AN: Hi all!

Thanks so much for sticking with me through this story start to finish! We've finally made it to the end of our True Mates journey.

Now, rest assured, that isn't to say we are done with these pairings or this AU. No, they will go on in the planned sequel which I am tentatively calling: True Leaders

When I eventually start working on it, I will begin by posting the Jasper x Bella x Alice outtake which will show up as Chapter 21 of this story and be clearly labelled. After that, I will post a teaser for the sequel which will be Chapter 22 of this story.

Got that all straight? Okay, so this is Chapter 20 you're about to read. Then end of the story.

Then Chapter 21 will be the threesome outtake and Chapter 22 will be the teaser for the sequel.

But…

**Important Statement**

I won't be starting work on the sequel or the outtake until several of my other unfinished stories are completed. So please remember to Vote in the Poll on my profile, if you want a say in which stories I work on next, okay?

**Important Statement Over**

As always, thanks to all my readers and special thanks to the reviewers from last chapter:

traceybuie, Kyra, AHealingRenaissance, catgrl, and charverv!

And thanks to all reviewers from previous chapters! I'll be updating chapter review credits to include all recent reviews once I have time :-*

Here at long last, I give you all the Final Chapter of True Mates!

Chapter 20: Moving On and Looking Forward

Bella's POV

Our week away was exactly what we needed. It grounded us to one another and tethered us together in a way that nothing else could have. Or maybe that was just all the sex. There was a lot of sex.

Either way, I knew, going forward, that I was more than just me. I was me but with Jasper. And me with Jasper was turning out to be someone I felt good about seeing when I looked in the mirror.

I was no longer afraid of the things I had no business being afraid of. Things like popular opinion or how the world would view me. What my family and friends would think of me. Fears like those used to paralyze me. Especially because as vampires we have perfect recall. Whenever I would mess up, I knew that no one could ever forget it. When I would make bad decisions, I knew that they were a reflection of the prestigious Cullen name.

Now? I knew three things with certainty:

Jasper was mine, unconditionally.

His love for me...would never falter.

And Whitlocks? Well they were notorious for not giving a fuck what anyone else thought of them.

Which meant, I was free to be myself. Nothing I did or said and no mistake I could ever make would jeopardise that.

And so, I came back from our week away with a quiet confidence I had never had before. A sense of pride in myself and my accomplishments, past, present, and future. And a comfort in the knowledge that whatever I chose to do going forward, it would be with Major Jasper Whitlock standing at my side.

Once we were all back together getting settled and waiting for Alice to call another meeting, Emmett came skipping up to us, grinning like a goober.

"Hey, You Two. I just wanna let ya know...we're in."

Jasper sighed and rolled his eyes feigning irritation. "She told ya?"

Emmett shook his head. "She didn't have to, Man. Turns out, when we're...you know, into it, I can see her visions if she gets 'em. That never happened to you?"

Jasper shook his head. "Naw, not even once. Must be a mate thing?"

"Maybe. I dunno. She's callin' Eleazar right now to see if he can shed some light on it. But the point is, you have our full support."

Jasper smiled and patted Em on the back. "Glad to hear we can count on you guys. Nothing's gonna happen for a while but when it does, we'll need all the support we can get. Is she plannin' on lettin' anyone else know?"

"Not yet. She says it's better to wait on informin' the others. And I know better than ta bet against my Tinkerbell." Em grinned.

"Good. Let's keep it on the down low for now then."

"Agreed. Oh, by the way, Esme and Edward are leavin' tonight. They'll be announcin' that during the family meetin' but I thought I'd give you a heads up, since emotions will be runnin' high." Emmett whispered.

"Shit, thanks, Man." Jasper sighed. "Do we know why?"

"Yeah, Esme wants to change her diet and she thinks Carlisle's gonna have a hard time with it. She's right, he will, but it will be easier if she isn't wavin' her red eyes in his face." Em informed us.

