I did a lot of research into the feelings of the Roman Catholic Church in this time period of marriages where the bride is expecting. There were a lot of interesting ideas on postponing the wedding until after the birth, which is why I went the way I did here.

Also, my prereader, Sunshine1220 kept me in line on this one, and I love her for it. Her and my beta are the best. Mizzdee is still working on this, so any errors are mine. I'll post an updated copy if she catches anything that was missed. Hope you enjoy and thanks for all the awesome reviews!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 10

The day finally arrived. Esme, Alice, and Isabella were setting up the food so we could begin once the men arrived. I noticed the platters of baked goods and smiled.

But I caught the look on Isabella's face and was immediately worried.

"Isabella, is everything okay?" I asked.

"We'll talk tonight, once you're done here."

"Isabella-"

"You need to be a boss right now, not my fiancé. Nothing will change in the next few hours."

I nodded, knowing she was right. "Thank you for your help. And we will discuss this tonight."

"Yes, Dear."

Isabella left with Alice and my mother, and I took my place at the head table. Emmett and my father waited outside the room while Aro was up at the bar.

I heard people making their way down into the basement. My father opened the door, and one by one, they filed into the room and took their seats at the other tables. Once all twenty-three men were in the room along with my father and Emmett, we sat down and ate our dinner.

You could feel the tension from some of the newer men, but breaking bread was as important as the oath itself. It was a Sunday supper of sorts, anchoring the ceremony in the tradition of family.

Once the meal was done, dishes were quickly cleared, and then we returned to our seats so the business could begin. I pulled out my gun and sat it on the table to my right. I repeated the action with my knife, placing it on the left. As I stood, all of the men turned to me, doing the same.

Emmett walked to each of the men and gave them one of the Virgin Mary prayer cards. I placed a platter where each of their dinner plates had been. Once everything was in place, I began.

"Each of you pick up your knife and prick your trigger finger." I watched as each of them followed my instructions before I continued. "Hold the card in your other hand and let the blood flow onto it. Blood is how we enter this life, and it is how we all leave it. By swearing this oath, you join this family, bound by the blood spilled today."

I pulled out my lighter and walked up to each man, lighting his card on fire. "Silence. Honor. Humility. This is the world you enter today. We protect our own and remember the debt owed to this family. A man who would raise his hand to his family is no man, he is trash. We settle things like men, amongst men, we don't run to the cops like cowards. When you walk out of this room, you are one of us. You will live and die by the gun you carry. If you dishonor your oath and this organization, the price is high. You would do well to always remember that."

Each man held his card until it burned to his fingertips, only then dropping it onto the platter. I picked up my gun and made the same trek around the room, holding my gun to the head of each initiate as they swore their fealty to the organization. When I reached my brother, he stood tall and proud as he took the oath.

"You are all Men of Omerta. Go now, but never forget what you swore to this day."

Each man bowed their head slightly and picked up their weapons so they could leave. Jasper lingered, and I motioned him forward.

"Thank you, Brother, for believing in me enough to vouch for me. I know Aro wouldn't have baptized me if you'd thought I wasn't ready."

"You're making me proud, Jasper. In fact, I have something for you."

I pulled the ring out of my pocket and gave it to him.

"This is perfect. Is that St. Jude?" Jasper asked as he looked closely at the ring.

"He is the patron saint of lost causes, and you will fight for things longer than anyone else. It wasn't meant as a dig. I really am glad to have been the one to swear you in. You're one of us now."

"That means the world to me. But I should get home. Peter wants me to read him a story tonight." Jasper slipped the ring on his pinky and made a fist, as if testing the fit.

"Go be with your son, we'll talk soon."

My father and I cleaned up the mess of the ceremony, thankful the bar had a full kitchen. When the work was done, I headed to my parents' house, hoping Isabella would be there since she'd wanted to talk. I was happy to find her on the couch when I walked in.

"Isabella, can we talk about what had you so upset earlier? Are you having a hard time finding a venue? Or is Ma being overbearing?" I sat beside her on the couch and she shook her head.

