Chapter 35: Volturi

A/N: I own nothing. The characters all come from much more brilliant minds than mine. I am just playing with them, the way others may play with dolls.

We sat at the terminal at Heathrow, ready for the final leg of our journey home. I gazed around at the people nearby, on alert but not knowing exactly why. Through the crowd I saw the familiar brown hair styled the way only one person can. He seemed to catch my eye almost instantly as he walked towards me.

I grabbed our bags and Esme's hand and the two of us covered the distance to the Doctor in no time. I hated the fact that I didn't know if this was the Doctor before or after our last meeting. Although he confirmed which he was quickly when he held his hand up to the back of his neck and cast his eyes towards the floor. "Carlisle, about last time..."

I waved him off. I still didn't agree with the time lord victorious nonsense but he'd been helping us round up our witnesses so I wasn't going to hold it against him anymore.

"How's Renesmee?" He asked.

"You - " I was going to ask him whether he knew all along that Renesmee would be okay, and what he knew would happen for us in the future. But I wasn't sure I wanted to know at this point. "She's as to be expected. But our whole family is in danger."

"Yeah, I know. I've done what I can to help get you some witnesses. In fact another should be meeting you here any minute now."

As if on cue a dark-haired, brooding vampire walked through the terminal doors.

"What's this about, Carlisle?" He asked, his voice full of suspicion as he eyed off the Doctor dangerously.

"Alastair!" I welcomed him warmly, I knew with Alastair it was all about the gentle touch – push too hard and he'd leave, but be unfriendly you'd get the same result. It was always about balance. "What are you doing here?"

"Your friend here interrupted me on a hunt. He told me that I needed to be here at this time and then disappeared into a blue box. I wasn't sure what to expect and almost didn't come but then I felt that I needed to come. Besides I needed to see – if only to avoid future dinner's being spoiled. I didn't expect to find you here though."

"It's a good thing you're here," I said to him, "We need some assistance at home – we have some trouble."

He narrowed his eyes at me, "What kind of trouble?"

"Volturi trouble, we have it on good authority they are coming to make an attack on my family."

Alastair's eyes touched onto the Doctor again, "Is he this good authority – because there is something about him I just don't trust."

"No, the good authority is someone in my family. But for what it's worth, I trust the Doctor implicitly."

I felt his eyes on mine and I met them, the ancient sorrow for himself and his people burned deep in their depths and probably would for as long as his people burned in time. Forever. But above that, there was thanks and gratitude. He had reached out with the olive branch – something he didn't often do, and I had accepted it readily.

Alastair interrupted the moment, "So what assistance do you need for this trouble?"

"We need to gather everyone at our house..."

"I am not fighting the Volturi." He interrupted me and then started to turn away.

"Alastair, please wait – I'm not asking anyone to fight the Volturi. I am merely seeking to assemble witnesses. The crime they have accused us of is false."

"What crime?"

"Can I explain this back at my house? There is evidence there that will make it easier to understand."

He shook his head, "Not if you are gathering covens. I'd rather avoid that. Tell me now or I'll just leave now."

I sighed, I knew enough about Alistair to know it wasn't an empty threat. I also knew that one vampire more or less could be the difference between the Volturi stopping or not. "They think we've made an immortal child."

"And why would they think that if there wasn't truth to it?"

"This is where it would be easier to show you..."

"His son had bore a child with his mortal wife," the Doctor said, his tone amused. "The child takes after her father more than her mother."

"Meaning?" Alistair kept his eyes trained on me.

"Another vampire saw her and told the Volturi. What she thought she saw was a child hunting. One with impossible strength and beauty."

Alastair nodded, "But surely she must be an immortal child then."

I shook my head vehemently, "No, she's growing. Too fast in fact. She is only three months old and yet resembles a toddler, with an intelligence higher than that again."

"And you're willing to fight the Volturi to protect her." It wasn't a question.

"We're willing to do what it takes to protect her, but we are hoping if we can gather a large enough group of witnesses they will pause and listen to our story. Once they have seen the evidence they will not be able to deny that she is not an immortal child. They will have to leave her, and us, alone."

"If that's all this is about," he muttered under his breath. I chose to ignore him.

"Carlisle, I'm not a galactic taxi service, but I'd be honoured if you would let me take you home instead of flying?"

I eyed Alastair off. I knew between Esme and I we would be able to keep the Doctor safe from his appetites, a plane full of passengers was another story. I nodded, "That would be great."

*****

Minutes later we stepped out into the forest behind our house in Forks, WA.

