This chapter might be shorter. I know exactly where it's leading, not positive how it's going to lead there. In other words, she's winging it. I thought you were mad at me? I can't give you the silent treatment when I'm running out of time to be loved by the readers. With that in mind, hi, JaelSarjenka! I got your cross fandom wave! Ow, did you have to yell in my ear? Yes! Is that an issue? It is. Headache, remember? Of course I did. Love you too, Dol. I saw your reviews Jael and thank you so much. I almost let Vasilii kidnap Collin but it just didn't work for the final three chapters. Don't say that. Why not? Because it means the end it getting close.

Collin had washed up, getting rid of his blood stained clothes and borrowed some of the spare clothes lying around though most of it didn't fit. After that they'd settled onto the couch with Mary curled into his side in a manner that might've been seen as intimate to anyone that didn't know. It wasn't intimate. It was her clinging to the physical contact, using her brother to ground her while Lila slept on the other couch with her head in Brady's lap. Daula was there, curled up in one of the armchairs with her knees to her chest, looking too tired and too old for Collin to be comfortable.

Explaining what had happened to him in those two months had been difficult. They'd all asked questions that he couldn't answer. Though he tried to hide it, Brady was disappointed that Dol hadn't asked about him. Collin couldn't begin to guess what it was like for Brady. Learning about your real mom. Learning everything about her and meeting her once. Knowing that she'd been pushed to leave him by Ak had probably given him hope. Hope that she'd truly cared about him. That if she hadn't died, maybe she would've played as another mother figure to him.

That might've been the worst part about it. That he couldn't give Brady that peace of mind. He could've lied but it wasn't fair to do it.

He offered an apologetic glance to his cousin before shifting slightly so he could look at Mary. "I need details. The details of what happened after I tuned out." She didn't answer, she just curled into him, her entire body rigid. "Mary."

"I don't want to talk about it. Tell me a story, Collin. Anything. I don't want to talk about the past two months."

He sighed softly, pulling away and earning an irritated sound.

"Mary, he deserves to hear it and we can't tell it." Daula pushed, lightly, carefully, as though Mary might snap. Which wasn't an unfair assumption.

"I just want two hours without this damned war on my mind." She hissed out. "I don't get naps. I don't get to relax. I don't want to do this." She jerked away and curled into the corner of the couch, "I just want a break. Why is that so difficult?" She choked out and Collin was suddenly very aware that if she could cry, she would be. He scooted closer to her, putting a hand on her back earning an irritated reaction that involved her turning away. "I'm not made for this. I'm a kid. A damned kid that's way in over her head. I can't keep doing this. I work alone, in the background. Always have. This…this is so much worse. I'm not built for this. Whatever The Ancients were thinking. Fuck them. They can go rot in the deepest darkest pits of Hell because this. This isn't me. This isn't who I am. I'm not a warrior. I'm a narcissistic kid with a serious power trip. I can't-"

"Mary." Mary lifted her head so that she was looking at Brady who hadn't moved, trying not to wake his mate. "I know this is difficult. I know it is. You have to hold on. You have to push through."

"Do you realize where this ends, Brady?"

He didn't miss a beat. "You snapping your son's neck. Or Ripping his head off."

Mary shuddered under him. "I killed Ak. Three times. I watched you die. I'm going to have to do it again. I watched Bella die. I killed Vasilii once. Twice if you count me turning him into a vampire. I can't do it again."

"You will do it, Mary. You will do it no matter what."

"You don't know that." She buried her face in the arm of the couch.

"I know you. I know who you were and who you are now. If Vasilii wins, what's happened will all be for nothing. You would never let your sister die in vain."

She shifted slightly under his hand, a shudder rippling across her. "He's my son, Brady."

"I'm your brother, Collin's your brother, and Bella was your sister. You can't tell me for ten seconds that if we threatened your balance of the species that you wouldn't step up and kill us."

"That's me. Working alone."

"Then work alone, Mary. Let us deal with the packs and vampires."

"They're my responsibility." She retaliated reflexively.

"They aren't. Maybe, if you want to take that mess on, the vampires are. The shifters aren't your responsibility."

"You're right." Mary jerked up into a sitting position. "Let's just call up Ak and- oh wait. I killed her." She leaned towards Brady, jerking out from under Collin's hold. If he didn't know better, he would've been worried she would attack him.

