AN: Go back and re-read chapter 9 if you have forgotten the Volturi triad information. The two sets are Jane/Alec/Felix and Marcus/Caius/Didyme (Didyme is deceased)

Big thanks to Lady Skyelite for pre-reading this chapter and the epilogue for me! You're the best!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line, SM owns the characters I'm just having fun with them.

Bella POV
As I stood on the field ready to face off with the leaders of our vampire race, I couldn't help but feel a little smug that we might actually have what we needed to beat them. We had little hope of simply talking them into leaving, but if we could persuade some of them to change sides, we could hopefully reduce the bloodshed. Or venom-shed. Whatever.

We had gone over our plans so many times I felt like if I was still human I would know them in my sleep. We had several debates over who would stand where, but ended up with Peter and Jasper in the middle, with Edward and Garrett on either side. I was directly behind my mates with James and Alistair beside me. The rest of coven was spread out behind us; Victoria and Laurent were close behind James, and Esme was behind me and Alistair, with Rose and Emmett beside her.

There were approximately twenty coming with the Volturi and Carlisle, but not all of them would be fighters. We had discussed who I should shield and we decided that Edward's gift was too valuable to disable, but he was too vulnerable to leave open to Chelsea. So I would shield all three kings, Carlisle, Jane, Alec, and Felix. I could add Demetri if I thought I could handle it but he wasn't too necessary. Edward was hoping with the kings shielded from Chelsea he would learn something to use against Aro. We really didn't want to kill all the kings, because none of us wanted to rule, and the vampire world did need someone to uphold the laws.

Alistair told us the Volturi were less than ten miles out and I double-checked my shield. Peter had us covered as well, but we had laid a scent trail leading to us before we got into position. We hoped our subterfuge would make the Volturi nervous about our powers and doubtful of their success. Obviously, Aro would know everything Carlisle did, but neither of them had any details about my power. I was the Whitlock ace in the hole.

Jasper and Peter took a moment to turn and pull me into their arms, with all of us just breathing together and enjoying each other. Jasper took a deep breath and his eyes got dark as he said, "It's time." The rest of our coven pulled away from their mates and got back into position, watching the tree line in front of us where we could hear the Volturi moving. The first face I saw made me growl involuntarily, but Carlisle looked completely shocked when he saw me. I put my shield around him and heard Edward suck in a sharp breath. He leaned close to Peter and breathed, "He thought you and Bella would be dead- he told the wolf where to find you and told him you were a threat and Bella was about to be turned." My boys growled menacingly before I put my hands on their backs to calm them. It didn't make a difference; we knew he was snake, now we just knew how big of a snake he truly was.

The rest of the Volturi came into the clearing with a sort of strange pageantry. They moved in a unified formation of black and grey cloaks, spreading open like a fan as they approached us. I quickly shielded the vampires I had been assigned but kept my attention on the triad I was interested in. They stood close together; Jane and Alec were side by side, holding hands. They were small, almost child-like. She was shorter than me, and he was maybe an inch taller. Felix stood directly behind them, towering over them at close to seven feet, looking deceptively calm, but I could see the protective worry in his eyes as he glanced at his tiny mates.

The king who could only be Aro broke the tense silence with a falsely cheery voice. "Well, friends! This is quite a coven you have here, Major! Planning to overthrow your kings?" He reminded me of a cross between a snake and a weasel. His black hair was straight and looked greasy, which I didn't think was possible for a vampire. He looked oddly unhinged, like he had seen too many memories through the years, and he was no longer able to distinguish between reality and fantasy. He made my skin crawl.

"Nope, ain't got no interest in rulin' nothin'. I ain't big on travelin' neither- y'all showed up here lookin' for us, not the other way 'round." From the corner of my eye, I saw Jane's eyes go round as Peter and I each reached for Jasper's hand; neither of us could suppress our desire for our mate, despite the tense situation. Edward stiffened and glanced their direction before cutting his eyes forward and nodding discreetly. I met her eyes when she looked at me and smiled softly, cutting my eyes to her mates and then back to mine before nodding at her as well. She looked almost hopeful behind her blank mask, before she looked at Aro and then dropped her gaze.

"Well, I'm sure you must know how it looks to us. You show up as part of a powerful triad, that could easily challenge my guards, and then I get reports from my dear friend Carlisle of how you destroyed one of his coven members and stole the rest! It truly looks as if you are planning a revolution. What else are we to think?" He really was a good actor, with thousands of years of deception on his side.

Movement caught my eye as the other two kings stepped back slightly at his words and exchanged a glance behind his back. They looked over at Jane's group and then back to us. The older king, with long, wavy black hair was looking around our group as if he was seeing things we could not. I realized this must be Marcus, and he was reading our bonds. His eyes went wide when he looked at me and then at my mates, before looking at every other member of the group. He shook his head slightly before looking to James and his mates. I glanced at James and saw his wide, panicked stare as he locked eyes with Marcus, practically begging him not to say anything. I could see his hands twitching, wanting desperately to reach back to his mates, but trying to hang on to his composure.

