Author's Note: A few quick announcements, here. One, last chapter I neglected to mention that the clothes the girls wore to the karaoke bar are on my profile. Two, I have a twitter. Yay! It's worriedshoes014, same as my FFn name, for those who are interested in contacting me. I'll post info on my new story, updates on how NaNoWriMo is going along, and snippets from upcoming chapters of my new story (which I should start posting in December). And I'll also be a fangirl about many things, so you've been warned. I love talking to all of you, though, so follow me and feel free to tweet me. I love every single one of my readers. Three, I had a disappointing amount of reviews last chapter, and a disappointing amount of hits :( That made me kind of sad. Last chapter had lower numbers than my Author's Note chapter, which is pretty depressing. So remember to read and click that pretty little review button. But at least read. Four, this is the Epilogue. Last chapter. Enjoy. (Longer, more heartfelt author's note at the end of the chapter, FYI.)
A/N 2: To those of you who noticed the wrong Epilogue for All Is Love was posted - I don't even know what happened with that. I clicked to upload the file "All is Love Epilogue" for the chapter. It's alphabetical order, so a few other All Is Love chapters appear beneath it. Then I have a Hunger Games fanfic called "Home" in my Document Manager. Apparently FFn uploaded Home instead of the Epilogue. It didn't spazz out or anything, and it said it was uploading the Epilogue. Failure on your part, FFn. So, now that that *facepalm* moment is over with, here's the REAL epilogue.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character's in this fanfic, with the exception of Summer Nikolic, George Nikolic, and the diner called Djoko's. The plot, descriptions, and dialogue come from my head, and some were influenced by people in my life. Most of the character names and descriptions belong to Stephenie Meyer, but I have taken creative liberty with them.

Epilogue

One Year Later

Bella Swan dragged her luggage behind her as she made her way through Seattle Tacoma International Airport. People buzzed around her as they made their way to their gate or toward their loved ones. She looked around for a familiar head of tousled black hair but saw no one that matched the image in her head. She frowned, digging in her back pocket for the expensive cell phone her girlfriend had bought her for Christmas. She'd also gotten Bella tons of new clothing and a set of lacy lingerie that Esme had pretended not to see when they were opening their presents.

She had one new text message. She hit open and the text popped up. "I've been waiting outside for 20 min. Where are you?" it read. The sender was the person she'd been looking for. Alice Brandon.

Bella shoved the phone into her pocket and carted all of her luggage to the entrance. The doors slid open as she moved along, and she searched around her for her tiny girlfriend. Before she knew what was happening, a body jumped – literally jumped – into her arms and clung to her for dear life. Bella dropped the luggage she'd been carrying and pulled away from the person to get a clear view of who it was. All she could make out was a mess of ebony hair and pale skin. Alice.

"Oh, I've missed you so much." Alice cooed, her arms wrapping around Bella's neck and her legs circling her waist. "I haven't seen you in four and a half months."

Alice dug her face out of the crook of Bella's neck to lean forward and capture the brunette's lips. They stood there for a few seconds, holding each other and kissing, before a catcall pulled them out of their own little world. "Assholes." Alice growled at the group of young guys who'd been leering at them. She disentangled herself from her girlfriend and pointed towards Emmett's black Mercedes, which was only a few feet away.

"I still haven't gotten a new car, so Emmett said I could borrow his. But he was too lazy to come with and apparently doesn't trust me driving his baby – something about me not thinking twice about leaving my Porsche on the side of an Interstate, – so Jasper drove." Alice explained as she encased Bella's hand with her own and led the girl to the sleek sports car. "And since Jasper was coming with, Summer just had to invite herself along."

The accused stuck her head out of the open passenger door. "If I remember correctly, you asked me to come along, Alice." Summer reminded her. Alice waved her off.

"I'm sitting in the passenger seat because I get nauseous sitting in the back," Alice informed Bella, "so you'll sit back there with Summer. You don't mind, do you?"

Bella shook her head and slid in next to Summer. Bella had always liked Summer and had come to enjoy her company more and more as Summer's presence in the Brandon household became more frequent. She wasn't much of a talker, but when she did speak, she had a way of making every syllable sound important. Maybe it was her husky voice or the way each word rolled naturally off her tongue. Whatever it was it made her infinitely intriguing. Bella could understand why Jasper had fallen so quickly for her.

Summer gave her a soft smile before turning back to the sketchbook that rested in her lap. She was drawing a picture of Alice and Jasper talking. It was a view from where Summer sat, and you could just make out the siblings' silhouettes as Alice told an animated story. Jasper peeked at her from the corner of his eye, hanging on to every word. Her hands were moving in the air as she spoke, and his lips were turned upward at the corners as his body leaned toward her just the slightest bit. The picture captured the pure camaraderie between the two.

