A/N: I was overwhelmed by the response to the preface of the story. Thank you! Please see the author's note in the Preface to understand more about this fic in particular.

The rating for this fic was changed on 12-8-2019 to M for Adult Themes, Language, Violence, and Lemons!

As always, Twilight is the sole property of Stephenie Meyer. Any original characters are mine. No copyright infringement intended.

Just Great.

(BPOV)

The wedding was on, and tomorrow evening, at twilight, our guests would arrive to watch Edward, and I become husband and wife.

Alice and Esme had planned everything, almost. To their credit, they did think of things that I had not. I was not one for dreaming about weddings growing up. Especially one where the entire guest list was comprised of witches and vampires.

The boys had erected a guest house on to our property, when we first moved in that would serve at least for this weekend, as a dressing room. Every other day of the week, it was for magic and training.

I knew I was in full form; I was in the best shape of my life. My magic skills had increased ten-fold. As I was preparing myself for the transition, Gabe had been keeping a list of things that I should learn before it happened. So, he clipped my wings, and we spent all day training, physically, magically, emotionally, and painfully. I don't know how we had hidden it from Edward for so long. Then again, who asks to be put in that much pain for love?

Me, that's who.

I often wondered if Edward needed to see someone for PTSD himself. After I was shot and home, we moved to the house in Sleepy Hollow with my brother and Nia. Edward was always worrying, worried about my safety. Worried that if he left the house, he would find himself reliving that night over again. It was a fear that I understood because I sometimes worried about the same thing. That is one of the reasons he agreed to change me so willingly, but he wasn't happy about it. Nor was he happy about agreeing to have an average honeymoon.

Only Sullen Cullen would be unhappy about having sex for the first time in a century.

I wouldn't back down, and he wanted to marry me. So, despite the occasional bickering over it all and as June 20th approached, his contagious smile started to become permanent. Edward still wanted to marry me.

As June 20th neared, the Cullens joined us. I have been a bit insane since. It was now the day before my wedding, the 19th, I was even more so.

"I like the dress, Alice!"

"But Red? Why do you need the red bow and red laces for your corset? The embellishments? This is your wedding!"

Ah! Got her! I laughed, "that's right, Alice, repeat it. It-is-my-wedding."

She frowned and rolled her eyes.

"Besides, my mother had touches of red on her dress, I remember it. I thought she was a princess. Red, black, and white are the colors. I think it will be fine. This is part of our tradition, why do I have to keep you reminding you of that? Have faith, Alice."

I gave her the most insincere smile.

"The shoes?"

"What you don't like them?"

"They're red, sparkly, stilettos, any other day I would but…Edward's shoes! The Groomsmen too! Red Chucks? Aren't you going a little too far? He was born at a different time. It would be scandalous."

"He liked the idea, Alice. It's not the 20th century, so when in Rome."

"Ow! Did you prick me with a needle?" I seethed.

"Nope! You are done, fitted." Alice smiled, obviously lying, "take a look!"

I didn't recognize myself in the mirror; I touched it to be sure. "It's beautiful."

"I did what I could." Alice was trying to be humble. Failing.

"You did well. My mom would have loved it." I blew out air; I was tired of being so damn emotional all the time. Of course, my mind was on my mother lately, all the time, and her words of regret before she died. I only hope that she and Phil would be watching tomorrow. But I also hoped that was the extent of it.

I shuddered at that line of thought.

Alice and I were getting to know each other better. We did have a sister type of relationship, but we were stubborn, put together the two most stubborn women on earth. She liked to use her knowledge, and I used my lack of caring. It was a first for her, and she did not like it.

I noticed Alice had started to become forgetful, especially when it came to me, downright wrong in her Mindfreak assessments. I Noticed, and then I felt smug in return.

I changed into my jeans and t-shirt, and we walked into the upstairs den, where Nia, Esme, Lydia, and Rose were hanging out.

Alice cleared her throat, "so about your bachelorette party tonight."

