Thanks to: MsKathy and everintruiged for keeping my grammar, punctuation and past/present writing in check and for bringing out the best in my writing.

Disclaimer: The wonderful Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just get to play with her characters occasionally

ACK! I totally forgot to give credit in the last chapter to mskathy & antiaol. Both of these lovely ladies chatted out the proposal with me and helped me come up with it. It wouldn’t have been half as good without their help. So run over and check out my favorite stories written by them. MsKathy-The Discovery of Bella Swan and antiaol-Library Rendezvous (both are on my favorites list).

Epilogue

I couldn't believe that I was standing here, waiting to marry the man of my dreams. Every step that I had taken in my life led me to this point. I stared out from the plush hotel room window, over looking Waikiki Beach. Alice had been a life saver at planning the whole thing. If it had been up to me, we would have been getting married in front of the Carmel house.

I heard a small knock on the door as Alice and my mother came in to help me finish getting ready.

“You look so lovely with your hair pulled up like that,” Alice cooed as she ran in and embraced me. Alice had arranged for a makeup artist to come in and do my hair and make up and I was slightly surprised at the transformation that had taken place. My mother walked over to me and took me in her arms.

“You truly look beautiful, sweetheart,” she said, as she kissed my cheek.

“Thanks Mom.” I pulled away and went back to the window, watching as my father made his way to the area that I would be married. He waved his arms frantically at one of the men setting up chairs and I couldn’t help but giggle at his annoyance.

My mother came up behind me and looked down at what had caught my attention. She let out a little bark of laughter when Daddy started picking up chairs and rearranged them himself.

“Oh my, maybe I need to go down and talk to him,” she whispered. I shook my head and embraced her again as we watched him shouting orders.

“No, let him get all of his anxiety out on the chairs. Better then him flipping out on the groom again,” I said with laugh. Alice and my mother started laughing as we remembered the first time Daddy met my soon-to-be husband.

“When he pulled out the shotgun and started loading it in front of Justin, I thought that poor boy was going to pee his pants right there,” Alice said with a laugh.

“He learned that trick from my father,” my mom said.

“What? I haven’t heard this story?” I took her hand and pulled her towards the oversized bed and we all sat down. My mother let out a long sigh as she recounted the tale of the first time Daddy met Grandpa Charlie.

“The weekend after Edward proposed, we flew up to Washington so he could formally ask Charlie for my hand in marriage. Unfortunately, Seth had already gotten to Charlie and filled him in on the proposal. So, when we came into the house, he led us to the kitchen table where he was cleaning his gun.” We were all giggling at the thought of Grandpa being so intimidating because we all knew he was just a big teddy bear at heart.

“How did Daddy take it?”

“Not as well as Justin did. I think he considered eloping, then moving and changing all of our names,” she laughed. “However, once Charlie found out he was a doctor and was raising his two kids, I think he softened up enough to get to know Edward a little better.”

“I think that's so funny because Grandpa Charlie loves Daddy,” I said. My mother nodded in agreement.

“I just hope my wedding is as perfect as yours and Daddy’s was,” I said. I was only ten years old when they were married, but I remembered the beauty in its simplicity.

“Perfect doesn’t just happen,” Alice snorted. “I spent months making sure that everything would be perfect, just like I did today.” I leaned over and hugged Alice again.

“Thanks Aunt Ali, for making this day special for me,” I whispered, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill. “I just wanted to be married on the beach like Mom and Dad, with family surrounding us.”

I felt my mother rise from the bed as I let go of Alice and glanced at her. She was still as beautiful as she was fifteen years ago. Her mahogany hair still held the shine that it did then and there wasn’t one hint of gray, unlike my father who had a splatter of gray at his temples. He didn’t seem to be as worried about it like Papa was. My mother ran her fingers over the front of my wedding gown and then smiled at me.

“Should we get you into your gown? The ceremony starts in a half an hour,” she said as she looked at the clock. I nodded and stood up just as the pounding on the door began.

