A/N… Okay, so before we get to it… I know a lot of us are frustrated with this site for its recent issues. I will tell you that the official app for this site isn't half bad. I downloaded it yesterday, and I got every alert, every review, and every update. You can set your own preferences, download stories to read later, and still search for new stuff. That's for android and iOS. I haven't tried it on my Kindle. Just throwing that out there until the email alerts get fixed or in case they don't. Hope this helps some of you.

Now… This is the last chapter of Common Ground.

Chapter 31 – Epilogue

EDWARD

I stepped outside of the church's social hall into the crisp fall day. The church in Stillwater was where my aunt and uncle had always gone; it was where my mother's side of the family had attended for several generations. It was quiet and unassuming, tucked away off the beaten path and surrounded by trees that had turned red, orange, and yellow due to autumn now fully upon us.

It was also where my mother and father were buried.

The music from Emmett and Rose's reception was loud and fun, but it was cut off when the door shut behind me. We'd already done all the traditions – bouquet toss, cake, toasts, dances – so now everyone was chatting or dancing.

I just needed a minute. Or maybe being this close to the cemetery was pulling at me because I didn't come here ever. Maybe not since her funeral. And my father was buried without much ceremony. And be damned if I was attending that shit.

Wandering through the endless headstones, I pushed my hands into the front pockets of my tuxedo pants.

The granite headstone was positioned between two trees. The last name Masen was at the top with my mother on the left and my father on the right. Someone had recently put flowers on my mother's side – something autumn related – so it was sunflowers, red and yellow maple leaves, and some orange-ish roses.

There was a bench at the foot, and I took a seat, setting my elbows on my knees. I'd started therapy, and it was Dr. Gerandy who suggested I visit my mother's grave. I wasn't sure what it would do, but talks with him left me raw and exposed some sessions, so I was here like he told me to be. Therapy wasn't all bad; some days we focused on the good things. And lately, there was way more good than bad.

A hand on my shoulder made me jolt a little, but I smiled up at Aunt Esme and scooted over so she could sit with me.

"You okay, sweet boy?"

Nodding, I said, "Yes, ma'am. I just… I haven't been out here since…" I trailed off, gesturing toward the graves of my parents.

She reached out to push my hair off my forehead. "I come here fairly often." When I pointed to the flowers, she smiled. "Yeah, I brought those."

We were both quiet for a moment, and the fall breeze rustled the leaves around us.

"I miss her," Aunt Esme said softly, glancing my way. "She would be…so proud of you, Edward." My eyes stung a little with that statement, but hers filled up and spilled over. "I hope you know that."

"I… I'm working on it."

She smiled. "I know, but she would be." She inhaled deeply, which was a little sniffly, but she went on. "Liz could've done things differently when it came to Ed. She could've taken you and hidden or gone to the police, but I imagine she couldn't decide who to trust. That idea alone is scary, especially when she knew that some policemen were working for Aro. And she wouldn't have wanted to hide, to become someone else, because it would've taken you away from family. It would've isolated you two."

"I get it. And sometimes, I get kinda pissed off that she shouldered it alone, but I also know how dangerous those men were, so it's understandable she was silent."

Aunt Esme nodded. "She chose the hard road. I don't know if it was the right way, but it was her choice. She wanted to stop bad men, but she wanted to give you as much of a normal life as she could. Ed was playing two women in the end, but you were more important to her than his infidelity."

Sighing deeply, I stared at the Masen name and said, "I'm not quite sure Jane wasn't just…guilt. That relationship was older than the one with Mom, and sad, terrible things happened. If I put myself in his place, I could almost understand the level of guilt he might've had concerning her." I turned to my aunt. "I mean… Why beg my mother not to divorce him but then turn around and cheat years later?"

"Love is complicated."

I laughed, thinking how easy it was to love my Bella. "No, it's not."

Aunt Esme's giggle was as familiar as my mother's, and she leaned into me. "Okay, so some people make it complicated."

