Asylum, Chapter 14 by patricia51

(Bree)

I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. I'm NOT afraid. Okay, who am I kidding? I'm terrified. I watch the long line of black cloaked figures, their features hidden under their hoods, as they advance towards us. It felt like there were a lot of us when we first arrived here, vampires from all over the world and the packs of both Jacob and Sam all in their wolf form. Now it seems like a much smaller group than the one coming for us. I stand near Jacob, who has Renesmee on his back. I know that if things go back he is supposed to take her and run away, as far and as fast as he can. I overheard Bella tell him that she has passports and other documents for the two of them.

I almost wish I could run away too. Does that make me a coward? Maybe. But I can't, any more than I could have run away when I was part of Victoria's army. Where would I go? Much more important I have a family now, a family that I love and that loves me, and the thought of living without them is more terrifying than dying with them. So here I stay.

When this all started I thought it was funny, something to laugh about when Alice dropped that vase. We all looked and then looked again as she froze in place, staring out into space. I didn't understand at first, and then I remembered about her having visions. We waited until she came back to us.

Oh God the Volturi are coming. For me? Okay that's selfish. They're coming for us, for the Cullen s and that does include me. Why? Something to do with Irina, whose lover tried to kill Bella and was torn apart by the wolves. Bella remarks she was in the woods and saw her and Edward and Renesmee. The consensus is that she has reported my niece as an immortal child, one of the greatest violations of vampire law.

So why don't we just go explain that Renesmee isn't one of those? I should know better, the world doesn't work like that. Mom and Dad explain about the Volturi again and what are their real motives. That I understand. They're like a friend of my original parents who told them he was going to "drive the devil" from me. I knew what he wanted and the only devil involved was him. That was my longest runaway. When I was taken back home it turned out he had been arrested for doing what he planned to me to another girl. I still feel guilty about that sometimes although Mom especially has reassured me that remaining and letting him do what he wanted to me would not have kept him away from that other girl.

The house exploded into action like I have never seen before. Family members were going everywhere. The decision was made to gather allies to stand with us, enough in number and power so that the Volturi might hesitate before attacking us. In the midst of all of this Alice and Jasper disappeared. Sam brought something, a note from them I guess, to Dad. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation but I don't think I'll ask for it.

People are going here and there like crazy. And what do I do? I keep going to school. As if I can concentrate. But that's what Mom and Dad said to do so I try my best. I try even as the house fills up with all sorts of vampires. Most of them have red eyes too. But I'm excited to see Tanya, Kate, Eleazar and Carmen again. And they have someone new with them named Garrett who seems very interesting. He' not as cute as Seth of course but he definitely has that bad-boy image down perfectly. I think Kate likes him. And then there are vampires from the Amazon, from Egypt, wandering ones that are called nomads and other places until my head spins.

Maybe one day I'll get to go to all those other places. That is, if there is another day to come after today.

Last night Mom and Dad sat me down and talked to me. They told me that they wanted me to leave, that the mysterious benefactor Bella had gone to see had provided her with yet another passport, one with my picture and description on it. They had money for me, enough to disappear somewhere else, somewhere safe. I could leave now or stay here at the house. If things went wrong Jacob would try to escape with Renesmee and come here and I could go with them.

My eyes filled with tears. "Are you sending me away?" Immediately they both hugged me and assured me that they wanted nothing more to keep me safe. "What if they don't make it? Where would I go? Alaska? They're all here too. I'd be alone in the world. Please don't make me."

They gave in. So here I am. Watching. Waiting. Dad tried to talk to the Volturi big-wig but got no where. Whispers I hear from the others say that he's just looking for an excuse. After Edward and Bella and Renesmee go forward he knows she's no danger. So he tries something else. I don't know Irina really but Kate and Tanya are her sisters and everyone has to hold them to keep them from attacking when their sister is killed. I understand now more about the Volturi. There was no need for that, she made a mistake and admitted it. He's just trying to provoke a fight and the lives of other vampires mean nothing to him.

So it looks like it's a fight. I'm still not completely past my new born stage I'm told so maybe I can hold my own. We all get ready as Argo or Aro or Anus starts carrying on about Renesmee being unknown and how that's so dangerous. Just then Alice and Jasper appear from the woods and walk to the Volturi. I can t hear them but then Alice takes his hand and for a moment they freeze in place.

