A/N: All original Twilight characters are © Stephenie

Meyer. Original Perfect Forever characters are the sole property of MissP1987.

A/N x 2: It has also come to my attention that several of my current and/or former students have found this story. I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO READ THE TWILIGHT SAGA FIRST! 6th grade and above may read and enjoy! 5th grade and below must have parent's permission first! Sorry, teacher first, writer second.

Chapter 22

"Strength and Resiliency"

Emmett could see the turmoil behind Carlisle's eyes as he wrestled with the decision of whether to stay and help calm Kate down or go on to the hospital and take care of Leah. Carlisle was an amazing dad and a great leader, but he could not be in two places at once. Leah needed him more.

"Carlisle, we've got this. Go. Leah needs you."

With only a split second of hesitation, Carlisle placed a fatherly hand on Emmett's shoulder, kissed Esme's cheek lovingly, and sprinted off in the direction of the hospital.

Kate, on the other hand, continued to struggle against the steel grip that Emmett and Jasper had on her. She was hitting them with every ounce of her full power…the electric shocks causing both men to grimace in pain, but they didn't release her. Finally, Kate stilled and sank to her knees in the soggy ground. Her anguished shrieks had turned to pitiful moans, and she covered her face with her hands as her body shook with empty sobs. She shook her head back and forth violently as if to erase the images plaguing her mind. Emmett and Jasper exchanged questioning looks before releasing her hesitantly.

In the next moment, all hell broke loose as several things happened in rapid succession. First, Sam – the only combat team leader left on the battle field – respectfully removed the pole that Garrett's head adorned from the ground and laid it gently atop the fire. Next, Kate reacted with the most primal shriek any one on the field had ever heard and launched herself into Sam before Emmett and Jasper – grasping for thin air – had time to stop her. Then, as Sam crumpled unconscious to the ground, nine snarling wolves – teeth bared and fur bristling – descended on Kate in Sam's defense.

As Kate crouched into a defensive position and the wolves hunched to attack, Esme jumped between the angry vampire and the riled wolves and raised her hands halting their advance.

"That's enough! All of you!"

Her voice was stern with authority, and the wolves immediately whimpered and lowered their heads in chagrin. Kate stood up straight and looked at Esme with defiance, but said nothing.

"Kate, I know you must be in unimaginable pain, but we have all suffered loss here today. Fighting amongst our family will only cause everyone more heartache."

As Esme lowered her arms, Kate laughed once without humor and said in a voice dripping with hatred, "These…animals are not my family, Esme! What was left of my family now burns atop that pyre. Ethan Pelletier, or one of his cubs, killed Garrett just like they promised and then put him proudly on display for all the world to see. I don't care how much loss you seem to think we've suffered here today. I swear to you all…If it's the last deed of my miserable existence here on Earth, I will make the responsible party pay!"

Being Ethan's second in command and feeling some responsibility for Kate's questioning of their loyalty, Jace stepped between the wolves and Esme to face Kate.

"Kate, I know a few of us were pretty hard on Garrett and made some threats, but it wasn't an Ahtena who killed him."

Kate turned to stare at Jace with a stone cold glare and spat, "Do you honestly expect me to believe that…after all the talk of revenge?"

Crossing his arms over his brawny chest, Chan stepped up next to Jace and leered at Kate with a lopsided grin before saying, "As much as I would like to take credit for ridding the world of that worthless bloodsucker, I'm afraid I can't. We were under orders from our Chief not to go after Garrett."

Kate's lip curled up over her teeth and a feral growl rolled from her throat as she lurched forward to attack Chan. But Emmett was quicker. He grabbed her from behind and wrapped his mammoth arms around her upper body trapping her against his chest. As Kate struggled to wriggle free of Emmett's concrete grip, she delivered a continual shock that caused his eyes to roll back in his head as his entire body shook with the effort to ignore the pain. In the meantime, Chan's sarcastic chuckles hung in the air like the smoke billowing from the burning pyres.

