AN: Well everyone, this is the final chapter of Fighting Murphy's Law. I know that the story started quite dark, but I appreciate everyone who stuck through it to its conclusion. It was fun writing about an unusual pairing and I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, alerted, and favorited it along the way. You all have been great!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"Murphy was an optimist"

Embry's POV

Things continued to move forward as time passed. For the first year, we continued to see heavy vampire traffic until the Cullens finally agreed that it was time for them to go. Bella was now stable enough to relocate and with all of the "kids" having graduated high school, they would seem conspicuous if they remained for much longer. They agreed to remain available as allies if we ever had any large problems, particularly after we had banded together to deal with Victoria and her army.

Quil and I became closer during that time as well. Although we had been together since I moved in with him, we finally got to experience aspects of a normal relationship. We started dating, going to dinner together, sometimes with another couple, but preferring the chance to spend time together alone when we could. Quil was trying to be romantic, even though he wasn't used to it. I thought he was cute, but I occasionally had to remind him that I wasn't a chick.

Patrols remained a constant requirement, but with 10 of us, we got a lot more time off than before. Once the Cullens left, however, we were proven right that they might have been a reason for so many vampires coming through the area. We began to see a lot less of their kind, basically being able to drop patrols to once a day. Pack meetings became less necessary and we began to be able to enjoy the fun that came with regular life.

With the decreased threat, several of the pack decided to stop phasing. Sam and Jared left to be with their human imprints, not wanting to stay frozen at a young age while their girls got older. By this time Jared had finally told Kim about what he was, and she was ecstatic to have Jared so tied to her. Paul and Leah joined them as well, having no interest in living for eternity. They wanted to try a mortal life and Leah hoped that she would be able to have kids if she gave up phasing. I couldn't blame her, but I couldn't imagine not phasing.

Jake was the new Alpha, as it was in his blood. Quil was his natural Beta, as he was the veteran dominant of the pack. The two pups didn't question the decision at all, knowing that they were still learning to perfect their hunting at this point. Seth and I had no intention of seeking power, though I'm sure Jake wouldn't have been able to deny Seth if he had asked. That wasn't in the kid's nature though.

So now, our pack stands at 6 strong. We haven't had a vampire get through our borders and we're quite proud of that fact. It's been almost 2 years since Collin & Brady joined us. They were excellent wolves and took their responsibilities very seriously, even if they had decreased slowly as time passed. They seemed to enjoy being wolves and I could relate to that easily.

I'd been quite close to my wolf since regaining his trust. Although we didn't interact like we had in the past, I could feel his constant presence. He was happy to be with his mate. Quil and I had discussed how long we would phase, and for now, we had decided to continue until we had a reason not to. He knew that his grandfather was slowly beginning to show signs of his old age, and had been spending as much time learning the histories from him. We didn't talk about it, but we both knew that he'd likely be offered the seat on the council when the elder passed. From what I could tell, Quil was planning on carrying on the traditions that his grandfather held dear.

One of the highlights, however, was when we were dealing with something completely normal. Well, going by how worked up Quil's mom was, you'd think we were going through something major, and I guess to some, we were. It had been graduation day and we had been decked out in dress clothes, over which were draped dark gowns. It was stifling, and despite our argument that we should be able to wear whatever we want under the graduation gown, she insisted that we needed to look good underneath it. The argument was stopped at that, both of us knowing that we didn't stand a chance.

Naturally, it was one of the hottest days of the year and the school had held the ceremony outdoors. Quil and I met up with Jake, the final member of our class. Seth, Collin, and Brady were the last three remaining in school after that, and I had loved gloating about finally having escaped classes. Seth actually enjoyed school, but the pups always got worked up about how they'd still be patrolling and having to go to school. They didn't realize just how easily they had it now with such little to patrol for.

Quil, Jake, and I sat together in order, no one between us. It was a pretty small school, so our last names had always kept us grouped, even when teachers were lame enough to enforce alphabetical seating. As Quil's name was called, an uproar erupted in the back causing Quil to shake his head, while Jake and I just smirked at each other. Unsurprisingly, the full pack had shown up, making a scene as always. They cheered for us as we crossed the stage one after another. Nobody else's cheering sections stood a chance.

After we were done, we all went to Sam & Emily's place for a cookout. Their house had remained a haven for us, even after Sam had stopped phasing. In the rare instance that one of us was hurt, we went there, and it was an almost daily occurrence that we stopped by for at least some kind of snack. She always had something ready, insisting that she loved doing it. We all pigged out on the feast that she and Kim had prepared. They even had a cake with a picture of the three of us graduates together. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think something like this would happen for me.

Afterwards Quil & I went home, finally getting to just be in each other's arms. As much as we loved everyone else, there was still nothing like being alone together. As we lay in bed, we began to discuss the future. We agreed that we should move out, but didn't want to go too far from his family. I understood and agreed wholeheartedly, and we were fortunate enough to find something for sale quite close. It was well within our budget, but the two bedroom, one bath house was perfect for us.

