Author's Note: The final chapter! Read on!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 15

Edward

I offer her my hand to shake. With a warm smile, she grasps my hand firmly.

"It's been a pleasure, Siobhan," I say. "Thank you so much for your help. I don't know where we would be without you."

Siobhan chuckles. "I'm just glad I was able to help in any way. Of course, it didn't help you end the case cleanly, but..."

I shake my head. "This might be better, actually. It's messy and unfortunate, of course. But if I think about everything she's gone through and everything she would've had to go through had he been arrested instead... As much as I hate to say it, this is better for her."

"And that's all you care about, of course," Siobhan says. "Her happiness."

"And her safety," I add. "He's not a threat to her anymore."

Her knowing smile reminds me that of Esme's. "She's very lucky to have you, Edward." Sincerity rings out clearly in her deep voice. "I envy her, that she has a great man by her side."

"I rather think I'm the lucky one."

She nods once. "That too."

We laugh together. Demetri comes over at that moment. "Ready to go, Siobhan?"

She nods. "I'll see you around, Edward. Take care."

Demetri gives me a nod. "Good luck, Edward. Give your girl my best."

I watch them walk through the gate. I turn when I hear her angelic voice calling my name. I smile widely as I stride over to assist her, relieving Esme of her duty. My mother seems to pout at that.

"Congratulations on your recovery and discharge, my love," I say playfully. "You look beautiful." I plant a kiss on her cheek.

Bella scowls. "What do you mean, recovery? Can't you see my sling? I'm rather regretting I declined the wheelchair."

"We can get you one right away," Carlisle says.

She smiles at him. "It's alright, Carlisle. It's a hassle during boarding. I'll endure."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Esme hugs her gently. "You come back soon to visit us soon, okay, dear? I'll miss you."

"Thank you for everything, Esme," Bella says warmly. "I'll miss you too."

"You're not evading me. Promise you'll visit soon."

She laughs. "Okay, I promise."

Carlisle gives her a one-armed hug. "You be careful, Bella. Concentrate on making a full recovery before trying to come back."

"Yes, sir," Bella jokes.

Esme pokes my arm, and not gently. "You be good to her," she says sharply. "Or I'll be sure to hear about it. And you will regret it."

I smile. "You don't have to worry. I'll be so good to her, her teeth are going to rot."

Bella flashes me her beautiful smile. She bids my parents farewell, and we slowly make our way to our gate.

"I still can't believe you requested to stay in Seattle," she says. "I thought we were going to have to do the long-distance thing."

"You're kidding, right? I've gotten so used to living with you that I have to continue to do so."

"You're so cheeky." Her blush tells me she's pleased, though.

"I'll still be called away a lot," I warn. "As soon as you're better, I'm going to train you how to defend yourself and use my spare guns."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Yes. Shh."

She laughs. "Don't worry. Daughter of a police chief, remember? I already know how to shoot a gun pretty accurately."

I look down at her affectionately. "You really are the perfect woman for me."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

"On the contrary, it will get me everywhere," I murmur, as we approach the stewardess at the counter. "I fully plan on making love to you everywhere at our new apartment as soon as you're recovered."

"Hello, how are you today?" the stewardess greets me. She ignores Bella completely.

I flash her a polite smile, more focused on enjoying Bella's blush. "We're good, thank you." I hand her our tickets and identification with my left hand so that my ring glistens under the lighting.

Her smile falters slightly in disappointment. "Welcome aboard, Mr. Cullen. Miss Swan. Please go inside."

I help Bella to her seat and settle down beside her. I glance over and see her frowning heavily. "What is it, love? Are you in pain?"

"That woman," she says. "No, every woman. It's so annoying, the way they just fall at your feet."

"Jealousy is very cute on you, love." I steal a kiss from her rosy lips.

"It's unnatural."

"You fell at my feet," I point out. "Quite literally too. You continue to do it, all the time." I laugh when she tries to punch my arm.

"Quit teasing me, Cullen."

"I love you too."

"You're annoying too."

"Mm, how's this? Out of all the women who fell at my feet, I'm glad you were the one who caught my eye." I bury my face against the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent of strawberries.

"Better," she allows. Then, she laughs quietly. "I'm sleepy. I took my meds in the car."

"Sleep," I whisper. "I'll fight off all your nightmares."

