Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They all belong to the amazingly talented Stephenie Meyer.

A/N: Hola, everyone! Just so you guys know, this chapter skips ahead one month to a very special celebration. I hope you all like it.

Chapter 22: Lucky

Don't be nervous. Don't be nervous. Don't be nervous.

I kept chanting that over and over in my mind as I lay in bed. Even though I knew I was being silly, I couldn't help it.

After all, today was no ordinary day.

It was September 13th—my 18th birthday.

I hated birthdays, anyway. The whole concept of streamers, singing, and balloons was completely ridiculous to me. But I was especially not looking forward to this one. Since Alice had moved in with us to be closer to Jasper (she had already turned 18, so she was entitled), she was now making her livewire personality known in every aspect of our lives. Nothing was spared from her influence.

For example, she decided one day that Charlie's bathroom needed a bit of sprucing up. And by 'sprucing up,' I mean pink…lots of pink! Of course, Alice can charm the socks off of anyone, and she quickly convinced Charlie that the change was a necessity.

So as you could probably imagine, I was more than a little worried that she'd throw me a birthday party from hell.

I groaned as I got up and trudged downstairs. Seeing as how September 13th just happened to be on a Saturday, Alice probably had the whole day planned with cheesy activities. Hoo boy. But surprisingly, when I reached the bottom of the stairs, Alice didn't ambush me with a present like I thought she would. Actually, the house was eerily quiet. And even more surprisingly, there wasn't a party decoration in sight.

"Hello," I called out.

"In here, Bells," Charlie replied.

I walked slowly to the kitchen, bracing myself for his traditional birthday bear hug. But instead, I found him sitting alone at the table with a cup of coffee, reading the paper.

"Hey, dad."

"Morning, Bells," he said, not even glancing up. "Sleep good?"

What? No birthday greeting? This was very odd to say the least.

"Yeah, I slept alright." I frowned, starting to get kind of confused. My birthday was never forgotten, and even though I truly didn't like celebrating it, I was a little hurt that my dad didn't even mention it.

Perhaps he needed a hint. "So, great day, huh?" I smiled at the sun streaming through the window to make my act more convincing.

"I'll say. The Mariners beat the Cubs last night! I mean, I know we live in Chicago and all, but I'd still pick Seattle over them any day."

Ok, seriously? This was Charlie's idea of a great day—hearing that the Mariners won?

"Great," I said, feigning enthusiasm. I decided to switch to another topic I was curious about. "Do you know where Alice is?"

"Oh, she went to go spend the morning with Jasper. I swear, those two crazy kids just can't seem to get enough of each other." He chuckled. "So it's just you and me for now, Bells."

What the fuck? Not even Alice—my best friend—seemed to care enough to stick around and wish me a happy birthday.

I shook my head in disbelief and went to pour myself some cereal, opting to eat at the counter rather than the table. In short, I was more than a little pissed off. This was quickly turning into 'Sixteen Candles: The Sequel,' and I didn't like it one bit.

After I finished eating, I showered and changed, then decided that I should start on some homework. But it was really no use; I couldn't concentrate. I mean, I had been staring at the same damn page in my history book for twenty minutes. Frustrated, I slammed my book shut and stomped to the fridge to get a bottle of water.

"Bells, are you ok," Charlie called from the living room.

I sucked in a deep breath. "Yup, just peachy."

"Really? You don't sound, um, 'peachy?'"

That did it.

I stormed over to where he was and shut off the TV. "Gee, dad, why wouldn't I be peachy?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Uh, I don't know. But whatever's on your mind, Bells, you can tell me."

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. "Dad, do you have any idea as to what day it is?"

"Saturday?"

"Damn it," I shouted. But I waited a few moments to calm down before I spoke again. "Dad, it's September 13th…my birthday. Don't tell me you forgot."

A sly smile crept across his face. "No, I didn't forget."

What? "Well, if you didn't forget, then why…"

Ding-dong

"Bells, could you get that?"

