Chapter Ten: I Don't Need Anything But You

I slipped inside after saying goodbye to Embry and unzipped my sweater, hanging it upon its peg in the hallway. Fighting the urge to wash my mouth out, I go into the kitchen and merely wash my hands before taking the chicken out of the fridge. I get a frying pan to cook it quickly and add some oil; I then get out one of my father's only pots and fill it with water for the pasta. Instead of buttered noodles, I'd made the choice to throw everything into a casserole and to bake it, with a fine layer of cheese to top it all off.

A few minutes later, the chicken was cooked and the water came to a boil. I set the chicken aside, intending to dice it up once the pasta was cooked. I selected a shape of pasta at random and added it to the boiling, slightly salted water, the hum of the kitchen fan a constant in my ear. I'd preheated the oven to four-hundred degrees and got a casserole dish and greased it so as the clean-up would be easier. The pasta was finally cooked a few moments later and I strained it, putting a dash more salt onto it before setting it aside to dice the chicken.

Once the chicken was the perfect size, I intermingled the pieces with the pasta inside the greased casserole dish. I'd grated some fresh mozzarella and I put it on the top, seasoning it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder before putting it into the oven. I'd also prepared a Caesar salad for the two of us, which would remain undressed until after we were all set to eat our dinner. I then put all the dishwasher safe dishes into said dishwasher, and then proceeded to scrub the pots, pans, and any other dish I used to make this dinner before putting everything into the adjacent drying rack.

The casserole would have to bake forty-five minutes to an hour, and, when it had been in there for around half an hour, Dad came in the front door. I'd been perched in one of the chairs at the kitchen table, my nose buried in Northanger Abbey, my third favorite Jane Austen novel, as Dad stepped in. I raise my eyes to him, and flashed him a smile, pleased to see him.

"Hey, Dad. How was work?" I ask him.

"Mostly clerical stuff today, thank god," he replies, getting a bottle of beer from the fridge and opening it quickly. "Smells good in here—you make something?"

I nod, proud and pleased that he's mentioned it. "Yes," I reply. "Dinner is in the oven. It should all be ready in fifteen to thirty minutes."

Dad raises his eyebrows and takes in the bowl on the counter. "Salad, too?" he asks, clearly touched.

I nod, also motioning to the fridge. "Cake batter in a cake tin, ready to go into the oven once the lemon chicken and pasta bake is finished," I say. "Made the lemon chicken and pasta because I know it's your favorite."

"What kind of cake?" Dad asks.

"Vanilla," I reply, "my favorite."

"My second favorite," Dad says with a chuckle.

"Great minds," I reply, chuckling. "You can eat in front of the T.V. if you want to. Your house, after all," I tell him with a smile.

Dad shakes his head. "No, that's fine. I'll catch the end of the game and then you can tell me when dinner's ready. Okay?" he asks.

I nod. "No problem," I reply as he heads into the living room. I hear him switching on the T.V. and finding the football game while I open the oven, smelling the delicious meal I've prepared. Smiling to myself, I think another fifteen minutes will be fine as I shut the oven and slip into the living room after Dad.

He's sitting in an arm chair facing the flat screen; I sit down on the couch and alternate between my book and the game. Dad could easily tell from the beginning that sports weren't really my thing and did his best not to rely on them as a conversation starter. I just liked his company, I found, and it was nice to know he didn't object to me just sitting quietly with him. When the commercial break began, he muted the T.V. and turned back to me, and I felt him smiling at me.

"What?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Nothing. Just worried about you here, alone all day."

"It's not like I know any guys," I joke, hoping that he won't ask me about my sex life. "I mean, no house parties or anything like that..."

"No, I know," he says quickly. "I trust you. I just don't want you getting lonely."

"I wasn't—today," I reply. "I went grocery shopping and then someone came to the door and I went to a party with them."

Dad sits a little straighter in his seat, obviously concerned. "A stranger?"

I nod. "Yeah—but how else am I going to meet anyone, really?" I laugh a little at his expression and quickly stop myself. "He was only a stranger to me, Dad. He said he knew you and we went to Charlie and Sue's and hung out there."

Relief floods my dad's expression. "That's a relief. What's his name?"

"Embry Call," I reply.

Dad looks surprised yet delighted. "Nice kid. Looks good for his age, too."

"Good for his age?" I ask, confused. "He doesn't look a day over seventeen..."

Dad smiles. "Embry's about twenty-two now, but he works out so much, it takes the years off, I guess. I don't ask questions."

"Uh-huh," I say, getting up to check on dinner, and wondering why Embry would have me believing that he was a teenager.

Carlisle's prognosis on Embry was amazing—he was up on his feet by dawn the following morning, and running off soon thereafter. However, with Richard's blessing, I was permitted to visit with him beforehand, in the hopes that he and I could resolve our differences. I step into the exam room, the same room where I was transformed fully, and make my way up to the table, hoping that Embry was awake or easy to wake up.

"Embry," I say quietly, running my fingers gently along his arm. I'd discovered that werewolves ran a few degrees hotter than that of a human, whereas we vampires ran several degrees cooler. "Hey, Embry."

