Chapter Eighteen
Witness Dysfunction
Grace Cullen-Swan

I'm sure the wedding was beautiful, however, as hard as I tried not to, I tuned it out from the moment I took my seat after walking Bella down the aisle to the moment Alice shook me and told me it was time for the reception.

"Grace." Carmen gasped my name as she and Eleazar neared where I stood bouncing Elizabeth on my hip.

As soon as we entered the reception area of the backyard, Elizabeth had wanted to see the pretty lanterns Alice had hanging from the trees away from the reception. I had happily agreed in an attempt to get away from all of the humans sad eyes staring at me. But, it seemed I would have vampire eyes on me instead.

"Carmen." I smiled as warmly as I could manage, which probably came out very forced and aggravated. "Eleazar." I greeted as well, offering him a respectful handshake as a fellow coven leader.

"Where on earth did you get her from?" Carmen stared wide eyed at Elizabeth, not being able to help but smile at her angelic nature. "What if the Volturi discovers this?" She worried for me.

"She's not entirely a vampire." Eleazar noted, observing Elizabeth's human qualities.

"It's a long story." I sighed deeply. "She's Bella and Edwards biological child." I revealed quietly and they both gasped in shock. "At Bella's eighteenth birthday party, shortly after my mariage to her father, she got a paper cut that led to her getting some bloody but otherwise small injuries. Edward decided to leave her for the sake of protecting her and the other Cullens agreed. I, however, couldn't leave my mate and child so I stayed behind. Bella fell into a depression and shortly thereafter realized she was pregnant. After she delivered, she gave custody to myself and Charlie due to her feeling incapable of caring for a baby."

"So she's half-human and half-vampire." Eleazar gaped at her. "I wouldn't believe it if I weren't witnessing her for myself." He shook his head in disbelief. "May I hold her?" He asked and I carefully handed her over to him, trusting him completely as one of our oldest friends. "What an angelic creature." He marveled at her and she laughed before grabbing at his nose. "And gifted!" He cried out as she pulled her hand away and began to reach out for Carmen.

"Hello." She smiled enthusiastically as she took Elizabeth and she too gasped as Elizabeth placed her tiny hand against her cheek. "How amazing." She cooed, hugging Elizabeth tightly. "You and Charlie must be so thrilled." She smiled widely at me as Bella and Edward rejoined the party and took their first dance.

"Did Carlisle not call and tell you?" I asked them, keeping eyes on my kids dancing. I received blank, unknowing looks as my answer. "After the confrontation with the newborn army that you denied helping us with, the Volturi decided to pay us a visit. They saw that Bella and Charlie were still human and decided to punish us for our transgression of lying to them."

"Lying to them?" Eleazar gaped. "You did no such thing. You told them the set timing of Charlie and Bella's changes. It simply wasn't time yet."

"That was our argument." I sighed heavily. "It didn't matter though. Alec cornered Charlie when he got separated from us in the mountains." I struggled to speak the painful words, so I forced myself to keep watching Bella and Edwards love-filled interaction to calm my nerves. "All we were able to find was blood, his wedding ring, and one of his legs." I cried quietly, quickly reigning in my emotions before I could have a breakdown.

"Oh Grace, I'm so sorry." Eleazar grieved with me, hugging me tightly. "I knew I would regret our choice to not come to your aid."

"It's done, Eleazar." I shook my head as we pulled apart. "There's nothing to be done now. I just have to find a way to go on without him."

"You shouldn't have to. He should be here. We shouldn't have let Irina's hatred cloud our judgement." Carmen contradicted as she passed Elizabeth back to me.

"But she had a heavy loss as well." I shook my head, holding Elizabeth tight. "It's unfair to say one loss of a mate is greater than another."

"This isn't about just a mate." Carmen denied. "He was a father, a brother, a friend to your family. His purpose wasn't met yet. Maybe if you had had more witnesses then they wouldn't have acted upon any judgement. That's what Eleazar and I are regretting right now." She explained. "Speaking of Irina, here she comes." Carmen frowned as her daughters eyes zeroed in on us from across the party.

