*Stephanie Meyer owns these characters and I am just borrowing them for a short while.*

"Are you ready yet?" Edward calls up the stairs.

"Not quite. I just have to get dressed," I call back. I'm trying to get ready for the New Years Eve party we're supposed to attend tonight.

Edward's parents are on the board of the charity who is throwing the party and it's black tie, which makes me nervous. Edward looks phenomenal, as usual, in a classic black tux. Alice provided me with a dress, shoes, and accessories to wear tonight, although I haven't been able to get a glimpse of them until today. My mom had a hay day picking out a fancy evening gown to wear tonight and my dad grumbled the entire time he was being fitted for his tux, but they both said they were excited to go to a fancy party with us.

I open the garment bag that holds my gown and my eyes widen. It's a beautiful gold lace dress with silver sequins covering the bottom hem. It's the perfect dress for a New Years party. I lay it down on the bed and pull a shoe box from the bag Alice gave me. The shoes are perfect and the jewelry she provided compliment both. I slip into the dress and shoes, and then put the bracelet and earrings on. I feel like a princess, which isn't an easy feat for me. Once I gather up my clutch and cell phone, I quickly touch up my lipstick and then walk downstairs.

Edward and my dad are talking sports while my mom straightens dad's bowtie. As I reach the bottom, Edward turns his attention to me and his eyes grow wide. "You look incredible. Wow."

"Alice has outdone herself with that dress!" my mom says, pushing my shoulder so I'll spin in a small circle. I giggle and can feel a blush rise to my cheeks.

"You look beautiful mom," I reply, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "So do you dad."

He grumbles something under his breath about the monkey suit but thanks me anyway. Edward holds my coat up so I can put it on, and as I shrug into it, he presses a kiss to my cheek. "Really, you look so beautiful."

"Not too shabby yourself," I say, picking my clutch up off the table where I'd set it to put my coat on. The four of us climb into the elevator and ride downstairs to where a sleek black limo waits for us. Edward helps me and my mom inside, then walks around to where the chauffeur is waiting and speaks to him quietly.

After he joins us, I ask, "What was that all about?"

"I was just making sure he knew when to pick us up," Edward responds quietly. "Is everyone excited for tonight?" he asks, turning his attention to my parents. We all chat and laugh as we make our way downtown. Traffic is surprisingly heavy and as we drive, I notice Edward acting more and more out of sorts. His hands are sweaty and he can't stop fidgeting.

"Is everything okay?" I ask him when we finally get to the party and step out of the car. He smiles and nods at me, indicating that I should be smiling as well. I forgot for a moment that there would be a lot of photographers there to capture the guest's arrival at the party, so I quickly smile brightly and squeeze his hand in mine. After we get through the crowd of photographers, he helps me with my coat and we head inside the ballroom, hand in hand. The lights are low and there is a full band playing some classic jazz tunes to dance to. My parents are no where to be seen, so we make our way to the bar to pick up a couple drinks.

"I'll have a scotch, neat. What would you like?" Edward asks me. I grab a couple of hors d'oeuvres as a waiter walks by.

"I'd like a martini. Thanks." I quietly nibble on the cheese puff I snatched off the waiter's tray. Edward fiddles with his cuffs.

"I can't get these straight," he finally huffs. I choke out a laugh around my food.

I clear my throat and pull his hand toward me. Quickly I straighten his cuffs, making sure the cufflinks are put in right and then give his arm back. "You look fine. Don't worry. Is that really what's bothering you?"

"I told you, everythings fine. Great even." He smiles, unconvincingly, and takes a long drink of his scotch. Then he quickly sets it back down on the counter and says, "I'll be back in just a minute."

I roll my eyes at his back and drain half of my martini before finishing up my food. If he's going to act weird, then I'm going to make sure I have fun. "Thanks for the drink," I say, tilting my glass to the bartender in thanks and then make my way into the crowd. I see several people I've met at these types of functions and I start up a conversation with a young, up and coming local artist named Rian.

We're deep in discussion about contemporary versus modern art when I feel a hand sneak around my waist. "I wondered where you'd gone. Hey there Rian." Edward shakes hands with him and then joins in on our discussion. He seems much more relaxed so I let the worry I had just float away and enjoy the evening.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to take my lovely friend here out for a spin on the dance floor." Rian nods and waves us away.

