Femme Docs and Kevlar Knights

by A Cullen Wannabe

Bella is a first yr medical intern who was raised by her brother Emmett and his friends after their parents died when she was 16. When a night in the ER turns dangerous can her boys, now members of the best SWAT team in Chicago save her? Lang/Lem/complete

59. I'll Always Be Right There

WARNING: THIS STORY IS NO LONGER BEING EDITED FOR CONTENT. FULL DESCRPTION WILL BE INCLUDED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED…

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Characters, nor the rights to any songs used in this chapter.

Yeah...it's their wedding day! I was so excited to write this, but I have to say, I think it might have been the hardest to write in the whole dang story!

I have also taken hours upon hours to construct the playlists for these next two chapters. Matter of fact, the songs were chosen first, and the chapter was written around them...so I really encourage you to check it out! There's a lot more country in this chapter, but I couldn't help it. Country music tends to be very romantic and sappy/sweet. I blamed them all on Jasper's influence…tee,hee. I added the link below.

http:/www .youtube. com/view_play_list?p=F1CA86F6C9A92819

Also, please ignore the cheering at the beginning of the Processional Song when Bella walks down the aisle. I fell in love with it, but could only find a live performance, so screaming in a few places cannot be avoided, but the song is perfect! Anyway, hope you enjoy! I held the reception for the next chapter.

I have also created a new photobucket album just for the FDKK wedding, so go check out the pictures. I even included a picture of my daughter wearing Emmalie's dress when she was a twelve days old. Granted she looks nothing like Emma, but it's still the dress I had in mind.

http:/photobucket .com/FDKKwedding

Thanks to Sihaya9 for her beta work and Sassenach Wench for doing her Validation thang!

I'll Always Be Right There

BPOV

The time that followed our arrival at the beach house could be described as nothing short of chaotic. I started believing that Esme had truly lost her mind when landscapers arrived on Friday morning, scouring the beach, removing the tall patches of grass that had rooted in the sandy shore and turning the sand to reveal soft smoothness along the entire length of their private beach area. Then to top it off, she had them haul in fresh white sand, directing them as they smoothed it atop the freshly turned sand that was already there, creating a beautifully crafted circle with a raised heart around where our wedding would take place with a white fluffy aisle connecting the circle to the house.

I didn't even want to know how much Esme and Carlisle had invested in this ceremony. Even Edward was concerned, offering to pay the majority of the costs out of his trust, but they wouldn't hear of it. Both insisted that their only child only got married once and they wanted to do this for us.

Caravans of trucks came and went from the property as a huge gossamer tent was erected on a large section of the newly cleaned up shoreline to the left hand side of the area where the ceremony was going to take place. Once the tent was erected, workmen set about to string long strands of white lights back and forth across the top of the dome and down the sides, only leaving the doorway areas free from trailing strands of white light.

Next a rental company came, setting up tables and chairs, covering them with long white table cloths and white chair covers tied in place with pink bows that matched the sashes of the bridesmaid dresses that Alice and Rose would be wearing. In the center of everything, a large wooden dance floor was laid out, a long table set at one end with two larger ornate chairs placed in the middle, immediately labeling it as the place where Edward and I would sit for the dinner portion of the reception.

Another, different rental company arrived to set up the lattice work arch area under which Edward and I would be married, along with the many chairs that were set up in a semicircular pattern around the arch. I palmed my face nervously when I began to count the number of chairs, noticing that there were far more than was needed for the thirty guests originally on the list to receive invitations.

The scariest part of all though was the fact that I knew this was just the beginning. By the middle of the next afternoon, the tables would be covered in fine china and crystal glassware with beautiful centerpieces on the tables. The arch would be adorned with my requested lavender and purple wisteria, trailing down either side and out across the lattice half wall that stretched out a few feet on either side of the arch.

This was definitely a far cry from the casual reception and ceremony I had outlined for Esme, but at the same time, I understood her desire to make it perfect. It wasn't really my style, but Edward had a major hand in it. I knew that many of these touches were his. I smiled when I thought of him gauging each decision, trying to decide if I would give him too much grief over them. At least he agreed on my wardrobe selections and would be wearing the white linen pants and button down shirt I had suggested.

In all the time that stretched those few days, my favorite was the few hours of free time we managed to wrangle with our friends. Emmett begged Edward and I to keep an eye on Emma while he took Rose out in the water to swim together for a while...as though he really had to twist our arm.

