A/N: Is this the final chapter? See you at the bottom!

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Chapter 42

"Heidi, my dear," Aro continued, "will you give me your hand?"

Heidi emerged from the group, looking puzzled. "Of course, master," she answered.

Aro dropped Idzi's hand and took Heidi's in its place. "Interesting," he murmured. "Marcus, what do you see?"

It took a few seconds for Marcus to respond, but he eventually looked in their direction. Sighing, he disinterestedly replied, "Yes, I see it."

"Wonderful!" Aro cried, clapping his hands. "Of course, Idzi would be attracted to Heidi. That is her gift, but I've never known her to be genuinely attracted to anyone else."

"She is?" Idzi looked dumbstruck before turning his attention to Heidi. "I mean, you are?"

"Yes, you silly boy," she cooed. "I've been trying to get your attention for days!"

"You've had my attention since the moment I met you. Don't you remember me stuttering like an imbecile?" he laughed at himself.

"Well, yes, but I get that all the time… ummm… due to my gift, I mean," she answered modestly. "You were so busy flirting with everyone else, I assumed you weren't interested."

"Oh, no… that wasn't it at all," Idzi scoffed at the mere idea. "I mean, you're so far above someone like me… I thought you were just being nice… maybe out of pity?"

"Pity? Why would I pity you?" Heidi chortled in disbelief.

"I don't know… maybe because I'm just a simple farm boy… You're so glamorous and beautiful, I just thought…" Idzi trailed off, looking down at his shoes.

Heidi timidly reached over and put her finger under his chin, lifting his head until his eyes met hers. "I think you're beautiful, too."

"Get a room!" Emmett hollered to the amusement of most of the assembly.

"See? This changes things," Aro muttered angrily.

I tensed up immediately, both at his words and his tone.

"Felix won't be going to Poland after all," Aro grumbled. "Heidi will." And then in a highly uncharacteristic move, Aro smiled. Not his fake smile, but a genuine one that I'd never seen before. I didn't imagine anyone saw much of it, but there it was. He was beaming at Heidi like a proud father, and I had to wonder if he had thought she would never find her match.

"But we need her talent!" Caius hissed.

"Oh, nonsense," Aro answered dismissively. "We needed Heidi's ability when we were bringing our food in, but now that we have a stable food supply, we aren't using her talents at all. Besides, Caius, you said yourself that you didn't want Felix to go… that he was too important to our security here."

If it were possible, Felix looked a little more puffed up than usual.

"Of course, Heidi's presence is always a delight…," Aro continued, seeming a bit melancholy. He turned to her and said, "The choice is yours, my dear girl. If you stay, we will be overjoyed to have you continue in our company. If you go, we will miss you terribly, but you will go with our blessing and the full authority of the Volturi guard."

She looked between Aro and Idzi, then around the room at her fellow guard members. "I… I'll miss all of you, too," she announced with a dazzling smile.

A cheer went up as Idzi pulled Heidi into an embrace, kissing her soundly. Many of the guard members approached, offering hugs and congratulations. I knew Heidi was well-liked… I didn't know how much was due to her gift and how much was actually her, or if the two were so intertwined, they were indistinguishable, but the girl definitely had a following.

Once the celebrating died down, Aro locked his gaze on Fred. Gone was the authentic smile. His face resumed its plastic façade, the one we all knew and feared.

"Now on to the second matter of the evening. Fred, we have given you ample time to make your decision. I hope you have come to a conclusion on your own. I would hate to ruin this otherwise happy affair with… unpleasantries."

Fred stepped forward with Amanda at his side. They really were an adorable couple.

"Well, Aro, here's the problem… I'm not sure how to answer you," Fred admitted. "On one hand, I want to go back home with the Cullens. They're my family now and I was hoping to spend a lot more time with them. On the other, I know Amanda can't go, and there's no way I could ever leave her, maybe not even if she ordered me to." He kissed her hand as he held it tightly in his own.

"Then on the one hand, I don't really want to join the guard, or to be more precise, I don't think they want me to join them. On the other hand, I've heard it's not a very good idea to stay in Volterra without the security of being a guard member."

"How many hands do you have?" Emmett asked incredulously.

"Wouldn't you like to know…" Fred answered as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Fresh," Emmett bent his wrist and raised his pinky finger, trying to look coy.

Amanda elbowed Fred in the ribs. "Would you please focus?" she chided.

