Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer and do not own any of the characters in the Twilight Series; I'm just a fan having some fun. No copywrite infringement intended.

Chapter 25

Hello everyone. I had a little mix up with my documents and posted an incomplete one on the previous chapter, Chapter 24. I've already fixed it, so I would love if you could go back and just read the ending, the second to last paragraph, because that's the part that was missing. I would truly hate for the scenario to be incomplete, even if it's only a little bit. Thanks and enjoy!

Nessie's POV

One by one my family walked out of the little cabin Aunt Alice had set up for us. First it was grandma and grandpa, then Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett, then Aunt Alice and Uncle Jazz, then mom by herself followed by my maid of honor, Amanda, who had met up with us at the big house just minutes before coming here. I peeked out through the gaps between the wooden boards that enclosed the cabin. Little Clair had been chosen to be the flower girl, so she'd been the first one to walk down the aisle sprinkling petals all over the place. I smiled to myself thinking how Quil probably had a heart attack upon watching her do this, looking as cute as a button.

Because of the location of the cabin, behind a cluster of palm trees, I could only make out the first few feet of the aisle and then nothing. I watched with anticipation as they all made their way toward it and then disappeared from sight. Jacob was at the end of that aisle, waiting. My heart quickly picked up the pace and before I knew it, dad was holding my hand and guiding me out of the cabin.

"Just breathe and Nessie…"

"Yes…?"

"Please don't burst into a run once you see him." – I smiled at dad for knowing exactly what my impulse would be. I nodded, far too nervous to formulate a coherent response, took hold of his arm and began to walk focusing on the music and its rhythm, trying to keep my pace even and slow despite the burning desire to finally be next to Jake.

Everyone stood up once they saw me, but they were all a blur of faces; tanned ones to my right and pale ones to my left. Once we began to walk down the aisle, I saw him. I had to hold my breath and steady myself, otherwise I'd start running just like dad had predicted or simply faint from the lack of air my lungs were getting. He looked gorgeous… more than gorgeous. His suit made him look so sexy and debonair it was hard to walk straight, the whiteness of his shirt contrasting with his beautiful chocolate skin and the cut of the suit enhancing his strong masculine frame. He was barefoot, like me and most of the guests; Aunt Alice had thrown a fit at this but on this occasion, didn't stand a chance; it was a beach wedding after all.

After my eyes took in his amazing body, I was shocked to finally gaze into his face. There are no words to describe the overwhelming look on it. It felt as if he'd never seen me before, as if this was the first time and he was imprinting in that very moment. His eyes were filled with tears, looking into mine with nothing but pure adoration and longing, probably mirroring my own devotion. His hair was falling over his eyes, just the way I like it, making his face the most amazing thing I'd ever see in my long life. I tuned everything out and searched for his heart, finding that it was beating as frantically as mine. As if he'd guessed what I was doing, he smiled; not his usual huge grin, but a somewhat impish half smile. That was all it took, because before I could stop myself I broke loose from my dad and ran the rest of the way, causing everyone to burst out in laughter and a few of Jacob's pack members to whistle. I jumped into his arms just as he opened them for me, a move we'd perfected since I was a child, and I did the only thing I would ever want to do; I kissed him. The kiss wasn't inappropriate or over-the-top, otherwise my dad would have stopped it, but it was passionate and deep.

We broke apart just a few seconds later, both grinning like idiots. Jacob put me down and I turned toward dad who was now right behind me; he simply smiled and shook his head in amused disapproval, taking both my hands and kissing them. His eyes were intense as he stood there, taking me in as if for the last time. He then turned his gaze toward Jacob and nodded, whispering –"now she is yours."

Jacob's face twitched, holding back the tears my dad's words had surely caused him. Dad turned back and sat next to mom, who looked just as emotional and affected.

Old Quil began the ceremony, that to be honest, I didn't hear a word of. I was too entranced with Jacob that paying attention to what was being said seemed far too trivial and of less importance. Once or twice Old Quil had to nudge us when there was something to be done or some words to be said.

