Epilogue

Okay, so this epilogue is going be kinda like a timeline with different stages of Ryan and Hazel's lives together. Does that make sense? No? Well too bad!

~*~*~*~

___________________

Five years after high school graduation.

"Where are we?" I asked for about the fifth time in the last minute. If he would've just told me then I'd stop asking. We were walking somewhere. I didn't know where because I couldn't see a damn thing. Ryan's hand was covering my eyes, not that I couldn't have done that myself, but he insisted. In reality he knew that I would peek if I covered my own eyes.

"You're the most impatient person I know," he replied, steering my shoulder with his other hand.

"You love me," I retorted.

"Sadly," he commented, as we stopped. I had no idea where we were. How could I, my eyes were being covered by a giraffe. Laser vision would've been quite helpful at that point. Clearly I don't eat enough carrots to activate that power.

"Okay, are you ready for your surprise?" He asked.

"As long it's not a pet tarantula."

He snorted. "If there was a tarantula I would have hauled ass a long time ago."

"Good to know that you would just leave your girlfriend here to become dinner for a giant spider."

"You're imagining it like the size of a car, aren't you?"

"Well yeah." I shivered at the mental image. "Can we just get this surprise over with?"

"As you wish."

"Don't go all Westly on me," I scolded.

"Sure thing buttercup."

I blindly whacked behind me, trying to make contact. My hand never connected with anything solid. Slippery little bastard.

I sighed in defeat. "Please?"

I felt him kiss the top of my head and I subconsciously smiled. His hand detached itself from my face and I was in awe of the scene that lay before us. We were standing in front of the name tree. The one in the park. Under the tree was a picnic blanket, a bunch of cushions and a picnic basket. On the branches hung jars which contained small candles, burning brightly against the dark sky.

I turned around, my eyes wild with excitement. I pressed my lips hard to Ryan's, and he just laughed as I dragged him towards the tree. We settled on the picnic blanket, and I rested my head on his shoulder. We looked up through the tree branches, staring past the brightly glowing candles. The stars could be seen in the vast distance. I sighed contentedly.

"Do you think there are aliens out there?" I asked curiously.

He let out a bark of laughter. "Totally not what I was expecting you to say."

"Honestly, you should be used to my strangeness by now."

He shrugged. "I like it that you're full of surprises."

"So?" I prompted.

"So what?"

"Aliens," I reminded.

"Oh right, aliens. Well obviously there must be aliens because clearly no human was skilled enough to invent starburst gummy worms."

I looked him in the eye. "You better not be messing with me right now."

He reached into the picnic basket, retrieving a plastic packet that I recognised to be the gummy pieces of joy.

"I love you even more now," I admitted.

"I always knew the way to your heart was through food," he chuckled.

No point denying that. "Yup."

He passed me the now opened packet and I selected a gummy worm, viciously biting off the head.

"You know," I said, chewing. "You never did tell me why you call me sunshine." I said, subconsciously touching the necklace that he had given me for my eighteenth birthday. It had permanent residence around my neck.

He grinned. "You seriously want to know?"

"Uh huh."

"Okay, well the first time I saw you was through your window-"

"Stalker alert," I muttered.

"-and you were dancing wearing a little miss sunshine shirt and your underwear."

I covered my face with my hands. "Oh god, that's so embarrassing! I thought you were going to say something deep and meaningful."

Ryan laughed. "It was cute."

"No, no, no, puppies are cute, bunnies are cute, Sam Winchester is cute. Hazel dancing is like a horror movie."

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "You think Sam Winchester is cute?"

"What can I say, I'm attracted to tall guys with good hair."

He shrugged. "I think Dean is more attractive honestly."

I gasped. "You traitor, I thought you were team Cas!"

"Yeah, but sometimes Cas just flips the freaky angel switch and goes terminator on everyone. He's too unpredictable."

"Then why don't you like Sam?"

"Because you like him."

"That makes no sense at all," I confirmed.