"What's the date, Doctor?"

He chuckled, "I haven't taken you off course if that's what you're worried about – it's a week after you left."

I nodded. "Thanks."

Alastair ran out from the TARDIS, looking like he'd been bitten by a snake. "What is that thing?"

"That?" The Doctor, asked, then he wrinkled his nose, "It's nothing. Carlisle, I'll see you next time."

I chuckled at the look of shock on Alastair's face as the TARDIS dematerialized. Then I led him and Esme back to the house. Edward met us out the back of the house. I let him know that Alastair already knew the story and so we heralded him straight into the house to talk to Bella and Renesmee.

"How are things here?" I asked him. He had a half-crazed look in his eyes that seemed to match the feelings I'd been having since Alice's announcement and disappearance.

"Rose and Emmett are still not back, but everyone who has been sent here has stayed. Only Amun..."

"Only Amun what?"

"He's been a little bit difficult. He agreed to stay but refused to listen to Renesmee's explanation."

I nodded, that sounded like Amun.

"But his companions, Benjamin and Tia are good. I think they are the reason he is staying here. Benjamin at least wants to be here. He has a very clear sense of right and wrong. I like him."

"Who else is here?"

"Tanya, Kate, Carmen and Elezar, Amun, Kebi, Benjamin and Tia, Maggie, Siobhan and Liam, Garrett, Mary, Peter and Charlotte, and Randall."

I nodded. I sighed. Alastair and Amun would be difficult but I felt confident the rest would stand by us and at least be a witness. And if it came down to a fight... well I just didn't want to think about that.

*****

During the time we were gone Bella had learned a bit more about her talent and had started practising to try to extend it out from herself with limited success so far. And Renesmee had grown. A week away and it was like we'd been gone a few months. Rosalie and Emmett arrived shortly after us. So we'd gathered everyone we could. There were around 21 in our group of family and witnesses.

The rest of the month to our deadline passed in a haze of vampires, wolves and training. I met with Sam and Jacob a few times to discuss the wolves participation in the battle. I would have rathered they stayed away to keep their tribe safe, but I knew they wouldn't. Not with Renesmee being in danger. And I had to admit their presence would be helpful in making the Volturi stop to listen to us. We had some additional guests arrive unannounced, Zafrina and Senna from the Amazon and then the Romanians, Vladimir and Stefan, who had been in power before the Volturi. The atmosphere around the house was tense as the days drew on. The wolves were untrusting of the bulk of the vampires – all of those who hunted the usual way. But they put that aside for now. For us and for Renesmee.

Finally it was just a few days until the Volturi were due to arrive. A few days that felt like our last. Because we figured that Demetri, the Volturi's tracker, would follow either myself or Edward the two of us went to camp in the clearing for the days leading up to the conflict. To let them know that we weren't running, but also to try to draw them away from the town. There was no need for the town to bear withness to the slaughter if that was what it became. I just prayed that they would leave the town unharmed and not decide to punish the humans here for no reason. They had no knowledge of what we were.

New Years Eve dawned with the snow that Alice had warned about covering the field. Which meant that the day had finally arrived. For better or worse it would happen today. The whole morning was spent arranging the witnesses into as non-threatening arrangement as possible. We wanted to have a showing so that the Volturi would pause. But if they thought it was a direct threat they would attack without hesitation.

So we stood in a loose formation with line in front that included myself, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Tanya, Kate and Eleazar. Behind us were Esme, Senna, Bella, Renesmee and our two main offensive weapons if the Volturi wouldn't listen – Zafrina, who could project images or blackness into other people's minds from a distance, and Benjamin, who had control over the elements.

The wolves remained hidden in the trees when they arrived, ready to step out when they saw it was most advantageous to our cause. Only Jacob came forward. Renesmee's silent call too much for him to ignore.

And finally they arrived.

I had seen their procession before, but on the otherside of the situation. I had been involved in it once during the short time I was with the Volturi. It had turned my stomach so much it was one of the reasons I had left them. But to see them coming, with their terrifyingly perfect and rigid formation was worse. To know that this time one or all of my family members, or any of the few dozen friends who gathered in support of us, might die at their hand made them seem all the more horrible. Each step was in perfect unison, each face cowled and in shadow. They flowed out from the forest in a formation that circled from a gray on the outside in towards a black centre in the heart, where Aro, Caius and Marcus and the two wives stood.

