Capitolo Quattordici

When someone we love dies, the hardest part is not letting go, it's finding the strength and courage to move forward without them.

The week leading up to our wedding was complete madness. Two more people, in separate incidents, tried to sneak onto our property. Edward was stressed out because of this, his day job, and his other work. He had snapped at me on more than one occasion, but I was getting tired of walking on eggshells around him, and this needed to get squashed before the wedding.

He had been holed up in his office for hours with the door shut. I paced outside the door, debating whether or not to go in there. Chastising myself for being such a wimp, I turned the knob and walked in, not bothering to knock. Edward's head snapped up from the computer, his eyebrows raised in silent question. Wordlessly, I pushed his chair back from the desk and sat on his lap.

"So, are you going to apologize, or do I need to torture it out of you?" My tone was playful, but I did my best to keep a neutral expression on my face.

Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face then dropped his face to my neck, inhaling my scent. I let him have a moment to compose himself, but then I pulled back and cupped his chin in my palm, forcing him to look at my face. "Talk to me, cucciolone. I know you're stressed with work, but you can't take it out on me."

He nodded, his eyes sincere and so damn green. "I know, and I'm sorry, principessa. It's not just work though. We've lived here less than a week, and there have already been three times where different people have tried to get to you. This didn't happen when we were at my dad's house, so this is on my shoulders. I promised to keep you safe, and I'm fucking failing you."

"Listen to me. You're not failing me. Besides, the objective word there is 'tried.' They weren't successful. The security cameras were finally installed, and Demetri has been diligent in his rounds. You have made sure I'm safe. Stop being all broody because I gotta go get your sister, and she's coming over here and you know she won't put up with your pity party."

Edward nodded before he gave me a small smile and a quick kiss on the lips. I smiled at him and rose from his lap, cupping his jaw and staring into his eyes. Before I left his office, he spoke again. "Make sure you take Demetri."

"I know, Edward. He's chauffeuring me over there because apparently my driving terrifies him." We both chuckled, and I met Dem in the hallway. "You ready to go?"

"Always, Ms. Bella."

I smiled and shook my head, following him outside. As I'd requested, Dem called me Bella but only when he wasn't within earshot of Edward. I asked him why he didn't just call me Ms. Swan instead, and it turned out it was because Edward requested Ms. Bella until I was officially Mrs. Cullen. It made me laugh because Edward and I had both agreed that if we had it our way, we would have just been married in a small ceremony already. The huge church wedding was all for show and to keep up the family's public image as well as to appease his family.

There were some things that I had to go a few rounds with Elizabeth on, but in the end, we agreed that if I was going to be forced to do this, then I was going to have a say in how it went down. The biggest fight we had was about Ted. He and I were so far from okay, and she wanted him to walk me down the aisle and give me away. I refused, and because I couldn't tell her that I would rather walk down the aisle on fire than with Ted, I just told her I would honor my father by going alone.

It only took a few minutes to drive to Edward's parents', and Demetri escorted me inside so I could get Rose. He told me that he was going to do a quick sweep of the grounds, checking in with the security team, and would meet by the car in fifteen minutes. I found the house fairly empty, so I just went upstairs to Rose's room. When I reached her doorway, there were no signs of her, so I called out for her. Her reply came from the hall bathroom, so I headed in that direction. She flushed the toilet and then opened the door before turning her back to me and facing the sink. From her reflection in the mirror, I could make out her watery red eyes, causing me to wonder if she had been crying. I was about to ask her what was the matter, but when she brushed her teeth, I realized she had been throwing up.

"Are you okay, Ro?"

She briefly met my eyes in the mirror as she brushed her teeth, quickly dipping her head down as I studied her. When she had finished and shut off the tap, she grabbed something from the counter. She sighed before she handed it to me. I looked down at the stick she had placed in my hand. Instead of a plus sign or two lines, it was a digital screen that said very plainly the word 'pregnant.' My eyes snapped to hers, shock having stolen my ability to speak. There were fresh tears swimming in her eyes, and she had her arms wrapped around her torso.

