Okay so here is the epilogue. It seems to have taken me forever to finish this story but now that it's over I feel quite sad.

Disclaimer: I still don't own the rights to Twilight but they are on my fantasy Christmas list though!

EPoV

"Jasper come on, hurry up. The last thing I want is for us to be late." I get up slowly from my seat in the lounge and head towards Jasper's bedroom. I reach the door and peer in to see Jasper sitting on the bed, a tear trickling down his cheek. I approach him and sit down. He turns to look at me and I wipe the tear from his cheek with my thumb.

He sighs and a small sob escapes him. I place my arm around him and hug him tightly. He looks up and swallows deep before trying to speak. "I'm sorry Emmett I'm ready to go. I just can't help feeling like a hypocrite. We're the reason she's dead. Do we really have the right to be at the funeral?" I hug him tighter in reassurance.

"Jasper, listen to me please. You have to stop this. We're not the reason she's dead! Just like we're not the reason that the cab driver will never walk again and we're not the reason the truck driver is being treated in a mental health facility. We didn't do this Jasper. You are not to blame and neither am I."

"If we hadn't asked her over to talk then she wouldn't have been in that car at all." Another huge sob escaped his gentle lips.

Look Jasper, I'm a firm believer in fate and destiny. It would have happened somehow even without our phone call." I release him from our embrace and stand up, holding my hand out to him. "Come on we really need to go now." I help him to his feet. "Are you ready for this? I'll be with you all the time."

"I'll never be ready but I know I have to be." Jasper reached for his jacket and carefully put it on. We headed slowly to the door and set off to the funeral.

As we sit in the car slowly making our way to the cemetery, Jasper leans close to me and I slide my arm around his shoulder. I know he's going to need a lot of support and I am prepared to give it to him. I hold him closer as he starts to cry again. The tears are rolling down his already stained cheeks. I wish for a way to ease his guilt but I know that I will not be able to do so. All my attempts so far have failed and I am beginning to feel useless. I can't help but wonder what it will take to comfort him.

JPoV

The car pulls up at the church and we slowly get out. Emmett comes round to my side of the car and holds his hand out. The sorrow in his eyes is not for the death but for my guilt. I know that he is trying to comfort me but his attempts have fallen on death ears. This guilt I feel will never leave me and is something that I will have to learn to live with.

I know that he loves me even if he hasn't realised it yet. Since we found out about Rosalie's death he has done everything he can to comfort and support me. He hasn't left my side and I know that he will always be here for me. I have a feeling that today I am going to need him more than ever although I know he won't be able to show his true emotions. He is still too scared that everyone will hate him for his personal choices.

We take our seats and wait for the service to begin. I look around and see all the mourners. I sense that they are looking at me and blaming me for her death. Emmett is sitting close with his hand resting lightly on my thigh. He sees the worry in my eyes and squeezes gently.

The service begins and as we all stand around the graveside, I still sense that people are blaming me. The time is getting nearer for me to stand in front of them and give my eulogy. I feel the guilt taking over me as the time comes for me to speak. I reach down and grasp Emmett's hand with my own and he responds by entwining his fingers through mine. Our close proximity serves to soothe me a little and my breaths come more evenly.

The minister calls me to the front and I know that the time has come to swallow my guilt and do justice to Rosalie's memory.

Slowly and steadily I stand and look at the mourners that have gathered. Many of them I do not know and have never seen before although I am sure that they all know who I am.

I take a deep breath before I begin to speak. "I have known Rosalie for several years now. She was my boss and a woman that I respected. Her attitude to life was one of ferocity. Rosalie faced all challenges with a strength that was admirable," I see people sobbing and I can't help but begin to cry again. My words seem so false and I decide that I need to tell the truth for my own sake and for the sake of all the others who are looking at me. "If I'm honest with myself I know that there was so much more to Rosalie than I ever realised. I saw her as someone to be feared and respected but I get the feeling that I never knew the real Rosalie. I never realised just what she though of me until I was asked to say a few words at her funeral. I always thought that she hated me but it seems that I was wrong. The strength that she had was overwhelming at times as was the passion she possessed." Tears are now streaming down my face and I am beginning to shake. I am shocked at how pathetic I'm being about all this. 'Come on Jasper, Just Do It' I tell myself. I take another deep breath before continuing. "Her strength often came across as hatred but I now believe that deep down she had a pure heart and I will always be sorry that she died."