"Oh wow. That's surprisin'. I mean, I guess it makes sense, in a way. I went veg 'cause of my gift, but most of the others made the choice ta feed on animals 'cause of Carlisle. Esme, while she was his wife, probably never felt like she had much of a choice," Jasper surmised.

"Yeah, that must've been hard. And he was her sire too. I know what it's like to wanna please yer sire. I went veg for that reason too," Em agreed.

"Do you think you would have chosen differently if not for Carlisle?" I asked.

"Probably, yeah. I also think Ally and I might eventually go the other way anyway. She really likes shoppin'. And places like Paris and Milan and whatnot tend to have a lot more human prey than they do wildlife." Emmett shrugged.

"True." Jasper laughed.

"What about you guys? I know you have your gift to factor in, so I guess you'll prolly stay veg for now?" Emmett wondered.

"We haven't talked about it yet. But I think we might just wait and see how things get restructured after it all shakes down, ya know." Jazz shrugged.

"Makes sense, yeah. A lot'll depend on all that. But by then there might be more options too." Em grinned, clearly knowing more than he was telling.

I was pretty sure I knew what he was talking about though. It was a part of the future I envisioned for after the dust settles. Alternative diet options for vampires that someone should have thought of centuries ago if they weren't so busy accumulating power.

My thoughts were interrupted when Alice skipped over to us.

"Hi Whitlocks, welcome back! I got ahold of Eleazar, Babe." She told Emmett.

"Oh yeah? What'd he say?"

"He thinks it's similar to what happens with Kate and Garrett. Apparently they were making love in the Denali living room once and Tanya flicked Garrett on the back of the head and told them to get a room. But she got electrocuted in the process. From touching Garrett, not Kate." Alice explained. "So it seems like, during the act of physical intimacy, some gifts are transferable between true mates.

"Does that mean it might work that way for some of the rest of us?" I questioned.

"Maybe. I mean, the only person whose emotions I've felt through my gift while we we've been intimate thus far were yours and I don't think you'd notice if you were absorbin' yer own emotions empathically because you'd already be feelin' 'em anyway." Jasper reasoned.

"And the same goes for Edward and Esme. She probably wouldn't notice a sudden ability to read her own mind." Alice giggled.

"Well, I guess there's only one way to test it." I shrugged.

"Family orgy?" Emmett snickered.

"Not what I meant!" I laughed. "I just meant going somewhere like the house in Forks for example where everyone has their own separate bedroom and therefore tend to be intimate within range of each others gifts." I clarified.

"Oh yeah! That makes more sense." Emmett grinned.

Jasper facepalmed. "You're ridiculous, Em."

"Yeah, but you love me." He winked.

"Okay, you crazy kids. Family meeting starts in twenty minutes! So if anyone needs a quick hunt first, I suggest going now." Alice instructed.

"Cool, we'll meet ya inside in fifteen." Jasper told them, steering me into the jungle.

"Uh Babe, we just hunted this morning." I reminded him even though I was pretty sure I knew what he wanted.

"I never said we were huntin'. I had a different activity in mind." He smirked.

"Ah gotcha. You just wanna see if I can read emotions while we make love." I guessed.

"You have to admit, it'd be pretty cool if ya could..."

"Yeah, it probably would be," I agreed as we ran a short way into the woods so we were out of sight from the house but not out of Jasper's empathic range.

"Plus, I'll take any opportunity I can to sneak in a quickie with my mate, ya know." He winked.

"Well, good." I laughed while quickly disrobing. "I'm glad to hear you find me so desirable. The feeling is definitely mutual."

"Darlin' desirable don't even begin to cover it." He stated, undressing and pulling me into his arms for a swoon-worthy kiss.

We didn't waste a lot of time on foreplay, since we didn't have a lot of time to waste. Not that foreplay is a waste of time, but you know what I mean. I was in his lap with his sword fully sheathed in me before you could say "Dang, gurl!" which he may or may not have actually said.

