**EPOV**
I had been dreading the conversation with Carlisle for the same reason that Bella was looking forward to it: because it made it all so real.
Despite all my efforts, we were going to sit in a room and calmly discuss the details of how my young, beautiful, vibrant Bella's life was going to come screaming to an end. Literally.
An eternity with her by my side was more than I could dare to dream for. I didn't dare dream about it because as much as I wanted that future for myself, more than I could possibly describe, what sort of monster did it make me to wish this existence on her? The very monster I'd worked so hard to bury so that I might start to resemble a person that was worthy of her.
I had prepared myself for this day or tried to. I sat next to her, dutifully holding her hand. The scene mirrored so many others I'd seen before play out in Carlisle's mind from his centuries of working in hospitals.
In his thoughts, I looked like the thousands of other scared husbands who had sat across his desk over the years putting on a brave face for their dying spouses as they lost their respective battles with cancer or some other terminal illness.
This had felt like a battle I had lost and won all at the same time.
My beautiful Bella was, as usual, stunning in her bravery. She was calm and collected as Carlisle went over the details of her impending death.
Again and again, Carlisle addressed the possibility of my hurting her on our honeymoon. Every time he brought it up, it made me want to put my fist through his desk, as Carlisle well knew. But Bella never so much as batted an eye. I didn't deserve the faith she had me.
I suppressed a growl when she said "we" would tell her parents that she had died if...if the unthinkable happened, if I couldn't control myself when it mattered most. There were no "we's" about it.
It would be me. I would have to destroy Charlie and Renee when I told them that their only child was dead and that it was my fault. No matter what the story was, it would be my fault. Their devastated cries would haunt me for the rest of my existence, and it would be no less than I deserved.
An eternity with Bella would come at a great cost, and I would pay it and be grateful, whatever it was.
And if I thought that conversation couldn't gut me any further than it already had, Bella had the gall to ask that I leave her side as she burned, when she needed me most.
I suppose I deserved that, too. It wasn't as if I had given her a reason to expect any more from me than to abandon her in her time of need like the coward I was.
No, a speeding train couldn't tear me from her side. She would scream and writhe and beg for death, and I would let the flames of her agony consume me, too.
How could she think I would let her suffer that alone when she was willing to give up everything to be with me? It was preposterous, insulting, even, but...I sighed. I earned that, too.
And then I had to laugh because, brave as she was, she was more scared to stand up in front of her nearest and dearest and marry me than she was to face down the end of her human life. I couldn't help but wonder about that.
"How are your feet?" I asked Bella as she sat on the side of her bed rolling on some fuzzy socks to keep the autumnal chill at bay.
"Blistered," Bella grimaced. "Alice has been making me break in my wedding shoes all week."
I knelt down in front of her and took one of her stockinged feet in my hands. I rubbed the arch of her foot carefully with my thumbs.
"Oh, Edward, you don't have to-" and then she broke off with a contented sigh and threw herself backward on the bed. I must've rubbed a particularly good spot because she let out a long, satisfied groan. "God, that feels good."
I bit back a groan of my own. It's just a foot rub, I scolded my all-too-eager body. Get a hold of yourself. I picked up her other foot and repeated the action.
"That's not exactly what I meant," I said, trying to sound teasing.
"I know," she smiled, though her eyes were closed, making it hard to place the emotion behind her words.
I was about to push her for more of an explanation when she started talking again.
"I can't wait to be your wife if that's what you're worried about. It's the wedding part I could live without," she said with a wry smile.
"What is making you so anxious? You know Alice would die all over again before she let anything go wrong. And you'd be hard-pressed to find another wedding planner who can see the future," I laughed lightly.
"It's a lot of things. Did you know when I was younger, my mom made me promise I wouldn't get married until I was at least 25?" Bella laughed humorlessly. "It feels like I'm disappointing her, even if she'd never say that. And then having all those people staring at me...gossipping about me," she shook her head regretfully. "I know it's a silly thing to be hung up on when I'll never see any of them again."
"Not silly," I shook my head. Bella had a bad habit of invalidating her own feelings, especially if it meant sparing mine, and I'd be damned if I let her do that now.
"Though, it's curious to me that you seem more bothered by the attention and gossip than the fact that you won't see any of them again," I said gently.
"Because I am more bothered by it," Bella said with a snort. "Jessica, Lauren, Mike…" she wrinkled her nose with distaste. "Who are they to me?
"They are the people I would want to avoid at my high school reunion, assuming someone put a gun to my head and forced me to go to one," she said wryly. "I already know I can live without them because I already have," she said darkly.
I assumed she was referring to the time after I left when she shut down, shutting out everyone in her life. Everyone but Jacob Black, that is.
"I'm scared to leave my parents behind. It will be the hardest thing I've ever done, but I know all they want for me is to be happy. And the only way I can be happy is if I get to spend forever with you, so there's only one way forward, isn't there?" She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at me with a contemplative expression.
I sighed. I spent every moment of the last year looking for another path, any other path that meant we could be together without risking her soul, but Alice's tangled web of futures made it seem all but inevitable.
I was scared beyond belief that someday Bella would come to regret the choice she'd made, but I would never again make the mistake of second-guessing her. All I could do was hope that her transformation made her feelings for me as unbreakable as the rest of her.
