For Your Eyes Only

Epilogue

Five years later...

"Auntie Bella! Auntie Bella!"

The silence around Edward and myself was soon shattered as Amy - Rose and Emmett's four year old daughter - came sprinting into the room with tears streaming down her flushed little face. She landed straight onto my lap, knocking the air out of my lungs, and her arms gripped tightly around my neck. I exchanged a worried glance with Edward and he just grinned at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly against her head of curly blonde hair. She pulled away and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.

"I... was... I f-fell over and hurt my finger!" she wailed, launching into a fit of loud tears once more. I bounced her up and down on my knees and looked over to Edward once more for support. He mouthed the word candy? and I grimaced at him, quietly telling him how Rose was strict about her child's sugar intake, knowing too well how it made her scarily hyper. As a response, he raised his eyebrows and shrugged. Cheers, I mouthed back.

"How about I kiss it better?" I tried, and she nodded happily, thrusting her finger in my face. I gently did as I'd offered and she soon seemed to calm down, nestling her head on my shoulder. "Alright now?"

"Yes. Thank you Auntie Bella," she said quietly and I was once again extremely glad that Rose had decided to keep the baby. Her parents were a little livid at first, but they luckily soon warmed to the idea of having a grand daughter. The pregnancy went wonderfully well, with her family attending each scan, and witnessing the birth was one of the moments I knew I'd never forget. It was a little disgusting in parts, but very much worth it.

Emmett and Rose were fantastic parents too. They seemed to have a natural ability and it warmed my heart seeing them together; Amy was always giggling hysterically at Emmett's funny faces.

It also made me feel quite broody.

"Uncle Edward?"

"Mmm?" he turned towards her.

"Can you pwease play the piano for me? Pwease?"

He grinned. "Sure." After scooping her up in his arms, he gave me a quick wink before leaving the room. It wasn't long before the soothing sound of his music drifted into the room and I smiled to myself, thinking back to how Rose had met Edward.

At first she was incredibly shocked that I'd kept it from her. So much so that she didn't speak to me for a whole week. I remember it vividly, the way she'd reminded me how we apparently never kept secrets from each other and she regularly used her famous death glare, making me feel absolutely awful.

But, despite this, she gradually came around and finally met him, always eyeing him carefully in the process. It was like him meeting Charlie all over again and I had to try not to panic once more.

It took a while, but they slowly got to know each other and are now very close friends. Emmett and Edward are even closer, going out to play baseball every weekend without fail. They're like brothers to one another and it made me ridiculously happy knowing that Edward now had a family, when before he feared he was completely alone.

That seemed like such a long time ago, mainly because it really was. Five years had passed since we'd first met, since we'd had to worry about finding his necklaces and the criminals. My fingers subconsciously moved to fiddle with the jewellery around my neck as I thought about everything.

We didn't actually go to the trial, but Jacob Black and his consort, whatever he was called, were arrested for fifteen years in jail. To me, it wasn't really enough, but I was pleased that they were being punished, and so was Edward. As a bonus, I never heard from the girlfriend and could return to finish school as normal.

Both Edward and myself went to Dartmouth University after we finished at Forks High. Edward studied for a degree in English Literature, while I studied for a teaching degree, having developed a new found interest in the profession. It took a few years, but we both graduated together and managed to eventually find good jobs. It was all very fortune and, as a result, we were able to find our own place, even though both Charlie and Carlisle insisted we could both stay home for a little while. We respected their generosity, but deep down wanted some independence.

We found a lovely place in Forks, not far from our family, and that's where we were babysitting Amy at that moment. This thought brought me back to the present and I gasped a little, seeing Edward sitting beside me; he had an incredibly strange expression on his face.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, shifting to face him.

He shook his head, grinning widely. "No, I was just amused by the look on your face."

I raised my eyebrows.

"You looked in a complete daze," he teased, moving to sit by me. "That always seems to happen... is there something on your mind?"