"Chan Woods, stop provoking her this instant!" Esme scolded.

Immediately, Chan's taunting laughter ceased and his eyes dropped.

"Kate, you send one more volt of electricity through my son's body, and I'll not be responsible for what I do to you! Control yourself and behave like a rational human being!"

Immediately, the grimace of pain disappeared from Emmett's face and Kate stopped struggling in his arms. As Emmett set her free, Kate pulled herself up proudly but didn't utter one more growl.

Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper stood looking at one another in stunned silence. Who was this forceful woman who had taken over their mother's body?

"I for one am sick of looking at this battlefield. I would like to go home, take a long hot shower, and relax. You all know your assignments for clean-up, so let's get it done and get out of here. Now."

Esme's tone left no room for further discussion. The battle for the survival of a species was over, but the battle for a truly peaceful existence between vampires and shape-shifters still raged.

~o ~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o

Carlisle paused before walking through the swinging double doors of the operating room into the waiting area where Ethan and Sue sat worrying with Edward and Bella. He dreaded delivering the news that he knew would devastate them.

Leah had pulled through surgery, but not without major complications. They had repaired her broken pelvis and removed her ruptured spleen, but the damage to her reproductive organs was beyond repair. The internal bleeding had been so extensive that not even Leah's fast-healing shape shifter body could heal itself quickly enough. So to save her life, Carlisle had performed a complete hysterectomy. Leah would never be able to give Ethan a child.

Taking a deep breath, Carlisle pushed through the doors and walked toward the tiny waiting room.

Just as Carlisle reached the lobby, Charlie rushed in dressed in his Fork's Chief of Police uniform and framed Sue in a huge hug. Then he turned his attention to Bella and hugged her, giving her a quick Dad's-eye once over to make sure she was okay. Bella fought the urge to roll her eyes as the irony of the situation hit her. For once, it wasn't her in the ER for some klutzy accident…and never would be again. Bella patted her father's arm and kissed him on the cheek to assure him that she was okay.

"I got here as quick as I could. How is Leah? Are the rest of you kids okay?" Charlie asked, his words rushing out anxiously.

Charlie gave Edward and Ethan a glare as each of them shook their heads to affirm that they were not hurt in the fall that had occurred while the group was out rock climbing. Sue had called him earlier with the story they had all concocted to cover up the real reason for Leah's injuries. Seth had lost his footing and fallen into Leah causing her to plummet fifteen feet down the cliff. While Seth's gear had broken his fall, Leah's had malfunctioned. Their location had been so remote that Edward and Ethan had carried them out to the vehicles and rushed them to the hospital. Seth suffered two broken legs and would be getting around in a wheel chair for awhile, but was resting comfortably back at the Cullen mansion. Leah had suffered severe internal injuries and was in surgery. Charlie never questioned the authenticity of the story or its sketchy details.

Carlisle cleared his throat and all heads turned to look in his direction. Ethan stood to face him, a look of panic falling across his face. Sue draped her arm around Ethan's waist to steady him, and herself, as they awaited Carlisle's news.

"Leah came through surgery just fine. She's in recovery, and will need to be there for at least the next several hours," Carlisle said. Before continuing, he put his hand comfortingly on Ethan's shoulder. "Ethan, the damage to her reproductive organs was much worse than I initially thought. We had to perform a complete hysterectomy. I'm so sorry."

Ethan couldn't think about the impossibility of ever having children with Leah. He was too happy about the fact that she survived at all. As long as she was alive, he could face anything. They would face it together.

"I know you did exactly what you had to do to save her, Carlisle. Thank you. Does she know?" asked Ethan.

Carlisle shook his head sadly to indicate that Leah wasn't taking the news very well.

"Can we see her now?" Ethan asked.

"Briefly," Carlisle warned. "She needs to rest. If you walk through those doors to the right, Maria will take you to her room. I'd like to go check on Seth. I'll be back later to see how Leah's doing."

