Epilogue

Four years later

I'm trapped, locked behind the glass of my stasis pod, only this time, I'm upright, not lying down. My rapid, hot breaths leave a thick layer of condensation on the surface, making it nearly impossible to see what's happening.

I look up, then down, my hands pushing in all directions, trying to find my way out of the confining pod. Dull thuds echo in my ears as I thump on the glass.

"Let me out!" The more I scream, the foggier the glass becomes. I wipe furiously at it, trying to see what's going on outside my own private prison.

When I've finally exhausted myself, my throat raw from screaming, I close my eyes and rest my forehead against the cool glass. As my breathing slows and my heart begins to calm, other sounds make themselves known.

Screams and thumps, though not as loud as my own were, sound all around me. The light grows brighter outside my pod, and things begin to come into focus.

The room is full of stasis pods, each one holding someone I love. Familiar faces look back at me, their cries muffled behind glass. My parents, my friends, my extended family, they're all trapped with no way out. When my eyes focus on the two pods directly across from mine, my breathing picks up, and my heart begins to race all over again.

Edward and Ben are trapped inside pods, both trying to claw their way out. They're not the healthy, happy people I recognize, but the emaciated, wounded Edward and Ben we brought back from Volterra.

Strangers mill around the room; doctors, soldiers, guards, and even beings with human features but who are inhuman in their beauty, beings I recognize as Aeonians, all converse about what to do with us all. But when a woman, slight, blonde, and bloodied, steps toward Edward's pod, I let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"Hey, baby, it's okay. Shh. It was just a nightmare."

Edward's arms are wrapped around me, trying to calm me as he holds me to him. Unbidden tears leak from my eyes and onto his bare chest, and I curl into him.

"It's been a while since you've had one of those," he says softly as he rubs a comforting hand up and down my back.

"Yeah," I whisper. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Nothing to be sorry for."

The climate control system engages and cool air is forced through the vents, cooling my heated skin. My heart begins to slow, and the uneasy feeling running through me when I woke starts to dissipate. It's replaced with need; need to be close to Edward, to reassure myself he's really here, alive and healthy.

And as he does every time this happens, he knows.

I tilt my head, just enough to bring my lips to his, and no further words are necessary. The need, the want, the urgency I feel every time I have one of these nightmares is overwhelming, and he already knows what I need from him.

He takes over, his tongue dancing with mine, our lips molded together, but with his leading us. His hold on me shifts, moving me until I'm under him, surrounded by him.

It's everything I need to be reminded of the life we now have.

His kiss is unrelenting, and when he finally pulls away, I'm left panting. His lips never leave me, only shifting to my neck as his hands work at removing what few clothes I'm wearing. I push at the waistband of his sleep pants until I can no longer reach, then use my feet to push them the rest of the way down. When we're both bare, we waste no time closing the space between us. His arms cage me in as he settles between my thighs, and I wrap my legs around him and pull him closer.

There's no preamble, no questions or reassurances asked for or given, just absolute trust in one another. It's taken us a long time to get back to this, to get back to being able to just be together this way. So many frustrations and tears in the months following his return home, but it's now all a painful but distant memory, the ghost of which is only brought back when my nightmares haunt me.

I use my legs to pull him closer still, him pushing into me as I cling to him. Our pace is slow, steady, almost languid as he moves, my hips meeting his with every thrust. With one hand in his hair and the other around his waist, I hold him impossibly closer. I can't tell where I end and he begins. We truly are one.

It's in moments like this when I say a silent thank you to the universe for bringing him back to me.

"Oh, come on, Ed! I know people can be accepted into the training program at my age when there are special circumstances," Ben argues.

My husband heaves a heavy sigh as he puts aside the report he's working on. "And what kind of special circumstances does a kid like you have?"

He counts off his points on his fingers. "One, I'm at the top of my class. Two, I've been volunteering in Charlie's office, so I've got his endorsement. Three, I can bench twice my own weight and run circles around you! And I'm not a kid anymore!"

"I know all of that, Ben. But a few other kids your age have some of the same special circumstances, so I'm not sure how special they really are. And besides, we've already talked about this. You're waiting until you're eighteen to sign up, just two more years, and that's final."