"Sorry… OK, so, for the first part of the decision, as much as I want to go back to Forks, I know the only way I'll be happy is with Amanda. She's needed here, but more than that, she wants to stay here. So I guess that means I'm staying, too."

"May I remind you that your options, my boy, never included you leaving," Aro reiterated with irritation clear in his voice.

"Yes, I realize that," Fred answered evenly, "but I also know if I wanted to leave, nobody would be able to stop me."

Aro glowered and Caius, I think, swore under his breath.

"But none of that matters now since I've decided to stay," Fred continued. "And for the second part, I guess I'll join the guard, since Amanda is so insistent upon it."

Aro's demeanor went from hostile to delighted in the blink of an eye. I knew he coveted Fred and now he'd obtained his prize.

"However," Fred added, "I do have some of my own 'conditions.'"

"Of all the insolent…"Caius started, but appeared too dumbfounded to finish his thought out loud.

"Yeah, I know… annoying, isn't it? You think you have a deal and then someone goes and puts conditions on it…" Fred answered with a contemptuous tone. The thinly veiled insult did not go unnoticed.

"We make the rules here," Aro admonished him. "You'd best remember that. However, I am curious as to what conditions you think you can impose on us."

Fred took a deep, unnecessary breath. "My primary conditions are: I won't be used as a weapon, I choose when I use my gift and when I don't, and I will never fight against my family."

A collective gasp was heard around the room.

"That is not for you to choose," Caius roared. "Guard members do as they are told. End of story."

"With all due respect, Caius, I can't do it any other way. I've been used since I was born into this life, and it can't be that way anymore. It goes against everything I am. I'll admit, having this ability made me feel important at first, but the Cullens taught me that I'm important - me, on my own, gift or no gift. I don't have to be a performing monkey for anybody."

"The Cullens taught you that, did they…" Caius said sarcastically.

"Here's the deal - nobody here likes me. Except Amanda, of course… I guess it could be my rotten personality, but I think it's probably more about fear. I don't want everyone to hate me like they hate Jane," Fred pointed before turning his attention to her. "No offense or anything… Actually, what am I saying? I couldn't care less if you're offended! You're an evil little bitch and everyone knows it, including you!"

Jane huffed as most of the vampires around her tried not to snicker. What Fred said was true – she was hated because of what she could do... and how much she enjoyed doing it.

"I like to have fun," Fred went on. "Ask Emmett! We play video games and wrestle and make stupid bets and pull pranks. I got him to drink a pint of 2% on a dare. You think milk is bad going down, it's even worse coming up."

"Everything he said there is the God's honest truth," Emmett agreed. "Especially the milk part."

"They're absolute idiots," Rosalie added for good measure.

Amanda was nodding with a smirk on her face. She spoke to the other Volturi guard members. "If you knew Fred like I do… well, not exactly like I do…" If she could blush, she would be every shade of red known to man. "Ummmm… anyway, you'd see he's really smart and playful and sweet. Yes, he can hurt you like Jane can, but the difference is, he doesn't want to."

"I'm all about the love, man…" Fred said doing his best stoner-hippie impression as he held up two fingers in a peace sign. "I'm totally into Woodstock. Just ask Emmett."

"What did I tell you about Woodstock?" Emmett growled at him. "The greatest concert of all time is off limits! These guys might be afraid of you, but I'll beat you into next week!"

Even though nobody else understood the inside joke, there clearly was one, and once again, the two clowns had everyone sniggering.

"Do you even possess the ability to be serious?" Caius narrowed his eyes in anger at Fred.

"Well, I think so," Fred cocked his head as he pondered his response. "I'm seriously in love with Amanda, but I don't suppose that's what you're talking about here…"

"No, I don't suppose so," Caius answered, growing more annoyed by the minute.

"OK, well, I'm serious about my three conditions. I have to be more than a gun that you guys get to aim at people."

"You certainly didn't mind being a weapon against us," Caius retorted.

"That's not the same. I was defending myself, and yeah, I know I got a little… carried away. I'm not very good at controlling it, but I'm trying to get better."

Carlisle nodded fervently. "He's been a diligent student. I have to be honest, though… and Fred, I hope you don't mind if I tell this story… there was one time early on where Fred did attack us, but it turned out he was only trying to defend himself against a perceived threat. It was all just a big misunderstanding. He doesn't want to attack anyone."

