"Some day, I will be strong enough, to lift not one, but both of us." 

-B.o.B, Taylor Swift, Both of Us

***

Fighting. 

 Defined as the action of fighting; violence or conflict... I was so prepared for that. To fight, you know? To punch the blonde thirteen year old who choked me right in the throat. That was what I was ready to do, so I inhaled and exhaled, my hand clamped around Jasper's tightly. 

 We were all silent in the clearing as we awaited the Volturi. I felt another hand grip mine suddenly, and I turned to see Clara staring straight ahead, the icy wind blowing through her hair as she held onto my hand. 

 I squeezed hers once, and turned back to staring directly at the hazy fog that was swallowing the field. The air stung my nose, but I kept my deep breathing, in hopes that it would keep me somewhat calm. 

 Calm. 

 Not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions... ha, maybe on the outside. On the inside, I am freaking out. I feel like I am going to physically explode. My nerves are so high that I feel like I am on drugs. I feel like I could cartwheel around this entire field in a split second.... I just wanted these stupid vampires to show up so I can just relax. 

 "What the hell is taking them so long?" I finally couldn't take it anymore, and Carlisle didn't even look back at me before he spoke. 

 "They're here." 

 Almost as if the Volturi wanted to prove his point, the fog in the air seemed to thicken, but I could feel my nerves stand on end. "Redcoats are coming, redcoats are coming." Garrett mumbled under his breath, and I took a deep breath before responding. 

 "Rochambeau." 

"Aro's looking for Alice." Edward explained, and I felt a warmth flood the air, turning to see a familiar wolf standing next to Clara. The big, silver one that I spotted in the meadow... Paul. 

 When the red-eyed man spoke, his voice was almost as creepy as his weird-ass hair. 

 "Courtney Swan. I'd like to speak to Courtney Swan."

 Everyone in our group tensed collectively as the red eyes of the Volturi turned to look me. I gulped, sucking in another thick breath of air. Of course these guys want to talk to me... Who was I to expect I could finally be normal in a war? 

 "It's okay," I said to Jasper, who's amber eyes were narrowed into slits as he glared at the pale, old man in front of us. I slid my hand out smoothly. "I promise." 

 "Wait." 

 It wasn't Jasper who spoke, and I thought I was dreaming when Clara rushed forward and wrapped her thin little arms around me for the briefest of hugs. She whispered so low I wasn't sure even Jasper, who was standing right next to me, could hear her. "Be careful." 

 I smiled down at the young girl who was actually a lot older than me. "I always am." 

 Jasper gave me a small nod, and I turned and broke from the shield. 

 I felt bare walking towards the immortal government of vampires without any protection, and seeing Jane- the blonde bitch I body slammed- was not helping my nerves. Aro extended one smooth hand, and I stared down at it scornfully. The skin was stretched so tight around his bones that he looked like a really creepy statue, and I knew from previous conversations that he would get all of my memories if I touched him... I wasn't too keen on that to be completely honest. 

 I didn't take it, I just smiled as sarcastically as I could. "Hi." 

 "Courtney Swan... I have heard quite a lot about you." 

 "Well obviously not, because in case you haven't heard... it's Hale now." 

 Aro grinned, which only succeeded in making his face even more scary in my eyes. "Part human is it? I have never even heard of anything like that in my entire life." 

 "Well I try to stay away from the paparazzi."

The man laughed again, the sand echoing like nails against chalkboard across the entire clearing. I heard growling, and didn't need to look back to know that it was Paul. Aro's hand was still right in front of it, and I guess he saw my eyes flicker down to it, because he spoke again. 

 "I have something to show you. Take my hand so you can see the dangers this niece of yours beholds." 

 "Courtney. No." 

 The voice sounded distant, but I would recognize Edward's posh tone anywhere, and squirmed uncomfortably in my place. I could feel all of the red eyes staring at my face, detecting the small scent of human blood in me. The twenty percent that may be my greatest weakness. 

 I knew Nessie wasn't a danger. But I felt an itching in my stomach, so before anyone could convince me otherwise, I swung my arm forward and gripped his hand. 

 A gasp left my lips as the world around me seemed to swirl, and then I was somewhere completely different. In the middle of the same field, but... alone. That is what I thought. How could Aro manipulate my mind like this? I thought all he could do was... read it. 

 I saw something flicker in front of me, a light, translucent veil much like Bella's shield. And then I saw... I saw me. 

