Disclaimer- Stephenie still owns the usual suspects.
I own my original characters and original story.
*This parallels chapters 70 and 71 of V&V 'Fireworks & Dream Homes' and 'Ultimatums & Quality Time' respectively. Please read those before attempting this.
Enjoy!
****************************LRM**********************************
Chapter 70 & 71 – Boys Will Be Boys
The day after Emmett's bachelor party may have been the first time I didn't regret having a hangover. Sure my head hurt like hell, and I was unsteady on my feet for most of the day. But my girl seemed to make it her mission to take care of me.
All day.
We stayed sequestered away in Bella's bedroom at the Bellagio, watching television, eating the food we ordered in, and basically chilling.
By the time we took Charlie out to eat that evening, I felt almost like my old self. At first, as he recounted the things I'd done the night before, I felt guilty for what I'd put him through, that was until I heard about Emmett and Jasper's escapades.
Damn, I wish I could remember that.
The fact was that, I could remember most of what Chris and I did, but nothing about the rest of the guys.
There was one image that kept coming unbidden to my mind of some dude I'd never seen before, and his dick that sparkled in the sunlight. I wasn't sure what the hell that was all about, but if no one else mentioned it, I wasn't about to.
Weird
After the fireworks, we agreed to go see Nelly at the Mirage. I would have been just as happy to go back to the suite and sleep, but this was our last night in Vegas, so Bella and I acquiesced.
In the end, I was glad that we did. We had a good time. The feel of her body against mine as we danced was pure heaven. And being able to give Jasper shit about running around naked the night before made for a perfect evening.
Her dance moves were subtle, but very sexy. As I held her perfect little body in my arms, I held back the urge to really let go and grind against her with abandon, knowing that her family wouldn't appreciate a view of Bella and I in the throes of simulated sex.
-LRM—
The following week was busy, but then when lately hadn't our lives been busy?
When Bella received word from her publisher that they needed her back in town a day early, I hid my disappointment. Although, the abject fear I experienced at the thought of her being alone in Seattle, even for just a day, almost sent me into a panic attack.
I had to use every bit of my acting ability to pull off the supportive boyfriend role.
Thankfully, she bought it.
Try as I might, I could think of no way to return to Seattle with Bella. I was required to finish the community service hours by the end of July, I had to be here on Monday in order to do that. There was no other time during the month of July when I'd be able to fly back down here. Even if I could, it would probably mean having to leave Bella alone because she would be busy with helping plan two weddings.
I sighed in frustration.
We didn't get to see my parents until that night at Mom's birthday dinner, despite the fact that they'd flown in the night before.
After a full day at the soup kitchen, we met everyone at Soho House. There were a few paps waiting outside. We ignored them.
I was literally in stitches when Alice reminded me of the glo stick / condom debacle when we were kids. In fact, our entire table was laughing so loudly that we received more than a few glares from the restaurant's snooty patrons.
Fuck em
I'd had to call in a few favors in order to reserve the cemetery for a 'private' movie showing. As soon as I saw the look of delight on my mother's face, I knew it had been worth it. It wasn't often I was able to surprise her.
While Bella chatted with Rose and Alice, I took the opportunity to have a quiet word with Mom and Dad. "Did you run into any problems in England?" I asked in a whisper.
"None at all." Dad answered. "The caretakers, the Griffins, are a wonderful couple." He continued. "We had a very productive stay."
"Oh Edward, they helped us in so many ways." Mom added in a whisper. "Mr. Griffin and your father handled things at the house when the painters and laborers arrived, freeing Mrs. Griffin and me to shop for furnishings."
"Now, I want you and Bella to be the ones to choose most of those, but I was able to find a few nice pieces. At least the next time you go over there, you won't be faced with empty rooms." She smiled. "We made it 'livable'."
I gave my mother a grateful smile. I was hoping to tack a few days in England onto the end of our honeymoon, and to know we'd be able to stay in our own house made me very happy.
-LRM—
My second day of work at the soup kitchen was complete. I said a quick goodbye to Nick and headed for the dining room. I stopped short when I saw Bella conversing with a small girl and an older woman.
I decided to hang back so I didn't intrude on their moment. My girl was so beautiful as she chattered away about fairies and princesses and all kinds of girly nonsense. Her eyes were actually glowing with excitement.
I knew that she would be the best Aunt in the world once Baby Swan arrived, she was a natural.
Once I finally made my presence known, Bella introduced me. We said our goodbyes a few minutes later, but not before Bella made sure that Kayla and her Grandmother would be back on Saturday.
During the ride to my house, we discussed the little girl's situation.
"Edward, I know there are many stories just like Kayla's, but I also think that people cross our paths for a reason. I want to do what I can for that little girl and for the other children I saw this week."
Just when I didn't think it possible to love her any more than I do, she proves me wrong.
"Did you have something specific in mind?" I asked.
"I don't know, this is new territory for me. To start I think, if her grandmother would accept it, Kayla would benefit from therapy. We could arrange that right?" She asked with a hopeful expression.
I nodded.
I'm sure Dr. Gould could recommend a good child psychologist
"Maybe we could do something to help her grandmother financially. I don't know. I mean, I just got the advance for my book, and admittedly we don't need it to live on. I'd like to do something useful with it." She sighed in exasperation. "I honestly don't know what I'm talking about. I probably sound really stupid."