Embry opens his eyes, stiffening at my cool fingers as he turns to look at me. "You must think I'm an idiot," he says, managing to lift one of his hands to slap his forehead. "I mean, you're engaged..."

"Don't worry about that," I reply. "Embry, there's something you need to understand about me—my mother was dating a guy who she later married, and he was abusive."

Embry grabbed the rotator dial on the side of the exam table so as he could get into a semi-comfortable sitting position. "What? He hit you?"

I lower my eyes. "Among other things, yes," I reply.

"You mean he'd...?" He didn't have to say it.

I raise my eyes to meet his dark ones. "Yes, Embry. He would, and because of all that, I slowly became eager to please the male authority figures around me, in fear that they would hurt me if I didn't. So, that's why I forced myself to keep seeing you in the whole boyfriend/girlfriend way, because I wanted you to be happy."

"But, in so doing, you sacrificed your own happiness," Embry says, shaking his head. "I don't think I could live with myself knowing you were so unhappy..." He whispers, turning to stare up at the ceiling.

I reach out and take his hand. "I do love you, Embry, you figured that out right," I tell him softly. "But I fell in love—head over heels—with Richard. I think a part of me loves you that isn't a sustainable love, you know? I'm not the person you were meant to imprint on, but I know they're out there, somewhere."

Embry sighs. "I guess you're right. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," I tell him. "I'm sorry that I can't love you fully. I wish that I could either love you fully or not at all, but we'll never have full closure this way." I lean down and briefly brush his lips with mine, squeezing his hand. "I'm sorry," I say again, before letting his hand go and slipping from the room.

My heart, or what was left of it, broke to see Embry leave like that, but I knew it was for the best, for I still had so much to do when it came to planning my wedding. Alice and I drove to Port Angeles the following afternoon and helped me pick out shoes for everyone at this historic-looking shoe store. It was our job to get shoes for ourselves, for Bella, for Rosalie, for Esme, and for Sarah, although Alice had also given Jasper a list of do's and don'ts for shoe shopping for a wedding.

Alice gave in to my wishes to look in an antique shop, and I found a few pieces—mainly paintings by a great favorite of mine, John William Waterhouse—to put in the London house. I even managed to find another Russian nesting doll, while Alice looked on in an indulgent manner, as she found some flimsy negligée for herself to surprise Jasper with. I tried to force myself not to laugh as we each paid for our purchases, leaving the store and making our way back to Alice's impressive yellow Porsche which had been sort of a bribe from Edward. Alice had adored the thing, but now she was on her second, as she'd had to update it when the former one had gone too out of style for her.

We drove quickly back to Forks, Alice promising to store the shoes in her massive closet while I was permitted to take the paintings and my new doll upstairs to my bedroom. Even though I was tempted to show off the adorable white silk shoes I'd gotten for Sarah, I knew that the element of surprise was the best way. Rosalie would be doing her hair on the day of, too, and I knew it would be a wonderful bonding experience for the two of them. I knew that Sarah would make a wonderful flower girl and, on the day of the wedding, during the reception, Richard and I would reveal to everyone that the adoption papers had been signed by Jasper's worker, J. Jenks, and that we'd officially adopted her, Lucas, and Francis and that we were all Cullen's.

I saw a quick text from Richard, saying that he and the boys had gone to Seattle for the day to do some wedding shopping of their own, at Men's Warehouse. I smiled, pleased that he'd shared the information with me, and wondered what I could do with myself now that the house was empty of men. I decided to ask Alice to watch Sarah and the boys for a while, as I wanted to spend some time with Rosalie. Alice knocked on my door at that moment and said that she'd be pleased to watch Sarah and the twins.

I then found Rosalie on her way back to Sarah's room, and I stopped her. "I was wondering when you last had a hunt," I asked, noticing that her eyes were becoming darker. "I'm due for one myself. Would you care to join me?"

Rosalie smiles. "I would, but Sarah and I were about to have a tea party..."

Alice quickly appeared at my side. "I'll have a tea party with Sarah, Rose. Go on. Go have a hunt with Beth."

"When was the last time you hunted?" Rosalie asked.

"Last night, with Jasper," Alice replies quickly.

Satisfied, Rosalie handed over supplies she'd taken out of hers and Emmett's room for the tea party and followed me downstairs and out the door. We walked to the edge of the woods before I briefly turned back to her, catching her perfect smile. Then, I quickly shot off like a bullet in a gun, and Rosalie hurried to catch up to me. I jumped over the river and dashed past the cottage, Rosalie at my heels, and, once we'd reached the clearing, put out my hand to stop her.

"What?" Rosalie asked.

"Deer to the west, bear to the north, mountain lion to the east," I whisper. "Which sounds the most appealing to you?"

"Mountain lion," Rosalie just manages to get out, and I can tell that this is her favorite.

"Good," I reply, and we run east, slipping effortlessly through the trees as we get closer and closer to our prize. I inhale in a second clearing, and find that the scent is stronger, headier, than before, and charge towards it. Two massive males are fighting, and I turn to Rosalie, who nods in agreement. She goes off to the right and I choose the left, hiding in some thin brush, waiting to make our move.

