Evening Falls

by Ava Sinclair

Elisa was once an everyday Twilight fangirl, but now, inexplicably, she's become a part of Edward and Bella's world. Her struggle to fit into her new life, however, may become a fight to survive that neither she nor Bella may win...

7. Wedding Daze Part One

Welcome to the first half of Wedding Daze...yes, folks, this is only HALF the chapter. And yes, I pretty much expect the second half to be just as long. Much of it is already written, but it will take me another day or two to get it to my satisfaction (Edward's giving me fits at the moment), and I've felt so guilty about keeping everyone waiting that I wanted to go ahead and upload what I've finished. Once again, thank you for your patience and thank you a hundred times over to everyone who has left me such great reviews and added me as a favorite.

I'm sorry I've kept you waiting...these last few weeks were rough, thanks to a combination of writer's block, raging insecurity, and family demands. I think I'm better able to balance things now though, so there shouldn't be any more big delays between chapters.

Oh, and for those who have been receiving notices for my Passions story, Whisper, in your inboxes, rest assured it is not a story I'm currently writing - I would never take time away from Evening Falls to tackle another series. Whisper is a story I wrote about two years ago, and I'm archiving it, which is why I upload so many chapters at once. Sorry about the extra spam in your inboxes.

OK, on with the story.

Elisa:

It's a beautiful day

don't let it get away...

Beautiful Day, U2

It had me.

I struggled and thrashed against the restraining grip, fighting to free myself before I suffocated inside its sinister grasp but I couldn't get free, couldn't get the air I desperately needed. Gasping for breath, I summoned my waning strength and tried again, throwing myself back and forth and then, suddenly, I was loose, on the cold floor, eyes flying open, drawing the cool, much needed air into my lungs.

I sat up, completely disoriented for a moment, but then, as the weak sunlight washed over me, waking me, I realized where I was. I was in Bella's room. It was morning and I was safe. The 'sinister presence' that had been suffocating me was nothing more then a combination of the sleeping bag I'd zipped over my head and a rapidly fading dream.

Dream...I jumped up suddenly as I remembered. Edward had been here last night - or was that just a dream too? I stared at Bella's bed. She still slept, curled up on her side. The side I'd turned over to him was empty. There wasn't even an impression of his head on my pillow. Maybe I'd just imagined it. I pondered that possibility for a few minutes and then snickered to myself. I definitely didn't imagine it. The only thing that really should have surprised me is that he'd left her alone at all. I swear if he could have surgically attached himself to her side, he would have.

Bella stirred restlessly in her sleep and I pondered waking her up, but remembering how restless she'd been last night I figured she deserved her last few minutes of oblivion. While I waited to wake her, I occupied myself by folding my blankets and rolling my sleeping bag up. That done, I then crept around her bed to retrieve my pillow. I was about to toss it onto my tied sleeping bag when the scent hit me. I leaned closer, inhaling. My pillow smelled good. Unable to resist, I held it to my face again. Really good. Intoxicating even...

"Elisa, are you alright?"

The sound of Bella's sleepy mumble had me jerking my face away. My face turned purple as I realized I was practically making out with my pillow. How embarrassing for her to catch me. Quickly, I tossed the pillow away and then walked over to the still open window, I stuck my head out, enjoying the cool morning breeze coupled with the feel of rare Washington sunshine on my skin, soothing my blush away.

Then a sudden realization slammed into me and I yanked my head back inside so fast that I ended up banging it on the window frame. Ignoring the pain, I hurried over to Bella's bed and threw myself on it, bouncing up and down on my knees excitedly. "Bella!" My voice was exuberant. "It's your wedding day!"

Bella had lain back down, her arm thrown casually over her face, but at my words she sat up abruptly, eyes widening with unmistakable terror. "Oh no!" she moaned. "It IS!"

I bit my lip. Perhaps I should have eased her into that a little bit more. "Bella, everything is going to be - "

"I can't do this!" She gasped, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, looking like she was going to bolt any minute. "I absolutely can't - " Her frantic eyes were touring the room as she spoke and suddenly she stopped speaking, her gaze locked on the window. For a few seconds she was silent, staring, and then she spoke again, her voice an amazed whisper now. "Is that - sunshine?"

"Um...yeah." I was surprised not only by her sudden change of topic, but at the pure happiness creeping into her expression. "I know it's kind of rare here but I'm sure you remember the phenomenon."

"YES!" Bella's exhilarated shout made me jump and nearly fall off the bed. She leapt up with a joyous expression and ran to the window. "Saved by sweet, glorious sunlight - someone up there loves me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" With that, she rushed over to her packed suitcase, unzipped it, and began digging frantically through the contents.

I watched her with rising concern. This was bad. This was really bad. Clearly, the stress of her upcoming nuptials had finally caused her to snap. "Um, Bella...what are you talking about?" My voice was wary.

"Don't you get it, Elisa?" Bella's voice was positively gleeful. "We were supposed to have an outdoor ceremony! We're going to have to cancel!" Her face still alight, she pulled a pair of jeans and a T-shirt from the suitcase and then zipped it close. Her glow dimmed slightly then as she seemed to consider something. "Of course Alice will be disappointed - I mean, what is she going to tell all the guests? Ceremony called on account of sparkling?" She chuckled softly, then sighed again. "And I should call Edward too - I'm sure he's upset."

"Bella." My need to tell her that she was being completely delusional was offset by my rising irritation over how happy she was to believe that months of careful planning had just gone down the toilet. "Are you really that relieved to not be getting married?" I couldn't hide the indignant tone in my voice.

"Oh, I'm still getting married." Bella's voice was determined as she looked around the room, probably for her cell phone. "I'll just have Edward take me to Vegas like we should have in the first place. With the way he drives, I'll be Mrs. Cullen before the sun sets." She grinned. "Really, things couldn't have worked out any better. Hey, do you want to come with us?"

"Sure -wait, no! I mean, yes, I would come if the ceremony was really off but - "

She wasn't listening. "Maybe if we let Alice drive us in her Porsche she won't be too disappointed. We can make a real trip of it, bring the rest of the family, Charlie...heck, I'll even bring the dress!"

"Bella?" I tried again but she kept going.

"Rosalie would go, don't you think? I mean she'll probably think it's tacky but of course I really want all of you there. This is just going to be so much better without the whole town - "

"Bella!"

"What?" She finally broke off, much to my relief.

I inhaled deeply. There was no way to break this to her gently. "Time to come out of Fantasy Land and return to the real world, Bella. The ceremony is not cancelled! Did you really think Alice would get this so wrong? The sunshine will be gone by late morning and the ceremony doesn't begin until afternoon. Even if it was going to be sunny all day we'd just move everything inside the house. You're not getting out of this so easily and deep down, you knew that all along."

The euphoria. along with all the color, began to drain out of Bella's expression. "It's...still happening?" She nearly whimpered.

"Yes!" I took several deep breaths before I could force myself to plaster on my best sympathetic expression. It was difficult to maintain - Bella had thrown herself back onto her bed and I was pretty sure she was trying to suffocate herself with her own pillow. Mentally, I ran down my list of acceptable bridesmaid's etiquette, wondering if there was any kind of loophole that allowed me to smack the bride if she really needed it.

"Just calm down, OK? It's all going to be - " I sighed, not finishing. How many times could I say it would be alright? Besides, it's not like she was listening anyway.

My thoughts drifted away from her and towards the rest of the day. I still couldn''t believe it was here...the day that we'd all been dreaming of and looking forward to for so long. Everything was in place...the wedding ceremony and reception would be held on the Cullens' massive lawn. I smiled to myself, remembering the transformation the house had undergone in the last few days...the pavilion and raised platform that had been erected for the band and DJ to perform in, with a large enough space for dancing. The tables had been set up under a massive tent in case of rain...of course, Alice knew that there wouldn't be any but this was the Olympic Peninsula and we had to look like we had prepared for every eventuality.

My attention was diverted by a distant knock at the front door. "They're here!" I burst out, relieved. The plan was for the bridal party to get ready here, and head over to the house shortly before the ceremony, so it had to be Alice and Rosalie at the door. Jessica and Angela weren't due for another hour. Esme had originally planned to come as well, but at the last minute she and Alice had decided that Esme would be the one to stay behind and oversee all the last minute arrangements, knowing that Bella would need her maid of honor in these last few nervewracking hours.

At my words, Bella just groaned louder and put her pillow over her head. Rolling my eyes, I hurried out of her room and down the hallway, meaning to rush downstairs and open the door before the knocking woke Chief Swan, but as I got to the top of the stairs I heard his voice greeting the new arrivals. Apparently he was an early riser - impressive, considering the amount he'd had to drink the night before.

"Alice, it's great to see you!" Chief Swan bent down to give Alice a small hug as she came inside, flanked by Rosalie. Both of them were wearing wide-brimmed hats, long gloves, and each was closing a small, gaily decorated parasol as they moved into the dimly lit hallway. Chief Swan chuckled as he looked at them. "You ladies sure are careful about your complexions."

"Harmful UV rays are nothing to be taken lightly." Alice said in a mock serious voice, smiling. Then she looked up at the staircase and her eyes met mine as I stood there. "Hello, Elisa! How's our bride this morning?"

I sighed. "Sinking like the Titanic. I think she needs you."

Alice frowned and hurried to join me as another knock sounded at the door.

"That will be the driver with the garment bags." Esme said after us as we left them downstairs. "We'll be right up!"

I led Alice back to the bedroom, where Bella was still trying to bury herself under the comforter. "Oh, honestly, Bella, this is ridiculous!" Alice snapped as she pulled it off of her and with one quick motion dragged her to her feet. "Pull yourself together! We have barely five hours left to get all of us ready and nobody has time for this!"

