FIC: Something Blue, Something New (Twilight)
Something Blue, Something New
by adliren
“One hundred years. I’ve waited over a hundred years for a wedding. Do you know how many movies and TV shows I’ve watched? I never miss an episode of Bride Wars. But does anyone listen? No!”
“Honey, you designed the wedding dress, the bridesmaids’ dresses, the groomsmens’, or was it bridesmens’, tuxedoes. You also chose the flowers and decorations for the ceremony and the after party. I would say you put all that knowledge to good use. On this, you’re just going to have to compromise.”
“But he’s a wolf! At my wedding!” Esme just sighed, one of many in the past hour. She and her adopted daughter were going over the final preparations for Alice and Bella’s wedding.
“Yes Alice, we know, but Bella cares for him and you care for Bella. I get the felling that you would do anything to make her happy, but not this. Why?”
“He’s a werewolf!” Alice all but shouted, hoping she could get Esme to drop it. Unfortunately, Esme had an unbroken record of getting her to talk through her issues. Her mere presence screamed trust and understanding. So when she just looked at Alice with her soft, caring eyes, the petite vampire caved as fast as a Disney teen putting out a new line of clothing. “Fine. I just don’t like . . . thathekeepslookingatherlikeshe’sapieceofmeet.” Without vampire hearing it would have been hopeless, but Esme was also gifted in that area as well. She grabbed Alice and pulled her into a hug.
“Oh Alice, it will be fine. You’re the one marrying Bella tomorrow, not him. Do you really believe after everything; the wedding planning, the dress fittings, and traveling to Canada for a ceremony that she’s terrified of performing that she doesn’t love you with her entire heart?” She waited for her daughter to shake her head no. “Good. The greatest gift you can give your partner is your trust in them. Bella is a wonderful girl and you can give her this gift and trust her with it.”
“I know. I will.” Alice did trust Bella and would allow Jacob to the wedding, but she didn’t trust *him*. The petite vampire might not be as physically intimidating as her siblings, but one wrong move from that dog around her human and it wouldn’t be pretty . . . and everything at a wedding is supposed to be pretty.
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“What do you think?” Bella’s hesitant question floated to Alice from two rooms away.
“You look like an angel.” The vampire growled hearing Jacob Blacks voice. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life.”
“Have you seen a Cullen lately, any Cullen?” Bella laughed.
“That’s not real beauty, Bells. You are gorgeous and human which I would take over vampire perfection any day.” Jacob sounded completely sincere. Alice was torn between liking the fact that he was soothing her nervous fiancé, or going over and ripping his head off for daring to comment on Bella’s beauty.
“Thanks, Jacob.” Alice knew Bella was blushing, she could almost sense the blood rushing to her face. “I know Alice will love it. She has such great taste in clothes, even if I could do with a little less lace.” Jacob coughed to cover his laugh.
“Well, I’m sure that was the fashion two hundred years ago.” Alice wanted to go teach the stupid wolf a lesson. She was only one hundred and eight, thank you.
“She not that old.” Alice wanted to cheer when Bella defended her. “She’s only like, a hundred and twenty.” The vampire considered there might need to be a talk with Bella about stopping when she was ahead. “Besides, it doesn’t matter. I love the dress and I love her.”
“Are you sure, Bella?”
“Of course I’m sure.” No hesitation, Alice sighed in relief.
“Okay, but it’s not just her age. You’re only 18, Bella. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. And let’s not forget she’s a vampire. Do you really want to tie yourself down like this?”
Alice had had enough. In her opinion, Jacob had overstayed his welcome. Just as she moved to leave the room she heard Bella speak and paused.
“Jacob, you’re my best guy friend and I love you, but enough. Alice and I have thought about all of this, and we don’t have all the answers, but we have one. We both love each other and I believe with that, all the others can be solved. I don’t care how young I am or how old she is, I love her. I don’t care that she’s a vampire, I love her. That’s what matters, and if you can’t accept that, well then . . . I, um . . . I need you to leave.”
Alice couldn’t believe her ears. That hadn’t sounded like her Bella. That voice belonged to a mature young woman who had stood up for her beliefs even against a friend. The vampire had never been prouder of the woman Bella was becoming. There was silence in the other room for several seconds.
“I don’t want to leave, Bella. I just want to keep you safe.”
“I am safe. I’m with Alice, Jake, there is no safer place.” Alice felt the spot where her heart once beat swell with warmth. She promised herself she would never make Bella into a liar.
“Alright, I won’t say anything else. I think I’ll go see if Charlie can help me with this tie.”
“Good luck. He usually wears a clip on to work.” Alice heard laughter and then the opening and closing of a door. She desperately wanted to go to Bella. Reassure her after the talk with Jacob, but she knew it was bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress. Instead she settled for listening to the breathing and subtle movements of her soon-to-be wife.
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“Something blue . . . something new . . . something, uh . . .”
“Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Alice’s sing-song voice floated through the door that separated her from Bella.
“Alice!” The vampire could hear the relief in Bella’s voice and the quick footsteps that came to the door.
“Don’t, Bella. It’s bad luck for me to see you before the wedding.”
“Okay.” Alice was suddenly overcome with a vision of Bella pressing her hands to the door, trying to get as close as possible to her. She pressed her own palms to the door and pretended she could feel the heat of her love through the wood. “Thanks. That rhyme was driving me crazy.”
“It was more common in my day I’m sure,” Alice stated with a small smile. Bella made a non-committal noise, and Alice could tell something was bothering her. “Bella, is there something wrong?” She tried not to let her slight panic show in her voice.
“It’s silly.”
“Please, you can tell me.”
“Well I was just thinking we should have all those things. You know, just in case.” Her voice was hesitant, but Alice could feel it was important to Bella. She thought for a moment before replying.
“Well, I’ll do for the old part, and I’m only one hundred and eight by the way,” Alice joked. “You borrowed your pearls from Renee which I’m sure look fantastic on you. You’re wearing the ribbons in your hair that I picked out right?” Blue was such a wonderful color for Bella with her brown hair and dark eyes. “Finally, there has never been a human-vampire wedding that I’m aware of, especially between two women. I think that will do nicely for something new, don’t you think?”
“You’re right! We’ve got everything,” Bella’s voice rang out in relief. Alice didn’t bother to ask why it meant so much to her human. If she had to guess, it was probably something to do with Charlie and Renee’s divorce. A little superstition wouldn’t hurt anything, and if it helped Bella relax, Alice was happy to oblige.
“I wish I could hold you right now.” Alice could hear the yearning and a bit of uncertainty in Bella’s voice. She laid her head against the door in frustration.
“Just a little longer, love. Then we’ll have forever.” A heavy silence came from behind the door before Bella spoke.
“Alice . . . do you mean forever, forever?”
“Well I- I mean,” Alice stuttered, realizing what her frustration had caused her to reveal. She considered trying to distract Bella, but decided it wouldn’t hurt anything for the brunette to get her wedding gift a bit early. “Yes, Bella, I meant forever. I need a little more time before I’m ready, but as soon as I am; I thought I could, if you still want- I mean I could-”
“Yes,” Bella interrupted her stumbling confession. “I want. Thank you, Alice. You know how much this means to me.”
“I do. I love you, Bella Swan.”
“I love you, Mary Alice Cullen.”
Alice quickly said her goodbyes before she was tempted to do away with tradition and see Bella in her wedding dress and then shortly after, Bella without her dress. There were a few formalities that needed to be taken care of first. Tonight though, Alice was hoping to see Bella in her borrowed pearls . . . just the pearls.
END