For the last time - my heartfelt thanks go to SunflowerFran for her tireless editing work on this.

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Redwood & Elm
Epilogue

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Four years later

"Ness, come on, we'll be late."

The young child is little more than a bounce of bronze curls as she barrels towards Bella, brown doe-eyes looking up at her with excitement. She has chocolate on her chin from having raided the cupboards. Bella wipes it off with a roll of her eyes.

"Don't think I can't see where you've been, young Missus. Thankfully for you, we have places to be."

The demon child simply giggles.

"Let's go!" she calls, running past Bella and pulling on Bella's broom, which dutifully levels out enough so Ness can climb on, trying not to spin right off it.

Bella checks the time one last time, then gets on behind Ness, locking her safely in her arms. Ness is vibrating with excitement - she most definitely does not share her father's fear of flying.

Bella kicks off from the ground and they are airborne, flying out of the balcony and leaving the New York skyline far behind. Ness squeals as they twirl, and Bella obliges, twisting side to side, finding her daughter's joy a warming presence in her heart. The wind is cool, but the summer air has them warm enough. They follow the currents, flying north, away from the bustle of the humans, and toward a rural part of upstate New York. Bella sat in these mountains once, trying to figure out why she felt so hollow. Now, she struggles to picture it.

The small ranch comes into view and Bella starts their descent, gently twisting around the house until they settle down on the ground. Ness is barely still long enough for Bella to get her off the broom.

"Daddy!"

A second after Bella has Ness on the ground, Edward appears on the porch, lopsided smile finding his daughter.

"Where's my little Loch Ness Monster!" he calls, and Ness wastes no time flying at him. She's in his arms, twisting so quickly Edward has to hurry to keep his staff out of harm's way.

Bella snorts, no one but herself to blame for the monster thing taking on. Edward gets a kick out of the Scotland connection - something about falling in love. She lets him be a sap in his own time. To Bella, she is Ness. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Don't I get a hug as well?" She walks up to the porch, and Edward moves Ness over to his hip, giving Bella a look. His scar never healed. It looks like it did four years ago, just as harsh and painful. His one eye is still black as the night. Bella does not mind, and Ness has never seen him as anything else.

"I will give you more than a hug if you let me," he offers, and the tone in his voice is definitely not appropriate for children.

"Control yourself." Although she wishes he didn't have to. "Ness, remember what I said about your Uncle Emmett?" she pushes the bronze curls behind her ear, giving her daughter a stern look.

"Yes, Mommy."

"And what did I say?"

"That Uncle Emmett does not know about magic, and I should not tell him."

"And?"

"And that scaring him by appearing just behind him is rude."

Ness can teleport. Only short distances, but she can teleport. There were not enough painkillers on the planet to handle Bella's headache when she first realised.

"Good girl."

Ness wiggles out of Edward's arms, and as she goes to knock on the door, he leans forward, giving Bella a soft kiss.

"I've missed you," he murmurs, his staff turning into an umbrella. Bella leaves her broom on the porch.

"I've missed you, too. When's this latest bout of punishment over, again?"

"Two weeks." Edward rolls his eyes, but Bella doesn't find it funny. She misses when Edward didn't talk back to Aro. At least then, he wasn't punished on a regular basis - and Aro's favourite form of punishment? Banishing Edward from certain time-zones. The ones that cover Cape Verde, to be specific.

Their conversation is cut short as the door opens, Emmett filling up the doorframe.

"Well, look who it is, a wild munchkin!" Emmett looks worn, dark rings under his eyes, his cap not quite even on his head. Still, he finds the energy to pretend to chase Ness into the house as she slinks under his arm, delighted to have a playmate.

It was an odd moment when Bella had to re-introduce herself to Emmett - in her true form, this time. She was presented as Rose's childhood friend from the Cult. A cult. Bella still snorts at the description.