"I wish there was another way. Whatever the cost, I would pay it," I muttered pitifully.
She snorted derisively. "So let me get this straight," she said, raising a dubious eyebrow. "You get to be the self-sacrificing one who would let me get all old and die just so that I could live. And then you'd kill yourself right away, devastating your entire family, yet, I'm the ridiculous one for-"
I put a finger to her lips. "Yes." Her brow creased in irritation, and she opened her mouth to argue with me again, but I cut her off.
"You are ridiculous if you think for one moment that my existence is worth sacrificing a single day, a single hour of your precious, beautiful life."
"Then you love a ridiculous woman," she said with a look of pure fire and determination.
I cracked a smile. "It would seem I do." I replaced the finger over her parted lips with my own, kissing her with the same fiery determination.
"Mmm," she moaned into my kiss. "Say it again."
"Which part?" I asked, kissing her again.
"I do," she said with a gasp as I pressed my lips into the hollow behind her ear.
Those two small words were my undoing. A low groan escaped my throat, and before I consciously chose to do so, I was hovering above her prone form, careful not to let her feel the brunt of my weight.
"Oh, my Bella. You are my love," I kissed up one side of her throat. "My life," and down the other side. "And tomorrow," I whispered into her parted lips, "you'll be my wife." The word lit me up from the inside. It felt like the power of it would reduce me to ashes at her feet.
I knew it would be a vain attempt, but I would spend the rest of my days trying to be worthy of this most perfect being who not only saw past my inner monster but somehow found a way to love him, too.
Interrupting the moment, Emmett catapulted himself up to Bella's window frame with the force of a wrecking ball. "Alright lovebirds, time's up! Edward, you're comin' with me," he demanded with a mischievous grin.
This only made Bella cling tighter to me. Even though her white-knuckled grasp was no match for me, it took all my strength to unwillingly remove myself from her bed.
I consoled myself with the reminder that the next time I saw her she would be walking down the aisle, marching toward our eternity together. Painful as it was, I would survive the night without her. After all, I'd waited for her for a century, what was a few more hours?
"Sleep well, my love. It will be the last time you ever have to sleep alone," I kissed her one last time, taking my time about it. Emmett cleared his throat impatiently.
"Alright, alright, you can have him," Bella grudgingly released her grip from around my neck.
"Have fun. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be the one in white," she said offhandedly with a smirk.
"Don't worry, Bella, I promise he won't be late," Emmett grinned.
"He better not be!" Bella threatened ominously. In return, Emmett laughed boisterously before jumping back down to the damp grass below. With one last parting glance at my blushing bride, I turned and leapt out the window following Emmett into Carlisle's waiting Mercedes.
**BPOV**
Sleep was elusive that night. I tossed and turned restlessly wondering, worrying, cataloging my regrets-beginning with Jake. By the time my weary eyes had given way to a dreamless sleep, it felt like only moments had passed before Alice was there ripping the covers off me.
"Time to get up, Bella!" her cheery voice shimmered like a bell but held an edge of impatience. I groaned and rolled over.
"It's not like you have anything important to do today!" she grumbled sarcastically. "Christ, look at your eyes."
"Isn't the wedding planner supposed to be nicer to the bride?" I whined, dragging myself out of bed.
"Yeah, well...sisters who work for free don't come with the same guarantees," Alice quipped.
As I threw open my bedroom door about to trudge down the hall to the bathroom, I was stopped by her tiny frame in the doorway blocking my way. She threw her arms around me and gave me a bone-crushing hug.
"Happy wedding day, Bella!" Alice beamed. "You are going to make Edward one happy vampire!" If I could still breathe, I would have laughed. Instead, I returned her embrace and patted her on the back until she loosened her hold.
"Hopefully not just Edward," I smiled down at her warmly.
"Girl, please! You act like he's the only one of us wrapped around your finger. Even Rosalie is in a good mood today."
I gave her a doubtful look.
"Well, she's happier for Edward than she is for you. But she's still happy, so take that as a win!" she smirked. I would indeed. "You go shower. I'll go get Charlie. Esme made a big breakfast for you both at the house, but try not to fill up. That dress doesn't have any room for bloat!"
'Big breakfast' didn't begin to describe it. A banquet would have been more accurate. Spread out on the massive white granite kitchen island was a line of silver platters overflowing with croissants, eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, fresh fruit, and other various pastries.
Charlie looked at the buffet of food with wide, appreciative eyes. "Hope you're hungry, kid!"
By the time, Charlie had finished his second plate of food, he was completely under Esme's spell. "Jeez," Charlie said, patting his stomach. " I hope I left enough for the rest of your family, Esme. Those boys of yours must eat you out of house and home."
"Bottomless pits!" Esme agreed enthusiastically. "Speak of the devil!" she said, slinging an affectionate arm around Emmett as he bounded into the kitchen.
"Hey Chief Swan, the Huskies game just started if you'd like to come watch while the girls get ready," Emmett offered, clearly on his best behavior.
I smiled at him, grateful for always making my dad so comfortable. He winked at me, before disappearing back into the game room with Charlie in tow.
I nibbled on my bagel, the nerves making it impossible to think of food.
"Bella! Your hair isn't going to do itself!" Alice trilled from somewhere upstairs.
