Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.

Thank you to Simaril for helping me go back and give this story a good polish.

Warning: Strong language and a (very) bitter lemon up ahead.


Chapter 9 – Take Me Home

David

A cloaked figure approached us. He was dressed in the darkest shade of gray possible before it would be called black. His face was hidden under the hood of his cloak, his hands wrapped in black leather gloves and his feet equipped in black army-style boots. His footsteps made almost no sound at all as he walked on the concrete floor of the parking lot, making his way toward us. There was an aura of danger around him, and I noticed the vampire next to me tense in response.

The man was tall and, from what I could see through his cloak, muscular. He wasn't as wild-shouldered as Dale; his body had a leaner tendency indicating a younger age at the time of transformation than Dale's twenty one years. At a distance, he seemed almost as tall as Dale, but as he came closer, I saw that Dale had a slight advantage in that field as well. However, they would be pretty fair matched in a fight; the man moved like a well-trained soldier.

I stayed back, observing, while Esme hurried forward and threw herself into the arms of the cloaked figure. The man spread his hands to embrace her and I saw a glimpse of a medallion on his chest before her body hid it and they hugged each other tightly. The medallion was the final confirmation I needed.

She never mentioned that her friend was Volturi, I thought disapprovingly, The Elite Guard, no less. Hurt and a trace of betrayal spiked, along with something very much like fear when I saw the man lift his head from their embrace and lock his blood-red eyes with me.

Esme has the right to keep her secrets, I reminded myself. I saw the man release Esme from his embrace and look at her questioningly.

"Esme?" he murmured.

"There is much I need to tell you, but here is not the right place for that," she replied.

The familiarity of their contact did not go unnoticed by me. What did Esme have to do with the Volturi? Why would she invite an Elite Guard to visit?

Esme never spoke of her past in detail. I knew very little of what happened to her before Dale and I found her in the cemetery being shredded to death by a newborn vampire. I thought that neither one of us would be grateful if the other began rattling the locks on the doors holding back our personal demons. I always suspected that her past was just as dark as my own, even if maybe in a different way, which is why I never pressed for information.

"Where would you like to go? This is your home turf, so to speak." The man continued to use a hushed tone.

"I will take you to a private place where we can talk freely. Come on, I'll introduce you to my family." Esme took his hand and led the man toward the car, where Dale and I were standing. With time, both Dale and I came to think of Esme-and treat her-as our sister. The proud tone in her voice when she introduced us as family proved that the feeling was mutual.

I saw the Volturi guard tense in what could only be surprise before regaining control over his reactions. I watched his face carefully, I was certain that for a moment there was another emotion painted on his face and it wasn't surprise, it was…hurt?

Interesting, why would he be hurt? I can understand surprise, but hurt?

When Esme told us about a friend of hers who she invited for a visit, she didn't speak much about him or her reasons for inviting him. The only thing she said about him was that they went back a long time. There was no need for her to say that he went by the traditional diet.

"Dale, this is Anthony my friend from long ago. Tony, these are my brothers-David and Dale." Esme introduced us.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, David," Anthony said and bowed his head lightly in a greeting manner, "Dale." Another bow.

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't surprised. He was much better mannered than I remembered the Volturi members to be. From both rumors and personal experience, I knew them to be rude and patronizing. Anthony was neither.

"Nice to meet you too, Anthony," I replied with a warm smile. I noticed that he was still holding one arm around Esme's shoulders as if he was afraid that she would disappear.

"Same here," Dale added. From the corner of my eye, I saw that he was also smiling.

We all got inside the car. I took the wheel while Esme and her guest took the back seat.

"Take us home, David." Esme said once we were out of the airport.

w.W.w

Tony

"Hello Tony," Aro greeted me. He was the first phone call I'd made after hanging up with Anne.

"Aro, I'm taking some time off. I need a vacation," I informed him.

I was the only one-excluding the brothers-to call Aro by his name, rather than 'Master'. It was a small act of rebellion on my part, but essential nonetheless. I was not a piece of meat to be owned. I refused to call any creature-be it human or vampire-'Master', even if said vampire was my own sire. Aro seemed to find it amusing and quite refreshing.

