Yin & Yang

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters, they belong respectively to Stephanie Meyer. These words however are my own.

AN: First off once again I want to say the most wonderful and amazing Ksangi deserves the biggest sparkly gold star I can find. Not only is she a grammar Queen but she has the heart of Esme and the humour of Alice. Thank you for helping me so much; you really are the very best kind of person out their!

People were under the impression that the chapter before this one was the final chapter. Sorry about that, this is the last chapter to Yin & Yang. Thank you for putting up with the nonsense in my brain and not only reading this story but faving/reviewing/alerting it too. Your kind words and actions mean a lot to me. If anyone is interested in seeing a sequel (or at least a side story about Jake and the person he mentions in this chapter) then I could probably write it for you. I get distracted veeeeery easily though. Heh.

If I had to write an independent story it would totally be about a hot Vampire who has a Mafia like life style. But Vampires are everywhere on this site; and none of them are as good looking as Edward. Maybe it could be a demon? Or a teenager who could transform into the animal that's connected to their soul? Pfft, like that would ever work.

Ah well, enjoy everyone! The ride has been wonderful.

P.S. My version of Edward can now be seen in my profile. It's not exactly what I had in mind for him but it's pretty darn close!

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--Five Years Later--
(Esme's POV)

The air was sweet and remorseful in this place; it's impassive breeze swayed through the grass around my legs as somewhere far off a bird gave a sharp cry. We had come to this place once I had suggested it; leaving sometime around noon even though there was so much to be done. Carlisle would never admit that he would want to leave his heavy heart behind in this place; to do so would be to painful. But I had hoped that it would allow him to see that we were all in a better place, a time of healing and happiness. My heart ached from the remorse he felt because he had not saved him, even though a large part of him never wanted to, and that it was his true last living link to a past he had left behind.

"He wasn't a monster" I said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder, "He may have caused a lot of pain but it wasn't his fault; not really. Someone can only take so much before they are broken."

The grave stones sat in a line of grey; markings from a time that was before even my own. Tangled plant webs had laid claim to the stone and most were very nearly destroyed but there was one that almost shone like a white beacon amongst the others. It was there we had stopped; it had been only the second time Carlisle had visited after we had buried the young man here. But it had felt right; this was the rightful resting place for him, where he truly belonged with the former Hunters and family of the others.

Carlisle traced a hand over the smooth stone reading the name carved into it "But he wasn't my family either; you my dearest Esme and our children have always been my family."

I smiled "It's not wrong to wonder Carlisle. Your brother would have been happy that you were able to give this gift to a member of your family."

I looked to the sky; it's radiating brilliance was starting to diminish. I bit my lip in anticipation we would need to leave soon if we were going to be able to return by tomorrow. Carlisle seemed to sense the same thing he stood while dusting off his pants.

"Yes, after all we were given a much greater gift." Carlisle agreed, intertwining his hand with mine to place them on my swollen belly, "The gift of life".

--3 Days Later--
(Bella's POV)

"Are you ready for this?" Alice, for the thousandth time smoothed the train of my ridiculous long white dress while I tried to fix my hair.

I took a deep breath; ignoring the strain it caused against my chest, "As ready as I'll ever be Alice" I replied, watching as she continued to fret about with the little intricate details I failed to see.

So, this was it right? My story was over. The wedding was here and I was marrying the man I knew and loved and would continue to until the very end of time. Cover closed, pages read, we were done. But I was happy with everything; that I was going to be able to look into the eyes of someone who had my heart from the very first day I met him. I looked to Alice, her smiling tanned face exuberant, and knew that she was happy for me too, for us, for everyone. And then I couldn't help but smile too.

"There we go" she sang; finally setting down a needle and thread, her hands fluttering, "You are finished!" she exclaimed.

I wanted to stretch but I was afraid my face would crack. I unsteadily stepped down off the stool and set my satin sheathed foot onto the floor, thankful that I had something a little more stable to stand on. I gave Alice control over the wedding. She had chosen the décor, the food, even the color of my flowers and had transformed the Cullen backyard into a red and white world of fantasy. She insisted that I help her out a little, complaining that her poor mortal senses were to dull now, when in reality she just wanted to have someone to fuss with about everything. There was no slowing her down now that she was human; in fact she was more energetic than ever. Together with Edward however we had dwindled the guest list down to hover around a hundred; which was about eighty more people then I thought I ever knew. The only thing I had really wanted any say in was the time of the wedding; I had wanted it to be at twilight. I thought it was fitting, considering everything that it symbolized.

Rosalie came through the door adorning the beautiful off the shoulder red dress that she, Alice and Esme were wearing as my brides maids. In everyday clothes she looked amazing, but in formal wear she was stunning. She smiled at me and I forced myself to smile back.

