A/N: This is it! I've had a blast with this story, and I can't thank all of you enough for coming along with me. A couple of you have asked if there will be a sequel, but there won't be, because the major canon events will still happen. Victoria will come back with her army, and the Volturi will learn of Bella's existence through that. Edward and Bella will marry, and they will still have Renesmee, and Jacob will still imprint. The final showdown with the Guard will still take place. The only changes now are that Edward and Bella's relationship is a bit healthier, Charlie knows the truth, and the Jacob love triangle won't be nearly as intense; I didn't have the heart to get rid of it completely.

I'd love to hear everyone's final comments on the story/epilogue. Enjoy the happy ending!

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EPOV- Eight Weeks Later

"Safe!"

"Safe," Bella agreed.

Emmett was in Charlie's face before the rain could settle the dust. "Oh, come on!" he roared. "I tagged him a good sixteenth of a second before he touched the plate!"

Charlie folded his arms, shaking his head. "You know the rules. Humans call 'em as humans see 'em!"

Emmett glared at him for another second before Rosalie darted up behind him, kissing him on the cheek. "It's okay, baby," she soothed. "It's not his fault he's half blind." A huge crack of thunder punctuated her sentence, and Emmett finally backed away.

"Hmph."

Jasper finally got up from the ground, purposely dusting his uniform in Emmett's direction.

"All right, that's it," Emmett growled, and they were at it. Charlie backed out of the way, shaking his head as they fought, dirt and grass flying in all directions. Jasper had been purposely inflaming Emmett's anger throughout the ninth inning; he had been itching for a good fight all day.

"Boys, break it up!" Esme shouted. "You know I don't like you fighting around Charlie and Bella!"

My brothers reluctantly parted, and the game resumed. Esme had joined Carlisle's team, since Charlie and Bella were the umpires today. It was nice having my mother play, and she had surprised us all with her ferocity in center field. Her presence on Carlisle's team had made the numbers uneven, but since Jasper, Rosalie and I were the best hitters, we had agreed to keep our team the smaller one.

I stepped up to the plate, nodding to Alice, who was pitching against me. She had already struck out Rosalie twice earlier in the inning, and it was up to me to save the game; even with Jasper's home run, we were still trailing by one. Alice was playing with the different pitches in her mind, refusing to decide on one until the windup. I glanced over at the bench, smiling at Bella and her father. It warmed my heart to see them sitting together, both at ease with my unusual family, clapping and cheering for everyone. Bella's cheeks were flushed with both sunburn and excitement. Her hair had lightened even more throughout the summer, giving it a slight-

Whoosh!

"Strike one!" Charlie called, grinning at me. That's what you get for gawking at my daughter. Or maybe you just stink at baseball.

I bared my teeth at him, and turned back to glare at Alice. She shrugged innocently, and decided suddenly on a curveball. The ball flew toward me and I adjusted my swing to hit it with a resounding crack!

I tore around the field, watching the ball as it flew into the trees. "Not bad," Charlie admitted, taking out his binoculars. Carlisle was racing through the forest, keeping pace with the ball as it began its descent a half mile away. I made it back to home plate with time to spare, kissing Bella quickly on the cheek while smirking at her father.

I switched into Carlisle's mind, watching as he reached for the ball… and caught it. I scowled, and Charlie, seeing my reaction, jumped up in triumph. "Out!" he yelled, and Esme and Emmett began cheering along with Alice, who was already in the middle of some sort of victory dance up on the mound. Carlisle reappeared, holding the ball aloft and grinning from ear to ear.

Bella ran up to me and jumped into my arms. I caught her and kissed her soundly, breaking away just as Charlie's thoughts began to get anxious. I turned to him and shrugged. "Consolation prize," I said innocently. He just shook his head and offered high-fives to the winning team.

Summer was already over, but this was the first time we had convinced Charlie to come watch "vampire baseball". He had been slowly warming up to the entire family throughout the second half of the summer, and we had already had him over a few times to the house for dinner. He had been quite taken aback to learn that my "siblings" were actually all married, but he got used to it, and Emmett and Rosalie had agreed to show some restraint in front of him.

Carlisle and Charlie had become fast friends. I was happy for my father; he had been aching for this kind of companionship for centuries. He had always been able to relax around Bella, but he had never had a close human friend of his own before. Charlie had even managed to get him out in the fishing boat once.

