The final chapter. Oh so sad. I have spent over two years on this story and now that it's over… oh I don't know what I shall do! I think I will have a poll for whether or not I should write a new story and if enough people vote yes then I will put up the summaries of the stories I have started on paper. Onward with the last chapter.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognized characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of this story are the property of me. I am no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Omniscient again
"I told you already. She'll wake up soon don't worry." Alice Cullen put her hand on her brother's arm trying to calm him. Not an easy feat since his fiancée had been unconscious for almost two days and the fact was driving him insane. "Her mind is still healing even if her body is fine. She just needs time." time was the only thing that could heal Bella now; no medicine or remedy could help the damage done.
Marcus, who had stayed in Volterra, told them just to leave her be and not to interfere with any blood. They listened only since he was much older than they and hoped that his advice would not be unhelpful.
"I know Alice," Edward replied, his voice quiet and just barely hinted with a roughness foreign to all. He had not hunted since Rainier and the glutton of blood he had taken had been burned up from the stress from the past few days. It was mostly used in the fight and the lack of sustenance had made him irritable; he had snapped at Rosalie a few times when she ventured too close.
Emmett however, now that, he too, was immortal, was able to defend her, a fact made much evident by the several holes in the Cullen family mansion walls. A fact that frazzled an already strained Esme; she cared for her home almost as much as she did for her family.
Her family. It was when the friends of her son became one of her kind that she finally felt as though her purpose in life was realized. And that purpose was to care for the children that fate had dropped into her lap and had all but wrote a note that said "Care for them'. And she would. No power on Earth, sky, or space would stop her from fulfilling that one thing she knew she must do. After all what were mothers for? She had said.
"Any moment now." Alice said, coming out of a vision that told of what would soon take place. She had been adjusting well to the random spurts of clairvoyance that showed such trivial things as the weather the next day and more important ones like the one she had just seen. Her sister would finally open her eyes after such a long time. Just a few more minutes to go.
"Should we get everyone down here?" Jasper asked having been sitting with Alice for the entire time she was sitting with Edward, previously silent as was normal for him. Alice turned away from Bella's blank face and stared, not really seeing, at the stairs that led to the second floor where the rest of the family waited. After a moment she nodded, drawing in a deep breath through her nose, still relishing the new scents she had never experienced as a human.
There was no need to call for anyone; they had, minus Rosalie, heard with perfect clarity Jasper's question and came descended the stairs into the room, eager for what would happen next. Carlisle and Esme stood behind the couch where Edward sat with Bella's head in his lap and Emmett and Rosalie, who was struggling with the painful weight of her child bearing stomach, took the other couch adjacent to the previous.
They were all prepared, ready to, figuratively for some, breathe that sigh of relief that comes from having a worry taken from your shoulders and you know everything, for the time being, will be alright. They were so ready to look into Bella's eyes and know that their image was being received into her brain. They were all so ready that any sort of thought that she would never again open her eyes had never occurred to them.
Ever since Alice had assured Edward she would recover on the plane ride from Italy they were grasping onto hope or whatever it was that they were feeling. So they were extremely frustrated when the doorbell rang, and Bella's eyes still remained shut. Everyone looked at each other, the same question in their eyes; "Who is going to answer the door?" no one wanted to risk being stuck at the door when Bella finally woke up.
Luckily, they did not have to get up for the visitor at the door twisted the unlocked knob and walked in, completely unannounced. It was Bella's biological father along with the red-haired woman that Bella had seen in a memory of her father's, in a time that seemed so far away at that time. Those that did not know the woman could not be bothered to ask about her name or what business she had with them.
"My dearest Bella." Charlie whispered, dropping to his knees by Bella's head, stroking her hair away from her face. He looked up at Edward, pain so evident in his face. "It takes me centuries to find my child and once I have her back she is nearly killed. The gods must not want my daughter in my life." Charlie turned to the woman behind him to ask a question but she cast her eyes to the floor.
