AN: Here's a little something for Valentine's Day.

Disclaimers: I don't own Twilight or Disney, although I have a big crush on Flynn Ryder. Also, this is unbeta'd, so please forgive any mistakes you find.


Tiara


"Did Mommy wear a tiara at her wedding?"

We were sitting around the kitchen table, me with my laptop and my beautiful daughter with her pencil. I was reviewing a contract while my little girl was painstakingly writing her classmates' names on her Disney Princess Valentine's cards.

Yes, this was serious business.

"You know the answer to that," I teased her. "How many times have you watched our wedding video?"

"Thousands and thousands of times." Her eyes never left her task…her face contorting in concentration as she struggled with the next name on her class list. "Xavier is a weird name."

"I bet Xavier is a nice boy, though."

She shrugged. At seven years old, she was still uninterested in the opposite sex. Her mother assures me this won't always be the case.

"Why didn't she wear a tiara?"

Claire had been going through her princess phase since preschool. Thank God for Flynn Ryder and Maximus, otherwise I never would have made it through ten thousand viewings of Tangled.

"Because Mommy didn't marry a prince," I said softly.

Instead, Mommy married her high school sweetheart who couldn't afford to give her the wedding of her dreams. She'd had to settle for a small ceremony in front of the justice of the peace.

When you're eighteen, and two months pregnant, you don't have money for things like tiaras.

"You're a prince now," Claire said with a sweet smile. "We live in a castle, Daddy."

I grinned. "Not quite, baby."

Granted, we'd worked hard, and with our parents help, we'd both graduated college. I'd opened my law practice and Bella was spending her days teaching first graders.

"Mommy should have had a tiara."

Yes, Mommy should have.

I was just making some last minute changes to the contract on my screen when an idea slowly began to take shape in my mind.

Mommy could have a tiara now.

Valentine's Day was coming up after all, and I'd yet to buy Bella a gift. I always sent roses to school and did something special that night, but maybe this year should be a little different.

"Claire?"

She looked up from her card. "Yes, Daddy?"

"Will you help me with Mommy's Valentine's Day present?"

Her beautiful brown eyes sparkled, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"It's a secret, though," I cautioned her. "Can you keep a secret?"

I could see the indecision on her face. Keeping a secret from Mommy would be complicated. Their bond was undeniable, and we'd had many discussions about honesty.

"This is a good secret?"

"A very good secret," I promised her.

It was perfect, actually. I loved Bella more than I ever thought possible. She deserved this.

"What is it?"

I made a big production of looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was listening, and Claire giggled.

"We're going to ask Mommy to marry me," I whispered, "and this time, she's going to wear a tiara."


"Who wants another cupcake?" I shouted over the excitement.

Party days, as fun as they could be, were hell on a teacher. Thank goodness for room mothers, otherwise I never would have survived it. My first graders were seated at their desks, sharing their Valentine's cards and making complete messes of their clothes as they polished off the cupcakes I'd spent hours frosting the night before.

"Just one more hour," Angela, one of my moms, said with a grin.

"I can handle one more hour," I said.

I loved my job, but I couldn't deny I was excited to get out of here today. The two dozen roses on my desk stood beautiful and bright, and I couldn't help but smile as butterflies floated in my stomach. Edward had always been romantic, but especially so on Valentine's Day. Flowers were his tradition, but the tiara-shaped card in this year's bouquet hinted at something special for tonight.

Your prince requests your presence tonight.

Wear the blue dress and the silver shoes.

Love always,

Edward

It was obvious which line of the note was Claire's influence, and which was my husband's insatiable desire to see me in the blue dress he loves so much.

I don't know why I bother. It never stays on long.

"Mrs. Cullen, you're blushing."

Grinning like a fool, I took a deep breath to control the butterflies and focused my attention on my little ones once again.


I placed the little diamond studs in my ears and checked my image in our full-length mirror. The dress clung to my curves, and there were many thanks to the birth of our beautiful daughter. Even after seven years, I still had them, and I couldn't hate them. After all, they'd brought me her, and Edward loved his hands on me. Granted, he'd always loved touching me, but now that there was a little more to explore, he was like a starving man in a desert.

Always.

"How did I get so lucky?" I whispered to the girl in the mirror.

"I ask myself that very same question every day," Edward said, coming up behind me and placing his hands on my waist. He was in his tux, looking far more handsome than he should.

"I can't believe you're mine," I said softly, not really meaning to say it aloud.

His smile was breathtaking as he kissed my exposed shoulder. His eyes found mine in the mirror.

"I can't believe you're mine," Edward repeated with a murmur.

I trembled as his nose glided along my neck, his lips nipping softly at the skin there. My stomach clenched as his fingers skimmed the bodice of my dress.

Was it normal to still want each other so much? We'd been together so long, and we'd seen our friends go through the ups and downs of marriage. Some of them were still married; others weren't so lucky. And yet, here we were, as crazy about each other as we'd been since the day we met in Biology class.

"This dress was a bad idea."

"I disagree," Edward said, sliding his fingers along the fabric around my waist. "It's perfect for what I have planned."

"What do you have planned?"

"It's a secret, Bella."

"But it's a good secret!" Claire shouted excitedly from the hallway. Edward and I laughed, and I was thankful that the door was closed. Seeing Daddy grope Mommy in very inappropriate ways wouldn't be good at all.

Turning around in his arms, I reached for this crooked bowtie.

"Oh, I see," I said, pretending to be hurt as I straightened it. "The two of you are keeping secrets from me."