"Okay, that I'll agree with."

She chuckled, standing up and kissing my forehead. "Take your time, sweetheart."

Before she could walk away, I reached for her hand. "Aunt Esme, I never thanked you. For just…all that you did for me."

"I love you, kiddo," she said just like my mother always said it to me. "You're my family, Edward. I wouldn't change anything about how you came to live with us. Not a thing. The whys, sure, but I gladly accepted you. I would've fought the whole world to keep you."

"Love you, too."

She kissed my forehead again before walking away. I wasn't quite ready to go back to the reception. As fun as the wedding was, and even as beautiful as Bella was today, I needed the quiet for a few more minutes.

I found myself glancing between my mother's name and my father's – which, given that he and I had the same name, was a little morbid to consider. But I shook my head a bit at that thought.

With all that I'd uncovered about my family, I saw a few things differently. Maybe therapy was giving me better tools to deal with my past. As a kid, my father was cold and uncaring. As an adult, I saw that maybe he'd had no choice but to stay stoic, push down every emotion, because he worked for powerful and evil men. I'd watched the video with Aro threatening him more than any other recording my mother had collected. I'd studied it, broken down every expression and tone.

My father was dragging his feet with Aro's ultimatum because he couldn't choose. And when it came down to the night he and Aro killed my mother, it was done because she had told him to do it. He had surrendered to her, not Aro.

The moment that Elizabeth Masen was dead, Aro told my father to kill me, too. All my father said was, "The boy's asleep. He knows nothing."

Looking back at all of it, the rest of the puzzle pieces finally fell into place. My father hid my mother in the basement because he didn't have time to do it any other way, since he still needed to hide her car and be back to tell me she'd left us. Poor Sam had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. By the time he'd returned from Chicago that first time, his guilt was eating him up so badly, he couldn't go into the basement, and he absolutely wouldn't look me in the eye.

If he hated me, if he'd wanted me out of his life, that night would've been the night to do it. I could've died in my sleep and never known a thing; no one would've stopped him. Wife and son go "missing," and he's free to move back to Chicago. It would've been easy, simple. He'd even ignored Aro's command to do it.

But he didn't do any of that. He'd let me live.

In all reality, he made sure I lived. It may not have been how my mother had wished, but I'd still survived it. It wasn't happiness and sunshine, or footballs tossed in the yard, but I was here and they weren't. And it was hard to come to terms with the fact that maybe my father hadn't hated me after all, that he'd gotten caught up in a dangerous world, and the only way to protect my mother and me was to pretend we didn't matter. He'd lost one child and his freedom to the Volturis, so in order to stay alive, he had to play their game.

Frowning at that, I stood, taking my boutonniere off my lapel. I set it atop my mother's headstone after brushing off a few fall leaves.

Silently, I sent up a prayer of sorts, telling my mother all the things she was missing – Rose's wedding, the end of the Volturis, and an innocent child who had started it all. I thought about my half-sibling often, of what could've been. And finally, I told my mother about Bella, about finding that one person who could have my heart without fear or mistrust. I was sorry my mother never had that.

But the last thing I told my mother was thank you.

She'd taught me love and patience, common sense and critical thinking. She'd taken my love and affinity for puzzles and fed it, nurtured it. She helped me discover what I was meant to be.

And now that everything was out in the open, that men were dead or in prison, maybe Elizabeth Masen could rest in peace. Or maybe I needed to let her rest in peace.

I let out a deep sigh and walked away from the grave. The music hit me when I stepped back inside the reception. I had to smile and shake my head, because strange dance partners had paired up. Emmett was twirling Aunt Esme around. Rose was with Charlie. Alice was making baby CJ red-faced and giggly as she shook him gently in time with the music. Jasper was laughing as Tanya danced with him, and Bella was with Uncle Carlisle.

When the song changed to something slower, I stepped up to my uncle. "May I cut in?"