There was some hesitation on the other line before Aro replied. "I am glad to see that you are taking an interest in something, be it even a vacation. You've been brooding for far too long."

I didn't argue. My depression was no secret in recent years.

"Might I ask, where are you planning to go?" he asked. I knew it wasn't mere curiosity that led him to ask that.

"I thought I'd start with a visit to my parents, and I'll go on from there." There was no point in hiding my destination, seeing as Aro will be able to find this information by himself easily. The more information I volunteered the less suspicion I would raise in Aro's mind.

"Do you know how long you'll be away?"

"I don't know yet. I need time to think." I didn't know how long I'd be staying with Anne, but I knew that I really did need some time away from the Volturi. I wasn't about to restrict myself-or to let Aro do that for me.

"I hope to hear from you soon," Aro said. "Maybe when you return you will be able to give me an answer."

I knew very well which question he wanted me to answer and what he hoped the answer would be. I didn't need to read his mind-which was impossible to do over the phone-in order to know that.

"Like I said, Aro, I don't know yet. I need time."

"Very well, Tony, dear, I hope to hear from you sooner rather than later."

"I'll call you." I made a vague promise.

"Have a safe trip, Tony."

"Thank you, Aro, you too."

"Goodbye. Tony."

"Goodbye." I hung up.

Conveniently, Aro wasn't in Italy at the moment. The reason for the trip-visiting an old friend of his-was another convenience. If it were any other reason, I would have been ordered to come with him. My presence in the battlefield was a very strong advantage to Aro, and as such, I always accompanied him on every trip that required his presence.

I preferred he knew as little as possible about Anne making contact, something that would be either impossible due to his talent or very suspicious if I choose to avoid his touch. I didn't know exactly where he was; I didn't care enough to pay attention when he left.

I used the computer in my office to book the plane tickets and called Anne once I had my flight itinerary. She said that she would meet me in the parking lot of the airport, so there was no need to rent a car. Once I was done with my phone, I went up to my bedchamber to pack. I didn't have many personal belongings in my room. My mother's jewelry and several of my father's personal artifacts-which were my most important possessions on this earth-were in a safe deposit box in a bank in Chicago. My piano-a Baby Grand I hadn't played ever since Anne left-wasn't something I would be able to move, nor was it something I would not be able to replace. In fact, I think I'd love to get me a Grand one of these days, something that will have that rich sound of a piano I remember from my human years.

I reached for a black duffle bag and put some clean clothes in it. It was mostly black jeans and dark long-sleeved shirts; I didn't have any reason to be wearing anything else ever since I'd joined the Elite Guard. I took an Italian passport and driver's license, identifying me as Tony de Volturi, from my bedside table and placed them in my wallet, along with several thousand Euros I'd kept there.

This was standard procedure when the elite guard traveled; each of the guards had a "de Volturi" identity that we would use. The de Volturi family was well known, and the flight attendants assigned to a flight which had one of its members on board would be briefed thoroughly. A de Volturi member flying was not to be bothered during the flight, and any requests he or she made must be obliged immediately, regardless of how odd they might seem. The Volturi paid well and wouldn't hesitate to change an airline if their demands weren't met. The brothers travelled by their own private jets.

I ignored the constant humming of thoughts from behind the closed door of my bedroom while I undressed and went for a shower. I turned on the water, and the sound of it helped drown the rest of the voices in my head. I stood under the stream of water after I finished washing myself, just allowing the hot temperature of the water to heat my ice cold skin. It was one of the few things that were still able to make me feel human again.

Fifteen minutes later, I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around my waist. My body felt unusually warm, and combined with the prospect of seeing Anne in little over a day from now, I felt better than I had felt in much too long.

I think it was those thoughts of Anne that distracted me enough to not notice that my room was no longer vacant. As I opened the door of the bathroom, I saw-and heard-Francesca standing in the middle of my room.

