Please read the Author's Note at the bottom if you don't mind ;-)

One year later…

Edward's PoV

A year is a long time. After a whole year has gone by you can expect something to have been firmly placed in the past. Enough time has gone by to move on and start life anew. But of course that depends on what you've got to get over. And we had a lot.

I know people can deal with traumatic experiences very differently. Some people pretend it never happened and carry on their lives as before. They try to imprison the memories and not allow them to shape their lives.

None of us took that route.

What happened, happened, and there is nothing anyone can do to change what has been and gone. So none of us tried to forget what we had been through. We just got through it together. And aside from a few recurring nightmares and some overprotectiveness on some of our parts we'd managed to do pretty well even if I say so myself.

But a year is also a long time for two people to be together in a relationship. And after everything I'd gone through with that one important person I felt like I knew my heart pretty well. Emmett and Jasper agreed.

So that brings us to today. And the huge step that all of us is about to make, here in beautiful Senegal.

Today is going to be a very important day for us all. All three of us have South African diamond rings in our pockets, a set of well-rehearsed words and a whole stomach full of nerves.

***

I kept glancing at the sun that was slowly sinking into the west. It was getting perilously close to sunset and that was the time that the three of us had decided was to be The Time. We'd all elected to do it simultaneously so that none of the girls got any idea of what we were planning before we were able to get the words out ourselves.

Alice held her mobile out in the centre of the little circle the six of us made. She had it on speakerphone.

"So you all have to swear you'll be home by August or you'll miss my birthday," Angela's voice emanated from the phone. "And you have to be there or it won't be any fun. You all must have so much to tell me." I could hear the laughter in her voice. That was nice. Earlier on we'd been worried about how much of a long-term effect those events would have on Ange.

"Of course we'll be there!" Alice chirped in mock-outrage. "In fact I will go one better and promise to be home earlier enough to organise the whole thing for you."

Everyone laughed. "We're definitely going to be there," Bella assured her. "I suppose our holiday has to end eventually. I mean we've been virtually everywhere in Africa now, right?"

"Yeah," Emmett piped up, "I think I'm getting homesick."

"Whatever!" Rosalie snorted.

Angela was laughing again. "Okay, I'm gonna have to go now. Speak to you again soon." She said, the smile apparent in her voice.

"Okay, send our love to Nahuel." Alice said quickly.

"Will do. Bye!"

We all chorused our goodbyes and Alice snapped the phone shut.

I caught Jasper and Emmett's eyes and gave an infinitesimal nod. Here it goes.

"Let's take a walk." I murmured in Bella's ear as, grabbing her hand, I pulled her up after me.

I towed her down to the beach, which was now magnificent in all its sunset glory. Hand in hand we began to walk across the beautiful white sand.

"I love it here," Bella sighed. "I think Senegal has to be one of my favourites of all the countries we've been too."

I smiled to myself. Hopefully her memories of it were about to improve somewhat.

"Bella there is something I want to say to you." I mentally curse myself for sounding so tentative. This was not how I had planned on sounding.

I sighed and drew her to a stop. She was watching me now looking a little puzzled. "I know I've told you this what must be a thousand times but… you're my everything, Bella. In the true sense of the phrase. I've learnt the hard way that I can't live without you and what it'll do to me if I lose you. My life does not go on at all if you're not in it. I need you with me always. I love you, Bella. And I know everything I'm saying here is cliché and has been said a million times by others but I really mean every word."

I stopped in order to sink down onto one knee. Her beautiful dark eyes widened. "I don't want anything at all but to share the rest of my life with you. I belong completely to you Bella and I want everyone to know that. That's why I want you to marry me."

I pulled the ring out of my pocket now. "Bella. Please do me the honour of becoming my wife." I finished formally.

She didn't move. She just stood there staring at me with wide eyes. I began to feel a little nervous.

"You don't have to decide right now." I added quickly, feeling myself begin to backtrack. A little flutter of panic stirred in my stomach. "I mean, you can think about it for as long as you want. I just wanted to let you know…."

I stopped speaking as Bella sunk to her own knees in front of me so that we were on a level. I could see now that her eyes were sparkling with tears. She took my face between both of her hands.

"I can't believe it." She whispered, "I never dreamt that you would…" she broke off, sounding choked with emotion. "I love you Edward." She stated more strongly, her eyes fixed on mine. I tensed waiting for the 'but'.

