Chapter seven is up and away captain! I hope you enjoy it, BUT............. it could be the very last chapter IF I don't get any more reviews. How can I keep writing this story if I don't know what people think of it?

I know that I'm getting hits but you guys must all be way too lazy to click the little green button at the bottom and TYPE A REVIEW! I even accept anonymous reviews unlike loads of other fanfictioners so COME ON PEOPLE!

If you want this story to continue being published on FanFic...review. I'm not bluffing when I say that I will delete it from the site I've got other places I can put it where i will get feedback. Final warning.

Adios (maybe)

Xxx

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Vladimir and Stefan let the grand doors of the Cullen household swing closed behind them, their heads held high in arrogance as if the all-too-embarrassing outcome of the brief clash inside did not bother them in the slightest. In actual fact it bothered them a lot, and as they broke into a sprint, heading towards the thick forest on the other side of the river, both 'brothers' replayed the fight inside their heads, wondering when they had become too weak to overcome Vampires over ten times less experienced than themselves.

The pair continued to run in silence, brooding, before Vladimir slowed to a human pace. Stefan matched his stride and glanced at his ashy blonde companion, recognising the sulky look that Vladimir carried when he was immensely annoyed. Stefan sighed and cocked his head on one side, listening to see if he and Vladimir were far enough away from the great white house to not be overheard. When he was certain that they had some privacy, he slowed even further until he came to a standstill, and leaned back against a thick pine tree, which creaked against his weight. Vladimir skidded to a stop slightly ahead, and turned to face his dark companion with mild surprise.

"Why do we stop, Stefan?" Vladimir glanced around, taking in the dark shapes of the trees, which were changing colour in the light of the lowering sun. Stefan moved forwards and placed his hands on Vladimir's shoulders, looking directly into his eyes.

"It is not entirely our fault, my brother. Understand that." Deliberately ignoring the question, Stefan pulled his closest friend into an embrace.

"I do not understand your meaning." Vladimir mumbled back, comforted by the grip - even though he knew full well what his companion was getting at. Stefan realised this too, and gave a low chuckle that was more vibrations in his body than sound.

"Yes, brother, you do understand. The fight inside – nay, the mere scrap inside, was unfairly evened out. It was us against everybody else. We could not possibly have won, so please stop distressing so."

Vladimir sighed and relaxed his head into the indent between Stefan's shoulder and neck, his forehead creased with worry. Despite his most trusted friend's words, Vladimir could not help but feel that he and Stefan should have had the better outcome in the struggle. How on earth were they to reclaim their positions from the Volturi if they could not stand against a group of whom had not seen nearly as much violence as themselves? Stefan felt his partner's despair and tightened his arms briefly, before releasing Vladimir and stepping back. He stretched out his arm in front of him, his palm facing his white haired 'brother,' who gave a small smile and placed his own palm over Stefan's. It was a gesture they had invented centuries back that symbolized their trust in each other, and silently promised that they would stay together through whatever was thrown in their direction, never deserting one another. They both relaxed their arms, still smiling, and a companionable silence surrounded them.

Stefan was the first to break it, after an hour or so, noticing how low the sun had become in the sky.

"Come Vladimir, we should start back. Plans may be under the process of being made, and we do not wish to miss them." He gently took his friend's arm and began to propel him forward. Vladimir glanced back over his shoulder at the darkening sky. A long time ago, he had found sunsets beautiful and majestic, but now they just reminded him that another day had passed in which he had not claimed his revenge on his foes. It depressed him slightly. Catching the expression, Stefan leaned forwards and lightly kissed Vladimir on the cheek, leaving his lips balanced on the chalky white skin. Vladimir smiled a small smile, and bowed his head forwards slightly. To anyone observing, the exchange would have seemed somewhat homosexual, but to the companions, it was nothing more than a comforting gesture shared between a pair of ancient friends.

Stefan slowly pulled away and re-took Vladimir's arm. Without speaking, the duo began to retrace their footsteps, gradually picking up speed and disappearing back through the darkening forms of the trees.

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Dana was in the attic, sitting in an alcove beneath a small, triangular shaped window. She leaned her head against the pane and let out a deep sigh, her breath fogging up the glass. A single bed duvet was pulled tight around her to protect her from the cold, as the loft was the only room in the Cullen's house that was not heated to satisfy human living.

After the Romanian's had stormed out, hell had erupted inside the white walls. The various coven members had voiced their outrage at the pair, and Dana had received a yelling too.

"Who the hell do they think they are!?" Kate had snarled angrily, shaking her pretty head.

"A three thousand year old coven with their minds set on revenge, who are willing to destroy all who stand in their way." Benjamin had replied dryly. His round face was, for once, unsmiling.

"I don't give a crap who they are! I'll kill them if they pull a move like that again." Jacob growled, looming protectively over Bella, who was locked in a similar embrace with Edward.

"I second that." Edward replied darkly. Bella's eyes widened and she placed a restraining hand on Jacob's massive arm, and glanced at her husband's face in alarm.

