Disclaimer: blah Stephenie Meyer blah. Lyrics: Brighter Than Sunshine- Aqualung. The songs in the ceremony are mentioned and I made a playlist for them for your convenience, linked in my profile. The quotes used in the ceremony that don't belong to me are referenced within the text- as in, it's said where they're from.

(A/N: Check out my JB-n-Pack group for the story if you're a member- I post graphics and teasers there. NTL is there if something happens to it here. That site is for 18 and up only. Tons of visuals for this chapter including clothes, setting, etc are there as well, or in my photo bucket account. Links in profile. AGAIN, I apologize for having to split this chapter in two)

Chapter 34: Bound, Part 2 of 2

(Jacob's POV)

There she was.

All I saw was the vaguest flash of white from the corner of my eye and then she was walking towards me with her father, down the aisle, the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. She had a gorgeous blush coating her cheeks when she looked up as everyone stood for her entrance, and the white brought out the peach undertones of her skin- she wasn't pale, she was bright, almost glowing.

She caught my gaze and I smiled so wide my mouth hurt, which is hard to do for someone who literally smiles all the time if I can, unless I'm upset or angry or…

Whatever the case was I was definitely happy now- it was like she was floating towards me, drawn to me like a magnet, and we couldn't look away from each other. Beautiful pools of chocolate brown digging into the depths of my soul.

Cheesy, much?

I could hardly pay attention to anything else. In fact, I wasn't paying attention to anything else but her. It was the best feeling in the world knowing she was about to mine, and I hers for as long as we both lived…that's what the vows say don't they? A promise of forever with each other? There hadn't been another option for either of us for years now.

"Friends, we have been invited here to share with Jacob and Isabella a very special moment in their lives…"

I vaguely heard the minister speak during the next few moments. I was too busy staring at this angel in front of me about to take my hand…a woman who hadn't run away from this wedding, and who had walked down the aisle. There really was no turning back after this, none whatsoever, and by the look in her eyes, she knew that too. And I saw no doubt, and no regret, not that I'd been expecting it.

Before I really knew what was going on, a softness brushed against my palm and Charlie had already placed Bella's hand in mine. I missed the cue from the minister.

I squeezed her fingers, stroking the tops of them as she stepped towards me so she was across from me, both hands in mine, squeezing my wrist in intervals. Her pulse rate was high. She was nervous, happy as well. There was another faint sound too, coming from her, but I couldn't make it out as the minister opened with one of the quotes Bella and I had chosen.

This one was one from the movie 'The Sound of Music' a guilty pleasure Bella had revealed to me when we started to search for quotes we felt appropriate- quotes we felt fit us. This one was entirely chosen by her.

"A bell is no ring 'till you ring it,

A song is no song 'til you sing it,

And love in your heart

Wasn't put there to stay-

Love isn't love

'Til you give it away."

Bella's lips curved into a smile as she kept her gaze on me, still caressing my fingers. There was a feeling bubbling within me that I couldn't put a finger on. I knew it was happiness but it was a different kind of happiness than what I was used to; it was stronger than ever before.

My ears picked up the pastor asking us to read our personal vows.

I patted my pockets briefly, trying not to mutter 'shit' with little Levi sitting just behind me with the rings. I'd memorized them, right? Yeah…I did…

Right?

I grasped Bella's hand again, and she chuckled quietly, picking out the 'fuck it' look I knew I had in my eyes. So much had to be done to getting married…it basically sucked. But, I knew our friends wouldn't be pleased if we decided to hop down to the court, sign the papers, and be done with it.

I cleared my throat out of nervous habit. And for someone who could care less what people thought, I was terrified of screwing this up.

So, I searched my memory to pick out any part of my vows…and ended up rambling, but still…I said them.

And I said them from the bottom of my heart, as fucking clichéd as the phrase is these days…

I began, and my voice was shaking, "If I could, I'd repeat what I said when I proposed to you. But, that was a spur of the moment thing, and you know I'm not good with words anyways…" She smiled and blushed, glancing down before catching my eyes again. She looked so beautiful. How was I supposed to put these words in the right order?

The biggest day of my life and I'm already a mess.

"What I will say is that this very moment has been a long time coming, too long if you ask me, but, the fact that we waited for each other, through everything means the world to me." She gave me a half-smile. "I had my doubts several times about your love for me and I know you doubted me, but I'm nothing but honest, and I've never loved you any less." I don't think you should say things like 'doubting your love for me' at ceremonies, but I wasn't going to sugarcoat anything. Like I'd said out loud- I'm honest. Deal with it. "If at all possible, I love you more every second I'm with you. And…I don't doubt how much you love me, like I once did. Not anymore, and not for a long time. You came back to me, after we both thought we'd never see each other again, and here you are, still, finally, standing in front of me, dressed in white…and mine." Her eyes pooled with tears.