No, no, no.
I grabbed her hand. "Bella, you are not stupid. You're a kind and loving person with a very big heart, and I thank God every day for that."
"If you haven't noticed, my family is all about 'giving back' in one way or another. I admit to being a bit of a disappointment in that regard because I spent too many years living the life of a hermit." I thought with a smile. "You changed that. I would like to get involved also."
In one conversation, I could see part of our future together. Using our good fortune to help others, just as my parents had always taught me.
We could establish a foundation, possibly in her Mother's name
I stopped that thought immediately. I was getting ahead of myself. First of all, before anything else occurred, I wanted to make Bella my wife.
After that, the world would be our oyster as the saying goes…
-LRM—
"Edward, come with me, I want to show you something." Jane said as she led Jasper, Alec and I down the hall outside of her office. At the end, she unlocked the door to a small conference room. She gestured toward the table. "These are the scripts we've received in the last few weeks." My eyes grew wide as I took in the sight before me.
"Wow" Alec gasped.
The table was literally covered with movie scripts.
Jane chuckled. "This is what's left after I tossed out the ones I was sure you'd hate."
I knew I was popular, but I'd never been this popular.
"You are red hot right now Edward." She said with a smile. "I don't think the public's obsession with you is going to fade any time soon, which puts you in a unique position."
I've never known Jane to smile this much
"We've been dividing the scripts we've received by genre, and prioritizing by director." She narrowed her eyes. "You've wanted to work with Ron Howard for some time haven't you?"
I nodded.
She walked over and pulled a script from the top and handed it to me. "A little light reading" She grinned. "Also, Tarantino's assistant called. She gave me a 'heads up' that Quentin wants to speak with you. He doesn't want to intrude during this time leading up to the wedding, so she left his number in order that you could call him at your convenience."
My mouth fell open. I closed it immediately, for fear that I would squeal like a little girl.
I am such a pussy sometimes.
Jane chuckled lightly. "I'll get a list of scripts with a summary of each to Jasper by tomorrow."
I nodded. "Sounds good."
On the way home, Alec handed me a tabloid with Bella's photo on the front. I glared at it. "In the interest of keeping you apprised of what's being said about you and Bella, I bought this."
I sighed and briefly scanned the article. It contained almost word-for-word the conversation Bella had with the reporter in the casino. The part that disturbed me the most was the admission by Bella that she still couldn't understand what I saw in her.
When is she going to realize that she is everything to me?
That evening, I phoned Quentin. He seemed surprised to hear from me so soon. As it turned out, he wanted to talk about a project that was in the pre-production phase. It was a good thing, because my schedule would be busy for the next eight months or so.
After we finished our conversation, I went in search of Bella, only to find her reading nonsense about herself on the internet. Once again, she surprised me by handling the attention like a pro.
In the end, we agreed to ignore all press, even the positive stories, instead of letting the media dictate the way we live our lives.
It was something we'd already started doing, but it felt good to say it out loud.
-LRM—
Sunday evening was horrible. I said goodbye to Bella at the airport, and proceeded to quietly fall to pieces during the ride back to my house. The sense of déjà vu as I thought about the last time I had to send her back to Seattle without me, and her subsequent kidnapping, was making it difficult to breathe.
I should have known that Alice and Jasper would be waiting for me at my house. "I sensed you could use some company tonight." Alice said before giving me a hug at my front door.
I closed my eyes and took a deep, calming breath.
"Everything will be fine Edward. You'll see." She advised confidently.
Knowing I had a good three hours before Bella's plane landed, I decided to make constructive use of my time.
First on the agenda was a call to my financial advisor. He was ecstatic that I wanted to involve myself, and my money, more extensively in charitable causes, although his reasons for being pleased centered more on reducing my tax burden than helping those less fortunate.
For Kayla, he was going to work up the particulars for establishing a trust, and would send me the details. In the meantime, I would get Alec to deliver a check to Kayla's Grandmother sometime the next week to help with expenses. As for anything further, I agreed that Bella and I would meet with him sometime after our wedding.
For the remainder of the evening, Alice and Jasper helped me make a start on packing the belongings I wished to have shipped to Seattle after the wedding. Bella and I would still come to L.A. to attend premieres and award shows, and when my film schedule dictated it, but once we found a house in Seattle, there was no doubt that it would become our primary residence.
Alec had suggested that I rent the L.A. house out to other actor friends of mine who didn't own homes in the area, to use while they were in town filming. I congratulated him on his idea.
At least, that way, it won't stand empty for most of the year.
As we packed, Alice chatted, no doubt trying to distract me from worrying. I still watched the clock like a hawk, waiting for the moment to arrive when I knew I could phone Bella. She actually beat me to it, when her flight arrived a few minutes early.
"Hi honey" She said in a chirpy voice.
"Hello sweetheart." I felt myself beginning to relax. "Did you have a good flight?"
"It was uneventful, just how I like them." She answered with a giggle.
If Bella was bothered by my almost constant need to stay in touch with her, she didn't complain. I must have phoned her at least two more times before Alice and Jasper left, and then, that night we skyped.