Edward and I rested her on the towel between us, as we both lay on our sides, our heads propped up on our hands. We stared down at her, making silly faces and reaching forward to tickle her tiny belly. She had recently developed the most adorable giggle the week before. We both loved hearing her tinkling laugh.

Part of me wanted to freeze that moment in time and enjoy the freedom of just having fun together. After the stress of the past year, it was a much needed break from the insanity and a touch of the normality we all seemed to desperately miss. I made a vow right then that we would have to make it a tradition to come to the beach house once every summer as a group and not lose touch with those lighter times, even when life starts to get sticky down the road.

Friday evening, we finished up the last of what we could get ready for the wedding without the supplies scheduled to arrive the next day and settled in with delivered pizza and beer. I clung to Edward the entire time, knowing full well that the girls would be forcing me away from his side very soon.

Just as I feared, once the pizza and beer had disappeared, Alice and Rose each claimed a hand, tugging me toward the stairs to the loft. I pulled way to collapse on Edward's lap for one last kiss before I was manhandled into the guest bedroom on the loft level.

Once there, I was pleased to discover we had a single bottle of champagne to indulge in, more chocolate than we could ever begin to consume on our own, the TV turned on and set to the DVD player, and four pair of matching cotton pajamas all waiting for us to change into.

We had a ton of fun as we all gathered around the TV screen and settled back to watch Sixteen Candles, giggling at the eighties fashion and the hilarious antics of the crazy wedding of Molly Ringwald's sister, who was high on muscle relaxers that she had taken to relieve her unexpected menstrual cramps. I still got the biggest kick out of the exchange student, Dong.

Once the movie was over, we settled in for some old fashioned girl talk that lasted late into the night.

o~O~o

I was awoken Saturday morning by a hyper Alice.

"Wake up, Bella! It's your wedding day!" She crooned in my ear as she bounced on the bed next to me.

I looked over at the clock with a sigh seeing it was eleven in the morning. Even though it was a little late, we were having an evening wedding, so we could sleep a little later, which we definitely needed to be able to do after staying up till the wee hours of the morning giggling and sharing stories about our guys. I felt other bodies shift around me as Rose whimpered, covering her face with her pillow. Esme chuckled softly before gracefully rising from her pallet on the floor and disappearing through the door.

"I have something for you to listen to while you wake up," Alice cheered, as she vibrated a silver iPod Nano above my head that was very similar to the wedding favors we had for our guests.

I reached up and grabbed her hand to read the inscription on the silver plated back noting that there was far more text than the wedding favors had inscribed on them.

To the love of my life on our wedding day,

This player contains a playlist of one song an hour as you prepare to be my wife. I love you with all of my heart and I can't wait to make you mine completely.

Love Always,

Edward

I sighed, the first of many tears of the day welling in my eyes.

Rose groaned before exiting the bed as well, grumbling about not getting many opportunities to sleep in and leaving me alone to enjoy the song on my own. I assumed she went to go claim Emma from the sitter Esme had hired for the night so Rose could fully enjoy the girls night in, and yet still go see her baby at any point she felt the need.

Alice giggled, shaking her head and telling me to get it out of my system now before the make-up artist arrived. Bouncing across the room jovially, she opened the cabinet concealing the stereo. She attached the device and punched a few buttons moments before a quiet bass line filled the room.

I lay back on my pillow, smiling at the light dancing on the ceiling as I listened to the first song Edward had chosen for me to listen to. I really liked Anberlin, and Inevitablewas one of my favorite tracks from their CD.

I closed my eyes and relaxed as a gentle breeze blew through the open window next to the bed. In the distance I could hear birds singing and the leaves rustling in the wind. I had been worried that our mid-August wedding would be stifling hot, but to my great relief, a cool spell fell on the area Thursday night, leaving us with a very temperate expected high of 78. Right now the air felt more like it was somewhere around 72, which felt absolutely perfect to my skin as the breeze drifted over me.

My smile spread slowly as I listened to the words filling the air. I wanna be your last first kiss that you'll ever have. I wanna be your last first kiss.

I lay blissfully still, listening to the remainder of the song with visions of my beautiful Edward dancing in my mind. In just a few short hours, he was going to be my husband. I rolled over, burying my face in my pillow and squealing loudly into the soft downy cushion while kicking my feet wildly on the bed.

