A/N: Hey all. So I've decided to split this chapter up into two. This is how the lives of the characters come full circle, and part 1 is just an insight into their minds. Thanks so much to Sassy for giving me the idea of splitting it up. It isn't always easy to decide on an ending, and I must admit that it is usually a massive struggle for me.

Thank you to everyone who kept following the story, and reviewed all the way. It really means a lot to me. If you have any requests for what you want to see happen in the epilogue (something you're itching to read about), tell me now, or forever hold your peace...

Hope you enjoy.

xxx

Disclaimer: Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 17 - Full circle Part 1:

Old Quil:

There was a point, not so long ago, that he thought those two kids, Bella and Embry, were not going to open their eyes to what was right in front of them, to save their love in time. Especially Embry.

Wisdom was something that only came with age, but for Old Quil, there had always been this sixth sense, if you will. An ability to see beyond what others could see. To read people better than others could. And thus, know more than others.

From the moment Bella Swan walked into his home and sat down in front of him, he knew without a shadow of a doubt whom she would choose. There was not a doubt in his mind, despite the reason for the curse setting in.

He'd had the opportunity to see Bella's life on both sides. See her fall in love and grow into a woman, with both Jake and Embry. And that was how he knew the choice she'd make, despite him playing devil's advocate. Her love for Embry was beyond compare. And though it was never a perfect love (what love ever was?), he could see the differences in the two relationships - Jake never stood a chance. The key to the situation was letting Bella realize this for herself. She needed to see what she'd be giving up if she didn't choose Embry. Needed to see what everyday would be like living with Jake, and that was why he had encouraged Bella to give her marriage to Jake a real chance.

The real obstacle, though, was Embry and his innate ability to try and please everyone around him. His determination to always do the right thing, despite what he wanted. And forgetting to take that into account, made Old Quil feel like a fool (something that, without meaning to boast, didn't happen very often). The boy had a second chance with Bella, after having given her up once before, to make Jacob happy. And now there was a good chance that he was going to do the same thing yet again. Despite the fire burning between Bella and Embry, the passion and the honest-to-god love they had for each other, he was still willing to set her free to be happy, regardless of his own feelings. Yes, it was selfless. It was the kind of qualities that every woman dreamed of in a man. But it was also tough to compete with.

This had been the main reason he had decided to give Embry a gentle shove in the right direction that day at Sam and Emily's house, after the blessing. In fact, he had to give Bella some encouragement too, because Embry's selflessness had turned things into a complicated mess. And Bella was giving up too easily, after Embry brought Elizabeth into the picture. She had decided for herself that she wasn't going to compete. Couldn't measure up to this woman. But it seemed when one lost faith, the other stepped up to the plate to fight for their love. They just never fought for what they wanted at the same time.

Leah:

If she had to think back on the times she's shared with her friends, family and loved ones, she got a little teary. Admittedly, the pregnancy hormones did play their part. But she also had a heart, despite what some may think. And seeing how far everyone had come, overwhelmed her.

First, there was Quil…

How the fuck could one person irritate you so much? He was the epitome of immaturity and stupidity and a long string of other words that she didn't want to get into. He made it his life's task to tease and taunt her beyond what she had thought she could handle. To grate unwaveringly on her last fucking nerve, with a smirk on his irritating face. All it took was for him to open his mouth, and she was ready to strangle him to a slow death. Or take a hammer to that smirk of his, and mangle his face so good, that he could never look at her again.

He had the worst sense of humor – crass and totally inappropriate. He wasn't funny at all. Or, at least, he wasn't funny in the beginning. And though really sexy and attractive, he wasn't quite her cup of tea. The package deal wasn't what she'd envisioned when she'd thought of the perfect man for her. Not at all.

She didn't remember exactly when it had been that she'd first started to realize her ability to tolerate his immaturity and juvenility, had improved exponentially. She was actually able to stand being in a room with him for longer than five minutes, without wanting to wrap a telephone cord around his neck and pull tight. And for some reason, he had started to look at her differently. There was a fire in his eyes every time she caught his gaze. A longing that made her stomach churn. It made her wary of his intentions when he looked at her the way he had, lately, and soon, he had started following her around like a lovesick puppy. Wherever she was, there he seemed to be too, and it took every ounce of her self-restraint not to chase him out the door.

