Epilogue

It had been 6 weeks since the battle and the Cullens had been true to their word. They'd stayed until they were certain everyone's injuries were as healed as Carlisle could help with. And the theory seemed correct. As Bella healed, Edward could hear less and less of what she was thinking, not that it had been all that clear even at its worst. Bella was very relieved to have her thoughts to herself again. And not that she was planning on ever running into the Volturi again, but it was even nicer to know that she had her mental protection back against their psycho nonsense.

"Dad, did you want to watch the movie with Paul and me tonight? I made snacks for dinner, so if you want more than chips, dips, and hors d'oeuvres, you're on your own.'

"Thanks, Bells, but Sue is making fish fry for me and Billy. She still won't tell us what Harry used to put in his breading, but thank goodness the secret didn't die with him!"

Bella chuckled while taking the buffalo chicken dip out of the oven. "Glad to hear Sue won't let you two eligible bachelors starve."

Charlie blushed. "We're all old friends, Bella. Don't go thinking anything else."

Bella nodded and decided not to call her dad on the fact that she'd noticed he'd put on cologne and his 2nd nicest shirt for dinner. "Well, have a nice time. Paul will be getting here any minute."

"You kids have fun. And behave," Charlie added with his cop face.

It made Bella giggle. "Dad, I promise your rules will all be followed. Paul respects you too much to not."

"Oh, PAUL respects me, hm?" Charlie grouched, but with a smile threatening. Charlie could see it in their interactions, but it made him feel good to have Bella confirm it.

"Alright, I'm heading out. G'night, Bells," he called on his way out the door.

She heard Paul's voice in the front room and the 2 men exchanging pleasantries. And suddenly he was in the kitchen with her. Bella smiled wide up at him. She couldn't imagine ever getting tired of seeing him walk in a room towards her.

Paul thought there was very little in this world he wouldn't do to be on the receiving end of that smile. Bella was the worst liar ever and had no poker face, so that smile conveyed a lot.

"I love it when you're here," she said, jumping up into his arms and hugging him.

"I love being here with you," he responded before kissing her, "especially when there's food!"

She pretended to swat him, but was happy to feed him.

"You ready for this?" she asked, grabbing the various plates and bowls of food she'd prepared. Paul grabbed the rest without being asked. She liked that he was attentive like that.

"I don't know. I've heard things about the Veronica Mars movie," he said warily.

"There's good and bad. It should be watched regardless of which camp you're in just so you can have an informed opinion before you jump onto the Marshmallow fan pages and argue," Bella teased.

He smirked at her. "Speaking from experience, Ms. Swan?" he teased back.

She snorted, "Hardly." Paul kept staring at her. "Okay, maybe I've looked at them a few times, but I never comment."

"I KNEW it!" Paul laughed.

"Actually, there was one page that listed the best LoVe lines from the show that I kinda liked."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Well, the one that reminded me a little of my life was when Logan talks about their story being epic," Bella blushed, but just a little.

"Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. Epic?" Paul quoted.

"That's the one," Bella chuckled. "Your memory is amazing, by the way. But it got me thinking that it could've ended up that way for me. If I'd kept dating Edward. I just have this sense that it would've all gone horribly wrong and more lives would've been lost and blood shed and certainly spanning years and continents."

"So when Veronica asks him if he really thinks a relationship should be that hard-" Paul started.

"-and then he says nobody writes songs about the ones that come easy. Yeah, that's just it. Personally, I'd rather skip the epicness. I do think relationships can be hard, but I think the best parts can be really easy."

"You better finish that thought, Swan, before I finish it with something dirty," he waggled his eyebrows and pulled her onto his lap.

She laughed and shook her head. "You're incorrigible. No- I just mean that loving you is as easy as breathing. And yeah, there's been some battle and bloodshed, but that's not the part I love best."

Paul looked thoughtfully at her, "What do you love best?"

"This," she said simply as she slid her hands up to his face. "Just being with you. You and me together. Life. The possibilities of all that comes next. Because as scary as all the unknowns are, we get to do them together."

Paul kissed her brainless after that. He was overcome with the care and tenderness that he always felt from her. When he finally broke the kiss, she was a little dazed, but really happy.

"I love you so damn much, Bella Swan."

"Good," she said- because monosyllabic was all she could manage right then-, and then pulled him back to her to show him how much she did, too.

They did finally watch the movie. There was whining (Paul) and sighing (Bella) and laughing (both), but they were happy to be doing all of it together.

And while nobody writes songs about the relationships that come easy, maybe a few people do write fanfiction about them. Perhaps it's not so much epic as just a little magical.