A/N I know it's been a while since I've updated and I wanted to apologize. RL got in the way and this last week has been extremely busy. School starts on Wednesday, though, so my updates should come more frequently. The story is winding down, too. We've only got maybe 5 chapters and an epilogue left. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, faved, alerted, or just read the story. You are all awesome and the support has meant to much! Anyway, here is the chapter! Enjoy and let me know what you think by leaving a review!

Chapter 68 - Gifts

Edward couldn't believe that in less than twenty-four hours, Bella would be his wife. It almost seemed surreal with how quickly everything had happened. In reality, he had known Bella for less than a week, but it felt like an eternity to him. He knew beyond any doubt that she was his everything. Soulmate sounded too quirky, but it was true. Bella was the person who made him whole again; she made him feel complete.

After his parents died, and even Jessica for that matter, he never thought he could open his heart again. The Cullens had shown him nothing but love and support, but even then, he never opened up completely to any of them; at least until Bella came along. Now he felt like he was overflowing with love he was finally able to express.

As he thought about everything that happened in the last week, he felt truly blessed. He was never really one to believe in God, especially after what happened to his parents, but he knew one thing for sure: God brought Bella into his life for a reason and he was determined to never take her for granted. He risked a peek at her in his peripheral vision and saw that she was lost in her own thoughts. He smiled to himself as he wondered if her thoughts were anything like his in that moment.

After finishing up in Port Angeles and picking up their rental tuxes, Rosalie offered to take Angela with them so he and Bella could be alone for the drive. They were about halfway home, and neither of them had really said anything to each other, but the silence wasn't at all awkward like it would have been in many situations. It gave each of them their own time to think about what needed to be done and the path ahead of them.

Finally, with about twenty minutes left of the trip, Edward decided that he needed to hear his beautiful girl's voice, so he pulled onto the shoulder and cut the engine. Bella looked at him curiously for a minute, but the moment he unbuckled his seatbelt and held his arms open to her, she climbed into his lap.

"What are you thinking, Beautiful?" he asked her as he brushed a strand of hair from her face.

She smiled up at him with so much love, that his breath caught in his throat. "I'm thinking about tomorrow and the fact that in less than twenty-four hours, we'll be married. It almost seems surreal, you know?"

He felt a grin pull at the corners of his mouth. They were aligned in every way, including their thoughts, and it only reaffirmed they were doing the right thing by getting married. They were meant to spend their lives together, filling the holes each of them was left with after facing tragedy; of that, he was sure.

"I know exactly what you mean, Love. I can't believe we've really only known each other for a week. It feels like I've spent a lifetime with you already." He gazed into her deep brown eyes and felt like he was looking straight into her heart. "I love you, Isabella Swan, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I am the luckiest man in the world to have won your heart."

His words brought tears to her eyes and he quickly bent down and kissed them away. "Thank you, baby," she said softly. "It means so much to me to know you feel the same way I do. I love you, too, more than anything."

She tipped her head up toward his and kissed his lips. It started out softly at first but quickly turned into something more heated and he could feel himself start to harden as his need for her grew. Before he knew it though, she was pulling back from the kiss and looking at him with a troubled face.

"Um, Edward?" Her voice was a little shaky and it terrified him. She sounded so nervous, he wondered why. She wasn't having second thoughts, was she? It didn't make sense to him; she was just talking about marrying him and she seemed so excited just moments ago. What could have changed changed?

"What is it, baby? Are you okay? You're scaring me." It was the truth; he was scared that she had maybe changed her mind or something.

Edward watched as Bella started to fidget with her hands. "Well, um... I was thinking," she started but then didn't say anything else. He never took his eyes off hers, patiently waiting for her to gather her thoughts. His stomach was churning, but he loved her enough to give her anything she needed, including time. After a minute, she took a deep breath and tried again. "I feel so guilty for leaving my dad like this, you know? And well... would it be okay with you if I spent a few hours with him tonight alone?"

That was not what Edward had expected her to say at all, and he was actually relieved when she was finally able to voice her concerns. "Bella, of course it's okay with me. When Charlie gave us his blessing to get married, I promised him something. Do you remember what that promise was?" She nodded but didn't say anything so he continued. "I promised I wouldn't take you away from him completely. Baby, I meant that. If you want to spend a few hours with your dad then I'll gladly drop you off over there and come back to get you when you're ready, okay?"

There were tears in her eyes again and he quickly wiped them away. Just as he was moving his hand away from her face, she grabbed it and pressed it to her cheek. "You're amazing, Edward. How did I ever get so lucky?" With new tears streaming down her cheeks, she leaned in and pressed her lips firmly to his. "I love you," she whispered against him before deepening the kiss.

...

Bella couldn't believe how lucky she was to have Edward in her life. He was truly amazing; there was no other way to describe it. When she told him she wanted to spend a few hours alone with Charlie, she was worried that he might be upset. It was the eve of their wedding and a lot had happened. She knew Edward had been looking forward to spending some time alone with her, but he put her wants before his own yet again.