"Esme has been a dream helping me with wedding plans. We went to the Hotel St. George and they said they'd be happy to host our wedding on June twelfth in one of their larger ballrooms to accommodate the size of our event. Esme and I will be going there next week to discuss the menu and decor with their coordinator so that will be put to bed since the wedding is seven weeks away."

"I don't know what would upset you about that? I can go to this meeting if you want, but I have every faith in you and Esme to make it a day to remember."

"That's just it," she said. "It can't be a day to remember if we can't get married."

"Why would that be an issue?"

"Because Father Francis told Esme and I he wouldn't perform the wedding while I was with child. The way he looked at me, I wonder if he would allow us to be married at his church even after the baby is born."

"What exactly did he say?" I asked, my voice hard.

"He said that a ill-timed pregnancy wasn't a reason for a wedding, and he wouldn't perform a ceremony that was being done to mitigate a sin."

"I'll handle this," I whispered.

Isabella clutched my hand, pulling me back to her as I went to stand.

"Edward, don't do anything rash."

I turned to see her anxious expression. "My Love, I'm not going to hurt him. I simply need to make Father Francis aware of a few things. Now, I'd better go if I wish to catch him after the Sunday evening mass."

I got in my car and drove to St. Peters, seeing the last few cars drive off from the parking lot. I pulled in and made my way to the church, finding Father Francis cleaning up the altar. He heard my approach, stopping his task to meet me at the top of the aisle.

"Edward, good to see you. How may I help you?"

"I heard about a conversation that you had with my fiancee and my mother. Can we talk?"

Father Francis' face clouded as he sighed. "Very well, take a seat."

I sat in the front pew and the Father sat beside me. "I'm shocked you would refuse her request for us to be married in my parish church. Isabella is not from New York, so this was the logical choice. I'm also displeased with the way you voiced your concern."

"Edward, you've been a devout parishioner, as has your family, but it is my job to protect the sacraments. Divorce is not something recognized by the church. A child born out of wedlock can be legitimized by the marriage of his or her parents and their baptism into the church. It isn't ideal, but it is better than the alternative of a hasty marriage."

I took a deep breath, remembering that I was inside a church talking to the priest that had married my father twice and baptized me. "Father Francis, there is a great deal of assumption in your statement. Isabella's child is not mine. The father has passed, but they were not married for the very reason you stated. Our relationship was a whirlwind, but my love and devotion to both Isabella and her child are not to be questioned. We want to be married before the child is born, I want to be able to bring them home from the hospital to our home. I'm entering this knowing that I will be raising a child that is not biologically mine, but that doesn't concern me because I love her."

"I see," he said. "You're truly sure that you wish to marry this Isabella Cigno?"

"I am," I answered.

"Then I will add your wedding to the calendar for June twelfth. We will need to schedule your Pre-Cana, but I don't believe that will be a problem. Please convey my apologies to Isabella, and I look forward to seeing you both soon."

"Thank you, Father Francis."

I stood and left the church, driving back to my parents' house. I picked Isabella up and drove her home, explaining that I'd worked everything out.

"You didn't yell at the priest, did you?"

"No, I simply explained he'd assumed incorrectly, and that while the child isn't mine, I'm committed to you both. Knowing I chose this when I could have walked away seemed to ease his concern. He offered his apology to you and is ready to schedule our Pre-Cana seminars. I'm hoping we can complete them relatively quickly, but we shall see what he has in mind."

"And when will that be?"

"I was hoping you'd attend mass with me tomorrow and then we can discuss it with him afterwards."

"That sounds lovely. I'll be ready at eight so we can get there early."

"I look forward to seeing you in your Sunday best," I told her with a smirk.

"Edward, be good," she whined. I pulled up outside the bakery and walked her to the door, giving her a brief kiss before returning to my own home for the night. Tomorrow, we'd be stepping out for the whole parish to see.

Sleep came easy that night, and I woke up in the morning to get ready for church. I drove to the apartment and true to her word, Isabella was ready for me when I arrived.

We drove to the church and met my family inside, sitting in our normal pew as we waited for the mass to begin.

