Disclaimer: Still don't own them…but sure do love to play with them.

A/N: First of all, I need to apologize for the looonnnngg delay in posting. Life sometimes gets in the way...work, school, basketball...the list goes on, but to you they would only be excuses.

Okay people…this is it…sad but true. Every good story must come to an end. I want to thank those of you that have faithfully reviewed my story all the way through…You know who you are. I also encourage you to go over to Twilighted and read my story there. As my writing improved, I decided to submit my story on their site to see if I could get more readers. I have to say…to this point I have 24 chapters posted and over 600 reviews! The reason I am telling you this? Well…I changed a few things and added a few things that were missing from the chapters as I originally posted them on FF. Eventually I hope to have them both the same, but that takes a while. Thanks to all of you that have read and added me as a favorite author…I would be really happy to get a review from everyone that has me listed under the story alerts or author alerts…PLEASE? Enough begging…on with the finish!

A special thanks goes out to my friend...Admittedly Obsessed.

Edit: I have finished replacing the chapters on FF with the ones that I had over on Twilighted. Thanks to those who have faithfully read my story!

EsmePOV

I truly believe that life teaches us lessons that we don't realize until we are in the middle of them, experiencing all they have to offer. Life's lessons are never easy and sometimes it takes coming around full circle for us to realize the instruction we are supposed to learn from them. Sometimes it takes something unexpected slapping us in the face to realize what we need to know so we can learn from our mistakes.

We are nearly complete. I thought to myself as I looked around the room at my children. The only two that were missing were Edward and Bella. Edward had phoned the day before telling us that they would be arriving sometime this afternoon. I couldn't contain the excitement that I felt as I realized that our family would once again be together.

I looked over at Jasper and watched the smile grow on his face as his wife bounced up and down next to him.

"Only 5 minutes and 43 seconds before she gets here!" Alice proclaimed.

Emmett looked up from the magazine that he was looking at with Rose and smirked, "Damn, Jasper! Get a rein on your woman, man. She's like a Goddamn pogo stick!"

"Emmett…" I chastised.

"Sorry," he replied softly.

My family has had its fair share of ups and downs; of course it hasn't been without a few bumps in the road.

The past three years have been very difficult for us. Edward's decision to leave his soul mate not only affected him but the rest of us as well. It was the second time in my life that I felt powerless to what God, or whatever higher being you believe in, had planned for our lives. I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel and I felt hopeless as I watched my son delve deeper into the darkness that surrounded him. He had lost his light; his reason for living.

To add fuel to the fire, Jasper had left the family shortly after we had relocated. He couldn't handle the emotions…the sadness and guilt…that permeated every aspect of the family. As soon as he made his decision, Alice had seen it and was powerless to stop him. Like any other man, when Jasper had his mind made up, there was no changing his direction.

I sat back and was forced to watch my family fall apart piece by piece. Powerless to help them in their pain…unable to take the grief away from them…I felt incapable as a mother. Although I hadn't birthed my children, I couldn't help my maternal instincts when it came to my sons and daughters. Their happiness and well-being was always put before my own. They were my life, and to let go and let them live had been the most difficult thing I had ever faced.

Jasper had come home two weeks ago. Carlisle and I were out hunting when he had arrived. We had no warning from Alice, but yet we couldn't know for sure if she had a premonition about him coming home or not. After seeing her husband die in her last vision, we knew that she no longer looked ahead for him. Carlisle had told her that he was fine, but you could see in her eyes that she had given up hope that she would ever see him again.

As Carlisle and I walked through the door hand in hand, I could sense a change in the air. There was an electric feeling to it that hadn't been there before. I knew my husband had felt it too because he gently squeezed my hand as soon as we had entered and looked at me with knowing eyes.

"Someone's come home," he had whispered quietly.

I felt Carlisle squeeze my hand shaking me out of my reverie. "Are you alright, dear?"

"I will be," I answered truthfully.

"Two minutes, 13 seconds."

The excitement was palpable in the air. Jasper shifted in his seat and pulled Alice onto his lap in an attempt to calm her down. "You're wound so tight, Darlin'. It's killing me," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry, Jaz," she answered. "I just can't wait to see her."

"I know, Darlin…I know." Jasper gently patted her knee.

