A/N: Regular readers will know I don't do mushy, long-winded versions of their wedding. For some reason they always come out contrite, contrived and cliched. This one was no different. So I went with what I knew to be true. Keep it simple, stupid.

All the traditional pieces are there and I hope I've managed to get the point across without having to beat you all over the head with anything.

Mary Alice and Jasper presented Bella with her necklace a little before the ceremony was set to begin and with enough time to spare to fix her makeup after she cried in gratitude for the thoughtfulness of the gift. It was platinum, just like her engagement ring and the wedding band she hadn't seen yet, and had delicate links that must have been stronger than they looked because they held an oval cut pink sapphire surrounded by tiny pinprick diamonds that managed to look dainty despite its weight.

Jasper left the girls to it and went back to the nervous groom in what was going to be his wedding suite in a few short hours time. The guy was like a caged tiger. He'd been pacing since breakfast, which he'd thrown up before their lunch had even arrived.

Thank god he hadn't wanted a bucks turn Jasper thought, shuddering at the thought. They'd spent a very quiet night in the suite instead. They'd watched a little TV, had two beers each and Edward had smoked an entire packet of cigarettes out on the balcony and was now working his way through another by the looks of it.

Now, dressed in his suit he was pacing on the balcony again, worrying about his mother showing up and also worrying about his mother not showing up. If she did he didn't know what to say to her, if she didn't he'd be crushed.

Jasper cracked open two of the little bottles of scotch in the mini bar and insisted he stub out his smoke and go inside. He sat him down for a minute, hoping to calm him enough to stop with the pacing that was driving him nuts.

It worked, for about twenty minutes, and then Edward went back to pacing a line in front of the windows.

The only break he took from his pacing was to brush his teeth, again and again. He'd no sooner spit out the minty gel and he'd be right back outside and light another smoke while he paced, then he'd go back inside to brush his teeth again. The routine was maddening to himself so he knew he was pissing Jasper off but he couldn't help it.

Giving up trying to distract him from his nerves Jasper moved around the suite making sure that all the finer details had been covered. The champagne was in its bucket ready to receive its ice right before the newlyweds took their leave to come back to the room after dinner. The candles and the box of matches were set out and ready to go. The flowers were in their vases on the dining table and on top of the dresser in the bedroom right next to the badly wrapped gift Edward intended to give his bride later that night. Edward's chosen selection of music was ready to go on the small sound system in the living room and the condom box was in the drawer beside the bed. Everything was set.

"Right, let's get you married," Jasper told a now frantic Edward fifteen minutes later.

"You've got the ring, right?" Edward asked for the hundredth time and only relaxed once Jasper had shown him the proof of it, again for the hundredth time. "And the cars are booked to take us to the airport in the morning?" the groom asked in a voice so croaky it sounded as though he'd been drinking all day too, rather than just smoking to keep his shaking hands busy.

"Yes," Jasper told him, again. "It's all sorted, stop panicking. Alice has Bella's luggage and I'll bring it upstairs while you pose for the pictures. The tickets are right there," he pointed, again, to the packet with the travel agency logo on the front that had sat in plain sight all day. "The cars are booked for ten and I've arranged a wakeup call just in case you aren't up. It's all covered. I promise," he said, exasperated now. "Come on, let's do this before you throw a clot."

Edward allowed Jasper to manhandle him towards the door and then he balked. "What about you two, are you packed? Where's your luggage?" he asked.

"Fucking hell," Jasper cursed under his breath. "Don't worry about us for Christ's sake. Mary Alice will have packed my shit and it'll be in our suite ready to go in the morning. You don't need to be thinking about us, just calm down and think about you and Bella. We'll take care of ourselves," he assured him and pulled on his sleeve to get the guy to leave the suite so the door could be locked behind him.

The ride down in the lift was torturous. Lifts were always awkward and this one was no different. Edward tugged and pulled at his suit jacket, adjusted his cuffs twenty times in ten seconds and generally fidgeted like a guy coming down off crack.

Jasper was thankful for the addition of several other guests as the car stopped at other floors on the way down just so he'd have the backs of their heads to concentrate on so he could shake the need to strangle the groom with his own tie.

