The Road to a New Eden
aka Even The Major Needs a Sequel
AN: Hi Y'all! Long time no see!
First off, I want to welcome you all to the long-awaited (I hope!) sequel of Even The Major Needs a Mate!
Have you read that story? Because if you try to read this one first, you might feel a bit lost.
I'll try to keep the confusion to a minimum, but there are a lot of characters in this, both canon and non-canon.
The first installment helps get to know the OCs and gives background on the characters.
If you start here, that's fine, just consider yourself warned.
To Recap: Basically, this starts after we've defeated Maria and after Bella and Jasper got married and enjoyed their honeymoon.
They came back home and Bella finally asked Kelsey for her memories back. So now she knows the entirety of her soul's history, which is going to help them going forward because we still need to fulfill the rest of the prophecy!
Oh yeah! And Alice just got a vision that the Volturi have finally decided to crash upon the shore, so that's where we're gonna begin this tale.
This one will be more political than military, but I promise it will still have conflict, just not combat.
And The Major won't be using his accent for this one. He'll give you his reasoning but honestly I just needed to drop the cadence for my own sanity because it's hard to remember to write, and my Grammarly keeps trying to correct it!
Also, there will be more POV characters so we can see a wider range of perspectives too. I'd like to see how all the allies are doing with things :D
So hang onto your hats people! We're about to get rolling!
Chapter One: Past Meets Present
Bella's POV
When Alice came up and told us that the Volturi were on their way, it was time to mobilize.
"What's the damage, Pix?" The Major asked, kicking into high gear.
"Well, thankfully, it seems they aren't too well informed about us. A vampire down South wrote to them and told them that some vampires in Washington defeated Maria's army. The Volturi think it was Carlisle. Probably because the last time Carlisle wrote to Aro was just before I had my first vision of Bella and so he had mentioned in his letter that we were moving to Washington.
"Which means, they don't know about The Major. They don't know about Bella and they don't know about all of our allies. And because they don't know our numbers, and no one knew Maria's numbers, they seem to think it was a fluke and that the Cullens defeated her on their own. They are impressed, but they are attributing it to the gifts we have that they already know about. My foresight, Jazz's empathic ability, and Edward's mind-reading.
"They are bringing the full Guard, but they aren't bringing any witnesses. And the wives, along with Corin, are staying in Volterra. So it will just be the kings and the Guard. And they'll be landing in New York, it looks like." Alice concluded.
"Alright, so from all we know about the Guard, I'd have to say Chelsea is our biggest threat, both offensively and defensively. She is what keeps the Volturi united and she is what could tear our own alliances apart.
"So, Alice, how do you see things playing out if we do it this way: Mandy and Akio take the invisibility drink when the Guard first arrive in North America. They teleport Chelsea and Afton to Bella and me. Bella keeps us shielded so Chelsea can't fuck with us. Then we torch Chelsea and Afton so he doesn't have to live without his mate?" Jasper asked.
"You're right, Major! It is the difference-maker. Things go a lot more smoothly when they get here if Chelsea is already dead. Marcus' loyalty to Aro was bought by way of Chelsea's gift. So were a lot of the Guard members!
"So if they get here and see our numbers, but are still tied to Aro by Chelsea's power...they will fight us anyway and we'll have to kill all of the ones who aren't mated to our allies! But if Chelsea dies, so does her influence, and they are all free to make up their own minds. It looks like most will cross the field and choose to support a Whitlock government of their own volition!" Alice beamed.
"So this is real? It's really happening?" I asked, turning to face my mate in awe.
"It is. But that doesn't mean we will be without challenges going forward. We're going to be attempting to bring the entire vampire species under a centralized government and all that entails. Looks like we got our memories back just in time." Jasper smirked.
Kelsey stepped forward then. "Exactly, Major. The final test couldn't begin until the Queen had truly seen."
"But if the Volturi are going to mostly fall in line so easily, then how is this the final test?" I wondered.
Alice beamed. "I know...but it might change the future if I told you, so I shouldn't risk it. All I can really say is that there won't be any nasty surprises. And someone who is coming holds the key to the prophecy," she hinted.
"That's good enough for me." Jasper nodded. "Okay, time for a family meeting." He smiled, as we went off to round everyone up.
