A/N Happy Oscars Sunday! Hey, it's all I've got sans football. Plus, I love watching the Oscars, even though this year I've only seen one of the Best Picture noms. I'm a sucker for awards shows.

So, I posted the first chapter of Sideline Collision 4 years ago this past week. Thanks to twifictionrecs for pointing that out! It's hard to believe these two have been in our lives for 4 years, isn't it? In honor of that, and because so many of you assumed that this chapter was the wedding chapter, I've decided to post this chapter and next together today. Because yes, Chapter 25 is the actual wedding. I had a couple things I wanted to do before getting to that. It seems like I should get these two hitched close to their posting anniversary. This means, however, that I'm not posting next week, since I'm giving you 2 this week. This gives me another little mini-break and keeps me on schedule. So, enjoy!

I've posted links on my profile for Bella's dress and their venue, so you can get the general idea. Our Edward wasn't going to rhapsodize over her dress, though he loves it, and neither am I, so it's better if you see it yourself :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the big day and the stuff leading up to it! I'll see you in two weeks with more. I'm off to post and watch some more of the combine. Yes, I've had it on a lot this weekend. They did not air weigh-ins, much to my utter consternation, but it's still fun to watch the drills (for a football nerd like me anyway). Have a great couple of weeks. See you in 2!

Getting Blitzed Chapter 24

We didn't stay at my parents' house for too long. My mother was so busy barking orders into the phone that I was pretty sure she hadn't even really noticed we were there. Well, she noticed Reed Girl was, because she needed to fawn over the non-existent baby bump, but I may as well have been chopped liver. It was pretty clear that my days of being the favored son were over. I barely got a hug before she asked where my tux was, if I had the rings, and if Jasper had his shit situated. Like I fucking knew?

Thankfully, she was too focused on flowers and food to harass me for long. Before she could put me to work doing God knew what, we got out of there and headed to the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, where our wedding was to be held the next evening. I was pleased to see that we had the best room in the place. It was fucking huge and had three balconies that overlooked the ocean.

"Oh, wow," Reed Girl breathed as she moved through the room. "This is beautiful."

It really kind of was. I opened the balconies and let the sound of the ocean into the room. I walked out and looked at the beach. Tomorrow I was getting married right there. It was pretty fucking mind-blowing.

"You should see the tub!" Reed Girl came out and threw her arms around me from behind. "It's marble along the sides and definitely big enough for two."

I tugged her around me and caged her between my arms. "We'll have to take advantage of that later."

She leaned against me and looked out at the water. "It's gorgeous. I can't believe we're getting married right there."

I chuckled. "I was just thinking that it was mind-blowing. We finally made it." I kissed the back of her neck, making her sigh.

"It really hasn't been that long since we got engaged. Your mom put this all together in a month. She's a wonder."

Yeah, she was. "If we weren't already giving her exactly what she wanted, I'd have to get her an awesome present or something."

Reed Girl turned to look at me. "What are you giving her?"

I kissed her nose. "A grandkid. Nothing we ever give her could top that, unless we give her more."

She laughed. "You're right. And we will give her more, one day."

More? "How many more do you want?" We'd talked about kids in the abstract but never really put a number on it.

She shrugged. "At least one more. I was an only child, you know. I always wanted a sibling."

"They're not always what they're cracked up to be," I pointed out. Emmett was a pain in the ass most of the time. But I probably wouldn't get rid of him if I had a choice to be an only child. We'd had a lot of fun growing up. And he'd taught me quite a bit, even if most of it was wrong, especially when it came to girls. Still, it had served me pretty well pre-Reed Girl.

"You love Emmett."

I snorted at that.

"Anyway, I've always pictured at least two, with an option for three."

I could deal with that. "But not right away, right?" I still hadn't wrapped my head around this baby. I was getting used to the idea, but shit still freaked me out.

"We have plenty of time," she assured me. "Oh, shit! We forgot to show your mother the sonogram picture."

I laughed. "Baby, I'm saving that shit for when she starts freaking out about table settings or some shit tomorrow. We'll give her the photo and distract her."

She snickered. "That's a good idea. You know, we have a few hours before the others get here."

