So much fluff in this chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own it. And those are the bounds of my creativity after writing for two hours.

So much fluff in this chapter...It'll make your Build-A-Bear jealous...

Mattybabe: I vote narwhal, because then you could make friends with Shamu, and I'd have connections. (lol) Plus narwhals just rock. They're in elf, too. Thanks as always...and about pandy. So, thefuturemrsedwardcullen's mother was about to send her to an asylum and so I sent Pandy on a rescue mission to her...or something. I dunno. Im losing count with the people I have to rescue. So, yes, I did get to pet it some tho...and feed it goldfish. It likes goldfish.

Em: you inspired a part in this chap. See if you can guess which one? ;) Nice theme music. Thanks again.

MeyaRose: Nice suggestion. That was the original plan. Now, I...well. just read the author's note. Ly as always, thanks for stopping by. Yaddah yaddah.

Rosalie: I was wondering when someone would say that. I wrote him a little out of character pretty much just because I wanted someone to say that line. Drat! You caught me. O well. Emmetts not too terribly vital to the storyline so whoopdidoo. And wow. Thanks for the grovelling. I shall now knight ye! Since ur already down there and all. Rise Sir Rosalie...or errr...

Sparklette: I really think your penname should be in a dictionary somewhere. That's how much I like it. Anywho, thanks for the review. OOOOo that rhymed. Best of luck with the paper. :D

DuckChick: There's a tribute to you in this chapter too. Sortof. Just because you called me classic. I wasn't planning on giving anything away. Just setting the scene some. Introduce people to Sidhe. Thanks again. Come back soon.

GracefulLittleAlice: Snickers...the verb, not the candy bar. Sorry im just so irresistibly amazing that you risk yellings for me. Lol. Jk. Thanks for the review. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. YAY

Roughdraft: I appreciate it. It would either be that or third person. I don't want to give a lot away, just lay out some foundation for what is to come.

Shadowwolf: YOU! You are going to reveal every twist I have up my sleeve. I still love you, but... lol or is that just what I want you to think?! Hmmmm...and also, who ever said that bella wasn't going to be there for the battle. Read my question in the last author's note veryyyyy carefully. Bella just might have to be intelligent for once. Anways, blah, thanks, blah, go you, blah, have a great day! And read this author's note too btw. :D

Nobodyparticular: Ur comment made me want a trampoline for some reason. I dont know why. The word bouncing? Ah well. Sucks that there are no trampolines in sight. The battles going to be fun (tehehehe) well, for me anyways. For you all...well, youll see.

Medivalagression: I was actually planning on both. Bella might have to be smart for a change. Muchos gracias madam. I also agree. Conniption is a fantabulous word. I try to use it as often as I can in everyday conversation.

Socialdistortionist: WOOOTTTTT! I like woots. Neways, getting off subject. Ur names Alice?! Sweet. Pretty name. Thanks for the review. Ly, LIVESTRONG! (?)

Futuremrsedwardcullen: netime my friend. Sorry i didn't update yesterday. Had a hot date! Lol. I wish. I had a date...not so much about the hot part sadly. Thanks for ur contribution. I shall take it into consideration. Ly...thanks...all that jazz.

Dying inside: you are getting VERRRYYYY sleepy...verrrryyyy sleepy. O wait, I forgot...dont read this until after youve read the chapter and reviewed pretty plz. And COME BACK!! Don't dye, dying inside...hmmmm...ironic. newho, thanks for the review.

On with the show...

Chapter 20

"Edward, where are we going?" I shouted above the roar of the wind as he ran.

"You'll see!"

We had left his house a few minutes ago. The battle plan was this: take the Fae by surprise and utilize the quantity. Newer vamps would be in the front lines to break up enemy ranks. Edward was going to be something of a, I shook my head, colonel as Jasper had called it. He'd be in command of the surprise faction, while the main group, led by Jasper, clashed with them first. The Volturi would catch them off guard, too, just on the opposite side as Edward's party. The Denalis were supposedly coming, too. This was going to be a war the likes of which the world had never seen, and the world wouldn't even know about it.

I clutched Edward tighter. It was evening. In between the cloudcover above us, I could make out patches of stars, like twinkling flowerbeds fenced in by the fluffy clouds. It was deceivingly tranquil.

"What about Charlie?" I shouted. "Sorry!" I yelled again, after I saw how he cringed at how loud my voice came out right next to his ear. He cringed again. "I mean sorry," I corrected quietly.

