Dead Man's Party

Chapter Eight

Epilogue

By the time the citizens of Forks and La Push woke up, the area had been expunged of zombies. Several sweeps of the area were conducted throughout the following week, and there were no remaining zombies to be found. Everyone in the town assisted in cleaning up the aftermath. Zombie carcasses were taken to where the Forks Horseshoe Motel once stood. The fire department destroyed them in a controlled fire. They were still stunned by the purple smoke emitted by the burning bodies. Still, they attributed it to the strange chemicals used in the cellulite study. They did not know of the existence of vampires, after all.

The first thing Charlie took care of was to fire the four rookies, who hibernated in the motel rooms during the crisis, for dereliction of duty. The Forks Police Department had no room for cowards or slackers. There was still work to be done. Zombies continued to roam the United States. Forks was simply fortunate that they were the most isolated city in Washington State, possibly the entire country.

The thousands of walking dead that had marched into his town were relatively few compared to the ones marching in other directions. At last check, the zombies were making their way up and down the Western part of the United States and were approaching the Midwest. They had also spread into Canada as well. How these very slow-moving creatures managed to spread their virus so quickly was a mystery to him.

Charlie briefly wondered if the crisis would spread into Florida and turn his ex-wife into a zombie. On second thought, that might upset his little girl. At least she lived in the farthest possible state from Washington where her influence on Bella would be minimal. He still couldn't believe Renee dated a mobster involved in criminal activities and exposed their daughter to them. At least they shared useful firearm tactics with his kid that came in handy during the zombie crisis, and most important, kept her safe.

Charlie fulfilled his responsibility as a public servant and called the governor's office to inform him of how to destroy the zombies. Unfortunately, by then, the governor himself was a zombie. So the police chief contacted all the major branches of the U.S. Military plus the head of the Washington State Patrol. Charlie was soon asked to address the combined U.S. House and Senate to explain how the zombies were destroyed.

Most states handled the situation on their own by activating the National Guard and having them team with local law enforcement. No one waited for the federal government to decide. It was a good thing, too, because, by the time the crisis was brought to an end, the two major political parties were still bickering about the best way to take care of the situation. Some idiots in congress even brought up the matter of zombie rights, which prolonged issues even more.

As word got out to the news media about the heroics of the citizens of Forks and La Push, many people were given recognition. Lieutenants Lahote and Marshall each received the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor. In addition, the Citizen of the Year Award was given collectively to all the people of Forks and La Push.

Retired First Sergeant Joe Cameron received the Medal of Honor. In addition, he was offered a job at the Forks Police Department. While he had to attend the police academy for five months, his new career suited him as he could stay at home to raise his family. His son Jason went with him to the police academy, switching careers from being a prison guard to a police officer. Jason married Leah soon after his career change. She, too, became a police officer. After all, there were four available positions. This time, Charlie hand-picked everyone. The final position was awarded to Tyler Crowley, who desperately needed the job and had proven his bravery throughout the battle.

As life returned to normal, so did that of the kids. Many colleges and universities had closed their doors for the year. For this reason, plans were put on hold for a year. The recent graduates of Forks High School stayed at home and assisted with the rebuilding of Forks. La Push had not been damaged. Charlie didn't mind. It gave him an extra year with his daughter.

Angela Weber and Tyler Crowley had a shotgun wedding—literally. Her father carried a shotgun while conducting the ceremony with an angry scowl on his face. The entire town was surprised that the good Reverend Weber's daughter was the one who ended up pregnant. They all thought it would be Lauren Mallory. Ultimately, the couple were quickly married in the church before their family and friends. Tyler became a police officer, while Angela became a dental hygienist. They would eventually have eight children causing Reverend Weber to reverse his stance on abstinence and preach the merits of birth control.

Lauren and Mike went away to college together at the University of Washington, one year after the zombie invasion. They both majored in business, and together they expanded Newton's Olympics Outfitters, opening several locations throughout Washington and Oregon. They, of course, got married and lived in Forks, Washington, where they raised their two children.

Jacob Black married Katie Marshall. He took over his father's repair shop in La Push while she worked for Mrs. Mallory as a hairdresser. Lauren's mother was still fuming mad that her daughter decided not to follow in her footsteps and take over the salon. She blamed that awful Mike Newton her daughter had married for interfering with her plan. She was, however, happy that her daughter and son-in-law waited until they were secure in their careers before giving her grandchildren.

Jared Cameron ended up becoming a chef at a five-star Seattle restaurant. He went to school in New York at the Culinary Institute of America. He received accolades for his knife work. No one who had seen him wielding a machete during the zombie invasion was surprised. He and his imprint Kim lived in Seattle.

