Hey all! I'm so, so, so, so sorry that this chapter is very late! This past week has been very hectic for me. I had my wisdom teeth removed, and then I had to run a bunch of errands, and then my body decided not to make nice with the percocet that I was taking. It basically made me very nauesous and yadda yadda yadda, you probably don't want to hear about it, so I'll move on.

So this is the "tie-up-the-loose-ends, basically-the-end-but-not-quite" chapter. It is chock full of FLUFF so if you're into that, you'll like this. Yes, after this chapter will be the epilouge, the end of I'll Be the Light! Sad, I know.

On to the story, everyone! And thanks so much for your patience and support!

~MissSingItAll

Disclaimer: It should be clear by now that I obviously don't own Twilight. God, that was condescending, huh?

EPOV:

About a week after Mike's party, I was sitting with Bella at my side, curled up on the couch in the living room at her place. She ran her fingers gently up and down my arm, goosebumps following the paths the warmth of her skin made. I was leaning my head against hers, inhaling her sweet scent as she quietly sighed in contentment.

Seeing Lauren and Jessica at school was definitely one of the highlights of the week. On Monday, they had walked into school trying to remain inconspicuous. However, it was hard for them to go unnoticed when they appeared in class with bright blue hair, Lauren's color even more vibrant than Jessica's. Apparently, the color didn't affect Jessica's light brown locks as much as Lauren's obviously fake bleach job. Alice heard that the girls' parents were very confused when their daughters came home with completely new colors, and they actually got into a little bit of trouble. They didn't want to explain that they had been at a party where there were drunk teens and Mike's parents were unaware of the whole thing, so they took their punishments without a word back. Overall, our plan had very pleasing results.

I showed Bella the pictures that Emmett had taken during the party. She had giggled for a little bit, feeling just the smallest bit of victory. But, this being Bella, she had resigned and made me promise not to mess with them again. I only agreed, cheered by her happiness and the fact that she wanted to move on and forget all about those girls.

Now we were cuddled up together, just enjoying the quiet that always seemed to envelope us whenever we were together. Bella snuggled closer into me, burying her head into my chest. She stopped moving her delicate hands to rest them on my stomach.

"My mother wants to meet you," she said quietly. "Maybe the next time she comes up to visit, I could introduce you two, if that's okay."

"Oh, really? That sounds nice, I'd love to meet her," I replied. I was happy that Bella was ready for me to get to know the other parts of her life. Whenever she talked about herself before, she seemed to edit, only giving brief details. But now that we were closer, she started to let me in on the real Bella. I loved listening to her talk about the things she found funny, or the trips that she used to take with her mother when she was younger, or the many different things that she tried to do to make her parents happy. I had come to learn that Bella was one of the most selfless people that I had encountered, and that was one of the things that made her so beautiful to me. Of course, she didn't understand why I found her beautiful at all, a constant topic that we tended to argue over every now and then.

"Really? That's great, maybe then she'll stop bugging me about you," Bella smiled, looking up at me. I grinned back at her, reaching up to push a few strands of hair away from her eyes. It was times like these that I couldn't imagine being anywhere else, not looking into the depths of Bella's chocolate brown eyes, holding her warmth in my arms.

"Bella, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she said without any hesitation. I took in a deep breath, steadying myself and preparing to voice the thoughts that had been bouncing around in my head now for quite some time.

"I know this is really far into the future and everything, but," I locked eyes with her, "would you consider moving in with me for college, Bella?"

Her eyes widened a little, making her face look more innocent and young. "You don't have to answer right now, obviously. We're not even seniors yet. And it all depends on what you want to do for college and all that..." I began to ramble, trying not to pressure her into anything she didn't want to do. I started to feel a little forward and foolish, placing my hopes out on the line like this.

"Edward, I would like that very much," Bella responded seriously, hushing my words. I could feel my whole face transform into a look of surprise.

"You would?"

"Yes. In fact, I was thinking about asking you the same thing," she said earnestly, the corners of her small mouth turning up. "I know that I haven't decided what I want to do yet, but I know that I wherever I end up, I want to be with you."

I beamed at her then, a small lump forming in my throat and a rush of emotion washing over my body. Bella wanted to live with me! I could no longer wait for the next school year to begin, as strange as that sounds. I loved her so much, all I wanted to do was to make her as happy as I could. It was the least I could do to repay her for all the happiness she had given me.

