dusk

final chapter

An Epilogue

It had been two weeks since the 'war' ended. A lot of things had changed since then. Billy Black was arrested and charged for arson. He was to serve six months in jail then get psychiatric help for the loss of his son and for claiming that other town's members were 'vampires'.

The town's people who tried to mob the Cullen's house accepted the Cullens with open arms. Perhaps it was their need for a good doctor after being hit by a car, or maybe it was because they felt like complete idiots for listening to the rants of someone who is now in jail and needs psychiatric help.

The remaining Elders of the reservation started to repress the lycanthrope gene once again. They never filed missing persons reports on those who died during the war.

I never got charged with vehicular assault like I feared for hitting people with my car. No one died and even if someone did try to sue me my behavior was pure self-defense.

Charlie forgave me for ditching him on the plane when I told him a lie about how I had a panic attack about going on a plane in the ladies bathroom and that the only way to calm myself down was by getting as far from the airport as possible.

The Cullens finally rebuilt their house. It was stunning and basically the exact same layout as before, except for a mysterious guest bedroom that was now added. I had been over once or twice in the past two weeks, but only by Alice's invitation. Edward never spoke to me.

Victoria's corpse was never found when the rubble was removed, but we know there was no way she could've survived.

Another major difference was that now the Cullens were allowed onto the reservation. I had spent the better part of today on First Beach with Alice collecting different colored rocks. She had gone home but I told her I needed time to think.

I was now sitting on the ledge of a cliff overlooking the ocean with my legs dangling off. The height hadn't bothered me at all. I was staring into the distance, just thinking and waiting for twilight.

I hadn't been myself since Edward and I stopped talking. I was more of a hollow shell then anything. I felt sad and lonely, but at least I felt.

Laurent moved into a condo in Port Angeles. He lived there for a couple of weeks at a time, then he would go somewhere else. I often wondered where but I never asked.

When he did come we would see each other almost everyday. He and I had almost become as good of friends as Alice and I had. I had kept my distance from Alice, and all the other Cullens for that matter. I found it awkward to be around Edward's family when we were on such weird terms.

I tried to be as nice as possible to them, though. Alice always told me to loosen up around her, but I just couldn't.

With Laurent, on the other hand, it seemed as if I could talk to him for hours. He was so easy to talk to. I often vented my problems on him and he often gave me genuinely good advice. When I asked him about Edward, he told me to give Edward space.

He kept his job as a psychiatrist on part time terms after I hassled him for two hours one day at how good he was at the job. He just laughed and said he had a gift.

I always felt bad for killing Jacob, no matter how many times I told myself that it was either him or me. I wondered days on end if that was the best way to handle things, if maybe I could've talked to him first and saved both of our lives.

His biggest mistake had been falling in love with me, and that was a fact. I wondered if Edward had realized that and that's why he acted as if I didn't exist.

A light breeze passed by me, and I distinctly caught Edward's smell within the wind. I turned around, not exactly overly excited to see him.

"Yes, Edward?" I called out, even though I couldn't see him.

He walked out of the forest in what looked like a tuxedo jacket, a white button down shirt, and jeans. He looked amazing. He placed a portable stereo on a rock before coming to sit down next to me.

"Bella…" he started, but trailed off.

"Bella, I miss you." He continued.

"Why did you ignore me in the first place?" I asked, my tone sharper then I meant it to be.

He looked at me and his eyes were full of sorrow and another emotion I just couldn't quite place.

"I was thinking about our relationship. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed we were never on the same page. I would think I was doing something so right, but you would get offended. You would do something you thought embarrassing, but I thought lovely," he said.

I looked down at the ocean, tears starting to well up in my eyes. I had never related well to people, but I thought Edward was the one exception. I guess he thought differently.

"What do you want me to say to that, Edward?" I said, staring back at him.

"Don't say anything," he whispered, wiping a tear off of my face. They had begun to fall.

"Edward, I love you. You have no idea how much guilt I felt when I didn't say I loved you before the war. I had to come back," I said.

"And I'm glad you did," he said.

I raised an eyebrow at him. He certainly hadn't acted like he did.

"I never knew how much you being there affected me. Seeing what I was fighting for made me fight that much harder," he whispered.

He got up and turned on the stereo. A song I wasn't familiar with came on.

"And the more I thought about how we weren't always on the same page, I realized something," he said, holding his hand out for me to get up and join him. I got up and we started slowly dancing to the song. I listened to the lyrics and started relaxing.

Dancing where the stars go blue

Dancing' where the evening fell

Dancing in my wooden shoes

In a wedding gown

"What did you realize?" I whispered.

I realized that…" He began again.

Dancing out on 7th street

Dancing through the underground

Dancing little marionette

Are you happy now?

"I realized that that's what makes us love each other as much as we do," he said, looking down at me, his eyes smoldering.

Where do you go when you're lonely?

Where do you go when you're blue?

Where do you go when you're lonely, I'll follow you

When the stars go blue

When the stars go blue

Blue...

He slowly bent down his head, and as the sun set and twilight began, we kissed.