Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight :)

"There are no secrets that time does not reveal."

- Jean Rachine -

Enigmas

Peering through the window, I spotted a faint streak of light in the horizon that told of the impending dawn. Smiling at the sight, I lowered my gaze on the small table under the window, reaching out with the tip of my finger to touch the corsage made of small, winter blue roses. Alice had brought it from my apartment with the rest of my belongings a couple of weeks ago. She had arranged all my photo frames on the table as well, and the corsage was now leaning against the picture of Charlie and Renée. They both looked very young in that picture; it must have been taken soon after they had met. They were standing on a windy beach that looked remotely familiar – I wondered if the picture had been taken in La Push.

Reaching out for the corsage once more, I resisted the urge to take it in my hand to smell it; I had no wish to break it. I drew in a greedy breath; the faint scent of roses was diluted and slightly dry, but pleasant. It resembled the smell of potpourri. I had never understood why people made potpourri – I had always thought that it didn't smell all that good and it just sat there, gathering dust. But now, I was able to appreciate the scent of the small, withered roses. Maybe my enhanced sense of smell had something to do with it, or maybe it was the memories the corsage brought forth. It took me back to that magical night two months ago – I remembered the cold, crisp air, the moon in the night sky, Esme's and Miguel's soft voices as they had repeated their vows... I remembered the slow dance with Carlisle, how I had been nervous about being so close to him, and I remembered the kiss he had placed on my cheek after driving me home. Sleep well.

There was a current against the skin of my arms as a soundless presence came behind me. Carlisle's soft, tender lips pressed against the side of my neck before he reached out over me, taking the corsage and bringing it under my nose. Smiling, I spent a few moments drawing in the faint, pleasant aroma. He must have known that I was afraid to touch it.

"How did you know I wanted to smell it?" I asked.

"A fortunate guess," he murmured, amused. The corsage disappeared from under my nose as he slipped it behind my ear. I turned around to face him, noticing that he was half-dressed.

The house was still uncommonly quiet; I wondered if I had Alice to thank for this chance to spend the night together with Carlisle. Eleazar, Miguel and Edward were supposed to return from Ontario sometime today. I didn't know about Jasper and Emmett – maybe they had decided that it was better for their mental health to keep a good distance away. I had expected that Alice, Esme and Rosalie would have returned from New York by now, but who knew – maybe there were shopping centers there that stayed open twenty-four hours a day. If that was the case, it wouldn't have surprised me if Alice was holding them hostage in a fitting room or something.

Carlisle took the corsage from behind my ear and placed it back on the table so I could put on the blouse that was draped over my arm. I was getting better at dressing myself without tearing anything – at least my jeans had survived when I had pulled them on a moment ago. That couldn't be said from the clothes Carlisle had worn last night. What remained of them were still littered around the floor. I chuckled as I remembered my impatience a few hours ago, bending down to gather the scraps of clothing and placing them on the bed when I was done.

Carlisle went back to the closet that was situated close to the door, pulling out a shirt for himself. It pleased me to see that most of my old clothes had made their way from their boxes into the closet, and now they were hanging next to Carlisle's clothes. I didn't know when those had appeared there – a few weeks ago, the closet had contained only blankets and bed linens. I suspected Alice had something to do with it. In any case, it felt somehow very intimate to share a closet with Carlisle. Alice had offered to fix up a room for us on the second floor – and she had also reminded me that she could even built a walk-in closet for me – but I had refused. I didn't know exactly why, but I had grown a liking to this room that shared a wall with Carlisle's study, and we had often spent endless hours here during the last couple of weeks, as if claiming the room as ours by some unspoken agreement.

I loved it – I loved it all. I loved the ornamental, curved window on one side of the room, and how the light of the moon danced across the hardwood floors at night, and I also loved the dark, paneled walls. This seemed to be a room of many feelings; I had once spent endless hours filled with fear inside these walls after Carlisle had left for Italy, and I had also felt the worst physical pain imaginable as the invisible flames had been burning me alive during my transformation before I had woken to this eternal existence. And in this very room, and I had also felt the greatest pleasure imaginable. It was a room filled with restlessness and pain, but it was also filled with delight and love. And now, after just a few of weeks, it was already filled with many memories.