 Me the first time I saw Renesmee, with blood all over my hands, and the baby being shoved into Edward's arms like I wanted nothing to do with it. I inhaled sharply, my chest constricting at the memory. I saw tears streaming down my mortal face, my eyes red and my chest heaving in and out like I couldn't breath. I saw Bella dying on the table, and then the baby, and was surprised when I turned and gave Renesmee such a sharp look that it seemed like I... hated the child. 

 Hated the child, of course. Aro wasn't manipulating my thoughts, we was replaying them. He was showing me how in a heartbeat I would choose my sister over her daughter. That makes me a horrible person, doesn't it? That I would choose the girl who literally killed me, over her own kid, just because I love her. 

 Is that unfair of me or what? 

 "No," I whispered, closing my eyes as soon as the thought crossed my mind. This is what Aro wanted, he could see that Nessie wasn't an immortal child, but he still wanted her gone. Whether it was the law or not... and he was using me for that. "No! She's not dangerous!" I yelled hoping that someone could hear me, even if I was alone. "I swear! I don't want to hurt her! She's just a child!" 

 I felt another pressure on my chest, and I gasped, closing my eyes tight as another image flooded my head. It wasn't a memory though... at least not mine. It was a voice, a very vague voice from inside something as dark as my subconscious. 

"Hey, what's up little guy? I'm your aunt Courtney... I, uh, will always have gum... if that's something you're into."  

 It was me. That was my sassy thing that I said when Edward told me that the baby liked my voice. Renesmee liked my voice.

 Like a real baby. 

 My entire body jerked up silently, and I didn't even realize I had fallen over, until I felt the wet coldness of the snow melting into my back. I inhaled, feeling like I didn't breath that entire time, and turned over onto my side, my heartbeat that I shouldn't have climbing to dangerous highs. 

 "Hi aunt Courtney." 

 I turned my head, seeing the smiling form of a young girl at my side, her head tilting to the side in a way that made her inky hair spill over her shoulder.  That was what Renesmee could do... she showed me a memory, a memory that showed me that she... she loved me. 

 "Hi, doll." I took a shaky breath and wrapped my arms around the small girl, hugging her tight to my body, before pulling away and smiling at her softly. My moment of peace didn't last long, as I heard a voice that I swear I have heard before speak up. 

 "The Cullen's are innocent, I take full responsibility for my mistake." 

 I turned again, standing to my feet and brushing some of the snow from my pants and grabbing onto Renesmee's hand. It was Irina, one of the Denali sisters... the snitch who doesn't actually know what the hell she is talking about... wow, what a bitch. 

 I watched as she turned to look at the circle not far away from us, directly at Tanya and Kate. Her eyes looked sad. Not scared that she made such a freaking huge mistake... just, sad. "I'm sorry." 

 I couldn't even fully comprehend what was happening, and then her head was snapped off and a fire was lit so close to me it hurt. 

 All hell broke loose. 

 "Courtney! Get back here!" I heard Jasper yell, and the pure horrifying truth of just seeing a thing that can't die, die, drove me to listen. I pulled Renesmee along, running as fast as my twenty-percent human legs could take me. I heard a lot of screaming from Tanya and Kate, and as soon as we were back in the group, I shoved Nessie toward her mother, and sharply ran at Tanya, tackling her to the ground and pinning her arms to the ground. 

 She kicked and screamed beneath me, her strawberry blonde curls almost permanently blinding me. I was glad my pain tolerance was higher, because when she kneed me in the stomach it really did hurt. 

 "No!" She yelled, her voice ripping from her throat until it was almost inhuman. "We must attack!" 

 "That's what they want you to do!" I shot back, grunting and breathing heavily. This girl may be small, but she is feisty as hell. And she just watched her sister die, so I am not holding her scratching against her. If Bella died... well, lets see someone try to hold them down. 

 "Blind her!" I heard Edward yell to Zafrina, the girl who made me think I was dead when she demonstrated her abilities the previous day. Not seconds later, Tanya's body went limp, as her eyes glazed over and she went unseeing. "No!" 

 "Sorry, babe. It is what it is." I muttered, climbing off of her body and wincing at the claw marks on my arm. No blood was in sight, thankfully. 

 "Aro! You see, there are no broken laws here!" Carlisle spread his arms, gesturing toward all of us as Jasper ran to me, wrapping his arm around my body and pulling me gently into him. It was his own way of making sure I was okay. 

 Which I was. 

 "But does it then follow that there is no danger?" Aro turned to his army, pointing at us and speaking like we were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. "For the first time in our history, humans pose a threat to our kind. Their modern technology has given birth to weapons that could destroy us. Maintaining our secret has never been more imperative. In such perilous times, only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable, and we know nothing of what this child will become. Can we live with such uncertainty? Spare ourselves a fight today, only to die... tomorrow?" He ranted, pointing at Renesmee, who had climbed onto Jacob's back, and was looking back to the man without even a hint of fear in her eyes. 