A second later, Alice and Esme both rushed in, smiling at me as I kicked a few more times before turning over with a bright excited smile. I could practically feel the joy radiating off of my body as they giggled at me.

Esme disappeared back into her suite while Alice tugged me out of bed and began to run water in the Jacuzzi tub in my suite. She poured in measured amounts of three different oils before testing the water and deeming it adequate for me to step into. She left me alone to undress and slide into the relaxing and deliciously fragrant water.

I rested my head on the shell shaped pillow behind my head; classical music began to pipe in through the speaker in the ceiling. I smiled and sighed, sinking deeper into the delicious smelling water.

I sniffed with my eyes closed, trying to detect the scents that added up to perfection. I immediately recognized my freesia body wash, but there was also a hint of Vanilla and possibly Jasmine, or was it Cherry Blossom? I wasn't quite sure, but it was amazing. The aromas seemed to seep through my nose and directly into every muscle of my body, helping them to relax and enjoy.

After a nice long soak, I washed my hair carefully with the professional shampoo and conditioner Alice insisted I use on this very special occasion. Using the hand-held shower head, I rinsed away the residue to avoid making my hair heavy with the oils in the tub.

About forty minutes after I had slid into the fragrant waters, I stepped back out again, drying quickly and sliping into the satin shorts and button down shirt set Alice had gotten me for the day, both having Mrs. Cullen embroidered on them in golden thread, and then covered up in a white silk robe. I wrapped my hair up in my towel like a turban and walking out to find that in my absence, my room had been invaded with strangers wielding different types of beauty implements.

Esme was already seated in one of the arm chairs on the far side of the room getting her hair styled by a flamboyantly gay man who seemed to make her laugh every few seconds. Alice was seated across from her as a make-up artist speedily dusted her face skillfully with powders of varying hues.

Everyone froze mid action when they realized I was in the room, smiling at me dreamily just for a moment and then breaking their gazes and returning to their tasks at hand. I shook my head slowly and maneuvered myself to sit on the end of the bed, waiting to be told what to do next.

Before I knew what was happening, a tiny lady stepped in front of me, yanking my feet down into a large bowl type container that she slid in front of me and began tsking as she lifted a foot observing the shape they were in. I looked down at her apologetically with a shrug. I was a doctor, on my feet all day long in functional shoes, and wasn't really the type of girl to hit the spa on a regular basis for a mani/pedi.

The lady shook her head at me again, stood up and tossed my right hand into a bowl filled with similar liquid while my feet were soaking and moved to set up her supplies. After an hour of her prodding my hands and feet with devices that looked as though they were remnants of Medieval Torture chambers, I was finally set free again.

While the lady worked on my hands, the stylist had come over to take my hair out of the towel and dry it, but let me know he would not be doing the more intricate styling until much later.

Just as they both finished up, the door opened and two servers entered the room bearing trays filled to the brim with cold cut sandwiches, raw vegetables, and fruit for us to nibble on for lunch while we continued to get ready.

The other people took a break, leaving me alone with Esme, Alice, and Rose to eat in a bit of peace. Alice looked at the clock with a smile before bouncing over to hit the next song on the playlist. They all sighed at me when the candlelight version of Cascada's Everytime We Touch filled the air.

I leaned against the headboard, closing my eyes and humming quietly. I already really loved Edward's sweet gesture. It was his way of being with me on this very important day when the rest of our loved ones wouldn't allow it. I hadn't seen him since eight o'clock the previous night and I was really missing him badly, as sad as that was.

The second the song ended, Alice was on her feet looking at her PDA and shouting out our schedule, detailing the rest of our day nearly down the minute. It was now one fifteen in the afternoon. The wedding was to begin in three hours and fifteen minutes. Before that I was to be taken care of by the stylists who would perfect my hair and face for the next hour and fifteen minutes.

After that, I would be assisted into my undergarments and dress and would get my pictures taken with the rest of the bridesmaids. At everyone's insistence, I would not be seeing Edward before the ceremony, but we were going to take every picture we possibly could to reduce the time it would take after the ceremony.

Once our part of the picture taking process was completed, I would be ushered back into my room, where my hair and makeup would be touched up for the ceremony while the boys' pictures were being taken. By that point the guests would be arriving and we would take our places for the ceremony to commence.