But the most surprising new friendship of all was Jacob and Rosalie. Jacob had assumed full Alpha status, and we had invited him and the elders over at the end of July to discuss amending the treaty again. Charlie had been invited also, serving as the unofficial representative of the town of Forks. The meeting had gone rather well; the treaty had been extended indefinitely, and in return the southern half of the treaty line had been redrawn five miles closer to our house. This was an experimental amendment, and we all hoped that the increased distance would prevent activating the werewolf gene in any other tribal members. After the meeting had finished, we had offered an exception for Jacob to visit whenever he liked, provided he called first. This way, we wouldn't get nervous every time Alice's vision went black. Jacob had agreed, and I had offered to escort him out through the garage; he had expressed an interest in checking out our vehicles. But as soon as he ducked through the garage door, he whistled, staring not at the cars but at the garage itself. He spent the next hour picking through Rosalie's arrangement of tools, manuals, and stash of parts. Rosalie, having heard us tinkering around, came in as well, furious at the "mangy dog touching my stuff". But within two minutes, they were together under the hood of my Aston Martin, Jacob drooling in awe at the engine and the enhancements that Rosalie had made. I soon lost interest and left them alone. They were friends from that moment on, and Jacob returned occasionally, though they fought as often as they worked on the cars together. In fact, anyone who met the two of them together would probably think they were enemies; but as soon as they entered the garage, an unspoken truce went up and their shared love for all things mechanical overcame their enmity. Rosalie had even installed an industrial-strength outtake fan to help with the smell, so that she and Jacob could work side by side without snarling at each other.

Jacob had opted not to come to the game today. Between his schoolwork and his duties with the pack, he was too busy this week to do much. I certainly didn't mind his absence; although I considered him a friend now, I still didn't like the way that he thought about Bella sometimes. He was doing his best to respect our relationship, but he still quietly harbored feelings for her, and there were still some times when we butted heads.

The topic that came between us the most was Bella's change. The plan was still to wait until graduation, but the details still needed to be ironed out. Jacob was caught between a rock and a hard place, being the Alpha; he wanted relations between our species to keep improving, but he felt an instinctual aversion to the idea of us creating a new vampire. As the treaty stood now, such an act would break it. Jacob's dilemma was also complicated by his feelings for Bella, and by his respect for Carlisle. Eventually he would need to decide whether to amend the treaty to allow Bella's transformation; if he decided not to, we would have to move before doing it, and never return. The matter was further complicated by the tribal elders; they were all prepared to vote against us, but it was uncertain how much weight the Alpha's vote should hold, if not all the weight. Jacob had tried not to think about it around me at first, but sometimes seeing Bella and I together sent him over the edge, and we had almost come to blows more than once. I tried to be patient with him; after all, I did owe him a great debt. But as far as I was concerned, the discussion as over. If Bella still wanted to be changed after graduation, then she would be. Jacob still wasn't convinced that Bella knew what she was doing, and I often found myself defending her right to decide her own fate. It was rather ironic, considering I had once been her greatest opponent.

I had done my best to stick to my resolution. I had been careful to include her in any plans, and I was painstakingly honest every time she asked me what I was thinking. But when Bella made plans to go to First beach with Jacob and the pack in late July, I faltered. The thought of her being on the reservation at all was still difficult for me, and knowing that she would be literally surrounded by werewolves was just too much. And so I had done what any self-respecting vampire would do; I had gone to Charlie and begged him to forbid Bella from going. I told him every story I could think of about the wolves being unstable and dangerous, and it had worked. Bella had been furious, but with both of us against her she had finally backed down. Jacob had nearly thrown a fit, but keeping the peace was important; he merely called my phone and yelled at me for an hour.

In most other ways, though, I thought I had done a pretty decent job of respecting Bella's opinions. In response to my efforts, Bella had begun planning some of our dates, much to my delight. She had even managed to surprise me once, on our six-month anniversary. I had been planning to celebrate it on August 8th, six months after our dinner together in Port Angeles, but Bella had planned the surprise for August 3rd, which was six months after our first "lunch" at school together. She blindfolded me and led me out to her truck, and I settled in for a long drive, smugly thinking that I would be able to tell where we were going without my eyesight. I knew the surrounding roads like the back of my hand, and I would be able to use the minds of people that we passed in order to find my bearings. It wasn't that I wanted to cheat, but I wouldn't be able to stop myself.

