Disclaimer: The real book comes out in 14 days!

AFTERMATH

It was over, just like that? Carlisle and Edward's reasoning made sense, but I couldn't help but agree with Emmett…why not put it to an end forever?

"Edward?" I whispered as soon as Aro, Marcus, and Caius were out of sight. I would have said something sooner, but just seeing them again terrified me. Their papery skin and floating bodies made me remember all those people in Volterra I had seen, walking unsuspectingly towards death. Randomly, I wondered what had happened to the receptionist there. I couldn't decide which fate I wished for her; it was gruesome to wish death on a person, but more gruesome still to wish someone become what the Volturi were.

Edward, who had been holding me during the entire conversation with The Volturi, seemed to come back to himself when I called his name. He looked down at me, fire flashing in his eyes. "What were you thinking?!"

"I-"

"It's a miracle you weren't killed. I've never been so scared in my entire existence! Jane was so close- Jake wasn't sure- I couldn't get there- You, gone forever…" What had began as furious hysteria was slowly becoming something I recognized well.

"God, will you please, for the last time, stop blaming yourself. What I did was my decision. You're right, I would have- I would have died, but I had a better chance than anyone else. We all know my power isn't perfect right now. And Jacob did save me."

"You promised." Edward looked so hurt, and it caused me actual physical pain to know I had caused that. His eyes didn't quite meet mine.

I used my left hand to gently raise his chin so that he had to look me straight in the eye. The palm of my right hand rested on his pale cheek. "I'm sorry I lied."

"You're apologizing for the wrong thing. You very nearly took yourself away from me forever…again."

"I wasn't trying to die, you know. I wouldn't want to miss out on forever with you."

"Could've fooled me." His tone was flat, but his hand covered the hand that was resting on his cheek, and he pressed it there more firmly.

"Can you forgive me? It's over now…you said that The Volturi will never bother us again, right?"

"Right," he sighed. "Bella, I love you too much to stay mad."

"I love you, too. And I'm going to be here to love you forever," I promised. I took one step forward, so that his tall frame enveloped me. Edward's chiseled chin rested on top of my head, and his free hand cupped the small of my back.

All around the clearing, the couples were doing to same thing. Jasper and Alice were staring deeply into one another's eyes in that intimate way of theirs; it was a closer connection, somehow, than touching alone. Emmett and Rosalie were celebrating rather enthusiastically, to say the least. Eleazar and Carmen, and Carlisle and Esme, simply entwined hands. Their love was so old and unspoken that they didn't need more than that. Besides, the two oldest couples were walking towards what was left of The Succubus Sisters.

Irina and Tanya had both collapsed on the ground, holding each other and dry heaving. There were no tears, of course, but the sounds reminded me of the awful, bone-chilling, keening sounds of death. They were in mourning for their sister, Kate.

Slowly, all the vampires became still and silent around the two mourning sisters from Denali. It occurred to me that maybe no one knew quite what to say. I felt like I was drowning in a feeling of overwhelming acceptance and forced peace; Jasper looked strained, like forcing this atmosphere was more difficult than usual. It must have been- Tanya and Irina's raw grief seemed to be suffocating Jasper.

Eventually, Carlisle made eye contact with Edward, who nodded briefly after a couple of seconds. I was going to ask Edward later on, and I expect to have to force it out of him, so it surprised me when he lightly tugged on my hand, leading me away from the huddle in the middle of the smoky clearing.

"Carlisle wants to go speak with Sam," Edward whispered.

"I'm coming." A statement, not a question.

"I know," he sighed, causing me to smirk slightly. I didn't need him to carry me on his back anymore- I'd like to see him try and stop me.

I was set to start running toward the La Push boundary when Edward cleared his throat. "I shoulder probably tell you…" He gestured to me, and to Carlisle who had come to join us. "…Leah died today, and Sam is pretty shaken."

I couldn't think of a reply, so I just nodded, but I thought about Leah the entire run to La Push. I remembered the dark, brooding girl that I'd seen at the bonfire, with a single tear on her cheek. I also remembered being shocked when I'd found out that Sam and Leah were together before the imprint thing happened. I couldn't even imagine how painful that must have been for Leah.

But I didn't just pity Leah- or, I remembered with a pang, her brother and mother who had already lost Harry- I felt sorry for Sam. Jake had told me that Sam imprinted on Emily, and it was clear that Sam loved her very much. However, I just couldn't believe that anyone could stop caring about the person they had once loved so wholly. It was impossible that Sam didn't still love Leah. I'd always suspected that Jake knew it, too, but he never said anything out of respect for his Chief.

"What are you going to say, Carlisle?"

We had reached the La Push boundary, but didn't dare cross. True, we were on better terms with the wolves now, but somehow I didn't think they'd take too kindly to us just barreling onto their land.

"I just wanted to discuss a few things with Sam… obviously, we can't live in Forks right now, but I did think that maybe, one day…" Carlisle stopped speaking then, staring pensively into the still forests of La Push.

"You mean… we could come back here one day?" I asked breathlessly. I'd grown used to Forks; I loved it, really, and I would miss every green, cloudy, soggy day.

Edward reached for my hand and treated me to my favorite crooked grin. "Why not? It is our home."

It really was. It was the place where everything started.

