AN- Okay, so I've decided I had better post when I get the chance, or you'll all be waiting and waiting. . . So this chapter is a little shorter, but it had a place where I could break and I took it so I could post.
Practicing on Bella pt1

"Bella, you should go downstairs." An angel's voice called me toward consciousness. "I know you're not quite awake yet, but Charlie is waiting." I continued to fight the grogginess. "He's thinking about coming up here."

"What? Why?" I sat up so fast, my head swam. I had to lie down again for a minute.

Edward chuckled at my reaction. "He just wants to see you before he goes to work. He realized this morning that he only has three more chances to have breakfast with you." I cracked one eye back open to see Edward's smiling face. "Of course, that got him wondering why he didn't get breakfast with you more often, which brought on some fatherly paranoia, and I think it would be a good idea for you to go downstairs."

I opened my other eye and sat up again, much slower this time. Edward chuckled again. I scowled at him. Then he caught me in his topaz eyes. I couldn't help but smile. I got out of bed and headed to the door. Edward met me there and kissed me on the cheek.

"Careful of the stairs, love," he whispered. I scowled at him again. But he had a point and I made my way, slowly, down the stairs. My head was still full of sleep fluff, and I wasn't exactly nimble, even fully awake.

I walked into the kitchen and found Charlie at the table. "Good morning, Dad. You want me to make you some eggs?"

"I think it's better to wait for your eyes to open before you do anything involving an open flame, Bella." He responded.

"Ha ha, Dad," I said, scowling now at my father. Everybody's a comedian today.

"I already ate. I was just hoping you'd come down before I left." Charlie paused for a moment. "There's something I wanted to say to you."

I looked at him skeptically; Charlie rarely wanted to say anything. We weren't exactly big talkers. He laughed at my look.

"Alright, not something I want to say, something I need to say," he amended.

I sat down at the table and prepared for the worst. He wouldn't really be trying to talk me out of getting married now, would he? Not so close to the actual wedding?

"I'm proud of you, Bella."

I stared at him. That was definitely not what I was expecting.

"You've made a very big decision in getting married so young." Charlie began to explain. "And while I can't really say I agree with it, I'm proud of the way you've stuck to it, the mature way you've dealt with both me and Renee." Charlie paused again. I was sure this was really hard for him. "Marriage is a tough gig, Bella. It takes a lot of work. Watching you these last few months has helped me see how much thought you've really put into it. I know you were never one to make rash decisions. I'm glad this was no exception." With another pause, Charlie stood up and went to get his gun and badge near the door. "You've grown up Bella, and I'm proud of who you are." He finished getting his things together and opened the door. "See you tonight."

"Bye, Dad," was all I could get out. Then he was gone. Tears formed and started to fall. Then I jumped two feet in the air as the phone rang.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Bella, it's me, Alice! Sorry I startled you. Wear your new outfit today. And Bella, maybe you should ask Edward if there's something he'd like to practice. It would only be fair." Then she hung up.

What? Practice? I wished everyone would stop asking me to think before my brain woke up. Just because my eyes are open. . . I jumped again as Edward's cold arms caught me from behind.

"Sorry," he chuckled, "I didn't mean to startle you."

I smacked him. "Enough with the heart attacks already!"

He smiled and kissed the top of my head. "You go shower and wake up. I'll wait down here for you."

I started up the stairs mumbling, "Stupid, sneaky, vampires." Edward, of course, heard me and laughed.

I took my time in the shower, letting the hot water wash away the sleep from my brain to my toes. My sneaky, vampire, almost husband could wait. I peeked out the bathroom door before heading to my room, just to make sure Edward was really still downstairs. Then I felt silly and hurried to my room.

I went to the closet and got out the clothes I had been instructed to wear. Obviously it wasn't either of the two suits I had gotten yesterday. That left one option.

I smiled, remembering the hesitation I'd had when Rosalie had first pulled the tank off the rack. It was ivory silk, just barely darker than my skin. It was one of those feminine numbers with lace at the low neckline. It was the kind of top that always reminded me more of underwear than an actual shirt. I was trying to convince myself it would be okay, the straps would cover my bra, and so would the neck line, barely. Then Rose had brought me the wrap for me to wear over it. She had laughed at the look of relief on my face. I put the two pieces together.

"Rose, this shade of blue is beautiful with it!" I had said.

"Why do you think it's Edward's favorite color on you?" She had asked, causing me to blush. She had just laughed at me again.

Bringing myself back to the present, I put on the silk tank. The neck line still felt low. Then I carefully tied the wrap around. The sleeves were ¾ length, but on me they almost touched my wrists and they belled out, just a little. Rose had given me a severe warning that this was 'Egyptian linen' and that it would wrinkle easily. I wondered again why she would give me such a thing. That's like giving me something that's dry clean only. I smiled, shaking my head. The deep V of the wrap didn't help the neck line.

I finished the outfit with the khaki slacks. I had reminded Rose I already had pants, just like this. She had said Alice insisted I would need this pair. I went back to the bathroom to comb my hair one more time, making sure it was straight. Then I went down the stairs to meet Edward.

I found him in the kitchen. He was sitting at the table reading, of all things, the phone book. It was open to a little more than halfway. Hearing my footsteps, he said, "I figured it would take a while for you to wake up."

"Ha Ha," I responded. He looked up from the table with mocking in his eyes. It was quickly replaced by something else. He stood slowly from the table.

"Bella," he breathed, "you look beautiful."

I blushed, pleased and embarrassed at the same time, "Yes well, it's not hard to look beautiful compared to the sleep face I must have had on the last time you saw me."

Edward walked over to me, smiling. My heart sped up, just a little. "Correction, you look beautiful with sleep face. Now, you look," He put one hand under my jaw, grazing my still flushed cheek with the other. "Dangerous," he whispered, inches from my face. I blushed even deeper. Then he kissed me deeply. My heart sped up again, a lot this time. Just as I started to run out of air, he pulled away.

"Let's go," he said, and I suddenly found myself in his Volvo, pulling out of the drive. I laughed at his exuberance.

"I take it we're not going over more wedding j-details with Alice this morning?" I narrowly avoided having Alice see me call her plans 'junk' again.

"Nope," Edward said jovially. We both laughed again.


I know, I know I promised more practicing! We're getting there, I swear! I had to get them to the meadow didn't I? Patience is a virtue, people. As I am learning without my laptop. : )