Slowly they unfolded out from their formation to form a straight-line, with the black-cloaks of the three brothers in the middle. They marched forward, their course set. Murmurings broke out around me but I didn't listen to any of them. Not with Edward's words, "Alistair was right."

I looked at Edward questioningly, wondering which of Alistair's many mutterings before he'd left had been right.

"Alistair was right?" Tanya whispered.

"They – Caius and Aro – come to destroy and acquire," Edward's voice was lower than a whisper, barely louder than a breath. "They have many layers of strategy already in place. If Irina's accusations had somehow proven false, they were committed to find another reason to take offense. But they can see Renesmee now, so they are perfectly sanguine about their course. We could still attempt to defend against their other contrived charges, but first they have to stop, to hear the truth about Renesmee." His voice dropped so that only myself and Tanya on either side of him and Jacob and Bella behind could hear, "Which they have no intention of doing."

Jacob huffed behind me.

Suddenly the guard did stop. They froze to an absolute stop in perfect unison. I heard why when I noticed the thudding heartbeats of the wolves had crept closer to our line, fanning out to form boarding arms around our loose line. I didn't look but I could hear seventeen heavy thudding heartbeats, including Jacob's right behind me.

Behind me growls erupted from Bella, Zafrina and Senna.

The whole guard had blank, impassive looks on their faces. Aro, Caius and Marcus had their hands linked, but I knew Marcus was purely lending Aro his talent. He didn't care – he hadn't cared about anything since his wife Didyme was murdered. Of concern were the witnesses that the Volturi had brought. If the Volturi were determined to turn this into a witch-hunt than none of these witnesses would survive. The guard would wipe out everyone present.

Aro and Cauis seemed to rake their eyes across our lines a few times. I could see the disappointment printed across his face as he noticed our absence. Alice and Jasper. I knew Jasper's talent would be of little interest to him, but to be granted the gift of precognition would benefit the Volturi, and make them even more powerful.

Edward's breathing sped. I asked him for his assessment of Aro's mind.

"They're not sure how to proceed. They're weighing options, choosing key targets – me, of course, you, Eleazar, Tanya. Marcus is reading the strength of our ties to each other, looking for weak points. The Romanian's presence irritates them. They're worried about the faces they don't recognise – Zafrina and Senna in particular – and the wolves, naturally. They've never been outnumbered before. That's what stopped them."

"Outnumbered?" Tanya asked.

I anticipated Edward's answer. I knew enough about the Volturi to understand how they felt about the witnesses they had brought.

"They don't count their witnesses," Edward breathed. "They are nonentities, meaningless to the guard. Aro just enjoys an audience.

"Should I speak?" I asked.

Edward hesitated for a second, then nodded. "This is the only chance you'll get."

I squared my shoulders and then paced several steps ahead of the line. I spread my arms out in greeting. "Aro, my old friend. It's been centuries."

The atmosphere in the clearing grew tenser as soon as the words had left my mouth, and continued to become more strained with each passing second.

Finally Aro stepped forward out of the centre of the formation. His permanently attached shield, Renata, moved forward with him. A muttered grumbled spread down the Volturi line. It was the first sign all day that we'd affected them at all.

Aro held one hand to them, "Peace."

He walked forward another few steps and then cocked his head to one side. "Fair words, Carlisle. They seem out of place, considering the army you've assembled to kill me, and to kill my dear ones."

I shook my head and held my hand out for him to touch, a sign for him to see my trustworthiness. "You have to but touch my hand to know that was never my intent."

Aro's eyes narrowed at me. "But how can your intent possibly matter, dear Carlisle, in the face of what you have done?" He frowned and a shadow of sadness crossed his features. It looked almost genuine, but I guess only Edward would know the truth behind it.

"I have not committed the crime you are here to punish me for."

"Then step aside and let us punish those responsible. Truly, Carlisle, nothing would please me more than to preserve your life today."

"No one had broken the law, Aro. Please let me explain." I held out my hand again.

Caius drifted from the line to Aro's side. "So many pointless rules, so many unnecessary laws you create for yourself, Carlisle. How is it possible that you defend the breaking of one that truly matters?"

"The law is not broken. If you would listen - "

"We see the child, Carlisle," Caius snarled, cutting me off. "Do not treat us as fools."

"She is not an immortal. She is not a vampire. I can easily prove this with just a few moments - "

Caius cut me off again, "If she is not one of the forbidden, then why have you massed a battalion to protect her?"

"Witnesses, Caius, just as you have brought." I gestured towards the angry horde they had brought into the clearing. "Any one of these friends can tell you the truth about the child. Or you could just look at her, Caius. See the flush of human blood in her cheeks."