Paul Lahote attended Washington State University and majored in communications. He became a weatherman for one of the local T.V. networks in Seattle. He was especially popular with the female viewers who loved his smile and his sexy physique.

Paul imprinted on Rachel Black while at Washington State University. Billy Black was so shocked by the news that he had to be transported by ambulance to Forks Hospital. Carlisle Cullen diagnosed him with having a panic attack. Apparently, the thought of having Paul Lahote in the family was enough to spiral his nerves out of control. It took Carlisle several hours to settle the man down and stop him from bawling his eyes out.

Eventually, Billy calmed down and accepted the relationship. He was invited to the Cullen home for dinner about a month later. Esme had some friends from Denali, Alaska, bring Alaskan King Crab legs directly from Tracy's King Crab Shack in Juneau to feed her human friends. All the kids were home for the summer, so she wanted to celebrate their return. Besides, Alaskan King Crab Legs was a favorite of Bella's, and Esme loved to indulge her. During the party, to his surprise, the tribal chief discovered he was the mate of one of the visiting vampires, a gorgeous succubus named Tanya Denali. Esme, in the end, kept her promise to find Chief Black a wife. Billy married Tanya immediately before she could change her mind.

Billy and his wife were now living in La Push, where he was unashamedly still the tribal chief. The treaty had been dissolved, and a new alliance was formed between the wolves and the vampires. Billy becoming a vampire seemed to suppress the wolf gene. Although vampires resided in the area for many years, no other youth changed.

Billy still went hunting and fishing with Charlie and Harry. Neither was afraid of him. In fact, after his new wife bought him a new forty-foot yacht to use for fishing, he became the most popular guy on the reservation.

As for the vampires, Dr. Carlisle Cullen created a fund to assist in rebuilding Forks using Edward's fortune. He also established a scholarship fund for the La Push wolves to further their education. The other thing he did was buy a new vehicle for Bella after hearing her truck had been destroyed with the Forks Horseshoe Motel. Rosalie personally selected it for her friend.

The vampire family remained in Forks for an additional fifteen years. Dr. Cullen stepped in when the town had trouble finding a new science teacher to replace Mr. Banner. People wondered how he found the time to work the overnight shift at the hospital and work as a teacher during the day as well. They didn't bother questioning anything. They were simply grateful for the contributions he had made to the area.

Esme Cullen decided to work as the school lunch lady at Forks High School. She was, by far, the most popular with both students and staff. The students loved her because the food tasted spectacular. Likewise, the cafeteria staff loved her. By the time they arrived at work, all the meals would be prepped and ready. Then, all they had to do was serve the food and clean up.

After her shift ended, Esme always headed to the Swan home to prepare dinner for them. She loved the family so much and thought of them as her very own. She also remodeled their entire home for them, and by the time she left Forks, the Swan home was unrecognizable, having undergone multiple renovations in fifteen years. None of the Swans minded. They knew that the vampire was bored, and they were happy to give her something to do to kill time. After all, staying awake 24/7 for 365 days a year for all of the eternity had to be monotonous.

Emmett and Jasper spent their evenings playing Dungeons and Dragons with Embry, Quil, and Jacob. For the first year, they also helped the boys, who still had an additional year of high school, with their homework. Quil, of course, took over his grandfather's store after college. At the same time, Embry ended up becoming a science teacher at Forks Middle School.

Quil and Embry attended college together at the University of Washington. Jasper and Emmett went with them so they could continue to play Dungeons and Dragons. They even formed a club. But, of course, Alice and Rosalie tagged along. After graduation, the vampires returned to Forks. They moved back in with Carlisle and Esme so they could continue playing D & D. Rosalie helped Billy out at his auto repair shop. On the other hand, Alice continually revamped the wardrobes of the Swan household and the wolfpack. She made sure to buy them things they liked instead of what she wanted.

Garrett Adams didn't stick around in the area. Instead, he rushed off to Denali, Alaska, after Peter told him that one of the succubus sisters was his mate. It turned out to be accurate, and he was still there basking in the glory of love. He found it ironic that Billy Black was now his brother-in-law.

Peter and Charlotte stuck around in Forks for fifteen years before moving back to Oklahoma. Pete got along well with the Swans. He assisted Charlie in solving cases and found he enjoyed it. The friendly vampire also had a sweet spot for Bella. She was like the kid sister he'd always wanted but never had. The citizens of Forks thought the vampire couple were simply eccentric, as they seemed to spend a lot of time traveling. Once a month, they'd go away for a few days, always returning more content and looking healthier. Those in the know, of course, knew they went hunting for their meals well away from the area.