Major's POV
Everything felt different for me since getting my memories back. I no longer even felt a strong connection to my southern accent. Given that so much of my history predated that era.
I had been conferring with the others in the family who had also reclaimed their memories and it was all quite astounding. People I had merely viewed as allies and acquaintances up until Bella and I had returned from our honeymoon, were now near and dear to my own heart after learning that they had once been persons of great importance to me.
Such as Tanya, who had once been my wife, Fulvia, when I was Marcus Antonius. Jacob had been my son in a few lifetimes, beginning in the very first one, when Seth was born to Adam. There were actually several people I had fathered in one lifetime or another and even some to whom I had been a son myself.
I think the most shocking thing was the realization that Charlie had been my own father, in my most recent lifetime, which also made him Jazz's grandfather. He was really proud to know that.
As we gathered in the living room of HQ, I looked around at all the faces. Not everyone was home, but those who were absent would be heading this way after receiving our mass text.
And a lot of the wolves were patrolling, so only the pack leaders and their Imprints were present because they could relay everything back to the others through their mind link later.
There were six packs of wolves because too many minds tied into one network was a pain in their asses. So there was a Sr. Black Pack and a Jr. Black Pack, a Sr. Uley Pack and a Jr. Uley Pack, and a Sr. Ateara Pack and a Jr. Ateara Pack.
Jacob (who was Alpha over all of them), was the leader of the Sr. Black Pack. His cousin, Collin Littlesea, was the leader of the Jr. Black Pack. Sam was the leader of the Sr. Uley Pack, and Seth Clearwater was the leader of the Jr. Uley Pack. Quil Ateara V was the leader of the Sr. Ateara Pack, and a cousin of Jacob's on his mom's side, a kid named Quil Wilde, who everyone just called Tiny because he was the smallest of the wolves, though by no means the youngest, was the leader of the Jr. Ateara Pack.
"Thank you all for gathering. I know everyone has things they'd rather be doing than getting ready to greet the Volturi. But the time has come to do just that. The Italian Guard are on their way or will be shortly. Alice says they'll be landing in New York," I began.
"Now I know you've all been briefed many times since this whole thing started, regarding who all the Guard have in their membership, or at least who their key players are. So I know you'll understand when I say that the plan is to take out Chelsea and her mate before the Guard get anywhere near here.
"The last thing we want is to have our own loyalties fucked with and while Jill's null and Bella's shield might make that a moot point, there is also the fact that Chelsea's ties are currently binding the Guard in allegiance to Aro. But I'd bet good money that most of them don't actually want to be there. And it seems to me like a lot of them might convert to our side, if they had their free will back," I reasoned.
"You mean...we don't have to kill the rest of the Guard, Major?" Dinah rejoiced.
"No, Sweetheart, we don't," I assured her, as her grateful smile lit up the room. Dinah had been mine and Bella's daughter in three different lifetimes, so she and I were much closer now that we had realized that.
"So, how are we taking out Chelsea?" Jake asked.
"The easy way. We send the teleporters in, in Stealth mode. They grab them and teleport them away from the rest, then Bella and I dismember and torch them. Then we all head back here. That way, their tracker won't realize it was us. Because Chelsea and Afton will never even be in this part of the country," I explained.
"So, they land in New York, then Akio and I leave the two of you in, oh, say, Kansas. Then we teleport to New York, grab them, and bring them to you in Kansas. Where you will both be invisible as well, I presume, just in case?" Mandy asked.
"That's a good idea," I agreed. "I hadn't thought we'd need to be invisible, but it might help block us from their tracker's sight so he doesn't know who took them. Roberto modeled the invisibility potion after Bertrand's power, so it should block us from the tracker's gift as well." I nodded, deep in thought.
"Alice, how long do we have until their plane lands?" I asked, after a few moments.
"About ten hours, Major. They are landing in New York because there is a coven in Philadelphia they want to visit on their way here. The teleporters should grab Chelsea and Afton while they are still at the airport. Because the Volturi will think they simply wandered off. This means they will spend a considerable amount of time searching for them, before giving up in defeat.
"All of this should delay their plans by a day or two, which gives us more time to prepare. And it looks like they will blame the Philly coven for Chelsea and Afton's disappearance and destroy them before coming here. But we needn't feel too badly about that. They are on the Volturi's watch list for a reason. They're indiscriminate human drinkers, who generally prefer the blood of children." Alice concluded.