The males are going at it, and I know full well that we should be quick, so as one doesn't die by the other's hand. I catch a glimpse of Rosalie a few feet away, and we're both in our respective springing positions, ready to strike. Then, we launch ourselves into the air and grab ahold of our kills, pulling them effortlessly away from the other as they roar in surprise as we flip them over onto their backs. I cannot see Rosalie, but I feel her behind me as I bend down, fangs poised, and slice through the neck of my mountain lion. Its blood is warm and appetizing, and I shiver all over at the feeling of it entering my system, as the big cats' fur grows colder beneath me by the minute. I get to my feet, positive I'm blood-free, and turn back to Rosalie, who gives me an effortless smile.

"Done?" I ask, gesturing to the carcass at her feet. "Need a deer in you or something?" I ask her, flashing her a smile.

Rosalie grins. "No, I'm fine, thank you. Want to walk back?"

I nod. "Sure." I step closer and fall into step beside her. "So, how are Emmett's wedding preparations going?" I ask.

"Fine, thank you," Rosalie replies. "He's taking the lead from Richard and Edward, mostly from Edward, because he knows exactly the vision you want."

"He hasn't given away what the wedding dress looks like, has he?"

Rosalie laughs. "No, don't worry. Edward's trustworthy."

I sigh, wanting to get this out there. "Rose?"

"Yeah?" she asks, navigating herself around a rather large rock.

"Carlisle told me all about your abilities early on—other than Edward and Alice's obvious ones—he said that Emmett had superior strength and your beauty was enhanced?" I ask her, not wanting to insult her.

She nods. "Yes."

"You're gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but..."

"But what?" Rosalie asks, genuinely curious.

I sigh. "I don't know... I think maybe it could have something to do with my shield. I can't sense anything out of the ordinary about it."

Rosalie raises her eyebrows. "Bella's shield was never immune to it..." She shakes her head and puts an arm around my shoulders. "Why don't we give Eleazar a call when we get back to the house?" she asks. "We can have them RSVP verbally to the wedding—Alice'll love that—and ask him about your inability to see my superior beauty."

I share in her laugh in that as we break away from one another, streaking immediately past the cottage and over the river. We dart through the last of the trees and up the back steps, opening the door quickly and going through the kitchen. Rosalie pulls me upstairs and into hers and Emmett's bedroom—clearly something out of the Marie Antoinette handbook—and motions for me to sit down on her bed while she fetches her laptop from the impressive desk by the large window.

Rosalie opens and logs in to her laptop and clicks the Skype icon, the page opening quickly and clicks the name 'Eleazar' on her contact list. The typical phone call sound fills the room and, quite soon, Eleazar's face fills the screen. He appears delighted, albeit a little shocked, at seeing the two of us together, and congratulates me on my engagement to Richard almost immediately, and I'm completely touched.

"Thanks, Eleazar," I say. "That means a lot, really."

"Eleazar, we also called to get some information about Beth," Rosalie says quickly, not wanting to forget the second purpose of our call.

Eleazar immediately sits straighter. "What sort of information?"

"I can't detect Rosalie's beauty—not off the charts, anyway," I say, quietly. "Could it just be because her beauty affects humans, or...?"

Eleazar shakes his head, a smile coming to his face. "I think you may be able to block other abilities as you see fit," he replies. "It could be related to the shield, but I think it is an advanced form of your shield. Not every vampire has it, as in Bella's case, although she could easily have it and never have used it."

I feel that, for the moment, at least, one question has been answered.

The next two weeks flew by in a blur, where—orchestrated by Alice—I was able to get everything ready on time. Two nights before the wedding, Richard and I said goodbye while Edward, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper drove up north to Denali, where Eleazar and Garrett would join them for a bachelor party, mainly involving hunting in their massive woods. Tanya, Kate, and Carmen were driving down themselves to join me, Bella, Alice, Rosalie, and Esme for a bachelorette party, while an old human friend of Esme's was going to be looking in on Sarah and the boys for the night.

The female Denali's arrived about an hour after the boys had gone and I was quickly put into Esme's new van, blindfolded, and taken off into the late afternoon. I'd briefly met Esme's human friend, Karen Newton, who co-owned Olympic Outfitters, where Bella had worked as a senior in high school. She seemed kind enough and, with Mike Newton as her son, I knew she had plenty of childcare experience. As we pulled out of the driveway, I found I could sense that we were on the freeway, and knew instinctively that we would be driving though Tacoma and would, ultimately, arrive in Seattle.

"Too bad we can't drink," I joked.

"There will be drinking involved," Alice said quickly, and Bella nudged into my shoulder while Esme, on my other side, put an arm around me. "No more hints. Quiet back there," she ordered, and Kate leaned forward from her position in the back seat, where she was in between Tanya and Carmen.

"You know, I could shock her into telling you," Kate said softly, and I could hear the electrodes in her hands threatening to erupt.

"I could see you coming," Alice said in a sing-song voice from the driver's seat.

"No shocking," Esme said firmly, and the subject was dropped.

