A/N: Okay guys I changed my mind. Two chapters left after this one. I was just thinking about it and the next chapter will be the wedding chapter. So you get a bonus!
April 15, 2009
I still don't own anything, just like the first chapter.
I gripped my steering wheel a little tighter, turning a sharp bend in the road. I looked in my rear view mirror and decided it was nice enough to put the top down. I smiled taking in the surrounding mountains.
I was in Nathan's Porsche. My car was currently nonexistent because Nathan and Austin just had to take it out of town the weekend before the wedding. Why did I let them do that again, when they refused to tell me what they were doing? Oh yea, I'm a sucker.
I made another sharp turn getting into the town. I slowed my car down a little passing my old house along with Angela's old house. Then I turn out of town towards Edward's house, where Alice would be waiting for me.
Alice was already waiting for my in the tree where I normally park my car under. She hopped down to my side and grabbed me out of the car.
"Bella, what took you so long? You don't drive that slow do you? Your house is only five minutes away when Edward drives!" Alice said dragging me into her house.
"Alice I wasn't even home. When you called me telling me I desperately needed to get over here for a fitting, I was by the shore," I explained.
She rolled her eyes pushing me into her and Jasper's room. "Well, lucky for you I have your dress all ready so just step into it."
I sighed doing what she said. The dress was amazing. It was strapless, classic white, with a tight corset feel for the top half of my body. The right as it hit my hips it flowed out. There were clumps bunched together to make it a little more for me. There were silver beads all over the top of the dress. It was perfectly fit, but a little too long, which is why Alice called me in to hem it.
I stood perfectly still for her, which is something I could have never done if I was human. After five minutes, she stepped back and looked at her handy work.
"Perfect," she said stepping back so I could look at myself.
I smiled and sighed. The dress was perfect. It was just the way I wanted it to look, maybe even better than I thought possible. I smiled and nodded at Alice.
"You are going to look amazing," she mused, tilting her head to the side.
I laughed and looked at myself with my hands on my hips. It was going to be the best day of my life. "Wait," I said suddenly remembering Edward's gift, "it's he going to see me? I haven't been blocking you."
She laughed. "Please Bella, give me some credit. I was blocking him from my thoughts before you turned into a vampire. He has no idea what you look like."
I hesitated. I guess she was right, but just in case I blocked her thoughts, knowing I would be staying here with Charlotte until the wedding night.
Alice left me shortly after to let me change back into my jeans and lavender blouse. Then I hung my dress up in Alice's closet, thinking of my mother and how amazing she looked in both of her weddings. In her and Charlie's wedding she looked young and radiant, not ready for the commitment she was making. Then in her second wedding with Phil she looked just right. She knew what it was like and she knew what she wanted, and it was him. She was ready.
I sighed and smiled to myself. I was ready too. I loved Edward more than anything in the world, and I knew this was what I wanted.
I looked over a little bit to see Alice's and Charlotte's bridesmaid dresses hanging up. They were the darkest blue, almost black looking. When the light hit them, however, you could tell they were dark blue. They were strapless as well and floor length. Just perfect for our dark blue and silver theme.
I walked out of Alice's room and downstairs to where Charlotte was waiting for me. "Hey hun, we need to get home and get everything together. Also Edward's there and he wants to say goodbye before Emmett and Jasper whisk him off for a bachelor party."
"Aren't Nathan and Austin going too?" I asked worried about what they would think if they weren't invited. And they were just starting to get along.
"No they are going. They just had to take care of something for Edward, so they are meeting him there."
"What are they getting ready for Edward?"
She shrugged and smiled. "You'll find out soon enough."
I was about to ask her again, but she just shook her head and grabbed my hand. "Come on before Emmett gets impatient and just steals Edward from you."
Seven minutes later we were back at our home. I smiled at it sadly, realizing I probably wouldn't be living here anymore. I'll probably live with Edward, or maybe we will have our own cottage for a little while, just so we feel alone for once.
"Come on!" Charlotte yelled behind her shoulder as she ran inside.
