╔══════════════════╗

SKIN & BONES
xiii. WHEN THE SNOW STICKS

╚══════════════════╝

THE SNOW FINALLY STUCK.

The anxieties bubbling up within the vampires that morning were seemingly irrevocable. Together, they stood. They were united. They were the twisted version of the Avengers in a sense. Hell, the fact that the vampires of all covens were standing together with the camouflaged werewolves waiting for their cue was practically the most ambitious crossover event of the century.

"The Redcoats are coming, the Redcoats are coming," Garett mumbled to himself as he stood along with the Denali coven.

If her heart was still beating, she was sure it would have stopped and sent her into cardiac arrest the moment she spotted the army of vampires in black coats walking forward.

Rory stood beside her sister. On the other side of Bella was her daughter, who was sandwiched between her parents. Rory's head slowly moved to face her sister, who had done the same. Though the sisters were expressionless, they could sense what the other was feeling. Fear and worry overtook the Swan sisters.

This was it, wasn't it?

"Holy fucking shit," Rory whispered to her immediate family. "This is seriously my life now, wow."

"Aro's looking for Alice," Edward whispered back.

Rory narrowed her eyes upon spotting Irina standing with the Volturi. She appeared to be the odd man out, for she was the only one who had been adorned in her normal clothes rather than a cloak. Jacob released a howl, which was essentially the signal for the rest of the wolves to come out of their hiding spots.

Jacob walked forward, growling as he went by Rory's side. Rory observed as the Volturi finally stopped their decade-lasting stroll through the sticking snow. The ones who were considered royalty removed their hoods, allowing them to stand out from the Volturi's witnesses. Stella and Carlisle moved forward as a team.

"Aro, let us discuss things as we used to," Carlisle insisted with a normal speaking voice, despite how far away the vampires were from one another. "In a civilized manner."

"Fair words, Carlisle, but a little out of place given the battalion you've assembled against us, including our own former members," responded Aro. "Stella, it has been a long time."

"Indeed," Stella responded. "I can promise you that was never our intent. No laws have been broken."

"We see the child," Caius immediately retaliated. "Do not treat us as fools."

"She is not an Immortal!" shouted out Carlisle. He went back to his regular speaking voice. "These witnesses can attest to that. Or you can look. See the flush of human blood in her cheeks."

"Artifice!" Caius howled. "You have a Manipulator amongst you, how can we be so sure you are speaking nothing but the truth?"

Aro held a hand up. "I will collect every facet of the truth... but from someone more central to the story." His eyes twinkled with interest. "Edward, as the child clings to your newborn mate, I assume you are involved." Aro walked forward, his arm extended outward.

Edward looked back at his wife, daughter, and sister-in-law. Then, he slowly trudged through the snow toward Aro. Renesmee quickly moved between her mother and aunt as he did so. Bella shut her eyes, attempting to spread her shield outward onto Edward. She grunted very soundlessly when she failed.

Aro took Edward's hand upon facing him, reading through his thoughts and memories. There was a long pause as everyone anticipated what would come next.

Then, Aro released Edward's hand. "I would like to meet her," he finally decided.

The family glanced at one another. Bella took her daughter's hand, leading her forward. Rory was directly beside them, leaving Jacob to saunter cautiously behind them. They all paused, looking back at where Rosalie and Emmett stood. Emmett left his mate to join them for extra protection, of course.

"Ah, young Bella," creepily sang Aro once the family stopped before him. "Immortality becomes you." He looked down at Renesmee, releasing a strange laughter that made Rory contort her face in discomfort.

"Don't be weird, fossil," Rory coolly said. As she spoke, she continued to scan her surroundings. She mentally made note of every possible detail. Each one was important.

"I hear her strange heart," Aro revealed. Renesmee looked up at her mother and father before walking forward toward Aro.

"Hello, Aro," Renesmee greeted with her sweet voice. She extended her small hand, placing it on his cheek. She showed him her thoughts.

"Magnifico!" Aro whispered. His eyes lit up with excitement. Suddenly, he took a step back, allowing Bella to reach out and pull her daughter back in her arms. "Half mortal, half immortal. Conceived and carried by this newborn while she was still human. The blood-singer of our Manipulator, here!"

