"What are you hiding you two?" Alessia manages to sneak up on the shapeshifter quite suddenly, her mischievous eyes trying to get a look at what he has in his hand but he is quick to push it behind his back.

Renesmee from beside him has a smirk as well, her soft brown eyes looking away from her aunt. Her pink lips were attempting to hold in the mischief that threatened to ooze out, Alessia became slightly distracted by the thought as she remembered how much she too did this back in her human years. Her eyebrow raises as she comes back to the task and notices how Jacob holds something behind his back.

They were all out on the Swan front yard, having just arrived she'd gone to talk with Bella and Edward when suddenly she'd noticed how Jacob and Renesmee were completely silent and huddled in a corner. They were like schoolgirls giggling and attempting to be as inconspicuous as possible but Alessia hadn't wasted a moment to notice them.

Jacob refused to give anything up as she stares them both down, he tucked whatever it was into his back pocket and then gave her a mischievous smile so similar to Renesmee's she'd finally understood where the young girl had gotten the habit.

"Not yet, it's not present time yet," Jacob refused and instead place his arm over her shoulders and Renesmee's. "Right now it's time to eat."

Alessia eyes him, her lips pressing together but deciding it was best she just go along with it all.

"You know I could always find out," she reminded him, pressing further into his side. She enjoyed their closeness, the skin to skin contact was like heaven to her. There'd been too much waiting between them.

Jacob laughed lightly and went to answer but the little girl answered for him, she skipped out from under his arms and stopped them in their tracks. Her thin arms pressed behind her back and she grinned, "You can but you won't."

"And why is that Ness," Alessia laughed with curiosity.

"Because you love Jacob too much, you'd never ruin his surprise." She happily responded, her cheeks blushing as she looked between them.

Jacobs smile seemed to grow wider, and his arm swept out immediately to wrap around Alessia's waist. Once she was pressed to his side he kissed her temple, leaning down to say into her ear, "kids not lying."

Alessia playfully rolled her eyes and pushed his arm away, "fine! I'm gonna go help inside while you 2 continue to plot."

Jacob raises his eyebrows at Nessie who responded in much the same way before they both burst into laughter. Alessia also seemed to laugh softly as she walked up towards the Swan Residence where her brother was standing at the entrance.

"What are they doing?" Edward looked at his sister inquisitively.

"Hiding my present, as if you didn't know already." She respondes somewhat dryly, stomping into the house where the warm smell of food greets her.

"I did have a hand in helping with it." He smirks and closes the door, allowing the duo to finish the last touches.

"Sometimes I miss the old me, I don't know why I ever let her go." She groaned as she stood beside her brother and smiled a greeting to Sue, Charlie, and some of the wolves that had appeared. Bella was running around the kitchen, helping her future stepmother arrange the things for the bonfire later that night. Most of the wolves would be coming to join them as well as the Cullens and some of their vegetarian friends.

"Oh she's still in there," Edward snorted and when he garnered a glare from his sister he bumped their shoulders and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Old Alessia would have been brooding in a dark room somewhere for the holidays."

"I think you're mixing us up, again." Alessia retorted with a smirk.

"See what I mean? Still in there." Edward presses his lips together from smirking before continuing, "what I'm trying to get at is those two have done something I could have never done no matter how long I tried. They've done what only I ever saw Drake was able to do, you're enjoying life."

He walked into the kitchen with that thought, leaving his sister to ponder what he had left her with.

|•|•|•|•|

"Shakespeare invented romantic tragedies but it seems like even he had no idea what true tragedy was like." Alessia spoke softly as she took a seat on the log, an entire foot between her and Leah Clearwater.

The wolf had kept to herself throughout the festivities, mainly talking to her mother and brother who had been by her side. After the wolves had arrived and Sam had brought Emily it seemed she had felt the area too claustrophobic and taken to the cold night air. The fire still hadn't been set yet, the logs were in the garage to keep from gaining moisture but it didn't seem to bother either girl. The porch light illuminated them so Leah could see Alessia's face.