What's her rush? I asked myself as I got out of the car. I noticed my car was back, safely and without a scratch, which is a total plus. I knew Nathan was a little mad that I had to leave them all, but I would always be around. I just thought he might do something small to my car, just to get on my nerves.
I turned into the living room as soon as I got into the house knowing everyone would be there. Edward was sitting next to Emmett and Jasper, while Nathan was sitting on the floor watching the Pirates play baseball.
I smiled and sat on Edward's lap. He kissed my cheek and squeezed me into him. I giggled. "So what are you guys doing tonight? Going to a strip club then hitting up the nearest night club."
Emmett scoffed. "We will be doing more then that!"
Edward and Jasper rolled their eyes. "We will probably just hunt some bears and mountain lions," Edward said rubbing my back. "What are you doing?"
"I just told you what I was doing," I told them. "We are probably going to ladies choice at the nearest strip club."
Emmett started laughing so hard you could feel the floor shake. I started laughing as well; I doubted we were even doing anything.
Charlotte walked into the room holding Austin's hand. She took one look at Emmett and I laughing and then looked at Nathan. "I guess she told you what we were doing."
Nathan nodded, not paying attention to anything but the TV. I looked over to him and then to Edward for some help.
He shrugged, looking a little irritated. "You forgot that you block your family," he whispered only to me.
"Oh, well I guess I don't really need you to know what he's thinking," I said worming my way out of Edward's embrace and walking over to Nathan.
"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute outside?" I asked putting my hand on his shoulder.
He looked at me and then back at the TV for a moment. The Pirates were down 2 to 3. He sighed and started to get up. "Yeah."
He followed me outside and to the tree we always you to sit on when we first moved here. We sat in silence for a few moments, just looking off into the night. We both knew we had to talk about being apart, but neither of us wanted to.
I decided I should start. "Nathan, nothing is going to change between us, you know that right?"
He didn't look at me for what felt like hours, but was only five seconds. "I really don't know that," he whispered. "Everything is going to change. You are going to moving in with Edward's family, right? You will only see us at school and maybe sometimes after school, but it won't be the same. We won't be seeing each other every second of every day."
He was right. It wouldn't be the same. I would be living with Edward and they would be living here. Nathan will be all alone. Austin and Charlotte will probably hang out mostly with each other and when they weren't Charlotte will probably be the only one to talk to Nathan the most since Austin and he don't get along all the time.
But what was I supposed to do? Tell Edward I would marry him, but I need to stay with my family? I couldn't do that. I would have suggested that we just merge together, but then we would be too big of a threat, and everyone knew that. So what is the solution?
"Nathan, you know I don't want to leave you, but I need to be with Edward. I love him so much that it hurts when I'm not with him. I wish I could always stay with you, but I can't. Edward and I will probably live by ourselves for awhile, but we will be here just as much as we are with his family. I could never leave you guys."
"I know you can't," Nathan said finally looking at me. "I just wish you never had to leave. I'm going to be all alone. I'm not trying to complain or anything because I can handle it. I'm just really going to miss you."
"I'm really going to miss you too," I said quietly. We sat there for a moment just looking at each other, feeling like this was the end of an era. Then I reached over to give him a hug, but I forgot we were in a tree and ended up pulling us both out of the tree.
We both landed on out back with a loud clap! Everyone in the house rushed out to see what happened, only to find Nathan and me laughing hysterically on the ground. They all relax and returned inside, even Edward, probably knowing we weren't done talking.
We both started to calm down, sitting up. I leaned against a tree and smiled. I would miss this a lot too. Doing all my clumsy around him. "So," I said suddenly, "how are things with Darcy? Did she find out if you were a big scary monster yet?"
He chuckled. "Naw, unlike Edward in there, I can hide myself better. Plus I'm scarier than him."
I laughed at that. "You wish. You're such a softy. She probably just isn't as observant as I was," I said sound cocky.
He shoved me over. "You know I can't tell her."
I sighed. "I know, but you looked so happy together."
"We were, it's just not the love you and Edward have."
"What do you mean?"
