I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.

Cheryl, Noles, and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and April, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.

Ch 18

Eleazar took a while before he finally answered us. "I'll admit I'm conflicted. Where I agree something must be done, tearing apart the Volturi may cause more problems than it will solve. Without any sort of structure in place, there will be anarchy. You don't plan on becoming leaders, do you?"

"No. I want to live in peace. I have no plans to be a leader, this is not what it is about," I promised.

"Perhaps you can suggest vampires who would make good leaders in their stead," Edward suggested.

Eleazar sighed. "Hmm well…I know if you get rid of Aro you might as well get rid of Caius. He's always been power hungry and has hung on to Aro's coattails. He has no powers of his own, so he would be the easiest to take down. Jane and Alec would be more terrifying than Aro, I am afraid."

"They are gone. The two of them, along with Demetri and Felix, attacked me about two moon cycles ago. I destroyed the three with my powers and left Felix to deliver a message to leave me alone. He came back with one called Santiago and two newborns and led the attack on the men a few nights ago. They have been destroyed as well."

"You have destroyed the twins?" Eleazar's eyes went wide, and he became scared of me.

The rest of the Denali coven went on alert and huddled closer together with Kate in front. Jasper sent calming waves through the area before I could help defuse the situation.

"Jane told me it was join or be killed. I had no choice," I defended myself.

"Then you have their abilities, and with them gone, the Volturi guard would be hurting. The twins had the strongest powers, and Felix and Santiago were their physical strength. That means…" He trailed off, looking very worried. He glanced around for his mate, Carmen, and she rushed to his side.

"What is it?" she asked gently.

"It means they will need replacements, and Aro will want me to scout for talent for him once more." Eleazar frowned. He had made the decision to help us all that he could.

"If they are at a disadvantage then soon would be the optimal time to strike," Jasper spoke up. "Not only would they want Bella, but probably Alice and Kate too."

"Don't forget yourself. You're the most skilled fighter here and with a talent to support it. And Aro would probably want more muscle." Edward glanced at Emmett.

Rosalie frowned and gripped his arm tightly. Kate looked weary as she wasn't a fighter by nature. Tanya wasn't going to let her sister go without a fight. Laurent was second guessing his safety and was thinking of taking Irina and running.

"I was going to suggest Demetri for a leader, but he's no longer with us. He had been levelheaded last I spoke to him. Marcus is decent, but he hasn't been the same without his mate. Chelsea is the only reason he's still there," Eleazar said.

"What about Vladimir and Stefan, are they still around? Perhaps it would be time for them to get the throne back," Tanya suggested.

"That is an idea. However, they didn't believe vampires should live in secret. One of the only good things about the Volturi is they encouraged discretion," Carlisle pointed out.

"Maybe we can appeal to them, make a deal in order for letting them have control back," Uncle alluded.

In his mind, he wanted me to plant secrecy into their heads and change Chelsea's loyalty to them. Once those three were fixed, everyone else would fall into line. We could lead the guard to believe Vladimir and Stefan eliminated Aro and Caius. He didn't speak this plan out loud since he didn't want the other coven to know I could alter minds.

"Do you think it would really work?" Jasper was skeptical.

"If Bella could use Chelsea's own power on her to persuade everyone, then it could work." Edward was pleased since he knew my uncle's plan.

Alice started looking ahead into the immediate future. "I can see it working."

She caught me off guard as she looked further into the future, and I appeared in a vision with a swollen stomach. Instantly, I blocked the rest of her vision. But it wasn't before Edward had seen, he stiffened behind me. Alice glanced at me, and thankfully she schooled her expression, so she didn't give anything away.

"Isabella, would you mind retrieving your Book of Shadows for me? There's a spell of your mother's that I would like to look at. It might be able to help us." Uncle gave us an excuse to escape so I could speak with my mate.

"Yes. We will be right back," I said.

I brought Edward with me to the cabin and stepped away so I could turn and look at him. He stood mostly frozen, only his eyes drifted down to my stomach.

"Edward, I wanted to tell you but—"

"It is true, and you knew?" He unfroze and looked at me.

"Only since last night. I wanted to tell you, but I thought it was best to wait and tell you at a better time," I explained.

"So, you lied," he demanded.