Once we're on the dance floor, swaying slowly, Edward asks, "So are you having fun?"

"Of course. I always have fun with you. You're my best friend and my boyfriend. It's a double threat. My heart never stood a chance." I kiss him gently on the lips, enjoying the feel of his arms around me and how safe he makes me feel. I'm careful not to squeeze him too tightly - his ribs are still really sore. His other cuts and bruises have healed pretty well, but he's got some scars that will never go away. They make him look even more handsome in my opinion. In the light of day, he doesn't seem fazed by what happened, but he avoids speaking about it to anyone but me. And even then, it's only late at night, when the lights are off and we're in bed and he can't sleep for fear that I'll disappear.

"I'm not ready to go back to work," he whispers in my ear.

I smile and whisper back, "So don't. Let's just quit and run away together. We can go to some tropical island and live off the land."

"If only that was an option. I wouldn't object to seeing you run around in a bikini every day." Tapping his finger to his chin, he looks thoughtful. "We could probably arrange that now, if you were interested."

I playfully push his shoulder. "Nah. Seeing me like that would lose it's novelty."

We finish our dance and as we start the next, my dad taps me on the shoulder. "Mind if I cut in?" he asks gruffly.

"Not at all. Enjoy yourselves." Edward kisses my cheek and heads off the dance floor.

Together, my dad and I dance around the floor. I'm surprised at his dancing ability. "Where'd you learn to dance like this?" I ask.

"Don't underestimate your mom's will power. When she puts her mind to something, she does it. She's dragged me to dance classes for years. I just hid it well." He smiles at the thought. I look over his shoulder as he turns me and see her talking with Esme. They laugh and laugh at something before looking my way and laughing some more.

"Mom and Esme are thick as thieves."

"Yes, they are. I don't think she'll want to leave next week," dad responds. "I guess we'll have to make a trip back here soon." After a few moments he clears his throat. "Look, I want you to know that despite the way it looks, I really like Edward. He's a great guy who obviously loves you and takes care of you. I couldn't find someone better for my daughter to date. I'm glad you're happy. As long as he keeps it that way, then he's the right guy for you."

I feel some tears well up and I quickly swipe them away to avoid messing up my makeup. "Aw dad that means a lot to me. Thank you." I kiss his cheek and then ask, "Did you make sure Edward knows?"

"We're men. We don't talk about feelings," he says, grinning. I roll my eyes and we finish our dance before walking over to where my mom and Esme stand, talking.

We move to a small seating area nearby, eating and drinking, enjoying each other's company. Carlisle and Edward join us eventually and we spend the rest of the evening chatting with co-workers and friends and sometimes sneaking off for a few stolen kisses in the coat check room. Cliche I know, but it's fun. Edward excuses himself around 11:30 and I head to the bathroom for a touch up. While I apply some more lipstick, I can't help but smile. This year has been full of surprises. I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

When I make my way back to where our parents are still talking, I realize Edward isn't with them. I ask the group if anyone has seen him. Most shake their heads but my dad mentions that Edward was heading up to the roof for some fresh air. I frown - he didn't mention that to me. "You might want to take the stairs though. I heard the elevator is broken," my dad continues.

"Okay I'm going to go find him. I'll catch up with you guys in a little bit." I decide to try my luck with the elevator first, but sure enough a man is inside with a toolbox, fiddling with some wires.

"I'm sorry miss. I should have it up and running again in about thirty minutes or so," he apologizes.

I smile, "Don't worry. I can just take the stairs."

He points me in the right direction and I hike my long dress up above my knees to make it easier to climb them. It's only a few flights but in heels and a gown it takes me a little bit longer than it should. Once I reach the roof level, I have to make my way through an empty office to the exit. I can feel the cold night air even through the closed door, so I wrap my arms around myself to try and get warm before I push the door open.

The sight on the other side of the door makes me gasp. The entire roof is covered in flowers, small trees, candles, and twinkle lights. Soft music plays from some hidden speakers and Edward is standing on the other side of the roof with a couple of flutes of champagne. I make my way over to him, smiling like a crazy person at what I see.

"When did you do all of this?" I ask, gesturing to the gorgeous sight.

Edward laughs softly. "I had some help. Alice said to tell you hi."

"Of course it's Alice. Well it's beautiful. Is this what you were so nervous about earlier?" I ask, taking the glass he offered me. I sip it and watch his eyes glow in the soft light.

