Disclaimer: We own: One completed fic. We still don't own: Jasper and Alice. Damn.
K: Wow this was a wild ride, full of panty explosions, laughs, anger, tears and awws. Thank you all for being a part of this crazy ride with us. We love ya'll for it. No matter what frustrations we had, ya'll kept us pushing it through. A big thank you to Robs who made sure my procrastinating ass got on the ball… and OMG I finished something *dies*
Robs: We had to shift through 1256 reviews, just so you know that is a lot for a Jalice story! We feel extremely loved and touched by the amount of support and love this story has gotten, you all made us cry. But this is it, the last chapter, the epilogue, the final hoorah. We have a few outtakes and a bit from Bella and Edward's past, but pretty much, OMS is done after this. It's been a great ride.
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And special shout out to Contygoldbarg and VoldeBeth for being our very first reviewers…and they stuck with us till the end.
We love you all and can't believe it's over, this chapter is dedicated to everyone named above.
Ten years later.
APOV:
Sunshine. Fuck. I pulled the sheet over my head and snuggled into my husband. I could hear the shouts of the kids from downstairs, but I really didn't want to move at the moment.
I heard a low groan next to me just as something crashed down the hall, "Can't we give them to the circus?"
"I don't think they'd take them...well, maybe Jax... he's already a trapeze artist." I thought of our monkey boy and smiled, he walked at nine months without ever crawling, ran at ten months, learned to climb the built-ins and onto the countertop by a year. He was an endless bundle of energy as well as a little ray of sunshine; people couldn't help but smile when he smiled at them.
Jasper pulled me tighter to his side and snorted a bit at my comment, "Yeah, but Jordy's the ring leader…" He ran his lips down the side of my neck and made me shiver a little. "And Rosemary... she'd be that one clown that always seems so surprised about everything even though she's really the mastermind."
"Touché…" He rolled a little and started placing soft kisses along the other side of my neck, his arousal pressing into my thigh, making me moan a little, we'd been married for eleven years and our sex life was as great as it ever was. "Jeez Jazz, I thought men in their thirties were supposed to lose their sex drive?" He moved down a little and began nipping at my collarbone. His large calloused hands holding me firmly in place.
"Well when their wife is a MILF like you…" He trailed off trying to explain as he left feather light kisses from the hollow at the base of my throat to the swell of my breasts.
That reminded me of Jordan's boyfriend trying to hit on me, it was fairly ridiculous and made me laugh out loud, "Oh God, are you using Jordy's little boyfriend's words again?"
He looked up at me and pushed out his bottom lip a bit, pouting at me. "I called you that first," he whined. I tugged his hair to bring him back up to my level and I ran my nose along his jaw. He still smelled fabulous, even first thing in the morning.
"I know you did." I told him softly, pulling my leg up over his hip. He smiled his wide smile at me.
"Oh and remind me… next time Amber suggest a co-ed birthday for Jordan, Taylor is so not invited." He stated as he rolled us over, I was now on my back and he was hovering over me. We rarely get to have morning sex anymore, it's dirty and well… the kids are usually bugging us by now. But I figured what the hell, it's almost our eleven year anniversary, my hubby can have some dirty morning nookie if he wants it.
"Why honey? I thought things went okay." I asked, wondering why he was so anti-Taylor at the moment.
"Rosemary told me they were kissing under the willow tree... not okay." He shook his head, leaning on his forearms as he began kissing down my neck.
"Could've been worse Jazz, you had me pressed against a house at her age." I reminded him. He smirked a little and laid closer to me, one of his hands moving to fondle my breast as he continued to kiss down my neck. Another crash and a scream from down the hall made him groan loudly and roll onto his back.
"Why do we have to have the children who are up at the ass crack of dawn?" He asked, throwing his arm over his face dramatically and showing off the list of birthdates that were tattooed on his shoulder.
"Because they take after me... Jordy likes to sleep in though... I think that is why they are fighting." I said, not wanting to move, Jasper had gotten me worked up and now he was going to finish me.
"That or Jax is in her room again…" He smirked at me, "I think it's your turn to break it up."
I ran my finger up his erection making it twitched a little under my touch. "What are you gonna do about your little problem without me?" I batted my eyes at him.
He bit back a moan. "Good point…" His fingers slipped up my inner thigh, making me bite my lip in earnest.
"Ahhh! She's gonna kill me!!!!" Rosemary screamed as she burst through the door. I pulled the sheet up quickly around our naked bodies as she ran for the closet, a small whirl of short black hair and tanned skin.
"Rosemary you need to knock." Jasper groaned, falling back into the bed next to me.
