Disclaimer to Stephanie Meyer.

Chapter Sixteen

The next few weeks passed by in a blur.

Carlisle and Jasper burned Victoria's body and covered everyone's tracks while Edward and I had reunited by the river. The wolves joined the Cullens to see it burn themselves, still hesitant at the status of the treaty. Carlisle did his best to calm both sides, but it would take weeks before tensions fully cooled.

Rosalie and Emmett arrived only a few hours after Edward. Emmett had been thoroughly disappointed he'd missed the fight with Victoria, anxious for the challenge after chasing Edward through Europe for so many weeks. Emmett settled for our retelling of the fight and my "kickass onslaught", as he called it.

Emmett was quick to forgive Edward, understanding the dedication he would feel for Rosalie if he'd been in the same shoes. Rosalie pouted for a few days, but ultimately forgave Edward. It was hard for her to stay mad now that the family was all together and he was the only family member who shared her appreciation for cars. Rosalie was even beginning to warm up to me, a slow but steady process. On occasion, I would help Rosalie with her projects, handing her tools as needed or suggesting songs for her garage playlist. The bonding was slow but it was growing and I was grateful for it.

Charlie returned home the day of the attack, none the wiser that his life was no longer in danger. Jacob called a few weeks later to tell me that Charlie had been irritated with Billy that day. Apparently, to get Charlie out of the house, Billy had insisted for Charlie to drive him back to the reservation, only for Billy to ask Charlie to fix a kitchen sink that wasn't broken. Billy had turned off the water to keep Charlie busy, answering "yes!" every time Charlie asked if the water was even on. When Charlie went back to check himself and the water was off, Billy cited "old man syndrome" and shrugged his shoulders. I made sure to call and thank Billy personally for it.

The night after the attack, Alice had been anxious to explain why she'd sent me into the woods with Victoria. Alice knew Edward was close and going to arrive that day, but she hadn't been able to see Victoria because of the wolves. When Jacob didn't return to Charlie's with Victoria, Alice could finally see her and Edward's paths crossing. She'd called me moments before Victoria arrived at the house so I wouldn't worry about Charlie, but hung up so Edward and I could face Victoria together.

"It was the only way I didn't lose you both," Alice said.

Since then, Edward had taken the time to apologize and thank each of his family members for everything that had occurred the months prior. One day, I was in my room with the window open when I heard Edward and Carlisle outside.

"Thank you for saving her," Edward said.

"I'm sorry there was no other way. I know how you feel about the transformation," Carlisle said.

Edward sighed and I could imagine his face without even seeing him.

"My feelings have changed. I see now what you've tried so hard to explain to me. She is still there, her soul is still with her. It makes me believe that mine may still be with me. So thank you, you saved both of our lives that day."

I could tell in the days that followed that their conversation had brought Carlisle peace. His first son, his first companion by his hands, finally cherished the life he'd been given and had found the happiness he'd prayed for him to find. I joined Carlisle in his peace, happy that Edward had released the tether of his agony to immortality.

With Victoria gone and everyone home, the Cullen home fell into a peaceful rhythm. Jasper and Emmett wrestled daily, Alice and Edward battled out their abilities with various games, and Esme and Carlisle finally seemed to relax, enjoying their family reunited, safe, and happy.

Edward also spent more time with his mother, accompanying her at the piano in the living room. The acoustics from the piano flowed through the entire house, no doubt a design feature by Esme. I most often preferred the front row, joined most frequently with a book stolen from Carlisle or Edward's library.

I eventually did make a small rip in the Jane Eyre book, a mistake I would never forgive myself for. Edward joked that he'd write me a new classic and one day it would be as old as Jane Eyre.

"By then," he said, "you will be a pro and no books will ever again suffer under the torment of your ripping."

I laughed and shut my book, lifting a single eyebrow at him.

"And what would this book be about?" I asked.

"Hmm." Edward brushed the hair off my forehead. "I think… it would be about a lion who fell in love with a lamb."

I smiled and pulled his hand to my face.

"What a stupid lamb."

"What a sick masochistic lion."

