A/N: Today is a double posting day! Yep, here is the last chapter of The Orphan. Honestly, thank you so much to everyone that read this story and reviewed it. I was blown away by how much everyone loved it! This is probably the story I am most proud of. I want to thank my amazing team of ladies. BitterHarpy- girl you are amazing and keep me from going crazy sometimes, Maplestyle- you are always so encouraging and enthusiastic, Agoodwitch- I feel like I should give you a partial writing credit. Thank you for listening to me ramble and keeping my legal and medical stuff straight, and LaMoMo- thank you for foreign law and plot help. Thanks to AlicesWhiteRabbit for the beta skills. I could never express how much I love you and your help! Alright onto the end of this beast.

It had been almost three weeks since Edward had rescued me from captivity. Twenty-one days of Marcus trying to fix the fuckups Mikhail had caused. Five hundred-four hours of waiting and wondering when we could get back to our lives. Three weeks closer to Rose having her kid—she was a little over eight months pregnant. We were so close that I was starting to realize I may actually miss my nephew being born, and that thought broke my heart. Rose may have been my older sister, but I had supported her through the whole pregnancy until I had to disappear.

I think I felt guiltiest about that most of all. I never did that shit. I always told her everything, even when it was something I felt embarrassed or ashamed of. I loved Edward and wanted to probably spend the rest of my life with him, but my sister was honestly my best friend. There wasn't a moment in my life, pre-shitstorm, that Rose wasn't part of.

I heard the screen door creak open, and Katiya came running inside. She was wet and giggling. She had a water gun in her hand, and I heard Emmett's rumbling laugh come from outside. I rolled my eyes and laughed, going to grab towels for the two kids who had gotten into a water fight. I draped the towel around Katiya, rubbing up and down to create some friction and wipe up the water. I flung a towel at Emmett, and he caught it with his good hand.

"Aren't you not supposed to get the cast wet?"

"Please, B. In the middle of summer? I got the waterproof cast."

I laughed again, shaking my head at his humor. We all had started getting better. Emmett was sleeping better and later, instead of being up with the sun. I was starting to get full nights of sleep. If I woke up from a nightmare, Edward would hug me to him tightly and keep the nightmare at bay the rest of the night.

Katiya was on her way to being the normal kid she had started to become in McCall. She played and ran around with Emmett. Edward and Emmett were teaching her how to play sports like basketball and soccer. I refused to let them play tackle football just because Emmett and Edward were big guys, but they would throw the ball around with her.

Everything was starting to look up. Marcus had returned yesterday to give us all an update. He had moved through channels getting a new director of the FBI, he was named permanent director of the US Marshal office, and there was a new police chief in Seattle.

Katiya had been given permanent asylum, and hopefully, I would be able to file for temporary custody until her adoption went through. Marcus has told me that was the best way to go about being able to keep her until everything got approved. He was still waiting to hear back from Russia, but he assumed that it would be soon. He had sent Emmett's contact back to gather intel.

Once we heard back from him, that would determine if we were okay to come out of hiding or not. It was another one of those surreal moments. What would going back to a normal life be like? What would being able to stay in one place be like. It was something we all had in our life before this all started, but it had been over two months since there was any kind of normalcy. I was looking forward to not having to look over our shoulders all the time.

I told Katiya to go get dry clothes on and flicked a towel at Emmett, telling him the same thing. "Yes, ma'am," he said mockingly before heading upstairs to his room.

I started on dinner, and Edward came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me from behind. He kissed my neck, and I moaned, turning in his arms to face him. His arms stayed around my waist, I flung my arms over his shoulders, and gave him a kiss, keeping it PG because Katiya could come down at any time.

"Marcus called. He's going to be over here in about an hour to tell us what he found out and what the next steps are. He sounded hopeful. Bella, this might be it. We might be going home."

"Wow. I know that's what we wanted, but it's kinda scary and overwhelming to think about, right? Everything is going to change."

"Yeah, but, Bella, we talked about this. I'm comfortable with taking this, us, as fast or slow as you want. I just want you, baby," he said, cradling my head in his hands.

I nodded, grabbing his forearms. "I want you too. I'm just thinking about everything. I'm excited and terrified at the same time. Mostly excited though." We chuckled together, and Edward pressed a kiss to my forehead. I inhaled, taking in the scent of him, and relished the calm settling over me like a familiar blanket. It was insane that was all I needed to shake my nerves. His presence alone made my whole world come into focus. The entire world could explode around me, and I wouldn't worry, not with him by my side. "I love you, Edward."

"I love you too."

Edward and I just stood there in our embrace, soaking up the moment with each other. Soon, a pair of thundering footsteps, followed by soft ones, slammed down the stairs together, and Katiya came running into the kitchen with Emmett right on her tail.

"I win!" Katiya yelled, jumping up and down.

"You cheated," Emmett defended.

"Bella, I beat Emmett," Katiya told me excitedly.

"You sure did," I agreed.

"She got a head start." Emmett pouted.

