This final chapter is dedicated to rosellebec for the fabulous feedback and wonderful support she has given me in this story, my other stories, my "mini-story", schoolwork, and well, LIFE. I hope you like the ending, Megan, since you've been so coy about which team you're on. I appreciate you so much!
Epilogue: Edward's POV
A year and a half later…
"Daddy!" a very familiar voice shrieked as footsteps bounded into my bedroom. It snapped me out of my sleep, but I still wasn't quite ready to wake up.
A little body jumped onto the bed—actually, right onto my stomach. What felt like an Emmett-style kick to the gut definitely woke me up.
"Oh!" I said in reaction. "Son, what's wrong?"
"Daddy, wake up!" my daughter squealed as she joined her brother on the bed.
I opened my eyes to see the apples of my eye two inches from my face, hot breath blowing on me. EJ and Abby were watching me with excited grins on their faces, waiting for me to react.
"What's wrong, my loves?" I asked sleepily.
Abby looked like she was ready to explode with excitement. "Happy Daddy's Day!"
Daddy's Day. Pure love radiated through me as I realized what she meant.
"Abby, it's Happy Father's Day," EJ rolled his eyes. "Happy Father's Day, Daddy."
I laughed at the exchange. "Thank you, loves!" I exclaimed, suddenly rolling over so they were on their backs beneath me. They giggled and protested as I tickled their bellies and then kissed their faces. "You guys are so sweet!"
"Daddy, you gotta shave," Abby crinkled her nose as my stubble scratched her face.
"I'm sorry," I replied, pulling her shirt up and blowing a raspberry on her belly.
"No!" she cried with a smile on her face. "EJ, help!"
EJ decided to save his sister by squirming away from me and jumping on my back. He sat on top of me like a horse and gave me a playful smack. "Leave my sissy alone!"
"I surrender!" I announced melodramatically. "I surrender!"
Abby laughed as I fell on the bed next to her in defeat. EJ rolled off of me and sat on my pillow. "We gots you presents," he informed me, "but Mama said to wait until she cooks you brecky."
"Don't tell him, EJ," Abby said with a sassy eye-roll of her own.
Recognizing his word for breakfast, I promised him, "I'll keep your secret," and sat up to pull them both into my lap. "You guys are so big," I marveled, squeezing them in a hug.
They really were big. They were now thirty-three months old, which I suppose should have been translated as "two years and nine months." They were now capable of dressing themselves (of course they required assistance with tight clothes, buttons, and zippers) and could carry on conversations. The pediatrician said that they were ahead of the curve in vocabulary and sentence structure, but I knew that was because of Bella's avid reading and talking to them. Bella and I were also potty-training them. Of course, we had our own reason for that one…
"Where's Mommy?" I asked them.
Abby wiggled away from me so she could stand up and whisper in my ear. "She's cooking," Abby revealed. "You have to stay here."
"Oh," I said.
But my wife didn't take long. She came through the door, her swollen belly entering before she actually did, with one of the TV trays Alice had bought for her during her bed-rest days. "I see my sweet bugs woke Daddy up for me," she said brightly.
"Yep!" EJ exclaimed. "Can we bring him brecky?"
"Yeah, I'll meet you in the kitchen," she replied. My bugs scrambled off of me and ran into the hallway. Bella bent down to kiss my lips. "Happy Father's Day, sweetie."
"Thank you, love," I replied, putting a hand on her belly. "You really didn't have to do anything—"
"Of course I did," she cut me short. "Enjoy the home-cooked breakfast while it lasts, you silly man."
"Mmm," I replied as she kissed me again. "How are you feeling…?"
She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, and they're fine." She rested a loving hand on her belly.
Bella's pregnancy had been a surprise, considering we weren't even discussing marriage and more children when we discovered it. It was, as Emmett called it, an "oopsie" but definitely not a mistake. But the real surprise had once again popped up at the ultrasound: twins again! To say that we were astounded was an understatement, considering that Bella was on birth control. But I suppose that since my fraternal uncles were triplets, and Bella's mother was a twin, we shouldn't have been surprised. So we had a rather quick wedding, bought a bigger house in Forks, and I was currently in the process of legally adopting EJ and Abby as my own. I wanted all of my loves to have the last name of Cullen. I also didn't want Abs and EJ to feel like I loved the new babies more than I loved them, because that was simply ridiculous. I had loved the bugs like they were my own since before they were born.
I was a bit more shocked than Bella because I was still getting used to having two children. Now I was about to have a total of four. It really did blow my mind, but I quickly adjusted to the idea and now I couldn't wait for them to pop out. Luckily, Bella was just as excited as I was. Our families were ecstatic as well, but no one was more excited than EJ and Abby.