An exasperated best man had to actually go back into the lift to collect the groom after he realised he wasn't following him out into the lobby. He made it back to the car just as the doors were sliding closed. He slapped the call pad to the side and raised an eyebrow at Edward who stood stock still in the centre of the car, staring off into the abyss.

"Come on," Jasper huffed, grabbing the guy by the cuff and pulling him out before the doors closed on them again. "Get it together," he chuckled, hoping it sounded amused and not frustrated.

He frogmarched Edward into the lobby, checked his appearance over briefly to make sure he was still in good order after all his nervous tugging, and then frogmarched him towards the chapel.

Jasper spotted Esme the instant they stepped inside but Edward was close to catatonic by then and completely oblivious.

"Your mom's here," Jasper said with a nudge to Edward's side with his elbow. "I've got to go and collect the girls. You should go greet the officiant and your mother, you okay with that if I go for a few minutes?"

Staring at his mother Edward could only nod his agreement. Jasper took off back to the elevator bank and Edward just stood in the doorway staring at her. She looked older than he remembered from just a few days ago. Older but more relaxed. Happier he guessed though he didn't know for sure.

Ignoring Jasper's instructions to introduce himself to the officiant he went right to his mother, determined to find out once and for all which version of her he was going to get that day.

"Darling," she all but cried as he approached her in the pew on the grooms side of the aisle. "Congratulations and thank you so much for inviting me," she told him as she stood.

It was the use of the term 'darling' that undid him. "Oh mom," he all but sobbed as he bent at the waist and put his arms around her. "I'm so glad you're here," he told her truthfully.

She shook as she hugged him back. Relief and longing poured out of her and into him as she held her son in her arms for the first time in twenty-one years without fear. "I wouldn't be anywhere else," she told him between delicate sobs against his chest.

"It'll be okay," he found himself telling her. "We'll be okay, I promise." And suddenly he did feel okay. His nerves were gone now that he knew she was there to wish them well and in their place was an excitement that filled his every pore. He really did believe they'd be okay now, now that she was here and he believed that she truly did love him.

"I hope so," she said gratefully as he began to loosen his grip and step away. She looked up into his beautiful but glassy jade eyes and smiled softly. "You're so handsome," she told him as she pressed her hand to his shirt and wiped at her tears there. Her own eyes grew serious then. "I don't have to ask if you love her because I already know that you do. So I'll just make sure you know that this is all I ever wanted for you, Edward. For you to be a man who could be free to make his own decisions. I'm so glad you've asked me to be a part of this today."

"I do love her," Edward told her sincerely and without doubt. "And this is my choice. She's who I want, mom. And I meant what I said, I'm glad you're here today. We'll be starting in a few minutes and I don't know if we'll get much time to talk after that, but I need you to know some things in case we don't get a chance later. We're heading to Australia for our honeymoon and we'll be gone for two weeks. When we get back I'd like to see you, talk to you some more and for you to get to know my Bella. Is that okay with you?" he asked hesitantly.

Her answering smile was radiant. "Yes, yes, that's what I want. I never dreamt you'd allow me ...I never dared hope that you'd..." she whispered but couldn't go on.

Edward reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. "It was Bella, mom," he said cryptically. "Bella made me understand why you did what you did. I didn't contact you once she made me see because I didn't know how to repay you for all you sacrificed for me. I didn't know how to make right all you'd gone through for me. I didn't know how a mother could do what you did. But Bella made me see. I had to give you what you'd fought so hard for all this time. Just a part of me, mom. So I'm giving you a part of my life. My new life with my new wife," he said wistfully. "I'm still angry though. I'm still hurt that my life growing up in that house was such hell and I do still blame you for big parts of that, but I can get past it in time. I know I can," he said, his tone growing more serious with each word.

She gave him the simple answer. A soft 'thank you' and it was enough for him for now. He excused himself then, before her tears restarted and his lost his nerve and said more. Then he made his way to the front of the chapel.

He shook Richard Brands hand and thanked him for marrying them at such short notice. And then he waited. He waited the final few moments for his new life to truly begin.

Bella was nervous but Jasper held on to her firmly as he escorted her to the head of the aisle where Edward waited for her. Mary Alice had walked ahead, as was tradition, and took her posy of flowers from her before Jasper put her hand into her fiancés and stepped aside and took his rightful place beside Edward.

