Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme decided to take Rheneas hunting, showing him how to track and drink animal blood as an alternative to human blood. After Emmett had tangled with a grizzly bear and two deer for he and Rosalie, the couple went off to what Emmett called "The Place" for some alone time. Rheneas had to stifle his jealousy that once again he was surrounded by couples everywhere he went. He and Esme continued hunting as it took more animal blood to sate Rheneas's hunger. After coming upon a small herd of elk, Rheneas charged quietly, taking down two of the large beasts at the same time. Being then gentleman he is, he offered one to Esme for sustenance. She gladly fed from the elk, watching Rheneas as he so elegantly did as well. After drinking as much as each could hold, Rheneas sat against a tree, looking up at Esme.
"How long have you and Carlisle been together?" Rheneas asked. Esme took a seat near him before answering.
"Nearly ninety years." Esme replied softly. "I heard you had a mate as well. What became of her?"
"Olivia. She was killed a number of years ago. A murderous vampire decided he wanted her and she wouldn't have him. I had gone hunting earlier that evening and had planned on bringing her home some blood since she didn't exactly like the prospect of hunting a human. When I got back…there was a male there, in my front yard, standing in front of a roaring fire. A purple roaring fire. He thought I was another rogue vampire and he was bragging about his kill. He said that she wouldn't submit to him and she put up a fight but she lost to his strength. I snapped and killed him slowly. Painfully. I made him regret ever touching my wife. " Rheneas whispered.
"I'm so sorry, Rheneas…that must have been awful. How did you go on?" Esme asked.
"Honestly? I don't know…I tried killing myself but nothing worked. I hadn't run into another vampire until Sasha came along. She was nothing like my Olivia but she was a vampire. She understood me. Things started changing. I had a female to take care of and pamper and spoil again. But when she mentioned that James fellow, it felt like my heart was breaking all over again." Rheneas admitted.
Esme smiled sadly, patting Rheneas's hand. She knew how it felt to have someone you love so dearly taken from you. They sat there together, silent, for quite some time. Esme was the first to break the silence.
"When I was human" Esme whispered "I had a baby…but my baby died a few days after being born. I tried to kill myself. That is when Carlisle saved me. I know how it feels to lose someone so quickly. You feel cheated. Lost."
"I have another confession to make, Esme." Rheneas said.
"Yes?" Esme said, turning to look at Rheneas.
"I do not think I can live here." Rheneas said.
"Why not? Did we offend you?" Esme sked.
"No. Not at all. It's just…being around so many people who have their significant others. It's a heartbreaking reminder of what I've lost." Rheneas said.
"I'm so sorry. We can introduce you to Tanya, she's a lovely woman." Esme said.
"That is another reason. I have already met another woman whom I've fallen in love with. But I cannot have her. I do not want any other. I must leave." Rheneas replied.
"Oh really? Who is she?" Esme asked. Rheneas took a deep breath.
"You." Rheneas said.
……
..
Sasha, Alice, and Rosalie were upstairs in Alice's room planning out Sasha's wedding. Sasha had invited Bella to join in but she declined, citing that she just wasn't good at planning out a wedding. Sasha nearly screamed aloud when she was halfway through a bridal magazine.
"This is my dress! This is so my dress!" Sasha squealed, showing Alice and Rosalie.
"It's beautiful!" Alice cried.
"I had one something like that once. But this one is much nicer I think." Rosalie said.
"How much is it?" Alice asked.
"Te-te-ten thousand dollars!" Sasha exclaimed, her eyes going wide.
"That's not bad." Rosalie shrugged.
"I don't even have ten dollars to my name! I might as well get married in jeans and a t shirt at the court house!" Sasha said.
"Pfft, like you'd have to pay for anything." Alice said.
"Huh?" Sasha asked.
"James is loaded. Carlisle and Jasper helped him to invest his money and let's just say the man is loaded. That would be like pocket change to him." Rosalie said.
"I can't make James pay for it." Sasha said.
"Nonsense. He told us specifically that he was paying for everything." Rosalie replied.
"Yeah, and that if you tried to object then he'd spank you…among other things. He wants this to be your dream wedding." Alice chipped in.
"So get the dress. It's beautiful." Rosalie said.