“Open up! We need to give the bride something!” I rolled my eyes as I heard the deep voice of my brother, and I made my way to let them in. As soon as I popped the latch, Seth pushed it open as quickly as he could and scooped me up in his arms, swinging me around while Anthony followed him inside.

I caught the strong smell of sea water and looked down to see huge arms clutching me against a bare chest. I groaned as I shoved at him.

“Put me down, right this minute!” I squealed. He chuckled, then loosened his hold until my feet were firmly on the ground. I pushed him back and noticed that he was in board shorts. I glared at Seth and then glanced over at Anthony who was also in a pair of board shorts.

“You had to go surfing today? You couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” I accused, giving both of them the evil eye. “You only have a half an hour before the ceremony starts”

“Don’t worry Sis, we’ll be ready,” Anthony assured. He was always the responsible one, so it irked me that Seth had probably talked him into catching a wave before the wedding. Either that or they were trying to impress some girl.

Both of them turned out to be extremely good looking. It was always a chore, fighting off the girls when we were in high school. Even my friends, who were a couple years older, were panting after them. During my senior year in high school, I stopped having sleepovers after one of my friends wound up getting caught in Seth’s bed the next morning. Mom was livid. I didn’t think I had ever heard her swear like that before. Tony was just as bad as Seth, however, he had learned the art of being discreet.

It didn’t hurt their popularity with the ladies now that they were both successful. Seth started his own dot com business right in the heart of Silicon Valley and in the first year made enough to pay for all four years of college. That is, if he would have continued. Dad was furious that he didn’t finish his education, but he stopped complaining when Seth showed him his tax returns and they showed that he made more than Daddy did that year. That was the end of the education speech.

Anthony, on the other hand, was starting his first year of med school. He chose to go to Stanford and continue the Cullen legacy. I felt sorry for the ladies in the bay area because these two were heartbreakers. Anthony had one steady girlfriend for awhile, but whatever happened, it ended badly. Ever since the break-up, he had adopted Seth’s rules on women. And yes, there were rules. I just didn’t want to know the specifics.

“You boys need to get out of here, get showered and down on the beach quickly. If you stall this wedding, you are not going to like the wrath of Alice or myself.”

“Yes ma’am,” Anthony said with that crooked grin that reminded me of Daddy. He walked over and kissed Mother’s cheek before slapping Seth on the back. Seth started for the door and then, almost as an after thought, turned around and kissed our mother’s cheek. A devilish smirk lit up his face as he started towards me with his arms wide open.

“The bride needs a hug from her loving brother,” he grinned. I squealed as I ran around the bed. Seth’s hugs always turned into a noogie and there was no way he was messing up the three hours I sat in the stylist’s chair.

“Don’t you dare come anywhere near me!” I squealed.

“Do I need to call your father in here?” Mother asked. Her stern tone left no room to argue, but I could see the small smile playing at her lips. Seth hung his head in defeat and then turned for the door.

“Save us a dance, Lizzy,” he called over his shoulder as he made his way out the door. I let out a sigh of relief and slumped onto the bed.

“Let’s get you dressed, Lizard,” Alice teased with a bounce in her step. I groaned and my lip jutted out.

“Can’t I go one day without that horrid nickname making an appearance?” I whined. Alice and Mom snickered as they pulled the dress from the hanger. I stood up and slipped the robe off my shoulders and Alice let out a cat call.

“Justin is going to be quite surprised to see that.” Alice remarked, as she appraised the lingerie she had picked out. I smiled and nodded my head in agreement.

“Oh my, please don’t mention anything pertaining to the honeymoon in Edward’s presence. I honestly don’t think he will be able to take it,” my mother groaned. We all started laughing as they slipped the dress over my head, being careful not to touch the perfectly placed curls.

“I hate to run, but I have to make sure everything is in order in the reception hall before the ceremony,” Alice said, as she picked up her purse and kissed my cheek. “You look beautiful, Elizabeth.” I saw a glisten in her eye before she quickly turned away and flounced out of the room.

