School resumed. My engagement to two men generated the level of buzz I'd come to expect from the Forks High grapevine. I sent out my applications and thought no more of them afterwards. This was all theater; I was getting a deferment until the twins were at least weaned. Edward seemed inordinately pleased with the idea of me pursuing a higher education, and he pressured Jake to make deadlines on his own applications.

Jake's birthday was a jovial affair. I enchanted the Rabbit to be equal if not superior to Edward's Vanquish. Edward, in a case of low budget but high sentiment, got Jake a couple old motorbikes to restore with Edward financing the repairs.

Tiffany started having morning sickness. I gave her and my dumbstruck dad a hug and prepared myself for impending big sisterhood. Embry already had a half-brother in Sam and an unofficial stepsister in me, but seemed eager for the new addition to the family.

Alice started going nuts with the wedding plans. Apparently even billions of dollars and a lack of need to sleep didn't translate into the perfect wedding without copious amounts of micromanagement. Edward didn't care so long as I walked down the aisle to him, and my only requirements were that the dress be white, I be barefoot, and our song be played during the processional. Other than that, Alice could invite Donald Trump or serve jellied eel for all I cared.

The pack continued to grow as winter transitioned to spring. Seth finally phased, and proved to be just as adorable as a giant wolf as he was in human form. His hero worship of Jake reached the level where he actually started to fantasize about joining us. Unfortunately for him, Jake only shared with Edward. Luckily, Seth quickly imprinted on a nice girl named Grace from Olympia when he went shopping for car parts for Jake. He got lots of exercise running the miles to her door every day.

Speaking of imprinting, and proving that May-December romances got more complicated when one party was immortal, Quil had imprinted on Emily's 2 year old cousin, Claire. It wasn't a sexual attraction so much as a spiritual one, and Quil quickly became the best babysitter in the state of Washington. The pack gave him grief for it, but half of them knew exactly how Quil felt for the girl who would grow up to be his wife.

Mordecai and Josie, in a bizarre twist, ended up getting married after two weeks. The way they told it, the instant they locked swords they knew they were meant for each other. And supposedly the sex was phenomenal. We were all invited to the Las Vegas elopement, and I enjoyed the dazzle and spectacle of the vibrant city and wished the two demon hunters a long and happy life together. They decided to go on a honeymoon to Chechnya hunting demonic terrorists. Some people.

In other news regarding supernatural couples, Samantha and Tony sent us a postcard from Niagara Falls announcing their own nuptials. It seemed everyone was trying the knot. I made them a set of spider-silk underwear that promoted fertility and virility as a wedding gift. I hoped they made good use of them. We could always use more good people and powerful witches and wizards in the world.

Marigold had her first birthday in April, with EJ just a few weeks behind her. Rosalie and Emmett were beyond proud of their children, and bragged to anyone that stopped to listen about their many accomplishments and talents. I got Marigold a mirror that would talk back and give fashion advice, and played with EJ when he started to feel ignored with all the attention focused on his sister. My godchildren both adored me, a fact I was unspeakably proud of.

I found a nice little workaround to our triad's no-vaginal rule. I would spiritwalk and then force myself corporeal. Then I'd led Jake or Edward into my weeping slit and ride them like broncos. Since it wasn't my real body, my hymen remained intact and I stayed technically a virgin. We got creative with it, to the point Edward would plow my real body's ass while Jake plundered my Astral pussy. I almost shook the house apart in an earthquake.

The MSSD Pope, a man named Michael Carpenter, paid us a surprise visit. He said that in reward for slaying Lillith permanently, he deemed me worthy of being knighted by Excalibur itself. I'd knelt, been tapped with the holy blade on both shoulders, and risen as Dame Swan of the Round Table of Camelot. An empty title in the modern age, but one that would have the MSSD licking my boots if we ever had future interactions. And the spark of holy magic that had been bestowed upon me would only serve to make me that much more powerful. Not that I needed any more power, but can you really have too much of a good thing?

We were hanging out on a May weekend in the Mansion when Alice froze as she was walking up the stairs. She actually fainted to the ground, which proved something was very wrong. Vampires don't lose their balance.

I was at her side instantly, worried as hell for my sister-in-law. "Alice! What is it?"

Alice shuddered. "A… a crossroads is coming. Aro is coming to visit Carlisle. And depending how it goes, we all could die."

We all looked at each other in alarm. Rose ushered Marigold and EJ out the door and back to the cottage where they couldn't hear the grown ups talk. Jasper helped his mate back up and over to the couch. "Darling, are you sure?"

She nodded. "He just made the decision today. He'll fly here with Sulpicia, the twins, Dimitri and Felix, and…someone else. I can't see her, so she's either a witch or something from the Nevernever." She pulled at her short hair. "It's all so indistinct! So much is going to depend on split-second decisions at the last moment!"

Carlisle looked deeply troubled. "Why would Aro's arrival mean our destruction? It doesn't make sense."

I turned to face my father-in-law. "Carlisle, just for once stop thinking like a saint and start thinking like a politician. When Aro last saw you, you were a lone maniac insisting on fighting your natural urges. Now you're the leader of the largest, most talented coven in the world after the Volturi. He thinks you're competition!"

Silence followed the wake of my statement. Jasper was nodding. "It makes sense. If you're not a servant or a superior, you're an enemy. That's how megalomaniacs think. Plus I can think of at least three major infractions of the law we're guilty of."

"Whatever do you mean, Jasper?" Esme asked, huddled into Carlisle's side.

"One, Bella. She's technically human. We should have killed or turned her by Volturi law. Two, the pack. Caius hates the Children of the Moon. And he wouldn't listen to an explanation about how the Quileute are not the same. Three, the children. If you don't stop to listen to the fantastic tale of hybrids, the only assumption is that they're immortal children. Any one of those is the only excuse Aro needs to bring the wrath of the guard down on us."

Jake was growling. "So we fight. We're stronger, smarter, have more numbers. Let's show these Volturi not to mess with the Olympic Peninsula!"

"Hells to the yeah," Emmett hooted.

Alice shook her head. "We destroy them, the vampire world dissolves into anarchy. Vampires will be exposed to the world. Nukes will be launched to take on all the newborn armies. It'd be the end of life as we know it. We can't fight."

"Then what are we supposed to do Alice?" Edward demanded.

"If I knew, I'd tell you!" She shouted back.

Rosalie returned from hiding her son and daughter away. "We could run. Bella could block Dimitri's talent. We could go anywhere, even a Fae city."

I shook my head. "That won't work either. The Conclave would side with Aro if he declares us criminals. They have the authority to banish us from every city on Earth. But… there might be a third option." I turned to Alice. "How long until he gets here?"

"We have 48 hours, give or take." Her topaz eyes were wide with fear and uncertainty.

I sighed, cricked my neck, and cracked my knuckles. I snapped and my staff appeared in my hand. "Cutting it close, but I'll do what I can."

