A/N: So here it is, the Epilogue. I just wanted to say before you all read this chapter that it was hard for me to write it and I'm finding that letting this story go is even harder, so this is what I am thinking. I've been getting PM's asking for outtakes and I already have one a Cole/Ali outtake. I plan on posting it sometime soon, but if there's something that you really want to see shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can come up with ;) Also, I just want to let everyone know that I already have yet another Jake/Bella story in the works a couple chapters complete already. The second part to Lost Time which you can find in my profile shouldn't be very far off either. Not only that but I have a Embry/Bella story in the works too, it was originally supposed to be a one-shot but right now I'm at 19 pages with that sucker so it may end up being a short story? Either way just wanted to let everyone know to keep an eye out put this story on alert for outtakes and put me on alert for all the stories that I have plans for.
Epilogue
Cole was sitting on his back porch watching Ali and their boys play. She was on her knees growling at them and they were all over her, jumping on her back at the same time and then crawling under her. Cole loved watching his wife and kids play. They did this every evening when Cole got off patrol. It had only been four years since all of the older wolves stopped phasing and Cole took his place as Beta in CJ's pack. He was happy where he was in his life.
He was living on the rez smack dab between his parents and Ali's; his kids Holden 4 and Wes 3 were the light of his life. Cole and Ali had been married for four years but they had been living together since Ali had turned 18. A year after Ali graduated high school she moved in with Cole; only months after the house that his dad and he had built was finished.
Once upon a time though, only days before Cole had asked Ali to move in with him, something happened that made him think he was going to lose his everything.
One day they were on the beach when a voice with an accent that he couldn't recognize had Cole's wolf's ears perking up. Both of the packs were there, new and old; Ali was there, but that voice Cole knew would be his undoing. Fighting his wolf every step of the way, Cole made his way to CJ. When he grabbed CJ around the neck and hauled their faces together the packs took notice, "Tell me to count the sand, Black" he grit out as his hand shook.
CJ was stupefied, he didn't know what the hell Cole was doing. Just as CJ was about tell him to fuck off, Cole gripped the back of his neck tighter. The voice grew nearer, she was calling out to him, asking for her ball back. "Make me count the fucking sand, Alpha." Cole snarled. CJ saw the angry pleading eyes of the wolf that had driven him nuts since the day they both phased all those years ago, but he did. and with a smile on his face. "Count every speck of sand at our feet, Uley. Don't do anything until I tell you otherwise." With a sigh of relief that the baby Alpha's command actually worked, Cole's arm dropped from CJ's neck and he began counting, looking at his toes counting every single speck of sand he could find.
When pink toes came into his vision he snarled at them and they quickly retreated, pulling at his wolf all the while. He was going crazy inside. The wolf was fighting with every thing he had to stop the order that the young Alpha had placed on him. Even as the heartbeat drifted away and not long after the scent did too, the wolf fought. The man smiled, smiled because he had just found a way to keep the most important thing in his life that day. He was still smiling four hours later when the sun was setting into the ocean and he was still counting sand, because without knowing it CJ had saved his sister from heartbreak and saved Cole's life in the process.
Cole and Ali sat on their deck nearly a year later; his elbows were on his knees his head hanging low. When Ali stood from her seat and crouched in front of him she asked him what was wrong with worry etched across her face. "I almost imprinted," he told her with such sorrow in his voice that she almost didn't feel her heart break. She bit back the tingle that shot down her spine, the snarl catching in her throat as her nails dug into the bare skin of his knees.
Before Ali could say anything else, Cole rushed to try and reassure her, but his words only angered her more. "It was almost a year ago Sarah, and I haven't told you because I wanted to make sure that she was gone, that it was done."
When her eyes turned into slits his words came faster, "I wasn't keeping this from you to hurt you, but you have to know Sarah that I love you and I would do anything for you. I haven't felt or thought about her since that day. The only person I've thought about is you, you are the only thing that matters to me and that's why I did what I did."
