DESIDERATA
A/N: This is it, last full chappie of Desiderata. It has been such an enjoyable ride for me, and delights me to no end to realize that I am capable of starting AND finishing a multi-chapter story. I had no idea what to expect when I first started writing, and I'm thrilled that we broke 500 reviews on FF, and 400 reviews on Twilighted.
*Does a Kimpy squee dance across living room floor when no one is looking*
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my little story.
In support of Alex's Lemonade Stand, I am offering up to 4 one-shots for $25 each. Check out the website for details: http://www(DOT)thefandomgivesback(DOT)com (replace the (DOT) with a real period). Want to read Kate Cullen's interview? Want another juicy Bella/Edward lemon? Want something completely new and different? It can be yours for a mere $25! It's for a great cause!
There is also a cookbook being compiled to support the cause, and Bella's Queen of Hearts Tart recipe will be in there (The Bella's Buns recipe is a tightly guarded secret, of course, so it's not in there!).
Things I own: One Simpsons and three Cheshire Cat scrub tops that I wear to work when I want to be full of attitude. Which is like almost every day.
Things I don't own: Anything Twilight, it all belongs to Ms. Meyer.
My love, gratitude, and thanks go to NaughtySparkle for adding her sparkly goodness to every chapter. I lurve u hard, bb.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: PREMIERE ATTRACTION
"One of the great mysteries is why people will cheerfully attend movies they expect to be bad, but approach good movies with great caution." – Roger Ebert
EmPOV
I don't know how things in my life got so fucking screwy. One minute, I'm managing the Wonderland Café; next thing I know, my two girls have fallen head over heels in love along with me. I feel like I am in Wonderland right along with Alice and the White Rabbit, things are so chaotic. Bella and Jake are still in LA; Jasper has been holed up with Alice all weekend, and Rose left almost as soon as she got here.
I'm sitting at the kitchen table with my coffee, reading the paper, when Alice suddenly appears out of nowhere.
"Squirt! Nice to know you come out for a breather every few days. I was beginning to wonder about you! Is everything okay? I mean, since I haven't seen you for about 48 hours, I'm assuming Jasper redeemed himself?"
She gives me the happiest fucking grin I've ever seen in my life. I don't think I've seen her this happy since before Mom and Dad died. Okay, Jasper, it looks like you'll keep your balls for now.
"I know; can you believe it? I'm so happy, Emmett, I don't even know where to begin!"
"Umm, I don't need any specifics, short stop. I'm your brother, remember?"
She whacks me on the shoulder. "As if! All you need to know is that he's taking very good care of me. In fact, I need to talk to you."
I feel like I just got punched in the stomach. Those six words should be banned from the English language, because they never equal anything good.
"What do you mean, Alice?" I give her a stern look.
"No, it isn't bad news, it's really good news."
I don't say anything; I simply wave my hand to let her know I want the details. Even though I'm anxious about what she's going to tell me, I am completely sideswiped when she finally speaks.
"I'm going to move with Jasper to LA."
"The hell you are! That asshat just broke your heart—there is no way I'm going to trust him with you again until he proves himself over time!"
She lays her tiny hand on my chest. "You're wrong. You know me better than that, Emmett. When I get my feeling, it's always spot on. Jasper is the one for me; I've always felt that, from the time I first saw him. He just needed to figure it out for himself. I've never questioned it. Remember that I'm an adult now, and the choice isn't yours, it's mine."
I open my mouth to speak, and she moves her hands over my lips. I let out a deep sigh instead. She's been my baby sister for 21 years, and she's right; I've never known her to be wrong about things when she gets her feeling. It's freaky weird voodoo shit, I don't get it, but I can't question it. Still, I don't like the idea of her moving away from Forks; it's all she's ever known, and I feel like I need to look after her—I'm the only family she's got, after all.
"Why do you have to move to LA, though, peanut? You can still date him and live here."
"Now how the heck am I supposed to be with the love of my life when I live in Forks and he lives in LA and on movie sets? No way—where he goes, I go. That means being based in LA."
"But what about Bella? What about the café? This is where you belong, Alice."