"You won't be disappointed," he whispered, kissing me softly. A flicker of doubt crept across his face. "At least, I hope you won't be."

Smiling softly, I brushed my lips against his.

"I won't be."


Panic.

For just a moment, I panicked.

What if she said no?

But then I realized how ridiculous I was being.

Of course she'd say yes.

Right?

As we walked down the stairs, I considered the possibility that she might say no. Sure, she'd said yes all those years ago. Back then, I had no job and no real plans for the future except to be with her.

All I'd wanted was to be with her.

Claire made that happen. It would have happened anyway, but a baby on the way sent those wedding plans into overdrive.

We had no regrets. Not one.

Would she do it all over again, if given the chance?

Linking her arm through mine, we made our way down the stairs. Standing at the bottom, was our beautiful little girl. She was dressed in her Cinderella costume from Halloween with a tiara perched on top of her head.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Mommy."

Claire handed her the yellow rose, and Bella leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

Our daughter took each of our hands and led us toward the living room. It had taken a lot of coaxing to convince Bella to stay in the bedroom while we decorated. Streamers hung everywhere and silver and blue balloons littered the floor.

"What happened to my house?" Bella whispered.

I stifled my laugh as Claire led us toward the couch. We took our seats as our daughter raced over to my iPod dock. Her little fingers worked the buttons like a pro, and suddenly, our wedding song echoed through the air.

Bella gasped, and I squeezed her hand.

"Mommy," Claire said, her eyes twinkling with excitement, "Daddy has something very important to ask you."

Paralyzed. I was simply paralyzed.

But the two loves of my life were looking at me with those beautiful brown eyes that made me fall in love over and over again.

I cleared my throat and rose to my feet. Claire's smile was radiant, and I winked at her before dropping to my knee in front of my wife. I took her hand in mine, and lifted it to my lips. Claire's giggle made me brave.

"Will you marry me?"

Bella's eyes widened in surprise.

"But we're…"

"I know," I said, sliding my fingers along her wedding band, "but I want to give you the wedding you deserve."

"A princess wedding," Claire whispered.

I smiled into the tearful eyes of my wife.

"A princess wedding," I said.

Our daughter suddenly appeared at my side, handing me the tiara. Bella laughed through her tears as I placed the crown on her head.

"I don't have a ring," I said in apology.

"I already have a ring that I love," Bella murmured, her voice full of emotion.

"I love you so much." My voice was full of emotion, too. "Will you marry me…again?"

Tears trickled down her cheeks as she nodded.

"You have to say yes, Mommy," Claire prompted her, making us both laugh.

"Yes," Bella said.

I leaned close and kissed her softly, keeping it innocent and sweet.

Claire's quiet sigh brought me back to reality.

"I can't wait to fall in love," my little girl whispered.

And I died a little.


Later that night, when the streamers were tossed and the balloons were gone, I walked up the stairs and passed Claire's room. She and Bella were nestled on her bed, reading a bedtime story. Our daughter was growing so fast, but this was their nightly ritual, and I prayed it would last.

"Do they always live happily ever after?" I heard Claire ask. I peeked inside to find my girls snuggled beneath the blankets.

"In books, they usually do," Bella answered.

"What about for real?"

Bella stroked our daughter's hair. "Not always, no."

"But you and Daddy do."

"Daddy and I have our happy ending, yes," Bella replied. "But that's because Daddy and I love each other very much."

"So I have to find a boyfriend like Daddy."

I really wanted to beat my head against the wall. When had she become so grown-up?

My wife was the practical one, always. "When you're a little older, I think finding a boyfriend like Daddy is a very good idea. You see how sweet Daddy is, don't you?"

Claire nodded. "He's always kissing you and stuff."

"Yes, but it's more than just kisses. He's kind and gentle, too."

"Like Prince Charming?"

"Just like Prince Charming," Bella agreed.

I was still leaning against the wall when Bella appeared, flipping off the light and closing the door behind her. She saw my expression, and she laughed quietly as she tugged me by the hand and led me toward our bedroom.

"She's growing up too fast," I muttered as I loosened my tie.

"She is."

I grinned at the tiara that was still perched on her head.

"Were you surprised?"

"I've never been more surprised in my life," she said softly, turning around and pulling her hair to one side. My fingers found the zipper of her dress, and my lips found her skin as the fabric fell to the floor.

She turned, taking her sweet time as she unbuttoned my shirt.

"You're killing me," I murmured, my voice deep and raw.

"I know."

Groaning, I reached for the button of my pants, and it was only when we were both naked did she finally remove the crown from her head.

"I wouldn't want it to get broken," Bella said.

I smirked as my beautiful wife pushed me down onto the bed and crawled over my body.

"You are so beautiful, baby."

"Say it again," she whispered desperately.

"Baby…baby…"

Watching Bella's face contort with pleasure was still the most erotic vision I've ever seen, and it's all I've ever needed to push me over the edge.

Tonight, we fell over the edge together.


"Best Valentine's Day ever," I whispered against her ear.

She giggled and snuggled deeper into my arms.

"I haven't had the chance to give you my gift."

"Yes, you did," I said softly. "You said yes."

"As if there was a doubt."

"There was a little doubt," I admitted.

Bella twisted around in my arms.

"Why?"

I kissed her forehead.

"Because I didn't know if I'd be lucky enough to marry my princess twice in my lifetime."

Her eyes filled with tears as I kissed her softly.

"And this time," I whispered against her lips, "my princess will wear a tiara."


I hope you enjoyed this, and I hope that all of you have found your prince. Happy Valentine's Day!