Chapter 35 – Vows

Emily's POV

I opened my eyes slowly as I listened to the rain beat gently against the window. It was a miserable day, which was fine. It matched my mood perfectly. Today was supposed to have been my wedding day.

I tried to think positive. It was supposed to be a mix of rain and snow all day today. Conditions wouldn't have been ideal anyway. But even that optimistic thought didn't cheer me up.

It broke my heart all over again when I thought about the fact that we had postponed our wedding. I had told Sam that I didn't need all the hoopla that my mom and sister-in-law had planned and it was true. I just wanted to be Mrs. Sam Uley. But I understood Sam had responsibilities and people's lives depended on him. Sam had to protect the tribe. If he felt that the recent Volturi threat had been serious enough that he had to cancel our wedding, then I knew it was important. His concentration needed to be elsewhere.

Besides there was no point in pouting about it. I did that when the Newborn War happened and I only made us both miserable. We were two halves of a whole. If one was in pain, then we both were. So I had tried to put on a brave face.

I had been so relieved when he had walked into Sue's house last week after the battle that never happened. The Volturi hadn't attacked. They had weaseled off back where they came from. It was a crushing blow to me to realize that we hadn't had to cancel the wedding after all.

Sam on the other hand had been extremely happy for the past week. I loved him with all my heart and soul, but there was times where I had wanted to hit him over the head with a frying pan, he had been so cheerful. Yesterday evening, he was even humming while he did the dishes!

He had been spending a lot of time away from home in the past week. I would have thought now that the threat of the Volturi was over, he would have been able to relax and spent more time with me. But no, he went along his merry way. He told me he was spending a lot of time at the Cullen property, just to make sure they were okay. Funny, I thought that was what Jacob's pack was created for.

I sighed as I rolled over to wrap myself around his warm body, but my hand connected with emptiness. Where would he have gone? I looked at the alarm clock and realized that it was almost 11 am. I looked back at his side of the bed and noticed a note attached to his pillow.

Meet me on the cliffs at 12 pm. At the bonfire area.

Love you,

Sam

I looked back at the bedroom window and heard the rain hit the window even harder. I grumbled as I got slowly out of bed, stretching as I stood up. I grabbed a sweatshirt and jeans and went into the bathroom to take a shower. I dried my hair with a hairdryer but didn't bother with make-up. I grabbed some cereal out of the kitchen and tried to relax.

What was Sam up to? Why would he want to meet on the cliffs in this weather? I hoped he wasn't planning on anything romantic like a picnic to make up for the wedding, cause there was no way I was going to sit outside when it was practically sleeting.

It was finally close enough to 12 pm that I grabbed my rain coat and winter boots and headed out towards the truck with my umbrella. Once I reached the bonfire area, I pulled into a spot and grabbed the umbrella off the passenger seat. I got out of the truck and walked through the trees and bushes until I got to the clearing where the bonfire pit was. I promptly stopped.

Instead of the pit and sitting logs that were normally in the area, everything had been cleared out and in its place was a large white tent. The floor of the tent was covered in some type of corkboard. All four sides of the tent were made of clear plastic and I could see candles in every corner. There was even a candle chandelier lit above everyone. White tulips and yellow daffodils covered most of the interior walls, but a part of the wall farthest from where I stood was left empty so that the ocean view was on full display. I also saw space heaters hidden discretely tucked in the corners. White chairs sat mostly empty as people were gathered in groups talking to each other.

I could see my family, Sam's mother, both packs, and even the Cullens huddled inside, though the Cullens and the werewolves were standing cautiously away from each other. I also saw Billy Black, my Aunt Sue, and Charlie Swan inside the tent.

I noticed Quil holding Claire who was looking curiously at Renesmee Cullen. Nessie was being held in Jacob's arms. I blinked in astonishment as I took Nessie in. She looked like she was almost five-years-old now. Paul and Jared's imprints, Rachel and Kim were there as well. I froze in surprise as I also saw Reverend Weber.

