A/N:

I succeeded in finishing this much earlier than I expected!

Alternative ending for chapter 28. If you don't like ANGST, don't read! Beloved character death will ensue!

Title: The Undecided

Author: MarieCarro

Beta Reader:

Genre: Supernatural/Drama

Pairing: Bella/Edward

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Bella thought she knew what her life looked like. It was normal teenage angst and high school boredom. However, one night proves her very wrong and she realizes everyone has been lying through their teeth. Bella isn't normal. Bella is a Witch. And she has a very important choice to make. B/E, Mature Content, AU/A(H)

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Word Count: 4, 363

{Alternative Ending}

The familiar feeling of my eyes being one fire as if they were filled with acid exploded and my hate for the woman coursed through my body like a furious river. That she dared to even attempt to use me to hurt Edward, for a second time no less, was my breaking point, and the only thing I could focus on was getting her blood on my hands.

Her shock at my ability to remove her transformation without using a spell gave me an advantage, and I reciprocated her action of trying to choke me by doing the same to her.

My claw-like hand tightened in time with her closing airways, and I felt like laughing out loud at the expression on her face. But then she did her disappearing act again, and I screamed in frustration.

I looked at Edward and I was glad to see he knew he had no reason to be cautious around me. I would never use my hate-fueled powers against him, so he had nothing to fear.

Over his shoulder, I saw Chelsea reappear with a new blade in her hand, and she was already running toward Edward, preparing to thrust the weapon in his back.

"Edward!" I yelled and threw my hands forward on instinct, but I wasn't fast enough. Edward's face displayed his surprise as he felt the blade drive deep into his flesh. "NOO!"

As he heavily fell to his knees, my heart shattered, and my mind blanked out.

What just happened?

It couldn't be true.

Was it another vision?

Edward wasn't dead. He couldn't be. That wasn't how our story was supposed to end.

It wasn't even a conscious decision of mine as I once again raised my hand in the air in the direction of Chelsea's throat. I didn't even bother choking her. I just immediately closed my hand into a fist, and her neck made a satisfyingly crunchy noise.

She fell to the ground but I didn't care that I'd just succeeded in killing my enemy. The only thing that mattered to me was Edward and I ran to where Chelsea had dumped his body.

"Edward?" I said and cupped his cheek then patted his chest and traced my hands all over his body. "Please, don't be dead." My voice was weak and pathetic because even before I saw him, I knew he was gone. Still, I collapsed over his lifeless form and forcefully wished to hear just the smallest hint of a heartbeat.

Naturally, I was only met with silence.

"No, no, no, no, no … Edward, please!" I grabbed his shoulders and aggressively shook his body to wake him up, but … nothing.

I broke. It felt like I was disintegrating into nothing. How could this be the golden age if I didn't have Edward with me? It was supposed to be his prophecy. He was the bringer, not me.

Violent sobs wracked through me and I buried my face against his unmoving chest. I didn't want to live either. I might as well take the dagger next to him and pierce it into my own heart.

"Bella?"

I sniffled and opened my eyes only to realize that Edward's body was no longer underneath me. I was actually sobbing against a tree stump, and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw the Goddess, once again in the form of Marie, standing over me.

My jaw was tightly clenched to hold back the tears that still wanted to come out. "Bring him back," I gritted out.

"I can't."

"Bullshit," I spat and stood up to be level with her. "You're the Goddess of magic. If anyone could bring him back, it's you. Necromancers do it for entertainment for fuck's sake."

"What Necromancers do isn't bringing people back to life. They blow a semblance of life back into the body, but the soul has already moved on. The soul becomes tethered to the body through the Necromancer magic, but since they don't belong on earth anymore, they're but a ghost of what they used to be. Is that what you want for Edward?"

My bravado cracked and I started crying again.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but I've already embraced him, and once a soul enters my realm, there's no coming back."

"But I can't do this without him."

"Of course you can," she encouraged, but I was barely listening. "I've told him of your situation, and he won't accept your defeat now."

"My situation?" I asked, confused by that statement. "What did you tell him?"