Edward never took his eyes off her as the officiant began the ceremony. He looked her dead in the eye as he said his vows and never wavered as she said hers. He looked down only briefly as he slid her wedding band up against the engagement ring he'd given her and then he returned his eyes to hers to make her the last promise.

For her part Bella lost all trace of her nerves the instant Edward took her hand at the altar. His quiet strength radiated from him and into her and she drew from it as she faced him to say her vows. She spoke with a steady, clear voice as she pledged herself to him forever. Her fingers shook a little as she slid the ring she'd chosen for him onto his finger, not because her nerves had returned but because she was excited to hear the officiants next words.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," he said in his throaty, Southern accent. "You may kiss your bride."

Edward didn't hesitate. The kiss was chaste but filled with emotion. He rested his forehead on hers afterwards and whispered how much he loved her. She echoed his words, kissed him quickly once more and then turned to accept the congratulations of the officiant and then her sister. Jasper shook Edward's hand firmly and then reached by him to kiss Bella on her cheek and wish her all happiness too.

There was no awkward moment when Edward took his bride to where his mother sat in the front pew and he watched on happily as she folded Bella into her arms and whispered her congratulations into her ear. He was next. Esme clutched him tightly, kissed him firmly on his cheek, squeezed his hand and wished him a long and happy marriage.

Introductions with Alice and Jasper weren't necessary, they'd met Esme a few days before when she'd gone to their house hoping to speak with Edward, so the five of them simply said another thank you to Richard and then went out into the hotel lobby to make their way to their private dining room.

Esme, at Bella's side, seemed to stumble as they came in line with the reception desk. She reached down beside her and tugged on Bella's hand. Mid-sentence Bella balked and turned to face her new mother in law.

"Bella, dear," Esme whispered and then tossed her head towards the iconic navy blue staircase that led to the upper floor dining rooms.

The other three in the party gasped at the sight of Renee Swan standing just to the side of the staircase. She was dressed in a demure –for her – black dress with her hair swept up.

"What is she doing here?" Edward hissed at nobody in particular.

"Esme?" Bella asked softly, hoping this wasn't her doing.

"I don't know, I didn't tell her, I promise you both that I didn't," she whispered, her eyes pleading with both Edward and Bella to believe her. She threw Renee another glance and then turned back to the bride and groom. "But, she is your mother, dear. No mother should miss out on seeing her daughter marry. I know there are some problems between you and your parents," she said sadly to Bella, "But perhaps you should spare a moment to talk to her? Just a moment? Perhaps she'll surprise you and you'll be able to mend your relationship a little," she whispered.

Edward ignored his mother and drew Bella away instantly. He walked with her just a few feet away and turned his back to the group. "I'm so sorry," he began quietly. "I had no idea she'd be here. I swear to you I had no idea that she'd show up. I asked you the other day if you wanted to invite her and you said no, so I swear to you I didn't go against that decision."

"I believe you," Bella whispered, her eyes on the carpet at her feet. "I don't know about this, Edward. Your mom knows her well so maybe..." she trailed off, unsure what to say after having been put on the spot so suddenly.

Edward motioned for Alice to join them and when she had he whispered to her. "What do you think? Is your mother redeemable?" he asked simply.

"Maybe," Alice shrugged. "But I doubt it."

Bella took a second to look over her mother by the stairs. She looked uncomfortable despite the lavish surroundings. If there was any hope at all of having any kind of relationship with either of her parents this meeting would decide. Bella didn't really hold any of that hope in her heart but she did want the chance to settle things once and for all. She squared her shoulders and then reached for her sisters hand. "Will you come with me?" Bella asked, the decision made.

"Of course I will, I wouldn't have it any other way," Alice replied knowing full well that whatever it was Esme saw in Renee during their years of friendship it was a lie and carefully staged to protect Renee's image. Renee Swan had no redeemable features that she knew of but she'd stand beside her sister all the same if this was what she wanted to do. Her sisters hand was still clasped in hers and after a second to evaluate Mary Alice saw what the course of action should be. "Why don't you show your guests into the dining room and we'll be along in a minute," she said to Edward.

