Chapter Twenty-Three: The Monster You Made Me
"I am the monster you created, You ripped out all my parts."
- Mako & Sting (What Could Have Been)
Battleground - February 17th - 10:15 am
"This is a mess." Eliza quipped as the family stepped onto the battlefield. Leah and Michelle ran over, and stopped in front of their mates with curious looks on their faces.
"My wife." Michelle said softly, reaching up and touching Brianna's cheek as a warm smile spread across both of their faces.
"Wife? I guess we're missing something." Emmett asked as he paused his work gathering bodies together.
"What's it looking like?" Isabella asked, noting that many of the fallen were in pieces.
"Peter and Charlotte disappeared during the fight. Maggie and Siobhan are fine, so are Zafrina and Senna, although both covens lost a member, and I haven't seen Lauren, Mei or Kira. Athenodora sustained far too much damage to ever recover. Sulpicia and Jane are all on the mend, although they might need our blood to fully heal. Tia is in similar shape, she's awake, but parts of her upper and lower torso were scattered when she was ripped apart. The rest, well most of them weren't just beheaded, they were ground into dust. I could use Angela's help though. This isn't really my strong suit." Emmett sounded a bit like a mechanic dolling out news about a car that had too many miles.
"Do what you can." Isabella gave him a supportive look, and a small quick smile.
"Lauren will be fine." Brianna added, but didn't want to elaborate yet. Isabella gave her a quick glance in confusion, this wasn't something she had ever mentioned before.
"I'll be there in a minute. Esme and Rosalie are watching over the newborns for now." Angela sent across the link, startling the family.
"Huh, that's still active. Well, welcome to the family mindshare. Talia, are you still there too?" Eliza asked with equal parts surprise and a fair amount of joy. Angela and Talia had been a part of the link for sixteen years, and they were a part of the family utterly and completely.
"Yes, I'm coming back with Angela. I know Alice pulled us back, but I also know that my body continued in that world. I don't have any recollection after the time we left, but it feels like that place still exists." Talia replied, the worry in her mental voice was clear.
"I feel it too if I'm being honest." Eliza added, thinking actively about what Talia was talking about.
"That world will fade in time, and that feeling should go away." Alice was mostly guessing, but after what the goddess explained, it felt like the right answer.
"I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I haven't told any of them about what is going on, should we? I mean especially Rose and Emmett." Angela asked, after just leaving Rosalie who seemed so happy with her pregnancy, she didn't want to hurt her by letting her know about her other life.
"We'll talk about it, but for now let's keep it to ourselves. Last time didn't go well." Isabella glanced over at Alice who winced slightly and lowered her head in shame. She wasn't quite ready to forgive Alice for her actions. Creating an alternate timeline was reckless, and she couldn't even begin to work out the consequences.
"So has it always been like this for you guys?" Leah asked, her mental voice slightly softer than her outer voice.
"Lele…!" Eliza practically squealed out loud, hugging Leah tightly.
"I guess that answers the question about repercussions." Isabella sent across the link sending Leah a warm hug, and then frowned outwardly. "Let's get this wrapped up and that black sludge burned."
"What happened with Joham?" Jasper asked, as he threw a leg onto the fire that was already bonfire sized.
"Dead." Isabella said simply.
"She ground his bones to make her bread." Eliza quipped, and got mostly blank looks, although most of the family laughed, including Emmett who slapped her across the back.
"Good one. A Buffy quote for every occasion." Emmett said as he picked up a shovel and started to scoop the loose black sludge into the fire. It acted almost like an accelerant, and the smoke quickly changed from black to a dark green.
"Where did you get a shovel?" Brianna asked, as she held onto Michelle. She was still reveling in the physical contact, having gone for years with no sensation at all.
"Always be prepared." Emmett smirked, and then shook his head. "We're only about ten miles south of the highway, there's a convenience store up there so I ran up and got one. Figured it would be the best way to deal with this crap."
"Good idea. Anna, Michelle, could you two grab us as many as they have? This will take all day with just one." Isabella asked, and they smiled and ran off together hand in hand.
"Is it just me or do they seem closer?" Henry asked, a single eyebrow raised.