"What exactly did you do?" she asked through clenched teeth.
His breath escaped him in a rush, "As soon as I heard her voice on the beach I went and got CJ. I didn't tell him what was going on, but I made him order me to count the sand so I wouldn't look at her. Sarah, I didn't want to look at her. I wanted you. I was so fucking scared of losing you I didn't know what to do and it worked and she left and I haven't thought about her since, but you need to know this shit before I ask you to marry me."
"You're going to ask me – wait, where is she now? Is she from around here? Has she been back?" She was shooting the questions at him faster than he could answer them.
Looking up at her, a tear slipped down his cheek. "I don't know where she is now, but Aidan knew something was wrong with me that day, so he followed her when she left. That's why he was gone for a week after that bonfire. He told me that she was from England and had a life and boyfriend there. She hasn't been back, and Sarah," he said, taking her face into his palms, "I know she won't be."
He saw her mouth open, set and ready for another round of questions, "You gotta trust me, Sarah. You are my world, I'd never let my wolf do that to you."
Ali's eyes darted from left to right, reading his expression. Something in his eyes had her knowing the truth behind his words. He'd done it once, and she had faith that if the girl ever did come back he'd do it again. He'd fight for her.
Ali launched herself at Cole then, attacking his mouth with her own. Straddling his lap, she had him falling back into his seat, her tears mixed with his as she pressed her lips harder to his. When her lips roamed down his neck she could hear him telling her how scared he was, and that he'd prove his love to her everyday of the rest of his life if she'd just let him. It was that day that Cole and Ali's life changed. Less than nine months later they were married and had their first child.
CJ sat at the bonfire, nervous and fidgeting Sage at his side. He couldn't take his eyes off the ever growing fire or his hand off his wife's leg. Sage, on the other hand, was chatting on with Ali like nothing was going on and it was driving him nuts. How could she not be nervous as hell about this? Every now and then her palm would brush over the top of his hand, allowing his breath to escape in a rush. Twice now his sister had asked him what was going on with him and twice he had ignored her question.
A small body colliding with his back had CJ jerking forward on the log. He could hear Holden's laughter in his ear as his nephew wrapped his arms around his neck, "Uncle CJ aren't you going to come and play with us? Wes is whining a lot that you aren't throwing ball with the rest of us."
CJ reached around his back and pulled Holden around his body so the small boy was standing in front of him. Ruffling his hair, CJ laughed when the boy rolled his eyes and huffed, "Sure budd, I'll be there in a minute I just need to tell everyone something first."
At that, all activity from the adults around the bonfire stopped. CJ groaned at the attention, while Sage's hand tightened on his. He looked at her and smiled when he saw the blush creep up her cheeks. He shot a quick glance to Embry who had his son Isaac in a headlock, his eyebrow quirked when CJ eyes darted away quickly.
Gathering all the Alpha strength that he had, he stood bringing Sage with him. As you all know, we're here today celebrating Sage's graduation from nursing school, but I wanted to let you all know that I've gotten good news recently as well. He looked at Sage, her eyes wide knowing what he was about to say when he squeezed her hand. "Sage told me a month ago that she was pregnant -" the rest of his speech was then cut off when he heard both his mother and Angela Call cry out and then rush to Sage's side pulling her hand from his and then start with the questions.
He was looking around the pack searching for Embry when his father in law's hand slapped down onto his shoulder. He didn't jump, though; he had already put himself on high alert. Although Embry hadn't phased in years, he was still strong as hell and CJ could feel the pressure Embry was putting on his shoulder. " I was wondering when you were going to make me a grandpa. Kind of surprised it took you this long seeing as how Jake here has been one for four years."
CJ looked at both his father and Embry standing side by side, smiles on their faces, "I told you I wouldn't mess school up for her when I asked for her hand a year ago."
"That you did, and I'm glad you kept your word even through all the wedding planning."