We both laughed and continued to daydream about our silly novel.

"We'd have to write it under a pseudonym," he said. "Something really ridiculous."

I tapped my chin with my finger, pretending to think hard. "What about Renesmee? A combination of our mothers' names."

Edward recoiled. "Really?"

"Hey, at least it's memorable!"

He grimaced. "That it is. I'm just trying to imagine what parent would name their child that."

"Probably someone with not enough blood flowing to their head."

Edward laughed as he nodded, leaning down to kiss me.

I kept the room Esme had designed for me, right across the hall from Edward's. Much like I had in my human life, every night I received a visitor. Though neither of us could sleep or really get cold, we laid together under his stolen blanket and looked out at the stars through the skylight. He teased me relentlessly about the blanket, at one point leading me into his room to show me a closet stacked with more of them.

"I can smell that you came into my room," he teased.

"I was admiring your book collection," I said. Which, technically, was true.

Edward looked around to find the books I was referring to. He followed my gaze to the small stack across his couch.

"These books?"

I nodded.

"Mhmm, well that doesn't surprise me seeing as I bought them because I saw them in your room."

"What?"

"Well, at the time, I could hardly ask to borrow them. Hey, fellow biology partner, would you mind if I borrowed your copy of Little Women? I saw it on your desk last night when I crept into your room-"

I smacked him with one of the books and rolled my eyes.

Eventually the books found their way to my room.

Occasionally, Edward and I would also take short trips outside of Forks to explore the west coast. I continued to control my thirst well, a constant subject of Carlisle's inquisitive attention. Surprisingly, I enjoyed Alaska the most. I had never cared much to try and visit Alaska, but now that the cold didn't bother me and I was essentially indestructible, the state was quite beautiful.

The spot we most frequented though was the meadow.

One spring evening, when the others were out of town for their own trips, Edward and I sat in the meadow to watch the sunset over the field.

"Have you talked to Jacob recently?" he asked.

"Yes. I think the diligence Carlisle has tried to show in keeping us far away from humans has eased some of the tensions. Hard to say for sure though," I said.

I looked over at Edward. He watched the sky as the moon slowly stole the sun's canvas.

"I wish I could read your mind," I poked.

He smiled at me and pulled me between his legs, my back pressed to his chest.

"I'm just thinking of ways to make sure you're protected by the treaty," he said.

"Edward, we've been over this. Victoria's gone, we're doing everything the Quileutes ask, we've done everything we can according to Sam."

I turned my hand over to hold his, interrupting the light sweeping of his fingers on the back of my hand.

"It's going to be okay," I said.

Edward hummed before responding. "We haven't done everything."

I turned to look at him, confused.

Edward smiled and pulled something from his pocket. Tugging me closer, he kissed the soft skin below my ear and traced kisses from one side of my jaw to the other. When he stopped, he cupped my face and cleared his throat.

"The argument is that you're not a Cullen, right?"

I tried to squirm to look at him, but he held me rigid in place. Then I saw his hands, holding a small black box.

I couldn't breathe.

Edward opened the box to show a long oval ring inside, glittered with diamonds like our skins in sunlight.

"It was my mother's."

I didn't know what to say. All I could do was stare at the ring, at the small piece of his human life he'd held onto for nearly a century.

"Bella, there are no words to explain how much you mean to me. I could collect every line from every book in the world about love and it wouldn't fully express my devotion to you. I waited my entire life for you and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of it by your side."

Slowly, he took the ring out of the box and beant down to my ear, his breath hot on my skin.

"Bella, will you marry me?"

I did not hesitate to answer, I no longer felt the need to memorize and catalog the ones that I loved. I no longer sat in moments to stretch them out or mourn for what I had not yet lost. They were all mine to keep.

"Yes, Edward."

"Yes?"

"Yes!"

Edward slid the ring on my finger and pulled me down with him into the grass. He kissed me like it was something new, slow and thoughtful. I pulled him down farther onto me, arching my back for the heat of his body.

He broke away and rolled onto his side, threading his fingers into my hair and smiling wider than I had ever seen him do.

"Forever?" he asked.

"Forever."