"Nope," I flat out told her. "No bridal shower, no bachelorette party, no gifts, no GAMES."

"You only get married for the first time once," she quipped

"Har har, I'm waiting to hear something I don't already know."

"What if all of us girls just had a girls night tonight. Let the boys go out further to hunt. Just us, no big deal, right? I mean, we are staying here, Afterall."

"I knew I should have gotten a hotel room tonight," I muttered to myself.

"Not very nice," Lydia snickered.

"What would this girl's night involve?" I knew better than to ever say yes straight away to either Alice or Edward. They could be tricky.

"Facials, pedicures, manicures, and an early bedtime."

"No games?"

"No games."

"Promise that, in front of Esme."

She looked at Esme, her lips pursed together, "Fine!" her lips turned into a pout, "but you don't know what you're missing out on."

"And I'm perfectly fine with that," I answered. "don't you have more fittings to do?"

"Yes, Charlie will be here to be fitted for his 'monkey suit.'" She grinned,

(EPOV)

… earlier...

'Edward, don't you dare look! She's not even decent! Besides something has come up and I need you to go into the city, with Gabe and take care of it... This is something Bella won't be able to handle right now.'

I wondered what in the city was so crucial that Bella couldn't handle it. My silence was my answer. I needed her to tell me more.

'There is an antique store, that she will be going to after Charlie is fitted. She is going to find your mother's ring there. I don't see her handling it well.' Alice thought of the address of the antique store, 'handle it, but hurry.'

Gabe was on the porch, looking deep in thought. He had so many duties and commitments. For 18-year-old twins, Bella and Gabe behaved as if they were nearing forty.

"Sorry to interrupt. You and I have something important to take care of in the city, and we don't have long to do it, Bella will end up there, shortly."

He knitted his brows together, "I don't understand."

I took my voice down to a whisper that he could hear, "the shooters pawned my mother's ring. We need to take care of this."

"You mean?"

"We've got them, hopefully."

"I have an idea." Trying to hide his smirk, Gabe snapped his fingers, whispering, "sorry Ella, hopefully, you won't even notice I grounded you here." he lifted a shoulder; it was insurance.

Gabe looked at me; his face was hard, "address?"

I gave it to him, from Alice's vision, and suddenly we were right there.

I took a calming breath and followed him in. I smelled Bella's blood. I couldn't help it, her heartbeat was my favorite sound, and her scent meant she was near, and that always calmed me.

This was different as my eyes grew wide, seeing the ring I had waited over 100 years to put on my Mate's finger. The ring my mother had on her finger until her dying breath.

Bella never wanted to see it again. I might have felt the same if this wasn't a direct line to the killers. Try as she might, to know it all, and be-all, Bella couldn't remember much of that night. It was a survival mechanism that was driving her crazy. She knew that she had at least glanced at them as they walked through the door, but their faces were blank. The case had gone cold.

Many in my family and hers thought that with our joint gifts, Jasper's ability to calm her, along with some magical aid, her memories could be unlocked. Spending one hundred years in other's heads, I knew they were wrong.

It was like Pandora's box; it was closed for a reason. This was positive when it came to the chance that she might forget it entirely once she was changed.

Both families had come together to help Bella get through PTSD, although, I hoped the memory would disappear when she was changed, before that, before this personality was frozen, we wanted her to feel empowered. Bella was a badass. We all knew it, but she didn't.

Gabe pushed her hard. When she was ready, Jasper spent almost as much time as Gabe did, teaching her strategy. Military strategy, everything that he knew. It was more than helpful that he could tell when Bella started to feel anxious, fearful, or shameful, all were very familiar to me.

The worst was that she felt as if she was responsible for Toby's death. The shame and guilt were worse than her fears. She did not fear being shot. Bella was terrified of losing anyone else close to her. She had enough of that.

After she let me in, she had good and bad days, I was always there to comfort her, but I could not change Bella when she was still feeling this way, and Bella knew it. I didn't have to say a thing. It was a powerful motivator.