Embry gave CJ a shake before walking over to his daughter, pushing his wife out of the way ever so gently and embracing his daughter. CJ's eyes caught his mother who was looking at him with red puffy eyes and he groaned before pulling Bella into his side, "Mom, it's going to be ok, why are you crying?"
"It's just my babies are growing up, first Ali has the boys and now you and Sage are pregnant. Before I know it, Marissa and Isaac and are going to be getting married and having babies too." At that, Bella burst into tears and buried her face into her son's side. His frantic searching for Jake had nearly all the people in attendance laughing at the scene.
Jake took Bella into his arms and soothed her, "Bells, the kids have a while before they are even going to start thinking about anything of the like."
Marissa's voice interrupted Jake's attempt to calm his wife when she screeched, "Isaac Call, you give that back to me right now or I'm never playing with you again."
Jake rubbed Bella's back when she looked to see what her daughter's outburst was about." See, they can't even get along for a few minutes, so I think marriage and babies are out for at least a little while."
Bella nodded into Jake's chest and let him lead her toward their daughter who now had her hands on her hips gearing up for a full blown tantrum.
CJ turned back to Sage who was staring at the scene along with most of the other guests and pulled her back into his chest, "You ready for that, honey?"
Sage hummed her answers as she laced her fingers through his and placed them over her still flat stomach, "More than anything, I'm ready."
Jake sat on a log not far from the bonfire watching Bella and Angela fuss over Sage. Embry was sitting beside him grumbling under his breath. Jake wasn't really sure what he was saying as his hearing wasn't what it used to be. Four years ago his son had officially taken over the Alpha roll. Jake and his pack had all decided not long after his daughter Marissa was born. Their wives were ready for them to stop, they were too really had been for a long time. The decision was made two months after his daughter was born. When Carlisle came back to Forks for Marissa's checkup he told both Jake and Bella that every thing was fine with her. She was growing like a weed, looking more like Bella than Jake every day. That day was the day that they also learned that Bella was still in the clear. In Carlisle's professional opinion the vampire venom was completely gone from her system.
Bella had no issues during her pregnancy and actually had gone nearly two weeks over due with their daughter. She was ecstatic to learn that she was able to have her daughter on the reservation although the tension of that day ran thick. Bella insisted that since Carlisle had told her everything was fine throughout her pregnancy that she wanted to try a home birth with Sue being the one to deliver. Hearing the news, both Charlie and Jake had put up a fight ending both of them in the hot seat. Charlie because Sue was more than capable of delivering babies, she had done so at the Rez clinic for nearly all of the pack members and others on the rez when they chose the at home route over going to the hospital in Forks, and Jake of course for protesting at all.
Bella had been completely different this pregnancy from what Jake could remember of the last. When Bella had been pregnant with the twins she was very mellow and had this earthy feel about her. She would often sit on Billy's front porch swinging, rubbing her belly. Cleaning the house, cooking and doing crafts had kept her busy while she was pregnant with the twins.
Her second pregnancy was very different. So much in fact, that it took Jake off-guard on the days that he would walk through the door exhausted from work and Bella would throw her naked swollen self at him. Not that he minded really, but no matter where they were, when Bella felt the need she acted on it. One time they were at dinner with Rachel and Paul when her hand had slipped under the table and began rubbing him. He had sputtered the food that he had just put to his mouth. Paul quirked a brow at him, then very loudly asked Jake in the middle of the restaurant if his pregnant wife was giving him a hand job in the middle of the restaurant. Before Jake could growl a warning at him, Bella's movements sped up and she countered with a, "Yes Paul, you never seemed to have a problem watching us before, what's the difference now?" Rachel nearly chocked on her food in horror as she snickered at her husband's bewildered expression. Needless to say, dinner ended early that night.
