Ch. 56 Tears And Snot

"And how does that make you feel?" Jasper asked in a goofy voice, and I laughed.

"Jerk."

I had been seeing Jasper a couple of times per week in a professional role for the past couple of months. Outside of his study, he was like a brother to me, but in here, he was my therapist. He did have two doctorates in psychology, after all.

After his mental version of a smack in the face, I wasn't sure we would ever get along. He seemed so different than I remembered from our time in Forks. I would have never placed that condescending ass of a vampire with sweet, bubbly Alice, but he told me that he only spoke that way to me that day because "desperate times call for desperate measures." He said that after Carlisle and Edward had both tried to get through to me with a more passive approach to no avail, he felt me panicking and realized that maybe making me come to terms with my past required a different method. I'm not so sure that I agree with him, but his style did yield results. He was nothing if not practical, I guess.

I hadn't really understood his cryptic remark about them all being really good actors until I realized that the whole conversation that morning had been an act. He was actually a very charming, nice guy just as I had remembered, definitely worthy of Alice. Ok, one point to Jasper.

"That's Dr. Whitlock to you, ma'am." He joked. "But really, how are you? Are you still having nightmares?" His face held an expression of true concern.

"I haven't had that particular nightmare in several weeks. Now I just have the normal garden variety kind about vampires." I shrugged.

"What are those about? Are you still scared of me after I knocked some sense into that pretty head of yours?" He smirked.

You wish you were scary. Actually, yes, he was kind of scary, much more so than Edward, but I wasn't going to tell either of them that. "No...it's just...I don't know. I feel like I'm missing something. I think I'm just so used to being stressed out that I'm having trouble believing there's nothing to worry about." I shrugged. Yeah...that's probably it. Shut your trap and be happy, Iris.

"Ok, well, let me know if you figure it out. You seem fine to me." He grinned.

Just then there was a knock on the door and Emmett appeared. "Umm, Dr. Whitlock?" I bit back a laugh at Emmett's patronizing tone. "Are you guys done with your brain surgery or whatever in here? Can Iris come out to play now?" That did it. I was actually laughing now. I had really missed Emmett all this time.

"The only one who needs brain surgery around here is you Emmett." Jasper said with a chuckle.

"Come on, Iris. I want to watch you play football. You're so slow. It's hilarious."

"Hey! I can't help it!" I snapped. Then I turned and smiled.

"That can wait, Em. I believe Miss McGee has a prearranged appointment with me." Edward walked in behind Emmett gracefully.

"Aww you always get to have all the fun with the human!" All this time together and I was still just "the human."

I rolled my eyes and then narrowed them. "Well, I thought about giving you the time of day, but since you keep calling me 'the human' all the time, I choose Edward."

"I would surely hope that you would always choose me, but I'll take what I can get." Edward chuckled, and swooped me up to run outside. A bit excited there, Ed?

"I just wanted to show you something." He said as he smiled my favorite crooked grin. Oh, Edward. You're far too handsome for your own good. I could just— "Iris, look."

I had been so distracted by my beautiful mate that I hadn't noticed where we were standing. He placed me on the ground, and I spun around to take in the full view.

It was just before sunset, so the sun hung low in the red-orange sky, lights reflected off the little bit of Edward's exposed skin and formed diamonds on the emerald grass. We were standing at the top of a hill overlooking a lake. There was a reflection of the green hillside in the water which made the landscape appear to go on forever. It was absolutely the most spectacular thing I had ever seen.

"I'm glad you like it. I come here after my hunts sometimes to think."

"What do you think about?"

"You. Us. Our future..." He said as he looked away with a smile.

"Our future...I think I like the sound of that."

"Me too. I have something to ask of you... It's just that I know you have been having a hard time in recent months, and I wanted to make sure that you were in better spirits. You seem to be feeling much better."

"I feel fantastic. What's to be upset over? I have you. I have our family. Our future..."

"Yes, that's one decision I struggled with for all those years while I waited for you to return. Should we be together? Was I stealing your human life from you? Would you fare better with someone who could be with you fully as you are now...?"

Oh hell no. We aren't starting this again, Cullen. There's no take-backs. You promised. This was it! "And what did you decide?" My voice came out sharper than I wanted it to, but I was on the brink of a nuclear meltdown if he did his 'I'm a dangerous vampire, and you should be with someone safer' routine. Nope. Not doing it. Not today. Not ever.

He looked back at me with smoldering golden irises which he could have told me were boring into my soul and I wouldn't have questioned it. "There was never a decision to be made. The moment I saw you that very first night, the choice was made for me, by something or someone far greater than myself. You are all I will ever see, hear, scent, taste, or feel, the only one who I have ever wanted, needed, but never thought to ask for. You are my everything, Iris Elizabeth McGee. So I beg of you, please, will you marry me?"

Silence. There was silence for exactly four seconds. Then there were tears—and snot, lots of snot—and a scream that would deafen wild banshees.

"Yes! Yes yes yes!" I shrieked as I jumped into his arms as he laughed and kissed me over and over again. There could never have been another human happier than I was in that moment. All this drama and build up and messed up shit had led to this. This moment of other-worldly merriment. "Why would you make me squirm like that, Asshole?!" I accused as I continued to assault him in kisses.

"I'm sorry, love." He was chuckling breathily between kisses too. "I just...wanted to appeal...to your more theatrical side...I was...worried you might not agree...to it if I went...the more conventional route."

I pulled back to look at him. "You're right. I definitely would have said no and drifted my way outta here if you just would have gotten down on your knee and asked like a normal boyfriend. That would have been a deal breaker." I shook my head, but couldn't keep a smile from breaking through again.

"I knew it." He shrugged, and pulled me down to the ground with him.

Edward was laughing still as I smacked him. He grabbed my hand and held it away from him—probably so I wouldn't injure it. I was experiencing so much shock and overwhelming joy that I barely noticed when he slipped a ring on my finger.

"This was my—" he began to explain, but I knew what he would say. It was just as I had always imagined it.

"Mother's..." I finished as I looked on the ring in awe. It was far lovelier than any book could describe—and way prettier than that horrible one in the movies. It was a an oval cut diamond with angled baguette diamonds surrounding the center like a halo. The gold band also had baguettes lining my finger. Holy shit...It was breathtaking.

"Do you like it?" He asked with a chuckle. He knew I did. Not only could he hear my every thought, but I couldn't stop staring at it. This ring meant so much to me. It wasn't just that it was pretty or that it was his mother's. We were getting married. It was finally going to happen. I would no longer be alone. I would no longer be running, but if I did I would have a companion. "Forever." He promised in a low, earnest voice before placing his lips on my finger where the symbol of our bound future together rested.

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