"It's a long story." Eliza said with a distant look in her eyes.
"So do we have a plan for the newborns?" Adara asked, as she pitched the last body part onto the bonfire.
"I imagine it'll be a lot like how we will have to deal with the wolves, new covens will form." Isabella guessed, looking around there were several options for the new vampires to choose from. Including the Denali who were standing apart looking fractured and uneasy with one another.
"We'll watch over Sulpicia and Jane, and turn the Volturi into something good." Didyme said, holding her husband tightly.
"The three of you were quite loyal to Athenodora and Sulpicia, would you be willing to join us as a part of our new coven? Not as just guards, but as respected and valued equals?" Marcus asked Greta, Tabitha and Simon who were huddled together. They all stood a bit straighter and looked to one another before Greta stepped forward.
"It would be our honor." Greta said with a confidence she hadn't realized she possessed. Marcus and Didyme both gave her a look of pride and joy at her response. Then Greta looked to Sulpicia, who still hadn't regained consciousness, her body still mending in several places including her neck.
"Mama!" Zoey called out as Angela entered the battlefield along with Talia and Charlie. Angela stopped in mid-step and her entire face shifted from determined to broken for an instant before smiling at her daughter.
"Zoey." Angela whispered, feeling a wave of relief at seeing her daughter again after sixteen years.
"Thank god." Charlie rushed forward and pulled his granddaughter into a tight hug.
Talia looked over at Angela and gave her a small knowing smile. "This is better."
"It is, despite all the darkness." Angela felt a tear come to her eye, and quickly wiped it away. "I never thought I would see her again."
"I know." Talia pulled her wife tightly against her, and kissed her cheek. Angela shut her eyes and took a deep calming breath before they moved out to try and help figure out the mess in front of them.
South of the Battleground - February 17th - 4:20 pm
"Are you going to explain what you were thinking?" Isabella asked looking down at Lauren and Clara her expression was difficult to read. They were still transitioning, although the physical changes for both women were already complete.
"I was thinking Lauren deserved to join us, and she wanted to save Clara." Brianna answered indignantly.
Isabella's expression softened, and she pulled Brianna into a side-hug. "I'm proud of you."
"I guess this is a good time to talk." Isabella sighed, "what do we say to everyone?"
"I think we say the basic stuff, nothing else." Eliza suggested, although her mental voice was tentative.
"I'm torn, on one hand I want them all to know everything. They got a lot of good years out of the deal. On the other hand, Rose and Emmett would be in active mourning the moment we tell them they just lost three children." Angela put in her thoughts, but felt she didn't really have much of a say in the decision.
"The goddess said the twins would come back to us. To the family in some way." Alice added, as she wrapped her arms around her chest and tried to hold back her emotions. Until she felt a familiar arm snake around her back and pulled her close. She rested her head against Isabella's chest and shut her eyes tightly.
"We're dealing with alternate realities, do we even know what we experienced was real?" Talia suggested, because her own experience was incredibly difficult. Spending sixteen years in a mindscape, only to get a body for a few days.
"It was real." Alice confirmed, her mental voice just above a whisper.
"Of course it was real. I spent sixteen years with Michelle in that mind palace. Years that helped me heal and learn to love and accept love. Sis, I know you cherish the life you built with Leah." Brianna argued, feeling passionate about the time she had been given.
"I agree with Brianna, to ignore or forget our time in that place feels like we're pushing aside an important time in our lives." Michelle added, sending a mental hug towards Brianna.
"I barely spent any time in that place before being joined with my body. But they're right, I got to build a life with Eliza, and now we're closer than ever. We held off on children because of the threats, but I want that now." Leah voiced her opinion, her mental voice growing stronger within the link.
"Rose, Esme, Emmett, the versions of them in that other world were not really our family. They were people we forced to live different lives. Sure there were happy times, good memories, and I will hold onto Gretchen, Lillian and baby Carlisle forever. But I think we should let them go." Eliza pleaded with the family, and there were a few moments of silence across the link as everyone considered her position.
"We have to tell them, they know we experienced something." Isabella argued, although in truth she felt that Eliza was right.