That was true. We weren't doing the typical bachelor/bachelorette party thing-there didn't seem to be any point-so we'd decided to just do dinner the night before with our core group. My teammates were coming in tomorrow, as were Charlie and the rest of the family. The guys were golfing of all fucking things, and the girls were hitting the hotel spa for primping before the wedding. Shit was handled, thanks to my mom. I really should buy her something awesome.

Reed Girl was looking at me expectantly. Shit. I'd gotten lost in my head.

"What would you like to do, baby?" She yawned before I even finished the sentence. "How about a nap?"

She shook her head. "How about we change into bathing suits and hit the pool? I can nap a little there if I need to."

Why not? We should do something honeymoonish. Most of the week was going to be spent with her in school. We needed to enjoy the time we did have. It might be short, but I was going to make it incredible anyway. That reminded me…I needed to talk to the hotel manager about a few things I needed done tomorrow. My mom wasn't the only one who could work a little magic.

"Let's go swimming."

Xoxoxoxox

"This place is even better than the pictures your mother sent!" Alice clapped her hands and whirled around the lobby like the fucking Tazmanian devil. "I can't wait to hit the spa."

Of course she couldn't. I disentangled myself from Jasper's bone-crushing hug.

"You should see our room. It's huge! And the tub is amazing," Reed Girl told her.

Damn right it was. And two fit in it perfectly. We'd made use of it after the pool. So far, this wedding was off to an awesome start. Just saying.

"Can you believe it, bro? Both Cullen brothers officially off the market before the age of twenty-five. All over the country-no, the world-women are in mourning right about now." My brother smacked me on the back, laughing heartily at his own wit.

"Crying tears of happiness that they don't have to worry about getting fucked and ducked, maybe," Blondie said sarcastically. "Hey, Edward. Nice digs."

I grinned at her. "Thanks. I had absolutely nothing to do with it."

"Don't I know it…Your mother should go on a retreat for the next month just to make up for this past one. She's been a woman on a mission since the baby news broke."

Now there was an idea. I needed to talk to Dad.

"Ready to stuff your faces?"

Reed Girl laughed. "That's for tomorrow night, when I don't have to fit into a wedding dress any longer."

Shorty shook her head. "Bella's been weighing herself several times a day, I swear. You haven't gained a pound," she told her.

I nearly opened my mouth, but I refrained at the last second. I really did want to get married tomorrow.

"Yes, I most certainly have. Although all of them are in my boobs." Reed Girl grinned at me. "I can't believe you didn't comment on that."

"I didn't want you to divorce me before you even married me."

That set everyone off.

"Then she wouldn't get a dime. Bella's too smart for that."

Reed Girl nodded at Blondie's comment.

I poked her in the side. "Please, we all know she's marrying me for my body. And who can blame her? Look at me."

"Are you gonna let him get away with that?" Blondie demanded of my girl.

She laughed. "I wouldn't, if one of the waitresses hadn't literally walked into the pool because she was staring at him as he took off his shirt."

That shit had been priceless.

"Who can blame her?" That comment would have been awesome if it hadn't come from Jasper.

I started to say God knew what when he continued. "Wait until she gets a load of all three of us. They might have to close the pool."

Thank fuck. He wasn't secretly pining for me. Maybe. Fuck it. Who cared? I was marrying Reed Girl tomorrow. That was all that mattered.

"Let's get in there. Our reservations are for six thirty." And I wanted time alone with Reed Girl. Guy time could wait until tomorrow. We headed into the nicest restaurant at the resort, a place called Salt, which had me a bit worried.

"You shouldn't have too much salt. It's not good for you," I murmured to Reed Girl as I helped her into her seat. We had a table right by the window, which let us look out at the water. The sun was just setting, and it was fucking stunning.

"I won't," she told me, smiling as she looked around. "Can you believe it? This time tomorrow we're going to be getting married."

We'd chosen to have a sunset wedding. It would be a little cooler temperature-wise, and the light in the sky was going to be awesome.

"I can't wait, baby."

"It's going to be beautiful. Look at that sky." Shorty was positively beaming. "Maybe we should have a sunset wedding, Jaspy."

"Anything you want, Wife. The setting will pale in comparison to your beauty, regardless."

What the ever-living fuck? But Shorty planted a big kiss on him after he spouted his romantic crap. Of course she ate that shit up.

"This all looks so good. Maybe I'll have the fish."

I cringed when Reed Girl said that. "The book says-"

"Yeah, yeah. To limit my intake. And I think I had tuna once since I found out I was pregnant. The chicken sounds better anyway."