I glanced over from Rosemary, who's green eyes were wide with fear, back to my husband. "What the hell is going on?" Jasper shrugged at me.
"Rosemary Josephine Whitlock!" I heard Jordy scream from the hallway.
"Don't tell her I'm here." Rosemary whispered, peeking out from her hiding spot behind my evening gowns. Jasper looked over at me with a raised eyebrow, this time it was my turn to shrug. Ever since Jax learned to walk he'd been annoying Jordy so that was nothing new, but she and Rosie were usually attached at the hip.
"Ugh! DAD!!!!" She hollered and I heard our tumultuous teenager storming up the stairs.
Well, looks like our early morning romp has been nixed, "We'll fuck tonight baby." I whispered to Jazz.
"And I promise to lock the door this time." He whispered back.
"Daddy!" Jordy wailed, sounding so much closer now.
"Sixteen and she still uses the damned 'daddy' against me." Jazz groaned from next to me. I giggled and buried myself under the sheets; no one was asking for me, this was all on him.
"I swear this time it wasn't me!" Jax yelled from out in the hall, I could almost see his teal eyes dancing with mischief. He was usually our evil little mastermind. I swear to Christ that boy idolized his uncle Emmett like he was a god or something.
"Liar! I know you and her were in it together!" Jordy snapped at him.
Jasper sighed heavily and sat up a little, the sheet wrapped tightly around his waist. "Rosie honey, you need to get out of the closet so Daddy can get dressed."
"No Daddy, she'll really kill me." Rosemary whispered, peeking at us again.
Jasper groaned a little before hollering out towards the hall, "Jordan Marie, no killing your siblings!"
"No Fair!" I heard her stomp her foot. It always amazes me how fast a sixteen year old can revert back to a screaming toddler when the mood hits them.
"I didn't steal your skirt Jordy, why would I do that?!" Jackson defended himself. I had to put a pillow over my head. Oh dear lord this was too much.
"Because you knew I was gonna wear it to go to the movie with Taylor! You just wanted to get me in trouble." I heard Jordy argue.
"Jesus I hope he ain't stealin' her skirts." Jasper muttered, laughing quietly. Wait. Skirts. Taylor.
I sat up quickly, holding the sheet firmly around me. "Jordan Marie, get in here!"
I could see Jasper raise an eyebrow at me as Jordy hissed, "See!" at her brother. She came into the room hanging her head, she knew she was busted, "Yes, Momma?"
"What have I told you about wearing skirts on dates with Taylor?"
"To wear shorts under them?" She replied cheekily. I scowled a little at her as Jasper laughed. Fine. If this was the way she wanted her daddy to hear she got kicked out of a theater because she got fingered by her boyfriend during a Disney flick, then fine.
"I thought after the two of you got kicked out of the theater," I glanced over at my husband, to see his face had grown quite serious, "that you agreed to only wearing jeans."
"They what?" Jasper asked, before looking at Jordy.
Her eyes went wide, "Momma!" I, in return, gave her a pointed look. See, I don't keep secrets, I collect blackmail.
Jasper shook his head and gave her a stern look, "Only movies you're gonna be watching, young lady, is The Lion King with Rosemary."
"Daddy no! You guys said I could go out tonight if I got good marks on my progress report." She gave him a sad face. It was quite hilarious to see her do that, she looked so much like a prettier version of Maria, but when she pouted she looked like her grandmother, Mari, "Please Daddy, I swear I'll wear jeans and we'll sit with the popcorn in the seat between us." She looked over at me, pleading to me with her eyes, "Momma please."
I looked over at my husband for a minute, his graying temples and scruff made him look dignified at thirty-five years old. "High collar shirt?" He asked me, raising an eyebrow. I shook my head at him and he gave me a questioning look. I held a finger up for him to indicate he should wait.
I turned to Jordy. "Okay... if you take your siblings downstairs and get started making omelets and don't kill them or scream at them…"
Jordy nodded, "Yes ma'am."
I then turned back to address my husband, "High collared shirts just makes it easier for her to hide hickies from you." I informed him patting his knee, his jaw dropped. I turned again to my oldest child, "Good and check in on the baby before you go down? I wouldn't be surprised if you woke up Ashleigh with all the yelling."
She laughed, "She sleeps like Daddy…" Meaning a bomb could go off and it wouldn't wake her. "You can come out of the closet now Rosemary." Jordy said in a sing-song voice as she turned to leave.
Rosemary poked her head out of the closet to look at her older sister, "How did you know I was in here?"
