Thursday morning had arrived and Grace was helping clean up any trace of her being there. She was washing the dishes while Damian swept all floors. Things had to be put back to clean and perfect status. Her flight would be leaving at 8pm and from the airport she'd be heading straight for the Cullens. Seth hadn't reached out to her at all and it had her worried. She was anxious enough returning knowing that these bad people were now going to examine her but Seth wasn't helping by being quiet.

"Mr. Parks pizza tonight before you have to go?" Damian asked as he came back to put the broom away into the pantry. He would mop later on before their parents got home the following week.

"Sure thing kid," Grace was trying not to sound stress but she was and the more she stressed the more her powers came out it seemed. That morning at the diner a waitress slipped walking down the aisle and Grace froze time without realizing it. She grabbed the hot cup of coffee from the woman's hand before it burned anyone and quickly sat back down. She knew the woman could catch herself but she could risk anyone noticing that she was half way across the diner when the woman slipped. Yesterday morning Damian had almost dropped all the Chinese food on the ground but Grace froze time and was able to grab all the boxes and place them on the counter. Damian thought he was going crazy and Grace was able to convince him that he handed off the food before he tripped. She felt bad for keeping this a secret from him but it was bad enough he told her the truth about her real family.

"I'm sorry you have to go back so soon but hey, I have an interview next week. If I get the job I'll save up to visit," Damian had applied for a dishwasher job and was hoping to get it.

"You could always just come to college out there. It's a win for everyone right? Mom gets you to go to college like she wants and you get to be close to me," Grace winked at him before drying the last dish and placing it in the cabinet.

"I'll think about it. Hey, how about a day beer?" Damian wiggled his eyebrows before running to the fridge and digging in the every back at the bottom. He pulled out two brown bottles which Grace rolled her eyes at. It was only noon but what the hell. She grabbed one and popped the cap before starting to drink it. She needed to keep her stress levels down before anything else weird happened. They both sat out back in the living room drinking quietly. Damian reading his comics and Grace staring off into the abyss.

"Hey...your comics deal with a lot of powers right?" Grace asked trying to sound nonchalant.

"Any power you can think of," Damian shrugged like the question was stupid.

"Mind blocks and freezing time included?" Grace propped herself up on her elbows to peer at her brother laying on the floor. He still didn't look up.

"Yup, why?" Damian was too deep in his comic to really pay attention to what his sister was asking.

"How...how do they control it?" Grace knew she was walking on a dangerous line but Carlisle had come up with nothing that she knew of so she had to resort to this.

"Oh...lots of different ways. Some use it for evil, like the villains. Others use it to save people. Like when someone is thrown into the ocean with chains on them, they'll freeze time and scoop them up," Damian could go on and on about powers. He thought they were fascinating.

"But how do they get control over them?" Grace pushed once more. This time Damian looked up.

"They train," Damian looked at her confused silently asking why she was questioning powers but she just laid back and stared off again. Training would come with the Cullens tomorrow.

Finally Grace sat in her seat on the plane anxious as they took off . She took a cab from the house to here right after they had ate dinner. Damian was trying not to cry as they said their goodbyes. She told him to really think about college in Washington so they could be closer together. Grace was trying to just breath. She didn't want to cause a scene or freed the scene. She wanted to just make it back, take a cab to the Cullens and pretend everything would be okay. She was also not sure if she was completely ready to face Seth again. She knew she wasn't ready to see Nessie or Bella or Edward yet. But she also knew deep down that she had to.

Finally the plane was landing and Grace was waking up. She would need her strength for what came next. She was not mentally or emotionally ready. It was almost 4am now and pouring. Welcome back. Once out of the plane and out on the curb she found a cab and gave the Cullens address. Once the cab driver was in route and no longer paying attention to her she pulled out her phone and dialed Carlisles number.

"Hello?" Carlisle answered after the second ring. He sounded anxious as she felt.

"I'm on the way now," Graces mouth felt sticky. Like she had just ate a whole jar of peanut butter.

"Myself and Esme will meet you at the end of the driveway," Carlisle told her before they hung up. She quickly texted Damian letting him know she made it safely. Once she was done she placed her head on the cold window and took deep breathes. She felt sick. She closed her eyes and tried to keep calm. She couldn't get worked up.