Their stare-off continues until Ben finally relents in an angry growl. "Fine! I'll just go back to playing with toys and drawing pictures until you decide I'm grown up enough to handle training," he yells as he stomps down the short hall to his room.

I come up behind Edward and wrap my arms around his neck. "Well that could've gone better." I kiss the spot just behind his ear as he huffs a breath.

"He's just in such a hurry to grow up." He spins his chair to face me. "Why does he make things so hard?"

I smile wryly. "Because he's finally a typical teenager."

"Typical," he scoffs, looking down and shaking his head. His eyes meet mine. "Can't he just enjoy being a kid for a little while longer? He missed out on so much. I just wish he wasn't in such a rush to grow up."

I sigh as I make myself comfortable, sitting on his lap and pulling his arms around me. "Yes," I say carefully, knowing this is a touchy subject. "But we can't hold him back, either. If he feels ready to leave his childhood behind, there isn't much we can do about it, Edward. All we can do is help him make the right choices and be there to support him when he makes them."

He rests his forehead against mine, closing his eyes. "How did you get so smart?"

"Not sure if I'd call it smart, but I've got excellent survival instincts," I say with a giggle. "And that's my best guess at how to survive the next couple years with a teenager."

He huffs a laugh and looks up at me. "I'm just thankful we only have to endure the teen years once."

I smile and run my fingers through his hair, slightly gray at the temples, content with the decisions we made for our family.

Shortly after Edward was released from the hospital, back when we were taking it one day at a time in our relationship, we quickly learned how much Ben had come to need and depend on the man who was my fiancé at the time. Even after visiting with Jasper for weekly counseling sessions, he was despondent while in the care of any of the other Cullens. Only when he was with Edward did he really appear to be happy and at peace.

It didn't take long for us to decide to make him a permanent part of our small family. The same day we had our small wedding ceremony, we signed documents placing Ben in our care. We knew we were taking on a huge responsibility. A child with so many deep wounds, such a painful past, would need our complete focus. It was for that reason we decided Ben would be the only child for us.

And with the state of our world being what it is, it's a choice we've never regretted.

Cordia is a shell of the planet it once was, its governing bodies culled of their corruption. The Federation has leveled sanctions against them for their part in the abduction and abuse of thousands of people on Volterra. But unfortunately, that's meant the people of Cordia have suffered.

When the Cordian government was left in shambles, systems that once saw to the well-being of the planet were no longer in place. The Federation focused solely on bringing those responsible to justice, while its people and interim leaders scrambled to establish infrastructure and support.

It's taken time, but they're slowly improving. The Coalition has stepped up to join the Federation in caring for them. Liaison committees have been set up and an interim counsel appointed to try and get it back to what it once was; a peaceful and prosperous planet. All of which means Aurora is in a constant state of change.

New people arrive and trained crews leave regularly, either to help on Cordia or guard the base on Volterra. My job is to help new arrivals acclimate to life on Aurora, help them physically adjust and decide what to do next. There's also a select group who have been chosen to mediate with the Aeonians.

My father was right when he said it would take years to barter some kind of resolution with them. Four years later, we're only now reaching the point where a permanent treaty might be signed.

And the man seated beneath me is one of the men on the Ambassadors' council, and he wears his new title proudly. His unique position as both a Commander and a former prisoner on Volterra make him perfect for the job. He works alongside my father, General Garrett, and a few others. Even his father was chosen to go to the planet to mediate some of the meetings regarding their use of Thanium to extend lifespans. Carlisle is back in the role of a medical Ambassador, and his input in the negotiations has been invaluable.

And looking down at the report Edward's laid aside, I know he'll soon be making another trip there.

"When do you—"

"I'm going to see my friends, if that's acceptable." Ben's sudden appearance and curt tone is enough to end my inquiry.

Edward taps my behind, silently asking me to get off his lap. "First of all, lose the attitude," he says as I stand. "And that's fine, but please be home by twenty-one hundred."

"But—"

"It's a school night, Ben." Edward's tone leaves no room for argument. "And I could just as easily tell you no."

Ben nods and lowers his head, just slightly. "Sorry," he mumbles.