"I spoke to Bella earlier, and she is moving to LA, too. We can close the café, or sell it; I don't really care. It's a lot of work to keep it going. I belong where Jasper is. Period. Get it through your thick skull, brother. He's going to be a permanent fixture in my life."
"Bella is moving to LA? What the hell is going on around here? Jesus, am I the last person to know everything?"
"What are you going to do about Rosalie? Aren't you guys pretty tight?"
"Rose is absolutely the girl for me, peanut. Well, if half the population of Forks, Washington is relocating to the greater metropolitan area of Los Angeles, I guess I ought to think about moving along with them, then."
Alice starts her Mexican Jumping Bean routine. Apparently, I just said the magic words.
"Really? You mean it? You'd really come to LA with us? I was so worried I wouldn't get to see you anymore!"
"Pipsqueak, you have to know that I'm going to keep a close eye on you! You're my baby sister! Someone's gotta look out for your interests, you know? What the hell am I going to do in Forks without either of my girls? Of course I'll go to LA."
"Well, we should probably think about liquidating the café then, huh? That seems so sad, but it really is time to move on."
"I'll look into it. Rent is paid through the end of the month, but we should probably put up a sign letting people know that we're closing shop. There's no way you'll change your mind?"
"Nope. None."
"Okay then, that's good enough for me."
Alice hops over to me and nearly smothers me with her hug. I smother her right back.
"I love you, little sis," I whisper to her.
******************
I send Rose a text letting her know about Alice and Jasper's decision. She calls me back not five minutes later.
"They're both moving to LA? Seriously?"
"I know, right? Masen sure knows how to mess with my life, you know?"
"But what are you going to do? I mean, are you going to stay in Forks?"
"Do you want me to?"
"Seriously, Emmett, what do you think? Of course I don't want you to stay there! If those two are going to relocate, doesn't it make sense for you to be here, too? I'm assuming you're planning to close the café."
"Yeah, Alice says she's done with it. I hate to admit it, but it's going to be hard for me to say goodbye to it."
"So what will you do? Does Alice have any immediate plans?"
"I have no clue what I'll do, to be honest. I've been so busy just keeping things together for the girls over the years that I haven't put much thought into anything. My long term goals have always been tied to the café; it never occurred to me that we wouldn't be doing it for years. All I know about Bella and Alice is that they plan to move as soon as they can."
"Would you ever consider opening the café here?"
"Naw. I mean, I don't know the market there at all, but I assume it is pretty saturated and much more professional than here in the Forks, Washington. We're putting up a sign to let everyone know we're closing, but I'll need some time to get everything liquidated, close the books, that kind of thing. It's probably something I can manage from LA, though."
"You know, it just occurred to me that you guys did an amazing job when you were catering the Masen set; do you think Alice would consider doing our catering instead? I mean, we don't have a contract with anyone right now; we always just use someone locally where we film. I'm sure we could talk to Esme about it to line something up."
"That's a great idea, Rosalie. I never thought about doing anything else, since I'm just so used to running the café. Let me talk to Alice about it to see what she thinks. Plus, we'd have to get Bella on board, since she has been our baker."
"Oh, yeah, I kind of forgot about her role. I think Edward has plans for her to work on screenplays for him, so I don't know if she'd really be available. Let me talk to Edward and Esme about the catering business, and you talk to Alice. Maybe we can figure something out that works for all of us. God, it's all falling together a little too perfectly, isn't it?"
"I don't know if it is too perfect; maybe this is how it was meant to be."
"Are you getting a vadge, Emmett? Because the words 'meant to be' sound like someone is missing a set of gonads."
"I love you too, Rose. I'm not afraid to admit it."
"Dammit, I need you here! I'm still pissed at James for fucking everything up. Do you have any idea how badly I want you?"
"If you see me right now, you could tell exactly how badly I want you, baby."
"Oooh, such a fucking tease! Listen, I'll give you a call as soon as I hear from Esme and Edward. You talk to Alice and then make plans to get your ass down to LA STAT. Is that understood?"
"Fuck, I love it when you talk dirty to me! Yeah, I'll talk to you soon."
EsPOV
"We were able to serve James Masen and Renee Higgenbotham their papers this morning, so have them backed into a corner. How do you want to approach them with the reality show plan?"
