Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise, I just use their creations to have my wicked way with them. No copyright infringement is intended.

Here it is….the final installment of Into the Wild. Some of it may come as a shock to you, though maybe not as much to the ones who've seen the movie (The Village) this story was based on.

Before we get on our way though, I would like to thank my lovely and wonderful beta, The Real Teacher, for all of the help and time she put into this story. It really wouldn't have been what it is today without you, bb. Thank you so much!

~ Epilogue ~

"Jacob Edward Cullen! You get back here right now or there's going to be hell to pay!" Bella called after the little boy who, unimpressed by his mother's mock anger proceeded to run through the garden dressed in nothing but his birthday suit.

As she ran after the little boy, his messy brown hair and green eyes a testament of his parentage, her movements were unencumbered by the danger of her skirts flailing around her legs, threatening to trip her with every step she took. Bella smiled, and not just because of the adorable sight of her little Jakey running towards the end of the garden unsteady on his chubby legs. If there was one thing she loved, out of the many things that had changed in her life over the last couple of years, it was the fact that women were now legally at least, the equals of men. They could drive, hold jobs, vote, stand for government …and wear pants.

Like a man.

She'd been shocked when Rose, the first woman in town to ditch her old, traditional dresses in favor of modern ware, though two days later found Bella at her worktable, tailoring a pair of her husband's trousers to fit her. Strange as they looked and felt, she couldn't deny that being able to run after your very lively little boy without the risk of tripping over your hemline and breaking your neck far outweighed the mortification she felt when she first ventured out wearing them. And, of course, the benefits of having Edward look at her with that gleam in his eyes that made her insides turn into fire whenever she wore pants was an added bonus as well.

"Gappa!" Jake squealed as he saw the solitary figure approach the garden fence, his arms spread wide as he ran towards him.

Charlie caught him in his arms and hoisted him up in the air, much to the delight of both parties involved. "Hey there, little Jakey! Does your momma know you're running around half naked?"

"It appears he doesn't care," Bella's voice sounded as she too made her way to her father. "Hi dad. How are things at the station?"

Charlie's face clouded over. "Not so good, pumpkin. There's been another break in last night."

Bella sighed, her eyes wandering to the innocent face of her three year old son. "It's at times like these that I can't help thinking if we hadn't been better off…."

"What's done is done, honey," Charlie interrupted her, "and no matter what has happened; we are better off now."

Though as another busload of tourists could be seen driving up to the town from the newly built highway through the woods, even he had a hard time convincing himself of that.

Where life in Forks had remained at a standstill ever since the town had been cut off from the outside world, the rest of the world had evolved and progressed around it….much to the shock and amazement of the town.

How it was possible for a complete town to remain unspoiled and undiscovered in the time of electronic highways and satellite navigation remained a mystery but, as the first brave souls stumbled out of the forest and into the notice of their fellow 21st century Washingtonians, it was only one of the many questions that were asked.

In the years that followed the lifting of the curse, many things changed and few remained the same. Much like Edward had predicted, the town had fallen apart rapidly with half the people of Forks jumping ship as soon as the Quileute had declared it safe to do so, and the ones who stayed scrambling to keep up with everything that was happening around them and the sudden interest the discovery of it had brought onto them.

They were, after all, a miracle.

In times troubled by the recession faraway wars claiming the lives of many American sons, the discovery of a quaint little town, tucked away deep into the Olympic Peninsula, that breathed the air of a distant past when troubles were small and work aplenty, was the breath of fresh air the 21st century Americans needed and made both media and tourists flock to the state of Washington like bees to a honey pot.

Some, like the Newton's, made good use of that. Amongst the first to leave the town they milked their sudden fame for everything it was worth while drinking in the achievements of modern life. It was only after the media frenzy had died down that disillusionment struck.

Unfamiliar with the life in modern Chicago, Leonard Newton and his family became the victims of virtually every crime their sheltered life had always managed to protect them from, until in the end they had no other chance than to go back; destitute and disenchanted.

They weren't the only ones.

In the four years that had gone by since the curse had been lifted most of the people who had fled the town had returned, either unable to adapt to modern life or shocked and alarmed by the influence it had on their young.

The town welcomed them back, though be it reluctantly, and they were able to live out their life in relative peace and quiet, like most of the people who had been so eager to get away from it.

Though even in town the changes had been big.

The unlocking of the town had not only enabled the townsfolk to venture out, it also meant that modernity could seep in. Electricity, civil servants, modern forms of transportation and the arrival of new blood had changed the once so quiet and often boring life into something the townsfolk were still scrambling to keep up with. Most of them, though, were able to see the many benefits and kept optimistic, though that wasn't always easy.

"I wish those townsfolk would stop acting like we're some exhibit in a museum," Charlie grumbled, as he shielded his grandson from the prying eyes of the intruders and followed his daughter into her home. "I can't believe those Newtons. Trying to make cash by turning us into a bunch of circus freaks! As if they haven't done the town enough harm over the years!"

It had been the Newtons and their many appearances on Oprah, Jay Leno, David Letterman and just about every other news- or talk show that would have them that had spurred tourist interest in the town, a fact they had subsequently milked for all it was worth by setting up the 'Original Forks experience', a guided tour that would take whoever was paying enough around all points of interest in town, including the little shack in the woods.

