Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all.

I am honored to say that I have received several nominations over at the Shimmer Awards. Harvest Moon was nominated for the Adonis Award – Best Use of Edward. Full Moon Rising has been nominated for the Pawn Award – Best Post Breaking Dawn. Unloved Unwanted was nominated for The Tale Award (Best AU). Thank you to the reader(s) that nominated me. You blow me away! Seriously…I was shocked and actually asked if they had gotten the wrong author. Smile.

The site is: http:/shimmerawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com/

Voting started February 1, 2011.

I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. Several stories that I beta have been up for awards, so I have attempted to get their chapters done before I began writing. To make up to you, I'm also posting an outtake just after this one called "Hulaward." It is a little lemon with some humor. For those that don't want to read…just skip over it.

I just want to thank each and every one of you for reading my story!

Please be aware the first part of this chapter deals with a sensitive subject. If you have been the victim of rape, or effected by such an event…please read with care. RAINN is a great resource for information for dealing with this unfortunate subject. Please find them at www(dot)rainn(dot)org

Have compassion for all beings,

Rich and poor alike;

Each has their suffering.

Some suffer too much,

Others too little.

Buddha

"Dr. Cullen to the emergency room, stat."

The words came from the hospital paging system. It was just past 1am on Saturday morning, and I was guessing it meant another car crash victim had come into the ER. Drinking and driving really didn't mix.

The young man I'd just came into check on stirred at the sound, but he settled back into sleep almost immediately. I knew that most emergency room doctors didn't follow up on their patients, choosing instead to close their eyes and rest between tragedies. It made sense for a human, but I couldn't see the necessity of wasting time pretending. The nurses had finally come to believe my claims of being a night owl. My unusual behavior had saved at least one life, as I'd smelled a slow bleed from another doctor's patient who had shared a recovery room with a patient of mine. Unfortunately, my propensity to visit the patients that had come across my table had also earned me a reputation - one that made its way to the senior emergency room physician.

"Edward, are you certain I can't talk you into working full time. We certainly enjoy having your expertise on our busiest nights, but your skills would be highly appreciated during the other days of the week, as well."

I smiled in an attempt to dazzle the man, hoping to avoid the subject. He went a step further, inquiring about Carlisle. "Has your brother given anymore thought to joining you here? He would be able to help with your uncle's business affairs, yes? If I had you both, it would be perfection."

I thought back on that conversation as I quickly made my way through the hallways toward the emergency room area. He'd been willing to offer a sizeable salary and benefit package. I could see that he'd already spoken with the hospital administrators. Thinking back on his thoughts, I relived the irony of the medical benefits he'd compiled. He'd used the words child prodigy at first to describe me to the administrators, until he met Carlisle. Then he started calling us as a "gifted family." Little did he know…

I saw the panic in Bettina's face when I came around the corner nearest the nursing station. It was worrisome because little disturbed the unshakable emergency room nurse, and then her thoughts came through loud and clear. It was difficult to maintain my act and not turn to dash into the emergency room before she told me the need. Luckily, she felt she could boss me around, an illusion that I'd supported, so she just pointed toward the room where I was needed.

The medics were still placing the child on the gurney when I rushed into the room.

I was relieved I did not smell the scent of a vampire around her, which meant this was not a message to me…and therefore in some form or fashion my fault. But, as I'd told Bella many years ago…we weren't the only monsters out there. This monster was human, and he was as evil as any other creature that walked the face of the earth. His victim, now my patient, was just a child, and her childhood had now been taken away.

"Rape kit," I snarled out, a little too harshly for the nurse. She blanched in response, and I gentled my tone with a "please" and a dazzling smile. Bella would laugh at my manipulation of the poor woman, but I was just as certain that, if she were here, she would take a deep whiff of the offender's scent and set off over the rooftops of Florence on a manhunt while I fought to save the child's life. I would make sure to find out where the police had discovered her so that I could in fact do that very thing. With a quick, undetected flick of my hand, I tore a small piece of the fabric off her shirt off as I threw it toward the table where the evidence would be preserved. I stashed it in the waistband of my scrubs without anyone seeing my actions. One of the other nurses had begun to take photographs, documenting evidence of the assault for the police.

Thankfully, the child was still unconscious. It would make the examination easier. As the nurses checked her vitals, I used my vampiric senses to check for injuries. She was bleeding internally; he'd torn her during the assault. Her face was bruised and battered, and I was worried about her brain and any possible swelling. On the pretense of checking her pupils, I leaned closer to listen to the faint sounds of the blood flowing through her skull, checking for any indications of bleeding. I had to focus to block out the distractions of the hospital staff working frantically around me. I breathed a small sigh of relief at finding nothing.

"Dr. Cullen, her blood pressure is low," one of the attending nurses fired off in rapid Italian.

"Get the blood type, we need a transfusion. She's lost too much blood," I quickly spit out.

"I have the swab completed," another called out. The camera flashed a final time. I was glad the nurse had willingly taken on that task of collecting the evidence.

"Cover her with blankets," I ordered, "she's going into shock. We have enough for the police."

"Dr. Edward…?" Bettina said softly from beside me.

"She needs surgery now, or we'll lose her. We still might," I said. My words caused a flurry of activity, as the assembled staff immediately wheeled the gurney out of the room, headed for the OR.

I scrubbed quickly, wishing the whole time that Carlisle was here. He was still in the depths of the Apuseni Mountains taking care of our own little monster, so I was on my own.

Bettina was thorough as usual. "I put out the all-call in case we need more help. I don't know what else we'll find once you get in there."

"Her left leg and right arm are broken. I can set them, but I'm far from an expert in that area." Bettina's snort interrupted me momentarily…the woman had set me on a pedestal. I really needed to introduce her to Bella so that my amazing wife could set her straight.