Peter and Charlotte purchased the property where the Forks Horseshoe Motel once stood. They constructed a large, modern home and outfitted it with a secure weapons storage area to store the cache of weapons used in the zombie war. Peter also built an automated indoor shooting range where many townspeople, especially Bella, Charlie, and Joe, enjoyed practicing their skills. When the couple eventually returned to their home in Oklahoma, they deeded the entire property to Bella and Sam. In due course, the couple moved there, but it would be many years before it happened. Peter and Charlotte returned once a year to visit with the Swans and Uleys even after they left. They stayed in the small in-law apartment they had built for themselves on the property.

Police Chief Charles Swan was eventually awarded the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. He became a national hero. He also won Time Magazine's Person of the Year Award and People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. The latter didn't surprise him one bit. He was a Swan, and they were a beautiful lot. He thought people only had to look at the gorgeous daughter he produced. She was all Swan—a combination of brains, brawn, and devastatingly, good looks. Peter presented him with a trophy that read, "Arrogant Bastard of the Year," after hearing that comment.

Charlie was asked to write his experiences down and published a memoir of the events, ghostwritten by Bella and Sam, called "Dead Man's Party." He also published a how-to manual called "The Step-by-Step Guide to Zombie Annihilation." Both books landed on the New York Times Bestsellers List for over two years. While he could have retired for life with the profits from the sales of the books, he lived humbly. He remained the police chief until his retirement when he became the Mayor of Forks, Washington. Not one person attempted to run against him.

Charlie was happy living in Forks with his family. Tiffany worked as a nurse practitioner at the hospital until the first grandchild was born. It should be noted that Bella and Sam did not produce the first grandchild. Instead, Embry and his imprint Bree Tanner first made the Swans grandparents. Bree was from Idaho and had attended the same university as Embry. When she showed up at a D&D Club meeting, Embry suddenly imprinted on her. After the couple married, she became a teacher at the elementary school.

Charlie and Tiffany did not have any children together but continued to raise their blended family. The couple persuaded Bella and Sam to remain in their household until they graduated from college. Sam rented out his house in La Push to Angela and Tyler for many years. In fact, they still lived there. For Sam, it was additional income and helped him pay for living expenses during college and vacation money after he started his career. Bella and Sam never ended up living in La Push, opting to live in the home Peter and Charlotte gifted to them. They really had no choice. They had to make sure all the weapons in the house were secure.

Sam attended college at Seattle University to earn his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology. At Bella's encouragement, he received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at the University of Washington immediately afterwards. Everyone was completely surprised when he and Bella didn't attend college together, especially as they were imprinted. However, the couple felt that being mated shouldn't come at the exclusion of following their dreams.

Charlie and Tiffany visited Sam and Embry often in Seattle. Charlie, especially, became a father figure to both boys. He provided a listening ear when they needed advice and welcomed them home during holidays and vacations. Tiffany doted over all three kids, sending them monthly care packages, usually with a bit of spending cash tucked in between the cookies. She took particular pleasure in mothering Sam, whose own mother had all but abandoned him after he became a wolf.

Bella, on the other hand, chose a completely different path in life from Sam. She attended West Point, the United States Military Academy, where she majored in Defense and Strategic Studies. While there, she excelled in the curriculum and found the time to participate in extracurricular activities such as the Combat Weapons Team, the Law Enforcement Tactics Club, and the Pistol Club. She also joined the Rifle Team and became the NCAA Collegiate Rifle Champion for all four years. At first, Bella's skills with various weapons raised more than one eyebrow amongst the instructors. But they soon discovered she was the esteemed Police Chief Charles Swan's daughter and had been a principal participant in the Forks Zombie War. After discovering that fact, they had a better understanding of where her skills had come from. She wisely did not tell her instructors at West Point about her mob training.

Bella's decision to attend West Point had come at her father's disappointment. Charlie had wanted her to become a doctor. They got into a heated discussion at the diner the day the acceptance letter arrived, and by the following day, most of Forks knew about it. Those who had been at the diner recalled how on edge they had felt during the emotional exchange between father and daughter.

"Bella! You were supposed to become a doctor. We even watched all 251 episodes of MASH together, so you'd become one! Twice!"

"Dad, that was always your dream for me."

"But you popped that bullet out of Angela's arm like a pro. Carlisle was impressed by your skills."

"Be that as it may, I don't want to become a doctor. Daddy, you're the one who said you wanted me to follow my dreams. Were you lying to me?"

"Of course, I wasn't lying to you, but West Point is a military college. You have to serve in the Army for eight years after you graduate in exchange for the free education!"

"I don't see any issues with that. It's a built-in job and I'm saving you and mom money. It's a win-win situation."

"It's a dangerous job. You could get sent to war!"

