A/N: Thank you so much for sticking with me through this story! Thanks for rec'ing, reviewing, and supporting it! I truly appreciate each and every review. Give yourselves a big hug for me!

This is the last full chapter. The epi will post on Monday. I know… I can hear "End of the Road," by Boyz 2 Men in the background as well : )

Scorpio11 – Man, this one put you through your paces! Sorry for my errors, but thank you for making it a much better story to read.

SMeyer owns…I do not infringe.

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29.

##

"God, do you know you could fuck up a wet dream?" Jared asked his brother when he called him during his lunch break to find out what their parents had said about Carlie being there that morning. After Jacob told him the whole story, he was so shocked at his brother's behavior he could hardly speak.

"Dude, don't you start now. I've got Dad on my ass, and Mom is pissed off. I'm glad Carlie wasn't pregnant, but now Dad knows what a fuck-up I am, and he was so mad, he walked out. Mom's been sitting in the kitchen for an hour waitin' for him to come back. She won't even look my way," Jacob told him.

"I'm gonna ask you a question? Do you know why he left? Was it because you're so fuckin' stupid that you're gonna throw away a free ride in hopes of making an assload of money and having your ass on television? Or, was it because you were fucking stupid enough to say you're not a Masen, you're an Uley? That is one of the dumbest fucking things I think I've ever heard out of your mouth, and I've heard a lot of dumb shit out of your mouth, Jacob. How would you feel if he'd said that shit to you?" Jared asked, hoping his brother could see the error of his ways, but seriously doubting if he was having a light-bulb moment.

"Fuck," he heard Jacob groan. It was as he'd suspected…his brother had missed the big picture.

"After everything the man has done for us, including offering to talk Mom into raising your kid if you'd knocked up Carlie so you could have it in your life, you go and disrespect him? I swear to God, I don't think we were raised in the same house. You better go find him and fix this shit. I'll see if I can get out of here early, and I'll go with you to talk to him, but you really need to think some shit through, Jake. Bye," Jared instructed as he hung up the phone and slipped it into the pocket of his scrubs.

He hurried back to the admitting desk in the ER where he worked as an orderly, and checked the board, seeing his Uncle Carlisle was in Room 3. He walked to the room and knocked on the door, waiting for someone to acknowledge him. "In," he heard his uncle call.

He opened the door and walked inside, seeing his uncle holding a chart and speaking with Mrs. Cope who'd lived on Bennett Circle years ago. She'd moved into a nursing facility, and they'd lost track of her, but seeing how much she'd aged reminded Jared he took a lot of things for granted, and life didn't slow down for anyone.

"Dr. Cullen, um, is there anything I can help you with?" Jared asked.

Carlisle Cullen turned to look at him and smiled. "Jared, you remember Mrs. Cope. She used to live next door to you guys on Bennett Circle. She won't remember you because she's suffering from late stage dementia, but didn't you guys paint her cat years ago?" Carlisle reminded, causing Jared to laugh as he thought about the series of events that led the Uley family to meet the Masen family, namely the man who would become his father. That memory reminded him of his purpose.

"Um, could I talk to you for a minute?" Jared asked.

"Sure. Mrs. Cope, I'll be right back, and we'll get you settled upstairs," Carlisle called loudly to the woman in the bed who appeared to be somewhere other than Exam Room 3.

When the pair walked outside the room and the door closed, Jared asked, "Is she okay?"

"Well, the nursing center is having trouble regulating her blood sugar, so I'm going to admit her and see if we can get a handle on it. Poor thing doesn't really know what's going on, but she's still very sweet about it. So, what can I do for you?" Carlisle explained.

"Um, well, there's been a blow-up at home between Jake and Dad, and I kinda feel like I need to go try to help smooth it over. Um, Dad actually left because Jake said somethin' stupid, and I'd like to try to find him because Jake says that Mom's sittin' in the kitchen crying. I can come back to make-up my time this afternoon," Jared offered.

