Lizzie sat in the gym at Forks High School. This was it, graduating for the umpteenth time for the Cullen siblings. Jasper sat with an arm around Alice as Edward and Bella held hands, and Lizzie and Dean sat between the two couples. Carlisle and Esme were somewhere behind them watching and Rosalie and Emmett were at home since they had already graduated.
Jessica Stanley was standing before the podium, busy giving her epic graduation speech that in Lizzie's opinion wasn't all that bad.
"When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were things like astronaut, president, or in my case, a princess. When we were ten, they asked again. We answered rockstar, cowboy, or in my case, a gold medalist. But now that we've grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how about this, "Who the hell knows?" This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions, this is the time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere. Fall in love. A lot. Major in philosophy because there is no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind and change it again, because nothing's permanent. So make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday when they ask what we wanna be, we won't have to guess. We'll know."
Starting with Angela Webber and ending with Bella and Dean, everyone in their year graduated and received their certificate for it.
Edward took Bella home after that, leaving Jasper, Alice, Dean, and Lizzie with Carlisle and Esme.
As usual, Alice was happy to have graduated yet again while Jasper was just neutral. Lizzie had graduated about four or five times now, but for Dean, it was his first of many to come.
"Let's go home," Esme smiled at her children.
Lizzie handed her certificate off to Carlisle and he carefully looked it over as if it was her very first and only one. He kissed her temple and hugged her into his side as they walked over to the family car.
"Well done, Kitty."
"Thanks, Dad."
✦✦✦
Back at the Cullen house, Rosalie and Alice had great joy in dressing Lizzie up for the graduation party. A dark blue dress going just above the knees with high heels and her blonde hair slightly curled. Alice helped Bella too, but Rose stuck with Lizzie even rummaging through her many closets until she found a Mikaelson heirloom. A flower hairclip she fashionably placed through Lizzie's curls.
"Beautiful," Rosalie beamed at her sister.
"Our best work yet," Alice agreed once she finished with Bella.
"Well, I do trust your fashion intuition," Lizzie admitted looking herself over in the mirror. "But why do we have to go to such extreme dress choices just for a graduation party?"
"Because you're a Cullen."
"Go big or go home."
"And since this is our home," Rosalie smiled and rested her hands against Lizzie's shoulders from behind. "You have to show up and outshine."
Lizzie shook her head fondly. Rosalie and Rebekah Mikaelson were so alike it was unreal sometimes and apparently being a Cullen had the same criteria as it did being a Mikaelson when it came to parties and showing off.
Lizzie didn't mind it all that much, no she actually secretly loved the attention her sisters always gave her because it meant spending more time with them. Even if she was most of the time spending it uncomfortably.
The night started and the youngest Cullen mingled with everyone from school. She started off with Jessica and Angela for a while but quickly hid herself away when the small talk got too much for her. Soon the front door opened and she noticed Bella blocking it with an unimpressed look on her face.
"I thought my right hook was me uninviting you."
"I just came to give you a present for graduation and to say 'I'm sorry' about what happened. I also came--"
"Because I invited him," Lizzie announced, appearing behind Bella and with a smile for Jacob. "He is still my boyfriend no matter how mad he makes you and this is also my graduation, Bells." Bella sighed, even giving up on the argument she and Jake had had when Lizzie playfully bumped shoulders with her.
"Hey, babe."
"Jake."
He leaned in to give her a quick kiss as Bella moved out of the way for Embry and Quil to enter the house. Jacob then held out a small gift for Lizzie in his hand, a silver chain with a black wolf charm hanging from it.
"It's beautiful."
"Not nearly as beautiful as you," he smiled at her and she turned around for him to clasp the necklace around her neck, moving her hair slightly out of the way as he did. "I made it myself," Jake told Lizzie as she turned back around to face him.
"You made this?" she asked, gently tracing the wooden wolf charm with her fingertip. "I love it."