Francesca was one of Aro's latest "acquisitions". She possessed a unique talent of being able to mask herself-in both scent and sight-to such a degree that even a vampire standing just ten feet away will not see or smell her. Sadly for Aro, her talent did not allow her to mask others along with herself. He thought that she would still make a good spy for the Volturi, so he had invited her to join us after her coven was trialed and executed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, slightly angry. Locked doors weren't strong enough to stop a vampire but there was such a thing as manners, which she seemed to have a lack of.

"I heard you were leaving?" Francesca said calmly. She wore her cloak tightly fastened around her. The cloak was the same color as mine; Aro's pets-and unfortunately I was one of them-were always members of the Elite Guard.

"Yes." I didn't see a need to elaborate. I grew more agitated with each second passing and her not answering. I saw in her mind that she was feasting her eyes on my almost-naked body, liking what she saw. "You didn't answer my question," I reminded her through gritted teeth.

Francesca didn't answer, not with words. I heard the thought form in her mind at the same time the smile spread on her lips. She threw off her cloak to reveal her fully nude body. I folded my arms across my chest and raised a brow. The anger faded to the background, replaced by amusement.

"I decided to see for myself if the rumors were true." She smiled and took a step toward me. "I see that they were right about your chest; it is magnificent." She trailed a finger over my folded arms and looked up through her lashes. "Now I want to see if they were also right about the rest…" With a light tug of her hand, the towel around my waist fell to the ground. Her smile widened. "Hmm…you really are…gifted." It was a murmur now, almost a purr.

Francesca took a second step, bringing herself close enough to feel the heat of the shower radiating from my skin, and dropped to her knees. I can't say I didn't like the sight before me. A man had to be dead not to respond to a naked lady on her knees fully intending on taking said man in her mouth. Wait, I AM dead...scratch that.

She began with a long lick of her tongue along the length of my cock, followed by a featherlike caress of her fingers. Hmm...that feels good.

I suddenly remembered the fact that I had not had a woman in more years than I care to think about...and even longer since anyone had given me a good oral. I put one hand on her head, catching her by her hair and guided her at the correct pace. Her mouth felt so tight around my cock, even if she couldn't get all of it inside her. She came here to use me, so I saw no reason to act differently toward her.

I watched as her lips moved up and down on my cock, her hand pumping at the same rhythm as her head-a rhythm dictated by me. She sucked as if I was a human whose blood she was drinking, moaning in delight. I saw her other hand travel down her own body as she started pleasuring herself at the same time as she was giving me head.

I will have none of that. She would only get pleasure when I decided. I pulled her head back and locked my eyes on hers.

"Both hands on my body," I hissed and heard the thrill in her mind. She likes to be dominated...Good.

She raised her hand-wet with her own juices-and cupped my balls, giving them a gentle massage. "Exactly," I said, pleased to see her being so obedient. "Yes…" I grunted as she sucked even harder and the term 'mouth like a Hoover' crossed my mind.

It didn't take long for me to feel the pressure building in my stomach, demanding release.

She is very good with her mouth when she's not talking.

I held her even tighter, thrusting my hips forward. My body was seeking more friction.

"Oh, Yes…" I growled and spilled my venom inside her mouth. I held her in place, with my cock still deep in her mouth-not because I cared if she swallowed or not, but because I wanted to prolong my orgasm as much as possible-and let the pulses of pleasure claim my body.

I hope he's not mean enough to leave me without my own release, I heard her think and wondered whom she had been talking to that she got such a lousy impression of me. I may have been rough at times, but I had never left my bed partner unsatisfied.

I signaled her to get up, using my finger. Her thoughts brightened up immediately, and she obeyed.

"On the bed," I said.

I attacked her breasts as soon as her back hit the mattress. I suckled on them, one after the other, leaving her flesh wet with venom. It was her turn to fist her hands in my hair. I spread her legs beneath me as I hovered with my mouth over her right nipple. I paused for a moment, and she looked at me, surprised that I had stopped, and I saw worry creeping back into her thoughts. It disappeared a second later when I pushed two fingers inside her. She was tight around my fingers, and I felt my cock harden again at the prospect of feeling her pussy around me.

She moaned and tugged my hair when I began moving my fingers. "You like being fucked with my fingers, don't you?" I teased her.