"No." I shook my head. "Not really. I held back the truth because I knew it was for the best. You said yourself that it was okay if the intentions were for good."

He huffed in irritation. "You're using my words against me."

I twisted my hands in front of me as I walked over to the rocking chair and sat down. I closed my eyes, hoping to hold back my tears. "I wanted the news of our baby to be happy news. Every time I looked ahead, you were angry and upset. Our daughter is a blessing, something that should be celebrated. I was waiting for a time where it would bring a smile to your face."

"Mía Bella," Edward said softly, sounding closer. "Love, please don't cry. I'm sorry for getting upset. Look at me, please."

I opened my eyes to spy him kneeling next to me. "I'm sorry for not telling you right away."

He shook his head. "Don't apologize to me. I understand why you kept it a secret. I'm shocked to be honest. But it is wonderful news. You have seen her, then?"

"I have. She will be beautiful. Her hair will be my curls but your coloring. Your green eyes." I beamed.

"It's a shame she won't have your brown ones." He cupped my cheeks.

"Our son will. We will have a boy in about two years hence." I blushed.

Edward paused for a moment before a small smile grew on his face. "You know, I thought something was different on your birthday. That was the night she was conceived, right?"

"I believe so," I agreed.

His face grew grim. "You can't go to Volterra."

"I must," I insisted.

"Bella, it's too dangerous. Especially in your condition." His jaw ticked as he stood and started pacing.

I went to him and grasped both his hands. "I have to, especially now. Think about it. Aro already wants me so badly that he has been relentless. Imagine if he finds out we have hybrid babies. He's going to want them too. I have to protect our babies."

"Bella…the risk." His guilt was overwhelming, thinking he should be able to do more to protect us. "This baby is a miracle, and my instinct is to do everything I can to protect you both." He leaned his forehead against mine and brought our joined hands over my belly.

"I know. Hiding doesn't work. Remember, you'll be with me. So will Emmett and Jasper. And if I can use Alec's power, then it will be easy without any fighting at all. You could even be the one to behead Aro if you'd like," I suggested with a smirk.

His lips twisted into a smile. "That does sound cathartic."

"It will go smoothly. Both Alice and I have seen it," I promised.

CS

The week passed without any major incidences. After school, I worked with both Eleazar and Jasper, honing my powers. Edward rarely left my side, and when he did, I was sure he was watching me through the eyes of Jasper. Emmett thankfully was a distraction, as he convinced my mate to practice fighting with him. I was surprised by Tanya; once she accepted I was Edward's mate, she backed off her pursuit. She firmly believed in the mating bonds and respected them.

Tonight would be our handfasting ceremony, so all work was put aside. The females in the Denali coven and Esme helped set up the meadow, while we played our roles at school. Surrounding the arch was a ring of flowers and fireflies filled the air. Esme even made a small cake for the few of us who would eat.

Alice assisted me in getting ready in the cabin as the sun went down. She brought with her a beautiful flower crown for my head with blue and white flowers and ribbons, trailing down the back.

"Alice, it's beautiful. Thank you," I gushed.

"You're welcome." Then she lowered her voice. "Can you do your...cone of silence." She rolled her eyes slightly.

I stifled a giggle and nodded. "It is done. Is everything okay?"

Alice moved behind me and started braiding my hair. "I think so. But that's what I wanted to ask you. I started to have a vision about the future, but it was blocked." She raised an eyebrow.

I nodded. "I am with child."

"How?" she asked. "I never saw the baby, only that you were pregnant."

"I don't know the specifics, except witches are able to become pregnant on the equinoxes and solstices. But she will be healthy and will arrive this summer," I said. "I was waiting to announce it after our trip…and I wasn't sure how Rosalie would handle the news."

"You didn't look?" Alice was surprised.

"I promised her I wouldn't. But I know babies are one of the things she misses from being human," I answered.

Alice nodded. "She's going to notice eventually. Better to tell her sooner than later."

"I agree. Have you come to a decision about your past?"

Alice set the crown on my head and distracted herself by pinning it. "I have. I think…I think I want to stay in the dark about most of it. Jasper and I concluded if I was at an asylum, it was probably because I was already having visions and my family thought I was crazy. We also know at the time they used electric shock on their patients. I don't want to remember being electrocuted." She frowned.

