Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from twilight you recognize, all the ones you don't are mine.

Chapter 20

The Final Goodbye

"Let her go Aro," Grace stood her ground strong and determined. For all I knew this was the first time she had seen him since she left him all those years ago, yet her face didn't waver from its purpose, to save my life.

"Grace…how did you?" this was the first time I had ever seen Aro go speechless, as I looked up at the man who was about to end my mortal life, I felt for him.

"We can talk about me and us later. Aro let her go now!" She took a step towards Aro and I.

Aro looked down at me, then to my arm still in his hands, and then back to Grace, "I'm sorry my love, this is beyond you and me. This is something that has to be done."

"Why, because she broke one of your laws? Which one did she break Aro? Could it be the one where no human can know of the existence of vampires and live to tell about it?" She wasn't nervous or intimidated; she spoke freely and without any regard to his power and his ability to kill everyone in the room, including her.

"This is different Grace."

"Why is it different Aro?" Grace was at his side now; her hand reached out and touched his shoulder.

"It just is," He wasn't letting go of my arm, everyone in the room held their breath as my life held on by a thread.

"No baby, it's not. The only reason it seems different it because it's you and me, but you are not God Aro."

His expression changed in a heartbeat, "I AM THE CLOSEST THING TO GOD ANY OF YOU WIL EVER SEE!" his grasp on my hand tightened and I looked up into his eyes, but there was nothing there.

It all happened in seconds, Aro raised my arm to his mouth, I closed my eyes not wanting to see what I knew was coming. I waited for what felt like hours, for that pain, that sharp pounding pain I felt once before at the hand of James, but once again, like when I waited for Jane, the pain never came. I heard a high pitched scream and Aro's hand release my arm; I opened my eyes and couldn't believe what I saw. Aro's mouth was on someone's arm but it wasn't mine, before he could bite me Grace threw her arm in front of mine and replaced me and my fate. My happiness was cut short however when I saw Grace's arm release from Aro's mouth and her body fall to the floor.

She began to shake wildly and the screaming was terrifying. Aro was by her side on the floor in seconds, holding her in his arms as she convulsed and her teeth gritted and grinded together. Jacob flew down the stairs blinded by the screams he heard, he didn't know it wasn't me on the Aro's lap shaking and screaming in pain. With all the strength he could muster Jacob pushed Aro from grace and dove on top of him, his arms swinging wildly.

"JACOB NO!' I screamed and his head shot over to my position on the couch, a mistake on both of our parts, the lack of attention being paid to Aro was not lost on him. In milliseconds Aro had Jacob by the throat and held him well above the floor. Without a second thought, without a remote consideration Aro saw red and just like he was crushing a pop can Jacob's throat crinkled and snapped in his hand. Jacob fell to the ground limp, his eyes were still open and his face was frozen in fear and sadness.

If hell existed I was in it right now. I ran to Jacob's side and placed his head in my hands. He wasn't moving, why wasn't he moving? I touched his crinkled red neck and I couldn't feel anything, where was that thump thump I counted on? That beat that kept me going, that made my own heart go thump thump, I needed that, where did it go? I couldn't breathe, I couldn't cry, I began to panic. I looked around and everyone was just standing there staring at me, "HELP ME!" I screamed to all the faces who looked shocked. No one moved, not one single person in that room came t my aid as I jumped on top of Jacob's still chest and put my mouth on his. If he wasn't breathing on his own I would help him, if his chest wouldn't move on its own, I would help him do that too. I didn't know CPR, but I had watched t.v enough to know you breathe in the persons mouth and then pump their chest a number of times and magically you can bring them back from the…I couldn't even think of the word.

They let me continue like that for hours, mouth than chest, mouth than chest, nothing worked. After a while Grace had stopped screaming, Aro was at her side and helping her get up from the floor, I wanted to kill her, kill them both. The look on his face was…he was so happy, the love of his life had returned to him, and now, with her recent act of heroics, they could be together forever. My happiness, my fucking storybook ending was underneath me on the floor frozen in terror. It just didn't seem fair that in a matter of five minutes Aro's fantasy came true and mine diminished into nothingness.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Carlisle's sullen face, he thought he understood what I was going through, but the love of his life was standing alive next to his 5 alive children, he knew nothing of my loss. "Bella, he's gone…there's nothing you can do."

"Why didn't you do something, you're a doctor, you could have saved him," I said tears running freely down my face. I wasn't sobbing, I couldn't feel anything at all, droplets continued to fall without my brain telling them to do so.

"There was nothing I could do Bella, he died swiftly and…"

"How dare you try and make me feel better about this, what are you going to say, that he didn't suffer? That when I left him upstairs alone, telling him to let me go, that he didn't torture himself with what he could have done differently? That when he heard Grace screaming in pain he didn't immediately run down stairs, already knowing that there was no way to make it out of that fight, and run at Aro with every fiber of strength he had left, simply to save my life?" I was angry and rambling on, he was listening, but he wasn't listening, "He and I were suffering since the moment let my hand fall from his and didn't look back."