"Aro, you continue to amaze me with your ability to get things done so efficiently. I don't even want to know how you make it possible; I'll just promise to keep paying the bills. For the Amazing Race proposal, I was thinking the terms and conditions should be addressed by your firm, so that we are out of the loop. My gut tells me that if they find out this has all been arranged by us, they might be less inclined to accept."
"That's fine. We just need to see the paperwork and specifics in order to present them to Mr. Masen and Ms. Higgenbotham. We'll make certain that the arrangement is airtight, so they won't have any further legal claims on Masen Masterworks. If they renege, then Kate Cullen's interview will be leaked and we'll make certain that they don't violate the terms of the restraining order. If they do, a warrant for their arrest will be served."
"That's perfect, as always. I don't know what we did to have the Volturis in our good graces, but I'm delighted that you're in our camp and not theirs! I'll make sure Rosalie gets the information over to you."
I send text messages to Rose and Edward, explaining what Aro and I just discussed. I have to admit that I never thought we'd see the day where James Masen's influence was gone, but I genuinely feel hopeful that it is now over. Things might just work out in the end for everyone. My phone starts to vibrate almost at once.
"Yes, Rose?"
"Are you serious, Esme? All I have to do is get the documents to the Volturis, and they will handle the rest? It seems too good to be true."
"Trust me, the Volturis are very expensive and with good reason. They can work miracles. God knows how they even tracked James and Renee down, but they found them. I have assurances that the arrangement is airtight, so they're sunk no matter what they do. Unless, of course, they win the Amazing Race!" I giggle to myself imagining such a thing.
"Okay, I'll e-mail that stuff as soon as we're off the phone. There's one other thing I need to talk to you about. I just got off the phone with Emmett Brandon, and he tells me that Alice and Bella are moving to LA? Have you heard anything about this?"
"No, not anything definite. I didn't realize that Alice and Jasper were that attached, but I did have to finesse the situation with Bella and Edward. Those two are so stubborn, I practically had to lock them in a room together until they finally figured out they were in love with each other. I have to admit that was the outcome I was looking for!"
"Well, apparently they plan to close the Wonderland Café. I was thinking, since Masen doesn't have any contracts for catering services per se, that they could move the operations down to LA and open it as our catering arm. One less thing for us to worry about, since we know they have the expertise to take care of it. That way, everyone is happy."
"I think that's a wonderful idea, Rose! It never occurred to me that they'd be interested in such an arrangement. Why don't you get the ball rolling with them; you can set it up using a similar contract to the one from the Forks operation. We have plenty of time for them to get everything established here before we start filming our next production."
"Sounds great, Esme. I'll get working on it and let you know if anything else arises from the Volturis."
"Does this mean that Emmett will be joining the girls down here, too?"
"I can't hide anything from you, can I? You should have been a detective with those snooping skills of yours."
"You have no idea how excited I am that all three of you found partners at the same time. Who knew that Forks, Washington would turn into the love capital of the United States for Masen Masterworks?"
BPOV
I didn't use birth control, and Edward Cullen just told me I'm the right woman for him. That he won't leave my side. That I'm stuck with him. What the hell are you going to do, Bella Swan? You just spent two days being sexed up good and proper by the most fuckhot man on the planet. He wants you to live with him. Your life could be endless days and nights of incredible sex, writing screenplays, and working side by side with the man you love. And best of all? He loves you, too. It's GO time, girl.
"Bella? You're being awfully quiet. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good. I'm just trying to put all of this together. I feel all jumbled up inside."
Edward leans into my side, pulling me in close to him. I feel his hot breath tickling my ear.
I want more time to feel that hot breath in my ear and to be able to jump Edward's bones whenever the mood strikes. I want to explore that shower with him on a daily basis. I want to try out the kitchen counters. I want to distract him with my chair yoga poses. I want to drive him absolutely crazy every night. I don't think I can do all that if I'm pregnant so soon. I need more time. We need more time.
I pull back a bit so that we're looking into each other's eyes. "I think I want to get a Plan B, Edward. I hope that's okay."
"I told you the choice is yours, and I meant it. We have plenty of time to think about having children, Bella. You know, we could really use the practice; think about how good we'll be at getting pregnant once we've been at it for a while." He beams a beautiful smile at me and leans in to give me a sweet, soft kiss.