"Coming!" I called back. I brought our dishes to the sink and started to rinse them off.
"Don't you dare!" Esme scolded, and shooed me away from the sink like the gracious hostess she was. "And while I have a moment alone with you, may I have a hug from my newest daughter? I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this day!" Esme looked near tears if such a thing were possible. Her smile was joyous.
"Oh, Esme, of course!" I exclaimed, starting to get weepy myself. I threw my arms around her and hugged her mightily. It was a huge relief to know that while I'd soon be leaving my own mother behind, the mother I'd be gaining in Esme was every bit as loving and kind, and I daresay a fair bit more maternal.
Esme let go of me but kept hold of both of my hands as she spoke. "Edward isn't the only one who has been waiting a lifetime for you. I knew a special girl would complete our family eventually, and I'm so thrilled it's you!" She hugged me one more time and then sent me upstairs to face the firing squad. I mean glam squad.
"Alright, Alice," I said resignedly as I walked into her bedroom. "Do your worst!" I was brought up short by Rosalie who was sitting in Alice's salon chair.
"Rosalie offered to do your hair," Alice supplied as she wheeled over a rolling cart of small drawers containing her hairstyling supplies and parked it next to the salon chair. Rosalie vacated the chair and motioned for me to sit.
"Wow! That's so nice of you, Rosalie. Thank you!" I blurted out, truly stunned.
"Call me Rose," she said with a clipped tone. "You're family now, and everyone else does."
She picked up a hairbrush and brusquely pulled it through my locks. In the large mirror in front of me, I could see Alice and Rose exchanging a look that I didn't quite understand.
Then Rose's grip on my hair gentled, and she made eye contact with me in the mirror.
"As I've told you before, I have no aversion to you as a sister, Bella. And while I don't agree with the choice you're making...I-I'm happy that you make Edward happy." Then she made a face that halfway resembled a smile. Alice gave her an approving nod.
In the mirror, I watched as the look of shock on my face was replaced by a slow, shy smile. I nervously tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and stuttered out a "thank you."
"Alright, what am I doing here, Alice?" Rose tugged lightly at my hair.
"Low chignon, with a braid wrapped around the back of her head at about mid-crown," Alice answered from somewhere in her closet. Rose nodded and went to work.
Alice then walked out of the closet awkwardly holding the dressmaker's doll. It looked like it should have weighed more than she did, but of course, she hefted it as if it was made of styrofoam.
She set it down in the middle of the room and pulled the large garment bag off the dummy revealing my gown underneath. It looked immaculate, not a wrinkle in sight, but that didn't seem to matter to Alice who carefully wielded the steam wand.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Rose noticeably slowed her bobby-pinning hands to a more human pace as Esme entered the room followed by Renee and Charlie.
"Mom! You're early!" I said to her reflection as she approached me from behind. Rosalie tied off the braid and gave me a final shellacking of hairspray.
"Well, I wasn't going to miss my only daughter getting ready on her wedding day! Oh, and here!" She pulled a small white box out of her purse and handed it to me.
I opened the box to reveal a stunning silver hair comb inlaid with small, sparkling sapphires.
"It's from your dad and me. It's your 'something old' and 'something blue,'" she said proudly.
"The sapphires were taken from one of Grandma Swan's rings. I know she'd want you to have them," Charlie chimed in.
"Mom! Dad! Thank you. It's perfect!" I exclaimed, welling up with tears.
Rosalie reached down over my shoulder and plucked the comb out of the box. I could feel the pointy plastic tines graze lightly against my scalp as she slid it into place.
"Your hair is perfect. She's ready for makeup, Alice," Rosalie called to Alice who had just finished steaming out all the invisible wrinkles from my gown.
"Is that the dress?" My mother gasped, beelining for the mannequin. "What an amazing tribute to Edward's late great grandmother! What a touching thing to do. You know, I didn't think I'd ever met such an old soul as you, Bella, but you certainly met your match in Edward. You raised some great kids, Esme!" Mom gushed, throwing an arm around Alice's shoulders.
"Thank you, Renee, but I had very little to do with how wonderful they turned out to be," Esme said modestly, looking at her shoes.
"Mom, where's Phil?" I asked, suddenly realizing he wasn't with her.
"Oh, he's downstairs watching the game with the guys. He would have come up to say hello, but he couldn't manage the stairs in his cast."
At the mention of the game, Charlie looked longingly toward the door.
"It's okay, Dad, why don't you go join them? Unless you really want to watch Alice put my makeup on," I teased, quirking an eyebrow at him.
Charlie didn't need to be asked twice. He walked over and gave me an awkward side hug before bolting out the door. I laughed when it sounded like he took the stairs two at a time.
"Mom, you must be starving after your trip. There's a ton of food downstairs. Why don't you go make yourself a plate and relax?" I offered. It wasn't as if I didn't want my parents nearby, but I already had enough nerves without them buzzing around.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose," Renee said, but I could tell she was only being polite.
Esme heard the put-on politeness as clearly as I had. "I absolutely insist! Let's get you some food, and I'll show you where the ceremony will be."
I smiled at Esme gratefully, and she winked at me as she ushered Renee out of the room. With nothing else left to help with, and needing to get ready herself, Rosalie was the last to excuse herself.
