My brain snapped like ice cracking onto a hot surface; all at once the pieces of the puzzle fell together.

Victoria.

Volturi.

Bella.

Danger.

Mathew. Renesmee. Damien.

It was only as I breathed in regaining my conscious state that I noticed my eyes had grown wider and wider until they were bulging out of place. I didn't dare breath, I knew it was whimsical; the idea of a breathless dead being, but the situation scared me down to my human state.

"Alec we have to discuss this with my family at once if this Victoria is who I think she is then the Volturi were in league with her and if they were then they are coming here and soon!" I rushed all the words out in one quick sentence moving at a thousand miles an hour my head flicking backwards and forwards as I met his eyes before looking at the front door.

"Come, we don't have much time" I said running inside the house. Everyone seemed confused by my sudden entrance. Alice and jasper both looked at each other from across the room as Rosalie came down the stairs. Emmett was sat watching TV while Esme and Carlisle were both involved in a book wrapped up in each other's arms. The calming atmosphere seemed to rip apart as my panic took over the room. It only took one sentence.

"Victoria is working with the Volturi to get the kids" The hysteria in my voice was scratching above the service burning everyone's emotions as they all gasped all except Alec

"Edward the wolves killed her, I seen them, I heard them" He gasped

"Alec think about it, When the Volturi sends you out to hunt vampires down, who do they use?" I asked him my anger boiling over

"Well Renetta; she has her shield she usually wraps it round us so that no physical or mental harm comes to us. But Edward this wasn't a mission she didn't put it round us"

"Didn't put it round us or didn't put it round you?" His face grew pale

"Think about it Alec, Bella was scared of her…no visual memories that means she knew her when she was human…Aro wants my kids… if Aro sent Victoria to find the children she was on a mission, Renetta will have put the shield round her so that even if she was ripped apart she will come back till that shield wears off and now the wolves are involved Aro will want to come and see for himself what we're hiding! He knows they're here, and now we've got a Ravenous Vampire dead set on revenge by giving my boys and my girl to the VOLTURI!" I bellowed at him shaking with the fear and anger of a thousand years.

"Shh Edward you wake them up" Rosalie hissed at me the fear in her eyes mirrored my own. As I looked to each one of my faces, I could see it all reflected there; the pain, the loss, the fear, the overwhelming sense of no control. I didn't need Jasper to tell me this, it was too obvious

For once I was speechless; I had no clever come backs, no explanation, nothing in any one's mind that could make me see a way out.

There was no escape from them now.

Demetri would find them after Victoria ratted them out. She'd probably seen everything that had happened today and now all her thoughts were Aro's when she got back to him. I feel to my knees the pain enveloped in my stomach not only did he have my Bella but now he wanted my children too? Did he plan to kill me? He might as well.

Carlisle moved over to me slowly, his face turned stern and sure.

"Edward son, Alice hasn't seen anything on the Volturi for a while, and surely with Alec here, it makes it easier, they trust Alec will do the right thing, they don't know how connected he is with the children. Plus, it will make things easier for her to look for their future and Matt will know; he can see the future too. Nothing will happen to them Edward I promise you" Carlisle placed his hand onto my shoulder and squeezed me tight

I wanted to push it away but the fact was I couldn't. They were probably hurting more than what I thought, but somehow it didn't matter what they thought, everything seemed overshadowed by my willing determination to keep my children hidden and safe

But being stuck in a teenager's body was hard; my hormonal reactions flopped and turned about inside my stomach.

So I put my hand on top of his and squeezed it wanting the relief.

We didn't move for what seemed like hours, small changes started to make themselves known to me; a slight movement above on the floor board, and the creak of a door, the wind scratching against the glass windows to the left. The peach coloured sky darkening around the horizon.

Emmett's voice spoke first.

"So what's the plan?"

"There not coming yet, I can't see them coming at all if im honest, there's…something…its hazy…I know, Il keep looking" Alice nodded to the floor scolding herself for not being able to see straight.

I should have moved to her, I should have told her that it was ok and that she shouldn't push herself but I couldn't.

My lips were stone set, unable to move.

"If Alice is having doubts then I think we will be alright for now, if it comes to it we pack up, and we move. We keep them out of the loop and safe" Carlisle hummed but I could hear Alice disagreeing.