"Alice dear, she can't be late for her own wedding", she chastised, handing her a can of hairspray. I held my breath as Alice stood on tippy-toes to spray the aerosol can all over my head. She stepped back a moment to examine her handy work and I watched as Rosalie nodded appreciatively.

"She's not going to be late Rose, we're almost done here aren't we Bella?" she said, sounding defensive. I threw her a wide eyed 'Thank God!' look and Rosalie chuckled.

We were interrupted by a high pitched whistle as Jasper and Emmett looking extremely handsome in their black tuxes entered the room.

"Geez Bella, you're a knockout!" Emmett exclaimed, circling around and giving me an appreciative nod and a wink, "Wait till Eddie get's a load of you!" Instantly, I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks. Rosalie primly smacked Emmett in the back of his head.

Jasper, grinning widely, walked past Emmett and placed a kiss on my cheek. "I never thought I'd say this Bella but I agree with Emmett," and I blushed even more. I wanted to take the opportunity to remind everyone about Rosalie's warning but I was sure it was just going to fall on deaf ears. I sighed but not before seeing a grin split across Emmett's face.

"Don't worry Bella; I have the first aid kit ready and an ambulance service on speed dial just in case you decide to take a spill when walking up the aisle to Edward" he said, almost completely serious. I already had that part covered of course. I was wearing white satin ballerina slippers; even after all this time I was still as clumsy as ever. Rosalie shot him a glare; and Alice stuck her tongue out at him but I just grimaced and then laughed.

"Thanks, you should make sure Carlisle wears his doctor scrubs under his tuxedo just in case I split my head open or something."

Emmett continued to grin cheekily, "I never thought about that. I'll have to ask him if he has any of those cool looking stethoscopes' just in case."

Rosalie looked irritated and Alice was tapping her foot. Jasper steered his brother from the room knowing full well that their pent up scorn could prove deadly.

"Might as well reserve an operating room while your at it" I called after him as he left; I laughed then and the feeling seemed to ease my frayed nerves. When I was done both Rosalie and Alice looked at me as if I were nuts. I shrugged.

Esme flitted in then; and I wondered how many more people Alice's room could fit. Her eyes instantly welled with tears and she looked to be in total awe of my presence.

"You are beautiful Bella…" she whispered, pulling me into an awkward sideways hug. Her growing belly had become too big to attempt anything more. She pulled away after a moment and I saw her dap at the corner of her hazel eyes with a delicate white handkerchief, "Your Mother and Step-Father just arrived Charlie picked them up from the airport."

I let out a long sigh; it was show time. I thanked Esme and bid my adieu to Rosalie for the moment as Alice helped me and my dress down the stairs. I could already hear my Mother's boisterous laughter from the hallway.

"Mom" I said, as I managed to get down the last step. Alice released my arm as Renee drew me into a sweeping hug.

"Oh Bella, you look gorgeous!" she breathed, hugging me tighter, "Doesn't she look amazing Phil? She's just like I was when I was her age."

"Thank you for coming Mom, Phil; it really means a lot to us." Phil gave his sincere congratulations and hugged me briefly. As he stepped away I saw Charlie standing off to the side holding something white in his hands; I looked at him quizzically, excused myself and made my way over to him. He smiled tentatively, looking out of place in such a grand manor as the Cullen's.

"You look great kiddo" he said, twisting that same white thing in his hands. It took a moment to realize what it was.

My mouth hung open a little, "Dad are you crying?" I asked, incredulously. I didn't expect him to be the one for tears. My father gave a light scoff and hid the napkin in his pocket.

"No, just seasonal allergies that's all" he rebuffed, clearing his throat, "Maybe you should have that soon to be husband of yours do some dusting around here."

I smiled and pulled him into a hug, "Don't worry Dad. Everything is going to be fine" I stepped away then and we both had glistening eyes.

My Mother chattered her way over and dragged Phil along with her, "Alice told me you haven't chosen your honeymoon destination yet Bella. The Bahamas's are wonderful this time of year, I could get my travel agent right on it" she babbled, excitement showing through.

I could see the color drain from Charlie's face at the idea of a honeymoon and what it would entail. I was glad, for once, that he didn't know everything. Edward and I had already performed the 'honeymoon ritual' already -- several times in --fact. Alice seemed to sense my distress and gave a ready made smile.

"Ah…Charlie have we shown you the rest of our family cars yet? I have a 911 Porsche Turbo out there that would love a test drive sometime. Why don't you come take a look at it?" Alice took his arm and tugged on it gently. Phil's eyes widened like a kid in a candy store and asked to come along too; my Mother of course went along just so she could see the rest of the Cullen estate. I was gladly left alone and I ducked out the back door to the side of the house so I could take a breather.

"Needed some air huh?" the voice came from the side and I jumped a little at the sound. Jake stood in a dark suit with one hand casually in his pocket, "Not too late to run for it you know." His light teasing put me at ease and I swatted at his arm just like old times.