"Alice..." Bella stared at her with panicked eyes. "I can't do this. I thought I could, but I can't. I really can't. Please let Edward take me to Las Vegas instead, I'm begging you! I'll do anything...I'll be your slave for eternity!"

Alice rolled her eyes as she stowed her parasol in the corner and then took off her hat and peeled off her gloves, tossing both onto Bella's bed. "Don't even try it."

Bella stared up at her, brown eyes wide with desperation, and Alice sighed. Her expression softening, she sat down next to her on the bed and began to speak to her quietly. Whatever she was saying didn't seem to be doing any good though - Bella sat back on the corner of the bed, shoulders slumped, and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't speak, but her brown eyes were resentful as she stared at Alice. I watched her in amazement. Was she pouting? How sad that I suddenly felt like a true model of dignity and maturity next to her.

"She is such a petulant child sometimes." Rosalie's low, irritated voice sounded in my ear, echoing my thoughts.

"Good morning, Rosalie." I turned to greet her, smiling widely.

"Good morning, Elisa." Rosalie took her eyes off of Bella and gazed at me. "How are you?"

"Fine. You?"

Rosalie lifted her shoulders elegantly. "You look tired." She looked at my face closely. "Didn't you sleep well?"

I rolled my eyes. "Ask your brother. He has serious issues, by the way."

Rosalie laughed. "Tell me about it." She turned then, and I saw Alice shepherding Bella out of the room. Rosalie inclined her head, indicating that I should follow. "Go eat. I'm going to dress and when you get back, it's your turn. I'll help you with your hair and makeup. Hurry up - we don't have long before Jessica and Angela are supposed to be here."

After a quick breakfast, which Bella insisted on cooking despite my protests, we were back upstairs. Alice whisked Bella off to the bathroom, loading her down with expensive shampoos, conditioners, and other various hair products before she went. I was pretty sure Bella hadn't listened to one word of the detailed instructions on what she was supposed to do with each bottle so it would be interesting to see how that turned out.

Rosalie was already in her bridesmaid's gown, awaiting me, and as soon I re-entered the room she helped zip me into the beautiful pink bridesmaid gown that matched hers. Then she sat me down to brush out my hair and then fasten a bit of it back with a silver hair clip. After that, she carefully applied just a slight amount of makeup to my face. I had to admit that I was touched by her attention. I didn't quite understand why she was so tolerant of me. At home, I couldn't seem to keep myself from following her around like a pet dog, constantly waiting for the moment that she'd turn on me and tell me to stop bothering her, but so far, it hadn't come. It was funny how that had worked out. Before I had ever come here, when the Cullens were nothing more but a story to me, I had always thought Alice would be the one I'd relate to the most, the one I'd want to hang out with. Not that I didn't adore Alice - it would have been impossible not to - but with Rosalie, I felt like I could be myself in a way that I couldn't be with anyone else. Odd that I could feel that way about someone who had once wanted to kill me.

Rosalie didn't worry over me like Esme, or tiptoe around my feelings the way Alice and Bella sometimes did. She just seemed to naturally believe that I could handle whatever she or the rest of the world threw at me, and I had to admit, that was reassuring. If someone like her, who had been around for so long and been through much, much worse than I had, could believe that I was strong enough to make it through the darkest places, then it seemed idiotic, almost disrespectful, to not believe in myself.

"We should re-do your nails." Rosalie said suddenly, looking at my hands with a frown. "You've been picking at the polish."

I smiled guiltily. "Sorry." I said, and then looked at the bottles of nail polish on the dresser. "How about the red?"

"That's too dark for you." Rosalie objected. "Why don't we do another coat of the pink instead?"

"But I like the red." I protested as I reached for it. At the same time, Rosalie reached out for the pearly pink polish next to it and our hands collided. Her fingers bumped into the red bottle and it tipped over, spilling a flood of crimson first onto my palm and then onto the dresser.

"Now look what you've done." Rosalie's voice sounded above me but I was staring at my stained hand. "I'm going to get some paper towels."

I'd barely noticed that she left. My eyes were stuck to the splash of scarlet on my skin. It was too familiar, that splotch of red. It reminded me too much of - I closed my eyes as the images came back in horribly vivid detail...

"Elisa? Are you alright?" My eyes flew open as Bella's voice floated toward me from the other side of the room. She'd come in from the shower without me noticing, and stood there now in her robe as Alice combed some clear gel through her wet hair. Instantly, my fingers closed around my palm, hiding the stain from her. Bella had enough on her mind right now and the last thing she needed was me dumping my mental defects on her. So I forced a false note of cheer into my voice and did exactly what I had done the night before when she'd asked me if I'd had a bad dream.

I lied.

"I'm fine." I forced a weak smile but I could feel that my expression was far shakier than I would like. "Just a little accident. I need to wash my hands." With that, I rushed past her and out of the room, nearly bumping into Rosalie who was on her way back inside with a roll of paper towels. With barely an apology, I ran down the hallway to the bathroom.

Closing my hand over the wet nail polish had been a bad idea. My fingers were nearly glued to my palm and I had to force my hand to re-open. It took me several minutes of scrubbing to remove all traces of the nail polish from my skin but even then I kept washing my hands over and over until the skin was red and raw looking. It wasn't enough. I could still feel it, the coats of sticky, warm blood that had covered my flesh in my dreams last night...why wouldn't it go away? I couldn't fight the fear anymore. For a second I just stood that, letting it wash over me, clinging to the sink for support. I knew my breath was coming in gasps but I couldn't help it. All I could see before me was the guilty girl covered in Bella's blood.

It was going to be all my fault... I didn't know where the words came from, or why they stayed in my mind like a tape looping the same phrase over and over, but it wouldn't leave my head.

"Knock it off, Elisa." I grumbled softly to myself. "This is hardly the day or time for your psycho meltdown. It was a stupid nightmare and that's it. Get over it already."

"Elisa!" Rosalie's voice sounded outside the door. "Hurry up in there!"

"I'll be right out!" I called back, hoping my voice sounded normal. Apparently it did not, because there was a pause, and then Rosalie spoke again, her voice more subdued now. "Is everything OK?"

"It's - " my voice was coming out choked and I quietly cleared my throat, trying again. "It's fine; I was just worried that I had gotten nail polish on my dress." As I spoke, I stared at myself in the mirror, forcing the anxious expression to leave my eyes. I practiced a few quick smiles until they weren't entirely fake looking anymore, then plastered one on and opened the door.

"All done!" I told Rosalie brightly. "Sorry about that - I'm a klutz."

Rosalie smiled back, looking relieved. "We'll do the red nail polish if you really want it."

I shuddered. "No - I changed my mind. The pink goes better with everything." Plus I never wanted that shade of red near my hands again. I shivered slightly as I thought that, and Rosalie noticed. Her eyes darkened as she took in my expression. "Elisa, what's going on?"

I paused, then looked at her with a deliberate frown. Her eyebrow arched and I let myself pout slightly. "It's just that..." I sighed heavily. "Here I was, thinking I actually looked decent for once, but compared to you I feel like a broken piece of glass on display next to a diamond." As I looked at her, I realized how true that was. We were dressed identically, but in comparison to her stunning beauty, I felt like the plainest of Janes.

"Elisa!" Rosalie looked torn between flattery and exasperation. She shook her head, smiling. "Thank you, but you look absolutely adorable."

"Oh great." I rolled my eyes. "What am I, five?"

Rosalie laughed now. "Is there another adjective you'd prefer?"

"Alluring...sexy...unforgettable...anything but adorable! I am so tired of being cute. It's just another way of saying I'm short and I look too young." My pout was real now.

"You have plenty of time for alluring and sexy, Elisa." Rosalie's voice took on a mildly chastising tone now. "Don't be in such a hurry to grow up. The time goes so much faster than you realize...be innocent while you can." Suddenly, her eyes were stark.

At that precise moment there was a knock at the door. "Angela and Jessica!" I burst out, relieved at the distraction. With an apologetic look at Rosalie, I rushed past her and down the stairs, beating Chief Swan to the front door. He looked relieved to be able to return to the television in the living room without having to deal with more overly emotional females.

"Hey, you guys!" I opened the door to see Jessica and Angela standing there, a bit odd looking in full makeup and elaborately coiffed hairstyles coupled with the casual sweats both were wearing. After Alice had had a vision of Jessica showing up in a stained and wrinkled bridesmaid gown, she'd insisted on keeping all the dresses with her until the day of the ceremony. They were upstairs now, ready to wear.

I ushered them into the hallway and then we exchanged quick hugs. I had been surprised at how well I'd been able to get along with Bella's friends in the short time that I had known them, especially Jessica. I found her far more tolerable then I'd expected to - maybe it was because she reminded me a bit of Rae.

"How is Bella?" Angela asked as we parted.

"Uh..." I winced. "Maybe you both should come see for yourself."

I led the two of them upstairs and into Bella's bedroom. She didn't even seem to notice their arrival. Her eyes were closed as Alice carefully dusted eyeshadow across her lids but her mouth was in constant motion.

"Alice, is there any particular reason why there is a limousine parked in front of my house?" Her voice was deceivingly calm but there was a tone of strain in it that hinted at an explosion. I had a feeling that was just the latest in a long line of complaints that Alice had been forced to endure in the last few minutes.

"Would you have preferred a pumpkin coach?" Alice said innocently as she put down the eyeshadow palette and reached for an eyeliner pencil. She sighed as Bella's glower refused to soften. "We have to get to the house somehow. It's not a big deal - don't get dramatic on me again."

Bella grumbled something undoubtedly unpleasant under her breath and Jessica made a face. "Isn't this supposed to be the happiest day of her life? Because she seems awfully...cranky." She stage whispered to us - loudly enough for the whole room to hear her.

