AN: Uh, so hi. There's a pandemic and murder hornets. And also SM is finally releasing Midnight Sun? So I figured since 2020 is wild enough that maybe it was time to bring this baby back. Enjoy. Also, this chapter, and 37/38 have chess references as titles. I suggest you look them up.

Chapter Playlist: Breathe Me - Sia; Dangerous - The XX; Sleepwalking - Photek (feat. Linche); In Motion - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross; We're in this Together - Nine Inch Nails; Game of Thrones by Ramin Djwadi

Chapter Thirty-Six: Perpetual Check

I laid in bed a fruitless attempt at sound sleep had resulted in restless dreamless slumber but only for a couple of hours while dawn was fast approaching in the early morning. My body awoke just before three o'clock and I've been lying in wait since. I regarded the time with disdain. The passage of seconds, minutes and hours that told me one thing: that we needed to get up soon to leave for the clearing and still I lay here, on my side admiring the sleeping man, my husband, laying next to me. His body was twisted - upper half on his stomach, lower half on his side. His thick arms were folded under his pillow with his face turned to me. When he slept all the worry and weight of responsibility left his brow, smoothing out to make him look like he was still an irresponsible sixteen-year-old boy, rebuilding motorcycles for my adrenaline junkie mother. Or at least what I imagined him to be from old pictures with pasta bowls in their hands, smiling like their worlds weren't about to change yet again. Yet we lay here, in the quiet darkness of early morning so much has evolved even in the last twenty-four hours.

A month ago these things I didn't think were necessary for us but now I knew how different this was. I became a fiancee and then a wife in the span of hours. That legality set in paper, ink, the metal around our fingers and consummated in this bed. A proper wedding night of tantalizing skin, tangled sheets, and soft affection spoken against each other's lips had distracted my mind enough to allow for at least a little sleep. Blissful exhaustion had pushed me into that quiet slumber for which I was thankful my nightmares new or old had not come flying to the surface when I'd drifted off. It was odd to try to wrap my head around the concept that I was indeed a married woman now as my thumb toyed with the bands on my finger rotating them back and forth, feeling the shift of metal along my skin. Wrapping my head around the idea of wife, led me down the inevitable conclusion of what was to come today. The one thing I'd been dreading for six months had arrived. Inevitability and the passage of time were my enemies as I'd tried to avoid this confrontation but there wasn't an escape. A chess piece in a blockade - a king in perpetual check yet I felt as weak as a pawn. One move and it would be checkmate.

Shaking the thought away, I listened to the steady heartbeat beside me, timing my breathing to it, and finding solace in the presence of my mate - the man who loved me so much that he married me and planned to be by my side as I refused Aro's plan. I thought of what I would say to Aro. Though I was certain a single look into my thoughts and he'd see the glaring answer; that I'd married my mate to convince him that I would not submit to his betrothal. I was certain he would find an angle to try to exploit. I knew it wasn't just me that he wanted specifically for the guard but for the talented family members and to the pack by which I was now bound to as much as Jacob was to me. I was never the issue just the means justified to his end. My gift though useful for communication and defense wasn't quite the offensive talent that gave him an edge like Edward, Alice and chiefly Bella would give him. My mother would certainly be his crown jewel next to Alice. The idea of my parents and my beloved aunt in cloaks flanking Aro's sides with deep crimson eyes instead of bright gold disturbed me a great deal just by the mere fact that their submission couldn't be by choice.

And that was the crux of the issue, choice.

My choice. My autonomy to choose a life for myself. My choice is what threatened Aro's plan the most. It was what he'd hoped I would use to join them willingly and drag the pack and my family with me. But he didn't understand that my choice was mine alone. Even still I held the fate of the pack, hybrids, family, and all vegetarian vampires who had come to our aid in my hands. It was too strong of a weight for me to bear yet I did not buckle beneath the sheer mass. I bore the weight of my world better than Atlas bore his. It was my choice as the axe hanging over all of them and the thread was getting weaker with each pendulum like swing back and forth. I hoped beyond hope that this would work. That this union would convince him that I could not sacrifice my love for Jake, and that I will not force anyone to submit to him. If it did not and war broke out I would fight. I would go after Renata, then Chelsea and Afton. With my mother's shield in place no one, not Jane, or Alec could touch me with their abilities. No shield could keep me out because I was genetically half the strongest mental shield in all of vampire existence.

