Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight
Chapter Sixty-One
*Dru's POV*
"I'm pooped!" Iris exclaimed, flopping down onto our bed. She let her blonde hair loose as she laid carelessly across the blankets. The locks spreading out like a golden fan.
We spent all night trick or treating with the kids. It was invigorating to not only hang out with the boys but also get some quality time with my little niece. After everything we went through, it was nice to spend some downtime with some pure, non violent children. However, I didn't realize how tiring it would be to spend Halloween with them. Thankfully Alice, the pix who never sleeps, tired them out and could keep up with their energy.
"You and me both, babe," I said, flopping beside her on the bed. Iris and I were currently living with Jo and Caleb in Robert and Cordelia's house which was located outside of Forks in the forest practically, just like the Cullen's. Elaine and Tyler also lived here and I can imagine it's been a zoo for my sister and brother in-law, but none the less I know this would be temporary until Iris and I would find our own place. Jo and Caleb were looking into moving in with us when that happened, maybe the four of us finding a house not to far from here since both Iris and I want as much quality time as we could with our sisters.
"I love this," Iris confessed to me as the two of us just stared at the ceiling.
"Exhaustion or the crown moulding?" I teased. "Because I have to say, Rob and Delia know how to pick out houses."
"No," Iris said, rolling her eyes as she perched herself up with her elbow. Her chin resting in her cheek. "This. Us. Our new life. I haven't been this happy since I lived in Norway with my parents…I know everything can go to hell in seconds but right now it's good."
"It is," I agreed, reaching out to cup her cheek. "You know what you should do to make this even more perfect?"
"What?" Iris said, raising her eyebrows as she leant down to press her lips to mine.
"Marry me," I whispered.
"Ah what?" Iris questioned, her eyes wide.
"Marry me!" I told her, grasping both of her hands. "We'r both out of that ruddy castle and I love you, Iris. I want to be with you forever."
Iris paused for a few moments. Her eyes showing nothing as she bit her lip and looked away, well that was until she burst out into a fit of giggles.
"What!?" I exclaimed, looking at her as if I did something wrong.
"Nothing," Iris said, cupping my cheek. "Would you believe it if I said I was going to ask you the same exact question?"
"No way," I whispered.
"Yeah," Iris said, taking out a red box. I gasped as my girlfriend then opened it to reveal a golden band with a sparkling diamond attacked to it. "It's not much, but I just want you to know I want to marry you, Dru. I want to be your everything like how you're my everything."
"Yes, of course. Yes," I whispered through tears of joy. Iris giggled as she then placed the ring on my finger. Without any other hesitation I pressed my lips to hers.
"So, when do we want to do this?" I asked her, running a hand through her hair.
"Soon," Iris suggested, biting her lip. "Before everything goes to shit, but somewhere nice and sunny."
"Alright as long as I take your last name," I said to my soon to be wife. "I don't want to be Drusilla Volturi anymore."
Without missing another beat, I pressed another kiss to my soon to be wife's lips. Mrs. Valentino…I could get used to being called that.
*Aidan's POV*
"We should do that again next year," Jen whispered to me as we drove down the dark Washington highway. My girlfriend was previously adorned in a sparkling outfit that identical to Columbia, a character from the famous Rocky Horror Picture Show. Now she was trying to wipe all the make up off her face with help from the dim lighted mirror. Her costume was hidden under my dark blue New York City sweatshirt and her stockings covered by a pair of sweatpants.
"We should," I agreed, smiling brightly at the thought. I was still partially dressed in my garb as the ex-delivery boy, Eddie, played by Meatloaf. My make-up had been smudged off and I was now wearing a more comfortable gray sweatshirt. "Make it a nice Halloween tradition. We need some more traditions around here."
"There's always room for more," Jen remarked, giggling fondly.