But she had planned for that. She pulled over occasionally, driving in circles and doubling back on her route until I admitted that I was finally lost. She was playing two different audiobooks at once, using her truck's tape deck, as well as a portable CD player, insisting that I focus on both during the entire drive. She also spent the drive telling me stories about her childhood, and my mind was sufficiently occupied so that I was able to block the thoughts of anyone nearby.

When the truck stopped, she ripped off the blindfold, and I saw that she had brought us back to Ozette Lake. We were parked on the same beach that we had visited with her human friends earlier in the summer. It was exactly the same idea I had had, only I had been planning on doing it five days later. Bella told me that she had wanted to come back alone, so that she could watch me swim at vampire speed. We spent a relaxing day together, and after lunch, I finally convinced Bella to try swimming at vampire speed with me. She climbed onto my back and I took off, our laughter echoing over the water. She had thought that we were going to stop at Baby Island, but I zoomed right past it, up and around into Swan Bay. I told her then that my plan had been to bring her here anyway, and that I had done some research; it turned out that Swan Bay had been named after Charlie's great-great grandfather. The swim back took considerably longer; this time I was holding Bella in my arms as I swam backwards. We watched the sun set together as we neared the beach. It was during this swim back that the epiphany had come to me: Bella and I were really going to be together forever.

During those horrible two weeks back in July, I had been so tightly wound that it had taken awhile for the truth to sink in. But that day, while I was drifting in the lake with Bella in my arms, it had finally hit me. Later that night, I had gone through my mother's jewelry box, finding the item that I wanted. It was my mother's ring, its oval diamond surrounded by tinier ones, all bound together with gold filigree. I had stared at it for a good three hours, as daydream upon daydream broke over me; then I slipped it into my pocket. I'd been carrying it every day after that, wondering when the right moment would be.

"I said, earth to Edward!" Charlie yelled in my ear. I snapped out of my memories and looked at him.

I didn't have the ring with me today. Alice had insisted that we wear our uniforms, which didn't have pockets; I also didn't want to risk damaging the ring, what with the violence of sliding onto the bases. I felt incomplete without it. I hadn't worked up the nerve to say anything to Bella yet, but it had been growing heavier in my pocket with each day that I waited. But today was the day; or rather, the day before the day. When I had picked up Bella and Charlie in the Jeep this afternoon, I had pulled Charlie aside, telling him that I needed to speak to him after the game.

"Yes?" I replied.

"You had something to say, remember?" Are all vampires this forgetful?

"Ah… yes. I'd like to speak to you… alone." I looked down at Bella, who was standing beside Charlie. Her smile turned into a suspicious frown. I turned around to where my mother was standing. "Esme, would you mind...?"

"Oh! Of course, dear. Bella, I'm taking you home today, if that's all right."

"But how?" Charlie asked. "You guys all ran here, didn't you?"

Esme just smiled at him sweetly. She turned her back to Bella and knelt, winking up at me. Alice says the forecast still looks good. I nodded to her slightly, and when Bella climbed up reluctantly, I leaned over to peck her on the cheek.

"I don't know what you two are plotting, but it had better not be birthday-related," Bella grumbled as she wrapped her arms around Esme's throat. I just grinned back at her, and Esme shot away, the spinning leaves the only reminder of her presence a moment ago.

"If you think I'm going to ride on you like that, you've got another think coming," Charlie grumbled after we were alone.

"Relax, Charlie. We came in the Jeep, remember?" He nodded, following me back to where we had left it.

After I had checked Charlie's harness, I drove out onto the highway. It was infuriating to drive this slowly, but I was keenly aware of the policeman sitting next to me. And if there was any day where I needed to be on his good side, this was it. We rolled along in silence, Charlie wondering anxiously what it was I needed to talk about. But I didn't want to do this in the car.

"So, that was quite a game," Charlie finally said, unable to bear the silence any longer. "Don't think I'll be able to enjoy regular baseball after that."

"Actually, I think it would be more fun as a human," I replied. "Having limitations and being able to make mistakes is what provides the challenge."

"Yeah, must be awful having super-strength and speed," Charlie joked.

"It is, sometimes. When Emmett first joined our family, he kept wanting us to try various sports. But our enhanced capabilities made everything too easy. So we had to get creative."

"Any other modified sports?"

"Well… we do have a vampire version of paintball, but I don't think you should come watch that one."

"Why not?"

"Because we use real bullets."

It was silent while Charlie tried to digest this. Why…?

