Disclaimer: As with the 1935 outtake, all the italicized sections here are from the 1549 version of the Book of Common Prayer, with Carlisle's (my) adjustment into Modern English. I also copied and pasted a couple of things from the 1935 wedding and its outtake, but I don't suppose I need a disclaimer for that. I hope you all enjoy the wedding! Tissue alert...
The others were already rushing in, smiling at Alice's obvious shock. Carlisle was just climbing in through the broken window, and Carmen had her hand on her mouth, trying desperately not to cry out loud. Alice finally blinked, gasping for air and visions.
"I never… how did… but I… yes!"
We all cheered and Carmen finally broke down, burying her face in Eleazar's chest. A diamond ring magically appeared in Jasper's hand, and Alice's eyes widened impossibly further as he slipped it onto her finger, his own hands trembling slightly. He stood up, taking her face in his hands and staring down at her in wonder. Alice was already far away, bouncing violently between visions of white satin, flower arbors, impossibly tall heels, shopping for rings…
"Oh Jasper," she squeaked. "We have so much to do! First, we'll need to get our… and alterations… I think Rosalie would look best in… and we'll need to bring down the rest of the Denalis… oh! Eleazar, do you think if I tried really, really hard I could figure out where Peter and Charlotte are? "
But Jasper suddenly had one last inspiration. He gently turned Alice's face so that she was looking at him again. "No," he said quietly. "I don't want to wait another day, or another night, now that I know it's possible to make you my wife. I don't want to wait another second. Marry me right now."
Alice gasped again as all her visions melted away, to be replaced by Jasper's hopeful face. A gentle smile bloomed, lighting up all of her features.
"Now just a minute!" Rosalie said, stepping forward.
"Shh," Alice breathed, still staring up at Jasper. Rosalie turned to Esme, tugging on her sleeve.
"He's manipulating her," she hissed. "She wouldn't want to miss-"
"No, he isn't," I interrupted quietly. "I can tell. Let her be."
We all waited, unbreathing, while Alice slowly inched closer to Jasper, deeper inside his embrace, until she was looking straight up at him. "Right now," she agreed in a whisper. He broke into a huge grin and gripped her face harder, his excitement and love flooding the room. He bent down to kiss her, but she wrenched out his grasp and darted away. "Not yet!" she laughed, hiding behind Esme and Rosalie.
Carlisle turned to his wife, looking rather confused. "Shall I… get the prayer book, then?"
Esme lifted her chin, smiling serenely. "Yes, and we're all going to change immediately. Jasper, go outside now, and don't you even think of looking at Alice again until it's time! I'll bring you your uniform in a moment. Carmen, you and I..."
She took charge completely. Rosalie was sent outside to gather flowers, Emmett was instructed to rearrange the furniture in such and such a way, and Carlisle was, after a moment of pleading, allowed to wear his tuxedo and not the waistcoat and breeches. The wedding preparations took exactly seven minutes, and that was only because Eleazar had to try on all of Carlisle's suits to find the best fit before calling the rest of the family up in Alaska. We didn't even know that they had gotten a phone, but it was a good thing they had. He explained the whole thing at vampire speed while Carmen adjusted his tie and tied his shoelaces. There was a good deal of squealing and questions from the sisters, and it took him quite a while to get the story to them; after all, they hadn't even known about Alice and Jasper until now.
Meanwhile, I donned my tux in record time and then dumped the contents of my human mother's jewelry box all over the top of my desk. There was really no reason to hurry, but we were all feeling Jasper's urgency and excitement more with every minute. I fished through the contents until I found two good bands that looked approximately like wedding rings. I dashed back out to the living room as I tucked them into my vest pocket, and crash-landed onto the piano bench. Eleazar was still in the middle of the phone call, and Carmen and Esme were just tying the last bunch of roses onto the corners of the now-white buffet which would serve as the altar.
Edward! Alice yelled to me mentally. Ask Carlisle if we can do the candle thing! You know, like at Rosalie's and Emmett's wedding?
