Here we are folks! The "last" chapter of this story. I had so many ideas on how I wanted to end it, but it felt appropriate to end it as chaotic as it has been. This has been a wild ride. Mostly because I had no idea this story would be read by more than ten people. I'm not the type to write for likes or follows, but usually to get a story out of my head. I'm very grateful for everyone who has been here from the beginning. And just... for being super understanding about that hiatus with my thesis and what not.
While this isn't the last chapter, it is the last part of the story. There's still one last thing I have to do with Bella and Rosalie, and I gave you all a hint in this chapter.
Thank you all again for the ride! I'll still be around making stories. -Gaybe
Leah looks down at the party with a soft smile on her face. She tracks Jane and Angela through the family, a watchful eye on her imprint and her reluctant ally in keeping Angela safe. Then, finally, Leah sighs and brings her knees to her chest. She smells them before she hears them, and when they settle down beside, behind, and in front of her, Leah has no choice but to relax. Her wolf whimpers in submission whenever the vampires are around, hence why she is avoiding them. Leah doesn't want a mate, let alone three mates. She's happy with Jane and Angela, with the family, and Leah doesn't want to go down that road again.
Right?
"Why are you hiding, Little Wolf?"
Leah looks up into Tanya's eyes. She wants to lie and deflect, but she finds herself blurting out the truth instead, "I'm scared!"
Tanya blinks in surprise, and Leah feels two sets of arms wrap around her middle and back when she attempts to escape. Kate and Irina move in closer, and Leah whines under her breath.
"Please- you don't want me. You don't- I'm not worth the trouble," Leah says quickly. "You can have anyone in the world you want-
"But our souls picked you," Irina whispers in her ear.
Leah shudders and moves to the side, only to have Kate press her lips against her ear.
"Are you saying you don't want us?" Kate whispers.
"No! I do."
"Is that so?" Tanya purrs.
Leah realizes her mistake immediately and tries to backtrack. "Not like that. I mean, I- I don't know," she says.
The conversation halts when Rosalie jumps up from the party in her wedding dress. She smiles apologetically at the sisters before she says, "I need to talk to the pup for a moment. I promise I will return her to you unharmed."
"You are lucky you just got married," Kate grumbles.
Kate, Irina, and Tanya blur away, and Rosalie holds out her hand.
"Come on," she says.
"It's your wedding," Leah protests.
Rosalie cocks an eyebrow, and Leah grabs hold of her hand. The two drops back to the crowd, and no one pays them any mind as Rosalie carries Leah into the forest, far enough to give the semblance of privacy. However, Leah stiffens when Angela looks up from where she'd been waiting.
"I thought you needed to talk to me," Leah says to Rosalie.
"We agreed to keep my request a secret," Angela says.
"Angela, I-
"Shut up, Leah. And sit down."
"I'll be nearby with Jane," Rosalie says, vanishing into the trees.
Leah folds her arms and looks down. A tree root grabs her ankle and lifts her into the air. She yelps and swings for a moment, glaring at Angela.
"I did say sit down."
"Fine. Can you put me down now?"
Angela sits Leah back on the ground, waving her hand, so the tree root goes back into the Earth. Leah stomps over and sits next to Angela on the overturned log.
"Why are you an idiot?"
"I'm not an idiot!"
"You have three beautiful mates who literally love you for who you are, want you for who you are, and accept you for what you are, and you're moping on the roof during a wedding. Look," Angela sighs, "I know you and I had a really rough start. I know we still have to heal and work through wounds, but as I am your imprint, I feel it is within my right to tell you to get the fuck out of your head and accept this second chance the world is giving you. We were awful together, Leah, and you know it. But while I am not meant to be anything more than your best friend, I can confidently say that there is nothing wrong with you. You're funny, you're smart, you're protective, you're loyal, and you have a big heart that is almost bursting with love. Yes, you can be a bitch, but when it matters, you're the sweetest person I know. You're everything good in this world, and in another lifetime, Jane would probably be killing people for Aro and the others. I will be the lonely human who shows up at the Rez one day and meets the love of her life."
Angela reaches over and grabs Leah's hand.
"But that's not this lifetime. In this lifetime, you and I found our forever mates. We found our lovers, our protectors, and we get the chance to be with them for eternity. Or however long we have in this life. We got lucky. Kate, Tanya, and Irina are good people. Alice wouldn't have invited them if they weren't, and Bella wouldn't have let them anywhere near you if she didn't believe they were right for her little pup."
