Author's note: (Sobs) It's over! Wild Horses is over! (Cries more) Hehe, sorry. This is the epilogue. I hope you enjoy, I loved writing this( I had A LOT of fun writing how the characters looked in the future). This is one of the longest chapters I've written in a long time. Well, now I'm going to concentrate on Nightmare Fairytale. This story was awful, but thank you guys for reading it! Soon I'll be changing the title to Grim Reminder, okay?

Melli laughed, and laced her fingers with Paul. Five years, it had been, since the papers all across the nation blared the news of the girl who had gone missing. 'Natasha Domonan ', it had said ' has gone missing from her father's mansion estate in central Virginia. There is no evidence of foul play.'

Melli sighed, and looked at the beautiful ring on her ring finger. Mrs. Paul Saunders. She never thought it would've happened, neither did Paul. Several seconds after the last time he had seen Tasha, he looked up at Melli, and something just clicked. It sounds cheesy, but he felt the love at first sight thing going for him.

Melli sucked on her lip for a moment, and decided to get up and do something. She smiled down at Paul, whose hair hung in his eyes. "I'm going to go fix us some grub, okay?" Paul smiled at her, and nodded. He turned back to watching a movie on HBO.

Melli had bought her own house with the inheritance from her father; he'd died after he had a brain aneurism while screaming at the Council. Melli thought it was ironic, and she mourned for him appropriately, but nothing out of context. She had sold the mansion, and the horses, every single one of them, except the remaining Friesians. They seemed like they belonged with the Domonans.

She had found out that her guess at Serpentine's death was correct after going to the grocery store, and hearing a mother complaining that her son came home laughing, and drunk, that he had killed a huge horse. She sighed, and put a pot of water on the stove, then turned on the burner.

She turned around to choose some pasta, when a cold breeze sent a shiver up her spine. She turned around, her mouth open, ready to scream at Paul for opening a door in the middle of December, but Paul was sitting in his place, watching the movie. He hadn't moved an inch.

She rolled her eyes, and turned to get her pasta, when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw an envelope on the cutting board on the marble counter. She straightened herself, not remembering an envelope there before, and picked it up.

My dearest sister was written on the front. She arched a brow. Petrius had sent her something? He was in college training to be a doctor, and he was never without a phone, he could've just called her. And the 'dearest sister' thing? Since when did he act like he liked her? Maybe he's dying from something, Melli thought morbidly, but she giggled none the less. When she realized what she giggled at, she gasped, "Melli!"

"Are you starting to talk to yourself? You know I can't be married to a crazy bitch!" Paul called from the living room. Melli stuck her tongue out at him, then opened the letter with one finger. She slid the piece of parchment out, and looked at it. Sure enough, her sister's scrawl was on it.

Melinda Sarah Domonan Saunders, and Kenneth (Paul) Richard Saunders are hereby cordially invited to a masquerade being held at the Domonan Mansion on December 31st for to celebrate the new year.

Sincerely,

-Natasha Domonan, and Romeo Argento.

Melli arched her brows, then turned to Paul. "Hey, Paul!" she called at him.

"Whaaaat?" he whined. "Mel, I'm watching TV, can't you see that!" Melli snorted.

"Well then, I don't think you'll be wanting to read this invitation to my mansion, which I sold, hm?" Paul knitted his brows, and stood up, walking to Melli. He took the letter from her hands, and reading it several times. He looked into Melli's eyes incredulously.

"But I thought Tasha was… well, you know." Melli nodded.

"I did too." She crossed her arms over her tie-dye t-shirt, then shoved some shoulder length brown hair out of her face. "I think we're going to a masquerade, Paul." Paul looked at her incredulously.

"But I wanted to hang out with Mitch! C'mon, you know I get New Year's at his place!" Melli arched a brow.

"Yes, with Arly, and all three of his kids." Paul smiled, and nodded his head.

"I guess I'm going to a masquerade then!" he said happily. Melli nodded.

"Exactly as I suspected!" As she finished her sentence, the phone rang. She walked over to it, and looked at the caller I.D. Wilson, Mitchell. She picked it up, and, as usual, greeted Mitch blandly," Hello, Mitch."

"Good! Melli!" But it was Arly's voice. Melli felt like her eyebrows were going to get stuck if she kept arching them, and she'd permanently look like she got scared by a cat.

"Arly?"