I made my way to Carlisle just as he slipped the shirt on. He turned as he sensed my approach, giving me a curious look as I reached out to fasten the buttons. Using the tiniest amount of strength possible, my brow furrowing in concentration, I worked the buttons closed carefully. Then I took a step back, pleased that I hadn't torn the shirt to scraps.

"Tadaa," I rejoiced quietly.

Carlisle smiled, his golden eyes glimmering. "Impressive."

"Well, that's my middle name," I jested, rolling my eyes.

A look of curiosity crossed his face. "About your middle name," he began. "It's Marie, isn't it?"

I nodded. "What about it?"

"Were you named after someone?"

"I got my second name from my grandmother. She died when I was... twelve? Thirteen?"

"What was she like?" He looked curious again.

I shrugged, smiling sadly. "She was sometimes scary, but I liked her. And I think she liked me. She lived in California, and when Renée left Forks when I was just a baby, we lived with her for a few years before moving to Phoenix. I sometimes got the feeling like she was having trouble getting along with my mom."

Carlisle's frown was sympathetic. "Did you know why?"

"They were so different, I guess. Renée always said that my grandmother had a harsh view on life. I sometimes wondered if she was bitter about something. And Renée, on the other hand... Well, she's always so energetic and full joy and she has this undying thirst for life. They weren't exactly a good match, I think. They got a little closer after I was born, and despite their obvious differences, they kept in touch."

He reached out to touch my cheek tenderly, his eyes reflective. "I think it speaks a lot of your mother's devotion that you were named after your grandmother. Even though some peoples' personalities aren't compatible, it doesn't mean that there's no loyalty there. Not to mention love."

I nodded, wondering if the was thinking about his father. There was always a certain look in Carlisle's eyes when his thoughts drifted to his long gone human past. His gaze wandered to the table under the window now; he was looking at the picture of Renée and Charlie. A small smile lit his face.

"You have her eyes," he suddenly said, his voice soft. "Your mother's."

I quirked my brow confusedly. "But Renée's eyes are blue. My eyes were brown when I was still human, just like Charlie's."

He shook his head. "I am not talking about the color, Bella," he explained. "I'm talking about this," he said, reaching out with the tip of his forefinger and gently tracing the shape of my eyes. "You never only smile with your lips. You always smile with you eyes as well. Just like your mother."

The corners of my lips rose involuntarily after hearing his words.

"There," he murmured, cupping my cheek and smiling as well. "That's exactly what mean."

I chuckled and stepped closer, pressing a soft kiss on his lips. His hands went to my waist and pulled me to him. I could have stayed there forever, in the circle of his arms, but a distant sound of nearing steps coming from the dirt road leading to the house caught our attention. I listened carefully, distinguishing Jasper's calm strides and Emmett's powerful gait.

"You better be decent," he hollered, "'cause we're coming in!"

Carlisle gave a soft laugh. I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

"I don't get it," I grumbled quietly. "It's not like we are the only couple in the house. How come he's not bugging Esme and Miguel or Alice and Jasper?"

He laughed softly. "It might be the novelty. It will pass," he grimaced, "in a few decades, perhaps."

I sighed as Emmett broke into harassing laughter. They were in the yard now; after a second, the front door opened and closed downstairs. Gearing myself mentally for Emmett's innuendos, I took Carlisle's hand and followed him out of the room.

Emmett had plopped himself on the couch in the living room, and Jasper was standing by the glass doors, staring outside into the dawning morning. Even though he looked at ease, there was a sense of tension in his eyes as he turned to acknowledge our arrival.

Carlisle noticed it, too. "Is everything well?" he asked.

Jasper hesitated, his gaze flicking to me momentarily. "Alice called a while ago. They are on their way back from New York. She's going to drop Esme off at the bookstore before heading here." He paused, his jaw tightening. "She had a vision early this morning. As you know, she's been watching Italy ever since Bella's change." He fell silent.

I could feel Carlisle go tense beside me. "Aro has sent someone here to see Bella," he finished for Jasper. His voice was calm, but there was restlessness in his eyes.