"And now we will proceed to the placement of the wedding bands, a symbol of undying and eternal love as well as commitment to one another. The rings please…"

Amanda gave me Jacob's band as Quil gave Jacob mine. We placed the rings on each other's fingers, repeating the words Old Quil spoke. The feeling of the band on my skin was wonderful, like it'd been a piece of my body that had been severed off and now was being placed back; like an appendage I never knew I had but once I got it back realized just how much I'd missed it. Jacob smiled up at me upon taking in the sight of our hands with the rings. The ceremony went on, with several rituals and words spoken out in Quileute.

Finally it was down to the vows and again my nerves started to act out. This was it; the moment I'd been waiting for, the words that would seal the deal and complete my dream. I inhaled as Old Quil motioned for Jacob to speak first.

"Nessie… I don't know what I could say that I haven't said to you before. You know that you own my heart… my whole heart and everything else that comes with it. From the moment I looked into your familiar brown eyes there was no going back, no denying the all encompassing truth… that everything I've lived, that everything I am and everything I will ever be is forever yours and was always meant to be yours. You're my gravity and from now on, I will go wherever you go and do whatever you need me to do. I promise I'll be the best husband I can be and love you for the rest of our lives."

I hadn't noticed I was crying until Amanda slid her hand under my arm and offered me a tissue. Jacob's eyes were also full of tears; tears so precious it felt wrong for them to roll down his perfect face and fall on the sand, getting lost forever. I wiped my face and took in a shaky breath, knowing it was my turn. Jacob smiled encouragingly at me, reading the anxiety on my face.

"Jacob… every single one of the happy memories I have of my life have you in them. You've always been my best friend, my knight in shining armor, my soul mate and the only person that could ever make me complete. And it's not because of some mystical love spell or some genetic match; it's because you know me and I know you better than anyone else, because you're the bravest, funniest and most kind hearted person I know, because the mere sight of you makes my heart swell up with joy and because let's face it, no one else could put up with my crazy family…"

Everyone laughed, including Jacob, who placed his hands on my waist and pulled me closer to him, so it felt like we were doing this completely alone. I breathed in again, this time to shake of the nervousness his closeness was producing.

"… what I'm trying to say is… I love you Jacob, not just because I was always meant to, but because of the man you are and the woman you helped me become. I don't want to spend a single second without you and I can't wait to be your wife."

Jacob's eyes lit up and a huge grin emerged, as he leaned down to kiss me but stopped short when Old Quil cleared his throat and everyone giggled in their seats. He smiled at us before continuing.

"Jacob Ephraim Black, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And do you, Renesmee Carlie Cullen take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Then, by the powers invested in me by the State of Washington and the Quileute Tribal Council, I now pronounce you husband and wife… now you can kiss her."

Everyone cheered as Jacob leaned down and sweetly kissed me. I wanted more but knew that soon enough we'd get our chance to go all out and that right now, in front of our entire family and friends, it was a bit out of the question.

"We did it."

"I know."

"You almost gave me a heart attack by the way… did the dress have to be so skimpy?"

"Sorry, my aunts are to blame."

"Remind me to thank them later… you look like an angel."

We turned to face the cheering and clapping crowd and after that everything was a blur. We were escorted toward a private area of the beach were a photographer, who probably works for Vogue or some famous magazine considering he was Emmett's wedding present, took our pictures. I could tell Jacob was a bit uncomfortable posing for the camera, especially since the photographer was clearly gay and kept directing Jacob with lines like "oh yeah, love it… now more intensity, make those beautiful eyes of yours sparkle" or "come on, come on, give it to me… yeah, now more sexy."

When we were done there, it was time to come into the reception area. It was even more beautiful and elegant than I could have imagined. All the tables had these tall crystal vases filled with all sorts of wild flowers and surrounded by tiny sphere candles. The chairs were covered with white satin and had a lavender fabric tied at the center of the back support, ending in a beautiful bow. The sandy floor was covered with this very thick and luxurious white fabric, making it really delicious to walk on, especially barefoot. In the far corner, Aunt Alice had placed a wooden platform as a dance floor, with a stage in the back where a band was already settled and playing "The way you look tonight". The ceiling was amazing, made up of white fabric draped one on top of the other, like some sort of intricate tent, and there were these really cool looking sphere lamps hanging at different heights. It smelled delicious, maybe because the whole space was filled with exotic flowers or maybe because everyone had worn perfume today, who knows.