The Goddess didn't answer me immediately. Instead, she gave me a small smile. "Souls can't leave the realm, but the living can visit if I decide so." She looked at something over my shoulder. "I think I'll let him explain it to you."

"Angel?"

I whirled around and there he was, looking just the way he did before we left the hidden village, not a scratch on his face.

"Edward!" I ran and threw my arms around his waist, crushing myself against his chest. He was as solid and warm as if he'd been alive, and I had never wished for something that much before. "Why?" I sobbed. "This wasn't supposed to happen, was it? The blood curse was broken already. It was either you or Chelsea, not both of you! I don't understand. Who's supposed to be the Seer now?" I knew I was rambling, but I was feeling so much, and I didn't know how much time the Goddess would allow me to have with Edward.

He stroked my hair reverently and kissed the top of my head to give comfort. "There is another who can be Seer."

"Who?" I asked even though it didn't matter to me anymore.

One of Edward's hands trailed down my arm and then settled on my stomach. I didn't understand and looked up at him questioningly. In response, he gave me the look he used to give me when he waited for me to reach the point and understand what he was hinting at.

"What do y—?"

"You know what I mean, Bella. Even without the Goddess telling me, I knew before we left the hidden village. It was why you felt that building strength, and you'll feel yourself become stronger over the next few months."

I shook my head because I couldn't truly wrap my head around what he was telling me. "I don—"

"Bella, please! You can't give up now. Our child needs you. The last part of me that you'll get to keep."

"But I can't do all of this by myself!" I exclaimed completely distraught. "How the hell am I supposed to be a promised leader to the magic community and raise a baby without you there to guide and help me? I'm only eighteen. This is too much."

He cupped my cheek and pulled me closer to kiss me. It felt so real I could have sworn that witnessing his death was nothing but a nightmare.

"Angel, you haven't acted like an eighteen-year-old for months. You're not the little teenage girl you were before you found out the truth. If you only knew how much I've seen you grow, even you'd be impressed. And believe me, you won't have to raise this baby by yourself. Not only will you have Renee and Charlie with you, but even my dad will want to be a part of his grandchild's life. You'll both be treated like fucking royalty."

Tears started to silently fall down my face again as I thought of our child never meeting or even knowing the incredible man their father was. "It's not fair."

Edward snorted. "Tell me about it. But you know what? I won't be far. I'll always watch over you both … especially to make sure you won't push too much of that Good crap into my child."

Despite the sadness, I couldn't hold in the bubble of laughter erupting at his joke. "I'll make sure they know who you were."

"I know," he said, and as we closed in to kiss one last time, I felt his solid form fade away, and when I opened my eyes back up, I was back on the rocky beach. Chelsea's body was still on the ground, but Edward's was gone. In its place was a smattering of violets, signifying peace, and I felt a tiny bit better knowing that Edward's soul was at rest in the Goddess's realm.

Amongst the flowers, the sun glinted off Edward's Peregrinatio ring, and I picked it up from the ground. At least I'd have a way to get back home fast without drawing out the affair too much.

After retrieving both daggers from the ground and securing them on my belt, I put the ring on. I pictured the place I'd always felt comfortable at, but I knew would now feel empty and cold without its occupant and in less than ten seconds, I was standing in the living room of Edward's apartment.

It didn't matter that I'd gotten the chance to say goodbye, which was so much more than others could say they got with their loved ones when they passed. I still missed him something fierce, and it would take time for me to get used to not having him around.

For now, the wound was wide open and gushing blood, and I couldn't force myself to stay strong for another second. I threw myself on his bed and buried my nose in his pillows.

He'd been away for too long for them to smell like him, and it opened up the waterworks. The thought that I'd never again smell him, or see his arrogant smirk, or have his arms wrapped around me made it difficult to breathe.

I traced my hand down to my still-flat stomach. No movement indicated I was, in fact, carrying Edward's child, but I had to trust he wouldn't lie to appease me. I had been too focused and stressed on the threat of Chelsea that I hadn't taken notice of whether I'd missed my period or not, but I knew I had to have myself examined.