I put the pregnancy test back on the counter and pulled her into my arms. We hugged for a few minutes, and then I stepped back from her slightly so that I could smooth her hair down and cup her cheeks. "Are you okay with this?"

"I don't know. At least it's not Royce's—it's Emmett's."

"Are you sure?" I had to wonder how she could be completely sure.

Rose nodded. "Royce and I had agreed that we weren't going to have sex until we got married. But there was one night that he got really drunk, which led to him getting very handsy, and I just gave in because I was so tired of fighting him all the damn time. It happened very recently, so it's not likely that it would show I was pregnant from that time yet, plus I made him wear a condom." She was on the verge of tears again, and I wanted to take some of her pain away.

I tried to focus on the good part instead: that Emmett was the father of her baby. "You gotta tell Emmett."

"No. I can't," she said as she walked out of the bathroom, heading to her room. She went over to the closet, grabbing her overnight bag, and started to get some clothes together to bring with her.

"Why not?" I asked.

"My parents are going to kill me for being an unwed mother in the first place. If it comes out that Emmett is the father … that's just a disaster waiting to happen. You already know that my dad doesn't want me to be a mafia wife. How do you think he's going to react to knowing I got knocked up by one of his soldiers?"

I raised my hands in exasperation. "Ro, I'm sorry to say this, but fuck what your dad thinks. You and Em love each other, and he deserves to know he's going to have a kid. If he decides to be a deadbeat, then that's on him, but you and I both know that's not going to happen and he'll want to be there," I pleaded.

Rose nodded and let out a large exhale. "You're right."

After she zipped up her bag, she handed me her bridesmaid dress to carry for her, and we headed out to the car where Dem helped get everything situated. The bridal party was staying the night before the wedding, and Edward was doing whatever Em and Jazz came up with. That would be tomorrow after the rehearsal dinner. For now, it was just Rose staying the night and hanging out with me and her brother.

Once we got back to my and Edward's house, Rose went upstairs to put her stuff away in one of the guest bedrooms. Edward had finally left his office and was in the living room, watching the news on the TV. I walked over to him, and he pulled me down onto his lap and kissed me. "Hey, I'm in a better mood now." He smiled at me and waggled his eyebrows.

I chuckled. "So I noticed." I rested my head against his chest and sighed deeply.

"What aren't you telling me?" he questioned.

I shook my head. "It's not my news to tell, Edward. You will find out when Rose is ready to share."

"Is she okay?" he asked, pulling my chin up so I had to look at his face. The only expression he had was concern.

"For the most part, yeah." I nodded, trying to reassure him that it wasn't a crisis yet.

He sighed and kissed the top of my head. "Okay."

Rose came back downstairs dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, and we watched some movies, ate too much junk food, and just had a good time hanging out together. It was a great way to spend the night before the craziness of our rehearsal dinner and our wedding. Edward and I headed to bed after cleaning up. Rose had already gone to her room at our nudging because she looked tired. When we climbed into bed, I rested my head on Edward's chest and let his breathing lull me to sleep.

I was dressed in my white dress, trying to not let the nerves of this whole thing get to me. Rose and Alice entered the sanctuary ahead of me, just like we had practiced the night before. My dad stepped up beside me, smiling at me, eyes twinkling as always. He offered me his arm, and I linked mine with his. We waited for our cue and then walked into the chapel. Once I hit the tile floor, my feet skidded and I almost slipped. Looking down, I noticed a dark red pool of blood on the floor, the sticky fluid coating the soles of my shoes. I tried to step forward, and beside me, my dad stumbled, tilting to the side. When I glanced over at him to see if he was okay, I noticed a huge slash in his side, the crimson liquid gushing out of his wound.

"Dad!" I yelled, panicked.

