A/N: Sorry for keeping you all waiting, I'm cruel, i know. Hopefully the chapter makes up for it.

Thanks: All reviews are amazing, please keep them up!

Beta: No beta, all mistakes are unfortunately mine.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Bella

I was speechless.

It was three days before there was a prom I didn't plan on attending, three days since I graduated and would no longer be considered a high school student, and apparently, three days since Edward had asked for my father's permission to marry me.

I knew Charlie wasn't completely set on the idea of Edward and me getting married so young, since it had hardly worked out with him and Renee, but it seemed he was finally seeing our relationship for what it was.

Pure, unadulterated love.

It wasn't the same as when he and my mother got hitched. I wasn't pregnant, carrying a child and rushing into a commitment I knew had only furthered the pressure on the both of them. They may have been in love, but then I had come along and made things even more difficult for them.

I knew I wasn't to blame. When I was young I had used to cry on Renee's shoulder, apologising for ruining her life and making her leave Charlie when I knew even with Phil now she still harboured some feelings towards him.

I used to see myself as a mistake.

It had taken me years to finally understand that I had simply made them realise that they didn't belong together, that they weren't soul mates and didn't belong as they had once thought.

It had been a huge weight off my shoulders.

It hadn't been until I had finally let go of the impression that I had been the one at fault that I had truly realised just how much it had been affecting me. I also knew that Renee and Charlie had also be at fault.

Charlie could have fought for me. When Renee took me away he could have tried harder to see me, to keep in contact and not to simply give up even if he thought it was for the best.

Renee shouldn't have run away. Charlie is a good man, they may have had their differences but he never treated her badly, or with anything other than respect.

They simply didn't work.

Renee has a childish personality, needing someone like Phil to ground her. Charlie, like me, was an old soul who preferred the simple things in life. He liked his routine of having a job, of living in a small town where everyone knew everyone.

The months I had been with Edward had been amazing. It was hard to have disagreements or fights when you were perfectly suited for each other. Edward had such a calm personality, maching my own, that it was hard not to simply enjoy each other's company without the need to go out and seek adventure and excitement like most couples.

I figured being turned into a vampire was going to be enough of a shock to my system to last me a life time, or in this case, eternity.

We had spoken a bit more about my change, both as a couple and as a coven. Edward was still hesitant, but knew that while it may not be something he had wanted in the beginning the thought of losing me was too much for him to bare.

It was a relief, considering I felt the exact same.

Rosaline as always seemed to have some unresolved hatred to me, and since that day in the canteen when Edward had basically ripped her a new one, she had gone from being spiteful to completely ignoring me.

Looking on the bright side I saw it as an improvement.

I may want to get one with Edward's family, but I had quickly come to terms that I couldn't please everyone. While I saw Carlisle as a second father, and Esme as more of a mother than my own, they didn't seem to find any issues with officially welcoming me into their coven by being turned.

In fact, they couldn't wait.

I knew some of the reason was the time limit that the Voltouri had put onto all of us. They had made it clear that in order for me to servive and for the coven to come out unpunished, I needed to turn. I had nothing against it, I wanted it after all, but there was one thing I wished for which I had refused to go without before being turned.

Sex.

Well, I wanted more than sex, I wanted the intimacy with Edward. I wanted to experience it as a human before I lost the steady beat of my heart forever.

Was that too much to ask for?

Edward had outright refused at first. Telling me that while his inner beast wanted to do nothing more than to ravish me silly, he had resisted it long enough that he worried he would hurt or kill me if he did in fact now scrimmage to those instincts.

I had fought back a scoff.

I had spoken to Carlisle about it, desiring his opinion and medical advice. It had been humiliating, but I had wanted to be with Edward enough so that I had pushed back my embarrassment and asked him outright his thoughts.

I had been right.

Edward's instincts meant that he couldn't physically harm me. As his mate every pore of his body would rebel against even the thought of causing me damage, so him accidently hurting or killing me was incredibly unlikely.

As for Edward's inner turmoil over losing control Carlisle had winced when he said this was also a possibility, that while he wouldn't do me any serious harm it was always possible that Edward wouldn't be able to resist the urge to claim and turn me when we had sex.