Jasper nodded. "Just like we expected. The Volturi obviously don't know whether or not Bella survived Afton's attack, and Aro's curious. Apparently he's also still pretty pissed off at Caius for the stunt he pulled."

Carlisle nodded. "Who is it? Who is coming?"

Jasper held his gaze; I had a feeling that he knew that Carlisle was already aware of the answer. "Veronique."

Carlisle nodded again. His lips barely moved as he spoke. "I thought so." His hand tightened around mine.

Emmett crossed his ankles, leaning back on the couch in a relaxed manner. His expression was utterly satisfied. "Finally. Although, it's too bad that apparently she's coming alone. What would I give for the chance to have a chat with Afton... or Demetri, or Felix... or all of them at the same time..." The look in his eyes was dreamy.

Jasper shot him a disapproving look. "Be glad that Aro sent only Veronique," he stated. "We aren't looking to start a conflict, after all."

"They already started one, if you ask me," Emmett countered. "They attacked one of our own."

I was touched by the fervor in his voice. Carlisle pulled me closer to his side. The action seemed almost unconscious, and there was also something peculiar about the way he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, almost as if to shield me.

"Look, I'm not happy about what happened to Bella, either," Jasper told Emmett, softening his voice. "But we have to thread carefully. And remember that it was Caius who went behind Aro's back and sent that hunting party after her. Aro was going to honor our agreement, after all."

"And for what purpose?" Emmett asked pointedly. "Giving us the permission to change Bella wasn't exactly based on selfless thoughts. Edward said that Aro is intrigued by Bella because he believes that she's a shield. And now Eleazar has confirmed that she is one. And when that Veronique arrives, and since she can do what Eleazar can, after meeting Bella she goes back to Aro and he gets the confirmation that Bella's gifted. And then what?"

"This isn't anything we haven't expected," Jasper reminded calmly. "It was known all along that Aro was interested in Bella's possible abilities. Just as it was known that the news of Bella's survival and change would have to be delivered to Aro in one way or another. This saves us from going to Italy ourselves."

I remembered my wish weeks ago. I remembered how I'd hoped that none of the Volturi would ever come here. I knew Aro wasn't only interested in me, after all. Jasper didn't seem to share my worries, or perhaps he did but he just managed to hide it well.

"So you sincerely believe that the Volturi are going to leave it to that?" Emmett asked. "After Aro receives the knowledge that Bella is a vampire and is no longer a security risk to our kind, he's going to leave it be?"

"Well, I'm sure he will be more than eager to offer her a place in the guard in the years to come," Jasper admitted.

"And she'll obviously say no. The real question is: will Aro take no for an answer?"

"I'm well aware of what you've been implying all along," Jasper assured. "But what I'm trying to say is that the Volturi don't operate like that. They want to be respected by the vampire community, and you can be as sure as hell that respect has to have been earned."

There was something strange about the way Jasper pronounced the Volturi's name. He spoke it with respect, almost gratitude. From what I'd heard of them, the idea of the Volturi as the good guys was in some senses hard to accept. Maybe I was biased. Maybe I'd heard too many hair-raising stories about them.

"The Volturi are also feared," Emmett pointed out, his words echoing my thoughts. "I think there is a good reason behind that fear as well. I don't believe for a second that it's just healthy respect for the law."

Carlisle had been unusually silent during their conversation. He sighed quietly now, his arm tightening around me. "I understand your concerns, Emmett," he said calmly. "And you are right – there is a fine line between fear and respect, and sometimes it happens that those two run together. In all honesty, I cannot say that Aro is trusthworthy – he's predictably unpredictable at best – but I don't think we should jump to conclusions and assume the worst. His curiosity towards Bella is something we all knew to expect."

"And if that curiosity becomes something more? Let's imagine the Volturi pay us a second visit. Let's say Aro doesn't send Veronique this time, but Felix, Alec and Jane, for instance."

"In that case, Aro obviously crosses a line. That is something I will not allow, as you very well know," Carlisle simply answered, his arm tightening around me again. He turned to look from Emmett to Jasper. "When is Eleazar returning with Edward and Miguel?"

"In the afternoon. Alice already informed them about the situation."

Carlisle nodded. "Was Alice able to give an estimate on when we should expect Veronique to arrive?"