He thought about it for a moment. "I don't think I be able to control myself the way Edward was able to. I don't think I love her as much as he loved you to be able to make myself stop sucking her blood if she ever got bitten. I would either kill her, or just let her turn into a vampire. I don't think I would be able to leave her, to save her. And I know that if I ever had a second chance with her, I wouldn't fight as hard as he did. I wouldn't care really."
He paused and looked out into the night again. "I don't feel the electricity go through me the way you said it did when you first felt his cold his. I don't feel pulled to her the way you two act. When you guys are around each other, it's like you can feel everything about each other, even when you aren't touching. That's one of the first things I noticed about you two when you finally saw each other again.
"It seems like there is a magnet between you guys. Like when he moves, you move with him. And even as a vampire, he still acts as though you could break at any moment. Sometimes he looks at you like you are a dream. That you could vanish at any moment and he might lose you again, so he takes in everything he can about you. I don't feel that way when I'm around Darcy. It's just sort of like a human crush. Easily made and easily forgotten."
I stared at him for a moment in shock. He was still looking off into the night, like everything he said was a speech he wrote and memorized, like this was something he already knew for years.
I felt a knot in my chest where my heart was. I felt like I could cry, but I knew that was impossible. I felt like this was a speech he was making at the wedding! It was so beautiful and straight forward that I couldn't believe it came out of him mouth.
I cleared my throat. "Thank you Nathan."
He looked back at me confused. "For what?"
"For say that! It was so beautiful and pure. I never would have thought you felt that way about Edward and I. That was amazing."
He looked down and smiled. "Thanks, but it's the truth. I haven't felt that way yet, and I don't know if I ever will."
I smiled at him and rubbed him forearm. "You never know Nathan. You might find that someone at the wedding," I teased.
He laughed. "Yea maybe."
He then got up and helped me up so he could pull me into one last hug before they all left. Then we walked back into the living room where everyone was waiting for us.
"Finally," Emmett said, "I thought I was going to have to carry you back to our house, just so I can get all the guys away from you!"
I laughed. "I'm done, just let me say goodbye to Edward."
"An hour and half later…" Emmett said under his breath.
I stuck my tongue out at him and took Edward's awaiting hand and lead him into the kitchen, where he pulled me into a kiss. His hands started to caress the small of my back as my hands twisted into his hair.
It was so nice now that he didn't have to hold back anymore. I never would have guessed how much he actually was holding back, how careful he actually was, until that day on the roof.
I smiled into him lips at the memory. He broke our kiss and looked at me and smiled as well. Then he groaned.
"What?" I asked worriedly.
"Emmett is annoying me," he said rubbing his head with his left hand, keeping his right on my back.
"You know I could always block him for you," I said with a teasing smile.
"No you won't because then I'll pull him off you," Emmett said from the other room.
"Emmett I'm coming!" Edward growled. "Sorry love. I'll see you at the alter?" he asked kiss me on the lips one more time.
"I'll be the one in the white dress," I said smiling, kissing him back.
Then we walked hand and hand into the living room. "Oh I almost forgot," Edward said looking at Emmett who nodded, "you're present."
I looked at him for a moment. "What present?"
"You're wedding present from me," he said smiling.
I looked at Emmett, Jasper, Austin and Nathan who were all sharing the same all-knowing smile. I noticed Charlotte was nowhere to be seen. "What is it that you guys aren't telling me?" I asked suddenly worried.
"Nothing love, just go to your room. Charlotte's already up there waiting for you to open it."
"Edward, I didn't want you to buy me anything! I don't need anything besides you!" And maybe my mother and father, I added to myself.
"Well that's good," Jasper peeped in, "because he didn't buy this."
"That's not exactly legal," Emmett added.
"Well in America at least," Nathan said laughing.
I looked at them all and then back to Edward then back to them. What the hell was going on?!
Edward chuckled and cupped my face. "Don't worry love, it's nothing bad and it's all taken care of. You have nothing to worry about." He kissed my forehead and then started towards the door with his brothers and mine. "Just go and see."