No, no, no, Bella…I have to be a man here. No tears. If you cry, I cry.

"I've come a long way from that scrawny little kid that used to follow you around, or that kid who, as he got older, would get flustered and sometimes trip over nothing around you, or that teenager with the ridiculous temper and notorious record for pushing you to your limit, and making you see." Lighten things up a bit. "I think for a while there you hated my persistence, but it paid off."

Now for the deep shit.

"I can't…be without you, which sounds bad. I mean, I can, but I'd rather not lose you again. Four years away from you…it's not going to happen twice. There were moments then, and even when you returned, that I wasn't sure, but one thing I knew for sure was I wanted you. I wanted you forever, even though my mind kept telling me I shouldn't because of the circumstances…" I spared a glance at Chimera, who rolled her eyes and laughed before my attention focused back on Bella. "And I wasn't going to give up, even then. But, you turned the tables: You never gave up on me and you fought, and that means more to me that I can say. It was at that moment I never doubted your feelings for me. And now, here you are…and I'm going to love you, forever."

(Bella's POV)

Jacob never needed to say anything- in fact he had no need to speak now. I listened to his words, but his expressions and his body language- turned towards me, hands holding mine, eyes lost in mine, a squeeze here and there, face twitching at moments- it was more than enough. I could read him well.

I was silent for too long and swallowed a lump in my throat to force back another wave of tears before saying what I had rehearsed and rehearsed from thin air, since I'd forgotten everything. Damn you, Jacob Black.

Searching my mind for the words I planned to say, I finally spoke.

"I-I'm really nervous." Real brilliant, Bella. "Happy, but nervous," I forced a small laugh. "So," I took a deep breath, "I know, in the past I've been, how can I say this, pretty blind and selfish and reckless…you name it, I've been it." He snickered, bringing forth another smile from me. His smile and laugh were contagious, they always had been.

"You are the light that pulled me out of the darkest times of my short existence. My sun, as I said countless times. You showed me there's so much more to life than what I'd originally thought. Being with you…and even breaking up with you…it proved that I could survive on my own, and be independent. Every second I missed you, and it felt like the other half of me was missing, but I became stronger because of you. And I chose the right path, not the wrong one. I almost did, as I'm sure you remember." A flicker of annoyance passed over his face. Yeah, I figured that would bring out that reaction. He was smiling again soon after though. "So…thank you for loving me, and I-I honestly don't have anything else to say other than what you already know, since you know me better than I know myself."

He smirked. Yep, he knew it was true.

"What I will say is I love you…a hell of a lot." And there was that smile again.

"And now a selection from 1 Corinthians 13." The pastor opened to the verse in the Bible and began reading. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails…And now there three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Although I wasn't religious, partly because of the way my mother raised me, those verses were some of the most beautiful I'd heard. Steady tears were streaming down my face as the minister asked for the rings.

Jacob let out a tiny, barely noticeable chuckle and I smiled as we both turned to see Sam leading Levi to us for the ring portion of the ceremony. I'd had to give Jacob's mother's ring to Renee, who in turn gave it to Sam to give to Levi at the right moment. So, her ring…my ring now-although she would without a doubt be with that ring for as long as it survived in this family- and a thick, solid gold band for Jacob were tucked into a small, plush, white blanket with a white flower.

My smile widened at the sight of not-so-little, but young Levi in his tux holding the pillow above him to give the rings to Jacob and I.

I wouldn't be able to look at children in the same way anymore after this morning. My mind merged pieces of Jake's and my features together and they were planted on the smiling face of Levi, and I could almost see our child, in the flesh...a boy. Although, I felt like the one growing within me at the moment was a girl.

What is that called? 'Mother's intuition'?

I smiled at Jacob as he fluffed Levi's hair and pushed him away, smirking as Levi hung his head in embarrassment and hid his face in Emily's bosom.

Both my hands returned Jacob's, and once again, my eyes were glued to his.

(Jacob's POV)

One of the things that was driving me insane was trying to pick apart the new look on Bella's face as she watched Levi.

Just when I thought I knew every expression she had, this one comes along and I can't decipher it.

Here I was, happily in the middle of my wedding, and still trying to read my soon-to-be-within-minutes-wife, something I could do later.

