Epilogue
Probable Cause
Charlie Swan

"Chief Swan." I answered my desk phone quickly, a bundle of nerves as I had been anticipating an important phone call all day.

"Chief, we've got an update on that guy who's been poaching in the reserve." One of my officers responded and I resisted the urge to growl in annoyance. "I'll forward you over the game wardens report for the file."

I thanked him and hung up quickly, as I was expecting a much more important call than that, and I resumed my nervous waiting.

After trying (and failing) to occupy my time with some work, I had managed to spend an hour staring blankly at my computer screen imagining all of the worst case scenarios I possibly could.

A fiery plane crash, a freak accident that lead to their exposure and now they're having to hide out, or god-forbid the Volturi had ambushed them somewhere.

My desk phone ringing again broke me out of my panicked thoughts and I immediately answered it, seeing the number of the front desk in the caller ID.

"You better be calling me to tell me that my wife is headed to my office." I told the receptionist.

"Well, Chief, actually she is." She laughed as my door opened and the angel that is my wife smiled excitedly at me.

"Grace!" I cheered happily, hanging up the phone so I could run and sweep her up into my arms. "God, I've missed you every second you were gone." I sighed in relief, relaxing as the smell of almonds and honey washed over me as I buried my face into her neck and hair.

"I missed you too." She laughed beautifully, hugging me tightly. "How did a week seem like an eternity?" She asked, making no move to leave my arms.

"Promise me you'll never go on another week-long medical seminar with your brother again." I pleaded.

"Promise." She giggled happily, kissing me as I set her back on her feet.

I couldn't help but marvel as I stared happily at her. Her gorgeous wide golden eyes, platinum blonde waves, and stunning perfect smile were all familiar and magical to me. I couldn't help but stare at her like a love-struck idiot.

"What is it?" She giggled at me, cupping my face and smoothing some of my hair back into place lovingly.

"I was cycling through every awful situation that could've happened to you and Carlisle before you came in." I chuckled at my paranoia. "Guess some habits die really hard."

"Oh Charlie," She frowned at me "the Volturi?"

"Was certainly one of my concerns." I confessed. "I know it's been years, but I can't help but still be so cautious of them."

"Eighteen years, to be exact." She smiled wryly at me. "But, your distrust is certainly justified." She nodded. "How has the new leg been holding up?" She asked.

"Pretty good." I nodded, bending the knee in demonstration. "Much better than the last one we tried, but I think I still managed to knock a screw loose while out hunting with the grandkids last night."

"I'll look at it when we get home." She smiled seductively up at me. "Among other things." She teased with a cheeky wink.

"What a temptress." I shook my head, trying to control myself enough to keep from pouncing on her as I followed her out of my office and out to her car.

On the drive home, however, anything was fair game it seemed. I was reminded of our secret dates spent in my cruiser or her old vanquish when we first started dating as we teased, grabbed, and kissed at each other.

"I can't wait to get my hands on you later." She tortured me with that seductive smile of hers as she parked the car in the garage.

"What was keeping you from pulling over on a backroad?" I teased her in return. "I would've."

"I think you're forgetting that we have a family." She laughed at me. "I drove straight to the station after dropping Carlisle off at the hospital. Pretty sure he and Esme are going to be holed up in his office all night." She laughed, the sound nothing but exciting to me as I was still riding on my high of her being safe and back home. "I'd like to see our family before I keep you to myself for tonight."

I caught her hand the second we got out of the car, happily trailing at her side like a puppy as I followed her to the backdoor and into the kitchen.

"What? No welcome home party?" Grace called out teasingly and a crowd of footsteps assaulted my ears as everyone rushed into the room to see her.

"Honey!" Anthony cheered as he reached her first, hugging her tight and refusing to let go as Elizabeth and Jennifer pounced on them.

"My grandkids!" Grace laughed excitedly, hugging the three of them lovingly. "Oh I've missed you!" She cooed as they dissolved from their hug, giving them each a kiss on their cheeks.

"We've missed you and Gramps so much, Honey." Jenny laughed as Grace kissed her cheek noisily.

"I swear you kids just keep growing on me." Grace pouted beautifully. "What happened to that timid little eight year old?" She smiled wistfully as she played with Jenny's long dirty blonde curls.

"She got Emmett for a dad, Rosalie for a mom, and somehow became twenty-six overnight." I answered Grace, sweeping in to pick Jenny up off of her feet.

"Chief!" She laughed, squirming out of my arms.

"Charlie, put her down!" Grace laughed at us as I spun Jenny around in a circle.

"I thought that was Mom's voice I heard!" Bella cheered as she came in the room with Edward in tow. "Welcome home, we've all missed you like crazy." She smiled widely as she pulled Grace into a loving hug, making my heart lurch in the same funny way it always has at seeing them so happy together.