Bella grinned, kissed Uncle Carlisle's cheek as he nodded, giving my shoulder a squeeze. Pulling Bella to me, I wrapped my arms around her, and she reached up to straighten my bow tie.

"You okay?" she whispered, and I nodded.

The song playing was about running to that one person, no matter their pasts or their loneliness or their previously broken hearts. It was about being safe in the arms of the one you loved, of allowing someone to take away the pain.

Pressing a kiss to Bella's forehead, I breathed her in deeply, whispering, "You ever think about the future? Our future?"

Bella's smile was sweet, and her cheeks pinked a little. "Oh, now you wanna talk about it?"

Grinning, I let out a light laugh. "Maybe."

She'd asked me that more than once, but I'd pushed the conversation away every time. I owed her this conversation, despite where we were.

"I do. I think about it a lot," she said honestly, kissing my lips with a barely there touch. "We've moved in together. How much further into the future are we discussing, Detective?"

"Everything. All of it."

She tilted that gorgeous head of hers, and like some days, she made me stupid with just how stunning she was, with the mere idea that she was mine. I wasn't as blind as Garrett and Bella liked to presume; I saw the women at the reception with lingering eyes, I saw Charlotte at King County Correctional who always asked me for coffee, and I even saw patrons at Common Ground. I saw all of them. Hell, I'd even seen how Maggie hadn't quite moved on. But I only saw the brunette in my arms. It really was that simple.

"Everything, huh?"

I nodded again, pressing my forehead to hers. "Yes. It's not you. It's not me. It's about us."

She gasped a little at how I'd spun around our break-up joke, but she nodded. "Yeah, Edward. Everything sounds…perfect."

"Good, beautiful, because I want to get started," I admitted nervously.

She kissed me again, this time a bit firmer. "Okay. I'm in."

~oOo~

"This motherfucker," Garrett groaned, leaning back against the brick wall of a building with his weapon in his hands. "The one night I needed to get home early. And this asshole decides to show his fucking face after hiding for three damn days."

Grinning, I smacked his shoulder to shut him up. He wasn't exactly wrong. We'd been called to a crime scene three days ago, which wasn't really a mystery. Two neighbors had gotten into a heated argument, which led to one pulling a gun on the other. A middle-aged man ended up dead, and the young hothead with the unfortunate name of Rodney Willey went into hiding.

The whole neighborhood saw it, so it wasn't like there were clues to put together. We just had to track the angry little asshole down. Three days of knocking on the doors of everyone this guy knew had been tedious.

We finally caught a break when someone he worked with said our perp was crashing at a rundown motel.

"I told you Yorkie and I could've handled it," I muttered his way, adjusting my tactical vest.

"No, it's fine. I'll just speed through this asshole's rights and stuff him into a cruiser. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy."

We were waiting for the motel manager and her keys. Otherwise, we were going to bust the door down. However, she was taking her sweet-ass time, which made alarms go off in my head.

"Oh, I have a feeling she's tipping him off," I mumbled, eyeing the office and then the motel room door.

"No. She can't be that stupid, right?"

I refused to even touch that question. My opinion on just how stupid people could be was long, detailed, and filled with various examples of massive idiocy. Now wasn't exactly the time for that fucking dissertation.

As soon as he opened his mouth again, the door to Room 4 slammed open and our perp took off at a full-on sprint.

"Dammit," I grunted out, giving chase and yelling over my shoulder. "Clearwater, with me! Yorkie, follow in the car!"

I heard the cruiser tear out of the motel parking lot, and Clearwater and I followed Rodney out the back of the motel property and between two buildings. He was cutting across a gas station and into the parking lot of a strip mall. Rodney dodged grocery store shopping carts and mothers with kids.

"Dispatch," I panted into my radio on my shoulder. "Detective Edward Masen, badge number 8501. In pursuit on foot of suspect…" I trailed off because I had to avoid getting hit by a giant SUV hoping to get to a better parking spot.

Over the radio, I heard Garrett continue the report in for us. Rodney, however, was aiming toward the back of the grocery store, which backed up to a cluster of trees.