"Do you like?" Summer asked meekly, having caught Bella staring.

"It's beautiful."

Summer didn't thank her for the compliment or even react as if she'd heard it. She just stared thoughtfully at the drawing, rubbing her finger along the curve of Jasper's neck to give it a more defined shadow.

Bella stared out the window as Alice switched on the radio. The ride to the Brandon household was relatively short, and before Bella knew it they were pulling into a familiar driveway. Bella's heart twinged as she took in the white exterior and light blue shutters. She'd only been there a couple of times, but it felt like home.

Jasper turned off the car and stepped out, pulling his seat forward so Bella could wiggle her way out. He held out his hand like the gentleman he was and helped her gain her balance. Alice skipped to Bella and clutched the brunette's thin arm in her tiny hands. "Esme's so excited to see you!" She squealed, dragging her toward the porch.

The door swung open with a loud bang, and Emmett rushed out, pulling Bella into a back-breaking embrace. He lifted her straight off the ground, her feet dangling uselessly beneath her. "Bells!" He shouted jovially. "I haven't seen you in ages." Bella wheezed out a response as she struggled in Emmett's grasp. He saw her expression and immediately put her down, allowing her to take a much needed breath of air.

Rosalie pushed her way past Emmett. Bella had gotten used to flipping open the glossy pages of a magazine and seeing Rosalie's beautiful form clothed luxuriously. It seemed like her high profile modeling career had blossomed over night. But no matter how gorgeous Rosalie looked in print, nothing compared to her in person. Rose leaned forward and pressed her glossy lips to Bella's cheek. She didn't say anything to the girl but offered her a friendly smile before moving on to her siblings. Bella made sure Rosalie wasn't looking and wiped the remnants of her lip gloss off her cheek.

Esme was the last to greet her. She gave Bella a gentle hug that only a true mother could perfect. She pushed away from the girl, her arms still on her shoulders, to get a good look at her physique. "You've put on weight!" She announced cheerfully. Bella flushed. "Oh, don't be embarrassed. That's a good thing. You were looking underweight the last time I saw you."

Bella could say the same for Esme. She looked healthy and glowing. Her eyelids and shoulders no longer drooped from lack of sleep. Her caramel hair – the exact shade of her wig – was almost to her chin now. She'd been in remission for months and was so excited to have her hair real hair back. Esme had given Alice permission to grow her hair out again, but both Alice and Bella had come to love the short hairdo.

Esme planted a soft kiss on Bella's forehead before turning to Summer and enveloping her in a tight embrace. Emmett, noticing Bella standing alone, clapped her affectionately on the shoulder. "Good to see you, Bells."

"You, too, Em." She said truthfully, grinning up at his massive form. His expression mirrored her own.

"Alice said you two are staying in Forks for the next two weeks but that you wanted to stop by here first. Why not just drive straight to Forks?"

Bella shrugged. "I haven't seen you all in awhile. I've missed the Brandon family."

Emmett draped his muscular arm over her shoulder and ruffled her hair in a brotherly way. "We've missed you, too, Bells! Glad we could have this little family reunion before you and Ali run off." Bella nodded, only half listening. Her eyes were trained on Alice, who was giggling with Rosalie. "So, have you seen Bullet?" No response. "Bella? Hello? Bella?"

"Hmm?" She asked, coming out of her trance. She couldn't remember what he'd asked her, but apparently it was important enough to warrant an answer. "Sorry, I wasn't listening."

He rolled his eyes, a dopey smile still plastered on his face. "Obviously. But I asked if you saw my new movie yet, Bullet?"

Bella had seen the trailers for it and had promised Emmett she'd be the first in line to see it, but school and packing had gotten in the way. She scratched her next awkwardly. "Well, I was planning to..."

He grinned and ruffled her hair again. "It's fine. But I'm making you watch it when it's out on DVD."

"Fine by me, Emmett."

"Emmett!" Alice screeched, making her way over to the pair. "Lay off my girlfriend. We have to get going if we want to get to Forks before night fall."

Good-byes took a good ten minutes, but before long the pair were driving toward Forks, Washington in Esme's hybrid. They held hands the whole ride as Alice sang along to the radio and Bella rested her head on the closed window. The plane ride from New Hampshire to Washington had been long and exhausting. It almost made her regret going to Dartmouth.

Alice claimed she didn't mind the distance between them. There were other ways to communicate without actually seeing each other. They'd used Skype, Facebook, texting, phone calls. Practically everything. Alice was always sending Bella pictures of new clothing she'd designed while Bella kept her posted on the wonders of med school.