"Ugh, then it's a good thing they're getting caught in the crossfire." I shuddered.
"So, Major, what should we be doing over the next ten hours?" Jake asked.
"That's a good question. I have an idea for that though. I actually just want everyone to have fun. Hang out. Be in the best mood we can possibly be in for when they do get here. Maybe we could even have a game of baseball in the clearing." I shrugged.
"We're not going to be trying to fight the Guard, we'll be trying to convert them. So I was thinking...if everyone is in a great mood when they get here...I can project that feeling onto them so they know what they've been missing. The Volturi are all doom and gloom. They don't seem to know how to have fun from what I hear. But we're immortals, people. What good is immortality if we can't enjoy it?" I grinned.
"Can we do wolves versus vamps, Major?" Jake grinned like a little boy who was just told Christmas was coming early.
"Yeah, I don't see why not. Keep in mind, we're faster than you when you're in human form though, so we might kick your butts." I smirked.
"Well, I guess we'll see then, won't we?" Jake chuckled.
"Yep, we will. Now let's go pick our teams!" I smiled.
Jacob's POV
Watching The Major in "Fun mode" was a hoot! I could almost picture what he would have been like as a boy, back in his human days. And Bella? Well, she was just as graceful and efficient on the baseball field as the battlefield.
I couldn't see too much of the clumsy little girl I used to know when we were kids anymore. But now that I had my other memories back, there were a lot of other resemblances I could see in her.
From Eve, right down through the ages, Bella embodied all of them. They had all contributed to making her the Bella who was, at that moment, kicking our asses on the baseball field.
She had the grace, poise, confidence, intellect, wit, charm, sex appeal, tenacity, diligence, wisdom, focus, generosity, kindness, and humility of all of her predecessors combined.
She was quite the package.
And admittedly, we were all a little bit in love with her. But I think that was necessary. After all, she was going to be our Queen soon. And queens needed to be loved by their people if they wanted to accomplish anything.
"So, if they're faster, why not mix the teams up and put some of each on each side?" Annalise asked, shaking me out of my thoughts.
I had played the first game but decided to sit out the second so someone else could trade in and I was curled up in the grass, sitting with both my girls.
"Because, Babe, my boys were made to take on vampires, even if it is just in sports, it's what they live for. " I grinned.
When I first told Annalise about all the supernatural stuff, especially the Imprint with Renée, I was afraid she might run for the hills. She was not Quileute and had grown up in California for the most part. So she had never heard the legends.
Instead of leaving me in her dust though, all she did was ask to meet Renée.
As fate would have it, it turned out they had already met. Because when Renée first left Charlie and Forks behind when Bella was a child, they had moved to California to live with Renée's mother.
Renée had known Annalise's family there. And when Annalise's father made an offhand comment about hating the hot weather and wishing they lived somewhere with more rain...Renée had jokingly remarked: "It's too bad you don't live in Forks, then!" Of course, she never suspected they would take it to heart and move to Washington. But they did.
Which meant, I never would have met Annalise if not for Renée. So, ever since we realized the connection, Renée kept telling me it was all meant to be.
I was pretty sure the two of them were building up to something like what Bella and Alice had, but I knew Annalise was nervous about that. Because she was aware that if they really started something...and it ended badly...that would have to be it for us. Because the Imprint would never allow me to do anything that might hurt Renée.
I kept trying to tell her that Renée was a pretty laid back person and there wasn't much she could do to mess it up, but she was still a little insecure about it.
And it also didn't help that Annalise had yet to sit down with Kelsey to get her past life memories back. I was fairly certain she and Renée had probably already been lovers at some point in time and that knowing their shared history might help her feel more confident about it. But she wasn't quite ready for that.
"Oh, well, I guess they have to get all that competitive stuff out somehow then." She laughed.
Renée chimed in. "True. And baseball is a very good outlet for that. I never understood how competitive a sport it was until I married a ballplayer. I learned a lot about the game from Phil. That and Bella's move to Forks were the only good things to come from that marriage. I can only imagine how different all our lives would be if Bella had never moved here to give us our privacy."