"Ak didn't lead us. Never once in our history did she lead us. She may have controlled us, tapped into our minds and manipulated us or robbed us of our Essence. She didn't lead." Brady growled back, not hesitating. Lila jerked awake under him as he moved towards his sister.

"Brady, I'm not going to-"

"No. We are going to talk about this. We need to do it before you get yourself killed or kill someone out of frustration. You've taken the responsibility of your sister on. A responsibility that doesn't fall on you."

"It-"

"Killing Ak was your responsibility. No one else was capable. She left no choice. Her creatures, that doesn't fall on you. Just because you killed their mother it doesn't automatically make you responsible for them. I get it, Mary. I do. That isn't on you and you can't keep taking responsibility for it. Let us handle the shifters, you worry about the vampires."

Mary leaned back into the couch and made a pained sound. "Okay."

Brady shared a look with Lila who got up and made her way out of the room towards the bedrooms.

"You need to explain to him what's happened. Then you need to go for a walk and cloak yourself from everyone. Clear your head before you rip off our heads."

Mary glanced over at Collin who had listened to the encounter with unease but silently.

"After you… left, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't wake you up and I couldn't leave you in Colorado. I don't trust anyone and at the time, I couldn't show up on Brady's doorstep. I couldn't be around him. Doing the right thing isn't easy for me and I couldn't have the temptation to force that bond back into place was too great. So instead, I left Ak's power and took you and Emma to Forks. We stayed there for a month. During that month I found out that The Head Counsel had begun rallying vampires to go for my head, Vasilii also made his move with his werewolves. While the vampires were hunting me, werewolves were killing everything else that wasn't human. There was a panic and I knew I couldn't stay here with you anymore. As long as I was present you were in danger. I took Emma and left you a note."

"We had been staying in a small cabin near the Canadian border for a while when things completely fell apart. I would leave Emma there while I went out to hunt and get her food. It was easier to leave her than drag her around. While I was gone I was cornered by three werewolves. Vasilii isn't playing around. They struck to kill because they knew they couldn't actually kill me. Long story short. I got the upper hand on one of the cockier ones and got away. When I got back to the cabin it stank of werewolf and Emma was gone. That was when I went back to you."

While I was traveling to Forks I got a phone call from Brady telling me that shapeshifters had gone after Deanna. Angel confirmed it was her mom and her pack."

She glanced over at Brady before continuing. "I told him I'd meet up with him. I had him gather his family and told him I'd meet him here. When I got to the house there was residual shifter scent but you were alive. I figured it was just a curious shifter but I was also a bit suspicious there was something more. I didn't have the time to bring you with me. Brady was in danger and I know you hate to hear it but, he will always take priority." Collin flinched but didn't comment, knowing it was true.

"I brought you that woman, left a note, then headed south. It wasn't easy. I was being targeted by everyone. More than once I had to fight off shapeshifters and werewolves. Most of the vampires backed off when information started spreading that The Head Counsel was working with Vasilii. The shapeshifters and werewolves here are ones that helped me and Brady's family get here. They fought with us to get here. I found out when I got here that Vasilii and Kayden were done playing around and that they were going to find you instead. The problem was if I tried to cross the states again I wasn't sure I could make it back with you. You were safer if no one knew where you were."

"Except Kayden did." He pointed out.

"Bella never told me that she met Kayden in America. If I'd known that anyone who knew where your mom grew up was alive; I never would've left you there. I would have had you moved. By the time Angel heard your mom knew where to go for you, I was stuck in the middle of guiding vampires and shapeshifters to work together and I just had to hope. Hope that you'd wake up."

He looked away from her, taking a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry." She reached out and wrapped a hand around his arm.

"I know you are." Silence for a moment, "I guess I get my familial dependency from my mom." He met Daula's surprised eyes from across the room before looking at the floor. "What are we going to do, Mary? I'm running out of family here." He glanced over at the first before looking back at the floor. "What do we have to do to make sure that no one harms what we've got left?"

Silence for several moments before Mary made a pained sound, "Find Vasilii and kill him." She answered weakly. "Before he destroys the world."

Collin pushed up from his seat, walking over to Daula and offering a hand. She blinked at him, taking his hand and pulling to her feet carefully. "He said you'd be back, which means he's in Vegas. I'll fight with you, Mary. You know that. I'd die for you." He looked behind him to see Mary staring at him with a stunned expression, "I'm going to talk to my sister for a bit. I need to talk to her."

