Chapter 11:

As I entered the room that Alice shared with Jasper, I couldn't help but admire it. No matter how many times I had been in the room before, each time I found myself captivated by the simple, understated elegance of the décor.

Alice herself was nowhere to be seen, but before I could call her name, a slim white hand emerged beckoning from the vast walk in wardrobe.

I joined Alice in the wardrobe, marvelling at the countless racks nearly sagging with the weight of garment bags. On the floor, there was countless shoeboxes and hatboxes, all made of transparent plastic so the contents could be easily seen at a glance. Unsurprisingly, each box or bag was labelled perfectly in Alice's neat hand; 'January-March 2004', 'Christmas 2003', 'August 1966'...

1966?!?

My eyes widened.

Alice laughed as she caught my gaze lingering on a particular garment bag. "Oh, I haven't seen this in forever," she said lightly, in the tone most girls would use when describing a cast-off from last season. She nimbly reached up on her toes to pull down the bag, unzipping it and revealing its contents. "It's an A-line shift dress, by Emanuel Ungaro," Alice explained. "This is its matching jacket. I love the way the horizontal lines of the jacket contrast with the vertical lines down the side of the dress, don't you, Bella?"

"Sure, it's beautiful," I replied. It was a pretty dress, sure enough, and the vibrant colours suited Alice's personality well. All her description went a bit over my head though; I had never heard of Emanuel Ungaro.

"I knew I had to have this outfit as soon as I saw it in Vogue," Alice mused, her gaze 40 years in the past. "I'll never forget the last time I wore it, you know."

"Really?" I asked, my interest piqued.

Alice nodded. "August 29th, 1966... San Francisco. I wore it to a concert I made Edward accompany me to. The sound wasn't great, but I knew I had to be there."

"How come?" I asked. It always seemed surreal when Alice or any of the other Cullens spoke about past events that had occurred before my birth.

"Well, if you knew it was your last chance to see the Beatles play live together, wouldn't you have seized the opportunity?" Alice said, her eyebrow quirked.

I smiled. "Wow, I guess not! What was it like?"

Alice shrugged her shoulders. "It was a pretty bad concert, to be honest. Nothing as good as when I saw them in England. Even with vampire hearing, we could hardly hear the band over the screaming, and what we could hear was out of key. According to Edward, the band couldn't wait for it to be over. They raced through a few songs, and the whole thing was over in just over 30 minutes. Still, I knew it would be their last concert, and I wouldn't have missed it. What can I say, I was a fan!"

I shook my head at her words. Even though I knew, intellectually, that Alice and her family had experienced history firsthand, it was still very strange hearing her describe such a historically significant gig so offhandedly. "Wow," I said again. "You said you saw them in England too? When was that?"

"In 1962, in Liverpool," Alice explained. "At a little club called the Cavern. Carlisle was working in Harley Street at the time, and we were living in London for a few months. I had a vision about this little band that would be big, so I persuaded Edward to go with me to see them. Now that was a good concert!" she said enthusiastically.

"Wow..." I murmured again, getting lost in thoughts of all the things Edward and his family must have lived through...

"But we're not here to reminisce, Bella. There's some serious work to be done if we're going to have this dress ready for your wedding!" Alice said, all business again, as she zipped up the garment bag and hung the outfit back up in place on the rack. She moved to the rear of the wardrobe, and caught up a large white garment bag. "Now, your dress!" she said excitedly.

Moving back out into the bedroom, Alice reverentially took my wedding dress from the bag and laid it out carefully on the bed. She sighed contentedly as she ran a pale hand lightly over the soft satin of the skirt. "It's turned out beautifully, if I say so myself. Now, we just need you to try it on and see how it fits after the last few little alterations."

I quickly removed my jeans, and t-shirt, needing Alice's help to remove my shoes. My usual lack of coordination made undressing difficult at the best of times – my fractured hand only made matters worse. I raised my arms up, and Alice slid the lacy dress on over my head. Even sliding my arms through the delicate lace of the sleeves was easy with Alice's aid. "What would I do without you?" I said gratefully as she deftly fastened the multitude of tiny buttons that held the dress closed at the back.

She shook her head grimly. "I don't even want to think about it, Bella!"