"We can't, they know of the wolves and Renesmee…" She choked on the end of the sentence not wanting to remind me of the moronic wolfs claim on my daughter. It was too late, but it I knew we couldn't up route them.

If I was true to myself, I wanted them to come, I wanted to see their faces at our united family and try to break it; I knew they wouldn't succeed. I knew when they were off territory they would struggle.

But I shuddered at the thought of going there.

"No, we don't move" words fell out of me like water out of a water fall as begrudgingly I lifted my heavy knees one at a time to stand up leaning on Carlisle for support.

He looked at me in a familiar way. I realised where I had seen it as quickly as it had appeared; my own face, it was the look of a father drowning in the loss of control to help their children.

"This is what it's like being a father? The pain?" I asked him.

"Yes, because no matter what you do they will always be in danger. And you can't stop it. You can try but it's near enough impossible. That love you hold for them is like no other because they always be yours. And were here to help. The Volturi will not take them from you" He said as Esme came over and wrapped her arms round my shoulders hugging me close to her.

"We will stand together, keep everything as normal and as humanly possible for them for now, until we have any more signs we stay the same, its maybe worth getting a few more covens involved to see if they will stand by us, This fight is not going to be easy, it may take years, but we will overcome it." Carlisle addressed the family and Alec like he had always done; with such precision and control that even I believed him, his voice soothed away my worries as I thought about the precious moments I needed to spend with my kids.

"You've always been so mature Edward its time you were your age for a few hours" Esme said her arms rested gently on my arms in a motherly embrace.

"I know mom" I sighed and I could see the soft smile on her lips when I said the word.

I knew that feeling now.

I was graced with the sunshine yellow feeling of a perfect world when I heard renesmee say daddy or Damien and matt call me Dad or father.

It meant the world.

Suddenly there was a loud shriek from upstairs; this time it was male.

Immediately, before the sound had even left my ears, I shot up the stairs and into the room where the scream had come from.

There had been a lot of moving about from what it looked like as both Renesmee and Damien were nowhere in sight but laying on my bed now was Matt fast asleep.

Nightmare.

His dreams torturous as he imagined his mother being torn away from him. Then Renesmee being pulled into Aro's greedy arms, his milky eyes running over her body as she cried and pulled away yelling for him to move. Damien stood next to him with echoing emotions latched onto his perfect face, but motionless.

Dead.

Matt tried to move only to be found in the arms of Victoria she leaned forward and kissed his cheek smirking as he tried to lunge for her only to find her teeth sunk deep into his shoulder

"No! NO NO NO!" he huffed out before his entire body threw across the room and crashed down to the floor sliding up against the window where he whacked his head against it thrashing about. I moved fast to his side pulling him close as he continued to thrash

"GET OFF ME" he growled still thinking the dream was real and happening

"Mathew, Matt! it's me Shh, it's alright son its over" I hushed him as his thrashing stopped and he took deep breaths looking round the room. I had never seen him so vulnerable before with big huge tears rolling down his face. He was scared. He clung to me with all his strength gripping to my body like a second skin. Turning round and hugging me tightly, his wild eyes stretched over every surface in the room. His breathing became quicker and louder as he relived the dream through anxiety. He hissed under his breath and again began thrashing at the thought of Victoria's teeth on his skin.

"Easy, easy son, you're okay you're alright. I got you it's okay " I said as he slumped back down against the wall still gripping tightly to me. The hammering of his heart beat got me worried as the thickening sound of it belted against the warm blood in his body pushing the oxygen out turning him an odd colour.

"It felt so real" he whispered letting go of me and looking towards the floor.

"It wasn't." I reminded him and he looked at me, his eyes watery and black. I moved to stand in front of his shaking form kneeling down to him while examining his face, Carlisle would be needed he seemed so awfully shaken.

"I have to find Renesmee and Damien" he said trying to stand up but I pulled him back down

"Easy you're still injured, Renesmee will be with Damien asleep, and they're both safe." I told him as he nodded before yawning.

"You're still tired" I sighed as he looked to me wiping his eyes fiercely.

"Il be fine, I just don't want to go to sleep again" he said the fear laced in his eyes.

"You're tired" I repeated helping him up and lying him back down on the bed. He didn't resist me as he laid back down. I sat down beside him and just looked at him as he curled up in a ball facing away from me; his eyes were still wild as he shook with fear.

