Twilight is not mine.

Possible tissue warning!

Previously: Bella asks Tanya about her imprinting with Jake. The wedding and the start of the honeymoon in their new home.

Epilogue: Time Moves On

Bella's Point of View

Over the last forty years, I had slowly pieced my broken life back together, with the help of my husband, Edward and my two families – the Cullens and the Denalis. I had managed to get my GED online while I practiced with my shield, both I had aced. I passed the GED with flying colors and as for my shield, let's just say my family doesn't try to surprise me anymore.

Less than a year after I had been cruelly changed, Carlisle deemed me suitable to be in public for extended periods of time, in other words, I could attend school. Carlisle may be alright with my controlled blood lust but I wasn't. Granted I didn't crave human blood since I was only a month or so old, the fear of what ifs or maybes scared me.

Four years later, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Kate and I finally attended our first semester at the University of Fairbanks. What felt like only a year was actually four and I had my first degree in English.

At the end of my first college experience, I learned via Alice, that Phil had been in an accident heading toward one of his teams practices. He was only five miles away from the ballpark when the drunk and stoned driver t-boned his SUV, killing Phil instantly and the other driver died in route to the hospital.

I wanted to run to my mother's side and console her but I knew better than to risk her safety for soothing her. If the Volturi came down on her because I revealed myself to her, I couldn't live with myself. Therefore, I sat back, embraced tightly in Edward's arms while Alice explained her visions to me.

Charlie flew down to Florida to comfort Renée in her time of grief. First, she loses her daughter then about five years later, she loses her husband. Renée was definitely going through hell for lack of a better analogy and she was in dire need of some tender loving care. I was ecstatic to hear that my dad was there for my mom when I couldn't be and I didn't know whether to be fully glad or extremely hurt.

After a month, Charlie had to return to Forks and back to work.

A week later, Renée showed up on his doorstep bags in hand. She stayed in Charlie's room and he slept on the couch, neither wanting to venture into my old room. Alice confirmed my suspicions; my room hadn't been touched since the investigation of my disappearance.

Over the next year or so, we cared on with our lives, doing the not-so normal things vampires do. We relocated to a small town in Ontario and registered to start high school. Since it had only been about six years, I had to go by a pseudo name. Edward jumped at me going by Cullen since he would be going by his birth name of Masen but I thought using Cullen would be too obvious if someone decided to investigate further.

Isabella Marie Brandon was now attending her freshman year at Greenstone High in Ontario Canada. Edward pouted that I hadn't chosen one of his names. I reminded him that when we remarry in a few years that she would be taking my name all over again.

On my birthday that year, Alice came bounding into the room I shared with Edward, happy and chipper as can be. If this for another birthday party I was seriously going to dismember her and hide the pieces.

"He proposed!"

I glared at the fairy bug as she jumped up and down on my bed. I fought for the sheet to wrap around my naked self. "Who? Jasper?"

Alice launched herself to her knees in front of me. "No silly. Charlie proposed to Renée…she said yes."

I was dumbfounded. My parents were getting back together and getting married and I couldn't even be there to enjoy the special occasion. Edward took me in his arms when he or Jasper picked up on my despair.

Now, it was forty years after my disappearance, my parents had been happily remarried for about thirty-three years now and I was about to do the hardest thing imaginable for anyone. I needed to tell them good-bye for the final time.

Alice informed me a week ago that they didn't have much longer to live, that their clocks were starting to run down. I sat in the passenger seat of the newest Volvo while Edward drove. I waited franticly as we drove across the country border then across several state lines. I didn't know what was worse – the waiting thirty odd years until they did pass or the knowing that it would happen soon.

During the time of my absence or rather my death and their renewed love for each other, not once did they think about leaving Forks. My room remained untouched, with the exception of Renée entering to dust occasionally.

With Jacob's help, the Quileute elders give me permission to visit my parents one final time, to say my goodbyes. This was far from how I originally planned to tell them goodbye, but my plans rarely panned out. I never planned for Edward to leave, or plan to be kidnapped, or attacked by Victoria and her lackeys, or planned to have Edward back in my life let alone my husband…so my plans were always way off the mark.