"Dad, I'll be fine. I've already been in one war, and I survived."

"This isn't a joke! You won't be dealing with any namby-pamby zombies! I'm talking about wars where the enemy shoots back at you. The kind where you can be held hostage by guerillas and terrorists. I don't want you coming home in a body bag. I won't be able to handle that. Can't you understand how important you are to me?"

"Dad, you're important to me, too, but this is a wholly separate issue. I want to go to West Point because they have the major that I want to study. I don't want to major in Pre-Med."

"Kiddo, I don't think they will let me serve in the Army with you after you graduate from college," Charlie said earnestly.

"Of course not, Daddy. I have to do this alone. You know this."

"Just come home to me, Bella. I don't think I can handle Sam by myself."

"I promise."

"Well, then, Bella. You have my blessing to go. Just remember, you're a Swan. If you're going to do this, you do it with honor and integrity. I want you to show them that just because you're from a small town, doesn't mean you don't have what it takes to become a leader. You stand out and make me proud!"

"I learned everything I know from you. I'll be fine."

After that, father and daughter had shared a big piece of chocolate cake, and the residents of Forks were able to breathe a sigh of relief. After all, two Swans in contention with each other was not good for town morale.

Bella graduated at the top of her class at West Point before her proud parents and their spouses. Peter and Charlotte Whitlock, Carlisle and Esme Cullen, and First Sergeant Joe Cameron also attended. Joe, in particular, had been a font of advice throughout the years. Sam and Embry, too, were there.

The speaker for the commencement was Charles Swan, the Chief of Police of Forks, Washington. Bella thought she had been ripped off. She should at least get to hear someone new and exciting speak at her graduation instead of her father. She had been listening to him talk for her entire life.

On the other hand, Charlie thought it was only fitting that he spoke at the ceremony. After all, he had loaned his daughter and her fine tactical skills that he taught her to the college for four years. On top of that, he was about to begin eight long years of constant worrying as she began her military service. Above all, Bella was the apple of his eye.

Immediately following graduation, Bella and Sam were married in a lavish wedding ceremony planned by Tiffany Swan, Esme Cullen, Charlotte Whitlock, and Renee Dwyer. All of Forks and La Push attended the nuptials and the raucous reception afterward. The couple went on a two-week honeymoon to Hawaii before Bella began her required service in the military, and Sam started his Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Bella performed honorably as an officer in the military intelligence unit for five years in Virginia and Germany. Afterwards, she served the required three additional years of service in the Army Reserve while working as a special agent in the F.B.I.'s Critical Incident Response Group. Bella found it to be more to her liking, especially as she was assigned to be part of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) division. The Army, she found, did not have as much action as she had hoped.

When Bella began working for the F.B.I., she was assigned to the busy Miami office. Sam moved there, too. He quickly found employment as a physical therapist at a hospital. They were finally able to begin their lives together as a married couple. They worked hard at advancing in their careers but always made time for each other, going on vacation yearly to simply bask in their love for each other. Eventually, the couple decided to start a family. So, after eight years with the F.B.I., Bella retired and returned to Forks with Sam. He continued working as a physical therapist, opening up his own practice.

Bella gave birth to two sons in two years before searching for a new career. Grandma Tiffany had retired and offered to babysit the boys while Bella worked. She attended the police academy and worked for her father at the Forks Police Department. With her experience in the military and the F.B.I., she moved up the ranks quickly. By the time Charlie Swan retired to become Mayor of Forks, Washington, a new Chief Swan was installed at the Forks Police Department. Police Chief Isabella Swan-Uley was just as loved and respected by the citizens as her father. From time to time, Charlie liked to remind her that as the mayor, he was still her boss.

And so, our tale must come to a close. In the end, Forks was saved from the walking dead by an intrepid young lady with an idea, her charismatic and resourceful father, a few friendly vampires and shapeshifters, and the heroic actions of the citizens of the area. All of whom refused to let their town fall to a bunch of decaying, brain-hungry bozos from Seattle.

Sam and Bella continued to simply love each other.

Oh, and yes, Bella got to keep her fancy gun with the silencer. Of course, she used it often, too.

And they all lived happily ever after. The End. Almost.

P.S. Following family tradition, both Bella and Sam's boys became prom kings during their respective senior years of high school. It didn't surprise Charlie one bit. After all, they had inherited his good looks just like their mother had.

P.P.S. Oh, and Charlie's dream of having a doctor in the family came true. One of Bella and Sam's sons became a prominent physician in Forks. The other followed family tradition and eventually became the Chief of Police, taking his mother's place when she retired to become the state governor. With a Swan at the helm again, Forks, Washington would be safe and secure for another generation.

Now, it's the end. For real this time.