AN/ I just wanted to start off by saying thank you so much for the reception this story has had so far. I wasn't expecting it and am truly grateful! This should be the end of all the exposition so we'll get into some good ol' fashioned time travel next chapter!

[Edited 02/09/21 for grammar, continuity, character consistency, tone, and foreshadowing. (Also added about 2k words lol oops)]

When she was human, Bella never dared hope for the relationship she would one day have with Rosalie. About six months after Victoria's attack and Bella's turning, Rose just "got over it" - as Emmett so eloquently put it. She had been furious: at Bella for being in this situation in the first place, at Edward for running away, perhaps a little bit at herself for not stopping it. But then, one day, she plonked down on the sofa with the others and informed Bella that they were sisters, and that was that.

It wasn't perfect, but nothing is. They were sisters. And because of that, Bella knew when Rose was tormenting herself. On the anniversary of her turning every year, Rose would run to New York and stand in the street where it happened. She would stare at the spot where she bled out on the road until the skies got dark and Emmett would come to coax her home. When Bella spoke of changing things in their pasts, she knew she spoke directly to Rose. She could practically see her sister's internal debate from the line between her perfect eyebrows and the way she avoided her husband's gaze.

Once Carlisle had ushered everyone back into the house for privacy, Rose darted upstairs faster than the human eye could follow. Emmett went to go after her but was caught by Edward's hand on his shoulder.

"Give her a minute…" he whispered.

Emmett shrugged out of his hold. "I know how to comfort my damn wife, Eddie."

"Comfort isn't what she needs right now." Edward replied.

Emmett fell silent. It was not difficult to understand what was tormenting her so.

"Bella." Carlisle drew her attention. "Are you really sure you want to do this? You could join us in 1942, we would help you with the Romanians. There would be much less risk."

"If you weren't so worried about my safety, would you want these things changed?" Bella asked. Carlisle glanced at the ground and bit his lip for a moment, it was all the confirmation she needed.

"I need instructions," she said. "I can change a little or a lot, it's up to all of you. But you're gonna have to tell me how to do it."

Alice sighed. "Maybe we should start at the beginning? Carlisle, where will you be in 1885?"

"New York," he replied, "I should be easy enough to find, and potentially convince. I have always known what Aro is capable of…" He slowly made his way to his office. "I will write some letters to take with you, one as instructions for you and one for my former self. I advise everyone else to do the same."

Emmett hummed in the silence. "That's a good idea… though my instructions'll be pretty simple. I'm happy. There are things I wish never happened, and people I wish had never crossed my path - and I'll give you those details. But other than that… just let me turn the way I did originally."

Bella managed a smile. "Sounds easy enough."

It was a small comfort, at least, to know that she would eventually have her big brother with her. Even though at that point she would be about fifty years older than him… That was too strange a thought to dwell on.

Alice groaned a few quiet moments later. "Why the hell didn't I see this? Why didn't I fucking see this?"

"You can't put that on yourself." Bella tried to contradict her when no one else did, not even Jasper.

"I can and I do!" She snapped. "I should have kept a closer eye on Aro! I hadn't even thought about watching the Romanians! I was so content to just sit around like life was all perfect and didn't think about everything that could go-"

"Alice, stop." Bella grasped her sister's shoulders and shook them. "What's done is done. We have to focus on what to do next. Think of the good side, is there anything you want changing?"

Alice held in a dry sob and gripped Bella's wrists where they rested. "I don't remember anything about my human life before I was turned. But I know my family put me in an asylum and then told everyone I was dead so I assume it wasn't the best... I suppose I would like it if you came and got me before they gave me the electro shock therapy… or the water therapy."

Bella nodded. "I'm sure I can manage that."

"You can turn me immediately," Alice continued. "I don't mind. And… if you can't do it it's fine, but if you could get me before they cut all my hair off that would be great."

"I'll try my best." Bella smiled beseechingly at her. "And hey, think of the hair opportunities that will open up for you!"

Alice snorted, a bitter smile on her face. "Braiding, curling, updos… Ponytails?"