"Dr. Edward, he's cut her in several places as well," one of the young nurses added. She was almost in tears; she had a child about the same age as the broken angel we were attempting to save.

"We'll stitch her as quickly as possible - can you apply pressure to stop the bleeding? Our primary focus is to get her stabilized…"

I worked well past daybreak. Bettina was able to track down one of the best plastic surgeons attached to the hospital, so as I worked to repair the damage inside, he worked frantically to pretty up the outside. I heard people coming and going, and at some point I realized we were being observed, but for once I did not let my multi-faceted mind wander.

"Dr. Cullen, do you want me to take over?"

I looked up to see one of the doctors from the day shift beside me. It was difficult to relinquish control of my patient, but I'd heard Carlisle talk about this many times. His premier example was of course of the time that he'd been unable to spend twenty four hours a day at work taking care of the flu victims…when he'd saved my life. Funny how I could now acknowledge that was exactly what he'd done. I couldn't appear the super doctor. I had to fake exhaustion; I'd been working for hours already. With the internal bleeding stopped, any human doctor would have jumped at the opportunity to be relieved from the mundane task of closing up.

"Thank you," I said, attempting to infuse my voice with the right amount of exhaustion.

I literally had to force my fingers away from the child. It was then that I turned to see a group of residents in scrubs and face masks observing the surgery with one of the other physicians. Horror was the prevalent emotion in all their thoughts at the presence of the small form on the operating table, and it showed even behind the surgical masks. Being an emergency room doctor was not the glamorous adventure they'd all seen in the movies and on television. I heard several already questioning their choices. This was just a taste of the pure evil of human behavior. Only homicide detectives saw more, their subjects bypassing the ER and going straight to the morgue.

"Dr. Edward, go take a shower and clean up. The police want to speak with you, but I know you will feel better if you aren't covered in blood," Bettina encouraged.

Her words made me aware of the burn in my throat. I was grateful that Bella and I had fed on the way back from the mountains, or I would be very uncomfortable. Although the smell of blood no longer called to me, it still made my throat feel like it was on fire; it was a purely physical reaction.

"What are you doing still here?" I admonished her, knowing she should have left hours ago.

She arched her eyebrow at me. "Look, youngster, I wasn't about to leave you. I'll even stand outside the shower so we don't have a repeat of last time."

I chuckled, which is exactly what she had planned. Leave it to her to remind me of a moment I would rather forget. Just after I'd begun working at the hospital, an overly amorous nurse had contrived to slip into the shower with me. Bettina had immediately transferred her to another floor, but not before the damage was done. I still heard enough about my physique in the minds of the nurses to fill multiple pornos. Thankfully, I had heard her coming at the last moment, or she would have gotten more than an eyeful. As it was, I was limited to human speed and had only been able to dry quickly and throw on pants.

It seemed that each time the story was told, though, it became more and more embellished. The current topic of gossip was my scars. They'd all seen the one on my cheek of course, but when the young nurse caught a glance of my chest as I pulled my shirt on, she'd seen some of the others in the bright hospital lighting. The current theory was that I was a reformed "bad boy." Nessie had been right. It had only fueled their imagination and made me more desirable. God help them…they did not want anything to do with my true bad behavior.

"I'll be fine. There are too many other male doctors around for that to happen today," I humored her.

"There you go assuming again. There are a few of those male doctors that would trade their souls to get you alone in that shower too," she teased, shocking me not with that information - as I already knew which ones desired me - but with the fact that she would harass me with it. She snorted at the look on my face. "It is nice to render you speechless once in awhile. I swear it's like you read my mind sometimes…it is difficult to stump you."

She really rendered me speechless with that observation, but I did follow her out of the room. Within just a few minutes, I'd stored the scrap of fabric in my locker and had thrown the bloodstained scrubs into the appropriate bin. As Bettina had suggested, a hot shower did make me feel better, more capable of dealing with the Polizia.

My feelings changed quickly as the municipal police officers gave me the information they'd collected. Fury built in me…and a plan for revenge. She was a child of the streets, her prostitute mother was found strangled not far from where they'd discovered her. They didn't even know her name; it's possible they never would. I gave them the information regarding the surgery, and let them know that a rape kit had been processed. There was nothing more that could be done, except to wait. Thankfully, due to the insurance coverage provided to all Italian citizens through the Servizio Sanitario Nazioanale, she would be able to stay here in the hospital, where I could watch over her. I would have stepped in either way, but for now I could hide behind that and anonymously make sure that she had those things that the insurance wouldn't cover.

The bigger question was, if she did survive, what to do with her afterward. As in most countries, the social service agencies were overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with the emotional and physical needs the girl would have. Bella could look into this for me. I had all faith that she would figure out how to help her.

She, Henry, Anna, Demetri, Seth, Jacob, Nessie and the grandbabies had accompanied me back to the city, leaving the rest to deal with Brianna. I'd stayed well past daybreak and realized that they would probably be worried. I had no clue who was awaiting me in the underground parking, but unless it was Henry or one of the wolves, we were stuck. It was a beautiful sunny morning in Florence.

My question was answered though as soon as I entered the hallway. Bettina had continued to wait for me, wanting to know what had occurred with the authorities. Currently, her thoughts were far from the child who struggled to survive. She was infatuated with my "brother" and my wife. I smirked. Henry was in his element charming the seasoned emergency room nurse. The rest of the emergency room staff were lusting over either Henry or Bella or, in the case of some of the nurses, glaring daggers at my love's back. Bettina's curious mind was finally satisfied. Looking at Bella, she finally understood how I could give no other a thought. She, like me, thought Bella was perfection personified.

I turned the corner to find Henry flirting with Bettina, bending over her hand in elegant fashion as he charmed her. Bella watched on with resigned humor.