The room was quiet, the grandfather clock down the hall ticking off the seconds steadily, the sound so loud in the hushed space. Alice's prediction of Bella's awakening would be 'soon' had proved not as accurate as they anticipated and hoped. Not long after they arrived Charlie and his companion departed. "We do not belong here." he said regretfully, "Call me when she awakens." he handed Carlisle a slip of paper with a phone number on it and then disappeared.
Rosalie fell asleep on Emmett's chest after twenty minutes but since his torso was icy and hard than rock, plus the fact that his bloodlust was still raging inside him even if his love for the girl kept him in check, he had to lay her on the couch and step outside for a few moments. He was joined by Jasper and Alice and they went on a very quick "forest snack" as Alice announced as she was leaving with Jasper's hand in hers.
When they got back there was nothing new and Edward was off the couch, pacing the floor and pulling at his hair, his hands locked behind his head after actually removing a rather thick clump of bronze locks. "I can't do this." Edward whispered, covering his mouth with his hands and then ripping them backwards through his hair yet again and then scrubbing his face furiously with his fingers. He sobbed loudly, "Oh, god, I can't take it anymore." no one could stop him since he was the fastest of the family so he disappeared out the back door.
"What if he's not back when she wakes up?" Alice asked, looking up from the floor, her maroon eyes wide and childlike. No one answered her since no one wanted to give her a response in view of the fact that no one knew the explanation of Edward's behavior. The only thought was that seeing Bella so immobile for so long had finally been too much for him to handle.
The hours passed without any change, then a day went by, and before anyone could do anything an entire month had elapsed and Edward had not returned while Bella remained vacant. Alice was distraught since she had given Edward a promise that she should never have spoken. The rest of the family was milling about over the passing weeks, not saying much except to their mates.
One day, something unexpected happened (not Bella's awakening sadly) that changed the way a certain person would view two other people. It was a warm summer day on this particular day, mid-July, and the newborn vampires had become quite well at finding things to distract themselves from succumbing to their ever-present need for blood.
What had happened was Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper were downstairs, chatting about their new lives and the children that would soon enough be in their lives. Very exciting topic it was too. Carlisle and Esme were in town doing some errands. Well there was a frightful banging on the front door and Jasper and Emmett could perceive that there were two humans out there, making a ridiculous racket.
Rosalie volunteered to answer the door after Emmett told her as soon as anything bad happened he would be there to save her. 'If anything bad happens'. Rosalie told him as she got up, holding her belly. The incessant knocking continued and with a groan Rosalie opened the door and as soon as she did so she felt a slap to her face that echoed throughout the foyer.
Trying to see through her tears of shock and pain, Rosalie narrowly avoided being shoved to the floor by backing up the stairs that stood just to the right of the door. "Come back here you disgusting whore." it was a familiar voice. One that she had heard her entire life, constantly nagging at her to be thinner and prettier than everyone else. The voice that berated her whenever she brought home anything less that perfect. The voice of her mother.
"What do you think you are doing?" Rosalie could have cried with joy when the next words were spoken by Emmett, cold, fearful, and deadly calm. He stood behind her parents who were inches from throttling the life out of her, for a reason Rosalie had kept secret from all those important to her. Her parents hated her for getting pregnant which prevented them from living vicariously through her and the activities she was nearly forced to partake in.
The day of her ultrasound they had left her at the hospital with many intentions of abandoning her there and while leaving they were struck with the brilliant idea of killing the boy who had planted his seed within their daughter. They had their gun and found the boy easily but since there was a witness they decided to shoot the girl with him. A hit and run.
"You should be dead boy." Rosalie's father growled his face ghost white along with the missus. No one missed the small black handgun in Mr. Hale's hand especially not when he raised it and pointed it straight at Emmett's chest and pulled the trigger. The bullet reached its target but the intended effect was absent, the only sign that Emmett had been hit was the hole in his shirt but the pallid skin behind the cloth was unmarred.
