A/N:

Thank you, my readers, for reading this story. But sadly, it has come to an end. All good stories must come to an end, am I right?
Anyway, the ending is much more different than I had it originally planned, but after a while, it had grown on me. I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I did. It wasn't really meant to be 'novel-ish' more of a 'what-could-have-been' sort of story.
Thank you, once again, and I'll miss you all.

As a final note, and as an author, could you all please review? For last time's sake? (:

-Chapter 22-

3rd Person Omniscient POV

Heidi walked into the throne room, followed by twenty-two tourists. All of them were silent, as they followed the beautiful blond vampire into the middle of the room. All the guards were on watch, and they were allowed to feed once Aro tells them to. At the same time, the kings will, too. Isabella will act out of instinct, and hopefully, be fed.

Though, Isabella didn't mind that she had to feed from humans. Either way, she's a killer. You're killing an animal for blood: that makes you a killer. Animals have families, they have instincts, they have a mind and a life of their own to live. If you kill them, then what's the point? And if you kill a human, sure it's immorally wrong and illegal, but isn't it the same thing? All living things are mammals. Except for vampires.

The tourists stood in the middle of the throne room, murmuring comments and criticism to one another. Although, it was pretty useless to whisper because everyone else in the room could hear them.

Isabella gripped Caius's hand so hard that he cringed. She pressed her lips hard against each other, failing to ignore the burning sensation in her throat.

"Caius..." Isabella pleaded, swallowing the venom that was pooling in her mouth.

Caius stroked the back of Isabella's hand, as he felt her pain.

"Just hold on a little longer..." He told her, and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Welcome to Volterra!" Aro declared, a devious smile creeping onto his face. "We hope your day has been going well...for it is coming to an end. Begin."

That was the key word, and everyone in the room charged towards the now screaming tourists. Some tried to fight back, but were failing miserably. Their screams echoed throughout the castle, and there was no doubt that Rosalie and the baby could hear them.

The overwhelming smell of human blood filled the room, and it was so sweet to the vampires that it was toxic. Finally, Isabella couldn't hold out any longer, and she lunged towards one of the blindsided humans.

Jasper was in the sidelines, his nostrils flaring as he tried to have some self-control. But it was rather difficult. Instead, he decided to focus on helping Isabella keep her control.

Isabella pushed the man to the ground, his wild eyes looking into her red ones as he let out a shriek of horror. His camera was smashed, and thrown to the side. He tried to push her off, but Isabella poked him a little too hard and ended up breaking his rib. He passed out.

She tore the human apart, her teeth sinking into her prey's neck and blood started to gush out. She pressed her lips against the warm human, sucking him dry and moaning in pleasure as the liquid seemed to put out the fire in her throat. It wasn't long until she threw the human back on the ground, accidentally breaking a few spinal cord bones in the process.

Isabella stood up, admiring her job well done. She didn't feel an ounce of remorse. This was who she was, and as immoral as what her actions were, she couldn't take it back. She had just made her first kill.

And it was exhilarating.

The adrenaline soon faded and she was calm, feeling satisfied and somewhat stronger now. She took a step back to realize that everyone in the room was staring at her. She immediately felt out-of-place and awkward. She gawked at all of them, her red eyes wide and full of innocence.

"Did I do it wrong?" She cocked her head to the side, and it reminded most of the of Jane and how she could look so innocent yet so guilty at the same time.

"No." Aro shook his head, his eyes wide with wonder and his mouth was gaping. "That was...remarkable! That was incredible! I do not think I have ever witnessed a newborn make such a clean kill. Jasper?"

"Indeed. Bella, that was amazin'. I don't even think you would need any trainin', darlin'." Jasper nodded, clearly in a state of awe.

"Oh." Isabella acknowledged, licking her lips absentmindedly. "So, that was good, right?"

"Excellent." Caius breathed, walking towards his mate and hugging her. "You did splendid."

Isabella pursed her lips, contemplating her situation for a moment.

"So, can I see my baby now?" She inquired, in all eagerness.

Caius darted his eyes towards his brothers for admittance. Marcus and Aro looked at each other before nodding in unison.

"Jasper must be with you at all times, in condition." Aro announced sternly.

She nodded. "Of course."

"Then there should not be an issue." Aro replied.

"Then let's go." Caius ushered her out of the throne room.

Isabella couldn't wait to see him.

3rd Person Omniscient POV

Rosalie immediately knew that Isabella was coming to visit John. She was rather nervous actually. Would Isabella approve of the way she was taking care of him? But either way, Isabella would have to endure it.