We made small talk for the rest of the drive, and I sensed that, at some point, we left the freeway, and I guessed we were in Downtown Seattle. My blindfold was pulled off just as Alice slowed down the car, and a valet was waiting to take it into, I assumed, the parking garage below. I got out of the car with everyone else, and noticed that we were at the Fairmount Olympic Hotel, one of the nicest hotels in Downtown Seattle. Alice went up to the concierge desk and gave our names, and plenty of room keys were handed out. I was told my suite was at the top floor and was called The Olympic Suite; it featured a king bed and a sofa bed, just to look normal. The Denali's would occupy the second bedroom, and Alice suddenly revealed a suitcase from where I don't know.

We all trooped towards the elevators and headed to the top floor, the elevator acting quickly and efficiently as it had come. We stepped into the beautiful hallway, making our way to our rooms at a leisurely pace, for cameras were everywhere and it would look odd sprinting from point A to point B. Alice unlocked our half of the room and the Denali's did so their half, and I felt my jaw nearly drop at the beauty of our suite.

I was then pulled into the bathroom by Alice, now holding a few things, and Rosalie soon followed us while Bella and Esme chuckled at Alice's enthusiasm. I very nearly shouted at Alice as she tore off my simple jeans and blouse, and ordered me to get out of my sneakers and socks. She tutted at my sports bra and unmatching underwear, and pushed me into the rather large shower. She handed me some French-looking shampoo and conditioner, along with a very pretty bar of soap, all of which smelled like roses. Peeking through the steam, I saw Rosalie setting up hair care products—a curling iron, a straightener, some expensive-looking lotions—while Alice set out a Hollywood make-up artists' dream on the opposite side of the bathroom vanity.

Pursing my lips, I ignored Alice's complaining that I was taking too long and leaned back into the hot water. My hair quickly became wet with the stuff and I got a good-sized amount of shampoo in my hand, massaging my scalp and savoring the fact that my fingers were easily up to the task. I then did the same with my conditioner, and gave my body the same treatment with the delicious-smelling soap. Once I'd finished, I turned off the water and Alice came at me with one of those giant white towels that you see in every film involving a swanky hotel. She quickly wrapped me in it, getting my body dry rather quickly before pulling out a pink satin robe and ordered me to sit before the vanity in its plush seat, although standing wouldn't have been a problem either.

Rosalie made quick work of drying my hair, so as it cascaded in raven tresses all the way down my back. She then rubbed a few products into it, waiting to see what Alice did with my makeup before deciding to straighten it or curl it. She ultimately decided to straighten it, as I'd asked her to give me giant curls for my wedding, for that was what Richard liked. I remembered our time in Aspen—a moment he said would not happen again until after we'd gotten married—and how he'd tangled his fingers into my curls.

Once my hair and makeup had been completed, Alice produced a skin-tight black dress which would accentuate my curves. Its sleeves would ultimately be tied around my neck, and it had a slit to expose my breasts. This time, my jaw did fall open, especially when Alice and Rosalie helped me step into it. The black platform heels, unexpectedly, did not cause me to almost fall and twist my ankle, and I could walk around carefully. I watched as Alice and Rosalie quickly readied themselves, and then we all trooped out into the main room, where Bella and Esme were waiting. They complimented Alice and Rosalie in turn before turning to me, and Bella nodded in approval.

"You look great," she said with a smile.

Esme leaned in and embraced me carefully. "Beautiful," she proclaimed as Alice looped a black clutch purse over my arm.

We were soon joined by Tanya, Kate, and Carmen, and we all went downstairs and walked through the lobby. Everyone there watched us like we were some famous celebrities/ supermodels on the freaking runway as we all stepped out of the lobby and outside. The sun hadn't set yet, and it was a warm evening, and I wouldn't have minded a short walk, but Alice had other ideas. Waving us all over, I saw a black stretch limo waiting for us, and the driver's eyes popped when he got a good look at all of us. We each flashed him smiles as we got into the swanky car, and Alice gave him an address, and the man nodded in approval, and Alice whispered to me that he was an associate of J. Jenks, so I knew he would be discreet about everything that went on tonight.

We arrived at what appeared to be a hit club, which was called Karaoke Bar Northwest and Alice told me that it was an exclusive club that had massive back party rooms. She'd booked it three weeks ago, with Bella's full approval, and we all trooped out of the limo and into the club. Alice gave our party name to the hostess, who too goggled at all of us before having an attendant show us to our room, called The Bridal Suite, which I assumed was for bachelorette parties. Heading inside, we politely refused any drinks, and Alice immediately dove for the song book to pick something, but was quickly admonished by someone.

"Alice," Bella scolded, "it's Beth's bachelorette party. Let her pick first."

"Don't be a bad sport, Alice," Rosalie put in.

"Let the bride go first, please, Alice," Esme put in.

"Don't make me shock you," Kate said.

"Kate!" Tanya admonished.

"You're making everyone uncomfortable," Carmen put in, her Spanish accent lovely. "I want to have a good time."

Alice purses her lips, but nevertheless hands over the songbook. "Here," she says, almost as if it doesn't really matter to her.

