A/N: Didjoo see my pretty banner? I loves it. Thanks to everyone who offered to help. ShadyPhee sent me a finished piece in like five seconds. I was in awe. How do you people make such pretty things so quickly?!

The Sunday after Independence Day, the party finally rested. Though Edward had spent the majority of the time in the wagon, he still found himself worn and in need of their days of rest. It was irritating how the lethargy persisted. He was used to bouncing back from illness swiftly, but this one was proving difficult to shake. He had returned to some of his duties - checking over the wagons, helping load up camp in the morning. He'd also been returned to his own camp for the most part, though Esme still called him over to sup with them. Laurent and Victor snickered at him, but it was well worth the better company.

Today, though, everyone had a little freetime, and Edward used his to slip into the shelter of the woods. It was a short walk to the river, and since he guessed some of the others might be making their way to the shore, Edward kept going until he found a bank that was more private. He scrambled over a small rock embankment to find the secluded spot and for a time relaxed on the ground. In no hurry, he removed his boots and socks. He rolled up his pant legs and sat with his feet in the water.

It was a hot day and his secluded nook wasn't so well sheltered from the sun. Edward grimaced. As disgruntled as he was at the idea he could be affected by something as constant as the sun, he was also not so full of pride that he wouldn't take precautions. In any event, it had been a long while since he had wiped the dirt and sweat from his body.

Edward stripped off his shirt and waded a ways into the water. They had to cross this river, the Sweetwater River, and he had to disagree with the name. This river was anything but sweet. The water rushed and churned not so very far from where Edward stood in a calm spot. He knew James had sent Laurent scouting for a place to cross, but he couldn't help his worry. He couldn't help that his mind automatically played horrific visions of Bella slipping beneath the surface.

As though to soothe his worry, a soft, sweet sound reached Edward's ears. Singing. Hearing it, he thought back to his youth when his mother would sing as she cooked and put him to sleep at night. He walked back to the shore and climbed the rock embankment, resting on his belly so he could peer over the top.

He'd hoped and suspected the sweet voice was Bella, but he hadn't honestly expected to be rewarded. As he watched, she set the water kegs she carried on the ground and sat to unlace her boots.

Though he knew the right thing to do was look away, or at the very least, alert her to his presence, Edward found himself frozen. There was a burning in his gut he would have called hunger had it not also infused his chest with warmth. It was a great comfort and yet…

He longed. He longed so much, it threatened to choke his breath and steal his ability to even think about anything except how much he wanted. Damn Carlisle anyway for planting that seed in his head. New beginnings. As though he could hope to be enough for any woman, let alone the dark haired beauty in front of him.

When she began to remove her underskirt to wade into the river, Edward got his senses about him. He backed down the embankment and sat on a rock with his head in his hands.

He had been a foolish young man once who had believed in bright futures because he willed it so. The death of his parents should have dissuaded him of his naivitiy, but it took an innocent young woman's life to get him to realize he had no control over his life. His intentions had always been good. Maggie had suffered for his arrogance. He would not find out too late the fallacy of his plans, not if it meant playing with Bella's safety and happiness. He didn't trust himself with something so precious; why should her father?

Edward was wrested from his reverie by a scream and a splash. He stood and looked out toward the water in time to see Bella sweep by. She screamed again, her arms flailing as she scrambled for purchase on the rocks.

"No. Not her." Edward was off like a shot, running down the shore. "Not. Her. Bella!" He yelled her name as he dove into the river after her. The current hit him with the strength and violence of a buffalo stampede. He was sucked into the rapids and beneath the water. He was disoriented. There was no up or down, only forward, onward.

He breached the surface for only a second, but it was enough for him to find his strength. He heard Bella scream his name and swam in the direction of her voice. He coughed and choked as he fought to stay above the waterline. He moved toward the sound of her voice, unable to see for a second that may as well have been hours.

Bella had caught herself against a thick, upended tree in the middle of the river. Edward had to throw himself forward to catch the end of the furthest branch.

