Only At Night

Epilogue

BPOV

"Auntie, Auntie, Auntie, I want to hold the giant Scissors, it's my turn, she already had a chance." The little blond whined, kicking the dirt with the tips of his cowboy boots. He just had to match his daddy today.

"Maggie, how about we give Harry a chance with the scissors? Then you can have a turn holding the ribbon?" Grinning, she expertly handled her niece and nephew.

She really would have been a wonderful mother; all the kids love her and rave about their time with their Auntie Rose.

They all love being together every chance they get. To be honest so do I. We make a lot of trips back and forth. This trip is especially important to all of us.

"Maggie and Siobhan can you each hold the Ribbon on either side of your Dad? Hold it tight girls, so that he can cut it. Harry, you hand Uncle Peter the giant scissors when he is ready, okay buddy?" I stepped in and prepared them for what was about to happen.

"Yes Momma." Harry stood proudly next to his cousins as they held the thick red ribbon high above their heads.

"Good Man, Harrison." Peter ruffled his nephew's hair and smiled at his twin girls on either side of the ceremonial cutting ribbon.

Jasper held Stephanie in his arm and held little Peter's hand while I held Charlie and Little Jasper's hands.

We all stood patiently watching and listening as Tyler concluded his comments memorializing the ground breaking of the addition to the Foundation Shelter erected eight years earlier on the Ranch. I went over the details for the gathering after the ground breaking in my mind, distracted by the anticipation of what was to come when it was over.

Once the ceremony and the luncheon concluded we were all leaving the kids here with Inez and Char's Parents and Auntie Alice to go on a trip to celebrate out tenth wedding anniversaries? I could hardly believe ten years have passed. The time went so quickly. This time James and Victoria were joining us to celebrate their eighth anniversary.

Two years after the big wedding we were all back at the Ranch to celebrate with James and Victoria as they exchanged their own wedding vows. We had just found out that I was expecting our first, Harrison, when they announced the date and was nearly five months pregnant at the wedding.

Emmett Graduated his Master's program and he and Rose moved to California the year after we got married. Emmett has been running the financial end of the foundation ever since. Rose is the VP of regional sales for a Chipset manufacturer and is an amazing success.

Tyler and Liz had already moved to California, Tyler giving up his practice with the firm and helping me run the foundation, handling the bulk of the Foundation's legal work while I concentrated on the client's legal needs with the help of some great interns from Stanford's law school. I've been teaching classes there for a couple years on providing pro bono legal services and victim's rights.

It has been a godsend having Rose and Liz close by. Liz has been such a big help with the kids over the years; she decided to stay home when they moved to California and concentrate on starting a family. Half the time the whole gang is at our house with Liz watching all the kids while I sneak in a bit of work.

The nice thing about the Foundation, even though I work a ton of hours, I can do most of my work from home and when the kids were napping and now while the older ones are at school. I have always felt like a pretty good mom. Jasper is the greatest dad, but I always knew he would be. He is still teaching, and became Department Chair last year and had yet another book published, this time on the History of Abuse in America. It was a great year for us.

Our youngest was born, Stephanie, she completes the motley crew started with Harrison, 8, and followed two years later by Charlie, 6, and then two years after that by little Jasper, 4, and back to back with Peter, 3. I don't think I even stopped nursing little Jasper when I found about the next one. When we learned it was another boy, we just had to name him Peter James, or PJ for short. The boys were all so happy when they found out it this one was a girl. I finally looked at Jasper one day, as she slept in my arms after nursing, and said, "I think things are perfect just the way they are." He smiled, and said, "They have been perfect for the past ten years, darlin'," and a week later he made an appointment to officially end our child bearing years.

I laughed, nudging Jasper, as I watched my two nieces, Maggie and Siobhan, hugging their father's legs and Peter patting his girl's heads. Both of the girls had the most adorable little blond ringlet curls cascading down their backs. They are a year younger than Harrison and he treats them like they are his sisters. I love that the kids all get to spend so much time together even though we live in different states. Peter and Char still officially occupy the guest house and visit all the time; although the girls insist on sleeping in the big house near Harry. We bring the kids out to the ranch as often as possible.