"What are you doing, Bella-bear?" Emmett asked in concern.

"I'm arranging a family reunion. Now someone go to a graveyard and get me some dirt."

The next two days were the tensest I'd ever been. Static electricity clung to me like a cloud, the result of restless magic. Edward had taken to uprooting trees to let loose his nervous energy. Jake practiced doggy-paddling in the Pacific.

My rushed resurrection was a success, and I explained the situation to the revenant. She agreed that my plan was the only chance to save both my family and the world. With her willing consent, I timewalked her where she needed to be.

At precisely noon on May 13th, there was a knock on the Cullen's front door. We all stared at the portal with apprehension, stopping what we were doing to arrange ourselves around the living room. Carlisle walked over and opened the door. "Aro! What an unexpected surprise!"

I eyed the leader of the vampire world as he invited himself in. I kept the wards from vaporizing him with a supreme act of will. He was turned around age 30, and had the crackly paper look of a vampire who'd calcified from lack of movement. Beside him was a woman who could have been type-cast as Aphrodite or the most beautiful woman in the world. She was a bit older than Rosalie, and somewhere between my sister and my niece in terms of sheer loveliness. Behind them, in pairs of two, were a set of twins I'd almost believe were identical if I didn't know better, a hulking brute like the Mountain from Game of Thrones, and a lean man with Slavic features. They all wore black cloaks with the seal of the Volturi as clasps.

"Carlisle, my dear friend!" Aro took Carlisle's hand with a royal disregard for permission. "Ah! Magnifico! The centuries have been kind to you, Carlisle. Such a… unique family. And what's this? Witches? Shape-shifters? And hybrid children? I can see it all for myself and I still don't believe it!"

"Bullshit!" I called out. "Renata Volturi!" I Named the invisible woman who'd snuck in with her father. She appeared and was dragged to lie at my feet. I rested my feet on her neck, where with a single twitch I could end her life. "If you know nothing of witches and hybrids, explain your daughter here."

The Volturi vampires all froze. "Isabella…" Aro said in a sickly sweet tone you reserved for naughty children. "I would very much appreciate you letting Renata go."

I grinned extra wide to show all my teeth. "What makes you think I give a flying fuck in space what you want, kinslayer?"

His face split into true fear. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You can say that to my face. But can you say it to hers?" I waved a hand and the Astral form of Didyme Volturi appeared.

Aro's eyes went so wide you could see the veins of venom at the edges. "Impossible," he said like he'd just been confronted with his worst nightmare.

Didyme smiled with no warmth. "Chaire, Brother. It's been a long time. Last time I saw you, you were ripping off my head."

Aro gulped. His wife was looking at him like she'd never seen him before. His underlings looked at him with confusion, but loyalty. Renata was whimpering beneath my toes. "Sister, the witch has confused you. You know I love you. What kind of man could kill his own sister?" Aro said like a snake.

"The kind of man obsessed with power. The kind of man terrified of losing his throne. The kind of man who cares more about keeping one of his precious pawns than his family's lives!" Didyme screamed accusingly. She stalked forward with each sentence until she was right in Aro's face. "Look me in the eye, brother dearest, and admit it. Admit you killed me. Say it, before me and all the gods!"

I cast a truth spell as subtly as I could.

"I killed you," he said flatly. "But you left me no choice. You were going to take Marcus from me. His power is necessary to maintain the balance. Besides, you were useless as a vampire. Only feeding on the sick and elderly. And your gift! What use does an army have for making people happy? I killed you, Didyme, and I have never once regretted it."

Didyme didn't look hurt, merely resigned. "If I were there, I'd slap you like I did when we were young."

"Allow me," Sulpicia said before backhanding her mate so hard she left cracks in his cheek. "You utter bastardo! Vai a farti fotere! You told us the Romanians killed her! You said you would never touch that puttana again! How can you lie to me all these years?"

Aro was still affected by my spell. "A better question, dear wife, is how could I not deceive you? I never loved you for your brain, Sulpicia. You were a reliable fuck and a decent bodyguard. Nothing more. You're a sleeve for my cock, not my queen."

Sulpicia let out a howl of agonized fury and lunged for Aro's throat. A mixture of Felix's quick blocking and Jane's sadistic telepathy stopped her from decapitating him right then and there.

"Let Mommy and Daddy settle their differences," I told them. Then I sent Felix to hang in mid-air and Jane to get a dose of her own medicine. Sulpicia hopped back to her feet and, in a display that proved vampire females were hardly weak, broke off both of Aro's hands.

The man fell to his knees, face contorted with pain. Didyme looked down on him with pity. "It would be so easy to hate you. But what's the point? Your life is over anyway."

"What… do you mean?" Aro demanded.

I snapped. And the Astral projections of Caius, Marcus, and the rest of the Volturi guard appeared in silent judgement. Aro whipped his head around in panic.

"You killed my mate, the love of my existence, the source of all my happiness." Marcus looked like the heat of his glare could set Aro ablaze all the way from Volterra. "I MADE you, child. And this is how you repay me?"

"Brother… this is all a misunderstanding," Aro tried to say.

"I think we all understand perfectly," Caius said with a sneer. "The Child that almost killed Athenodora, you sent it didn't you? You had me wipe out an entire species just to keep me from going off on my own."

"As if you didn't enjoy it," Aro said with eyes that said he dearly wished his tongue would stop betraying him.

I stood up. "The Conclave is clear. The Volturi must rule the vampire world. But nowhere does it say that YOU must rule that world. Marcus, Caius, members of the Volturi coven. How do you judge Aro?"

"Guilty," Marcus and Caius said in unison.

"Guilty," Didyme said simply.

"Guilty," Sulpicia said with broken heart but unbroken pride.

"May the gods have mercy on your soul," I told him before sending him up in witchfire. It was quick, and more than he deserved. I turned to Sulpicia. "What do you want done with them?" I indicated Aro's guard, all of whom were frozen in shock at their leader's passing.

"They're too valuable to destroy. But you can do what you want with the witch," Sulpicia said flatly. "This visit did not go as expected. But I'm grateful it happened."

Carlisle nodded. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need, of course. We only ask that you not hunt anywhere within a ten mile radius."

Sulpicia shook her head. "No, we must return with all due haste. Aro's death must be reported to the Conclave. And we must present a united front when we do. Come," she told the guard, snapping her fingers. Snapping out of their daze, the vampires followed their queen out the door, no doubt to run back to Seattle and get on their private jet.

We all let out a collective sigh of relief. "Alice? We out of the danger zone?" I asked.

"Yes. Our family and the vampire world are both safe. Brilliant idea, bringing Didyme back. The Volturi will actually become even more effective and beloved thanks to her gift. Aro seriously underestimated the effect she has on morale. They won't even need Chelsea to keep them loyal, people will flock to the guard to feel her touch." Alice grinned, and then turned to regard Renata. "So, she going up in ash like her dad?"

