There was a ring of a phone in the next second. I didn't have to see the caller ID to know exactly what who it was. Alice. I sighed through my unblocked nostril.

Bella stood up to pull her cell phone out of her back pocket, the fingers of her other hand never leaving mine. "Hello?"

"What did he say!?" Alice shrieked so loud, Bella had to hold the phone away from her face at arms length to prevent hearing loss.

"I'll talk to her." I volunteered. Bella handed me the phone, but I had a hard time getting it up to my face with my twitchy hands, so Bella ended up holding it for me. "Hello?"

"Edward," She shrieked again. "What did you say?"

"What do you think?"

"And I'm not there?" She whined. "I had visions for your guys' wedding. It was going to be perfect. I already saw it."

"This is what Bella wants." I said, my fingers tightening around hers reflexively. "And It's what I want." I said softly, just above a whisper.

There was a pause. I thought for a moment that she had hung up. "I'm wretchedly disappointed, you know." She said finally. "It's going to take a million years to make it up to me."

"I know." I smiled. "I'll think of something."

"And a Porsche isn't going to cut it this time."

I coughed involuntarily - hard and wet. Bella stood up and grabbed a towel before I accidentally destroyed my shirt. The effect of Kotoko's power kept the pain at bay, but I wasn't without all the other party favors that came with this horrid disease.

"Okay, okay." She said. "Get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow."

"Thanks, Alice."

"I love you, little brother."

"I love you too."

Bella took her phone back, placed it on the bedside table, and then scooched close next to me, the towel still in her hand. Very carefully, I looped one of my arms around her and ran my shaky hand down her face.

"Alice isn't very happy?" She guessed, her fingers stroking my forearm.

"She's more disappointed that she's not planning the wedding." The corners of my mouth hitched up.

"Wedding?" Esme said as she came into my room. Her thoughts tinged with surprise. Rosalie heard it too, because I heard her thoughts barreling in from wherever she was, disbelieving thoughts cycling through her head.

Bella pressed her face into my shoulder, her brown eyes shining up into mine. "Tell them Edward."

"We are - as of fifteen minutes ago - getting married." I announced. And coughed.

Both of their jaw dropped. Really? Esme clasped her hands together excitedly. Oh, that's so amazing. I'm so happy for the both of you. I love both of you so much.

"Thanks, Mom." I whispered.

"When are you going to have this wedding?" Rosalie asked aloud.

"To…morrow." Bella answered, her hand tightening around mine.

"What are you going to wear?" Rosalie asked again. A picture of Bella's haggard state formed in her mind. Of course, Rosalie banished that thought quickly and turned back to herself. What am I going to wear?

"I have a dress." A voice with a Japanese accent said from the door. Everyone turned to Keiko, who had a bunch of folded white sheets clasped to her chest and was peeking into the room like she was afraid she was interrupting. A reflection of everyone in the room staring at her formed in her mind. She took a step back, uneasy to be the center of attention. "If you please, Bella-san." She made a short bow.

"That would be great, thanks Keiko." Bella smiled warmly at her.

She's so nice. Keiko thought. I wonder if she would let me do her hair, as well. She has such pretty hair. Would that be rude of me to ask?

Exhaustion weighed on me all of a sudden, like I had to physically exert myself to read minds. I tried pressing out beyond the walls of my little hospital room. I found Carlisle and Dr. Funai in a large underground lab of some sorts.

"Um," Bella said and I opened them again. Her face was twisted with embarrassment, pink tinging both of her cheeks. "I know it's been awhile, but Carlisle is still a pastor…right?"

My brows furrowed, enervation zapping the life out of me. "Why do you ask?" I garbled.

"Well, we need someone to officiate."

A hot trickle of blood made its way down my face from my nostril. Bella wiped it away with a towel before I ruined my shirt. I didn't hear Esme's answer to Bella's question – I was asleep before she even opened her mouth.

I was standing in the Bella and I's meadow. The sun was hot overhead and the trees swayed in the soft breeze. The wild flowers around my feet bloomed in a hundred different colors.

"Dearest Edward." A voice behind me said.

I turned around to find my mother about fifteen feet away from me. She was wearing the same dress as before, the same apron over it, the same white flour handprints where she dusted her hands off. Her hands went to her dark red hair to keep the loose pieces out of her green eyes.

I didn't run to her this time. I felt like I was frozen, rooted like the large trees that surrounded us.

"Mother," My brows furrowed. "Why are we here?"

"You're getting close to the end, my love." She said. "There isn't much time now."

"Why does it have to end, though?"

She shook her head sadly. "All good things must come to an end."

