A/N: This is it guys…
Still trying to catch up with reviews, so I apologize if I haven't gotten back to you yet.
All characters belong to S. Meyer. I'm just playing with an almost-perfect Edward.
Chapter Song Rec: Good Life by One Republic (Love this song. Fits this Edward to a tee, I think.)
Epilogue – Legend
Eight Years Later:
The army of yellow cabs made their way down Fifth Avenue like a swarm of angry bees. Horns blared; unyielding tires screeched and fought for prime position down the busy evening street. I watched it all from the large clear windows in the gallery, and then I looked up and beyond at the silver encrusted skyscrapers dominating the skyline. The night above was clear, much clearer than it usually got in Forks, or even Seattle for that matter.
"Edward."
A warm hand tugged on mine and pulled me gently, turning me around. Though Bella's eyes were as sparkling as ever, they also held the usual apprehension and self-consciousness these events tended to cause her. She reached up to adjust my tie nervously for about the twentieth time tonight.
"You look very dashing Mr. Cullen," she teased in an uppity tone, knowing I reserved the tuxes specifically for the New York events.
"Why thank you Mrs. Cullen," I responded in the same tone. I took her in from the top of her shiny hair, to the dark blue Alice Whitlock creation she wore, to the bottom of her open-toed heels, and up again.
"Have I told you how absolutely ravishing you look tonight?"
I had told her a few times already, but lately she seemed to need more reminders.
She smiled dubiously, smirking at me through long eyelashes before turning her attention back to adjusting my tie.
"Yes, ravishing. I'm sure that's what I look tonight," she drawled sarcastically. "But thank you for the lie. I don't feel very beautiful these days, but as long as my handsome husband still thinks so…"
"You are as glorious, if not even more so, than ever," I reminded her firmly, wrapping my hands around her waist. I looked around the busy gallery.
"Look at the way everyone looks at you and your artwork," I whispered.
Bella flushed even deeper and moved in closer to me. I instantly regretted my words. Even more than usual, the last thing she wanted right now was to be the center of attention.
But a wry grin lit up her face. She moved her mouth close to my ear.
"They're looking at you my love, not at me."
She backed away and looked at me, and I frowned and looked around the room again. Various men and women strolled around admiring Bella's artwork. Their eyes jumped fleetingly from the walls over to where she and I currently stood off in a quiet corner. Over the past few years, I'd come to realize different locations brought on different demographics in clientele. New York usually brought out a thirty-something and up crowd, sipping wine slowly with their chins held high and their eyebrows raised in deep reflection. Yet sure enough, as I took a closer look at the women strolling around and glancing our way, I noticed their eyes trail over me, taking me in from head to toe.
I groaned lowly and dropped my head.
Bella chuckled, moving in close to me again and wrapping her hands around my face.
"Looks like the cougars are out tonight hoping to catch a glimpse of my husband as well as my art."
I pursed my lips, suddenly feeling self-conscious myself. "If that's how they choose to waste their time then that's their loss," I said.
Bella chuckled. "I'm pretty positive they don't see it that way." She kissed me softly on the lips. "And I can't really say I blame them."
I smirked and kissed her soundly to distract her. The last thing I wanted her thinking of right now was other women looking at me. She was already feeling a bit insecure these days, though I knew that deep inside she knew she had nothing to worry about.
The distraction worked. When she pulled away her eyes were glassy and dazed. I grinned widely.
"So what were you looking at before?" she asked, having completely forgotten the cougars.
"I was just looking at how clear the night sky is here."
She shrugged, unimpressed. "Yeah, it's okay. When I was living here though, I always felt like it was missing something…"
I smiled softly at her, feeling goose bumps rise over my arms when she trailed her hands down my shoulders and arms. Even all these years later, Bella's touch still managed to drive me crazy, and based on the way her breath would always hitch when she'd press her hands firmly over me, it still did the same for her.