Edward laughed and picked up his pace. "Taken care of," he answered. "Alice."

Of course. I snuggled my face back into his shoulder, protecting it from windburn until we came to a steady halt. Maintaining my position, I could feel Edward's amusement.

"Comfy?" he asked, a smile in his voice.

"Mhmm."

"Don't you want to see your surprise?" His silky voice almost moved me.

But since when was I excited about surprises? I held him even closer. He snickered. "You'll like this one."

Reaching around in front of me, my hand blindly grasped, looking for something. Finally, it covered its target – his mouth.

He lifted a cold hand to gently pry my fingers from his face, before he kissed every one individually. "You'll love this one," he purred.

I couldn't help it. He'd brought out that secret weapon of his, his voice, which would make any straight woman's kneecaps automatically transform into mush. I moaned quietly.

Against me, I could feel Edward tense like he was braced for impact. My head shot up. "What's wrong?"

He still had my hand in his, but his eyes were closed.

"Edward?" I touched his face.

Shaking his head, he snapped out of whatever trance he was in, and his eyes flew open. "Nothing," he said, but his voice sounded strained and gravelly.

Slowly, a smirk spread across my lips. "Did I do that?"

He looked a me with accusing eyes, before pulling me off his back and into his arms, holding me bridal fashion. I gulped.

"Like I've said – the most dangerous creature I've ever met."

I never removed my eyes from his face as he carried me. There was a countdown on the hours I'd get to gaze at it now, and I wouldn't waste a single millisecond even if that meant I wouldn't blink for the next day.

I studied him until he came to a halt, then ever so slowly dropped to his knees with me still in his arms. A strange sweet sent wafted to my nose. Then, just as slowly, he lowered me to the ground. My back touched something soft, a blanket. My eyes widened. Was he really going to...

Edward tried to pull away, but I didn't let go of his neck.

"Bella, I'm going to need that."

I sighed and unhooked my arms, then addressed him in mock salute. "Aye, aye, colonel."

He pulled away and then disappeared from my view. I sat up so I could locate him once more, and it was then that I took notice of where I was.

I gasped. In our meadow, Edward had set up a midnight picnic under the stars. Currently he was lighting five candles set into a crystal holder in the center. He shot me a side-glance from where he was, hovering just atop the flames. "Do you like it?"

I surveyed the rest of the scene. Some sort of CD player sat on the edge of the soft periwinkle quilt. Another few blankets, of assorted colors and textures, were neatly folded into a pile in the grass beside a wicker basket. With the candles lit, I could observe the source of the sweet fragrance – rose petals. They had been scattered over the blanket and ground around us.

"Wow," I murmured. "Did you...you didn't have to...wow."

Then before I could breathe again, he was there, sitting right in front of me, studiously analyzing my befuddled reaction.

"Wow," I said again.

He tilted his head to the side. "Word of the day?"

I smiled a little. "Wow," I teased, then quietly, "Thank you."

"Ahhh...so you do have a vocabulary larger than three letters."

I narrowed my eyes and swatted at him playfully. Before it hit him though, much to my surprise, he snatched it out of the air, and tenderly brought it to his chest, holding my palm just where his heart used to beat.

My breath caught – again. What was this? The fortieth time today?

The taunting light quickly dimmed in my eyes as they rose to meet his. Our expressions matched – deep, loving, a certain sadness that neither one of us was willing to acknowledge quite yet. I wanted to drown in those topaz depths, to stay here forever.

I glanced down. We were so close to forever.

He raised his other hand, the one that wasn't in use, to grip my chin. He lifted it, but I still looked down.

"Look at me?" he entreated. "Please..."

Somehow, I refused. I broke my earlier vow and kept my eyes away, so that he couldn't see the tears welling up. "You'll be careful, won't you?"

Swiftly, he gathered me to him and brushed his cold lips on every surface of skin he could reach. "Oh, Bella. Of course I will, but it'll be over in a few days, and then I'll see you again."

I shook my head. "What if you..."

I couldn't finish my question for the sob. All my hard work in trying to force the subject from my mind – futile in the end.

He kissed the top of my head. "Don't cry." His voice was breaking. "I hate to see you like this. It'll be easier for me, remember?"

I nodded slightly. "And the others?"

"We'll be fine. We've got advantages. Three to be exact."

