A/N: Well the visit with the Volturi is over. Kind of anticlimactic, but when I was really thinking about this, I had decided that Aro, Marcus, and Caius probably wouldn't leave Volterra without just cause and making sure Bella was a vampire now wasn't sufficient reason. Jane can't do anything against Bella and she is a newborn with newborn strength, ergo a fight might mean casualties on both sides. So it was just a check-up for now to make sure everything was done, and that is why I decided to write it the way I did. Glad it wasn't really disappointing for everyone. Only a couple chapters left and this one will be complete. Enjoy the next chapter, happy reading.

Chapter 45 – Let's Get Married

The day of the Volturi visit had come and gone over a month ago. Bella could remember that day so well: the feeling that something more was supposed to happen and nothing did, the aftermath where she and Emmett wrestled around and she literally stomped him into the ground, having to fill in the hole in the ground because Esme was irritated that they were destroying her backyard, and finally the way she felt completely at peace with no worries at all when Jasper had taken her in his arms that night. She wasn't sure life could get any better than it was right now, but as she looked at her left hand and smiled, she knew that it would.

"What are ya thinkin' 'bout Darlin'?" Jasper asked; his accent extraordinarily thick that morning. He walked up behind her standing on the balcony outside of their room. He knew his Bella liked to go out there to think and contemplate whatever popped into her head that morning. It had a stunning view of the mountains and forest, and the sounds of nature contributed to the harmonious atmosphere. The sun was just starting to rise and they had the perfect view of it. The changing colors gave the breathtaking landscape a truly splendid aura.

Leaning back so that she rested against Jasper, Bella closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, "I was thinking about how wonderful everything is and how happy I am." She turned around in his arms and hooked her around his neck, "It just feels like everything has falling into place like it should. I don't know if I can describe it, but everything feels right."

Smirking, Jasper leaned down and kissed her nose, "For once, I have to agree with you." He pulled her closer to him for another kiss, but this time aimed a little lower and pushed all of his feelings of love and hope onto her. She had made him feel like they could do anything together and that nothing was impossible; it was her and no one else and he felt like the luckiest man on the earth.

When the kiss had ended, Bella pulled back and looked at her fiancé with bright eyes, "I was also thinking…"

"What?" Jasper asked with a perplexed expression when she paused. If it was in his power, he would give it to her, but he had to know what it was first.

"When do you want to get married?"

Shocked at her train of thoughts, he yelped, "What?"

Bella tried to hide the small bit of hurt she felt at his reaction to her question. She thought he was ready to get married when he proposed and she had thought about it long and hard, she was ready, but maybe he wasn't. Frowning she said, "Sorry, I was just thinking…"

Covering her mouth with his hand, Jasper shook his head at her and said, "I am ready to get married any time you are. I just didn't think you would want to get married so soon, so you surprised me a little." He had seen the brief look of disappointment flash across her face before she was able to school her features, but that didn't stop him from feeling the pain she was feeling in her emotions. He was being honest when he said he would marry her when she wanted to, he was ready to say "I do" even before he asked her to marry him.

Bella narrowed her eyes on Jasper, trying to figure out if what he told her was the truth or not before a smile lit up her face. She could see the truth of his words in his eyes, "Well I was thinking we can do a civil service for just us and the family here, and then in a couple of years have a big wedding where my father walks me down the aisle."

"I think that can be arranged and Carlisle can perform the ceremony since he is ordained," Jasper said giving her his lopsided grin.

"He is?"

"Yah, I think he did it for his father, but if you don't feel comfortable with that, we can get someone else to do the ceremony."

Smiling, Bella shook her head, "No, somehow that seems right that he be the one to marry us first. It will make it more intimate. Do you think that he would?"

"I think he would be more than happy to do our wedding ceremony. We just have to decide when," Jasper said kissing her forehead.

Looking into his eyes, she said, "A week?" Her eyes were sparkling and she knew she was ready. She didn't want to wait, her life was with Jasper now and it seemed fitting that with her new life, they seal it with their vows.

"I think that can be arranged," Jasper said smiling, excitement coursing through his veins at the thought of Bella becoming his wife sooner than he had dreamed possible. "Why don't we go find Carlisle and talk to him now?"

Bella felt Jasper let go of her and grab her hand, tugging her towards their bedroom door. She could tell that he was excited about her request, and she knew he would do whatever it took to make sure it happened. Giggling, she followed closely behind him to Carlisle's study.