It was an unhappy reminder of all the times we'd been forced to fall asleep that way, and I couldn't wait until the following evening when I'd be able to hold her again.
-LRM—
The next day, I was able to beg a private word with Kayla's grandmother while Peggy sat with the little girl. The old woman started crying and hugging me after I explained what we wanted to do for Kayla. Her overly emotional state made me nervous at first, but once I relaxed I realized that it felt pretty damned good to be able to help.
It was a feeling not quite equal to anything else I'd ever experienced.
The rest of the day flew by, and before I knew it, I was boarding my plane for Seattle.
My phone was eerily silent as I rode from the airport. I had a feeling that Bella was already asleep as I quietly entered the apartment. I found her bedside lamp and television still on, no doubt she had used them in an effort to stay awake for me, but there she was, curled up on her side, under the covers, fast asleep.
So beautiful
Once I was ready for bed, I crawled in behind her, burying my face in her hair, and drifted to sleep.
-LRM—
It was obvious that the realtor was looking for a very large commission. That had to be the reason that every home he'd shown us so far, rivaled my parents' house in size and price.
Obviously I didn't care how expensive the house was, I just wanted a home that Bella and I would feel comfortable in. The choices we'd been given so far weren't cutting it.
When we parted ways on Thursday afternoon, I made it clear to him that we needed to look at something a bit smaller, something that was less 'showy' and more 'homey' than the options we'd seen up until then. I knew he'd finally gotten the message when we pulled up in front a beautiful house, in a rustic setting, which looked as if it had been there all along, waiting for us to discover it.
As soon as I saw the look on my girl's face, I knew she felt it too.
It was perfect.
We'd need to do some remodeling, maybe build an addition. My Mom would have a field day helping us decorate. As I looked around, envisioning us there, I could see Bella curled up in the window seat writing on her laptop and me with my guitar across my knees as I watched her, completely and utterly distracted as usual.
My mind continued to conjure up visions of our future in this house:
Bella and I walking along the water's edge.
We'll need to buy a boat.
Sitting together in front of the fire.
Emmett helping me to build a swing set for Baby Swan to enjoy when he or she visited.
Hopefully a swing set for our own children to enjoy…
Bella and I, making love in front of the fire…
That last image seared into my brain, and I became determined right there and then to do whatever necessary to make it happen.
We need to buy this house.
We stood on the back porch, enjoying the view of Mt. Ranier in the distance.
"Well?" Bella asked.
I turned to face her, feeling hopeful.
"You first." I directed.
"I really like it Edward." She said with a small smile.
"There are only three bedrooms." I said, playing devil's advocate.
She nodded. "We can add on. There's plenty of room for the two of us for now, and a space to have a music room like you have in L.A." She said quietly. "Do you like it?"
"Very much." I admitted. "This is going to sound strange, but from the moment we stepped from the car, it felt like coming home."
I laughed when Bella actually squealed with excitement before throwing herself at me. "Home." She breathed before we kissed.
We were home.
-LRM—
"Fucking A!" Emmett boomed as we parked in front of the restaurant where we were meeting Clint.
Clint had arrived in town a couple of days before, and I'd phoned him to set up this meeting. I'd explained as best I could ahead of time what Emmett was going to ask of him. He agreed to meet him, but never expressed his thoughts on Emmett's ridiculous plan.
After the introductions were out of the way, Emmett started. "So um, Mr. Eastwood, I suppose Edward's filled you in a little about what I'm trying to do?"
Clint nodded as he studied Emmett's face. "A little. Oh and call me Clint." He said with a grim smile. "I understand that you want to prank your father. I am just unclear as to why you want to do that." Clint frowned. "Do you hate the man or something?"
Emmett's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "No! No fucking way. My Pops is the best." He said.
Clint pursed his lips. "So what is it? Are you some kind of little prick that just likes to mess with people?"
Yes
"Hell no. Eddie will tell you. Tell him I'm not a prick Eddie."
I cleared my throat. "Um. Well.." I hesitated.
Emmett glared at me, causing me to laugh. "No, Clint, I wouldn't say he's a prick. He's probably more of an asshole."
Clint laughed.
As we ate, Emmett went on to tell Clint all the things that made Charlie the best Dad ever.
Clint sipped his coffee before taking a long hard look at Emmett. "Let me get this straight. Your Dad's a great guy, salt of the earth and all that shit." He said in a quiet tone. "A public servant even, more than that, he's a Chief of Police."
Emmett nodded.
"He always provided for you growing up. Even took time off of work to attend your football games etcetera. The best of fathers." Clint said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "He spent time with you. He taught you to fish."
"I get what you're trying to say Callahan." Emmett said with no small amount of sarcasm in his voice, causing Clint to chuckle.
Damn I'm glad he's a good sport
Emmett shrugged. "So I prank my Pops. It's what we do. He got even with me in Vegas."
Clint looked interested. "How's that?"
Emmett frowned. "During my bachelor party weekend, he forced me to go on some thrill rides at the top of the Stratosphere Hotel. I'm very lucky I didn't shit myself, or puke on some poor unsuspecting soul down on the ground." Emmett answered pointedly. "The old man had me between a rock and a hard place. I had to do it or else everyone would think I was a pussy." He finished with a whine.