Almost as soon as she was discharged, she wanted to be away from the city, and so we moved to the house in Sleepy Hollow. Bella's training helped, she felt physically safe, but her mind, her mind wouldn't stop.

That changed the day that Rosalie finally shared her story with her — not editing a single bit of it. It was a turning point because she wanted to be as strong as Rosalie. Bella lived, Rosalie did not, but knowing the details of her disturbing and very traumatic death, Rose came out the other side, still Rose. Meeting Emmett shortly after, it was Bella's idea of a happily ever after. Bella got bits and pieces of that when they fought. Strangely enough, after knowing everything, she agreed entirely with how Rose 'handled' the situation after. With Bella's temper, she might have done the same thing.

Every day after that, she not only worked on her physical and magical strength but her mind and soul too. She spent hours with Carlisle, exchanging stories and listening to his advice on what life would be like as a vampire. He didn't spare the gory details. He told her that our lives were nomadic, and it wasn't all fun and games and going to high school over and over — something she would have to decide on once she was changed.

Finally, my prayers were answered, the closer to the wedding we got, the better she did.

Bella was trying so hard, and outside of the occasional nightmare, which I would chase away, just by humming a lullaby that I had composed for her when we first met. She was doing better than any of us, who all harbored some trauma from the whole event.

"That's it, right there." I pointed the ring out.

"Great taste." The shopkeeper boasted.

"Well, my great-grandfather had great taste," I lied, he didn't need to know I was close to being 119 years old. "same with my grandmother, mother, and my fiancé. Hours after it was on her finger, it was gone."

The shopkeeper got defensive, "I am sure you are mistaken, everything regarding that ring and the boys who sold it to me was entirely proper." He lied.

"Two?" Gabe confirmed.

"Edward, call that detective. Sorry, it might be taken as evidence."

I laughed; I was about as happy to have that ring in my possession as Bella. However, It was one of the only surviving links I had to my mother, and so, if I got it back from the police, it would go into a safe deposit box and only seen when necessary.

I understood why Alice sent us instead.

I walked outside and pulled out my cell to call the detective working on her case. She didn't like that this case had gone cold. Detective Brady was like the cops you see of television. She wasn't entirely pleasant, but she was great at her job.

Detective Brady looked thrilled with the news. She had zeroed in on the jeweler, just as we had. While she used the jeweler's glass to inspect it, I used my vampire abilities to see there was blood within the fissures.

"How am I seeing blood, and yet, you did not?" She asked.

As she bagged the ring, for evidence, and gave me an apologetic smile, the shopkeep kept quiet and defiant. That wasn't the smartest move.

She sighed, narrowing her eyes, "you know, I can charge you with accessory after the fact."

"But I don't… I didn't have any idea! Those boys didn't look like they could shoot somebody!" he blurted out.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"And yet, you have this upscale store and did not see this blood. So greedy, you only looked at the valuable parts?"

She looked at Gabe and me again, hating to have to go through this with him, but he feigned ignorance, and she was going to tell him the truth.

"Here are the facts: Christmas Eve, the owner of a corner store, a family-owned store, was shot and killed instantly, for the contents of his register. Then they shot, nearly killed, that man's fiancé, and that man's sister while she was out buying a jug of eggnog. Isabella woke, by the grace of God, a week later in the hospital, without the ring or any cash. She laid on the floor, bleeding to death, and these, good boys, who are monsters, and sick motherfuckers, robbed her as she was dying. So, your opinion on anyone's character is beyond useless."

"But I… they had…" he stuttered. He was terrified now because the truth was in her words — no doubt about it.

'Gottcha,' The detective correctly surmised. 'Time to double down.'

I smiled.

Gabe gave me a dirty look. I'd have to tell him later.