Before I knew it, I was surrounded by vampires. Zafrina, Kachiri, Senna, Maggie, Liam, Siobhan, Alistair, Charles and Makenna all came to greet me, musing about how old I'd gotten and how beautiful I looked. It was weird to see them all with brown eyes, having gotten used to seeing them with their eyes blood red; Aunt Alice had really thought of everything, ordering the contact lenses weeks before the wedding. Jacob felt more than a little uncomfortable with their proximity so he opted to go say hi to his own guests.

I took turns talking to each one of them, my mind curious to know what they'd been up to all these years. The first ones to leave were Maggie, Liam and Siobhan, followed by Alistair, Charles and Makenna. Kachiri and Senna went to speak to grandpa as Zafrina stayed with me. I had forgotten how wonderful she was; the bond we'd established when I was a child quickly returning and becoming even more present.

"You are very much in love… I'm very happy."

"Thank you, I'm so glad you came."

"So… your mother was telling me about the werewolves…" – I had to interrupt her, because this wasn't the kind of conversation I wanted to have on my wedding day.

"Zafrina… I really don't want to talk about that."

"Your right, it's not proper conversation for the festivities… can I… can I just say something? Because I fear once I leave today we won't see or speak to each other in quite some time."

"Of course."

"I had a dream… more like a vision… of your mate… he was in trouble… it's probably nothing…" – Just as I was about to enter into full panic mode, dad came over to rescue me.

"Edward! Good to see you."

"As you Zafrina, are you staying long?"

"No… as a matter of fact, we should get going, I doubt Kachiri and Senna will be able to restrain themselves for much longer with all these humans." – She turned toward me, her face trying to hide worry. – "I love you very much Renesmee… take care of yourself… and him."

She left without another word, leaving me just a tiny bit on edge. She'd had a dream, nothing more, and was concerned, but for no reason; I told myself, knowing deep down inside Zafrina would never worry over nothing.

"Today is not the day for worries or bad omens… alright?" – Dad smiled at me and with that smile, took away my apprehension and brought me right back to the happiness of the day.

"Besides, you have more pressing matters."

"Like what?"

"Well, for one… your first dance." – Dad signaled to the dance floor at the same time that Aunt Alice took the microphone and spoke.

"And now, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Black will hit the floor for their first dance as husband and wife. Join me in giving them round of applause!" – Everyone got up and started clapping. Dad stepped back as Jacob approached me, taking my hand and leading me to the dance floor. The band began to play "At last", a song I'm sure Aunt Rose must have picked out. We made it to the center and began to slow dance.

"It just hit me… we've never danced before… not once."

"What about when you used to twirl me around when I was a kid."

"Mmm… that doesn't count." – He smiled and twirled me, to which everyone clapped.

"So what do you think? So far?" – He pulled me closer, making me forget what I'd asked in the first place.

"Well… it's not eloping in Las Vegas… but…" – I giggled, causing him to press his forehead to mine and gently kiss me. – "It's better than anything I could have wanted."

"Good."

"I still can't believe you're my wife… this is insane."

"I know… just think, after this we'll have an entire week just to ourselves… no interruptions." – I heard Jacob's heart skip a beat, making my face flush red. I had been dreaming of the honeymoon long before we actually knew where we were going.

The whole "give us your options and we'll take the best one as a wedding gift" turned out to be more complicated then we had expected. For a moment it seemed like we would have to find a place ourselves.

Grandma and grandpa had offered Isle Esme for our honeymoon location, but the idea of consummating my marriage in the same place where my parents had, and conceived me as well, was definitely more creepy than romantic; so our answer was no. Aunt Rose and Uncle Em proposed their cabin in Vermont; their luxurious vacation house overlooking the mountains with access to a private skiing area, the kind that often appears in Christmas cards. Even though snuggling up in a comfy wooden cabin with snow all around seemed utterly dreamy, Jacob reminded me of all the things Rose and Emmett had probably done inside that very house, considering they always have to remodel it after their getaways. That again was really disturbing, especially for Jacob, so we both politely declined that offer as well.