"Yeah, I just got this invitation to a ball-dance-masquerade thing at the mansion. I thought you sold- BETHANY, YOU HAD BETTER STOP PULLING JUNIOR'S HAIR!- it?" Arly screamed at her twins. Melli shuddered, and prayed that she'd never have kids that bad.

"Yes, I sold it, and I got an invitation too. Are you going?" Melli desperately wanted to see if she wasn't going nuts wanting to go there.

"Actually… it's why I was calling you." Melli nodded, and breathed her thanks silently.

"Okay, I'll see you outside of the gates, okay?" Melli specified.

"Yep, sorry, but I have to go make Junior stop hitting Zack-"

"Oh, no, it's okay, you go! It must be hell without Mitch being home to help you!" Melli really, really wanted off the phone. Arly chuckled.

"Okay, see you later hon." Then she hung up. Melli put the phone on the receiver, wondering why Tasha hung out with a loud mouth like that.

Melli stood out in front of the gates of her once home, her husband standing next to her. Melli's hunter green dress fit her still athletic form, making her seem like she was going to prom. Paul wore a simple black and midnight blue tux, he wore a black domino. Melli had a domino on a stick held in her hand.

Mitch's massive black Suburban (which Paul had given him) pulled up beside them. Mitch stepped out of the car, his brown hair cropped close to his head, wearing a black tux, looking handsome. A very beautiful, princess looking Arly stepped out of the passenger seat, wearing a midnight blue dress. Her blond hair was cut two inches from her head, kids leaving her no time to look after her own looks; she still looked pretty.

Mitch opened the back door, and a four year old boy, and a similar looking girl stepped out of it. The little girl was wearing a lilac dress, and the boy was wearing a navy suit. They both had brown hair and brown eyes. Arly walked to the other side, and retrieved a baby with dark hair, and sleepy blue eyes. He looked only about two.

Arly walked up to Melli, smiling happily.

"Hey, Melli," she said quietly. Melli looked over Arly for a moment; she seemed totally different from Tasha's best friend five years ago. This Arly was mature, responsible, and a mother. Arly looked at the baby on her hip.

"This is Zack, and those two-" she looked at the little boy and girl who were holding both of Mitch's hands-" are Bethany, and Mitchell Junior." Melli smiled.

"They are very lovely children," she responded. Arly rolled her eyes, but a wide smile still played on her lips.

"You would think that, but those diapers get really expensive after a while." Paul wrapped an arm around Melli's waist absently.

"Hey Paul," Mitch said.

"Hey Mitch. Kids wearing you down?" Paul queried. Mitch sighed heavily.

"Are you kidding? Tracking Dracula was easier than these runts!" Junior slammed a fist into his father's thigh.

"I'm not a wunt!" he said. Paul's eyes widened.

"Did you kid just say the 'C' word?" he asked incredulously. Mitch rolled his eyes.

"How should I know?" Arly frowned at him, pursing her painted maroon lips.

"He said 'runt' not the other thing." Melli giggled.

"I see you've gotten better about your cussing!" Arly opened her mouth to respond, but the gates opened slowly, silently. A tall man, with silver hair that hung in his eyes, greeted them. He wore all black, and looked sinister, and untrustworthy, but Melli recognized him.

"You're Rome…aren't you?" The man nodded his head, and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Indeed I am." He looked the crowd over, then pointed at Mitch, "Attempted murderer." He looked again, then pointed at Paul, "Attempted murderer nutcase!" he said happily. Paul and Mitch frowned, and Melli and Arly felt uncomfortable. Rome turned around, and started walking.

Melli grabbed her skirts in her hands, half expecting to see the body of her sister resting on the ground, half rotted, the other half eaten away. Paul followed after, and so did the Wilson's.

Rome threw the front doors open for everybody to see countless amounts of people, all of whom were vampire, or human. Friends of Tasha's and Rome's, every single one of them.

But there was no Tasha in sight. Rome turned around, and smiled, his fangs glistening in the moonlight. "Enjoy," he said bitterly, before melding into the crowd, grumbling about how all of this was Tasha's idea, and fault.

He never wanted those people near him again, but Tasha missed her family. Tasha wanted to see them. Tasha didn't get to say good-bye. If you haven't noticed, the past three sentences were to be sad in a sarcastic, whiny way. Just notifying you.

Five years had led Rome to three proposals, a break up, a reconciliation, a postponing, and a mutual agreement that marriage wasn't their thing with Tasha. He saw his fledgling standing at the bottom of the grand stair case where she'd announced he was indebted to her because she kicked his ass. She was standing alone, a champagne glass in her fingers.