"That's first-degree murder, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, but we tack on accessory after the fact and the receiving of stolen goods." She let out a wolf whistle, "that's a lot of time, legal expenses, and orange is not your color. Even if you don't end up in prison, and you will if you don't cooperate. This store, your reputation, it will be over, finished. That's a promise, not a threat."

I knew I liked her for a reason. Gabriel wanted to do the "interrogation" himself, but it sounded more like "torture," and fear is a much more powerful tool than pain. I would have loved to torture him too, but he wasn't like the monsters I used to hunt, and I promised I would never go back there again.

"We are going to do a DNA test, and there is plenty of DNA to work with here. If you don't tell me everything and give me everything these 'good boys' gave you, you're leaving here in handcuffs, with me."

He lifted his hands in surrender.

'Finally!' She thought.

"Shit," Gabe muttered, clearly in tune with someone else, happening somewhere else. "I didn't think Ella would be leaving so soon! She's also about to get into trouble. Her defenses just came up, and that means just one thing."

"Supernatural trouble?" I guessed

He nodded.

"You guys can go; I've got it from here. Aren't you getting married tomorrow?" Detective Brady asked in an abnormally cheerful way.

"Yes, yes, I am." I beamed.

"Well, congratulations. I am glad you didn't let those bastards keep you from your plans."

"Thanks, we need to go anyway, my sister will be outraged if we are late." Gabe lied. Bella was going to be outraged no matter what.

We went around the corner and then we were in front of the house. I was getting used to this traveling thing. It was quite convenient, going between New York and Forks as much as possible.

I heard Bella whisper, "knew it," looking back at Gabriel and then Charlie?

Fury was rolling off her, I could feel it.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking at what seemed like a standoff between father and daughter. Bella stayed silent, whatever it was, it seemed, personal, a family matter. I sighed, what's a wedding without a little family drama?

I kissed Bella on her cheek, put my hand on her lower back, and asked, 'Do you want me to stay? I can go inside if you'd like.'

'No, that's fine, just be… oh hell, you'll see.'

I nodded, "Charlie," I said, reaching my hand out to shake his. "Edward," he grunted, a sour look contorted his face.

Although he was thrilled to see his daughter alive at the hospital, learning about my family didn't hit him until he got home. Since then, he'd been stewing about Bella getting married so young, and becoming a vampire. He blamed Renee for Bella and Gabe growing up too fast, not enjoying the life of the typical 18-year-old. I couldn't agree with him more, but I would never say so.

He always pictured Bella, frozen at a time when she could barely walk, as defiant then, as she is now. That was the problem. He didn't treat her like the adult that she was. He just saw this little girl yelling at him.

It was a sad sight to see, despite the love she had for her father, she didn't know him. She knew Carlisle more, a lot more. She also knew that Carlisle and Esme would never abandon us, and we weren't even their biological children. Renee had always encouraged Bella to be independent. Charlie didn't know how much pain his abandonment caused her, because it already ate Gabe alive. She did not want to add to it. In her mind, as well as her brother's, Phil raised them to be who they were born to be, not what they refused to acknowledge.

Bella has been insistent that she did not want children, (so she says now,) but a part of her couldn't imagine letting one's children go as he did. These were things only she told me. I was trying not to fight her battles, every instinct I had was telling me there was something I was missing, and I wanted to fight this for her. She didn't need to feel that abandonment before we got married Before. What was Charlie thinking? Right before he walked her down the aisle and danced their first dance.

I had almost walked through the doorway when I heard three strangers' thoughts. Now I knew where the anger was coming from. It had nothing to do with the wedding. I stood at the door and listened. The first, the adult in charge, her thoughts were hostile, and she was ready for a showdown. The other, she was anxious, and wanting to leave but fiercely protective. The last, was very young, but cheerful, without a single hint of bias or prejudice. He was embarrassed by his family and wanted to leave.

I turned the corner and saw a Quileute woman. She was familiar to me, as Harry Clearwater's wife. What was she doing here? I listened harder.