"There is nothing in this world that means more to me than you," she breathed. "So, yes! Of course I will marry you Edward. I don't need even a second to think about it. I've never been more certain of anything else than I am of this answer. Yes! Yes! YES!" she cried.

She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me as if she were trying to convey all her love with that kiss. Not that I needed any proof. I rolled back into the sand pulling her with me. My fingers fumbled in my pocket for the ring.

I drew my head back just far enough to be able to meet her eyes properly and held up the ring. For a moment the surprised expression was back and then she smiled, a smile that could light up the whole world. And I slipped the ring onto her finger before kissing her again.

Rosalie's PoV

Emmett had persuaded me to take a swim in the sea as the sunset. He was being romantic. Well as romantic as Emmett could be. He'd surprised me over the last year on how romantic he could be. Even so he still had a habit of ruining the moment by being silly. But I loved him for it.

Right now he was being uncharacteristically not silly. He was holding me close to him while we tread water and staring at me as if he were thinking very deeply.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Are you trying to remember my middle name of something?" I asked playfully.

That familiar smile broke out across his face, showing his dimples. "I know your middle name, Lillian." He grinned.

"What is it then?" I asked giving him a little shove in the chest.

"I'm trying to figure out how to ask you to marry me." He said matter-of-factly, the grin still in place. I laughed.

"Good one, Emmett." I said sarcastically and splashed him in the face.

"What I meant it." He said rising his eyebrows in an expression of sincerity I didn't buy.

"Sure you did, Casanova." I grinned back as I kicked myself away from him so I could splash him better. "I could see how much you meant it when you got down on one knee and pulled that diamond ring out." I teased.

"What this one?" he said innocently as he held up a sparkling ring. I felt my jaw drop.

"Oh my god," I breathed to myself, staring wide eyed at what was very clearly an engagement ring. He'd really meant it. "OH MY GOD!" I suddenly shrieked. "EMMETT! OH MY GOD!"

I hastily kicked myself back over to him. He held out the ring towards me and as I raised my left hand, a little shakily, he slipped it on my ring finger. It fit perfectly.

"Emmett," I breathed again. I was actually speechless.

"So that's a yes then?" he asked lightly. I squealed and practically threw myself on him.

"This is the best day of my life!" I squealed happily as wrapped my arms around his neck.

Alice's PoV

The sun had very nearly disappeared into the sea. I was sat between Jasper's leg, staring out at is as I leant back against him. We weren't speaking. There was nothing that needed to be said. All we needed was to be with each other. That was enough.

"What do you want from life Alice?" Jasper asked unexpectedly, his voice was very soft.

"Just you." I responded quickly. He chuckled.

"So you don't have any immediate plans for when we return then?" he pressed again. I frowned slightly, not sure where he was heading with this.

"No. None as a matter of fact. Why?" I answered.

"Well I wouldn't want to upset and pre-made plans by what I'm about to do next." He answered enigmatically. I half twisted to try and see his face.

"What are you about to do?" I asked, confused. He pushed me gently back around so that I faced the sunset again.

"Oh, nothing." He said mysteriously.

"Jazz, don't do this to me. You know curiosity tears me apart." I said warningly.

"Oh yes, I do know that." He said very quietly. I felt his breath tickle my ear.

"Please tell me." I begged.

"Well," he said slowly, "it's not so much a matter of telling you as asking you…"

"Huh?" I did not feel at all enlightened.

"Close your eyes." He whispered into my ear.

I obliged. Feeling a little tremor of excitement in my belly as I did so. Like a premonition.

I felt his arms shift from where they had been placed around me. He took my left hand and raised it a little. I felt his right arm cross over the front of my body to meet my left hand. Then I felt him slip something onto a very significant finger. I stopped breathing.

My eyes opened to stare down at the little platinum band now curled around my third finger and the perfect, round, glittering diamond held in its centre.

"Yes?" Jazz questioned in a whisper.

I just nodded my head, unable to find my voice at all. He moved his hand to my jaw and raised my head until I met his eyes.

"You and me. Forever." He stated the words like a vow. Then he lowered his head to mine and kissed me.

Don't you just love happy endings? – wipes away a tear

Special thanks to all readers and reviewers. I know some of you have been here from the start and thank you for helping me to create something I'm really quite proud of.

Anyway as this is finally it I'd kinda like to ask for some feedback on the story as a whole. What bits you thought worked and what didn't. If you'd have liked anything to happen differently.

What I'd really like to know is what your favourites bits were if you had any!

Thanks for reading!

xxx