"Look, I killed that bitch 'cause she kept me from my mates. She also plotted the death of my youngest mate, and kept her identity hidden from me. Funny thing is, I just learned from my boy here that Carlisle also tried to kill my mates. This time he was successful, as my Bella had to be changed as a direct result of his actions. I will be keepin' the promise I made you, Dad. I told ya to stay away from me and mine, or you'd lose your head. Get ready to kiss it goodbye." Jasper straightened to his full height, looking from Carlisle to the weaselly king.

"And I didn't steal anyone. That man lost the respect of his coven all on his own. They walked away of their own free will, and joined me of their own free will. They're my family, not my soldiers. Unlike you, Aro, I don't have to force people to be loyal to me. Of course they may not be feelin' too loyal right now, seein' as how their bonds are broken..." Gasps from the Volturi side sounded at this, like they weren't sure what they had been feeling was true. I saw Jane's group creep slowly closer to our side and she raised her eyebrows at me in question. I nodded to encourage her and Felix grabbed them both and ran over to stand beside Edward.

The sudden defection of his prize weapons threw Aro into a rage. He tried to order the other guards to attack us, but no one would move. He looked around in shock and fury as everyone stepped away from him, including his personal guards and the other two kings. He tried to grab Marcus' hand but Caius got between them and growled.

Marcus quickly grabbed Carlisle as he tried to sneak away, and tossed him over to Peter. "Your bonds are strong, soldier. But your mate's bonds are stronger," he said, looking at me. What did that mean? Jasper looked at him questioningly but Edward whispered that he would tell us later.

All of a sudden Edward's head whipped up and he looked at Aro in shock. He shook his head in disbelief before turning to look at Caius. Aro growled when he started to speak but they all three froze at his words. "Didyme. Aro... Aro killed Didyme. You killed your own flesh and blood sister because she was a threat to your power?"

Caius grabbed Aro's throat and growled in his face. "Is this true? YOU did this? Why? We just wanted to live in peace! We were happy to let you rule however you wanted to!" Marcus never said a word, just came right up behind him and twisted his head off as his mate held the body. They dropped him on the ground and spat on him before turning to each other in silence. The remaining guards never moved, they just bowed their heads in submission to their remaining kings.

Jasper took the opportunity to dispose of Carlisle and set both of them on fire. How sweet; lovers in life, together in death. Or traitors in life, either way. Peter looked at the remaining Volturi members and said, "Any more problems? We got plenty of fighters here if somebody needs to challenge us. We really ain't lookin' to rule though. We just want to live our lives." There were panicked head shakes from everyone across the clearing. That's right, you don't wanna mess with my mates. Everyone seemed to draw a breath of relief and the tension eased over both groups.

Marcus looked at me with a sad smile and I felt drawn to him immediately. I asked Peter if I could speak with him and he waved the kings over to our side. Marcus came over where I stood between my mates and kneeled down to take my hand. "My child, I have not seen bonds like yours since my dear, sweet Didyme. You are deeply connected to each and every member of your coven, and I watched as you formed bonds with new people here today. Jane already sees you as a sister and she has yet to speak to you. I see you as a beloved granddaughter. My Caius sees you as his niece. You are very special, child. You would make a lovely queen." Wow. Not every day you get an offer like that from a king kneeling before you!

"Uh, thanks Marcus. But I really don't want to be a queen. I just want to love my boys, maybe let Jasper take me back to school once I get my bloodlust under control. But you and Caius make good kings, you'll be able to rule fairly, even without Aro there. Maybe even better without him there." I saw him glance at his mate out of the corner of his eye, but neither of them looked very happy. Acting on impulse I grabbed each of their hands. "Is something wrong between the two of you? I know you've been together for a very long time, but you don't seem to be very close to one another."

Caius looked away and Marcus looked down. Caius finally cleared his throat and said, "We really haven't been together since we lost Didyme. She took our joy when she died, and we never really recovered. We don't know how to go on without her." His head was bowed and his face looked suddenly younger without the angry mask he usually wore. Marcus reached his free hand out toward him, before pulling it back to tuck in his robe. I looked between them before pulling their hands together and pressing them to each other.

"May I say something? I'm not trying to overstep my bounds or anything, but I know if something happened to me," my boys growled as I said this and I shot them a look over my shoulder. "I would want my mates to lean on each other. I would want them to find happiness in each other, not hold onto the grief of missing me. I know you have suffered a great loss, but you are continuing to suffer alone when you don't have to do so. Cling to each other, find the joy you had centuries ago, and live your lives together! Hold onto the love I know you still have and don't let Aro take that from you as well." They were looking shyly at each other when I finished speaking and I had to choke back tears when Marcus opened his arms to pull Caius close to his chest. My boys each wrapped an arm around me and held me close as we watched them.

