Here we go guys! This will be the final regular chapter. The epilogue is next.

***I've started posting over on 'Fiction Pad' as well, for those of you who are interested. Fanfiction will still be my main posting site, but there's a lot of cray cray going on here lately, and I just want to make sure you guys have somewhere to read my stories should anything ever happen to them here on fanfiction. I've got the same pen name over there, 'pattyrose,' so it should be easy to follow me, or you can go to my facebook page for the link to my fiction pad profile.***

Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes

Most characters belong to S. Meyer. Major plot line belongs to J. Austen.

A&A Chapter 36 (P&P Ch. 60)

On the day of Bella's college graduation, all the players from the previous year were once again gathered in the small town of Forks, Washington – though in very different clusters than the previous year. As a matter of fact, they were all gathered in the Swans' back yard for Bella's party. It was a small affair. Edward had wanted to rent Bella the finest hall in all of Forks, but their wedding was only a couple of weeks away, and Bella simply wanted to get through the next two weeks as quickly as possible.

It would be the first time since before Christmas that Tanya and Bella would see each other, though an unfortunate side effect of Edward's friendship with Jasper was that he had seen Tanya on a few occasions. Upon learning of his engagement, Tanya's congratulations on the event had been all that was thrilling and gracious - and thoroughly insincere.

Now, standing in the Swans' back yard, Tanya tried to school her features carefully into those of a happy friend instead of those of a bitterly envious harpy, who still couldn't fathom how such a trashy nobody had managed to steal such a prize from right under her nose!

"Congratulations, Bella!" she exclaimed joyously, when Bella made her way to greet her - with her misguided yet heartbreakingly beautiful fiancée at her side.

Bella wasn't deceived by Tanya's false gaiety for one second, but she went along with it, as she had no reason to be bitter.

"Thanks so much, Tanya."

"Now, what does one do with a degree in Education from a…not-so-well-known university? I mean, I suppose you can always look into turning your uncle's McDonald's franchise into a family business and open up a McDonald's of your own! You can train your new recruits!"

"My future wife will be attending Columbia University full-time in the fall, studying for a Master's Degree in Child Psychology. Tell me, Tanya, what exactly have you done with the degree you…earned a few years ago? Maybe you can give Bella some pointers?"

"I…I…I mean, I've been exploring my options…"

Bella smiled, giving Edward's hand a playful squeeze.

"It's always good to see you, Tanya."

"Likewise, Bella," Tanya sneered, and stormed off towards the open bar.

Edward scowled at her retreating form, but Bella merely chuckled.

"I suppose I can't really blame her. You are one mighty fine catch, and I should thank my lucky stars that I was the one who caught you - at least, that's what my mother reminded me of just a few minutes ago."

Edward rolled his eyes and pulled Bella close to him, kissing her tenderly. "I'm the lucky one."

"How about we agree that we both need to thank those lucky stars?" Bella grinned impishly, to which Edward nodded, mouth still on hers.

"Hey, hey, you two! This here is a graduation party, not a bachelor party! That one is coming up in a couple of weeks, and wait 'til you see what Jasper and I've got planned for you, Edward!" Emmett said, coming across the couple. Jasper, Alice and Rosalie accompanied him.

Edward smirked.

"Will it be really wild?" Bella questioned, grinning wickedly. "I mean like, will he have a horrible hangover and possible memory loss the next day?"

"Exactly!" Emmett confirmed.

"Yes!" Bella exclaimed, pumping a fist high in the air.

Edward turned back to his fiancée, frowning in bewilderment. "You're okay with all of that?"

Bella reached up and wrapped her arms around Edward's neck. "Hey, as long as there are no hookers, hook-ups or lap dances, I'm just fine with it. Go have fun. Just make sure you shake it all off in time to make it to the altar or I WILL come looking for you."

Edward shook his head; a bemused smile crossed his handsome face. All these months later, Bella still kept him on his toes. He was sure that would be the case for the rest of his life, and he couldn't wait to get on with it.

"Don't worry, Edward," Alice volunteered. "Bella will have to shake off her own hangovers and memory loss after her bachelorette party," she quipped. "Rosalie, Honey, I'm so glad you're over-age or we may have had to exclude you from some of the activities! As it is, we may have to have you sign a waiver!"

Rosalie blushed, but she'd grown very close to the Swan sisters in the past few months, especially to her future sister-in-law, and just as her brother, she was learning what it meant to be teased – as well as how to tease right back.

Mimicking her future sister-in-law's action, she threw a fist in the air and yelled, "Bring it on! Woo-hoo!"

Everyone, including her brother, laughed loudly. Edward was beyond thrilled with how Rosalie's friendship with his fiancée had finally dispelled the lingering air of melancholy that had hung around his sister since the Mike issue.

