The day of the wedding was a blur for Grace. She had dutifully arrived by 7 a.m. to help Alice start coordinating the set up of the clearing just off of their house. Bella was to get there no later than 10 to start getting ready. Grace was in sweats and a cropped sweatshirt with her hair pulled up in a messy bun as she artfully wove fresh flowers together.
"Emmett! Come on, I said finish clearing the boulders not smash them to pieces and scattering broken rock across the dance floor." Grace clucked making her way over.
"I'm trying to see if I can hit it just right so that it crumbles into a likeness of their faces! Like when you see the virgin Mary in toast," Emmett said to Grace's confusion.
"Well you're about to be put on duck duty if you don't knock it off and clean this up!" Grace scolded. Jasper was hovering around a nearby pond eyeing the swimming ducks with a pained look on his face. Whenever a duck got too close, he'd move ever so slightly and they'd bounce away from him squawking.
"I'm not dealing with ducks," Emmett said under his breath. Grace turned to go back inside looking for more ribbon as a bustle of energy moved in and around the house. Alice had tasked each member of her family with some important task.
Grace went upstairs and into Alice's studio as she pricked at the flowers and gave out a shriek when she looked up to find Edward there stock still and staring at Bella's wedding dress.
"Jesus Edward!" Grace said placing a hand over her chest and taking a minute to recover. He looked over at her slightly amused and a little embarrassed before Grace continued, "What are you doing in here, isn't that bad luck?" she pointed toward Bella's dress.
"Only if she's in it, I think," He said quietly. His eyes returned the dress and Grace moved past him to open the craft drawers spilling over with ribbons. Once she found one she liked, she moved to sit at the makeup station Alice had set up for Bella to get ready at and set to work on the flowers.
"What are you making?" he asked after a second.
"Boutaneers," Grace said with a needle in between her teeth still. "You gonna tell me why you're really in here?"
Edward gave a knowing smirk, "So perceptive," he said looking back to the dress before he spoke. "She's going to want me to turn her after we get back from the honeymoon." He heard Grace hold her breath, her fingers stalling over the flowers momentarily. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to refuse her."
Grace let out a long exhale and looked up at him, "It's easy. Just say no."
"But then Alice or Carlisle will do it," Edward shook his head annoyed again.
"Then stop them," Grace said simply, grumbling now.
"Were it so easy," he said, his eyes trained on Grace now. "Would you help?"
"I've tried. She won't listen to me. She'll throw supernatural destiny in my face and call it square."
"So what happens then? I change her and your pack comes after us for the rest of our lives?" Edward said disappointedly. "I told her forever and I meant it."
"I don't know what will happen, but you definitely won't be welcome back to Forks and neither will Bella. Not anyone. But what other way is there?" Grace looked tired suddenly. "I'm not starting the war but I will put a stop to it if it starts."
"You think we want a war?" Edward probed.
"No, but the pack will see it as nothing other than a gauntlet thrown. And without the treaty in place, they won't have any reason not to come after you. It depends on how far Sam lets them go."
"But you'll help us, right?" Edward's eyes were controlled. Grace looked up at him. She didn't know what she would even be able to do in that moment.
"She's my family, which makes you my family, which probably makes me a traitor, so yes?" Grace narrowly avoided pricking her finger to the point of blood as she hissed. "But I highly doubt they'll kill me. Who knows though." Grace sighed dejectedly. "Happy returns." she toasted one of the boutaneers and frowned. "I'm sorry, I'm trying."
Edward nodded and looked back to the wedding dress before making his way past her. He paused and put a cold hand on her shoulder causing her to look up, "It's okay. We'll meet it as it comes….together," he gave her a reassuring smile and left her in the room alone.
The ceremony was everything Grace had imagined. As she sat in the front row next to Renee and Charlie in her silvery blue satin dress, her hair spilling gorgeously down her back and pulled half up with soft wispy strands floating around her face, she couldn't help but think that this is what forever must look like with someone you loved beyond words.