"They had their love buried deep but it's comin' to the surface again." Jasper whispered to us. "And Bella, for the record, don't talk like that again. Don't ya think Pete and I have had enough worries for a lifetime? No more!" They squeezed me and tucked their heads in my neck as I started to purr.

Our attention was drawn away by Jane's approach. "Were you the one shielding us from Chelsea?" she asked, and I nodded. "Thank you. I hated Aro with a passion, he was a completely evil man. He constantly threatened Felix and had him tortured every time he heard thoughts of us wanting to leave. He showed us how unhappy the other kings were and told us that was the life we would have if we didn't obey him. We didn't have a choice, we had to save our mate. You understand, don't you?" I could see how badly she wanted my understanding, and I thought back to what Marcus had said about our bond.

"I do understand. I had to think about the same thing if things didn't go our way today. I would do anything for my boys, they are my life. I'm sorry you had to live under his threats for so long. You might want to let Felix talk to my mate, Peter, here. It sounds like they have some shared experiences. It's been hard for Peter to work through, so you might have to be patient with Felix. Let him lean on you both." Peter kissed me with a smile and he walked toward Felix to talk.

"So what are your plans now? Will you stay with the kings in Volterra?" I was curious if they would stay now that they were no longer falsely bound.

"We haven't discussed it, but I think we might. We would be threatened if we left the protection of the Volturi. There aren't a lot of vampires who like us. And the kings will need our support with Aro gone. Things will be shaky for a while. At least we won't have to hide our relationship anymore. We will spread the word so others don't have to hide as well," she added with a pointed glance at James. His eyes widened and he reached for his mates, pulling them close and glancing between Jane and the kings. Marcus looked over his shoulder and smiled and nodded at him.

"You have a strong bond as well, Tracker. Your mates think highly of you though, they do not see themselves as your equal." He can see all that? Wonder what he sees with us?

"I know that, sir. I've tried to correct it but they just won't listen." James sounded discouraged, but Vickie rubbed his back soothingly.

"Don't feel bad, Tracker. Some mates need a leader. You provide a service for them. They are comforted by your authority. Before we were rulers, I led my mates as well. Caius despised giving orders, strange as it might sound" Caius just laughed and nodded, encouraging him to continue. "Not every mated pair or triad is able to function as equals. Most need a dominant partner to take the lead. The Major's mates have challenged him and taken on an equal partnership, one he is still struggling to accept. If there was to be a dominant partner though, it would be young Bella here. She was born with authority, and it is why all who meet her are drawn to her. The only ones she willingly submits to are her parents there, and sometimes her mates." Wow, he has a powerful gift. No wonder Aro kept him on such a tight leash.

Jasper was speechless, something that was not easy to accomplish. I wrapped my arm around his waist and patted him gently. "It's ok, boy, I'll let you take the lead every now and then. But just remember what happens when you get out of line- I'll hand you your ass just like I did Peter." Everyone around us laughed as he kissed my temple and murmured, "Yes, ma'am."

"Ok, everyone," Marcus turned back to the Volturi and raised his hand for attention. "Chelsea, you and Afton are free to go if you wish. You may stay if you desire but we will not be using your gift anymore. Please remove any false bonds you still have in place. Jane, Alec, Felix, will you be returning with us? You may share Aro's quarters if you like. You will be closer to Caius and I that way and no one will bother you." He looked for their answering nods before continuing.

"Everyone else, if you wish to serve my mate and I, it will be under very different circumstances than before. I will hold no one against their will, unless they are serving punishment for an actual crime committed. If you would like to leave, you may do so at any time. As for our business here today, we are finished and we will return home shortly. Bella, you and your coven are welcome to visit us at any time. I hope once your newborn year is up, you will come spend some time with us in Italy. There is much you can learn there." I smiled at him as Peter came back to join Jasper and I.

The Volturi guard's exit was much more relaxed than their entrance, and Jane was the last off the field, smiling shyly and waving at me. We would be keeping in touch, I know. I hoped she could be friends with Victoria as well, it's not always easy having two mates and being the only girl. It was nice to talk to someone who understood the situation.

Soon it was just our family left on the field. Esme and Alistair pulled me in for a hug, followed by the rest of the family. I saw Peter and Jasper locked in a tight embrace, kissing passionately, and I had to just sit and admire them for a moment. I was joined by Victoria a few minutes later and I turned to see James and Laurent in a similar position, something I had never seen before. They were so quiet about their relationship, even among the family. It was going to be different now that they had nothing to fear.

"We're pretty damn lucky, aren't we, Bells?" she asked me, draping her arm on my shoulder.

"The luckiest." I sighed, leaning into her as we watched our men love each other, as they would for the rest of eternity.

The End

AN: That's it! There will be a short epilogue, and some more outtakes and extras, that I will add after the epilogue. Thanks for sticking with me! Y'all are the best!