She scowled though when she tried pressing her whole body against me and couldn't get close enough. I chuckled and placed my hands on her hips, running them up and down her sides.
"Don't worry," I murmured, "When we get home we'll find a way to make it work."
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, not completely appeased. She sighed heavily and pouted. "I want to be home already."
I gazed at her and raised one hand to stroke her cheek. "I know love. I do too. Tonight's show is the last one for this tour, and I've already told Siobhan not to even think of scheduling any more shows for you for the foreseeable future. We'll be home soon," I promised her.
She gazed at me gratefully. "Good because I spoke to Rosalie earlier and she told me it's been raining non-stop in Seattle for the past couple of days." Her eyes flashed towards the window and up at the clear sky outside. She pursed her lips disdainfully. "And I'm missing it all."
"What'd Rose say about Emmett? He must be having a field day with all that rain. You know how their back yard tends to flood."
Bella chortled. "Yeah, she said he was out there in knee high rain boots, cursing and yelling, yelling and cursing and saying he can't wait for us to get back so you can help him drain the back yard already."
I rolled my eyes. "I told him not to buy that house, but he wanted to be by the water."
"Maybe now we can finally convince them to move to Forks with us," Bella whispered conspiratorially.
I grinned at her, knowing how much she'd love to have Rose and Emmett and their little boy Jonathan closer.
"Maybe…" I answered. "Lord knows my parents would be thrilled to have us all in Forks."
Bella smiled excitedly, "And I've almost got Alice and Jasper convinced to move back to Washington year-round. Alice is established enough at this point where she can do her work from anywhere. And then little Jonathan could play with-"
"Isabella Swan," a familiar voice called out. Bella and I both turned around at the same time.
And came face to face with the receding hairline of Mike Newton.
"Isabella Swan," he breathed again, grinning. "Look at you." His eyes trailed over my wife as he moved in closer, arms outstretched.
Bella raised her brows and remained stock still.
Mike backed up and cleared his throat. His eyes moved to me, jumping once to where I still had one hand protectively wrapped around Bella's waist.
"Cullen."
"Newton."
Silence.
"How've…you both been?" he asked slowly.
I tightened my hold around Bella's waist. Instinctively, she moved in closer to me.
"We've been well," I answered shortly.
Mike grinned, the same exact grin he'd been sporting since high school. But that seemed to be about the only thing that hadn't changed in the past few years. He'd gained weight. A whole lot of it. Which would've been fine except that his pants seemed to fit about four sizes too small, as if he hadn't gotten the memo about the extra pounds he'd put on. The middle button on his suit jacket looked about ready to pop to the sky. His once thick blonde hair had receded to the back of his head and his forehead looked long, wide and shiny. I could almost see my reflection in it. And there was something off about his nose…
He cleared his throat again. "Bella, Edward, this is my fiancée, Lauren Mallory."
For the first time I noticed a woman standing next to Mike, her posture as stiff and rigid as his. She was tall; taller than him, and her hair was cropped into a short boyish thing that I could only assume was on purpose. She was frighteningly thin; the strapless red dress she wore showed off nothing more than the way her shoulder blades popped from her skin. Over the years though, my wife had taught me the importance of not being rude. So I held back a shudder.
Bella and Lauren shook hands. "Pleased to meet you," my wife said graciously.
"Likewise," Lauren responded coolly, a small scowl on her skeletal face. She turned and raised her hand as if to shake mine. But the bitch scowled at my wife, and rude or not, I wasn't touching her.
When she finally realized I had no intention of shaking her hand she dropped it and simply nodded at me.
"Pleased to meet you," she said.
"Yeah, likewise," I muttered through a rigid jaw.
"Lauren's a model for Tall and Lovely. You know, the magazine that sells lingerie for tall and thin women?"
Bella and I both stared between Mike and Lauren.
"Oh, uhm, congratulations?" Bella offered. "That must be…interesting work."