I had to laugh at Alice's lack of trust in my ability to dress myself, but I couldn't argue with her.

"Now," Alice said softly, her icy hands on my waist turning me to face the free-standing mirror.

My breath caught in my throat at the sight of my reflection. For once, I didn't feel plain or inadequate, even though I was standing next to Alice. "It's perfect," I said breathlessly. And it was. I couldn't wait for Edward to see me wearing it.

"It really is," Alice said, her critical eyes taking in the way the modest bodice fitted my curves like a second skin, then kneeling down to check the recent alteration to the hemline. She smiled up at me. "You make a beautiful bride, Bella."

I blushed as I stepped into the matching ivory satin high-heeled shoes Alice placed before me. As Alice secured a gauzy lace-edged veil in my hair, I continued to gaze into the mirror at my reflection. For once, I agreed with her...

*****

"Can I steal my fiancée back yet?" Edward poked his head around the door of Alice's room. Luckily for him, my dress was off me, and was safely hidden away in Alice's wardrobe once more.

I glanced questioningly at Alice. She pursed her lips for a moment and narrowed her eyes at Edward. However, within seconds, her features dissolved into an indulgent grin. "Go on then," she said grudgingly. From her expression, it was clear that she was only teasing. "We got through a lot of work in the last few hours. Bella deserves a break."

I smiled as Edward took Alice's words as an invitation to enter the room and wrap his arms around me from behind.

"So, what did you do this afternoon?" I asked Edward, leaning back against his strong form.

"Merely a few small items that needed attending to, Bella," he said easily, brushing my hair aside and placing delicate kisses at the nape of my neck. I closed my eyes, relishing the sensation...

"Bella?" Alice's voice called me back to reality.

"Hmm?" I murmured. Edward's lips were too distracting.

"I just wanted to say that I know that you don't find all these preparations as enjoyable as I do, and I wanted to say thanks for letting me have my fun," Alice said.

"Aw, Alice," I said bashfully, stepping out of Edward's grip to wrap my arms around Alice. "I'm the one who should be thanking you! You've done so much for me."

"For both of us," Edward interjected.

"Exactly," I continued, "I mean, Alice, I wouldn't have known where to start to plan a wedding. Without you, I'd probably be in Vegas, getting married in sweats! Now, we're going to have a lovely ceremony, surrounded by our families and friends... Thank you, Alice."

She returned my hug. When we moved apart, my eyes were glistening. I really did appreciate everything Alice was doing to make this wedding special for Edward and me.

"You're welcome, Bella," Alice replied warmly. "It's been a pleasure. Besides, you guys are in love. Your wedding would be special, even if you did get married in horrid, holey sweatpants! Of course, a couture dress does add a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to a wedding..."

I laughed. " Believe it or not, I've come to agree with you on that, Alice."

Edward joined in with the laughter. "I'm sure you're both right, but how can I possibly be expected to make an informed decision without seeing the dress for myself?"

"Edward!" I exclaimed.

"Not a chance," Alice said smugly. "You'll see it soon enough, after all." Her eyes narrowed again. "Won't you, Edward?"

"Sure he will," I said. "The wedding's only a couple of weeks away now. Time is flying by so fast! Of course, I'll have plenty of time afterwards..."

Edward nodded and smiled in response, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. I guess he's still uncomfortable with the idea of changing me after the honeymoon.

"That you will, Bella," Alice chirped merrily. "Just think of all the opportunities we'll have to play dress-up then!"

My groan was enough to send Edward and Alice into peals of laughter again.

*****

A short time later, Edward and I were seated in his Volvo, pulling out of the Cullens' garage. We were heading back to my house where Edward was going to be spending the night again. I could not wait! It was amazing how different it was having Edward staying openly in my room with me at night than when he had merely been sneaking through my bedroom window once Charlie had fallen asleep. Of course, I loved the sensation of being enveloped in his cool embrace all night, but even more than this, I loved how Edward staying the night was representative of Charlie's newfound trust in our relationship. My father had realised that I was now an adult, and was showing me this by treating Edward and I accordingly.

"You are very quiet, Bella," Edward said after we had spent several minutes in companionable silence. "Is there anything the matter?"