"Lord have mercy. Edward!" Bella called.

He held one hand out, trying to get a better grip but needing to stop her forward motion. "Stay there." He sputtered as water assailed him. He pulled himself toward her. The bark was slippery. It crumbled beneath his fingers and he slipped again.

"Edward." Bella lunged toward him, and then they were both in the water again.

"Bella." He caught her around the waist before she could be swept away again. With his other hand, he grabbed at a branch. He had a grip on it, but it wouldn't last. "Hang on to me. Do not let go, Bella. Do you hear? Try to stay above the water. Kick hard. Don't let go."

He felt her arm wind around him before his grip slipped. Not her. Not her. Not her. Though he felt her near, felt her kicking and clawing at the water just as he was, it was as though he were fighting some unknown force. It had taken Maggie while he stood by, bewildered and disbelieving as to what was happening right in front of him. Not this time. Not her. Not Bella.

With a suddenness that startled him, there was solid ground beneath his feet. He pressed forward, and got his arms more firmly around her as they stumbled up onto the dry shore again. He stumbled, and they both fell, her small body pinned beneath him. She grunted, and he rolled onto his side, panting and shaking. His breath left him when he saw Bella's eyes were closed. He caught her face between his hands and gave her a shake. "Bella? Bella, please."

Her eyes fluttered open, and she sucked in a deep breath as though she had just remembered her lungs needed the air. He clutched her to his bare chest, rocking them both back and forth as his fingers tangled in her hair. "Oh, thank God. Thank God, thank God."

"Edward?" Her fingers were on his face, stroking his too-long hair out of his eyes.

He pulled back, checking her over frantically. His head was assailing him with horrifying images and visceral memories he didn't want. He remembered the dead weight of Maggie in his arms. He remembered calling her name over and over, shaking her limp form as she lay lifeless on the beach. It wasn't the same. It wasn't the same at all. Bella blinked up at him, alive but confused, yet he couldn't shake his anxiety. He sat straight, pulling her up with him. Her hands fell to his shoulders. "Are you all right?" he demanded, still checking her over. Her dress was torn. It fell down to her shoulders, and there were angry scratches against her pale skin. "Are you hurt? Talk to me. Talk to me, please, Bella."

"Edward. Hush." Her hand was soft and warm against his too-cold cheek. "I'm fine. I'm just fine."

As those words sunk in, a relief so profound settled into the marrow of his bones. He pulled her tighter to him and kissed her. It was a fervent kiss, one that broke with a gasp because his heart was still pounding too fast and his lungs were still starved for breath. His body still thought the water had them both and was trying to drag them under. He pulled back. Her breath was hot on his face as she panted, and he couldn't help but kiss her again. She clung to him, her arms around his neck, and kissed him back.

"You're all right?" he asked, but he didn't give her time to answer before he kissed her again. "Are you?"

"Yes. I promise." Again they kissed. "Are you?"

Before he could think about it, the wild energy that had shot through him when he first saw Bella in the water drained from his body. He fell backward onto his elbows, dizzy and exhausted.

Bella was over him in a heartbeat. "Edward?"

"I'm fine." His words were slurred, and his eyelids were heavy.

"Are you hot?" Her hands felt like heaven on his face. It took him a moment to realize she was checking him to be sure he was not having another heat stroke. "Edward? I have to get Carlisle."

She moved to get up, but he caught her around the wrist. "Don't leave." He swallowed hard. "I'm fine. I promise I'm fine. I'm just tired." His eyelids threatened to close. "Very tired."

He tugged her wrist, needing her back in his arms. "Please stay. Stay for just a minute. I just need to rest a minute."

Bella pursed her lips, worry evident on her face as she studied him. He reached up to cup her cheek. His fingers trembled with exhaustion. "I need to catch my breath, that's all." His blinks were slow, and he fought them. Bella was alive and beautiful. He didn't want to close his eyes. He didn't want to have to let her go. "Stay."