Lauren smiled through thin red lips. "Yes, it is. Thank you."
Another awkward silence ensued.
"Well Bella," Mike finally said, "I see your little hobby finally paid off. I must say I was surprised at how quickly you were able to repay the loan a few years back."
I stiffened at the mention of 'the loan.' My jaw locked tightly. Bella apparently sensed my temper rising to levels unseen in years, because her warm fingers dug into my side and she tightened her grip on me. I let out a long and heavy breath.
"Edward's always been very supportive of me and my work. I owe all my success to him."
Her words were like a soothing balm, and suddenly, I grinned.
What the hell was I getting so wound up about here? Mike belonged to a past that now seemed so long ago it was almost forgotten. Had there ever been a time in our lives when Bella and I hadn't belonged to each other? There was no reason to be upset, or wary, or even bothered by Mike's unexpected appearance tonight.
Feeling strangely calm and at ease all of a sudden, I turned to my wife and smiled at her tenderly.
"No love, you don't owe your success to me." I ran a finger across her soft, glowing cheek. "You owe it to the huge talent you were born with."
Bella grinned widely at me, and for a few seconds, we simply gazed at each other. Her eyes bore into mine with an intensity that always took my breath away.
Over the years, she'd painted my eyes over and over, each one the same yet different in a way only Bella could ever accomplish. The 'Windows' Collection had been featured in countless art magazines throughout the years. We'd lent it out at different points in time, to two or three carefully selected galleries. It had become, as the lady had predicted long ago in Eclipse, Bella's crowning glory.
A few years ago, she'd created a new addition to the collection. But this one had more flecks and tones of brown-
"It really is great to see things worked out so well for both of you," Mike said.
Begrudgingly, because he'd interrupted one of my favorite thoughts, but no longer furiously, I turned to look at him. He was trying to grin, but knowing him as I did, and knowing he'd always been and would probably always be a bitter and sneaky motherfucker, I could see the sneer hidden underneath. For the first time in my life though, it didn't bother me.
"Well, for all of us," he corrected himself, a wry smirk on his face. "Bella's a well-respected contributor to the art world, I've made a" – he snorted – "huge fortune in mergers and acquisitions in this economy," – he turned and grinned emptily at his fiancée – "and Lauren is the envy of the modeling world."
If Lauren was the envy of the modeling world, then there was something seriously disturbing going on in that part of the universe.
But once again I remembered my wife's lessons on manners. I forced myself to keep a straight face. Not that it mattered since Lauren was looking away from us, wearing a bored expression on her bony face as she surveyed the room distractedly.
"And you?" Mike sneered, leveling me with his beady blue eyes. "What's going on with you, Edward? Do you still own that little nightclub in Seattle?"
I grinned. "No, actually, I don't. My brother Emmett runs it on his own now. He's done pretty well with it."
He raised his brows. "Really? So what do you do now?"
If he really didn't know, I wasn't about to enlighten him.
"A bit of this, a bit of that. I've been trying my hand at song writing actually," I said casually.
"Song writing huh?" He snorted. "How's that going?"
I shrugged. "You know how those things go…"
Bella turned to me. "Edward, your songs are-"
I shook my head minutely at her. She rolled her eyes and snorted, but didn't finish her sentence.
"Oh." Mike's sneering grin grew. "Well, sounds like a cool little hobby anyway. You keep at it man. Maybe someday something'll actually come of it."
I chuckled. "Maybe."
"How does it feel though" - he continued - "to be so much less successful than your partner? I mean, Bella's art probably pays all the bills at this point, doesn't it?"
"Mike," Bella hissed in a not-at-all-well-mannered venomous tone I'd rarely ever heard from her, "How dare-"
I turned to her with my grin still in place.
"Shhh love," I cooed, kissing her mouth once gently. The last thing I wanted was her getting upset right now. My mouth on hers always seemed to instantly calm her, and it did the trick once again. She drew in a deep breath and smiled ruefully against my lips.
