Epilogue: 5 Years Later

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Scott

On this particular evening I get a phone call from my past.

Without bothering to say hello, Jess Mansfield opens with information I couldn't care less about. "Well, Manda has finally talked Yates into marrying her. Got the call this morning."

"How lovely for them both," I offer dryly.

Jess and I have kept in decent contact, although it's been a while since our last conversation. The great catastrophe of the spare bedroom and Adrien kicking us out of the house ironically provided for this pleasant kind of denouement. I can't imagine that otherwise things wouldn't ended on any kind of good note between Jess and I. But that night effectively purged us of any misconceptions about our relationship—that is, we both knew it was going to come to an end.

Jess stayed with me for three months after that night, which I didn't mind. Then one day she was gone without saying where, and I didn't mind that either. We had both cooled towards the other into a comfortable apathy.

"Want to be my date?" Jess asks, and I suddenly see the point of her calling.

Actually, it is a tempting proposition. The masochism of going with her appeals to me—talking to Jess itself is like scratching at the wound, which I think is partly why I keep her in touch. Also, it would stick it to the rest of those smug Mansfield bastards, wouldn't it? Jess and I showing up together. This must be what she's thinking.

But five years, God. I just want to be over this.

And so I say nonchalantly, "Why would I?"

"Good for you," Jess matches my tone. "Because if you said yes I was going to have to tell you I wasn't inviting you for real."

We are both so full of shit.

Then, without me asking how she is, Jess begins telling me. She's living with some stock trader, who's doing very well for himself—well enough to afford her. He's not at all like the horrid Matthew Wright. Quite the opposite: clever, outspoken, doesn't believe in marriage, a little ruthless. The way Jess talks about him, she sounds like she like him—as much as she likes people—and he sounds a bit like me.

"Wait," I interrupt. "You're in New York, then?"

She is. And suddenly, knowing she is where I am, I want to see Jess Mansfield. I want to see her very much.

"I'm not going to sleep with you," she says suspiciously.

"Well, I'm already sleeping with three girls, so I don't need any favors."

"Only three?" she asks. "Can't you do better than that?"

"Probably, but what's the point?" I ask. And this is exactly how I feel about it. All three girls are blonde, all don't know about each other, and I don't like any of them very much. In fact, I haven't really liked a girl for years. Five years, to be exact.

Jess and I name a date, and then I get off the phone with her because I have a call on the other line. It turns out to be Rachel.

"I'm amazed you're not out with one of your girlfriends, but you were on the line with one of them when I called, huh?" she says.

I'm not in the mood for my sister right now, and consider just hanging up. "No, Jess Mansfield."

"Interesting," Rachel muses, although actually the Mansfield's aren't interesting to her at all anymore. She moved on to greener pastures. Now, however, she does pause to reflect humorously, "You know, I let Kate have Adrien at the end there, and she didn't even send me a thank you card."

It's not very nice of her to mention Kate, and she knows it. I think about hanging up again.

"Although Johnny did send me a nice little note about it," she adds. The note she's referring to was an email, which she received two weeks after things all feel apart. It read: According to Kate, you aren't as hardcore bitch as I thought. This makes me respect you a little bit less, but like you a little bit more. Stress on that second "a little bit." Cheers, love. Don't be a stranger.

As far as I know, she has stayed a stranger.

Of course as far as I know, she and Johnny could be having some secret affair. Don't right anything off as impossible – that's one thing my life's taught me.

"Fuck off, Rachel," I mutter.

She tsks and chides, "Still so touchy?"

I do hang up.

She calls me back and says, "What I meant to ask was, meet me for drinks? I desperately need to get hammered."

Come to think of it, so do I.

- - - - - - - -

Kate

It is the weekend and Adrien and I have driven over to spend it at the old house. We do this fairly often, and this weekend the trip is of great importance, as Manda is in a wedding planning frenzy. Early Saturday morning, we're already at it. She's sitting beside me at the kitchen table, showing me dog-eared bridesmaid dresses from her wedding magazines. Most of them are a little frightening.

"I'm not wearing pink. I'll look like a giant lollipop." I say.

"I'll wear pink," Johnny throws over his shoulder, from the counter where he is filling a mug with coffee. Don and Adrien are both still asleep.

I scowl at Johnny and then at Manda, who throws her hands up in surrender. "Fine, no pink," she says.

"Wait, why does Kate's opinion weigh in heavier than mine?" Johnny asks, walking over to the table and taking a seat.

"I like her better than you?" Manda says, head down in her magazine. Then she looks up at Johnny and grins. He throws a pack of artificial sweetener at her. They are very big-brother-little-sister with each other now, and it's cute.