The redhead saw her eyes move towards her for the smallest of seconds before they were back on the empty fire pit. She remained silent and Alessia did too, her eyes traveling from the darkened forest floor to the windows of the Swan home. She could see Bella holding her young daughter as she talked near the window, Edward standing close to them and both smiling. Ness was fighting sleep clearly as she could see her eyes just beginning to flutter.

"Shakespeare was a dick, in his own way everyone got happy endings, he gave unrealistic expectations." Leah finally said after a long pause.

Alessia smirked for a moment, looking up and finding Leah's eyes on the other window, where Sam and Emily were just visible. They were smiling, laughing at whatever Sue said. The ginger immoderately remembered Leah's own tragedy, and she supposed she was right and wrong. "I suppose you're right, he was a dick."

"Why would you agree? You have Jacob now." Leah questioned, her eyes still on the ground. She didn't understand why Alessia of all people would even remotely relate to her. She'd been inside Jacobs head, there was nothing but love.

Alessia presses her hand over her heart and looked towards the ground now as she forces herself to open old wounds for the sake of Leah. "Jacob and I had our own tragedies together but I wasn't referring to him. I was in love once before, madly, with a man too good for me. He was the love of my human life, Drake Campbell. I ran away from my family, my home, even money to be with him because I loved him. I thought I'd gotten my own love story but it didn't end that way. Drake died and I turned into this, and I spent years in an emptiness he left behind. It's hard that void, there's no chance to catch your breath, no in or out, it's consuming."

Alessia closed her eyes as the pain slowly overcame her, it always did. Talking about Drake was like swallowing a bittersweet poison, there was nothing as potent and damaging as lost love.

"I didn't know that," Leah muttered, her voice was less angry this time. For a moment it felt nice to be in someone else's shoes, to hear someone else's pain. It seemed that for her life never stopped throwing dagger her way, and each was a precise measurement. There was no death in the cuts, just thick measurements of pain that seemed never to end.

"He was the love of my human life, I loved him then and I still love him now, no matter what happened." Alessia admitted softly.

"And Jake?" Leah's head seemed to perk up.

Alessia looked at her softly, deciding that maybe the question wasn't about Jake. There circumstance were vastly different but something about them almost felt pulled together, like a thin string that was sturdy enough to hold them at similar ends.

Her eyes stared for a second before she came up with an honest answer, "he knows everything. He has to know and I know everything about Bella, we are okay with it because love isn't scribbled away. Sam may not have died physically but for your heart he has. That doesn't mean you have to go along with it, above all people I should know. I felt physically dead for a long time, and then I was given Jake. At first, I thought it was some cosmic joke that I would find my mate and we would be at ends. I hated him, and he hated me, I was broken and then I broke him. God, we drove each other to near insanity but guess what? Through that all I started to feel human again, ironically. Diving into something because you're afraid of feeling again isn't a way to live, Leah. If I could have told myself that the days after I lost Drake maybe I wouldn't have done the things I did."

"Kane's—he's..."

Lean dragged on what she actually meant and the vampire seemed to give up as her patience thinned so she released a quick breath. "He's what? A vampire? Yes, yes we've been down this rode before and you see where that led us? Do you really wanna postpone the inevitable?" Leah stayed silent and this time her eyes looked away. Alessia quickly realized she needed to be a bit more tender so she relaxed and thought over her next words. "Imprints are a tricky thing but they are never as terrifying as we think. We are friends before anything, and I think you'd find comfort in having a friend like Kane. He's been mine for nearly 70 years, and not once has he let me down. Despite his nature he's a gentle soul Leah, he's got his own demons but I promise you those demons will dance with yours into harmony, besides—you saw the worst between Jake and I, there's not much more horrible after that."

Leah's body language relaxed after another few minutes and she took a deep breath. "Is he coming today?"

Alessia attempted to hold in her smile, "he said he didn't want to ruin the day for you but he's a phone call away."