I felt tears mist over my eyes. "But, I finally found happiness. I finally found love." I groaned hard with the stab of sadness and desperation in-between my ribs. "Why does God do this? Why does He torture us like this?"

She walked forward and placed her hand on the side of my face. "Don't lose hope, my love."

Don't lose hope.

I opened my eyes to Keiko, who was changing the bag of blood that hung over my head, the fire blazing over me. I jerked with a lightning strike of agony and a despairing cry escaped my lips. Nine, the pain was a nine now.

My own tortured expression filling her head as she watched me writhe around on the bed, the color of my eyes a bright, cherry red. I rolled to my side, huddling into a fetal position. If I waited, it would pass. That had been my mantra for the last seven months I had been battling TS. Not this time. Not anymore. It had me in a chokehold and was threatening to smother me under its power.

A hand found mine. Oh, Edward-kun. Keiko thought as she started to pull the pain from me with her powers. I'm so, so sorry.

Her thoughts cut into my head like a serrated knife, sawing right into my brain. I cried out with it, my hands going to my temples. I watched her register that pain with her own powers and she shifted to take this new pain away.

"You read minds, but your powers are hurting you?" She asked aloud, her brows furrowing in concern.

"I guess so." I said as I pressed my eyes shut and rubbed the sides of my forehead.

"When did this start happening?"

"I don't know. Now, I guess."

"I will have to let Funai-sensei know." Does it hurt now? She thought hesitantly.

It did, but it was more like an annoying bug sting than a knife. "I think I'm okay. Thank you." I breathed as the pain in my body faded into a distant echo. I stayed on my side, letting it wane completely before I tried to turn. "Hey, Keiko?" I started, my voice rough.

Her golden eyes were on me. "Hai! I mean, yes, Edward-kun?"

"What time is it?"

"Around noon." She answered.

I turned around and sat up, my brows furrowing. "How long was I asleep?"

Keiko's lips pursed as she did the math.

"About seventeen hours, son." Carlisle said as he came into my room a pile of clothes in his hands. "How are you feeling? How's the pain?"

"After Keiko, it's about a four."

He nodded. Do you want some assistance getting dressed for your big day?

Sting. I winced and looked down at my pajamas and smiled. "Yeah, I can't really get married in these, can I?"

"I'll go see if Funai-sensei needs assistance." Keiko bowed to the both of us before scurrying out of the room, her kimono sleeves flipped over her arms.

Carlisle lowered one of the roll bars and helped me get sat up on the edge of the bed. He quickly got a clean white button down over my white undershirt, taking care not to jostle the line that was affixed to my face.

I watched him, the line in his eyebrows that seemed to be permanently affixed there nowadays deepening as he worked on getting the shirt buttoned. I looked at his gold hair. I thought back to when I woke up after the transformation, confused and frightened and thirsty. His hand ran through my hair. "It's okay, my son." He said gently, comfortingly. My own father didn't even call me his son. "You are safe now."

"I'm sorry." I said quietly, the words bubbling to my lips.

His dark eyes flashed to me as he buttoned my shirt. What are you apologizing for?

I winced at the sting of the voice in my head. "Can you speak when you talk?" I pointed to my head. "My ESP is on the fritz." I tried to make light of this new manifestation of the disease. But, the cloud that weighed on me grew darker as we both realized the truth – this was just another way my own venom was breaking me down, another means to the end, another brick in the grave.

"Absolutely, son." His eyebrows furrowed in concern. "I still don't understand the apology, however."

"For everything." I whispered. "For being wretched to you. For blaming you for this." I shook my head.

I watched his eyes tighten, but he kept his thoughts cleared. "I'm going to stand you up, okay?" He put both of my hands on his shoulders and picked me to get my trousers on. I winced with my achy joints, raising stiffly like I needed to be oiled.

"You only ever give and expect nothing in return." I said, my voice breaking as I let everything pour out. "I'm so sorry. I know how much I've been hurting you these past months and all you're trying to do is help me. Please forgive me."

Both of his hands cupped my face. "There's nothing to forgive. I'm so proud of you, Edward. You don't realize it, but I watch you. You have been so strong, overcoming and fighting every single day. You're such a blessing." He pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "And I fight for you because I know that if our roles were reversed, you would do the same for me." He said.

"I love you, Dad." I closed my eyes. "I don't know how I got so lucky to have you as a father."

"I love you too, son. You're my first blessing. The one that made me realize that our kind was capable of love and compassion and hope."

I smiled as I thought of my dream. Don't lose hope.