Graduation had to be over first clearly.

Again, I saw it as being worth it. It would be worth the risk, the sudden change of lifestyle for the man I loved, to be able to be so intimate and close to him.

It would be perfect.

So as Edward kneeled in front of me I found my eyes widening in shock as my bottom lip trembled, barely able to understand that this was happening.

I had driven my old truck over to the Cullen's after school, it having been a bright and sunny day meaning I had to go without seeing my beloved for the majority of the day while he was out hunting and I was sitting in a classroom bored to death.

Edward had been a sneaky little bastard when he had finally caved to us losing out virginities while I was human. He had put forward demands believe it or not.

Apparently, one of them was that my truck had to go.

Like I said, he was a sneaky little bastard.

But with reluctance I had agreed. He had never liked the old thing, telling me many times that it wasn't safe and he constantly worried for my safety. I had caught him out on more than one occasion to actually following me home to make sure I didn't have an accident or break down.

Sweet, but highly unnecessary.

As soon as I had entered the house I knew something wasn't right when I noticed no one was home, all of the cars gone from the front with the exception of Edward's Volvo so I at least knew he was home.

The candles decorating every surface of the house had taken me by surprise, along with the soft sound track of classical music I wasn't familiar with playing in the background. It was beautiful.

It was me walking cautiously up the stairs and towards Edward's bedroom and finding the whole room alight with bright fly flies in carefully decorated glass jars, flower petals of various colours scattered on the floor and bed, that my breath had actually caught in my throat.

He was in the middle of the bedroom, kneeling.

"Oh my god," I breathed, struggling to come to terms with what was happening.

Was what I thought was happening, happening?

"Calm down, Love" Edward chuckled, obviously sensing my increasing heartbeat as it thumped rapidly in my chest.

"I…I…I…"

He smiled gently at me. "Why don't you let me to the talking, Love?"

I nodded, still speechless as he drew my attention towards the small velvet box he was holding in the palm of his hand, his eyes bright with love and excitement.

Oh gosh…

"I come from a different era. Things were a lot less complicated. And if I would have met you back then, I would have courted you. We'd have taken chaperoned strolls, and iced tea on the porch. I may have stolen a kiss or two. Only after asking your father's permission, I would have gotten down on one knee, and I would have presented you with a ring. This is my mothers. Isabella Swan, I promise to love you every moment, forever. Would you do me the extraordinary honour of marrying me?"

It was perfect.

So incredibly beautiful that I found my eyes filling with salty tears as he finished his speech.

How was it possible that he knew exactly what to say? That he had proposed so perfectly, without fault or disappointment, and once again made me feel so incredibly thankful that he was mine.

"I love you so much," I choked out through my blurred vision. "So, so much, Edward."

I saw his grin crookedly, that smile I adored so much. My smile I thought. No wonder I was so possessive over him.

He was mine.

"Is that a yes?"

I nodded rapidly, not even hesitating as I soon found myself pulled lightly into his arms as he wrapped them around me. I gripped him back, clenching his smart button down in my small fists as I cried openly against his shirt.

Was this what heaven felt like?

Never before had I felt this happy. I knew it said a lot when my life with Edward was getting more and more perfect as every day passed, and I wouldn't change a single thing.

"Can I put this ring on you now, Love?"

I nodded, sniffing away the first signs of me getting a runny nose. That would be neither romantic nor attractive.

Pulling away just enough to open the black box to show me the ring I instantly missed his touch. It made me ever the more eager to be with him completely, even if I knew his he his cautions about it.

I trusted him implicitly.

"I know it is a little old-fashioned, and if you don't like it-"

"It's perfect, Edward" I cut off his worried rambles as I took in the simple yet extravagant, diamond-encrusted ring.

I knew without a doubt that the diamonds were real, and while he was right when he said it was old-fashioned, to me it meant everything. I was well aware of the fact he had very few things from his former life, and the fact he was trusting me with something so precious and valuable to him emotionally…

It mean more than any other ring he could have given Me.

"C-can," hiccup, "I put it," hiccup, "on?" I looked up at with, wet cheeks and runny nose.

