Epilogue

More Fine Carriages

The bells ring in the distance. I laugh as I realize just how cliché it really is. Jenna, donned in a powdery blue gown that she picked out herself, looks at me with a large smile. "Ready?"

I gulp; it's such a loaded question. Ready? I thought so. And I still think so, yet there's something about all of it that makes it final and almost scary.

It still boggles my mind that it's been over three years. I can't believe that something so ridiculous as running into someone else's car turned into all of this. But I'm not complaining. The whole experience has been anything but awful. In fact, it's been absolutely amazing.

But don't get me wrong. I've learned so much, not only about Jake, but about myself too. It's been far from perfect, and to be honest, that's all anyone can ever expect. Besides, perfection is boring. I sort of like our lovers' spats every now and again, as long as it's nothing too serious… which it really never is.

So how did this all happen? How is Adeline Marie West, stubborn critic of love and stark realist, clad in a white gown, with a bouquet of white roses in her hand?

Allow me to fill in the missing pieces.

Our second date at the cabin hadn't been what I was expecting. We got there, only to find the place completely locked up. Connie had given me a key, so I instantly assumed this wouldn't be a problem. However, the key didn't fit into the door.

"Do you think this is some sort of joke? You know, with someone hiding behind the bushes?" Jake asked, as I tried the key for the thousandth time. He had already told me to give up but I wouldn't. I had pictured the weekend in my head the whole week and I wasn't about to have it ruined by some measly key.

"Yes, Ashton's just behind that tree," I said rolling my eyes.

"You're going to break the key, you know."

I continued to be violent with it. "I hope I do. "

Then I stopped abruptly, too pissed off and tired to continue any longer. "I can't BELIEVE she gave me the wrong key!"

"Guess this means we should be off to the West household then," Jake smiled as he grabbed our bags that we had set down on the steps leading up to the front door.

I was NOT going back there. Not only would we have zero privacy, but my family would demand details, dates, and I was not in the mood to deal with anyone's squealing. I wanted to relax, not be cross examined by my relatives.

And quite suddenly an idea formed in my brain.

"That window is sticking open a bit… and I don't think there's a screen!" I said excitedly, looking up to the second floor, and already formulating the best route to get up there.

"Addie, no. How the hell do you expect to get up there without breaking your neck?"

"Just hoist me up onto that ledge and I'll climb onto that jutting thing, and pry the window open," I said, pointing to each structure as I referred to it. It really wasn't that bad at all, quite doable.

"No. Come on, let's just go to your house. It's not that big of a deal."

I gritted my teeth. So much for him being helpful. In fact, it almost seemed as though he wanted to go to my house. Foolish, foolish man.

"If you won't help me, I'll do it myself," I said as I tried to hoist myself up to the ledge. I failed the first time, while Jake watched me smugly.

"You're not going to be able to do it."

I huffed. "Watch me."

And sure enough, the second time I grabbed the ledge and pulled myself up, displaying a rather awesome amount of upper body strength. Jake was too surprised to say anything, as I began approaching the other edge. This was going to be the hard part; I was actually going to have to jump up, grab it, and pull myself up. Jake saw where I was going with this. "Addie…" he let out warningly, but I didn't let it stop me. I jumped, barely got a hold of the edge, and struggled for quite some time trying to get my legs on the ledge.

"Are you insane?" Jake shouted, clearly irritated and worried as I dangled, struggling. I ignored him and slowly and painfully lifted myself up. My arms seared with pain. I really needed to work out more. I finally got my feet on the ledge and slowly stood up, while Jake watched on, clearly nervous about the whole situation. Now the only problem was trying to get to the window. I stood on the tips of my toes, and pressed my fingers into the cracks of the frame, trying to pry it open. It didn't budge, so I tried harder. Two seconds later, a terrible, loud beeping noise resounded.

Jake busted out laughing, as I realized I had set off the alarm. And for some reason, I panicked.

"Get me down!" I screamed as he continued to laugh.

"I thought you could do it yourself?" He smirked up at me, crossing his arms.

"Not funny, Hudson."

"Actually, it is. I can't wait until the police get here."