"Oh, wow. Well, yeah, go ahead and take off. Don't worry about your time. Do I need to stop by when I'm finished here?" Carlisle asked.

Jared thought for a minute and decided it was really something that needed to be taken care of within the family. "No, I don't think so. We've always been able to work things out before, and I'm sure we'll figure it out," Jared responded. He turned to leave, and then had another thought. "Uncle C, he'll come back, right?" Jared asked.

Carlisle walked closer to him and put a reassuring hand on Jared's shoulder. "Your dad is one of the kindest, most easy-going people I've ever met. If he felt it was best to leave after the fight, he did it so that he didn't say something he'd regret later. I promise you, he'll come back. You might want to swing by our place and maybe check the diner," Carlisle suggested. Jared nodded and left.

He climbed into the Expedition Bella and Edward had sold him when they bought his mother a new car, and he drove passed the diner where their father took them to breakfast when he wanted to have father/son discussions. Just as he was about to turn toward home, he noticed his father's new Mercedes in the parking lot. He pulled into the lot and parked next to it, making his way inside.

He saw his dad sitting at their regular booth by himself, and Jared's heart sunk when he saw the look on his face. He walked over to the booth and waved at Maria, their regular waitress, and she smiled at him.

"So, Dad, what's with the disappearing act? Mom's sitting in the kitchen waiting for you to come home," Jared announced as the waitress brought a larger carafe of coffee and another cup for Jared.

"Shit. Well, I'll send her a text and let her know I'll be home after I eat. Aren't you supposed to be working?" Edward asked as he pulled out his phone. He sent a quick text, then tossed his phone on the table.

"I was, but I talked to Jake on my lunch break. Look, Dad, he's a douche a lot of the time. Hell, he's a selfish douche most of the time, but he didn't mean that shit he said about being an Uley, okay? He knows just as well as I do you love us, and you're just trying to keep him from fucking up his life," Jared informed, seeing his father look at him with pain on his face. It was a look he'd never seen before on Edward Masen, and he wanted to kick his brother's ass up and down Bennett Circle.

"Jared, I believe I've always treated you and Jacob as I've treated Charlie and Garrett. In my heart, you boys are as much mine as they are, and hell, you and Jake taught me how to be a good dad, which I think I am. I know that your brother isn't thinking clearly, and I know why, but I won't lie and say his words didn't hurt," Edward told him.

"Dad, he's just…hell, I don't know how to explain it, but he's as stubborn as a mule. Believe me…we both know how lucky we were when you and Mom got married. I'd say he was just freakin' out because he thought he'd knocked up Carlie, and he knew you'd be disappointed. Jake's way to handle shit is to lash out at people, and well, what's that old saying…we always hurt the ones we love?" Jared offered as Maria brought Edward his cheeseburger and fries.

Edward chuckled as he bit into his burger. When his cell phone chimed on the table, he picked it up and read the text, dropping his burger and reaching for his wallet.

"What's wrong?" Jared asked with concern.

"You're brother took off to Alaska to go see your…Sam. We need to get home. Your mom's beside herself," Edward called as he tossed the money on the table and quickly left the diner.

"That fucking idiot," Jared remarked to himself as he made his way to his SUV. He was definitely going to kick his brother's ass up and down Bennett Circle as soon as he found him.

##

Jared sat down at the table with his mother who was clutching a piece of paper and crying. "Mom, you should have kicked his ass," Jared offered as he sipped a soda and ate a turkey sandwich his mother had made him after he'd showered.

"Honey, as much as I'd like to beat your brother senseless, this is a situation that requires a bit more finesse. You didn't have to take off, you know," she told him as she steeped a teabag in her mug, appearing to have calmed somewhat.

"Yeah, well, I agree with Dad that he's not thinking clearly after the pregnancy scare, but…" Jared started. By the look on her face, he knew he'd stepped in it but good.

"Pregnancy scare? You mean he and Carlie thought… Shit. Nobody told me," she gasped.