Clint's head dropped and I could see his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Once he composed himself, he lifted his head and regarded Emmett with a smile. "You know kid, I like you. You're undoubtedly insane, but you're alright." He chucked again. "Tell you what I'll do, you set up a meeting with your father, and I'll take it from there. But I want something in return."
"What?" Emmett asked happily.
"How would you feel about making a cameo appearance in the movie?" Clint asked with a smug smile.
"Oh fuck yeah!" Emmett answered. "Does the pope shit in the woods? Er, never mind that doesn't make any fucking sense. Uh, anyway, hell yeah I want to be in the movie!"
Clint and I were both laughing quietly by this time.
Clint leaned across the table so that only Emmett and I could hear his next words. "Do you have a problem with nudity?"
Emmett shrugged. "I'll get naked right here, right now, if that's what you want." He grinned cheekily, causing Clint to laugh again.
Clint shook his head and turned to me. "Is he always like this?"
I nodded.
"Jesus Christ" He said in a whisper, still smiling. "Alright, as I was saying, you wouldn't need to be completely nude; the scene would require a shot of your naked ass. I think it's just punishment for you wanting to make an ass of your Dad." Clint said with a smile.
"That's all it takes for you to prank my Pops?" Emmett asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Clint nodded.
"It's a deal." Emmett jumped to his feet while shaking Clint's hand.
"God help us." I heard Clint mutter.
Emmett wouldn't shut up all the way back to the apartment. I was seriously beginning to regret our newfound 'bro' status as I pondered how difficult it would be to throw him from a moving vehicle.
Bella would never forgive me
I chose instead to sigh and ignore him.
-LRM—
"You know, I didn't think life could get any better!" Emmett boomed as soon as entered his apartment.
I made a beeline for my beautiful girl seated on the sofa across the room and kissed her before sitting down.
"What's happened Monkey Man?" Rose asked.
"I, Emmett Swan, am going to make a cameo appearance in Clint and Eddie's movie." He grinned widely.
"Emmett, I don't think Clint meant it as a reward. He wanted to see how serious you were when you offered it as payment for him pranking your Dad." I said with a chuckle. "I don't think he expected you to jump at the chance of showing your bare ass on the big screen."
"Hell yes!" He shouted as he did a little fist pump. "Too bad he didn't know that's always been a personal fantasy of mine." Emmett was beaming. "Next weekend, I get to marry the woman of my dreams, I'm going to be a Daddy before the year is over, and as soon as this movie hits the theaters, every horny female and probably a fair number of males get to drool over my hot ass on a movie screen!"
I groaned and palmed my face.
"You're just jealous Eddie." Emmett was still grinning "You don't get to show your ass this time, and I do."
I laughed. "No, Emmett. No jealousy. This is all yours man."
Emmett looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you think I would benefit from an acting class?" He asked.
What?
I shook my head, confused. "Emmett, I don't think that's going to matter. You'll be on screen for like a minute. Correction, your ass will be on screen." I said with a laugh.
Emmett smirked. "Yeah, but maybe my ass would benefit from a class or two. You know, I need to be ready for my instructions from the director. How exactly does he want my ass cheeks to play the scene?" He continued as we fell apart in silent laughter. "To clench or not to clench, that is the question."
What have I gotten myself into?
-LRM—
"Did I ever tell you what an awesome house you have Carlisle?" Emmett slurred as we stepped into my parents' home after our evening at the Edgewater with Clint.
"Why, thank you Emmett." Dad answered, amused by Emmett's drunken state.
Emmett nodded as he looked around. "The house Rose and I are buying is pretty sweet. Nowhere near as big as this though." He announced as he moved through the foyer. "This hall is so big I bet I could make my voice echo" He said before bellowing loudly, "Ri-cola!".
"Keep that up and Rose is sure to smack you tonight Emmett." Charlie said with a laugh.
Jasper, Emmett and I were admittedly 'feeling no pain' as we made our way out to the patio. The old geezers, on the other hand, were stone cold sober. We figured out toward the end of our evening at the Edgewater, that they had been drinking either cola or club soda all evening, while the three of us had been downing the hard liquor.
The old farts had been laughing their asses off at our expense ever since.
I couldn't find it in myself to be angry though. After all, my Dad had admitted that I was a great son.
"Would you try not to fucking fall on me?" I blurted to Emmett as we both stumbled through the doorway to the patio.
"Language Edward." I heard my Mom scold.
Oops
"Sorry Mom". I muttered while Emmett and Jasper laughed at me.
Fuckers
I sat down on a lounger and pulled Bella down with me, as Rosalie demanded the details of Emmett's planned prank gone wrong.
Emmett didn't disappoint, and they laughed almost until they cried at his take on things. I noticed with a bit of chagrin that, even though Emmett peppered his story with approximately five thousand vulgar words, not once did my Mother reprimand him.
Pfft. No matter. I'm still the best son ever.
-LRM—
Back at Bella's apartment, I took a hot shower, hoping to dispel the effects of the alcohol.
Damn Emmett for talking me into drinking so much tonight.
After the bachelor party, I had been ready to swear off alcohol forever.
