TitleYou Found Me
POV Edward
SettingKilleen, Texas (near Fort Hood, Texas)
MortalityAll human
Time SettingSometime in the Future.
SummaryThe worst part of being an army wife is not the wait, it is when the wait is over and you find yourself with no husband and son with no father. That's the hardest part and at that point you can only find comfort in a certain person, when does the comfort become something else? Bella is what we call an army wife. She is married to Sergeant Black. He has been in the army since he was 17. He is best friends with Edward Cullen, a guy who is dedicated to the army but doesn't realize that it's taking a toll on his life. Tragedy strikes and soon there are two people left and they must depend on one another to get through it. Can they get through it without making a sinful mistake?
A/N – *sniffle* last update, I'm very sad but kind of excited.

I'm going home,
down-hearted and hoping I'm close,
to some new beginning.
I know,
there's a reason for everything that comes and goes.

So many people are looking to me to be strong and to fight
but I'm just surviving.
And I may be weak but I'm never defeated
and Ill keep believing
in clouds with that sweet
silver lining
–Sweet Silver Lining, Kate Voegele

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Epilogue: Silver Lining

College Graduation….

JPOV (Jake)

I retrieved my diploma on stage, I was so relieved that I was done with college. Part of that could be attributed to the fact that I know what I'm going to do after this. I was joining the Peace Crop, this time I was sure and I was doing it for the right reasons. I knew that I wanted to help people and that this was the perfect way to do it. I had a bachelor's in Biology and sometime in the future I would major in Public Health but meanwhile I wanted to do this.

The dean gave his closing speeches. "Congratulations class, you are all now graduates of Texas Tech University."

I found my family through the crowds. They had driven from Killeen to Abilene, a long drive. "Who would've known we're college graduates, baby." Ryan said as he jogged up behind me.

I rolled my eyes. "It's a surprise I got through it. You on the other hand breezed by, how the hell do you pass every class with an A and yet you show up to class hung over and rarely do you pick up a book and study? How does that happen?" I demanded.

He chuckled. "Beats me."

"Did your mom come?"

He shook his head. "Nope, I sent her the invitation but I didn't talk to her about it."

"Congratulations!" Taylor, Ryan's first long time girlfriend, cheered. She embraced him and gave me my felicitations.

"Kendra says hi." She said. "She also said that you will regret not taking her up on her offer."

"Kate." Ryan mumbled.

"Kate who?" I asked. He looked over to the crowd behind us. "What are you talking about?"

"Your Kate."

"I don't have a Kate."

"Well you had a Kate and she's here." He gestured over to a beautiful girl. She had dark hair that ran down her back in unruly waves. Her hazel eyes sparkled in the sun and her smile was contagious. It was hard to admit to myself that throughout the years I still looked at her and thought she was my girlfriend. What happened between us was heartbreaking. I still haven't gotten over it. I still can't forget that baby boy who never had a chance in life. I don't think it's something you get over, it's something you get through and I've accomplished that. "Jake, are you breathing?"

"Shut up." I muttered.

"What are you going to do?"

"It's not like I can avoid her." Not that I really wanted to. "See you later. I'll meet you at the dorm so we can take what's left back home."

I walked over to my family who all congratulated me. Everyone one was here, my aunts and uncles, my grandparents, cousins, Aimee and Charlie who was now in High school. Everyone approached me but her. I hugged my mom. "I'm gonna say bye to some of my friends and I'll meet you for lunch?" I parted from them and went to find Kate. I found her standing alone under the shade of a tree.

"Kate." I said to get her attention. She looked the same but also different. Older, obviously, but there was something else, she looked happy and just so alive. She looked healthy and beautiful. "What are you doing here?"

Her eyes met mine and she smiled. "I was in the neighborhood."

"You were in Abilene? There's nothing here but dry ground and horses." I said with a chuckle. This town was out in the middle of nowhere.

"Maybe not in the neighborhood, I graduated from A&M a couple of weeks ago and I went back home. Your brother is going to school with my cousin and she told me that he and his family were coming to your graduation and I promised you I'd come, you probably don't remember."

"I don't."

"Freshmen year I told you that when we were mar – we can skip that part, I told you that I would be there when you figured out what you wanted, I told you that I would wait for you until you figured it out and I would be there to help you celebrate when you did."

I began to remember bits and pieces of that conversation. She had in fact promised me that, in exchange I said I would be in the first row whenever she got on stage for the first time in New York. "I remember."

"I know that doesn't apply anymore but it did to me and I'm so happy for you, Jake."

"What about you?"

She shrugged. "I graduated with a major in history, not sure what I can do with that but I'll figure it out." As many times as my impulsiveness has gotten me into trouble, I still never thought with my head. I leaned into her and pressed my lips to hers, I sipped my arms around her and I kissed her. I am still the idiot from before, there's no doubt about that. Time can only do so much and it does nothing for impulsiveness.

I pulled away, embarrassed but I had proven that despite, maybe in spite of it all, I still felt the same way when I kissed her. She was the one girl who made me feel this way, it hasn't changed. "I wanted to see if it still felt the same way."

She bit her lip. "Does it?"

"You tell me."

She ran her fingers through her hair. "It does, my heart still flutters at your touch. There's not a day I don't regret what I did, I ruined my own life. I lost a child but I also lost you and that hurt almost as deeply."

"I have made some stupid decisions as well and I've paid dearly for them. Who am I to judge you, who am I to forgive you and the answer is that I'm no one. I don't hold that power and you shouldn't feel like I do. I'm not god, he's the only one who can forgive you and I think he has. I think he's forgiven me as well. I would like to think that, at the very least."

"So what now?"

I wanted to be with her, I proved that today. She was the only person for me and all I had to do was take a chance. "What are you doing after college?" I asked.

"Nothing really."

"Would you be willing to follow me somewhere?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Join the Peace Corp." I blurted out. "Come with me."

"Okay." She said immediately. "I'll go with you."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Why not?"

"It's three years, Kate. We're going to rough it."

"I can do that." She assured me.

"I didn't think you'd agree so easily."

"Me either. Where do I sign?" She asked eagerly.

I smiled out of pure happiness. "You're the one girl, no matter what you did or what you will do, that I will always appreciate and love. I really hope that what happened between us 4 years ago will be put behind us. I think I can do that."

"The only thing I can give you is my word. I will never be so stupid, I will never keep anything from you. I know that what comes around goes around. I want to be with you. In four years I can guarantee you that you have been the only one. You were the only guy who's been with me and I hope that will remain the same. I never felt the right to come find you but this time I had to. I missed you." Her eyes watered and my heart melted. She really had a hold on me. Her words and her sincerity assured me that the chance I would take with her would be worth it.

I wiped the tears from her eyes. "So did I. If it counts for anything, I've gotten through everything," I wrapped my arms around her and held her close to me. She embraced me the same way, "and…I forgive you." I whispered.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
This is the last chapter and it makes so sad because this was my very favorite story, it's the one I've had so much fun writing. I've decided that I will do a short prequel, it's called Young Love and I have the preface posted but I won't update for a while because I need to write at least half the story before I update, I change my mind often. Leave me some farewells and put Young Love on Alert for when I do update, it might be sooner than ya'll think.

~Toodles.