"I think we should invite the Harringtons," Johnny announces loudly, just as he notices Adrien entering room, then sits back and waits to see if Adrien will take the bait.

Adrien stops in the doorway and stares groggily at Johnny for a moment. "You are so antagonistic," he mutters, and shuffles over to the coffeepot.

All around, the dynamics around here have really improved.

"What?" Johnny asks innocently, "I think it would be a nice gesture. Besides, I liked Rachel. Rachel was hot. And you've got Kate, little brother, so share the wealth."

We all roll our eyes. "Antagonistic," Adrien repeats, in this you-just-proved-my-point voice.

Johnny, still monologuing, adds, "And you know, I think I deserve a little respect, seeing as I'm the one who pays the bills."

In one of the greatest ironies of our time, this is actually true. After Mr. Mansfield passed away from a heart attack just over three years ago, Johnny took running his company without reluctance or hesitation. What's more, he likes it and he's good at it. Yates is working for him too. Adrien and I often marvel at them becoming two such productive members of society.

But not everything has turned out fantastically.

For one, Jess will barely talk to any of us, including Manda. The only time any of us have seen her since five years ago was at Mr. Mansfield's funeral. She didn't come to Adrien and my wedding. She doesn't answer emails or phone calls. Manda leaves messages, and sometimes she gets a call back. The whole situation bothers Manda more than she usually lets on, but I can understand why. I understand why Jess felt the need to cut the rest of us out of her life after everything that happened, but it seems to me she could've let her sister remain a part of it. Manda is a pretty good sister, after all.

I would know.

Johnny ran into Scott three months ago on a trip to New York, and told me about it. From the way Johnny described him, Scott sounds completely unchanged. Apparently, I had no effect on him.

Hearing about Scott made me feel nervous. I rarely think about him anymore, but when I do I always feel this way, as if somehow even now I would still be vulnerable to his endearing sense of charm and flattering half-truths. And maybe I would.

But mostly, I am just fine, thank you.

More than fine, actually.

Ignoring Johnny's quip about paying the bills, Adrien shuffles over to the table and plops into the chair beside me. "Good morning," he says to me groggily. Now that he is sleeping properly at night, Adrien has discovered he is by no means a morning person.

"Hello, my husband," I reply. As you see, there are reasons why I am happier than I've ever been.

"Hmm," he murmurs, smiling, and kisses the side of my head. "How's the wedding planning going?" he asks his sister.

"Johnny wants to wear pink," Manda says.

"It takes a real man," Johnny shrugs.

"That would exclude you then, huh?" Yates says, entering the room and the conversation.

That triggers some sort of play-action tussle between Johnny and Yates, with Manda imploring them throughout to stop acting like three-year-olds.

I look to Adrien, the corners of my mouth twitching upwards into a smile, his own face mirroring my own. "She oughtn't bother," I comment, under my breath to him.

"Mmm," he murmurs by way of an answer, then stands me up while everyone else isn't paying us attention and hustles me into the hallway, where he kisses me for real.

"Good morning again," he says afterwards, his face an inch a way from mine.

"Good morning to you," I say, and he leans in to kiss me again. But I stop him, saying he's keeping me from my sisterly wedding planning duties. He protests: what about my wifely duties? I hit him on the side of the head with the bridal magazine I'm still holding and start back into the kitchen. He follows me in, one hand cupping the back of my neck which is sort of his signature thing, and a very nice thing at that.

Back in the kitchen, Johnny and Yates have settled down. Yates is very sweetly pretending to care about the pages and pages of wedding ideas Manda is showing him. As Adrien heads back to join them to the table, I walk over to join Johnny at the counter. Pulling myself onto it, I lean back against a cabinet.

"Coffee?" Johnny asks, holding a mug.

"Please," I say, taking the mug from him and absently watching Manda and Yates. "Hey," I turn back to Johnny with a devious smile, "So when are you getting married?"

Johnny snorts. "In my next lifetime?" he says. "Or wait, maybe the one after that."

Johnny is still a bit resistive to social norms.

I roll my eyes and return to watching the three at the table. Johnny stands beside me, watching too. And suddenly, I'm filled with an overflowing feeling of happiness for the immenseness of my life.

I try to translate the feeling to Johnny. "Our family," I say, nodding toward Adrien and Manda and Yates.

But Johnny, not in a serious mood like me, is the one now to roll his eyes. "More or less," he quips, turning around to refill his coffee cup.

More, I think to myself. We are definitely more.