"He's like my competition," he explained. "Plus, he's way too tall."

"You're like an inch shorter than him."

"Yeah, and your brother calls me a giraffe," he said pointedly.

I laughed. "Caleb likes you, trust me if he didn't, you'd know about it."

He sighed. "I love you. You know that right?"

"Of course. I love you too."

"How much?"

"How much do I love you?"

"Yeah."

"I would give up starburst gummy worms and sour patch kids forever if it meant I got to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Wow, that is commitment." He handed me the packet of gummy worms. "Here, the last one's all yours."

I dug my hand around the plastic, not being able to see very well because it was dark. Finally my fingers caught on something solid, but it didn't feel gummy. I retracted my hand, giving Ryan a weird look. He remained straight faced. In my hand lay a small piece of paper which was rolled up to conceal whatever was written on it. I glanced at Ryan again, who nodded encouragingly. Was he in on it?

I cautiously unrolled the piece of paper. I could tell right away that it was Ryan's handwriting. I struggled to read it in the fading light, so Ryan stood up, passing me one of the candles from the tree. In the candlelight I could faintly make out the words.

I muttered them under my breath. "Hazel Rose Harper, will you..." I squinted to read the next word. "Marry me."

As soon as it registered in my brain what the paper actually said I gasped, bringing my hands to my mouth. I turned to look at Ryan. He was down on one knee, holding a small lilac box on his left hand. Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back. For once they were happy tears.

Ryan cleared his throat. "Hazel Rose Harper, will you marry me?"

I grinned. "Hell yes!" I threw my arms around his neck, squeezing the life out of him. Eventually he managed to pry me off him enough to slide the ring onto my finger. He pointed to the tree. Above S+J was another heart containing the letters R+H.

"My dad proposed to my mom under this tree," Ryan said as he stared at the trunk of the tree.

"It's so romantic," I sighed.

He shrugged. "Not really."

"What do you mean?"

"They conceived Evan on the night my dad proposed, under this very tree."

"Should we carry on the tradition?"

He grinned. "I think it would only be fair."

~*~*~*~

____________

Three years later

"How did Evan afford this place?" I asked in amazement as we drove up the long scenic driveway to Evans beach house. The place was grand in every sense of the word. Extensive decks and balconies making the most of the ocean view, well kept grounds, a swimming pool, and a tennis court out the back.

"He married a lawyer," Ryan replied.

I nodded. "Good point."

I peered over my shoulder into the backseat to see our little angel fast asleep in his car seat. A smile touched my lips. At one year old he didn't have a striking resemblance to Ryan or I. In fact, he was a real mixture. He skin was tanned, but not as dark as mine and not as light as Ryan's. He had chocolate curls that were coiled tightly to his head, very similar to my hair as a kid. He had electric blue eyes, almost exact replicas of his daddy's, and a cheeky smile all of his own. He wasn't an overly boisterous kid, rather shy and gentle natured.

I didn't realise that the car had stopped and Ryan too was looking at the product of our genetic information.

"I don't want to wake him," he said.

"Me neither, he looks so peaceful."

"Sunshine, we made one good looking kid," he leaned over and kissed the side of my face.

I smiled, rolling my eyes. We both climbed out of the car. I opened Cooper's door, carefully unbuckling him from his car seat, untangling his sleepy limbs from the straps. He blinked several times, letting out a disgruntled sigh and yawning. He sleepily wrapped his arms around my neck. I could already feel a wet spot forming on my shirt from Cooper's saliva, but I didn't mind. I guess you get used to that kind of stuff as a parent.

Ryan loaded his arms with our bags and together we walked the short distance to the front door. I could tell that Caleb was already here because his truck was parked not far from our car. Tara was also here, not because I could see her car, but I could hear her.

Ryan glanced sideways at me. "You shouldn't be carrying him."

I rolled my eyes at his worrying. "I'm fine."