It had taken her a while to figure out what the hell was going on, until Quil had asked her on a date. She had to admit that the guy had balls of steel, and obviously no sense of self-preservation. But even so, she had refused vehemently, over and over, until she couldn't stand his constant harassment anymore, finally just giving in so he'd see they weren't a good match. But, one date with him had quite the opposite effect to what she had anticipated.

It was strange to experience him as a gentleman (mostly) - sweet, polite and attentive. He listened to her without making inappropriate comments. Without making crass jokes. And, believe it or not, he had managed not to look at her tits for most of the night - a real accomplishment for a guy like him. He treated her the way any man was supposed to treat a woman he was in love with. He became somewhat easier to tolerate, and she found herself enjoying his company more and more. Until, one day, she realized out of the blue, that she was slowly falling in love with Quil Ateara. Shock of her fucking life! Naturally, she couldn't allow it to continue any further. The idea of Quil and her as a couple was simply too ridiculous to entertain, and she made sure to push him away as much as she could. Refused to be alone with him for even a second. Refused any more dates. Refused to give in to his charm.

It didn't work, though. The harder she resisted, the harder Quil tried to win her heart, and after a drunken night at Sam and Emily's, with her judgement severely impaired, she had left with Quil, ending up in his bed. For the rest of the weekend...

Not only had he taken her by surprise with his ability to be a gentleman, but he'd also surprised the hell out of her in the bedroom. She wasn't drunk enough to miss his skills - oh god, how long she had waited for a man who could wow her in the bedroom? Dominate her - And it happened to be him, of all people, who did just that. As terrible as it was to admit it, after that night (or weekend, to be more specific), she had known without a doubt that there was no turning back. She was done for. She was in love with Quil Ateara. Something she had never seen coming.

Finding out she was pregnant shocked the hell out of her. She'd never been the maternal type. Had never felt the need to reproduce. And Quil knew that pretty well. In fact, she'd made it clear to him on more than one occasion. Even after they had gotten married. So, seeing two pink lines on a pregnancy test after missing her period, should have been the worst thing imaginable. Should have made her freak out. But instead, it had made her cry - she had been surprisingly happy about it. But before she could even tell him about it, he had pointed it out to her. This move had landed him firmly in the doghouse, and more specifically, in the guest bedroom for three whole nights, since he should have known better. She was a difficult person at the best of times, but add pregnancy hormones to the mix, and you got yourself a viperous Leah Ateara, to put it mildly.

Forgiving him eventually, had been way too easy. Though the hormones made her testy and even more disagreeable, it also had the ability to make her softer than she cared to admit. She was looking at Quil with new eyes. He was the reason she was carrying a baby. His baby. And the sight of him so proud and excited about becoming a father, made her turn to mush. What had this man done to her? How had he managed to change her into some maternal, mushy creature?

Finding out that you're pregnant right alongside your best friend, was the best news Leah had ever received. Bella was pregnant too, and the prospect of going through this special time together, made it even more exciting. Their bellies would be growing together, they'd go shopping together, experience and compare movements. And they'd raise their firstborn's together to become best friends. It was something she hadn't thought would happen. Yes, she knew Bella and Embry were planning on having a baby, but she never figured she'd fall pregnant too. All because she had forgotten to take her pill for a week. Forgotten wasn't the right word, actually. She had been meaning to get to the clinic for her pills, but she'd been preoccupied and it had slipped her mind. It was yet another thing about her that had changed, because she'd never before been callous with her chosen method of contraception. In fact, she'd been down-right persnickety about it.

Setting Sue and Charlie up on a date was Bella's deviously brilliant idea. Leah didn't know why she never considered them as a couple? They've both been alone for a very long time, and they got along well. Though it was hard to think of someone replacing her dad, she couldn't think of anyone better than Charlie Swan. He was dependable, honorable, friendly and had a great deal of respect for her mother. He'd been there for Sue when her world had crumbled in on itself, never pushing her for a relationship. Never making a nuisance of himself. He'd simply offered friendship. Until Bella and she had taken it upon themselves to introduce Sue and Charlie to the idea of something more than friendship. They were good people, and deserved some happiness. Deserved a second chance at love.