If there was one being capable of reducing Aro to a pile of fear - it was my mother. She didn't exactly hold Aro in high esteem like Carlisle did. One wrong move and Aro had to know my mother would ensure that if he deemed my marriage and reproductive capability too great a risk that she'd ensure he'd not see the day through. The one vampire who invalidated his entire guard's arsenal, blocking them in her place as the most powerful piece in our long proverbial game of chess - a White Queen to his Red King. Had this really all been about strategy from the beginning? A careful chess game of moving pieces here and there to bring about this final state of play. Since he even became aware of my mother had he hoped that she would join the Volturi one day? Or was he truly surprised to find out her ability was the one defensive talent that could protect him from the mental abilities of other vampires where Renata's physical shield could not? If he knew this then he also must know that she loved her family so fiercely that she'd end anyone, anything that threatened us.

I hoped sincerely that he knew all of this enough to not start a war. We certainly wouldn't be starting one, it would have to be the Volturi as aggressor we'd ensure that much. Our learned pacifism wasn't out of weakness but out of respect for life and need for peace. It is what drew Carlisle away from humans in the first place. What drew Jasper to follow Alice to find our family. What made the choice to become immortal so easy for my mother to make. Our way was just different than what traditional vampires did but by no means was it any less valid of an existence either. Not with how many covens had started going to animals instead of humans. And again here we were still looked upon in the vampire world as strange. Freaks among freaks because we valued human life. I understood the arguments against humans. Humans could do horrible things to one another but so could we. The human world was full of vitriol and fear of what was different and unconventional, the realm of the supernatural didn't need to devolve into baser instincts of greed, envy and wrath.

I closed my eyes, trying to will the thoughts from my brain. An arduous thing to do. My mind was consumed with Aro's machinations. Sometimes, and really only now do I wish I'd been born to a different less talented family. Our gifts were what he coveted most. My grandfather's influence second. My ties to the wolves third. For so long I thought my life so blessed and wonderful to have such distinct talented family members and a pack so full of humans and wolves that my life felt replete. This life. This wondrous beautiful life given to me by my parents fostered by my family, my friends and the man I've grown to love all these years is what hangs in the balance today as it has the last six months. I just hoped, ardently hoped for Aro to see reason. For him to know that his stratagem if he were to see this through to conclusion without pause that he'd bring war upon both our houses. The path to war wasn't what any of us wanted and would try to avoid at almost any cost save for the free will of my friends and loved ones. Most importantly the sleeping man beside me. The look on his face yesterday when I walked down the aisle to marry him. The absolute adoration he showed me in everything he did that night. A love so strong not even the Volturi can break it I was sure of that, even if Chelsea could find our ties protected beneath my mother's shield.

I couldn't doubt the potency of our bond now as I had in my early years. From the way we worked together, fluidly in concert with one another to how even though we'd touched and kissed an infinite amount of times now the electricity that had been there from the beginning had only increased in intensity with the more intimate we became. For he wasn't perfect, but he was indeed perfect for me. My complement in every way. I was pensive and unyielding at times. Although he was as pertinacious when it mattered to him, he was madcap at times and improbable and the single most loving person I'd ever known. Considering the wolves, my family, the imprints and other humans and vampires in my life was saying quite a bit in comparison. I smiled softly in the darkness watching him inhale and exhale softly, not a care in the world.

"I can hear you thinking." He muttered softly, correcting my earlier assumption that he was sleeping.

I chuckled and slid closer to him as he adjusted his position to reside fully on his side, bringing an arm out to pull me closer, into his chest. The contact only drove the point home that we were drawn to each other. A planet in a gravitational field of a star, I was always drawn back to this simple singularity. "You cannot, I am not showing you anything at the moment," I reminded, kissing the corner of his mouth. He grinned, fingers lightly making their way up my ribs.

His chest rumbled as his hand came up to push a few stray curls from my cheek. "Still can hear the hamster wheel squeaking," he joked and I pinched his side, making him yelp in surprise. "Hey now, that's not nice." He replied, his voice still groggy as he tickled my side in retaliation.

I huffed and pushed him onto his back, laying across his chest with nothing between us, just the warm expanse of skin upon delicious skin. His hand slid across my back to my hair, tugging gently on the curl ends. "Do we have to go to this thing?" I asked, not wanting to leave our quiet bubble.

He sighed. He was as reticent to leave as I was but he knew we had to make our appearance sooner rather than later. "Yeah, they're here to see you."

I took a breath and propped myself up on his chest to look at his face. "Can we just run away? Just the two of us?"

He smiled softly and shook his head, taking my left hand and playing with my fingers showing me the rings that sat upon my ring finger now. "No. As much as I'd like that, we can't. Besides we have to show him that we're not going to back down. This," he paused bringing his left hand from my back to join mine, showing me the band I put there mere hours ago. "This is not what he's expecting. And to throw him off balance is a good thing. It will make him cautious," He added.

I tried to find strength in that. But my more sardonic side still came through. "Yeah," I stated, hopeful but still not completely convinced.

Jake shook his head disagreeing. "It'll be okay. Have faith."