"Sh…crap. Dad didn't tell you? Mom, don't get mad at him, okay? Jacob said that Carlie's not pregnant, but Dad said if she was, you guys would take the kid and raise it. He was tryin' to do the right thing," Jared explained, hoping he was somehow making it better.

"I'll try to be back tonight, but I can't guarantee it. I have no idea how this will go," Edward remarked as he walked into the kitchen.

Jared saw his mother stand up and wrap her arms around his father. When Edward looked at him for any explanation, Jared just shrugged. He'd been certain there would be an all-out war over the information he'd just overshared, but the fact that she was hugging his dad made him happy.

"Edward, I love you," Jared heard his mother whisper as she stood on her toes and kissed his father. He felt like he was intruding on their private moment, but he believed his exit from the kitchen would be more of a disruption than just keeping quiet.

"Bella, I love you, too. I'll try to talk some sense into him," Edward promised. With that, they left the kitchen, leaving Jared alone. He heard the front door close softly, and a minute later, his mother walked back into the kitchen, drying her eyes.

She sat down at the table and looked at him with a smirk. "So, you and Kim are living together in Chicago?" she challenged, catching him off guard. He'd always been vague with his father when the question came up, but he could tell his time was up.

He let out a heavy breath. "Yeah, we are. I love her, Mom," he responded honestly. He saw the smile on her face, and when she rose from her chair, walked around the table, and hugged him, he was shocked. He'd expected the hellcat he'd experienced over the years.

"Your grandma Liza told me I'd see that look on your face one day. I don't know that I believed her then, but now that I've seen it, I'm happy. So, tell me about it," Bella remarked.

The relief Jared Masen felt down to his bones allowed him to tell his mother about his life in Chicago. It was something he'd ached to share with her, and finally being able to explain things to her allowed his heart to soar. He was grateful he wasn't carrying the secret any longer. It was time she knew how much Kim meant to him.

##

Jacob pulled up to the small house in La Push where Ida and Harold Uley lived. He hadn't seen his biological grandparents in years…well, since their son had abandoned him and his brother, and he was looking for answers. He hadn't told his mother he was going to see them, but when he left the house, he saw she was still in the kitchen waiting for his father to return, and the tears were still falling. He knew it was his fault, but he couldn't comfort her.

After his discussion with Jared, he knew he needed some answers regarding why he felt the way he did about the almost pregnancy and the subsequent fight he'd had with his father when he'd tossed out the idea of entering the NFL draft and dropping out of college.

He knew it was irrational, but he felt like things were out of control, and he needed to get some of it back. He'd said awful things to the man who'd adopted him, and as he sat in the driveway staring at the small house, he knew the question that haunted him for years needed an answer: Why had Sam Uley so callously tossed him and his brother aside?

He slowly walked onto the porch and knocked. He only wanted to know how to find the man who had fathered him, and the only way he knew to do so was to talk to Sam's parents.

A small, old woman came to the door and looked at him blankly. "Yeah?" she asked. Jacob could tell she didn't recognize him at all.

"Good afternoon. I was wondering if you could tell me how to get in touch with your son, Sam," Jacob asked, waiting to see any hint of recognition in the woman's eyes.

"Sam? Oh, Sam doesn't live here. He's in Nome," the woman told him flatly.

"Uh, yeah, I know, but do you have a phone number I could call or an address?" Jacob asked.

"Who is it?" Jacob heard from inside the house.

"Some man lookin' for Samuel. Why do you need to talk to Sam?" she asked.

Just then, a man walked up behind the woman. Jacob recognized him as Sam's father, Harold, but the man didn't seem as daunting to the twenty-year old as he had to the eleven-year-old boy.

"Who you?" Harold asked. Jacob didn't see any recognition on his face either.

"I'm a…uh…I used to know Sam, and I'd like to get in touch with him. You know, just to see how he's doing. I was friends with his two older boys," Jacob lied.