"Yes…" she whimpered, and her hips bucked up uncontrollably.

"Do you want to feel my cock inside you?" I continued to tease her, keeping my fingers just slightly inside her, not allowing her to push herself upwards to insert them deeper.

"Yes...please," she begged.

"On your stomach," I ordered and pulled away.

Francesca gasped. If I wasn't so aroused, I would have laughed; it was such a human thing to do and it had been decades since her heart had stilled.

Once she was on her stomach I pulled her to the edge of the bed, her feet landing back on the floor. I held her by her waist and let my cock-now fully erect again-graze against her wet sex.

"Stop teasing...please..." she pleaded. "I need you inside me. Now. Please."

She screamed with pleasure when I penetrated her with a single smooth thrust. "Do you like feeling me inside you?" I thrust inside her with brutal force. I had no reason to hold back; she was just as unbreakable as me. She could take a strong fuck. "Do you like being fucked like that?"

"Ye-yes," she barely mumbled.

I set a quick pace, relentless. I heard her breath quickening, another human habit, and then she screamed my name, clenching hard, her body milking mine. I didn't ease on my pace. I knew it would take me longer to come for the second time, and as I had every intention of doing just that, I didn't let her come down from her orgasm before I brought my hand around her waist and onto her clit.

"Oh my...God...Tony!" She screamed again, and I couldn't help the smile on my face.

One thing was sure now, I'll be leaving one hell of a reputation behind me. I chuckled as I heard the thoughts of the vampires outside my bedroom.

There he goes again...

Francesca is one lucky bitch...

...wish Tony would fuck me instead of her...

Tony, you're back! My man!

I turned my attention back to Francesca-who was well into her second orgasm by now. Both her mind and her mouth were no longer coherent, too lost in her pleasure as she was. She answered my every thrust with her hips, pushing herself against my cock on one side and my fingers on the other.

I took my finger off of her clit, and she moaned her protest. I took one of her hands and brought her own fingers to her clit as I bent over her and whispered, "Rub yourself for me, show me how much you like the way I fuck you."

I stayed bent over her, enjoying the different angle, and felt her fingers slide every once in a while from her clit to my cock. I felt a familiar tug in the pit of my stomach, and I knew I was getting close again.

"Come for me one last time," I whispered on her ear again.

"Yes...harder..." she breathed.

I held myself just long enough to feel her beginning to pulse around me, and then I bit her on her shoulder and let myself spill inside her with one final shove.

I pulled out of her when I was done and picked up my towel from the floor. "I'm going to take a shower," I said, already the smell of her on my body was making me nauseous. "I expect you to be gone before I finish it."

Without waiting for an answer, I walked back in my bathroom and closed the door behind me.

w.W.w

My flight to Chicago had two connections-one in Madrid and the other in New York. There were two reasons I chose such an indirect path. The first was that there wasn't a direct flight from Italy to Chicago, and the other was due to my thirst. Being incarcerated in a flying metal box with over a hundred people on board while the air was recycled over and over again meant that every breath I take would be saturated with the sweet aroma of human blood. Keeping the flights as short as possible and maintaining a gap of several hours between them helped reduce the chances of me attacking a human and exposing myself.

But even with these precautions and a thermos of blood in my carry-on, it would be hard. Luckily, spending so many years with the guard taught me much about self-control. The Volturi could not afford to have its own members losing it in the presence humans, risking exposure. The punishment for exposure was death, but if you were a Volturi as well, you might also get a session with Jane before the brothers took mercy on you and ended your existence. It was brutal, but effective nonetheless.

I wore my usual attire for the journey: my dark gray cloak, black leather gloves, army boots and dark sunglasses to conceal my red irises. I couldn't avoid attracting attention altogether, but I could reduce said attention to a minimum. I smiled inwardly when I heard what the humans around me think.

Must be some hotshot rock star…

I wonder what's up with the army boots…

Damn, a celebrity. The thought came from a flight attendant. I just hope he won't be too demanding.