I toweled off and threw on some sleep pants, anticipating the reaction I'd get from my girl once she saw me shirtless. I enjoyed teasing her although, in the end, I ended up being the one who suffered most.
August 14th cannot arrive soon enough
All thoughts of a romantic evening went out the window as soon as I found her clutching a letter from Renee's old boyfriend.
Phil Dwyer seemed like a decent guy. That is, if one can tell anything from a letter. Understandably, Bella had spoken of him very little, not wanting to reminisce about her time in Arizona.
After she assured me that she'd be okay with seeing him again, and I put on a t-shirt, we sat on her sofa while she told me a little more about Phil.
"He's like my Dad in a lot of ways" Bella remarked wistfully. "I suppose that's why she loved him. The difference with Phil was that, if they'd married, she wouldn't have been stuck in Forks. His job demanded that he travel, and she would have loved to accompany him. They would have been happy together. But it wasn't meant to be." She trailed off with a sigh.
I held her hand a little tighter as she continued.
"I try really hard not to live in hatred of that man." Somehow I knew we weren't speaking of Phil any more. "I've talked to Father Pat about it many times. He encouraged me to try and turn my negative feelings into something positive through prayer."
She laughed without humor. "I've said entire Rosaries for that evil man, but only succeeded in making myself angrier." She said as she looked away. "Finally, Father suggested that I leave Dryden out of my thoughts. That helped. I still pray more for the victims, but have found that I have a capacity to pray for perpetrators as long as they remain nameless and faceless in my mind…. pray that somehow they will change… " Her voice broke a little. She let out a big breath and turned toward me, a small smile on her lips. "I'm sorry. We should be talking about our future, not this."
I shook my head. "Bella, it's important to deal with our pasts in order to have a happy future together. I am always here to listen any time you want to share your feelings, if you'll allow me."
Her eyes filled with tears as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I pulled her onto my lap, giving her what comfort I could offer as she let a few tears escape. She didn't cry long.
My Bella was getting stronger every day.
-LRM—
"It's on days like this that I realize I have the best job in the world." Chris said with a smile as he lined up a couple of Emmett's friends and me for our final tux fittings. "You all look smashing!" He and Alice had reserved a suite at the Westin Hotel solely for the purpose of doing those fittings.
I chuckled, just as Emmett entered the room. "How's it hanging bitches?" He bellowed.
I'm certain that I've answered that question on numerous occasions before
He approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Well, Eddie my man, in three short weeks, we'll be doing this all over again for you and my sister."
"I can't wait." I told him honestly.
He smiled, not his usual happy smile, but a more serious one. "I know." He said before giving my shoulder a squeeze.
Yeah, that's going to leave a bruise.
-LRM—
As Sidney drove us to the Cathedral for the wedding rehearsal, I saw Bella softly smiling to herself.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked.
"The night Emmett proposed." She whispered.
"The first of many New Years I intend to spend with you my love." I said before pulling her hand to my lips and kissing her palm. Thinking about Emmett's proposal naturally caused my mind to drift to the night I proposed.
I smiled as I remembered Bella's look of surprise when I dropped to one knee.
It was a night I would never forget.
-V&V—
Good God this wedding is going to be big
I knew that Emmett and Rose's wedding party was large, but to see everyone gathered together really brought that fact home.
I'm so glad Bella and I opted for smaller.
I sensed that Bella was a bit nervous when we entered the Cathedral and she realized that her Dad hadn't yet arrived. Charlie was normally very punctual.
Imagine our surprise when he arrived with a 'date'. Not just any date, but Bella's old teacher from high school. I remembered meeting her at the prom. When I saw them enter, hand in hand, I couldn't help but wonder how serious their relationship was.
"Hey kids." Charlie greeted us sheepishly.
His date smiled too, but seemed a little wary of the reception she would receive.
Charlie cleared his throat. "Well, um, you all know Suzanne." He said by way of introduction.
I knew that Emmett, Rose and Bella weren't intentionally being rude when they failed to respond. Understandably, they were a little shocked, so I took the initiative to welcome Charlie and his date.
"Hello Suzanne, good to see you again." I said as I reached to shake her hand.
Bella perked up then. "Hello Miss North".
"Bella please, it's Suzanne."
Emmett gave his father a little grief over secretly dating, but before things could get out of hand, our attention was called away by Father Pat, in order to begin the rehearsal.
-LRM—
During the entire rehearsal, I watched Bella, whose attention seemed to have been drawn away by her father and Suzanne. I knew that Charlie hadn't dated since his divorce, so the sight of him with a woman no doubt fascinated his children.
As soon as the rehearsal was over, I moved until I was behind Bella and wrapped my arms around her waist. "You ready baby?" I whispered.
She turned to look at me, lost in her thoughts.
I laughed at the confused expression on her face. "The rehearsal's over sweetheart. Where did you go just now?"
She looked around, before leaning close and whispering conspiratorially in my ear. "I think my Dad may be in love" She whispered with wide eyes.
I turned to watch Charlie and Suzanne as they exited through the doors, hand in hand once again. The look on Charlie's face as he smiled and spoke with Suzanne reminded me of the way I looked in the presence of my girl. "You may be right Bella. Does the thought bother you?"
