Author's note: Well ladies (and gents?) this is the end of the step-sibling journey. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to AgoodWITCH for getting this and several other chapters back to me today while on her vacay. Wanna say thanks? Why not hop over and read/review her stories?

So, both my stories apparently are going to wrap this week. ROTK will see the last chapter and the epi, which AGW just got back to me in the next couple of days and then you probably won't be hearing too much from me for a short while. I'm facing a deadline for the first draft of the second book in my Children of Creation Series, which I've decided to name Induction. I'll probably be working on my FF plot bunnies on the side to break up the monotony, but I will probably not post until I get the first draft of Induction wrapped up or close to it. I'll be around on FB and Twitter so drop in to say hi from time to time, and I promise I'll be posting again by summer.

Love to you all!

-A Cullen Wannabe…aka Jen :)

Epilogue…six years later…

I walked into the apartment, kicking off my heels after a late night in the office. Over the last six years since I started at Douglas and Hannabee, I'd slowly moved up the ranks from mailroom to clerk, then during my first year of Columbia Law, I had gotten another promotion to paralegal. Apparently, I was well liked, because when internship time came around, Mr. Douglas and Mr. Hannabee each made calls requesting my placement in their internship program by the Law school. Even though the summer was over, I was still working there after my last year of Law School courses ended. This meant I didn't get home to the apartment Edward and I moved into in Clinton until well after ten at night. I didn't feel too badly about it though, because Edward usually didn't make it in until midnight or later between late performances and cleaning up afterward.

I smiled as I walked through the oddly shaped apartment with its nicer flooring, fixtures, molding, and square footage. We lived in our standard first college apartment for two years until Edward's friend from Julliard, Marco, informed him that he was being picked up by the San Francisco Symphony and his apartment would be going up for rent soon. Marco was a good friend who clucked his tongue every time he visited, saying that we really needed to upgrade. The simple fact that it was the upper west side made the cost per square foot quite a bit higher.

Marco's building which was near an area once thought to be a little less savory, aka Hell's Kitchen, was full of other performers. The building's close proximity to Broadway meant that many actors and musicians congregated in that neighborhood. The first time I saw the apartment, I wanted to cry. It was only four hundred a month more than our apartment, and one floor higher, but it was gorgeous. It had a full size stove and fridge as opposed to the little 'apartment' sized appliances in our place, and a DISH WASHER! Things got better when he showed us the marble tiled bathroom, small dining room, decent sized bedroom with a real closet and a second room that would be our office, also boasting a real closet. Even if all of that didn't already have me sold, it also had air conditioning. I was in love.

It wasn't really adding that much of a commute and it would be a pain to move, but we applied for the apartment that very afternoon. Two months later, we paid a hefty penalty for breaking our lease early and happily moved to our new home. We'd stayed there ever since, almost four years now.

I picked up my heels and carried them through the apartment to our bedroom, peeling myself out of my wool business suit before sliding on my robe and stumbling back to the bathroom to shower. It was late, but I still had a lot to do to prepare for the next day. It was going to be a biggie and probably a major drama fest, but it was our life and they would just have to get over it. I noticed the plain gold band glint in the light as I flipped on the water and smiled again. They'd get over it. I knew they would…just maybe not this weekend.

I hurried through my shower and towel dried before slipping back into my robe and making my way to the kitchen. There I tugged out the huge Christmas turkey and began prepping it for the family dinner the next morning. This was the first year we had hosted Christmas, our family flying in a couple of days before to sight see and keep themselves entertained while treating themselves with a stay at the Ritz Carlton on Central Park South. They even forked out the extra money for a park-view suite that they all shared, Mom, Pop, Em, Rose, and my adorable two-year-old twin nieces Natalie and Rosanna, or as we liked to call them, Nat and Annie. We were both quite busy this week, but Edward was able to steal a little time with them, and they were all going to see Edward's late performance tonight.

I did all the prep work on the turkey before shoving it back in the fridge, ready to go straight into the oven at six in the morning. I sat out the other supplies for the sides and peeled the potatoes, leaving them soaking in a bit bowl of water in the fridge so all I'd have to do is boil and mash them in the morning.