Bella and Edward walk in behind them, closing the door and following the commotion into the living room. Ness is hiding behind the couch, and Bella sees her daughter's edges blur, and she clears her throat, trying to stop the inevitable. Emmett has had his poor memory messed with too many times. They're lobbying the Volturi and the Coven to just let him know, which should be easier with the recent development.

Bella's eyes land on the couch, where she finds a tired-looking Rose, a bundle in her arms. She, too, has dark rings under her eyes, blinking up at Bella and clearly trying not to snap at Ness' high-pitched shriek.

"How about we go outside and play, Nessie?" Edward offers, coming forward to kiss Rose on the cheek. "Congratulations." He squeezes her shoulder, and she nods her thanks. "Come on, little monster, let's go - take Emmett with you!"

Edward and Emmett file outside, Ness bouncing after them, and as the back door slams shut, Bella finally comes up to Rose, her blonde hair scraped back off her face.

"I don't remember when I last took a shower," she offers, by way of greeting, and Bella tries to hold back the grin.

"Enjoying parenthood, then?"

"She never shuts up," Rose whines, shifting the baby in her arms. "And she never sleeps - I swear, weren't babies meant to sleep all the time? She's not happy unless I'm feeding her or rocking her."

Bella sits at Rose's side, peering into the bundles to see wisps of blonde hair crowning a little head, pale blue eyes blinking up at her.

"Can you believe Emmett wanted to name her Violet so he could have two flowers in the family? I swear the man is an idiot."

Bella laughs, shaking her head. She reaches in, the little girl giving her a yawn as she reaches for Bella's finger, gripping tight.

"Well, I think Isobel is clearly terrible as names go."

"Don't let it get to your head," Rose rebuts. "Right, you doing this craziness? Before Emmett comes back? Is she definitely—is she definitely a…"

Bella squeezes Rose's arm, having no words that will make her more comfortable.

"Yes, Rose, she's definitely a witch. You can feel it, and so can I." Soft blooms of innocent, childlike magic are floating off the bundle, uncontrolled and unbound. "You take it one step at a time - your agreement with the Coven still stands. You can live your life as long as you keep the secret. Ensure Isobel is protected and can control her magic, and once she is a little older, we'll discuss the matter again."

"Any word on telling Emmett? My lies are getting worse by the day."

"I'll be making another petition when I go back. The Coven is practically on-board. It's the wizards we need to worry about."

"Fucking pricks."

Despite the events of four years ago, there is little love between wizards and witches. It will go down in history as another time when wizards and witches had to work together to banish a dark magic wielder, but old prejudice dies slowly. Perhaps not aided by the fact that Aro is now beyond petrified of Bella, convinced that Edward and Bella have enough power to usurp the Volturi. Reason is not the man's strong suit.

However, Edward and Bella can still be together - and they can raise their daughter, even if it leaves Bella having to leave Headquarters more than she wants. Unlike Jane, Ness seems to have carried with her both types of magic, and although she is most definitely a witch, her magic shines brighter, more like her father's. And then there is the teleporting. Bella prays it does not grow stronger with time.

"Right, come on, before they come back."

"You sure it isn't too soon?" Rose hands over Isobel to Bella, who rests her in the crook of her left arm, readjusting her, so her right hand is free.

"It should be done within days. She's already two-weeks old."

Isobel makes the fourteenth witch to have been born since the attack on Headquarters four and a half years ago. Ness was the second. Every daughter was born light, filled with earth-magic and good intentions. Not one was tainted with dark magic.

"And you swear it doesn't hurt?"

"I swear it doesn't hurt."

"Also, what do you mean - the Coven is practically on-board?" Rose suddenly interrupts. "Aren't you like in charge now?"

"I am a High Priestess," Bella rolls her eyes.

"Hasn't Jane convinced you to become leader yet? When you do, can you fucking let my husband know his daughter is a witch?"

"Rose - you're stalling."

"Am not."

"Not at all - clearly."

