A/N: So sorry about the cliffie last chapter, but I had an early update in mind and here it is. Please review! :-)
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.
Duilio
My body tensed as I saw every color of anger and betrayal blaze through every single person like wildfire. Everyone was furious and they all started yelling at once. There was a aura of confusion and betrayal in everyone around her. I saw Sarah's body tense and recoil at their hurtful words. She was one of them. Why were they acting as if she was an outcast, an intruder? It made me nervous for Sarah. Would they attack one of their own? I saw two of the younger wolves leave angrily trying in case they phased and Liam punched a large stone and split it in half.
I tried to suppress a hiss as I heard their comments and I stepped forward to protect her breaking away from Mac. The distraction made her drop her shield for a second. Mac quickly took my arm and held tighter to pull me back. She shook her head at me to remind me that we were not supposed to be there. Thankfully we were downwind no one could smell us and they were all to distracted to see me for the short second that I broke away from Mac. I was ready to intervene if I had to but thankfully, no one made a move towards my Sarah. The Olympians were a different type of family from mine. As angry as they were, all they did was yell and call her names. No one made a move towards her except one person.
"What?!" Jake exploded and stood up for the first time angling closer to Sarah. He looked at his daughter horrified and hurt but he had no intentions of hurting his precious little girl. Everyone just kept talking as if the angry father hadn't said a word. Sarah could barely look at him. She seemed feel guilty for hurting him on a very deep level. I realized, for the fist time, that her relationship with her father was very complex. I could almost see a sense of inadequacy in her as she recoiled away from his glare. As if she was ashamed of herself in his presence. I would have to ask dad about that because I couldn't understand it. Jacob loved his daughter fiercely and she loved him. I couldn't understand how she could feel inadequate before this man who was so clearly proud of her. Finally, Billy started banging his armrest and calling everyone to be silent. Once they were silent. Sarah continued to explain.
"Volterra is very different. I was training to be a guard but the problem was that guard members don't have a lot of liberties. This put me in a difficult position because new guard are expendable and often not even allowed near the Masters. The ones ranked as personal guard have a better chance of getting close to the masters but only experienced members are claimed to any master's personal guard. So I asked Marcus to claim me as his daughter instead. I figured they claim wives so, at the very least, he could claim me as a family member. That way I could be near Duilio and have the freedom to come and go as I please. I'm not Marcus's prisoner. I'm his ally." She said in a small voice that hid the the lie in her words. I could see it in her soul that she was lying about the reason she asked Marcus to claim her as his daughter but I couldn't understand why.
"So if you are his daughter and not a guard member, why did he ask you to go on missions? Why did you kill for him Sarah Bell?" Sam asked her. Harry grunted next to him. He had been sitting angry at the council as he heard Sarah's story. Harry knew what it was like to be an outcast. He defended Sarah fiercely when the other's verbally attacked her.
"Ugh, the human traffickers. Its disgusting. I don't think any of us can blame Sarah for what she did." Harry said. Sarah smiled at him sadly.
"Thanks Harry but you should all know that what those humans did was nothing. I've read the Volturi history books. Humans can be just as evil and dangerous as the vampires. That's why he sent me on that mission. He wanted to show me that the Volturi don't just protect vampires from exposure. They have the resources to do some good things too. He wanted me to see that I could have a place in that part of Volterra. He also was testing my loyalty. He wanted to see if I had what it took to be in his family. I know that you are not happy about those men's deaths but you weren't there. I am not going to apologize for killing them to protect our secret and I am certainly not apologizing for saving their victims. I saved those people." She said sternly. Her alpha glowed brighter and I saw the wolves respond to it at a subconscious level.
"And he still made you his daughter after you saved those girls?" Billy asked her.