She frowned. "It did for like a minute. But seeing him so happy… I never realized how important that was to me." She said as she bit her lip. "It makes me feel guilty though, like I should be upset because he's finally moving on."
I nodded, knowing for a fact that I would never be able to go on without Bella…
I mulled over what she had said as we rode from the Cathedral to the Westin Hotel. "You shouldn't feel guilty Bella." I finally blurted.
"Hmm?" She asked distractedly as she turned away from her window to look at me.
"It's taken your Dad a long time to find someone. Don't feel guilty that he's finally happy again." I meant the words. Charlie deserved to be happy.
Once again, I thought about Bella and myself.
As much as I knew I couldn't live without her, I also knew that if something were to happen to me, I'd want her to have a chance at a happy life, even if it meant spending that life with someone else.
The thought made my throat tighten, and my heart beat furiously in my chest. It was almost painful. I calmed my racing heart as I pulled her close and thought about the fact that Bella and I were alive and well. God willing, neither of us was going anywhere anytime soon.
-LRM-
"To my Pops" Emmett said as he raised his glass in a toast at the rehearsal dinner. "Lately he's been full of surprises." He said with a grin.
More than once during the dinner, Emmett tried to wheedle information about Charlie and Suzanne from his Dad. I had to hand it to Charlie; he wasn't revealing a thing.
The evening was winding down, but I was loathe to leave because Bella wouldn't be going with me. She and Alice were spending the night before the wedding with Rose in her suite.
I understood, but was just selfish enough to hate the whole idea.
My sister, ever the killjoy, was the one to demand we say goodbye before dragging the girls upstairs.
"I can't guarantee that I won't sneak back here early tomorrow." I said as I pulled Bella into my arms for a goodbye kiss. "I hate being away from you."
"Please." She nodded. "You can come have breakfast with me."
"Don't you have to do that with Rose and the girls?"
She frowned. "Yes. But after that all we'll be doing is getting our hair and makeup done. You could come see me." She added with a smile.
Abso-fucking-lutely.
I've got to stop hanging out with Emmett
I grinned. "I'll see what I can do. Sweet dreams my love." I said before kissing her one last time.
We ended up seated in a large semi-circular booth in the bar. One by one, the other guys left, the last of our group to bail being Chris, who claimed that he needed his sleep because he'd be a nervous wreck the next day without it.
That left Emmett, Jasper and I to drink and talk. I scanned the room every now and then as we spoke, ever watchful for paps. I hadn't seen one all day.
After a while, I noticed a guy across the bar that kept shooting glances in our direction. He was seated with a woman, and would smile warmly at her, but the expression on his face when he would look at us, gave me pause.
After a few minutes, I realized that his glares weren't directed at me; instead they seemed to be directed at my brothers-in-law.
Strange
As the alcohol once again began to take effect, I forgot about the asshole across the bar and concentrated on spending time with Jazz and Emmett.
"Nervous?" Jasper asked Emmett with a grin.
Emmett shook his head. "On the contrary, I'm as cool as a fucking cucumber Francis." He grinned as he displayed a steady hand.
Jasper winced. "Stop calling me that shit." He muttered.
Emmett and I laughed.
"Seriously though, this is something we should have done years ago. I can't believe I waited so long to ask her." He stared at his glass as he continued. "After Mom…. well, things weren't easy." He sighed. "I'm glad Rose never gave up on me."
"She's not that type of person Emmett. Rose is one of the most fiercely loyal people I've ever known." Jasper smiled. "It's not in her nature to give up on someone she loves."
"Thank God for that." Emmett said in almost a whisper. He pursed his lips as he thought. "I need to say something, and I don't want the two of you to give me any shit about it because it's definitely not the drink talking."
We watched him silently as we waited for him to continue.
"I've come to the conclusion that the three of us are the luckiest fuckers to ever live." He blurted.
"I can't argue with that." Jasper said with a smile as he raised his glass.
"Amen." I added with a smile as I thought about my beautiful girl, more than likely upstairs at that moment, getting ready for bed.
"Come on" Emmett announced as he stood. "The sooner I get to sleep; the sooner tomorrow will arrive."
I sent Sidney a quick text to pick us up in front of the hotel, before standing to follow Emmett.
"I'm gonna make a quick stop and I'm meet you in the lobby." Jasper informed before heading in the direction of the men's room.
We settled the bill and walked into the lobby. Less than a minute later, Sidney pulled up in front, but Jasper had yet to emerge from the bar.
"Maybe we should go check on him." I suggested. "He's been gone a long time."
"Damn it Edward, if he's got explosive diarrhea or something I'm not getting anywhere near him." Emmett announced with a grin.
I shook my head and laughed as we walked back into the bar. We looked around, not seeing Jasper anywhere, but there seemed to be some sort of commotion outside which had drawn the attention of everyone in the bar, staff and customers alike.
We looked out the window just in time to see Jasper pummeling some dude in the parking lot of the bar. I caught a glimpse of his face before Jasper pulled the guy's shirt up and over his head, essentially trapping the guy's arms behind his back. He held the arms in place with one hand while he gave him a jab to the throat with the other. After that, the guy was having a hard time catching his breath.
It was amazing to watch.
Jasper fights dirty
"Son of a bitch." Emmett muttered "I'm going to kill that fucker."