"Older sisters know all the tricks," she informed her, holding out her hand for her to grab. "Extra cheese right?" Rosemary nodded happily taking her hand as Jasper gave them a funny look. I looked at the two girls, Jordy was almost five foot ten while little Rosie was built like me, stature and all, and half the size of Jordy.
"Yes ma'am." Rosie told her sister politely.
"Besides Daddy's a push over for a pretty smile and Momma's eyes." Jordy said over her shoulder, smirking at her father.
"Hey!"
Rosie looked over her shoulder then and batted her eyes, "Love you Daddy." Watch Jasper melt.
He smiled lazily, "Love you too baby girl." I glanced up and saw Jax in the doorframe, I scowled at him.
"Jackson, get down from there!" His head popped down as he slid down the doorframe on his hands and feet. Kid was crazy with his agility. He too was tall like his father, making his thin frame look gangly. So far the only child to completely take after me was Rosie, who Jasper claims is my clone.
"The tree house ain't enough for you monkey boy?" Jasper teased him.
He gave us a wide grin, he was probably the best combination of us, black hair speckled with hints of blond, hybrid eyes, my olive skin and Jasper's freckles. "Yes sir it is... I was just hiding from Jordy." He explained.
"Her bark is bigger than her bite." I don't know how many times we've had to tell him that.
"Come on Jax or I'm putting onions in your omelet!" Whoa. Jordy is playing with fire there.
"Don't you dare Jordan Marie!" Jasper growled at her. We learned the hard way, when Jax was three that he was almost deathly allergic to onions.
"Okay." Jackson squeaked, following his older sister before he whispered over his shoulder, "I think she really is trying to kill me."
Jasper shook his head, "Unless she wants a double date with her parents she's not gonna kill you."
"I was kidding Jackson!" Jordy hollered at him.
After they had all trudged back down the stairs I fell backwards onto the pillows and started to laugh, "Welcome to Animal House."
My husband looked over his shoulder and smiled at me, "They were fun to make," he shrugged.
"Well, I dunno about Jordy... but the other three…" I smirked and wiggled my eyebrows like Emmett when he's being perverted. "Let's see, we have the 'New York' baby... the 'forgot to use a condom right after Jax was born' baby and our 'second honeymoon' baby... yes all those were fun to make."
"At least there isn't an 'oh fuck not again' baby…"
I gigged at that, he wasn't around when I took the pregnancy test with Rosie. "Wasn't that Rosemary?"
"Ohh that's just mean. I thought she was the 'oops' baby." He laid back and pulled me to him, I could feel his extra appendage start to harden behind me. "So we got a few minutes…" He trailed off seductively.
I glanced over at the open door, that's never good with a house full of children. "You wanna go shut that real quick?"
"Yes ma'am." He said hurriedly, jumping out of bed and running stark naked to close and lock the door. He turned back to me, his eyes dark with desire.
I bit back my grin as I let the sheet fall from my body and stood up, "Anxious are we?" I teased as I started to walk towards our newly renovated master bathroom.
His eyes traveled my body and I watched out of the corner of my eye as he stood at attention, "Yes ma'am. But after all this time you should know your husband better than that."
I turned around and put my hands on my hips, "And what do you mean?"
"That I love you and think you're still as sexy as you were the day we met at Sue's…" He gave me a crooked smile, his 'I want inside you now' smile.
"Well, I love you and think you're as sexy as I thought you were way back at Charlie's funeral." If it were possible, sexier even. I grinned up at him.
"Yeah, me and my graying hair." He added sarcastically wrapping his arms lightly around me.
"And your rock hard body and tattoos... there's a reason Jordy's friends come over here so often," and it isn't for my cookies, "You're a DILF Jazz." I purred, running my hands up his chest.
He smirked a little, "Shower?" Oh yes. I nodded and turned, wigging my body against him before I strode into the bathroom and began to turn on the faucets. I felt his finger trace the J and the star that had been tattooed on my left side. We both got each other's initials for our second anniversary when we toured in Mexico.
His hand grazed my flesh and I felt it encircle me as he pulled me close. I looked up into his eyes and saw desire, as if I needed the confirmation; after all he was very hard and pressing against my side. But I could tell he wanted me, the same as the first time our eyes locked at Sue's, the same as when I walked down the aisle in Vegas, the same as when I walked down the aisle sixteen months later on a beach in Texas for our 'big' wedding. The same as when I got the tattoo on my side, and when we found out we were having another child… three months after Jasper had a vasectomy.
He pressed his lips to mine and it was like every passionate kiss we had ever experienced. We stepped in unison, me backwards, he forwards, under the jets and the water and steam made our bodies wet and slippery. His lips moved to my neck and I wrapped my arms around him, enabling him to pick me up and push me up against the stone wall.