The smile he had on his face was blinding, and I realised I had never seen him too happy with himself. It was clear even with him being as old as he was, it was clear he wanted this just as much as I did.

The thought warmed me.

"Of course, Love" he smiled adoringly, taking my hand and gently slipping on the diamond ring.

Perfection…

This was where I belong...by his side…for eternity.

The rest of the Cullen's had known as much of course. It was hard to hide things from Alice, and it was clear while she couldn't see my future, she had known Edward's plans months before he had proposed.

It had pleased me no end that he had had it on his mind for that long.

"Congratulations, dear" Esme pulled me into a light hug as her fingers brushed against my hair. "You will make a beautiful bride."

I flushed under the attention, but didn't complain, knowing that Edward was getting a large amount of joy out of this. He was adorable.

"Does this mean we get to throw you a Stag party?" Emmett asked him eagerly. "I mean a proper one, with strippers, and Vegas, and…"

"No strippers, Emmett" Edward cut him off.

"Why?" Emmett whined.

I rolled my eyes. He was a grown man, a vampire, and yet here he was whining about not being able to see a stripper.

"I do not see the appeal either, Em" Jasper put in his two cents. "If I wish to see a naked woman dancing in front of me, then I can simply call on Alice."

Alice raised a brow, hands on her hips. "Call on?" she quoted.

He smiled at her charmingly. "You know what I mean, darlin'."

She huffed, but shot him a suggestive wink that left me with no doubt what they would be up to later. Lucky sods.

Emmett scowled. "That's not the point."

"Then what is the point, Em?" Edward raised a brow. "Are you telling me that if you had the choice you would take a naked stripper over seeing a naked Rose?"

While he cringed at the mental thought of someone who was like a sister to him naked, I grinned when I saw Emmett get a disgusted look on his face at the thought of turning down his mate for another female. That was before he scowled.

"Don't be a bastard, Eddie-"

"Don't call me that!" he snarled.

Carlisle swiftly put himself between the two coven brothers, a brow raised in both of their directions. "Don't ruin the good move, both of you," he narrowed his eyes. "As for the whole stripper concept, Emmett, I would have to agree with Jasper and Edward. Sorry."

He didn't look all that apologetic, but me, Alice and Esme all shot each other wide grins at the fact our men were indeed turning down a strip club in order to spend more time with us.

It was adorably sweet, in a strange sort of way.

"You lot are all old bores," Emmett huffed, but surprisingly dropped the subject.

"So…" Alice grinned. "When you planning the wedding for?"

I glanced at Edward at that. I knew I wanted it to be soon, especially with the Voltouri on our toes, but I thought a summer wedding would be amazing.

Edward looked down at me with a gentle smile. "It is up to you, Love. Personally, the sooner the better, but if you wish to wait-"

"Yes," I cut him off. "I mean, I was actually hoping for a summer wedding-"

I was cut off by Alice's shriek of either excitement or outrage I didn't know. It seemed to be a mixture of the two.

"A summer wedding, as in this year?" she demanded.

I bit my lip and nodded. "Uh, yea?"

"Oh my god, I have so much planning to do! I mean, you do want me to plan your wedding, right?"

"Uh-"

"What am I saying, of course you do. You two would be lost without me. I better get my florist on the phone, and the coordinator, and music, and-"

"Urm, Alice?"

She turned to look at me, her phone already pressed against her ear. God, she worked fast.

"What is it, Bella? Don't you know I'm quite busy now you've chosen to get hitch so soon?"

I rolled my eyes before glancing nervously towards Esme and Carlisle. "I was actually hoping we could have the wedding here."

Esmes entire face light up much to my relief. I didn't know what I would have done or felt if she had been either horrified or disappointed by the idea.

"Oh honey, that sounds lovely," she looked towards her mate. "Doesn't that sound just wonderful, Carlisle?"

Carlisle smiled adoringly at his wife. "It does. It is a beautiful idea, Bella."

I flushed brightly, but couldn't wipe the smile off my face even if I wanted to.

Everything was perfect.

Worth the wait?

Next chapter will be up soon. Finishing it now!

xxx