She closes her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. I watch her as she sleeps peacefully, wondering what heroic act I've done in my past life to deserve such a woman.

Bella

I trace the scars on his back lightly with my finger absently. Some are neat slash marks, others are more shapeless. His shoulders and sides have numerous healed bullet wounds, similar to mine. Currently, he's sporting a mild cut from a knife on his left bicep, which is probably going to leave a faint scar.

I lay in bed as I am, without moving. First, my entire body is aching from our intense love-making last night, and second, I'm incredibly comfortable beside him. I don't want to pop our bubble for the day just yet. I don't want to have to go to work just yet.

I think back to how upset I was over this mild cut. I think back to a month ago, when he came home with a bullet wound on his side with Emmett supporting him. I was hysterical and insisted he go to the hospital right away. And he just laughed and hugged me to reassure me that the bullet only ricocheted off slightly. I didn't see anything funny.

He was right. His injuries never get easier. I'm constantly worried about him. When he tells me he'll be away for more than a day or is assigned to a particularly dangerous mission, I take a moment to digest it all in. He never lies the extremity of his job, for which I'm grateful, but I have to brace myself for anything. He reminds me that he's good at his job, and I send him away again, hating myself. And when he comes back to me safely in one piece, though with cuts and bruises here and there, I breathe again. It repeats.

I hate the constant cycle. I hate the worrying. But it's what he loves to do, and I support that. He's trying. So I'm trying. It's a compromise I'm willing to go through to stay with him. To love him.

It never gets old, our relationship. We've been together for nearly a year now. I'm getting better with counseling and Edward's support. He's endlessly patient with me. The sex gets better every time. The flutters and thrills never go away. I always feel like a woman in front of him. He's a friend and a lover, and I love him so intensely that it physically hurts when he's away.

Edward stirs at my light touch. "Tickles," he mumbles.

I smile. He's so adorable sometimes, like a child. "Sorry."

"How's my cut doing?" His eyes remain closed.

"It's going to scar."

"What else is new?" He snickers.

"That's not funny." I smack his back gently, making him complain out loud in mock pain. "This is my body too. Take care of it."

He opens an eye to peek at me. "Your body, huh?" His lips spread into his sly, seductive grin. "I like that."

I roll my eyes.

He opens both his eyes. "Want to go another round, before we shower?"

I grimace. I love keeping up with him in the bedroom, but he has so much more stamina than I do. I've been exercising to build up endurance, but I'm nowhere near him. "The idea isn't very appealing to me right now."

His face falls. "Why not? It's only..." He strains his neck, trying to look at the digital clock. "Seven." He groans, burying his face in the sheets. "Damn it."

"No time." I laugh. I flip the blanket over his bare body and start climbing out of bed. He grabs my wrist to stop me.

His expression is serious and desperate. I find it amusing. "One round. A quickie."

"I'm going to be late, Edward. I have a meeting today at eight." I wrestle out of his unrelenting grip and pad into the bathroom.

I hear him groaning and cursing through the shower and laugh. I've created a monster.

#$%^&*()

He creeps up behind me as I make breakfast. His strong arms snake around my waist. His close proximity brings a whiff of his fresh scent after his shower.

"You're killing me, Bella," he mumbles. "I'm going to have to wait until tonight. I am very unhappy."

I laugh. "You're so silly. Set the table, please."

He obliges. We move in perfect synchrony. We've done this so many times before. And yet, the routine is always enjoyable. We eat in silence. We watch each other. It's enough to satisfy us.

"Why don't we dine out tonight?" Edward suggests casually.

I look at him. He looks innocent enough, but his eyes are sparkling. He's planning something. "Why?"

"I'm tired of cooking."

"I do all the cooking these days."

"I'm craving MSG in my food."

I wrinkle my nose in confusion. But I'm also amused. "Depends on where you want to eat."

"Pasta?"

I think about it. "Okay, sure."

"I'll meet you at La Bella Italia at seven-thirty," he says.

I blink as he rises to dunk his dish in the sink. "Wait, we aren't going together?"

He smiles, again, a too innocently for my liking. "I have to work a bit late today. Rose and Em get off early. I have to cover for them. It's faster to just meet you there. Okay?"

I nod slowly. He kisses the air in my direction. "I love you." With his crooked smile, he's out the door.

I'm left to pout and finish my breakfast alone. This better be for a good reason.