"I'm so sorry, Alice." I gave her a sympathetic look.

"Can you at least tell me where I am from?" she asked after a moment.

"Biloxi, Mississippi," I answered her.

She nodded absent-mindedly. "There, all done. Thank you for letting me do your hair. I wish mine was longer, the things I would love to do."

"I can lengthen your hair for you whenever you like," I offered.

"I may take you up on it. But for right now it will be difficult to explain to the humans why my hair grew a foot overnight. I think you're ready." She smiled.

CS

The ceremony was short but very sweet and beautiful. It gave me a treasured moment that replaced the void I had felt all of these past years. Edward and I walked hand in hand to greet our guests. He was leery since there were members of the Quileute tribe here at Uncle Charlie's request. My uncle thought it would be best to build a bridge between everyone. He held me tighter as we approached Jacob and his father.

"Jacob and Chief Black, thank you for joining us this evening," I said.

"You know you can call me Billy. There is no need for formality." The older man chuckled.

"Thank you, Billy." I gave him a smile. "Jacob, I have to say I am surprised to see you."

He straightened his shoulders. "Well, I wasn't about to let my dad come here alone. And…well, I have been doing a lot of thinking. You're right, there are a lot of misguided prejudices in the world. Hatred should only belong when it has been earned. You and the Cullens don't deserve hatred."

"Thank you, Jacob." Edward shook his hand.

"Then you won't mind me offering to help your father with his legs?" I asked.

"I would say it would be up to me." Billy smirked. "You can fix diabetes?"

"I'm unsure, but I can fix your nerve damage," I told him.

"A healthy diet can help, so it doesn't revert," Edward advised him, knowing that Billy had eaten two slices of cake.

"Hmm…my daughters tell me the same thing. Alright, let's give it a try," he agreed.

I placed my hand on his legs and concentrated. After a moment, I withdrew it. Billy, with Jacob's help, pulled himself up onto his feet. He stretched his legs and tried to take a few steps.

"How does it feel?" Sam Uley asked. He stayed a few paces away with his mate at his side. He was hesitant to be here, but Jacob and Billy had persuaded him.

"Like I could outrun you." The older man crowed then turned to me. "You should help Emily next."

"No!" Sam said loudly.

"Shouldn't that be her decision?" I asked.

Emily's reaction had been enthusiastic. Her hand lightly touched her scars. Sam looked at her then covered her hand with his own. He deeply regretted hurting his own mate. His head slightly bowed, and he nodded to me.

"Will it hurt?" Emily asked cautiously, looking at Billy.

"Naw, just tingles a little," Billy told her.

Since I knew most of his reluctance was due to having Edward so close, I let go of my husband and went closer. Edward made a small sound of protest but remained behind. I placed my palm against her cheek, and instantly, the skin smoothed and gained a healthy glow. Her fingers brushed her skin in wonder.

She glanced up at her mate. "How does it look?"

He gave her a smile then kissed it. "As good as new."

Emily turned to me and hugged me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I told her.

I returned to Edward to ease his nerves. He kissed me lightly and wrapped his arms around my waist. As much as I was enjoying the night, I was ready to say good-bye to everyone, so we could be alone.

Alice sent me a wink before clearing her throat. "Alright, everyone, time to let the lovebirds have their alone time. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

Everyone left soon after, and Edward pulled me into a heated kiss.

"Finally, we are alone." His eyes darkened as he swept me off my feet.

CS

The next morning, we met Jasper, Emmett, and Uncle Charlie outside of the house.

"Are we ready?" Uncle asked.

"We are." Edward held me tight.

We traveled to Romania in the blink of an eye, arriving at an old stone castle that gave me the creeps. It was dark and dreary with a strong musky smell, yet I knew the brothers were here.

"This is just like Dracula's castle," Emmett commented.

"Well, he was modeled after the Romanians," Jasper pointed out.

The hallways were dark and cold the deeper inside we went, and eventually we found the throne room. Two vampires sat there looking more like statues than unliving beings.

"Look, brother, after all these years we have visitors," one spoke in a rough, unused voice.

"We have a proposition for you," Edward announced.

A/N: I know I have a few of you relieved that Tanya isn't a threat. Do you think their plan will work? And Edward handling the baby news? Finally a happy note before some excitement ahead.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.