"Ask me after I scry her to see if she's anyone's mate," I said before doing just that. The knowledge flooded my mind. "Damn. Embry."

I flipped her up to stand on her own two feet, but she was still bound from casting or even moving. She eyed me like one would Death itself. "Listen well, Renata Volturi. I am sparing you only because I believe anyone with a soul is redeemable and you're the mate of a man I consider a friend. But I don't believe you can be trusted with both a hybrid's powers and a witch's. So I'm taking the latter." I said a few words in Koine and ripped her magical core out of her body. If she could have, she'd have screamed. I ate it, noting it tasted like candied violets, and felt my already significant reserves grow even further. I let her go and she collapsed to the ground sobbing. I felt no sympathy for her. She'd done terrible things in service to her father. She was just lucky I was naturally merciful. I pulled out my phone and dialed Embry's number, because of course Alice had gotten the pack smartphones.

"What's up, sis? Thought you and the Cullens were dealing with a royal visit today or something."

"That's actually why I'm calling. A hybrid they brought with them is your imprint. She's going to be living here with the Cullens, but you should probably come down here to see her for yourself."

"No shit? I'll be there in ten!" With that, he hung up.

I snapped at Renata with my fingers. "You have ten minutes to pull yourself together. Your mate is on his way. And by the gods, you will treat him as well as he deserves or I'll make you regret me not killing you."

"Si, si!" She stuttered, regressing to her native tongue. She stood up and wiped her tear-stained eyes on her Volturi robes. Alice gently led her upstairs, no doubt for a vampire-quick makeover.

I turned to my family to find them staring at me. "What?" I asked, blushing at their scrutiny.

"Sometimes it's easy to forget you're a goddess. This is not one of those times," Edward said in a deceptively light tone.

"You've never been scarier or sexier, Bells," Jake all but growled.

Rosalie smiled at me before leaving for the cottage to fetch Marigold and EJ. Jasper and Emmett sat down at the couch and turned on one of the half-dozen gaming systems plugged into their wall-sized TV. Carlisle and Esme said they were going hunting, which was code for private time without eavesdroppers, and left at a run out the back door.

Embry was knocking on the door just as Alice returned with Renata. She was dressed in a black floor-length dress just this side of a formal gala. Alice apparently thought Embry deserved a big impression from his first sight of his imprint. Jake opened the door for his packmate and the shirtless form of my future stepbrother walked in. "Hey! Where's…" he started before Renata stepped down the last step and turned to face the door.

I'd never seen an imprinting or a mating from the outside before. It was curious to watch. Embry's face went slack like he'd just seen the face of God. Renata gasped like she'd had the wind knocked out of her. They moved towards each other like they were magnetically pulled, or two celestial bodies dragged by gravity. They grabbed hands and visibly got goosebumps.

"Embry Call," the shifter said breathlessly.

"Renata Volturi," the hybrid answered.

And with no more introduction than that, they kissed.

Rosalie, who had just returned with her children, turned them back around to go play in the yard. Emmett couldn't resist a long wolf-whistle. The two pulled apart after an inappropriate length of time. "Nice to meet you," Embry said with a winsome grin.

"Incantata," Renata said with a blush on her Italian features.

I clapped, and Renata flinched. "Okay. Renata, the room across from Edward's is yours. Alice will get you whatever clothes you want within the week. Any personal effects from Volterra, I can fetch for you. If you need me, here's my number." I rattled it off, trusting in her hybrid memory to recall things as perfectly as a vampire. That done, I grabbed my boys' hands and timewalked to the Meadow.

"So, I committed regicide today. Never expected to put that on the resume," I said sarcastically.

"He was judged by a jury of his peers. Rule of the many is widely accepted as sufficient cause to execute a criminal," Edward argued as he sat me down and began to massage my shoulders with the perfect amount of pressure.

Jake did the same with my feet, slipping off my shoes and socks to get skin-on-skin. "Yeah, Bells. That Aro guy was serious bad news. Forget killing his sister, he was framing covens just to steal their gifted members. The guy wanted to rule the world. He's better off as ash."

I sighed. "It's not really that I'm guilty or anything. I just never expected to be this girl."

"What girl?" Edward asked, kissing my neck chastly.

"Handmaiden of Winter, Avatar of Hekate, Knight of the Round Table, Resurrector of Didyme Volturi, Future Mother of Diana and Solomon. What's next, Uriel or another Angel puts me on a long-term contract? The Conclave task me to end a necromancer scourge? Pyrovax gives me a spark of his fire as a wedding gift? I was supposed to be your average, every day witch. Instead I'm practically as infamous as Dresden in certain circles."

Jake licked the arch of my foot before giving my big toe a suck. I nearly melted into goo. "You're just you, Bells. You were bound to be someone special. At least you have us to look after you."

"There is that." Then, not at all trying to be subtle, I vanished our clothes. "Now, I want Edward and I 69'ing and Jake fucking Edward. Go!"

We got grass stains and dirt all over our bodies as we reaffirmed our love after the existential threat Aro had presented. Jake and I had near limitless energy thanks to the magic in our blood, and Edward was tireless as a vampire. We wound up collapsed in a heap, seed leaking out our rear ends and mouths.

I fingered my pussy tiredly, too exhausted to really enjoy it. "Less than three months until you both break my maidenhead and we conceive the twins. I can't wait to see what it's like to really have one or both of you in here. I feel half numb when we do it to my Astral body."

Edward and Jake looked up from kissing to look at me with sated eyes. "I'm counting the days," Jake said simply.

"Emmett offered me sex toys to practice, but I don't want silicone, I want you," Edward purred like a contented cat.

I cleaned us with a spell and then made our clothes reappear. "Come on. I got to remind Embry he's expected at dinner at home. Hope we don't walk in on him and Renata in flagrante delicto."

We did indeed interrupt Embry and Renata in an amorous embrace, though luckily they were still in their underwear at least. Embry was still blushing as I drove him home in Shirly. I cooked the four of us (five if you counted my in utero sibling) a delicious dinner, and Charlie and Tiffany and us teens discussed the day, leaving out the fact Embry had met his life mate or I had burned someone alive. I retreated to my bedroom, checking the website for Dartmouth to consider whether or not I actually wanted to attend an Ivy League school I'd somehow gotten accepted into. By the time Edward and Jacob arrived, my threshold not even registering them as threats, I had recovered from our afternoon lovemaking and was hungry for more. I spiritwalked and decided to simulate our wedding night.

The rest of May passed by in a blink. We elected not to attend prom that year, since we'd had such a wonderful time last year. Jake and I, both of us suspecting some form of bribery was involved in his case, sent our acceptance letters to Dartmouth for the fall semester. Jake, as the first Quileute to attend an Ivy League university, got a massive bonfire to celebrate. I channeled some of the Quileute ghosts and, teaching my fellow imprints, we gave the pack a traditional, surprisingly sensual dance complete with chanting and ululating. I speak for all us lucky girls when I say our shifters were particularly lustful when they took us home. I was just extra lucky that I had a vampire too.