"Hey you can talk to me about it you know" I said placing my hand on his arm instantly he shrugged it off squeezing his eyes shut. I sighed and propped a pillow up behind my back laying my legs out of the mattress next to him. Crossing my arms, I sighed again.

"Im not going anywhere. Matt?" I asked but he didn't answer me. I thought for a little while, thinking of any way to relate to my son from his needs, Matthew was very private and composed, I could tell he didn't like my presence here at this moment; after all he had dealt with these fits all of his life, I couldn't make them go away. He just needed a better way of dealing with them. So instead of trying to get him to talk, I took the baseball which was on my desk and threw it up repeatedly above my head at a steady rhythm, and slowly but Matt uncurled himself and turned round to look at me.

"What's with the ball?" he asked groggily his chocolate hair getting in his eyes as he whipped it away.

"This? Well when I was...younger? i guess you could call it that, we all used to love playing baseball, before we left forks we played every time a storm hit. It was fantastic, of course no one was faster than I was but then again no one could throw a ball like Emmett could.

"So, one stormy day, he through a really great ball sent it flying through the trees and I took off after it running as fast as I could before I grabbed hold of the ball and sent it flying backwards."

I began to watch Matts face turn from a shielded hostility into one of childlike innocence, his eyes lost the wild ferocity and grew interested turning back to the beautiful shade of brown they always were. It was an odd moment, to watch your son decrease in age without changing anything but his emotional features.

"Only it came in contact with Emmett's jaw and I think that was the only time I had seen Emmett hurt before. He looked so angry yet it was clear he was in pain!

"So I keep it as a symbolic gesture, that no matter how big, smart, or old you are. Sometimes even the little things can hurt you more no matter how embarrassed you are of them." I noticed Matt blush as I nudged him gently and handed him the ball.

"I take it these nightmares are a normal routine for you, so if you ever need to let of steam, take it to the baseball field, throw it around and think it out; it'll make you feel better"

"Thanks Dad" he smiled at me looking down at the white baseball which he twirled round in his hand before pulling it to his chest and shutting his eyes again. Only this time he was facing me.

It was only then that I noticed how most of his blue bruises were clearing up on his face expect for an exceptionally deep one on his left jaw bone.

Matt was right, they all healed at an amazing rate.

From what I had noticed with his movements, his arms were also slightly stiff but everything else seemed to be coming along, it was all down to lack of sleep.

I reached out and brushed some of his hair back out of his eyes, as he snored delicately. my Poor boy, there was too much tragedy in their small world, and It hurt for me to say that there would be more to come. Feeling the all too familiar agonising pain in my stomach I gulped again trying to remember the good things about our complicated situation. For one, we all had each other.

"Daddy?" Speaking of good things. Renesmee appeared in the doorway rubbing her left eye as she looked to me then Matt

"I heard him scream, was it a nightmare?" she asked coming over to her brother's side. It surprised me how much she could change in a few seconds.

One second she could go from being the most naive and sweet daddy's girl, to a strong independent mother like figure in the next.

She swept a hand across Matt's forehead looking down on him lovingly. Slowly she lent down to kiss his head once before smiling at him gently as if to blow the fears of his nightmare away, it seemed to work as the small shadow of fear that was in matts head seemed to disappear and in its place a warm comforting feeling sat.

It was a wonderful sight to see, you would hear many stories about siblings who fought like cat and dog yet here stood a perfect example of behaviour and love between brother and sister. Renesmee tucked her long curls behind her ears searching for something in her pockets.

I put it in here! Where did it go, oh no my ribbons gone AGAIN?

Her ribbon. a slight ounce of guilt flooded though me as I remembered about giving it to the wolf boy, but I knew she would thank me for it in the end, where every that end would lie. She gasped when she found her pockets empty.

"Dad have you seen my ribbon?" she asked scratching the back of her head. I swallowed deeply knowing how much I hated lying to my children, but reassurance seemed to take over my conscious mind.

He would treat her right.

Putting on my poker face I shook my head slowly as she pouted just like a child would. It was utterly adorable. Laughing slightly I patted the space in front of me in which she carefully walked round the bed and slumped down looking to the floor.

Where did I leave it? Everything's been so weird… today with the wolves...OH! She gasped again realising she must of left it somewhere in the woods, and it wasn't long before her mind had wandered to Jacob.

