Disclaimer: I own nothing.

BPOV

"Did you know, it's been about six months since we met?" Edward's musical voice mused, breaking the silence.

"Really?" I looked up at him, I don't think I'd ever get used to the way he looked in the sun, he was so beautiful. "It doesn't feel like it."

"Yes, just about." He started playing with a strand of my hair. "What's the saying? Time flies when you're having fun."

"I've had the time of my life with you," I agreed.

"Have you ever thought about the future?" He pondered. I took an uneven deep breath.

"Edward…," I cautioned.

"Just think, no time constraints, no looming prognosis, just think about it."

"Okay," I paused to think. The truth was, I had thought about my future. While Edward had never really talked about being changed, I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about becoming like him. I just didn't want to assume that Edward wanted me forever. The pessimist in me believed that Edward would stay with me until I died and our love would die with me, but another part of me knew how Edward felt about his soul, about what he was. "Well, I'd probably go to college, maybe marriage, I don't know. I never really thought about it."

"Do any of those futures include me?" He wondered.

"They'd all include you, but Edward...I know we haven't really talked about this-," I was at a loss, I wasn't sure how to continue.

"All of my futures include you too." His cold hand caressed my face.

"But Edward…" I didn't want to get his hopes up, there was no real future with me.

"Just let me finish, please? I'm not really sure how to do this so I'll just say it." He sounded a little nervous. I nodded. He pulled out a small velvet box. I kept my eyes on his face.

"I'm from a different era. Things were a lot less complicated. And if I met you back then, I would have courted you. Would've taken chaperoned strolls, and iced tea on the porch. I may have stolen a kiss or two but only after asking your father's permission, would I have got down on one knee, and presented you with a ring. This is my mother's. Isabella Swan, I promise to love you every moment forever. And would you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?"

"Edward, I love you so much, but there isn't a future with me." I tried to keep the tears at bay. "The only thing marrying me will do is leave you a widower, is that really what you want?" I took a deep breath. I truly believed that Edward wouldn't want me to become like him.

"Before you give me your answer, I have another question. You can say yes to one or both, whatever you'd like, but I do see a future with you. My future begins and ends with you. I don't take this lightly, and I've told you before I don't believe I have a soul, but Carlisle, Esme, even Alice. There is no way they don't have souls, I don't believe there is anything in this world that could possibly taint your soul. It's too good, too pure. Would you ever consider becoming like me? Staying with me forever?"

My mouth had gone dry, and it took me a minute to process everything he had just said. I was barely aware of the tears in my eyes. Edward wanted me forever. It didn't make sense.

"Yes." That was the only answer, it didn't even feel like a choice. I wanted Edward forever. "Yes to both."

"Yes?" His voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes," I sounded more confident this time. I didn't even blink and Edward had me in an embrace, kissing me erratically.

It took several minutes for him to release me. "I can't believe it," he said quietly, taking the ring and placing it on my finger.

"You can't believe that I'd want you forever?"

"I can't believe that you'd want me at all."

"You don't see yourself the way I see you," I pulled him back to me, his cold lips against mine.

"I guess I shouldn't bet against Alice," he laughed.

"Wait, Alice knew?"

"She saw a few weeks ago, when I had made the decision, it's hard to keep secrets in our family so I told them that same night." Edward admitted. "Even Charlie knows."

"What?" The shock in my voice was clear as day.

"Well, I asked him for his blessing. It's the proper way, but other than that, even though you're much more mature, you're still seventeen. Not about becoming an immortal. Unfortunately he can't know." I remembered him talking about the Volturi months ago.

"Yeah," I sighed. "But I can't believe he was okay with all this."

"Once I told him just how much I loved you, and how I wanted to spend the rest of your life making you happy, he had no objections. I just can't believe you said yes." He had a goofy smile on his face.

"Believe it," I paused. "Although I have one condition-" He started to look a little nervous again. "You're going to have to reign in Alice," I said, making Edward laugh.

"I'm sorry, but that's impossible," He shook his head. "We could elope."

"I think that's a great idea, but I don't think she'd forgive us for that."

"She can go all out in a couple decades," Edward laughed.

