Merry Christmas! Here's a bonus chapter that I wasn't planning on posting. Warning; it's sad so if you are still in the holiday spirits I'd wait 'cause I was tearing up just writing it. Review regardless though lol, the story is about to change dramatically :)

Chapter Seventeen

Max's POV

"We are gathered here to remember a dear friend of ours. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, but most importantly, she was an imprint. She was kind to everyone and loved her family more than anything." Carlisle said, starting the funeral for Ella with grace. All of the Cullens, Blacks, and Flock members were in attendance of the wake at First Beach. This was how Quilites went out, and it was only fitting for Ella to get the same treatment. "Gabriella Louise Martinez Harlen will be missed by all of us."

Carlisle cleared his throat though as a vampire it wasn't needed. "I believe that the Flock has all prepared something to say about Ella." He said, motioning for us to start.

I was supposed to go first, but I shook my head weakly and Fang went up instead.

"The second she met us, she never wanted normal." Fang quoted with a glance at me, knowing that I would remember our wedding day; the day that Ella's fate was sealed to Collin's permanently. I smiled at him weakly and made my way over to the casket that he was standing by.

I laid my hand gently on the casket and frowned. "Ella was one of a kind, even for a human, and I'm proud to have gotten to call her my sister." I said, taking the mike from my husband. "From the moment that I first met her, I knew that she was a part of me. I had been on my way to the School to rescue Angel when I saw a bunch of guys picking on her. I didn't know her from Eve, but I knew in my gut that I had to save her."

I paused to look at Collin, his face twisted in a permanent frown, and I knew that he had felt the same way now that I had felt that day. "She took me into her home and introduced me to our mother. There she helped heal my wing and heal a little bit of my heart too. She showed me what being family really meant, and though I had had the Flock my whole life, I didn't know that I missed a real family until I was shown one. Ella was my family, even before Jeb confirmed she was blood."

I felt myself tearing up so I dropped the mike back on the pulpit and ran back to my seat. I refused to cry in front of Ella, dead or not. She deserved better.

I expected one of the Cullens to go say something nice about Ella, but instead, Collin made his way up there. He was having trouble walking straight, but he staggered up there nonetheless. He didn't pick up the microphone, instead he spoke quietly and mostly to his imprint it seemed. This was about her and we all knew he needed this closure.

"I remember the first thing you ever said to me, Els." Collin said quietly, kneeling beside the casket tenderly. He stroked Ella's pale cold face gently and continued speaking softly to her. ""Hey, buddy," you said angrily. I had my back turned to you but even before I imprinted your voice stopped me in my tracks with a power I didn't recognize. I was in your way of seeing Max for the first time as a bride and you were intent on making me move. You had guts for a human. I hate that my first words to you weren't "I love you" because I knew that I did the moment I saw you. Instead, you were with some scrawny boy and I was just a groomsman here for Jake teasing you about which bride you wanted to see."

I could see that Collin was having trouble keeping from bursting into tears at the thought of her not being here, but he kept it together the best he could. Only a few tears fell from his eyes before he continued his speech to her. "Ella, you remember our wedding?" He whispered, wiping the stray tears away. "We went camping as a weekend getaway but you insisted that you were ready to take our relationship to the next level. You wanted to be my wife more than you feared Max's reaction or the scolding you knew you'd get from your mother. You were determined to make me yours even though it was silly. You had always been mine, Els." He placed a kiss lovingly on her forehead, not caring that she was long gone.

"And then you wanted a baby." Collin said sadly. "Just a minature little you and me to make your dreams come true. So we tried, and we tried, and we tried until Dr. Vamp said it was impossible. Then we tried again because you were determined. That's what I loved most about you; you always ignored everyone's advice and went with your gut. You knew that we would have a baby so we tried until we concieved, and even when we found out that Essy was supposed to die, you didn't listen."

More tears streamed his face. "Why did you have to be so stubborn?" He asked in a whisper. He broke down into a fit of tears and before I could stop her, Annie ran up to the microphone.