"Then we tell them the truth, but do not offer their memories and hold back the details. The basic stuff like Eliza suggested." Angela suggested.
"Alright, votes?" Isabella asked, and there was a collective nod in agreement. "Who thinks we should only tell the coven the basics, leave out the bigger and more difficult details?"
Eliza, Isabella, Alice and Angela all said 'Aye'.
"Opposed?" Isabella asked, knowing this would end in a deadlock.
Talia, Michelle, Leah and Brianna all said 'Nay.'
"Anyone have anything else?" Isabella asked, but the link was silent. "Alright, since we cannot decide on what to say, except to say something. I feel that we tell them everything, and offer memories if Angela is agreeable."
"I was far more careful, keeping a current imprint of each mind we were close to outside of the link, just in case. So yes, I can share their memories. Obviously Jasper would be an exception. So Charlie, Esme, Rosalie and Emmett." Angela confirmed.
"Are we really doing this?" Brianna shook her head as she looked down at Lauren and Clara, hoping for a distraction from all this pain. Then suddenly and in near unison Lauren and Clara both let go of each other and gasped loudly. Blinking awake revealed Lauren's emerald green eyes and Clara's sky blue eyes. They sat up and stared at each other for a couple of seconds, before falling into a tight hug, followed by a tender kiss.
"Ahem." Isabella said, forcing them to look up.
"Bella… er… Isabella." Lauren got to her feet and then stopped herself before going for a hug.
"I see you saved one." Isabella asked, and Lauren looked down at Clara before offering a hand to help her up. Clara took it without hesitation and her face brightened when Lauren didn't pull away from the contact, instead wrapping the same arm around her waist.
"Isabella, this is Clara, my… I don't really know how to explain what you are to me now. We were kind of friends during our time in Joham's army, but were never close. Now, it's like we just fit and I can't explain it." Lauren looked at Clara, feeling the confidence and purity of their new connection. Sure of her new partner and mate more than anything else in over a century.
"It appears as though our kind are somewhat Sapphic in nature, it might be an instinctual impulse." Eliza said, voicing something she had noticed as a recurring trend.
"Oh, that's kind of weird." Lauren furrowed her brow, and then shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I've always thought of Clara as someone I wanted to be closer to, and now we are."
"Are you okay with all of this?" Isabella asked Clara, who just smiled brightly.
"I didn't want to fight, I didn't want to be a monster. Brianna and Lauren here gave me a new life, and to be honest I've been in love with Lauren for years." Clara looked over at Lauren with a warm smile on her face, and Lauren just pulled her closer into her side.
"Then good, I'm glad you found each other." Brianna said with a big smile, "I'm not sure about the rest of the family, but I think you are both welcome to join the coven."
Lauren looked to Isabella who nodded once in agreement. Lauren then looked to Clara who just gave her a happy smile, then she turned back to Isabella and Brianna, "We would be honored. By the way, what happened to the army?" Lauren asked curiously.
"They are mostly awake now, we cured quite a few. About a dozen ran off to start a new life for themselves. Over half joined one of the surviving covens. The rest are staying with us to figure out a new life." Eliza explained easily, she was looking forward to getting to know the two dozen people who had decided to stay with their coven, at least until they got their feet under them.
"Quite a few are teenagers, and will actively need support and family to recover from all this horror." Brianna added.
"Aren't you a teenager?" Lauren asked, feeling deeply confused.
"That's complicated." Brianna answered looking at her family who all shrugged. None of them knew exactly how to explain their shared experience. But as much as she agreed with the choice to tell everyone, she knew the truth of why she and Michelle were acting older, and why Isabella was softer and Angela was a little unstable would come as a shock.
"Alice sent us back in time a hundred years and we lived in an alternate timeline for a decade and a half." Eliza blurted out, then her eyes went wide and she started to giggle.
"That's insane, did that really happen?" Clara's eyes were wide with curiosity, her bright expression and genuine excitement at the possibility made Eliza realize she would fit in just fine.
"Please tell me you're into science fiction." Eliza was grinning with her bottom lip caught between her teeth.