"Hey, don't mean to interrupt you two," Quil spoke up and then pointed a finger to the stairwell. "But is your sister okay?"
Lizzie frowned at the question as her gaze found Alice frozen in place on the steps. She was having a vision and when she came out of it she unnecessarily swallowed hard and sighed.
"Alice?" Lizzie said as she went over to her sister, Bella not far behind. "What's wrong? What did you see?"
"The decision's been made."
"What's going on?" Jacob asked as he and the wolves appeared behind the girls.
"We're not going to Seattle, are we?" Lizzie asked, her good mood deflating by the second, and Jacob looked between the two Cullens worriedly.
"No," Alice shook her head. "They're coming here."
They waited until after the party to discuss what was about to happen. Carlisle and Edward leaned against a table with Bella in the middle as Lizzie kept to Jacob's side and the rest of the Cullens excluding Dean and Damon surrounded them on either side.
"They'll be here in four days," Alice informed them.
"This could turn into a bloodbath," Carlisle shook his head.
"Who's behind it?"
"I didn't see anyone I recognized."
"No one, Alice?" Lizzie asked.
"Maybe one," her sister answered remembering the particular face, and immediately Edward had it in his mind.
"I know his face, he's a local. Riley Biers. He didn't start this."
"Whoever did must be staying out of the action."
"They must be playing with the blind spots in your vision," Carlisle said.
"Either way the army is coming and there aren't enough of us to protect the town," Jasper reminded them all.
"Hold up," Jacob interrupted them, he was frustrated and confused just trying to keep up with their conversation. "What damn army?"
"Newborns, Jake," Lizzie explained. "Our kind."
"What are they after?" Embry asked.
"They were passing around Bella's scent, a red sweater," Alice recounted her vision.
"What the hell does this mean for us?"
"It means an ugly fight with lives lost," Carlisle said solemnly.
Jacob held Lizzie's hand as he glanced beside him to Quil and Embry, both of which nodded their heads in confirmation. "Alright, we're in."
"No, you'll get yourselves killed, no way," Bella protested immediately.
"We weren't exactly asking for your permission, Bella," Jacob told her, a hard tone to his voice. He knew even if he had the chance to talk Lizzie out of standing by her family's side and fighting for Bella, she wouldn't listen. If an imprint got hurt or worse the wolf would be in more pain than imaginable and that in turn would affect the pack wholely. He needed to protect Lizzie by protecting her family.
"Edward? Lizzie, come on," Bella looked between the twins.
Edward looked at his sister, he heard the thoughts and concerns racing in her head. But in the end, he heard her fixed decision which thankfully was also his own. "It means more protection for you, Bella," he tried to reason.
"Jake?" Lizzie turned to look at him, only sparing Embry and Quil a small glance.
"It's what we do, beautiful," he reassured her.
"Jacob, do you believe Sam would agree to an understanding?" Carlisle asked him.
"Of course," Jacob answered, no hesitation in his words. "Lizzie's my imprint and Sam's friend. She's also a part of the pack now and the rest of you are an extension by it."
"Lizzie," Carlisle looked at his daughter cautiously. "Dean will want to join in on this fight, you do realize that?"
"I know," Lizzie sighed.
Dean wasn't at home and he didn't even attend the party he was threatened to by Alice. Instead, he, Damon, and Sammy were at the reservation for a small celebration. Even if he wasn't there now, Lizzie could hear her brother's decision before he'd even made it.
Anything to protect Bella and Sammy, anything for family.
"I'll help train him myself," Lizzie said.
"Jasper?" Carlisle looked over to his son, who was nodding his head at Lizzie as if confirming that he'd help her with Dean too.
"With him, Damon, and the pack, it'll give us the numbers," Jasper confirmed. "The newborns won't even know they exist, it'll give us an edge."
"We'll need to co-ordinate," Carlisle stated, standing up from his spot against the table. "We'll all need some training. Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has and the tactics that Lizzie has learned. You're welcome to join us."
"Name the time and the place," Jacob said.