Now I felt like an asshole. "I'll get fish, and we can split it, okay?" I'd wanted steak, but I could sacrifice for my Reed Girl.

That made her smile. I noticed that none of our friends ordered anything alcoholic in solidarity with my girl. That was pretty fucking awesome. Then again, maybe they were saving up for tomorrow. We had an open bar after all.

After the waiter had gone, Reed Girl shot Jasper a look. "I'd like to thank you for buying Edward all those books. I really love getting random texts asking if I'm getting enough fiber and staying regular, since pregnant women can get constipated easily."

My brother choked on a piece of bread. "Holy shit! Are you serious?"

Okay, so that text had been a little much, but I'd mostly been joking. Mostly. "The book says-"

"That, right there! He says 'the book says' about twenty times a day. If you weren't marrying one of my best friends, I'd be forced to kill you," she told Jasper.

"I was just trying to help! Edward likes to be prepared. You know he does! That's why he studied tape for longer than the coaches, even. I think he's studied some of my game tape longer than I have this season."

"Which explains why you lost two games," I said, shaking my head.

Jasper shrugged. "It is what it is. The playoffs are out, but we can still win the ACC."

"And beat Florida. You'd better fucking beat Florida." I would accept nothing less.

"Of course. The season's a success if we do that."

For him, maybe. It was good that he didn't want to play in the NFL. He didn't have the right mindset for it. He had the skills but not the desire.

"I'm whipping the fools into shape," my brother announced. "And you should see the stud quarterback we're recruiting right now. He's as good as you are."

Fuck that noise. Nobody was. "Call me when he wins two championships and two Heismans."

Reed Girl giggled. "Come on, Champ. Don't you want us to win without you?"

"Of course I do. And we can. But it's ludicrous to suggest that some high schooler can do better than I did."

"He could. If he wins three championships." My brother smirked at me.

"I'd have won three if I stayed. And odds are if he was that good, he'd leave after two years anyway."

"Don't worry, Edward. He's not as good as you are." Jasper shook his head emphatically. "I've seen the tape. You're way better."

"Of course he's not," Reed Girl agreed, putting her hand on my knee. "I don't call him Champ for nothing."

My brother started to open his fool mouth, but Blondie elbowed him. "How about we talk about something else? Did you guys see the doctor today?"

Fuck yes. It was time to change the subject. I whipped out the picture I now carried in my wallet and passed it around. Everyone oohed and aahed over it.

"Look at the size of that head! He's definitely your kid." Emmett boomed out a laugh.

"The picture is magnified, dumbass. He's the size of a plum right now."

"A plum? Why would you compare it to food?"

The fact that my brother asked the same shit I did was disturbing. "The book uses food comparisons. I have no idea why. It's pretty fucked up."

"I'll say."

I told them all about hearing the heartbeat and how fucking cool it was, even if the dickhead doctor had made me feel like an idiot for worrying about the speed.

Our food showed up, and Reed Girl cleared her throat. "I…we, just wanted to thank you for all you've done for us this past month-and these past couple of years, actually. We definitely wouldn't be here without all of you. We're glad we get to spend the night before our wedding with you, our best friends, our family. Thanks for being here for us."

Damn, my girl nailed it. I kissed her cheek. "I second that. You guys have been there for Bella when I couldn't be, and I can't think you enough for that. Having you all nearby has kept me sane." When Bella chuckled, I grinned. "More or less, anyway. Thank you all."

Shorty sniffled. "We love you guys. We'd do anything for you."

Reed Girl raised a brow at me. Damn it. "We love you, too."

Blondie smirked, my brother guffawed, Shorty sobbed, and Jasper just glowed at my words. Fucking hell. But it was true. I did love the fuckers, even if they drove me nuts most of the time. I trusted them with Reed Girl, which was the same as trusting them with my life. Couldn't get any better than that.

Reed Girl held her wine glass filled with water up. "To friendship. No matter how far apart our lives take us, we'll always be there for one another."

"We will," everyone echoed.

Okay, enough of the mushy shit. "Let's eat. We need our energy for tomorrow." First to get through the usual wedding drama, and then, the good stuff, marrying Bella and starting our honeymoon. I couldn't fucking wait.