"I love you Mrs Cullen," Edward whispered into Bella's ear before he kissed her gently on her cheek and moved away to collect his guests.

"What's the plan?" Alice asked, turning so she could look into her sisters eyes. She was too calm. Usually Bella would be trembling and biting at her bottom lip with their mother around. She wasn't and Alice knew right away something wasn't right in Dodge.

Bella waited until the others had disappeared from her line of sight and then she smiled at her sister widely. "Did you get to tell her to fuck off?" she asked with as straight a face as she could muster.

Mary Alice gasped a little but recovered quickly, "Such language from a bride," she chuckled then she smiled too. "I didn't actually. Jasper told her our family was kaput but I didn't get to say it myself. Did you?"

"No," Bella sighed. "She slapped me then Edward took over. I never got to say it, Ally. I never got to tell her I didn't want anything to do with her. Is it wrong that I need to say it?"

"God," Alice huffed, "I thought it was just me! It all feels like it's unfinished, you know?" she said quickly, knowing they were losing their window of opportunity.

"I know exactly," Bella agreed. "Like we used to?" she asked her sister cryptically. When Alice nodded she grinned at her sister and squeezed her hand. "Right then, let's do this."

When Mary Alice was seventeen and Isabella was seven the two girls had a rare opportunity to spend some quality time together. Mary Alice was enjoying her last summer before she'd be presented to society and Isabella was home from boarding school, allowed home for the holidays for good behaviour.

Their mother was occupied planning their fathers celebration dinner and ball after his recent appointment to the bench and so the two girls were left to their own devices in the house. Under strict instructions to behave, out of sight of course.

For three weeks the girls laughed and played together. It was a wonderful time for them both. Free of supervision to just be together. Mary Alice adored her sister and in return Isabella worshipped her much older, much wiser sibling.

By the time school was set to resume they'd devised a game that was both a secret between them and also something that they'd pinkie promised one another they'd only do with each other. They'd never broken that promise.

It was a simple concept. Mary Alice would start the game by saying a single word and Bella would say the next. Sentences and sometimes whole stories would be told this way, each girl taking turns to fill in alternate words.

They were so in tune by the end of the holidays that the game turned into a secret way to tell one another how they felt without the threat of making it obvious that they were doing so should someone on either end of their frequent telephone conversations be listening in.

To anyone else it would sound odd rather than illicit, and that was the point.

With hands clasped tightly in each other's the two now grown women strode towards their mother in the foyer of the most expensive hotel in the city and each of them was positively shivering with anticipation.

Both girls greeted Renee warmly in turn and then Mary Alice asked her what she was doing there.

When the usual sneer appeared on Renee's face Mary Alice squeezed Bella's hand hard. Neither of the girls had believed that Renee was like Esme, they'd both known instinctually that Renee wouldn't have a change of heart and even bother to pretend to be happy about her daughter's wedding.

"You naive idiot," Renee hissed. "You applied for a marriage licence and your father is a judge, did you think you could hide this from me?" she seethed.

"I'm not hiding anything," Bella hissed right back.

Seeing she'd get no joy from that line Renee stepped forward a little and sneered. "I couldn't, in all honesty, believe without seeing it with my own eyes, that you'd be this stupid, Isabella," she hissed, leaning in to where the girls stood so she wouldn't be overheard. "The damage you've done to this family already is one thing, but this," she huffed, waving her hand up and down in front of Bella's wedding gown, "this is a step too far."

"Hmm," Bella hummed, tapping her bottom lip with her finger. "I'm trying to think of something to say to that but it's not coming to me. You wanna help Ally?" she giggled and squeezed her sisters hand again.

Their mother winced at the terrible grammar and at the childish pose her youngest daughter had struck to deliver it.

"Hmmm," Alice hummed just as Bella had. "I think I can help actually. What are sisters for, anyhow?" she giggled.

And then the two girls – both dressed in evening gowns and in the lobby of the most prestigious hotel in the city – began behaving like children.

It all flowed from their mouths as though they'd practised it a million times. They didn't pause or break, they simply let it tumble from their lips. As was tradition Mary Alice began.

"We"

"Don't"

"Ever"

"Want"

"To"

"See"

"You"

"Ever"

"Again"

"You"

"Horrible"

"Bitch"

"So"

"Just"

"Fuck"

"Off"

"And"

"Leave"

"Us"

"Alone."