I select a song at random from the year before, but don't tell anyone what I'll be singing before handing the book back to Alice, who makes her choice quickly. Alice then hands the book around, and even Bella picks a song. Once our songs are put in, the beat of my song begins, and I climb up onto the stage in our room, taking the microphone into my hands, feeling the beat and wondering if, as a vampire, I can still sing...

"I wouldn't wanna be anybody else," I say. "You made me insecure, told me I wasn't good enough. But who are you to judge, when you're a diamond in the rough?" I say, and find myself shutting my eyes and becoming one with the words of Selena Gomez, utterly enjoying the music flowing through me and know full well that, deep down, my chorus of bells for a speaking voice has helped my singing voice considerably. "Who says, who says you're not perfect? Who says you're not worth it? Who says you're the only one that's hurtin'? Trust me, that's the price of beauty. Who says you're not pretty? Who says you're not beautiful? Who says?"

I place the microphone down and flash a smile to everyone there, and my jaw drops when they all give me a standing ovation. Alice goes up next, singing some bubblegum pop, and then it is Bella's turn, who sings some old-timey jazz tune I don't know. Esme is next, and sings Fever by Peggy Lee, and I feel relief when one of them finally sings something that I know. Rosalie goes fourth, and sings something by Madonna—I think it's called Material Girl—followed by Tanya and Kate, who sing Me Against the Music. Lastly, Carmen steps up to the mic and sings Turning Tables by Adele.

We go a couple more rounds of karaoke before at around nine-thirty, Alice snaps her fingers and declares that we have places to be. I figured that three hours of karaoke should be enough and we slipped out of the club after paying and returned to the limo. We drive along Fifteenth Avenue, driving by the Olympic Sculpture Park and, quite soon, we get to an area called Interbay, where we continue north. We then make a left, and Alice puts up the security window, reaching into a duffel bag under her seat and tossing yoga pants, sneakers, tank tops, and sweaters to everyone in the car. The other vampires showed no shame in changing in front of each other, and I quickly moved to do the same. Alice then handed over sanitation wipes to get the makeup off our faces and handed over hair ties to everyone else; due to her time in an insane asylum, Alice's head had been shaved, so she was forever plagued with short hair.

The associate of J. Jenks pulled over soon thereafter, and we all got out of the car. I saw a sign that said Discovery Park, and I raised my eyebrows. I knew about this park; it was a never-ending thicket where, if you were lucky, there would be large animals to hunt. I felt my throat burning ever so slightly when Alice confided that she'd seen black bears and mountain lions in the area that night. She further explained that they were due to be shipped out to the Cascade Mountains by six the following morning but, if we hurried, we could do the job for the officials. None of us needed telling twice, and Alice partnered us up and I was pleased to be with Bella, and I flashed my sister a smile. Esme would be with Carmen, Tanya with Kate, and Alice with Rosalie.

"Go!" Alice whispered, and we all took off into the woods.

Hunting in the dead of night wasn't exactly a new experience for it; it was in unfamiliar terrain, however. Bella and I synchronized our pace, hurtling over massive boulders and dips in the path. We then saw an even bigger boulder and, without even saying it, got on top of us together, putting our faces skyward, to properly smell our kill. I caught a whiff of a couple of bears and I saw Bella caught it, too. We were off the boulder in less than a fraction of a second, slipping in and out from in between the trees and hurtling towards the wonderful scent of a massive mammal.

"Left!" Bella hissed, and I moved to the left as she moved right. "Now!" she said, and we dove into the center of the thicket, grabbing ahold of something soft and warm which matched the darkness.

I let out a roar of happiness as the bear bellowed beneath me, and I locked my legs around its neck and swung myself downward. Before the bear could shout 'uncle!' I hoisted myself up and drove my teeth into its neck. I drank deeply, savoring the gamey taste of the animal, and knew then by the Cullen men seemed to favor this particular mammal. Once the animal was drained, I unhooked my grip upon it and got to my feet, Bella nodding in approval at my kill.

She stuck her head in the air then, and whispered, "Mountain lions—two of them. To the north!" she said, and I took off after her.

Had I been human, I would have been exhausted upon our return to Forks. However, the car ride helped me work on my strength—and my breathing. The wedding was only in a few hours, and I knew that Alice was under the belief that we had plenty of work to do. She and Bella had drawn up the back yard as to how it would look, and everyone but Richard had been ordered to pitch in and create the wedding venue. Once we arrived, it was nearly nine in the morning, and we had seven hours left. Alice, of course, freaked out and grabbed me from the car, hauling me upstairs and into the house. Esme thanked Karen Newton and paid her, while Karen wished me luck and returned home.

"Eleazar is picking up Mr. Weber to perform the ceremony," Alice tells Rosalie, who has come upstairs with us. "Esme is going to accept the flower delivery. Edward and Bella should be going over their speeches..."

"Alice, calm down," Rosalie says. "It's fine. This'll be pulled off, no problem."

Alice sighs. "I know. I just can't believe you're getting married," she says, turning to me and throwing her arms around me. "Our last sister to get married."

I sigh, putting my arms around her. "I'm going to be fine, Alice. We're all going to be fine. It's going to be a beautiful day."