"Huh?"

"Please?"

I rolled my eyes, but walked over and pulled the door open.

"Surprise!!!"

Let's just say that if I woke up tied to a chair, I wouldn't be as surprised as I was at that moment.

Standing on the porch, arms laden with gifts, were my friends.

My mouth popped open in shock and I stood, gaping at them for a few seconds. They all chuckled at the expression on my face.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that she's surprised," Jasper stated, grinning widely.

"But, I…I thought y-you forgot," I stuttered.

Alice snickered. "Come on, Bella. How could we possibly forget?"

I turned to Charlie to see his reaction to all this. Strangely, he looked very smug. "Dad, did you know about this?"

He and my friends simply began to laugh. That tipped me off. "Assholes," I muttered, making them laugh even harder.

"It was so hard for me to not tell you anything, Bells," Charlie admitted. "But Alice said she'd rip my head off if I did."

"Because I see all," she said menacingly. He chuckled, probably thinking that it was a joke. Oh, if only he really knew…

"So, are you going to let us in or what," Emmett asked.

"Yeah, Bella," Rosalie added, "We've got us a birthday to celebrate!"

I sighed and looked at my friends' smiling faces. But I saved the best face for last.

Edward's eyes sparkled with excitement when my gaze finally rested upon him. "Please, love? We certainly can't let the presents and cake go to waste," he said, stepping forward to take my hand.

I was so proud of him. He had re-adjusted to human life very well. Jasper had helped him get a job at the pizza place where he worked, so money wasn't an issue. Edward was even taking his senior year of high school with us. But of course, since 'Edward Masen' technically died in 1918, a few changes had to be made. The story that we told everyone—Charlie included—was that he was Alice's cousin. He had lived in Chicago with his parents, but they died in a car crash last year. So he moved in with his best friend, Emmett, and has been staying there ever since. Amazingly, Charlie bought the story.

Edward also, in keeping with the charade, had to change his last name to Cullen. Alice took care of all the, um, documents herself—his birth certificate, license, school transcripts, etc. I had no idea how she was connected with the forgery crowd, but I didn't ask. I just kept myself out of that issue altogether.

As for Charlie's reaction to finding out I had a boyfriend, he was very surprised to say the least. Unfortunately, for the first couple of weeks after my stay in the hospital, he had assumed the role of overprotective dad, always hovering when Edward came by. But as time went on, he slowly began getting used to him—emphasis on the word 'slowly.'

"Bella?" Edward's voice brought me back to reality. "Please," he asked, giving me the puppy dog eyes. Ugh, he knew I couldn't resist that. This totally wasn't fair…

"Fine, come on in," I said, sighing and gesturing inside.

Excitedly, they all pushed their way into the foyer, chattering amongst themselves. But Edward and I stayed silent, doing nothing except for staring lovingly at each other. After a few seconds, he put his present on the floor and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Happy birthday, love," he whispered, stepping back slightly to kiss my forehead.

I closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest, listening to his heart. Beautiful. "Thanks," I replied dreamily. "So, how overboard did Alice go? Do I want to know?"

He chuckled softly. "Well, she wouldn't be Alice if she didn't go a little overboard. But all-in-all, I really think you're going to like your stuff. At least, I hope you do."

Oddly, there seemed to be a tad bit of nervousness in his voice, but I shrugged it off. "Well, I can't promise anything when it comes to her stuff. But I knew I'll love whatever you got me."

Edward smiled widely and drew me in closer to him again. "Ah, Bella…" He began leaning in towards me, his hand cupping my cheek. My breathing picked up and my eyes fluttered shut in anticipation. But just before his lips could touch mine, someone cleared their throat loudly.

Ugh, stupid Charlie.

I guess overprotective dad hadn't left the building just yet.

"Hey kids, sorry to interrupt." Psh, sure you are. "Anyway, we're setting up the cake in the other room, so anytime you're ready…"

"Yup. Sure, dad." He smiled and walked back into the kitchen, a very smug bounce in his step.