But it would have to wait until the next morning. I needed time to mourn the love I'd had but lost much too early.

§~TU~§

The tears wouldn't stop as Renee held her hands on my stomach, her eyes closed as she concentrated on what she was feeling.

She was the only one I had trusted with the information of Edward's death, who he would have become if he'd lived, and, if I was indeed pregnant, what our child's destiny was. Since she was the woman I'd previously thought as my mother, there were only a handful of things I'd never dare to tell her.

Charlie was different. While I'd thought of him as my parent as much as Renee, his Evil core meant he'd divulge any information he was given if it would benefit him in some way. Renee would never betray my trust, so I'd asked her to come alone.

When she removed her hands, she opened her eyes and gave me a sympathetic look. "Sweetie"—she leaned down and cupped my cheek while using her thumb to wipe away my tears—"I'm certain you already knew this in your heart, and I'm just confirming it now, but yes, you're pregnant."

Another onslaught of tears started down my face, and I slowly sat up in the bed.

Yes, Renee was correct. I'd already been fairly certain of my pregnancy, and not just because of what Edward had told me in the Goddess' realm, but because I could feel it; the combined power of me and Edward. It felt like us.

That was why I was still crying and couldn't stop. I could feel us—feel him—day and night, everywhere around me and inside me. It didn't allow me to truly work through my grief.

"Bella," Renee said to gain my attention. "I know you're in terrible pain right now, and you're allowed to be. My words might not mean much, but I still want you to know that I won't leave you alone in this. I will help you throughout this pregnancy, and once the baby is born, I will help you then as well."

I sniffled and used the back of my hand to wipe away my tears even though new ones kept replacing them. "Thanks."

"Is there anything I can do for you right now?" She grabbed both of my hands in hers and kissed my knuckles. "Anything at all, and I'll fix it."

"Just letting everyone know I need some time before I start thinking of putting together a council or anything like that." I took a deep shaky breath and then looked down at our clasped hands. "I need to grieve."

"Of course. Take all the time you need."

§~TU~§

I stared at the altar in front of me and forced myself to not break down again. The people present, Edward's entire coven, expected me to speak, and I was determined to do so with as much elegance as I could.

"Edward was..." I started, but then the words were lost to me. My prepared speech no longer felt right, and so I crumpled it up in my hand and burned it. Then I tried again. "Edward was a man you can't fully describe in words, and I don't think I can express how empty I feel without him, or how much I will miss him. He was taken from me, from you, much too early, and it's especially painful knowing it could have been different." I put a hand over my stomach that had started to show now. "If he'd gotten the chance, I know he would have become a good father, and I will make certain our son knows that."

I paused and tried to remember the happy times, and not just the sadness.

"I remember the first time I saw him across the parking lot at school four years ago. The second I saw him, I would have walked through fire for him. Of course, back then I thought I was just being melodramatic. I know differently now. I know he was my soul mate, and the biggest regret I'll ever have in life is that I won't get to live it out with him."

I turned away from the altar to face the gathered people.

"He was my inspiration; my rock. Through everything life has thrown at me since Samhain last year, he was there, and he was constant. I'm still trying to learn to stand steady on my own, and I try to think of what Edward would have told me. I know he would have given me a witty remark at first"—there were a few snickers among the people who knew him best and could imagine him doing that exact thing—"something like, 'Angel, as much as I enjoy having you think of me day and night, especially at night, it's time you take care of yourself so that you can be there for our son when I can't.'"

I cupped my hands and conjured up a white dove to represent how I was releasing Edward's soul even though I already knew it was at peace. I boosted it up toward the sky, and the bird flapped its wings until it disappeared.

"I'll see you in time, Edward," I said, directing the words to where the dove had gone. "Goodbye, and may we one day embrace in the realm of the Goddess."

§~TU~§

I entered the council room where all my representatives had already gathered and were ready for the meeting. I was relieved to find that the mood was civil enough compared to other times over the years when Witches of opposing beliefs had clashed with each other to the point where I barely was able to prevent bloodshed.