"I've missed you all as well." Grace kissed her cheek before giving Edward a hug and kiss as well. "How have my boys been?" She asked Bella, holding Edward and Anthony against her sides.

"Troublemakers, like always." Bella laughed as she teased them.

A warm hand slipped into mine, and suddenly images and sounds of Elizabeth's new piano piece mesmerized my vision and hearing. As she took her hand from mine and my vision returned to me, she sent me a pointed look at Grace.

"Grace, I think Deputy is anxious to show you her latest masterpiece." I got her attention, and Elizabeth hit my arm playfully in her embarrassment. "What? Just trying to help!" I teased her back, earning a sweet smile as she grabbed Grace's arm and led us all through the living room and into the library.

Elizabeth gave us all a nervous smile as we took our seats, taking a deep breath as she sat at her and her fathers prized grand piano.

As soon as her fingers hit the keys, brilliant music echoed through the room due to her talented playing. I always found it hypnotizing to watch her and Edward play as they both always seemed totally at ease while playing such complicated pieces of music. For Elizabeth, music is quite literally her avenue for expression, as she prefers to use her gift more than actually speaking.

"That was wonderful, Elizabeth!" Grace cooed, going to hug her, and clapping with the rest of us the moment Elizabeth finished.

I loved to watch the two of them together, their close bond from the year Grace spent as Elizabeth's primary caretaker is still very strong. Elizabeth remembers everything due to her photographic memory, and so Honey remains her best friend to this day.

"Thank you, Honey." Elizabeth replied sweetly, smiling at her grandmother with the same love-struck look she's given her since she was a baby.

"Sweetheart." Grace smiled at the rare sound of Elizabeth's voice, cupping her cheek and smoothing out her hair as she swooned over her.

"Sometimes I honestly forget that you can talk, Sis." Anthony teased her, earning him a stern look from both Bells and Grace. "What? It's the truth." He shrugged unapologetically, his mother and I's stubbornness showing through.

"Alright Teddy, lets get out of here before you manage to dig a deeper hole for yourself." Edward laughed as he stood to his feet, pulling his look-alike son up with him. "Let's get back to that chess game, hmm?" He asked, sending Bella a wink as he pushed Anthony ahead of him and left the room.

"I haven't gotten to see Alice, Jasper, or your parents yet, Jenny." Grace noted. "What are they up to?" She asked the kids.

"They went hunting, since the rest of us went last night with Chief." She replied. "I'm sure they'll be excited to come and see you and Gramps. Where is he?"

"At the hospital." Grace replied. "He had some work to do and Sunny decided to keep him company."

"Oh, I get it." Jenny smirked. "Good for them." She laughed, standing to her feet and flipping her hair over her shoulders. "Come on Elz, lets go to to my room. I'll fix your hair."

Elizabeth gave Grace, Bella, and I a questioning look, causing us to laugh as she stood from her piano and followed after Jen.

"So? How was the seminar?" Bella asked.

"Fine, it was actually quite a good refresher on some old tried and true techniques, but I was so preoccupied worrying about you all that I don't think it did me much good to have gone." Grace laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you got at least a little break from the chaos around here." Bella giggled in return. "But we really are glad that you're home." She smiled, giving Grace another tight hug. "I'll go see about the girls and leave you two alone for while." She laughed, leaving the room.

"So? How about I see about that loose screw?" Grace smiled up at me, snaking her arm around my waist as we left the library and headed upstairs to our bedroom.

"Sounds like quite a lengthy project." I smirked back at her.

"I've got time." She shrugged, giving me a seductive smile that she knows gets me every time.

In the morning, after Grace had fixed my new prosthetic along with our week-long inch, we decided to shower and get changed before joining our family downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning, Honey, Chief." Anthony greeted us as we entered the kitchen where everyone was gathered.

"Good morning, Teddy." Grace cooed, kissing his head before hugging Elizabeth and Jennifer where they sat at the kitchen island. She was then swept up into hugs from Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper as she hadn't gotten to see them yesterday.

"Hey sis!" Esme cheered, rinsing her hands at the sink before hugging Grace tightly. "Oh, I thought Charlie and I were going to go crazy while you and your brother were gone!" She giggled as they parted.

"I missed you too." Grace laughed at her. "Honestly, we all haven't spent much time apart since the Volturi confrontation and that was eighteen years ago. We really don't do well with separation anxiety."

"We don't." Carlisle agreed, reaching out to squeeze Graces arm in greeting before handing her her doctors coat. "But, life goes on. Kids, Esme, you've got school in an hour." He directed them, shooing them off to finish getting ready. "Chief Swan, would you like to ride with Dr. Cullen-Swan and I?" Carlisle asked me.