My guilt gets the better of me and I am about to admit to everyone that she is dead because of me when my legs begin to give way. Emmett rushes to my side and helps me back to my seat. I sit down and the rest of the service passes with a blur.

Before I realise, the casket is being lowered into the grave and people are throwing handfuls of dirt on top of it. My tears turn to gut wrenching sobs as the finality of what I have done is in front of me. Emmett holds me tight as I allow myself to grieve. His soothing words help but I need to feel his love.

I long to feel his soft lips on mine but I know that is not possible. He doesn't feel able to show his love for me in public yet. Here we stand side by side at Rosalie's grave, a death that we caused, and I feel more alone than I ever have in my life. I need him but I know that he can never truly be here for me.

My eyes are red from all the crying and I try to blink away the tears as the casket disappears under the soil. I stare at Rosalie's final resting place and know that I am the reason she is dead. I am the reason that so many lives have been affected. It's my fault a man will never walk again. It's my fault that a woman is in a mental hospital.

Until earlier I had only thought about Rosalie and my guilt but now I realise the full extent of what I have caused. My actions have ruined so many lives and there is no way to make it right.

This realisation causes my legs to weaken even more and I am suddenly falling towards the ground. I feel strong arms catch me and pull towards a warm, safe body. All at once I am enveloped in warmth and I feel soft lips meet mine. A tear moistened cheek presses against mine as our kiss lingers.

Emmett pulls away too quickly as he realises where we are. I look up and see the fear in his eyes. He has broken his own rules and now everyone knows about us.

My eyes search the faces of the other mourners for a hint of shock or hatred but all I see is love and kindness. People are comforting each other and some attempt to smile at me as my gaze meets theirs.

Emmett tries to pull away from me but realises that he has nowhere to go. His eyes frantically try to avoid all others about us. He is looking at his feet and is unable to even meet my loving gaze. I know that it is my turn to comfort him now. I reach for his hand and hold it tightly.

"Emmett, look around you. People don't hate you for loving me. They are happy for us. Look around and you'll see it too." He slowly looks up and meets the eyes that are now staring at us. People smile at him and some look at us with such adoration that someone more jaded may wish to vomit.

David, a colleague, walks towards us accompanied by his partner Valerie. He smiles as he approaches. "Jasper, I just wanted to say that you really summed up Rosalie well. I know that her death has upset you but it's lovely that you've finally got someone who will support you." He looks at Emmett and smiles a broad smile. "It's about time you decided to admit the true you Emmett. It's nice that you've found happiness with Jasper. We were all wondering when you would finally go public with it all. You took your time though didn't you? I mean we've all known since your first day in the office."

As David and Valerie walk away I look up at Emmett. "You see it isn't the disaster that you thought it would be is it? Everyone understands and I think they're actually happy for us." He allows a small smile to spread across his lips as he leans in to kiss me again.

"Okay well you were right I guess but there's still the rest of the world to deal with." He puts his arm around my shoulder as we stand and look at the fresh grave.

EPoV

As we mingle with the other mourners after the funeral I realise that more and more of our colleagues seem to be happy for us. They don't seem to mind that Jasper and I are in a relationship of sorts. I guess that he was right and that I didn't need to be so worried but old habits are hard to break and I still feel uncomfortable showing affection in public.

I look over to Jasper and see that he is surrounded by a small group of mourners. They seem to be trying to comfort him. My sudden jealousy scares me! I should be the one to comfort him, not them. I rush over to the group and take my place at his side. I place my hand in his protectively and wait for the group to disperse.

I can tell that today has been hard work for Jasper. He looks drained and I decide that it is time for us to make our excuses and leave. I whisper my suggestion in his ear and he nods wearily in agreement. We begin the long round of goodbyes and finally make it to the door.

We head to the car and get inside. Jasper lets out a huge sigh which mingles with an earlier sob. His eyes are red and slightly puffy. It seems so long since we left Jasper's flat this morning. I am about to suggest that we head back to Jasper's when I feel his lips on mine. The force of the kiss takes my breath away and I realise just how much I love this man. The shortness of our relationship is now irrelevant; I know that I will love him forever.

A/N: I would like to thank my smut whores for their support and encouragement (you know who you are)! I would also like to thank all my regular reviewers and all of you out there who have favourited this story. You make my writing worthwhile. Without you I would have given up a long time ago.

Much love to you all.

Taloolah xx