A/N: This is not a test...It's actually done. I hope it was worth the wait.

3/26/13

Walk

Epilogue

You've heard that saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child'? I never really understood it until recently. We have a huge extended family and we all chip in to help when needed.

My wife, Bella, is pregnant for the second time with our third child. Our third biological child. We have two adopted children in addition to Lily and Lucas.

Mary and Phillip came to us quite unexpectedly. We weren't looking to adopt, but as soon as the situation presented itself, if just felt right.

Mary is five and has a prosthetic leg starting at mid thigh. She and her mother were in a house fire when Mary was three; her mother did not survive and Mary was in the burn unit for two months. I met her on a consult at the hospital when she received her new leg. I fell in love with her determination and happy, positive demeanor. She bounced around foster homes because few people want to adopt a disabled child. When I introduced Bella and Mary, they bonded immediately.

Phillip's story was even sadder. His mother was an addict when she was pregnant with him, and after his father died of an overdose a few years after Phillip was born, she sunk even deeper, becoming physically abusive towards the child. He had been pulled from her care by the authorities time after time, only to end up back with his mother after she had displayed good behavior for a period of time.

We'd been fostering him for two weeks before his mother came pounding on our door in the middle of the night. How she got out of jail, I don't know; this is the problem with the system, people slip through the cracks everyday.

We woke up to this woman screaming and beating on the front door, demanding that we hand over her child.

Bella stayed with the children, while I called the police and removed the crazy woman from my front porch.

After she was picked up, I went back in to find Phillip clinging to Bella while she soothed and comforted him. I made a silent promise that he would never have to go back to that woman.

So, now three years after the birth of our twins, our little family has grown. Two toddlers, a five year old and a ten year old. Oh, and one more on the way.

We were happily surprised when my parents moved here shortly after we adopted Mary last year. My mother left her store in the capable hands of her manager saying that she could always open another store here if her grand children weren't keeping her busy enough. She goes back to Santa Fe at least once a month to check in on things, though.

My father said that he can write anywhere but added that he gets more inspiration being around the kids. He's already published one book after being here and is working on his next. Dad has started a new series that revolves around disabled kids and therapy animals. Go figure.

They, of course, have offered to watch the kids anytime, though we've tried our best not to take advantage of them. Mom and Dad bought a house about a half-mile down the road from us; the kids could walk there, if they wanted.

Phillip has blossomed since coming to us. His anxiety and anger issues are still evident, but we have him in therapy, both with a psychologist and with me. He has really made a connection with my father. The two of them can talk for hours and have become best buddies. He hasn't been able to call Bella and I 'mom' or 'dad', which is completely understandable, but he does call my dad Pops and my mom Nana.

Little Mary had no problem referring to us as Momma and Daddy. She was so starved for affection; she just melded right into our family.

Both kids are benefiting from the horse therapy. As Mary grows, her prosthetic leg changes, causing some discomfort and an adjustment period. The horses help her to exercise it, plus I think it's an added benefit just being around them, giving purpose and teaching responsibility.

Phillip helps with the care of the animals. His time spent with them is its own therapy. He and Zeus have even bonded, which is something I did not expect.

…

On this particular sunny spring day, we were getting ready for a party.

"Thanks for picking this up, Em." I remarked, pointing at the bed of his truck. It was full of folding tables and chairs. Our home had gotten a lot smaller now that six people lived inside it. There was no way we could have everyone over and inside.

"We just need to have them back by Monday or the kids in the art class will be sitting on the floor!" Emmett cackled.

"Less talk, more work!" Alice hollered, then laughed when she couldn't keep a straight face. "They'll be here in an hour."

With Jasper's help, we had everything unloaded quickly.

Once the tables were set up, Alice and her kids covered them in pink plastic table covers. Everyone else began trucking the food and gifts out to their designated spots.

Lily approached me carrying her Furby that my wonderful parents got her for Christmas. They were thoughtful enough to get one for Lucas and Mary, as well. Thanks.

"When can we eat, Daddy?" Lily asked in her cute three-year-old voice. "Maxie is hungree." She wiggled the toy at me.

"Go ask Uncle Emmett." I replied, throwing my friend under a bus.

Emmett had a fear of Furbys. This big, strong guy was reduced to a quivering mess when in the presence of one.

I watched as Lily tugged at Emmett's shorts to get his attention. He turned to look down at her and jumped a foot in the air when the thing in her hand decided to come to life and speak.