There must have been at least one wolf on patrol that saw us, because soon enough Sam and Jake were walking towards the border. The sun gleamed off of their dark russet skin; I took it as a good sign that they hadn't phased in order to come speak with us.

"Carlisle." Sam addressed Carlisle with a nod, and then nodded to Edward. Finally, his black eyes were on me. I felt nervous- Sam, of all people, hated me the most. Then, when I thought he would ignore me completely-

"Bella."

I lifted one hand in silent greeting. I was too stunned to speak, plus I was distracted completely by Jake. He didn't hate me, so at least I had that much. But he sure as hell hadn't forgiven me, either.

Carlisle began to address Sam, and Edward stood quietly by, not really needing to speak much; there wasn't a need for a translator.

"I'm sorry for your loss…" I heard Carlisle begin gravely. Sincerity rang in his every word. I zoned out, however, for the rest of the discussion. Jacob was once again avoiding my eyes, so I was just as determinedly trying to catch his gaze.

After a few minutes of this game, I felt a slight tug on my hand. But Edward wasn't trying to pull me back home, not yet. He understood that I needed to say my final goodbye.

"I'll see you at home," he murmured in my hair. "I won't listen."

I nodded, thankful that I had such an understanding husband. I knew that it must still be hard for him, but I was also sure that the ring on my finger softened the blow a bit.

Pretty soon it was just Jacob and me. This was awkward.

"Just like old times, huh? Me and you?" I felt ridiculous. It didn't used to be so hard for me to talk to Jake. Not so long ago we'd been able to talk about anything.

At my words, Jacob finally raised his head. One eyebrow lifted in contempt as his eyes raked over my newly marble body. "Not quite like old times."

I would have laughed, but I didn't think Jake would like me to. His eyes were so serious- much too old-looking to belong to my personal sun. "No," I finally agreed, "not exactly."

"Why did you want to talk to me, Bella? Hasn't everything been said?"

I shook my head at his obstinacy, frowning. I hated that there was so much space between us- figuratively and literally. Jake stood on his side of the boundary, and I on mine, about ten feet away.

"Jake, this time when I leave, I'm not coming back."

I think that Jake meant to be indifferent, but he stopped kicking his feet in the dirt in spite of himself, and some deep emotion creased his brow.

"I thought so."

"Yeah. So, I guess, I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Bye."

That hurt. We were never going to see each other again, but he tried to brush me off? If I could've touched him at all, I would have punched him. This time, it wouldn't break my hand.

"Is that all you have to say to me, Jacob? Is that all my best friend has to say to me?"

For a minute, I thought he was going to yell about how no leech could ever be his best friend. Instead, something completely unexpected came tumbling from his lips.

"I imprinted."

I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I should be happy for Jake- I was happy for him. But still, that selfish side of me wanted him for myself. I was still an awful person, I was still trying to have them both: Edward and Jacob.

"Oh! That's… congratulations," I croaked out, finally.

Jake laughed then, hollowly. "You said you'd be jealous of her… are you?" He seemed genuinely curious.

"Yes," I answered honestly. He nodded, but I think that that somehow made him feel better. "And I don't think she's good enough for you either," I joked, tacking that on at the end. Jake's ghost of a smile appeared on his face, remembering one of our last conversations.

"She's still not you, though," Jake sighed.

"She was never meant to be," I whispered.

Jacob nodded silently. We both knew it at this point; he was meant to be with his imprint, and I was meant to be with Edward.

I took a couple of hesitant steps toward the boundary. After a moment of indecision, Jacob did the same. I noticed that he'd gotten a haircut; his deep black hair no longer brushed his shoulders. It was cropped close to his head again, the way it should have been all along. I was happy that Jake would be happy now, too, but that didn't mean I wasn't feeling an ache in me somewhere. Not nearly as bad as when Edward had left me, but there was still a missing piece. I knew, instinctively, that this was not something time would ever heal.

Jake's warm, tanned hand stretched toward the borderline, and my pale, cold one did the same.

We didn't clasp hands in farewell. We didn't even touch fingertips or cross the invisible treaty line. That would have been too much to ask…from either one of us. The truth was that we were no longer just Bella and Jacob. As much as I might wish that we could be, that was in the past.

We were not a part of each other's futures.

"Goodbye, Jake. I love you," I told him, staring into his chocolate brown eyes for the last time.

"Goodbye, Bella," Jacob whispered.

And then it was over. My best friend, my personal sun, walked away, back to his world. And I went back to mine.

A few hours later, Edward and I lay on the bed in the mostly empty house. We were too emotionally and physically exhausted to do much- not that we needed to. After all, it wasn't like we didn't have eternity to figure out where to go from here.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Alice never really had that vision, did she?"

Edward's upper lip twitched slightly. "What vision?"

"The one that showed me gaining control of my power."

"Well…no…"

I laughed out loud for what felt like the first time in ages.

A/N: Haha I love Alice. Okay, one more chapter and an epilogue left! They're going to be posted by Sunday because that's when I'm leaving for vacation… so a nice welcome home gift would be reviews (wink, wink).

On the subject of sequel-ish stories: If I do my version of a book 5 (probably will) it will be called Eternal Damnation. The Jake story is still unnamed, but I need people to let me know what they want to see there- all Jake POV, some of Jake and Jamie, or all Jamie? Feel free to give me ideas or opinions, etc.