp, or tremble. Their desire for each other peaked to feverish heights, until they could no longer hold back. Danielle ached for Jasper, felt this sort of desperation to be joined with him that she had never felt so strongly before. And she knew he felt it, too, knew he needed her as badly as she needed him.

When they were finally joined, when they were finally one, they both had to take a moment. There was pain for Danielle, but she had known there would be. Jasper stilled above her, his eyes closed tightly, giving her time to adjust and, she suspected, giving himself time to adjust. The pain eventually began to subside, but Jasper was still frozen above her, his face still a mask of concentration. Danielle gently touched his face and leaned up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. He opened his eyes, which were midnight black now.

"Are…are you…?" he asked, his voice husky and strained.

"I'm okay," she whispered, nodding her head. "You're okay."

Jasper exhaled, then leaned down to kiss her. Finally, they began to move, and as soon as she felt the new, delicious feelings he was creating in her body, she had to gasp with pleasure. Jasper froze again, clearly mistaking her pleasure for pain, his eyebrows furrowing with concern. But she urged him to keep moving, telling him with her kisses and her touches that she was fine. That she wanted him. That she needed him.

They made love slowly at first, carefully. But as their pleasure grew and Jasper's confidence began to spike, a new sort of urgency began to take over. They moved faster, with more purpose, their passion for one another burning hotter and brighter with every moment. Their lips began to kiss with wild abandon, their hands clutching tightly to another as they moved in desperation toward that final precipice. Distantly Danielle thought she heard something being ripped, but she was so far gone she didn't pay it any mind. Her mind was clouded with desire for the vampire making love to her, her only coherent thought being to keep making love to Jasper, keep touching him and kissing him and moving with him. But it wasn't just her desire she felt – Jasper was not even attempting to keep a reign on his powers, and she could feel every single ounce of his want for her, of his need for her. The undiluted lust and hunger that swamped her made her head swim, made her feel like she would catch on fire right then and there.

Finally, they reached that sweet moment of completion. They clung to one another afterward, trembling and gasping, neither wanting to separate from the other just yet. Eventually Jasper recovered enough to kiss her, whispering over and over again how much he loved her, before moving to lie on his back and gathering her up in his arms, his lips pressing kisses to her temple, her hair, her cheeks – anything he could reach without actually having to move to do so.

They lay in comfortable silence for a while. Danielle rested her head on his chest, too sated, too content to lift even a finger. Jasper lay with one arm behind his head, the other wrapped securely around her. She could feel his fingertips drawing lazy patterns against her skin.

"How do you feel?" he asked, his voice echoing beneath her ear.

Danielle finally found it in herself to lift her head and smile at him. There was concern in his eyes, but there was also happiness and satisfaction. "Amazing," she said with a dreamy smile. The concern, small as it had been, immediately melted away from his eyes. "How do you feel?"

Jasper smiled, his hand finding its way into her red curls. He leaned down to kiss her languidly, before pulling back to rest his forehead against hers. As nervous as he had seemed earlier, there wasn't any sign of it now. "Never better."

Happiness bloomed in her chest, though whether it was hers or his, she couldn't really say anymore. She rested her head on his chest again and snuggled closer, loving the way his bare body felt pressed against her own. Exhaustion was creeping in fast, encouraged even more by the comfort and satisfaction she felt after making love with Jasper.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Jasper suggested quietly as he sensed her tiredness, his lips ghosting over her hair again. "I'll be right here with you."

Danielle nodded, then lifted her head one more time to kiss him goodnight. "I love you, Jazz," she murmured against his lips.

Jasper smiled contentedly and kissed her back. "I love you, too, darlin'."

Danielle returned her head to the spot on his chest, her body feeling heavier as she relaxed against him. And with a smile on her face and happiness in her heart, she soon drifted off to sleep in the protective arms of her husband.

SQUEEEE. I sincerely hope you guys enjoyed it!

Next chapter – honeymoon adventures with Jasper and Danielle! Sunburns and dancing and sappiness galore!