I glanced at the woman who had been my mother for the past sixteen years. She smiled at me and I saw so much pride in her expression. That look was what drove me to be better. Ever since the day she married my father, and I called her my mother, I had wanted nothing more than to please her. She loved me unconditionally through my bratty adolescence and then was the shoulder that I cried on when I got my heart broken for the first time. She cried when I went off to college and was there when I graduated. She was my mother in every way. I thought back to when Daddy told me he wanted to marry her. He reminded me that I would be the lucky girl that had the love of two mothers, and I did.

I occasionally would find myself missing my birth mother and Bella was the person that I turned to in those moments. She would always say the right thing to help me through my loss. Alice once told me of the story of how they met and I often wondered if my real mother had anything to do with it. The coincidences were remarkable and there was no denying that Bella was exactly what our family needed at that time. I felt a tear slide down my cheek and Bella instantly took me into her arms. I towered over her by almost five inches, but she still pulled me down until her face was inches from mine.

“What is it, Liz?” she asked, as she pressed a kiss to my temple.

“I’m just so grateful that you are my mother,” I whispered. “That you came into our lives when you did. I don’t know what would have happened to Daddy. He’d probably still be alone and then I would have probably turned into a hateful person.” Bella shushed me quietly as she took me in her arms and rubbed my back.

“None of that matters. We're a family and you can’t look back on the ‘what ifs’,” she said quietly. I nodded my head and looked into her eyes as she continued to pour out the love that she radiated.

“Do you think that Justin and I can have a love like you and daddy?” I asked. I was starting to feel the nerves bubble in my stomach. I knew that Justin and I loved one another, almost from the moment we laid eyes on each other, but I couldn’t help but be worried. I saw the perfect example of love and wanted what my father and Bella had.

“Oh baby,” Bella whispered. “I see it in his eyes. Justin looks at you like your father always looks at me. He’s a good man. You need to hold on to him tightly and not ever let him go.”

“How did you know that Daddy was the one?” I asked. Bella took a deep breath and let it out with a contented sigh.

“I always knew that he was who I wanted to spend my life with,” she began. “But it was so much more. I fell in love with the way he loved you and Tony, and how he took Seth under his arm and loved him, even though he wasn’t his biologically. I fell in love with his compassion and that he could love so deeply that he could keep your mother in his heart without ever making me feel like I meant less than she did,” she said. She chuckled lightly before she continued. “It wasn’t always perfect. We butted heads on more than one occasion when it came to raising you kids, and there were sometimes that I wanted to slap the arrogant comments right out of him. But that’s what marriage is all about. It’s just a matter of making sure that you always give more than you take.”

I nodded my head in agreement. I had watched that happen over the years and they were the perfect example of balance in a relationship. Bella was brushing the tears carefully off my cheek that I hadn’t realized had fallen, when there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” she called.

My father opened the door slowly as he came in and I couldn’t help but smile at the sheepish look he had on his face. He knew he was in the doghouse for the way he treated Justin at the rehearsal, but I couldn’t be mad at him because he was still my sweet, over protective daddy.

“Look at you, sweetheart,” he said as he came into the room. “You look as beautiful as Bella did on our wedding day.” He came up to me, kissed my forehead and all was forgiven for his caveman behavior the night before.

“Thank you, Daddy.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him close, just as I saw the flash of a camera. We both looked over at Bella and she was standing with a wide grin on her face.

“Another photo for the scrapbook,” she sang. I rolled my eyes. My mother had turned into a scrapbook addict, thanks to Nana. They spent a couple nights a month either at our house or Nana’s, scrapbooking until the wee hours of the night.

Nana and Papa bought a small cottage in Carmel Valley after Daddy and Bella were married. Nana said they preferred the constant sun, but wanted to be close enough to their family and the ocean. They bought an old vineyard and Papa said he was going to start making his own wine. It was a running joke in the family that he just wanted an excuse to become a lush and shirk his responsibilities. Of course, Papa was anything but those things, but it didn’t stop Uncle Em and Daddy from teasing him.

Daddy held out my arms and looked me over before letting out a long sigh. “My baby girl is finally all grown up and ready to start her own family.” There was a hint of sadness in his voice.