Bella was also quite the firecracker with this pregnancy; she had gotten so frustrated at Jake at one point that she had thrown a bowl of fruit at his head. There were many afternoons where Embry would come over to Jake's looking like he was about to cry, shove his imprint in Bella's direction and the two of them would go and sit out in the garage more scared than anything to deal with the crazy that their wives had become.
Jake chuckled, pulling Embry out of his grumbling to ask what was going on, "Just remembering when Bella was pregnant with Marissa." Embry's horrified face had Jake full out laughing while holding his stomach, "Emb, it wasn't that bad."
"Wasn't that bad?" Embry whisper yelled at Jake, who rolled his eyes in response. He had opened a can of worms with this one. "She would make me sleep with my head under the pillow, she said I was breathing too loud, and don't get me started on her and Bella ganging up on the both of us. I'm glad I got fixed after Isaac, I think I would die if you guys got pregnant again."
"Oh so that was our fault?"
"Oh screw you Jake, you know it was. Bella came over to the house all squealing about having a baby and got Angela worked up. I got the imprint eyes for almost a month before my wolf was about to break out and get the job done himself."
Jake's laughter frustrated Embry enough for him to huff and turn his back to his friend, which in turn had Jake laughing harder. Bella turned toward the sound of her husband's laughter. Jake merely shook his head and shot her a wink.
This pretty much was their life since the kids were born. Angela and Bella had been inseparable since the moment Angela announced her pregnancy to Bella, and Embry and Jake had been nearly the same. After all the years that Jake had leaned on Embry for support, Jake was more than happy to help Embry when he got the shock of his life. Everyone in the pack had often speculated about who Embry's father was, most thought that it was Josh Uley, but there was always that question in Embry's mind that it could have been Billy or Quil Ateara. It was a shock when Paul's dad had gotten sick and thought he was on his death bed when the confession came.
Apparently Paul's parents were having marriage troubles long before he returned to the rez with Paul when he was eight. He told Paul that not long after Paul was born his mother had told him that she wasn't sure she wanted either of them any more and he came back to the rez. He had known Tiffany Call from her short visits to the rez and it seemed as though Paul took after his father. It was a one night stand that led to Embry's mother getting pregnant.
Paul's dad had only been back on the rez for a month when his mother asked them to come back to Tacoma with her. Their relationship had been rocky from then until they divorced when Paul was eight. Paul's father had tried to help Tiffany raise Embry as best as he could but Paul's mother often used his affair against him and most of his money went to keeping her quiet.
When Paul had stumbled into the shop almost looking as pale as a vampire every one of the guys shot to their feet out of fear, all of them at that point were struggling with stopping phasing. Paul had walked over to Embry and pulled him into a hug that left everyone stunned. Paul wasn't a touchy feely kind of guy. The only people that he had any real contact with was Rachel and his kids.
As Paul held Embry, he kept telling him how sorry he was and that had set everyone on edge. Although Jake hated to do it, everyone was getting worked up, so he summoned enough strength to order Paul to tell them just what the hell was going on. It was then that Paul pushed Embry back whose eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. Still holding onto Embry's shoulders, Paul told him that they were brothers. There was a chorus of "Oh shits" and "Fucks" before anyone realized that the back door to the shop had been ripped off. Embry and Paul's shredded clothes were scattered only feet from the door.
Jake had phased and found the both of them surprisingly not fighting but Paul was comforting Embry and telling him how sorry he was for all the hell that he had put him through about being a bastard child. All three of them had stayed phased for nearly two days before Angela found Embry on the cliffs.
Things were rocky between Embry and his father for a while after that, but when he had gotten better this seemed to smooth out. So much so, that he was a constant in all of their lives now and after the diabetes scare and a good talking to from Billy Black, he got on the straight and narrow.
Looking at the now dwindling fire, Jake felt a tap on his shoulder. Leaning back he made enough room for her to slip into his lap before he folded her between his arms. Although his wolfy senses were nothing like they used to be, his sense of smell was still as strong as it had been, and for that he was thankful. Bella's scent wrapped around him and he rested his head against her shoulder.