"The hair world will be your oyster!" Bella grinned.

They fell back into an awkward silence. Bella searched around the room for someone who might be having an easy decision. Esme might have, but she looked too worried to think of anything productive. Edward was staring blankly into space. She could only hope that he would shake himself out of it before she had to leave. Rose was upstairs, Emmett and Alice had already told her what they wanted, that left Jasper.

He was already staring at her, looking her up and down like he was trying to memorise what she looked like.

He settled on her face. "Is there any way I can convince you not to do this?"

"You don't want me to go back?" She asked.

"I don't think we have the luxury of that choice." He sighed. "Saving the others is an excellent idea. I don't see there being any additional risk to you if you go back to 1910 as opposed to 1942. Other than the pressure I have no doubt you would put upon yourself, obviously… But going to 1885 is just an unnecessary risk."

"I don't think it's unnecessary."

"Well I do!" He groaned. "Bella, you will most likely die! And there is a very strong chance that I would be the one to kill you! Please don't take that risk! Just leave me to be found in the fifties!"

"Jaz, if you weren't worried about my safety, would you want me to get you out?"

"That isn't the point! And it's irrelevant anyway because I-"

"He would." Edward interrupted. "His time in the wars is his biggest regret."

Jasper glared daggers at him, "I thought you of all people would want her to stay away from there!"

"Of course I do!" He snipped back. "But you know she'll go anyway! Help her or she won't even stand a chance."

"She might not stand a chance anyway!"

"I have my shield," Bella piped up. "And I'm pretty good at hiding!"

Jasper groaned and dropped his head into his hand. "Bella, you can't be stubborn and naive."

"Then you'll have to give her plenty of instructions." Edward wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "She'll try whether you like it or not. You know that."

Jasper heaved a final sigh. "I'll go draw up some instructions… and a couple of maps… maybe some diagrams."

Jasper gave her one last dark look and trudged up the stairs to his study. Esme took hold of Bella's hand.

"Could I talk to you, sweetheart?" She asked, and pulled her away to her bedroom. "Let's give everyone a chance to get out of that heavy atmosphere, shall we?"

She closed the door and immediately pulled Bella into the tightest of hugs. "You are so brave," she whispered. "I couldn't begin to do what you're taking on, and you're so young still…"

"I'll be okay."

"Yes, I know you will." Esme patted Bella's back hair into place. "You may be young, but you have always been capable. You can do anything you put your mind to, remember that."

Bella smiled up at her mother, trying not to imagine spending forty years without her. Esme led her to sit on her soft four poster bed. The gossamer curtains tickled her neck.

"You know my history." Esme began. "I met Carlisle when I was 16, but only briefly. Back then girls were expected to marry young, or they were considered burdens on their families. I was pressured into marrying a man called Charles Evenson when I was 22, in 1917. He was a violent man and he treated me abominably…"

Esme paused, but Bella could not fill the silence. There was nothing she could say.

"... Edward killed him, you know." Esme whispered, "He tried to hide it but confided in me eventually. Carlisle doesn't know, he didn't want him to."

"Oh…" Bella tried not to think about Edward taking human lives, or that he hid this from her.

Esme squeezed her hand. "I have always regretted not courting Carlisle," she said.

Bella stared. "You mean like, dating?"

"Yes, in a way… but courting was always a little more romantic than dating. There were so many restrictions placed on you, so much honour and courtesy involved that every little stolen kiss would make your knees flutter for days. It would last for months and every day you saw him would feel so special. Like the first magical few weeks at the beginning of a modern relationship, where everything is new and exciting. I didn't love Charles as I ought to have, but courting was so invigorating still. I wish I could have had that experience with Carlisle."

"Do you want me to change that?" Bella asked. "Bring him to you before you marry Evenson so you can court properly, be in a relationship as a human like me and Edward?"

"I think I would…" She sighed, "but it's a risk, what if we don't feel the same way with different experiences?"

"I don't think that will be an issue," Carlisle said softly from the doorway, somehow having managed to sneak up on two vampires. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping. But really, don't worry. Even when you were 16 I could see your wonderful soul. Had you been of age I am sure I would have loved you from the beginning."