"Within days," was Jasper's answer. "Apparenly she has other business to attend to before coming here. The time of her arrival depends on how long her other assignments will take."

Carlisle nodded again, this time saying nothing.

He remained pensive as the hours passed by and as the dawn slowly turned to morning. Alice returned eventually with Rosalie after taking Esme to Buffalo, and she repeated everything Jasper had told us. Otherwise, she didn't have anything new to tell, except that she had managed to narrow down the time of Veronique's arrival; apparently she'd be here in five days unless something unexpected happened.

I didn't know why the news of Veronique's arrival seemed to make us, or at least me, so restless. We had been expecting Aro to send someone before long, after all. Maybe it was Emmett's words that made me feel so uneasy. I sensed a disquiet in Carlisle as well. He was calm and composed on the outside like usually, but his eyes gave him away. It was like he was expecting Veronique's visit to have a greater impact than it was reasonable to expect. Or maybe it was just me projecting my own fears and uncertainties onto him.

But one thing I did know for certain was that he was anxious to talk to Eleazar. He didn't show any outside signs of impatience as the day dwindled on, but as soon as we heard a car turning onto the dirt road and eventually parking in front of the house, Carlisle took my hand and pulled me outside with him.

Edward was exiting from the driver's side of the car as we came to the front porch. Eleazar and Miguel were already heading toward us with long, hurried strides.

"Anything new?" Edward asked, looking at Alice who had appeared behind Carlisle and me, Jasper in tow. She told them about her new time estimate.

"I'm not surprised that Aro decided to send someone so soon," Eleazar stated. "Even though he can be extremely patient when he has to, he doesn't like uncertainty. And Caius obviously brought about some questions when he sent people from the guard after Bella."

"I wonder if he still desires to see Bella himself once her bloodlust is under control," Carlisle mused. "Or will it be enough for him when Veronique verifies that Bella is indeed alive and she's been turned?"

Eleazar shook his head, pensive. "Hard to say."

"I don't think it's only verification he's after," Edward murmured. "Any of us could travel to Italy and let Aro read our minds, after all, and that way confirm that Bella has been changed. It's curiosity that made Aro express his wish to see Bella face to face someday in the future. And it was also curiosity that made him send Veronique here instead of someone else."

"He wants to know if Bella is gifted," Eleazar agreed, nodded.

"Right." Edward frowned, his eyes reflective.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked.

Edward shook his head, still frowning. He hesitated before starting to speak. "I'm not sure about how to feel about her. Veronique."

Emmett's voice boomed from inside the house. "What's there to feel? She's one of the Volturi, for God's sake. No offense, Eleazar."

Edward ignored him. "When she was taking me to Italy... there was something... elusive about her. Something ambiguous. I admit I was in her presence only a few hours. That's hardly enough time to get to know someone's character, whether I can read minds or not."

"Alice said that she was good at hiding her thoughts," I interjected, shuffling through my hazy human memories. "Was she completely mute like me? Could you hear her at all?"

Edward shook his head. "It's not so much that I couldn't hear her. It was just that her mind was very controlled. When she sensed that I'm able to read minds, she kind of shut herself off, focusing on reciting old poetry, or Scripture in Latin... complicated stuff like that." He paused. "Almost like she was trying to hide something."

"She could have been doing it out of loyalty to the Volturi," Eleazar suggested. "Maybe she thought that she was breaking confidences by allowing you to read her mind. I'm sure the Volturi have their own secrets to protect."

"It could be," Edward admitted. "However... for some reason I got the feeling like it was something more personal. I kept hearing the word 'coven' occasionally, almost like her focus slipped every now and then. It's no use to draw conclusions about that, I know. She might have been thinking about the Volturi, or wondering what kind of a coven I belong to."

"Did you manage to get a sense of her personality?" Carlisle asked. "It would be helpful to know what type of person we'll be welcoming."

Edward shook his head. "Like I said, she was elusive – distant. She didn't seem so submissive and expressionless like some vampires in the guard. Maybe that's because she spents less time in Volterra than the others because of her assignments and therefore she's not under Chelsea's influence that much. She seemed... I wouldn't say aggressive, but headstrong and defensive, perhaps. Spirited. She didn't seem as mindless and impassive like some other members of the guard. Again, that could be because she's less impacted by Chelsea's gift."