And then there was Seth, her little brother. Though, he wasn't so little anymore. She missed him a lot these days. He had gotten himself accepted to Med School, with only a few months left before he'd start his Residency, and his presence in her life was meager lately. But she understood. She was so proud of him for chasing his dream, and actually succeeding. It couldn't have been easy to juggle his duties on the Reservation, and find the time to study. But he was doing an excellent job of it. All that was lacking in his life at the moment, was a woman, but Leah knew he'd have time for that later. He'd find himself a girl when the time was right, but getting his medical degree took priority, as it should. Here was a man with his head screwed on straight. A man who'd make some lucky woman very happy someday. And by god, she wasn't going to let any old tramp into Seth's life. She'd be there to ward off any unwanted females, in order to ensure her brother got himself a good woman.

Jake:

He had been in love with Bella Swan ever since he could remember. Probably since the first day they baked mud pies together. Tried his best to win over her heart, but never quite succeeded. As soon as she had laid eyes on Embry, it had been a done deal. She was head over heels for his best friend, and by god, he wasn't going to try and come between those two, when they were obviously so happy together. What had surprised him, was that Embry, not romantically inclined at all, had fared so well in said department. And so, he guessed that the right person would do that to a guy. Change him to become an even better person than he already was. They made a beautiful couple - fit so well together. It became obvious to him that theirs was a forever kind of love, as time passed. Bella was it for Embry. Even a blind man could see it, and the fact that Embry was off the market now, left a lot of girls severely disappointed. But he, Jacob Black, would soon take advantage of that. He wasn't made of stone - had needs, just like everyone else - and for the time being, he'd welcome said girls into his arms, and more specifically, into his bed, to meet those needs. Perhaps one of them would even be his happily ever after.

Jake had to admit that it was hard not to be envious of what they had as the years went by. He was Alpha now, and still, there was no one for him. He'd honestly thought that the mighty leader of the pack would at least be more inclined to find love. And yet, apparently not. When did he get his chance at true love? When was it his turn?

Being Alpha kept him busy enough. He had to deal with a bunch of hooligans at the best of times, and he had the responsibility of keeping his people protected. He was proud to be the leader of the Quileutes, but he wanted somebody to share it with. Somebody to share his life with. A woman that filled his house with her laughter and love, by simply being there. Someone he could wake up to in the mornings.

His job as a mechanic was just another good thing in his life. He was doing what he always loved to do. And he'd made quite a success of his business. But what was the point of being a leader, and doing well for himself financially, if he had to come home to an empty house and a cold bed? Sure, he'd picked up a girl here or there, just to get rid of some tension, and to fool himself into thinking that he had someone in his bed for the night. That he wasn't alone. But when morning came, he always had to face reality.

There had been one girl that he'd thought he might hit it off with, but it was bad timing. Erin Nichols, a girl he'd briefly dated in high school. He had bumped into her by chance one night at a club in Port Angeles a few weeks ago, and they clicked instantly, all over again. She'd been in his school for a brief period of six months, because her father traveled a lot for work. She was used to moving around. Made sure she never got too tied down. Their relationship had been quite casual back then, but if she had stayed longer, he was sure things would have had the potential of becoming more serious. And then, of course, the time had come for her family to move on to the next city, and so, that's what she did - she moved on without looking back.

The night they'd spent together in his bed after coming home from the club, had been passion-filled, fierce and mind-blowing. After all this time, there was still something between them. A spark, an attraction, or maybe a craving. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew that, given a proper chance, they could make it something real. But, apparently, it seemed that she didn't feel the same, because when he woke the next morning, she was gone. Bed empty, no note. And he felt disappointed beyond belief. They hadn't even exchanged numbers. The only way to get hold of her was through Facebook, and he didn't want to appear too desperate. So, without much choice, he let it be just another meaningless one-night stand.

Charlie:

Life after Renée had been tough. Theirs had been a whirlwind romance. Fast and fiery, but the flame died out just as quickly. For Renée, at least. It had taken him very many years to get over her after she walked out of his life, and took his only daughter with her, only to send her over for holidays every other year or so.

