Hey ya'll. I'm sorry for the long wait, life has been kickin' my butt and givin' me personal issues both school related and not. But here is another chapter for ya'll!

Disclaimer; SM owns all things Twilight and always will.

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Chapter 23: Choices

The day before our wedding, I woke up in Jasper's arms, deliriously happy. I didn't know how life could get any better. Sure, we had our fights like normal couples, but we were there for each other.

The wedding plans came together flawlessly over the months and I could honestly say that I was excited. We were getting married in our backyard and Angela's father, Reverend Weber, had agreed to perform the service. The dinner that night was for the practice, but mostly to thank our family and friends for helping decorate our huge back yard for the following day.

I turned in Jasper's arms and kissed his cheek, making him groan in response and stretch. "Good mornin', darlin'."

"Morning cowboy, it's time to get up. Everyone should be here soon so we can start."

He groaned and pulled me closer. "I don't wanna."

I heard some rustling outside the door and quietly chuckled. "Our daughter's awake."

"Which mean she'll be running in right about…"

At that moment our door flew open and Alicen ran in and jumped on the bed. "It's time to get up!"

I laughed. "Thank you, baby. I was just saying that myself."

"Momma, I wanna wear my princess dress today."

"No, you can wear your princess dress tomorrow. Go pick something else to wear."

"Fine." She turned to leave.

"Hey, where's my kiss?"

She crawled over and gave me and Jasper a kiss before she jumped off the bed to go back to her room.

I got out of bed and took a quick shower. Once I was out, I got dressed and scrunched my hair, letting it curl naturally. Jasper walked in behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his head on my shoulder.

I smiled. "Yes?"

"Darlin', you realize what happens tomorrow."

"Yes. I become your wife and you become my husband."

"Are you nervous?"

"Yeah. Are you?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I am. Getting cold feet?"

I turned in his arms so I could look in his beautiful blue eyes. "My feet are most definitely not cold. Tomorrow, they will be warm in my white tennis shoes as I walk down our back yard to become Mrs. Bella Whitlock."

"It does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

I nodded. "Do you have cold feet?"

He shook his head. "I've never been more certain of anythin' in my life."

I stood up on my toes and kissed him. "Good."

I left him to take his shower while I went downstairs and got Alicen her breakfast. Rosalie, Emmett and Jackson arrived shortly after and we started setting up chairs and such.

Esme arrived about two with burgers for lunch and started getting the lasagna ingredients together for dinner while we took a break and ate.

Rosalie realized we still needed a few things like table and chairs from their house so she and Emmett left while Jasper put a movie on for the kids, who had just woken up from their naps.

I went to the back and opened the gate for Emmett to bring the furniture round and walked to end of the aisle. I stared at the tent where Jasper and I would stand the next day to make our vows. I stayed there a good while, just making sure everything looked right. I heard someone walk through the gate but just figured it was Emmett, so I didn't turn to see who it was.

"Bella?"

That wasn't my brother, but the voice was familiar, instantly making me stiffen.

I turned around. "Edward? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you. I didn't like how last time went."

"No, what you need to do is leave before my brother buries you in the back."

"We need to talk first."

"About what?"

"Everything. I know you still care about me. It's why you want me to leave before your brother gets back."

"No, I care if I have to clean up the mess. Now please, leave."

"Bella, come on," he said softly as he grabbed my hands.

He froze and I tried to pull my hand out of his.

"What is that?" he asked, holding on to my third finger.

"That's my engagement ring. I'm getting married."

"You have got to be joking."

I pulled my hand away. "No, I'm not. I'm quite serious actually."

"But, Bella, it was supposed to be you and me."

"That was before you turned your back on me - something you don't do when you want to be with someone."

His voice rose slightly. "How many times do I have to say I made a mistake? I'm sorry! I was an idiot."

"I forgive you, Edward. You made some bad choices. I'm working on making the right ones."

He nodded and opened his mouth to say something before he glanced behind me and rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing here, skip?" Rose asked

"I came here to talk to Bella."

"It didn't work last time. What makes you think it will now?"

"I just came to try-"

"And it was a waste of time. So, again, what are you doing here, besides wasting a perfectly good day?"

"Look, Rosalie, I didn't come here to talk to you…"

"Edward," I warned.

"…And I sure as hell am not gonna stand here while your pregnant ass yells at me…"

"Edward, that's enough," I said again.

"So how about you go back inside and wait to pop this one out, or talk to someone who gives a damn what you think?"

"Edward!"

Rosalie glared at him before a smile slowly crept onto her lips. "Or better yet, I'll talk to my husband. Emmett!"

"Yeah, baby?" he asked as he walked out of the house. Then he turned his attention toward Edward and immediately his expression darkened. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "For the third time, I came here to talk to Bella. Then your damn wife came out here."

I saw my brother's hand clench into a fist before I looked to the door where Alicen, Jackson, and Jasper were standing, watching the chaos unfold.

"Hey, Jackson, Alicen? Why don't you two go into the living room and play?" I said, walking to the door and out of Emmett's attack range. I sure as hell wasn't going to stop the inevitable dispute between my brother and Edward, but I wasn't going to let a couple of three year olds watch either.

