A/N Happy Monday! (Barely) I tried to get this chapter done and up earlier, but it's been crazy! Thank you to all who have reviewed, alerted, fav'd, and rec'd this story! You are all amazing! I'm about to hit 300 reviews and I'm super excited! Anyway, here's the next chapter! Enjoy and please leave me your thoughts!

Chapter 67 - Family

As Edward and his brother were pulling out of the parking lot in front of the jewelry store, Emmett's phone buzzed, alerting him that he had an incoming text message. "Who's that?" Edward asked although he thought he already knew.

Emmett pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. "It's Rosie. She wants us to meet her at the tux shop instead of at the department store."

Edward scrunched up his nose a bit as he thought about that. "Hmm. That's kind of weird, isn't it? I mean we just saw them about twenty minutes ago. I thought we were going to look for Bella's dress and then all go to look at tuxes together." He didn't understand why she wanted to change the plans, but he also knew the tux place was practically right next door to the department store, so he wasn't too worried.

As he pulled in to park, he saw Rosalie standing just outside the entrance to the shop. When she saw them, she waved and had a big smile on her face. Whatever worries Edward still had, evaporated at her welcoming gesture. Surely if something had happened, she wouldn't be all smiles and waves.

Emmett climbed out of the car and started walking toward Rosalie. When he reached her, he grabbed her up in his arms and swung her around in a circle. Edward chuckled to himself as he watched Rosalie try to smack Emmett without luck. "Put me down, ya big knucklehead!" she exclaimed through her laughter.

Edward always admired the relationship between Rosalie and Emmett. On the outside, Rosie seemed brash and hard to get along with. Emmett brought out the fun-loving, playful side of her. They complimented each other perfectly and Edward hoped that people would say the same thing about Bella and him. She really was his other half; he had absolutely no doubt of that.

Edward was walking slowly because the moment Emmett set Rosie on her feet, he started kissing her; it wasn't a platonic kiss either. It didn't look like Emmett was going to be finished any time soon, so Edward finally just approached them and conspicuously cleared his throat.

Emmett released her and started laughing. "Sorry, bro. Sometimes I just can't get enough of my woman, you know?" He winked at Rosie before kissing her once more on the lips.

"I know Em," Edward said as he walked up and smacked him upside the head. "Rosie's right though, you're a complete knucklehead." Curiosity finally got the best of him and he looked toward his sister. "So Rosie, why the change in plans? I thought we were meeting you at the department store to help Bella find a dress."

Rosalie started chuckling before she answered him. "Apparently, Bella has decided that she doesn't want you to see the dress until the ceremony. She thinks it will have more of an impact if you see it for the first time tomorrow." She laughed a little harder as she thought of something else. "I wouldn't be surprised if she insisted sleeping at Charlie's house tonight either. She seems to want to do this right."

Edward was shocked at his sister's revelation. So many thoughts were flowing through his head in an instant. How was she going to pay for the dress? Why couldn't he see it today? Was she really going to sleep at Charlie's house tonight without him?

He took a deep breath and asked the first of many questions. "Won't I still need to go pay for the dress, though?" He started to wonder how Bella planned to pay for the dress, but then he remembered that Charlie had offered some money he had saved. He would feel truly awful if she put the dress on her card and then asked Charlie for the money when they got home.

Without giving Rosalie a chance to answer, he pulled out his phone and called Bella. He felt a smile take over his face the instant she answered. "Hey, Beautiful. How's the dress shopping going?" he asked her.

"Oh, Edward, I found the perfect dress already! It's absolutely perfect and I know you're going to love it!" She sounded so excited that he didn't want to ruin the mood, but he knew he needed to ask what he called for to begin with.

"Bella, love, how do you plan to pay for the dress if I'm not there?"

His question seemed to have thrown her off guard for a minute. "Um, well, I was planning to put it on my bank card and then ask Charlie for the money. He did offer it before, remember?"

"Of course I remember, beautiful, but I also recall you telling him that I would take care of everything, including you. Bella, please don't ask Charlie for the money he saved. I love you and I want to take care of you completely. Will you let me do this for you, please?" he asked. He would feel bad if she asked Charlie for the money after she told him to keep it and spend it on himself.

She was quiet for a minute, so he just waited, giving her time to think about it. "How is that going to work though? I don't want you to see the gown before tomorrow."