What did I ever do to deserve such an amazing man? Wait, don't answer that, because I don't want any second guesses here. I don't want the universe to suddenly figure out it made a mistake, and that it really meant for me to end up with Mike Newton.
"Let me text Rose so we can get this done discretely, okay?"
"Sure. Thanks again for being such a good egg about this. I'm going to talk to my Dad while you do that, okay?"
"Do you need me to talk to him, too?"
"I don't think so, not yet. Let me talk to him first."
He leans over to kiss me again. "See you in a bit."
Edward grabs a clean pair of boxer briefs and pulls them on. God, he is perfect in every way. I watch him walk out of the room, openly ogling his ass. As he reaches the doorway, he turns around and looks at me; I feel my cheeks burn as I blush over getting caught in the act. He flashes me that million dollar smirk and silently shakes his head. I throw a pillow at him, missing him entirely.
I know Charlie is at work, but he has a right to know that I'm going to be suddenly leaving him. This is the one bad element in my moving to LA—Charlie is going to be by himself. It has just been the two of us, a real team, ever since Renee left. I don't want him to feel like I'm leaving him high and dry. While that may be her M.O., I'm not that kind of a person. I heave a heavy sigh and dial his number.
"Bella? What's the matter?"
Gee, Dad, let's see—Renee screwed me over by selling me out to the tabloids, she ran off with a guy who is only a few years older than me, I've spent the entire weekend shacked up at Edward Cullen's beautiful estate with paparazzi surrounding us all weekend, I lost my virginity, and I'm in the process of getting a Plan B pill so you don't have to worry about having grandchildren prematurely. That pretty much sums it up.
"Nothing bad, Dad! Take a deep breath! How's everything in Forks?"
"Since when do you care about official Forks police business, kiddo?"
"What, I can't ask you about work all of a sudden?"
I hear him chuckling on the other end of the line. "Oh, you can ask whatever you want; I'm just used to your not wanting to hear about it. It usually means you have something else you want to tell me. So let's not pretend you want to have a long conversation about the police force, and just cut to the chase."
Shit. I guess there is a reason he is a good cop; you can't hide anything from Charlie Swan.
"Okay then, you're sure you want to hear this?"
"Just like a band aid, kiddo. Rip it all off at once."
"Dad, I'm moving to LA."
All I hear is his slow, methodical breathing on the other end.
"Uh, that's pretty sudden, Bells. You sure about this? You really want to leave Alice and Emmett like that? That doesn't sound like my responsible girl."
"Yes, more certain than I've ever been about anything in my entire life. Alice is coming, too."
"Alice? What about the café? She can't just leave! People will be lost without it."
"She's in love. Jasper asked her to come."
"So what's your story?"
Do I tell him the real reason? Will he freak and be all overprotective? Yeah, I think I owe it to him. I won't be dishonest to him like Renee always was. He deserves better than that.
"My story is named Edward Cullen."
"Wait, the director that you hate? That guy?"
"We don't hate each other anymore. Actually, I'm not sure if we ever did hate each other. I think we were both too stubborn to admit the truth."
"Will he make you happy, Bells? Can you truly respect him? It would break my heart in a million pieces if you ever end up like me."
"Honestly, there is no one I respect more on the planet. Edward Cullen has more integrity in his pinkie finger than Renee will ever have in all the years of her miserable life. He's the best kind of man; he's someone I can be proud of, and I know he will love me forever. I don't think I could ask for more than that."
"As long as you are certain that Edward Cullen is the man for you, that's all that matters to me. You deserve to be happy, Bells. Do I get to see you again before you disappear for good?"
I feel my eyes well up with tears. "Dad, please don't say it like that. I'm certainly not going to disappear from your life! I'll need to head back to Forks to get all of my stuff, anyhow."
"You know, from the time your kid enters the world, all you can think of is how much you love them, that you'll do anything in your power to guarantee their happiness, and worry about how much it will hurt when they finally grow up. I know you need to go, Bells. That doesn't make it any easier, though. I'll sure miss you."