Leah blinked her way and Alessia didn't need to hear anything else as she nodded her head and reached for the black phone in the pocket of her hooded cape.

|•|•|•|•|

Alessia was sitting on the porch steps of the swan residence with Jacob, her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her. He had once been so warm to her, like a fire touching her but now she found comfortability in his body heat. The vampire likes when the air around her would fill with warmth, it was always a good sign.

She looked over to Paul who was scarfing down hot dogs like there was no end, his girlfriend, Rachel, sitting besides him and laughing. She'd been introduced to Jakes older sister earlier in the evening and the conversations had gone quite well considering Rachel's first words had been, "Jacob, you are a bigger dumbass then a person drowning in a cup of water."

Paul looked her way and saluted to her with the bitten end of his hotdog, reminding her of months ago when they'd sat around a bonfire together. He winked at her before returning to Rachel who was eating a packet of chips. He bit one out of her hand before the brunette had a chance to move and they burst out laughing.

Alessia looked away and saw Kane sat with Leah, the conversation appeared to be going well as they seemed to gravitate towards one another slowly.

"You're secretly a romantic at heart aren't you?" Jacob brought her attention back by tightening his arm.

Alessia looked up and laughed, "if you tell anyone I'll deny it."

Jacob playfully rolled his eyes, "I guess it'll be our secret then."

"Well, I may have prompted Edward to go after Bella once upon a time." She coyly retold and leaned back so they could look at one another eye to eye.

"So you're the reason for this?" His head indicates towards the crowd they were attending.

"Well not this entirely but in someway, yes, if I hadn't shoved him out the door that night and told him it was okay to love then maybe we'd already be somewhere." She shrugged her shoulders and creased her brows. Alessia had never actually give it thought to a what if scenario. What if Edward has stayed away from Bella and the family had moved onto Alaska or New Hampshire? Edward was set on leaving but she remembered their conversation to the T, his one shot at love.

Jacob suddenly interrupted her thoughts by leaning forward and pecking her on the lips, a wide smile on his lips when he pulled back.

Alessia gasped and looked at him, "what was that?"

"A thank you for being a romantic. Without you there'd be no us, no Renessme, none of this." He admitted and wrapped his palm around hers. "I love you."

"I love you too," She hummed and leaned in to kiss him.

Before long there was a a pair of small feet running towards them and Renessme appeared, a present extended. Alessia laughed as the small child practically shoved it into her hands with a wide smile, "it's present time!"

Alessia raises a brow at the young girl and even Jacob, technically present time had been about 2 hours ago. Charlie and Renessme has really been the only 2 recipients of gifts considering the Swan man was sitting was his girlfriend animatedly talking about all the fishing they were going to do tomorrow and Renessme hadn't stopped showing off the woven bracelet Jacob and Alessia had gifted her. She'd eventually calmed down in her fathers arms and Alessia had assumed she was sleeping peacefully up until a few moments ago.

Alessia laughed and looked up towards Jacob once more with a curious look upon her honey colored eyes before Jake politely diverted his gaze. "I was waiting for you, Ness."

Nessie's cheeks turned a warm pink as she patted the  small box. It was a few inches bigger then the vampires hands, a square shaped box that could have fit anything really. Adorned with a detailed golden lace, the white box was beautiful and delicate.

Alessia held her breath as Nessie pressed her hands urgently, "open it! Open it!"

"I would listen to the kid," Jacob also muttered.

Alessia unlaced the present and found 3 golden charms, the shiny metal blinding as it attracted the light bouncing off the porch light. The cursive was intricate, but written in a way that was easily identifiable. The 3 letters were clearly distinguished as soon as she read them.

J for Jacob.

R for Renessme.

C for Cullen.

She felt elated as she held them in her hand and then smiled up.

"Do you like it?" The young child asked, grinning as she practically bounced with excitement. "It was my idea!"

Alessia smiles and nods her head, pulling them into her arms and squeezing just tight enough to show her gratitude. Her bottom lip wobbled, she couldn't cry but had she been able too, a sobbing mess is what they would've witnessed. She sighed softly and looked into the eyes of her immortal love and the child who'd uncovered a tenderness she'd never known.