"Are you responsible for that?" Bella asked as she settled on my lap. I wrapped my arms around her swollen belly, pulling her back to rest against my chest.

"I couldn't resist." I laughed as I watched Emmett try to get away from my daughter.

Emmett caught me laughing and flipped me the bird when he was sure that there weren't any none of the kids were watching him.

Bella plucked her phone from the back pocket of her shorts when it chimed. Given the time, I guessed that it was Renee and her five minute warning.

The plan was for Jake and Seth to come here before heading home. They had no idea about the party but I knew they would love it; neither of them ever turned down a party of any kind.

"Five minutes!" Bella yelled across the yard. "All kids, over here!" Bella rose off my lap and walked behind the bunkhouse. The ten children scrambled after her and squatted down to hide.

Jake and Seth had been trying to adopt for two years, getting shut down by many backwards-thinking establishments. Someone put in touch with a lawyer who had some connections in Haiti.

They had flown down there immediately, meeting the birth mother's parents. Sadly, she had died while giving birth and her mother and father barely had the means to support themselves and their two children who were still living with them.

They approved Jake and Seth's grant for adoption after meeting them for the first time. The two decided to pay the owed funeral costs for their child's mother, as well as a token for the family.

They had been down in Haiti for a month getting all the paperwork taken care of. Red tape is a constant, no matter where in the world you are.

Now, they were on their way here, having just arrived in the U.S. with their new daughter.

Everyone got into their hiding places, waiting for Charlie's big Tahoe Suburban to pull into the driveway. All the children were giggling and antsy. Lucas and Phillip made a mad dash across the yard to stand with me behind the big bush at the corner of the house.

"Hey Edward," Phillip loudly whispered, "won't they notice all the cars?"

"Probably." I muttered, roughing his blonde hair.

"Not much of a surprise then, is it?" he snorted.

I pulled him into a headlock but the arrival of our guests saved him from any more of my playful tormenting.

We waited until everyone had gotten out of the vehicle before making our presence known. It was agreed that we wouldn't jump out and scream 'surprise', so instead, we all just walked into the driveway after the group passed us and stopped at the tables.

Jake and Seth turned around to find us all smiling at them.

"Can I see da baby, Momma?" Lily asked, pulling at Bella's shirt.

"What the hell is all this?" Jake laughed.

Four of the kids started tsking right away at Jake's language.

"Well, for one, it's an opportunity to give you this." Bella walked over to the table that held some brightly wrapped gifts. She picked up an overly decorated, clear glass jar and handed it to Jake. The label read 'Cuss Jar'.

He hugged her close before placing his bundle on the table. He and Seth blocked our view for a moment, and then turned to face us.

"Everyone, we'd like to introduce you to Lydia Clearwater-Black."

Seth cradled their baby girl in his arms, turning slightly so we could all get a good look. The tiny thing had a mess of shiny black hair and a sweet, chubby face. Every one of us held teary smiles.

We took turns holding Lydia until she became fussy. I scooped her up from Bella then handed the screaming child off to one of her fathers.

"This is all you." I chuckled. Jake's face shown with pure joy.

The celebration of Miss Lydia's induction to our little family didn't last too long. After a few hours, everyone was ready to call it a day. Bella's ankles were swollen and most of the children were cranky and tired.

After a quick clean up, Emmett said he'd come by the following day to load up the borrowed tables and chairs.

Bella and I took our brood inside to get them ready for bed. We bathed them, read to them and tucked the three younger ones into bed.

I knocked on Phillip's door, opening it after he mumbled something that sounded like 'come in'.

Bella walked in before me and sat next to the boy on his bed. Phillip's legs were crossed underneath him; he was looking down at his interlaced fingers that sat in his lap.

"Everything alright?" I ask, pulling out the chair to his desk to sit.

He sighed heavily and muttered under his breath. He was obviously struggling with something. Often, he had to voice things to himself out loud, in order to make sense of what he was trying to say.

"Take your time, sweetheart." Bella stroked his hair.

He lifted his head and glanced at us both before blowing another deep breath out.

"I...uh...," he stammered. Phillip's eyes squeezed together tightly for a moment. "I was wondering something." he finally got out.

"Go ahead." I encouraged.

"So, the last time we went to court..." he continued, "my, uh...mother...she can't try to take me again, right?" He bit his lower lip nervously.