Before I knew it, Charlie was driving me into the Forks High parking lot, my graduation gown complete with valedictorian sash on over my blue chiffon dress direct from Paris. I was rehearsing my speech in my head as I took my seat on the graduation stage when I heard Jake. "Whoo! That's MY girl and guy down there!" I rolled my eyes and waved at him and our whole hodgepodge family. I had cast illusions over Marigold and EJ to look half their physical ages so they could attend. I saw Edward blowing a kiss from where he was sat next to Emmett.

When the principal and the school counselor finished their speeches, I stood and addressed my matriculating class. "Well, guys, congrats. We all made it. We're graduating. Now, the adults tells us this is just the first step. That we have college, careers, families, kids, mortgages to look forward to. Faced with all that, we can all be forgiven for being a little scared. I don't have the answer for each of you on how to deal with life. Only you can figure that out. What I can say, is to take it one day at a time. Wake up each morning and remember all the wonderful things in your life. Go to bed each night and think of all the little miracles that happened during your day. I'm not going to lie, there will be bad days. Sometimes, you may even want to give up. But as the song goes, the sun will come out tomorrow. The good days may not outnumber the bad, but they're all worth it, because they're part of this amazing thing called life. So I'll leave you all with the wise words of a cartoon turtle: 'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present'. Good luck to us all!"

I got a standing ovation.

I got my fake degree first and retook my seat. Emmett, naturally, decided to rip himself out of his gown and pose shirtless for the masses. Thankfully, the rest of our peers weren't so theatric. And then came the moment we all moved the cords on our caps and tossed them into the air. We were high school graduates.

I hugged Charlie, whom seemed in danger of weeping, Tiffany with her baby bump, Billy, the pack, my godchildren, and Carlisle and Esme. I openly kissed Jacob and then Edward back-to-back, officially past caring about who saw or raised a fuss, and admired them as they passionately kissed each other. Charlie and Billy had adjusted to such sights long ago, and patiently waited for us to finish our moment before interrupting.

"Carlisle is treating us all at the Lodge. Come on, kids!"

We went in our procession of cars, Edward and Jake slipping into Shirly with me and Edward and I shedding our gowns and hats. I burned our fake scrolls in a flash of witchfire. Our real diplomas would come in the mail. We had a lovely, lively meal at Forks' finest dining experience, which wasn't saying much but the company more than made up for it. Carlisle, citing his European heritage, convinced the other parents to allow us graduates to drink wine, though it was really only Jake and I who could enjoy it. I considerately changed the red wine in the vampires' glasses into the carnivore blood of their preference. I paused after doing so. An act that would have exhausted me when I first came to Forks now barely winded me. What manner of creature had I become?

I shrugged and turned back to my chicken. Whatever I was, it was needed so Diana and Solomon could do what was needed of them. They needed a powerful mother in order to grow into even more powerful people. Diana might have to hunt Satan himself. Solomon could end up at the High Table. I was merely the tree from which their fruit would grow. And their two father's were merely the soil, the foundation on which I was built and supported by.

We all retreated to our respective homes, and I waited impatiently for Edward and Jake to arrive. When they did, I took them both inside me and held them like I never wanted to let go. This wasn't about fucking so much as our hearts touching each other. It wasn't sex, it was lovemaking in its purest form. When we finally ran out of stamina, I rolled along with Jake so that I was tucked between the two of them.

"The weddings seem so close now," I whispered. "Less than two months away." I eyed my rings, which I never took off even to bathe, keeping them clean magically. "We agreed on the Claddagh for our wedding bands, right?"

"Yes, confirmed with Alice last week," Edward reassured me, kissing my hair.

"Why that particular ring? Why not just a gold band?" Jake asked as he slipped out of my hole as his exhausted prick gave up the ghost. His big arms were wrapped around Edward's back, pulling us into a close cuddle.

"I figured Edward has some Irish ancestry given his hair. And besides, it's a powerful symbol. The hands holding the crowned heart. I wanted something more meaningful than just a metal loop." I wiggled, and felt Edward's own superhuman arousal press into currently forbidden territory. "Think of Emmett and Rose during their honeymoon, Edward."

"See, that used to work. Now when I think about all the fantasies they had, I just want to show them up and out do them," Edward said with a hungry smirk he wouldn't have been capable of when we first met.

Jake chuckled. "Alright. Think of poopy diapers and spit-up and no sex until they're both sleeping through the night."

That did it.

"Speaking of our twins, did you two decide on middle names?" I asked, starting to nod off.

"Diana Eliza Cullen, in honor of my mother Elizabeth," Edward replied with tenderness.

"Solomon Eric Black. Eric means 'king', and it's the name of Ephraim's father." Jake yawned. "Man, I'm wiped. I almost wish I was a vampire instead of a shifter. That way Eds and I could keep going while you rest, Bells."

"Working on a solution. Wait till the honeymoon," I said sleepily even as my eyes closed.

The next month and a half were filled with college and wedding preparations. Charlie put up a surprisingly stubborn fight over Edward paying for all my school bills. It took Carlisle taking him aside and pointing out we'd be husband and wife at the time and have access to each other's assets anyway. I was marrying into wealth, and Charlie would just have to accept that. Billy was much more relieved and grateful that the Cullens were shouldering the financial burden for his son attending one of the most prestigious schools in the country.

Alice went from manic to psychotic, all but tearing the Mansion down as she dealt with the incompetence and limits of mortal staff. We learned to make ourselves scarce when she worked herself up into a tizzy. Still, for all that she was tearing herself a bald patch from the stress, everything was moving along according to schedule. The guest list was prepared, the caterers were hired, the cake designed, my dresses fitted and tucked away where neither of my boys could see them. I loved them. The Quileute dress was a white vision perfectly in keeping with the tribe's culture. The traditional dress made me look like I was wrapped in an inverted calla lily, my favorite flower. I couldn't wait to see my boys' reactions.

There was a mild hiccup a week before mine and Jake's wedding. I received a package in the mail that was positively dripping with magic. The return address stated it had come from Edinburgh in Scotland. I immediately summoned my two families to the Mansion and explained the issue.

"The tunnels underneath Edinburgh are the seat of the Conclave. In a very real way, their Chambers are the center of the supernatural world this side of the Nevernever. And now they've sent me something."

Alice squinted like she were peering through a telescope. "It's shielded like you used to be. I can only say that if you open it, none of us die."

"Well, that's comforting," Paul snarked.

"Well, might as well get things over with," I muttered. And then I opened the wooden box that had come in the paper wrapping.

A hologram of light appeared in the air above, coming from a crystal hung suspended over a lightbulb built into the base of the box. The man who appeared first was Egyptian, taller than Pyrovax, and had a false eye that I could immediately sense was made from Winter ice. He wore a white cloak and carried a gnarled staff. Behind him stood six more figures in white cloaks with their hoods up.