Her throat seemed to tighten as she looked for easier words to say, or, anything really to say but all she could must was, "I love you so much."

Jacob couldnt stop smiling, tapping her palm to open to retrieve said gifts, "before you lose them," and in one fluid motioned he unclasped the necklace hidden underneath her sweater. Carefully as to not break the delicate nature, he set the charms alongside her brothers pink diamond heart, Drake's wedding band, and the green emerald Jacob had gifted her once upon a time.

She hasn't felt this much happiness in quite some time, it nearly scared her. The feeling was overwhelming and had she the ability to cry she would've been sobbing but instead she nestled into Jake, Ness on top of her and the three calmly felt one another's presence.

Christmas had never meant more then in that moment.

|•|•|•|•|

"Do you remember the day you met Bella." Alessia commented to her sibling.

He was settled against the fire, his wife and daughter had gone running through the snow and now he calmly watched them until his sister sat beside him.

"Exceptionally," he remarked after a brief moment to remember. They shared the memory between them, the conversation of travels and hunting, the way the two had very quickly agreed where to go.

"I wonder if there was some sign that we missed that day, some unknown switched that I felt internally. Something or anything that said our lives would pan out this way, you with a wife and child and me in love, again." She remarked quite softly. "For a hundred years we walked this world with the ability to see into everyone else's mind, we focused so much on others when destiny came knocking we barely glanced at her."

"Yes it does seem peculiar doesn't it, how that worked out," Edward cracked a smile his sisters way, he came closer to her, nuzzling his sweet adoring sister into his side. The one person who'd stood beside him this long, the one person he saved when they nearly died as humans. Admittedly, he's always felt selfish for that decisions. When Carlisle had turned him he's screamed for Alessia in the background, he'd been convinced that he was dying and screamed out to the one person in this world he still loved, he twin sister.

"I love you brother, I want you to know that. I will love you no matter what happens here. You and I share a band no other will understand, and I want your happiness as much as I want my own. If we get to live out the rest of our days let them be wonderful and magic, let them be much longer then of the days we once lived."

"Alessia, you do not understand the apologies I wish to give you after all these years. I'm sorry you were sold like cattle to that dreadful beast. Im sorry it was solely for my benefit and no one cared for your happiness. Im sorry it took me so long to make a change. Im sorry your life with Drake ended so distraught. I'm sorry I never allowed you to be with him in peace. I'm sorry for all the pain I put your through as a vampire. I'm sorry you were the one pushing us out of said pain. I'm sorry for everything I went through with Bella, but most of all I am sorry it was me every time." Edward was sincere, every truth was replayed like a memory from his point of view, the emotions he'd felt as her face became much more stoic with every mishap, how little she seemed to be able to care in the end and his internal suffering for them all. She could sense every morsel of remore he felt through it, how everything was like a lash deep into his soul. She could've nearly cried at this sincerity.

Instead she closed the gap between them, tapped their heads together, and as she cupped her best friends face in her petite hands as she held back a sob. "You apologize for not a single thing, all of those, every moment has never needed to be regretted. They led me here, with your beautiful daughter, our eternal family, and Jacob. In this story with eons of pages, and they've all been worth it. I love you brother, and you love me, that is enough for me."

Edward looped his arms tightly around her, deeply breathing into her shoulder and for the first time, he'd felt fear of being rejected. Alesia had been his longest tether to this world, he would do everything to keep her alive tomorrow.

Jacob and Bella watched from afar, Renessme's head was tucked into the crook of her mothers neck, gazing as well. The adults glanced at one another, the softest of smiles perpetrated on their lips.

"Beautiful," Bella's spoke softly, as if they could not here. "I've always wanted to see that."

"They would do anything for each other." Jacob commented and felt warmth of happiness for his imprint, and his now brother in law.

"They always have. They always will."

|•|•|•|•|

Literally 4 years too many. You can thank the cyclone going through the west coast, endless cloudy days, and my need to watch twilight when this happens. To those of you who have been patiently waiting for this update, thank you for sticking by it.

-Ash🤍