Author's Note: So sorry this chapter has taken so long to update but my laptop decided to mess up and deleted the file I saved it under. Really annoying because I got halfway through it and now have to start again.

Warnings: Angst by the bucketload. And I really do mean bucketload. Might even be a large hamper sized amount of angst.

Disclaimer: I am sooo sick of doing these but I do them anyway because I don't want to be sued. Twilight does not belong to me.

This is the song that I listened to on repeat when writing the battle scenes and this chapter. I strongly recommend listening to it as I think it sums up the mood.

We Are One

(Cam Clarke, Charity Sanoy 'The Lion King II')

As you go through life you'll see

There is so much that we

Don't understand

And the only thing we know

Is things don't always go

The way we planned

But you'll see everyday

That we'll never turn away

When it seems all your dreams come undone

We will stand by your side

Filled with hope and filled with pride

We are more than we are

We are one

If there's so much I must be

Can I still just be me

The way I am?

Can I trust in my own heart

Or am I just one part

Of some big plan?

Even those who are gone

Are with us as we go on

Your journey has only begun

Tears of pain, tears of joy

One thing nothing can destroy

Is our pride deep inside

We are one

We are one you and I

We are like the earth and sky

One family under the sun

All the wisdom to lead

All the courage that you need

You will find when you see

We are one

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Aftermath

Silence. Endless, ringing silence that echoes around the empty clearing. Well, almost empty. Seven figures sit in a loose semicircle near the fringes of the trees, close to the dying embers of a large fire.

The others have left, either to head back to their homelands or the Cullen house. As Carlisle sits on the ground, surrounded by the surviving members of his family, he runs through the names of the dead in his mind. Kate. Siobhan. Eleazar. Zafrina. Kebi. Amun. Jared. Seth. Both the Romanians. And one more. The name his brain rebels against even thinking of as being gone forever.

Senna, Kachiri and Nahuel have gone back to South America, to mourn Zafrina in private. The same is true for Benjamin and Tia and the Irish coven... Maggie and Liam. The Denalis decided to meet up with the Cullens later at the house. Garrett and Carmen wandered away by themselves, unable to cope with their grief in the presence of others. The wolves bore the bodies of Jared and Seth away to their families, led by Jacob and Sam.

The thoughts chase through Carlisle's mind, almost too fast for him to catch them. There are so many loose ends still to tie up. Questions that need answering. Such as, what on earth are they going to do with Matthew? In his heart, Carlisle is still hoping for amnesia. It would make everything easier. And Aro and Marcus? What happened to them? They weren't seen by anyone since the beginning of the battle. Carlisle glances up at the streaks of pale gray winding their way through the pitch black sky. Dawn is approaching and soon they will have to move from the meadow and get back to the house. Hard as it will undoubtedly be, he has to get his family up and on their feet and moving. Early morning is a popular time for hikers and hunters to be out in the woods and he can't afford to have anyone discover them here. From where he's sat he glances once more at the still figure of Matthew who is still unconscious and propped against a tree.

Deciding that it can't be put off any longer, Carlisle gets fluidly to his feet... moving so fast that a human would have missed it completely.

'We should leave and meet the others at the house. I'll carry Matthew.' There is no audible response from his family but Esme rises and clasps his arm tightly. Knowing that the others will move only when they feel they can, Carlisle strides over to Matthew, clearing the distance in less than a second and sweeps the comatose human up and into his arms, cradling him gently. Matthew gives a small groan and twists slightly but doesn't wake up.

Behind him, Carlisle can tell with his finely tuned senses that Jasper, Emmett, Alice and Rosalie are also on their feet. He turns just in time to see Esme move across to where Bella is still sitting motionlessly, twirling Edward's bracelet absently between her fingers.

'Bella honey? Come on, we have to go.' Bella doesn't respond and Carlisle doubts if she has even heard his wife speak.