Carlisle was just rushing down the stairs then, adjusting his tie with his right hand and carrying a clean white sheet, his Bible and Book of Common Prayer with the left. When I relayed Alice's request, he spun right around and headed back up into his and Esme's room, reappearing two seconds later with three tapers and a book of matches in his right hand. Esme hurried to untie the roses again so that he could spread the sheet over the buffet. As soon as he turned back around I tossed him the rings, which he caught in midair.
Emmett had already filled the living room with furniture, lining everything up in two neat rows. There were couches, easy chairs, a couple of tables, bureaus, and even Esme's old easel. Everything was set exactly four feet apart in order to create the aisle. The aisle began right at the patio door, ran the length of the living room, and ended a couple of feet to the right of the piano, beside which Emmett had positioned all the dining room chairs. For the aisle itself, Esme had unfurled a roll of white wallpaper that she had been planning to use in the new bathroom.
As soon as Eleazar could get the Denali sisters to stop talking, he laid the telephone receiver down onto the corner of the altar so that they could hear the rest of the ceremony. Then he darted back outside, reappearing a moment later with Jasper, who was being led with his eyes closed. This was because Alice was just jumping out of the bathroom window, fluttering down to earth in the white knee-length dress she had worn on the night Jasper had tried the blood challenge. As soon as she landed, Rosalie attacked her hair with the same ferocity she had shown in Jasper's combat training. Carmen ripped the top layer right off of the skirt of Alice's dress, which was sheer and transparent: instant veil. She called for Esme, who ran out to give her scissors, needle and thread, and then ran right back in to finish the flowers.
I started to play the "Jasper Alone" movement of my recent composition while this was all going on. Carlisle was explaining the order of the ceremony to Jasper at the same time as he kicked away the bigger glass shards that were still laying on the carpet beside the piano. The piano itself was still covered with a thousand tiny crystals of broken windowpane. But I decided to leave them; they were vibrating as I played, giving the music a strange, glittering resonance. And besides, the sun was just setting, its rays shooting all sort of colors through the broken glass. This was sending a rainbow of sparkles across the walls and ceiling, even more brilliant than the duller sparkles caused by our skin.
"Esme," I said, nodding toward the broken glass pieces, which were now rattling slightly as the song rose in volume. "Flowers?" She flashed me an approving smile and plucked a handful of rose petals off the nearest bouquet, scattering them atop the piano amidst the broken glass.
"Ready?" Carlisle asked, tossing one final chunk of glass out the now-paneless window.
"Ready," Jasper said. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and turned to Esme for a final inspection. She tugged at the bottom of his uniform jacket and adjusted his sash. Then she backed away, tilting her head as she tried to think of some way to spruce him up, just so that he would look different from when he had worn it the first time. Finally she made her choice. She quickly tore a thin strip of leather from the bottom of my couch, which Emmett had stood on one of its ends to mark the last part of the aisle, opposite Carlisle's bureau. She slipped behind Jasper and pulled his hair back, tying it into a ponytail with the leather strip. I didn't think he looked any different, but judging by Esme's motherly smile, I supposed the change was a good one.
"Now we're ready," she announced. She lit the two outside candles and then disappeared with Carlisle down the narrow aisle. Emmett came back inside at the same moment, knocking over the living room couch in his effort to slip past them. I shook my head and smiled down at the keys, mentally checking to see if the ladies were ready. They were.
I quieted the song now, since I was still in the middle of Jasper's theme. A few improvised chords made a seamless transition into Alice's theme, and Jasper turned toward me, noticing the change. He drew another deep breath, his eyes flickering down the empty aisle. He was standing alone by the altar now. "Em," I hissed, nodding over toward Jasper. Emmett jumped up went to stand behind our brother, who gave him a grateful nod.
Eleazar turned in his seat to wait for Carmen and the others to come down the aisle. It seems like just yesterday we did this for Emmett and Rosalie. Why do I always end up sitting by myself at these things?
He didn't have to wait long. Carmen floated down the aisle first, taking her seat beside him after laying her flowers on the altar. Esme was next. Rosalie was the last one, and she stayed up at the front, opposite Emmett. Their eyes locked as they remembered their own wedding days, both the one with our family and the one in Las Vegas. Emmett quirked a sly grin and mouthed, Marry me again?