We decided to have the ceremony in one of the many hidden gardens that surrounded the palace, underneath a grove of cherry trees, their leaves bright green and swaying in the light breeze.

The sun was shining overhead and the cicadas buzzed their own version of the wedding march as we huddled together in the shade. I was propped up – at my insistence - on my feet with a walker, my IV pole of blood positioned behind me. Esme and Keiko on either side of me, ready to catch me if I tipped. Carlisle stood at the head next to me, his elderly Bible closed in his hand. Keiko had doubled her efforts of her powers on me to ensure I was pain free in all regards. Which I was, but the extreme pain relief also came with a sense of euphoria. Keiko was right – she was actually vampire morphine.

We're right here, baby. Esme thought, her face twisting like it was going to cry. I'm so proud of you.

Dum. Dum-duh-dum. Rosalie hummed Pachelbel's Canon in D in her head. Here she comes the bride…

I watched Bella float down the aisle. It wasn't my fantasy – we weren't on the beach. I only had half my family and none of hers, she wasn't carrying flowers – but she was beautiful anyway. Her dress was a white cotton sundress that cinched at the waist in the loveliest way. She was barefoot and had crown of flowers in her flowing mahogany hair.

As I watched her approach, I thought about our whole relationship. All I was taken back to biology class in Forks High School that first day I smelled her. The day I saved her from being run over by Tyler's van. I thought about the first night I watched her sleep. The night I figured out I was in love with her. The day I introduced her to my family. When I found her in that ballet studio, broken and so, so brave.

Her eyes locked with mine and I watched a smile spread over her face.

She deserved so much more than me. But it was me that she chose. And I realized in that moment as she reached out her hand to grab mine that maybe God didn't answer the prayers of monsters and maybe we didn't have souls, but we were allowed the small joy of falling in love.

Our own taste of heaven.

"Dearly beloved." Carlisle started, one hand on my shoulder and the other grabbing Bella's. "We come together today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments - marriage."

Carlisle went on to talk about how marriage was a promise between two people who love each other. And while I listened to Carlisle, I watched Bella's face. The curve of her smile and the deep wells of her eyes. The way the sun brought out golden speckles in them.

I coughed and my knee decided to give out. Three pairs of hands – including Bella's – were on me at once. But, I had a walker to hold myself up on. "I'm okay." I assured without taking my eyes off of Bella's. I was more than okay. The strikes could literally burn me at the stake, and I would be just fine. I had Bella.

I'm almost done, son. Carlisle assured in his head. "No matter the challenges you both face; you will face them together." He picked up both of hands and put them on top of each other. "No matter how much you succeed, grow, and flourish, you will do it together. Because you are not two people now, you are one now in love and commitment." Carlisle paused and glanced at Bella. "You said you had something, Bella?"

I looked at Bella in questioning as she nodded and turned to as she was handed a slip of paper from Rosalie. I'm not saying anything. This was all her. Rosalie thought.

"Edward Cullen," She cleared her voice. "I hated you at first." Her mouth hitched up in a smile and tears formed in her eyes. "You were arrogant and pigheaded. You still can be that way sometimes." She snorted a laugh.

True. Rosalie thought from behind Bella.

"But, you are sweet and loyal and so very, very protective of me, because you love me." She choked up in tears and I moved my hand to her face to catch them. "And I wonder out loud to God how I, Isabella Swan, drew the lucky lottery of fate and found you – the most perfect person out of everyone else who has ever lived on this planet in the last one hundred years." She shook her head. "And I realized that I didn't win a lotto. I was made for you and you were made for me. It just took a century and a transformation into a vampire a move to a tiny Washington town and a very lucky biology class to find each other." She looked up at me, her eyes shining with tears. "I promise I will love you forever, Edward Cullen. Whatever that forever means."

"Bella," I whispered, unable to speak. I felt dizzy. But, not from the strikes.

"Edward, would you like to say your vows?"

I nodded and gripped her hand. "I, Edward Cullen, take, you Isabella Swan, to be my wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward…" I took a breath. "As long as we both shall live."

"I, Isabella Swan, take, you Edward Cullen to be my husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness-," She winced, just slightly at that word. "-and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward. As long as we both shall live."

"Edward, you may now kiss your bride." Carlisle said.

I cupped her face and we kissed. It wasn't the fervent kiss of desperation, the clock ticking down until it was too late. It was a new sunrise on the horizon. The first rays of light after the darkest part of the night. A reminder to breathe and to hope.

It was just us, in love - husband and wife - like it always should've been.

There was a small celebration afterwards in one the many empty rooms of the castle. This one had marble floors and art on different pedestals set under recessed lighting.