"If anything happens to you...I'll..." I started.

He tensed. Anger flashed metallic in his orbs. "You'll do what, Bella?" he demanded.

Fury quickly overtook me as well. "I don't know!"

"I do," he told me, grasping the sides of my face. "You'll live a long life, and you'll find happiness. You'll die an old woman surrounded by her loving family and friends. That's what you'll do."

I tried to pull my head out of his grip, but he didn't let go.

"Promise me," he commanded.

I uselessly struggled to free myself again. At last, I gave up. "I can't live without you!" I screamed.

Desperation quickly replaced anger as the infliction of his voice. "You can, Bella. You have to promise me."

I threw my hands up in the air. "Oh, so it's okay for you to go skipping off the Italy when I decide to jump off a cliff." He winced. "But when you go charging headfirst into a mob of angry Unseely, I can't do a damn..."

He cut me off the best way he knew how, with his lips moving against mine. There was so much emotion behind the kiss, I was blinded, momentarily stunned. That dissolved in place of a new feeling though – passion. Edward's arms around my back, forcing me against him, were cold, but I was scorching. I kissed him back as hard as I possibly could, tangling my hands in his hair.

Before I could make sense of the switch, I was on my back, Edward straddling me. His lips now wondered down my neck. I could feel his tongue tracing patterns. As much as I tried, I couldn't suppress it. I moaned again, and moved one hand down to his shoulder to hold him in place.

I was expecting him to tense and pull away like last time, but much to my delight, thank God and all that is holy, he didn't. He grabbed my wrists and held them up above my shoulders, while his smooth lips trailed over my collarbone. I shivered.

This time, he did pull away. Automatically in my mind, I categorized "shivering" into the cabinet of things to never, ever do again.

I sat up to gripe, when something soft and fuzzy was slung over my shoulders.

"I apologize," Edward said. "I'd forgotten it was cold out tonight."

I glared at him like he had just sprouted two more heads. "You thought I was shivering because I was cold? Are you kidding me?" I threw the blanket off me, rolled my eyes, and fell back down onto the quilt. "You're absurd."

Edward's smirking face came into my line of vision. "You seem to quite enjoy my absurdity."

"I seem to be in love with and completely adore your absurdity." I corrected. "We should get mad at each other more often," I told him breathlessly.

He laughed and leaned down to rub his nose against mine. "Every day."

"Now," he said, grabbing my hands and pulling back up. "You must be starving."

I gave him a pointed look. "You have no idea."

He shook his head, before gracefully rising and walking towards the basket. He placed it in front of me.

"Smells delicious," I commented.

This time, he gave me a pointed look. "You have no idea."

Opening the basket, I laughed.

I pulled the Tupperware boxes out one by one: ham stuffed roasted trout, snow peas, fluffy looking mashed potatoes, a salad, a small container of vinaigrette, a hot thermos of some sort of scrumptious smelling soup, and finally, a French silk pie.

"Did you make this?" I asked.

He nodded. Where he had gotten the time, I didn't know, nor did I care right at this second.

"Wow."

"So we're back to that again?" he teased.

By now, he had my meal arranged on a china plate in front of me. He poured some sort of wine looking drink into a champagne glass.

I raised an eyebrow. "Charlie wouldn't approve at all."

He grinned before twisting the bottle to where I could see the name. Sparkling Cider.

I blushed and looked away. Of course Edward wouldn't let me get drunk. It would be "entirely too dangerous" for some reason or another.

After stabbing a piece of trout with my fork, I brought it up to my mouth and ate it.

"Mmmmmmmm."

Edward breathed a sigh of relief before lowering himself to the blanket to rest on his side, head propped up by his hand, watching me eat.

After several minutes, it became somewhat unnerving. I was blushing every time I took a bite, and then he would grin, thus starting the cycle over again. So, I hurried through the rest of my dinner.

"Dessert?" he asked, as he cleared away my plate.

A mischievous smile played at the corners of my lips. "Yes, thank you," I said before launching myself at him.

He chuckled, and I arranged myself to where I was sitting in his lap.

Again, his expression changed. These mood swings were leaving me dizzy.

Tentatively, he grabbed the collar of my shirt before sliding it off my shoulder.

My mouth fell open. Did he actually just do that? I glanced down to make sure. When I saw my exposed skin, I gazed up to him in wonderment. "Edward?"

