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...

8. Wedding Daze Part Two

Welcome to the second half of chapter eight, Wedding Daze! I'm sorry this half is later than I said it would be, but it's another long one, and I hope it was worth the wait. The good news is although it was hard to write, it was still much easier to get down than the last two chapters...dare I hope that the streak of writer's block is finally over? :D

Oh, and by the way, I'm hoping I can ask for a favor from any Canadians that may be out there. As you might remember if you've been following the story, the Cullens are headed to Canada. I would really love to be able to pick someone's brain who can give me insight into our northern neighbors and what it's like to be Canadian. If you're from Canada, or perhaps just visit a lot and would be willing to exchange a few Q and A emails with me in the interest of keeping my story accurate, could you let me know? Thanks!

And thanks again for your patience and as always, your reviews have meant the world to me. Please continue to let me know what you think!

And now...on with the story.

Elisa:

Life goes on
Here and beyond that horizon
It goes on and it changes
And it changes you too...

Life Goes On, Elisa

It wasn't until I was deep in the treeline and the house was completely out of sight that it dawned on me that this was probably not the best idea I'd ever had. It was quite easy to plan on confronting Jacob Black when I was safely within screaming distance of my adopted family of protective vampires. Now that I was alone in the darkened woods, the thought of confronting an angry werewolf and trying to banish him with a few scornful words was starting to seem not only stupid, but downright dangerous. Let's face it...he could probably pick me up, whirl me around his head, and throw me like a Frisbee, and that was just in his human form. If I annoyed him enough - and sadly, I had to admit that I was very good at being annoying - he could morph into a giant dog and maul me to death before I had time to blink. Oh, I was sure he'd regret it later, but that still wouldn't stop me from becoming Kibbles 'n' Bits.

And besides, why had I just assumed that the hulking, massive shape I had seen was him anyway? What if it wasn't? What if it was something - worse? And here I had just blundered right into its path - I might as well have been wearing a sign that read Edible Human - Free Sample! I was such a moron.

With these thoughts swirling around my head, one would think that the sensible thing to do would have been to turn right back around and hightail it towards the house and safety. Then again, I was never really known for doing the sensible thing, and I also happened to be cursed with a potentially fatal case of stubbornness. I had come here for Bella, and I couldn't just turn around and run away without at least trying to make sure that nothing else would blight her wedding day.

"Jacob?" My voice did not ring out with the confident, don't-mess-with-me tone that I was going for...it was more of a shaky please-don't-hurt-me whisper. I waited a moment, turning in a slow circle but seeing nothing but the untouched beauty of the forest all around me. Maybe I had just imagined what I'd seen. Or maybe he had taken off when he saw me coming. Either way, I had tried. It was time for me to turn around, go back home, and forget that I had ever thought I'd seen Jacob at all.

"Jacob Black?" Ugh, why was I still calling him?

There was no response. Good. Time to go. Easily accepting defeat, I turned around - and smacked into something hard. And warm. Gasping, I jumped back a good foot, and then stilled, staring at the sight before me.

Jacob Black was nothing like I'd imagined and yet somehow shockingly familiar to me at the same time. First of all, he was so much bigger than I'd ever been able to picture. Hearing secondhand that someone was immensely tall and muscular was not at all the same thing as seeing it with your own eyes. I had to crane my neck even further up then I normally did to look at him. His arms were round and hard, nearly bulging out of the short sleeved t-shirt he wore, which was clinging to his chest so tightly that there was no mistaking the muscles there either.

I managed to stop staring at his chest long enough for my eyes to make my way to his face, and I had to admit, the sight of it was striking. I couldn't believe it, but I had to admit Jacob Black was entirely hot in more than one way. I could feel myself blushing as I looked at him and that irritated me. Darn Bella anyway - didn't she know any short, ugly guys?

After I was a bit over my shock at his sudden appearance, my eyes were able to take in more details besides his disconcerting male beauty. Bella had been right to worry - clearly, Jacob had been away from civilization for quite a while. I could see now that that his simple jeans and t-shirt were both stained with dirt and grime, as if he'd worn them for a long, long time, although he himself was clean, as if he'd bathed but then had been forced to put on filthy clothing for lack of other options. Looking down, I saw his feet were bare, and they were caked with dirt as well. His hair also drew my attention. I dimly remembered it being described as long and beautiful, but now it was ear length, if that, and the ends were jagged, as if a child had gleefully hacked at it with scissors.

After a moment of mutual staring, the huge specimen before me cleared his throat and I blinked, looking at his unfriendly dark eyes. "Why were you calling me?" His voice was much deeper than I thought it would be.

"Um...I uh...you're Jacob Black?" Could I have thought of a dumber thing to say?

He raised an eyebrow. "Obviously." He looked me over for a long moment, his face expressionless. "Are you Elisa?"

For a moment, I was extremely surprised that he knew me, until I remembered the whole freaky werewolf mind-meld thing. "Oh...you must have gotten that from Sam. Yes, I'm Elisa."

"Hmmm." He stared at me for a longer moment, then spoke again. "What do you want?" His voice was harsh now.

Despite myself, I bristled at his tone. He was the one lurking around like a big freak and he was talking down to me? "I came here to ask you the same thing." I snapped. "Being that you're the one who's skulking around the woods and all."

His face darkened, if that was even possible, and he folded his massive arms across his chest. "Sam asked me to deliver a message. To you."

"Me?" I gazed at him with wide eyes. That was not what I had expected him to say at all. "What message?"

Jacob shrugged. "He just said to tell you that this is your last chance."

"Oh." I thought about that for a moment. He didn't have to explain to me what it meant. Sam was telling me this was my last opportunity to ditch the Cullens and accept their offer of sanctuary at La Push. Like that was ever going to happen. No one there really wanted me anyway - they just wanted to get another human away from the vampires. Once they did that, what would they do with me? I couldn't imagine another 'leech lover' being too popular on the reservation - they'd probably dump me off on a roadside somewhere the first time I irritated one of them. I frowned, thinking about it. Being alone and friendless was not really an option I wanted to seriously contemplate.

"Well?" Jacob's voice was impatient now, and I realized he was waiting for a response.

I sighed. "Tell him thanks but no thanks."

"No thanks?" Jacob repeated, his tone disbelieving. "That's all you have to say?"

"Well, I thought 'hell no' sounded rude." My temper was rising again at the barely disguised disgust in his voice.

He glared at me for a moment. "It's your funeral."

"Whatever." I glared right back. "Is that all?"

Jacob shrugged now, his arms still folded across his chest. "That's all he asked me to pass on."

"OK. Message delivered." I waited. "So...goodbye then."

"Goodbye." He looked down at me and then jerked his head towards the house. "You can run along now."

I glowered at his patronizing tone as he continued to stand there. "You leave first. In case you haven't noticed, your presence is no longer required. Go away."

He didn't move and for a moment we were locked in a heated staring match. Finally, apparently realizing I wasn't going to back down, he clenched his teeth for a moment then spoke. "I have other business here today."

I groaned. "I knew it. You're here for Bella."

A glimmer of surprise broke though his stony demeanor. "How did you know - never mind." His mouth tightened. "It's none of your business, blondie. Why don't you go fix your hair or something?"

"Why don't you go find someone else to stalk, dog boy?" I fired back. I knew my mouth was running away with me again, but I couldn't seem to help it. "Like, I don't know, let's say...someone who is not getting married today?"

He flinched at my words, and I could plainly see the pain in his face before he wiped it away. For a moment, I actually felt bad but I forced myself to dismiss the emotion as just another sign of my internal weakness. I couldn't afford to feel sorry for him - besides, this was all his fault anyway. It was beyond pathetic, the way he just couldn't seem to figure out when he wasn't wanted. I didn't know how Bella could stand all this sneaking and lurking that she seemed to inspire. She was far more tolerant than I was - I would have invested in pepper spray by this point. And a restraining order.

"I don't need advice from a little bloodsucker groupie like you." Jacob was clearly angry now. "I'm going to talk to Bella." He pushed past me and started towards the house.

"Oh, I don't think so!" This was exactly what I was afraid of. I ran around him, trying to block his way but he didn't stop so I was forced to trot backwards trying to keep in front of him. "Nobody is going to let you within a mile of her, so give it up!"

"Really?" Jacob stopped now and looked down at me with a bitter smirk. "See, I kinda got the impression I was expected to be here today, considering the fact that Edward - " the name was said with revulsion " - sent me an invitation."

"Yeah, well, like most males, Edward's kind of stupid." I snapped back. "Bella didn't want you to be invited and she doesn't want to talk to you, so get lost!"

At my words, that flicker of pain appeared on his face again, and I couldn't deny it now, the stab of guilt I felt at causing it. Plus I was lying through my teeth. Bella hadn't said as much, not to me anyway, but I was certain if she knew Jacob was here she'd move heaven and earth to speak to him. It's just that I was absolutely positive she would not like what he had to say, and as a loyal bridesmaid, wasn't it partly my job to protect her from that? Did she really need more guilt piled on her head on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life?

"She doesn't - " Jacob's voice was dull with hurt for a moment, but then his eyes narrowed and he gave me a blistering look. "You're lying."

"I..um..." With a heavy sigh, I gave up. "Look, Jacob, I know Bella's been worried about you, and I'm sure she'd be thrilled to see that you're alright. The thing is, you don't look alright. At all. And I'm pretty sure that whatever you have to say she doesn't need to hear so please, make it easier on both of you and just go."

I watched Jacob's adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallowed hard, his eyes closed for a moment, and then he opened them and looked at me. His gaze was somehow...contemplative now, and I realized why as soon as he opened his mouth. Like me, he was switching tactics.

"You could help me, Elisa. You could get Bella, bring her here and let me talk to her without anyone knowing. I just need five minutes with her, that's all, and if she still wants me to go after that, I'll leave without a problem. Can you do that for me? Please?" He smiled at me now, and I had to admit he was quite charming when he chose to be.