Mom and dad hadn't actually acquired any estates since they married; mostly because every place for sale they went to see seemed far too expensive and extravagant for mom. So all dad could offer was renting out a Vila in Paris. With 6 different gardens, 50 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, gold engravings and Renascence paintings from floor to ceiling, crystal chandeliers and a staff of 8 including a butler, it was definitely a nice offer but far too pretentious for us. "Your dad is such a snob", Jacob had said, laughing upon seeing the brochure my dad's realtor had sent him. I couldn't even picture my sweet Jacob walking around barefoot and shirtless in a place originally owned by men who wore like three different layers of clothing, tights and pointy shoes. So again, we had to decline their proposition.

That of course had left us with whatever Uncle Jazz and Aunt Alice had to offer, because I was definitely not taking up on Quil and Embry's offer to send us to Disneyland. "But you can eat breakfast with Goofy!!!" Quil had interjected, trying to convince me that their offer for our honeymoon was the best; "whatever, that's where I'm taking Clair bear" was his response to my definite "no", causing us all to burst out in laughter.

So at the end, it had come down to Aunt Alice and Uncle Jazz's propose. We really were expecting the worst when Alice simply handed us a picture of the most beautiful little village; houses with white walls and white roofs overlooking the most sparkling blue water you'd ever see. And once Jacob and I had turned to her for an explanation, she'd simply said one magical word… Greece. So that's where we were headed after the reception, Greece. Alice had been stubborn and had not wanted to share with us any details, but had promised we'd love it, and since it was the best offer by a long run, we took it.

"A week's not enough." – Jacob's reply brought me back from my thoughts.

"Well… the honeymoon is just a week, but we'll get to be together always."

"Together yes, alone… not so much. Speaking of which…" – Jacob pulled back from me as dad approached us.

"May I dance with the bride?" – Jake simply shrugged his shoulders and stepped back, only to find grandma asking to dance with him as well.

We danced two more songs like that, switching partners so that I got a chance to dance with all the men in my family as well as all the wolves in Jacob's pack, except for Paul who decided to stick with Rachel just to annoy Jacob with his lack of participation.

Even grandpa Charlie, who's not what you'd call a "dancer", took his turn with me and then with mom, smiling in a way I don't think I'd ever seen before. In fact, everyone seemed to be in good spirits. As I danced with the last guy on my list, Uncle Jazz, I watched everyone around me have a great time. Quil had little Clair in his arms, her legs dangling as he swayed her from side to side; Mom was dancing with Billy now, taking his hands and moving his wheelchair to the beat of the music, dancing being something I'm told she used to be clumsy at before becoming a vampire; then there was Uncle Em and Aunt Rose, hitting the floor in a way that would have put any professional ballroom dancer to shame, due to the numerous classes Aunt Rose had forced him to take with her. Amanda was dancing in the far corner with Kyle, her next door neighbor and current crush, whom she'd brought as her date. It felt nice to be able to share this with her, even though I knew I'd have a lot of explaining to do, like why on Earth would my "brother" aka Edward give me away instead of my "father" aka Carlisle.

"You're anxious." – Uncle Jazz wasn't asking.

"I'm fine… I was just thinking that maybe it wasn't a good idea to invite Amanda, because maybe she'll catch on to all the things that don't add up… you know?"

"Don't worry… Edward's been monitoring her thoughts; and when she wondered why he had given you away instead of Carlisle… well, Edward clever enough came up to her, struck up a conversation and told her some made up story about how he's your favorite brother and how when you where little you used to play that you got married and made him promise that he'd give you away if you ever did get married."

"That's a pretty good story."

"I thought so too… she totally bought it by the way. And that's all; she hasn't had any more questioning thoughts, except for whether she should kiss the kid goodnight or not… but Edward stopped listening by then." – I couldn't help but giggle and look over to Amanda, who was severely flirting with Kyle.

