Chapter 49 - Finalisation

It feels strange bumping along the once familiar driveway to my old house, with Carlisle in the front seat beside me. It's been six months since Momma died and I was last out here, and at the time I'd thought it might be the last time I'd ever see the place. But when Carlisle asked if I'd go out there with him this weekend so he could show me something, I'd been curious enough to agree.

At first I almost think he's brought me to the wrong place. It's still the same house, still run down and kind of dilapidated, but someone's cleaned it up and the difference is staggering. It's been power-washed it so that even thought the paint is still peeling the house itself looks brighter. All the junked cars and trash have been removed from the yard and the fresh spring growth of grass has been cut neat, the gravel driveway graded so it's not covered in weeds.

As Carlisle draws to a stop in front of the porch steps I step slowly out of the car, staring at the house in front of me. Glancing past the house I notice that enough of the undergrowth has been cleared that I can see glimpses of the river at the bottom of the slope.

"What do you think?" Carlisle asks, standing beside me.

"Did you do this?" I ask.

He laughs. "Not personally. We had an industrial cleaning crew go through and decontaminate the house, and we thought we might as well sort the yard out too. Makes a difference, doesn't it?"

"It sure does…why are we here?"

"Well, when your mom died the house passed to you and Alice. The lawyer has sorted out most of her estate and we're going to have to make some decisions about what you want to do with it. I thought we should come out and take a look first."

Walking through the empty house feels like a dream. Even carpets and curtains have been stripped out, and our footsteps echo on the hardwood floors as we move from room to room. I see the marks on the kitchen doorframe where my Grandma measured my growth, and Momma's before me, and find the place in my bedroom where I wrote my name and drew a robot on the wall when I was a little kid. Carlisle laughs, and then we sit together on the back porch steps, looking across the meadow of grass down to the river, shielding our eyes against the slanting afternoon sun.

"Did you know your great-grandfather built this house?" Carlisle asks.

I shake my head. "No…I knew my grandma grew up in it, but I didn't know that her family built it."

"We looked into the county land records. It's been in your family for a while." Carlisle is quiet for a while. "You've got a few options with it now."

"I thought it would have to be sold," I say.

"That's one option, but it's not the only one. If you want the house for yourself, then we can do that too." Carlisle gives me a quick glance. "I know that your life in this house wasn't always a happy one, and it would be understandable if you wanted to just move on and not look back. But I also know how much you loved your grandmother, and you've also spoken fondly of growing up here with her."

"So I could keep this house? I thought we had to sell it to pay off Momma's debts."

"It's complicated, but basically if you want the house I can make it happen. Even if you just want the possibility of living here one day, we can rent the house out for enough to cover taxes and repay your mom's debts for now. Keeping it wouldn't be a terrible investment anyway. Cosmetically the house is a little rough, but structurally it's in good shape. The land is close to town and on the river, and with housing development moving out this way it's probably going to increase in value so you would make something from selling it in the future." Carlisle shrugs. "If you don't want it, we'll sell it and the money will go into trust for you and Alice."

"What about Alice if I want to keep it?" I ask.

"I don't think Alice is ever going to have any sentimental attachment to this house," Carlisle says slowly. "I don't foresee a situation where you both want to live here. Of course she is entitled to half the value of it, and if you took it over yourself in the future you would have to buy her out. But we can arrange that when we get to it."

I stare at the glitter of sunlight reflecting off the water. "I don't know what I think."

Carlisle nods. "I know I'm just springing this on you. I don't want you to feel pressured either way – there are pros and cons to both keep and selling the house, and there's no right or wrong choice. But I think you're old enough that I should at least ask your opinion on it before settling your mom's estate."

Six months ago when Momma died I wanted to burn the place to the ground. But sitting here in the sun, watching the grass shift in the breeze and thinking about being a kid here, I can't help feeling differently. It wasn't all bad. There was the river, and building playhouses in the grove of trees with discarded pallets and sheets of tin, and growing potatoes with my grandma. There was the porch swing and climbing trees and watching baby Alice learn to walk in the grass. There was my grandma, and my Momma when she was good. Now, sitting here with this man who wants to be my father feels peaceful, and I like it. I try and imagine being here as an adult, on my own or maybe even with Rosalie, painting the siding and replanting my grandma's garden, maybe one day with my own little kid…

"I'll think about it," I say to Carlisle at last.

I fasten the last buttons on my shirt and then tuck it in, making a face at how much tighter the pants of my suit feel than they did when I bought them six months ago for Momma's funeral. I'm not fat, but damn if I'm not still getting bigger. Just last week Esme complained that the food budget has practically doubled since I turned up on the doorstep, and during pre-season baseball training I've somehow managed to lay down a bunch of muscle.

I grab my jacket and tie off the hanger and go out to the kitchen. Carlisle is already dressed in his suit and doing the newspaper crossword at the table, and he looks up at me with a smile. "All ready?"

"Can you do this up?" I hold out the tie.

