Finally

When my feet touched Washington soil, my heart rejoiced. I thought it was going to burst from my chest. Alexander and Gregory had come with me, even though I tried to convince them it wasn't necessary, but after how they found me, they said they didn't want to give me the chance to do something stupid again. We had a lot of time to talk during our trip, seeing as though we had to run through Mongolia, fly across China, and swim the Pacific Ocean to get back to the states.

My first question had been how they met, and it was a lot like my mother and father, and I guess like Edward and me. They had known as soon as they saw each other, even though neither had thought themselves to be gay. They had been hunting in the same area when they both went after the same prey, at first almost fighting before they realized what was happening. Both of them had tried to move on and find a female mate, but nothing felt right. They came across each other again the next week, and that was that. When I asked how old they were, trying to find out specifically since they didn't really answer me before, I stopped flapping and fell a few feet before I caught myself.

"You're WHAT?" I screeched at them as we flew, and they mentally chuckled at me.

"Originals, remember?" Gregory answered, for only the second time ever. The first time he spoke was when I woke up, a day after they found me. All he said was "Okay?" but I counted it as a breakthrough.

"We were two of the first shifters, hun," Alexander said. "The Mother made our species, and gave us the ability to be anything we wanted. That is how so many different species came to be, my dear. Humans were one of our later forms. Some who tired of the nomadic life stayed in one area in one form, eventually losing the ability to shift through generations and becoming the ancestors of the humans and non-shifting creatures we know today. We decided we liked this life, so we have continued to move and shift as we pleased. We change into humans every now and then, make a human life for ourselves somewhere for a while to make money to live off of, then move on, coming back out into our real home."

"So you're . . . what, a few thousand years old?" I asked sarcastically. They glanced at each other for a moment before they both looked at me and nodded.

"Yeah," Alex said. "Roughly . . . fifty thousand? Plus maybe another . . . five hundred?" I literally froze in shock, forgetting to flap my wings for a moment before remembering just where I was.

"You're five hundred and fifty THOUSAND years old?" I screeched, giving myself a headache with the pitch of my thoughts.

"Give or take," Alex countered, and I huffed.

"Give or take what?" I pressed, still in shock.

"Maybe a few hundred years," he answered quickly, and I almost stopped flapping again.

"Oh my freaking God . . . You've got to be kidding . . . I've had to freaking originals taking care of me . . ." I whined, blushing behind my feathers. They just laughed.

Even as old as they were, even with everything they had seen, they still reminded me so much of my and Edward's brothers. They constantly teased and rough-housed with me, and they were hardly ever serious unless the situation called for it. The short amount of time I had spent with Jasper and Emmett gave me the impression they were much the same way, and I knew for a fact that my own brothers were. It was a welcome distraction from everything that had been going on.

What has you so far away from us, Bella? Alex asked, tilting his large wolfen head as we rested from the swim. I was lying on my stomach with my head on my paws, staring at the line of trees not that far away. I shrugged a shoulder.

Just thinking, I responded, and he didn't push the subject, instead moving on to another.

What is that odor, Bella? he asked, following my gaze towards the trees. It smells like us, but . . . not. I raised my nose into the air, picking up the scent he was describing just as our whereabouts finally came to my mind.

Werewolves, I answered. We came out on werewolf land.

Ahh, he said, nodding his head once. I did not realize they still resided here, not that I've kept tabs on anyone in particular to begin with. Is it still the Quileute tribe? I nodded in response, getting to my feet as the scent grew strong.

Someone was approaching quickly, their paws barely making a sound as they touched the forest floor. I heard a few more join the first, and Alex and Gregory went on alert. They moved in front of me, their hackles fighting to rise as five large werewolves emerged from the brush. I could barely see over Alex's large shoulder as he stood in front of me, with Gregory to my right, but I could see all five of the wolves were varying shade of brown. They looked familiar, but I couldn't tell one from the other anymore. I had only seen the Quileute boys as werewolves a few times before we were captured, and I had never really paid attention to who had what markings. I was able to tell from the flavor of their minds when they would think something, but I couldn't anymore. It must have been too long since I'd last seen them. One looked slightly younger than the others, only about an inch shorter, but the alpha came forward before I could get a look at the others.

What is your business here, shifters? he asked, his likeness to us giving us the ability to communicate. My dad told me when I was younger that the werewolves were cousins of ours, that they had chosen to live as humans, but defend their people only in the form of a wolf. After a few generations continued the practice, they slowly lost the ability to shift into anything else.

We are only passing through, unum genus, he answered. I didn't know what that meant, the unum genus thing, and apparently the alpha didn't either. It sounded like Latin, and sounded like an insult to the werewolf.

What did you call me? he snarled, taking a step forward.

Calm yourself, alpha. It is Latin for single breed, which is what you are. It is not an insult, but the term used by the original shifters to describe those like you who choose only one form. Or at least your ancestors did, Alexander explained, his hackles falling as he tried to calm down the werewolf.