"Because paintballs move through the air too slowly; they're too easy to dodge. So Emmett modified regular bullets to carry tiny canisters of paint. It's still a bit too easy, but we manage."

"Yeah, think I'll pass on that one." I chuckled in response, and Charlie sighed impatiently.

Whatever it is, he's not going to say it until we get home. "Can't this thing go any faster?" he complained aloud.

I eyed him carefully. Was this some kind of test? "I suppose it could," I said casually.

"Well, let's see. Don't worry, I'm off duty when I run with vampires," he reassured me. "I promise not to give you a ticket."

"You want me to speed?" I asked, wearing a shocked expression.

He glared at me. Oh, come on. It's obvious you don't usually drive like this. Let's see what she can do.

"You asked for it," I grinned, shoving the pedal to the floor. The Jeep took off, doubling its speed in three seconds.

"Holy crow!" Charlie shouted as we passed 180. "How can you even see where you're going? There's no- Edward, look out!" He threw his arms over his face as I flung the Jeep around a sharp curve, laughing.

I slowed to a crawl as soon as the town was in sight, and glanced over at Charlie. He was holding onto the harness for dear life, and his racing pulse was making my throat ache.

"You asked for it," I repeated, calmly rolling to a stop at a red light.

"There is no way a Jeep can go that fast!" he breathed, forcing his fingers out of their spasm.

"Well, Rosalie had made a few… modifications."

"Jet engines don't count as modifications," he growled back. "Don't tell me you drive like that with my daughter in the car!"

I sighed; I knew it had been a test. But I had never lied to Charlie since he had found out the truth, and I wasn't about to start now. "Charlie, I swear, I am the safest driver on the road," I assured him. "Not only do I have my reflexes, but I can see people in front of me even before I can see them." I tapped my head for emphasis and he snorted.

"I guess this is why I was never able to catch you before," he said wistfully. Too fast to be seen.

"No, quite the opposite," I countered. "Whenever I hear a police car up ahead, I slow down to the speed limit. Well," I added, "when I'm in the Volvo. When I'm in my other car, I just speed up. Then I'm too fast to be seen."

"Your other… never mind." I don't know how many cars you own, and I don't want to know.

We finally arrived at Bella's house, and, as we got out, I began to feel nervous again. I had risen much higher in Charlie's favor since Bella had told him everything, but even with Alice's reassurance, I was still unsure how he was going to respond tonight. He wasn't exactly friendly towards me, though his gruff words usually held a tone of fondness now, instead of just tolerance. His thoughts were much more benign, except when he was thinking directly at me.

"Well, come on," Charlie mumbled, unlocking the door. Whatever it is, let's get it over with. Bella will be back soon, and it's a school night. I followed him inside and we both sat down at the kitchen table. "All right, kid. What's on your mind?"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. This was ridiculous! I was nearly three times as old as Charlie, and my psychic sister had already told me that he would say yes. I hadn't even been this anxious back in July, when Charlie had called me into the Police Station. I supposed that now that I finally had his trust and approval, I was afraid to lose it.

I cleared my throat; a human mannerism, but it seemed to help nonetheless. Uh oh, Charlie thought. He's getting that serious look. What's wrong?

"Nothing's wrong," I said quickly. "In fact… everything is… great. It's just that…" Unbelievable! What if I was this nervous tomorrow? "I'd like to give Bella a… certain gift tomorrow, if it's all right with you."

"Okay, that makes sense, considering that tomorrow is her birthday…?" What is he getting at? I don't care what he gives her. Get on with it!

My fingers twitched nervously in my lap. I looked down at them and frowned, realizing that I still had my baseball uniform on. My knees were green, and there was a huge smear of mud caked over my left side. I should have done this another day, when I had dressed up, or at least been clean. And I should have asked Carlisle what to say. Not that he had ever had to do this, but-

"WHAT?" Charlie growled.

"I want to marry Bella," I blurted out. "I want to give her my mother's ring tomorrow, and ask her to be my wife. With your permission, of course. Sir."

Charlie's heart stopped for a moment, and I leaned forward, concerned. Was he going to pass out? "Charlie?"

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead and he gripped the edge of the table as his pulse resumed. "Well… didn't see that one coming," he muttered under his breath. Marry her? As in… marry her?

"Yes, sir."

"She's only eighteen!"

"Bella will always be eighteen, Charlie," I said quietly.