"Older boys? Sam only has two girls. Leah and Susie. He don't have any boys," Ida replied.

Jacob felt the same stabbing pain he'd felt years ago when his biological father had told Edward and his mother he'd give them up. It was no easier to deal with.

"He had boys at one point. He was married to Bella Swan, and he had twin boys, Jacob and Jared," Jacob responded.

The couple looked at each other, and the man pushed the small woman behind him. Jacob towered over him, which once again reminded him how he didn't really remember the one-week-a-year that he and Jared spent with them. How they could have completely forgotten them, Jacob didn't know.

"I think your mistaken, son. Now, you'd better go before we call the police. You're trespassing," the man announced. Jacob was taken aback for a minute. Then, he just got pissed.

"Harold, I know that Sam had older sons because I'm one of them. I'm Jacob, and I'd like to find my father," he announced, seeing the look of surprise on their faces.

"Oh. Where've you been? Your mother took you away a long time ago, and your dad tried to find you," Ida informed.

"No, my mom didn't take us anywhere. Sam gave us up. He signed over his rights to us, and someone else adopted us. I want to talk to him. Can you just give me an address?" Jacob asked.

Ida walked away, leaving him and Harold together at the front door. The man was eyeing him skeptically, but Jacob didn't feel the need to make small talk. They hadn't welcomed him with any kindness whatsoever, so he felt no need to be cordial in return.

Ida returned with a piece of paper and handed it to him. "Here. Whatever the problem you have with your dad, we're not involved. Your mom made his life a living hell with all of her demands for money, and he had no choice when that man threatened him," Ida volunteered.

"That's not what happened at all. Sam quit paying her child support, and when our house burned down, the man who eventually adopted us took us in and took care of us. Sam walked away willingly, and I wanna know why. Don't worry, I won't be back," Jacob announced as he grabbed the paper and left.

He drove home and packed a bag, having booked himself a roundtrip ticket to Nome, and he left a note for his mother that he was going to talk to Sam. She wasn't in the kitchen when he left, so he didn't have to answer her questions about why which made him happy. He didn't really know why.

He drove to Seattle and boarded the flight to Nome, Alaska. When he arrived, he caught a cab to take him to the address Ida had given him, and when it pulled up in front of the house, he was surprised.

It was a large log house. There was a SUV in the driveway, a few bikes by the garage, and a swing set on the front yard. "Hey, you got a card? I'll call you when I'm ready to leave," Jacob called to the driver. The guy handed him a card with his number and Jacob paid him the fare.

After the cab drove away, he picked up his duffel, wondering why he'd bothered to bring clothes because he knew if he got any answers whatsoever, he'd get on the next flight home. He needed to talk to Edward, his real dad, and he needed to do it soon.

He walked up on the porch and knocked on the door, having deposited his bag out of sight behind a bush in the yard. When two little girls came to the door with big smiles and dark eyes, he knew he was looking at the two sisters he'd never met. "Hi," one called to him.

"Um, hi. Is your dad or mom here?" he asked. Just then, he heard, "I told you not to open…oh, um, hello. Can I help you?" the woman he remembered as Emily asked. She looked older and much more haggard than his mother, but she still had kind eyes.

"Hi, Emily. Is Sam here?" Jacob asked, seeing recognition settle. He also saw a scar on her face he didn't remember being there when they'd seen her over summers after she and their father had married.

"Oh, Jacob. Honey, come in. Girls, go back to the kitchen and clean up the table. Dinner's almost ready," Emily announced. Once the girls were gone, she motioned him inside and closed the door.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"I don't want to barge in. I'm fine," he replied, feeling self-conscious.

"No, now, come on. You're here, and I have more than enough. After we eat, I'll send the girls to their rooms, and we can talk. Look, um, they don't know about you and Jared, and in light of things that have happened recently, right now isn't the time to tell them," Emily informed. He nodded and followed her into the kitchen, seeing it was quite nice with new appliances and countertops much like they had at his home.