I had to agree with that, but my natural instinct to defend Bella jumped to the forefront as usual. "She's just nervous - she'll be fine."

Alice turned Bella towards us. "Aren't you going to say hi to Angela and Jessica?"

"Oh, you're both here!" Bella blushed lightly. "I'm sorry, you guys - I'm just...stressed." She smiled weakly and allowed both of them to hug her.

Alice gave an anxious look at her watch and then gestured at Angela and Jessica hurriedly. "Your dresses are hanging over there. Hurry up and get dressed - it's later than I thought and Bella's only half-ready." Her voice held all the world weariness of an overworked general trying to summon a reluctant troop to battle.

Soon, Angela and Jessica were ready. Once they were done, all of us had nothing to do but focus on Bella's preparations. Bella sat rigidly on a chair in nothing but her slip, eyes squeezed tightly shut as we gathered around. Alice combed through her thick dark hair, blow drying it lightly. Whatever she had made Bella put in it worked nothing short of a miracle. Of course, Bella had always had pretty hair but now it shone as gloriously as any shampoo model's, and hung perfectly straight, every curl combed out, gleaming around her shoulders as Alice brushed it out one more time. We watched in awe as Alice's skilled hands worked, and the room was nearly silent except for an occasional request for a curling iron or hairspray. It was almost like watching a world renowned surgeon perform the most delicate of operations.

Nearly an hour of combing, gelling, twisting, and clipping later, Alice turned Bella to face us. "Don't look yet!" She insisted as Bella turned toward the mirror. "First, the pièce de résistance... " With that, she reached for the garment bag next to her and unzipped it, pulling out Bella's wedding gown. Bella closed her eyes once again as Alice helped her into it, then gently turned her back towards the mirror. "Alright, Bella...open your eyes!"

Gasps of admiration filled the room as we took in the elegant twist of her hair, her perfectly applied makeup, the perfect porcelain of her skin. At this moment, I could not imagine anyone more beautiful on this planet then Bella Swan. Next to me, Jessica was nearly turning green with jealousy. Even Rosalie's face held a hint of envy. I know mine did as well, but at the same time my heart was filled with happiness at the sight of her. She looked exactly like a bride should look on her wedding day.

Bella herself was staring at her own reflection in the mirror as if she didn't recognize the face staring back. "I don't believe it." She finally whispered. "Alice, you are a miracle worker!"

Alice made a dismissive gesture. "Nonsense, Bella...I just had good material to work with." They beamed at each other for a moment then Alice looked at her watch once more and dismay filled her face. "Shoot! Let's get this show on the road, you guys...we have a wedding to get to!"

--

"OK, Charlie, are you ready?" Alice uncovered his eyes as Bella struck a self-conscious pose at the top of the staircase. Alice had dragged a tuxedo clad Charlie to the bottom of the stairs for the first glimpse of his daughter in her wedding dress. For a moment Chief Swan just stared as Bella carefully made her way down the stairs, carefully holding the skirt of her dress up so it wouldn't drag across the ground. As he watched her descend, his eyes widened and then filled with emotion.

"Bells, you look...you're all grown up. You look just like your mother." His voice was hoarse.

"Thanks, Dad." Bella had reached the bottom of the staircase now, and she smiled at her father, lightly touching his lapel. "You look very debonair yourself." She blinked rapidly, then turned towards the rest of us, giving us a nervous look. "Do you guys mind giving us a minute?"

"Oh uh - " Chief Swan's face suddenly mirrored the panicked expression Bella had been wearing for most of the morning. "Actually, I uh - well, I think I left the back door unlocked. Let me go check it and then we'll head on out." With that, he hurried out of the room.

Bella looked indignant at his rapid exit. "Did you see that? He's completely avoiding me! How unfair is that? I'm the one who's supposed to be ducking the emotional father/daughter wedding day talk, not him!"

Alice chuckled, and then sighed. "It's understandable, though." She murmured quietly. "He's putting it off because he knows at some point he's going to have to say goodbye."

"Yes." Angela said suddenly, and I was surprised by the way her eyes slid to Bella. "Goodbye is truly such a difficult thing to say. Especially when -" She stopped speaking. "Well, you all know what I mean." She finished weakly, but I had the strangest feeling that's not what she had meant to say.

For a moment there was silence between the five of us as we waited in the hallway for Chief Swan to return. Then there was a quiet intake of breath. "Somebody's here." Alice said abruptly. Jessica and Angela both looked surprised by her sudden pronouncement and I noticed the perturbed expression on Alice's face as she realized how much she'd let her guard down. "I heard a car pull up." she explained smoothly, her voice so matter of fact that her words were accepted by them without any further question, but I saw Angela's eyes flick to Alice this time with that same inscrutable expression on her face that she'd had moments ago when she looked at Bella.

At that moment we all heard a door slam and the sound of a vehicle speeding off abruptly. Bella hurried past us to the front door and pulled it open. Just over the threshhold, she stopped abruptly. Slightly alarmed now, I hurried past her, dimly aware that the others were following me, anxious to see what had stopped her short like that.

Just past the porch, on the walk, was a man with long, gray streaked black hair pulled back into a pony tail. The stranger had weatherbeaten brown skin, and sharp black eyes that were fixed on Bella with a resigned expression as he looked over her wedding finery. He wore a neat, if somewhat old fashioned brown suit - and sat in a wheelchair. With a sudden gasp that I swallowed back I realized who he was - Billy Black. Jacob Black's father.

For a moment, awkward silence reigned as he and Bella surveyed each other. Then he cleared his throat. "Well, look at you, little Isabella."

"Billy." Bella finally managed to speak, but her voice sounded croaky. "This is a surprise."

"Shouldn't be that much of one." Billy crossed his arms, looking mildly insulted. "Did you really think I'd let my best friend's little girl get married without me?"

Bella's eyes were looking alarmingly damp. "And...Jacob?" She whispered after a moment as the rest of us stood there listening. I saw Jessica's eyes widen at that, as she finally realized who our surprise visitor was, and I groaned silently. At least Bella wouldn't be around to hear the gossip that Jessica was sure to spread about this little incident.

Billy cleared his throat again, looking even more uncomfortable now. "He's gone, Bella."

"Gone?" Bella choked out, turning so white that I hurried to her side, worried she was going to pass out on us.

"Been gone for a while. He took off right after he got your wedding invitation."

Oh, crap! Crap, crap, crap...why did he have to go and say that?! I stared with a sinking heart as Bella's face turned from white to purple in a heartbeat. "I didn't send him a wedding invitation!" She gasped out. I closed my eyes at her words, praying that Mr. Black would realize the damage he'd just done and not say anything else. There was still a chance I could take the blame for this one and Edward would never have to be brought into it at all.

My hopes were dashed when Billy spoke again. "Your fiance did. Along with a letter." His voice was flat, but I detected a hint of censure behind the words and it was enough to make me grit my teeth as I silently cursed him. I desperately wanted to push him into traffic at that moment, wheelchair and all.

"Letter?!" I didn't think Bella could turn any more colors, but I was wrong. "What did it say?"

Billy shrugged. "I dunno. Never got the chance to ask him. Like I said, he left. Hasn't been back since. He's OK, from what I'm told, but..." He let his voice trail off.

Bella's mouth opened and closed but no words came out. She looked completely thunderstruck. I exchanged alarmed looks with Angela. Jessica was just staring, open-mouthed, no doubt putting all the pieces of what she considered a very scandalous puzzle together. Alice and Rosalie, meantime, was glaring at Billy Black over my shoulder, probably having thoughts much like mine of what they'd like to do to him at the moment. It would have been nice if he'd looked the least bit shamefaced, but as he took in Bella's expression, a smirk curved his lips. "Aw, you didn't know? Sheesh, that's too bad. Hope I haven't caused any problems between you and your - uh...husband to be." He looked positively delighted at the idea.

"Your concern is touching." Alice hissed and I threw her a warning look. It would be completely bad form if the wedding planner ate one of the guests before the ceremony, even if he totally deserved it.

For someone who knew exactly what Alice and Rosalie were and what they were capable of, Billy Black seemed remarkably unconcerned as he sat there in his wheelchair, ignoring their glares. His smile was positively gleeful now and I hated him at that moment with a white hot fury. Whether he was angry on behalf of his son or not, he was an incredibly insensitive jerk. How could he dump this on Bella on her wedding day??

My infuriated thoughts were interrupted as Charlie came out on the porch and let out a surprised cry as he saw his friend. "I'll be goshdarned...Billy! I didn't think you'd come!" He hurried down the steps and over to his friend, slapping him on the back.

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world." Billy was still grinning and I wanted to kick him so badly that my foot tingled inside my shoe.

"How did you get here?" Charlie looked around as if expecting to see someone with Billy - probably Jacob, I realized, and my heart ached for Bella, despite my earlier annoyance with her.

"Seth Clearwater dropped me off." Billy explained.

"Why didn't he stay?" Charlie looked confused. "He was invited to the wedding too, you know."

Billy looked uncomfortable now. "Yeah, and he wanted to go too, but uh...some people had other ideas." He gave Bella another look that made it clear she should know what he meant by that. I understood instantly too - Sam Uley had forbidden Seth to attend. I was so glad once again that I hadn't gone to La Push when he and Emily asked me - I could only imagine the monster tantrum I'd have thrown if they'd tried to forbid me from attending Bella and Edward's wedding.

"Would have been nice if he'd said hi anyway, at least." Charlie muttered, still looking bewildered.

Billy shrugged. "Seth, uh - knew you had company." His eyes traveled to Alice, and Rosalie now. "Didn't want to interrupt, I guess." He gave Bella another look and his voice was reluctant now as he continued. "He did ask me to tell you and Edward congratulations though." That was nice. At least one of them was capable of remembering their manners, I thought to myself bitterly.