“I thought I was your baby girl?” a small voice said from the doorway. We turned to see my baby sister, Renesmee, walking in the room. She had a brilliant smile that lit up any room she walked into. Her bronze hair was pulled up into a stylish twist that had curls cascading over her shoulders; her chocolate brown eyes held a glint of mischief that was so similar to Seth’s, that it fit her personality perfectly. She was dressed in a simple blue dress I had picked out for my bridesmaids that complimented her skin tone.

At fifteen, Renesmee was quickly becoming a woman. With her drop dead gorgeous looks and her sarcastic personality, she was more than a handful for my parents to deal with. For the most part, she was a good girl, but she was stubborn and wanted her freedom more than the rest of us ever did, which caused her to constantly butt heads with my father’s over protective ways. Our brothers doted on her while we were growing up, along with giving her a sense of adventure that couldn’t be contained.

“Can’t I have more than one baby girl?” my father asked cheekily, with a raised eyebrow. Renesmee laughed and shook her head.

“You can have whatever you want, Daddy,” she said as she kissed his cheek.

“You look beautiful, Lizard,” she said with a smirk. I scowled at her and then smiled sweetly before turning to Daddy.

“I think you may need to keep an eye on that waiter from last night’s dinner,” I said evilly. Renesmee gasped next to me and I could almost feel her anger come off in waves.

“What waiter?” Daddy asked.

“The one that was flirting with Mae,” I said with an air of victory. Renesmee stomped her foot, willing me to stop the direction the conversation was going in. “I caught her outside the rehearsal dinner exchanging phone numbers with him and from what I understand; he'll be at the reception tonight.” Renesmee growled at me before turning back to Daddy, trying to smooth over the wrath that was sure to come.

He faced her with a frown, while Bella sat on the bed and giggled uncontrollably at the irrational papa bear that was about to make an appearance.

“I want to be able to see you at all times during the reception. If you disappear like you did in Paris, I’m going to ground you for life,” he spat. I held in the chuckles while she tried to smooth things over by turning into the princess that she had become. If she worked it right, she would have him wrapped around her finger in a matter of seconds. Bella stood up and placed her hands on her shoulders.

“You're not sweet talking your way out of this one,” she said as she pulled Renesmee to the door. “We’ll see you downstairs.” Renesmee gave me a malicious glare before closing the door. I let out a small chuckle and watched as my father ran his hands through his hair in aggravation.

“How come she’s so head strong? You were never like that,” he said. I snorted at that comment. How easily he forgot how horrible I actually was.

“I beg to differ. I was just as bad as she was when you and Bella first started dating.”

“That was different,” he said in an exasperated tone. “You were young and I was stupid.” He pointed at the closed door. “She is completely out of control. You never got into trouble as a teenager. Even Seth and Anthony didn’t have anything on her.” I couldn’t contain the giggles.

“The joys of being a parent,” I said with a smile.

“Just you wait until you have kids,” he said and then shook his head. “I don’t even want to think about that.” I couldn’t contain the giggles. My father took my hand and all teasing vanished as his green eyes scanned my face.

“You look so much like your mother did when we were married,” he whispered. I felt the tears start to prick behind my eyes and I smiled. He smiled sadly back at me as we shared a quiet moment of reflection.

“I wish she was here,” I said quietly. He pulled me into his arms and I buried my face in his chest, trying not to wipe my make up on his crisp white shirt.

“She is. She’s always been with you and I’ve come to realize that she’s watched over all of us through the years. I sometimes wonder if she had a hand in bringing Bella into our lives.” I nodded my agreement, a little in awe at him saying the same thing that I had been thinking earlier. His finger slid under my chin and he lifted my face up to his. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Edward Cullen

I needed to keep it together until after the ceremony. This day had been planned for almost a year, but it was still the hardest thing I had ever had to do. I shook my head as I led my daughter down into the lobby of the hotel. I gripped her hand in mine and could almost feel the nervousness wash over her. When we reached the patio doors that led down to the beach, where I would hand her over to an unworthy male, I stopped and turned her towards me.