#$%^&*()

I arrive in front of the restaurant precisely at seven-thirty. I've just showered so my hair is still damp. I'm wearing a knee-length dress and flats with a sweater over it. Nothing fancy.

It's strange. I glance around. Is the restaurant closed? This place has a parking lot around the back. I always park in front, beside the curb, but even then, I have to wait for a spot to open up. But there are hardly any cars here. It's only seven-thirty. I try to think if the restaurant closes on Fridays. But there's no way. It's one of the most popular restaurants in Seattle on Fridays and the weekends.

I reach into my purse and withdraw my phone to call Edward. At the same time, I walk up the steps to check out the interior. As the call goes through, I peer inside. I'm startled to see that the restaurant is dimly lit, though there are no customers. I try the door. It opens.

No hostess. No customers. No waiters. Just... I glance down, lowering my phone. Rose petals? What is going on?

I follow the trail. The rose petals lead into the main area where there are usually numerous tables evenly spaced out. But today, there's only one table in the middle, which is surrounded by flowers and candles. And standing there, looking distinguished in a tuxedo, is Edward.

I stare, wide-eyed. "Edward."

He smiles a bit sheepishly. "I know this is cliché, but I didn't want to wait until we went to Chicago next month to do it. You love this restaurant, so..."

I look around the restaurant as I walk toward him. The place is gorgeously decorated with flowers, candles, and balloons. There are rose petals everywhere I step. The table is romantically lit with two single candles complete with both champagne and wine.

"Do what?" I ask. "What's the occasion?" I smile, gesturing toward his tuxedo. "You look so handsome, but you could've told me to dress up a bit more."

He steps toward me, closing the gap between us. "You're perfect the way you are. You don't need to dress up."

I shake my head, amused. "So? What's up?"

He winks, then, to my extreme surprise, he kneels down on one knee and takes out a velvet ring box from his pocket. I take a step back, my hands jumping to my mouth.

"Isabella Swan, from the moment I saw you, my world changed. You've captured my heart and my soul...my body." He grins his cheeky grin.

I laugh tearfully, reminded of this morning's conversation.

"It wasn't long until I realized I couldn't live without you," he continued in a softer voice. "And I was a fool to think I could ever leave you, but you forgave me for that. You accepted all of me. There's nothing more I can give you but my heart and all of my love. I promise to love you forever. Please, love, will you marry me?"

His voice is soft, but he's firmly confident. Sincerity rings out in every word. I can't doubt him. I know he'll fulfill that promise. And though this event is quite unexpected, I know my answer was set during our stay in Chicago.

I nod fervently. "Yes. A thousand times yes!"

Edward catches me just as I throw myself at him. He chuckles and twirls me around, mumbling, "Emmett is right. Love makes people cheesy. I can't believe I actually said those words."

I kiss him chastely. "You were perfect."

"Can I put the ring on you, love?"

I look down at the ring, which I haven't even been focused on. It's beautiful, of course, and very extravagant. Diamonds. Sparkling. "What about these rings?" I ask, holding up our left hands.

He raises an eyebrow. "You like your old one better than this shiny new one?"

"Of course. No offense."

He smiles. "Of course you do. I'm not surprised. They're both yours to do what you want to do with them. But I would be honored if you would wear this real wedding ring too."

Smiling, I transfer the ring on my hand from the left hand to the right. I hold out my empty left. "Go ahead."

He looks like a child given a new toy. His lovely green eyes are shining happily as he looks down at the ring, pleased.

I'm watching him. I don't need the rings. All I need is him. If he really would stay with me for the rest of our existence, then I don't need anything more. I'd be the happiest woman in the world, as I am now.

He looks at me, my favorite crooked smile in place. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I love you most."

As we kiss, I think back to the darkest period of my life. The nightmares, the threats, the wounds I've sustained on my body. I'm grateful to have endured through all that. In the end, it made me a stronger person, and the experience even led me to a wonderful man who will one day be my husband.

I'm sure there are more difficult trials ahead, especially with his dangerous job. But if it's by his side, I'm willing to accept any challenge and face it head on. Together.

AN: Thanks for sticking with me till the end! I know this wasn't an easy subject to read about, and it certainly wasn't easy to write about! And since I did keep my promise to finish this story before the year ends, please reward me with lots of final reviews! Happy holidays, everyone!