"Thanks for coming Jake, I'm really glad you could be here" I told him honestly, I didn't want him to miss out on a day such as this. It was too important and I cared about him too much.

Jake smiled, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world considering you cancelled your last one to go to University. How irresponsible was that? I thought true love was supposed to win out over stuff like that!"

I grinned lightly, a gentle breeze had picked up and it ruffled the material of my dress and lifted my veil behind me like a sail. "What can I say? Sometimes you just have to be responsible and make decisions based on that certain point in your life."

I could already hear the scoff in his voice; he turned to look at me with a critiques mocking smile as he smoothed down my veil, "True. I'm still older than you though, you know. Getting married may put you ahead a few years but I'm already way past your time."

"Of course" I laughed "How could I forget?"

Jake still looked the same age as I was physically and so there was talk of stopping the phasing process for a while to keep up with the appearances. After all, the threat was gone now, but they still didn't want to take any chances on the matter.

We were quiet for a moment and Jake slipped his hand through mine; it was a causal gesture and I leaned my head on his shoulder. It was nice like this; his still too warm body a reminder of the supernatural world. But that was over now, for Edward at least. And it was nice being able to have them talk civilly, well once in a while anyway, without words like 'leech lover' and 'dog' or 'bloodsucker' thrown around.

"Sam found out he has a sister" Jake said, his sudden turn of words made me interested "Apparently his good for nothing Father abandoned his mother for another woman."

I looked up at him, "Really?" I asked I had almost all but forgotten about that detail of imprinting, "Is he planning on meeting her?"

His face twisted into one I hadn't seen in a long time, "Looks like it. His Father threatened Sam and blamed him for ruining another family member. When in reality, the genes came from him. Sam's sister is yet another innocent affected by this stupid curse."

I gave a light gasp "You don't mean?"

I watched as Jake closed his eyes and nodded, "Yeah, another one to add the pack. Leah will be happy it's a female at least" he sighed and I pulled him into a hug.

"I'm here anytime you need me ok Jake? Anytime you want to talk just let me know" I was his best friend after all, I couldn't let something like this go unspoken about.

Jacob kissed the top of my head, "It's ok Bells. I'm here for you too remember? If you ever need a running partner then be my guest to call me. I doubt he can catch up with us now." He laughed and I laughed too; we broke apart and he gestured his head to the side "Go on kid, your going to be late if you don't stop talking to an old fella like me."

I chuckled at his choice of words and nodded; I felt better then I did before and after a final hug I made my way back into the now house full of people. There was a time when I would have feared walking down the aisle and seeing Jake there. Fear because I knew my heart strings would tug painfully in two different directions, like they had done several years ago, with a wound in my heart that only his warmth could fill. But he seemed genuinely happy for me as he gave a big smile my way and watched as I would give my heart to another man. This is the Jake that I knew and loved, there was no bitter mask of hatred, just warm kindness radiating from him. I didn't have to worry about him stopping the wedding or the sudden appearance of a pack of werewolves trying to break up the reception. Everything had been lulled into a gentle state of peace. The vampires were gone -- so to speak -- and the wolves could live their own lives once more.

I wove through the throng of waiters, florists and a photographer catching snippets of congratulations and merry words before Carlisle and Esme came over to me hand in hand. "Everything is ready Bella" Carlisle explained, his face a pleasant smile, "You better head to your place so the wedding can start."

I nodded and headed straight to Alice and Rosalie standing at the foot of the stairs,"Your Dad is in the living room waiting for you; go out to the picket archway and I'll give you your cue from there" she said ushering me inside with a gentle push, "Just keep putting one foot in front of the other Bella!" I walked into the living room wondering if Emmett's forewarning had triggered a vision. Wouldn't that be wonderful? I thought sourly, Falling on the biggest day of my life…

I scowled at myself and tried to think positive as a pair of hands suddenly closed over my eyes. I froze I could feel the hot breath of the person behind me on my neck.

"You are not supposed to see the bride before the wedding you know" I warned, but I tugged at his hands a little so I could turn and face him. He didn't budge and I could hear him chuckle deep in his chest.

"I was careful to see as little as possible" Edward whispered and the sound of his voice so close to me made me shudder a little. Even now his effect on me was mind boggling. "Besides I didn't think you believed in superstitions?"

Now it was my turn to laugh "The only superstition that I believe in is the one of us being beaten to death with a very expensive pair of shoes by an angry pixie if we're late for our own wedding" I joked, but knew that there was a distinct possibility of it being real if we didn't hurry.

Edward's lips brushed against the side of my cheek, "You are right as always. The next time we see each other will be as husband and wife" I took a deep breath; as he kissed my neck gently, "You make a beautiful blushing bride."