I had to admit, I was practically sweating with a torrent of butterflies taking flight in my stomach just at the idea of the day that lay ahead of me. I was so excited to be Edward's wife, but all the stuff that lead up to and surrounded it made me extremely nervous.

Alice went to the door, opening it to let in the parade of people once more. The foot lady attacked Esme's much softer and well cared for extremities with the hair stylist, who actually made me seem nearly butch, began tugging my hair up from my scalp one strand at a time, or at least that was how it felt.

I sat as still as possible as he chatted away, curling and fluffing my hair. One thing I had insisted on was not to have an overly fancy up do, that was not like me at all. I compromised on curls and a half up do, finally pointing to a picture of Rebecca Romijn's wedding photos from when she married Jerry O'Connell. Alice whole heartedly agreed, picking special white and pink lilies to tuck into my hair where it came together at the base of my head before flowing down my back in loose soft curls.

Once my hair was pinned, and plastered in place with hairspray, the stylist took a few pictures of the finished product. Alice started the next song on the track while I examined my reflection, smiling as DJ Sammy's slow version of Heaven streamed lightly through the room. I smiled, looking in the mirror and admiring how the two pink and white lilies and the three tiny white roses stood out against my dark hair beautifully while concealing the pins that held the locks in place away from my face.

Esme had just finished with her mani/pedi. She turned me gently, cupping my cheeks in her hands as she smiled brightly at me.

"You look beautiful already, Bella. Edward is going to pass out when he sees you in your dress with your hair like this. He's so happy with you. Just listen to how much you mean to him. I'm so proud I raised a man who isn't afraid to do romantic things like this for the woman he loves…and trust me, he adores you with everything in his being."

I thanked her, hugging her tightly after releasing her to leave, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the last of the song before slipping back into my seat.

The make-up girl came in next. Once again we had compromised, I wanted natural, yet agreed to let them put it on thickly enough to survive the day. When she was done, I looked exactly as I pictured it, a soft blush on my cheeks, light eye make-up, and a barely there pink lipstick on my lips.

I only got a second before Alice rushed back in to usher me into the next step. She rushed me so quickly I was barely able to take in the sight of her in the strapless white A-line dress with a sheer layer over the top covered in thin pink outlines of roses. A narrow pink sash tied at her waist made her look slightly taller. Her hair was completely swept up off of her neck and pinned in place with many tiny pearl tipped pins. She looked perfect and I smiled knowing Rose would look just as perfect.

She ushered me to stand in front of the mirror, stripping me of my robe and helped me slip into my tiny satin strapless bra and miniscule white lace thong to avoid having any panty lines in my dress. Just as she was finishing adjusting my bra slightly behind me, the door cracked open for Esme to squeeze through and stood in front of me.

Together she and Alice struggled to help me slide into my long, white, off the shoulder dress without damaging my hair or make up. Once it was in place, Alice began snapping pictures while Esme stepped behind me to lace the crisscrossed corset straps that held the back of the dress in place. Once secured, she fluffed the wide gossamer drape of material that connected the two sleeves, dipping far down my back to hit just at the bottom of the open back below where the laces crisscrossed. The fluffy tiered layers of the skirt felt so light on my legs that it almost felt like I wore nothing below my hips.

The second it was secure, Esme and Alice stepped away, clutching their chests with tears in their eyes.

"Oh, Bella! You look so beautiful sweetheart!" Esme cried, picking up her camera to take some images.

"It's perfect, Bella. Truly, you and Antonia created the perfect dress for you. It's soft and feminine and yet it feels like you!" Alice cheered as she circled me.

Alice crossed the room, handing a box from the vanity to Esme who stepped in front of me again, slowly opening the hinged box.

"Bella, this is a family heirloom that once belonged to my Grandmother, and I was hoping that you would want to wear it today. It can be your something old."

There in the box sat a pearl necklace with three stacking strands of beautiful white pearls, connected with a stunning diamond encrusted clasp. It was beautiful.

I was at a loss for words and just nodded to Esme with tears in my eyes that I struggled to keep under control so as to not ruin my makeup before any photos were even taken. She pulled it out of the box, clasping it behind my neck; Alice snapped more pictures steadily. She had wanted the photographer to be in the room for my getting dressed, but I vehemently refused, insisting on privacy while I dressed.

