A/N: Wow, so we're almost to the end! This is the second to last chapter. But don't worry, it doesn't stop there, I've already begun writing the sequel. :D Thanks to those of you who review and follow the story, I do this for you!

Stephenie Meyer owns all!

Maia lounged on Caius's chair in the tower, utterly bored. She twirled a long strand of hair on her finger, watching it bounce back once she let it go. The rest of the guard lazed in the room. Some spoke to each other, or like Caius, watched the streets below. Marcus appeared to be counting the dust mites in the air. It was a hot day, not particularly bothersome for a vampire, but I could see it bothered Maia. She didn't sweat often, but her cheeks glistened more than usual.

It was days after her fifth birthday and it hadn't gone very well. We had the usual splendid ball, complete with all new outfits, new décor, everything that Maia wanted. But Jane had thrown a temper-tantrum when I unveiled Maia's birthday present. It was a large emerald pendant. Jane never could put up with anyone getting presents, even if it was a birthday present. Or, in Bella's case, a wedding present.

Jane sat near a window, arms crossed, glaring at Maia. Jane's envy became more apparent as Maia continued to grow. Once she had surpassed Jane's biological age, Jane increased her childish scowling. Now that Maia was physically fifteen Jane could hardly stand to be in a room with her. With each day, Maia became more fed up with Jane's ire. Maia wasn't a particularly patient girl, seeing as almost every Volturi waited on her hand in foot, she didn't deal well with resentment or dislike. It seemed that Jane's fit at her party was the second to last straw.

For Jane, this fifth birthday present was her last straw. "I don't understand why you keep giving her presents!" Jane burst out of her chair and jumped in front of me, screaming into my face, "What about my birthday? We NEVER celebrate it!"

"Come off it Jane, you're being so infantile," sneered Maia. She finally stopped playing with her hair and she sat up, challenging Jane with one eyebrow. Jane rounded on her with a murderous gaze.

"What. Did. You. Say?" I motioned behind Jane's back at Maia to apologize, to stay quiet, anything. Caius was standing next to me and moved forward in excitement. I disapproved of his constant wish to see Jane provoked. The rest of the guard that was basking about the tower watched the confrontation.

Maia ignored my silent requests. "I said you're acting like a child. Just get over it. We don't celebrate your birthday because you don't get any older. I'm the only one that's growing around here, ok?" I resisted smacking my forehead with my hand.

As I expected would happen, Maia fell out of her chair, shrieking in pain. For a brief nanosecond, I thought she deserved it. She did provoke Jane, but soon my paternal instincts kicked in. I knocked Jane over in my effort to reach Maia. My bumping of her distracted Jane enough, Maia stood up before I reached her.

"YOU BITCH!" She shouted. I was taken aback by her cursing; I certainly never taught her those words. I shot a quick glower at Felix. As I did, Maia leapt forward, quicker than I'd ever seen her move, grabbing Jane's hands. Abruptly Jane dropped to the ground, screaming as though she had been burned. I pulled the frightened Maia away from her while Alec held his sister back.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't know what happened, I'm sorry," Maia sobbed as I restrained her. I loosened my hold on her, letting her slump to the ground. Sweat had finally broken out on her brow, pasting her hair to it. Tears raced down her glowing cheeks. I was torn between her moans and Jane's mortified expression. I moved to Jane, deciding to let Maia rest.

"Jane, what happened? Please tell me," I pleaded. I moved her chin to try and meet her eyes, but she wouldn't let me.

"She used it- she used it! Against me! I can't believe- I didn't think anyone else could!" Jane was as incoherent as Maia was. She was struggling against Alec's arms, enraged, but she knew not to use her power.

I replied using all of my patience, "What do you mean?"

At last Jane glared right into my eyes. "I felt what I did to others. It was like she was burning me, as soon as she touched my hands!" I took in the implication of this. I had never been scorched by my daughter's touch, nor had anyone else she came into contact with. She certainly didn't look malevolent, wilted against a chair, sniveling.

I asked cautiously, "Are you sure that it was like your power Jane? Maybe you imagined it…"

Jane bared her teeth. "IMAGINED IT? You think I wanted to imagine the pain I inflict on others? Have you gone completely insane Aro?" She strained harder against Alec's hold, but he didn't let her free. I turned my attention back to Maia. Her green eyes were distressed.

"I didn't mean to do it," she whispered, soft as snow. "I don't know what happened. I just grabbed her hands and I wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine…" An idea formulated in my head, but I didn't want to say it out loud.

"Did you specifically think of doing to Jane what she does to others?"

Maia thought only for a millisecond, though she then nodded hesitantly. "My exact thought was 'I wish I could hurt Jane like she hurt me'. I'm really sorry Daddy," she added. I waved her apology away.

"Marcus! Come here!" He raised a crinkly eyebrow and wafted forward. He hadn't been excited by the Jane and Maia debacle, his boredom was in its usual place. "Sulpicia, you too!" She was visibly upset by our daughter being hurt; if she could shake, her hand would have been trembling as she reached for mine.

"Maia, caramia, can you stand up for me," I asked in my sugar-coated voice. She stood up slowly, wiping the tears off of her face, stealing quick breaths. "Now, stand right next to Uncle Marcus, as close as possible, yes just like that. Now, can you see the relationship between your mother and me?" I held Sulpicia's hand tighter. Maia squinted in strain, staring at us.

"No, I can't," she finally relented, disappointed. I tapped my chin with my other hand as I thought.

"Try holding his hand now." Maia held Marcus's hand somewhat reluctantly, which didn't elicit any reaction from him. "Try again please."