-

End

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A final author's note:
Well, that's it folks. wipes away stray tear Haha. Okay, well, I hope everybody enjoyed the story. I enjoyed writing it. A big thanks to all of my reviewers who have either been with me from the beginning of the fic or joined me along the way (I think a few of you may have stuck with me since My Own Mr Knightley – y'all rock). A special thanks & shout out to Jill, who had a lot to do with the development of a lot of this story. I love all my reviewers – without them, there would be no more story. Seriously. Hope y'all are back for whatever come next.

That said, here's your last chance to review one more time! Yay! Also, it's your last chance to get you say in what my next project will be. I'm really torn between doing a Sense & Sensibility fic or a Persuasion fic. So I'm taking a final vote: S&S or Persuasion? What'll it be, folks?

Love to everyone.

Sandra Starck: Thanks for reading and for reviewing. Yeah, it just felt a little incomplete without the epilogue. Hope you liked!

a: My parting gifts to you: "Of course as far as I know, she and Johnny could be having some secret affair. Don't right anything off as impossible – that's one thing my life's taught me." and "Besides, I liked Rachel. Rachel was hot. And you've got Kate, little brother, so share the wealth." And with that, I'll leave you to imagine all the Johnny-Rachelness you like (And I totally did add those lines in just for you, because you are such a fantastic reviewer. Much love & hope you liked the last chapter!)

followthestory: I'm thinking about Persuasion; like I said it's that or S&S. There's actually a modernized Northanger Abbey fic out there right now which is looking to be pretty good. It's in my favorite stories is ya wanna check it out.

annie: Thank you for the review! I felt like it needed one more chapter. Hope you liked it!

AliKitKat: Hope you liked the wrap-it-all-up chapter. Yeah, I was really leaning towards Persuasion because I love it, but there have been a couple modernized Persuasion floating around on fanfic lately, and I just feel like S&S is so neglected. And P&P is way too overdone; I don't think I could come up with anything original that hasn't been beaten to death already. So I'm kinda torn. Sigh…

NotreDamegirlie: Hiya! I think you're one of the reviewers that's been with me the longest, so much love to you! Hope you liked my very last chapter ;o) And hope you stick with me for the next one. What's your vote?

drugged-on-chocolate: Hey, thanks for the review! I'm a little sad myself that's it over – I have to leave Kate & Adrien behind! Sighs… Ah well. Hope you liked he epilogue!

embracing He. Glad you liked my almost-ending! Thanks for being such a wonderfully faithful reviewer! Much love.

WhiteCamellia Thank you!

Huntress of the stars Aww, thank you! That was the sweetest thing ever! If I ever write a book I'll def. let you know ;o) Lol. You know, sometimes I do play around with the idea of doing a P&P fic, but I don't think I have anything original to offer. Everything that can be done has been done (the story is so done to death here on fanfic). But it really is one of the best Jane Austens. But since they're all good, I like to do the more neglected ones :o)

Marshie12 Thank you for the review :o) Hope you liked the last chapter!

jayley: Yay! Glad you liked.

terbear: Hiya! First time reviewer! Glad you've liked the story and thank you so much for the review!! Hope you liked the ending!

hug Well, that update wasn't as quick as I intended but hope it was quick enough and I hope you liked it! Thank you so much for reviewing!

Elwen: Lol. Manda's been telling Adrien he's a dolt a lot in the past few chapter hasn't she? Eh, somebody's got to do it :o) Anyways, hope you liked the last chapter. I'll keep you're Persuasion vote in mind.

Rhapsody's Song Glad you liked it. Thank you for being such a wonderful reviewer throughout. Much love.

LaLumacca Ummm…. okay. Well, glad you finally "got through it" even though it wasn't special or creative. (what, was someone holding a gun to your head & forcing you to read?) Heh. Anyways thanks for the review, whether you liked it or not. There's your last chapter to satiate you curiosity.

fyre-anjel: You've been a wonderful reviewer – thanks for sticking with me. I'm glad you've liked the story – I've had a lot of fun writing it. Hope you'll stick around for the next one :o)

glabolah Hey, another new reviewer! yay! Thanks for the review! Glad you've liked the story.

anonymous: Thanks for reviewing! Hope you liked the end!

bellatrix731 A lot of people have been saying Persuasion & I think that's what I'm leaning toward. Anyway, thank you so much for all your reviews. Glad you like the last chapter and hope you liked the epilogue!

schokolade Hiya! Thank you as always for the loverly review. I definitely think you're one of the reviewers who has been with me the longest. So what do you think: S&S or Persuasion? I just can't decide.. Anyways, hope you liked my little epilogue chapter here & thank you, thank you, thank you for being such a great and awesome reviewer. MUCH love.

Rosa Cotton: Well, it's all finished (I'm a little sad about that, lol…). Thanks for all your reviews and I hope you liked the epilogue!