Rosalie gasped in surprise and promptly dropped her bouquet, spilling the roses all over the carpet. But there was no time to clean them up; Carlisle and Alice were just stepping up onto the patio. I improvised another chord progression, transitioning into the third movement of the piece. The music swelled, making the glass shards rattle in applause, and our little audience stood for the bride. Alice finally saw Jasper- she had done her best to avoid seeing him, too- and she froze, one foot back on the patio and one in the house. Apparently, Jasper with his hair tied back was a sight she had never seen before, and more than she could take. If she was human, I think she would have fainted right there. Jasper wasn't in much better shape, himself: the dress was nothing new, but the sight of Alice being brought to him under a veil was doing something strange to his gift. The whole room began to buzz with anticipation and an odd feeling of… reverence?
Carlisle bent down to whisper some encouragement in Alice's ear, but she wouldn't budge. He chuckled and picked her up by the shoulders and lifted her over the threshold into the living room. She finally came back to life and gulped in a huge breath, hanging onto Carlisle's arm for dear life as she began her walk down the aisle.
While we had all been watching her in amusement, Rosalie had discreetly kicked her pile of spilled roses forward, and the aisle was now scattered with the petals. Alice noticed this, and finally snuck a glance around at the rest of the changes in the room. The distraction was enough to get her mind off her sudden anxiety, and she picked up the pace, so that Carlisle now had to hold her back to prevent her from running the rest of the way to Jasper. They soon reached him, and Carlisle laid Alice's hand in Jasper's. He then flashed around Alice, turning around to officiate.
"Dearly beloved friends," he began, flipping through to the right page as he stepped into place. He didn't really need the book, of course, but in times like this it was a comfort to do things the human way.
We are gathered here today in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is an honorable estate instituted of God in paradise, in the time of innocent man, signifying unto us the mystical union that is between Christ and his Church: which in holy estate, Christ adorned and beautified with his presence, and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and it is commended of Saint Paul to be honorable among all men; and therefore is not to be enterprised, nor taken in hand unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly, to satisfy men's carnal lusts and appetites, like brute beasts that have no understanding: but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God.
Carlisle closed the Book and looked around at our gathering, sparing a glance toward the telephone receiver, which signified the invisible cousins who were also in attendance. He laughed suddenly at the absurdity of our ramshackle preparations and shook his head, smiling at Alice and Jasper.
"I'm afraid I haven't had time to prepare any wise words for this occasion! But I find I have some things to say, nonetheless. Alice and Jasper... I know I speak for all of us when I say that I am truly happy to have you in our family. And truly blessed, to be able to share this joyful day with you. It is a marvel to consider the separate paths that have brought you to this day. If I may be forgiven some irreverence on this solemn occasion…" He smiled again. "There is something magical about the two of you. You were so clearly made to find one another, though the waiting was long and difficult. And you were both so incomplete without one another- Alice, with your loneliness, and Jasper, with your hopelessness, that I believe Heaven and Earth were moved to bring you together. It was as supernatural as the formation of Alice's gift, and as ordinary as a rainy day in Philadelphia, but that was what it took. You found one another, and the combination of your powerful gifts and your deep love makes this day extraordinary. When I watch you two together, I see a love so pure and mysterious that I am truly humbled. And honored, to see this ultimate consummation of your love done today.
"Alice," he continued, turning to his newest daughter, "All that I have to say is that I am absurdly pleased with myself, that I managed to keep this from your visions until now!"
We all laughed, and Alice finally relaxed her shoulders, giggling behind her veil. Jasper rubbed the backs of her hands with his thumbs.
"For the benefit of our cousins," Carlisle said, glancing toward the phone again, "I will now tell you how I managed this incredible feat. I was, of course, hoping to see this day from the moment that Alice and Jasper joined our family. You all know that I hold marriage to be a most sacred covenant, regardless of species. But I felt it unwise to suggest such a thing immediately, considering the difficult beginning that we had together. And Jasper, there was also the delicate matter of your thirst, and my plans for its management; I did not want to burden you with too much at once. I did have a feeling that you would want to follow my advice, though. So I took it upon myself to buy the ring, several weeks ago."