"I know," Bella answered with a wry smile. Like many others she felt uneasy by the way their history had been exploited but, as Edward had told her, there was no way of stopping them. "Though there are some perks to it, I guess."

Bella was right. Tourism and all that went with it had made the town of Forks into a very prosperous one over the years. People came from far and wide to gaze at the architectural beauty of the unspoiled village, revel in the charm and otherworldly manners of its inhabitants and sample food and drink wholly unspoiled by modern technology, the popularity of which completely taking the townsfolk by surprise.

"Where's Jess?" Bella asked, the thought of the town's first venture into modern entrepreneurship automatically bringing her to her sister.

"Do you really need to ask?" Charlie snorted, as he guided his grandson into the house to go and find the boy some pants.

"You're right," Bella giggled. "I guess that was a bit of a silly question."

If there was one person who'd benefitted from the unlocking of the town it was Bella's little sister. Almost as soon as she had been dragged into the outside world kicking and screaming by her husband and his greed for fame and fortune, she had started to make it her own.

One of the first achievements of modern America that Jessica Swan-Newton had jumped on, had been the chance to dissolve the ties between her and Mike. There was nothing, not even the fear of ending up alone in a world she didn't understand, that could hold her back. During the few months she had been married to him she had found out that the benefits of being married to a rich, influential man in the town did nothing to sweeten the complete absence of both character and education.

Jessica hated life in the limelight. While the rest of the Newton's soaked up every last bit of attention, Jessica saw the interest in them for what it truly was: a glimpse into the lives of the crazy freaks that'd managed to keep hidden from the world for centuries.

And she was not about to allow herself to be made a fool of. She was still too much her father's daughter to do that.

Proceedings went quickly. Since there was some debate as to the validity of her marriage since there had been no civil ceremony whatsoever and therefore the State of Washington had no record of them even being married. The legal proceedings therefore went surprisingly quick and as to the division of their property…Jessica wanted nothing out of the marriage but the chance to go back to her father and live out her life in blissful anonymity.

There was nothing to fight about. And the fact that Mike never really did put up a fight to save his marriage, was all the evidence Jessica needed to know she'd made the right decision.

When the little town that had been her whole life came back into view, she cried tears of joy and relief. Who would have known that she would ever be so glad to be back? Her only fear was whether the people of the town would be of the same mind. After all, the disseverment of marriage was something that would probably be frowned upon.

A promise made was a promise kept.

Much to her relief, and that of her family, hardly a soul even noticed her return. In their struggle to keep up with the arrival of electricity, motorized vehicles, antibiotics and tourists, most of the townsmen didn't pause to think it strange that Jessica returned alone, bearing her maiden name. If you would have asked them, a lot of them probably applauded her for taking that step, even if they would never admit to that in public.

It was only after she's returned that Jessica's true transformation had begun.

While in the outside world she'd developed a fascination for technology and with it came a hunger to explore it and use it to her advantage. It had been Jessica who'd set up The pick of the Market, the website that sold the traditional items the people of Forks produced.

Jessica now spent her days maintaining the website, chatting with her new online boyfriend who lived on the other side of the continent and taking care of her father. She'd become a whole new person but she never could have done so without her older sister as a guide and role model.

Over the years the sisters had gotten as close as they had been a long time ago. Jessica had been a great help to Bella during her pregnancy and afterwards, looking after Jake when Bella had to go into Port Angeles to attend classes for her associate degree in nursing and helping Bella use the computer to complete her coursework. Bella, on the other hand, had helped Jessica develop into a more balanced and self-sufficient individual, one her family could be proud of.

"Mama!" Jake squealed as Charlie brought him down again, this time fully clothed and with a huge toothy grin on his face.

Bella smiled as she lifted her son into her arms and breathed in his sweet scent. "Did you have fun with grandpa?"

"I think he did," Charlie chuckled as he sat down in the leather chair that had gradually become his. With as much time as he was spending in his daughter's house, it was only natural that he had his own seat there. "Though I think you and Edward should be worried about the strange aversion the little lad has to wearing pants."

"Dad!" Bella giggled, barely avoiding one of Jake's arms as they flailed around his little body.

"What?" Charlie's gruff answer came. "Is it so strange that I don't want my grandson to turn into some strange exhibitionist?"

"Jake is only three years old!" Bella shrieked, nuzzling her nose into her baby's messy brown hair. "I dare say he'll be alright. It's probably just a phase he's going through. At least, that's what Esme told me. She said all boys go through it."

"Well I never did," Charlie grumbled. He couldn't fathom his mother ever letting him run around the house indecently clad. "Though now that you mention it….I think your brother went through that phase-thing as well."

Father and daughter shared a knowing smile, the lines in Charlie's face now deep and worn with age and worry.

With so many things changing, the old leaders of the town had decided it wiser to step back and let the new generation take over. The names that replaced them were no surprise: Masen, Swan, Cullen, Crowley.