"Come in," the muffled voice of the Cullen patriarch sounded through the door in response to the knock that echoed through the halls.

Walking into the room, Bella and Jasper walked up to Carlisle as he sat at his desk making notes in a journal. When he looked up at their approach, Jasper said, "We have a request."

Carlisle saw the beaming smiles both Jasper and Bella had on their faces and found himself smiling in response. Putting down the pen and shutting the book to give them his undivided attention, he inquired, "What is it?"

Jasper looked at Bella for a second before turning back to his father figure, "We want to get married in a small civil ceremony now and have a big wedding later. We were wondering if you would perform the small ceremony for us."

His smile growing, Carlisle stood up and walked towards the couple. First he pulled Bella in for a hug and then shaking Jasper's hand, he hugged him also. "I would be honored to perform your wedding ceremony," he said reverently. He was flattered that they had asked him to do that. "When did you want to do the ceremony?"

Jasper and Bella once more looked at each other before turning back to Carlisle. Looking a little nervous, Bella asked, "Is a week too soon?"

"A week? I think we can manage that for you," Carlisle said. He was actually surprised that Bella had wanted to get married so soon, but when he looked at her and Jasper together, he knew that everything that happened between them was a miracle in itself and what you expected to happen, turned out differently. It was just their way. Bella had never been a fan of marriage since her parent's divorce, but didn't hesitate when she said "yes" to Jasper. In all actuality their relationship shouldn't exist, but it did and it was stronger than most relationships that Carlisle had seen in his long life. Smiling at the couple once again, he said, "Are you ready?"

"I am more than ready to become Mrs. Jasper Whitlock," Bella stated quietly and knew it was true. She had never wanted anything more than to marry her mate and true love. It exceeded her want and need to become a vampire. Nothing compared to her desire to be with Jasper for the rest of her existence.

Jasper felt the same as Bella. This was something stronger and had more pull on him than anything he had ever known. Kissing the top of her head and pulling her to his side, he said, "I know I am going to spend forever with her. This is just a formality, but I really want to see her with my last name."

Nodding, Carlisle knew that no matter what happened, they would have each other and they would be happy, "A week from today it is then. Next Friday you will be an officially married couple. Now, I suggest we get everyone together and tell them the good news. Bella, I hope you are ready for Esme and Rose to help plan everything."

Laughing, Bella said, "I think I can manage that as long as Emmett behaves himself at the ceremony. I really don't want to have to fill in another hole because he is being annoying."

The three occupants roared with laughter at that statement. Emmett had been egging her on since she had awoken from her burning phase and had lost every match he challenged her to. It would be a while before Emmett would get the upper hand and he knew it, but it did not stop the brawny vamp from trying his best to get the better of her.

Leaving the study, Carlisle said in a slightly louder than normal voice, "Everyone needs to meet in the living room." He didn't have to yell, he knew they would all hear him and only raised it ever so slightly just in case someone was not in the house. By the time the trio had made it into the living room, the rest of the family was waiting for them. "Jasper and Bella have an announcement," Carlisle stated simply and went to sit next to Esme on the couch.

Smirking, Jasper wrapped his arm around Bella and said, "As you know Bella agreed to become my wife before she was transformed and she still wants to go through with it, so we have decided to have a small ceremony next week with Carlisle officiating. In other words, our wedding will be a week from today."

Esme jumped up and yelled, "Congratulations! I am so excited for you." She pulled Bella into her arms and gave her a huge hug before she glomped Jasper.

Rosalie walked up to the couple and gave a small hug to Jasper before turning to Bella and smiling, "Thank you for making him so happy. I couldn't be more excited for you." With that said, she embraced Bella as her soon to be sister-in-law.

Emmett was the last one that was able to say anything or get to the couple. He stood there for a second in a bit of shock since he expected that the wedding would happen in a year or so, when Bella would be able to be around people again in order to allow her father to walk her down the aisle. Grinning, he walked up to Bella and lifted her off of the ground giving her a gigantic bear hug, "Congratulations Bells!" He set her down on the ground again and shook Jasper's hand before saying, "I never thought I would say this a year ago, but you two are good together and good for each other. I am excited for this next stage in your life."

