The End – Epilogue – Part One

Note: I didn't intend on writing any more to this originally, but I decided to try and tie up some loose ends; and maybe give it a slightly less depressing mood (since I haven't finished part two yet, though, I can't say for sure.)

"Alice? Alice?!!!" Jasper screamed, rushing to her side and wrapping his arms protectively around her; she had suddenly frozen mid-step, trance-like, paler than ever, her eyes staring wider than he'd ever seen, her face a perfect mask of absolute horror. "What's happened?! Alice?! Please answer me!!!" He begged, tensed for the worst.

Alice crumpled in his arms after a brief moment, and her body shook violently with her tearless sobs. "Alice? Alice, sweetheart? What's happened? What did you see, honey?" Jasper crooned softly, trying to soothe her, and attempting to keep the panic out of his own voice. He could feel the desolation in her mood, and wrapped her in a warm wave of calm and comfort in an effort to console her apparent grief at what ever she'd just seen.

She pressed her face into his chest holding him close; after several long moments she peeked up at his face, her somber expression sending a fresh wave of sheer panic through him; then so softly that he almost couldn't hear, she whispered, "We're too late." Then she pressed her face once more into his chest, shaking again despite the waves of comfort he kept rolling over her.

Kachiri insisted on coming with them as they journeyed back to Forks. It had been several hours after Alice's vision before she could tell them what had happened. Who had died, and who had survived the bloody battle. "The Volturi are gone," she whispered. "Demitri is dead; it's safe for us to go back." She'd had to pause every now and then before she could continue, and would only whisper; as if afraid saying it any louder would make it real, but that if she was quiet, or didn't hear it aloud, maybe it would just be a bad dream she could wake up from.

"Marcus was the only one of the Volturi to survive; Leah was going in for the kill when Sam ordered her to stand down. He was the only one to have voted not to kill the Cullens…" her voice broke on saying their name. "…so Sam decided to let him keep his life for the time being.

"He left for Volturi with Vladimir after putting himself back together. Apparently Marcus had voted on not destroying his kingdom way back then as well; so after a long discussion they decided to go back to Italy together."

Another pause, "Carlisle and Esme made it, though just barely. Rose," her voice cracked again, "and Emmett are dead." A few more silent sobs, "As are…" she gasped for breath, "Edward and Bella." She could barely get out their names. They had to stop as a fresh wave of sobs overtook Alice and her legs gave out from beneath her.

As grief ridden as he was as well, Jasper did his best to control his own emotions so he could comfort his wife; trying not to let her feel his distress through the calming loving warmth he kept her wrapped in.

Once they'd started again, she turned to Kachiri, "Zafrina and Senna didn't make it either. They died trying to protect Bella. I'm so sorry."

"Who else?" Jasper gently probed when Alice didn't continue for several moments.

"Tanya, survived, but she's still healing; one of the guards tore her apart pretty bad."

Alice was quiet again for a while. Jasper was about to prod for further information when she continued.

"Kate and Garrett didn't make it." Her voice had taken on a hollow quality. "He'd just decided to stay with her too." She said even quieter.

Jasper tried to put more calm and love into the protective cloud of emotions he was enveloping Alice in as he felt her despair.

"Most of the new young wolves were killed; they didn't have a chance against a trained guard; along with Collin, Jared, and Brady; but they did a good bit of damage themselves," she said with a hint of pride in her voice.

"Stephan, Vladimir's friend, was killed. Siobhan and Liam, from the Irish coven were too. Their newest addition, Maggie, survived though. So did Eleazar and Carmen from Denali. It was close though, it took Eleazar a while to recover."

"Amun and Kebi left before the fighting started, so did Alistair, so they're fine." She spat out, not hiding her contempt. "Benjamin and Tia stayed, though," her voice softened, "but they didn't make it." They traveled for a while in silence before she continued.

"Eleazar, Tanya, and Carmen are heading back for Denali to grieve for Irina and Kate once they finish recovering; though I do see Tanya joining us sometime soon.

"Maggie's decided to stay with Carlisle and Esme."

"Us?" Jasper asked.

"Yes. We'll rejoin Carlisle and Esme."

"But what about…?" Jasper left his sentence hanging.

"They'll be joining us in our search."

"Oh."

Kachiri hadn't said a word, and they continued in silence for the rest of their journey north.

Part Two:

Carlisle had to do triage every day at the hospital, but this was so much worse. He cared for everyone here like family. No strangers. He felt numb as he looked over the wounded and broken; Esme was doing what she could to help, but she wasn't professionally trained, though she had picked up a lot from him and Edward over the years. A fresh wave of pain ripped through his chest as he thought of Edward; his first, his friend, his confidant, his brother in some ways, and his son in so many others. Newly wed to his love forever Bella; only a newborn herself… He had to stop thinking about this or he was going to be overcome with his grief and he couldn't afford that now; there were too many injured to treat to break down now. There'd be time for that later. So with tremendous effort, he pushed his pain and loss to the back of his mind and concentrated on his work.