The service was uneventful, but as we exited, I took Isabella's hand and led her to Father Francis where he was greeting parishioners.

"Good morning, Father," Isabella said.

"Good morning, Isabella. And may I say congratulations on your engagement. I hope you and Edward have time to speak to me once I'm done here. We should set up the Pre-Cana seminars so that they can be done in time."

"We were hoping to set up a schedule for that as well, so whenever you're done here, we'll be ready."

"Edward, you know the way to the rectory. Why don't you and Isabella wait there? She'll be able to sit and rest her feet instead of standing out here wilting in the sun."

"An excellent idea, it is unusually warm out today," I said.

Aro approached us as we walked to the rectory. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes," I answered. "We have to set up our meetings with Father Francis so he told us to wait for him at the rectory."

"Well done, son. Isabella, lovely to see you, as always." Aro leaned in to kiss both of Isabella's cheeks and she blushed at the attention.

"You too, Aro. I hope to see you at the grand opening of the cafe next week."

"I wouldn't miss it. Ciao, principessa. Edward." I nodded to him and then we stopped to speak to my family briefly.

Peter was in love with his Auntie Bella, asking if she would bring him cookies from the cafe. She promised he'd get a special box, and then we said goodbye to my family until supper that evening.

We didn't have to wait in the rectory long, and Father Francis was very accommodating. Since it was normally six months of preparations done at monthly meetings, we condensed them into six bi-weekly meetings, so we'd be done a month before the ceremony.

We went back to Isabella's apartment to relax before going to my parents, and though she was invited to dinner by Esme, Alice was going to Aro and Sulpicia's house instead.

Dinner that night consisted of two topics, our upcoming wedding and the opening of the cafe. It seemed they were already planning to be a bakery as well as a cafe, so Isabella was anticipating a lot of time in that kitchen.

When dinner was done, I took her home, knowing she'd need an early night since she was doing a lot of the prep for the bakery tomorrow as it was opening on Tuesday.

I was busy on Monday, but I managed a quick visit to the cafe with Aro, where Isabella gave us both a box of treats to take home as she got some of the work done for tomorrow morning.

"Don't stay up too late tonight, we have our first Pre-Cana session tomorrow."

"I know. I'll be able to rest tomorrow once I've gotten the morning baking out of the way."

"Okay. I'll be by tomorrow."

I left her alone and returned to Aro's house. Sulpicia was in the kitchen when we arrived and I saw the way she wrinkled her nose when the box from the cafe was sat on the counter.

Aro either ignored it or didn't notice the reaction from his wife as we talked about the shipment our men were intercepting. It felt odd to not be one of the men doing the work, but Aro kept reminding me I was a boss now.

"Your job is to be visible. Stepping out with your girl is a great way to do that."

"I'll remember that."

I once again returned home, knowing tomorrow would be a busy day.

Sleep was hard to come by, and by four-thirty, I'd given up on it all together. I got dressed and made my way out to my car, driving until I found myself parked behind the cafe. The lights were on in the kitchen, so I knew my girl was in there. I knocked on the door and after some noise on the other side, she let me in.

"Edward, what are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep," I admitted. I locked the door behind me and made my way over to her latest task, sfogliatelle.

"So you came over here to check on me?"

"No, I honestly just got in my car and this was where I wound up. It would seem I'm drawn to you like a moth to a flame."

"Better watch that you don't get burned," she teased.

"How long have you been at this?"

"Since three, I couldn't sleep." She expertly cut and shaped the lobster tails and filled them with the cream. The speed at which she made them impressed me, and soon they were in the oven and she was moving on.

I walked over to the door that led to the cafe and the pastry counter and it was already half full with baked goods. "Wow, that's a lot of work for less than two hours."

"Most of those were prepped last night and had to be baked or decorated today. Speaking of which, open the fridge and pull out the trays of rainbow cookies. I need to cut them."

She put one of the doughs she was working on in the fridge and got to work cutting the rainbow cookies and placing them on the trays. Isabella even fed me one as she handed me the tray and asked me to put them in the case. I did what she asked and was back in time to see her cutting the leaf cookies.

"If I'm just getting in the way, I can go," I offered.