Ethan started to walk off but stopped when he realized that Sue was not following him. He stepped back and took her hand. Smiling at the woman who had become his second mother, he guided her through the double doors. Together…They would face whatever hand life dealt them together.

~o ~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o

By nightfall, there was no evidence that a battle had ever taken place in the clearing. Fresh earth had been dug up and expertly placed over the spots where fires had burned the remains of both allies and foes. Camp Cullen was now quiet and serene…as quiet as a house full of teenage shape shifters could be, anyway. The Ahtena warriors were scattered all over the great room, IPods and PSPs in hand. A couple were reading, one or two were napping, and the others were sitting around the bar in the kitchen area cutting up while Esme prepared their evening meal. The Quileute wolves had all gathered down in La Push at Sam and Emily's place to meet with Paul's family and the families of the other young wolves to make funeral arrangements and decide exactly what they would tell the community about the boys' deaths. All the visiting vampires except for Kate had taken their leave earlier in the evening just before Ethan and Carlisle had returned to the house with Leah. Emmett and Rosalie were entertaining Renesmee who was always a little down anytime Zafrina came for a visit and left. Oddly, Alice and Jasper had gone MIA.

Meanwhile, a discussion was going on upstairs in the room Carlisle had converted into a makeshift hospital recovery room for Leah and Seth. Edward, Bella, and Kate stood around the beds of Seth and Leah listening to the story of Garrett's death. Carlisle remained close by to monitor Leah's anxiety level in case the conversation proved to be too much for her weakened body and fragile mental state. Ethan sat at the head of Leah's bed holding her hand while Tahla sat stretched out beside Seth in his bed.

As the four shape shifters recounted the last moments of Garrett's life, Kate's demeanor of hatred and accusation shifted to one of tolerance and apology. She would never have the feelings of love and family for them that the Cullens had, but she could respect them and appreciate their loyalty now that she knew that Garrett's death had not been at their hand.

Dallas and his troop had gone after Ethan's team with deadly purpose. As expected, they zeroed in on the weaker fighters first, Kylie and Willa. When the girls got into trouble, Brady and Kale left Ethan and Leah to go help them out. Dallas and three of his soldiers pounced on the opportunity as Ethan and Leah were left outnumbered. From across the battle field, Seth saw his sister in the fight for her life and rushed over to defend her. Tahla had followed Seth into the fight when she realized soldiers from Felix's squad had joined in the skirmish.

By the time Garrett and his team arrived, the shape-shifters were outmanned two to one and Leah had been left broken and bleeding while Ethan was fighting for his life in a match with Dallas and one of his soldiers. Garrett had attacked Dallas from behind giving Ethan the split second chance he needed to get the upper-hand. So, while Seth took on the second soldier, Ethan was able to deal with Dallas one on one. But, Garrett's diversion had given two of Felix's men the opportunity to sneak up on him from behind. Garrett never got the chance to fight back. While the two from Felix's troop held him, another from Dallas's team wrenched Garrett's head free from his body and rolled it across the field. No one saw who put his head on the stake. By that time, Felix had viciously attacked Rosalie, and Emmett's furious battle cry had rallied the troops sending the battle into its final seconds.

As Kate stood listening to Ethan's declaration of appreciation to Garrett for saving his life, she knew that Garrett had finally made amends for the wrongs he had committed against the Ahtena tribe. He had made the ultimate sacrifice. Their tribe…their species would live on because of it. He had rewritten his place in their tribal history. Instead of a place of shame, he now held a place of honor. Kate would grieve the loss of her mate for centuries, but she could go on knowing that he was truly the man she thought him to be all along.

