Sam POV

There had been another fifteen attacks, and we still didn't know who was behind it. We had assembled in the kitchen, to discuss the threat, and the imminent arrival of the Volturi.

"We need to get that fucker and string them up by their intestines." Lils growled, to nods of assent.

"What do you propose?" I asked, at a loss for what to do.

"We have already doubled up on patrols, and sent as many scouts as possible. We need to liaise with the Volturi as best we can, as they will have resources that we, frankly, don't. I can do this, if needs be, seeing as I have had training in similar areas." Lils offered.

"You mean negotiating with terrorists." Paul muttered darkly. Lils flashed him a grin.

"Exactly. The Volturi are set to arrive at the Cullens' at 13:50 today. We have the advantage of knowing the surroundings, but we should try to get there first. We are meeting outside and will assemble at the designated area for 13:40." She instructed.

"Yes ma'am." Jake joked.

"Trust me, Black, if you were one of my soldiers, you'd be out on your ass for the state of your room." Lils teased. "Let's get going." We trooped out, getting into cars and trucks to make our way over.

Lils POV

We had arrived in the clearing. It seemed to be open enough, but I still checked the surrounding woods for ambush points, or traps. Deciding that there were none, I went to stand with Sam, listening intently for the Volturi's arrival. Paul sidled over, a strange look on his face.

"I've got a really bad feeling." He murmured. "But you promise that whatever happens, we are still going sailing?" He asked, sounding a bit worried.

"Within reason." I assured him. I was about to say more when a trio of vampires appeared from a blur. Behind them, a guard rapidly assembled. Looking at the men, I felt an odd pang of familiarity, like I was gazing at my own parents, whoever they happened to be.

"I am Aro of the Volturi, and these are my brothers Marcus and Caius." The middle vampire introduced the ethereal creatures.

"I am Sam Uley. This is Jared, Paul, Lilith, Jacob, Embry, Quil, Leah, Brady, Collin and Seth." Sam said, gesturing to each of us in turn. The vampires inclined their heads in recognition.

"It seems to be very nice in this part of the world." Aro waved his hand languidly.

"Let's cut to the chase. We know you're here due to the attacks and we will, albeit begrudgingly, work with you to find the bastards." I bit out, surprised when the blonde vampire- Caius- scoffed.

"Do you think that we'd bother ourselves with such a trivial matter? We might have sent guards but to come ourselves? No, we have a far greater purpose." He drawled in a lightly flared accent. I bristled.

"The loss of life is not trivial!" I argued, temper flaring. Caius regarded me with a smirk. He turned to Aro and began speaking fast, fluent Greek. I had taken extra-curricular Greek, so knew what he was saying.

"Do we tell them now?" Caius asked Aro, rapid Greek making Sam's eyes fix on me. I fired the translation down the bond.

"Yes." Aro replied, in Italian, oddly.

"What if they decline?" Questioned Marcus, now speaking German.

"We will see." Aro answered in Russian, turning back to us. He smirked a bit, assuming that he had outwitted us. I let him carry on believing that, saving that particular weapon for another time.

"There is a very pressing matter concerning your pack." Marcus started, face solemn.

"As you may have noticed, no new members have joined. It is the same for many packs around the world; as vampires move, packs dwindle. However, we have worked in conjunction with an Italian pack to formulate a substance which will, effectively, allow you to live as an immortal without becoming a vampire. The serum will, when administered, transform you to your prime condition and allow you to live on like this, with no side effects." Aro explained. I could see the logic in accepting but...

"What do you want in return? I don't imagine that you are doing this out of goodwill." I asked, glaring openly at them. Aro sighed.

"Alice Cullen once saw an insurgence, from the werewolves. She told us that the only way that the vision showed we could win was by finding a way to do what we are offering. So, in return, we want you to fight the werewolves, and continue keeping rogue vampires in check." Marcus told us. Shock registered across all faces.

"We will consider your offer." Sam said stiffly, nodding and walking off. The pack scattered and I found myself wandering aimlessly into the forest. I knew that I wouldn't take the drug, not yet a least. I wanted to have my career first, before even considering what they offered. Turning the words over in my head, I realized that Sam would most likely accept their offer. It didn't matter for me anyway; after my trip with Paul, I would only have a couple of days before going back to barracks. A blur behind me jolted me from my thoughts. Caius appeared, grinning.

"You seem to be lost, little one." He purred. I snarled at his tone. "Oh no, that will not do. You do seem to be very outspoken. I have had my eye on you the entire meeting." Taking me by surprise, he pushed me against a tree, crashing his lips onto mine. As soon as he did so, it was as if a floodgate had opened, memories of my life flooding through. I shifted in anger, sprinting through the forest at full pelt. When I stopped, I started to rifle through all of my new-found memories.

"Fuckfuckfuckholyshitfuck." I whispered into the air, having subconsciously changed back into my human form. I screamed into the woods, unsure of how else to express my emotions. As my eyes stung with tears, I managed to pull myself together. What could I do now? What did I want to do? I would go on the trip with Paul. I would get back to the marines and sort things out from there. I needed to process the information before telling anyone. Who was I, really? Calynn, or Lils. As I worked through thousands of years of memories, I found that Lils was Calynn, before she, I, built up a carefully cultivated mask, borne from ill-treatment.

It took me hours to look through all the memories. Some of them brought me to the brink of screaming but, at the end, I knew that I was a good person. A protector, a fighter, Lils and Calynn and all the other names that I had assumed. My time as Lils seemed so insignificant, compared to the millennia I had lived through, but it was real. I hadn't been pretending and it had allowed me to be me in my truest form, uninhibited. I had changed for it. A vow drifted to the front of my mind, made by me to Paul.

"I will make sure that you are the first to know, if I ever remember anything." I had promised. Could I tell him and expect him to keep it from the pack? No. I would tell them when I finished in the marines. For now, I would just carry on as normal. I used the accumulated gifts to shut out my vampiric side completely, back to Lils once more, even if I now had heritage. Once more, I was invisible to my mates. I shifted, making my way back to the Rez, avoiding the patrols as I flew through the trees. I arrived at Sam's, the warm familiarity a balm to my raw senses. I pushed the door open with my snout, collapsing in a tired heap on the floor as many stares flew to me.

"An explanation would be appreciated." Sam's voice was clipped with worry and frustration. I shifted back to my human form.

"I want to go back to the marines. I will take the serum when my career is over." I said flatly.

"Why were you out for so long?" Jared asked. I shrugged.

"I had already made my decision, but did not want to impact yours. When the war comes, I will fight, but for now I will be in the marines." I answered.

"How can you fight for them?" Snarled Jake, earning himself growls of affirmation.

"Because we would end up fighting the werewolves anyway. It is better to do it with strong allies." I reasoned, smiling tiredly. "Paul, do you want to go now?" Paul nodded in response, standing quickly. We left, grabbing bags and loading them into the jeep. Securing the boat to the roof of the jeep, we drove off into the night, heading for La Push.