He fell to the floor, gripping his side in an attempt to stem the bleeding, but it was no use. I followed his descent to the ground, getting to my knees, not caring that the blood was saturating the pristine white fabric of my dress. My hands covered his at his side, and I pleaded for him to hold on, to stay with me until someone could help, but moments later, I saw the life leave my dad's eyes.

Arms circled my waist and yanked me up, and I was pulled away from my dad's lifeless body by Edward, while my screams and cries echoed off of the vaulted ceilings of the church.

My eyes snapped open, and I realized that Edward was shaking me awake. Tears streamed down my face, and I pushed him away from me so I could sit up. As I sobbed, I hugged my knees, resting my head on top of them. Edward gently touched my shoulders, and I turned and flung myself into his arms. He held me, stroking my hair and making soothing shushing sounds, telling me over and over again I was okay.

"It felt so real. Like I'd lost my dad all over again," I finally said as the tears slowed, and I could manage to talk around the lump in my throat.

"What happened, tesoro?"

I told him about the nightmare I had and how I was having second thoughts about walking by myself. "The thought of going down that aisle without anyone by my side makes me feel like I'm incredibly alone. And the more I think about it, I just feel horrible because I am surrounded by this huge family and so many wonderful new friends, but my parents won't be there, and it's just so unfair."

"I'm so sorry. I know it doesn't help, but I really wish I could take away those events." His arms were still wrapped around me.

"I would never have met you though," I murmured.

"No, but I would still make that sacrifice if it meant that you had them back."

I pulled away to look at him in shock, completely thrown by that admission from him. He would give up all this just so that I could have my parents. Regardless of all the good things that came out of me coming here, none of them could erase reality and make up for the fact that my parents were senselessly ripped from my life too soon. At the end of the day, none of it mattered.

He must have taken my shock as being offended. "I'm not saying I don't want you, but what happened? No one should ever have to go through that. Growing up, you know the day will come when you will have to say goodbye to your parents, but never like that and not when you are barely an adult yourself."

I shook my head, trying to stem his panic. "I wasn't offended, Edward. I was awed. You say you don't believe in love, but that kind of selfless thought—it's at the core of loving someone. I would give anything to have my parents back, but I can't regret that I came here. Rose would still be with that horrible man. You would still be having meaningless fuck after meaningless fuck. Nonnie and Esme wouldn't have a new cooking partner." I cupped his cheek. "You gave me a family again, something I never thought I would have. I never thanked you for that."

"There's no need. We have given each other a lot. Let's call it even." He gave me a sweet smile, and I kissed him with a closed-mouth chaste kiss. "If you don't want to be out there on your own, why don't you ask Carlisle to walk with you?"

I groaned. "I had that idea, but only after fighting with your mom to walk alone to honor my father. She was trying to push for Ted to give me away, and honestly, I would rather set myself on fire."

Edward chuckled. "Bella, it's your wedding. I could give a flying fuck what my mom wants, and if you need me to, I will tell her to back off. What do you want?" he asked, gripping my chin and making me look him in his eyes.

I was always honest with Edward, and I could never keep my thoughts from him. "I want Carlisle to walk with me."

"We will go over there tomorrow and ask him if he will do it. I know he would be honored because he and Aunt Esme adore you."

"I kinda adore them too." I smiled just thinking about them.

Edward returned my smile, kissed me, and then pulled me to lie down with him. He spooned with me, gathering me in his arms and wrapping me in his warmth. I slept soundly after that.

~NDMN~

Today, we were having our rehearsal and dinner afterward, so Edward and I went to Carlisle and Esme's early in the morning while Rose stayed at the house with Dem. Edward was fine with him not coming with us because he was with me. Besides, Edward didn't want to leave Rose on her own. The plan was to have Emmett stay with her at our house when we went out of the country, but he was busy today.

After we rang the doorbell, Esme answered the door in casual clothes. "Hey, you're just in time. I made gnocchi!"

"No way. Nonnie gave you the recipe?" I asked, excited for her as I followed her into the kitchen.

