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.

Based on characters created by Stephanie Meyer in her Twilight series

Done By Dawn

Chapter 18

Emmett slowed the truck as they neared the front yard. Jasper and Edward had run ahead and done a perimeter check, in the event any of the Volturi chose to straggle and visit the house. They were in the yard and nodded an all clear as it approached. At Jenna's silent request, Edward carried Cory's body into the house. Esme ran for a clean white sheet and covered an end of the large table. Edward laid Cory's body on the sheet while Jenna gathered what she would need to clean the body of her lover.

Carlisle grabbed his bag, and prepared to close the many deep gashes that covered the body of his friend. As Jenna began to slowly wash the blood and dirt from the naked corpse, Carlisle began to sew. They had started at his head. Jenna worked to get as much blood out of his hair as she could, before she started on his face. Carlisle took great care in creating nearly invisible stitches, so Cory looked as natural as possible. As they worked toward his chest, Carlisle had to use all his skill to close the huge, gaping hole that was the location of Cory's removed heart. Jenna's tears had continued to flow, but at the sight of the hole in his chest her breath came in gasps. She could not get past the image of Caius pulling out the heart of her lover, and feasting on it.

Bella, who had been silently standing next to her mother, placed a hand over her mothers' and helped her to wash away the blood. Together they finished his chest. Jenna turned to Bella, gave her a small smile and a silent thank you, then finished the rest of his body by herself. Edward stood behind Bella, his hands on her shoulders, as they watched the seemingly ritualized preparing of the body. When Jenna and Carlisle had finished, Esme produced another clean sheet, and Cory was wrapped in it.

As they were finishing, Emmett and Jasper entered the house and nodded to Carlisle.

"It's ready," he whispered to Jenna.

She nodded and the four male members of the Cullen family picked up the body of their friend and raised him onto their shoulders, two on each side of the body. Jenna led the way to the site she had chosen for the burial. The women all surrounded Jenna, allowing her to lead the way but staying close to her, for support. Once at the site, Cory's body was gently lowered into the deep grave with the help of ropes. The ropes were then thrown into the hole, after they had served their purpose. Jenna stood silent, as did the rest of those gathered around the grave site.

"Would you like me to say something?" Carlisle asked Jenna.

Jenna shook her head. "No." She looked around at the Cullen family-her family. "He knows," then she nodded and Edward, Jasper and Emmett began to fill the hole with the displaced dirt.

When the hole was filled, and the dirt mounded on the grave, Jenna began to move her hands toward a nearby rock. It was about the size of a small chair, and she lifted it and brought it to hover over the grave. As the rock moved through the air, she shaped it into the form that she wanted. Everyone watched as the plain rock took the form of a sitting wolf. Bella watched as the wolf took on the characteristics of Cory, right down to the goofy grin and tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. As the transformation finished, Jenna placed the marker at the head of the grave. She said "Good-bye" and turned and left for home. Bella looped her arm in Jenna's, and they led the procession back to the house.

On the way back, Bella's curiosity got the better of her. "Mother, the marker, it looks just like the one on the fireplace."

Jenna smiled to herself, "It's the way I saw Cory, the very first time I saw him as a wolf."

Bella smiled with her mother and they walked in silence the rest of the way to the house.

The war with the Volturi had taken only a very small portion of the morning. The majority of it was done before it was full dawn. The negotiations took less than an hour and by the time Cory was buried, it was barely past noon. Jenna roamed the house, wondering what to do with the rest of the day. With the humans gone on vacation, she felt lost.

"Come home with us," Bella offered. "Come see my home. It's small, but so very beautiful. And very cozy and comfortable."

"I wouldn't be very good company," Jenna countered absently.

"You don't have to be company. Just be someplace different, for a little while. Everyone's not due back for a week. I hate the idea of you being alone."

"Please," Edward added. "We would love to have you."

"We all would," Esme joined in. "You have made us feel comfortable in some very difficult circumstances. Let us all be there for you. Please, come home with us." Esme was nearly pleading with her.

Jenna gave a deep sigh, hung her head and nodded weakly. Bella was so excited at the prospect, that she hurried to the top floor of the house, and began to help Jenna pack for the trip.