I could already imagine his expression, his crooked smile almost taunting me behind my eye lids, just as he released me, I turned to catch a glimpse of him but he had already vanished. All those years of practice must have really paid off. Someone cleared their throat and I looked over to see Charlie standing in the doorway. It was obvious from his red cheeks he had heard something he really wished he hadn't.

"Um…ready?" he asked, his hand extending to mine.

I took it and curled my fingers around his, "Yeah Dad; let's do this"

We made our way out into the yard to where Rosalie, Alice and Esme were waiting for us. Alice shot me a look but it quickly melted away as she hugged me tightly, "I'm so happy for you Bella" she whispered and I hugged her back tightly. After all I felt like the happiest woman on the planet right now.

Alice stepped into position in front of me and I released my Father's fingers to take his arm instead. I stood, maybe a little too upright, with my head held high as somewhere the music began to play. All eyes were suddenly facing our direction. Rosalie swept elegantly down the aisle followed by a glowing Esme. Before stepping away from us, Alice turned and gave Charlie and I the thumbs up before dancing her way down the aisle. The music changed to my lullaby, everyone stood their eyes trained on me as we began to walk; I forced myself to go along with him and found an uneasy smile had spread across my face. I felt like a deer caught in head lights; but I wasn't going to run. I passed through my guests with a smile on my face catching glimpses of my neighbors and family and friends. From their seats Angela and Ben gave a big wave and smile, while next to them Jessica's face was pouting and Mike kept looking down so I couldn't really catch his eye, I thought I could even see Lauren there as well with her arms crossed even though I was sure we hadn't invited her. It was a reunion of sorts and seeing their faces excited and frightened me all at the same time.

But all of that faded into the background when I saw him; even though all eyes were on me, my eyes were only for Edward. His face was more beautiful then an angel's and my heart swelled to impossible heights. I wondered if his face was mimicking my own; as he parted his lips slightly and then smiled. The sparkle in his emerald green eyes reflected our joy and another look that was so alluring that it pulled me in so deep I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to find my way out. I took a deep breath, steadying myself as my Father gently squeezed my arm and released me. I turned to face Charlie as he lifted my veil, kissed my cheek and placed my hand in Edwards. He took my hand; kissing where the ring would be as was the custom in his own time. I felt my breath hitch and then we were ready.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…" the Minister began his words that flowed so easily from his lips to create the bond our souls would have in the eyes of God. It was so different when you heard the words for your own wedding; they held much greater significance. "And now I ask of you to exchange your rings and place them on each other's ring finger, the name so chosen by the vein which connects equally to your hearts, just as your love will forever shall, and then repeat after me."

Edward took my hand as gingerly as if it were crafted of the finest china and slid his Mother's emblem over my finger. I breathed in deeply as the last rays of sun caught the facets of the diamond and cascaded us in a glimmer of brilliant little prisms mimicking vampire Edwards sparkling skin. I inhaled sharply, it's stunning brilliance captivating me. The ring nestled beside my engagement ring, a matched pair, the foreign feeling no longer present or harsh where it was; it fit comfortably and easy. So mesmerized by the moment I barely heard Edward say, "I do." I looked up into his beautiful eyes and couldn't help but be blanketed in his love. Taking Edwards hand in mine as I listened to the minister charge me with my vows, stating 'I do' I slipped my token of marriage to him, similar to the one Carlisle wore over Edward's long elegant finger. Upon his request it had my name engraved inside the golden circle; it fit quite nicely and Edward curled his fingers around mine.
Smiling we turned together to hear the last of the Ministers blessings; as he smiled and said.

"By the power vested in me by the State of Washington I now pronounce Isabella and Edward to be husband and wife" he folded his hands neatly, and closed his bible, "You may now kiss your bride." And then it was only Edward's face that I saw; his emerald eyes staring deep into mine, compelling my soul, as he cupped my cheek and kissed me brilliantly. He was mine and I was his; his lips melding with mine to create a will of their own. Our lips parted and we both breathed in deeply.

We turned together to face our family and friends; their cheers and heartfelt words stirring up the emotions I had just felt when kissing Edward. I saw my Father cry quietly and my Mother comforting him; their tears mixed together and I saw for the tiniest moment the two of them holding hands in a gesture of the this wonderful event. Alice too was crying; her eyes welled with silent tears as she bounced up and down next to me while rest of the Cullen siblings smiled proudly. I saw the rest of my family and friends then, including Jake, smiling, his face was complete happiness and he gave me a brief thumbs up. I saved Carlisle and Esme for last; Esme had her head on her husbands shoulder, tears streaming down her face as they both looked on as their son and I were finally united in holy matrimony.

It was now, as we walked hand in hand back down the aisle with Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" playing that I knew that whatever this life foretold for us we would face it; Edward and I, we would overcome everything, our souls as one, together, forever.