I'm ordered into a luxurious bubble bath, and Alice wets my hair and washes it herself. I must admit that, despite my normally private nature, Alice's sure hands on my scalp is just the ticket to relax me completely. I loll my head back in the water, just as Rosalie steps into the bathroom and expertly cuts my fingernails and toenails. She tells me that she and Alice have picked the perfect color and will paint my nails as such as soon as it's been deemed appropriate to do so. I am permitted a few more minutes of soaking time until Alice fetches me a large, fluffy towel and gets me out of there.

"Five hours left and counting," Alice tells me, and I realize that, as a vampire, time goes by much faster. She takes me by the hand and pulls me to the edge of the bathroom, where she finishes drying me off and Rosalie steps up, providing me with my satin robe and slippers. I smile, grateful for the minor spoiling, as Bella steps into her bedroom.

"Edward just texted me," she tells us. "They're going to hunt for another hour or so and then they should be back an hour or two before the ceremony."

"Men," Alice says, shaking her head.

"Always late," Rosalie sighs.

"I could do her nails if you want," Bella says.

Alice nods. "Remember how to do the flower pattern?" she asks.

Bella smiles. "What do you take me for? Of course I remember it."

Pretty soon, Alice is working on my makeup, Rosalie is doing my hair, and Bella is painting my nails. I find myself wondering if Alice is going to do the same kind of makeup as she did last night. I ask her if she is, and I'm rewarded with a glittering laugh.

"That was club makeup, Beth," Alice says. "Wedding makeup is far different."

I nod, pretending to understand as Bella is told by Alice to rub special cream on my feet and legs so as the skin will remain smooth. Once my hair, nails, and makeup is done, Alice says that we have two more hours until the wedding, and I never realized how long these things could take. I get to my feet and zoom to my bedroom, which will be remodeled during our honeymoon and while we're in England. The wall will be knocked down and a larger bed will be added to the room, while the wall will be rebuilt, with a circular door instead of the rectangular-shaped one, and it will be a work area for both me and Richard for whatever projects we want. I go and stand briefly by the window, looking out at the beautiful backyard where, in just a hundred and seventeen minutes, Richard and I will promise to love one another for as long as we both shall live.

Emmett and Jasper are just arriving then in the car to oversee the work, and they both tell the workers that they're doing a good job. Jasper lifts his head to the window where I stand, and I flash him a small smile, and he returns the smile, nodding. Emmett watches Jasper's eyes and looks up, finding me as well, and moves his hands up and down in a wave-like motion, indicating that he thinks I look good in my robe.

I give him a rather condescending look. "I'm your sister, you weasel," I call out, and Emmett hears me perfectly, along with Jasper, who laughs and shoves Emmett into the kitchen door, as I know Alice will want them to change quickly. As groomsmen, they must be ready to stand beside Edward, the Best Man.

The pink roses accentuate perfectly to the surrounding green, and I find myself lost in how lovely pink and green go together. I am so lost that I do not know that an hour has passed and I hear a set of heels behind me. Instinctively, I turn, and see Sarah standing in the doorway, and smile down at her.

"Hello, darling," I say, stepping closer and lifting her effortlessly in my arms, careful not to wrinkle her dress. "You look very pretty today."

Sarah grins. "Thank you. Aunt Alice says that you have to look pretty, too. She said it was a rule of the wedding."

I raise an eyebrow. "Is that right?" I ask, looking at the clock and seeing that everything should be starting soon. "Well, why don't you go and find Carlisle? Tell him that I'm almost ready. Oh, and find Alice and Rosalie, too. I need their help."

Sarah smiles and kisses my cheek carefully—Alice must've told her that I was wearing makeup—and slips effortlessly from my arms and darts out of the room. I turn and look over the room, wondering what wonderful things that Esme will do to it when Richard and I are away. I turn then as Alice and Rosalie enter, decked out in their new Bridesmaids dresses, and I find myself smiling, even though the pair of them look far prettier than I ever will. I say nothing on the subject, however, and strip out of the robe as the pair of them fetch my new underwear set. I am promptly put into it, and then the dress, followed by the heels and cross my fingers that I would kill myself wearing them.

Just as Rosalie is fixing my veil and tiara, I motion to Alice to fetch the little box upon my dresser. "My necklace is in there," I tell her. "It's my something old."

Alice smiles, grateful for some sort of tradition, and opens the box. She gasps briefly before taking it out and clasps it to my neck.

"Not something borrowed?" Rosalie asks, a little disappointed.

"No, my garter was something borrowed," Alice says quickly.

Rosalie sighs, quickly dropping it and removing a sapphire ring from her finger, which she puts onto my opposite hand. "Something blue," she says with a smile.

"My dress is something new, I guess," I say, and let out a laugh, which Alice and Rosalie join in, as Bella and Carlisle appear in the doorway.

Carlisle beams when he sees me, stepping forward and taking my hands as Alice runs off to get my bouquet, and as Rosalie goes to get into position with Emmett. "You look beautiful, Beth," Carlisle says, embracing me and kissing me on the cheek. "Never have I seen a lovelier bride than you."

