Disclaimer: Twilight related things owned by S.M., all else me or history.

-x-

The soothing rush of the water filled Edward's ears. He could hear every interruption of the water's flow from small pebbles or river-life. It was easy to pick up the short light steps of his sister making her way towards him. Seconds later Alice appeared at his feet, her eyes a bright ochre color.

"Go away Alice," Edward lay back on his perch, his fingers lightly danced over the cool water.

"I'm sorry for walking in on you," she jumped on to a fallen tree that dangled over the river and sat gracefully.

He remained silent as he perused through Alice's thoughts. Once more he endured the possibility of losing Bella as Alice showed him various outcomes of her death.

I was so worried Edward, she thought.

"I know," he rose to his feet and paused. "Alice?"

"Yes?" She tilted her head to the side as she checked her visions to his unasked question.

"You'd tell me if Bella decides to leave me right?" Edward stared past Alice to avoid her stare.

"She won't. I don't need a vision to know that," she jumped from her tree perch and pulled his face down to meet her gaze. "She won't. Now quit being stupid and go home."

Edward thought for a moment about how he should apologize to Bella for his behavior when a vision from Alice interrupted him.

"Perfect," he grinned as he turned on his heels. "I'll be back in awhile. Keep her busy."

-x-

Bella sat on Edward's piano bench pressing random keys one at a time. Each note hung in the air and gave a melancholy sound that seemed to match her mood. Perhaps something more livelier would perk up her mood. Her enthusiasm deflated when she remembered her lack of musical talents; not that she recalled ever having played an instrument.

A neat stack of sheet music sat on top of the piano seemed to beckon her to take a peek. Bella grabbed the first sheet and placed it before her. The notes on the page made no sense to her but she admired Edward's ability to compose music. After a few minutes of staring at the black dots that graced the lines, she remembered that Edward had purchased a beginner's book for her. Finally, she would be able to understand the dots and their respective keys on the piano.

The book was tucked under the seat of the piano bench and she quickly retrieved it. She read through the short guide and played the notes but the complexity of Edward's piece still confounded her. Instead she played each key with one finger from the left-most key to the right-most key, savoring each note the resonated.

A curt knock broke her out of her thoughts. When she turned around she saw Rosalie at the doorway.

"Trying to make sense of Edward's music?" Rosalie smiled as she sat next to Bella on the bench.

"Going from hot-cross buns to his work is a bit more than I could chew," Bella giggled.

"Would you like me to play it for you?"

Bella hesitated. Having someone else play Edward's music seemed like a violation of his privacy.

"I actually better not," Rosalie said in response to her hesitance. "Last time he put his paws on something personal of mine, we didn't talk for a decade."

"Could you play something else for me then?" Bella neatly returned the sheet music to Edward's pile.

"How about this one?" A slow yet light music filled the room. Bella stared at Rosalie's hands gracefully moving across the keys and the pure emotion she seemed to fill her body as she played.

"What is that called?" Bella asked when Rosalie drew to a close.

"It's a song I kept hearing Edward play when I was first turned," Rosalie said quietly. "I never heard it again, but I did think it was beautiful."

They both remained silent lost in their own thoughts until Rosalie turned in her seat with a smile.

"Hey Alice," Rosalie said as Alice walked in the door.

"Hey guys," Alice danced into the room and sat on the day-bed.

"Where's Edward?" Bella glanced at the door then realization set in. He wasn't coming back.

"Bella," Alice said in a warning tone before continuing in glee. "What did I tell you? He's just taking care of something. He'll call me when he's ready."

When Alice couldn't contain her enthusiasm it was something to be wary of. Bella rose from the piano bench and sat next to Alice.

"Please don't tell me you had anything to do with this Alice," she narrowed her eyes at the small pixie vampire before her.

Alice's golden eyes opened wide, "He came up with it all on his own I swear."

Rosalie snorted before laughing out the door. "Does Edward even know how to be romantic? Maybe he should take a lesson or two from Carlisle and Jasper, because Lord knows Emmett sucks at it."

"I heard that babe," Emmett bellowed from the garage.

Once Rosalie left the room, Bella grabbed a pen and paper and quickly jotted down a message and showed it to Alice.

We need to talk somewhere private.

She seemed to understand at once and opened the windows.

"Hey Jazz, I'm going for a run with Bella. Be back soon okay?" Alice said before jumping out the window with Bella on her back.

The forest whizzed by in a blur, but Alice ran slower than Edward usually did so Bella was able to catch some scents that passed by.