"Edward is the prodigy child of the family," he said. "We've always known that he and Carlisle would follow in our father's footsteps."

"And what do you do, Henry?" Bettina stuttered out. We could hear her heartbeat speed up at the twinkle in his deep blue eyes. Only I was privileged to hear her internal dialogue.

"Dear Lord, I'd love to meet their parents…to see what incredible genetics produced these boys. They are all beautiful beyond belief. How many did Edward tell me there were? Five boys? I bet their mother has to beat the girls off with sticks. I want to meet the other two. I do have an available niece. And, didn't he mention a sister?"

The likelihood of Emmett or Jasper ever coming into the hospital was minimal at best, so I doubted she would ever get the privilege…and somehow I saw her and Emmett getting into a lot of trouble together, so it was probably for the best. Nessie would have the place turned on its ear in a heartbeat.

Having heard my footsteps, Bella's eyes jerked in my direction. The smile that broke across her face when she saw me was glorious. I moved quickly to her and pulled her into a passionate embrace. The noise around me and the sadness of a destroyed human life faded for the brief moments that our lips entangled. It could have gotten embarrassing if Henry hadn't stomped down onto my toes, bringing me back to my senses. I smiled against Bella's lips before I broke away.

"Love," I murmured in greeting. I could see Bettina grinning broadly beside me…she was tickled about my obvious affection for my wife.

I turned to her returning the smile. "Bettina, this is my Bella…the reason for my existence and the woman that keeps me in line…when you are not around," I teased. They exchanged hellos, while I enjoyed the relief I felt being next to her. Bella charmed Bettina with her unassuming attitude.

"I see you've already met Henry," I teased. "Watch out for him; he's known to seduce women right off their feet, and it seems he has a preference for emergency room nurses."

She turned to Henry, taking in the crestfallen look he'd adopted at my tattling. He was casually leaning up against the nurse's station, his silky black hair falling like a curtain around his face. He'd purposefully assumed a wounded expression…it was the epitome of a little boy lost look. He was such a con.

Thankfully, Bettina was made of sterner stuff. She arched an eyebrow at him and then looked to his left hand, noting his wedding band. "It would seem that you've already met your match, young man. What would your wife say if she caught you flirting this way?"

Henry smiled broadly and his eyes widened in pleasure, his joy at the mention of his wife clearly letting anyone around us know he was as "whipped" as I was. I glanced over to Bella winking at her as my fingers softly teased the long strands of her hair. She was dressed casually in designer jeans and a blue long sleeved t-shirt, but she looked like a supermodel, all lean and fit. She stepped further into my arms, pressing up against me.

"Anna would probably tell me that I was a very bad boy, and that I deserved to be punished," Henry answered honestly. It was clear from his response that he would be quite happy with whatever "punishment" Anna might choose to mete out.

Lucky girl, Bettina thought. Verbally, she responded, "Are all your brothers as happily married as you, Doctor Edward, and Doctor Carlisle?"

"Yup!" he said, imitating Jacob. "And Edward's twin Nessie, well, she loves her husband, although he is quite the dog. It's a shame really."

Bella squeezed me hard attempting to keep from laughing. Bettina had interpreted Henry's humor to mean that Jacob was dramatically ugly. I wondered what she would think when or if she ever met him. I well knew the thoughts that ran through women's minds when they saw Jacob. I doubted even Bettina would be immune to his or Seth's charms. We had to be very careful to limit the amount of our family that she came in contact with.

Which made me wonder just why these two came into the hospital instead of waiting in the car. But, I was grateful, because I wanted to show Bella off. I was hoping that her presence here, even for a few moments, would help reduce the belief that I might be tempted. She was an intimidating presence for the women, her enhanced vampiric beauty far outshining any other. In my mind, she had been as astonishingly beautiful as a human.

As Henry continued to banter with my emergency room protector, Bella took the opportunity to lean in and whisper, "Alice called. Are you okay?"

"Yes. I just hope she makes it," I attempted to say without breaking, but my face twisted with my emotions. "Thanks for bringing Henry. I didn't relish the thought of being stuck here."

"Gotcha covered, babe," she softly chuckled, looking up at me through her eyelashes. "Why don't you go check on her one more time, because you won't be happy until you have and meet us downstairs," she bossed me. "I want to speak a little more with Bettina. I see why you and Carlisle like her so much."

Bettina was watching us interact even though she could not hear us speaking. She was enthralled by the obvious affection between us. Ah…young love.

"Bettina, I met with the polizia. The young lady will be staying with us until further plans can be made. She was orphaned in the attack, so we'll need to work with the social services to make sure she is released to the best placement possible. Let Henry and Bella walk you to your car, and I'm going to check on her and grab my stuff from my locker. I'll meet you there."

"Does Carlisle know she smokes?" Henry asked as Bettina tore out of the parking lot in her beat up Peugot.

"Yes. It was quite a lively discussion," I said grinning. "Carlisle didn't win. It was amazing."

"I imagine," Bella added, while Henry looked in the direction Bettina had disappeared with dawning respect.

I opened the back door to the car for Bella to enter before me, and then crawled in with her, settling against the fine leather of the seat. Henry took the driver's seat.

"Edward, give me the scrap so I can catch the scent," Henry growled. "I heard enough around us to know I won't rest easy until that man is tracked down."

I didn't even bother to argue, knowing that it would come to that even if it was just me. The smell of her blood was overwhelming, but he was able to separate out the young girl's scent and isolate that which would lead us to the man that did this. Bella took the cloth from him and sniffed at it, doing the same thing

"So, do you know where they found her?" he asked, to which I responded with an address on the outskirts of Florence.

"While you are stuck inside today, I'll go and see if I can track him down. I bet Seth will want to come along, and I'm sure you and Bella want some bonding time with the babies. With Seth and I gone, that will leave Nessie and Jacob to themselves. They would enjoy some alone time," he dead-panned.