He winced slightly. The topic of Bella's change hadn't come up between the two of us since that day in the Police Station. I knew that Carlisle had discussed it with him a few times, and I often caught him thinking about it. But between the two of us, there was an unspoken rule that we didn't bring it up. It wasn't that Charlie had changed his mind, but he had been pretending that Bella's transformation was farther off than it really was; he usually thought of it in terms of "someday". This was the first time that I had dared to bring it up with him, and in such specific terms.

"I know that," he finally sighed. And I figured you two would be… married, eventually. I just didn't think it was coming so SOON.

"The wedding doesn't have to be soon. But I would like to marry her before I change her." One of my favorite daydreams was seeing Bella walking toward me, dressed in white and clinging to Charlie's arm; my blushing bride. It was silly, but I really wanted the blushing part to come true. And then there was the other daydream that I knew Bella hoped would come true before her change; but I wasn't about to discuss that with her father. I knew she didn't necessarily see marriage as a prerequisite, but this was one topic I wasn't willing to budge on. We were going to do this right.

"What about school?" Charlie asked.

"I see no reason why we can't finish high school, engaged or not. This doesn't have to change our… plan. Anyway, until Jacob makes a decision about the treaty, we can't transform Bella anytime soon."

"I know."

"So… do I have your permission?" I held my breath, waiting. I would ask Bella whether he gave his blessing or not; but I wanted it.

You are so old-fashioned. "I guess so." I let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Are you gonna do it at the party tomorrow?"

I frowned. "What party?"

"Well, Bells said you're taking her to your house after school tomorrow. I just assumed Alice had planned some kind of shindig."

"She wanted to, but I talked her out of it."

"Why?"

I shrugged. "You know Bella. She doesn't like that kind of attention." Alice had whined to me for two days, but I had been firm. I was through pushing Bella into human experiences "for her own good". It was bad enough that I had tricked her into going to Prom when I knew she didn't want to go.

"Yeah, you're right." I'm glad she found someone who actually listens to her. I'm glad she found… you. Charlie coughed to recover from his sentiment, and I just smiled down at my hands, knowing I shouldn't acknowledge the compliment out loud.

"I'd like to stay to say goodnight to Bella, if that's all right."

"Sure. Wanna catch the end of the game? I mean, it's only human baseball, but…"

"You bet." I followed him into the living room, taking the end of the couch so that Charlie could have his favorite chair. The couch still bore several slashes, evidence of Jacob's first phase. I wrinkled my nose as I sat down; Bella had gotten the rest of the room disinfected, but the stuffing inside the couch cushions still carried the lingering stench of werewolf.

"So," Charlie said absently as he picked up the remote, "You think she'll say yes?"

"I honestly don't know. Alice is giving me a 63% chance as of this afternoon." This was the main reason I wanted to propose this early in the year; that way if Bella shied away at first, I would have several months to convince her.

"Hmm. Maybe I can boost that a bit."

"How?"

Charlie began focusing on the game intently. He was the only human who had ever actually tried to block me out, and he was surprisingly good at it. His usual mental fuzziness notwithstanding, the human brain was so rudimentary that dedicating all its processes to a certain stimulus was far easier than it was for a vampire. I just smiled at him, wondering.

After a couple of innings, I heard Esme calling me mentally from about a mile away. We're back, Edward. Text me if you aren't ready for her to come in. She waited a few moments and then sprung forward, sprinting the rest of the way to the house.

The front door opened and the downstairs was filled with Bella's fragrance. I zipped out of the living room before Charlie had a chance to blink, capturing her in a kiss before he caught up with us in the hallway.

"You won't believe how long it took to get here," Bella complained. "If I didn't know better, I would think that Esme had actually gotten lost."

"Well, any woman who hits a tree in her own yard is bound to get lost eventually," Charlie said imperiously. Bella looked at me, smiling only after she saw my own laughter. I had never told her that Charlie was in on that particular lie.

"So, did you two have a good talk?" Bella asked, glaring up at me.

"Yes, but we're finished now," I said coolly.

"Just for the record, I despise birthday parties. And presents. And surprises," she reminded us.

"I know," I said cheerfully.

"Don't look at me," Charlie added, resolving to unwrap the camera so it couldn't be classified as an actual gift.

I turned back to him and shook his hand. "Goodnight, Charlie."

"'Night," he muttered, heading back into the living room. And good luck, I guess. I'll do what I can. He focused immediately on the game, effectively occupying his mind again. I raised my eyebrows, wondering again what he was trying so hard not to plan. I had better tell Bella that I wouldn't be coming back for awhile; she always hurried upstairs when she knew I was coming.