Rosalie imprinted Isabella's fuchsia mixed with a touch of strawberry-like smell and looked immediately at John, who was frowning in confusion as he couldn't decide which to play with: the ball or the scarf.

Rosalie and Emmett were in the room with John, and so was Jane and Alice. Felix had gone back to his post, and they were now waiting for Isabella and Caius to come see the child so that they could get on with their battle.

Alice and Jane were explicitly excited for Isabella to walk in and see her baby. Alice and Jane were both sure that Isabella would be ecstatic and so happy to see him. Alice especially had John wear a blue plaid shirt with black jeans just for the occasion. Isabella had always loved the color blue.

Isabella, on the other hand, was nervous. Would her child even recognize her? Would he cry when she tried to pick him up? What if he doesn't even like her? These questions worried her dearly, and she couldn't help but stress that enough. Caius noticed shift in behavior, and grasped her hand firmly in his. He stopped her in her tracks, and she questioningly looked up at him, the red glow of her eyes endearing.

Jasper was trailing behind them, discussing something with Felix who reluctantly came along to retrieve those who wanted to watch him fight Emmett.

"Isabella, you don't have to be so nervous. Everything will be all right." Caius soothed her, kissing the top of her head.

"But what if he doesn't?" She inquired, her voice small and sounding heartbroken. She was jumping to conclusions so quickly.

"He will." Caius assured her, tugging at her hand to follow him again.

Isabella took a deep breath, looking back worriedly at Jasper who smiled at her warmly. Gradually, she felt the effects of Jasper's gift work on her and she ceased to worry.

Caius stopped in front of a wide door, looking back at his mate with confidence.

"Are you ready?" He whispered, his eyes boring into hers.

Isabella took a deep breath again, pressed her lips together and closed her eyes before nodding.

"Yes." She murmured back.

Isabella didn't open her eyes until she heard the door open. And once it did, the scent of four other vampires in there wafted her senses, leaving her questioning who they belonged to. She identified two of them to belong to Alice and Jane, but the other two, they were unknown.

But there was another scent; a much sweeter one. It smelt a little bit like a rainforest would, but with the sweet remains of human blood. Isabella wasn't attracted by the human blood, as she scented it was a mixture of something else. In other words, she wasn't appealed to it in a 'hungry' way.

Isabella opened her eyes slowly, taking in everything all at once.

And there he was.

On the floor, in a pretty blue shirt with dark jeans, was the child she acknowledged to be her own.

And he was beautiful.

Isabella's hands covered her mouth and she stifled a gasp. The baby looked up at her, and Isabella gulped as his eyes mimicked that of her human colored ones: a muddy brown. They were big, round and full of wonder. He looked at her with such emotion; such happiness and she was immediately feeling love and compassion towards the child. He grinned at her, his mouth was still toothless but it was adorable, nonetheless.

It was then when he muttered the first word he had learned: "Mama!"

"My baby..." Isabella whispered, and the little child immediately exploded in giggles. Isabella carefully made her way to the floor, opening her arms out to the little child. The baby looked at them, confused, before realizing what she was doing.

And obediently, he crawled onto her lap.

"He's so big!" Isabella acknowledged, breathing in the scent of her son.

Rosalie smiled as she watched the mother and son reunite for the very first time. What a heart-warming moment.

"We call him John." Rosalie explained, a warm smile on her perfectly shaped lips. "We didn't know what you would have wanted to name him."

"John..." Isabella whispered, grinning at her child. "It's perfect. It suits him."

"That's what I thought!" Alice squealed, clapping her hands joyfully. Jasper went to her side and instinctively wrapped an arm around her. She leaned into him, smiling at John and Isabella.

"You thought well." Isabella laughed, as she put her baby back down on the blanket. He pounced onto the scarf.

"Oh!" Alice squeaked, her eyes widening. "Don't you two have a little battle planned?" She queried, gesturing to Emmett and Felix.

"Yeah. Is the room clear?" Emmett asked, at Jane.

Jane smiled, her mind still a little bit dazed at how Isabella and John reunited. She absolutely adored the two of them together.

"By now, it should be cleared." Jane nodded, her eyes never leaving Isabella nor John.

Isabella frowned. "Let me guess, Emmett challenged you first?" She questioned, loosely pointing at Felix.

Felix smirked. "A mistake on his behalf."

"A brutal one." Caius murmured, slyly glancing at Emmett who's mouth parted slightly at the King's words.

"Alice, can't you just tell us who wins?" Emmett whined, regretting his proposal. If a King thinks that it was a 'brutal' mistake, then Emmett was definitely in for it.