Then they all left, leaving me at the foot of the stairs looking up them wondering what was so funny. What could he have possibly gotten me that wasn't legal, but didn't cost him anything?
I started to slowly walk up the steps onto the second floor and turned towards my room. The door was closed so I pushed it open to see Charlotte sitting on my new couch, considering Edward and I broke the last one, next to be big white box probably about five feet high, with a big pink bow on top.
I stared at it moving a little bit into the room. Charlotte smiled at me with a camera on her lap. I shut the door behind me and took two steps closer to the box trying to think of things that are that big. Then I looked at the camera.
"They all want me to take pictures of your reaction," she said smiling even more.
I nodded, not really realizing what I was doing as I came to a halt in front of the package. There was a note on the bow. It read: To the love of my life. Hopefully this makes our wedding everything you ever dreamed of and more. Love Edward.
I stared wide eyed at it. "You need to take off the lid to see what's inside you know?" Charlotte said getting the camera ready.
"Thanks for the insight," I said sarcastically.
I took a deep breath and then put my fingers on the edge of the lid. I closed my eyes and then whipped it off in one quick motion, stepping back as the walls of the present collapsed onto the ground in front of me.
I gasped as I saw the women standing before me. She looked older then the last time I saw her, her hair freshly dyed. Her bright and excited eyes staring into my butterscotch ones.
"Isabella, my baby!" she yelled clapping her hands together with tears in her eyes.
"Mom," I breathed.
I heard the camera snap in the distance, but I just ran to her. I hadn't seen her in 23 years and the last memory she had of me I was wallowing from the heartbreak Edward's leaving caused.
I didn't think it was possible to ever see her again, let alone have her come my wedding! But here I was, a vampire, hugging her human mother who thought she has been for over two decades.
I couldn't have been happier!
But then realization came over me. How could my mother know that I was a vampire? Why wasn't she asking questions? Was she coming to the wedding? Well of course she was, but would she be safe? What did Phil think about this? Did he even know?
I suddenly felt worried, shocked, and confused. Did Edward tell her all about us to get her to come here? Isn't that against the rules?
I glanced at Charlotte over my mother's shoulder and saw that the camera had been dropped onto the couch. She must have seen my worried expression. Charlotte just nodded, guess what I was thinking.
I stepped back from my mother and looked at her more closely. There were a few wrinkles around her eyes and her mouth. She gained a little wait, but it looks healthy on her. Her hairs was actually a few shades darker then it normally was, and her eyes were a little sad but excited at the same time.
"Mom, what are you doing here? How did you find out? Are you okay? Does Phil know?" All these questions started pouring out of me before I could contain them.
Renee laughed and sat down on my couch and motioned me to sit with her. Why wasn't she backing away from me; was she like me and not really care?
Charlotte sat on the floor next to my stereo on the other side of the room and motioned for me to sit next to my mother as well. I did what they told me and stared at Renee. I still couldn't believe it was her.
"Bella, Edward came to me two weeks ago with his brother Emmett. They explained everything to me. About what you are and how you became this way and why you never told me about it. It took me awhile to believe them, but I just knew there was no way you could have been gone. I just couldn't believe you kept all this from me," she said putting her warm hand on my icy one.
I hesitated. Why would I tell her? She would have thought I was losing my mind in believing in something like this. Edward thought I was insane for trusting him for Pete's sake!
"I promised them I wouldn't tell you. I didn't want to involve you in the world I became involved with. It was so dangerous, as you can tell. Also it's sort of against the rules for a human to know what we are," I said looking down at our hands.
"Yes, Edward told me about that." She paused and took a deep breath. I looked up at her to see her smiling. "I just can't believe you're still here!" She quickly wrapped her arms around me holding me close to her.
I wanted to hold her just as tight, but I didn't because I was started to understand what Edward had to go through with restraint. I probably would have crushed her if I even tried to hold like she was holding on to me.
I heard the camera click in the background. I rolled my eyes toward Charlotte, and then pulled Renee out of her 'death grip'. "I can't believe Edward asked you to come here for me," I whispered loud enough for her to hear.
