The car accident headlined the paper for all the wrong reasons, yet Enzo thought it hilarious that of all the potential victims Isabella Swan inherited the damsel in distress calling card. He pitied Charlie Swan for fathering a child who is a danger unto herself. " I pity the fool who loves that comedic failure," Enzo commented to Kheti over a meal of blood in her rented home.
A soft classical score played in the background creating a cozy evening setting for two living fossils.
Kheti tapped at keys, typing up a report for the Volturi. The political storm clouds created a dangerous atmosphere for all vampires. President Barack Obama is the first African American US president in a country that never gave up the idea anyone of non-caucasian skin is inferior to caucasians. Around the world, politics threatened vampires. The United States politics currently mattered to Kheti because she called United States home for the time being.
" You call her a comedic failure," Enzo studied the back of Kheti's thick hair draping voluminously down her back. He loved her hair almost as much as he loved her accent whenever she transformed into a purely reactive explosive bomb of raw emotions. " I call her bait. She's a fool who thinks her mother's happiness is the only important thing in the world. Not a thought to her father. Not a thought about her own happiness. She's bait for the ignorant preying on the defenseless people of forks. And no, I'm not talking about the Cullens,"
He leaned forward. " Victoria, James, and Laurent? Novices. They will meet their doom soon. They're too bold,"
She laughed. Too bold? No such thing for vampires. " Unlike you? Look into a mirror and you'll find you're not dissimilar to them. You are reckless, idiotic, and thoughtless. Couldn't care if I worry about you," She sipped her glass of wine to avoid giving him the middle finger, one of her few favorite american expressions.
His mouth pressed to her ear. " You woo me with charming words and forget that I adore you - even your bluntness. No other woman can handle me. You are my precious Sehkhet. The Jewel of the Nile. Egypt's greatest treasure," She softened against the relentless complete and total adoration lathered on. " I do my best to protect you. To provide for us,"
Enzo hovered over her, leaning in to tease her ear with his silky voice. " My robed rogue of italian tastes and absolute loyalty, you realize that I work for the Volturi, yes? I have no need of additional income," She remained still not wishing to disturb this awkward peace that settled over their relationship despite their conflicting external goals. It felt like the end haunted her, and she refused to acknowledge it. They survived for hundreds of years as a couple. Surely they'd survive this small speedbump of a problem too.
He rest his chin on her head and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and chest. " They are poison,"
She rolled her eyes. " Why do you think I avoid Corin? Why I abhor the twins? Why I never associate with Heidi? If I quit they'd track me down with their 'tracker'. I hate Aro. I hate Marcus. I hate Caius. But - and I say this with caution - they handled a severe werewolf problem. They handled the problem of child vampires - and before you say their names, yes I agree with you,"
He kissed the top of her head. " Jewel of the Nile,"
" My Italian Stallion," She mumbled appreciatively. " Now off with you. I have work to do,"
He glared at the computer screen petulantly. She smiled at his childishness and returned to the serious report that she preferred to submit before confronting Charlie about Bella's mother's secret addiction and Bella's secret loathing of living with her father. Sadly Kheti suspected Charlie wouldn't listen or believe her. She prayed he listened before kicking her out of the house.
She paused in the last paragraph torn between protecting the Cullens and protecting her husband. If she informed the Volturi that Edward Cullen took an interest in Isabella Swan, the Volturi would abduct the girl to force Edward into their coven. If she informed the Volturi about Enzo she'd sign her husband's death warrant. If she left out information Aro would know. Her advanced age permitted resistance against his mind probing, but fully shielding her mind ended in failure on multiple occasions.
Saving the document, she decided to leave the hard choice for a different day. " I'm going for a walk," She told her husband before dressing for the weather. The cold never bothered her because of the vampirism. She became adept at blending in, therefore dressing to fit the weather is a natural choice for her.
Enzo waited until she left before accessing her report. He read from start to finish a detailed report on the Cullens. At the end, he discovered the chapter that bothered his wife. He added intel to the report, aiding his wife in the decision. Emailing it to the Volturi, he exited out of everything and returned to his game of chess.
Strolling along the road, Kheti stuffed her hands in her pockets and kept her head down. She referenced her past in relation to now, mentally building a bridge to how she changed through the years. As a naive newly blooded vampire in 1211 b.c. She trusted her mentor completely. He never betrayed her and when he joined a coven that changed toddler, she resigned herself to leading a new lonely life. Mortals filled that gap for a spell and eventually she met Enzo and her entire life changed. At first she adopted the changes without complaint and the line shifted gradually of what is acceptable morally. The stubborn egyptian held her ground when he crossed into a world of outright crime. All her life she lived on honorable profession and she never sacrificed her morals.
With Enzo attempting to form a coven, she expected him to expect her to become a co-leader with him. While she wanted to accept his offer, her ties to the Volturi complicated their marriage often. It'd also complicate a newly founded coven. Enzo had to know this which meant he formulated a plan to uproot the Volturi soon. Nikolai held no power and is too young to count on. Allison is a witch, therefore instant liability. What hid up his sleeve?
She stopped, eyes zooming in toward the forest. The smell zoomed away from her at a speed indicative of someone wanting to avoid her. Her heart sunk. If they were drifting this close to the people's homes...just how safe were the people of forks?