They made small talk regarding Jacob and Jared's college endeavors, jobs, and everything else in their lives. Emily had told the girls that he was a friend of the family, and they bought into it easily. After dinner, he helped Emily clear the dishes, and after the girls left the two of them alone in the kitchen, Emily grabbed two beers from the fridge and sat down to face him.

"So, Jacob, what brings you here after all these years?" Emily asked him. He took a hearty swig of the beer and noticed it was nearly 6:00 PM, so he knew that if he was going to get a flight back to Seattle and get home at a decent hour, he needed to make quick work of it and get on the road.

"I came here to ask Sam why he gave us away," Jacob replied, seeing the shock on her face at his blunt phrasing.

"Oh. Um, Jacob, I wish I had a clear-cut answer for you. Hell, I wish I had a clear-cut answer for Leah and Susie. Sam took off a couple weeks ago, and we haven't heard from him since. I have no idea where he is or why he left, but he just packed his shit and left while I was at work. He's not the man I thought he was, and he didn't have any problem leaving his daughters behind," Emily remarked.

"Oh, he didn't have any problem leaving us behind either," Jacob commented harshly.

"You know, I tried to reason with him about that, but he just…well, he's troubled. No, bullshit on that. He's an alcoholic, and I'd venture a guess the kindest thing he ever did for you and your brother was give you up so someone else could take care of you. He's a mean drunk. My girls and I have had to bear the brunt of it, but he's gone now, and I'm not sorry about it at all. How is…," she began just as there was a knock at the door.

"I'll be right back," she called as Jacob finished his beer. He heard her say, "May I help you?"

As he sat in the kitchen alone, he heard the familiar voice he'd heard for years, and it brought tears to his eyes. "I'm Edward Masen. Is my son here?"

Jacob rose from the table and rushed to the only father he'd really ever known, and he cried. As Edward embraced him, Jacob knew exactly what a disservice he'd done to the man. "Dad, I'm so…" he began.

"Shh. You didn't do anything that wrong, okay? It was just a stupid fight, and that shit happens. You can't take off on us, okay? Your mom is sick with worry, and you need to call her and tell her you're okay. Jake, you know I love you, and even though I didn't appreciate what you said, I know you didn't mean it, okay? I know you were freaking out because of the other thing, and it's a confusing time, but you have family who loves you and you owe us some consideration, okay, son?" Edward told him.

Jake nodded and pulled back, drying his eyes and looking at a stunned Emily standing there, not quite sure what to do under the circumstances.

"Emily, this is my dad, Edward Masen. Dad, this is Sam's wife, Emily. Apparently, he's taken off on her like he did us," Jacob advised.

"Oh, I'm sorry for your situation, but it's nice to meet you," Edward replied, extending his hand. Emily shook it and smiled.

"I'm so happy Jake and Jared have a man like you in their lives. I always cared about them, and I can say while it was harsh of Sam to give them up, they've had a better life with you than he'd have ever provided because his shelf life is just about ten years. My daughters, well, they don't know why he left, but the way he was at the end, I'm actually glad he did," Emily volunteered, unconsciously touching the scar on her cheek.

Jacob felt sorry for the little girls, but he knew he and Jared had fared so much better with the path their lives had taken, and while he had no idea why Sam Uley had given them up, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt his dad, the man who had adopted them, showing them only unconditional love, was truly meant to be the dad the two boys needed. With that realization, he determined it was the only answer he needed.

Just then, the two little girls came into the living room with shy smiles on their faces. "Who are you?" the taller one asked.

"Um, I'm Edward. I'm Jacob's dad. What's your name, beautiful?" Edward asked.

"I'm Leah and this is Susie. Do you wanna have a tea party?" the little girl asked. Emily laughed.

"Girls, Mr. Masen and Jacob probably need to get going because they've got a long flight back to Seattle. Mr. Masen, are you hungry? We just finished dinner, but there's leftover casserole," Emily offered.

