Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Big freaking A/N here, but you will totally be confused if you don't read this.

I had a really hard time writing this chapter because there were so many things going on at the same time. I had 3 drafts going and finally gave up and just wrote it in the 3rd person. So just picture Morgan Freeman narrating it for ya, m'kay!

There is only one chapter left *cry* and that will post on Sunday. There will be an epi that will post next Sunday (July 18th). I also auctioned off an SA outtake in the FGB auction, so that might eventually get published if the winner says it is ok.

Dalloway5906 is totally pissed at me for all of the shit I am throwing at the characters in my new story, 'Darkness and Light'. Seriously, she told me she would kill me if I made Emmett impotent. I'm not gonna lie, it is rough, but you gotta start somewhere to get to the happily ever after, right?

Dally has to be the best beta out there. I got this chapter and one of D&L back today which she did while watching her kids play in the sprinklers since it got up to 104 today! I owe you big time Dally… now get me some more Emmett. You are reading her 'Bittersweet', right?

Did you know the fandom helped to raise $122,753 for Alex's Lemonade Stand? It is amazing! Anyone who donated should pat themselves on the back.

My reviewers: you are amazing! I can't tell you how much you have kept me motivated through writing this story, which is my first. I love you all hard core and wish I could send you all cookies or homemade baby food or some shit like that!

OK, this is me shutting up so you can read the conclusion of the big battle!

Edward's feet were flying as he approached the clearing. His brothers were somewhere behind him, but at this point all he cared about was getting to Bella. As he got closer he was finally able to hear the thoughts of his family, and it made him run that much faster as he realized what was happening to Bella.

Bella's severed arm was lying limply in Maria's hands, the fingers twitching occasionally. Maria started swinging it over her head like a lasso, taunting the Cullens to make a move. Maria wanted nothing more than to incite them to action and pull them from the safety of Bella's shield. She was surprised that even through the painful removal of her arm, Bella had been able to keep her family covered by the shield. She had to do something drastic to try and get her to drop the protective covering.

Inspiration struck as Maria called for Benjamin. She had witnessed the amazing things the young vampire could do with fire. The thought of forcing Bella to watch her own arm go up in flames made Maria giddy with excitement.

"Benjamin, get over here and let's see how she reacts to some firepower. Can't reattach it once it is ash." Maria giggled as she motioned to an olive skinned vampire. He sauntered towards where Maria was standing and snapped his fingers, bringing a flame dancing onto his palm. He looked straight at Bella as he gently blew against the flame and it jumped from his hand onto the tip of her pinky finger.

As the flame caught purchase on the impenetrable skin of Bella's pinky finger, Edward finally entered the clearing. He ran right for where Bella was huddled on the ground at Maria's feet. He grabbed her waist and pulled her backwards into the grouping of his family. Esme sprinted to them as he held her against his body, trying to calm her as the fire spread further down her arm. Bella barely realized that Emmett and Jasper had entered into her shield, but she was shocked when she felt someone slip out of it.

Tanya had seen how the Cullen family reacted to Bella's attack. She knew she would never be a part of their family as this brown-haired beauty was. It hurt her heart, because beneath the beautiful and aggressive façade, Tanya only craved acceptance and love. Realizing that the family would be devastated if Bella was destroyed, she devised a plan. Walking slowly away from her sisters, she made her way towards the porch. She knew how easily distracted newborn vampires could be. She only hoped that what she was planning would give the Cullens enough time to attack.

The flame had now spread onto Bella's ring finger, getting dangerously close to the beautiful diamond ring that signified Edward and Bella's love. Tanya's fingers had just closed on the handle of the cooler when Bella started yelling. Everyone looked towards Bella, petrified that even though her arm was not attached, she was still able to feel the flames licking against her flesh. While yes, Bella could feel the pain, she was not yelling because of that. She could see what Tanya was planning and even without Alice's power of precognition, she knew what it would mean if she managed to open the cooler.

Edward turned to where Tanya was standing and searched her thoughts. She understood what she was doing and wanted to do it to save his family. Edward's respect for the vapid blonde increased tenfold as she slowly opened the lid and extricated one of the multiple bags of human blood. Her powerful fingers tore through the industrial strength plastic easily and the fragrant red fluid spilled into her hands.

Edward spoke quickly to his family, trying to explain his plan. Emmett cracked his knuckles, glad to be able to play such an integral part in Edward's plan. Every single vampire turned towards where the blood was dripping onto the dusty ground. Tanya backed up slightly as she was met with dozens of bright red eyes, all anxious for a taste. As the newborns started rushing towards Tanya, Edward gave the signal. Emmett rushed out of the safety of the shield and approached Maria and Benjamin. He smashed his fist through Benjamin's head, splintering the impenetrable flesh into thousands of crystal like pieces. He grabbed Bella's arm from Maria's grasp and used it like a torch to light the unmoving body of Benjamin aflame. Before Maria could process what had happened, Emmett was back among his family and smiled widely as he raised Bella's hand in a wave and blew out the flame as if it were the candles on a birthday cake.

Maria screamed savagely as she watched the members of her army fighting over the drops of blood escaping from the bags held by the blonde vampire. She took some satisfaction in the fact that her minions would destroy the woman in order to get what was still stuffed in the cooler. She stood facing the Cullens as they struggled to get Bella's arm reattached. She felt a surge of pleasure as she realized that she had managed to burn off two of her fingers. The pleasure did not last long as she watched them succeed in joining the severed limb to her body and Bella once again stood strong with her family. Maria turned, anxious to find Zafrina and escape.