Soon, I fell back into the present though and instead focused on her smiling face, glimmering eyes, and rosy cheeks, realizing I was supposed to say my own version of the typical 'I, Jacob Black, take Bella Swan…'. The pastor was sending me a look and I cleared my throat again, smiling as I realized the deal was almost sealed. She was almost mine, not that she hadn't been before, but it was forever now.

So many years of fighting, loving, and struggling to get to this moment and it wasn't some sick fantasy my mind was playing on me. I could feel her fingers in my hands, hear her heartbeat, see her face, her smile…

And what the hell was that fluttering sound coming from her? It was driving me insane.

And why the hell couldn't I even think properly at my wedding?

She squeezed my hands and even nudged my ankle with her foot to get me to speak. My eyes darted to hers and I grinned, apologizing again for getting sidetracked, fully focusing my attention on my beautiful bride, who was just as anxious as I was to get married.

I slid my mother's ring over Bella's finger, tenderly touching her fingers and hands. No longer was this ring my mother's, it belonged to Bella now. We weren't doing the typical, the pastor says the line, and I recite it- we were diving right in. And I must confess…what I was about to say wasn't even written down. "I, Jacob Black, take you, Bella Swan, to be my wife, finally…" I added that in and I heard a chorus of laughter behind me, and a giggle from Bella as her cheeks tinted red. I smiled the smile I reserved for her and her only, and her cheeks darkened as she stared into my eyes. "And I'm going to continue loving you as much as I do now, as much as I always have, even when our kids are distracting us from the finer pleasures in life, and I can hardly have you to myself. Although, with as many friends as we have, it's hard to have you alone for long periods of time," I chuckled. "And I'll love you when you're old and gray and think you aren't attractive anymore, which is complete nonsense…" I resisted the sudden urge to touch her cheek. "…Because you'll always be beautiful to me." She ducked her head and looked at me through her lashes. Her fingers twitched with this ridiculous desire to brush her hair behind her ear out of habit at being complimented. "And I'll love you even when you push me away, fight with me, force me to sleep on the couch, not speak to me for a while, or your hormones are whack and you complain about being 'fat,' which you completely wouldn't be when you're pregnant with my child, which…hopefully will be soon." I winked and she…swallowed? What? "And I'll keep fighting for you if for some reason you slip through my fingers again…" She wanted to speak, but clamped her mouth shut. "…until my heart stops beating."

That did it. And tears started pouring from her eyes.

I was trying to be playful because that was who I was, but I couldn't resist throwing that line in, because I'd said it to her so many times, and it held a load of meaning for the two of us. "I'll love you every moment we have together, until we both leave this life behind." I slid the ring over her finger. "This ring is yours now…" And it fit perfectly on her finger. "I don't think I need to explain the reasons behind this ring, what it means, because…it embodies one of the greatest loves I've known. It belonged to a man who loved a woman with everything he was, and she loved him just as much. It means…" My voice was cracking. "The inscription, as you know, reads my 'forever begins and ends with you,' and it's true. My forever is with you- it always has been- and that forever includes everything we've ever gone through to lead us to this moment, and everything we still have to go through after this moment, including things we'll face and overcome together. These hearts entwined symbolize being bound to each other, forever. It means, you're stuck with me forever." She chuckled through her tears. "Because I'm not going to lose you. And this moment, these rings, this ceremony, this binding, is a promise of that."

(Bella's POV)

Jacob swore he was never good with words, but his 'serious teasing' that had turned into something romantic, worked for me.

This was it.

I was ready.

For a moment's silence I was unable to look away from him or his fingers in mine, wearing the ring…for good now.

The pastor cleared his throat and asked me to give Jacob his ring.

He hadn't seen it yet. His temporary engagement ring had been a strand of leather, the very material he'd used to make the bracelets for me that he attached his carvings to as charms.

This one I'd picked out myself, and it was a simple, thick, gold band with an inscription I couldn't wait to share with him.

"I, Isabella Swan, take you, Jacob Black, to be my husband, for this moment, and every single second after, until I'm old and gray and your abs disappear…" I heard chuckles over the sniffles of the crowd, and decided if he could be funny and romantic, I could too or at least try to. Jacob's sense of humor was always much better than mine. "I'll miss them dearly, but I'm sure I can handle the loss." Yes! He blushed! Which made the both of us smile bigger. "And I'll love you, like I always have, although my teenage girl habits forced me to not be willing to admit it, when I was blinded, by what several of the people here and yourself refer to as 'the sparkles.'" I heard the wolves and girls laugh, and saw my mother give Billy a questioning look out of the corner of my eye. I almost burst out laughing, but cleared my throat and focused on my husband…well, he technically was, right? We were just moments away from confirming it.