"Rose has called Jacob." Bella told her mother. "Renesmee is thrilled that you will be coming to see her."

Jenna took a deep breath and gave half of it out as a sigh. "Charlie won't be too thrilled."

"Oh, yeah." Bella thought back to the day that her dad had told her about Jenna. "Well, he'll see things differently, once we explain it to him."

Jenna gave Bella a lop-sided look. "Yeah, like that's going to go over real well."

"We'll just tell him that you worked in sensitive areas of the government. He'll—get the point."

"Do you really believe that will work?"

"No, but it might?"

Bella and Jenna laughed but kept packing. Alice peeked her head in the door, shortly after they had gotten started.

"Need any help?" she asked, bouncing into the room and on to Jenna's bed.

"Oh no." Bella breathed.

"I heard that." Alice pretended to be offended. "Please let me help?" she gave Jenna her most pathetic look.

"OK." Jenna agreed, and Alice literally bounced off the bed.

"I've been dying to get the chance to take a look at your wardrobe." Alice threw open the two large doors to Jenna's closet and quickly thumbed through the hangers. Then, she took out everything that had been packed so far. "Well," she finally decided, "it doesn't look like you'll need to do a lot of shopping. But we will have to go at least once." Alice tapped her index finger on her lips as she considered Jenna. "Maybe twice." Then she want to search Jenna's dresser. "Definitely once, at the very least." Alice then proceeded to chose the clothes that she was going to allow Jenna to take with her.

Jenna stood back and watched Alice with a look of fascination and fear.

"Is she always like this?" Jenna asked Bella quietly.

"Yeah," Bella breathed. "I should have warned you. Alice has a thing about people's wardrobes. Anyone's wardrobe. You should see my closet at home. It was a wedding present from Alice."

"Sounds terrifying." Jenna tried to contain a laugh.

"You have no idea," Bella responded seriously.

"Enough of that, you two," Alice warned. "Time to get these things packed. Everyone else is ready to go."

Bella packed the items Alice indicated into one suitcase, then Alice brought out a second piece of luggage.

"Everything fits into one bag," Bella pointed out. "Why the second?"

"Because your mother needs to do some serious shopping," Alice announced. "Her wardrobe is adequate, but needs work. Don't worry," Alice smiled sweetly, "I'll help you fix it," and she took the two bags down to the waiting cars.

Bella and Jenna followed in silence, fearing the proposed shopping trip Alice was already planning. Edward was waiting at the bottom of the steps. He watched as Alice happily swung the two pieces of luggage out the front door.

"Everything alright?" he asked Bella as she and Jenna reached him.

"Alice has decided that mother needs to go shopping, at least once."

"Oh!" Edward took a step back, but tried not to laugh. "Did she say where?"

"She's working on that," Bella rolled her eyes.

"That's not good," Edward moved to Bella's free side, and prepared to escort both women out the door.

"Hold on a minute," and Jenna took off through the house. She checked the windows and doors, and grabbed a small bag to collect a couple things she wanted to take with her.

Carlisle's car was to contain Carlisle, Esme, Rose and Emmett. Jasper and Alice would take Esme's car back, and Edward and Bella would drive Jenna in her car. The cars were already loaded with the luggage, and soon everyone was in their assigned cars. Jenna turned to look at the house, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She looked to the barn. Emmett had turned loose all the horses so they could fend for themselves. A couple were still hanging around by the corral fence, but she wasn't concerned. They would find what they needed, when they were ready.

Jenna finally relaxed into the back seat of her car and closed the door. It would be nice to get away for a while. She leaned her head against the door and stretched her legs out on the seat.

"I think I'll try to get a little sleep," Jenna told Bella and Edward.

"Good idea," Edward responded.

"Are you alright, mother?" Bella asked.

"I'm fine. It's just been—a day."

"OK," and Bella let it go.

Jenna slipped her hand into the small bag she had carried with her. Inside she felt the small stone wolf she had made for Cory. She held it in her hand, brushing her thumb along the side of the wolf, and along it's face. After a while she did sleep, and dreamed of her werewolf, and all the times they had spent together.

Let me know what you think. Should I end it here and eventually start from here on another story, or should i continue on?

Only a review will tell me what you think.