( outfit in
previous chapter )

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chapter fifteen
the happily ever after.

        "Now you know," Alice said as she stepped back from Aro's hand. The ruby eyed vampire blinked owlishly at the pixie in front of him. "That's your future. Unless you decide on a different course."

Caius scoffed. "We cannot alter our course. The children still pose a grave threat."

Edward stepped forward. "But what if you were sure they could remain concealed from the human world? Could we leave in peace?"

Christina furrowed her brows as she looked over at Edward.

"Of course," Caius replied. "But that cannot be known."

"Actually, it can," he corrected. Edward turned his attention to the trees where Jasper and Alice had walked out of just moments before.

Two more vampires walked out of the trees. Christina laid her hand on top of Carlisle's arm, hearing the fast heartbeat of the male vampire that stood tall.

Both vampires had a golden skin tone, which was unusual for vampires — the male was tanner than the female, but the both of them had a glow to their skin. They were wearing tribe clothes, neither bothered by the snowfall surrounding them as they wore little to nothing — just covering the essentials.

"I've been searching for witnesses of my own among the Ticuna tribes of Brazil," Alice explained as the two vampires stood behind her and Jasper.

Caius sneered. "We have enough witnesses."

Aro held up a single hand, halting his brother's anger. "Let them speak, brother."

"I am half human, half vampire — like the children," the male started. "A vampire seduced my mother, who died giving birth to me. My aunt," he pointed to the female next to him, "Huilen, raised me as her own. I made her immortal."

"How old are you?" Bella asked, stepping forward to talk to the halfbreed.

Christina tightened the hold on Carlisle's arm as she awaited his answer.

"A hundred and fifty years."

Christina let out a deep breath as she looked down at Greyson with a small smile.

"At what age did you reach maturity?" Aro asked, curious about the male in front of him.

"I became full-grown seven years after my birth," he explained. "I have not changed since then."

"And your diet?" Aro asked again.

"Blood, human food." He shrugged his shoulders. "I can survive on either."

"These children are much like us," Marcus spoke up — for the first time since they have arrived. He had a permanent frown on his face, but his eyes were curious as he looked between the hybrids.

"Regardless, the Cullens have been consorting with werewolves," Caius pointed out, trying to egg his brother on into a fight. "Our natural enemy."

Aro grinned, the dimples in his cheeks prominent as he turned towards his side of the field. "My dear ones, there is no danger here. We will not fight today."

A few members grumbled, not a fan of Aro's decision to leave peacefully — but each one of them listened, more afraid of what would happen if they didn't.

Christina watched with bated breath as they silently watched each member disappear into the trees. Only Aro glanced back one last time, looking towards Alice for a split second before taking off completely.

Numbness settled into Christina's body. It was almost too good to be true — they couldn't have just won, could they have?

"We have them on the run!" Vladimir shouted, pointing towards the trees. "Now is the time to attack."

Carlisle shook his head, patting Vladimir's shoulder. "Not today."

Stefan scoffed loudly. "You're all fools! The Volturi might be gone — but they will never forget what happened here."

No one listened to their last warning as both vampires ran off into the trees, going the opposite direction in which the Volturi disappeared into.

Christina felt herself get picked up and spun around. She laughed loudly as Emmett squeezed her midsection. Feeling was starting to return to her body.

They had actually won.

"We can pick a fight with them some other day," Emmett joked as he placed Christina back on her feet. She reached up and rubbed Emmett's curls with a laugh.

She turned her eyes towards Carlisle, who was greeting Alice and Jasper. She walked up behind him, and was quick to pull Alice into a hug.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," Christina sighed into Alice's short hair. The pixie just laughed as she hugged the mother back.

Christina quickly pulled Jasper into a hug after she pulled away from Alice. "I'm so glad you guys came back in time."

"Do you ever doubt me?" Alice winked.

The mother just rolled her eyes in response. The pair got taken away from Christina and Carlisle as Bella greeted them both with hugs.

Christina looked up at Carlisle as he tugged her into his side. He took a deep breath, inhaling the brunette's scent as she leaned her head against his chest. "We did it."

Carlisle nodded his head. He placed both hands on either side of Christina's face and leaned down. "I love you."