Edward held Bella tightly to him once more, whispering lowly in her ear,

"I hope you know that the no hookers, hook-ups or lap dances rule goes both ways – unless, you know, you want to sneak over to my Bachelor Party and give me a…private dance, in which case we'd both be breaking the rules." He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, giving her goose bumps all over.

Bella chuckled quietly, pulling away enough to hold his gaze. "Mmm, sounds very tempting, but just out of curiosity, were exactly is the proud, reserved, brooding introvert I met a year ago? Whatever happened to him?"

"You happened to him," Edward responded intently. "You're the best thing that ever happened to him."

They held each other's gazes silently, communicating so much without words.

Until a loud, annoying voice interrupted their private moment.

"Bella, Edward, on behalf of my fiancée Leah and myself, I'd like to offer you both congratulations on the upcoming nuptials!"

Bella and Edward both blinked, having been brought back to the present by none other than Jake himself. Leah stood next to him, appearing slightly embarrassed - and more than a little ashamed.

Jake rushed them both, ignoring the fact that Edward and Bella were obviously having a moment and he was invading their personal space. He proceeded to give Bella a hug that caught her by surprise, and gave Edward an over-exuberant handshake that was extremely unwarranted. Leah offered them both her quiet apologies as she greeted them with a more subdued hug.

"I'll be honest, I was a bit surprised when your father was kind enough to text me to inform me of the happy news. And how quickly you two are tying the knot! Leah and I haven't even set a date yet!" he chuckled, before adding a bit peevishly and under his breath, "Because, you know, Leah's just too busy to come up with one."

Leah simply rolled her eyes.

"Then I thought that maybe there was a reason the vows had to be said so soon." He patted his stomach and raised a brow meaningfully. "I mean, these things do tend to run in the family. But look at you," he grinned widely at Bella. "You're obviously nowhere near knocked up."

"Jake!" Leah hissed.

If Jake hadn't been such an idiot, he may have noticed how Edward's hands fisted at his sides, and how his nostrils flared wildly. At first, Edward wasn't sure if this was some sort of joke?

"Are these words actually coming out of your mouth?"

Jake laughed out loud, clapping Edward's shoulder. "Seriously though, I wish you both the best, and I hope there are no hard feelings over the fact that, you know, Bella was mine first."

"Jake!" Leah growled through clenched teeth.

"Come again?" Edward asked through an almost locked jaw.

"Because I asked her out first. Obviously, the timing was wrong. I mean, it couldn't have been anything other than that that caused her to turn me down. Otherwise, you never know, things may have ended differently, and I might be standing where you are right now," Jake chuckled, bouncing on his heels.

Leah dropped her head in defeat, internally determining that no, the house in Madrona and Jake's overly-muscular body were so not worth this, and that she'd never find time to set a date for her marriage to him.

Edward looked at Bella, but she had no words to explain the marvel that was Jacob. So she simply shrugged and shook her head.

Edward sighed and returned the clap on Jake's shoulder – hard, knocking Jake off balance.

"Ow," Jake muttered quietly.

"Jake," Edward grinned, "it's always interesting to see you. Enjoy the rest of the party."

Bella hugged Leah and whispered quietly, "Leah, you know you're welcome at our wedding, but as for the Senator and Jake,-"

Leah offered her a faint smile. "I understand completely, Bella."

And wrapping an arm around Bella's shoulder, Edward led her away.

"So you were just turning guys down left and right last year, weren't you?" Edward teased.

"You know me," Bella grinned impishly. "I don't settle for simply anyone."

Edward chuckled and kissed her neck, and both completely ignored Jake's next outburst.

"It was great to see you guys! And don't worry; I'm sure my wedding invitation must've just gotten lost in the mail! But if you guys send me another one, I may be able to juggle-"

Edward and Bella were able to control their fits of laughter until they were far away from Jake.

OOOOOOOOOO

Sue Clearwater's vulgarity was possibly even worse than Jake's, but Edward bore it all like a perfect gentleman, and Bella loved him all the more for it. At least, Sue, like Renee, was too awed by Edward to actually say much directly to him. Yet whenever they heard her voice from across the yard, she was being loud and obnoxious. Throughout the party, Bella did her best to keep Edward to herself or to those of her friends and family who wouldn't cause her embarrassment. And though the work this entailed took a lot of the pleasure out of the party itself, it was why Bella had wanted to keep the party small, and why she looked forward to her wedding in Pemberley in a couple of weeks, where half of these people that she wouldn't see again would not be present, and those that she loved the most would be.

She looked up at Edward, who was once again next to her, studying his perfect profile. She remembered a time when she swore that he was the last man in the world she would ever consider marrying.

Edward looked down at her and grinned. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking of how you made me eat my words, and how much I love you for it, and how right now, this minute, this second, I want nothing more than to be your wife."

Half of his mouth turned up in that cocky semi-smirk of his. "You just have to hold on to that thought for a couple more weeks."

Bella shook her head. "I'll hold that thought forever."

A/N: Your thoughts?

Epilogue coming next…

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