"Can't we just shoot his feet?" Clearwater wheezed as we continued to follow him.

I flashed a grin but didn't bother to answer him. The small group of trees ran parallel to a hardware store, laundromat, and a tire shop. Once we were back out on sidewalks and city streets, Rodney darted across an intersection, which by now had police cruisers stopping traffic and helping us corral him.

"Shit, shit!" I hissed, trying to cut the distance with this asshole. "He's aiming for the kids' park!"

"I got him, I got him," Seth said, turning on the speed, but even though Rodney had more stamina than I was expecting, he was starting to slow down.

"Fucker's gonna panic," I told Clearwater.

Instead of continuing to run, Rodney suddenly stopped, aiming his weapon our way. He chose his spot perfectly because he was in the middle of a goddamn playground. There were kids everywhere, and some of them started to scream.

We couldn't open fire, and fuck, we didn't need Rodney to pull the trigger either, so we were at a standoff.

"Drop the weapon, Rodney," I told him, slowly stepping forward. "You don't want to do this here. You'll only make matters worse for yourself."

"I'm not going back to prison!" he yelled.

"That's not our call," I told him, shrugging a shoulder. "I'm just here to do a job, so just drop the weapon, and we can all walk out of here with no one getting hurt."

Behind him, several cop cars screeched to a halt, lights flashing, and Garrett was out of Yorkie's SUV, directing several officers to get parents and kids out of the way and surround us.

"Rodney, you're surrounded. C'mon, man, just drop the weapon and get on the fucking ground!" I snapped, adjusting my grip on my weapon. I really, really didn't want to open fire in a kids' playground.

Rodney finally caught a glimpse of all the officers around him, and he sagged in defeat, but he hadn't put the weapon down yet. I saw the fight leave him, saw the "fuck it all" expression cross his face.

"Fuck," I sighed deeply and started to run before that hand of his could reach his temple.

My goal was to tackle him and push that weapon in a direction without a possible target to hit. Luckily, I was able to do both. He didn't get a chance to squeeze the trigger, and my tackle caused him to lose his grip on his weapon altogether. Before he could fight me anymore, I rolled him onto his stomach, wrenching his arms behind his back to cuff him.

"Rodney Willey, you're under arrest for the murder of Gerald Pruitt. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?" I asked him as I pulled him up to his feet.

He nodded, and that was all the go ahead I needed. Handing him over to Yorkie and Clearwater, I let them pat him down, bag his possessions, and load him up.

It seemed to take an extraordinary amount of time to get the guy processed and booked. We didn't bother with interrogating him because he'd lawyered up before we even got back to the station.

When I finally got home, I was exhausted. All I wanted was Sid and Bella and some TV. And maybe whatever dinner she'd made. The sight in our apartment made me smile. Bella had Sid wrapped up like a teddy bear, and both were crashed out on the sofa.

As I quietly set my things down, I soaked in the whole picture. We'd meshed our lives together pretty well. Books, memories, and some furniture were all now blended everywhere. I could see so much of us, the history of us, in this apartment.

Common Ground had become more than just an apartment building. It had introduced me to people who I now considered family, but even more, it gave me the beautiful girl I thought was way out of my league. She took care of me, even when I acted like an ass. She was always honest and kind, even when the truth was harsh and ugly.

I kneeled in front of them both, smiling when Sid hummed and stretched. He rolled in her arms, but a long black paw reached out to touch me. However, his movement stirred Bella awake.

Warm, brown eyes opened sleepily. "Hey, you're home."

"I am. C'mon, beautiful, let's get you in bed."

"No, I'm okay." She sat up. "You hungry? I can—"

I cut her off with a kiss. "I'm a big boy, Bella. I can heat up my food."

She grinned, letting out a light giggle as she sat up. "Fine, then sit for a second."

Sid stepped onto the coffee table and stretched, looking like a picture-perfect Halloween decoration for a split second.