"No, no, I was just thinking about things. The past few years, to be precise... everything's gone by so fast."

"It has," he said, exhaling a long breath. "But I've enjoyed every minute."

"Every minute?"

"Well... most of it," he smirked. "I wasn't particularly comfortable that one time you decided to draw me, but I had told you that you could, so I couldn't really get out of it."

"That's a mouthful," I laughed. "And it wasn't really that bad, was it?"

"Nah, I'm just pulling your leg."

I sighed, nudging him gently. "Where's Amy, anyway?"

"Oh, she's asleep. I left her on our bed, if that's alright. There wasn't really any other place to let her sleep and she's just completely out of it."

"That's a shame," I murmured quietly. "But I hope she doesn't drool on our bedsheets or anything..."

I felt him suddenly freeze a little. As a response, I glanced up at him, to see him looking over at me with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean, 'that's a shame?'" he asked slowly and I cringed. I'd meant to make it sound like an offhand comment, not something serious...

I didn't exactly know how to approach the fact that I'd love to have children myself.

"Well, I was just s-saying it's a shame we don't have a spare cot around the place or anything. Y'know."

I was too afraid to look at him to see his reply, but after a few moments of silence I couldn't resist and, looking over at him, my heart skipped a few beats - he was smiling, the wonderful crooked smile I'd grown to love.

"Maybe someday we'll have a few cots around the place," he replied breezily. "When we're married."

My eyes widened - had I just misheard something?

"S-sorry?"

We met eyes. "Bella, I... these five years I've spent with you have been the best of my life. So far, of course," he quickly added. "And... it... I... it only feels right to ask you to be my wife." He looked at me, his eyes scanning my face, and I watched as his face seemed to fall. "Oh... I... I didn't know that you... er..."

Did he think I didn't want to? Was he insane?

"No, Edward, I... I'm just shocked, that's all."

He fumbled around, reaching into his pockets. It made me think back to the day he'd given me the necklace and first said that he loved me.

He quickly produced a small box and opened it, revealing a beautiful silver ring, full of emeralds.

Like his eyes, was my first thought. I wondered if he'd consciously chosen that colour.

My mouth was moving, but I wasn't making any sounds. It felt painful to speak, as my throat was so raw from the sudden emotion. Tears were spilling from my eyes and Edward caught them with his fingers, his touch soft and careful.

After taking a deep breath, I decided to try and reply. "I'd... I'd l-love to, Edward." I paused. "Be your w-wife, that is."

He laughed then, his eyes crinkling around the edges, and he leaned over to pull me into his arms. I gripped onto him tightly, still in a daze. His wife.

"Mrs Cullen," he said slowly when we pulled apart. As he murmured this, he slipped the ring slowly onto my finger. "That sounds fantastic to me."

I smiled weakly. "It really does."

There was a sudden knock on the door and I registered that it was probably Rose and Emmett, here to pick up Amy. The starnge bubble around us seemed to burst as I walked to the door and opened it gradually, letting in our guests. Everything still felt like a bit of a blur to me...

"Hi Bells," Rose said cheerfully. "Wh-" She paused, looking between me and Edward. "Is something wrong?" Emmett stood behind, eyeing us both wearily. I exchanged a glance with Edward and he walked over, holding my hand once more. We both probably had very strange expressions on our faces.

"Nothing's wrong," I grinned.

"We're engaged," Edward finished, barely able to contain himself. I remembered the time when Rose announced she was going to marry Emmett, how excited she was, and that excitement was more or less the same towards me now. She launched herself in my direction, oddly like her daughter, and gripped me tightly.

"Oh, Bells, congratulations!" she beamed. "We've been waiting for you to do something, it's been nearly five years after all!"

Emmett slapped Edward on the back. "Well done, mate. You've got yourself a good one there."

I looked to the floor. "Thanks for the embarrassment, Emmett."

He laughed, a thundering sound. "No problem. Hey, we've got to celebrate this somehow..."