"Bella, there was nothing any of us could do, even you," He put his hand underneath my arm and pulled me up to a standing position. "Aro, I'm begging you leave us now." I had completely forgotten the danger I was still in, Grace had saved me for the time being, but what happens when she stops screaming and his attention is back on me.

"She has learned the consequences of her actions if she doesn't keep quiet about our existence." Aro said strongly. I wanted to scream at him, yell at him, but nothing would come out. I suppose most people would say that I should be grateful to still have my life, but what life would that be without Jacob.

"Thank you Aro," Carlisle said to Aro, but when I looked up at him his eyes did not meet the person he was talking to. Carlisle was staring at Grace whose now pale skin glowed with beauty. She didn't speak, a tear fell from her right eye and she simply walked over to where Jacob lay on the ground and looked down. She kneeled, and placed her hands on his throat, her hands began to glow and I watched in pure shock as Jacob's neck regained its tension and I heard the broken bones crack back into place. While Jacob was healing however, Grace's neck was now suffering the same ailments she was relieving Jacob of.

Jacob's chest burst up as he sucked in the largest breathe I had ever seen, but as he did so Grace exhaled and fell to the ground. I ran to Jacob, throwing myself on top of him and without thought or care about who may be watching, I put my lips to his and my hands behind his head, just in case he wanted to break away for a second, I wouldn't let him. "I love you Jacob Black, don't you ever, I mean ever, leave me again."

"For a moment there I believe I made it to heaven, but looking into your eyes Bella, it was my own personal hell. This is my heaven, right here with you and whatever mess we find ourselves in. you are my life, my world, my universe, you are my Heaven Bella Swan and I will never leave you again." Jacob said in between the kisses I was forcing upon him relentlessly.

I heard a huge inhale beside me and Grace also sprung back to life, much to the relief of a panicked looking Aro. That was it; Grace decided to take my place with the volturi since her power was seemingly more important than mine would ever be, and I got to not have to find out what my power was going to be. I walked out of that house wrapped up in Jacob's arms and on my way to try and explain to my parents that their world was not coming to and end, and there was no need for anyone to leave the town.

"Bella, Bella wait," Edward came running up behind me; I nodded to Jacob to continue on without me. "I'm so sorry about all of this, I thought I would get there before…"

"You saved my life Edward," I said and kissed his cheek, "you will always hold a special place in my heart."

"Just not that part," He said and I shook my head, "you know what, I'm happy for you Bells. I'm terribly jealous and green with envy, but I know he will take care of you. I know that when push comes to shove he would put hi life on the line to protect you, and he makes you happy, which after everything I feel and everything considered, means more to me than anything."

"What are you saying Edward," I said grabbing his hand and holding it in mine.

"I'm fine with this, and I really hope that you can forgive my incompetence for not seeing this sooner. I'm ok with being just your friend." He was smiling the crooked smile I loved so much.

"You're more than my friend Edward; you will always be more than a friend. I love you Edward." He raised mine hand to his mouth and he kissed my knuckles.

"BELLA!" Jacob yelled from afar.

"Go," Edward said letting my hand go, "I'll see you at school on tomorrow," He said with a laugh.

I gave him a smile and turned around to walk towards Jacob. All of the wolves were free and running back into the woods, back to their homes. All was well in the world as I took Jacobs hand and we continued to walk towards my truck.

We reached my beloved truck and both stood at a stand off on the driver's side.

"It's my car, I want to drive," I said stomping my foot in a childish rage.

"You almost died, let me handle it," He said smiling.

"You did die, you need to rest," I said patting him on his chest partly just to fell him and partly to make sure it was still rising as falling as it should.

He softly kissed me on the lips and opened to door for me, "Bella Swan, I know I'm supposed to be on one knee and everything but I just have to say this…"

"What are you asking me Jake," I said nervously, I knew what he was about to say, I just didn't know the answer.

"Will you marry me, I mean after high school and everything, I mean once your ready to be married…"

"Yes Jacob, I will marry you," It just came out, it was instinct, and the fact that I didn't have to think about it, that is was natural and without hesitation, that's what made me know it was right.

"You…You will?" He said flabbergasted.

"What did you expect me to say?"

"Um…ok," He ran over to the passenger's side door and got into the truck. Once in, he turned and kissed me deeply, then looked at me with a smile, "Great, now all we have to do is tell Charlie and Renee and hope he doesn't kick me out of town or arrest me."

I put the key in the ignition and started up the truck, "Great, this is going to be a blast." I said and started for home.

Well that's the end of my story, please let me know what you think. I left a couple things open ended so I might do an epilogue, depends on if you guys want it or not, so let me know. Thank you all for reading my first FanFiction and staying with it, I really appreciate all the reviews and feedback I got. You guys are amazing, thanks so much.