Alice checked the way we needed to travel before coming back to claim me to go downstairs and out on the deck to begin taking the pictures. She carried an iHome with her and sitting in on the deck as I stared out at the display before me. It was amazing how it had all come together in the end.

My requested purple wisteria hung regally from the arch at the edge of the beach and tall lily plants that matched the buds in my hair lined the walkway that connected the house to the archway. The sand still remained perfect, and I knew it would probably stay that way until we marched our way to the front for the ceremony.

I heard a click as I gazed out at the display below me in amazement and looked to my right to see the photographer halfway down the stairs taking pictures of me as I looked out on everything below me.

He smiled at me sheepishly, "Sorry, but that was one of those once in a blue moon artistic shots with the way the wind was blowing your hair and your dress and the look in your eye. I'll go wait for them to let me know where you want to start."

He disappeared and Alice appeared before me again giggling. "Okay, so he made me swear to tell you at this point that even though he normally avoids country music like the plague, Jasper made him listen to a few songs and they were just too perfect not to use. This is one of several."

She hit the button and a slow piano melody began to play. I smiled, if I didn't know Jasper, I might not have recognized it, but for years he had surreptitiously been giving me what he claimed was a much needed education in real music. This was actually one of my favorites, Me and You by Kenny Chesney, especially since I had gotten together with Edward. It really was too perfect for us.

Rosalie came out and joined us, my beautiful niece tucked in her arm dressed in the adorable little yellow dress with the gauzy material covering it with pink flowers and trim embroidered all over. A pink sash wrapped her waist and the sheer material came up to make cute little cap sleeves. I squealed excitedly when I saw her and the photographer began taking shots at a rapid speed as I cooed and interacted with her.

The girls and I spent the next hour taking posed pictures on the balcony, along the water's edge, and in every location we could dream up with the exception of in front of the arch which Esme insisted stay pristine until the ceremony. I wasn't about to argue considering how much money she must have spent on the landscapers and the sand art.

When we finally re-entered the house, the hair stylist clucked at the damage the wind had done to his masterpiece, shoving me into a seat and working to reconfigure the controlled chaos.

Alice trilled from the doorway before sliding into the room with the iPod again, telling me in a singsong voice it was time for the next song and there was only one more after this that I wouldn't hear until right before the ceremony.

I smiled when she connected it and started playing Tim McGraw's My Best Friend, another that always made me think of Edward. I sang along with the chorus, smiling to myself as the hairdresser worked furiously behind me.

You're more than a lover.

There can never be another,

to makeme feel the way you do.

Ohhh, we just get closer,

I fall in love all over

every time I look at you.

I don't know where I'd be

without you here with me.

Life with you makes perfect sense.

You're my best friend.

The make-up artist came in just as the song ended, to fix my lipstick and add some more powder to my face and a bit more blush to my cheeks. When she left, I found myself alone for the first time since I had exited the bath that morning.

I sighed, getting up to look in the mirror once more. It was still hard to believe that the woman looking back from the glass was me. I had come such a long way from when I first moved to Chicago as a scared sixteen year old. In all of those years there had only been a few constants, and the two most prevalent were Emmett and Edward.

As though he heard my thoughts, it was in the moment that there was a loud knock on the door and my big burly brother bear stepped through with a wide smile on his face, making his dimples seem even deeper than usual.

"Holy Shit, Bells! You look amazing! Edward's going to shit his pants when he sees you!"

I smiled and reached toward him, asking for a hug. He quickly crossed the space between us to wrap me in his big warm arms. He sighed before stepping away slowly, examining me again carefully.

"I can't believe that I'm giving you away today. I wish Mom and Dad could be here to see this and that he could do the job. I know they would be so proud of you sis."

A renegade tear escaped from my right eye and he jerked out of his reverie to look at me apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to make you cry. Please don't cry, sweetie."

I smiled up at him. "It's okay, Em. I've been thinking about them a lot lately. I miss them too. I'm glad I have you though. I'm so happy that you wanted to give me away since Daddy can't."

He nodded, swiping roughly at his eyes with the back of his hand. "It's an honor, Bella. I'm honored to be your brother and I'm honored to be asked to give you away. You make me so proud every day, you know that?"

