This story started with lots of short chapters and built up to epic length chapters. To finish, I have debated long and hard about how to do it and finally settled on short chapters instead of changing POVs throughout one or two epic chapters. There are currently 15 short chapters that will publish daily until the epilogue. They are all written and ready to go. I hope you all enjoy. Sorry for the long wait.
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Bella's POV
"Then it is my great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. Edward... Just kiss her already!" Jasper said.
Edward smiled at me as he lowered his lips to mine. Our lips met in the middle, as we kissed passionately.
"Slip her the tongue!" Emmett yelled.
A resounding 'thwack' was heard through the meadow as Emmett yelled, "Ouch! Rosie that one hurt!"
Edward and I broke apart but our eyes wouldn't let go. I was smiling so hard I felt like my face would crack.
"Hello, Mrs. Cullen," he whispered to me, his crooked smile perfectly in place.
"Hello, Husband," I said back, my arms still wrapped around his neck, my fingers playing with his hair.
We just looked at each other, content to finally belong to each other completely. Again the moment was broken by Emmett.
"Okay," Emmett said impatiently. "Can I hug the bride now?"
Edward growled, but Emmett paid no heed, tugging me quickly from my new husband's arms and sweeping me up in his arms to squish me tightly.
"Thank God I don't have to breath anymore," I muttered as he put me down.
"Big oaf," Rosalie snarled as she moved around her husband to offer me a hug. The next ten minutes were filled with hugs and congratulations from our gathered family and friends, and when I finally made it back to Edward's arms, it was a relief.
"We did it," he said, kissing my hand.
"We did," I smiled.
We looked around at our friends and family as they stood chatting in the meadow. Just enjoying the peace.
"Picture time!" Alice said, in a sing song voice. "The twins are awake so chop chop."
We took every possible combination of pictures known to man, mostly of just Edward and I, some with the twins and some without, but everyone got in on the pictures.
"You know, being hugely pregnant and standing in a picture with all you beautiful sparkly vampires is doing wonders for my self-esteem," Leah griped as all the ladies gathered for a couple of pictures. Her dark skin contrasting with all our pale white skin. Even little Arriel was in the picture, gathered into my arms.
"I know one man who can't take his eyes off you," I said to her.
"He's just worried that one of you vamps is going to loose it and take a snap at me," she muttered.
"It's more than that and you know it," I said to her. "He's a good guy."
"You're just trying to ditch him on me so he will leave your baby alone," she said.
"If he respected all of our wishes and they still ended up together, I'd be fine with that. I just don't like the idea that her destiny is all determined before she is a month old," I said. "Everyone deserves to have a choice."
"I don't know that I would have chosen Paul if it wasn't for the imprint," she said, as the others all moved to let the men get their pictures taken. I watched as Edward held Jace and stood with his brothers and then with both of our fathers.
"What you had with Paul was magical. And it was worth everything for this little girl in here," I said rubbing by hands against her pregnant belly. "What you could have with Jake will be a choice. You know about imprints but there is something to be said for choice."
"But am I his second choice?" she asked, looking down at Arriel who was reaching her hand up to Leah insistently.
She leaned down to my girl and took her tiny hand. Arriel's other hand was on mine and soon my mind was filled with images of Leah and Jake, and of a very grown up Arriel. Jake's arm in the picture was around Leah and they were all smiling. It was what Leah needed to see.
"Thank you," she said looking down at Arriel. Arriel unleashed one of her little smiles and kicked her feet happily, before reaching her hand down and touching mine again, insisting that she and Jace needed to eat and the yucky bottles were not going to cut it.
"I saw, Love," Edward said, appearing at my side with Jace. He held out his hand and led me towards the pavilion that he had built for our wedding. I was surprised to see that there were a bunch of pillows set up so that I could recline comfortably with the twins while still in my wedding dress. Everyone busied themselves chatting and moving around to get the food that we had for our wolf guests to eat set up while Edward helped me get into position on the pillows. Once my dress was unbuttoned enough to allow me to nurse comfortably, I sat against the pillows and took the twins, who assumed the correct position instantly.
Edward moved behind me so I could lean on him.
"Are you happy?" he asked.
"Extremely," I said.
"Ready for the honeymoon?" he asked.
"I am. Are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" I asked him.
"You know me better than that," he said, kissing just below my ear.
"I do," I agreed. "But you know I had to ask."
He just chuckled and pulled me in closer to him, kissing the side of my neck. We sat together, our own little family, enjoying just being together. Edward gently cradled us all in his arms, as I relaxed against him, looking down at our children. Arriel had her hand placed on my chest and I watched her visions as she passed them to me. All happy times together. Surprisingly, everyone managed to leave us alone while we dealt with the kids.
"Time to dance!" Alice announced as soon as the twins had been taken care of. Edward shook his head and rolled his eyes at his exuberant little sister, while helping me to button my dress again.
"So not the direction a husband wants to go with this," he growled softly in my ear.
I giggled in response and laid the babies against the pillows as I stood up to straighten out the dress. Jace and Arriel lay content against the pillows, their little hands connected as always. Edward took the opportunity to pull me into his arms and as he lowered his head to kiss me again, Emmett interrupted again.
"Hurry up!" Emmett yelled at us. "I want to get my party on!"
THWACK!
"Ouch, Rosie!" Emmett yelped. "You're gonna give me brain damage."
"Not possible," she growled. "You'd have to have a brain for that to happen."
"You wound me, Rose," he deadpanned, as Edward leaned his forehead against mine as everyone laughed at Emmett and Rose.
"Come on, you two," Alice said, appearing next to us with Esme. She grabbed both of our hands and tugged us towards the dance floor that had been set up. "Time to dance." Esme settled herself down next to the twins, lifting them into her arms as she watched Alice drag us towards the dance area that had been set up in the center of the meadow. Music filled the air the moment Alice let go of our hands.
Love of a Lifetime, by Firehouse, filled the meadow. Edward pulled me into his arms and lowered his mouth to my ear as he sang along with the lyrics.
I guess the time was right for us to say
We'd take our time and live our lives together day by day
We'll make a wish and send it on a prayer
We know our dreams can all come true with love that we can share
With you I never wonder - will you be there for me
With you I never wonder - you're the right one for me
I finally found the love of a lifetime
A love to last my whole life through
I finally found the love of a lifetime
Forever in my heart, I finally found the love of a lifetime
With every kiss our love is like brand-new
And every star up in the sky was made for me and you
Still we both know that the road is long
(But) we know that we will be together because our love is strong
I finally found the love of a lifetime
A love to last my whole life through
I finally found the love of a lifetime
Forever in my heart, I finally found the love of a lifetime
"I love you," I said, looking up at him.
"As I love you," he said, lowering his lips to meet mine.