Chapter 16:

Alice was looking through the vision again. Bella and Lucas would be late, due to delay in traffic, and after getting a screaming toddler to the car at last. Years had passed and the family were located in different places at this time. She and Jasper had taken the time to live in different places in Europe, while Bella and Lucas lived two years in Italy close to Volterra, although they were planning to move back to the states because of job offers, while Erlos and Leah lived closer to Rome and were going to stay there.

"Calm down," Rosalie said, observing her sister as she moved back and forth. She and Emmett had arrived the day before. Looking forward to see their human family again. Especially the little one.

Bella and Lucas' first one had been the most excitement the family had had in a while. They made sure to visit them often, all of them, so the little one would know them all as he grew older. It was nice though, that they were now taking time to travel.

Jasper gave Rosalie a look. After all, he was the one feeling everyone's excitement.

Emmett bounced his legs, almost as impatient as Alice.

At last the car arrived and the four nearly flew out the door to meet them. They did indeed run very fast.

Bella was tired when she greeted her family. She handed Oliver over to Rosalie and said she needed a nap before leaving them all behind.

Lucas chuckled as his wife made her way into the small house, no doubt looking for a place to crash in peace. He greeted the family and then let Jasper and Alice pull out their bags and he leaned against the car.

"Rough nights?" Jasper asked, staring at him.

"Not for me. I told Bella to wake me if I don't hear the little demon when he needs us in the night."

"Demon..." Emmett snorted and shook his head.

"Oh, no. You're an absolute angel," Rosalie cooed.

"And knowing her, she tries to do everything." It was a statement from Jasper.

Lucas nodded. "I'm trying to make everything as easy for her as I can. The last nights have been a bit rough, and she gets snappy with lack of sleep, whereas I can manage with less."

Alice just nodded, she had after all seen a lot of this. "Don't worry. We will make sure you both get some time together. With me seeing what Oliver needs right before, makes it so we can put out any fires before you miss any sleep."

Rosalie hummed her agreement.

"Ah, the benefit of not needing any sleep," Lucas said.

"You bet," Emmett answered.

"That will certainly be one of the best things of all of us living close again," Lucas said, his tone warm and his smile equally reflected it.

"Bring on the kids," Emmett commented and rubbed his hands together with a large grin.

"Shh!" Lucas' face had taken on a paler complexion. "I swear she got super hearing now. This is not the time for her to overhear the thought of more kids."

"So you want more then?" Rosalie asked, curious and happy with the thought.

"We both do. Eventually," he answered. "Right now we want to cherish this time with Oliver before bringing more siblings into the equation."

Alice remained silent. Oh, if only they knew.

Bella laughed loudly as Carlisle and Edward tried to convince Emma to like the new dress she had been gifted from Renée and Phil. Yes, her own mother was still eccentric even in her older days, and even if they saw less of the pair now, they still had great contact due to technology.

Oliver was sitting on Emmett's shoulders, holding onto a tree branch, while Rosalie snapped a photo of her two favorite boys.

Lucas was talking with Talia, who was holding one of their youngest, Luna. Marcus holding Ava. A few of the guards that had accompanied the two Volturi leaders were scattered and out of sight in the woods that surrounded the recent Cullen house.

Who would have thought they would have gotten twins when they thought to just add one more to their growing family? Certainly, they had not.

Even Alice had not foreseen the extra addition to the family. A joyous surprise for all.

Erlos and Leah and their children arrived just before Esme called the humans to eat, after placing the last dishes on the table and she observed with a satisfied sigh as they all started to dig in before she left the room to join the non-food-eaters. Carlisle opened his arms and she let him hug her close as she listened to the chatter from the dining room.

Jasper let the happiness that surround him engulf him, pass through and then spread out again from himself. He felt content even when he heard one of the children shriek and protest and said child's feelings passed over without any stamp to linger. Annoyance from Leah, passing, and ever as pleasant Erlos stayed calm while diverting the child's attention.