I moved one of my hands up to brace myself by hanging onto one of the towel bars I had installed in here when we remodeled the bathroom. We have yet to actually hang towels in here. What I can say, I love having sex in the shower.
----
After we were sufficiently clean, clothed and ready, we walked down the stairs together to our youngest, Ashleigh's room. She stood there in her crib, expecting us, naturally, her blue eyes focused ahead and her long blond curls cascading down to her diaper.
"Mama!" She cried out happily, holding her arms out in front of her and giving me a toothy grin, her dimple becoming prominent. If Rosie was my mini, than Ash was Jasper's female self. She was the smaller, prettier version of him; or, as he puts it, the mini version of Nana Whitlock.
Jasper wrinkled his nose at me as he stepped forward in front of the chubby toddler, "I don't know why it surprises me she like you more." He kissed the top of her head.
"Hi Daddy," Ash grinned and grabbed at his arm. "Hold me?"
It was funny he said that, our kids actually seemed to like him more. Especially Rosie, but that could also be because Jasper practically refused to put the mini Ali down for the first year of her life. "I think she likes you fine."
Not that we play favorites or anything, it's just that as a parent you find that you love each child a little differently from the last, because each child needs something different. I have always simply been what Jordy needed, I started off loving her for the simple fact that she was a part of the man I couldn't get enough of and then quickly fell in love with her for her own sake. She's still closer to me than she is to her father, but with time her anger towards him has almost disappeared.
I love Jax because he was the combination of Jasper and I, our little testament to our love. He out of all our children needs the most patience and understanding, he's fearless to the point of reckless but he has the biggest heart of any child I have ever known. Rosie is insightful and sweet, patient and quiet. She's the one we coddle the most, she hates the paparazzi that still occasionally follow us because she hates the attention. Ash is our baby and the child we weren't supposed to have, but fate had other plans.
I watched as my husband and daughter talked about the plane ride we were going on that night. The cute interactions between them as Jasper tried his best to explain the goings on in the world to her. He picked her up and 'soared' her over his head as he talked about the plane ride, making her giggle. Ash is the old soul of our children; she's wise beyond her years and always seems to know what is going to happen next.
"Mama and Daddy hug now." Ash said in her cute little soprano voice. It was something she requested often, nothing made her happier than seeing the two of us hug or kiss, no matter how much it grossed out the rest of the children.
"You hungry baby girl?" Jasper asked Ash when we pulled away.
Ash nodded enthusiastically. "'Ordy burn'n da eggs."
"Aww, come on now. I don't think she's burnin' them." Jasper responded and Ash gave him a very serious look.
"She alwayz do." Jasper looked at me, trying very hard not to laugh. Jordy had only recently begun learning how to cook and so far nothing had come out properly.
"Aww baby, I am sure they will turn out good this time." I assured her.
"I like da burn'n eggs." She said excitedly, clapping her chubby hands.
That made Jasper lose it and he bent over with laughter, shaking his head while Ashleigh looked at him like he was crazy. I took the toddler from him and changed her while he regained his composure. "Come on let's make sure the kitchen hasn't burned down yet." He finally said, taking our daughter from me and walking out of the room.
------
After breakfast, we began to pack. I was in charge of our things and Ashleigh's while Jasper played drill sergeant with our older children.
I packed up Ashleigh's things first in her small pink suitcase, mainly because she had to go down for a nap. After I laid her down, I went into our room to pack our clothes and necessities into our luggage. I sat on the edge of the bed to get ready and I guess I was feeling nostalgic because I began reflecting upon the past eleven years with Jasper. We were still in a band with Seth and Maggie, but we had slowed down record releases and touring because we all had children now.
Brandon, who was the maid of honor at our big ceremony, now had a celebrity hair salon but would still see me when I booked an appointment. Not to mention whenever he and Demean came to the house for dinner.
Mom and Dad are still traveling the world but right now are in Texas hanging out with Momma Whitlock, probably getting into some sort of mischief. I swear my parents and momma have some sort of kinky tryst going on. Wait I don't want to think about that, just know they travel together. Old people, yeesh. Momma and mom like to pick on us whenever we're down there because we've given them so many grandchildren. Who would've thought, the two old bitties who were asking for grandchildren to start with would end up giving us crap when we do.