"It's a little strange," I said quietly. "Talking about an actual future for me, let alone one where you want me."

"I want you, always," Edward promised.

"We should do it in the next few months, it'll give Charlie and Renee a chance to be there. They never thought I'd make it that long," I said, thinking out loud.

"You're really okay with all this? You don't want time to think about everything? It's a massive decision."

"The only thing I'm sure of is you," I whispered, then added playfully, "And that I'm dying, of course."

"You'll be the death of me, Isabella Swan. The way you talk about you being gone, like you don't matter," Edward groaned in frustration.

"No, it's not that. I've had my whole life to wrap my head around it, around the idea of death. You learn to lighten up a little, most doctors call it a coping mechanism, but I call it having a sense of humor. If you don't lighten up about certain things, it'll crush you," I explained. Edward nodded understandingly.

We stayed there for hours talking about everything, now it felt like I could have hope for the future, a future I could have with Edward. We decided to wait on changing me, to give Renee and Charlie a last few months with me. It was still early enough in the day that we went to Edward's house. Everyone was in the living room, it looked like they were waiting for us. Alice would have seen, so it made sense.

"Alice is about to burst with excitement," Edward whispered.

"Remember what I said," I reminded him playfully about keeping Alice from going all out.

We were barely through the door when Alice threw her arms around the both of us.

"I'm so excited for the two of you," Alice beamed. Emmett approached next with a bear hug that lifted me off the ground, he spun me around in excitement.

"Emmett, be careful," Edward hissed. Emmett gently placed me on the floor and released me. I wasn't sure how he didn't get tangled with the cannula. Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme all congratulated us next. Rosalie was silent, paying us no attention.

"Rose," Esme scolded her.

"What is she to me? Just a threat you've forced me to tolerate," Rosalie said quiet enough that I could barely hear her. I tried to hide the shock at Rosalie's slight. I knew she wasn't my biggest fan, but all of very dislike had been subtly infused in our interactions, never blatant like that.

"Bella is part of our family, Rose," Carlisle said gently. I got the impression that this wasn't the first argument they'd had about me.

"Can I speak to the two of you?" Carlisle asked.

"Of course," Edward said, and I nodded.

"Fair warning," Edward whispered to me. It took me a second to understand what he meant, but he already had me up the stairs.

"That was not a warning," I groaned.

"By the way, Alice told me you refused her help a few weeks ago," he said, referring to my climbing the stairs without assistance.

"I can handle a flight of stairs, Edward," I argued.

He rolled his eyes, "Come on. Carlisle is in his office."

Edward took my hand and led me into Carlisle's office,

"What did you want to talk about Carlisle?" Edward asked.

I scoffed, "Like you don't know."

Carlisle laughed, "He doesn't for the most part. After a century together, I've become fairly adept at keeping my thoughts from Edward- First, I wanted to say again how happy I am for the two of you and, Bella, I'd like to apologize for Rose, can be a bit- stubborn," Carlisle started.

"I understand it's difficult for her, you all have been a family for a very long time, it can't be easy to accept a outsider, let alone a human outsider," I offered.

"Thank you, Bella. You've always been very gracious about us."

"But there are a few things that we should discuss." He looked to Edward, "She should know about the treaty, and the other risks." Carlisle turned back to me.

"Bella, right now, there's a chance, how slight, I cannot say, that your body won't be able to withstand the change to our kind. I know you want to give Charlie and Renee a chance to say their goodbyes, but we shouldn't wait very long, a few months at most, and barring any complications, of course." Carlisle's voice was gentle and filled with compassion.

Edward was lost in thought, he looked distressed at Carlisle's warning.

"It'll be fine, Edward. I had a zero chance before, it'll be okay." I squeezed his hand.

"Then, we still must discuss the treaty," Carlisle's voice remained gentle.

"What about the treaty?" I looked to Edward and Carlisle.

"There's a key point in the treaty that forbids us from biting a human, to drink or to change," Edward explained, coming out of his train of thought.

"But if I choose it…," I argued.

"We'll have to discuss it with Sam and Jacob, to amend the treaty," Carlisle continued.

