~A/N A little change for this last post. It's Embry's POV and mostly fluff.

Song inspiration: Céline Dion's "Because You Loved Me"

Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.

Epilogue: Family

"Daddy, is today a good day?"

"For what, Annie?"

"For kites? You said when it was a good day, we'd go to the beach."

Embry looked out at the beach from their overlook and up towards the sky. It was a the perfect day for flying a kite. He went inside to ask his wife if she wanted to join them.

"Sure, but Kody is still napping. As soon as he gets up, we'll all go down. I'll make some food and we'll make an afternoon of it."

Embry came up behind Bella while she was chopping fruit for the kids' snacks. Connor and Anison were busy in the garage digging out various toys they wanted to carry to the beach.

He snaked an arm around her and kissed her at the base of her neck. "Umm, it's going to be difficult keeping the wolf at bay all day. You smell delicious."

Bella pretended like she wanted to get away but she gave in easily and turned around to meet his hungry mouth for a few stolen kisses.

"I tell you maybe I'm considering trying for another one now that Takoda is two and you can't stop talking about it. I'm still not sure. We have our hands full with three under seven."

He held up her hands, then his beside them."We have four hands between us, I'd say there's definitely room for one more."

Embry had a ready made family tossed in his lap that fateful night. Bret's descent into madness and violent ending had taken them by surprise. Bella was in a bad place for a while. She was riddled with guilt and plagued with what ifs.

He was patient with her while she went through the stages. She lived with Charlie and Sue for many months. The kids were resilient. She did her best to explain how their father had gotten sick. They wished he could have been helped but no one realized how bad he had gotten. Connor struggled with the memories, Anison was far too young to get it. Bella took them both to a pediatric therapist who specialized in traumatic events.

She waited as long as possible before talking to them about the baby brother that was on the way. They adjusted to the news easier than Bella thought they would. Embry had been a constant, he was over everyday helping her out as well as strengthening their relationship. By the time he moved them into his new home, Anison had already slipped up and called him 'Daddy.' It took Connor longer to make the transition but Embry told him it was entirely up to him.

The formal adoption had gone through recently and they were officially a family. He and Bella married only weeks before Takoda arrived. The Harringtons pitched a fit with her at first because of their grief but the other son, Brad got them to back down when they threatened to fight them with legal action over custody. Both sides eventually developed a mutual respect and the kids got to see Bret's family often.

He would've never predicted such a journey for the two of them. He had no idea his miserable self-loathing behavior would've propelled Bella into such a harsh, tumultuous existence.

She recently said she had no regrets. Her children were her world and she was grateful that she and Bret accomplished a few beautiful things despite a lot of heartache. Embry still visited Jacob's gravesite often. He would sit in silence a great deal of the time just to remember. Many times he'd let him know, "I got her. She's okay. I'll love her like she deserves from here on out. She smiles all the time. I know I make her happy." He never understood why they had to lose him but he and Bella made the decision to live their lives to the fullest. It was their way of honoring his memory. They agreed to name their son Takoda Jacob together. It seemed like the right thing to do. His name had meaning and purpose, "friend to everyone."

Embry heard noise from the nursery before anyone else, so he made his way inside to get Kody out of the crib before he climbed out himself. He'd been getting a little more daring each day and he'd barely turned two in the spring. Bella said it was time to break down the crib into a toddler bed. That was probably on the agenda after the beach.

Maybe, Bella would be impressed with his initiative and he'd get lucky when the kids went to bed. He really wanted to go for another kid. Being a father was a gift he never realized he desired. Doing the parent thing with the love of his life made it an even sweeter deal.

He hoped he gave her a good life. She'd been through so much and he couldn't protect from every bad thing but he tried his damnedest.

When Bella saw Takoda all decked out in swim trunks and a cotton tee, she raved, "There's my handsome man. Did you have a good rest?" Kody reached for her and she lifted him and spun them around causing their son to giggle with glee.

"Hey, remember me? You used to call me the handsome once." Connor and Anison joined them and were bouncing off the walls with excitement. It was finally warm enough for a day at the beach.

Bella pinched his ass when the kids were occupied gathering the rest of their possessions for the car.

"For the record, you're very handsome still. All my guys are heartbreakers."

"And our daughter's a beauty, like her mom."

"I love you. Are you sure we're ready to do it again? I mean the bakery's expanding, so I'm needed more often at work. Your photography business is booming." Who knew kids' photography was a pretty lucrative business. His clientele had changed some over the past year and half. Once, he started taking pictures of his kids, Bella insisted he start up a new side to his business. In his opinion, they were way easier than finicky models.

He hushed her with a sizzling kiss. "Yes, I'm sure. I think I know you pretty well and last week when Seth was over with his family, you got a look in your eyes after holding the new one."

"Yeah, she was so cute and smelled so sweet."

"Bella, if you really believe that we're done then I'll accept that. You're the one that carries the baby and does most of the work when you have a newborn. However, don't use work as an excuse. We both make our own hours and I highly doubt when we're Dad's and Charlie's ages, we'll sit around and say days at work were our best memories."

