CHAPTER SEVEN:

We arrived at the church where my stomach started twisting itself into knots when I saw all the cars parked around.

"Oh Merlin," I whimpered. Alice patted my shoulder.

"Deep breaths, Bella," she said, encouragingly, before ducking down in order to strap my very pretty shoes with their very dangerous heels onto my feet– she'd put it off for me for as long as she could, Circe bless her.

It struck me, suddenly, that my mother would be in the audience today and I thought I might be sick. I had to hold onto Charlie for support as I climbed out of the carriage, my legs had started to shake so violently.

We entered through one of the side doors to the church, which lead to a small, empty room. I wouldn't be leaving here now until I heard my music.

Luna conjured me a seat as my legs were shaking about twice as hard now, and I kind of just sat there, dumbly and numbly, as the groomsmen– Emmett, Jasper and Jacob– and the best man, Carlisle, entered the room, all dressed in nicely tailored suits with ivory pocket squares and ties. Alice beamed at their immaculate appearances, even Jacob, and ushered them into their positions with the respective bridesmaids and my maid of honour.

My bridesmaids looked like a field of flowers; Alice with her zinnia-orange dress, Angela looking stunning in a lavender cheongsam with her dark hair drawn back in a tight bun, Katie's blond hair, curled for the occasion, tumbling over her bare shoulders, her rose-pink strapless gown accentuating her lovely curves, and Isobel wearing forget-me-not blue dress-robes that were much more modern then I'd expected for the girl who grew up in traditional Pureblood society.

And, of course, there was Luna, whose maid of honor dress was an entire bouquet put together, and I'd only just realized now that I was seeing them all together that the colourful flowers on her dress matched the colours of my bridesmaids.

I should have been expecting it at this point, with everyone lined to in position, but it was still a shock when I heard the piano begin playing. Pachelbel's Canon. I began hyperventilating.

"Easy, Bells," Charlie said. He turned to Alice nervously. "She looks a little sick. Do you think she's going to make it?"

His voice sounded far away. I couldn't feel my legs.

"She'd better."

Alice stood right in front of me, on her tiptoes to better stare me in the eye, and gripped my wrists in her hard hands. "Focus, Bella. Edward is waiting for you down there."

I took a deep breath, willing myself into composure.

The music slowly morphed into a new song. Charlie nudged me. "Bells, we're up to bat."

"Bella?" Alice asked, still holding my gaze.

"Yes," I squeaked. "Edward. Okay." I watched her order the wedding processional into action, leading them from the room, and Charlie tugged me after them.

The music was louder in the entrance of the church. It floated through the open doors and I concentrated on the idea of Edward waiting inside to get my feet to shuffle forward.

The music was familiar, Wagner's traditional march surrounded by a flood of embellishments. I watched as first Luna and Carlisle walked through the doorway arm in arm, both disappearing from my sight, followed by Angela and Emmett and then Katie and Jacob.

"It's my turn," Alice chimed, her arm linked around Jasper's. "Count to five and follow me." The two vampires began their graceful walk and I cursed myself as I realized that having the two vampires go just before I did was a mistake– I would look awkward and uncoordinated coming behind them; I should have asked Katie and Jacob to go second last.

But I didn't have time to change that now, and as I clutched onto Charlie's arm I realized that this was it; here I was, standing in a church, in a wedding gown and on my father's arm, about to walk down the bloody aisle.

A sudden fanfare trilled through the soaring music. I recognized my cue.

"Don't let me fall, Dad," I whispered. Charlie pulled my hand through his arm and then grasped it tightly.

One step at a time, I told myself as we began to walk to the slow tempo of the march. I could hear the murmurs and rustling of the audience as we entered through the arch doorway, into view. Blood flooded my cheeks at the sound; of course I could be counted on to be the blushing bride.

But instead of looking at all of them, I looked for him; the main reason I was doing this.

Edward was standing at the front of the church, and once our eyes met I was barely conscious that Carlisle stood by his side, and Angela's father behind them both. I didn't see my mother where she must have been sitting in the front row, or the bridesmaids and groomsmen, my new family, and any of the guests– they would all have to wait till later.