I sighed and looked at Edward, who appeared to be equally disappointed. "Sorry about that."

He snorted and shook his head. "Don't worry. I guess I'm not surprised."

"You're coming over later though, right?" Since Rosalie often stayed over at Emmett's, and since we couldn't do anything during the day without getting cockblocked by Charlie, Edward snuck through my window every night. We'd spend the time talking, laughing, and doing…other things. We tried to keep quiet, but of course, that just wasn't possible sometimes. It's those moments when I'm glad my dad's a heavy sleeper.

"Bella, you don't even have to ask," he replied, taking my hand and leading me towards the kitchen. "I'd never say no to a night with you."

As usual, I blushed, causing him to lean over and kiss my cheek. "Adorable," he said quietly.

I was beginning to drift into my Edward haze, which was probably what he wanted to happen in the first place. It was providing a nice distraction from the impending craziness of my birthday celebration. But that blissful haze quickly went away when we stepped into the kitchen. All of our friends and Charlie were surrounding the cake, which was lit with candles and ready to go. Immediately, they began singing.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday dear Bella

Happy birthday to you

I looked at the ground the entire time, embarrassed. Edward seemed to pick up on this, and he came up behind me to wrap his arms around my waist. When the song ended, I felt his lips at my ear.

"Make a wish," he whispered.

But honestly, I couldn't. It had been so easy to come up with something to wish for on each of my previous birthdays. Now, however, it was impossible. There was nothing to wish for. I had everything that I could ever want. I had Charlie, my friends, and of course, I had Edward. If I lost everything else, I'd be completely content in knowing that these people were still in my life.

It was tradition, though. I decided to just go generic.

I wish to have a happy, healthy future.

Quickly, I blew out the candles, and everyone cheered. "Alright, you know what this means," Alice said excitedly. "It's time to eat!"

Emmett pumped his fist into the air as she cut the cake. "Hell yes! I want a big piece. I want a big piece…"

We all laughed and Jasper punched Emmett's shoulder playfully. "Em, it's Bella's birthday. She should get first dibs, man."

"Fine, be that way," he huffed, folding his arms across his chest. But this was Emmett we were talking about; he couldn't stay pouty for long. He winked at me, then gestured to the cake to encourage me to take a piece.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was an ice cream cake…chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream to be specific. And when life hands you a cookie dough ice cream cake, you'd be an idiot to turn it down!

As we sat and ate, we fell into easy conversation, talking about school, work, and whatever else was on our minds. It was during this time that I noticed Edward staring at me, his face amused.

"What is it," I asked, my mouth full of cake and ice cream.

He chuckled. "Nothing. You're just incredibly cute when you eat."

I blushed and swallowed, feeling self-conscious about the fact that I'd been practically shoveling the food into my mouth. "Uh, thanks I guess."

I saw that Edward was toying with a small piece of cake on his plate, looking between that and my face. A speculative look was in his eyes. "Bella, can I try…uh…" He maneuvered the piece onto his fork and held it out hesitantly.

Admittedly, I almost laughed at his uncertainty. This is how he always went about things when he wanted to try something new—asking my permission first. It was adorable.

"Sure." I glanced at Charlie, who unfortunately was watching the two of us like a hawk. He is not going to ruin this for me! I shot him a death glare and turned back to Edward, who smiled and scooted closer to me so he could feed me the small piece of cake.

As I chewed, Edward kept his eyes on my face the whole time. But after glancing down for a moment, he began to laugh. "Love, you have a huge blob of frosting on the corner of your mouth."

Stupid Bella. "Great," I muttered, grabbing a napkin.

"No, no. I'll get it," he said, a mischievous smile on his face. Slowly, he leaned forward and kissed the area with the frosting, letting his tongue dart out slightly to lick it up.

Ungh, he knew just what to do to me. I closed my eyes and giggled when his lips lingered on the spot a little longer than usual.

"Ahem."