She lay beside him there on the bank. When he gathered her closer, she settled with her head on his shoulder. There was so much wrong with what he was doing, he knew. There was no circumstance in which this was appropriate. He had no right to hold her like this at all let alone when he was half clothed and her dress was falling off her. His first priority should have been to see her safely back to camp

"Just a minute," he muttered as his eyelids drooped.

~0~

The noontime sun was strong in the sky before Edward opened his eyes again. The weight on his chest confused him until his fingers encountered damp hair and he remembered what had happened. His eyes flew open and panic surged through him until he allowed himself to be grounded by the sight before him.

Bella was alive and safe in his arms. She slept peacefully, her head cradled against his skin, her arm thrown around his body. He was in awe that she trusted him so well.

Oh, of that she should not. If he was worthy of her trust, he'd have leapt to his feet and found his shirt to cover her bare shoulders with. Now that the lethargy had receded again, he had no excuse. Yet he lingered. He pressed the tip of his finger to her nose and traced her features both with his eyes and hands. She gave the softest of whimpers in her sleep and snuggled against him.

He pressed a light kiss to the corner of her mouth but it was quickly not enough. He kissed her chin and then the tip of her nose. He kissed the skin beneath her eyes, and she began to wake. He kissed her cheeks, and when she breathed his name, he kissed her lips.

They lay like this for minutes as Edward warred with himself. Each kiss made it all the more impossible to turn away from her. She was not his, but he was quickly forgetting that. He was like to forget his own name when she kissed him as she did then, making quiet little noises he caught with his mouth.

The entirety of the world had dwindled down to this woman, and so it shouldn't have surprised him that he didn't hear the rustle of the trees behind them or the sound of boots on the dry ground. Edward remained oblivious to everything until he heard a gasp and a shout of, "What the hell?"

Edward pulled back, away from Bella, and found himself staring down a furious Emmett Cullen.

~0~

"This is insanity." Edward sat where he'd been sequestered like a criminal up for trial which, he supposed, was not altogether untrue.

There had been much chaos after Emmett found Edward and Bella alone together. Like any good elder brother, he'd been livid. Edward was downright surprised he hadn't ended up with a black eye or worse. As it was, the man had taken him by the arm and dragged him back to camp, heedless of Edward's bare feet.

He'd gotten off light.

When they got back to camp, there had been a lot of yelling, so much so that the wagon train's elected council had to be convened. Now Edward sat with his head in his hands, his bare chest covered by someone's borrowed coat, as Emmett recounted his tale for the council - five supposedly upstanding and knowledgeable men including James.

His boss was glaring at him off and on as Emmett spoke. He grunted when the younger man finished. "Well, first off, I have to apologize on my hand's behalf," he said, directing his apology toward Carlisle. "We've had this discussion. You know it's not something I condone or excuse with my people. Goes without saying Edward's share of our fee is yours."

Carlisle cocked his head, his stare incredulous. "Do you sincerely believe that's what I'm concerned about? The only argument here is whether or not your man will do the right thing, the honorable thing. Money I have. I cannot give a woman back her virtue."

At that Edward stood and waved his hands. "Whoa now. Back up a minute. I've been trying to tell you-"

"I've heard about enough from you," Carlisle snapped. For such a gentle, patient man, his glare now was fierce. "I trusted you to be a better man than this, and that was obviously my mistake. You said you cared for her. You claimed to have respect for her, and yet you've sullied her good name. Just because she has no neighbors to gossip and scorn her doesn't mean what you've done is acceptable. She deserves so much more than this."

Edward's heart was thick in his throat. "I know. It wasn't my intention-"

"I couldn't care less about your previous intentions. Neither you nor I have the power to change the past no matter how much we might want it. What I care about now is what you intend to do to make it right."

Before Edward could speak, one of the councilmen, a reverend named Weber, if he remembered correctly, cleared his throat. "Ours is a small society, but we're not savages, even out here in this wild land. You've brought this issue to be resolved. Now, I don't know about the others, but I see only one solution here, one right thing to do." He looked to Edward. "If there is an ounce of honor in you, sir, you would consent to let me marry you. Tonight, if possible."