"You tired, honey?"
"Just a little it's been a busy day."
Jake hummed into her neck as he kissed the spot where he had marked her all those years ago, "The kids getting along a little better?"
Jake heard Embry laugh at his question, and his head snapped up. Embry was pointing across the fire and Jake followed his finger. There on a log, barely within eyesight, Isaac and Marissa sat, hands laced together, heads resting against each other, sleeping soundly.
It was Jake's turn to grumble under his breath, causing Bella to chuckle, "You're going to have to watch him when he gets older, Embry," a slight warning in his tone.
"Oh like you watched CJ around Sage?"
"It's different, they were imprinted, I knew they'd end up together."
"Yeah, well she was still my little girl, and it didn't make it any easier when your kid was pawing all over her."
"At least you could see into his head, those two," Jake said while pointing the still sleeping kids, "are never going to phase, since the Cullens aren't going to come back, so I'm not going to be able to see what your son's thinking about my daughter."
Their conversation was interrupted when Charlie walked up behind Jake and slapped a hand down on his shoulder, "You know, those two look just like you and Bells when you were kids, act like you, too. You kids would go at it sometimes, fight and play mad, but at the end of the day me and Billy would always find you two cuddled up sleepin' somewhere. When I'd tell Bells we had to leave you'd throw one hell of a fit, Jake."
Charlie didn't say anything else before he walked away chuckling, Jake wondered then what kind of hell Charlie went through every time he caught him trying to kiss his daughter and he made a mental note to ask him about it in the morning.
Jake felt Bella's weight slump against him and he knew that she was sleeping. Holding her tight in his arms, he stood from the log. As he made his way around telling everyone that he'd see them in the morning, Bella woke to tell Emily that she would see her at the shop in the morning. Emily shook her head while yawing out her response of "I'll see you then."
Cole walked over to Jake, both of his kids in his arms and told him that Ali was getting Marissa and they were going to drop her off on their way to the house. As Jake looked over his shoulder, Ali was shaking her awake and when she whispered something into her ear she started to cry and her grip on Isaac's hand tightened. Finally Ali was able to get the two separated before she walked over to Jake and exasperated look on her face, "I told her she could call him when she got home, she wants to make sure he's ok." Rolling his eyes, Jake made his way to the car.
When they walked in the house Bella was shuffling along side Jake, all of her weight pressed into his side. Cole took Holden and Wes to Ali's old room while Ali took Marissa to her room to lay her in bed. Sitting down on the back deck, Jake held Bella in his arms.
As he looked out into the black forest Jake smiled. His wife pressed to his chest, his daughter and her husband a man that Jake and grown to love and respect were in the house singing their children to sleep, and the news that Jake was going to be a grandfather again had him reeling. The fact that his son was Alpha of a pack that CHOSE to continue phasing to protect their land, and the knowledge that no more wolves were set to phase, nor would they as long as the Cullens stayed away had him the happiest man on Earth. He was proud of his people and of his family, and the woman that he held in his arms was because she was strong enough to fight for him all those years and as he held her he swore to her that he would always, always fight for her.
Edward Cullen sat on his balcony looking out at the Vermont forest. He never thought he would love living in a place as much as he had loved living in Forks. When he had asked Erin years ago where she wanted to move this time she told him that she loved Vermont the last time they had been to the Northeast. Two weeks later they bought a house on a little more than a hundred acres, but also bordered the Green Mountain National Forest. The forest was so much like Forks that it immediately felt like home. They had stayed here longer than they should have, but honestly it was hard for them to leave.
Edward was happy today. It seemed strange to him as he thought of the reasons why he was so happy, but today, as he knew it, was their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary and from what Ali had told him earlier this afternoon, they were still going strong. Back then he had never thought the news that Bella Swan being married to Jacob Black would have been something that made him happy, but over the years, hearing about how happy she was with her life on the reservation, Edward learned to like Jacob Black. If he could keep her safe and happy then he was happy.
