Author's Notes:

I have to apologize for the reeeeeeeally long break in posting anything for you guys. As a peace offering, I'll be posting the rest of this story entirely and hope to have most of the sequel up for you all by the weekend. That one isn't finished yet, but I'm hoping to get it done soon, if my muse will just perk up. She's been a bit on the apathetic side lately. Breaking Dawn Part I was spectacular, so maybe it will kick start my creative side. :o)

As always, things are in Leia's POV unless otherwise stated. I should probably post another disclaimer, too. I don't own or intend to make profit off of anything related to Twilight. My musings are just for my fun and the fun of others. :)

I looked through Esme's eyes at my image in the mirror on the back of Alice's bedroom door. I felt like a fairy princess in my silk gown. It was deep red with a pleated bodice and a black sash that was knotted at my hip and fell to my knees in a waterfall of beaded crystal fringe. The full skirt floated and swirled around my legs, ending in a flare just above my knees. I twirled to get the full effect and sighed happily. I saw Esme's joyful expression in the mirror and turned to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"You look beautiful, Leia. You will be the belle of the ball tonight." Esme's quiet comment would have certainly caused a blush if I'd been capable of one. I ducked my head and she put her hand against my cheek and lifted my face. "My darling daughter."

"My beautiful mother." I returned the sentiment softly, my fingertips tracing the lines of her face. Esme wrapped me up in a hug that might have put Emmett's strength to shame. Then she released me and took my hand, drawing me out of Alice and Jasper's room and into the room she shared with Carlisle.

I loved this room. The mingled smell of Carlisle's spicy cocoa and Esme's vanilla and lavender wrapped around me like a comforting cloak. Esme pulled me in front of their chest of drawers and opened her jewelry box. She selected a necklace of multiple strands of delicate black glass beads twisted together. A pendant hung from the strands, a delicate heart made up of dozens of clear glass filaments. Suspended inside the cage of glass were my initials in a delicate setting of tiny opals.

"We had this made for you as a graduation present, but I think it is appropriate now. We also got you a plain gold chain to wear it with, but Alice thought the beads would go nicely with the dress." Esme smiled as she fastened the clasp underneath my hair. I reached up and almost hesitated to touch the pendant for fear I would break it.

"It is beautiful, mom. Thank you so much." I was touched by the gesture. In a family where money was not an issue, true gifts were rare. The fact that it was something as delicate as glass meant they trusted my control enough that I wouldn't break it. Esme cupped my face in her hands and kissed both my cheeks.

"You are worth more to us than anything, sweetheart. Remember that, always."

"Love you, mom," I whispered quietly and she hugged me again, careful not to crush my new necklace between us. Then she pushed me towards the door.

"Go, your father is waiting. Don't forget that I'll be taking my turn after graduation. I just have to think of something to one up your father."

As I moved down the stairs I heard Carlisle's chuckle, probably at his wife's comment. I grinned and held out my hand at the bottom of the stairs and he took it, tucking it around his elbow. I caught the reflection of his tuxedo in the windows through his eyes and whistled softly.

"Well, won't all the girls be jealous tonight. I've got the best looking man on my arm, bar none." I gave Carlisle a cheeky smile and he laughed softly.

"I think we'll turn a few heads, the two of us. You look beautiful, Leia." And with that we headed out the door. The house was pretty quiet behind us. Alice was at Bella's and Edward, Jasper, Emmett and Rose were all hunting. I knew Esme was working on her plans for Edward and Bella's cottage tonight and would enjoy her quiet evening.

The drive to Seattle was pleasant. Carlisle and I talked about graduation and the trip he and Esme were planning to take me on. I was looking forward to seeing Europe through the eyes of my parents. I was relieved, however, when Carlisle made no mention of visiting Italy. We hadn't set any dates yet, as we were still unsure when Bella and Edward's wedding would be. Not to mention the question of Bella's change.

Carlisle stopped the Mercedes in valet parking and came around to help me from the car, his eyes showing me the curb and the path to the doors so I wouldn't trip. He glanced at the valet briefly and I noted that the young man's eyes were lingering on me. I turned my face, resisting the urge to bury it in Carlisle's shoulder.

"Thank you." Carlisle thanked the gentleman and handed over his keys before tucking my hand around his arm again and leading the way into McCaw Hall. I was immediately bombarded with the smell of a hundred different perfumes and dozens of conversations running the gambit from excited to bored. I tuned them out as best I could and stopped breathing all together. I could literally say I was breathless with anticipation.