"Wait. Stop!" Bella felt the air knocked out of her chest as Alice stopped on a dime.

The scent of Edward and Alice were concentrated here. They were here earlier before Alice had returned by herself. Bella landed on her feet when Alice released her and looked around in the darkness.

"What is it Bella?" Alice asked.

"Nothing. Just caught Edward's scent that's all." Bella gingerly felt around the river's edge until she found a sturdy rock to sit on. The moon barely shone behind the clouds making it difficult to see.

"You could smell us?" Alice sounded confused. "But I was running past..."

"Weird I know. That's sort of what I want to talk to you about." Bella ran a hand through her hair.

"What's wrong? You're nervous," Alice pointed to her hand still lingering in her hair.

"Do vampires ever space out? Or make mistakes?" Bella asked after consciously placing her hands in her lap.

"Physical mistakes? No, our movements are precise. Our reflexes are lightning fast. You know this. And as for vampires spacing out, I didn't think it was even a possibility since we could think of many things at once," Alice frowned. "Carlisle is probably someone better to ask, but what brought this on?"

"It's Edward. He spaces out, he has little ticks in his movement. Things fall, Alice," Bella emphasized. "Somethings wrong with him."

"Are you sure? Edward has always been a little more distracted than the lot of us since he hears so many thoughts at once. It lets him appear more normal than we possibly could. It's easier for him to appear human." Alice pulled her cell-phone out of her pocket then the screen lit up with a text message a moment later. "He's ready."

"Ready for what?"

"To grovel at your feet most likely," Alice motioned for Bella to hop on her back.

"Alice? Do you think he'll be okay?" Bella asked before Alice began to move.

"Whatever it is, you guys will persevere through it all."

-x-

Candles flickered in the night, and fireflies seemed to gravitate to the meadow, creating a serene environment. A blanket lay on the even grass and a Stradivarius violin lay next to a bouquet of roses. Edward had just texted Alice and he paced around waiting for Bella's arrival.

Not three minutes had passed before he heard Bella's heartbeat along with Alice's light steps running through the forest. Eventually Alice stopped and he could hear Bella fumbling through the last bit of forest towards the candles that flickered in the meadow.

"Thanks Alice," he whispered knowing his sister would hear.

You owe me, Alice skipped away.

Bella took in everything he had prepared and he could see tears glistening in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I took off," Edward clasped his hands around her elbows and gently pulled her towards him.

"You keep apologizing," Bella looked up at him.

"Because I feel like I fail you at every turn sometimes," Edward paused. "But hopefully I could make up some of it tonight." With that Bella covered the short distance between and locked his lips to hers.

He felt his toes tingle from the needy kiss she gave. In fact his marble skin seemed to buzz with electricity every time she touched him. This was different than the overwhelming physical reaction he had a few hours ago when Alice saw him kill her in a vision.

This felt right. It was like he was a puzzle with one missing piece and Bella was the last piece.

"Let's get married tomorrow," he blurted out. He felt Bella freeze then eventually she sat down on the blanket.

"Tomorrow?" She whispered.

"I'm sor-" He began but she threw him a glare.

"Let's do it," Bella nodded to herself then tugged on his pant leg tell him to sit.

Edward blinked. Did she just agree? "Are you sure?"

"Edward. I love you. We're mates. We're more than that. We're soul mates," Bella smiled as she held up her hand that held the ring. "Time doesn't apply to us."

"We're getting married tomorrow?" Edward repeated his previous statement but his voice was filled with disbelief. It felt like his heart would explode, and that he was dreaming. But he was a vampire, he didn't sleep. This was real. It was happening.

"Tomorrow," her answering smile was like a breath of fresh air. The only thing that would have him sailing over the moon would be when she said the two little words to tie them together.

The only way he could express his love for her without words was through music, so he chose this moment to bring out the Stradivarius violin and began to play into the night.

A/N: Not proofed. Need a beta. :( More filler for the time being. Enthusiasm is waning a bit, more flights to book and work is really beginning to be a pain in my butt...

Here is the song I pictured Edward playing on a Stradivari violin (the most priceless violins crafted mostly in the 1700s). Anne Akiko Meyers playing an exquisite arrangement on an actual Stradivarius violin. Add link at the end of youtube: /watch?v=VNNbtR5R68U

Or search: Anne Akiko Meyers Plays Bach's 'Ave Maria' on the ex-Napoleon/Molitor Stradivari Violin