I gave him a disbelieving look. "Why would I do that?"

His false smile faded. "Do you know what she's planning, Elisa? Do you know what that thing she's marrying is going to do to her? I have to try, just one more time. Please help me. Not for my sake...for hers." How ironic that these were nearly the same words Edward had spoken to me weeks earlier. I was sure Jacob would never believe that, however. It was so much easier for him to see Edward as a monster.

There had been a thick layer of despair in Jacob's voice however, and I was annoyed to feel another surge of sympathy for him, even as it warred with the anger that his words had created within me. Still, the sympathy kept my voice from being as sharp as it normally would have been as I answered him. "There's nothing you can do about it. She's made her decision. Go home, Jacob."

Jacob turned away from me for a moment, grinding his teeth together, and then turned back to me, sudden fury in his face, making me flinch back. "What the hell is wrong with both of you? What is it about the Cullens that makes stupid teenage girls line up to join their creepy little cult? When Sam told us that you wanted to stay human, I thought maybe you had a little sense, but I guess not. Think being a parasite is cool, do you? Is that why you won't help me?"

I stared at him, outraged by his sheer nerve. "And what am I supposed to help you do? Crash Bella's wedding and make her feel terrible all over again? What could you possibly say to her that you haven't already said? That would make the least amount of difference? She'll turn you away, Jacob, and I think you already know that. All you are going to do is tear her apart. There will be nothing but more pain and regret for you both, and if you think I would help you do that Bella on her wedding day, you're crazy."

Jacob eyed me, clearly incensed. "OK, I don't know who the hell you think you are or why you're so sure you know so much about me and Bella, but I suggest that you shut up about things that you can't possibly understand. This goes way, way beyond trying to win her back. It's even completely beyond the fact that I'm in love with her. I can't let her die. I don't want to hurt Bella, but I can't stand back and do nothing. I tried that already. Come on...you're a human - act like it! Can you try, for one second, to comprehend the fact that I am trying to save her life?"

"You really believe that?" I looked at him, my tone thick with disbelief. "That if you get your way, you'll be saving her? Don't you understand what you'd really be doing?" My voice was quieter now as I looked at the emotion on Jacob's face. It was hard to dismiss his earnest pleas so easily when he was standing right in front of me and I could see how much he meant what he was saying. "You'd be taking her away from everything she's chosen. You'd take her away from the person she can't live without. And you'd condemn her."

For a moment, his whole body shook, and I took a cautious step back, but with what seemed to be tremendous effort, he stilled again. Still, his eyes were livid as he looked at me. "Living a normal, mortal life is not condemning her!"

"She won't have that if you get your way, Jacob! They'll come after her - they'll kill her!" I snapped back.

Instantly, I regretted my words as his face froze into a shocked mask. With one quick motion he was just inches away from me, leaning down to stare into my face. "What are you talking about?" He hissed through gritted teeth.

"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 wildly, 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.

"Put me down. Now. " My voice was low but furious. "Or I'm going to scream and when the Cullens find you in here with me, hurting me, I'm not going to say a word to stop them from killing you." I glared at him as fiercely as I was able in my vulnerable position. I was bluffing, of course - I'd rather stick needles in my eyes then disrupt Bella and Edward's wedding day by provoking a werewolf/vampire smackdown, but Jacob didn't need to know that.

For a moment he just glowered back, but then a bit of calm crap back into his features, although his eyes still blazed. Carefully, he set me back on my feet, but although his hard grip on my arms slackened, he did not release me. "You're not going anywhere until you explain what you just said." His flat tone didn't disguise the note of menace.

"Oh come on, how could you not have figured it out!" I burst out, knowing I should stop speaking, that this wasn't my secret to tell, but completely unable to quit while I was ahead. "The Volturi, idiot! How do you think they feel about humans who learn their secrets? Bella was only allowed to leave Italy alive because Alice and Edward promised to make her a vampire, don't you get it? So go ahead and dream about her dumping Edward at the altar and running off with you. There would still be no happily ever after, just a clock ticking down the little time she has left until they find her. But as long as she doesn't become a bloodsucker, I guess that's OK, right? At least she'll die human."

As soon as I said that, I knew I had gone too far.

"No." His face was gray now and his hands were clenched into fists. He stumbled backwards a step, shaking his head. "No! I would never let them lay a finger on her! We'll fight them with everything we have!"

"And you'd lose." The anger drained out of my voice now as I struggled to make him understand. "They're not like regular vampires, Jacob. They can do things that none of us can imagine. They'd wipe out your whole pack without breaking a sweat and kill Bella anyway. She knows that - why do you think she never told you? How can you force her to be responsible for what would happen to all of you if you tried to fight them? You can't stop the Volturi... You can't hide from them. No one can."

Finally he let go of my arms. I rubbed them for a minute, hoping he hadn't bruised me. I didn't know how I would explain that, and Emmett, at least, would be sure to overreact.

"Are you telling me the truth?" He stared at me now, but I had a strong feeling it wasn't me he was seeing any more. "Did that really happen? Will they really kill her if she stays human?" His voice was choked, desperate.

I just nodded, transfixed as I watched the color wash out of his warm skin and his eyes go stark.

"So that's it then. There's no - nothing - I can't save - " I could see the truth hitting him, almost like a physical entity, a train smashing into him, breaking him into pieces. He'd run so far to avoid this, but it had never been far enough. He must have known it would catch him eventually, but still, it was terrible to watch. Agony filled his eyes and I flinched. His face held so much pain that involuntarily I started to reach out to him but he was stumbling away, moving like a blind man desperately in search of a light he'd only ever seen in his dreams.

Not sure what else to do, I followed, but he only went a few paces before he fell to his knees.

"Jacob!" Alarmed now, I watched him lean forward. Convulsions shuddered his torso, and suddenly he heaved over and over again. I stood there, feeling useless, helpless, until the spasms stopped wracking his body. But when the retching finally stopped, a new sound - a much worse sound - began to tear out of him.

Each sob pierced me like a knife. "Bella..." I heard him moan under his breath. I didn't know what to do. I felt like I was intruding, knowing that if he was able to control himself at all he'd never let anyone see this most private of agony. Maybe it would have been kinder for me to turn and walk away. Yet, seeing him so broken there before me, I couldn't stand to leave him. Only moments ago I hadn't spared a thought for his pain, and now the guilt I felt for contributing to it was almost crushing.

Unable to stand it anymore, I eased myself next to him. Gingerly, I lowered myself to my knees, with a grimace for my dress. I knew it was shallow to worry about getting it dirty right now, but then again if I tried to stand next to Bella in a filthy bridesmaid's gown Alice would probably kill me so maybe it was just my sense of self-preservation finally kicking in.

"Jacob." I said again as his choked breaths regained my attention. "I'm so sorry." Hesitantly, I put a hand on his shoulder.

He didn't look up, but he was quieter now. "There's nothing I can do." His voice was hollow. "If I even try, I'll just be killing her another way. She's going to die and I can't lift a finger to stop it. "

"You can't think of it that way." I whispered back, not sure if he was even listening. "He'll make her strong. No one will ever be able to hurt her again. She'll be safe and loved and happy. Isn't there some part of you that wants that for her?"

"How could I have let this happen?" His words seemed to be directed at himself now. "Why couldn't I have been more for her? Why couldn't I have been enough to stop her from going to Italy in the first place? "

I was quiet, knowing the question was rhetorical and not meant for me. I listened to the ragged sound of his breathing next to me and the quiet flow of a nearby stream. Distantly, I could hear voices and laughter coming from the house - from the sounds of the clamor, most of the guests had arrived. I was running dangerously late. I knew I should go back, and yet I couldn't seem to move from his side.

I could only take the silence so long. After a moment, I stood up, looking at his face. Dark circles ringed his eyes, and his cheeks were sunken. Despite his muscular frame, I could see now that he must have lost a lot of weight recently. How long had he been out there, alone? What had he been putting himself through all this time?

I sighed heavily. "Give me your arm."

"What?" His voice was dull. It seemed hard for him to focus on me.

"Your arm." I said patiently, and reached for it. Finally comprehending, he held it out to me, not seeming to care what I wanted it for. I reached for the sleeve of his t-shirt, grasping it firmly around the seams, and ripped until the fabric tore off in my hand. This finally seemed to break through his apathy, and he stared at me in shock. "What the hell are you doing to my shirt?"

I shrugged. "Sorry, but you just would have had to throw it out anyway. There's not enough bleach in the world to make that rag white again." I looked around for the source of the water I'd heard rushing near by, and located it, several feet from where we stood. A small stream broke through the wilderness and ran until it was out of my sight, probably feeding into the nearby river. I went to it, and knelt down, dipping the torn cloth into it and rinsing it out several times.

Jacob seemed to understand what I was doing now, and he followed me to the water's edge, kneeling down as well, cupping water into his hands and using it to rinse out his mouth. I waited until he was done, and then went to him, using the cool rag to wash the mixture of tears and sweat off of his face. For a moment, he was rigid as I attended to him, and then he tried to pull away, looking suddenly self-conscious. "I can do that." He muttered, trying to reach for the cloth.

I jerked it away from him and gave him a stern look. "Oh yeah, because I can see what a stellar job you've done taking care of yourself so far. Now hold still." I finished my task quickly, tossing the rag away and then lightly fingering the jagged ends of his hair. "Why does your hair look like this? What did you do, hack it off with a knife?"

He tensed for a moment, looking torn between resentment and self-consciousness, then to my surprise he smiled slightly. "Yeah. It was...annoying me."

I was sure that wasn't the real reason he'd taken a knife to his beautiful mane, but I let it go. "It would kill Bella to see you like this, you know." I murmured, and then winced internally. Talk about having a dire case of foot in mouth disease. Why did I have to go and bring her up again?

"Right. As if she cares." His voice dripped bitterness now, and I looked at him in shock.