...A soldier? He could be, maybe US Army? No, probably UK, he's too pale to be an American. I don't see weapons. I'm sure he was checked when boarding the flight, but that means very little. This thought belonged to the on board marshal. I saw members of the Special Forces kill with their bare hands. I'll keep an eye on him...

He was right to be suspicious.

Both the flight attendant and the marshal were not too far from the truth. Their line of work made them more perceptive than other humans on board the plane. The Volturi could be considered somewhat of a celebrity in the vampire world. We were recognized almost immediately by others of our kind, perhaps not by name, but certainly by our affiliation to the ruling class. The Elite Guard could pass as the equivalent of the Special Forces, thus making me a soldier. And I was just as deadly as the soldiers the marshal had in mind, even if I had no need for their weapon arsenal to achieve that.

God! Look at him! I would LOVE to lick his...And, of course, one could never avoid the lust-filled minds of teenage girls. I sighed.

I tuned out the rest of the thoughts as the flight progressed and people began to fall asleep. I accepted a drink from the stewardess and refused the light meal. The chilled white wine remained untouched, as it was nothing more than a prop, while I pretended to sleep. Nothing could be as still as a vampire when it wishes to do so.

It was late at night when my flight landed in Chicago. I traveled light; my only luggage was a carry-on black duffle bag which allowed me to pass through the airport quickly. I took off the sunglasses once I was out of the building and headed to the parking lot, where Anne said she would be waiting for me. It was dark enough so that the very few humans outside wouldn't notice the color of my eyes and wearing the glasses at this time of night would have drawn more attention. I hated the damned prop, even if it was a necessity. The dark lenses obscured my vision, and after so many hours of wearing the glasses, it annoyed the hell out of me and I was happy to be rid of them.

I smelled her at the same time as I heard the familiar 'voice' of her mind. It took me a few more steps to see Anne with two other vampires standing behind her. Anne's scent was never forgotten-amnesia was impossible for our kind-but their scents were new, and my mind focused on them as well as their thoughts. They smelled like a mixture of grass and trees with the artificial scents of soap and shampoo they used. The older vampire recognized me as Volturi the second he laid his eyes on me, his thoughts disapproving. I glared at him and was satisfied to see both vampires stiffen and tense.

Breaking from the group, Anne ran toward me and threw herself in my arms. I hugged her tightly and took a deep breath of her scent. How much I've missed her.

Esme has the right to keep her secrets, I heard the older vampire think. "Esme?" I asked as I released her from my embrace.

"There is much I need to tell you, but here is not the right place for that," she said.

I looked into her eyes, they were a warm golden color, no longer the blood-red I remembered her to have. Yes, there is much you need to tell me, I thought. Her mind was busy taking the sight of me in, evaluating and analyzing, and thus preventing me from knowing more than she said.

What did Esme have to do with the Volturi? Why would she invite an Elite Guard to visit? the older vampire wondered.

Who's that guy? I wonder how Esme came to know him...probably someone from that dark past she never talks about. The younger vampire mused. A lover? A Friend? Her mate? No, he can't be a mate. They don't handle themselves as mates. He didn't recognize me as Volturi, which meant he was young in more than human years.

"Where would you like to go? This is your home turf, so to speak," I asked Anne. She knew this was the city I lived in as a human-I shared almost everything with Anne during our time together in Italy, our bodies being one of the very few exceptions. Our relationship was never about sexual needs, from the very first second she was a mother figure to me. I respected that Chicago was now more her home turf than mine since I hadn't come back here after I "died" until now.

"I will take you to a private place where we can talk freely. Come on, I'll introduce you to my family." There was pride in her voice and in the thoughts of the two vampires behind her. They considered themselves as siblings, and the males were proud that she introduced them as family to her friend-me.

Surprise and hurt flashed through my body and I tensed before I regained control over myself. I saw my response register with the elder but not with the younger vampire. I hated my lapse in control as well as the jealousy and hurt that spread inside me. Anne had said close to nothing about me to the vampires she now considered as family. Where does this leave me?