"I'm not really caught up, it's been years since I watched anything. Aliyah recruited me almost five years ago." Clara replied happily, causing Eliza to do a little dance as her watch group was growing quite large.
"Mei and Kira just appeared along the tree line, you should come back, this is… I'm a little dumbfounded on this one." Angela sent across the link.
"On our way." Isabella sent back. "Something's come up, let's head back to the group."
"I can't believe you just blurted it out like that." Alice almost laughed as they began to run towards the battlefield.
"Eh, I've always done that. Makes it easier to digest if it is quick, like a Band-Aid." Eliza quipped.
"Have you ever worn a Band-Aid?" Brianna asked, her brow furrowing.
"No, no I haven't." Eliza tried not to react, but the fact that she had never been human was a bit of a sore spot. Brianna realized her mistake and sent Eliza a mental hug, of reassurance and understanding that eased her mind. Leah took over for Brianna a second later, surrounding Eliza with the feeling of warmth and love. "I love you so much." Eliza sent to Leah, who just smiled as they arrived on the battlefield and then rushed into her lover's arms.
That's when they spotted Kira and Mei, standing hand in hand just inside the clearing near the tree line. Mei looked mostly the same, but Kira was clearly different. Her skin had a slight pallor, her eyes were brighter and more gemstone like, and her entire demeanor was guarded.
Isabella flashed over but stopped a respectful distance away, "Mei, Kira. What happened?"
Mei let go of her wife and stepped forward somewhat aggressively, her expression bordering on hostile. "Kira was infected by that black blood, dying and I chose to try and save her."
Kira stepped forward and put a hand on Mei's shoulder. "Lóng, my love, Isabella simply wants an explanation." Kira then turned to Isabella. "We bonded, and I'm different somehow. I feel stronger, powerful."
"Are you still a tiger?" Leah asked with an expectant look in her eye.
"Yes." Kira answered, then shifted into her tiger form, which was half again larger than before.
"Holy shit." Eliza swore out loud, just before Mei stepped forward and shifted into a tiger as well. Her fur was uniformly black, except for a faint hint of dark gray stripes. "Double holy fucking shit. You can shift now?"
Mei and Kira both shifted back into their human forms, and Mei gave her a shrug. "Something happened when we bonded, I have access to her power, and she has access to mine."
"Wait, you're gifted?" Isabella shook her head with a small laugh.
"Yes, I can create silence around me. It is a subtle gift, but one that has proved beneficial over time." Mei explained, as Kira gave her a somewhat startled look. She had never known Mei to be so forthcoming.
Eliza and Brianna both looked to their lovers, realizing that they might be able to share far more than just their lives. Eliza stepped forward towards the couple, "will you share what you have with us?"
"Of course. You are family after all." Mei said quickly, and they both bowed towards Eliza and then the rest of the family.
The Swan House - February 17th - 7:00 pm
"Run that by me again?" Rosalie demanded, barely holding back her anger.
"Alice, reacting to my apparent death, pulled us back in time to 2004, where we lived for sixteen years." Isabella explained, keeping her cool despite Rosalie's somewhat aggressive posture.
"That sounds impossible, but for the sake of argument, what happened?" Adara asked, crossing her arms in mild irritation.
"That has been the debate, whether or not to tell you all the details because it's a lot." Brianna said then took a deep breath. "Michelle and I were in limbo for that entire time, since we did not exist yet in that timeline. But time did pass for us, and we built a life for ourselves."
"I gave all of you memories I have been exposed to, and it was enough for your counterparts to accept us and join together as family." Angela added.
"Interesting, so what did you do with Edward and Carlisle?" Jasper asked thoughtfully.
"Edward witnessed this timeline as a vision and left for Volterra in exile. We hoped he would learn from his mistakes, but he doubled down and convinced the Volturi we were a threat. They bided their time, until Angela found Talia, and attempted to kill them. We intervened. Charlie, you took Edward's head, and we let Demetri live. He sided with Marcus, and a civil war broke out, spreading vampirism like a plague across the planet. I could see it devolving into never-ending, which would slowly destroy the world. So I tried to go back further to change things, but the goddess of Fate stepped in and convinced me returning to now was the better option. Thankfully Isabella recovered, and here we are." Alice explained quickly, needing to get through this as fast as possible for her own sanity. Isabella placed a hand at the small of her back, and the small gesture of support helped.