I tried not to growl. Bella, of course, caught on right away. "Don't worry, I have them covered," she assured me.

Henry started up the car and drove out into the morning light. Bella and I remained protected in the back by the darkly tinted windows. Like Nessie, Henry just looked luminous in the sunlight. He really was almost too pretty to be a man. I wasn't aware of anyone who had accused him of that, though. He would have quickly set them straight.

As we neared the house where Aro had killed Gianna and her sister, I couldn't help the tension that tightened my body. Bella squeezed my hand and reached up to cup my chin. She turned me to her so that I gazed upon her face. "Edward, I have a little surprise for you."

Henry's mind was a blank, of course, as he pulled into the garage around back of the house. I imagined what I must look like to them. I was certain the stress was evident on my face, and that my eyes were probably blacker than sin. In the past, I'd always driven back to Volterra from Florence, but knowing that we would be taking off in search for Alistair, there had been no reason to go back to the castle just for a few hours. The family was either here with us or in Romania, and there was no need to waste money staying in a hotel. I still didn't relish the idea of staying in this monstrosity, but I'd sworn that I would not act like a baby about it.

Henry turned the engine off once he had the car parked within the garage. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he threw at Bella as we exited from the back of the Mercedes-Benz.

"Surprise?" I questioned.

She grinned adorably. "Close your eyes!" she ordered, and then took my hand.

I wondered at the mischievousness I saw in her as I obeyed. I was even more curious as we began to climb the interior steps from the garage to the storage area constructed over the two garage stalls. I knew the space had been used to store items from the mansion, so it was intriguing that I now caught the smells of cleaning supplies and polish. Beeswax, linen, freesia, and strawberries, along with a host of other pleasant scents floated through my awareness as Bella open the door before us. She led me a few steps into the room, and I wondered at the ease of our movement. I'd seen the room in the memories Aro had stolen from others. The area had been crammed full of boxes the last time he'd sent one of the guards to retrieve an item.

"Okay, now you can look," she said with a degree of excitement.

I gasped as I took in what she'd done to the utilitarian room. Gone were all the superfluous items and boxes, and in their place was a cozy retreat complete with a cherry Queen-sized bed and dresser. A love seat, overstuffed wingback chair, and reading lamp had been angled in the corner to form a sitting area in a way to still leave a sizeable open area; for the grandbabies to play, I assumed. The furniture was minimal, but the appointments were so rich that they gave the room a relaxed feel, almost like a favored getaway. Gauzy curtains covered the basic windows. The subflooring had been covered by various rugs, although I could still see the light colored plywood peeking out here and there. The furniture had been polished to a fine sheen, explaining the smell of the lemony beeswax, and I could see various candles scattered throughout the room, infusing the air with the scent of strawberries. Crisp linens adorned the bed.

The walls were still bare sheetrock, but I could imagine that with a coat of paint, some pictures, and a thick neutral carpet on the floor to showcase the various priceless rugs that the room would be a veritable masterpiece in comfort. Considering she must have done this with everyone's help over the course of the night, Bella had done an exceptional job. Had Alice been here, I was certain she would have broken into a home improvement store to steal paint and carpet… Bella had a little more patience. I was certain though that those items were on some sort of to-do list.

Her next words confirmed my suspicion. "Demetri and I wrote out a few things for Jacob and Seth to get while we go hunting Alistair. By the time we return, we'll have carpet and paint. It doesn't have a shower or fireplace, but Demetri swore that Aro had never stepped foot in the area since the garage was built several years ago. It's only been used for storage?" she asked wanting to confirm her assumption.

I nodded my head mutely. There was absolutely no tie to Aro with this space, other than his orders for things to be stored or retrieved.

"You'll have to take a shower in the house, unless you do that at the hospital…"

"Wait," I interrupted, finally finding my voice, although it croaked. "The bed…should I take this to mean you might accompany me on the trip into work some weekends?"

"I just might," she replied impishly, delighting me.

I snatched her into my arms, putting my lips to her forehead as I buried her within my arms, holding her tightly against my chest. She could not even imagine what this sanctuary meant to me. I wished she could read my mind to know.

"Edward," she whispered gently against me. "It's my job to take care of you. Is this okay?"

"More than okay," I said hoarsely, overwhelmed with her love for me.

"I'm not encouraging you to stay in Florence when you come in for work…I enjoy you being home too much. But, if you have to stay for some reason, at least you now have a place to go. Plus, it's the first time I've been able to do something like this for you. I…I enjoyed it," she said softly.

She opened her mind to me then, showing how she'd bossed Jacob, Seth, and Henry around until they passed out for the night, and then her pleading with Demetri to run to the castle to get several copies of family photos for the space. I'd been wondering where he was…noticing the absence of his mental thoughts.

"God, Bella. I don't deserve you."

She sniffed in disapproval. "Don't be absurd."

We stood in each other's arms, and I let the ambiance of the room, her emotions, and scent soak into me…I sighed gently against her in pleasure. She hummed softly against me, and I began swaying with her, almost as if we were dancing to her soft sounds. If I could have stayed that way forever, I would have been perfectly content. There were only a few things that would have made it better, and I heard them coming.

"NONNO!" The twins screamed as Jacob carried them through the door.

I felt Bella's lips curve in a pleased smile against me. "Surprise," she whispered softly

"I missed their first words!" I groaned but then began laughing when I caught the moment in Seth's mind as he came in behind Jacob and Nessie. Nessie had boxed Jacob's ears when William shouted out "shit" after Stefanie hit him.

I couldn't help but needle Jacob.

"All I have to say is that Ness has been the only hybrid in this family who didn't begin their speaking career with a curse word. I assume it has to do with the superlative parents she had."

