In the year 2020, Vampires took control of society and ordered all humans placed in vampire custody. The people who were not captured formed a Resistance movement, headed by the Human Council, who began to plan the Insurgence.

I am, of course, indebted to Stephenie Meyer for this world we all play in, and these characters we all adore. Additionally, I am indebted to hitntr01, who has graciously allowed me to use certain concepts from her wonderful story "In Need of Rescue", which constitute much of the background of my own story. These include: the language Vampiri, the Rules, the machines used to draw blood from humans, Manners Training, and the plot theme of Edward working as a guard at a facility holding humans. Thank you, hitntr01.

Chapter 43 – The Arrival of the Cousins

December 22, 2039; Day 7114

(Bella's POV)

At the same time that Jasper started treating Ardella better, my daily reports from the allies on the lives of the other humans living in Forks showed their living conditions were improving as well. The vampires didn't seem to know how to behave without cops around to enforce the Rules. They were skittish, not understanding what happened. Sometimes I wondered just how much human is left in some of these beings.

It was obvious rumors had started to fly around the cause of the cops' death, and the local vampires were beginning to fear for their own safety. Most believe that Jasper had killed the cops who came to his house, but that didn't account for the Chief of Police, since they knew Jasper hadn't been to that end of Forks that day. The other vampires couldn't leave town without travel vouchers signed by the Chief of Police, so they were all forced to remain local, or risk going into the wilderness.

Emmett had always been well liked around town, and when he started talking about better treatment for humans at the bar he worked at, the local vampire population listened. He generally suggested better food for the humans and told people he was relieved to be able to talk in human to his own human pets. Now that his two guys were companions, he said, it made watching the games on TV more fun, he said. The other human pet owners seemed to be following his lead and were treating their humans more – well, human.

But the cousins were getting more and more interested in making the trip down to Forks for a visit. Now that the Cullens knew they are involved, they openly sent their care packages for Ardella and Amy to Carlisle's, asking that Esme look at the packages before they were forwarded to Jasper's house.

The cousins wanted Esme to go see Ardella's baby Amy, but she continued to refuse to go to Jasper's house as long as he had a blood slave. The cousins kept trying to get her to go anyway, sending her messages asking how the clothes fit Amy. Esme wasn't taking the bait. Good luck with that, I thought.

Life did not return to its usual routine at the Cullen house any more. Jasper was spending more time at his own house, all of the Cullen family members who owned a human did. Emmett seemed to have made the adjustment to living with his humans without the guidelines of the Rules the most easily. Once he got over the idea of not being able to use "code" at home, he started talking to his two guys. He wasn't happy to hear that Rosalie killed Clyde, but he seemed to have always suspected it.

The biggest surprise came the next time Rosalie came to the house. After she arrived, and settled into her usual chair by the window, Esme walked in to the living room. Esme asked Rosalie, "Is it true? Did you beat the boy to death when he asked for more food?"

Rosalie tried to not answer, but Esme said, "I was hoping not to believe it. But now, I don't know you anymore. You were always vain and self-centered, I tried to overlook that. But buying, then killing a human, and now you won't admit it…I don't know you. In the future, when you want to come to this house, I need to be given warning as I will not be here during your visit. I can't be under the same roof with you. I'm going out to hunt. When I come back, I want all your things from your old room out of this house. I don't want any reminders that I ever knew you anywhere near where I live."

Then Esme left.

Emmett and Rosalie exchanged glances, and then Rosalie pursed her lips, and started up the stairs.

"Babe…" said Emmett, then he followed her. They flashed up and down the stairs, carrying armloads of items to Emmett's Jeep, and were gone. Carlisle and Jasper exchanged a glance after they left. Jasper had offered to help, but Rosalie had shrugged off his offer, so he had stayed downstairs with me.

Esme returned near morning of the next day, looking fed but determined.

Not long after she returned, a car pulled up. I hadn't been in touch with the cousins that morning, dealing with my local melodrama. I should have been suspicious of the silence on their end.

A knock came at the door, and a tired Carlisle went to answer it.

Suddenly I heard, "We're here!", and in sailed Celeste, followed by Hope and Hope's youngest son, Ron. They were escorted by Byron, one of the Home coven vampires. I looked at Byron and said "Cessna?" He shrugged, and then I was engulfed in a hug from Celeste, the youngest of the cousins. She and Hope had on their usual complementing outfits: Celeste had dressed in bright yellow, and Hope in light blue. Hope's two year old son Ron was wearing a sailor suit.

Hope looked at me and shrugged. "Celeste wouldn't wait any longer to come see you. And when I saw Byron was really going to bring her here today, I picked up Ron, and said I was coming, too."

I couldn't restrain my emotions. I started crying like a baby, much as I hated to. Despite having spent three years talking daily and seeing one another through our shared mental connection, I had never actually met my cousins in person.

Hope and I didn't even try to speak, after "Hello." It was unnecessary – we knew how the other felt. She had been my rock up there, wherever it was that the Home coven existed. Celeste started babbly immediately; I wasn't sure whether I could get a word in edgewise. I wasn't sure I wanted to. Just listening to her in person was an amazing experience. I did remind her, mentally, that the Cullens still only knew me as '99'. I had never told them my birth name, the name my mother gave me. Celeste rolled her eyes at my reminder and sent me a mental 'Do you think I'm stupid?' silent message, never stopping her ceaseless chatter.