"I'll still use my gift if I need to," Fred clarified. "Anyone who even thinks about hurting Amanda, for example, will be flattened and probably dismembered. I guarantee it."

"But that is of little benefit to the Volturi," Aro argued.

"OK, let's say Volterra was under enemy attack. I'm not going to let us get invaded. What I'm saying is, I decide when I use my powers and when I don't. You can explain why you think I should or shouldn't, but in the end, it's my choice."

The entirety of the guard broke out into whispers. A few weren't so quiet. I heard a "Who does he think he is?" and "The Brothers will never stand for this." The tension in the room was palpable.

At that moment, I started wondering if I could use the 'I have to go to the bathroom' ploy again.

"Wait, everybody," Fred besought the rest of the guard. "I'm really not trying to challenge the authority of the Brothers here. And I want to be friends with you guys. I'm just saying I can't be the new Jane. All of you hate her, and so do I. We could form an 'I hate Jane' club, though I hope you already have one… Just the thought of being anything like her is repulsive to me, and I'm supposed to be the one who repulses others! I want to be useful around here, but I'm not going to be used."

"We cannot and will not tolerate this!" Caius snapped. "Our guard does not dictate to us what they will and won't do. You will do as we say or you have no place here."

"I have to concur," Aro nodded. "Our reign over the vampire world is unquestionable. Like any other military-style command, the generals give the orders and the soldiers comply."

"Well, then I have no gift," Fred answered matter-of-factly. "How odd! I had it just a minute ago and now POOF! It's gone."

"How strange!" Amanda exclaimed. "My gift just suddenly stopped working, too. I don't know what you're going to do without me, but I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"My gift is gone, too!" Alice cried. "Gosh, I guess I won't be able to help you with your Romanian problem after all. Darn it."

"Oh heck," Jasper said almost with a grin. "Now my gift is gone. And here I was planning to help keep the peace in Poland. Now if things go bad, I won't be able to do anything about it. Well, that's downright disappointing."

"Amanda, you're a member of this guard. You will be faithful to your oath," Aro stormed.

"I'm sorry, Master! I can't help it if my gift suddenly left me!" Amanda playacted.

"We'll see about that," Aro sneered. "Felix, tear Felka's arm off. Let's see if Amanda's gift returns as suddenly as it left her."

Felix started toward Felka, but Idzi and Emmett were immediately in his path, followed closely by Jasper and Rosalie. Demetri and Drivey were behind Felix in the next instant. The growling was fierce. More Volturi moved to flank Felix.

"Jane!" Aro shouted, but before she could do anything, she was doubled over in pain.

"Stop this!" someone commanded from somewhere behind the thrones.

Miraculously, everyone did as the woman's voice had ordered. The Volturi guard members bowed their heads in submission. It was as if the voice had pushed some magic reset button.

It was all very confusing, until Aro answered quietly, "Sulpicia, my darling, why are you here? You should return to your chamber at once. It's much more comfortable there. I wouldn't want you upset by these proceedings."

Sulpicia stepped out from behind the center throne. "Aro, my love, I came to see for myself what this 'Fred' fellow could do, and I've heard enough to know something you won't admit to yourself. We have been deceived." Shock filled the room. I wasn't sure if it was due to what she'd said or the mere fact that she was there, but the entire guard appeared astonished.

Of course, Sulpicia was young looking and very beautiful, but she had the same papery skin as her husband. My brain started thinking of the two of them together… like 'together' together… and I may have thrown up a little in my mouth.

"Beloved," Aro cooed as he faced his wife, "whatever do you mean?"

She stepped forward and took Aro's hand. "What I mean, my dear husband, is that we have obviously been given false information about Fred. The Cullens lied to us."

Carlisle was immediately on the defensive. "I did not lie to you! I told you exactly what Fred was capable of doing and all of his shortcomings. I was completely transparent about everything!"

Sulpicia shook her head. "I wasn't referring to you, my dear old friend. I was referring to your son, Edward."

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A/N (continued): Nope not done, and I'm SOOOOOOOOO close! I'm not TRYING to prolong the agony here, people. I underestimated how much story there was left. The characters just had too much to say (so blame them!) LOL

I'd like to thank all of you who left lovely reviews! They make me ridiculously happy. I had two new readers who reviewed almost every chapter (which I love), so maybe I'll get to 200 reviews yet!

Thanks so much, everyone. Now, back to Part III of "Trying to Finish the Story Sometime this Century."