 "Nice speech, man, maybe save it for a better occasion next time." 

 I twisted my body around so quickly I almost whipped Jasper with my hair. Alas, there she was. Sadie Michaels walked from the woods with a smirk on her face, her fiancee at her side. 

 Alice had her chin up, her face so set that I wasn't sure it was even Alice. But then we made eye-contact, and she winked, the corners of her lips just twitching in a smile.

 I, however, was beaming. I turned back to Jasper, who laughed lightly in disbelief, looking down at me and kissing my forehead. "See? Told you so." 

 "My dear Alice! We're so glad to see you here after all!" He  turned to Sadie, his grin only widened. "Sadie Michaels, a pleasure." 

 Sadie scrunched up her face as two guards walked forward to separate my sisters from Aro. "You're creepy." 

"I have evidence the child won't be a risk to our kind... let me show you." 

 And all I could do was hold my breath and trust Alice.

 THIRD PERSON  

 Courtney Swan looked about ready to go to sleep. 

 She stared at Alice and Aro, along with everyone else on the field, but her eyes were narrowed, and her grip on her husbands hand grew tighter by the second. The wind blew threw her hair, the light flush of blood evident on her cheeks. Clara cast the woman an anxious look, her lips clamped firmly between her teeth. 

 Courtney fought her entire life. 

 So did Jasper. 

 And they'll be damned if that ends now. 

 Alice turned on her heel and stared back to the group of witnesses, her lips barely moving as she whispered one last word to Bella. 

 "Now."

 Everyone began moving at once. 

 Before Jacob had even run off with Renesmee, Sadie had grabbed her fiancee's hand, in hopes of getting back in the shield before Aro could attack. No such luck, however, as an invisible force clamped around her body, and she screamed in pain, falling to her knees as guards grabbed Alice. 

 "Take her away." 

 If you asked anyone, they would say that Courtney and Carlisle's facial expressions were exactly the same. The young girl growled, her eyes flashing dangerously. The man, however, took a step forward and let out an enraged yell. 

"Let her go!" He shouted in a tone very different from the doctor they all knew and loved. He surged forward at the Volturi, and before anyone could advise him against it, clashed with Aro with enough force to shatter bones. 

 Everyone watched as Carlisle fell to the ground, un-moving. Courtney's eyebrows pulled together as she observed the scene, wondering why he didn't jump up. The answer soon became evident, as Aro smirked, showcasing the decapitated head of the blond doctor. 

 Courtney didn't even make any sound. She couldn't even if she wanted too. It was like her entire body constricted, and she gasped as well as she could, her heart seizing to beat for a second too long. 

 It was just that girl who broke everyone from their stupor. 

 "No!" She screamed, the word resonating through the entire field, echoing multiple times before she growled and ran forward. Every footstep was like a bullet, and before anyone could even process anything that was happening, she had reared her fist back and punched Aro right across the face with so much force that he fell to the ground. 

 All hell broke loose. 

 In a flash, Jasper was by his wife's side, kicking Aro so he flew away from them, landing hard on his back in the middle of the field. Courtney whipped her head around, grasping her husband's hand for a split second, before they broke apart. 

 Courtney, mainly just going off of things she saw from Marvel movies, round-house kicked the vampire holding Sadie right in the chin, and although he didn't fly away like a goddamn firecracker, he stumbled back, giving the other girl the chance to punch him in the gut, scurrying to her feet and using her sharp nails to rip his head clean off his body. 

 "Hi Court!" Sadie waved, taking the head like it was a baseball and hurling it at Jane, knocking her clean off her feet. "These fuckers are about to be burned." 

 "Hell yeah." 

 If anyone doubted Sadie and Courtney being a power dynamic before, they definitely weren't know. The two girls worked like a machine, twirling around and using their smaller sizes as advantages. There was even one time when Courtney kicked a dark-haired man's head so hard that it flew right off of his neck. 

 That wasn't a victory, though... not after what came next.  

 The brunette heard her name being called, and turned her head around just in time to see Jasper fall to his knee's, pain evident on every pore of his face. She felt her chest fall right into a hole in her stomach as suddenly and gruesomely, Jasper was hit in the only way that a vampire could die. 

 She screamed. 