I rolled my eyes, "In what? That Aro's too much of a coward to face my mother?"

"No, I mean in us. In me. I will never let anyone hurt you. I promised you when you were a child, do you know what's changed in the last 17 years?" I shook my head in response, making him smile. "Nothing. I swore my life to protect you. That will never change. Even if you didn't choose me to be your husband I would have kept that promise."

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes and I sniffed. "I know. I swear mine to protect yours. I won't let them take you from me either." I promised. It struck me deep in my bones how true that statement was once it left my lips. I would, if it were necessary, give my life for his. I knew and understood now more than ever the choice the Third Wife had made. Why she'd chosen to sacrifice herself to save the man she loved.

His face grew dark and pensive then, taking in the idea that I'd give up my life for his too. To even fathom life without me must be as bleak and dark of a wasteland of torment as I felt a life without him would be. To lose an imprint was as bad as losing a mate was to a vampire. When you loved that deeply and that permanently there was no moving on. There was only the purgatory of loss. However, as soon as that darkness crossed his features he removed it, putting on a brave face and smiling softly. "If we get up and shower we might be able to have enough time for breakfast."

I grinned a bit and nodded in agreement with his suggestion. He needed to eat before we left, power up just in case. I let him up, leading me into the bathroom to shower together. He turned on the hot water and grabbed a few towels, while I brushed through my mess of hair, matted in places from his fingers the night before, and my fitful sleep. I stepped under the spray when it was the perfect level of scalding hot. I wet down my hair letting the heat and steam soak into my skin as I closed my eyes and let the water wash away my worries. Jacob joined me a moment later kissing my shoulder and moving under the spray as I stepped to the side. I watched him for a moment not saying a word but just watching as he went through the motions. I grabbed the soap and began to wash while he washed his hair then mine. The motions of showering together had become so commonplace in our daily life together. From months ago when we'd first done this to now, the easy movements and shared smiles. I turned to him as he finished up with the soap on himself and kissed his chin. He smiled and tipped my chin up to kiss me softly, stepping us back under the spray to continue rinsing off. Recapturing this blissful calm we'd started so long ago made it easy to treat this like any other morning. When we were both done distracting each other Jacob turned off the water and I stepped out wrapping a towel around my body, and another wrapped around my hair. He got dressed more quickly than I did, wrapping a towel around his waist and finding something simple and easy to strap to his leg for the run to the clearing.

I hesitated in front of our closet. Huffing in annoyance at myself I took a long sleeve grey henley for myself paired with tight jeans and utilitarian boots that stopped mid calf. In case there was a war I wanted to be ready to fight. I buckled them nervously, hesitating with each latch. I closed my eyes and steadied my shaking hands. Have faith. I repeated Jacob's words over in my head, using it as a mantra to get me through this limbo.

I looked over to Jacob who'd forgone shoes, and had donned a pair of cargo shorts and a black v-neck t-shirt. He kissed the top of my head before he went into the kitchen rummaging through the refrigerator to make us breakfast. I joined him shortly, braiding my hair in a loose french braid with a few strands falling out to frame my face. I put my compass necklace back on, and my woven bracelet, eyeing my reflection. I hardly felt like myself. The happy newlywed wasn't what looked back at me in the mirror. The anxiety I felt was evident in my expression and the rigid stance of my posture. I shook my head at myself whispering, "Get it together, Renesmee."

Out in the kitchen Leah was already up, quietly nursing a steaming mug of coffee while Amber nervously bobbed her leg at the breakfast nook. She looked up, deep dark circles beneath her grey eyes. My heart clenched for my dearest friend. The anxiety of all of this didn't just affect me after all. It had wreaked havoc upon her nerves, too. I placed my hand on her shoulder and she stood, enveloping me in a hug. I clung to her letting her go to pieces for a moment. "I'm scared," she whispered yet all of us could hear her.

I held her tighter and tried to soothe her with a hand at her back. "I know. I'm scared too. I'm hoping it'll be okay."

Jake grunted, annoyed from the stove as he dished up pancakes and bacon. "It will be." He reminded with a flick of a spatula.

Leah went over to him, grabbing the plates and bringing them to the breakfast nook. As the four of us all sat down I spoke. "No talking of them. This is an ordinary day all right? It is September seventeenth, and there's nothing out of the ordinary right now. There's only breakfast and three of the most important people in my life. Let's have one normal thing today okay?" I stated, giving Amber a stern look. She eyed me worriedly over her coffee and nodded in agreement.

Jacob pulled me into his side on our side of the nook. He kissed my temple and took my hand. "So when are you thinking about doing the second wedding, then? I'm sure Alice will want to know a date soon so she can start planning," he mused using my desperate need for normalcy to get me to commit to a second wedding date only this time with the pack and all of our friends.