~o ~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o

Deep in the woods running along the cliffs, a lone survivor of the Volturi-sponsored army crouched in the brush nearing the edge of the bluff listening to the waves crashing up against the surface of the rock. Her long straight auburn hair blew in the breeze like flames licking at wood from a burning campfire. She was frightened and hungry. Her throat burned with thirst and she toyed with the idea of going hunting, but she dared not leave her hiding place for fear of being found. She was terrified of the giant wolves and huge cats that she knew would surely tear her to pieces if they caught her. Besides, the little dark-haired girl had promised she would come for her just as soon as things cooled down.

When the three women had captured her near the end of the battle, she had feared they would kill her. She had begged for mercy, asking that they forgive her for her part in the grief that Felix and Dallas had caused them all today. The blonde one had dismissed her as if she were nothing more than an unfortunate inconvenience while the caramel-haired one had smiled and patted her reassuringly. But the little dark-haired one had stared blankly at her for an uncomfortable moment before reacting as if she had seen something that caused her to persuade the other two to let her handle it.

What had she seen? How much did she know? The young vampire doubted that one single vision had told the little pixie everything about her. She hoped not at least. She had worked too hard to keep her secrets hidden. She did hope that it had solidified her status as an ally rather than an enemy. She was tired of running…tired of hiding.

Suddenly, the auburn-haired vampire sprang to her feet in a defensive position as two distinctly different scents – one familiar and one unfamiliar – wafted her way on the evening breeze. The young woman watched cautiously as a tiny spiky-haired form bounced from the shadows followed by a tall muscular, but lean figure.

The girl sensed instantly she was safe… almost as if her mood had been altered by some unseen force. Her body relaxed as the little dark-haired woman from the battle field welcomed her with a warm smile.

"Hi. I'm Alice and this is Jasper."

The young auburn-haired vampire smiled shyly at the pair before introducing herself in an Irish accent.

"My given name is Alexandria McCloud, but most people call me by my nickname, Allie."

The lanky man with honey blond hair smiled tentatively at her before extending his hand and drawling in the most delicious Southern accent, "Hello, Allie. It's a pleasure to meet you."

As Allie shook Jasper's hand, the same strange calm feeling from before returned. It was then she realized that Jasper was the one Felix had told her could control the moods of the people around him. That meant Alice must be his mate. The one Felix said could see into the future.

"So, you're the mind controller," Allie stated pointing to Jasper.

"And, you're the fortune teller," she said pointing at Alice.

"Who is the mind reader and who is the shield?" Allie asked with genuine interest.

Alice smiled sweetly and said, "The mind reader would be by brother, Edward. His wife, Bella, is the shield. You'll meet them soon. There are just a few details we have to work out first. We're all going to be very good friends, Allie. I've seen it."

Alice and Jasper spent the next hour or so gently grilling Allie about how she'd discovered her power-blocking abilities and how the Volturi had forced her into using them against the Fork's army.

Allie told them that she had discovered her talent for blocking mental powers quite by accident when she'd been brought before the Volturi for interrogation concerning a legal matter that involved her coven. Following Aro's failed attempts to read her mind, Jane had attempted to use her powers to inflict pain upon Allie in an effort to extract information from her. In her distressed state, Allie had unknowingly activated her power-blocking capabilities, so Jane's attempts were thwarted as well. Aro had then ordered Alec to calm her down, but his powers proved useless, too. Always lusting for undiscovered talent, Aro had negotiated a deal with Allie. In return for her services as a power-blocker, he would forgive her coven of the infraction they had been found guilty and spare all of their lives. However, he had included one condition in the deal as insurance that Allie would remain on her best behavior. Aro would hold her family prisoner until she returned to Volterra with proof through her thoughts that she had kept up her end of the bargain.

Though the details Allie provided were sketchy, neither Alice nor Jasper pressed for more. They had learned over the years it was best not to pry too deeply in situations like this. The uninhibited truth would come with trust.

Shortly after their conversation in the forest ended, Alice and Jasper were introducing Allie to the Cullens and their extended family. Most of the family accepted her easily, but Edward was suspicious of her from the start because she was blocking him from her mind. But, he trusted his sister, her visions, and her judgment. So, after sulking for a bit, he eventually came around. By Monday morning when Alice and Jasper dropped Allie off at the airport, she had made many new life-long friends and promised to return for a visit soon along with her family.