I looked up at the mantel of the fireplace to see the pictures Jasper and I had taken on our second honeymoon. I smiled a little as I stood and walked over to look at them. About three years ago we went on a second honeymoon; we spent two weeks in Paris, the first of which we spent cooped up in our hotel room worshipping each other's bodies, only stopping to eat. We figured we were safe, we knew the vasectomy took anywhere between three months and a year to heal and make you fully sterile. But a month after we got back from our trip I went to the doctor for the stomach flu and well… now we have Ashleigh.
The sound of the doorbell ringing, Jasper yelling at Jordy to finish packing her two suitcases and Jackson making a Tarzan like yell followed closely by a crash brought me out of my memories. I shook my head as I got up to walk downstairs and let Jordy's date in while she finished packing.
-----
An hour after Jordy's date ended we found ourselves at the airport, traversing airport security, loading luggage and trying to make sure that none of our children wandered off. Let me tell you, that's not an easy task with a flirty sixteen year old and a wild ten year old. Thankfully, Ashleigh was holding her daddy's hand and Rosemary had a death grip on my arm.
Oh, did I mention that she hates the paparazzi, and guess who's flashing their bulbs at us now. Yep. Thank you papz. One very handsome paparazzo was the reason why we kept losing Jordan and well, Jackson, unlike his little sister loves attention. By the time we made it to our first class seats I was so relieved I nearly fainted. On to Texas we go.
----
JPOV:
Ah, home… There is nothing better than being with your family and being home. The whole Washington clan agreed to meet up in Texas for Momma's birthday but since my wonderful sixteen year old decided it would be fun to ditch most of her junior year of high school, she was forced to take summer school if she had a chance of graduating on time. Of course summer school meant no family vacation in Texas this year. This was probably one of the few times I ever had to get between her and Jax, he was definitely not impressed.
Ever since the kids were little, we exposed them both our homes; the one in Washington and the one in Texas. Jax loves it here, Rosie I think likes it cause her momma and Jordy do, where as Ash loves whatever has me and Ali together.
Currently I was on the porch watching my three, Emmett and Rose's three, and one of Ed and Bella's two children play the oddest game of freeze tag.
"I thought you were supposed to freeze if you're tagged?" I heard Ed chuckle as he rocked his youngest Vanessa to sleep. She was the equivalent of what Ash was to me. She looked identical to him with her reddish brown curls and crooked smile and her momma's warm brown eyes.
Emmett snorted, "Well if they keep making Jordan it, the little ones don't stand a chance."
"I don't know, Emma's got the same leg span being five six and all, and Adam… he's a fast little…" I looked over at Ed who was trying not to laugh.
"Yes, but even though our children got their father's good looks, Adam is cursed with my agility." Bella said as she came out to get her sleeping child.
Edward laughed as he handed Vanessa to her mother. "I don't know love, I think he's gotten over the whole tripping on air thing fairly well," he teased.
Bella merely rolled her eyes and sat in her husband's lap.
I looked back at the kids. The girls had moved on to Ring Around the Rosie now. Kallie, Stefany and Rosie were all holding hands and dancing around. Even though Rosie was the oldest of the three, she still treated Kallie, who was seven and Stefany, who was four as equals. Something I know Rosie did not learn from her older sister.
Jordan was lying back in the grass as her thumbs flew like crazy over the buttons on her phone. No doubt texting Taylor or Maya, maybe even both. That was one thing we tried to keep a constant for Jordy. Even after Maya's parents relocated to the Midwest, we were able to keep the girls in regular contact and they often spent summers with each other.
"Jazz, where's JC?" Bella said suddenly. I scanned the yard looking for the monkey boy, when I saw Adam fall to the ground laughing as he pointed at a tree.
I groaned and stood up. "Well at least Adam didn't try to climb up after him this time. Emma's at least not gonna possibly kill herself." I teased Bella as I jumped over the porch railing to wrangle in my kid.
"And Alice wonders where he gets it from!" Bella hollered after me.
"Jackson, wait up!" I heard Emma call after her cousin. She was spitting image of her mother. Until she smiled or got in trouble, then she was all Emmett.
"Jackson Charles, get your ass out of that tree!" I yelled up at him.
I could hear most of the kids gasp in surprise as Jordy laughed.
"Told you so," she said in a sing song voice. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry Dad, but I told-" I held my hand up to stop her.
"I know we ask for your help Jordan and we appreciate it but you're his big sister not his momma."
She rolled her eyes at me; a habit I really wish she'd never learned. "Thank God," she muttered walking away.
Suddenly the figure of my son appeared in front of me, followed closely by one of his partners in crime. He and Emma smiled widely at me, as if they didn't do anything wrong but his teal eyes and her hazel ones danced with the possibilities of the mischief before them.
"Adam Carlisle Cullen, get over here young man." I said not taking my eyes of the two in front of me.
