I've jumped forward to the year 1989 so you can read how everybody's careers and relationships worked out, but especially Bella and Edward's. I do hope you enjoy this last chapter when our favourite couple have a good reason to celebrate and also to reminisce with friends about the last twenty five years.

THE EPILOGUE

March 23rd 1989

Bella

Twenty-five years ago, on this exact date, I was chatting to Sue outside the Express building, making the most of the last few moments of freedom before walking up the steps and into the typing pool for another tedious day at work. I was totally unaware of course that the man who was to be the one and only love of my life was looking down at me from his recently-acquired office window. Now, twenty-five years later, I'm looking down at Edward, this time from my lofty position, which is high up in the Stranger's Gallery in the House of Lords. As I watch him prepare to take his seat on the cross benches for the first time, I couldn't be more proud of the man who has been my lover and my partner ever since the day he rescued me from James and his thugs in Brighton, and with whom I've had the happiest of lives.

Sitting next to me and peering down on her son is the other Lady Cullen, my darling mother-in-law, Esme, who after initially frightening the daylights out of me when we first met, has turned out to be the best MIL in the world, and one of my best friends. She has witnessed this ceremony before of course, when Carlisle became a Lord when he was appointed as Master of the Rolls in 1960, which was two years before his own father died. Now she's witnessing Edward taking his place in the Upper House of the magnificent Palace of Westminster like his father, and his father before him, and all the eldest male Cullen ancestors going back at least three hundred years.

As I wait for the ceremony to begin where Edward is formally introduced to the House, I've often wondered how my life would have turned out if Edward hadn't taken up residence in his office for another couple of months, as I would have been long gone from the Express by then. The chances of our paths crossing would have been miniscule, but actually, when I think about it, we probably would have met eventually but only many years later. I could've been married to Jake by then! But no, even without Edward in the picture, I don't think Jake and I would ever have been compatible; he's too much of a 'bloke' for a girl like me. Anyway, he's been happily married to Julie for nearly eighteen years, and Edward and I still visit him and his family occasionally when we go back to the East End to see mum and dad.

So much has happened in these twenty-five years that it's difficult to remember everything. I was married at nineteen, became an accidental mother aged twenty-three, (the Pill isn't always a hundred percent reliable), and then again aged twenty five (planned), then a mother of twins at thirty-three which was another accident but a wonderful surprise. So now we have three sons and one daughter. Our eldest son is twenty-one today, our daughter is eighteen going on twenty-five, and our identical twin boys have just turned ten. Exhausting! I'll be forty-four in September and Edward is just coming up to his fiftieth birthday in May. Time has certainly flown by.

My career in journalism went supersonic after Edward and I met Helen Gurley Brown on our honeymoon in New York. Helen and I clicked straight away and I started writing freelance for the US magazine Cosmopolitan in September 1965. My 'Message from London' (which morphed into 'Message from Swinging London' a year later), proved an instant hit with American readers, and through that success I began to write about other more serious matters affecting women. I eventually started writing for other magazines and newspapers as well and it was then that I had to admit to Alice she'd been right when she said 'I was destined for greater things', as I could actually see myself becoming quite well known because of my writing.

Cosmopolitan quickly became famous as the magazine for liberated young women and no subject was taboo for its pages. If girls wanted to find out about sex or any other issues relating to women, they need look no further than a copy of Cosmo, and I was soon heralded as one of their top writers. I just wished Cosmo had been around when I was in my teens; then I wouldn't have had to learn about sex and orgasms in Alice's bedroom, courtesy of her having a liberated mother.

In late 1970, I finally broke my last connection with the Advertiser where I'd only been working as a freelancer since being taken on by Cosmo, and for even less time when our daughter was on the way. From my London home I coordinated the launch of Cosmopolitan in the UK in 1971, following which Helen offered me the Chief Editor's role, but because I had two small children by then and a husband who kept flying off around the world doing good deeds, it would have been too much to take on board and do successfully. I continued to write columns though for both the UK and American editions, mainly on women's issues like equality at work, birth control, access to health care, et cetera, and through this I became well known in the media as a champion for women's causes. It also helped that Mike was working for the BBC by then, so my face became well-known on British television and raised my profile substantially.

From there I was asked to join various government committees that looked into women's issues. It was on these committees that I crossed paths with Edward, who by then had become very well known as an advocate for Civil Rights and Equal Opportunities, but not just for women. Luckily we were always on the same side.

