Epilogue: With Oxygen

BPOV

I laughed at Emmett's wild face stuffed full of food—it reminded me of a five year old. In fact, everyone that was around the table in the library was making me laugh with their wild food eating antics. All of the food that they'd had for me before had been set out for a grand 'first feast,' as they were calling it, but now it was reduced to one solitary chocolate cake that there had been a unanimous vote to keep for the end. Emmett eyed it.

"Is everyone ready for the cake?" he asked, his mouth still half full of who know what other kinds of food. Everyone immediately stopped chatting with each other and the table fell silent. Emmett reached for the knife, smiling. "I'll take that as a yes." He cut a large piece and held the plate out to me. "First piece goes to the girl who's the reason we're even eating all this delicious food right now."

"Uh, no thanks," I said, pushing the plate away. "I've had chocolate cake way more recently than you guys, so just go ahead, or maybe give Charlie some."

My father sat secluded at the end of the table, just staring at the mayhem. He didn't know what to do with himself, but Alice was determined to make him feel welcome and kept trying to engage him in small talk. Emmett dutifully cut another piece of cake and passed it down to Alice, who then gave it to Charlie along with a fork. He began to pick at it.

"I knew you were perfect the moment I saw you," Emmett said, staring at the cake instead of me. He then dropped the knife and didn't bother with a fork, instead picking up the slab of cake with his fingers and shoving it what looked like halfway down his throat.

"Emmett, do you not think that it would be better to savour the flavour?" Rosalie asked, staring at Emmett in disgust.

Emmett shrugged. "Nah, this is only the first feast. There are many, many more to come.

"Thanks to Bella," Edward clarified, hugging me to him and kissing my temple. I smiled.

"Yeah, man, I told you she would break the spell," Jasper said.

"What, dude? I told you," Emmett protested.

"You did not. I told you, you overgrown bottomless pit!"

"Don't start that lying thing now, you honey head!"

"Both of you shut up! I told you all before any of you ever even caught a glimpse of her!" Alice shrieked.

Jasper blushed. "Sorry, Alice. You're right."

Alice blinked in surprise. "Jasper... you're blushing! Oh my gosh, we can blush! I forgot about that!"

The table erupted into excited chatter and I diverted my attention, staring at the pale blue wall the table was pressed up against. I noticed a chip in the paint and nudged Edward. He turned to look at me, a carefree grin on his face.

"Yes, Bella, love?"

"What's the paint chip from?" I asked curiously, pointing to it. Edward cringed.

"That's from me throwing a book at the wall," he admitted.

I laughed. "Why ever did you do that?"

"The guy in the book was making me angry... but I see similarities between us sometimes now, when I think back."

"What book?" I asked, curious.

"You probably haven't read it..." he avoided.

"Try me," I prodded.

"Uh... Wuthering Heights?"

My mouth fell open with what I was sure was an audible popping noise. "That's my favourite book!"

He laughed at me now. "Oh, alright then." He raised his voice and turned back to the table. "Hey Jasper, weren't you supposed to repaint this?" he asked, gesturing to the wall.

"Repaint what?" Jasper asked, clueless.

"That chip in the wall from Edward throwing Wuthering Heights," Rosalie clarified.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Oh, that. I think I might have gotten a bit distracted, what with being a vampire and all."

"Well, you had a lot of time," I pointed out.

"That's why I love you, Bella," Edward said, hugging me to him again. My heart soared just hearing him say that. It was funny to me how this place used to be so foreign to me, so much like a place that I was being held prisoner in. Now I wouldn't leave here for the world, not unless the people I loved came along with me. I had once thought that this place lacked the oxygen I needed to breathe, but now it was the oxygen I needed to breathe.

Edward was the oxygen I need to breathe, and I was never going to leave him. I never would have, whether he was a vampire, a human, a wolf, or even a monster. Suddenly, a question popped into my mind.

"Do you miss being a vampire?" I asked, addressing the table at large—everyone who had been a vampire, at least.

They all seemed to be thrown off by the question, but then one by one, I watched Alice look at Jasper as Jasper looked at Alice, Emmett look at Rosalie as Rosalie looked at him, and then Edward look at me, and finally they all simultaneously shook their heads.

"Being a vampire has it's perks, but I'd rather just live a normal life with Rosie," Emmett said.

"I hated the way our humanity was stripped away from us," said Rosalie.

"I'll go anywhere Alice goes," Jasper said, looking at her adoringly.

"And I him," Alice agreed, looking much the same.

"I would never want to outlive you, Bella," Edward said, smiling down at me. There was a heavy lull in the conversation, during which we all stared into each other's eyes, and then my father spoke up.

"Well, I've never been a vampire, so..." he contributed.

We all broke our gazes and began to laugh.

"Thank you for your input, Dad," I told him.

"No problem, honey," Charlie replied.

"Alice?" Emmett asked, still breathless from laughing. "You still get visions, even though you're human, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Are we going to live happily ever after?"

Alice's face screwed up in concentration, then smoothed out as her eyes glazed over. They cleared to a crystal blue and a radiant smile broke out on her face.

"Looks like it, Emmett. Looks like it."

AN: Oh. My. Gosh. I finished it! I FINISHED IT!! *faint* My first complete multi-chaptered story. *puts hand on heart*

I'd like to thank every single person who has reviewed this story, because you're the reason it's finished.

Please review one last time!! :D