"Crap," I heard my nephew mutter and no sooner had he said it when Jackson's eyes went wide.
Adam stood next to his cousins and I almost laughed at the line up. This must be how Momma and Charlie felt twenty odd years ago when Rose, Bella and myself got scolded.
"What have we told ya'll about climbing trees?"
"Don't," they answered together.
"What happens if you do?" All at once the three whined, complaining that wasn't fair, they were looking forward to surfing tomorrow. "You know the rules, and I would have thought after Adam broke his arm last year you'd learn your lesson."
I had to give these kids credit; they were pretty good at trying to talk their way out of things, especially Adam. Bella could joke and say he got Ed's looks but the smooth talking to protect his cousins was an equal mix of both his parents. Adam may only be seven, but compared to his cousins, he always seemed to know exactly what you wanted him to say.
I told the three stooges… trust me I find it hilarious that we have our own set in our children, that if they don't knock off the monkey business they wouldn't partake in Emmett's 'video game show down' later on. These three really took this threat to heart, more so then the surfing threat. This event had become a tradition between the fathers and occasionally the mothers. But as the kids started getting older we started to include them as well.
After dealing with them, I headed back into the house to check on Ashleigh. I had put her down for a nap twenty minutes ago and I was hoping she was sleeping soundly. And to think ten years later, Alice still gets nervous about leaving me with the kids. I got this super dad thing down pat!
As soon as I opened the door to her room, I heard "Daddy!" in her pretty little voice, a little higher than her momma's. Okay maybe not down pat, but hell I have to adjust with each kid.
I sighed and walked over to her crib. "You're supposed to be laying down princess."
"Not twired Daddy! Iz wantz to pway!" She jutted out her bottom lip at me as one of her chubby hands balled into a fist and rubbed at her eye. The universal code for 'I'm tired'; as Alice had to point out to me with Jackson.
"No, I know you're tired Ash. Lay down." I said soothingly to her.
"No!" She pouted again. I reached in her crib and picked up her stuffed Nemo toy as her blue eyes watched me cautiously. No one messes with her Nemo.
"Fine then, I'm taking Nemo." I warned.
Yeah I know, low blow but it works every time and honestly sometimes you have to play bad cop with these kids. Good cop gets walked on.
"No Daddy!" She cried as she reached out for the toy and her bottom lip quivered.
Dear God please not the quivering lip.
"Then lie down and take a nap. You'll get him back when you wake up."
She sniffled and laid down, her eyes still locked on the stuffed fish. I sighed, putting Nemo down next to her, "Just got to sleep Ashleigh."
She hugged the fish tight and nodded, closing her eyes.
"I love you baby girl," I said softly smoothing the golden curls off her face.
"I wuv youz too Daddy," she said softly.
I walked over to the dresser where the pink CD player was and started the CD back up. Ed and Alice had made one for each of the girls, just songs played on the piano like 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' to more complicated things like some of the works of Beethoven.
Checking on Ash one more time and seeing that her eyes were closes and her mouth was puckered into a perfect little 'O', I silently left the room. I was too busy trying to close the door quietly to notice that I wasn't alone in the hallway.
"Heyyy," Alice whispered seductively.
I turned to look at her, giving her a lazy grin as I looked over her outfit. Her jeans and t-shirt looked good paired with her boots and hat. "Hey yourself good lookin'." That was the thing with Alice, even after all this time I still wanted her in every way possible. And no look was better on her then the relaxed mother of four look, in my opinion.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and jumped on to her toes to give me a kiss. "How were the kids?" After the first four years of Jackson's life I learned to stop rolling my eyes at that question.
I wrapped my arms around her pulling her against me. "Well the Three Stooges tried climbin' trees again... and Jordy is very close to getting her cell phone taken away. But other than that…" I bounced my head from side to side to imitate contemplating. "Manageable."
She giggled a little as she pulled away. "Good." She grabbed my hand and started dragging me out to the main part of the house. Here's the thing about the house. Alice and I, after our first honeymoon to Tahiti, bought property here in Corpus Christi and we worked with an architect for over a year and half designing the perfect home for our family. But not just our family, the whole family; there were several wings to the house, one for each family and they all met in the middle at the great room. This was as much our home as The Whitlock Ranch and the house in Seattle was.
"Momma and I decided it was best to buy half a cow at the butchers and have him carve it up." Alice informed me.
I snorted at the thought of only half a cow feeding eighteen people, "Only half?"
She looked over her shoulder and smirked. "That's for tonight."
