And we're back to it being original again!

Chapter 10:

I couldn't help but tap my foot as I stared at the screen above me. People walked around, wheels echoed on the shiny floor, phones rang, voices sounded, announcements were made, beeps repeated and yet I managed to concentrate solely on the time.

My mother sat beside me, absentmindedly looking out the window as she watched planes fly in and depart. The sun was setting and the lights of Seattle were illuminating one by one.

I couldn't tell how excited I was, but I still had a small feeling that I was missing something.

The screen above me held our flight number and the code for London. Fourteen hour flight, just under, from Seattle to Greece, one stop in London.

The pack had come to see me off when I was leaving, Embry and Quil were mortified I hadn't told them sooner, as they'd found out through James. Emily had wished me luck, Alice had given me 'Greece appropriate clothes' as she called them, also making sure I took my birthday presents with me. It seemed she wanted to come with me to an extent.

I didn't know how long we were staying for, or if my mother had even booked a return flight yet. But I didn't question it, she seemed rather set on this holiday, and yet I felt like she was nervous. The two of us hadn't really gone away together before, Mum said it was a spend-some-time-together trip after what happened to me, and I guess that was acceptable, I could ask any question I wanted without someone else leaning in to listen.

"So mum," I began and she turned to me waiting "Why Athens?" I wondered somewhat suspiciously.

"I thought it would interesting…" She said and I felt the hesitation behind her words.

"Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something?" I wondered but she smiled.

"Okay, so I have a small surprise waiting for you when we get there."

"Like what?" I asked, nervous by the news.

"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise dear." she said and I rolled my eyes at her.

The two of us looked up as the flight attendant called over the PA system to announce the boarding of our flight. We stood up, grabbing our bags as she claimed first class to be boarding first.

Yeah, we were flying first class.

We boarded the plane and I couldn't help but be impressed as we climbed into first class, My mother seemed completely at ease with it all, was this normal for her?

With her money? Probably.

We were served champagne and cocktails and even prawns, I was surprised this was an actual thing on planes. My mother seemed happy to take what was offered, I was a little hesitant but as the doors shut and the plane began to move into position I loosened up.

We were in the air before I knew it. It took me a while to get used to the rumbling of the engine, it was so much louder then usual, joined by the wind outside. Everyone's conversations struck my ears, even those of down stairs.

I reclined my chair and grabbed the blanket they'd provided us with, taking the pillow.

"You wouldn't want to sleep yet dear," Mum warned

"Why not?" I muttered, it was dark outside wasn't it?

"If you want to avoid jet lag you should stay awake until it's night in Greece." she said. Right the jet lag rule, you start sleeping to your destination's time while on the plane, ignoring your departure's time.

I sighed and stared at the roof slightly annoyed.

"What time is it there?" I asked, knowing I did not want to know the answer

"About seven in the morning." she smiled guiltily beside me.

"Of course it is." I put my chair back up, that was such a difference that I couldn't even think about risking it. "So I need something to do for what…?"

"Fourteen hours." she told me and I couldn't help but groan and rub my face.

"Watch some movies sweetie." and she turned to the open window beside her, staring at the dark sky.

I took her advice and turned my screen on. I put on the first movie and only paid half attention to it. I ended up listening to a few conversations around me and below in Economy. They were more interesting then any. But what I found really interesting were the conversations between the pilot and copilot. They kept me entertained until we hit London.

I managed to stay awake as we sat on the second stretch of our flight and we once again watched the sun set as we reached Greece. Despite this I leaned close to the window and peered out, my eyes widening at the sight. It looked rather flat from here, but I could make out the few little hills as the city stretched low around it's biggest attraction, The Acropolis of Athens. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus was there, the Parthenonas, the Propylaea, the Theater of Dionysus, the Erechtheion, all lit up and glowing yellow above the smaller twinkling lights and black grounds around it.

"Mum, we are going to the Acropolis of Athens right?" I said as I took a few photos with my phone.

"Eventually." she smiled

"Eventually?" I asked confused

"There are a few things I want to do dear," She admitted

"Care to share?" I raised an eyebrow as the seatbelt sign came on. I fastened mine, turned my phone off and waited for my mother to answer.

She didn't.

I watched her with scrutiny as the plane continued on to the airport, descending slowly and as the silence between us continued I turned back to my window.

We passed over Athens towards the international airport, passing Spata as we did.

We sat and waited as we landed and docked, the jet bridge was attached and then the seatbelt sign went off. We collected our hand luggage and I followed my mother through the airport and through customs.

We were addressed by a few Greek people and they spoke english to us, which I definitely appreciated. It seemed my mother though wanted to shock me beyond belief by speaking Greek. How the hell did she know greek? When did she learn greek?

I followed her out of customs still in partial shock.