I curtseyed in genuine respect. "Honored Merlin, esteemed White Council. What a pleasant surprise."

"Given my dual role as Gatekeeper, I believe we can stick to a first-name basis, my Handmaiden," the leader said with a true smile.

"Okay, Rashid it is. Why the Astral telephone call?" I asked the man who represented all magic users at the High Table.

"The Conclave was wondering why a representative was not invited to your upcoming weddings. I volunteered to ask in their stead."

I eyed his shadows. "And your fellow Council members joined in because?"

"We were all eager to meet the Mother, of course," Rashid said.

I sighed. "Of course. You're even more powerful than Alice at foresight. How long have you known Diana and Solomon are coming?"

"Good strong names for the Huntress and King. Since before you were born, if you must know. I'm sure I don't have to tell you your firstborns will define their generation and their lifetimes coincide with a period of great change for the world at large. As the woman who will shape and nurture them into the leaders they are meant to be, you can understand my colleagues' interest in you," Rashid said with a mischievous grin.

I sighed. "You may relay to the High Table I did not invite an ambassador due to the fact I thought they were ignorant of my existence. As you've so kindly corrected me of that erroneous belief, I ask that you relay that I will of course host whichever being they deem most appropriate to the task. All I ask is that they be able to blend in with humans."

"Of course, of course. It was a pleasure to meet you Bella. Don't be a stranger. Never forget your roots."

I nodded and the hologram vanished. The box dissolved into thin air like it had never been.

The pack and coven stared at me, waiting for an explanation. I sighed and plopped back onto the couch. "Alice, add one more to the bride and groom's table. The Conclave get VIP treatment."

"Already done. Now who were those people?" She demanded.

"The White Council, the seven most powerful witches and wizards in the world, led by the current Merlin, Rashid the Gatekeeper. Founded by the first Merlin, or Myrrdin Emrys, about a thousand years ago. The Merlin represents all magic users at the High Table," I explained.

"He mentioned the Handmaiden thing. That means he's Winter too?" Jake asked as he cuddled up next to me as Edward mirrored him.

"The Gatekeeper is always Winter. He watches the Wall." I shuddered just thinking about it.

"What Wall?" Leah asked, crossing her arms.

"The outside border of Faerie on the Winter side is the border of reality itself. The Wall is what keeps out the Outsiders."

Jasper frowned. "Outsiders? What are those?"

I almost vomited just remembering the details of my lessons about them. "Remember how I said demons make vampires look weak? Well, an Outsider makes a demon look like a flea. They're denizens of the Outside, the void beyond our Universe, the area the Big Bang still hasn't touched. They exist only to destroy everything else that dares to exist. Mab's true purpose is to man the Wall and protect us from an invasion of Outsiders."

"Then what's Titania's purpose?" Seth asked, curious and remembering my lessons on the Fae.

"To protect us from Mab," I said simply. "The world needed something vicious and bloodthirsty as an Outsider to hold them off. And then it needed something that could hold her off. The Fae exist to protect life, one way or another. Winter by preventing extinction from outside sources, Summer from internal sources. The only time they've ever worked together is when the asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. They did what they could to give mammals a shot. And luckily for us, it all worked out." I sighed. "I just hope the person they send is at least half-human. I don't need the stress of a thoughtless comment risking exposure at my weddings."

The representative arrived the 30th, the day before the first wedding. They arrived at the Mansion not 30 minutes after the Denali coven arrived, complete with little Bernardo, who was a positive little cherub. I felt her coming from a mile away, and sighed. "Oh, well. Probably should have invited her anyway."

There was a knock on the wood, because the knocker was made of iron. I opened the door and put on my best Winter grin. "Lea! Welcome, welcome! I take it you represent the Conclave?"

"Queen Mab felt that a Winter representative was also called for. The High Table agreed that my presence could kill two birds with one stone," the Leanansidhe answered me. She was tall as Jake, had flaming red hair that fell to her waist, and made even Marigold seem subpar in the looks department. Her green eyes had a mild illusion to hide their cat-like slits. Her dress was either silk or cotton grown from the Nevernever. I counted it a mild victory she wasn't wearing literal flame or a dress woven from Winter blooms.

I made the introductions to my family. Pyrovax naturally sided with Summer when he deigned to pay attention to Fae politics at all, but he was polite. My vampires all acknowledged that she was in a much higher weight class than they were. And Jake took one sniff and was all but kowtowing to her. She was stronger than Maeve, and that was saying something.

We kept Lea entertained for as long as we could, and then came the time for the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Edward and Jake would separately go on hunting trips while I was made the center of attention of all the females I held closest in the world. Including my mother and Angela, so I hoped Lea knew how to behave around normies.

There were over a dozen of us between the Cullen and Denali women, Leah and the imprints (including a Rachel who'd arrived that day and been hastily read into the secret once she'd met Paul), and the humans. We put on My Big Fat Greek Wedding for background noise and Alice materialized the tools and kits necessary for a full spa treatment like magic. Those of us who had permeable skin got clay masks while we all got manicures and pedicures and got leave-in hair treatments to wash out tomorrow morning. The 'moms' (Renee, Esme, Tiffany and Carmen, Rosalie still faking her first pregnancy and not eligible) talked about how kids grew up so fast while the rest of us girls giggled about men, sex, and more specifically how our men were at sex. High on estrogen, I asked Angela if Ben was 'short' in the pants too. She sputtered but said she had no complaints. And for the record, she needed two hands to hold it. Now, her hands were pretty small, but still, didn't know Cheney had it in him. Renata disclosed details about my future stepbrother I could have happily gone to my grave not knowing. In fact, based on a quick survey using approximations via held up hands, we all learned that not one of our partners was under 6 inches. Huh. Maybe it was a creature thing, they were naturally better hung than their human counterparts. If Tanya were to be believed, Pyrovax (nicknamed Pye for the humans) had equipment that looked big even for his massive frame.

Lea watched over us all with amusement. I considered it a victory that she was playing along rather than summoning some hellhounds to chase us around and laugh at our panic. We'd explained away her presence as Edward's distant aunt from his birth family. She had the right coloring, and her height was at least within human limits for a woman, if in the top 5 percent. She clapped her hands when the movie ended. "I believe gift-giving is customary at these events. May I begin?"

I immediately tensed. Faerie gifts were a booby trap no matter how benignly presented. For one thing, you had to give a gift back of equal value or else one party was stuck in the other's debt. And if there's one thing you never wanted to be, it was in a Fae's debt. They made the most usurious tax collector look like a fluffy bunny. "I didn't get you anything, though," I protested.

"Sweetheart, don't be ridiculous! Gifts are free!" Renee said lightly.

Lea's lips twitched at my mom's comment. "Agreed. Please feel no obligation to pay me back. It is the eve of your weddings, after all." She went to the table where the gifts had been assembled and got a simply wrapped silver package with snowflake patterns. She handed it to me, and I could sense the magic of whatever it was inside latch onto me at the act of exchange.