"You're amazing, you know that?" I told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"So you tell me," she rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to have a big ego, Edward?" she teased.

"Nah, I think my ego is big enough for the both of us," I joked back, and she smacked me gently on the chest. I captured her hand back in mine, pulling it over my heart.

"I love you, Bella," I murmured, watching as the light hit the bracelet that rested rightfully on her wrist. "So much."

"I love you, too, Edward," she replied, her voice growing quiet and intense. We continued to sit there, wrapped up in each other. No matter how much we joked and played around, what it always came down to was the fact that Bella and I had each other, utterly and completely.

"Emmett, stop messing around. I want this to be a nice picture," my mother sighed, trying to organize Emmett and Rosalie into a nice pose in the living room. It was now prom, and the time seemed to pass so quickly that I never knew what to do with myself. I stood watching with Jasper as my mother fawned over the two of them, making Rosalie wrap her arms around Emmett. Alice had been here earlier, so she could do her pictures with Jasper. She was currently at Bella's helping her get ready for the evening.

Of course, Bella and I weren't actually going to the prom. Instead, I was going to spend the night with her in the way that we were both familiar with: just the two of us enjoying each other's company. I didn't need to go to some fancy, cliched dance to have fun with Bella. Together, Alice and I had planned a special night for Bella, and I couldn't wait for it to begin. I hoped that Bella would enjoy herself with what I had ready for her.

Here I was though, wearing a tuxedo under Alice's direction. Jasper messed with his bowtie next to me, leaning against the wall as my mother flashed picture after picture.

"God, I swear if I wasn't dating Alice..." he grumbled. "I hate getting dressed up."

"Well, maybe if you weren't so whipped," I began, and then dodged his fist as it came towards my arm quickly.

"Oh, like you're not like that when it comes to Bella? You know that you'd do anything she'd ask you to in a heartbeat," he countered, and I only shrugged at him. Emmett came bounding over, his hand intertwined in Rosalie's.

"Ready to go over to Bella's?" he asked. His black tux was solid against the dark purple of Rosalie's silk floor-length gown. Her hair was tucked up into a pile upon her head, and a shimmering silver necklace that Emmett had presented her with moments before rested around her neck. She pursed her lips as she looked up at Emmett, sparkling in the dim light of our home.

My mother called out to us as she made her way back to the kitchen. "Don't forget to take pictures when you're over there, I want to see you and Bella together, Edward!"

"Yeah, we should get going, the dance will start soon," I replied, and within a few minutes we were all piled into Emmett's Jeep, speeding down the street.

We passed Chief Swan as he pulled out of the driveway of his home. He gave Emmett and I a look that was a combination of suspicion and warning. Emmett simply grinned back, and I rolled my eyes as we pulled up to the curb.

The front door to the home was open, and we stepped through the entrance tentatively at the insistence of Alice.

"Just wait right there, you guys. We're almost done," Alice called from upstairs. We made ourselves comfortable in the living room, listening to the sounds of the tv as some kind of reality show played out on screen. Jasper plopped down in the recliner, leaning back and running his hands through his shaggy blond hair. I stayed standing as Emmett and Rosalie sat down on the couch. We could hear the sound of Alice's heels tapping as she raced back and forth across the hardwood floors upstairs.

"Okay, get ready for this," Alice's voice echoed down the stairs. She made her way down the stairs carefully. Jasper shot up to meet her at the bottom of the staircase, holding out his hand for her. She was wearing a short, strapless, vibrant green dress that matched the gems that dangled from her small ears. Her normally crazy spiked hair was slicked back, and I could see that Jasper could not remove his eyes from her figure as she took her place next to him.

"Alright, Bella! Come on down!" Alice announced, a big grin lighting up her whole face. I anxiously looked to the top of landing, searching for any sign of Bella.

It was a few seconds before Bella moved shyly into view, and when the light finally hit her I swear that everything going on around me stopped. She was draped in a royal blue, knee-length dress that hugged all of her curves in the right way. The bodice of the dress sparkled and was slightly low-cut, showing only a peek of her modest cleavage. The thin straps of the dress sat on the creamy skin of her shoulders. Her dark brown locks fell to her shoulders, extra shiny and smooth. My eyes moved hungrily downward, scanning her smooth legs with matching blue heels that wrapped delicately around her feet. For that moment I forgot where I was and who I was with; it was only me and Bella.