"I meant what I said about birthdays," Bella grumbled after he was gone.

I gave her a mischievous grin. After I had convinced Alice to back off, she had agreed to my alternate plan. We were letting Bella think that there was really going to be a party tomorrow; it was part of my plan. We had been dropping hints about decorations and gifts, and looking sneaky every time Bella "overheard" us.

"Be a good sport, love" I said smoothly. "It's your eighteenth birthday, after all. You can't expect Alice to sit there and do nothing."

"Stupid vampires," Bella muttered under her breath. I tilted her chin up, and as soon as she met my eyes, her anger melted. "You'll come up soon?" she whispered.

"No, I'll be awhile tonight. I promised Esme I'd help her with the new cabinets. Don't wait up for me."

She sighed sadly, but stood on her toes to kiss me again. "I love you," she murmured.

"As I love you."

Charlie coughed loudly from the living room. I had managed so far to avoid the question about where I usually spent my nights, but I didn't want to get him thinking about it- especially not right now.

"Charlie's getting impatient," I whispered. She nodded and went to join her father.

I was sorely tempted to stick around and hear what Charlie was going to say. But after a moment of deliberation I decided to give them some privacy. I headed home, humming my new song as I drove.

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Bella's birthday dawned bright and sunny. I pestered Alice all morning, concerned about my plans.

"Edward, how many times do I have to tell you?" she finally shrieked. "It's going to get cloudy by eleven-thirty, and Esme will take us to school. It's not going to rain. The sun will come back out at three. The rainbow will be there at 3:55. Will you relax?"

But I was a nervous wreck. Esme eventually kicked me out of the house, worrying that I would wear a path into her new oriental carpet with my pacing. Jasper grudgingly followed me outside, settling on the lawn to read while he kept one eye on me, sending a steady stream of calm.

Finally, the clouds came to my rescue and Esme came out of the house, purse in hand and Alice in tow. "All right, kids," she said with a wink. "I think you've had enough dental work. Let's head to school."

We piled into the Mercedes and took off, my knee bouncing anxiously throughout the drive.

"Well?" I asked Alice, fingering the ring in my pocket.

She closed her eyes briefly. "Eighty-two percent."

I frowned. "It was ninety this morning. What happened?" My chance of success had jumped up suddenly around ten o'clock last night; thanks, no doubt to Charlie.

"How should I know? You wouldn't let me spy last night."

"That doesn't mean you can't spy now," I said, tapping my hand on my bouncing knee. We were well out of Jasper's range now, and I was beginning to lose my mind.

"Gee, let me check. Okay, she's sitting in class. How is that helpful?"

"It's probably because you didn't come to school yet," Esme suggested.

"But I texted her this morning. She knows we'll be late, and why," I replied. I had finally gotten Bella to let me give her a cell phone, with the promise that I might get over the werewolf thing soon.

"Maybe she didn't believe you," Esme said. "Maybe she thinks you two are doing some kind of last-minute party planning."

I groaned; had I taken this plan too far?

"No, that's good," Alice said. "The more upset she gets about the party, the more relieved she'll be when we cancel it."

My knee stopped bouncing. "That's true," I admitted.

"Or maybe your chances dropped because you wore that stupid white shirt again. Of all the days to not let me dress you! If we turn around now, I can-"

"Shut up, Alice."

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After Esme dropped us off, we picked up our tardy slips and headed into the cafeteria. Bella was just sitting down with her friends, and I crept up behind her silently.

"Happy-" I began, laying my hands on her shoulders.

She tipped back her head and stared at me with pleading eyes.

-to see you, Bella," I grinned, kissing her forehead before I sat down beside her.

"Where were you guys?" Mike asked, annoyed to see me. And why couldn't you stay there?

"Dentist," Alice squealed as she sat down, jumping back up again immediately. "Ooh! They've got pizza today!" She scampered into the lunch line, winking mentally at me. Now, Edward.

"Aren't you going to eat, too?" Mike grumbled.

"Not today. Fluoride makes me nauseous," I said, rubbing my stomach. Bella just rolled her eyes.

As soon as Mike and the other kids were chattering away, I turned to Bella. "Now, don't be mad…" I began.

She just dropped her head onto her folded arms. "I knew it. There's a party, isn't there?"