After spending a good ten minutes making out on the side of the road, she pulled back and smiled. "It's getting late and I want to catch my dad before he goes to sleep. Would you mind taking me over now?" She didn't want to leave him, even for a minute, but she knew her father deserved to spend at least a few hours with her on her last night as a single woman. He had done so much for them already.

"Of course, beautiful." Without another word, Bella slid back into her seat and Edward drove to her dad's house. "Call me when you want me to come get you, okay? I don't care what time it is, I'll drop what I'm doing and be here in fifteen minutes." She closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her and then opened them again when he pulled back slightly. "I love you so much, Bella."

As she looked into his emerald green eyes, she saw the truth of his words shining back at her. "I love you, too, Edward. I'll call you in a couple of hours." She pressed her lips to his once again before reaching for the handle of her door. With a final whispered 'thank you,' she stepped into the cool night air and headed towards the porch.

She smiled as she listened to the car idle by the curb. She knew he would sit and wait until she got inside; he was always a gentleman like that. Bella reached the door and turned the handle only to find it locked. It didn't really surprise her after everything that happened with James, but it was a little weird. Knowing her dad was still up because the lights were on and she could hear the TV in the living room, she decided to knock.

Charlie answered the door a minute later and looked somewhat shocked to see Bella standing in front of him. "Bella?" It was almost as if he didn't believe his eyes and that made her sort of sad.

"Hi, Daddy. Can I come in?" She smiled up at him as he looked over her shoulder to where Edward was waiting in his car.

"What?" He seemed kind of confused for a second, but then finally stepped aside and motioned for her to come in. "Oh, of course. Is everything okay, Bella? I thought you'd be spending the night with Edward tonight."

Bella smiled before wrapping her arms around her father's waist. "Everything's fine, Daddy. Edward's going to come get me in a few hours when I call him, but I thought we could spend some time alone together before tomorrow. Is that okay?"

Charlie returned her hug and laughed. "It's more than okay, Bells. How did the shopping go today? Did you find a dress?"

They spent the next hour talking about pretty much everything that had happened since she left the station this afternoon. She left out the details of the time she and Edward were alone, though. Charlie was understanding about her situation, but she didn't think he wanted it rubbed in his face either.

She told him about her dress, and Edward's tux and how dashing he looked in it. She explained how Alice and Rosalie had volunteered to make her bouquet and the boutonnieres and how they had done it once for a charity event at the hospital. She was so happy that everything was falling into place, she couldn't contain her excitement.

The last thing she mentioned was the first thing they had done when they got to Port Angeles. She told her father about the beautiful wedding ring set Edward had bought for her. She must have spent twenty minutes gushing about the rings alone and how excited she was for him to see them.

"So you're exchanging rings then?" Charlie asked. "What did you pick out for him?"

When the question left his mouth, Bella's heart sunk. She hadn't even thought about getting a ring for Edward; she was too caught up in the moment. "Oh my god, Dad! I'm the worst fiance ever! We were right by the wedding rings and I didn't even think about looking at anything for Edward. He's going to hate me."

She had tears streaming down her face again as she thought about the fact that she hadn't even considered Edward or what she would do for a ring for him.

"Bells, he's not going to hate you, I promise. He loves you more than anything on earth. Wait here though, I'll be right back, okay?" Without another word, Charlie disappeared up the stairs and into what she assumed was his room.

He came down a few minutes later with a small velvet box in his hands. "This was the ring your mother gave me on our wedding day. I know it's a little outdated, but it has a lot of sentimental value. Bells, I want you to have it." Bella gasped as he opened the small box in front of her. Nestled inside was a solid gold ring with three diamonds that were accented by two strands of silver. It was absolutely beautiful.

"Dad, I can't take this from you. It's too important." She couldn't believe that he was actually giving her his own wedding ring to give to Edward tomorrow at their wedding.

Charlie looked at the ring in his hands and then back to Bella. "Honey, you can take it l. The ring is the last thing I have of your mother's but I know she would want you to have it for Edward. Our marriage never worked, but I couldn't bare to get rid of the ring for some reason. This is that reason, Bella. This is why I've kept it for so many years whether I knew it or not."

"But, Dad, I can't..."

She was interrupted by Charlie before she could finish her sentence. "Bella, you can and you will; I insist." He closed the box and placed it in her hands before closing them around it. "The ring has been sitting at the top of my closet for seventeen years. It's time for me to let it go."

She searched his face for a long time but never saw even a hint of doubt. "Dad, I don't know what to say. I mean, thank you doesn't seem like enough, really."

He smiled at her before pulling her into a tight hug. "Just promise me that you'll be happy, Bella. That's all I could ever ask for."

She hugged him back with everything she had. Growing up, she'd hated him for not trying to be a part of her life. Now, she knew she meant everything to him and it left her nearly speechless. She swallowed around the lump in her throat before whispering, "I promise, Daddy. I love you."