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” I asked for the hundredth time that weekend. “It’s not too late. We can go out, get in the rental car and I can take you home.” I could hear the almost pleading in my voice. I knew that this Justin character was a good guy. He had just passed the bar and was now a full fledged attorney. He’d be able to provide her with the luxury that she was accustomed to, and from what I had observed, loved her more than life itself. However, I couldn’t help but feel that no man was good enough for my baby.

I admit, I had been a complete ass at the rehearsal dinner, but I had my suspicions that he was pushing my buttons too. Bella reassured me that he wasn’t, as she pulled me out of the restaurant and reprimanded me like a five-year-old. She told me that there was only room for one man in her life and I needed to let go. I knew she was right, but I was having a hard time accepting it.

“I’m sure, Daddy. I love him more than anything,” she whispered. Her beautiful blue eyes looked up at me and I had the confirmation that I needed. I nodded, then wrapped her arm around mine and opened the door that led to my heartache. As we approached the beach, Liz kicked off her shoes and I did the same, both of us stepping out onto the fine sand. I was extremely thankful she had opted for a casual wedding. She looked lovely in a simple white dress that billowed slightly around her with the ocean breeze. I kept my eyes focused on where I was going and avoided the gaze of my soon-to-be son-in-law. I glanced up and Bella was smiling widely at us, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Both my boys were grinning from ear-to-ear and I felt the smile tug at my lips. They loved their sister so much. It took awhile for us to all find our groove together after Bella and I married. It took moving out of the Carmel house and into one that was for all of us before things started to feel more like ours. The house was now a vacation rental and one day we would pass it on to the children, but however much we tried to make things work, it always felt like Tanya’s house.

Bella and Liz planted pansies at the new house so Liz and Tony could have a little piece of their mother with them. Bella also did other small things to show that just because we moved, she wasn’t trying to erase Tanya. We kept several of the more expensive art pieces, but left most at the house. Bella had taken photographs of the house and made a scrapbook for Anthony and Liz so they could remember how it looked before we got it ready to be rented out.

I felt Liz squeeze my arm and it pulled me back to the present where I knew that I was about to hand my little girl over to the big bad wolf. I stopped in front of Justin and his eyes were completely transfixed on my baby. I looked over at Liz and there was a glint in her eye and I couldn’t deny that she loved him very much. I let out a long sigh, drawing both their attention to me. I looked into Justin’s eyes and he gave me a knowing smile. I felt myself soften a little to his obvious understanding of how hard this was for me.

“She’s my little girl, so take good care of her,” I said quietly. His smile widened and he nodded his head at my consent. I turned to my lovely daughter and the tears she had been holding back were freely falling. I reached up and brushed them away as I felt the lump in my throat tighten. “I love you, Lizzy. I just want you to be happy.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” she said with a small smile. I leaned in and kissed her cheek softly, just as my own tear slid down my face. I took her hand and gently placed it in Justin’s, then turned to see my beautiful wife with her own tears falling. As soon as I sat down beside her, she wrapped her arm around my back and whispered soothingly to me.

The ceremony was over too quickly and I tried to hold back the protectiveness I felt when her husband dipped my baby girl slightly and planted a hearty kiss on her lips. We stayed out on the beach where the photographer took several pictures, then sent us up to the restaurant where we would end the evening with a small reception of family and close friends.

“They really are perfect for each other,” Bella whispered as we watched them glide effortlessly across the dance floor. I grunted in response, which earned a cackle from my beloved. “Oh no, they didn’t.” Bella’s voice had changed from light to a low growl. I looked in the direction she was glaring and was met with the sight of Seth and Anthony walking in, with not one, but two girls on their arms. I let out a laugh that earned a pinch from my wife before she stood up to confront my two playboy sons. I grabbed her arm and tugged her back down into her seat before she caused a scene.

“You complain that I’m over-protective of Liz and Mae, but then look at you when it comes to the boys,” I teased.

“I’m not over-protective,” she defended. “After Tony’s nasty break up, I just don’t want to see them get wrapped up with more gold diggers,” she stated with a huff. I laughed and pointed to the two girls that they had brought.

