Hoorah! I finally managed to get the second chapter up, after watching a whole bunch of New Moon Interviews and such. I'm so obsessed. There's been a lot of crap going on too, with studying for finals and my birthday coming up! *does a little dance* Yeah, and I have to say goodbye to all my seniors too... *sniffles* Anyways, I'm thinking you probably want to read the next chapter. But before you do, be reminded that I am not Stephenie Meyer. I do not own the Twilight franchise in anyway. I'm just messing with a plot and the characters.

X-x-X

Chapter 02: The Revelation

Edward POV

Alice sat with me at the piano that day, singing along as I played some of my favorite melodies. Summer break was always such a relief in our household, even if summer break meant a marginally higher rate of sunshine. We had no worries about school, and could enjoy each other's company that much more.

I was playing one of my favorite pieces that I had composed – a light toned song that bounced along with a smooth and sincere melody. It reminded me very much of my dearest little sister Alice, which was why I had invited her to sit next to me as I played. She had decided to add her own flavor to it, and so here she was singing away at my side. Esme, my adopted mother, and Jasper, my newest brother, both sat nearby, listening to the melody and also listening to Alice sing.

"It's so good to hear him playing," Esme was thinking cheerfully.

That was something about me. Other vampires had special abilities – I could read the minds of those around me, but only what they were thinking at the current moment. The other members of my family had special abilities too; most of them did, anyway.

My sister, Alice, who was sitting next to me, could see the future. She was never pleased with herself or her visions, because her clairvoyant visions were subjective. She could only see what the future was while the person it concerned was on that course of action. If they changed their mind, her visions changed. It frustrated her often, even though it did prove useful for many things despite what she protested from day to day.

My brother Jasper had his ability in emotions. Not only could he sense the emotional atmosphere in the room, he could also manipulate those said emotions. If he didn't want a fight to break out, all he had to do was give everyone a peace-loving attitude. It was very advantageous.

Esme really didn't have a supernatural ability besides her strength and speed. But like everyone else in this family, she had a purpose. She was our mother, the vampire who would always love us no matter our mistakes or flaws.

In a way, we really were a family.

As the song drifted to a close, Alice clapped. Esme of course joined in, and Jasper smiled from his perch on the couch. I couldn't help but smile as Alice then threw her arms around me cheerfully.

"Thank you, Edward. I loved it," she purred cheerfully.

"I loved it too," Esme praised silently as she stood up from the couch. "I'm going to find Carlisle now – we need to talk about his late hours at the hospital." And so with this, she left the room.

Jasper stepped forward to gather my pixie of a little sister into his arms, picking her up easily from the piano bench. Though he and I didn't get along as well as Emmett and I did, he was still a brother in every sense of the word. He was quiet and loyal, and had that charisma around him that drew people to him. His ability probably helped with that – it was always strangely easy to talk to him whenever he started up a conversation.

"I'm going to steal Alice, if you don't mind, Edward," Jasper said out loud. There was still a faint Southern twang to it that hardly anybody noticed.

"I don't mind," I replied, looking down at the keys again. "She is yours, after all."

Alice giggled and winked at me from Jasper's arms. "See you later, Edward," she said, and together she and Jasper left me all alone with my piano.

My two other siblings, Emmett and Rosalie, were out fixing cars in the garage. I could hear Rosalie tinkering away underneath her newest project – an FC 355 Coupe that Emmett had gotten her as a present that had a few problems with the engine. Neither of them had special abilities, though Emmett was simply huge – if there was no other way to word it. Rosalie… though she certainly hadn't come to terms with this eternal life, she was still a sister in many ways.

And so I began composing again, trying to hide myself from all the love and romance in the house. Thoughts of admiration and love shot across my mind, and I realized I hadn't even started playing when I was suddenly sick of being here. I needed to get out, and get some fresh air.

The moment I thought the idea, my body willed itself to speed outside. I was then in the great outdoors, racing through the forest on the other side of the river. Some peace and quiet was all I needed – time away from all the couples that loved each other so.

There was a place I went, when the stuffy and suffocating atmosphere at home became too much. There was a small meadow in the mountains, filled with the wondrous scents of wildflowers and fresh water that was undisturbed. No humans ever ventured there, and my siblings knew to stay away from it. I liked to think of it as my own meadow, in a way, because over the past two years we had been here, I had come to think of it as a sanctuary. It was a place safe from the rest of the world, and I enjoyed the muffled silence that surrounded me when I was there.