I eyed him with tetchiness to my expression. He just smiled arching a hauteur eyebrow at me. I rolled my eyes and relented thinking for a moment. "How about next summer?"

"Summer?" He asked, unduly surprised. It made an odd sort of sense though. A summer wedding. It wasn't like we had a long engagement and the timing would make Alice happy enough to have the time to dig deep into the planning stages as she so loved to do.

I nodded. "Yeah like June or July. It'll be warm enough for an outdoor wedding so that the humans we know won't freeze. Maybe somewhere in the Hoh rainforest?"

He hummed for a moment, thinking aloud. "Could always use your favorite tree or your parents' meadow," he offered, giving into the idea.

I smiled, "See and have it in the early evening. It would be perfect."

Amber had a slow smile creep up on her face as she chewed on her pancakes. "So like a real Midsummer Night's Dream then?" She stated before shoveling another fork full of pancakes and maple syrup into her mouth.

As I pondered that I realized it made perfect sense. A perfect fit to round out my life. Alice would certainly love the idea. I turned to Jake who was already grinning through chewing on a slice of bacon. "You like that idea?" I asked and he shrugged.

Swallowing he cleared his throat. "Sure I mean, you already married me. It makes sense, it is your favorite play."

I chuckled. "You'd like it too, Shakespeare's comedies are far more enjoyable than his tragedies. And they usually have a happy ending."

He chuckled right along with me. "Sure, sure," he replied, using that same patronizing tone he usually reserved for his father. I rolled my eyes at him and went back to my breakfast.

"I'm still cross with both of you, for not bringing us to the wedding," Amber stated, giving us both her best angry face.

Both Jake and I dissolved into laughter at her attempt to be fierce. Once I gained control of myself I held my hand up. "I know, and I am sorry it was kind of last minute, but you're still my maid of honor."

Amber sat back at the admission. "Seriously?"

I nodded, glancing to Leah and then back to Amber. "Well yeah, I mean I wouldn't be married right now had you not thoroughly destroyed every single argument I had against it."

Her face melted from the shocked expression into the smuggest smirk I'd ever seen her muster. "That's because you had terrible reasons."

I laughed at her quip, nodding. "Yeah, I'll give you that. But will you, you know be my maid of honor?"

Amber rolled her eyes at me as if I needed to ask at all. "Please, as long as you don't turn into Bridezilla and make me go all Mothra on you then we're good. Also, no awful dresses."

I rolled my eyes right back at her. "Oh come on, like Alice Cullen would let you near something hideous."

She pursed her lips at me and narrowed her gaze before pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "True. This doesn't make up for not getting to go to the courthouse though."

"You'll never let us live that down will you?" Jacob asked, cutting into the conversation.

Amber gave him a conspiratorial glance. "I don't know once you two have a couple of kids that I can spoil rotten, maybe."

I barked out a laugh, she was almost as adamant about the future prospects of children as Jake was. "Someday, Ambs. Not yet."

She waved me off then, letting Leah distract her as we finished up breakfast. We continued the conversation, delving into what Amber was up to in her lab. "Oh! Well do you want the official study or the covert op I'm running for Carlisle on the sly?"

"Both?"

She smiled and described her passion for understanding vector borne illnesses like Chagas and West Nile. "There's not enough research on Chikungunya in the literature so I think that might be my focus. Especially for finding therapeutic targets or boosting plasma cell antibody production. Then you run into the risks of creating an autoimmunity. Human's are so vastly limited sometimes with our immune systems but we're still just barely scratching the surface in our knowledge of the immune system. But what I'm working on with Carlisle is more genomic analysis of the vampire genome. He wants to know how similar vampires are to humans still - how much of the human DNA is retained and how much becomes altered with venom. It's harder to study since some of the traditional molecular techniques have been tricky. But DNA is universal so it's been easy to isolate whole genomic content. Next up is genome sequencing. Thankfully a lab down the hall has a whole genome sequencer, takes about a day and the data capacity is massive for humans so I can only imagine the sheer magnitude of data I'll be handling. I've been talking with the bioinformaticians in the lab but there seems to be analysis software already that Emmett or Jasper could rework the code a bit to highlight vampire differences from humans. It's going to be my life's work, but Carlisle is excited to unlock more about how vampire genetic expression works and the differences between us as species. He hopes to apply that to hybrids eventually, even wolves too."

I listened to her intently, fascinated by how intrigued her human mind was by all that we were capable of. She definitely didn't think like a regular mortal that was for certain. I helped Jacob clear the table once everyone had finished eating. We found comfort in the mundane tasks of washing dishes while Amber pulled her stuff together, ready to make the trek to the Uley's where all the imprints would be on standby, ready to help the Rez evacuate if necessary.