The look in Edward's eyes was reflective as he described his encounter with Veronique. I could see that there was something about her that had left him full of questions. I wondered if it made him feel uneasy – he was so used to being able to read people without issues, after all.

It began to rain after a while, causing the vampires occupying the porch to move indoors. Miguel was one exception. He began to make his way back to the car – I guessed that he was going to join Esme at the bookstore. I asked him how it was going, wanting to take my mind off of the Volturi for a while and distract myself with ordinary, simple things.

"Nora is probably ready to start working alone next week," he answered with a smile. It was the name of the new employee Esme and Miguel had hired a while ago.

"That's great," I told him, grinning. "It means that you and Esme are finally free. I hope it hasn't been too tedious, spending all these weeks at the store. I know the place can be quiet at times."

Miguel shook his head. "It's been far from tedious, Bella," he assured.

"I can't thank you enough for taking care of everything," I said, now more serious. "The bookstore has been the center of my life for these past years, and it's been nice to know that it's in good hands."

"It has been our pleasure," Miguel said, sounding sincere. "And as capable as Nora is, I think Esme may be actually a little reluctant to leave the bookstore behind – you're definitely not the only one charmed by the place."

Smiling at his compliment, I watched him make his way to the car and drive away. It was easy to see why Miguel was such a perfect match for Esme. I still couldn't say that I knew him very well, regardless of the fact that I'd seen him a lot more during this past month. He seemed gentle by nature, very much like Carlisle and Eleazar were, but he also reminded me a bit of Jasper. Occasionally, there was seriousness in Miguel, gravity, and I wondered if it was because of his difficult human past.

Idly listening to the sounds of conversation coming from inside the house, I lingered outside for a moment, gathering my thoughts and enjoying the smell of spring and rain. I stepped off from the porch onto the stairs, wondering how many years it would take to get used to all these smells I had been completely unaware of as a human. Heedless of the rain soaking my hair and clothes, I closed my eyes and turned my face towards the grey afternoon sky.

I heard the front door behind me open and close, and smiled as I felt a warm presence behind my back. Strong arms wrapped around me from behind, soft lips brushing my temple.

"Is everything all right?" Carlisle asked quietly.

I nodded. "Just enjoying the rain. It smells nice."

He chuckled softly. "I find it endearing that you take pleasure in simple things like this."

"It might be the novelty. It will pass in a few decades, perhaps," I said with a grin, repeating what he had said a while ago about Emmett and his eagerness to fire inappropriate comments at us. "Maybe ten years from now, I'll find the smell of rain utterly boring, and I no longer evoke amusement in others by gushing about the most ordinary things."

Carlisle chuckled again. "I don't know," he murmured. "I've witnessed hundreds of times as the seasons change, for instance, and yet I never grow tired of it. I don't think it's something you can get used to. 'The sun is new each day', after all."

I turned around in his embrace. "Heraclitus?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded. The rain was rapidly darkening his hair, the cold, clear drops running down his face and clinging to his eyelashes. He reached out to brush a wet tendril away from my face, his eyes locking onto mine.

"Are you worried?" he asked. "About Veronique's arrival?"

I put my hands on his shoulders, pressing closer to him. His arms wrapped around my waist. "Are you?"

He frowned thoughtfully. "I'm cautious of her, perhaps," he admitted.

"When you went to Italy with Eleazar, did you meet her at all?" I asked.

"I saw her briefly, yes, but I did not speak to her."

I nodded. I was about to say something else, but a sharp intake of breath sounding from the third floor of the house caught my attention. The gasp was accompanied by quiet, annoyed muttering.

"Isabella Marie Swan. I'll have your head for this, I swear..."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing – apparently Alice had found the pile of ruined clothes I'd left on the bed earlier. I had long ago accepted the fact that there was no privacy in this house and especially around Alice, and it surprised me a bit now that she had seemed to be unaware of the fact that I had ruined yet another outfit of Carlisle's – maybe she had learned to filter certain things when it came to her visions, and she had only now discovered the crime I had commited.

"What?" I asked innocently, knowing that she could hear me. "What are you middle-naming me for?"