"It was the guidance of her imprint. Henry, Stefanie, and William have fallen prey to Seth's influence," he retorted.

The accused snorted.

William bounced excitedly at Jacob's hip, reaching his hands out toward me. Stefanie was doing the same to Bella. Henry and Anna came through the door, and Henry was carrying a Bose sound system with him.

"Bella did pretty well with this place," Henry said, placing the stereo on the corner of the dresser before bending to place the electrical plug in the wall. He stepped back to join hands with Anna.

"Edward, are you okay? Henry told me about the young girl," Anna asked. She was worried about me, knowing how much I adored my own grandbabies, and how I would have felt if someone would have violated Nessie in that manner.

"I have more than enough distractions now to take my mind off of it," I responded, nuzzling William's silky hair, breathing in his scent.

"Good, because we're leaving them with you while we go shopping," Nessie announced, handing me the bag of books she'd slung over her shoulders. "Momma gave us a list to get, so that while you are gone we can spruce the place up. Seth is going with Henry."

"I'm going to scrounge in the attic," Anna said with delight. "There's a ton of stuff up there I want to look through."

And just like that, the room emptied. Nessie paused only long enough to kiss Bella and I on the cheek before turning to leave. Within seconds, Bella and I had been left alone with the babies.

"Finally!" I declared, raising my eyebrows at William when we heard the car pull away. He mimicked the expression.

"Exactly," was his response.

"Can I have Stef as well?" I begged my wife.

Bella smiled and handed my green eyed granddaughter over so that I could settle on the couch. Within seconds, I had them leaned back against my chest and began reading the stack of books Nessie had brought, while Bella curled into my side to watch on. Their ability to absorb the words amazed me, and as with Nessie and Henry before them, by early afternoon they were reading books at an advanced level.

"Nonno, I'm glad that I don't have to get you to say my words for me anymore," Stefanie announced in a sweet voice after we'd finished one book. "I'm sure you were tired of talking for us."

Now who's the suck up? William silently threw out, causing Stefanie to stick her tongue out at him.

I pulled his hair, gently bringing his attention back to me, while I touched her chin. "There will never be a time that you cannot ask me for anything. I will give you the world, and I promise no one will ever hurt you…I'd sacrifice myself first. There is one thing you should know beyond a shadow of a doubt, there isn't a single person in this family that you can't ask for anything."

William yawned widely and I realized that it was way past the time they normally napped. Bella smiled and picked him up from my lap. "Time for my little prince to go to bed," she cooed.

"Nonna…" he whined, batting his eyes at her in an attempt to forestall the "dreaded nap." His plea was ruined by the second broad yawn that crossed his face.

"William…" she whined back in exactly the same tone. She chuckled at the sleepy smile he offered up.

"Nonna is wise to his tricks," Stefanie said, snuggling into my chest and gripping my shirt with her small perfect hands.

"That she is, my princess, that she is. I think you need your beauty rest as well."

"Daddy says I'm already more beautiful than anyone else, but I think I would rather get my 'brain sleep.' Being beautiful is okay, although I don't think I'll ever be as pretty as Aunt Rose. I would just prefer to be smarter than William," she slurred out, battling the sleep that weighed down her eyes.

"A worthy wish," I said gently. She was already a beauty, but I was glad to see that she didn't put much store in it. Perhaps, it was because she already understood the pull of Seth's imprinting. No one would ever find her more beautiful than the man that would always place her at the center of his universe.

I followed with Stefanie and within minutes they were snuggled against each other in the middle of the bed, sleeping soundly. Bella and I caged them between us, our hands linked on the blanket that covered them. We'd both leaned up on our elbows, resting our chins in our hands in order to watch them dream. I shared with Bella the brief visions that passed through their minds, particularly when William threw his arm across his sister in protection. He was dreaming of faceless demons threatening her. In his dreams, he crouched over her still body…but she wasn't dead in his dream…just still, as if she was asleep. I disengaged my hand from Bella's and smoothed across his raven black eyebrows. He settled back into a calming rest at my touch.

We couldn't keep everything from them. He'd seen Brianna before we left, and she'd acted in typical newborn fashion, snarling at the smell of their blood. She'd barely restrained herself from lunging at them, and that only due to the deadly seriousness of the protective vampires surrounding them. They knew that someone had sent Brianna as a message to us. It only made sense that he would subconsciously feel threatened. Nessie had experienced similar vague dreams when we realized that the Volturi were coming to Forks. All we could do was continue to love them, and do everything within our means to keep them safe.

That evening at the hospital was dull and monotonous. We had the traditional Saturday night brawls and drunken fools. I spent a good amount of time sewing up gashes and listening to language that would have had Esme washing their mouths out. I checked on the young girl several times, sitting beside her bed for long stretches. The slight rise and fall of her chest reminded me of her fragility, and in contrast, a vampire's seemingly invincibility. It was enough to make me ponder the things I'd been given and the resulting responsibility I had to use them to do good.

Henry and Seth had returned with what we needed. They'd traced the scent back to a dingy apartment. Henry hadn't waited around to kill him, for which I was glad. I wanted more potent revenge. We were going to send him to jail where the men there could exact long and painful justice. I was being bloodthirsty, but even Carlisle wouldn't be able to argue with me. I was going to turn him over to the police, as I did with the serial killer in Charlie's custody a few years back; it was far better to use the human police and prosecutors for our own purposes. I was just taking a little more satisfaction in knowing what would happen to him once he was jailed than Carlisle would. I gave myself a little break. In my youth, I would have used my talents to carry out vigilante justice. Now we were allowing the natural order of things…with a little vampiric influence to help move that natural order along.

We'd all agreed. It was imperative to get him off the street before he hurt another. We had a simple plan, really. Simple was always better…less to go wrong, and we had just enough time available before we began our hunt for Alistair.