My father just made the longest speech in his life, and it was so full of emotion I'm taken aback. I expected to get a lecture about my bad choices, and suddenly Charlie's inner emo bursts forth? Strange things are afoot at the Circle K, that's for sure.
"The feeling is totally mutual, but you aren't getting rid of me. It isn't like I'm moving to China, after all. I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to get back to Forks, because we have to hide out until this Renee thing blows over. Masen is getting a restraining order on her, so she won't be able to bother us from up close anymore."
"Did Cullen do that for you?"
"Yes, Edward is responsible for that."
"Huh. Good to know she's finally been outsmarted. That's pretty reassuring."
"I know, it's one big thing I don't have to worry about anymore. Edward is a really great guy, and he just wants me to be happy and safe."
"Yeah, well, that makes two of us. Can't ask for more than that, kiddo."
"I have to run, but I'll be in touch. Love you."
"I love you, too, Bells. You know where to find me."
When I hang up the phone, my tears start in earnest. I'm not sure why I'm so wound up; it is certainly a new state of being for me. Suddenly, I feel my favorite set of arms wrap tightly around me from behind. Edward.
"You okay, love?"
I sniffle as I answer. "Yeah, it's just hard. I hate to see Charlie on his own. It just feels wrong."
"Are you sure this is what you want to do? You know I'd never want to back you into a corner."
"Don't be ridiculous, Edward—of course it's what I want to do! How else will I ever find out what it feels like to have sex on your kitchen counters?"
"You really shouldn't have said that, you know." Edward's eyes turn black as he starts to tug me towards the kitchen.
**************************
THREE MONTHS LATER—"NOBLE SAVAGE" PREMIERE
Forks, Washington
EPOV
Premieres make me so fucking nervous. One would think I'd be used to this by now, but it always feels like my first film. Yeah, it's the premiere that's making me nervous…
"Chief Swan, while Bella is busy upstairs, I'd like to speak with you."
"Your tone is mighty serious, Cullen. I'm assuming that you haven't done anything to my girl."
"Well, I haven't done anything yet. I mean, I want to do something…uh, wait, this isn't coming out right…"
"Just say it…"
"I'm in love with Bella, and I'm going to ask her to marry me tonight."
"You're going to elope?"
"NO! No, I mean, tonight I'm going to ask her. I wanted to tell you ahead of time, in case you had any concerns. I'm trying to ask you for your blessing, sir, but apparently I'm determined to trip over my own two feet in the process."
"Yeah, well, I guess that's just one more indication that you and Bella belong together. Lord knows the woman trips over herself all the time."
"I'm going to ask her before the premiere, as we give the Wonderland Café its swan song."
"You know, Edward, I couldn't stand to part with my girl to anyone who doesn't absolutely, completely deserve her. I need to know that the man she chooses will not only provide for her, but also earn her respect and love on a daily basis. When she moved to LA, I told her that the last thing I want is for her to end up like me."
"I would never hurt her, and I will never leave her. She's like oxygen to me; without her near me, I find it hard to breathe."
"What you're describing to me sounds like smothering, son."
"I'm sorry that I'm not explaining it very well. Bella is unlike any woman I've ever met. She challenges me every day. She keeps me humble and honest, and never lets me take myself too seriously. She completes me. I'd like to say that I do the same for her."
"Honestly, I've never seen Bella so happy. When you two walked into the house this afternoon, I could have sworn she was glowing. The way she looks at you, her whole face just lights up. I've never seen her look like that—after her mother left us, I never thought I'd see her look happy again. Somehow, you've erased the pain of losing her mother and replaced it with something much more important. I simply needed to hear that you are ready to do whatever it takes to keep Bella happy for the rest of her life. You have my complete and absolute blessing, Edward. I'll warn you ahead of time, though—if you ever betray her trust or her love, you're a dead man. Do I make myself clear?"
"Of course. I work hard every day to deserve her, and I plan to keep that up. Thank you, Chief Swan. Your blessing means everything."
"I'll catch up with you two at the movie, okay?"
"Rosalie assured me she has your name on the list."
"Edward." She says my name so softly, it's as if I didn't even hear it. I look up to the top of the stairs, and see my Bella in a beautiful deep blue dress, her dark brown hair falling over her bare shoulders in loose, wavy curls. Everything about her invites me in. Had I not been completely focused on the task at hand, I would have shoved her in the limo and ravaged her senseless.