Bella had completed a successful first year of pediatric schooling at Dartmouth Medical School. She had a long ways to go if she was going to succeed as a pediatrician, but she didn't mind the schooling. She hadn't made many friends – with the exception of Angela, her roommate, – which left her with lots of studying time. Her grades were high and her future as a pediatrician looked bright. And her girlfriend was one hundred percent supportive. That helped, too.

Bella must have drifted off because the next time she opened her eyes, the sky was dark and twinkling with stars. It reminded her of the night she, Alice, and Jasper had laid out and watched the constellations. She sighed happily at the memory.

"You're awake?" Alice whispered, taking her eyes off the road for a second to peek at her girlfriend. Bella nodded. "Welcome back, sleepy head. You slept for a good three hours. We're almost to your house."

Bella shot up in her seat at that. She hurriedly pressed down her hair, which Emmett had expertly destroyed with his ruffling, and wiped off the perspiration that had collected at her hairline. Alice shot her an inquisitive look. "Charlie's throwing me a little 'Welcome Home' party." Bella explained. "It was supposed to be a surprise, but Jake gave me a heads up. He knows how much I hate surprises."

Alice scowled at that, a small crease forming between her eyes. "Why would he ruin the surprise? Charlie and I have been planning this for a month."

"What?" Bella asked, genuinely shocked.

Alice bit her bottom lip. "Charlie told me he wanted to have a little get together when we came to visit, and he asked me for advice. I ordered some decorations online and gave him helpful tips. It's nothing major, Bella." Her lips curled back, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. "Jacob should have kept his mouth shut."

Bella rolled her eyes. "It's fine, Alice. All I know is that a party's going on."

Alice's eyebrows raised at that. "Really? You don't know any specifics?" Bella shook her head. This seemed to please Alice. "Good. I'd tear his head off if he spoiled anything else." Bella's eyes widened. Alice had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry. I just really like parties."

Bella chuckled, relaxing back in her seat as they turned onto her street. "I can tell."

Charlie Swan's house was a modest one. It was two levels and appropriately sized for a single father and his teenage daughter who visited on occasion. Bella leaped out of the Esme's SUV once Alice parked and made her way up the worn path leading to the front door. The lights in the kitchen and living room burst through the curtains and cast a soft glow on the grass in the front yard. Bella knocked tentatively as Alice appeared behind her. Bella reached for Alice's hand as the door flew open.

Bella's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. She'd expected Charlie to answer the door. Not him. "Surprise." He said in his smooth voice as he flashed her his signature grin.

"Edward!" She shouted, launching herself at him. He caught her effortlessly in his arms and chuckled softly as his arms wrapped around her waist. She could make out Alice's voice greeting everyone, but she was too excited to see Edward to pay her girlfriend any attention.

She hadn't seen Edward since before the breakup. It had been over a year. They'd kept in touch and talked on the phone regularly, but it was so much nicer having him there, in the flesh. Bella loosened her vice-like grip and beamed at his disheveled bronze hair and emerald eyes. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you, too, love." Bella wondered if she should have felt uncomfortable by his use of the term of endearment, but she didn't. He'd used it when they were just friends, so why should he suddenly stop using it now? She wanted to talk to him more, but he motioned to the other people crowding Charlie's living room and she was swept into a whirlwind of greetings and introductions.

Her best friend Jake was there, and he'd brought along his La Push buddies, Embry and Quil. Jake's father Billy was there as well, though Bella imagined he came along for Charlie more than for her. Edward's father Carlisle was there as well, which both surprised and excited Bella. He'd always been like a second father to her.

There was a Welcome Home, Bella banner hung on the back wall of their living room, and streamers and balloons seemed to cover every surface. Cans of pop and beer were set up in an intricate display on a small card table beside bowls of punch, chips, and pretzels. Napkins were fanned out in each corner, each one a different color of the rainbow. So this had been what Alice meant when she said she order stuff online.

The night went by far too quickly. Bella talked with Carlisle and Edward about the medical field – Carlisle was a doctor and Edward was studying psychiatry. She caught up with Jake, who had brought along photo albums of the two of them as toddlers as punishment for not visiting him while she was in Forks on spring break. Quil and Embry teased Bella and Jake mercilessly about the time Jake had had a raging crush on her. Alice stayed by Bella's side the whole night, reveling in the tight bond Bella had with everyone there; though, she broke away once to chastise Jake for ruining the surprise. And Charlie split his time between talking to Billy, watching the baseball game on TV, and watching Bella converse with her loved ones.

