A/N: Ok, back to the vampires. I am ecstatic that you liked my version of Sam in this story. I just felt like he needed to be a little more understanding and would be if the Cullen's were completely upfront about the strangers in the beginning. I could be wrong though, but then again, this is fanfiction. LOL. Enjoy the new chapter.

Chapter 36 – Suggestion or Proposal?

Jacob had been gone for several months and in that time Emmett had graduated high school (again), while Bella had moved on to her senior year in Forks. She was there without Emmett, which felt a little odd to her, however she was still happy because he was still in town and going to university in Seattle.

Emmett's original plan was to leave Forks as soon as he graduated from high school with the pretense that he would be going to school on the east coast, but that all changed when Bella had walked into his life. He couldn't be separated from her and that meant he couldn't leave her for any extended period of time. The only option left was to either take a year off from school and hang around the house while his mate attended classes, or find something to do. He decided attending college again was better than sitting around and twiddling his thumbs while he waited for Bella to finish her classes for the day. If he got a job, he ran the risk of having to call in sick on the sunny days. School was easier to deal with and in a university he didn't always have to worry about attendance, especially when half his classes were online.

As Emmett sat at his desk and quickly typed up a book report on the Grapes of Wrath, he found himself grinning and unable to stop. In the past Bella had always been a little anxious at the word marriage. She believed that a piece of paper did not make a marriage or a relationship and they could be together without such a thing. Her other argument was that if he wanted her to carry his name, well she was going to be a vampire anyway eventually, so her new name could use his last name. He had laughed, but agreed with all of her reasoning. He knew she had been burned by marriage before when her parent's own had collapsed with her in the middle, and today's statistics did nothing to help her mindset. Then being shuffled off between the two, she just didn't want a relationship like that. Fear of a wedding destroying them weighed heavily on her; however this weekend something changed, and in a roundabout way she proposed to him.

He had taken her on a little getaway so that they could have some alone time without everyone hovering around them. The wolves were anxious because Jacob was still missing, but they kind of knew where he was. At Emmett's house, the others were always there; they had Bella's house, but Charlie popped in all of the time, so it wasn't really a haven for them to be alone. Emmett didn't have a problem taking her to their ridge, but it would get cold. They needed a break and time together, and this past weekend was the perfect time since Charlie would be going on a fishing trip, and that meant Bella was going to be staying with him anyway. He just wasn't prepared for everything that happened.

Flashback…

Emmett had gone to pick Bella up from her house Friday after school and ran into Charlie as the parent was leaving for his getaway. "Catch a few big ones for me and don't worry about Bella," the big man grinned at his mate's father.

Chuckling, Charlie said, "Honestly, since she started dating you, I don't worry as much as I did when she was with Edward, but if you hurt her…"

"I got it. They won't be able to find the body. Right?"

"Something like that."

The vampire nodded and joined in the amusement. He and Charlie got along great, and there were times Bella was still amazed at how close he had managed to get to her father. She would sometimes ask him what his secret was, and his only answer was kindred outdoorsy souls, which would make her howl with laughter. "Don't worry. I only want to make her happy," Emmett grinned and thumped Charlie on the back.

"Good. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Charlie, you can ask whatever you want."

"How serious are you about my daughter?" The father could see that the couple was very committed to each other, but he also knew how young love could dwindle. He had never asked before, but he needed to know that Emmett wasn't going to leave his baby hurting in the end.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with her, sir," Emmett responded grinning from ear to ear as he thought about an eternity with Bella at his side. He couldn't imagine anything better.

"So is that your way of telling me you will be asking for her hand in the future?"

"Well, I would love to, but she isn't really keen on the whole wedding thing, and I am not going to force her into something she doesn't want to do."

Sighing, Charlie ran his hand through his hair. He had known his daughter was a little gun shy when it came to the whole marriage thing, but he thought it would have changed with Emmett in her life. He couldn't fault his daughter's boyfriend's answer though, "Well, you two are still young. Maybe she will change her mind, but if not, I am glad you are not going to let that scare you off. She didn't exactly have the best example of a happy marriage when she was younger."

Emmett snickered, "Nothing can make me leave her, sir. I love her."

"Good. Have fun this weekend, but not too much," Charlie gave the perceived younger man a very pointed look before getting in his car and driving away.