He walked up to her, and pushed some of her hair out of her face. Her hair reached her the bottoms of her shoulder blades, and she held a ghostly pallor that looked good with her satin black dress, which clung to her figure. He only thought of how amazing she was.

"Darling," he drawled. Tasha rolled her eyes from under her black and white domino mask. She had an affinity for them, and top hats, ever since she was changed.

"Oh, Romeo, my love," she gasped, putting the back of her hand to her forehead, and tipping backwards before jerking herself upright. "Are they here? Did they come?" she asked hopefully. She was like a lost puppy finding its family. Rome couldn't help but smile and nod.

"Yes, over there." He pointed. Tasha smiled, kissed him on the lips, and ran in the direction he pointed at. He watched her, how desperate she was. More often than not she'd mope about their manor that sat at the edge of a lake, and it infuriated him.

Tasha looked around for them, any of them. Her father, her sister, her brother, Arly, anybody.

"Tash?" Melli's voice said quietly. Tasha turned around, and saw her sister hold a hand over her mouth.

"Melli," Tasha said breathlessly. She ran up to her, and flung her arms around her twin's neck.

"Melli!" Tears fell down her cheeks, and she squeezed her tight. Melli squeezed back tightly.

"What? I get no hug?" Pet's voice scoffed. Tasha turned around, and there stood her brother, tall, his hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a soul patch on his chin. A pair of rimless glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, making him look very sophisticated.

"Pet!" she screeched, and jumped on him next. Tasha looked at her friends. Arly, and her children and Mitch, then she looked at Melli and Paul. Paul looked at Tasha incredulously.

"Tasha…" He looked far off, like he was trying to conjure a memory. Tasha smiled, and nodded, her smile faltered a bit, but became better as she looked at them.

"Married, huh?" She was truly happy. She pushed the slight pang of jealousy to the back of her mind, because Paul and Melli deserved a life, not only herself.

After a getting reacquainted, everyone went off in their own directions; Pet talking to a young, brown haired girl his age, Arly playing with Zack, Mitch talking to Paul, the twins running around, and Melli talking to Tasha.

"So, what happened, Tash? Just disappearing like that, then coming back?" She arched a brow. Tasha smiled, then lifted her lip with a finger. Nothing, just teeth.

"See anything?" Tasha asked, half-muffled. Melli shook her head, then looked closer.

"Nope." Tasha smiled, then elongated her fangs violently fast. Melli gasped.

"Tash! Why!" Tasha shrugged.

"Well, usually mages live for almost ever, and slayers can, so why couldn't I? Besides, I love Rome, and I need to be with him." Melli frowned.

"But, Tash, vampirism?" Tasha smiled slightly.

"The idea is romantic." Tasha would've said more, but Rome appeared out of nowhere, and asked her to dance. Tasha turned to Melli, and shrugged apologetically. Melli rolled her eyes, and waved a dismissive hand in the air.

"Go have fun!" she shouted after them. As Rome dragged her, Tasha waved. He grabbed her waist quickly, and started dancing to the music that didn't really come from anywhere in specific.

"So?" Rome said. Tasha smiled again; it felt like that was all she was doing that night.

"So what? How'd it go?" Rome nodded. "Fantastic. I didn't realize how much I missed them." Rome smiled.

"Well, I missed you too." Tasha scoffed.

"I was gone for twenty minutes!" Rome nodded.

"The longest twenty minutes of my life!" Tasha smiled, and they kept dancing. After a few more songs, a question popped into her mind.

"Hey, Rome?" He looked down at her, and pulled her hips closer to his.

"Yes?"

"Why were you in the mansion that day that I hit you with the horse?" Rome squinted his eyes, trying to remember. Tasha gaped at him. "I wasn't that long ago!" Rome nodded.

"No, it wasn't, but it's foggy. I had a breakdown, I think I came in here because I felt… never mind, it was stupid." Tasha rolled her eyes, and put a finger on his lips.

"Nothing you have to say is stupid. Tell me." Rome smirked at her, then kissed her cheek. He moved his lips next to her ear, and she inhaled his scent. She wanted to remember it for eternity, which she had.

"I felt safe." Tasha smiled, and continued to dance the night away with her love, and her family. Everything was alright, but she knew the day would come when her family grew feebler, and feebler, until they died, as would their children. But she'd have Rome to suffer it with.

Life's full of grim reminders.