Billy, Jake, Quil, and Embry filed out at eleven with promises to visit sometime soon. Charlie and Carlisle talked in the corner, though Bella couldn't make out what they were saying. Edward had challenged Alice to a round of chess, which had, at some point, turned into a staring match. Neither backed down as their pieces weaved around the board with carefully planned movements.

Bella was surprised that Alice and Edward were getting along so well. Her ex-boyfriend and her current girlfriend. It was strange seeing them so comfortable with one another, but she was just pleased they weren't at each other's throats.

She retreated to the kitchen to grab a garbage bag and began whizzing around the room, picking up pop and beer cans, messy paper plates, crumpled up napkins, fallen streamers, and popped balloons. Once she thought the living room was sufficiently cleared up, she tied the bag and went to throw it out back. When she returned to the living room, Alice was glaring at Edward.

"Don't be a sore loser, Alice." He told her as he smiled at the board triumphantly.

"I'm not being a sore loser. I just think you cheated." She huffed, but there was a hint of a smirk on her pink lips. "I demand a rematch."

"Are you kidding? That match took us an hour to complete. Me and my dad have to go soon."

Alice frowned. "Why so soon?"

Edward pointed to the clock. "It's past midnight."

"Oh." Alice mumbled in understanding. She pushed away from the table and skipped over to Bella. Edward trailed behind her. "Where am I staying?" She asked. "I want to bring my bags in."

"We're both staying in my room." Bella told her, and she watched Alice's eyes light up with possibilities. Her face flushed. "It's up the stairs, to the right, at the end of the hall."

"I can help you bring your stuff in." Edward offered politely. Alice beamed at him and grabbed his hand, dragging him to the SUV.

Edward and Carlisle left to their hotel shortly after, telling Bella they'd stop by early for breakfast. She promised to make blueberry pancakes, which made them both grin. Blueberry pancakes were a Cullen family favorite.

Charlie went to bed a few minutes after the Cullens left, but Alice and Bella stayed behind to take care of the small amount of mess that was left behind. Most of it had been cleared away by Bella earlier, but a few plastic cups and pieces of balloon were scattered around the room. It didn't take much time for them to tidy up, and the pair slowly made their way upstairs. Bella was even more exhausted than she'd been earlier, but Alice was still buzzing with excitement.

Alice closed the door to Bella's room behind them and clicked the lock. The room was dark, lit only by the sliver of moonlight that shone through the window. Alice reached into her pocket and pulled out a packet of matches, flipping it open and striking one. She moved around the room, lighting vanilla candles that had been scattered there. They sizzled softly in the quiet of Bella's room. "When did you set this up?" Bella questioned.

"When Edward and I brought up my bags." All of the candles were lit, and Alice tossed the pack of matches on Bella's bedside table with a content sigh. She sauntered toward Bella, reaching forward to cup the taller girl's face in her small hands. "I've missed you." Alice purred, leaning on her tiptoes to cover Bella's lips with her own.

They stood like that for a few minutes – Alice's hands in Bella's hair, Bella's hands toying with the bottom of Alice's shirt, their lips moving desperately against each other. They only pulled away long enough to take much needed breaths of air.

Alice sat Bella down in the middle of her bed and climbed onto her lap, continuing their kissing. Alice's hands disentangled themselves from Bella's hair and tugged at the buttons on her shirt. "I love you." She murmured in her girlfriend's ear as the first button came loose. The rest soon followed.

Alice tossed the shirt carelessly on the floor before staring down at Bella's torso. A wicked grin spread across her face. "You're wearing the lingerie I bought you for Christmas?"

A blush spread from Bella's stomach to the tips of her ears. "I figured you'd appreciate me wearing it."

Alice leaned in and pecked her on the lips. "I do." she said breathlessly before kissing her way down Bella's neck.

The brunette cleared her throat, hoping to catch Alice's attention, but the girl was too busy showering Bella's body with kisses. "Alice." She hissed. Alice's tiny face turned upward, her blue eyes wide.

"What?" She whispered.

"Charlie's just done the hall from us."

"And?"

"And this isn't the time or place."

"So? Your dad worships the ground I walk on. If he happens to hear me seducing his daughter, which I doubt he will over the sound of his snoring, he'll just ignore it. Not to mention that he'd be too embarrassed to bring it up."

Bella remained stubborn and gently pushed Alice away. "Just not tonight, Alice."

"You always stop things when they start getting good." she huffed, tugging the covers down Bella's bed and snuggling inside their warmth. Bella giggled at her expression and blew out all of the candles before crawling in beside Alice.