Before I sat down, I said, "I have something for you." I walked back to my jacket and pulled a box out of the inside pocket. "It took me a bit to find that."

Her brow wrinkled as she took the softball-sized box from me and lifted the lid. Her mouth fell open, and tears welled up in her eyes as she pulled out a snow globe.

It was exactly the same as the one Jacob and Laurent had smashed when they'd ransacked her apartment almost nine months prior. I'd taken pictures of the one on the shelf and started to hunt a new one down after we'd finally moved in together.

"Where?" she gasped, reaching for my face to kiss me.

"Believe it or not…it's still sold at Pike Place."

She grinned as she shook the globe, swirling the snow around inside the glass. She shook it a couple of times and then locked eyes on me.

"Thank you!" she squeaked out emotionally, leaning in to kiss me. "You didn't have to replace it, Edward. It wasn't your fault…"

"I know," I said, raking a hand through my hair before pulling her closer to me on the sofa. "But that day… Helping you in here… Bella, that day changed everything for me. You don't understand just how much. Up until that moment, you were fiery strength and brutal honesty. You were everyone's safe place." I frowned a little, and she set the globe down in order to straddle my lap. "And I watched that die a little in here. It hurt me to watch you cry."

Dr. Gerandy had asked me what had started my feelings for Bella. He'd asked if guarding her, helping her had instilled some sort of connection, but it wasn't that. She was a beautiful reminder that bad shit could happen to good people, and they could survive it with their heart and soul intact.

But it had started with a broken snow globe and tears. It started because I couldn't bear the thought of Bella allowing other people to steal away that fire inside of her, to snuff out what made her strong.

"I didn't want you to become like me," I finally whispered, frowning up at her as she loomed over me. "I couldn't bear it, beautiful."

Her eyes watered a little. "Did you know then?"

"No, my Bella, I was still fighting it." I smiled sadly at her, leaning my head back against the sofa pillows. Reaching up, I cupped her chin. "I think I knew when you asked me if my parents had hurt me. That first kiss. You were this unattainable girl to me, but despite the fact that you were scared and exhausted after Charlie was hurt, you still looked like you'd fight demons for me."

Bella's laugh was soft and sniffly. "Maybe I would have. You don't know."

Grinning up at her, I wrapped my arms around her and sank down deeper into the sofa. "I have no doubt, baby."

"I knew for sure when we were at Carlisle and Esme's," she admitted softly. "When you were working and gone most of the time, I found I missed your company. Just you. Watching Sherlock Holmes with you was just so comfortable and easy. It didn't matter that I was in hiding."

Smirking a little at that, I said, "Lots of stuff happened at my aunt and uncle's house."

She laughed, leaning in to kiss me sweetly. "Oh, yeah, it did," she sang in agreement, because we'd given into everything there. "No regrets. Still not breaking up with you."

"You sure? Now's your chance."

"Shut up," she giggled adorably. "I just now got you moved in."

Slipping my hand into her hair, I brought her lips to mine. There was something completely relaxing about us. It helped me come down from a long-ass day, but even more, she knew me. Really just knew me. I'd never trusted anyone with the things I'd experienced in my life, except for the few who'd been there. And if I thought she'd be scared away, I was happy to be wrong. She'd not only taken it all, but she'd also enlisted help and support in order to finish what my mother had started.

Thanks to the girl currently kissing me stupid, I was able to let my past go. I was completely and totally ready to face the future with her.

~oOo~

BELLA

"Professor Plum, in the conservatory, with the candlestick," Edward stated without apology.

"How?" Emmett yelled from the living room, which made a roar of kid laughter echo into the kitchen. "How do you do it?"

Tanya, Alice, and I snorted into laughter, and Rose shook her head and sighed. Esme, though, wore an expression that was filled with nostalgia and love. Nothing made her and Carlisle happier than to have us all under one roof, even if it was just for Christmas Eve dinner.