Bella's eyes shot to mine, her face contorted in worry. I gently shook my head.

"Phillip." I said, getting him to look at me. "Are you having second thoughts about wanting to see your mother?" I was treading lightly here, not entirely sure what his concerns were.

"No!" he shouted, shaking his head. "Not at all. I mean, I know that somewhere, deep down she probably loves me. But, I know she has a lot of problems and, well...I don't know." Phillip stumbled over his words. "Maybe someday, when I grow up, I might want to see her." He shrugged, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Phillip, you know that we won't ever try to stop you from seeing your mother. She will always be your mother." Bella consoled him. "As long as she is well and presents no danger to you." she added.

Phillip nodded, wiping his nose on his sleeve. Bella got up to grab him a tissue.

"Your mother can not come back and try to take you and the adoption is final." I replied. "But, Bella is right. If you ever want to see her, we'll do our best to make it happen." In a controlled, supervised environment, I added internally.

He sniffled and nodded. His psychologist warned us about the guilt he might feel about the situation and advised us to just be honest and supportive with him.

"So, what is the problem then, son?" I asked after he blew his nose.

"I was, uh...wondering if I could, uh..." he drew a deep breath, "callyoumomanddad." His words ran together as he anxiously spoke.

Even though he mumbled and rushed the words together, Bella and I understood him loud and clear. She grabbed him into a hug as tears ran down her pretty face.

"Only if you want to. You know that it doesn't matter to us what you call us. We love you regardless." she reassured him.

"I'd really like it." he said quietly.

Bella looked up at me from where she still held Phillip. The smile she wore was threatening to split her face. Lily chose that time to call out for mommy.

"I love you, Phillip. It would make me very happy if you called me mom." She kissed his hair then got up to tend to our youngest daughter.

Phillip glanced up at me shyly. I moved over to the spot that Bella vacated, leaning forward with my arms on my knees.

"I already think of you as my son, Phillip. I would be honored if you wanted to call me dad."

He looked up at me, then threw his arms around my shoulders. I pulled my arms up and wrapped them around my boy.

"Don't ever be afraid to talk to me about anything. It doesn't matter whether it's about your biological parents or girls, whatever."

He pulled away from me, his face screwing up in disgust. "Girls?" he whined. "Edw...er, Dad, that is just gross." he laughed.

"One day you won't think that way, I promise. And if you decide that you like boys instead, well...there's always your Uncles Jake and Seth." I chuckled.

"There is this one girl." he admitted as he blushed profusely. "Her name is Chrissy."

We discussed the inner workings of the female mind until Phillip was yawning.

"Goodnight, son." I stood in his doorway, illuminated by the hall light.

"'Night, Dad." he smiled.

I quietly made my way down the hall, looking for my wife. Peeking into the twins' room, they were both fast asleep. A dim light shone through the slight opening of Mary's room. I poked my face in and saw that she was snuggled up with her bear.

I climbed the stairs to our room and found my Bella sleeping, curled around a pillow. I sat on the edge of the bed, lightly caressing her belly. We opted to not find out the sex of this baby. We already had two boys and two girls, so we thought we would let this one be a surprise.

I left her sleeping and went down to make sure that we were locked up and that all the lights were off.

This time of night, when everyone is sleeping and the house is quiet...it's one of my favorite hours.

I grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat in the dark kitchen, looking out at the moonlit corral.

So much has happened in the past few years.

Our hasty marriage, coinciding with the birth of our twins. I chuckled remembering that moment fondly. Bella's hair was pasted to her forehead as we kissed to seal our marriage vows.

I went from nothing to everything in such a short time, and I wasn't done yet.

The ranch had taken off by leaps and bounds. I had four full time employees, one of which was another physical therapist, like me. We had ten volunteers that worked here regularly, as well.

With the help of Emmett, we were able to transform the bunkhouse into a true bunkhouse. One weekend a month, we hosted a sleepover for the kids that attended sessions here. We had bonfires and cookouts...they loved it; and they got the chance to see more of the ranch and how it all worked.

James and Tanya were an integral part of that. After they decided to marry, James wanted to find a place to settle. Since we were all here, and my father was here, they opted to make Phoenix their home. Katrina was thrilled that she would get to see my father on a regular basis.

James still consulted on design projects, but his work was mostly contained to the internet. He wanted to be more hands on with the kids, so I made he and Tanya the leaders of the Weekend at Corrine's.