"Thank you Emmett," Jasper choked out. It meant the world to him that his brother would say something like that. He knew that many people in his family had doubts and that Emmett had been one of them, but one by one they realized how much the couple needed each other and could not be separated. What had started out as a friendship had been nurtured into something so much more than that. Clearing his throat, he said, "Thank you everyone."

Bella could tell that this was a little overwhelming for her fiancé. He wasn't used to all of the attention and she also knew that many of the family had questioned their relationship in the beginning, but now there was nothing but joy and acceptance. Slipping on of her hands into Jasper's and using the other hand to pat his chest in a soothing gesture, she said, "Yes, thank you everyone."

"If Carlisle is doing the ceremony, I call dibs on walking her down the aisle. That is unless we are calling Charlie to come out here for that," Emmett grinned.

"Nope, this one is only for us and then in a couple of years, we will have a big wedding. I am not going to tell my dad about this one. I would like him to be here, but I am ok without him. He will get his chance when we have our wedding for family and friends. This one is just for us," Bella beamed looking up at Jasper.

Leaning down to give her a brief kiss, he said, "Yep, just us." He looked up at Emmett then and leered, "You can walk her down the aisle if Bella agrees, but if you do anything to ruin her wedding day I will knock you into next year."

"I wouldn't do that. A wedding day is special. Besides, you wouldn't have to, Rose would probably kill me if I did anything," Emmett laughed.

"You got that right!" Rose agreed with that statement wholeheartedly. Looking at the couple, she was ecstatic for them. After Alice had left, she didn't think that Jasper would get through it let alone find someone else, but Bella had changed all of that. She was able to reach him when no one else could and pull him completely out of his shell. Alice had got him out of his shell part of the way, but Bella had been able to do something Rose had wondered on several occasions, if it was even possible. It turns out, it was. Jasper just needed the right person at his side.

Carlisle was standing next to Esme and his mind wandered to the day Jasper told him that he wanted to marry Bella Swan. When Alice had left, it seemed as if Jasper had been broken, but Bella in all of her clumsiness had been able to heal him. Their friendship had grown and when Jasper had said that he planned on asking Bella out on a date, Carlisle did not question it or worry for the girl. It was right. It almost seemed as if no time had passed before Jasper was asking Carlisle if they could talk…

Flashback

"Carlisle, do you have a minute to talk?" Jasper asked looking a little nervous. He really admired Carlisle and looked up to him as a son to his father. He had taken in the former major and treated him like his was family. He wasn't a stranger and Carlisle never turned him away even through his struggles to change his lifestyle.

Carlisle could tell that something was on the younger man's mind and said, "Yah, come with me to my office." He led the way to his personal space and shut the door behind the other man, "Is everything ok?"

"I wanted you to know that I am planning on asking Bella to marry me. She makes me feel things that I have never felt before and I love her. Somewhere in the middle of trying to get over Alice, protecting Bella from whatever evil that red headed witch sent, and just being there for each other, I fell in love with her. Our progression from friendship to dating just felt natural, and now this feels like the next step for us. I plan on asking her before we leave for Montana. I want her to know that I mean forever before she goes through her change."

Whatever Carlisle had been expecting, that was not it, but when he looked up at the man standing in front of him, he could see the truth of his words. He knew that Jasper wasn't going to back down and he planned on a lifetime with the girl that had once been with his other son, Edward. Grinning, he knew that the relationship between Jasper and Bella was so much more than the relationship she had with Edward, or that he had with Alice. With those truths running through his mind, he could do nothing but nod and say, "I am happy for you son. Bella has changed you and given you a peace I have never seen in you, and I don't think I have ever seen you smile as much as you have since Bella has been a part of your life. I am excited about her becoming part of the family and I support you 100%. I can think of no one better to be at your side or for you to be at her side."

Jasper smiled and whispered, "Thank you." He hadn't been sure how Carlisle would react or what he would say, but knowing that he had the older man's support meant the world to him. He did something then that was very uncharacteristic of him and hugged his father.

End Flashback

Carlisle smiled at the couple in front of them. They had been through trials that would have broken others, but they are stronger because of them and he knew they would just get stronger with time. Clearing his throat, he said, "Congratulations to the happy couple."

"Congratulations!" Everyone else agreed.

Suddenly everyone stopped, someone was approaching the house. When a knock sounded at the door, Carlisle stepped forward to answer it, and when he swung it open, he gasped, "Alice?"