Each word was said with a smile, turn about by each sister, one after the other. Their performance was as flawless as it had been when they'd first perfected the routine more than a decade ago.

Renee stood, mouth agape, totally at a loss for words.

That suited the girls perfectly. They both shrugged innocently, let go of their clasped hands long enough to deliver a perfect high five between them, turned on their lovely silver wedge heeled sandals, reclasped hands and swung those hands between them as they skipped – yes, skipped like two five year olds – through the lobby and beyond into the private dining room.

"Good job, loved the inflection and your diction is much improved," Mary Alice whispered to her sister as they slowed to a proper, more elegant walk as they hit the carpeting that denoted the dining area.

"Nicely done," Bella whispered back. "Wish I'd gotten to say fuck though," she giggled.

"You got to say bitch," Mary Alice countered innocently. "And I'm older anyway," she giggled back as they came to the lovely white linen covered table that held their family. "Love you," she whispered as they split apart.

"Love you," Bella whispered as she took the seat her new husband offered her at his side. "Sorry that took so long," she told the table as she sat. "Just a loose end that needed tying up."

"Are you alright, love?" Edward asked, his brows creased with worry.

A dazzling smile and a hand cupped to his cheek later and Edward was reassured before Bella spoke. "Perfectly fine my darling. I'll tell you all about it later."

A similar conversation was being had directly opposite the bride and groom and once both men were sure their wives had come away from the meeting unscathed they relaxed. Esme did not.

"Should I apologise, dear?" Esme asked very quietly from her seat beside her son.

"No," Bella answered truthfully because she really did feel better now that she'd had her say. Closure was a good thing she thought as she stared into the concerned eyes of her mother in law. "It was exactly what we needed, Esme. So thank you for suggesting we speak to her."

"Then I'm glad," Esme said with a gentle smile.

Bella felt bad for inferring that things might be fixable with her mother to Esme, but there would be time enough to set that straight at some point.

"I think it's time we made a toast or two," Jasper announced, much to everyone's relief.

After the first toast to the new mister and missus Cullen was made the mood in the tiny dining room lifted and lifted. Several more toasts were made, in quick succession and in the proper order they'd usually take place at bigger weddings. The best man toasted the matron of honour, the groom toasted his bride and Esme made a modified toast on behalf of the parents of the happy couple.

The champagne flowed throughout their meal as the five of them celebrated the lovely ceremony. Between the main course and dessert the photographer arrived and various group shots were taken. Smiles were the order of the day in every one of them.

Jasper excused himself to see to Bella's luggage when the photographer announced he needed to change the memory card in his camera before the next lot of shots could be taken. Edward took the chance to speak privately with his new brother in law and asked him for a favour.

"Will you check what arrangements my mother's made please?" he asked hopefully. When Jasper just cocked his head to the side he continued. "She told me dad blew through her money years ago so I don't know how she's paying for her hotel or anything. We're all leaving in the morning and I just wanted to know that she's going to be okay until we get back."

The guy was a seriously good guy Jasper thought as he promised to grant the favour as soon as he got back to the table.

Edward took his bride into the adjoining private lounge where they had more intimate pictures taken, just the two of them, and then they rejoined their family to cut the cake.

The photographer snapped away as they slid the knife into the single tiered snowy white concoction and took several shots of them linking arms and tasting the first slices. He stood off to the side slightly as Edward's chosen musical piece was played and the happy couple took to the floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

He took hundreds of shots as the couples mixed and matched as the music continued and then left them with the promise to have proofs for their inspection by the time they returned from their honeymoon.

The tossing of the bouquet and the throwing of the garter traditions were ignored so the happy group simply sat in the dining room and sipped the wonderful champagne and talked over a light supper.

At a reasonable hour Jasper cleared his throat and announced that if both couples were going to be suitably 'rested' – said with a wiggle of his eyebrows – for their flights in the morning they should take their leave and head to their suites.

Bella blushed at the innuendo but couldn't deny that she was ready to go to the suite.

Mary Alice moved towards Edward, leaving Jasper to say goodnight to Bella.