"Oh, Mrs. Uley, thank you, but Jake and I need to get to the airport. I'd like to talk to you in private for a moment, if that's okay," Edward remarked. Emily nodded and lead him into the kitchen.

Jacob stooped down and looked at the girls who were his half-sisters. "So, do you play soccer or baseball?" he asked, thinking of his little sister, Charlie, and how athletic she was.

"No. Do you?" the smaller girl, Susie, asked.

"I played soccer and football in high school. I'm in college now, and I play football. I have a little sister a bit younger than you, and she plays soccer and baseball," Jacob volunteered.

"You look like Daddy," Susie remarked, giving Jacob pause. He knew Emily didn't want them to know he was their brother, and he had to respect her wishes, but he longed to tell the truth.

Instead, he hedged. "Well, you look like your mom," he replied with a smile.

"'Cept we don't have a scar. Momma fell and cut her face. Is your momma pretty?" Susie asked.

Jacob pulled out his wallet and produced a family picture they'd had taken years earlier. It was Christmastime, and they were dressed in holiday attire. He showed it to the girls, and pointed to his mother. "That's my ma, Bella, and my brother, Jared, and that's Dad," he explained.

"She's pretty. He looks like you," Leah commented, pointing at Jared. He looked at the photo and saw how happy the family looked which reminded him he needed to call his mother.

"We're twins. Um, I need to call my ma. I'll be right back," he replied, rising from the floor and stepping out onto the front porch.

He dialed the house phone, and heard his mother's voice, "Jacob Charles, where the hell are you?"

He laughed because it was so much like her. "Ma, I'm with Dad. We're getting ready to go to the airport. I'm sorry about everything, and I'll make it up to you, I promise," he told her.

"Jacob, you don't have to make anything up to me. You just need to come home," Bella told him in a shaky voice.

"We'll be home soon. I love you, Ma," he called over the line, feeling the tears again, which pissed him off.

"I love you, too, son," she responded. That was really all Jacob Masen needed to know. It no longer mattered why Sam Uley had abandoned him and his brother. The thing that mattered most was that his dad, Edward Masen, had come to Alaska to bring him home. It spoke volumes to him and made him more grateful than he'd ever been in his entire life.

##

Edward followed Emily Uley into her kitchen. He knew that he owed the woman an explanation for showing up at her home unannounced, and he wanted to secure a promise from her, if it was possible.

"Mrs. Uley, I'm sorry to show up here unannounced, but Jacob didn't tell us ahead of time that he was coming here. He left a note, and well, he's my son and I needed…" he began. She held up her hand for him to stop.

"Mr. Masen, you owe me no explanation. Jake told me why he came, and I'm sorry to report that I have no answers for him, but I don't actually think he needs them anymore. Whatever dispute you had at home…and I'm sorry for overhearing the conversation…I think it's moot now. He knows where he stands with you, and I think that's more important to him than anything he could find out here," she offered with a soft smile.

Edward nodded in agreement. "Yes, well, regardless of how old they get, they're still your kids. I wondered if perhaps there would be any way we could stay in touch? I don't mean on a regular basis, but I think Jacob and Jared should have the opportunity to get to know their sisters someday. I mean, if you're up for it," he offered.

He saw her ponder his suggestion before she walked to a drawer and pulled out a pad, writing something on it and handing a piece of paper to him. "After the dust settles, I'd say six months, give me a call, and we'll see what we can do.

"Right now, with the turmoil of Sam disappearing, I just think it's too much for the girls to know Jacob is their brother, but some day, I'd like for them to know him and Jared. You've raised a remarkable son, Mr. Masen, and I'm certain Jared is the same. Please, call me in a few months and we'll assess, okay?" she replied.

"Sure. Mrs. Uley, please don't get offended, but do you need anything? Are you and girls okay?" he asked quietly, hearing Jacob talking to the little girls in the hallway.