"You invited them?" She practically growled, stalking up to me threateningly, causing Elizabeth to cry out and gain the Cullens attention.

"Carmen, Irina, Eleazar, is there an issue here?" Carlisle greeted them, quickly coming over to help me as I tried to quiet Elizabeth.

"The shapeshifters? You invited them? After the pain they've caused me?" Irina shot at Carlisle, causing Elizabeth to only cry more.

"Irina, perhaps we can discuss this in a more secluded space. We have human guest attending. Besides, we wouldn't want to keep upsetting the baby." Carlisle tried to soothe her.

"Baby?" Irina turned on me, eyeing Elizabeth dangerously. "Is that what you call that thing?" She sneered.

"That is entirely uncalled for." I snapped at her, handing Elizabeth to Carlisle. "Either you can accept the choices we've made in order to preserve our coven as much as possible, or you can leave this instant and never contact us again. It is your choice. I will not, however, allow you to talk of my family in such a distasteful way. I understand you're hurting, believe me, I know the pain you're going through, but that is not cause to attack characters."

"How could you possibly know this hurt, perfect Cullen?" She jabbed at me. "With your perfect brother and your perfect family and your perfect husband-"

"My dead husband." I growled at her. "Irina, I would like you to leave. Now." I demanded. "Eleazar, Carmen, you and your other girls are welcome to stay. I'm going inside to console Elizabeth." I told them, taking a still-crying Elizabeth from Carlisle and making my way to the house.

"Hey, is everything alright?" Alice caught my arm as I rejoined the reception area. "That didn't look good."

"Fine. Just make sure Irina leaves." I told her. "I'm going inside to make Elizabeth a bottle and try to get her to calm down." I explained.

"Okay, I'll cover for you." Alice nodded. "I'll come relieve you if people start asking for you too much."

"Thank you." I nodded before heading inside to the kitchen.

I had made Elizabeth a bottle and had just sat down in the living room to feed her when Carlisle and Esme came and joined me.

"Irina is gone." He told me. "And I asked that she not return or contact us again."

"You didn't have to do that." I shook my head, focusing on Elizabeth's happy cooing noises. "Eleazar and Carmen are our friends, we love them dearly, and I don't want anymore animosity between our covens."

"They understood." Esme reassured me. "They are quite remorseful about Charlie's loss."

"And they should be." Carlisle nodded firmly. "The Volturi wouldn't have done what they did if they had two strong covens to witness their actions."

"It's easy to say what could've been, it's harder to say what happened can't be changed." I negated. "You two should go back to the party. Enjoy it. Just because I'm ruining things doesn't mean you two need to sit here and let me ruin your night as well."

"You are not ruining anything." Esme snapped at me. "You're grieving. We all are in our own ways. We understand. If Carlisle and I would rather sit here and support you and Elizabeth then go out there and dance like nothing is wrong, then that's our decision." She added, more gently. "Grace, we love you. Let us love you."

"I'm sorry." I apologized for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"We know. It's okay." Carlisle reassured me as Alice entered the room.

"Edward has requested a dance with his mother." She told me. "Would you like me to take Elizabeth?"

"I guess I really can't turn that request down, can I?" I smirked. "Here." I handed Elizabeth to her carefully and helped her sit down in the chair I had previously occupied.

"You don't get to sit with Auntie Alice very often, do you?" Esme cooed, seeing how happy Elizabeth looked sitting up in Alice's arms.

"Don't worry kid." Alice laughed. "As soon as you're big enough, I'll have trouble keeping up with you instead of the other way around." She teased her, earning a happy laugh from Elizabeth.

"Alright, I'll be back in just a moment." I told the room, straightening out my dress as I headed to the door.

"Take your time." Alice smiled widely, transfixed on whatever Elizabeth was showing her.