"Yes. He was impressed, I guess. I don't know. Marcus changed along the way. I think he finally understood the benefits of having me around." Again I got the sense she was keeping something from them. I could see a bit of guilt as she spoke but she pushed those emotions away as she continued. "When I got to Volterra I was faced with a whole new set of challenges. Volterra is not like anything we've ever encountered. The Volturi are organized, disciplined. They have protocols and regulations. They work together as a family, of course, not like our family, more like a coven but not quite the same as a coven either. Marcus and Caius both want Duilio like they need him. My imprint is not like other imprints. He can't just move into a house in Forks to live happily ever after with me. We all know I have to stay with them but I don't want to lose my family either so… I stood before the Volturi and offered to negotiate a Volturi pack." She told them. She was so brave. She was only 18. It couldn't possibly be easy for her to stand up before all her elders and explain all this. I admired her strength and was proud of her.
"You have no right to offer them this." Sam snapped.
"She may not be an elder but she is an Alpha and her alpha ranks higher than all of you. Even dad's." Harry said.
"That still doesn't give her the right to put our children's life at risk!" Sam yelled at him.
"I wasn't Sam. I would never risk anyone in this tribe. I was offering them myself and maybe my children, since they'll be half Volturi regardless." I recoiled at that thought and she continued. "I swear, that's all I offered them. I told them that anything beyond that will be up to the wolves when they are ready for such a change. Who knows? Maybe in the future some of you might consider the Volturi as an option." I heard scoffs all around the fire and saw their souls anger in disbelief.
"There is no way any wolf will ever join those leeches!" Henry exclaimed.
"He is right. We will never allow this." Sam told her.
"There is something you need to understand. Something that I never thought of until I met a 2000 year old vampire." She said calmly.
"What?" Sam asked her.
"I will be here long after you, your children, and your children's children are gone. There is a group of wolves that will have to spend eternity without a purpose. They are condemned to spend eternity living lifetime after lifetime in an endless cycle that has no meaning unless there is someone there to share it with. And even then it will be difficult. I have heard the life stories of many of these vampires. Marcus, Gabriel, Yasmin, all had a hard time with immortality. Living for eternity is not easy. How long before one of our boys does something stupid out of boredom. How long before they forget the severity and importance of their roles in this tribe? How long before they forget their purpose?..." She paused when she saw the disbelief and arrogance in their faces. "Look... When I was in China, I loved helping those people. I made it my mission to protect them but I knew that it could not last forever because eventually they would see that I couldn't age. Eventually I would have to pick some other community to protect and leave those people unprotected, even though I cared about them. We don't have the ability to protect everybody and we can't be selfish enough to just protect out tribe and turn a blind eye to what is happening in the rest of the world. What the Volturi have offered me is the opportunity to protect humans at a larger scale and give purpose to this immortality that I am facing. That is what I bring to the table now." She looked at her grandfather who had every color of fear and doubt conceivable.
"Grandpa, I know it sounds crazy but the Volturi can give our wolves purpose. Anyone who chooses to can be a part of something that helps save people. Yes. The Volturi also kill but its usually with good reason because they are indeed trying to change. Why do you think so many vampires are joining the Volturi now after they so clearly betrayed the vampire community? They are joining them because they see the change."
"How can you possibly ask us to allow this? They are blood drinkers. They're murderers!" Sam yelled at her.
"I'm not saying they're not. The Volturi will always be predators but we can ensure there are limits to who and where they strike. We can make laws that prohibit vampires to hunt within a hundred or two hundred miles from any wolf territory. Can you imagine living a life where you never have to worry about vampires attacking our family? Because its possible. The Volturi can ensure that hunting in the entire state of Washington is an act punishable by death. Your children will no longer need to phase to protect our territory, generation after generation. And what about if we are ever threatened by humans? Will any of you be willing to spill human blood to protect our secret? You would never have to. The Volturi could take care of it." She said addressing all the wolves. I could see the change in their souls as she suggested these morsels of hope. Most of these kids never wanted to be wolves and I could see the older wolves loved the idea of never having to fear for their children's lives. Sarah had thought about this in a lot more detail than I thought she did.