Leah blushes and glares down at the ground. Her eyes fill with tears, and Angela stands up. She kisses the top of Leah's head.
"Don't let Sam take something else from you," she whispers. "Open yourself up again. I promise someone will be there to catch you this time."
Leah sniffs and digs her hands into the wood beneath her. She looks up when Jane emerges from the trees and kneels in front of her.
"I hate you," Jane says softly. "Just as much as you hate me. I doubt we will ever truly get along. At least not for another century, but even I know you deserve this. I need you to be happy because when you are happy, Angela is happy, and we both know that if she's happy, everyone is happy. So. Quit being a dumbass."
Leah snarls at Jane, but there's no heat behind it. Jane rolls her eyes and kisses Leah on the forehead. The vampire and Angela link hands before they go back to the party. Rosalie appears this time, and Leah stares at her warily.
"You're not going to give me a speech too, are you?" she asks.
"No," Rosalie smirks and folds her arms. "We aren't the type for speeches. But I will let you in on a little secret. The day I met Bella, I was originally going to be at home. But, Alice found me in my room and convinced me to come to school. She told me the answer to all of my problems would appear. I showed up to prove her wrong. Now, I'm married to that answer, who is also the bane of my existence. My point is those three vampires out there are some of the strongest women I know. So, the fact all three are your mate is a very good thing, and not just for the physical aspect."
Leah groans and hides her face. Rosalie laughs.
"Pup, Bella and I would never let you walk into something alone. You and Seth are our babies just as much as Jane and Alec, and by extension, Angela. So take a deep breath, trust your gut, and go for it. Like Angela said, there's going to be someone to catch you."
"You promise?" Leah whispers.
"Always."
Rosalie looks over Leah's shoulder, and Leah turns around. Her three mates stand awkwardly at the tree line, and Leah looks back to find Rosalie gone. She glances down at the ground before she gets to her feet. Leah rubs her hands on the shorts Emmett gave her and scratches the back of her neck.
"Would you guys like to go for a walk?" she asks shyly. "To, um, talk?"
The smiles she receives in response makes it all worth it.
Rosalie gets swept up by Charlie before she can ever find Bella. Though she has a suspicion, her wife is somewhere eating the rest of the shrimp cocktail. Her wife… Rosalie smiles goofily, and Charlie snorts.
"Bella got that same look about ten minutes ago. I wager you two are in the very beginning of the honeymoon stage."
"She's my wife," Rosalie says, giggling.
"Yes. We did see the same ceremony." Charlie spins her around and back again. "So. What's the deal with the rings?" he asks.
"I have no idea. I have my ring," Rosalie says. "It's upstairs."
"Oh. Bella wasn't too open with the details when she canceled the exchange completely. Jane, Alec, and I assumed the bonding ceremony would be added after the rings."
"No one knows what goes on in her mind."
Charlie smiles a little, and Rosalie's heart still hurts when she sees his fangs.
"None of that now," he says. "I get the chance to live out my days with my future wife and my kin. Plus a boatload of other family members. And all I had to do was burn a little for three days? It's a sacrifice I'll make over and over again."
"I know," Rosalie says. "Just have to get used to it, is all."
Charlie winks and says, "We do have several centuries together, Mrs. Hale."
"Why, yes. Yes, we do, Mr. Swan."
Bella yelps as Alice tugs her away from the shrimp and drags her out onto the dance floor.
"My shrimp," Bella whines.
"I never really thanked you," Alice says, ignoring Bella's complaining.
"For?"
"Emmett."
Bella licks her lips and glances one last time at the shrimp before she says, "That was nothing. I could hear his heart beating for you the moment I met him."
"Our hearts don't beat," Alice teases.
"His did. The rhythm was specifically made to match yours. Emmett really does love you as much as you love him. He's a softie for his Ally-Bear."
Alice stops mid-dance and stares at Bella with a twinkle in her eye.
"I almost hate your visions," Bella mutters. "Why did you have me say that?"
"Because I wanted to hear it. Seeing it in my vision is one thing, but hearing it?"
Alice shrugs, and Bella rolls her eyes.
"Emmett, come get your girlfriend."
Bella ducks away as Emmett picks up Alice and twirls her around. Bella snakes her way to the food table. All of the shrimp is either on the ground or gone, and Bella pouts. A plate of shrimp covered in cocktail sauce appears beside her, and Rosalie's the one holding it.
"I saw Alice take it away from you," Rosalie teases. "I stole what was left because I knew you would cry if you couldn't have anymore."