As I arrived, birds that nested there scattered, and any animals taking refuge in burrows cowered or fled as I passed. I was a predator, and they were the prey. It was simply natural instinct.

I sat down in that small meadow, sitting at the edge as I once again admired the beauty of the place I had found. And I began to think, about a great many things.

For instance, I thought about my family.

Carlisle, of course, was the father figure. I looked up to him, and he as well as the entire family knew it. He was the main reason I abstained from human blood, and he was the reason I found it bearable to be a vampire. And I could never forget Esme, who was turned some time after I was, and who had acted as a mother to me all these years. She had been so accepting, so loving… I don't think any boy in the world could have two parents as lovely and perfect as mine were. I loved them, like a son would, and I always would.

Then there were my siblings. Rosalie had always been a difficult sister. She was a tad vain, and always thought of herself more than anything. I found it irritating at times whenever she was around, but I knew she couldn't help the way she was. The only bright side about her was that she cared about this family just as much as I did. There was also Emmett, who was the big brother I'd never had as a human. He was playful, protective… and most of all childish. He was always willing to play a game, no matter the cost or odds.

On the other side, there was Jasper and Alice. They were an odd pair, both of whom were turned by someone else and had come to the family asking for a place to stay. Jasper was the more quiet type, but loyal to us all the same. He had a devotion to this life that was almost religious, though with his horrible past down South I understood it completely. He was almost as dedicated as I was, but he certainly had more trouble with it.

Lastly, there was Alice. Alice was my dearest sibling, and the only girl I'd ever truly gotten along with it. I felt like a brother to her, like I had to protect her. Anybody who met her instantly liked her, but with her and I it had been different. When we had first met all those years ago, she had told me I would always like her best. Of course, a year later, it had come true. We had been hunting…

Alice crouched next to me, watching the herd of elk down below us with thirsty black eyes, but for the moment she didn't seemed interested in the kill.

"Alice?" I asked gently. I didn't even need to finish the question.

"Edward, you won't be lonely forever. I promise," Alice answered, looking at me with speculative eyes. "I know it makes you feel frustrated whenever we're spending time… together. Jasper can feel it all the time. I'm sorry about that, but it won't always be like this." She offered a small reassuring smile.

Alice had always been the only one to figure out what I had always wanted. "When?" I whispered.

My sister sighed. "I can't see that," she murmured. "I only see…"

She thought about her visions, so I saw everything too. There was a flash of chocolate brown eyes, a heart-shaped face, and hyacinth blue cloth. A beautiful face glued to mine as we kissed in passionate abandonment… I sighed in relief. My only deeply rooted fear was I would be alone for the rest of eternity, but Alice's vision had just proved that wrong. She was the only one who understood. I was glad she had shown me this.

"Thank you," I murmured.

"No problem," she replied, and then she leaped down to surprise the herd of elk. I jumped after her, letting the bloodlust overwhelm me as we shot down from our perches together.

And so thinking about what Alice had shown me time and time again got me thinking about this mystery beauty that she declared I would one day be with.

She was no doubt beautiful. I had asked Alice on a number of occasions to show me those wondrous brown eyes, even though it was a selfish act on my part. No matter how many times I asked her, Alice always showed me. She never lost patience with me, and was always eager to show me one image in particular – something she had seen only a few weeks after that.

It had been a sight of the beautiful woman. She had golden eyes like ours, which meant that she shared our diet, and she was arm in arm with Alice, a shopping bag on her elbow. I stood behind them, watching from the distance with a smile. There was an awed type of expression on my face that I couldn't quite identify. I smiled every time I thought of that vision, and Alice often showed me that one too.

I had no idea how long I sat there, lost in my thoughts as I gazed out at my beautiful meadow. I was only aware that it was growing darker when I heard someone approaching. I tensed and sniffed the air, and then I let my shoulders relax. It was only Carlisle.

"Son."

My relaxed shoulders instantly tensed up again. I got to my feet as my father raced into view, his golden hair windblown and his darkened eyes wide. It was obvious. Something was wrong. His agitated thoughts didn't do much to sooth me either.

"Carlisle? What's going on?" I demanded.

