I feel as if this epilogue needed two songs. So one made it at the beginning! If you have questions about anything you could check the Sergeant Masen Christmas, or PM/Tweet me. (You'd probably have a better shot on Twitter...) Enjoy!


Heartbeats fast, colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I love you for a thousand more

Time stands still, beauty in all she is
I will be brave, I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath, every hour has come to this
Thousand Years, Christina Perri


"Edward!" I snapped exasperatedly.

"I'm trying!" He responded, equally irritated.

"Why is he crying?"

"I don't know!"

"Give him here," I demanded tiredly. I took the crying baby into my arms and tried to call him down. He quieted a little once he was in my arms but was still pouting, tears on his red cheeks.

"I don't know why we thought we could do this," Edward said warily.

I shot him a resentful look. "We didn't exactly plan this."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "You say that like it's my fault we're stuck with him!"

"Well it is!" I retorted. Christian had calmed down after I had given him his pacificer and started rocking my body back and forth with him.

Edward who saw the change in the baby relaxed his tense shoulders and fell back against the couch in relief. I rolled my eyes. I had to give him credit though, he tried with all of his might with this whole baby thing.

I looked down at the infant in my arms who was staring back at me with bright blue eyes full of life.

Carlisle and Esme had the cutest kid known to history.

My little brother Christian Allen Cullen had joined us on June 2nd, ready to take on the world like the little warrior he is. He was perfectly heathly, Esme having done everything humanly possible to ensure his healthy arrival.

He got the name Allen after Alice. Esme and her had really bonded over both of their pregnancies, and Esme wanted to honor Alice's strength, saying that if her son turned out to be half as brave and strong as Alice, than she would be happy. Alice and Jasper were also named Christian's godparents. Carlisle and Esme had talked to me and Edward about this not sure if we would be offended, but we interrupted them and told them he would be our brother, and that was that.

"When will Carlisle and Esme be back?" I asked anxiously, peering at the clock, but being careful not to distrupt my rocking.

"Soon I hope," Edward sighed. He looked so lonely on the couch, looking on at Christian and me.

Technically speaking, it was his fault that we were currently babysitting. He had volunteered us this morning when Carlisle mentioned that he and Esme had to leave the cabin and run home for a couple hours.

I glanced down at my brother to see that he had calmed down a lot more and seemed to even be getting tired. Chancing the wrath of the baby, I walked over to Edward and slowly sat down on the couch next to him. We both waited a second, holding our breaths. It was let out when Christian didn't seem to notice that the rocking and standing had ceased.

Edward put his arm around my shoulder and pulled us closer to him. His the fingers on his free hand traced Christian's tiny foot gently. I smilied up at him and nestled closer against his body.

"He's so much more enjoyable when he's not crying," Edward commented, no hint of annoyance in his voice. I laughed quietly, agreeing and also thinking about what an incredible understatement this was.

"Hey buddy," Edward cooed, ticking his belly lightly. Christian's lips around his paci quirked up and his eyes sparkled. He had gotten Carlisle's eyes but they lit up like Esme's.

I smiled, watching him interact with Christian. As I had obseved in Alice's pregnancy, the soilders I know all get ridiculously freaked out about babies. All four of them were scared about the idea of Alice and Jasper's baby Riley, and they were just as frightened of the idea of Esme having a baby.

Turns out that worry was misplaced.

All of them turned out to be excellent with children, babies especially. Hell, if anyone was bad with babies, it was Rose. She tries, I'll give her that, but she's just not that...nurturing,.

It warmed my heart and made my ovaries flutter when Edward interacted with my brother. He was so amazing with him. Seeing my big strong soilder cradling a seven pound baby like he was the most fragile thing in the world for the first time was not something that I would forget soon, if ever.

We both wanted kids, and we knew that from the beginning. Edward I think will always be hesitant about becoming a father. Hopefully after we have children he will lose the reluctance. But I understood why he was nervous about the idea. He hadn't exactly had the best of father's when he was growing up.

"I can't believe he's three months old," I shook my head in awe. The summer had flown by as summers always seem to.

"I can't believe this is our third summer together," Edward marveled, just as in awe as I was. I grinned up at him.