"Of course she cares, Jacob! You have no idea how much she's been hurting over you. She was totally devastated when she found out that you left."

"Sure, she was." His voice still held that sour tone as his mouth twisted into a sneer. "It was probably a relief to her, to have me out of the way, not drooling over her anymore or holding her back. You were right the first time, when you said she didn't want to see me or talk to me. If I just disappeared forever, it would be so much easier on her."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" I gaped at him in horror. "Jacob, she loves you. I know I shouldn't be saying that to you, but it's true. It was never that you weren't enough for her. That's not why she chose Edward. It's because...they were meant to be. Edward and Bella...they are like two sides of the same coin. Inseparable...useless and incomplete without each other. There was absolutely nothing that you could have done differently to change that."

Jacob stared at me. "It's hard for me to believe Bella told you all that...she never seemed one for girl talk. You act so familiar with me, like you've been here all along, watching. I don't get it. How could you possibly know all of this?"

I shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "It's hard to explain. Just believe me when I say I have grossly unfair advantages."

"Huh." He seemed to ponder that statement for a moment, then dismiss it as an invisible shutter snapped closed within his eyes again, darkening them once more. "Doesn't matter, I guess. You're wrong anyway. Bella is happier without me. She'll forget me soon enough."

"Wow." I looked at him, starting to lose patience again. "Do you think it's possible for you to feel any sorrier for yourself?"

Jacob glared at me now. "As if somene like you could ever understand, even if you think you know everything." His voice was biting. I sat there for a moment, registering his words, and then anger surged within me, instantly washing the empathy I'd begun to feel for him away.

I jumped to my feet and turned to give him my iciest look. "Oh, you're so right, Jacob! What could I possibly know about what it's like to lose someone? How could I ever comprehend the depth of your pain?" My voice was rich with sarcasm. "I mean, I only lost my whole family. I lost my entire life. Is that enough for you to let me into your 'poor me' pity club? Or do you still think you're the only one who knows what it's like to grieve? You are such a jerk! I can't believe I actually felt bad for you. You know what - go ahead and whine the rest of your life away if that's what you want. I'm out of here."

I turned and stalked off but to my surprise, he was right there, following close behind. "Elisa, wait a minute. I'm sorry, OK?"

"Go choke on a doggie biscuit." I snapped back as I kept walking.

"Elisa, come on. Would you please stop?" His voice was torn between amusement and exasperation - a nice change from the mournful whine it had been just moments before.

"Why should I?" I bit off the words.

"Because you're going the wrong way, for one thing." His voice was definitely amused now. I stopped, looking at the vast expanse of woods in front of me. Darn it, he was right. Trying to maintain what little dignity I had left, I turned and began to stomp off in the other direction.

Beside me, Jacob began to laugh and I paused, gritting my teeth. "Do you mind?"

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it. For a minute there, the look on your face - you reminded me of Bella." His face suddenly sobered. "You even smell a little like her."

"Great." I started forward again. "Just what I wanted to hear. Hey, maybe if you close your eyes and pretend I'm her, you can actually make your apology sound sincere."

"Elisa." He was standing directly in my way now, forcing me to stop. "Please, just give me a minute. Look, you're right. I forgot all about your family, and I shot off my mouth without thinking. I shouldn't have said that to you. I am really am sorry, not just about that, but about what you've been through. This must be a tough time for you."

I really wanted to stay mad, but the sincerity in his voice was clear. I sighed as all the anger went out of me. "I'm sorry too, Jacob. For - " I didn't know how to say what I meant. For seeing him as nothing but a name on a page, someone whose only point for existing was to be an obstacle between Bella and Edward? For not realizing or caring that he was a living, breathing person who bled and ached and deserved to be happy just like the rest of us? "-for being insensitive." I finished, knowing I could never say what I really meant. "I guess I didn't think about how much you were hurting until I actually met you. I honestly didn't mean to make it worse."

He was silent for a moment. I looked up at the sky, wondering how much time had passed. I knew I needed to turn around and go back but once again, my traitorous feet took me only to a nearby fallen tree. I sat down and looked up at him, surveying his closed expression, the pain in his dark eyes not quite hidden. After a moment, he came and sat down next to me.

"What are you going to do?" I asked after a moment.

He picked at a loose thread on his jeans for a minute before he spoke. "I don't know. I came here so sure I was doing the right thing, and now I don't even know what that is. Everything is upside down. I don't know what I can do for Bella now." His voice was strained - I could only imagine how painful it was for him to even say her name.

"You could - " I bit my tongue before I finished the sentence. "Never mind."

"No, what were you going to say?" He looked at me.

I shook my head. "You shouldn't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to."

"But I do want to know." He insisted. "If there's something, anything I can do for her, I need to know what it is."

"Fine." I straightened my shoulders and turned to him. "There is one thing left you could do for her, Jacob, something that would make all of this so much better for her. You could let her go."

Jacob looked stunned for a moment before he turned away. "You want me to make this easier on her." His voice was gruff. "You want me to go to her, and tell her it's OK, that I'm going to be alright, that I'm not dying a little more each second knowing that I'm never going to see her again, knowing what she's going to become. You actually expect me to look her in the eye and say that to her."

I looked at him steadily. "Yes. For her sake, because you are the only thing that is holding her back now. If you love her enough, tell her goodbye and make her believe it. Let her walk away without regrets."

Jacob stared straight ahead for a few minutes, and I wondered what he was seeing. Then finally he cleared his throat. "I...I don't know how to do this, Elisa, any of this. I don't know how to go on without her. I don't know how to tell her I can. I need your help."

"What do you want me to do?" My own voice was a near whisper as I watched his eyes become hollow, ancient.

His voice was a hoarse plea as those far too old eyes met mine. "Teach me how to lie."

I caught my breath, not trusting myself to speak for a moment. Then, instinctively, I reached for his hand. He gave it to me easily and I didn't question why I didn't feel more self-conscious at my own forwardness. Our fingers laced together, and then he gripped me so tightly that if I hadn't been so focused on him I would have gasped in pain. Instead, I closed my own fingers around his and squeezed back as tightly as I could. We sat there in silence as the minutes ticked by and the clouds overcame the last bit of sunlight overhead.

"Do you want to know the secret to a good lie, Jacob?" I finally asked him. He looked up and waited. "The secret is, you have to make yourself believe what you're saying, if only long enough to get the words out. She knows you better than anyone. It will take everything you have to pull this off. Can you do that?"

Jacob was looking down now at our entwined hands. "I want to say yes. I want to do that for her. But I don't know if I can be that strong. How can I make her believe I can live a whole lifetime without her when I don't know how I can get through the next minute? How do you look someone in the face and smile, tell them you're OK when you're barely holding on?"

I was looking at our hands now too, examining how his rich brown skin contrasted with my own pale tone, how perfectly smooth and unblemished it was, how perfect the crescent shape of his fingernails were, not a speck of dirt beneath them despite the muck that clung to his clothes and feet. Then finally, I looked back up at him. "Maybe I'll just have to believe it for you, Jacob. Because I do, you know. I know it may be hard to imagine now, but Bella isn't your whole world. You'll wake up one day and you'll realize that life has gone on; that you really have let her go."

"What if I can't? What if I don't want to?"

I sighed. "Then it's just a waste, isn't it? To spend the rest of your life mourning Bella when you could actually be living it. Do you really think she's the only girl in this world that you could possibly love? That there is no one else out there for you? Seriously, that's just sad. I mean, look at you!"

He gazed at me in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

I snorted. "I mean - and believe me it's killing me to admit this - but you're kind of amazing. I guess it was stupid of me not to realize there was a reason why Bella had such a hard time letting you go." I smiled tentatively at him, determined not to blush. After all, I wasn't speaking anything but the truth - I shouldn't have to feel embarrassed about it. "You're the type of guy that generally only exists in a girl's dream. First of all, you're gorgeous. But it's more than that. Who wouldn't want someone who's not afraid to love her with everything he has, or fight for her, or even cry for her...do you know how extremely rare that it? I have to confess, in a different world I could totally be crushing on you right now."

Jacob laughed, and I noted with amusement that he was actually blushing a bit himself, his brown skin turning copper colored. "Um...well...thanks." He mumbled, looking down. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he looked back at me, his face suddenly curious. "Why in a different world?"

"I would have thought you could figure that out." I looked back at him, but he still looked puzzled. I sighed and then spoke again. "Because, Jacob, it gets awfully cold in Bella's shadow."

"Oh." He looked uncomfortable again. "I'm sorry about that. But you know, you're really a - "

"Jacob." I interrupted, giving him a hard look. "If you try to tell me that I'm a great girl and someday I'll find a guy who appreciates me, I swear I'll kill you."

He laughed again. "Sorry. Hey, isn't that pretty much what you just finished telling me though?"

I giggled. "I guess so. It's true though. Someday you'll find her, and when you do, you're going to light up her universe."

"Sure, sure." He was looking away from me now, his voice flat, and I heard in it what he didn't want to say, that he couldn't believe that he would ever love again. That maybe that he didn't even want to.

"What about you?" Jacob said suddenly. He looked at me and I was surprised to see a hint of alarm in his eyes. "You're in danger too."

"Huh?" I knew this sudden change of topic was nothing more than a diversionary tactic but I couldn't help but rise to the bait anyway. "What are you talking about?"

"You're in the exact same boat as Bella. If these Volturi would kill Bella for knowing about vampires and not being one of them, they'd kill you too. So does that mean - " he gave me a hard stare. "Sam was wrong. Or you lied to him. You're going to become a vampire too." His voice was accusing.

"No, I'm not!" I snapped back. "It's not the same for me as it is for Bella. The Volturi don't know I exist, and the Cullens aren't exactly going to run off to Italy and tell them about me. So I just have to lay low, is all. Bella doesn't have that option."

He winced again but his eyes stayed focused on me. "Lay low? A blind man could see the holes in that plan. That's taking a big risk, don't you think?"