"Okay, what about Carlisle?" Jasper asked after a moment of thought.
"Jasper, you and Carlisle left, and we never heard from you again." Isabella replied with a soft shrug.
"What aren't you telling us?" Rosalie asked, her nostrils flaring because she could tell they were holding back.
"When we finally found Eliza, we managed to capture and kill Joham. Preventing all of this. However, there were four pregnant women there. I did everything I could to save them, but they died because of various complications. Mostly due to some pretty gnarly experiments Joham subjected them to. I won't ever discuss that stuff, because it was vile and utterly immoral and unethical, but I have a much better understanding of his process. Suffice it to say, of the four pregnancies I was only able to save two of the newborns. They only survived because they were twins and the experiments were split between them. Rose, you and Emmett adopted them, named them Gretchen and Lillian, and they became an important part of the family. You also eventually had a son you named Carlisle." Angela rambled on a bit, her mind still a bit scattered and unfocused. Rosalie couldn't stop staring at her, her eyes wide with tears actively streaming down her face.
"The goddess told me that because they lived when they were never supposed to live, we created something new. She said they will come back to you." Alice added, hoping it would help.
"Can I have those memories?" Rosalie was no longer angry, her expression hopeful to the point of desperation as she touched her stomach with longing.
"Of course." Angela nodded, and moved forward and touched Rosalie's temple, sending her the last impression she had of her counterpart's mind from the alternate reality.
"My god." Rosalie gasped as Emmett motioned for Angela to do the same for him. Esme was next, followed by Charlie.
"Mom, would you have changed things?" Zoey asked after a few minutes of absolute silence. Because everyone was unable to fully wrap their heads around the situation.
"Yes, I would've saved your parents, given you a normal life." Angela admitted, her body shaking with the emotions swirling after sending memories of that time across to Rosalie, Emmett and Esme.
"Wait, what did you do with Victoria? Neither of you ever said." Esme asked, as she sifted through her memories.
"I…" Angela started, but Isabella shook her head.
"That's enough, she did something she has regretted for years and I'm not about to force her to relive those memories." Isabella looked around the room. "I'm sorry about our choices, but we had to act, it just didn't work out."
"You couldn't have known." Esme said, pulling her adoptive daughter into a side-hug.
Rochester, NY - July 1st - One Year Later
"Nice house." Hailey said, looking around the main foyer.
"Thank you for letting us come." Madison gave Angela an appreciative smile.
"How's school?" Angela asked as Zoey entered the house carrying luggage.
"Pack mule?" Talia asked with a big smile.
"Always, you would think my cousin would need me for more than heavy lifting."
"You can lift a small tank, why should we risk pulling muscles?" Madison grinned, "at least as long as we are human."
"They've been nagging me to turn them, daily." Zoey rolled her eyes, then her eyes shot up towards the top of the stairs as a tiny head popped into view.
"Zoey!" The girl leapt down the stairs with one mighty leap, her nearly four year old body proportioned almost like an adolescent. Zoey dropped the luggage and caught her little sister easily, swinging her around a couple of times before pulling her into her arms.
"Hey Jez, how're you?" Zoey bopped her sister's nose, and couldn't hold back a grin.
"I missed you." The girl pouted, and hugged her older sister around the neck.
"Wow, she's grown so much." Madison shook her head, she had met Jezebel once after she was born, just before the Swan's left Forks.
"They are all growing fast. Gretchen and Lillian are both the same size, and Rose is already pregnant again." Talia held out her arms for Zoey to hand over her daughter, and Jez curled up in her mother's arms and stared at Madison and Hailey with curiosity and a bit of fear.
"Hi, you probably don't remember me but I'm your cousin." Madison stepped close and held out a hand. Jezebel reached out and clasped Madison's finger tightly, forcing Maddie to let out a small gasp of pain.
"Strong." Madison muttered as she shook her finger out, which was thankfully not broken.
