A/N: Alright all, this is the last chapter only an epilogue left. Thank you all so much for reading this story. Sorry this took so long. I am much better at writing angst /emo type of stuff then the happily ever after stuff.

I want to thank ever single person that nominated me and voted fore Realize at the twilight awards. I was beyond blown away when I revieved a message telling me that I won

Best Angst

Best love triangle

Best overall

In the all human incomplete round.

YOU ALL ROCK!

As always, thanks to my amazing Beta Erin, who is still editing my stuff while in school again and running her own mag. She pretty much is my world.

DO NOT OWN!

Carry on

BPOV

I was in the middle of the most amazing dream I had ever had. I had gone to get my picture from Edward's house and while I was there I found out that he was the one that purchased my pictures. While I stood there shocked, taking this new info in, I heard my name called. When I turned, I saw that it was Edward. He had followed me home from Forks. He came running to me and crashed his lips to mine. We said everything that we needed to say; we fought, we cried, and we made love.

I was so happy.

But the happiness was turning into sadness as I realized that this was all just a cruel dream and the morning light that was now dragging me out of my slumber was also bringing with it the reality that I wasn't quiet ready for.

I attempted to keep myself in the dream. I knew the longer I continued to live in the fairytale, the more it would hurt when I finally came to and it was nothing more then a cruel hallucination.

It was inevitable though and my eyes-against my will-were fluttering open.

Just five more minutes please…

With my last ounce of protest defeated, my eyes locked on the ceiling above me. It took me a moment to focus, but once I had, I was confused.

This was not my ceiling.

I slowly, oh so slowly, moved my head to the side and noticed this was not my room. It was Edward's. I must have fallen asleep when I came to get the picture.

Thank god he was still back in Forks.

Then I felt it. The bed moved next to me.

"Good Morning, Beautiful." The voice I knew all-to-well spoke.

I was frozen.

My breathing started to pick up and my heart beat erratically in my chest.

This had to be the dream. I apparently had not woken up like I thought.

Then, I felt fingers softly tracing the line of my jaw. I bit my lip as my eyes rolled back into my head at the sensation.

Oh what a cruel, cruel dream this was.

"Argh," I let out a frustrated cry and pulled the pillow over my head.

I felt the bed shake with what I assumed to be the laughter of my dream-Edward.

"Here I thought I was the difficult one to wake up." His velvet voice chuckled.

"I wish I were awake," I complained.

"You are awake, love." He attempted to lift the pillow off my face.

"No, if I were awake, you wouldn't be here." I whined.

"But I am here! You would know that if you removed the pillow from your face." He teased.

"You're not here, and the longer I think you are, the more it is going to hurt when I wake up. So can you just go away now, for my own sanity?" I begged.

There was silence, and I let out a breath as I slowly removed the pillow thinking, let the pain commence.

"OH!" I cried out.

Once the pillow was removed I was met by the most beautiful emerald eyes. But they were pained.

"Edward!" I whispered.

"I really have hurt you, haven't I?" He asked, looking away from me.

"Edward, you're really here!" Last night really happened!

"Yeah, apparently that isn't a good thing though." He was voice pained.

"I'm sorry! I just, it seemed to good to be true! Almost like a dream." I said trying to explain my reaction.

"Maybe more like a nightmare." he said, the frown heavy on his perfect lips.

"NO! Not a nightmare Edward. Oh god, I'm so sorry." My stupid mouth.

He sat up, looking away from me and running his hands through his hair, his beautiful sculpted back facing me.

I had hurt his feelings. Great move, Bella.

Before I even gave it a second thought, I was up and had my arms around him, my bare chest pressing against his back.

"Edward, I'm sorry. It's just been a long road to get here. It was too good to be true. Please forgive me, I know it's real now." I said as I placed soft kisses on his shoulder and neck.

"Bella, you have to tell me, and please be honest. Have I hurt you beyond repair? I don't want to make you feel like we have to have a relationship if you don't want it. I will completely understand if it is too much." He said sullen.

I crawled around to the front of him, lifting the sheet that lay across his naked lap and put my legs on either side of him, straddling him. I took his face into my hands, forcing him to look me in the eyes.

