Chapter 17 – Epilogue

EPOV

It had been a week since we got back to Chicago. I was currently lying on my bed with Bella in my arms. I ran my fingers along her bare back and thought about everything that had been happening.

It was sad that Gerald had been lost, but I was still probably the happiest man, or vampire, on the face of the planet. I had my Bella, the love of my existence, content in my arms after a night of making love. My daughter was safe in her room with her husband. Even if he was a smelly wolf, he made her happy and treated her like a queen. I couldn't ask for more than that. The Volturi were no more and would never again threaten my family. And Abigail was alive and back in my life. She also had a good man at her side who loved her dearly.

I remembered back to the conversation we had had after getting back to Chicago.

Flashback

Abigail, Alice, and Bella had gone shopping for things to decorate the room that Abby and Demetri would be staying in. They had agreed to move in with us.

I walked outside to find Demetri sitting cross legged at the edge of the garden, twirling a leaf between his fingers. I sat down next to him.

"Can we talk?" I asked.

"Of course."

"I want to thank you for saving my sister."

"It's my fault she was in that alley to begin with."

"One thing I've figured out in my existence is that fate has a funny way of making things work out. I think that maybe she was meant for this life and that was fate's way of making it happen."

"I thought you believed we were soulless."

"I used to. But when I look at Bella and Reneesme, or any member of my family for that matter, I find it very hard to believe that anymore."

Demetri turned to look at me. His eyes were still red but were starting to take on the golden tones of an animal drinker. "I find myself thinking the same think when I look at Abigail. It's hard to believe that someone so genuinely good could possibly be damned."

"You truly do love my sister, don't you?"

I felt him drop all the shields in his mind. I always thought Abby to be beautiful, but it was nothing compare to looking at her through his eyes. To him she was an angel of the highest plane of heaven. "She is everything to me. I would do anything for her."

"Why did you leave her for so long? Without you it would have been almost impossible for Aro to find her."

"It was a risk I was unwilling to take, even though I wanted to. He would have stopped at nothing to claim a power of her magnitude. You do realize he was planning on coming after your family again."

"I was afraid so, but I guess I was hoping he wouldn't."

"He wanted Bella, Alice, and Reneesme. You too, if possible. It was only a matter of time."

"I guess we don't have to worry about that anymore."

"For a while at least."

"What do you mean?"

"It's only a matter of time before someone else steps into power. We can only hope that it will be someone fair and honest."

"We can only hope."

End of flashback

We could hear the rest of the house beginning to stir, so me and Bella got out of bed and dressed.

As we came down stairs, I saw the whole family gathered in the living room. Jake and Reneesme were sitting on the loveseat with plates of strawberry pancakes on their laps. Emmett and Jasper were sitting on the floor in front of the TV playing a video game. Alice, Rosalie and Esme were kneeling in front of the coffee table discussing designs for the house. Carlisle was sitting at one end of the couch reading a medical journal, and Demetri and Abigail were sitting at the other end. Abigail was curled up in Demetri's lap and they were talking quietly to each other.

I reached over and took Bella's hand in mine. Yes, I was a very happy man.

New Orleans – Three months later

Kaila POV

I walked aimlessly down Pirate's Alley. I was very late on a Wednesday night so the streets were relatively quiet. My mind was anything but.

I couldn't help but think about that night in Italy. I remember worrying about what was taking Abigail so long. I had flashed myself into the city to see her lying on the ground and that very powerful vampire stalking up to her. Without thinking, I attacked. The pain of hitting that wall will forever be etched into my memory. Then everything had gone black as the wall fell on me.

Next thing I remember was opening my eyes to the most beautiful face I had ever seen. I could still feel the way his fingers brushed my cheek and emptiness I felt when he suddenly vanished.

But he was anything but gone. Marcus seemed to haunt my every step. I couldn't get him out of my mind. I had tried to find him, but I guess he didn't want to be found. I finally gave up and returned to New Orleans.

Abigail was worried. She called me almost daily to check up on me. It was as comforting as it was annoying. I loved her dearly, but I wasn't a child. I could deal with this on my own.

I sighed and flashed myself back into my apartment. I instantly knew someone was here. I found Marcus sitting on my kitchen counter looking at the floor. Something seemed different about him.

I stopped in the doorway and just watched him for a moment. I was afraid to speak and have him take off on me again.

Suddenly he spoke. "Did you know that a diet of animal blood reverses the petrification process?"

"Huh?"

He looked up at me then and I realized what was different. His skin looked less brittle and his eyes had almost lost all of their cloudiness. They were now an amber color. Not quite as gold as mine, but well on their way. He was even more beautiful than before.

I jerked myself out of my dumbfounded state. "Why are you here?"

"I came for you."

"Why?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

I stared at him like an idiot for a minute. "Then why did you disappear?"

"I was scared. I haven't felt anything for anyone since Didyme died. Plus, I wanted to make sure I could adapt to your lifestyle. I didn't want to taint you with my presence if I couldn't do it."

"I think that should have been my choice."

"I needed to be good for you. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"You did."

He hopped off the counter and stood before me. "Can you forgive me?"

I nodded. He took my face in his hands. "Can you stay with me?"

I nodded again. He leaned down so that his lips just brushed mine. "Can you love me?"

"Yes," I said and closed the distance.

THE END

I just had to give Kaila I happy ending. I designed her after my little sister so I couldn't just leave her hanging. I hope you enjoyed my story and I will be doing the much edited version here soon. If there is something you would like to see added, let me know and I will try my best to put it in. Thank for taking this little journey with me and I already have an idea for another story. I will be doing an outline soon and start posting it after I finish book two of Dawn Rising. It will be called Crossing Destinies, all I will say on it is that I haven't found anything like it on here and I really look forward to sharing it with you all.

So anyways, please review and be sure to come back to me for my next little adventure.

Love y'all -Star