I'm so happy for you, my love. Esme said and kissed me on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mom."

Congratulations, Edward. Rosalie hugged me. You guys make a handsome couple.

"Edward-kun," Keiko bowed at me and Bella, her elaborate kimono shiny in the fluorescent lighting. "Thank you for letting me be apart of your happy moment."

Even Dr. Funai was there, briefly before returning to her lab. Kekkon Omedatō. Congratulations.

Unfortunately, the time on my feet was starting to catch up to me. I grew dizzy and fatigued. Before I collapsed, was moved to a wheelchair, where I held onto Bella with one hand and dozed on the other. Very romantic. I thought briefly with chagrin. But, at least I was pain free, thanks to Keiko.

And very, very happy. Over the moon happy.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Are you good to stay away for a little bit longer?" I grunted and opened my eyes to Bella, my wife, bent down and kissed me. Long and slow, her warm lips lingered over mine. We were alone now, everyone moving to a distant part of the castle to give us our privacy. "I have a wedding present for you." She said against my lips.

I opened my mouth slightly, breathing in her scent. "Really?"

She nodded, her eyes flashing, and pulled away and moved behind me. My bag of blood found a place on my lap and the wheelchair I was in started to move through the old castle. I watched my setting pass as Bella pushed me. The walls were decorated ornately with landscapes. Baroque wood carvings made up the beams of the ceiling. It was a beautiful place. You wouldn't believe there was a vampire's laboratory and personal hospital tucked into the center of it.

We turned a corner and the castle interior changed. It took on a minimalist look, like the hallways of a hotel. The walls grew thicker and the artwork grew sparse. Fluorescent overhead lighting replaced the dim wall sconces. "Where are we going?" I felt my brows furrow in question.

"You'll see." She said. "It's apart of the surprise."

I lapsed back into silence. I was tired, the fog around my face threatening to overtake me. I felt like my actual age – having to take naps between activities. That was very age-appropriate for a 108-year-old man.

Bella laughed above my head. "You just gave me your hand in marriage." She said. "That's enough."

We turned another corner and came into a room that was completely empty except for a beautiful grand piano that sat in the center.

"What is this?" I breathed, trying to twist around to see Bella's face.

Bella came around the wheelchair into my view. Her hand came out like she was game show host showing off the prize. Her bare feet and white dress out of place. She should've been in a red cocktail gown and heels. "This is your wedding present."

"Bella, I already have a piano." I glanced down at my restless hands. Not one I can play anymore either.

She rolled her beautiful eyes at me. "You're ridiculous." She planted a kiss on my forehead.

She turned around, her white dress fluttering with the twist, and moved behind the keys. I watched with curiosity as she pushed the piano bench to the side, its legs squealing against the tile floor. She bent over and moved it around until she was happy with where it sat. Then she pushed me so I was taking up the empty spot in front of the keys.

I was royally confused. "I don't understand."

"Shhh." She hushed and sat down next to me on the edge of the bench. She placed her foot over the sustaining pedal and then looked at me intensely. "You can't talk, okay? It'll break my concentration."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I froze in shock when Bella's hands positioned themselves over the keys and pressed down into a D minor. Very slowly, she started to play a simple, slow melody.

She learned the piano for me.

Vampire tears – the burn of crying without the moisture - sprung into my eyes and I felt my face twist. "Bella-," I started, my voice cracking. I gripped

"Edward," She groaned and paused. "No talking."

"Okay, sorry." I said just above a whisper, my shoulders scrunching up in apology.

She started again. I watched her face as she played, her head tipping with each beat count. I watched her brows pull in concentration. The tip of her tongue poked out between her teeth.

I didn't deserve her, but she chose me anyway. And now, we were bonded together in matrimony. It wasn't the way I imagined. It wasn't my fantasy. But, it was real. So, real.

There was still something in the back of my mind that said that I was a thief. I was robbing her of a normal life. Scarring her with my world in the process.

I waited for the stab of guilt in my diaphragm, a reminder of how selfish I was, instead I gasped in awe when I watched her mouth open and she started to sing.

"Mine, immaculate dream made breath and skin," She sang her voice light and airy and sweet and perfect. "I've been waiting for you."

With my mouth gaping open like an idiot, I watched her sing her own, simple beautiful version of 'Come Undone.'

Don't lose hope.

All of a sudden, the piece of glass in my chest vanished as I watched her sing. All of a sudden there wasn't my world or her world anymore. I was not a vampire and she was not a human. I was not dying to live and she was not living to die. We were simply Edward and Bella – two people in love – watching our new dawn take place in our own world.