We broached the subject with Quil's mom, who was extremely sad to see her boys move out. She did, however, understand and gave me access to the money she had been holding for me. It was enough to cover everything, so we went to the owners to negotiate. When they found out that we could pay upfront, they knocked a decent amount off of the asking price in order to entice us. We agreed, signed, and after a couple of days, had the title to our own house. I was enthralled, but Quil seemed a little bit bothered that it had been my money that had paid for it. I tried to remind him that he and his family had been keeping me up for years and he seemed to get over it quickly as the thought that we had our own place finally sank in.

I began working for Jake, having picked up a decent amount of knowledge from hanging out with him over the years. Since we had committed to staying to protect the reservation, college was more or less out of the question. The council would have been willing to help us find jobs – as they had with Paul and Jared – but I couldn't think of anything better than being in Jake's shop. Quil had taken up a job in construction, working for the same firm that Sam had been with since graduating. He enjoyed the idea of being productive and was a natural at it, having the benefit of a wolf's stamina & strength.

The years went by with few changes. Unfortunately time had run out for Quil's grandfather, and he had passed in his sleep one night. It hadn't been completely unexpected, but it still bothered Quil and his mother immensely. Jake's father led the burial ceremony as I held onto Quil who couldn't hold in his emotion. I was sad as well, as the man had been as close to a father as I had ever known, but I held it together to comfort my imprint.

Quil's mother took the position on the council, until such a day that Quil asked for it. She knew that he was learning from the many history books that his grandfather had kept around, but understood that he wasn't ready yet. She made it a point to tell him that she was only holding the position until he was willing to take it, and for that he was grateful. Although Sam had taken on a position left vacant by our father's lack of care, Quil felt like it'd be out of place to join Billy Black and Sue Clearwater in making decisions for the tribe.

Not long after this turmoil, I quietly changed my name. It was a tedious process, but after a bunch of paperwork, I finally had all of the documents to allow me to call myself Embry Ateara. Technically we couldn't marry, but I still wanted to be able to take his name. Quil had asked me if I had any interest in hyphenating or something similar, but I shook my head at the thought. Being a Call meant nothing to me, but Ateara had an important heritage. I was honored to be able to join that line once Quil approved of it.

After several years, Sam broke off and started his own construction firm, taking Quil with him. They also added Collin and Brady, who had both continued to phase with us. Together, along with some others from the area, they proved to be the dominant construction firm in Forks and on the reservation.

Quil and I also discussed continuing the wolf pack bloodline and the Ateara name. Although we had no intention of giving up phasing, the idea of having a child seemed quite amazing to us. Sam and Jared had already each had a child, and Leah was pregnant as well. We discussed surrogacy, and odd as it was, we found a local who was willing to do it for us. She was Emily's younger sister, a 23 year old girl named Claire who had come to the reservation a couple of years ago. She was quite nice and was thrilled to be part of our decision to want to have a child. After 9 months of carrying him, she signed the newly born Quil Ateara VI over to us. She lived with us throughout the time, only moving out once our son was able to eat regular food. She was still welcome and visited regularly, but made no attempt to disrupt us as a family unit. Considering the drama that could have occurred, I was grateful to have found such an amazing person to help us.

And so you have it. After being at the lowest of lows, ready to end everything, I've come to a point in my life that I never thought imaginable. We have a stable income, a place of our own, the constant connection to the pack, and best of all, a family. I don't know if we'll ever give up phasing, as being that distant from our wolves doesn't seem like something that Quil and I are ready to do. Maybe we'll reassess that someday, but on the reservation, we're quite safe from the suspicions of others.

I guess we're living proof that no matter how bad things may seem sometimes, there's always a chance that things will get better. I could have succeeded in that cave all those years ago. I could have failed in recovering my connection to the wolf that resides inside of me. I could have failed at saving Quil from the ocean, but in the end, none of that happened. We're still here, going strong, and hopefully we'll have a long time together. As long as we have each other, we'll handle whatever obstacles that life throws at us.

Closing Note: Firstly, I would like to say something about the quote. I know that I went with a happy ending here, but the idea of Murphy being an optimist is really just a statement that despite all of the bad things he expected, that was still too optimistic for the world we live in. If he's an optimist, how bad can things really get?

Now, I'd like to thank some people. To my consistent reviewers, I'd like to express my undying gratitude. All of you have helped me keep going. I'd also like to express a final thanks to TurnItUp03. Your direction really helped me take this story to a place that I'd never have come up with on my own. I appreciate your help in creating what was hopefully an entertaining story.

Well everyone, this is it, at least for now. I can't say that I have any other stories planned right now, especially as life continues to get busy. I'm not saying that I'm completely done writing (although that is a possibility), but don't expect anything out of me for a while. That said, thanks to everyone who stuck through this!

Until next time,

-SS11