"You know very well what," she responded. "This shirt was Valentino. Valentino, Bella."

I rolled my eyes, joining in Carlisle's quiet laughter. Taking his hand, I began to pull him with me towards the forest surrounding the house. He followed me without a protest.

Maybe he, too, thought that it would be safer to put some distance between us and Alice before she'd turn her attention from the ruined, expensive clothes to the torn duvet and the broken headboard.

The garden behind the house was completely silent. It was just after midnight, and I was able to see the twinkle of stars through the thin veil of clouds, making me wonder if the day would be clear tomorrow. The lawn hadn't recovered from the winter yet; it was brown and patchy, crunching under my shoes as I walked; the temprature must have been close to zero. I made my way to the middle of the garden where Carlisle and Eleazar stood, having a quiet conversation. They both turned to me as I approached.

"Alice said that it'll be just a few minutes," I said, nerves suddenly fluttering in the pit of my stomach.

Carlisle nodded, reaching out with his hand to pull me against his side. I had a feeling that it soothed him as much as it soothed me.

These past five days waiting for Veronique's arrival had been slow and slightly frustrating. Everyone seemed to be unnerved by the fact that one of the Volturi was about to walk to our home – well, everyone except Emmett. He was at the far end of the garden even now, a couple of paces from the tree line. He'd been standing there all day, waiting.

Carlisle gave a resigned sigh as he watched Emmett pace front and back in an impatient manner. I had heard him and Eleazar discuss earlier if all of us should be present when Veronique arrived – they didn't want to give her a threatening impression. It had made me realize what we would look like from her point of view. One of the Volturi or not, she'd be facing alone ten vampires, and as soon as she'd get close enough, she'd be able to sense that five us possessed a gift if my undelevoped shield was included. The situation might make her defensive since she would definitely be at a disadvantage.

Eventually Carlisle and Eleazar had come to the decision – maybe to silence Emmett's protests – that all of us would be there when Veronique arrived. It was decided, however, that only Eleazar, Carlisle and myself would approach her and the rest would stay back.

I heard the glass doors of the living room open, and soon the sound of Alice's quiet, rhythmic steps reached my ears. Jasper was right behind her, and soon the rest of the Cullens joined us as well, Miguel and Esme coming last.

Alice stopped next to Eleazar. "Soon," she said, her eyes unfocused.

"Emmett," Carlisle called quietly.

Grumbling under his breath, Emmett turned his back to the woods and made his way to us, going straight to Rosalie and tucking her under his arm.

Carlisle gave me a brief glance before tightening his arm around me. Then all of us turned as one to stare at the tree line with varying expressions. I noticed that Jasper was cautious and tense whereas Edward looked both expectant and curious. Everyone stopped breathing as a quiet sound reached out ears; there was a faint crunch as someone stepped on frozen moss.

Carlisle gave Edward a glance.

"She's wary," Edward said under his breath, answering Carlisle's wordless question. "She knows we're expecting her – Aro has probably filled her in about the details and told her that we have the means to anticipate her arrival."

Carlisle nodded, turning to look at the forest again. After a few seconds, the sound of quiet footsteps reached our ears; apparently Veronique had decided that there was no point trying to conceal her approach.

When she eventually emerged from the night, her movements were cautious but certain, reminding me of the graceful way a jaguar moved. She was tall – taller than Rosalie – and I idly thought that she could be her older sister, with her blonde, shoulder-length hair. Her face was more angular than Rosalie's, but no less beautiful. Even though she looked young, she was clearly older than me or Esme – I estimated that she had to have been about thirty or perhaps a few years older when she'd been turned into a vampire.

The deep, rose-red color of her eyes caught my attention, even though I had known to expect it. They were sharp, her eyes, observant, as she quickly took in our silent, waiting group. The expression on her face was cautious, but distant. Now I knew what Edward had meant a few days ago – she seemed reserved, almost withdrawn.

I idly took notice that there was a grey cloak draped over her shoulders. I remembered that Carlisle had once told me that the color of the cloak was an indication of status in the guard; the darker the shade, the more valuable that vampire was considered.