The years since I had wrote that first letter to the sergeant I found online had gone by so quickly, I felt like I had just blinked. Even his deployment which had felt like a decade when we were living through it seemed to have flown by.

"Technically this is our first full summer together," I smiled. We had enjoyed each other from Memorial Day through Labor Day without anything to tear us apart.

I thought back to last summer and how on random days and at sparatic times, he would come up and give me a kiss. When I would raise an eyebrow at this, he would just shrug and say, "I've never kissed you on August 3rd." I loved that man.

"I don't want to go back to school," I whined. Edward rolled his eyes. He liked college! The whole learning part that is. I didn't understand this.

Well, that was a lie, I really did understand his reasons. He had spent years in the army, fighting. It was nice for him to be able to just sit in a classroom and not worry about anything other than listening to lectures.

"You only have two years left. We both know it'll be done before you even know it."

"How about we drop out, and kick Rosalie and Emmett out of the house and then never ever leave," I suggested.

Marquette, the university that Rosalie and I attended didn't require freshman to live in dorms though most did. Emmett and Edward were going to University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Edward only had one year left as he had done a year while he was overseas and had finished one before he joined the army.

Rosalie and I really just didn't feel the need to live in crowded co ed dorms and share showers. There was a certain maturity to both of us that came with dating soilders that happened to be at least four years older than us. So Edward and Emmett had bought a house in between the two campuses without telling us. The four of us were all living there as one happy family.

"And what would we do with all this together time?" Edward teased.

"Practice making our own Christian's." And with that I leaned up and pressed my lips against his, not surprised when he eagerly responded and then we were in a full blown make out session that was leaving me more hot and bothered than I cared to admit.

I jumped away from him like he bit me when I heard a throat clear.

"I think Carlisle and Esme are home," I whispered. Edward who had the view of the door nodded.

"Well this is awkward."

Sheerpishly I turned around, the apple of their eyes in my arms. Esme and Carlisle were standing with eyebrows raised at us. Esme wasn't doing that great of a job hiding her smirk and Carlisle wasn't even trying. Hell, he was laughing.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" I asked awkwardly.

They had caught us making out before. They'd caught us doing other stuff that one would presume led to making Christians. But never had we actually done this with their son sandwiched in between us.

"I don't care when and where you do it, but save my son the trauma," Esme told us with mock sterness.

I snorted. Edward smirked at me but I ignored him. "'Cause you two have been chaste since his birth."

Esme opened her mouth to defend herself but Carlisle spoke first. He wasn't concerned about defending his sex life. As it turns out, quite the opposite actually. "We got the go ahead two weeks ago!"

"And go ahead you did," Esme muttered.

Ew.

"Well on that lovely note, would you like your son back?" I lifted Christian slightly who was still just checking out the world. Such a good kid.

Esme grinned and scooped the baby out of my arms and started cooing at him before kissing his forehead. I was surprised she had managed to stay away for that alloted two hours that they had been gone.

"Let's go swimming," I suggested, turning to Edward and giving him my hand to heave him up.

"Oh wait, before you go," Carlisle went to Esme's purse and grabbed an envelope. Carlisle handed it to Edward who glanced at it for a second. His lips tightened but he didn't open it, instead just sticking it in his back pocket.

"We grabbed mail at your house on our way out of town," Esme explained as she adjusted Christian so that he was resting against her shoulder. I nodded and then looked at Edward who grinned at me and tugged me towards the door to the lake. The grin looked like an empty one, but I didn't comment.

We went swimming, frolicking around in the water and racing to the neighbor's raft and back. We had just gotten the idea to catch fish with only hands when the rest of the gang arrived. Emmett and Rose had decided to ride up with Alice and Jasper for our Labor Day celebration thing that we were having. So, Edward and I dried off and went to help them unload stuff. He didn't say anything about the letter once that day.

oOo

"Totally-Epic-Battle-of-the-Tubes Part three, anyone?" Emmett asked with the threat of a challenge, stepping out of the cabin the next morning and basking in the sunlight reflecting off the lake.

Rosalie rolled her eyes before she slid her sunglasses over them. I grinned at Emmett's exuberance. "Not everyone has your ambition this early in the morning to be brought to the brink of death on a tube "

Emmett looked over at her in confusion, "It's almost noon," he pointed out, probably just to bug her.