Crap.

I looked up to find everyone staring at us—their eyebrows raised—and I couldn't help but laugh. It was so easy for Edward and me to get wrapped up in our own little world. "Sorry, guys. We just, uh…"

"Got carried away," Edward finished, looking rather flustered.

Emmett grinned widely. "Well hey, don't apologize. It's no problem. I'm happy to see that you guys enjoyed yourselves." My friends and I whipped our heads around to silently caution him. Words were a very trivial thing right now.

His eyes widened. "The cake, I mean. I'm happy to see that you enjoyed the cake. I don't know what I was talking about before." Emmett laughed nervously, but his cover up didn't seem to be getting him anywhere. Charlie was staring at him in disapproval.

I decided that maybe a change in subject was in order. "So, who's ready for presents, huh? Gosh, I don't think I can wait much longer. How about you guys go get set up and I'll put everything away in here?"

"Good idea," Alice added. "Let's go. Charlie, you coming?"

He threw one more suspicious glance our way, then followed Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie into the living room. I exhaled in relief as I began to clean up, and was amused to see that Edward and Emmett did the same.

"Damn, that was close. Thanks for saving me, Bella," Emmett said.

I snorted. "Well, don't get used to it. If you weren't such a nice guy, I'd beat your ass for saying what you did."

To my surprise, Emmett actually blushed. "Yeah, well, I am sorry for saying that shit in front of Charlie. I'll try not to do it again, but I can't make any promises. I mean, you're talkin' to the king of all things dirty!"

We laughed, and Emmett slung his arm around Edward's shoulders. "I am curious, though—how did that frosting taste? Sweet?"

Edward walked over and wrapped his arms around me. "Like sugar." His eyes locked into mine, glowing with excitement.

Three words: I want you.

I stared right back at him, the corners of my mouth turning up into a coy smile. "Emmett, would you mind if I spoke with Edward alone?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Have fun," he sang out, making 'fun' sound like two syllables.

After he left, I practically assaulted Edward's face with kisses, making him laugh. "What happened? Did the horny fairies visit you?"

"Horny fairies…what the hell?" I laughed along with him. "But no, they didn't. You're just too cute sometimes. Besides, I don't think I need an excuse to kiss my boyfriend."

However, at the mention of the word 'boyfriend,' a nervous look crossed his face again. Hmm, this was the second time today that he appeared to be nervous…but why?

"So, they're probably waiting. Shall we go open presents," I suggested, trying to sound as enthusiastic as I could at the thought of all those gifts.

"Alright." He took my hand and we walked to the living room. But oddly, his nerves didn't seem to go away…and that was making me nervous.

And I could only hope that whatever it was passed soon.

****

Surprisingly, I enjoyed all my gifts. Of course, my new Jimmy Choos and Louis Vuitton bag from Alice and Rosalie were a little over the top, but I guess I didn't expect anything less from them. I wasn't really sure when I'd find an occasion to use these things, but hey, it's the thought that counts.

Emmett and Jasper both pitched in and bough me a Guitar Hero of my own, which I loved, of course. After I thanked them, I told Emmett that he was totally falling into a trap. Buying this merely gave me more opportunities to beat him at it!

Charlie went simple—which was kind of a relief—and got me some music. I had recently become obsessed with Muse, and was treated to all four of their CDs.

As you could imagine, I was very excited to see what Edward got me, and I was not disappointed. He knew about my love of Jane Austen. But believe it or not, I didn't own any of her books. And so, like the amazing man that he is, he bought me a boxed set of some of her most famous novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma.

It was the perfect gift, a great compliment to—I'll admit—a great birthday. But there was one thing missing from all this: Edward's happy attitude.

Ever since I began opening my presents, he'd been extremely quiet, barely uttering a word. When I opened his gift and thanked him, all I got was a weak hug in return. And half the time, he seemed to be staring into space. Finally, I had it. I needed to know what was going on.

"Edward," I began, squeezing his hand, "Are you alright?"