"Well…" I gave her my best guilty look. "Alice wanted it to be a surprise, but I wanted to ask if you minded if we invited everyone here at the table."

"I don't want a party," she growled inside her arms.

I wrinkled my brow in confusion. "You really don't?"

She peeked her head up just enough to look at me hopefully. "No, I don't. And I definitely don't want anyone here knowing that it's my… you know."

"Oh." I paused for a moment. "Well, I'll talk to Alice. I can't promise anything, though. You know how she gets."

"Really?" she asked, sitting up the rest of the way.

"I'll try. Are you sure you don't want a party?" She slapped my arm, wincing at the sting in her hand. I leaned down and kissed her palm, letting my cold mouth linger for a moment to numb the soreness.

Ugh, he's such a pushover, Mike thought disgustedly. I frowned back at him, realizing that he had actually been listening to our conversation. If Bella was MY girlfriend, I wouldn't-

I jumped out of his mind, focusing fully on Bella's face. I was already on edge today as it was; my mother's ring was weighing heavily in my pocket, and my brain was in overdrive. If I heard anything nasty from Mike right now, I wasn't sure I'd be able to control myself.

I decided to have my "talk" with Alice later today. It was better to let Bella sweat it out, so that she would be even more grateful later. I felt just a tiny pang of guilt, but I reminded myself that I wasn't really manipulating her; I was just softening her. I nudged Alice's foot under the table, giving her a questioning look. She nodded infinitesimally, and my smile grew.

"Well?" Bella hissed, nodded toward Alice.

I leaned in to whisper. "I'd better do it later. She'll get upset, and you wouldn't want anyone to overhear the fact that it's your-"

"Gotcha. Later." She pulled out the camera that Charlie had given her at breakfast, and we all spent the rest of the lunch hour taking pictures of each other.

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Alice and I met up after gym class, waiting until Bella came out of the locker room to have our "argument". As soon as Bella was in visual range, I leaned down to Alice's ear, whispering a bunch of nonsense. Alice bristled visibly and we chattered back and forth angrily for a moment. By the time Bella caught up to us, I was standing up to my full height, glaring down at my sister. Alice looked up at me defiantly for a moment, and then glanced back at Bella, a dramatic look of defeat spreading over her face.

"Fine," she sighed. "I'll go home and take everything down." She turned to Bella mournfully and gave her a hug. "Happy birthday," she whispered in her ear. "I was going to have a party, but you know how Edward is lately. He's all 'Bella's way or the highway'. Anyway, I love you." She gave her another squeeze.

"I'll get you back at graduation. I'm going to invite the entire senior class," she hissed at me, loud enough for Bella to hear. And that wasn't an act. I'm really going to do it, whether you like it or not! I just shrugged, watching her walk away. After a few steps, she smiled. Ninety-five percent! Good luck!

Bella sighed in relief, digging her face into my shoulder. "Thank you. She's not mad, is she?"

"She'll get over it," I said loftily. "Come on."

.

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I took her to our meadow, pretending that I had just now decided to do it instead of the party. Bella was gushing at me the whole drive, running her fingers through my hair and chattering about how sensitive I was and how glad she was to be spared the torture of getting expensive presents. I just gazed at her lovingly in response; this was working perfectly.

I carried her through the woods on my back, letting her down just before we got to the clearing. I knew she liked to watch me walk into the meadow; it always reminded her of the first time we had come here. She scampered ahead of me, sitting down and waiting expectantly. I strode into the sunlight, basking in both the warmth of the day and in her smile. I imagined her sparkling as well; that day would come soon enough. I still hoped that she would decide to wait, and give college a try first, but I wasn't going to worry about it.

I slipped my hand into my pocket, fingering the ring nervously as I crossed the clearing. Bella watched as I reached behind a tree, frowning when I took out my classical guitar case.

"When did you bring that here?" she asked.

"It's always here. The case is waterproof, and I thought it would be nice to play for you again, whenever we came here next. Besides, I have a birthday present for you- two, actually."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I thought we-"

"I didn't spend anything," I promised. "But I did write you another song." My fingers trembled as I took out the guitar, but she didn't seem to notice. She leaned back on her elbows in the grass, smiling as I began to play.

