Hello, friends! I hope you're doing well! Here's another chapter. Enjoy your stay! :)

"Bree! Oh, I'm so glad I found you." Alice sounds relieved, but wastes no time, speaking quickly and precisely. "I have to go take care of a situation with the bridal bouquet. Will you take care of Bella for me? I was just finishing up doing her hair... But I'll be back soon. Just keep her company and make sure she doesn't do anything. Do you accept this mission?"

Alice is all business today. As if I could decline! I snap to attention and give her a salute that probably looks ridiculous, given the fancy dress I'm wearing. But hey, anything to ease her wedding-day nerves! "Aye, cap'n," I promise. "You can count on me!"

Alice gives only the briefest of smiles before flitting off to handle whatever problem has arisen for her to deal with. I head towards the makeshift bridal chamber and knock lightly on the door. "Bella?" I call.

The gorgeously tempting scent of her blood assaults me the second I open the door, but I bury any desire for its taste deep beneath my desire to see her walk down the aisle and have the wedding she deserves, the one we've all been working so hard on. There is no way I will let myself ruin this wedding!

But... what do I do about a crying bride?

Bella is wiping her eyes and sniffling, turning her face away from mine so that I won't see. "Bree," she says, and her voice sounds flat. "Hey. I'm sorry; I thought I had a little more time until Alice got back..."

"What's wrong?" It seems like the right thing to say, but it only seems to make things worse. Bella's lip quivers and a soft whimper escapes from inside her chest. I see fresh tears welling up, threatening to spill on her perfectly made-up face. Oh no, I think. Alice will kill me.

"Here," I procure some tissue and hand it to her. She dabs at her eyes and nose, careful not to leave streaks on her face. I'm not sure how to help her; I haven't cried in so long that I've forgotten what it feels like.

"What do you need?" I ask, wanting to hug her or even just pat her arm - but I'm not sure I could stand being that close to her. I wring my hands and stand at an awkward distance.

Bella shakes her head and takes a deep, steadying breath. "I'm fine, really," she says, but her shaky voice tells a different story. "It's just-" she sighs a shuddering sigh. "I don't know what I did to deserve all of this." She shakes her head and lets out a short, bitter laugh. "I don't deserve friends like you. Any of you. And I certainly don't deserve Edward. What am I doing here?" Her eyes plead with Bree, begging her for the answer.

And I wish I could give her one. I have to give her one, I realize. There's no telling when Alice or Esme or Renee (who I met just recently) will be back; I'm all she's got right now. But I'm basically an acquaintance to Bella; how can I possibly comfort her, today of all days? I take a metaphorical deep breath and collect my thoughts. "Bella," I begin, "I haven't known you very long, but I can tell you this: the Cullens absolutely love you. I mean, like, a lot. I don't mean to make you feel self-conscious or anything, but you smell unfathomably appetizing. And yet, they still keep you around, allow you in their house, despite the discomfort. Sure, they're all old, and they've got impeccable self-control, but I know they still feel the instinct. Obviously, it's the worst for me, and yet here I am, talking to you! And it's not only for Edward's sake, or Alice's sake, or even my own sake; it's for yours. Because you are worth it. You may not think you deserve us, and you're right." I offer a small smile. "You deserve better."

I hope it was the right thing to say. But I quickly realize that maybe it wasn't; Bella's tears are coming faster now than ever, and she's not bothering to wipe them away anymore. "I'm sorry-" I begin, but I am cut off as she rises and reaches for an embrace. I instinctively back myself into a corner and struggle for control of my impulses. No, no, no, I scold myself.

"Oh, no," Bella says, voice still shaky from crying. "I'm so sorry - I should have thought - of course you're uncomfortable; I'm so, so sorry..."

I laugh softly in spite of myself. "Uncomfortable..." I shake my head. "See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. In the moments when you're in the most danger, you worry only about me. Never a thought to yourself, to your own safety. Not to mention that, in your moment of need, I can't even comfort you properly." I let an unused exhale escape my dormant lungs.

