It's the weekend and you know what that means...double chapter postings!

So let's kick off the weekend with a bang...


Chapter 28 Score One for Cupid

Edwards POV

"I'm not thirsty anymore, Em. I've already drained three deer." I said as I buried the carcass under a tree.

"Oh is little Eddie getting cold feet?" Great, here he goes again.

"Emmett, I wouldn't provoke Edward. We should be offering advice instead. After all, tonight our little brother finally becomes a man." Jasper joined in.

Growling, I tackled them both and we rolled through the woods exchanging punches. None of us were trying to do any real harm, but it felt good to just let loose every once in a while. After 90 years, I'd all but given up on the possibility of getting married. There was no way that I had cold feet today. Ever since Anna agreed to marry me, this day couldn't come soon enough. Now that I was just a few short hours away from the best moment of my immortal life, the anticipation was making me euphoric.

Standing at the altar awaiting the start of the procession, I took in the transformation of the house's massive yard and couldn't envision a more perfect venue for Anna and my nuptials. Ivory colored flowers with bursts of vibrant red, yellow, purple, coral, and varying shades of pinks were interspersed throughout the area subtly hinting at the Valentine holiday. The seating for guests fanned out in semi-circle arcs with the altar as the central focus. They were divided down the middle by an ivory runner bordered by sleek silver lines leading to a classically flared design. The start of the runner bore the Cullen crest in matching silver.

The seats were nearly all filled. Counting our family there were twenty-five vampires in all present from around the globe. It was likely the largest peaceful gathering of vampires that has ever occurred. All of the guests were close and trusted friends that had come to celebrate with the family. In actuality, their thoughts gave away their curiosity to see who, and a human at that, had finally caught my eye. Understanding vampire law, they were assured that this would be the only time they would see Anna as a human.

Playing softly from the Bose speakers strategically placed around the yard were songs from one of the playlists that I'd recorded and assembled weeks ago for today. Alice insisted on being the one to control the remote to ensure that the timing was perfect. Who better to know the best timing?

Hearing the quick change to the music, I stood straight as the processional music began. Alice emerged first. She was clothed in a vivid purple dress with a coral satin sash that coordinated perfectly with the flowers. Her face beamed with excitement over the turnout and I tried to think of how I could thank her for her decorative genius. I laughed internally as she flashed a few ideas at me that would satisfy as a token of my appreciation as she took her place while she took her place as matron of honor.

Rosalie stepped onto the runner next and she walked regally down the aisle. Like Alice, the hue of her dress matched some of the flowers, but rather than the purple and coral combination, hers was deep rose with a yellow sash. She smiled at me as she approached to take her place next to Alice and while she blocked any hint of Anna's dress, her thoughts were filled with love and support for both of us.

The music changed and as Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068 filled my ears, my eyes saw only my angel…my Anna approach, her arm hooked loosely in Carlisle's. With every step that she took as she walked closer to me, I thanked God for giving me this second chance at happiness. When she and Carlisle reached the altar, he took both her hands and brought her hands to his lips and kissed her fingers.

"Anna, in traditional wedding ceremonies, the bride's parents give their daughter away to the groom." Placing her hands into mine Carlisle said to her and all present, "As I join your hands with Edward's, I will never give you away, but keep you forever as my daughter." Releasing our hands he walked around us to assume the role of presiding official for the ceremony.

"Friends and family," he started. "We are gathered today for the union of Edward and Anna. Many aspects of this ceremony are far removed from tradition, but the one thing that remains constant is the love that these two feel toward each other."

Carlisle looked to me. "Edward, do you accept Annabelle as your wife? Will you love her beyond all others, respect her as your equal and remain by her side for all eternity?"

"I do." They were the best two words that I could ever utter.

Turning to Anna, he addressed her next. "Anna, do you accept Edward as your husband? Will you love him beyond all others, respect him as your equal and remain by his side for all eternity?"

"I do." Her voice cracked, but I knew from the strength of her determination in her eyes that it was her normal voice.

"It is at this time that Edward and Anna will exchange their vows." Carlisle directed.

"I Edward Anthony Masen vow to join you Annabelle Swanson as my mate as we journey through our lives, in joyous moments and strife. I offer all my love and respect and will cherish every moment of eternity that I am fortunate enough to spend with you." Eternity won't be long enough.