I chuckled. I loved my girlfriend so much. Jen was literally one of the best people I've ever known. She's kind, funny, smart, and knows everything about me. I sound like some cheesy character in a romantic comedy but I can't help it. Sometimes when you find the right person they make you feel the cheese. You can't help but enjoy the cheese, even if it's making fun of the cheese with that person or embracing it. I had Jen as my partner and it made my life so much brighter.
"They've been awfully quiet," Jen mentioned to me, looking in the backseat. I then look up through my review mirror to see Lizzy and Seth were sound asleep.
The two were seated on opposite ends of the row, however they managed to find their way to one another in the middle. Lizzy was slumped against Seth's shoulder while my buddy laid his cheek against her head. The two spent most of the night catching up, telling each other stories and getting familiar with one another again. I don't know if their relationship will bounce back to what it was, but there was something reforming there.
"Aw, too cute," I whispered, causing Jen to giggle.
"You think Lizzy's doing okay?" Jen asked me curiously. "I feel like she is but at times…I don't know."
"She went through a lot in Italy," I muttered grimly. "I can't imagine what they made her do or what she saw…She gets very distant when you mentioned it too much around her."
"It's like she and Abby shut down almost," Jen observed. "Lucas and Dru grow quiet when you ask them anything about the Volturi. Same with the boys, they pretend you didn't ask the question and move on the best they can."
"It was a big part of their lives," I said, biting my lip. "I feel as if it's something they'll never be able to forget, no matter if Bo were to erase all of their memories a hundred times older. Those kinds of experiences are embedded in your skin like scars."
"That was quite poetic, babe," Jen said.
I shook my head in a chuckle, "Well, it's true. One day we'll know but as of now, I think Liz needs some space. It's not healthy to bottle but it does't mean that it's unhealthy to give someone some breathing room."
"I agree," Jen replied, reaching over to press a kiss to the hand that was resting against the clutch.
"Oh, Jennifer Moria Peterson, you sly dog," I teased, causing her to giggle. I love her laugh and the fact that I'm the reason behind it or how the reason I'm laughing so hard is because she told me something hilarious. "You make me want to do all kinds of things to you in the shower."
"Please do," she whispered to me huskily. "And I will reciprocate my little lovebug."
I smiled at her words and held onto her hand for a few moments longer, "I love you, Jen. A lot."
"I love you too, Aidan," She replied through a soft smile. "More than sitcoms, ice cream, Elton John, and UFOs."
"More than sitcoms, ice cream, Elton John, and UFOs," I repeated as we parked in the main house driveway. I then looked back at Lizzy and Seth. "So…Should we wake the children and leave them to fend for themselves?"
"Ah, we will in five seconds," Jen said, giggling. "But first."
She then pressed her lips to mine. I smiled widely and pulled my pale blonde beauty closer. Jennifer Peterson had to be one of the best things to ever enter my life and I thank the universe every day for bring her to me.
*Abby's POV*
I took a deep breath as I stepped out into my grandmother's garden here. The fresh Washington air felt good in my lungs. I grew up in New York, but we spent summers and holidays in Forks. To the others it's where they grew up, but for me Forks was a place of happy memories and only happy memories. As a little girl, I remember playing games with my parents in this garden and going to the beaches of LaPush to play in the wake of the waves with my cousins.
I'm trying to block out all the memories from the Volturi in my head with happy ones. Ones where I don't see Caius's cruel red eyes or hear Aro's maniacal laugh. A time where nothing but joy filled our lives.
I took a deep breath and let the surroundings overwhelm me. I knew Aidan and Jen wanted to go see Rocky Horror Picture Show and they were going to invite me, but I don't know if I was ready. Ready to be around humans or large crowds for that manner. I think it'd just get annoyed and accidentally spark someone.
"The yellow brick road isn't that way," said a voice. "You should try looking somewhere else."
I turn around to see Lucas making his way towards me. He was in his silly leather jacket with a lollipop in his mouth instead of a cigarette.