"I'm guessing that's a "yes"."

"From her mood, I'd say so too." – Jasper smiled wickedly.

"Mind if I dance with my wife?" – Jacob suddenly appeared next to us, patting Uncle Jazz in the back as he nodded and went to find Alice. Jacob wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer so that the tips of our noses were almost touching.

"So… can we now finally spend some time together?" – Just as he was saying it, dad took over the microphone and informed the guests that the buffet meal was ready; so everyone stopped dancing and made their way to the line, except for my side of the family of course.

"Come on." – I pulled Jacob toward the back of the stage, hoping to at least make out with him for a bit before it was time for the toasts. He laughed and followed me; glancing back to see if anyone was paying attention to us.

I pulled the curtain that separated the social area from the back of the stage, only to be shocked by what I saw. Jacob ran into me as I abruptly stopped in front of him, and let go of my hand as he too witnessed the shocking scenario in front of us. It lasted for a split second, but with our enhanced senses, it was all it took for us to gather the entire nasty picture.

Leah, with her long flowing tangerine dress, pressed up against the wooden wall with Embry no less, holding her tightly and kissing her! Our interruption made them stop and distance themselves from one another. Leah was flushed and fixing the straps on her dress, that had suspiciously come down, and Embry, with his goofball face looking away from us as he pulled at his bowtie nervously.

Jacob and I stood there, completely mute at what we'd just seen. I even stupidly blinked twice, hoping it'd been a mistake, that maybe it wasn't even them making out in the middle of my wedding; but was disappointed when I realized it was them as well as completely confused as to why. Thankfully, Jacob got a hold of himself and was able to speak, more like scream, the words I so desperately wanted to utter.

"What the hell?!"

"This… this isn't what it looks like." – Embry seemed afraid of Jacob, like maybe this represented some sort of wolf law breaking of some sort.

"It looks like the two of you were making out!"

"Um… ok… so it is what it looks like… but more complicated."

I turned toward Jacob and saw that he had the same shocked confused expression I felt on my own face.

"This is none of your business Jacob! Stop looking at us like that!" – Leah tried to look angry but somehow didn't pull it off, which was unheard of for her.

"I… I can't… I mean… I don't understand… you hate Embry! You call him a brainless moron at least twice a day! What the hell?!"

"I call you a stupid dog three times a day and I don't hate you."

"Yeah well, you're not exactly making out with me behind closed curtains either."

"Whatever Jacob, I'm not explaining a thing to you… so just leave."

"I want an explanation… I need to know what the hell is going on… is this the reason you've been acting so weird these past weeks?" – Jacob's voice sounded calmer as he turned his gaze toward Embry.

"Um…" – He glanced at Leah, as if asking for permission or checking if it was ok to answer. It was move I'd seen Jacob do with me many times. And that's when it hit me.

"Did you guys imprint?!" – My voice came out shockingly high pitched. Jacob looked at me with surprise and then back at them for the answer. They both shifted positions and glanced at each other, a smile playing on both their lips.

"You did?!" – They looked at Jacob and nodded. He ran his hand through his hair, looking over to me with incredibility, trying to understand. – How? How is that possible? You've seen each other many times… I mean… it's supposed to happen right when you meet the person… I don't…"

He shook his head and looked down, as Leah and Embry stood there, waiting for him to pull it together. – "I mean… why didn't we feel it?! When I imprinted all the wolves felt it… so why? And why didn't you tell me?!"

"It happened at Sam's funeral." – Miraculously, Leah's face showed no signs of grief upon speaking Sam's name. – "We didn't make eye contact until after the ceremony… and… well, you know."

Leah looked so happy it was hard to judge them or feel like it was wrong or creepy. Jacob on the other hand still looked perplexed and put off.

"But how?"

"We went to see Old Quil, because we weren't sure what was going on… he's the only one that knew from the beginning; he really helped us understand." – Embry reached for Leah's hand and immediately I could see his features relax.

"Understand what?"