"So what's this I hear about the two of you talking about dropping out?" Angela asked as she sat down on one of the couches, Talia sitting next to her and Jezebel climbing into Angela's lap. Madison bit her lower lip in nervousness, she knew it would be a controversial choice.
"We have been delving pretty deeply into the magic thing, and found out some stuff." Hailey said as she sat down next to Madison on the couch across from Angela and Talia. "Maddie wasn't sure we should say anything, but I didn't think we should hold back."
"They did a locator spell." Zoey said with a dark tone to her voice. "I don't think this is good news."
"We found Victoria." Madison said softly.
Angela's face twisted into an unreadable expression before nodding. "I guess we have a lot to talk about." Angela attempted a smile but it came out wrong, then she looked to Zoey who sat next to her and buried her head against her mother's shoulder, while wrapping an arm around her sister as well.
Both Madison and Hailey smiled, Madison letting out a sigh of relief mouthing to Angela, 'she missed you.'
"So where is everyone?" Madison looked around, used to a lot more people.
"Eliza and Leah decided to stay in La Push to raise their daughter Kara. Isabella and Alice along with Mei and Kira are all in Rome helping Marcus set up the new Volturi, and helping with the newborns. Most of the Denali clan are up in Alaska building a new house along with Henry who ended up with Tanya, go figure. Kate and Garrett are staying here with us as a part of the coven and Carmen and Eleazar are on their own for a time. They were unhappy with some of Tanya's choices and needed some time. Brianna and Michelle settled down in Hanover so Michelle could go back to school. Everyone else is here, just out and about." Angela explained, her voice steady and calm despite the news, her family a perfect anchor to her chaotic emotions.
"So Victoria, Zoey said that she was important to find. We found out she is living in Toronto." Madison didn't know the details, except that the woman in question had done some horrible things.
"So close." Talia said softly, glancing at her wife.
Angela's expression was steely. "The witches just came for a visit, they have found Victoria." She managed to keep her inner voice calm, leaning on Talia for support.
"Wonderful." Alice sent back. "Isabella has her side of the link closed down during training. I'll let her know, we'll get the jet to fly us back tomorrow."
"Leah is gonna stay behind with Kara. I'm gonna catch a red-eye and be there in the morning." Eliza added a few seconds later.
"We're already in the car, we'll be there in about six hours." Brianna sent next, looking over at Michelle feeling very conflicted.
"Everyone is coming." Angela said, taking a deep breath.
"Great, so what're you gonna do?" Hailey asked with a small shrug.
"I have no idea." Angela said, knowing the confrontation could end in a hundred different ways.
Toronto, Ontario - July 3rd
Isabella found Victoria living alone in a small apartment in a bad part of town. She followed her for days, until she decided to make her move. Victoria's amber eyes cast down as she walked hunched over, a hood drawn up and her hands buried in her pockets. Isabella wasn't sure what to expect after so long, but thought there might be some epic fight, or chase. But Victoria fell to her assault in three moves.
She had pinned Victoria to the ground, a foot on her neck. The pressure caused micro cracks to form along the white flesh of her throat, parallel to long dormant veins and arteries that ran up and down the muscle. Isabella's eyes were wide with satisfaction, pressing harder and harder forcing the woman who had ruined her life to gasp involuntarily. It would be so easy to continue, to give in to the desire for revenge. No one had hurt her as badly, and no one had more of a right to take this life than Isabella.
Then with a grunt Isabella stepped back, placing her foot on Victoria's chest keeping her pinned to the ground.
"I didn't think I would have anything to say, because there is nothing you can say that I would want to hear. No excuse, no lie, no truth. What you did to me is beyond pain or torment. You sent me to hell, and there I found a part of myself I've only just begun to understand. When you left me, my life was the sum total of what was done to me. My parents split up and passed me between them to suit their needs. My first real boyfriend threw me away like I was worthless. The woman of my dreams couldn't give into her feelings, for fear of destroying her family. My protector got cocky and let you slip in. Then you, cruel petty vindictive you, got to play with what was left.
