A/N: Here's chapter 12! Enjoy!
We walked back to town. Neither of us saw any hurry to get back. Edward told me that he had already asked Charlie for permission to propose. Then Phil got involved, so, naturally, my mom found out. So far, she was okay with it. But that could mean nothing, since my mom can change her mind at the drop of a hat.

We got back to Charlie's house around 10:30. Edward insisted we go there first so that I could see their reactions.

I hadn't even walked into the house yet when Mom came running out to hug me. "Oh, Bella, I'm so proud of you!"

Edward slipped past us into the house.

I smiled, "Mom, it just seems like a few months ago you were telling me not to throw away my life for Edward."

"That was before I saw how much he cares for you. The way you act when you're around him, and the way he acts when he's around you, you two are perfect for each other. Esme and I talked a bit. She has never seen Edward so happy."

I smiled, she understood.

The two of us walked into the house. Edward and Charlie were talking.

"You will take care of her, understand?"

"Of course, Sir, I can't find myself doing anything else. The whole family loves her, she'll be accepted…no, I take that back, she already is." He turned when Mom and I walked in.

"Bella, under normal circumstances, I'd take you to dinner or something," Charlie began, "seeing as this is not only your graduation, but the day Edward proposed to you…but I can't take you to dinner."

"Sadly, no Dad, I can fix you dinner though..."

"Both of us will."

It took maybe fifteen minutes to fix dinner for the three of them.

They all loved it. Shortly after, Edward informed them that his family would be needing the two of us back. Alice just might have an ulcer trying to contain herself. We got their permission to leave and Edward carried me home.

I hadn't even gotten to the door yet when Alice was propelling herself towards me.

"Ooh! Bella! I'm so excited! I saw it in a vision, how romantic, and your parents seem so pleased, when's the wedding?"

Edward came up behind me. "September 13th."

I cocked my head, "Why that date?"

He bent down and whispered in my ear, "That way, we can celebrate your birthday every year."

I smiled and shook my head. That date was as good as any. I could marry him tomorrow and be fine with it.

"That's great! Which means that the planning needs to start now!" Alice dragged me into the house. It was going to be a very interesting summer.


"Okay, first, who are we going to invite?"

"Well, Mom, Phil, and Charlie of course, then maybe a few people from school…then anyone else Edward wants to invite."

"Not many people…"

"The people that I really want to be there already will be in the wedding. Will you be my maid of honor?"

Alice lit up at the question. "Of course!"

I smiled, "Thanks."

"Well, now that that's settled, let's move on to decorations." She pulled out a photo album. "These are pictures from Carlisle and Esme's wedding, mine and Jasper's wedding, and Emmett and Rosalie's many weddings."

I looked through the pages, examining each one, from Carlisle and Esme's wedding, to one of Rosalie's and Emmett's, to Alice's and Jasper's, to the rest of Rosalie's and Emmett's up to the one five months ago. The pictures ranged from black and white to enhanced digital quality.

"I honestly don't know what I want, I want it simple, nothing really elaborate, especially since I can't afford much."

"What do you mean 'can't afford much'?"

"The bride's family usually pays for the wedding décor."

"Oh yeah…hmm, how to get around that…"

"What are you getting at Alice?"

"Oh, just the fact that we're paying for the wedding."

"But Alice, you don't need to...really…"

"Oh, come on Bella, it's not like you and Edward are going to have a wedding every decade, let us pay for this one please."

I couldn't argue with her.

"So, what do you want for decorations? And more importantly, where is the wedding going to take place?"

I thought about that one, I wanted it to be someplace special, someplace that would remind me of Edward, the meadow? No, more special, the Cullen's house? That one seemed more right.

"How about in your backyard?"

Alice pondered that for a second, "Yeah, why not? But that still leaves the decorations."

"We don't need decorations if we do it in your backyard."

Alice looked disappointed.

"I like the backyard just the way it is, it's perfect!"

Alice rolled her eyes, "You're impossible Bella."

"Well, maybe we could have a few roses, and some lilies…"

Alice smiled, "I'll add freesia and lavender as well."

I sighed.

After a few hours, Alice looked at me and said, "Now, for the most important part, the dresses!"

I had been thinking about this for a while now, I had a few ideas for dresses, but I'm sure Alice could have better.

I began to describe the idea for my dress. Alice fell in love with it and went scrambling for paper and pencils.

She began sketching it. It looked more beautiful than I had even imagined it. (A/N: If you want pictures of it, go to Stephenie Meyer's website and look at Bella's dress for prom, imagine it white and sparkly.) The whole dress would have silver thread interlaced throughout it to give it a shimmering look. The veil would be lace with a silver tiara. The picture looked like it was a photograph. I was impressed.

"What do you want the bridesmaid's dresses to look like?"

I thought about it for a moment, then began describing my ideas.