"We really should go." Alice was speaking with a clenched jaw as she put a protective arm around Bella's shoulder. "Come on, Bella, get in the limo." I saw with a sinking heart that Bella didn't look like she was about to cry anymore - she looked absolutely furious. Oh no...Edward was in for it now. Why did this have to happen today of all days?

Angela looked hesitantly over at Billy. "Would you like to ride in the limousine with us, Mr. Black?" Her voice was polite, but Rosalie threw her a reproving look over her shoulder. Billy Black looked like he'd rather swallow acid then ride in such close proximity to a bunch of vampires, which was just fine with me. I didn't see any other options for getting him to the wedding though, and apparently by the look on his face, neither did he until Charlie spoke up.

"Actually, ladies..." He looked at his watch. "It's a little early yet...I really don't want to be getting underfoot while you're finishing getting ready." He scratched his head. "Why don't you all go on ahead? Billy and I will catch up here and then I'll take him over in my car."

"Works for me!" Alice said brightly. "Come on, let's go, you guys."

As Charlie moved behind Billy to help him maneuver his chair up the slight step to the porch, Alice practically dragged Bella to the car. The limousine driver opened the door, expressionless, and Alice nearly shoved Bella inside and then climbed in after her. The rest of us did the same.

As the door slammed shut, I forced myself to look at Bella's face, waiting for the explosion. We didn't have to wait long. "How dare he! How could Edward do this?!" She burst out as the limo began moving. Jessica and Angela looked shocked. Clearly, they'd never seen her temper so blatantly on display before.

"Bella - " Alice and I began to speak at the same time, but she wasn't listening.

"He promised me! It was all I asked of him, and he promised! Now look what I've done to Jacob - again!" She stared at us, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "Did you hear Billy? Jacob's been gone for weeks, out who knows where by himself! Because of me!" She took a deep breath, seeming unable to go on for a moment.

"Bella, please don't be angry with Edward." I blurted out. "I know it was a stupid thing to do, but he didn't mean for it to turn out like this. He just - " I stopped speaking, instantly realizing my mistake as Bella shot me a burning look.

"You knew about this, Elisa?" Her voice was dangerous and I shrank back into my seat.

"Um...yes?" I cringed slightly. "I'm sorry. I guess I should have said something but Edward - " Shut up, Elisa! I snapped at myself angrily, but it was too late.

"Edward told you not to tell me." Bella finished. "That's just wonderful. Who else knew about this?" She sent a glare around the limousine and then her eyes zoomed in on Alice. "Unbelievable. Thanks so much, both of you."

Alice exchanged a guilty look with me and then turned back to Bella, her face apologetic. "Listen, Bella, we are so - "

"No, it's alright." The words were benign but Bella bit them off as if they tasted bad in her mouth. "I'm not mad. I can't be mad. It's my wedding day. Everything is just fine." She forced the fakest looking smile I'd ever seen on to her face. "This was just a little lapse in judgement is all, a minor bump in the road. I'm over it. Totally over it." I think if her fingernails had been digging any harder into her palms she would have been bleeding.

Alice tried again but the look on Bella's face stopped her short. "I said I'm fine! Now can we drop it and just be...happy?" She glared at us all ferociously.

"Well, with a little ray of sunshine like you to guide us, how can our hearts not be filled with joy?" Rosalie said sweetly, looking at Bella's stormy expression. Beside me, Jessica giggled and I had to stare down at my shoes to keep my own face straight, even as bad as I felt for both Bella and Edward.

The next several minutes of the limo ride was silent and tense. Bella stared stonily out the window, her profile cold. Occasionally she muttered under her breath, and the few phrases I caught were not reassuring. "Can't believe he'd pull something like this...completely surrounded by Judas's...can't trust anyone..." Every time I shot her an alarmed look though, she'd plaster on that terrifying grin again and mumble about how great everything was.

"I think she's losing it." Jessica whispered loudly to us after about the fifth or sixth time that happened. "She's so going to have a screaming meltdown and leave Edward at the altar." Her eyes sparkled at the thought of being witness to such high drama.

"Jessica, please don't make me push you out of a moving vehicle." I hissed back through clenched teeth. My heart sank further though as I contemplated her words. This was not how this day was supposed to go. It was supposed to be magical - perfect, and now the bride had gone from being an irritable, nervous wreck to a potentially homicidal nervous wreck in a matter of minutes. It was a good thing vampires weren't really stakeable, because if there were Edward would be at serious risk of ending up as a big pile of dust.

Frankly, I was a bit bewildered by the strength of Bella's reaction. I had known all along that she would be upset if she'd found out what Edward had done, but I had never imagined the revelation would be this catastrophic. I snuck another worried peek at her profile and then another emotion surged in me, as hard as I tried to suppress it. Resentment. Really, what was her problem? Didn't she know that she had everything? A fiance who loved her more than life itself, family, friends, a father to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day...

Jealous tears pressed against my eyelids as I thought about it, and I realized belatedly that I was no longer thinking about her anymore. I was thinking about me, and everything this day kept reminding me that I'd lost. Even if I ever found someone who loved me a tenth as much as Edward loved Bella, I'd never have what she had. My father would never get to tear up at the sight of me in my wedding dress or walk me down the aisle, and I was so envious of her at that moment that I wanted to rip her hair out every single time she scowled. Stupid, spoiled Bella...she had no idea just how much she had, how much I would have loved to have been in her shoes right now.

Shame immediately followed my petty thoughts and my anger turned inward. How could I have thought such mean things about Bella, even for a second? Had she ever been anything but kind and welcoming to me? Well, except for maybe today, but exceptions had to be made for life altering events and the stress they caused. No, I was the heinous troll in this scenario. I deserved to choke on my own petty bitterness - some friend I was. Some bridesmaid I was, for that matter - catty, unsupportive, bitter, spiteful... I was even worse than Billy Busybody Black, the bomb dropper, because I was supposed to be on her side.

Unconsciously, I sighed, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Rosalie turn to look at me. Just as quickly, she turned to Bella and spoke, her voice accusing. "Now look at what you have accomplished with all your ridiculous sulking. You made Elisa cry!'

"What?" I gasped as everyone turned to look at me. "No, she - " As I spoke, I touched my face. It was damp. Darn it...I was crying. How totally humiliating. "It's not her fault!" I choked as I met Bella's horrified gaze. "It's just that I - I mean...well, I wanted so badly for everything to be perfect and now it's just a mess." I sniffled loudly, embarrassing myself further.

"Elisa, nothing is a mess." Bella's voice was calmer now and everyone turned back to her. "I'm so sorry that I overreacted and upset you. Listen, I owe all of you an apology." She took a deep breath. "I know I've been a brat all morning. I really didn't mean to take my anxiety out on any of you. Especially you, Alice." She turned to Alice and smiled. "You all have done so much for me and I am more grateful than I've let any of you know. I should have said it much sooner than this, and I'm so sorry for that."

There was an immediate chorus of voices as everyone except Rosalie chimed in to assure Bella that none of us had held a grudge at all. She was smiling at us much more whole-heartedly now, but it didn't quite touch her eyes and I had to wonder how upset she really still was. Mentally crossing my fingers, I hoped that it was something that would pass quickly.

As we quieted down again, and the limo turned onto the long drive through the forest that would take us to the house, Rosalie suddenly sat forward. "Bella?" Her voice was oddly hesitant and I saw the surprise in Bella's face as she turned to her. Rosalie hesitated for a fraction of a second and then plunged ahead. "I realize this may not be the best time, but I don't know how many more opportunities you and I will have to speak so I wanted to say something. I wanted to...apologize. Not for what I said a few minutes ago but for these past few months. I made a promise to you that I would not be so horrible to you anymore and I haven't kept it. I know I haven't been very supportive of..." Her eyes traveled warily to Jessica and Angela and she seemed to choose her words very carefully. "...of certain choices that you're making and I can't take back how I feel about them, but if you are truly set on your path then..." She sighed heavily, then shrugged. "Well, I did my best, and I'll just have to make my peace with that. I hope in the future we'll have a chance to really get to know each other, if I haven't put you off of that idea too much. I know I may not be the easier of sisters to have, but I think you'll find eventually that I do have my good points." She smiled now, a girlish, mischievous smile and then extended a flawless white hand. "Truce?"

Bella looked absolutely astounded for a moment, and then the smile she gave Rosalie transformed her face as she extended her own hand and their fingers met. "Truce. Thank you. And I really do look forward to getting to know you too, Rosalie." They looked at each other for a long moment, and then the limousine come to a stop.

--

A few minutes later, we were safely upstairs in Alice's bedroom. Esme had been waiting for us, but we hadn't seen anyone else at all, except for the caterers that were setting up. I knew Alice had threatened Edward with painful dismemberment if he did not stay out of his bride's way until the ceremony, so I assumed he'd found his own safe haven somewhere around the house, and his brothers and Carlisle were most likely keeping him company. I couldn't wait to see how very overjoyed and excited he must be right now, but as a member of the bridal party it seemed rather treasonous to sneak over to their Boys' Town and try to say hi. I'd just have to be patient.

Esme was gushing over Bella now, her face deeply emotional as she surveyed her daughter to be. Alice, in the meantime, was on the phone with the DJ, who'd apparently gotten lost and had somehow ended up on the other side of town. She rolled her eyes as she patiently directed him. Rosalie was leaning against the wall, her face distracted as Jessica dragged Angela to the window to point out arriving guests. For the moment, I just stood there, feeling slightly out of place. This hurry up and wait feeling was unnerving...I just wished it was time for the ceremony to start already.