"You are so stunning, Bella. I'll be so proud to escort you on my arm tonight." I can't resist leaning in for a kiss. I come back to reality when I hear someone clearing their throat. Shit, Charlie! I hear Bella giggle lightly.
"Thank you, Edward. Now don't we have some goodbyes to take care of?"
"Indeed we do. The others promised to meet us over there." I lift up my arm for her, and formally escort her out to the waiting limo.
Once we're safely inside the limo, I pull her towards me.
"Bella," I growl. "You look good enough to eat."
"As much as I would love to contribute to your sex hair look, Laurent will kill me if I mess up my make up and hair. I don't even want to think about what the paps would say if you show up to the premiere with sex hair and lipstick all over your face."
"I wouldn't complain about starting a rumor that you sexed me up before the red carpet…"
I lean in and rub my nose along her neck, taking in her amazing scent. I hear Bella whisper "Fuck it" under her breath, and feel her fingers curl into my hair.
"Just how the hell am I supposed to resist you when you make my heart race?" I hear her croon.
"I could say the same thing, you know."
The second our lips meet, the limo stops. We're at the café. Show time, Edward. Make it good.
I step out of the limo and extend my hand to her. "Are you ready to say goodbye?"
"Should I grab the champagne?"
"Absolutely. We need to give the girl a good send off, after all!"
"Where is everybody else, Edward?" Bella sounds suspicious.
Please, baby, just this once, let it happen. Let it be a surprise.
"I'm not sure, but I told them to be here at 5:00 so we would have plenty of time to close down in style."
"Well, I still have my set of keys, so let's just go inside and wait for them. More champagne for us then, right?" Her devious little smile is perfect.
"After you, my dear."
We walk inside the café, and I can picture myself on that fortuitous day we met. I cringe inwardly at the thought.
We're here to rectify that memory, remember?
I pop the champagne open and pour it into the flutes. Bella clinks her glass to mine and gives a small toast.
"To the new memories we will create together."
"Bella, there's a reason the others aren't here yet."
"What do you mean?"
"There's something that I have to get off my chest, so I needed to be with you, alone. I wanted to stand here, in front of you, in the exact spot where I first laid eyes on your beautiful face. We started out so badly, full of misconceptions and preconceived notions, most of which were my own fault. Who could have imagined I would have the chance to be here, once again, and get the most amazing do-over of my entire life? I tell you every day what a lucky man I am, but I don't think you can truly appreciate just how much I mean it. You are the only woman who will ever be able to keep me both truthful and modest; no one has ever called me out on my bullshit before, but I trust that you will continue to do that for me. You're the only person in the universe who can complete me. You make me want to strive to be the man you see in me, to live up to that potential. I have never been in love with anyone before you, and I will never love anyone but you."
I pause and pull the velvet box out of my tux jacket and bend down on one knee. I can see Bella is stunned into silence, her face completely white, and her hands are clasped over her mouth. I'm hoping to god this means she's happily surprised, and not trying to hold back the dry heaves.
"Isabella Marie Swan, will you be the making of me? Will you be my wife?"
I slide the ring out of the box, holding it between my thumb and index finger. I tenderly take her hand, noticing how badly she is shaking. Again, I'm hopeful this is a sign of being positively overwhelmed, not of reticence. She puts her small, exquisite hand in mine, and I slide the ring carefully onto her finger.
Cullen, you are the luckiest bastard on the planet. If Bella's silence is a "yes," no one else will ever be able to look at her or touch her again. She will be all yours—this perfect, intelligent, witty, caring, passionate woman.
I hear Bella's voice crack with emotion as she speaks: "Edward Cullen, there is no one else with whom I could consider spending the rest of my life. Yes, of course I'll marry you! How the hell did I get so lucky?"
"I was just thinking the same thing about you—how did I ever get so lucky to meet you?"
"I don't really care what the answer is, I'm just so glad it happened. You make me so happy, Edward. I love you so much."
