5. GIFT

After the ceremony, all of the guests were smoothly ushered into another part of the Cullens' palatial backyard where the reception was to take place, serving as just another reminder of Archie's insane talent for planning things. Edythe and I just stood there, exchanging cool-one-minute then warm-the-next embraces as both sides of our families alternated with each other in these thoughtful endeavors. Suddenly, I was wrapped in the burning-hot arms of Sarah Clearwater who braved this pack of bloodsuckers (as Jules so liked to call the vampires, which I couldn't help remembering at a time like this) to stand in for my absentee best friend.

"Congratulations, I'm so happy for you both!" she cried out and bounced on her heels in excitement. At fifteen, she was the youngest (and smallest) shape-shifter to join Sam's pack earlier this year.

"Thanks, kiddo." I gave her tiny frame a squeeze, bringing her head of dark, wild curls to my chest.

"You look so handsome Beau! I'm gonna tell Jules she really missed out tonight." She joked, giggling.

"You go do that." I said, trying to hide the fact that the very mention of her name made my chest tighten up a touch. Sarah went on to give Edythe a giant hug and she returned the gesture. Bonnie in her slender black wheelchair rolled towards me right afterwards.

"Congratulations, Beau." She gave my hand a squeeze, her voice soft.

"Thanks, Bonnie." I smiled. "Have you heard anything yet?" I leaned down and asked in a whisper after leaving a kiss on her cheek.

"No, I haven't." she gave me an apologetic look. "Trust me though, that girl's got a mind of her own. She'll be fine." Bonnie assured me, touching the top of my wrist. "I hope you'll be happy, Beau." She turned her eyes on Edythe and I saw that the smile she wore had fallen away some. Edythe swallowed and then looked at her feet before meeting the now-cold and indifferent gaze which had overtaken Bonnie's features as she wheeled herself away, leaving us behind. I squeezed her hand.

"You okay?" I whispered with my eyes still staring straight out in front of me as I anticipated the next wave of guests who were ambling this way – It was Jeremy, Allen, Erica and McKayla. But my focus was entirely on Edythe.

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She assured, showing me a soft smile as we stole a kiss in the night.

…

Edythe and I sat at the center table on which a green velvet table runner ran across the thick white brocade tablecloth embossed with cream florals. In the center of it stood a short glass vase filled with a bouquet of purple and white flowers. Earnest and Carine were to the right, nearest to Edythe, and Mom, Dad, and Phil were to my left. I gripped Edythe's petite hand as we listened to the fanfare that were the toasts our guests were making to us– some funny, some sweet, and some that would make you laugh then cry then laugh again. Bittersweet. As everything was tonight. Edythe leaned on my shoulder and rested her hand on my chest, trying hard to feel my heart beat beneath her cool fingers. Her eyes were lowered, and she looked almost...sad. I don't think she ever wanted those heartbeats to end, and we stayed that way for some time. After the last toaster - one of Charlie's friends, I think - went to sit down again, Edythe gave my arm a shake and let out a tiny little gasp.

"I think I'd like to say a few words. Let's do it together." She looked up at me with her big, beautiful doe eyes from beneath her silky lashes and we stood up hand-in-hand. "I'd like to propose a toast," she started, raising her glass of champagne so it made a clear golden chamber against the twilight sky. She took a breath as if she really needed one and looked to me, her lips pulling themselves up into a bright smile. "It's an extraordinary thing to meet someone who you can bare your soul to and accept you for who you are. I've been waiting, for what seems like a very long time, to get beyond what I am. With Beau I feel like I can finally begin. So, I'd like to propose a toast to my wonderful new husband. No measure of time with you will ever be long enough. But let's start with forever."

The tears came to my eyes again and I wiped them away. We clinked our glasses together and I took a sip of the champagne which bubbled in fizzy excitement over my lips and down my throat before we kissed again. I pulled her in tighter to me by the back of her waist, closing my eyes in contentment.