And then I saw my Sam approaching me in a black tux. It was fitted, like something you would see James Bond wear. He took my breath away. He had almost gone through the opening of the tent when Alice grabbed his arm and handed him an umbrella. His hands shook slightly at her contact, but he smiled and took the umbrella from her. He approached me and his smile widened.

"Sam, what is all this?" I asked in shock.

"The day the Volturi came, all I could think of was you. I didn't even realize that the Volturi were leaving because I couldn't stop picturing you in my mind," Sam said with a half smile. "I kept thinking about how I knew I wouldn't be able to live without you, Em. That I would love you until my last dying breath. I wanted to marry you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. I cheated you out of the grand wedding you had planned, but if you'll have me, we can still get married today."

I felt tears in my eyes as I looked back to the smiling faces in the tent, and then back to Sam, before I asked. "Do I have to get married in jeans?"

Sam laughed as he answered, "No, we have your wedding dress here. It's in the tent over there."

I looked over to where he pointed and saw for the first time another tent set up a short distance away from the main tent. It was in another bonfire area. A smile crept slowly over my face.

"Yes Sam, let's get married." Sam picked me up, swinging me around. I dropped my umbrella as Sam kissed me breathless.

"All right, that will have to wait. We have a bride to get ready." Alice Cullen said behind us. She and Rosalie had moved so that they were right next to us standing under a large umbrella.

Sam looked at me hesitantly then back to the two vampires. His hands shook slightly and his hold tightened on me. I could see Leah over Sam's shoulder, standing in the tent. She rolled her eyes before grabbing an umbrella out of a stand near the entrance and walking out to us. She went over to Sam and squeezed his arm.

"I'll go with them," Leah said, quickly letting go and stepping away from him.

I knew that Leah was still saddened over her break up with Sam, but as she had told me once while we were getting fitted for our dresses, she loved me and would always care for Sam. They had been through a lot together and she just wanted us to be happy. She had said it with a pained expression, but I knew a small part of her actually meant it. Leah had had a hard year and now she just wanted peace in her life.

"Sorry ladies," Sam said, grimacing at Rosalie and Alice. "Old habits die hard."

Alice smiled at us, while Rosalie stuck her nose in the air and glared at Sam. Leah wrapped her arm around my waist and shuffled me in the direction of the smaller tent. They had laid the path between the sites with corkboard as well. Rosalie and Alice entered the tent first and Leah and I followed.

"Ok, first thing is hair," Alice said. "Rose, grab the hot rollers and styling gel. We're probably going to have to use a lot for this weather. I don't know why Sam insisted on the cliffs for the wedding. So impractical."

I smiled at that. I knew why Sam wanted the cliffs. It was the place where he had first learned the truth about himself. Where he came to relax. It was where we had listened to the old legends together with the rest of the pack. This place was sacred to Sam.

I got undressed and changed into a robe. I sat down in the chair and listened to the generator humming outside. The inside of the tent was set up like a beauty salon including swivel chair and vanity. Rosalie started putting my hair in rollers as Alison eyed my face critically.

"I think I can use some concealer on your face to make the scars not look so red if you want," Alice offered, but I shook my head. The scars were a part of who I was. I wasn't ashamed of them anymore. Alice sighed before smiling softly. She picked up some eye shadow and went to work. A half hour later, she stepped back with a slight smile on her face.

"Well, given the time limit and working in these conditions, I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself. What do you think?" Alice asked.

I looked in the mirror and stared at my reflection. My hair fell over my shoulders in soft waves and curls. One side was pinned back and held in place with a flower. My eyes were highlighted with a light shimmering eyeshadow. My lips glistened from a shiny gloss. The scars stood out but my whole face seemed to glow.

"Thank you Alice, thanks Rosalie," I said simply. I couldn't think of a better way to express my feelings.