"It's Alice," Carlisle answered softly, looking concerned. My eyes widened. What was wrong? Had Alice been hurt, had she disappeared? What had happened to my sister? "She's had a vision. We're getting a visitor, and she said you would recognize whoever it was. We have to hurry. Alice said the visitor would be here in a few hours. I wanted everyone back at the house so we can decide what to do. Most of our kind don't approach us like this. I don't know if something's wrong, or…"

"Let's go," I agreed, and together we raced off into the trees. What was going on?

X-x-X

Bella POV

"Nessie, come on."

Everything was packed, my flight was booked, and I was ready to go. Caius, Marcus, and Aro had already wished me luck, and had summoned Felix to drive Nessie and me to the airport. Even though Nessie wouldn't be boarding the plane with me, she still wanted to come so she could say goodbye. Felix had promised to stay in the car, because Nessie and I wanted to say our goodbyes in private – so nobody would hear the things we had to say. If Felix heard something, he might tell Aro something rather rebellious we did. And since I wouldn't be around, Nessie would pay the price.

I couldn't let that happen.

Nessie sighed, and picked up both of my suitcases. She didn't like being separated, because she really was attached to me. She didn't like the idea of me going to Forks by myself, to face the Cullens alone. I didn't like it much either, because I didn't know how they would react to me.

What if they hated me right on the spot, and refused to see me ever again? What if they turned out to be completely vicious, and wanted to tear me apart the moment they saw me? I shivered. I wasn't much of a physical fighter, though I had my training. I wasn't used to fighting people with my hands. I was used to Alec and Jane taking care of that for me. It was a bit lazy of me, I knew, but it was still true.

"I wish you didn't have to go," Nessie grumbled. "Life is going to get so boring without you."

No, I wanted to say out loud. Life is going to get that much harder with the masters on your tails. Instead, I just replied, "You'll be fine, Nessie. Promise."

The sulking look on her face could make me tell that she wasn't all that reassured. I wish I could tell her the truth, and take her with me. But knowing my masters, they would probably consider that treason.

We went out to the reception area. Aro and Felix were there, waiting for us in peaceful silence.

Aro's face uplifted into a smile when he saw me coming. Felix just grinned in that sickeningly animalistic way he always did when I was around him. Nessie stuck close to my side, and I gently placed my shield over her mind. Even though she tried not to show it, she was afraid of Aro and the other two Volturi leaders. The only one she felt comfortable around was me.

"Are you ready, my dearest?" Aro asked brightly.

Always so happy. I couldn't help the small frown that came to my face. At least I would be away from all of this in less than an hour.

Aro misinterpreted my frown and was instantly at my side, patting my shoulder with a sympathetic look. I wonder if his wife knew how close he thought he was to me. "Bella, my sweet, the Cullens will not harm you on the spot. Not only are they normally peaceful to outsiders, but you are simply too beautiful to destroy." He kissed my cheek and I forced myself not to flinch. Nessie made a small noise of disgust, but Aro ignored her.

Felix simply winked.

Aro led us out to the car, told me that he would be expecting a report soon, and Felix sped Nessie and I away from the Volturi hideout. It was pitch black outside, and I could only wonder what ungodly time this was. But, of course, to vampires time had no meaning.

Nessie sat close to me on the entire ride to the airport, fiddling with her fingers and keeping her eyes downcast.

The ride wasn't too long – it lasted for about twenty minutes with Felix's insane driving and the desertedness of the roads. When we pulled up to the drop-off terminal to the Italian airport, he winked at me again and twisted in his seat to smile at me as well.

"I'll miss you, Bells," he snickered as I got out of the car. Nessie followed – she was allowed to accompany me to the terminal, where we would say our goodbyes without having to worry about anyone overhearing. I ignored Felix. I found that if you did that enough he left you alone for about five minutes.

Nessie got my suitcases out before I could grab them. "I want to carry them," she said as I opened my mouth to protest. "It's the least I can do."

"Got that right," Felix snickered again from inside the car.

I glared in his direction. There was no need for formalities now. I would be gone for a few months. "Back off, Felix," I snapped. He looked at me in surprise and I had to resist the urge to laugh. Nessie looked at me as if I had sprouted wings and grew a tail, which made me want to laugh all the more.

"Come on, Nessie," I said. "I don't want to miss my flight."

Nessie looked downtrodden again, and I felt bad for bringing it up. "Okay," she whispered.

With identical sighs, we went into the airport. Nessie stayed by my side through the whole experience. Through check-in, baggage drop-off, security (it wasn't too hard to convince the horny male police officer to let us both through, even though Nessie wasn't getting on a plane), and even through finding a seat in the terminal. There was still five minutes until the scheduled boarding, so we simply sat down.