"Impossible." Mrs. Hale shrieked, taking the gun from her husband and fired it three times at Emmett, each having the same effect of the first. The woman let out another shout when a short, slender, ebony-haired girl came down the stairs, the same girl she had seen fall to the ground, pulsing blood from a gunshot wound.
"What's going on down here?" she asked, angry, seeing her sister pressed against the steps of the staircase, tears streaming down her face. Using her new speed Alice ran down the stairs and cradled Rosalie to her chest, glaring so hatefully at the some of the worst parents the world could know. "Trying to kill you own child?" she questioned, disbelievingly, "You disgust me like shit on the bottom of my shoe." Alice helped Rosalie off the stairs and brusquely pushed past the hideous man and woman.
"Get out now and never return or we will kill you." Emmett told them, nearly shaking with anger. They all but ran from the house and did not look back. He could hear Jasper in the living room, comforting Rosalie, and Alice was puttering in the kitchen, preparing a hot drink. Emmett ran to the room, picked up Rosalie, and kissed her, very gently, on the lips. She sighed, happily, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Are you in pain?" he hated when anyone asked if someone was "okay" when they were clearly distressed. She touched her cheek, stained red while the other remained pale and unspoiled, so Emmett placed his cool hand on her skin, soothing the burn and reducing the swelling. Rosalie leaned into his touch but straightened when Alice brought her a mug of sweet smelling cocoa.
"They were the ones that shot us." Alice stated, already knowing the answer only seeking confirmation. Rosalie took the lip of the mug from her mouth and nodded; a mustache of chocolate covering her upper lip, Emmett laughed and wiped it with his thumb. She reached out to put the cup on the coffee table but she could not stretch far enough so Emmett took it from her hand and finished the task for her.
Thankful and spent from the stress, Rosalie curled up against Emmett and was asleep in moments, breathing deeply and evenly. Emmett kissed her hair and laid her down on the couch lengthwise and covered her shivering body with a soft wool blanket. The three vampires stared down at their long time sister for two and girlfriend for the other, remembering the fond memories they all had.
Then they remembered Bella who was in Edward's room, without Edward there to watch over her, and how she had swept into Fork's and taken the town by storm. Perhaps she was dead. They didn't know what Doedsfald's power was and for all they knew they could have a corpse laying upstairs. It was only a 50/50 chance that her mind was still even active.
"When will this end?" Alice whispered, covering her face with her hands. The house was silent and birds could be heard from outside, chirping merrily in the summer sun. Jasper wished he could join them, the fragile winged creatures that seemed so free all the time. He wished he could fly, if he could do that he would take to the skies and never look back. Well only if Alice was with him.
Eventually they all scattered, no one in the same room as each other as no one had anything to say to anyone. The only thing they wanted was silence and solitude. Emmett read a book in the library, keeping his ears open for when Rosalie woke, while Jasper went to an unused room and just sat. Alice went to her room to draw in her sketchbook.
Eventually Carlisle and Esme returned home, not particularly surprised to find that their new children were off in various parts of their home. They respected their needs. After checking on Bella who remained unchanged they retreated to their bedroom for a much needed relaxing lie down on their bed. With the room nearly entirely consumed by darkness, they wrapped themselves around each other and just lay on the mattress.
Hours passed so that when the front door opened with such a loud bang and force that it hit the wall behind it, breaking the plaster, everyone feared for the worst. Ready to defend themselves and Rosalie, the family came to the front entrance only to relax their hostile postures. Edward had finally returned only he wasn't alone; the hulking form of Doedsfald stood behind him, garbed in modern clothing unlike the scraps he had on when they met him.
"I was able to find him." Edward explained in a rush, his eyes wild and his hair pointing every which way from running at a fast speed for so long. "He can wake Bella up! She wasn't healing at all; she needed to be woken up. By Doedsfald, he's the only one who can." this was met by sighs of relief, shouts of cheerfulness, and tears of joy from Rosalie the only one able to produce them.