A low rumble and crunching grass and debris out back signaled Paul's van had arrived. Walking out I could see Seth and Iracema emerge from the tree line, holding hands and talking quietly. Their progression had been sweetest of all to watch. How the pure hearted and kind Seth had broken down every carefully fortified defense of hers to bring her fully out of her shell. I turned to see Paul help Billy out of the van and into his chair while Rachel opened up the back for Amber. Amber plopped her backpack containing her laptop and a book or two. Rachel gave her a surreptitious glance and she shrugged. "Need something to occupy my brain. Figured immersing myself in data could help."

Rachel nodded before walking over to me, embracing me briefly. "How's it feel to be a married woman now?" She teased.

Smiling, I gave a gentle shrug of my shoulders. "Good, different but a good different, I guess."

She smirked and took my hand. "I'm assuming you two aren't going to want to do family dinner tonight?" She asked, wondering if we'd make what had become a tradition since I'd moved out onto the reservation. Sunday nights were family dinner nights, rotating between Billy's, our house, and Rachel and Paul's place week to week.

I shook my head 'no'. No if we survived today Jacob and I were going to take a much needed respite from the world for at least a few days. I doubted he'd argue at the idea. A quiet moment or two was really all we'd been able to get here or there for the last six months. What we needed was blissful uninterrupted alone time.

Jacob came up to us then taking my compass necklace from around my neck. I gave him a strange look but he waved me off, slipping his wedding band down the chain before securing it back around my neck. "You're holding on to that temporarily so I can phase. But I want it back," he stated, giving me his best stern glance but was soon broken through by a smile.

I raised my hand up, bringing my fingers to play with the platinum band. The added weight to my necklace kept the reminder going. I watched as Amber hugged Iracema and Seth fiercely as she'd hugged me. She loved her new and extended family as fiercely as any human could. For this was a family she'd chosen for herself.

Billy came to me next the dawn not quite over the horizon yet. "I wanted to tell you something before you go," he started and I turned to sit on the arm of his wheelchair, draping an arm around his shoulders. Billy Black was a kind and simple man by nature. But you listened to him when he had something to say. A trait in their family for certain. Ingrained in them to lead and be heard.

"Yeah?" I supplicated wondering where exactly this was headed.

The corners of his eyes crinkled showing his crow's feet denoting his ever advancing age. The silver of his hair reinforced that simple fact that he was getting older day by day. He took my hand and patted the back of my palm. "Now this is just in case, those vampires try to start a war. But I need you to know, Ness that you've been everything I could have ever hoped he'd find. I'm happy to have you in our family, as another daughter. You're a Hell of a woman and you make my son pretty damn happy. Do me a favor and make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid today alright?" He finished making me smile.

"Of course, Billy."

He patted my hand again, while I squeezed his shoulders. Billy had been there for my entire life as Jacob had been. He'd always welcomed me and treated me like I was normal even though my growth and maturation was decidedly not normal. I let my hand move from his shoulder to grace his cheek to show him how much I appreciated his acceptance and inclusion over the years. Billy had been so welcoming it was hard to imagine a time where he'd been so prejudiced against my family and my own of his. Yet the pack had learned that my family were peaceable and wanted to live their own way without harming humans - the only way that Jacob's ancestors had allowed them to stay in the Olympic Peninsula in the first place.

Billy smiled at the memories I showed him. The kindness he'd given to me had surely shaped my own generosity towards the wolves and humankind alike. Aside from the pack, the rest of the tribe itself was important to preserve. The rich history and kind people who lived here who had no true knowledge of the world of myth and legend that surrounded my life needed to be protected no matter what happened today. I knew Billy would see to it that no matter what his people would endure.

I kissed his cheek before pulling away to stand. I thanked him again silently for all that he'd done as a father for Jacob. For his love and acceptance of my presence in their lives throughout my life. He gave me a soft smile in return, full of fatherly pride and kindness. He turned to have Paul help him back into the van, getting ready to leave for the Uley's for the day. A headquarters of sorts had been made there, awaiting word if a battle would indeed come to pass.

I glanced at Amber and Leah, watching them embrace and Leah cradle her imprint's face between her hands. "I will see you tonight. Now get in the van and distract yourself for the day. I love you," she stated with as much confidence as I'd ever seen her muster. I grinned as Amber nodded, returning her affection before Leah kissed her so gently like she was a soap bubble and would burst with too much pressure. Leah was so at ease and confident that we'd survive the day I tried to find strength in that.