"You'd think, after this many years, that Emmett would understand that Edward totally owns Clue. He's essentially counting cards," Tanya muttered to all of us.

Grinning, I nodded, continuing to chop celery and onions. "Well, I think CJ was wanting to learn, but apparently Emmett needed a lesson too."

Rose barked a laugh. "Poor Dad. He's caught up in the middle of it all."

"Yeah, mine too."

Esme let out a laugh at that one. "Well, I have faith Dana can referee just fine."

"True," Tanya and I said at the same time.

"Again, Uncle Edward!" CJ cheered from the other room.

"Let's throw the ball around," Emmett countered grumpily.

Jasper cracked up, stating, "So he can excel in a game he knows."

"Ah, hell," Rose groaned. "Emmett McCarty, you'd better make sure everyone's dressed for it!"

Carlisle and my dad laughed, but my dad said, "We've got this."

"Ball?" I heard behind me, and I stopped what I was doing and washed my hands. My son was not quite two, but he lived to go outside. "Daddy…ball!"

Grinning, I cleaned him up. He'd been happily munching on some Cheerios while we were in the kitchen. Edward Anthony Masen III was the spitting image of his father, except for his eyes. He had mine and Charlie's eyes.

"C'mere, Trace," I said, picking him up out of the highchair. "We'll need to put your coat and gloves on, buddy."

"But…ball."

"Yes, yes. Clothes first."

Tanya chuckled, shaking her head. "God, he's Edward made over. From that grumpy, argumentative look to his commanding tone."

"Girl, don't start," I snarked back. "He's a clone. I swear."

Once I had Trace dressed in his jacket, gloves, and wool cap, I walked to Esme's front door.

"Edward," I called, pointing to our son, who was already working his way down the porch steps.

"Trace!" everyone called from the front yard, but it was the tall form running to pick up his son that I loved to see.

There was nothing like the look my husband gave his son. Nothing. We'd been together five years, and four of those years we'd been married. We'd followed Rose's example and kept our wedding simple and intimate. We'd planned for Trace, and when we'd found out I was finally pregnant after trying for a year, Edward was both terrified and elated.

That only got worse once we knew we were having a little boy. Edward completely panicked that he'd turn into his own father, but honestly, he was the total opposite of Ed Sr. When it came to naming him, Edward argued vehemently against it but finally caved when Esme reminded him that Elizabeth had named him after his father, not Ed Sr. However, he didn't want an Ed, Eddie, or Ted. He didn't want Little Edward, either, so we focused on the number. Edward Anthony Masen III became Trace, which was a play on tres.

We'd tried Trip and Trey, but CJ pronounced it with an S on the end, so Trace finally stuck around the time my baby was six months old. And Carlisle and Charlie were overjoyed at being grandfathers. Even though Carlisle was an uncle, we considered him and Esme to be grandparents.

"Ball, Daddy," Trace commanded, pointing a gloved finger toward Emmett, and Edward grinned at what he said was my commanding tone, but he really was his father's son.

The front door opened, and Rose appeared with Maisy, who was only a year older than Trace. Those two had started trying for a family immediately, and after a few heartbreaking tries, they finally had a beautiful little girl. Maisy Rose McCarty was blonde curls, blue eyes, and dimples she'd received from Emmett.

Maisy was in a puffy little pink parka, mittens, and a wool cap with kitty ears on top. But she was a brave little thing, taking to the yard at a run. I couldn't resist sitting down to watch the little game of football. It was slow, awkward, and full of laughter and teasing.

I forgot all about cooking for a few minutes, until Esme opened the door behind me carrying my jacket and Sid. The latter was wriggling to get free, and she set him down. By now, he was used to the chatter and chaos that came with all the kids, specifically his own kid, because he was as attached to Trace as much as my son was to Sid. Naps did not happen without Sid, which was why my little black cuddly goblin had made the trip to Stillwater for the holiday weekend.

"Sorry I abandoned you."

Esme grinned, draping my coat around my shoulders. "Don't be. Everything's in the oven. I was jealous. I wanted to come watch this."