After the father drove away, Emmett quickly made his way into the house and found Bella zipping up her bag and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the side of her neck. They had been together for a while now, but had never crossed the line. Bella wanted to and Emmett was hesitant. It wasn't that he didn't want to take it to the next step, he did. They were committed to each other, and yet there was still part of him that wanted to wait until at least she was out of school. Call it old fashioned morals or whatever, he just couldn't bring himself to cross that line with her, but she seemed to understand… most of the time. Giving her a small squeeze, he asked, "Are you almost ready to go?"

"Yep," she said as she turned around and wrapped her arms around her mate's neck, pulling him down for a real kiss. When Bella pulled back, she was smiling, "So where are we going?"

"Camping."

"Camping?"

"Don't worry. I have everything taken care of and you won't have to worry about a thing."

"What about the hard ground?" Bella grumbled.

Shaking his head, Emmett chuckled, "There is this magical invention called an air mattress. You don't have to worry about the hard ground either."

Bella hit his chest with her open palm gently, not that it could really hurt him, "Don't be mean."

"Babe, I will always treat you like the princess you are," he whispered before giving her another brief kiss. Pulling back, he grabbed her bag and told her, "Come on. I want to get to camp before it gets dark."

"Not like you can't see in the dark to pitch the tent anyway," she teased.

"True, but everything is already taken care of. I went earlier in the day while you were at school and took care of the tent and everything else. I just want to get there before it gets dark so that we can watch the sunset together. It is supposed to be clear at dusk so that we will be able to see it, and I want to get a campfire started so that you can have dinner at some point in time."

Giggling, Bella stated, "Well then by all means, let's go."

Before long, the couple was at their campsite and Emmett had a fire built. As the sun went down, they were able to enjoy the beauty of it and their solitude together. This is what they had wanted, craved, and needed: alone together without even the slightest chance that they would be disturbed. In a hotel, there are still people around; here it is them and nature, and that was the perfect situation in both of their eyes.

It wasn't until Saturday afternoon as they were walking through the surrounding woods that Bella breeched the subject that Emmett never thought he would hear from her lips, "So, I have been thinking a lot about things lately."

Slightly confused about where this was going, Emmett probed, "About what?"

"You have never really asked me about marrying you in the future or anything. Why?"

"I know how you feel about it. You and I talked about it before. I don't have a problem with that. I know you will be with me with or without a wedding. We are already mated and love each other, and that is enough for me."

"Is it?"

"Bells, what's going on in that head of yours? I really don't care if we go through a ceremony or not. Like you said, a piece of paper doesn't make a relationship."

Nodding, Bella frowned, "I know it doesn't, but I have been thinking about things and us…"

"And?" Emmett prodded when it seemed as if she wasn't going to continue.

"Well, I think if you asked me to marry you, like most boyfriends who love their girlfriends do, and like I think you should do, I wouldn't decline you."

Emmett stopped in his tracks. Did he just hear what he thought he had? Staring at the back of his mate as she continued to walk, he felt a quickening in his soul and she looked at him over her shoulder and smiled… she was serious, and that was something Emmett couldn't ever imagine in this lifetime... or the next, at least not for a century or so. He had her in his arms in an instant, "Are you sure?"

Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders, "I think you need to ask and find out."

He wasted no time and released her as he got down on one knee. He didn't have a ring, but that was alright, that could come after they got back. Taking her hand in his, he spoke from his heart, "Bella Swan, I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. You are my mate and my other half. I don't know what I would do without you or where I would be right now if you had not come into my life. You have taught me what it means to be a mate and what love really means. Now that you are in my life, I couldn't live without you. Will you please become my wife and marry me?"

"Yes, I will marry you," Bella beamed and threw herself in her mate's arms. She had never wanted to marry someone before Emmett, but with him it was different. Edward had brought it up a couple of times, but it felt more like he was forcing it. Emmett was different. He understood her insecurities and accepted her as she was; he never forced her to do things she didn't want to, and that was why she had even started to think about marriage with this man. This was the only person for her and she knew that there would never be anyone else.

End flashback…

The rest of the weekend was spent just basking in each other presence and enjoying being together. Although it seemed as if they had gotten closer and went a little further in their relationship, Emmett still had not been willing to cross that line and Bella hadn't pressed the issue.. much. They were both happy where they were, and now they were engaged. Emmett still wondered if he was dreaming sometimes, but as he gazed at the time and shut down his computer, he reached into his pocket and felt the ring box… he knew that he was alive, awake, and loving every minute of it. Walking out of his room, he had to make a stop before he picked Bella up from school, and luckily the police station was on the way.

A/N2… Don't worry, not quite done yet.