EPOV
I was getting married today and my bride was being held captive by my tiny but terrifying sister. I wasn’t complaining, though. Alice being busy with Bella kept me from having to deal with anything other than her mental shouting from inside the house. Edward, you get Jasper and Emmett and make sure we have enough chairs set up in the living room. Do not even think about coming upstairs! So I got the guys and we made sure we had enough chairs for the guests.
Edward, go outside immediately and make sure the caterer is setting everything up exactly as I diagrammed. A glance out the window confirmed everything was up to Alice’s specifications so I didn’t bother to go outside. I busied myself at my piano, knowing that Bella would be able to hear me from Alice’s room I played her song. I wanted her to know that I was thinking of her and couldn’t wait to become her husband. Just as I played the finishing chord a tiny whirlwind appeared at my side.
“Edward Cullen, I asked you to do just one thing and you can’t even bother to do it?” Alice’s rage was palpable.
“I looked out the window and everything is as it should be, Alice.” She threw her hands up in disgust and walked away muttering about if needing something done right and having to do it herself. She went out to bully the caterer and I counted myself lucky to be alone. I’m not done with you, yet. The Denali’s will be arriving in 10 minutes. You get to greet them and play the good host. It’s the least you can do since you’ve done NOTHING AT ALL today! I stifled a groan; I could not wait for the wedding that I had fantasized about countless times to be over with at this point.
I’ll never forget the first time I thought about marrying Bella. It was the day that I first heard her say my name in her sleep; the day I fell completely in love with her. I’d been denying it up until that point but knowing I was in her dreams, as she would be in mine were I capable of having them, brought down all the barriers I’d erected for my own self preservation. I’d sat in her rocking chair and imagined what it would be like to see Bella draped in white, on her father’s arm, ready to walk down the aisle. Of course, my imagination had her marrying some unworthy human boy, because then I could not fathom that she could ever be mine. But somehow, here we were, on our wedding day. Bella was going to be my wife. I was going to be her husband. We’d be together forever. It was humbling; she truly was the best thing that had ever happened to me.
Emmett interrupted my ruminations with a huge put upon sigh. “Alice says we have to go and scoop up every leaf on the property. We live in a forest! How are there supposed to be no leaves on the ground?” His face furrowed in consternation.
“Well it won’t take us long to get what’s already on the ground cleaned up but how she figures more won’t fall between now and then is beyond me.”
“Weddings suck. I’m so glad this is going to be the last one we ever have to deal with.”
“What do you mean, Emmett? You and Rose get married every decade or so.”
“Yeah but it’s the last first wedding. Ours are no big deal and we don’t have the human element to deal with. Did you get a load of all that food out there? Did we invite the entire town?”
“No, thankfully Bella put her foot down there. Really it’s only us, Charlie & Renee & Phil, the Denali’s, a few people from the hospital and some kids from school.” I said the last part a little sourly. I couldn’t believe Alice had invited Bella’s old friends, though I used the term friends lightly.
“Kids from school? Like Newton?”
Ugh. “Yes, she invited Newton and Crowley and Yorkie.”
Emmett let out a big belly laugh. “Bella’s fan club! Awesome! This wedding might be fun after all!”
I glared at him. “Fun for you, maybe, you don’t have to hear their thoughts.” Mike Newton had barely escaped with his life the last couple of years. His thoughts of Bella angered me nearly as much as Jacob’s had. He was only alive because killing him would have made us leave and then I couldn’t see Bella.
Emmett slapped one of his big hands down on my shoulder. “Chill out, bro, you got the girl. They get to sit by and watch you marry her. You won. It’s fantastic! They’ll be so jealous!” Hmmm, he had a point. “Why do you think they invited Stanley? Same thing, she gets to see that Bella won you. I think you’ll enjoy their thoughts today, my brother.”
Before I could respond, Jasper entered the room followed by an irate Alice. “There is entirely too much dirt outside, dresses will get dirty. Do something about it!” Jasper just rolled his eyes at us and went to get a broom from the garage. The man had the patience of a saint.
