I was thinking for this to be the last chapter, then the story will carry on in 'Beauty's Curse' - Mika and Collin's story.

Carlisle's POV

I hear a squeal of feminine laughter before Mercy ran into his office, hiding behind the chair I sit on. Emmett comes walking into the room, an evil smirk on his face as he looks at my youngest daughter; I can only imagine what trouble Mercy has gotten herself into this time.

"Save me, please!" she begs, laughing as she tries to position herself from Emmett's view.

"What have you done now?" I ask, dropping the pen I had been holding.

"Nothing, I swear!" she replies. "How could you think that I done something wrong?!"

"She caused pain in a very unnecessary place" Emmett informed me, point downwards.

"He made comments about my sex life, again!" Mercy shot in.

"Then justice has been served, Emmett, leave Mer alone" I tell him, picking up my pen again.

I smile as I watch Emmett walk from the room, grumbling something unintelligible.

Mer kisses my cheek before heading to the door, just before closing it behind her she smiles. "Thanks dad."

My heart swells as I hear those word, my pen dropping back down onto my desk. Mercy called me dad. I can honestly say, that has made my year. Though I am a father-figure to the others, none of them calls me dad for they still remember their real one. I never expected to be called dad by anyone, never at all. The fact that Mercy views me as her dad just warms my ice-formed heart.

I walk over to filing cabinet by the door, pulling the top draw open. There's no point locking it, a vampire could open it easily. I reach my hand in, pulling out the emerald box. I walk back to my seat, placing the box on the desk in front of me. I run my finger along the golden edge, remembering how it came to me.

My grandmother smiles at me, reaching into the back of her kitchen cupboard. My eyebrows pull down in confusion as I watch her. She pulls out an emerald green box, stripes of gold lining the edges. I feel my jaw drop as I look at the box, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.

"Grand-mama" I say as she passes the box to me. "This is beautiful. Why are you showing it to me?"

"Carlisle" she says, patting my cheek lovingly. "I fear I do not have enough strength to see this winter, so I need you to look after that box for me. Your father would sell it, for it is worth a great deal, but you must not. One day you will find the key to the box, you will open it and reveal the secrets inside."

"I don't understand" my eyebrows pull down again.

"My grandmother before me had the box made, she hid something precious inside. She never told me what though. She had a small key made, one which she gave to her closest friend. When she felt near the end of her time, she passed the box to me. Now it is my turn to give the box to you, I trust you Carlisle" she smiles. "Find the key, keep the treasure."

A month later, at the near end of summer, my grandmother passed on. I've been searching for the key since that time, looking high and low. I need to find the key, the mystery needs to be solved.

Kos, Greece

The key shone as it hung from the silver necklace around Aellai Andris' neck. Aellai barely felt the key at her throat, at just 2cm long and weighing next to nothing – how would she? Her hand wrapped round the key, holding it close to her as she thought about her late mother. Before she had died, Eudokia Andris had given her most loved necklace to her only daughter, telling her to wear it always.

"Έλα, κόρη, έχουμε ένα μεγάλο ταξίδι μπροστά μας. Μπείτε στο αυτοκίνητο (Come on, daughter, we have a long journey ahead of us. Get in the car)" her father, Barak says soft, looking at his daughter with sadness.

"Ναι, μπαμπά (Yes, papa)" she nods, taking a seat in the front. "Mama θα ήταν τόσο περήφανη για σένα, είσαι τόσο γενναίος. (Mama would be so proud of you, you are so brave.)"

"Μην άλμα το όπλο, Aellai, δεν έχουμε ολοκληρώσει το όνειρό μας νέα. Όλα μπορώ να πω είναι, καλύτερα Αμερική είναι έτοιμη (Don't jump the gun, Aellai, we haven't completed our new dream. All I can say is, America better be ready)" Barak smiles.

"Σ 'αγαπώ, μπαμπά (I love you, papa)" she takes his hand.

"Όπως σ 'αγαπώ (As I love you)" her father squeezes her hand before releasing it. He pulls out the driveway of the house they had lived in since the birth of Aellai, a silent tear escapes his eye and he hurriedly wipes it away. The drive to the airport is quiet, both of their thoughts on the new life that awaits them.