I kissed him for a few moments, trying to focus on the surrounding environment so I would know if I could sense anything.

It worked almost instantaneously. The first thing that hit me was insanely intense. A giddy, joyful exuberance, paired with an anxious energy, and a huge side dose of love and lust and happiness. But clearly all coming from the same person. It almost bowled me over.

"Oh my gosh, is that Alice?!" I whispered. "I thought you said she was calmer now that she is with Emmett?" I puzzled.

Jasper grinned like he was bursting with pride and excitement and his emotions matched his expression as he answered me. "She is. You should have felt what she was like pre-Emmett if ya think that's a lot. That's like a fraction of what she used to be like." He laughed.

"Holy crap! And you felt that every day for decades?" I shook my head, unclear how Jasper hadn't found it all too overwhelming.

"Well, I could use my gift ta calm her whenever I needed to. She didn't mind, she knew it was a lot. And in the beginnin', it was actually a nice change o' pace. After all the pain, anger, hatred, lust, greed, selfishness, and of course bloodlust I felt bein' in Maria's army? Findin' a bright spot of so much joy and positive energy in the world like Alice, was actually what drew me to her." He shrugged and I could tell from his emotions that he was reliving the memories of those two contrasting environments in his mind.

"It wasn't until we got around the Cullens an' I got used to a much better mix of emotions that I started to get a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Alice's enthusiasm. But by then I was already used to her." He explained.

"That makes sense." I nodded and took a moment to sift through the emotions in the area to locate someone else. "I assume the one who is like a more relaxed version of Alice is Emmett? They're very similar but he seems more chill."

Jasper nodded, confirming my guess to be accurate. "Yep, that's him. I guess that should've been my first clue, hey?"

"Maybe, yeah. They do seem like two halves of a whole, in a sense." I shrugged. "So, who are the really nervous ones who seem farther away from everyone else? They also kinda seem like they're hiding something." I frowned.

"Actually, that's Edward n' Esme, which would have me very confused, if not for what Emmett said. Because they're normally not like that. I think they must be very worried about makin' their announcement and how they'll be perceived. I think they're afraid they'll lose the family's loyalty or respect or somethin'. Especially Carlisle's." He surmised.

"Wow. You can tell all of that from their emotions?" I asked in awe of his expertise in using his gift.

"It's a combination of things. Their emotions now. The way their emotions used to be. The way they have been since they learned they were mates. And what I know about them as people. Ya kinda gotta factor it all in. And once ya get used to weighin' all the factors, it becomes a lil' bit like mind-readin'. Whereas in the beginning, it's more like swimmin' through a sea of emotional tidal waves, wonderin' when the next one is gonna hit ya and from where," he admitted.

"Wow. I have so much respect for you, Jasper. I mean, I did anyway, but to know what you go through on a daily basis and that you have no way to turn it off. It's all...wait...what if you did?" I began forming an idea.

I returned my focus to Alice since she was the most emotional one. And I began using the technique I used to block mental attacks with my shield. I knew I could use it to block emotions that Jasper projected at me and at others. We had used that ability in battle training. When he used his gift to project negative emotions, I had eventually gotten so that I could protect our allies from the effects of his projections the same as I did with other gifts. But I had never tried to protect Jasper from his own gift before.

Once I felt the emotions around me disappear thanks to my shield, I simply projected it onto Jasper.

He looked at me with panicked eyes and I immediately knew I needed to dial it back. Having to get used to living with an ability like Jasper's you would come to depend on it, like a sixth sense. So having it suddenly shut off would be like going blind in the blink of an eye.

I reigned it in, since I had figured out over the years how to allow varying amounts of a gift's effects pass through my shield. Like when I wanted Edward to be able to read my more surface thoughts but not go deeper, for instance.