"Yeah," Rose pondered. "I'll get something sorted."

A laugh escaped my still-numb lips. "Well it might be a good time to get your daughter first. She's asleep on our bed."

They both disappeared and, while they were gone, I looked over at Edward in disbelief. I just couldn't stop smiling and feeling the ring on my finger. Edward smiled back at me, standing behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. While he did so, he rested his head on my shoulder. "Mrs Cullen," he repeated, making my skin tingle.

Amy was soon back in Emmett's arms, still fast asleep, and they all eventually headed back towards the door. "We'll get back in touch about your party," Rose promised.

Edward grinned. "We'll look forward to it."

"Y'know, I think you'd make a good bridesmaid, Rose," I said, trying to make the comment offhandedly. "Along with Amy, that'd be nice. You can return the favour."

She looked at me with shining eyes. "Really? Wow, it'd be my honour, Bells. Thank you."

We had another long hug and wished each other well. "You'll hear from us soon."

"Why does that sound horribly ominous?" I grimaced, causing a boom from Emmett.

"You'll see. See you soon! Thanks again!"

"Yeah," we both smiled. "See you soon."

They quickly left down the stairs and, when they were definitely gone, Edward scooped me into his arms once more. He placed a few kisses on my neck and began to whisper breathily into my ear. "I think we have some celebrating of our own to do, Mrs Cullen."

Goosebumps travelled along my arms. "Ooh. What do you have in mind?"

His finger pointed to our room. "If you follow me in there, I'll happily show you."

He grabbed my hand and we raced inside, laughing all the way.

"Surprise!"

Edward and I jumped a mile after walking into Carlisle's house; cheers greeted us from a small group of our closest friends and family, and all around us were balloons, food, confetti... it was a full blown party and we both smiled excitedly, hurrying over to greet everybody. This was certainly the last thing I'd expected; Edward and myself thought that Rose had completely forgotten all about the idea and we were preparing for a nice quiet evening in. So much for that.

I hugged Rose first, while Edward met Carlisle and Emmett.

"This is fantastic," I sighed. "I never knew you were this good at organising parties!"

"I'm not," she replied, looking a little sheepish. "I contacted an old friend of mine who's really good at this type of stuff, and, well... you're never gonna believe this. She's Jasper Whitlock's girlfriend. Alice, her name is. I was thinking of inviting her along, but knowing Emmett's history it didn't seem like such a good idea."

"Oh," I said simply. That was a surprise, but it was nice knowing that Jasper had finally settled down and that all that business was far behind me. It was a bit cringe worthy...

"But anyway, I'm glad you liked it," she smiled, showing me around. "We got you a huge cake!"

She was right; it was huge. It was a gigantic chocolate cake in the middle of a food-filled table and I could already feel my mouth watering. "I want some," I said aloud, causing chuckles around me. I recognised one as Edward's and felt his hands around my waist.

"You'd happily live off chocolate if you could," he teased.

"True," I agreed. "If only..." It looked scrumptious, with the cream and... just ugh.

A few minutes later and we all had a piece, after my enthusiastic persuasion. In the corner of the room I could see Carlisle and DI Adams standing together, holding hands and talking quietly. It was only natural to smile over at them; I was absolutely thrilled when Carlisle told us about his relationship with Esme, as we were now ordered to call her. They'd been taking it slow, both having a history, and they're now a really strong couple. In fact, I've never seen Carlisle looking so happy and it's lasted nearly two years.

"Carlisle and Esme actually baked the cake," Rose told us suddenly. That came as no surprise really, they both invested in their shared love of cooking and regularly provided delicious meals every week for us.

"It's wonderful," I told them and they both met my eyes. They probably hadn't heard over the noise of the music, so I held up the plate and gave them the thumbs up. After this they both laughed and returned the gesture.

God, I loved these people.

I was soon interrupted by Charlie, who had walked over to speak to me. Edward subtly wandered off, giving us some space, and I smiled at my father, feeling incredibly proud of him. He hadn't touched a drop of alcohol in years and I really admired his strength. There was so much temptation around, yet he maintained his willpower.