I grabbed him before he could get closer. "Jasper?" I asked in shock.
"Of course not fucking Jasper" He spat "I'm going to kill that douchebag Shawn."
Just then Sidney appeared beside us.
"By the looks of things, Jasper doesn't need your help Emmett." I said as I gripped his shoulder. After the throat jab, Jasper had punched this Shawn person in the stomach, causing him to double over and empty the contents of his stomach onto the pavement.
"Nasty" Emmett muttered in disgust as he watched. Nevertheless, he attempted to move once again in that direction. I grabbed his shoulder again just as Sidney spoke.
"Not a good idea Mr. Swan." He said in an authoritative voice.
"Yeah, Emmett, you're getting married tomorrow. Your Dad will kick your ass if you get arrested. Not to mention Rose…"
Emmett let out a breath and dropped his head in defeat just as Jasper made his way over to us, sporting a satisfied smile, a cut lip, and bruised jaw.
It took a few minutes to sort things out with the hotel manager and the manager on duty at the bar before Jasper was free and clear. Thankfully, a couple of witnesses had seen Shawn throw the first punch.
A couple of hotel employees put Shawn and his date in a cab. After that, the three of us sidled up to the bar for a shot each. Emmett was the first to down his.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going upstairs to say goodnight to Rose before I leave."
Forget anything I've ever said about him
The man is a genius
"Lead the way." Jasper said with a smile.
On the way up in the elevator, I was the first one to speak. "Anyone care to tell me what the hell that was about?" I asked.
Jasper's expression turned to stone. "Emmett, I think it best if we don't tell Rose what happened tonight."
Emmett nodded. "Yeah, I don't want that fuckface ruining our wedding day."
He then turned to me. "That douchebag who just had his ass handed to him, was Rose's ex-boyfriend." He said through gritted teeth.
"Oh" was my genius response.
"But that's not why I want to end his life." He continued before giving me a pained look. "Rose was a victim of date rape Edward." He seethed.
I felt the bile rise in my throat at the revelation, and I was suddenly sorry that we let that piece of shit leave before we all had a crack at him.
Evidently Bella and I are not the only ones haunted by demons from the past
-LRM—
I fully expected Alice to throw us out, but Jasper's bruised jaw and the story behind it, bought us entrance to the suite. Emmett went off to find Rose who was already in bed, while the rest of us had a quiet conversation about what had transpired downstairs.
When Bella pulled me into her and Alice's bedroom for a proper goodbye, it struck me that we hadn't been alone since we'd left the apartment for the rehearsal earlier this evening. I craved my alone time with Bella like a drug, and the kisses we shared behind the door were exactly the fix I needed.
"I love you Edward" She whispered. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I love you Bella." I leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Dream of me tonight." I heard her breath hitch at my words.
When my head finally hit the pillow back at the apartment, I pulled Bella's against me and nuzzled my face into it, breathing deeply. The scent of the woman I loved lulled me into a dreamless sleep.
-LRM—
All I managed was a brief visit with Bella early in the day. I decided that my sister missed her calling; she should have been a prison warden.
I couldn't find it in me to be angry with her though, I knew she was ensuring that everything would be perfect for Emmett and Rose.
Soon it would be our turn
The day seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, we were at the Cathedral. Chip took photos of all the groomsmen as we milled around. Once the guests began to arrive, we were kept busy escorting people to their seats.
Everything was fine until a couple of Bella's former co-workers from WIRI arrived. I could tell by the determined look on their faces that they weren't going to allow anyone other than yours truly to escort them, but frankly they both gave me the creeps.
They pushed their way through the few guests waiting to take their seats until they were only a few feet from where I stood.
Imagine my relief when at that very moment, Dorothy appeared through the doors from the street. I blew right past the two women, thwarting their efforts to claim me, and pulled my dear friend into a warm hug.
"There you are." She smiled happily as she hugged me back and kissed my cheek.
She pulled back with a smile which immediately turned into a grimace. "Oh Christ I'm always doing that to you" she muttered as she proceeded to rub her thumb across my cheek. "Damned lipstick smudge."
I laughed out loud. I'd missed her.
Once she finished wiping my cheek, I held my crooked arm out to her. "Shall we?" She wound her arm around mine, and the smile was back.
We spoke in whispers as we made our way up the impossibly long aisle. "This is going to be one hell of a shindig huh?"
I nodded. "As big as Alice's I'm afraid."
Dorothy frowned. "I bet they'll have the expensive liquor at the reception too and I won't get to enjoy any of it."
I gave her a sad smile.
"No matter." She grinned and winked at me. "Are you ready for your big day?"
I smiled. "It can't get here soon enough." I admitted.
She looked at me contemplatively before patting my cheek and taking her seat.
When I got back to the foyer, the WIRI stalkers were gone. "You owe Bradley and Bo for getting those two seated." Jasper said with a grin when he saw me looking around. "I'm going to warn you though, they're going to try and dance with you at the reception."
Jasper was enjoying this way too much. I opened my mouth to say 'Fuck you' but realized at the last moment that we were in Church. So I opted for giving him a dirty look instead.
I found Duke and my parents chatting with Charlie and Suzanne just inside the doors. They all greeted me with a smile.
