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Small note: italics are dreams.

Chapter One
Open Your Eyes

"Be still, Bella." He whispered. His breath was a cool breeze on my face.

He kissed me and my knees were wobbling. My body felt leaden and stiff, like I was unable to respond to his sweet embrace. I wanted to say so many things but my mind couldn't comprehend them with him so close to me. I could only say the first thing that came to me, "I love you, Edward."

I felt him smile against the skin of my neck, but he was silent. Edward lifted his head to look in to my eyes. As always, he was unbelievable—an angel sitting before me. He smiled again—gentler this time—and took my head in his hands, their coolness making me shudder.

"I love you too," He tilted my head up, exposing my neck. I finally realized what he was doing, but I wasn't surprised. My heart jumped in to my throat and I closed my eyes.

Edward barred his teeth and descended on to my neck.

"Open your eyes, Bella." A familiar voice said angrily. My eyes shot open to find Charlie staring at me, his face one of anguish and hurt.

Edward bit down and I cried out in pain. Charlie watched as I squirmed in agony—searing agony—but I knew it was only the beginning. My father's eyes glazed over with unshed tears but he never took his eyes off mine.

I sprang forward in bed, my heart throbbing against my ribs. I struggled to find steady breath as Edward flew to my side.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He put his smooth hands to my face and looked in to my sleepy eyes. He looked breathtaking in the sliver of moonlight from my window. I wondered briefly if perhaps this was a dream within a dream...

"Nothing. Bad dream." I assured him. Finally the shock of the dream was wearing off and my heart steadied until Edward started to stroke my cheek with his long fingers. I shivered appreciatively.

"What happened?" Edward always wanted to know the inner workings of my mind. Though true concern showed on his face, I wondered whether he was simply worried for me or if he wanted to get a peak in to my mind.

But there was no way I was telling him this one. He would be horrified. Beyond horrified. I wiped a bead of sweat that had gathered on my forehead. "I don't remember. I think maybe it was a wedding dress attacking me... or maybe Alice holding a wedding dress and attacking me." Trying to lighten the mood, I smiled weakly.

Edward raised his eyebrows. He wasn't amused. I sighed, "Really, Edward, it was nothing. I can't even remember."

The worried look never left his face but he ultimately dropped the subject. "You're warm."

I kicked the blankets off my legs and nodded, "It's hot." I suddenly realized where he had been when I had woken up. "What were you doing all the way over there?"

He laughed at the pout on my face. "Well, I was looking at the books you've been reading lately...browsing some old pictures..." He agilely climbed over me and laid in his usual spot.

I stared at him suspiciously. "You were looking at my baby pictures, weren't you?"

Edward curved me beside him gently and instantly I lost all train of thought. "I hate when you do that." His scent was intoxicating, filling all my senses.

He laughed again; it was a jovial sound. "Do what?" He asked innocently.

"Make me forget my own train of thought..." I trailed off with a yawn.

Edward chuckled and leaned further in to me, sufficiently cooling me off. "Sleep."

We both closed our eyes but I knew I wouldn't find sleep so quickly. In the silence, I remembered my dream. Finally becoming a vampire... finally being able to join Edward forever...and there was my father, looking crushed. I had seen the look before--the crumbling of his face, the absolute pain etched in his skin. He had looked that way when my mother had left him and when I had fled last year to get away from James. Now I was about to leave Charlie for good.

For Edward.

--

"Bella..."

Was that dream Edward talking to me or real Edward?

"Hmm?"

"I'm going hunting, I'll--"

I shook off my sleepiness and sat up immediately in bed. "You're leaving? What time is it?"

Edward, sitting beside me, gently pushed my body back on to the bed. "Go back to sleep, it's early. Alice is picking you up in a few hours and I'll meet you at home."

I smiled a smile that hurt my cheeks. My heart softened at the word "home". The Cullen's home to be exact, but lately Edward had been referring to it as our home instead of just his. I was one step closer to being apart of his family already.

I was so delighted—so happy—I completely disregarded his talk of Alice. Somewhere in the back of my mind I wanted to whine about more wedding preparation but I couldn't. I grinned dreamily instead. "Okay, hurry back."

Edward smiled crookedly at me and kissed me soundly on the lips. "Always." And with that he was gone, leaving a trail of his sweet scent behind him. I curled in to the spot he had just vacated and breathed in deeply before drifting back in to sleep.