In 1977 I was awarded the MBE and then in 1984 the OBE, which was the same year Edward was made a Knight, so I became the second Lady Cullen five years ago, as wife to 'Sir' Edward Cullen.

But today Edward becomes a Lord, and it's an extra-special day for another reason because…..well, I'll let Edward explain.

Edward

I must admit I feel like a 'May Day Horse', which was one of my grandpa's expressions when he saw someone who was overdressed, or dressed inappropriately for his or her age.

For my ceremony of 'Introduction and Prorogation' to the Upper House of Parliament, where I'm obliged to swear an Oath of Allegiance to the Queen, I'm wearing the Parliamentary Robes of a Baron, which means I'm covered from shoulders to ankles in scarlet wool and white ermine and I'm carrying a black cocked hat, which apparently I don't have to wear. I would have preferred to just walk in and take my seat without any fanfare, but this is tradition, and who am I to argue against hundreds of years of history.

I'm led from the Robing Room into the glittering chamber by my two sponsors who are also in their ceremonial robes and who have to have the same rank as me – which is a 'two-bar' Peer. I've been informed by my 'dressers' that Dukes have four bars on their robes, Earls have three and Viscounts (like my father) have two and a half and so on. I have so much to learn. None of the other members present are wearing their ceremonial robes as the ceremony is just for me, so I feel a bit outlandish in this get-up when I look at all the other Lords and Baronesses dressed in either lounge suits or twin-sets and pearls.

When I'm right inside the Chamber, I glance up at the Stranger's Gallery and easily spot my mother and Bella in the small group of onlookers. Both of them are smiling at me and I actually spot that mum is grasping Bella's hand, which is quite touching. I'm delighted they've always got on so well, even though they are both very strong characters. Bella was terrified of her at first, but when mum realised our love for each other was genuine, she welcomed Bella into our family with open arms.

I'm so proud of Bella's achievements and I'm the first to accept without question, that if Bella had been a man, she would have been made a Peer by now and would have been granted a seat in the Lords long before me. This country has made great strides in recognising women's achievements, but women still have to work twice as hard to get the recognition that is handed to their male counterparts with depressing ease. Like her father she isn't bitter about her situation; instead she continues to strive to improve life for disadvantaged and advantaged women so that one day, hopefully in our lifetime, women will be considered to be truly equal to men.

I won't be making my maiden speech today; I'll leave that for a few weeks' time. Today I'm just savouring the moment when my name is recorded in history, especially as there's one person here today who I didn't expect to be present when I took the solemn Oath.

I look across the Chamber to the cross-benches where my father is sitting and I can tell he's bursting with pride. I'm so grateful at this moment to the doctors and nurses in our National Health Service, who have kept my dad alive and in good shape so he can witness me becoming a Peer in my own right and not after I've inherited his title following his death. My title isn't hereditary like his, so one day, (but hopefully not for a while), I'll become Viscount Moray and will receive my extra half-bar. When I'm gone, my eldest son, Richard, will inherit the title. Until then, I'll use this privilege to continue to promote the Civil Liberties of every member of our society, regardless of gender, social status or ethnicity.

The Lords and Baronesses in the Chamber hush as the Garter Kings of Arms and the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod join us and then the Clerk reads the Letters Patent, where I'm introduced to the House as 'Lord Cullen of Clayton' and invited to take the Oath.

"I, Edward Anthony Cullen, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God."

I take my seat among the Peers and smile up at Bella who by the looks of it is actually crying. Only she and I know the reason why I chose the name 'Clayton' and it will remain a mystery to our family until both of us have shuffled off this mortal coil. We've been back there of course, but only to look and remember. Neither of us were tempted to try to recreate the moment; it was already perfect in our memories. There was also no need to rekindle what we were feeling for each other in the field that day, because there was no doubt we still loved each other just as much as we did on the initially terrifying but in the end truly memorable day back in May 1964.

The Chamber immediately rises and my sponsors and I return to the Robing Room where I divest myself of the heavy garments. I shake hands with my Peers and make my way to the lofty octagon shaped Central Lobby, which is the crossroads in the Palace where the Lords, the Commons and the almost thousand-year-old Westminster Hall meet, and is where my family will be waiting for me.

As I walk through the arch, Bella is there to greet me first and her eyes are shining with pride. After I've kissed and hugged my wife, parents and children, we make our way through the spectacular building and out into Parliament Square, where cars are waiting to whisk us to The Savoy for a reception. As well as being the anniversary of our meeting, it's also Richard's twenty-first birthday today, so we'll be celebrating in a private room overlooking the river.

