Alice and Edward had not watched the battle. With Alice's gift, they knew they were going to win. It was just waiting for the cannon fodder to win the battle. She had waited until the troops were in before informing Edward she had had no new visions of the battle. Like always, her love had assuaged her fears, convincing her that her blindness was because their win was so set in stone that no difference in decision could change the outcome.

And so bolstered, as the cries below them settled down, they took each other's hands and walked towards what used to be the Volturi throne room. Alice would say it was soon to be the Masen throne room, but the style really wasn't to her taste, she wanted classier, not this sickening opulence.

Edward placed a kiss to her hand before they opened the doors, his eyes shining with love.

"Come my love, let's take the world." Her answering grin could light up nations. And then they were slamming the great Volturi doors, the beautiful wood bending under the force, the hinges creaking under the assault before crashing against the wall behind them.

She sauntered through the doors, head high, but eyes initially blind.

"Oh dear, what a shame, the Volturi has finally fallen!" She cackled high, her eyes alight with a maniacal glee. It had been a long game, her and Edward, but finally their ploy to take over the world was falling into place.

And yet… it was not. Her victory was met first with a silence, and then a chuckle, and finally full on laughter. It surrounded her, the sound bouncing around the corners of her mind. Edward's hand tightened in hers almost to the point of pain, he pulled her to look at him. The love in his eyes had been eclipsed by pure fear as he saw what Alice had been blind to.

"Ali, we need to get out of here. Now!" His voice was urgent with panic, tugging her along while she was still locked in her daydream. Again, he called to her, "Mary-Alice, NOW!" She listened this time, letting her love take her away. She still couldn't quite believe they had lost though.

They had barely gotten anywhere before they met a barrier. Or she assumed so… because they came to a stop, and Edward had been intent on escaping. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the fantasy of what she wanted to be, and saw for the first time the truth of the situation. They had not won, they were surrounded by Volturi, other familiar faces, the Cullen's. She wasn't sure what to feel about that, she never imagined Carlisle in a battle, let alone winning it, and yet here they were. But no matter how much she shook her head, she could not see what was halting their escape. The doors were open, there was just air in front of them, and yet every time Edward tried to run out the doorway he could not quite get through.

And with one voice, Alice and Edward's mistakes all fell into place.

"Not planning on leaving so soon were you? This was in fact your victory party was it not?" Alice and Edward turned away from the doorway, resigned to their fate as they face their mistakes.

There standing before them was everything they had tried to prevent. Bella Swan standing tall and proud, a smirk on her face, her ruby eyes glittering in the candlelight of the Volturi throne room. And she was not alone, no she was wrapped in the Major's arms, the daggers he was sending at them softening every time he looked down at his mate.

"Bella Swan," Alice spit the name. She was resigned to her death, sure it was the only way this would end, but she would not go without some fight, even if it was just verbal, "I thought you were dead."

"I know. But your gift always was your biggest downfall wasn't it. Mighty Alice Cullen with her future seeing abilities. Despite knowing they were based on decisions you still thought you were so infallible. But you're not, no one is."

Bella just wanted it over with now, she was so close to telling Jasper that she loved him, she could feel the words pushing through her heart and out her throat, and yet the wonder couple had come to claim their un-won victory. It had hit Bella at that point just how delusional Alice was.

Bella finished her speech, Alice and Edward staying silent, before she asked the question that had been on her mind since the beginning.

"Why? What was the point? I get the point of the revolt, people are always stupid enough to try and protest things… but what about the messing with our hearts? What was the point of that? If you'd never come to Forks I'd never have known anything about your world… would never have become a risk."

Alice sneered, an ugly look taking over her otherwise beautiful face.

"Because you would have been a greater risk, you were always destined to be one of us! Breaking your heart or making sure you died was the best way to insure you were either too complacent or incapable of facing off against us." It still didn't make sense to Bella, but then she was almost positive that Alice was at least a little lost inside her own mind. She wondered what the girl would have been like without the visions, without the insanity, Bella imagined they could have been friends. But she would never know. With a sigh of resignation, she let the shield crush the revolt once and for all, the ash that used to be their bodies floated in the slight breeze before settling finally on the floor.

Bella did not dare look at Carlisle and Esme. Edward and Alice may not have been in the right, but Carlisle and Esme had still seen them as family a lot longer than they had as enemies. Knowing something was inevitable did not stop the pain when it came to occur. Bella did not relish in the darker nature of her gift, she turned into Jasper, letting his arms encircle her and take away the pain of the day.

With battle comes clean up. The battle had not come without its losses. The Volturi had lost more than a 100 of their guard, and while that was merely a percentage of the total guard, they had still been friend, and lovers and family to others. Likewise, they grieved in part for the vampires and humans brought into the battle, knowing in their hearts they were just brainwashed individuals that had been caught up in a battle bigger than themselves. They grieved for the families that wondered just what had happened to their loved ones. And while they would leave Volterra as they eight they had come in as, they would not be leaving completely unscathed.

Battles such as that would leave scars, some they could see, and some that could only be felt. They had gathered in a corner, the physical closeness bringing some semblance of peace. Bella imagined that haunted look in Carlisle and Esme's eyes would never quite leave, the whole situation from the fighting to Edward and Alice's betrayal going against everything they believed. Esme would never be the same physically either, possibly the one that lost the most, between her children, what was left of her innocence, and then the physical representation in her missing leg. It had been ripped off, burned by accident in the final moments of the battle. Detached could be reattached, but burned was gone forever, she leaned heavily on Carlisle, his own wounds still leaking venom.