"You must bring me to the child." Doedsfald said, in heavily accented English. He was led upstairs to Edward's room with the entire family following, bouncy with absolute elation. The room was dim but no one turned on the light. They all, except for Edward and Doedsfald who sat on the mattress, crowded around the bed.
All was silent as Doedsfald placed his hand on Bella's forehead and shut his eyes in concentration. A small white light passed from his fingertips to her scalp and, with a terrifying gasp, she arched her back off the bed until she was sitting up and then collapsed back onto the sheets. Her eyelids fluttered until she finally opened them, immediately flying to Edward's face which was followed by her catapulting herself forward into his arms.
She began to sob as did he, while he stroked her hair and she clutched his back, pressing her face into him, trying to bring herself closer to him than was possible. All the couples hugged their partners to them, grateful that Bella was alive and that their own loves had not been taken from them like Bella had been from Edward.
"We should go." Esme whispered and took Carlisle's hand in hers as they made their way to the door. Halfway there Bella called out, speaking for the first time that she had been awake, "No, stay. Please." she touched the bed and before she knew it everyone was seated around her and Edward, just looking at the two of them.
Something really remarkable happened then. A single tear rolled out of Bella's eye and landed on the cloth of Edward's pants where it stained the light blue a few shades darker. She touched the moisture on her cheek and smiled confounded, "Why am I so weird?" she asked, laughing and it sounded almost human with the way her voice seemed huskier, the way humans sound when they cry, their throats thick with tears.
"You aren't weird dear." Esme said, touching Bella's hand and then holding it in her own, "It has happened to others of our kind before, it happens under time of great sadness, pain, or, in your case, extreme happiness." yet another tear trickled from Bella's eye and landed on Esme's hand. Edward kissed the glistening spot on Bella's chin, making several of the watchers look away with the compassion of the scene.
"If you are not minding" a heavily accented voice said quietly, "I would wish to be taking my leave." Doedsfald stood, forgotten by the door, looking uneasy. To see such a large, daunting man standing there with such timidity was almost humorous but no one was laughing. Instead Edward responded his tone was thankful and his eyes held no menace to the man that had put Bella in the state she had been in; that grudge overlooked in light of his redeeming act.
"Go in peace friend, many thanks for what you have done." Doedsfald bowed and was gone. His presence was not terribly missed but should he ever need assistance he would always find an ally in the Cullen clan. It was like France and Britain in World War 2; they were not close friends but they fought next to each other in battles against their enemies.
"Bella's alive!" Alice cried after a few moments of silence and threw her arms around the girls' neck and squeezed. Bella embraced her with equal strength, rubbing her back and simply holding one of her best friends to her like she never had before. Bella promised to herself that she would be showing her loved ones much more affection than she had before, which was a very decent amount.
After everyone had been "bear-hugged" by Bella as Emmett dubbed it, Bella spoke, "Thank you all for everything you have done for me," she started, tears running from both of her eyes then, dripping in rivets of iridescence. "You stuck with me instead of giving up and assuming I was dead. I will be forever thankful." Edward patted her soothingly on the back.
She smiled, grateful, and swiped the tears from her face and sat up straight, "No time to dwell on the past however. What's done is done and there is no point crying over spilt milk." her outlook was remarkable. Most people would have soaked up all the attention and made their ordeal seem like it was the most horrifying thing to happen to anyone. Not Bella. One because she was a vampire and stuff like that clearly happened everyday. And two because Bella was not one to mope over the past.
Well unless you count pining over Edward for hundreds of years, but of course he is her soul mate in every sense of the word and he was as much a part of her as she was to him. "We've got a wedding to plan and babies to prepare for and neither will wait for us while we sit here, gob smacked." they all stared at her, rather astonished that she had recovered from her incident so quickly when just moments ago she had been crying actual tears.