Henry, Seth, and Jacob awaited the rapist at his apartment. If he made the mistake of coming back to the dump he inhabited, he would be spending his last night of freedom. Demetri…well, he was doing what Demetri did best. He was feeding and waiting on the call from one of the three. Then, he would be looking for a dead body for us. Not a Saturday night went by that someone didn't die on the streets of Florence, but this night would be different from so many before. Tonight, the police would find the victim and the perpetrator, and the perpetrator would just happen to have the same DNA as the tests I was hurrying through the paces in the hospital's laboratory complex.

The hospital lab manager liked me even though he would never admit it. I'd helped out on occasion when the emergency room was slow, and I'd finally earned his respect. It helped that he was old, cranky, loved coffee, and liked to work at night "away from the distractions of the silly day workers." I'd supplied the coffee in mass amounts and put up with his irritable attitude until I'd worked past his icy exterior. Once he'd realized my interest in everything to do with research, I'd become "tolerable" to him. When the DNA was finally coded into the computer base, I pulled away from the comfort of the machinery around me and said goodbye. I barely heard his grunt of dismissal. He'd only tolerated my presence because I'd run several of his reports first before I worked on Angel's, as I had taken to calling the young girl.

A simple smiley face text from Seth just an hour later was all it took to lighten my mood. Try as he might, the man who'd ruined Angel's life would never be able to prove that he had not committed murder this night. He would certainly be tied with her assault and the murder of her mother, before we were through. A phone call from a concerned physician to the investigator about the similarities of the situations would be enough to start the investigation. The DNA results were ready for their perusal. I would have to rely on the Italian Polizia to take over from there.

Demetri met me at the car as soon as my shift was over.

"Good evening, Edward."

It pleased me immensely to hear him say that. We'd finally gotten to the point where he'd call me by name when we were alone. Unfortunately, he reverted back to the formal title of Master anytime we were around anyone other than the family. He insisted that it was a necessity for appearance's sakes.

"How is your young patient?" he asked.

"Still unconscious, but I believe it's her body's way of focusing all of its energy toward healing. I worry more about her emotional well-being when she does wake up."

He nodded in understanding. "Henry hid on the rooftop to make sure that the Polizia picked the man up." He continued, "He was drunk when he stumbled back to the apartment. He passed out and never even woke when Jacob dragged him into the alleyway. Which I must say, he enjoyed entirely too much. Unfortunately for her, the victim had similar characteristics to the child's mother. I believe that what you Americans call 'her pimp' had grown tired of her dishonesty. He will not come forth to the authorities to claim responsibility."

I grunted in approval. It grated at me that I had to let one murderer escape justice in order to condemn another, but I learned through hard experience that I couldn't cure all the world's woes. It was enough. "I'll make a phone call if the police do not pick up on it, but the DNA is already available. Let's hope they think to call the hospital first. I would prefer to step back after this; well, other than to help her."

I moved to the driver's side of the car and he slid into the passenger's seat. Before I turned on the car, I turned to face him.

"Demetri, I apologize for the delay in us taking off after Alistair. I know that my preoccupation with the girl may seem odd to you, considering she is just a human and a child at that."

Demetri shook his head very slightly. "It is not my place to say when we leave, Edward. That is your call as our leader. But please rest easy, I understand. I must admit that my human instincts are buried much deeper than yours, but even I can see the brutality of what was done."

It was my turn to nod at him. The trip back to the house was quick. We pulled in just as the sun was coming across the horizon.

"We leave tonight?" he asked.

"Certainly. Where are we going?"

He grinned slightly. "England," he responded, before turning to go into the house. I heard Heidi's thoughts from within. She'd journeyed by foot through the night to join us, having stayed behind in Romania to help with Brianna. I was certain she would many entertaining stories to impart during our trip.

I climbed the stairs to my new refuge and opened the door to find Bella already in bed. Normally that would have been enough for me to start stripping my clothes off, but I stopped when I saw the two silky black heads to her side.

"I gave Nessie the night off as well. I didn't have you to keep me company, and I couldn't help myself. I knew that Jake and Seth would be back late, and I figured Renesmee could have some quiet time." She nodded down to the babies. "William pulled up tonight against the couch, but Stefanie beat him anyway. She moved from the couch to the chair. They'll be walking before we get back." Her smile was a mixture of sadness and joy. She saw my inquisitive look as I shed my shoes and crawled up to the side of Stefanie, who reached up in her sleep to fist my shirt and pull closer to me.

"Do you want to stay until afterward? So that we can be here when they do?"

"No. Nessie and Jacob should be the ones to see them accomplish it first. In fact, they should be here soon to pick them up. Nessie was feeling guilty for leaving them overnight. I told her to go enjoy her evening to indulge herself, and then when Jake returned without her Daddy around." She grinned at my expression.

"Funny. I never realized just how funny you are," I snarked back at her.

We fell silent, enjoying the gentle rhythm of William and Stefanie's breathing. Nessie, as Bella had predicted, arrived within the hour. As a child, Nessie had slept nearly as much as a human, but as her growth had tapered off, she needed less and less. She now got by on about two hours of sleep every night.

"Jake is still snoring. I'll give him a few more hours considering they got in late," she said. Then she added with a smirk, "Then, I think a good morning wake up call might just be in order."

I groaned internally at her comment.

William sat up and rubbed his eyes to clear the sleep. "I'll wake Daddy up."

"I bet you will," Nessie replied, watching her son stretch like a little man. Her devotion and love for her children was clear in the loving manner in which she watched him. I almost didn't give Stefanie to her. I was enjoying the heat and her sweet smell entirely too much. "Daddy, hand her over. You can get her back when Mama and you get back from your trip. You don't have to return to work until next weekend, Poppa and Nana will be back then and we'll have to return to Seattle. Could we just stay here and that way you can be closer to the little girl to check on her?" she asked.