--

There was about a week until the wedding and the wait was killing me. I just wanted to get it all over with. The dress, the shoes, the attention—all things that are completely foreign and frightening to me. I was not one for the spot light but that was exactly where Alice wanted me to be: front and center, for everyone to see.

"It's going to be wonderful! I got the perfect flowers, all w—"

I bit my lip. "Stop. I don't want to know, Alice. You're just adding on to the pressure. No more wedding talk!" I held a hand in front of her face.

She paused and narrowed her eyes, like she was thinking of something. Then the pleasant looked sailed back on to her face again. I realized with a sigh that she was looking in to my future. "Okay, a surprise works too. You're going to be so delighted!"

I snorted. "Alice, do you know me? I don't get excited over frilly dresses and doilies."

She hissed quietly and scowled. "Your dress is not frilly and there will be no doilies!"

Alice had picked me up early this morning and we were driving back to the Cullen's home to try on my dress one last time. Or at least that's what Alice promised. "Is this really going to be the last time or are you bluffing?"

Alice wrinkled her tiny nose. "Please try and be cooperative. It would be much easier for everyone if you would just relax. It's not as if you had to plan anything. I did it all for you and you're going to love it. Trust me." She beamed at me and turned in to the long stretching road that led to the Cullen residence.

I sulked. She didn't answer my question which usually meant she was lying. If I had to try that dress on one more time Alice was going down. I chuckled in my head at the very thought. As if I, a human, could ever take Alice down. Hopefully after the honeymoon that won't be a problem anymore. And just like that, my mood lightened.

We entered the house at a human pace. "Most of the family is hunting... Jasper and I went yesterday so I could continue with the preparations..." I heard the smile in her voice as she grabbed me gently and we flew upstairs, already in the "wedding room", as she called it. An entire room dedicated to the wedding. Everyone came here for their measurements and Alice and Esme mapped out all the details from this room. I had only been here three times. I barely looked at the things around me... It was all too nerve wracking. I didn't need a constant reminder that soon all eyes were going to be on me so that I could trip or somehow attract a catastrophe. With my luck, it would be the latter.

Alice fluttered around me, reminding me of a humming bird. I was soon wearing the gown. Despite my griping, the gown was truly beautiful. Although I have avoided mirrors when I wear it, I know it's stunning. Though I imagine it looks dull on me, I was grateful to Alice for it.

"Aren't you excited at all?"

I looked up from the spot on the carpet I was staring at to look at Alice. She looked at me with something akin to a pout on her face. Her voice sounded put out. "Sure I'm excited..." I began but I stopped at Alice's next look, which was one of disbelief. I was instantly apologetic. "I'm sorry... I just--ugh. Weddings aren't my thing. Attention in general isn't my thing. You know this." This answer didn't satisfy her at all.

I thought for a minute about how much Alice was putting in to this event. She followed my rules (the wedding date was a week earlier than my limit) and she dealt with my whining on a regular basis. I'm sure it was hectic getting every thing on schedule on such short notice but she seemed to pull it off flawlessly. I was being a brat. An ungrateful brat.

"I'm sorry, Alice... You're doing a great job. I know I'll love it." The words rang true. Although I knew Alice had a tendency to go over the top, I also knew she would never give me a wedding I wouldn't love.

I knew Alice heard the sincerity in my voice because she visibly relaxed. My words seemed to have eased her thoughts. She smiled serenely and began fixing me for (hopefully) my final fitting.

There was a knock on the door and Alice stiffened. "No, Edward. I'm not finished with her yet." The way she said it was as if he were right next to her, not on the other side of the wall. I thought I saw the handle turn slowly and, to confirm my suspicious, suddenly Alice was yelling at the door, "And you cannot come in! There are rules about wedding dresses!"

I laughed loudly. This had to have been the fifth time Alice had berated Edward about seeing me in my wedding dress. The door opened slightly and Edward snaked his hand in to wave at me. "I'll be right out," I whispered.

As Alice twittered on about who knows what I thought about things for a minute. If things went as planned, we'd be doing this forever. Alice would dress me up, I would protest, Edward would try and sweep in to save me but he would fail… I breathed… my heart swelling with each breath. I couldn't wait til forever started.