Our next project was an addition to our home. Jasper worked with Bella and I and came up with just what we wanted. Our contractor was, of course, Emmett and McCarty Construction.

Thinking back to when I first arrived here in Phoenix, I'd come a long way. Back then, I knew what I wanted, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would get everything, and more.

Ten years later...

"LET'S GO!" I stood at the bottom of the stairs, yelling at the four women who resided in my house.

"Go get in the car, Lucas." I looked over my shoulder at my son. He was already pulling at the necktie that his mother insisted upon him wearing. At thirteen, I already knew that he would be a heart breaker.

Lucas had my father's features and my unruly hair, while his twin, Lily, looked just like her mother. She was beautiful and smart as a whip. Too bad she was also cursed with my hair. Which is why I was still waiting on the girls.

"We're coming!" Bella hollered.

I watched as the four most important women in my life descended the stairs.

Bella was first and looked absolutely ravishing. Her simple wrap dress was a shade of blue that complimented her creamy pale skin perfectly. She looked at least five years younger than her age and was still sexy as hell at thirty-five.

Abbey was next. Our youngest child was a carbon copy of her mother, small framed with the same color hair as Bella. Abbey was a feisty, opinionated ten year old, who thought she was fifteen. She was a sweetheart and a daddy's girl to boot.

The actual fifteen year old was Mary. She had grown up to be such a pretty girl. She was at the top of her sophomore class and had her sights set on social work. She wanted to help kids in need, ones that were like she was when we found her so many years ago.

Last, but not least, was Lily. Lily was our problem child. She was plenty smart and could stand toe to toe with anyone. The problem was that she did. It was a rare week that we weren't at least called because of some altercation that she instigated. Currently, she is on strict punishment, along with working the ranch by my side.

If it weren't for her oldest brother's graduation, she'd be mucking stalls right now.

"You should put a smile on that pretty face, my dear." I told her as she passed me. "You could be knee deep in shit right now."

Lily scowled at me then stomped out to the car.

"Pushing her buttons will only make it harder to be around her." Bella snickered.

"I know, but it's my job." I smiled and kissed my wife before escorting her out to the car.

Once we were all loaded in the SUV, we set off to watch our son walk across the stage.

The auditorium was crowded and I was extremely happy that we had a block of seats for the entire family. Emmett and his crew were all present. Jasper, Alice and Gracie were there; the older boys were both off at college and couldn't get away to be here.

Only half of the grandparents were there. Charlie and Renee were running a little late, but sent a text telling us they would join us soon.

We said hello to Jake, Seth and Lydia then made our way down to the front where our section was. The kids scattered to sit next to their cousins. While our friends' kids weren't actually related to ours, they referred to themselves as cousins.

The ceremony began with the school band playing. The faculty took the stage while the graduating seniors lined up on the main floor. All the students carried white roses and as they moved across the floor in front of the stage, they broke off and presented the roses to their respective mothers.

That was all it took for the waterworks to start with Bella. She pulled out a pillow pack of tissues and dabbed at her eyes.

The kids all sat in a section of empty chairs near the stage. We suffered through four of the faculty member's speeches until it was finally time to hear from the Valedictorian, Phillip.

I was proud of all of my kids. Even after being held back a year and struggling another two, Phillip finally got it together and never looked back.

I found myself anticipating what he was going to say. I'd heard bits and pieces of his speech while he practiced in his room, though not enough to know what he was going to say.

Phillip walked slowly to the podium, adjusting the microphone. He looked up and smiled at the crowd. The boy didn't look like he was nervous at all.

"When we get to this point in our lives, the people around us always ask the same thing. 'What do you want to do with your life?'. Most of us have some kind of answer; college, the military, or even the classic 'taking a year off.'" The crowd chuckled as he flashed his brilliant smile at them.

"I'd like to quote something that my father once said to me." Phillip paused and found me in the crowd.

"He told me that I could be anything that I wanted to be and I would have his unconditional support. He said that even if I wanted to chuck my football scholarship to become a ballet dancer, that he would be in the front row, cheering me on."

Phillip's watery eyes mimicked my own. I grasped Bella's hand, squeezing it gently. She silently offered her little pack of tissues to me.

"Many of you don't know about my humble beginnings, and I won't bore you with all of that right now. Suffice it to say, that if it wasn't for my loving, supportive and generous parents, I would not be standing here today."