 She wasn't silent, she wasn't even thinking as she screamed. A sound so loud and so horrible that it made every Cullen look over. She ran forward as close as she could without flames singing her. Her heart was long past beating, and the tears that wouldn't fall were clogging her eyesight as she sobbed. 

 Courtney has never felt pain like this before. Not physical nor emotional. Not like this. this pain was like fire that lit in her chest and slowly killed her from the inside out. She collapsed when her knees felt like they couldn't hold her anymore, and she clawed at the ground until the small percent of blood was visible in her finger tips. 

 She was hauled away from the scene as her everything disappeared into thin air. 

 COURTNEY'S POV

I don't know what Alice did... but it worked. 

 "Now you know. That is your future unless you decide to choose another course." Her voice sounded very threatening, and I guess Aro thought the same, as his eyes flashed and Sadie flipped him off. 

 "We can not change our course." Another creepy old vamp spoke up, "the child still poses a grave threat." 

 "But if you were sure she could be concealed from the human world... we could live in peace?" Edward asked, and although it didn't matter, a part of my brain wanted to mock him for talking like William Shakespeare. 

 "Of course... but that can never be known." 

"On the contrary my old, old, friend." Sadie piped up, holding up her hand and looking quite smug for her joke. "We've been searching for witnesses of our own." She nudged Alice's shoulder, who smiled. 

 "The Tekona tribes of Brazil." 

 "We have enough witnesses-" 

 "Let them talk, brother."  

 Of course they're brothers. Both creepy and weird. This one seems more passive-aggressive, though. 

 A man walked from the woods, dark skinned and smiling. Of course he was smiling, because we need some more happiness right now. He spoke up, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "I am half human, half vampire, like the child. A vampire seduced my mother, who died giving birth to me. My aunt Huilen raised me as her own, I made her immortal." 

 I leaned into Jasper's side. That's an interesting backstory. 

 "How old are you?" Bella's quiet voice piped up from the corner of the group. She walked forward until she was at the front, tilting her head like an interested puppy. 

 "One hundred and fifty years." 

"Damn," I whistled through my teeth, as Bella grinned, looking like a huge weight has been lifted off of her shoulders. I raised my hand. "What do you eat?" 

 "Blood. Human food.... either." 

 "These children are much like us." 

 "Regardless," the passive-aggressive old guy spoke up, obviously interested in fighting. I rolled my eyes. "The Cullen's have been consorting with werewolves, our natural enemies. " 

 Instead of agreeing with him, Aro turned around to consult his army. 

 "Dear ones, there is no danger here, we will not fight today." 

 I laughed at that. Actually laughed as I turned to embrace Jasper, hugging him so tightly I never wanted to let go. I leaned my head back to whisper one last word to the Heavens, a smile on my lips. 

"We won." 

 ***

 "You guys are amazing!" 

 As soon as the Volturi were out of sight, I ran up to Sadie and Alice, jumping in their arms and rocking back and forth. Alice giggled, brushing a piece of her short hair from her face, her serious turn disappearing as she turned back into regular, bubbly Alice. 

 "Well, we figured that if we fought in a war, we would have to post-pone our wedding... and I don't want to do that!" 

 I laughed as she kissed both of my cheeks, and hugged her again, appreciating how she looks so delicate, but can literally kill a grown man with her bare hands. I turned to Sadie next, embracing her so tightly I thought my lungs would burst.  

 We pulled away and giggled as she playfully punched my shoulder. "Damn Court, did you really think we would leave before I got the chance to buy you a new teddy-bear?" 

 "We'll get matching ones!" 

 "Perfect," she put her finger to her chin as if we were discussing the fate of the universe. "Hmm... Theo and Gracie! After my little sister." 

 I smiled, squeezing her hand. "Perfect." 

 "Hey, Court?" 

 I turned around, my eyes deflating when I saw Jacob standing behind me. "Oh, hey Jake." 

 He huffed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck as I wondered how he wasn't frozen from on;y wearing a pair of shorts. "I wanted to apologize." 

 I snorted. This will be good. "For which time, exactly?" 

 He blushed. "Everything. I let my infatuation with Bella get in the way of being a good friend to you, which is something I've regretted for a long time now. Now I have Nessie, and I guess you're sort of gonna be my... aunt? Wow, that's weird." 

 It was the way he said it that made me chuckle. I held out my pinkie. "Swear you won't miss-interoperate love again? Not knowing the difference between infatuation and love can ruin others lives and your own, Jakie." 

  He laced his pinkie through mine. "I promise." 

 "Good. Never, ever call me aunt Courtney or your head will be on my wall." 

 Before he could react to that, I was scooped up in another hug. From Emmett this time. He lifted my feet off the ground and spun in a circle, both of us laughing. 