Edward had learned some thirty five years ago that the last wolf in La Push had finally stopped phasing, Bella's son CJ had phased for a little more than five years after his second son was born he had chosen to finally stop phasing because it had been nearly that long since any trace of a vampire was found. No one had really known why all the activity in the area had pretty much ceased, although their was speculation that a rogue young female vampire had escaped the fight that day and had spoken of the horrors that she had seen. Either way it came as a huge relief to both the Cullens and the La Push pack that none of their young were bound to the same fate that they were.
Through the years, Edward had learned that Ali had two sons, and both of them had married people from within the tribe and were starting families of their own. CJ's children, although younger than Ali's were on the same path.
One day, years ago, Edward had received a letter from Bella. He knew it was from her even before he had opened it. Her strawberry scent permeated the air in his car as he had drove up the winding drive. The letter was short but in it she told Edward how thankful she was for saving her life all those years ago and how happy she was for him to have found someone as great as Erin. Erin and Bella had met very briefly while she was pregnant, but the two had just as much in common as they had different. They had bonded over the books that they loved and the love for the Cullens. The letter also made Edward aware that her daughter was marring Embry Call's son, both of which were the same age. The two, from what Edward had learned over the years, were nearly inseparable since birth. He could smell her salty tears on the paper when she wrote about her daughter and what it was like to actually watch one of her children grow from birth and for that, she was eternally grateful to him.
Edward stiffened when he felt a set of arms wrap around the back of his neck. Erin kissed the side of his neck and her laughter had him smiling. "I got you," she whispered into his ear, her cool breath making him shiver in excitement. Over the years, with the help of Carlisle and his books, Erin was learning more about the vampire powers that she had acquired when she was turned. Not only did she not like the smell or taste of human blood, but it actually made her sick. She couldn't eat human food; she had tried that more than once with Emmett. But along the way, Erin was learning how to open her thoughts to Edward as well as close them off. When she didn't want him to hear her, if she tried hard enough he couldn't. Something that the two had been thankful for.
Erin knew why Edward was sitting here looking out to the forest. He was thinking about the past, about Bella. Erin knew that Edward didn't love Bella as he once had, but that didn't mean that he didn't still care for her, all of the Cullens did. Erin herself could see why all of them loved Bella as much as they did.
"Do you want to talk to me about it, Edward?"
Edward hummed as her nails worked through his messy bronze hair; it was always how she coaxed him into talking to her when he didn't really feel like doing so.
"Alice said that she was healthy that they both were, but I can't help but wonder for how much longer," Erin's hand stopped its movement across his scalp as she heard him swallow thickly.
"I've never-none of us have ever been close to a human still when they passed. We had completely separated from our families or lost them all together before we were turned, what are we going to do when she passes?"
Erin's hands left his hair and worked down his neck and then wrapped around as she lowered her face to his ear, "I'm not going to lie to you Edward, it's going to be hard, seeing as how close all of you are to her still, but knowing that all these years how happy she has been with her human life, how grateful even now she still is toward all of you will help. When it happens and you are having trouble coming to terms with it know that she lived her life the way that she wanted to. Know that she made it full and happy by having children with the man that she was made for and was given grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Know that it was all because of the sacrifice you made all of those years ago. You could have been selfish, Edward and let her turn, having her as yours for all eternity but you knew that's not what she wanted, and you gave her the gift of life. In return she gave that life everything she had."
Edward wrapped his hands around Erin's bringing one of them to his mouth, dropping a kiss there. He knew it would be hard when Bella passed, but he also knew that Erin would be there to help and support his family in every way that she knew how. For that, Edward would be eternally thankful to her, the one woman that was made for him.
~FIN~
I'm hoping the Epilogue did the story justice. I want to let my readers know that all of the reviews, PM's and support that I have gotten during the writing of this story has been amazing. This experience was so much fun and I have no one to thank but you.