"Imprinting isn't an exact science… he thinks that in our case there were some factors that kept us from imprinting in the beginning."

"Like what? I mean… it's impossible to not recognize your imprint right away!" – I could tell Jacob was having a hard time with this, like everything he ever believed in was caving in.

"I was… tied to Sam, it wasn't just a broken heart, it was much more… Old Quil says we can sometimes create magical binds, binds that have to be broken for us to truly be free and experience what we're supposed to experience."

"What do you mean binds?"

"Ok, you can't judge me alright? But… when Sam imprinted on Emily, I was so distraught, so confused and hurt that I wasn't thinking straight; the only think I knew is that I wanted to break their imprint and get him back, so… so I did some research and found some old… well… spells."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I wish I were, because I would have saved myself from a whole lot of pain. But that's what I did; I performed some spells, hoping to get him back. Old Quil now helped me realize that what I actually managed to do was bind myself to Sam, tying my heart to his, and since I did this before I became a wolf, it became permanent and I wasn't able to imprint on Embry right away, the way I was meant to all along."

"Well, what about Embry? He wasn't bound or anything."

"Old Quil says that contrary to common belief, imprinting is a two way street, it has to be reciprocate. He explained to us that both people imprint, not just one. If I couldn't do it, neither could Embry. It took for Sam to die for the spell to be broken." – Only when she said this did I notice a hint of pain and remorse on her face.

Jacob inhaled loudly and turned to me, asking with his eyes for me to tell him what to do or feel about this. Embry stepped closer to us, with Leah still holding his hand.

"I'm sorry we didn't say anything… but we didn't know how, it took us both by surprise."

"Does anybody else know? Besides Old Quil?"

"No."

"Ok, we'll keep it that way… but when I get back from my honeymoon, I'm holding a meeting and we're telling everyone… got it?" – They both nodded, a full grin now making its way onto both their faces.

"Are you happy for us? For me?" – I'd never heard Leah speak that way. She usually reserved her more contemptuous words for Jacob, even when I know for a fact she cares about him. This was a side to her I'd never seen and for the first time I actually saw her as a woman, vulnerable and sweet, and not just "one of the guys".

"Of course I am Leah… I'm just more than a little shocked, but it'll pass." - We all laughed, more because of the nerves than anything else.

"So, does this mean you won't be such a bad ass from now on?" - Jacob was teasing Leah, who simply pretended to glare at him and smacked Embry across the chest when she caught him shaking his head at Jacob, as if saying "not a chance".

"Hey! That hurt! What you do that for?"

"When have I ever been a bad ass with you? Now that we've imprinted I mean."

"Smacking me across the chest doesn't help you prove your point." – Embry's eyes were sparkling as he teased her and I suddenly realized just how perfect they truly were for one another. Embry's always been extremely soft spoken and a tad shy, whereas Leah has a lot of character and likes to run the show. I smiled almost to myself, knowing that the same "perfection" could be applied to Jake and me.

I was about to congratulate them myself, when someone poked their head through the curtains.

"What are you doing back here? We need you up front for the toasts." – Aunt Alice whispered, pulling the curtains back and motioning us to enter. Leah and Embry let go of each other's hand, something I'm sure couldn't have been easy, and walked out with us as if nothing had ever happened.

There was a large table up front, were my parents, Billy, Quil and Amanda where already sitting. So we made our way and sat in the middle, as Embry had to let go of Leah to sit beside Quil.

The first one to toast was Quil.

"Jacob and I have been friends since we were toddlers, so I know him probably better than anyone, which has been a privilege because he is one of the most loyal, caring and fun friends you could ever have. There was a time there when I thought maybe he'd never be happy, never find "the one", and I worried, because I hated seeing him so lost." – I felt a ping in my gut at the mere mention of Jacob's sad time and it didn't help that Quil seemed obviously still unsettled by this, which made me wonder just how lost and depressed my baby had been; a question I knew I didn't want answered.

"… But then came Nessie… his savior." – Quil's face lit up, smiling at me at the same time that several people clapped at his words. I felt my face flush at the sudden attention drawn to me, attention I didn't deserve; if anyone should be called a "savior" it should be Jake, not me.