I shrugged. There was really no other answer that I could give him.

Jacob was still staring at me. "I don't get it. Why would you take that chance? Why aren't you - why would you decide - " He struggled to form his question, but I cut him off. I knew what he was really asking, and it wasn't about me at all.

"I made a choice. Bella made a different one. Doesn't mean that one of us is wrong and one is right...we just - we have different situations. Bella not only has a sword hanging over her head, but she also has Edward. She wants to be with him. Even without the Volturi's ultimatium. she would have chosen to be with him for eternity. I don't have - " I stared ahead for a moment. "I don't have anyone that I would want to be immortal for and I think living forever will pretty much suck if I'm by myself. And besides...well, you know what? First of all, it's none of your business why I've chosen not to become a vampire. Second, you don't give a damn anyway - you're just looking for another excuse for Bella not to be one and you think I might be able to provide it. Sorry, but you're talking to the wrong girl." I stood up. "I have to go."

"Wait." He stood up as well, blocking my path. "Elisa, come home with me."

I stared at him. "What?"

His face was serious. "I can't do anything for Bella now, but I can still help you. As long as you're with the Cullens, you're a target. Even if they would never hurt you, everything else in their world is still a danger to you. Don't leave with them. Accept Sam and Emily's offer and come back with me. The Volturi will never have a reason to come to La Push. You'll be safe there, I promise."

I stared at his outstretched hand, and it was hard...so much harder than it had been before, to say the words that I knew I had to say. "I can't, Jacob. I know you don't understand but...well, look." I held out my wrist to him, letting him see the golden bracelet on it, and then I flipped the ID panel over so he could read the name on it...Elisa Cullen. "You see? They are my family now. I've lost enough. I'm not going to give up anyone else."

Jacob exhaled, dropping his hand. "You're right." He said flatly. "I don't understand. Elisa, what if the worst happens? What if they find you? Will the thrill of hanging out with vampires be worth it in the end? Is it worth losing your life over?"

I gave him a cold look. "They are far more than just vampires to me, Jacob, but I don't expect you to get that. Maybe you can understand this though - as much as no one seems to believe me, I do know what I'm risking and I've accepted the consequences. If it does come down to - " I hesitated for a moment " - the worst, well, at least I'll know that I lived my life on my terms and I didn't hide in a corner because I was afraid of what might happen. I spent it with the people I care about. That's just going to have to be enough."

Jacob started to say something else but just then a far away cry diverted both of our attention. "Elisa!" The call rang through the trees and I gasped. Someone was looking for me.

"Oh no, it's really late! The ceremony must be about to start - I have to go!" I turned to move through the trees and then looked back. "Are you coming, Jacob?"

Jacob took a deep breath. "I'm not really dressed." He looked down at his grimy clothing with a grimace. I started to protest but he held up a hand to stop me. "Elisa, I can't do it. I'm sorry but I can't send Bella down this path with a smile on my face. I can't stand there and watch her choose...him. But I won't - I won't interfere. I want her to be safe and I won't hurt her again. If this is how it has to be, then..." He couldn't seem to bring himself to say more.

Tears welled in my eyes. I could see now what his sacrifice was costing him. "Thank you, Jacob."

He nodded, his jaw tight. "I guess this is goodbye, then."

"Yeah." I nodded. "We're leaving tonight so I won't see you again. It's so weird that I'm actually sad about that."

He smiled, but his eyes were still empty. "You're a sweet girl, Elisa. Take care of yourself. Try not to let anything eat you."

"Ha ha." I rolled my eyes, then stood there, waiting.

He raised his eyebrows. "Don't you have a wedding to get to?"

"Yes." I smiled, swallowing back the sudden melancholia that wanted to claim me. "But you don't really think I'm going to miss seeing you do the wolf thing, do you?"

"Oh." Jacob smiled reluctantly. "I don't know, Elisa. I think I should wait until you're gone. It's sort of...intense. It might be too much for you."

"Excuse me?" I gave him an indignant look. "Whatever! I just don't think you want to show me because it's so much lamer then you want anyone to know about." I grinned and gave him a challenging look.

Jacob laughed out loud now, then shrugged. "OK, OK, if you insist. Are you sure you really want to see this?"

"Oh, come on." I drawled, folding my hands across my chest. "Impress me."

He gave me an amused 'you asked for it' look and with that, he pushed himself away from me, turned, and moved towards the woods.

It was very fast. I don't know what I expected, more of a build up, some climatic music maybe, but there was no real warning. One minute Jacob was taking quick strides away from me, the next he moved much more quickly, almost as if he were jumping, and I didn't understand that it was the moment until I heard the violent ripping of his clothes. Before my disbelieving eyes, he...expanded. I couldn't think of a better word than that, and yet it was so inadequate to describe what was happening right before me. Pieces of his clothing shot up in the air and scattered over several feet and Jacob Black was gone. In his place, the biggest creature I'd ever seen in my life, even making the angry bear I'd once run into seem small in comparison, stood, turning to look at me.

My knees went weak and yet somehow, I managed to move. I stumbled backwards a few feet, only stopping when I backed into a tree, which I gratefully leaned into for support. I suddenly felt like I understood so much more now. I saw the power and majesty behind the Quileute legacy in a way I could have never imagined even a minute ago and I knew seeing even this glimpse of it with my own eyes was something I would never, ever forget.

The Jacob wolf merely stood there, watching me with those same century old black eyes, seeming to wait for a response.

"OK." I gasped out after a moment. "I admit it...I'm impressed."

A great rush of air left his lungs and I understood that he was laughing. I laughed too, albeit shakily. Then he took a step backwards, towards the thickest part of the forest, and his gigantic, shaggy head moved in a nod. A gesture of goodbye. I lifted a trembling hand in farewell, and then, with a great bound, he leapt away and was gone like he'd never been there at all.

I knew I should go too, but I stood there, watching, although there was nothing left to see. The lump in my throat grew and grew until it was nearly choking me, and the burning sensation in my eyes was unmistakable. I knew I didn't have time for this, and yet there was no help for it. I knew myself well enough to know that the tears were coming whether I wanted them to or not, and I might as well get it out of the way now.

I couldn't believe I was actually going to cry for Jacob Black. I was already sobbing, even as I scolded myself for it. How could someone who had been nothing but an annoyance to me this morning have the power to break my heart now? What was wrong with me? I felt disloyal for even feeling this way. Good going, Elisa. I snapped at myself. Might as well turn in your Team Edward membership card. Welcome to Team Conflicted. No, more like Team Traitor.

The tears came harder now and I broke off my internal dialogue to give into them completely. At that moment, I deeply envied vampires for their ability to cry without tears. I was wiping them away as fast as I could, not wanting to wreck my makeup, but they kept coming faster and faster. I wasn't even sure who I was hurting for more now. Jacob and the shattered heart he held so clearly before him? Bella, because no one should ever have to be that torn or carry the burden of someone else's broken heart, especially on their wedding day? The girl, whoever she was, that was Jacob's destiny, the one he might never recognize, because his eyes were so full of the one he could never have?

Or maybe I was crying for me, because as bad as I felt for Jacob and Bella, I felt worse for myself. Because as petty as I knew it was, I was still jealous of her. It was terrifying to see for myself how violently love could wreck a person but even so, I still wanted it, and knowing that I was alone in this world, that there was pretty much no chance that anyone here that would ever love me half as much as either Jacob or Edward loved her... It not only made me feel every single bit of what I'd already lost but it was also making me grieve for what I would never have.

And it hurt too, to know how much I'd not only underestimated Jacob, but most likely the rest of them as well, his pack, Emily...every person at La Push that I had judged so easily and brushed off. I knew by choosing to leave with the Cullens tonight that I was giving up the chance to know some truly amazing people and yet there was no other way for me. The realization that I now knew just the tiniest bit of the conflict Bella felt every day made me cry even harder. How could she stand this kind of pain?

It seemed like I was there a long time, but I knew really it had only been a few minutes when I finally managed to get a hold of myself again. I wiped away the last few tears, took several deep breaths, and straightened up, hoping that when I got to the house my eyes and face wouldn't be too red and give me away. I already didn't know how I was going to explain why I'd been gone so long.

My head was full of excuses as I made my way through the trees, even as I knew that Alice wouldn't believe a single one of them. She'd smell Jacob on me, and so would the rest of them. They probably already knew he had been here. I just hoped no one was planning to clue Bella in. It was kinder if she was left in the dark, if she didn't have to know how much he was still suffering. Then again, maybe I should tell her I saw him...she had a right to know, didn't she? At least I could tell her truthfully that he wished her well...

It came from nowhere. Just as I saw the outline of the house through the trees, heard the muffled, yet cheerful voices of the guests and the first notes of the band warming up, just as I felt safer than I had since I'd decided to confront Jacob, something hard hit me from behind. I flew forward several feet, my progress only stopped by yet another tree. My hands shot out barely fast enough to keep my face from slamming into it as I came to a halt. I didn't even have time to move, to gasp for breath or scream before something icy gripped my arms and turned me around. My terrified eyes couldn't focus at first, and then the figure before me came into view.

Even as my breath came in panicked pants and every instinct within me screamed at me to run, I registered that she was beautiful, the creature before me. Despite her casual clothes covered in dust, as if she'd traveled a long way without stopping, and her glorious golden red hair thoughtlessly twisted into a loose bun, she looked like a supermodel. If I'd met her on the street or in a mall, I would have been admiring, even envious.

But we weren't in some commonplace scenario, and this was no ordinary meeting, because she was clearly a vampire. And I was a human who couldn't have been in a more vulnerable position. It looked like I had been right to fear what besides Jacob Black could have been lurking in the dark, but this hindsight wasn't going to do me any good, because she still held me against the tree in an iron grip. I was completely helpless, alone...and most likely, seconds from dying.