"Edward, I am so happy now! Nothing could be better than you and I together." I placed a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his eyes worried.

I thought I could show him rather then tell him.

Feeling more bold and confident now that I was certain that last night truly did happen, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.

His response was immediate.

Our lips moved as one in perfect harmony, opening and receiving each other's deepened kiss. Tongues moved together as one, tasting and caressing.

Our chests pressed against one another, expanding and contracting rapidly to allow for our ragged breathing. I could feel as Edward's body reacted to the present way I was sitting, he harden against me. My hips responding to his warm length. I took advantage, and while wrapped in his warm embrace I situated myself so that he was at my center, and took him in fully.

Both of us let out a throaty moan, and my forehead came to rest on his shoulder, and I bit my lip trying to keep from screaming. My hips continued to rock forward, Edward's meeting my rhythm, his arm wrapped tightly around me as his other hand gripped the back of my hair.

I could feel the bubble in my lower stomach begin to expand, so the speed of my hips picked up. Edward's lips continued to trail a path from my lips down my neck to my collarbone.

He leaned down taking one of my breasts into his mouth, tracing his tongue around the hardened nipple, adding to the pleasure of him thrusting between my legs which sent me over the edge. My walls closed in on him and I cried out his name with my release. He followed soon after, burying his face in my neck.

Once the tremors from our release had calmed down, Edward pulled us back and laid me down next to him on the bed.

"I love you, Bella." Edward said as he brushed strands of hair out of my face.

"I love you too." I said as I snuggled closer to him.

We laid there holding each other for awhile, staring into each others eyes and not saying anything. We just enjoyed the moment together.

Everything was right.

After spending the better part of the morning just laying in bed together drinking each other in, we decided on what we were going to do.

We were going to go back home.

Both of us had time to work out our issues alone without hurting our family and friends more on Christmas. It was time to bring on the happy.

Edward booked us a flight for the twenty ninth, and we made our way to the airport when the time came.

The flight back was one of the most enjoyable flights I had ever had. I sat with Edward hand-in-hand. He would brush strands of hair behind my ear and steal little kisses. We just enjoyed each other's company; no more drama.

We were finally happy.

"Are you excited to be going back?" Edward asked as he twirled a piece of my hair around his finger.

" I am. They have all been so worried about us for so long now. It will be nice to show them that that we are fine and that they can stop worrying now." I said as I leaned into Edward's chest.

"There is definitely no need to worry anymore." He agreed.

We sat there in silence for a bit longer.

Edward broke it after a few minutes.

"So, you know, there is something I have always wanted to try." He said with a mischievous grin on his face.

"In your dreams." I said rolling my eyes at his attempt to be cute.

"What?" He asked, feigning innocence.

"Just because I'm in love with you doesn't mean I am willing to become a member of any club involving an airplane, Edward."

"I have no idea where you even got that idea, Bella." He said with a small crooked smile.

"Mmhmm. Sure you don't." I snuggled up closer to him and the plane continued toward home.

Us coming back was a surprise, so we rented a car once we landed and made our way to Edward's house.

we pulled into the driveway of Edward's parents house after a peaceful ride and saw that my parents car was there. It was perfect. We didn't have to call anyone over.

"You ready?" Edward asked as he took my hand and helped me out of the car.

"Of course." I leaned up placing a kiss on his lips.

He deepened the kiss, and I was all too happy to go right along with him. I don't know how long we were lost in the moment, but someone clearing their throat brought us out of our little bubble.

We both turned to see our friends and family with goofy grins on their faces.

"Just how long have you been standing there?" Edward asked with mock annoyance.

"Long enough to see you attempt to eat poor Bella's face." Emmett teased.

My face automatically grew hot as I realized that I had just been ramming my tongue down Edward's throat in front of everyone I knew.

"Well, get inside kids. It's freezing out here." Carlisle called from the porch.

Edward took my hand and we followed the others inside. Everyone all headed down to the basement and sat down.

Once seated, the room was so silent you could her a pin drop.

We knew someone was dying to ask. Alice looked like she was bursting at the seams and Jasper's arm that was draped across her lap seemed to hold her in place.