Rose huffs but stands, stretches out her back, and begins pacing, glancing down the corridor, which leads to the back door.

"Now, may I?"

"Just—do it."

Bella shoots her another look, but doubts she'll get anything else. She reaches into her pocket, finds a small knife. Isobel threatens to start fussing, but Bella shushes her, letting a small amount of her magic dance around her, distracting the babe.

She opens up the pocket-knife, shifting Isobel so she is comfortable.

"Welcome, my daughter, my sister and friend.
"Welcome, where you shall always belong.
"Welcome to your family, where you will always find shelter,
"Welcome, where you will always have space.

"Take our strength, give us your sorrow,
"For there is always a place for you to call home.
"Welcome Isobel, the daughter of us all,
"Welcome, my love."

Bella places the blade on Isobel's forehead, the lightest touch and twist of the knife, and a silvery band tinted pink appearing in its trace. The symbol of the mother.

It glows, bright as the stars on a cloudless night, and Isobel blinks, her magic now bound, in control. Bella leans forward, places a soft kiss on the insignia, and when she stretches out, it has sunk into the skin, forever to be hidden.

Bella looks to Rose, smiling softly at the tears, which have appeared in her sister's eyes.

"Not a word." Rose wipes her face, trying to dismiss it. "I've just never seen it before, okay? And there has to be some good in it being done by a High Priestess, right?"

"It's just as good when someone else does it," Bella stands and hands Isobel back to Rose.

"Wow, she feels…calmer. You think she might sleep better now?" The excitement is nearly hysterical, and Bella decides this is not the time to mention that by the time this kid is one, her sleeping is not going to be Rose's biggest problem.

"Maybe."

"How long are you staying?" Rose asks, rocking Isobel in her arms. "I did say we're not playing the dutiful hosts, right? You do your own shit, and help me with this thing."

"You may have mentioned it once or twice." She laughs. "A week. Then I'm needed back home." It pulls at her already, and they've only been away two days. But Edward is here, so she is forever split. She's made her peace with it. And once Aro allows Edward back into her time-zone, this won't be a problem. At least this time, it was only a month's ban.

The back door slams open and Ness is back, running up to Bella and pulling at her jeans.

"Mommy, Mommy, Uncle Emmett said he has sweets - can I have some? Please? Pretty please?"

"You had chocolate before we left!"

"Which she didn't happen to mention to me." Edward strolls in, shooting his daughter a look. Sadly, she's perfected the guilty face - she still gets what she wants.

"After dinner, okay?" Bella appeases, and clearly, she's not too bothered because she accepts this rather happily. Ness walks up to Rose, asking to see Isobel, and Rose urges her down on the couch, handing Ness the bundle. Thankfully Ness has been around a few small children, so she knows to be careful.

"She teleported in front of Emmett," Edward whispers, having come up to Bella's side. He snakes his arm around her waist. His body is warm, and she can't wait until Ness is asleep. "It wasn't her fault; she just got really excited."

"Don't tell me you had to mess with Emmett's head again."

"He'll be fine," Edward dismisses, but they still shoot the man in question a lingering look when he comes in, looking a little wobbly on his feet.

"There's not that much to eat; we were gonna go get food, but…" Emmett starts, scratching the back of his neck.

"That's okay, let me sort the cooking," Edward offers. Easily done when he can make things appear out of thin air.

"Thanks, man, you're a lifesaver."

"Cheat," Bella whispers, and Edward's hand wanders a bit too low and pinches her butt. It still makes her jump.

"You love it."

"You wish."

Still, she leans up and kisses his scarred cheek, never truly over the guilt she feels at his pain. She knows Edward does not blame her—knows they are stronger for it.

And Esme…Bella has slept restfully ever since. Often with Edward's naked body curled around her.

…when Ness doesn't decide to join them, that is.

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The End

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To all that have read, reviewed, and followed these characters, thank you.

It has been a pleasure.

Bixie.