"Look up," Alice instructed as she penciled eyeliner on my lower lids. "Edward really is going to die when he sees you today, and that's not an easy thing to do," Alice said looking positively smug.
"Where is he anyway? Is he here?" I asked anxiously. If Emmett was here, didn't that mean Edward was too?
"When I have to spend all morning with my eyes on you and your dress? Not a chance. I don't get to surprise him often, but today, he'll lay eyes on you the same time everybody else will," Alice proclaimed triumphantly, handing me a tissue to blot my lipstick.
I had given her all kinds of flack for the measures she had taken to keep everything so secretive, but I was suddenly grateful for her foresight. I suddenly couldn't wait to see the look on his face either. It outweighed any other nervous or anxious thought I had.
"Let's do this thing, Alice," I said in a determined whisper.
Alice's face lit up in excitement. "That's my girl! Now let's get you into that dress!"
**EPOV**
"Are you seriously kicking me out of my own house on my wedding day? Don't you think you're being a bit extreme? I swear I won't look!" I'd promised for the umpteenth time as Alice pushed me into the garage and threw the keys to my Volvo with blinding speed straight at my head. I'd caught them without fail, but if I'd been human, there would have been a key fob-shaped hole in my head.
"It's not that I don't trust you, Edward, it's that I can't control what Rose or Esme or Bella's mom will be thinking about today, and I didn't go to all this trouble just for the big reveal to be blown in the 9th inning by a wayward thought!"Alice had explained with exasperation.
"You are certifiable, you know that?" I said with a smile in my tone.
"Certifiably amazing," Alice qualified. "What you meant to say is 'Thank you greatest of all sisters," she muttered while inspecting the perfectly painted fingernails of her right hand with a raised brow.
"Thank you, Alice, truly. I'm not really sure I believe this is all happening yet, but I know Bella and I never would have made it to see this day without you," my voice was thick with gratitude.
Before I could put thought into action and walk across the garage to hug her, she was already there with her arms thrown around me. I hugged her back, lightly kissing the top of her head.
Believe it, brother. Your day has finally come, and I'm so honored to be a part of it, she said silently. The warmth of her thoughts settled over me like a blanket.
"Now get out of here," she gave me a small shove toward the car, and I obligingly ducked down into the driver's seat.
I started the car and headed out, but I didn't have the faintest idea of where to go. I paused at the end of the driveway trying to think of a destination. I couldn't even think about hunting. I'd glutted myself last night with Carlisle and my brothers.
It was more of a roast than anything else. Emmett and Jasper were merciless with the virgin jokes, even with Carlisle doing his best to maintain civility. We'd all laughed and bonded and they'd all told me, either silently or aloud how happy they were for Bella to be joining the family.
In turn, I'd thanked them all for the roles they played in supporting and protecting my very unlikely relationship with the incredibly fragile, sometimes volatile, always accident-prone human girl.
This brought about another round of guilt from Jasper, who had apologized yet again for his lapse of control at Bella's birthday party last fall. I reassured him that, of course, all was forgiven. I was the very last person who could blame him for his reaction to her blood. After all, I'd come close to killing her more times than I cared to remember.
To ease his anxiety, I'd made a joke about how we'd all be sleeping a little better once she smelled a little less mouth-watering. He had a hearty laugh at that which had been cut short when we caught the scent of a pack of wolves and gave chase. There wasn't a lot of talking after that.
Roused from my abstraction by the sound of the garage door opening, in the rearview mirror, I caught sight of Alice pulling out of the garage in Carlisle's Mercedes. She was thinking about the fastest route to get to Bella's house, so I made a left and drove in the opposite direction.
I drove aimlessly for a time. Without making the decision to go there, I ended up at the high school, the place that started it all.
It was a Saturday, so the parking lot was completely empty except for one beat-up Toyota Corolla that I recognized as the car belonging to the weekend custodian. I felt a bit foolish being there, but I had time to kill and what else did I have to do?
I parked my car in my usual spot and surveyed the empty lot. With my perfect recall, I could practically see Tyler Crowley's van come careening into the lot toward where Bella stood behind her truck.
I remembered the look of paralyzed fear on Bella's face as it dawned on her too late that she was in the path of destruction and certain death. Not her, I'd thought. The decision to save her was pure instinct, as visceral as any survival instinct I possessed.
It was almost like something inside me already knew that my survival had somehow come to hinge on hers. Like one of those rare occasions when Alice did things that even she didn't quite understand because her murky web of futures dictated it.
From where I sat in my car, I could see where Bella had fallen the day she fainted on the way to the nurse's office after being sickened by the blood-typing lab in biology. I had been terrified to see her so still and pale-bearing a shocking resemblance to the vision I'd seen of her in Alice's grisly vision. Still, cold, and lifeless.
The rage I had felt at the vile Mike Newton rankled through my chest as raw as if he were standing in front of me and not a distant memory. I would have torn him limb from limb if he'd been the cause of her injury. Not even his dental records could have helped to identify his body after I was done with him.
But no, the only thing Newton had been guilty of was his filthy, simple mind. Somehow that knowledge didn't do much to lessen my ire toward the boy.
A wide, amused smile spread across my face as I remembered the bitter look of rejection that twisted his round, doughy face when in this same parking lot Bella had rejected his ridiculous offer to accompany her to the Spring Dance. His spurned face morphed into those of Eric Yorkie and Tyler Crowley, and at last, Jacob Black.
