Epilogue:

BPOV

Twelve years later

About a month after Charlie died, Edward and I decided that there wasn't much keeping us in Forks anymore, so we decided to move to Seattle. Sue decided to return to the reservation with her family; she said Charlie's house held too many memories of his last days, and she chose to remember him when he was at his best. Darcy and Tom spent a lot of time in Seattle visiting Alice and Jasper, and I found out that Angie and Ben had grown more and more distant over the years.

I felt guilty that Angie and Ben weren't as big a part of Edward's life as they were when I left. Edward explained to me that their dissolution in friendship was more of a natural progression. They just grew apart over the years. Edward working full time and being a father didn't leave much time for them to maintain a close friendship, and I would be lying to myself if I said that at least part of that wasn't my fault.

Edward liked his job, but he didn't love it. While he had spent the last seven years teaching at the middle school, he missed the University setting, and he wanted desperately to return. Fortunately, his old supervisor was still teaching at the University, and upon hearing that Edward was returning to Seattle, he offered him his old position immediately.

I contacted Hale publishing, my old stomping grounds, and submitted a manuscript, which would become the first book written in my own name. I ended up publishing a series of books over the years, drama novels. There would be no more tell-all books from me.

Most importantly, in our preparation for the move, we discovered that the Children's Hospital in Seattle had a world-renowned child psychologist who could help Carlie get the therapy she needed. Even without insurance, I had made enough money from the sale of my book to get her the best medical attention I could. I nearly spent every penny of my earnings on her therapy and medical care, and it was absolutely worth it.

Carlie had weekly therapy appointments, evaluations with psychiatrists, and cognitive behavioral therapy, which taught her to have more healthy and positive responses to natural stressors. We were able to send her to first grade in a private school, and with smaller classes, Carlie was able to focus better, and began to excel at school.

Alice wasn't thrilled with us – or rather me – coming to Seattle at first. It took almost a year for her to speak to me again, and even now, I would best describe our relationship as cordial at best. Currently, she was living the high life with her hotshot lawyer husband. She called home every once in a while. It hurt that she wasn't still an active part of our lives, but I understood how she felt.

Rosalie and Emmett were an absolute godsend. It didn't take long for them to initiate a kid swapping deal. On the days that Carlie was with her Aunt and Uncle, Edward and I took the time alone to reconnect physically and emotionally. They used the time to make more babies. A couple of years after we moved to Seattle, Rosalie gave birth to twin boys, Henry and Charlie. They called Charlie C.J. because nobody could seem to distinguish between his name and Carlie's in conversation.

As for Edward and I, we decided that more children for us were decidedly out of the question. To us, it wasn't worth the risk.

Carlie suffered excessive stress and anxiety throughout elementary and middle school, but at a manageable level. She somehow forced herself to project all her anxieties into her schoolwork, and for that she was destined to graduate at the top of her class. I often worried about her spending too much time studying and not enough time on her social life, but just like her mom, she wasn't much of a social creature anyway. She had a couple of close girl friends, but she didn't go out much. I think that made Edward just a teensy bit happy, because she turned out to be a beautiful girl, who was oddly unaware of the attention she drew from boys her age.

Which is why I thought that Edward was going to have a stroke the first time Carlie came home with a boy. She was seventeen and completely blindsided us when she came home with William, a boy in her class.

"Mom, Dad," she said shyly, shuffling her feet in the doorway. I couldn't help but notice her hand clasped tightly in this boy's hand, her knuckles practically white. Edward noticed too, and he was turning an unnatural shade of purple before she could even get over the introduction.

"This is William," she continued. "He's taking me to prom."

I was very proud of my husband for keeping his composure as it looked like steam was about to come from his ears. "He is, huh?"

"Carlie, I'm so happy you decided to go!" I said excitedly, wrapping her in a hug. We'd argued over it at length. I didn't want her to miss a single experience, and prom was definitely a right of passage. Now I realized that she probably wanted to go, but nobody had asked her yet. She was too shy to ask anyone else.