"You're not the one." The vampire said suddenly as she stared at me, and even as scared as I was I had to admire the perfect modulation of her voice. Her stunning face was frustrated now. "Then why..." She looked me over closely and then in a blindingly fast motion she grabbed my hand, the one Jacob had been holding, and sniffed it. Her face wrinkled into lines of disgust. "That's why." She spat now. "Where is it?"

"Where's what?" I managed to squeak out, and then cursed myself for not using the little breath I had to scream for my life.

"The dog." She hissed. "I can smell it on you. Where did it go?"

I understood now. She'd smelled Jacob, the werewolf...her enemy. He was who she wanted, and I could tell by the unfiltered hatred that blazed from her eyes, it wasn't for a friendly chat. I clamped my lips together in a thin line. I had a feeling this was one of those scenarios where I died whether I talked or not, and I wasn't going to use my last breath to betray anyone.

The vampire woman watched my closed expression and shook her head. A bit of the predatory glare was leaving her face as she surveyed me. She looked actually almost...worried, as if she was realizing belatedly that she'd made a grave error in judgement. As her grip on me loosened just a bit, I wondered if I had made one myself. She was a vampire, yes. And clearly no friend of the wolves, but now I was registering her golden eyes, and I had to wonder if she was a friend of someone else. Like the Cullens...that had to be it. Why else would she be here?

"I don't understand." She was murmuring now, almost to herself. "You're human. And yet..." She looked at me and her eyes narrowed. "You know what I am."

"Um..." I wanted to deny it, but the right words wouldn't come. As I struggled for something to say that would get me out of this mess, her eyes suddenly darted back to the wrist that she still held, and fastened on my bracelet. The ID panel was still face up, and I saw her lips move silently as she read the name on it.

"Elisa Cullen." She whispered. Her face was shocked for a moment. "Cullen." She stared at me for a moment and I stared back, unable to look away from the hypnotic glare of her eyes. Then, shockingly, she began to laugh. "I don't believe it." Abruptly, she stepped away from me, and I dropped away from the tree, barely stopping myself from falling. The relief that I felt at being released was short lived. Almost immediately, she grabbed my wrist again and began to drag me - towards the house.

"I just can't wait to hear the story behind this." She was still chuckling to herself, but there was a note of irritation in it that was unsettling. At least she no longer seemed like she was about to rip my throat out, and she was taking me to the house...to do what I didn't know, but it didn't seem like I was going to die in the next few minutes. I stopped trying to dig my feet into the ground and concentrated just on keeping up with her. I'd settle for explanations when we got there.

Despite my good intentions, curiosity got the best of me. "Who are you?" I blurted out as she tugged me onto the immense green lawn.

The vampire woman paused and looked at me, her perfect lips curling into a smirk. "Oh, how rude of me not to introduce myself. Hello, Elisa. My name is Tanya."

Edward:

I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
I don't know what I'm diving into
just hanging by a moment here with you...

'Hanging By a Moment', Lifehouse

"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..."

My words echoed in my head as I waited for the seconds that were stretching into eternity to pass. As I stood there, on the other side of the door from Bella, I was already making plans. Getting out of here without anyone seeing could be tricky, but definitely not impossible. Going out the window would probably be our best bet, considering the grounds were now covered with guests. After that, it was just a short run to the garage, and I was certain we could manage that without running into anyone.

But what vehicle to take? I really didn't want to drive off in the Volvo. It wasn't fast enough, for one thing, and for another I definitely didn't want to be breathing in the pungent aroma of cat urine for hundreds of miles. I wondered if Alice would be too angry if we took her Porsche but immediately dismissed that notion. Asking my sister to be that understanding was pushing it, especially since we'd be leaving her with the fallout that our departure would cause. Alright, the Aston Martin then. After all, it was my 'special occasion' car and absconding with Bella mere minutes before our wedding ceremony was to begin was nothing if not a special occasion.

I felt a rush of guilt as I remembered Alice's world weary mental sigh of just a few minutes ago, sent towards me as I crept up the stairs. "If it makes Bella happy..." she'd thought sadly, clearly meaning for me to hear her, as she emptied the room so I could speak with my bride. I hadn't understood then what she had meant, but just a few moments later it had become clear exactly what I needed to do.

I couldn't continue to coerce Bella into this ceremony, not when I knew she was unhappy about it, not when I knew she was doing it just for me. Especially not when she still thought I was having doubts about our future. I only had myself to blame for that. I had meant it when I told her I didn't regret inviting Jacob, but I certainly regretted not telling her about it. What a foolish thing to do, withhold something like that from her and not expect it to come back and strike me in the face. Both Elisa and Alice had told me to confess, and I didn't listen. Now I was paying the price for my stubbornness, but if my only punishment was having to give up this ceremony, I would accept it gladly. In fact, it would be proof positive that once again Bella was letting me off far too easily.

A slight inhalation on the other side of the door caught my attention again. Bella had been silent for the past minute and I didn't want to press her - not that I wasn't sure what her decision would be. And to my own surprise, I wasn't nearly as selfishly disappointed as I had feared. Oh, it definitely pained me, knowing that although they would understand, my family would be disappointed, especially Alice and Elisa. And it stung as well to know that I was taking their daughter's biggest milestone away from Charlie and Renee as well, but how could I put anyone else's feelings above Bella's? This was her wedding day, and I didn't want her to look back on it with regrets. I knew I never would, no matter how we got married, whether it was in Vegas with an Elvis impersonator and strangers off the streets as witnesses, or in a courthouse with a judge or...

But what if, now that I had given her the choice, Bella had decided she didn't want to get married at all? Oh, I wasn't insecure enough to believe that this whole Jacob situation was a deal breaker. I knew she still wanted to be with me, but what if she had made up her mind that marriage would just never be what she wanted? I knew it didn't mean to her what it meant to me, so if that was her choice - I gritted my teeth. I would just have to accept it, and I would never let her know how...bereft that made me feel. It was ridiculous, I knew...a piece of paper would not make us more committed to each other but still, to stand in front of man and God and pledge our eternal promise to each other...what that meant to me I could never properly express, not even to myself.

The doorknob moved, just the tiniest bit, and I smiled, putting away my wistful longings. None of that mattered now. What mattered was that I was still getting my dream come true. Bella and I were about to begin our lives together, whether it was unconventional or not. I would not waste a second of our time in regrets or thinking of what might have been. The thought of leaving with her, right now, finally being alone, able to look into her eyes and reassure her of the depth of my desire for our forever together was an ineredibly irresistible one. Suddenly, I felt like I couldn't wait an instant longer.

I put my hand back on to the doorknob, smiling. "Actually, Bella, it's better if I come in there because we're going to need to go out the window and - " As I spoke, I'd begun to turn the doorknob, but my words were cut off in surprise as I suddenly felt it tighten in my hand. I twisted it past the resistance anyway, but the moment I began to push open the door it slammed shut again. I could have forced it, but I knew Bella was putting all her weight against it to stop me.

"Bella, what are you doing?"

Her voice finally sounded and to my amazement, I heard laughter in it. "Sorry, Edward, but you're not getting out of this that easily."

"I don't understand." My voice was as confounded as I felt, and then I sighed. "Bella, don't do this. Don't decide that we have to go through with this for everyone else."

"Actually, I'm not." Her muffled voice was mildly indignant. "Edward, it's not that I don't want to leave with you. I'm tempted, I really am. But I did what you asked. I imagined what it would be like to walk out there, and I saw all those faces in my head, staring at me. And you know what I've realized? I don't want to remember this day and not be able to see those faces, every single one of them. I don't want to look back and not remember my father walking me down the aisle or my mother watching, or any of the other people we care about standing by us."

For a moment I couldn't respond. Her words brought it all back to me, just how badly I wanted to go out there, in front of all those people. and make her my wife and I didn't want her to hear that longing in my voice. I knew if she did, the discussion would be over and I still had to give her this chance. It took me a few more of those infuriatingly long seconds to be able to trust myself not to just give in to my own selfish desires before I spoke again. "Bella, as lovely as that sounds, I meant it when I said that I can't go through with this if you are having doubts. I can't stand it if you marry me thinking I've deceived you and I'm still working against the future we planned together. Please, open the door and take my hand, and let me prove to you how much I want the same things you do."

"Edward." Her voice was quieter now, more serious. "You don't need to jump through hoops to make me believe you. As much as I want to look into your eyes when you say it, I don't need that in order to know that you're sincere. I trust you with everything I have to tell me the truth. So tell me now, right here...do you still wish I'd choose something besides a life with you? If you could, would you change things for us and send me down a different path?"

I closed my eyes at her words, my hands splayed over the cool wood grain of the door between us, wishing I could reach right through it and touch her. I stood there, only for a half a second, before I spoke the only words I could, the absolute truth. "Never, Bella. Never, even if it was the right thing to do, could I ever again wish for an existence where we are not together. I can't take one more step without you. I can't even imagine it."

There was a sigh from the other side of the door that still separated us, to my ever-growing frustration, and then she spoke again. "I can't either, Edward. I can't imagine having to live through another second without you. And that's all I needed to hear."

"Are you crying?" My voice rose in alarm.

To my surprise, she laughed again, despite the slight choke in her voice. "Brides are supposed to cry on their wedding day." She paused for a moment, and her voice became clearer. "I'm crying because I'm happier than I've ever been. And the only thing that is going to make this day better is for me to be able to see your face as I walk down the aisle towards you. I want that memory more than anything. So I can't give you my hand right now...the next time you're going to see it is when you're putting a ring on it. I am sure - more sure than anything - that it's what I want. So if you really want this day to be as perfect as it can be, then it's time for you to go back downstairs and keep our appointment. You know where to wait for me at. I'll be there soon...the one in the white dress."

"Are you sure?" I couldn't stand to open my eyes, afraid that it would all disappear, that this was some elaborate fantasy I'd cooked up in my head. "Because we could still - "

"Edward." Her voice was slightly teasing now, slightly impatient. "No Runaway Bride today. Now go downstairs and get ready to make an honest woman of me, or I'm going to take a page out of Elisa's book and sic Emmett on you."

