A/N: HELLO. I love you. Won't you tell me your name?

They caught up with the wagon train just as the noon time meal was closing. Edward ducked his head, pressing a subtle kiss to Bella's cheek before he dismounted the horse and turned to help her down. He kept her in his arms a beat longer than necessary, reluctant to let go of the singular bubble they'd been in since before dawn.

"Bella." Alice darted to them with a happy smile and wrapped Bella up in a hug. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks, Alice."

"Ooo, what's this?" Alice reached out to palm the pendant of the necklace that now hung around Bella's neck.

"Oh. Edward traded his pocket watch." Bella glanced at Edward, meeting his eyes briefly with a smile as her cheeks tinted red. "Though I told him he shouldn't."

Edward clucked his tongue and shook his head at her stubborness. She liked the necklace. He knew she did, but she was troubled by the idea he'd pawned off what little he had that was not a necessity to give it to her. "I had a chance to get my beautiful wife a gift on her birthday, and I took it. You'll forgive me eventually."

"Yes, I'll forgive you, but I told you I was perfectly satisfied with what you gave me before."

Alice slung her arm around Bella's shoulder. "Do tell me, sister," she said in a low voice so only Edward and Bella could hear. "Just what did your husband give you before that you could not bring home in your hands?"

"Alice," Bella hissed, and Edward struggled not to laugh. Alice, he'd come to figure out, could look the part of a sophisticated, high-born woman, but she had the mouth of a guttersnipe.

Bella let herself be dragged off by her friend, and Edward went to store the day's catch until it could be cooked for their evening meal. There would be full bellies tonight.

Just as they started moving again, James appeared at Edward's side. "You're a damn fool, you know that?"

Instantly the happy mood Edward was in vanished as he recalled what Bella had said she'd overheard.

James was oblivious to the shift in moods. "You got your little wife there preening about the new bauble you traded for. And good for you for finding redskins in these parts who would trade instead of hack us all to pieces. But all that's gonna happen is some of the others are going to go looking for nifty native jewelry of their own, and they're going to get slaughtered."

All things considered, it was a good point, but Edward wasn't in the mood to listen. He reared back and punched his boss so hard in the face, he fell back on his ass. Edward stood over him, fists clenched. "Maybe you better worry about more immediate threats."

"Have you lost your mind?" James got to his feet and into Edward's face. "No, I don't even have to ask that question. You've been completely off your rocker since you've been dipping your wick-"

Edward took a step forward, forcing James to step back. "Enough, James. I know first hand you have no respect for the families who employ you, but you will respect our wives. Do you realize Bella overheard you and your crude comments? You're lucky I don't tell Jasper what you said of his wife."

James narrowed his eyes and shoved Edward away from him. "Christ, is that what you're on about? That's petty nonsense, and you're a damn hypocrite besides. The start of this journey, you were one of us."

"I was never like you."

"Yeah, look at you all high and mighty. I ain't never gone near that little gal. That was all you, you horse's ass, so don't look down your nose at me. You're so caught up in your territorial bullshit; you're not listening to a damn word I said. You're going to get someone in this party killed."

"Oh, come off it. I didn't go looking for Indians to trade with. They found us. I traded with them to keep things civil. I'll talk to the others about it so they won't go getting any fool ideas."

James grunted and straightened his vest as they got to walking again. "We'll need to be careful. We're going to sleep in shifts, and that includes you, married man or not. You can tear yourself away from your little wife to do your damn job. Laurent, Victor, and I need a little bit of sleep as much as you do."

"You won't get any trouble from me on that front. I got more cause than you to want to keep this family safe."

"I wouldn't bet on that. This is my livelihood, after all."

Later that evening, when the family had settled down to sleep, Edward-who had pulled the second shift of watch duty-held Bella safe in his arms.

"Do you really think there's danger from the Indians?" Bella asked.

He sighed. He hated to add to the long list of things that could still go wrong on the trail. "I can't say I blame them for being upset. This trail we're travelling is newer. Tribes that haven't had to deal with settlers now get them coming through every year. There have been some misunderstandings on both sides, and there have been some cases of outright trouble from both sides."

"It's a funny thing, isn't it?" She rested her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. "This is all wild land to us, unsettled. This is something we have to suffer through to get to where we want to be. But it's their home."

"Yes. And we take more of this land every day." He stroked a slow line up and down her back. "But on the other side of that coin, that's why I told you earlier you shouldn't worry about never seeing Emmett and Rosalie again. Believe me, every year I make this journey, the West sees great changes. There will be trains and towns before you know it. One day we may come with our children to this very spot and tell them tales of how it once took us weeks to get from here to our home."

"Our home. Imagine that."

He raised her chin so he could kiss her sweet lips. "Oh, my love. I do. Most every night, I do."

~0~

The next three weeks were the longest of Bella's life.

They'd been through much rougher sections of trail where days seemed to stretch like weeks, but being so close to the end was tantamount to torture.