~o ~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o

Bella sat in her father's backyard resting her back against the trunk of the tree Charlie had hung an old tire swing in for her when she was little. She had no idea how long she had been there. Three hours…maybe four. She wasn't really keeping track of the time. It had been a long sad day and she wanted a little time to herself to reflect. She knew Charlie would most likely stay over at Sue's place for the night – even though Charlie didn't think she knew he'd been staying with Sue quite often lately – so there would be little chance of his coming home to find her lurking around in the back yard.

Bella had never really known grief. Aside from her Grandmother, she had not suffered great loss in her life…until now. She had watched the Quileutes as they'd buried their sons and brothers today…Rachel as she had said goodbye to her soul mate. She wondered what deep well they had all drawn their strength from to be able to let go with such grace. Bella knew in her heart that she would not fare as well when it was her turn to say goodbye to Charlie and Renee. Just the thought of that inevitability caused her throat to constrict and her eyes to sting with phantom tears. She was so thankful that the events of the past year had led them all to a place where she could have them in her life for as long as they were living, but the gift would come at a price. Yes…she would have the same privilege that normal daughters have in watching their parents grow old and caring for them when they could no longer care for themselves. But as an immortal, Bella would not have the hope and promise of someday seeing them again once they were gone.

Bella had never once regretted the choices she had made that led her to immortality, but she had learned a lot about the price of life forever this week. Garrett's death had proved that no one was truly indestructible. His sacrifice had taught her that no matter how long life lasts, it must be lived with purpose. The Quileute's quiet strength in the throes of grief and pain made it clear that nothing truly lasts forever. They would heal, and life would go on. The Ahtena's resiliency in the face of total loss and crippling tragedy gave her hope. Although life would never be truly perfect for them, it could still be filled with love and great joy.

Bella sighed with a smile as the sweet scent of honey, lilac, and fresh sunshine drifted across the night air. She breathed in deeply, allowing the pleasant scent to drift onto her tongue, intoxicating her. She never tired of it.

Edward had done as she asked and had given her some time alone before finding her here. Now, he simply flashed her favorite lopsided smile and held out his hand to her. As she stood and took his hand, he pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tightly before planting a kiss on her forehead. Bella stood up on her tiptoes and pulled his face down to hers for a deep kiss on the lips… a long kiss. As Bella's body reacted as it normally did and she wrapped her fingers around the wild tendrils of his hair, pulling herself impossibly deeper into his kiss, Edward chuckled and nuzzled his nose into the side of her neck.

"Are you ready to go home, Love? Or would you prefer that I make love to you here in the backyard of your childhood home?" Edward's voice was raspy with need and desire.

Bella shivered.

"Actually, I have another location in mind…inside my childhood home," Bella hinted as she began tugging Edward toward the spot beneath her old bedroom window.

"Why don't you show me how you used to climb through my bedroom window at night to watch me sleep?"

Edward's eyes widened and he gasped in exaggerated shock.

"Why, Isabella Cullen! Are you suggesting that we break into your father's house and spend the night in your old room making love until dawn?"

Bella giggled and jumped with ease from the ground to the window sill. She opened the window and climbed inside, turning to stick her body half-way out the window and look down at Edward below.

"Breaking and entering...no. Making love until dawn…definitely. Are you coming?"

In answer to her question, Edward leapt effortlessly through the window and threw Bella across the bed pinning her beneath him in one fluid movement.

"I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else, Love."

Then he kissed her, and everything and everybody else in the world disappeared until dawn.

A/N: Thanks so much to all of you who have continued to read my story. Things are coming to a close soon…two more chapters at the most. Keep the reviews coming! They inspire me to

soldier on even in the face of self-doubt and obsessive perfectionism!