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Chapter 54

It took state authorities almost a full calendar year to declare Charles dead. There were depositions, hearings, inquiries and lots of legal bullshit to wade through. It solidified my wanting to leave the legal profession as a practitioner. Teaching the law was far more preferable an endeavour.

Two days after he and Jasper left, the police arrived with news about Billy Black. His family held a small service, inviting Bella and I to attend. Jacob was granted a leave and was there to bury his father and any ill will towards him.

Emmett easily sold off the last of Bella's stock, leaving a very nice nest egg for himself, his wife and future children. He was happy to be in the business, but even happier to be out of it. His portion of the family farm was producing very well, so now he had more time to devote to that. He was much more sombre when I met him next. He explained why he had laughed at me the first time he saw me. Under Isabella's tender care, I had gained some weight and muscle from moving jars for her. He said I seemed much more refined and mature now, where I struck him as juvenile before. He saw me more as an equal and someone worthy of his friend and to be his friend. He introduced me to his family, including his very sweet wife, Rosalie. He further helped us by moving, storing and selling the furniture of the last house on Blackberry Lane.

Bella and I moved in with Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle soon after the funeral for Billy. Neither of us wanted to stay there for a moment longer than we had to. There were far too many bad memories that outweighed the good. Bella finally got one of her life's wishes when we took up residence in one of the turret rooms. It wasn't nearly as colourful as she had thought it would be, but it was very lovely and our first child was conceived in that room. Isabella delivered in that room as well. I am still scarred from that experience so I'll not recount it for you.

Charlotte and Peter married happily and moved with us to upstate New York where Charlotte became our nanny, allowing Bella to attend university. It took over twelve years for her to earn her Master's degree in science, taking only a few courses at a stretch with plenty of time off to create a family. Together we had five children, two girls and three boys. Charlotte and Peter had three children of their own. We built them a guesthouse on our property with room enough for all those children to play. For a while it was tricky choosing the correct children to bring home at the end of the day. However, only once or twice the wrong one ended up spending the night.

We were very fortunate when the economic crash of 1929 happened and destroyed so many lives. Both my family funds and Bella's were well protected. We were able to keep the wolf from the door for all of the depression. We helped out as much as we could during those lean years.

None of our sons were of the correct age to enter the war against the Nazis or the Japanese. We insisted that all of Charlotte and Peter's children attend university, if they so chose, which kept all of our boys out of the conflict in Korea as well. We were very lucky in that regard.

I found teaching law much more favourable than practicing it, although I did take the bar exam in multiple states. Charles' slightly falsified clerkship in no way hampered my career.

We never saw Jasper again. Nor Alice. He kept her, with my permission. Bella gave him enough money, a retirement fund for dealing with Charlie, to pad the one he had saved for himself. Jasper was able to live as he pleased for the rest of his life. It took a great deal of convincing to get him to agree. There was a flurry of letters back and forth between the two for three years. I finally had to join in the argument and let Jasper know how much he was hurting Bella by refusing her. My letter to him sealed his fate and he found a small cottage by the sea to live his life in peaceful solitude.

Through a friend of Jasper's, we were able to keep contact with Charles. For safety's sake, we limited ourselves to a letter a year. Charles changed his name to Marcus and lived as a fisherman on the French island of Miquelon, just off the coast of Newfoundland. After prohibition was repealed, the island fell on hard times and Charles refused to accept any money from us. He died in 1935, penniless but happy. He had spent his life fishing and helping his fellow islanders for little to no pay. He lived a life of quiet respite, causing no further harm to anyone. He knew his daughter was well and cared for and that our first son carried his name. In each letter, without fail, he apologized for what he had done, never accepting Bella's reassurance. It made her sad that he lived with such guilt.

Bella thrived being away from that house. Once she was no longer putting her scientific mind to gin formulation, she made herself a paste to cover the bit of tattoo that showed above her clothing. She learned over time and with my encouragement of the beauty of the design on her skin, but explaining it to the busy bodies took too much time and effort. Society still looked down on a woman with a tattoo, regardless of the reason, so it was easier for her to cover it.

I managed to accompany her to see a reputable tattoo artist for her thirtieth birthday. He cleaned up the vine and added some pretty flowers to it. It was nowhere near as traumatizing an experience as I thought it might be. I feared she would relive the horrible night, but she sailed through it with a smile. The electric tattooing machine was much easier to bear. It was faster, too. The tattoo they applied on my chest hurt like a son of a bitch and I marvelled at her ability to sit through it twice. I'm ashamed to admit I cried when the needle first struck my skin, but the small, delicate looping signature of my wife's name will live with me forever. Bella didn't laugh, but held my hand and helped me through it. She has always been the stronger between the two of us, five births notwithstanding.

We lived a comfortable, happy life. We travelled, learned and loved through many years. We raised five content children who have given us many grandchildren. All in all our life, save for the beginning, has been wonderful.

The End

AN: Thank you for taking this journey with me. This story has been six months of my life and, while I have enjoyed it a great deal, I'm happy it is complete. Now I can work on other projects and maybe, just maybe you will join me there.

As ever I am grateful to Beachcomberlc for her help, patience and expertise. I am thankful for the friendship of IpsitaC77 who makes lovely pictures from the tangled mess that is my brain. I am very thankful for the support of JulieToo and Lunabev, as well the lovely people in my facebook world.

Thank you for reading.