"Stay here," she said firmly. "You're going to have breakfast in bed whether you like it or not. And I better go to the kitchen before a disaster happens."
"Yes, ma'am," I faux-scowled. "These pregnancy hormones are—"
She grinned and interrupted me with a kiss. "Shut up, dearest husband."
"Yes, dearest wife," I snickered.
Feeling playful, she shook her bottom at me before leaving the bedroom.
"I definitely want to see that again!" I called after her, making her giggle.
After a few minutes, they all came into the bedroom, EJ and Abby carefully holding plates of food. Bella placed them all on the TV tray, handing me a mug of coffee.
Bella, feeling a little winded after her work, climbed into bed and laid next to me.
"I cooked the toast," Abby said proudly, sitting between Bella's legs and resting her little head on the baby bump. "Is it good, Daddy?"
"It's very good," I promised her after I sampled a bite.
"And I gots you a present," EJ said a little gloomily, "but Mama said we have to wait until you're done eating."
"I can't wait to see it, little man," I assured him. "I'll eat fast. But you guys—my EJ, my Abby Hope, my Bella, and the new babies—are the real gifts. You all mean more to me than anything else."
"Mmm, I love you," Bella murmured, kissing my cheek.
Of course the mention of the new babies stirred Abby up. "When are they going to be here?" she whined.
"Three months, sweet girl," Bella said soothingly, stroking Abby's hair in that way that managed to comfort all of us. "You better enjoy having Daddy's arms to yourself."
Both Abby and EJ took that as an invitation to jump on top of me just as I swallowed a bite of toast. The piece of toast got lodged in my throat, and I started to gag…
It was just another little drama in the life of a busy parent. After Bella laughed and patted my back until I coughed it up, the little drama had been taken care of. But of course Abby and EJ were immediately contrite and apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Daddy!" they exclaimed.
I coughed a little. "It's okay, loves. I'm fine."
But they still insisted on giving me apology-kisses.
Little did they know just how those sweet kisses had gotten me through so much. It made me a bit sentimental as I thought of the past year and a half. It had been a rollercoaster-that was for sure-but things were shaping up nicely. Of course we still had our little dramas—a choking daddy, a hormonal mommy, the transition to the world of big-kid beds—but it all worked out in the end.
"Mommy, I gots to go potty," Abby whispered, jarring me out of my thoughts.
Bella winced. "So do I," she said, patting her tummy. "Edward, I hate to ruin your breakfast, but can you help Abby? I'm about to have an accident."
"I have to potty, too!" EJ exclaimed.
Speaking of little dramas…
Okay, announcement time. Yeah, there's a reason I left the epilogue so open to possibilities. And this probably won't surprise anyone, but after 94% of voters wanted a sequel...well, you're getting a sequel.
It will be called "Aftershocks." And since you've made it through fifty-three chapters, you get to read an extra-long summary!
Aftershocks: Sequel to 'Battle Scars' (Rated T)
Bella chose Edward to be her love and a daddy to her children, but life didn't magically turn into a fairy tale. While she works out details of her divorce and custody arrangements, her love life suddenly becomes the hot topic in La Push and Forks. Edward is madly in love with her, but he is scared of "coming on too strong" while she heals from her failed first marriage. Meanwhile, Abby and EJ are steadily making the transition from infants to toddlers, and that includes giving up EJ's precious 'baba.' But what happens when Bella finally commits wholly to Edward and winds up pregnant with twins? A shotgun wedding with lots of new beginnings are in the cards for Bella, Edward, and the bugs. Of course the Cullen family is there to help, but Bella and Edward will have to learn how to face life as a couple-and how to be doting parents to an expanding brood of children.
And yeah, there will be a ton of fluff and Daddyward moments, just because I'm a strong believer that he's the best! Also prepare for Grandpa Charlie, Nana, Doc, Uncle Jazz, Aunt Alice, Uncle Em, and Aunt Rose (and their baby!). And of course EJ and Abby are going to be mischievous as they hit the terrible twos. It's going to be a fun story to write.
I really hope you guys read the sequel. I'm sure the new story will be posted sometime this week, while I'm on Thanksgiving break. Like I've said before, I am so very thankful to all of my readers and reviewers! I hope this has been a fun ride for you and I hope that the sequel will be even better. Honestly, I can't believe you guys have stuck with me for this long-and that you want to read even more!
I love y'all!
P.S. In a review, let me know if you have any questions or issues you would like to see addressed in the sequel.