Phillip cleared his throat and wiped at his eyes before finding us again in the crowd.

"Mom, Dad? Thank you. Thank you for finding me, thank you for saving me. Thank you for showing me what love is."

If I hadn't been crying before, I certainly was now.

"To the teachers and staff, thank you for giving us your best. Fellow graduates, go out and find that thing that makes your heart race. Find that thing that makes you feel complete. But, you know what? Even if you stumble, you can always start over. My dad did, and he is the best person that I know. He is successful, happy and fulfilled. I could not have asked for a better role model."

Phillip folded up the paper that his speech was written on and took a step back from the podium. That was the only cue we needed for our whole section to stand and cheer.

"That's my boy." I said to no one in particular. Bella's arms snaked around my waist then rested her head against my shoulder.

After the throngs of people began to clear the auditorium, we gathered our crew and headed out to the parking lot. We took lots of pictures then headed to the restaurant where we had a reservation.

Because we had over twenty people in our party, we had an entire section of the eatery cordoned off for us. I stood in the hostess area directing our group to where we were sitting.

My head snapped up when I heard the high-pitched voice belonging to none other than Lily. The woman that she had apparently run into had her back to me. All I could see was Lily's face contorted in anger and the woman's arms flailing.

"What is going on here?" I demanded, taking Lily by the arm. I looked up at the woman to apologize for my child, but I was dumbstruck.

"Edward?" she asked.

"Hello Kate." I said evenly. Even though I'd recognize her anywhere, she looked tired and worn. Her face had aged rather ungracefully, leaving sagging skin around her eyes and neck.

"Is this yours?" she asked, pointing at my daughter.

"Excuse me?" Lily responded.

"Lily! Let me handle this. Go find your brothers and stay there."

"Her brothers? Just how many rug rats do you have?" Her look was incredulous and her tone was filled with contempt.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Bella and I have five children." My hands rested on my hips, just daring her to say something about my kids.

"Five?!" she exclaimed. "Jesus, Edward. Maybe you should take my card in case you want an upgrade. Your wife must be a cow." Kate plucked a business card from her purse and offered it to me.

Just then, Lily reappeared and stomped on one of Kate's feet.

"Don't you talk about my mom like that you stupid witch."

Kate was hopping around on one foot, cursing up a storm. When she regained her footing, she grabbed for Lily.

"Don't you lay a hand on my child." Bella seethed. She snatched Kate's card from her and proceeded to rip it into tiny pieces.

Kate stood back and stared at Bella. Honestly, it was a sight to behold. She was glorious.

"Your child is a heathen! What does that say about the kind of parent you are?!" she yelled.

"A damn sight better than one who got rid of hers as if they were an illness." Bella said, only inches from Kate. "And, if anyone is a cow, it's you. The years have not been kind." Bella observed, as she gave Kate a once over.

I took my wife's hand, wrapping it behind me with my own. I glanced up at Kate for a split second then kissed the hell out of Bella.

"Come on, we have a graduation to celebrate." I whispered against her lips.

"Geeze, you guys. Couldn't you at least tone it down while we're in public?" Lily said loudly. "They do this all the time." she told Kate.

I heard Kate huff loudly, then storm off.

"Who was that anyway?" Lilly asked.

"Nobody." I smiled.

That was the last time that I ever thought about ex-wife.

Taking Lily's hand, I leaned down to let her know what I thought about her actions.

"You're off shit shoveling duty, squirt."

...

When I first met Bella, I thought she was too young to know what she wanted. Too naïve to make decisions that would affect her entire life. Now, seeing her surrounded by our five children, I can see how wrong I was to assume such things.

She taught me how to live again. She taught me how to love again.

She taught me how to walk.

Final A/N: I want to thank you all for taking this journey with me. I missed quite a few review replies, but I read each and every one of them. I appreciate all of you: readers, followers, alerters and reviewers.

I have a few things in the works right now. A collab with TheQueenWriter, a OS, a multi-chapter CEOward, and I entered a contest.

I'm also working with xXKiwiCullenXx again. She is re-working her current fic, Push.

If you haven't been reading about Bird and Dur by TheQueenWriter, you should go check that one out as well.

My 'team': Chevy, Kari & Kim (alphabetical order so as not to offend 3 ) I could not have completed this story without any of you. I love you three dearly!

Contest Info: TwiHEA Contest

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