"We are careful. No one here will reveal our secrets or put this tribe at risk." Sam countered.
"Is that so?" Sarah said calmly and defiantly. She glared at Sam and crossed her arms. Her confidence was slowly returning. "So last year, when Jaime imprinted on that girl that was getting beaten up by her stepfather and Jamie single handedly left him in the hospital, that wasn't exposure? He almost phased in front of this man. He wanted to use his wolf to kill him but thankfully he restrained himself because if he had it would have been over for all of us. Who is to say something similar or worst won't happen?" She asked him.
"Spilling human blood is not the answer to everything!" Sam said.
"No but sometimes human blood must spill in order to protect the tribe. Vampires didn't turn Taha Aki into a wolf, man did. A man, who according to your legends, I murdered." Kal told Sam.
"I remember a time where you were ok with spilling human blood. You were more than ready to kill my best friend while she was pregnant with my imprint in order to protect this tribe." Jacob reminded him. He was angry at Sam. Sam grunted and remained silent. Sarah looked at her father and I could see she was grateful to him. There was a sense of relief as if she had been preparing herself for a verbal whiplash from her father. As if she expected her own father would be against her. Didn't she know Jacob would do anything for her?
"I know that what I offer is a little too good to be true. I don't know what the Volturi will ask in return but I am saying that there is a possibility of living a normal human life for those of you who want it. You can all have a worry free life because I will be the one with the burden of making sure you are safe, not your children and grandchildren. Additionally, those who choose to remain immortal will need purpose. We are still tied to human life and future wolves will want to have some occupation where they can be productive and hide out for 50 or a hundred years until they can return home to live another human life like the Cullens do." Sarah told them.
"But you offered the Volturi a pack, how will those wolves live that carefree human life you are offering?" Jared asked her.
"I told you already. I offered them myself and myself alone. I am not asking you to give me a pack, now. I am sure the Volturi will want one but time moves differently for them. They're used to waiting. I honestly believe that, with enough time, our families will merge on their own and the wolves who choose immortality will come to me to join the new Volturi, even if it is only for a period of time. As far-fetched as it seems now, I promise you that there will be a time when the packs will want to join the Volturi. This merger will work to our advantage in the long run. Vampires have a hard time producing other vampires but we don't. Over time we will outnumber and out power them but until then, we need their allegiance."
"I don't think this is the best idea, hun. I think it will be better if we just find a way to get Duli to come home again." Billy said doubtfully but Sarah just shook her head.
"I'm sorry grandpa, but there is no way that's gonna happen. Marcus will destroy us if we try to take his son from him. The Volturi are too strong now. They have command centers that use satellites, traffic cameras, and any technology you can't imagine is being used to monitor the immortal community. They know everything about us. They are ready for us in case of an attack. Trust me. We want them as our allies."
"We are not afraid of them." Sam said quickly. Idiot, he should really listen to her.
"That's because ignorance is bliss but let me assure you that you are not ready for war." She told him. "They have access to our bank accounts, our jobs, they can delete out identities and leave us out in the streets to pick us off one by one. Not to mention they have access to every single human we love. How many of you have children or family living out of state?"
"Most of us do. How do they know who our families are?" Rachel asked her. Her soul was colored with fear.
"You can find everything online and they have super computers and super genius vampires at their command center. I only read reports about it and heard rumors but they say they even have access to military missiles. They can start a war if they wanted." Sarah told them. I was surprised that Marcus let her read those reports. No wonder she was loyal to him. She was probably terrified of what he could do to her family. The council members looked scared.
"Its true. Duilio said the same thing to my parents. They have plans in place in case of a supernatural war which involves to wipe out all of our families starting with the imprints. And if you think you're safe here in LaPush, you're not. Apparently, they can deploy a missile right onto LaPush beach." Nessie told them. I wasn't surprised our parents told her. However, I was surprised she was helping Sarah make her point. Didn't she understand that this would mean Sarah would come with me? Billy must have thought the same thing because he glared at her annoyed.