"Your point?"

They'd been home for a year and it still hadn't got old.

Regrettably, we did end up giving into Emmett and thus began Totally-Epic-Battle-of-the-Tubes-Part III.

Since there had been no real winner the first summer, and some debate on the ethics of how Jasper won last year, Emmett was just ready to prove his worth. This year though, Alice and Edward were more prepared for tubing and it was a real fight to the death kind of thing. And the fact that Carlisle was driving like a fucking maniac didn't really help.

To my unfortunate surprise I was knocked off my tube fairly early in the game. If you ask me, Jasper was far too unapologetic as I popped out of the water spitting up water. I had had quite the wipeout.

In the end it came down to Rose and Edward. We were all surprised by this. Espeically Emmett. I don't know why he was surprised; each of us had made it our dying mission to get him off the tube. Alice had managed to take him down, going down herself.

In a nail biting finale, Edward managed to flip Rose's tube over and send her tumbling into the water. He had used his free hand while he was in the wake to grab one of her handles and push it over. I was annoyed with Rose, because for the next three hours, I had to deal with Edward's smugness. But then again, Rose would probably be worse.

Since it was such a nice day, Edward and I rolled a large tube to the end of the dock and pushed it in the water and tied the long string to a poll so we could just float out in the lake. "I'm such a winner," Edward sighed to himself, shaking his head vainly from where he was lying on his back next to me.

"Unquestionably," I agreed, in an uninterested monotone. I opened my eyes and looked over to see him smirking at me. I rolled my eyes and then closed them once more, enjoying the sun's tanning rays, a small smile on my lips.

A few moments later I felt soft lips press gently against mine, making me open my eyes to see Edward leaning over me with a loving gaze on his face.

"What was that for?" I asked him, lazily bring my hand up to stroke his hair.

Edward gazed into my eyes meaningfully, "Because I can," he said quietly with a note of triumph in his voice.

The two of us had spent the last year together, nearly inseparable and I have never been happier in my life. Waking up with Edward next to me everyday was such a gift.

"I missed you so much last year," I smiled softly, moving my hand to cup his cheek. "It still feels like a dream to have you here."

"I'm sorry," he apologized remorsefully placing another tender kiss on my lips. I knew he was apologizing for the year without him.

I gave my head a slight shake and locked my gaze with his. "Don't ever apologize for serving your country. I'm so proud of you. I never blamed you for leaving, you had to."

Edward's made became unreadable. I watched as he looked at me. My hand fell from his face as he used his free hand that wasn't holding him up to tuck my hair behind my ear gently.

"Your eyes are so bright in the sun," he commented looking at me with such a look of love on his face. I gave him a small uncontrollable smile, adoring the way he looked at me with such amazement. "You're so, so beautiful."

"I was worried you would forget about me when you left," I admitted quietly, adverting my eyes away from him and looking out at the lake.

Edward's fingers lightly turned my head back so that I was looking at him again, his handsome face staring at me with warm patience. "Bella, I'm never going to love another. No one will ever even come close to you. You're my girl."

oOo

It was early into the sunset and the pinks and oranges were creeping over the sky to the west to consume the remains of what was a blue perfect sky.

I was about to take my place in one of the folding chairs in the circle around the fire when I noticed a bronze head sitting at the end of the dock with their feet swinging lightly into the water.

Taking a breath I walked across the yard, nodding at Alice and Emmett who were looking at me in concern and confusion, probably having noticed that Edward had been quiet these two days. I kicked off my flip flops at the beginning of the dock and walked quietly down the dock to where Edward was sitting in a sweatshirt and jeans.

I sat down next to him easily and slid my feet into the cold water next to his. I scooted closer to him wordlessly.

I waited for a moment, hoping I wouldn't have to be the one to breech the silence. But he wasn't even looking my way at all. It looked like he was trying very hard not to actually.

"Edward?" I ventured carefully. I watched his shoulders rise as he took a breath in and then fall as he let it out. Slowly he looked at me, allowing me access to his powerful eyes.

I was confused by the mix of emotions in it. I gave him a soft look, conveying that I was clueless.

He sighed.

"Edward, please tell me what's wrong. I don't know what's going on," I admitted quietly, my voice pleading.