"When did you learn to speak greek?" I questioned her

"Oh, I picked it up." she shrugged

"You know you said you weren't as old as we'd think you are but I'm starting to guess the age you think we think you are and your actual age are completely different." I muttered. She rolled her eyes at me as we moved to the baggage claim.

We found our luggage, enough for two weeks mum had made me pack, I think that was just an estimate… maybe.

We then moved out from the baggage claim and people were standing around waiting for their friends, family, exchange, everything. People held signs in English or Greek, a few other language were mixed in as well.

I was pretty sure we weren't meeting anyone and my mother didn't bother looking around for anyone as she walked through the door and past all the people.

And then I watched her walk straight up to a few men in suits with shades. People actually wore shades at night? They looked like actual FBI people or body guards.

They took my mother's bag as she reached them and when I did the other reached for my suitcase and bag. I glanced at my mum and she gave me an encouraging smile before I gave the suitcase to them and kept the bag.

They didn't argue with me.

My mother turned and began to walk and, continuously glancing at the bodyguards I followed her.

"What's with the suits?" I whispered to her.

"Don't worry about them, they're shadows." she assured, but I wasn't sure how I felt about her calling them that, almost as if they weren't as important.

"That sounds a bit harsh mum," I said

"It's what they're trained to do, it's how they live."

"They don't have a will?"

"Outside of their duty hours." she nodded

"Mum, why do we have shadows?" I asked. She sighed as we exited the airport and suddenly, before me were two large black SUVs. A man stood beside one.

"Come on."

"We have an escort?" I asked shocked. What was my mother doing? Trying to wow me, scare me, abduct me? I was so confused right now. "Mum I think you're putting too much effort into this whole… bonding thing…" I muttered

"Oh I didn't order this honey." she sighed as though she thought it was overdone as well.

"But… then who sent it?"

"You're about to find out." She said.

"You seriously just wont answer me straight will you?" I asked annoyed but didn't expect an answer.

We sat in the dark tinted windowed car for a while, it took a good thirty minutes before we turned off the main road and came to a fancy black electric gate, lights lighting up from the stone pillars in which the gate was mounted to. The sandstone wall on either side stretched far with the trees that lined it on either side, most hiding in the darkness to the faint eye-sighted. The trees weren't nearly as frequent as that in Forks, nor where they nearly as tall as LaPush, it was more like a calm nature reserve or slightly over done park then a forest.

I stared out my dark window as one of the suits put a number into a keypad on the side and a screen lit up. Another suit was on the screen and it turned off as soon as it turned on before the gates opened.

This place seemed rather… elaborate and very secluded. I got my phone out and brought the maps up, finding my location. The airport was North East, Athens City was very North West, Glyfada was slightly North West and straight North seemed to be a sort of mountain — I couldn't tell from the map how tall it was.

Despite the seclusion, the map showed one giant estate, a few other buildings dotted around it.

What was this place?

The SUVs drove down the drive and then finally the estate came into view. It was huge! All light up like the Acropolis had been, glowing within the night and making certain areas sparkle. Nothing was in shadows. I could already tell that at least half of Forks could fit inside it, so somewhere around fifteen hundred people, maybe more.

The SUV stopped and my mother climbed out. I followed her, staring wide eyed and open mouthed as my mother sighed beside me. I didn't bother to look at what made her react like that but the SUV's left from behind us and one of the suits walked ahead of us. I had no idea what was happening with our luggage, but I chose to ignore it as my mother walked forwards, not bothering to worry.

We walked through the front doors into a wide open entrance hall. A black granite table sat in the centre of it with a large vase full of flowers, the smell wafted through the hall and was absolutely divine. It put Alice's wedding assortment to shame.

The hall was white mostly. A chandelier hung from the somewhat raised celling which held carvings within panels as the light cast a somewhat yellow glow on the white. The floor was white and shined reflections in it it was so clean, I felt a though I wasn't allowed to walk upon it in fear of getting it dirty. There were two staircases behind the table ahead of us, black railings and white stairs to match the table and walls. The door behind us was deep mahogany and carved like the celling. Several archways that reminded me of pictures from the ancient buildings that still stood in Athens led off on either side, one to a somewhat large lounge and the other a dining area. I could see two halls leading off behind the staircase. Between the stairs I could see a few white couches sort of positioned like a waiting area.

A few people sat upon these couches and chairs and turned to us as we walked in. Several people looked shocked and a few stood up as if not believing their eyes. I didn't understand the reason for their expressions. The again I didn't understand why we were in a very exclusive and cut off mansion slash hotel in the first place with escorts and secrets…

My mother didn't bother looking at those peering at us. She continued to follow the suit who moved off down the left hallway behind the stairs. We moved until we came to a rather large door, similar to the front one. He knocked and we heard someone claim enter from the other side before the door was opened.