How could I tell her - how could I possibly find the words - to express what this...no, what she meant to me? How could I even begin to describe how overflowing with happiness and relief I was at this moment? I hated it, being trapped on the other side of the door from her as her voice overwhelmed me. My fingers were digging into it, and too late, I realized the wood was splintering lightly. I wanted to tear it off its hinges and get to her, but then I realized what she was saying and finally, I could believe that she truly meant it.

"Edward?" Her voice was questioning now, nervous at my silence.

"Bella." I said her name back. "I'll be waiting for you. I love you."

"I love you too." Her voice was hushed. "So much." Then she chuckled softly. "Now go. I'll see you soon."

I could not stop smiling as I turned, making my way back downstairs. I felt light enough to fly. What had I ever done to deserve this? It seemed too good to be true, that not only could I have Bella, could I love her and she love me, but that our dreams could be the same? It seemed that the whole universe was entirely out of balance, tilted far too much in my direction, giving me everything I never knew I needed. It was almost frightening in a way...I had learned in my long existence that what is given can just as easily be taken away. But no...I would never let that happen. Nothing and no one would ever separate me from Bella again.

My feet were taking me outside, towards the lawn where our guests converged, a few starting to take their seats, when I realized that was not where I wanted to be. I didn't feel like meaningless small talk at the moment...I wanted to be alone for these last few minutes, just glorying in my undeserved good fortune, holding on this moment forever. I turned abruptly, quickly ducking out of sight before anyone could converge on me with their good wishes, and headed around the side of the house.

Alone for the moment, I leaned against the wall of the house, and closed my eyes. The sensations that I felt, the things I saw on the back of my closed eyelids amazed me...I'd never felt anything close to this before and I reveled in it, in the clearest visions I'd ever seen dancing through my head, showing me endless possibilities...showing me the life, the future I never would have guessed in a million years that I would have...

"Edward."

My eyes flew open at the sound of my name. In front of me, Rosalie smirked. "Now that's a first...I can't remember ever having been able to sneak up on you before."

Despite the fact that she had just interrupted the closest experience that I'd had to dreaming in almost a century, I couldn't bring myself to be angry with her. Instead, I merely smiled in acknowledgement that she had bested me in this small way. Rosalie chuckled, but then her face turned just the tiniest bit annoyed. "You've been avoiding me."

I opened my mouth to deny it, and her eyes flashed. With a sigh, I gave up. Her thoughts were already calling me out, and she was right. "I'm sorry. It's just that - "

"It's just that what?" she snapped, her irritation quickly overflowing. I frowned, but remained silent. She'd been banking this resentment for days, and the only thing to do now was let her vent. "That everyone in our family gets to wish you well but me? Why is that, Edward?"

"I didn't mean to make you feel excluded." My voice was sincerely apologetic. I could see now that I had genuinely hurt her feelings. "I suppose that - " I didn't know how to say what I meant without making things worse. The last thing I wanted to do was mar this day with yet another argument.

"I don't have to read minds to know what you're getting at." Rosalie gave me an aggravated look. "You're so sure that you know already what I want to say to you, and you didn't want to hear it. Is that right?" Maybe it's time that you admit that you don't know me as well as you think you do, Edward. If you would open up that all knowing mind of yours sometimes, you might actually learn something new.

I was listening to her thoughts and memories now, more than her voice, watching as visions of Bella - I was amused at how deliberately blurry my bride's face was in them; obviously Rosalie was in agreement with Alice about me not seeing Bella before our wedding - flitted across the screen of her mind. We stood in silence for a moment as I put the pieces together, then turned back to her. "You made peace with Bella."

She shrugged. "Are you really so surprised?"

The honest answer was yes, but I bit that back. "Thank you, Rosalie. That means a lot - to both of us."

Rosalie sighed. "I know you resent the way I've acted towards her, Edward, the things I said...and I'm not going to apologize. Not to you. Because you, of all people, should have understood why. I was trying to save her life, just like you were."

I nodded slowly. "Perhaps I'm the one who owes you an apology, Rosalie. I think that I...assumed your motives too quickly, You're right - sometimes I do think I know all of you so well that I don't really listen to the real meaning behind your thoughts. I will try not to make that mistake again."

Rosalie nodded, smiling slightly. "I suppose I gave you enough reasons to jump to conclusions. But Edward...please believe that I really am happy for you. For both of you, even if I don't...well, it's like I told her. I tried, and now there's nothing more I can do but accept your choices." She frowned then, and I shied away from the sudden turmoil of her thoughts. There was something else she wanted to say to me, but it made her feel embarrassed, even vulnerable, and I wanted to give her enough privacy to make the decision herself whether to continue the conversation or not.

In a moment, she'd made up her mind. "I lied." She wasn't looking at me now. "I do owe you an apology. Not for the things I said to Bella - that's between me and her now. I owe you an apology because I didn't understand for a long time why you had to have her. I didn't even try. Even when I saw how it tore you apart to give her up, I didn't try. I wish now that I had done things differently. I wish I had been a better sister - to both of you. I just couldn't comprehend how you could be so attached to a human despite the danger it put you both in. I think I get that now, at least more than I did."

"Because of Elisa." It wasn't a question. "You're attached to her."

Rosalie sighed. "Well, Emmett's so fond of her and I suppose in her own way she's tolerable..." She broke off at my grin. "Fine. I admit it. I'm attached." To my amusement, she began to pace back and forth for a few steps before throwing me an aggravated glance. "And it's so...unnerving! Being fond of a human when they are so...breakable. How do you stand it with Bella, especially with the propensity that girl has for landing herself in the worst possible scenarios? I know I can't watch Elisa all the time and it's silly to be so overprotective but I can't seem to help it. I worry about her and all the millions of things that could happen to her constantly and it's driving me mad! I can't stand thinking - Edward, why are you laughing?"

"I'm sorry." I tried to keep a straight face and failed miserably. "It's just...out of all the things we do have in common, I never thought this - a weakness for humans - would be one of them. You have to admit it's rather ironic."

"Oh, shut up. You don't have to be so smug about it." Rosalie scowled at me for a moment, and then reluctantly, her lips quirked into a smile and after a moment, she was laughing too. "I never imagined it either. In a way, it's rather nice to know that even after all this time in this existence that there are still new things to do, new feelings to discover. I'll get used to it, I suppose." She sighed. "Speaking of which, do you know where Elisa is? I can't seem to locate her. Of course it would be easier to find her if I didn't have the scent of werewolf in my nostrils everywhere I turn." She gave me a scathing look. "I can't believe you invited the dog."

I sighed. "Join the club. I did, however, have my reasons."

Rosalie sighed. "Well, is he actually going to attend the ceremony or is he just going to lurk in the shadows all day?"

I frowned. "I don't know. I haven't really been listening..." I didn't want to, either, in all honesty. I knew the pain that Jacob was experiencing right now as if it were my own. It was something I'd already had gone through myself, and I wasn't particularly inclined to relive the experience through him. Still, I should probably check - the last thing Bella needed was another surprise, and if Jacob was going to show up, she should be prepared.

So I let my mind open, searching not only for Jacob's thoughts, but Elisa's as well, so that I could direct Rosalie to her. It was more difficult than usual...not only did we have a lot of people on the grounds, but the sense of occasion in the air had their thoughts excited, babbling. My name and Bella's name was repeated so many times in the din rushing into my head that for a moment it was impossible to concentrate. After a moment though I was able to sift through the chaos. bringing individual voices out of the masses, identifying them, and moving on, until I found what I was looking for.

"Oh." I grimaced slightly. "Hmmm."

"Who is it, Jacob or Elisa?" Rosalie demanded, looking at me as I listened.

I sighed. "Both."

"Both?" Rosalie looked puzzled for a moment, then her face darkened. "Together?"

I didn't have to nod - she read the confirmation clearly on my face, and her hands twisted into fists. "You see?" She burst out. "That girl is a walking disaster! First Elisa runs into Jane, after that she gets hit by a car, then she dies, is miraculously resurrected here, moves in with a house full of vampires, and now she's gone trotting off into the forest with a werewolf! I swear sometimes I think she might even be worse then Bella. How are we supposed to keep her alive when she has no common sense whatsoever?"

Rosalie was fuming now as she glared towards the forest and I had to bite down on the urge to begin laughing again. My sister shot me a dirty look and then turned back towards the dense foliage. "Elisa!" She called, her voice sharp, then sighed. "Oh, never mind. I'll just go and get - "

"Edward!" My name, both thought and spoken in urgent tones, had us both turning our heads and then looking upwards to see Alice on the balcony above us. When my eyes met hers she gave me a deeply frustrated look. "We have a problem."

I gave her a bewildered look. "What - " I stopped speaking as the image filled my head. "No." I groaned loudly. "Not her. Damn it, Alice, why didn't you warn me sooner that she was coming?"

"I did." Alice nearly growled. "Last night, remember? I told you there was something that you would need to take care of today! I thought you would have done it by now - do we really need anything else going wrong?"

"You did?" I thought back to Alice's words from last night, and winced lightly as I realized she was right. She had sent me a clear image of Tanya's arrival and I had ignored it completely, so focused on Bella and today. "I'm sorry, Alice...I must not have been paying attention. I'll take care of it now...I'm assuming she's already here?"

"Yes." Alice was still frowning, but it was a look more of irritation than concern and I relaxed a bit. She must have seen that it wouldn't be difficult to get rid of our latest wedding crasher. "Please go deal with her before this gets to be bigger than you and Bel - " Suddenly, she froze, and in a second her face had gone from annoyed to blank and then to alarmed.

"What is it?" Rosalie had been looking back and forth between us, trying to understand what was happening.

"Elisa." I gritted my teeth as the images from Alice's mind filled my own, and then smiled grimly, hoping to dispel some of the alarm on Rosalie's face. "Come on, let's go rescue your disaster prone human before she gets herself into real trouble."