"It's okay! I understand," Bella immediately begins to reassure me, as if I am the one who has been upset. "You don't have to be in here; you can go. Gosh, Bree, I'm so sorry-"

"No," I insist. I square my shoulders and approach her at a very human speed, arms outstretched. I can do this; I can do this for her, if nothing else. I try to smile at her, but it may have been a grimace; I am unsure. "Come here."

Cautiously, watching me to make sure I don't change my mind, Bella closes the distance and wraps her arms around me. The scent is overpowering, scintillating. I hear the constant thrum of her heart, so close to my own dead one. I can see the blood rushing through the fine veins beneath her fair skin, singing to me. Don't think about it, I command myself. I clench my jaw and return the hug with as little awkwardness as I can manage.

"Thank you," she whispers. "Thank you for saying all those kind things. I'm so lucky to have a sister like you."

Sisters? Is that what we are - or rather, what we will be later today? It seems so, so strange to be part of something like this: a family. Even as a human, I know I hardly had this kind of a connection with anyone. Now I have seven - eight - close relatives, bound together by something stronger than blood (actually, a lack thereof, I note ironically).

I delicately extricate myself from Bella's impressively fragile arms and sigh inwardly with relief. I didn't kill her. She didn't die. She's going to get married!

And she looks like a mess.

"All right, let's fix you up," I say, sitting her back down.

Bella chances a look in the mirror, grimaces, and groans. "Alice is going to kill me for ruining all her hard work."

"Not on my watch," I proclaim, grabbing a washcloth and tenderly rubbing away any trace of the ruined mascara. I begin reapplying the layers of cosmetics, mirroring the ones Alice had used earlier; I'd gotten a good enough look at Bella's face before the teary fiasco to be able to replicate the process. I work quickly, knowing that Alice promised to be back soon.

"Viola!" I announce. "Good as new! Well, it doesn't quite have the Alice touch, but it'll pass inspection, I'm sure. So long as she doesn't look too closely..."

"It's perfect," Bella assures me. "Thanks again."

I nod. "No problem." But it is becoming a problem. The longer I stand this close to Bella, the harder it is to keep my hunting instincts at bay. I try to exude subliminal messages in Alice's direction, wherever she is. Come quickly, I plead. I glance longingly at the door.

"You can go," Bella offers. "I don't need a babysitter, and you don't need temptation."

"I can't," I moan, backing away from Bella. I press my palms together with excessive force, giving myself something to focus on. "I promised Alice I wouldn't let you do anything..."

Just then, my salvation arrives in a frazzled daze. Speak of the devil, I think. At first I am too relieved to notice that there is anything wrong with her, until Bella stands up. "Alice! What's the matter? Did you see something?"

Alice snaps out of her daze long enough to issue commands: "Bella, sit back down! You didn't do anything, did you? Good," she says distractedly. "Bree, can I talk to you for a minute?" Hesitantly I follow Alice out of the room, looking back at Bella for some indication as to what might be wrong with her. Bella shrugs and gives me a small smile and parting wave.

Alice leads me through the house. We pass Renee on the way; she must be the next person in line for the Bella shift. I vaguely wonder why the mother of the bride hasn't been in there the whole time. Something must have come up.

I can hear the dull roar of guests gathering downstairs. I get nervous just thinking about entering that room. Will I be able to control myself? We have been gradually increasing my exposure to humans these last couple weeks so that I can be more prepared for the scents and sounds of an entire room full of them. But I've never been in a crowd quite that large, or quite that closed-in. It makes me feel sick with anxiety.

But we don't head down the stairs. Alice leads me into her bedroom, where we find Jasper, looking troubled. "What's the matter?" I ask. They share a look. "What's wrong?" I insist.

"Bree, Alice has seen something we don't quite understand," Jasper begins to explain. "We hope that you can help us."

Me? I wonder. What can I know about that these old, seasoned vampires do not? For a moment, I expect them to answer my thoughts as Edward would have. Then I remember, and ask, "Well, what is it?"

Alice bites her lip. "It's Fred. He's coming here. Today."

Whaaaaaat? Dun dun dun! What did I tell you? He's coming back, finally! ;) Stay tuned for more!