He closed his eyes, breaking the connection and when he opened them again I saw only nervousness.

"Is this about the letter you got yesterday?" I asked. I couldn't say he was sad, because he didn't look sad, he looked anxious. Anxious would be the best word I could describe him with yet such a simple unfitting word.

"Don't freak out," he murmured as he shifted slightly so he could pull out the envelope that Carlisle had been carrying from his back pocket.

Wordlessly he handed it to me.

Not knowing what to say, I took the envelope from his hand and watched it drop. I slid the envelope open and pulled out a single sheet of paper printed on very official looking thick paper.

My heart sank with every passing sentence. Only certain phrases stuck to me painfully.

...on behalf of United States Army...

...toughest combat course in the world and is the most physically and mentally demanding leadership school the Army has to offer...

...special operations combat formation...

...begin your training as a sniper upon the recommendation of Staff Sergeant Joshua Stark.

...the 75th Rangers Regiment would be honored to have you in their division.

Once I finished reading the letter, I looked at Edward pleading with him to deny what I was about to say.

"The army wants you back?"

Edward, trying to judge my reaction took a deep breath before nodding. "Yes, they do," he confirmed.

I was speechless.

"What are the Rangers?" I asked after a shocked moment. I couldn't decide how to react. That could possibly be because of the fact that Edward wasn't reacting.

"They are the most elite branch of the army, they are the best of the best when it comes to their jobs," he explained, seeming to choose his words carefully. "'Rangers lead the way.'"

"Training as a sniper?" I asked carefully. I remembered the mission Edward went on with Josh the sniper, how he had killed two men from hundreds of feet away with barely any training. I also remembered the letter, him having been disgusted with himself for doing it.

Edward was silent. He watched me, his gaze giving nothing away.

I sat silently for a minute myself, trying to process everything. It had been over a year since Edward's enlistment was up. He had enjoyed some aspects of his time, but we both knew without a question that the time was over. Why was this happening now? After our perfect year together.

Finally I spoke, gathering any courage I could find. "What are you going to say?"

I didn't realize I was holding my breath until he answered. I was so relieved to see a soft crooked grin on his face as he finally met my eyes. "No way in hell."

My heart melted and my shoulders dropped visibly in relief as I leaned as close as humanly possible into him. He chuckled softly and pulled me closer against his body, kissing my head.

We had just crossed a hurdle that I didn't even know was in front of us.

The colors swirled in the sky around us and the fire crackled on the shore. Our family and friend's quiet laughs could be heard from around it, and Christian's momentary cry mixed in as well. We had built a life together with these crazy, annoying, loveable and brave people.

It had all started with the letter I sent to Edward years ago. Those words that I wrote and could barely remember had set this entire life into motion. It was amazing that all this had happened because of a piece of notebook paper full of words.

Edward shifted after a couple minutes and I looked over at him. His eyes were now as expressive as ever as he moved his hand back to his pocket.

"There's another letter. This one's for you," he informed me. I couldn't help but smile at the unknown joy on his face as he handed me an envelope.

I turned the envelope in my hand and read the return address. I smiled in confusion at Edward as I saw his name. He gave me an urging nod.

Grinning, I slowly pulled the envelope open and retrieved the folded notebook paper that was in it. Taking a nervous breath, much like I did whenever I had prepared to open one of his letters while he was in Iraq, I started to read.

My Bella,

I had this whole letter planned out in my head, and now that I'm sitting down trying to write it, I forgot everything I had to say. You're so beautiful, did you know that? Every part of your soul is beautiful. I see your beauty in everything you do.

I didn't really believe in God or anything like that before I met you. But now, thinking about it, I know there's no way I would know you without God. For some reason He knew that I needed you. I need you in my life like I've never needed anything before. I know that only something as great as Divine Intervention could have brought an angel like you to me.

We've been through so much together, impossible things. And throughout the years I've come to the conclusion that I'm only half the man I can be when I'm not with you. You make me the best I can be and I love every little about you. There aren't enough words to even begin to express how much I love you.

This seems right because this is where our relationship started. On pen and paper.

Bella, I love you with every part of my being. I want you to be my wife and spend our lives together.

Will you marry me?