When Marcus saw me, he immediately got up from his seat to pull out mine. He hadn't failed in doing so, not even once, ever since I asked him to sit on my council. Whether it was out of respect for his late son's "widow" or because I was the mother of his grandchild and the leader of the community was difficult to determine.

I thanked him and sat down in my seat at the head of the table and then perused over the representatives. Charlie was there, and so was Renee, both of them looking exactly like they had ten years earlier when I first found out I was a Witch.

The coven leader that represented Good Witches was a man from Spain. His name was Eleazar, and he had been the one to come to me to ask for a position, which I had been very thankful for.

When I first put the council together, the only Good Coven leaders I'd met were the ones Renee had introduced me to, and they had been a little too adoring toward me; especially Garrett. I needed people who weren't afraid to speak their mind and challenge my ideas, not some bobblehead who thought I couldn't do anything wrong.

Then there were two High Priestess's. The Evil one had been the one conducting the ritual at Edward's ceremonial funeral, but the Good one had been a stranger. Both of their work spoke for itself, unlike Mrs. Greene at my former school, so I didn't have to deliberate long to allow either of them on my council.

I had initially asked Alice to represent the common Evil Witch, but she had declined and said she wasn't fit for the position. She preferred to just live her life on the sidelines and go along with what others said. Therefore, Heidi, a girl and had also been a part of my high school friend group, was now sitting at the table instead.

And the rest of the members were a common Good Witch from Russia, a Healer from India, one Sorcerer from Brazil, and a Sorceress from Australia, a Necromancer who wasn't nearly as infuriating as Jasper, and lastly a Fairy—who wasn't as small as his species sounded—and a Siren from Rebecca Carey's coven.

We were, technically, a member short, but we would so remain until mine and Edward's son, Mason, was old enough and had received his full Seer powers. At nine years old, he was already quite the powerful Witch, but the Seer in him stayed dormant for now.

The meeting was quite uneventful and followed protocol and only a few bickering arguments blossomed up. They were easily quenched, though, and all of us felt satisfied at the end, having discussed the topics that concerned each rang of Witch.

Before any of the other Witches had even gotten out of their seats, Mason came bursting through the doors and ran right up to me. The young girl, one of the first common Neutral Witches, who I'd hired to babysit my son when I was busy, came running behind him; her face red from embarrassment.

I wasn't angry at her. My son wasn't easy to deal with—a trait I knew he'd gotten from both me and Edward—and his impatience often caused him to act before thinking.

"Mom, can we go now? Please?" His green eyes were shining with excitement, and as always when I looked at him, I was just amazed at how much he looked like his father. He was like a little mini-replica of him.

But now, I gave him a stern look. "Mason, what have I told you about interrupting my council meetings?"

"But I heard through the door that you were done," he argued. "So can we go?"

Marcus came up behind me but didn't say anything, which I appreciated. He'd had a hand in helping me raise Mason—just like Edward had told me, he practically treated us like royalty at this point—but I had made it very clear to him that first and foremost, I was the one who had to teach my child.

"Darling, it doesn't mean you can just burst inside. You need to respect these meetings. They're very important, and when you're older, you'll get to be a part of them, but for now, you need to do as I tell you."

He looked down at the floor with a small pout, and I heard Marcus mutter to himself behind, "It's like I've traveled through time..." and I smiled knowing he meant that Mason didn't just look like Edward, he acted like him, too.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he mumbled, contrite.

"Do you promise to not do it again?"

He nodded.

"Can I hear you say that you promise?"

"I promise I won't interrupt your meetings again."

I smiled, pleased. "Good. Then we can go."

His face lit up in excitement once again, and I reached into my pocket for the Peregrinatio ring.

"If you need anything, Isabella, let me know, or I'll see you at the next meeting," Marcus said and placed a hand on my shoulder. I had been quite surprised when I got to know this other side of Marcus. He was still a hard-ass jerk and a very powerful Evil Witch, which meant he was motivated by selfishness and greed, but he genuinely cared for Mason and by extension, me.

"Absolutely, Marcus," I confirmed, and then I put the ring on while grabbing my son's hand in mine.