The others were nodding in agreement. Edward's heart sped and he shook his head. "That is not necessary."

"A likely story," one of the men huffed.

"I kissed her. I am not denying I acted inappropriately, and I will face what consequences that brings, but there's no reason to make it more than that."

"Yes, that is a very convenient thing and careless thing for you to say, Mr. Masen," the reverend said. "Son, you need to take responsibility for your actions."

"This isn't about me. Bella is… She would make a fine wife. I would be proud to call her my wife, but that's unfair to her. There's no reason she should be stuck with me because I made a mistake. It went no further than a kiss, I promise you."

Carlisle's answering laugh was humorless. "You'll understand why I don't have the luxury of taking you at your word."

"Given the state you were found in, your story sounds less than believable," one of the others said. "That you were meeting with her secretly-"

"It wasn't planned. It was chance I was out there at the same time she was. It was chance I saw her fall in the water at all." Edward patted his pants. "My clothes are still wet. So were hers."

"Sure." James huffed and crossed his arms as he glared back at Edward. "You were in the water. There's no doubt about that. You and I both have seen many near-drownings. I have yet to see one where you crawl out of the water only to fall asleep on the shore. That's not how it happens. I know you, Edward. If she fell in like you said, you'd have run her back to the good doctor here to be checked over."

"That's what I should have done to be sure, but that doesn't mean I took advantage of her in that way."

"I cannot take that chance," Carlisle repeated. "Bad enough that I swore to her father I would take care of her as if she were my own. I will not return her to him big in the belly from a man who won't take responsibility. Don't ask me to do that, Edward."

"You said yourself you wouldn't want a man like me with a life like mine for your own child," Edward said. "Why would you wish it on Bella?"

Carlisle took a step forward, his eyes bright with fury, and Edward was sure he was going to hit him. "You think I'm not worried about that? You think I don't wonder how you can provide for a family doing what you do." He gestured around them. "I believed you were a good man. I believed you had the capability to be enough for her some day, but not now. I asked you to do things in the proper order in the proper time. Not this way, but what choice have you left me with? She will find no husband with a bastard child at her hip."

James scoffed. "Enough of this ruse, Edward. You're caught. Carlisle, you don't gotta worry that he can't support her. He can."

Eyebrow raised, Carlisle looked between Edward and James. "What's he on about?"

James spoke for him. "Edward comes from money. He ain't doing this because he got no other skills or options. He's got money and land in the west."

"Is that so?"

Edward closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "He's right. I do have money and acreage in the Rogue River Valley." He'd gone through with his plans at first, but when he'd found himself on his land alone it hadn't seemed right. He couldn't seem to sit still. He'd found James and that had been that.

Carlisle shifted his weight, his expression startled. "That's where Charlie settled, where we intend to settle."

"I know."

The train's elected leader clapped his hands together. "Then that's the end of it. I see no reason for further argument here." He pointed at Edward. "You made your bed, son. You best get ready to lie in it. You make things right or you find another train to travel with. You make that unfortunate choice, then whatever Carlisle and his sons decide to do to you, I fully intend to look the other way, do we understand each other?"

Edward gritted his teeth, frustrated as all get out. Bella had done nothing wrong. She didn't deserve this. "Can I talk to her? Alone."

Emmett snorted. "Right. You want us to leave you alone with her again?"

"Yet you're ready to marry her off to me?" Edward shook his head. "She should have some choice in this matter."

"That's something you should have thought of before you went anywhere near her."

Edward turned back to Carlisle, choosing to ignore his son. "I never lied to you about how I feel about her. She's everything I could ask for in a wife and far too good for the likes of me. I understand why you can't take me at my word, but this should be her choice. If she'll have me, then yes, I'll marry her tonight if that would set things right. But only if it's what she wants."

"And if she doesn't?"

Edward's cheek twitched. "Then it's like the man said. I know I wouldn't be welcomed here, and if you and yours come after me, then what can I say? It's no less than what I deserve."