I smirked inwardly when Anne introduced me to her brothers and the older vampire-David-was surprised by my manners. We're not all patronizing bastards in the Volturi; some of us are actually well behaved gentlemen. But the smugness didn't last long. Once we were all seated in the car-a silver Audi R8 of the latest model-Anne turned to David and said; "Take us home."

Home. How much I wish I had a place I could call my home.

I searched through Anne's thoughts during the ride. She was worried and tense, but she was also concentrating very hard on not thinking about what she was going to tell me. David's mind was also troubled, and he was just as worried as Anne, though for a different reason. He worried about the effect my presence would have on his small family. I noted that he didn't use the term 'coven' but preferred the human term of 'family' whenever he thought about his 'siblings'.

Dale's mind was occupied with thoughts about video games. He was wondering if I might enjoy playing a round or two of something called "Tekken 4", which I supposed was some sort of a game. He also wanted to ask how long I would be staying because he was really aching for a good wrestling competition as neither David nor Esme were ever game. I took comfort in his thoughts, they were just so...normal. It was truly a nice change. And as far as I could tell, neither man was aware of my talent.

Thirty minutes after leaving the airport we came to a halt next to a house outside of Chicago. It was very secluded, separated from the main road by a long private driveway and surrounded by a thick forest. The male vampires didn't turn to the house after getting out of the car.

"We are going hunting," Dave said, looking at Anne. "We'll let you guys catch up."

"Thank you," she murmured and the two turned away and disappeared between the trees. Both of their minds were filled with thoughts about bears and deer, of all things.

w.W.w

"That night at the cemetery, after David and Dale saved me, I made a decision that I will not be Anne anymore. I needed to recreate myself, to feel human, so I embraced my human name once again. I haven't fed off of a human ever since; the new name was never tarnished with murder."

I was silent throughout the whole time Anne-err...Esme-was telling her story. I had questions, of course, but she was pleading me in her thoughts to let her finish before asking anything. Her beautifully golden eyes begged for me to listen and understand her need to tell everything without stopping, and I obliged. I watched the images in her mind while she spoke. I saw her emotions as she stood in the cemetery and wished for her own death, and my body contorted with her pain. I smiled at the happiness in her mind when she told of her life with her brothers. I felt the pride when she said that she did not kill another human being from that night on. But I was also jealous. I envied her peace. I envied her for her family. I wanted to have that as well, more than anything else in the world, I wanted to have her peace and be part of her family once again.

"Now you can ask me whatever you like." She smiled gently.

"Does it taste the same?" I was considering trying her diet from the first moment she mentioned it, and that was one of the burning questions I was waiting to ask.

"Not quite. Animal blood isn't as sweet as human blood. The herbivores are the worst," her face contorted in disgust as I saw the memory of the taste in her mind, "But the carnivores taste better as you go higher on the food chain. Dale prefers bears; I tend to favor large cats." She smiled and I saw her memory that a large cat was her first meal after being rescued.

"How long does it take for your eyes to change color?" I tried to picture myself with golden eyes instead of the red I was so used to seeing.

"About two to three months, depending on how often you hunt." Hunt, not feed, she emphasized in her thoughts.

Hunt...I liked the sound of that. Humans have hunted animals since the beginning of the ages. In a way, this would make me slightly closer to the human I once was, instead of the monster that I had become. "And you get to stay in the same place for years? No one suspects?" I couldn't hide the yearning in my voice. It was the same feeling I had when we were in the car and Anne, no Esme, had referred to this place as her home.

"Yes and no. We can stay for several years, but eventually the humans begin to suspect that we do not age and then we have to move."

"Can you...teach me?" It was not the question I wanted to ask her, I wanted to ask her if she would take me in, if I was still welcome, but I did not allow myself to ask that, not yet. A part of me didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, while another part feared that the answer might not be 'yes'.

"I would love to." Her smile was brilliant.

"What about the others?" I asked timidly. I might be a well-trained soldier but there was still enough of a teenager inside me, apparently, to worry about the rest of her family.

"You deserve a second chance, Tony." She put her hand on my shoulder, in the very same manner she did all those years ago. "They gave me mine, and I will give you yours," she vowed.


Thank you for reading.

Alley Cat.