Once I felt the emotions come partially back, I could feel how relieved he was and how scared he had been in that moment. "Jasper, I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking about how using my shield that way might backfire. "

"It's okay, Darlin'. It was shockin' and disorientin' but I knew we were both safe, so it's okay. But I do like this dimming thing you're doin' now. So maybe we should see if it works at times when we ain't makin' love? Like tonight at the meetin' when Carlisle freaks out about Edward an' Esme. If you could tame that tsunami for me, that'd be great." He laughed, holding me close for comfort.

"Sure thing." I nodded, kissing him all over. "I'm sorry I scared you."

Jasper smiled. "I forgive you. It usually takes a lot to scare me. I guess I've come to depend on my gift more than I realized. Maybe at some point, I can get you to turn it off for me in battle trainin' so that I can practice fightin' without it"

"Good idea." I nodded. It'd suck to have to do that to him again, but if it would help him in the long run, I would do it.

We turned our focus back to each other to finish our lovemaking and afterward, we headed back to the house.

When we arrived, Alice was gathering everyone to begin the meeting. Once we were all settled she began to address the group.

"Okay, so we have a lot to discuss and it's going to be a long meeting. So sit back, relax and kick your feet up, people. There is a lot to hash out."

"Okay, so, I'm glad everyone had a great week away! The first thing I want to discuss is finances. Every previously married couple has been using a joint bank account. So for fairness and simplicity, I propose that each account's sum be split equally and new accounts be opened for each mated pair?" Alice suggested.

"What if some of us would rather keep our money separate? After all, I send money back home to Renesmee and to Charlie and hell, also to Renée, even though I don't ever see her in person." I reasoned.

Jasper looked me in the eyes then and took my hands. "If you'd rather keep your money separate, that's perfectly fine, Bella. But if ya think ya need to 'cause of yer financial commitments to yer family, I assure you, ya don't need ta worry. I have financial commitments to Pete and Char in the same way, so it all evens out. And trust me, if you've ever seen the way Peter can spend money, I assure you, he prolly costs more than yer daughter and both yer parents put together." He grinned.

"But Bella, I came into this family a wealthy man from my time with Maria. Things weren't exactly divided fairly in those days and only her top lieutenants got paid. And then? I married a psychic and became well acquainted with the stock market. Now I'm not necessarily altogether proud of how I built that nest egg, but still, I assure you, even when I was supportin' Alice's champagne tastes, we never had to live offa any more than the interest." Jasper assured me.

"Yeah, okay. I guess you're right. I didn't really think about that." I smiled.

Edward and I had gotten our joint account less than a year into our marriage and I thought that was a lot of money. But from what I knew from being friends with Alice over the years...Jasper's wealth would make that sum look like monopoly money.

But I didn't feel guilty about contributing less because it was like Jasper said. It wasn't exactly hard earned wealth, it was practically pirate booty. Really, what mattered much more than where it came from was how we put it to use. And given the fact that I had accidentally seen Jasper's charitable givings statement a few years back, I was one hundred percent certain I had nothing to worry about when it came to his integrity.

"So, everyone is okay with that plan then?" Alice confirmed. There was a chorus of agreement from around the room.

"Good, on to the next point then. I know some of the new couples aren't officially engaged yet, but let's not kid ourselves, we all know it's coming. So anyone who thinks they are going to want my expertise in planning their nuptials should let me know before we leave the island. As you all know, with the way my gift works, I can't see anything very helpful until some decisions get made," she reminded us.

Everyone agreed that we would let her know soon.

"Okay, now, I should probably give the floor to Edward and Esme. They have an announcement." Alice said, giving Jasper a nod so he would know shit was about to get real.

"Thank you, Alice." Esme began. "I'm just going to rip the bandaid off, since I suppose that is the best way. Anyhow, as you all know, I came into this vampiric life thinking that I was meant to be the partner of a man who was not, by any means, new to vampirism. And I was coming from a world where women's paths in life were chosen for them by the men in their lives. As such, I fell into a certain lifestyle, believing the choice was already made for me.

