Bella

After the battle, time seemed to begin to fly by. I had a routine of helping the newborns in the early mornings, training, spending time in the recreation room, and then feeding myself before Demetri and I went to our rooms to talk or make love. Soon, we were at my year mark and I walked into the recreation room one evening to see Jasper, Chelsea, Felix, Alexis, Demetri, Jane, Alec, and Reneta all there.

At once they all shouted "Surprise," and Demetri put a glass of wine in my hand. My friends had all gathered together to celebrate my one year anniversary with me. I was so happy I could have cried. I really did have the best friends. There were even presents there for me and Jane led me over to them when I had finished hugging everyone but Felix. He winked at me as I passed him and we both knew that we'd get the handle on newborn instincts out of the way someday.

Chelsea, Jane, Alec, And Reneta all handed me book-sized presents and I opened them carefully one at a time. They were copies of my Charlie's family photo albums. I had all my old pictures of growing up during the time I lived with my mom and my dad. I flipped through page after page of me growing up. There were all our vacation and trip pictures and even my school photos and dance recitals.

Jasper handed me a small album with all the Cullen family pictures when I was a member of their family. "I know the memories are tainted for you but I thought that you'd want to remember."

Felix and Alexis had gotten me what felt like a blanket and I opened it to see all of our old trip T-shirts put into a quilt for me.

"How did you all do this?" I asked my voice shaking.

Jane and I fetched them when we were on a mission in the states months ago," Chelsea told me.

"You couldn't have gotten me better gifts I told them all seriously.

Demetri held out a small box and I opened it to find a new cellphone. "We all have them, my love, for when we are away on missions and things," Demetri told me and when I turned to thank him he was down on one knee, another box in his hands. He opened it to show me the most beautiful ring, a diamond surrounded with rubies that matched my Voltouri necklace.

"I love you more than my own life. You are my world, please agree to become my wife."

"Yes," was all I could bring myself to say. He slid my ring on my finger and then I got my voice back. "Yes, yes, of course, Demetri, I'd be proud to be your wife for eternity."

I hugged him fiercely and kissed him with a passion that had the others looking uncomfortable and clearing their throats.

The rest of the night was spent dancing and listening to music. Jasper excused himself from the party saying that he had the newborns to care for but gave me a hug before he left. We ended up watching movies, drinking, and dancing until two in the morning when Demetri made our excuses and we made our way back to our rooms.

Before our door shut behind us I was in my fiance's arms and he was kissing me so passionately I thought we could burn the building down.

He stripped me gently and carefully as I slipped his clothes off as well. He picked me up in his arms and lay me gently on the bed.

My Demetri explored my body as if it was our first time making love and I was soon panting and writhing underneath him. When he entered me it was fast, as if he couldn't wait another moment either. We both moaned at the feeling of completeness.

He sat a slow pace pushing all the way into me before pulling almost all the way out and then repeating over and over until I was begging for more.

He finally gave me what I wanted, filling me harder and faster. I came screaming his name and if we'd been human he would have had nail marks on his back.

When he'd finally emptied himself inside of me he rolled me over and pulled me up to my hands and knees. Neither of us was ready to stop. As he plunged into me again I called out his name. He took me hard, fast and deep and I tightened around him, sending him over the edge too.

We made love through the rest of the night and were lucky we noticed when it was time to get ready to go to the training room the next morning. We barely made it on time.

"We're working on multiple opponents today," Demetri said as we walked in and he took the first turn going against everyone else.

When it was my turn I held my own, working without my shield and still taking out everyone but Demetri.

After practice, I took Jane to the side. "Jane, I want you to be my maid of honor. Will you do it?"

"Yes! She told me. I would be honored."

"Chelsea, Reneta," I called, and they joined us quickly. "I was wondering if you would be my bridesmaids?"Both girls quickly agreed and we went out to hunt and talk weddings without the boys around. I just had one more stop to make first.