Edward snapped his head towards Maria as he heard her thoughts. No way was he going to allow her to escape and continue to torture peaceful covens of vampires around the country. He turned to Alice, hoping she would be able to predict the outcome of his latest decision. Her eyes flew wide and she shook her head frantically, transmitting her vision of his failure through her thoughts.

Edward looked down at Bella, who was staring blankly at the place where her fingers once were. Thankfully there was enough left of her ring finger that her engagement ring was still able to sit proudly on her flesh. He raised her hand to his lips and placed a soulful kiss against the ring, his eyes meeting hers and showing her that even though she was not whole, she was still all he would ever need. Bella could feel something different in the way his lips moved to cover hers, something final in the way he thrust his tongue against her own and crushed her body against his. Before she could process the fact that his body was saying goodbye, he was rushing away from her and straight towards Maria. Zafrina had managed to resist the call of the human blood that was oozing from the bags and stood next to Maria as they prepared to abandon their followers, who were presently trying to rip the bags of blood from the blonde's hands.

Tanya was not giving up without a fight and the entire Cullen family cringed and rushed to the edge of Bella's protective shield as she let out a bloodcurdling scream. The newborns had banded together in their quest for the blood and realized that if they teamed up against Tanya, they could have it all for themselves. They went for the most vulnerable point, her neck. Dozens of claw-like hands gripped Tanya's throat and her neck was covered in deep gouges in seconds. Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle pulled their wives into their chests, not wanting the girls to have to witness Tanya's imminent death. Her screams were silenced as the newborns succeeded in their quest and Tanya's lifeless body collapsed to the ground, the bags of blood spilling into the dirt around her. The vampires dropped to the ground, greedily lapping up the spilt blood. The Cullen men released their wives and went to work, beheading the distracted vampires easily.

The Cullens stood among the piles of body parts, which was all that remained of Maria's powerful army. The only one who noticed that Edward was not among them was Bella. She was looking out into the woods where Edward had disappeared after he followed Maria and Zafrina. She knew he was not planning on returning.

"Where is Edward?" Emmett yelled, suddenly realizing his brother was not among them.

"He left." Bella said, her voice lacking any emotion.

"What do you mean he left?" Carlisle demanded, roughly shaking Bella's shoulders as he tried to get her to respond.

"He kissed me goodbye and followed Zafrina and Maria into the woods. They were trying to escape." She whispered as she finally looked up into the face of her surrogate father. He looked like he had aged in the last few hours, even though that was impossible. He had just witnessed his daughter being mutilated, one of his long time acquaintances being ripped to pieces and now was faced with the fact that his first son might not come back. He spun around and looked for Alice, praying she would have some answers.

"What is it? What do you see?" He demanded as he realized she was cowering into Jasper's side, hiding her face in his shirt.

"I can't see anything concrete. It all keeps changing because he keeps changing his mind. One minute he is confronting them and Zafrina incapacitates him while Maria destroys him. The next minute he returns to us victorious, but I have no idea how it happens." Alice cried.

While the Cullens were arguing amongst themselves, Irina and Kate were mourning the loss of their sister. Tanya had been the wild one, always misunderstood. The sisters rocked together as they watched the flames lick against all that remained of their loved one.

Edward tried to stay at least a mile behind Zafrina and Maria, knowing at that distance he would be able to hear through their thoughts if they noticed he was following them. They were headed towards Canada, hoping to lie low in the great white north while they tried to re-build their army. Edward knew he would not be able to let them succeed. He vaulted into the treetops, hoping he would be able to get the jump on Zafrina so he would not have to worry about dealing with her gift.

Seconds before Edward catapulted himself onto Zafrina, a new voice appeared in his head. He looked around for the owner of the wildly erratic thoughts. He finally located the vampire crouched behind a fallen tree to the left of where the women were standing. The stranger's eyes were trained on Maria as he relived the last time he had seen her.

Maria had tricked his wife, his beautiful Didyme, into using her gift of happiness to influence humans into joining her army. Didyme had been swayed by Maria's charm and never doubted her intentions. When he caught wind of what Didyme was doing, he confronted Maria, but his wife got in the way and was destroyed. He never forgave Maria for what happened to his wife, and now Marcus was ready to take his revenge.

Edward grinned as he realized he unwittingly had an accomplice as he followed Marcus' thoughts to wait for the right moment to attack Zafrina. When Marcus lunged for Maria, Edward dropped gracefully out of the tree and directly onto Zafrina. She bucked and writhed, trying to get him off of her, but he held fast and braced himself against her body as he squeezed his hands around her throat. He felt a sickening crack as her neck broke and he let her lifeless body slide to the ground. He dropped a lighter onto her body and her clothes started to smolder under the flame.

Edward turned and was quickly absorbed into the battle between Maria and Marcus. Neither one was willing to give up as hands flew like lightning around and around, grasping for purchase against impenetrable skin. Maria had more experience fighting, but Marcus had decades of restrained hatred that gave him a subtle edge. Edward averted his eyes as Marcus finally got past her defenses and lowered his mouth to her throat. With an ear piercing squeal, his powerful vampire teeth cut through the flesh of her neck and her head dropped to the brush-covered ground. Edward moved quickly and picked up a fallen branch to use as a torch and spread the flames from what remained of Zafrina to the body of Maria.

Marcus finally acknowledged Edward after the flames had greedily devoured Maria's remains.

"Don't ever let her go." He whispered, before he disappeared back into the trees.

Edward absorbed his words and sprinted back through the trees to where Bella waited for him. He could not wait to start the rest of their lives together.

A/N: So everything wrapped up nicely right? Hit that button and let me know if you liked it!

Go and read The Wedding Party by spanglemaker9. It is AH and completely, mindblowingly amazing. Read Girl with the Red Umbrella by her as well. Just read anything she has ever written. Go… now!