He drew in a shaky breath and closed his eyes. "Please, love. Tell me what's wrong," I pressed. But Edward stayed silent, letting my request fade into the air. I turned to face everyone. "Guys, what do you think is happening?"

"Hell if I know," Rosalie said, shrugging her shoulders.

Jasper shook his head. "Yeah, I have no idea." He walked over to where Edward was sitting and squatted down next to him. "Man, what is it? You can tell me." But it didn't look like Jasper was having much luck with him either.

I decided to try again. "Edward? Hello?" I waved my hand in front of his face and sighed. "Ok, enough is enough! I'm trying to figure out what's going on in that head of yours, but you're making it extremely difficult. I just…I don't know…" My speech was getting me nowhere, so I stood up. "Just forget it. I'm going to put my gifts in my room."

I began to walk away, when suddenly, I felt someone grab my hand. I turned around and found that Edward was standing very close to me. He stared at the ground, drawing patterns on my hand with his fingers. But finally, after what seemed like forever, his eyes met mine. "Bella," he whispered.

"Yes?"

Edward took a deep breath, and what happened next nearly made me faint.

Without breaking eye contact, he took a small step backward and slid down onto one knee.

So this was most likely what he had been so nervous about.

I gasped, and so did everyone else. "Edward, what are you…"

"Bella, please," he interrupted, "Let me do this."

Ok, remember to breath. I nodded hurriedly, shaking like a leaf.

He inhaled deeply again and began. "Isabella Marie Swan, from the moment you came into my life, I knew there was something special about you. Your beauty, intelligence, kindness—it all drew me in, and I was hooked right away. I never imagined that I'd ever feel so strongly about anyone. But then, there you were, like my own personal angel. And in this past month, I realized something. There are many things in this world that I could live without, but I simply cannot live without you."

When he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring, I almost fainted again. It was simple, but incredibly beautiful—a white gold band complete with a small diamond. He then looked back up at me, his eyes smoldering. "I love you so much, Bella, and I promise to always love you. Will you marry me, and allow me the privilege of spending forever with you?"

Admittedly, I was a little shocked that he chose today to propose. I mean, I knew that I was going to marry him someday, so this wasn't coming at me completely from left field. Still, was I ready for marriage at this point in my life?

Yes. Yes I was.

I took a moment and attempted to compose myself. My tears were making it difficult to form a coherent sentence. But finally, I gave him my answer.

"Edward Cullen," I said, mentally congratulating myself for remembering to use the new last name, "I'm surprised that you even have to ask. Of course I'll marry you."

He beamed up at me triumphantly and slowly slid the ring onto my finger. The next thing I knew, I was in his arms and he was kissing me with everything he had. I was vaguely aware of our friends cheering and clapping, but I paid them no attention. This moment belonged to Edward and me, and nothing could spoil it.

"Hold it!"

Well, almost nothing.

I pulled away from Edward, and my eyes narrowed at the sight of Charlie standing next to us. He had his arms crossed and was wearing an expression of similar distaste.

"Bella, there's absolutely no way you're getting married!"

"Excuse me," I sputtered.

"You heard me! You're way too young for this," he replied.

I snorted. "Uh, dad, in case you didn't notice, today's my birthday. And it's not just any birthday, either. I'm 18 today dad. I'm legally an adult now, and I can make my own decisions."

"Nope," he countered. "Not while you're living under my roof."

"Is that how it is, then? Should I start packing my things now or should I wait 'till tomorrow?"

Charlie's face crumpled. "Bells, you know I don't want you to move out. I just think you might be rushing into things. I mean, you haven't dated anyone before Edward. People don't just marry the first person they date. And if they do, it just…doesn't work out."

It was obvious that we weren't just talking about me anymore. Charlie had married my mom right out of high school, and, well, look at how that ended up.

I wrapped an arm around his waist. "But dad, it doesn't always work like that. You can't tell me that there hasn't been at least one couple out there that didn't find happiness with each other at a young age."