She moved shakily down the stairs, careful not to fall. I moved to meet her, giving her my hand. "You look beautiful," I told her, taking in her gorgeous face. I could tell that Alice had done an amazing job with the smallest amount of makeup possible. A gentle blush covered her cheeks, and her eyes seemed even brighter and more sultry. The corner of her mouth went up in a small smile. "You don't look too bad yourself," she replied, squeezing my hand.

"Okay, enough eye-sexin' for now you two," Emmett teased, holding up a camera. "Mom will have your head if you don't get any pictures."

"I'll take them," Alice said, snatching the camera from his hands. "Everyone stand over there," she ordered, working into a frenzy just like our mother had earlier. "Emmett, please, will you just stop, already?"

"You look very pretty, Bella," Rosalie complimented as she and Emmett stood next to us. Bella smiled back and leaned into me as I gripped her waist. Jasper came up to stand with us, and Alice rushed over as she set the timer on the camera and placed it on the table. We spent a few minutes taking pictures, posing in different arrangements so my mother would be happy. Finally, it was time for the others to head over to the school, and everyone left wishing Bella and I a good evening. As the door shut behind them, the room became very quiet, and Bella and I were left standing there, staring at each other.

"I'm glad you survived Alice's onslaught," I smiled, taking her hand and leading her further into the living room.

"She was pretty brutal," she admitted. I traced my fingers down her arms, marveling at the feel of her skin. I couldn't seem to help any of my reactions tonight; I hoped that Bella wouldn't think that I was being rude.

"I'm sorry for that," I said. "But now that it's over, are you ready for your evening to begin, Miss Swan?"

"Of course, Mister Cullen," she joked back, beaming up at me.

BPOV:

I couldn't take my eyes off of Edward. He was so handsome in his sharp tux, I felt like I couldn't get enough of seeing him. I wondered how we going to spend the evening, since we were confined to the house.

Edward led me over to the couch and sat me down gently so that I wouldn't ruin my dress. "I'll be right back," he promised, and turned to go out down the hall. He returned a few minutes later with a large paper bag, but when I tried to stand to see what he was doing, he barked at me to stop and stay in the living room. I remained on the couch, very curious at what he was up to. I waited for a few more minutes until he finally emerged back into the living room. He smiled at me, looking a little bit frazzled, and took my hand to lead me to the kitchen.

I gasped as we stepped through the entryway into the kitchen. The room was dim, and Edward had placed and lit candles all around the room, causing shadows to flicker across the walls. On the table were two plates loaded with food that looked like it had come from one of my favorite take-out places. Edward walked over to pull out my chair for me, and as I sat he brushed his large hands over my bare shoulders. I shivered slightly.

"Edward, what is all this?" I asked in awe. He joined me at the table and scooted his chair closer.

"Dinner, silly," he smiled. "I wanted tonight to be special."

"Oh, Edward. You didn't have to do all this for me."

"You deserve it, Bella." He gestured for me to go on and start eating, and we sat with our hands entwined over the surface of the table. Of course, he had picked up my favorite mushroom ravioli and served me sparkling cider in a delicate champagne flute. He was the perfect gentleman, asking me whether I had enough to eat and drink, always making sure that I didn't have to get up for anything.

When it came to dessert, he had set up a large brownie sundae for the two of us to share. As I reached for a spoon, however, his warm hand stopped me, and instead he loaded his spoon and held it to my mouth, looking up at me through his lashes. I opened my mouth, gazing back at him intently as he slid the spoon gently onto my lip. I could feel the hot and cold mixture of the brownie and ice cream melt in my mouth, and I closed my lips around the spoon, pouting my lips at him. Edward's eyes never left my face, his mouth slightly parted and his gaze clouding over. We never said a word; instead, he fed me each bite slowly, the intensity of his stare making me feel hot in the enclosed space of the kitchen. When I had had enough, he stood and helped me up, and, still without a word, led me back into the living room.

Edward walked over to the entertainment display where the tv sat. He looked through all the equipment, messing with Charlie's rarely used stereo system. Finally, he switched on the stereo to a soothing jazz station. He turned towards me with a crooked smirk. My eyes grew wide as I realized what he wanted to do.

"Oh no, I can't dance," I shook my head as he came over. He shrugged.

"I can teach you," he assured, stepping closer. I looked back at him, uneasy.

