Here we go, the last one! I'm happy to report that I updated very fast on this one. This would have been up yesterday but I went to the movies. Indiana Jones was pretty cool, beginning was a little dull but as soon as his "sidekick" son got involved it was a lot more... interesting. Anyway, onto the story.
It was a beautiful day. Almost as clear as the sky's were after a big storm. Once in the blue did the sun shine as brightly in Forks as it is today. We were having a huge picnic in Iyar backyard. Carlisle was grilling some meats while Alice and I made some salads. My mom was making some cake for dessert and Rosalie and Edward was trying to help Janice make some drinks. It was actually really cute because they really were terrible at making anything, Alice hadn't been kidding when she said they couldn't cook. So far they'd attempted making some ice to put in the drinks and they were failing miserably. They wouldn't let it set long enough for it to cool and freeze. Jacob was waiting for the cake to come out and cool so he could frost it. Gramps was out setting plates on the picnic table.
As soon as Alice and I were done we went to drag Rosalie and Edward away from the freezer door. There was nothing else they could help do, we decided to let them accompany us to pick up Alice's new boyfriend Jasper. He was really sweet, giving into all of her requests. Not that he could help it, Alice was very convincing when she wanted to be, not to mention that Jasper was putty in her hands. Our little get together was more a small family graduation party than anything else, we wanted family time together before everyone was separated in a huge party Alice and Rosalie insisted on throwing.
Soon we were sitting around the table outside serving plates of chicken, salads, and every other thing we'd made. Our conversation was easy and teasing came up often, no one escaped. We'd really become a close family once we'd sorted everything out. We'd found out, well I'd found out Rosalie and Emmett were seeing each other, they had been since shortly after my departure. Carlisle and Mom were still totally into each other. They'd never really forgotten each other after that night so many years ago. Now weeks afterward, Carlisle had proposed to her and they were planning an early autumn wedding. Alice of course immediately started planning, she had to be stopped by a loud chorus of "Alice!" The look on her face had been priceless, she'd never looked more stunned in her life.
We'd met Jasper of course and found out a couple of interesting thoughts of our fellow classmates but the real surprise didn't come from any of us. It came from Portland. That night after I came home and Edward and I cane in from our time out in the rain we stopped to get some dry clothes. Once in dry sweats we walked back dozen to where the others had stayed, hopefully, in the sitting room. Alice gave us a knowing smile, but it was short lived because Gramps' phone rang , delivering the terrible news. Sara had died sometime during her nap. One of the maids had entered to try to get her to ear something and found that she couldn't wake her. Panicking, she called for her nurse but it was too late, they could do nothing for her. Janice and Jacob's parents were planning on burying her the following day. There was the small matter of Sara's will also. Every person in the family needed to be present during the reading.
No one said anything for a full minute, it was eventually my mom who broke the silence. "You can't fly out with this storm. You'll have to wait until it passes. You'll miss her burial."
Gramps had looked up at her, surprised. "You didn't plan on going?" his brow was knit together.
"No," she'd smiled sadly. "I've not been part of her family since I left Portland. I don't belong there." I could hear her deep hurt behind her words.
In the end Gramps hadn't left till the following week. I don't exactly know why but I sensed he was dreading going back. Janice and Jacob went with him of course and came back looking relieved but there was something in their eyes that made me uneasy. When we inquired what had happened during the reading they'd grumpily told us Sara had left 80 percent of the inheritance to their parents and 20 percent to them. Janice's mom got the house and they'd attempted to guilt them into staying in Portland. Janice and Jacob really did have have a bad parents but somewhere deep they did care a bit for their children. When I asked them what was so bad about the will they looked at me as if I'd grown a third eye. After nearly shouting at me that I didn't get anything they sat down in a couch, completely spent. That trip had taken a toll on them.
Gramps drifted in and told them not to worry, I'd get my share and so would my mom and Emmett. I went into panic mode afterwards, I asked him what he meant by that and he only told me that we'd be receiving part of his inheritance and my mom would receive the company. That only made me panic more but he waved it aside, saying I could worry about that when I crossed that bridge. Eventually I simmered down and kept that information to myself, my mom was even more stubborn that me and would not drop the subject. Gramps may be old but he was, is in good health, we had plenty of time to worry about that. Our lives went on normally, or as normally as normal as we were going to get from now on.
I went to visit Jake down in La Push as promised. His girlfriend was a nice girl he'd always known but hadn't noticed until now.
"Bella, this is Maggie. Maggie, this is Bella," She looked pretty much the same as the rest of the La Push girls only she had a fiery head of red hair and was paler than average. We sat around talking, laughing, and recounting stories revolving around Jake. The conversation never turned awkward as it may have with some one else, we were perfectly at ease with each other. Just as I was leaving I pulled Jacob aside and put on a mock superior voice.
"I told you so." He smiled gently, opening his arms just as he had the last time I'd uttered those words. I stepped into his embrace. "See you."
We'd left it there, both happy to go our separate ways. We both had a great relationship and there were no regrets.
I never thought our picnic would turn to the cliché frosting-on-the-nose thing but it did. Alice was feeling mischievous; she took a dollop of her frosting and wiped it all over Edwards nose. The irritated surprise his expression showed sent us into a fit of giggles, Edward's eyes narrowed, scooped up some frosting and gave Alice a frosting mustache. The absurdity of the situation sent us into peals of laughter, Alice on the other hand didn't find it so amusing. She nailed Emmett all over his cheek, the closest thing in her range. A frosting war started out between us. Rosalie was Emmett's target, I was hers and Jacob was mine. He got me back and I get my mom, she in turn passed it on to Carlisle who went wide-eyed for a moment before getting Alice. She pounced on Jasper and he got Emmett, he got Rose, Rose got Janice and she got me. We were in hysterics by then but it suddenly died down when we saw our last target. Gramps mouth opened a bit in realization and quickly tried backing away but we were too fast. Mom and I got him on either cheek, Janice got him on the forehead and Jacob got him on the nose. He looked up at us, his eyes strangely blank then reached up to his nose, wiped some off and tasted it.
"Vanilla, my favorite."
One glance at each other and we were all on our backs, trying and failing to catch our breath and stop laughing. Settling down, we grabbed a damp cloth and wiped away the sticky evidence of our foolishness. The adults hung back while we ran around the yard like kids, throwing a Frisbee. After a couple of clanks to the head while I wasn't looking, I sat calling it a day.
Grabbing a blanket, I spread it on the grass and layed down on it. I watched them play while getting some vitamin D for a bit but after a while rested my head and closed my eyes. I was nearing the dream lands when I felt a shadow fall over me. I opened my eyes to find Edward was towering over me, even hunkered down he was way taller than I. His smiling eyes held his emotions out for me to take them, he rested beside me saying nothing. We didn't need to, we were perfectly content sitting there watching our family play.
"You think they're crazy?"
"Naw," I said playfully. "I think I'll keep them. I wouldn't want to be normal."
He smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
We looked at each other deeply, saw past the first shutters of our eyes, Truly saw one another. There was nothing we didn't like about each other, our crazy family was part of what made us who we were now. Our journey may have been a bit rough but we were happier now at it's end than we could have ever thought possible. It was who we were then that made us what we are now: unbelievably happy. Indisputably crazy. Inevitably family.
Here is the end of this world. I now lay to rest this Bella and Edward along with all their crazy family. I hope you all liked the epilogue.
I'm off to read Wuthering Heights before being dragged to the circus by my stubborn mother. You can not say no to that lady even though I don't like the circus. Make me feel better by dropping me a review.