She seemed confused by it all; the connection she felt with him was a strange and potent subject in her mind, not butterflies, but full on boulders had been crashing within deep in her stomach which frightened me, I understood what love could make you feel, but this was so intense especially since they had only met. Again the boulders of rock flipped through her as she thought of his beautiful fur and human eyes, then suddenly without any warning her own eyes began to ache dully. Renesmee leaned over squeezing her eyes shut and clutching her stomach as sharp cramps swam round.

Subconsciously, she missed him and the thought made her both worried and sick of this effect he had on her.

The pain of missing an imprint.

Was this normal? Maybe a private word with Jacob might do some good, or Sam. My thoughts were cut off as she whimpered again and clutched her stomach tightly. I pulled her into my arms and placed a cool hand on her stomach trying to ease the pain there.

"Shh it's okay love" I whispered to her as her thoughts flooded with Jacob again,

Why are you in here? She asked the half-naked man that filled every ounce of her brain.

But then, I was shut out as suddenly Renesmee's mind became blank as she pushed my gift away in her head, Embarrassed as she blushed lightly. A low growl erupted deep within my throat; I bit down on my lip to stop it escaping.

I wasn't angry with her, or him, I couldn't be, this was their way of a potential and better lifestyle. Renesmee would make him a stronger wolf, and he in return would love her for it every single step of the way with everything he had.

But the separation of it all was killing her. What would happen if they were separated for more than a few days? I dreaded to think

"I don't understand" she said curling round like matt had done. I sighed and began twirling a loose curl in her hair.

"Sometimes, something's are best left unknown" I murmured to her as she leant her head on my shoulder biting her sleeve as she looked down at her brother again. She was still tired too.

"It doesn't take a genius to work that out" Damien chuckled from, the door way, he stretched out yawning himself

"Move over Red, let me sit down" He laughed again as Renesmee moved closer to me placing herself into my chest as Damien flung his body backwards so that he was fully laying down vertically on the bed with his knees up and his arms behind his head.

"Nothing like spending some time with the most important men in your life huh red?" Damien said winking at her as Renesmee giggled. It didn't go unnoticed that he was dropping a hint to her about how we were more important than Jacob

NOT happy with what you did. But I know it's for the best. I don't like it though! He sent a slight glare my way. Apologetically I answered him internally.

Sorry son. I hate it too but you can see the pain she's feeling right now, I couldn't do anything less. You know if I could stop it I would but you two and Renesmee come first right? I'd do anything for her, even if that means letting her be a friend of the wolf.

Damien's eyes closed as he swallowed and nodded. It was only after a few minutes when I realised Renesmee and Matt weren't the only tired ones as Damien joined his brother in sleep. Renesmee who was sat nodding off slightly began letting her thoughts relax so that I could see back into her mind as her muscles followed and it wasn't long till I was watching my three children sleep.

Like a human.

"Hey Edward we were wondering if.." Alice had come bouncing into the room but she stopped midsentence when she seen us. A small smile graced her already peaceful face as her conflicted eyes rested to a look of love. She moved to each of their faces watching each of their peaceful faces wondering how so much war could be centred around something so precious.

Matt layer down curled up next to me as I was leaned up against the headboard my legs extended out which Damien had somehow learned to dodge as he lay comfortably with his arms tucked behind his head and his knees bent up. Renesmee seemed the smallest out of us as she had managed to bury herself in under my arm and curl herself round chewing on the edge of her jumper as she breathed in and out evenly. Perfect. They were perfect all of them, how could anyone even think of ripping these beautiful creatures away from me and out of my life.

Why would they want to?

Power. Seemed to be my answer and for once, I wished they were completely human, to be left alone, unspoilt and perfect like they were now, instead they were stuck frozen in this time where politics raged against us.

Alice disappeared from the doorway for a few seconds before she returned with the rest of the family behind her looking on the same way. Esme wrapped her arms around Carlisle's chest as she smiled hugely to me in awe as both Rosalie and Emmett looked lovingly towards us then into each other's eyes. Jasper gazed down at Alice with softness I had never seen him show before.

Alec stood somewhat inwardly looking awkward in the door way, his eyes fixed on renesmee sleeping.

She is so beautiful, even in sleep, if only I was next to her instead of him...