Giggling, I leaned into her and opened my arms for Sid, who came to watch everyone from my lap. What started out as a football game slowly morphed into a snowball fight. Edward's patience at teaching Trace how to scoop up snow, make a ball, and throw it was simply perfection.

"Well, they'll need warm baths after this," Esme murmured wryly.

"Probably, but it's Christmas, so…" I trailed off, waving toward the squeals and happiness. "But they'll all be crashed out after dinner."

She grinned, looking to me. "That's not a bad thing."

Chuckling, I gazed over the group of people I loved so much. It was my own family mixed with Edward's. It was the next generation, too. Our families had grown beautifully.

Esme and I stayed on the porch steps as everyone seemed to make it outside to play in the snow. Snowballs were abandoned, and a snowman became the next project. My dad and Dana showed CJ how to pick the sticks for arms. Edward picked Trace up to add rocks and pinecones for the face. Maisy worked on buttons. And my brother gave up his scarf for Frosty.

Jasper was five years clean and sober. He occasionally went to NA meetings, and Edward had introduced him to Dr. Gerandy, but I was pretty certain that CJ and Alice were the reasons he stayed clean. He'd also became my right hand at Common Ground. When I was pregnant with Trace, I couldn't work as much toward the last trimester, so he stepped up. Eleazar showed him how to prep and clean and handle food. Carmen taught him the dining room, cash register, and how to close out the money at the end of the day. And my dad taught him how to order and stock up. Jasper was now my assistant there because I wanted time with my son.

Now that CJ was in school, Alice had started taking classes. Carlisle guided her on what was quick and easy, so she was studying to become a phlebotomist. She'd graduate next year, and we were all pretty sure Carlisle would pull strings to get her into Virginia Mason.

This was my family. We took turns babysitting and helping one another. We tried to make it to Stillwater as often as everyone's schedules would allow. The only other part of my family missing was Garrett and Katie. They wouldn't arrive until later Christmas Day because they were at her parents' home. Sophie was excited that she had a sister on the way.

Sometimes, I'd look back as to how all of this started. Maria's death had brought with it more questions than answers at the time, but it brought me Edward, his family, and some of the closest friends I'd ever known.

"Mommy…"

I smiled at my baby boy, his little chunky legs pumping as he ran my way. Esme got up when Maisy called for her.

Trace scrambled up the porch steps, plopping down next to me. He had pink cheeks and radiated pure energy as he tried to nudge Sid off my lap.

"Move, Sid," he stated, and Edward's chuckle was deep and highly amused.

Sid stared back with his usual wry glare, until Edward sat down on my other side, so Sid went to him so Trace could crawl into my lap.

"That's one handsome snowman you guys made," I praised both Edward and Trace.

"Thanks, beautiful," Edward said with a soft laugh, leaning in to kiss my temple and then his son's forehead as he ran a hand over Sid's head.

For a brief moment, I soaked up the love for my handsome boys – both human and feline. They were everything I never thought I'd have, and yet, here they were. I would've never guessed that the cop who'd interviewed me after Jasper's arrest or Maria's murder months later would end up becoming my other half. And I definitely wouldn't have considered a son in that picture.

"I love you guys," I whispered.

Placing my hands on either side of Trace's face, I gently squished his chubby cheeks to kiss him silly. Finally, I pulled off his cap to rake my fingers through his hair that was a shade darker than Edward's but fell every-damn-where. I adjusted his cap back on so he could run off to play with his grandpa Charlie.

Edward wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "You warm enough, baby?"

I nodded, feeling his kisses pressed to my head as I snuggled closer to him. There was a steadiness, a sense of calm around Edward now. His anxiety had eased up, only happening when he was stressed. And that was usually work-related.

It wasn't long before Nana Esme called an end to the cold, messy fun. Baths were given, and dinner was a loud, happy affair. Poor Trace was practically falling asleep at the table when I took him upstairs to Edward's old room.