I glared at him, but he never lost his smile.

"Glad I at least amuse you. You know, I was doing this to be nice to you. And this is what I get in return."

"Clearly this is a sign that nice just doesn't suit you."

"Gee thanks."

Twenty minutes later a police car rolled into the drive, lights flashing, which was a little humorous. With twenty minutes, real thieves would have been able to get away with half of the shit in the cabin. I was still on the ledge, too afraid to jump down and Jake was still refusing to help me. ("You need to learn your lesson" was his reasoning.)

I was fuming. He was just pissed that I hadn't need his help, and that I had done it even though he had told me not to. I was growing more irritated by the moment. Why did I like this guy again?

None other than Dawson Lucas stepped out of the car, and I groaned audibly. So much for my perfect night. It was slowly getting worse. I had known Dawson forever, seeing as he was Connie's cousin. He was two years older than me, but we were in a lot of the same classes in high school, mostly because I was in all of the advanced classes. He was one of those people who loved to have fun and got a kick out of everything. He had loved to tease me, and I had never really liked him all that much especially since he was best friends with Erin Warden in high school.

Dawson froze as he assessed the situation, and then he saw me and instantly smiled.

"West, what the hell are you doing up there?" he called, his smile huge.

"Sun bathing," I retorted, while Jake, who had lain down in the grass, sat up.

Dawson approached Jake with a smile. "You'll probably have to explain this to me, seeing as I doubt she will."

Jake gave all of the details while I did my best to ignore both of them and their comments about how stupid my idea had been.

"Well at least you won't be bored with her I guess," Dawson boomed loudly, clearly wanting me to hear. He climbed the steps, but stopped on the last one to lift up a potted plant that I hadn't even noticed before. Underneath it, there was a small silver key. I just about screamed.

He opened the door, and seemingly punched in the code, as the alarm soon stopped.

"My aunt and uncle figured it must have been an accident, but I don't think they know you are staying here. Leave it to Connie to forget to fill them in. Well, I'm off. You kids have fun."

He hopped into his cruiser gave a quick wave, and pulled out of the drive.

Before I could even say anything, Jake entered the house and disappeared. I was immediately outraged of course. What was he doing?

"Jake!" I screamed.

Not even seconds later, the window that I had been trying to break into was opened; Jake's once again smiling face peered out of it as he offered me his hands.

I smiled as he hoisted me up, and I all but fell into him as he pulled me into the room. I suddenly was very aware of him; his smell, his size, everything. He was so solid and tall, with me barely coming up to his shoulders. And before I could even think, his lips were on mine and he was pulling me into the hallway. I knew I should have been mad, knew that I should say something about him just leaving me up there for twenty minutes, but I didn't. I just let it go and kissed him back, which was so unlike me that I was left speechless. But for once in my life, I didn't care.

And that feeling applied to just about everything. I didn't care because I knew it was real. I could feel it. I didn't have to say love, because it was already there, had been there for a while before either of us had known it.

It was August, with the school year right around the corner. I was dreading my senior year mostly because I didn't know what it would all mean for me and Jake. We had gotten used to seeing each other quite a lot, since I was living at home while he was staying with Craig, a mere block away from me.

Earlier in the summer, it was easy, and although we bickered, it was really effortless. It just worked. But things changed and I feared they would only get worse after school started.

Jake wanted me to move in with him right after I graduated and I wasn't sure if I would want to when the time came around, which pissed him off. It irritated me that we were even talking about it already… it was more than a year away. But that's the really bizarre thing about Jake; he actually likes planning ahead. I don't really get it. We proceeded to get into a huge fight about it, which we never really settled. Yes, I loved him (but I hadn't told him that). Still, I didn't feel like moving in together was such a great idea. I wanted to travel a bit before settling in one place. I didn't want to go to Cambridge with him. I wanted to find my own way. He didn't understand, and took it to mean that I didn't want to be with him. He refused to answer my calls. Meanwhile I was fuming about his inability to understand what I wanted.

It was on the night of August 19th, three days after our fight, that I decided I was no longer going just sit around. Not talking was just unacceptable.