It was a contemporary waltz, in 9/8 time. I had written it using the piano last week, but it went well on classical guitar, as well. I played the melody alone the first time, adding more embellishments every time I repeated it. There were no words, but I whispered the meaning to her as I played. I told her about the image I had seen in Charlie's imagination: the two of us, immortal and happy as the years flew by past us. But as the song grew, I told her that I was picturing us spinning around in a waltz, the scenery flying in circles behind us; the growing volume and complexity of the song reflected our ever-growing love. I didn't often speak so openly of how I felt, and Bella was blushing nicely by the time the song was done. I had to end it a little earlier than planned; as the moment approached, I was growing so tense that my fingers could barely keep up with the complexity of the seventeenth verse.

I set the guitar down in the grass, and reclined on my elbows beside Bella, leaning my face back to fully catch the sunlight.

"That was so beautiful," she whispered, seemingly unaware of the tears that were threatening to spill over her cheek. I reached up and whisked them away. "And so much better than a party. I can't believe you actually canceled it for me. That was… nice."

I smiled innocently. "A few months ago, I might have gone ahead with it… like I did with Prom. You know, human experiences."

"I know. You are different lately. Well, except with the werewolves." Her brow wrinkled slightly; she was obviously remembering what had happened in late July. "I still can't believe you teamed up with Charlie on that one."

"Nobody's perfect," I grinned, hoping to lighten the mood. Werewolves were the last topic I wanted us to be on right now.

"Well, I think he really likes you now. You should have heard him raving about you last night."

I sat up fully. "Really?"

"Yeah. I don't know what you guys talked about last night, but I've never seen him that serious before. Are you sure you weren't listening?"

I peeked at my watch: 3:53. The air was cooling slightly as the mist rolled in, seven thousand feet above us. "No, I really was at home. What did he say?"

"Oh, nothing," she said coyly.

"Come on."

"No."

"Please?" I leaned in, staring into her eyes. She took a deep breath.

"Okay. He said that he had always hoped I would find someone who was able to listen to me, and someone who was strong enough to always protect me. He said he never expected to find someone who had both those qualities, and who could offer me an eternity of happiness."

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. "Charlie said all that?"

She nodded. "I know. And he also said that he knew that he and Renee hadn't exactly gotten things right, but that he was certain it would be different with you and me. He said he couldn't be happier for us."

"Wow."

"I know, I was- oh!" her eyes flew up to the sky. "Look!"

I followed her gaze upward, smiling at the rainbow that had arrived right on schedule. "Let's see if it goes all the way to the horizon," I suggested, offering her my hand. I helped her up, smiling to myself; I had gotten her standing.

"I don't think I've ever seen one like this before," she breathed as she followed the colors down into the trees. "It's so beautiful."

"Just wait until you see one for the first time… after. There are more colors than your human eyes can see."

She leaned into me, watching the sky. "This day is perfect," she sighed.

"They're all perfect, when you're with me," I said, turning her around to face me. "And the rest of eternity is going to be perfect, because we're always going to be together. I used to actually dread living forever. But not anymore." I slowly slipped my hand into my pocket, taking out the ring.

"I'd like to give you the other present now," I said slowly. My throat tightened in anxiety; was I going to be able to speak? I should have brought Jasper…

Her eyes left the rainbow and met mine. "All right," she said simply. She looked at me with such trust that my fear left me. I knew, in that moment, that she was going to say yes. I grinned from ear to ear, unable to wait any longer.

"So, I was just saying how perfect eternity is going to be… but the truth is, there's one more thing that would make it even more perfect. Something you could do for me." She waited, and I took a final breath. I sank slowly down onto one knee, feeling just one last pang of uncertainty as her breath caught in her throat. I caught her eyes with my own, silently begging her to please, please let me do this. I opened my hand, letting her see the ring. "This was my mother's ring. She said one day that she would pass it on to me, to give to the girl I wanted to marry. And I've kept it with me for eighty-seven years, waiting for you. Bella... will you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife?"

She stared at the ring while I held my breath. Then she looked back to me, and whispered one word.

"Yes."

I leapt to my feet, kissing her as hard as I dared. I felt her hot tears on my face, and pulled away to slide the ring onto her finger; a perfect fit. She turned her hand to look, and as the sunlight caught the diamonds, her face burst into a thousand sparkles of light. I caught my breath; even Alice's visions of Bella's immortal future hadn't captured her beauty like this. "Now this day is perfect," I said, reaching up to touch her shining face.

She tilted her hand toward me, until the sparkles doubled the brilliance that she always loved to see on my face when we came here. Then she reached up, touching the tears that she had left on my skin.

"I love you," she said softly. "Every day of forever."

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THE END