“Dirt and leaves, outside? How ever did that happen?” Emmett was poking the grizzly bear with a stick in pure Emmett fashion. He never learned. Alice’s face darkened and if we had any blood running through our veins she would have been bright red.
“Emmett Cullen, I believe you are supposed to be outside cleaning up the leaves. You could have been done by now but you’re busy standing around doing nothing with our equally useless brother! Just for that, you can go and see the caterer. They want us to test the food to make sure it’s all up to snuff and none of the humans are here yet. Enjoy forcing that down!” If he thinks he’s going to mess with me today, he’s got another thing coming.
“No way, Alice, I’m not touching the food. I’ll go take care of your damn leaves but…”
“Don’t make me get Rose down here. She’s in a bad mood as it is.” The ultimate threat; bringing in Rosalie. Not that Rose cared about the wedding going off but since the day was here, she just wanted it over and done with. She’d do anything to get it sped along, including making her husband eat human food.
“Fine, I’m going!” Emmett stomped off, any traces of his previous amusement at my expense washed away with his irritation at the tasks before him.
Alice leveled me with a gaze. “What? Should I go out and make sure there are no insects flying around in the Cullen airspace?” Oops, I was getting sarcastic too. Very funny, Edward, why am I the only one who wants this wedding to be perfect? I’m doing it all for you and Bella and all I get are sarcastic remarks and little effort.
“Sorry, Alice, what would you like me to do?”
“The Denali’s are pulling up now, go and greet them and show them around. Let the girls use the guest room on the second floor for changing and such. I have to get back to Bella. And no peeking!”
“I haven’t been, I want some things to be a surprise and Bella’s the only one capable of giving me that.” Plus I really didn’t want to be in Alice’s head anymore than necessary today. It was full of chaos.
“Go, now!” Bossy little vampire. I went outside to greet our old friends and steeled myself for Tanya’s response to me.
“Carmen, Eleazar, Tanya, Kate; it’s so good to see you!” They all emerged from a tinted white Explorer. Tanya immediately ran over and wrapped her arms around me.
“Edward! I can’t believe all the Cullen men are taken. It’s a sad day for single women everywhere!” I gave her a quick squeeze and pulled back to look at her. She was wearing a soft yellow sundress with a matching hat, her strawberry blond curls cascading from underneath.
“Tanya, you look lovely.”
“I wish I could say the same for you, why are you wearing jeans on your wedding day?”
I laughed. “Alice has us doing all-important tasks like making sure there are no leaves on the ground and cleaning up the dirt outside. If I tried to wear my tux, she’d probably hogtie me. Actually, maybe I should go change come to think of it.”
Carmen giggled. “I’m sure Alice is having a field day. And where is your lovely bride? We’re all dying to meet Bella.”
Yeah, I want to see the girl that moved the immovable Edward Cullen. She must really be something. I raised an eyebrow at Tanya. “Alice has her sequestered in her bedroom; I don’t think anybody is going to see her until she walks down the aisle. I’ve been ordered under threat of death not to appear on that floor or dip into anybody’s head to try to catch a glimpse.”
Eleazar came up and held his hand out to mine. “Edward, I’d like to formally apologize for our family. We should have been here when you were having problems with Victoria and the newborns.” I had to fight to keep from tensing up at that memory. Their desertion had surprised us all.
“No need to apologize, Eleazar. You don’t know Bella and I understand that Irina was upset about Laurent.”
“It’s no excuse, Edward. We know you and we should have been there for you. It won’t happen again, I do hope you forgive us.”
“Nothing to forgive, honestly.” I wasn’t going to hold a grudge against my extended family. “I guess Irina wasn’t ready to see us?”
Kate sighed. “No, she’s still pretty upset. She made the choice not to come with us.” And she’ll regret it someday, I’m sure.
“Well I’m sorry she isn’t here, but I’m glad that you are. I look forward to you meeting my Bella.” I couldn’t keep the excitement out of my voice and they all laughed at me.