"I love my job and I know you do too, but of course my best memories are days like today... all of us together and happy. You're right. Damn you, Call. You always could convince me of just about anything."

"So, it's a yes, Mrs. Call?"

"No, it's a hell yes. You want me to carry your baby again. Of course, I want that."

"We'll need to practice... like all the time, you know?"

"Well, maybe not. I heard once it's better to do it every other day to let the sperm count build up."

He shook his head in disagreement. "That's not how it works with the wolves. We need to do it as often as possible." He was having such a tough time keeping his hands to himself. She felt so good pressed up against him.

He had no idea if what he was saying was true, but none of the pack had any troubles getting their mates pregnant. They would surely succeed. He also reminded her how twins ran in his family. Maybe they'd get a twofer.

The beach turned out to be a blast. Most of their friends showed up. Bella sent a text to the dad's on the way over and planned a family dinner. They'd have everyone over and cook out on the grill.

Embry was tossing the football around with Connor. He was ready for the peewee league when school started back up.

"You're getting pretty good there, son."

"I can throw farther now, but not as far as you or as hard."

"Well, I'm bigger, you'll get there." Embry wished someone would have taken the time to play ball with him when he was a kid. Sometimes, when he was with the guys, their dads would take some time to encourage him, but he always felt like they were only feeling sorry for him. He didn't hold it against Billy. They were so far past all that. He was just glad he had a real father to share his life with finally. He loved the way he showered their kids with love and devotion.

"Yeah, but you're a wolf. I'll never be as good as you. Flint and River will be wolves, so will Dakota, Takoda and all the other boys."

"Well, we don't know for sure what will happen in the next generation, but you're part of our pack no matter what. All kids and mates are part of the pack. We explained that to you when Mom and I told you the secret."

"I wish I could protect Mom and Annie like you. Even Kody will protect her better than I ever can when he grows up."

Embry knew his boy was on the sensitive side. Poor kid saw more than any kid his age ever should. He reminded him he was important to his mom for many other reasons. "You're so talented. You're art is amazing for a kid your age. You actually inspire your mom and that's a gift. I know. My business has allowed me to meet many successful artists. You realize most of the kids at school are all human just like you. You're also advanced in soccer, baseball and football. I'd say that's pretty damned special even though you don't have the wolf gene. We're proud of you always."

Connor wrapped both his arms around Embry. "I love you, Dad."

"Love you too, son. Let's go find your mother and get something to eat."

They had a seat on the beach blanket. The kids quickly got distracted with some scheme Paul's sons were cooking up. Bella thought they were going to get Kim's and Emily's girls wet with a couple of buckets of water.

"You and Con looked like you were deep in conversation, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, he was just down on himself briefly, worried he'll never be good enough. I talked him down. It's cool."

She started laughing.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just he kinda sounds like some people I know."

"Oh yeah, who?"

"Us… his parents."

"You might be onto something. We'll have to be careful and always put a halt to that line of thinking."

"Yes, or he might end up like us."

"We're not so bad," Embry could finally say that with a straight face.

"But we haven't always been this normal."

"I wish we could protect them from every bad thing in the world."

"Me too, but that's not possible. We just need to love them unconditionally, Emb... like we have been doing."

The last minute party wound down about eleven. The kids had crashed without incidence. Embry cleaned up the last of the mess while Bella tucked Kody in his new toddler bed. He hoped the freedom didn't encourage him to come to their room whenever he felt like it. Bella said they should be fine until five or six in the morning. That was when he sometimes got restless.

He found her soaking in the garden tub when he headed to bed. She had her head resting on the back of the tub. Her eyes were closed. He tried to be extremely stealth.

"I know you're there, Emb. Were you going to scare me?"

"No, but I was going to sneak in the bath with you." He raised his eyebrows at her. "You up for that?"

She moved to the front. "Yes, but soap up my back first."

He quickly shed the rest of his clothes and slipped in behind her. She handed him her favorite body wash. He took his time massaging it in, getting her nice and sudsy.

"I'm pretty sure I'm clean, Babe."

His hands drifted around to her front. "Then I should keep on. I'm trying to get you dirty."

The loving that night was so good... so special, like always. Embry held her against his chest and relished every part of her.

"I loved today so much," Bella stated.

"Yeah me too."

"Maybe we topped it off with a new addition to our little family."

"Hope so." He already knew so. Bella was sublimely ripe. He smelt it from the moment they woke up that morning.

Bella lifted up a little, so they could see each other.

"I don't know where I'd be right now if you hadn't rescued me, more than once." She kissed the tip of his nose.

"I could say the very same thing to you, Bella. It's safe to say, we saved each other."

***THE END***

~Thanks for reading.

I'm so appreciative to everyone that gave this story a try. I know it wasn't easy at times, but I feel pleased with the responses. I even kept the interest of some of my diehard #TeamJacobs. I adore all my readers.