I looked back at Alice, who exhaled loudly. "Hurry." She urged. "I need all the bridesmaids upstairs as soon as possible, and I'd really prefer Elisa to be in one piece." She shot me a final, aggrieved look and then disappeared back inside.

Rosalie needed no prompting; she was right at my side as I rushed towards the woods. I looked at her set jaw and clenched fists with amusement. "You know, if you really want to keep Elisa alive, maybe you might want to consider not fantasizing so much about killing her."

Rosalie just shook her head as we moved. "That girl.." she exhaled. It was her only response and yet I understood exactly how she felt.

Almost as soon as we had begun to move, I held up a hand and Rosalie and I came to an abrupt halt. We were almost at the treeline - and then they were there, appearing from the trees, before us. I had the smallest glimpse of Elisa's pale face before Tanya filled my vision and the next thing I knew, a soft bundle of flesh and pink silk was being hurled towards me. Elisa smacked into my chest hard, and I had to grab her to keep her from falling. Immediately, Rosalie reached out and took her arm, pulling Elisa to her side and stepping in front of her protectively. Both of us turned to glare at our new arrival.

"Rosalie, Edward." Tanya's voice was as pleasant as if she had just dropped in for tea. She gestured at Elisa with a smirk. "I believe that belongs to you. You really shouldn't allow your family pet to wander around unprotected in the forest, you know. Especially when the dogs are out." The sudden fire in her eyes proved that she wasn't as calm as she pretended to be.

Elisa was staring back and forth between us, watching every nuance of our expressions as I gazed at Tanya and she looked back at me. I could hear Elisa trying to make the connection, understand why the name Tanya was so familiar to her, and then something in our faces triggered it, and the last pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Tanya! She thought to herself. From the Denali Clan...the one who - Elisa's eyes suddenly locked onto me with an outraged expression. This is all your fault, Edward! You just had to break the rules and come see Bella last night and now the bad luck genie is totally out of the bottle. Lovelorn ex's and wanna be's are crawling out of the woodwork - what next, is Mike Newton going to challenge you to a duel?

"Calm down, Elisa." I murmured out of the side of my mouth as Tanya watched us curiously. "Everything is going to be fine."

Calm down?! Elisa's thoughts sputtered into incoherent fury for a few minutes before they became clear enough to read once again. Do you have any idea what I've been through today trying to make sure you and Bella get married without any more problems? Random images and phrases tumbled over each other in her mind...first I heard her irritation with Bella, my reluctant bride and I couldn't help but smile, knowing how all that had turned out. Then I saw her with Jacob, arguing...now he was on the ground, grieving, and I heard her internal conflict, her frustrated attempts to comfort and reason with him...there was more, another struggle, a personal one this time but she shied away from that, not wanting me to hear it. The visual changed again and I watched Tanya hurl her into a tree...

I can't take any more of this, Edward! Just - forget being a gentleman for once, throw her back to wherever she came from and let's get on with it already! Bella is waiting for you! Are we ever going to get this ceremony underway?

"Rosalie, Alice is waiting for both of you. Why don't you take Elisa back to the house?" I suggested quietly, wanting Elisa out of the way so I could deal with this latest complication. "I'll be right there."

Rosalie nodded and began to pull Elisa away but Tanya's thoughts turned sharp and she stepped forward to intercept them. "Not so fast." With lightning speed, she reached out and grabbed Elisa's wrist and I saw with a small hint of dread that her eyes were on the bracelet I'd given her. "Do you mind explaining this?"

"I really don't see how we owe you an explanation, Tanya." My words sounded through gritted teeth and I exchanged a frustrated look with Rosalie. What had we done? How could we have exposed Elisa like this - why weren't we more careful? True, Tanya was our friend, our ally, but still, Elisa's existence was supposed to be a carefully guarded secret, safe from the dangerous world we were reluctant members of. The more people - no, the more vampires - who found out about her, the more danger she was in...the higher the likelihood was of word getting back to the Volturi. We would have to tread very carefully in the next few minutes and in the future, we could never afford to be this careless again.

"Perhaps it's not my business." Tanya's voice was even smoother, but with a clear tone of warning. "But humor me. I'm just brimming with curiousity." She still held Elisa's wrist, her eyes touring over her, sizing her up. Elisa glared back, her ever present temper beginning to overcome her quite sensible fear and I hurried to speak before our adopted human inevitably said something that would make the situation even worse.

"Elisa is...alone in the world, Tanya. We've taken her in." My explanation was clipped.

"Why?" Tanya looked from Elisa back to us. "What did you do, eat her parents and then adopt her out of guilt?" She snickered, and Elisa shot her a furious look, opening her mouth. Only my warning stare stopped her from speaking.

"Seriously though...why her? What's so special about this child? Is she exceptional in some way?" Tanya suddenly dropped Elisa's wrist and then took her face in her hands, turning her head back and forth as she looked her over. Elisa gasped indignantly and tried to pull away but Tanya held her fast. I clenched my jaw, shooting a warning glance at Rosalie's tense face this time, knowing if I tried to intervene it would just make things worse. Tanya was merely curious at this point, but if we became too defensive that would change to suspicion, and who knew what she'd decide to do next.

After a moment, Tanya dropped her hands. "I don't see the pull myself. She's pretty enough, but the world is full of exotic humans to change into even more interesting vampires. I don't understand why you selected this one." She shrugged now, clearly losing interest. "How much longer are you going to let her age before you change her?"

I kept my face expressionless at that, but a tiny gasp came from Rosalie, and Tanya's eyes suddenly fastened on her, then narrowed, considering what she saw on my sister's face. "I don't believe it. You're not going to change her, are you?" Her voice rose in disbelief. "You have to be joking. What do you think you're doing? How can you consider something this foolish? Are you so addicted to humans now that you would endanger not only yourself but me and mine as well?" Her eyes were sparking now as they met mine. "We're your closest allies. If the Volturi comes down on you, their eyes will turn to us next. Why would you risk all of us?"

"She doesn't want to become one of us, Tanya." Rosalie stepped forward now, her voice careful as she considered how best to plead with her old friend. "You know that Carlisle would never allow this lifestyle to be forced on anyone. She had the right to make her own choice."

"Her own choice." Tanya snorted in disbelief, looking at the three of us. "What kind of fairytale world are you living in? Are you really so deluded that you imagine she actually has a choice? Or are you just cruel enough to let her believe that until the inevitable occurs?" She lifted Elisa's chin in her hand, forcing her to look Tanya in the eyes. "Let me clue you in to the truth, pet. There is only one real choice for a human that knows our secrets. Die young...or live forever. I suggest you decide quickly."

Elisa blanched at her words, her face going pale once more, and beside her, Rosalie hissed. Tanya lifted her head and laughed softly. "Why, you do value her, don't you? That's very interesting, coming from you, Rose. In that case, I'll tell you what. If Carlisle doesn't have the stomach for it, I'll change her. As a favor to my old friends." She dropped Elisa's face abruptly and held out a hand. "What do you say, pet? It's just three days to a whole new you."

Rosalie moved now, knocking Tanya's hands away, standing between her and Rosalie. Her eyes were glittering dangerously as she looked at the other woman. "Get away from her!" I quickly stepped to her side, and the two of formed a vampiric wall in front of Elisa, both of our stances defensive.

For a moment, Tanya looked stunned, and then she laughed, a tinkling sound full of disbelief. "Would you fight me over her, Edward? Rosalie? Has this small human really changed things between us so much? Am I not still your friend?"

"Lay another finger on her and see how quickly you earn my enmity, Tanya." Rosalie's voice was a snarled warning.

For a moment Tanya's eyes blazed violently back, and their golden eyes clashed together as they stared each other down. Then, with a sigh of defeat, she dropped her defensive stance. "Well." Her hands dropped to her side. "I have to say, I didn't expect this at all." She stood in silence for a moment, and I listened to her debate with herself. As her thoughts became less heated, I began to relax, straightening up to face her, waiting for her to speak.

"I value you all too much to allow this child to divide us. As far as I'm concerned, from this point on the girl doesn't exist. But hear this - we will not betray you or your pet, but we will not suffer for your foolishness either. If the Volturi comes down on you, don't expect us to come to your defense. We have to protect our own above all, and I won't lose any of my family to your folly." Tanya turned to me. "Do we understand each other?"

"Perfectly." I smiled now as we clasped hands in a gesture of understanding. "Thank you, Tanya."

Tanya merely shook her head, clearly indicating that while she may have accepted our decision she certainly didn't understand it, and then turned to Rosalie. "And you, Rose? Can I still call you my friend?"

Rosalie smiled as well, her face relaxed with relief. "Of course, Tanya." They clasped hands as well. Elisa stood silently, watching with wide eyes, her thoughts once again chaotic, a mixture of fright, conflict, and rebellion. I sighed. Tanya had re-opened a can of worms with Elisa that we thought we had sealed...sooner or later, we were going to have to address this issue all over again.

"We need to go, Elisa. It's almost time." Rosalie touched her shoulder to get her attention.

Elisa nodded shakily. "OK." She began to turn towards the house, and then turned back. "Aren't you coming, Edward?"

Tanya answered before I could. "Sorry, pet, but Edward and I have unfinished business." Her voice was low now, intense.

As realization dawned in Elisa's eyes, they burned angrily and I suppressed a groan as the furious thoughts spilled out of her mouth. "Excuse me? Are you seriously that shameless? You do realize he's getting married in about five minutes, don't you?"

"Elisa, please be quiet." My voice was pleading. "Allow me to deal with this."

"Oh no, let her speak!" Tanya's voice was amused once more. "What are you, the bride's lap dog? Did she send you out here to bark at the heels of all of her rivals?"

Elisa snorted angrily, pulling away from Rosalie's restraining grip. "Rival? You? That's funny that you would think of yourself that way, considering that until today I've never once heard Edward even speak your name." Her voice was amazingly scornful and I almost admired the way she didn't seem to care at all that she was insulting someone who could kill her in less than a second.

