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Edward grunted as he kneeled on the ground in pain. None of us could do anything but watch. Until Bella used her gift. I couldn't see it but I watched Edward stand up and walk to my sister's side. I looked towards the Volturi and I could see them become uneasy. Jane must've been trying to use her powers on all of us and failed.

"It's working," Edward commented. The wolves began to growl as the black fog crept towards us. I could only hope that Bella's shield protected us against that too. It stopped before it could reach us and I sighed in relief at not having to witness that in person.

"Aro you see there's no law broken here," Carlisle spoke defiantly.

"He's claiming they're still dangerous." Caleb translated for me this time. He and Gianna stood directly behind me now and I was grateful for the familiarity. "He's calling them weapons. Saying that they pose a threat to their existence."

"He's not giving in." Gianna's soft voice echoed around me in a sad tone and I knew we were closer to losing our fight than we were to win it.

"We've done all we can do," I mumbled.

"Not everything," Edward commented as he turned around. He gestured behind us and we all turned to see two people we thought we'd never see again.

Alice and Jasper walked past us but didn't meet our stares. Aro seemed pleased to see them and I could only hope Alice had some trick up her sleeve to help us. The guard stopped them before they could reach Aro and they seemed to be conversing.

"She found evidence for us." Caleb was playing narrator and I had to make a mental note to find some way to repay him for it later. "She's showing him."

"Well, she's been showing him for a few minutes now, how long is that vision of hers?" Nobody answered me and we all stood in silence as we awaited their outcome. Edward was tilting his head as he listened closely and I desperately wished I could read minds like he could.

The wolves moved closer to us as they anxiously waited. Sam's wolf form stood protectively in front of me and he glanced back at me. I extended my hand out and he rub his nose against it before standing tall and facing the Volturi. I could see them growing as restless as we were, nobody but Edward knew what Alice was showing Aro.

"She stopped," Caleb muttered.

"I still don't know what that means." I bit my lip anxiously and felt Emmett slide his hand into mine.

"What if you could be sure she would remain concealed from the human world?" Edward shouted. "Could we leave in peace?"

"Of course but that cannot be known," Caius shouted back.

"It can," Edward smirked. Alice turned around to look at us and her smirk mirrored Edward's.

"Is anyone else majorly confused or is it just me?" I asked quietly. I heard Jared let out a wolfy snort and I patted his fur appreciatively, happy my joke didn't go unnoticed.

"Look." Emmett gestured for me to look behind him as I followed his gaze I noticed two people emerge from the trees. Their faces weren't familiar to me and judging by the confused glances around us, no one else knew who they were either.

"She found another witness. In the Ticuna tribe." My head snapped to look at Bella and we shared a knowing glance. "He's half and half."

"You make it sound like he's an Arnold Palmer." I rolled my eyes. Emmett squeezed my hand and I took that as my sign to shut up.

"His dad killed his mom and his aunt is raising him." I could tell Caleb was giving me the cliff's notes version but I wasn't against it. "He turned his aunt."

"How old are you?" Bella blurted out.

"150 years." My hope soared. Eli could live that long. "I became full grown seven years after my birth." I looked at Eli and smiled softly as he laid atop Jared's back asleep, oblivious to everything going on around him. My toddler could resemble a grown man in just a few years. How was I going to explain that to Dad?

"And your diet?"

"Blood, human food. I can survive on either." That sounded similar to Eli. Renesmee liked to sample blood in her daily diet but Eli was disgusted by the taste of it.

"They're leaving." I sighed in relief and wrapped my arms around Emmett.

"We have them on the run. Now is the time to attack!" Vladimir stepped forward angrily.

"I think you're alone on this one," I told them. They stopped and stared at me before looking at Carlisle.

"Not today." He politely declined.

"You're all fools!" Stefan hollered. "The Volturi might be gone but they'll never forgive what happened here."

"I think we'll be okay." I grinned and hugged Emmett tighter.

"I want to grab Eli." He kissed my forehead and we pulled apart. I turned to Caleb and Gianna who stood embracing each other.

"I can never thank you enough for what you've done for us." I smiled at them.

"Come visit every once in a while," Caleb smirked. "That'll be payment enough." With one last smirk and a giggle from Gianna, they were gone.

"Sorry, we're late." I squealed as I turned around. I threw myself onto Alice as she hugged me tightly.

"I'm so glad you guys came back!" I felt my eyes water as she let me go and I threw myself at Jasper.