I shook my head and smiled. "No, not at all. Just lost in thought, I suppose."

"Good thoughts, I hope?" he enquired.

"Of course," I replied warmly. "I was just thinking how great it is to have you openly staying with me at night. It really shows how much Charlie has come to respect our relationship."

Edward's lips curved into the familiar crooked smile I knew and loved. "It does, Bella. In fact, I came to the same conclusion earlier today when I spoke to your father."

My eyes widened at this revelation. "You spoke to my dad today – alone? I mean, I..."

Edward chuckled, his topaz eyes glinting in the light from the headlights of the vehicles on the opposite side of the darkening road ahead. "Why so worried, my love? I assure you, I survived the conversation relatively unscathed. In fact, it was a most enlightening conversation. Very enlightening indeed..." He allowed himself the luxury of a wide grin, then appeared to give his undivided attention to his driving.

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. I could tell by Edward's body language that he was hiding something from me. He was radiating suppressed excitement, and I didn't need Jasper's empathic skills to know that whatever it was had to be something major. Come to think of it, I had only seen Edward this gleeful once before – the night I agreed to become his wife...

"Okay, Cullen, spill," I said bluntly, my curiosity getting the better of me. "What was so enlightening about your conversation with my dad?"

Edward turned his head to glance at me, then looked back out the windscreen without so much as a word in response to my question. His grin widened impossibly.

"Edward!?!" I practically whined. I wasn't used to him behaving in such a teasing manner. To be honest, for once in my life, I could almost believe that he was no more than an average – if ridiculously good-looking – teenager, teasing his girlfriend.

"Bella..." Edward murmured, his tone mocking mine.

I huffed in annoyance. "What, are you trying to outdo Mike Newton in the annoying, immature jerk stakes? Why won't you tell me what you meant by that comment?"

Edward's eyes flickered briefly to me once more, but he still didn't respond.

"Edward!" I moaned, by now getting decidedly fed-up of his behaviour. I could feel hot, angry tears beginning to well up in my eyes, and I scrubbed at them fiercely with the back of my unbroken hand, inwardly cursing how easily I was brought to the brink of tears.

Within seconds, Edward had indicated right and had pulled in at the side of the road. He killed the engine and extended his strong arms to pull me against his chest. I promptly burst into tears at the gesture.

"Bella, my love? Oh, Bella, darling. What's all this?" Edward said gently, his voice a mixture of concern and amusement. "There's no need to get upset!"

I sobbed into the fine cashmere of his sweater, undoubtedly coating it with an slightly mixture of tears and snot that would have made Alice shudder. "Yes...there is!" I blubbered pathetically. "You were being... so infuriating! You may as well have been any of those jerks in school!"

"Bella, love, I'm sorry," Edward said, gently pushing me back so he could look into my eyes. His expression was completely sincere now, all trace of that teasing grin was gone. "I didn't mean to make you cry, I was only joking with you..."

"Yeah, well, don't," I said, wiping my eyes and feeling like an idiot. I knew Edward wasn't trying to upset me, and I was annoyed with myself for overreacting so much to something I would normally have laughed at.

"I'm sorry," Edward murmured, pulling me into a loving hug once again, gently resting his chin on the top of my head. "You silly, darling, over-sensitive girl...Shh, it's alright..."

Edward rocked me gently as I continued to sob. After several minutes, my sobs began to die down and I started to feel ridiculous. What was I so upset about?

"No, I'm sorry," I said with a sniffle. "I'm being silly, I know I am. I don't know what made me overreact like that. I'm sorry, Edward."

"Bella, don't apologise... You're under a lot of pressure at the moment, I know," Edward said kindly. "We've had a tumultuous few days, and I'm not surprised that it's all gotten to be a bit too much for you. I understand – I love you, tears and all, and I understand, Bella."

I smiled in spite of myself at his words. "I guess," I admitted reluctantly. "It's frustrating though – I hate that I'm always the weak one, the one who gets overwhelmed by it all. It's not fair to you."

Edward gently tipped my chin up so I was looking directly into the golden pools of his eyes. "Do you honestly think that I never feel intimidated or overwhelmed, Bella? I assure you, I do. I may have been around a lot longer than you have, my love, but trust me, this is all as new for me as it is for you." He smiled slightly. "I've never gotten married before, you see."

