I'll be home for Christmas

Chapter 71

Chapter 71 - I'll be home for Christmas

Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.

Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading.

[AN: a few people have suggested that vampires should not be dead merely because they have lost their heads and been torn apart. SM's vampire abilities are beyond ridiculous. They do not make any sense. If vampires were as hard as she says, they would not be able to move at all, let alone at any speed. As the writers in the movies realized, you have to be able to kill them somehow, so they allowed decapitation to kill. Take a thing's head off and it usually dies. If you remember, that was how movie Edward and Seth killed Victoria. SM also says that modern bullets will bounce off their hard skins. I reckon a hydra-shok hollow point might take care of that; that's the ammunition Charlie used. So if decapitation will kill evil vamps, it will also kill Cullens. Sorry.]

Rose was helping Sue do triage; pick which people went next.

"I'm sorry about Esme and Edward, Rose," Bella told her.

Rose pressed her hand and gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Bella. You and Josh are in the next truck," she told them both.

"Why? I just banged my head."

"You can't see Josh's back. Jane tried to claw him in two."

"What? Jesus, Josh. You told me you were fine." She tried to turn around but he held her tight.

"I need to hold you, more than I need anything else."

"Joshua Uley," Bella groused at him, "You will not be silly. You hear me?" She started to scrabble in her pocket.

"What's the matter?"

"Has anyone phoned La Push?"

"I don't know."

Bella was dialing. "Joy? … no, Niki is hurt but he's okay. Swearing a lot. The cars are on their way back now with him. Quil has Embry. He'd love to see you at the medical center." There was a pause. Bella took a deep breath. "Old Quil's heart gave out. Plus another seven are l-lost." She listed them all. "Yes… the Cullens paid a very heavy price."

"And the Blacks," said Josh.

It took some time for the cars to get back to collect them and by then, Jake was back at the clearing. Still flanked by Paul and Sam. He walked with shaking legs towards the body of his father. When he got there, he fell to his knees next to it and bowed his head.

Paul and Rachel ran towards each other and he held her as she cried. "I couldn't feel you," she said. "Just for a second I couldn't feel you." Her voice rising in its panic.

"I'm here. Shush now. It's done. It's over." He held her so tight that his arms were wrapped around her.

Sam walked over to where Bella and Josh were and collapsed on the ground next to them. He lay on his back with his hand over his face. He had a raking claw mark down his chest and across his stomach. It was healing, but still bleeding. "Look at you, old man," he said to Josh, when he caught sight of his back.

"I'll live. Glad you will, too, Sam. Did you get them all?" Josh asked him.

"Jasper sent us back. Said we were needed here and without us around, he and Alice can take the last one down."

"We killed them all?" Bella asked.

"Every single one of them."

"Fuck. Thirty of them? You said that before but I can't believe it." Bella could not imagine it. The Volturi had been made up of ancient gifted vampires. They hadn't lost a battle in thousands of years and the Quileute and the Cullens had wiped them out.