Valentine's Day was to be a big event that year. Usually, the Heart 2 Heart junior and senior dance would set everyone off, but Edward had something different in mind for him and Bella. Since it was the eve of the dance, junior and senior classes at both Olympic National Academy and Tillicum Park Prep were released at lunch, around noon, and the juniors and seniors were allowed to do whatever they wanted.

Edward gave Bella a smile as he came to pick her up at three-fifteen. He'd told her to bring her duffel bag, her coat, hat, scarf and herself. Edward cordially took her duffel from her and opened the door for her. Bella climbed into the car and felt at ease as soon as Edward had put the bag in the trunk and off they went.

"Am I ever going to have the slightest clue where we're going?" she asked, a slight whine to her voice as she managed to put out her bottom lip.

Edward shook his head. "No," he said firmly, a smile coming to his lips. "All I'll say is that James and Mike suggested this place, and my parents," he said after a moment. "But I really hope you'll love it."

"All right," said Bella, leaning over and kissing him.

After almost half an hour of driving on along the 101, they got off at the exit for Port Angeles and drove for a little while and eventually turned right on First Street. They drove for almost two hundred feet before Edward easily managed to park the car.

"Sapor?" whispered Bella in awe.

Edward grinned. "This is just for dinner," he said, looking quite pleased with himself. "I'm glad you wore a seemingly comfortable dress." Edward drew a faux fur wrap from the backseat as they got out of the car. "My mother sent this for you," he said. "She and Dad just got back from London and she saw it in Harrods and just couldn't resist."

Bella crossed around the car grinned as Edward draped it over her shoulders like a perfect gentleman. "Well, I can't wait to thank her," she said.

Edward took her hand and they crossed the street and stepped into the bistro, where wonderful smells were everywhere. "The reservation is under Edward Cullen," he said to the maître d, and the man quickly found their reservation.

"Right this way," said the man.

They were lead to a private booth and seated with no trouble. They were instantly handed their menus. The waiter came over a moment later and Edward ordered them cokes, fried calamari and grilled sourdough for them to begin with. "Appetizers," he explained to Bella as the waiter walked away.

Bella nodded. "Of course," she said with a smile. "Thanks for not ordering something like oysters," she giggled. "I mean...there's nothing romantic about a food that you supposedly slurp, is there?"

Edward laughed. "Have you ever had oysters?"

"No!" Bella cried with a laugh. "That's exactly my point!"

Their drinks and appetizers were brought and the waiter asked them if they'd decided on what they would like for dinner. They both decided on the New York strips, once the waiter informed them of how delicious they were. Thanking the man, they placed their order and looked around the space; it was lovely, with candles and white tablecloths.

After their delightful dinner was finished, Edward ordered them the chocolate cake ala mode, with two forks, and then they waited. He'd been staring at Bella for the entire meal, and Bella began to feel that he was up to something, and—in some way—it scared her.

"Did we...just blow off the dance?" asked Bella, putting a forkful of cake into her mouth slowly as she grinned at her boyfriend. "I mean, I totally don't care. But...did we?"

Edward smiled. "We're seniors. Do we really need to go?"

She chewed her cake. "Well, two years ago, I was pregnant with Geoffrey and I didn't have a date because of that...and they only do it every other year...but I guess not..."

He reached across the table and took her hand. "I have a very good reason for not taking you," he said seriously.

Bella's stomach flip-flopped. He's totally breaking up with you, her mind warned. He is breaking up with you away from the school—or anyone around there—so you don't make a scene! He is making the last night of your relationship special so he can potentially date your friends and, as a direct result, you won't hate him over it...

"What's the reason?" she asked.

"I can't tell you yet."

~*~

After Edward had paid the tab, they stopped at a hole-in-the-wall drug store for condoms and candy bars. How original, Bella thought to herself as Edward thought about which bar of chocolate he really wanted. Bella wandered the store and, almost surreptitiously, slipped over to the drug section to get the condoms, while Edward considerately got the candy bars.