Was there anyone who hadn't taken interest in Bella when she had arrived in town scarcely a year ago? Had it really been such a short time? She sent them all on their way, but for some reason that I still didn't understand, she had said yes to me.
At the time, she'd said yes to a date, if you could even call it that. It was a test to see if I could stand to be around her without killing her. Some date, I snorted. I hadn't even fed the poor girl. I rolled my eyes at my thoughtlessness.
I remembered with perfect clarity how convinced I'd been that she would be repulsed by the sight of my disgusting alien skin, the watermark of my inhumanity. I had never felt more vulnerable than I did when I stripped off my shirt and walked into the sunlight in front of her wide, enraptured eyes.
Then, to my utter shock, she called me beautiful, and I could see that she meant it.
Similar images of the last 18 months flashed through my mind like a silent film. All the many ways she had said yes, all the ways she had accepted me and my family without fear, hesitation, or judgment.
I thought of Esme's face when I took Bella home for the first time. How her warm, kind face lit up with joy for me, but also gratitude for the small, human girl who was as beautiful as she was brave.
I felt a surge of longing to be with my Bella. I was never truly at peace when I was away from her. If I couldn't be with her, then I'd settle for the next best thing. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. By now, Alice should have collected Bella and Charlie and would be heading back to the house.
I put the Volvo into gear and headed for the Swan residence. Though Bella's truck was in its usual spot, as was the police cruiser, I could tell no one was home. All the lights were off, but more tellingly was the lack of heartbeats and movement from within.
I looked sympathetically at the tired, little house with chipped white paint. It looked as empty and lifeless as I felt when Bella was away from me, too.
For once, I used the key hidden under the eave and let myself in the front door. If this house could talk, I chuckled, remembering how nervous I was to meet Chief Swan that first time.
It hadn't mattered that he posed no actual threat to me, or that I'm old enough to be his great grandfather. Meeting your girlfriend's father is a harrowing experience no matter who you are.
I passed the sunny little kitchen on my way up the stairs. The scent of Bella was all over the house, as was evidenced by the dull burn in the back of my throat, but it was especially pungent in the hallway outside the bathroom. Humidity and the fragrance of her shampoo hung heavy in the air.
I didn't stop, though, until I reached her bedroom. The fire in my throat burned a degree hotter as I closed the door behind me. Could a room be more sacred than this one, I wondered, but doubted it.
Endless hours had been spent in this little room, most of them spent with Bella being unconscious. But I wouldn't have traded those quiet nights for anything. I'd gotten to know her mind so well by being witness to her dreams.
Her waking hours had been even more memorable. My mind was flooded with the memories of passionate kisses, wandering hands, and every whimper, sigh, and moan ever to have been uttered from her sweet lips.
I sat down on her unmade bed and pulled her pillow to my face, deeply inhaling. The burn that followed was as comforting as if she had placed her warm hand in mine. When I burned, she was safe and whole and near.
Once she was turned I would have to find a new way to channel my anxiety, I surmised. Though, conversely, once she was turned, I wasn't sure what I'd have to be anxious about ever again. After all, every argument we'd ever had had to do with her putting herself at risk.
When she wasn't so breakable and Jacob no longer could stand to be around her, what would we even argue about? I couldn't wait to find out.
Though as was his habit, a stinking, furry interloper intruded on my fantasy of marital bliss. I honestly doubted Jacob would be so easy to get rid of.
If I could control my rare, all-consuming bloodlust for her because I love her, who was to say he couldn't conquer the hurdle of mortal enmity for the same reason? Yet another reason why I was looking forward to whisking her away to New Hampshire for school when we returned from our honeymoon.
The idea of putting 3,000 miles between Bella and the mutt soothed the jagged edges of my anxiety. I hoped that tonight if he decided to accept my invitation, which I very much hoped he did, would be the last time I ever had to worry about Jacob Black. Only time would tell.
**BPOV**
The problem with being the bride before a wedding is that since no one is supposed to see you, especially not the mind-reading groom, I was relegated to hide out of sight in Alice's room until all the guests had arrived and been seated.
It's not that I minded not having to make small talk with a slew of distant relatives, every cop in the Forks police force, not to mention half of my graduating class from school. But being stuck in a room with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs didn't exactly help to pass the time any faster.
There was a faint knock at the door, and then Charlie let himself in. This time he was all done up in his tuxedo.
"Dad, wow!" I exclaimed, looking him over from his freshly cut hair down to his shiny patent leather dress shoes. "You look so handsome! Are you trying to steal Edward's thunder?" I teased, fingering the delicate white ranunculus pinned to his lapel.
"Alice sent me to come get you. It's time. But before we go out there, I just want to say…" He paused for a moment to collect himself. I could see him trying to swallow the lump in his throat.
"You're beautiful, baby girl! I can't believe you're already so grown and getting married!" Another deep breath. "Look, I don't understand a lot of things about your relationship, but I can see that you love each other, and that counts for a lot. Just make sure that he makes you happy, too, because if he doesn't…" Charlie trailed off with a threatening growl.
"Aww, Dad" I sniffled, tears springing to my eyes. "Of course he will! Please don't worry about me. Edward and I are forever. And I have you to thank for it!" A doubtful expression cast across his face.