"Artifice!" Caius snapped. "Where is the informer? Let her come forward!" He craned his neck until he saw Irina near the wives. "You! Come!"

Irina looked horror-struck. Impatiently, Caius snapped his fingers. One of the wives' bodyguards moved to Irina's side and prodded her roughly in the back. Irina blinked twice and then walked towards Caius in a daze. I had never see her like this before. She stopped moving several yards short, when her eyes fell on her sisters.

Caius closed the distance between them and slapped her across the face. It was an act of degradation. Tanya and Kate both hissed in synchronization.

Irina's body went rigid and her eyes focused on Caius. He pointed his finger at Renesmee, clinging to Bella's back behind me.

"This is the child you saw?" he demanded. "The one that was obviously more than human."

Irina looked behind me to Renesmee, a look of confusion crossing her features.

"Well?" Caius snarled.

"I.... I'm not sure," she said, her tone as confused as her features.

"What do you mean?"

"She's not the same, but I think it's the same child. What I mean it, she's changed. This child is bigger than the one I saw, but - "

Caius gasped furiously, his teeth bared. Irina broke off without finishing. Aro flitted to Caius's side and put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Be composed, brother. We have time to sort this out. No need to be hasty."

Caius turned his back on Irina, his expression glowering.

"Now, sweetling," Aro said, his voice dripping in insincere honey, "Show me what you're trying to say." He held out his hand to her.

Uncertainly, Irina took his hand. He held it only briefly before dropping it again.

"You see, Caius? It's a simple matter to get what we need."

Aro glanced quickly at the witnesses he had gathered, no doubt now regretting the decision before turning back to me.

"And so we have a mystery on our hands, it seems. It would appear the child had grown. Yet Irina's first memory was clearly that of an immortal child. Curious."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to explain," I said. Relief flooded through me, they had paused. We just had to answer each accusation as it rose. But for now they had stopped. I held out my hand for the third time.

Aro hesitated, "I would rather have the explanation from someone more central to the story, my friend. Am I wrong to assume that this breach was not of your making?"

"There was no breach." I answered. This was the point we needed to make clear, not only to the Volturi but also to their witnesses.

"Be that as it may, I will have every facet of the truth." Aro's voice hardened. "And the best way to get that is to have the evidence from your talented son." He inclined his head to Edward, who was next to but slightly behind my current position. "As the child clings to his newborn mate, I'm assuming Edward is involved."

I knew the exact reason for his wanting to get the information from Edward. And I was sure he didn't fool anyone in the clearing who knew of both his and Edward's talents. He strode from behind me and clapped on my shoulder as he went, I assumed it was his way of silently letting me know he thought I'd handled it as best I could but that he would need to take over from here. He inclined his head ever so slightly to let me know my assumption was correct.

Less than a second had passed with Edward walking across the wide field, he wasn't hurrying but he was still pacing quicker than a human would. Suddenly a single chuckle burst from Bella's lips and I looked at her in surprise. She gave no indication of what it was about so I quickly turned my attention back to Aro and Edward.

Edward's chin jutted out arrogantly and he held his hand out to Aro as if it was an award or trophy. Aro seemed delighted with Edward's attitude but that delight wasn't shared down the rest of the Volturi line. The guards were either disgusted or ready to pounce in half a second if Edward tried anything. Aro quickly covered the distance between them and took Edward's hand.

Aro closed his eyes and his shoulders seemed to slump under the weight of the amount of information he was getting. Besides every thought of my family's that had ever passed through Edward's mind, he also was getting one month's worth of thought from all of our guests and all the information from all the wolves. The amount of information that was being passed between the two must have been staggering. Especially because Edward had his eyes shut to read it all back with Aro's interpretation. Bella hissed behind me and Zafrina whispered quickly to her, "Easy, Bella."

The exchange in the middle of the field between Edward and Aro seemed to last an extraordinary long time. So much so that even the Volturi guard started to mutter. Caius barked an order at them to stop. Finally both Edward's and Aro's eyes popped open. I noticed that Aro hadn't released Edward's hand.

"You see?" Edward asked, his voice completely calm but his muscled still tense.

"Yes, I see, indeed," Aro's voice was traced with amusement as he agreed. "I doubt whether any two among gods or mortals have ever seen quite so clearly."

Everyone, both our side and theirs, seemed surprised at the attitude of Aro.

"You have given me much to ponder, young friend. Much more than I expected."