"What? No smoking?" I remarked, pointing to the candy in his mouth.
"Gave it up. I wasn't addicted to begin with, but it's a bad habit. Shouldn't encourage others to try it," Lucas explained, shrugging. "Anyway, I'm not sure how the Cullen's will like me doing that on their property, considering one of them is a doctor."
"True, Grandma and Grandpa aren't ones to stray from being healthy," I said, causing Lucas to chuckle.
"I came to see how you were doing, sparky," He explained. "Since you left the group."
"I just needed a few minutes," I explained, shrugging. "To myself. To think."
"Understandable," Lucas said, taking a seat beside me on the bench.
"How's your relationship with Ethan going?" I asked curiously, quirking my head towards him. "The two of you have been hanging around one another more recently."
"Yeah. I mean he's the only family I got left," Lucas pointed out to me. "And we used to be really close. Ethan and I only had each other to play with so as children we stuck together. Then everything happened and it all fell through the cracks. I know I can't make it like it used to be, but I want to try."
"Good for you, Rider," I replied, smiling at him.
"Thanks," He chuckled as he playfully tugged on one of my braids. "Are you sure you're okay, Squeaks?"
"Why?" I inquired.
Lucas shrugged, "You've been more distant recently. Overwhelmed. Is it all the adjusting?"
"You could say that," I said, sighing a bit. "I'm…I'm home yet somehow I feel still so stressed about everything that happened. I worry about the boys, I worry about Lizzy, I worry about everyone."
"We're all okay now, Abby. There's nothing to worry about," Lucas said to me.
"There's always something to worry about," I told him.
"A dhia. If you worried about everything, then you'd worry yourself to death mo nighean donn," Lucas said to me, gently fiddling with my braid now.
"You're speaking Scottish Gaelic," I mummer, looking up at him in surprise. "I've heard Ethan use it around Lily."
"Yeah, we recently started speaking it to one another again," Lucas explained with a small smile. "My parents used to use it. My mom was Irish and my dad Scottish, however my mom only knew bits and pieces of Irish Gaelic since she only picked it up from her parents. They were immigrants from Ireland, moved to Baltimore and had my mom and her siblings. Meanwhile, my father, he was born and raised in Scotland. A true Scot, spoke it fluent and often used it around my mother."
"That's sweet," I said, smiling fondly at him.
"He used to talk to my mother in it," Lucas explained. "I know it's more of Ethan and Lily's thing, considering Ethan's probably more fluent than I am, but it's comforting."
"That's fine, tesoro." I said, causing him to chuckle.
"Ah, Italian. Nice," Lucas said, chuckling.
"I mean, I had to become fluent. Lizzy and I both," I replied, giggling. "But you could teach me gaelic. Like what did you say?"
"Well," Lucas said, biting his lip. "A dhia is like oh my god and mo nighean donn means my brown haired lass."
"Your brown haired lass?" I mused with a smirk.
"My dad used to call my mom that," Lucas confessed, blushing slightly.
"So I'm your brown haired lass and you're my little greaser?" I inquired playfully, getting up from the bench to take a better look at him. "So…What does that make us? We only kissed once and suddenly you're charming me with your family's language."
"Well, I was hoping we'd talk about that," Lucas said, getting up. "I…If this is something you're interested in pursuing…I…"
"Yes, Rider," I answered, chuckling as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm very interested in seeing where this goes."
"Well, good," Lucas said, smiling. "Because I like you very, very much Abrianna."
"As do I, Lucas," I said. We both chuckled before I pressed my lips to Lucas Riders. If you told me two years ago I'd be making out with Lucas Rider, falling head over heels for the Top Gun- I'd think you were crazy. But then again, everything's kind of crazy in perspective.
*Masen's POV*
"Looks like our little trick or treater is wiped out," Grace remarked quietly as I placed our son down on his bed.