Because all I really saw was Edward's face; it filled my vision and overwhelmed my mind. His eyes were a buttery, burning gold; his perfect face was almost severe with the depth of his emotion. And then, as he met my awed gaze, he broke into a breathtaking smile of exultation.

Suddenly, it was only the pressure of Charlie's hand on mine that kept me from sprinting headlong down the aisle (I'd have to thank Charlie for saving my life later– in these heels I would have never made it alive). 

The march was too slow as I struggled to pace my steps to its rhythm. Mercifully, it was a small church and the aisle was very short. And then, at last, at last, I was there. Edward held out his hand. Charlie took my hand and, in a symbol as old as the world, placed it in Edward's. I touched the cool miracle of his skin, and I was home.

The ceremony was beautiful and perfect; Isaac and Isaiah were the ring-bearers (Alice had had to bribe them with video games) and handed over the two gold rings, one a plain band and the other set with three perfect diamonds. I almost started crying halfway through the ceremony when Father Weber started reading the wedding vows, but kept the tears back.

Our vows were the simple, traditional words that had been spoken a million times, though never by a couple quite like us.

I didn't realize I'd lost the battle with my tears until it was time to say the binding words.

"I do," I managed to choke out in a nearly unintelligible whisper, blinking my eyes clear so I could see Edward's face. When it was his turn to speak, the words rang clear and proud.

"I do," he vowed.

Mr. Weber declared us husband and wife, and then Edward's hands reached up to cradle my face, carefully, as if it were as delicate as the white petals swaying above our heads. I tried to comprehend, through the film of tears blinding me, the surreal fact that this amazing person was mine. His golden eyes looked as if they would have tears, too, if such a thing were not impossible. He bent his head toward mine, and I stretched up on the tips of my toes, throwing my arms– bouquet and all– around his neck.

He kissed me tenderly, adoringly; I forgot the crowd, the place, the time, the reason... only remembering that he loved me, that he wanted me, that I was his.

Our small crowd erupted into applause when we finally broke apart, and as he turned our bodies to face our friends and family I found I couldn't stop smiling. Even seeing the Denalis in the audience couldn't get rid of the little bubble of happiness in my chest.

My father's arms were the first to find me, his suspiciously shiny eyes the first thing I saw when I finally tore mine unwillingly from Edward. And then I was handed through the crowd, passed from embrace to embrace, only vaguely aware of who held me, my attention centered on Edward's hand clutched tightly in my own. I did recognize the difference between the soft, warm hugs of my human friends, the gentle, cool embraces of my new family and the scorching hugs of my wolf-shifter friends– Jacob hadn't been the only shifter to show up; Seth and his older sister Leah had both accepted the invitation, as well as both Billy and Sue (Seth and Jacob were the only ones who hugged me, though).

-

The entire wedding party returned to the Cullen's mansion for the reception. The horses and carriage were gone, to my relief, and after Edward and I exited the church in a shower of ivory-coloured confetti we stepped into a white limousine. Our bridesmaids, groomsmen and the maid of honour climbed in after us, and on the short drive back to the mansion we drank champagne (or, in the vampires' cases, they drank blood champagne) and chatted and laughed as soft music played. Edward still hadn't let go of my hand and I was in no hurry to make him do so.

He was reluctant to let me go change once we arrived, and I was equally as reluctant to be parted from my newly wedded husband, but Alice had given us both a terrifying look and Edward had kissed me one last time then let Emmett drag him away and join everyone flocking into the backyard, the official reception area.

My dress for the reception was a dark blue cocktail dress, paired with an ivory-coloured shawl and elbow-length ivory-coloured silk gloves with pearl buttons. I felt alongside the beaded accent panel of the dress, amazed at the feel and the elegant and classy look of it. It was simple, but gorgeous and seemed to be eye-catching without being too extravagant. It had a classic silhouette and was floor length, and it clung to my torso, fitting snug but not too tightly to my form.