I laughed, "Sounds about right. Have we decided what we're gonna do about Jordan's sudden need to be meat free?" Ever since a girl at school called her fat she has been freaking out about being the perfect size. The girl was taller than her Aunt Rose, and wore the same waist size as her momma. She was far from fat.
Alice shrugged, "Make her a salad?"
She can make her own damned salad, I though. "Stubborn child…" I shook my head knowing full and well who she got that from. "I think she was adopted," I joked.
Alice laughed. "Nah, she's definitely your child."
I pulled her close to me and wrapped my arms around her as we walked towards the kitchen. "Is that so? Well I blame Jackson's mischievous antics on you." I retorted before kissing her temple.
"How is that me?"
Honestly, I had no clue. So I went with what worked best; teasing.
"I'll tell you later behind closed and locked doors…"
Suddenly she stopped, "Oh that reminds me!"
"You're not pregnant again are you?" Hey, you never know! After all, hell I was supposedly 'fixed' the last time.
She shook her head laughing. "No."
"Just checking," I teased while laughing.
"Anyway," she said getting back on subject and I could just picture her eyes rolling at me. "I definitely think something is up with the 'rents... "
I laughed slightly. We had all speculated that Momma, Esme and Carlisle were having a
'Ménage à trois' after we received a post card from the three of them when they went to the South of France over this past Christmas.
I felt my eyebrow go up. Holy fuck, she has proof! "Really, and as gross as that thought is, how do you figure?"
"My dad grabbed your moms ass in front of my mom... my mom smacked your moms butt... it was all very gross."
I shook my head. "Who knew," her dad was such a stud, I added in thought. I kind of looked up to him for that.
"Eww," I looked at Alice to see her wrinkling her nose.
"Yeah…" Good bye Alice and Alyssa Milano fantasy.
Dinner was as hectic as can be expected when you have more children than adults at the table. Yes, I just counted Emmett as a child. Conversation went from parents scolding children to stop playing with their food to the kids all yelling 'ewww' when the parents did something to embarrass them. This was what family was all about.
I looked at each member of our family starting with the ones who started it all; Momma, Esme and Carlisle. While Momma still legally resides in Fort Stockton, she has taken to traveling abroad with Esme and Carlisle. We joke a lot with her, calling her irresponsible but we're happy that she's enjoying her life. And like she said, once we took Twilight to the new house in Washington, she didn't have a reason to stay in a big empty house anymore.
As much shit as they give us about their nine grandkids, Momma, Esme and Carlisle still love each and every one of them in their own way and never played favorites. It was the children themselves that thought they were nana or poppa's favorite.
I watched as Rose and Emmett interacted with their three girls. They had had some difficulties in the past year trying to get that allusive boy but wound up deciding to try adoption. Last that we had heard the paper work went through and they were just trying to decide which they wanted, a baby or an older child. I was proud of how much Rose had grown in the past ten years. Lord knows before Emmett, she would have never considered adoption.
But I know that even if their adoption forms didn't go through, Emmett and Rose would be happy. They had three beautiful girls that were every part of them wrapped into three little packages.
Of course when Stefany was born, I gave Emmett hell about her brown hair and blue eyes, saying that she was definitely the milkman's child.
Pay backs a bitch, fucker.
Bella looked over at me and smiled as our eyes met. Things were especially hard for them after their Hawaiian wedding almost eight years ago. Now I feel like a dick for giving her hell when she began bugging Alice a full year before their planned destination wedding in Oahu.
While Adam was a honeymoon baby, an easy pregnancy – Bella made both Alice and Rose jealous for not getting sick even once – and an easy birth; Vanessa Renee was harder. They were about to give up trying when they finally found out she was pregnant again. At this time Bella and Edward had tried to reestablish a relationship with Renee, much to Momma's dismay, only to have Renee taken away due to an untreated heart condition. Then her pregnancy with Nessie was tougher than any of us would have wished on her, or on anyone for that matter. But thankfully, Nessie proved to be just as much of a fighter as Rosemary had been.
Then there was my wife and kids. Alice was a saint for putting up with so many personalities under one roof. I'll never forget the one time I had the kids on my own for a twenty-four hour period. While I wasn't exactly curled up into a ball in the corner, crying to myself when she got home the next day, I was pretty damn close.
She always knew exactly what each kid needed at any given moment, whether it was a shoulder to cry on while Jordan bawled over the latest fight her and Taylor got into, or Jackson needing his medication to calm his ass down, a hug and a kiss for Rosie to let her know she's not invisible or just a smile or a silly dance with Ashleigh; Alice had it down pat. How this woman, after eleven years still managed to not only put up with my mood swings but four other eventual temper tantrums and still love me as openly as she did that first weekend, I will never know. But I will never make her doubt her loving me as freely as she does.
