I am so, so sorry for how late this update is. For all of you old reviewers (if you're still around): Don't hate me!

Emmett's POV

The last snarl ripped through the air. It was the last battle, the last victory. The newborns were of no worry to us anymore.

It was a miracle when - as I swore that the last image on this earth would be of that newborn's teeth - Jasper knocked me back, taking the full impact of the attack instead, and grappling for merely a few seconds until the new vampire was being torn to shreds. I could not believe how quickly our luck turned from depressingly horrible to significantly better. Jasper had the experience we needed; Alice had the knowledge, the sight; Carlisle had the support.

Carlisle's main focus had been Esme since appearing on the battlegrounds, but the fondness for his children is high, no doubt, and as his arms protected Esme, his eyes guarded me. He trusted Jasper and Alice enough to handle the newborns. It made sense, anyway, to let those two deal with them. He didn't seem surprised that Rosalie was gone, or that Edward was gone for that matter; I'm sure Alice saw it happen the moment both of them decided to run off...

Rosalie... I growled suddenly, a deep fury inside of me boiling to the brink of my tolerance level.

I had tried to run after her. I had tried to follow. But I was held back, unable to leave Esme alone and vulnerable like I had before - I do learn from my mistakes, and I knew Rosalie was strong enough to endure until I got there. But I couldn't help but stress over her, and it made me more vulnerable then Esme. That's when Jasper arrived, of course. As lucky as I was at that moment, my luck didn't withstand. Because when the fighting was over I still couldn't go after Rose. I was too weak, too impaired.

The growl in my chest never eased, not with the conclusion of Rosalie's fight still unknown to me. I waited impatiently for my leg to finish healing itself. I needed to find her, and I need to do that now!

"Patience, Emmett," Carlisle cautioned.

I looked up at him, but his eyes had moved away from me now that the newborns were mere pieces of hard flesh and bone, with Jasper and Alice building a fire. Carlisle was stroking Esme's cheek gently. Esme's eyes were closed, her brow creased, but I couldn't tell if it was out of worry or physical pain - healing was not a painless process. How Carlisle could sit by her side, calmly staring at her face when it looked so completely scratched up, when even I couldn't bear to look at her like that, was beyond me. It pained my heart just thinking of someone like Esme in such shape. ...At least she would be okay.

And as I wondered about Esme, my thoughts went to Edward, too. Was he okay? Did he survive these newborns? He had no support like we did, and it was pure luck we survived... Pure luck and Rosalie's sacrifice.

I hissed at myself, shaking my head, not allowing any negative thoughts to run through my mind.

My body slumped over, exhausted; not physically, of course. Though the many new bite marks across my arms and back did sting, it was emotionally that I was tired. I wasn't used to so much stress, so much worry. My life always consisted of laid-back fun, carefree jokes, and optimistic views. What a joke I am. All my prideful talk meant nothing anymore, because when it finally came down to prove it, to show what I could do, I had failed my family miserably. What good was I to them?

My hands clenched into fists. I pounded them into the ground. "Come on! I have to go after her!"

I stood up swiftly. My posture was crooked, but movable.

Alice stopped where she was, and looked over at me. "Emmett sit down and rest," she ordered.

I stared at her in disbelief. Didn't she care at all what happens to Rose? Maybe if it was Jasper she'd understand. My eyes narrowed angrily at her.

"Please," she added, her eyes softening at my furious expression. "Listen,-"

"Don't tell me to listen," I hissed at her. The tone of my voice shocked me, and even Alice - Alice, who is very rarely surprised. Carlisle turned his gaze to me, anxious. I was never an angry person before now, but...I was tired of listening; I wanted to do something. "I'm not going to sit here any longer waiting to see if Rosalie comes back in one piece, or at all, for that matter," I growled. I moved, limping very slightly. I could run at full speed and my leg would be fully healed in twenty seconds at most. I grinned, readying myself to go. The rest of the pieces of me that were still missing, scattered among the grounds, could wait until I got back, if I came back. Because without Rose I knew there was no point in returning.

Jasper finally paused in his gathering. Probably tasting my new emotions. He tilted his head to look at me, too, eyes dark, hurt, but understanding.

"Please listen, Emmett. Rosalie is fine," Alice began, but after those words I quickly cut her off, my head snapping in her direction.

"What? You can see her?!"