'Carlisle?' Emmett's voice, softer than he has ever heard it before, floats across the gap between them. 'What are we going to do about Aro and Marcus? They must be out there still... somewhere.' His son's handsome face darkens with sudden fury. 'They've gotta pay for what they've done.'

Carlisle inclines his head gently. 'I understand your anger Emmett, but we can't worry about them now. We have to leave. Can someone carry Bella please? I don't think she's in any state to travel by herself right now.'

'I'll do it,' Rosalie volunteers, stepping forwards toward her sister. 'Bella? I'm going to carry you back to the house, okay?' Carlisle can hear the raw grief in Rosalie's voice which she is obviously trying very hard to conceal, in an attempt to stay strong for Bella. He doesn't think he's ever been prouder of her. Yet again Bella doesn't respond and so, with an encouraging nod from Carlisle, Rosalie stoops down and scoops Bella up into her arms. Bella's face remains slack with shock, her eyes remain dull and lifeless.

'Will she be okay, Carlisle?' Alice asks, her tinkling voice dim with sadness and loss. Carlisle can only shrug.

'I don't know, Alice. I hope so. She's going to need us all to be strong for her.' Without another word he starts running in the direction of the house, hearing the light and swift footfalls behind him as his family follow in his lead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bella emerges from the forest where she has been tracking down the last of the newborns, combing her windswept, waist-length dark hair back from her face with her fingers. Carlisle can only stare at the ground, not wanting to meet her eyes, not wanting to be the one to tell her that her world has just shattered.

'Is that it? Is it over?' she asks, oblivious to the atmosphere surrounding her. Esme opens her mouth as if to say something but then shuts it again, clearly not knowing what to say. Jasper steps into the breach, his arm wrapped firmly around Alice's shoulders.

'Yes Bella, it's over.' He doesn't say anything more and Carlisle realizes that he will have to be the one to swallow his own agony, despair and suffering and tell Bella exactly what has happened. What she has just lost.

Just as he raises his head he sees Bella's eyes rake around the clearing, scanning each member of the family in turn, looking for the face she cannot find.

'Where's Edward?' she asks innocently... as yet, not worried. Carlisle dearly wants to tell her, it's unfair to draw out her suffering like this, but he honestly can't work out how. And his own unending sense of loss is making it hard for him to think clearly. All he can do is stare down at the bracelet in his hands. Slowly he moves forward, toward his daughter-in-law, aware of her gaze upon him. As he meets her and looks into her eyes he sees panic and anxiety. And also hope. Hope that there is a perfectly good reason as to why her husband is not here and why the members of her family are so still and quiet.

Carlisle has to be the one to shatter that hope and it breaks his heart. Unable to say anything he merely takes one of Bella's hands and drops the bracelet into it. Knowing that the meaning behind the gesture will become clear to Bella in the next few seconds. Sure enough she stares at it momentarily before gazing around at them all, her eyes finally coming back to rest on Carlisle, accusingly.

'Why are you giving me this?' she asks, in a voice rising higher and shriller with anger and pain. 'Carlisle – why are you giving me this! WHERE'S EDWARD?'

Esme cringes at the unadulterated agony in her voice and automatically places her hands over her ears. Her left arm is bound at the elbow with a scrap of torn cloth, allowing her lower arm to reattach itself easily to the body. Suddenly Bella is running – straight at the direction of the still merrily burning fire. Rosalie is the first to react and darts around to cut her off, holding her firmly by the shoulders.

'Bella, no! Bella stop... just stop and listen!' But Bella appears to be beyond listening to anybody and continues to fight Rosalie, clawing and struggling against her iron grip. 'Bella! Stop being so selfish!' Rosalie screams. This gets through and Bella stops struggling and stares at Rosalie with a dumbstruck expression on her face.

'What did you say?' she asks, her voice dull and flat but tinged with disbelief that someone has spoken to her like that.