"How did you even hide that from me?" Alice asked.
"I knew that you rarely watch me at work, because of the blood," Carlisle replied. "I ordered it from a catalog, and had it delivered to my office at the hospital. It's been hidden in the pocket of my lab coat for the past month." We all laughed again at this, and Carlisle held up his hand for silence. "Edward has known about this longer than anyone else, though he only knew that a surprise for Alice was in store. I needed him, when the time came, to give some sort of signal for the diversion. Once I got the idea in my head of surprising you, Alice, I was determined to make it happen. And so over the past few weeks, I've carefully slipped instructions to everyone about the need for the diversion, and waited for the right moment. And with our cousins here this week, you've been so focused on learning economics that I knew it just might work. And of course, this week had the extra bonus of having two more family members present. Though I hadn't expected the engagement to last seven minutes!"
"And the ceremony is going to be longer than the engagement, at this rate," Eleazar muttered, looking at his watch.
"And so today," Carlisle continued, speaking over our laughter again, "it was the perfect opportunity. I was going out alone with Jasper, and I was careful not to make the final decision until I was already back within Edward's range. But I did take the ring along with me, just in case. And I had already told Eleazar about the surprise, and I had Esme tell Carmen. When we got close enough, I told Edward to give everyone the signal-"
"I should have known!" Alice interrupted, turning toward me and twisting her veil askew. "You never polish your own shoes!"
"I most certainly do," I retorted, missing a beat in my piano playing.
Carlisle cleared his throat loudly, and tugged on the nearest corner of Alice's veil to straighten it. "I had Edward give the signal, and then I spoke to Jasper. And do you know what he said to me, Alice?"
Jasper tightened his grip on Alice's hands, fingering her engagement ring as he spoke. "I told him that nothing could make me happier, or more complete, than to become one with you in every way possible. That marrying you was a dream that I hadn't yet allowed myself, but that I've felt so human these past few weeks… that despite what we are, maybe you and I are worthy of living a life together, and not just an existence. That I didn't even have a life until I came into yours."
"Jazz," Alice whispered, "You know my life began with seeing your face. But I didn't really begin to live until you found me."
"Quite so," Carlisle said, his voice failing him for a moment. "This is the magic that I spoke of. Jasper, Alice loved you so much that she willingly endured decades of solitude in order to wait for you. Did she ever tell you about the time she considered coming to find us early? Before she met up with you?"
Jasper's eyebrows shot up, and he glanced down at Alice with a new uncertainty. "No."
"She was so lonely, Jasper. Having us for company in her visions wasn't enough. You know how friendly and personable your mate is. And so she considered coming to us ahead of time, without you. Not instead of you- she just thought you could join up with all of us eventually. But she didn't, because her visions led her to believe that this might delay your meeting, or have some other negative impact on your bond. And so she chose to wait, alone. She waited for you for almost thirty years, on the off chance that doing anything else might somehow spoil the future she had seen of the two of you share.
"And Alice, the love that Jasper bears for you is equally as powerful. He chose to commit to a lifestyle that was completely foreign to his way of thinking, just to please you. And now, he is still enduring the pain that this new lifestyle causes every day, just so he can be everything you want him to be. I don't think any of us can truly appreciate just how difficult that effort is. Jasper is literally burning twenty-four hours a day, Alice, just to be worthy of you.
"Even if I had weeks with which to write a sermon, how could I call either of you to a love that is any higher than that which you already hold for one another? The only counsel I can offer is this: that as you encounter new experiences together, that you continue to love and honor one another as you have already learned to do. That you respect the special burden of each other's gifts, and that each of you share that burden honestly with the other. And when problems arise, as they most certainly will, I urge you both to remember that forgiveness and patience are virtues, and just as holy as the great love you have been allotted. You will never be alone in your struggles, either; just as Heaven and Earth were moved to bring you together, so you were meant to be a part of this family. I am especially humbled by the trust you have placed in me, who did not create either of you. I find that my heart has grown the same measure of love for you, as if it were my own venom that had transformed you. It is my fervent prayer that you both find the same eternal joy and comfort in one another that Esme and I have found in our own marriage. Let us pray."