"Don't worry, Bella. It's just you and me, that's all," he said as he reached out to hold me. I felt a little better then, realizing that this was probably better than being out in public where other people could see me fail at dancing. I stepped into his strong arms, relaxing instantly at his touch.

We began to sway to the sound of the music; Edward led the two of us around the room, slowing revolving in a small circle. I was cuddled up into his chest, my head tucked neatly under his chin. We seemed to fit perfectly, our bodies almost made for each other.

"Bella," he murmured, his breath tickling my skin. I felt his lips skim the line of my shoulder. I fell into him even more, my knees growing weak as he pressed wet kisses to my skin. We moved slower to the music, finally coming to a stop in front of the couch. He kissed his way up to my jaw, then to my cheek, and then finally touched his lips to mine.

My hands went up into his wild hair, pulling him closer to me. As we kissed deeper and deeper, we grew more frantic, clinging to each other desperately. Edward's arm wrapped around my waist, lifting me up slightly and pushing me back towards the couch. I barely noticed that he had moved us until I realized that he was on top of me, both of us laying on the couch. The feel of his weight all around me was intoxicating; it felt like the only thing that existed was him. His tongue pressed against mine as I parted my lips, and I moaned, tasting as much of him as I could.

One of his hands trailed down to my waist, pressing softly against my side. His hand moved to the back of my dress, and I looked up at him the same time he looked down at me, seeming to ask for permission. I only gave him a small nod, biting my lip as his fingers reached up to grasp the zipper. My heart beat wildly, feeling like it was the only sound in the room besides our heavy breathing. Edward's fingers finally pulled the zipper to its end, and he reached to push the straps off of my shoulders.

Suddenly, a beam of light flickered across the dark room, accompanied by the sound of a loud car engine. The warmth and the haze that I was drowning in quickly faded out.

"Crap, Charlie!" I said, and Edward and I were upright and distanced from each other within an instant. We were both trying to calm our breathing, and I reached back awkwardly to zip up my dress. Edward stood and did a quick jog around the room, blowing out all the candles and running into the kitchen to do the same thing. I could hear Charlie make his way up the gravel pathway, and I quickly turned on the tv as Edward came back in and shut off the music. We both looked at each other once before the doorknob turned and the front door was unlocked.

"Bella?" Charlie called, his footsteps echoing down the hall.

"In here," I replied, my voice breathless. "Edward's here, too." I'd figured that I'd warn him.

"Edward?" Charlie walked in, clearly surprised at the sight of us. His eyes scanned the two of us, trying to look for any signs of...well, anything, really. We sat with innocent looks on their faces.

"How was the patrol?" I asked politely.

"It was fine, nothing unusual. The school was packed, though," he said, shifting his gaze over to Edward. "Not spending the evening with your friends, huh?"

"No, sir," Edward said with a smile. "I wanted to spend prom with Bella this year."

"Hmmph." Charlie's brow furrowed. His brown eyes flashed to me. "Have fun, Bells?"

"Yes, Edward was a perfect gentleman," I replied, the corner of my mouth going up.

"Well, then, it's getting pretty late," Charlie huffed, clearly unhappy that he couldn't find anything wrong with what we were doing. "Time to say goodnight."

"Of course, Chief Swan. Goodnight," Edward stood and held out a hand to help me up. I stood and led him to the front door, feeling Charlie's gaze burning my back.

I propped open the door and leaned against it, feeling the cool air caress my skin. Edward walked out onto the porch and turned to face me, smiling the whole time. He leaned in to press a lingering kiss to my cheek.

"Goodnight, Bella," he told me quietly, his eyes flickering over my shoulder to my father. I shrugged my shoulders apologetically and smiled back at him.

"Goodnight," I shut the door slowly, wishing he could stay later. I turned to head upstairs, passing Charlie. I beamed at him on the way, only drawing a pitifully confused look on his face. I laughed then, feeling like a normal girl who did normal things like sneaking around with her boyfriend. I had a date for prom, complete with the perfect dance and the almost-feel-up from said date.

I landed on my bed with a bounce, laying on my back to stare at the ceiling. I ran through the evening in my head; every laugh, every kiss, every searing touch floating through my mind. I couldn't help but think that my life had become everything I had ever wanted and more. I was so unbelievably happy; it felt like I was complete. But most important of all, I felt like I was loved.

A/N: So? What did you think? Bella and Edward are just too cute together, this was really fun for me to write. Even in my pain-med-induced haze. :)