"Well, sort of." At that, he drops down to one knee.

"Bella. When I first started working for my dad's firm, I thought 'This is it. This is my life. I don't need anything else. Anything else is just a bonus.' I wasn't interested in love or finding the one or anything like that. Then you walked through my door. I couldn't believe a girl like you existed. You were smart, so incredibly smart. And funny. You made me laugh every day, even before we started dating. You were driven and accomplished and had goals you wanted to see through. And you were beautiful. You are beautiful. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life. I can't name the exact moment I fell in love with you. But I suspect it was somewhere between your hair getting stuck in my cufflinks and the night I stopped James from hurting you in that nightclub."

He sticks his hand in his coat pocket and pulls out a small box. "I can't imagine my life without you. I won't imagine it. You make my life better in a million ways, and then some. Will you, Isabella Marie Swan, marry me?" Edward opens up the box and slips the ring I picked out from the velvet cushion.

Struck dumb for a minute at his incredible speech, I blink a couple of times before I can talk. "Yes. YES! Of course I'll marry you!" I kneel down and throw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He stands up, pulling me with him, and grabs my hand to slip the ring onto my finger.

"Congratulations!" I hear a group of people call. My mom and dad, Esme and Carlisle, and all of our closest friends step out from behind a nearby wall, holding flutes of champagne. I laugh when my mom sweeps me into her arms, stealing me away from Edward. Mom and dad both hug me tightly. With tears in his eyes, my dad smiles and whispers, "I fully approve of this."

The tears I felt welling up earlier come back full force and a few slip out. "Dad, I love you. Thank you for everything." I give him a huge kiss on the cheek before Alice comes over and pulls me away.

"That was the most romantic proposal EVER," she says very seriously, giving Jasper a sideways glance. "You've got a lot to live up to." She pokes him in the side, winking. Then she grabs my hand to look at the ring. "It's perfect. So you! And it looks incredible with your ensemble, if I do say so myself."

When I start to answer, Edward comes over and interrupts. "Sorry to stop your conversation but I have one last surprise for you guys. Come on over here." He leads us all over to a grouping of benches and we take our seats. He slips his jacket over my shoulders since I don't have my coat and then turns to address the group.

"I'm so glad you could all be here for this. I think we've experienced a lot of ups and downs this year and grown so much closer. We've made new friends and family and gotten through all the rough patches. And for that, I want to thank all of you. This is for you."

He sits down next to me, directing my attention out over the bay. Just at the stroke of midnight, fireworks start up and everyone starts toasting to the New Year. It's the most romantic and amazing surprise anyone has ever done for me. I tell Edward as much and then kiss him deeply, ignoring the jeers from Emmett and the groans from my dad. The fireworks going off over my head can't compare to the ones going off in my heart.

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*8 Months Later*

"You're the only person I know who could pull something like this off in in 8 months," Rosalie says, slipping her earrings in and fluffing her hair.

"I am a genius," Alice replies. She reaches over, adjusting Rose's sleeve and tweaking her hair. "Okay, I want you sitting on that stool until I'm done with Bella. Then we'll get our shoes and we're ready to go. And don't slouch."

Rose makes a mean face at Alice's back and I can't help but burst out into laughter.

"Okay let's get you done." Alice turns me towards the mirror, quickly brushing and curling my hair before pulling it up on my head, two braids across my crown. "Can you finish pinning these?" she asks Rose before she starts on my makeup. Rose straightens the braids, pinning bits here and there and pulling a couple of loose tendrils out. Alice plucks, powders, and lines until her heart's content, and then turns me back to the mirror. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful!" I turn left and right, trying to see every bit of her work. "Thank you. It is exactly what I wanted."

"Now for the piece de resistance!" she cries, pulling me from my chair. I slip the satin robe I'm wearing off and stand still, while Alice climbs up onto a chair and helps Rose place all the layers from my gown over my head. She pulls it down, smoothing out the wrinkles while Rose buttons up the back. After tying the sash into a bow in front, Alice slips my shoes onto my feet and then stands me in front of a large mirror nearby. It's the first time I've seen myself in my wedding dress, completely done up.

"All that's missing is your bouquet. You look gorgeous." Alice wipes away a couple of tears.