I rung the doorbell, not that I really needed to, Evan was out in a flash, his wife Amanda at his side.

"Baby brother, girl next door, and look it's my favourite nephew!" Evan exclaimed.

"He's your only nephew," I reminded, putting Cooper down. He clung to my leg.

"Not for long," Evan replied, looking at my swollen belly.

"Hey, it could be a girl," I defended.

Cooper looked at Evan worriedly, an then up at me pleadingly, holding his arms up. He wanted me to pick him up, so I did. I totally understood him. People are scary, I mean, the poor kid had Evan for an uncle, some emotional trauma is to be expected.

"Are you going to let these poor people in or what?" Amanda, Evans wife of two years, scolded, lightly whacking his arm.

Evan grinned goofily. "Oh yeah, right." He fully opened the door, stepping to the side to let us in. The interior of the house was glamorously decorated, not that I expected any less. Evan and Amanda didn't have any kids, so I guess they hadn't experienced the fact that dinner time and white walls don't often mix well. They were in for a rude awakening. Amanda led us into a massive open plan kitchen, living and dining room with high ceilings and hardwood finishings.

"H, help me I'm being attacked by monkeys!"

I laughed as Caleb 'struggled' under the weight of his two lively daughters, Ivy and Charlie. They were both little whirlwinds, a lot like their parents' relationship. Conceived in the hospital on one of Caleb's escapades, Ivy was the eldest of the two, and at eight years old she had a halo of frizzy blonde hair, wild green eyes, and a wicked grin. Five year old Charlie had been adopted four and a half years prior, and had a mop of vibrant red hair. She fit with their little family as if she had always been there.

Caleb's fiancé Lila sat at the counter, nursing their newborn son Benji, while conversing with Tara, who had dyed her hair...purple?

I approached the two, Tara's eyes lighting up as she saw me.

"Hazel!" She screeched, rushing in my direction and throwing her arms around me, and squeezing.

"Tara," I said, gasping for a breath. "You're squashing all three of us."

She gasped. "Oh my god, I totally forgot!" She looked at my stomach and her eyes widened. "Are you sure you're only thirteen weeks pregnant?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes Tara, I'm pretty sure I would know."

She wriggled her eyebrows suggestively, glancing at Cooper as if only just realising he was there. "Ooh a baby," she said, taking him from me.

He look one look at her hair and his bottom lip started to quiver. I smirked. Here come the waterworks. Tara seemed oblivious to the fact the she was holding a very upset child and bounced him around, trying to talk to him in his own baby language.

He suddenly let out an almighty roar, and the smile dropped right off Tara's face. She held him at arms length with a look of horror on her face. She had no clue what to do.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around my waist, their hands coming to rest on my belly.

"Tara, what are you doing to our child?" Came Ryan's voice.

"I didn't do anything!" She defended, thrusting him at me. "Here, take the small human."

I held him to my chest, rubbing his back and rocking him until he stopped crying. "You really are terrible with children," I stated as Cooper snuffled into my shirt.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault. I didn't do anything."

"He was scared of your hair."

"How do you know that?"

"Did you see the look on his face? He thought it was going to jump off your head and attack him."

"By the way, where's Kyle?" Ryan asked, drawing little circles on my stomach with his thumbs.

She huffed. "How should I know?"

"So you're fighting again," Ryan questioned.

"When are they not fighting?" Lila said, joining the conversation. I couldn't help but smile at the adorableness of Benji. He was only a month old, but he already had me wrapped around his little finger.

Tara gasped. "Stop ganging up on me!"

Caleb suddenly 'galloped' into the kitchen area on all fours, the two little girls perched on his back laughing and squealing as he haphazardly skidded around the place.

Ivy whacked him on the arm. "Faster horsey!" She screeched, little Charlie holding on to Caleb's shirt for dear life.