I made a huge decision that night as I made my way over to Craig's place. We had been dating a solid three months, I was 22, and I was in love with him. There was no way I could be more ready than that. I wanted him. But more than that, I needed him. I knew it wasn't the best way to end a fight, but going three days without him made me realize just how important he really was to me.

Craig and Jenna were out, so I took the chance to surprise Jake with take-out from Noodles and Company and his favorite Bond movie.

I didn't ring the doorbell, but let myself in, and screamed up the stairs.

"Jake?"

I heard some shuffling, coming from the living room, and so immediately headed in that direction. When I entered, I saw an unshaven, rather rumpled looking version of my boyfriend wearing a weird expression… one that almost resembled guilt. I looked around and felt my stomach drop. Was someone here with him? There were no signs of the presence of anyone else but suddenly I felt nauseous. Was he getting it somewhere else? We had never had sex, but we did do other things and I had always assumed that he was satisfied. As stupid as this probably sounds, the thought of him cheating never crossed my mind before. Now as it did, I was almost paralyzed with fear. I had always assumed we were on the same page, seeing as he was the one who was first into me. Was I wrong when I thought he loved me just as much as I loved him? I hated feeling so insecure.

"Hey," he said softly, looking a little insecure himself as he rubbed a hand over his jaw.

"I brought you noodles," I said holding up the bag in a peace offering.

He gave a strained smile as his eyes darted nervously to his desk. I followed his gaze, wondering why he was so uptight.

And there it was, sitting there so peacefully; a little blue box… a box that looked suspiciously like it was the perfect size for holding a ring. I felt the bile rising from my stomach, as my strength seemed to drain from me. I snapped my head back to his face as quickly as humanly possible, trying to make it seem as though I hadn't noticed it. That wasn't what I thought it was. There was no way. It had only been three months. What was he thinking?

I thought it was mildly funny at how my thoughts did a complete 180. A minute ago, I was sure he was cheating on me and now, I was wondering if he was going to propose. Not liking either option, I decided to get the reason why I came here out in the open. I crossed the room to where he was standing and rather aggressively reached up and brought his lips down to mine. It was sort of an angry kiss, much more rough than the ones that we normally shared, but I wanted to get my meaning across.

He broke away, looked down at me and groaned. "What are you trying to do to me?" His voice was pleading, as though I was torturing him.

"I'm trying to seduce you."

He smiled, the previous strain gone, as he shook his head in apparent wonderment.

"I love you."

I hadn't thought about saying it. It just came out. I had said it first, a big no-no as all women know, but for some reason I didn't care. Maybe seeing the little box had given me courage, even though I wasn't sure how I would respond if he actually asked, or if it was even his to give to me. However, I didn't have to worry about it, because seconds later, Jake scooped me up in his arms, and carried me away upstairs. And as we got to the bedroom, he set me down and whispered in my ear, "Adeline Marie, I love you too." The kiss that followed was so passionate and gentle that all of the fears and insecurities I had previously harbored were washed away. I pulled him down closer to me. So we had said it. All that was left to do was to show it. And actions always do speak louder than words.

I was never really big on anniversaries. I mean I get that they are important landmarks and everything, but I always kind of felt like celebrating them was somehow going to jinx it. That was before I met Jake. I knew nothing could jinx that. We had been dating two years, a long time considering both of our past relationships and I am not going to lie and say that I wasn't expecting that blue box to make an appearance.

I had long since concluded that that box had been intended for me. Maybe I was overanalyzing it. Maybe it had been nothing. But he had looked so worried about that box. And I am a girl. What else am I supposed to think?

And it was the perfect time for a proposal; it was a landmark of our relationship and he was taking me to Pemberly to celebrate.

I was to meet him there, and I went all out with my appearance. I don't think I have ever spent so much time in my life preparing for anything else. But the nervousness in my body just wouldn't let me rest. I didn't know if I was ready. Would we be good married? Things were so perfect the way they were and I didn't want to mess anything up. Would labeling it ruin it?