"Oh stop you sissy," Rose teases her, throwing an arm around both of our shoulders and hugging us to her. "You guys… it's that day. It's Bell's wedding."

I blink back tears of my own as Alice hurries to put her earrings in and then finishes her own makeup. "Wait. There is one more thing missing," I say, reaching into the tote bag I brought with me. "These." I pull 3 boxes from my bag and hold them out. "You two are my best friends, more like sisters than anything. And I know that even though we're all going to be leading our own lives and starting families of our own, I know we'll always be close. I love you both."

I bought us matching bracelets and we all put them on together as the final pieces to our preparation. Just then, someone knocks on the door. "Do you have time for your old mom to come see you before you walk down the aisle?"

Rose opens the door, pulling the box with our bouquets from my mom's arms. "Of course Renee. Come in!" She sets the box down and pulls them from their vases.

"Oh my baby girl. You look like a princess. Like Grace Kelly." Mom turns me around and lifts my hem to see my shoes. "Something blue! I love it. Okay, here is your something borrowed." She

pulls a handkerchief from her purse and tucks it into the strap of my dress. "It's the one I used on my wedding day. And here is your old." She carefully slips some pearl and turquoise earrings into my earlobes. "They were your grandmother Swan's. Your father and I always wanted you to have them when you got married."

Once everything is in place, she stares at me for several moments and then starts to cry. "I can't believe you're getting married. I love you and Edward so much."

"Mom, don't cry. This is a happy day! Just smile and laugh." I say, hugging her tightly.

"Okay ladies, it's time to get going. We don't want to get behind schedule." Alice hands Rose and I our bouquets and pins the corsage onto Renee's shoulder, then opens the door and ushers us out the door. We walk outside and down a small path to a little gateway. We decided to get married in a local Japanese garden which looks amazing this time of year. Alice stops us and organizes everyone in the order they should be walking. Just then my dad appears. He stops short in his tracks when he sees me and just stares.

"So say something," I joke, embarrassed.

"There are no words," he replies. He walks to my side, clasps my left hand in his right, and kisses me on the cheek. Then he smiles sadly and looks straight ahead. Alice queues up the music and we slowly make our way across the short bridge to where the wedding guests stand and wait. Once I cross the end of the bridge, I look up from the pathway and meet Edward's. He looks at me with a look of wonder on his face and I feel my own smile grow wide and bright. Once we reach him and the officiant, Rose, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett on either side of us, my dad kisses my hand and places it in Edward's.

Everyone sits and the ceremony starts. I listen carefully to each promise and vow that we make and each one resonates within me. Then the officiant says, "Now Edward has something to say to his bride."

I'm completely surprised as I turn to him. He pulls a small card from his jacket pocket and turns to face the guests. "I love this woman. Obviously. That's why we're all here, right? She's my life. I feel like the words in my mind and heart aren't enough to express how I feel about her. So I've borrowed someone else's."

He clears his throat and reads,

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight.

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace

I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, -I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death."

As he finishes, I pull the handkerchief from my dress and wipe at my eyes before reaching across to him and stroking his cheek with my fingertips. "That was lovely," I mouth to him. The officiant thanks him and then proceeds to have us exchange rings. "I pronounce these two husband and wife. Edward, kiss your beautiful bride," he closes.

Edward pulls me to him quickly, dipping me down and kissing me passionately. I hear hollars and cat calls but not a part of me cares. I can't believe we're finally married. Rose hands me my bouquet and together we all walk through the park and out the gate to where our cars are. Edward and I take a Town Car to the reception while everyone else in the wedding party takes a limo or their own cars. The reception goes by in a blur - an event full of amazing food, music, dancing, and more love than I feel like I can handle.

Late that night, we sit together at the airport, still dressed in our wedding attire. The valets in the first class lounge are more than happy to help us, getting us complimentary champagne, snacks, and even a masseuse to rub my poor feet after wearing nothing but heels all day. I still don't know where we're heading to and Edward refuses to tell me or let me see any signs that would give it away. He's so insistent on the surprise, that he plans on blindfolding me when we go onto the plane and that we're boarding before others, so the attendants don't give it away either. We sit close together, talking and laughing about the events of the day. I lean my head against his shoulder, feeling content and eventually find myself drifting off.