"I would not cry," Bella murmurs, taking the plate. "But thank you."
"Of course." Rosalie kisses Bella's cheek and adds, "You better brush your teeth before we leave tonight."
"You're already so needy," Bella jokes.
"Just wait until the honeymoon," Rosalie whispers.
"I am looking forward to it. Mrs. Hale."
Rosalie's eyes darken until they're black, and Bella grins. The two lean forward-
"Ah! No! It's my turn to steal Bella away!" Seth announces loudly.
Rosalie blinks and looks off to the side as the shifter pulls Bella, and her plate of shrimp, back to the dance floor. Alec steps up to Rosalie and holds out his hand.
"May I have this dance, Mother?" he asks formally.
Rosalie would almost believe him if it weren't for the mischief in his eyes.
"You and your sister are going to give me gray hair. I can't even get gray hair," Rosalie huffs.
"What are you children for?"
Rosalie takes his hand and smacks the side of his head. Alec chuckles and escorts her out into the crowd.
Later that evening, Bella and Rosalie stand in front of the car Esme bought for them as a wedding present. A car that Rosalie has yet to take her eyes off of, and one Bella knows she'll never see again once they get to their location. But at least she'll get to drive at some point. Hopefully. Alice tosses a package at Bella's head, and Bella catches it at the last minute. Already knowing what's inside, Bella grins at her sister and puts the package in the front seat.
Sister?
Bella's breath catches in her throat, and she looks up at the family all gathered on the porch. Her mouth opens and closes a few times, and Alice smiles.
"Finally caught on?" she asks.
Bella's vision blurs, and she blinks away the tears. Rosalie cups her cheeks, worry etched into her face, and Bella laughs. She looks again over the family and shakes her head.
"To my sister, Alice. My brother, Emmett. My sons, Alec and Seth. My daughters, Jane, Leah, and Angela. My kin, Charlie, and my future daughter-in-law, Esme. To the new additions of the group, Tanya, Kate, and Irina. And to my brothers-in-arms, Marcus and Demetri. I cannot begin to express my deepest gratitude to you all. We have been through so much together, and I hope to experience the better parts of life with you as time progresses. You all fought for me and with me. So much has happened, yet we stand strong as one. I am so grateful to call you family."
Bella looks down at Rosalie, who has yet to move, and she kisses her softly.
"And to you, Mrs. Hale. I would not have this family if it were not for you. I will spend the rest of my life showering you with not only my love but my respect, my loyalty, and my trust." Bella puts her hands on Rosalie's stomach and adds in a softer voice, "And to the children we have yet to have, I swear the same."
Rosalie's eyes widen, and Bella winks. She pulls away slightly and bows at the family.
"We'll see you all in a year or two," she jokes.
"Don't rush! Some of us have our own honeymoons to catch up on," Emmett smirks.
Alice smacks him in the stomach, but the smile on her face tells Bella she was thinking the same thing. Rosalie tugs on Bella's arm, and Bella snorts.
"The wife is calling, folks."
"Get in the car, Isabella," Rosalie sighs exasperatedly. "Or we will miss our flight."
"How- did you look at the reservation when I was in the shower after I told you not to?"
"Yes."
"Knew it. That is exactly why you have no idea where we're going."
Rosalie frowns and asks, "Did you really buy a fake reservation because-
"I knew you would look? Yes. Now, get in the car, Rosalie," Bella says mockingly.
Rosalie shoots her a look, one that promises trouble later, and Bella bites her lip. Rosalie's hips sway a little more than normal before she disappears into the car.
"Leave before you give us a show we don't want to see!" Charlie shouts.
Bella waves without turning around and hops behind the wheel. She pulls off down the driveway and undoes the top buttons of her shirt.
"I'm so looking forward to jeans and t-shirts again," she sighs.
Rosalie pulls her hair into a ponytail and unzips the back of her dress. Bella looks over at her in shock when the black dress reveals white lace. Rosalie ignores Bella as she reaches into the back of the car to grab a bag.
"Focus on the road, Isabella," Rosalie says, pulling out sweatpants and a hoodie that says "Bride."
"How can I focus when you're wearing that?"
"Because the quicker we get there, the faster you can take it off." Rosalie slips the dress down her legs. "And I doubt I'll be eager to put anything back on for the entire trip."
Bella presses her foot down on the gas pedal.
Above the clouds, as a cherry red BMW 8 zooms down the road, a soft, sad smile graces the face of the person watching over it. He turns away and opens the door to his home. It vanishes into the stars.