"We'd never leave. This is our home." Alice assured me. "I'll be back."

"I'm really happy you're back Jasper. It wasn't the same without you." He released me and we stood side by side as we watched everyone in our group greet Alice.

"Hope you didn't cause too much trouble while I was gone?" He laughed.

"My slate is clean." I grinned cheekily. "I met your friend by the way."

"It was just a precaution." He defended himself.

"I know. I'm not mad. We needed a backup plan and even with you thousands of miles away, you still acted as my Guardian." I smiled contentedly at him. "Thank you."

"Anytime Clary." It was a sweet moment. We watched as our family celebrated our victory before Carlisle announced we should all travel back to the house. The smile on his face was the widest I'd ever seen him wear and I was grateful I could see it. The man had enough problems on his plate and my kids' future didn't need to be one of them.

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"I think I'm gonna miss you the most Garrett. You were the only one who laughed at my jokes." He smirked and brought me in for a hug. "Treat her right or I'll steal her from you."

"I know." He smirked. "Do me a favor?"

"Depends on what it is." I chuckled.

"Name your next kid after me?" He smirked.

"Do you have a middle name I can use because no offense, but your first name wouldn't be my first choice?" He laughed and whispered it in my ear.

"Don't tell anyone." He pointed his finger threateningly at me before walking away to find Emmett.

"Good luck with him." I giggled as Kate hugged me.

"I'll need it." She rolled her eyes and followed after him. Tanya and Carmen hugged me briefly but it was Eleazer's hug that had me weeping.

"Are you sure you don't want to know what ability is?" He asked. "You could be very powerful with it."

"I want it to be a surprise." I smiled as I declined his offer.

"If you change my mind, you have our number." I wiped my eyes and nodded as he walked away.

"It's gonna be quiet without all of them here." I felt him before I heard him. His cold arms wrapped around my waist as we swayed while watching everyone leave. Not too far from us, Benjamin was showing Eli one last trick and I could hear his little giggles echo around us.

"Only for a little while," I assured him. "We still have two kids here. They'll keep it noisy for us."

"Or-" he trailed off and I knew he was smirking. "We could make it three?"

"Only if you promise to turn me right after." I conceded. Had you asked me a couple of days ago if I would turn, I would've said no. But after seeing how our family gathered and Eli bounce around with joy, I couldn't bear to leave him.

"You're serious?" He spun me around to face him and I nodded. His face broke out into a wide smile and he kissed me deeply. "Can we start trying tonight?"

"Tonight?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I've got the perfect place for us to go to."

"Oh yeah, where?" I grinned.

"Our place." He held up a set of keys and I gasped as I took them from him.

"You didn't!"

"I did." He grinned. "It's close enough that Eli can come over to the main house whenever he wants but it's far enough that we'll have privacy. And it's not in Bella's backyard." He chuckled.

"Emmett Cullen, I'm so in love with you right now." I beamed.

"Just right now?" He teased. "Clary Swan, I'm in love with you all the time."

"Cullen." I corrected him. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

"What?"

"Clarissa Cullen. We're getting married soon. I'll be a Cullen."

"Clarissa Cullen." He smiled widely. "It has a nice ring to it." He kissed me again but as his tongue traced my bottom lip we were shoved apart.

"Get off my mama!" Eli glared at Emmett as he put his hands on his little hips.

"Hey, I had her first!" I laughed as my two favorite people argued back and forth over their love for me. I took a look around me and saw Bella and Edward in their little world with Nesmee and Jacob. Jasper and Alice were standing with Rosalie and Dominic as they laughed about something I couldn't hear. On the porch, watching over all of us, still Carlisle and Esme. Their embrace was tight as they smiled lovingly at each other and then at all of us.

Our little family lived to fight another day. We were free to begin living our lives. We didn't have to hide from our pasts anymore. The future was ours and I couldn't be more excited to get to see what unfolds. We made it through the day, alive and unscathed, and I couldn't ask for anything more.

"Think you'll have another boy?" Bella came up beside me as we watched Emmett and Eli continue bickering.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I will." I chuckled. "But I'm okay with that."

"We turned out pretty okay didn't we?" She asked after a moment.

"I'd say so. We hit some bumps along the way but we're all good now."

"And yet you somehow remained positive throughout it all." She smirked. I knew she was teasing me but I wasn't taking her bait.

"What can I say?" I smirked back. "I've got some pretty high hopes."

the end

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thank you for reading
' high hopes '

much love,
n