I was a little shocked, and I wondered if Carlisle knew that Harry Clearwater died? So, this would be Sue's children Leah and Seth. Sue was an Elder now, taking her husband's place. She was not invited, so what the hell was she doing here? And what did she do to my Bella?

Leah was the protective one, the older of the two, late teens early twenties, hostility was starting to build in her. This was not good. How could an elder, do this?

The youngest, Seth, gave me an embarrassed, ashamed look and thought, 'sorry.'

I looked at him and replied aloud, "It's all good." But it wasn't.

He looked at me quizzically, 'you can read minds?'

I just nodded.

'Sorry about all this trouble, man. I tried to stop it, but they don't listen to me. Congrats on getting married.'

I smiled and said, "thanks," aloud again.

I needed to find my favorite sister to get the play by play.

Sometimes Bella looked as if she had the world at her fingertips, other times, especially when it came to her family, she seemed to have no luck at all.

"Alice?" I called out and walked into the guest room she had been doing the fittings in. She and Jasper were seething, their teeth clenched.

"That bad?" I questioned my choice to come inside.

"Not for us... Bella…."

I turned around to go back when Jasper grabbed my arm.

"You'll make things worse, let's just see how this plays out." Alice grinned and him, and he tried to return the smile, "Then we have work to do outside before your bachelor party tonight."

I rolled my eyes; we would argue about that later. I wanted to know what was going on. All of our arms crossed, we leaned against the wall and began eavesdropping.

I was hoping this day would get better.

But so far, nothing had.

(BPOV)

….After agreeing to the girl's night...

I was fuming; how could Gabriel? What was he thinking? I hadn't done anything wrong, and yet my brother grounded me here! Edward was gone too! They were both in so much trouble.

Alice had a grave look on her face, "Um, Bella, your Dad is here."

"Why so ominous, Alice? Heh, that kind of rhymed."

Alice didn't see any humor in my remark.

"He brought, plus three." She said between clenched teeth.

"What?" I ran downstairs and came to a dead stop. My father had brought a Quileute woman who looked familiar, and I assumed her two children. They were not on the guest list. What was wrong with my dad?

"Dad," I couldn't keep the disappointment out of my voice.

"Bells, you look so much better!" He smiled.

I did not return it, "thanks."

I kissed him on the cheek.

"Bella, this is Sue Clearwater, and her two kids, Leah and Seth."

I swallowed hard and felt the buzzing start to circle my hands. I was in danger, it was only a matter of time before Gabe showed back up.

"Nice to meet you. Dad, a word?" I said a harsher than necessary, but my temper was building. It was my survival instinct.

I dragged him to our tree line. "What were you thinking about bringing them here! They cannot be here! You need to get them out of the area, like NOW." I couldn't believe I was lecturing my own father about this.

"Now, hold on just a minute, kid." He replied.

I hated it when he called me a kid or kiddo. I wasn't one and hadn't been for a very long time.

He went on, "I thought you were better than to have succumbed to such prejudice. Maybe you have spent too much time with the Cullens. I thought they were the prejudice-free ones; I see I was wrong."

I narrowed my eyes and shut my mouth to keep me from saying something I would regret. Finally, I countered, "the Cullens have nothing to do with this. Why is she here? Why did she fly across the country with her two children, when she's an elder? It seems a bit suspicious to me."

"I like Sue, and she offered to be my date!" He rebuffed my statement.

"How kind of her. So, she paid for three plane tickets to attend a wedding she was not invited to?"

"Yes."

"You really should have asked me, or Alice, or Edward, or Nia, Or Gabe, or Carlisle! Christ, any of us, would have told you that this was a bad idea! What were you thinking? Never mind, I don't want to know. This is very bad."

Charlie snorted. I never wanted to hit my dad before, but I was tempted, did he not know what he was doing?

"I find her motives to be suspicious. I really cannot go into detail. Otherwise, we'll be here for days, but here is the gist. I'm guessing she came here to antagonize the family about an agreement made long ago. Needlessly, it does not apply here. But that is the last thing she or hell you, Chief Swan, should be worried about!

