DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except the plot for this story.

A/N: So, I'm not one for huge author's notes at the beginning of chapters, so I'll post anything longer than a few sentences at the end of the chap. This chapter pretty much just sets up the when and where of the story, but it's important to understanding why things go the way they do in coming chapters. Big thanks to Megsly - best Beta ever. :)

Chapter 1 – Preparations

BPOV

"Bella!" The voice of my over-energetic sister flitted through the woods towards mine and Edward's cabin. I knew what was coming – another session of Bella Barbie. Alice never missed an occasion to make me up, and tonight would be a prime occasion – another Cullen wedding was taking place.

I knew that fighting Alice on this would be a losing battle. Now that my newborn strength had worn off, I was a pretty even match for the rest of Cullens and Alice used this to her advantage a few times.

In fact, it was after her and Jasper's last wedding that I made the conscious decision to just let her make me up whenever she saw fit; so long as it was justifiable. I had flat out refused to let her decorate me with flowers, ribbons, and glitter. So what did the evil pixie do? She had Rosalie and Emmett hold me down.

I shuddered at the memory of that day – it had been pure torture. Not wanted to relive that again, I put down the book I had been reading and headed towards the bathroom.

Mere moments later, Alice glided through the door, absolutely beaming. "Bella, I am so glad you finally decided to let me get you your own stuff," she said as she began pulling various creams, makeups, and other torture devices from the cabinets, "it was such a hassle to have to bring a bag full of stuff from the big house."

She flashed me a bright smile as she pulled out the chair from under the vanity and motioned me towards it. I had just began to sit down when she pushed on my shoulders, forcing me into the seat.

I raised my eyebrows at her, "A little rushed are we? You know you could just skip over me and get to work on Renesmee like you want to?"

She began pulling a brush through my hair, I suppose trying to work out the tangles that were almost never present.

"Ouch! Alice!"

"Oh, come on. You know as well as I do that that didn't hurt."

I eyed her in the mirror. "No, you're right, but it's the principle of the matter. One day you're going to start pulling my hair out and I'll have a spiky mess like you." I stuck my tongue out at her as she laughed.

"You know you wish your hair was as cool as mine." She said, fluffing it a little. Her face immediately scrunched up, "You are trying to distract me, aren't you."

I shook my head minutely while chuckling. "Can't blame a girl for trying can you?"

~*~

Not quite an hour later, Alice had transformed me into a person who should grace the covers of some couture magazine. I had to admit, she had a talent. As she stood back admiring her work, I couldn't help but smile at her, knowing she wanted some positive reaffirmation of her work.

I walked up to her and threw my arm around her shoulder, "Thank you Alice. I look great."

Her eyes narrowed, "No. You look AMAZING!!!!" She said, bouncing up and down, "Edward is going to thank me later!"

The mention of my husband's name sent flutters throughout my body just like it had when we first met. I wondered what he was doing right now – most definitely not going through the same torture I just had.

He had spent the day hunting with Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle, while Jake was holed up on the reservation getting himself ready.

It had been two years ago when Jake and Renesmee finally admitted to themselves what the rest of us had known for years; they were in love.

Being my child, Renesmee didn't want an over the top wedding. So she settled for a small, low key (much to Alice's dismay) ceremony in mine and Edward's meadow. Besides our family, the only people that were going to be in attendance were Jake's family, a few members of the pack, Charlie, and Sue.

Esme had offered to build them a house near our new home in Alaska, but with Billy's failing health, Jake's loyalty to his pack, and Renesmee's desire to get away from prying eyes and minds ::cough...Edward::, they made the decision to stay in Forks.

Due to Renesmee's half-vampire nature, it was decided that living on the reservation was out of the question. Not that the tribe had any problem with her – they loved her – but it was decided that Jake could do his tribal duties just as well living in Forks.

They were going to be moving into mine and Edward's cabin after they got back form the honeymoon. Esme and Carlisle had offered them the big house, but after a series of jokes from Emmett about filling all those rooms with kids, it was decided as a family they could just have the cabin until a larger house was required.