…

Carine and Earnest glided effortlessly across the dance floor, moving as one. Archie and Jessamine were dazzling with their own off-the-wall dance moves - they were doing things you'd only see on some show where Dancing With the Stars meets, like, the Bachelorette or something, and then there's me with my two left feet dancing with Edythe, who somehow manages to make me look like an almost decent dancer myself with how flawlessly she leads me and without thinking, I'm taking after her and we glide, slide, and pivot together, laughing in between every clumsy little misstep of mine; Edythe correcting me and fixing my posture. She didn't even mind that I stepped on her toes twice. And then Edythe and I stopped spinning and a smile spread easily across her face – she was definitely sensing something. She chuckled quietly and with her arms still slung over my neck and back, she looked me in my eyes and her face came right up to mine so I thought we were going to kiss again. Only, she started to whisper something in my ear instead, her cool, pleasant breath shivering my earlobe.

"I think another wedding present just arrived." She said in a muted but cheerful tone of voice. Taking me by the hand, she led me away from all the starry lights and loud music, swapping that all out for the peace and quiet of forest whisperings in the cooling night air.

"Hmm, wonder what it's doing all the way out here?" I shrugged. We were still holding each other's hands so they swung softly back and forth between us in the breeze as I waited for my eyes to adjust in the dark.

"Hey." Just then, a tall, slender figure stepped out from the shadows. My eyes flew open and I put a fist to my lips in surprise.

"Oh my gosh, Jules!" I cried out with a big smile and, letting go of Edythe's cool hand, ran towards my best friend and pulled her into a giant hug, wrapping my arms around her entire body. When I pulled away, I was still holding her shoulders, unable to believe she was truly here in the flesh, and I didn't want her to disappear again.

"You look awesome." I said, taking in the plum dress she wore. It had lace sleeves which reached a little above her copper wrists and the skirt was shorter – fingertip length - than the lace on top of it which reached below her knees and clung to her frame. She even had on heels. I laughed despite myself – seeing Jules in a dress was as rare as me, the half-albino, getting a tan in the wintertime – that is, it never happens. Like, ever. It's legit impossible.

And yet, here she was. And she looked beautiful.

"I shouldn't keep Archie waiting. He'd be furious if I skipped out on our dance together." Edythe began, pointing with her thumb back to the venue. She gave us a quick smile and hurried away, her shadow a blur as it zoomed through the darkness and back to where all the lights shone. I don't think she saw me waving.

"Thanks." Jules blinked abashedly – a surefire sign she was blushing furiously even out here in the dark.

"I mean it." I said, taking her hand.

"To be honest, I wasn't going to come, you know. I mean, why bother?" She shrugged, not meeting my eyes. "But it felt – I don't know, wrong, somehow. Besides – I knew you'd miss me." She gave me an almost bashful yet confident smile and chuckled a little bit, teasing me in her own Jules way. "So, here I am. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Jules." I pulled her into another big hug.

"You're gonna have to stop doing that. I don't think I can take it." She chuckled nervously but still didn't push me away.

"I'm just… really happy. That's all. Thanks for being here for me, Jules. It means a lot." And then we were quiet again. We couldn't hear the music from here, but we started waltzing around together anyways, swaying gently with the wind and it felt like we were dancing to the very same tune, drifting into and out of the little circles our feet made on the damp, mossy ground. She leaned into me; her ear pressed up against my chest in silence. It almost seemed like she was counting every heartbeat of mine and committing it all to memory – to her, they were numbered, and they were precious. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"I'm going to remember you this way," She started real quiet. "Your crooked smile, the blushing red of your cheeks when you're nervous or shy or when someone says something weird to you – though it only seems that way to you in your head because you're such an overthinker –How you're a total klutz. Your compassion, your warmth. Little things like that. My favorite things." She sighed. Lifting her up off the ground, I spun her around. "I'll still be me." I assured her. Or was I just trying to assure myself? I mean, would I really be so different when I became like Edythe? Would Jules hate me forever, then? If that were the case, I didn't think I'd be able to stand it, and I held onto her just a little bit tighter now as if it really were the last time I was going to see her. But of course, in all my total amazingness I stepped right on the fronts of her open-toed shoes one after the other. Quickly, I tried to apologize but she stopped me.

"Your two left feet." She laughed into my shoulder so I could feel it vibrating through me. "Definitely going to miss that most." She shook her head before letting out a sigh. "Your last night as human. The last night you can be someone I love." She said quietly.