I was doing a few last minute things when I heard the door open behind me and Edward say bye to our neighbors, also in the orchestra who he usually walked home with after a performance. Seconds later, his hands were circling my waist, his lips at my neck as he inhaled sharply.

"Good evening, my bride. How was your night at the office?"

I hummed, tipping my head away so he could have better access. "Good. I finished the deposition that had to be done for the 26th and managed to get a few more last minute things wrapped up for Mr. Hannabee so it'll make court easier on him. I'm free as a bird till the 28th; just in time to see them all off before going back in on the 29th."

I could feel Edward smiling against my neck, his hands slipping through the part in my satin robe. "Are you about done here? I want to make love to my wife."

I nibbled my lip as I tossed the bean salad together and covered the bowl. "Just have to place this in the fridge and then I'm all set until the bird goes in at six."

He took the bowl from my hands and disappeared. I turned to watch him saunter to the fridge, still dressed in his white sleeves and tux pants. I looked away to find his face again as he turned and smirked, approaching me again to twine our fingers, lifting our hands to his lips, kissing the gold band.

"Did they notice it tonight?"

He glanced down at his ring and shrugged. "I don't think so, but so what if they did. It was our wedding and we had every right to do it on our own. Mom will be disappointed she missed it, but I don't think the rest of them will really care that much. Our marriage is about you and me, not a church crammed full of people who didn't even approve of us, and you know that's what it would have become if we'd gotten married in Forks the way Mom wanted."

I closed my eyes and nodded, a small smile spreading across my lips as I picture our small wedding in Central Park over the summer. We'd been there a few weeks before, playing around before meandering our way to the castle. It definitely hadn't been the first time we'd been there, but it was certainly the most profound as I spun around to find Edward kneeling in front of me, his eyes brimming with tears.

"The last of the trust money is being held back for our rent, so I don't even have a ring for you, but my beautiful Bella, I can't wait any longer to be our husband. If we wait until we have 'enough' money, a big enough apartment, more time to be together, or any of the other excuses we've used up to this point then we're never going to do it, and I want it…I want you…in every way. Bella, please marry me. I love you so much."

I cried and hugged him tightly as I said yes and we immediately called our parents…only to remember at the last second that they were summering in Europe, the extended honeymoon that they never got to have due to a house full of kids. Emmett was our next call, but he was in Canada on business. I know it was stupid considering we had waited over six years to finally take the plunge, but once we decided we didn't want to wait, not another month, not even another week. We had a small ceremony at the castle, just a justice of the peace friend of my bosses, a few of our friends, and us. It was perfect, it was missing one element, but we vowed to one another that we would make it up to them one day…perhaps a vow renewal ceremony or something.

While we were certain we had done the right thing, we really didn't want to break the news to them over the phone, so we invited them here for Christmas this year, hosting the big dinner, and going to break it to them together. And that's just what we planned to do…tomorrow…

Edward's hands became more aggressive as his lips attacked my neck, bringing me back from my reverie. Soon I was scooped up and carried to our bedroom, where he worshipped me slowly, chanting, "I love you, Mrs. Cullen," between caresses of his lips.

I think I fell asleep sometime around one in the morning after we completed round two, which means I could barely open my eyes when the alarm started beeping at six. Thankfully, I had the foresight to pre-prep the turkey. I stumbled into the kitchen, turned on the oven and popped in the turkey before stumbling back to bed, resetting my alarm and passing back out.

I got back up a few more times to check the turkey before finally getting dressed and beginning the prep work for the rest of the meal, Edward helping out where he could. He went down and borrowed the table from the super, as he had arranged a couple of weeks ago and set it up, wiping it down before going to borrow the folding chairs he had also arranged, before setting the table. By the time the family knocked on the door sometime around ten Christmas Eve morning, we were almost ready.

Hugs were passed around, the girls begging Edward to let them play his electronic keyboard while Mom moved to help me with the food. We were chatting quietly before she reached over with sad eyes and lifted my hand.

"Are you ever going to tell us about this?" She asked, pointing to my ring. I could see the sadness in her eyes, but she was still being understanding, just as she always had.

"We wanted to wait until we had you all together. I swear we were going to tell you today."