...

Edward hated leaving Bella, but he knew she needed time alone with her dad. He would never deny her anything when it came to her father, so when she asked him to drop her off, he did without hesitation.

He used the time alone to ensure there were rooms available at the bed and breakfast they stayed at the last time they were in Port Townsend. Was that only a week ago? When he explained to the owner that he would be spending his wedding night there, she promised to reserve the honeymoon cottage for him.

She was also extremely happy when he reserved the remaining eight rooms for family and friends and paid for everything on his credit card. Whoever said money can't buy happiness was right, but probably never knew the luxuries it could buy.

When he got off the phone, he headed downstairs to find Esme, knowing she'd be dying to see the ring set and hear all about Port Angeles and the plans for tomorrow. He thought he'd try the kitchen first, and then check her office. When he walked in, he smiled to himself; Esme was sitting at the island with a cup of coffee, reading the newspaper.

"Hey mom, do you have a sec?" he asked from behind her, making her jump.

When she turned around, she was grabbing her chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that Edward!" she laughed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Laughing, he wrapped his arms around his mother and hugged her tightly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, I just thought you might want to see the ring set I bought for Bella."

He laughed again as Esme squealed and jumped up from her stool. She sounded so much like Alice when she did that. He had wondered who Tink could possibly have gotten that from, but now he knew.

Esme must have realized she was acting like a teenager, so she took a second to compose herself and then apologized for acting so crazy. "I'm just so happy for you, Edward. You've been with us for just over two years now and never really let anyone in until Bella. You've completely turned your life around; you're happy and that makes me happy. You deserve this, son. Now, don't make me beg to see the damn ring."

Shaking his head at her antics, he pulled the small velvet box out of his pocket and opened it for her. When she saw the set nestled in the soft velvet pillow, she gasped and covered her mouth. "My god, Edward, it's beautiful! Did Bella pick it out?"

"She did. I don't think she would have let me get it if she knew how much it cost, but I sent her and the girls to start looking at dresses while Em and I stayed to pay for it."

His mother looked from him to the ring and then back. "Edward, how much did the set cost? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I'm curious now." She pulled both rings out of the box and examined them more closely.

He fidgeted for a minute wondering if his mom would lecture him on the cost of the rings. "Um, it was just over eight thousand."

She started nodding her head as she turned the ring toward the light and began checking every angle. "For a ring this beautiful, that's not a bad price at all son. Did you guys pick out a wedding band for you?"

Shit, he hadn't even thought about a ring for himself and was sure Bella hadn't either. He didn't need a ring though as long as Bella would still be his wife; they could always find something later. When he told Esme, she assured him it would be okay and pointed out that they could still stop by the jewelry store in the morning if Bella decided he needed a ring too. They didn't have to be back to the courthouse until noon tomorrow, so he thought that might work.

He spent the next little while telling Esme about the rest of their evening in Port Angeles. When he told her about Bella deciding she didn't want him to see her dress until she was walking to meet him at the altar, she swooned a little. "Wow, that is so romantic, Edward. I know your relationship has been far from conventional, but it's nice to have a little tradition mixed in, don't you think?"

Edward couldn't help the smirk that pulled at the corner of his mouth. "You're absolutely right mom. We haven't really done anything 'traditionally' and this will be perfect."

They talked a little more about plans for the future. Edward mentioned that their biggest plan right after the wedding was to graduate high school. They hadn't even talked about a place to live or what college they wanted to attend. Esme begged him to stay close to home and slid the paper in front of where he had taken a seat.

For the first time since they'd been talking, he noticed what she had been doing when he came in. She wasn't reading the paper, she was looking through the real estate section, circling small houses that were in or near Forks. He looked up from the paper and met Esme's eyes, silently asking why she'd gone to this trouble.

"Edward, Carlisle and I have been talking since you made the announcement that you were marrying Bella. As your wedding gift, we want to buy you a house close by." He started to tell her that wasn't necessary, but she held her hand up to stop him. "Just hear me out, okay? This was always our plan for when you kids got married. We never wanted you guys living too far away from us, so we thought that if we bought you houses close by, you'd be more willing to stay. We want to be part of your lives and have the opportunity to spoil our grandchildren when the time comes."

He didn't know what to say. He and Bella hadn't even talked about where they wanted to live or what they wanted to do after high school. It never mattered to him as long as they were together. "Thanks mom. I'll talk to Bella about it to see what her plans are, but I don't think she wants to be too far away from Charlie. Their relationship is absolutely amazing, especially for not really knowing each other for very long."

Just as Esme was about to say something, Edward's phone started ringing from his pocket. "Sorry mom. It's Bella calling," he said as he looked at the caller id. "Hey, Gorgeous! Are you ready for me to come get you?" He smiled widely as she told him she was more than ready. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes then. I love you, Bella."

He heard her sigh on the other end and imagined the smile on her face. "I love you, too, Edward. See you soon."