Their reunion had been far from perfect, but I knew they were on their way to healing their relationship. Alice wasn't quite over her fears. I knew she still worried every time Jasper left the house. He was patient with her; encouraging her with words and kisses, but I could see it in her eyes every time he left to hunt or to even take a walk that she was still afraid he would leave her again.

I had noticed a big change in Jasper since his return. It wasn't as though he wasn't attentive to Alice before he left, but it seemed that now the way he attended to her every need was done in a way that seemed reverent. It wasn't that he didn't respect her before, but now he didn't take any thing for granted. He could feel her apprehension when he needed to be alone for a while, and was able to reassure her and still get his time. It was obvious to me that the time Jasper had spent with Bella hadn't only been helpful to her but also to him as well. I was proud of my son.

I was also very proud of Edward. I learned from my discussions with Jasper that he hadn't made it easy on Edward to waltz back into Bella's life. It seemed the tables had turned for a time and Jasper felt the need to protect Bella from Edward. While Edward was anxious to dive back into a relationship with Bella, Jasper had learned first hand the pain we had caused her and felt it best to keep him away for a time. Edward kept his temper in check and listened to his brother.

I looked over at Alice who was bouncing up and down on Jasper's legs. Her smile was infectious and lit her entire face. I couldn't help but smile back as I watched her hop off his lap and run to the window. The faint sound of tires on gravel drifted toward my ears, followed by an excited Alice screaming, "She's here! She's here!"

JPOV

Before I could stop her, Alice had barreled out the door and down the driveway towards Edward's car. Her excitement could not be contained no matter how many calming waves I sent her way. I laughed and shook my head while shrugging my shoulders, "Alice is back." I mumbled quietly.

"That she is," Esme replied chuckling with me.

Carlisle set his book down next to him, patted Esme's leg and said, "Shall we?"

I watched as he stood up, taking her hand in his. They walked slowly to the door that Alice had left wide open.

Rosalie continued to look at her magazine as Emmett started grumbling to himself. I could tell by the emotions she was emitting that she had no intention of moving from her spot. Emmett was impatient and although he had seen Bella only two weeks prior, the excitement was coming off of him in waves.

"How long are you going to look at that magazine?" he asked skirting around the subject of Bella.

Without taking her eyes off the pages she replied, "If you want to go see your human pet, go right ahead. I'm not stopping you."

"Rose, please…"

Rosalie huffed indignantly. I could tell she was annoyed the attention was off her and once again on Bella. Emmett shook his head, slowly stood up, and extended his hand. "Rose…?" He wasn't taking no for an answer. Rosalie grumbled again, put the magazine down and took Emmett's hand. "Fine," she mumbled angrily. I couldn't help but giggle at the two of them. Rosalie may think she wore the pants in their relationship, but I could tell by watching them how much clout Emmett really had.

I watched as they joined the others outside. I stayed back and relished in the quietness of the room. There weren't any emotions swimming around me…just calm. I was home and the family was together again. I walked over to the window and watched as my bouncy wife nearly plowed Bella over with her excitement. Edward shook his head and left Bella's side to hug Esme and shake hands with Carlisle.

Alice was talking with Bella and I knew she was having a hard time keeping up with her incessant chatter. Bella scanned the yard as though she were looking for someone. She frowned but quickly put on a smile when Esme walked over to her and took her into her motherly embrace. As Esme hugged Bella her eyes searched again and found mine. The smile that spread across her face was infectious and I found myself smiling back.

I moved away from the window and sat on the chair facing the fireplace. I watched as the flames gently licked the logs, the firelight caressed the walls around the room and sent a warm glow that made the room feel inviting and homey…just like Bella.

Never in all my years did I think that I would be close to a human, and I found that being away from Bella, even though it had only been a couple of weeks, caused an ache inside me that I wasn't accustomed to feeling. Every instinct I had went against having a bond with her, but somehow she had broken past all of the barriers and had wormed her way into my life and the lives of my family effortlessly. She belonged here…with us…and I was thankful that I had an understanding of her that went beyond what I had known before.

I heard the door open and the soothing scent of freesias and strawberries that I had grown quite fond of hit my senses.

