Chapter 19

Rose POV

After the meeting, Caleigh, Anna and I met with my parents and the rest of our group of friends here at court. It had been over 18 years since I had been here and it was remarkably the same. Moroi hated change apparently no matter what aspect of their lives it occurred. We talked for a few moments over what we had been doing for our lives and we caught up with the others. I guess having the tribe's abilities allowed me to have aged better than the others. Caleigh and Anna were often mistaken for my sisters instead of my daughters. We had a great deal of fun with that.

The topic soon turned to the attack and I instructed then as to what I wanted them to do. I feared that if I involved other fire users in the attack that they would set one of my friends alight by either mistake or on purpose, so Abe and Christian would have to be the two I relied on. Mia wanted to help as well and I placed her with the fire users. Since water wouldn't do anything to the cold ones, she would distract the Strigoi with her element.

Caleigh, Anna and I left court soon after and went to meet the rest of the group at Carlisle's home nearby. We simply phased into our wolf forms and ran the short distance. We were just outside the house when we phased back and walked into the house.

"Rose, you're here!" Alice exclaimed and ran towards us, nearly knocking me over and I chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Well I've missed you too Alice, but do you think you could at least let us get through the door first before you tackle us." I said and she scowled playfully at me. I smiled and she slowly smiled as I was lifted into the air by one of Emmet's famous bear hugs. I squealed in surprise and I caught sight of all the others laughing at the display. "Em I love you and all but for god's sake put me down!" I heard Caleigh and Anna snicker a little at this and I sent them a playful glare. Emmet finally put me down and the three of us went to sit in the living room. Peter and Charlotte were here also but the Volturi had yet to arrive.

"Aro said that he would be here by nightfall." Carlisle added, answering my unasked question. I nodded and we caught up a little before I felt the familiar feeling that the Volturi had arrived.

"They're coming now." I said and we all went outside into the yard to greet our guests. Aro hadn't brought the whole guard, but he did bring several of his elite guard with them, along with Caius. Marcus stayed back with the rest of the guard and the wives.

Aro, good to see you my friend." Carlisle greeted.

"Of course Carlisle. We wouldn't miss the opportunity to deal out punishment to our kind and the children of the moon. We haven't had dealings with the Strigoi, but from what Rose explains I don't think they will be an issue." Aro explained smiling. He turned to me and my daughters. "Rose, you look still as lovely as ever. I see that your daughters have also become very beautiful." He finished and I smiled.

"Flattery will get you everywhere Aro." I said with a smirk and he laughed. "Perhaps we should go inside and start with introductions. My daughters are not quite as up to speed on your world as I am." I said.

"Of course my dear." Aro said and we filed inside the Cullen house. Aro and Caius took a seat on one of the couches while Carlisle and Esme took another. Jasper and Alice were on the love seat while Emmet and Rosalie sat curled into one of the recliners and Edward had Bella in the other. The guard members stood against the wall around the room, close to their masters similar to my own guardian training. Caleigh and Anna stood on either side of me while Peter and Char stood nearby.

"Aro, these are my daughters Caleigh and Anna. Joshua couldn't come because he is too young and had yet to phase." I said and turned to my daughters. "Girls, this is Aro and Caius, two of the rulers of the Volturi. The others with them are their guard. From the left there is Jane, Alec, Demetri, Felix, and Heidi." I introduced and the girls nodded. I tensed as I suddenly was aware of a new presence. I pulled my stake and held my finger to my lips to silence the others. Peter grinned at me because he knew that I enjoyed staking the Strigoi as I did when I was a guardian rather than just phasing or setting them ablaze. I went out into the yard and scanned the tree line until I detected the Strigoi coming. There were three and this would be a piece of cake.

"Stay inside guys, this will be easy." I said and the Strigoi laughed but lunged forward. I dodged the attacks on either side of me, fighting two of them at once. I sensed the third coming behind me and I spun around, connecting my stake into his heart. I pulled my stake from his chest as the other two lunged towards me again. I dropped down and kicked one upwards into the chest. As he flew back several feet, I swiped my stake across the other Strigoi's legs, causing him to drop in pain and I dove the stake down into his chest. Two down, one to go.

The final Strigoi recovered from the hit and lunged towards me and I jumped high in the air, flipping over him and sending the stake through his back and into his heart. I was panting in exertion as the final Strigoi fell and I was startled to hear the others cheering from the porch. I smiled towards them before setting the bodies of the Strigoi ablaze. I sheathed my stake and walked back into the house. Some of the guard members actually looked impressed and I smirked at that a little. Yep, I know I'm a badass. Edward chuckled, obviously hearing my thoughts and I smiled sweetly.