Esme had converted it for the kids with bunk beds and cribs. I tucked my son into the latter, but he was almost ready for a big boy bed. I gazed around the room, the same room I'd stayed in when bad men with ugly intentions had been hunting my family. All those men were dead now. Marcus had killed himself, James had been killed by Edward, and Aro… Well, Aro might as well be dead. About a year after his sentencing to life in prison, a fellow inmate had beaten that man so badly that he now lived on machines. Even James's uncle, Randall Powell, was no longer around, having died of a heart attack prior to his trial.

They were all gone. Every last one of them. They'd hurt so many along the way – Bree, Maria, my brother, my father, not to mention Edward's mother. But they were done hurting people, and I slept better at night knowing that. I slept wrapped up in arms that defined safety and love and protection.

I gazed around Edward's bedroom one more time. I'd given my heart and body to Edward in this room during that time of fear and threats. It was still the same color blue on the walls, but his stuff had been packed up and stored away. Some of the books would go to Trace when he was old enough.

"Hmm?" I heard at my feet.

"Go on, Sid. He's already asleep," I whispered to my cat, who leaped into the bed with Trace.

I knew I needed to go downstairs to help start setting up presents for all the kids for Christmas morning, but I watched Trace sleep with Sid curled up around his legs for a few minutes longer. Soon, Jasper was carrying a sacked-out CJ, followed by Rose with Maisy. All the kids were asleep.

I turned to leave the room, pulling the door until it was just slightly cracked. Edward was just coming up the stairs when I stepped into the hallway.

"Trace okay?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Nodding, I walked straight to him and wrapped myself around him.

"You okay?" Edward asked with a slight chuckle.

I laughed a little and sighed. "Yeah, I was just… It's just me being all nostalgic."

Edward kissed the top of my head. "You're seriously breaking up with me on Christmas?"

I couldn't stop the laugh if I tried, but I pulled back to kiss him. "No way. You're kinda stuck with me now," I told him, repeating something he used to say. "We have a kid and everything."

His grin was glorious. It had always been disarming in its beauty, like a glowing, bright sunrise. He let out a laugh, nodding a little. That smile made more appearances now than it had when we'd first met, because Edward was happy, loved and, most importantly, healed.

"I'm perfectly fine with that," he whispered, brushing his lips over mine.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him back. "No breaking up. Ever."

He chuckled again, kissing me sweetly. "No, beautiful. Never again."

~oOo~

A/N… That's it, folks. I was asked about a sequel, but I don't see carrying this one on. Detective Masen isn't like Mercward where anything could come back or a mercenary is needed somewhere. So that being said, this is the end.

Now… Because I'm me, I have a few songs that pretty much molded this story the entire duration that I was writing it. Some are dark from the beginning, but lighten up as things progress. I'll list them out, but review if you want me to add a playlist to YouTube, which is under deb rotuno or the title of most of my fics.

"Watch the World Burn" by Falling in Reverse
"If Darkness Had a Son" by Metallica
"Bad Seamstress Blues" by Cinderella
"Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode
"Buttons" by The Pussycat Dolls Ft. Snoop Dogg
"King of Pain" by The Police
"Maybe It's Just Me" by Chris Klafford
"One Last Breath" by Tommee Profitt orig. by Creed (Elizabeth Masen's theme)
"Ordinary World" by Duran Duran
"The Pretender" by Foo Fighters
"My Hero" by Foo Fighters
"Run to You" by Lea Michele (the song they were dancing to at the wedding)
"The Light" by Disturbed

There are a few more, but those were the most listened to while writing. Let me know if you want a playlist.

I need to thank all of you who came along this ride. I owe huge thanks to DrivingEdward, who asked for this story. More thanks to Sunshine1220, maplestyle, and SueBee for prereading this. And love and mooches to JenRar who edits everything.

That's it. I'm out for now. There are things coming in the future (both fic and published) so watch out for those. Until next time… Mooches, Deb ;)