She tutted. "No, that old woman still refuses. But I have been asking for over 30 years, so I have had plenty of time to perfect my own." She went over to the stove, scooping up some gnocchi, and offered me a forkful of the tasty looking pasta.

It was delicious and the best I have ever had. I hummed in contentment at the taste. "That is really good, Es." I looked over at Edward, who was leaning in the entryway, and he was smiling softly at our interaction. "Um, I was wanting to know if I could talk to Carlisle. Is he in his study?"

"Of course, dear. You remember where it is?"

"Yeah." I had been in Esme and Carlisle house twice before, before cooking lessons with Nonnie, so I knew enough to find Carlisle's office.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Edward offered.

I shook my head. "I got this."

I left the kitchen and headed upstairs to his study. I knocked on the door and then entered after he called out welcoming me inside.

"Bella, what a nice surprise. How are you, belissima?"

"I'm good, Carlisle, glad to see you. I had a question that I wanted to ask you, if that's all right with you."

"Absolutely." He stood up, coming around to lean against the front of his desk, as I was still standing.

"I know it is so last minute, but I was wondering if you would stand with me and give me away at my wedding to Edward." I smiled at him.

His face broke out into a broad grin, and he lifted his hands, covering where his heart would be on his chest. "Bella, it would be my honor. I must ask why because I thought Elizabeth said you wanted to stand alone."

"If I'm being honest … I didn't want it to be Ted. I know he's your brother, but—"

He raised a hand to stop me. "Say no more. I understand that he can burn his bridges better than anyone else."

I smiled at him and gave him a hug, kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Carlisle."

He returned the embrace and was smiling when we pulled apart. He held my face in his hands. "I am honored that you asked me, cara mia."

We headed back downstairs together to see what Esme and Edward were up to. Esme had made a breakfast scramble with the gnocchi, so we all sat and ate together. Not for the first time, I wished that Esme and Carlisle were Edward's parents because they were so loving and warm. I was comfortable around them from the moment that I met them. Carlisle was involved in the family business, but he was an advisor to Ted. I imagined that he was the only person that kept him in line or even could talk sense to him.

When we finished up breakfast, we left so that we could get ready for the rest of the day. I knew that today would be an exercise in my patience. Edward would be there with me, and that was enough for me to just grin and bear it, looking forward to getting past this particular hurdle.

Once the rehearsal was over, with minimal drama, we had dinner much like the regular family Sunday dinners. Elizabeth was confused when Edward announced at the rehearsal that Carlisle would be walking me down the aisle, but the look from Edward kept her from questioning it further. Elizabeth wasn't afraid to put Edward in his place, but since we had become engaged, she backed down when it came to me if he challenged her.

I was exhausted when I returned home, but Alice and Rose were not letting me be introverted Bella. Edward had taken off with Emmett and Jasper, so we sat around and talked about everything from sex, toys, and special moves. We drank some alcohol—Rose's drinks were virgin and Alice didn't question it—but we didn't indulge too much because we had to be up early. We danced to girly pop songs, and it just felt nice to be young and dumb for one night. Before we headed to bed, I talked to Edward over the phone for a bit.

"I wish you were sleeping here tonight." It surprised me how much I missed having him with me.

"I know but everyone is conspiring to observe the tradition of me not seeing you until tomorrow. I'm going to miss your warm body tonight. My own little space heater." He chuckled.

I laughed because I was always very warm when sleeping. "Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow, cucciolone. I will be the one in white."

"I wouldn't miss it, bambina sporca. I'll be in the penguin suit."

Once we got off the phone, Rose and Alice monopolized the rest of the night, and we fell asleep in the king size bed that was in our guest room. I was content as I dozed off, truly happy and excited for the next day.

A/N: So, there was a lot in this chapter. Carlisle is going to give Bella away, Rose is preggers with Emmet's baby, and Edward and Bella are about to get married. Leave a review and let me know what you think. Until later lovelies!