The woman smiled at him, rose up on her toes, and kissed his cheek. "I truly hope and pray there's an Edward Masen in my future. We're fine, but thank you for your offer. Now, do you need a ride to the airport?" she asked.

"Thank you, but I rented a car. Thank you for treating him so kindly. He's been through a lot lately, and well, I'm sure it meant a lot to him to at least meet his sisters," Edward whispered.

"No, it meant a lot to me to see what a wonderful young man he's become. I look forward to hearing from you," Emily replied as she led him back to the hallway.

"Jake, we'd better hit the road. Young ladies, maybe sometime in the future we can have that tea party because my daughter, Charlotte, isn't exactly the kind of girl to play tea party. Take care of your mother. She's a wonderful woman," Edward told them as he shook their little hands, seeing them smile and giggle as he wiggled their arms.

Jacob kissed Emily good-bye on the cheek, hugged the girls, and once they were outside, he grabbed his duffel bag. "Okay, Dad, let's go home," Jacob said as he climbed into the rental. Edward smiled because it rolled off his tongue so naturally, and in that moment, he knew things would be okay.

Over the years, there hadn't been too many instances in Edward Masen's life where he'd had an altercation with his older sons, and he hoped they were few and far between in the future. As the two of them drove back to the airport with the radio playing quietly in the background, Edward thought about the circumstances that had brought him to this point in his life.

When he'd met Jacob and Jared Uley, though unofficially, they'd egged his car in an effort to slow him down in the neighborhood. At the time, he didn't know that, but after the explanations they'd given him for their behavior on Bennett Circle, he thought the boys were special.

Over the years that he'd been married to their mother and after the adoption, he'd realized just how special they actually were. They weren't actually bandits, or felons, or vandals. At the time, they were two young boys who saw problems and figured out how to handle them, however unconventional their efforts might have seemed.

If anyone had asked him what the future held for him that weekend he'd stayed at Bella Uley's home to assist her after she fractured her shoulder, he'd have said he was just helping a neighbor.

In reality, he was getting to know an incredible woman who had two equally incredible sons. When the smoke cleared, he'd fallen in love with Bella and her boys, and he knew his life had changed forever.

Looking back on it, and thinking about his other three children who were home waiting for him to bring their big brother back, he knew what a charmed life the Masen family had.

Emily Uley made him realize life wasn't always roses and rainbows. There were a lot of shitty people out there who didn't give a damn how their behavior affected others, but he knew in his heart he'd helped Bella raise their children with a sense of responsibility and compassion for their fellow man. He'd seen it with Jacob talking to the two little girls who didn't know he was their brother, and the fact he didn't tip them off told Edward that his son actually got it.

In his life, he'd never been prouder of any of his children than he was of Jacob that evening, and he knew the future would only hold more moments like it.

He knew when Jacob graduated from college…because he was going to graduate from college if Edward had any say in the matter…he'd stand in the crowd and hoot and holler for his son just as any other father in the crowd.

He knew when Jared graduated from undergrad and then medical school, he'd do the same thing, and he'd support Jared every step of the way as he embarked upon his residency.

And when Charlie and Garrett figured out what they wanted to do with their lives, he'd support them regardless, and he knew in his heart the woman to whom he'd been married for years would stand by his side, hold his hand, and let him know they'd made the right decisions together.

He laughed to himself when he thought about a pink and green cat and a ladder that had brought them all together. The Bandits of Bennett Circle hadn't been bandits at all. They'd been the key to the most incredible life Edward Masen could have ever imagined, and as he drove to the airport in Nome, Alaska, he could only smile. His life had been incredible, and no one…absolutely no one…would ever tell him otherwise.

\\\

E/N: *sniff, sniff* I hope it lived up to your expectations. As many of you mentioned in your reviews, it would be highly unlikely that something major wouldn't have happened between Edward and at least one of the boys, under the circumstances. Hope you like how I resolved it.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to hearing from you.

Till next time…xoxo