Epilogue: Unknown
un·known [uhn-nohn] - not within the range of one's knowledge,experience, or understanding.
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The months following what Emmett began to call 'The Incident', Edward and Bella only grew closer, though they made it a habit to spend an hour or two down with the family after dinner. The lion and the lamb were rarely separated; there longest time apart was an hour, and it wasn't willingly – Alice had finally managed to get Bella to go shopping, though she had given up when Bella had practically been in tears without her mate.
Emmett spent time playing video games with her, and enjoyed just joking around with her. Jasper spent time with her and Edward in the library, talking with Bella about history and politics; he was happy that he had found someone else as interested in it as him. Esme was glad to have a new person to garden with, and Edward watched the two of them outside. Rosalie took time to explain to Bella the ins and outs of cars, and even showed her how to get around her '72 Chevrolet Camaro – a car the Rosalie was admittedly a little jealous of, even if it was old.
"Your car is in perfect condition," she explained as she saw the confused look. "Most people would kill to have a classic car like this."
Bella hadn't exactly understood, but she had nodded and motioned for Rosalie to continue with her demonstration. She had also given her blonde sister full reigns over the car, as she had been riding mostly in Edward's car, anyways.
Carlisle, much like Jasper, spent time with his newest daughter in his study, talking with her about his past and what he has learned. She had an endless amount of questions about medicine, and he was curious if she thought she would go into the field.
"Oh, no," she practically squeaked. "I could never be a doctor; I get sick when I smell blood." Her small nose wrinkled up – rather adorably, Edward thought – before she continued. "If I ever get a job, I'd want something like... historic literature." She nodded decidedly. Carlisle perked and launched them into a discussion about her chosen field.
Edward just sat back and observed as his family wholly and completely accepted his mate into their midst. Sure, they had approved of her, and had taken the time to get to know her, but they also hadn't allowed Edward and Bella's unique situation deter them from fully welcoming their newest member.
Saturday's were spent either visiting Charlie, or Charlie visiting them. Then, the roles were seemingly reversed; Bella observed delightedly as her father got to know her mate. Though they had discovered that Edward did not take any enjoyment from watching basketball or hockey, they bonded over baseball and football. Well, not so much as bonded as had arguments; Edward cheered for Chicago – the city of his birth - while Charlie was a Washington fan. Bella just shook her head while they discussed why their team was better than the other's.
Renee had visited for a couple of days, wanting to meet her daughter's mate and new family; she dragged Phil along with her, who took it all in stride. While his mate flitted around excited, constantly getting distracted by something new, he stood to the side and watched, quietly talking with Charlie about – well, as you would guess, sports.
All in all, if you were to take a snapshot of everybody – Edward and Bella, Charlie, Renee and Phil, Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper... They were all exceedingly happy. They all watched the newest couple interact, and though at times there sweetness was actually a little nauseated to the older couples who hadn't felt like acting like that in years – minus Renee and Phil, who had ALWAYS acted like that. Regardless, they all knew that this is what happened when you first found your mate – you tried your hardest to make up for all of the lost time, and in the case of Edward, that was a century. Carlisle had sympathized most with his son, having gone through the same thing before meeting Esme. It was hard to believe that the two were actually separate beings, they were so in harmony.
And every night, the couple would climb the stairs and make their way into their bedroom, just lying in each other's arms, taking the time to talk quietly to each other.
"I love you," Edward whispered on one such night, almost a full seven months after they had first met.
"I love you, too," Bella whispered back. Edward smiled, before gently pulling away from her, causing her to frown. "Where are you going?" She asked, reaching out for him, trying to pull him back into bed beside her.
"Nowhere, just one minute," he whispered, reassuring her with a smile. He reached beside him, opening a drawer in his night stand, and pulling something out, looking down at it. He took his place on the ground beside the bed, sitting on his knees. He continued to look at whatever was in his hands, and when curiosity stole over her, she leaned forward, causing Edward to reach up to stop her. He laughed when she pouted, but made no move to show her what was in his hand.
After a about a minute, he took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "I honestly don't know what to say; I had this all planned out and everything. I've spent weeks writing different speeches, wanting to do this in the best way possible. I can't remember any of them, so, I guess I'll just talk." He swallowed deeply, looking down again, not wanting to look into her eyes at the moment. "Isabella Swan, I will love you every single moment of forever. There will not be a second, no, millisecond of time that you will feel unloved, ever. I will love you until the day I die. Will you do me the extraordinary honour of marrying me?"
He pulled up the thing in his lap, opening the box and revealing an antique engagement ring that appeared as if it was from the early 1900s. Bella couldn't quite remember how to breathe; she hadn't expected him to propose...
He looked up then, and continued speaking. "We don't need to do it right away, I know you've just turned sixteen, and just stopped aging. But, I'll always love you, and since we're mates, there is not even the chance of us wanting anybody else. I just... want to know that when the time comes, you will marry me." His eyes looked into hers, again making her feel as if he was seeing her entire soul, laid bare in front of him.
