The end is getting close! I hope you've all enjoyed the story this far and thanks for reading! Please review and also (yes I'm doing a bit of self-promotion) check out my other story/stories: more will be coming! Thanks again!

Jasper

The first thing I see is Thalia. She's standing thigh deep in a river. My running slows. In her grasp is Valerie. Her head and shoulders are submerged. I listen hard for her heart beat. My own chest pounds and rage fills my eyes. I see the smallest of movements from Valerie's body. Her head bucks up, I hear a final beat. And then I feel nothing.

I stare at Thalia. I stare at Valerie's unmoving form. And I feel blank. All that rage, all that passion… it suddenly vanished. Looking at her dead body I feel nothing. All of my feelings and emotions seem like a distant dream. A bond broken by her death. I don't even feel the need to get close to her. To try to save her.

Her death meant my freedom.

Paul

I see Jasper's goddamn form stop, and I have to swerve to avoid crashing into him. What the hell? I snarl, but stop. It's Valerie. All I can see is her floating form. The blonde holds her under the water. A growl of panic rises in my throat. I take a step, but something inside me shatters. Something deep within me breaks and I feel the worst pain I've ever felt. I almost collapse. My heart pounds in agony and I fight what I already know.

Valerie is dead. The blonde sneers at me and Jasper. In an instant Jasper recovers and leaps at the vampire. He throws himself on top of her and they viciously begin fighting. My legs are like concrete.

Shaking myself, I race to the water. The freezing water feels cool on my skin and I splash roughly to where Valerie is. I bend down and scoop her on my back. I can feel the lifelessness already.

I hear a scream and look over just in time to see Jasper rip Thalia's head off. I'm too numb to even care. I climb up to the bank and let Valerie's body slide off. Her eyes are closed tightly, her fists are balled up. I almost faint.

Instead, I concentrate. Slowly, I feel control. I force myself to listen. I force myself to change back.

In seconds I feel myself back to human form. I start pounding on her chest. Live. That's all I need. Live. Live. Live.

I keep pounding and giving rescue breaths. Nothing happens. I hear nothing. Her skin stays ice and the bruises look like the hands of death reaching up for her. I feel a warm tear fall down my cheek. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore. That shattered part of me is still shattered. Her face remains gray.

Leah

We watched as Paul bounded off like an idiot into the woods. Even if he's a hot-headed jerk, we all worried about him. He's family after all. After the fighting at the dock died down, we followed him.

About a mile from the dock we found him. Jasper was off by the water, soaking wet and looking blankly into the forest. Torn bits and pieces of a vampire lay beside him. I watched as a lock of blonde hair made its way down the rushing river.

Paul! Jacob runs faster.

Oh my god. Seth and Quil gasp.

She's dead. I think sadly. Trevor. How will he manage this?

We need to get Paul away from here. Sam says calmly, though I can see anguish on his face. If he stays here he'll get out of control and do something bad.

Paul… Jared murmurs.

I watch as Paul looks up at us. The look on his face makes even my heart shudder. Reminds me of the look on mom's face when my dad died. It hurts inside.

I distantly hear the Cullens run up behind us, stopping short and gazing in surprise at the scene. I know Edward can read their thoughts instantly. I decide I don't really want to know what happened.

All of a sudden I hear footsteps crashing through the forest. Everyone tenses up. Trevor bursts through a clump of ferns, breathing heavily.

Trevor? I want to shield him from this sadness. This pain.

"Sis!" He pushes past the Cullens and the rest of the pack. Paul looks at him, face empty and hands grasping air. Trevor ignores him. He kneels beside Valerie's cold, unmoving body.

"Come back," he cries. He grabs her shoulders and shakes her. "You're all I have left! You need to be here!" Tears roll down his cheeks and he shivers in sorrow. "Valerie! You're my big sister! I need you! Come back. Wake up!" He continues to shout and shake her.

I feel one of the Cullens step forward, probably to pull him away, but I growl in warning. Nobody has the right to interrupt him. Nobody should take away his goodbye.

"Sis…" he cries harder, giving up on shaking her and pulling her soaking body into a desperate hug. A part of me dies watching him. Seeing him in so much pain makes my heart ache. Paul just sits there, hands open on his lap, staring into nothingness. Jasper's moved over to the rest of the Cullens. I watch as he and Edward and Carlisle exchange a few words, but I don't bother to listen in. It's not worth it.

A gray mist settles heavily over us, and I can feel weariness wash over me. It's getting late. The pain won't go away. It's not a dream after all.

Edward

A cough interrupts the quiet. I'd looked on sadly as Trevor cried, and I had wanted to cry myself. I wish I could. I'd dug inside his mind and found that he'd witnessed Valerie's capture. He'd run as fast as he could, but it wasn't fast enough.

But then a cough. I look around to see if anyone else has heard it. No one noticed. I hear it again. No one else is making any noise.

The cough sputters and images and thoughts rush into my head. It floods my sense and I'm temporarily blinded. Everything suddenly becomes clear and focused.

Mmm… auugh… ah… I hear it loudly in my mind.

Tre-Trevor. The thought is sluggish. My head jerks up in surprise. The cough. It was from Valerie. Her thoughts, her mind- they're coming back.

I quickly stride forward. Paul looks like he wants to growl at me, but doesn't. He looks defeated.

"Valerie," I say it loudly so she can hear. … Trevor? Tre-….

"Valerie," I repeat. "Louder…" My eyes snap to Paul. "Paul, speak! Now!" He gazes at me with glassy eyes.

"Why? What are you doing?" I snarl in annoyance and slam my fist into his face. "Talk to her!" I command.

"What the hell was that for? You asshole! Don't you have the least bit of respect and decency?" Paul shouts at me, crouching.

Aughhh… Paul?

"Yes, that's it!" I cry excitedly. "Keep shouting Paul!" He looks like he wants to hit me. Instead, he kneels back down.

"Valerie. If you're there…" his voice cracks but he keeps his face straight, not looking at Trevor. "Valerie. Come back to us. We need you."

S-someone. Paul. Trevor… someone. I've died.

"Not anymore," I mutter. "Louder Valerie! You've got to come back! You've got to be louder so they can all hear you!" I find myself clenching my fists and shouting at her.

Louder? L-louder…

"You have people that need you," I murmur.

"Valerie, I love you," Paul leans in close and whispers quietly.

People… who… need… me? Trevor. Paul. Yes. I am needed? Yes.

I feel something flutter deep inside her mind. Louder. I need to be louder! I'm here! I want to live! I'm going to live! I'm here!

It all comes back in a rush. I hear her heart jump and start beating, blood that had been frozen rushes back to life. Her brain, which had been cold and static, bursts with electricity and heat.

Her heart beat echoes through the forest.

ba-dum... ba-dum... okay... so now you know. She's alive! But, there's one last bit to the ending, so keep a look out for the final chapter! Thank you for making it this far and I really appreciate it!

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