You are trespassing, shifters. What are your intentions here? the alpha asked, even though Alex had already answered that question.

We are only passing through. Our friend here has family in the area and wishes to be reunited with them, he answered, gesturing back to me with his head. They returned here not too long ago, but she needed time by herself before she followed.

Who are you? the alpha asked, still somewhat defensive, but now growing curious.

I am Aleksandr Khitrovo, and this is my mate, Grigori, Alex told him, gesturing to Gregory standing next to him. And this is Isabella, he finished, moving to the side to give them a small look at me. I just sat there, looking at the werewolves from the corner of my eye. The alpha rolled my name over in his head, thinking I looked familiar, when his mind suddenly linked me with the new arrivals back to town, which happened to be Charlie, Renee, and my brothers.

Isa . . . Isabella? Isabella Swan? he asked slowly, and I tilted my head to the side, trying to figure out how he knew my name. His voice was tickling something in the back of my mind, but the next thing he said made the link for me.

Bells? he whispered, the tension leaving his body as he raised his head.

Jacob? I responded, standing up slowly. Jake?

Bells, he sighed, running forward. I did the same, taking off between Alex and Gregory and crashing into Jake. I landed on my back and he licked at my face, his mind full of relief and happiness. The others joined in quickly, chasing me when Jake let me up and licking my face when they caught me. We finally calmed down when Alex and Gregory trotted over, confusion on their faces.

You know these wolves? Alex asked, and I nodded, sitting next to Jake. Seth came up behind me and nipped my tail, running away before I could even get up to go after him.

I grew up with Jake once my parents finally got themselves back into society. Our fathers are good friends, I answered, catching Seth before he got close. I turned quickly and jumped on his back, a surprised yelp coming from him as I landed. He ran again, looping back around and sitting next to Quil and Embry with his head down in defeat.

Everyone but Sam is younger than me, and we all kind of grew up together. Seth is the youngest, I finished, giving him a glare as he was about to go for my tail again. Alex and Gregory both nodded, amused by the antics of the young werewolves.

Your parents have been worried about you, Bells. Are you going to see them? Jake asked, and I nodded.

I was hoping to surprise them, but now it looks like I should get myself cleaned up first, I answered, looking down at my sand-covered body. Besides, once I see them and the Cullens, I probably won't want to bother.

What do the leeches have to do with any of this? Jake growled, and I sighed.

Edward and his family broke us out, Jake. And he's my mate, I said, expecting his snarl. He had always had a thing for me, but I never felt anything but the love for a brother towards him.

You've been in the hands of leeches for the past seven years! How could you mate with one after that, Bells? he roared, but I stayed calm.

They are not like the ones that captured us, Jake. They are nothing like them. Edward saved me from them, and in the process of him trying to get all of us out, I fell for him. It's not going to change, so just drop it. Please? I asked, knowing he would get out of control about something like this. He stood up and started pacing, huffing and snorting in anger.

Fine, he said at last. Charlie's at work, and all of your stuff was moved back into the old house. The key is under the mat. With that, he turned and walked into the trees. I felt kind of bad for how the reunion turned out, but there was nothing I could do, or wanted to do, about who I was mated to. He would just have to deal with it, or risk our relationship as friends. I left the decision up to him as the others followed, giving me sympathetic looks. Seth licked my cheek and nudged my chin, telling me everything would work out, but I wasn't so sure.

Alex and Gregory escorted me to my old house, flying with me as birds and landing on the roof to wait. They didn't mention what happened back on the reservation, and for that I was grateful. I didn't want to think about it again until I had to. I shifted into my human form with a little difficulty, since I hadn't shifted into it for over a week, and walked up into the porch. I unlocked the familiar door with the key under the mat, replacing it before I stepped inside. Everything looked the same as it had been before we left for vacation, like no one had moved in while we were gone. The kitchen, the dining room, the living room, even the bathroom had the same furnishings I remembered being there seven years ago.

I walked up to my room to find the same pale blue walls, sky blue bed spread, my little army of knick-knacks sitting on the three-drawer wooden dresser, my little vanity with my small collection of jewelry, my desk with my journal and laptop, everything just how it was. I opened the closet, and was surprised to find all of my clothes hanging and my shoes lined up along the bottom. Grabbing a brown v-neck t-shirt and Capri's, I walked into my bathroom and turned the shower on.

Ten minutes later, I dressed and brushed through my quickly drying hair, tying it up in a half ponytail and grabbing the swirling gold arm bracelet that wrapped around my bicep. It was a small piece, but it was something my mother had passed down to me. I looked into the mirror and grabbed the chain still around my neck. I had completely forgotten about it, the collar Aro had forced on me. A shot of anger ripped through me, and the links broke with a small popping sound, falling to the floor. I couldn't believe I had forgotten about that thing being there, but I told myself after seven years of wearing it, I didn't even notice it anymore. I looked for something to replace it with, but it felt too freeing to have nothing around my neck, so I didn't bother.