Esme smiled brightly up at her husband. "Well then. My mind is made up. Perhaps if we met when I was a little older, we could…"

"Court?" A slow grin spread across Carlisle's face, "I'll look forward to it, Miss Platt."

"Right!" Esme sprung up, bringing Bella with her. "I've taken up too much precious time. Let's go join the others."

It was surprising to have such a lighthearted conversation in the midst of all this pain. But if anyone knew when to cut their losses and focus on brightening the world as it was, it was Carlisle and Esme.

Downstairs was almost empty. Edward was still there, he looked up as she entered the room and followed her every move with his eyes as if she might fade away.

Once her foot touched the ground at the bottom of the stairs, Jasper's office door opened and he jumped over the balustrade to land directly in front of her.

"Bella!" He said. "I've written instructions for you, I'll probably write more in a minute... But if you have time now, I'd like to teach you how to deal with newborns? Or as much as I can in the time we have."

Bella glanced at her husband, who gave her a weak smile. He was suffering, and she knew why. She would be just as scared if this were happening to him, just as distressed. She liked to think she might be a little more proactive - but she knew her husband was a brooder when she married him. She knew what he would end up telling her to do, but wouldn't hold it against him if he decided differently. He had always regretted becoming a vampire. It was no secret, and she knew that his indecision was most likely between her and his humanity. She would understand if he chose to stay human… in theory. The closer Edward got to potentially deciding not to be with her, the more her chest clenched and her head spun. It was not a reality she wanted to think about.

She turned her attention back to Jasper, who was staring at her with an eyebrow cocked and his mouth tense. "Okay," she said. "Let's go outside."

They faced each other in Esme's expertly groomed garden.

"Feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent," Jasper ordered.

Bella did as he said and he sped behind her to adjust her posture. "Right foot forward, chest low, elbows back."

He took up a fighting stance in front of her. "I'll do some basic hits, you dodge them."

He aimed some punches at her head and torso which she evaded with relative ease. He picked up the pace bit by bit and started swatting at her head and swiping at her knees, she ducked out of the way each time with less and less success. Finally he ducked down and threw his upper body into her legs. She leapt back, landing with a spray of mud flaring out behind her. In a heartbeat he was in front of her. With no time to dodge she threw her arm out to catch his hit and was thrown to the side, spinning into a nearby tree.

"That was actually decent… for a starting point." He helped her up, "don't try to block, it relies on strength. Newborns will always be stronger than you, but they are easily enraged. Your advantage is your ability to keep a clear head. If you dodge them for long enough, they will get frustrated and distracted. That's when you find higher ground and jump on them from above - okay?"

She nodded and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, adjusting her balance.

Jasper retook his place across the manicured lawn. "Okay, try again. Stay in motion, don't wait for me to hit again."

Bella tried again, and tried, and tried, and tried.

"How are you doing that?" She cried as he knocked her on her butt for the seventh time. "What am I doing wrong?"

"Come here and get back into the position you were in just before you went down," he gestured.

She stood before him and got into the same stance. When she fell she had been in the middle of evading him, and doing quite well actually. But he suddenly changed direction and before she knew it she was flying into Esme's neatly trimmed roses.

"Your arm was bent out like this." Jasper moved her hand to where it had been curled beside her ear, her elbow sticking out in front of her. "I know your instinct is to protect your head - and it should be. But one quick shove to your elbow and you're down." He illustrated this by smacking into it and sending her catapulting to the side. "Simple physics."

"Okay, fair point." Bella dusted herself off. "So what do I do instead? You keep getting really close to hitting me no matter how much I dodge."

"That's because I'm a trained fighter with 150 years under my belt." He smirked, "You're doing fairly well, considering. Make sure you stay in motion, zip around me and break my focus. Hit me and run to confuse me."

He dropped back into his fighting stance, then paused. He sighed and his shoulders dropped. "One more try, then we should probably stop. Aro will be getting impatient soon."

He had forgotten why they were doing this.