He hugged me again before shuffling toward the door claiming that if he stayed any longer he was just going to make me cry again, earning the wrath of the pixie. I giggled and waved, telling him I would meet him down there when it was time.

I heard voices downstairs with the opening and closing of the door. Moments after it closed, I heard an alert coming from my phone that made me smile. I ran to my purse and tugged out my phone, opening it to read the text message from Edward.

Love you Bella. You're going to be my wife in less than half an hour. I can't wait to see you out there. I love you forever and always! –E

I wrote back quickly before relaxing into the chair again, wiggling my bare toes in front of me with a smile. It was one more battle that I had won. I absolutely refused to wear shoes when they would just get filled immediately with sand anyway. There has always been little I hated more than the feeling of sand in my shoes. The only way to solve the problem was to go barefoot. The compromised meant I had to allow my toes to be painted a pink to match the bridesmaid dresses, but it was a worthwhile concession.

A gentle knock on the door moments later, led to Elizabeth stepping through the doorway with a wide smile. She stepped across the room to hug me warmly and wish me luck. She pulled something from her purse and offered it to me, asking if I would wear it. A silver chain that appeared to be two small ones fastened together was lain in my hand a single tiny silver heart hanging from one of the clasps. I picked up the heart to read the inscription. Edward Anthony Masen, June 20, 1981.

I looked up at her questioningly as she smiled and unclasped one side, sliding it onto my wrist. "This part," she said pointing to one half of the chain, "was Edward's baby bracelet. I kept it safe all of these years, even through the worst times. I always kept a piece of my baby with me. Now he belongs to you and I hoped you would wear that today to acknowledge that love I have for him."

I nodded, watching slow tears seep from her eyes. Elizabeth had taken a long time to make peace with some of our decisions surrounding this day. She was being seated as a mother of the groom, but all of the official duties were being placed firmly in Esme and Carlisle's hands. The last name had been the biggest obstacle to overcome though. She had nearly broken a vocal chord with her reaction when she first heard that Edward was legally changing his name to Cullen and officially accepting Carlisle and Esme as his parents. Eventually she calmed down and found a way to live with his decisions, but it wasn't without a lot of tears and frustration on the part of all parties involved.

She gave me one more hug before exiting the room, leaving me alone again.

I walked back to the mirror, checking my make up again when the gentle knock on the door told me that Alice was back. We were at t minus fifteen minutes and counting and she was there to deliver my last song of the pre wedding playlist Edward had created for me.

She started the song and quickly left the room; Lonestar's Amazed began to play. Seconds later my phone rang Edward's ringtone. I answered in little more than a whisper and he replied in an equally low tone. Edward quietly sang along with the song as I listened, dabbing at my eyes with a tissue to keep my makeup as clean as I could, but the emotion was too much. I love him so much it hurt.

"I love you, Bella, so much. I'll see you under the arch in ten minutes, my love, and then I'm never letting you go again."

I sighed, dabbing my eyes again. "I love you too, Edward. See you up there."

The second I hung up the phone, the door opened and the girls swept in, chattering loudly. I was handed my bouquet. I smiled down at my cascading bouquet of pink roses and purple calla lilies. They fit perfectly in my hand and provided just the right amount of color to me as I would walk down the aisle toward my groom.

I exited the room to find my brother standing at the top of the staircase in his white linen trousers and button down shirt as per my orders, holding my smiling niece. He handed her off to Rose as she passed before offering me his arm, escorting me carefully down the staircase.

Emmett and I stood in the living room behind the group lining up to walk out. The butterflies in my stomach had risen to a fever pitch.

Carlisle, who had yet to see me, froze in place before a slow smile filled his face. He crossed the room, scooping me into a gentle hug and telling me how beautiful I looked before crossing back to Esme. The prelude music was wafting in through the French doors that now stood open for the first group to walk out.

The music switched to an acoustic version of Love You Till The End by the Pogues, which Edward and I finally decided was a good song for our friends and family to enter to before the music changed for me. Esme had scoured the greater Chicago area to find an acoustic group with a variety of guitars and a violin in their act with an amazing set of singers to perform during the ceremony. They sounded almost identical to the band.