"I never had a say in my life until after you killed me. Yes, I died in that cabin, in that hole. The girl you kidnapped was utterly destroyed. I thought that meant I was broken, confined to my darkness and violent impulses forever. I thought I couldn't let anything into my heart again. Except, I didn't really understand love before you came along. See, my examples of love were so poor that I thought I had to give into obsession. I lost myself when Edward and the family left. I thought they carved a hole inside of me that could never be healed.
"I was an idiot. Or, no, I was a child. Set on a sacrificial stone and left naked for the vultures to eat what was left of me. That's where my mind was. So melodramatic. See, I thought I had to let others love me. That they had control of my emotions. Ironically you taught me that I could be alone, to depend only on myself. It wasn't until years later when that finally changed.
"Yet those changes came because of my choices. My actions gave me everything. A large and loving family, two wonderful children, grandchildren, and the love of my life. So I can never forgive or forget what you did to me, but I do not need revenge. I am here for closure, not to confirm that you made me into a monster. I refuse to let you win, not anymore, because I have to let myself heal, even if that feels impossible." Isabella smiled and stepped off of Victoria's chest.
Victoria couldn't look up and meet Isabella's glare, and spent several seconds organizing her thoughts before starting to speak in a small timid voice. "You shouldn't have to listen to my pathetic apologies. But I am desperately sorry for what I've done to you. I've spent the last century dwelling on my choices. I almost went back to dig you up a thousand times, but I was so cowardly, so unable to confront what I had done. Believe it or not, I'm not a psychopath, but I was a cruel and petty sadist. After getting my revenge, or whatever that was, I began to fall apart. Going through the motions of my plans to maim and torture my way through your family and friends. Then Charlie's grief hit me hard, and Angela's kind soul broke me completely. So when I got to Florida to kill your mother, I couldn't do it."
"Wait, what?" Isabella said in shock. She hadn't expected to find someone living with deep unending guilt.
"I watched her, and saw how kind and gentle Renee was. She was clearly scattered and deeply upset because of your disappearance. But when I saw her grief, it became real. So I stopped, paralyzed. Until that horrible car accident. She wasn't paying attention, distracted for reasons I can only guess, although she was likely thinking about you. So I may not have killed her, but I caused her death. That shattered what was left of me. I returned to Forks, knowing I didn't matter anymore. That's when I ran into Jessica. She was so full of life, despite her nearly overwhelming sadness. I found myself wanting to comfort her, and before I knew it I fell in love.
"I felt more for her than I ever did for James. In time she decided she wanted to be like me, but before I turned her, I told her the truth. She left without a word. I kept an eye on her to make sure she was safe. Watching from a fair as she found love, and built a life for herself. Then on the eve of her eightieth birthday I visited her in the hospital, and she forgave me. I turned her that night, restored her youth and discovered that she had only forgiven me because of dementia. She left me again and I have been living a half life ever since."
"So I guess you destroyed both of our lives." Isabella shook her head and took a deep breath.
"Kill me." Victoria finally looked up and met Isabella's eyes. "Please. Put me out of my misery."
Isabella stared down at her first nearly a minute debating what to do, "I came here alone because my family couldn't do this with any kind of objectivity. I needed to confront you, I needed to make sure you were gone. And you are. That woman who did those horrible things clearly died a century ago, just like that girl I used to be. I am not the monster you created after all. So no, I'm not going to kill you, but I'm not going to forgive you either. I'm just going to walk away. Goodbye Victoria." Isabella felt a wave of relief as she turned, and heard the woman who had defined her life begin to sob, and felt a satisfied smile curl her mouth up.
"It's done." She sent across the link, and the family all sighed collectively as Isabella slipped into the shadows to go home.
Author's Note:
Hello Everybody! We down to it now, one last chapter to go. A good chunk of it is written, so I expect it to be released early next week. I cannot believe we have gotten to this point, and yes it is is hard to let Victoria go, but reality is often different from fantasy and in this case the woman who hurt all of them all those years ago is gone, only a shell remains. I'll go into more detail in my final note, but thank you all for reading this far. I have written the last line of the story already, and I feel really good about it.
Next Chapter: Fate or Death