She responded immediately. "Loyal, loving, slightly unbalanced. Strong, but strong because of time, not real compatabil…" Maia trailed off in astonishment. I beamed widely; Sulpicia stole her hand away and used it to cover her mouth in surprise. The whole guard, who had begun to watch intently, started to murmur and gasp in awe as well. Marcus glanced at Maia and slowly removed his hand from hers. His mouth dropped open in a small o of surprise. I was shocked by his shock. Caius was equally as stunned, his eyes were so wide I thought briefly that they would get stuck. Felix walked forward, pushing his way through the newly energized vampires.

"What does this mean, Aro? Can J do what Marcus does?" My grin stretched even more and I clapped my hands.

"No! This means that my daughter is a mimic!" I ran forward, no longer able to contain my joy, and roughly seized Maia into my arms. The guard rejoiced at the revelation, even though more than half of them understood what she was the moment she took Marcus's hand. Maia looked vaguely confused and Jane, scandalized.

She managed to choke out as I squeezed her, "Daddy, what's a mimic?"

I set her on her feet then. I constantly forgot that she wasn't a vampire as old as the rest of us, that she didn't know our lore and tales. "My sweet, amazing, beautiful, talented Maia! A mimic is a vampire who can use the talents of others. You can use any other vampire's talent, just by touching them! The most powerful vampires ever have been mimics! Maia Juventas, you are one of the most powerful beings in history!" Maia joined my smiling and the cheering of the guard.

"Really?" I nodded enthusiastically and trotted around the tower with her. She joined my step, floating around the room with me, laughing gaily. Jane and Alec slipped from the room; Jane was too disgusted by the discovery of Maia's talent to be happy. We had almost given up on finding her skill. In five years it had never shown itself. Caius put her through many tests to uncover it, but we never dreamed that it would be replication.

Felix pulled Maia from me, embracing her for a little too long. I raised one eyebrow behind her back and he released her, patting her head slightly, instantly chastised. My happiness was so great though that I didn't truly mind his hug. Just as long as he pretended that he still saw Maia as the little girl she once was. Maia smiled at him, she clearly didn't see him as a big brother anymore. I tried to ignore the glances and focus on Maia's talent.

All afternoon we tested Maia by having her touch every hand and use that vampire's talent. She read my mind several times, enjoying to see her own thoughts in it as well. She also took Sulpicia's skill and successfully convinced Caius to buy her a yacht for her tenth birthday. Maia enjoyed the attention immensely; she didn't stop her grin for hours. Around midnight she began to tire, and I let her go to bed.

The vampires left the room, too, going to their own for a night of thinking. The idea that Maia was a mimic was dazzling; many had not met a real imitating vampire before. Only Savio remained two hours later, sitting in the opposite side of the room as me.

"How do you like that, Savio? My daughter, a mimic. I still can't believe it," I spoke conventionally. Savio really hadn't spoken to me much since Maia was born. Part of me understood now that his feelings towards Domitilla had grown much more in that short time than I had believed them, too. But the rest of me was mostly irritated at his silence.

"Oh, it's great Master, really. I'm very happy for you… and Sulpicia," he choked out my wife's name. I pretended not to notice his hesitance to accept Sulpicia as Maia's mother. Even I had trouble with that.

"Savio, are you unhappy here?" Savio appeared frightened by my words.

He replied hastily, "No, no Master! I love it here, truly. It's just that I sometimes wish to see more of the world." He spoke his confession quietly, not meeting my eyes.

"How do you mean," I said, suddenly upset. "What does the world have that we don't here?"

"Don't get me wrong, I love Volterra. But I grew up here, spent my whole life here. I had always hoped as a human that I could leave one day, see more of Italy, more of Europe. As a vampire, I can read any book on the world, the sights that I could see, and it makes me yearn for it more. Master Aro," he left his position and knelt at my feet. "Do you think that one day, I could leave the Volturi for a bit, just to travel?" I took in his pleading crimson eyes, seizing his hands. His thoughts were true. I let them go in a slight appall.

Suddenly he cried, "Why did you let her go, Aro? Why wouldn't you save her?" I knew immediately who he spoke of, and it angered me.

My true thoughts poured from me in a torrent, "She was just a human Savio! Who cares if she died? Besides, she would have been a burden! Maia needed to be raised by vampires who are intelligent and powerful, not a sniveling, useless newborn! I'm glad Domitilla is gone, because now Maia is mine, ALL MINE!" I panted with the effort of my anger. Savio was horrified at my words.

With a whine I said, "Must you ruin my happiest day with your complaining Savio? Maybe one day you could leave, but it certainly won't be today!" I tore from the room, angry and hurt. I made a note to talk to Chelsea about increasing Savio's loyalty to the Volturi. I didn't think that it could diminish over time; I'd also have to speak to her about that.

I whipped into my bedroom, to find Sulpicia stretched out on our bed. She batted her eyelashes at me seductively. My indignation evaporated as I took in her languid frame. She was wearing a silky nightgown that I had purchased for her on our first anniversary. As a vampire, she didn't have much need for it, she wore it only the once. Now she appeared to be the still young vampire.

She purred as I crossed the room, "Remember when I said I couldn't be any happier, Aro?" I nodded mutely, already taking off my clothes. "Well I realized today that I was wrong. I'm-" Sulpicia didn't finish her sentence as I kissed her with more passion in my bones than I'd had for a hundred years or more.

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A/N: So, sorry she's called a mimic. I couldn't think of anything more creative :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
-Lasweetie