"Yes, and she's all right," Alice assured me in a soft tone.

I wanted to believe her, really I did, but there was a pleading edge to her voice as well, and her palms were up, facing me, still not wanting me to run off. I wasn't sure if I could trust Alice. None of them wanted me to go anywhere, especially if Rosalie didn't make it out alive. They knew what I would do if she died.

"Emmett," Jasper said, his eyes catching mine, "she's not lying to you."

Did he think I trusted him any more than I did her? They would say anything to keep me here, even if it meant lying, and I knew they would because I would do the same to any of them. Call me a hypocrite if you will, but it changes nothing.

"Emmett, I saw Rosalie. I see her now." Alice was louder this time, strong, firm,...genuine. Her eyes were hard, and a little angry, probably because I wasn't listening the way she asked me to. "She ran into Edward; he helped her. I wouldn't lie to you about this, I couldn't, even if it would send you off running."

I stared at her for a long while, and she stared back at me. Her words rang with finality and truth. It was so easy to tell she was being honest with me.

But what of Jasper? I thought suddenly. My eyes flickered to my brother. He stood there, tall and lean, honey blond hair wavering with the breeze - wavering like my emotions, emotions which he could easily manipulate. What if he was forcing me to trust Alice? What if he was relaxing me, relieving my stress? His head lifted higher, his brow furrowing as he took in whatever expression was on my face and what I was feeling toward him; distrust.

"You've got to be kidding," he said sharply. I could tell he was annoyed now. Well so was I. My eyes narrowed at him this time instead of Alice.

I could see Carlisle and Alice looking between the two of us.

"What now?" Alice demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

Jasper continued speaking to me. "I'm not playing with your emotions, Emmett. I can barely control my own right now. You believe Alice because she's telling the truth, simple as that."

I heard Alice sigh, along with Carlisle.

"He honestly thinks- Oh!"

We all turned our attention to Alice when she gasped. A soft haze clouded her eyes, before she blinked it away. Her eyes brightened when she looked back at me, a small smile on her lips.

"Actually, if you don't believe us then you can just see for yourself," she told me. Then she turned to Carlisle. "They're on their way here. All of them." Her smile widened and she clapped her hands together, turning on us and practically skipping to collect the final pieces of our enemies. Jasper eyed me one last time before joining her in the collecting.

My posture relaxed as Alice's words sunk in. This time I knew there was no lie being told here. Rosalie was okay... Rosalie survived... She's coming back to me. I couldn't stop it; a huge smile illuminated my face. All my worrying after Carlisle, Jasper, and Alice got here just seemed ridiculously amusing now.

Then I remembered she said 'all of them', as in Edward and Bella were coming, too. Edward had lived through his fight. Our family was still in tact. With Bella now joining us as an immortal, our family was even more complete than it was before. All my angry thoughts were just wiped clean out of my head, and I was glad. I didn't like angry. It didn't suit me as well.

"Rosalie?" Esme's voice was quiet and tired, but I could hear her clearly. It's the first time she's said something. "She's ok?"

"Yes," Carlisle answered.

"And Edward?" continued Esme, the joy in her becoming more pronounced with every word. "They're coming?"

From my peripheral vision I could see Carlisle nodding as he smiled down at her.

"They'll be here. Rosalie, Edward, Bella," he said.

"Bella..." Esme whispered, elated by this. "All of them... Hmm." She sighed contently, closing her eyes again, her face more at peace than it was previously.

"All of them," Carlisle repeated, concluding it. He bent his head down, kissing her softly on the forehead.

Esme had been worrying just as much as I have, if not more. She was burdened with not only the concern she held for Rosalie, but also of Edward and Bella. I was just so focused on Rosalie.

"Jeez, Alice," I breathed, my mood relaxing further. "You could have mentioned something earlier."

"Sorry," I heard her murmur, and not just to me, but to Esme as well.

I laughed. This feeling of happiness in me was comforting, satisfying on so many different levels. I didn't know how to contain myself. I felt so alive right now that if my my leg wasn't still healing I would have danced, busted out doing the cabbage patch or something. But even when my leg did heal, I don't think I could tear away from my spot until she got here. And I was right. I felt the last o my leg stitch flawlessly together, but the only movement I made was straightening out of my crippled stance. I stood up, unwilling to move even the slightest bit. I stared out into the darkening forest, waiting for an angel to appear.