Sasha smiled, ripping the page out and picking up the phone, ordering the dress and matching veil and shoes. She had explained to Alice and Rosalie the exact type of wedding she wanted and they went to work straight away, pulling out their wedding magazines and ripping out pictures and ads for everything that matched Sasha's criteria. The wedding was to be held at midnight underneath a full moon at the Cullen residence. Carlisle had volunteered to marry them. Alice and Esme both were excited of course, getting to decorate the house for a wedding. Rosalie and Emmett had both decided to throw parties; a bachelor party for James and a bachelorette party for Sasha. James got a bit concerned when Rosalie mentioned the phrase "Suck-For-A-Buck" while going bar hopping in Seattle. Sasha gave him a sympathetic look and smiled. With Alice's help, Sasha had picked the colors and selected invitations. With Rosalie's help, Sasha planned the wedding night, down to the color and style of the lingerie she would be wearing. Esme had already booked a penthouse in a fancy hotel in Seattle. Jasper had jokingly promised to calm James down and not let him get cold feet on their wedding day…night. Emmett being who he was, he promised that he wouldn't break down the penthouse door and start snapping pictures of the wedding night. Or any of the days and nights following for the next two weeks. Laurent even stopped by, wishing James the best of luck and accepted an invitation to be at the wedding providing he didn't hunt any of the humans attending the wedding. Sasha had insisted quite adamantly that the werewolves be invited to the wedding, considering that Jake was one of her very good friends. He didn't take the news of Sasha being turned very well at first. But when he found out that it was Victoria who kidnapped her and changed her against her will, he loosened up and even started visiting. Sasha had begged Bella to be her maid of honor but Bella declined, saying that she in a dress plus high heels would mean a big disaster. Everyone agreed wholeheartedly. Sasha had to make the tough decision between Alice and Rosalie. Sasha had finally settled on Alice and Rosalie merely smiled and shrugged.
"I'll have another wedding in a few years anyway. I have enough dresses." Rosalie said.
The bachelorette party night snuck up on Sasha, as she was busy trying to keep up with school and graduation and her wedding. Alice, Rosalie, Bella, Angela, Emily, Kim, and Leah ambushed Sasha in the middle of yet another make out session with James, dragging her off. Rosalie put a t-shirt on Sasha with lifesaver candies stuck all over them with the words "Suck For A Buck" written across the chest of it.
"You mean that you're going to get men to pay a dollar to suck one of those pieces of candy from her shirt?" James asked, looking from Rosalie to Emmett to Sasha.
"It's fun!" Rosalie said, smiling wickedly.
"You want to be the first?" Emmett asked. "It'll cost you a dollar."
"How about I give you a hundred dollars and just take Sasha back to bed with me." James said, winking.
"Ah-ah. It doesn't work that way. One per person." Alice chimed in, coming down the stairs. "Come on or we're going to be laaate!"
"Are there going to be any strippers?" Leah asked, smirking at James as she walked past him.
"Strippers?" James asked, glaring.
"Oh come on now, James." Alice said, smiling sweetly.
When the girls had piled into Emmett's huge Jeep, James turned to look at Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Jake, Sam, and Jared. He never thought he'd be spending his bachelor party with werewolves. Hell, he never thought he'd had a reason to have a bachelor party.
"I say we crash their party." James said, smiling wickedly.
"Oh no. I did that once to Rosalie." Emmett said, shaking his head. "I didn't get any for 2 weeks!"
"Alice would be pissed." Jasper piped in.
Jared, Sam, and Edward shook their heads as well. Jake was smiling widely at the idea. James was starting to warm up to Jake.
"I'm game! Let's go." Jake said, smiling. "I don't have any sex to lose yet so I'm good."
"Sasha wouldn't hold out on me…right?" James asked, looking around.
Emmett smiled widely and nodded.
"If she's learned anything from Rosie then yes, she will. She'll make it hell too. She'll tease and torment you within an inch of your life. I've never had such bad blue balls…" Emmett said.
"Emmett…TMI, brother." Sam said, clapping him on the back and shaking his head.
"Are they really having strippers?" James asked.
"Nah. Leah was just trying to make you squirm." Edward said, laughing.
"And it looks like she did a good job too." Jake added in.
……
..
Rosalie was driving Emmett's huge Jeep to Seattle which was normally about 4 hours away. By Rosalie's driving, however, it only took about two hours. Alice and Rosalie had planned out a fantastic bachelorette party for Sasha, even calling ahead at the bar so only men would be allowed in. That would allow Sasha more chances to play Alice's version of a scavenger hunt and Rosalie's great idea of the "Suck For a Buck" t-shirt. Eight o'clock that evening found the girls in a bar named The Pink Grizzly, surrounded by a bunch of men.