James and Victoria built a house on the Ranch at the same time the original part of the shelter was erected, just shortly after their wedding. James has been running security not only for the Texas shelter but for the foundation and a halfway house in Seattle, my old house. Two years later, when Jasper and I were expecting Charlie, James and Victoria announced they were pregnant. Victoria and I delivered two days apart. Laurent is two days older than our Charlie and he rubs it in all the time like a typical first grader.

The following year Mike moved down to Texas and has been running the shelter. Mike met Tanya, a counselor, and they have been together ever since. Tanya provides counseling on site at the Texas shelter. She is a feisty, sexy redhead with a story of her own and the only woman I have ever seen that keeps Mike both happy and in his place. I asked her one day if they were ever going to get married and her response was, "Why ruin a good thing?" I knew she was perfect for Mike and never questioned their commitment again.

I think one of the biggest surprises to me over the years was the way Alice fit into our lives. She has been a very good friend to Jasper and I and spoils all the kids rotten. She lives this glamorous New York high fashion lifestyle and runs away to Texas or our house in California regularly to escape what she calls the crazy high maintenance models. I think part of her longs to settle down and have a family, but she dates celebrities, actors and models and an occasional professional athlete. My favorite was when she dated one of the New York Jets; he was a foot and a half taller and nearly three times her body weight. Watching him pick her up and throw her into the pool at the ranch one weekend, dressed in her thousand dollar, one of a kind, bikini and Manolo Blahnik heels was one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed. I honestly thought she was going to castrate him on the spot. It took Peter and Jasper to hold her back. This tiny, petite, little sprite and the big, bad, football star actually looked terrified. He had to buy her a Porsche in order to get her to forgive him. She dumped him a month later.

James was thrilled when she finally broke it off, he hated the Jets. He and Emmett went on and on about how Alice could possibly lower her high standards like that.

One day, about a year ago, she called Jasper in tears. He talked to her for an hour and then came out of the office grabbing me, kissing me and said, "I'll be back tomorrow, I have to go help her, she's in trouble. I'll call you from the plane and explain everything." I said, "Go, do whatever she needs, I love you."

Jasper stopped over in Texas and picked up Peter and James and the three of them flew out to New York and packed up Alice's belongings and moved her out of her beloved Apartment overlooking Central Park and threw out the jackass actor that hit her and forced her to lock herself in her bedroom for two days.

She stayed at the ranch for a couple months and eventually moved back to New York once the problem got bored and moved on to some troubled actress. Alice beat herself up that she didn't see it coming. Tanya was able to really help her get through it. I completely trusted her around our children and knew she would never let anything or anyone harm them. She stopped dating pretty boys and really focused on herself the past year and seemed much happier now.

I heard Peter clearing his throat and begin thanking Tyler. Watching as my eldest son handing the giant ceremonial scissors up to his uncle with the familiar grin that mirrored his uncle's. He really looked just like Peter. I listened, smiling, as Peter attributed the foundation to me and the dedication of our family that kept it running.

Instead of cutting the ribbon himself he held Harry up and helped him to make the celebratory cut to the plastic ribbon. A tear rolled down my cheek at the pride on our son's face as I heard Jasper chuckle next to me. Little Jasper and Charlie pulled on my hands, excited, "Look Momma, Harry gets to cut the ribbon."

"I see boys, isn't that exciting?" Jasper leaned over and kissed the top of my head as he proudly watched our children.

The Red Ribbon fluttered to the ground and it felt like a new dawn breaking, new pieces to the chess board were in place and the next part of our lives was at hand. The guests cheered, many of the women that have spent time here in the past eight years were in attendance, some with their new families and some proudly on their own. Each and every one in a better place than when we first met them. For each, happily, their new lives have eclipsed the dark times of their pasts. Ready and able to leave here and live out the twilight of their lives in peace and harmony, thanks to what we have been able to do. I liked to think that, in a way, Edward's death, all the horrible things that Jacob had done, all had allowed the thousand plus people that were helped by the foundation to have a better life, to escape the clutches of their own bloodsuckers.