'I said, stop being so selfish,' Rosalie says, her voice quieter and calmer now. 'You've lost a husband and the pain must be all consuming, I realize that. But Carlisle and Esme have lost a son. Me, Em, Jazz and Alice have lost a brother. Renesmee has just lost her father. Are you really going to make her lose her mother as well?'

Bella tilts her head to one side and stares at Rosalie, but a light has begun to return to her otherwise blank eyes. Wheeling around she stares around the clearing and then flies in Carlisle's direction. He has little time to prepare for the impact as her slender body crashes against his and he rocks back on his heels slightly before straightening himself up again. Bella's head is lying on his chest and she has wrapped her arms around his waist.

'He can't be dead, he can't be gone, he just can't, it's not possible, not Edward... not my Edward, please, please, no...' her voice peters out as her body shakes violently with the tears she can never shed for the love of her life. Carlisle wraps one arm around her, drawing her closer, and then extends his other toward the family. They move forward and surround Carlisle and Bella, their arms wrapped around each other as they attempt to come to terms with their loss.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For Carlisle, returning to the house is nothing short of a nightmare. Returning to the place which holds so many memories of his first companion, his son, is almost unbearable. They enter in silence and Rosalie swiftly darts into the living room and places Bella down on the nearest couch where she immediately curls up into the foetal position and doesn't move, her hand still clasped tightly around the bracelet.

It doesn't seem as if the others are back yet, the house is still and empty of life. Carlisle runs upstairs and settles Matthew down in his and Esme's bedroom. After a quick check to make sure his vitals are still strong, he returns to his family, desperately trying to avoid looking at the piano standing in the corner of the hallway, music sheets still scattered across the lid from Edward's last composing session.

Nobody will play that piano now, no longer will their house be filled with the beautiful strains of music as Edward's fingers dance across the keys. And yet Carlisle knows that it won't be thrown away. That would be an insult to his son's memory. The tap of light feet interrupts his thoughts and he sees Alice approach him, her golden eyes wide with worry.

'Carlisle... is it possible for vampires to go into shock? We're all really worried about Bella. She hasn't said a word for over five hours now.' Just like that Carlisle is dragged back into the past. The call from a frantic Bella the day she told him she thought she was pregnant. A catatonic Edward frozen in place.

I'm a little worried about Edward... Can vampires go into shock?

'I think Bella will be just fine, Alice,' he murmurs softly. 'She will just need time to heal. We all will.'

Alice tugs anxiously at a strand of jet black hair and shifts on the balls of her feet, still clad in mud-stained ballet flats. It says a lot about her state of mind at the moment, Carlisle thinks absently, that she hasn't changed out of her dirty clothes. 'It's just that Charlie will be bringing Nessie back tomorrow. Rosalie rang him and asked him to come back as quickly as possible. How is Nessie going to react when she sees her mother like this? It will be hard enough telling her that her father is never coming back.' Alice's bell-like tones almost break as she finishes her sentence and she lowers her gaze to the floor.

'We'll deal with that when it happens,' Carlisle says. 'We should leave Bella alone for the moment but someone should stay close just in case she needs something.'

'Esme's with her now.'

Esme. Carlisle hasn't even really thought about how Edward's death will be affecting her. Although she would never share it with anybody else, Carlisle knows that she has always had a special spot in her heart for her first son. And her warm, loving and motherly nature will have had a sharp blow with Edward's loss.

Hurriedly he darts into the living room. Esme is kneeling beside the couch, one of Bella's hands clasped in her own. His wife's face is hidden from him as she has buried it in the cushions near Bella's shoulder and her beautiful caramel curls stream out over her shoulders in disarray.

'Darling?' Carlisle whispers softly and moves across to her. She looks up at him and there is such obvious anguish on her features that Carlisle's heart breaks a little more. If she had been human still he would have no doubt that tears would have been flowing freely from her eyes. Gently he draws up upwards and into his embrace, feeling her melt against him. He strokes her hair back from her forehead and rests his cheek against her curls.