While she continued to carry on, I turned briefly to Byron, the coven member who had brought them to Forks.

"How long will it be before the others arrive, and who's coming after you guys?" I asked Byron.

"It will be Papa, and he'll have at least Rodrigo and Luther with him," he muttered.

We went outside on the patio. Celeste exclaimed over every detail of first the house and then the patio. Hope carried the little Ron, who was more interested in Carlisle's hair than the house. Esme came downstairs from her office and followed the three visitors out to the patio. Esme was remarking to Carlisle on our resemblance to one another, and of course, making a grab for two-year old Ron.

Finally, after Esme managed to capture the baby from Hope and was holding him in her lap, Carlisle turned to me and asked the question he and Esme had been discussing. "How is this possible? Are you sisters? You three could be identical triplets, just at different ages."

I smiled. "Everyone notices. We were all born on different death camps, to different parents. Yet we all look identical, as if we are the same person at different ages. Furthermore, two of us died before the seven of us even met. So originally, we were nine. One cousin was sold to a brothel when she turned sixteen, a second died in childbirth having the child she was forced to conceive when she turned sixteen. Hope survived two live births."

Carlisle leaned back in his chair, stroking his jaw while considering us. I didn't need the mind-reader to tell me what he was thinking. We appeared to be one person, born three different times. I had never thought it was luck that the other six girls, my apparent other selves, were found by a coven that was born from a family with long ties to the immortal world. My cousins didn't puzzle them upon their arrival. The Home coven's human family understood and welcomed my cousins immediately. Why I became the fighter, traveling the world, only to end up with Carlisle and Jasper was the real question, as far as I was concerned.

I let Celeste's chatter wash over me, as the other four cousins from Home finally checked in with me, apologizing for not giving me a warning about my impending visitors. It was nice to have the two cousins here, sitting on Carlisle's patio with me. It was nice to see Esme holding and playing with a young child. It was even nice to see Carlisle studying someone other than me, trying to work out the mystery in his mind.

Soon Jasper returned from his house, as Carlisle had obviously called him. After Rodrigo's first visit, the two of them wanted to have all the males present when the Home coven showed up. Emmett wouldn't be far behind. He stopped short when he saw the two girls. He was close to being overwhelmed by our combined scent, to say nothing of our remarkable resemblance. I let him recover himself for a few seconds before I started making introductions. He and Carlisle exchanged glances, and he made a quick phone call before coming onto the patio. I figured he was calling Emmett and telling him to get over here now, as in right now.

Introductions were made, and Hope started commenting via our mental connection about how Jasper looked even more gorgeous in person. Celeste began giggling at this, but pretended she was laughing at the little Ron. I had to admit, he did look good in that black t-shirt and jeans.

An hour later, I felt the presence of five more vampires in a v formation. That would be the Home Coven Recovery Team, as I was starting to call them.

Papa came around the corner of the house and onto the patio, flanked by Luther and Rodrigo, and two other boys.

When Papa saw who was on the patio, he put out a hand, signaling the rest of his coven to stop, and then he moved closer. He nodded to Carlisle and gestured to Celeste and Hope. Both girls moved forward towards him. He reached out and took their hands, looking into their eyes, and then smiled. He passed them to Luther and Rodrigo.

Now Papa looked at me. "Hello, little one," he said softly.

I nodded and kept my eyes down. I was deeply grateful to this coven master for taking in my family and taking such good care of them. He looked up at Carlisle and Jasper, who had quickly moved closer to me, flanking me protectively. Then Papa looked at Esme, who was standing behind me, still holding Hope's son.

We could all feel the electricity between Papa and Esme, and it seemed that time almost stopped as they gazed at one another. Finally Papa shook his head, looking away from Esme and back at me. He took a deep breath and then stood up and addressed Carlisle. "Carlisle Cullen?" he said, "I am Papa. These are five of my boys. I see you met Byron before I arrived and believe you have met Rodrigo on a prior visit."

Carlisle smiled, and said, "You are welcome." Jasper didn't look quite so sure, and put one hand on my shoulder.

"It was about time we met," Papa said to Carlisle. "You little guest is attracting my family on a regular basis. I think I might as well put a Cessna landing strip in your back yard."

Carlisle nodded. "She has been rather popular with our friends as well." Esme had set Ron down and backed into the house while Carlisle and Papa spoke.

Celeste looked up from her seat on Luther's thigh and reached out for Ron. Luther had crouched, holding her on one knee and engulfing her in his arms. Ron was more interested in playing soldier with a stick Esme had found for him than going to Celeste. Rodrigo was standing, holding Hope on his hip. Neither of the vampires were releasing the girls from their protective grips, but the tension had lessened.

The first meeting between the Home and Cullen covens that involved my human family, though unexpected, had gone smoothly. Leah's impromptu visits had been short, but laid the groundwork for a developing relationship between the two covens. The obvious attraction between Papa and Esme had been totally unexpected, but would tie the two covens very closely.

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Next chapter – Aro's quarterly "State of My Empire" speech – and Bella's recall to active duty as a Freedom Fighter.