"No..." She breathed, but she had been ignored. As the Vampires had began to filter away quietly, still cursing Vladimir and Stefan in whispers, Jasper had turned to face Dana, rubbing his arms where Vladimir had bitten him.

"Why did you back them up?" He hissed angrily, his teeth bared. Dana had just grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"Come on Jaz. They put up a pretty good fight bearing in mind there was only two of 'em!" She laughed, ignoring the dark glares she received from the remaining, lingering Vampires. Jasper snapped his teeth together in frustration, and closed his eyes as he struggled to regain control of his anger.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Sight. Before I do something I will regret." Alice looked at her husband in alarm, before turning to Dana hurriedly.

"You better do as he says, Dana!" Alice looked worried at what she had obviously witnessed in a vision, so Dana did as she was told and stormed out of the room, swearing as she went. She headed straight for the attic stairs and climbed up quickly. She didn't bother turning the lights on when she reached the top, as the attic was where she had spent most of her time while she was living with the Cullen's. It was somewhere where she could be alone and just think...and she knew it like the back of her hand.

Dana refocused her attention on the present, and grinned when she recalled the fight. It had been pretty epic, in her opinion, and had brightened her day considerably. It was about time she saw some action, as waiting for the Volturi to arrive and pick them off like flies on a windshield bored her to no end. Her mind shifted to the mysterious pair, and she found herself wondering what their story was. They had been dropping subtle hints all day that they held an obvious hatred towards Aro and co. and Dana wanted to know why. Were they ex members? Had they been involved in some sort of battle? She had the slightest feeling that it was probably the latter, but couldn't know for sure, unless she asked. Dana made up her mind to do just that when Vladimir and Stefan returned.

Closing her eyes she leaned back against the wall and listened to the sounds of the rain. In the past, Dana had loved the sounds and feel of rain, as in Lilytown, the small population-in-the-fifties town in which she had lived in Australia, rain had been rare and exciting. Now, however, after living in Forks for half a year, Dana was sick of it. Suddenly, it stopped, and Dana's eyes snapped open. Great, she thought. I can finally go outside. She threw covers off from on top of her and padded towards the loft door in the floor. She poked her head out, checking for Jasper's presence, and when she sure he wasn't nearby, she shimmied down the ladder and onto the landing. She heard low voices in the lounge so decided to avoid confrontation by heading to the kitchen, and taking to back door into the garden.

As soon as she stepped outside, the cold knocked the air from her with a gasp. She stood hesitantly for a few seconds, contemplating whether she should head back inside but decided against it. She would get used to the cold and she liked the way it cleared her head. Dana broke into a jog, heading towards the thick trees that surrounded the lawn. Once under them, she slowed, and gave a minute to admire the forest around her, liking how the canopy above turned the woods around her a green colour. Dana tilted her head on one side and listened for a minute. She found she could hear...nothing. No sounds from the house could penetrate the trees, and the gurgling of the river had even disappeared. Smiling to herself, Dana began to move deeper into the forest, not bothering to mark a trail to help her find her way back...

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Stefan was running alone at a speed that nothing else in the world could match. After beginning the journey back to the white house, Stefan had decided to replenish his thirst, and had let Vladimir go on without him while he hunted. As Stefan's instincts took complete control of him, a warm scent from nearby caught his attention. He altered his course so he was running towards the delicious smell and involuntarily licked his lips. As the sound of a beating heart got closer and closer, the night black haired Vampire slowed his pace, as he wished to keep the human alive while he fed. The blood was much more refreshing that way.

The human was now within ten metres of his reach and their aroma was almost overpowering to Stefan, who struggled to keep his measured pace. Nine metres. Eight. Seven. Six... Almost there. Five. Four. Three. Two. One... Stefan leaped forwards and locked his arms around the human's waist, dragging her downwards. She barely had time to scream before she was pinned to the ground and the air was crushed out of her lungs. Stefan was about to sink his teeth into her neck when she shouted his name.

"Wait! Jesus Christ Stefan no!" Her voice was nearing hysterical, and her light blue eyes were widened in terror. She struggled desperately to free herself but to no avail. Stefan studied her for a moment and frowned. He recognised her from somewhere, but he couldn't remember why... his mind was fogged with bloodlust and, unable to wait any longer for his feed, he bent his head to the girl's neck, brushing her blonde hair out of the way. Before he could bite, however, he felt the girl's lips press against his firmly. He froze in shock and surprise before pulling himself back, eyes wide in disbelief. He felt the hazy cloud in his mind peel back, and when it had completely disappeared allowing him to think clearly, he instantly recognized the girl pinned beneath him.

"Dana?" He gasped in horror, before rolling off of her and jumping to his feet. His lips tingled from where she had kissed him and he lightly stroked them with his fingers. Dana sighed in relief at being released and stumbled uneasily to her feet. Stefan reached out his arm to steady her, but she flinched away, her eyes wary.

"Do not worry. I am in control. I cannot hurt you now." Stefan tried to soothe her, holding his hands out in front of him as if to back up his words. He met Dana's eyes for a moment and held them, trying to show her that he meant no harm. Dana relaxed slightly and took a step forwards. She winced as she did so and let out a groan, before clutching her side.