I looked around the empty sentō I was pushed into. The room was large, the floor made out of large, gray stones and the walls decorated with a mosaic scene of Mount Fuji.

"Why are we in the bathhouse?" I asked and tried to twist around in the wheelchair to look up at Bella again. After the song, Bella said she had one last surprise for me. After the song, I was no longer fatigued. I was riding a euphoric high. I was dancing in the clouds. Nothing could bring me down from this.

"I thought it would be nice." Bella said above my head, blush finding its way over her face. "If you were in the bath. Soothing, you know?"

She helped me undress, her hands swiftly undoing my tie and buttons of my shirt. She then helped me in, both arms wrapped around my blue-streaked waist as we carefully took the two steps of the tub.

It actually was nice. There was a bench that ran the edge of the pool, about two feet under the surface. The water was sweltering and soothing and the steam glued my hair to my forehead. It was like a giant, stone hot tub. With my limbs buoyant in the water, I was free to be weightless, which was very relaxing for my sore and twitchy body.

"How is it?" I heard Bella's voice behind me.

"Pleasant." I said and closed my eyes, sinking in the water so I could blow bubbles, being careful not to get the tape that kept my NG tube in place wet. I coughed once, which made me look up at the bag of blood that hung on a railing above my head.

"You're good." Bella said. I watched her white hand slowly coax the thick red towards the bottom the bag, like squeezing out the last bit of toothpaste from the tube.

I closed my eyes. "I just got married today. I'm wonderful." I corrected.

Suddenly two small, warm hands were sliding down the front of my chest. Her lips were on my temple, and her nose nestled in my hair. I heard her sigh. "I have to ask…"

"It's a six." I answered automatically. Yellow on my mental pain chart. I felt it, but it was manageable. And I was determined to not let it affect my wedding day. "If you come in." I rubbed the backs of her hands with my fingers. "It might even go down to a five."

"Don't tempt me with a good time, Mr. Cullen." She joked, but stood back up. I watched her walk to the steps to grip the handle and keep herself from slipping on the stone. She removed her towel and dropped it on the top step. I fought the urge to reflexively avert my eyes out of politeness at her naked body and instead took all of her in.

She was so beautiful. All those fantasies of our wedding night where I would imagine how she would look under her wedding dress blanched in comparison with the actual thing. My eyes unabashedly ran all over her body, every curve and line and valley and hill lovelier than what I could conjure up in my wildest dreams. I gasped, which made her freeze, her brown eyes wide on me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm perfect." I breathed. More than perfect. I was blessed.

She lowered herself in the water and scooched over so she was sitting next to me. "This bath is warm." She sunk down, her eyes never moving from mine.

"It's nice." I said and gingerly moved closer to her until we were sitting side-by-side. I traced a shaky hand over her cheekbone, watching a drip of water I put on her face, trail down like a tear. Her fingers ran over my chest, collarbone, stomach under the water. "Very relaxing."

Her hand underwater moved south and I gasped again, jolting with the sudden touch. She froze again, her eyebrows pulling together. "Edward?"

"I'm okay." I smiled. "That was…unexpected."

Her face went so red she almost turned purple. "I want to do this for you." She said in a small voice. "But, I don't want to hurt you."

I picked up her hand that was underwater and pressed my lips to her fingertips. "The tables have sure turned, haven't they?" I glanced at the bag above my head.

Her hands found the sides of my face and I watched in stunned silence as she gently shifted so she was straddling me, each leg on either side of me, her knees holding up her weight. Her deep brown eyes were inches from mine. "I love you, Edward Cullen." She said gently, but intensely, her fingers running through my hair, her breasts pressed up against my chest.

"I love you too, Isabella Cullen." I whispered back.

"You'll let me know if you are in pain, right?"

I nodded and she kissed me and I let myself go. I didn't hold myself back. And I was in pain. I was always in pain, nowadays. But, I had something better, too. I had the fireworks in my head as I made love to my wife in that empty sentō. The heaven that was our bodies as we connected in ways that only two people in love should. The blessing knowing that she was all mine, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse.

As long as we both shall live.

Soooooo sorry this took so long to get up. I haven't abandoned this story, I PROMISE. I just figured out that uwu chapters are way harder than the angsty/action ones. I also started really working on the sequel while I was procrastinating writing this one. I'm like 30K words into it now. I started the first scene as a character exercise and it evolved. Whoops.

But, can we get a collective "d'awwwwwww" from the audience? Major uwu feels. Don't worry, your regularly scheduled dose of dark foreboding and depression will resume its regularly scheduled program in the next chapters. And I promise I'll get faster at posting. Probably. IDK.