"Boy, I'll say," I agreed with a half-laugh. "If Bella hadn't moved back here, absolutely none of us would be sitting here together. In fact, there would likely only be a three-pack of wolves and they would probably be at odds with the Cullens, who would be the only vampires in the area.
"Kelsey, Mandy, Everest, and Darcy would all be dead. My dad would still be human and in a wheelchair. Jack and Jill would still be street kids scrounging for their meals. Jenna would've been raped. And half these people would never have found their mates or at least not for a really long time. It's amazing what a difference a seemingly small decision can make."
"Yes, well, not every small decision she's ever made was a great one. I mean, there was that whole incident with the snake and the apple after all." Renée giggled.
"Why does everyone always blame her for that? He ate it too ya know. And I'm fairly certain Lilith was just as much, if not more, responsible for that whole debacle than they were. Not that we were there to know for sure. And it's not like they were super keen on talking about it in later years." I shrugged.
"You know, Jake. I think that's the part I have the hardest time with," Annalise began. "Shapeshifters? Great. Vampires? Sure, cool beans. Witches and Shamans and Spell Casters? Yep, no problem.
"But knowing that everybody here was somebody else at another point in time? Watching Adam and Eve play baseball? Knowing that a considerable number of the people I've read about in history books and even in the Bible, I've actually met? That's the part I find totally freaky. And that's why I'm so scared to ask for my own memories.
"What if I was somebody awful? What if I hurt people? What if I was responsible for some terrible event in history? I don't know how on earth you all manage those memories. Even just wondering about it, chills me to the bone." Annalise sighed.
"I know what you mean, Sweetie." Renée smiled gently, taking Annalise's hand and softly rubbing comforting circles on it. "I myself was once Typhoid Mary. It's unknown just how many people got sick because I refused to believe I could be carrying such a disease when I was as healthy as a horse.
"Germs weren't understood back then, to the degree they are now, especially by the common folk. But when I got my memories back, it was pretty easy in hindsight to see the error of my ways. I cried so hard when I realized what I had done. And that was just one incident from one lifetime. I assure you, there are a lot of other things I'm not proud of.
"But it was still better to know than to be left wondering. Before I knew, my imagination came up with all sorts of worst-case scenarios. I had myself half convinced I was Hitler or some other such monster. Typhoid Mary was ignorant and selfish but she wasn't evil. I think the wondering is truly the worst part." Renée confided.
"Wow. That must've been hard to learn, yeah. I know what you mean about assuming the worst-case scenarios. That's what I've been doing too. And maybe I will feel better once I know. But I don't think I'm there yet." Annalise shrugged.
"That's okay, Babe. You'll know when you are. And when you do decide to go through with getting your memories back, we'll be right there by your side," I vowed, knowing Renée felt the same way.
"Thank you, Jake. Thank you both." She smiled.
Soon we turned our attention back to the ball game and watched intently as my wolves made a valiant effort at defeating the vamps. It's too bad we couldn't play in wolf form, we probably could've won!
Dinah's POV
Waiting for the Volturi to arrive was the most agonizing thing I had experienced in this lifetime.
I knew, based on the little Alice had told us, that my mate only remained loyal to Aro because of Chelsea's gift. It was a relief to know that since I knew that my brother at the time had been the one to kill me, in order to keep Marcus in Volterra. I had wanted to leave and Aro was not a man who easily let go of people he deemed to be assets, such as Marcus and me.
Poor Marcus had no idea that Aro was the cause of my death. He would have surely killed Aro, had he known. Well...soon enough he was going to find out.
As for myself...I was beginning to feel anxious at the thought that I would, in a matter of days, be reunited with my love. I knew he would not recognize my physical body. I had looked a fair bit different during my life as Didyme. However, I knew he would see the golden thread of our precious mating bond through the power of his beautiful gift.
And in case that was not enough to assure him of my identity, I would quote the Myth of Adapa which was Marcus' favorite story of all the literature available during our life together. I had to hope that once Chelsea's influence was severed, it would be enough.
The baseball game was fun and served to help take my mind off of the waiting. And I knew I wasn't the only one in this predicament. Jack and Jill and possibly several others among our allied ranks had mates among the Volturi, we knew this.