With Bella nice and calm again, I turned my attention back to Mike.
"You want to know how I feel Mike?"
He narrowed his eyes, his grin faltering for a moment before he nodded uncertainly.
I drew in a deep breath and smiled - a genuinely thrilled smile - and then let out the breath in one long gust.
"We were in London a few weeks ago. And France a few months before that. And Spain last year. Or it could've been Portugal. Honey," I said, my eyes flickering to my wife quickly, "Do you remember? Oh well, it doesn't matter. We've got Bella's paintings to remind us. Sometimes our friends and family come with us, sometimes it's just…us. Bella draws and paints anything and everything that inspires her, and you want to know what I do Mike? I watch her. Sometimes I'll strum my guitar while she gazes at the moon's reflection over the Mediterranean, or at Tuscan sun setting over the vineyards, and then the lyrics for a song may or may not come to me." I shrugged carelessly. "It doesn't really matter. Sometimes I just lie next to her and sleep while she dreams. Lots of the time I run around with our-" I stopped when I saw Bella's face. She looked like she wasn't sure whether to stop me or burst out laughing.
Mike on the other hand, was openly smirking now.
"So I take it the life of a rather…aimless wanderer suits you then?"
Just then a waitress passed by carrying a tray of wine and champagne, and the beers Siobhan always ordered for me. Tempting, but I didn't pick one up.
"The world is my wife's canvas, and I'm along for the ride. Suits me just fine," I shrugged.
Mike snorted, and picked up a glass of wine for himself and one for his fiancée.
"A toast then." He looked at Bella. "To Bella and her continued success. You see? I always knew you'd make it."
Bella smiled crookedly. "Did you Mike? My memory must be a bit fuzzy at the moment. But I suppose I should thank you too then, since it was partly because of you that Edward and I even thought of that first auction a few years ago."
Mike stared at her warily. I chuckled and pulled Bella in closer.
"No hard feelings then?" Mike asked with an arrogant grin. "Edward, you seem to have done well riding Bella's coat tails." He snorted and took a sip of his wine.
I looked at the man. Strangely enough, I could've sworn that back in high school Mike and I had been about the same height. But now I stood a few inches taller than him. And then I figured out what was wrong with his nose; the slight bump in the middle and the way it curved a bit to the left.
"No. No hard feelings," I answered honestly.
"No hard feelings," Bella echoed quietly. Her voice was calm and serene. "But just to correct something my husband said before, he is responsible for much of my success. As a matter of fact, my most successful pieces would've been impossible without him."
She turned her eyes over to the display in the middle of the room, and all our eyes followed hers to where a couple of the pieces to the 'Windows' collection hung majestically, bright lights shining on it from every angle.
The very first one, the one she'd given me all those years back in high school, had been reframed, and we'd wrapped the lyrics to the first song I wrote for her around it, like a border. It had become a favorite of the modern art scene. Usually we kept it at home, but after much begging by Siobhan, we'd lent it out for a couple of weeks to this gallery.
We'd also lent out another one, the newest one to the collection. This one was done in more tones of browns and bronze, and less greens-
"But our most priceless treasures…" Bella continued in a reverent voice, "…well those we've definitely created together."
She whipped her head around just then, her beautiful face morphing into the smile she only gave one person in this world – for now – and then I heard the rhythmic pitter patter she'd obviously picked up on a few seconds before me. I turned around and grinned just as widely as her when I saw the little body with long bronze curls skipping our way. She launched herself into my arms and wrapped herself around me.
"Daddy, daddy! Aunt Alice bought me the prettiest dolly at the toy store," my daughter exclaimed in her musical voice.
I kissed her soundly on her forehead.
"Did she Charlie? Did you remember to say thank you the way mommy's taught you?"
Charlie nodded her head vehemently, her long curls bobbing up and down, framing her creamy skin – so much like her mother's – while her chocolate eyes – Swan eyes – danced excitedly.