Sincerely, Sergeant Masen

I looked up at Edward, my vision blurred from the tears in my eye. I gasped when I saw him holding a diamond ring in a velvet box towards me. He had the biggest, sweetest smile on his face as he looked at me.

"I have loved you since that first letter and I will love you for all of my life and beyond. Will you marry me?"

I choked back a sob and threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his body and kissing every part of him that I could find.

I heard Edward's nervous laugh. "Is that a yes? 'Cause trust me, I am about to pee my pants si-"

That's my man.

I covered his mouth with a kiss shutting him up the best way I knew how. When I finally pulled back I locked eyes with him and smiled the brightest I ever had in my life.

It seemed hard to put what I was feeling into words as I held his face in my hands. "Edward, I- you...I love you so much...I want- oh hell. Yes I'll marry you!"

We kissed once more before Edward pulled away and slid the ring from the boss onto my left ring finger. It was a perfect fit. He kissed each knuckle before kissing my hand and then kissing me adoringly.

Edward rested his forehead against mine and we smiled at each other, blissfully happy and in complete love.

I heard clapping and we broke apart, confused. I found the source of the noise and let out an overwhelmed laugh. There stood our family on the beach, not far away. Alice, Jasper, Rose, Emmett, Esme and Carlisle who was holding Christian. I beamed over at them as Edward laughed.

They all looked so excited, Alice actually was jumping up and down. They probably had heard my answer to Edward. Esme I could see had tears in her eyes as she looked on at us.

"Mom ,I'm getting married!" I squealed, holding my left hand out in the air, receiving more cheers. Esme beamed at me and Carlisle did as well. Hell, they were all beaming. But there was an unmistakable parental joy from those two.

I looked over at Edward again and we smiled at each other, so happy. "Do you think we should go before they attack us?" Edward asked quietly. I laughed, knowing they were all waiting for us to leave the dock.

"Maybe," I whispered back with a grin.

Edward hopped up and held his hand to help me up as well. I set the letter down under the velvet box and took his hand. Instead of walking off of the dock like I assumed we would, Edward wrapped me into a giant bear hug, swaying back and forth as he hugged me tightly to him.

And then we were in water.

I burst out laughing as we landed in the water with a big splash. Edward had lost his footing and he had slipped off of the edge of the dock.

I laughed, finding it so funny as I looked at the shocked, wet man whom I was so incredibly in love with.

"You ask a girl to marry you, and then you throw her in the water?" I got out through my laughs. Edward who was surprised at his slip but seeing my reaction started laughing with me.

"I'm starting to see a recurring pattern," I told him, thinking about when I told him I loved him on that jet ski so long ago. He had been stunned and ended jumping into the water with me. Of course we had been wearing swimsuits then.

Edward pulled me against his own wet body and wrapped his arms around me, the happiest I had ever seen him. With our arms wrapped around each other, we smiled at one another.

I knew without a doubt as I stood fully clothed in the water, completely soaked and newly engaged that I would have the happiest life with the man I loved.

Me and my Sergeant Masen.


Chances are when said and done
Who'll be the lucky ones
Who make it all the way?
Though you say I could be your answer
Nothing lasts forever
No matter how it feels today

Chances are we'll find a new equation
Chances roll away from me
Chances are all they hope to be
Don't get me wrong I'd never say never
Cause though love can change the weather
No act of God can pull me away from you

Chances lost are hopes torn up pages, maybe this time
Chances are we'll be the combination
Chances come and carry me, chances are waiting to be taken
And I can see, chances are the fascination
Chances won't escape from me
Chances are only what we make them
And all I need
Chances, Five for Fighting


One day in my History class, I finished a test early. My teacher asked me if I wanted to write a letter to a solider, as it was something her family often did. I did this, and within a week, I was at my computer creating this story. On November 7th, 2010, the first chapter of Sincerely, Sergeant Masen was posted. And now, on one of the final days of 2011, the story ends.

Sincerely, Sergeant Masen has had 1 million hits since then and over 4,000 favorites, along with 5,000 alerts. It also has an average of over 15,000 viewers a month.
Holy Shit.

I have never been happier with anything that I have wrote. I hope you enjoyed this wild ride as much as I have. And I think this final chapter song sums up everything in this epilogue and everything that I want to say.
It's been an honor.

I've said it before, but I do love redundancy: Thank you all for everything!