Tomorrow, I think you may be the only human here. Nia, Lydia, and Gabe were in charge of my guest list and the Cullens theirs. Edward and I did not want a big wedding, but it has become one. A wedding packed with witches and vampires, that's fine, we get along just perfectly, the good ones at least."

I looked down, trying to shake the memory of killing James' coven.

"We share one common enemy — shapeshifters like the Quileutes. I could feel my defenses start the minute I saw them! Dad, they turn into wolves to protect their people from perceived supernatural enemies, namely, vampires and witches. I am not worried about that, as our guest list would protect me from any trouble with them.

What you have done has put them in grave danger, and life-changing risk at that!" I almost screamed; how could he not know this? What possible excuse could Sue come up with for endangering her children so?

"Being in the area, around their natural enemy, triggers that gene. Those two being direct descendants of an elder makes it almost guaranteed! Don't you see it? That is something that is just as permanent as being a vampire! They could transition for the first time, here, by the sheer amount of supernatural enemies that will be in the area today and tomorrow. You're lucky no one else has arrived yet!

Think about this too, just one thing could go wrong today or tomorrow, and they would be dead before you can blink."

I saw the sobering look in his eyes. He didn't know. He just wanted company. It sounded like he and Sue were close. Forks only allows for so much choice. Small pool, with few fish.

I sighed, "Dad, I love you; I want you to walk me down the aisle, but I won't have my wedding ruined by supernatural drama."

It was at that moment, Gabriel and Edward appeared.

I whispered to myself, "knew it."

I had forgotten how angry I was at Gabe for clipping my wings. He snapped his fingers and restored them. The look on my face must have been enough for concern.

My Dad scowled at Edward, and then Gabe, "what is going on?"

Edward sensed that this was a family matter, and I knew he'd get the better story inside. He was a good fiancé; I knew he hated leaving me in situations like this. He trusted my brother and me implicitly.

The deteriorate of their relationship was more apparent than ever as Edward shook my father's hand, trying to be polite and went inside.

"Dad, Gabe has been training his entire life to be a guardian of his people. He is especially in tune with me. He can sense supernatural threats thousands of miles away from the target. Because we must survive, Dad, and he knew I was in danger. I don't know what he was doing with Edward. I'll figure that out later."

"Who let the dogs in?" Gabe scowled.

"Gabriel!" My fathers attempted to scold my brother for being rude was almost laughable. Charlie was unaware that he had lost that right years ago.

I didn't want that fight to happen, so I spoke, "Dad, I am sorry. I understand if you cannot make it to the wedding, but you need to get them into the car and on to an airplane. Like now, I'll make the arrangements."

My Dad scratched his head, a clear sign of indecision, and if he didn't know who to choose, I'd choose for him.

I took his hand and lied with the most convincing smile I could muster. "Dad, I want you to go with them. This is just pomp and circumstance. We have ages to make memories."

"I'll walk her down the aisle Charlie," my brother said as if it were a done deal. I'm sure he felt the same way about our father's indecision. "Lydia is already standing in for Mom."

I hated to see the pain in my Dad's eyes, "and when you get back from your honeymoon."

I'll be a vampire, and it will be too dangerous to see you.

"You can come and see our new home. I am thinking about those kids in there. That the gene could have already been triggered, maybe not. They deserve a normal life. Not to be dragged into a supernatural brawl."

Charlie nodded his head; he knew I was logical. It seemed as if he just then understood he had been used, tricked. Now Charlie was walking away from his only daughter. Something I was all too familiar with. He was not going to walk his only daughter down the aisle or have our father-daughter dance

"You are right, kid."

God, I hated that.

"I should have checked. You call me when you get back... Wait… New Home?"

"Long story."

He shook his head and then nodded, and we turned around to walk back into the house. I only hoped that Sue would be agreeable before things got heated.