"Impossible!" Caius denied.

Aro looked back at the blond. "Do you think they fooled me, brother?" he hissed as Rory and her family hurriedly rushed back to their side of the potential battlefield.

Caius was silent, staring at Aro. Then, he ordered, "Bring the informer forward." Irina was shoved forward. Caius pointed at Renesmee as she stood where she had earlier. "Is that the child you saw?"

"I'm not sure," fearfully admitted Irina.

"Jane," called Caius.

Before Jane could release her burning gift unto Irina, the blonde continued to add, "She's changed. This child is bigger."

"Then, your allegations were false," Caius concluded.

"The Cullens are innocent," Irina spat out, knowing where her fate would take her. "I take full responsibility for my mistake." She looked back at where her sisters watched and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Caius, no!" Edward shouted as a torch was brought forward.

"Irina!" Tanya screamed, which seemed to blend in with Kate's shriek of horror. Irina gasped as her arms were ripped off.

Tanya and Kate bursted forward as Bella hurriedly placed Renesmee on Jacob's back. The sisters fought past each person who attempted to stop them. "Blind them," Edward demanded.

Zafrina focused on the blonde sisters as Irina's body was lit on fire, taking away their sight and placing something prettier instead. "Give me my sight back!" Tanya roared.

"Tanya, this is what they want," Edward said to the blonde. "If you attack now, we'll all die."

As the Denali sisters slowly attempted to calm themselves down, curtesy of Rory's manipulative abilities, her gaze trailed onto Aro and Jane from across the playing field. She noticed how they stared at Edward exclusively, which made Rory jump to a quick conclusion. Rory moved forward, pushing her brother-in-law behind her as Jane said, "Pain."

The wash of fire that lit every single one of Rory's nerves was practically unbearable. Rory dropped to her knees, screaming in pain. Then, the pain stopped. She blinked profusely, realizing what was happening. Jane hadn't stopped, but rather, Bella had spread her shield onto her big sister. Rory went to Bella's side.

"That is the last time I'm ever doing anything nice for your boyfriend," Rory hissed, dusting herself off as Bella continued to spread her shield onto the rest of her witnesses. Bella smirked at Jane as she held hands with her husband.

Aro stopped Jane and Alec from doing anything rash as he observed the vampires in front of him.

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

"Agreed," Aro said. "But does it then follow that there is no danger? 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."

Rory glared at Aro. She wanted to badly just to run up and rip his head off, but instead, she was brought to surprise as Alice and Jasper made their way forward. Jasper and Rory locked gazes for only a few seconds. Those few seconds brought Rory more peace than anything ever had.

She clenched her fist as two Guards stopped Alice and Jasper. "My dear, dear Alice, we're so glad to see you here, after all!" greeted Aro.

"I have evidence the child won't be a risk to our kind," Alice declared confidently. "Let me show you." She held her hand out.

"Brother?" Caius said to Aro.

Rory tensed as one of the Guard slapped Jasper for literally no reason at all. She observed as Alice looked back at her family, her eyes falling on Rory. She didn't need to make any kind of gesture for Rory to know what she had to do.

Rory shut her eyes. To the outside world, she may have simply looked terrified for what may come. However, on the inside, she was really just preparing her mind for the amount of pressure she was about to put herself under.

Seconds passed until Rory opened her eyes again. They widened with surprise.

She was actually there.

Rory was in Alice's vision.

Sure, she was there with these people just moments ago. The trees still reached up to the heavens all the same, caked in layers and layers of snow. The distance between the covens was wide as if the Red Seas had parted them. The werewolves were still growling lowly and Renesmee had still been anxiously gripping the clothes she wore. Tensions were just as high as they had been before. However, this time, it was different.

This time, Rory was under control.

- - -

a/n.

ohhhh shit yall!

ugh rory is so badass <3 my baby

anyways i have bad news. the bad news is that this story ends after chapter 15 + an epilogue :(

Revised: January 8th, 2020