Jasper escorted Elizabeth down the stairs to her seat, closely followed by Carlisle and Esme, who were dressed in the same casual fashion as the rest of the wedding party. Alice followed next, carrying her small bundle of pink calla lilies with a cream colored pearlescent ribbon. Rose walked out next, carrying Emma in the crook of her arm, showcasing her pretty little dress and the tiny pouch with a drawstring at the bottom that Rose would pull the string on allowing her to drop tiny pink rose petals as they walked up the aisle to wait for Emmett and I.

Once the room was empty, leaving Em and I alone, he turned to me with a big smile. "Ready for this, squirt?"

I beamed up at him, straightening my back. "Ready as I'll ever be, brother bear."

At that moment that the words left my mouth, the song ended. A couple of seconds later, the Spanish guitar began to play the beginning notes of I'll Always Be Right There by Bryan Adams. Emmett and I stepped through the doors to the banister of the deck and looked down to see the crowd of people looking up at us, but all I could see was Edward's dazzling green eyes, boring into me with a wide adoring smile on his face.

Emmett braced my arm tightly as we slowly descended the stairs and the singer began to croon the lyrics with a warm voice.

I swear to you - I will always be there for you - there's nothin' I won't do
I promise you - all my life Iwill live for you-
We will make it through

Forever - we will be

Together - you and me.

Emmett and I reached the bottom of the stairs and began walking through the white sand trail toward the arch, under which Edward waited. His eyes were focused on me as he clutched his pants legs tightly in his fist. The audience around us blurred into the background as I made my way toward the man that owned my heart completely. The truth of the words of the song never rang more true to me than in that moment.

Oh n' when I hold ya - nothin' can compare
With all of my heart - you know I'll always be - right there

I believe in US- nothin' else could ever mean so much
-you're the one I trust-our time has come-
We're not two people-now-we are one-
Yeah- you're second to none.

Emmett and I reached the front of the aisle. Edward stepped forward, keeping his eyes locked on me the whole time. He reached out to brush a hand down my cheek before glancing briefly at Emmett. He held his hand out to shake Em's. Emmett shook it firmly before turning to me, a tear running down his cheek. He leaned forward and kissed my cheek gently before taking my hand and placing it in Edward's, patting his shoulder three times and then stepping to his place next to Jasper as one of Edward's groomsmen.

Forever we will be
Together -a family
The more Iget to know ya - nothin' can compare
With all of my heart- you know I'll always be - right there

Edward slowly lifted my hand to his lips, kissing the back gently for a second. I leaned forward throwing my hands, bouquet and all, around his neck to hug him closely. I took a long steadying breath of his scent where it was strongest in the crook of his neck as I mumbled. "I love you. Thank you for marrying me."

He chuckled. "It's me who should be thanking you, my love."

Forever- we will be together-just you and me
The more I get to know ya- the more I really care
With all of my heart- ya know I'll always be...
And ya know I really love ya- nothin' can compare
For all of my life- you know I'll always be-
Right there

We were still holding onto one another tightly when the song ended and Edward, slowly released me, turning us both to look at the minister before our eyes immediately locked back on one another.

I don't think either of us really heard what the minister was saying most of the time, we gazed at one another. His eyes were so clear and moist that they made my heart hurt. I handed Alice my bouquet at the appropriate time before clasping my hands with Edward's while the minister instructed us to recite our vows to one another. We spoke from the heart, every word meaning so much more than the mere combinations of vowels and consonants could ever convey.

Edward reached up to cup my cheeks in his warm hands, stroking them softly with his thumbs. His eyes bore into my soul as he spoke more earnestly than I had ever heard a person speak before in my entire life.

"My beautiful Bella, I can't begin to express how lucky I feel to have you here with me, joining your life with me, and promising to be mine forever. I can basically separate my life into three parts, my innocent childhood before my father died, limbo where I walked around lost and more or less alone, and then the last seven years when you've been a part of my life, shedding light onto places of my soul I believed to be long dead and gone. From the first time I saw you, I saw how beautiful you were, not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. It took me seven long years before our relationship shifted and you filled every void inside of me. You are my sun and my stars, my hopes and my dreams, you are my true north and I am so grateful that you want to spend the rest of your life with me. I promise that I will spend the rest of my days by your side, doing everything I can to keep you happy and safe. From this day until the end of time, I am utterly and completely yours. I love you with all my heart and soul."

I sniffled, wiping at my errant tears. I worried that my voice would be lost in the flood of emotions that Edward's words sent washing over me. After a moment, I took a deep breath and tried to remember the words I had prepared for my own vows to him.