Xoxoxoxoxox

The day started much too fucking early, considering that we weren't getting married until sunset. But apparently it took women all fucking day to get ready for a wedding. I'd thought about protesting, but Shorty hadn't wanted to hear a word. And Blondie threatened to sic my mother on me, so I shut up. At least they had the decency to send up food before they left.

Unfortunately, the girls being up and about meant that the morons were as well. I'd no sooner taken my first bite of eggs then there was a knock at my door. I could hear my brother's loud-ass voice before I even opened it.

"No, you don't give her a piggyback ride over the threshold. He has to carry her like this."

Yes, my brother scooped Jasper into his arms and grinned at me. "Are your puny muscles ready for this?" He swept past me, still carrying Jasper, who sent me a little wave.

"I think I can manage. Do the girls know about you two?"

"Ha ha. Jasper said he was going to give Alice a piggyback ride when their time came." Emmett dumped Jasper on the couch.

He bounced off and hit the floor, scowling. "That hurt! He's not going to put Bella down like that."

"No, but I'm not going to bang you either."

Fucker. "I'm not going to bang her, for fuck's sake. That's my wife you're talking about, asshole."

Emmett grinned. "Oh, I'm sorry! Make loooooooove."

"Fuck off." Reed Girl and I needed to revisit the siblings-for-our-kid discussion. Emmett was a pain in the ass.

"Don't cheapen what they have together. It's beautiful," Jasper admonished him.

I had no reply to that. "What are you fuckers doing here? Don't we have time before…fuck." It was already almost ten? When the fuck did that happen?

"Tee time, bro! Dad's downstairs. You know, I hate to kick your ass on your wedding day, but it can't be helped. I'm going to wipe the course with you."

Like I fucking cared? "Golf, the sport of middle-aged fat guys everywhere. No wonder you're good at it."

I ducked when he hurled a throw pillow at my head. "Hey! No fucking with the face! Mom would kick your ass if you fucked up the photos."

Emmett visibly paled. "Fuck. I didn't hit you, did I?"

"Like your slow ass could ever hit me? Please."

He glared at me. "You're just lucky that you're getting married today, or I'd take your ass down."

"Keep dreaming."

I pulled on some shorts and a T-shirt. I also put on a hat and grabbed sunscreen. Mom would have a fit if I was red in the photos.

"Let's do this."

Xoxoxoxoxox

Somewhere around the fourth hole, I got an itch to talk to my father. I purposely sliced my ball into the trees near where he was. Emmett and Jasper were on the green, so we sent them ahead.

"Is there a reason why you deliberately hit your ball over here?" he asked as he sized up his shot.

"How do you know I did that?"

He laughed. "Well, let's see. I've been watching you play sports since you were about four years old. I know what you're capable of. What's on your mind?"

"I don't know. I'm getting married today. Shouldn't we talk?"

"Talk about what? You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

What the fuck? "Dad? Seriously?" Some father. Joe Montana would totally give his son some fatherly advice right about now.

He chuckled and took his shot. Right into a bunker. Ha! The fucker deserved it.

"Well, I was going to give you all my sage advice right before the wedding, but if you want to do it here and now, I suppose we can."

"You were going to talk to me?" Why that made me feel better, I couldn't say.

"Of course. It's not every day that my son gets married. And the other one didn't exactly give me a chance to advise him." He smirked. "More's the better. Then I can't be blamed when he fucks it up. And he will. I'm pretty sure your mom dropped him on his head a time or two when he was a baby."

I had to laugh at that. "It would explain a lot."

"Yes." He waited for me to take my shot, which of course landed within five feet of the flag. "I need to get out of the office more," he muttered.

Jasper and Emmett were waiting by the green, but Dad waved them off. "Play ahead. We'll catch up in a few."

"I've wanted to check in with you a few times since the baby news hit, but I thought maybe you needed a little time."

I snorted. "Try a lot of time. I'm still trying to get my head around it, but I'm doing better, I think."

I swallowed my suddenly dry throat before I asked the question I'd been wondering about for the past month. "Do you think I'm going to be good at it?"

Dad had been about to drop into the bunker, but he stopped. "Good at what? Being a father?"

"No, at being a quarterback! Of course at being a father. Sheesh."

He shook his head. Fuck. I knew it. I was going to suck at it. Even my own dad thought so.

"Yes, you're going to be a good father."

I blew out a breath. Thank fuck.