It took a little longer and we interrupted Felix and Alexis in an intimate moment but I asked Alexis if she would be my bridesmaid too. Felix was quite put out with us until he heard why we were there then he winked at me and mouthed thank you. Of course, Alexis couldn't go on our hunting trip yet so we promised to wait for any planning till when we got back.

We went to Florence and found our meals there after the sun had set. As I had promised myself earlier, I only fed on criminals now and always hunted for my own meals. While we were out we stopped by a bookstore that was open late and got all of the wedding magazines. We took them back to the castle to look at them with Alexis. We chatted about shoes and dresses and wedding colors the whole way.

When we got back the recreation room was filled with the men. Demetri called me over to him. I curled up on his lap, in my favorite place in the whole world and kissed his neck. "Did you girls have fun?" he asked me.

"We hunted for dinner then wedding magazines."

He kissed me and then gave me the most wicked smile. "I want to wait to get married until after all of the newborns are old enough to come."

"Of course Demetri," I told him. "It will take that long to plan anyways and Alexis is going to be one of my bridesmaids."

"Thanks for including her," Felix said, "It means the world to her."

"Well you boys have fun, we're going to go find Alexis and look at wedding magazines in my room," I told them.

"Alexis is getting ready to feed, so you'll find her in the catacombs," Felix informed me.

"I'm surprised you aren't down with her," Jane said to Felix.

"She wants to try to feed on her own so I'm giving her space for it."

"She's doing so well Felix and you two make the perfect couple," I told him.

"Bye boys, have fun," Chelsea added and pulled me off of Demetri's lap with a roll of her eyes.

Their laughter followed after us.

"I'll go get Alexis" Jane offered.

"Thanks, Jane," I called back as we opened the door to mine and Demetri's home.

Demetri

"I didn't get a chance to tell her I'm leaving," I complained after the girls had left.

"You'll be better telling her that after they've finished going through the magazines."

"But I don't know how long this job will take."

"She's a mature vampire now. She can handle it."

"You all think it's the right thing to do?"

"I know if is. She'll understand. It's Bella." Alec said.

They turned their attention back to their game.

"You'll look after her while I'm gone?" Demetri asked after a while.

"We're family, man, we will always look after one of our own."

"Ok then, I'll make the call."

I passed the game off to Alec, calculated the time difference, and made the phone call.

"Annie, I need permission to enter tribal lands to speak with Johnnie H"

"We don't normally allow your kind here, and you aren't the one we usually negotiate with."

"This is a personal matter. I give my word that I will harm no one. Will you pass on my request?"

"I will, is this the number you can be reached at?"

"Yes, you call, I will answer."

"Well that was the best you could hope for," Alec commented after I hung up the phone. He passed the controller back to me and we returned to our game.

It was almost time to start a new day when my phone rang.

I left Bella on the couch reading and went out in the hallway to answer.

"Demetri here."

"Demetri this is Johnny H."

"I would like your permission to visit tribal lands to issue a wedding invitation to you and some of your people."

"Very well, I will speak with you, but come alone as all of your representatives do."

"I will be there tomorrow morning."

The line was dead. I hung up the phone. I reentered our rooms and sat next to Bella, pulling her onto my lap.

"I have to leave for a little while, my love."

"Will you be safe?" Bella asked me with fear-filled eyes.

"I will, and remember you can call me now. We won't be apart for long."

"I know we have no choice so be extra careful and come home to me."

"Always my love."

I went to pack a bag. Three days should be sufficient for the task. While I was there I called to get the plane fueled and the pilots ready for takeoff.

I grabbed my bag and went out into the front room.

"I'll be back as soon as I can my Bella."

"You'd better be." She jumped up onto me and kissed me passionately.

"I'll miss you," She said softly.

"I'll miss you too little love."

I kissed her again and told her goodbye. It was always hard leaving my Bella and I thought it always would be. I left the room and headed for the airport. I had to get to Alaska.

Credit for Annie and Johnny H goes to airedalegirl1