[English isn't my first language, so please be kind!]
[All characters belongs to Stephenie Meyer!]
11
Disintegration
After Renesmee was well fed, Alec started looking for Elia around the castle. Usually he would do this in five minutes, but after eating human food Renesmee was sleepy, so they had to walk slowly. Esme offered to take the child to her parents, but Renesmee chose to stay with Alec, so he took her by the hand as he knocked on every door he found through the halls.
This could be done more quickly if Jane had agreed to help him, but she completely ignored her brother as she followed him, still more slowly, in his search.
Jane wanted to be spending more time with Esme, but she had to go to Carlisle. She also wanted Alec to give her a little of attention, but he seemed to be enjoying playing the older brother to a child who was, in Jane's opinion, strange.
When she realized she was starting to stare at Renesmee too much, she reached for her cell phone and put on headphones. She couldn't be jealous of a child and most important, she couldn't attack a Cullen now that the Volturi were at peace.
Jane sighed, she missed the deadly conflicts.
- Why don't we look in the games room? - Jane asked.
Alec had stopped so that Renesmee could rest for a while. He asked if she wanted to be carried, but she denied his help.
Jane avoided looking at the child, it brought back memories of better times, when she, the oldest twin, was the one who took care of a scared Alec.
- I don't think she's there - Alec replied, he looked at the lights that came from the end of the hall, apparently there was a group of guests nearby - let's go over there.
- My family is there - Renesmee pointed to the lights.
- Really? How do you know? - Alec asked the child, using a cute and annoying voice to Jane's ears.
She turned up the volume of the music she was listening to.
They hoped to find some nomads chatting away, but ended up facing a real battle between Aro and his rival.
Edward Cullen had challenged Aro in chess, one of his favorite games. But things weren't so simple. Edward could read Aro's mind, so, to balance things out, they agreed that Aro would hold Edward's wrist during the challenge.
- What the hell is this? – said Jane.
- Language, Jane - Caius appeared suddenly. Unlike the others, who had already gotten used to wearing more modern clothes that matched with the hotel mood and idea, Caius continued to wear the same outdated clothes of Volterra - our honor is at stake here.
Jane ignored him, but was happy to see Esme. She and Carlisle watched Edward from a point while Isabella Swan fervently cheered for her husband.
In the meantime, no game pieces have been moved yet.
- What is it? - Alec asked. Renesmee had already run into her mother's arms.
- A friendly and healthy competition between ... - Caius twisted his mouth - Friends.
There was no friendliness in his words at all.
Caius went back to Aro's side, keeping a safe distance so as not to disturb him, probably thinking how much easier it would be if they simply fought to the death.
After looking around, Alec became worried again.
- She's not here either, did something happen?
He looked at Jane for support, but she was singing softly, amused by the music.
- Jane! - Alec tore off her headphones.
- Are you crazy? - she asked, trying to control her voice tone. The last thing she wanted now was to disturb Aro.
- You can't listen to The Cure everyday.
- Yes I can - Jane said.
Alec sighed loudly. He was tired of having that conversation. Jane wanted attention, but when he gave it some, it wasn't enough, or not the way she wanted it.
It was very difficult to be a teenage forever.
- Anyway - Alec calmed down a little - Renesmee is already with her parents and I'm worried about Elia, can you help me look for her?
Suddenly, all they heard were the cries of joy and surprise from those around the chess table.
Aro had lost.
- Damn it... - Jane went behind Alec, holding the sleeves of his coat - Why did you had to talk about her out loud?
- I wasn't thinking straight! - Alec replied, in a mixture of whisper and despair.
- I'm sure of that - Jane joked, she never missed an opportunity.
The twins tried to maintain a peaceful expression as Aro approached. He left the table, ignoring Caius' expression of shock and anger and the joy at the Cullens' faces.
Edward looked like he had just won the Champions League. He spun his wife, Bella, in the air, and was greeted with a hug by Carlisle while Renesmee finally fell asleep in Esme's arms.
- What did you say? - Aro asked, looking directly at Alec. It was the first time Jane was relieved that he ignored her.
- Nothing, I just... - Alec swallowed - I can't find Elia, I don't think she's in the castle.