There was a moment when no one moved or made a sound. Then, Carlisle began to breathe beside me again. His arm tightened around me once again as he gave me a brief glance. I nodded, falling into step beside him as we began to cross the garden with slow, calm steps. Eleazar fell into step on my other side.

We left a good twenty yards between us and Veronique; she had watched our approach with that same, expressionless look in her eyes. When we stopped, I saw her take another look at the rest of the Cullens – maybe she was surprised that they had stayed back, or maybe she was making a threat assessment.

Her attention returned to us again as Carlisle began to speak.

"Welcome," he said calmly. "We have been expecting you."

Veronique met Carlisle's gaze. One corner of her lips moved barely visibly – it was the scarcest smile I had ever seen.

"Yes," she answered. "I can see that." Her voice was clear like a wind chime, but slightly deeper than Alice's or Rosalie's. She gave another glance at the vampires spread around the garden.

"I believe me met briefly a few weeks ago," Carlisle continued pleasantly, "but I'm afraid we weren't properly introduced. I'm Carlisle, and this is my family." He turned to look at the others. I didn't miss the look of surprise that flashed in Veronique's eyes at the mention of the word 'family'. The emotion was quickly replaced by something like sorrow, but then I thought that I must have imagined it because her eyes took a distant look almost immediately. I didn't know if Carlisle noticed it – he was pointing out our names, mentioning me first and leaving Edward and Eleazar for last. Veronique's sharp eyes settled on Edward – maybe that was because she was more familiar with him compared to the rest of us, but soon her attention went back to Carlisle. The way she adressed him made me believe that she considered him our leader, which he was in many ways.

"Aro sends his regards," she stated formally. "I'm sure you're already aware of the reason behind my arrival. I'm here to see the newborn."

It was Eleazar who answered; his tone was polite and pleasant, but there was a hidden edge to his words. I didn't know if Veronique noticed it, and if she did, it was possible that she didn't know the reason behind it.

"I'm certain Aro is most anxious to hear back from you and find out if our agreement has been honored," he said. "I'm sure he'll be more than pleased to hear that we've kept our end of the bargain, despite the fact that Caius seemed to have other plans."

When Veronique didn't respond to Eleazar's words, Carlisle turned to me. I met his gaze before I turned to Veronique, locking eyes with her. She seemed to understand the wordless implication – I wondered if she had only now realized that the newborn she had come to see was actually me. Maybe she hadn't expected someone so calm. She took in my appearance, her red, haunting eyes exploring mine. The color of my eyes must have thrown her as well – it no longer was the bright red crimson, but a dull reddish orange instead. Animal blood had begun to dilute the color surprisingly quickly.

"How old is she?" Veronique looked at Carlisle and Eleazar for an answer like I wasn't even present.

"She was turned a little less than a month ago," Carlisle answered. "In case you are wondering about the color of her eyes, she's been feeding on animals only."

The look on her face was now openly dubious. She gave me one more glance before looking at the group of vampires behind our back. The distant expression on her face disappeared momentarily – she looked almost puzzled.

I was surprised to hear Edward beginning to speak; apparently he was responding to Veronique's thoughts.

"All this is very possible," he said quietly. "Leading a peaceful lifestyle like ours is a choice all vampires can make, if only they want to."

Even though the color of Veronique's eyes was fiery warm, the look in them was suddenly cold. The earlier mask of indifference slipped back in its place, and she straightened her shoulders. It reminded me of a way a soldier comes to attention.

"But you already know this, don't you?" Edward continued quietly, ignoring the obvious difference in Veronique's stance. "A peaceful life is something you're not completely unfamiliar with, after all, is it?"

"Edward," Jasper said in a low voice, his tone warning.

A quiet hiss left Veronique's lips, some deeper emotion making its way to the surface before she reined herself in again. I wondered how she did it – Edward had been right before. She really did have a controlled mind.

"The Volturi are peaceful," she said. Her voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. "And they've been maintaining the peace in our world for millenia."

I wondered what Edward had found out from her thoughts, and what made her so defensive now.

"It wasn't my intention to disagree with that," Edward said calmly. "I was merely making a point and trying to say that there are options to the way the majority of the vampire community lives. I think all of us who stand here are a living proof of that."