"… And not only did he find himself again, but he found a better self, a self with a grater purpose. Ness… you're that purpose, and I'm so happy because now I get to call you my sister."

Everyone clapped and raised their glasses to us. Jacob had a smile from ear to ear, making my heart soar with joy upon seeing him so happy. With the whole werewolf thing and then the wedding preparations, I'd missed seeing him like this, just relaxed and cheerful, just Jacob. And now having heard about the time he was lost and sad without me, I mentally pledged that I would never let anything hurt him again, that I would keep him forever like this.

Then it was Embry's turn. I instinctively looked over to where Leah was sitting. The look on her face was priceless; so radiant I almost didn't recognize her. I felt Jacob entwine his hand with mine and turned to find him giving me a knowing smile. From the way he was smiling, I suspected the shock of Embry and Leah's imprint had already worn off, replaced by a wicked desire to tease them.

"Ok, well… hello, I'm the second best man… Jake was nice enough to pick me as well even though he's been friends with Quil for far longer. But that's just the kind of guy that he is, someone who's always looking out for his friend's feelings, someone who always has your back and someone who always makes you feel important and special. I have to say it was hard when he fell in love with Nessie, because it meant I'd have less time with my best friend, but I couldn't really complain when it was so obvious how complete and happy she made him. So I couldn't be happier about the two of you getting married and I wish you all the luck in the world now that you begin this new adventure together, not that you'll need it. You know I love you both… so… cheers."

Again, everyone clapped and lifted their glasses toward us.

When it was Amanda's turn to speak, I sort of felt bad for her because she was at a definite disadvantage from Quil and Embry. For starters, they've know Jake all their lives plus they know me, we hang out together all the time, they know about imprinting and have seen firsthand what it's like to fall in love like that. Whereas Amanda; she has never seen me and Jake interact, apart from the time she met him in the parking lot, which really doesn't count because we were sort of fighting.

Not only did I feel bad for her but felt kind of sad to know that not even my best friend truly knows me, and that once the time would come for us to move on from Forks and begin all over again, I'd have other "best friends" who would also not know me.

Jake turned to look at me and tilted my chin up with his finger to kiss me, like somehow he'd sensed my melancholy. Nothing really mattered as long as I had him, but it still felt crappy to know that I would never have real friends, apart from Jake's pack; friends who could truly understand me.

"Hello everyone… umm… I'm Amanda, Nessie's maid of honor. So, I can't really talk much about Jacob and Nessie's relationship, considering I don't know much about it, but what I can talk about is the effect it's had on my best friend." – I caught dad looking at me and smiling, probably having heard my thoughts as well as Amanda's speech; so I suspected it would either be very good or very funny, I couldn't really tell from dad's expression.

"From the moment I met Ness, every other word that came out of her mouth was "Jacob". At first I thought she was obsessed or something, the way she carried on and on about him, obsessed over every little word he said or expression he made and did absolutely everything with him." – Everyone laughed, even Jacob. I on the other hand was blushing like crazy, hoping she wouldn't go into the details of how I would fixate about whether or not he liked me and destroyed several flower patches in the school garden playing "he loves me, he loves me not."

"I can see many of you know what I'm talking about. But that was before they got together, because once the decisive moment happened, something happened in her as well. She seemed calmer and yet at the same time constantly excited. She was happy all the time, even when we had to do homework or study or stay for detention, she was annoyingly happy, like she understood the world differently, like nothing around her mattered because she knew that the only thing in this world that truly matters is love. I guess you have to live it and find it to be able to fully understand its importance. So even though I don't quite get it, what I do get is that no matter what, Nessie has found the love of her life, and I can only hope that it lasts forever because I have seen firsthand what it has done to her."

I felt my eyes swell up with tears, but blinked them back. She truly did understand.

"So Nessie… I love you very much and Jacob, I have never seen anyone look at someone the way you look at Ness, so I know I don't have to tell you to take very good care of her, because she's precious… to many of us. To the bride and groom!" – She held her glass up high and everyone followed.