"Looks like I'm the only one that can enjoy the beautiful male company." Leah said, chuckling.
"Attention men!" Rosalie said, whistling a moment later. Every eye turned to her. "We have a bachelorette here who needs your help! She's wearing her suck for a buck t-shirt so all you men line up and get out your money!"
"Rosalie!" Sasha whispered fiercely.
"Here she is, boys!" Rosalie said, pulling Sasha to stand beside her.
At least two dozen men lined up each clutching anywhere from a five dollar bill to a twenty dollar bill, huge smiles on their faces. Rosalie and Alice looked at each other and nodded. Alice collected the money while Rosalie stood guard to make sure no man got too fresh with Sasha. Emily was in charge of taking pictures with Kim. Leah caught the eye of a tall, blond haired man and was currently flirting it up with him in the corner. Bella looked slightly uncomfortable and stuck with Kim and Emily. By the end of the night, Alice had collected nearly five hundred dollars. Sasha was laughing so hard at the state of her t-shirt; little colored rings were all over her shirt. Alice and Rosalie, being Alice and Rosalie, had stuck the candies in strategic locations, giving the shirt an image of vampire teeth with blood dripping from the bottom. Even Emily had managed to keep a serious look on her face when she threatened to use the pictures she took tonight for blackmail. When she had burst out into a fit of giggles at everyone's serious faces, the rest followed suit.
"I didn't know you joked like that, Emily!" Kim said, laughing.
"I think our dear Emily pulled on over on us!" Sasha said, joining in on the laughter.
Sasha and Alice had to practically drag Leah out of the bar and away from the man she met. They quickly exchanged numbers and he winked at Leah as she was being dragged out back to the Jeep. It was midnight when they started on their way back to Forks.
"Wow. I have 47 missed calls." Sasha said, looking at her cell phone.
"I have you beat. I have 50." Rosalie said, sticking her tongue out.
"I have you both beat. I have 93." Bella piped in from the back.
"Damn sister, you have that poor boy worried sick." Sasha said, giggling. "It feels good to be loved, doesn't it?"
Everyone but Leah either nodded or muttered a dreamy "yeah" in response. Leah wasn't paying any attention though; she was busy texting Noel, the man she met at the bar. At a little after two a.m., the girls arrived back in Forks. Rosalie pulled into the driveway of the Cullen house and was immediately greeted by Emmett pulled her out of the seat and wrapping his arms around her. Alice hopped out and walked over to Jasper who held his arms out for her. Edward, as gently as he could, carried Bella inside from the Jeep and up to his room so he could watch her sleep. Sam and Jared both ran up to the Jeep, helping their respective loves of their life out and getting into Sam's Jeep and heading for La Push. James was impatiently waiting for Sasha on the porch, shifting from foot to foot. Sasha pulled Leah out with her, though she never took her eyes from her cell phone. Sasha smiled shyly, and then met James halfway in a huge hug. Jake had a difficult time convincing Leah to ignore her phone long enough to run home to La Push. James carried Sasha upstairs, kissing her the entire way.
"Did you all have a good time?" James asked, looking at the t-shirt as he peeled it off of Sasha.
"It was really fun. Did you all do anything fun?" Sasha replied.
"Played a little baseball. Watched some gory movies and made fun of them." James said, smiling.
"Mmm, you know, tell me later. I have better things to do right now." Sasha said, peeling James's clothes off.
"I love the way you think. Among other things." James said, licking his lips.
"You know for a guy, you talk too much." Sasha said, bringing him down for a kiss.
……
..
Author's note: Wow! What a chapter, eh! Like the good ol' days. It's the next to last chapter *cries*. But that means I'll be starting Carlisle's story soon! WOOHOO! So, what do you think? REVIEW! I'm sick again (head cold) so that is why the story was slow updating. But I wrote more! That counts for something, right? Right! So guess what my little shit (Connor) done tonight. My little shit sticks a chain of paper clips into an electrical socket. Juices himself. He's okay! He didn't cry or anything. Just looks between the socket and his fingers and back to the socket. Don't worry though, he's okay! REVIEWWWWW!!! Mwaaaah!