Mary nodded rigidly, hurt flashing across her expression. The action wasn't meant to hurt her and they both knew it. Daula wouldn't follow them into the battle. He needed to spend a few minutes with his sister because he very well may never have another chance at it.

.-~**~-.

They sat at the edge of the beach, staring out over the water in silence for what could've been years. It was quiet other than the silent rush of water and the occasional movement of people walking past the beach they'd settled onto. Until finally he spoke up, "Dal, I'm sorry."

She snorted and looked over at him, "For what?"

"When Mary turned me I pushed you away. You were my big sister and I just shoved you away."

"Andy didn't exactly help the situation." She pointed out, silence for several moments. No. Andy had made everything worse. "I mean, I should've known. I should've realized what he was doing."

"It isn't your fault, Dal. Mom or Edward or anyone else could've done something. Said something."

"I don't exactly think mom was great for relationship advice." A smile appeared on his face. "How did Aunt Dol react when she found out mom had been fucking the notorious Edward?"

He shook his head and pushed against her side, shaking his head. "Pretty well. But to be fair, mom was so screwed mentally that it might've been surprising if she didn't fall down that road."

"You would've loved dad, you know that Collin?"

"From what I saw of him…he was good. Good for mom. Good to you."

He didn't even realize she'd pushed the conversation away from Andy deliberately.

"Did he beat you, Dal?" Silence. He looked over to see his sister looking away, staring across the beach. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I was pregnant. I couldn't do that."

Silence. Collin leaned into his sister's side and she trembled slightly, "I'm sorry, Dal. I should've killed him a long time ago."

"You know." Her voice cracked, a sharp laugh escaping her. "I did." He pulled away from his sister and stared at her in confusion as she turned to face him. "I stabbed him in the heart and sent him out to sea."

She was smiling and…holy, "Why didn't you tell me? Why the hell did you do it?"

She bit her lip and looked away, "I wasn't sure I actually did it. Not at first. After it happened I packed up and went to Brady's. I made up this bullshit story about why I was there. Then I…sort of forgot about it. I mean, I didn't care. He was dead and…that was that. I didn't think about it again until you mentioned killing him for me. I called him that night and… he didn't answer. I realized I'd done it. I had actually killed my husband and…I didn't care. I called Allie and told her I'd murdered her dad and she thanked me. Do you realize how fucked that is?"

Collin seriously considered asking if his sister thought that Andy had beat their daughter but he held his tongue. He wouldn't bring that up. Not then. Not in that situation. "Our family is so fucked up." He said instead and she laughed, a humorless sound.

"What a sorry lot we are." She responded and he leaned into her side.

"Do you remember the day you found out mom was pregnant with me?"

She shifted slightly, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "I do. Have you seen it?"

"Yes." He answered simply.

"Lila scared the ever living Hell out of mom."

He chuckled and leaned into her. "Do you have any idea how weird it is? Seeing the day your mom finds out she's pregnant with you from her own eyes?"

"I don't think I'll ever be able to understand something like that." Pause. "Was she happy when she found out she was pregnant with me?"

He paused for a moment, thinking over the memories of his family. "She was…stunned. Terrified. Mom always thought so little of herself. She was the girl with the broken mind who couldn't save her sister. She thought dad Imprinted on her until Paul convinced her otherwise. With her history with parents… she was terrified she'd screw it up. That she'd screw you up." Pause. "She didn't. She did the best she could in an impossible situation."

"I know."

Silence again. He leaned into her side and they stared out across the water.

"You don't think you'll live."

He didn't answer.

"Collin."

"I don't think Mary can kill him. When push comes to shove, she won't do it. She doesn't have the mental capacity to kill another family member."

"I couldn't do it." He glanced over at her, she looked away, "Kill Allie. Kill you. Let someone else do it. I don't understand how mom did it because I couldn't do it. What we're asking Mary to do, it isn't right."

"What're you saying, Dal?"

"Let it happen." She stated bluntly and he stared at her, "After everything our family has sacrificed. Don't make Mary sacrifice the last thing she has to tie her to her old life."

"I can't let it end."

"Why?" She asked, meeting his gaze.