I had never been to the ballet. As a human I was, of course, blind and it was pointless. Not that my parents could have afforded the tickets regardless. As a vampire, I had not yet been comfortable enough with my control to voluntarily put myself into a theatre setting. Alice and Carlisle were both willing to sit with me though recorded performances, but to see a real, live ballet had always been a secret desire of mine. Of course with a brother like Edward, nothing was ever truly a secret.

"Coppelia? Oh, I've always wanted to see this. Thank you." I hugged Carlisle's arm against my side and touched his face. He was smiling down at me. I wasn't wearing my glasses tonight. It would have drawn too much attention to us. There were already whispers. Most people assumed Carlisle was my older brother but there were those that thought we were a couple. My hand on his face gave fuel to the fire so I dropped it and instead borrowed the eyes of those around us to see my father's face.

"It has always been a favorite of mine." Carlisle had told me all about the time he had traveled with a ballet troupe. In exchange for medical care, he had been given dance lessons. He had learned from the best and had actually gone on to dance for the troupe. Never lead, of course, but he had enjoyed the experience.

"And I'm certain now that it will always be a favorite of mine as well," I said sincerely. Carlisle pulled me close for a hug and then led me through the crowded lobby and up a stairwell. We had a private box, of course. The sound of the orchestra tuning up in the pit made me bounce a bit in my chair. I stopped when I heard the distinctive sound of wood creaking under my weight. Carlisle chuckled softly and rested his hand on my knee so that I could 'see' everything.

Nearly three hours later, Carlisle and I waited on the walkway for the Mercedes to be brought around and I was talking non-stop about the ballet. Carlisle was listening with a fond expression on his face, as seen through the eyes of the curious patrons alongside us.

"I'm pleased you enjoyed yourself, my girl. We'll have to do this more often." Carlisle's promise earned him a kiss on the cheek. As I always did when this close to my father, I drew in a deep breath. Usually I was able to ignore all the scents except for Carlisle's, but something else caught my attention. Freshly spilled human blood. Copious amounts of it. I tensed and whispered to Carlisle. Just that moment, the Mercedes pulled in. Carlisle helped me into the car quickly and we pulled away from the curb. He drove a half mile down the street and then he pulled the car over.

"Can you find it, Leia? It might be someone I can help." I nodded, gritting my teeth against the inevitable bloodlust and got out of the car. With Carlisle holding my elbow, I navigated us towards the smell. We entered an industrial area about two blocks from the theatre and Carlisle asked me to stop.

"I've got it now, Leia. Wait here." And he was gone. I could tell from the fading smell that the blood was cooling rapidly. I didn't think Carlisle would be able to save whoever it was. But in that moment, as the smell of blood was no longer strong enough to cloud my thoughts, I recognized another scent. I growled softly and wished I could run after Carlisle, but I didn't know the way around this part of Seattle. I could very well take out a wall or a streetlight if I tried to go to him.

"Carlisle," I called softly. He was still well within range. "I smell Victoria."

"I know. I smell her too. I'm coming back to you." And he was at my side in seconds. He grabbed my hand and we ran back to the car.

"What did you find?" I asked cautiously.

"She bit a young man, but she didn't finish her kill. He bled out, though, too quickly for the venom to have any chance of changing him." I shuddered at the thought as Carlisle placed an anonymous call to the police.

"Do you think she wanted to turn him? Or just prolong his pain?" I asked the question quietly. It took a lot of control to stop before all the blood was drained from a human body and she would not have without reason.

"I don't know, Leia. If I had to guess I'd say she was trying to turn him. But...I just don't know." Carlisle's voice conveyed his frustration and I sighed softly. He called Alice after that and they talked for several minutes before Carlisle said we would all talk about it later and hung up. After that we were quiet for several minutes. I knew Carlisle was thinking things over and I didn't want to distract him.

"I'm so very sorry, Leia." Carlisle's apology startled me and I tilted my head at him questioningly.

"For what?"

"That your night ended on such a dreary note."

"Oh, well, tonight is still one of the best nights of my life, Dad. I will not let Victoria ruin my memory of it. We just have something else to focus on for a while before I can sit down with Esme and tell her all about it," I told him gently. He was quiet for a moment and then he sighed.

"Well, on the bright side, you have a reason to call Adam." The gentle teasing tone in my father's voice shocked me. I reached across the seat and up to his face. He wore a slight smile. I shook my head.