"Not at all. I'm just trying to keep the momentum. These are the last of the cookies. Then it is all frosting the cakes and letting the pies cool so I can put the finishing touches on."

For the next hour and a half I watched as she baked the leaf cookies before freezing them so they could be dipped in dark chocolate and sandwiched together. From there it was icing on pound cakes and glazed on the lemon and blueberry bundt cakes. Cream piped onto pies and powdered sugar sprinkled on everything else.

Alice was unlocking the front door to let in Gina as I led Isabella out the back. She had two boxes in her hand and when I asked about them, she told me one was for Peter and the other was for Father Francis.

"You don't need to butter him up, Isabella. He's already agreed to marry us."

"Still, I thought he'd appreciate the gesture. We have six meetings to complete before he will officially sign off on the wedding."

"Don't worry about that, everything will be fine. Now, are you going to relax? It will be a long day if you don't."

"My plan was to take a nap, that way I'm rested for later. After church I'll need to go back to the bakery to prep things for tomorrow."

"Well, I'll leave you to your rest then," I told her.

"Or you could join me," she whispered.

"Isabella," I warned.

"Edward, we're engaged, and it isn't like you have to worry about knocking me up."

"I'm going to leave you to your nap," I said.

"Fine, I'll be good, but I do want you to stay with me. I think it will help me to sleep."

Shaking my head, I led her up to the apartment. "I'll pick you up around four o'clock."

Isabella huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, clearly annoyed at my refusal of her tempting offer. "Have a good day, Edward."

We parted ways and I went home to try and get some sleep myself. I managed to catch a few hours and ate some lunch before going to get Isabella. I knocked, but there wasn't an answer. I tried the door and it was open, so I entered the apartment.

I heard some noises from Isabella's bedroom, but when a man's voice was followed by her groan I was throwing the door open, wishingI had my gun on me.

I stopped short when I saw Jasper working his hands into the muscles of her lower back.

"Edward, can you give me a hand?"

I moved quickly to Isabella's other side and we got her seated back on the bed. "What happened?"

"It was just a muscle spasm. My back is really tight."

"Will you be able to meet with Father Francis tonight?"

"Yes, I just need to rest a minute. Jasper, could you get me a glass of water?"

"Sure, Isabella." Jasper left the room and I took a seat beside her.

"Can I do anything?"

"No, I think I'll be okay, I just need a few minutes."

"What was Jasper doing here?"

"I was in the cafe when he stopped by and I told him about the box I'd put together for Peter. He came up with me and then my back started bothering me. I walked in here to get my purse when the next pain almost knocked me to my knees. He ran in to check on me."

"I'm glad he was with you. Maybe I should have stayed earlier."

She waved me off when Jasper returned with her glass.

After a few minutes of rest and drinking the water that Jasper brought her, we made our way to the church. She gave Jasper the box for Peter before we left, and she walked into the rectory with the box for Father Francis.

He seemed pleased by the offering and we were soon seated in his office. He outlined the topics we'd be discussing and moved right into the first set of topics, careers and finances.

"This is usually a safer topic, but as Isabella is working, it may be best to see how you will handle this matter."

"The cafe allows me to do something I love, but it isn't going to be my main focus. It is something I'm doing a few hours in the morning and again in the evening. I'm not working long hours all day, and that will change again once the baby is born. But Edward is the breadwinner, and I'm not concerned with challenging that."

"Edward?" Father Francis asked.

"Isabella's work at the cafe isn't something I'm against. Far from it, I'm excited that she has something that brings her that joy. I've spent time with her at the bakery, and I even made sure there was room for a bassinet for the baby when he or she is little and has to go with Isabella to work."

"I'm glad to hear that these are things you've already worked out. Should we move one?"

We moved onto the topic of conflict resolution, and it seemed that we were once again on the same page there. With the session over, we would be meeting again on Thursday to tackle the next topics selected by Father Francis.

After picking up dinner, we returned to the apartment and Isabella and I had dinner before she stretched and bid me good night.

We were moving closer to being man and wife, and I was ready to take that step and be the only family they needed.