"You ready for this?" Leah asked holding out my dress. Leah, like me, had her hair pulled back on one side with a flower. She had a red strapless dress on that hugged her chest then flowed from her hips to her feet. She looked beautiful and I told her so.

Rolling her eyes she said, "Yeah, yeah…enough with the mushy crap. Let's get you m-married so we can go eat."

I hugged her fiercely then turned to put my dress on. It was the same style that Leah's dress was, but while her dress was sleeveless, my dress was long sleeved and an off white color. It was funny to think that Leah in her sleeveless dress would probably be warmer than me with my long sleeves.

When I was finally ready, we headed back to the main tent, Rosalie turning off the noisy generator as we went. I was thankful that they had thought to put corkboard over our path so that my dress wouldn't get muddy. Leah and I walked close together so that we could share an umbrella. My father waited proudly for me. Leah looked at me with tears in her eyes and pulled me in for another hug.

"Be happy," she whispered, before heading towards the front of the tent where Sam waited. I felt pain in my heart for the hurt she hadn't been able to completely hide. I hoped that some day Leah would find her true soulmate as well.

I turned and looked up at the front of the tent where Sam was waiting for me. He was looking at me with an awestruck look that made me feel cherished. Seth was standing by his side grinning widely. I walked up the aisle with my father while Azra, one of the younger wolves, played the Wedding March on the cello. A few of the other wolves snickered and pointed in his direction, but he stared straight at the music sheet, glaring at it hatefully.

When I got close enough, Sam apparently got fed up with waiting and met me partly down the aisle which made people laugh out loud. Sam was practically beaming with pride and excitement as we turned and walked the rest of the way to where Reverend Weber was waiting for us. We never took our eyes off each other while we repeated the traditional vows. When Mr. Weber announced us to be "man and wife" Sam didn't even wait for him to say, "you may kiss the bride."

With a "whoop" noise, Sam picked me up off my feet and kissed me. It wasn't too long or too short or too inappropriate. It was perfect, just like everything else about this day. When he set me back on my feet it registered on me that the crowd was laughing and cheering for us. We made our way out of the tent. Sam grabbed an umbrella and we rushed to truck.

Sam had brought his set of keys with him. He ran and opened up my door first, making sure that my dress was out of the way before he shut the door. He ran to the driver's side and hopped behind the wheel. He started the car and we headed towards the tribal office. Next to that building was a large conference hall where the tribe held community meetings. As he pulled into the parking lot, I looked at him.

"How did you do all this?"

"Let's just say Jacob showed me a memory of a graduation party he attended a while ago. I knew that the person who did the party also did Bella Swan's wedding," Sam said, pointing with his head in the Cullens direction as they pulled into the parking lot. "I figured that if anyone could help me plan a wedding at the last minute it was Alice Cullen."

"I'm surprised you invited all of the Cullens."

"Well, I had only invited Alice, but Alice insisted that she would need Rosalie's help getting you ready since I wasn't giving her a lot of time. Their mates weren't thrilled with the idea of the two of them coming to La Push by themselves, so I said they could come just for today. I don't even think Rosalie would have come except Alice can be very persistent," Sam said with a frown at some remembered memory.

"And the others?" I asked, smiling.

"Jacob wanted Ness to come, but Bella and Edward didn't want to let her out of their sight so soon after the almost attack, so they ended up getting invited too. And as for the doc and his wife…don't tell anyone this because it would probably damage my reputation of having sound judgment, but I kind of like the doc."

I laughed and Sam looked at me with that dazed expression in his face again.

"You are so beautiful," he said, leaning in to kiss me on the scarred part of my jaw before making his way over to tenderly kiss my lips. We heard a knock on the window and we jumped apart. Alice Cullen was glaring at us.

"Don't you dare mess up her make-up Sam Uley. Come on, you're wasting time and we have to feed the wolves before they get restless."