"Everyone, please welcome the mother of both the bride and the groom, odd but efficient." Emmett announced over the microphone causing everyone to laugh. "Woman wrangles three teenagers and a baby and still manages to look that gorgeous." He whistled and I shot him a playfully mean look causing more people to laugh as I joined Edward on the dance floor.

"May I have this dance, Mrs. Cullen-Swan?" Edward teased me.

"You may." I nodded, not being able to help myself but smile at my son as he swept me up into a dance. "I'm so happy for you and Bella. I really am. I know I've been so distant lately, but you have to know how much I love you."

"I do." He nodded, spinning me in time to the music. "I love you beyond words, mother." He promised me, kissing my cheek as we started back into a simple waltz.

"Is Bella enjoying herself?" I asked him, realizing I didn't see her anywhere on the dance floor.

"Very." He nodded. "She just got one of her wedding gifts." He laughed.

"Wedding gift?" I asked, not picking up on the humor.

"Jacob came to surprise her." He explained. "He wanted one last dance with her as a human."

"Oh, I see." I nodded. "So? Where are they?"

"Behind the side of the house and off towards the woods out of sight." He answered. "I believe it's the same spot you had your delightful confrontation with the Denali's at earlier tonight."

"Great." I muttered. "I really tried to not ruin anything for you or Bella today, Edward. I'm so sorry."

"What's a wedding without a little family drama?" He teased me as he spun me again. "Today has been perfect. I'm so glad that you're here." He promised me, kissing my cheek as the song came to a close. "I think Emmett wants you next so you may want to run and hi-" Edward suddenly stopped, his head snapping to look off in the direction of Jacob and Bella. "Excuse me." He muttered darkly, walking off towards them.

"What's going on?" Emmett came over and asked me quickly.

"I don't know." I shook my head. "Apparently Jacob came to surprise Bella and asked for a private dance. Edward must've heard something he didn't like." I sighed, trying to listen through the noise of the crowd to hear what the kids were saying.

"Honestly, the nerve of that kid." Emmett shook his head, pulling me up into his arms before beginning to spin me around the dance floor. "Doesn't he realize she's a married woman now? The nerve of some people."

"Emmett, you might want to cool it on the spinning." I laughed. "People are worried Elizabeth's going to be left an orphan with the way you're being so rough with me." I added, causing his booming laugh to echo throughout the crowd.

"I've missed you, Mom." He told me sweetly, dropping me to my feet and moving into a gently swaying waltz. "You're not alone in any of this, you know. We all really miss him too. I know Carlisle is a really good dad, but he's always felt like my super close uncle. I was excited to get a father figure I could really connect with. Charlie seemed like the perfect fit."

"Oh, Emmett." I cooed, hugging him tight. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing for something that was never your fault." He laughed at me. "Or something that you can't fix." He added. "I love you, Mom. I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Emmett." I smiled at him.

"There's my mom." He smiled back at me, kissing the top of my head as he went to go join Rosalie.

Deciding to go back inside was perhaps not the smartest idea I've ever made. The moment I entered, Alice seized up into a violent vision that shook her entire body in a way I've never seen her visions act before.

"The Volturi." She gasped, standing to her feet and quickly putting Elizabeth into my arms so she could pace the room. "Irina lied to them! She lied! And now she'll kill us all!" Alice ranted, deliriously angry, her emotions so strong that Jasper came rushing into the room to attempt to calm her down.

"Alice, take a deep breath and explain to us what you saw, please." Carlisle asked her calmly, guiding her back into her seat.

"Irina, she's going to the Volturi to claim that we've created and are harboring an immortal child." Alice explained and my breath caught in my throat.

"Elizabeth is not an immortal child and she knows that." I growled.

"Exactly, and Aro is going to see that in her thoughts. He'll see Elizabeth's half-human qualities, but he'll still raise witnesses against us anyway." She explained. "He'll see his chance to acquire our gifts."