It was powerful. And cursed. Cursed like nothing I'd ever felt before. Sinister, seductive tendrils of the blackest magic I'd ever touched festered beneath my fingers and began to burrow through me to my brain, intent on putting down roots and twisting me into someone unrecognizable. I acted with all due haste, battling the invader with raw magic and might, meeting and then overcoming its assault. I flushed out the evil magic from my body and then reached into whatever object Lea had given me and burned out the curse at the source. I almost ran out of power before I won, but win I did. I let out a shuddering gasp as the fight ceased and I was left holding a perfectly safe magical artifact in gift wrap.

The whole thing took less than ten seconds. Hopefully no one commented on my pause. I turned accusing eyes on Mab's right-hand woman. "Now why do I get the feeling you just gave me something you didn't want to keep for yourself?"

Lea shrugged, an impressed look in her predator's eyes. "Perhaps I was curious whether you could make better use of it than I could."

Wary as all get out, I opened the gift paper to find a velvet box like you use for large necklaces. I opened it and gasped.

It was a bronze knife, polished to a mirror-like shine. The grip was stylized to look like two interwrapped serpents. The hilt and pommel were unadorned. What interested me was the magic all but radiating off it.

"Medea's bobkin," I breathed out.

"What?" Grace asked blankly.

I blinked and remembered not everyone in the room was in on my secret life. "I mean, it's a very good replica. It looks exactly like a picture of the knife Medea supposedly used to murder her children."

Renee held a hand to her bosom. "Goodness! That's an… interesting gift, Ms. Winter."

Lea waved a hand. "Just a trifle, really. Every girl should be armed these days. And like I said, I thought young Isabella would benefit more from it than I would."

I closed the case and set it at my feet. I wasn't touching it without quadruple-checking it was free of any other nasty surprises. But if it proved safe, I just found my new favorite magical tool. Medea had enchanted this thing like she'd loved it more than Jason, and it could do almost anything when utilized by the right witch. "Who's next?" I asked the assembled womenfolk.

I made out like a bandit. The Denali sisters had gotten me a closet's worth of lingerie, which I did not expect to survive the honeymoon. The Quileute girls gave me a handmade blanket that told the legends of the tribe in wonderful colored sections. The Cullen females got me a set of His, His, and Hers towels, toiletries, and bedsheets with color-coded sections for the three of us. Angela gave me a daily prayer book I fully intended to read each morning. Renee had been nostalgic and made me a quilt made from all our old road trip and summer vacation t-shirts. Renata, who still held me in a sort of fearful reverence, gave me a ruby her father had given her as a 100th birthday present. I ignored the fact it was the size of a golf ball and focused more on the thought behind it. Carmen got me a beautiful triquetra charm I could safely add to my shield bracelet. Grace got me a bag of luxury doggy treats with a wink; I was curious how Jake would like them. Rachel, who'd barely had time to realize she'd been invited, gave me a glass with "I like to wrap both my hands around it and swallow". We all had a chuckle at that and I planned to drink my morning juice from this in sight of my boys every morning.

We watched a couple more movies and then those that needed sleep passed out on the couch or in sleeping bags on the floor. I waited until the last fully human guest was asleep before rounding on Lea. "Did you find it with that bastard of a curse on it or did you place it just for me as a test?"

Lea chuckled like a lioness faced with a mewling kitten. "I suppose I'm flattered you think me capable of such an insidious working. No, I came into possession of that artifact as I gave it to you. I'm not proud to admit I fell victim to the curse. It was years before my Queen discovered my plight, and years more to cleanse me. Neither of us touched it since. I was curious how you would handle it. You seem quite talented at countering Outsider sorcery for one who is not a Starborn."

I blanched. "That was OUTSIDER magic? Were you insane? I could have slaughtered all of us if I failed to counter it!" I modulated my volume so I didn't wake anyone but my tone was scathing.

"Oh, hush. No use worrying over what wasn't. If anything, you should be thanking me. I've handed you a potent magical focus free of charge," the Leanansidhe said loftily.

I closed my eyes and counted backwards from ten in Koine. "You make Maeve look cute and cuddly. You are a frightening, frightening creature. No wonder Dresden is so messed up with you for a godmother."

"I take all that as a compliment."

"You would. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a wedding tomorrow." Sinking under my new blankets, I cast a sleep spell on myself and felt like I woke up two seconds to the smells of a sinfully delicious breakfast.

We sleepers got up and clustered around the kitchen island eating creme brulee French toast and Eggs Florentine. The vampires and Lea all claimed to have already eaten, complete with the facade of used dishes. Then Alice dragged me up to practically give me a supervised shower as I washed out the hair treatment and applied my make-up potions. I put on my day clothes and went with Renee and Tiffany to meet up with Charlie and Phil.

My dad, future stepmom, mom, and stepdad took me on a day-long tour of Forks, basically eating up the hours until I was needed at La Push to get in my dress and do the ceremony. Charlie and Phil proved they could be cordial with each other, and Renee simply adored Tiffany. She gushed over the growing bump and asked if she and Charlie were getting hitched before the due date. With a lot of bluster, Charlie admitted that he and Tiffany had an appointment at City Hall two days from now. Not that any of us cared if my little sister (confirmed by both sonogram and scrying) was a bastard, but it was still a nice gesture.

"So, Bella, getting cold feet?" Tiffany asked to draw attention away from her belly.

I barely stopped myself from snorting. "Jake, Edward, and I will be together as long as we all shall live. This is just us letting everyone else in on the secret. I was ready last year, I just figured I should give Charlie a bit more time to have me all to himself."

"Love you too, Bells. I really appreciated it," Charlie said around the knot in his throat.

At 4:00, we drove to the Black residence, which Alice had already taken over. We went to the bathroom to reapply my beauty spells which had barely faded, but every bit counts when you wanted to stagger your men with looks. Then I put on my Quileute dress and stepped out to see my family's reactions.

"Oh! Bella, you look beautiful!" Renee gushed.

"The Chief is a lucky man," Tiffany said in Quileute, which she had learned in the decades she'd lived here.

Charlie burst into tears. Phil patted him on the back as I came up to hug him. "Daddy, you don't even have to give me away until tomorrow. Tonight, you just have to watch."

"I-I'm sorry. I'm just… not ready to see you as a bride," he choked out.

"Were you ever going to be ready?" I asked jokingly.

"Not really," Charlie admitted as he wiped his eyes and blew his nose. "You sure I can't shoot either of them?"

"Afraid not."

We walked down to First Beach, where practically the whole of La Push was gathered around a bonfire that could roast an elephant. The vampires, Pyrovax, hybrids, and Lea all stood to the side, with the exception of Edward. He was stood right next to Jake in pride of place, in front of a waiting Billy. Both my boys seemed gobsmacked to see me in white tribal garments. I took my place beside Jake and grabbed his held out hand.