Bella stared so intently at Edward, at every vow he uttered and he returned the look. There was everything between and yet they were close, conquered immeasurable hurtles, fought death and destruction, and promised forever. Grace's eyes glittered with tears as they were pronounced man and wife and with a soft, endearing, and terribly intimate kiss, they turned to smile adoringly at their loved ones.
Grace broke into loud cheers and claps, hearing Embry, Quil, and Seth crooning at the very back close to the treeline.
The night wore on easy from there, Grace and Bella happily discarding their high heels to go barefoot to the shock and laughter of Alice. They danced until their lungs hurt on the dance floor with Angela and Jessica and Mike and Eric. A farewell to their childhood in the most spectacularly noisy way possible.
After a few slow songs that she coerced Seth and then Embry to dance with her on, she collapsed into a chair fanning herself. The night had come upon them long ago and Grace shone like moonlight in her dress. She turned to Embry and Quil at her table and said "I'm going to get a drink do you guys want—" but she was cut off by their nervous looks.
"What? Don't tell me you're chickening out now! You made it through a whole ceremony and dance party with a bunch of vampires." she said a smile moving across her face teasing them.
"Must be the punch," Quil played off and took another swig. Grace shrugged and looked back to the dance floor. But her eyes saw the receding figures of Edward and Bella sneak around the back of the house. "Where are they going?"
Her question was short lived though because Seth was pulling her up onto the dance floor again, trying to spin and gleefully dip her to his heart's content. Seth was a good head and half taller than her now, even though he was barely 15. They drew the stares and laughter of couples closest to them but Grace didn't care. Just a week after her meeting with Ti'Hal, she was starting to feel better.
She didn't lose her breath every other second, she was recasting with ease around the reservation, Sam had reinstated her back onto patrols, and she had even spent the afternoon baking with Emily just for fun. She was by no means whole, and the grief would often return at night when she was alone in bed, but she was standing on her own two feet again and it didn't hurt so much to smile. She had her pack to thank for that, even though she knew she didn't deserve it. They wholeheartedly threw themselves into Grace's path to help her along in her healing.
They hadn't hesitated in letting Grace know how much she had messed up. She apologized to each of them, letting them know that it was her fault that Jake was gone and she was willing to carry that burden for the rest of her life. And they were allowed to hate her for pulling their pack apart.
But they wouldn't hate her. Sam had stared her down one evening and said, "People are not the sum total of their mistakes. It's how we come back from them and make choices that don't lead to the same thing again that matters." and then quietly, unsure, he concluded, "He'll come back."
Paul had somewhat patched up with Rachel according to Quil, visiting her every weekend at UW after she went back in August. Rachel had made sure to leave him hanging in agony for weeks before she let him anywhere near her, but the imprint allowed her to let her guard down a little. And he was trying. They were taking it slow, but something told Grace that it wouldn't take long before they kicked it into high gear. Paul was happier by the day, a warm glow bouncing off of him as he ran through the forest and Grace breathed a sigh of relief at that. He needed to be happy. He deserved to be happy with his imprint. Grace could take on everything else.
Once the song ended, Angela was by her side, "Hey have you seen Bella? We should take our shots in the photobooth now!" her cheeks were rosy and she'd definitely had some of the famous punch.
"Oh! I'll grab her, I think I saw her and Edward heading around back to go smoooooch," Grace said happily pulling out of Seth's arms to his shock and protest.
Grace bounded off the dance floor and around the back of the house, humming to the song back in the crowd without realizing a little too late that she was indeed a party crasher.
"Hey, Bella! Ange wants to take pictures in the photobooth if you're ready—" her mouth closed quick as she came to an abrupt halt.
In the dark, moonlit clearing, Bella was standing in front of none other than Jacob Black. His hair was longer but he had pulled it up into a loosely fitted bun to keep it out of his face. His features were hard, like sunwarmed stone and his frame was somehow broader, more sure, but shaking. Her eyes connected with his instantly and that familiar rush, the pang in her stomach that had been dormant roared to life. Her whole body tingled with anticipation and then fizzled quietly as Jake automatically took a step back from Bella, trying to quell the violent shaking in his body.