"I'm going to miss you," Nessie murmured.

I sighed. This was the hardest part of leaving Italy. I had to leave Nessie behind, and to face our masters alone whenever they were angry. She knew that she couldn't go outside anymore unless she was hunting, and she wouldn't be allowed to go anywhere that someone from the Volturi wasn't. She'd basically be living a prisoner's life.

"I know," I replied. "I'm going to miss you too. You have to promise me that you'll be careful, and obey every command Aro gives you."

Nessie grumbled, "Every command my ass."

"Nessie, do you promise me?" I pressed urgently. I glared at her until she caved, looking defeated. I hated what this was probably doing to her, and I wish that I could take her with me. But that would get us both killed, even though I knew she would agree if I asked her to come.

"I promise," she agreed sullenly, glaring at the tacky carpet floor. "I'm still going to miss you though, Bella. You have to promise me that you're going to be okay. You have to come back, or I'll come to get you even if Aro puts his entire guard in my way to stop me." She looked at me seriously, and I could tell she meant it. I meant a lot to her, because I was her mentor and a friend.

I forced myself to smile. "I promise, Nessie. I'll be fine, don't worry," I said, even though there was no way of assuring her that I was telling the truth. I was still worried about how the Cullens would receive me.

Nessie didn't look convinced, but she let that slide. "And you also have to promise to call me three nights from now, after eleven o' clock," she added suddenly.

"What? Why?" I demanded, confused.

"Because. I'm going to go hunting that night after eleven. And you have to call me while I'm hunting, so nobody can hear us talk. You might have something to tell me that you don't want Aro to know. And I'll be able to keep it a secret anyway," she told me.

"How?"

"You know how Aro's been working with me to create memories in my mind and force them onto others?' Nessie questioned. I was afraid where this was going.

"Yes…?" I said, encouraging her to continue.

Nessie then grinned. "Well, it's been working for the past week or so. Ever since I've been putting memories into his head that he shouldn't have for real. For instance, he's thinks I told him that Jane and Alec have been acting weird lately. Cool, huh?" She looked so proud of herself. I probably looked terrified. She caught the expression on my face. "What? What's wrong, Bella?"

"If Aro finds out you've been lying to him…"

"Flight A57 to Seattle, now boarding," came the overhead announcement in Italian, and I looked up and ran my hands over my face. My carry-on item was a small bag full of things to do. It contained numerous items that were valuable to me. My iPod, a notebook journal, a few pens, and my favorite classic novels that would keep me busy for the next fourteen hours. Since, of course, I couldn't sleep. I stood, and Nessie stood with me. This was it – our final goodbye.

I gave her a hug, and said softly, "You have to be careful, Nessie. Don't lie to Aro unless you have to. I'll miss you."

"Bye, Bella," Nessie replied. I didn't miss that she ignored my first two sentences. When I pulled away and slipped my bag over my shoulder, she looked like if she were human she would have been crying. All I could do was kiss her forehead in a motherly way and offer her a small smile.

"Be careful, Nessie," I reminded her as I turned away. The image of Nessie looking at me like that would probably be burned into my head from now own. But I also had to remind myself that I had to call her in three days after eleven.

So, with that thought, as I boarded the plane, I instantly began planning. I had to have a good lie for the Cullens, and they had to believe me. The idea came to me within a second. As soon as it came, I began plotting. I don't even think I pulled out any of my items for the rest of the ride to America.


EOC: How did you like that one, huh? This took me forever, with all the crap going on, but I did it anyway! I have a little contest for the few people reading this. (XD) Alright, so the one thing I'm going to give away is that Rosalie is the one to find out that Bella is from the Volturi, and that she's been lying to them. So whoever can come up with the CRUELEST way for Rosalie to expose Bella to the entire family (this doesn't happen for a long time, mind) gets a little prize: they get their very own original vampire character – someone with a special ability.

So to do this… in your review (or you can PM me), leave your idea. Then, leave your character's name, their personality, whether they are vegetarian or not, and their special ability. I'll PM the winner and announce them in the next chapter. Please enter the contest, because I need an original character/a way for Rosalie to be a bitch. And in addition, only the winner and I shall know how Rosalie exposes Bella (haha because I'm just so damn evil, like Aro, only I don't enjoy it so much). Anyways, please review and/or enter the mini-contest!