"You are a beautiful bride," he whispered in her ear after kissing her cheek. "I'm so happy for you Izz-a-bee. He's a great guy and I'm glad you both let me unravel the mess I helped create."

"Jazz," Bella sighed as she cupped his cheek. "If he feels for me only half of what you feel for my sister I'm still a lucky girl," she whispered. "But I don't want to ever talk about what you think you did ever again," she squinted at him adorably, the admonishment clear. "You helped give us the future we've got now and I'll always be grateful for that. And thank you for a lovely wedding."

Their embrace ended with a hug and soft declarations of familial love for one another and then he stepped away as Bella was swept up in her sisters arms.

"Thank you so much, for everything," Bella whispered to her sister. They were both fighting back tears by this point, caught up in the emotion of the day.

"I'm so, so happy for you Izzy," Mary Alice whispered back, stroking the soft waves of her sisters hair. "And you're welcome. It was a lovely wedding."

"It was," Bella agreed. "And that's all down to you."

"No," Mary Alice argued, "it's down to you and your wonderful groom," she grinned. "Go say goodnight to your mother in law before Edward throws you over his shoulder and runs off with you."

"Thanks again Ally," Bella told her sister sincerely with a squeeze of their clasped hands. "If you don't hear from me by eight come get me or we'll miss the flights," she added over her shoulder as she moved towards where Esme stood by their abandoned table.

With Alice' 'will do' ringing in her ears Bella took a quick look at her husband and brother in law deep in conversation a little ways away from the table and tried to shake off the feeling that something was wrong. They just looked so serious she thought as she approached Esme.

"Thank you so much for sharing today with us," she told the older woman sincerely. Bella knew how much it meant to Edward that Esme was there for the right reasons.

"Thank you for inviting me, dear," Esme said just as sincerely. "You make a lovely bride and the ceremony was just perfect."

"My sister is the brains behind the organising," Bella giggled softly, still keeping one eye on the very serious looking conversation going on over Esme's shoulder that now included her furiously whispering sister too.

"Are you looking forward to going back to Australia?" Esme asked kindly, aware that she wasn't holding her daughter in laws full attention.

"Oh yes," Bella said impatiently when the other three split apart and her sister and Jasper made their exit without looking back. "I'm looking forward to seeing Rose, she's the camps owner, and I hope we can catch up with the guy who was Edward's roommate there too."

Edward made it to her side as she was finishing her answer, so he chimed in too. "I have Emmett's cell number, he was my roommate mom, so we'll call him as soon as we land," he told Bella.

"I'm so glad you both made some friends there," Esme beamed. "Well, I know you have an early flight in the morning so I'll be heading off myself. Thank you, again, for inviting me today. I'll look forward to seeing the photos and hearing about your trip when you return," she told them both as she gathered her purse.

"I'll walk you out and organise a cab, mom," Edward told her. He turned to Bella, "Alice said to go to her suite while you wait for me. She said she needs you to show her what you want taken back to her place while we're away. She's arranged for someone to pick it all up in the morning I think," he told her as the trio began to move out of the little dining room and back into the lobby. At the spot where Bella needed to break away to head towards the elevator bay Edward kissed her softly on her cheek and then whispered into her ear, "Wait for me in your sisters suite, I want to carry my bride over the threshold. And please don't change. Don't give your dress to her to send to her house, I want to be the one to take you out of it tonight."

Bella's eyes were wide as he stepped away and a hot blush rose up high on her cheeks at his words. "Alright," she managed to mumble. "Bye Esme," she croaked as she pressed the call button for the lift.

Edward, almost desperate to get upstairs and claim his wife, tried to get his brain to focus on what his mother needed instead of what his body needed. He visibly shook his head to clear his salacious thoughts and then asked the concierge to call for a taxi for his mothers trip back to her hotel.

With Esme's hand in the crook of his elbow he guided her to the plush armchairs by the front doors of the hotel. When they were seated he leaned forward and took his mothers hands into his. "I know you turned down Jasper's offer mom, so I'm offering it to you again," Edward said firmly.

"I don't want to burden..." Esme began but was interrupted by a stern Edward.