"Good thing there's nothing irreplaceable in reach," Emmett commented and gave their mother a look.

Esme's eyes shone in amusement. "I won't be afraid of any plates breaking. And even if I was, who in their right mind would give the youngest breakable plates when there exist more durable ones?" She shook her head. "It was fun to design this home with children in mind. I feel that our lives have become more now that we have a bit of change as a permanent factor."

They were all thinking it.

One day Bella and Lucas would be gone, the children too, but they would keep seeing them in the grandchildren and great-grandchildren and so on. And they would be part of those changes, hopefully at least.

Talia nodded from her seat. "This is one example of how myths and humans can live together, and hopefully with time everyone can live in the open with each other. Small steps at a time."

"Is that a certain future?" Edward wondered.

"It's a possibility of many," Talia responded, still blessed with some of her previous knowledge.

"It's not like we don't have time," Rosalie commented.

The others nodded.

Oliver saw his family in the back row as he graduated. He grinned widely and waved. Emmett's booming cheer reached him through the masses and it made him laugh. Only his uncle's voice… Of course, he would soon have to stop calling him uncle in public, just as the rest of the family. In private and around them it did not matter of course as then it would only be them.

There was something a bit sad about that fact.

Aunt Rosalie was the first to reach him after his parents and siblings had hugged him and she squeezed just tight enough to not crush him. He knew he was her favorite even if she would never admit it aloud. Then Emmett's arms lifted him up from the ground and he could not help but laugh as he twirled him around for show, making the family laugh, and any spectators shake their heads at the strangeness.

Emma observed her brother with a large smile while he chatted happily with their grandfather Charlie. Their mother and father stood close – Lucas' arm around Bella's waist. She thought it was adorable that her parents just as the majority of the rest of her family so openly showed affection and their love for each other. Of course she also knew they were true soulmates. The world she and her own siblings were part of were a waster one that most humans were aware of. Even if that would hopefully one day change.

After all it was still harder to interact with other myths as most of them were still observing the vampires and shifters from the sidelines. There had been a few interactions in the past, although as they had been so brief – that she barely remembered the mermaid that had once crossed paths with her, or even the fairies in the woods. She followed silently to the cars, and they parted ways as the humans were to go eat out in celebration.

Oliver rested his arms against the railing on the porch later that evening. The twins were in bed and Emma was inside chatting happily with their aunts. He noticed his father come up beside him and he leaned into his father's arms for a short moment.

"Everything ok?" Lucas asked.

Oliver nodded. "I just needed a moment. My life is changing you know." His tone held a bit of amusement, but also longing.

"We will be within reach," Lucas assured. "A phone call away. If you need us, we will come."

"Yeah, I know."

Emma was smiling happily in her wedding dress as the woman beside her, the love of her life, held around her.

The twins had each their boyfriend for now that attended as plus ones. And Oliver and his wife were further in the back of the reception, trying to keep their two children in line.

The rest of the Cullens were there and she thought a bit with amusement of when her now wife was let in on the secret. To say it had almost been the ultimate test had been an understatement. Alice had of course assured her that everything would be fine in the end.

It had not stopped the uncertainty.

Ava ran over to Edward. Can you tell me what he's thinking? she asked him and tilted her head towards her boyfriend. It was obvious that she wanted to cheat and know if he was one of the better ones out there.

Edward nodded briefly.

"Thanks," she said under her breath.

"You do know that most of your relationships ended this way?" he pointed out.

"I want something true," she responded and crossed her arms while she met her twins' eyes that stood close to their parents. Luna had found a merman who was her true mate. She still kept it from the rest of the family, although she was quite sure Edward knew (even so he was good at keeping secrets).

"Do you not believe fate will make sure that happens when the time is right?" he mused.

She shook her head. Maybe she was a bit impatient. Do you think me selfish for wanting true happiness from as early as possible?