"It isn't though." I started, but clamped my mouth shut wishing I didn't say anything at all. She pulled away. We stopped dancing.

"I thought – after the wedding." Her brow furrowed, confused. "Have you changed your mind?" she suddenly asked me, almost hopeful.

"No – not quite, at least. Guess I just didn't want to spend my honeymoon writhing in pain." I quickly started to backtrack, hoping it would end there. It didn't.

"Pfft." she snorted. "Actually, it sounds like the perfect time to me. I mean, it's not like you're going to exert all your energy playing chess and reading books. It's not like you're going to have a real honeymoon anyways, right?" she blinked. "Right?" she repeated, her tone growing more frantic.

I bit my lip and looked up at the sky for some inspiration to hit me but I took too long to respond.

"Wait… no, you can't be serious." She started and began backing away.

"Let's just say it's going to be as real as anyone else's." I said carefully and looked away.

"Are you-?" her eyes blinked incredulously and her mouth fell agape. She couldn't finish her sentence. "That is one sick joke, Beau. What, you think you're some big strong macho man?" Jules scoffed blowing a puff of air from her lips so it troubled her bangs, giving me a look from under them that saw her strong eyes narrow and shine.

"Um... yes?" I answered, just as unsure of myself as I sounded. That set her off.

"I could break you in half if I wanted to, Beau! Edythe can break you in half; into pieces, into dust. She can crush your skull in." she cried out and seized my arm. Her slender hand was a vise around it. "You can't be this stupid, Beau! She could literally kill you; don't you understand?"

"Jules. Hey. You're hurting me- " I started in a calm yet quivering voice, trying to shake free from her grasp. Her grip only tightened, and the pain gradually spread up and down my arm like a slow burn.

"Seriously, stop it, Jules! That really hurts!" I said, louder this time.

"Let him go, Julie." Edythe, hooking her arm around my elbow, yanked me free from Jules' anger and wrapped her arms around my torso, narrowing her eyes aggressively at Jules. I didn't even see her coming. Jules' eyes flew open and she made to seize Edythe's shoulder but she jumped away quickly with me.

"I will kill you. I will kill you myself right this minute, do you hear me? I will tear you to shreds!" Jules roared. Just then, the black wolf, Sam, popped out from the forest behind Jules and, coming in front of her, nudged Jules away by the chest and Sarah and Lee each took one of her arms, holding her back.

"Hey, hey, hey. Come on, Jules. Don't do this." Sarah tried in a supplicating tone of voice.

"You'll kill him! Don't you understand? You'll kill him!" I saw tears streaming down my best friend's cheeks on my behalf as she was being dragged away by her friends, flailing her arms and legs out wildly, struggling to get free and I tried going after them in order to embrace her, seeing how desperately she needed to be held together. Edythe, visibly shaken, pulled me back to her side while still looking after Jules' struggling form.

"Just let her calm down." Edythe said. She was biting her lip - a nervous habit of both hers and mine - and her cheeks looked even paler now in the light of the moon. "Are you alright?" she whispered. I wasn't, but I nodded my head anyways. She touched my arm, massaging it with her cool fingers. "Let's hurry back, or they'll be missing us." She started quietly and looked straight ahead of her in a walk like death as she dragged me behind her. I swallowed and my head began to throb. I can't believe I made Jules cry. Maybe she wasn't ever coming back – But then again, neither was I. Yet, something inside me felt – I don't know, broken. It wasn't supposed to be this way and the thought troubled me for the rest of the night.

…

I couldn't think about Jules anymore for tonight. I won't. We'll fix this up. One day. Some other day.

Our plane was going to depart from the airport at 12:17 AM sharp. So, we had to wrap things up at our reception. Quickly, Edythe and I ran to her house to change out of my tux and her wedding dress, not wanting them to get dirty. Dry-cleaning could only do so much, Archie reminded me once or twice - okay, more like twenty times – but he knew what he was talking about. Apparently, he put Edythe's new dress and my own change of clothes in the same exact room together like some kind of perverted little matchmaker – hey, at least we were married – which, by the way, is totally crazy. I fidgeted with the tie Dad gave me struggling to undo the knot, afraid I'd pull out a thread or something and ruin it but Edythe helped me with her fast, gentle fingers and undid it with ease, making sure to fold it up and put it away nicely in the rectangular golden box which it came in. I shrugged off my suit jacket and hung it back up in the closet. I reached for my belt buckle then, but stopped and my cheeks blazed a crimson red hue.