His eyes remained transfixed on his fingertips that were now tracing a delicate circuit on my skin, down the side of my neck, following the curve of it down to my shoulder, and back up again.

"I know...that you want this." His voice was husky. "Your smell changes."

I blinked a few times. Was he serious? His eyes glance back up at me quickly. They answered for him.

Yes, he was very, very, very serious.

"Only if you want it, too," I told him quietly.

His face turned hard. "This isn't about me."

"Last time I checked, a good half of it is."

He scowled. "Bella..."

"What's your opinion? Really, I want to know."

And I did. I wouldn't make him do something he didn't want to do.

I was momentarily disarmed by the intensity of his gaze. "Not like this," he whispered.

I nodded and took a deep breath. "I agree."

He brought my face closer to look at his. "Positive?"

Everything in the world was telling me to accept his offer, that it might be the last I got. But I couldn't, not without both our hearts entirely in it. I didn't want it to be something we regretted, so I ignored my instincts and simply nodded.

Solemnly, he moved the fabric on my shirt back to cover my shoulder.

"Alternatives," he announced before getting up to fumble around in the bottom of the picnic basket.

He pulled out the last thing I would have ever expected – the board game "Clue".

Lo and behold, he had just grown a fourth head.

"Alice said you like board games, and playing against you will be the first time I've been evenly matched," he said.

I shrugged. "In comparison, this is a terrible alternative, but hey," I looked up and grinned. "I'm game. You're going down."

He smiled as he laid out the board and pieces. "We'll see. Who are you going to be?"

I thought for a moment. "Mrs. Peacock. You?"

"Colonel Mustard."

"Fitting."

SEVERAL HOURS, FOUR GAMES, AND TEN GLASSES OF SPARKLING CIDER LATER

The score was tied. Edward had won two and I had won two. This was the game to beat. Winner takes all.

"Mrs. Scarlett in the study with a crowbar!" I announced.

Edward looked at me skeptically, before removing the three cards from the "Confidential" folder one-by-one.

First one: Mrs. Scarlett

Second one: Crowbar

I crossed my fingers. Third one: Study.

I laughed maniacally before grabbing the bottle of cider, preparing to take another swig. Sadly, Edward's hands got there first.

"No more Cider for you," he reprimanded.

I pouted. "Jerk. I liked it."

Due to my current sugar rush, I had blurted out all sorts of random phrases. Edward now knew that I wanted to be a dolphin when I was younger, had had my pants fall down in a school talent show, and used to eat Play-Doh on a daily basis.

"As much as you liked that Play-Doh?" he asked.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I was six! And anyway, I won."

He sobered mockingly. "You're right. What is it you command of me, your majesty?"

"You have to..." I thought for a while. "Quack like a duck."

"Are you serious?"

I giggled. "Mhmm."

"Bella, there wasn't even alcohol in that drink..."

I tilted my head to the side. "Caffeine makes me loopy."

He swiped the game board out of the way to kiss my forehead. "Apparently."

Squinching up his face, he took a deep breath. "Quack," he said quietly.

I glared. "You're a horrible duck."

Edward rolled his eyes. "And you're sleepy," he said, grabbing me, lying down, and pulling me onto his chest.

"No m' not," I murmured, but my eyelids were rather heavy, now that I thought about it.

"Okay, love. You can just not be sleepy right here for a little while."

I tried to open my eyes, but it was like trying to do so through glue. "Love you," I whispered.

"I love you too, Bella," I heard a smooth voice say. "With all of me. Never forget that I'm yours."

Peacefulness descended over the haze I was trapped in, and vaguely, I caught parts of a beautiful lullaby being hummed by an angel.

And then, I was lost underneath the starlight.

A/N: So...is your buildabear jealous yet? Is it hot in here, or is it just me? So...Thank you all for answering the question in the exact same way in agreement. HAHAHA...So, thanks to the variety of answers I have gotten on the subject, I have decided to simply cross that bridge when I get there, and hope that not too many people hate me.

And also WHY I DIDN"T TURN BELLA INTO A VAMPIRE: Do you people remember Eclipse? The Cullens were only able to defeat the newborns because they WERE newborns. They're too bloodthirsty and unfocused to fight smartly. And that's the key to the Cullens winning this battle: intelligence. Or that's what I got out of it anyway. So, neways, review, blah blah blah. Love ya. TTFN!