She took in a deep breath before nodding and moving to stand next to Pop, resting her head on his arm. I growled at myself in my head. I should have known that they'd have figured it out already…just like Julliard back in the day. With a sad sigh, I gathered the last of the food and set it out before calling everyone to the table.

Once everyone was seated, Edward gave me a knowing look and I nodded for him to go ahead. He stood up and pulled me with him. "Before we get started, we have some news."

Rose gasped making Edward smirk. "Not THAT news…at least not yet." He elbowed me, making me shake my head and chuckle.

"From my conversation with Dad, I know he and Mom already figured it out, but we wanted you all together to tell you, and not over the phone. This past summer, while Mom and Dad were in Europe and you were in Canada, Em, Bella and I got married. We didn't want to wait any longer, and not only that, we wanted her name changed before the professional license application was filed, in which case she would have to hyphenate her last name. At any rate, we've been married since mid-July. We are now Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. We're thinking we'll do a big ceremony for our five or ten year vow renewal, so you can still have your big party, Mom, but for now we're happy with this. We missed you guys and wanted you there, but we didn't want to wait a minute longer. We hope you can understand."

There was silence around the table a long moment before chaos broke out from Emmett and Rose, while Mom and Pop looked on silently. It broke my heart that we disappointed them, but I hoped that they understood. Emmett and Rose, however, weren't so understanding.

"I don't understand after waiting SIX years, that you couldn't wait another month or two so we could be there." Emmett was maddest of all.

I shook my head. "That wouldn't work, Bubby. Mom and Pop weren't coming back till late August, just a couple of days before Edward and his group did a twelve city tour and I started back to my last year of law school, plus working full time at D&H. When he got back, it was the beginning of the holiday concert series and then Christmas, which I had to work until last night and only get a few days off. It was then or wait months, and months, and we didn't want to wait any longer."

Mom and Pop's expressions softened slightly as they held hands above the table, and Emmett grimaced, but finally settled back in his seat. Rose nodded slowly before reaching across the table to take his hand.

"We're sorry we hurt your feelings, but in the end, it's our marriage and we had to do what was best for us. We hope you can understand and forgive us for that."

Mom smiled and reached across to take my hand. "Of course we do sweetheart. I just wish I could have seen it."

I smiled shyly. "Does that fact that we hired a videographer to document the whole thing for you guys help?"

Mom beamed. "Not as good as being there, but it's a close second. May we watch it after lunch?"

I beamed back. "Absolutely! Let's get started. Now who wants to say grace?"

Dinner was loud and fun, the twins being a two person comedy team all by themselves. Everyone had visited from time to time over the years we had been in New York, but never had everyone come together. It was great being in our home as a whole family.

After dinner was done and we had cleaned up after ourselves and the boys had returned the table and chairs, we all settled down in the living room to watch our wedding video. Mom sighed at the sight of me in my plain, strapless white dress with an A-line skirt. I kept glancing to see reactions, every eye in the room watching the video with glazed expressions and misty eyes.

After our kiss, Mom turned to me with a watery smile. "You both look so happy and in love. Thank you for making sure we didn't miss this completely."

I nodded reaching out to grasp her hand as I sat in the floor beside her spot on the love seat. Edward reached over to wrap his arm around my shoulder and kiss the top of my head as we sat and watched the rest. After the wedding, we had all gone to our favorite neighborhood restaurant for lunch, and toasted our nuptials with cheap house wine and tiramisu. The videographer caught it all, including our first and only wedding dance in the middle of the crowded dining room as the owner piped an Italian love song over the sound system.

When the video shut off, our family hugged us and congratulated us before Edward and I suggested that we take the girls skating at Rockefeller Center. We all bundled up and exited the apartment as a group. As I turned back to the door to lock it, I glanced around the apartment, our apartment, our life together just as I dreamed it would be. I smiled to myself as I locked the door and ran down the stairs to join the rest of my family, wrapping my arm around my husband's as we reached the sidewalk and began the relatively short trip to our destination. He smiled down at me, bringing his other hand over to rest on top of mine before dropping a kiss on my forehead. I smiled up at my husband, knowing that no matter where he went, I would go with him. He was my home, as I was his, and I was going to spend the rest of my days by his side.