"After all, you learned from the best. How could you go wrong?"

"Ass," I muttered, making him laugh.

"Don't you think I'm a good father?" He cocked an eyebrow at me, obviously waiting for me to agree with him.

"Most of the time. When you're not making fun of me for not knowing that I'm in love or thinking that I'm going to be a shitty father."

He grinned. "Fair enough. Other than that, though? What kind of father did you think I was?"

I shrugged. "Good, I guess. I mean, you always came to my games and stuff. And you listened to me when I needed to talk. You yelled at me when I fucked up."

He nodded. "And you did plenty of that."

I glared at him.

"The best fathers, the type of father that I tried to be, are the ones who make time for their kids. They listen to them, they help them when they can, and they step back and let them fuck up now and then, always ready to pick up the pieces if need be." He held up a finger and took his shot, finally getting on the green.

"Do I worry about you? Of course. That's my job. But it's not because I think you're going to fail." He clapped a hand on my shoulder. "All your life you've been freakishly good at everything you set your mind to. I have every faith that if you want to be a good father, that's exactly what you will be. And you have everything you need to help you do that."

He believed in me. That was fucking awesome. "You, you mean?"

"Yes, me and your mother. That goes without saying. But I'm talking about Bella. I've worried about many things when it came to you and women, until she came along. She's changed you for the better. And she won't let you fail, at least not for long. She'll pick you up when you fall down, and you'll do the same for her. Having a woman, the right woman, at your side goes a long way toward getting fatherhood right."

We walked over to our balls. He was still farthest from the hole, naturally.

"I always made it a point to be at all your important activities. Your games, your parent-teacher conferences, those silly school performances they make you do when you're little. Those, Edward…those are the things that are important. Being there. Your life is pretty chaotic, and God knows you don't have normal hours. You might miss some of those important things. But if you make the effort to be there when you can and let your son or daughter know why you had to miss those things you had to miss, you should be fine. If you can't get to a concert, you have them give you your own private showing. Make time. That's the most important thing."

He missed the hole by about two feet. "Clearly I didn't spend my free time brushing up on my golf game."

I laughed. "That's true."

He shot me the bird.

"That's not very fatherly."

"You're not too old for me to smack around, kid."

I snorted at that. "You never raised a hand to me in your entire life."

"Clearly an oversight that needs correcting." He took off my hat and ruffled my hair. Fucker. Oh well, I needed a shower anyway. "Are you ready to go find your brother and Jasper? Odds are they're creating havoc somewhere without us."

"Maybe Emmett found a golf cart."

He sighed. "That boy. Why he thought I'd let him tear around in a golf cart, screwing up everyone's game, is beyond me."

I sank my putt without a problem, making him shake his head. "Good at everything," he muttered, grimacing.

I had to throw him a bone. "Of course. I got your genes. So, no advice for marriage?"

"Shit, son, you've been married to that girl since your first date. You're just making it a formality at this point."

He was right about that. I wasn't remotely nervous about being married to Bella. I wanted it, more than I'd ever wanted anything before.

"She owns me."

He laughed. "She does. And you own her right back. I have no doubts about the two of you. But I will give you a piece of advice."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"She's always right. Even when she's wrong. Especially when she's pregnant. It doesn't matter if she contradicts herself two seconds later, she's still right. Roll with it. You'll be a happier man for it."

That was insane. And, since pregnancy hormones were just that, probably right.

Dad sank his putt, finally. We started heading for the next hole, but I stopped him.

"Thanks, Dad. You have always been there for me, and I probably didn't appreciate it at the time. But it does matter. Even when you were giving me shit and I wished I was adopted and Joe Montana was my real father."

He let out a loud guffaw. "Always with a flair for the dramatics. At least your would-be dad was one of my favorite players. I wonder who your kid will wish was their real father? Peyton? Tom?"

Fuck that noise. "I'm going to be an awesome father. He won't want another one, ever."

He grinned. "Yes you are. And we'll see. It's probably a player who isn't in the league yet."

"Dick. Just for that, I'm going to beat you by ten strokes."

"I would challenge that, but you probably will. I'm clearly going to have to work on my game before we play again."

He was a pretty fucking awesome dad, all in all. I should tell him that. "I'm glad you were at my games rather than becoming an awesome golfer."

He smiled. "Me, too, son. Me, too."