"Wow, I expected you to be with Edward on this one, dad. Don't you want to tell me how the wolves are from the devil and that I should keep fraternization to a minimum?" And yes, that last bit about fraternization was a direct quote from Edward. The devil part was my personal summation of his attitude towards all things wolfy.

"Just...don't rush into anything. I'm all for making friends with the Quileutes, but I don't think most of the tribe feels the same way."

"The idea doesn't sit very well with some of our family, either," I mentioned wryly. "Edward, for one. Not to mention Rose."

"With Edward, his concern is mostly for Bella. He worries about her being around the wolves and his overprotectiveness tends to spill over." Then I felt his mouth lift, briefly, into a bigger smile. "And, well, you know Rose. She's just worried we'll never get the smell out of the house if things get serious between the two of you."

"I'm almost tempted to invite him over just to hear her yell," I said with a grin. The smile on Carlisle's face disappeared.

"Leia," Carlisle's stern voice held an underlying note of worry.

"I know. I know. Minimum fraternization," I grumbled. Carlisle put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently.

"For now, my girl. For now."

Impasse. That was the word Edward used to describe the situation with the Quileutes. It wasn't the one I wanted to use, but that was just my frustration talking. It had been three weeks since Sarah, Adam and Jacob had visited Bella's home. I hadn't seen any of them since that day. Victoria had left the area, even if only across the sound to terrorize Seattle, so the Quileute Elders thought there was no need for futher talk about the treaty. Alice kept looking forward, but she had not seen hide nor hair of the red-headed vampire, so we had yet to push the issue.

At least Bella was able to visit La Push. Granted Edward was still wary about the thought of her out of his sight and in werewolf territory, but he was trying his best to be understanding. She had spent Friday night there, after getting a pardon from her house arrest from Charlie. She had regaled me with the stories they'd told around the bonfire when I'd come over to her house this morning. Some of their stories were interesting, and others were morbidly fascinating. Like the story of the third wife. To distract Bella from her musings about self sacrifice for love, I suggested we watch a movie. Something silly and mindless. We had settled on Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

"So, is Sarah going nuts with all the wedding stuff?" I asked as the credits began rolling. I had decided to have a go at the wedding conversation. I hoped Alice was watching.

"Hmm...no. They are keeping it simple. All she has to worry about is her dress and invitations. There are about a dozen women around the rez coordinating food for the reception and decorations. It'll be nice." Bella's comments were said with a smile. She was happy for Sarah and Jacob, obviously.

"Wow, that sounds extremely low maintenance. Perhaps the only good thing about bad vampire/werewolf relations. Alice would turn it into a circus. A tasteful, well managed circus, but..." I trailed off with a giggle. I was exaggerating a little bit. Alice was nothing if not a masterful party planner. She didn't get to show off her skills very often, though, so she did tend to go a bit overboard when she had the chance.

"Probably," Bella agreed with me and even chuckled herself. I smiled.

"Just imagine the insanity when she gets the chance to help you plan your wedding. Maybe you and Edward should just elope to Paris or something."

"Paris sounds nice, but...it will probably be nicer at home. It's not like I'll be able to invite any family and friends, so what's the use in planning a big to-do?" Bella's voice was wry, but she obviously considered marrying Edward as a possibility. One less obstacle in my plans.

"Why not? Oh, you mean because you'll already be...one of us?" I asked, carefully avoiding the use of the word 'vampire'. I really wished I could see Bella's face, but she wasn't looking at me so I had no reflections to help me gauge her reactions.

"Yes." Bella's quiet answer twisted my heart. I heard the wealth of emotion behind that single syllable. Hope mingled with sadness, mixed with joy. I knew how much Bella wanted to become like us. She wanted so badly to be Edward's equal, his true partner.

"Why wait, then? Get married before your change. You know, human experience and all." I suggested this as nonchalantly as possible, hoping to get a completely candid response. I did. Bella snorted softly.

"Renee would have a heart attack. I don't want her to think I'm making the same mistakes she made."

"You don't want to get married because you're afraid your mother won't approve?" I asked in surprise. Bella sighed.

"Suffice it to say she has some very intense opinions about getting married before you're thirty. I was raised to think marriage, especially at a young age, is a bad thing. Really, Leia, marriage is nowhere near the top of my list of priorities. I'm only eighteen!" Oh dear, Bella was agitated now. I could either stop or continue to push. Edward would insist I stop, so out of some sick sense of perversity I pushed.

"Then you're worried you might change your mind about Edward, or him about you?" I asked, almost fearing her answer. She sighed and shook her head.