"If you hurt her, I'll kill you," Edward said, puffing his chest out and glaring at William.

"I won't, I promise," William answered nervously. Edward gave him a curt nod before walking out of the room.

I think Edward died a little inside that day. His little girl was growing up.

And grew up she did. Not a year later, we were sitting around the dinner table with stacks of college applications, when I noticed that Carlie looked uncomfortable about something. It had been years since she had a true panic attack, but all the telltale symptoms were there.

"Breathe, honey," I soothed her, rubbing her back gently. "Whatever it is, you can talk about it. You know we're here for you."

Carlie did take a few deep breaths and calmed herself a bit.

"What is it?" Edward asked, concerned. "Are you nervous about going to college?"

Carlie shook her head. "It's just that I need to tell you guys something, and I'm afraid of how you'll react."

Edward's hand immediately went to the bridge of his nose, and I could hear him muttering under his breath… "Pregnant. She's fucking pregnant. I'm going to kill that bastard."

"Dad!" Carlie exclaimed, hearing him as well. "I'm not pregnant!"

"Carlie, ignore your father," I said with an eye roll. "There is nothing that you can tell us that will make us think any less of you, or make us be mad at you, do you understand?"

Carlie nodded, and her next words came out in a rush. "It's just that I've been thinking a lot about my future, and I know what I want to do with my life. I want to be a psychiatrist, or maybe a neurologist. I don't really want to work with patients per se, but I find the research fascinating. I want to know how the brain works, and if I can help people with mental disorders, then I know I'm doing something good with my life."

"That's a terrific idea, Carlie. I'm proud of you. Now what has you so nervous?" I asked, seeking the route of her issues.

"Well, I've been looking around at different schools, and I know which one I want to go to. I want to major in molecular biology and then transfer over to the medical school… at Johns Hopkins."

"Absolutely not." Edward said quietly.

Carlie nodded in understanding and stared down at the table. "That's what I was afraid you'd say. I shouldn't have even suggested it."

"Stop it right now," I said, to both of them. "Edward, how can you just tell her 'no' without listening to what she has to say?" I demanded.

"Johns Hopkins is in Baltimore!" Edward exclaimed. "Maryland! The other side of the country!"

I never wished as much as I did in that moment that Carlie could act like a normal teenager. Any time she was confronted or told 'no', she shut down and submitted. She avoided confrontation like the plague. What I would give for her to stand up to him and tell him what she really thought. She was eighteen. She had her life planned out. It was our job to support her, not contain her. And if she wanted to go to school in Maryland, then I certainly wasn't going to get in her way.

"We're not done talking about this," I said firmly. "There is a lot to consider. Carlie, we discussed schools closer to home so that you wouldn't have to live in a dorm. You said the thought made you uncomfortable. Have you changed your mind?"

"I spoke to a recruiter," Carlie answered. "He said that there are private rooms available for students with health issues. He said that my… condition… would qualify me for that, which helps."

I frowned at the way Carlie said "condition." She always talked about her anxiety disorder like it was something to be ashamed of.

"Okay. Also, you're aware that medical school will be a challenge. It is excessively stressful, even for the average person. Do you think you'll be able to handle it? I have no doubt that you can academically, but I emotionally, can you deal with the stress?" I asked.

"I think so. I've already talked to some prospective advisors. They all seem really nice and eager to help, so I'll have support. If it does get too hard, I can always change majors or transfer closer to home."

"It sounds like you've done a lot of planning," I said. "I'm impressed. Your father and I need to talk, okay?"

We did talk, and Edward admitted that he was overreacting. I even had to talk him down from packing up and moving to Baltimore with her, encouraging him that she needed to spread her wings a little. He just wasn't ready to let her go, but he knew he had to. He was proud of her, that much was clear, and his love and adoration for her was undeniable.

Later that evening, I went to Carlie's room and knocked. When she opened the door for me, I could tell that she'd been crying, and that just broke my heart.