"But I have since learned that my mate is not who I believed and I have watched the world around me transform into one where women have a say in how they live their lives. For these reasons, I am choosing to exercise my own beliefs for the first time in my entire existence.

"What do I believe? Well, most of my beliefs always matched with Carlisle's. With one major exception. I recognize that this is a world where the environment at large is deteriorating. Entire ecosystems are threatened. Wildlife species are growing more and more endangered due to pollution and habitat loss and urban sprawl. Human population growth is a serious threat to our planet.

"So, for these reasons and more, I personally believe it is irresponsible to continue to feed on the depleted resources of our forests, when an abundance of men in the world the likes of a Royce King or a Charles Evenson go through life unpunished; taking up space; using up valuable resources; and causing harm to others. Especially when my mate is a mind reader.

"If I was a soldier, it would be acceptable for me to take up arms and kill my nation's enemies regardless of their individual moral character. Because I would be doing so for a cause and standing up for something I believe in. Well, I believe in saving the next Rose or the next Esme from the next predator or the next abuser and I believe that is the right thing to do," she concluded.

Carlisle was silent for a long time and seemed to be leaning on Rose a lot. I kept my shield on the 'dimmer' setting for Jasper, just in case.

"Well, Esme...you are correct in that you are entitled to your beliefs. Thankfully, as I will be your brother going forward, we needn't agree on this particular issue. And I want you both to know this doesn't change anything. I have many friends who are human drinkers, I don't think any less of them. And I do understand that I am the anomaly in the vampire world. Most believe as you do, though some of them have far less noble reasons than yours," Carlisle stated. He didn't seem upset with her, just...sad.

"Thank you, Carlisle. I know this can't be easy for you. I'm grateful for the way you're handling it. Edward and I are going to go on an extended trip to a more populous part of the world while I...adjust. we should be back long before the first of the weddings," she informed everyone.

"Ahh, yes, I suppose that is for the best. We'll all be leaving the island soon anyway. You'll keep in touch, I hope?" Carlisle asked.

"Of course!" Esme nodded moving to hug him. "This isn't goodbye forever, just farewell for a while."

"Thank God for that." Carlisle sighed in relief, wrapping his arms around her. Afterward he did the same with Edward. Then Rose took turns hugging each of them, followed by the rest of us.

My goodbye with Edward was odd to say the least. We hadn't ever lived apart since the first time we broke up. And that was a period of my life when I felt utterly alone and unwanted. I knew this time would be different. I was with Jasper now and unlike back then when Jasper stayed but kept his distance, this time, he would be right here in my arms. So Edward leaving was just that. Edward leaving. I wasn't alone and I wasn't unloved.

"I'll call Ness when we get settled somewhere and update her, so don't worry about that." He assured me.

"Perfect, thank you." I nodded. "We're gonna miss you guys. Try not to stay away too long."

"Don't worry. The Pixie has already informed me that if I don't have Esme back before the weddings I can kiss my man parts goodbye." Edward snickered shaking his head at Alice.

"Cool, well you'd better listen then. If anyone would follow through, it's Alice." I smirked.

"I can hear you, Bella." She pouted.

"You know I love you, Ally." I assured her, blowing a kiss.

"Okay, quit hogging Bella," Esme chastized Edward since she hadn't gotten to hug me yet.

"Be safe, Esme. And whatever you do, stay clear of Italy and any of their allies, please." I said as I hugged her. I opened my mind to Edward fully, so he could see our plans so far and my conversations with Jasper. Edward nodded discreetly then moved to Esme's side.

"We will be careful, Bella, thank you." He assured me as he picked up their suitcases from a nearby spot on the floor.

He turned to Esme with his most charismatic smile. "The boat should be arriving in the village soon to take us to the mainland, Love, we ought to go now."