My heart clenched in my chest at the two of them. Everything was coming down to a countdown, a slow march to the arrival. Amber broke from her a moment later with tears in her eyes, she glanced back before she got in the van, along with everyone else save for myself, Iracema and three wolves. We stood and watched them go as Paul backed out of the driveway, annoyed that he was on the sidelines, but he, like Sam, had chosen not to come out of retirement. Instead they insisted on protecting the families and the tribe. Knowing that if we were to face a war that we'd need them as a secondary front. The Quileute tribe was what needed protecting. The history, the families and culture. All of it must survive no matter what happened to us today. Sam and Paul were our last line of defense. Our last resort, waiting for word from Evan and Terry who were strategically positioned to get word back as quickly as possible

Billy had told me the story of his Grandfather Ephraim's last run with Quil and Levi. The old men though weakened by the ravages of time, phased back into wolves with arthritic knees and greyed fur. He'd remember watching it as a young boy, not very much older than Sarah Ann is now.

I turned to Ira as she came up to me. She nodded in solidarity and I smiled at her kindly. This one of the oldest of hybrids had become so integral to my life as well. Seth, Leah and Jacob, the original three of his pack stood talking while I stood with Ira. He spoke with them quietly, a plan between them that he'd share with the rest of the pack. It was surreal to think seventeen years ago he, Seth and Leah had been the ones to protect me. They'd stood against their own kind in favor of my family. Choosing peace instead of violence. And here they were today. All three imprinted. All unexpectedly so. "Are you ready?" she asked almost rhetorically.

"I think so," I answered but was I really that sure? Not hardly.

"Do you know what you're going to say?"

I nodded. "Sort of yeah. I'm going to let my thoughts talk for myself. My memories. Aro with one touch can see every thought your mind has ever had. Makes keeping secrets from him impossible unless you avoid physical contact all together. Without a particular grievance with him I doubt that his patience without reaffirmation of loyalty would last long."

She understood and took my hand. "Let us hope he is not angered by what he sees in your mind. I am certain he would not like to see what I think of him."

I agreed. Aro wasn't exactly held in high regard with the other hybrids. Sending his prized tracker to seduce and impregnate one of us had certainly earned a generous amount of ire from my hybrid brethren. I wondered if Demetri cared for Pehuen at all, or wanted to know him. He very well could but was under the influence of Chelsea and Corin. Or he could just be that indifferent to the boy. I couldn't imagine that. Then again the only excursions into physical intimacy I had been with Jacob. I didn't know what it was like to be that physically close without love attached to it. Any future child between us would be created out of love not an experiment for power.

Jacob clapped his hands together drawing our attention. Within moments the three of them disrobed and shifted into their wolf forms. I glanced at the three of them. An odd sort of symmetry that these were the three that had guarded me before I was even born. Unknowingly guarding the imprint that surprised as many people as Leah's had years later. Jacob's ear twitched as he listened into the pack mind. I looked to Ira and she took a breath.

A moment later and the five of us were off. I could hear the soft thud of their paws at my sides. Jacob to my left, keeping pace with me. Ira to my right with Seth, and Leah running just behind us. It had to annoy her to slow down even the littlest bit. Her one advantage was in her speed. But I knew she was as reluctant to get to the clearing as I was. We ran together, almost in formation. Two hybrids flanked on three sides by massive wolves. The trees and forest around us had no inkling of what was to come. Bees buzzed, and birds chirped from their nests. The forest was alight and alive with all it's creatures and animals as we tore through the vegetation at a breakneck pace. When the woods grew thick enough Ira and I both took to the trees, using our strength to propel us several hundred feet at a time, allowing the wolves to run at their normal pace. Hybrids were slower than vampires. And as such slower than the wolves. My speed was a gift from my father, but Iracema wasn't as quick. Using the forest helped, kept us at a pace that was equal to the wolves below us. The trees giving us cover, should we have come upon anyone else out here. Thankfully the forest was only buzzing with the natural sounds of fauna and a gentle breeze whistling through the spaces between the tree trunks. Closer to the clearing, that same old baseball clearing from so long ago, I could hear the sounds of our witnesses as they spoke, ready for battle if necessary. Ira and I rejoined the mossy earth as we slowed. Jacob, Leah and Seth stayed behind a moment conferring with the other wolves who'd already gathered while we entered the area.

Fred and Maggie greeted us first. "Good mornin' to ya," Maggie greeted almost too cheerily. "I trust at least one of you got some sleep last night," she teased making my roll my eyes.

"Real funny, make fun of the newlywed, why don't you?" I chided and she giggled wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"Of course, it's tradition. Though you'd been living in sin for weeks now, it's 'bout time he made an honest woman of ya."

Fred just laughed at the two of us as we made our way into the encampment. The witnesses and my family had come here in the night, trading stories by starlight until the cloud cover had come in to diffuse the sun for us today. Alice had foreseen that it wouldn't rain until this evening, but the dark gray cumulonimbus seemed to threaten otherwise. My mother turned as she heard my approach and smiled coming to my side in a moment.