"I asked him why he would do it as well. He just said he wanted you to be happy and he knew this would make you happy. He really is a gentleman. He truly loves you. Your brother Nathan is extremely fond of you as well," she said smiling over to Charlotte a little timidly.
I laughed putting together the use of my car. They went to pick her up from the airport. Why he needed my car, though, I still didn't figure out. "Did they drive slowly for you when he picked you up? I know sometimes he doesn't make the best first impression when there is a car involved."
She grimaced. "Well, he drove… extremely fast," she said with a nervous laugh, "but that wasn't the first time I met him."
I looked over to Charlotte, who giggled. "You mean he went with Edward and Emmett to tell you about me?"
She nodded. "Along with your other brother, Austin. They are very nice, and they were extremely helpful in telling me some stories of you. They say you kept your clumsy behavior," she said smiling.
I grimaced. They would tell her that. "Yes, unfortunately."
We both laughed and continued to catch up. She told me about her and Phil's daughter, Elizabeth. Then she told me how everything was just as normal as it was before. Phil retired from baseball and was now coaching Eliza's high school softball team.
Renee told me Eliza was so much like me, except for the athleticism. Also she was a lot tanner then I ever was. Though from what I can tell, she never has run into any vampires, yet.
I wasn't sure what I made of finding out I had a half sister, but it was kind of cool. I sort of wished she and Phil came to my wedding, but I understood why Renee didn't want them to come. Neither of them knew that I was still alive, and they didn't exactly need the whole vampire story as well. Renee just said that one of her old friends from Forks, daughter was getting married.
Then Charlotte told us that Alice was starting to get impatient so we all road over in my car to Alice's house. I tried to go slow, but even I, who was the slowest driver out of the two families, couldn't go that slowly.
Alice and Esme were waiting on their front porch when we arrived. As they met my mother, Charlotte and I went inside with all of our stuff to get ready for the party Alice just had to have for me.
"You know, I really don't need this. I'm perfectly fine with ending my single life," I told Charlotte as we sat on the couch in their living room. "Besides aren't Bachelorette Parties for people who are sad about leaving their single days behind?"
"Yes but you know Alice. She loves throwing parties," Rosalie said coming into the room.
I was a little shocked to see her here okay with everything. I mean I know we sort of made up, but she still wasn't the biggest fan of me. Old habits die hard…
Charlotte nodded. "Also parties are fun. Besides Edward can't be the only one having fun tonight!"
"Well what are we doing?"
They both shrugged. "Only Alice knows, well maybe Edward does too, but it's not like he really cares."
I shook my head. "No Edward can't know. I blocked the first time she saw me in my dress and then again yesterday too."
Charlotte laughed. "Edward gets so frustrated with that, he said. He says its unbearable not knowing your thoughts, but not knowing everyone's is just frustrating. He's just so used to knowing everything."
I laughed nodded. Renee then came in telling me she was going to sleep through my party, but she'll see me tomorrow. I smiled and hugged her one last time before she headed upstairs to Edward's room, the only room with a bed.
Then the party began.
Alice grabbed my arm and tore me out of the house along with Charlotte, Rosalie and Esme following closely behind. We stopped in the clearing, of all places. A baseball field was set up there and the boys were waiting.
"Alice," I exclaimed when she let go of my arm, "I thought you were against this!"
She smiled and shrugged. "I knew you would want to be with Edward, so I thought a nice game of baseball would fun for the party. So we are playing girls vs. boys!"
I laughed and ran over to Edward to kiss him before being pulled off by Emmett. "Sorry little sis, but don't try to make Edward go easy on you. There is no way we are losing."
I rolled my eyes and joined my team who were up to bat. Charlotte was going first with Nathan pitching. Charlotte hit it hard into the trees and started running. We all groaned knowing Edward was going to catch it, which he did, easily.
Alice was up next and had a good strategy just like last time. She kept it low to the ground for an easy double.
Rosalie was up and hit it just the way Charlotte did, but to Emmett's side of the field. Alice scored, but Emmett threw Rose out, making her mad.