- And you just tell me that now? - Aro was sharp, even in a low voice.
- I was taking care of Nessie and ...
- Nessie? - Aro took a while to understand that Nessie was the nickname that a friend of the Cullens had given the child, he saw in Edward's thoughts.
- We were all busy - Jane took the lead. Alec wasn't very good with words - we are not to blame if she left alone.
If Aro were human, Alec was sure he would turn red with anger, especially since he knew Jane was right. Everyone had been busy, including Aro, since the Cullens arrived.
- She must only be sad because it's her birthday - said Alec - it's more difficult in the first years, you know that.
- Right - Aro closed his eyes, admitting his own guilt, something rare to witness.
Caius approached the group again, still looking at the Cullens with disapproval.
- Ask for a rematch - said Caius - now.
- I can't - Aro replied, Alec never saw him act so serious - my daughter needs me.
XXX
It was dangerous for a vampire to be outside, especially without adequate protection from the sun. The village was set back from the hotel, but the residents could still be able to see a large shining object moving, and that would attract attention, public, cameras, everything that Volturi wanted to avoid.
Elia tracked Claudio's trail up to that point, and stood there, walking in circles, unable to decide whether to move on or not. The confusion in her mind was enormous, especially due to the fear of rejection, fear that was already real.
Claudio didn't come to meet her, and Elia was alone.
But worse than that, the frustration of not being able to express her anger in a way that wasn't destructive was making her body wither like a flame without oxygen. Elia could scream, but that would lead to rumors from humans, and horror stories would attract visitors.
She could pull stones and trees off the ground, but that would also get a lot of attention.
Actually, Elia just wanted to cry, or maybe sleep, sleep to pretend it was all just a bad dream, but that was impossible.
It was ironic how she could do extraordinary things while the most simple and important ones were taken from her.
"It's all Aro's fault," she thought.
- What are you doing here? - Elia asked.
She felt Aro's presence as soon as he found her, and he wasn't the one she expected.
- I came to get you - Aro kept his distance, he didn't want to make her even more nervous.
- Now? Did you remember me now? -Elia smiled, but her face was full of resentment - Don't your precious guests need you?
She continued to walk in circles, the leaves had already fallen under her feet.
- I came to get you because it's late - said Aro - and it's dangerous to be here alone.
His concern was real. The Volturi were at peace, but there were still clans out there wanting their heads.
- Oh, so you only came to punish me, of course.
- Elia, today was your day, I'm sorry.
Aro tried to remember all the books he had read about raising children, but Elia was much older than the pictures in the book.
- I don't want your excuses - Elia stopped, and all the sound of the forest disappeared, as if waiting for her next words - I wanted to feel normal, just today, I wanted to see someone, but he didn't want to see me.
Aro sighed, so that was the problem.
He knew that Elia's real family was around, and he didn't imagine she would try to get in touch to them. The problem was someone else, and Elia's feelings for him still persisted.
Perhaps now, with this disappointment, Aro expected she would finally stop thinking about him.
Elia covered her face with both hands and started to sob, a tearless cry. Aro took the opportunity to approach her, wrapping his protected one in a fatherly embrace.
Aro tried to be everything to her, but he couldn't erase her past so easily. Perhaps, with time, Elia would end up accepting her new destiny.
- You can blame me for everything - Aro sighed - I accept it.
- Don't give me permission - said Elia - you might regret that.
Aro smiled. He brushed Elia's hair out of her face and kissed her on the cheeks. Now, reading her thoughts, he could understand the better situation.
- Send them away from here, please, or I won't be able to move on.
- All right - said Aro - and I promise a better birthday next year, with ponies and fireworks.
- I'm not Renata - Elia buried her face in Aro's jacket, sobbing again.
Aro nodded, thinking how he should have taken better care of his daughter that day, every day since he brought her to him.
It was already dawn. Elia's birthday has ended.
Hi! This chapter came early because it would be difficult for me to update this Saturday, so here it is. It was so fun to write about Jane in a fresh context, as well as making Renesmee act like a normal child. Did anyone get the reference to The Cure in the title? The fanfic will coming to an end soon, thank you so much for reading!