He is well and truly gone over her. I smiled. “That I am, Tanya.” I was thrilled that she didn’t seem offended by the fact that I’d found someone after all those years of rejecting her. Rosalie could learn a thing or two from Tanya, apparently.
Edward, Charlie should be here in 5 minutes. Send him up to me immediately! I have to get him into his tux and make sure he’s presentable. While you’re waiting for him, go around back and make sure Emmett and Jasper have cleaned everything up properly. Then you better go get yourself ready, we only have two hours! “ Alice is shouting more orders for me in her head, please feel free to go inside, Esme’s in the living room finalizing some set up with the flowers. I’m sure she would love the company and possibly some help.”
Kate laughed. “Yes, we’ll go see Esme. I don’t think any of us want to be near Alice right now.”
“I heard that!” she bellowed from somewhere on the second floor. They all laughed and headed inside while I went around back. The grounds were immaculate. A white tent was flapping gently in the breeze as waiters ran from place to place finishing the set up. The day was typical Forks; overcast but there wasn’t a hint of rain. Alice had been tuned in mentally to the weather for weeks. I saw Jasper over by a rather large elm tree.
“What are you doing, Jasper?”
“Watching our brother make an idiot of himself.”
I looked up and saw Emmett climbing to the very top of the tree. “Em, what are you doing up there?”
He scowled down at me. “I’m knocking free any loose leaves. Every time I get the area cleaned a breeze rustles and knocks more out of this tree. I won’t have Alice screaming at me.” Or worse, siccing Rose on me.
“Em, I don’t think she meant that you had to leave the trees leafless in your quest for cleanliness.”
“Ha, that’s what you think!”
I shook my head. “Charlie will be here in a minute, so try to keep the insanity dialed down a notch or two, okay?”
Emmett laughed. “When are you going to get to call him Dad?”
I rolled my eyes. “Probably never. We’ve gotten to the point where he doesn’t want to shoot me every time he sees me, I think that’s as good as it’s going to get. Em, get out of the tree, we need to start getting ready.” He hopped down, causing the ground to shake from his 50 foot plummet.
Jasper turned to look at me. “You’re not even remotely nervous about this are you?”
“Not in the least. I’m happy and excited. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”
“Nice to know my gift won’t need to be used on a worked up groom, then.”
I grinned. “Yeah, you can save it for Bella. Knowing her, she’s nervous enough for the both of us.”
“She’s actually relatively calm herself. She does want to marry you, for some inexplicable reason.” I smacked him on the shoulder.
I walked around the house just as Charlie pulled into the drive. He’d been out fishing this morning, spending some time with Billy since he wouldn’t be coming to the wedding. Alice had spoken to Charlie about inviting Billy and she’d convinced him that inviting him might be awkward, what with his son in love with Bella. Charlie talked to Billy about it and he agreed that it would be best if he stayed away. None of the wolves had been invited. I was sorry not to include Seth, for I really liked him, but I understood the pack loyalty and just felt it was better not to make anybody choose. Bella agreed. We wanted our wedding to be about us, not about treaties and pacts.
“Hello, Charlie.”
“Edward.” He didn’t sound too happy. Getting dressed up was not exactly a favorite activity for Charlie Swan.
“I’m to tell you to get up to the second floor immediately. Alice is waiting for you.” If it were possible for Charlie to get any more pale, those words had done it. Bella got her delicate coloring from her father.
He swallowed nervously. “How is she?”
“Bella?”
“No, I’m sure Bells is doing just fine. I meant, how is Alice? Is she…scary today?” Ha, my little sister had Chief Charlie Swan shaking like a leaf. I couldn’t resist teasing him a little.
“She’s on the warpath; I’m not going to lie. She had Emmett and Jasper cleaning up the dirt in the yard this morning.”
“Oh man.”
“Be glad that we’re less than two hours from the wedding. She can’t do too much to you in that limited amount of time.”