At the same time both Damien and I growled. My eyes flew to Damien's in surprise was he awake? Searching through his mind I found he was fully out of consciousness and dreaming away, only his dreams were not like the others, his dreams were of thoughts, just words drifting in and out of space, peaceful' but not private enough for him to enjoy sleep, which explain a lot to why he was the least likely to want to go to bed.

I imagined he was like that as a child and probably gave Bella a hard time when going to sleep.

It didn't go unnoticed that a very quick very slight smirk crept up on his face and disappeared a second later confirming my suspicions.

But now my eyes found Alec's again as Damien growled loudly in his subconscious state and I knew that it wasn't at anyone else in the room.

He was there, fixated on my daughter, imagining him and her…in an embrace on to which he desired. He imagined her moaning and hissing his name…

That was enough to make any father want to kill.

Shifting renesmee carefully down next to her brother, I flew across the room at such a speed that it came close to Renesmee's, my hands flew to his neck pulling him away from the room and up to the top of the stair case as I pushed him up against the door frame of the library where matt had been resting in before he was moved.

I watched the slight cracks in his neck appear, indulging in the fact that if I pushed any harder his head would come cracking off like porcelain. A thought which was almost too enjoyable. My words came out in low deep growls

"I warned you" My hands tightened more around his neck as he started to choke, coughing and spluttering, twisting in my impossible grip. I expected him to be frightened, to fear me in some way yet he just growled back with a prepared fierceness.

"It's not my fault she's like that is it?" once those words had squeezed out of his mouth, I couldn't contain the vampire inside of me, he wanted revenge, he wanted to kill. And happily knowing my children were out of his reach I let him free.

My throat lit up like a furnace blazing around the outer skirts and deep down into my stomach. I could literally feel my eyes stinging with the black coal that visually flared the fire within me as I stared down onto his face.

Thick fresh venom entered my mouth like whipping cream and began churning round my teeth. The beast in me wanted to rip his throat out as it became territorial, Renesmee was marked as my daughter, she did not belong to anyone in that way, so that meant she belonged to me completely, and I didn't enjoy the thought of someone taking her away from me especially when said person used to raise her and was now stood before me thinking in such a perverted way.

"You might want to take that back right now" My voices seemed unrecognisable as I pushed him deeper into the wall, the cracks on his pale white skin were now deeper and growing down to his collar bone.

Good.

Taking a short quick breath, his eyes locked with my own as suddenly everything went blank and numb, the feel of the anger grew within me but there was nothing I could do. My body froze. Everything that had happened disappeared like smoke.

I feel to the floor gasping, wanting to feel my arms and legs yet it just felt like pins and needles growing everywhere as I tried to move. My eyes lulled about the place focusing on Alec as he clicked his neck back healing the cracks up. He glared at me shooting daggers m way.

"It's not my fault" he repeated again "It's hard to control my thoughts you know" he growled as my breathing became panting trying to loosen his gift off me wanting to rip him to pieces as I thrashed around as best as I could, but my attempts were too feeble against his skilful gift.

"Then you will learn" this shocked me. My words tumbled into the air but not from my voice. It was another's similar as my mind began catching up to speed with what was going on in the room. Damien flew across the room and pushed him up against the wall getting face to face.

I guess naptime was over.

"You go to numb me Alec and Il break you into pieces" he seethed at him as he whacked the back of Alec's head off the wall making a dint. Suddenly the numbness was gone and all feeling came back to me slowly as I finally collected myself off the floor and stood shoulder to shoulder with Damien, closing Alec between us. Alec looked terrified and this made me pleased.

Damien released him as he fell to the floor looking up at us both.

"You will learn to control your thoughts around us, you think about her in that way again and I won't hesitate to hurt you even more" I growled putting my hand on Damien's shoulder as if to calm him slightly. It worked as he fell back an inch into my grasp taking a deep breath in through his nose.

Stupid son of a bitch, I'd love to just kill him there and then, if only renesmee and matt weren't so attached to him, I hate him, loathe him, stupid fucking bastard

Even though I wasn't happy with Damien's thoughts I had to admit mine were parallel, so it would be somewhat hypocritical of me to stop him from thinking them. He did have that temper after all.

"Stupid over protective Vampires protecting the girl I raised from birth. My girl" he muttered under his breath. And with that, I gave the beast inside of me permission to be let free as both Damien and I lunged for him at the same time jaws wide open aiming for each of his shoulders...