"I think that is a perfect plan, but you've just reminded me of something." I held my arms up for William and pouted my lips at my daughter…attempting to gain her compliance.

She narrowed her eyes at me, but gave William back as I requested. I hit the speed dial on my phone. Looking down at the dark brown and green eyes staring at me, I said, "When he answers, yell out Poppa. And make sure to ask about him taking you fishing."

Nessie and Bella began laughing as I attempted to hold my mirth in. "Edward, son…"

"POPPA!" William and Stefanie screamed in unison, and began babbling into the phone at the same time. I was certain that Carlisle followed both paths of the conversation easily, and I heard him whisper to someone to go get Esme. Within just a quick moment she was on the line, and I could clearly hear her sobs of joy as the twins rattled on. I could easily imagine her head leaned up against Carlisle's as they listened in to their great grandchildren together.

"Take the phone, Nessie," I said a few minutes later.

William and Stefanie were showing no signs of slowing down, and we could all hear the others in the background arguing over who was next to speak with them. I was placing bets on Jasper winning. He spoiled the twins as much as he had Nessie and Henry. I cleared my throat at William just before settling him on Nessie's hip. His eyes widened in collusion.

"Poppa, I want to go fishing," he suddenly said. "I've heard stories from Uncle Henry and Mama about how good you are."

That was my boy! Faintly, I heard Carlisle utter my name under his breath. He knew I'd put them up to it, knowing that he detested fishing with a passion. Nessie shook her head at me as she carried the twins out the door. Bella closed it behind her, but we could hear the excited conversation carrying back to us as they walked across the drive and entered the house.

"Carlisle is going to pay you back for that, you know. He'll probably make you go fishing with them," Bella surmised turning to smirk at me.

"He probably will, but I'll make him bait all the hooks."

She grinned before becoming serious. "How is she?"

I pulled her into my arms and went over to settle in the comfortable bed. As I cuddled her, I proceeded to fill her in on everything, including what the others had been able to accomplish.

"Personally, I would have been fine just killing him," she said.

"Don't delude yourself to believe I didn't think about it. The only thing that held me back was the realization that the behavior would be too close to what I once felt was justified. I thought I could play judge and jury then, and in effect I did. Watching her over the night helped me to realize just how much I'd changed. However, there is no reason to test Fate. At some point the lines between right and wrong start to blur, and once you get started down the proverbial "slippery slope" it is often difficult to find firm footing to stop your descent."

She turned slightly to cup my face in her hands, and looked up into my eyes. "I can imagine. You, however, are a lot more successful at it than you think, Edward. Don't ever forget that."

"I'm not infallible, Bella. Please don't put me on a pedestal."

She threw me for a loop when she asked the next question. "Edward, do you regret any of it?"

I turned her over so that she could prop against my chest and I could see her face clearly. "Any of what?"

"Me being a vampire, the fight with the Volturi, what we've had to do afterwards…just everything. I think, as you said, that seeing her humanity has caused you to reflect on just how much has changed for us. Do you regret any of it?"

I didn't have to take any time to form my response. "I would say yes, but honestly I've thought about this a lot over the past few years. No. My answer is no. I no longer regret a thing." I paused wanting to put it in perspective for her. "You were sent to me…for me, Bella. You were fashioned exactly for me…to change my life. If you hadn't tempted me, I wouldn't have touched you when you were human. And, if that hadn't happened, we wouldn't have Nessie or Jake. He would have run far away if he'd had to watch me with you…making you my wife, and then a 'bloodsucker.' Without Jake and Seth, we wouldn't have Henry. Sooner or later, the Volturi would have come, because Aro wanted us too badly. If Henry hadn't been there to subvert Aro and Caius, we could have lost. But, it is without a doubt that even if we'd won, we would have suffered immeasurable losses. Without the relationship with the wolves, we would have most likely been decimated in the newborn fight, and we would have been easy pickings for the forces Aro had amassed."

She began to speak, but I put my finger to her lips, shushing her. She was devious enough to nip it a little. "Stop! No distractions. You asked a serious question, and I want to dignify it with a serious answer. You know how I get when you work your magic on me…I'll be lost to your wiles for the rest of the day."

She smiled against my finger and winked at me. I cleared my throat, attempting to brush off the lust I felt. "We've given to the wolves, helping out with Gabriel and the tribe, and they've given to us, fighting with us and standing by our sides. Each and every member in our family and extended family…and yes, I'm including the wolf pack and their mates and children…have been brought together for a purpose. Many would call it coincidence, I think, but I believe Fate and God have an ultimate reason for everything. As much as I hate Aro's memories and what they do to me at times, I know the benefit of having access to the immense amount of his knowledge and thoughts. I swear it is almost as if I can hear his voice inside my head at times. Do you know what I am attempting to say?"

She nodded slightly. "If Jasper hadn't taken a snap at me, how long would you have put me off? We wouldn't have separated, and you wouldn't have gone to the Volturi. They may not have known about me for a long time…most likely not until I was immortal."

"Exactly, and we wouldn't have Nessie then. Because you're right, I wouldn't have lost you and known what it was like, so my emotions wouldn't have been so raw…causing me to cave to your demands." I teased. She snorted before I went on, "So in effect, whether Jasper wants to acknowledge it or not, he is responsible for all this."

She rolled her eyes adorably. "If Tyler hadn't of come at me with the van…"

"…You wouldn't have had confirmation that something was different about me."

"I wouldn't have gone looking for the legends, and come to my conclusion."

"And, I wouldn't have known that you could accept me for who I was."

"I think I see what you mean, Edward," she said nodding her head, a reflective look on her face.