It was past midnight when we passed the 'Welcome to Forks' sign. At this time of night, it was as if we had driven into a ghost town with working street lamps. Edward drove us stealthily through the sleeping town where we first met, every corner stirred up a memory and every reminder involved Edward in some way or another.

Edward grasped my left hand firmly a second after he turned onto my home street and after another second of me tensing up. My old house came into view, as did my old Chevy – Charlie never got rid of it, my chest tightened at the knowledge.

Edward parked the car down the street so as not to alert anyone there was someone outside the Swan house. I held on to Edward's hand tightly, as if it was my life jacket in a storm at sea and I couldn't swim. He returned the pressure with his fingers, attempting to assure me that I wasn't alone.

"You can do this, I'll be right with you," he whispered softly into my ear. He didn't need to whisper that close to me but it made it more personal and intimate. All I could muster in reply was a nod.

We walked silently toward the house, my nerves closer and closer to the edge with each footstep I left behind me.

"Bella?"

The sudden husky voice caused me to spin and crouch in defense at the direction it echoed from in the dense trees. Edward started shushing me, trying to get me to relax. A dark figure wearing only shorts emerged from behind the trees.

"Seth?" I straightened at seeing the older version of the Quileute boy I barely knew when I was human. He stepped further from the trees, a sad look in his eyes.

"When Carlisle called to ask permission for you to visit, he informed us that he believes Charlie and Renée don't have that much longer. Is that true?" He tried to avert his eyes from either of us as he asked his depressing question.

I automatically stiffened at the mention of my parents impending deaths. "Yes it's true," in a surprisingly flat tone, Edward thankfully answered for me. Seth then nodded his head slightly toward the house and Edward turned me toward it. "Thank you Seth, we won't be long."

Hesitantly, I walked toward the small white house that I lived in forty years ago. It didn't feel like it was that long ago and I was enjoying a nice walk with Edward down this very street, hand in hand. Forty years later, we were now doing the exact same thing, minus the nice walk part. We had come here to say goodbye to my parents, which definitely wasn't something I would consider nice.

We stood just below my old bedroom window and I stared up, and then Edward leapt up effortlessly, demonstrating how he had gotten inside all those years ago. I took in a deep breath of air and repeated Edward's movements; I too was just as effortless in my actions. Even after all this time, the window still opened soundlessly and we slid inside just as quietly.

The nostalgia hit me full force as I gazed around my old room. Everything was the same, except there weren't any dirty clothes on the floor. I couldn't believe that they hadn't cleaned out this room to make an art room, hobby room, gunroom…all of the above maybe. My eyes landed on the closed door to my left and it suddenly didn't feel as if I was breathing anymore.

"Want me to come in with you?" Edward asked quietly in my ear and slowly massaged the back of my neck with his comforting hand. I bit my lip out of nervousness and nodded my head slightly at his question.

I created a vise like hold on his hand as he slowly pulled me through my bedroom door and across the small landing to the open door to my parent's room. I actually felt my chest constrict as I gazed down at my sleeping parents. Renée had her back pressed up against Charlie's chest with his left arm draped over her waist and both wore a small smile. My eyes started to sting at the sight before me. It was every child's dream to have his or her divorced parents back together; too bad I wasn't around to witness the miracle.

While still holding tightly on to Edward's hand, I kneeled down on my knees by the side of the bed. I glanced over the forms of the two sleeping humans, totally unaware of the supernatural being watching them. They looked almost the same way they did forty years ago just add some wrinkles, laugh lines and a lot of gray – Charlie more so than Renée. They were definitely showing their ages now.

"Bella, Seth tells me you only have ten more minutes," I glanced up at him and he tapped his temple, stubborn mind reader.

I turned back to my parents and said a silent prayer that this would work. I exhaled a little of my sweet vampire breath over their faces and they seemed to have visibly relaxed some. I looked back to Edward, a little nervous about what I was about to do, he nodded in encouragement.

Very softly, gently and cheerfully, I spoke one last time to the two people that had brought me life. "Mom, Dad…its Bella. I just wanted to reassure you that I'm fine, I'm happy and very much in love," I paused and sighed as I thought over my next choice of words. "I'm sorry for the trouble and pain I must have put you through when I went missing…I'm so, so sorry," my voice was cracking as I forced out my apology. "Please rest at ease knowing that your daughter is with the man she loves and that he loves her back, very much. I love you both so very much and I wish I could have been here these last forty years…but that is impossible. I love you…Mom and Dad."