She enveloped me in a hug and held me at arms length, surveying me with intense scrutiny across her expression. That lasted only a moment when she smiled. "Nope, still my daughter."

I rolled my eyes at her and huffed petulantly, "Oh is everyone a comedian this morning?" Bella just shrugged, grinning widely. I gave her a generous helping of side eye as we went to join the rest of my family. "Since when are you so jovial about the Volturi coming to visit?"

She chuckled then and sighed. "Well, that's not why I'm happy. I got to watch my kid and my best friend get married yesterday. It's been kind of surreal. And anyways, if you can't handle my jokes, don't go near Emmett. He's been practically vibrating, waiting for you two to show up."

I groaned because of course Emmett couldn't wait to make light of the fact I was married now. I wondered how in poor taste he was going to get before the confrontation. If we survived, I was certain I was in for a hefty dose of Emmett humor for at least a decade if not more. As if right on cue my gregarious uncle lit up when I came into his peripheral vision.

"Oh there she is!" He announced. "Where's Jake, did you break him?" he asked, grinning like an idiot.

I cut my eyes over at him, because really if that was the first question out of his mouth he had to be holding back. "Should I be worried that that is your first joke or happy that might have you officially run out of material?" I shot back, making him raise his eyebrows.

Rosalie laughed and clapped her husband on his shoulder. "She's got you there, babe."

Emmett just laughed it off. "Oh I can get worse and you know it."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah and ten bucks says Jake will pummel you into next week if you do."

"I'll do what?" Jacob asked as he walked up. I turned to him a bit surprised. I didn't realize he'd phased back.

I gave him a questioning glance and he shook his head pressing a kiss to my forehead as he came to my side. "Care to explain why you're not a giant dog at the moment?"

He laughed and looked at my mother.

I turned my glance on her wondering exactly what was going on. She took pity on me then, explaining. "It was my idea. I figured if Jacob could talk. If Aro can see that the wolves aren't just wolves but can blend in just as easily with humans as we can then he'd be less inclined to start a war today. I mean technically Jake's still part human. The tribe he comes from may have legends about wolves and a real pack guarding them but the majority of the tribe are just ordinary humans with lives completely detached from this world. Being able to blend easily even within his own culture has been important over the years, right?" She explained turning it over to Jacob.

He nodded. "Especially important. Part of protecting the rest of the tribe means keeping them safely in the dark and letting them go about their normal lives. No one needs to know that there are vampires and wolves running around. I get why the Volturi made the law in the first place. We have to keep to it even if we disagree with how the Volturi conduct themselves. I also wanted to be able to speak if Aro wants to question me as the Alpha."

Both of their answers made sense. The last time the Volturi had come the wolves had stayed in wolf form, snarling and snapping their dissent at Aro's words and ruminations about guard dogs. Jacob and I went on from there, greeting the rest of my family. Jacob spoke with my father briefly while I hugged and greeted Alice, Jasper and Esme. Alice was focusing as much as she could. Searching for what she could glean from the future. Focusing on herself, on Jasper, on any piece she could that didn't involve a hybrid or wolf in any way, shape or form.

The crease knit between her brow deepened further and she huffed in exasperation. Her gift was stretched to the limit.

I left her to it with a hug to Jasper before heading over to my father and Jacob. Edward greeted me with a hug. "Good morning," he said softly with a grin.

"We'll see how good of a morning it is," I shot back, making him snicker.

Jake rolled his eyes at me and slung an arm around my shoulders. I mirrored the move and wrapped my arm around his waist. "You know, Edward, this pessimism thing she's got is entirely your fault."

Edward full on laughed at that point nodding in agreement. "I won't argue there, though I do seem to remember her mother's worry about Victoria to the point where she was practically begging us to change her."

Bella rolled her eyes at my father when she came up to him. "That's because I was the only one who couldn't contribute."

"I remember you left a trail of blood to where the newborns would find our family, and then I also remember you sliced your hand open with a rock to distract Riley and Victoria. So you actually contributed quite a bit, Bella." Edward grinned at her and kissed her temple. He turned to me then, "I asked Bella not to shield you, so I can counter Aro's arguments," he explained apologetically as I winced.

"Great, well I'm not going to apologize for what you'll see either," I countered. Of course it would be important to be able to see what Aro could see, Mom would have to remove the shield for Aro's power to fully work on me. Otherwise I could have just shown him what he wanted to see instead. Keeping Aro happy that we were indeed going for full disclosure would sate the Ancient's need for information. The sad fact was the amount of information overload that was going to remove every bit of privacy I'd long fought for.

Edward nodded. "Duly noted. Have you anything formal to say to him?"