Removing the hair combs, veil and unicorn horn circlet, Alice brushed my hair out back to its natural wave then gave me a center part, sectioning off parts of hair from either side of my head and French-braiding it while pinning the rest into a bun at the nape of my neck with hairpins with teardrop pearl heads. Intertwining the French braids at the back of my head, she wrapped them back toward the center and pinned them in place.

Finally, she led me down the stairs and I got my first actual look at the decorated house– white blossoms hung in garlands from everything in the room that wasn't alive, dripping with long lines of white gossamer ribbons. The furniture from the ground floor of the house seemed to have all been removed and replaced by round tables covered in white-silk tablecloths and paired with satin-draped chairs.

Even with the change in venues, the wedding seemed to have flowed into the reception smoothly– proof, of course, of Alice's flawless planning. The vampire in question lead me out the glass back doors to where there were another ten thousand flowers, serving as a fragrant, airy tent over the dance floor set up on the grass under two of the ancient cedars. The lights in the trees glimmered, making the white flowers glow. It was just twilight over the river; the ceremony had lasted exactly the right amount of time, allowing the sun to set behind the trees.

Edward appeared, pulling me back into his arms, and I went gladly. Our kiss was longer, and I clung to him until the little crowd spread out under the soft shine of the twinkle lights started to form a line and we were greeted again by the friends we'd previously embraced.

"Congrats, guys," Seth Clearwater told us, ducking his head under the edge of a flower garland. Jacob, a step behind, looked entirely relaxed, long used by now to being in 'bloodsucker territory. Seth's mother, Sue, on the other hand, was tight by her son's side, eyeing the guests with wary intensity, while Billy Black, who was not nearly as tense as Sue, was seated on the other.

When I looked at Jacob's father, I always felt like I was seeing two people rather than just one. There was the old man in the wheelchair with the lined face and the white smile that everyone else saw. And then there was the direct descendant of a long line of powerful, magical chieftains, cloaked in the authority he'd been born with. Though the magic had– in the absence of a catalyst– skipped his generation, Billy was still a part of the power and the legend. It flowed straight through him. It flowed to his son, the heir to the magic, who had turned his back on it. That left Sam Uley to act as the chief of legends and magic now.

Billy seemed oddly at ease considering the company and the event and I was impressed by his composure. This wedding must have seemed like a very bad thing, the worst thing that could happen to his best friend's daughter, in Billy's eyes. I knew it couldn't be easy for him to restrain his feelings, but I was proud of him.

Seth leaned toward Edward, arms extended. Edward returned the hug with his free arm. I saw Sue shudder delicately.

"It's good to see things work out for you, man," Seth said. "I'm happy for you."

"Thank you, Seth. That means a lot to me." Edward pulled away from Seth and looked at Jacob, and at Sue and Billy. "Thank you all, as well. For supporting Bella today."

"You're welcome," Billy said in his deep, gravelly voice, and I was surprised at the optimism in his tone. Perhaps a stronger truce was on the horizon.

A bit of a line was forming, so Seth waved goodbye and wheeled Billy toward the food. Sue kept one hand on each of them. Jacob lingered for a moment to give me a hug.

"I am happy for you, Bella," he whispered and I practically beamed at him.

"I'm so happy you're here– Seth, Billy and Sue, too. And Leah." I added, remembering seeing her earlier at the church, one of the very few who hadn't approached to offer congratulations. Jacob laughed.

"She's only here for the food and to piss Sam off." He said. I grinned.

"Well I hope it works."

"Oh it will," Jacob said, very confidently, before punching Edward lightly on the shoulder. "Congrats, dude. Keep her safe." He ordered before going after his dad.

Angela and Katie were next to claim us, followed by Angela's parents and then Hermione and Ron, Harry and Ginny, two of Charlie's deputies and Neville with a pair of witches I recognized from the year above me, one with dark hair he introduced as Susan Bones and the other, a blond, as Hannah Abbott. I wasn't sure if they were in a relationship or just friends so I resisted the urge to give Neville a double thumbs up.

And then, behind my human and magical friends, were the guests I hadn't wanted as guests at all– my new cousins-in-law, the Denali vampire clan.

Oh great.