"Are you hurt?" Stefan asked in concern, stepping towards the blonde slowly, as not to alarm her again. She hesitated before shooting the Romanian a tentative smile.

"I'll live." She murmured weakly, before swaying on her feet and collapsing. Stefan rushed forwards and caught her, before sitting her gently onto a fallen tree trunk and wrapping his arm around her shoulders to prevent her from falling backwards. She leaned into him gratefully, and Stefan had a sudden flashback of their kiss, his lips tingling once more. Reluctantly, he pushed the memory away and turned to Dana with concern in his flat black eyes.

"What are you doing this deep into the forest at this time of the night? It is not a safe place to be." He smiled wryly. "Especially not with Vampires present." Dana smiled again and Stefan noticed that some colour had returned to her cheeks.

"I got lost." She admitted sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders. "I came out on a walk and failed to find my way back to the house." She gave a small laugh, before groaning again and rubbing her head. Stefan brushed her hand out of the way and made a quick check of her crown for bumps or cuts. Finding none, he bent his own head to meet her eyes, satisfied that Dana appeared to have no critical injuries that he could see.

"Back to the house? I am afraid you have been walking in the opposite direction to the Cullen's home." Dana looked at Stefan with dismay written across her features.

"Really?" The Romanian chuckled at her expression.

"Indeed." He replied. Dana kicked at the ground in annoyance.

"Damn it! That could only happen to me." Stefan chuckled again before tightening his hold on her slightly. She glanced up in surprise, before blushing and staring at her feet. Stefan noted this with interest.

"You have very... Interesting methods of freeing yourself from capture." He began quietly, watching for Dana's reaction. She blushed deeper and glanced up at Stefan quickly.

"Uh, yeah." She was obviously flustered. "Sorry about that. It was the only thing I could think of doing." She bit her bottom lip nervously and turned her head away from Stefan's curious gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, before hesitating and closing it. He frowned and tried again, this time finding his voice.

"Do not worry. I...I do not object to it." Dana whirled her head around in surprise, meeting the Vampire's eyes once more. Their gazes remained locked for what felt like an age to Dana, and she felt the familiar sensation of her blush returning. What had he meant by that? Had he enjoyed her kissing him? The silence continued and Dana and Stefan's eyes remained fixed on each other, not once breaking apart. Dana's heart rate sped up and then seemed to skip a beat as Stefan began to lean down towards her, his eyes drifting closed. She tilted up her chin in anticipation and waited for his lips to meet with hers. Suddenly, a shout made them both jump.

"Stefan?" The pair leaped apart and Stefan hurriedly stood, scanning the forest around them.

"Stefan?" Vladimir suddenly breezed into sight and came to a halt beside his companion, impatience etched across his face. "What is taking you so long, brother?" He snapped irritably before noticing a very red faced Dana. "Oh...Why is Dana with you, Stefan." His 'brother' looked away embarrassed before beginning;

"I accidentally hunted her, brother. I only managed to pull away at the last minute." Vladimir narrowed his eyes at Stefan, not failing to notice how his closest friend wouldn't meet his eyes.

"And that is why her heart beats so rapidly?" He questioned, and out of the corner of his eye Vladimir noticed Dana fix her stare on her feet. Stefan, too, looked sheepish.

"Indeed, my friend. That is the case. I scared her tremendously." Vladimir pursed his lips, unconvinced. He was not entirely confident that Stefan was telling him the whole truth. This unsettled him deeply, as he and his ancient companion never failed to tell each other everything. Frowning, Vladimir turned away before stating in a flat voice:

"Let us leave."

Stefan's face twisted in regret at Vladimir's obvious annoyance at him, but before he could say anything more, the ashy blonde had fled into the trees. Sighing, he turned back to Dana, holding out his arms.

"I will carry you, if you wish?" Stefan felt slightly embarrassed at himself, as he found himself hoping that the Australian would accept his request. Dana's heart rate began to accelerate once more, and he smiled at her shyly.

"Um, yeah that's cool." She jumped to her feet enthusiastically and hurried towards the ancient, who scooped her into his arms and held her, like a baby, to his chest. Dana pushed herself closer to him slightly, and Stefan experienced what felt like miniature electric shocks run through his body. He shivered once, before taking off into the woods, towards the Cullen's domain, praying that Dana wouldn't pick up the fact that he was going as slow as a speed as possible for a Vampire run.

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Oooohhh, lurve is in the ayer! Or attraction at the very least.

IF you guys review this story, resulting in me continuing it, you will be introduced to:

1) FIVE more talented humans...each with clashing personalities

2) ONE certain werewolf pack, and a future partner for Jacob perhaps?

3) TWO very silly step siblings who will find themselves imprisoned by the Volturi in Italy

And

4) ONE very interesting love triangle with Dana right in the centre... that may or may not lead to a slight rivalry between two very close, very old vampires.... I will say no more.

Review and read on, or don't review and I'll delete. It's your call.

xx