I know she won't want her makeup smeared all over her face before we walk the red carpet, but I have to lean in for a kiss, one small taste of her incredible mouth. She goes into attack dog mode, and my permanently unruly hair becomes even worse than usual. That's all right with me, because every guy looking at Bella on my arm will know that I got some right before we arrived. I'm fucking King of the Hill!
"OH MY GOD! You did not just do that!"
That high-pitched squeal could only come from one place—Alice.
Cockblocked again, Goddammit!
"Alice, I'm going to get married!" Bella squeals back in excitement, her face beaming.
As Bella and Alice embrace and scream and cry, Jasper shakes my hand and gives me a pat on the shoulder.
"You crazy SOB, you really did it! How did you manage to keep it a secret?"
"I didn't tell anyone."
"Not even Esme?"
"Nope. Speaking of which, I better call her or I'll be in heaps of hurt."
I catch Jasper looking at me funny.
"Umm, Edward, you didn't happen to have Bella sitting on her work station when you proposed, did you?"
"Yes, why?" I answer warily. Alice is suddenly quiet and giving Jasper a serious look.
"Oh, it's just that it would be easy to stain Bella's dress, I just wanted to make sure Laurent wasn't going to be coming after your ass."
"Since when do you care about Laurent and what he does to me?"
"Dude, you're my best friend. I'm always looking out for you."
Jasper and Alice start cracking up, to the point where they can't even talk they're laughing so hard.
Emmett pipes in. "Oh, you guys did not…" he says, as he points his finger back and forth between the couple and the work station.
Emmett suddenly joins in the laughter. Rose, Bella, and I stand there in confusion. We wait for their laughter to die down. Jasper speaks first.
"Well, it's just that, when I came to apologize to Alice, I apologized on that work station."
I shake my head in confusion. "So?"
"Edward, we made up on the table. Several times."
Alice chimes in, "You could actually say we made out on that table."
Bella's mouth drops open. "You did not!"
Alice vehemently nods her head. "Oh yes, we did!"
"You could have warned me, Alice!"
"How was I supposed to know Edward would propose to you on the work station?"
"Oh, that is just so many shades of wrong!" Her beautiful blush spreads across her face.
I start to crack up, too. It is pretty funny, when you come to think of it. Bella shakes her head and pours champagne for everyone. We go around the circle and make toasts.
"To Bella, thank you for saying yes to my proposal."
She answers me. "To Edward, thank you for deciding to film in Forks, Washington."
Alice pipes up, "To Jasper, thank you for apologizing to me all over Bella's work station." Bella squeaks and pretends she has the shivers.
"To Alice, for accepting all my apologies and moving to LA."
"To Rose, for convincing me to open Wonderland Catering in LA."
"To Emmett, for not putting up with any of my shit."
"To Edward, where in God's name is the champagne for your Mother and Father? Don't we get to celebrate the happy occasion?"
Bella runs over to Esme to show her my ring and tell her all about the proposal. While my Mom and my girl gush over the specifics, my Dad gives me a firm handshake and his hearty congratulations. "I never thought I would live to see the day, but I can happily say it seems like you got just as lucky as I did in love. I'm really happy for you, Son."
"Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate it."
Leave it to Rosalie to keep us all on schedule. "It is about five minutes past the time when we should be at the Forks High gym. Let's haul ass, people! We have a schedule to keep."
My hand locks with Bella's and we head towards the door. She stops me momentarily.
"Wait, everyone. We need to toast Alice's Wonderland Café and Mad Tea Party. Without it, I think it is safe to say that none of us would have found each other. We have a lot to be grateful for," Bella says, with a note of seriousness. "Thank you, oh noble café, for listening to my bad singing at 4 AM, for brewing pots and pots of lovely coffee to keep me going, for providing work surfaces and make out spots. Most of all, thank you for bringing Edward to me. I will miss you. To the Wonderland Café!"
Everyone holds up their glasses and clinks them together as we have one last toast before leaving the café for good. The limo driver takes a photo of us standing on front of the building, and we say goodbye to the place that served as a catalyst for so much true love.
END NOTE: The epilogue will detail how James and Renee fare in "The Amazing Race," and we get to play catch up with all of our couples at a very special event. The good news is that the epi is nearly complete, and will post shortly. The bad news is that it is the end.