"Edward, my love, my life, and the other half of my soul, I never dreamed in all my days that I would ever find a love so amazing and true as the love you have given to me. You see things in me that I could never see in myself and you always encourage me to be the best I can possibly be. You have turned your world completely on end for me, changing everything that has ever made you comfortable just for me. The only thing I can say about what we have is that it has to be the closest thing to a miracle I have ever seen in this life, and I thank God every day for giving you to me and allowing me to love you so fiercely. I promise to be your partner and walk by your side through the easy times and the hard. No matter what happens, when you look beside you, I will be right there, holding your hand and helping you figuring out where to turn next. I love you so much and I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to show you just how much you mean to me. Thank you for loving me and making me yours forever, because that is exactly what I am…Yours…Until the end of my days."

The ceremony itself is meant as an outward expression of our legal union, but for us it was so much deeper. This was a union of our souls, these were eternal promises to stand by one another no matter how rough the road ahead of us got. We had already been through so much, but life isn't fair and we both knew that there would be more trials in the future and we would face them together, side by side, united against whatever may come.

When directed, we took our rings from Alice and Emmett and repeated the words, the vibrations of our devotion moving deep in our souls from where our skin met. The feeling of sliding that thin piece of metal onto Edward's finger was indescribable. In that moment, the promises we were making to one another was so tangible it forced the tears I had managed to hold mostly at bay, even during our vows, to spew forth with overwhelming strength.

Edward smiled at me through his own tears and wiped mine away. At this point our ceremony took on a rather untraditional turn as the judge we had hired to help with the ceremony stepped forward. His job had more to do with our official name change than the ceremony itself. We had already filed all of the official papers and Edward went to court for authorization a few weeks before, but this was the moment when the judge was going to officially state for all to hear that we would now be joined as Mr. and Mrs. Cullen.

There were several gasps from the unsuspecting members of the crowd as the judge made the proclamation while we smirked at one another, leaning in close, touching foreheads, ready for the ceremony part to be over. After the judge made his declaration, the minister stepped forward, encouraging us to face the crowd and announcing us before telling Edward he could kiss his bride.

The band began to sing Shania Twain's From This Moment Onas Edward swept me into a dip, kissing me passionately while the crowd around us cheered. When he pulled me back up, we kissed a few more times gently; he held me close to his body. The both of us were smiling so widely that our muscles were beginning to hurt slightly.

The band continued to sing and our wedding party hugged us happily before we slowly migrated toward the guests, hugging each one while they congratulated us both heartily.

Once we had greeted all of the guests and they were ushered toward the reception tent, the photographer ambushed us for endless posed group pictures and pictures of Edward and I as we frequently forgot we were supposed to be posing, instead getting lost in one another's eyes.

We suggested that the last of the pictures be taken while we walked along the beach, hand in hand as I had daydreamed so many months ago when this wedding first began to come to mind. Once he took another dozen or so pictures, we ushered the photographer back to the party. We continued to walk in peace, holding one another's hands and simply savoring the moment.

When we were far enough away we could no longer hear the loud music thumping out from the tent, Edward turned me in his arms to face him, looping his arms around my waist and hugging me closely as he leaned in to rest his forehead against mine.

"So how do you feel Mrs. Cullen?"

I smiled brightly, tipping my chin to claim his lips gently. "I feel amazing, Mr. Cullen. I don't think it's possible to be any happier than I am right at this very moment!"

He nodded before claiming my lips more passionately. We kissed for a long time, savoring one another in the last few remnants of the day; the sun finally disappeared and a smattering of stars filled the night sky. We slowly made our way back to the tent in the moonlight drawn by the smell of the delicious gourmet barbecue awaiting us, as well as the festive music drawing us in to have some fun with our friends and family.

Well, what did you guys think? Was it at least somewhat worthy of the build up? Please review!

Once again, I do not own the rights to the songs in this story listed below:

Anberlin – Inevitable

Cascada – Everytime We Touch (candlelight version)

DJ Sammy – Heaven (the slow version)

Kenny Chesney – Me and You

Tim McGraw – My Best Friend

Lonestar – Amazed

The Pogues – I'll Love You 'Till The End

Bryan Adams – Always Be Right There

Shania Twain – From This Moment On