AN: We're almost at the end now that Edward and Bella are reunited. Here's a little of what their lives are like after succeeding in permanenty switching places.

My thanks to SarcasticBimbo, who is recovering nicely, for her beta'ing this and my next story, and to MeteorOnAMoonlessNight for her pre-reading.

My apologies for not getting to answer reviews; I've been busy selling myself to a new employer and have now been successfully in finding someone to buy me...

Believe me, I have treasured every review, every new follower and everyone who favorited both me and this little story. It's those little things that have carried me through six weeks of unemployment.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer still hasn't given up her rights to Edward Cullen but Rob is still available isn't he?

Irrevocable

Summary

It doesn't matter when I live my life, as long as it's with you.

Chapter 15

Epilogue 1

Edward

I can remember my life before Bella, but it seems like a dream, or someone else's life. The days between her promise to return for always and her appearance at dinner that day, were a nightmare of my fear that she had changed her mind or that, worse, something had gone wrong; and both would mean the end of my future. I knew there would never be another, and though Alice and I had come to an agreement we could both live with, my life would not have been complete, and neither, I suspect, would hers.

But, Alice, ever the optimist, never wavered, she kept me believing. Believing that Bella would return.

From the moment she re-appeared, my heart began to beat again, knowing that she had chosen me over her life in the future. I couldn't wrap my head around what she had left behind, but nevertheless I was absolutely besotted with her and would be forever grateful for whatever had brought her to me.

She fascinated me endlessly, insisting on taking an active part in everything in my life. Previously, I had gone to work and then to the local drinking house to lose myself in the whores and drink. Now, Bella came to work with me everyday and we returned home together. I had to eventually admit that her ideas for the paper were excellent, turning it around into a successful newspaper and before long we were employing the staff I had let go in the previous year. The workforce found it difficult to accept Bella, but her natural exuberance and love for the paper eventually won them over.

The money that marriage to Mary-Alice had brought to my life was never used, although it bothered my conscience that it remained in my possession. Bella, love her, suggested that I should invest it and leave instructions that after we were both gone, I could leave it to Alice Whitlock. She somehow knew that Alice and Jasper would be together for always. In some way, it allowed me to keep my word to the woman I had married, that I would ensure she could have whatever life she wanted; just in a slightly different way to the one I had envisioned.

My father, Carlisle, eventually accepted her; she won him over, too, with her warmth and charm. I have no idea what my Mother said to him to explain the situation, but he never mentioned it to either of us, preferring to just accept things as they were now, glad that we were happy. She made him a better man and changed my Mother from the staid woman I had always knows her to be, into a fun-loving person, eager to be involved in our lives.

I was thankful that Mary-Alice's father had died not long after our wedding. It freed her to follow the life she wanted, and truthfully, I would never have been able to explain to him where she had gone.

My one regret was that I was unable to marry my Bella. She was adamant that it made no difference to her in any way, but I longed to officially make the woman I loved my wife. After a few years of moping about it, Bella suggested that we renew the vows, and although it wasn't quite the marriage I wanted, I agreed that it would be enough to cement our relationship in my mind, as true man and wife.

Bella

I regretted nothing about leaving my life in the future, except maybe my iPod. The music of the 1890's was definitely not my type of music, but it was a small price to pay for the love of my life.

I never knew what I had been missing before Edward. Clichéd as it might sound, he completed me, he filled the empty part of my heart and soul. Every moment I spent with him was a revelation; he showed me his love time and time again and I could never get enough of him.

Of course, it was not all easy sailing. He had very definite ideas of my place in his life and I was having none of that 'little woman at home' scenario. From the get-go, I insisted that my place was at his side, in everything, and that included work. It took some time for the reporters and print room guys to accept me, but I used everything I had learned in my job with Volturi Publications, turning the paper around in that first year. When Edward was able to take on some of the guys he had to let go previously, they looked at me with different eyes and from then on I was accepted as one of the 'boys'. I'm not sure how much Edward liked that part, but he knew when to stop talking.

There were other things I refused to do, the first being to wear a corset. Awful things, I felt as if I couldn't breathe and never put one on again. I'm sure that if anyone within Esme's circle of acquaintances knew, they would have been scandalized, but I even managed to get her to unbend, at least while at home. Edward certainly liked it; being able to feel the softness of my body against him, even in polite company.

Many other things changed in that first year. I took to wearing jeans, which I had to have made privately. I left my hair down and curling, which Edward loved, although I did compromise and dress it properly in order to spare his parents any uncomfortable confrontations within their circle of friends and colleagues. Instead of riding sidesaddle gracefully, I rode astride as a man would; another scandalous action. Despite all the difficult changes I brought with me, Edward thrived and became a different person. Esme often told me she was amazed at the difference in his manner and how glad she was for the magic that made it all possible.

It was true, he was much more relaxed and dressed casually while at home, much the same way a man of my time would have done. He laughed more and I persuaded him that things like making love outdoors were absolutely acceptable and definitely desired. That was something that never changed; he always desired me and I did him. And for me, I couldn't believe my luck in finding a man that made my blood race and my skin tingle every time we were in the same room.

Edward encouraged me to take as much time as I wanted to myself but I could never stand to be idle, even in my time, and found helping the estate families a rewarding experience. He never minded what I gave or what I did, as long as it made me happy.

Esme and I became close as she took the place of the mother I had lost. We spent time together in the kitchen, baking and just sitting with Rose, talking. The cook was scandalized at first, that I would want to cook for my husband, but eventually she accepted the situation, once I told her she was in no danger of losing her position. She taught me to be a better cook and some mornings could be found sitting with Esme, Rose, and me, talking about anything and everything.

Carlisle avoided me for some time, looking at me strangely every time we happened to be in the same room. I knew Esme had told him of the situation we had found ourselves in and how I had come to be here. I was determined to get to know the man Esme assured me he was and used every opportunity to draw him into conversation. Eventually, he accepted me, but never spoke of the day I had appeared in his dining room.

Rose became my closest friend; more like the sister I never had. I would be forever thankful for her part in making sure Edward and I were together. Emmett, her husband, became my friend at our first meeting, morphing into the place a brother would have taken, if I'd had one. He knew my story but never questioned my place in their lives, the four of us often spending time together after work was done for the day.

And last but not least, Alice; the one who had swapped her life for mine. I knew Jasper loved her the same way I loved Edward, and there was never any doubt in my mind that they would stay together for the rest of their lives. I wanted her to know how thankful I was and put a letter in our paper, hoping that she would see it, though there was no way for me to know that it would find her.

** Irrevocable **