"Sam is the alpha of the pack, but Jacob is the true alpha as a descendent of Ephraim Black, technically only he can amend the treaty," Edward explained again before I could ask.

"Okay, I can talk to Jake, try to get him to understand," I said, pushing down the shock of Jake not only as a werewolf, but also leading a werewolf pack.

"Bella-," Edward warned.

"Jake won't hurt me, he's my friend," I said gently.

"The wolves have no control, he could hurt you if he lost control," Edward retorted.

"He's my friend, it'll be fine," I assured him.

Edward sighed in defeat, he knew I could be pretty stubborn when warranted, "Alright."

We stayed for a while, and we couldn't leave without bombarding us about the wedding.

"I'm so excited," Alice squealed.

"I think you were right, we should just elope," I whispered to Edward. Alice, of course, heard this and became visibly irate.

"Don't you two love me?" Alice whined.

"It's our wedding, Alice. Shouldn't it be up to us?" Edward countered.

"I know the two of you well enough to not let that happen."

"What does that mean?" I asked, laughing.

"It means if you planned the wedding you'd be getting married in a pair of jeans, and if Edward planned the wedding, it would probably be all brooding and angsty," Alice ranted in exasperation.

I couldn't stifle my laugh at her description of Edward.

"I do not brood nor am I 'angsty'," Edward grumbled.

"Oh course you're not," I consoled him and pulled him into a hug. I made eye contact with Alice over his shoulder and nodded in agreement.

Alice couldn't help but giggle. Edward heard her giggle and pulled away, "You do know I can see what you did through her thoughts? I do not brood." This time both Alice and I laughed. I took Edward's hand in mine again, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. Jasper had made his way into the room, I think he felt the jovial mood and the laughs coming from the other room.

"Oh please, Bella, you should have seen him over the last century, all he did was brood. And he was the very definition of angst."

Jasper didn't say anything, but snickered at Alice's assessment of Edward's temperament.

"You're awfully small to be so hugely irritating," Edward grumbled. Alice just shrugged her shoulders.

"I think we've reached an impasse," I admitted, however amusing it was to watch Edward and Alice bicker, we hadn't made any decisions. Honestly, I was perfectly content with eloping, and just inviting our parents to join. Alice wasn't wrong I'd be perfectly content to wear jeans and a tee-shirt to get married, it was enough for me to be marrying Edward.

""I know - I'll play you for it," Alice suggested. "Rock, paper, scissors."

Jasper chuckled and Edward sighed.

"Why don't you just tell me who wins?" Edward said wryly.

Alice beamed, "I do. Excellent."

We made her promise to keep it small or we would elope. She conceded to a small wedding with just a family. I didn't want it to be a town affair, I only wanted people there who truly loved us.

When we got to Charlie's house, he congratulated us.

"I'm happy for you two," Charlie congratulated again.

"Thanks, Dad."

I knew this drastic change wouldn't be easy for Charlie. I gave him a quick hug before I sat down on the couch next to Edward. I sat with my legs folded in. Edward and I's joined hands in my lap.

"My agreement was conditional," Charlie said pointedly, looking at Edward.

"What was your condition?" I said apprehensively.

"He said we had to tell Renee," Edward chuckled.

I cringed. Renee and Charlie had married young, and while she never talked about marriage with me, I knew getting married right out of high school was on her blacklist.

"We can tell her together," Edward said consoling me. "I'm looking forward to meeting her."

Despite Edward's offer, I told Renee myself that night. I had been emailing her regularly so she knew of Edward, she just hadn't known how serious we evidently were. It went surprisingly well, she was happy for us, that I had found someone to spend the rest of my life with.

A few days later, I persuaded Edward into going hunting while I talked to Jake, I told him that Jake would be more reasonable without him there.

"Promise me, you'll call me if anything. I'll be back as soon as I can." His forehead rested against mine.

"Yes, I promise. Don't rush, I'll be fine." He pressed his lips to mine, kissing me deeply.

"Okay, maybe rush a little," I chuckled, my face getting warm.

"Look after my heart- I've left it with you."

And then he was gone.