And if we did get married, we would become a statistic. 1 in every 2 marriages fails. You have a fifty percent shot in hell at getting your heart ripped out of your body as fork over thousands upon thousands for a divorce.

Beyond that, we still hadn't officially lived together. For all intents and purposes, I did practically live with him. I had a toothbrush in the holder and my own little drawer, but I had never actually made the full commitment like he had always wanted me to.

My mind was firing off worries like rapid fire as I was led to our table.

"Mr. Hudson will be right with you," the server informed me. I gave a pinched smile and took a gulp of air, not knowing what I should do.

He arrived, dashing as always, looking so good it almost hurt. We ordered some ridiculously priced wine and I forced myself to act normal, bringing up a plot line that I was developing for my novel. He was all encouragement, and took my hand in his. I thought that this was it. Any second he was going to get down on his knees and I would freeze, not knowing which way to run.

But he said nothing, just smiling at me. We shared the brief moment, and after he let go and we returned to our food, I felt something I had never expected. I was disappointed.

Jake never proposed that night.

Or the next day.

Or the week after that.

And slowly, it all came in to focus. There were a lot of things I wanted. But the thing at the top of the list was to be Jake Hudson's wife.

Christmas was always an event at the West household. Fanny made a meal to feed at least fifty people and dad still dressed up like Santa even though Stacey was now 18. And like every other family, we have a tradition of our own. Most people tend to have some tradition or custome that actually relates to the holiday. But I am proud to say that we Wesrs are not as generic. Our tradition consists of breaking out the old N64 games to have competitive tournaments of Mario Party 2 and Dr. Mario.

For those of you who have never experienced the joy that is N64, consider yourselves very, very unfortunate. Hands down, best gaming system ever. So the graphics are shit – sometimes simple is best.

Jake had informed me on the car ride to my parents that he was definitely going to be champ this time around. I had of course won last year, but it wasn't by a very large margin.

"You barely beat me last year, you know. You better watch it. I've been brushing up on my skills," he informed me as we drove into Greenville, the streetlights decorated with plastic snowflakes.

"Brushing up your skills?" I snorted. "Did you buy a N64 behind my back or something?"

"Maybe."

I faked outrage. "That's cheating Hudson. You can't practice. Nobody else does."

"So you're telling me that Stacey doesn't bust it out from time to time when nobody else is home?" He gave me a skeptical look as he turned onto my neighborhood road.

I rolled my eyes. "Probably, but Stacey needs to. She's awful. And besides, she's the baby of the family."

"So she gets to practice because she's the youngest?"

"Yeah. You need to keep up with the rules here. Especially if you want to have any shot at beating me."

Jake just laughed. I saw my old house quickly approaching on our left, but Jake made no movement to slow down.

"Hey, my house is right there, slow down," I demanded, pointing to it.

"Oh I forgot to tell you. I'm going to stop by the winery on 60 to get some wine for your parents."

"What? Why?"

"Well even though your parents are quite fond of me, I figured that this would soften them up even more."

I snorted, even though it was very true. The first time I had introduced Jake to Fanny as my boyfriend she had nearly fainted. Dad was a little bit more reluctant, but once the Thanksgiving football games were rolling they got on famously.

It really wasn't fair. Although Julia loved me and we often hung out, Martha hated me and was still not speaking to Jake, although she would occasionally email him, telling him to "leave the trash behind". I had been really offended the first time I had saw it, but eventually I let it go. The woman was nuts anyways.

"Well," I sighed, "the more alcohol, the merrier I guess. I don't get why you choose the one on 60 though. It's a good half hour away."

"Yeah, I know, but Joe said it's amazing. Joe would know."

I shrugged. "I'm going to take a little snooze then. Wake me up when we are home."

I did fall asleep quite quickly, and before I knew it, Jake was shaking me awake.

I was groggy and instantly crabby. "Okay there was no way in hell that that was a full hour. We're seriously home already?"

Jake smiled sheepishly. "Um, not exactly. A little detour."

I narrowed my eyes as I a slowly sat up, returning the car seat to its upright position.

I looked outside the car window only to see Connie Lucas's cabin in front of us. "What – Why are we here?" I asked, still dazed.