The amusement immediately left Tanya's face. "In the interest of not dying today, pet, I suggest you remember just who you're talking to." She hissed. I closed my eyes in exasperation. As Elisa had pointed out, it was mere minutes before I was to marry Bella and I was stuck in the middle of a cat fight. Fantastic.

Rosalie dashed forward and grabbed Elisa around the waist as she started to speak again, lifting her off her feet and turning her towards the house. She should have put a hand over her mouth, however, because even as she was being forcefully removed from the scene Elisa continued to yell over her shoulder.

"Oh yeah, is that a threat?! You'd better hope I never become a vampire then, because the first thing I would do is kick your skanky - " Before she could finish, Rosalie did clamp a hand over Elisa's mouth, her own face shocked. She shot me an exasperated look and with that, she carried the still angry but thankfully muzzled Elisa away.

I didn't know whether to laugh or...well, actually the urge to laugh was really the only one I was feeling at the moment. I'd have time to be angry at Elisa's heedlessness later. Rosalie was no doubt angry enough to cover the both of us anyway - I could only imagine the blistering, well-deserved scolding that Elisa was getting at the moment. The girl really did allow her temper to overcome her common sense far too often...that was something else we'd need to address soon.

Tanya was staring after their disappearing figures with a stunned expression, and then she turned back to me. I was surprised to see a glint of humor returning to her own eyes, and then she chuckled. "Well...how interesting. That's one bold little girl you all have taken under your wing. Maybe she has potential after all." She lifted her shoulders. "Of course, she's deeply stupid, and possibly has a death wish, but at least she has guts, and she's apparently loyal as well. Those aren't bad qualities to have. Really though, I'd stop all this wishy-washy nonsense about letting her remain human and just bite her already. Otherwise, with a mouth like that someone's bound to kill her before the year is out."

"I'll take that under advisement." I murmured sarcastically. "But now I do have a wedding to get to, and I hate to be rude, but I think you understand why it's best that you leave before it begins."

"Oh, yes, I understand perfectly." Tanya's face suddenly became cold. "Not only do you think it might create an uncomfortable situation with your bride, but you're worried about what I could do to your other so called friends. I ran across one of your 'guests' earlier by the way, or at least the stench it left behind." She glared at me now. "I can't believe you allow them so close. Do you have any idea the pain those beasts have caused my family? Do you not even comprehend the threat they still represent to you and yours, even? And how do all of you respond to that? You ally with them in battle, despite knowing they'll use what they've learned about you against you in the end. You socialize with them." Her voice dripped with disgust. "The only thing that is stopping us from attacking them is our loyalty to your clan. You'd just better hope they keep to their side of the bargain. Believe me, any one of us would love an excuse to take them out."

"The treaty stands." My voice was warning now. "Even after we're gone from the area. Understand that. If any one of you touch the wolves, we will have a serious problem."

Tanya glowered at me for a minute, and then turned away. "Fine." she spat.

"If that's it then..." I began to move away from her as I spoke, knowing it was useless to try to avoid what was coming but unable to stop myself from trying anyway.

"Edward." Tanya turned back to me, moving to block my way, her voice lower now. "You know why I really came here." She came closer to me now, and her fingers begin to drift up and down the lapel of my suit. "You're making a mistake. I can save you from it. I can offer you so much more than this." She looked into my eyes.

I struggled for every bit of patience that I possessed before I answered. "Tanya, we've had this discussion before. My answer is even more emphatic now."

"Of course. Because of her...that trembling mortal that you are so eager to shackle yourself to." Tanya's nose wrinkled. "But don't you understand, that's exactly why I thought this time you might feel differently! Before, you were closed off, not only from me, but from the world, from anything that could possibly touch you. Now you've experienced a relationship and your eyes have been opened to a whole new world. I can take you the rest of the way into that world, Edward. I could be your partner, your equal, in more ways than she could ever conceive of. Don't you see that? How good we could be together?"

As she spoke, she pressed herself closer to me, but it was her thoughts, the mental images she was sending at me, that she truly hoped to tempt me with. They swirled into my head now, living fantasies that she had created just for me, vision after vision of the two of us, entwined in a variety of intimate poses, each more creative than the last. I tried to block them, but they came faster and faster. My face twisted as I pulled away from her, unable to hide the revulsion I felt.

Tanya stared at me and my changing expressions and I saw the change in her eyes, the near shock she felt as she registered my reaction. "Am I really that loathsome to you?" She whispered. Her voice held more amazement than hurt.

"I'm sorry, Tanya." I pushed her back gently. "But there is not, and never was, anything that I felt for you other than friendship. Not before Bella and certainly not now. I love her. Can't you, of all people, understand that, with all you've seen of this world? I love her with every fiber of my being. There is nothing else in this universe that I need or desire except to be with her."

Tanya continued to hold my eyes with her own for a long moment, and I was silent, just listening to her process my words. Finally, she sighed. "You do, don't you? You truly love her. So be it, then. I have to say, I don't envy you. You'll live and you'll die on her whim now, a slave to your own emotions. What a foolish way to spend eternity, as nothing more than a puppet." Her voice and her thoughts didn't hold any malice, just genuine astonishment, and suddenly, I pitied her and what she couldn't understand, deeply.

"I can't accept that you truly believe that, Tanya. You are hardly immune to love. I've seen you, with your family. You love them fiercely. You'd die for any of them without hesitation. Do you really think that those bonds enslave you?"

Tanya shook her head impatiently. "Love and loyalty to family is one thing. It's natural...instinctive. And lust I understand as well. I enjoy it, as you well know. It's not only pleasurable, but an extremely useful tool." She sent a predatory smile my way. "But romantic love...it's insidious. It's an infection, a disease that rots from the inside out. It takes away everything except the obsessive desire to be with the object of your affections at the expense of everything else. I know you don't agree. My family doesn't either, for that matter, but look at what love has done to us. You remember my sister, Edward. You remember how full of life she was. For hundreds of years, she had the world at her feet and she was such a force of nature. There was nothing she couldn't do. Now she sits, and she stares, and she grieves. She lives, and yet she's empty...lifeless...dead as she would have been if she had only been granted her mortal life and was nothing more than dust. I look into her eyes, and my sister isn't there anymore." Her voice was suddenly filled with grief, and I couldn't help but feel for her. "Love did that, Edward. It destroyed her, and the rest of us have ceased to mean anything to her. We just have to stand by and watch. I think you can understand my utter disdain for the whole phenomenon."

"And yet you feel the void, Tanya. You were going to use me to try and fill it, despite the fact that you hold no real feelings for me either. It was that, and your pride and stubbornness that led you here more than anything else, the fact that you couldn't really bring yourself to believe that I didn't want you."

"Hmmm." Tanya's lips tightened momentarily, and then she smiled again, though reluctantly. "I have always found your insight rather annoying. Alright, so I admit it. I would like a companion of my own. Especially now that Irina...well, I suppose it has left an emptiness within me. Give yourself a little credit, however. I could have anyone I want, but I came for you. I do honestly believe that we could have been good together. But you are right. I don't love you...at least not in that way, and I would never want to either. And if it's love you must have, then you can keep your simpering bride, and I'll do nothing more but wish you well. I don't pretend to understand it though, Edward. Aside from my own wishes, it just doesn't make sense to me. Look at you! How can this weak little human who needs to be rescued all the time possibly be your true mate? At least you're planning on making her immortal soon but still..." Her voice was genuinely bewildered.

"Bella is so much more than what you imagine, Tanya. You just don't know her." I knew as soon as I said those words that I'd made a mistake. Tanya's eyes narrowed and became calculating. "That's true, Edward. I haven't met her. But I would like to."

My mouth hardened into a rigid line. "Not today." My voice was nearly a growl.

Tanya shrugged, unruffled by my change in tone. "No." She agreed. "Not today. But soon. You can't put it off forever, you know, and I admit, I am extremely curious about this paragon of yours."

"You know what they say about curiousity, Tanya. It kills the cat." I couldn't hide the irritation in my tone.

"Yes, but satisfaction always brings it back." Her voice was smug now. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Edward. You never know...she might actually like me. You do...sometimes."

"Sometimes." I agreed, letting her know by my expression that this definitely was not one of those times.

She laughed again. "I suppose I should go. And Edward..." She turned, and tossed me a final look over her shoulder. "Please, consider bringing her soon. I promise to behave myself and everyone would like to see you. Maybe it would even do Irina some good. She doesn't blame Bella, you know, for what happened. None of us do. It's the wolves who are responsible..." Her lips twisted again, but with a mighty struggle she forced her expression to become benign once more. "Just come. It's been a rough time. All of us could use a little distraction."

I sighed and then nodded. "I'll see what I can do, Tanya."

That mischievous glint was in her eyes again. "Once your Elisa is a little less...mortal, send her our way too. The others would certainly get a kick out of her."

"Goodbye, Tanya." My words were pointed, and with one final chiming laugh, she was gone. I shook my head as I looked at the lightly waving foliage she'd left in her wake. This little visit had been far more unsettling then I'd expected. If only Elisa hadn't gotten involved...and now Tanya wanted to meet Bella. That was bound to be an interesting encounter...and one I would have to endure sooner or later. Tanya was right - I couldn't avoid it forever.

Edward.

It was Carlisle's voice that summoned me now, from the house ahead, and just the sound of it was enough to wake me up from my musings and bring me back to what this day really meant. For all around me now, excitement and anticipation filled the air with promise. Ahead, I could see guests taking their seats in front of the archway where we would say our vows, see the minister and Carlisle talking a few feet away, even as his eyes looked for me. Jasper and Emmett were walking down the front steps of the porch, and I could see they were looking for me as well.

Finally, it was time.

To be continued...

In the next chapter, the bridal party shares a timeless ritual with Bella...and at long last, the wedding.