However, I was the only one who knew what my mate looked like. I could picture his smiling face in my mind's eye, and I would know him the moment I laid eyes on him. I could almost taste his kisses. That was part of what was making the waiting so much more difficult. I knew what I was missing out on. Every single moment that Marcus wasn't in my arms, felt insignificant.
Time seemed to stand still while we were waiting. It felt as if an eternity had passed before Alice finally said: "It's time!"
We all watched anxiously as Mandy and Akio became invisible, followed immediately by Jasper and Bella. After that, it was just a waiting game again.
And Alice was correct, everything, after Chelsea and Afton disappeared, went exactly according to plan. We kept an eye on them in our mirrors while they scoured Laguardia Airport to no avail. We saw them travel from New York to Pennsylvania en masse.
Then we watched as Aro accused the Philadelphia coven of being responsible for their disappearance. We saw the Guard exterminate the child-drinking Philadelphia vampires. Then, two days after their plane had first landed, we saw them leave Philadelphia and begin to head west. It all seemed to take forever. Everyone was on edge.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity...we all got the alert on our phones that the wider perimeter had been breached. As planned, the vampires headed to the baseball clearing. The wolves ran around the area for a while to mask our scents. Then, the Cullens ran around the area just enough that their scents would lead the Guard to the baseball clearing.
Once we got there, we all drank the invisibility potion. The plan was to wait until the Volturi entered the clearing, then have the wolves form a perimeter in the surrounding woods and then all of the vampires would take the antidote at once so that we would essentially materialize right in front of them. It was psychological warfare at its best.
And it worked like a charm. The Major had me standing between him and Bella, with Jill standing to Bella's right and Jack to The Major's left since we were the only ones whose mates we knew about for certain.
It took all my willpower and a heaping dose of calm from The Major for me to not run to Marcus the moment I saw him. But it was important we present a united front and all take the invisibility antidote at the exact same time.
"I don't understand…" I heard Marcus mutter to himself, sounding both awestruck and bewildered. It was evident that he could see our mating bond in spite of the invisibility and had to be wondering about it. "A spectral apparition, perhaps?"
"Now!" The Major whispered as soon as the wolves were all in place. All of us downed the antidote at once, materializing into view of the Volturi in one fell swoop.
I heard Marcus' choked whimper of emotion at the same time as I heard my brother's horrified gasp and Caius' snarl.
Without delay, my mate crossed the field to me before Aro could even consider trying to stop him.
"How is this possible?" He whispered, taking my hands in his.
I fell oblivious to the scene around us, only having eyes for Marcus.
"Reincarnation," I explained in a whisper. "But I have all my memories from the past. We have a vampire who can give them back to us."
"So, you remember me?" He asked in awe.
"Yes. And don't allow your reaction to show...but I also remember the moment Aro killed me." I said so quietly only Marcus would hear.
"He what?" He hissed in a whisper as his physiognomy changed to one of rage.
"Drink this, before you make a move. It will make you invisible," I explained handing him a vial.
He swallowed it without hesitation and then I watched as Aro's head was swiftly separated from his body, followed immediately by Caius'.
I expected that action to be met with retaliation from the Guard, but instead when I looked around, I noticed what had really happened while I'd been preoccupied.
Alec and Jane, as expected, had both crossed the field. But so had Renata, Felix, Heidi, and Santiago.
The other side, now composed entirely of Guard members I did not recognize, were all standing, staring, not knowing what to do.
I heard Jane ask Alec where Demetri was, and Alec replied that he had run as soon as Chelsea's bonds fell off.
"Marcus, here is the antidote," I said aloud, holding out the vial.
As soon as he was visible again, he turned to Darcy. "Demetri is your mate. My gift is seeing bonds. If you'd like, I will help you find him."
Darcy slowly smiled.
"No need. I am a tracker too. There is nowhere I won't be able to find him, now that I know his signature. Major, permission to go after him?" Darcy said.
Jasper nodded. "Permission granted."
And with that, Darcy was off like a shot.
Just then, two people stepped forward slowly from the remaining assembled Guard members.
And we all watched as The Major fell to his knees and Bella ran to comfort him.
"Holy shit, they're still alive?" Jacob muttered.
The two approached Jasper's sobbing form and each held a hand out to help him to his feet.
"Hello...Father." They spoke in unison.