I noticed Erin and Jake were sitting together and would lean into each other and whisper things back and forth, both had smiles plastered on their faces. Jake's arm was loosely draped around her shoulder and Erin couldn't seem to stop playing with her hair.

It made me smile. It looks like they had gotten to know each other in our absence.

"Okay, enough of this," Emmett bellowed suddenly "so are you two together or not? I mean, I am pretty sure you're together from the little PDA we walked in on, but I would like to hear it straight from the horse's mouth."

Everyone looked to Emmett, then to us.

They, of course, were dying to know the same thing, just not as blunt or impatient as Emmett seemed to be.

"Should we tell them?" Edward asked, squeezing my hand.

"I don't know. Maybe we should just keep it to ourselves a little longer." I teased.

I saw Alice stop bouncing and send me a evil pixie glare.

"Oh come on, after everything we have done for you two in the past few months! Don't torture us." Alice whined.

"Oh, you mean like the two black eyes??" Edward said looking at Rose and Alice.

"Feel lucky that you're still able to produce children, Edward. It could have been much worse, so very worse…" Rose told him.

"Believe the man who had to hide the knifes." Emmett laughed.

"Well, yes! Let's all be happy about that." Edward actually looked a little pale after hearing that knives had to be hidden.

I slowly rubbed circles on his back, happy as well that Emmett knew where to hide the dangerous stuff.

I looked into everyone's anxious faces. They all looked like they were in pain, so I decided to put them out of their misery.

"Yes, we worked everything out. We are together." I said resting my head on Edward's shoulder.

Every single person in the room all let out, "It's about time!" together.

"Wow, you know, this is a room full of ten people. Any of you could helped me out a little." Edward teased.

"Edward, there is only so much someone can do without actually dragging you by the throat and spelling it out." Rose flung at Edward with a flip of her hair.

"It is better that you two worked this out on your own, dear. It will make it that much more important." Esme smiled.

The room filled with chatter about what had happened minus some private details that Emmett of course made sure to ask about in front of our parents.

It was nice to have everyone back together. No more drama; everything taken care of.

It was New Year's Eve now and we were all together as one big family to ring in the new year.

Things had gone wonderfully. Our family and friends were all happy.

Life was pretty close to perfect, in my opinion.

We were gathered around watching the scene unfold at times square and the countdown started.

The huge glowing crystal ball began it's decent as the room filled with the voice's of our loved ones counting down the remaining seconds of two thousand and eight.

10...

Goodbye to every ounce of low self esteem I ever held that kept me from being truthful to Edward.

9.

Goodbye to a year that literally ripped my heart into a million pieces.

8...

Goodbye to a year that held one very stubborn girl, and one very clumsy best friend.

7...

Goodbye to a year that brought just as much happiness as it did heartbreak.

6...

Goodbye to a year that brought me to learn of my talent for photography. Something I don't mind bringing into the next year.

5...

Good bye to a year of painful memories

4...

Good riddance to the year that brought us Tanya.

3...

Good bye to the year that took Edward away from me.

2...

Good bye to the year that brought Edward back to me.

1...

I looked up to Edward and noticed he already had his eyes focused on me.

"I love you, Bella." He said as his emerald eyes pierced mine.

"I love you, Edward." I said as I stared my future in the face.

The room erupted with shouts of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" and everyone placing kisses to their partner. The sounds of little confetti poppers and paper horns assaulted our ears.

"Happy New Year, Bella." Edward said before bringing his lips to mine.

It was a deep passion-filled kiss, a proper kiss to start out new year and new life together.

"I am so glad last year is over. It was by far the worst of my life." I said once I pulled away from Edward's soft lips.

"As long as we are together, we will never have another year like that again." He said as he rested his forehead against mine.

"And just how long will that be Mr. Cullen?" I asked arching my eyebrow.

"Forever." He said before reclaiming my mouth.

I broke the kiss.

"I like the sound of that." I said smiling against his lips.

Hopefully all the drama was behind us, and the experiences that we had gone through for months and years would, as Esme said, only make our relationship stronger.

But I would always remember this past year as the one that helped us both realize what we meant to each other.

A/N: Hope it was worth the wait.