O Eternal God, creator and preserver of all mankind, giver of spiritual grace, the author of everlasting life: Send Thy blessing upon these Thy servants, this man, and this woman, whom we bless in Thy name, that as Isaac and Rebecca, after bracelets and jewels of gold given of the one to the other for tokens of their matrimony, lived faithfully together; so these persons may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant between them made, whereof this ring is given, and received, is a token and pledge. And may they ever remain in perfect love and peace together; and live according to Thy laws, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I played louder as I circled back to the beginning of the third movement again, trying to drown out the sniffles coming out of the telephone. Carlisle drew aside, motioning for Alice and Jasper to make their way to the altar. Jasper stared for a moment into the flame, remembering all the deaths he had dealt by firelight, all the people he had torn apart and fed to the bonfires that seemed to always be present in his memories. Not anymore, he thought firmly. He picked up the candle with a steady hand, tilting the flame to join Alice's on the dry wick of the center candle. A new flame was born, and their eyes met as they blew out the candles representing their separate lives.
Carlisle took the rings out his pocket, giving the larger one to Alice. But he frowned down at the smaller one; it was still too big. He carefully crushed the gold between his fingers, molding it back into a smaller circle than before. Jasper watched curiously as Alice slid his wedding ring halfway onto his finger, and then copied her when Carlisle was satisfied with her ring. Carlisle clasped their joined hands in his own, lifting them higher.
"These rings are the visible symbol of the commitment that Alice and Jasper are making today. In a human ceremony, their circular form suggests an eternal love, and its eternal promise. For humans, this symbol is hyperbolic. But it holds a literal meaning to our kind. When we find our true mate and the bond that it gives, the love therein is designed to be truly eternal. It cannot be broken by time or by death. It cannot bear this separation, for it is not meant to do so."
He lowered their hands, and they cited their vows together after him- the same ones that Rosalie and Emmett had sworn.
"Here I pledge my eternal love, stronger than blood, stronger than venom. I pledge to cherish you, to honor you, to follow and defend you. My silent heart will beat only for you, and my cold countenance will warm only to you. I will journey this earth forever with you, until its ending or our own. If death take you, I will avenge and follow you. If death take me, I will await you. I will celebrate our love anew with each sunrise, and marvel in the glistening wonder of each day with you. I will seek your good with all my heart, and defeat all those who seek your peril. I will love you, first in my heart, forever. As God is my witness, I give you this ring as my promise; herein I plight my troth."
Carlisle opened the Book again, his voice strong as he delivered his blessing.
Those whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Forasmuch as Jasper and Alice have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same here before God and this company; and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving rings, and by joining of hands: I pronounce that they be man and wife together. In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. God the Father bless you. God the Son keep you. God the Holy Ghost lighten your understanding. The Lord mercifully with His favor look upon you, and so fill you with all spiritual benediction, and grace, that you may have remission of your sins in this life, and the world to come, life everlasting. Amen.
Jasper already had his wife in his arms before the "Amen" was out, and her veil fluttered across the room as he pulled it off and flung it away to kiss her.
"SOMEBODY TAKE A PICTURE!" Kate yelled from the phone. Esme leapt up from her seat, still crying, and snapped a picture of the newlyweds with the camera she had been holding ready in her lap. We all stood and applauded, and Emmett hooted his approval as Jasper swept Alice up off of her feet, deepening his kiss.
I sat back down to play a recessional, but another inspiration struck me instead. Waving for Esme to get the camera ready again, I swept my arm across the top of the piano, sending a spray of sparkling glass and rose petals into the air. The camera flashed again just as the glass rained down on the happy couple, followed by a softer shower of rose petals. Jasper's gift trembled and sputtered like the candle's flame, and the whole house suddenly shook with a heart-blinding explosion of true love.