Richard is down from Edinburgh University for the Easter break. He's studying medicine and is hoping to become a Cardiologist in the future as he's always been fascinated by his Grandpa's dodgy ticker. Our daughter, Sophia, will be following in my footsteps, as she's already stated her intention to study law at Oxford, much to her grandpa's delight as he still maintains Cambridge is riddled with Communists. Our two ten year olds haven't yet shown any interest in studying for anything at all as they both want to be professional footballers and play for West Ham, like their cousin Matthew, Mike's son. If they do, I'm sure they'll probably end up making more money than Richard and Sophia put together.

Fifteen years ago, after four years of study, Bella obtained her Open University degree in English Literature, and I'll never forget how proud Charlie and Renee were at her Graduation, even more so than when she presented them with their first grandchild, or when she had her first of three books about London published. Even though Bella was already well known as a successful journalist, being able to put 'BA' after her name did more to raise her self-esteem than any of the awards she received for her writing. Now, in 1980's England, the comprehensive system of education has taken over from the old two-tier system, so children will never be doomed to being a 'failure for life' for not passing an exam at age eleven.

Our reception room is already full of guests when we walk in to loud cheers and congratulations. I quickly scan who's here and my eyes immediately rest on one old lady who is sitting by the window with Jane and Sue and their husbands. I smile broadly at her as I wander over and kiss her lightly on the cheek.

"It's wonderful to see you, Margaret. You're looking very well."

"Not bad for eighty-one," she replies and takes my hands in both of hers and gives them a squeeze. "Congratulations, Edward. You deserve everything that's come your way, and thank you for everything you've done for me. You've been like a son to me, and these two girls have been like daughters. For an old spinster I've been very lucky."

"Well, I've always thought of you as my second mum, Margaret. I hope you enjoy yourselves today."

I walk over to where Bella is talking to Jake and his family and shake his hand and give his wife, Julie, a kiss.

"Great to see you, Jake."

"You too," he replies. "Bella just told me its twenty five years to the day since you first clapped eyes on her."

"That's right," I reply, "and Richard turned up exactly four years later which was a coincidence. That's why I picked today for my ceremony at the Lords; thought I'd get all the celebrations over and done with in one day."

Jake chuckles and play punches me in the arm.

"I could accuse you of being tight with money, but I know that's not the case. There're a lot of old people here, and I'm not talking about you and me. Getting them all together on one day is quite a challenge."

I nod in agreement and look at the crowd. My dad is eighty-two now and is still the Master of the Rolls. He says he'll give it two more years and that will be it. I'll believe that when it happens as he's threatened retiring before. Mum has just turned seventy-six but doesn't look a day over sixty-five and her tongue is still as sharp as ever.

Charlie and Renee are in their late seventies and both have arthritis, but despite that they are really happy and cheerful and are still living in their old house, even though both of them have difficulty getting up the stairs. Bella and I offered to buy them a bungalow in the country but they refused to move from the East End which is where all their friends are. We bought them a little ground floor apartment in Eastbourne though, and they go there for some sea air quite often which does them good.

Mike is here with his wife who is a BBC producer, plus their nineteen-year old footballing son and two school-aged daughters. Mike is now the Head of Current Affairs at the BBC after walking away from a stellar career at the Mirror Group to concentrate on television. About ten years ago he predicted that the future of journalism was in TV as newspaper sales were steadily declining, so he made a name for himself on various news channels before being offered the top job at the BBC. He has proved to be a great brother-in-law, and I know how lucky I am to have married into such a solid, happy family.

Alice's parents are deep in conversation with Bella's parents, obviously talking about old times as they don't see each other very often. They are roughly the same age as Charlie and Renee but are still in very good shape. After Alice and Jasper were married, they chucked in their well paid jobs in London, sold their house and moved to North Cornwall to help Jasper set up his business, and later on to help Alice with the children so she could carry on working in the fashion world. The sea air has definitely kept them young and I know that Jasper has appreciated having them around. Aunt Charlotte and Alistair are here too and are still happily married after twenty-three years. They live mainly in the South of France now and spend most of their days soaking up the sun on the Cote d'Azure.

So, as an extended family, we are all very lucky to still have our loved ones with us, twenty-five years after me, Rosie and Jasper found our respective partners, and between the three of us we have produced twelve children.