"I'll show you how," he says, unthreading his own tie and guiding me into the piano room so that we're standing side by side, facing into the mirror above the fireplace. "Do what I do…wide end over the small end to the left, then up into the neck loop from underneath…that's it, now down to the left…"

My fingers feel clumsy and uncertain, but I copy his movements in the mirror and just like that I've tied my first tie into a neat knot. It still feels like a noose around my neck, but at least it looks good. "Hey look, I did it. Thanks."

Carlisle's eyes meet mine in the mirror, and he smiles. "It's a father's job, I guess."

I laugh, feeling the most ridiculous balloon of happiness swelling in my chest. "Well we are making that official today."

"Finally!" Carlisle says. "I feel like I've worn my fingers down to stumps signing all that paperwork." He gives me a friendly grin. "It'll be great to have the adoption finalised so we can just feel like a family, without all the lawyers and social workers being involved."

I heartily agree with that. Mara is a pretty cool person and I know she's worked really hard to get Alice and I settled ever since our case file crossed her desk, but I hate the constant scrutiny and judgement of my life.

A sudden flash of light makes me jump, and I turn to find Rosalie's mum, Lily, in the doorway with her camera. "Should be a nice shot, the two of you in the mirror doing your ties," she says to Carlisle. "Esme and Alice are all ready, so if you want to come outside I'll do some family shots out there."

"Yes, great," Carlisle says. "Emmett, will you go and get Edward?"

I roll my eyes. "Was this really necessary? Adoption paparazzi?" I grin at Lily. "No offence meant, of course!"

"None taken," Lily says cheerfully. "And Esme wanted photos, so if you wouldn't mind putting a smile on that handsome face and showing me some dimples, that would be great!" She takes another snap as I laugh.

The truth is, I don't really mind. Finalising the adoption today is something we've been looking forward to for months, and it should be celebrated and commemorated. Looking at Esme and Carlisle and Edward and knowing that after today I'll really belong with them and they'll belong with me…well, that makes it easy to smile. Even for Lily and her obnoxious camera.

"Emmett!" As I go out into the yard Alice twirls in front of me. Her dress, a pink thing with layers of skirts that fly out around her as she spins, makes her look like she belongs in a wedding party. "Isn't my dress beautiful? And do you like how Esme did my hair so fancy?"

I swoop her up in my arms. "You look gorgeous…so pretty I can hardly believe you're my Monkey-face!"

Alice hugs me tightly. "This is the best day. Nothing will stop it now, right? The judge won't say no?" she whispers.

I bump my forehead against hers and meet her eyes. "No way. Remember, today at the courthouse is just the final step; the judge has all the reports that say how good Carlisle and Esme are at being our mom and dad and they're just going to make sure that it's what you and I really want, and then sign it. Today makes it all real and then you'll be Alice Cullen and this will be our family forever. Nothing is going to stop it happening now."

"It's all just a formality today," Esme says, overhearing. "Everything has been approved and verified and witnessed and signed…today is about putting the final stamp on it, and celebrating my two newest babies." She wraps her arms as far as they'll go around Alice and I and hugs us, before stepping back and fanning her eyes, which I can see are shining. "Oh dear…I hope this waterproof mascara lives up to its reputation or I'm going to be an absolute mess!"

"Don't cry." Alice lurches out of my arms and towards Esme, who catches her deftly. "It's happy!"

"It's definitely a very happy day," Esme says, kissing Alice's forehead. "These are the very happiest of tears…but even happy crying might smudge my make up, so lets do these photos while everyone is all fresh and clean!"

Lily takes a bunch of photos in the yard, and follows us to the courthouse downtown and makes us pose for pictures there as well. Esme is going to have enough photos from today to fill a whole album.

Mara meets us at the door to family court and hugs everybody, even Edward. "I'm so happy for you guys!" she exclaims. "Seeing whole, happy families…this is the part of my job that I really love." She squeezes my hand, and I smile back at her.

It's not a happy ending without a tiny sting in it. This new family of mine is only possible because my old family fell apart, and even when this feels like winning for me I live with the knowledge that my momma never found her own happiness. But I can't let that bitterness poison this good thing that I have. This family…this is what I have now, and I will love it and cherish it for the rest of my life.

When our case is finally called we go into the courtroom and take our seats before the bench. It's pretty much what I expected, a lot of wood panelling and some official looking crests and flags for decoration, but for all I told Alice not to worry about it I can't help my fist from drifting up to my mouth and my teeth scraping across my knuckles. It doesn't help that I have to be officially sworn in alongside Carlisle and Esme either.

But the judge is smiling, and there's no complicated jargon or heated interrogations for this. Instead, he asks Carlisle and Esme some basic questions about their home and family, and what they do, and then asks them a few questions about Alice and I, and the process that's brought us to this point.

"And what about you, Emmett?" he says, turning his attention to me. "You're in favour of this adoption?"

I squirm. "Yeah…I want this."

Alice, evidently not in the least bit intimidated by the situation, has raised her hand like she's in school and is practically jumping up and down wanting attention. Amused, the judge nods at her.

"Well young lady, you seem to have something you want to say…do you agree with this adoption?"