"Ok momma bear. You're already to go and help us get your little girl ready!" Alice's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Little girl?" I questioned. "She hasn't been a little girl since she was 5."

Alice rolled her eyes, "True, but she is your daughter... even if we do all look about the same age!"

As we headed out towards the big house. I all of a sudden had a feeling of dread come over me. I stopped dead in my tracks, taking in a few deep breaths.

Alice, who was a ways ahead of me, turned around.

"It's becoming real isn't it? You'll be okay; Edward will be here to help you get over your "empty nest" syndrome."

That was it, wasn't it? I was just nervous about letting her go. And Alice was right... I always had Edward.

APOV

Things had been too quiet lately. The only visions I had over the past few years were centered around my family and no matter how much I concentrated on the Volturi, I couldn't get a read on them.

Overall, the family took this as a good sign, but Edward knew how much it bothered it me to be so in the dark about their actions.

Truthfully, he was as concerned as I was that they had been silent for the past 10 years. But, after a few years of nothing, I had to let it go. If they were planning something I would see it, right?

"Alice... Alice... ALICE!!!" I was brought out of my musings by the girl of the day – my beautiful niece. I smiled down at her and resumed fixing her hair.

"What had you thinking so hard there? If I didn't know the signs better, I'd have thought you were having a vision. Oh, god... you were having a vision and something bad is going to happen today..."

Renesmee shot up out of her chair and looked like she was about ready to make a break for it.

Pushing gently on her shoulders, I forced her back into the vanity chair. "Nothing, and I mean nothing, bad is going to happen today sweetheart."

And it wouldn't. While I couldn't see the day's activities due to the presence of the pack, I would kill anything or anyone who ruined my niece's day.

And that included her father who, at this very moment, was contemplating coming home, kidnapping his own daughter, and running very far away with her. I pulled out my cell phone.

"Edward. Now you and I both know that is not a good idea... yes, Edward, I realize that she's your daughter and you want the... Edward, don't cut me off again. As I was saying, you want the best. For her, Jacob is the best... No, Edward, I would not marry a werewolf, but that's because I have Jasper... ok, you just need to calm down. Let me talk to Jasper, please."

After resolving that situation, I turned my attention back to Renesmee, who by this time was as dolled up as she was going to let me make her. She was most definitely her mother's daughter in the sense she hated being fawned over.

"Thank you Alice! Not just for this," she said, motioning to her face, "but for planning this exactly as I wanted it; I know you wanted a big wedding for me ." I smiled and gave her a big hug.

Renesmee knew me too well. I had begun planning her wedding from the day Jasper let me know her and Jake's feelings were moving beyond friends. So, when Renesmee decided on a small private ceremony, I was slightly upset.

That's okay, though... Rosalie and Emmett were about due for another wedding and I could do that however I wanted.

"It's about that time!" Rosalie's announced, making her way into the bathroom. Her smile broadened as she took in Renesmee's reflection in the mirror. "Oh! My little girl's getting married!"

It was no secret that Rosalie had always wanted her own children, but that being impossible, she had settled to be the best "second mom" to Renesmee as anyone could be. That child was never wanting for motherly attention. While Bella was more of the disciplinarian mom, Rosalie was the "I want to me your best friend" kind of mom.

We headed downstairs where Bella and Esme were waiting for us. Bella had decided that her nerves were shot enough, so she chose to wait it out with Esme downstairs.

As we entered the living room, both Bella and Esme's faces broke out into huge smiles. I didn't need Jasper's gift to know they were radiating pride.

I was glad to see that Bella was out of the funk she had been in earlier when we left the cabin. I would need to talk to her about that later, I had a feeling it was a bit more than nerves about the wedding.

"Well ladies, I believe it's about that time to get the last Cullen woman married!" I said with a smile.

The only way to get to the meadow was to run, no vehicle could get there; so, seeing as how I trusted no one else to get Renesmee, and her dress, there unscathed, I swept her up in my arms and took off.