Alice's face suddenly went blank and she stopped speaking. I saw Bella and the others shoot her a puzzled glance. Then her eyes returned to life again and immediately sought me out. "Elisa, I need you to do something for me. A - " her eyes shifted to Bella and then back again " - package has arrived and it's vital that you don't let it leave. It's in the driveway now - hurry!" The urgency in her voice didn't allow me to question her further, as confused as I was by her instructions. Must be some kind of surprise for the bride, I thought to myself as I rushed out of the room, down the staircase, and into the now waning light. Running now, I dashed down the porch steps and across the brilliant green grass, ignoring the startled expressions of a few of the caterers and early arriving guests.

Once at the paved drive, I paused to catch my breath as I looked around, expecting to see a delivery van or someting similiar about to pull away. There wasn't one though - the only vehicles there were the catering truck that had been there since we'd arrived and a crowd of parked cars - it must not have been early as I thought because the guests were arriving in spades. I wondered if I'd missed this mystery arrival already or if I was supposed to wait. Would have been nice if Alice could have given me a few more clues.

As I stood there, wondering what to do now, a couple walked past me, talking in low, stressed tones. I paid little attention to them at first until I realized they were walking away from the house, apparently back to their car. I half-turned towards them, wondering if they'd been misdirected or perhaps one of them had been taken ill, when their voices caught my ear.

"I think you're going to regret this. Baby, we've come all this way. Do you really want to leave?" The man, a blandly handsome specimen that barely looked thirty, was asking the woman as they walked.

"Yes - no - I don't know, Phil! I told her over and over that I didn't approve and I wasn't coming! Bella's probably furious with me by now. I can't just crash her wedding after all those weeks of silent treatment - what could I possibly say to her? Plus I'm not really dressed...no, we don't belong here. Let's just go." As she spoke, she smoothed a self conscious hand over her mildly wrinkled cream colored pantsuit. Clearly, they'd been on the road for a while.

A low gasp parted my lips as I stared at the speaker. She was an attractive brunette with shoulder length hair, probably in her mid to late thirties, with a strikingly familiar face. It had to be Renee! Bella's mother - the one who'd sworn up and down that wild horses (or apparently, angry vampires) wouldn't drag her to Bella's wedding in a million years. Clearly, something had changed. Excitement coursed through me and I hurried forward to block their path.

"Oh my gosh! You must be Mrs. - " I suddenly realized I didn't know Phil's last name and I was pretty sure he wouldn't take kindly to me calling her Mrs. Swan. " - Renee! And Phil!" I finished, a trifle lamely. "We didn't think you were coming! This is so great - Bella's going to be totally thrilled to see you!" As I spoke, I deliberately eased myself between them and then, taking an arm from each of them, linked the three of us together. "Let me take you to her."

Renee looked stunned and a little perturbed as I turned them around and began to march them towards the house. On the other side of me, Phil just seemed very amused. I saw him shoot her a 'looks like we're stuck now' look over my head and I suppressed my smile. How very right he was. I knew I was being embarrassingly forward but I understood clearly now what Alice had meant, and I would do anything to prevent them leaving, including throwing myself in front of their car if they tried to drive off.

"Well, um, we weren't exactly sure that we - " Renee cut herself off as we walked, seeming to realize that she wasn't getting out of this now. Instead she shot me another confused look. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't introduce myself." I blushed lightly. "I'm Elisa J - Cullen." It was the first time I'd used my new name and the realization brought a small lump to my throat. I looked at the golden bracelet that was always on my wrist now for a few seconds before I continued. "I'm Dr. Cullen's niece." I added, because she was still looking at me oddly.

"Really? Another one?" Renee raised her eyebrows.

I giggled lamely. "Well, we Cullens breed like...I don't know, some kind of animal that spawns a lot." Suddenly, it was hard for me to concentrate on what I was saying. We'd just passed a distant strand of trees at the very edge of the forest and there was something... I twisted my head to look back as a strong feeling of being watched coursed through me.

"Renee! Phil!" I was distracted from my brief lapse into paranoia by Esme's voice. She was coming down the porch towards us now, arms outstretched and a bright welcoming smile on her lovely face. She reached us and I gratefully let go of my captive guests. "I know we've never met, but you met my husband back in Phoenix last year. I'm Esme Cullen." Understanding lit Renee's face and she gracefully accepted Esme's hug.

"I'm so sorry to just show up without RSVP'ing and I know I'm a mess but - " Renee's nervous titter died away as Esme waved a dismissive hand.

"You're here, and that's all that matters. We are absolutely delighted to have you, believe me. Now, I'm sure that you want to see Bella right away, but my daughter Alice has insisted that I bring you to her first. May I?"

"Of course." Renee and Phil looked a bit confounded, but they acquiesced gracefully and began to follow Esme into the house.

"Elisa?" Esme turned back to me. "Aren't you coming?"

I looked away from the trees and forced a calm expression on my face. "I'll be right there. There's um...something I have to do."

Distracted by her new guests, Esme didn't seem to notice the note of apprehension in my voice, and the three of them disappeared into the house. I stayed where I was for a moment, wondering if I'd really just seen what I thought. Something massive had moved in those trees, something that I couldn't quite make out, but after last night, I had more than just suspicions of what - no, who - it was. Jacob Black may have gone off to lick his wounds, and I did mean that literally, but he was back now - with a vengeance.

Annoyance coursed through me. If he wanted to come to Bella's wedding, why couldn't he just walk in openly like every other guest? Why was he being all stealthy, lurking in the woods, first at Bella's house and now here? Was he planning something?

I clenched my jaw angrily. The wedding ceremony was starting in less than an hour now, and if anyone thought they were going to do one more thing to mess it up, well - they were going to have to go through me first. I'd had just about enough of Black family interference, and it looked like it was up to me to prevent any more of it.

I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath, wondering if I was really about to do this. Then I thought of Edward and Bella and my resolve firmed. I owed them, especially Bella. Turning, I stalked towards the woods.

Bella:

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find

You and I collide...

'Collide', Howie Day

"What's taking them so long?" I wondered as I paced back and forth across the floor. Elisa had been gone for more than twenty minutes now, and Esme, then Alice, had abruptly departed the room a few minutes after she had. Despite my pointed questioning, Alice had refused to tell me what was in this mystery package she'd sent Elisa after, which only made me more nervous...something it was becoming harder and harder to believe was possible. Looking up, I stared at the clock on Alice's wall. Forty five minutes to go. Resisting the urge to bite my nails, I resumed pacing.

"Bella, you're driving me crazy!" Jessica watched me as I walked. "Why don't you sit down for a minute?"

"I can't." I confessed, my feet retracing my well-trodden path. If I sat down and thought of anything but putting one foot in front of the other, I'd fall apart. Just the thought of walking out there, facing all those people - I was trying to stop being such a brat about it all and keep up a brave front but every tick of the clock was like the tick of a time bomb, counting down to my doom. I was going to fall on my face. No, I was going to throw up in front of everyone, and then fall on my face. And quite possibly follow that with crying and fainting, just to give it that special sense of ultra humiliation.

"Bella, do you want me to get you anything?" Rosalie had been staring out the window, probably at the arriving guests, but now she turned to me. "A drink or something to snack on while you wait?"

My stomach quivered at the thought and I shook my head violently. It would be much better to have an empty stomach for the inevitable public dry-heaving.

Rosalie moved next to me and patted my shoulder, slightly awkwardly. "Just relax, Bella. It's going to be over before you know it." She looked at the door and then back at me. "Esme and Alice should be back any minute. I'm going to greet a few of our guests and making sure that everything is going according to plan. I won't be long. Will you be alright?"

"Sure, Rosalie." I said, but as I spoke Jessica let out a shriek, making us all jump.

She had taken Rosalie's place at the window and now she pointed out it, smiling hugely. "Mike's here!" Hurriedly, she pushed the window open and stuck her head out of it. "Mike! It's Jessica!" Her voice was loud enough that they probably heard her in Port Angeles. Pulling herself back inside, she looked at me. "I'm going to run down and say hi to him real quick - I'll be right back, I promise!" Without waiting for a response, she dashed past us and out the door. Rosalie shook her head and then followed.

"I think Jessica's still feeling very nostalgic these days. She's all about reliving old times." Angela chuckled quietly and then looked my way. "Well, it looks like it's just you and me." Angela looked at me. "How are you doing, Bella? I mean, really?"

"I - " I stopped pacing. "I don't know. I'm just...I'm such a mess." I sighed. "I'm excited, but I'm terrified and I'm worried that I'm going to screw it all up and - "

"And you're upset about Jacob still." Angela finished my sentence.

I sighed. "I know I shouldn't be but you're right...I am." I stared blindly for a moment. All I could see in front of me was the look on Jacob's face the last time I saw him, the day I'd said goodbye. I thought that was the worst that I could ever do to him but to know that he'd had to hold my wedding invitation, read my name linked with Edward's, mocking him, like salt rubbed into a mortal wound. And Edward had done that...

Anger surged in me once more and for a moment I tensed as it washed over me, then I made a concentrated effort to fight it back. "I can't...I can't talk about this anymore." I rubbed my lace covered arms lightly. "Let's change the subject, please."

Angela nodded slowly. For several long moments we stood in silence, then to my surprise she turned and began to pace the floor exactly as I had minutes before. I watched her in confusion. "Everything alright, Angela?"

"Of course." She turned back to me with a smile. "It's just that...well, I was trying to put this off, I suppose, but this is as good of a time as any to say it. I'm going to miss you so much, Bella."

"Oh." I was surprised by the sudden seriousness of her tone. There was something in her face that made a tingle run up my spine, but I ignored the abrupt wariness that was trying to surge within me and searched for a casual tone.