Quileutes liked their weddings simple. Bonfire on the beach, check. Bride and groom present, check. Sunset on the horizon, check. Then, all in Quileute, Billy led a prayer to the spirits to bless the union of two young hearts. Jake and I exchanged vows of love and loyalty. We ritually washed our hands in clean water to symbolize the cleansing of past loves and evils. And then, with a kiss, it was done.

Someone, Quil or Emmett or both, let out a whoop. The entire tribe burst into applause. With the ease of Alice Cullen's planning power (because of course she'd spared a sliver of attention for mine and Jake's wedding), the preheated feast was reheated, chairs and tables were set up, and the wedding turned into a party.

Jake picked me up and swung me in a circle. "Bells! We're married! You're my wife!" He sounded like he was just realizing this now.

"And you're my husband," I laughed. We turned to Edward. "Less than 24 hours to go. Feel like running?" I asked him.

"I'm counting the heartbeats," he said in all seriousness. He offered us a hug and, given it was Jake's and my night, didn't kiss either of us.

We got lost in the revelry, and the string of well-wishers, and the music coming from the speakers Alice had hidden around the beach. I drank the free-flowing booze sparingly; didn't need a hangover at my second wedding. Jake physically couldn't get drunk, his shifter metabolism burning off the alcohol too fast, but he'd developed a taste for beer, the darker the better. When the party was starting to wind down, Jake scooped me up in a bridal carry and walked off into the night to thunderous applause and at least one cat-call.

"So, the real honeymoon isn't until tomorrow night. How do you guys want to spend the next 12 hours?" I asked as Edward appeared like a phantom at Jake's side.

Jake shrugged, his freshly-cut hair brushing his shoulders. "We can save the all-night sextravaganza for next night. Tonight, I just want to cuddle with my man and my woman."

Setting me down on my feet, I grabbed my boys' hands and timewalked to the Meadow. I spelled our clothes off and summoned my wedding gift blankets from last night.

We laid down there, under the stars, the night silent except for the sound of our breathing and the rustle of woodland creatures.

"This might be our last night alone," I mused after a solid hour of just quiet and skin contact. "I mean, it'll take a couple days for them to attach to my uterus, but Diana and Solomon could be fertilized in about 24 hours or so."

I felt their reactions to that thought against my hips. I rolled my eyes. "No need to ask if you're ready to be fathers."

"If we'd met in 1918, I would have prayed for a honeymoon baby," Edward purred in my ear.

"I don't even care about finally getting in your real pussy. Well, I do, but I'm more looking forward to holding our son in 9 months," Jake confessed in a hot whisper.

"Well, maybe the two of you will make decent parents. Me, I've got stage fright like nobody's business," I admitted. "I mean, it's basically my destiny to have and raise these two. Where does it say I do a good job?"

They both kissed and hugged me tighter.

"You'll be an amazing mother!" Edward said emphatically.

"What proof do you have to back up that statement?" I demanded.

"You're great with Marigold and EJ. You're a natural caretaker, you look after everyone you meet. You are the most patient and understanding woman I've ever met," Jake listed off. "Bells, relax. No parent is perfect at the job. All you can do is love your kids and do the best you can."

"No one expects you to be Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way," Edward added. "Rose and Emmett are doing a pretty decent job and they're both a lot less mature than the three of us, no offense to them. The three of us will do just fine with Diana, Solomon, and all our other children."

I relaxed into their embrace. "Knew I was marrying you two for a reason."

Jake and I nodded off to sleep as Edward hummed the Lullaby we all but had a Pavlovian response to.

I awoke to the faint sounds of Every Breath You Take, my ringtone for Alice. I sat up, Edward admiring the view as both I and Jake stretched. I pulled my enchanted cellphone that never lost battery or signal out of the folded pocket of space I kept near my right hand. "Are you calling as my sister or my maid of honor?" I asked drowsily.

"Take a wild guess!" She roared so loud even Jake could hear her. "It's already noon and you're still in the wind! Get your ass off your men's pricks and back to the house!" She sounded demented.

I turned to my boys, blew them a kiss, and timewalked nude to Alice's room. I tapped her on the shoulder. "Here," I said cheerfully.

She huffed and hung up on me. "Esme, brunch, now. I get that magic lets you shave hours off the beautification process but we still need SOMETHING to work with!"

My awesome mother-in-law, who could probably get a job at a Michelin star restaurant if she applied, brought me steak and eggs with oatmeal and fruit salad. My magic metabolism was almost as bad as Jake's. After I ate every bite, Alice dragged me into the bathroom and literally got in with me to do my hair care and body work. After that odd experience, she dictated how I should apply my make-up potions and beauty spells down to the micrometer. When we were done, I was already in my dress and it was barely 2:00.

"Can I get an hour alone with Lea's gift? I'd like to play with it before my parents come up to see me."

"Bride gets what she wants on her wedding day!" Alice chirped. She vanished at vampire speed and came back with the case holding Medea's bobkin. I asked for space and then I opened the case. I admired the physical and magical beauty of the artifact before going over it with a magical microscope. If there was a single trace of the Outsider curse or any other defense measures, I wanted them gone. Only when I was 1000% sure it was safe did I actually pick it up. I felt the magical tool lock into my core like a scope sliding onto a rifle. The bobkin didn't give me a power boost so much as an efficiency boost. It wasn't a battery, it was a focus. I now could control every drop of my magic with pinpoint precision. Combined with my considerable magical muscle, I was now the equivalent of the love child of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mr. Miyagi.

I vanished it into my pocket dimension and saw I still had a few minutes. I had a random thought about pets and my brain spiralled from there. I got out my phone and Googled the number I was looking for.

"Harry Dresden," answered the quiet voice of a very large man.

"Harry, it's Bella. I'm calling for a favor. I'd rather not order you as your Handmaiden, but I will if you give me grief."

"How may I serve you, m'lady?" He asked with just the right bite of sarcasm. He was a grade-A certified wise ass. Probably why I couldn't help but like him despite his archaic views on women.

"I thought of the perfect wedding gift you could get me."

"You're getting married at 18?"

"Focus. I want you to take Mouse and Mister to breeders and send me one from each litter. I don't care if the breeder's mundane or magical."

Dresden was aghast. "You want me to pimp out my pets?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please. Mouse deserves to lose his virginity and Mister has more game than you, this will be just another Friday night for him."

"The sad part is I can't argue with that." He sighed. "Fine. You'll have your Foo dog puppy and half-lynx kitten by this time next year."

"Thanks. And for the record, Lea is invited to the wedding. She's a real piece of work. You have my pity."

"At least she doesn't see me as a talking dildo like Maeve and Mab," he grumbled before hanging up.

Man, the Knights got a raw deal. I hoped Harry at least didn't die for a century or so.

There was a knock on the door and I vanished my phone. My last glance at the clock showed I had an hour before I was due to walk down the aisle.

Alice led my birth parents and stepparents into the room. Renee gasped when she saw me. "Oh my God! Bella, you're gorgeous! I've never seen a prettier bride!"