For Carlisle, practicing medicine was no longer an option now that state regulations had been imposed upon Forks. He had been replaced by a new doctor who had extended the small clinic into a modest but impressive country hospital where Bella – amongst others who'd come new to the town – assisted him as a nurse while she continued to train to be a registered nurse.

At first things in the hospital had been eerily quiet. The townsfolk, unwilling to bend to the will of politicians and fancy city doctors, had preferred to drop by the Cullens to get an unofficial consult from the old doctor over visiting the new one. In the end, doctor Gerandy – a seasoned country physician whose interest in anthropology had driven him to the town – had had no other option than to take Carlisle on as a consultant and liaison officer, which he still was.

He and Esme now – for the most part – lived a life of retirement, though, like her husband, Esme still preferred to keep herself busy. She spend a lot of time helping Jasper and Alice run their farm, which had grown twice in size due to the success of Jessica's online farmer's market, as well as restoring old pieces of furniture, a hobby's she'd picked up not so long ago.

Edward, no longer in training to follow in his Carlisle's footsteps had stepped up to take Billy's place as the new mayor of Forks. His youth and bravery , his education and the longtime standing of his name made him an excellent – though be it somewhat young – candidate to steer the town into the twenty-first century, a task that took almost more hours than there were in a day.

He was aided in his work by Emmett, now a licensed police man, father of four and the replacement of his dad as the Forks Chief of Police. Unlike doctor Gerandy, Emmett had immediately seen the importance of respecting his predecessors and had practically begged his dad to stay on in any sort of capacity he wanted. A request Charlie had been only too happy to comply.

He now spend his days between the police station, his own home and Bella and Edward's place as well as making sure Billy who, devastated by the loss of his son, didn't turn into a complete hermit.

Of the wolves, Embry Call was the only one who made it back to the town after their transition back into human form. His memory of the months he had spend as his predator self were jumbled, but he could still recall what it had felt like to shoot through the woods in search of prey, the thoughts of the other members of his pack as clear in his head as were his own.

What happened to the others wasn't clear. Some said the Quileute's took them in, others that they wandered the forest alone, unable to readjust to normal life after spending so much time as a wolf.

As Charlie spent the rest of the afternoon being every bit the doting grandfather he was, Bella set to work cooking dinner. Over time the Cullens, Swans and Masens had developed the habit of having a big family dinner on Sunday where all the grownups and the ever-expanding number of children could catch up on the events of the week and nurse the ties of family, something that had become increasingly important now that all other ties were broken.

She was just about to drain the potatoes when the voice she most wanted to hear spoke behind her. "Hmm, something in here smells nice."

Bella smiled, feeling her husband's arms wrap around her before his firm, muscular body made contact with her back. "Thanks, honey. I'm making your favorite tonight."

She shivered as Edward's nose rubbed along the exposed skin of her neck and shoulder, her body pushing as far into him as it could while she wondered how, after four years of marriage and one – almost two – children he was still able to stir inside her feelings so passionate she was afraid she would burst if they wouldn't be satisfied.

"That's nice," he muttered against her skin, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake. "But I wasn't talking about the food."

"Edward, please," Bella moaned, her head falling backwards against his shoulder as she gave herself over to him. "I have dinner to prepare….you have to cut me some slack."

"But I've missed you…" he pouted, his fingers exploring her midriff, caressing her distended belly and creeping slowly upwards towards her full breasts.

"Tonight," Bella promised, her hips moving against her husband's very aroused groin as she started mashing the potatoes, making him groan in frustration.

"Tonight," he growled, stealing one last kiss from his wife before he made his retreat. "I hope you slept well last night because I intend to take my time with you, my love…."

As she watched him retreat into the living room, Bella couldn't help but congratulate herself on the course her life had taken. So many things had changed and even more had become lost, but the love between them had remained strong, even stronger now that it had been on their wedding day.

To them, the world outside Forks never held any temptations even though they were both at times forced to interact with it. What she loved most, however, about those interactions was driving back home after a long day of class and shut the door behind her, reveling in the sounds of her husband and son and life as she knew it.

And they lived it very much as they were supposed to live: happily ever after.

THE END (for now)

I know. They were living in the 21st century all along. Shocking right?

I know there are quite a lot of things I have skipped over in this story, such as the unlocking of the town and its citizens taking their first steps into the 21st century. To satisfy my own interest as an anthropology-minor and maybe answer some of the questions you may still have I intend to post a series of outtakes over the summer (when I've actually got time to write them). For a list of the outtakes I'm planning or suggestions for further outtakes, please visit the twilighted thread for this story. It can be found through copying and pasting the following link as well as replacing the (dot) with actual dots and deleting the spaces.

http: / www (dot) twilighted ( dot) net / forum / viewtopic (dot) php?f=44&t=8831&p=1024710#p1024710

Starting next week Monday will be the update-day for my new story, Absolution. It will be set in this day and age, feature a strong, confident young Bella who is studying to be a journalist and a cocky and slightly immature Lawyerward both battling the ghosts of their past as well as a great error of justice (or is it?) in the present. Please add me to your author alerts if you want to make sure you get to see it the moment it gets posted.

Thank you for giving my story a shot. Please let me know what you thought of it.

Love. Miss Baby.