"You're coming back to Forks on school breaks though, right? And I'm sure I'll visit, Angela. New Hampshire isn't exactly on the other side of the world." I hoped she didn't hear the nervousness in my laughter.

"No, it's not." Angela agreed quietly, still staring out the window. "But you're going so much further, aren't you?" She turned now and looked at me for a long moment as I stared at her in confusion, then began pacing again. Her next words were hesitant, careful, as if she was saying something she knew she shouldn't be. "Bella, if I ask you something, will you give me an honest answer?"

I frowned in confusion. "Of course."

"OK then." Angela's eyes were still fixed on mine. "Am I ever going to see you again, Bella? Really?"

Despite the warnings being shrieked in my head, I couldn't keep up the pretense, not while her far too insightful eyes were studying me so closely. Angela deserved better than that. She deserved an honest answer, after sticking with me through everything. "No." I whispered.

Angela nodded, seeming unsurprised, but I saw the sudden sheen in her eyes as she spoke again. "I knew that. I've known it for a long time." She sent me a shaky smile. "I won't pretend that I understand what it means. I won't even pretend that I want to know, because I don't. I just wanted you to realize that you didn't have to be afraid to tell me goodbye. Whatever is going on, it doesn't change anything for me. I've always been your friend, Bella, from the moment I met you. I was your friend even when you didn't realize it, when Edward was the only person you could see, and then when he was gone and you just looked right through me every day like I didn't exist. I never stopped caring about you, not once. And I will never forget you, no matter what. I just wish we'd had more time."

"Me too." My voice was still hushed. "I'm sorry I wasted so much of it."

Angela shook her head, then crossed the room to me then and put her hands on my shoulders. "Are you happy, Bella? Truly? Do you know in your heart that you've made the right choice, whatever that may be?"

I nodded, blinking away more unexpected tears. I couldn't trust my voice to speak at the moment, but I knew she could read the sincerity in my smile.

"Good. Then no 'I'm sorry's.' No regrets. Just be happy, Bella. It's what you deserve." Angela's eyes were brimming with tears, but her smile was bright.

"I am really going to miss you too, Angela. I'm sorry I wasn't as good of a friend to you as you were to me."

The tears spilled over now, and Angela threw her arms around me. Both of us were sniffling loudly as Alice suddenly breezed back into the room, and then paused as she saw our expressions. "I'm sorry to interrupt..." she said, looking at us with mild concern. "What did I miss?"

"Angela and I were just...getting a bit sentimental I suppose." Angela and I exchanged a final look and for a moment, my heart throbbed painfully. I had underestimated her so much, and I had lost so much time. There was no going back now, and she was right - I couldn't live in regrets. Still, it was a lesson learned - never again would I take for granted the people I cared about. Nor would I fall into the dangerous trap of assuming that everyone around us was so oblivious to the secrets we kept... For Angela was close...far closer than any of us had realized, to figuring it out. It was good that we were leaving now, better for her, for all of us.

I wiped my eyes one last time, thankful for waterproof mascara, and decided this was something I would have to ponder later. Adopting a purposefully bland smile, I looked back at Alice. "Are you going to tell me about this mystery package yet?"

Alice grinned. "Patience, Bella, is a virtue. One that you clearly don't possess." Before I could pelt her with more questions she gazed around the room. "We seem to be missing three of our five bridesmaids still. Where did everyone go?"

I shrugged. "Rosalie needed to step out for a few minutes, Elisa never came back, and Jessica went to say hi to Mike Newton."

Alice rolled her eyes at that. Angela turned towards the door. "I'll go bring Jessica back here and see if I can find Elisa while I'm at it. Be right back!" She hurried from the room.

Alice started to say something else but stopped at the look on my face. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was just wondering..." I shook my head as I thought it over. "When you said five bridesmaids, it reminded me of something. Did you always know that Elisa was coming back?"

Alice thought for a minute. "No, I really didn't. I told you - when she wasn't here, I was completely blind to her. I still don't see her as well as I do the rest of the family, kind of like it was with you in the beginning. But do you remember when she was first here, and Carlisle asked me to try and see how we could get her home? Well, when I looked what I saw was...well, today. Your wedding day. And I saw her here - in a bridesmaid dress. Of course, then she left, and I thought it was just the path she didn't take. I didn't realize it would actually happen."

"Hmm." I thought about that for a moment, and then my face darkened. I turned to Alice, my face accusing. "You. Are. Evil."

"What?" Alice stared at me in confusion.

"You knew all along what color the bridesmaids' dresses were going to be, just what they would look like, and you put me through all that torture trying to pick them! I spent days sorting through fabric samples and enduring the strapless versus straps debate and you knew all along exactly what I was going to end up picking! Is it really that hard to say 'go for the dark pink, Bella?' "

"Dusky rose!" Alice corrected indignantly. "And besides, you could have changed your mind. I just thought you should have the choice, that's all." She grinned mischievously.

"You are SO dead!" Before I could reach for the nearest projectile, Alice was across the room.

"One word, Bella: foresight." Alice snickered at my outraged expression.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You know another word I like a lot, Alice? Revenge. As in, I have eternity to get it."

Alice laughed, but as she took in my expression there was just a faint hint of worry in it. I grinned. "Yes, Alice...be afraid. Be very afraid."

She laughed more whole-heartedly now, but then as she sobered she gave me another intense look. Whatever she saw in my eyes didn't please her. Her expression became serious and thoughtful and she studied me for a long moment as I became more and more self-conscious. "What? Do I have something in my teeth? Do I look terrible in white? Is my hair falling apart? Is - "

Alice raised an eyebrow until I stopped trying to divert her with my rambling and fell silent. "You're still upset." She frowned deeply. "You need to talk to Edward."

My face fell immediately but I tried to pull it back into complacent lines. "I can't." My voice was flat. "You're the one who went on and on about bad luck. I think we've probably tempted fate enough already - imagine the disasters that could occur if you allow the groom to see his bride before the wedding." I gave a mock shudder, hoping she would let it drop.

Alice let out a deliberately exasperated sigh and then waved something silver in front of my face. "Welcome to the 21st century, Bella. Thanks to modern technology, you and Edward can have a nice heart to heart without breaking a single tradition in the process."

Automatically I reached for the cell phone she was offering me then pulled back without touching it. "This isn't necessary. I'm fine. Everything is fine. I'm completely over it." Guilt reached up to grasp me as I lied...badly. I knew I shouldn't be angry with Edward, especially not now, not when we were about to pledge ourselves to each other for eternity. Not when I knew he probably had some undoubtedly noble, unselfish reason for doing what he did...

At that thought, my fists clenched so tightly that my carefully painted fingernails dug into my palms, and I realized finally what really had me so upset, the fear that I knew exactly what his reasons were...and what a betrayal it was if I was right. As Alice read the now clearly unhidden emotions on my face, her own became more concerned. "That's it - you two are talking this out, right now. You can't get married feeling the way you do." She flipped open the phone.

"I'm not - " I turned away from her. "Alice, just give me some time to calm down. I promise, I'll be fine. I just need a little while to think this through on my own."

"Bella, you don't have a lot of time. The ceremony - " Alice gestured helplessly at the clock.

"The wedding will go on as scheduled." I assured her. "I promise."

Alice started to protest again but suddenly her attention was caught by something and she turned to look at the door, her face suddenly torn between irritation and amusement. "Perfect timing." She murmured, more to herself then me, then looked up and smiled. "Your 'package' is here."

I started to ask what that meant but I could hear Esme's voice clearly now. "You look absolutely wonderful!" She was telling someone. The door opened part way and I could see Esme, her back to me as she spoke to someone in the hallway.

"It fits like a dream too - your daughter is a miracle worker! How could she have known my size or even that I was coming?" The voice of the person I still couldn't see sounded, and I froze in place. It couldn't be -

The door opened the rest of the way and Esme came in, beaming. "Bella, someone is here to see you."

"I - " I couldn't do anything but stammer as I saw who was behind her. "Mom?!"

"Bella!" Renee took a step towards me, then stopped, staring at me. Her eyes took in my hair, my makeup, and traveled downwards to observe every detail of my wedding dress. Automatically, I tensed, waiting for an explosion. Instead, her hands slowly went to cover her mouth, but they didn't hide her eyes, which widened and then brimmed over with tears. "Oh, Bella...you look..." she sniffled loudly. "...you look so beautiful! I can't believe I almost missed this!" Then she whirled in a circle, showing me every bit of the lovely sea-green dress she wore. "Maybe it's not too much of a surprise for you though - clearly, your sister in law thought I was coming. Look at what she had for me!"

"Mom, I can't believe you're here!" Relief finally allowed me to unfreeze and I moved towards her hesitantly. "I thought you - I mean, you said that - "

Renee nodded slowly. "I know what I said, Bella." She took a deep breath and wiped her wet cheeks. For a moment, we just stood and looked at each other. I noticed Esme take Alice's hand and then the two of them quickly departed the room, clearly wanting to give us some privacy.

I didn't know what to say as we waited, each for the other one to speak. I was so happy to see her and at the same time I was afraid one word from my mouth would shatter this perfect illusion and it would be back to disappointment and angry ultimatiums once more.

Mom finally spoke. "Bella, you know that I didn't approve."

I nodded hesitantly after it was clear she was waiting for a response from me.

"And I still think - well, you know what? It doesn't matter what I think. It doesn't, because this is what you want, and I never should have assumed that I knew what was best for you when your whole life you were the one who was setting me the example. I should have respected your choice, even if I didn't understand it. I am so sorry I hurt you." She smiled through her tears. "Deep down, I knew this even before I got your letter, but - " she sighed " - you know me. I'm stubborn. After I read what you wrote though...It was such a beautiful letter, Bella. I never would have imagined my reserved, practical daughter could write like that. I never understood just how deep your feelings ran, but I should have, after what I saw between you both when you came to visit. I'm happy for you both, Bella, truly, I am. I am so glad that you have each other."