It was then that Bella saw the pregnancy tests and something inside her told her to grab one. She did, and the woman behind the counter understandably let her slip it into her purse while she loaded the condoms in a traditional paper bag. With her stomach flip-flopping—probably from all that cake—she smiled in thanks to the cashier.

"All ready?" asked Edward from behind her.

"Yes," Bella squeaked as they left the drug store. They looked up and saw that a light snow was beginning to fall.

"Lovely," said Edward cheerfully as he opened the door for her. "Milady," he said eloquently, taking her hand so she wouldn't slip.

"Thanks," said Bella, taking the bags and shutting the door.

Edward walked around the car and got into it. He got the keys out of his pocket and stuck it into the ignition and turned it. Then, he cranked up the heat. "I know we'll need this..."

"What?" asked Bella. "How far is this place?"

"And you wondered why we had dinner early," he said with a smile. "It's almost eight hours away. You can sleep if you like."

Bella nodded, putting her purse on the floor of the car and between her legs, but not before stuffing the candy and condom bags into it. She felt her eyes growing heavy, and soon, she was asleep.

~*~

Cool air woke her up, and her eyes opened to see Edward getting their luggage out of the trunk, but his door open. As Bella looked out, snow covered nearly everything, and at once she knew they were in the mountains. A sign announced that Bella and Edward were at the Historic Davenport Autograph Collection, and she gasped quietly. This was one of the, if not the, highest-ranking hotel in Washington State, and she knew that they were now in Spokane.

Edward stuck his beautiful head into the car and smiled at her. "We're here," he announced to her, looking at her indulgently. "Come on, we've got to get into our room." He pulled his head back out and handed our bags to a man. Then, he walked around the car and let her out of it. She quickly grabbed her purse before following him.

Edward gave his name at the front desk.

"I'm Felix," said the man pleasantly. "You are in the Signature Suite—that's one of our lovelier rooms—and you'll be staying the weekend...?"

"Yes," said Edward.

Felix did everything else without much comment before handing each of them a cabin key. They were escorted to the elevator by the man with their luggage and soon they were in the Signature Suite. They let themselves in and Bella immediately ran over to the fireplace.

Edward told the man to put their bags by the door and handed him a twenty before the man wished them a good night and left.

Edward came up behind her. "Is it to your liking, then, Miss Swan?" he whispered, putting his arms around her waist.

"Yes," she whispered. She'd gone shopping with Alice and Katie recently, who had convinced her—after somehow getting Edward's credit card with his okay—to buy some lingerie. Bella had been reluctant, but she'd finally found some good ones...in her size. She remembered that day well...

"I am not getting lingerie! Are you crazy?!" she'd demanded, thinking that they were making a spectacle of her.

Alice and Katie laughed.

"No more than usual," said Katie.

"Yeah, and besides, Edward loves you," said Alice, stressing more than a little on the word 'love'. "I mean...Jasper and I are in love..."

Bella shrugged. "And...?" she asked, spreading her arms.

Alice put out her bottom lip. "Come on," she said. "They've got, like, three racks of them in your size."

"When are you going to find that again?" asked Angela, coming up behind them with a wicked grin on her face. She turned and looked at the racks, and selected one at random. "Green is your color."

"Scratchy lace?" demanded Bella, wrinkling her nose. "Ew!" she cried, putting it back with a shake of her head. "Um, no thank you."

Angela gave Bella a look and took the green lingerie out again.

"Um, that won't fit you..." Bella began.

"Of course not," said Angela. "My ass isn't that big."

"Hey!" cried Alice and Katie together.

"Yeah, hey," said Bella in a more subdued tone and crossing her arms at Angela's untoward statement.

"Sorry," said Angela. "But... Try. It. On."

Bella sighed and grabbed the lacy garment away from Angela. She went over to the dressing room and went in, the girls eagerly following.