Sam rolled his eyes, but he grabbed the umbrella and got out of the car. He raced over to my side and grabbed my hand. We ran for the entrance of the hall. The hall looked incredible inside. Flowers hung everywhere. Candles were on every table. Soft cords of white lights were wrapped around bushes that were specifically brought in for the occasion. Everyone soon arrived and we ate.

After the food was cleared away, I went to talk to my parents for a moment. When I looked over at Sam he was in an intense discussion with Collin and Brady. I felt nervous that something was wrong, but relaxed when I saw Sam laugh and shake his head. Moments later, I felt a warm arm around my waist.

"Would you care to dance, Mrs. Uley?" Sam whispered in my ear.

"I'd love nothing more," I whispered back to him. Sam looked over at Alice who acting as DJ for the reception. The song, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, by Roberta Flack, started to play and I went dreamily into Sam's arms.

"So what were you and Collin and Brady discussing so seriously?" I asked Sam who kept staring at me like he had just won the lottery.

"Hmm…Oh, Collin was asking me about imprinting. He has a crush on this girl at school, but I told him it didn't sound like he imprinted," Sam explained.

"Oh, I see," I responded, feeling so safe in Sam's warm, strong arms.

We continued to dance. Others soon started dancing with us. I watched with amusement as Will, who had just turned 14 a few days ago, made his way over to Leah who was talking with Embry and Seth. I could tell that he had asked her to dance by the way his ears suddenly turned red. She looked at him for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and got up and walked out on the dance floor with him.

Sam followed my line of vision and chuckled softly, "You think he has a shot?"

"Considering he's 14 and she's 19, I'd say there is a 100% chance that nothing will happen there. Who knows what will happen when he turns 18 though."

"He started following her around like a puppy when Jacob's pack joined mine to help with practices." Sam said smiling.

"I hope she'll find happiness," I worried.

"She will…I have to believe that," Sam responded.

I rested my cheek against his chest as we continued to dance. I watched as my young nieces played with their new half vampire friend. I was so proud of Sam today. It must have been tough to let the Cullens and Jacob here.

"I'm glad you invited Jacob," I said, looking up at him.

"Well, it would have been rude not to with Rachel and Billy and his pack here." Sam said, grimacing. I reached up on my tiptoes and kissed his chin.

"Thank you for today, Sam. I couldn't have asked for a better wedding."

"You're welcome." Sam bent down to kiss my mouth again.

"All right you two, time to leave I think," Alice Cullen interrupted us again. Edward was standing next to her with laughter in his eyes. Whatever Sam was thinking made Edward chuckle out loud.

"Yeah she is, but she means well. Everything is ready for you," Edward said, holding out his hand which held some keys. Sam reached out and took the keys and stepped back quickly again. Edward seeing this reaction looked even more amused. "Everything should be aired out for you so you shouldn't have a problem with the smell."

"Thanks for everything and thank Dr. Cullen too." Sam said, looking at both Alice and Edward who both nodded in response.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. Edward and Alice got big grins on their faces before walking away. I looked at Sam and lifted an eyebrow.

His eyes burned as he leaned down and whispered sensually in my ear, "Honeymoon."

"Oh," I responded, feeling my face blush.

Sam laughed when he saw it. We soon said our goodbyes and headed out to the truck which now had a "Just Married" sign in the back window. Sam wouldn't tell me where we were going, so I sat back and waited eagerly for my next surprise.

A/N – Please Review!

I couldn't think of a more fitting song for Emily & Sam to dance their first dance too then the one in the story. Here are the lyrics:

First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

The first time ever I saw your face; I thought the sun rose in your eyes; And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave; To the dark and the empty skies, my love; To the dark and the empty skies.

The first time ever I kissed your mouth; And felt your heart beat close to mine; Like the trembling heart of a captive bird; That was there at my command, my love; That was there at my command.

And the first time ever I lay with you; I felt your heart so close to mine; And I knew our joy would fill the earth; And last till the end of time my love; It would last till the end of time my love.

The first time ever I saw your face, your face, your face, your face.