The next thing I know, I wake up in my seat on the plane, shoes off and headphones on my head with soft music playing. I pull them off and sit up, seeing Edward's happy face beaming at me from the next seat. "You've been asleep for a long time. You must have been really worn out. We're about halfway there. You hungry?"

"Yeah, I'm starved. And I'd like to get out of this dress." The plane is dark and quiet and I have no idea if we're over land or sea but I can't wait to find out where we're going. Edward hands me a bag.

"There's a change of clothes in here. The bathroom is large enough for you to change in and Amy, the stewardess over there, has instructions for your dress. I'll; get you food while you're changing."

It's then that I notice he's already changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He looks comfy but not really dressed for somewhere tropical, so I'm a little surprised. I kind of had this idea that we were going to a tropical island like Hawaii or the Bahamas. I walk into the bathroom and with the help of Amy to get my wedding gown undone and on a hanger, I change quickly, slipping the shift dress and sneakers on. It's totally an Alice outfit, but I like it and it's comfortable. I find a cover for my wedding gown and cover it up, leaving it there for Amy to take care of. Then I make my way back to my seat.

A rectangular covered box and a bottled drink await me on the little table on my seat. "What'd you order?" I ask.

"Oh just a little snack." Edward says, flipping through the channels on his little tv. I sit down and pull the lid off the box. Inside is a sushi roll, some rice crackers, a small salad, and a little dessert cake. I quickly eat, enjoying every bit. After I'm done, the flight attendant takes my dish away and I recline in my seat, covering myself with my blanket and snuggling up against Edward. Together we watch a mini-marathon of some of our favorite tv shows. I find myself falling back asleep. A quick glance at my watch tells me that it's about 7 am in San Fransisco, so I try my hardest to stay awake. Finally, after Edward watches me struggle to keep my eyes open he tells me that I might as well just get some sleep. I let myself fall into a deep and restful sleep, my hand clasped in Edward's lap.

I wake up a few hours later to the sound of the pilot telling us that we're about 45 minutes out from landing. Edward helps me gather things up and I stand to stretch before they make us stay seated.

"So have you figured out where we're going yet?" he asks, giving me a mischievous smile.

"Not yet. I've been asleep most of the ride," I reply, sitting down and buckling my seatbelt.

He hands me the headphones and plugs them into the tv. "You just watch your shows until we land. I don't want anything giving it away. You have to see it to believe it."

I roll my eyes and laugh, but play along. Soon I'm wrapped up in a true crime tv show and then I feel the landing gear drop and we're touching down. I quickly sit up, pulling the headphones off, and try to get a glance out the window. But since we're in the middle row on the plane, we can't see much. "Planned ahead I see."

"Honestly, you wouldn't see much flying in. The airport is a little bit away from our final destination. But never fear. You'll find out soon enough." Edward kisses my hand and sits forward in his chair, full of anticipation.

"We'd like to welcome you to your final destination. It's 4:00 am and about 65 degrees. We hope your stay is enjoyable and thank you for flying Asiana Air."

I shake my head - there was nothing informational in that message!

We taxi to our gate and eventually make our way off the plane. The first thing I notice is that I can't read any of the signs. And the announcements are in another language. It takes me a minute to realize what language I'm hearing.

"You brought me to Japan?!" I shriek, jumping up and down and finally into Edward's arms before I pepper his face with kisses. "I can't believe it!"

He laughs and kisses me back. "I told you I'd bring you here one day. It was just a matter of time." He puts me down, kisses me gently, and picks up our bags so we can get to the luggage carousel.

Bags gathered and tucked into our waiting car with Edward practically bouncing off the walls in excitement, we make our way from the airport to our hotel in downtown Tokyo. As we fly past the brightly lit billboards and listen to the unfamiliar sounds surrounding us, I feel my heart fill up with hope and happiness for the future. We're not perfect. We never will be. Our relationship is flawed and imperfect, but it's exactly what we need. And I know happiness will always be here, with me, as long as we're together.

owari.

AN: Guys.. I can't believe it's done. I loved writing this. It was a fun little exercise and I'm proud of myself for finishing. You were all awesome. I loved all the reviews and every time my mailbox said that I had a new favorite or follower. You guys really helped me! I feel like I can write and people like what I write and that makes me happy! I hope I did this story justice and I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it.

The poem Edward quoted at the wedding was by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Oh and Owari means "the End" in Japanese, in case you were wondering.