I traced my fingers over the raised bronze lettering on the plaque that hung next to the door to the shelter's new addition. Cullen was the simple reminder of where this all began. It was my tribute to Edward, Jane and Esme for what they went through. I watched as Rachel and Rebecca each took a turn to honor the tribute in their way. I was so honored that they had been active supporters of the foundation over the years.

The luncheon was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with some of our former clients and find out about their lives and meet their families. The kids took advantage of their parents all being occupied and gave Rose and Alice a lesson in managing eleven children. Liz finally felt guilty and sent their three home early with her parents. Kissing them goodbye and assuring them they would call while on their trip.

Laurent and Charlie were engaged in a tree climbing adventure and Jasper Jr. and PJ were happily playing in the sand box. I looked over and saw Stephanie in her third new dress of the day with matching floppy hat and mini sunglasses and Auntie Alice teaching her to pose for pictures. Shaking my head, laughing quietly, I looked across to the pool to see Harry and Maggie and Siobhan playing a board game.

As anxious as I was for adult time, and time away for Jasper and I to spend alone, I was going to miss the children terribly. The festivities winding down, it was nearly time for us to be leaving.

Jasper came walking over to me and wrapped his arm around my waist, kissing my head, whispering into my ear that he wanted some time alone with the kids before we had to say goodbye to them. Nodding, I excused us from the conversation and we went to collect the children. We settled inside and with our 5 bundles of joy and talked about the day. Jasper told Harry how proud he was of the good job he did with the ceremony and Charlie and Jasper and PJ all agreed, jubilant. Stephanie fell asleep in my arms and we both kissed her head before turning her over to Irina. All the kids hugged and kissed, and promises made to call each day, we said goodbye and met the others at the car.

The kids lined the drive and chased after the car waving as we pulled away. Char, Victoria and I were all just a bit teary eyed watching our little ones out the back window. That is, until Rose let out a string of profanities and grabbed a bottle of tequila from her bag and a stack of disposable shot glasses.

We all just stared open jawed at her. "We are on vacation bitches, get your party panties on and let loose for a change. They'll be fine, trust me. The kids told me they couldn't wait for you all to leave so they could have their sleepover party. Now listen to Auntie Rose and get ready to party."

Rose poured as Emmett passed out shots, when we were all ready we all looked around and said, "1, 2, 3, fuck it," and threw back the shots.

This was going to be fun.

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and all the overall love and support that you have so generously sent my way. There are so many people to thank for so many things. It is really hard to believe that it has been a year since I started this story. What a year it has been.

Thanks to OhJasperMyJasper for all the handholding and collaborative talks as we each worked our babies into multi-chapters, sequels, outtakes.

Thanks to RunCaseyRun for allowing me to use her as Mary in this crazy little story and some neat ideas.

Thanks to Idreamofeddy for the inspiration that is Peter the know it all.

Thanks to the rocking core of you that have been consistently reviewing and PMing and pimping and tweeting and, well you get the idea.

For those of you that have been quietly enjoying without sending your thoughts, thanks for reading, I guess since there are still literally thousands of hits per new chapter that you are still out there and sticking with it even if you don't tell me. I would LOVE it if you hit that button this last time and let me know what you thought.

For all my twitter gals you make me giddy every time I see my silly little toast and love, love, love all the attention you have all brought to it.

For Tara, Brook, Tiff, Kelly, Andrea, it so rocked doing 1, 2, 3 fuck it live and in the flesh with you. I so value each of your friendships.

For all my RPing pals, you make me laugh and cry and pound my head on the desk, cool. lex and lynd and shirl and Penn and Chris and Rach and Till and Jess and Nev and SS and MJP and T and lexy and my sweet Bella I love ya all

Thanks for being there, for making me insane, and picking up the pieces and even for causing me heartache, it helped me write this story and grow as an author; you mean so much to me.

Finally, a huge thank you to my husband and kids, even though you will probably never read this, you have put up with so much from me and been supportive in ways no one will ever understand. Thanks for allowing me to spend so much of the time that should have gone to you to indulge my dreams.