Their faces were close on their shared pillow. The tip of Alice's nose just barely grazed Bella's. Bella could feel her hot breath on her face. "I love you." Bella whispered. Alice leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on Bella's nose.

"I love you, too, Bella."

They laid like that for a bit, just staring into the other's eyes. Alice broke the silence first.

"Do you realize that if my car never broke down, I'd have never met you?"

Bella shook her head, a strand of hair falling into her chocolate brown eyes. Alice pushed it away tenderly. "I don't buy it. Certain things are meant to be, certain people are meant to meet. I can't imagine never having you in my life, Alice."

Alice's smile lit up her face and the corners of her eyes crinkled from the force of her smile. "I can't imagine it either. I don't think my family could either, come to think of it. Sometimes I think they like you more than they like me." Alice teased. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, coming from the girl who has hypnotized my father into thinking she's the perfect daughter. If I asked him to buy me a mansion, he'd give one of his are-you-kidding-me looks. But if you asked, he'd buy you a French château in a heartbeat."

"Oh, whatever." Alice laughed, shaking her head at Bella's over exaggeration. "Our family's love us both equally. That better?"

Bella grinned. "Much."

"So," Alice began, pulling a hand from the warmth of the blankets to run it through Bella's soft hair. "Jasper and I were talking. We think we need another road trip."

Bella's eyebrows raised. "Wasn't one road trip enough for a lifetime?"

Alice gave her an incredulous look. "Of course not! So many good things happened on that one road trip. Just imagine what could happen on another one."

"When and where would this road trip take place?" Bella inquired as Alice continued toying with her hair.

"It would start during Christmas break. Jasper said he should be able to take leave this Christmas, so it'll work out. Rosalie, Emmett, and I would rent a big car and drive to Arizona to pick up Jasper. Then the four of us would drive to Hanover to get you, and then make a stop in Oregon to grab Summer before ending our little trip in Washington."

Bella stared at her girlfriend with wide eyes. "That's a hell of a lot of driving, Alice. I mean, Hanover? That's really far."

"You're worth it." She placed a kiss between Bella's eyes.

"That was cheesy."

"But true, nonetheless."

There was a moment or two of silence before Bella spoke. "What should I tell my mom? She's in Florida now with Phil, and she'll want me to stop by sometime during break."

"I'll buy you a ticket from Seattle to Jacksonville. Then from Jacksonville to New Hampshire. Sound good?"

Bella sighed, knowing it was no use arguing with Alice. The little pixie always got her way. "Sounds perfect."

"Fabulous." Alice gripped Bella's hands tightly in her own. "Now if only I can get you to agree on a shopping spree..."

Bella's eyes widened in fear. "No way. Uh-uh. You're not that good at persuasion, Alice."

Alice's eyes darkened at that, and she leaned forward, placing a kiss on Bella's right cheek. "Please." Her lips grazed her temple. "Please." A kiss on her jaw. "Please." One on the corner of her mouth. "Please, Bella." Her lips hovered over Bella's for a few seconds before meeting hers with a feather light touch.

Bella groaned in frustration as Alice pulled back. "Fine." Alice squealed with delight and buried her head in Bella's neck. "You're evil, you know that?"

Alice pulled away to grin at Bella. "Yes, but that's why you love me."

Bella placed a firm kiss on her girlfriend's lips before pulling back and getting a good look at her face. Alice looked so happy, laying there with her. Bella couldn't believe she'd gotten so lucky. She reached a hand forward and softly outlined Alice's face. Alice shivered at her touch. "I know."

Long, heartfelt A/N: More than seven months ago, a random idea popped into my head. I wrote it down. I started posting it. And now here we are at the end of the road. I've talked to a lot of awesome people because of this story and have had many interesting conversations with my readers, including ones about couch- and circle-phobias and cannibalistic mice (You people know who you are :P). I'd like to thank all of you for sticking by this story and not giving up on it. Especially when I'd promise to have a chapter up in two weeks, and then post it two months later *sigh* It's been so much fun writing this; you really have no idea. I loved when you all freaked out 'cause Alice was going on a date with Victoria, or when everyone was pissed at Bella for almost breaking up with Edward but then deciding against it. My readers (not just my reviewers; the readers who don't review are loved and appreciated, too) have made this story what it is. You're the reason I didn't give up. I'm going to stop now 'cause Kill Bill Volume 1 is on, and I love this movie. So I hope you've all enjoyed following the lives of Bella Swan and Alice Brandon, and I hope you feel I concluded the story in a nice, not-over-the-top-cheesy way ('cause a little cheese never hurt anybody). xx, worriedshoes014

Songs: "All Is Love" - Karen O & The Kids