"I Annabelle Swanson vow to join you Edward Anthony Masen as my mate as we journey through our lives, in joyous moments and strife. I offer all my love and respect and will cherish every moment of eternity that I am fortunate enough to spend with you." I suppose I shouldn't have doubted that she'd go through with this, but to actually hear her say it… Was this what the Grinch felt like when his heart grew?

Jasper and Alice handed each of us the rings as Carlisle recited his next part.

"A ring has no beginning and no end, just as the love between soul mates is timeless and eternal. As you place the rings on each other's fingers may they symbolize the blessing of this day as the two of you become united and your love for one another continues its unending circle."

"With this ring I thee wed. May it symbolize all of my love and commitment to you." I slipped Anna's ring onto her finger and channeled as much feeling of adoration toward Anna as I could.

Bro, I get that you love her, but save it for the honeymoon when you two are by yourself. You're killing me over here. I heard Jasper shout out mentally.

"With this ring I thee wed. May it symbolize all of my love and commitment to you." Anna's voice was sure and steady and I suspected that it was not just me that was overloading Jasper.

"In so much as Edward and Anna have consented to live forever together in wedlock, with a full understanding that the length of forever means so much more in our world, they have given and pledged themselves to each other, and declared the same through the exchange of rings, I now pronounce them eternally mated as husband and wife."

Kiss her, Kiss her, Kiss her. I heard Emmett chanting in his head. As if we needed prompting or permission.

Bending down slightly to meet Anna's upturned face, I pressed my lips to hers. We'd kissed numerous times since we first met, but none meant as much as this one. As if it were pulsing, I felt the electric energy flow between us through our lips. It wasn't strictly passion, but it wasn't entirely chaste either. Hearing the thoughts around us finally break through to my mind, we parted. We were both breathing heavily and wore matching smiles.

"Let me introduce to you all…Mr. and Mrs. Masen." Cheers and applause broke out as we walked hand in hand down the aisle.

Anna POV

Perfection. From the moment that I stepped out of the house and into the masterful wonderland that Alice created, I felt like I had been transported into a fairytale and I was the princess marrying her prince charming. The ceremony was flawless and as Edward and I walked with our hands clasped together as husband and wife, I felt giddy.

Entering the house, Edward moved me against a wall and kissed me with more intensity than he had during the ceremony. I melted in his arms and lost all awareness of my surroundings until he pulled back, our foreheads touching. He told me that Alice was mentally shouting at us to get a move on. We'd have time for our explicit activities during our honeymoon. I blushed profusely and hurried to my room to change out of my wedding dress and into the reception dress that Alice had left out for me to wear, which was nearly identical to the wedding dress in style, but was much shorter, with a hem that was only about three inches above my knees. The floral corsage at my waist was absent leaving just a simple satin sash. Rather than the ivory and light gold, this dress was ivory with a faint mint green.

When I finished changing, Edward was waiting outside my door. He'd switched from his James Bond worthy tuxedo to an equally hot combination of silk hunter green shirt and black dress slacks.

"Mrs. Masen…" his smooth voice said. I loved hearing him call me Mrs. Masen probably as much as he was surely enjoying saying it. "How about we get you a quick bite to eat before meeting everyone?" I really wasn't that hungry, but I didn't know when I'd get a chance to eat next since we were leaving for our honeymoon immediately after the reception. We didn't plan a dinner for the reception. Why when none of the guests eat human food? Instead, Esme prepared a simple salad comprised of fresh arugula, dandelion greens and radicchio with crumbled bacon, tomato wedges, sliced egg, shredded cheddar cheese and drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette.

I ate quickly and Edward offered to clean up while I popped into the half bathroom just off the kitchen to brush my teeth. I'd made sure I didn't spill any food or toothpaste on my dress, shuddering at the thought of facing Alice with a food stain on my dress not thirty minutes after putting it on. Although I rushed as quickly as I could, Edward finished first and stopped to watch me while leaning against the door frame. He looked so handsome and he was mine…my husband.

As soon as we walked out the door, Alice assembled us into a receiving line. I was in a constant state of wonder as I was introduced to vampires from around the world. Liam, Maggie and Shiobhan came from Ireland as well as their cousins from Europe, Charles and Mekenna. From the jungles of the Amazon came Kachiri, Senna and Zafrina and from various areas of the states came Peter, Charlotte, Garrett, Mary and Randall. I'd already met the Denali's and…Primo and Savina!