"Because then what was it for?" He growled out, his words coming out harsher than intended and his eyes burning with tears he couldn't shed. "If it ends, what did Dol die for? What did mom suffer for? If Vasilii ends it all, it was all for nothing! If it ends then-"

"Then the world keeps turning." She struggled to push herself to her feet, "Collin, think about it. Just…consider it. You're asking Mary to murder her son again. It isn't right. It isn't fair. It's cruel."

Collin looked out across the water and watched the waves in silence as his sister left him to think over everything she'd said.

.-~**~-.

When Collin got back to the house Brady was passed out on the couch with one of the bloodbags on the floor next to him. Daula was in her chair asleep as well and Deanna was asleep on the other couch, curled up with Frog. He smiled fondly at the sight, happy to see his mom's favorite toy hadn't been lost over the years. He made his way through the house, listening to the sounds of people in rooms talking quietly about nothing, Nahuel and Seth were in their room, Seth's breathing calm with sleep while Nahuel spoke softly to him, promising everything would work out in the end.

Then he found who he'd been looking for. Mary was in one of the spare bedrooms, sitting on a bed with her knees to her chest and her eyes shut. She flicked them open when he stepped in, nodding to him.

"We figured it out. How we're going to do this." Her eyes shut again as she rested her forehead against her knees.

"What we're going to do, or what you're going to do?"

She shifted slightly, moving her head forward so he couldn't see her face. "After I killed him that first time, I shut down. I spent…thousands of years like this. In this single position." As if to prove her point she tightened her grip around her legs, pulling them closer to her. "For thousands of years I sat in this cave. This cave collapsed in on itself while I was there and I was buried. I didn't recognize it, or I didn't care. I just sat and remembered. I remembered Ak and Bur. I remembered anything that wasn't him. I wasn't awoken by the broken balance, I was awoken by Brady's birth. My soul brother woke me from my memories and the power in me told me what I had to do. Until that day I met Brady I was just blindly following my powers. Letting them guide me. I didn't really actually see the change either. The world. All I saw was my ignorant children and my stupid sister breaking the world apart. I probably would've slaughtered the shapeshifters after I killed her; if I'd killed her. Brady's existence changed the entire world and… I can't help but realize, Vasilii is doing the same exact thing I would've done. Slaughtering every single one of the other species'. He hasn't touched humanity, the shifters are the only ones doing it. Am I right to be killing him for what I planned on doing?"

Damnit. She lifted her red eyes to meet his, hers pleading for him to tell her she's right. Could he do that? Daula's words still hung heavy on his mind. "Does it feel like the right thing?" He asked instead and she looked away, back into her knees.

"It's what my power is telling me."

He hesitated, leaning against the wall next to the door uneasily, "Maybe it's wrong, maybe it's right, but Mary. My aunt let you kill them so humanity could live. If you're wrong and he plans to wipe out the rest of the planet, her sacrifice would be in vain." Nothing was said to that and after a minute of standing there he accepted she wasn't going to speak again, "I'm sorry, Mary."

Then he left her and waited for her to tell them their next move.

.-~*~-.

It was a week later that they arrived outside of Vegas. Mary's plan was simple, very simple, and the reason behind it was because they were using unreliable soldiers. They had no clue who was waiting to turn on her. Why bother with an intricate plan involving using different groups to make the first move when in the end any single one of their allies could be enemies in disguise? No. They had a very simple plan. Collin and Mary were the only two members of the family that were going into the battle. It was easier for her to not worry about them and it was already clear that Collin could hold himself against large groups of the other species.

Mary wasn't naïve. By refusing to allow her family in she lost her guaranteed access to all of her shifters. Which meant she was forced to trust a different one. Gary was quiet when they met up, a dark haired alpha shapeshifter. His eyes were kind but it didn't change how uncomfortable the encounter was. He was alone, which was a good sign, but his loyalties were questionable. As always. They'd agreed to meet in the motel outside of Vegas where they'd met up with Alec, what felt like years ago at that point.

"Tell me what to tell them, Mer." He told them, shifting slightly on the bed.

Collin and her shared an unsure look before she spoke to him. "Tell them we move in tonight. At sunset. Kill every werewolf in sight. Don't hesitate."

"Tonight?" He asked, eyes wide.

"Yes." She told him certainly. Any longer and they would give Vasilii too much time to prepare.