We spent the rest of the evening preparing our battle plans. Alice and Esme went to pick up something for myself and the girls while the Volturi, Peter, Charlotte and Jasper gathered with me to plan for the battle that was to come. I was worried for my daughters like any parent would but I knew they could handle it. I made sure that I taught them everything that I knew and Dimitri was also very helpful.

Soon after the girls and I ate and the others fed, it was time for us to travel towards the court. I had called Lissa to make sure that we wouldn't meet any resistance with the guardians at the gates. The time for the attack was getting closer and we began to head towards the court so that we would be prepared for the battle to come. Lissa was able to meet us at the entrance and the guardians gave little resistance to our presence. The Volturi, Whitlocks and Cullens were all ushered into the meeting hall where we could regroup.

"Jasper, I have to go and get the guardians sorted on the rooftops with the guns, but you guys can work out something for the fighters on the ground. Also I will have Christian and Abe up there to for extra firepower since they can recognize friend or foe. There should be no guardians fighting alongside us since they wouldn't stand a chance against anything but the Strigoi." I said and Jasper nodded along with the others as Caleigh and Anna followed me to my own task.

After the guardians were situated, I started to feel the nausea that accompanies the Strigoi arrival. I cringed at the sheer force of it, meaning that there were larger numbers than I had anticipated. Our fighters gathered in the main courtyard and the Moroi were instructed to go to safe zones that were warded. I almost doubled over as the Strigoi nausea mixed with the feeling that told me of the cold ones and the chill that rode up my spine as the children of the moon also approached.

"Girls, stay as close to me as possible. If you start to tire before the fight ends, fall back to the main hall." I told the girls and they nodded. They knew that while the others wouldn't tire, we would eventually.

As the Strigoi used humans to enter the wards, our shooters began firing on the Strigoi and the Children of the moon. Caius shot straight for the werewolves and the rest of the guard cut through the Strigoi like they were nothing. I managed to freeze many of the attackers, giving us the upper hand for the moment. The girls and I phased, not bothering with the staking of the Strigoi today because of the sheer number of opponents we had. Anna and Caleigh focused their attacks mostly on the Strigoi and the cold ones.

The fight was soon in full force and so far, we managed to knock down the numbers quickly. One of the cold ones had a gift that if it weren't for Bella and her shield, along with my own shield, we would definitely have already lost this fight. Bella shielded from the mental attacks but we were still susceptible to the physical stuff without my extra shield.

I used my own firepower to eliminate some of the opponents but tried to limit the use of my powers since that would tire me out sooner. I was fighting a particularly strong vampire when I took a very hard hit from my left side. I could feel the dislocation of my shoulder and I whimpered in pain as my body rolled to a stop. I felt a quick breeze of air as I looked up to see that my daughters had cornered the opponent who hit me. It was one of the werewolves that had been fortunate to bypass Caius. While the girls focused on him however, it left me open to the vampire that I had been fighting. Since my shoulder was out, I had trouble getting off the ground and the vampire took advantage of that face. He was raising his hand to strike when he was hit from the side. Peter and Jasper had come to my aid. Charlotte knelt down to me while Peter made sure that no one attacked her. I howled in pain while Charlotte put the shoulder back in place. It would have been much easier in my human form, but it was too dangerous to phase right now.

I stood after Char had it in place. With my healing, it wouldn't be long before the pain left. I looked up to scan the fight for my daughters. I felt unadulterated fear for the first time in a long time. Caleigh was fighting with the werewolf still and beside her, I saw Anna lying on the ground whimpering.

"Peter, go get Anna. NOW!" He followed my sight to where I had indicated and he was gone in a flash. I ran, pushing back the pain, towards my girls and I launched myself at the werewolf. Seconds later, he was no more as my jaws removed his head. I was trying to go to Anna but there were still too many opponents to fight and I was intercepted. I tried to target the attackers with my power as a group. I pulled as much darkness as I could. I had only done this a handful of time and I hoped it would work in this case. I focused on all the Children of the moon and the cold ones that were attacking us. After they were destroyed, Strigoi would be a piece of cake. I felt the darkness from Lissa, Adrian, Sonya and many more. I didn't know there were other spirit users in court but oh well. I pulled it all and had it wrap around the enemies. The Strigoi stopped fighting to watch in shock as their other fighters were surrounded in darkness.

They were lifted into the air seamlessly and I pulsed the darkness inward to them, basically crushing them. The darkness ignited and the crushed vampires and werewolves burst into fireballs. Everyone was in shock and I sent the still flaming opponents to the Strigoi that were in large groups, destroying them. Once the fires died, there were only a few Strigoi remaining that were quickly dispatched.