Alec was waiting for us outside the door to the village, and once he'd opened it, Mason eagerly stepped through.

"It's remarkable how much he looks like his father now," he commented, and I chuckled. Over the years, he and I had become good comrades. Not quite friends, but we had a comfortable understanding.

"You don't need to tell me," I replied. "In another ten years' time, he'll probably look just like Edward did before his death." It was still very painful to talk about the loss I'd suffered, but it was much easier now, after all these years. The fact that I had Mason helped a lot as well.

I watched my son as he chattered to the symbolic tree that had been planted on the hill above the village to mark a memorial for Edward. He claimed he could sense his father's presence when we visited it, and I never wanted to deny him that feeling, so we often went to the village for that sake alone.

"How old is Mason now?" Alec asked.

"He turned nine in December, why?" I turned to look at Alec and saw a flash of the Goddess's rainbow eyes in his.

"Do you think he's old enough to handle meeting Edward?"

I gasped in shock. "What are you saying?"

"The Goddess wants to give him the chance."

My throat started closing and my sight got blurry as I thought about it. I had to clear my throat repeatedly before I could say anything. "I don't know," I answered honestly because as much as I wanted Mason to meet Edward, it was impossible to predict how he'd handle it. "What exactly would it mean? Would she just temporarily allow Mason inside her realm or...?"

Alec nodded. "Yes. She'd allow both of you."

I clenched my jaw to keep myself from crying. "Really?" I asked shakily, unable to keep my emotions out of my voice. "I'd get to go with him?" It would mean everything to me if I did. Even though I got to say goodbye to Edward right after he died, I'd never really experienced true closure. My heart had simply remained heavy because Edward never got to meet his son and Mason never got to meet his father. This opportunity could perhaps help me finally heal.

"Naturally. She'd never deny you the chance to see your son with his father. She also believes it's best if you're there. Then you can explain to Mason that it's just this one time."

"Right." Carefully, I approached my son and crouched down next to him. "Darling," I started and lovingly stroked his hair. He looked at me wonderingly. "You know how Alec communicates with the Goddess?"

He nodded.

"Well, he just gave me some news, and I need to ask how you feel about it."

"What is it, Mom?"

I needed to take a deep breath and truly compose myself. I didn't want Mason to believe I was upset. "He said that, if you want, the Goddess will grant us one chance to visit her realm so that you can meet your father."

His eyes widened in surprise. "For real?"

"Yes, but it would only be this once, so if it would be too difficult for you to only have that one short meeting and then nothing more, you don't have to do it."

Mason scrunched his brows together as he thought about it, and I was happy to see he didn't immediately jump on board, but actually considered what it would mean. He looked at the tree, then at the ground, and lastly at me.

"I want to meet Dad, but it will be really hard to say goodbye," he said, and I nodded. I wasn't going to sugarcoat it.

"Yes, it will be very hard, which is why it's completely up to you."

Another glance at the tree, and then his expression became determined. "Let's do it."

I kissed the top of his head and did my best to not show how happy and excited his decision made me. This meeting was about him and Edward, not me. Then I turned to look at Alec over my shoulder and nodded.

He instructed us to stand up, take each other's hands and close our eyes. The rest was up to the Goddess.

I could feel Mason fidget as his impatience got the best of him, but neither of us wanted to open our eyes before we were allowed.

"Angel?"

A/N:

Oh my, oh my, oh my.

Now, I cried many, many times as I wrote this out, so my heart is quite sore, and I can't really imagine how you're feeling right now.

Also, I opted to end it where I ended it because the meeting between Edward and Mason can go either way. It could be all happiness and fluff (probably not considering who Edward is as a person in this story) or it could be another tear-jerker, and I don't want to end the story with tears down my face and snot from my nose.

It might upset some of you, but this is how I wanted it to end. It was actually how I wanted it to end all along, but because of the nature of most of my readers, I had to opt for a HEA and only have this as an alternative.

So, this is it.

There won't be any more to this story, and for those of you who decided to read this part as well, thank you for giving it a shot, and I hope I'll see you on my next story.

Take care and until next time,

Stay Awesome!