"No," he voiced to her thoughts. Edward did not think her selfish. After all, Ava been unluckier than any of her siblings when it came to a love-life. Emma had not hit at once either, but she had found her now new wife in her last year of university.

Edward listened in the rest of the evening. Not saying anything as to not ruin her night.

"The right one will present himself soon enough," Alice said to Edward later that night when they were back at the house.

"I can't believe she still want you to use your gift for this, and that you even oblige her," Rosalie commented.

"We can't blame her though," Jasper muttered while holding his own mate close.

"At least Eddie's gift is good for something," Emmett teased.

Edward let the poor nickname slide.

Carlisle and Esme entered with Bella and Lucas as they returned – tired from the long day. The two vampires were more than happy to give the two humans a ride. Murmurs of good nights and hugs were passed again before they retired to their room.

After the kids had all moved out, Bella and Lucas had decided to move back in with the Cullens for a few years. It helped that Oliver lived close enough, as Ava and Luna were more interested in travelling at this point and discover the world. Emma was moving to a warmer place with her new wife.

"The merman's coming over tomorrow morning?" Emmett asked Carlisle.

Carlisle nodded. After all, he still had a lot of questions to ask the other myth. Somethings never changed.

Oliver stood at his parents' grave, Carlisle and Esme beside him. He knew they were resting now. After all, Ariel had arrived just a few hours ago to tell them the news. They had made their choice. They could have become angels together, but they had decided to enter the eternal rest and peace, and maybe one day in the far future would they be reborn again, as that still were an option to them even with the choice made.

He liked that, that it was a possibility he would meet them again.

The twins had found different myths. Luna was mated to a merman, and then at last Ava had been mated to an elf. Both would lead longer lives with their children.

Emma and her wife decided to not have children and were more than happy to be the cool aunts.

Ariel had been hesitant when coming back to the Cullen house after she had seen her brother and Bella safely to the plains. Talia had been there, visiting, and she would be eternally grateful for that. Meeting Edward face to face had taken her by surprise. Not because he was her mate, but the sheer force of the bond that had formed so instantly. She was more hesitant to give up her wings due to Edward's past. She should have known that her fear was unfounded as he clearly had learnt from it. Lucky for her the transition was painless and quick and she easily fell into her new life.

The plains:

Bella sat by the lake, her body once younger, her late twenties she mused after seeing her reflection in the water. Lucas was the same. Handsome as always and younger again, like her. The muscles were back, and she happily snuggled into his arms. There was no more pain.

Their necklace glinted in the warm light and she played with it.

"We can take them off now," he murmured into her hair and his arms tightened their hold a bit.

"I thought they were to stay, in case we wanted to go back..."

"No, we still have that choice now, with or without." Lucas was not in any rush to exit their supposed eternal rest for a new life.

"For now I do not mind keeping it on," she said.

He lifted his over his neck and over to hers. His own now rested beside hers. "I hope you don't mind carrying mine then," he said and grinned as she turned towards him.

The warm metal rested against her skin.

"We stay together, forever," she said, their fingers lacing together.

"Of course, I won't have it any other way," he said and then kissed her.

A/N: Here it ends! Surprisingly enough. At 40806 words. When I first started this I was so sure it would be one of the fics that drags on a bit with interactions and so on, but that's not where the characters wanted I guess.

As you probably guessed this story could have taken several turns had I not really been set on it being BellaxOC from start. There was a moment I thought, hey, this could still be BxE if she chooses the bond and they work on the relationship. At the same time, it could also have been that Lucas would have had a more passive role and not been a possible mate and someone else would have come in. A small part of me leaned towards the idea of Bella and Lucas to choose to become angels and I played around in my head with the possibility. At the same time, that was not the point of her choosing him, and them choosing humanity. The way I also left it open you can make your own decision what they do later on.

Most of all I hope this fanfic can inspire others to write, and that it brought a moment of pause from the real world.

Thank you all who have follow/fav so far along in the story, and to later readers!

Until the next fanfic!