"Yes!" Alice beams at him. "I really do. Because our old mom wasn't that good - actually she was pretty mean - but Carlisle and Esme are so nice and they do everything like they're supposed to….there's always lots of food and they make me eat vegetables, and they do my reading homework, and Esme came on the field trip, and they helped Emmett at school because he's got…I forget what it's called but he can't read that good…and Carlisle and Esme are so smart they can even do high school homework. And they make us do all the things like car seats and wear a bike helmet and clean my teeth which I never used to do so when they took me to the dentist I had to get six fillings but now I have to brush two times a day and soda is only for special occasions – like today - …and their house is so big and clean and we all even have our own rooms…well, not Esme and Carlisle because they like to share, so just me and Emmett and Edward…although sometimes I still sleep with Emmett if I get scared but mostly now I just sleep in my own bed with Catkin – that's our cat – because Esme helped me fix up my room so it's decorated with rainbows and unicorns and cats. And I think Edward should be my real brother like Emmett, because he teaches me to play the piano…he's really good and he actually wrote me a song for my birthday, which was so cool…and Esme and Carlisle are a really good mom and dad because they never yell, not even when Emmett drove the car into the garage door and made it so bent that it couldn't roll anymore…"

Even the judge is laughing as I reach over and clap my hand across Alice's mouth to stop her talking. "Monkey, a simple yes or no would have been enough!"

"I just wanted to say," she says indignantly.

"I completely understand, Alice," the judge says. "It sounds like you're very happy with your new family, and that Carlisle and Esme are doing an excellent job. In fact, I think the whole family wants to make this permanent…are you ready for that?"

"Yes!" Alice shouts, and even though I'm not as loud my agreement isn't any less heartfelt.

Yes. Yes, I want this. Yes, this is my family.

"Congratulations then Cullens, you're officially a family." The judge smiles at us all, and picks up his pen to sign the papers.

There's a confusing jumble of hugs and embraces then, and Esme's waterproof mascara is certainly put to the test as she cries over everyone. Lily takes photos of us all in various groupings, including some with the judge. He shakes everyone's hands and wishes us all luck, and then lets Alice bang his gavel to round things off and just like that it's done. We're legally a family.

We've invited everyone we know for a celebration party, and I'm highly amused when we get back home after court to find Rosalie and Jack decorating the house like the world's biggest baby shower. The place is dripping in pink and blue balloons, and giant 'It's a boy!' and 'It's a girl!' banners are strung up over a table laden with food.

"Congratulations Emmett Cullen," Rosalie murmurs, winding her arms around my neck.

I pull her closer and kiss her through my smile. "Thanks…I think it's going to take me a while to get used to that name though."

"I like it," Rosalie declares. "And it'll put you next to Edward in the year book…you'll look even better next to that geek," she adds in a louder voice, with a grin at Edward as he comes over.

He rolls his eyes at her. "Good to know you're always ready with the compliments Rosalie. And you," he pokes me in the arm. "Aren't you supposed to be defending your brother?"

"Hey, I'm not getting in the middle of this; you two can duke it out between yourselves," I say amiably. "And since you're now legally my brother and I can't get rid of you, and you are so beautiful I don't even want to think about living without you, you're both going to just have to learn to get along."

Laughing I reach out and drag Edward into the hug with Rosalie, and despite his look of horror he lets me, breaking out into laughter himself when I plant smacking kisses on both of their cheeks.

"See how easy it is?" I say. "Plenty of love to go around."

Love surrounds us. Rosalie's family, friends from school, Mara, Alice's teacher, people who work with Carlisle and Esme…they are all here because they love us and they wish us well on this new chapter of our lives. They want to celebrate this family that we've created from the broken pieces of what we had before, because that's something that deserves celebrating.

Before we eat, Carlisle gathers Alice into his arms and then has Edward and I stand beside he and Esme while he calls everyone's attention and asks for a toast. "Thank you all for coming today – it means a lot to have you all here to share in this special occasion. Esme and I feel as though we've been blessed beyond measure to have found Emmett and Alice, as well as Edward, and we can't believe how lucky we are that they've done us the honour of wanting to join our family. We love you all." His eyes meet mine, and this time Esme's not the only one with tears in their eyes. "So I'd ask you all to raise a glass to the good health and happiness of my beautiful family!"

Everyone cheers, and I turn and hug Carlisle, so that no one is going to see my face. Esme kisses my cheek and Edward presses in close on the other side, so I feel surrounded by all the people who are mine and for one shining moment of happiness it all feels perfect.

This is my family, this is my home…this is where my heart is.

A/N – The end! Thank you to everyone who has read and responded to– people have been so lovely and generous with their love and support of this story and I appreciate it so much! I love my little fictional babies, and I love knowing that people are taking them to heart and feeling emotionally connected to the story. So thank you to everyone who has ever taken the time to let me know that they are reading and enjoying!

I'm having a really hard time letting this one go, so there may be a sequel of sorts (I can't promise, but I'm trying) – so you can follow me to get an alert for that if you want. Otherwise, just thank you for reading and thank you for messaging and letting me ramble on even more!

EDIT - I have finished the sequel, so if you want to know how Emmett and everyone is doing a few years on go and check out Where The Heart Is Now. xoxox