The tears that welled in my eyes now were far from unhappy ones as she hugged me tightly. "I really didn't think - I was so sure you wouldn't change your mind." As she released me I looked at her. "It means so much that you came. It wouldn't have been the same without you here."

Mom put her hands on my face and just looked at me for a long moment before she spoke again. "Not even one well-deserved word of reproach. You are always so forgiving. I hope Edward knows just how lucky he is to have you." At her words, guilt once again poked at me. If she only knew the tumult going on inside me now...

Renee was speaking again now and I was relieved to let the unwanted thoughts drop as I returned my attention to her. "About your letter, Bella...Have you ever told Edward all of that?"

"Oh." I was annoyed to find myself blushing, knowing that it gave me away even before I spoke. "Maybe not in so many words, but he knows how I feel, of course. Why else would I be dressed like this?" I grinned at her.

"You should tell him, Bella." Renee was not about to be diverted. "They were such beautiful words. I think he deserves to hear them from you."

I blushed more. "He will. You know, later. We have plenty of time for that."

Renee raised an eyebrow at me, but before she could speak the door opened quietly and Alice and Esme, followed by Rosalie, Angela, and Jessica, filed back into the room.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's getting close now." Esme told us as they came in. "There are a few last minute things to take care of."

Alice walked to my side, and I saw with a frission of dread that the silver cell phone was clamped to her ear. My suspicions were confirmed as she took my arm firmly in her grasp. "Bella, may I have a word?" Without waiting for a response, she half-dragged me to her oversize bathroom and pulled me inside, closing the door behind us. "Edward wants to talk to you." She handed me the cell phone. I gritted my teeth as I held it in my hand for a moment, then I snapped it closed. She groaned. "Bella, please!"

"I can't believe you told him! Didn't I ask you to leave it alone? Didn't I say I just needed a little time?" I put my hands on my hips as I stared her down. Why was she trying to force this on me? I had the right to be angry, and I knew that the minute I heard his golden voice I'd fold like a house of cards, and all my righteous anger would be gone in a snap, only to be replaced with all the other turbulent emotions I knew I couldn't deal with right now.

"We don't have any more time! This is it - this is the day that decides your whole future!" Alice's voice was low-pitched, but intense. "Bella, what is this about, really? Are you honestly that angry with Edward for inviting Jacob to your wedding, or is something else going on?"

I turned away from her so she wouldn't see the glint of tears in my eyes, but of course, Alice wasn't fooled. She moved to my side and took my arm again, forcing me to look at her. "Speak, Bella."

"It's just that...it's easier to be mad, Alice. If I'm not angry, then - " I turned away and began to walk the length of the immense bathroom. "Then I have to remember that I'm terrified and I have to feel...Alice, I just feel so guilty!"

"Guilty?" Alice stared at me. "Why?"

"I just feel so... torn! I'm sad about Jacob, and I feel like I owe him that much, at least, but I shouldn't be thinking about someone else, not on my wedding day! It's not fair to Edward...it's not fair to me either." I could feel the tears coming again and that was enough to make the irritation in me flare up again. "It's not just that, either. I thought that Edward wanted me to be with him forever, and then he does this! What does it mean? Is he still trying to decide what's best for me, behind my back? And am I going to have to be worrying about that while I stand next to him at the altar?" The tears spilled over now.

"Oh, Bella." Alice's voice was pained as she whipped a hankerchief out of nowhere and began to wipe my eyes before the tears could wreck my make-up. "I'm so sorry. But don't you see? This is exactly why you have to talk to Edward. You won't know what his motives were until you hear it from him. And as for Jacob..."

Before she could finish, there was a gentle tap on the door and Esme's voice sounded beyond it. "Girls, I'm sorry to interrupt again, but no one can seem to find Elisa. Do either one of you know where she went?"

Alice sighed. "We will finish this conversation." She warned me, then turned towards the door, calling through it as she did so. "Esme, I'm sure Elisa's just out chatting up the guests."

I was already opening the door at this point. Alice grimaced at me but I ignored her as I rejoined the waiting group. With a heavy sigh at my stubbornness, she came with me. Esme was looking a little nervous now. "It's getting late and we still have a few things to do." She gave Alice a meaningful look. "Things that I know Elisa wouldn't want to miss, but if she doesn't hurry up..."

"I hope everything's OK." Renee looked back and forth between the rest of us.

Esme's smile was perfect, but the tiny wrinkle of her forehead gave her away as she spoke. "Oh, it's fine. Elisa has just gone off to parts unknown and we're a little pressed for time." She turned to me. "How are you feeling, Bella?"

"I'm better. Much better." I smiled at her, and I was relieved to find that my words were true. I didn't know if it was the fact that my mother had come, despite everything, or the fact that my little rant to Alice had allowed to unleash some of the tension I'd bottled up, but I did feel more relaxed. I was still going to have to work this out with Edward at some point, but at least at the moment I felt like I could walk down the aisle without bursting into tears or throwing my bouquet at him, and that was a definite improvement.

"Good." Esme took my hands in her cold ones. "We didn't have a chance to talk earlier but I just wanted to tell you just how glad I am that this day is finally here. You've been my daughter for a long time but now it's going to be official and I couldn't be happier. I don't think you'll ever know what you've done for us, and for Edward. You've made him whole."

I swallowed hard. "Thank you, Esme." I whispered.

Esme turned to my mother now. "And thank you, Renee, for sharing your daughter. I feel very privileged to have her joining our family."

"Thank you for taking care of her for so long. It's hard to be a mother so far away." Renee's eyes looked misty again. "I feel so much better knowing that not only is she gaining a husband, but she's gaining a wonderful family."

Esme and Renee beamed at each other, but my attention was suddenly caught by Alice's expression. For just a second her face had been blank - I'd apparently caught the tail end of some vision she was having - and when it sprang back to life it immediately transformed into lines of melancholy. Her eyes were far away, contemplative, with just a hint of sadness. Even as I stared, she sighed, and then nodded to herself, as if she'd made some painful decision.

"Alice?"

She turned to me and her eyes swept over me for a moment and then she moved to my side, her face suddenly unreadable.

"What is it?" I demanded in a low whisper. "What did you see?"

Alice smiled at me, and it was warm now, the sadness gone. "I see us giving you a few minutes alone, Bella." Her voice was carefully pitched so that we wouldn't be overheard. "You need some time to think everything through."

"What?" I stared at her.

Her expression was suddenly serious. "Bella, today is your day. It should be on your terms, and no one else's. Maybe I forgot that for a little while, maybe I pushed all this on you too hard, but I want you to know that nothing means more to me than your happiness. So whatever you decide, decide it for you, not for me, not for Edward, or for anyone else. Promise me that."

"What are you talking about?"

Ignoring my question, Alice began to speak loudly. "Of course you need a few minutes to catch your breath, Bella." She said, as if in response to some comment I had made. "." She smiled innocently. "Right, ladies? Come on, let's go downstairs and make sure everything is going well - give our bride some space. Bella, we will be right back."

The others looked a little confused, but following Alice's lead, they began to file out of the room. Alice held back for just a moment. "Bella, if you're not here when we get back, I understand and I'll take care of everything. Don't worry, alright?" She gave my hand a final squeeze and was gone, leaving me staring after her in bewilderment. What was Alice talking about? Why would I not be there when they returned? Shaking my head, I walked across the room, dress rustling busily the whole way, and sat down carefully in front of Alice's dressing table.

It was nice to be alone though, I had to admit. Maybe she was right about me thinking things through. I finally gave me a chance to take a breath and try and put my turbulent emotions in order. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting my mind go blissfully blank. For a few moments I just enjoyed the peace of thinking absolutely nothing, no questions, no expectations...no guilt.

Then, purposefully, I called forward what was arguably causing me the least amount of strife, to start with. Renee and Charlie. I smiled to myself, finally able to fully feel the relief and happiness I'd experienced when I saw her standing there. She had set aside so much of herself to come be with me today and it meant everything. If I hadn't had this chance with her, to leave things on a good note, I knew it would have haunted me.

Charlie, on the other hand, was more difficult to think about. He had been there for me, in more ways than I thought I might ever realize. He may have been reluctant about my plans, but he had never wavered from my side. And he did this because - no, in spite of - the fact that I was his entire life. Despite knowing that his support meant it was just that much easier for me to leave him behind. What would happen to him after I was gone? Who would take care of him, cook his meals, wash his clothes with that sweet smelling fabric softener that he'd never admit he liked, worry about him when he was late and forgot to call... Tears welled in my eyes. At least Renee had Phil but Charlie - who did he have? I knew he'd survived just fine for seventeen years without me without me but it was so different now. Before, we'd been more like politely distant relatives, just enjoying our nice, predictable yearly visits. We'd come so far in the past two years - we'd come to rely on each other. I was going to miss him so much more than I had realized and I knew he felt the same. There was still so much left unsaid... I looked at the clock. No time to say it now, either, but I'd find a way to trap him later. We still had the reception, after all.