"I love you."

They shared a longing kiss — a thankful kiss. One that told the story of their past and future. It was a sort of kiss that made their toes curl and fireworks spark behind their eyelids. With just one kiss, both husband and wife could tell the other's emotions and thoughts — and how grateful they both were to be alive and victorious.

"Ew!" Two voices giggled, breaking up the kiss.

Both parent looked down at their kids, who were giggling into their hands. Christina kneeled down on the ground and wrapped her arms around both of her kids. She landed a kiss on top of their heads as Carlisle joined in the hug.

They had won the battle — and they couldn't wait to go home.

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        "So good to be home," Christina sighed as she plopped down on the couch. She closed her eyes and relaxed her head back, taking in the familiar scents. Two more bodies plopped onto the couch, and giggled afterwards — letting Christina know how the two small bodies were.

Many of the witnesses had already left — most of them leaving from the field. Only a few came back to the house and chatted.

Benjamin and Tia had ran off after saying their goodbyes to the children — both of them excited to catch up to Amun and Kebi and tell them the outcome. Peter and Charlotte had stayed to talk with Alice and Jasper for a short moment before saying their fair-wells and leaving shortly after the Cullens arrival back home.

Zafrina had made Bella promise to visit with Nessie — as the two were so close in powers that they bonded quickly over the past couple of weeks. Bella had promised the Amazonian vampire that they would visit before saying their goodbyes.

"Well done, Siobhan," Carlisle complimented as they said their goodbyes to the Irish coven.

"Ah, the power of wishful thinking," she replied sarcastically. She rolled her eyes before becoming serious. "Of course, this isn't over. The Volturi won't forgive what happened here."

"They've been seriously shaken," Edward answered her concern. "Their confidence is shattered. But, yes, I'm sure they'll recover from the blow someday. And then..." His ochre eyes hardened. "I imagine they'll try to pick us off separately."

"Alice will warn us when they intent to strike," Siobhan said confidently. "And we'll gather again. Perhaps the time will come when our world is ready to be free of the Volturi all together."

"That time will come," Carlisle agreed. He wrapped his arm around Christina's shoulder as he sat down on the couch next to her. "If it does, we will stand together."

"Yes, my friend, we will," she nodded her head. "And how can we fail, when I will it otherwise?" She let out a great peal of laughter.

"Exactly," he nodded his head. Both him and Christina stood up from the couch to give her a hug goodbye. "Try to find Alistair and tell him what happened. I'd hate to think of him hiding under a rock for the next decade."

Siobhan laughed again — before the Irish coven took off all together.

The Denali clan was last to leave — with Garret following after, as Christina and Bella were sure he would be doing from now on. The Denali sisters couldn't handle the celebration for too long, as they both needed time to grieve their lost sister.

"They're gonna be around for a long time, aren't they?" Jacob asked as he walked up to Christina, Carlisle, and Edward later on in the day.

The sun was just starting to set over the horizon, and the kids were running circles around their aunts and uncles, bring more celebration to the day.

"A very long time," Christina nodded her head with a grin.

"I'm glad she has you," Edward stated as he looked away from Bella and Nessie and towards Jacob.

The wolf grinned at his words. "So should I start calling you 'Dad?'"

"No."

Christina and Carlisle chuckled at their antics. The mother was quick to open her arms as Greyson ran into them. He smiled brightly up at her — bright green twinkling. He rested his head on her stomach as Annie got picked up by Carlisle. The curly-haired girl rested her head against her father's shoulder and gave her mother a tired smile.

"Yeah," Bella answered a silent question of Nessie's. "We're all gonna be together now."

Christina grinned towards her sister. "Guess you're stuck with me forever, Bells."

The brunette gave a short laugh, remembering their conversation before the battle. "I think I can deal with that."

Christina chuckled as she leaned into Carlisle's kiss that landed on the side of her head. She turned her bright eyes up to him. "It's a wonderful life, Mr. Cullen."

He leaned down and landed his lips onto hers. "Forever."

They pulled away after a short moment, and she placed her head on his chest, smiling at the family that surrounded them.

"I like the sound of that."

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Just the epilogue left 🤧😭