"I don't ever want to hear that word from you," Edward said crossly. "Let me put the offer to you in another way," he chuckled, all animosity at his mother's choice of words gone as he thought wistfully back to his conversation with Bella on the flight home from camp. "If our roles were reversed and I came to you and said I was broke and had nowhere to go would you insist I accept your help or would you send me off with a bug in my ear?" he asked with a grin.

"But that's different," Esme began, only to be cut off by her son once more.

"Bullshit," he laughed, his green eyes sparkling.

"It's not," Esme argued. "I'm your mother and even though I couldn't have helped you a few days ago I still would have wanted to if you'd come to me to ask for my help. I'd still have tried to do all I could to help you. But I'm not your responsibility."

"I call bullshit again. You're my mother and it is my responsibility to help you," Edward replied, trying hard not to crow because he knew she didn't have a leg to stand on with this issue. He'd learned that valuable lesson from his wife; if things were turned around anyone would do what they could to help someone they loved. "My new family," he said proudly at the mention of Alice and Jasper and their very generous natures, "are your family now too and they've offered you their home while they're away on this trip. It's not charity and it's not pity so don't bother going that route with me, or with them. It's simply family helping family. They've taught me it's what real families do and if you want to be a part of a real family again you're going to have to learn to let them help you too. Because I had to learn it recently and it was the best thing that ever happened to me, mom. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this."

Esme's eyes filled with tears as she listened. She'd missed out on so much and was desperate to feel again what he was describing. She'd felt it once, when he was a tiny boy and she wanted it back. "I don't want to miss out on it," she admitted softly.

"I don't want to bully you, mom," Edward whispered, worried that her tears were because he was making decisions for her when she'd only just gotten away from his father who'd been doing that for decades. "The decision is yours, totally yours. So if you don't want to take them up on their offer just say so, but don't say no out of pride. The house will sit empty for the two week's we're all away and you need somewhere to stay. Look at it as you doing them a favour by house-sitting if you want," he chuckled.

"I can't afford the hotel I'm staying in," Esme admitted sadly.

"I know. That's why the house has been offered to you. I'm happy to pay for you to stay at the hotel but if you'd like to stay in a real home then the offer is there. When we get back we'll talk about what to do about our living arrangements. Bella and I will be staying there for a little while until we decide where we're going to live anyway and there's plenty of room. The Whitlock's wouldn't have offered if they didn't want to."

"Thank you. I'd like to stay at their home," was all Esme could say. She'd only taken the weeks housekeeping money with her when she left her marital home because that was all the money she had access to and it was almost already gone. Knowing she had somewhere to stay for at least another two weeks was a relief, no matter how it came about so she simply told her son thank you.

"You're welcome. Jasper's going to have the keys and the alarm code to the house sent over to your hotel in the morning. His car is here and we were going to call a service to take it back to the house for us but he'll have it delivered to your hotel in the morning and the concierge there will have the keys so when you're ready to check out just drive that back to the house and you'll be good to go," he told her as her cab drew up to the curb outside. "We didn't leave too much in the way of food or anything behind because we figured it would just go bad while we were away, but," he trailed off as he stood to dig around in the breast pocket of his suit jacket for his wallet. He took out his ATM card and then pressed it firmly into his mother's hand before she could decline. "I have to take my credit card with me but I won't need this. The access number is the month followed by the day that I went to Crossroads," he chuckled, knowing his mother would know that date pretty well. "Use what you need, please."

Esme was a little in shock. She was also pathetically grateful. Her son was so confident, so in control she thought as she stood and stared up at him. "I don't want to take this but I have no choice," she said honestly. She had nothing. No money of her own and no way to make any.

"Everyone has choices," Edward told her pointedly as he held his hand out for hers. He pulled it back into the crook of his elbow as they made their way through the lobby. "I've offered you something you need and you've chosen to accept it. Everyone has choices," he whispered as they came to the front doors of the hotel. "Now, your cabs here and I have to carry my bride over the threshold," he chuckled.

"It really was a lovely wedding," Esme told him as he walked her to the curb. He held the door open for her and after she'd slid into the backseat she patted his hand where it laid on the open windowsill of the door. "If you want to will you call me and let me know you both arrived safely?" she asked timidly as though she were frightened to hear his answer.

"The second we hit Aussie soil I will, mom," Edward promised.

"I love you, Edward," Esme told him through her tears of joy.