I slowly stood back up on my feet and wrapped my arms around my husband's waist and he pressed his lips to the top of my head. "One more thing love, then we can go." I stared at him oddly, what else was there to do? Edward smiled down at me then turned his head toward my parents. "Charlie, Renée…please keep in mind that I love your daughter with my entire being and her happiness and safety are my top priority. Thank you for creating such a wonderful woman and raising her with incredible knowledge and love."

The words he spoke moved me emotionally and I smiled at him then glanced down at my sleeping parents. Edward then minutely tugged on my shoulders, trying to direct me from the room but I was reluctant to leave. I wanted to stay with them for as long as I could and just gaze upon them, committing their peaceful faces to memory. Unfortunately, reality has a horrible habit of intruding on the important things.

"Come on love, Seth is counting down in his head. Didn't you want to grab a few things from your room before we leave?" I nodded sadly at him, he was right; we needed to leave now while the treaty was still in tack. I let Edward lead me through the doors and he silently closed my bedroom door behind him.

I reluctantly released his hands and darted around my room thinking of what things to grab. The last photo of the three of us during my last summer in Phoenix, it was the last picture I had of us together and it was sitting perfectly on my nightstand. Actually, that was all I really needed from my previous life, the one thing my non-beating heart needed. I turned around after grabbing the photo frame and was surprised to see Edward kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed.

"Edward?" I glanced over his shoulder at the floorboards to see what he was doing. I gasped loudly at what I saw. There was a CD, an envelope, numerous pictures of Edward and me together and then there was a small black velvet box – it was the stuff he had taken from me on the day he left, except for the box, I didn't recognize that.

"It didn't feel right to take them, they're yours," he sounded apologetic and scooped the items up into his large hand then stood up and handed me everything, but the box. "The box, is for later," he smirked as he held the box up for me to see then he quickly shoved it into his pocket. "Let's get out of here before Seth has a coronary."

All it took was a small half nod from me and Edward practically pulled me out the window and slid it shut. As soon as our feet touched the ground beneath my window, I heard both of my parents gasp eerily.

"Oh my…I just had a dream of Bella…" Renée gasped out loudly.

"So did I…she told me she was okay and with the man she loves…"

"I had the same dream…you don't think…" I then heard my mother's feet shuffling across the floor. "Charlie…the picture of us is missing!"

"What picture?" My dad sounded confused and I heard his heavier footsteps approaching my mom.

"The picture of all of us together…it's gone!"

"Maybe you misplaced it," Charlie answered her dismissively.

Edward pulled me toward the trees, despite my reluctance to leave. We stopped just inside the tree line and Edward pushed me up against the nearest tree and whispered quietly. "Renée is seriously thinking you're alive and has debated running out the door."

I looked back at the house, panicked and ashamed. I had only planned to give them some reassurance not have them hoping I would return. DAMN IT! From our vantage point in the forest, we could still hear my parents scrambling around inside the house.

"I DIDN'T MISPLACE IT! No one has been in this room for months and I only come in here to dust!" my mother's voice was becoming hysterical as she shouted at my father. I then heard the window shoot open and I instinctively stiffened. "BELLA! PLEASE BELLA COME HOME…"

"Renée…listen to yourself! She's not coming back! She said so in her dream, she can't, it's impossible. But at least she's happy and loved, let's be grateful we know that much…"

Edward's arms wrapped around my shoulders and held to him tightly as I tried to keep in my sobs at hearing my parents. I buried my face in his chest as I listened to Charlie trying to convince Renée what was the right and better thing to do.

There was the sudden snapping of a twig behind us and I peeked from Edward's shirt to see what the disturbance was. A sandy colored wolf emerged from behind a large bush and his lip curled over his teeth as he nodded off to the side. I glared at him and waited for Edward to translate.

"Seth says it's time for us to leave," Edward sounded annoyed at the wolf's persistence and he slowly led me through the forest to our car that sat waiting down the street.

We didn't speak a word the entire way home. Edward's hand gripped mine tightly on the center console and he would occasionally squeeze it when he thought I was having a difficult moment.