BPOV

Despite my vampire abilities, following Alice through the woods at break neck speed all the while trying to keep my dress from tearing to shreds was quite a task.

I have no idea how I let Alice convince me to put this dress on. It was a break from the traditional blue she liked put me in – it was blood red, long, strapless, and flowed out from the empire waist extravagantly. Renesmee's dress wasn't even this fancy. I felt like I was going to a black tie event than a small, casual wedding. But, Alice was never one to things halfway.

I knew we'd be coming upon the meadow at any moment and began slowing my pace down in preparation. The last thing I needed was to bolt in there at vampire speed and give Charlie a heart attack.

In my peripheral vision, I caught a glimpse of bronze racing towards me. Edward.

I knew he was going to try and catch up with me, and, needing to rid myself of a bit of my nervousness, I decided to play with him a bit.

Right as he came upon me, I stopped dead in my tracks. He flew past me another hundred feet or so before coming to an abrupt stop, turning, and starting at my slyly. "Bella..." He took one step towards me and I darted.

Instead of running towards the meadow as I had been, I ran around the perimeter. Come and catch me, if you can, I dropped my shield, teasing Edward. Not missing a beat, he took off after me.

I could hear Renesmee laughing in the background and Alice cursing me, "So help me God! If you get one tear on that dress I'm going to beat you senseless!!!"

Giggling into the wind, I pushed myself forward. Only stopping when I slammed into a hard body at an alarming speed. "OOMPH." The wall of granite I collided with, as well as myself, went down instantly.

I lifted my head to see what unfortunate person I'd taken down and saw Jasper looking back up at me.

"Bella, Darlin', I don't think Alice would be very appreciative of you laying on top of her husband, now would she,?" his southern drawl twanged throughout the woods.

"No, I don't suppose she would," said Edward, pulling me up and crashing me into his hard chest. I was momentarily dazzled when he blew his sweet breath across my face. I let my eyes roll back, only to be shaken out of my state by the pixie in question.

"Hmph, more like I wouldn't be appreciative of that gown almost getting ruined!!!" Her voice rose with every syllable she uttered.

"Alice, no harm, no foul. The dress is perfectly okay. Not even a speck of dirt on it," I explained, motioning to the dress. Alice simply raised her eyebrows at me, turned on her heel, and stomped off. Jasper, shooting a quick smile over his shoulder, was right on her tracks.

"Now Bella," a chill went down my spine as the melodic voice of my husband surrounded me, "what were you hoping to accomplish with that little bout of playfulness?"

All coherent thoughts left my mind at that point and the only thing I could do was turn in his arms and look at him. "Uh, nuh-, nothing."

"Wow Eddie. I never knew it was possible to dazzle a vampire into silence. Right on brother!" Emmett approached us, sticking out his fist for Edward to bump. Edward rolled his eyes and turned from Emmett as I ducked my head into his shoulder.

"Come on now people, enough playing! It's time for a wedding!" Alice said, running behind us and shooing at us. I swiped her hands away, sighing at Alice's impatience.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked, looking at Edward.

"No, not really. I don't feel like we got enough time with her. Do you know what I mean?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head at the same time.

I put a hand on his shoulder, "I know exactly what you mean. In a way, I feel gipped. Most parents get at least eighteen years or so before their kids are at this stage. We got ten."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, squeezing him tightly.

"But at least we don't have to worry about getting old and dying on her. We've got forever."

He took a deep breath and visibly relaxed. Wrapping his arms around me, he leaned down and gave me a soft kiss.

"Yes, forever."

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed this, added it to their faves/alerts, etc. :) It makes me happy that you are already liking the story that much. I hope I can live up to the first chapter - it's my fave chapter so far, just cause I liked the ambiguity of it. Also, I'm not going to be like "review or I won't post", but it would be nice to get some feed back on what does/doesn't work for you all so that I can keep it in mind as I write new chapters. Thanks again!