"Look, I understand you're upset, but acting that way just shows me how not ready you are to enter the training program." He sighs, and I know this is just as hard on him as it is on Ben.

"You're right. And I'm sorry for being a pain in the ass."

I can tell it's taking a lot for him to fight his grin, but thankfully, Edward holds it back and lets him off the hook. "Now get out of here before I change my mind."

"Thanks, Ed!" he says as he bolts for the door.

"Tell Angela we said hello!" I yell, chuckling as he heads through the door.

He yells back as he goes. "I will."

"So, when do you leave?" I finally ask as I sit on the edge of his desk, pointing to the papers on top of it.

"Not for another week."

"And this is the big one? The one where the final draft of the treaty will be drawn up?"

"It is, and I really need to study this report. But"—he leans forward in his chair—"this is the first time we've been alone in the middle of the afternoon for weeks." His fingertips trail a blazing path up my clothing-covered thigh, and the warmth of his touch reaches my skin, even through the fabric.

"Oh really? And just what do you propose we do with our alone time?" I lean back, supporting myself on my spread hands on the desktop, failing miserably at playing coy.

He rises from his chair and looms over me. He leans in and his lips skim my neck as he speaks against my throat, close but not quite touching. "I can think of a thing or two."

He knows how to push my buttons, how to make my blood heat and my skin tingle. My pulse races as he lightly kisses behind my ear, nips at the soft flesh of my neck, all while his nimble fingers work at the buttons of my shirt. His lips have made it to the dip at the base of my throat as his hands push open my shirt, nudging it over and past my shoulders until I have to lift my hands off the desk for him to completely remove it.

My fingers go to his hair, pulling him closer once I'm rid of half my clothing. "Do you expect to seduce me right here in the middle of the room?" I whisper against his lips, grinning.

"And so what if I do?" He smiles as I kiss him.

"If you do, we just might embarrass our son to death if he walks in on us again."

He chuckles as he buries his face in the space where my shoulder and neck meet. "One time, Bella. It happened one time!"

"One time too many."

"Well, he should learn to knock when our bedroom door is closed," he says and pulls away, but only slightly, looking me square in the eyes. "Then he wouldn't have gotten an eyeful of my ass."

"And what a cute ass it is," I tease. "But really, Edward, maybe your desk in the middle of our sitting room isn't the best place to get naked." Try as I might, I can't say it with a straight face. My smile quickly morphs into giggles when he cracks a grin, and I squeal out in surprise when he suddenly picks me up off his desk.

"Then we take this to our bedroom."

I laugh as he carries me, my legs wrapped around him as he kisses all over my exposed torso, his own laughter rumbling in his chest.

We make it to our room and he closes the door, making a production of showing me he's locked it, before we tumble into the bed.

He attacks me with kisses, some sweet, some silly, all while I laugh at his antics. The light that shines in his eyes when he pulls away to look at me calms my giggles, but my smile stays.

"I love you," I whisper.

He places a lingering kiss on my lips, the lightheartedness of just a moment ago now replaced with warmth and complete and utter contentment.

"Forever."

A/N: Well, that's a wrap! Thank you all for reading and for sticking with me through this one. I know there were some uncomfortable moments, and some of you had to skip some bits, but I hope you enjoyed it. I apologize for being such an utter fail at replying to reviews this time around, but please know I have appreciated each and every one of them. I will do my best to go back and, at the very least, answer questions any of you had.

Big thank yous go out to SunflowerFran, Fyrebyrd, 2brown-eyes, and Honeymoon Edward for working on this with me, and also to everyone involved with the Babies at the Border fundraiser. I'm so happy I was able to be a part of it. I hope everyone will continue to monitor the ongoing crisis of family separation still ongoing at the US border. To me, I think no matter which side of the aisle you agree with, we can all agree that children should not be separated from their families.

I'm excited about my next project. I want to have a few more chapters in the bank before I begin posting, but be on the lookout for the expansion of one of my Age of Edward 2017 entries, Dominion. If you don't want to miss it, be sure to follow me here or come join my Facebook group, Sunshine Fics for pics and teasers!

Lots of love

~Sunshine