Her fingers hesitated on the Nokia 1110. If she called Charlie and informed him the killers of the local male patrolled the woods close to his home, he'd scoff at her and call her paranoid before offering some sort of protection to appease her uneasiness. It didn't matter that she is uneasy about their close proximity to the good people of Forks, assuming they weren't complete assholes. It mattered that she tried to do right by the people and to protect vampires as a whole. Pocketing the technological hunk of debris, because a mere hand twitch will destroy it, she let out a deep breath.
No. No you do not pursue trouble unless you can actually back your skills.
She just wasn't in the mood to kill or threaten people at the moment.
Walking back to her house in the starlight, she contemplated the odds of facing down the trio encroaching on the Quileute lands.
No. She didn't want to negotiate treaties or alliances, temporary or long term, just so she could deal with a threat.
Not tonight.
Headlights landed on her and passed slowly, a car crawling to a stop with a screeching of the brakes. She turned to see a young man grinning at her. " Hello, Beautiful,"
She flashed her left hand at him to indicate she's married.
" You doing anything tonight?"
She wiggled her fingers to make it more obvious.
" You speak English?"
Kheti laughed and chewed her lip. To be or not to be?
" You fucking whore-"
Oh no. No she was not dealing with his bullshit.
Her hand wrapped around his neck and yanked him out of the car forcefully, crushing his throat and dragging his body from the driver seat with the car still idling. Enzo materialized next to her, a fanged grin on his face. Kheti released the dead body in disgust and considered the innocent car. " I have to remove the evidence," She whispered regretfully placing a kiss to his cheek and entering the car to clean up her own mess.
The dead catcaller and starving Enzo disappeared into Forks landscape, the body not to be found. Kheti disposed of the car discreetly in a junkyard, turning it into a cube indistinguishable from the other junk after wiping off the biological evidence and disposing of her clothing from that entire trip. She returned to Forks in the cover of night and emerged the next day complaining about how she was bedridden for a few days because of a severe back ache from nowhere. The elderly neighbors sympathized with her, and Charlie suspected nothing illegal happened under his nose.
Enzo left her a treat for taking care of his territorial claim to her in the form of a green backless evening dress with thigh high slits. He matched her outfit with a fitted Armani suit. Charlie intercepted them before Enzo closed the driver side door of Kheti's vehicle. " Someone is dressed for an evening," He smiled genuinely at them.
Kheti tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, an golden ankh earring dangling from the earlobe. " When we rarely see each other, moments like these are more special," Enzo rested his left hand on the roof of the vehicle and patiently waiting for Charlie to walk away. His pleasant, open expression assured Charlie the opposite of his desire. " How can we help you, Mr. Swan?"
" I was speaking to Isabella-"
" She prefers Bella,"
" I was speaking with Bells, and she mentioned that you were at the school today,"
" I had to drop off a gift for Mrs. Thomas. She's celebrating her birthday today and her husband forgot about it," She explained patiently. " Is Bella well?"
Charlie stroked his chin in irritation. " She's in good health, and she's not moping as often," Enzo cocked a brow at this exchange. " Has she talked to you about any boys?"
" Not directly. I assumed she still suffered under the illusion that Forks is looking at her like a shiny new toy before they become bored of her. In reality they will never bore of her. You are her father and she is the celebrity's daughter," Kheti crossed her legs, exposing hairy calves. Enzo preferred her au naturale and she saved money on razors. It's a win-win. " In all seriousness Charlie, I wouldn't worry too much about her. The only boy who may be interested in her is Edward and he is the son of Dr. Cullen. I'm certain that Dr. Cullen taught him proper manners,"
Self restraint maintained Enzo's silence but not his amusement at Charlie's embarrassment. " She never mentioned the Cullen boy,"
" Girls usually don't. I never once mentioned any of my crushes to my father because I always expected him to react poorly to it. My mother is traditional too. She'd punish me even more than my father, and her creativity is never to be underestimated," Kheti spoke the complete truth as she remembered her birth parents. They weren't horrid people - typical egyptians for the day and age, butas a young woman, she feared their authority over her. She feared most everything in her early years. " But I have my dashing husband now to keep me warm at night. Isn't that correct, Enzo?"
The couple's eyes met and for a moment the world stopped, fireworks exploded, and in the next breath it popped back into action without break.
Charlie cleared his throat. " I don't want to keep you from your evening," He backed away from the handsomely dressed pair and wished them a pleasant evening. Enzo asked his wife about the teenaged girl she took under wing. Kheti shared the plethora of information that she learned through extensive snooping that money sponsored. " People should file restraining orders against your curiosity," He teased her as he drove with one hand and keeping to the exact legal speed.
Leaning back in the passenger seat, Kheti stared ahead through the windshield and its dark scenery that appeared clear as day to her. " She admitted as much to me that she hates Forks, and if the red eyes aren't a sign of crying, I don't know what is a sign of crying. You can not fault me for being observant. Nor can you fault me for her blatantly saying that her mother is a hopeless child in an adult's body and that Phil is just a paycheck to maintain her sunny lifestyle. She whispered that comment getting out of the vehicle and didn't think I'd hear it," She reached out and held his hand over the glovebox.
He casually leaned over and kissed her. " You are precious, and annoying intuitive,"
Her fingertips moved along his jawline in reverence. " I'm old as dirt. Intuition grows over time with experience," She pulled away slowly, giving him a perfect view of her cleavage. He returned to responsible driving expecting a full evening of physical attention. " Besides….you made me this way. You aren't allowed to ignore the impact you have on my current observation skills,"
Their eyes met again and this time, they jointly walked down memory lane of all the good times.