I wander over to where Emmett and Rosie are sitting, picking up a glass of champagne on the way. Their five children are also here and they range in ages from nine to twenty-three; the last one arriving eight years behind the rest. His appearance is more than likely due to Rosie getting broody after our twins arrived as she couldn't keep away from Bella when she brought the babies home. Emmett didn't seem to mind having another mouth to feed. He is still the happiest and most content man I've ever met as he has everything he ever wanted in life, plus the faith that life would continue for eternity. I envied him this.

"Lord Cullen of Clayton!" he declares when I give him a manly hug. "Why Clayton?" Emmett asks with one eyebrow raised. "You kept that quiet for a while. Why not Lord Cullen of Hanger Lane or the North Circular Road?"

"It's private," I reply with a grin. "You'll find out why in either mine or Bella's Wills if we die before you. Until then it's a secret. Anyway, I already have one member of my family that reminds me of my days as a Rocker. That's enough."

Emmett and Rosie look at me strangely for a second and then both smile when they know who I'm referring to.

"Did you hear the news about James," Emmett said. "That's one soul I didn't pray for."

"Yes I heard," I replied. "Bella's always worried he'd be released and would come after us again, but that's not going to happen now. Cancer I hear."

"Yes, a painful end, and one I wouldn't wish on anyone; even James. It's a relief to know he won't be back on the streets any time soon."

I nod in agreement as I recall opening the letter about a month ago from the Home Office, informing us that James had died in Broadmoor. Even though we'd been assured he was too dangerous to ever be considered for parole, it was always in the back of our minds that one day he would be released by a well-meaning Home Secretary, or he would escape. We now had closure on the short but terrifying period, even though escaping from James and being in fear for our lives had made us appreciate every second of our time together as we'd come so close to being parted forever.

"So when are you going to become Bishop McCarty and join me in the House?"

"Never!" Emmett exclaimed and roared with laughter. "A vicar I am and a vicar I'll stay. Wild horses couldn't drag me away from my parish. Bonnie is getting old now anyway and I couldn't ask her to cover a whole Diocese. My village is quite enough for her."

"So Bonnie is preventing you from spreading the word?"

"Jesus didn't have a motorbike, and he spread his word across the globe, Edward?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I replied, sounding like the now departed John Lennon again.

Rosie's eyebrows went skywards so I leant over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"How do you put up with him?" I whisper in her ear, knowing full well Emmett can hear me.

"I don't know," she replies furtively. "I'll give it another twenty-five years before I make up my mind whether to keep him or not."

"Good plan," I say then leave them to talk to some more of my guests.

Richard and his girlfriend are by the window looking across the river at the south bank. He's going out with friends this evening to celebrate his birthday in a more age-appropriate way, and will probably roll home at three in the morning three sheets to the wind. I'm not going to complain as you're only young once, and he needs to have fun as well as study hard which I know he does. Sophia has just starting dating a chap from school who is also heading to Oxford in September. Bella had to give me a severe talking-to after she brought him home for the first time, accusing me of behaving like a Neanderthal, and worse than Charlie when he first saw me after I brought her home from Brighton. I apologised to both of them later and admitted to them I was just being an over-protective dad.

I raise my glass to Richard then wander over to where Bella is now talking to Alice and Jasper and their three teenage children. The boys, Zak and Zade, who are only eleven months in age apart, are the image of Jasper (and Alistair), and are blonde, sun-kissed, straggly-haired surfers. Their daughter is a mini-version of Alice, with bright, sparkling eyes and a mouth set in a permanent smile. Everything about Zoe Whitlock is immaculate, down to her perfectly bobbed dark brown hair, her polished nails and her fashionable clothing, and she's only fifteen. Alice had recently taken her to meet Anna Wintour, who had just become the Editor of Vogue in New York and was in town visiting the Vogue offices in London where Alice works as a freelance fashion consultant. Now Zoe has pictures of Ms Wintour all over her bedroom walls, instead of Michael Jackson or Jason Donovan like normal teenage girls do. She wants to be a model, but unlike her brothers who are both over six feet tall, she'll be lucky to make it to five feet four inches, like her mother. She's determined though, and I have no doubt she'll succeed in whatever she chooses to do, also like her mother.

