Chapter Ten

A Beautiful Monstrosity

Two days... Alice made them wait two whole days before she "allowed" him and Bella to get married. She gave Jasper the location, time, and his tux and dashed upstairs to give Bella her dress. The only thing he was able to do was buy his and Bella's wedding bands.

Jasper listened to Bella's complaints about dressing up. She'd been praying that she could wear jeans. He wanted her happy, to have what she wanted. But having the sister they did, it was a fruitless dream.

Between planning for their marriage it was nothing short of amazing that Alice was able to furnish the house, each with their own room on the second floor. She even set up Jacob one since he had come to live with them (the dog smell would never go away now). Jasper heard him groan too, no doubt over his tux, and Jasper chuckled.

He swore to himself that if the wedding was extravagant in the least he would personally see that Alice made it up to Bella somehow. No matter how long it would take...

Jacob bounded in front of him. "Get out," he demanded.

He glared daggers up at him. "This is our house, dog."

"Alice says you can't see Bella until she's walking down the aisle. It's tradition."

"We're going by tradition," he asked dubiously. What was traditional about them?

He shrugged. "As close as we can get."

So it was we... "You'll be careful with her, won't you?"

"I won't let her trip, she hasn't had one moment of clumsiness... It's a little disappointing," he said sounding like a much rougher version of Emmett.

"I meant Alice."

That took him off-guard. "Oh, well, sure, yeah. Alice takes good care of herself though, but if need be -"

"You," he said forcefully. "You be careful around her. It only takes one mistake, a moment of anger or agitation."

"You're worried about me?"

"I'm worried what it will do to Bella and Alice if something happens to you." He would never confess to it, but he had grown fond of the mangy pup. He had no worries for their relationship (though it did disgust him) but for their lives. Since Jacob helped with Victoria - all in the name of Bella - he grudgingly considered him something akin to a friend. In time he would have to admit defeat and call him a brother.

"Sure, sure," he said. "We'll be safe, but if something does happen. "He shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Take care of her for me. Don't let Alice do anything stupid."

"I won't. I promise."

Jacob then grinned, his teeth sparkling. "Now, get out. Bella's getting dressed, you have the address. Go."

Jasper stood cuffing him on the shoulder and he left into the rain. He took Alice's brand new Jaguar. He had specific instructions to leave the black one for them. Why it mattered was beyond them.

He drove out to the Chapel that bordered the end of town. It was small and seemed to come from a southern tale. It was washed white and set back into the edge of the woods. There was a dirt path to that led to the side, to three cars. He parked next to them and got out with the white bag containing his tux, mud seeping into his shoes. He walked inside, the door creaking. He stood within the entrance surrounded by religious photographs and a ragged collection box.

Right away a stout balding man ran up to him from the main hall ahead careful to shut the door so Jasper wouldn't see. He was so cheery it was sickening, like pure sap on his tongue.

"Which one are you? Mr. Black or Mr. Hale?"

"Hale."

"Aha, the groom! I must say you and your family are all a good looking bunch! Now, Ms. Cullen gave me direct orders so if you please take this room," he pointed to the right, "and remain there until someone fetches you."

Jasper nodded signaling to the man he understood and went through to the next room. It was quite a shock to see his family there, gathered in the room of mirrors, it made them look double their size in numbers. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward, all of them in their best tuxedo's and dresses.

"Alice called us," Carlisle explained.

Esme kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly. "How dare you not call us!"

"Sorry," he said repentant. "This was supposed to be a quick wedding."

"It will be, but that doesn't mean we don't want to be here!"

He smiled solemnly, his eyes catching Edward's. You came.

He jerked his head in response, no one noticing.

Does everyone know about Jacob?

He jerked once more. That was all he needed to know, and by the wrinkling of his features it was safe to assume that the reaction wasn't good. But they would accept it for the same reason Jasper did: They all loved Alice and it was thanks to Jacob that Bella stayed alive while they were gone.

"We better get into our places," Esme herald fondly touching his cheek a last time.

Emmett punched him on the arm on their way out, Edward alone staying behind, and Jasper knew that then was where they would settle things permanently. All their other talks were leading up to it.

Edward's face was clean but there was a raging war going on inside of him. There was a pregnant pause before he asked the question burning him.

"You're the only one who will tell me the truth. Did Bella ever love me?"

It was not a discussion Jasper wanted to have on his wedding day, with his brother, about his soon-to-be-wife. But Edward was right. He would tell him the truth. "It was... Astounding how much she loved you." Nearly as much as she loves me, he thought before he could stop himself.

"And none of that matters now."

"No."

"That's it then."

"It's not the end, Edward. You'll get over Bella and find someone else. This will all work out. Take Alice's optimism."

"In a century or two." It was supposed to be a joke but instead was a serious fact.

"None of this was against you."

"I know..."

Jasper laid his bag on the circular table in the middle of the room. "Be my best man?"

He grinned. "You'd let your brother whose in love with your fiancée be your best man?"

"It would mean a lot to the both of us." Bella would be happy and therefore he would be happy. And who better to stand up with him than someone who loved her nearly as much as he did?

"Thank you, Jasper."

"On one condition... Don't object in the ceremony."

He laughed, "I'll be sure to bite my tongue." He walked to the door, the knob in his hand when he glanced at him. "When I said thank you, that goes for loving Bella too." Then he shut the door behind him.

Jasper put on his black suit, straightened his tie. He took his time but soon heard the fourth and final car pull in. He heard his Bella's voice and resisted the urge to rush out there and meet her.

Without a knock Alice poked her head in. Without looking over at her he waved his hand for her to come in. She did, closing the door. He turned to face her, seeing her in her long teal dress.

"Can you see Edward?" She knew what he meant.

She closed her eyes and smiled widely heaving a sigh. "Yeah, I can see him." She looked to him. "He'll be happy."

"Is there someone?"

"She's quite beautiful."

"Good. Thank you, Alice."

"Get up front," she commanded, putting her serious face back on and prancing away.

He did as he was told, walking into the hall, a lurch in his gut as he saw what Alice had done. He tried not to laugh.

Orchid flowers pink and white were strewn everywhere, over the archway of the double doors he had just marched through, down the aisle and across the pews. It was a beautiful monstrosity.

He took his place beside Edward at the end of the velvet red aisle. Out of his peripheral vision he saw their family stand and turn to the doors as the music began. Alice was the first to walk in practically dancing up the aisle and then came her.

Hung on Jacob's arm was his Bella dear in a long crisp white dress embedded with tiny flowers. Her and her love lit the dim room as she smiled dazzlingly at him.

The whole world fell away. There was only her and him. No one else existed. She was his medicine. She was his for an unlimited of lifetimes and he could see that.

He saw their future with certainty and clarity. Her reunion with Charlie, a second wedding for his benefit and eventually living with their family, her many graduations. He saw infinite days with her.

Jacob gave her his hand and Jasper tenderly pulled her to him. There were a million thoughts racing through his mind but one was coherent.

It was meant to be them all along. Together they were a still but continuous beat matched in perfect harmony.

A/N: This is the end of my first Twilight fan-fiction. I hope you enjoyed it at least half of how much I enjoyed writing it. Again, it's thanks to Kamarile that it was written at all, it would have long been abandoned without her encouragement.

There's a poll on my profile to decide which story shall be up next. Please, help me out here, and vote.