Alice looked at him in mock shock. "No! That would ruin it. But I could tell you there will be a surpr-OW!"

Caius shot a glare at Jane, who shot a glare at Alice, who was rubbing the spot where Jane pinched her on the arm.

"Okay okay, I'll shut up now." Alice pouted, still rubbing the spot on her arm. For a vampire, she overreacts quite a bit.

"Shut up about what?" Isabella queried, suspiciously frowning at both Jane and Alice.

"You'll have to see later." Alice giggled, and Jane tried hard to hide her smile but was failing miserably.

"So, are we going to battle or not?" Emmett wailed, slumping his shoulders.

Felix coyly and deviously smiled back at the Cullen.

"Most certainly."

Isabella wasn't too keen on letting John watch the battle, but she realized that his life would be revolved around it a lot and he'll be grown up soon.

They all gathered in the emptied spare room, a huge ring around the wide, open space, and everyone was nearly silent, despite the murmurs and giggles of the wives (who were cooing uncontrollably at John). Otherwise, everyone had perfect posture, a sly smirk or excited grin on their faces and they all waited patiently for the two fighters to come in the room.

When Emmett walked into the room, followed by a sullen looking Felix, and everything fell silent. Even John, with his wide brown eyes, stared anxiously as the two vampires settled in the middle of the throne room, both of them face to face.

It was an odd sight to begin with. The Cullens were so used to having Emmett, the big, muscular, tall Emmett that with him standing in front of Felix, made him look small.

Felix was taller than Emmett, by a good six inches. He wasn't as muscular but everything knows that Felix didn't need muscle to defeat his opponents. He has skills.

Jane walked between them, separating them both from each other by a good ten feet. She smirked at the audience and smiled devilishly before speaking.

"Welcome everyone." She greeted. "We are gathered here today because Emmett Cullen had indirectly challenged Felix Volturi to a fight." She gave Emmett a pitiful glance before continuing. "I direct you to applaud and cheer as you wish. No physical interference." She spun around, placing both competitors in appropriate positions before turning back around. "When I say go."

She turned back and went towards Isabella, who was holding a squirmy John in her arms. Jane clasped her hands, observing both vampires glaring at each other.

"Go!"

Almost immediately, you could hear cheering and hollering echo throughout the entire castle, maybe even from outside.

The sound of grinding boulders, shattered glass and loud smacking was audible. Emmett had the upper hand at first, tackling Felix to the ground and making a dent into the marble floor. But Felix quickly made a quick recovery, slipping away from underneath Emmett and pouncing back on top of him.

Emmett struggled, grunting and clenching his teeth as he tried his best to push the over-sized Volturi guard off from on top of him. Emmett was clearly losing, a fearful expression in his eyes. Rosalie stifled a gasp, her eyes wide as she stood by, terrified. Jasper was there to calm her down, to the best of his abilities.

Emmett shifted his right arm so that he had Felix in a headlock. Despite Emmett being underneath him, he was still strangling the Volturi guard well. Felix let out a low growl, and this earned a chorus of "Oo's" from nearly everyone in the room.

Emmett didn't back down though. He managed to push Felix off of him, standing upright as he balled his hands into fists. He struck Felix in the face, and Felix stumbled backwards awkwardly. Felix glared at the golden-eyed opponent, his red ones looking enraged and determined. He lunged forward, pushing Emmett into a wall and accidentally knocking down a pillar.

Emmett drowsily looked up, a crack appearing on his face. Everyone gasped, and the Kings nearly had to step in and stop the fight before Felix tore Emmett's head off. But Emmett wasn't done, and he was determined to win. He was motivated to win.

Emmett took a deep breath, venom pooling in his mouth as he bent down, and Felix looked at him in confusion. Emmett took the risk; pulling Felix off his feet and throwing him across the room.

Felix smashed a window, almost falling out. Emmett didn't take a second longer before he pulled Felix up from the ground, tossing him back into the marble floor, right next to the previous dent that had been made. Jane looked at them in awe, but knew it was time to call out a winner.

She stepped forward, all eyes focusing on her.

Emmett crumbled to the ground, right next to Felix who looked exhausted. Both of them groaned in agony, as Jane inflicted pain upon both of them in order to get them to stop fighting.

Jane looked at Aro, Marcus and Caius who all nodded their heads simultaneously, giving her permission to call the match off.

"Although we'd all love to see how this," She gestured to the two opponents laying on the ground in pain. "Would have ended, I'm afraid we will have to announce a winner before someone ends up in ashes."