"And we are going to go shopping. Oh! And we need to go to the spa. There's a really good one not far from here," my wife chatted to Bella as they walked into the living room.

I stood up and made my way over to where Bella was standing. "There will be plenty of time for that, Alice," I addressed my excited wife as she jumped up and down beside me. I placed my hand on her shoulder and sent a wave of calm through her.

"Edward," I said as I extended my hand to my brother. "it's good to see you again."

Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me into a manly hug, patting me on the back. "I owe you my life, Jasper," he whispered softly.

Bella watched our exchange and smiled before clearing her throat to get our attention. I pulled away from Edward and looked at her. "I didn't realize how much I would miss you, Bella," I stated as I hugged her gently. I felt love, contentment, and happiness radiate from her small body as she let go of our embrace.

"I missed you too, Jasper."

Alice grabbed her hand and led her to the large sofa. I sat down next to Alice and Edward sat on the other side of Bella, immediately taking her hand in his. I could tell that something big had happened while they had been alone and I had to admit that it thrilled me to see my brother so happy. I was proud of the fact that even though I had been the reason initially for their separation, I had also been the one that had helped them get back together. I could feel the strength of their relationship, and hoped that their bond would continue to grow over time. I was also hoping that Edward would let go of his inhibitions about changing Bella. They deserved to be together for eternity.

"Hey Edward," Emmett bellowed, eyebrows raising up and down, "So…? That smile plastered on your face tells me that someone isn't a prude anymore…care to share?"

I looked over at Bella whose face was flaming redder than the fire in the fireplace and chuckled. She ducked her head into Edward's shoulder as he growled at Emmett.

"Doesn't matter anyway…I am sure if you really know what you are doing, we will hear all about it tonight!"

Thwack!

"Ouch! Damn Rose, I was just having a little fun," he whined rubbing the back of his head.

"Shut the fuck up, Em, and help me pick out the table runners."

"Some things never change," I muttered to myself shaking my head.

We sat around the living room for the next couple hours talking about what Bella had been doing before running into me. She talked candidly about how she had felt when we had left, and the part Jacob had played in helping her through the tough times. Her face fell and I felt the sadness she was feeling when she talked about him. I knew that they had a falling out of sorts as soon as I had come back into her life. I didn't blame Jacob for not sticking around…I didn't want to be around him either…but I could see how much it had hurt Bella.

Edward gently squeezed her hand as she finished telling her story. She smiled then and turned to me. "I moved to Seattle to go to college and well…the rest is history."

"And they all lived happily ever after," Rosalie huffed, "Now…will someone please help me pick out my damn table runners?"

BPOV

I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror and sighed. The same reflection stared back at me but there were some subtle changes that I couldn't help but notice. There was a light in my eyes that made them look alive, and the dark circles that used to have residence under them had nearly disappeared. My skin, although still pale, had a pale pink hue around my cheeks, and a glow that I hadn't noticed before. I looked happy…and I was.

I heard the rustling of sheets in the next room and finished with my human moment before stepping out of the room. I turned off the light and walked into the bedroom. Edward was lying on the bed in a pair of black silk pajama pants. He looked like a god with his hands behind his head, his golden orbs staring right through me. He was smiling at me but it wasn't quite a smile, it was a smirk and he looked adorable.

I stood frozen in place, unable to move because of the sight in front of me. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until I heard Edward whisper, "Breathe, love."

Edward patted the space next to him and I slowly made my way over to the bed. For some reason, my nerves were getting the best of me. Emmett's comment about Edward's smile earlier reverberated in my mind causing my checks to flame once again. We were no longer alone, in fact we were in a house of vampires that never slept and had impeccable hearing.

"What are you thinking?" Edward said quietly as I got under the covers and snuggled into his side.

"I was thinking about how we are no longer alone and how your parents, brothers and sisters have wonderful hearing," I replied as my cheeks flamed more.

"Bella," he said as his finger lifted my chin. I looked at him through my lashes and saw him smile. "We don't have to do anything that'll make you feel uncomfortable."

He bent down and gently kissed my nose.