Jasper is still the same laid back bohemian character he was twenty-five years ago and he'll never change. Despite giving the impression that he floats through life without a care in the world, he has managed to build several successful surfing-related businesses and now owns practically half of the coast of North Cornwall, where he has ensured development on his land has been kept to an absolute minimum with no high-rise hotels or tacky amusement arcades like there are in Newquay now. He was right; surfing had become hugely popular, but he's made more money out of his and Alice's clothing range than anything else, where their 'Jaz' label is now one of the most sought after and cool products to wear, and not just with surfers.

"Hey!" he says and high-fives me rather than shaking hands. "Good turn-out but I'm trying to work out who's not here?"

"Sam and Tanya couldn't come; they're just about to become grandparents for the first time which is as scary as hell as I still think of them in their twenties. Tanya didn't want to be away from their daughter which is understandable. Apart from them, everyone who's important is here."

"So you didn't invite Victoria then?"

"Ha, bloody, ha! I wouldn't know how to contact her if I'd wanted to. Last time I heard of her she was living on a Kibbutz in Israel. She'd tried to go back to America when she was released but they wouldn't let her in again because of her criminal record."

"Sensible people," Jasper chuckled.

I laughed as well but Victoria had dragged her family's name into the mud because of her antics and it was only a couple of years later I'd found out the true extent of the problems she had caused. She had bankrupted her father, the Earl, as he'd spent all the family's wealth on legal costs on both sides of the Atlantic bailing her out of trouble. When the Earl died of a heart attack not long after Victoria was released from prison, her brother inherited the title and then quickly disowned her when he found out all the family money had gone. Her name was never mentioned in 'polite society' again.

"She certainly was a problem, Jasper."

"She was. A definite nutcase; a beautiful one, but still a nutcase," Jasper responded.

"Agreed. Anyway, when are you heading back to Cornwall for the summer?"

"Straight after Easter, Ed. The boys aren't bothering with college or university; they just want to work for me and I'm cool with that. They'll learn more from the people I employ than they ever could sat on their arses in a lecture hall. Zoe will chuck in school as well as she'll be sixteen soon and will have taken her exams in June, then she's off to Paris to work as a runner in one of the fashion houses. I can't believe she'll be off our hands in a couple of months. It doesn't seem like five minutes since she was born."

"I know," I replied. "Time has flown by. Next week it'll be twenty-five years since I saw you bombing along the road with Alice tucked in behind you when I was having a go at Jake. I still can't believe I didn't recognise you from behind. I suppose you were the last person I expected to see riding a bloody scooter!"

"Likewise with you on a motorbike; trying to look like James Dean and being super-cool."

"Yeah well, we were all a bit daft then."

"No, we weren't, Edward. We were amazingly lucky to be around in the 1960's so we had the choice of being either a Mod or a Rocker and be part of that extraordinary way of life. It was a great time, and one I'm grateful I lived through. Kids nowadays have no idea what it was like to be part of something like that. We both belonged to cultures that spread right across this country and into other countries. We were at the beginning of the revolution for young people. We listened to music that made you want to dance, shout and scream. We made friendships which have lasted a lifetime through having a common need to be part of something bigger than the individual. We had the freedom to be young and have fun, and rebel against how we were expected to behave. It was an amazing time. Life is too serious now and the pressure on kids to succeed is crazy, which is why I want my kids to do exactly what they want and not conform to what is expected of them, or to grow up too fast."

"You're right, Jasper. It's ridiculous now to remember I was a fully-qualified lawyer in 1964, but I was still behaving like a kid at age twenty-four; hating on Mods just because of the way they dressed and their superior attitude. It was crazy when I think about it now, but that's the way it was. It was a great time and I don't think we'll ever see anything like it again, which is sad."

"We've got our memories though, and we can talk about them to our kids so it stays alive in our minds. My three constantly listen to the music from the 1960's and love hearing all the stories about the East End, and Clacton and The Roxy, and tearing around London on our scooters in packs; frightening all the pedestrians because of the noise and the sheer numbers of us, shouting and hollering at the tops of our voices and just having fun. Even the fights on the beaches were crazy to a point. There's nothing like it now and I feel sorry for the teenagers who haven't got anything like it to compare it to."

"I do too," I agreed, "even though I'd probably be awake all night waiting for my older two to come home if they got up to the sort of things we got up to. I'm glad that neither of them are interested in riding Tara or Sadie either as I'd be worried sick. Now I know how my parents felt about me and my bikes."

"Do you still ride them?"