She had known, from the first moment she had set eyes on him, what her answer would be. She could have laughed at how nervous he looked; as if it were even possible for her to answer in the negative. "Of course I'll marry you," she answered him.
The smile that spread across Edward's face was blinding, and Bella returned it just as brightly. She squealed and giggled as he stood up and grabbed her waist, spinning her around and around, causing her to get dizzy.
"Thank you," he whispered into her hair as he brought her into his chest, still holding her in the air. "You don't know what that means to me."
"If it means as much to you as it does to me, then I have a pretty good idea," she teased into his chest, moving away slightly to lay a kiss on his chest. "I love you, Edward Cullen."
He smiled. "I love you, too, Isabella Swan. I'll always love you."
He placed the ring on her finger, and while she was looking at it, he explained that this was the ring Carlisle had used when he proposed to Esme. She had started crying at that, when he told her that Esme had wanted him to have it, knowing it would mean more to him than it would to Alice or Emmett. He also knew that Bella would appreciate having his mother's ring more than Rosalie would, if she had given it to Emmett; and he was right. Bella loved the ring, and loved even more what it stood for; the bringing together of her true love's parents.
That night, their sleep was filled with the dreams of what their future would be like.
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Every ending is a beginning. This story of Edward and Bella may seem finished, but there are plenty more. Remember, in our world, we live forever; the stories will go on endlessly, until they both breathe the last lungful of air of this world. And, even after that, the afterlife will continue to bring them happiness.
The story of the lion and the lamb – the complete opposites – went down in history. The family laughed about it as they watched their newest couple names be put to print, being called 'the most unique mated couple'. Our little Bella, of course, blushed a bright cherry red when she saw her name on the news.
Edward only continued to grow happier each and every day, taking pride in how perfect his mate was. He remained on his protective ways, proudly showing off her engagement ring to any single male who looked at her for too long.
Alice, of course, was put in charge of the wedding – Bella wanted practically no part in it. She would be happy with anything her new sister chose, trusting her with the entire celebration. This complete and total trust passed on to Rosalie, as well, as she took her part in the planning, and of course Esme, who didn't miss the chance to get in on another wedding; the last first wedding of the family.
Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle continued to get closer, teaching her about things they were perfectly fluent in – whether it was gaming, history, or medicine.
Charlie found his mate in a young raccoon named Sue Matheson. She was a cousin of Harry Clearwater, a fishing buddy of Charlie's from La Push; Sue had come to visit her cousin, and ended up meeting Charlie by chance when he went to talk to Harry. Within months, they were married, and were expecting a healthy baby boy, whom they would name Seth.
Sue had come along with her younger sister, Leah, a wolf who met the eyes of young Jacob Black. Billy Black and his mate, Sarah, were ecstatic, always sneaking around to catch a glimpse of the couple. Billy loved to tease him about how stubborn and mean Leah was, but Jacob always refused to give in; it was clear that Leah was in charge in that relationship.
A new boy named Tyler Crowley arrived in town, and took a job at the diner for the summer. Who would walk in not a week later, but Lauren Mallory; it was another match seemingly made in Heaven. The two got along perfectly, and the relationship was approved by their family; last I heard, they were engaged to marry, much like our lion and lamb.
Angela and Ben got married; they had, apparently, kept their engagement a secret. Ben had proposed a mere two months after they met, not wanting to wait. Their wedding took place on the first day of summer, and Angela ended up asking Bella to be her maid of honour, though the girls had only met a few months before. They had gone on many double dates, and Angela often came over to visit the young lamb, understanding Edward and Bella's need to be together. Bella had always been very excited to meet with Angela.
Again, every ending is a beginning. This may seem like an ending to you, the readers who have unfortunately reached the end of this particular tale of our lion and lamb, but it's not. The story will continue, whether I write it or not. Being immortal allows us to do an endless amount of things in our just-as-endless existence. There are other stories to be told, but I hope that you don't forget this particular tale. It is one of love, and triumph, in a way. The love between two people who seemed like such opposites, and the triumph they felt when they came over their biggest obstacle. I hope this story has made you more aware of our world – so much like your own, yet so different at the same time. As for me, I just wanted to tell you of a tale that seemed so perfect yet so different at the same time. I'll probably continue with what I was doing before, content now that you normal humans know of us with our Tier in Geists. We're a lot closer to you than you think...
Oh, and just to clear it up, Jessica Stanley got what she deserved... with the added bonus of meeting her mate in jail. Ah, true love.
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The End
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The end; you have no idea how that makes me feel, to type those two simple words. I'm done with this world of mine for now, and I would like to thank all of you who stuck with me until the end. I will return to this world, of the Tier in Geists and the lion and the lamb, whether it be through a sequel or the outtakes I have already taken some thought to.
If there is anything you would like to see in an outtake, write a review about it, and I will try my best to write what you want.
Review, please! I really, really want to know what you think.
'Everything you do in life will be insignificant, but it's very important that you do it.' – Gandhi
Remember me.