Jane observed both of the competitors on the ground. Jane was the one to judge now, it was her time to make decisions. Even though it wasn't much of a life-changing decision, she felt pride that she had even a little bit of authority.

"The winner is..." She squinted as both Felix and Emmett had pleading looks in their eyes. "Emmett Cullen."

The Cullen family, including Isabella and John, cheered. Everyone else in the guard groaned and moaned in defeat. Some even shouted at Felix at how disappointed they were in him. But they knew that Felix was still a great fighter, despite his loss.

He can't win every time.

Caius and Isabella were back in the garden.

John was put to sleep, as it was nine in the evening. Emmett was lounging in a separate room in the castle with Rosalie, as he was recovering from the fight. Alice and Jasper had decided to go hunting, as it had been days since they last had anything to eat. Carlisle and Esme were talking and spending time together in a guest bedroom.

Aro and Marcus were dealing with the Romanians, who were trying to persuade them into giving them more authority in the vampire world. Jane, as well as the Elite Guards and the Guards in general, were all back at their posts.

As the days had gone by, Isabella had proved herself to have immense self-control for a newborn. And along the way, they have discovered a hidden talent. Isabella was a manipulator. Nothing quite like her, actually. She can make you think things that she wants you to think. She can make you think that you're in love with her, even if you really aren't. She can make you do things that, in reality, you would never do.

She had chosen to use her powers for good, which gave the Volturi and vast feeling of relief.

Caius and Isabella were perches on an old bench, admiring the starry night. They had time to memorize all the visible stars from above, and even name them.

Caius had his arm draped around Isabella's waist, and Isabella was leaning into him.

"I'd love to just spend eternity like this." Isabella sighed, smiling up at the stars.

Caius grinned slyly. "You can. We have forever."

Isabella looked down shyly, hiding her face in his chest. "It sounds perfect."

"Despite everything that has happened, you still manage to see the bright side." Caius remarked, kissing her hair softly.

Isabella shrugged, thinking the obvious. "It's all you can do."

"Yes, I suppose. I'm glad you stayed strong. For us. For John." Caius whispered to her, adoringly admiring how shy she was acting.

Isabella looked up at him, a small amount of remorse and sorrow in her ruby red eyes.

"He's not yours." She murmured, the hurtful tone in her voice made Caius press his lips firmly together, as his dead heart throbbed with sadness. He hated seeing her like this.

"But I love him anyway. It doesn't matter. He's a part of you, Isabella, I'll always love the both of you. You're mine, forever." He kissed her, softly on the lips, before breaking a part. Isabella frowned, usually she was the one to pull away first.

"And I want you to be mine forever." He confessed, and ever so swiftly, getting down on one knee.

He pulled out a black velvet box, elegantly flipping it open to reveal a diamond ring. It was simple, but it was symbolic all the same.

He looked up lovingly into her eyes, as she brought both her hands to her mouth, covering the gasp that escaped her mouth.

"Isabella Marie Swan," He began, a small smile tugging at both corners of his lips. "Will you do the immense honor, and marry me?"

Isabella was at a loss for words. Half of her was screaming at her, scolding at her and asking her why she wasn't responding. The other half was in complete shock. But happy.

"Yes, Caius, I'll marry you."

And they kissed each other, passionately.

They were ready. They were ready for whatever the future has to bring them. The fights, the arguments, the tears, the happiness, the memories. They both knew that they were ready.

And they couldn't wait any longer. They wanted each other badly, they needed each other more than anything.

They were two halves of a whole. Isabella was the moon to Caius's night. Caius was the sun to Isabella's day. Without each other, they would never feel complete. And with each other, they were invincible.

Despite everything that they had gone through together, they both knew that with the help of one another, they'll be able to get through it. They know it. Love overcomes everything. It doesn't matter who you were up against.

On August 24th, Isabella was to take Athenodora's place as the second Queen of the Volturi.

Everything that Isabella has gone through, the tragedies, the heartbreak, finding love...finding hope, she had faith that she would make it out alive. And she did.

But everything had to come with risks. And she knew what they were; she'll need time before telling her family about who she is, what she is. Jacob will just have to understand that not everyone will have a fairytale ending. But everything happens for a reason. Without Edward, there wouldn't have been John. Without Jane's loyalty, Isabella would have been an introvert. Without Isabella, Caius would forever be a heartless monster.

They both deserved a happy ending.

After all these diversions...wouldn't you want one too?

The End.

Thank you for reading this story.
I hope you all enjoyed it!
If possible, please review (: !

It's best to keep the readers wondering.
-Team Moriarty