"Want some help?" called Angela.

"Not from you!" Bella cried. Soon, she stepped out. "Okay, laugh in three, two, one..."

"Do you want us to laugh?" asked Angela.

"I'm glad to hear it," said Edward quietly, bringing her back. "It seems as if I chose well... Do you need the bathroom?"

"Might as well," said Bella, swiftly turning and looking at him with a smile. "I'll just...go and change, then," she said, hurrying to grab her bag and her purse all at once.

Thankfully, Edward didn't notice anything as Bella hurried into the bathroom. She locked the door behind her and began to dig through her bag for the lingerie—which was an attractive green. She hurriedly removed her clothes and decided to take the pregnancy test. After that was finished, she spritzed on some perfume and go on the lingerie.

"You okay in there?" Edward wanted to know.

"Yes!" Bella called back.

"You coming out soon?" he asked. "Your phone's been ringing..."

"Oh," she said. "Who's been calling?"

"Alice..."

"I'll get her later," she said, waving the thought of her best friend calling her away. "I have a feeling she'll forgive me." She quickly pinned everything into place and peeked at the pregnancy test. "Negative," she whispered, crossing her fingers like she'd done as a little girl. "Please, just let it be..." Upon closer examination, the double pink lines stared back up at her. "Dammit," she whispered, but hid the test successfully and quickly left the bathroom.

She did what she thought were sexy poses for Edward, but was greeted with mild laughter. She shrugged it off and crossed over to him. The fire was burning brightly and was the only source of light in the room. She put her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss him, but Edward backed away from her, a smile on his face.

"What?" she asked, confused. This is it, she told herself. This is the moment that you knew was coming; the moment that he ends things with you...

He put up his index finger and reached into his suit jacket pocket. Then, he did the oh-so stereotypical, overused, completely baffling, yet, somehow, quite endearing thing that the media so often used. He got down on one knee and slowly, opened the black velvet box, never taking his eyes from hers.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

Bella got a full view of her dream ring. It was a two-carat, oval-shaped diamond ring, surrounded by smaller diamonds...it was her dream ring. "Yes!" she cried, and Edward stood and immediately put it on her finger, and she was shocked that it fit. "Can I give you an early wedding present?" she asked.

"Of course," he said.

Bella smiled. "Can you guess?"

"Won't that take the fun out of it?" he asked.

Bella shrugged. "That's for you to find out."

"Fine," said Edward. "What is it?"

Suddenly, Bella's phone rang again, and she let out a noise of frustration. Bella smiled and cupped Edward's chin in her hand. "Forgive me?" she asked.

Edward smiled. "Of course I do."

She turned and saw that Alice was calling again. Rolling her eyes, she sighed and answered her phone. "Hello?" she asked.

"Bella!" she cried. "I need to talk to you!"

Bella ran her hands through her hair. "Alice, I'm in a suite in a different zip code. Can this please wait?"

"No!" she cried, on the verge of hysterics. "Oh, my god, I thought..."

"What?" she asked.

"I thought you were..." Alice stammered.

"I'm with Edward."

"At the barn?!" she cried.

"No, in Spokane," Bella replied, knowing that Alice must really be distraught about something if she hadn't paid attention. "What's going on?"

Alice sighed, obviously on the brink of tears. "Olympic National was attacked really seriously tonight," she said.

"Attacked?" Bella asked, putting the phone on speaker. "You're on speaker and Edward's with me. What happened?"

"Someone came and shot us up..."

"Whoa, whoa," Bella said, as Edward's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Yes, it's true," Alice said, beginning to sob.

"Alice, are people dead?!" Edward demanded, his voice practically shaking. "Did he come after Tillicum Park Prep, too?!"

Alice sighed. "Not that we know of. But...some people..."

"People?!" cried Bella. "What people?!"

Alice was silent for a moment. When she did talk, her voice was grave. "I think there's something you two should know..."