"Sounds great." I nodded, remembering I left my cruiser at the station yesterday in my excitement to stay with my wife. "I'm sure the hospital will be glad to have the wonder twins back and operating."

"I'm sure." Grace laughed at me. "Let's head out boys. I'm anxious to get back to some of my patients." She urged us and we followed her out to Carlisles car in the garage.

Grace got in the back, being the sweet and considerate wife she is, letting me sit in the front so I could stretch my prosthetic.

"How is the new leg doing?" Carlisle asked as he backed out of the drive. "I hated to instal it and leave before having time to observe how it works." He added, pulling out onto the road and heading in the direction of town.

"It's doing really well, actually." I nodded. "It's definitely a lot stronger than the last model. I knocked a screw out of the side of it, but Grace fixed it last night and sealed everything in, so I don't think I'll have any problems out of it at all."

"That's awesome." Carlisle nodded. "How's the mobility?"

"Really good, I can bend the knee completely and there's no limping with the ankle. I think-"

Grace's phone ringing caught my attention, knowing it must be one of the kids, and I turned in my seat to look at her when she didn't answer it immediately.

She sat stunned as she stared at her phone screen, looking as if she couldn't comprehend who was calling her.

"Grace?" Carlisle asked, looking at her worriedly in the rear view mirror. "Who is calling, Sister?"

"Aro," she greeted as she pressed the phone to her ear, sending Carlisle and I both pointed looks to keep quiet, and I resisted the urge to growl loudly "how wonderful of you to call!" She spoke in such a friendly tone that it actually made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Grace," Aro greeted in return. "I hope you don't think me rude, but this isn't a social call. I'm actually calling on a request of you and your brilliant brother."

"What seems to be the matter?" Grace asked hesitantly, sharing a concerned look with me.

"I have a rather interesting medical case that I think yourself and your brother are the perfect physicians to attend to." Aro replied. "You see, the case itself presents some rather large challenges that are quite personal to me. I wouldn't trust anyone else to have knowledge of it."

"Oh I'm sure there are plenty of other-"

"Carlisle and yourself are experts in the field. There is no one else I'd rather attend to this patient. I'm sending you boarding passes for your entire coven for a flight out of Seattle this Friday. You should expect to be in Volterra for several months, so please plan accordingly." Aro directed and I had the strong urge to take the phone and give him a piece of my mind for talking to my wife in such a way. "See you shortly, Grace Cullen." He concluded before hanging up the phone.

"It's Cullen-Swan." I growled low in my chest as anger shot through me violently, the sound surprising even me. "We're obviously not going." I stated firmly.

However, the twins both kept silent instead of confirming my decision.

"Right?" I questioned them both, not liking the silent conversation they were having with each other in the review mirror.

"Charlie," Grace sighed "we can't exactly say no to a demand of Aro's right now. I know it's been years since the confrontation and our pardoning, but the Volturi acts and plans things decades ahead of time."

"If we turn this down, it could be seen as an act of defiance and disgrace our coven. The Volturi could try us on a treasonous charge, and that falls on Grace and I's shoulders as coven leaders." Carlisle echoed her worried tone. "We'll have to say yes."

"We'll say you and I got in contact with a high-class facility in Europe and have accepted positions with the hospital. Esme will have to quit teaching and take the kids out of school on the grounds of us not wanting to be separated. Charlie, you'll have to tell the station you're resigning to come with us." Grace spoke quickly.

"This is such a terrible idea." I stated. "You both know that, don't you? Aro will be trying to get his hands on each and everyone of the kids and yours gifts, Grace. Not to mention what he might try to get Corin to make me do. I still haven't figured out what all I did in that dangerous haze they had me in." I sighed deeply.

"She won't even dare to think your name if she knows what's good for her. The second Edward picks up on something funny is the moment I don't hesitate to exterminate her." Grace growled protectively. "Like I've said, I lost you once, all of you, and I am not going to lose you or anyone else in my family ever again. I won't let that happen."

"We'll have to put bodyguards in place." Carlisle concluded. "Bella's gotten exceptional at her gift, I have every confidence in her that she can cover us all simultaneously with ease, and so she should be able to protect us all from any influence of mental attacks, like Corins. I'm sure the boys will be more than happy to look after the grandkids and the gifted among us, along with the family as a whole."

"Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella, and Elizabeth all need to be watched constantly. A buddy system will work well for the couples, but I'd like you and I to share watching after Elizabeth." Grace told me. "With her conductive gift, Aro could see endless possibilities with her, dangerous possibilities."

"I don't like this at all." I shook my head. "This is absolutely insane."

"I know," Grace frowned, cupping my cheek sweetly in an attempt to soothe me "but we can't give them any probable cause."

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BOOK THREE
"P.C. Probable Cause"
COMING SOON-Check out my stories list for the summary and outtake soon!