But Bella would never let anything get her down, she was always ready for anything that came her way, just ask anyone in her family. And if she can't succeed at the time she will, six-hundred years later.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," Carlisle Cullen announced, "you may now kiss the bride." then Edward Anthony Masen Cullen took his wife, Isabella Marie Swan Laroche Cullen, in his arms and kissed her so. There were cheers and hollers from the audience along with applause that echoed around the grand ballroom the wedding took place in.
The day was September 13, 2008. The sky was clear and the temperature was a balmy 74 degrees Fahrenheit, perfect weather to have a wedding in Forks. It was also Bella's day of birth when she was human, not entirely a coincidence. That made her 610 years old; from the day she was delivered to that moment. Have you forgotten? Perhaps you were not told. Bella was born in 1398 and changed in 1413, remember?
Even though it was not the right time Bella threw the bouquet behind her head anyway and Alice leapt into the air to capture the posy of David Austin roses, lisianthus, and freesias. She wrapped her arms around Jasper as he dipped her down and she kissed him hard on the mouth. There were wolf whistles from others so they separated but they kept their fingers entwined.
Edward swept Bella off her feet and carried her back up the aisle she had just walked down, her white veil slipping off her crown of tight brown curls. She caught the silk chiffon in her fingers right as it plummeted toward the floor. Edward helped her replace it after setting her down in the large dining room where the reception would take place.
Eventually the guests made their way into the reception room and took their seats wherever they found their name printed on a deep red card. The wedding colors had been white and red with the bridesmaids in red dresses, groomsmen in red vests and black tuxes, the groom in a white vest and black tux, and finally the bride in a stunning white gown.
Alice and Rosalie had, of course, been the bridesmaids and Esme was the maid-of-honor while Emmett and Jasper were the groomsmen as well as the best men since Edward could not choose between them. Carlisle, an ordained clergyman, had conducted the ceremony. Guests in attendance had been few but Bella's father of course made it, he walked her down the aisle as well. The Denali coven came as well since they were friends of Carlisle.
Doedsfald brought his mate and more old friends of Carlisle's made the trip too. It was a small occurrence but it was beautiful and served its purpose. Rosalie could not wait until she and Emmett were wed and they could raise their family happily and easily without having to worry about financial matters. As if her brothers and sisters would allow anything unfortunate to happen to anyone in the coven.
"As no one but our lovely human guest will be eating we would like to move on to the wedding toasts!" Carlisle announced, tapping an unused champagne glass with an unused fork. He himself began the first speech, talking of many future happy memories they would have, and how Bella and Edward epitomized true love. It was a heartfelt speech, one from a true father.
The children of Rosalie Lillian Hale and Emmett McCarty were born on September 13, 2008. She went into labor in the middle of the last dance at the wedding. Carlisle delivered them right in the living room at 10:23 p.m. The first was a boy; Brandon Jasen and he had flaxen hair from his mother and the cool blue eyes of his father.
His sister, Emmalie Belle, followed soon after with the curly chocolate hair of her father and the sapphire eyes of her mother. They took the surname Cullen since both of their parents would assume the name as well and Rosalie did not want her children to have a different last name than her. Once Rosalie had been changed, however, she and Jasper would use the name Hale when they enrolled in high school in a few years.
Brandon came from Alice's last name and Jasen was a combination of Jasper and Masen, Edward's original last name. Emmalie was Emmett and Rosalie combined and Belle was from Bella. The children were beautiful and would grow up with silver spoon in their mouths.
This was not just a story of how Bella found love. No it was more how she lost it, found it again, and then had to fight a great fight to keep him.
Ahhhh! It's over! Such a silly ending too. Ahaha. Well now that this is over I have no idea what I am going to do with my life. I don't know if I want to start a new story, that's a lot of work for me. So… I hope you enjoyed my story because it is officially over. No sequel, sorry. Goodbye and I love you all!