"Oh, yes, we don't want to miss it. Okay, much love to everyone and we'll call to check in once we get settled." She said, clearly trying not to get too emotional.

Everyone waved goodbye once more as they headed off.

Once they were out of earshot, Rose turned to Carlisle. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Carlisle sighed. "I guess I'll have to be. It really isn't up to me anymore."

Rose raised an eyebrow at him. "It really never was."

"Touché." He winced. "What about you, My Rose? Did you ever feel like I pressured you into my diet?"

"No, Carlisle. Not at all. I'm fairly certain I would have found vegetarianism anyway, regardless of your influence. There was a reason I never fed on Royce's gang when I killed them. The idea of their blood in my system was cringeworthy. They were the kind of people who deserved to be eaten, but yet, the thought of taking any part of them into made me sick. And alternatively, feeding from the innocent is just cruel. So no, I don't think I could have been a human drinker." Rose reassured him.

Carlisle smiled. "And that is why you are the perfect girl for me. Well...one of many, many reasons."

"How about you, Bella, are you okay? With Edward leavin' and eatin' humans and all? I mean, you were once a human he almost ate, so I could see that might be weird for you." Emmett asked, clearly half joking, but also just being a concerned big brother.

"Yeah, I hadn't even thought about that whole aspect." I shrugged. "I was mostly just thinking it's going to be weird without having them around. Like, I know in the past, couples have always gone away on their own for a while. But everyone has pretty much stayed together since before I joined the family. But I guess it's good practice. We weren't going to tell anyone yet until our plans were finalized but we're probably going to Texas, after we all leave the island, for a while." I admitted reluctantly.

Not that I was reluctant to go. I was excited to get to spend time getting to know Peter and Charlotte. It was just bad timing to tell them, what with Esme and Edward having just taken off for parts unknown.

"Oh. Wow. Well then, I guess this truly is the end of an era." Carlisle stated a little wistfully.

"And also the beginning of a new one." Rose smiled, rubbing circles on his hands.

"Very true. And it makes sense to take some time now to spend with just our mates. Although, I guess I shouldn't presume Emmett and Alice are leaving?" Carlisle questioned.

"Nah, not for too long. I think we have some international shoppin' tasks in preparation for our weddin' but we'll be back after Alice spends all our money." Emmett teased wagging his eyebrows.

"That's okay, we'll just make a quick stop in Monte Carlo if I do so we can win it all back!" She winked.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you could do that!" Em laughed.

"Yeah, just be careful Em. It's pretty easy to develop a gamblin' addiction when ya know ya can never lose." Jasper cautioned. "I learned that the hard way."

"Oh yikes, good point! Thanks, Bro." Emmett chuckled.

"If I might change the subject for a moment, what was the warning about the Volturi earlier, Bella, did Alice share something?" Carlisle asked me.

"No, it's nothing pressing. Just some things that might happen down the road. Trust me, if there were immediate cause for concern, we wouldn't be separating, we'd be banding together." I assured him.

"Alright. Well, you'll keep me posted?" He confirmed, looking between Jasper and I and Alice.

"Definitely." Jasper nodded and Alice and I echoed that we would.

"Thank you. Now, if everyone would excuse us, I think I owe my Rose a study session in the garage." Carlisle grinned as they departed to the garage. We clearly knew what that was code for.

"Yeah, I think we're gonna go 'study' too." Emmett snickered. Alice giggled and they zoomed off in another direction.

"Well Darlin'...looks like we're alone again." Jasper winked.

"We're never alone when we're together." I whispered, taking my top off and crawling on top of him on the futon.

"Well said, Darlin'. Well said."

AN: Love You All Soooo Much!

I hope you each have a very happy holiday season, whatever you may celebrate, or just happy days in general if you don't celebrate anything.

And a Happy New Year (whenever your New Year is), since none of us can escape the passage of time, lol!

As always, your feedback makes me smile! It's really all I want for Christmas ;-*