"I love you too, mom. We'll talk while I'm away but I'll see you when we get back."

Esme nodded and Edward tapped the top of the cab to let the driver know he was good to go. He stood on the curb and watched his mothers tearful waving as the car drew away.

"Was everything to your liking?" the liveried concierge asked from behind his mahogany reception desk as Edward passed by on his way to the elevators.

"It was perfect. Thank you so much," Edward said graciously, trying to be polite but really, really needing to go upstairs now.

"I won't keep you," the concierge grinned and waved in the direction of the lift bank.

"Nothing will keep me from her," Edward whistled to himself as he stepped into the lift.

An older woman, off to the side of the car, grinned up at him as he made his way to the other side. "Groom?" she asked, amused.

"Yeah," Edward chuckled. "My bride awaits," he told her with a wave upwards towards the roof of the car to signal that she was already upstairs.

"Congratulations," the woman said kindly as she exited the next time the car stopped.

Edward gave her his thanks for her good wishes and then closed his eyes and let out a long, steadying breath. The next stop the car made would be on Jasper and Alice' floor and Bella would be waiting for him. His wife. His life.

"I did it," he said triumphantly as the doors opened.

Bella was humming with anticipation by the time he arrived. She'd been relieved to be told by Jasper that the serious conversations held between the two men that night were about Esme's predicament and nothing bad. She'd thanked her sister and her brother in law profusely for their generosity in offering their home to her new mother in law and then set about pacing, just as Edward had done before the ceremony.

He was taking too long!

It had been fifteen minutes since she'd left him in the lobby and she wanted him back. Now.

She'd waited her whole life for this moment. When she'd be taken to bed by her husband and even though she'd broken a cardinal rule – that stupid one about waiting for sex until marriage – she felt as nervous and as excited now as she had the first time they'd made love.

"Has it only been a few days?" she whispered to herself as she paced a short line by the door of her sisters suite.

"What's that?" Alice asked as she flitted by with yet another pieces of luggage that needed to be set down in one of the two designated piles marked 'home' and 'honeymoon'. And yes, they were marked. Two sheets of hotel stationery had exactly that written on each of them and they were sitting on top of the tallest piece of luggage in each pile.

"Nothing," Bella huffed impatiently.

Alice giggled as her sister paced. It was pretty adorable.

When the knock at the door came Alice all but crash tackled Bella to get to the door first. "Alright, alright, we all know you're eager," Alice huffed at her sister as she put one hand on the handle of the door and the other on Bella's shoulder. "Just calm down there missy."

Edward barely noticed Mary Alice as she opened the door to him and then stepped aside to let him into the suite. His eyes were only for his bride. Still in her wedding gown, thank god he thought as he looked her over.

"Are you ready?" he managed to ask, his voice and body tense with the same anticipation that Bella was humming with.

"Hi Alice. Yes it was a lovely day. No need to keep thanking me for anything, you're family now. Oh, good to know your mom is going to stay at our place. No, no. Everything's packed and organised so you two go right on upstairs," Alice giggled sarcastically when neither one of the couple looked like addressing her.

"What?" Edward asked, confused.

"Nothing. Go on," Alice laughed.

"See you in the morning," Bella mumbled as she took Edward's hand by the door, oblivious to anyone but her husband.

Edward said nothing at all as he pulled her out of the suite and down the hall, back towards the elevator bank that would take them to the top floor of the hotel. Neither of them heard Alice' giggled good wishes as they went.

That ride in the lift was as tense as their first and as silent too. But not through nerves this time. This time it was a necessary silence lest their lust for one another bubble up and boil over in what was essentially still a public part of the hotel.

The ride was quick; just three floors separated the two couples, and on the rush to the door of the Bridal Suite Bella gave her sister one last fleeting thought for the night. She silently thanked Alice for putting her in wedge heels as she ran along beside her husband.

With the door open Edward stooped to collect his bride in his arms. The long waves of her hair fell over his arm and he stared down into her warm chocolate eyes in awe of her. "You're so beautiful, Mrs Cullen," he said proudly at the use of her new name. "I love you," he told her as he took the first step towards their forever.

"I love you too, Mr Cullen," Bella whispered into his ear as she clung to him.

A/N: Thank you for reading.

Please review.