I shrugged. I wasn't exactly sure. I had ideas of how to word it sure. Polite and formal would be what Aro would expect. Even though one peek into my thoughts and he'd see how not polite I felt about this entire thing.

"Yes, politeness will be expected on their end. I wouldn't blame you for how you feel. It's your life they're trying to control." He added, commenting on my thoughts. I wasn't used to having him in my head anymore.

Jacob chose then to speak up. "Let them see where trying to force her hand gets them."

Edward and Jacob exchanged a glance with my father, studying him before nodding and a slow crooked smile, picking up one corner of his mouth. "I have to say I agree." Edward added as we made our way into the clearing to join the family.

We all began to edge to the clearing, grouping together in our covens. The Irish stayed close as did the Amazons and hybrids. Zafrina and Fred flanked my mother and father, ready to hide her at a moments notice. The Denalis were to the right of Carlisle who stood out front of us to field the Volturi as our patriarch. Esme stood proudly at his side, their hands clasped. Jacob took my hand, lacing our fingers as Seth and Iracema came to stand by us, with Leah not far away. Nahuel stood by Maysun, Pehuen, along with Serena and Jennifer not far from the Denali clan. Protective of his other sisters and nephew, knowing that Seth and I would look after Ira.

Nahuel met my gaze and smiled. I smiled back giving him a nod.

Maggie came up alongside Fred and held his hand. Peter and Charlotte flanked Jasper and Alice. Charles and Makenna stood off to our left near Benjamin and Tia. The Romanians stayed on the periphery, hoping that this would turn into a fight, as did Maria, she looked almost bored by it all. Senna and Kachiri both stood back from Zafrina keeping their postures relaxed but still imposing by the fierceness of their expressions. The rest of the wolves intermingled in and around our group of friends that had come to witness for us this time around. Some were disgruntled by the proximity of vampires. The scent surely was enough to annoy them, as the same could be said for the vampires state of minds.

It wasn't an easy alliance between wolves and vampires. Especially those with eyes of deep crimson instead of burning gold.

Edward turned to Alice, garnering my attention. The Volturi must be close, but just out of his range.

Alice's steely eyed gaze was focused on the tree line ahead of us across the expanse of the clearing. She could see them getting closer.

Garret was pleased, practically vibrating at the chance to crack some Volturi skulls.

To no one's surprise, Emmett flexed his hands and rubbed them together in anticipation. Rosalie rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder in admonishment. Garrett grinned at the prospect and held his arm around Kate's shoulders. He hummed the Battle Hymn of the Republic, harkening not back to his days in the Continental Army but to his freelancing during the Civil War, making some of us chuckle at his allusion, none more so than Jasper who's light laughter was accompanied but a gentle calming wave of his ability..

Edward's face hardened then, as no doubt the first of the guard and witnesses came into range of his ability. I worried then what he could be hearing. Or how many. He turned his face to me and softened a bit.

Sorry, I apologized. He nodded and kept focusing on them. The sound came first. A multitude of feet like a whisper across the soft damp mossy earth. The sight of black cloaks emerged from the picturesque autumnal tree line moments later. The line expanded out but was much smaller than last time. Indeed, the Volturi held less power in our world since we last met here. Some of those witnesses had come to our aid this time, but there was a distinctly smaller amount that couldn't solely be accounted for by the few who'd joined us.

I squeezed Jake's fingers tighter as the brothers came into view just behind the core guard. The Volturi had indeed arrived. Through all their pomp and circumstance I admired the fluidity of how the ranks broke through and separated, keeping close by but just far enough apart that their individual talents and importance in the ranks of the elite guard could be seen. Chelsea, and Afton, stayed close to one another, but she scanned our group a look of dismay when she saw my mother. Jane, Alec, Demetri, with their enforcers Felix and Santiago filling out the outer ranks. Heidi stood near Felix and stared us down with disdain. Where Chelsea's annoyance at my mother's presence was almost comical Jane looked terrifyingly homicidal. Aro, Caius and Marcus broke through their guard with Renata sticking close to Aro's side. Just beyond them were two waif-like women and Corin. I knew these must be their wives Sulpicia and Athenodora.

Carlisle stepped forward then once the processional had halted opposite us. "Aro, my friend. Thank you for coming to see us today."

Aro stepped forward then, a smile across his brow while he surveyed our group. He looked at all the different faces. The surprise evident on his features at the multitude of gold eyes, staring back at him where once he had seen red. He took in the wolves, intrigued it seemed that they'd elected to stay on two legs. He grinned at my immortal grandfather and stepped more to the middle, between the two groups.

"Carlisle, my old friend," he began. I took a breath, steadying myself, for this was just the beginning of what was going to be a very long day.

AN: Thank you so much for sticking with this story. There is an end in sight. Finally.