"Only occasionally. I know I'll never sell them; they're part of my history I suppose. Anyway, The Who are touring again next year; are you up for going?"

"Absolutely. Wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll make sure I have my parka at the ready!"

I wander around the room and speak to all the guests and thank them for coming. I make a speech about Richard's coming of age, saying how proud we were as a family that he'd decided to study medicine, but Bella and I wanted him to make sure that having a happy life should always be his ultimate goal. He responded with a speech saying that he'd had the happiest of childhoods and he considered himself to be extremely fortunate to have such amazing parents and an awesome extended family. It was extremely difficult to hold it together after that.

Bella had been standing next to me during the speeches and she smiled up at me with shining eyes when the guests were applauding.

"We haven't done too bad with our kids, have we?" she whispered; her voice wavering slightly.

"No, but we're only half way there remember. We still have the twins to get through puberty, which is probably going to be a nightmare if you think about how they're behaving now."

"They'll be fine," she replies with a wicked grin. "We'll just threaten to send them to Eton if they misbehave, like we did with Richard."

I chuckle at that comment, remembering the look of horror on Richard's face when I said it to him one day when he was about eleven and thought he knew it all. It did the trick though, and we didn't have any more trouble from him from then on. Little did he know that there was no way I would send any of my children to a boarding school, especially to one that indoctrinated their pupils to think they were somehow superior to the rest of the population; well they did when I was there. Hopefully the school's ethos has changed by now but somehow I doubt it. Admittedly Richard did go to a private school rather than a state school, but he came home every night to be with his family and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

The party starts to wind down at about four o'clock and after we've said goodbye to all our guests, Bella and I make our way home to our house in north London on our own. The twins are going to Haslemere to spend a few days with their grandparents and Richard and Sophia are hitting the West End to celebrate with their respective partners and other friends. It's still reasonably light, so I suggest taking the dog for a walk before it gets too dark and cold. We get changed into our jeans and warm sweaters and head out for our favourite walk, which is around the perimeter of London Zoo then up to the top of Primrose Hill, which is where I put a ring on Bella's finger almost twenty-five years ago.

It's a cool evening so Bella huddles up close to me when we reach the grassy summit, where we stop and turn around so we can admire the cityscape from one of the highest and best vantage points in London. The sun has already disappeared below the horizon, but even though the sky hasn't been blessed by a glorious sunset this evening, the view over London from this high up is still spectacular. Lights have just started to come on in all the tall office buildings dotted across the city, including the iconic Post Officer Tower in the foreground which dominates the skyline, dwarfing everything around it. As the lights in the buildings are turned on one by one, it looks as though the grey skies over London are showering the city with fairy dust.

"London is beautiful from up here, isn't it?" Bella sighs.

"Yes, it is," I agree. "There's the whole city laid out in front of us and it's incredible to know there are millions of people down there, just living their lives, going about their business like we do every day. Do you reckon there are any other couples out there that are as happy as we are though?"

"Of course there are," Bella giggles. "There's Jasper and Alice for one, and Emmett and Rosie if they're still in town, and my mum and dad who've been married for forty-six years now."

"You're right as usual," I sigh. "I just can't imagine anyone being as happy as we are. We've had a good life so far, even though we shouldn't have actually got together in the first place according to you. Can you remember that you didn't think you were good enough for me?"

"I still think that sometimes, Edward. I honestly don't know what I did in my previous lives to deserve having you in this one. I was just a poor East End girl when you first saw me."

"And I was a sort-of rich, but definitely a privileged aristocrat."

"And I used to call you my Monday Man."

"And I used to call you my brown-haired, brown-eyed girl."

"And I was 'uneducated' allegedly."

"And I'd got a first at Cambridge."

"And I was a lowly typist."

"And I was a lofty lawyer."

"And I was a Mod."

"And I was a Rocker."

We both laughed then, as we would repeat this to one another quite often when we were reminiscing about how we got together; sometimes even in front of the children. It never got old.

"What an amazing time we had," I mused as I pulled Bella into my arms again. "I was saying to Jasper earlier, our kids don't know what they're missing. We were really lucky to be at the start of everything, weren't we?"

I can feel Bella nodding her head in agreement but we both remain silent as we recall 1964 and remember the good times we had, and also the scary times which had brought us closer together.