Bella stiffened at the reminder. She had been so focussed on the fighting and how her family was feeling that she had almost forgotten too. She hadn't fully processed that she would be sent to the past in about half an hour.

She couldn't help but kick herself. Why had they never done this before? Why had she never asked Jasper to take her to a clearing and teach her defence? Why had she never gone to fashion week with Alice? She knew it would make her happy but she never did it. Why had she never asked Esme to teach her to draw? She wrote books, why had she never sat Carlisle down and written his whole story? So many missed opportunities, so many regrets.

"Come on," Jasper drew her attention and a wave of his artificial calm washed over her. "One more go."

Bella took a deep breath, and when Jasper came charging towards her she slipped cleanly to the side away from him. He turned to land a blow on her head, but she ducked down and jabbed his side then darted around him in the opposite direction. His fist shot towards her leg but she leapt and sailed over his head. She landed behind him and scrabbled up his back to his shoulders, reaching for his neck. But he grabbed her reaching hands, swung her whole body over his head and slammed her on the ground. Within half a second he was on top of her with his teeth grazing her neck.

"Damn it…" She muttered.

Jasper snorted as he pulled her up to her feet. "Don't beat yourself up, if you do that against an actual newborn you'll probably win."

"Really?!"

"Yes. You need to keep practicing though."

They turned back to the house, Emmett was stood leaning against the back door frame, wiping an imaginary tear. His signature grin was plastered on his face, but it didn't reach his eyes. "My baby sister is a newborn killer! I've never been so proud!"

Bella rolled her eyes and smiled. "Let's hope I don't actually have to kill any."

"Well yeah, not without me watching!" Emmett's grin wavered and fell, "Rose wants to talk to you."

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll go find her now."

"No need." Rose pushed past Emmett and grabbed her hand. "Let's go somewhere private."

They ran together through the forest to a clearing by the river, Emmett followed close behind them. Rose stood still for a moment, staring out at the rushing water and the babbling fish living beneath it.

"I don't know how to start…" she mumbled.

"It's okay," Bella replied. "I know how hard this must be for you."

Rose abruptly turned and grabbed Bella in a tight hug. "I love you," she whispered. "Thank you for doing this. Thank you for risking yourself for Jaz. There is nothing we could ever do to repay you."

Bella squeezed her sister. "What else could I do?"

"You could go back to 1942, accept our help and just settle into the coven 60 years early." Rose pulled back and smiled at her. "But that's not you."

Bella just smiled as Rosalie searched for her words. "I'm happy with my life," Rose said. "I love my family and I love Emmett. I really really do."

"I know." Bella took her hand. "No one could question that."

"It's just…" Rosalie took a shaky breath, "I was raped."

"Yes, you were."

"I'd like you to stop that… please."

"Of course," Bella frowned. "I would have done that even if you hadn't asked me to."

"Thank you… That attack. It took everything from me, everything I'd ever hoped for. I've always wished I had a chance y'know? A normal marriage, kids? So I..."

Rose stopped, choking on the words. She stared at a hole in the dark ground.

"It's okay, Rosie." Emmett wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I understand, I promise."

Rose exhaled and tightened her grip on Bella's hand. "Keep me away from Royce King. Give me a few years and if I'm not married with children and happy by then, turn me so I can be with Emmett."

"Are you sure?"

Rose tightened her jaw and nodded. "Let's say, 25? Give me until I'm 25. And I mean it about the children. It doesn't matter if I'm married to a good man, no one is better than Emmett. No one. I just… have always wished I could have had children."

"I know," Bella leaned her forehead against her sister's. "I understand, I promise. I'll go to you when you're a teenager. Alice, Edward and Jasper should be with me by then. We'll keep you safe and with their collection of voodoo powers we'll know if you're happy or not. It'll be okay."

"I trust you." Rose heaved a tearless sob. "I feel like a bitch."

"But you're our bitch," Emmett pulled both of them into a hug. "There's nothing wrong with wanting this, babe. I promise I understand."

Bella heaved a breath and took them in for a minute, her brother and sister that she could love so uncomplicatedly.