He smiled to himself at the conviction in her voice. "Love, it's okay. What if I send Rosalie over with Carlisle's AMEX card? It doesn't have a limit, so I'm putting everything on there and then transferring the money to him once we add up all the receipts. That way, I can still pay for your dress but I won't actually see it."

"I knew there was a reason I loved you so much," she teased him. "That sounds perfect, Edward. Thank you."

He smiled even though she couldn't see him as he reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. "Love, you have no reason to thank me, it's my job to take care of you; a job that I will take seriously for the rest of my life."

After saying goodbye to Bella, he handed Rosalie their father's credit card, which she took all too happily. "Don't look so excited, Rosie. This in only for Bella's gown and whatever else she needs for the wedding," he laughed. He would never understand why some girls loved shopping so much and was secretly pleased that he wouldn't have to worry about that with Bella. He knew from their one shopping trip to Port Angeles how much she despised it. "Oh, and when she's done with it, bring it back to me so I can pay for our tuxes, please."

Rosalie laughed at him as she stuck the card in her purse. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I'd miss the chance to see my sexy man in a tux? Never. I'll be back in twenty minutes or so." With a kiss for Emmett, she turned and walked back to the department store.

"Are you ready to go look at some penguin suits, little brother?" Emmett asked as he tossed his arm around Edward's shoulders.

Edward reached for the door to the shop as he answered. "Hell yes."

...

Bella wasn't really surprised when Edward called and asked if he could pay for her gown. She knew she probably should have talked to him to begin with, but she hadn't even thought of the fact that he could pay for it without physically being there.

After they found Bella's dress, they decided to look for one for Angela. Bella wanted it to be emerald green; she knew that color would look good on her friend. If she were being completely honest with herself though, she had to admit that the color would be perfect for Edward's bow-tie and vest as well, and the real reason she wanted it was because it would bring out his gorgeous eyes.

She sent a quick text to Edward telling him to look for something with emerald green accents as Angela and Alice disappeared to look for dresses. Rosalie helped Bella find a suitable pair of shoes and a beautiful four piece jewelry set that would go with her dress. Once she was sure she had everything she needed for herself, they gave it all to the saleswoman and then went off to help Angela and Alice.

Finding the perfect dress for Angela turned out to be almost as easy as it had been for Bella. The third dress she tried on was beautiful and fit her just right. "I love that on you," Alice gushed as she made a motion for Angela to spin around in a circle. It was a floor-length, silk dress in emerald green with spaghetti straps and a wrap for her shoulders. "The best thing is that it will go with either black or white pumps because of the color. Do you have a pair you can wear tomorrow?" Leave it to Alice to think of all the details. "Oh, and a simple pearl necklace would be the perfect accessory for it."

Angela said she had a pair of white heels she could wear with the dress and that she would borrow a strand of pearls from her mother. It seemed like they had everything they needed, so together, the four ladies walked back to the register, adding Angela's dress to the pile to be rung up. Altogether, everything came to just under nine hundred dollars and Bella couldn't believe her luck. She had found the perfect wedding dress and it ended up only costing six-fifty. When she saw the price she smiled, knowing that her mother was looking down on her. As the woman put a dress bag around the gown, Bella noted that it wasn't clear which would keep Edward from being able to see it and she felt a twinge in her heart. Thanks mom, she thought silently. I love you.

Rosalie pulled out Carlisle's credit card and handed it to the clerk who quickly swiped it through the machine. Once the receipt was printed, she signed it and then wrapped the customer copy around the card and put it back in her purse. "Are you ready to go help the guys, Bella? I'm sure they need all the help they can get," she laughed.

"Definitely," Bella answered immediately. She had only been away from Edward for about an hour, but it was still too long in her book. She couldn't wait to see him or feel him wrap his arms tightly around her. The truth was, she only felt whole when he was near her.

They walked to Rosalie's MR2 Spyder and put both dresses and the other bad into the small trunk before walking over to the tuxedo shop. The shop was much smaller than the department store they had just been in, but Bella immediately felt a warm, welcoming atmosphere about her. "Can I help you?" a young girl about Alice's size asked them.

"Yes, hi. I'm Bella Swan. My fiance and his brother are here looking at tuxes for our wedding tomorrow. We're here to see if we can help them." She smiled at the girl before glancing around the showroom to look at all the tuxedos on display.