Locking up again, the three of us flew to the outskirts of Forks. I had no idea where the Cullens lived, but I remembered Charlie mentioning something to me about a house about a mile or two outside the town that no one seemed to ever live in. It was in the middle of the woods, so it seemed like the perfect place to start.

We dove to the ground and shifted back into wolves as we approached, not wanting to miss a scent because we were so far up, and I immediately knew my guess was right. I could smell the scents of the whole family, including my own family, all over the woods. The most recent trail went off to our left, so we followed.

Only a few minutes of trotting later, and all of the scents converged through the brush. I slowed down, suddenly feeling apprehensive, but Gregory urged me on with a gentle push. I could hear Esme and my mother outside with Caleb, encouraging him to shift, and Charlie's voice joined them only a minute later. A soft breeze blew our scents their way, and I could see them tense through the leaves of the bush in front of me. Esme grabbed Caleb off the ground and Renee moved in front of her, not growling, but not sure if she should be on the defensive. Charlie moved to her other side, standing very slightly in front of both of them. They scanned the tree line slowly, looking for any hint as to who was there, but I didn't move.

The sound of cars coming up the drive made me jump, and my parents' head whipped to where we were hiding. The breeze blew again, slightly stronger this time, and I could see their eyes widen as they practically stared at my face. The rest of the Cullens appeared around them, making a semicircle facing us, and the one person I had looked for in the crowd burst through the back doors with a wild, hopeful look in his eyes. Gregory and Alex pushed me forward, making me take a step out of the tree line and into their sights. All of them gasped as I slowly sat down and wrapped my tail around myself, unsure of what to do next, but the smallest was the first to finally react. Caleb sprung from Esme's arms before any of them had time to recover, and tore across the lawn towards me.

Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! he yelled as he ran, smacking into my stomach at full speed. He sat up on his hind legs and buried his face in my stomach, trying to wrap his little arms around me. I put a paw behind him and lowered my head to his back, pressing him to me even more. I shifted and stood, scooping him up in my arms and burying my face in the fur of his little body.

"My boy, my little boy," I said, repeating myself over and over as he whined into my neck and I purred. A tear fell down my cheek as I listened to the desperate sounds coming from my son, but my attention was brought back to the others when Alexander and Gregory stepped out next to me, laying down and crossing their paws in front of them. Everyone in front of me either growled or gasped, but my eyes were trained on only one.

Edward stood on the back porch, his legs spread from stopping mid-stride, and his dark gold gaze was trained on me. His family and mine moved out from in front of him, and I gently put Caleb down. I saw from the corner of my eye that he was sitting in front of Gregory and wagging his tail happily, even though he didn't know who it was that was in front of him. I would have laughed and shaken my head had I been able to remove my eyes from Edward's, but it was impossible. He was just as frozen as I was, and a not-so-gentle shove from Emmett got him to take his first step towards me. That was all it took before the both of us took off running like it had been years since we last saw each other, but that's exactly how it felt.

We crashed into each other and my arms immediately wrapped around his neck as I buried my face in between his neck and my arm. His arms draped tightly around my waist, lifting me off my feet as he crushed my body to his chest and pressed his own face into my neck. I could feel him inhaling deeply, both reassuring himself that I was there and trying to stay calm, and another tear fell down my face and onto his shirt.

"Bella," he choked, and I nodded fervently, smiling slightly.

"It's me, Edward," I whispered, the purr in my chest growing louder as his lips pressed against my skin. "I'm back."

He quickly leaned back and nudged my face away from his neck, capturing my lips with his in a kiss so full of relief, he couldn't help but sigh against my mouth. His tongue brushed my bottom lip, and I put my hands on either side of his face as I opened my mouth to him. He delved into my mouth and I held in a moan at the sensation of his tongue meeting and sliding against mine, tilting my head to give him better access. He pulled away all too soon, aware of the audience not too far away, and put his forehead against my neck again. My legs had wrapped around his waist at one point, and his arms had drifted, one holding me under my ass and the other across my back. I laid my held on his shoulder with a sigh, closing my eyes and just breathing him in.

We stayed like that for God knows how long, finally breaking apart when little paws scratched at Edward's pants. We both looked down, our foreheads touching, to see Caleb jumping around in circles at our feet. When he saw that we were looking, he took laps around Edward's feet, stopping at the third and putting his front paws on Edward's leg again. Edward kneeled down, setting me down with him, and Caleb jumped between us, licking both of our face and repeating "mommy, mommy, daddy, daddy" over and over again. I picked him up between us and Caleb kept looking from me to Edward and back again, his tongue hanging out to the side as he panted with excitement. We looked at each other and smiled, both of us leaning forward and kissing the sides of his face. He squealed in happiness, and it was one of the best sounds I had ever heard, the other being Edward's laugh right after.