I turn Bella's smiling face up to mine and stare into her Columbian coffee eyes that are still as beautiful as the first day I saw them clearly, even though they're now surrounded by fine lines that betray the fact that she isn't eighteen any more. But her love for me is still there as clear as it has ever been, and I kiss her tenderly on the lips as I bury my fingers in her hair, which is as long and lush as it was on that memorable day twenty-five years ago.

"I love you Bella Swan, more than you'll ever know."

"And I love you, Edward Cullen, until my last breath…..which won't be far away if I don't get home soon. I'm freezing.

I chuckle as I wrap my arms around her and squeeze her tightly to warm her up then start looking around for our elderly, overweight Labrador who has disappeared somewhere. I know he won't be far away so I put my fingers to my mouth and let out a loud whistle knowing he'll eventually appear and reluctantly follow us down the winding path to the road at the foot of the hill where he'll allow me to put his lead back on.

As we wander down the grassy slope in the darkening twilight, the London cityscape slowly disappears behind the bank of tall trees that screen the perimeter of the Zoo and the magical fairyland that is London is finally hidden from view. Bella puts her arm around my waist and I sling my arm lazily across her shoulders as she snuggles up close to me, as though we're just a couple of love-sick teenagers out on date.

When we reach the bottom of the hill, our stupid dog still hasn't appeared so we stop walking and turn around to look for him but this time I don't whistle, but shout his name loudly up the hill.

ACE ...

ACE ...

Where the hell are you...ACE!

The End

I do hope you enjoyed hearing how Edward and Bella's lives turned out, as well as their family and friends as well. I've really enjoyed getting to know these characters too, and it's always sad for me when I have to say goodbye.

As I said in my introduction to the story, the 1960's were an amazing time to grow up in. It was tough in many respects as we didn't have all the modern conveniences we have now, but it was really exciting. So much change was happening at once, and life was definitely improving for ordinary working people in Britain, especially young people who were looking forward with a certain amount of confidence to growing up without the threat of war hanging over them for the first time in a few generations.

A number of historians have suggested that it was a 'tribal instinct' manifesting itself because of the lack of having a named 'enemy' to focus on, which was partially the reason why young people formed themselves into gangs, and why the opposing cultures of Mods and Rockers started up almost immediately after National Service ended. I don't know if this is true, but it's an interesting concept.

Thank you so much to everyone who has followed this story. If you've reviewed and given me feedback, I've really enjoyed reading your own or your parents' memories, your comments, thoughts and guesses. It really is the best thing about Fanfiction. We're all amateurs, so hearing what you guys think makes us better writers, so thank you again if you took the time to review. At lot of you have written to say you enjoyed the FYI's as well. I had great fun researching this story, so I wanted to share with you what I'd learned too.

So, to end...

FYI

Edward has been made a Life Peer, which means that his title, which he can choose himself but must be a village, town or city in the UK, (in this case Clayton), will die with him and will not be passed on to his son. When Carlisle dies, Edward will become a Viscount as well, which means his robes will have two-and-a-half bars on the front, and then he will also be known as Viscount (Lord) Moray. If Bella does become a Baroness in the future and have her own seat in the Lords, she would be known as Baroness Cullen of ... (somewhere close to her heart). I would guess it would be Poplar.

Also, the wife of a Sir or a Lord can take the title of 'Lady'. However even in these days of equality for all, the husband of a Dame or a Baroness (the female equivalent of Sir or a Lord), cannot call himself Sir or a Lord. He would carry on being 'Mr'. (Are you following me here?). This seems a little unfair don't you think?

The MBE (Member of the most excellent Order of the British Empire) is a gallantry award given to people from the British 'Empire' or 'Commonwealth' for excellence in their chosen field (military or civilian) or for charity work. After that is the OBE (Officer of the most excellent Order of the British Empire), which is the next step up. Then there's the CBE (Commander of the most excellent Order of the British Empire) which means you're on the way to being made a Sir or a Dame. You can jump from zero to Sir/Dame without going through all the other medals though.

If you ever visit London, do take a trip to Camden and Primrose Hill. It is one of my favourite parts of the city and well worth a visit. There are pictures of the view from the top of the hill on the internet. Another good view is from the Greenwich Observatory, which I think is slightly higher.

London is awesome!

Thank you again for reading this far, and for following my story about two young Londoners. I really hope you enjoyed it. Until the next time, happy Fanfiction reading.

Joan xx (aka Michaelmas54)

I meant to say, 'Zak' Starkey (Ringo Starr's son), is The Who's current drummer and probably one of the best drummers I've ever seen. Well done if you spotted him.