"Get out, I want to show you something," Jake said excitedly, scrambling out the door.

I followed suit, unbuckling my seat belt and throwing open the door. I zipped up my jacket and followed Jake up the stairs leading to the front door ready to start interrogating him, when he suddenly stopped and turned around to stare at me.

"What?" I demanded

"Get up here," he said gesturing next to him.

I scowled but did as he said, a little irritated that I still had no clue what was going on.

"Well?" I demanded.

"Close your eyes."

"What? No! Just tell me what's going-"

"Close your eyes!"

I huffed but did as he said. But I wasn't happy about it.

"Give me your hand." I snapped my eyes back open.

"Enough!" I yelled with a smile, "Just show me, I can't handle the suspense!"

He smiled. He opened his hand to reveal a key.

"I don't get it," I concluded as I looked at the key. Was it the key to the cabin? I wasn't really getting the connection.

"Merry Christmas," Jake said as he pressed the key into my hand. "It's yours."

"What?"

"The cabin. I bought it for you. It's yours."

I was stunned. I had heard of buying cars, or iPods, or expensive pieces of jewelry… but a cabin? Not so much.

"You boughtthis? How did you even get the Lucases to sell it?"

"They wanted to actually… they don't ever use it. And I wanted you to have it… wanted it to be with us. When we came here on our second date, it was the day that I realized I loved you."

My emotions were going all crazy, and the only thing I wanted to do was kiss him, but he didn't let me. Instead he lowered himself, onto one knee, drawing out that blue box I had seen so long ago.

My heart stopped and my mouth fell open, the winter cold no longer bothering me at all.

"Addie, I love you. Have for a long, long time and I don't think I will ever stop. I don't want to ever stop, because I don't think I would know who I was if I didn't. Will you marry me, Adeline Marie West?"

I felt tears coming down before I could even think to brush them away.

"Are you kidding me? Yes!" I screamed and I jumped at him, even though he was still kneeling. I kissed him with everything that I had. It wasn't until I heard giggling that I realized the door of the cabin had opened and that we were not alone anymore. I stopped, only to see my whole family plus a few friends staring at us with large smiles.

"Surprise!" Cathy said with a smile, peeking out behind Fanny.

And that was when it clicked.

"Wine huh?" I demanded, turning to face Jake, with my hands placed on my hips.

Jake grinned. "Well I had to have some excuse."

"I guess I'll forgive you this time."

Smiling, we joined the party inside. I had never felt so warm and happy in my life as I did when he slid that diamond on my finger.

And so that brings you up to speed, up to where we are now. It's the big day in the big church in my rather small hometown. And I'm getting ready to walk down the aisle, ready to marry the man I love.

I'm not much for cheesy, but I feel really lucky and I only want to share a little bit of wisdom with you...

You aren't as smart as you think you are. I wasn't but I was lucky enough to learn from my mistakes. It takes a lot to truly know someone. Don't just write people off immediately because they are too this or too that. Believe me. It can make a lot of difference.

And now it's time. The music is playing, and I walk down the aisle. I see my sisters and Connie all donned in their own respective colors that somehow suite them so perfectly, it's almost magical. I see Craig (my brother-in-law of six months) smiling at me and Joe giving me a thumbs up.

And I see Jake, and my heart feels like its dancing for joy, tapping and thumping to a rhythm all its own. I am happy, smiling like a fool as my dad gives me away. He whispers, "He's a lucky bastard." His eyes are twinkling, and I laugh, knowing that in reality I am the lucky one. Jake just beams, and I can't even remember why I was so scared before.

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A/N: So done! Hope it wasn't too cheesy. As far as babies, I am sure they will have loads of them, and I may do a story about that depending on the response to this. I was sort of toying with the idea of making a character based off 'Emma' be one of their children… or maybe even Eleanor and Marianne… just an idea. I've decided that all of Austen's other stories aren't really written about; it's either PP or Persuasion. So I want to add some much needed variety.

Sorry this took forever, but I was ridiculously busy.

Reviews are much appreciated. And thanks to all of you who have spent your valuable time reading this story.