"Let's pause this conversation." Esme interjected. "It's time to get Bella and Edward sent off. They can still go, can't they Alice?"

"Yes, the guard won't come till the snow sticks." Alice replied, standing and going to help Esme get everyone in place.

Carlisle, Elizabeth, and myself were the only ones left in the living room to struggle to wrap our minds around what Alice had revealed.

"Brother, I'm scared." I confessed to him quietly, not knowing what else I could possibly say.

"I am as well." He shared with me and hugged me gently to him. "I'm not leaving your side tonight."

"I wouldn't let you, honestly." I told him as Esme stepped into the room.

"It's time to send them off." She told us. "I was sure that you'd both want to be involved."

"Yes, we're coming." I nodded following after her with Carlisle directly behind me.

We got outside, where people had gathered on either side of the driveway, and made our way over to where Edward and Bella were standing by the car.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you." I cooed, wrapping Bella into a tight hug before moving on to hug Edward just as tight. "You'll take good care of her, right? Use protection and remember to make her eat and sleep and drink plenty of water and-"

"She'll be perfectly attended to." Edward promised me, kissing my cheek and then Elizabeth's.

"Good." I nodded. "Please be careful. I love you both." I swore to them as I hugged them each one more time.

"We love you too, Mom." Bella smiled widely at me as Edward led her over to the passenger door and opened it for her. "All of you." She added, smiling sweetly at Elizabeth, Carlisle, and Esme before getting into the car.

"Hey, son." Carlisle caught Edwards arm as he came around to get in the drivers seat. "Just so you are aware, Alice has received a vision involving Irina and the Volturi. She is going to claim that Elizabeth is an immortal child."

"That's not right she-"

"Yes, we know." Carlisle cut him off. "We have plenty of time before they come. Go enjoy yourselves. I just wanted you to be aware of the situation. We'll handle everything here."

"How am I going to keep this from Bella?" He asked us quietly.

"You don't have to." I shook my head. "She's not some fragile flower that can't handle difficult situations. She's tough. She'll be okay, just don't let her worry too much about it. Let us do that."

"Thank you, Mother." He nodded, kissing my cheek and Esme's before shaking Carlisle's hand and going to the car.

After sending them off and thanking everyone for coming, I went back inside with Carlisle and Esme while the kids either got changed or directed traffic. Finally, we all gathered in the living room to discuss Alice's vision.

After Alice had relayed her vision in full detail, we all sat in silence. The heaviness of the situation was so thick in the air that no one really knew what they could say.

"Acquiring gifts. You all realize what Aro is doing, don't you?" Jasper broke the silence with his deep soothing voice and slight southern drawl. "He's choosing to neglect the fact that Elizabeth is half-human as a way to gain Grace, Edward, Alice, and I's gifts. If you wanted to, Aunt Grace, you could make anyone fear you entirely with your illusions. Edward's ability to read minds from a distance would be a huge advantage over Aro's gift. Why would he need Chelsea, Corin, or Heidi's gifts when mine encompasses all of theirs? And I don't think I even have to explain how vital Alice could be to the Volturi." He frowned.

"But what makes Aro sure we'll join him so easily?" Alice asked.

"The threat of injury to those we love." He replied. "If he raises an army against us all, he probably thinks that we'll surrender in order to preserve our family."

"What makes you think that, Jasper?" Carlisle asked him.

"Knowing what I know about armies, that's the sensible thought pattern here. He probably expected Grace to already have joined him by now." Jasper replied.

"What?" I laughed. "Why would I do such a thing?"

"Don't you see what he's doing? He's trying to force us into vulnerable places." Alice stepped in excitedly. "That's why he did it, not Jane, she was acting on his orders!" Alice gasped as the realization hit her.

"Acting on what orders?" Carlisle asked quickly.

"Aro ordered Charlie's death!" Jasper revealed, and I froze in shock.