"It makes no sense," Bella said to the other women as they sat together to prepare the evening's meal. "We're past the point of greatest danger." She held up one of the potatoes they were cleaning. Small farms had begun to dot the landscape, and they had bought the potatoes fresh that morning. "We won't starve. Even if we did get stranded, we can be rescued easily even if winter did hit early. We crossed the Klamath River a week ago, and that was our last river crossing. Why am I so antsy?"

Rosalie sat back, reaching for baby Jacob who had begun to fuss. "Well, the Siskiyou Mountains aren't nearly as difficult as the Rockies, but they're not easy either. I suppose one of us could take a tumble down the mountainside if we're not careful."

"Hush now, Rosalie," Esme admonished. "No need to tempt fate."

"Well, it's no big mystery why you're so anxious," Alice said. "You'll see your father again in a week's time, Bella."

At that, Bella's hands faltered in their task, and her heart sped. The longing she felt to see her father was almost more than she could withstand. A week was too long.

But it was also too short.

The next day, Carlisle fell into step beside her. Bella was surprised. Things had been awkward between them since the impromptu marriage he'd demanded. He gave her a wide berth, and Bella hadn't seen fit to close it.

She still loved her foster father, of course. She'd spoken to him when she had to, had been afraid for him the horrible night Jacob was born and Alistair died. But she was hurt. She was angry, but she was also a child who had fallen in esteem in her father-figure's eyes. He hadn't trusted her, and she wasn't sure how to come back from that.

Carlisle sighed quietly. "Are you nervous about seeing your father? I know you're excited, but perhaps you have some trepidation?"

Bella looked down at her boots. They were worn through in several places. She could feel the sharp rocks beneath her feet. "You mean because I am coming back to him a sullied woman?"

"Bella, that's not what I meant."

"Isn't it?" Bella blew out a sharp breath. "It's what I'm nervous about."

They were both quiet for a few beats before Carlisle spoke again. "Being a father isn't an easy task. You do your best to raise your children well. It's every father's hope that he raises his sons to be the kind of men other fathers would choose for their daughters. And it's every father's hope that he may find for his daughters husbands who will care and provide for them in the manner they deserve. It's every father's duty to ensure his daughter's happiness, and it's not a task I would ever take lightly.

"I have to admit, I'm nervous to see your father too. I took that decision away from him, and he won't be pleased." Carlisle stopped short and put his hand to Bella's shoulder to stop her as well. "Bella, I'll be honest with you. I've liked Edward since I met him. He seemed to be a good man, but I couldn't be sure he was good enough for you, especially given the life he leads.

"However, these last few months have put to rest any fear I had for you. Edward has been a good husband, and he's proven to me many times over that your safety and happiness is paramount in his mind." He offered a smile. "More than that, the change he's brought out in you is remarkable. Marriage suits you, Bella."

Bella ducked her head, but her lips quirked up at the corner. "Marriage to Edward," she said in a small voice.

"Yes. This has all worked out better than I ever could have hoped." They began walking again. "Your father won't be pleased that the choice was taken out of his hands, but he won't be too angry, I think." He grimaced. "At least, not at you. He knew Edward from his own journey, and he has eyes. It won't take him long to see what I see."

He touched her arm briefly, an affectionate gesture. "He'll be as proud as ever of you, Bella. I know because I am."

Bella paused, caught by a well of emotion those words brought. When Carlisle turned to see why she'd stopped, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. His hands at her back were a comfort she'd denied herself too long. "Thank you."

He kissed her forehead. Pulling back, he cupped her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb in a tender gesture that soothed much of the uncertainty in Bella's heart.

~0~

"My god. Edward, look."

Edward quickened his step to join his wife at the crest of a hill. In the valley below, he could see a cluster of buildings where a small town was budding in the vast wilderness.

Bella put her arm around his waist, leaning against him. "Have you ever seen such a beautiful sight?"

"Hmm. I think I've seen better." He put his hand under her chin, tilting her head up so she was looking at him. "There are so many reasons I'm glad this is my last journey across the trail. There are so many beautiful sights, but none will ever be as beautiful as they were when you were there with me."

Her smile widened, and she tilted her head up invitingly. He took that invitation, leaning down to kiss her, and lingered.

With the constant trampling of so many herd animals, the squeak of wagon wheels, and the chatter and footfalls of people, the clip clop of a single horse coming nearer them was indiscernible. Edward was quite wrapped up in kissing his wife good and proper when something came between them. It hit him on the chest and he was pushed back, away from Bella.

Edward was about to shout his protest when he saw the thing that had pushed him back was the barrel of shotgun. A shot-gun that was still pointed at his chest. A shotgun Edward found was being pointed at him by a furious Charlie Swan.

A/N: WHOOPS. Sorry for the shortness of this chapter… it just seemed to end really well there. As I'm sure you'll agree. ;)

Many thanks to barburella (Who now has a hankering for Bella/Carlisle fic...wtf) and songster for all their help!