Grace was having a hard time reading his face, the emotions were changing so quickly: fear, desire, sadness, overwhelming joy, crushing pain, and finally, hard as stone anger.
"I...I'm sorry I didn't know you were.." Grace breathed unable to take her eyes off of the man that she had loved for the past year, maybe longer, maybe in lifetimes before if she would let herself remember, "Busy." she finally breathed taking a step up the hill. "Jacob." She had to say his name, just once. A call for a hopeful return. Jake gave an imperceptible shake of the head and held his body tight.
"'I came to see Bella." His voice even laced with so much anger was music to her ears. She had to hold in a sigh of relief at finally hearing it again outside of her dreams.
"Right," she said, finally pulling her gaze from Jake to Bella who was looking at her tearfully. "I'll just…" She turned and hastily made her exit, but could clearly hear a strangled groan coming from Jacob as she left. Her heart was about to burst with how quickly it was hammering in her chest. Just as she came to the crest of the hill, she bumped into Edward who grasped onto her forearms to steady her.
"Are you alright?" he said worriedly.
"Yeah, I just….Jacob," she shook her head and Edward looked over her down the hill. Something was clearly escalating now in the clearing from which she had come but she needed steady ground. Edward let go of her as she pushed past him and made her way toward Embry and Quil. They looked up at her with clear worry and she put a hand on each of their shoulders. Embry raised his hand to place over hers and she took deep, gulping breaths like she had been drowning. After a couple of minutes, she calmed her breathing and opened her eyes to look at them.
"You okay?" Quil said, clear worry in his eyes. He knew Jacob was near.
"Jacob's back," she breathed, a small smile pulling at the side of her mouth without her meaning to. Quil and Embry shot each other a look like she had truly lost it this time.
But it felt like coming up for air. Jacob returning didn't hurt, it felt good, and the warmth that Ti'Hal had shot through her a week ago ratcheted up her body and nestled in her belly again.
Jacob came back.
Her eyes went wide and Quil stood up to brace her back. She took one startled look at Quil and drifted over to the photobooth where Jessica and Angela were giggling while holding a tray between them. Grace leaned in and took one of the shots from the tray throwing it back down her throat to squeals of delight from Angela. She took another one and downed that too making a 'Blegh' sound after and Jessica protested:
"Hey! That one was mine!" Grace sloppily wiped the back of her hand against her mouth.
"I'll get you more. Don't let Esme see," Grace sneakily darted her eyes around the dance floor. Esme already knew but the pretense was important. It added to their glee hiding in the booth and taking shots.
"Where's Bella?" Angela said through giggles.
"Couldn't find her," Grace said shortly squeezing in and pressing start on the photobooth to take 6 quick pictures. Just as the flashes started to pop, Bella peeked her head in with a quick 'Hey," her eyes still red rimmed.
The shots were hitting Grace's stomach now and she looked at Bella delighted. They all returned with a joyful "Hey!" and pulled her into the tight booth, sitting Bella on their collective laps and clinking yet another round of shots together. Bella hesitantly took hers but one look at Grace and she downed it quickly.
"Boys," Bella murmured, pulling a face as the flash went off again. Grace tightened her grip around Bella's hand.
The cheers were deafening around her as she stood off to the side of the crowd for Bella and Edward's send off to their honeymoon. Quil and Embry flanked her while Seth was standing out in front throwing rice and soaking in the wonder of the moment. As they came to the end, Bella reached for Grace and pulled her into her arms tightly.
"Have fun okay?" Grace said, the words getting choked as emotion swept through her.
"I will.." Bella whispered.
"And come back okay, Bells?" Grace pulled back from her and looked her in the eyes. "Come back."
"I will, I promise," she nodded and they swept each other into one more hug, before Grace released her and she went to say goodbye to her parents.
She turned to Quil and Embry just a tad wobbly still from the shots, "Ready?" They nodded and she called for Seth. As they moved into the treeline, Grace looked over her shoulder and sent a silent pleading thought out one more time to Bella, Please, please come back.
In the distance, she heard a wolf howl.