"Thank you, Dad! For taking me in, for taking such great care of me, even when I didn't make it easy. I love you so much. I'm really going to miss living with you. I'm going to check in and visit as often as I can!" I threw my arms around him and hugged him with all my might.
"Love you, too, Bells. Don't you worry about me. I've been taking care of myself for a long time," Charlie chuckled into my hair.
"Well don't mess things up with Sue, then maybe you won't have to anymore," I said in a playful tone, cuffing him on the shoulder.
"I'll do my best," he ducked his head to hide his blush. Alright," he straightened up to his full height and extended the crook of his arm. "Ready to get this show on the road?"
I nodded, taking his arm. "Don't let me fall, Dad," I whispered, shakily slipping on my heels.
"Never," he promised in a steely voice.
The first thing I noticed as we approached the stairs was the heavenly smell of orange blossoms and freesia that scented the air. I clutched tightly to Charlie as we began our descent down the candlelit staircase. This was only partly due to the fact that he was the only thing to hold on to. The handrail was blanketed by flowers, ferns, and other sparkling embellishments.
I immediately appreciated that the flowers used in the floral arrangements were very non-typical of a wedding. There wasn't a rose or a hydrangea in sight.
Instead, every horizontal surface was artfully arranged with sprays of sweet peas, delphinium, foxglove, and other flowers I didn't know the names for. It was as if our meadow had overtaken the Cullen house.
The bursts of wildflowers in all their whites and greens were complemented by intermingling clusters of succulents hidden within, a clear nod to my love for the arid landscapes of my native Phoenix. I marveled at their attention to detail; Alice and Esme didn't miss a thing.
As I took the last shaky step onto level ground, I heard a hush fall over the muffled sounds of chattering as the opening chords of Pachelbel's Canon began to play. Alice was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs in a sparkling lavender shift.
I gasped, "Alice, you look-" but she wouldn't let me finish.
"Nobody will be looking at me today with you in the room, I can promise you that!" She was holding two bouquets and handed me the larger of the two. "How'd I do?" Alice asked in a hopeful voice.
"Oh, Alice, do you even have to ask? It's a dream come true! Thank you for not letting me get married in Vegas!" I gushed, wishing I had the words to express my profound gratitude. I put my arms around her, awkwardly trying not to crush our bouquets.
"You almost did what now?" Charlie growled. I smiled guiltily at him, having momentarily forgotten he was standing next to me.
"I'm going to walk first. Once the doors close behind me, count to ten, and then it's your turn," Alice instructed. My eyes widened in panic. Holy crow, this was really happening!
"Hey now, it's okay! Edward's out there. He's waiting for you," Alice reminded me in a soothing voice. She glanced at Jasper who was positioned with Emmett near the patio doors. He nodded almost imperceptibly and a wave of calm fell over me.
"Edward," I gave a stiff nod. "Right. Let's do this." Alice nodded encouragingly and gave my arm a light squeeze before she took her place at the double doors.
On Alice's cue, Jasper and Emmett swung open the double doors, and she stepped out onto the aisle swaying to the rhythm of the classical music that wafted through the door. The doors closed behind her. What had she told me? Oh right, count to ten. One, two, three…
By the time I reached ten, Charlie and I were standing in between Emmett and Jasper. They both congratulated me, but honestly, I didn't hear much of what they said.
All I could concentrate on was that Edward was waiting for me beyond those doors, and in a few short minutes, we'd be reciting the age-old words that would make him mine.
And then the doors swung open and I was temporarily blinded, not by the light, but by the canopy of hundreds of white wisteria garlands hanging ethereally from the limbs of the towering sequoia overhead.
The familiar notes of Wagner's Wedding March rang expectantly through the air as the crowd of familiar faces rose to their feet. Each aisle was marked by a moss-covered stump, alive with the growth of ferns and more flowers.
I stepped over the threshold and raised my gaze from the center aisle-naked earth strewn with tiny white blossoms up to the waiting, jubilant eyes of my Edward.
He was standing tall and proud under an archway of millions more of the same white, papery-thin flowers that fluttered in the breeze, some snowing down around him.
As I took my first, measured steps toward him, timed to the beat of the too-slow march, his angelic face lit up in a smile so wide and so bright, I was stunned by its brilliance.
**EPOV**
There aren't words for the flood of emotion that overtook me as my beautiful Bella floated down the aisle toward me on the arm of her misty-eyed father. She was magnificent. As if painted by the hand of God.
She floated down the aisle draped in satin and lace that perfectly hugged her feminine curves in a modest gown that would have been the peak of fashion in my human days. She was breathtaking. Heartbreaking. And soon, with God and all of these people here to witness, I would be officially, and legally hers.
I felt Carlisle squeeze my shoulder from where he stood beside me as my best man. In the stunned silence, I heard the loud chorus of admiring thoughts from our guests whose eyes were all glued to Bella. It was a small consolation to know that they didn't have the words either.
I tried to tune out the drone of their thoughts so that I could memorize every soft line of Bella's blushing, beatific face.
She marched forward, just a beat or two faster than the music, and looked like she was straining slightly against the weight of the heavy train that dragged behind her, and also by her father, who clutched the hand that held his arm like a parent in no hurry to let go.