Charlie sniffed but didn't bawl like he had yesterday. "We got you something," he said, pulling out a box. He opened the lid to reveal a beautiful comb shaped like a butterfly studded with sapphires. "It was Grandma Swan's, we had the stones replaced with real ones since it turns out your college fund was unnecessary. In case you need something old or blue."

Alice plucked it from his hand and easily slotted it into the elaborate do she'd twisted and pinned my hair into. "The dress is new, so that's covered. As for something borrowed…" Without blinking, she hiked up her bridesmaid's dress and slid down a lace garter. She tossed it at me and said in a no nonsense tone "That's my favorite and I want it back." If I were actually wearing make-up, it would have melted off my overheated face.

I chatted with my parents and privileged family members who had access to my bridal chambers. Then before I knew it, Alice was pushing us all downstairs and I was left standing at the back door with Charlie clutching me.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one with cold feet?" I joked with my dad.

"Give me a break, Bells. I'm doing this a good 10 years ahead of schedule."

Then Rosalie began to play Flightless Bird, American Mouth on the piano, and we walked out onto the white carpet and around the corner down the aisle.

If Charlie hadn't been restraining me, I would have sprinted down the aisle towards my grooms. Edward and Jake were both wearing tuxedoes styled around World War 1. Edward looked at me with such pride and devotion, I knew he'd rip out his unbeating heart if I asked. Jake watched me with a husband's possessiveness already in his eyes, but he seemed genuinely happy to see Edward and I tie our own knot. We finally got to them and Charlie handed me over to Edward in a timeless gesture.

We made the same traditional vows we would have made in Edward's youth, with two exceptions. I'd nixed the "obey" part of the bride's vows, because let's be honest, Edward was the one who obeyed me. And we'd swapped out "till death do us part" for "as long as we both shall live". In no time at all, Edward and I exchanged a lingering kiss after slipping rings on each other's fingers. We were married.

The guest list was under 100, so we all gathered inside on the first floor for cocktail hour while the small army of workers Alice had hired turned the outside wedding chapel into an outside banquet hall. Then Edward and I with Jake as our shadow had to shake the hands of all who'd attended. I'd pointedly only invited those from school who'd supported our triad, so Jessica, Lauren, and Mike were left to stew at home.

Meet and greet over, we all took our seats. And then those of us who ate were treated to seven courses of simply scrumptious food. I think Alice had flown in some famous chef from California to cook on-site. Once we'd finished the last bite, Edward and I had our first dance, the DJ sticking to classical music until the afterparty. I was barefoot so I was back to being clumsy, so I just swayed with Edward as a support through a recording of our Lullaby. Then I danced with Charlie while Esme and Edward glided around us like Fred and Ginger. I hugged my dad tight, realizing this might be our last moment as father and daughter. When next I saw him, I'd be pregnant and he'd be upgraded to grandfather status. I cherished the too-brief moment and then I was back in Edward's arms. Then Jake joined us and the night was truly perfect.

We cut the cake as tall as me, Tahitian Vanilla with orange zest, and I helpfully vanished the bites Edward took for appearance's sake before they reached his stomach. Once everyone was full on decadent sugar and rose champagne, the toasts started.

Alice was quick, gushing about how she'd known since the day we met we'd end up as sisters. Carlisle and Esme spoke of Edward's loneliness and isolation and how I'd transformed him into a new, happy man. Charlie coughed and grumbled through something about how if he had to give me away, there were worse guys than Edward. And then Emmett stood up.

"For those of you not in the know, Bella-bear and Eddie aren't just a couple. They're in this fancy thing called a triad with Jake-Jake the best man. And last night, Bella and Jacob tied the knot down at the rez. And we all just saw Bella and Edward get hitched. So, it's only fair that these two lover boys have their own wedding. And thanks to the miraculous power of the Internet, I happen to be ordained. So! Edward Cullen, Jacob Black, do you take each other?"

"I do," Edward said, looking into Jake's eyes and holding his hands.

"I do," Jake said without a drop of hesitation. They'd fallen in love the old-fashioned way, no mating bonds needed. I was incredibly proud.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you a married couple. You may seal your union with a kiss!" Emmett said with a grin, for once not turning things into a joke.

Edward and Jake kissed hard but quick. Edward pulled out Jake's wedding band and slipped it on his big finger. There was applause from the crowd that was mostly genuine, none louder or more energetic than mine. The three of us were all married to each other now. All that was left was my spell to bind us as a triad.

"Oh, and I hope you three have gotten a lot of sleep the last few years. Because you won't be getting any from now on!"

And Emmett just couldn't help himself.

After that, things wrapped up quickly. I tossed the bouquet right into a shocked Angela's hands. Edward sat me in a chair in the center of the dance floor and pulled down my borrowed garter with his teeth, a sight I'm sure scarred my Dad for life. Edward whipped it right at Ben, which by superstition said he and Angela would be marrying each other. Then Alice was shoving us to separate rooms to dress in our leaving outfits. I slipped out of my wedding gown and into a chiton-like white sundress. I met up with my boys, now in collared shirts and khakis, and we walked hand-in-hand through a hail of birdseed towards the limo. We each hugged our family one last time before getting in the limo with a dozen or so high heels tied with ribbon to the back.

Jake, of course, went straight for the minibar. "Well, that was fun. I wouldn't mind repeating that in a few decades or so," he said around some cashews.

"By then, we might even be able to get married as a triad," I shrugged as I sipped a Perrier. I'd had more than enough champagne.

"I've seen a century of social progress. Nothing would surprise me at this point," Edward shrugged.

I pulled a silver chain out of thin air. "We'll be here a while, the driver is only going 10 over the limit. Might as well have our creature wedding right now."

My boys perked up. "So is it just a magic tattoo or does it do stuff?" Jake asked. Over a year together and he still got excited at this stuff.

"We'll always know where the other two are. We'll be able to share energy, so you and I can leech off Edward so we never have to sleep. And so long as one of us is still alive, the other two are forbidden from dying. A nice little safeguard given we seem to keep getting dragged into outside conflicts," I listed off.

Edward raised a brow. "With our respective immortalities, the three of us could become eternal after this."

"Like I said back when I became Handmaiden, in a few thousand years I'll become Winter Lady. And I fully intend for both of you to still be by my side when that happens. And, if by some tragedy, I lose one or both of you, I'll bring you back. I refuse for us to be torn apart."

Jake and Edward both took turns kissing me after that little speech.

Moment over, I wrapped the chain around each of our left wrists. Holding the two ends together, I chanted "Together We Three Will Be Forever." There was a searing burn as the chain melted into our skin, but love was worth a little pain. When it ended, silvery ink spelled out the words of the spell in a circle around our wrists.

Jake and Edward both admired the glittering words. "Pretty," Jake breathed.

"I never thought I'd have a tattoo," Edward said lightly.

I leaned back and grinned. We were fully married now.