"Can I come in?" I asked her.

She sniffled and nodded, motioning me inside. I shut the door behind us.

"Your father isn't mad, if that's what you're worried about. And we aren't saying no. In fact, if this is what you want, then we support you all the way."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

I smiled. "Yes, really."

She squealed and threw her arms around me, and I laughed as I returned her embrace. I urged her to sit down and then sat on the bed next to her.

"I am concerned, though. I'm sure you've thought about all of this. That's quite obvious from the time you took to plan this. But it does seem like it came out of the blue. Where did this come from? You wanting to be a psychiatrist."

Carlie turned crimson instantly as she hesitantly reached for her nightstand and pulled out an old, worn book. I recognized it immediately- I wrote it.

"You wrote this, didn't you?" she asked, fingering the binding gently.

I bit my lower lip and nodded. Carlie knew bits and pieces about my past, but we never really talked about it. The truth was, I'd moved on from the book and my past. Reliving my past horrors hurt, but she also had the right to know.

"I thought so," Carlie said. "I've heard bits and pieces over the years, and some of it sounded really similar. I found this in your office. I wasn't snooping, I was just looking for something to read."

"Are you mad?" I asked.

"No," Carlie said carefully. "I understand now. I used to wonder why you had left dad and me all those years ago, but I was afraid to ask. But when I read this, it all made perfect sense."

"It did?"

"You didn't want to be like your mother," she said. "You left because you thought it would be better for Dad and me."

"I was afraid," I admitted. "The feelings I felt when you were born- they weren't me. They were terrifying. I was afraid that I would hurt you more by staying. I'm so sorry," I whispered, as a tear rolled down my cheek.

"You've been through so much," Carlie continued. "Your mom and her boyfriend, they were sick, right?"

I nodded, chewing on my bottom lip, warning myself not to break down.

"And you were sick too. And so was I…"

"Yes," I choked.

"That's when it hit me- what I wanted to do with my life. I don't want people to suffer like you did. You and Dad knew that I had a disease – that my mind wasn't working right. You guys did everything you could to help me, and I'm a better person for it. I want to do good for someone else too."

"I'm so proud of you," I whispered, wrapping her in my arms tightly. "You're going to be an awesome doctor. Your father and I will be there to support you all the way."

"I know," she answered. "Thank you. I love you."

When I returned to my room that night, I was a sobbing mess. Edward held me while I cried, begging me to tell him what was wrong.

"Nothing's wrong," I sobbed. "Everything is right. Everything is going to be fine."

Edward chuckled and continued to hold me. "You scared the shit out of me, love."

"I'm sorry," I sniffled. "It's just… I'm really happy now."

"So am I," he murmured into my hair. "I love you. Forever."

"Forever," I agreed, melting into his embrace.

For years I avoided that book. While it was a huge relief to write it and get it off my chest, when I finally came home to Edward and Carlie, I just wanted to forget about it and move on.

Even though I actively blocked out memories of my past for the last few years, I realized that night that I would never forget them. And I didn't want to.

Because my past was part of me. I had overcome so much. Forgetting the events and traumas that brought me to my present would make me appreciate what I had less.

I had a loving husband, an intelligent and beautiful daughter, a home, a job I loved… It helped to remember how I got here, and all the people that supported me along the way.

Despite my rocky beginnings, I was truly blessed. Edward and I had nothing but hope for the future.

The End

A/N- So that's it... we're finished. I'm both sad and relieved to be honest. I have more stories that I'm working on in my head, so I hope you'll put me on author alert, because I'm not quite done writing yet! As far as the Bella and Edward from Impending Doom and Fighting Fate, I think they're ready to retire.

Thank you to EVERYONE who has read, reviewed, and supported me throughout my writing.

Thanks to EternallyCullen, LisaDawn75, Sherryola, and gjficfan for pimping my stories! Now go read theirs.

These two stories were my first endeavor into fanfiction, and it's been a great experience. All my readers, thank you from the bottom of my heart!