With Jordan it's definitely been a rough ten years, but it gets better every day. While I'm still the enforcer when it comes to her, she now sees that sometimes I do things without talking to her for her benefit. But she still has Maria's genes in her and she still occasionally acts like the drama queen her mother was known best for. As much as I joke that next June can't come fast enough, I'm actually sad to see it come as fast as it is. She'll be going off to college soon, having sent her applications to schools like Texas A&M, UCLA, and University of Miami; a part of me doesn't want to let my baby girl go.
Jackson is our attention grabber. Not to sound like a vain parent, but one look at him and there was no way you couldn't want to get to know him. His smile was always warm and inviting as was his personality. But he was a lot like his momma when it came to being passionate about things. He would fight you tooth and nail until you saw his point. He was also a complete gentleman to all the girls. He loved to fish with me, Ed and Emmett, to work on cars with Rose, and listen to stories about Grandpa Charlie from Bella.
Rosemary is our little miracle. As much as Alice and I tease that she was the 'oh shit baby' or the 'daddy was a horn dog baby'; we still count our blessing everyday that she is here with us. After Alice went into labor earlier than any of us predicted, we were told not to expect the best. But, Rosemary lived up to her Nana Hale's name and proved to be a fighter from day one. She's shy and quiet, something Alice claims she picked up from her, but ornery as hell when you butted heads with her.
And we can't forget our ray of sunshine Ashleigh. Girl was smart as a whip and very perceptive. She always kept us smiling or laughing with her quirky behavior and requests. She had me completely wrapped around her little finger and Alice wasn't far behind. She seemed to feed off the emotions of those around her, especially when you're happy. She never liked to see someone angry or sad and felt it her duty to make you smile. Often times she could be found making a moody Jordy laugh as she waddled her way into her room asking to be 'pwety too'. As with all our children, our family wouldn't be complete without her.
But even with the kids, our family doesn't seem like a complete family until we are all gathered around at a family event. With us, there was no such thing as a small Christmas, or just a night trick-or-treating. It was a group thing, but completely worth it because it would forever give the kids memories they could look back on and smile. And for the ones that were too little to remember them, Emmett had them covered with his extensive collection of family videos.
Of course, when I talk about our family, our band mates are included as well. Seth and Kelci were married just before Ed and Bella, opting for two ceremonies so that Kelci's family in Canada would be able to witness her commitment to Seth. Kelci also got to see first hand why Alice was so unintentionally short with her during Jackson's pregnancy, two years ago, when she as Seth welcomed little Charlene Abigail Clearwater into the world.
Charlene was the perfect mix of her mom and dad. She had Kelci's golden brown hair and Seth's lopsided grin. Getting her to hang out with Ash is blast to watch because she watches our little bundle of energy like she can't believe it's true. But she has a personality of her own, once she's comfortable enough to show it.
For a while there, I was convinced Ben was going to lose the battle with Maggie on whether or not to have children. She seemed perfectly content with their family of two Jack Russell Terriers but she finally caved four years ago and they are now proud parents to Hayden, Samuel, and Jonathan. Triplet boys I might add.
Yes, Ben is the reason why a doctor got closer to my balls then I would have liked. He got his procedure done and shortly after Maggie bragged to Alice about it. I can't put the blame completely on Ben since we were looking at options at the time. But still, the only person I like near the goods besides me is Alice.
"Emmett! Don't encourage them!" The sound of Rosalie's voice broke me from my reverie. I looked over in time to see a spoonful of mashed potatoes hit Edward in the side of his head.
Alice clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
"You are so dead, McCarty," Edward growled at Emmett before jumping up out of his chair.
"Boys!" Momma called out trying to get the overgrown children to settle down as a chase around the table started.
The kids each took sides cheering for their favorite as Edward caught up with Emmett. Jordy looked at me and smiled before giving me a quick wink, causing me to tilt my head at her.
Before I knew it, Emmett tripped; landing on his back and Jordy had a handful of mashed potatoes smeared in his face.
"Don't mess with my Uncle Eddie," she smirked before sitting back at the table.
We all burst out laughing, not expecting the chase of the two E's nor Jordy playing along like that.
I looked over at Alice who was grinning ear to ear watching her brother and daughter high five each other. I wrapped my arm around my wife pulling her closer to me. She turned her head a smiled up at me.
"I love you Mary Alice Whitlock," I smiled at her.
"I love you too Jasper Thomas Whitlock," she said before giving me a kiss.
I love my family.
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