A decade later, Bella sat on the steps in front of the cottage and ran her fingers through the mud. It had been raining earlier and the sky was still grey. She dug her fingers deep into the dirt and grabbed a handful of it, watching it slide through her fingers and fall back to the ground as she lifted her hand up. She thought about the past ten years of her life. Metaphorically speaking, she was alive. She thought about the week after Jasper had left, when they had gotten a letter from him.

To my family, Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, and Rosalie, thank you for every kind word, every pat on the back, every life changing lesson. Alice, I give you everything I have, and my heart along with it. Bella, Edward, tell Renesmee Uncle Jasper loves her very much. I will miss you all.

Jasper.

He had gone to the Volturi asking them to kill him, and they had given him what he wanted. He was dead. Alice had seen it happen in one of her visions. She had witnessed every gory detail and it had driven her to the brink of insanity, causing her to leave again, this time for good. Neither Bella, nor anyone had ever caught another glimpse of her. Only Zafrina, while visiting the Cullens once, had told them that she had seen Alice in a corner of the Amazon hunting humans.

Zafrina told them that Alice had run away as soon as she had seen her, and Zafrina had no intention of chasing someone who did not want to be caught. Bella remembered how she was consumed with guilt with what had become of her sister-in-law. Alice had given up on the vegetarian lifestyle, her love of fashion, even her poised demeanor to become a nomad, struggling to fend for herself. Bella knew how it had been her own fault, she had seduced Alice, and now she was the only one left to pretend as if everything had just been a bad dream.

Bella's trail of though moved to the other members of her family, the rest of the Cullens. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie had been oblivious to the secrets surrounding Edward, Jasper, her and Alice. The tension between them put a strain on their relationships, and they became distant. Rosalie and Emmett moved to Europe with the excuse of wanting a change of scenery. They bought a tiny castle in the South of France. Carlisle and Esme had put off leaving Forks for far too long. Carlisle's physical appearance was almost three decades younger than he claimed and people were getting more open with their questioning. The both of them travelled the world, not staying in one place for more than a few years, but still visited her and Edward occasionally.

Her marriage to Edward had crumbled. They were good parents to Renesmee and took excellent care of her. Jacob helped them as much as he could. She grew up fast and in seven years she was a happy, beautiful, healthy seventeen year old. That was when she had stopped aging, and she moved in with Jacob. The two of them were in love, and with Sam's marriage to Emily and his settling down, Jacob had become the next Alpha in the pack. Bella smiled to herself at the thought of Renesmee and Jacob discussing wedding plans.

Bella thought about the wolf pack. Leah and Embry had gotten married, about to have their first baby. Seth was still Leah's annoying little brother, and he had supported the Cullen through everything. Paul was still his hot-tempered, volatile self but his mood had improve after he'd been engaged to Rachel. They had their own house now, so Billy didn't have to put up with Paul at his house any more, eating his food. Collin and Brady and some of the other younger wolves had harder jobs now, since many of the older wolves had stopped phasing after they'd decided to settle down.

Edward had left soon after Renesmee had, and joined the Volturi, the same group of vampires who had killed his brother. He pined for some purpose in his life and Aro was happy to have his power of mind-reading in the army. Carlisle and Esme had stopped visiting, and Bella hadn't heard from Rosalie or Emmett again. Bella opened her hand and watched the mud flow through it. It was starting to pour again and the water washed it all off her hand, leaving it clean. She lived alone now, all by herself in this huge house, filled with memories.

The piano Edward had played a song for her on, the couch where she had spent most of her pregnant days, the room where she had given birth to Renesmee was all hers now. She heard rustling in the forest and looked up, straight at the trees in the distance. A small figure dressed in black walked out of the green foliage. Bella's squinted through her wet hair to look at the figure, and her eyes became wide. She recognized the short pixie-cut hair, the young face even though it was slightly more weathered. She had no doubts now, and she would never have another doubt again.

"Alice?" she called out to it.

The figure nodded, walking closer.