"Mind if you turn around for a sec?" I asked Edythe, raising my brows apologetically in embarrassment.

"But we're husband and wife, remember?" She asked through a chuckle.

I shrugged. "I know, I know. But I'm not ready… yet."

"Okay, okay." She sighed and turned the other way, leaning back a little on the mattress with her eyes trained on the curtained windows. When I was sure she couldn't see me anymore, I kicked off my suit pants and changed into the nice button-up shirt and khakis I was provided – I'm assuming that meant Edythe was taking me someplace warm for our honeymoon. It's a surprise though, so definitely a guess at best. I didn't care though. Long as I was with her. I almost forgot about Jules. Almost.

"You can turn around now." I said, and she did. "What do you think?"

"How very handsome you look, Beau." She'd slipped into her vintage way of speaking again – something I loved about her. Besides everything else, of course.

"Would you mind helping me with these buttons?" she asked, pulling the new dress to her chest and motioning towards the back of her wedding gown.

"Y-yeah, sure. Of course." I stammered and tried not to think about how my cheeks felt so hot they'd burn off my face right now. With slow, shaking fingers, I undid the silk-covered buttons one-by-one from the elastic loops which ran down the back of her wedding dress and swallowed really hard when her delicate shoulders and contoured back were bared to me.

"Thank you." I heard her say in a soft, quiet voice that almost shook. "It's your turn to look away now – and no peeking." She added with a little giggle.

"Right." I said and turned my head towards the soft white curtains pulled over the window of the small room. Finally, I heard the sound of a zipper being pulled up.

"You can look again." I turned around and she was beaming. "It's vintage - to you, at least. It's one of my favorites." she said, catching my smile. She was wearing another lace tiered dress – white still, but shorter than the wedding gown – with lace bell sleeves, something I imagine Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac would have worn in her heyday. It looked beautiful on her. I told her so and we were about to kiss again.

"Don't throw off my game, you lovebirds!" Archie suddenly knocked very loudly on the door. "Hurry it up in there, the cab's leaving soon." he laughed.

"It's almost time." Edythe began excitedly and I pulled her soft hand through my arm.

"I can't wait." I beamed.

…

The guests were all lined up and waiting for us outside. Edythe's cousins from the Denali clan came up to see us then, almost in a rush. Kirill stepped forward first and gave us a smile before congratulating us again, kissing Edythe's hand. His piercing golden eyes were large and kind, and he had the airs of a noble Slavic prince with the way he carried himself; highly but not arrogantly, and nodded at me. "May you spend many happy years together." He said and shook my hand. His grip was super strong.

"Thank you." I managed to wheeze out. Not only did he look like a royal; he was as intimidating as one, too. He turned towards his other brother, Dimitri, then to his adopted brother Carlos and his wife Elena, and we shook hands, hugged, and kissed cheeks which was customary I think from where they were from. There was only one other member who stuck closely to the shadows behind them – Ivan. Kirill, noticing this, motioned for his brother to take a step forward. I saw as Ivan's expression grew severe, and it almost looked like he was seething through his teeth with the way his sharp eyes bore into mine and then Edythe's before flicking very briefly to where Bonnie's family was, flinched when he caught the chieftain's eyes looking at him, and then trained his gaze back on us.

"You must forgive my brother's poor manners. Please understand, he loved Lauren very much and is still in mourning." Edythe touched the top of Kirill's wrist.

"We do understand. And we are deeply sorry for your loss." She looked up at Ivan then. "But Lauren tried to kill Beau. We would not have attacked her if she had stood down. We never intended to cause you and your family any suffering." Edythe tried in a soft, supplicating tone. Kirill, who was always rather fond of Edythe and a just man, understood this completely and it showed in his solitary expression with his downcast eyes, which said something like "It couldn't be helped" without even uttering a word. Kirill looked at Ivan again and said something to him in a foreign language – Russian I'm guessing – but Ivan shook his head.