"That he is," I said, chuckling as we tucked the blankets around Tyler. He was absolutely knocked out, but his face showed pure bliss as he dreamed of running around with his cousins and friends. "Man, this kid had such a ball."
"That's because he was so hoped up on sugar," Grace giggled. "And he had all the other kids egging him on."
"That's true," I replied, laughing as we quietly tip toed out of his room, turning on his night light, before closing the door just a bit, the way he likes it.
"He's such a good kid," Grace sighed happily. "I'm happy we built a life with him the last couple of years…This is everything I could've wanted for a family of our own."
"Same," I agreed, wrapping an arm around my fiancé's shoulders. "Speaking of which, we should talk start talking about our wedding."
"Oh, right," Grace said, smiling at the thought. The two of us decided we weren't going to wait any longer, so this December we planned to be married. Aunt Alice was planning everything practically since my aunt loved these sorts of things. Grace and I could care less about the details of the ceremony. I think we just wanted to get married. My sister and Jacob were also getting married, but that ceremony would wait. I know there would be a lot more guests at theirs.
"I have to see if we're going to invite my dad's family and then there's who in the wolf pack to invite," Grace muttered, rubbing her temples at the thought.
"Don't worry, we have an entire village backing us up," I said, referring to our families. "No one's going to jump ship. I know it's only two months to plan, but we'll get it done."
"We need catering and maybe we should invite Lisa, Dylan, Bryan, Tori, and Carly. I know it's been so long since we've seen them, but maybe we should," Grace said.
"Are you still emailing Lisa?" I asked softly, referring to Grace's childhood friend and one of our closest friends in high school.
"I have," Grace confessed sheepishly. "And she and Dylan are still going strong. Carly's going to the University of Tampa and well…I miss them. Might as well invite them to the wedding at least. I know we'll have to say goodbye one day, but I can't help but feel the need to invite them. I already shut them out so much, the least I can do is invite them to the wedding."
"And I agree," I said, rubbing her arms. "Look, we'll figure this out. How is this going to get even more complicated in the span of two months."
"About that," Grace said, biting her lip. "There's something I should tell you…"
"What?" I asked, feeling the nerves build up in my chest. I thought of the worst running through my head. "The Volturi? Some new prejudiced witch relative? You aren't actually a witch? You're leaving me for a younger man?"
"No, what?" Grace said, looking at me incredulously. "None of those."
"I don't know," I muttered, shrugging. "What is it though?"
Grace chuckled as she then took my hands in hers. I saw a smile start to shine on her face, "Masen, in about a month Tyler may have a new person to play with."
"What?" I questioned blankly.
"Really?" Grace remarked, even though she was grinning. "You don't get it?"
"I…I don't know," I said, swallowing hard. "What's...What's wrong?"
"Masen, I'm pregnant again," Grace explained, cupping my cheek. "We're going to have another baby."
"Another baby!?" I exclaimed, causing my wife to nod. I then looked down at her abdomen and gently touched it. "There's another one, in here."
"Yes!" Grace giggled. "Carlisle and Ava confirmed it again this morning. I'm about two weeks and they predict, if she's anything like Tyler, she'll be born sometime in early December."
"She?" I inquired, a smirk playing on my lips. "What makes you think this won't be another boy?"
"Mother's intuition," Grace said, winking at me. "After all, I was right about Tyler."
"That you were," I said, chuckling as I go to press a kiss to her lips. "We're going to have another baby."
"We're having another baby!" Grace repeated. Without any warning, I then swirled Grace in my arms while she let out a squeal of laughter.
I was going to have another child, I was getting married, my sister was back…In that moment, nothing seemed like it would ever destroy our perfect moment. Nothing. As long as I had Grace, Tyler, and our new baby by our side, I would be perfectly okay.
A/N: AHHHH SURPRISE! ALSO JUST THE EPILOGUE LEFT! EXCITING! Hopefully I'll be posting Eternal Dawn soon so keep a look out for the next update and please review :)