"Miss, we're here," the cab driver woke Grace up by shaking her gently. It was now 6am. Even though she's been sleeping almost all of her trip, Grace still felt exhausted. Grace nodded though and run her card through his scanner. She handed him tip money before stepping out into the rain. She pulled her hood up on the hoodie she stole from Damian.

"I'll get your suitcase," Carlisle walked over from the shadows of his driveway. He handed Esme the umbrella they were standing under. He reached into the cab and grabbed the suitcase along with Graces bag. He thanked the driver before shutting the back door.

"Where is everyone else?" Grace asked as she watched Esme come closer and hold the umbrella over her head. She didn't pull away when Esme wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She actually found comfort in the touch. Maybe because Esmes touch was more motherly then her own.

"Alice and Jasper are at the house waiting for us. Everyone else though was sent to Edward and Bella's house while we all talked," Carlisle led the way up the driveway. He knew she could tap into the vampire speed but training wouldn't start until later.

"What about...?" Grace wanted to ask about Seth. Was he also waiting with the others?

"He's on patrol right now. But, Grace, I must inform you that Seth isn't allowed to speak to you right now," Esme squeezed harder. She knew about Jacobs command and Seth breaking it the other day. She knew it wasn't fair but no one could tell an alpha to change his mind until he did.

"Why?" Grace almost shouted but took her voice back down. She could not get overworked or she would freeze things.

"Jacob can explain it," Carlisle stopped and turned around and a disappointed look. He was not happy about the way the alpha was handling things. Grace nodded and steered her anger towards Jacob now. Maybe he was to blame in all of this somehow? Right? The memory showed that he got to keep Nessie around while Seth had to let her go. The memory showed that Jacob told him he had a duty to the pack, that he couldn't follow her. The memory showed how heartbroken Seth was.

"Grace!" Alice yelled from the top of the steps just like she did on Christmas. Except this time Alice wore a pair of jeans and a fitted sweater. Her hair was shorter then before, more pixie like and it suited her better. Grace gave a small smile. She couldn't be mad at Alice. She had no play in the things that happened. Jasper appeared next to Alice and gave a nod. Grace gave one back.

"Let's get inside before you catch a cold," Esme led Grace up the steps and into the house. They walked into the living room and got all situated on the couch. Grace grabbed one of the steaming coffee mugs off the table and started drinking it. She was cold and prayed that the hot liquid would help.

Seth's body heat would help.

Grace ignored the thought and paid attention to the people around her. They all looked anxious and nervous. She was glad she wasn't the only one who felt like that.

"Grace, Carlisle told us about you being able to freeze time around you. I am going to train you so that when the Volturi arrive you won't scare them," Jasper was the one talking which shocked Grace. She knew that Carlisle was the leader of the family so she wondered why Jasper was in charge here. She didn't mind though, Jasper made her feel calm and important whenever he spoke to her. He didn't treat her like she was some long lost puppy like some of the others did. He treated her as a friend.

"I've learned when things get stressed around me or something bad is about to happen is when I'm able to do it. But I can't just do it on a whim," Grace wasn't used to talking about her power. She wasn't use to admitting she had one other then in her head.

"We'll work on that. Alice had a vision that they will arrive on the first of May. It's not set in stone but it is a good time line for now. That gives us a month to train and get you ready," Jasper sounded like he was talking to someone preparing for a battle. Not someone who just had to meet some bad people.

"Train?" Grace knew she had to get her power in check. She had to learn how to control it for her own sake as well but she thought train wasn't the right word.

"Grace, the people that are coming will try to set you off. They will try to make a situation to where you act a different way then normal. We need to get you and your power under control so that when they do that nothing happens," Alice placed a hand on Graces knee. Grace allowed her to keep it there. Once again finding comfort. She had isolated herself for weeks that the kind gentle touches were something she didn't know she needed.

"Jacob called in some reinforcements to help also. I think we don't need as many as before. The friends from Alaska are coming to help us but other then that I think we're okay," Esme nodded as she took the now empty cup from Graces hand and sat it back on the tray.

"Reinforcements?" Grace asked wondering what she meant. Then the thought popped into her head.

More shape shifters.