"I knew Ella for half my life, but in that brief time, I knew she loved me like flesh and blood." My daughter said quietly into the mike. "I wasn't Max's and everyone knew it, but still Ella treated me like her niece." She smiled at Collin though it was strained. "I wish that I had told you all sooner about my vision, but it wouldn't have changed anything. But maybe you would have been more prepared, Uncle Collin, because that's what she wanted."

I heard the rustling of paper and turned to see that Annie had pulled out Ella's babybook for the twins. "I can't read very well." Annie admitted quietly, looking at me for help. I was frozen in my seat though.

Angel joined Annie at the pulpit and read out loud what my daughter couldn't. "Dear family, It's me, Ella. I know that if I survive this, then I will have wasted this page for Alejandro's baby book, but it is important to me to be prepared so hopefully you can as well. From what I've heard, I don't have much longer. I want you all to know I love you all." Angel paused and looked us in the eye. "The next parts are to individual people."

"Max, you're my sister, but you are also my best friend. I know that you'll keep on taking care of everyone and that makes me smile knowing that everyone will be alright without me. Stay strong and resilient because that's who you are. You're brave. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing; I'd get in that fight with the gang and have you rescue me because that's the kind of person you are. You are everything I ever wanted to be, Max, and I love you so much sissy.

"Fang, take care of Max. I know that you will because you always have. Even when we were first introduced all those years ago, I knew that you loved my sister deeply and that she would love you the same way eventually. You are the rock that she leans on, but don't forget that sometimes she needs you to be a little softer than stone. Oh, and keep writing; you are truly gifted, Fang, but sometimes you seem to forget that.

"Nick, if you've returned then I hope you found what you were looking for. Though we hadn't known each other long, you were nice to me and its only fair I return the favor. Tell her you love her..." Angel paused her reading and looked up at us and the vacant spot where Nick would have sat if he had returned. "It doesn't say who to." She cleared her throat and continued. "She deserves to know and I know that she'll feel the same way when she's ready. On second thought, give her time."

"Iggy, don't blow anything up. Seriously. I could go on and on about how wonderful you are, but you already know it. You have a strong head on your shoulders and I know that you can handle anything. You have always been that way, even before you and Nudge got together and I had a crush on you. You never knew that, did you? I guess things worked out for the best anyways. I have Collin and you have Nudge and that's how it was always supposed to be. Take good care of them.

"Nudge, my sweet motorbox Nudge. Stay true to yourself, no one can take away your individuality and I pity the person who tries. You are a free spirit. Love that little girl of yours like I know you will and love my children as well. Hope and Alex need a carefree aunt that will spoil them rotten and I know you are up for the task. You're my sister too, no matter who are parents were, and I love you.

"Gasman, my no longer stinky brother of sorts, you have always been a force to be reckoned with and don't let growing up stop you. I wish I could see the man you become because I know he'll be someone to be proud of. Listen to Max, buddy, she loves you more than you'll ever know. And don't rush into things with Bex. She loves you and isn't going anywhere; be a kid again because I know it was a hard childhood and you deserve to be young for a little while longer. By the way, you might want to change your name soon, buddy, since you've outgrown it already.

"Angel, my baby sister. Don't cry." Angel wiped her tears as she paused reading and took Ella's advice. "It's going to be hard not to considering how close we were, but try and be brave like Max because you are that and so much more. I know how sensitive you are to everyone around you, but it's going to be okay. I'm in a better place and I know that you are there to help watch over my babies. You too need to be a child a little longer. You're not the 'baby' anymore, you're grown up right before my eyes. I know you're sixteen, but live a little! You're future is set in stone so why not make it an adventure along the way? Be careful of your power because it gets you in trouble sometimes and I just want you safe and happy. I love you, Angel and don't ever forget that."

Angel wiped a few stray tears and looked at Collin on the ground. "This next part is to you and the twins." She said quietly. "Do you want me to read it?"

Collin shook his head so Angel handed him the babybook. I knew this was really hard on him, as it was for the rest of us, but he had a bond with Ella that couldn't be compared to the rest of ours.

I glanced to my right at Valencia and almost started crying again. My mom was in tears, her head leaning on Jeb's who also had tears glitting his eyes. Though Jeb hadn't been her father, he loved my mom and me, and on some level I knew that he loved Ella too.

Great, here come my own tears.