"That's…two hours."

"Is that a problem?"

"No…it's just…not everyone is here yet."

"You know there are traitors, I can't give them longer to prepare."

The shapeshifter hesitated before nodding and shutting his eyes, there was a minute of silence before he spoke, his eyes opening and resting on Mary uncertainly again, "They want to… no they demand to know if you plan on showing up or if you're just going to sit around and do nothing."

"I'll be there." She swore without hesitation and after a moment of searching her Gary shut his eyes again.

"They'll fight to the death for you. You have to kill Vasilii though. You have to end it." He finally said.

This time she did pause for a moment before saying, "I know."

"You know? Or you'll do it?" The alpha shapeshifter challenged and she growled at him in response.

"I'll kill him." It didn't pass either of their notice the reluctance in her words.

"I'll make sure she does it." He heard himself saying and Mary flinched next to him.

"I'll hold you to that, Collin." The alpha promised and lay back, his eyes remaining shut.

He glanced at Mary who turned and left the room, growling quietly to herself.

Collin didn't join her. He just rested against the side of the door, shutting his eyes and waiting.

.-~*~-.

When they arrived at Vegas the battle was already in place, there were buildings on fire and corpses littered the ground.

Mary and him didn't hesitate, joining the battle and focusing on their goal. The Venetian. They knew Vasilii wouldn't be joining the main battle the same way they had no intention on being part of it for long. Their battle wasn't with the crowds of vampires, shapeshifters, and werewolves. Their battle was inside that building. Where Mary would kill her son and Collin had to make sure she did it.

A wolf, who he recognized as Gary, launched itself over his head and sank its teeth into a tiger in front of him. Mary struck like a snake, hitting werewolves and shapeshifters alike with so much force it crushed their bones on impact. Collin was dodging and launching himself after her, beside her, in front of her. While she struck for the other creatures she couldn't kill vampires. She was physically incapable.

That didn't mean she didn't incapacitate them. When one was stupid enough to go for her throat on its own she would duck down and bite them, turning them back into humans, leaving them to suffer under the bodies and bloodthirsty creatures. A werewolf managed to catch her off guard and he launched himself onto its back, reaching around its sides and shoving his hands into its ribs, ripping one out with each hand and plunging the bones into the howling creature's back. Mary kicked the werewolf off her and Collin barely managed to scramble off of it before it was flying to one of the burning buildings. The cycle was endless, bodies dropped constantly until there was a significant change. The werewolves no longer were targeting them. In fact, they were playing bodyguards. It didn't matter who had been on whose side because the werewolves were fighting everything. Everything except themselves. Everything except Collin and Mary. They cleared a pathway through the city and Mary tossed him an uneasy look as the path was cleared for them.

Past the sounds of the battle he heard her tell him to stop trying to kill them.

They walked straight through the middle of the battle as the werewolves acted as a shield, the walked straight forward until they arrived in the now destroyed building that had once been a beautiful casino.

Hanging from the entrance by ropes around their torsos were four corpses without heads. Kate, Mele, Carmen, Eleazar, and Garrett. Eleazar's body was severely decayed from however long it had been since they were last here and he was in the middle of the bodies.

"Think that's a warning?" He asked Mary uneasily.

"I think it's a warning to other vampires." She responded as they stepped through the broken doorframe, under the bodies. They walked into the building and to the elevator, stepping inside the already open doors. She didn't hesitate in typing the code in, the elevator beginning its descent.

"Mary."

"No farewells. I can't do that."

"I wasn't going to say that." He paused, "I'm sorry you have to do this."

"Sorry doesn't make it better."

"No. It doesn't." He agreed and she huffed out a weak laugh.

"We're going to die, Collin." Pause, "But. I'm okay with that. I've been alive for longer than I can remember. If I die. I want it to be at the hands of someone I killed."

The elevator stopped and they stepped out, Collin in front of Mary.

Vasilii stood at the very end of the room, a weak smile on his face.

I don't really know what to say at the end of this chapter. I do want to apologize that it was shorter but it was mostly a buildup chapter. So you're releasing all the chapters in one day? No. I'm going to post this tomorrow. Tomorrow being? Thursday. Why are you waiting? I have to revisit the chapters and clean them up. Plus, I'm dragging these out so it doesn't end.