"It has nothing to do with commitment. He's my one and forever only love. But marriage, at my age, it's...it's..." she trailed of in frustration. "Look what it did to Renee and Charlie!"

"That's your mother talking, Bella. Look at Sarah and Jacob. She's only 17 and he's technically only 16 himself, even if he looks twenty something," I said. "Do you think they're making a mistake getting married so young?"

Bella's eyes grew wide and she sputtered a bit before answering, as if struggling to find words to defend her argument without insulting her friends' decision to marry. "Well, no, not really. I mean, there's the imprint. They'll never want anyone else and the tribe understands that completely."

"And you and Edward will never want anyone else. Vampires mate for life, Bella, just like the wolves. They just don't have some magical moment that ties them together," I said softly.

"I don't have a problem marrying him once I'm changed, Leia. I just...not while I'm still human. Everyone will draw the wrong conclusions."

"What conclusions?" I pressed, needing to know what she was talking about, what she was thinking.

"That I'm the kind of girl that marries just out of high school because they either get pregnant or don't think they can do better. Or don't want to do better. I'm not that kind of girl!" Bella had her arms crossed over her chest and she was glaring at me. I finally had a reflection and it wasn't a good one. I knew from Alice's visions the direction I had to steer the conversation to get a better reaction. I was just loathe to do it. I didn't see much choice in the matter however.

"What does it matter what other people think? Anyone that knows you, knows you aren't that kind of girl. But Edward...he's old fashioned. He thinks of marriage as something special and he wants you to be his wife. He's going to pop the question sooner or later, Bella," I said gently.

"Hopefully later than sooner," she grumbled, but I could tell she was weakening, so I played my trump card.

"Well, I'm glad Edward isn't with Alice tonight. He'd be devastated to think you don't want to marry him." Bella blushed and I could sense that she opened her mouth several times before she finally spoke.

"Oh, Leia, I do want to marry Edward. Eventually. But its not like we have to rush into it. We'll have an eternity."

"Yes, but you'll only be human for a little while longer, Bella. Don't you want to tell the world that Edward belongs to you and no one else? If for no other reason than to see Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory explode with envy?" I wheedled.

"Almost tempting, but no," Bella said wryly, I heard the wistfulness in her voice as she no doubt imagined the scene. "I would be too worried about my mother having a massive coronary to enjoy it."

"What if Renee gave you her blessing?" I asked. Bella snorted again.

"When pigs fly." Then she laughed. "Honestly, Lei, there is one reason I'd be willing to marry Edward before I'm changed and I know he'll never agree to it."

Well, this was one outcome Alice hadn't mentioned. I raised an eyebrow at Bella.

"And what, pray tell, would be worth risking your mother's delicate heart health?"

"He would have to promise me a honeymoon. A real honeymoon if you get my meaning." Bella's tone spoke volumes and I couldn't help but gape at her for a second or two.

"You want to have sex with him while you're still human?" I blurted out. Evidently my brain was still running to catch up with my mouth. I sensed Bella's deep blush and clapped my hand over my mouth. My phone chose that moment to ring the tones of Black Magic Woman. I ignored it.

"Bella, do you know how dangerous..." I started but she interupted me quickly.

"Of course I know. But what's the worst that could happen? He breaks me and has to change me early? Maybe, but I doubt it. I trust Edward's control and so should he. If I marry Edward, the honeymoon will be part of the package. I'll get the whole human experience or none of it."

I couldn't think of anything to say at just that moment, so I pursed my lips and listened as my phone rang again. And again. I was considering how very hard it was for me, for any of us, to rein in our strength enough just to touch Bella. Granted it became easier with practice, but the simple act of hugging my best friend wasn't simple at all. Every second my body was in contact with hers, I had a mental mantra going reminding me to be careful. I could never, ever touch her absentmindedly. How much harder then would it be for Edward to control his strength during a night of passion? She was right. He would never agree to it.

"You should answer that. I wouldn't put it past Alice to ditch her date night with Jasper if you don't." Bella broke the relative silence after a moment. She had a point, but I was almost reluctant to talk to my sister. There wouldn't be a big white wedding now. Alice was going to kill me.

End Notes:

For anyone that reviews, I'll be honest and say the review system on ffn stumps me. I'll try to figure it out so I can reply to any review that makes me smile. Don't bother to flame. If you don't like it, don't read it. If you have constructive critisism, I'll gladly read it but don't expect me to change anything unless its something that makes me smack my forehead and go 'Whoops, what was a I thinking?'. Tah!