I emitted a morose giggle. "Me neither. Just as well we're doing all his together then?"

Edward smiled and nodded. "Just as well," he echoed.

After several minutes had gone by, I finally felt brave enough to suggest that we should complete the drive to my house. Edward agreed with me, but only after he had closely scrutinised my face for any evidence of my crying fit. Apparently, he wasn't that comfortable with Charlie that he would risk bringing me home to my father after making me cry!

As we pulled up into Charlie's driveway, I turned to Edward again. "Do I look okay?" I asked.

"That's a question that doesn't require an answer," Edward replied, his eyes raking over me.

"Edward! Seriously," I said, "You said it yourself that it wouldn't be good for Charlie to see that I've been crying."

"And he won't," Edward replied, grasping my uninjured hand in his and raising it to his lips for a chaste kiss. "You look beautiful, Bella, as ever. Don't worry, Charlie has no cause to change his mind." He reached to open the car door, but I stopped him. That last comment of his had reminded me of just what I had been trying to wheedle out of Edward earlier before I got upset.

"Edward, please tell me what you discussed with Charlie today," I asked, placing my hand on his arm.

He sighed dramatically, but his eyes were practically twinkling with merriment. "I suppose I can tell you," he said reluctantly. "We were talking about you, my love."

I cocked my head to one side slightly and fixed Edward with an inscrutable gaze. He wasn't getting off so lightly.

"We've both been concerned about you, Bella," Edward explained. "All this wedding planning is overly stressing you. I spoke with Charlie today about an idea I have that might ease the stress a little. He was all for it."

My brain went into overdrive as I tried to figure out what exactly Edward was talking about. "What's your idea?"

He smiled. "I think your father would like to tell you himself, Bella." Edward nodded towards the open front door. Charlie was standing there with a broad smile on his face, his dark eyes dancing.

Getting out of the car, I approached Charlie. "So, what are you two plotting?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes and trying to look serious.

Charlie ignored me and glanced over my head to where Edward was standing behind me. "You haven't told her?" he queried.

Edward shook his head. "I haven't, sir, no. I thought I'd leave it up to you."

Charlie smiled gratefully. Whatever he and Edward had planned, Charlie certainly seemed enthusiastic about it.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" I begged, looking beseechingly from one to the other.

Charlie smiled at Edward, then looked at me. "How would you feel about taking a short trip away, Bells?"

My eyes widened at the delicious, illicit thought of a day or two free from the constant bombardment of wedding hysteria. I bit back the urge to list off all the things that still needed to be done. I need this! It was true, I was stressed out and worn out from all the wedding planning with Alice. I didn't have her stamina, let alone her talent and flair for such things, and i had to admit it – I was wrecked! My outburst in the car was merely a byproduct of all the pressure I had been under. I would miss Edward desperately, but I knew I could survive a few days. In Charlie's company, I knew I would be able to relax.

"I'd love it, Dad," I said longingly. "So, where are we going?"

Charlie's smile grew exponentially wider. "How would I know, Bells?"

I was confused, then the pieces of the puzzle all fit together. "Oh...oh!" I exclaimed. "Seriously, Dad?"

Charlie smiled, "Seriously, Bella. I know Edward will take good care of you. Damn it, he's probably the only man in the world more protective of you than I am!"

I turned to Edward, but he merely spun me back around to face Charlie, who was handing me something. I looked down at the small booklet in my hand, dimly registering that it was my little-used passport. "Are we going abroad?" I asked wonderingly.

Edward wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Now, that is a surprise I won't be spoiling," he said firmly.

Charlie continued to smile benevolently at us. "Now, you kids have fun," he said teasingly, extending a callused hand to ruffle my hair. I scarcely had time to give him a hug before Charlie was backing into the house and Edward was guiding me back towards the Volvo.

"But, my things... I mean, clothes, and..." I began to protest.

"Trust me, it's all taken care of," Edward murmured, leaning in close to me. "Relax, Bella. That's what the next few days are all about."

And I was powerless to do anything but smile bemusedly as Edward reversed back out onto the road.