Epilogue

T he sun beat down over them, but no one cared as Natasha flitted around the groups, earning hugs and praise and birthday wishes. Justine smiled, watching her sweet girl soak up all the attention.

Strong arms wrapped around her middle, and she sighed happily as they rested under her belly, supporting it a bit more. "Mmm, that feels so good, honey-bae."

"That's because my boy is going to be big unlike his big sisters," Tyler said, kissing her cheek as they glanced towards where Hailey and Isabelle had their second daughter Carissa Noelle with them. She was born a week before Christmas two and a half years ago while Justine was due in a few weeks with their little boy. Their third and last. She'd enjoy having more with Tyler, but this pregnancy had been harder on her body than the girls' were and none of them wanted to risk her health and future for another baby, no matter how much they might adore another one.

"Still a house divided isn't it?" Justine mused glancing around the backyard again as Natasha gave her sister kisses along with hers aunts before slipping over to another group of Crawfords.

"I'd say this is progress, babydoll. I mean, most of them are actually here, at our house, in the same space and they're not fighting. The only other place that happens is at church," he stated making her grin, because that was true. Even his father was there, something that'd only started happening last year after the twins didn't invite him to their college graduations.

He and Barb were still together—barely—but she didn't speak about their kids unless they gave her permission to tell their father what was happening in their lives. Seems Grant never thought his kids would really turn on him, but that day when the whole story had come out, changed everyone.

Her family had calmed their side of the feud, other than in relation to Grant, and the Anderson family accepted her completely, while forgiving her for being a Crawford. There were still some definite rough patches with them over the years, but Natasha and Carissa definitely helped smooth them out.

"How are you feeling?" Angela asked as she and Daniel joined them, their second baby, a little girl that was now ten months old in his arms.

"Huge, I blame him. This boy definitely takes after the Anderson men," she said making him laugh and her brow rose a hint. "What?"

"Hate to break it to you babydoll, because most men don't like to admit when someone beats them at something, but your brothers are both taller than I am," he teased giving her a long, lingering kiss that was broken by a childish squeal they knew well.

"Mama, when's my present going to get here?" Natasha asked surprising her because she'd already opened her present from them.

"I think she's trying to scam us for another gift," Tyler joked, reaching down to pick her up, tossing her in the air making her laugh so sweetly that Justine's heart melted more than her body was in the July heat.

"My baby brother is my present," Natasha said, and they both laughed a bit in shock at that.

"Your baby brother will come when it's time for him to come," Tyler said pulling a little pout from her.

"He's supposed to be here today!" Natasha demanded and Justine stood up to help calm her, hoping she was just a bit cranky from missing a nap. As she did, a gush of something soaked her thighs and she let out a groan knowing without a doubt, it had to be her water breaking.

"What's wrong, Just?" Tyler asked, his eyes turning towards her quickly hearing her groan.

"Someone may just get her way because I think my water just broke," she admitted, earning a little squeal from Natasha before Tyler handed her over to her dad as he headed towards her.

"Hailey, Isabelle, watch Carissa for us," Tyler called out to them, and they nodded as he lifted her into his arms making her laugh.

"I can walk you know," she told him earning a little glare from him.

"Oh yes, sure, walk to the car and by the time you get there, his head will be out already, and I'll have to catch him like a football," he groused, and she knew he was talking about Carissa's birth when she ended up having her in the hallway because there wasn't time to get back into the room.

"We'll keep an eye on everyone," Noah told them as he opened the car door. "Keep her safe."

"Always," Tyler assured him, getting them to the hospital quickly and it wasn't long before they confirmed she was definitely in labor.

Tyler's worry wasn't quite warranted because it took two hours before their baby boy came out in a squalling rush. The only thing he was right about was the quickness he actually came out and his size, which was two pounds bigger than both of their girls' seven pounds apiece.

"He's you," Justine teased him later that night after the family had come and gone, his father included in a still slightly awkward visit. Natasha left with a pout, sad that she couldn't take ‘her present' home just yet. "Just as hungry as you are."

"He knows where the good stuff is," he returned, putting color in her cheeks.

"Behave…until you're snipped we have to be careful," she reminded him, making him grumble about having the procedure done. "You agreed…"

"I know and I'll get it done after the summer rush dies down, I promise," he said and true to his word, when their little Tristan Eli was five weeks old, he went and had it done, leaving them both to recover over the next week.

He was adorable to her, grumbly but still extremely helpful with the kids no matter if he wasn't feeling a hundred percent. She loved that and it simply grew when she went back to work while he kept an eye on the kids with their mothers' help still.

Her job was still important to her, but her family came first. The only time the opposite was true was if someone was really in danger and needed her help. Thankfully, that'd only happened twice in the last six years, and he'd understood. Didn't make her feel bad about having to cancel on him as they were supposed to be having a date night the first time it happened, and he'd made sure their girls knew she adored them and would never willingly be gone for bedtime the second if it wasn't important.

She had more peace in her life thanks to Dynamite's subsequent death while in prison. He crossed the wrong person and didn't live to tell, and the rest of his group had ended up doing hard time—John included when they learnt that after she'd left, he'd taken a sixteen-year-old girl from Dynamite in exchange for keeping his mouth shut.

Half of the Grimes' brothers were also dead. The inmates at county lockup had somehow discovered what Harvey was charged with and instead of him going for his first appearance, he made his final on a slab in the morgue. Wendell was still in jail on the charges he'd been convicted of, as well as those he'd plead to thinking it'd help him, but in reality, it'd only added to his sentence.

The twins were thriving, both with boyfriends that were sweet to them. While much to their mother's dismay, both Caroline and Madison were still single, as was Kevin despite attempts from several women to get his attention.

Coming home was the best thing she'd done, well, other than letting love win the war between staying safe and risking everything that'd raged inside her. But as Tyler always told her, love always wins, and with him, she'd never want it any other way.

"What's that little Just smile about, babydoll?" he asked, nipping at her ear making her giggle happily as she laid in his arms, completely content.

"For you, for us, what's always been between us. I love you, honey-bae," she added earning a hot kiss that left her hungry for more.

"I love you too, babydoll, forever," he promised, his body sending hers high into the heavens only they could reach. Where she'd gladly stay with him for the rest of her life, wrapped in his arms, filled with love.