"'Course I did daddy!"
I chuckled and hugged her tightly to me. Bella moved in and rubbed our daughter's back soothingly. Charlie turned her three-year old eyes towards her mom.
"Mommy, when are we going home to Washington? I want to play with Jonathan."
Bella smiled lovingly at our daughter. "Soon baby. Soon."
Charlie grinned widely, showing off her dimples.
"So this is…your daughter?" Mike asked. I'd forgotten about him and his fiancée.
This time I turned proudly towards him. "This is Charlize Meadow Cullen. Charlie honey, can you say hi to Mr. Newton and Ms. Mallory?" I coached her.
Charlie smiled shyly, her creamy cheeks turning the same pink color her mom's tended to.
"Nice to meet you," she said quietly.
Neither Mike nor Lauren answered her.
"Mike?" A squeaky voice asked from behind.
Mike turned around and came face to face with Alice.
"Alice Brandon," he said distastefully.
"Alice Whitlock actually," Al corrected him with a scowl.
Mike was about to say something when his fiancée opened up her mouth for one of the first times all evening.
"Are you Alice Whitlock the designer?"
Alice gave Lauren a 'who-the-hell-are-you?' once-over the way only she ever could, and then nodded once curtly.
"Oh my God," Lauren gushed, no longer as stiff and cool as she'd been a few minutes ago. "I absolutely love your designs!"
Alice pursed her lips. "Thanks," she said coolly.
"I was so hoping I'd bump into you tonight. I'd be absolutely honored if you'd consider designing my wedding dress!" Lauren continued to blabber. "I adored what you created for your wedding, as well as what you put that song writer Ed C's bride in when he got married a few years back!"
Alice smirked. "Well sorry," she said, sounding anything but. "I don't design wedding dresses for just anyone. I did mine because it was me, and Bella's and Rosalie's because they're my BFFs. But that's about it. Besides," she snorted, looking over at Mike with thinly veiled hostility, "if you're marrying this guy, no wedding dress in the world is going to detract from-"
"Alice," Bella said in warning.
Alice rolled her eyes and stopped.
But Lauren's eyes had grown even wider. She turned to give my wife a quizzical glance.
"I don't…understand." She looked from me to Bella. And then over again once more before her already huge eyes bulged.
"Oh my God! You're Edward Cullen, as in Ed C, the song writer?"
I shrugged noncommittally.
"You are!" she whispered, shocked. "I can't believe I didn't make the connection. I mean of course I noticed how hot you were when Mike introduced us just now, but I don't pay much attention to the music world because Mike likes me to listen to Jazz and Classical mostly, and when I'd seen that picture of you and your bride in that magazine I'd only focused on how breathtaking the dress was! But of course!" she giggled, covering her mouth like a school girl. "You're Ed C!"
"Who the hell is Ed C?" Mike asked in an exasperated huff.
"Ed C!" Lauren squealed, stomping her foot. "He writes music and lyrics for some of the biggest acts in the music industry!"
I looked over at my daughter. A small line had formed between her eyes as she tried to understand what the adults were going on about. I handed Charlie over to her godmother carefully.
"Al, do Bella and me a favor? Take Charlie to the back for a bit while we finish up here."
"Do you want me to just take her back to my place? Jasper's got dinner going and-"
"No, that's fine. We'll be done in the next few minutes and then we can all leave together."
Alice grinned. "Okey, dokey." She turned her blue eyes sweetly towards her goddaughter. "Come on kiddo! Let's go see what Siobhan's got going on in the back!"
Charlie giggled and went happily with her aunt.
I turned to Mike. "Well Mike, it was…" Good to see you? Take care of yourself? Keep in touch?
Bella cleared up the closing pretty easily though.
"Good-bye Mike." Her voice was even and expressionless. "Lauren," she said next, though this time I thought I detected more than just a little bit of that venom from before back in her voice.