Charlie was a horrible liar, "I'm sorry, guys, there is an emergency back home. We need to head back to Forks right now."

"Uh oh," Gabe muttered, clearly agreeing with me on our father's lying capacity.

"So, your bruja of a daughter uninvited you from her wedding?" Sue snapped.

"What did you call her?"

"She called me a witch in Spanish," I said, rolling my eyes at the attempt to insult me.

My father's face turned hard. I saw the relation to Gabe right then.

"No, but I made the mistake of not knowing why you were so keen on coming. Why you would put your children in danger of transforming into something else…. I see, now, how deep your hatred runs."

Seth and Leah looked at their mother with curiosity. The Quileutes don't tell them about 'the pack' until their transition was already in process, it was reckless and cruel.

"You told him! You broke the treaty!"

I snickered; I knew this was going to happen. "The treaty is not in effect here."

"You think?"

"I know so."

"We see things differently."

"Well, no shit."

My brother snorted.

"If any of them, bite, not kill- if they turn you. We'll see about that."

"Look, lady, I don't know who the hell you think you are. You are on dangerous grounds right now. Get in the car and go back to Forks and NEVER COME BACK," Gabe roared.

Seth and Leah's eyes widened, and they almost sprinted out of the house. Seth stopped at the doorway. "Um, sorry about all this. It was nice to meet you, Bella, congrats."

I smiled at the unaffected boy, maybe one day... And then I looked at his mother… and frowned, perhaps not.

"Thanks, Seth, I appreciate that."

"Let's go, Mom!" he yelled before running to the car.

"Bye Dad." I couldn't contain all the emotions that were running through me in my voice or my face.

"Congratulations, Bella. I am so proud of the woman you have become. Please apologize for me to the other Cullens."

"Sure,"

He swallowed, "Gabriel."

"Charlie," he responded.

"I'll text you with your flight information."

"Already done," Alice popped her in and handed Charlie the papers with the arrangements.

"Thanks, Alice." Charlie offered.

"No problem! See you soon!" She replied.

When?

That could be quite handy, indeed. Maybe I should be more agreeable to Alice.

"Yes, you should!" She said, dancing back up the stairs.

I started laughing, what an absurd day so far.

"Always the opposite reaction of what you should have," Gabe said as he put his arm around my shoulder. "You did the right thing, Bella. They may not appreciate what you just sacrificed to keep them safe, but we do. Everything is going to be just fine."

I snorted, "Why? What else could go wrong?"

"There's my sister."

Alice popped back downstairs, "Your turn, brother of the bride."

Edward was behind her and looking at me, confused. I walked out to the porch swing. I wanted to hold my tears at bay, unsuccessfully.

"Bella?" Edward sounded like he was asking a question.

I didn't look back at him. He would know I was crying.

"Where is Charlie going?"

"Come on, don't act like you don't already know. Charlie is going back to Forks with his girlfriend and her kids. Why didn't we just elope?" I asked.

"I think... You didn't want to let down my mother or sister. You didn't want to leave the family out, yours or mine."

"Well, that was stupid of me."

"Let's elope then."

I looked at him, and my heart sped up, I could feel the butterflies invading my stomach. Edward was being earnest and joking at the same time. I knew he wanted to marry me, no matter what. Edward would scoop me up in his arms and run to city hall, jeans, and all if that is what I wanted. And instantly, he made me feel better; after it all, this was what mattered.

This was us, willing to go to the ends of the earth for the other. That! Was what we were celebrating. We wanted forever together, and I was in love with him, stupid, goofy, intensely, passionately in love with him.

We had gotten past running away.

Edward saw me, I mean really saw me, knew me better than anyone, and loved me anyway. I would just be disrespecting that love, and I'd be a coward if I abandoned all this hard work because my feelings were hurt.

The wedding was still on.

Edward smiled a crooked smile, and I almost melted.

Damn mind-reading vampire.

A/N Thanks so much for reading. On to the wedding.