Charlie looked at me balefully. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s true. Your sister is a force of nature.”
I laughed. “True, I was just trying to make you feel a little bit better.”
“It didn’t work, but thanks for trying.”
Edward, I know he’s here. Get him inside now! “Well, I think we’d better get in the house, before Alice sends out a search party for you.” He shuddered. “My cousins have arrived from Alaska; I’ll give you a quick introduction before Alice descends upon you.”
I led Charlie into the house and took him to the living room. “Charlie, this is Eleazar and his wife Carmen, Tanya and Kate. Everyone, this is Charlie Swan, Bella’s father.” Charlie took in the four beautiful people in front of him, looking rather dazed.
Tanya, never one to miss the opportunity to dazzle a male, walked over and offered Charlie her hand. “Why hello, Charlie, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m Tanya.” She was practically purring. Kate shook her head in the background.
“Uh, hello,” Charlie stammered, turning the same shade of red his daughter often did when I turned on the charm. I was contemplating ways of getting Charlie upstairs when fate intervened in the form of a 4’ 10” tornado.
“Charlie! There will be plenty of time for socializing during the reception. Come on up, I have your tuxedo ready to go.” Alice was at the top of the stairs looking down at him, gripping the banister with too much force. She was going to break it if she wasn’t careful.
Charlie snapped his eyes away from Tanya the instant he heard Alice’s voice. “Yes, Alice, I’m coming.” His voice was positively meek. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud. She had him cowed.
“Edward, you too. Get dressed so you can be ready when the guests start arriving.” I swallowed and walked up the stairs with my father-in-law to be. Neither one of us was going to argue with her; we valued our lives too much.
I loved all of the Cullen interaction in this chapter! I love the fact that Emmett brought up the thoughts of Bella’s school friends when they are at the wedding. I hope you include that. I can’t wait to find out what Mike, Tyler, and Eric are thinking. Oh and Jessica. Should be fun.
Okay, for some reason, when Charlie met Tanya I had this odd thought of….what if Charlie fell for one of the Denali sisters as opposed to Sue! He could be just like his daughter. ha ha.
Oh, and I love the fact that none of the wolves will be at the wedding. I still think that the end of Eclipse should have been the last we saw of them. I still resent the fact that I had to read 1/3 of Breaking Dawn from Jacob’s perspective.
You will definitely get some Mike and Jessica thoughts. hehe What would a run-in with Mike Newton be without Edward wanting to backhand him into a wall?
I have a lot of fun writing the Cullen interaction and look forward to doing a lot more after wedding, honeymoon and change. Right now Rose, Esme and Jasper have gotten a bit shortchanged but I intend to rectify that as I go! Next chapter is actually Alice’s POV so you’ll get inside of her head for a little while. It was fun to explore her!
Hee, no plans for a Charlie/Tanya hookup but that is a funny idea. Imagine Bella and Edward’s horror? Maybe that would be a funny outtake somewhere down the road.
Yes, the wolves are pretty much gone from the story. I plan on having a couple more Jake appearances but they’re only surface things to establish the irreparable rift between the two of them. I’m not having any wolves at the wedding and no interruptions, it’s not about them, not this story. And I agree, 1/3rd of BD from Jake’s view irritated me, even more after the fact since she shows no inclination to finish Midnight Sun. hehe I need Edward’s voice, dammit. That’s why I had to provide it myself!
I vote yes for the Charlie/Tanya outtake! If for no other reason than for to flex your humour muscles which you have/are about to prove to be sizeable. Ago, just wait for chapter 15!
Hee…I so cannot wait for the chapter 15 reaction. I love chapter 15…at least the scene of which we speak. Funniest thing I think I’ve ever written! I can’t wait for AGO’s reaction either.
Okay, we’ll add Charlie/Tanya outtake after we’re done. I think writing a chapter from Charlie’s POV would be fun anyway, he’d be rather grouchy about the wedding attire and fearing Alice and…lots of cool stuff. hehe