My dad opened his mouth to respond, but Edward beat him to it. "Sir, I'd like to put in my two cents if you don't mind."

He rolled his eyes, but didn't object. Edward took that as a 'yes' and spoke. "Mr. Swan, I just want you to know that I've put quite a bit of thought into this. Marriage is not a joke to me. I wouldn't have asked for Bella's hand unless I intended on making good on all the promises a union like this entails. Bella is—as you already know—an amazing woman. Her well-being is, and always will be my number one priority. I promise you that." He paused briefly to raise my hand to his lips and kiss it softly before continuing. "So, will you give us your blessing, sir?"

Charlie sighed. "Bella," he said quietly, "Is this what you want? Will this make you happy?"

I turned to look at Edward. His eyes were filled with love and absolute sincerity. How could this wonderful man not make me happy? "Yes, dad. There's nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with Edward."

"Well, as long as you're ok with it, then I guess I am, too." He stepped in front of Edward and somewhat hesitantly held out his hand. "So, I suppose congratulations are in order," he grunted. "But if you ever hurt her…"

"Never," Edward broke in fervently. "I will never hurt her."

To my surprise, Charlie actually managed a small smile. "Good. Now why don't you go tell your friends the news? I'm sure they're curious to find out what came out of our little chat," he said with a chuckle.

I whipped my head around to find that they were nowhere to be found. "Um, where are they?"

"In the kitchen, I'd say. They left right when we started talking to your dad, probably to give us some privacy," Edward explained.

"Well then, let's go," I replied, bursting with glee.

Edward smiled and put his arm around my shoulders. "Someone's excited," he said, walking with me to the other room.

"Of course I am. I think any girl would be if she was going to be marrying you."

Suddenly, he stopped and cradled my face in his hands. "But there's only one girl that I want." Then, very slowly, he leaned down and kissed me softly.

I sighed happily and tried to deepen the kiss, but Edward pulled away. "Oh, Bella," he said, gently stroking my cheek, "We'll never make it to the kitchen if we do that. Don't you want to tell our friends what's going on?"

"No, not anymore." I attempted to kiss him again, but he stopped me…again.

"Bella…"

"Ok, what the hell?" I looked to make sure that Charlie wasn't nearby. Thankfully, he had taken up his favorite spot on the sofa and was watching TV. "Who are you, my dad?"

He laughed and we resumed walking. "No, I'm just eager to share our good news. But not to worry. I fully intend on making it up to you tonight," he whispered.

Who was I to argue with that? "Tonight? Well, I'm going to hold you to that, you know."

"Oh, I know," said Edward, winking slyly at me. "And I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed."

Hell to the yeah!

When we reached the kitchen, we found everyone sitting at the table, talking animatedly. But as soon as they saw us, they fell silent.

"So," Alice asked, practically bouncing up and down in her seat.

Edward and I wrapped our arms around each other, grinning hugely. After a few moments, I turned to face her.

"We're getting married."

Aww, wasn't it cute? I had so much fun writing this chapter. Just as a note, the ring that Edward gives Bella is one that he bought on his own. I thought it might be sweeter if he gave her something that came directly from him. And if you recall from Chapter 7, he said that his parents always told him it would be more worthwhile if he worked for something, himself. So…he did! Speaking of parents…of course I had to write in overprotective Charlie LOL. But as you know, he came around! So, because of the events of this chapter, you all can probably guess what the epilogue's going to be. It's wedding/honeymoon time, my friends! I've got some ideas about that rolling around in my head; I just hope it all turns out alright.

As for the musical references in the chapter, the Muse thing is exactly what happened to me. After I heard 'Supermassive Black Hole' on the Twilight soundtrack, I was hooked. I now own their two most recent CDs! And the title of the chapter—'Lucky'—is a song by Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Callait. I thought it seemed appropriate.

I will update as soon as I can. Make sure you have some tissues handy for our final installment :-) In the meantime, please read and review!