"I know she would have done no such thing. She wanted to be like us; she wanted to be with me." He finished in a quivering voice with a small, terse shrug of his shoulders. I looked to Edythe who'd gotten very quiet and pulled her to my chest.

"We wish you every happiness in the world, Edythe; Beau. Forgive us." Kirill finished with a heavy sigh and went away, motioning for his coven mates to follow after him.

"Are you alright?" I whispered into Edythe's sweet-smelling hair.

"Yes. I'm fine." She sighed, squeezing my hand. "Besides, what's a wedding without a little family drama, hm?" she leaned her head on my arm, weaving her fingers through mine. But then, Edythe's parents pulled her aside just as my mom came up to me.

"Congratulations, honey." She was near tears again as she brought me tight to her chest.

I wrapped my arms around her, pressing my hands to her back and I didn't want to let go. "Take care of yourself. I'll miss you, Mom." I said, my voice growing thick. "I love you."

"I love you most." She kissed my forehead and held my cheeks in her hands so she could look at me better. One last time. Her mascara was running down her face, making little orbs of black and I wiped them away and kissed her cheek.

"Five minutes." Arch said, gently touching Mom's shoulder.

"I better let you go for now then, honey." She laughed through her tears and went to Phil, who put his arm around her and when I met his eyes, he gave me a proud, beamish smile of well wishes and waved a little. Seeing them together, I was happy to know Mom was going to be in good hands - I knew Phil would take good care of her for me and I nodded once in their direction, giving them my own sort of blessing.

"Guess it's my turn now." A gruff voice from behind startled me. It was Dad.

"Dad!" My face broke out into a wide grin and I pulled him to me with a hearty smack on his back.

"Congratulations, kid. I really am happy for you both."

"Thanks, Dad." I laughed as we pulled away.

"You remember what I told you, right?" he asked, his face softening. It took me a second to figure what he was getting at, but then I remembered it.

The things he wished he did for Mom. Right.

"Don't worry, Dad. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself though." I said, giving him a small smile.

"Yeah, well." He sighed, not finishing his sentence. "Hey. One more thing-" he suddenly started, snapping his finger. "Don't forget – protection!" he almost laughed when he said it, apparently thrilled that he was mortifying me.

"Oh my gosh, Dad. Are we really having this talk right now?" I chuckled nervously, wincing in embarrassment as I touched the back of my neck which had since begun to heat up. I could feel those unattractive red splotches creeping up on me now, it was only a matter of time. "You seriously don't have to worry about that, Dad. Trust me." I said, looking over to where Edythe was.

He put his hands in the air. "Hey, I'm just saying." he said. "You never know. At least until you're both ready for kids."

"Okay, okay. Duly noted, thanks." I laughed, shaking my head in bemusement at Dad's frankness. I have to admit -I was going to miss that a lot.

"Alright. Don't want you kids being late for your flight." He said after a moment. "Have fun, stay safe, be careful. You know the drill."

"Thanks, Dad." And I meant it completely. I wrapped my arms tight around him.

"I'll miss you." I said, closing my eyes. "And I love you."

"Love you too, son." He answered me just as quietly and we stayed that way for a little while.

The cab honked loudly.

"You better hurry, Beau. They're going to leave you behind." Dad laughed, pointing at the car. Edythe was already standing there, waiting for me. Dad and I walked over and he hugged her, kissing her cheek before helping her into the backseat. I clambered in after her and Dad closed the door for me and showed me a soft smile through the car window. He patted the metal roof of the vehicle twice as a blessing and slowly, the car began to pull away, the rubber tires squealing softly against the rocks and pebbles on the damp road and I could see my mom and dad and everyone else getting smaller and smaller in the distance behind me until finally fading away, a veil of night suddenly and forever situating itself between us as Edythe and I sped off into our future together, looking ahead and never looking back.

As we rounded the curved, bending road, I heard the pitiful, plangent wail of Jules howling to the pale-yellow light of the moon.