Rosalie and Emmett had faired slightly better, while there was a sliver of that haunted look was still in their eyes, they also looked all the stronger for it. Emmett looked like he had found his meaning in life, as if he'd come here a boy and was finally a man. Bella had seen him and Rosalie talking after the battle had done, easing injuries, but also clearly making decisions.

"I've talked it through with Rosie, and there's still some discussion to cement the plan, but we're thinking of joining the Volturi. I'm good at fighting, and while I don't necessarily enjoy the death, I enjoy the battle. I can do good, even if it's as a henchman upholding the law. They lost the resident mechanic in the battle as well, so Rosie has options too." It looked like just one more knock to Esme, and Bella feared for what would be the straw that broke the camel's back. Carlisle though, pacifist to the core, looked proudly on to his youngest 'children'. Not quite happy but understanding how the Volturi lifestyle would agree with them.

"I'm proud you've found your calling, son. Just, stay in touch please?" There was an almost desperate edge to Carlisle's voice as he pleaded with Emmett and Rosalie to remember. A grin spread across Emmett's lips as he drew Carlisle into a man hug. Rosalie rolled her eyes, quick to support Esme as Carlisle was embraced. The women shared a small smile, of camaraderie, of amusement at their two men.

Carlisle did not need a gift nor words to know that Jasper, once they touch down in the Americas, would not be returning with them. It was spoken in the way he looked down at the girl who's hand he held. In the way that he looked at her like she was both the sun and the moon, and every planet in-between. Carlisle could not bring himself to be too sad about it, his brood were finding their way. While Jasper had meant the world to them and always would, Carlisle knew the man had never seen them as home in the same way as Emmett and Rose had. And plus, he knew they would visit, that was what family did when they grew, spread their wings and flew, but always finding their way back to the nest. This would be the first extended amount of time he'd get alone with Esme, her recovery would be difficult and he was glad to be able to give her all of their attention.

Maybe for a while he would not play the human, maybe they, he and Esme, would go the Isle, waste away some of their eternity, he could think of nothing better at this point.

Peter and Charlotte were ready to go home. They had left Maria for a reason, and while they enjoyed practising their skills, they didn't quite enjoy putting them into true use quite so much. That… and you always left with scars.

Charlotte had told Peter about her near-death experience, her neck was still slightly bent in from where the vampire had dug his teeth in, pulling part of her neck as Bella had ripped him away. Likewise, Peter had not come out unscathed, one of his eyes had been ripped clean out of it's socket, a wrinkled hole left as reminder of what used to be, he could still see, but it wasn't the same, it felt off. The same could be said for his right ear which had been torn off, chewed up as a joke right in front of him.

Yes they were all battered and bruised, scarred from the battle and they were all glad to be going home, or at least making a new home.

Leaving Emmett and Rosalie in Volterra had been a weird experience, almost feeling wrong due to the impression Bella had of the vampire rulers. But she had seen how comfortable Emmett had looked in the fray and new it was the right decision for them. Likewise, it felt equally weird to leave Esme and Carlisle at the airport for their connecting flight to the Isle. They had all been together for so long, partially forced into it due to the battle. But, going home, that was the most right she had felt in so long.

Peter and Charlotte looked tired. When they had reached home they had embraced her and Jasper. Brother hanging onto brother, sister hanging onto sister, desperate and weary. And then they let go.

"Let's just recuperate for a while. We can sort out practicalities soon." Bella and Jasper nodded at Peter. His one remaining eye smiled wearily at them as he grabbed Charlotte's hand and dragged her towards the city to hunt.

Almost as if they were one, in tune clockwork, Bella and Jasper turned towards the forest, and ran for what was now concerned as their river. They hadn't talked on the plane back, it had felt wrong, too public despite them being able to talk so another could here. Either way, words had remained unspoken, waiting for the right moment. And finally, it was here.

Jasper had sat against the great willow tree that shadowed over the river, and as if they were dancer in a choreography, Bella had floated down with him, fitting just right between his legs, her head resting against his broad chest. Maybe because of, or maybe in spite of, the words flying through their minds desperate for a way out, they sat in silence for unknown minutes. Just basking, in the Texan warmth, in the cool of their physical presence next to each other. Bella had not felt so content, possibly in her whole life. And just when she accepted that, the words, like an avalanche, came tumbling out.

"I love you, Jasper. I've known it for so long now, but wasn't sure how to say it, and just when I realised the best way to say it was just to say it, Edward and Alice turned up," She realised she was rambling, so taking an unneeded breath she turned around so she was facing him. She took in every feature of his face, every feature that she adored. She placed her hands on his cheeks, keeping his gaze on her even if he wasn't even attempting to look away, "I love you so damn much, Jasper Whitlock."

And then she kissed him, longer, more meaningful than last time. He pulled back, disconnecting their lips yet maintaining contact with her head. She noticed absentmindedly that if she was human still she'd be ten types of uncomfortable in this position.

"I love you too, Isabella Whitlock." There were a thousand other words they could have said in this moment, but I love you covered them all for now. They had forever, they had time, and they'd speak the words at some point. But for now, he just leaned back in, capturing her lips once again. The other kisses had been more than nice… but this one… this one felt like a beginning.

The End

I can't believe we've finally reached the end. Honestly, more unbelievable is that it's taken me more than 2 years to write this. I can't thank you all for staying with me for this story, and hope you've all enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it.