Their fleeting marriage had started out as a mere summer romance, and to prevent Renée from leaving right after, Charlie had done the only thing he could think of. He got down on one knee and proposed marriage to the woman of his dreams. She had said yes, surprisingly, and he supposed that right there had been the problem. Renée loved to live in the moment, and was prone to making hasty decisions, like accepting said proposal. In all honesty, he knew in the back of his mind that she wasn't the type of woman who took kindly to being tied down for too long. Charlie was, to this day, a hundred percent sure that she had loved him back, and had wanted to marry him. He was even more sure that she hadn't, at the time, realized that saying yes wasn't the right thing for her. She embraced everything in life with open arms, but could never seem to follow through with much of anything. She was a free spirit, blowing from place to place with the wind. And as for her marriage working out with Phil, Charlie guessed that the travelling for his baseball was what kept things interesting for Renée. Her home was Jacksonville, but with Phil, she got to see all kinds of places, and essentially it prevented her from feeling like she was stuck.

It had taken him a long time to be truly happy for her, and an even longer time for him to be happy with himself and the life he lead.

He was grateful that he had his job to keep him occupied. And thanks to his bachelor's life allowing him to put as much of his energy into his work as he wanted, it had lead him to where he was now. Chief of Police.

The only other highlight in his life was his daughter. Bella had looked after him. Filled some of the roles that a wife would have. She cooked, cleaned and did laundry for him. Kept him company when he was home. But he had sometimes wondered if he'd expected too much of her, without giving anything back. She had never complained, and he supposed that's why he never tried to change their arrangement. But maybe it had been unfair to her. She had spent her whole life filling others' roles. She had been the grown-up in the house while Renée had chased high after high, interest after interest, never really settling on anything specific. And then he left her to take care of the chores at home like the selfish bastard he was, throwing himself into work.

It had been an adjustment for him when she moved in with Embry, but he'd decided that it was time for him to grow up and take control of his own life. Learn how to do things on his own. And for over two years, he'd been doing pretty okay. But he was lonely...

And then came the date night with Sue. He hadn't seen it coming. And if he had to admit it to himself, he'd always found Sue very attractive. But she had been his friend's wife. And that had been that. After Harry passed, it had never occurred to him to ask Sue out. She was dealing with the loss of a great man, great father and a great husband. And what kind of impression would it give if he had pursued her back then?

He had been surprised by how easy it was to have dinner with Sue, no awkwardness, except initially, when they'd both realized they'd been set up by the girls.

And every day since that date, since the dinner at Sue's place when he came to fix her stove (and did a mighty fine job of it - not that he was bragging), he woke up with a smile on his face and felt like he had a reason to get up in the morning again. He was falling in love at the ripe age of forty-nine, and it was the best feeling in the world.

Bella:

Trying to figure out if her life with Jacob had been a dream or a reality, was something Bella couldn't do. Being back with Embry was what she wanted with her whole heart. It was where she wanted to be, and some days when she thought back to things with Jake, she was sure it had been real. The memories were still so vivid, after so long. Dreams never stayed as clear, did it? But then there were days when she couldn't believe she was entertaining the idea that it had been real. Seeing everyone around her leading their lives, made her wonder if it had, in fact, been a dream, maybe even a warning to show Bella the consequences of what if's. But it didn't really matter anymore. She'd had a taste of both worlds, whether real or not. And even though she shouldn't have questioned what she had with Embry, she finally knew what she wanted. More importantly, she knew what she had. A good day with Jake had nothing on a normal day with Embry. Their life together was perfectly imperfect, just the way she liked it.

To say that she had felt betrayed by Embry for keeping the 'mark' a secret, was putting it mildly. Being kept out of the loop concerning something as important as this, was not acceptable. Even if Embry had had the best intentions and the best heart, there was something to be said for sitting down with your spouse to discuss a matter like this. Talk about it and come to a decision together. He had wanted to give her a choice to stay or leave, but how could it be considered a choice when she'd never been acknowledged in said decision? Suffice it to say, after eventually calling Embry out on it, she had gotten her say in the matter. She was now a marked woman - Embry's mate for life. So even if the curse really did exist, it wouldn't matter anymore. She was not at risk of going through that again. She wasn't going anywhere, ever again. This was where she wanted to be, and so, this was where she was going to stay.