They made it! They actually made it! I threw my arms around each of them exuberantly. Some gasped at my lack of restraint or fear since at less than a year each as vampires, they were both still considered newborns. What they didn't realize is that I felt more at ease with Primo and Savina than those that I had just met. Given the red eyes of most of the guests, I wasn't entirely confident that someone wouldn't suddenly come down with the munchies. My immediate family simply chuckled at the reaction of the foreigners.

A couple hours later, I felt as comfortable with the human drinkers as any of my family. I loved hearing the accented speech and seeing firsthand the talents that some of them possessed. They were all intrigued in my ability to unconsciously block, albeit partially, Edward's mind reading. Against Edward's wishes, Kate asked to test her gift on me. It took Eleazar's own ability to identify talents in individuals to convince Edward to let Kate try when he revealed that I had some sort of shielding ability. His theory turned out to be accurate, much to Edward's relief.

After catching up with Primo and Savina, I was pleased to hear that they had reunited with Primo's brother, Tommaso and alluded to a proposition that they had for Carlisle. Edward's wide eyes were my only indication of the magnitude of the proposal, but he refused to tell me in case their request was denied. I didn't push the issue, knowing that I'd wheedle the information from him later.

The evening passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time for us to depart for our honeymoon. We had only one thing left to do and that was for me to toss the bouquet and Edward to fling the garter belt. The women gathered closely while I threw my bouquet behind me. Despite most of the women being already mated, there was nothing to prevent a renewal of vows. In fact, Emmett and Rose are a prime example of a mated couple that has renewed their vows numerous times. Cheers were heard all around as Kate emerged victorious, but none seemed as loud as the American nomad, Garrett.

Edward either picked up on his thoughts or felt sorry for him being the only unmated male present because when it came time for him to fire the garter, he aimed it directly at Garrett. Glancing over to see Kate's reaction, she was looking directly at Garrett with something akin to a sultry come hither expression. When he looked at her, he visibly gulped before I saw him move from the huddle of guys slapping him on the back in congratulations for nabbing the elasticized strip of lace and walked in her direction.

We exchanged a knowing look before bidding everyone a farewell and driving off in his Vanquish. I was slightly disappointed that the car wasn't adorned with empty cans, streamers or even sprayed with "Just Married" in the rear window, but everyone knew better than to defile Edward's pride and joy. In truth, I wouldn't have wanted the glossy black beauty marred either.

Edward had wanted our honeymoon destination to be a surprise, but his astonished expression when I jokingly asked if we were going to a private island off the coast of South America inevitably nullified his plans to keep me in the dark. He looked so forlorn so I assured him that the idea of the two of us alone on a tropical island sounded absolutely divine and I could care less if he took me to a villa in the Riviera, a remote chateau in the Swiss Alps or the nearest Motel 8. As long as we were together, that's all that mattered to me.

Nineteen hours later, two connecting flights and a boat ride later and I saw it...Isle Esme. I couldn't believe that this island paradise was a gift from Carlisle. I mean who gives an island as a gift? Images of a hut from Gilligan's Island or an elevated tree house from out of Swiss Family Robinson popped into my head, so when we docked and I saw the house that we would be staying in, I was speechless.

The setting sun behind us cast just enough light for me to see the mostly glass face of the house with its thick red-brown wood framing. It was nestled at the inner edge of the sandy beach and just within the fringes of the jungle of exotic trees and brush. A small pebbled path lined by smooth fist-sized rocks led from wooden dock to the house. Small solar lanterns placed at ankle height every four or five feet illuminated the rapidly dimming pathway from the dock to the house.

In traditional bridal style and quite literally, Edward swept me off my feet and carried me into the house while lightly kissing me along the way. Setting me down just inside the threshold, I took a moment to look around while Edward excused himself to retrieve the luggage. A touch of Esme's signature décor was evident throughout the house with the light color schemes and designer flair. The floor plan was open with the exception of two bedrooms located at opposite ends of the single level house and even then the walls between the bedrooms and main part of the house were floor to ceiling glass. The only visual barrier preventing me from seeing into either room was a heavy white curtain.

The main area of the house had a sizeable living room with a large flat screen TV over the mantle of a gas fireplace. On either side were built in bookshelves. The left held a collection of novels and the right an array of DVD's. To the side stood a baby grand piano and I stroked the polished black lid gingerly as I moved from the living room to the kitchen.

With the exception of an enclosed and fully stocked walk-in pantry, the kitchen was completely open. Seeing the spotless stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, I suspected that the kitchen had never been used before. I snorted at the thought of all the firsts that would soon be occurring in the house.

