*Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Bride or Twilight. Please don't sue me. Readers please tell your friends.*

Chapter 2: From Heaven to Heartbreak

Edward and Bella had spent many months together on the farm. Though Edward was usually working most hours, in the evenings they would always find the time to sneak off and be together. On this particular evening they were laying under the shade of a willow tree enjoying the peaceful calm of the sunset.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Bella inquired.

"I don't know if that would be the word I would use." Edward replied gazing down at her with those golden brown eyes she had come to adore. "Beauty is a word that I have reserved only for you."

Bella could only smile up at him. The depth of their love for each other was unlike anything ever seen in history or read in a fairy tale. But this was no fairy tale; it was reality, and Bella knew that this love would last for as long as she lived. Edward seemed to notice Bella's daydreaming and attempted to break the silence.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.

"I was just thinking of how perfect life is, and how in love with you that I truly am." Bella replied. "I don't ever want this to end."

"Then let's not let it." Edward said.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked with a quizzical look at him.

Edward simply smiled down at her again. "Bella, of all the things that I have in this world, the one thing I could not stand losing is you. Will you marry me?"

Bella seemed stunned. She couldn't form the thoughts, let alone the words to answer him. Her mouth hung open for a few moments and then, overflowing with joy, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yes, yes I will!"

She locked her chocolate brown eyes with his golden brown ones and their lips came together in a more passionate kiss than had ever been previously. They laid on the grass in silence, taking in the intoxicating purples and reds and oranges as the sun fell from the sky.

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The last two weeks had not gone well for the two lovebirds. Though Bella had jumped at the idea of marrying Edward, her father was less than enthusiastic. Although he had agreed to let the two get married, he also stipulated that Edward pay for the whole wedding. Being only a backwoods farm hand, he had hardly enough money for a ring, let alone an entire wedding ceremony. So for the last two weeks Edward had spent very little time on the farm, instead spending it looking for odd jobs around the city and countryside. Anything he could do to get extra money.

Bella was not taking the separation from Edward very well. She missed seeing his golden brown eyes, his gleaming white smile, and his face…his perfect face. She missed being with him in the evening hours. She missed leaning her head against his chest as the sun sank below the horizon. She missed the look that he had as the sunlight faded; the colors of the sky blending into his bronze hair. But she would have to endure the desperation for his touch, the longing to hear his voice for a while longer. It would all be worth it in the end.

Bella was working in the kitchen, cooking dinner for her and her father. Her mind was a blur with all the thoughts running through her head (most of them being about Edward). She hadn't even noticed that an all too familiar voice was calling her name.

"Bella!" she heard finally. The clarity and musicality of the voice was unmistakable. She rushed to meet her Edward. But when she found him he did not look as she expected him to. He still wore his tattered brown pants but he now wore a matching brown tunic and a green cloak and hood hung loosely over his shoulders and, instead of his usual beaming smile, he only half-smiled which made her all the more anxious.

"Edward…?" she began, but he cut her off.

"I'm sorry. I have very little time to explain." Edward stated plainly. "I'm leaving."

"You're what?" Bella almost screamed.

"Since I haven't had any luck with money here or in town, I have decided to seek out fortune on the sea." He said. "Perhaps in time, I will have enough money to marry you."

"Edward, I don't care about the money." Bella said as tears filled her eyes. "I don't want to lose you now that I have you."

She ran to his arms, wrapping hers around his neck. She felt his arms curl around her waist and pull her close.

"I'll only be gone a little while." Edward said, calmingly. "And then we shall wed."

"I fear I'll never see you again." Bella cried into his shoulder.

"Of course you will." He reassured her.

"But what if something happens to you?" she continued.

Edward lifter her chin so his eyes locked with hers. "Hear this now. I will always come for you."

The tears still streamed down Bella's face. "How can you be sure?"

He rested his forehead against hers. "This is true love. Do you think this sort of thing happens every day?"

Bella couldn't help but smile at this. They gazed into each others eyes for a few more seconds, then their lips melted into one another's in one last kiss. Edward's arms fell away from her reluctantly, and he slowly turned to leave. Bella's voice stopped him for a moment.

"Edward." She called, and watched as he turned to see her. "Please come back to me."

He smiled his usual smile and his eyes locked with hers once more. "As you wish."

And then Bella watched as he disappeared beyond the hill.

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Months had passed since Edward had left. Bella was still going about her usual duties around the farmhouse, albeit a little more sluggishly than usual. She still completed her daily chores before heading for the hill to watch for her beloved's return. Each day at the same time she went there and didn't leave until after dark when she couldn't see anymore. It hurt to think about Edward, but she couldn't help herself. The thought of seeing him again was the only thing that kept her going most days.

It was now September and still no word. Bella was outside hanging laundry, when she saw a figure approaching the house. Her heart leapt in her chest. Could this be it? Was it true? Was Edward home at last? Sadly, her heart sank just as quickly when it turned out to be a simple messenger making his way up the hill. As he came closer, she noticed the look on his face, and it was not one she liked.

"Miss Bella?" he asked.

"Yes." She answered.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news." He stated. "Edward's ship was attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts. He's a ruthless scoundrel and never leaves captives alive."

"No." Bella stammered, covering her mouth.

"I am sorry." He said, and turned to walk away.

The weight of the messenger's words fell on Bella hard. She spent the better part of the next month locked in her room. She cried for days, and whenever he father tried to give her some food she wouldn't eat. Her eyes grew red and heavy from loss of sleep. She just couldn't believe it. Edward was gone. He would never hold her again. She would never again feel the softness of his skin against hers. She would never again see those entrancing golden brown eyes look back at hers. She remembered the last words he said, when she made him promise to return. "As you wish."

And with those words ringing in her mind, Bella made a decision and she voiced it aloud to no one but herself.

"I will never love again."