"Sorry to interrupt," Edward came out of the forest towards them. "We don't have much longer and I need to talk to my wife."

"Okay," Rose hugged Bella one last time and kissed her cheek. "See you in a little bit."

She and Emmett passed Edward on their way out of the clearing. For a man who was no stranger to brooding, Bella had never seen him so distressed.

He wrapped her in a hug in a blink of an eye. "Are you okay?" He whispered.

"I should be asking you." She replied, "this is all so awful."

"Here I thought you were excited about it, making plans."

"Just trying to make the best of a bad situation," she tilted her head back to look at him. "I'm terrified really."

Edward squeezed her back to his chest and rested his lips on the crown of her head. She stood there for a moment, basking in the tranquility.

"Have you decided what you want?" She asked.

"I want to be with you."

"Already done." She spoke into his chest. "How about something else?"

"You come find me," he said, "you turn me, we'll be together forever. Job done."

"That's it?"

"Maybe..." he started rocking her from side to side, his lips never leaving the sanctuary of her hair. "Maybe get my parents out of Chicago before the influenza? It wouldn't guarantee they'd survive but they would have a better chance."

"Absolutely, good idea." Bella nestled her face further into her husband's chest and breathed in his comforting scent. "About the me turning you and us being together forever part…"

"...What about it?"

"Edward, you've always regretted becoming a vampire. I can stop that happening."

"No, love. Being with you is more important than that."

"But you could stay human, we could still be together just you wouldn't need to drink blood."

"One lifetime isn't enough for me." Edward pulled back to look her in the eye. "I don't care what's going on for me as a human, you find me and you turn me. I'll fall in love with you because how could I not? Then we'll be together, as we should be. Okay?"

"Edward, I can't turn you against your will…" Bella whispered, his lips came to hover over hers.

"Sweetheart, this is my will." He punctuated each word with a kiss. "You are and always will be everything I have ever wanted. It doesn't matter which version of me it is. I know this to be true."

They kissed for a brief, perfect moment. Bella relished in the comfort and simplicity in the feeling of his lips on hers and his hands on her waist and back.

"It's time…" he finally whispered.

"I don't want to go…"

He exhaled a shaky laugh, "I don't want you to go either but Aro is getting antsy."

"It's not like he has anywhere else to be."

"Mm," Edward moved from their embrace to leading her back to the house. "What can I say, he's selfish."

"Well that's an understatement."

They walked in silence, as slowly as they dared until the statuesque Cullen house came into view through the trees. The ominous black void of the Volturi still stood in front of it, waiting for her.

"Bella." Carlisle met them in the yard, "I'm afraid we're out of time. We have all written letters for you with instructions and messages… here."

He handed her a worn leather satchel with the initials C.C. etched into the front. "To keep it all in," he said. "And here," he produced a heavy metal box with a keypad on the front. "I wouldn't keep it all on you at once, but don't trust any bank safeboxes until after the Great Depression, okay? Bury what you don't need right away in this and it'll be safe."

"Okay," Bella took the satchel, box, and letters. "Don't trust banks, got it."

Carlisle breathed a smile, "Esme is compiling some pictures for you, everyone else is in the living room. Come on."

The tension in the living room was palpable, everyone stood in a clump in the middle with no idea what to say. Only Alice moved when Bella entered the circle. She reached up to hug her tight around her neck, then removed the bracelet from her own wrist and fastened it on Bella's. The words didn't need to be spoken, to remember her by.

Similarly, Rose took her necklace, a string of long pearls with a pendant at the end, and draped it over Bella's head. "Love you," she whispered.

Esme ran in holding a huge book, "I have loads of pictures for you, sweetheart. Some to convince us who you are, and some just to, you know… have."

Bella hugged her tight. "Thank you, Esme."

Esme squeezed her shoulders, inhaling her hair and rocking her side to side. "Know that no matter what happens, sweetheart, you are loved."

Jasper tapped her shoulder, holding a tape recorder. "Carlisle and I recorded messages for our past selves. I packed you spare batteries, but when it dies it dies."