Both of them would be silver. Only Alice and Rosalie were going to be my maids. Esme said it would be best that she wasn't in it, especially since Carlisle was being the minister.

The dresses would be of similar make to mine. They would have gold thread interlaced throughout them to give them a shimmering/sparkling feel. Once again, I was impressed.

For shoes, Alice went into her huge closet and pulled out three pairs of silver shoes. All three of them had diamonds imbedded in them.

"I was saving these for a special occasion." She handed me my pair and I slipped them on, of course they fit.

"Come on! Let's go get the material for these!"

"Who's putting these together?"

"Well, we could do it ourselves or get a professional to do it."

"I hate needles."

"Professional it is!"


The material we needed was fairly easy to find. Then we took it to a professional to put it together.

I found myself needing to hunt more. Edward said it was because the last bit of my human blood was being used up and it made the blood-lust stronger.

We hunted every other day. I went with one of them always, never going by myself.

I went with Edward some of the times, Alice others. I found it interesting to hunt with Emmett and Jasper. It was fun to hunt with Carlisle and Esme. It was…amusing to hunt with Rosalie.

It was the shortest summer ever.


Edward's POV

It was the happiest summer of my existence.

I hunted with Bella at least once a week. We all took turns, all things considered. I watched her eyes go from crimson to a beautiful rich honey color.

I was in my room looking at a photo taken about a week previously. It was interesting to look at all the eye colorations. All of us had different tinges of gold because we had all been hunting at different times.

Carlisle's were a bright yellow, he had probably been hunting the day before. Esme's were almost a caramel color, so it had been a while since she had been hunting. Emmett's were almost a copper color, so it had definitely been a while since he had been hunting. Rosalie's were a brilliant gold, so she had been hunting recently. I found it odd that she actually liked hunting with Bella. Alice's were a topaz color, Jasper's a rich butterscotch. I looked at me and Bella, we were standing in the middle. My eyes were ocher as Bella had put it. Bella's were the rich honey color that I had grown to love over the past few days.

The wedding was coming up soon, just a little over a month. Then I thought about something, another important date was coming up sooner. August 29th, the date of her one-year vampire "birth". I wondered what to do for her.

I thought about it for a little bit, then had the greatest idea.


August 29th 2007: 8:30 am

"Edward, where are we going?" she asked as I opened the door of the Volvo for her.

I smiled. "Stay out of my head Bella, it's a surprise."

"Have I not told you? I don't like surprises."

"Oh, you've told me, I just don't listen."

She grumbled as she sat down and buckled her seat belt.

I sat down and started the engine.

The drive only took a few of hours. We were in Chicago by noon.

"Edward, where are we going?"

"You'll see." I navigated through the familiar streets. They hadn't changed much since 1918. I found my way to the house that I owned in my great-great-grandson's name-Edward, of course.

The house was well-kempt. A maid showed up every week last time I checked.

Bella still looked confused as I brought her to the doorstep. I was so glad it was raining today.

I pulled out the key and unlocked the door.

"Welcome to the house I grew up in."

Bella's jaw dropped at the size of the house.

"My father was a lawyer."

"Edward, this, is, really, big…how can you afford…never mind…" she trailed off examining the chandelier we were standing under.

I brought her upstairs and showed her my childhood room. There were still a few books and letters that hadn't been taken with me.

We spent an hour looking around upstairs. Then it was time to show her the rest of the downstairs, not just a peek in the front room.

I looked at the banister of the stairs and did something I hadn't done in 90 years. I slid down the banister. I looked up to see Bella's shocked face.

"Must you be good at everything!"

I smiled, "Want to try?"

She looked skeptical as I ran back up the stairs. It was surprisingly easy since the last time I had run up them. Though, the last time I had ran up them, I was still human.

I told Bella how to position herself on the railing. She had the most problems letting go.

"You have to let go to gain momentum. If you don't do that, you'll fall off one way or the other."

She lifted her hands and slid down. She squealed when she landed. "That was fun!"

I smiled and joined her.

But by the time I had reached the bottom, she was flying back up the stairs to do it again.

We went on like that for about five minutes. Then I showed her the rest of the house.

We spent the whole day in Chicago. Reliving my steps of my adolescence. I showed her the school I went to, the places I enjoyed to visit, even the hospital that I was changed at.

Then, I drove her back home.


Bella's POV

I had the most wonderful day with Edward in Chicago. I shared the entire experience with Alice. We were upstairs in her room.

Edward was downstairs, and he was calling me. I rushed out into the hallway, Alice at my heels.

I thought about running down the stairs, but there might be a faster way. I sat down on the railing of the stairs and slid down. At the bottom, I landed nimbly on my feet and looked back at Alice. She looked surprised at my actions, but then copied them.

"I didn't know you enjoyed sliding down banisters."

"Edward showed me how."

Alice shrugged and the two of us went to the living room where Edward was.


A/N: Chapter 13 to come soon!