I saw Veronique's eyes sweep our group again. She studied us like she had done many times before during the past moments, and I now realized that it wasn't because she was trying to make a threat assessment like I had earlier thought.

She was perplexed about what she saw, maybe even a little curious. The sea of golden eyes alone must have been a strange sight, but I wondered how much the dynamic of our unusual coven puzzled her. We were completely at ease and relaxed around each other, after all. Even though we considered Carlisle a leader of sorts and perhaps Eleazar as well, there was a mutual respect between all of us. There was no strict hierarchy, no ranks, no superiors or subordinates, no orders that had to be followed blindly and without reservation. To see a coven that was founded on love instead of control must have seemed beyond strange to her. If the lifestyle Carlisle had once founded out of compassion was a curiosity to any average vampire, how peculiar did we seem to a member of the Volturi?

Someone – maybe Edward – had estimated a few weeks back that Veronique had served the Volturi for a couple of decades at most. It was a short period of time from any older vampire's point of view, but for me it felt like a long time. Despite the dark grey color of her cloak, it was possible that she was considered a rookie among the Volturi. But even so, she must have seen a lot during the time she had served them, and I had a feeling that seeing us now was something she wasn't entirely used to. There was still doubt and disbelief in her eyes as she watched us. Then she blinked and raised her head slightly, and her entire appearance seemed to change. The look in her eyes was remote again, almost like she had shut herself off.

Her focus went to Eleazar. "I sense a kindred gift in you," she said, her voice still utterly formal.

Eleazar wasn't disturbed by the sudden change of subject. He nodded. "As I in you. I once served the Volturi, just like you serve them now. Did Aro tell you that?"

She nodded. "He sends his regards to you as well, and told me to tell you that he misses his old friend Eleazar. He tells me that you were an invaluable asset."

Eleazar's soft laugh was a little dry. "The life in Volterra had its benefits. But I am quite happy where I am now."

"You're part of this coven?"

"In a way," he answered. "I have a family of my own in Alaska, and we've always considered Carlisle's family to be part of ours, and vice versa."

Veronique blinked slowly. I knew she did it to hide her surprise – blinking wasn't exactly a natural function for a vampire. She looked at Eleazar for a moment more before turning to me and Carlisle again.

"I've received the information I came here for," she told us, apparently preparing to leave. "It is Aro's hope that he gets the opportunity to meet both of you in the future. He says Volterra will welcome you any time you so desire."

Carlisle nodded politely. "Thank you. Perhaps we will accept the invitation in the years to come, once Bella is in full control of her thirst."

Veronique's haunting red eyes flicked to me. She studied me for a moment in silence, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I've never met a newborn who hasn't taken a single life. But then again, I rarely meet vampires who lead an existence like this. Aro will be more than impressed about your self-control."

I gave her a wry, tight smile. "It may not so much about the self-control, but the guidance I've received from the very beginning." .

Veronique didn't say anything to that. She spent a moment more studying me with her relentless eyes before throwing yet another disbelieving glance at the golden-eyed vampires spread around the garden. The reflection of the old, beautiful house on the other side of the garden mirrored from her red eyes before she turned around with one fluid movement.

Her dark grey cloak dragged along the ground as she disappeared into the night soundlessly, leaving dozens of questions in her wake.

AN:The line "There was something strange about the way Jasper pronounced the Volturi's name. He spoke it with respect, almost gratitude." is a reference to Eclipse. "The sun is new each day." is a quote from Heraclitus. "I'm Carlisle, and this is my family." is a quite from Twilight. Bella's line "What are you middle naming me for?" is a reference to the TV show Friends (The One With All The Cheesecakes).

I hope you're having a great day! And as always, I'm interested to hear your thoughts. I'm also very happy to announce that I just finished writing the epilogue for this story which means that after over four years, I'm FINALLY done. Phew. I'm not sure what the final chapter count will be since I have some editing and tweaking to do, but you should expect at least ten chapters. I'll be updating the story regularly throughout the summer, so you should know that there won't be any annoying posting breaks in the horizon. I'm still having an out-of-body-experience. This "project" has been very important to me and during those times when I haven't been able to write/update, it's been killing me inside. A huge thank you for sticking up with me so long!