"Okay." They raced down the hall as Jasper put his arm around me.

"What happened?"

"He came to talk to me. I told him the truth, he insulted Rose and now Emmett is letting out years of anger on him. Just make sure Em doesn't kill him, okay? I'm gonna go watch the kids."

He nodded and gave me a chaste kiss before I turned to see Emmett swing and hit Edward in the jaw. At that point, I walked down the hall to the living room.

A few minutes later, Jasper came in and sat next to me on the couch, resting his arm behind me and leaning close. "They're done. Em and Rose are in the kitchen and Edward's on the porch. You might need to bring him ice and something to clean the cut above his eye."

"Okay. Keep an eye on them?"

"Of course."

I kissed him on the cheek and grabbed the first aid kit in the bathroom before walking into the kitchen where Esme, who thankfully had been putting the finishing touches on my dress when the fight erupted, had ice ready for me. I smiled at her and then glanced up to my brother, who was icing his hand.

"Feel better?"

He smiled, very proud of himself. "Much."

"How's your hand?"

"It'll be fine. You should see his face."

I rolled my eyes and walked out to see Edward sitting on the ground. I sat next to him and looked him over. He had a cut above his eye like Jasper said, but he was also starting to bruise really bad on his cheekbone. His lip was busted and he was spitting blood into the grass.

"Thank you for spitting your germs in my grass where my daughter plays."

"Sorry."

"Here." I handed him the ice. "Don't put that on your eye yet, I still have to clean this cut."

I opened the kit and took out the peroxide. "This might hurt, but I need to clean it." After the wound bubbled I put some ointment on a band-aid and put it over the cut.

"I thought you hated blood."

I smiled. "I did. But I've learned to tolerate it. Having a child that falls down and scrapes her knees will do that to you."

He placed the ice over his eye and winced when it made contact.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"So, what I was talking about earlier about bad choices?"

"Yeah, I know. I should have shut up while I was ahead, then maybe Emmett would have taken it easy on me."

"Maybe."

I looked over the lake, quiet and serene as it was. I used to spend many nights out here after I put Alicen to bed just thinking about everything. When she was born and we came home, I sat out here contemplating Edward and what I was going to do now that I was a single mom. I then understood why Alice always came out here to think. She could always find peace out here and with a clear mind came clear answers, ones that had shaped hers and my life for the better. Now, I was engaged to the love of my life and I had a beautiful daughter. I still couldn't believe how lucky and blessed I was.

After a minute, Edward spoke up, pulling me out of my thoughts and my eyes away from the view. "So, you really love him, huh?"

I smiled and nodded. "I really do."

He looked down and sighed. "As much as I hate to do it, I gotta let go. I hope he loves you as much as you do him."

"He does."

He nodded and stood, handing me the ice pack before he turned to leave.

"Edward?"

He turned back and looked at me.

"I hope you find this, someone who loves you as much as I love Jasper."

"Me too, Bella." He glanced up behind me and nodded. "Treat her right."

I turned to see Jasper standing in the doorway.

"Of course."

I stood up and walked over to my soon-to-be husband and wrapped my arms around him. "Oh, what a rehearsal dinner."

"Yeah, a fight before the dinner is even made, which Esme said should be finished in a few minutes. Then we have to start decoratin' the chairs and the rest of the yard. Oh, and Reverend Weber just arrived. That's what I came out here to tell you."

I nodded. "Okay, let's eat."

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After the delicious dinner and rundown of what was happening the next day, it was time for the guys to leave, and Rose was having too much fun kicking them out.

"Oh, come on, baby," Emmett said.

"Ah. No, it's girls' night tonight, my love, and you need to take lover boy over there home with you." She nodded over to Jasper and I who were saying goodbye… and were not willing to let go.

"But, Rose-" Jasper started.

"No, brother-in-law, you need to go. You know you can't see Bella until you two are married. Besides, you will have all the fun you want tomorrow night."

I gasped. "Rose!"

"Ew! That's my little sister. Just ugh!" Emmett said.

Rosalie ignored him. "Just be careful, Bella-bear, or else you will be like this sooner than you want," she said as she rubbed her round belly. "So, Emmett, I love you, but you need to pry Jasper away from your little sister and go home and get some sleep so we are all refreshed for the big day tomorrow."

"Okay."

Jasper laughed. "Aw, man, you traitor."

"Hey, I'm not fighting with her. She always wins. Come on, dude."

Jasper sighed. "Fine. You win." He turned and looked into my eyes. "Goodnight, darlin'. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight. I love you."

"I love you too," he said before he kissed me.

After a minute Emmett cleared his throat. "Let's go, I'm not standing here all night. We gotta go or Rose will snap."

"I can hear you," Rose said.

"I love you."

"Uh-huh."

I laughed. "Okay, goodnight all. I love you but I'm going to bed. Big day and all tomorrow." I kissed Jasper again then reluctantly pulled away and walked to my room, anxious to go to sleep and for it be my wedding day when I woke up.

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Review and let me know what ya'll think. I'm in the midst of writing the next chapter and some motivation from ya'll would be great since I'm not exactly feeling the love to write this specific chapter, which is needed.

Hope to update soon and give me some love!

3 Amanda