(Alice)

I knew it. It's just like the vision I had of the Volturi arriving at our battle with the new-borns. Aro and his gang aren't here to safe-guard anything or preserve anything or promote justice. They're here because he believes that he has enough might to overpower us; destroy those he doesn't crave as servants which mostly means me, Edward and Bella. Oh there are others with abilities that interest him such as Kate and Benjamin but we're the three he wants the most.

He doesn't care WHAT we show him about Renesmee. It's nothing but a cover. A show. Well I'll give him a show. The images cascade through my mind as I see what his decision will bring and he sees it all with me.

It's a kaleidoscope, scenes cascading through my mind one after another, seemingly at random.

I give agreed signal and Jacob turns and runs, carrying Renesmee to safety.

Aro goes flying when I kick him to start the fight but he's immediately back and meets Carlisle in mid-air as our adopted father rushes to protest Jasper and I being seized. Grief comes over me as Aro decapitates him and burns his body.

Both sides charge. Jasper fights with Demetri while Bella shields him from Jane. But Alex attacks her and Jane disables my husband enough for Felix and Demetri to kill him and grief takes me again. Grief and anger.

Emmett tears Alex from Bella and kills him. Seth attacks Jane but can't stand against her power. Writhing in pain Felix crushes him. I hear Leah howl in anguish, a cry that is matched by a horrified scream from Bree. The howl rouses Jacob who turns on the pursuing vampire and meets him in mid air, ripping his head off before resuming his charge of carrying Renesmee to safety. And I see that he will be successful.

Benjamin slams his fist on the ground and a chasm opens all the way down to the lava waiting below. Bella shakes two of her attackers into the opening and kills the other two. New born strength triumphs.

There is an astounding sight. Edward leaps from the chasm and kills Demetri. And on the other side Felix, huge hulking Felix has been caught off guard by an infuriated Bree. He's so big and she's so small but she still has new born strength. Not allowing him to regain his balance she pummels him with blows that send him staggering to the edge of the crevasse. She launches herself at him and both of them go over the edge. Oh my little sister. Leah follows her, taking the Volturi who was trying to kill Esme with her.

And there is Jane. Jane who cannot harm me because Bella shields me. Unable to use her power she panics and flees. But I am right before her in one leap and Sam is waiting when I throw her to him. I see Caius attacks Tanya but Garrett is there and Kate disables him with her shock power so Tanya can rip his head off. Vladimir and Stephan converge on Marcus who offers no resistance. A fleeting thought. I hope somehow he can find Didyme on the other side.

Finally I see, and more important, Aro sees what will happen to him. With his closest supporters gone he narrows his world to Bella and Edward and attacks. But as strong and cunning and powerful as he is the two of them over power him. Before the vision ends we see his head, torn from his body, watching as a flaming torch approachs.

"So now you know," I tell him.

(Bree)

I don't know what Alice showed that Volturi big shot but he looks stunned. Really stunned but he seems to somewhat rally with whispered urging from the others around us.

Then another couple walks across the snow to where Alice and Jasper stand with the Volturi. And it turns out that he's just like Renesmee! Half-vampire and half human and a hundred and fifty years old which means we won't lose her. And he can survive on either blood or human food which means the same for my niece. A completely irrelevant thought crosses my mind. I really miss chocolate ice cream.

Then all of a sudden Aro talks to his followers and it's all over. They turn and leave, except for him. He looks at Bella, says something I can't hear and turns and leaves. There's some commotion by the two guys with the accents from I forget where. They insist this is the time to fight, to attack. But we don't and I'm glad of that. They get all huffy and leave. Probably just as well. We get to go home and I'm very happy.

Oh and I got even happier a few days after everything settled back to normal. Seth asked if we could start dating. Really dating not just running through the woods together. What's even more wonderful is that he did it old fashioned style. He went and asked my Dad, and Mom, for permission first. Isn't that awesome? They agreed but set some conditions before things can get any more serious than that. I have to graduate high school first and at least start college. That's fine; I'm determined one day to be a doctor like my Dad. And like another vampire once said to his beloved when she warned him it might be years before they could be together he replied "I ain't getting any older". If Seth wants to go as well they'll pay for us both, assuming Jacob agrees. I hope so on both counts.

Oh. I said "Yes" of course. So now I have a family such as I never dreamed about in my wildest fantasies. An incredible Mom and Dad, older brothers and sisters who watch out for me, my very own niece and a wonderful boyfriend. They all love me and I love them all back with my whole heart. My name is Bree Cullen and isn't this a wonderful world?

(The End)

Note: "I ain't getting any older" is of course said by Angel to Buffy near the beginning of "Chosen", the final episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".