I jumped slightly when Edward came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my torso. Nervous anticipation caught up with me and when I turned around, I noticed that through Edward's normally controlled demeanor, he seemed a little anxious as well. We both chuckled and Edward asked if I wanted to take a few minutes to freshen up and relax after the long trip. It sounded like a good idea and he although he told me to take my time, he also said not to take too long.

Digging out my toiletries from the suitcase, I ducked into the bathroom and my jaw dropped when I saw the shower. It was nearly as large as my clothes closet at home and probably had more places for water to come out than a car wash. I just had to try this out. Well, Edward did tell me to take my time didn't he?

Guiltily I stepped out of the shower about thirty minutes later when Edward called from the other side of the door asking if I was okay. Realizing that I'd forgotten to grab clean clothes beforehand, I wrapped a towel around myself and cracked the bathroom door open only to be bombarded by the romantic scene in front of me. Throughout the bedroom, Edward had lit numerous candles and scattered rose petals in a trail leading out of the room. Mixed with the spice of the candles, a tantalizing aroma caused my stomach to rumble loudly reminding me that I hadn't eaten in about eight hours and was famished.

On the bed was a strapless midnight blue drape dress with matching panties and pumps. After slipping on the dress, pinning my hair up in a quick and loose updo and applying some lip gloss, I followed the floral trail. Soft music was playing through speakers in the ceiling and I found Edward pouring champagne into a fluted glass at a beautiful candlelit table. Seeing me enter, he placed the champagne bottle into an ice bucket, picked up the glass and sauntered to me with a gleam in his eyes and a radiant smile.

"You look stunning Mrs. Masen." He handed me the glass and took my other hand to escort me to the table. "Come have a seat, I've made you dinner."

"Why thank you, Mr. Masen."

Edward pulled my chair out for me and brought me a plate of grilled swordfish, steamed squash and a walnut spinach salad with a peach and mango dressing. I thought it would be awkward with me eating alone but Edward just talked while I ate. He described the island and I looked forward to spending time exploring the tide pools, undersea caves, coral reefs and seeing the parrots, porpoises and sea turtles.

When I finished my dinner, Edward pulled my seat out and asked me to dance with him. While we danced to various Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov concertos, I basked in the perfection of this evening. Lifting my head from Edward's firm chest, I gazed lovingly at the wonderful man in my arms as he reflected his love back to me. With synchronized movement, our faces slowly drew closer and as our lips met we became one.

Bright light filtered through my eyelids and the heat of the sun on my face contrasted with cool fingers brushing lightly across my sensitive skin. Memories of the previous evening brought a smile to my face. Edward had been so nervous about our first time. He had truly looked like a seventeen year old. He was so afraid that he would become overwhelmed and hurt me.

I wish I could say that it was like in the movies when couples make love, but it wasn't. There was no uninhibited passion, no choreographed rolling around in the bed culminating to an ecstatic climax. With our inexperience and cautiousness, it was awkward, it was slow and it wasn't without casualty. Edward destroyed a few pillows, the mattress and the bed frame, but I was thankfully unharmed. If I'd acquired even the slightest bruise, Edward would have insisted that the remainder of the honeymoon be strictly platonic. Fortunately, he gained enough confidence from that first time and after moving to the other bedroom, the movie experience became a reality.

My first thought when I saw Edward's golden eyes staring at me while his feather light touches left a wake of goose bumps, was that if I could wake up like this every day, I'd be in heaven. I mentally slapped myself when I realized that although I could have Edward in bed like this forever, once I'm a vampire I will never sleep. I guess I'll just have to endure it.

"Good morning, love." Edward leaned toward me and kissed me lightly. "I brought you breakfast."

My stomach growled loudly. Edward chuckled, "You'd better eat. I think you could scare away one of Emmett's grizzlies."

I playfully fake punched him in the arm, but when Edward sat the breakfast tray on the bed I shamelessly devoured every morsel of the scrumptious Spanish omelette.

After breakfast, Edward wanted to point out some of the finer features of the magnificent shower. His instructional lesson was thoroughly stimulating, but when the water turned cold we knew it was time to get out. After I packed myself some granola bars, a few apples and several bottles of water into a backpack, we began our trek around the island and embarked on day one of paradise.


A/N: I put a few links on my profile page to show the inspiration for my color palate for the wedding, the aisle runner, etc.

Thank you for reading.