“I don’t think a relationship is what's on either of their minds,” I said with a laugh. Bella growled at me and then that devilish smirk was on her face and I knew I was in trouble.

“I wonder how long before Liz and Justin start their family. You know, we could have a honeymoon grandbaby,” she said happily. It was my turn to growl, and then I glanced over at the happy couple as they ended their dance.

“I don’t want you to even bring that up,” I snapped as my eyes continued to follow them back to their table. She let out a laugh at irritating me before she leaned in and whispered seductively in my ear.

“I can take your mind off of it, if you like?” Her warm breath tickled the hair behind my ear and I felt myself straining in my pants. After sixteen years of marriage, she still had complete command over my body.

“Oh really? What is it that you have in mind?” I asked, turning to face her. The mischievous grin on her face told me exactly what she had planned. I smiled to myself before standing up and holding out my hand to her. She looked nervously back at the table our daughter was sitting at, before shaking her head.

“Edward, we can’t leave now. What would Liz think?”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. Her face turned to confusion as I held in my chuckle and kept a straight face. “We aren’t leaving. I just want to dance with my beautiful wife.” I watched as relief and then slight disappointment marred her features. “After the dance, we're slipping out of here, even if I have to throw you over my shoulder.” Her smile returned and she placed her hand in mine as I pulled her against my side. I led her out onto the floor and spun her around before pulling her into my arms.

I watched as Jasper led out his only girl and propped her up on his toes before dancing her around the floor. My parents were sitting in a corner table, talking with Alice and Emmett. We were all on baby watch as Rose stayed behind with Lily since she was about to give birth to their first grandchild. I scanned the room for Mae and found her leaning over the bar, talking with the waiter from last night. My body tensed and Bella looked up to see what had gotten my attention. She squeezed my hand, distracting me from going over there and dragging Mae away.

“Relax, Papa Bear. She’s just talking to him,” Bella said with a laugh. I found myself smiling, even with my desire to go shove my fist through the bartender's perfectly white teeth. “So, do tell what you have planned after you throw me over your shoulder and drag me away like the caveman I know and love.”

“Mmmmm, Mrs. Cullen. That, I will just have to show you,” I said, pulling her closer until she could feel what she was doing to me, pressed into her stomach. She let out a small groan and I chuckled, feeling quite satisfied that I could get the same reaction out of her that she got from me. The song changed and I looked up at the DJ. Liz was standing next to him smiling at me and Bella. The sound of Aerosmith came through the speakers and I looked at Bella who was smiling up at me.

“We were dancing to this when you finally told me you loved me,” she whispered. I nodded as her head rest softly on my shoulder. I felt like the luckiest man in the world. I had a beautiful family and the most amazing wife that any man could ask for.

She held not only my heart, but my soul; forever.

This is the end *sniff*. It's truly been an amazing ride. Thank you for every single person that has encouraged me. I appreciate your support and can't express my thanks enough to those that helped. I thanked them along the way and you girls know who you are.

A special thanks to my husband that finally picked up reading my story after chapter 30 and then became my biggest cheerleader. *mwah babe*

HOFY has been nominated for a couple of Bellie (voting starts July 15) the Razzle Dazzle Awards (voting starts June 30) and the Twilight Choice Awards. Thanks to those that nominated HOFY.

No sequel. I’m a Happily Ever After kinda girl and once we get the HEA the story is over for me. I have considered writing Seth, Tony’s or Renesmee’s story but I give no guarantees that something better might pop into my little brain later.

Devils Angel will be up towards the end of summer possibly early fall so make sure you have me on AUTHOR ALERT. I also had a poll on my profile that asked which outtakes you guys wanted to see. I'll be writing the top two soon, they'll be posted in the HOFY Outtakes.

Lots of people asked about the ring in the last chapter. Bella really didn’t get a good look at it, since she was more concerned with the actual proposal than what the ring looked like. Silly girl.

FEED MY ADDICTION AND REVIEW, PLEASE.