The air around him was buzzing, he was struggling to keep control of his gift. Bella couldn't help her rush of affection and reached up on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Thanks Jaz."

He froze for a second, then exhaled and wound his arms tight around her waist. The buzzing relaxed into more of a pulse. He pressed his face into her hair and murmured almost silently into it.

"Please please be careful..."

"I'll try," she whispered back.

He slowly, reluctantly let her go, and she turned away to hug Emmett; but Alice stopped her.

"Hold on…" Alice frowned and pulled Carlisle over to them by the wrist. She had an old polaroid camera in hand that Bella recognised from Esme's desk.

"We couldn't find a picture of just you three and you'll probably need one." She said. "There will be quite a gap between finding Carlisle and Jaz and finding the rest of us, and you might not want to tell them everything."

"Wait," Emmett frowned, "why wouldn't you tell them everything?"

"I…" Bella bit back an inappropriate grin. Trust Alice to predict her. "I hadn't really thought about it, but I suppose I wouldn't tell you too much about the future. It would ruin things for you to know who you were going to meet and who you were going to love. I guess I'll keep some secrets."

"Hence the polaroid." Alice ushered Carlisle closer in and he wrapped his arms around his son and daughter. She snapped the shot. "I don't need to see the future to know what's coming."

Bella planted a quick, affectionate kiss on the top of Alice's head as she finally made her way to Emmett. He scooped her off her feet immediately and crushed her tight to his chest. She held on tight as his shoulders started to shake. His jolly facade was crumbling under her hands.

"I'm scared," he finally whispered just to her, "I love you and I'm scared."

"Me too," she replied, "but it'll be okay. Trust me."

"Always."

At least he had faith in her, because she sure didn't. It was so plainly obvious that they were saying goodbye to her as if she were dying, and most likely she was.

Emmett put her down and she was pulled tight into Edward's comforting side. She almost dragged him to the front door as he so desperately tried to hold on.

Aro was waiting in the front yard, the tiny time traveller swamped in her grey cloak stood next to him. His smile was slimy, on the face of a man who knew he was about to get everything he wanted.

"I thought I would join in on the letter writing, dear Bella." He passed her a thick parchment envelope, "I have written you some instructions for dealing with our little Romanian problem. Thank you again for your… cooperation."

The Cullens artfully ignored him, Edward wrapped his arms around her and kissed her slowly, heartfelt and passionate. "I love you."

She didn't tell him that she loved him too, instead she did his favourite thing and lifted her shield from her head. She didn't have to tell him, she showed him. She showed him every second of joy he had given her, every memory that she would treasure for the rest of her life. All the laughter, all the heartache, all the love. She cycled through them over and over in her head until he gave in and gasped dry sobs into her neck.

Her shield snapped back into place and she lifted her hands to card her fingers through his hair. He held her tight enough to meld them into one. She wished such a thing could be possible.

Aro cleared his throat and she gently pulled away. Edward made a heartbreaking noise as she left the cocoon of his arms, Emmett clapped a comforting and restraining hand on his shoulder.

Carlisle sighed and stepped forwards, he secured her satchel around her shoulder and stroked her hair back. "got everything?"

She nodded and tugged him into a hug, "I'll see you soon."

"Yes… I suppose you will."

Aro cleared his throat again, forcing her to pull away.

"So how do I do this thing?"

He grinned. "Just touch Selena's hand. She's ready for you."

"Okay…" Bella sighed and turned to look back at her family. She took a snapshot of the moment, them all standing together on the porch, saying goodbye to her. The unshed tears in Esme's eyes, the pain in Rosalie's clenched hands. Emmett's love, Jasper's worry, Carlisle's distress. Emmett had both hands on Edward's shoulders, ready to hold him back. Alice held his and her husband's hands. She looked like her world was crumbling. Edward looked like he was ready to rip his down.

But there was no putting it off anymore. No way to avoid it. No way to save herself. It was time.

She extended her hand behind her, catching Selena's. Her eyes did not leave Edward's, not until the world had spun away and he had been lost to the future.

The world came swimming in and out of view, and then she was standing in that same forest. Alone.