I escorted my mother, while Dad and Duke followed behind. While we walked toward the front, I saw Emmett bolt down the side aisle straight toward the foyer. I cringed, knowing that if Alice saw him, he was a dead man.
As I walked toward the back of the Cathedral, Charlie passed me while escorting Suzanne to her seat. He looked as happy as his son looked today.
I didn't make it through the double doors to the foyer before being stopped by the wedding planner's assistant. She gestured to the group of groomsmen she had corralled at the back of the Cathedral, asking me to join them and wait.
Jasper appeared less than a minute later along with Charlie.
"Where's Emmett?" I whispered to Jazz.
He pointed toward the doors. "In there talking to Bella."
Before I could think about what I was doing, my feet were moving toward the doors, anxious to sneak a moment with my girl. I heard a couple whispered voices call my name, but ignored them.
Before I reached the doors however, Emmett came barreling through them, followed closely by Chris. As soon as Chris saw me, he pulled me back toward the others. "She's not in there any more Edward. She's back in the room with Rose."
How did he know that I was going to find Bella?
He's been around my sister too damned long
I was disappointed, but decided to bide my time.
It wasn't long before all of us were ushered toward the front and were lined up patiently waiting for the bride to make her entrance. As soon as the music changed, the long line of bridesmaids began to process up the aisle one by one, taking their places across the aisle from us.
Alice gave me a silly grin as she approached. I barely noticed. I was distracted by the beautiful woman walking a couple of yards behind her.
Bella's eyes were shining as she smiled at me. She was so lovely that it took my breath away. Maybe it was because this was a wedding, but something about the entire scene caused a lump to form in my throat and I couldn't believe that in three short weeks it would be our turn.
I still couldn't believe she'd said yes.
I was aware of Rose being escorted in by her father, but couldn't tear my eyes from Bella long enough to notice anything or anyone else. By the expression on her face, I was pretty sure that she felt the same.
What did I ever do to deserve her love? I was a lucky bastard, there was no denying it.
-LRM—
After the ceremony, Emmett thanked everyone for coming before sweeping Rose up into his arms and carrying her from the Cathedral.
I'm pretty damn sure that's not what we rehearsed.
I watched as Bella and her Dad took control of the situation and began the procession back down the aisle. As in rehearsal, I exited just after Jasper and Alice while escorting Rose and Jasper's cousin Harriett.
Bella turned to peek at us once, and I noticed that Harriett grinned and winked at her causing Bella to laugh.
I loved her laugh.
As soon as we were back in the foyer, I seized the opportunity to wrap my arm around Bella's waist, not intending to let go for the rest of the day.
Well that's a bit unrealistic, but a man can dream
I watched in fascination as my sister flitted about, presumably looking for the missing bride and groom. I lost track of her for a few minutes as Bella and I talked with her Dad and Suzanne.
Suddenly Bella excused us and grabbed my hand pulling me toward Alice who by this time was standing just inside the exterior doors.
"I cannot believe those two." Alice gasped out.
"Alice honey, what happened?" Jasper asked her sweetly as he patted her hand.
Alice took a deep breath. "I was looking for the stupid bride and groom because we have to pose for photos at the altar." She muttered.
"I saw you searching. Didn't you find them?" Bella asked.
Alice smirked. "Oh I found them alright." She huffed "As we speak, they are locked in a stretch limo across the street from the Cathedral, having sex." She whispered the last part.
No fucking way
Jasper's mouth fell open. "Alice, you can't know that's what they're doing. You're jumping to conclusions."
"Oh really Jasper?" She snapped. "Then maybe you'd care to interpret the large yellow sign taped to window of the limo which reads: 'Don't come a-knocking if this limo is a-rocking'."
Bella melted into inappropriate laughter at my side, causing the rest of us to do likewise. As soon as we regained our composure, Jasper spoke again.
"What did you do darlin'?"
Alice grunted in displeasure. "I knocked on the window of course. I knew they heard me when Emmett yelled at me to 'read the sign'. I told him to shut up and that if Rosalie's updo was messed up for the photos I was holding him personally responsible."
"Did he answer you?" Bella asked.
Alice grimaced. "Not directly. The next thing I heard was the sound of both their voices shouting the word 'cowgirl' at the same time." Alice admitted with a shudder. "I couldn't listen any more, I ran away."
Alice shook her head in disgust as we burst into laughter once again.
************************************A/N*******************************
A/N Well, I guess Cowgirl style would be the best way to insure the hairstyle would survive intact.
This chapter wasn't terribly exciting...just let's us know what Edward was up to. Not much to say except that I hope you enjoyed it and I'm off to work on the next V&V. We are getting very close to the big day.
Obviously the prank with Clint and Charlie is not repeated here. For those of you who haven't read it yet, it can be found under V&V as an outtake entitled 'Magnum Farce'.
I will post any and all sneak peeks on facebook and on the blog. I wouldn't want any of you to miss one. I've also started a photo blog to accompany the story. The link is in the V&V blog.(all the same photos are also posted on the Facebook page).
Love to hear from you in the form of a review or a posting on facebook. You are the ones who inspire me to keep writing. Never forget that! And I appreciate each and every one of you. Mwah!