Jane, as her name tag read, responded brightly, "Miss Swan, of course. Mr. Cullen said you would probably be stopping in before they were done here. You can all follow me back. I think they've pretty much got everything picked out, they're just trying on shoes now."

They were led into the back where there was a series of fitting rooms lining the back wall. Edward was sitting on a bench right outside one of the rooms and it looked like he was tying up a pair of shiny dress shoes. Almost as if he could feel her presence, he looked up and their eyes met. "Bella," he said as he smiled and rose to his feet. "I missed you, angel." He wrapped her into a tight hug and she felt whole again.

"I missed you, too, Edward," she told him while returning the hug. "Now, step back so I can take a look at you."

"Your wish is my command, love," Edward whispered as he slowly stepped back from her. The sight of him in a black tuxedo with tails, accented by an emerald green bow-tie and vest, and completed with a pair of shiny tuxedo shoes was enough to make her go weak in the knees.

She felt her breath catch and her eyes start to water as she took in the sight in front of her. "Edward, you look absolutely amazing," she told him honestly. Everything about him was perfect and she was right about the color; it really made his eyes stand out.

Once she was able to think again, she looked around her and saw the other three girls standing around Emmett, talking to him. They all seemed to love what they guys had picked out and she was relieved. They still had a lot they needed to do and it was getting somewhat late.

The guys quickly changed back into their clothes and emerged with the tuxes back on the hangers and shoes in hand. Jane was there in an instant gathering them up. Edward spoke to her and arranged rental for the next three days. She said it would take her about an hour to make sure they were steamed, bagged, and ready for them and asked if that would be a problem.

Edward informed her that it wouldn't be an issue, grabbed the card back from Rosalie, and paid for everything. "Thanks for your help today, Jane," he told her sweetly as he pulled Bella into his arms and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "We'll see you in an hour."

The six of them walked outside and stood for a minute. "What else do we need to take care of, love?" Edward asked her as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Well, I wanted to stop by a floral shop to see if they could come up with something for tomorrow. I know it's short notice, but I'm hoping they can at least make boutonnieres and two small bouquets." She was worried that the florist would laugh at how late it was already, but she had her fingers crossed that they would still be willing to put something together for her.

Alice started bouncing up and down and whispering to Rosalie. She had something on her mind and Bella was definitely curious as to what it was. "Alice, what's going on?" she asked her soon-to-be sister-in-law.

Her eyes lit up and she started to explain what she was thinking. "Rosie and I can put together the bouquets and boutonnieres for you. We helped with a benefit at the hospital once and learned how to do it. It's not that hard and we can get everything we need from the florist." She paused for a minute, looking at Rosalie before continuing. "Plus, we'll be more involved that way. I know you want a small wedding, but we want to help you in any way we can if you'll let us."

Bella was so touched by Alice's words that her eyes immediately filled with tears. She stepped out of Edward's hold and approached them both, pulling them into a three-way hug. "Thank you," she whispered fervently. "Not just for accepting that I'm going to marry your brother, but for accepting me and making me feel like you want me as part of your family. I know it's not enough, but thank you." She felt the tears spill over as Alice and Rosalie hugged her back tightly.

Rosalie was the first to break the hug, but it was only so she could look into Bella's eyes. "Bella, we should be the ones thanking you. You can't see the difference in Edward that we see. You've turned him into a completely different person than he was before he met you. You've showed him unconditional love and acceptance and we couldn't be happier at his choice. You belong in our family and we all love you."

Bella smiled first at Alice and then at Rose. "Rose, you have no idea what it means to me to hear you say that. I was afraid that you would hate me for intruding into your lives like I have. To know the opposite is true, it just warms me to the core. I love you guys too."

The moment was interrupted by Emmett's booming voice. "Alright ladies, are we done with this little love fest? We're in the middle of a parking lot and we still have stuff we need to do before we go home."

The girls stepped away from each other, all simultaneously rolling their eyes at Emmett's antics. "Fine, let's go. You guys follow us," Bella said, taking Edward's hand and walking toward the Volvo. "The flower shop and then we'll grab a quite bite to eat, stop back here to grab the tuxes, and then head home."

"Sounds good to me," Emmett smiled.

"Em, anything that involves food sounds good to you," Rosalie quipped causing Bella to smile to herself. She only hoped that her relationship with Edward would grow to be as strong as Rosalie's and Emmett's.