It felt like a thousand years that passed in the time I waited for her. I saw every moment flash before my eyes in an instant. Every shy smile, every hesitant touch. Every joyful and gut-wrenching memory, and each blissfully mundane moment in between, until finally, finally, with a quivering lower lip, Chief Swan kissed Bella's cheek, and placed her warm hand in mine.
"Dearly Beloved…" Pastor Webber began.
As I wiped her joyful tears away, I wished so much at that moment that I could have been human for her. I wish she could have seen me with tears in my eyes and weak in the knees because that was the reaction she deserved.
"Do you, Edward, take Isabella to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, to love and cherish always, for as long as you both shall live?
I was suddenly glad that Bella hadn't wanted to write our own vows, because as I repeated the Pastor's words back to Bella, I was finding it increasingly difficult to remember how to speak. But I remembered the next two words. I had been waiting a lifetime to say them.
"I do," I promised, with every ounce of conviction that I possessed. The words rang out clear and victorious. Upon hearing them, Bella's face broke into a heart-shattering smile.
"With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss your bride."
I gently took her face in my hands and gazed into the deep pools of her tear-filled brown eyes. As I drew her face toward mine, her dark lashes fluttered closed and my lips were upon hers.
Bella was clearly not inhibited by the 70-some odd pairs of eyes on us and kissed me as if her life depended on it.
My shoulders shook with silent laughter as I pulled away from her using more force than was usually necessary to the tittering of our amused onlookers.
"Ladies and Gentlemen it is my pleasure to present, for the first time, Mr. And Mrs. Edward and Bella Cullen!"
To the loud, approving cheers of our family and friends, I triumphantly raised her bouquet-wielding hand up in the air between us. We then hurried our way back down the aisle through a gauntlet of well-wishers and a torrent of bubbles.
The guests were then corralled into a large, twinkle-lighted tent that was erected for the reception while Bella and I smiled for photos with our nearest and dearest.
There wasn't a dry eye in the house when the emotional, heartfelt toasts were delivered by Alice, Carlisle, Esme, Renee, and finally, Charlie-who was received with a polite round of laughter as he threatened me with bodily harm if I ever did Bella wrong (again).
As the guests were hungrily devouring their catered meal from a Michelin-rated chef, Bella and I made the rounds from table to table, thanking everybody for their presence and support.
When we got to the table seated with Bella's schoolmates, not even Mike Newton's crass thoughts about Bella's figure-hugging gown could sour my exultant mood. I merely hugged her tighter to me and kissed her more thoroughly than was strictly appropriate for company. Dream on that, Newton.
I then made sure Bella was undisturbed as she nibbled on a plate of food. There would be a long night of traveling ahead of us, and she'd need her strength.
Emmett had the time of his life acting as the DJ and Master of Ceremony, cracking thinly veiled jokes at my expense and keeping the crowd entertained.
When it was time to feed each other a slice of the absolutely enormous cake, Bella enthusiastically mashed a piece of vanilla-frosted lemon cake on and around my mouth to the howling laughter of the audience.
I silently thanked her with my eyes for thoughtfully smearing the sticky-sweet mess mostly around my mouth, and not in it so I didn't have to consume much more than what I licked off my lips before I wiped the whole mess off with a napkin.
Knowing Alice cared a whole lot more about Bella's makeup than she did, I returned the favor with gusto. She caught one of my fingers inside her mouth and licked the frosting off with a provocative swirl of her tongue.
The look of intense desire on her face made me want to throw her over my shoulder like a caveman and find the first available bed for which to ravish her, but I reigned myself in knowing there would be eons of time for that later.
Then we shared our first dance. I set Bella's uncoordinated feet on the toes of my shoes and effortlessly whirled her around the dancefloor to the soulful melody of Peter Gabriel's "Book of Love."
"Have I told you yet just how heartbreakingly beautiful you look tonight, Mrs. Cullen?" I crooned into her ear as we danced cheek to cheek.
We were surrounded by dozens of people who Oohed and Ahhed as I dipped and twirled Bella, but we might as well have been the only ones in the universe for all the attention I paid them. I was only aware of one thing, the feel of my wife's soft, warm body as I held her in my arms. Everyone and everything else faded away into oblivion as I felt more than heard the music.
"Not yet, but I'm sure you'll make up for it," Bella teased. Then she let out an astonished- sounding sigh. "Did we really do it? Did we really get married? It feels like a dream." She pulled back a few inches so that she could look at me with awestruck eyes.
"Signed, sealed, delivered. I'm yours," I grinned as I dipped her low and kissed her deeply to an ear-splitting round of applause that nearly drowned out the quiet, happy sobs of my mother.
As the song reached its conclusion, I spun Bella out to my side and we took a bow as emcee Emmett invited Esme and Charlie onto the floor for their own respective dances.
The hands of the clock spun around in double time as we danced the night away. The celebration was nearly at its end when I heard the low, throaty voice of Jacob Black's thoughts announcing his arrival.
I breathed a sigh of relief mixed with anxiety. He was here. Hopefully, this would give Bella the closure she needed to finally put Jacob Black behind us for good.
"There's just one more thing," I explained as I led Bella to the lit courtyard that was just outside the tent.