We arrived home after the two-day drive and Esme was the first to take me into her embrace. Upon feeling her motherly hug, I broke down into sobs. Shortly after, everyone else gathered in a huge group hug but even the force of the hug couldn't end my weeping. Only time would heal my breaking heart and time was the one thing I had in abundance.

It felt like it had been a month but it had only been a day. Life slowly returned to normal, everyone carried on with his or her daily lives and routines and there really wasn't anything to complain about in my life at the moment.

Three days later, after a good meal of caribou, I lounged on the bed in my room reading a new book Jasper found for me, waiting for Edward to return from town with Carlisle. A quiet and soft knocking on the door distracted me from the book and I looked up.

"Yeah?"

The door silently and slowly opened to reveal a somber looking Alice. She looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and despite being a strong vampire; it seemed to be weighing her down. She lingered in the doorway, her head downcast, her hand wringing fretfully together. Upon seeing my sister's nervous condition, it immediately sent me into panic mode. There was only one thing I could think of that would have her in such a state.

I slowly climbed off the bed and took hesitant steps toward her. "Bella…I'm so sorry…" she started to shake and sob. I finally reached her and wrapped my arms around her tiny shaking shoulders. Reminiscent of a snail, she gradually looked up at me. "I just got the vision…Charlie and Renée…they both just passed away…in their bed…"

Alice buried her face into my shoulder and continued to sob. I felt like sobbing also but I just couldn't bring myself to do that, my arms tightened involuntarily. Edward soon arrived home and must have heard Alice's distress in her thoughts because he was up the stairs and had me cradled in his arms in a matter of four seconds flat. Now that his tight, comforting arms were around me, the sobs started. Time had allowed me to explain a few things to my parents, to let them know I was happy and say farewell. After all the pain my disappearance and death had caused them, I was happy knowing they had managed to live and love again, surprisingly with each other. I had heard that a child was supposed to outlive their parents; as far as my parents knew, they had outlived me, but in reality, I had outlived them and then some.

All I could think of at that moment was that my premature death hadn't destroyed them so completely, that it ruined their lives. They had continued to live on, keeping me in their hearts, never forgetting…and neither will I.

Edward held me tightly for hours until I cried myself out, bet he was happy I couldn't shed tears and ruin his shirt. His hand stroked my hair, comforting me. "Think you'll be alright now?" I hesitated for a moment then slowly nodded my head against his chest.

"I got to say what I needed to them…so there really isn't anything to…"

Edward grabbed my face in his hands, successfully cutting me off and forced me to look at him. "Bella they're your parents, you're allowed to be sad when they die, even when you're expecting it. I never got the chance to mourn my parents since I was dying myself then I was crazy with thirst. You are the only one of us that got the chance to say goodbye, you are so fortunate."

I tried to nod my head in agreement but he had a firm hold on my face and my nod probably looked more like a twitch. "And I'm grateful you went with me to say my goodbyes."

A small crooked smile appeared and he released my face but kept his eyes locked on mine as he fished through his pants pocket for something. "Now, if you're ready…do you want what's in the black box?"

All I could do was stare at him blankly because there was absolutely nothing running through my head, he had rendered me stunned by his sudden change of subject. He pulled out the small box and sat it in my lap. "I was originally planning to give this to you at your birthday party but then, well…you know…" I felt like giggling at his nervousness but figured now would not be the best time.

My fingers touched the soft velvet of the box and I lifted it up and opened the lid. A seemingly innocent heart-shaped locket pendant necklace in sterling silver, there was a small diamond in the center. I opened the locket to see a photo of Edward and I on the left and a romantic engraving on the right*.

I launched myself at my husband, throwing my arms around his neck and planting a passionate kiss firmly on his lips. I pulled away and saw his shocked and lusty expression. "Always and forever indeed, I love you!"

"You had better," he then tilted his head back up and captured my lips again. Showing all the love, he had for me in that one earth forming, world exploding, and all consuming and forever loving kiss.

THE END!

Chapter End Notes:

I hope the epilogue wasn't too awful.

Please don't ask if I'm continuing this because I'm not. I've run out of ideas and I don't want the story to get boring or overdone.