Time waited for no one. She was already fifteen weeks pregnant, and would soon know the gender of their baby. Embry was convinced that their baby would be a boy, and she had to admit that she thought so too. Whenever she thought about their child, she imagined a chubby-cheeked boy who looked just like Embry. A boy they'd do their best to raise as a good man - like his father. A man with respect for others, bucket-loads of selflessness, and a heart that loved beyond limits.

When she thought back to Sam and Emily's boy being born (whether real or not), she remembered the look Embry had on his face when she held little Eli. That awestruck look. And she couldn't wait to see that same look on his face when she held their child for the first time. Couldn't wait to see him hold their child. There was a point in time where she'd thought they'd never get back to this. That Embry would be moving on with Elizabeth, and that she'd be the lucky one to carry his children.

Embry:

Proud couldn't even begin to describe how he was feeling. He had the best, most beautiful wife in the world, and she was carrying his child. As selfish as it may sound, he felt an immense surge of pride every time he heard the faint bump bump whenever Bella was near, or when he saw her belly growing steadily, day by day, because he'd been the reason for it. They had made a baby together, and honest to god, there was no greater feeling in this world. Boy or girl? Neither of them knew yet. He was sure it would be a boy, but in the end, it didn't matter, as long as it was a healthy baby. And yes, it sounded cliché. But it was the truth. He supposed even if you weren't a first time parent, you always worried about the baby. Would it be healthy? Was there a possibility of defects? Yes, it was a little unsettling to think about, and so he hoped and prayed that their first born would be as perfect as could be.

It had taken him some time to recover from the 'dream' he'd had, because honestly, to find out that your wife had slept with your best friend, left a bitter aftertaste. A churning in the pit of your stomach that threatened to make you physically ill. There was a certain sense of pride that came with knowing you were your wife's first, as terrible as it may sound. Pride in knowing you were her only. And to think that it now no longer applied, hurt a great deal. But the best way he could overcome it and move forward, was to keep telling himself that, even if it were real, it had only been her mind that had crossed into that other life, not her body. And even then, it was hard to accept. But she had never given this body to Jake - the body that had been his, and only his. And to be honest, he couldn't hold a grudge. He hadn't been in Bella's shoes. He had no idea what she had to go through with Jake. And for some reason, it made it easier to accept if he thought about it like this. What mattered most, at the end of the day, was that she had fought tooth and nail to be with him, instead of with Jake. She made her presence in his alternate life known, so much so, that he'd gone from a sound bachelor, to a one-woman man faster than you could say 'whipped'. He had been enthralled and captivated by her from the moment she'd set her foot at his door to find him seeing off one of his regulars. She had captured his attention just like the first day he'd seen her curse at the skies for a flat tyre. And very much like that day, he knew he was fucked. He knew he wanted her...and only her.

And he had her now. She was his. Love of his life. Wife. Marked mate. And soon-to-be mother of his child. His everything.

Looking back now, a few weeks later, he realized that it wasn't the paramount events that made him as happy as he was now. It was the mundane, everyday things. Run-of-the-mill life, if you could use that word where the supernatural was concerned. Days where you got up in the morning, went to work, came home, cooked together and sat down for a nice dinner, and cuddled in front of the television afterward. Those were the things that determined if you were going to make it through the next fifty years of marriage. Not proposals, or sex or even marking your mate. Yes, those were the important things that helped you move on to the next, but the thrill of hearing your girlfriend say yes, or the solid, unyielding feeling of 'you're mine now', wasn't going to be there every day. Daily life and marriage was a string of normal events that got you from one day to the next, and from one year to five years, and so on. So, if those days weren't enough to keep you satisfied - keep you interested - then what was there? The times where the small things in life were enough to keep you happy and content, were the times that counted most. And it just so happened that these small things were, in fact, the best parts to his day. These were the things that made him smile and say, I love my life and I wouldn't give this up for anything.

A/N: This isn't the end yet. One more chapter to go, where we get to see them a few years later.