This story was inspired by the song When The Pain Dies Down by Chris Stills - I wanted to take this time to thank everyone who enjoyed and reviewed the story. I did have some helping in writing it and that credit goes to my little sister and fellow writer MusicChiller20. If you haven't read any of her stories you have no idea what you're missing out on!

Without further ado the last chapter! Enjoy!

Thanks everyone!

~Maxine

Chapter 20 - When The Pain Dies Down

Everyone has special moment in their life they never want to forget.

For some it's the first time the man of your dreams telling you he loves you three minutes after you were just married.

For other's it's the element of surprise; when your new bride turns to you and tells you she's having your baby and suddenly it's her wedding gift to you.

So you spend the next nine months preparing for the second biggest day of your life.

Becoming a mother and father. More importantly becoming a family.

Pledging and promising extensively to never be like your parents. When the big day comes and you are both their to witness the birth of not one but two children. You check them over and make sure they have ten toes, ten fingers, two arms, two legs...Then you both realize...there is a daughter...and a son.

Suddenly you both realize it doesn't matter what your parents did or didn't do...you're going to love both of your children because that's exactly what you're parents did. They asked no questions and passed no judgments and loved you unconditionally.

So you sit back with your significant other and watch as you're children grow. Days turn into weeks, and months follow the weeks as the years begin to slip by. Before you know it you're sitting in the sand at the beach five years later and you watch as the father of your children chase your son and daughter around growling at them as they squeal and run for their lives. You can't help but laugh and know...If you had to live your life over there is nothing about it that you would change.

Lacey looked around the bonfire and saw how many lives had changed in the last five years. Embry and Leah had finally had their first baby sweetly named Leila. Embry had never been so happy, he couldn't help naming Leila partially after Leah, because when he looked into his daughters eyes, all he saw was Leah. They were currently working on their second baby. Leah was nearing her fifth month and couldn't stop the pregnancy glow that enveloped her.

Her brother Luca had imprinted on Brady's daughter Melody. She came home from college one weekend and that was pretty much it. They were engaged to be married during the summer and couldn't wait.

Aunt Claire and Uncle Quil's daughter Amber was sixteen now and was starting to understand why Collin was such a close friend of the family. He'd imprinted on her the day after she was born and Quil had nearly phased in the hospital and taken his head off if it hadn't been for Claire scolding him and sweetly reminding him about what age she was when he had imprinted on her.

Lacey's dad was still the alpha, but had said once Luca got married he was going to hand the alpha position down to his son. He was ready to hand it over and just spend as much time with their mother as possible.

Sam, Jared and Paul had all stopped phasing. Their children had joined the pack and were doing the patrolling now. Sam's sons Jonathan and Bryan were pretty big and had imprinted already. Of course Jared's daughter was married to Seth. But his two sons hadn't imprinted yet but they were younger than Sandra, and were just starting to patrol. Luca had taken them under his wings and taught them everything he'd known.

"Lacey...Hey Lace."

Lacey blinked out of her thoughts as she looked over at Sandra, Seth's wife and one of Jr's childhood friends.

"You look like you're deep in thought."

Seth nodded as his arms tightened around his wife. "Yea...Penny for your thoughts Lace?"

Lacey smiled softly. "Just thinking. Nothing in particular really. Just memories replaying in my mind."

Sandra excused herself to go help her mother and Emily with food. As Seth moved closer to Lacey and nudged her with his elbow slightly to get her attention again. Noticing her eyes had wondered back over to her husband and twins. "What gives Lace? You're concentration seems to be anywhere but here tonight."

Lacey smiled as she looked back over to Seth as she leaned over and kissed his cheek softly. "I just have a few things on my mind tonight. I need to talk with Jr. Can you watch your God children for me for a few minutes?"

Seth nodded not sure what else to say or think. Lacey wasn't acting like herself and Seth couldn't imagine what was going on with her. "Sure Lace. I don't mind."

Seth watched as Lacey stood brushing the same from her blue capris, she walked over to where her twin five year olds were larking about in the sand with their father.

"Momma! We caught daddy and were gonna bury him...He said we could."

"That's nice sweetie." Lacey squatted down as she winked at Jr, she brushed her lips across the forehead of her son Evan and then her daughter Erin. "Hey you guys dinner is ready why don't you go see Uncle Seth and Aunt Sandra, so they can fix your plates."

"Okay momma."

Lacey watched as Evan stood up and grabbed Erin's hand and they walked over to where Seth was. Seth gave a wave letting her know they got to him and he would take over from there.

Jr sat up as he looked at his beautiful wife. "What's going on? Don't you think I know something is wrong?"

Lacey shook her head negatively. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's right."

"You're not making any sense beautiful. Can you clarify what is not wrong and what is right?"

They walked in silence for a minute before Jr pulled Lacey into his arms and was suddenly aware of how tired she looked. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Is everything okay? You looked really tired."

Sighing softly, Lacey pushed up on her toes kissing his lips softly. "I am really tired. But it's a good tired."

Jr frowned as he pursed his lips together. "How can it be a good tired? How does anyone feel a good tired?"

Lacey smiled. "I just do. I guess it's just me. So I'm not normal. I'm a hybrid vampire married to a wolf. What the hell is normal now a days? Personally I think normal is overrated."

Jr smirked as he pulled her closer to his body. "Baby normal has been overrated since I first laid eyes on you."

"Completely overrated." She moaned against his lips when he kissed her again. She reluctantly pulled her lips from his, because honestly she could kiss him all night long and some nights that's exactly what they did once the kids were in bed. "I need to tell you something."

"Tell me what?" Jr's worried look returned to his face as he tightened his arms around her. He felt her take his hand and place it over her stomach.

"I'm tired because in 7 months our family of four will be a family of five...Or possibly six." It was her turn to wear the worried look on her face. They honestly hadn't discussed having more kids, because they'd been so happy with Evan and Erin and the subject just never came up.

Jr stared bewildered into her eyes. He couldn't believe they were going to add onto their family. Suddenly he couldn't keep the smirk off his beautiful red lips as he crushed his lips to hers, clutching every part of her soul to his.

A little too early for either of their liking they pulled away panting and breathless. "Five, six, seven; I don't care however many you give me I'll take them all. God I love you Lacey. How did you ever accept me? How did you ever get through my temper to get to me? I had to of caused you so much pain."

Lacey's hand over his lips effectively silenced him as she smiled softly. "We fight and argue just like every couple and yea we said hurtful things. But when the pain dies down the love is still and always will be there."

Jr was indisputably aware that he wasn't sure of anything the future would hold for them. Only one thing was definitely consistent; his love for Lacey and their children.

That was the way it was always going to be.

The End