I had to stifle my laughter. "Ohh, sounds like sour grapes to me. Come on, Emmett. Man up, or do you not want to admit that a girl beat you?" I challenged.

Emmett gave me his dimpled grin. "I can agree a girl has beat me—when it's fair."

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. I turned to Katiya. "Hey, pretty girl, can you come here for a minute?" I asked, gesturing to lead her out of the kitchen and into the hall. I crouched down to her. "Hey, Mr. Marcus is gonna come over and talk to us. You have every right to stay, but some of the things he might talk about could upset you."

"Do I have to stay?"

"No, honey. I just want to give you the choice. I felt horrible for keeping the truth from you for so long, and you've proved that you're very smart and levelheaded."

"I don't want to stay for the conversation, Mom. I want to forget everything about Mikhail and this whole situation. I just want to go back to Seattle with you and Dad."

"Okay." We both fell silent. I flipped one of her pigtails over her shoulder and smiled at her. She giggled, and I pulled her into a hug. Edward walked into the hallway and saw us.

"Umm, why is there a hug happening that I'm not a part of?" he asked.

Katiya and I smiled conspiratorially at each other, and we both turned as one to tackle Edward. We both held onto him and gave him kisses on his cheek, all of us laughing together. There was a knock at the door, so I jumped up to get it but was pulled back down by Edward and Katiya. Emmett walked by, laughing, and answered the door. We finally all disentangled from each other and got up to see Emmett and Marcus standing in the living room. Katiya said she was going to go color in her room. Edward, Emmett, and I all took seats on the couch while Marcus stayed standing.

"So, I heard back from my contact in Russia. Katiya's grandfather is deceased. Apparently, there was a fight for the territory, and he and his men were given the option to either pledge their alliance or be executed. He chose the second option, I guess. The new order wasn't impressed with what Mikhail or his dad were trying to do, so they've promised that anyone who tries to retaliate will be dealt with harshly and swiftly. All the people who were in Mikhail's pocket and are still alive have all been removed or incarcerated. You guys are free to go home."

Emmett mumbled thank God under his breath, Edward let out a deep breath, and I was honestly stunned. I had no idea what to say or do. All the things I had been missing, mostly my family, came flooding into my mind, and I didn't have the frame of mind to wrap my head around it.

Coming out of hiding was obviously more complicated than just popping back up in Seattle again. I would have to have an alibi for missing so much work, or I would have to get another job with a damn good excuse for my being MIA and a suspect of kidnapping. Edward's house had been shot up when we last left it, so he would have to have repairs done, and God knows the possible damage or ransacking my house may have endured. Also, I now had a child who was under my care, so I had to get her registered for school, etc. All that would be taken care of once we got back to Seattle, and Marcus needed a couple days to set that up.

"Bella, I know you're aware of where your parents and sister are."

"Yeah, they're in Phoenix. I'd like to go find them, and I want Emmett, Edward, and Katiya to come with me."

"I don't have a problem with it. I'll need to get them set up as well. Can you give me some information I need?"

We spent the next hour going over information and alibis—everything we needed to reintegrate into society. It was evening by the time we were all finished, and I invited Marcus to have dinner with us. He accepted. We all were animated and excited over dinner—there was a celebratory feeling in the air. We all decided that tomorrow we would drive to Phoenix. I could see that Emmett was really excited, and I know he wanted to see my sister.

Once Marcus left, I got Katiya in and out of the bath, Edward read her a bedtime story, and we both tucked her in. I was pulled down the hall by Edward, and he shut the door to the bedroom when we were both inside. He kissed me hard, and I caught up with him almost immediately. It was over—the running, the moving, fear, uncertainty, survival. Tomorrow, I would get to see my family, and hopefully in a couple days, Edward would get to see his.

Edward and I eventually broke apart. We had all decided to get up pretty early in the morning. It was only a two-hour drive to Phoenix, but we all wanted to get out of the house. Katiya and Edward were both excited to meet my family, and I had to admit I was excited for my family to meet two of the most important people in my life. The two halves of my life were about to collide, and I wasn't worried about it.

We spent the drive listening to music, talking, and Em and I relived stories about Rose and me when Katiya asked what Rose was like. I thought a lot about the things that Rose and I had been through on the way there. We pulled up to the house that I just knew was where they were. I was out of the car and running to meet my sister when I saw her open the front door. She got that bright smile on her face, and I tried to be gentle as I hugged her, her belly hindering me a little.

"I missed you so much, Ro."

"Don't ever disappear on me like that again, Bellsy. I was so worried that you were going to miss the arrival of your little nephew." She broke up, and I knew she'd noticed the people with me. "You brought some friends, I see."

She ushered us all inside, giving Emmett a huge hug and he pulled her in for a kiss. I almost cried seeing it, it was so sweet. When we entered the house, I was immediately enveloped in a hug by my mom, and my dad shocked me by looking close to tears. There was silence as I walked to my dad. He cupped both my cheeks, and I smiled at him. Tears started to well behind my eyes, and I knew the minute my dad saw the cuts and bruises. He pulled me into a hug, and I started to cry. Edward had done a great job of helping me heal, but there were some hurts that needed to be healed by a parent. "I'm sorry, Daddy." I was apologizing for disappearing and make him worry.