It was an office. A very large office. A large mahogany desk sat ahead of us, a lamp, two computer screens, one keyboard, a few papers atop of it. The walls were lined with shelves but the entire wall behind the desk was windows exposing a garden and then a small courtyard surrounded by more of the mansion. A fountain sat in the middle and a few people sat around it, two talking and one reading a book. This was all lite up by lights and glowed with a white glow, causing the fountain to sparkle.

And a man sat behind the desk. He couldn't be more then sixty, maybe on that broader line. He had auburn hair and I couldn't help but be shocked when he looked up at us. He had bright blue eyes. The same eyes I saw when I looked in the mirror, except for one difference, his didn't hold the gold flecks, instead they were another shade of blue, making his eyes look like different colours as they flickered through the three of us.

The man in the suit left us as a smile spread over the man's face before us. He stood to his feet and rounded the desk before he walked towards us and stretched out his arms.

"My darling girl." he said and I watched as he embraced my mother. I stared wide eyed, shocked as she hugged him back. Did he say 'darling girl'? Hang on a second!? She did not bring me fourteen hours over the atlantic for a bonding moment so to speak!

Those moments I believed my mother had another reason for coming and all the unanswered questions suddenly seemed to make sense, only it didn't make sense…

"It's good to have you back Dia." they pulled apart and my mother smiled at the man who admired her. "It's been much too long, look at you, you've changed." he noted

"The suppression of the gene changed my appearance." my mother admitted

"So I see. I must admit it saddens me a little."

"Easier to blend in though." she said.

And now the man turned from my mother to look at me.

"Dear she is a beauty." he smiled before moving to stand before me. "It is my greatest pleasure to finally get the chance to see you my dear." he said as he held his hand out to me. "My name is Magnus."

I was tempted to laugh but kept my face plain.

"Alexis," I answered. I put on a proud strong front as I took his hand and he shook it before placing his other on top of mine. He looked at me with a fond smile and then turned to my mother.

"Her eyes Dia,"

"I already guessed where she got them from." Mum smiled at him.

God this was getting weird…

"I am very sad to have missed her years so far," Magnus sighed looking at my mother with a disappointed look but she didn't bother to argue her point, her expression turned somewhat hard and Magnus sighed.

We all looked up and I turned as we heard hurried footsteps before suddenly the door opened behind us and a women appeared. Her eyes were silver, shining and almost looked at though they were diamonds, a black rim around the iris and the black pupil.

She looked at us before she smiled warmly, sudden excitement in her expression and she had her eyes set on my mother.

"Oh Diana!" she moved forwards and enveloped my mother in a hug.

"I'm so happy to see you," she pulled back and placed a hand on my mother's cheek as she smiled at her "Look at you, you've changed." Mum shrugged instead of replaying what she'd told Magnus. "I guess the human world does that."

Human world? I knew this place was closed off but seriously?

"Oh but it is good to see you again." and the women hugged her again "My darling baby girl."

"Not a baby anymore." Mum sighed with a roll of her eyes and I couldn't help but stare at the three of them.

Okay, so this women was clearly my mother's mother. In other words my grandmother… she looked too young for it but then again, ageing wasn't a thing among us. At least, I was assuming they were the same as mum and I, or where would she have gotten it from? And this women, my assumed grandmother, her eyes were much too much like diamonds to be normal. And Magnus… I had his eyes. I knew I had to get them from somewhere but it was weird…

I cannot believe my mother dragged me all the way to Greece, to meet her rich family in the middle of know where, in Athens, and did not tell me!

I crossed my arms and my movement caught all of their attentions. My mother smiled at me guiltily as my grandmother turned to me and her eyes examined me with surprise. I saw adoration creep into her eyes and expression as well as proudness.

"Well," she said "Aren't you beautiful." she seemed lost for words and I couldn't help but smile at the compliment.

"It's lovely to meet you dear, I'm Thaleia." she smiled and she gave me a hug before kissing my forehead.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Alexis."

"Alexis, gorgeous. Matches perfectly." she smiled and turned to my mother. "You did well dear." My mother sighed and moved to my side.

"Alexis, I'd like you to meet my mother and father." she said and they smiled as Magnus put an arm around Thaleia's shoulders.

"Yeah…" I said and turned to look at my mother "Thanks a heap for telling me we were coming to meet your family Mother, totally appreciate the heads up!" And her parents looked surprised

"You didn't tell her?" they asked in chorus

"It was to be a surprise." Mum smiled and I rolled my eyes.

"Mum, you suck at surprises." I simply said.

By the way, I've never been to Greece (I'd love to though, I have a thing for the whole Greek mythology), I'm getting all the details and map locations and things off Google Maps…