"And you're willing to give them what they want? You're going to use your own daughter, my granddaughter, as a bargaining chip to ensure our safety?" Billy asked her. His voice was frustrated but I could see it was out of worry. He was terrified.
"No. She'll use me. I'm going with my daughter and taking her place." Jake said. Sarah's head snapped towards him.
"What?! No!" Sarah protested.
"What did you think Sarah? We're not going to let you join the Volturi. Fuck them! If Marcus wants a pack it starts and ends with me until they prove themselves trustworthy. You will go live with your mother and brother in Rome or Florence so you can finish school and have a normal life. Duilio can come visit you on weekends like any other imprint. Your life isn't going to be ruined because of him." He told her. I was surprised that I didn't think of this myself. It could work but Sarah would have to agree to it. I saw Sarah shake her head and I lost hope of that. I saw a flair of insecurity in her aura. I didn't like it. It was like she was suddenly afraid to stand up for herself.
"That's not going to be possible dad. You're welcome to come but Marcus will not accept an exchange and neither will I." She told him in a soft insecure voice. She bit her lower lip and I could see the internal turmoil. She was afraid. It made me wonder if Marcus had threatened her father's life.
"You don't get a choice in this Sarah. You are my daughter and its my job to protect you not the other way around." Jacob told her. Something changed in Sarah when she heard this statement. She took a deep breath and I saw the flair of insecurity dull. Her face became clear of all emotion. Her face became a mask and I could see my father's training take place. I could almost see myself in her façade. As if suddenly, she had morphed into the being I had to become. It was strange to watch.
"I do have a choice. You may accompany me if you like but you will accept that I am a Volturi now. That is never going to change." Her voice was completely emotionless, firm, controlled, and powerful. The strength in her voice excited me which made me feel sick with myself. Jacob looked at his daughter as if he didn't recognize her. He was hurt. His alpha recognized the strength in Sarah's voice as did the other wolves. I knew that alpha's did not get along and I almost expected his wolf to try to overpower Sarah's but the love Jacob felt for his daughter was too strong for the wolf to take over.
"We will discuss this later." Jacob told her.
"No, we will not." Again her voice was calm, collected, emotionless... At that moment she was the hallmark of a Volturi princess and they could all see the change. "My position in the Volturi family is not up for discussion. You came here for explanations and now you have them. Make your decisions. Decide what laws or demands you want so that we can have a treaty that will protect this and all future generations. Duilio and I are here to discuss this new treaty when you are ready. If you decide you do not want this offer please inform me so that we can leave at once." She turned around and left, leaving everyone shocked. I was proud of her even if it made me sad to know that this new found strength came at such a high price.
"Wow." Mac said quietly, snapping me out of my reverence.
"Its time for us to for us to go." I told Mac. We got up and ran back to the Cullen house.
We entered the kitchen and saw Bella cooking up a storm.
"Good morning." I told her as I sat on one of the kitchen stools to watch her cook like I used to when I lived with the Cullens. Mac ran to the living room and came back with Alec a second after I sat.
"Hey Duli, can we go hunting on the north woods with Emmett and Rose. Emmett said there might be some good game. Pretty please?" She asked in that cute little hyper voice I loved.
"Sure, hun. Have fun." I told her smiling. She shrieked in delight and flew out the door with Alec. She was such an energetic little thing. Mom looked at me smiling.
"She looks happy. Were you planning on telling us we were grandparents?" She asked me. I smiled at her. She was always so observant.
"Only a few people know. Its for her own protection. Mac quickly became my weakness because she was my only connection to Sarah and to you guys." Mom stopped chopping peppers and walked over to me.