Carlisle frowned but he nodded. "Go on then. I need to speak to my wife and Reverend Weber, if you don't mind, sir."

"Of course," the reverend said.

Edward swayed with a rush of dizziness. This was all happening so quickly, and while his heart soared at the idea of making Bella his wife, he also feared for her. It wasn't right. It couldn't be right.

Could it?

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, he followed Carlisle across the clearing, back toward their camp and Bella.

~0~

Bella paced back and forth, muttering under her breath. "This is insanity. He has done nothing wrong."

"That is most certainly not true," Esme said, her voice still gentle but strained.

Before she could argue again with her foster mother, Emmett came around to their camp. He nodded at his mother. "Pa wants to speak to you." He looked to Bella, his eyes tight. "And Edward wants to speak with you."

Bella's throat tightened. She couldn't read the look on Emmett's face beyond the disappointment everyone bore. Ridiculous though the notion was, she was desperate to see with her own eyes Edward was safe.

Everyone was so angry.

Emmett gestured for Bella to go around the other side of the wagon. She was surprised when he didn't follow her, but every other thought was forgotten when she saw Edward. It was all she could do not to throw her arms around him.

He didn't look happy. He looked nervous and ashamed. When he took her hands in his, Bella's stomach twisted. She listened intently, stunned at the enormity of the consequences of their foolish actions.

"Bella." Edward brushed her cheek with the slightest touch. "You have every choice. You and I both know Carlisle's fears are unfounded." He looked down as he spoke. "You'll get to Oregon and you can have any manner of husband you desire. You don't have to settle for me."

It confused her when he spoke like that, as though she were some prize while he was some vermin. What could a girl like her offer a world-weary man like him? She tried to orient her thoughts. This was so far beyond anything she was prepared to deal with. Alice and Jasper's courtship had lasted two years and, seeing as he had no settled occupation, might have lasted longer than that if Carlisle had not been persuaded.

"It doesn't seem like there's much choice," she said.

He tugged her closer and tilted his forehead against hers. "You have a choice. We'll tell them we wish to marry tomorrow and I'll be gone by the time everyone wakes."

"No. Edward." She grabbed his arms as though she could keep him there by force. "No. I won't let you go off alone."

"It's not so bad. The fur trappers' trails are easier to follow without a wagon."

"No." She swallowed hard and stared at her feet. "I won't let you risk your life that way. I couldn't bear it. If... if you don't want me, we-"

"Sweetheart, look at me."

Her heart sped and warmth spread through her chest at his soft endearment. She raised her eyes to his and leaned into his hand as he cupped her face.

"Bella, this is not about me not wanting you." He dropped his hands to take her hands again and put them to his heart. "The thought of marrying you fills me with a joy I don't know how to express. You are more important to me than anyone or anything ever has been. Ever." He brought her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. "I love you, Bella. I have no right, but it's true. I love you and that's why I want so much better for you than me."

A smile spread wide over her face before she could control it. She pulled her hands from his and wound her arms around his neck. "I love you too," she whispered, feeling shy and ridiculous but happy. So happy.

"Oh, Bella, Bella. It shouldn't have happened this way. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shhh. It's okay."

"It isn't." He held her tightly against him, his hands stroking her back. "Bella, are you sure? Please don't do this because of me. I'll be okay."

She wasn't sure at all. She wasn't sure she knew how to be a wife or that she was ready. She wasn't sure how they would live or where. She raised her head and kissed the underside of his chin. I'm sure of you. You've taken care of me even when I didn't ask you to, even when I hardly knew you. I'm sure of that, and I'm sure I love you."

The worried, guilty expression faded from his face replaced by a deep joy. He kissed her then. He kissed her in broad daylight heedless of the fact her de facto family was right around the corner, and Bella allowed herself to believe she could have everything she'd dared not dream about before.

A/N: Weeeelllll… that happened.

Thanks so much to jfka06, barburella, and jessypt for all their help.

How do we feel about a shotgun wedding, eh?