"I knew you were doing the right thing, Bells. Just like I taught you. It looks like you had people to help."

I nodded. My dad and I composed ourselves, and I stepped back to stand by Katiya and Edward. "Yeah, this is Edward Masen. He was the US Marshal who took the case. He's also … my boyfriend," I said, smiling at him. My dad and Edward shook hands. My mom pulled him into a hug, and he wasn't expecting her to. She cupped his cheek and whispered something to him. I heard him say "yes, ma'am", and Katiya and I smiled at each other. Rose gave him a scrutinizing gaze before shaking his hand. She winked at me and gave me a thumbs up when he turned to come stand by me again.

"Mom, Dad, Rose. This is Katiya. She was the little girl I took in who started this whole thing. If it goes through, she'll be my daughter."

My mom gasped and looked about ready to cry. My dad was the first to respond. He came over to Katiya and crouched down to her. "Hey, Katiya. My name's Charlie."

"Bella told me a lot about you. She said you are two peas in a pod."

My dad chuckled at that and nodded his head. "Yeah, we sure are, kiddo. I can't wait to spend some time with you and get to know my granddaughter."

Katiya gasped at that and flung herself into his arms. He chuckled again and hugged her back with as much enthusiasm. I smiled at Edward with tears in my eyes. He kissed me on the forehead and wiped the tears away. My mom was the next to pull Katiya into her arms and talked to her about all the things they could do together. Rose wasn't in a position to crouch down, so she gave Katiya a hug to the best of her ability and told her that they'd have to chat later. Katiya smiled at her, nodded, and headed back to my side. She put her arms around my waist and hugged me. We all sat down and talked a bit, telling them what we could about what had happened, which unfortunately wasn't a ton.

My dad, Emmett, and Edward kind of congregated in the kitchen, drinking a beer together. My mom, Katiya, Rose, and I all talked about what was going to happen now. We spent the day together having lunch and dinner, and my heart was finally full and happy. We had more room at the house in Flagstaff, so we all pitched in to get everyone packed up. They were going to move there with us until Marcus had everything set up in Seattle. Then we would all go back home. It felt like just another chapter had closed, and I was ready for the next one.

4 months later

Less than a month after we got home, Rose had Colin, my nephew. She and Emmett had chosen the name together. When they got back to Seattle, it was like there was no time spent apart. They were probably closer than they'd been in high school, and I was thrilled to see my sister so happy. Rose always carried a sadness with her, and when Emmett came back into her life, it was like it had never been there. They were engaged and were getting married in a few months.

When we got back to Seattle, Edward got to reconnect with his family. I already knew Esme and Alice of course. I knew Carlisle from the hospital and the handful of times I'd spoken to him, but I actually got to sit and have a conversation with him this time. Katiya loved her aunts Alice and Rose, each of them healthy and happy inspirations for her. Katiya decided to let her blonde hair grow out again, and I knew it was because of Rose. Katiya was now legally my child, and Edward and I decided we would wait to get married for him to adopt her. My mom and Esme were amazing grandmothers to her, and Carlisle and my dad great granddads. Carlisle talked to Katiya about books and got her interested in reading more advanced stuff. My dad taught her how to fish, and Emmett, Edward, Carlisle, and my dad had already taken her on a big fishing trip.

Edward and I decided to live together. I sold my house, not really interested in holding on to it, and since Edward's house had been repaired, Katiya and I moved in there. Katiya had started 3rd grade and was making friends quickly. She was worlds away from the kid she had been when I first met her and even from a few months ago. She had confidence, a quick wit, and was kind and well spoken. She had a sassiness that I was starting to realize she was picking up from me and her aunts.

Edward and I seamlessly worked together as parents and as a couple. We weren't in a hurry to get married, but we were engaged. It didn't take long after we got back home for him to ask. He said there was no need to wait because he couldn't see his feelings getting anything but stronger. I had to agree with him.

Looking at our lives now, you would never guess where we were six or seven months ago. It was a dark time in all our lives, and even though we were spread out apart from each other through it all, it was something we all endured together. As scary as it was, I would never wish it away. The night I met Katiya was the beginning of my journey. She made me a mother. Edward made me a fiancée. I had found out how truly strong I was. I knew I had that fighter deep within me, but it wasn't brought out until I had faced off with Mikhail. I also knew I had that maternal instinct with Katiya, and Edward and I would do anything to make sure that little girl had a happy and healthy life,

The ordeal may have ended months ago, but I knew this was just the beginning of our lives together, and with all the people I surrounded myself with every day, I knew we could and would get through anything.

A/N: And that my friends is the end. Leave me one last review and let me know how you feel! There is more coming from me, so join my fb page, my acct or my collab at CullenGaff. Love you all!