While in Seattle, I had relished the time we spent together, but the time I loved the most was bed time. It was while in bed that Edward and I would have our deepest conversations. He opened up to me like he never had before. For the first time, I truly felt like he was honest with me. His guard was finally down and because of that he was more relaxed. Sometimes we would talk about the time he was gone and although I knew it pained him to hear the truth about what his decision did to me, he would listen and sooth me when the tears would fall. I was healing more day by day.

There were also moments where he would tease and explore my body in ways that I never knew was possible. His touch was always gentle and he would worship me in ways that showed me how much he loved me. Those were my favorite moments, not because of the pleasure that I felt as he made love to me, but mainly because he was free and no longer afraid to touch me in the way that I had longed for him to do so long ago.

I sighed deeply and kissed his cool lips. "I'm so happy, Edward."

He squeezed me gently. "Me too, love…me too."

I laid quietly in his arms for a few minutes as he gently stroked my hair and hummed my lullaby. I thought about all the changes that had happened between us and how I wouldn't change any thing that had happened over the past three years. All of the pain, heartache, and tears had made me stronger. I had developed a very close relationship with Jasper, and that wouldn't have happened without Edward's decision. I cherished the time that Jasper and I spent together and loved him like a brother. Together we had worked through the pain of our past and had made it to the other side…content and happy. The only thing that could make me happier…? I knew the answer to that question, but had yet to bring it to Edward's attention.

"Edward?"

"Yes, love."

I sat up and instant missed the contact. "I need to ask you something."

He looked at me with concern on his face. "What is it?"

I twisted and played with my fingers as I hung my head. I wasn't sure how to bring this subject up and the last thing I wanted to do was ruin the atmosphere we had, but I needed to tell him what was on my mind. He needed to know how I felt.

"Bella…," he soothed as he unclasped my tangled fingers and took my hands in his. "You can tell me anything. What do you need?"

I looked up and mouthed one word very quietly, "Eternity."

The silence lingered and I was afraid of what was going through his head. The last time I had mentioned becoming like him we had come to an impasse or at least that is what he had called it at the time. I had been ready, albeit I was very nervous and foolishly thought that he was dressed up in a tux to turn me. I didn't know he was taking me to the prom. When I told him I was ready to become like him, he didn't get angry but did call my bluff. My racing heart gave me away.

The second time I brought it up was on the way to my birthday party. He had asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I remember he had distinctly wanted to buy me an Audi, but then asked what I really wanted. When I told him he had frowned his disapproval and had said that it wasn't going to be my last birthday. Little did we know that it very nearly was and a few days later he had left.

Now I was kneeling in front of him asking him again to give me something that I knew he struggled with. I hoped that our relationship had moved past the early years and that we would be able to rationally talk about the subject, but as the seconds of silence dragged on, I wasn't so sure.

"Edward?"

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "Is that what you really want?"

"Yes," I whispered. "I don't want to waste any more time. I love you and want to spend eternity with you. We've been through so much, Edward, please…"

His hands grasped my face while his thumbs gently stroked my cheeks. "I can't deny you any longer. If this life is what you truly want…I won't stand in your way."

"Thank you," I sighed as I pressed my lips to his. "We don't have to do it tonight you know. I really just wanted to know that I had that option available to me."

"When ever you are ready, love, just let me know and I will make the arrangements." He moved away from me and laid back on the pillow. He smiled his crooked grin and opened his arms to me. I snuggled back into his embrace and kissed his chest. He tasted sweet and smelled even better. I continued placing soft kisses on his torso and heard him moan very quietly.

"Bella, you are driving me crazy."

"Hmm?" I feigned innocence and giggled while wrapping my arms around him.

"I hear you!!!" Emmett yelled from down the hall.

Thwack!

"Ouch!"

My face burned and I immediately moved away from Edward.

He giggled.

"Come here, Bella…let me hum you to sleep. We have plenty of time for extracurricular activities."

I moved back into Edward's arms and pulled the blankets over my shoulders. "We have forever."

"Forever," he whispered as he began to hum my lullaby. He placed a kiss on my head and hugged me tight.

That night I had a dream…I dreamed of my prince, in a meadow, making love to me under the stars…I dreamed of Edward.

The End

A/N: Reviews are my best friend. I would love to hear from everyone that has me on alert...am I asking too much? I am currently working on another story that I hope to post here in the near future. Thanks again to all of you that have supported me! This adventure has been so much fun.