"My little girl's getting married," he sighed. "I can't believe it."

"Like you said before, you've got an excuse to get the old suit back out," I teased, smiling timidly at him. He did the same and the softness in his eyes made me a little tearful. "Dad, I was actually meaning to ask you something..."

He looked at me expectantly.

"I was wondering if you'd please give me away?"

My voice was barely a whisper, but he clearly heard me. He nodded slowly, murmuring a broken 'yes' in response. After this we paused, before both hugging each other, gripping on tightly. I really was so unbelievably grateful at how my life had turned out so far and how everything had turned around so dramatically, and I found myself crying.

"Hey, come on now, Bells," Dad said softly. "Save the tears for your wedding day."

I laughed, wiping at my eyes. "Thanks Dad."

"No problem." I saw his gaze travel behind me and he suddenly looked excited. "Ooh, Emmett's starting a game of baseball on the console..."

"Gosh, everyone seems to be obsessed with that stupid game," I grumbled under my breath. Despite his outburst, Dad stood still by my side and I chuckled. "Go on, I'm not gonna stop you having fun." Without hesitation, he leant over to kiss me on the cheek and quickly hurried over to Emmett, who eagerly accepted him.

I wasn't on my own for long, though - Edward soon came over and placed his hand in mine. It always surprised me how my body reacted whenever he was near - my skin always went cold, yet he somehow still caused a strange heat at the same time.

"Want some fresh air?" he asked.

I nodded, placing my empty plate on the table. "Definitely"

"You certainly demolished that cake," he commented, grinning at me.

"Yup," I replied, licking my lips. "And I fully intend to demolish some more."

His laugh echoed outside as we stepped into the chilly night breeze. I was wearing a blouse and a skirt, so I was quite cold, yet Edward immediately offered his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. The warmth was lovely and I huddled closer to him.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked after a while, breaking the comfortable silence.

"How everything seems to have turned out unbelievably well," I replied honestly. "You?"

"Something along those lines too. Did Charlie say yes after?"

I nodded. "Yeah, he was really pleased."

"How are things with him and Sue, anyway?" Dad had been spending a lot of time with a lady known simply as 'Sue' that he'd met down at the diner and, whenever we asked him about it, he hastily denied anything, clearly sounding suspicious.

"I'll find out one day," I grinned.

We were silent again for a little while, before I started thinking about something. "It's really strange thinking you were a ghost of some kind when I first saw you." I said this quietly, aware that somebody could be listening and questioning our sanity. "I'm surprised that I didn't run a mile."

"Yeah," he murmured. "I never really knew how that happened. Although..." he trailed off, his eyebrows pulling together.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, after the accident and I was just lying there, once I'd calmed down a little, I remember thinking about stuff I'd never really experienced. All the regrets came flooding back to me, as expected, and I really wished, amongst other things, that I could have fallen in love. I... I really wanted to know the feeling and I think it was the last thing I thought about before I lost consciousness." He met my eyes. "And then I met you... maybe that explains it? Probably not, but it's all I can think of. It seems rational."

"You never told me this before."

"I didn't think it meant anything," he replied honestly.

I gripped his hand tighter. "Any regrets now, though?"

"Not exactly. Although there are still lots of things I'd like to do."

I grinned. "Me too."

"But there's plenty of time for that," he smiled.

We met each other's eyes and shared a very long look. He was right; there was plenty of time, and I just hoped I could spend most of it with him and our new family. The future was looking good.

He gently gave me one more kiss. "I love you, Bella Swan."

"And I love you." I paused, never tiring of the words. "But it's bloody cold out here. Can we go back inside?"

He smirked. "Of course."

And we did, back inside to celebrate with the people closest to us. Everything that had happened in the past would stay that way, the good and the bad times, but I was certainly glad that, during it, I had been for Edward's eyes only.

The End