"Even though what we were going through at the time seemed horrible and almost unbearable, in retrospect I can see why it happened, and how it brought me…us…to where we are. Life isn't all puppies and roses, but what has happened has made me into a person I can like. And by the way, speaking of puppies, I even miss Fang. I can't wait to see the old boy again for more than a few days at a time. I'm afraid he's gone feral living around the wolves for so long."

She giggled at my announcement. "So, when are you and Carlisle going to wage your war on the others so that you can finally announce that they are coming to live with us?" she asked.

"Soon." Carlisle and I'd agreed to tell Bella and Esme. There was no way that we would keep secrets from our mates.

"Your leaving me…"

"HUH!" I responded, tensing. What had I done to make her think I would desert her again?

She laughed out loud at the expression on my face. "Your leaving me…not you're leaving me. It was necessary for Jake and me to get closer. Fate tied him to me that way…and ultimately to us." She threw out another supposed "coincidence" that was in my mind not a coincidence at all.

"I could do without the kissing," I noted seriously. "It wasn't necessary for Fate to throw that one in."

She goosed my side, making light of my grumping.

"Sure it was. Until then I'd only kissed you. How was I to know that in fact your lips were made only for me? I mean I'm always totally enthralled by you. But, how was I to know I wasn't just a sex goddess and that your lips weren't just average and that my reaction was all about me?" She paused long enough for me to stop growling at her terrible humor. "Jake was a good kisser…better than most I am sure, but he wasn't 'my kisser.' Just like the others before me weren't 'your singer.'"

"'Your kisser.' Hm… I like the sound of that. I wonder if that can go down into the vampire legends as well."

"I doubt it. I think it goes without saying that all of the mated vampires we've come across feel the same way."

"I don't know Bella. Your lips…they are special," I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

"Yeah…yeah. Your serious inability to plan…"

"What?" I straightened up against the headboard a little at her implication.

She smirked back at me. "Well, here is a little known fact, Edward. I know I was asleep that night in the tent, just before the newborn attack, but the night you returned from Jacob's bachelor hunt…well that little jibe you both threw each other before he went to the house…well it sparked a few memories. How did you stand me being in his arms like that while you both threw down your proverbial gauntlets?"

"It wasn't without difficulty," I sniffed with mock disdain. I was well over that time in our lives, but I loved the playfulness with which she was attempting to harass me.

We continued for hours, remembering the big and little events that had brought us to this day. It was sad that a human child's injury was what it took to remind me of just what was important. As much as I loved being intimate with my wife, the talking and teasing we did over the day was as much a part of making love as the sex. It felt good to have the time to just reconnect with her. The hectic pace and demands at the castle left us so little time alone. And, well, I was a man…and she was my mate and sex incarnate for me…so I was guilty of attacking her whenever I could.

Of course I couldn't not taste her and feel her, so as the sun set, and I heard the others preparing to come get us, I had to force myself away from her. She opened her eyes and leaned up for one more kiss before we rose. "Impressive, Mr. Cullen. You made it to almost sunset before you harassed me."

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly. "If we didn't have a plane to catch, you'd be held captive here the rest of the night. C'mon, vixen. Let's go say goodbye to our grandbabies. We have a vampire to find."

Unknown POV

My mistress' slightly tan fingers traced slowly over the picture I'd obtained. I'd passed it to her an hour previously, carefully pointing out the names of each of the individuals. She'd said not a word since, and I was not stupid enough to think I had the leave to do so. So, I stood in complete stillness, wondering about the maniacal gleam I'd seen in her blood red eyes through the long black silk of her hair.

She'd gasped at the sight of the family that now preoccupied her. It was a long distance photo, grainy, but their beauty had clearly shone through.

Finally she stirred, throwing back her long black hair so that I could see her exquisite face.

"I must say that my child turned out much better than I ever thought she would," she finally said. The satisfaction she felt infused her voice.

"Yes, Mistress, she is beautiful."

She looked out over the garden, staring off into the distance as she focused on only something she could see inside.

"I find it incredibly satisfying and quite ironic to know she tamed Aro's son," she said in her accented but strangely erotic voice. It was the voice of long lost secrets and lands before time was even recorded.

My curiosity got the best of me, and before I considered the consequences of asking an unprovoked question I blurted out, "Why did you leave her?"

I fell to my knees begging forgiveness for my outburst when I saw the malevolent evil in her eyes focusing on me.

"They took my child, I want theirs. Work with Maria and bring me the two babies. Sooner or later, it doesn't matter."

"Yes, Mistress."

To my amazing betas and contributors, I cannot imagine writing this story without them. I am incredibly blessed with some amazing people who have taken an interest in my story:

Cold One Paul: An amazing pre-reader and editor. He reminds me constantly of things I've said or used in Harvest Moon. He made me realize I really need to go back and read my own story! Can I say how good it is that you decided to help me out?

Hopeforastalemate: She corrects all my commas, puts up with my need to stay cannon, and then indulges me in Unloved Unwanted Divergence when I want to act out. My many…many…thanks for making this chapter pretty! She is an incredible author, and so few visit her stories. Again, I remind you the woman carries on a love affair with the Volturi...but for those who share her passion, her stories will definitely intrigue you. Visit her on Fan Fiction and Twiwrite.

Crmcneill: Not only does he manage a red pen and the English language with the proficiency of an anal retentive autistic, he also manages to drive me half mad by shooting gaping factual wounds in the story lines I want to write. After I calm down from wanting to strangle him, we usually end up doing things his way, and the story is much better for it. Some of you have read his profile, a veritable fan fiction manifesto. To encourage discussion and improve the general quality of fan fiction everywhere, he has started a forum, which can be found here: http:/ .net/forum/ The_Complete_Idiots_Guide_To_Fan_Fiction/ 81913