 "Hell yeah! We did it, Cordie!" 

 "Damn right we did!" Emmett put me down, and we high-fived before I turned to give Rosalie a much gentler hug. She smiled, her face just as perfect as it was the day we first met. I winked. "You're still the most badass person I know, Rosie." 

 She rolled her eyes, although she was grinning. "You're a close second." 

 "Well done, darling." Esme gave me the most motherly hug I have ever received in my life, and Carlisle gave me a short one, brushing his hand over my forehead. "We got one more test to do when we get home... I want to see how different emotions mess with your blood proportioning." 

 I giggled, "got it, doctor."

 "I am going to make you read a William Shakespeare piece when we get home." He threatened, his caramel hair reflecting the sunlight. "I think that is all you think of me now." 

 I laughed, "We'll see, Eddie." 

 We embraced, and as soon as we pulled apart, Bella replaced him. She buried her head in the crook of my neck, and we swayed back and forth. "Nessie is okay. We're all okay!" Her eyes shone, and I turned to see the girl herself playing with Jake in the snow. I gasped. 

 "You just said Nessie!" 

 Bella pouted, crossing her arms. "It's growing on me." She begrudgingly admitted, and I laughed, poking her arm. She smiled, "I love you, little sis." 

 "I love you more, big sis." 

"Can we watch Harry Potter when we get home?" Clara suddenly asked, and I smiled at the use of the word home. "Half Blood Prince is the closest I can get to sleeping." 

 "Hey, don't diss Harry Potter." I laughed, ruffling her hair. The Asian girl rolled her eyes. "Go scare Emmett." 

 Clara laughed, saluting. "Got it, Court." 

 I sighed, the smile on my face as genuine as it gets. Jasper's arms snaked across my waist. "I want to see her scare Emmett." 

 I laughed, turning around so I could capture his lips in my own. The warm, fuzzy sensation spread through my entire body, and I felt the beating of my heart speed up just as I knew it always would. We pulled away, both of us grinning, feeling light and happy. "Thank you." 

 "What for?" I asked, securing my arms around the back of his neck, and staring directly into his beautiful, mesmerizing eyes. 

 Jasper smiled, "for being my happiness. For making every day perfect... for being you." 

 I kissed him again. "Thank you for being my safe haven." 

 "Thank you for being my strength." 

 "Thank you for teaching me what love is." 

 "Thank you for being my best friend." 

 "Thank you for promising to get me a dog."

 Jasper chuckled lightly, the sound vibrating in his chest. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and I closed my eyes, relishing this feeling of pure bliss as long as I could... wait, I don't even need to worry about that anymore, because we have forever. I thought of one more thing to say, and did before pressing our lips together again. 

  "Thank you for being my perfect Forever and Always." 

A/N: AHSHDGWSGWBSYWVWJWHWUH

 ^^^ The sound I made while writing this. 

 I can't believe that this is the last real chapter! Oh my gosh, it feels like just yesterday I was reading the first book! The next chapter will be an epilogue, and then an authors note... and then it's over!

NEW STORY IDEAS: 

 Spitfire- Paul Lahote 

 OR

Spitfire- Seth Clearwater 

 I don't have a faceclaim yet, but here is the two "in which's" 

1. In which Katelyn Lanchester is the only person Paul Lahote is scared of. 

2. In which Katelyn Lanchester has adopted herself as Seth Clearwater's personal bodyguard. 

 (Just comment 1 or 2 for more information!)

 To make everyone laugh, here is the screenshot of the Twilight script screenshot. OMG my favorite part is how big and bold they make the letters haha-

 (Ignore all of my tabs)

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FIGHT SCENE??? I read it and was like ????what????no????excuse me??????? and then had to google the YouTube clip because it's been so long since I've read the book lmao. 

 (Does anyone know anyone who can make graphics?)

Some fun facts: 

 1. Courtney's original name was Leah, and I wrote like, five chapters with this name before I realized that there was already a Leah in Twilight and I had to change it. I'm glad I did though, can you imagine? 

2. Sadie as originally supposed to not be a big character at all, and she was supposed to die... but as I wrote it, I just fell in love with her, and her and Alice, and I HAD to make her a big character. 

3.  I started writing this book as I was reading the last one, and almost couldn't keep reading it because I kept putting Courtney in all of the scenarios. 

 Okay, I'm gonna go do something and the epilogue will be out on Friday!!! I can't believe how far this story has come... 

 One word to describe Courtney? What about Sadie? 

 Thank you all for reading, and I love you all!