EPILOGUE

FAST FORWARD FEBRUARY 14, 2010 NEW HAMPSHIRE.

CARLISLE POV

Over the last 62 years, Jasper and I had our ups and downs. There were many slips. Some intentional, but more than that were unintentional. He always projected his disappointment in himself and thought I would have nothing more to do with him. It took a lot of convincing, that I loved him unconditionally. Though I was disappointed in the number of times we had to move. I encouraged him and loved him.

We also had a lot of fun times. Between Jaspers and my money. We had more money than we could ever spend. We had homes all over the world. We had a penthouse in New York during the late 60's-early 70's. We went to Woodstock, and Studio 54. We participated in The Stonewall uprising in '69 and vacationed in P-Town. The love of my life was right. Slowly but surely, we were being accepted in the world as homosexuals, even if we couldn't be recognized as vampires.

Today, however, we were fully being accepted and recognized as two gay men, allowed to legally marry.

JASPER POV

It was cold out, thank God we were vampires and didn't feel the cold. We met in the garden of our home, which Alice, Esme, Rosalie, and Bella decorated for us beautifully. Aro, Caius and even Marcus, who hadn't left Volterra in millennia, joined us on this special occasion. Aro even performed the ceremony.

We both wore white tuxedos, with Mountain Laurel boutonnieres, the state flower of Pennsylvania, as a nod to the day we met in Philadelphia.

Edward and Bella escorted Carlisle and stood as his witnesses, and Peter and Charlotte did the same for me. Edward and Bella's daughter Renesmee was our flower girl. We loved her to pieces. It was too cute when she would say Grampa Carlisle and Uncle Jazz.

Aro then started the ceremony.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness a monumental joining of these true soulmates. This is the first legal same-sex marriage of the vampire community.

If anyone should see just cause, why this couple should not be joined, please speak now or forever hold your peace.

Everyone turned then to look at Caius. He just rolled his eyes with an annoyed look and waved us ahead

"Do you Carlisle, take this man to be your husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward. For better for worse, for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and honor and cherish, for as long as you both shall live?"

He looked into my eyes, without hesitation…

"I do."

"Do you, Jasper, take this man, as your husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward. For better or worse, for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, to love honor and cherish, for as long as you both shall live?"

"Yes, I do," I answered, and I saw his eyes well up with venom tears that would never fall.

Do you have the rings." Edward handed Carlisle a ring. And Peter handed one to me.

"I, Carlisle, take you, Jasper, to be my friend, my lover and my husband. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity. " Carlisle said to me, as he placed the ring on my finger

"I, Jasper, take you Carlisle to be my friend, my lover, and my husband. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity." I said as I placed the ring on his finger

By the powers vested in me by the State of New Hampshire, and by God. I now pronounce you husbands and partners for eternity. You may kiss your husband.

After a brief reception, of mostly dancing and alcohol-spiked blood, we were off in our limo for our honeymoon.

We walked hand in hand, in the airport, to catch a flight to an island, I purchased for us off the coast of Greece. Carlisle looked down at our conjoined hands, he brought my hand up to his lips and brushed them across my knuckles.

"Love, do you remember me telling you, I would remind you of the day you predicted we would be able to walk hand in hand, without anyone batting an eye," Carlisle asked me. I looked at him, and his bright smile, and the same twinkle in his eye the first day I met him.

"I do, babe but I am going to go one step further. Kiss me you old fool." I then grabbed him around the waist and pulled him to my chest, as he wrapped his arms around my neck. I plunged my tongue into his mouth. We only broke apart with all the 'awwws' that surround it us at our boarding gate. Carlisle then pulled out our marriage certificate and announced.

"We just got legally married" And we were cheered as we boarded our flight.