"So… you obsessed about me?" – I could feel his warm breath on the side of my neck, making my heart do back flips. I simply shrugged my shoulders in response, trying to seem cool, calm and collected.

"I mean, I know I'm hot shit and all… but to obsess over me…" – I began to laugh hysterically as Jacob, who was laughing as well, tried to take a sip of his water without spilling it everywhere.

"What's so funny?" – Quil, who was sitting beside Jake, was leaning in so he could catch the joke.

"Oh nothing… I mean, we'll probably need to take Ness to a psychiatric hospital due to her crazy, over the top, obsessed love for me… but other than that…" – I smacked him across the chest making both him and Quil burst out in laughter.

"You guys are completely missing the point in Amanda's speech… it's not funny!"

"It's kind of funny… well, more like ironic really… all that time you played it so cool and you were actually as infatuated with me as I was with you."

"I didn't play it cool… I just… didn't want to look like some drooling fool around you."

"You can drool all you want… I don't mind." – He leaned in and kissed me, far too passionate for the fact that we were sitting in front of everyone. I heard my dad cough in the background, and considering he can't catch a cold and doesn't even need to breathe, I guessed it was directed at us. So I pulled away from Jake, blushing slightly when I saw the look on his face.

"How about a rain check?" – I felt horrible for leaving him hanging, but there was no way that kissing like that in front of everyone would end well.

"Fine… but may I remind you that you're my wife now…"

"Yeah well, my dad is still my dad… we don't want to push his buttons too much… plus, we'll have plenty of time later on." – I wiggled my eyebrows, trying to cheer him up, and it worked. He let out a bark of a laugh and turned to smugly look at dad, who bared his teeth at him, more for show than anything else.

The rest of the reception went by in a flash. I'd never danced that much in my entire life. Jacob turned out to enjoy dancing just as much as me, twirling me around the entire dance floor. I was having so much fun that I was surprised when I looked out of the tent and saw darkness, illuminated with hundreds of candles spread out on the surrounding sand. We did the whole cake cutting thing and then the bouquet toss, which got pretty interesting when Amanda and Leah both fought to catch it, and finally the garter toss. Jacob took an unnecessary long time to slide it of my leg, all the while giving me a look that set my insides on fire. In the end, Leah took the home the bouquet and Embry the garter; not his idea, more like Jacob's idea of a good joke, tossing the garter right at him.

After that we danced some more but as the minutes went by, guests started to leave. I found myself turning and seeing that half the reception area was empty. My family was still dancing it out, as well as Jacob's original pack members. Grandpa Charlie had already had his fill of dancing but was content with sitting alongside Sue and Billy, drinking the last bits of champagne left off. Little Clair had refused to go home early, so she was now almost falling asleep in Quil's arms as he carried her and danced her around the floor.

Amanda had curfew so she and Kyle had left already, but not before she hugged me for about half an hour, like it'd be the last time we'd see each other.

"Remember to put on something sexy."

"Ok."

"And don't eat anything that might make you sick… and take a lot of pictures so you can show me… and get me something nice from Greece… and wear sunscreen… and…"

"Yes, yes… I got it… would you please stop going crazy, you're making me nervous!"

"Sorry… sorry… it's just that this is so exciting!"

"Well, I'm not the only one with something exciting going on."- She smiled and turned to glance at Kyle, who was staring out into the ocean, waiting for her. She then turned back to me and smiled wickedly.

"I'll tell you how it turns out when you get back."

"Good, I can't wait."

"Don't be such a liar; I'll be lucky if you get back!" – We both laughed at this, prompting Kyle to turn around and give her a questioning look.

"Ok, so… have fun and call me." – She hugged me one more time and was off.

So now I was in a tent, dancing with my husband, alongside the people that make my world whole, with hundreds of stars lighting up the beach, reminding me that dreams really do come true.

"Our plane leaves in two hours… we should get going."

"Just one more dance." – Jake smiled at me and pulled me closer, just as the band began to play "The more I see you."

"Ok, one more."

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