There was silence, eerie and shocked silence before our fighters burst into cheers of victory. I wasn't concerned about that as I rushed over to my daughters. Carlisle was already there working with Anna and I felt the tears in my eyes. I hoped that my girls would be okay. Caleigh had run off to phase back and retrieve our clothes and a blanket for Anna. Without thinking, I let out a pained howl for Anna, alerting the other fighters to the issue at hand. I jumped slightly as I felt a cold hand touch my fur and I looked over to see Jasper with sad eyes.

"She's okay Rose. She's hurt, but she is strong like her mother and she will bounce back." I tried to compose myself for my girls and Anna ran back over with my clothes. I took them and went in the woods to phase and dress faster than I knew I was able. I ran to be with my girls.

"Mama, I'm okay." Anna said with a pained smile. She was covered in the blanket and had phased back to her human form.

"She's alright Rose. She took some hard hits and some of the bones will have to be broken again to set them, but she will live." Carlisle said and I couldn't help but cry. I was happy beyond words that she would be okay, but sad that she had been hurt so badly.

Hours later she was just fine and resting at Lissa's while Eddie and Mom stayed with her. Carlisle and the others went back to the house and Lissa, Caleigh and I had to meet with the councils.

"Hathaway, where is the other that was with you? The council wished to see all of you." One of the council members said and I growled.

"The 'other' that you are referring to is my daughter, who is resting from her injuries from the attack. You are fortunate that I even entertain the idea of meeting with you so get on with it." I said and a few managed to look afraid. Good.

"On behalf of all the Moroi and Damphirs here at court, I would like to thank you Rose. You have saved us from destruction though our treatment of you wasn't deserving of your aid." Lissa said, casting a glare at the councils.

"Thank you, your majesty. However if there is nothing else, I would like to take my daughters home and be with my husband and my son." I said. Lissa nodded and I turned to leave.

"Wait, we are just letting her walk out of here with her daughters!" One Moroi said outraged. "Not only that, now she has another abomination as well. We cannot allow these things to survive…" he didn't finish before he was pinned to the wall by me. I growled at him and my eyes turned black with anger.

"Amazing, save your Moroi ass and you still want to talk shit. It would be wise to remember that the fastest way to piss me off is to call my children abominations. You should hope that an attack never comes again like the one that you just witnessed. Thanks to your blatent idiocy, you will receive no further help from my family." I said and released him. I turned to Lissa. "Sorry Liss but I have had enough. You and our friends have asylum if it comes to that, but I cannot help anymore."

"I understand Rose. I will see you soon." I hugged her quickly, not caring that the council was watching. I turned and left with Caleigh and retrieved Anna. Abe had the Jet ready so that we could go home without running there since Anna was still injured. I sent Abe and Caleigh to get Anna situated on the jet while I made a run for Carlisle's home.

"Rose, where are the girls?" Bella asked meeting me on the porch.

"Abe is getting them set up on the jet. I will be going back to the reservation very soon." I said.

"What happened Rose, Your anger is practically through the roof?" Jasper said and I sighed, tired of the drama and shit of my life.

"The council still has a stick up there ass about me and the girls. When I happened to mention my son, they wanted to destroy the 'abominations'." Gasps erupted through the room. "Needless to say my anger went haywire at that suggestion." They all nodded in understanding just as Aro and Caius returned from a hunt with some of the guard.

"Ah Rose, I had hoped to see you before we returned to Volterra. I actually figured that you would stay with Carlisle for a day or so before heading back." Aro said and I shook my head.

"I would prefer to get as far away from court as I can at the moment. Besides that Anna is recovering from her injuries and Joshua will phase soon." I said and he nodded.

"Something happened at court didn't it?" He said and I nodded. I pulled my blocks down and allowed him to see it. He hissed at the end of it and smiled sympathetically.

I said my goodbyes to the guard and the rulers as well as Carlisle and his family. Carlisle said they would be coming to Forks to pay a visit to Jake and Ness soon. Jane wasn't as hostile towards me as she was when we first met and we had struck an understanding of one another the last time I was in Volterra. I left the Cullen home and ran back to the Jet. Surprisingly, Abe and Janine were also coming to pay us a visit and see Joshua. We boarded the jet and went towards my family, my heart and my home.

Joshua phased soon after I arrived back home and I was proud of my son. Dimitri and I settled back into the ease of life on the reservation with the kids and paid visits to Volterra, the Whitlocks and the Cullens on several occasions. Lissa and our friends visited often over the years and the kids had managed to imprint on their other half. After all of the danger and drama of my life, we were all happy and healthy. I just hoped that it stayed that way. Strigoi were eliminated along with the children of the moon. Cold ones were only an occasional issue. Finally we were able to live happily, surrounded by our family and friends who supported us regardless.

This is it guys. The end of the story and i really enjoyed writing it, but all things must end at some point. Thanks and please R&R.