Then I was up. I saw Nathan and Austin smile to each other, knowing full well my ability to bat. Then they turned back to me, but I kept my eyes on Edward who was smiling clapping his hands together to get ready for the ball I was aiming for him.
Nathan pitched the ball right where I wanted it, outside bottom right corner of the plate. And with a loud crack it zoomed right past Nathan and close to the ground. I started to run around first base seeing Austin's shocked expression out of the corner of my eye. Rounding second I saw Edward coming out of the trees, but I figured I could at least make it to third.
A few inches from the plate though Edward wrapped his arms around me and spun me around. "You're out, love," he whispered in my ear laughing.
I sighed. "I thought I could out run you."
"Let that we a lesson little sis!" Emmett said running past us. "Edward still is the fastest!"
I groaned as Edward put my feet back on the ground. He turned me around, smiling, and kissed me on the lips. "Sorry, love, but Emmett would never let me forget this for another century if I let you get to third."
I smiled and laughed. "It's okay. It was just nice seeing Austin's and Nathan's shocked expression."
"You did hit it extremely well. I just wish I knew what they were thinking," Edward said eying me suspiciously.
"Oops."
"Come on lovebirds! We still want to play!" Nathan yelled to us.
I laughed at him and stuck out my tongue. Then I made my way across the field to center field.
The guys ended up winning 7 to 6 after 10 innings. We all said our goodbyes and then split up again. The boys were going to do their own thing, and the girls were all going back to the Cullen's house where we would all relax consider the wedding was in 14 hours.
When we got back to the house I made my way away from the group. Renee probably would be up for another three hours or so. I went to the meadow where I first saw Edward in the sunlight and where my human life ended. I don't know why, but it just seemed right to come here.
I sat down in the middle of the meadow and looked around at my surroundings. Nothing really changed. The twig that Laurent snap, thankfully, had flown away, but besides that, nothing moved.
I lay down and closed my eyes. Sometimes I wish I could sleep. It was always a comfort to feel Edwards arms wrapped securely around my waist while humming my lullaby. I could never get over the fact that I thought he would disappear again, though. I still feel that way now.
After all those years of thinking he never loved me, it was hard to actually swallow the fact that I was about to marry him tomorrow. Old habits really do die hard, I thought grimacing.
I took a deep breath and held it for about ten minutes before letting it out slowly. The wind started to pick up around me, making the trees dance back and forth.
About a mile away I started to hear foot steps. They were running about 75mph and they didn't sound familiar. The wind picked up a little more and the scent clouded my mind.
It was her.
I knew it. I could sense the danger around me even if I never met her this way. This is what she wanted all along though. She wanted me alone; she wanted me to replace the hurt of losing her mate James.
That name alone made me shiver. It's going to happen now, in the place where Laurent tried so many moons ago. She was finally going to get her revenge for what Edward. But I wasn't going to allow that.
I knew I probably wouldn't be as strong as her, and I knew I wasn't as experienced as she was, but I had powers she never dreamed of. I would be able to stop her. Maybe I wouldn't even have to kill her…
Her foot steps grew faster and faster realizing I wasn't about to move from my spot. I wasn't like she was. I wasn't going to run from the thought of death. I couldn't if I wanted to save those I loved.
I knew that if I ran then she would follow, or run away, but she would find away to hurt me. She would figure out that my mother was here and find out where she lived and then kill her along with Phil and Eliza.
If not, she would surely try to hurt Edward and his family, or maybe she would go after my family. I would never let any of that happen. I would either kill her, make her leave, or die. I would do this just to keep my family, Edward's family, and Edward safe. I couldn't live with myself for eternity if someone died in my place.
The steps started to slow down to a jog as she reached the edge of the forest. I braced myself in the stance I saw Edward 24 years ago in front of her.
Crunch.
A/N: I hope you liked it! That was actually the longest chapter I think I've ever written, 6,147 words!, so it better have been good. Lol. Okay now I told you that there would only be one chapter after this one, but I've changed my mind, like always. There are now ONLY two chapters left! The wedding, of course, and the epilogue, just like I said last time. Thanks for sticking with me and please review!