"You know honey. Its all becoming more and more clear. Everything that's ever gone wrong in our family, its usually been when one person tried to take matters into their own hands instead of trying to solve things as a family. I know you felt alone because well... because we let you go. I will always regret that decision but you're here now and were not going anywhere. We are never leaving you again." Her eyes were full of love and her soul was fierce. I believed her. I knew with all my heart that she was never leaving me again. I took her hand in mine and kissed it.
"I love you." I told her.
"I love you too, baby." She told me, then she turned and continued cooking.
"So where exactly were you and Mac this morning?" She asked.
"Can't a father have a nice run out with his daughter?"
"Sure. Its just interesting that you two went out for a run at the same time that Sam called a council meeting." She told me. I could see the suspicion in her soul clear as day.
"Is that so. I had no idea they met up." I countered. She turned to me and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. That's when Sarah walked through the kitchen door. She looked a little irritated at me and her grandmother.
Her aura was so confused as she looked at me. It was as if she was trying to figure me out. I wasn't surprised by this. I had been pretending to be someone else every time I interacted with her. Hell... I didn't even know who I was anymore. I had been pretending to be someone else for so long that it was second nature. It was going to be hard for her to accept my true self, whoever that was.
"Sweet pea! Come in, how did it go?" Mom asked her. Sarah stared straight at me avoiding mom's question completely. Her brows were furrowed but her eyes were mesmerized as they connected with mine. I was mesmerized by her too. She was such an exquisite creature. Mom saw our exchange.
"Alright you two. Breakfast is going to be a while why don't you two go out for a walk or something." She suggested.
"I don't think that's…" I started but she cut me off.
"That wasn't a suggestion. Out! Both of you!" She said as she shooed us out the door.
We walked out to the outdoor deck. Sarah looked at me so confused that it was almost painful to watch. I didn't know what to say to her. She was still angry at me and rightfully so.
"Mac is hunting in the north forest. Would you like to join her?" I asked her.
"No. I'm just here for breakfast." She said coldly. I nodded. She looked so unsure around me; hesitant, careful. I didn't like it one damn bit.
"How did it go with the council?" I asked her.
"Why are you asking as if you don't already know?" She asked annoyed. "Council meetings are not open to the public, especially to the Volturi." She told me.
"I know. But they are open to imprints and I am an imprint, am I not?"
"So now you're my imprint? Huh. You can't just pick and choose when its convenient for you to be my mate. Just like you can't pick and choose when you want to be a Volturi or an Olympian."
"Of course I can. Its the only way to survive Volterra." I told her. She scoffed and I approached her slightly irritated with her. "You have been a Volturi for what? A month? I have been doing this for three decades. I know what I am doing and you obviously have a lot to learn, little girl."
"Watch your tone. We are not in Volterra anymore." She snapped at me.
"Spoken like a true princess. I guess my father trained you well." I said in a mocking tone. She crossed her arms and stared at me. She was furious. This was definitely not going well. This was not how I imagined my next interaction with her at all.
"I don't trust you. I don't want you in the reservation again unescorted. Besides, its dangerous." She said angrily.
"The reservation is open to imprints. Besides, the packs have never had a problem with me being there before."
"Well they do now." She said. I nodded. She didn't trust me. She didn't even want me in her reservation and the wolves, my former family, didn't trust me either. This was going to be a problem. I knew they would be angry but I never expected them to treat me as the enemy. How was I supposed to make things right with Sarah if the wolves saw me as her enemy? More importantly, how was Sarah going to patch things up with her pack if they hated her imprint? I needed to make things right again. I needed an ally among the tribe and there was only one person I could think of that would give me a second chance, someone that could vouch for me and who I am on the inside.
It was still very early. The sun was just barely rising but I hoped she would be up. I remember her being an early riser.
"Fine. I was thinking about visiting some old friends at the reservation. Mom is still making breakfast, perhaps you'd like to join me while we wait." I told her.
"No thank you." She said quickly.