I should move faster…definitely.

"Now, before I say anything else," I moved the ring to the tips of my fingers just a fraction away from slipping it on his finger, happy I'd found a dealer in La Push that made rings big enough to fit over his fingers. "…this ring is here to assist me, even as I try to rush this part so I can just be yours already…" I ducked my head and slipped it over his finger, listening to the rumble of a laugh in his chest that drowned out the happy chuckles of our friends and family because it was his laugh. "I took a different 'route' then w-what you did, so the engraving is on the outside, not the inside. Not that it m-matters." I was stuttering, a sure sign my nerves were on an all time high. "That comment was irrelevant." He bumped our hands up enough to tap my cheek so I could look at him again, and I was instantly calmed by the warm, brown orbs of his eyes. "It says 'My sun' in Quileute."

I heard a collective sigh from my girls and a gasp from the guys, who were likely thinking 'she's gone all romantic too? Damn, can't we just get out of here and drink some alcohol at the reception?'

And they'd also made such noises that told me they understood fully what I meant.

"I explained this earlier in the first half of our vows, before the rings were even in front of us, but you know that you have always been my sun, and never once had you stepped out of that light until I…l-left." My voice trembled. "And I love you more than words can say…" I blubbered, tears streaming down my face, unable to wipe them away. "I can't…I don't even…Y-You were there for me and you loved me more. You did. And…I know that…I've known that…and now, n-now…it's so close to us being together for good." I took a deep, steadying breath, almost breaking down again at the sight of his eyes watering from his fight to hold his tear back and be the strong one in this situation. "And there's nothing I've wanted more than you…especially now. And…you're my sun. I can't live without you, not again. You were…you are everything I never knew I always wanted. And this ring describes perfectly what you mean to me, and it's a symbol of my love for you and this commitment I'm never going to walk away from."

The silence was almost deafening as I clutched both his hands, dying to kiss him, gazing into his eyes.

Then the pastor finally said the closing quote, the one Jacob had chosen, and the one currently engraved around the frame of the photo of his mother…something he would soon find out was a gift from his father, his sisters, and me, and the very quote used in his father and mother's wedding. "And now, a closing quote from Lord Alfred Tennyson, and what Jacob mentioned, only slightly, to be the quote that defines his love for this woman before him." The priest recited the quote from memory. "'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.'"

The priest closed his book as he said the words I'd been waiting to hear for months now.

"By the power vested in me and by the State of Washington, beneath God's eyes, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Before I had a chance to smile, Jacob gathered me into his arms, bent me over, like our first kiss, and planted a passionate kiss on my lips, arms wrapping around me as I let out a gasp of surprise, smiling as soon as I felt the smile on his lips, the heat and the fact that I was in his arms drowning out the applause, cheers, and occasional naughty innuendos from the guys mouths.

And I'm lost completely in my husband, who has controlled himself enough to pull away and look down at me, smiling that smile I'd been so fond of for as long as I could remember.

He cupped my face and wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes as I clutched his forearms, heart beating wildly. "I love you," I whispered, brushing my nose against his, before pulling away just as the pastor announced "I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Black." I smiled at the sound of "Mr. and Mrs." I couldn't wait to hear my name paired with his last name at the reception…and from Jacob's lips.

'Beautiful Day' by U2 began playing from the DJ stand on the shore.

I was still lost in his eyes, and we'd nearly forgotten that we were supposed to be walking back down the aisle. My face was still in his hands, and he gently, oh-so-gently, titled my face up to plant the softest of kisses on my lips, silently telling me he loved me too and would for now and forever.

And then coming out of our newly-wed fog, he took my hand, and led me down the aisle so we could continue the celebrations.

Isabella Black…Bella Black.

It had a nice ring to it.

What a feeling in my soul

Love burns brighter than sunshine

Brighter than sunshine

Let the rain fall, I don't care

I'm yours and suddenly you're mine

Suddenly you're mine

And it's brighter than sunshine

(A/N: These shout outs are REALLY late, but I want to give a special thanks to imprinted2aT for rec'g this story at the Phase Fics website =) Also, this story was runner up/'Beta' for "Best Portrayal of Bella" at the Jacob-Black-n-Pack fan fiction awards, so thanks for that too.)