I smile. "Thank you, Carlisle," I reply as Alice comes in with my bouquet of red roses and baby's breath. "Are we ready?"

"Yes," Alice confirms. "Rosalie is waiting to walk out with Emmett, and Jasper's waiting to walk out with me. Then Bella and Edward, and then Carlisle walks out with you. Alex and Katherine are walking out with Esme," Alice says.

"And then Katherine and Alex walk back down the aisle solo after the ceremony," Bella continues, "and Carlisle will walk out with Esme."

"Some form of uniformity, then," I say, just as the song that I requested begins to play. It was from the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film, and it was called Your Hands Are Cold. Bella and Alice give me a quick smile, slipping out of the room and heading downstairs, where Edward and Jasper are waiting for them. Carlisle and I walk to the head of the stairs, watching them all walk out together, and then, it is our turn. We seem to glide down the stairs, and it is then that I feel the nerves overtaking me.

"Carlisle?"

"Yes?"

I smile and look up at him, feeling utterly secure and happy on his arm. "You're amazing," I tell him. "Thank you for everything."

He leans in and kisses my cheek again. "I want you to have a wonderful life with Richard. I was so pleased that you asked to go to Isle Esme for your honeymoon. It means so much that I can provide a wonderful environment for your vacation."

I smile at him again. "Thank you, Dad," I say, not knowing if I'll ever call him that again but, knowing in that moment, him walking me down the aisle, he is my father. I look ahead, seeing that Edward and Bella have finished their walk, and Carlisle tightens his grip upon my hand as we step forward. We walk around the corner, and it is for the first time that I see all the guests; I grin at Theo and Chadwick, still together, and several other guests—who were mainly friends of Carlisle's and Esme's—dotted the place. I smiled at Alice and Rosalie, standing opposite Jasper and Emmett, and then at Bella and Edward, who would stand on either side of me and Richard. Then, I permitted myself to raise my eyes to my Richard, and I found myself smiling even broader than before.

We reach the alter, and Carlisle draws my veil back and kisses my cheek before I step forward, and am delighted when he interlocks my hands with Richard's before going to sit in the front left row with Esme. I turn my eyes to Richard's, and he beams down at me, and I feel utterly content under his gaze. Mr. Weber smiles at the two of us, and I barely feel my throat burning in his, or Theo's and Chadwick's, presence. I vaguely hear Mr. Weber's words about finding love, and how wonderful it is that Richard and I have done so at such a young age. All I can see is Richard before me, that is, until our turns to speak comes.

"I, Richard Kingsbury, take you, Elizabeth Cullen, to be my lawfully wedded husband," he says, gripping my hands tighter. "To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, as long as we both shall live," he says, slipping the platinum band we'd picked out together onto my finger.

When it is my turn, I know I must speak a bit louder, so as the few humans in attendance can hear me. "I, Elizabeth Cullen, take you, Richard Kingsbury, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, as long as we both shall live," I say, putting his platinum ring onto the third finger of his left hand. "I love you," I say to him, softly.

"I love you," he replies.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. It is my pleasure to present Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," he says, all a-twitter, and I wonder if he'd ever officiated a wedding ceremony where the groom took the brides' name. "You may kiss the bride, Mr. Cullen," he says, addressing Richard.

Richard takes my cheeks delicately in his hands and leans down and kisses me. It is his small chuckle into my mouth when I throw my arms around him which sends me over the edge, and I cannot believe it. I am now Mrs. Cullen, Richard's wife, and I could not be a happier vampire for anything. Finally, we are forced to break apart and Richard puts his lips at my ear.

"One reception, one drive, one flight, one boat, and then we're on our honeymoon. I can't wait to see what ridiculously expensive lingerie Alice made you buy," he whispers before taking my arm and walking down the aisle with me and smiling at everyone in turn. We walk to the other part of the backyard, where Alice has organized tables, the catering, and a stage with a microphone for Edward and Bella to give their speeches, as well as everyone else's in the wedding party, and whoever may want to.

Bella climes the stage first as Maid of Honor, and smiles at all the guests. "When I married into the Cullen family, we thought it was complete. When Carlisle and Esme first brought Beth home, I didn't even know if I wanted another sister. But, from the moment she came into our lives, I knew that we were meant to be sisters. I was an only child growing up, so when I married Edward, all I knew was that I'd have siblings. Never did I know that I would gain more. And once Richard came into the picture, I knew that Beth thought there was something special about him. So, here's to the happy couple—my sister and my new brother—may your union last forever!"

Edward went up to the stage next, briefly kissing Bella before taking his spot behind the microphone. "When Richard asked me to be his Best Man, I thought, 'Why not?' because when Emmett and Rosalie got married, Emmett asked Jasper, so I figured it was my time to shine," he says, and the crowd laughed. "Soon, I realized that the only reason that Emmett asked Jasper in the first place was that Jasper had all the patience for all the things you had to do—plan the bachelor party, write a speech for the toast, stand there smiling like an idiot when the bride and groom get married..." He continues, much to the crowd's delight. "I knew that, however, Richard and Beth were something special. As my little sister, I knew that I was the best candidate for Best Man, as that would mean I would spend a lot of time with Richard—check him out, you know. I wanted to make sure that he was the one for Beth, and he continues to exceed my expectations. Here's to you, my little sister and my new brother—forever is a long time, and I know you can make it."

Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper made some speeches, along with the Denali's and Theo and Chadwick. What was most touching of all, however, was when Carlisle and Esme took the stage together, publicly proclaiming their love for me as their youngest child, and how much they adored having another son in the house. Finally, Richard and I took the stage and had Rosalie and Emmett hold the twins while Edward and Bella came onstage with Sarah between them. Alice and Jasper came up, too, and Carlisle and Esme didn't leave the stage for our announcement.

I bent down then, so as I was eye-level with Sarah, as she was the only one who would really understand all of this. "Sarah, sweetheart, the paperwork went through yesterday morning. Richard and I have adopted you, Lucas, and Francis—you are all officially Cullen's now," I told her.

Sarah gasped then, and lifted her arms to be picked up, which I did. She put her arms around my neck and said softly, "Thank you, Mama," much to the enjoyment of the crowd around us.

Thankfully, after the werewolves and Theo and Chadwick had eaten, things began dying down for the day. Richard put a hand on my arm and took me aside, and I was quite shocked to see Embry standing a little off in the distance. Shocked, I began walking towards him, and Richard went off back to the wedding party, telling me that he was going to dance with Tanya. I walked towards Embry then, feeling utterly ridiculous at just standing there in my wedding dress, but he smiled.

"You look beautiful," he said.

I smile at him. "Thank you," I reply, "and I'm sorry."

He shakes his head. "I'll be okay—promise."

I accept his offered hand, and we slowly dance. "Where have you been?"

"Jacob ran off to Northern Canada before Bella and Edward got married," he replies softly to me. "That's where I went."

Instantly, I feel the guilt wash over me at Embry's devastation; I found I couldn't help but love him, but there I was, married to someone else. Pulling back, I stood on my toes and just managed to brush my lips to his cheek. "I'm sorry," I said again. "I'm sorry I can't love you—really. I'm sorry."

He smiles and shakes his head. "Don't worry about it." He looks past me, in the direction of the wedding party. "You married a good man there, Beth. Don't let him go—he's yours forever now."

I nod. "Forever," I reply.

"Mama!" cries a familiar voice and, turning, I see Sarah. "Mama, Daddy says that you're leaving soon!"

I smile and turn back to Embry. "I should go," I say, and that's when I get a good look at his face. "Hey, you okay?" I ask him; he looks like he's in a trance. "Embry?"

But he doesn't take his eyes off Sarah. "Hi," he says.

Sarah brightens, instantly the center of attention. "Hi!" she says.

"You're Sarah, aren't you?" Embry asks.

Sarah nods. "Yeah. And you're Em-bry," she says.

At once, I turn back and look at Embry, and sense that thunder is coming. "Sarah, go and tell Daddy that I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Okay!" Sarah says brightly and scurries off.

Embry looks visibly sad at Sarah's departure. "No," he says, softly, looking around me, as he watches her go.

"Embry, what the hell?!" I demand then, and I find that I'm shaking, tempted to throw him against a tree again. "What are you thinking, you mutt?! She's a toddler!"

"Beth, just hear me out... It's not like it's my choice..."

"Choice? Choice?!" I demand, understanding just what he's talking about. "How could you imprint on my daughter?! You were crazy about me five seconds ago..."

"Beth, try to understand, you're..."

"Not young enough for you?!" I spit at him.

"No. You're married."

"But she's a toddler!" I scream at him, and, suddenly, Richard, Bella, and Edward zoom behind me.

"Walk away," Edward says, narrowing his eyes at Embry.

"You know I can't do that," Embry replies.

"What happened?" Richard demands.

"Embry imprinted on Sarah," Bella whispers, almost as if she can't fully believe that statement herself.

"Stay away from Sarah," I say immediately.

"I can't," Embry replies. "You know I can't."

I feel that I am shaking again. "I just adopted her, and now you want to take her..."

"No," Embry says firmly. "I won't, I promise."

"He'll just be around every waking moment," Edward replies.

I shake my head. "No," I say firmly. "You can't."

"Beth..."

"No!" I say, grabbing ahold of Embry and throwing him off, but he manages to miss the tree I'd been aiming for. "Go away, you filthy dog!"

"Beth, you don't get it," Embry replies. "I won't be doing..." He shakes his head. "I just want Sarah to be safe and happy, and to be a friend and big brother to her. She won't start having romantic feelings for me until high school..."

I shake my head. "I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it," Embry replies. "But it's going to happen."

I shake my head and turn away from him, and feel relief when Richard starts walking into step beside me, as Edward and Bella give Embry the do's and don'ts of imprinting vs. your new relationship with the mother and father of your imprintee. "Let's get this show on the road," I tell him.

Richard loops his hand in mine. "Sorry," he replies.

I lean my head momentarily on his shoulder. "Hey, who said life was perfect?" I ask, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm fully prepared to spend an imperfect eternity with you."

Richard stops walking, lifting me into the air and kissing my lips. "Sounds good to me," he replies, as we walk towards the house to get changed.