"You're the one who said I need an escort and it'll be safer to visit Emily if you're with me." I told her, trying to coax her by using her sense of protection.
"Emily? As in Emily Uley? Are you nuts?" She looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I smiled and ran into the forest, heading straight towards LaPush. She followed me. I ran at top speed to LaPush and stopped by the cliffs only about a mile from Emily's. I stared off onto her house laying all my hopes on her, wishing I had thought to call or send her flowers first.
"What is your plan? Knock on Emily's door and say hi to the imprint of the man who hates vampires most in this entire rez?" She said as she stood next to me looking at the quaint house that I had once painted in rainbow colors.
"That's exactly my plan but its still a bit early. I'm sure Emily will be more welcoming if she gets a good night's rest." I said. I was thinking more to myself than her. I still wasn't sure if this was a good idea or how I would be received my dear friend. I saw some light coming from the kitchen window an I smiled to myself. She was already up.
"Why the hell would you want to see Emily Uley?" She asked annoyed.
"Because she was my friend. I don't have a lot of those these days." I told her honestly. Other than Nessie, I had only a few good friends in LaPush. Emily was my only option among the imprints. I doubted Rachel or Leah would be very welcoming.
"I could've been your friend, but I'm not your type." She said bitterly in a low tone that made me think she was talking more to herself. I sighed.
"Your mother is my sister, Sarah. I've never loved her as anything else." I told her. I really needed Emily to talk to Sarah. Maybe she could help me convince her that my actions and harsh words were all lies. Emily would never lie to anyone. Sarah would believe her if she told her about who I was.
"So what do I even call you? Uncle, brother, master?" Sarah asked annoyed.
"You may call me Duilio, Duli on informal occasions." I told her a bit annoyed by her attitude. I really had no right to be irritated with her but I think my emotions were being influenced by her irritation with me through our imprint link. It was stronger when we were close to each other.
"I'll be sure to remember that." She said sarcastically. Her soul sparked with irritation and instantaneously I felt irritated. I realized I was right about her influence on my emotions. I took a deep breath and tried to control it.
"You can leave if you'd like." I told her softly, trying to subdue her influence on me. I jumped off the cliff to the beach area.
She followed me down the beach after a moment. She was in her vampire form as she jumped. I smiled at her and ran to Emily's house. I was a bit concerned that Emily would not want to see me but I hoped I was wrong. Emily was one of my favorite imprints. Her soul was gentle and kind, like Esme's.
I knocked on the door and mentally crossed my fingers. If she didn't like me anymore then I would find out soon enough.
I only had to wait a short moment. Luckily, it was Emily who answered the door and not Sam or one of his boys. Emily looked a bit surprised to see me at her door. I gave her a shy smile hoping that I wouldn't scare her too much, but there was no fear in her. She stepped out and hugged me, leaving a very surprised Sarah with her mouth open.
"Duli! I knew you would come. I got your flowers yesterday." She told me as she let me go. I smiled. Grace knew me very well. She must have known I would try to make contact with my favorite imprints and had sent her, and possibly Rachel, a bouquet of flowers on my behalf. I was glad for it.
"Come on in both of you. The boys are still out at Jake's so its perfect timing." She quickly ushered us into her home, truly happy to see us. I went in and sat in the living room.
"I've missed you Emily. How is it that after all this time you look more beautiful than the last time I saw you? Really Em. You look amazing." I told her. She smiled at me and blushed slightly. Her soul glowed brighter and it made me smile. She always did have one of the most beautiful souls I had ever seen.
"I see that you haven't changed one bit." She turned to Sarah who was still recovering from our interaction.
"Oh honey did you get any sleep at all. You looked so tired last night and then Sam made you all wake up so early. I told him it was too early for a meeting but you know how he gets." She said apologetically.
"I know. I'm fine." Sarah told her. I turned to her and was surprised to see a slight color of jealousy on her soul mixed with the confusion. I looked away from her and concentrated on Emily because it was easier to look at Em at the moment.