'How will we bear it?' she asks him, bewildered. 'How are we ever going to be whole again without Edward?'

You CAN'T bear it! Carlisle's thoughts shriek at him, bludgeoning his mind with fresh waves of agony. Edward is gone! DEAD! Never again are you going to hear his music, the sound of his voice. His teasing as he reads your thoughts to beat you at every game of chess. How can anything ever be okay again? How are you supposed to carry on?

'I don't think we can ever be completely whole again darling,' he murmurs, his words muffled by her hair. 'Edward's death has ripped a hole through our family. We will heal and recover but it is like a serious wound. The scar will always be there.'

'We have to move Carlisle,' Esme announces suddenly after a silence. 'I can't stay here with reminders of him everywhere... I just – I can't...'

Carlisle presses a kiss against her head. 'I know darling. I know. I agree with you. Once we've had a chance to clear things up here we'll move.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gradually the surviving members of the Denali coven begin to drift back to the house. The first to arrive are Ercole and Tanya. Carlisle meets them at the door. Both express their heartfelt sorrow at Edward's loss. Tanya, especially, due to her particular fondness for him.

'How's Bella holding up?' Tanya asks quietly, glancing around the empty hallway. 'And Esme? I know she loved Edward dearly.'

'Bella is... well, she's unresponsive at the moment. She hasn't said a word since we told her of his death. Esme is dealing with it as well as can be expected. But she has expressed a wish to move from Forks as soon as possible and I agree with her. We've already lingered here too long.'

'And you, Carlisle?' Ercole asks, winding an arm around Tanya's waist. 'How are you doing?' Carlisle looks at him, a little confused.

'I – I'm fine. Naturally Edward's death has hurt me deeply. But there are still things that need to be done. Aro and Marcus have vanished without a trace and there's still Matthew to consider...' Internally Carlisle's mind screams and rages with pain and anger at his son's death. But he knows he can never let it out, no matter how much it may tear at him. Besides it would be selfish. Bella has just lost her husband, the father of her child. How could his pain possibly compare to what she must be feeling? He notices that Tanya is staring at him in disbelief.

'Hurt you deeply? Is that it, Carlisle? Edward was your first companion... you were alone together for three years before Esme even came along.' Carlisle feels his hands clench into fists as the screaming inside him builds and threatens to explode. Tanya is still talking. 'Carlisle have you even given yourself any time to grieve for him? I know you feel like you have to be strong for the family but this is ridiculous'.

A sharp pain in his hands makes Carlisle glance down as the screams bubble up in his throat. To his surprise he has clenched his fists so hard his nails have dug into the stony flesh of his palms. Ercole and Tanya follow his gaze and Tanya moves forward as if to say something or do something, and Carlisle knows that if he lets her, he won't be able to keep his torment inside. And if he breaks down now it will mean disaster for his family. So instead he turns on his heels and virtually flies up the stairs, calling back down to Tanya and Ercole, who are staring at him with dismay and... pity?

'I need to check on Matthew, I think the rest of the family are in the living room.'

But he knows that Matthew is still resting peacefully in unconsciousness. Instead he listens as Ercole and Tanya make their way into the living room and hears the low murmur of voices that he could hear properly if these screams weren't so loud.

He takes refuge in his study, somewhere which always calms him. He intends to sit in his armchair and take a moment to gather himself before making his way back down. It doesn't happen like that. He gets halfway across to his desk and then something happens to his legs and they aren't working anymore. Unable to help himself he collapses in the middle of the room and stares at his inert legs in confusion. For over three hundred years he has had perfect control of them and now they are disobeying him. It's like they've gone on strike he suddenly thinks. How absurd. And then he is laughing because it's either that or fall into the darkness which is suddenly all around him.

I'm leaving it there for the moment. Please read and review! Also, any ideas as to where exactly Aro and Marcus have disappeared to would be most welcome because right at this moment, I have no idea! Thank you xxx