And thus the epilogue, nothing special. Please enjoy and thanks for sticking with the story.
2014
"Edwin we are so going to miss it!"
"It's you're fault you had to stop and gawk at the soccer hi-lights!"
"Don't start with me and drive faster!!"
Arriving unto the scene Lizzie and Edwin came face to face with an anxiously waiting Nora, beside her a friendly smiling Emily and Sam. "Mom how are you? All is well?" The mother nods as she pulls her youngest daughter into a hug.
"George is downstairs getting some coffee." It was an answer to an unvoiced question.
"Anyone called Edna?" her questions were frantic, caught up in the moment.
"Done."
"Where's Derek?" the three females turn to the now fully grown up Edwin Venturi, his black shaggy hair hovering over his eyes, he gave a sheepish grin as he emerged his large hands into his slack pants, his lean form slouched under the exasperated feminine eyes.
"Oh…right."
"Sorry guys, he's slow on the uptake." Nora laughed lightly at Lizzie's excuse and examined her daughter; it had been awhile since she's seen her. Her brown thin hair was held up high into a tight pony tail, little curls falling into miscellaneous places, she had obviously went to the beauty salon recently.
Her attire was as could be expected, loose fitting, baggy, and comfortable. She wasn't very tall at all, but for what she lost in height she made up for in attitude that just sung of her prowess in sport.
"Where's Marti?"
"Someone called?" Giggling softly the thirteen year old went to hug her sister and brother before sitting down on a nearby seat near Sam and Emily. "Lizzie you should let your hair loose, no point in going to a salon and getting it done if you are going to hide it."
"Well excuse me Marti, but I was in a rush…" the younger girl chuckled.
"Yeah, in so much of a rush that you stopped to watch a soccer-"
"Not another peep Edwin."
"Yes Ma'am."
"I think it looks nice Lizzie." Emily smiled pleasantly and Lizzie couldn't resist giving a 'hah-hah in your face' look towards Marti.
"Why thank you Emily, you are looking especially radiant today…how are things with you two?" Sam fidgeted and Emily laughed before kissing his cheek sweetly.
"Alls well, little Sammy is at home resting with the baby sitter." Lizzie glowed and Edwin chocked in annoyance, taking refuge beside Sam as they steered away from baby talk.
"Awww, how old is he? Is he a good little boy, eating properly?"
"He is now 6 months and 2 weeks old, and haha, yes he has been eating properly…"
"Yeah except for when he throws it up on me…" Sam replied mournfully to which Edwin patted his back consolingly.
Emily waved him off and turned back to Lizzie about to continue speaking before George came flailing through the halls, not a moment too soon.
"Nora! Nora!" spinning around and just barely missing being hit by her husband George apologized before greeting his children.
"Where is my coffee…?"
"No time."
"Oooo Dad, one thing I learned is to never displease a woman." A hit to his side. "Point proven." Another.
"Edwin if you don't-"
"Lizzie you should stop hitting-"
"Lizzie loosen your hairrrrr…"
"Marti leave it alone-"
"Marti leave your sister alone"
"Em, don't get caught in this"
"Honestly dear, I think it looks nice pulled back"
"I like it when it's loose and all over my face…"
""EDWIN!""
"Eww…"
"Hehe…"
"Everyone be quiet!!!"
They all turn startled. George sighed, regaining his composure before looking back at the crowd before him, Nora, Lizzie, Edwin, Marti, Sam and Emily. It was one big happy family…an additional two now added.
"They had twins."
"Mrs. Venturi?" Placing the blue blanket, followed by a pink one in the sweaty, flushed woman's hands, the nurse regarded another attending with a clipboard.
"The children's names?"
Looking up at her husband she smiled, she was glorious to him, magnificent, even in her vulnerable, moody form. He touched her cheek tenderly before moving on to the babies' smooth skins belonging to the infants below him before making eye contact with his wife once more.
He was to decide the name if it was a boy. She if it was a girl.
"Mr. and Mrs. Venturi?"
"Callasandra."
"Talis."
The twin babies in the hands of their mother giggled when the names were decided, Derek bent down and gave a loving kiss to Casey then proceeded to kiss his baby girl and boy.
"Derek…" her voice was weak but it still had strength, such unbridled love and warmth. "They're real…they're ours…"
"I know baby, I know."
Turning from her beloved husband, looking at the gleeful faces of the doctors and nurses in the room, the excited faces of her family and friends shoving their way to try and look through the one glass window on the door to the room, Casey finally landed her sights on her bald, lively, beautiful set of twins.
It was real.
She smiled.
Fin
And thus the response to the fans:
SoulMatesDC: Must I force myself to come up with clever words to relay to you how vital you were in the continuation of this fanfic? You gave me motivation, the will to continue, the understanding that even the best of written works aren't always so noticed or praised as it should rightfully be done so. You always saw through the events of the chapters, the entirety of the story, read between the lines to know the true meaning, and I can't possibly tell you how much that meant to me hehe. :hugs forever:
Jannikajade: You are too cute Steph! Haha, really, you always rose my spirits with your appreciation of my fic, even going as far as to read this fic when your first interests was ASCD. You have become a wonderful friend and awesome reviewer. You know our HP plans and we shall surely go through with it :hugs:
Catdogg: Haha how cute you are, really thanks for sticking with my fic even when things got bad and sucky! It was really sweet of you to continue to like my fic!
RAWR-IKICKBUTT: darling darling darling, you have the weirdest way of writing reviews, thought id just tell ya, I wanna know how to make it go down like that! Maybe you just press enter all the time, I dunno, but I love ya! Your hyperactive reviews always got me pumped and ready to continue!
SballLuvr5: short and sweet, the description of your reviews, I always loved them and you were always faithful, thank you so much!
Bakaheartsanime: You funny, funny, amazingly sweet person! Your lengthy, hysterical appreciative reviews never failed to make me smile, I truly thank you for continuing to like my story and I only hope you continue to like my future works :hugs:
MHxxPAPER DOLL: Hehe hi darling! I am so happy you are better now, I really missed having you around, thanks for always reviewing and being so kind!
Ghostwriter: Catch ya on the flip side hun! Haha You rock! Thanks for always reviewing.
Freak1985: you darling! Thanks for reviewing my story and liking it and then going on to my HM story! So sweet of you:hugs hugs:
Jeytonlover: thankies so much for your kind review, I am glad that you loved it from beginning to end, it meant a lot to me hehe.
Sparrows Dragonfly: Oh darling your words are like magic, filling me wish such blush! Haha, I am so sorry also about If Only, guess everyone was really pissed with the ending eh? Don't worry hun, There shall be a one-shot squeal!
CasaundraDonald: Thanks for the praise hehe and I am glad you believed that I held Derek IC most of the time!
Iluvarticmonkeys: Hehe my darling obsessed friend, and fellow writer, Thanks for sticking with my story even though you are busy at times and unable to review!
FanofInulover: hehe you are so sweet, thanks for all your support, in everything!!
To SaMDR, missmiamya, jonasbrotherlover, Nunda, and all the one time and other reviewers, anonymous reviewers and to all those that read but don't review, thanks for at least reading or taking that one time to review and making me happy, you know simply that you appreciate my story means so much:hugs:
Whelp, that's it thanks to all and I hope you can all proceed to follow and read the sequel, Just Smile.