Chapter Nine: Loose Ends

Niki and Gracie were both cleaned up and wearing fresh clothes by the time the others reached Billy's house. This did not stop Edward and Jacob from instantly noting their wounds.

"Niki!" Jacob gasped, dropping both hands on the younger girl's shoulders and bending over to look at her cuts closely. "What happened?"

"Bella happened," Niki grumbled. "Don't worry about me, Jake. I'm fine. As far as I can tell, there won't even be any scars, so I'm going to remain as sinfully gorgeous as always." She struck a pose, fluttering her eyelashes.

Jacob laughed and scooped her up, kissing her softly.

Edward pulled Gracie to him, tucking her head under his chin and trailing his lips over her hair. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Gracie melted into him with a deep sigh. "I am now," she whispered.

Edward smiled and stroked her back, kissing her forehead. "How's your arm?"

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. I'm just happy to have you back." She laid her head against his chest. "Edward, will you marry me now?"

"Alice already has the whole wedding planned out. It's in just a couple of months."

"I don't know if I can hold out for a couple of months." She sounded so forlorn, he had to smile.

"I'll see what I can do. I'm sure it won't kill Alice if we move it up a few weeks."

Before Gracie could reply, Niki called out from Jacob's arms, "Hey, Edward?"

He glanced at her. "Yes?"

"You should be glad Maria turned Bella instead of you." Mischief sparkled in her eyes.

His brow furrowed. "Why? I mean, besides the obvious."

Niki grinned. "Because she tasted horrible!"

"So that was you?" Quil demanded in awe. "I mean, you were the one who... we saw the body. Her head was missing."

"New meaning has been assigned to the phrase 'biting one's head off'," Jasper muttered.

"Hey, Edward's done it," Alice said defensively. "That was how he killed Victoria, remember?"

"Yeah, we saw that in Seth's memories," Jared added. "That was really disgusting. Her head went rolling and everything."

"Oh, ew!" Gracie yelled, clapping her hands over her ears. "Do we have to talk about it?!"

"Hey, I had to see it!" Leah informed her with a smirk.

"That doesn't mean you have to punish us, too!" Gracie retorted.

"Stop your complaining, you," Emmett told her, thumping her gently on the back of the head. "You helped Niki kill Bella."

"The 'biting Bella's head off' idea was actually Gracie's to begin with," Niki commented casually.

"I never told you to bite her head off. Still, better her than us," Gracie said calmly.

Edward chuckled and pulled her tight again. "That's my girl."

"Can we go home now?" she complained.

"Yes, we probably should." Carlisle glanced up at Sam. The two leaders shared a long, solemn look in which much was communicated.

At last, Sam smiled. "I wouldn't mind if you stayed for a bit longer. Just to recuperate, you understand."

Carlisle grinned. "Of course." He glanced at Niki. "And I want to take a look at those scratches. I doubt they're serious, but if we can prevent scarring, I think we'll all be very happy."

Emily walked into the room with a plateful of fresh, steaming bacon. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," she reminded them.

"Glad to see someone around here has their priorities straight," Paul announced with a huge grin.

Everyone laughed.

After that, things settled down for all of the immortals. Jane, Alec, and Demetri returned to the Venturi in Italy, promising to visit again next time the apocalypse was threatened. Niki's cuts healed with very little scarring and left her face as smooth and beautiful as ever.

Edward and Gracie were soon married, with much splendor and ceremony, just the way Alice liked it. They composed a lot of music together that became famous soon after, although no one was quite sure where the songs had come from.

Jacob and Niki, after doing a bit of growing up, had two children—Paul Billy Black and Grace Emily Black. Niki resolved to be a good influence on her kids, and stopped sneaking out to get drunk or other such things. Edward and Gracie were the godfather and godmother of Paul and Grace, while the other Cullens were adopted aunts and uncles. The children considered Jacob's pack-mates to be their full-blooded aunts and uncles, as well they should.

Of course, neither the Cullens nor the Quileutes (and Cherokee) were the types to settle down, so they continued on to have many other adventures. But that's another story entirely.

Although I can't honestly say they all lived happily ever after, I can tell you that they were about as happy as a pack of vampire-friendly werewolves and a coven of vegetarian vampires can be in a world full of powerful enemies and unsuspecting humans. If you want more than that, well... you'll have to ask them yourselves.

If you do happen to ask, the probable reaction will be a smile and a calm, "What are you talking about? There's no such thing as vampires or werewolves. They're all myths."

And you'll be left to wonder.