"It was good to see you Bella. You look…great," Mike answered, his tone a bit more wistful than I would've liked. But I'd stopped being that hot-headed guy, infuriated by Mike's position as Bella's fiancée, a long time ago. Now I was a husband and a father and an uncle. If Mike regretted anything, it was for him to deal with. Not me.
"Edward," Mike said, all wistfulness gone from his tone and an undisguised loathing replacing it.
"Good-bye Mike."
"Ed C- I mean…Edward," Lauren suddenly said, sounding much more girlish than I could've ever imagined someone like her sounding, "Would you mind giving me an autograph?" she giggled. "Otherwise my friends will never believe-"
Bella's grip on my waist tightened to about the nth degree. I held in a chuckle.
I shook my head. "Sorry. I don't do autographs," I answered succinctly.
Lauren's face fell, and in the next instant, Mike swung her around firmly. They walked away, stiff and formal, sipping their wine.
I shook my head and turned to Bella. She was watching Lauren walk away with a murderous expression on her face. I pulled her into me and kissed her, calming her down again. When she pulled away, she gazed up at me sheepishly.
"I have one question," I said seriously. She raised an eyebrow.
"What would you have done if I'd listened to you and pursued a career as an actual musician, singing and playing instead of a more behind-the-scenes type, and then by some strange miracle actually made it big? Those autograph requests might've been more of the norm." I chuckled teasingly.
She frowned. "First of all, you have made it big. You've got a couple of those gold little miniature gramophones at home to prove it. Second of all, I have no doubt you would've made it big writing music for you to play and sing yourself if that's what you would've wanted. Miracles would've had nothing to do with it. And lastly, to answer your question," – she gazed at me abashedly – "I'm sorry and I hope it's just the hormones talking right now, but I think I would've bashed a few faces in if they would've come asking for autographs and looked at you the way that skank just looked at you."
I tried not to bust out laughing, because I knew she wouldn't appreciate it in the condition she was in now. Maybe in a few months…
"Don't worry love. You're the only one I'll ever sing or sign autographs for."
"Oh you'll sign my autograph? Why thank you Mr. Cullen," Bella drawled, batting her long eyelashes sarcastically. "Or should I say, Ed C?"
I rolled my eyes. "I should've never let Jasper be my manager after that god-awful name he came up with."
"Hmph," Bella snorted. "It's been a hit with the models apparently. Hmph," she snorted again.
I brought my mouth down to hers, tasting the sweetness of her lips against mine as I took first one then the other. And then I ran my tongue teasingly against her lips. She groaned lowly.
"Better?"
She sighed. "Yes. Better."
I chuckled against her lips, tracing her lips with my tongue.
"Edward, we're in public," she laughed. "Besides, what will all these Ed C fans think if they see you making out with someone as huge as me?"
I brought my hands down to her belly and rubbed it tenderly.
It was pretty big. But she was five months pregnant, and carrying twins this time, and looking more beautiful and glorious than ever as far as I was concerned.
I remembered my words to Charlie, my father-in-law, a couple of months before he'd passed away.
'We're going to have lots of babies…' I'd told him.
I grinned widely to myself now. I'd kept that promise.
And fuck had it been fun keeping it.
"They will think," I said slowly, gazing into her deep brown eyes so she could see the sincerity of my words, "that I am most probably the luckiest man in the world."
She smiled and kissed me one more time. "Ditto."
Bella sighed. "Let's go. I'm tired. Siobhan can handle the rest on her own."
I grinned and turned her around, wrapping an arm around her waist and guiding her towards the back of the gallery, to claim our daughter and head home.
A/N: Once again guys, thanks for following me with this story, and I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into their future.
Leave me reviews and let me know what you thought of it, and what you thought of Mike's future. Was it fitting?
Now that we're all done with this, I'll be seeing you guys over at 'Thief of Hearts!' Don't forget to put me on Author Alert/Story Alert for future stories!
Thanks!