"They're evil!" Caleb hissed as he crawled past me. He made a sound of mock exhaustion, collapsing on the ground, Ivy and Charlie falling on top of him in fits of giggles. "Hey you know what I heard?" He asked. The two listened intently. "Uncle Evan has candy." They looked at each other with equally as wild grins, before racing off to find Evan.

Caleb groaned, hauling himself off the ground. "I'm way too old for this crap."

Lila rolled her eyes at him. "You love it."

He grinned. "I know."

Caleb and Lila had been engaged for ages now, but had been forced to cancel their wedding because Benji announced his arrival on the day that the wedding was due to be held. It sucked for them, but they were equally as happy because their baby boy was born.

He gave Lila a quick kiss on the forehead as he made his way over to where I stood, holding his arms out. Ryan detached his arms from around me because, well it would have been an awkward three way hug otherwise. Caleb wrapped his arms around me, being careful not to squash Cooper, or the unborn baby.

"It's good to see you, H," he commented, taking Cooper from me.

"It's good to see you too," I replied.

"The rugrat has grown," Caleb smiled, bouncing him around, causing him to smile and laugh.

"Yeah, so has this one," I said, planting one hand on my stomach.

He frowned. "Why is it so big? Are you growing an alien in there?"

"Oh god, I hope not."

~*~*~*~

Later that night I watched as Ryan gently placed Cooper in his crib, pulling the blanket up to his chin and brushing the hair off his forehead. He then climbed into bed next to me, laying on his side and wrapping his arms around me.

"I love you," I told him.

"I love you too," he replied, tracing patterns on my belly with his finger. "Can I talk to her?"

I rolled over to face him. "Her? You want it to be a girl?"

"I don't mind if it's a girl or a boy, I just have a gut feeling that it's a girl."

I shrugged, replying to his earlier question. "Sure."

He leant over my stomach. "Hey there kiddo, I'm your dad. I don't know yet if you're a princess or a prince, but I love you either way. I want you to stay in there for as long as you can, so you'll be safe, and happy and healthy when you're born. You have a big brother to look out for you when you're growing up, and your mom is beautiful, you'll see when you arrive." He kissed my stomach. "I guess I'll see you soon. But not too soon," he added.

I smiled gratefully for the wonderful family I had. "You're going to be a great father to our new editions."

His smile gradually faded. "Did you say editions? Like with an 's' on the end?"

I nodded.

His eyes widened to a point where I was sure that they were going to pop out of his head.

"We're having...twins?" He asked slowly. I don't think it had quite sunk in yet.

I nodded again. "Yes, twins."

He suddenly grinned. "We're having twins."

"Yeah we established that already-"

"OH MY GOD!" He shouted, jumping to his feet. "We're gonna have two babies at once!"

Our door suddenly burst open. Caleb and Evan appeared sleep deprived.

Caleb gave Ryan unimpressed look. "I just got the baby to sleep," he sighed. "And now he's making pterodactyl sounds."

"I only came because I thought you fell out the window," Evan added. "Again."

"We're having twins!" Ryan announced proudly, completely ignoring the two previous comments.

"Huh," Caleb said, his facial expression not changing from the sleep deprived father look. "Well you can kiss sleep, sex, and fun goodbye."

He turned around and left.

"R.I.P you," Evan commented, stumbling out of the room.

Ryan didn't seem fazed by the lack of enthusiasm.

He grinned even wider. "We're having twins.

I'm pretty sure the poor guy was in shock.

~*~*~*~

The next morning I walked down the stairs and was greeted by the duel of the century. Evan and Caleb stood several feet apart, circling each other, plastic swords at the ready.

"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father," Caleb started in a faux accent.

"Prepare to die," Evan said, completing the sentence.

You know the bromance is real when you can finish each others sentences.

~*~*~*~

This is officially the end of Covered In Ink. There will be no sequel so please don't even ask. Now I get to edit for the rest of eternity. Yay life!

And as for Hazels mom, you will never know.

Peace out Girl Scouts.

P.s The first chapter of my new book Deception has been posted, so go and read that :)