That decided, I let it go and moved on to the next tough subject I needed to think through. Jacob. As his face filled my head, pain rippled down through me. My immediate instinct was to duck away from the tide of emotion, close down this line of thinking immediately, but I had been doing that for far too long. I wondered if that was why I'd imagined that he was near my house last night, watching me, when clearly he was nowhere in the vicinity. It was because I wanted to see him, wanted to fix this, and it was never going to happen. I couldn't resolve this with him, but I needed to try and reconcile it in my own heart, the fact that he was hurting again because of me, that he was clearly not moving on, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I had thought I was angry with Edward for causing Jacob more anguish but now that I was forcing myself to think this through, I could see what a smokescreen that was. The person that I blamed was myself...and sadly, I had to admit I blamed Jacob too, as unfair as that was. Why did he have to hold on so hard? What did he think it would accomplish? Why did I have to feel so bad over him on this of all days? This was my day...I didn't want it tainted with grief and guilt over another man. Yet I would just have to accept that burden as the penance that I needed to pay for causing this whole mess in the first place.

It would be so much cleaner, so much easier, if Jacob's magical soul mate, his destined imprint, could just appear out of the blue, banish me to the furthest reaches of his memory and heal his heart in one fell swoop. I'd take the pain that would cause me and embrace it happily, knowing it would be such a tiny price to pay to see him shining like the sun once more. It was so unfair that I got to have my happy ending when there was none in sight for him, when he was left with the burden that I could no longer help him carry. How could I leave him behind, knowing that? And yet - how could I not? Within a matter of weeks, I'd be the embodiment of everything he despised. Our time was over, and there would be no neat ending to tidy everything up and make it alright for both of us. I just had to hope that wherever he was now he knew I'd always carry a piece of him with me.

And that was the best I could do, accept that there was no resolution to be had and put the pain that knowing that caused me in its place, to be carried and dealt with later but not today. I was reclaiming this day for myself and Edward. And now that I had decided that, it led me straight to the last issue I needed to sort through before I walked down the aisle.

As I thought Edward's name, a wave of warmth swept through me and it felt so much better, cleaner, then the hiss of irritation that had clung to my thoughts of him all morning. I felt sorry now that I had ever let first my own anxiety, and then my guilt over Jacob cloud my thoughts. Now that I was putting it behind me, all the other emotions that I'd been suppressing came rushing back. I welcomed them all, the love, the joy, the excitement, even the sudden panic that was spiraling within me and making me dizzy. This is how I was supposed to feel. I was getting married. To Edward. Nothing else mattered.

A light tap on the door broke into my reverie and I looked up, expecting to see Alice and the others filing back in. Instead, the tap sounded again, and I got up, crossing the room. "Come in!" I called, even as I reached for the door handle.

No sooner had I opened the door the tiniest fraction when whoever was on the other side grabbed it and pulled it shut again. Surprised, I tried to tug it back open but someone was holding it fast. For just the smallest second I felt a hint of fear at the odd behavior, but then the voice sounded and I completely forgot everything else.

"Bella, it's me."

"Edward! What in the world are you doing up here? You're not supposed to see me before - Oh." So that's why he was holding the door closed.

"I wanted to talk to you." His voice held a mixture of amusement and something else - worry? "And you know what they say - if Mohammed won't come to the mountain, then - "

" - the mountain will come to Mohammed." I finished, leaning my head against the cool wood of the door with a soft chuckle. "Edward, listen, I shouldn't..."

"No, please, Bella, let me." His voice was still quiet, but there was a tone of urgency in it that silenced me instantly. "Alice told me about what happened this morning with Billy Black. What he told you about Jacob, and how upset you've been ever since. I am so sorry that I acted behind your back. I should have been honest with you from the start. Please believe I never meant to deceive you and I certainly didn't want you to find out like this."

"Edward." I began but he was speaking again, his words tumbling over themselves, and I had to press my ear hard against the door he was still holding closed to be sure I caught them all.

"I didn't want to hurt him either Bella, and I am sorry for that but if I tell you that I regret inviting him I would be lying to you, and I won't do that. I thought that he deserved the choice. It's what I would have wanted if I'd been in his shoes. My mistake was in agreeing with you that we wouldn't invite him at all. I should have told you how I felt, and I've known that for weeks. I suppose I was just afraid - everything was going so well between us and I didn't want to bring a single note of disharmony into these last few weeks. I truly am sorry, Bella, and I wanted you to know that before you walk down the aisle. Do you think you can forgive me?"

I smiled to myself as I stood there. Could I forgive him? I already had, from the second he'd begun speaking. Long before that, if I was being completely honest with myself. But then another thought occurred to me, and my voice was more hesitant then I wanted it to be when I replied. "Of course I forgive you, Edward, but..." I stopped myself just in time. "I will see you downstairs in a few minutes, alright?"

"Wait." His voice was worried again. "What were you going to say, Bella? I'm not moving from this spot until you tell me."

I bit my lip. He was always so damn observant. "It's just that...are you sure that's the only reason you invited him? Honestly?"

His voice was bewildered. "What do you mean?"

I blinked back the unwelcome tears that suddenly pooled in my eyes, glad he couldn't see my expression. "Are you sure that you weren't...I mean that it wasn't..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence at first, but knowing he'd stay there for days if he had to, waiting on my reply, I forced the words out. "Were you giving me one last choice, Edward? Was this your way of giving Jacob an opportunity to make his final stand?"

There was an intake of breath, then utter silence. As the seconds ticked by, the regret I felt for being so blunt flared into panic. What had I done now? "Edward?" My voice shook.

"Bella." His voice was not stark or angry like I feared...it held a sudden fierce determination. "We're leaving."

"What?" I wished I had X-ray vision so I could stare through the wood grain and see his expression. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying let's go. Right now. I want to look in your eyes when I tell you how wrong you are, and I want you to believe me. Let's get out of here, go someplace where we can be completely alone, and talk this out." His voice was still intense.

"Edward, we can't! We don't have time! The ceremony is starting in just - "

"Forget the wedding! Bella, you never wanted this. I know you said you did, and I love you for it but I know you're doing this for me, and Alice, your parents, the rest of our family... Forget about all that. The last thing I want is to drag you down the aisle knowing that you are still having doubts about my motives. Let's just go and start our lives together without this silly ceremony hanging over our heads. We'll drive, we'll talk, and then, if you'll still have me, we can go to Vegas or Reno and make it official, just the two of us. I don't care where we go, Bella, as long as I'm with you and as long as we've started our life together with no more hidden insecurities or questions. Please."

"Edward." I whispered again. My voice was weak with shock. I didn't need to ask him if he was serious - it was clear by the tone of his voice that he was. And I had to admit to myself that I loved the idea. I could see the two of us, climbing down the trellis to the ground...well, OK, so he'd be climbing down it - I'd be falling after him. But he'd be there to catch me and then we'd sneak past our unsuspecting guests, run to his car, and be off like two overgrown runaways on the biggest adventure of our lives. We could finally be free from all the prying eyes and ears, all the pressure...it would be just the two of us the way I'd longed for. There were so many places I wanted to go with him, so much I wanted to do and say, and I could have that, right now, and all I had to do was say the word...

Still, that nagging sense of responsibility had me speaking the words that would surely bring him back to his senses. "You know we can't just leave, Edward. Everyone is here! We'd be letting so many people down...my mother came, did you know that? She actually came! For me! And Charlie's going to walk me down the aisle...Alice and Elisa worked so hard and wanted this so much...Esme is so happy...how can we do this to them?"

"Everyone who really matters to us will understand, Bella." His voice was more velvety and convincing than ever and my knees went weak as I listened to it. "Alice, Esme, Elisa, your parents...all they really want is for you to be happy. Think about yourself first, just this once, please. This is a day you're going to remember forever, Bella, and I want you to think about how you're going to remember it. Picture yourself walking out into the yard, towards the altar, with everyone turning to look at you, and tell yourself honestly how it makes you feel. When we get married, I want it to be the best memory possible for both of us, and if it's not, if imagining that moment fills you with the least bit of dread, then open this door and take my hand."

Just take his hand... I wanted to, so badly that my fingers twitched in anticipation. And Alice had already given me her permission, hadn't she? That was what she'd been talking about before she left - it was why she'd left, so I could make this decision on my own, for me. Without considering anyone else's desires or wishes and I wanted that, as selfish as I knew it was. Edward was right - this was not a day I should ever remember with any sense of embarrassment or regret. This was not a day I should live for anyone else.

So I did what he asked. I closed my eyes and I pictured myself downstairs, the way I would be in a few minutes if we stayed, taking Charlie's arm, holding my bouquet, listening to the strains of 'Here Comes the Bride'. In my mind, we stepped out of the gloom on to the carpeted aisle between the seats, and every head whipped around to stare in my direction, pinning me in a hundred tiny spotlights. And I looked into those faces...every single one of them, from the ones I barely knew to the ones that I loved so dearly that I'd give my life for them. And then I looked into the face that mattered the most...

My eyes flew open and I looked down at my hand that was now resting on the doorknob. It was slack now under my fingers - Edward had released his grip on the other side and he was waiting for my next move. It was all up to me now.

It was time to reclaim my day.

To Be Continued...

In the second half of Wedding Daze, povs from Edward and Elisa. Bella's decision is made and there is another issue that Edward must deal with. Meanwhile, Elisa's conversation with Jacob doesn't go at all like she planned. SNEAK PEEK (SPOILERS!!)

"You don't know." I whispered, unable to look away from the intensity of his gaze.

"Tell me." His voice was a growl now.

I took a wary step back, afraid now of the ramifications from the Pandora's Box that I had just opened. "I have to g-go." I stuttered. "They're probably looking for me."

There was an impatient snarl and the next thing I knew, his large brown hands had curled around my bare upper arms in a tight grasp and I was being lifted off my feet as his blazing eyes bore into mine.

"Tell. Me." He hissed again, giving me a slight shake for emphasis. For a moment my heart hammered wildy, and I could only gasp, but then my temper flared again, dousing the fear a bit. This felt entirely too familiar, and I'd really had enough of being manhandled by supernatural creatures all in the name of Bella Swan.

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