"I'm sorry about all this Em. I hope that I won't get you into any trouble with Sam." I told her.
"He won't be happy you're here but you already know that." She gave me a knowing smile. I smiled back at her. I could feel Sarah's jealousy though our connection but I pushed that emotion aside and followed Emily into the kitchen as she instructed.
"Do you still eat Duli?" She asked me.
"Of course, I miss your cooking. You are magic in the kitchen. Beauty and talent. Have I told you that Sam is one lucky undeserving man?" I told her.
"Only every time you see me." She said amused .I was surprised at how easy it was to slip into my old self when I was around Emily. She didn't seem to hate me at all. I really needed to be more careful. Emily probably didn't even know. That could be the reason why she was being so nice. I shouldn't be acting this way after what I did.
"Did Sam tell you about what's going on?" I asked her seriously. She stopped what she was doing and looked at me. After a moment she nodded.
"Yes. Sammy talked to us yesterday. Sarah is Volturi now." She turned to Sarah who was still quietly studying us, studying me.
"It was my fault. I should have told her who I was." I said quickly to Sarah's defense because I could see the guilt in her soul.
"Why didn't you? They are all really mad at you." Emily warned me. It made me wonder why she wasn't.
"I was just trying to protect the person I loved." I answered her and I turned to Sarah to see her reaction but she stormed out of the house slamming the door. A child started crying in the other room. Emily sighed and walked into the baby's room. I followed her in but I stayed by the door.
"Sammy said you rejected her. I can't believe that you, of all people, rejected a wolf?" She said as she got the baby out of the crib. I could see the disappointment in her soul. She turned to look at me with her little girl in her arms. The child looked about 2 or 3 and she was just like her mother. I smiled at them.
"I had to Em. I would give anything to keep her safe from my father. I don't know how to do that anymore."
"Sammy said that you said some pretty harsh things to her." She said quietly. I nodded.
"I did. That's why I'm here. I was hoping you could help me convince her that I didn't mean any of those things. I know that I don't deserve your help but you've always been such a good friend to me. But if you are too upset to help me I understand." I pleaded. She sighed and shifted the baby to her other side.
"Look Duli. I know you need someone on your side. I was there last night when they first arrived. Sam and the boys made sure to paint you as the enemy to everyone who would listen. Even Nessie sees you as her enemy. After I heard what happened, don't blame her but deep down I knew that there had to be a good reason for your behavior."
"Why? Why would you have so much faith in me when my own sister doesn't believe me?" I asked her sadly, not even attempting to hide my emotions.
"Because I've always seen the sweet heart of the little boy who ruined my house in order to force my husband to finally listen to my requests to fix it. I know you Duli and regardless of what's happened, I refuse to believe that you had changed that much since I last saw you. Seeing you here now, makes me believe I was right."
"Thanks Em. I really don't deserve someone like you in my life." I told her. She gave me a sad smile.
"Yes you do. You have my support Duli. If you want me to talk to Sarah, I will but you don't really need me to vouch for you. All you need to do is be yourself. You are a good man, you need to show her and everybody else who you really are. You need to show them that the little boy we all fell in love with isn't gone forever." She told me.
"I hurt her so badly Em. Her soul… I hurt her so deep that it even changed her soul."
"Then go make things right with her. She needs to know how sorry you are. Once she sees that, she'll forgive you. Sam well… Sam ripped my face off and he deeply hurt my best friend. I still forgave him and eventually, so did Leah. Just don't give up. Show her the boy we all know and love." I nodded again.
"Thank you Em. I knew that the only person in LaPush who would understand." She smiled at me and patted my back as we headed back to the living room.
"Go talk to her. You have a lot of making up to do." She said. I left quickly, trying to figure out how I could accomplish what Emily suggested. It wasn't going to be easy, but I had to try.