Aro went on to ask to meet Renesmee. I allowed myself a small amount of relief. They had paused. Bella took Renesmee, Jacob and Emmett with her to meet Aro, Renata, Felix and Demetri in the middle of the field. The exchanged 'pleasantries' for a bit before Aro cleared his throat and requested to meet Renesmee.

"But she's exquisite," he murmured, "So like you and Edward." Then he addressed Renesmee, "Hello, Renesmee."

Renesmee looked to Bella quickly for encouragement. When Bella nodded, Renesmee responded in her high lilting voice, "Hello, Aro."

"What is this?" Caius demanded.

"Half mortal, half immortal," Aro announced, without looking at Caius or the guard. "Conceived so, and carried by this newborn while she was still human."

"Impossible," Caius scoffed.

"Do you think they've fooled me, then, brother? Is the heartbeat you hear a trickery as well?"

Caius scowled. My hoped dipped at the expression on his face. It was as Alistair had predicted, as Edward had confirmed. They wanted to destroy and acquire – whatever the charge.

Aro's words seemed to confirm that, "Calmly and carefully, brother. I know well how you love your justice, but there is no justice in acting against this unique little one for her parentage. And so much to learn, so much to learn! I know you don't have my enthusiasm for collecting histories, but be tolerant with me, brother, as I add a chapter that stuns me with its improbability. We came expecting only justice and the sadness of false friends, but look what we have gained instead! A new, bright knowledge of ourselves, our possibilities."

He held out his hand to touch Renesmee but she held her hand to his face instead. His smile widened, and he sighed in satisfaction. "Brilliant," he whispered.

"Please?" She asked him. I wondered what she had showed him.

His smiled turned gentle, "Of course I have no desire to harm your loved ones, precious Renesmee."

I had trouble believing his words, despite his tone. Maggie hissed from her position in our loose line, which confirmed my suspicions.

"I wonder," Aro said thoughtfully, ignoring Maggie's reaction and turning his eyes to Jacob.

"It doesn't work that way," Edward said. The previous calm tone he was using was gone and was replaced by a harsh growl.

"Just an errant thought," Aro said, appraising Jacob and then sliding his eyes along the two rows of wolves at the ends of our line.

"They don't belong to us, Aro. They don't follow our commands that way. They're here because they want to be."

"They seem quite attached to you, though," Aro said, "And your young mate and you... family. Loyal." Aro's voice caressed the word. I could almost see the possibilities running through his head. I wondered what the Doctor would think of his attitude. Then again the Doctor's 'time lord victorious' attitude wasn't much better. But then I reminded myself that the Doctor had tried to atone for that.

"They're committed to protecting human life, Aro. That makes them able to coexist with us, but hardly with you. Unless you're rethinking your lifestyle."

Aro laughed heartily. "Just an errant thought," he repeated. "You well know how that is. We none of us can entirely control our subconscious desires."

Edward grimaced, "I do know how that is. And I also know the difference between that kind of thought and the kind with a purpose behind it. It could never work, Aro."

Jacob's head turned to Edward to ask the question that seemed to be in everyone's mind. The question that I had already realised the answer to.

Edward answered Jacob's silent question, "He's intrigued with the idea of... guard dogs."

The entire pack began to snarl in unison as soon as that sunk in. A sharp bark of command, from Sam, cut the complaint off. An unsettling quiet settled over the area.

"I suppose that answers that question," Aro said, laughing again. "This lot has picked it's side."

Edward reacted violently to something in Aro's thoughts but Bella calmed him before he could actually attack. Felix and Demetri both crouched in reaction to Edward's actions. Then Aro gave a quick wave and then they all returned to their previous positions.

"So much to discuss," Aro said, his tone suddenly that of an inundated businessman. "So much to decide. If you and your furry protector will excuse me, my dear Cullens. I must confer with my brothers."

And so the dance for our future would begin in earnest.

A/N – Sorry for the delay on this one guys! I really am. It's no excuse but this one takes a bit longer to do because I need the breaking dawn book for me to write this to make sure I get the dialogue & events right. I've also had a bit of block when Carlisle was involved. And I'm still waiting for The End of Time on TV to see what 11 is like before I decide whether he will be in here or not LOL.

I was going to try and put all of the volturi scenes in this chapter but there is just too much so I've cut it here :)

I'm on Twitter if you don't know (mpg82) feel free to join me on there & hassle me for more chapters if you like (the ones with the more reviews do tend to make my creative juices flow a bit easier LOL)