Walking out from the shadow of the trees, Jacob strode into the light wearing an ill-fitting sport coat over a rumpled dress shirt, slacks, and no tie.
"The party finally showed up," he smirked, breaking the silence.
"Jake!" Bella cried and ran into his arms. He picked her up off the ground in a huge hug and spun her around as she shrieked with excitement. "Oh, Jake, I'm so glad you're here!" she whispered into the side of his neck.
I felt the waves of burning jealousy wash over me at the intimacy of their embrace, but it dissipated with the knowledge that we were here tonight because it was I that won her heart, not the other way around.
"I'm going to step back inside and give you two some privacy," I said, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. I doubted either of them heard a word I'd said.
I turned back toward the tent, but as I walked away, I heard Bella's voice call out to me. "Thank you, Edward! I-" she faltered, then repeated in a soft but firm voice. "Thank you."
I flashed a quick smile at her over my shoulder and mouthed the word "anything." It was true, for her I would do anything, no matter how much it sometimes hurt.
Emmett hit a button on his laptop queueing up the next song and came to stand next to me near the opening of the tent. We stood shoulder to shoulder watching the champagne-inebriated guests get sloppy all over the dance floor.
"Quite the party, bro! Where's my new sister?" This was his unusually tactful way of asking if everything was copasetic outside.
"Tying up loose ends," I shrugged, hoping that was indeed true.
Emmett noticed the tension in my posture. "I'm right here if the wolves step a toe out of line," he said, crossing his massive arms over his chest menacingly. The seams in the arms of his tuxedo jacket protested at the stress.
"Thanks, Em," I nodded, hoping that wouldn't be necessary. I invited Jacob without Bella's knowledge as a courtesy, because I knew if things had gone the other way, I would have wanted the choice.
But if he managed to say something that would hurt her on this, of all days, I would cheerfully tear his guts out and fling them at the rest of the wolfpack like a garter.
No sooner had I thought this did I hear Bella yelp in pain. "Ow, Jake, let go!"
I walked too quickly out of the tent, and as soon as I was out of sight of the guests, flashed over to where the dog was manhandling my wife.
"Take your hands off her," I snarled, tensed for a fight. I heard the warning growls of more wolves just beyond the shadows of the trees. The warning wasn't for me but for Jacob to stay in control of himself. The last thing Sam Uley wanted was a fight on our turf with a dozen more vampire reinforcements just inside the tent.
Seth Clearwater, the only wolf brave enough to attend a vampire party for Bella's sake, urged the trembling Jacob to let her go.
"You'll hurt her, man. Let her go," Seth pleaded.
At Seth's warning, Jacob looked sharply at me conjuring the vivid mental image of me from behind, pale as a corpse, glutes flexing convulsively as I rutted unnaturally fast into Bella's limp, broken body.
"Now!" I growled, my tone deadly.
The very moment the dog released his grip on Bella, she was in my arms and positioned safely behind my back. Seth threw his arms around his pack brother and tugged him toward the trees where the other wolves yipped anxiously out of sight.
"Seth, get out of the way," I called, not wanting the kind younger boy to end up as collateral damage if Jacob lost control and phased.
Jacob allowed himself to be dragged into the trees while he shouted out a few more vague threats in my direction.
And just like that, we were alone again.
Bella was clearly shaken. It was lucky that her dress had long sleeves because his iron grip on her arms was sure to leave marks, the bastard! I cupped my hands around her arms hoping to provide some relief.
"Are you alright?" I looked her over, assessing her elevated heartbeat and blood pressure with some concern.
"I'm such an idiot," she cried, covering her face with her hands. "Why did I say that?"
"You didn't do anything wrong, Bella," I said urgently. It was so like her to blame herself for the dog's inexcusable behavior. Besides, Jacob was right, I was the idiot for even entertaining the idea of making love to her while she was still human.
"We should go inside before anyone notices we're gone," I suggested, putting a hand on the small of her back and gently guiding her back to the tent.
After a few steps, she refused to go any further and asked for a moment to collect herself.
Her hand patted at her hair and flitted down the length of her gown as if to make sure that she was still in one piece. I assured her that she was perfect because it was true.
We resumed our walk back toward the tent and slipped back onto the dancefloor among the other couples before any of the other humans noticed anything was amiss. I pulled her into my arms before anyone else could take her away from me again.
She let out a long breath and asked that we let the whole incident go and not think about him again that night. I said nothing because anything else would've been a lie.
Determinedly, she took my face between her warm, slightly clammy hands. With her blazing brown eyes boring into mine, she insisted that we put Jacob out of mind and focus solely on us.
Though it was impossible to shake the ideation of me taking my pleasure from Bella's lifeless body, it was even more impossible to deny her when she looked at me like that, so I acquiesced.
"Thank you, Edward. I'm not afraid."
"I am," I admitted in a whisper.
"Don't be," she smiled reassuringly. "And by the way, I love you."
I smiled despite myself. "That's why we're here."
**A/N** Whew! So glad to have that chapter behind me. At over 9,000 words it's an absolute monster, but I didn't want to break it up into smaller parts. Obviously, I borrowed heavily from SM but I wanted to show Edward's side of things during some of the key events. I really hoped you enjoyed it, and I SO look forward to taking a stab at Isle Esme. Would love to know what you think!