The Way We Was

Epilogue: Eternal Love

A/N: Uh...oops? Well...I did EVENTUALLY write this epilogue, right? Get readin' then!

Standard disclaimers apply.

BPOV

Forks, WA - 2008

Almost an entire century later. How many people get to say they've been married for almost 91 years? That they are just as much in love now as they were then? That they didn't have to learn history because they lived it? That their love really would go on for eternity?

Edward and I had paid the price to have eternal love, but we took it well. We lived a life-style suited for us. One with family and friends, in the un-ending night. For the rest of our existence.

Alice bounded down the stairs, her little pixie frame jumping with excitement.

"Bella! It's dress-up time!" Ah, my little pixie sister and her Bella Barbie time. I'd already learned the hard way that there was no denying her. I gave a small sigh and followed her back upstairs to her giant closest.

She had six outfits laying out and I knew she'd make me try all of them on before school. Luckily, we had vampire speed on our side.

"You know what to do," Alice mouthed to me.

In under two minutes Alice had chosen an outfit she seemed good enough for school. But it looked like she'd spent extra time planning everything. and psychics don't need that much planning.

"Alice, did I forget something about today?" I knew it wasn't anyone's birthday, not that age mattered to vampires anyway. It wasn't graduation yet; that was months away.

"You really don't remember? What kind of vampire are you?" She was right. My memory was perfect. I never needed a calendar for any thing. Because I was a vampire . . . a vampire. . . .

"Oh!"

"I knew you'd get it."

"Psychic pixie . . ." I muttered playfully.

Alice winked. "You know you love me."

"Naturally."

We headed downstairs and piled in Edward's Volvo to go through another tedious and boring day of school at Forks High. At least I had Edward to keep me company. Not to mention aLice bounding up to me every chance she got. I remembered her and Jasper coming into our family. . . .

Oregon

Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and I were scattered around the house. I was reading with Esme, Rose was hiding away upstairs waiting for Emmett to return from his hunting trip with Edward, and Carlisle was doing more research on "our kind."

The house was completely silent until the front door opened. Esme and I peered up from our books to see a short pixie vampire holding hands with a tall blonde vampire. They made the oddest couple I'd ever seen, but my main concern centred around the question of why there were here.

The short pixie girl came forward. "My name is Alice, and this is Jasper." She looked over at the tall blonde. "I've seen your family and we would like to join you and your lifestyle."

Esme and I looked utterly confused. Carlisle and Rosalie came down to join us just in time.

Carlisle took over. "As long as you're committed to our diet, I have no problem with you joining our family. All are welcome."

Alice's eyes lit up while Rose looked a bit irked.

"Which room do we have?" Alice asked.

"Any room you'd like," said Esme.

Jasper grabbed Alice's bags and followed her upstairs. I looked at my family warily. Rose had a smile forming on her lips.

"What are you smiling about?"

"I think 'Alice' just chose your room."

Just as that clicked in my head, Alice and Jasper started moving at vampire speed, taking mine and Edward's things to the garage. I stood there, unable to say anything.

Alice suddenly stopped in front of me. "We'll be good friends. I can see that. And I only took your room because it has the best view." She winked and I nodded as she went off again.

A couple hours later, Edward and Emmett came back from their hunting trip. When they walked through the door, they knew something was up.

"Why do I hear two extra sets of thoughts?" Edward flashed his eyes toward Carlisle.

While the answer dawned on Edward via everyone's thoughts, Emmett looked around confused.

"You just randomly accepted two strangers into our house without knowing them for even two minutes?" Edward looked angry. Emmett looked like he was about to burst out laughing. After another look at Edward's face, my doofus brother just let it all out.

"Eddie, your face is priceless, man!" Em fell on the floor laughing and clutching his sides. "Jeez! It's just two more vampires!"

I went over to Edward and slipped my arm around him. "We can trust them, Edward. Especially Alice. They won't hurt anyone."

I looked up into his golden eyes. They were so molten after hunting. They were beautiful.

He sighed. "I guess I'll have to be more accepting. Best rearrange our things in the garage until we have a bedroom again."

Emmett's laughter roared through the house again.

We arrived at school in a timely manner. It was pretty hard to be late when we sped like crazy and knew how to maneuver the car just the right way. I don't know how I ever survived as a human. Of course, Rosalie wasn't that way at all. She would rather have died in the street than be what she was today. Emmett was the only thing keeping her here.

Rose and I had come a long way since she joined our family. But over the decades we'd grown closer. We weren't as close as Alice and I, but that was okay with me. We were all still sisters, for all of eternity.

Lunch was, as usual, a huge charade. We bought food, set it down in front of ourselves, and picked at it. We mostly communicated silently. Only the occasional busy body would look our way.

We were the proverbial elephant in the room. Everyone knew we were there, that we were different, but they chose to ignore us. It was better that way.

After school I noticed that Rose's BMW was next to the Volvo. While Edward and I got in the Volvo, everyone piled into the BMW.

Today was our wedding anniversary and in about a week it would mean another year of being a vampire. This was what Alice called our "Special Week."

Oh, what a week.

Fin.

It's been fun. Sorry about my slowness of updating. But hey, I DID finish it eventually.

Btw, I only put in Alice and Jasper joining because Rose, Emmett, and Esme were all pretty well cemented in with the books. And besides, Alice is my favourite! I couldn't NOT write her coming into the family!

I hope to have some sort of story ready some time...but probably not until some time next year. Much love!